"So, basically, you're telling me that I'm the only one who has spent her whole life not remembering my previous life?," Padme asked as Vokara used the Force to continue working on Padme's sprained leg. Ah, the Force. That explained why her head no longer hurt, but according to Vokara, the leg would take her another day to mend, and the arm would still need to stay in a cast for a month (instead of the original two months), and even then, Padme would still have to undergo physical therapy for a few weeks to regain full use of her arm as before. She was not looking forward to that, but now that she was reunited with her husband, she felt like she could accomplish anything.

"No, not everyone, Padme," Anakin corrected. As soon as Vokara had walked in and found Anakin sharing Padme's bed (both of them having been asleep), she had ordered him off, which had woken Padme up. He still sat strictly by her side however, holding her right hand in both of his, rubbing his thumbs gently over her knuckles. "As far as I know, the only people who remember everything are Obi-Wan and myself. Ahsoka remembers most stuff, but not every detail."

"I am the same." Vokara replied, but her voice was distant as she focused on her work. It was strange to see Vokara as a human instead of her blue, Twi-Lek self.

"Yoda doesn't remember anything specific, just impressions, but he is still a Force wielder." Anakin continued with a thoughtful frown. "Maybe it has something to do with the way you came to this world. Obi-Wan and I only know everything because we were both placed here specifically by the Force…and even we don't know how that was possible. Other than that, it seems like the Force is choosing what information to reveal at different times...and to whom."

That made Padme feel slightly better, but not by much. It was strange: Now that she had reunited with her husband and she was stuck in bed until she was given the okay to go home by Vokara, she had time to really think about what all had happened. She had literally lived twice, grown up twice. She had led two different, yet similar lives, in two different galaxies. Sometimes it felt like her life on Earth was the only real life, and that her previous life was just a vivid dream. Other times, it felt like her previous life was the one that was real. It was all very confusing, and she tried not to think too hard about it.

"I assume that if Vokara still has her powers here, you do as well, Ani?" Padme asked.

"I do. I had very limited ability, though, up until I let you go and the building collapsed. Now, however," his frown deepened, becoming troubled. "I feel too much of it."

She never thought those words would ever leave her husband's mouth. He had always been trying to learn to control more of the Force. He had always wanted to be more powerful, even as a Jedi. To hear him say this was...well...surprising, to say the least.

"There." Vokara stopped what she was doing, stepping back. "You should need just one more leg treatment, and then your leg should be fine." She gave Padme a stern look. "But, if anyone asks how you're healing so quickly…"

"I know, I know...I won't tell them it was you," Padme assured her with a smile. She realized that now that she knew the truth, she had a responsibility to protect their secret. She wasn't sure what this world would do if it found out about people with special powers living amongst them, but based on all of the alien movies Hollywood had put out there on the market, she had a sneaking suspicion that it wouldn't be good for Anakin or the rest of the Jedi if the truth ever got out.

With her parents being politicians in this world, she especially had to keep the secret from them. They loved her, but they also had a duty to their country.

And, they wouldn't understand or believe it.

She shuddered at the thought of the government coming and taking her husband from her and quickly forced the thought away. It'd be like a weird version of E.T., she thought. No wonder I never liked that scene in that movie.

"Thank you," Vokara said with a nod, before she glanced over at Anakin. A strange look passed between them, as if there were still secrets that only the two of them knew. Padme opened her mouth to ask what was going on, but Vokara shook her head. "Rest now, but if you need me, don't hesitate to call." She left before Padme could say another word.

However, Anakin was still with her, and he was now looking down at their entwined hands, a sick look on his face. Suddenly, Padme wasn't so sure she really wanted to know what he had on his mind, but she had a strong feeling that whatever it was, it needed to be said.

With a sigh, she asked, "Ani, what is it that you needed to tell me?"

Anakin actually flinched. Flinched? It had to be awful if he physically reacted to her question like that. She only remembered one time when he'd done that, after he had lost control of his anger and had attacked Clovis and she had almost left him because of it. If he was flinching now…Well, this wasn't a good sign.

"Padme," his voice was rough, almost strangled, and his grip on her hand tightened. "Sweetheart, I want you to know that I love you. So much."

"Okay," Padme said slowly, suddenly afraid of what he was about to say. Maybe she should stop him and pretend the issue didn't exist. If she was anyone else, she might have done that, but Padme didn't run from the truth. So, she braced herself for whatever he was about to say.

"And, what's happened…well," his eyes met hers, pleading with her to believe what he was saying, "It's not anyone's fault but Palpatine's. OK? This is not your fault, Angel."

A lot of awful things had happened because of Palpatine. No surprise there, and Padme didn't even know all of them. It seemed like Anakin was about to tell her one of them, though, and it felt as if her heart had dropped into her stomach. "Ani, you're scaring me." She said, her voice shaking.

Anakin sighed, and that strange look crossed his face again. This time, it stayed, and Padme finally identified it as being tortured. "I don't know how to tell you this, but Angel, you didn't just break a few bones in the car crash." He paused, seeming to struggle with the words. "Padme, you were pregnant when Maul smashed into your car."

What? Did she hear him right?

Did he just say she was...

Pregnant?!

As Anakin gazed at her with loving concern, gently rubbing her hand and trying to gauge her reaction to the news, she just blinked at him. She couldn't fully comprehend the words at first. Her mind slowly began working out what he was trying to tell her. His face remained a mask of concern as he watched her struggling to take in his words.

She was pregnant? She had been pregnant once in their galaxy, and now she was…

No. Wait. Anakin had used past tense.

Her throat tightened, and she felt pressure behind her eyes as she choked out, "Were?"

Anakin looked like every word he spoke was physical torture. "Yes, Angel. You…we lost our baby. You were too early in your pregnancy, and the baby couldn't survive the combined trauma of the car accident coupled with the building exploding."

Suddenly, she couldn't breathe. She hadn't even known she and Anakin had conceived the night of the Gala (which had to be when, as it was the only time they'd been together in this world), and yet to know that she had been pregnant with their child and to have lost their baby…

Or babies. Oh, no! What if that was Luke and Leia?!

"Angel," Anakin groaned, and he reached up to gently start wiping her tears away. At least, she assumed that's what he was doing. She couldn't even feel the tears falling down her face. He continued to say something to her softly as he stroked her cheeks, but she couldn't focus on it.

Her baby, Anakin's baby…possibly babies…now gone. Lost to them. Forever.

It was beyond crushing.

She felt like she had literally been gutted.

She wanted to demand that Anakin tell her this wasn't happening to them. She wanted to go and hunt Palpatine down herself. He had taken so much from her, from them already— and by some miracle from the Force, she had gotten her husband back. Butnow thisthis was irreplaceable. She couldn't do anything except cry as sorrow and grief for their loss threatened to overwhelm her.

Anakin clearly didn't care that Vokara had ordered him off the bed. As soon as she broke down, he was back on the bed, pulling her carefully into his arms, holding her tightly as she sobbed into his chest, twining his left hand in her hair, murmuring soothingly into her ear, letting her know he was there for her...that they would get through this together.

They didn't get much time to mourn their loss; however, as her parents walked in not long after she had started crying. Her father, who by the look on his face clearly did not know she had lost a baby, asked her with some concern why she was crying. Through her tears, she took one look at her mother's grave face and had realized that, while her mother knew about the baby, her father did not for some reason. Probably a good reason. So, she wiped her eyes, and she'd made something up. She didn't remember what she'd said, or even if her dad had bought it, but he didn't press the issue.

She was happy to see her parents. It was good to know that they were still very much alive and happy in this world, and that they loved her just as much here as they had previously in her old life. But, in that moment, she really didn't want them there. She didn't want to dry her tears and pretend that everything was okay when it wasn't. She only wanted to be with her Ani and have him hold her while they mourned their lost baby.

But, it would hurt her father's feelings if she asked him to leave. So, she forced herself to concentrate on the moment, deciding to take it as a distraction. However, as Anakin carefully climbed off the bed once again, she continued to hold his hand in a tight grip, drawing strength from his presence. He entwined their fingers, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. I'm here, Angel, he conveyed through his touch.

Her parents weren't the only ones who dropped by her room in that very inopportune moment. While her father was talking to Anakin about sending the encrypted emails to him to work on (he had received Ahsoka's texts), Mindy suddenly blew in the doorway, breathing as if she'd run a marathon through the hospital hallways. It was possible, knowing her.

"I knew it!" She cried, interrupting her parents. "You're going to be broken forever!"

Her parents, having known Mindy for a number of years, didn't even blink an eye at this interruption. Anakin, who was getting used to it, just rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Do you have to enter every room yelling, Mindy?"

"Yes, I do." She shot him a glare. "And, do you have to ignore all of my calls and texts?"

"Yes, I do." He shot right back, his lips twitching in amusement at Mindy...being Mindy.

Even in the midst of her sorrow, Padme couldn't help but smile at the exchange. "Hello to you too, Mindy." Truth be told, she was glad to see her best girlfriend. Mindy, in her own unique way, was a soothing balm to Padme's battered spirit.

Mindy ignored Anakin and sat down on Padme's other side, careful not to touch her. "Be careful with her left side," Anakin warned, and Padme could hear his controlled annoyance.

"I'm sorry, but as of right now, I'm officially ignoring you," Mindy pointedly declared to Anakin, as she shot another dark look at him before turning her attention back to Padme, who was mildly amused at their bickering. "So, have they caught this hit and run jerk yet?"

"No, afraid not" Padme said quietly with a shake of her head. She knew Mindy knew the truth about Anakin and Obi-Wan and her, and she longed to tell Mindy that she remembered now, too and that she could be completely open with her again. But, her parents were right there, and she couldn't start talking about Jedi, Sith Lords, and past lives and galaxies at that moment. They would have her committed to a mental institution for her own safety. No. She would just have to tell Mindy the real story later.

"Well, have you at least gotten your stuff out of your car?" Mindy asked.

Padme raised an eyebrow, looking down at herself. "Oh yeah, the doctors totally let me get up and go do that when I got bored," She said dryly.

Mindy huffed and rolled her eyes. "So, you haven't." She shook her head and sighed. "I guess I can go do that for you."

"You don't have to, Mindy, dear" her mother said, "Ruwee was about to go take care of that actually, and look for a new car…"

"Oh, Dad," Padme interrupted, "You shouldn't." She had been the one to buy her car. She'd worked hard her sophomore, junior, and senior years at college plus over the summers at a part-time job to earn the money for it. Her parents had only given her the house because they were proud that she had worked so hard and graduated from college with honors. Padme had paid for herself since she was able to get her first job as a teenager anyway. It just felt…strange...to let her parents get her another car. After all, she had insurance.

Her father, however, did not agree. He frowned. "Padme, I'm your father. Fathers are supposed to step in and help when their children need it. Right now, with everything that's happened to you in the last month alone, you need my help. I can't fix everything, but I can do this. So do this, I will, young lady, and you're not going to stop me." He shot her a pointed look that brooked no arguments.

To say that Padme was touched would have been an understatement. With so many emotions careening through her already, her father's obvious display of parental affection was enough for tears to well up in her eyes again. She managed to stop them from falling, however...but only just. "I love you, Daddy," she managed to say, her voice tight.

Ruwee's face softened, and he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "I love you, too, Sweetheart." He leaned back, squaring his shoulders. "So, Mindy, you come with me, and we'll go clean out Padme's car, get her stuff, and I'll contact the insurance company, get pictures of the damage, and collect the police report." He turned and glanced over at Anakin who had observed the exchange quietly. "And, Anakin, I would like you to come with us, as well."

Anakin bolted upright in the chair, a look of surprise on his face. "Who? Me?," he asked, startled by Ruwee's suggestion. Anakin looked at Padme, as if worried that she would disappear if he left her side. "But, what about…" he began.

Padme wanted him to stay. She wanted him to hold her and never let go. She wanted him to be surrounded by her love, as she was enveloped by his. But, she also knew that her father wouldn't have asked him to go with him unless he felt it necessary, and Anakin looked like he could use a break from being in the hospital room with her anyway. So, she squeezed his hand and tugged him toward her, pulling him out of the chair and down to her to whisper in his ear. "Honey, you should go with Dad and Mindy. I need to try to rest anyway, and really, I'm not much fun right now. Okay?" He leaned back to look into her eyes, uncertainty about leaving her written all over his face. She gave him an impish grin, cocking an eyebrow, and whispered, "Besides, if you don't want me to start calling you Obi-Wan when you kiss me, then you'd better take the time to go shower and shave while you're out."

That did it.

He gave her a grin and winked at her, leaning down and whispering in her ear, "Well, we can't have that, now can we, Senator?" He softly kissed her ear and then gently bit and suckled her earlobe for a moment to tease her before pulling back to look at her with a tender smile. It took her entire will not to gasp-her parents were right there. Oh, he was going to get an earful later.

She captured his mischievous gaze with an answering twinkle in her own. "Go, Ani. I'll be fine. I promise. It's not like I'm going anywhere." She grinned at him, and he nodded in resignation.

"Okay. Fine. But, don't hesitate to call me if you need help." She suddenly remembered she didn't have her cellphone with her. It was probably still in her car (wherever it was), but she didn't tell Anakin that. She knew he'd only stay if she did, and he really needed a break after being cooped up in the hospital with her for at least the past day or two. She nodded her head.

"I won't." she managed to genuinely smile as she felt a surge of love for him. She hoped that he could feel that through the Force, and by the way his eyes softened, he likely had.

He leaned over once again and kissed her lips tenderly. "I'll be back soon. Rest. Please?" He whispered, and she nodded again.

He squeezed her hand once more and then left with Mindy and her father. Meanwhile, her mother sat on the edge of her bed, openly looking at Padme with concern as if she expected her daughter to break. Once the door closed behind Anakin, she said, "Sweetheart," her voice dripping with so much concern that Padme was almost sick with it, "Are you going to be alright? Did Anakin tell you about..."

"Yes, Mom. He did," she replied, wishing to keep the conversation short. She didn't feel like talking about…It. If she talked about it, if she even thought about it, she knew she would break. She was already on the edge, and in that moment, all she wanted was to be left alone so that she could try to lose herself in sleep.

At least, that's what she told herself.

"Do you want to talk about it?" her mother asked, not getting the hint.

Padme sighed. "No, Mom, I don't want to talk about it. Not right now. Really, I just want to try and sleep."

She could tell that her mother didn't quite believe her, but she nodded anyway, reaching over to gently ruffle her hair. "Okay. I'm here if you need me though."

"I know."

"I'm going to the cafeteria to get some coffee and some fruit." Her mother offered her a small, sad smile before she got up and left the room, leaving Padme to be alone with her thoughts.

Padme did try to sleep. She closed her eyes, tried to think of anything except the baby, but somehow, no matter how tired she was, no matter how much she squeezed her eyes shut, she just couldn't succumb to the freedom that sleep so often offered.

She had settled on turning the TV on to find something mindless to fall asleep to when her door opened again. She turned, expecting to see perhaps a nurse or Vokara or even Sola, but instead, she found herself face to face with Obi-Wan.

He closed the door softly, offering her the friendly smile she had been accustomed to for so many years. It was a smile that had always made her feel safe. It was a smile that had been nothing but an offer of friendship, or a listening ear in time of trouble.

But now, looking at him, she only felt a surge of fury at his presence.

He must have felt her anger through the Force, because his smile waned, his eyes reflected concern, and he stopped short near the door. "How are you feeling?" He asked calmly. He was always calm like that, and his Jedi stoicism grated on her already raw nerves, just making her even angrier. She wondered if he had been that calm when he had sliced her husband's limbs off and left him to burn on Mustafar.

"I remember, Obi-Wan. Everything." She said, her voice hard and clipped.

Obi-Wan sighed, walking over and sitting down in the seat that Anakin had vacated. She watched him walk over and settle in the chair, wanting to tell him to get out, but the rational side of her stopped her. She hadn't listened to his side of the story yet, and Anakin had continued a friendship with Obi-Wan in the last few months. So, if Anakin was pursuing a friendship with him still, she probably didn't have the whole story.

He deserves the benefit of the doubt, too...just like Anakin, she reasoned to herself.

She didn't want to be rational though. For once, she just wanted to react purely on emotion. She narrowed her eyes and pinched her mouth into a thin line, regarding Obi-Wan warily.

"I assume Anakin knows this?" He asked. She nodded slowly. "And, he probably told you about what I did to him on Mustafar when we fought?"

"How could you?!" her voice shook with rage. "There was still good in him! I told you this, and obviously, I was right! And yet you, his best friend, his mentor….his brother...didn't just turn from him! No! You abandoned him and you left him for dead! Left him to burn to death!" She was ranting now, unable to stop, beyond furious. "Did you even make any effort to try to save him?! And, did you bother to tell me what had happened to him when you took me to Polis Massa? No! You didn't! You misled me, Obi-Wan! Furthermore, after I entrusted my children to you—which I would never have done had I known that you'd almost murdered their father—you went and separated them!"

"Padme, please listen to me...I understand you're upset," Obi-Wan said, raising his hands in a gesture of calm, trying to placate her. "Anakin and I have discussed this at length over the last few months. There were….many misunderstandings between us before. We had left a lot unsaid, and obviously, he was keeping secrets from me in our old galaxy. So, when I saw that he was struggling, I figured that he would be able to use meditation to calm down. Had I known what was really going on…," He sighed, running his hand through his hair. "But, I didn't know. So, when he turned to the Dark Side, I took it as a personal betrayal, and for the first time since the death of Qui-Gon, I let anger control my actions, especially after I watched him choke you before my eyes, and I-I...left him for dead on Mustafar. I loved him as a brother, Padme, and even though he screamed at me that he hated me…I just couldn't kill him. I know it would have been the merciful thing to do, yes, but I just...couldn't." Obi-Wan looked down at his hands resting on his knees and sighed.

"As for Luke and Leia, I was in no way capable of raising two very strongly Force-sensitive children, especially since the Empire was after my life. I believed if Darth Vader had discovered them, they would have either been raised with the Dark Side as a Sith, or even worse, they would have been raised by Palpatine himself."

"You don't know for sure that Anakin would have raised them to become Sith," Padme defended, but even she knew that, despite there being no real way of knowing, it was very likely that Darth Vader would have done just that.

Even though Obi-Wan obviously knew this, he decided to agree with her to placate her. "Who knows what would have happened, but the outcome would have been dangerous for the children, Padme. Surely, you can see that. Yoda, Bail, and I had to make an immediate decision after your death for the children's welfare. So, Bail Organa and his wife, Breha, raised Leia as their daughter on Alderaan to be a senator—even though she had her father's temperament, she had your skill and political savvy, and she looked so much like you, too." He smiled, as if remembering something. Padme felt the sting of jealousy keenly, and more than ever she wished she had been given more than a mere moment with her two children. "And, Luke was raised by Owen and his wife, Beru, on Tatooine at the Lars moisture farm. He looked so very much like Anakin, but he had your temperament. Luke ended up becoming a great and powerful Jedi…" He paused, looking away from her, his gaze unfocused, as if he were far away remembering past events. "Luke had an opportunity to kill his father. I even told him once that he had to do so if he was going to save the galaxy. But, Luke believed in the goodness of his father, a man who had not done anything worthy of deserving that title. It was that belief that ultimately saved Anakin. It was Luke's faith that proved me wrong, and when I woke up here, I decided to start over and give my friendship with Anakin another chance, which I have."

He shook his head, refocusing on her. "Luke's actions saved your whole family—it saved Anakin, and he very much considers Luke to be his hero. I wish I had made different decisions, but I can't go back and change them. All we can do is move forward. I hope you can forgive me, Padme."

Padme wanted to still be angry at him, and she was angry. But the more Obi-Wan talked, the more that anger at him evaporated, and all that was left was a weariness that settled into her very bones, leaving her completely exhausted. She was angry, sure, but she realized that it wasn't at Obi-Wan. Not really. She already knew that Obi-Wan had also changed, and it wasn't fair to forgive Anakin for his mistakes and not forgive Obi-Wan. Besides, in many ways, Obi-Wan's reaction was very human and most would consider it justified. It didn't mean she was happy with what happened, but the Force had given both these men a second chance, and who was she to get in the way of that? Really, the Force had given all of them a second chance...a chance to correct the mistakes made in the past on all sides, she realized with stark clarity.

And, it was time to do just that.

So, Padme let it go.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, giving Obi-Wan a tentative smile. "There have just been…a lot of emotions for me the last twenty-four hours." That was probably the biggest understatement she had ever said in her entire life.

"I can only imagine," in his voice, she could hear the sorrow. It wasn't the same pity he'd had when he found out Padme was pregnant with Anakin's children while he was planning on killing their father. It was genuine sorrow, and oddly, she felt comforted by it. It wasn't the same as having Anakin being there with her, but she didn't have to tell Obi-Wan any details without him understanding what she was going through. He knew her story in a way most people, including her own parents and sister, could never know.

It was moments like these that she was reminded of why Anakin considered Obi-Wan family.

"Thank you, Obi-Wan," She said softly.

"You're welcome, Padme. If you or Anakin need anything, I'm always here. You know that." Obi-Wan gave her a sad smile.

Padme nodded and tried to smile back but ultimately failed, as grief struck her anew. "Obi-Wan," She managed to say with a tight voice, "What if the baby I lost was…?" she couldn't finish. Tears threatened to come again, and she just wasn't ready to break down in front of anyone else but Anakin, couldn't share that loss with anyone but her husband.

Obi-Wan didn't need to hear the end of her question to know what she was thinking. He considered her question carefully before he replied. "Padme, if there is anything that I know about both Luke and Leia," he said seriously, "It's that they're fighters. Just like you, just like Anakin. If they have the opportunity to come to this world to be with you and Anakin, they'll do whatever they can to do it."

He seemed to believe his words, but could she? She hadn't known her children and therefore, couldn't necessarily agree with his statement. She had carried them, birthed them, and yet she knew nothing about the children she'd given life to, other than their names. It was a dumb idea. She should have stopped talking about them. But, at the same time, she needed to know. "Tell me about my children, Obi-Wan. Help me to know them."

So, Obi-Wan did.

For a long time, she listened to him talk about Leia and her mischievous childhood, about her sneaking out to explore Alderaan, and about how she grew up to not only be a senator, but also a major leader in the Rebel Alliance against the Empire. The more he talked about Leia, the more she recognized the many similarities Leia had to both herself and Anakin, and she felt a swell of pride for the daughter she had barely met.

She listened to him talk about Luke and how he had grown up under much simpler, less comfortable circumstances on Tatooine (much like his father had before him), but how Luke had always longed for adventure, longed to traverse the galaxy. Those adventures had often, to Owen's dismay, caused Luke to want to know more about his father and where he'd come from, but Owen hadn't allowed it. Still, Obi-Wan explained, it hadn't stopped Luke from running into two (familiar!) droids that launched him on the path to becoming a Jedi, meeting his sister, and becoming the hero that would save not only his family, but an entire galaxy.

The more Obi-Wan talked, the more Padme felt a powerful longing to know her children, to somehow go back in time and stop herself from dying so that she could raise her children herself. But, it was impossible, and now….

Now, she may never get that chance.

"Padme?" Obi-Wan stopped telling stories, and she suddenly realized that there were silent tears sliding down her face, dripping onto the blanket draped across her chest. "I'm sorry. I guess I shouldn't have talked so much about them…" he said, looking discomforted at her distress.

"No," she said, shaking her head, "no. Don't be sorry. I asked to know about them. It's okay. I needed to know." She took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Thank you, Obi-Wan. You've been a good friend...not only to my husband and to me, but to our children as well."

"And, I will continue to be your friend for as long as I am able, Padme." He promised firmly.

She nodded, not sure if there would be any children to befriend in this life. If she couldn't have Luke and Leia, she wasn't sure she could handle having other children apart from her twins. The loss was just…too much. But, she knew that was something she'd have to discuss with Anakin.

Still, for the moment, she forced herself to stop thinking about it. By this time, the weariness had turned into absolute exhaustion, and even Obi-Wan could see that. He stood. "I'm going to get going. You should get some rest…in fact, you need to."

"I know." She settled back into the pillows, taking deep breaths to calm herself. "I will. Thanks again, Obi-Wan."

"Anytime." He smiled and turned, and then left without a word, leaving her alone in the room.

This time, she welcomed the darkness of a dreamless sleep.


"For the last time, we are not getting Padme a pink Corvette," Anakin rolled his eyes, resisting the urge to drag Mindy away from the bright pink monstrosity that the dealership called a car. As Ahsoka predicted, Mindy's silent treatment towards him hadn't even lasted half an hour. "Besides, she doesn't even like pink that much."

"Fine, not pink, but what about a blue one?" She moved on to a dark blue Corvette, running her hand over it reverently. "In fact, I bet she would love it." MIndy's grin was almost feral.

"You only want her to get one so you can borrow it." Anakin crossed his arms. "Seriously, let's find an actual, plausible car to get her." They had separated from Ruwee to cover more ground. They had chosen a huge dealership in the hopes of finding something suitable for Padme, but it was now taking a lot of time to find something. He was looking for a car that was similar to the BMW, and although he had found cars like that, they just didn't seem…right.

"I am serious. I'm always serious. You just never take me seriously. That's not my problem." Nevertheless, she moved away from the Corvettes with a sigh and continued following him through the rows of cars. "So...She finally remembers everything."

"Yes." He had told Mindy the real events as soon as Ruwee had wandered off.

"And, she's still dating you?" On the surface, it sounded like a joke, but Anakin could hear the genuine curiosity in her voice.

Anakin could hardly believe it himself. He had been so sure that Padme would reject him completely; he had, in fact, been prepared for just that. However, his sweet wife was forgiving and just as loving as he remembered. He didn't deserve it, but he loved her more for it anyway.

"She's not really dating me, I told you. Technically, we're still married." He replied absently, scanning a row of Hondas. Force, this place had everything, he thought.

Mindy snorted. "Well, sorry to burst your bubble there, Galaxy Guy, but you're not married to Padme in this world. And, never have been...here. So no, technically, legally, you're not married to each other. At least, not in the rest of this world's eyes. I mean, don't get me wrong...you can totally keep living in that fantasy realm with Padme for the rest of your lives, but until you actually have a legal ceremony here in this world to make it all legit, you'll just be living together...or to use the common term for it, "shacking up"...of course, if you prefer, the politically correct term is, "cohabitating." And, by the way, don't be surprised if everyone constantly annoys you guys with questions like, 'Oh, when will you actually get married?'... Or, my personal favorite, "Do you plan on having babies together since you're not married?" She paused. "Okay, that last question may wait a bit, but just wait. I'd give it a year from now tops before people start asking that particular question."

Anakin stopped walking and frowned. This thought had never occurred to him. Of course, he'd recognized that technically he wasn't married to Padme in this world, but every time he looked at her, he still saw her as his wife. She was his, and he was hers. They had defied all the odds and were fully together again. End of story, right? Somehow he had just…assumed...that everyone else here, whether they also remembered the real them or not, would see them that way as well. But, Mindy's comments gave him pause.

Hmph...If we don't also get married legally in this world, he thought, as a dark gray Lexus SUV turned the corner and began inching towards them slowly, then it'll basically be like we're married in secret again. And, if he married her again in this world, perhaps this time they could both have the wedding they always dreamed of. Anakin just stood there and turned these thoughts over in his mind.

The SUV pulled to a stop next to them, and the passenger side window rolled down to reveal the faces of Ruwee and an oily salesman with a forced smile on his face. "So, you must be the other two," the salesman said, and from behind him, in the driver's side, Ruwee made a disgusted face. "Glad you two didn't get lost. We were worried for a second."

"You're not going to buy her this, are you?" Mindy asked disdainfully, her hands on her hips. "This just screams "Mom mobile."

"No, that's a mini-van,." Ruwee corrected her. "Besides, it's much safer than her last car, and it still looks pretty sleek for an SUV." Anakin, who preferred the freedom his motorcycle gave him, couldn't help but agree with Ruwee: The SUV, although bigger, was also designed in such a way that it looked like it was a vehicle that not only Padme would enjoy, but he could stand as well. "Sir, if you don't mind, I would really like for my daughter's boyfriend here to try the car out with me," Ruwee said.

Wait. Just boyfriend? Not husband? Anakin frowned. He didn't want to be known as just Padme's boyfriend. No, he didn't like that. He was her life partner, and he wanted the honor and privilege of being her husband again.

Maybe Mindy did have a point…

"Alone, preferably...please?," Ruwee added.

The salesman frowned. "But, I have to be in the car at all times," He insisted. "I can't have you leaving the lot…"

"My good man, you already have my information. It's not like I'd get away with it if I tried to steal it. And, as a well known politician…" Ruwee frowned. " Actually, I'm not going to bother mentioning that." This caused Mindy to chuckle before she caught Ruwee's eye and then cleared her throat and said, "Uh, sorry," but obviously not meaning it.

The salesman still hesitated. "No, I just won't, sir." He said with finality, leaning back in the passenger seat.

Anakin's brow furrowed. There was a reason Ruwee had asked for this. But, what was it? Thinking quickly, he cleared his throat, getting the salesman's attention through the open window. "You will let me test drive this car alone with this gentleman," Anakin said, as he raised his right hand and almost imperceptibly waved his fingers at the salesman, the Force swelling up behind his words, reaching out to wrap around the man's mind.

The man blinked, straightening a bit in his seat. "I will let you test drive the car alone with this gentleman." He repeated, and he unbuckled his seatbelt immediately, opened the door and slid out of the car, leaving the door open for Anakin to get in.

Ruwee blinked in surprise. "Well. That wasn't so hard." As Anakin climbed into the SUV that smelled strongly of new leather, he caught a glimpse of Mindy giving him an I totally saw that, you cheater look. Anakin grinned sheepishly back, shrugging his shoulders as he shut the door behind him. "See you two back at the main building," Ruwee called out before he began to drive away.

Neither man said a word as Ruwee drove the car out of the parking lot and onto the street, carefully weaving in and out of different lanes. The car drove smoothly, and Anakin couldn't help but be impressed by it. It felt like they were gliding rather than driving on four rubber wheels.

It was when they were approaching a stoplight that Ruwee sighed. "So." Anakin looked over to the older man to find him giving Anakin a suspicious look. "What exactly are your intentions with regard to my daughter, Anakin?"

Well. At least Ruwee was direct. But then, Ruwee had always been direct as long as Anakin had known him. He had never been shy to ask Anakin about the various measures being taken to ensure his daughter's safety back in their old galaxy. Anakin had always admired the man for it, and he still did now.

Still, when Ruwee asked the question, Anakin's mind suddenly went blank. He hadn't ever had a personal conversation with the man...well, about his relationship with Padme, even though he was technically his father-in-law.

Except that, technically, in this world, Ruwee isn't your father-in-law, Anakin thought. Well, now was Anakin's chance to start the process of getting to know his father-in-law better and of making this part of his life right.

So, Anakin took a deep breath, looked Ruwee in the eye, and said, "Sir, I'm in love with your daughter. She means the world to me."

"You two were fighting before this whole mess, and you broke up and you moved out," Ruwee pointed out.

Anakin sighed and shrugged, knowing full well that he couldn't tell Ruwee the details of that argument if he ever wanted his approval. He would likely think Anakin was crazy if he told him what their fight had actually been about. "We're not perfect people, Sir. Sometimes we fight, yes, but that just means we have an opportunity to work things out and grow closer together as a couple." He took another deep breath. Force, why was he so nervous? Because he realized with a chill up his spine that that's what he was…nervous. He, Anakin Skywalker, formerly Darth Vader, Sith Lord Extraordinaire, was nervous.

Anakin took another deep breath, swallowed hard, and then calmly said, "Sir, if I may...I would like to ask for your permission to have Padme's hand in marriage. I want her to be my wife."

Ruwee's eyebrows shot up to his hairline in surprise. "Well...ugh...I must say, I certainly wasn't expecting that answer."

"What were you expecting, Sir?" Anakin couldn't help it. He was truly curious as to what his father-in-law had expected him to say.

Ruwee turned back to the road as the light went green and eased off the brake, moving the vehicle forward in traffic. "Well, quite frankly, I was thinking that you two were obviously serious, but that it would still be awhile before you started talking about marriage. Sola also had a fast relationship with her husband, Darred, but Padme has always been the more level headed of my two daughters. I just wasn't expecting…" he sighed. "Have you and Padme been talking about this at all?"

Well, technically, they were sort of married already, or they at least were in his old galaxy… "Yes, Sir." Just keep it short, he decided. Stop over analyzing things.

Ruwee was silent for a long time as he drove, making Anakin more nervous by the mile.

Oh Force! What would he do if Ruwee said no?

Well, at the end of the day, when all was said and done, in his own mind at any rate, he would be her husband. Only Padme could tell him that she didn't want to be with him anymore. But, it would mean so much to her, and to Anakin (if he were truly honest), if her father gave them his blessing this time.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to Anakin, Ruwee spoke. "I've never seen her look at anyone else the way she looks at you," he said, glancing over at Anakin. "She looks at you like you're her other half….almost as if, she's been waiting her whole life to...I don't know...reunite with you again." Oh, if he only knew just how much truth there was to that statement, for both of them! "She obviously looks to you for strength when she feels like she has none left." He glanced at Anakin again. "I saw how you two were when we came in today. I'm not going to ask you for the real story behind that…it's none of my business really, but whatever it is, you were keeping her together today." Anakin's heart swelled with so many emotions—sorrow for the real tragedy behind what Ruwee had seen that morning in the hospital, happiness that Ruwee saw that much depth and love in their relationship, and joy that he and Padme were finally able to be open like this with each other around their friends and their families, that they no longer had to hide their relationship from anyone.

Another pause. "Anakin, you have my blessing, young man. I would be honored to welcome you into our family as my daughter's husband and our son."

It took a few tries before Anakin could respond. His throat was tight with emotion as he choked out, "Thank you, Sir." He hadn't really known just how much he'd longed for Ruwee's blessing until he'd given it. And, now that he had, he felt as if a weight had been lifted off of his chest.

Ruwee pulled the car back around and continued back toward the car lot. "Anakin, let me be honest with you. Part of the reason why I want to get this car is not just for Padme's safety, though, that is certainly important." He gave Anakin a pointed look. "If you're looking to marry her, both of you are going to need more space to grow."

At first, Anakin didn't understand what Ruwee meant by that. But, casting a glance into the back of the car at the two other rows of leather seats behind them, he suddenly understood, and he couldn't help it when a slight flush crept over his face. "Oh...Well, Sir...I don't know when children will happen," he began, somewhat embarrassed to discuss, well...that subject..with his father-in-law, but Ruwee cut him off.

"I don't expect them to come soon, obviously, but they will happen someday. So, it's better to prepare now than wait until the last minute," he shrugged.

Ruwee had a point. Already Padme had gotten pregnant as soon as they had resumed marital relations in this world. So, who was to say she wouldn't get pregnant again...just as easily and just as quickly as before? After all, now that they were back together (Permanently this time, Anakin thought with a determined smile) and could actually live together and share a bed every night as they'd always wanted to, physical intimacy was going to be a given between them. They loved each other too much for it not to be part of their relationship. And, Anakin had to admit the thought of finally having children together with Padme and being able to raise them like they had wanted to with Luke and Leia both exhilarated him and terrified him at the same time.

"Oh...by the way, I want you to know, Anakin...I am getting this car for your family. It's a gift for both of you. Not just for Padme. So, I'm putting this car in both of your names." Anakin gaped speechless for a moment at Ruwee, who only smiled in return.

"Sir, I…I don't know what to say! Thank you,"Anakin managed to gasp out in shock, truly humbled at Ruwee's thoughtfulness.

"You're most welcome, Son...and I'm glad to do it. Now, let's go sign all the paperwork and get you the keys, shall we? I know you can't wait to show your new wheels to Padme." Anakin felt the sudden pressure of tears behind his eyes at this gift of confidence, of approval….of acceptance from his father-in-law. He felt overwhelmed by it.

He nodded his head in agreement, "Let's do it, Sir." Anakin shared a grin with Ruwee as they made their way back down the road to where Mindy and the car salesman waited.

"Oh, one last thing, though" Ruwee said as they turned back into the dealership parking lot and pulled to a stop up front by the main building. Anakin could see Mindy pacing inside in the waiting area.

What else could Ruwee possibly say? If he said anymore, Anakin was sure that he would be an emotional mess by the time he returned to Padme that evening. "Uh, yes, sir?"

Ruwee glanced at him, and a dangerous glint lit his eyes. "I told you this once before, but I'll say it here again. If you ever hurt my daughter," he said seriously, "I have no problems going to prison."


Whew! Sorry for the late update, but this week was a nightmare. I had a meeting every day, including Saturday, for 4 hours or more. I was basically going insane. I wanted to get this done yesterday, but I was so tired, I finished it today. Hope you all enjoyed it!

Anyhow, I don't think I have any items of business to address and there weren't any songs that really fit this chapter. But, I have updated the pintrest with Padme's new car. So if you want to look at that, have at it! It's on my profile, just remember to copy and paste it into your browser since Fanfic won't let us post links from outside fanfic anymore.

Anyhow. Review!

Love,

Sarah