Nov 2002
Disclaimer 1: It all (SW) belong to Lucasfilm, I don't own it.
Disclaimer 2: The song is by Martina McBride and I don't own that either :P I removed one line "It happens to alot of men" because it didn't fit in the context of the story.
Part 8
*And you'd come to see That you still love me In good time.*
"What were you doing?"
Padmé almost screamed as she stepped into her bedroom later that night and closed the door. His soft voice slid through the darkness and under her skin. A hand wrapped around her shoulder, the touch sending waves of awareness through her system and stopping the scream before it could form. "Anakin. You scared me," she gasped, turning to face him. She recoiled, seeing barely leashed fury flashing in his eyes. Fury? What had she done to make him so angry? "Anakin?"
His grip tightened, almost bruising, "What were you doing with Obi-Wan, Padmé?"
She shrugged off his hand and proceeded to check the cameras. Surely he wouldn't have... Nope, they were all covered. She began pulling her cloak off as she turned back to look at him. "Obi-Wan is our friend, Anakin, why does it matter?"
He looked at her, his form cloaked in shadows, and she thought she saw him tilt his head at her. She swallowed hard, feeling the menace radiating from his posture. After their meeting the previous night, she wasn't sure what to expect from him.
"He's against me, Padmé. Against everything I've been working for. Obi- Wan wants to see me fail."
"No!" she shook her head, "You're wrong." How could he believe that his mentor would want to see him fail? How could he even think that Obi-Wan meant him any harm at all? They were both Jedi, sworn to uphold law and order and maintain peace.
"Am I?" he stepped towards her, into the lights, and she could see the anger in his eyes. Why was he angry? Surely there was nothing she'd done; speaking with Obi-Wan wasn't an offense punishable by law. "I told you what he's threatened, Padmé and I told you why. I thought you would have used your common sense and stayed away from him."
"He's our friend, Anakin!" she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Anakin sounded as if Obi-Wan was his mortal enemy instead of his ally. She saw the conflict in his eyes, the way he was struggling against the impact of her words. His features remained mostly immobile except for his eyes. They narrowed as they looked at her.
"He means to stop me, Padmé, any way he can. Obi-Wan has always been jealous of my abilities and he may try to turn you against me. He knows it's the best way too hurt me."
She was shaken. How could he think these things? "Anakin! Obi-Wan would never-"
"You see?" he cut in, "It's already started, you're already turning against me!"
She stepped close to him, grabbing his face between her hands and searched his eyes as she tugged his head downwards. "Anakin Skywalker, you listen to me." She told him sternly, her heart racing as she fought against the feeling that something else was wrong. Again, it went beyond the surface of his thoughts and words, causing him to doubt her and everything they'd built for the last four years. "I love you. I will always love you. Nobody is going to turn me against you, but you can't keep pushing me away! Obi-Wan is concerned for us, he simply wants to make sure we're alright!"
Anakin pulled away, shaking his head. "No. You're wrong, he's trying to poison you."
Padmé was stricken. He truly believed that his oldest friend would try and turn her against him? "I love you, Anakin." She wasn't sure what else she could say. Her palms were sweating, her heart racing, as she fought against the certainty that this was a turning point. Here and now would decide what Anakin was going to do. What could she say that would help him trust her? "I know you love me, but what happened to make you doubt me?" her heart was in her throat, making speech difficult. "What happened to make you lose your trust in me?" she blinked rapidly, fighting against an overwhelming sense of despair. Putting the thought into words had cost her something, and she couldn't yet identify it.
His own eyes glittered, but not with tears. "You don't listen, Padmé." She watched, helplessly, as he turned to go.
"Anakin, please!" she pleaded, her voice breaking and making her words barely intelligible. She couldn't lose him, not now and not like this. Her stomach fluttered, jumping and knotting with anxiety. He couldn't walk away from her like this, not in this frame of mind! She couldn't lose him!
He paused, looking back over his shoulder. "I've tried Padmé. I've tried to make this work, to be patient with you and explain the situation. The choice is yours."
Her heart was breaking; she was sure of it. "Choice for what?" she demanded through her tears. She felt as if he was trying to pull her heart from her chest, and not doing anything to ease the pain. Surely he didn't mean this! "Between you and my friends, Anakin? You and my job? You know I can't-"
He spun on her, his eyes flashing and she stopped mid-sentence. His eyes spoke of danger. Of anguish and pain that she could only remember seeing once before. The day he'd found his mother and spent the time crying in her arms. Her heart ached.
"Can't you?" his words bit like a knife, tearing through her. "I guess I have my answer then. Goodbye Padmé."
She cried out unintelligibly as he left through the window, her eyes begging him to stop. He couldn't. Tears slid down her cheeks as she ran for the window, unable to stop his descent. He was leaving her! She peeked her head out and froze, her gaze meeting his. She could see the turmoil he was feeling; the betrayal. "I love you!" she told him, mouthing the words.
His eyes softened for half an instant and she thought she saw something flicker in the depths of his eyes. Love. She'd seen it. No matter his feelings right at this moment, he still loved her. Perhaps he was having trouble understanding everything surrounding their relationship, but that remained solid. She slipped back into her bedroom and wiped her eyes. He still loved her. In time, he'd realize it and come to trust her again. That was all that mattered.
Disclaimer 2: The song is by Martina McBride and I don't own that either :P I removed one line "It happens to alot of men" because it didn't fit in the context of the story.
Part 8
*And you'd come to see That you still love me In good time.*
"What were you doing?"
Padmé almost screamed as she stepped into her bedroom later that night and closed the door. His soft voice slid through the darkness and under her skin. A hand wrapped around her shoulder, the touch sending waves of awareness through her system and stopping the scream before it could form. "Anakin. You scared me," she gasped, turning to face him. She recoiled, seeing barely leashed fury flashing in his eyes. Fury? What had she done to make him so angry? "Anakin?"
His grip tightened, almost bruising, "What were you doing with Obi-Wan, Padmé?"
She shrugged off his hand and proceeded to check the cameras. Surely he wouldn't have... Nope, they were all covered. She began pulling her cloak off as she turned back to look at him. "Obi-Wan is our friend, Anakin, why does it matter?"
He looked at her, his form cloaked in shadows, and she thought she saw him tilt his head at her. She swallowed hard, feeling the menace radiating from his posture. After their meeting the previous night, she wasn't sure what to expect from him.
"He's against me, Padmé. Against everything I've been working for. Obi- Wan wants to see me fail."
"No!" she shook her head, "You're wrong." How could he believe that his mentor would want to see him fail? How could he even think that Obi-Wan meant him any harm at all? They were both Jedi, sworn to uphold law and order and maintain peace.
"Am I?" he stepped towards her, into the lights, and she could see the anger in his eyes. Why was he angry? Surely there was nothing she'd done; speaking with Obi-Wan wasn't an offense punishable by law. "I told you what he's threatened, Padmé and I told you why. I thought you would have used your common sense and stayed away from him."
"He's our friend, Anakin!" she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Anakin sounded as if Obi-Wan was his mortal enemy instead of his ally. She saw the conflict in his eyes, the way he was struggling against the impact of her words. His features remained mostly immobile except for his eyes. They narrowed as they looked at her.
"He means to stop me, Padmé, any way he can. Obi-Wan has always been jealous of my abilities and he may try to turn you against me. He knows it's the best way too hurt me."
She was shaken. How could he think these things? "Anakin! Obi-Wan would never-"
"You see?" he cut in, "It's already started, you're already turning against me!"
She stepped close to him, grabbing his face between her hands and searched his eyes as she tugged his head downwards. "Anakin Skywalker, you listen to me." She told him sternly, her heart racing as she fought against the feeling that something else was wrong. Again, it went beyond the surface of his thoughts and words, causing him to doubt her and everything they'd built for the last four years. "I love you. I will always love you. Nobody is going to turn me against you, but you can't keep pushing me away! Obi-Wan is concerned for us, he simply wants to make sure we're alright!"
Anakin pulled away, shaking his head. "No. You're wrong, he's trying to poison you."
Padmé was stricken. He truly believed that his oldest friend would try and turn her against him? "I love you, Anakin." She wasn't sure what else she could say. Her palms were sweating, her heart racing, as she fought against the certainty that this was a turning point. Here and now would decide what Anakin was going to do. What could she say that would help him trust her? "I know you love me, but what happened to make you doubt me?" her heart was in her throat, making speech difficult. "What happened to make you lose your trust in me?" she blinked rapidly, fighting against an overwhelming sense of despair. Putting the thought into words had cost her something, and she couldn't yet identify it.
His own eyes glittered, but not with tears. "You don't listen, Padmé." She watched, helplessly, as he turned to go.
"Anakin, please!" she pleaded, her voice breaking and making her words barely intelligible. She couldn't lose him, not now and not like this. Her stomach fluttered, jumping and knotting with anxiety. He couldn't walk away from her like this, not in this frame of mind! She couldn't lose him!
He paused, looking back over his shoulder. "I've tried Padmé. I've tried to make this work, to be patient with you and explain the situation. The choice is yours."
Her heart was breaking; she was sure of it. "Choice for what?" she demanded through her tears. She felt as if he was trying to pull her heart from her chest, and not doing anything to ease the pain. Surely he didn't mean this! "Between you and my friends, Anakin? You and my job? You know I can't-"
He spun on her, his eyes flashing and she stopped mid-sentence. His eyes spoke of danger. Of anguish and pain that she could only remember seeing once before. The day he'd found his mother and spent the time crying in her arms. Her heart ached.
"Can't you?" his words bit like a knife, tearing through her. "I guess I have my answer then. Goodbye Padmé."
She cried out unintelligibly as he left through the window, her eyes begging him to stop. He couldn't. Tears slid down her cheeks as she ran for the window, unable to stop his descent. He was leaving her! She peeked her head out and froze, her gaze meeting his. She could see the turmoil he was feeling; the betrayal. "I love you!" she told him, mouthing the words.
His eyes softened for half an instant and she thought she saw something flicker in the depths of his eyes. Love. She'd seen it. No matter his feelings right at this moment, he still loved her. Perhaps he was having trouble understanding everything surrounding their relationship, but that remained solid. She slipped back into her bedroom and wiped her eyes. He still loved her. In time, he'd realize it and come to trust her again. That was all that mattered.