Padme POV

Anakin turned off the HoloNet. He saw that I was not playing around.

"What?" he asked.

"I don't want you going after Sidious," I said being direct as I could be.

He stood up and walked over to the window of the sitting room. "It is a direct order from the Council," he said.

"That's a load of shit," I said. "This is about revenge, and I am asking you not to do it."

He turned to me and said, "Yes. Yes this is about revenge. But this is not about what you think it is about."

I crossed my arms. "Really, then what is it about?"

"Okay. I am mad that he hurt Ahsoka. I am angry that she got sick. But that is not why I need to catch this bastard."

"Then explain it to me."

"I already have!" Anakin yelled.

"The babies," I whispered. We both listened for sounds of Ashla or Jinn crying, but it sounded like they were sleeping peacefully.

Anakin took a deep breath to calm down. "Do you remember Mustafar?"

Mustafar? What did this have to do with Mustafar?! "You mean when I was pregnant with Luke and Leia, and I went to find you?"

He nodded.

"Okay. Yeah. I remember Mustafar."

"What happened?"

"We were on Coruscant at the middle of the Clone Wars. I was home alone and 3PO came and told me that the Jedi Temple was on fire. I turned on the HoloNet and heard that the Jedi were now outlaws, and I assumed you were dead. But then you came home and I was so relieved I did not notice something was wrong. You came to the house and said that Palpatine assigned you to a mission on Mustafar and you would be home soon. I cried myself to sleep that night. The next morning, Obi-Wan came and told me that you were a Sith, that you killed younglings, and asked where you were, but I would not tell him. Then he figured out that I was pregnant and you were the father.

"I got scared and went to Mustafar by myself. You met me on the landing platform, and we kissed. I asked if you were a Sith and if you killed youngling like Obi-Wan said, and you denied it. Then Obi-Wan appeared, apparently he stole away on the ship, and you thought it was a trap to kill you, for some reason. Later, we found out it was paranoia from borderline, but whatever. Then I could not breathe and passed out. I woke up in the hospital, and Obi-Wan was there but you were not. They told me I was having twins, and Obi-Wan said that I needed to raise them. But for some reason, it was like you were still choking me or something, and I died. I can't explain what happened."

Anakin started to cry by the time I was done. "Yeah. See Pal- Palpatine told me that- that when I force cho- choked you, it kil- killed you."

"What?"

"I tho- thought you were de- dead, bec- because of m- me," he sobbed.

"Anakin," I said.

"That is why I did what I did. It was the only thing that helped. When my mother died, they only thing that made me feel better was destroying the sand people. When you died, and it was my fault, there was no hope. All that was left of me was giving into the Dark Side and being the crazy monster that he wanted me to be. He still wants me to be a monster. That's why he captured you and my mom and took you to that horrible dungeon, that's why he hurt Ahsoka. That is why he sent that assassin after the kids. I have to take him down. I have to end this."

I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around him. We were both crying by this point. I tried to imagine Anakin, the man who was playing with my children an hour ago, that hurt and angry. Ani, a mindless monster who kills on command because he is so heartbroken and depressed? The fact that someone preyed on that. Someone took a twenty-three year old, and made him a monster, my Anakin. I remember the look in his eyes on Mustafar, that was borderline and Sidious, not my Anakin.

"Okay," I said. "I get it. I always knew that he hurt you. Obi-Wan said that he targeted you since you were a child, but I never knew that he made you feel that way. I understand, honey. I get the anger. But I am still scared. Apparently, I literally can't live without you."

"That's not funny," Anakin said.

"Okay. It's not funny, but it's true. We have kids, and a life. How do I know you will come back to me?"

Anakin started laughing.

"What?"

"That's what you're worried about?"

"Well yeah."

"Padme, honey, I chose to save Luke because he reminded me of you. I wanted to go through all of this training and become a good Jedi so I could be the man you deserve. Everything I do is to lead me back to you."

I thought for a minute. "You are doing all of this to be worthy of me?"

"Yes."

"Anakin, I have loved from the moment I met you. I told you that on Geonosis. I told you that during our marriage ceremony. I just don't want to share you with Palpatine, with the Dark Side. I want you all to myself," I said laughing.

"Padme, Palpatine wants Vader. You won't have me all to yourself unless I end this, and arrest him."

"Then arrest them, and come home to me."

"Always."

He kissed me, and suddenly I felt so brave, I thought I could take Palpatine myself.