A/N: Happy Halloween my lovelies! Oh my god I never thought this day would come where I'd have time to upload a new chapter! Hooray! I've been swamped with reporting for the end of term and marking assessments, plus there's been engagement parties and birthdays and all sorts of things happening in my ultra busy life. But, last weekend, I finally had some time to myself and was able to nut out this chapter. I hope you like it! It's been a long time coming.

For those wondering, there are not that many chapters left. I'd give a rough estimate of around 5 :) My plan is to have this story finished before the school holidays so I can start the sequel during my 6 week break.

Again, thank you all for your patience! I'm doing my very best, I promise. And... Happy Birthday Padme! :)


"C'mon, P!," Dorme whined, bouncing impatiently up and down on her toes in the doorway to the bathroom.

Smirking, Padme shook her head as she delicately applied her eyeliner, bending closer to the mirror so she could see without the horrid bathroom lighting casting shadows over her face. "Relax, would you? Dinner's not until 7 pm."

Her roommate huffed and sighed melodramatically with a large eye roll. "Yeah, but you don't turn up to your own birthday dinner sober. I'm expecting us to hit up the bar heavy beforehand." She winked, a mischievous twinkle in her brown eyes. "But, at this rate, by the time you'll be done here, it'll be lock out already!"

"You should be an actress. Y'know that?," Padme drawled sarcastically, shooting a wicked grin over her shoulder at her best friend.

Dorme flipped her hair purposefully and cocked her hip. "Well, I can definitely see myself in the spotlight. I'm just glad you appreciate my talent."

Scoffing at her with a shake of her head, Padme ignored her remark and continued applying her makeup. "Just be patient. I'm almost ready."

It was her 25th birthday, and Dorme and Teckla had decided she needed a girl's night out – something Padme hadn't done in a very long time. The prospect was incredibly exciting. It had been months since Padme had had a night out with her friends. The last time she'd even attended a party was several months before, when she and Dorme had attended Tyler's hockey victory party in February. It was now the middle of May, but she had been so swamped with studying for finals and finishing her thesis that she'd hardly left the apartment since coming back from Owen's wedding in March, except to attend her classes or grab a Starbucks.

It had been Dorme who'd finally put her foot down, insisting that she take a break for once and celebrate her birthday in a proper fashion. Which, in Dorme-speak, meant getting completely shitfaced. It had taken some convincing, but once Teckla had jumped on board the P's Birthday bandwagon, Padme had finally surrendered to their torments and agreed on the outing.

The evening was meant to be a simple dinner with just the three of them at Padme's favourite Spanish Tapas restaurant and then going out to their favorite local bar down the road for a few drinks afterwards. That was the plan anyway, but Padme had a sneaking suspicion that it would turn into something a lot more. Nothing was ever simple or tame when Dorme was involved.

"Well, I can't wait for another five thousand years," Dorme declared with a heavy sigh. She turned on her heel and headed out into the kitchen, the click clack of her stilleto heels echoing on the tiles.

"Where are you going?" Padme called out as she lined her lips with a dark red pencil.

There was no response except a clinking of glass and the sound of opening cupboards, and then, suddenly, Dorme reappeared in Padme's mirror with a smug smile on her face. "Birthday shots!" she announced with a laugh, shoving a shot glass at her.

Padme paused and turned around, eyeing the shot glass suspiciously. "What is this?"

"Vodka. We have half a bottle of Belvedere in the bottom of our pantry, next to the slow cooker." She pushed the shot glass closer to Padme's face. She crinkled her nose up in disgust. She hated vodka – it burned like hell, and she almost always gagged afterwards. But, it was her birthday, and this was Belvedere vodka, and it was super expensive, so she wasn't going to let it go to waste. "Come onnnnn, P. Don't be an old lady!"

Rolling her eyes, Padme took the glass from her best friend and grinned. "I'm not an old lady!"

They clinked their glasses together and threw their shots back. Padme did her best not to cough it back up and gingerly swallowed, feeling that oh so familiar burn, as the liquid slid down her throat. Once it was down, she lifted her head and grinned over at her roommate, who grinned back.

"Right. Let's go!"

"Wait, I wanna send a picture of me in this outfit to Anakin! Here, D...Would you take it for me?" Padme asked, handing her phone to her roommate.

"Sure, P. He's gonna come just from this picture alone, y'know, because tonight, you are one hot ass chick in that getup!" Dorme smirked. Padme giggled and then posed, cocking her hip suggestively, pouting her lips, and giving her most sultry look for the camera. Dorme took a couple of quick shots, and then a headshot selfie of the two of them together.

Padme took her phone back, thanked her roommate, then proceeded to text Anakin, sending him the pictures Dorme had just taken: Hey baby! How do I look? Like it?

Almost instantly, Anakin fired back a response: Fuck me babe! You look HOT. Love it!

Giggling and blushing at his enthusiastic response, she wrote back: Good! I'll wear it next time I see you baby ;)

His response was immediate and practically dripped with lust: You won't wear it long. I'll make sure of that ;)

Laughing with delight at his comments, her heart buoyant and light, both from Anakin's love for her and her upcoming night out with her girlfriends, Padme headed out the apartment door with her best friend, ready for whatever Dorme had up her sleeve.

Reaching outside, they found it was surprisingly cool for May, and Padme immediately wished she'd brought her trusty black, leather jacket, as she and Dorme waited outside the front of their apartment building for their Uber. Dorme had helped pick out her outfit; which consisted of a short, tight, black leather miniskirt, sheer black hose, black suede thigh-high boots, and a gold sequinned, slinky slip of a top that had thin straps and left her back completely bare; and while she looked 'sexy af' as her roommate had guffawed, it didn't protect her from the elements. Luckily, they didn't have to wait long, as their Uber pulled up onto the curb only two minutes later, and the two girls slid into the back seat, eager for their night to begin.

In typical Dorme fashion, she'd snuck a flask of vodka into her clutch purse, and sneakily held it out to Padme when their Uber driver wasn't looking, giving her a wink and a smirk. Rolling her eyes, Padme took a swig, tried not to gag, and then handed it back to her best friend. Already, she could feel the effects of the alcohol, her fingers and toes growing warm and numb as the 'vodka blanket' took control. Shaking her head, Padme wondered if she'd even make it to the restaurant at this rate.

Several sneaky sips from the flask later, and the two of them eventually arrived at their destination. Padme was most definitely tipsy as she stepped out of the Uber and onto the sidewalk. She was buzzing with happiness, the tendrils of warmth running down to the tips of her fingers and toes, making it somehow easier to walk in her five-inch heeled boots.

They walked inside, and found Teckla already waiting at their reserved table. She leapt up from her seat, all wide twinkling green eyes and beaming, dimpled smiles, and threw her arms around Padme, squealing, "Happy Birthday, Padme!" as she did so, and kissing both of her cheeks.

Grinning, Padme pulled back and tucked a tendril of her hair behind her ear. "Thanks, Teckla."

It was then she noticed the two other people sitting at their table. The first she recognised immediately. It was Sabe – her very best friend from elementary school. They'd been two peas in a pod, but when Padme had moved away to boarding school, they'd hardly seen each other. Of course, they kept it touch on Facebook and Instagram – she had recently moved to Oxford, UK to study law at Oxford University after completing her undergrad degree at Yale last year. But, they hadn't seen each other in years. Tears brimmed in Padme's eyes as she gazed upon one of her oldest and dearest friends. She'd cut her hair, the brown locks styled in a chic layered bob with a dramatic side part that suited her features, but her radiant smile and large, brown eyes remained the same as they did when they were kids.

On Teckla's right, was Corde, one of the girls she'd attended boarding school with, along with Dorme. She'd always been a beautiful girl in school, her Chinese-American heritage giving her an exotic beauty that Padme had always slightly envied. When they'd graduated school, Corde had moved to New York to pursue her passion for writing, and while they'd caught up several times over the years, it had been almost a year since Padme had last seen her.

The sight of two of her oldest and dearest friends made Padme stop in her tracks, tears finally spilling over her cheeks as she rushed towards them, squealing with delight. Reaching Sabe first, Padme pulled her into a tight hug, relishing the opportunity to hold her longest friend for the first time in five years. "Oh, Sabe!," she sobbed into her friend's neck. "What are you doing here?!"

Beaming radiantly, tears glittering in her own brown eyes, Sabe sniffled and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm visiting my fiancée. He's doing a semester abroad here at Harvard Law."

At the mention of 'fiancee', Padme immediately glanced down to Sabe's left hand and her jaw dropped at the sight of the enormous glittering rock that adorned her ring finger. She marvelled for a moment at how such slender fingers could possibly hold up such a monstrosity. "Oh my god, congratulations!" Padme gushed, unable to take her eyes off the beautiful engagement ring. "That's wonderful, Sabe! I'm so happy for you! What's his name? Is he British?"

Her friend blushed prettily and tucked a lock of hair behind her ears. "Thanks, P. His name is Nicholas Brohmwell...I call him Nick...And, yeah, he's British. I'll show you some pictures tonight. I'm sorry I didn't get in contact with you immediately when I arrived here, but Dorme begged me to keep it a secret as a surprise!"

Shooting a mocking glare over at Dorme, who winked at her cheekily, Padme laughed and shook her head. "Don't be silly! I'm just so happy you're here!"

Then, her gaze, flicked over to Corde, who was waiting patiently for her attention. Padme pulled her friend into a warm embrace before stepping back and kissing her cheek. "Corde! It's been forever!"

Her friend laughed sweetly and nodded. "I know, right?! How disgraceful!"

"You didn't come all the way here from New York just because it's my birthday did you?"

With a secret smile shared with Dorme, Corde shrugged. "I may have… I mean, it has been forever!"

Overwhelmed at how lucky she was to have such lovely friends, Padme sniffled back her tears of affection and hugged her friend one more time. "Well, I'm so happy you did!"

"P, it's your birthday, not a funeral!" Dorme drawled with a smirk, shaking her head. "Quit your blubbering. It's ruining the vibe."

Rolling her eyes, Padme took a seat at the end of the table, Corde on one side and Dorme on the other, with Sabe sitting next to Teckla. It was then she realised she had the greatest best friend in the entire world. There was no doubt that Dorme had organised for her two far away friends to fly over to Boston for her birthday, and she felt extremely touched at the kind gesture. Dorme may be sarcastic and sassy and a little too honest at times, but she was also the most thoughtful and considerate friend Padme had ever had.

As the first course arrived on the table (Dorme had arranged for a banquet of share plates for the group), along with several large pitchers of Sangria, Sabe piped up from the other end of the table, where she was sitting next to Dorme and Teckla, "So, tell us about your new man, P!"

Blushing, Padme lowered her gaze as her mind drifted off to Anakin. They'd briefly Skyped that morning for her birthday, before he'd had to head off to class, and he'd had a dozen beautiful, long stem red roses and a gorgeous pair of silver Tiffany earrings (to match her bracelet he'd gotten for her at Christmas) delivered to her apartment. As sad as she was that he was unable to celebrate her birthday with her in person, she was incredibly grateful for his thoughtful and beautiful gift, and had told him as much during their Skype call. He was, truly, an absolute sweetheart, and she loved him more than anyone else in the world.

"Yeah!" Corde probed in agreement, clapping her hands together excitedly. "Is he coming out with us tonight?"

Sighing sadly, Padme shook her head. "No, Anakin's in Chicago pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering. That's where he studies."

Sabe tilted her head to the side and chewed on her lip in thought, her dark eyebrows narrowing. "Anakin… wait… you don't mean Anakin Skywalker, as in, Little Ani? The kid that lived next door to you back in Minnesota? Wasn't he like, five years younger than you?"

"Yeah, that's the one!" Padme grinned.

Corde's eyes grew wide and sparkled with mischief. "You cradle snatcher, P! How'd you manage to pick up such a youngling?"

Laughing, Padme shrugged, a smirk on her face. "Well, I guess he's always had a thing for older women."

"Oh yeah, that boy's been in love with you since he was nine or ten," Sabe added, shaking her head with a giggle. "I remember when he used to spy on us from over the fence. Remember? Especially whenever we were sunbathing on the back patio in our bikinis! Oh, man! Like that one time we caught him watching us, and he slipped and fell off that large stack of firewood by his mom's garage, making that godawful racket?"

Padme's eyes widened, and she burst out laughing with Sabe, "Oh, I'd forgotten about that, but yeah! I remember now! That was funny!" My dear sweet little Ani, she shook her head with a smile at the memory.

"Well…" Dorme chimed in matter-of-factly, a sly look on her face, "trust me, from what I can hear, he's not so little any more, if you know what I mean," she added cheekily with a wink.

The girls all burst out into laughter, and Padme's cheeks flared hot with embarrassment, and she smacked Dorme on the arm sharply, shaking her head. "Dorme!" she reprimanded her best friend, but soon joined in the laughter with the rest of her friends. "You cannot talk. You and Tyler are just as loud as we are, y'know."

Dorme smirked and dismissed her with a wave of her hand. "Yes, but we're not discussing my boyfriend's penis size, P – which, is more than satisfying, I might add. We're discussing yours."

Padme laughed, "Yeah, well...I've always said Tyler's a brunette version of Anakin! I guess even in that department!"

"Damn right!," Dorme snorted matter-of-factly, taking another sip of Sangria while all the girls burst out laughing.

Corde, the only single girl at the table, sat up straighter in her chair and stared at Padme, eyes wide, completely serious. "How big?"

Giggling, and blushing even harder, Padme held up her hands, slowly drawing them further and further apart, until Corde's eyes almost burst out of her head. "No way! You've got to be kidding!"

With a smug secret smile, Padme shook her head, "Nope. Not at all. I am a very satisfied woman, lemme tell you!"

"I can vouch for that! Withthe moans and groans I've heard," Dorme said on a low whistle before raising her glass in silent salute, causing another round of laughter to burst forth round the table.

Padme, chittering and blushing, laughingly replied, "Well, he is a six foot two hunk, y'know!"

"Really? He was kinda scrawny when he was little. What does he look like now, P?," Sabe asked curiously.

Padme grinned wolfishly before pulling out her phone and opening her pictures to some shots from Owen's wedding and then passing her phone to first Sabe and then to Corde, both of whom registered slack jawed shock at Anakin's gorgeous looks and powerful masculine physique.

"Damn, Girlfriend! No wonder you look as happy as you do...With that piece of eye candy wrapped round you? What woman wouldn't be one hundred percent satisfied?!," Sabe said in awe, Corde blushing and nodding her own head in agreement.

Teckla, who was by far the most prudish of all of Padme's friends that were currently at the table, swallowed and blushed deeply as she muttered, "Wow. No wonder you always look so happy lately, P."

There was a twinge of despair in Teckla's voice, and Padme gave her a knowing smile and reached over to gently squeeze her hand in silent support. Teckla's boyfriend, Tommy, was still posted overseas, and she hadn't seen him in more than six months now. Padme could well sympathize with being separated for some length of time from the man you love, and she was always encouraging to her friend.

"Well, I'm glad you're happy," Sabe said kindly, handing Padme back her phone and then reaching out to squeeze her hand. "It's about time. You've had horrible luck with boyfriends."

Padme nodded in agreement, just as their second round of share plates were brought to the table. The cheerful conversation flowed as freely as their laughter, the girls catching up on all the happenings in their lives, as the night wore on. Several more platters of tapas and even more pitchers of Sangria later, and Padme was well and truly feeling the warm, fuzzy effects of the alcohol, the fullness of her belly, and the high of being around her closest and dearest of friends. It was honestly one of the best birthdays she'd had in a long time – the only thing that could make it any better would be if Anakin was by her side.

Once the bill was sorted – each girl paying their own share – they all piled into a maxi taxi and drove down several blocks until they reached their favourite bar. Soon, the familiar damp air, a mixture of sweat and booze, filled Padme's nostrils as she entered the dimly lit bar. It had been one of her most frequented places many years ago; yet now, she couldn't remember the last time she'd been here. And, she'd never even dragged Anakin here for some strange reason. That was for certain. It had been so long since she'd been to a bar… perhaps Dorme was right – she needed to get out more.

Dorme, in typical Dorme fashion, took charge and marched the party right over to the bar, demanding shots of the poor bartender so forcefully that Padme felt sorry for him, and informing him as loudly as possible that it was her "best friend's birthday, and she's gonna get some free shots, dammit!"

Hurriedly obliging, the surprised bartender quickly did as he was bid, lining five Dirty Cowboys up along the top of the bar.

"Happy Birthday, P!" The girls chorused as they raised their shot glasses high in the air. Padme laughed and joined them, knocking back her Dirty Cowboy with a quick tilt of her head, swallowing it all in one gulp, and then placing the empty shot glass back on the bar. Beside her, Dorme and Teckla cheered her on, their eyes bright with excitement and more than a little intoxication.

The shot seemed to give Padme a sudden burst of energy, and she took hold of Dorme and Teckla's hands and pulled them into the middle of the dance floor. Around twenty bodies were already clumped together in a sweaty, steamy heap, bopping and grinding against each other in sync with the 90's RnB music blaring from the speakers. Yes, Padme thought to herself smugly as she dropped down into what Dorme referred to as a 'slut drop', this is exactly what I needed!

A little after midnight, Padme decided it was the right time to call Anakin, and stood in the middle of the dancefloor with the phone pressed up to her ear, shouting at the top of her lungs.

"Heyyyyy, Aniiiiii! M'out a' a barrrrrr!," she all but screamed into the phone as soon as it connected, her slurred speech drawing out her words until they were comically unintelligible.

Anakin's warm, comforting laughter echoed through the phone. "Yeah, I can tell, Babe. Are you drunk?"

Padme shook her head furiously, and stumbled, knocking into Corde – who was grinding seductively up against a random guy, and almost rolling her ankle.

"AngelI can't see you, remember?," Anakin reminded her, patiently, his voice patronising like he was communicating with a child. "You can't just shake or nod your head."

"Oohh," Padme muttered. "Nooooo, Ani… I'm not – hic – drunk. Y-you are!" She tittered with laughter, listening to the answering rumble of Anakin's deep chuckles.

"Surrrrre, Babe. Well, I'm glad you're having a good time. Say 'hi' to the girls for me."

"Mmmhmmm…" she sighed, clenching her thighs together. The sound of Anakin's voice was turning her on so much, that she could actually feel herself getting wetter with every word he said.

Just at that moment, Dorme approached her from behind, grabbing her shoulder and hollering into the phone, "Heeeey, Anakinnnn! P's busting some moves tonight! You should see her bumping and - hic - g-grinding o-out here!"

"Oh, really? Wish I could see that! You girls have fun. Just get my girl home safe and in one piece tonight, Dorme," Anakin called out to her roommate, his voice thick with amusement.

"You can - hic - count on me, Ani!" Dorme announced with an air of responsibility and saluted dramatically like some sort of Girl Scout. They could both hear Anakin's deep chuckles through the phone, as he acknowledged Dorme.

"Night, Ani! Wuv -hic - you!," Padme told him happily, her speech still slurred, and he responded in kind, before she hung up the phone and re-joined the group. She danced for hours with her friends, letting herself relax and have fun for the first time in weeks – no, months. Padme couldn't remember the last time she'd had fun quite like this, out with her most precious friends, dancing like there wasn't a single care in the world. It felt so good to let her hair down, and she was almost kind of glad she was here without Anakin. Sometimes, a girl just needed a night out with her girlfriends.

It was a little after 4 am when Tyler arrived to take both her and Dorme home, and Padme was insanely grateful for his kindness in making sure they both got home safely. Tyler even texted Anakin when he picked them up to let him know the girls were with him, and he was taking them home. Tyler gave Dorme a sweet, quick kiss as she slid into the front seat, and Padme eyed it fondly. They really were such a good couple together. He was the best thing for Dorme. She would be forever grateful to her father for those Celtics tickets, if nothing else but because she'd met Tyler that night. As Padme sat in the backseat, nursing her head against the window to keep it from spinning, her thoughts once again drifted off to Anakin, as they always did. She wondered if he was asleep, or if he was waiting up for her to text him and let him know she'd actually gotten home safe. Maybe he was at his own party – Rex and Cody tended to drag him from frat house to frat house nearly every night of the week, so she wouldn't be surprised if he was still out drinking himself.

Tyler parked in the visitor carpark at the back of their apartment building, and escorted them up through the back entrance and up the stairs to their apartment. "Happy Birthday, Padme," he said fondly with a bright smile, as he walked beside her, his hand on the small of Dorme's back.

"Thanks, Ty," she beamed back, before stumbling into him as she missed a step, clinging to his muscled forearm. The feel of it reminded her of her Ani, and she quickly pulled away and blushed as she remembered the feeling of his strong, muscular arms around her.

"Did you girls have a good time?"

"Hell – fucking – yeah!" Dorme cried out passionately, raising one arm in the air and tripping over, causing Tyler to quickly pull her into his chest.

"Shhh, Sweetheart, you'll wake up the entire building!" he whispered in her ear.

Dorme winked at him and bit her lip, her eyes dark and hooded with lust. "And, I'm not even naked...yet," she crooned seductively, running a sharp fingernail down his chest.

Swallowing uncomfortably at the very private and intimate conversation happening between her best friend and her good friend, Padme quickly skipped up the remaining steps onto the landing and opened the front door, muttering, "I'm heading off to bed, see you two in the morning," under her breath.

She sprinted into her bedroom and shut the door, before flopping down and sprawling out on her bed, face up, with her feet hanging off the end. It took more energy than she wanted to admit to just to take her boots off, and once she'd discarded them, flinging them across the room, she lay back, breathless. The room was spinning around her, and she could hear the distinct moans of Dorme next door, coupled with deeper, more masculine groans that belonged to Tyler. Scrunching up her face, she rolled over to the side of her bed and reached for her phone to call Anakin. If I'm not going to get any sleep with them making all this noise, I might as well not be alone.

He answered on the third ring, his voice heavy and thick with sleep, as he yawned into the speaker, "What's up, Babe?"

She could just picture him, his blonde curly hair messy and dishevelled, his eyes crinkled and face scrunched up as he slowly woke up. It was an adorable image. "I just wanted to hear you voice, Ani," she said with a smile. "I'm lonely, and I miss you."

"I miss you too, Angel. Everyday."

"I know," she whispered back, rolling back onto her back and looking up at the ceiling.

"Did you have a good time tonight?"

Nodding, Padme beamed. "Yeah! It was amazing! Sabe and Corde were there, too! It was so good to see them!"

"That's great, Babe! It's been ages since you've seen them. I'm so happy you had a good night."

"Yeah…" her voice trailed off sadly, and she sniffled – the alcohol making her emotional. "I just wish you'd been there, Ani. I wish you were here right now! I want you so much."

Anakin groaned, his voice dripping with desire. "I want you too, Angel. So goddamn much. That picture of you earlier...God, it got me so fucking hot!"

"Wish you were here right now," she whined into the phone, clenching her thighs together in a pathetic attempt to keep her arousal at bay. "Wish you were…"

"What, Angel?" Anakin asked eagerly. "What do you wish I would do if I was there?"

Biting her lip, Padme closed her eyes, "I'd want you to… undress me. Slowly. And…and lay on top of me… so I can feel you, feel all of you against my skin. And, I'd run my hands through your hair and down you shoulders and back before grabbing your butt, and I'd – I'd kiss you everywhere, and you'd stroke my hair and whisper my name as you… as you – "

"What?" Anakin growled desperately. "As I'd what, Angel?"

"SNORE…"

"Angel? Can you hear me? Babe?"

"SNORE..."

Padme didn't hear the soft laughter coming from her phone as Anakin whispered, "I love you, Babe. Sleep well," before hanging up.

When Padme woke up late the next morning, her head pounding and feeling a whole lot older than 25, she glanced over at her phone and saw two messages waiting from Anakin. Thumbing them open, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped as a picture of him filled her screen, of him lying naked, on his bed, a feral grin on his face, with his hard, erect penis in his hand. Beneath the image was a simple, sweet message:

Sweet dreams, Beautiful. You fell asleep before we could make things interesting. But don't worry… I'll make sure we finish what we started. Love you ;)

Smiling and giddy with love, despite her hangover, she texted Anakin back: Yes, we will, Baby. Again and again. Love you, too. ;)

That done, Padme climbed out of bed and headed for the shower, happy, fulfilled, and so very much in love.