CHAPTER TWO!
Shmi was the first to talk to her directly. "Would you like something to eat?"
Anakin watched as Padme smiled. "No thank you. I'd just like someplace to-"
Shmi nodded. "You can wash in the fresher, I'll show you the way, and give you some of my clothes to wear."
Padme felt Anakin's gaze on her, and met it. She didn't let any emotion show on her dirty features, but it was just to let him know she was aware of him. And that she was ready to run if he stepped about a foot nearer. Quickly, she turned and followed Shmi out of the living room.
Anakin watched her go. He could feel that she was scared, somehow he could tell. But he suddenly knew where she was familiar from. Remembering the girl he had met all the years before, intelligent, keen, and kind. He walked back to the table and sat down in one of the chairs. So now she suffered the same fate he had been born into. It was ironic. And tragic.
Soon Shmi walked back into the room, and saw her son fingering the thin fabric that served as a table cloth. Shmi saw that he was thinking, and decided to leave him to his thoughts.
"She's afraid of me." Anakin said out of no-where.
Shmi nodded, beginning to take the cups that had been filled with blue-milk off the table. "It's natural, Ani."
"Why? I didn't do anything."
Shmi sighed, resting a hand on her son's shoulder. "Not all slaves have lived like we do. Some have been..." She paused, trying to figure out a gentle way of putting it. "Mistreated. Just be gentle, and kind. But give her lots of space. Soon she'll trust you."
Anakin glanced up at his mother. "Did you like the race today?"
Shmi squeezed his shoulder. "You were wonderful."
Anakin smiled, glancing around the slave quarters. "One day mom, soon I hope, I'm gonna free us." He paused, looking to where Padme had gone to wash. "All of us."
Shmi returned to cleaning up the kitchen. "I know you will. I know."
***THE NEXT DAY***
The twin suns rose over the city of Mos Espa early the next morning, and Anakin awoke later than usual. But he usually slept in after a race, it was a way of congratulating himself, and getting the rest he needed after a particularly hard day.
He sat up on the hard and beaten sofa. Padme had slept in his room over night. He didn't mind too much, his neck did though.
Anakin sat up, shrugging on his boots, and rubbing his neck at the same time. Getting up, he walked into the kitchen, and saw Padme and his mother sitting at the table eating breakfast.
Shmi looked up, giving her son a bright smile. "Hello Ani, did you sleep alright?"
"Alright as that couch will allow." Anakin answered quietly. He pointedly glanced at Padme, but she refused to look up at him from her plate. He sat at the table opposite her, and his mother gave him some food.
Shmi felt the odd silence in the room and tried to break it. "Ani, I think you should try to help Padme for the first month or so at the shop. At least until she knows what to do."
"Of course." Anakin replied.
Shmi looked at Padme. "Don't stray too far from Anakin when you're traveling in the streets. With him no one will bother you."
Padme looked at Shmi, smiling. "I will, and thank you for breakfast. It's better than anything I've eaten in a long time."
"I'm glad you liked it." Shmi said, "And when you're at the shop, don't worry about Watto. He really is a better master than most."
Anakin watched as Padme talked with his mother. She was so loose and easy with the older woman. As if his mother could be trusted, but not him. He picked at his food, turning everything over and over in his mind. The ship he had almost completed lurked in the back of his thoughts, the race he won also hid in recesses, but the girl - Or woman, who sat across from him was the primary concern. He had never met anyone who simply shied away. Being a slave many of the other beings were never even concerned about him, although he was tall and strong, and in a way...Dangerous. But not like this girl who had suddenly reappeared from the shadows. There was so much he didn't know, and there were so many questions that needed to be answered. How a girl he had met ten years ago who had been seemingly fearless, now did not even speak to him.
***Later*** "It's time to go." Anakin said, as he opened the front door.
Padme looked around, from where Shmi had been giving her instructions about things to do at the shop. Again she met Skywalker's gaze, and she blinked it away. She turned back to Shmi. "Thank you, and if I have any questions later I'll ask you when we return."
Shmi waved as she watched Anakin and Padme leave. She had no doubt Anakin would soon become her friend, it was in his nature to be friendly. Although she could tell he didn't know how to react to Padme's fear of him. She didn't blame her though. When she had first been separated from her family at the age of ten and put into a slave quarters with three boys and only one older woman she had definently frightened. But as with each group of slaves, there was a parent-like leader and the others were like the children and siblings. They formed a family group, which is needed in every walk and way of life. Soon Padme would let go of her fear, and accept them as her family. Shmi had no doubt of it.
Anakin walked along the dusty road in silence. Padme walked beside him in one of his mother's dresses. It was strange feeling he got when he saw the girl in his mother's dress. He didn't know why, it was just very strange. "This is the shortest way to get to the shop from the houses." He said, almost to himself. "But at night if you're left alone, don't go this way. It's too dangerous. Go around on Fifth block and seven."
Padme nodded.
Anakin glanced at her. "You know it's rude not to talk to someone. People think you're shunning them."
Padme looked down at her fingers. "It's nothing like that."
"Well what is it then!" Anakin stopped in his tracks, turning to her. "Do I have this, 'beware, I'm gonna suck your blood' sign on my face?" It was obvious that he was beyond waiting for her to try to talk to him. Waiting wasn't his style.
"No!" Padme insisted.
"Well?"
Padme glanced up at him, but then away. "I- I just, you- you just, somehow."
Anakin sighed. "I want to be your friend Padme. Will you give me a chance?"
Padme looked up at him, this time not glaring, or turning away. Anakin noticed her eyes were somehow like a child's, scared and uncertain.
"Alright." Padme answered.
Anakin chuckled. "I'm not a monster. Just follow my lead, and I'll make sure nothing bad will happen to you."
For the first time they had been reunited she smiled at him. The smart sweetness he remembered from all those years ago returning to her features. Fear wasn't in her natural nature, and it showed in her warm smile.
"I'm sorry for being rude." Padme said quietly.
"Don't worry about it." Anakin replied, glancing away and across the street at the junk shop.
"You work here?" Padme asked, following his glance at the shop with cement steps in front of it.
"Yup." Anakin answered. "I'm a mechanic, and a pilot."
"You're a pilot?"
"Yep." Anakin laughed, suddenly feeling a severe case of deja vu. "All my life."
To Be Continued!
(A.N. IN the next two chapter there's gonna be some REAL action/adventure! I've already written it, but I'm wondering if you guys are still interested since I've not updated in so long *roll eyes and curse procrastination* HOPE YOU ENJOY!
Shmi was the first to talk to her directly. "Would you like something to eat?"
Anakin watched as Padme smiled. "No thank you. I'd just like someplace to-"
Shmi nodded. "You can wash in the fresher, I'll show you the way, and give you some of my clothes to wear."
Padme felt Anakin's gaze on her, and met it. She didn't let any emotion show on her dirty features, but it was just to let him know she was aware of him. And that she was ready to run if he stepped about a foot nearer. Quickly, she turned and followed Shmi out of the living room.
Anakin watched her go. He could feel that she was scared, somehow he could tell. But he suddenly knew where she was familiar from. Remembering the girl he had met all the years before, intelligent, keen, and kind. He walked back to the table and sat down in one of the chairs. So now she suffered the same fate he had been born into. It was ironic. And tragic.
Soon Shmi walked back into the room, and saw her son fingering the thin fabric that served as a table cloth. Shmi saw that he was thinking, and decided to leave him to his thoughts.
"She's afraid of me." Anakin said out of no-where.
Shmi nodded, beginning to take the cups that had been filled with blue-milk off the table. "It's natural, Ani."
"Why? I didn't do anything."
Shmi sighed, resting a hand on her son's shoulder. "Not all slaves have lived like we do. Some have been..." She paused, trying to figure out a gentle way of putting it. "Mistreated. Just be gentle, and kind. But give her lots of space. Soon she'll trust you."
Anakin glanced up at his mother. "Did you like the race today?"
Shmi squeezed his shoulder. "You were wonderful."
Anakin smiled, glancing around the slave quarters. "One day mom, soon I hope, I'm gonna free us." He paused, looking to where Padme had gone to wash. "All of us."
Shmi returned to cleaning up the kitchen. "I know you will. I know."
***THE NEXT DAY***
The twin suns rose over the city of Mos Espa early the next morning, and Anakin awoke later than usual. But he usually slept in after a race, it was a way of congratulating himself, and getting the rest he needed after a particularly hard day.
He sat up on the hard and beaten sofa. Padme had slept in his room over night. He didn't mind too much, his neck did though.
Anakin sat up, shrugging on his boots, and rubbing his neck at the same time. Getting up, he walked into the kitchen, and saw Padme and his mother sitting at the table eating breakfast.
Shmi looked up, giving her son a bright smile. "Hello Ani, did you sleep alright?"
"Alright as that couch will allow." Anakin answered quietly. He pointedly glanced at Padme, but she refused to look up at him from her plate. He sat at the table opposite her, and his mother gave him some food.
Shmi felt the odd silence in the room and tried to break it. "Ani, I think you should try to help Padme for the first month or so at the shop. At least until she knows what to do."
"Of course." Anakin replied.
Shmi looked at Padme. "Don't stray too far from Anakin when you're traveling in the streets. With him no one will bother you."
Padme looked at Shmi, smiling. "I will, and thank you for breakfast. It's better than anything I've eaten in a long time."
"I'm glad you liked it." Shmi said, "And when you're at the shop, don't worry about Watto. He really is a better master than most."
Anakin watched as Padme talked with his mother. She was so loose and easy with the older woman. As if his mother could be trusted, but not him. He picked at his food, turning everything over and over in his mind. The ship he had almost completed lurked in the back of his thoughts, the race he won also hid in recesses, but the girl - Or woman, who sat across from him was the primary concern. He had never met anyone who simply shied away. Being a slave many of the other beings were never even concerned about him, although he was tall and strong, and in a way...Dangerous. But not like this girl who had suddenly reappeared from the shadows. There was so much he didn't know, and there were so many questions that needed to be answered. How a girl he had met ten years ago who had been seemingly fearless, now did not even speak to him.
***Later*** "It's time to go." Anakin said, as he opened the front door.
Padme looked around, from where Shmi had been giving her instructions about things to do at the shop. Again she met Skywalker's gaze, and she blinked it away. She turned back to Shmi. "Thank you, and if I have any questions later I'll ask you when we return."
Shmi waved as she watched Anakin and Padme leave. She had no doubt Anakin would soon become her friend, it was in his nature to be friendly. Although she could tell he didn't know how to react to Padme's fear of him. She didn't blame her though. When she had first been separated from her family at the age of ten and put into a slave quarters with three boys and only one older woman she had definently frightened. But as with each group of slaves, there was a parent-like leader and the others were like the children and siblings. They formed a family group, which is needed in every walk and way of life. Soon Padme would let go of her fear, and accept them as her family. Shmi had no doubt of it.
Anakin walked along the dusty road in silence. Padme walked beside him in one of his mother's dresses. It was strange feeling he got when he saw the girl in his mother's dress. He didn't know why, it was just very strange. "This is the shortest way to get to the shop from the houses." He said, almost to himself. "But at night if you're left alone, don't go this way. It's too dangerous. Go around on Fifth block and seven."
Padme nodded.
Anakin glanced at her. "You know it's rude not to talk to someone. People think you're shunning them."
Padme looked down at her fingers. "It's nothing like that."
"Well what is it then!" Anakin stopped in his tracks, turning to her. "Do I have this, 'beware, I'm gonna suck your blood' sign on my face?" It was obvious that he was beyond waiting for her to try to talk to him. Waiting wasn't his style.
"No!" Padme insisted.
"Well?"
Padme glanced up at him, but then away. "I- I just, you- you just, somehow."
Anakin sighed. "I want to be your friend Padme. Will you give me a chance?"
Padme looked up at him, this time not glaring, or turning away. Anakin noticed her eyes were somehow like a child's, scared and uncertain.
"Alright." Padme answered.
Anakin chuckled. "I'm not a monster. Just follow my lead, and I'll make sure nothing bad will happen to you."
For the first time they had been reunited she smiled at him. The smart sweetness he remembered from all those years ago returning to her features. Fear wasn't in her natural nature, and it showed in her warm smile.
"I'm sorry for being rude." Padme said quietly.
"Don't worry about it." Anakin replied, glancing away and across the street at the junk shop.
"You work here?" Padme asked, following his glance at the shop with cement steps in front of it.
"Yup." Anakin answered. "I'm a mechanic, and a pilot."
"You're a pilot?"
"Yep." Anakin laughed, suddenly feeling a severe case of deja vu. "All my life."
To Be Continued!
(A.N. IN the next two chapter there's gonna be some REAL action/adventure! I've already written it, but I'm wondering if you guys are still interested since I've not updated in so long *roll eyes and curse procrastination* HOPE YOU ENJOY!