Note: I just want to say that all of you reviewers out there that reviewed my story (Even those who emailed me, ranting about the 101 reasons why Padmè is meant for Anakin, not some OC I made up) Just big thanks. You guys are helping me out a lot right now because I'm going through some bad ish and... IONO... reviews seem to cheer me up and I just want to say THANK YOU!! Lolz yea, that's my two cents right there. (

I'm SORRIE FOR TAKING SO LONG I PROMISE TO UPDATE AGAIN DAY AFTER TOMORROW JUST HAVE TO EDIT THE NEXT CHAPTER!!

Chapter 13:

Padmè could see it in every single one of Khariya's movements. Her sister was hiding something. The sisterly ability to see that something was wrong in Khariya wasn't one sided. Padmè had it too and during the few hours of discreet preparations for their trip to Tatooine, Padmè could see the guilt written in her sister's face.

Only Sabè, Panaka and some other workers at the palace knew what the Senator, her sister and her bodyguard were truly doing. Everyone else thought that they were just making a short trip to the capital of Naboo for some reason that remained confidential. As Anakin packed some of his things into a bag, he thanked the stars for the discretion. As he finished, he heard Khariya gently tapping at the frame of the doorway between her room and his.

"Morning, princess," he smiled faking a curt bow. "How may I help you?" Khariya laughed and went to sit down on his bed.

"Must you insist on calling me that because you know that I'm no princess, Anakin Skywalker," she said poking him lightly at his stomach. He stood over her, pulling her up and enveloping her in his arms, never breaking the eye contact he had with her.

"Well, you're a princess by my definition so that should be good enough," Anakin whispered. He bent down and kissed her slowly. Khariya responded by opening her mouth and slowly kissing back wanting to relish every moment he was touching her because she knew it might be awhile until she'd have another moment alone with him again. She didn't think Padmè would be leaving her side on the trip to Tatooine. The moment her sister's name came to mind, she pulled back.

"Stop," she murmured. She stepped back but Anakin kept his hands resting at her waist.

" 'Stop' is not a word in my vocabulary right now, dear Khariya," Anakin grinned, leaning in again but she just turned her head away. "What's wrong again?" he asked exasperated.

"I know Padmè loves you, Anakin. This is betraying her completely," she said softly.

"You don't know that!" Anakin exclaimed.

"Ani, we're sisters. I know these things." She pulled away completely but Anakin just caught her again before she could leave the room.

"By your words, Khariya, what she doesn't know won't hurt her... and anyways, she had her chance with me but she just threw me away like some piece of junk at Watto's yard." Anakin's ice blue eyes bore into Khariya's trying to convince her to stop worrying over her sister.

"If I stay I'll always be worried," Khariya said apologetically. "You can't have me any other way..."

"I'd want you any way." Anakin led her against the doors and kissed her again, even more deeply and persuading Khariya to stay one more day with his kisses.

Padmè stood near the conference room talking to Sabè making sure that all the ends were tied for their quick trip to Tatooine.

"Have you seen my sister, Sabè? She disappeared again," Padmè said laughing a little nervously.

"I believe she went into Anakin's room to call him down, milady," Sabè answered. "Would you like me to get them?"

"No, it's all right Sabè. I'll get them myself. We can board the ship together," Padmè answered. "Take care, Sabè." Sabè looked up from her papers and smiled.

"Just don't do anything crazy with Anakin, Padmè. You still have to be a role model for Khariya," grinned Sabè. Padmè rolled her eyes, laughing.

"Of course, Sabè..." Padmè walked up the staircase and arrived at Anakin's room. She was a little worried because of the fact that her sister and Anakin have been alone so many times now. 'What can that mean? Are they... together now? Ergh... why do I care?? It's not like he's mine... but still...' She gently knocked on the door.

"Anakin?" Padmè called. She tried to push the door but it seemed to be blocked. Khariya gasped in surprise and jumped away from Anakin. "Anakin, what's wrong with the door?" Anakin let out a low giggle at the situation.

"Almost caught again?" he whispered. He had spread his arms slightly so Khariya could slip out and walk away and as he saw she was in safer distance he took away his arms from the door. Padmè stumbled in, the energy she was putting against the door falling into nothing.

Padmè looked from Anakin and Khariya, suspiciously.

"Why was the door stuck?" she asked. Anakin then changed his gaze between the two sisters and decided it was his turn to cover up the situation.

"I was showing off to Khariya. Y'know? What's the point of being the Chosen One if you can't show off to your gir.... friends?" Anakin said. He deliberately started to say 'girlfriend' to see Khariya's expression and as expected she looked scared out of her mind but she put away her nervous façade.

"Show off," she smirked. Padmè just nodded, not knowing whether or not she should confront them about her misgivings but decided against it. "Can we leave now?"

"yes... Come on Khariya," Padmè nodded and they all headed to the ship that Anakin was piloting to Tatooine.

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The trip to Tatooine was uneventful. All that was there was the awkward silence that came over them when all three were around each other. They couldn't seem to just face each other and look each other in the eye without noticing the tension that was around everyone.

There was Padmè who had the doubts in her mind. She was fighting with herself whether or not she did love Anakin. Actually it wasn't about that. It was about how she KNEW she loved Anakin but it was whether or not she'd admit that out loud, much less to the person it counted towards.

Of course, there was Khariya who had her guilt riding on her shoulders. She was constantly tearing her self apart as she thought about how much she loved and cared for Anakin and then a glance at her sister that reminded her what a backstabber she was. She didn't want to hurt Padmè but her love for Anakin... and the happiness he gave her was overwhelming.

Then, there's Anakin. His mind was far from the love triangle. He knew whom he wanted and who wanted him. He didn't tell Khariya that he knew what was going on in Padmè's head. He knew Padmè's little inner struggle but he couldn't care less now. He cared and loved Khariya, no one else. His thoughts were on his mom. He missed her so much. Anakin wished that Obi Wan understood the prophetic factor his dreams had and that he came earlier because after a month of dreams he was afraid of what he'd come to find.

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They had landed safely into a port. Khariya, having never been to Tatooine, jumped out and began to walk around the circular dock. As she went around once and began to walk back to the ship, three gnarled fingers went around her arm kept her in her place. Khariya froze in fear, not knowing what the creature with the long malevolent face was. She snapped her arm back and tried to regain her composure.

"How much will it be to stay here for the day?" Khariya stuttered.

"2,000 sicas for the day," he hissed.

"2,000?!? That's crazy!" Anakin exclaimed coming from behind the Dug. The Dug turned and faced Anakin who looked slightly surprised.

"I'm Sebulba. I own this dock and I want 2000 for one days use!" Sebulba growled but he calmed as he saw Khariya walk around and cling to Anakin's arm for protection. "But... I'll give you the whole damn place if you give me this one." He ran a long purple digit down Khariya's free arm and chuckled. Anakin's patience with the old 'friend' snapped and you could have barely seen his movements as Anakin snatched the blaster by Sebulba's side, threw it away and pinned the Dug up to the wall by the neck.

"Don't you ever touch her again," Anakin spat out dangerously.

"Fine... FINE!" Sebulba gasped grasping at Anakin's arm to pull himself up and away from choking.

"How much for TWO days' use of the dock?"

"4000..." Anakin's hold tightened. "But since you're such a negotiator, I'll let you just use the damn thing free of charge." Anakin let him go. Khariya looked horrified as she stood behind Anakin. His threatening demeanor changed as he looked at Khariya and held her face in his hands.

"Are you all right?" Anakin asked and Khariya nodded. She tiptoed and kissed him quickly.

"Let's find your mom, Ani," she whispered. "Then let's get out of here, please." Anakin leaned down and her kissed her again this time letting his tongue go invited into her mouth. For the moment, she left all worries behind and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Padmè watched the whole incident from a window of the ship. She was shocked, to put it mildly, when she saw Khariya kiss Anakin. She leaned against the windowpane, a lone tear falling down her cheek. 'I told him to go... I told him I didn't love him... I told myself that what I was saying was true... If THAT were true then why does watching this hurt me so much?'

Khariya broke away from Anakin breathless. She looked slightly flushed and she looked down embarassed.

"I shouldn't have done that," she murmured though she still had her arms around Anakin and rested her forehead against his chin. "I can feel Padmè, Anakin..."

"It's better that she knows, Princess..." he replied but she just untangled herself from him again and pulled him towards the ship.

"Let's get Padmè, and you can get this search-and-rescue going," she grinned. Her hand let his go and she entered the ship and exited a moment later with Padmè by her side. Padmè's face was devoid of any emotion. Khariya knew it was the mask Amidala had for her Senatorial meetings but after a second, Padmè smiled at her sister and acted as if she saw nothing.

"I've already called a transport to get us where we need to be," Padmè announced. "It should be outside." She put up her hood and Khariya put on her own cloak but in light blue. They stepped out of the spaceport and Khariya gasped at sudden fierce heat that greeted them. Anakin silently boarded their transport, as did Khariya and Padmè who sat at either of his sides. Khariya could see the dark memories flashing in Anakin's mind as his eyes surveyed the life forms and the way of life around him.

"What's Tatooine like after ten years?" she asked gently putting her hand on his.

"The same," Anakin answered coldly as he saw a Hutt and his cronies tugging along a parade of a dozen slaves of different alien races. "Nothing but sand whipping at you every time there's a breeze and the Hutts controlling everything and never caring about anyone as long as it's not the someone that makes their meals." Khariya nodded understandably then she leaned back away from Padmè's line of sight and put her head on Anakin's shoulder. They arrived at a rundown shack. A blue flying alien was floating irritatedly as he toyed with some mechanical object. Khariya could hear the cursing under his breath and she 'felt' Anakin steeling himself from the memories that came with the dry planet and the life forms that were on it.

"Chut Chut, Watto..." she heard Anakin say. Khariya looked at Padmè. She knew her sister had some hold on many languages and understood what Anakin what was saying. Unfortunately, she didn't so she peered into Anakin's mind and read the translation of what he was saying. "Hello, Watto."

"Hmmm. What do you want?" Watto hastily looked up and down again, completely uninterested. "Jedi..." He saw the lightsaber. "What ever it is I didn't do it..." He dropped the thing he was trying to fix and gave up on it. Anakin picked it up and started to play with it.

"I'm looking for Shmi Skywalker..." Watto blinked, in surprise.

"Are you... No you couldn't be him..." His attention was attracted to the humming of the machine he had given up on after hours of working on it. After a few moments with it, the boy had it working. "It is you! Ani! Woohoo. Whatta ya kno? A Jedi... Hey maybe you could help me with these dead beats who owe me some money..."

"My mother," Anakin interrupted.

"Oh yea yea... well I don't have her anymore. Sold her," Watto answered.

"Sold her?!?"

"Yea well, you know how business is."

"To who?"

"Hmmm... some moisture farmer... named Lars. From what I heard he freed her and married her. Can ya beat that eh?"

"Where are they?"

"uhhhh. somewhere in the otherside of Mos Eisley, me thinks," Watto answered.

"Can you please look in your records?" Anakin pleaded.

"Now... Anakin... you know I can't do that. And anyways... the records are messed up. You use to organize that. I never wanted to so it's pretty disorganized..." Khariya looked at Padmè who looked like she was going to let Anakin take care of himself but Khariya could feel Anakin losing hope just as he stood in front of them so she interrupted.

"Then, I'll look for it," Khariya volunteered. "You don't even have to do anything. Just please... Anakin just wants to see his mom." She saw Anakin smile gratefully at her and squeezed her hand.

"Why dyou care so much?" Watto asked. Khariya looked taken aback.

"What do you mean?"

"He's with Padmè isn't he? Why do YOU care so much?" Watto asked. A silence befell them and no one wanted to answer. "Ayayai. Whatever. C'mon inside. We'll see what we can come up with because the girl cares so much..."

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Ok... the initial version of this chapter was give or take ten pages long.... so I decided to split it and now there're two! And ima hold out one week... I actuall finished this last month... why I took so long to publish is beyond me... *laughs* actually I moved so I'm sorry. But Here it is finally!