CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

A LESSON

Padmé couldn't bare to see her husband like this.

"No Ani, it's not your fault. Something very strange is happening with Shmi, and I'm going to talk to her about it right now", she said as she stood up.

"Wait, Padmé please!", Anakin pleaded. But it was too late, she was already on her way to Shmi's bedroom.

Padmé's steps were firm and determined. She was very upset with her daughter. How dare did she talk to her father like that? Padmé was going to teach her daughter a lesson. She opened the door to her room and closed it. Shmi was lying on her bed but sat up when she saw her mother standing right next to her.

"What is it, mommy?", she asked in a soft voice. Padmé didn't buy it.

"Don't you 'mommy' me, Shmi. You know exactly why I'm here", she said in a hard tone. "Would you please explain what was that in the garden?". Shmi sighed and crossed her arms across her chest.

"We had a fight over my training".

"That wasn't just a fight, Shmi. And that is no way of treating your father...", Padmé was interrupted by a very upset Shmi.

"HE IS NOT MY FATHER!", she yelled histericly. Padmé slapped her in the face so hard Shmi ended lying on her bed with her face looking at the door.

"How can you say that?! Anakin may not be your biological father, but he IS your real father! The only father figure you've had in your life is him! When I had you, he accepted you and loved you from the minute he first saw you, he gave you his last name, you are named after his mother, and he adores you! How can you be so ungrateful? For as far as Anakin concernes, you are as much of his child as the twins and Kobby!". Shmi was holding her cheek and crying.

"You know, maybe Anakin would've never believe that you had no father, that I concieved you by my own, but he did! He stood by my side, and still is, he raised you and he is training you, I don't know why you want to hurt him!". Padmé breathed. She looked at her daughter. She sighed and sat by her side, holding her.

"I'm sorry honey, I shouldn't have slap you, that was wrong. But you must understand that Anakin is your father, and he is really hurt for what you said to him". Shmi sobbed. Padmé rocked her softly. "Why do you want to hurt him?", she asked in a soft tone.

"Because there's something inside of me that tells me I must hurt the people that love me. I must hurt everyone except you, I'm ok with you, but the rest of the family... I feel anger when I see them happy, I hate them". Padmé was shocked. This was Shmi, her little girl, only 9 years old yet she talked like a bitter grown woman. She worried about her daughter's well being. She held her until she fell asleep in her arms.

That night, Anakin lying on bed, trying to sleep, but he couldn't. he was too sad. Padmé noticed that he kept sobbing and weaping, and she hated to see him like that. Anakin didn't want her to see him crying, so he was showing his back to her. Padmé smiled when she realized what her husband was trying to do and wrapped an arm around his waist.

"Ani, it's alright. I talked to Shmi earlier, and I think we should do something to help her", she said.

"What happened to her?", Anakin asked.

"I don't know. But I'm really worried about her. we should take her to see the council", she finished.