Sup everyone! I was feel super great this week so I was able to write this whole chapter in like two days. I'm feeling less good rn but that's okay bc I already finished the chapter! Grace, this is perfect timing bc it seems to be your hyperfixateversary! yay! anyways, have this chpater that I'm actually proud of

Chapter Fourteen: Hostage Crisis

Grace was doing her best to pay attention to the important bill she was writing, but it was becoming increasingly difficult with her husband being so attractive and distracting in her general vicinity. He was seated on her desk, trying to convince her to put down her work for just a moment.

"I know a place where nobody would recognize us," he continued. "We could just be Anakin and Grace instead of Senator and Jedi. I know you want to."

It did sound tempting, but she couldn't just drop everything. "Listen, Anakin," she said, looking up from her screen, "the work I do- the work we both do- is important. We both strive to help those that cannot help themselves. I can't just leave it."

He leaned across the desk towards her in a way that set her heart beating fast. She wanted to call him out for cheating in this discussion, but could not deny the fact that she certainly didn't mind it when he tried to seduce her like that.

The General dropped his voice, letting it become low and rough. "The council thinks I'm on meditative leave, you know. They would never suspect a thing."

Grace could tell she looked as flustered as she felt, turning an undignified red color. She remembered very clearly the few stolen weekends they had managed to share over the past year, the activities they participated in… it was so hard not to ignore her bill and just leave with her husband right this second.

Anakin could tell that trying to convince her this way wouldn't work, no matter how close he got. He changed tactics, deciding to just be open with her. He pulled out his lightsaber, holding it in front of him. "When I built this my Master told me, 'Anakin, this weapon is your life.' I stand by that, so I wanted to give it to you, because you are my life as well." He meant every word of it. She was the most important thing in the galaxy to him, and he wanted her to see how much he cared for her.

Grace stared in shock as he extended his lightsaber to her. "I- I can't take this…" she stuttered, gently pushing it away.

"I insist."

Reluctantly, she took the weapon and held it, feeling it's weight. "It's heavier than I thought it would be," she remarked, pointing it up and igniting it. It bathed the office in a blue glow, and she felt the power radiating from it as she turned it off.

The Senator stood from her chair walking around the desk to her husband. "You know," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and looking into his eyes, "you might be able to convince me…"

He smirked at her, holding her waist and closing the gap between them. He pulled her closer as they kissed, one of his hands coming up and cupping her face. She leaned into the gentle touch, her eyes closed.

They both jumped as a chime sounded in her office.

"Oh no," muttered Grace, "it's Senator Organa." She turned to Anakin, who now looked just as nervous as her. "Quick, hide!"

He hurried around her desk, crouching under it. They both realized at the same moment that she still had his lightsaber, and he watched as she hid it behind her back. She shot him a panicked look and he just shrugged, watching as she tucked it into her sleeve and faced the door. Bail stepped into the room and began to converse with her as they left for a meeting. He waited for their steps to fade before getting out of his hiding spot, pondering what to do next. He didn't want to be seen, but he did need his lightsaber back eventually.

The Jedi started to sense something in the Force, and his eyes narrowed. He was instantly on guard, and moments later the lights went out as the power failed. The emergency power systems started up, and the office was lit by a red glow. He was confused, because there was no storm or any other reasonable cause for this power outage. He decided to try to raise the Chancellor on his personal channel, something the man had encouraged him to feel free to do. Unfortunately, he was only met with static.

"The comms are jammed," Anakin muttered. "This can't be good."

The Force was still sending out a warning to him, an increasing sense of danger. Clearly something was wrong, and he needed to check it out. Grace was in this building and could potentially be in the line of fire if there was danger; he needed to get her to safety. With her face on the forefront of his mind, he crept through the deserted hallways, the red light barely penetrating the darkness. It was eerie, the absolute lack of activity.

As he neared the lobby near the network of hallways that connected to the senate seats he began to hear noise; talking. The General came up on a balcony overlooking the vast room and could barely hold back his gasp. His eyes widened and he blanched at the sight before him, getting low and peering through the slats in the guardrail of the balcony. Several Senators were grouped in the center, bounty hunters surrounding them. He recognized Cad Bane and Aurra Sing, but there were three he could not identify. There was a weequay, an assassin droid and a short fish-man (he didn't know the name of the species and could not be bothered to learn).

Anakin's breathing hitched when he saw Grace in the mix, staring at Bane with revulsion as he appeared to be talking to her, perhaps using his general suggestive way of speaking. His blood boiled as Bane caressed her cheek, and he glared in rage at the sleemo as his wife flinched out of his touch. In his protective anger he did not back away in time to avoid one of the bounty hunters spotting him and shooting at him, and barely dodged the blaster bolt.

"A Jedi!" cried one of the Senators.

The Knight reached towards his belt for his lightsaber, cursing when he remembered Grace had it. No way to deflect attacks, he ran from the room. Hopefully only one would pursue and he could take them down one at a time. Honestly, though, it didn't matter. He would face 100 mercenaries without his lightsaber to save his wife, he loved her more than life itself.

He sprinted down the hallway, stopping abruptly and hiding inside a random office. He dove under the desk, and soon the sound of footsteps reached his ears. He heard angry whispers and the cocking of a blaster, as well as the binary voice of the deadly assassin droid. He could sense two life-forms, which meant three hunters on his trail. He had to split them up.

Anakin's plan was reckless and stupid, but as the criminals approached he knew he had few options. He crept out from under the desk and closer to the door and had to do something he had never really tried before. He extended his hand and closed his eyes, latching onto the minds of the two organic mercenaries. You need to split up and cover more ground.

"We should split up," proposed the weequay, gruff voice monotone. "We'll cover more ground that way."

"I agree," came the garbled voice of the fish.

"Fine," replied the droid.

The General had never done a mind-trick without speaking before, but desperate times call for desperate measures. He was driven by his care and concern for the love of his life, held captive by some scum. He was not even sure what these bounty hunters wanted, but if they laid a finger on her he would make sure they regretted it.

Once the footsteps faded he removed himself from hiding, trailing the assassin droid. He needed to take that one out first, since it was the most dangerous and posed the biggest threat. He went up the flight of stairs the thing had taken, senses spread across the area to alert him of any danger. Soon he heard the droid's steps, muffled by the carpet. He slowly approached, keeping to the shadows and in a defensive position. Once within range the Jedi reached out a hand, feeling the Force and wrapping it around his opponent. Then, with a close of his fist, he crushed the assassin. He had no time to waste on fistfights; his wife needed him. He had settled into a calm rage, entirely focused on his goal. He was supposed to be the hunted, but he would now become the hunter. He retrieved the fallen droid's blaster and set onwards.

Anakin knew the Weequay had taken the floor below his original hiding spot, so he returned to the staircase and quickly descended two floors. He closed his eyes and reached out with the Force, focusing in on the pirate's life-force. Once located, he set off towards it, stalking his prey. For a brief moment he wondered what he was doing, why he was acting with such cold calculation, but he dismissed it. He would do anything for Grace. Though, he reminded himself, she wouldn't want him to hurt others more than necessary for her. He sighed and set the blaster to stun, thinking he would probably regret it. Oh well, it was worth it for her.

Soon he arrived at the room the man was inspecting, quickly peeking inside. He jerked back as the weequay turned around, and the scuffing of his boots made a slight sound. Both froze, a smile creeping onto the pirate's face.

"Oh Jedi," he taunted, moving towards the door, "where oh where could you be?"

Anakin backed away slowly, aiming his blaster. The moment the bounty hunter appeared he took his shot, the stun bolt knocking the man down in one hit.

"Idiot," he muttered. Why did his foes always think they could overpower him? He was Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One and Hero with no Fear. It would take more than one man to defeat him.

Only one bounty hunter to go. He went back up the stairs, heading in the direction of the fish man's life-force. He could feel it in a maintenance and tech room, somewhere the fight would be close quarters. His blaster would be no help here, so he put it on his belt before entering. The room was dimly lit, and he could barely see. Only a warning from the Force alerted him to the fish man's attack, the tiny creature jumping at him and latching onto his back. Anakin yelled, trying to pull the hunter off of him. He stumbled around the room, backing into a wall with enough force to knock the wind out of them both.

The man let out a growl, reaching onto his belt. They both struggled, the mercenary taking hold of a small device and slamming it into the Jedi's neck. He spasmed, the thing sending shocks through his body. He fell to the floor, dazed, and yelled as he was shocked again. He panted hard, trying to get back up, but a third knocked him down, unconscious.

The fish man cackled as he looked at his prey.

Grace's heart pounded as she stood with all the other Senators. Anakin was here but she had his lightsaber, tucked away in one of her hidden pockets, and she knew he would try to help them anyways. It was just like him to be this reckless and impulsive, but she couldn't say she wanted him to leave them. Her and her fellow Senators were left in the lobby with Cad Bane and Aurra Sing, grouped together as the two bounty hunters placed something around the room.

Finally Aks Moe, the Senator of Malastare, seemed to snap. "I do not have to stay here with you scum!" He burst out, enraged, and walked determinedly towards the door. Without so much as blinking, Bane fired a single blaster bolt directly into the man's chest. He toppled over to lie motionless on the floor, and Grace gasped. Bail put a gentle hand on her shoulder, and they shared worried glances. Nobody else knew their supposed-to-be-saviour was without his weapon, and they were all expecting him to take out their captors single handedly.

Approximately thirty minutes went by, nobody speaking out of fear to join their fallen comrade. It was at that point that something finally happened, but it was not in their favour. Grace's heart dropped when she saw Anakin be dragged into the lobby, unconscious with binders around his wrists. The tiny fish-like man threw him at her feet, and she crouched over his limp form. She placed a protective hand on his chest and looked up as the bounty hunters smirked at the fallen Jedi. They said something too quiet for her to hear and all exited the room, activating the devices they had previously placed. Lasers shot across the lobby, trapping them in a web in the center of the room.

"Anakin," she muttered, shaking him gently, "Anakin, wake up." She slapped his cheek lightly, trying to rouse him. It didn't work, and he stayed limp. She knew she needed to wait it out, but a sense of dread began to fill the room as time went on. She still had no idea what these scum wanted, and no clue what would happen should she or her colleagues attempt to escape. Waiting was not always easy for her.

Anakin slowly began to come to, groaning as he felt the binders on his wrists and a soreness in his shoulders from the position he had been restrained in. He was sore from being repeatedly electrocuted, and there was a bruise on his neck from the stunner. He opened his eyes, surprised to see Grace. He was about to make some sort of sultry comment when he realized that he was also with the other Senators, and the gravity of the situation hit him.

Seeing that he was awake, his wife smiled and slipped something out of her sleeve, handing it to him. His lightsaber! He smiled at her, igniting it and slicing through his binders. The cuffs themselves were still there, but the material joining them had been severed, leaving his hands free. Pushing aside any remaining dizziness, he stood up and addressed all the Senators.

"I think it's clear we need to get out of here fast. I don't think the door's gonna be an option, so we're gonna have to do this Skywalker style." Ahsoka always said it was lame when he said stuff like that, but he considered it a witty one-liner.

He stabbed the metal floor, having to push deep to break through the whole thing. Putting the Force into his stamina and strength, he began to run in a circle around the politicians he needed to save. He felt like time was running out as he dragged the weapon through the thick floor, but eventually he completed the circle and stepped inside.

"Hold on!" he yelled, before shoving downwards, using the Force to give the floor a final push. It gave way, and they rapidly plummeted a storey. It seemed to have happened just in the nick of time, as he heard an explosion and felt the heat and concussive blast as detonators went off in the lobby above. He couldn't focus too hard on that, however, as the floor they were on hit the level below them, sending everyone flying. He was barely able to react on time to cushion Grace's landing, using the Force to dull her impact. This did mean he couldn't stop his own injury from being slammed into a wall, but he didn't care one bit. He casually picked himself up off the floor, ignoring the pain that shot through his arm from it being crushed against the surface he was flung into.

"Is everybody alright?" he called, looking over the Senators strewn about the floor. None of them seemed truly injured, and they were certainly better off than they would have been had they stayed in the lobby. A few were groaning and holding a body part, but he knew that they would all be fine if they saw a medical droid. His only real concern was his wife, but she seemed perfectly fine. The only damage done was that her headpiece was slightly out of place, but that was honestly impressive, because that thing was huge and it must truly be cemented on her head to only have been set slightly askew. Nabooian fashion was a wonder to behold, especially the pieces crafted by his wife's talented handmaidens.

"Alright," called the Jedi, "everybody move! We're getting out of this building and somewhere safer!" they all followed as he set off down the corridor, headed towards the entrance. He still had a job to do.

Anakin finally sat down on Grace's couch, leaning into the soft cushions. He was trying not to let on how much his arm was hurting him, but he thought that she might be catching on. He was getting tired, having spent the entire rest of the day filing reports on the incident and trying to explain why he was not on meditative leave. He had been able to come up with a good enough excuse, but he didn't wanna push it. He'd spent more time awake doing more taxing things in the past, but it was nice to be able to actually relax for once. It was a rare luxury for him.

Senator McNally walked over, two steaming mugs in hand. "I brought you some tea," she said, offering him one. He took it with his left arm and winced, since it was the injured one. He really hoped she didn't see it, but her eyes narrowed and zeroed in on it, almost as if she could see exactly what was wrong with him.

"So," she said, tone deceptively light, "what happened to your arm?"

The Jedi took a sip of the tea, ignoring that it was scaldingly hot, to avoid answering the question. "Well, uh-"

"Don't lie." there was no room for argument in her protective glare, and he sighed.

"It's nothing. My arm's just been sore from hitting the wall earlier, when we fell through the floor."

She put down her tea, delicately tracing the solid shape of his bicep. "Can I see it, please? I want to make sure you're alright."

He nodded silently, setting to work removing the armor over his tunic. The General didn't like to show weakness like this, to let anyone see him this vulnerable, but his love for his wife surpassed those boundaries. He grimaced every time he used his left arm, and she gently pressed it back down.

"I'll do it."

She got in his lap, tenderly removing his chestplate and shoulder armor. His breath hitched, and he looked into her beautiful eyes as they shared a moment of pure emotion and connection. It was without any form of desire or lust that she undid his tunic, pulling it softly over his head as he leaned back on the couch. She took hold of his left arm, her touch almost reverent, and examined it. He felt a phantom sensation everywhere her fingers brushed against, and he watched her as she looked him over.

Grace's hands moved lightly across her husband's bicep, turning it over a little as she examined it. There didn't seem to be much exterior damage, but there was a large bruise. She deduced that the harm must have been done internally, which she wasn't really qualified to help with. They were both silent, and her eyes traced a path down his arm to his wrist, where she saw something odd.

"Anakin," she muttered, "did you forget to remove the cuffs from your wrists?"

He looked at them numbly, as if he had just realized they were there. "I might have…" It explained the discomfort he had felt throughout the day, wrists rubbing raw from such tight binders.

She lifted his wrist, tugging at the cuffs. "I don't have anything that could cut these, I'll need your lightsaber. We have to be really careful, love, because I don't want you getting hurt."

He nodded. The Knight reached out with his right hand, calling the weapon to him from where it lay with his tunic. He would have unclipped it from his belt for her, but he was currently shirtless, and the belt went over his tunic. He mutely handed her the weapon, and she held it away from them both to ignite. "Hold steady," She ordered, slowly bringing it closer to the first cuff. She sliced through it easily, and withdrew before he could get hurt. The piece of metal clattered to the floor, revealing a wrist rubbed red and raw from the friction of it. She winced in sympathy and moved on to the other wrist, once again going slowly. Anakin suddenly jerked a bit while she was easing closer, and his skin brushed against the blade. He gave a small cry of pain from the sudden burn, and she withdrew immediately.

"Anakin, I'm so sorry!" Grace cried, sheathing his lightsaber and placing it next to her tea. "Are you alright?"

He smiled at her. "I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

She sighed. "And yet, I still do."

She took a look at both wrists, taking in the red marks braceleting them. Tenderly she lifted each to her mouth and kissed them, placing them back at his side. "Wait here," she commanded, getting up, "while I go get something." She kissed his cheek and walked off, padding to the medical cabinet. Her robe flowed around her, creating a rather dramatic picture as she strode through the lavish apartment. She grabbed a medkit and walked back to her husband, who had not moved an inch from his position on her couch. Most people would be incredibly excited to see a shirtless Jedi in their living room, but she was not particularly interested in that sort of thing at the moment.

Grace laid the medkit on the low table in front of the couch, opening it and examining the contents. There were regular bandages and scissors to cut them with, as well as bacta patches and a bacta syringe. This would do just fine, and she grabbed the bacta patches first. She gently took his wrists, wrapping the bacta around the raw wounds. She then covered them in a regular layer of gauze, making sure to seal them away to heal. The Senator reached back and grabbed the bacta syringe, giving no warning before she plunged it into Anakin's arm. He didn't react aside from a small hiss, followed by a relieved sigh as the bacta started to do its job on his injured arm. To be sure it did not get infected, she took the gauze and wrapped his bicep in it, his wounds standing out with the prominently white bandaging.

"There," she said, patting his shoulder, "You're good as new!"

He laughed, a sweet, low sound. "All thanks to you, my sweet doctor." He grabbed her and pulled her close, nuzzling her neck. She giggled, and he stood up to come a bit above her eye level. "Let's get to bed," he murmured, pressing her against his chest and whispering in her ear. "It's late."

She pulled back a bit and took his hand, both of them walking to their bedroom. Once inside they turned off the lights to the whole apartment, pulling back the covers of her king-sized bed and getting underneath. They cuddled together under the blankets, hidden and safe from the world in her dark bedroom. Grace's back was to her lover as he wrapped a protective arm around her waist, holding her close to him and nuzzling into her hair. Slowly their breathing evened out and they fell asleep, tangled together underneath the blankets. It was nice to be home.

End of chapter!

Notes:

-I went HARD for the hurt/comfort fluff at the end. Is this me coping for my loneliness and being touchstarved? We'll never know unless my therapist says it is

-I really tried to lean into Protective!Anakin for this, as well as some dark side foreshadowing. I can't tell you exactly how ROTS is gonna play out in this timeline, but I promise I'll try not to break you into tiny pieces.

-I kinda like the trope of "strong character is soft for one (1) person only" so here u go

-I wonder how suspicious the other Senators were when Padme/Grace pulled out Anakin's lightsaber? That must have been so weird

-Tbh i also love this episode, so i enjoyed this chapter

-Anakin TRIED to downplay his injuries but nope! You get TREATED, young man!

Tune in next time I actually have motivation for the next arc! I'm pretty sure this one actually concludes season one, so we'll see whats next :)