Disclaimers: George! He owns them (Anakin, Amidala, Obi-Wan, and Luke and Leia and whoever else)! Not me... then again...they'd run away, if I did own them. I'm really, really mean to characters.

Author's Notes: WOW! You kept reading? *gives you a round of grateful applause* I promise, this fic won't be all masochism. True, I'm not into happy endings (actually, I like reading them, yet I've never written one), but who knows with this one. It's my "experiment" fic! First time for lots of things in this one! (Some First Person, no mapped-out ending, centered around...Anakin?!? WHAT??? I've really fallen off my rocker now...)



Amidala gave Obi-Wan a strange look. A mix between sorrow and gratitude? "Does it hurt?"

He shook his head. "It's fine," he assured her softly. He knew that his cuts and bruises were pretty far from being at the top of her concerns. But that was Ami; her friends were important, and she would say or do anything, no matter how small, to let them know that.

"How is he?" she whispered. Obi-Wan gauged how much to tell her.

"He'll recover." the invisible shoulder angels (and Amidala's inquisitive brown eyes) forced him to go on. "I didn't do much to him. When I fought him...he..." Obi-Wan looked up as a doctor exited Anakin's room. "Doctor?"

"He'll be fine, hopefully. He's still asleep, thank the Force."

Amidala looked from Obi-Wan to the doctor. "Tell me what, exactly, happened to him."

"I was about to ask Master Kenobi the same thing." Doctor Joel sat down on the short table in front of them. "He fought a Jedi Knight, so naturally he's pretty banged up-bruises and small cuts on his arms and face, a few light saber burns. Aside from that, he had several deep wounds in his left thigh. That caused some pretty severe muscle damage, but here's where I get lost. They weren't caused by a light saber. And I have trouble believing you did it to him. Aside from the fact that you, Master Kenobi, would probably not stab him sixteen times in the leg before dragging him to a hospital, the wounds are about a week old."

Amidala had tensed, paled, but she refused to break down. Not here. "When can I see him?"

"I don't know if that's such a good idea," Doctor Joel shook his head. Amidala granted him a Look; one befitting an irate Queen, one capable of turning blood to ice. "Unless you want to right now, while he's asleep."

Amidala stood up, even as he finished his sentence, and moved gracefully to Anakin's door.

It was locked tight as a precaution for when he did wake up. Obi-Wan reached past her and typed in his access code.

The door slid open, and Amidala uneasily moved to the foot of the tall hospital bed. Anakin was covered by a lightweight green blanket, his head propped up by several firm pillows.

He laughed. Amidala jumped at the sound, but quickly suppressed it as Anakin turned his head to look at her.

"Hello, Padme." His voice was so ghostlike, so harsh, so alien to her ears. She had been waiting, perhaps subconsciously, to hear his voice again...and here he was, so changed, it was like a blow. "What?" he smirked. "Planning to tell me something while I was comatose? Disappointed, angel?"

Angel. Her nickname; like acid. "No," she said steadily, but couldn't find the words to go on. "Ani-"

"Shut up!" her heart broke, hearing him yell at her again. When she was silent for a few seconds, he smiled at her. "So. Tell me; how are you enjoying life now?"

She didn't think of the twins. She didn't think of their marriage. Obi-Wan had warned her of such things when Anakin had gone missing.

He scoffed at her. "I can't believe you have nothing to say. Calling you here was a mistake."

"You didn't call me here, Ani," she told him lowly.

"No, of course not. I forgot; you're invincible when you're with him."

"Isn't that the stupid assumption you made when you left me!?" Amidala yelled at him.

Anakin gazed at her for a moment, surprised, but then a cocky smile spread across his young face.

Amidala grew cold inside. He's feeding off of my anger...

She turned to the door, wishing it would simply open and let her leave. But of course it automatically locked when shut. And she almost wanted to run to Obi-Wan, let him hold her, let him make this better. But Anakin would only see it as proving him right.