She was in a boat with a younger Anakin, and he was in the process of parking it next to a huge, gorgeous mansion on the edge of the lake. The sun shone brightly down upon them, but Anakin wore dark robes that looked like Anakin should have been sweltering, but he looked unfazed as he climbed out of the boat and turned to offer her his hand. She took it gratefully and allowed him to help her out of the boat.
They climbed the steps up towards a balcony. She glanced down at herself, seeing that she wore an absolutely gorgeous dress that was cream at the top and faded into pink and then a deep purple. Why on Earth didn't she have this dress in reality? Shame. "We used to come here for school retreats." She said to Anakin, looking off into the distance towards an island in the middle of the lake. "We would swim to that island every day." She smiled at the memory, "I love the water."
Apparently dream Padme and reality Padme were very similar. They approached a balcony with a gorgeous view of the lake, and Padme leaned against the stone railing. "We used to lie out on the sand and let the sun dry us, and try to guess the names of the birds singing." Well Padme didn't know if she'd ever bother with guessing bird names.
Anakin also leaned against the railing next to her, fingering the patterns in the stone as he began to speak. "I don't like sand," he said, and Padme turned her full attention to him. "It's coarse and rough and irritating," Strange. Anakin had essentially said just that right before… "And it gets everywhere." He finally looked up and met her eyes, one side of his mouth quirked into a half smile that made her heart race. As quickly as he'd looked at her, he looked away, out towards the lake. "Not like here. Here everything's soft," he looked down at her intwined hands, "And smooth."
His fingers gently brushed hers, and Padme looked away to hide the blush, to try to calm her racing heart. Anakin's fingers only moved to brush the exposed skin on her upper back. She let him do it for a moment, but she finally turned to look at him, meeting his eyes. Whatever she had been about to say vanished from her head as she got trapped in his gaze.
Anakin began to smile a little, encouraged by her look, but it soon melted into a nervous frown as their faces moved closer to one another—or rather, Anakin's face moved closer to Padme's. The next thing she knew she was closing her eyes and he was kissing her.
Again, she got that feeling like she was on top of the world, and nothing could stop their love. She wanted him to keep kissing her, and she hoped that for once she could live out a nice dream where she actually got what she wanted.
She suddenly pulled away though. "No." Her voice was slightly panicked, as if she was a child getting caught stealing from the cookie jar. She looked away from him, but Padme was screaming inside to turn back and keep kissing him. This was her dream, wasn't it? Shouldn't she be able to control what happened? She wanted more kisses. Now. "I shouldn't have done that." Are you STUPID? Padme inwardly screamed at herself. Why shouldn't she kiss him? He wanted to kiss her here. Let him kiss you woman!
But Anakin had pulled away, stung. "I'm sorry," He sounded confused, which of course he would be—she had just made out with him and then all of a sudden cut it off for no reason. Padme herself was confused.
Then the scene was changing.
She sat on a couch in a luxurious sitting room, the fire crackling in the fireplace, sitting next to Anakin. She wore a leather black dress that hugged her body in just the right places. It was actually a very daring dress, and Padme knew that if she wore something like that in reality, she was probably on a very serious date with someone she really liked.
But again, why had she pulled away if even dream Padme totally had a thing for Anakin?
"From the moment I met you, all those years ago," Anakin started, looking into her eyes, "Not a day has gone by when I haven't thought of you." Her heart was melting. Dream Anakin was so…so romantic. He shook his head, obviously frustrated. "Now that I'm with you again, I'm in agony." His voice was pleading, and his eyes…yes, he truly was in agony.
But why? Because she was refusing his attentions? She would be in agony too.
But dream Padme was shaking her head even as Anakin continued on, "The closer I get to you, the worse it gets. The thought of not being with you...I can't breathe." He paused, as if debating on whether or not to continue, but soon that determined look in his eyes returned. "I'm haunted by the kiss that you should never have given me." Well technically dream Anakin kissed her, but she could have stopped it if she didn't want it. So clearly dream Padme wanted him too." Padme looked away again, shaking her head slowly as if to convince herself. Anakin leaned closer. "My heart is beating, hoping that kiss won't become a scar." Padme met his eyes on that, and he was dead serious, more serious than she had ever seen him. "You are in my very soul. Tormenting me. What can I do?" He looked away. "I will do anything you ask."
Padme didn't say anything. Even if she had control of her dream, she didn't know if she could have said anything. He bore his soul to her—that was not something to take lightly. But still, it was plain to see that she wanted him—why didn't she seal the deal?
Her silence began to frustrate Anakin even more. "If you are suffering as much as I am, please, tell me." His voice was so raw, so desperate for her love.
"I can't." She finally whispered. Again, what on earth was Dream Padme saying?! Did she not realize her obvious feelings? Was that the issue? Dream Padme was shaking her head. "I…we can't, it's…just not possible." What, was she in an arranged marriage or something?
Anakin was not happy with that answer. "Anything is possible, Padme, listen to me." Yeah, listen to him! Padme wanted to tell her dream self.
But of course Dream Padme was not happy about his response either. She stood. "No, you listen." She walked to the other end of the room, away from the intoxicating presence Anakin had. "We live in a real world," She turned back to face Anakin who stared at her, his breaking heart plain to see on his face. "Come back to it. You're studying to become a Jedi and I'm…I'm a senator." Okay, this had to be a dream since Padme was not old enough to become a senator and she hadn't even finished college or established herself yet. And besides, why did either of those reasons matter?
Anakin looked away from her, and Padme continued. "If you follow your thoughts to conclusion, they will take us to a place where we cannot go." What was this, a weird Romeo and Juliet dream? She didn't even like that particular play. "Regardless of the way we feel about each other."
Wrong thing to say. Instantly hope sprung to life on Anakin's face again. "Then you do feel something." He said, waiting for her answer.
She was already shaking her head. "I will not let you give up your future for me."
But she had made the mistake of telling him that she had feelings for him. Padme wanted to shake Dream Padme by the shoulders—how could she crush his feelings even more like that? It was one thing to tell him she had no feelings and to move on, but it was another to tell him she did have feelings and still reject him. It was cruel and unnecessary. Anakin stood, clearly upset. "You are asking me to be rational. That is something that I know I cannot do. Believe me, I wish that I could just," He spread out his arms, "Wish away my feelings. But I can't."
Still, Dream Padme held her ground. Padme had to give her credit for that. "I will not give in to this." Again, Anakin deflated and he turned to walk away.
Before he left, however, he stopped, turning back to look at her. "Well…well you know, it wouldn't have to be that way. We could keep it a secret." Yup. Totally Romeo and Juliet.
"We'd be living a lie." Padme said, "One we couldn't keep even if we wanted to." She shook her head. "I couldn't do that. Could you Anakin, could you live like that?"
Anakin thought it over carefully, the hope leaving his eyes, crushing Padme's heart. "No," He said, "You're right. It would destroy us."
Gasping, Padme jolted awake, startling Jedi who lay at her side on the giant bed. He looked at her in confusion and licked her arm as she struggled to calm her breathing. Just a dream, she mentally reminded herself over and over again—that seemed to be her mantra every time she woke up now.
As soon as she was calm, she glanced at her clock. 2 AM, it read. She knew she should go back to bed—she had class the next morning—but the dream had left her wide awake. She knew there was no way she was going to get anymore sleep that night, and it didn't make sense to lay there uselessly, so she rolled out of bed and headed out into the dark living room, Jedi close at her heels.
She let Jedi out back before she curled up on the couch, pulling out her Surface Pro and began working on a project for school. Working felt good to her—it was natural. It distracted her from the horribly embarrassing reminder that she had kissed Anakin and he had totally rejected her earlier that night.
Remembering it, her fingers paused what they were doing on the tablet. She took a shuddering breath, trying to steady her nerves. What would she say to Anakin when she saw him? He been home when she returned, and she didn't need to be a genius to know that he hadn't come home since. Jedi would have woken her up with his barking if Anakin had returned. Anakin may have clearly disliked the dog, but Jedi seemed to love Anakin regardless of what Anakin did to get him to stop jumping on him whenever he returned home.
Maybe she would pretend that it never happened. In fact, that was her first instinct—move on like it never happened. Still, Anakin didn't strike her as the type to not want to talk things through. But she could also see him not wanting to talk about it too. It was all so confusing, and Padme replayed the scene in her mind for the thousandth time—his words to her, their closeness, that absolutely fantastic kiss, and then him pulling away from her like she had burned him…
The situation was embarrassing in itself. But what was worse was the more she thought about what happened, the more her heart broke. She had dated various guys over the years, but she had never dated anyone seriously. No matter how perfect they were, they just seemed…not right for her. Now here she was with this guy who made her feel like she was his muse and she knew, really knew, for the first time in her life, that she was in love with him.
And it hurt. It really, really hurt.
"Padme?" Mindy's drowsy voice startled her and Padme looked up to meet her exhausted eyes. "What are you doing up this late?" She yawned, sitting down next to her.
"I couldn't sleep." Padme said, closing her laptop. She wasn't in the right mind to work anyway. "Why are you awake?"
"Jedi is barking. Can't you hear him?" Padme began to pay attention and sure enough she could hear Jedi yipping in the yard. "I thought it was odd that he was outside at this time."
Padme got up and let Jedi back in before he could wake the neighbors. He zoomed inside, zipping past them and into the kitchen where Padme could hear him slipping and sliding around. Padme sat next to Mindy again. "Sorry. You can go back to sleep if you want."
"I will in a second. First, tell me the truth: did you have another dream?" Mindy's voice was dead serious, and Padme couldn't help but wince. Understanding instantly lit Mindy's dark eyes and she frowned deeper. "What happened this time? What it just images?"
Padme couldn't help but notice that Mindy was now taking this much more seriously than she had in their previous discussion of her dreams. "It's just a dream," she said, but Mindy's frown deepened.
"Humor me." Mindy said.
So Padme told her, not leaving out any detail. It wasn't like normal dreams that began to fade when she woke up—in fact, it only seemed more vivid when she was awake. As she told her tale, Mindy's eyes grew more and more panicked, as if she was legitimately concerned that the dream was real. "How do you feel about the dream?" Mindy asked when Padme finished.
"How do I feel about it?" Padme echoed. What a weird question to ask. "I don't know. I guess I'm annoyed that these dreams keep happening. They keep waking me up and they make me feel as if," she paused, struggling to put words to what she was feeling. "As if this life we live in," she gestured around them with her hand, "Is the dream, and I'm supposed to wake up but I can't."
Mindy stood abruptly, looking like she was about to throw up. Padme opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, but Mindy cut her off. "Have you told Anakin about any of these dreams?"
"No," Padme started, "I don't think…"
"Don't tell him anything." Wait, what? Last time they had discussed her dreams, Mindy had suggested telling Anakin.
"Hold up, last time we talked…" Padme began, but Mindy cut her off again.
"I know what I said. I'm changing my mind. Don't tell him. I just don't think he would take it well." Mindy wouldn't look at her, and that feeling of Mindy hiding something grew even stronger.
"Mindy," Padme started, "Did something happen between you and Anakin?"
"No." Still, she wouldn't look at her. "I just think that most people probably wouldn't appreciate that you have dreams about them being totally desperate for your love and you crush them multiple times." Well, she had a point. Still, it was obvious that something had happened, but Mindy was clearly not going to tell Padme what it was.
"Well I wouldn't tell him anyway. Especially not now." Padme looked out the window at the darkened yard.
"Why especially now?" Mindy asked.
Padme hesitated—if something had happened between Mindy and Anakin, how would Mindy take this news? She didn't know, but Mindy was still her best friend. They had told each other almost everything in the past. Padme had no reason not to now. "I kissed him tonight."
"YOU DID WHAT?" Yeah, something was definitely up with them. "Are you two dating now? How did it happen? Why didn't you say something earlier? Out with the details, girl!"
"I would if you stopped asking questions," Padme pointed out before she took a deep breath. "We were talking on the beach. He said he would do anything I asked and I was teasing him a little. Then we were so close and the moment felt so right and I just didn't think. I kissed him." Padme let out the breath, yet again recalling that oh so perfect kiss. "Mindy, it was…it was amazing. I didn't know kissing could be so…so…."
"Perfect?" Mindy asked quietly.
Padme nodded. "Yes. It was that. Perfection. But…" Padme hesitated.
"But?" Mindy prompted when Padme didn't continue.
"But he pulled away. He said we couldn't, and that he was sorry, and then he left me there." The silence in the room was so thick that Padme was certain that she could cut through it with a knife.
"Well," Mindy began, trying to sound as bright as she normally did, "You're too good for him. He doesn't know what he's missing out on. Don't let it get you down, champ."
Padme attempted to smile, but now that she had verbally admitted what had just happened, she felt so….so lost. "Then why do I feel like I've just lost my other half?" She hadn't meant to say it, but she did, and watched as Mindy's face fell, a strange look in her eyes.
"I honestly don't know what to say other than to promise that there are other fish in the sea. And seriously, you are so amazing and beautiful, so many men would love to end up with you. You'll find someone." She sounded hopeful, as if she could convince Padme, but somehow, even though the logical part of Padme agreed with Mindy, somehow Padme didn't believe her.
"No," She said, looking away again. "I won't."
Anakin drove for most of the night, the wind on his face the only thing keeping him grounded in reality. He thought about everything but that kiss. If he did, he knew he wouldn't be in any condition to drive his motorcycle anymore. Even at 2 AM the highways were filled with people. Although California was so different than Coruscant, this was an aspect that didn't change, and oddly it comforted Anakin.
Still, he eventually had to go to bed sometime. He had class the next morning, and he was still working on that project. But as he approached the exit to go back to his home—Padme's home—he couldn't bring himself to pull off. So he kept going, going until he had taken yet another familiar exit and was driving down the quiet residential streets that looked completely abandoned at that time of night.
He pulled over and parked, and before he could talk sense into himself, he was climbing up stairs to a familiar door. He didn't care what time it was. He knocked as loudly as he could and kept doing so until the door finally swung open and a very irritated, very confused Obi-Wan stood in front of him, rubbing sleep from his clear blue eyes. "What the Devil, Anakin?" Obi-Wan groaned, "Do you know what time it is?"
"2 AM," Anakin responded, not in the least bit embarrassed. "I'm surprised you don't have a lightsaber in your hand ready to use in case of an enemy being at your door."
"I doubt any of our enemies would have the courtesy to knock—or even knock in a very annoying manner." Obi-Wan moved aside nevertheless and let Anakin inside. "What's going on? Did something happen?"
"You could say that," Anakin grumbled as Obi-Wan turned on the lights. "I know you have a big day tomorrow, but I didn't…I didn't want to go home."
Obi-Wan stilled at those words and sighed, sitting down on the couch, motioning to the seat next to him. "Obviously you need to talk. So, talk."
Anakin sat, but now that he was actually here, about to begin talking about what happened, he hesitated. "You know, it was rude of me to wake you up like this. You should go back to sleep. We can talk later…"
"Oh no," Obi-Wan shook his head, "You're right, it was rude to wake me up at this awful hour, but you wouldn't have done it without a reason and I'm up now, so talk."
Anakin looked at his clasped hands, taking a deep breath. "After you left tonight, Padme and I split away from the rest of the group." He wasn't about to mention his fear of fire as being the reason why they had split off. He didn't want to share that very personal detail with Obi-Wan, especially since the older man had been the cause of it. "And…well we were talking and I couldn't help it, she was just so…so beautiful, and I let her get to close."
Obviously this was not the conversation Obi-Wan was expecting. He looked at Anakin with a confused look, but he waited for him to continue. When he didn't, he prompted, "Go on."
Anakin's hands clenched. "And…she kissed me." Now that he'd said it, he allowed himself to relive the memory. He had imagined kissing her again for so many years—he thought that he had remembered it pretty accurately.
He had been wrong. Very, very wrong.
Kissing her was like he had been united with the missing part of his soul, the part he had cast away the night he lost her. He didn't even think. He kissed her back, his whole being aching to let it last forever. He didn't need anything else except that kiss, to feel her in his arms, to taste her lips on his, to…
He shook his head. Just as he had then, his senses came back to him, and he remembered that he had sworn not to let something like that happen again. To go down that road again would only bring both of them ruin, and he couldn't do that to her again.
Obi-Wan, however, didn't understand. "And that's….bad?" He asked, clearly confused. When Anakin nodded, he asked, "I thought that was what you've wanted?"
"No. I mean, yes, but… I can't."
"You mean you were serious about not pursuing her romantically this time?" The skepticism in Obi-Wan's voice was so thick that Anakin couldn't help but feel annoyed.
"Yes I'm serious," Anakin confirmed, "I…I ruined her life. I didn't directly kill her, but I still helped fall into the trap that created the situation. I hurt her so badly that she gave up on life. How can I be with her and pretend like none of that happened? Because I can't tell her," He said when he saw Obi-Wan's mouth open to suggest what Anakin knew he would suggest: just tell Padme the truth. "She wouldn't believe me anyway. And even if she did, there is no way she could forgive me this time."
"You don't know that," Obi-Wan said quietly. "I have."
That stopped Anakin. "Really?" He asked, skeptical. "Last I heard, you weren't sure how you felt."
Obi-Wan shrugged. "I've had a lot of time to think," he said, "And I think it's time to forgive and forget. You're not the same person I used to know. You're not Darth Vader, but you're not the same Anakin that grew up with me. And…as much as I loved you before as a brother, I feel like that bond between us has been strengthened more than ever."
Anakin was speechless. Sure, he had apologized to Obi-Wan, but he never expected to actually be forgiven. How was that even possible? He had been a monster—he had become Obi-Wan's worst enemy. How could Obi-Wan look past all of that and still love Anakin even with his many, many imperfections?
If Obi-Wan could do it, a small voice whispered in Anakin's head, could Padme?
No. Anakin wouldn't go there. He couldn't.
"I'm…not sure how you can do that," Anakin slowly said, "But thank you. You…you don't know how much that means to me."
A small smile lit across Obi-Wan's face. "I only speak the truth. And I want you to be happy." He paused. "I don't think ignoring your love for Padme will make you happy. I think it will eat you up inside. Besides, you fear losing her above all else and yet by rejecting her, as I'm assuming you did since you're here and not at home," He looked to Anakin for confirmation, and Anakin nodded, "Then I guarantee that you will lose her. She is a very special woman, a woman many men here would find desirable. It won't be long before…"
"I get it," Anakin cut him off, unable to stomach the thought of losing Padme to another man without feeling very Dark Side-like feelings. "But it's better this way. Besides, if Palpatine is the threat we suspect him to be, then it would be better for her to stay as uninvolved with me as possible. He used her against me last time, and if he remembers what I did to him, he will not hesitate to do worse this time."
Even Obi-Wan couldn't argue with that. Still, he didn't look fully convinced. "If that is your decision…"
"It is."
He nodded, but he looked at Anakin sadly. "Then I will support you."
Of course Anakin felt like his soul was ripping to shreds. He didn't want to push her away. He wanted to go home, pull her into his arms, and kiss her until the sun came up, but he couldn't. He wouldn't. He had to keep her safe, from Palpatine, and from himself.
"We should get some sleep," Anakin said, "You have to be alert if you're going to sneak into Palpatine's office."
Obi-Wan's expression darkened. "Indeed I do," He said, his voice far away.
Anakin tinkered with the circuit board he was working on for his project, mumbling curses to himself. This world had so many advances, and yet there were also so many drawbacks that forced him to get creative. He looked into getting materials to manually create what he would need to make the project easier, but he didn't have the money. Perhaps when he was a little richer he would upgrade it. Even now, when Rex had dropped by to take a look at his project, he had looked at the circuit board in confusion, claiming it wasn't anything he had ever seen before.
Anakin just hoped it worked.
It was late in the workshop, far later than he would have expected to be there, but he just couldn't find a good stopping point. Working on machines had always helped him calm down and forget the rest of the world. It was why he had immediately started working on his speeder right after his mother had died in his galaxy. With his decision to not date Padme, and the agony it caused him to make that decision, he was okay with not packing up and going home.
His phone buzzed on the table and he glanced at it. Obi-Wan. He stopped what he was doing and read the text eagerly.
Snuck into his office by sneaking away from a tour. I found nothing of use…at least Jedi-wise. If he has stuff, he may be hiding it at another location. Perhaps in his Washington D.C. office?
Anakin scowled and turned the phone off. He had been hoping for something more workable. If he could at least feel like he was doing something productive towards the greater good…
But maybe that wasn't a bad thing. He had turned into a Sith pursuing the 'greater good.' Perhaps he was better off being a normal civilian in this world, especially if Palpatine wasn't up to anything.
"Knock knock," He looked up to meet Mindy's gaze. She leaned against the frame of the workshop door, her arms crossed as she observed what he was doing. "What on Earth are you building?"
Anakin cringed as he looked down at his work. "I'm attempting to make something that will remind me of home." He said, putting down the motherboard. He didn't think he would be able to concentrate anymore. "But it's proving more difficult than I anticipated." He looked back over at her. "What are you doing here?" He hadn't expected to be sought out by Mindy. Padme, maybe. Obi-Wan, maybe. But Mindy? Not necessarily.
She shrugged and pushed away from the door frame, coming to stand in front of him. "I came to check on you." When Anakin raised a skeptical eyebrow, she rolled her eyes. "Okay, that was only part of the reason. Believe it or not, I don't wish for you to lead a miserable life."
"Are you sure about that?" Anakin was only half teasing. His relationship with Mindy had reached a very uneasy truce, and he wasn't sure how she viewed him. He didn't think it was completely black and white.
"Yes, although I would prefer that you found happiness with someone else." She paused. "That's…actually what I came to talk to you about." She took a deep breath as though preparing herself to ask a difficult question. "Why did you reject Padme? Isn't that what you wanted?"
Again, this was not an expected topic Anakin would have expected from Mindy. Then again, most of Mindy's topics of conversation were unexpected. "Does Padme know that you're here?" He asked suspiciously. Honestly, he didn't think Padme would bring the kiss back up unless he brought it up first. Even in his world, he was always bringing things up first and often had to pressure her into talking about things she found uncomfortable. He doubted she would send Mindy to talk to him about it in this world.
"No," Mindy admitted sheepishly, "I came because when she told me what happened, I just thought…well, I just thought that you would have quickly sealed the deal between you two."
So Padme hadn't sent Mindy. He told her what he had told Obi-Wan, sticking just to the necessary details. When he finished, Mindy looked to be deep in thought. "If you love something, let it go. If it was meant to be, it will come back to you." She mumbled under her breath, almost to herself.
Anakin blinked in surprise. "What?"
She shook her head, seeming to come out of whatever deep thought she was thinking about. "Oh. It's a saying in our world. I just…thought of it when you were talking." Her eyes narrowed. "Not that I don't agree that you should go be happy with someone else. Even if…" she paused, seeming to think better of whatever she was going to say. "Well. Anyhow, I'm just impressed by the restraint you showed in doing that. It must have been difficult."
"Yes, it was, and talking about it just makes it worse, so can we drop it?" Anakin asked wearily as he began to pack up his things. "Actually, I have a favor to ask of you."
"Depends on what it is," now it was Mindy's turn to sound wary, but she said it so hesitantly that Anakin almost thought she expected him to ask her to become his Sith apprentice.
"Padme tells me that you're a historian." The confusion on Mindy's face was so obvious that it was almost laughable. Clearly whatever she expected him to say, it wasn't that. "Obi-Wan and Yoda said something once that made me start wondering just how similar this world was to our galaxy. What if there were Jedi here at one point, but that knowledge was lost to time?"
"Well…this sort of sounds like the plot to an "Ancient Aliens" episode," He didn't know what that was, but he didn't say anything. "But I'll bite. What does this have to do with me?"
"If I told you what evidence to look for, do you think that you could come up with a list of possible Force-related events in this world's history?" He wasn't sure just exactly what part of this world's history Mindy focused on (Obi-Wan told him most historians focused on a few major parts of history to be experts on), but he figured it was worth a try. And if Mindy couldn't help him, perhaps she could point him to someone who could tell him more…
Mindy mulled the question over carefully before replying. "I can try. I may need to do some digging, so it might take a while. Can you give me that list of things to look for by tomorrow?"
"I can give it to you by tonight." He replied with a smile. "Thanks for the help."
"No problem. Now we need to talk about that volleyball game…" She shot him a chilling glare.
At this point, he didn't have enough surprise left to be surprised by the topic change. "What?"
"You and Ben totally used the Force to play that game," She accused, "There's no way that you could have been that good that fast. I mean that was like Olympic volleyball good."
Whatever an Olympic was. "Actually I didn't. I don't think Obi-Wan did either." He laughed a little at the exasperation on Mindy's face. She clearly didn't believe him.
"Yeah. Right. You didn't even know what volleyball was at the start of that game."
He shrugged. "It wasn't hard to figure out. Besides, I'm a warrior. I've been out numbered on numerous battlefields with various terrains so many times, I lost count. I fought by Obi-Wan's side so often, I trust him to have my back. Plus, I used to be so good, I could literally slice a missile out of the air with my lightsaber."
He knew that he was bragging, and he shouldn't do that, but he couldn't help but feel satisfied from the cautious admiration and amazement on Mindy's face. "That's impossible," she insisted.
"Not when you're a Jedi. Some things a Jedi learns become instinctual, even without the Force." Still, if he could just regain full access to the Force….
She didn't look like she completely believed him, but she shrugged nonetheless. "Well. I demand a rematch."
That brought a grin to his face. "You're on."
AHHHHHHHH. I am SO sorry for the late update. As I said before, I have a new job now, so that means after school training that last super long, then I had to grade a bunch of papers before I had to turn them in today, and then I busted my laptop by dropping a bed onto it (long story) and had to get what I'd written off of it. Bah. But things are starting to calm down a little, so I don't anticipate late updates for a while.
Anyhow, after careful consideration, I noticed that Padme isn't much of a talker when it comes to relationship stuff. She's more of a doer. So I realized that she would probably not mention it, and this time, with the way Anakin feels, he's not going to insist on discussing it if she won't.
BUT HAVE NO FEAR. I will heat things up yet again next chapter, albeit in a different way, and things won't go completely to Anakin's plan. Anakin and Padme are my OTP. Have I made that clear yet? Because they are. Plus I eventually want Leia and Luke, and you can't have them without Anakin and Padme so... yeah. But I'll talk about those plans when we get closer, and we've still got a long way before that happens.
Review! I do have yet another long training tomorrow, but I plan to spend quite a bit of time this weekend writing this story, so maybe we will have a chapter by Friday night, latest Saturday morning.
Love,
Sarah
P.S. The song that inspired Padme's part in this chapter is "Surround You" by Echosmith. Seriously, I have a giant playlist for this story.
