Without A Clue
Chapter 4: The Girls
It is shortly after the end of AotC. The Clone Wars have begun, and the galaxy is in turmoil. Padmè and Anakin are finding it very hard to keep their love a secret. The Trade Federation still wants Padmè dead, but have begun making more personal attacks on her loved ones, killing her mother, father, sister and brother-in-law.
(AN: Sorry to all for the delay in posting this chapter, I try to get them out once a week, but this time I just felt I needed a break, I had a very large english presentation to prepare for and now that it is done I will be concentrating on my writing for the time being.expect next chapter in about 1 /2 weeks.) _______________________________________________________________
It was early evening, the sun had just begun to set, Padmè looked out the kitchen window as she stood by the sink. The sunset was breathtaking, this was the first time she really let Naboo's beauty set in since they arrived earlier today.
Anakin sat at the small table that stood in the center of the kitchen. He was not in awe at the sunset, but the beauty of the girl that stood in front of him.
Both turned their heads sharply as there heard a sound, disrupting the silence. It was a knock at the door.
"Ani, don't worry I will get it," Padmè said as she started toward the front door.
Anakin got up and followed her, ready to grab his lightsaber if needed.
Padmè opened the door just wide enough for the two small girls to rush in, latching themselves to her legs. Padmè looked out the door to see her old neighbor Jev Nerran standing alone.
Padmè shuffled farther inside, the girls letting go as she did so. She opened the door wider for Jev to enter.
Padmè knelt down and gave Ryoo and Pooja each a hug, exchanging a few words with each girl. She then stood up, shaking Jev's hand, "Thank You so much for watching them, your help really is appreciated."
"Oh Padmè, it is nothing, this has been hard on all of you. It is the least I can do, if you need anything, please let me know," Jev added.
Padmè nodded, "Girls, Jev, I want you to meet Anakin, he is a friend of mine who is helping me while I am on Naboo," she turned and flashed a bright smile at Anakin, who stepped forward.
The girls smiled shyly at the much larger male. Jev reached out a hand, and Anakin met it with his own.
"Well Jev, I can take the girls off your hands, they will stay here with myself, Anakin, and his Jedi Master, Obi Wan Kenobi," Padmè said.
"But Padmè, you have enough to worry about, you don't have to take this on."
"It isn't your responsibility Jev, and besides the girls are no trouble at all," Padmè said, smiling at the girls, who nodded proudly.
"You are welcome to come in and stay for a while," Padmè said gesturing towards the living area.
"No, I should be going, I will drop off some of the girls things later, take care Padmè," and with that Jev exited.
After the door was shut Padmè turned back to Anakin and the girls, "Lets go into the living room, okay girls," she said ushering the girls further inside, Anakin following close behind. He placed a hand gently on her shoulder as she led the way. Padmè turned her head as they reached the living room, she smiled up at Anakin, and reached up to meet his hand.
She suddenly pulled her hand away and turned to the girls, leaving Anakin standing confused and alone.
It took him but a moment to realize the cause of Padmè strange behavior, Obi Wan had been entering the room.
"Senator, I heard someone at the door, Is everything all right?" Obi Wan asked, Anakin breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that Padmè had stopped at just the right time, Obi Wan had seen nothing.
"Yes Obi Wan, it was just a neighbor dropping of the girls," Padmè replied.
Obi Wan looked past Anakin and Padmè to see for the first time two small children looking up at him.
"Obi Wan meet Ryoo," Padmè said as she nudged her niece forward, "And Pooja," the smaller curly-haired girl stepped forward on her own.
Obi Wan knelt down in front of them, taking each girls small hand in his own, "It is nice to meet you two, my name is Obi Wan Kenobi."
The smaller girl smiled, "I'm Pooja Naberrie, and this is my sister, Ryoo."
Obi Wan chuckled and nodded, "You sure are like your aunt, never afraid to speak your mind," he said looking up at Padmè, who blushed.
As Obi Wan arose to his feet again Padmè spoke, "Girls, are you hungry? I can fix you something to eat before we get you to bed?"
Both girls nodded eagerly and ran into the kitchen.
***********
Later that night the girls had been put to sleep in Padmè's bed, and Anakin lay on the floor of the living room. He could not fall asleep. He stared at the limp form on the couch across the room, that figure was the love of his life. He wanted to be able to be hug her, kiss her, and be with her when ever he felt like it.
Obi Wan had gone to bed hours earlier, so Anakin thought it would be safe. He crawled to the other side of the room, he stopped before he reached the sofa. "Breathe man!" he said to himself, his heart beat faster, he wanted to throw himself at her, but he knew he could not.
"Padmè," Anakin whispered.
Padmè turned over sleepily, recognizing Anakin's voice before she saw it was him she replied, "What is it Ani?"
He didn't answer, he just pulled her from the couch into his arms, and leaned down for a kiss.
After several minutes Padmè pulled away, "Ani, really we shouldn't, it's to risky."
"But Padmè, I can't go on like this, I need you," Anakin said pleading with her through his eyes.
She pushed a loose bang off his forehead, letting her hand linger on his face, tracing his jawbone, "I know, it's hard for me too, but we can't give in. It would ruin us both."
"But what is ruining us? Is it holding off, or the consequences of not? Why do we torture ourselves, what are we waiting for, death?" Anakin asked.
Padmè could feel tears coming to her eyes, "Ani it is not that easy, you can't just give up the order, I wouldn't let you."
"Lets not talk about this now," Anakin said, and this time Padmè pulled him down for a kiss.
"Padmè."
Anakin's head shot up, fearing the worst. Padmè looked up as well.
"Auntie Padmè, I can't sleep, I keep having bad dreams," Ryoo said.
Padmè looked up at Anakin apologetically before hoping to her feet, "Lets see what we can do about those dreams," and with that Anakin was left alone with only a warmth were his wife's body used to be.
NEXT CHAPTER: Funerals and Flowers (AN: So sorry for a short chapter, I had to stop myself from going on and on, besides this is more or less an introduction to the girls. I have the worst habit of making chapters short and not moving a story along (just read Love is the Only Thing, it is 17 chapters that revolve around 1 day) I will be posting the next chapter hopefully sooner than this one came out, expect it by Tuesday the 17th, I hope!)
It is shortly after the end of AotC. The Clone Wars have begun, and the galaxy is in turmoil. Padmè and Anakin are finding it very hard to keep their love a secret. The Trade Federation still wants Padmè dead, but have begun making more personal attacks on her loved ones, killing her mother, father, sister and brother-in-law.
(AN: Sorry to all for the delay in posting this chapter, I try to get them out once a week, but this time I just felt I needed a break, I had a very large english presentation to prepare for and now that it is done I will be concentrating on my writing for the time being.expect next chapter in about 1 /2 weeks.) _______________________________________________________________
It was early evening, the sun had just begun to set, Padmè looked out the kitchen window as she stood by the sink. The sunset was breathtaking, this was the first time she really let Naboo's beauty set in since they arrived earlier today.
Anakin sat at the small table that stood in the center of the kitchen. He was not in awe at the sunset, but the beauty of the girl that stood in front of him.
Both turned their heads sharply as there heard a sound, disrupting the silence. It was a knock at the door.
"Ani, don't worry I will get it," Padmè said as she started toward the front door.
Anakin got up and followed her, ready to grab his lightsaber if needed.
Padmè opened the door just wide enough for the two small girls to rush in, latching themselves to her legs. Padmè looked out the door to see her old neighbor Jev Nerran standing alone.
Padmè shuffled farther inside, the girls letting go as she did so. She opened the door wider for Jev to enter.
Padmè knelt down and gave Ryoo and Pooja each a hug, exchanging a few words with each girl. She then stood up, shaking Jev's hand, "Thank You so much for watching them, your help really is appreciated."
"Oh Padmè, it is nothing, this has been hard on all of you. It is the least I can do, if you need anything, please let me know," Jev added.
Padmè nodded, "Girls, Jev, I want you to meet Anakin, he is a friend of mine who is helping me while I am on Naboo," she turned and flashed a bright smile at Anakin, who stepped forward.
The girls smiled shyly at the much larger male. Jev reached out a hand, and Anakin met it with his own.
"Well Jev, I can take the girls off your hands, they will stay here with myself, Anakin, and his Jedi Master, Obi Wan Kenobi," Padmè said.
"But Padmè, you have enough to worry about, you don't have to take this on."
"It isn't your responsibility Jev, and besides the girls are no trouble at all," Padmè said, smiling at the girls, who nodded proudly.
"You are welcome to come in and stay for a while," Padmè said gesturing towards the living area.
"No, I should be going, I will drop off some of the girls things later, take care Padmè," and with that Jev exited.
After the door was shut Padmè turned back to Anakin and the girls, "Lets go into the living room, okay girls," she said ushering the girls further inside, Anakin following close behind. He placed a hand gently on her shoulder as she led the way. Padmè turned her head as they reached the living room, she smiled up at Anakin, and reached up to meet his hand.
She suddenly pulled her hand away and turned to the girls, leaving Anakin standing confused and alone.
It took him but a moment to realize the cause of Padmè strange behavior, Obi Wan had been entering the room.
"Senator, I heard someone at the door, Is everything all right?" Obi Wan asked, Anakin breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that Padmè had stopped at just the right time, Obi Wan had seen nothing.
"Yes Obi Wan, it was just a neighbor dropping of the girls," Padmè replied.
Obi Wan looked past Anakin and Padmè to see for the first time two small children looking up at him.
"Obi Wan meet Ryoo," Padmè said as she nudged her niece forward, "And Pooja," the smaller curly-haired girl stepped forward on her own.
Obi Wan knelt down in front of them, taking each girls small hand in his own, "It is nice to meet you two, my name is Obi Wan Kenobi."
The smaller girl smiled, "I'm Pooja Naberrie, and this is my sister, Ryoo."
Obi Wan chuckled and nodded, "You sure are like your aunt, never afraid to speak your mind," he said looking up at Padmè, who blushed.
As Obi Wan arose to his feet again Padmè spoke, "Girls, are you hungry? I can fix you something to eat before we get you to bed?"
Both girls nodded eagerly and ran into the kitchen.
***********
Later that night the girls had been put to sleep in Padmè's bed, and Anakin lay on the floor of the living room. He could not fall asleep. He stared at the limp form on the couch across the room, that figure was the love of his life. He wanted to be able to be hug her, kiss her, and be with her when ever he felt like it.
Obi Wan had gone to bed hours earlier, so Anakin thought it would be safe. He crawled to the other side of the room, he stopped before he reached the sofa. "Breathe man!" he said to himself, his heart beat faster, he wanted to throw himself at her, but he knew he could not.
"Padmè," Anakin whispered.
Padmè turned over sleepily, recognizing Anakin's voice before she saw it was him she replied, "What is it Ani?"
He didn't answer, he just pulled her from the couch into his arms, and leaned down for a kiss.
After several minutes Padmè pulled away, "Ani, really we shouldn't, it's to risky."
"But Padmè, I can't go on like this, I need you," Anakin said pleading with her through his eyes.
She pushed a loose bang off his forehead, letting her hand linger on his face, tracing his jawbone, "I know, it's hard for me too, but we can't give in. It would ruin us both."
"But what is ruining us? Is it holding off, or the consequences of not? Why do we torture ourselves, what are we waiting for, death?" Anakin asked.
Padmè could feel tears coming to her eyes, "Ani it is not that easy, you can't just give up the order, I wouldn't let you."
"Lets not talk about this now," Anakin said, and this time Padmè pulled him down for a kiss.
"Padmè."
Anakin's head shot up, fearing the worst. Padmè looked up as well.
"Auntie Padmè, I can't sleep, I keep having bad dreams," Ryoo said.
Padmè looked up at Anakin apologetically before hoping to her feet, "Lets see what we can do about those dreams," and with that Anakin was left alone with only a warmth were his wife's body used to be.
NEXT CHAPTER: Funerals and Flowers (AN: So sorry for a short chapter, I had to stop myself from going on and on, besides this is more or less an introduction to the girls. I have the worst habit of making chapters short and not moving a story along (just read Love is the Only Thing, it is 17 chapters that revolve around 1 day) I will be posting the next chapter hopefully sooner than this one came out, expect it by Tuesday the 17th, I hope!)