We Pretend It's Alright

Chapter Seven

I Just Can't Walk Away

Words- 7,023

We Pretend It's Alright

Padme felt horrible. She had not been able to see Anakin yesterday as she had intended, and she refused to let another day go past without meeting with him. Helgo didn't usually meet with him until around noon now, so that gave her a three hour window if she wanted to see him alone, as she did.

It was for this reason that Padme could be found strolling hurriedly up the Senate steps, intent on seeing Anakin before her first meeting at ten thirty. As usual, she pushed her way through the ever present group of reporters outside of the building, trying to ignore all questions. She was doing a rather good job of in till one particular question stopped her.

"What did you say?" She asked the reporter that had caused her to stop in her tracks.

"Senator Amidala, what do you make of the allegations that you are pregnant with Senator Bail Organa's baby?" The weedy woman called out to her, and everyone else fell silent as they waited for her response.

"That is utter nonsense. Senator Organa and I colleagues and friends, nothing more." She responded rigidly, trying not to show her annoyance and regretting stopping at all.

"Then who is the father of your child?" The reporter asked smugly, as if she believed Padme would reveal it to her.

Padme, having had enough of this nonsense, turned away from the reporters and walked even faster up the remainder of the steps, ignoring the shouts of questions behind her. When she approached the front doors, she produced her id badge she was now required to show when entering the building to the guards at the front doors. After they checked her badge, the doors opened, and she swiftly entered the hall.

Padme immediately headed towards a desk in front of a hallway she knew lead down to where prisoners were held.

"Hi, Senator Padme Amidala of Naboo. I need a meeting with my client, General Skywalker, immediately."

"I'm sorry ma'am. That will not be possible right now." The clone behind the desk answered, his lips pressed together in a thin line.

"Excuse me?" Padme asked, giving the clone a confused look. "I have a legal right to visit my client right now, and I intend to do so." She gave him a contemptuous look, before starting to walk around the desk. Immediately four clones, including the one behind the desk, moved in front of her, effectively blocking her path.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but we have orders to inform anyone asking for prisoner 95746 that he is not able to attend any meetings here." The clone explained, but Padme was not having any of it.

"I demand to speak to who ever gave you these orders right now." She ordered, and the clone nodded, walking back to the desk and calling someone. The other clones still stood in front of her, but they seemed a little apprehensive about the possibility of having to physically stop a pregnant woman from getting past them.

"Ma'am, would you like to come sit down well we wait for-"

"No, I would not like to go sit down somewhere." Padme interrupted the long-haired clone, anger pulsing thought her. "I would like to see me client."

"I know Ma'am, and we are working on that, but well we wait, perhaps you would be more comfortable-"

"I am fine here." She asserted, her lips pressed tightly together in anger.

They stood there for five minutes, as the clone at the desk called and talked to different people.

"Where is my client?!" Padme yelled, extremely frustrated. A few people looked around at her yell, but she couldn't bring herself to care. The combination of the mounting stress she was under, sleep deprivation, and her hormones seemed mixed with her anger and fear for Anakin, and it was overwhelming. She was overwhelmed.

"Ma'am, you are obviously quite distressed, if you would just follow me-." The man in the grey suit asked, a condescending smile on his face, as he held out an arm to her.

"No! I will not follow you. I want an explanation right now. I have been waiting fifteen minutes for one and-"

"Senator Amidala, what seems to be the problem?" The nasally voice of Pronlin Olingen filled the hall, and Padme turned to see him walking out the hall in front of her that lead to the elevator to the lower levels.

"I demand to know why I have been denied access to my client." She hissed, her eyes narrowing. Olingen's smile grew and he laughed.

"You haven't heard?" He asked incredulously, a malicious smile on his face. "This must be so embarrassing, I was sure someone would have notified you-"

"What happened to my client?" She demanded, tired of the show he was putting on and at her wits end.

"Prisoner 95746 was transferred to the Republic Judiciary Central Detention Center last night." Olingen said with a twisted smile. "I have not gotten an update on his status, but I would fully expect to find him the medical bay when you arrive." He sneered, and with that he turned and walked back down the hall that would lead him the detention levels of the building, ignoring Padme's yells for him to come back.

"Come back here!" She shrieked as two guards restrained her. "You have no authority! You have no right!"

But he was gone. Padme continued screaming, and she was drawing quite a bit of attention. But she did not stop. She was beyond her senses, overwhelmed by her fear and anger she couldn't stop. She needed answers, some justification.

She needed Anakin.

"Senator Amidala." She whirled around at the new voice, her eyes wet and her voice hoarse.

"What!" She cried and she could barely keep her tears from falling as she looked upon the concerned face of Master Aayla Secura. "I deserve answers! I… I-"

Her lip started to tremble and she stumbled. The guards released her looking relived, but still wary as she started to get choked up. Aayla quickly wrapped an arm around her and moved swiftly, leading the crying pregnant woman away from the crowd that had gathered in the entrance hall.

"It's alright." Aayla murmured as Padme sobbed into her shoulder. They were out of the hall now and alone in the hallway leading to the elevator up towards where Padme's office was.

"Why don't we go up to your office? Which floor is it on?" She asked gently as they walked slowly towards the elevator.

"F-floor seventeen." Padme choked out, wiping her eyes and trying to regain her composure. But the tears wouldn't stop coming. "Ha-hall 5d." She added as they entered the elevator. Aayla pushed the button, and they zoomed upwards, the twi'lek still supporting the senator. They didn't speak but Padme continued to quietly cry and Aayla squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. When the elevator opened, Aayla lead Padme down the 5d hallway.

"I-It's all the way a-at the end." Padme said quietly, tears still falling. She felt ashamed of herself. This way no way for a senator to act and this was not how she should be conducting herself in her place of work, let alone in front of a Jedi. They walked to end of the long hall, and Aayla waited as Padme typed in the entrance code. The door slide open, and the two women walked inside. Padme quickly bustled over to her desk, dropping her bag on her chair, and then moving over to her tea maker in the corner.

"Tea?" She asked, her voice very high as she frantically whipped eyes.

"Sure." Aayla said softly as she sat down on the couch in the front of the room. Padme finally managed to stop crying by the time the tea was done, but her eyes were still red and puffy as she handed the Jedi a cup of tea and sipped her own as she sat down on the chair across from her.

"I just wanted to say, um, thank you for removing me from that situation." Padme said, her voice hoarse and still a little higher than usual. "I don't know what came over me."

"You were concerned for your husband, I understand."

Padme choked on her tea.

"Excuse me?" She spluttered, staring wide-eyed at the woman across from her who looked confused at Padme's reaction.

"Skywalker?" Aayla prompted, her brow furled in confusion.

"How do you know about that?" Padme asked slowly and her head pounded.

"The Jedi trial yesterday? I'm sorry, I assumed you knew…"

"It seems there is a lot I don't know." Padme mumbled exasperatedly. "Wait. Anakin's Jedi trial was yesterday?"

"Yes. The first part too place around late morning, and we returned last night to deliver the verdict.

"And the verdict was?" She asked worriedly, fearing the worst.

"Skywalker has been expelled from the Jedi order." Aayla confirmed her fears, and Padme sighed, a hand rising to her forehead and she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

"I can't say I didn't expect this." Padme admitted with a frown as she took another sip of her teeth. "I can't imagine what he must be going through right now." Padme murmured more to herself than the Jedi across from her. "Is that the reason you came to the Senate building this morning, to inform me of this development? Or do you have other business here that I am keeping you from?"

"My only business in coming here today was to meet with you, Senator Amidala." Aayla replied. "The council wished me to inform you of our decision, and also to tell you that although Skywalker has been expelled from the Order, we still intend to help with this case as it is Jedi business."

Her words were a weight off Padme's shoulders. She had been worried that if Anakin was expelled the Jedi would want nothing more to do with the case, but it seemed she had had less faith in them than she should have.

"I cannot tell you how good it is to hear that. The Council's assistance in this will really help to speed things along, and hopefully provide the testimonies and explanations we need."

"Yes, well the Jedi is willing to provide anything you may need. All you need do is ask." Aayla said with a kind smile. "Beyond that, may I ask you something?"

"Of course." Padme smiled, but it did not quite reach her eye, which were still red.

"Are you sure you want to be working this case?" Aayla cut right to the chase, and Padme looked at her confused.

"Why would I not?"

"You seem to be quite emotionally involved, let alone your pregnancy and the amount of stress you seem to be under..." She trailed off, giving the woman across from her a concerned look.

"I know it seems like a lot," Padme started, and it seemed almost as if she were trying to convince herself of what she was saying as she spoke. "But I have to. I can't stand aside and let someone else protect him, that's my job. It's our job to protect each other, and he's protected me plenty before. It's my turn now, and I just can't walk away."

"But what about the risk you are taking? Would Anakin want-"

"You don't know what it's like. You don't understand the kind of relationship we have. I have to save him, I have to get him back, and I can't leave someone else to do that. Our love is something I can't leave up to chance. We come first for each other, always. As a Jedi, I don't know if that's something you can understand." Padme was on her feet know, a fierce pride in her voice as she spoke. But after a minute of her staring the /Jedi down, she sat back down, sighing and covering her face with her hands as tears started again.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have spoken that way to you." She apologized after a minute, having regained control of herself again. She looked up at Aayla, tears still in her eyes, and was surprised to see her sadness mirrored in the twi'lek's face. Aayla gave Padme a sad smile, and grief was in both women's eyes.

"I do understand." Aayla murmured after a while. "I too once had someone I loved. Someone who made me smile and who felt the same way about me that I felt about him." Her voice was bittersweet and Padme was transfixed by her words, not having expected the Jedi to say anything like this.

"But we knew the situation we were in, and we didn't let our feelings come first. Our duty came always came first and it did right up to the end. That is the difference between my relationship and yours: you will both always put each other ahead of your responsibilities. Right now you are spending most of your time on his case instead of other work you would usually be doing a Senator. Skywalker let be himself be controlled by his fear that was brought on because of his love for you, and spent all his time trying to find ways to save you when he should have been solely focused on his part in ending the war. This is why Skywalker was expelled. Not simply because he had a relationship, something that Jedi have had before. It was because he formed an attachment that was more important to him than his duty." Silence followed this monologue, both women looking at each other with a sense of mutual respect.

"I know what's it's like to put duty first." Padme said, many different emotions passing over her. "I tried for a long time to do that. But I came to a point where I couldn't anymore. My love meant more to me than my civic duty. We have different mentalities, but I understand where the Jedi are coming from. Maybe that means Anakin shouldn't be a Jedi or maybe it means the Jedi are wrong. I do not know the answer to that, but I do know that I cannot stop working on Anakin's case. To me, he is my duty, and I intend to see this case through." With that both women stood up.

"I understand, and I respect your decision." Aayla conceded. She still had that faraway look in her eyes, and Padme felt a flash of grief for her. "Please come down to the temple or notify us if you need anything."

"Thank you, I will."

Padme walked her to door where the Jedi bid her farewell. As Aayla started to walk away, Padme found herself saying, "I'm sorry for your loss, Master Jedi."

The Jedi stopped, and turned around to face the Senator.

"Thank you child." Master Aayla Secura said with a sad smile, "I hope for your sake that your story will have a happier ending than mine. May the Force be with you."

"May the Force be with you."

We Pretend It's Alright

"Look what we have here boys. New guy, yeah? Bit scrawny this one. How you doing, huh?"

Anakin did not respond. The group of inmates circled around him where he was sitting at a table in the cafeteria. He did not acknowledge their presence, but took a sip of water, and prepared calmly to eat whatever slop he had been served by the lunch crew. He hadn't eaten anything besides a bar for a week, though he was numb to his hunger at this point, it didn't stop his longing to consume everything he could.

"Hey hotshot, I'm talking to you." The dark green Frenk grabbed Anakin's chin, and forcible turned his head to meet his own diamond-shaped one. His reptilian skin was cold on Anakin's chin, and Anakin stared broadly at the Frenk, trying to get his frustration under check.

"And?" He asked, wrenching his face from the criminal's firm grip and lifted his spoon. He hadn't eaten in three days, and he'd be dammed if he was going to let this band of scum ruin his lunch.

"Such a rude one." The Frenk tutted and his crew laughed. "Well have to teach you some manners, no?" And with one swoop of his long arm, he knocked Anakin's tray off the table as he had been about to fill up his spoon. The tray was flung to the ground, its contents spilling all over the gray surface.

Anakin took a deep breath. On one hand, it would not do him any good to get in a fight right now, but on the other hand, that had been his lunch.

"You should not have been that." Anakin said quietly, and they all laughed at his words, clearly not seeing him as a threat.

"Oh yeah? And why's that?" The Frenk sneered, exchanging looks with his group as they continued to laugh.

"You'll find," Anakin said slowly, turning his head so he was speaking face to face to the man next to him, "I'm not someone you want to mess with." Anakin smiled as they burst into laughter yet again.

"I'm not scared of no man." The Frenk hissed, moving closer to Anakin in till they were face to face. He had not laughed at Anakin's words, and the others quickly quieted, following their leader's lead.

"Then you are a fool."

The Frenk launched himself at Anakin and they crashed to the dirty floor as shouts went up all around them. For every punch Anakin received, he sent one right back, and it soon became clear that though Anakin had better reflexes and strength, due to his fatigue the two criminals where pretty evenly matched.

Now both on their feet, the Frenk ran at him again and Anakin suppressed the urge to force shove him away. Whether he liked it or not, he needed respect if he was going to survive in this place, and relying on the force would seem a cheap trick to the other inmates. Resignedly Anakin sidestepped the attack and quickly grabbed the prisoner, body slamming him the ground but receiving a swift kick to the face as he did.

It was at this point that the guards intervened, finally breaking through the ring of prisoners, and subduing both Anakin and his attacker. Both prisonser where slammed down to the guard, their hands cuffed behind their backs. Their faces were only a foot apart, and they stared at each other.

"I'm Kaalon." The reptilian man said, a smile on his face that Anakin had come to known from many other bounty hunters he had met before. That type of arrogance that only pirates and bounty hunters seemed to posses.

"Anakin Skywalker." Anakin muttered back, as he tried to ignore the rush of fatigue that washed over him yet again. He wasn't surprised by the frenk's change of attitude. He'd known they were testing him, but didn't really want to get wrapped up in the prison relationships.

Both men were pulled to their feet, and the commanding clone ordered them to be taken to the medical bay, as both had numerous cuts and were bleeding. They were lead away from the cafeteria, and Anakin's stomach growled as he caught a glimpse of his lunch splattered on the ground in the corner of his eye.

"Maybe next time wait in till after lunch to pick a fight." He grumbled at Kaalon, who laughed at his words.

"Be quiet." One of the clones ordered as they reached an elevator. After swiping a keycard, the elevator opened and they were escorted inside.

The elevator was quite cramped with ten clones and the two prisoners and the ride down was an uncomfortable one. Anakin took note of the floors, and saw that the medical bay was on the seventh level. The lunch area he had just been on was the sixteenth level. He knew the general scheme of the circular building, that is was much taller than it was wide to discourage escapes and that the floors were not very spacious. Being a former Jedi did have some perks.

The elevator stopped and the door slide upwards. The clones holding Anakin and Kaalin pushed the prisoners forward and they were taken down a hall to the left. Looming ahead of them was a sign that read Medical Bay. When they reached the doors, they slide open and a different group of clones took them forward into the room and all but two clones left, the others returning to their posts.

" 'Ey Fixer, got another two coming in." The clone leading the group called as they walked into the bay.

"Fight?" A clone in a medical uniform asked from a desk to the group's left, who was evidently Fixer. The clone had long hair pulled back into a bun at the top of his head and a long scar going vertically across the right side of his face. Anakin had a vague feeling that he had come across this clone before, but could figure out how or when it might have happened. Frankly, he was mostly just focusing on standing upright right now.

"Yeah, just a little roughening up, but command ordered us to bring 'em here." The clone who had been holding Anakin's arm the whole way down answered.

"I'll take it from here thank you." Fixer said distractedly, entering something into his data system. After he finished, he looked up at the group and something Anakin didn't quite catch flashed across the clone's face as he saw Anakin.

"Escort this one to bed three and tell Cling to patch him up. Take him back up when Cling is done." He ordered, gesturing to Kaalon. At once clone was taken down a hall and vanished from sight. "This one," Fixer started, walking over to the remainder of the ground, and looking Anakin up and down. "Take him to ward three."

The clone's holding Anakin exchanged looks and one shrugged. They started walking to the right then, clearly not going to question Fixer who was clearly in charge of this bay. Aside from the two clones at Anakin's sides, one walked in front and one behind and they passed many more stationed around the bay.

"What's ward three?" Anakin asked conversationally as they walked, not expecting an answer.

"Level three intensity." The clone to the right answered to Anakin's surprise.

"How many wards are there?" Anakin asked again, hoping he wasn't pushing his luck.

"Five and that's enough out of you." The clone responded again and Anakin remained silent, wondering why he was going to the level three intensity ward. He wasn't anymore injured then Kaalon.

They went down a step of stairs and passed a few other doors. Finally they stopped in front of another set of doors and after gaining clearance, were allowed to enter.

"Skywalker?" A clone with a buzz cut asked from the front desk as they entered.

"Yeah, Fixer sent us." The clone to the left of Anakin said, and the clone behind the desk nodded.

"Yes, I just spoke with him. Put Skywalker in room nine and guard him till Fixer comes." He said absently mindedly, clearly working on something at the desk.

They began to walk again and Anakin found himself stumbling as he moved, another wave of fatigue washing over him at the sudden movement.

"Whoa there." The clone to his left said, and he and his partner steadied the prisoner between them. "Are you going to make it there?" The clone asked, and Anakin nodded.

"Just tripped or something, I'm fine. Thank you." He mumbled, his head pounding and his vision a little fuzzy.

"Alright then, let's move." And they began again, but this time a little slower. After a short walk, they reached a windowed room, and like every hospital room Anakin had ever seen, it was almost completely white. Two clones were posted at the glass doors, and they nodded to the group as they approached.

"Skywalker?" One asked, and the clone to the left nodded. "In here."

The doors slide open and Anakin was taken inside, barley managing not to fall over. He was taken to the white bed in the center of the room, and was directed into it. As soon as he lay down in the angled bed his feet and hands were cuffed to it.

"Wait here." A clone said and Anakin resisted the urge to roll his eyes. How would he possibly go anywhere?

Anakin lay on the bed that was tilted up at a forty-five degree angle and waited. What he was waiting for he did not know, but he certainly hoped he would get to eat something soon. He was so tired he realized as he lay there. He couldn't remember the last time he had gotten more than a few hours sleep. But right now he was so comfortable, well, as comfortable as a prisoner cuffed to a bed could be. Before he realized what he was doing, his eyes were closed and he drifted into sleep almost instantly.

We Pretend It's Alright

"I'll let you know once I get there." Padme said into her comm. "I'm heading there now. Talk to you soon." With that she disconnected the link, and stood up. Slipping her shoes back on her swollen feet, grabbing her bag, and pulling on her coat, Padme was ready to go visit her husband in jail. Although she was extremely worried about him, she couldn't help but be a little excited. She hadn't seen him in three days, and they had much to discuss. After locking her office behind her, Padme set off down the hall, walking swiftly.

About forty minutes later she stepped out of her taxi and approached the rather ominous looking building known as the Republic Judiciary Detention Center. Located on the west side of Coruscant, it took about thirty minutes to get there from the senate building, and checking her comm she saw it was a little past eleven. As she approached the front doors, she was met by a group of clone troopers.

"Hello, Senator Amidala. I called about an hour ago. I'm here to see my client Anakin Skywalker."

"We've been informed of this, please follow me." One of the clones said, and led her to the front doors, the rest returning to their positions. Four clones were posted at the door and they called inside for the doors to be opened. After a minute the doors slide upwards and the clone walked Padme inside. There were greeted right away by woman in white uniform.

"Hello, I am Johanna Kageren, head in charge of lawyer-prisoner communication." She greeted, a large smile plastered on her wide face. She had a very positive aura about her, and Padme supposed you probably needed one to work in a place like this.

"Pleased to meet you. I am Senator Padme Amidala of Naboo and head of Anakin Skywalker's legal team. "She introduced herself, returning the woman's smile.

"Yes, yes, I've heard so much about you. If you would please follow me?"

Padme moved beside the woman and they started walking down a hall, two clones trailing them.

"So just to catch you up, your client arrived here very late last night, but was not was admitted here for a few hours, as we were not prepared for his arrival here. Around three this morning, he was taken into the facility and subjected to numerous screenings and a few interrogations while we reviewed his files. He was placed into a cell around seven this morning, and remained there in till I believe about ten, when he was taken to the first lunch session. He should be in the yard now, but let me just check." They had gone up a floor, and where now at a desk where a young woman sat, busy with something.

"Siana, will you please tell me the whereabouts of prisoner 95746?" She asked before adding to Padme, "And you will need to go through this weapons decorator every time you visit." She motioned to an arch way next to her. "Don't don't worry, the waves are completely harmless." She smiled, guessing Padme's next question.

"It appears he is in the Medical Bay, in ward three." The girl answered.

"Are you sure? As of an hour ago he arrived in lunch?" Johanna said, moving behind the desk to look at the report.

"As of about forty-five minutes ago, he was checked into the medical bay, Ma'am." Siana confirmed and Johanna nodded, seeing the information herself.

"Alright, thank you Siana. Madam Senator, if you would follow me please?" Johanna stepped through the weapons detector, and Padme followed once she was waved through. After emerging the other side, of the clones manning the machine proclaimed her to be weaponless, and they proceeded, heading towards on elevator at the end of the hallway.

"Ward three?" Padme started. "What does that mean?"

"Ward three is level three intensity, there are five wards." The woman beside her answered, as they entered the elevator. "I'm sure he will be fine. He must likely just faced a little trouble being the new guy."

But that did nothing to calm the increasing panic that was growing inside Padme.

"Is that a common occurrence here?" She asked.

"As much as it is in any prison." Johanna replied as the elevator began to move upwards. The elevator stopped, and the doors slide open to reveal a sign that read Medical Bay. Two clones were waiting at the elevator entrance, and Johanna said, "These men will be your protection for the remainder of your stay here. I unfortunately have to run, as I have another meeting, but the man at the front desk will be more than happy to help you. Bye!" With that she stepped back into the elevator, and the doors slide closed, leaving Padme with the two clones.

"Sir, it is an honor to serve you today." One of them said and the other nodded in agreement.

"Well thank you, but it is me who is lucky to have you." She smiled, "What are your names?"

"I'm Trip, Sir, and this here is Ringer." The clone answered, and Padme nodded.

"Great, now my client is in ward three here and I need to see him. Which way…?"

"Right this way, Sir." Trip led the way and Padme followed him, Ringer taking the back.

"'Ey Mick, which room is Skywalker in?" Trip called to the front desk as they entered the bay.

"Room nine, ward three." Mick called back as he bustled around. "I'll let 'em know you're on your way."

"Thanks." With that, they began to move again, going down a floor, and entering a door marked as Ward Three.

"You here for Skywalker?" A clone at the front desk asked, brushing his shoulder length hair behind his ear.

"Yep, got his lawyer here to see him." Trip answered, gesturing to Padme who forced a smile.

"Room nine, Fixer is in with him now."

"Thanks Coup."

"No problem Trip."

With that they moved down again, passing a few more rooms in till they approached another windowed room. Padme saw Anakin instantly. He was dressed in a prison uniform and lying a white bed in the center of the room. He looked simply horrible. Numerous bruises covered the skin she could see, and his lip was cut. But there was something more than that. He looked weak, and thinner than usual. She speed up when she saw him and was stopped at the glass doors by a group of two clones, and she saw two more around the corner.

"I'm sorry ma'am; we need you to wait in till we have clearance to allow you-"

"She can come in." Fixer walked up from behind Padme, pulling off a pair of medical gloves. "I'm Fixer, head doctor of the medical bay. It's an honor." He said with a short bow of his head.

"Padme Amidala of Naboo." She replied, "And It's a pleasure to meet you as well."

"Thank you, now if you would like to follow me?" She nodded and the two entered the glass room. Padme walked swiftly to Anakin's bedside, placing a hand on his cheek.

"What happened to him?" She asked quietly, staring worriedly at his sleeping form.

"He was brought here after a fight with another inmate, but that wasn't the problem I noticed when he arrived. He is extremely fatigued due to lack of sleep and nourishment and dehydrated. He also seems to have been drugged recently and has a broken rib." Fixer explained, walking to Anakin's other side.

Padme listened in shock to his words as she watched Anakin. She had had no idea that things were that bad for him, and she had been sure that they were at least feeding him.

"Why is asleep now?" She asked.

"Almost as soon as he was taken in here he fell asleep. When I got a here I gave him some basic anesthetic to help him stay asleep for a few hours so I could do some tests and so he could regain some strength. He should be up in a few hours, if you would rather return then."

"No, I'd like to stay if that's alright." She said quickly, looking up at him.

"Of course. I'll have a chair brought over for you. We will be in and out, and I'll talk you through the test results when I get them back."

"Thank you, that would be much appreciated."

We Pretend It's Alright

"Mr. Skywalker? I need you to wake up now."

Anakin groaned as he heard the words vaguely. He was so tired, what he wouldn't give just go back to sleep…

"Anakin?"

He froze. He knew that voice but a part of him denied it. Padme couldn't possibly be here.

"Anakin, please open your eyes."

He felt a warm hand caress his face, and he slowly opened his eyes to see a fuzzy image of

Padme sitting next to him.

"Hi." He murmured, a sleepy smile spreading over his face. "Padme, how did you get here?"

"Mr. Skywalker, you were put under to so we could perform a few tests and because you needed rest. You will feel drowsy for the next few hours because of it and you might remember everything that has happened to you right before then."

Anakin turned his head at the sound of the voice. He felt like he heard to before today, but he was still a little fuzzy.

"Anakin, I arrived a few hours ago and you where in the medical bay when I got here. Do you remember that?" Padme asked gently, and Anakin turned his head back to her.

"Yeah, I remember leaving the main area to go to the third ward and I remember being cuffed to the bed." It was just then that he noticed his hands and feet were free. "What happened to the cuffs?" He asked confusedly as he tried to sit up. As soon as he moved, his voiced went fuzzy, and he stumbled. Two sets of hand grabbed his arm and held him steady.

"Whoa there, go slow for a little bit, alright." Fixer advised, as he helped Anakin sit up more slowly.

"You're Fixer, right?" Anakin yawned, eyeing the clone curiously.

"Yes, and I removed the restraints as I did not believe they were necessary. I hope you don't intend to prove me wrong."

"No Sir I do not." Anakin grinned, and he could have sworn he say a smile flash across Fixer's face as well. Then something dawned on him. "Padme, you haven't been waiting here this whole time had you."

"Well, yes." She said, with a shrug as if it were no big deal.

"But you have so much other more important stuff than-"

"Anakin hush." Padme cut him off with an exasperated smile. "Maybe I just needed a break too."

"Yeah, well you do need a break, that's for sure." Anakin conceded, running a hand through his tangled hair.

"Mr. Skywalker, we are going to keep you here tonight to monitor your health and then release you in the morning if you are at a state that we feel good about." Fixer informed him. "I talked Senator Amidala through the results of your tests and I'll talk you through it later as well. The short version is that you are malnourished, fatigued and dehydrated and have a broken rib. I'll have someone bring a meal to you in a little bit, but for the mean time I'll leave you too to talk."

Padme thanked him and as he left he hit a button next to the door that brought down coverings over the windows and the doors, leaving only a small window on the front doors.

"Anakin I was so worried about you." Padme said as soon as they were alone.

"I'm fine now, don't worry Angel. Focus on you and the babies, not me. I'll be fine, I promise." He gave her a reassuring smile, but she did not return it.

"Don't promise me something like that Anakin." She said gently with a troubled expression. "I can't help but worry about you, I love you."

"I know, and I'm sorry I worry you. I'll try to stay out of trouble around here, okay?"

"Well, you're not off to a great start." Padme said, gesturing to his bruised face.

"Oh most of that was from before, and today was just an initiation kind of thing, they won't be messing with me again. I can promise you that." He said, and she could hear a hint of smugness in his voice.

They talked for the next two. Anakin described the Jedi trial, and how he had been brought here afterword. Padme told him about her meeting with Master Secura, and though she was a little embarrassed, her meltdown. During that time, a meal was brought to Anakin, and Padme was surprised that they brought her one as well.

"Okay, now that we've gotten all the important stuff talked about."Anakin started and Padme looked suspiciously at him, wondering what he was going to say next. "We need to talk about the most important thing ever."

"And what would that be?" Padme asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Baby names." Anakin said, and Padme couldn't help it. She burst out laughing, laughing like she hadn't in quite a while.

"Baby names?" She choked out, still laughing. "That's the most important thing to talk about right now?"

"Of course." Anakin said, giving a look. "What else could possibly be more important right now?"

Deciding to humor him, Padme nodded, still laughing.

"Alright, so what are we thinking for girls?" Anakin asked."I like Leia, as I have mentioned before."

"You might have mentioned it." Padme smiled, remembering when Anakin had first come home proclaiming that if they had a girl she would be named Leia. He had heard the name when stationed on Alderaan, and had fallen in love with it. "I like that, but what if we have two girls? Should we have a second name?" Padme suggested, and she couldn't help but laugh as she saw Anakin's expression.

"I hadn't even thought of that." He admitted, looking completely overwhelmed. Could he raise two daughters?

"Of relax Anakin. How about Naomi? I kind of like that name." Padme said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, I like that two." Anakin agreed, his smile returning. "So Leia is first and Naomi second?"

"Yeah, and what about a boy?" Padme put out, and Anakin nodded.

"Zolan?"

"No possible way. How about Kato?" Padme countered.

"I will never allow my son to be named that." Anakin said with an offended expression.

"What about Luke?" Padme suggested, and Anakin smiled.

"That is perfect, Little Luke and Leia." He grinned, and Padme gave him a swift kiss.

"I love it." She glanced down at her watch and sighed. "I've got to go. I have to be at Gehlert's in a half an hour and then I have dinner reservations with Bail."

"Alright, good luck." Anakin said, as she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"See you tomorrow, and stay out of trouble." Padme warned as she approached the door.

"I will." Anakin promised. "I love you."

"Love you too." She smiled before opening the door and disappearing from view.


AN:

Hello! Sorry about the wait, I had a horrible bout of writer's block, and wrote this whole thing the past two days when I suddenly got the inspiration to write. Next chapter will have a few interesting interactions and some characters we haven't heard that much from yet…

IMPORTANT!

I am working a side story for this. it is going a series of one-shots about Padme and Anakin's lives during the clone wars and before this story. That story is really gonna focus on character development and building relationships between different characters. It will sometimes be cute fluffy chapters and sometimes will be more serious. I started writing a bit ago as I just needed a break from this story, which can be kinda heavy to be writing all the time. I have some ideas for different chapters, but WOULD LOVE SOME PROMPT IDEAS! If you have anything you wanna see in that story, just let me know! It will be posted sometime soon and I will but up an alert on this story unless I post it the same time as the next chapter.

Also, for some reason last chapter the website wouldn't let me reply to reviews, so sorry to anyone who replied and got no reply! I like replying to reviews and I usually try to. With that being said, Please Review! If a quarter of the people who follow this story review, that would be incredible! I like to get feedback, and hear what my readers think of what is going on.

And by the way, who saw the new Rebel's trailer? Cannot wait for that to start up again!

Till the next chapter!

-Diamondgirl3;)