Okay as I promised, here is the next chapter by the twenty-first. I'm really working hard right now because my room is being redone and pretty much I have almost ZERO time to work on this but I shall keep my word to my beloved readers. *laughs* don't you just love me? I'm kidding. But yup here it is and I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 15:

Khariya noticed the odd angle of Anakin's head and reached out to adjust it but it seemed like the way he was sleeping was VERY uncomfortable. At the corner of her eye, she saw a filthy bed by the work table. She figured it was used by Cliegg when he was working late nights and didn't have the energy to go back to his actual bedroom so he crashed there. Though it was dirty Khariya could see that there was another sheet underneath the spotted blanket that was clean.

Figures, she thought. Might as well practice some use of the Force. Thinking back on her old days, she shifted her thoughts and focused on the soiled blanket and tossed it aside successfully. She then turned to Anakin and used her actual physical strength to carry him but she soon found that he was too heavy for her to actually carry. Just with him leaning on her with one arm slung on her shoulders he was weighing her down so heavily she thought her knees would buckle.

She refocused her mind, which was already tired from just tossing a grimy cloth. Keep in mind, though she had some hold on most Jedi techniques (her lightsaber skills still left much to be desired.), she was no Jedi. The smallest task could drain her in an instant. She had the Force help her carry Anakin to the bed, slightly levitating his opposite side. She reached her destination, the bed, just in time because she was tired out of her mind when she got there. She did her best to settle Anakin down gently and when he touched the cushion, Khariya dropped him and then collapsed as well on the bed. Anakin turned his body to face and hold Khariya to him and chuckled into her neck.

"You tired?" Anakin teased.

"You were awake this whole time??" she cried out indignantly. She shoved him away playfully. "you could've walked to this stupid bed without me?!?"

"Yup. But then again what would have been than fun in that? My way, I got to see how good you were in the Force and I got you to work," he laughed. "You're pretty good, by the way. For someone who didn't have formal Force training, you're pretty good."

"Well, I'm glad to see you're in the mood to mock me," she frowned.Suddenly, Anakin's smile faded away.

"Padmè told you didn't she?" he whispered moving so that his head was propped up on his elbow and his other hand cupped Khariya's face.

"Of course she did..." Khariya saw a flick of his hand and heard the door shut and the light switch click on. "Anakin... this is NOT a good time for this," she murmured as she felt him lean down to kiss her neck. He backed away for a second.

"Are you mad at me because of what I did?" Anakin asked. Khariya knew that he was deliberately acting like a little child and talking softly like kid because he knew that she couldn't be mad at him otherwise.

"No," she sighed. "I guess I can't be. It was understandable and some of them deserved it for killing your mother. I just wish that you didn't kill all of them. I mean, was that really necessary?"

"But you DON'T understand, Khariya!" he exclaimed. "You didn't see her! You didn't hear her! You didn't see what happened! Oh... Maker! How could you possibly understand?!!" He was now sitting up.... then standing up pacing beside the bed. "I haven't seen her in TEN years, Khariya! Then when I do see her, it's when she dies. It's not fair, Khariya! It isn't! I had to kill them! They took her away!" Khariya grabbed his hand and pulled him down. She sat up beside him and just put his face in her hands as her fingetips wiped away at his sweat and tears.

"I know it isn't fair... Life almost never is," she murmured, suddenly realizing that this talk was also for her benefit. "Someone you love... they can be always be taken from you by death... or by something else entirely. You just have to let go, Anakin. Otherwise, it'll kill you inside." Anakin took her hands from his face and put them beside her as he leaned down to kiss her.

"I won't let you be taken away from me," Anakin said between kisses. He leaned her down onto the bed his body pinning her down. "Khariya, help me. Distract me..." He kissed her harder opening her mouth with his tongue and Khariya returned the kiss, her hand wrapping around his neck. Anakin started to released her mouth to drop another long line of kisses down her neck.

"Anakin, this such a bad time for this kind of thing," she moaned as his hands began to roam her body.

"Just distract me, Khari. Please," he replied. Khariya couldn't help it. In just the one night they spent together he seemed to know every spot on her body. She just nodded....

An hour later, a knock came at the door, distracting the two lovers.

"Ummm. Anakin?" Owen called from outside. Anakin groaned in frustration. He just wanted to stay in Khariya's arms in that rundown tool shed.

"Yes?" he replied through the walls. Khariya continued kissing Anakin down his body as she lingered over him but Anakin pulled her up to so their lips could meet again, inviting her tongue into his mouth.

"It's time..." Owen's words took a moment to reach their ears completely.

"Oh Sithspit," Khariya cussed jumping off of Anakin and made a grab for her dress, remembereing that Cliegg wanted the funeral to be the same day. Anakin remained lying down, silently begging the Force to turn time so he wouldn't have to go out and face the reality of outside. After a few seconds, Khariya was dressed, looking only slightly flushed. "Anakin, tell him you're coming."

"We're coming," Anakin said reluctantly. They heard Owen walk away and Anakin just looked at Khariya pitifully. "I don't want to go," he whined.

"Anakin!" Khariya scolded. He realized, then, what he just said: He didn't want to go to his won mother's funeral. He sat up and began to dress.

"I'm sorry," he spoke softly. "I didn't mean it that way." Khariya's eyes softened.

"I know... I just... I distracted you like you asked me to. Now it's time to face up to reality." Anakin finished and stood up next to Khariya. They turned to head for the door but Anakin took Khariya in his arms again for one more time.

"I love you," he whispered kissing her tenderly. He broke away.

"I love you too," she smiled. His hand didn't let go of hers and they walked to the grave that Owen and some others had dug for Shmi. Anakin wanted to run. He didn't want to see this. He wanted to do anything but accept what had happened but Khariya just held on to him.

'At least I have Khariya with me,' he thought.

Cliegg started the ceremony, saying some words about Shmi... The basics, that she was good woman, a hard worker, a wonderful wife... Padmè remained stone cold through the process. She could only see Khariya and Anakin's intertwined fingers. She could only see how Khariya's free hand went to Anakin's arm squeesing it gently and left it there, stroking his skin lightly. She didn't know what to think and whatever tears that fell from her eyes were that of anger. Cliegg then ended the ritual and threw his handful of dirt on the grave as his symbol of letting Shmi go willingly. Cliegg and his family walked away but Anakin walked straight onto the grave his tears going unchecked. Khariya stood back as did Padmè.

Neither sister could hear his words but they knew it was a hard moment for Anakin when they saw him drop to his knees, his hands plunging into the freshly-dug sand. Khariya looked at her sister, who was glaring back.

"You said you wouldn't make anymore moves toward Anakin," Padmè growled under her breath.

"Padmè, this isn't a good time for this," Khariya pleaded. 'My goodness, they would make the most perfect couple wouldn't they?' she thought sarcastically. 'Neither have good situation perceptions.'

"You slept with him," Padmè accused Khariya. Khariya just turned away, knowing that doing so would just confirm her guilt but Padmè just kept pushing. She seized Khariya's shoulder and made her sister face her. "How could you sleep with him?!?1 Especially NOW!?!"

"It was momentary lack of judgement, Padmè," Khariya explained. The night before she was begging for forgiveness but now that Anakin had some new problems to deal with, she just wanted to be there for Anakin. She would gladly let Padmè be the person that comforted him but Anakin was still blinded by something Khariya still didn't know of. She didn't want to cause even more stress on Anakin. "And can this be discussed later? Anakin..."

"Right..." Padmè scoffed. "Like this has anything to do with Anakin. If what you said last night about Anakin loving me was true, then it's more likely that you did something into 'thinking' he was in love with YOU."

"LATER, Padmè Amidala," Khariya snarled. She twisted away and walked nearer to Anakin.

They all turned when they heard a familiar beeping behind them.

"R2, what are you doing here?" Padmè leaned down to the droid and faced back to Anakin and Khariya, her face lined with more worry. "There's a distress message on the ship."

"Let someone else handle it," Anakin muttered bitterly.

"It's from Obi Wan," Padmè finished. Anakin took a moment to answer.

"Then we might as well see what is says," he said standing up and walking towards the ship...

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Aiight! Just as I promised! And there's another version as well to this story... But chloe is nowhere near me at the moment so that version will have to wait for later on. PLEASE REVIEW!

More reviews = more updates

Works quite simply. And argh.... so much for just five chapters left. New plot bunny... And now I have to make more changes to the story...

And if you want email me at: xodangoatamax@hotmail.com