9:34 pm on father's Day. What a day... I'm actually quite sick. Why I'm typing is a reason that just flies by without giving any hint to what it is. Did that make sense?!? That shows how incoherent I am as of this moment so if this chapter bites... I'm terribly sorry.

Chapter 14:

They were on their way to a moisture farm on a bluff near Mos Eisley. Padmè took a turn piloting the ship. Khariya was at a bedroom, thinking, when Anakin knocked on her door.

"Khariya..." he called. He pressed a button at the doorframe but found that she locked it.

"Come in," she replied as she was sitting down on his bed. "And don't tell me that a door lock can stop you from getting in here." She turned her head at the swish click sound behind her and saw Anakin grinning back.

"I was trying to be polite," Anakin answered before stepping and relocking the door behind him. "Why are you in here? Are you all right?"

"Nothing. Just tired." She felt him kneel behind her as his hands traveled to her shoulders rubbing them down all the way to the small of her back. "Hmmm... That's good, Anakin..." She could feel him slipping the Force underneath her skin and felt the energy pulsate against muscles that she didn't even know she had. She arched her back and leaned against Anakin.

"Any better?" he asked kissing the long neck she was exposing him to. She nodded, sighing.

"I love you, Anakin..." she whispered into his ear. "You know that right? I'll always be here for you whenever you need me no matter what happens." Anakin stopped his kisses.

"What are trying to say?" he questioned worriedly.

"No! Nothing!" she said quickly seeing the concern in his eyes. "I mean that... nothing." She sat up. "I was just put off a little by Watto."

"Because he thought I was with Padmè?" Khariya nodded embarrassed. "Oh... Sheesh... Okay... there are two reasons that you should not even listen to him. One) he was a slave-owning gambler with no feelings whatsoever. He only released me because he lost a bet and I'm willing to bet that that was the same situation he lost my mother to. Two) He hasn't seen me in ten years. What does HE know about who I love?" Khariya smiled.

"Fine... I just... felt.. strange that's all."

"Well, no more worries, Princess." He pinned her down on the bed slowly kissing her his hands traveling down the side of her body gathering the skirt up to her waist knowing that if they made love right then it would be incredibly dangerous. "I want to love you again..." he murmured into her neck.

"Ani..." she laughed. "Not here... She'll catch us."

"Let her!"

"Anakin, I want to be with you for always but I don't want Padmè to find out, at least not yet," she said pushing him up. She saw the frown on his face.

'Are you ashamed to be with me?' he thought.

"No!" She quickly rephrased her words. "I just don't want her to find out until I'm sure she won't be too hurt by it." He stood up and looked away from her. She stood next to him and tilted her face to him.

'I am NOT ashamed to be with you. I'd sooner tell the whole galaxy I love you but I'm not telling them not because it might be wrong because you're a Jedi or there is something utterly repulsive with me loving you, because let me tell you, we did enough last night to give me the right to say there is NOTHING repulsive with loving you,' she joked, silently slipping her thoughts into his mind. Anakin grinned sheepishly.

"But I don't want to hurt my sister... Not more than the least amount of hurt this can cause her," she said. She kissed him quickly then dropped her hands so that she could go. "I'm going to the front, okay?" Anakin nodded.

Padmè heard her sister step into the cockpit just as she was ready to put the ship in automatic to find her. She was still upset over the kiss she saw Anakin and Khariya shared but she was secretly gloating after Watto had mistaken her for Anakin's girlfriend.

"Hey, Khari," Padmè greeted taking her hand off the auto switch. She turned and smiled at her sister who propped her self into the empty co-pilot seat. "Where's Anakin?"

"Bedroom resting," she answered. "How long till we get to the bluff?"

"Any minute now actually... Has Anakin said anything about this?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Anakin walked in almost lazily and leaned on the back of Khariya's chair. As Padmè looked Anakin over, she realized how much he'd grown. She smiled...

'Maybe falling in love with Anakin wasn't a mistake... But saying out loud that I wasn't might have been...' Her smile faltered and she focused again to the skies and saw their destination... a minute line in the horizon featuring some small white bumps that must have been the living quarters of the Lars.

"There it is Anakin," Padmè announced. The bumps became clear now and they landed safely some distance away. Anakin had been silent since that moment and he led the way to the farm when they exited the air craft. "R2, stay with the ship please," she murmured. Both sister followed Anakin, silently readying themselves in case... in case Anakin might have some need for them.

"May I help you?" An incomplete droid greeted them. Khariya stared, finding it a little strange for such a droid to be on a farm. It named it self C3- PO and it seemed to be so busy with propriety... He didn't fit into the hard land of Tatooine.

"Oh my... Master Anakin!" the droid gasped. "And Miss Padmè."

"Hello, Threepio," she smiled, shyly. I like being so readily accepted as Anakin's companion.

"Who is this?" Threepio asked looking at Khariya.

"Oh yes, you haven't met me yet!" Khariya grinned. She stepped up to him and held out her hand. Threepio hesitated for a second, a bit surprised, never having been in an environment where people actually shook hands. "My name is Danè Khariya Naberrie. I'm Padmè's younger sister."

"Delighted to meet you." Threepio shook her hand briefly and turned to Anakin. "Well Master Anakin, what may I help you with?"

"I'm looking for my mother," Anakin answered. C3-Po softly gasped and turned away.

"I think it better for us to go in... oh dear." They followed the slightly shuffling droid. They met two people in the inside.

"I'm Owen," said the boy with dark hair. "This is my girlfriend, Beru." Anakin and Owen looked at each other for a second. "I guess this means we're stepbrothers..."

"Where's my mother?" Anakin said more insistently, his patience running dry. Khariya put a hand on his arm, sending him a message that said to keep calm.

"She's not here," a voice said. They all turned and saw a one-legged man on a hoverchair. "Come on in... We need to talk." Khariya stared at the leg, realizing that this man was only recently hurt. Padmè had the same thoughts.

As they sat around a table, an awkward silence fell over them until Anakin broke it again.

"If she's not here then where is she?"

"My name is Cliegg Lars... I married your mother some years ago. Won her from her old owner, Watto." He paused and grimaced as he shifted the cut leg. "About a month ago, Shmi went out early to gather some of the harvest. By the marks we found, she was halfway home when she was taken... Tuskens. I tell you, son. They stand like humans but when it comes down to it they're animals. Seven of us came out to look for her. Me included, three came back. If it weren't for my leg, I'd be out still looking but we have little hope she survived this long." Khariya looked helplessly at Anakin who looked deep in thought. His face was hard and when he tried to slip into his mind, she was pushed out roughly, sending her reeling at her seat. "I'm sorry... We never wanted you to find out this way about us..." Suddenly Anakin jumped out of his seat and stood up.

"I'm going out to look for her." He glared at everyone, daring anyone to stop him.

"It's hopeless son. She's been out for a month! She wouldn't survive out there," Cliegg tried to reason.

"I can still feel her. She's alive." He stepped out and everyone followed. Padmè, shocked at his sudden decision, grabbed his arm and pulled him away.

"Anakin are you sure about this?" Padmè whispered hurriedly.

"Yes," he nodded. "Stay with the Lars. They're good people. Just please take care of yourself... And PLEASE take care of Khariya. Don't wander off." Padmè still looked worried so he put his arms around her. She nodded, understanding why he had to do this and stayed behind as he walked to the speeder bike. Khariya gripped one handle bar as he straddled the ride and looked at him in the eye. "You know I have to go, Khariya."

"It's not you going that I'm worried about," she said her voice breaking with worry. "It's the part with you not being able to come back that scares me.... Come back okay?" Anakin pushed her head to his and kissed her softly.

"I'll come back... Don't worry about me."

"Promise it," she ordered softly.

"I promise," he said a small smile playing at his lips. "Stay here until I come back." She nodded, kissed him one more time and stepped away from the speeder. With one last look he took off and both sisters were left alone.

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Padmè explored the place she was now in and fell into the garage. She stayed in there looking out the window, silently praying that the occasion gust she heard was the whine of a speeder. She didn't want to think about Anakin and Khariya. She just wanted to use all her thoughts on Anakin and his mother.

"The boy has issues with women," she muttered. Suddenly, a noise behind her caught her attention and she turned to see Khariya stepping into the garage.

"Any sign of him?" Padmè shook her head.

"I wish I knew what he's seeing right now... I want to make sure he's all right," Padmè confessed. Khariya was silent for a moment.

"You saw us right?" Khariya murmured. Padmè looked at her sister, who seemed ashamed of everything in her past. "You saw me... and Anakin. You saw us kiss..."

"Yes," she replied. Padmè wanted to lie through her teeth. She wanted to say some sisterly retort with something like, 'I was wondering when you two would finally get it together' but the truth spilled from her lips as did the tears from her eyes. "Since when have you been hiding this from me?"

"I'm sorry Padmè... I really am... It's only been going on since yesterday. I promise. When he gets back, I'll tell him we're over. I KNEW that you had feelings for him and I can't believe I had the nerve. And I know he loves YOU no matter what he says. I'm only a replacement when you lied to him about not loving him.... I KNEW IT... I'm sorry Padmè. Please forgive me.." Khariya sobbed rambling on and on.

"It's... I guess it's okay," Padmè sighed. Khariya had finally collapsed in tears into Padmè's arms.

"I promise to break up with him when he gets back..." Khariya said. She sat up and wiped her tears. The guilt was finally off of her and she was relieved.

"Do you love Anakin?" Padmè asked. Khariya looked away and Padmè ordered, "Only the truth Danè."

"Yes," Khariya murmured in shame.

"Then stay with him." Khariya blinked in surprise.

"No! You love him and he loves you. I'm NOT going in the way of that!" Khariya exclaimed.

"Yes you will. I lost my chance..." They were silenced when Threepio walked in on them.

"I heard noise," he explained. "Is something the matter?"

"No. We were just talking. We couldn't sleep. You know how it is..." Padmè said.

"Ummm... I'm sorry I don't. I only know how to be on standby or active.... Never in between." He apologized.

"Do you want is to cover you, Threepio?" Khariya interrupted.

"I beg you pardon."

"There's material everywhere here," Khariya said. "I'm sure we could find you some decent covering for those circuits. You'll need it in this heat."

"Why thank you, Miss Danè," he said sitting down on an empty crate.

"Khariya, Threepio. Just call me Khariya." She looked around and started gathering pieces of metal shells scattered in the garage. He just watched as Padmè started to help as well.

"I lost my chance with him, Khariya. It's only right that you have him."

"He's yours, dear sister. Not mine. But he has it in his head that he loves me, which couldn't be farther from the truth. You might not think that Anakin's heart belongs to you but by the time we get home to Naboo, there won't be a doubt in your mind. I promise you that," Khariya predicted.

"No it doesn't!" Padmè cried out indignantly.

"Yes it does and stop denying it because you know your heart belongs to him," Khariya snapped and Padmè shut up immediately. They started to cover Threepio with crude metal covers doing their best to make a shell to protect his insides.

"How do you know all that?" Padmè murmured as they neared finishing and as sunrise neared as well.

"I love both of you, Padmè. I can read both of you like books." Khariya stood up and admired her work on Threepio who went into standby hours ago. "You both love each other. I'm just in the way of it being reality." Padmè stared at her sister, not knowing what to say.

"Thank you, then... I'll tell him I love him..."

Hours later... when the suns of Tatooine was beating down on all it's citizens, Anakin's bike came back.... Khariya looked, reluctantly knowing what she had to do but as soon as she looked at the speeder any thoughts of breaking up with Anakin disappeared. There was a large lumpy bag on the back and Anakin carried it into the house, his face a menacing mask. Padmè was the first to approach him while he was in the tool shed.

"Tell me what happened," Padmè said trying to get him to look her in the eye.

"She died... in my arms..." Anakin said his voice cracking with angry tears. "I should have been able to save her, Padmè... It's not fair!" He threw the electronic device he had in his hand into the next room's wall. "This is all Obi Wan's fault!"

"Anakin, that's not fair! He's not even here!"

"But it's him holding me back. He says I'm not ready for the Trials but I am! He won't let me go. I could have had the power to save her if he never held me back."

"You're not all powerful, Anakin. No one is! You can't control who dies and who doesn't," Padmè reasoned.

"well, I should be." Anakin stood proudly before her and she just stared, afraid of what brought this in him. "One day I'll be the most powerful being in the galaxy and I'll be able to control death."

"What happened, Anakin?" Padmè asked afraid. He looked away for a second.

"After she died, I was angry. I couldn't help myself.... Every single one of them... The guards, the warriors... And not just the men... the women and children too," he growled.

"What did you do?"

"They're animals, Padmè, and I slaughtered them like animals. I killed them. I killed them all!" Anakin confessed. Padmè stood scared stiff as Anakin admitted what he did but she held her arms out to him and Anakin fell to his knees and let himself be wrapped by her. He started to cry uncontrollably into her neck and Padmè did her best to comfort him.

"Shhhh..." she whispered. They just held each other for a quarter of an hour in silence and it seemed that Anakin was tired because he fell asleep on her. She gently leaned him against a cupboard and hurried to Khariya. She relayed the whole story but unlike her Khariya wasn't surprised.

"I figured he'd do something to that scale," she murmured as they walked back to the tool shed. Padmè stared at her still surprised. "No... No Padmè I don't think it was right.. I just... I just knew he'd do something like that. Padmè, can you leave us alone for awhile? I'll... Anakin and I need to talk."

"All right," Padmè agreed. "Just... just don't tell him it's over yet. Not for a long while..."

"I know...:" Padmè left to help Threepio and Khariya entered the tool shed. She found him still asleep on the floor and she sat next to his sleeping body, not quite knowing what to do.

See? I told you I'd update in a day or so! I'm working extra hard because I know I've been slacking off so I'm trying to make up for it. Please review! I'll greatly appreciate it! And thank you in advance.

In case you're wondering... the next chapter is in the works and I promise it'll be up by monday. PROMISE by july 21 03 it'll be published. I'll work my butt off for it! And in case your wondering as well, After this chapter there will be only 5 chapters left. WOW... but yes the chapters WILL be long so they explain well enough.