"Your costume sucks." Mindy immediately said upon walking into Anakin's bedroom and seeing what he was wearing—just Spock ears, a black T-shirt, and jeans. "What are you even supposed to be? An elf?"

Anakin frowned. "No, I don't even know what an elf is. I'm Spock." It was the only movie so far that he had sincerely enjoyed (not that he had watched that many movies).

"Right, we haven't shown you that movie…anyhow, it still sucks. You're supposed to be wearing a blue uniform and your eyebrows…"

"I get it, okay?" Anakin interrupted. He didn't feel like listening to Mindy prattle on about the intricate details of how he should have dressed. "What are you supposed to be?"

That successfully distracted her. "Well, Space Boy, I'm the Mad Hatter." She twirled, showing off a very short black skirt made of tulle…but seriously not enough of it, and he averted his eyes to her black top but even that showed off way too much skin for his liking. So he just focused on her heavily made-up face framed by ringlets and a giant black hat. "Padme is Alice. They're characters from Alice and Wonderland. Not that you would know."

"You're right, I don't." Anakin said dryly.

Mindy rolled her eyes. "Whatever, be a party pooper. I can't complain that much since you're the reason this party is happening in the first place." The night that Anakin had returned home, he and Padme had talked about anything but the kiss. He'd worried that things would be awkward, but instead Padme had kept things relatively normal.

As Padme had been working on something on her tablet, Mindy had begun talking about how the club they had been to was putting on a Halloween party. Since Anakin had gotten them all banned (when she mentioned that she shot him a very nasty glare), Mindy tried to convince Padme to throw a party at their place.

"No," Padme had said without looking up from her screen. "The neighbors would hate us."

"But it would be so worth it. What's the point of having a house if you don't occasionally throw wild parties?" Mindy groaned.

"The answer is still no." Anakin remembered a time when Padme had been working on a report for the Senate and he had tried to convince her to go away with him for a few weeks. She hadn't even looked up from her work to tell him no and give a lame excuse as to why. It had frustrated him at the time, and he could see Mindy getting frustrated.

"Well," he said slowly, "I think it would be kind of fun."

Padme stopped typing. "You do?" She glanced up to meet his eyes. "I thought after last time…"

He shrugged. "I thought maybe I could prove to you that I can behave myself now." He really did mean that—he had been thinking about asking Padme if they could go out (as friends) to another club and try again. But it wasn't just about proving it to her—it was about proving it to himself that he could actually be a normal human being in a high-stress situation.

Padme went silent, and he could see her mind turning. "Okay," She said, "I'll make some calls."

Since then, Mindy had both been happy with Anakin and jealous that Padme had said yes to him and no to her. But now that the party was finally about to start, Mindy was of course focused on the fact that he'd convinced Padme to throw it.

"Your welcome," Anakin now said, his mouth quirking upwards a little in a smile.

Mindy waved it off and switched subjects like only she could. "I came in here to tell you that I found some stuff on the whole Jedi-thing."

Now this Anakin perked up at. "Oh?" He asked, trying not to sound too eager.

Mindy nodded and pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to him. "I found that in almost every ancient civilization, people of this world had some sort of group of 'magicians.' Egypt had magicians, Greece had Oracles, Rome also had seers and magicians… the list goes on. The Aztecs. The Chinese. In 1668 there were multiple reported sightings, including some from scholars, of what they described as a 'battle in the sky.' There are so many unexplained incidents throughout history that people in that time period could explain, but we can't because we tend to view things like that as fiction in this time period. But what if those people weren't crazy? What if those 'magicians' were actually Force users?" Mindy shrugged. "At least, that's what I think."

Hope soared within Anakin as he looked at the information. She had listed incidents and where to find more information on those incidents. When Obi-Wan showed up to the party, he planned on showing this to him. He hadn't exactly told Obi-Wan that he was looking into Force users in this world. Honestly, he wasn't sure where his research would lead him, and maybe Obi-Wan had already researched it and it was a dead end. Still, he couldn't help but feel like it would provide him with answers, or at least comfort.

Perhaps….perhaps they could start a Jedi Order here….

He had destroyed the Jedi Order in his galaxy. If he could bring it back somehow, maybe it would help him find a purpose for his life here. Maybe he could begin to atone for that sin by doing what he should have done all of those years ago.

One step at a time Anakin, he reminded himself as he pocketed the information. He only had a start. He would be interested to hear what Obi-Wan thought of all of this. "Thanks Mindy," He said, "You don't know how much this means to me."

"You're right, I don't." Mindy agreed, "Just like you don't understand how much it means to me that your costume sucks. This party is going to be off the hook and you, one of the hosts, aren't even dressed appropriately. What am I going to do with you?" She shook her head, her curls bouncing around her face. "Well at least come help me bring out the kegs."

He didn't understand how someone could love to party as much as Mindy did, but she made Padme happy, so he wasn't going to complain. He followed Mindy out into the garage and helped her carry the barrels of liquor into the backyard where other men in black clothing were setting up a stage for what Mindy called a DJ and tables for food and liquor. There were white lights strung up in the trees, and Padme had purchased some rather comfy looking patio furniture to place at the far end of the yard near the food table. It looked great without looking like too much effort had been put into it. For once Jedi wasn't running around barking at the strangers helping with the yard, but was hyper focused gnawing at a rawhide bone in the grass.

"See, you look like the 'Help.' Next time we throw a Halloween party, I am so picking your costume." Mindy grumbled as they placed the kegs in the correct spot.

"Maybe next year," Anakin finally relented, knowing that he wouldn't hear the end of it if he didn't agree to her madness.

"I love the costume Mindy," Padme's voice caused Anakin to whirl around to face her, his heart speeding up. Even a week after he had decided to keep his relationship with her strictly friendly, she still made his heart race. And to know that she now wanted him as more than that—well, it was agony. So he had found excuses to work on his project until late at night, and he had barely seen her. He had seen the suspicion in her eyes: she knew that he was avoiding her, and he hated himself for it. But the more time he spent with her, the more his resolve began to melt.

And he couldn't do that.

But it was also really hard for him to act like he didn't want her when she was wearing that.

She wore a light blue dress that flared out at the hips into a bustle, and a blue and white corset that accentuated her curves perfectly. The skirt ended just above her knees, and her legs were covered in white stockings and white knee-high heeled boots. Her hair was curled and pulled back by a black headband.

In this world, Padme did not dress up as often. She dressed nicely, of course, but it wasn't the elaborate dresses or hair styles of his galaxy. But when he looked at her now, he couldn't help but feel that ever present pull towards her grow stronger, and he gulped, trying to push away the feeling without much success.

Her brown eyes scrutinized him. "That's your Spock costume?" She asked skeptically—he had told her who he was going to dress up as, but she didn't look like she was all too impressed with the results. He was beginning to wish he had rethought his costume plan.

"I guess I'm not one to dress up." He replied, "But you look good."

A soft blush rose on her cheeks. "Thanks," She said, and thankfully dropped the subject. "Well people should be arriving soon."

"This party is going to be crazy!" Mindy all but squealed before she hurried off to catch Jedi and bring him inside, leaving Anakin and Padme alone.

Anakin shifted his weight awkwardly, clearing his throat. Padme seemed to sense that he wasn't sure what to say around her, so she helpfully said, "Ben said he's almost here."

"Oh," Anakin said, "That's good. I'm glad." Jeez, why was he so awkward? Darth Vader never would have been so…bumbling. Even when he had found out that Luke was his son, and Vader had internally worried about what he would do with Luke once he had him, Vader had always reacted with confidence. But Padme had always been able to reduce Anakin to a ranting mess or an awkward boy with just one look.

Her eyes turned serious though, and he knew that she was beginning to become impatient with the way their relationship was going. She opened her mouth, and Anakin braced himself to begin a discussion that he wasn't sure he wanted to have with her. How could he deny her, especially after he told her right before they kissed that he would do anything for her? His mouth went dry at the thought.

But the doorbell rang, and Anakin let out a relieved breath when Padme turned away. "I'm sure that's Ben now," She said, and he could detect a hint of disappointment in her voice. His heart clenched—he hated disappointing her. But what else could he do?

Give in and be with her? A small voice helpfully suggested in his head, and he growled, startling Padme into looking at him with wide, concerned eyes. "Um. Yeah. Ben. I'll be back." He said, clearing his throat as he walked past her.

He was such an idiot.

Anakin quickly headed into the house, trying to forget about his awkward relationship with Padme as he approached the door and opened it. "Obi-Wan, thank you so much—what are you wearing?!" he cut off his original greeting as soon as he saw and registered just what Obi-Wan was wearing, and it was nothing like what he expected.

He wasn't even sure how to describe what he was seeing. Obi-Wan was wearing some sort of giant yellow…thing. The body of it had fake bright yellow feathers, and his hands were hidden within fake wings. The legs were bright orange and he was wearing a hood that looked like the face of a really creepy bird with giant dead-looking eyes. It also had a bright orange Mohawk looking thing, and Obi-Wan's face peeked out from between the yellow beak.

Anakin could only stare, dumbfounded. He was truly, one hundred percent speechless. Obi-Wan looked very uncomfortable as he shifted his weight. "I lost a bet with Mindy. Now my costume this year is a," he paused, taking a deep, steadying breath, "chicken suit."

Anakin had eaten chicken since coming to this world, but he hadn't actually seen a live chicken. It was obvious though that they looked like ridiculous animals, and were obviously never meant to be turned into serious costumes. He tried to think of something to say, but he couldn't.

"Is that Ben?" Mindy's voice sounded from somewhere in the house, and shortly afterwards she appeared in the entryway. She took one look at Obi-Wan and began to laugh a hysterically loud laugh. "I DO NOT regret this bet!" She said between laughing, gulping for air. Anakin glanced at her to find that tears were streaking down her face, leaving marks on her make up. She appeared to be having trouble breathing.

"Yeah, yeah," Obi-Wan grumbled, letting himself inside. Numbly, Anakin shut the door behind him, still just staring at his mentor like he'd gone insane. It was very, very strange to see the great Jedi general in a…a chicken suit. Obi-wan glanced at Anakin, looking him over. "And where is your costume? Are you not finished putting it on yet?"

"Uh," Anakin finally managed, still unable to take his eyes off of the thing Obi-Wan was wearing. "No, this is, um, it."

Obi-Wan had to waddle to fully face Anakin, his eyes narrowed. Anakin knew that Obi-Wan was trying to look upset, but it was very hard for Anakin to take him seriously in that get up. "You mean to tell me that I'm going to be wearing a ridiculous costume by myself?" Obi-Wan asked incredously.

"Well," Anakin said, "There will be other people coming in costume."

"Yes, but I don't know them." Obi-Wan scowled, looking like the unhappiest chicken in the world, "I thought this would be somewhat bearable since I was sure Mindy forced you to dress up as well. Now I'm going to look like the biggest fool in this party." He tried to shake his head, but it didn't work out so well. "You have betrayed me."

Finally Anakin began laughing, really laughing, and as soon as he started he too found that he had a hard time stopping. It did not make Obi-Wan happy, and Obi-Wan waddled away, mumbling something about 'disrespectful Padawans' and disappeared around the back. With him out of sight, both Mindy and Anakin stopped laughing, Mindy wiping at the tears in her eyes. "I need to win bets more often," Mindy said.

"What did you two bet over?" Anakin asked curiously. She glanced at him, deciding. Finally she shrugged.

"Sorry, I can't tell you."

"What?" Anakin asked, "Why not?"

"Because I said so, and what I say goes. Now I'm going to go fix my makeup. Stand here and play host for people who are arriving." She turned and walked away before Anakin could stop her to demand an answer. He debated on going after her, but right then the doorbell rang.

He sighed, figuring that he could bug her about it later (their rooms were right across from each other after all) and opened the door.

There stood a girl that Anakin felt like he should have known from somewhere. He stopped, staring at her, trying to figure it out. She was shorter than him, even shorter than Padme, and her skin was light brown. She had black hair that was half pulled away from her face, and the tips ended in dreadlocks. She had steady, ice blue eyes, and she was wearing the uniform that Uhura wore in Star Trek.

She looked him up and down, her eyes settling on his ears. "Well those are Spock ears," she said, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow, "But is that what you're supposed to be?"

Her voice was so familiar. Was she from his galaxy? He tried to remember, and he felt like the answer was right on the tip of his tongue. It was frustrating. "Yeah. I'm not too big into costumes." He replied, narrowing his eyes. "Who are…"

"Ahsoka!" Padme's voice interrupted him, and she was suddenly at his side. He moved to make way for her skirt, but this time his eyes weren't drawn to Padme. They were drawn to the young girl standing in the doorway being embraced by Padme. "I'm so glad that you came," Padme was saying.

Ahsoka smiled, and now that Anakin knew her name, he could see that her facial structure was the same as his Ahsoka's. She looked about eighteen, older than when she first became his Padawan. How had he not seen it before?

Maybe because the last time you saw her, he thought to himself bitterly, she was part of the Rebel Alliance and you were trying to destroy each other. But here she was. She was happy. She had an innocent look in her eyes: she had obviously never seen battle. She had friends, including Padme.

Who was now introducing Ahsoka to him. "Anakin, this is my friend, Ahsoka. Ahsoka, this is Anakin."

Ahsoka focused on him again, her eyes narrowing as she looked him over. "The Hesitant Vulcan," she clarified, before sticking her hand out.

"Sure," Anakin began. He wanted to ask her so many questions, but it was clear that she didn't remember him. He wasn't sure he wanted her to remember. He had failed her, on so many levels, and although his failure to Obi-Wan had been awful, Ahsoka had been like a daughter to him. Just as he'd failed his own children, he had failed her.

He took her hand to shake it, but as soon as their skin touched, the Force flared to life within him, causing his entire body to quiver. Through his clasped hand, he could feel the Force flare within Ahsoka as well, but because her abilities weren't somewhat blocked, her reaction was stronger, and she gasped, dropping his hand to put a hand to her forehead. "What…?" She began, looking at him strangely.

Padme, who had witnessed the strange interaction between the two, frowned in concern. "What's wrong? Do you two…know each other?"

Anakin's heart was racing. Why had the Force reacted like that? Did it want for Ahsoka to remember him? "N-no," Ahsoka began, looking at Anakin like he was an alien who may or may not attack her, "B-but…should I?"

Yeah. The Force had done something. Anakin wasn't willing to stick around to find out. Still, running away would just reinforce that something fishy was going on, so he squared his shoulders and set his expression into a relaxed one. "No. We've never met." He looked to Padme. "How do you two know each other?" He tried to sound like he didn't particularly care, that he was just asking to be polite, but from the corner of his eye he could tell that Ahsoka didn't buy his act for a second.

Padme bit her lip, still unsure if things were really okay, before she answered. "Ahsoka was my neighbor growing up. We used to play together. Now she's old enough to go to college, and is attending Stanford to…what was it again?" She asked Ahsoka.

Ahsoka was still staring at Anakin, trying to figure him out. "I'm undecided right now. I'm thinking of applying to the College of Mechanical Engineering however." Anakin had to suppress a wince. He didn't know what he would do if he had to constantly avoid her in the hallways of his own college. He remembered a time when he would have been over joyed to work with her again, but just being around her even now caused him to feel an overwhelming amount of guilt.

"Oh that's what Anakin does," Padme was saying, "Maybe he could give you some tips…"

"Maybe. But not right now." Anakin interrupted, "It was nice to meet you, but I really need to be going." He didn't wait for the girls to say goodbye. He instead whirled on his heel and headed out into the backyard where Obi-Wan was filling a red cup full of alcohol. "Obi-Wan, we have an issue." Anakin said as he approached.

Obi-Wan scowled. "Does the issue have anything to do with the fact that I'm dressed up as a chicken for a costume party and my best friend isn't participating?"

"No," Anakin began, but he was cut off.

"Hey!" Anakin closed his eyes, groaning as he listened to Ahsoka approach them. Obi-Wan looked at the girl in surprise, but he didn't seem too bothered by her presence. He didn't have any reason to be however: he hadn't become a Sith Lord and fought with Ahsoka. "I think you owe me an explanation, Anakin." She stepped between Obi-Wan and Anakin, her hands on her hips as she glared up at him. "Or should I call you Sky Guy?"

Anakin closed his eyes, trying to breathe deeply to calm himself down. He could hear the doorbell ring and the voices of more people as they began to arrive to the party. Why did she have to confront him about this now? But then again, Ahsoka had never been afraid to deal with something immediately in the past.

It was Obi-Wan who answered, his voice serious. "How much do you know?" He asked: he had set down his drink, giving the situation his full attention. It would have been comical to Anakin to see the great Jedi master dealing with a serious situation in a chicken suit, but Anakin was now much more concerned with the outcome of this situation than how ridiculous his friend looked.

Ahsoka glanced at Obi-Wan, looking him over. "Well I certainly don't remember you, but it could be the chicken suit that is confusing those memories." Obi-Wan scowled again, and he picked his drink back up and took a swig of it. "But I've always remembered bits and pieces of another life, and I've been aware of the Force for almost my entire life." She looked back at Anakin, her blue eyes narrowed in suspicion. "But when our hands touched just now, the Force showed me images. They don't make a lot of sense, but I know that you and I used to fight together. You were my Master, weren't you?"

Well. The Force did apparently want Ahsoka to know. Giving up, Anakin nodded. "I was. It's a long, complicated story though and now," He glanced around at the now rapidly filling party. The DJ was now up on the stage and was beginning to set up his music. "Now is not the best time to discuss it."

Ahsoka looked around, taking in the same information that Anakin had gathered, and hesitantly nodded. "Fine, but I want an explanation soon." She flipped out her phone and handed it to him. "Give me your contact info. Now."

Anakin almost opened his mouth to tell her that she shouldn't talk to her Master that way, but he didn't. He hadn't been her Master for a very, very long time. She could speak to him however she wanted. So he added his contact info and gave it back to her, and she nodded in satisfaction. "Good," she said, "I look forward to this discussion." She whirled and walked away just as the DJ began to play the music, the beat drowning almost everything out.

Anakin sighed, turning back to Obi-Wan. "I'm pretty sure the Force is out to get me," He all but shouted to be heard.

Obi-Wan shrugged. "Maybe, but you agreed to the Second Chance. You'll have to face the fact that you may have to deal with the repercussions of your life as Darth Vader for the rest of your life. There is no hiding."

Anakin knew that Obi-Wan was right, but he didn't like it. If he had known how hard this was going to be, would he have refused the Second Chance when he'd died?

Padme re-entered the yard, talking to a woman whose face Anakin couldn't see. At the sight of her, so beautiful, so full of life, his heart rate picked up, and he knew the answer to that question.

Yes. Just to be around Padme again, he would face anything a Second Chance had to offer him, no matter how difficult or painful it was. He would talk to Ahsoka, and if she found out about his life as Darth Vader, well… so be it.

"I know," Anakin said glumly, "And I'm sorry that I didn't dress up in a costume—although nothing in any galaxy could ever have made me wear what you're wearing. No offense."

"Lot's taken." Obi-Wan said dryly, but Anakin could see the teasing look in his eyes.

"I've been in a suit for half of my life. I did try to find a costume that I would feel comfortable wearing, but anytime I tried, I just felt so… confined. I decided that for the foreseeable future, I will continue to be myself. I should have given you a heads up before you came in, well, that." He gestured at the bird costume, and Obi-Wan sighed, letting go of whatever mini grudge he had developed since walking into the party.

"I understand," He began, "Honestly, I wondered if that was your reasoning for not dressing up. I'm not even really upset, but I had…Oh Force!" Obi-Wan suddenly cursed, whirling away from Anakin.

"What's wrong now?" Anakin asked, bewildered, scanning the crowd to see what had gotten Obi-Wan so upset.

"Don't look around!" Obi-Wan hissed, "You'll draw her attention!"

"Who's…oh." He spotted the woman in question talking to Padme. The girls had shifted positions so that Anakin could now see the woman's face. A smirk widened on his face. "Well. It looks like I'm not the only one who has a hard second chance at life ahead of him."

"Don't you dare." Obi-Wan hissed, "Especially not now."

Although Anakin had only met the Duchess Satine a few times, he knew that Obi-Wan had previously had a rather involved relationship with the woman back on his galaxy, even if he had never actually acted on it. Anakin wasn't sure just how close they were, but he knew that Obi-Wan had feelings for her. After she had died in his arms, Obi-Wan had never, to his knowledge, fallen for anyone ever again, and had devoted himself completely to the Order.

But there she was. She was wearing what Anakin recognized as a Captain America costume, and her blonde hair fell to her shoulders freely. She smiled at whatever Padme was saying to her, and said something in return that made Padme laugh.

And Obi-Wan was not acting like a man who knew the love of his life was still alive and he was just finding out. He was acting like a man who knew she was alive, and was actively avoiding her.

"Obi-Wan," Anakin started suspiciously, and when Obi-Wan didn't turn back around to look at him, he walked around Obi-Wan so that he was facing him. "Have you known before tonight that she was alive?"

A sheepish look passed over Obi-Wan's face, and he wouldn't meet Anakin's eyes. "It's possible."

"Why haven't you said anything to her?" Anakin asked, glancing over Obi-Wan's shoulder to take a look at the woman again. She was still talking to Padme.

"Because."

When Obi-Wan didn't elaborate, Anakin sighed in exasperation. "Because why?"

Obi-Wan was quiet for a while before he answered. "Because Darth Maul killed her for what she meant to me. When I first got here years ago, she was one of the first people I looked up to see if she existed in this world. Besides you, she was the only one that I looked up that did exist. I went to see her, and I thought that maybe…maybe things could be different this time. But when I saw her from afar, and saw how happy she was, I couldn't…I couldn't bring myself to put myself back into her life. So I never said anything to her, and I've avoided her ever since."

Anakin couldn't help but feel bad for the older man. Right now, he completely understood where Obi-Wan was coming from. He had rejected Padme for the same reasons. But Obi-Wan was also a good person, and he had faced so much heartache in his previous life. He deserved to be happy. He deserved a second chance at life that wasn't just about helping Anakin or his children, as much as Anakin appreciated the help that Obi-Wan had given his family. Now it was Obi-Wan's turn to be happy.

"Palpatine will focus on me. Don't get me wrong, he absolutely hated you, and I think he feared you the most since he pressured me so much to find and destroy you. But after everything I've done, Palpatine will not focus on you as much, if at all." Anakin told him, trying to sound convincing, "You deserve a real second chance, way more than I do." He put a hand on Obi-Wan's feathery shoulder. "Don't push her away. If you do, you'll look back years from now when it's too late and regret it, and regret…"

"Is awful." Obi-Wan finished with a sigh. Anakin could see the torment in Obi-Wan's eyes as he tried to come to a decision. He could see the anguish of having lost her, but Anakin also suspected a major part of the reason why Obi-Wan hadn't approached her also had to do with the old rules of the Jedi Order. Obi-Wan had clung to those ideals even after the Jedi were destroyed. Old habits die hard.

Anakin realized, as he watched Padme say goodbye to Satine and disappear into the ever thickening crowd, that Obi-Wan needed a push.

So Anakin pretended to be waiting patiently as he watched Satine make her way over to the table with all of the kegs on it. He waited until Obi-Wan sensed her, and he felt Obi-Wan tense up. "I don't think now is the right time," He began, trying to shake Anakin's hand off of his shoulder. "I mean I'm dressed as a chicken and that's not…"

"Now is the perfect time." Anakin grinned. "I'll even help you. I'll be your," he paused, trying to think of the word that he had seen a character in a TV show that Mindy liked to watch had used, "Wing man."

Obi-Wan groaned at the unintentional pun Anakin had just made. "Please never say that while I'm in this thing…"

She was close enough. Anakin pulled Obi-Wan around, tapped the woman's shoulder, and when she turned to look at them in surprise, Anakin said, "Haaaaave you met Ben?" before he pushed Obi-Wan next to her and walked off. As he walked away, he glanced behind himself to see that his mentor was now stuck engaged in a conversation with Satine, but she seemed to be warming up to him despite the awkward way that Obi-Wan held himself.

With a laugh to himself, Anakin pushed himself into the crowd to begin really enjoying the party.


Padme knew that Anakin was avoiding her. She had hoped that if they ignored what had happened, they could forget about it. But she saw the tension in Anakin whenever they spoke. The only time he had not seemed tense was when he asked her to reconsider Mindy's idea for a party, and that was why she had accepted. She hoped that things would change, but they only seemed to get worse, and anytime she tried to talk to Anakin about it he seemed to find a way to leave or change the topic.

When the party started and Anakin had left Obi-Wan's side, she yet again tried to find ways to approach him and try to have a conversation, or at least have fun with him. But he seemed to know whenever she was coming, because he managed to disappear every time.

It was really starting to piss her off.

Still, she managed to smile and be the nice hostess that she was supposed to be. The music pulsed in the chilly night air, and people were wildly dancing to it on the lawn. Others sat on her patio furniture, enjoying a drink. In some of the darker corners, there were people making out, reminding Padme of the kiss she and Anakin had shared. She did her best to avoid those people.

"Padme!" She whirled aroundto find Mindy there, grinning like a mad woman. "This party is the bomb! Who knew that you had it in you to throw such an awesome party?"

Padme made a face. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Mindy shrugged. "Well, you can be a little stiff sometimes. Even now, your party is rocking, but you've spent the entire time acting like the perfect hostess, or the perfect chaperone." She gestured to the party around them. "Everyone is having fun. Even Anakin is off having fun being the random person that he is. Why aren't you having fun?"

Padme hesitated. She knew that Mindy was right, but she had so much to worry about. What if someone needed help finding something? What if someone went into part of the house that was supposed to be off limits? (She had already stopped a few couples from trying to find their bedrooms) And what if Anakin decided that he wanted to hang out with her?

Actually. She was the most concerned about that last one. She knew how pathetic it sounded, and it was very unlike her to think that way. But she still couldn't help but feel like there was something more to her relationship with him…

Mindy read her like an open book. "Padme." Her voice was serious, and she waited until she yet again had Padme's full attention. "Stop chasing him. Men want what they can't have. If you really want him, not that I'm encouraging that," Padme had also asked Mindy a thousand times why her opinion on Anakin had changed so drastically, and Mindy had been frustratingly silent on that topic, "then you need to show him that you don't care that he rejected you." She put a hand on her shoulder. "Show him that you're an independent woman who doesn't need a man."

Again, Mindy was right. If Anakin was going to continue to avoid her, that was his problem. She was a strong, amazing woman that any man would be lucky to have. If Anakin couldn't see that, he was a fool.

"Okay," she said, pouring herself a drink. "Let's do this."

A feral grin spread across Mindy's face. "Now you're talking."

Padme drained the cup in one go, ignoring the fact that this particular drink was straight up Vodka. It burned her throat, and when she finished she coughed a bunch, but that didn't stop her from getting another glass.

Tonight, she was going to have fun.

A few glasses later, she was out on the dance floor, dancing like she hadn't done since her freshman year of college. She felt wild. She felt free. Everything blurred together, and all she could feel was the pulsing of the music through her veins.

Why didn't she party like this every night? She wondered. Maybe this was why Mindy loved to party so much. Who needed responsibilities? She had the rest of her life to worry about that.

For most of the dance, she was aware of Mindy dancing beside her. Soon though they were joined by other people. Padme recognized their faces, but at that moment she couldn't remember their names.

One of them seemed particularly interested in Mindy. Padme wondered if the guy didn't know Mindy's reputation for going on one date before dumping her men, or if he knew but didn't care. Mindy, sensing his interest, began to dance with him, and about three songs later she'd disappeared with him.

As soon as Mindy left, the crowd dancing with them began to move on to other places. Padme wasn't offended, mostly because she was drunk, but also because most of the people here were Mindy's friends.

"Hey," She whirled around, coming face to face with a very handsome man. He was taller than her, and broad shouldered. He had spiked blonde hair and baby blue eyes. His skin was perfectly tanned, and something about him screamed 'surfer dude' to her. In fact, all he was wearing were board shorts and flip flops, showing off a very chiseled chest. Still, he had an intelligence in his eyes, and the way he looked at her made her blush. "What's your name?"

"Padme," She tried to keep her voice from slurring, but she didn't quite succeed.

He raised an eyebrow. "It seems, Padme, that you are very drunk."

"So?" Padme shrugged, and one of her favorite songs to dance to came on through the speakers. "OH!" She gasped happily, "I love this song!"

"Do you?" the man laughed. Goodness, even his laugh sounded beautiful. "Well, let's dance then." He held out a hand to her.

She hesitated. Even in her drunken state, her mind flashed back to Anakin. It felt…wrong to accept a dance from another man.

But she wasn't Anakin's. He had made that clear.

So she took the offered hand and let herself be drawn even further into the dancing crowd. She began to dance, feeling the man's hands on her hips as she did so. She locked her arms around his neck, throwing her head back to laugh. She felt like she was in a movie. She didn't want this night to end.

They danced song after song together. She lost track of how many songs they danced to, but by the time they stopped, people were beginning to leave the party. She breathed heavily, her vision swimming, and she placed a hand on his bare chest to keep herself from falling.

"Are you okay?" he asked, and his voice was just as breathless.

Padme nodded. "I…didn't get your name." It was a struggle to get that sentence out. Her brain was feeling sluggish, and all of a sudden she felt like the energy had left her.

"Finn." He said, "I actually do need to head out. Maybe we could exchange numbers and do something some time?"

She paused. Was he asking her out on a date? She knew the answer should have been obvious, but as soon as she thought the question, her mind lost it, and she couldn't remember what it was that she was trying to find an answer to.

"Sure," she said with a shrug, giving him her phone and taking his. She entered in her contact info, and once they were both done they gave their phones back to each other.

"It was great to have met you." He said, and leaned down. Even in her drunken state, she realized that he was about to kiss her. Again, her mind flashed to Anakin, and she turned her face so that his kiss landed on her cheek.

"Nice to meet you too." She said, her words slurred. Finn grinned and left her standing in the middle of a thinning crowd, staring after him.

Once he was gone, she put her phone away and headed back towards the drink table, swaying as she went. When she reached it, she attempted to get an empty glass to fill it, but only succeeded in knocking the whole stack over. She cursed and began to try to clean it up, but she ended up making an even bigger mess.

"Padme." Anakin's voice stopped her, and his hand gently took hers and pulled her away from the table. "I think you've had enough."

"Oh, NOW you talk to me." She swayed as she turned around to face him, trying to pull herself out of his grasp. He was surprisingly strong however, and he didn't budge. "Don't tell me what to do."

Anakin didn't seem phased by her behavior, but he did look a little incredulous. "I've never actually seen you drunk. I'm not sure that I like it."

Padme snorted. "I do what I want." Again, she tried to pull herself away.

Again, Anakin didn't budge. "Who was that guy?"

"Who, Finn?"

"Yeah." He looked like he was calm, but she could see the jealousy in his eyes.

He didn't get to be jealous, she decided: he had his chance, and he killed it.

"Finn is a hottie." She said, her words totally slurred. "And an awesome dancer. And really hot." She didn't know a whole lot about him other than that. "We're probably gunna go on a date."

She watched Anakin's jaw clench, but unlike last time, he stayed in control of himself. Still, he was silent for a very long time. "That's…great." He said through clenched teeth, "But like I said, I think you're done with the drinks."

"No," Padme said, even as she began to yawn. She did feel tired all of a sudden…

"Okay then," Anakin said, letting her hands go, "Be my guest."

Again, Padme tried to go for an empty cup, but the stupid cups fell off the table. With a sigh, she straightened up. "Okay. I think I'm going to bed."

"I think that's a good idea."

She rolled her eyes and began trying to make her way towards the house, but apparently she was going the wrong way because Anakin's hands suddenly appeared at her hips and he gently guided her back towards the house. "Thanks," she grumbled.

"Anytime." He stayed at her side as they crossed the lawn to the backdoor. A few times Padme stumbled, and each time Anakin steadied her. When they reached the door, he opened it for her and helped guide her over the step and into the house. "Watch your step," he said.

She nodded in thanks and let him guide her around the furniture and into the hallway leading towards her room. "Jedi…is in there," she said slowly. She wasn't sure he even understood her. She was that incoherent. But he nodded, and right before he opened the door, he positioned his body so that the dog wouldn't run out.

Jedi did attempt to run out, but Anakin stopped him and helped Padme into the room, closing the door quickly. Padme could still hear the music pounding through the walls, but she was too tired to care. The whole room was blurred and dizzy, and she collapsed face first onto the bed, not bothering to dress out of her costume.

"You're going to be sore if you sleep in that position," Anakin warned, and she felt his hands gently move her so that she was in a better position. "Are you going to get out of those clothes?"

She was too tired to answer, so she shook her head. Or she thought she did. She was already drifting off. She heard Anakin sigh and felt him pull the covers over her. "Goodnight Padme," He said, and she heard him turn and start to walk out of the room.

"You're….a good person." She said slowly, and he stopped in his tracks, silent.

"Thanks but," he paused, "You don't know that."

Her eyelids fluttered open just barely, just enough to see his silhouette in the darkness. "Yes," she said, beginning to fall asleep, "I do."


That was SUPER long. I did NOT expect this chapter to be this long, but a lot of important things happened. It was also way harder to write, and I'm not 100% sure I pulled it off. First, Anakin is starting to find answers to how the Force works in our world. Second, he meets Ahsoka. YAY! She will be in the next chapter. It's kind of frustrating though because her story isn't over in the TV show so I have no idea if Darth Vader ended up killing her or what happened to her, so I haven't yet decided how bad I'm going to end her previous life. There is no way Darth Vader would have let her live in peace though. Third, Satine is introduced. YAY! You will see more of her in upcoming chapters. I decided that since what is and what isn't cannon is still pretty confusing, I decided to go with Satine since she's in the Clone Wars and I can use some of those scenes for later if I need to (I have no idea if I will though, their relationship is still in the rough draft mode in my head). And fourth, Padme is getting frustrated with Anakin and has found a new man...don't stress out too much people. I have a very specific reason for introducing this guy.

Next chapter is going to be SUPER MAJOR. It may also be a really long one since a lot needs to happen in that one as well. This is a half week at work though, so guess who is going to be doing a lot of writing? ME! WOOHOO!

To those of you who asked about Luke and Leia: yes. I will bring in Luke and Leia. What I WAS going to do was have a second story that focused on Anakin's relationship with them, since they're part of his Second Chance, but then I realized that to have a whole seperate story that relies so heavily on what happened in the first story... I don't really feel like going through the hassle of doing a whole separate sequel. So I've figured out a good transition, and it will all be one gigantic story. I think it works better for the story arc that I'm planning anyway.

Ventress will be in the story. She's too cool not to be. But I'm changing her timeline around a bit, so she won't appear until later.

Also, someone who was a guest asked me this question, but I can't reply to people not logged in. Will this story be appropriate for young teenagers? Well, if you had an issue with the above chapter, then no. But I won't write anything explicit since I did rate this Teen. I may make things obvious though for your own interpretation, and I don't have swearing either. So I leave it up to you to decide what you're comfortable with, because I know people who are even uncomfortable with Teen ratings. I hope that helps.

Anyhow, review! I got some awesome reviews last chapter. It was nice to read them on a day when I was having a really awful time. They really brighten my spirits.

Love,

Sarah