Chapter 4
in which Anakin Says Something Quite Unexpected
Obi-Wan and Elyssa appeared a moment later and climbed into the speeder. "Where are we going?" Elyssa asked.
"Home," Obi-Wan replied. "It's night already, and we should all get some rest. Maybe after a good night's sleep it'll be easier for us to find a solution to your rather unusual problem."
I did not reply. All I could think about was Anakin's kiss. He and Obi-Wan had been told to help us get home…but it was obvious that Anakin didn't want me to go. But wasn't he supposed to fall in love with Padmé?
In a delayed reaction I looked back at my thoughts and realized that I was no longer trying to convince myself that this was a dream. I accepted the fact that it was real.
And that was what made the idea that much more scary.
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We arrived shortly at Obi-Wan and Anakin's apartment. When we walked in the door, I noticed that it looked almost like something from our world: a couch, a holovision, a small kitchen with a stove, and what I guessed was a refrigerator.
"That's my bedroom," Obi-Wan said, pointing to a door. "Elyssa, you can sleep in there." He pointed to another door. "Sam, you can sleep in Anakin's room. The tow of us will sleep in here."
"Are you sure?" I asked. The couch was definitely not big enough for two people, so one or both of them would end up sleeping on the floor. "Elyssa and I could share a bed—"
Anakin cut me off. "No, it's all right."
I tried to protest, but at that moment my stomach growled loudly. "Would you like something to eat?" Obi-Wan asked us.
Elyssa and I both answered, "Yes!" at the same time; then Elyssa shouted, "Jinx!"
"Hey, that's not fair," I said, and we both laughed, momentarily oblivious to our surroundings. Then we realized that Obi-Wan and Anakin were staring at us and wondering what the heck was the matter.
"Never mind," I said in lieu of an explanation, still smiling.
"You look nice when you smile," Anakin said.
I stopped smiling.
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Dinner was some kind of meat, what I hoped was a vegetable, and an odd-looking pasta. I suddenly realized why they hardly ever showed people eating in the Star Wars movies.
"So…" Anakin began, attempting to start a conversation. "What's it like, in your world?"
"Anakin…" Obi-Wan said in a warning tone, but Elyssa had already begun to answer the question:
"Well, we live on one planet, we drive on the ground, and there aren't any Jedi. I guess that just about covers the important points.
"If there aren't any Jedi, how come you knew what we were?" Anakin asked.
Neither of us answered.
"Well?" He seemed more curious than anything else, but what was I supposed to tell him? I couldn't very well say that in our world, their world was only a story…
"In our world," I said finally, "it's considered rude to bother someone about something they'd rather not talk about."
After that, there were no more attempts at small talk.
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"Is that all right, because I could get another pillow if you want me to."
"It's fine!"
"Would you like another blanket?"
"No!" I shouted in an exasperated tone. And, since Anakin was quickly running out of excuses to stay in my room—his room—and looked as if he wanted to ask me something, but didn't, if you know what I mean, I continued, "Quit beating around the bush, will ya?"
He gave me a blank look. "Huh?"
I sighed. "Just tell me whatever you're going to and then get out."
Anakin stood there for a few moments, looking decidedly uncomfortable. "Oh…I guess it's not really important," he said finally, and ducked out the door.
Almost immediately, Elyssa walked in. "What was that all about?" she asked, a silly grin spreading across her face.
"Nothing. Go away."
I could tell Elyssa was hurt by my callous reply. "Fine. Sorry. Didn't know you were so sensitive about the subject."
She turned to leave, and I sighed and said, probably a bit more loudly than I should have, "He kissed me, all right?"
Elyssa turned to me in shock. "Right now?"
"No, not right now! Before, while you were with Obi-Wan, after we saw the Jedi Council."
"Wow." Elyssa looked dreamy. "What I wouldn't give to be kissed by Hayden Christensen."
"But he's not Hayden Christensen!" I practically screamed. "That's the whole point, isn't it? He isn't real!"
"I'd have to say you disagree with that last statement."
"But he isn't, is he?"
"Dunno…what do you think?"
"I think this is pointless."
"Ditto."
Pause. "Elyssa, what do you think? About me and Anakin, I mean."
"Well…do you like him? At all?"
"I don't really know him yet."
"I think that answers your question, then, doesn't it, Samantha dear?" She didn't wait for a reply. "Good night."
As I watched the door close behind Elyssa, I began to think about it. Sam and Anakin. Anakin and Sam. No matter which way I put it, it sounded…well, wrong. Everything about it. And I couldn't understand why.
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I woke in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep, no doubt the result of all the sleep I'd had at the hospital. I lay in bed for what seemed like hours, then finally gave up and reached for my bag. I pulled out the Jedi Apprentice book I'd taken from Elussa's room and opened it to the first page. I had barely read two words when there was a knock at the door.
I shoved the book under my pillow and called out softly, "Who is it?"
"It's me, Anakin. I saw your light on—can I come in?"
I sighed. "I suppose so." He opened the door and walked in. "What do you want?"
"I just saw that you were awake, that's all, and since I can't sleep either I thought we could keep each other company."
"Thanks, but no thanks." I didn't really feel like talking at the moment.
Anakin plopped himself down at the foot of the bed anyway.
"Excuse me!"
He grinned. "You forget that this is my room."
"Are you always this difficult?"
His smile widened. "If you ask Master Kenobi, then yes."
I sighed in frustration. "Get off my foot."
He very nicely got up for a moment so I could move my foot, then lay back down right where he was before.
"Off the bed?"
"My bed."
"Act your age, not your shoe size."
His reply was the blank stare I always seemed to receive whenever I used an expression like that in front of a Star Wars character.
"How old are you, anyway?"
"Seventeen."
"Really?" He looked older than that; or maybe I was imagining him as he looked in Episode II. "I'm seventeen too."
This was followed by an uncomfortable silence.
"I'm sorry about…before," Anakin said finally. "Kissing you and…everything. I just…just…" He paused, trying to put into words what he wanted to tell me. "I like you, I guess."
Silence.
"Well, aren't you going to say something?"
"I'm sorry," I said finally. "You're a Jedi, and I'm from another universe. It would never work."
That was what had been wrong when I had tried picturing the two of us together, I realized. It looked all right until I tried to put the two of us in one universe or the other. He didn't fit in my universe, and I didn't fit in his.
"That's all?" I heard disappointment in his voice, as well as something stronger…anger?
"Good night, Anakin," I said in a tone that clearly stated that this was my final word in the matter.
Without another word, he got up and left, closing the door silently behind him.
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Stay tuned, there's more coming!
in which Anakin Says Something Quite Unexpected
Obi-Wan and Elyssa appeared a moment later and climbed into the speeder. "Where are we going?" Elyssa asked.
"Home," Obi-Wan replied. "It's night already, and we should all get some rest. Maybe after a good night's sleep it'll be easier for us to find a solution to your rather unusual problem."
I did not reply. All I could think about was Anakin's kiss. He and Obi-Wan had been told to help us get home…but it was obvious that Anakin didn't want me to go. But wasn't he supposed to fall in love with Padmé?
In a delayed reaction I looked back at my thoughts and realized that I was no longer trying to convince myself that this was a dream. I accepted the fact that it was real.
And that was what made the idea that much more scary.
-----------------------------------
We arrived shortly at Obi-Wan and Anakin's apartment. When we walked in the door, I noticed that it looked almost like something from our world: a couch, a holovision, a small kitchen with a stove, and what I guessed was a refrigerator.
"That's my bedroom," Obi-Wan said, pointing to a door. "Elyssa, you can sleep in there." He pointed to another door. "Sam, you can sleep in Anakin's room. The tow of us will sleep in here."
"Are you sure?" I asked. The couch was definitely not big enough for two people, so one or both of them would end up sleeping on the floor. "Elyssa and I could share a bed—"
Anakin cut me off. "No, it's all right."
I tried to protest, but at that moment my stomach growled loudly. "Would you like something to eat?" Obi-Wan asked us.
Elyssa and I both answered, "Yes!" at the same time; then Elyssa shouted, "Jinx!"
"Hey, that's not fair," I said, and we both laughed, momentarily oblivious to our surroundings. Then we realized that Obi-Wan and Anakin were staring at us and wondering what the heck was the matter.
"Never mind," I said in lieu of an explanation, still smiling.
"You look nice when you smile," Anakin said.
I stopped smiling.
---------------------------------------------
Dinner was some kind of meat, what I hoped was a vegetable, and an odd-looking pasta. I suddenly realized why they hardly ever showed people eating in the Star Wars movies.
"So…" Anakin began, attempting to start a conversation. "What's it like, in your world?"
"Anakin…" Obi-Wan said in a warning tone, but Elyssa had already begun to answer the question:
"Well, we live on one planet, we drive on the ground, and there aren't any Jedi. I guess that just about covers the important points.
"If there aren't any Jedi, how come you knew what we were?" Anakin asked.
Neither of us answered.
"Well?" He seemed more curious than anything else, but what was I supposed to tell him? I couldn't very well say that in our world, their world was only a story…
"In our world," I said finally, "it's considered rude to bother someone about something they'd rather not talk about."
After that, there were no more attempts at small talk.
-----------------------------------------
"Is that all right, because I could get another pillow if you want me to."
"It's fine!"
"Would you like another blanket?"
"No!" I shouted in an exasperated tone. And, since Anakin was quickly running out of excuses to stay in my room—his room—and looked as if he wanted to ask me something, but didn't, if you know what I mean, I continued, "Quit beating around the bush, will ya?"
He gave me a blank look. "Huh?"
I sighed. "Just tell me whatever you're going to and then get out."
Anakin stood there for a few moments, looking decidedly uncomfortable. "Oh…I guess it's not really important," he said finally, and ducked out the door.
Almost immediately, Elyssa walked in. "What was that all about?" she asked, a silly grin spreading across her face.
"Nothing. Go away."
I could tell Elyssa was hurt by my callous reply. "Fine. Sorry. Didn't know you were so sensitive about the subject."
She turned to leave, and I sighed and said, probably a bit more loudly than I should have, "He kissed me, all right?"
Elyssa turned to me in shock. "Right now?"
"No, not right now! Before, while you were with Obi-Wan, after we saw the Jedi Council."
"Wow." Elyssa looked dreamy. "What I wouldn't give to be kissed by Hayden Christensen."
"But he's not Hayden Christensen!" I practically screamed. "That's the whole point, isn't it? He isn't real!"
"I'd have to say you disagree with that last statement."
"But he isn't, is he?"
"Dunno…what do you think?"
"I think this is pointless."
"Ditto."
Pause. "Elyssa, what do you think? About me and Anakin, I mean."
"Well…do you like him? At all?"
"I don't really know him yet."
"I think that answers your question, then, doesn't it, Samantha dear?" She didn't wait for a reply. "Good night."
As I watched the door close behind Elyssa, I began to think about it. Sam and Anakin. Anakin and Sam. No matter which way I put it, it sounded…well, wrong. Everything about it. And I couldn't understand why.
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I woke in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep, no doubt the result of all the sleep I'd had at the hospital. I lay in bed for what seemed like hours, then finally gave up and reached for my bag. I pulled out the Jedi Apprentice book I'd taken from Elussa's room and opened it to the first page. I had barely read two words when there was a knock at the door.
I shoved the book under my pillow and called out softly, "Who is it?"
"It's me, Anakin. I saw your light on—can I come in?"
I sighed. "I suppose so." He opened the door and walked in. "What do you want?"
"I just saw that you were awake, that's all, and since I can't sleep either I thought we could keep each other company."
"Thanks, but no thanks." I didn't really feel like talking at the moment.
Anakin plopped himself down at the foot of the bed anyway.
"Excuse me!"
He grinned. "You forget that this is my room."
"Are you always this difficult?"
His smile widened. "If you ask Master Kenobi, then yes."
I sighed in frustration. "Get off my foot."
He very nicely got up for a moment so I could move my foot, then lay back down right where he was before.
"Off the bed?"
"My bed."
"Act your age, not your shoe size."
His reply was the blank stare I always seemed to receive whenever I used an expression like that in front of a Star Wars character.
"How old are you, anyway?"
"Seventeen."
"Really?" He looked older than that; or maybe I was imagining him as he looked in Episode II. "I'm seventeen too."
This was followed by an uncomfortable silence.
"I'm sorry about…before," Anakin said finally. "Kissing you and…everything. I just…just…" He paused, trying to put into words what he wanted to tell me. "I like you, I guess."
Silence.
"Well, aren't you going to say something?"
"I'm sorry," I said finally. "You're a Jedi, and I'm from another universe. It would never work."
That was what had been wrong when I had tried picturing the two of us together, I realized. It looked all right until I tried to put the two of us in one universe or the other. He didn't fit in my universe, and I didn't fit in his.
"That's all?" I heard disappointment in his voice, as well as something stronger…anger?
"Good night, Anakin," I said in a tone that clearly stated that this was my final word in the matter.
Without another word, he got up and left, closing the door silently behind him.
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Stay tuned, there's more coming!