Oh, Possibilities
By infintiykat
Part 4: No More Secrets Again
"Just give me many chances,
I'll see you through it all,
just give me time to learn to crawl."
A/N: I'm glad you all like this. :D Thank you! My Padmé and Anakin stories are kind of becoming a trilogy of Episode 3. Only this one is changing the end of the last one. Oh well…Hey! I've been reading the first (I think) of the Star Wars books to see if I like them and I finally understand this one story I read a while ago involving Noghri figuring out Padmé was the wife of their savior. Who wrote that? Are you still writing? Write me a review please. I really liked your story.
The italics is a dream sequence. Just imagine Wayne and Garth: "Dul-lo-do! Dul-lo-do!"
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The door slid closed behind Anakin and he leaned against it and sighed.
"What is it?" Padmé asked as she put the twins back in their cribs.
Anakin glanced at her, looking truly shaken.
"The war is over," he said quietly. Padmé brightened.
"Well, that's good news!" She smiled but let it fade when he shook his head.
"No…I'm afraid it's not," he looked up, "Palpatine has dissolved the Republic. We are now living in an Empire."
Padmé gasped. "Blast! I knew something like this would happen when I left…"
"…But that's not all." He said, walking towards her.
"What?"
"The Council wants me back at the temple. They need all the help they can get. A dark force is trying to break up the Order and they can't see properly. Several have lost their lives already. They decided it's best to get strength in numbers." Padmé nodded and a tear slid down her cheek. Anakin quickly wiped it away.
"Don't cry," he whispered, "You'll be fine."
"I worry about you, Ani. What if you…" she looked away, not able to finish. He knew what she was going to say. What if he got killed out there? He knew there were risks involved, but he was a Jedi now. He couldn't be so selfish and stay away from the danger zone. His friends were out there. The sort of adoptive family he'd grown to love. He couldn't just stand back and watch them die. Anakin had to help them.
"Don't worry about me, I know what I'm doing now. Whoever this dark force is, they don't stand a chance." Padmé looked up at him, her eyes moist. She couldn't help but smile through the tears.
"Just be cafeful," she whispered, wrapping him in a tight hug, "When do you leave?"
"As soon as possible," he said, kissing her forehead. "But, it could wait until morning. Now, we have to figure out what you're going to do." Padmé looked up at him.
"What do you mean?"
Anakin sighed. "You need to hide away. Now, especially with children, you are in great danger. With the Jedi occupied, Nute Gunray will probably see it as an opportunity to get near you. Is there anywhere you can go easily?" Padmé thought for a moment.
"Well, I could go to my parents' house. But Ani…they don't know about us yet."
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"C'mon Artoo," Padmé called.
As they neared the Naberries' home, Padmé paused and looked uncertain.
"Don't worry," Anakin said, "They'll understand. Won't they?" He pulled a black glove out his belt and slipped it on his mechanical hand. He didn't want to leave it bare for them to see. Anakin finished by pulling his sleeve down to overlap the glove and cover his wrist.
Padmé shook her head. "I don't know." She took a steadying breath and started to climb the steps to the house. She knocked on the door and began to wonder if this was such a good idea. Her parents would be worried sick about her, probably knowing that the Republic had been dissolved and not having seen her in almost a year. How would they react to the shock of their daughter getting married and having children since the last time they saw her?
Padmé did not have time to dwell on this though, for Sola, her sister, opened the door.
"Padmé!" she said, beginning to embrace her. But, she stopped when she noticed that Padmé and Anakin each had a bundle in their arms.
Padmé smiled nervously. "Hello Sola. Where are Mom and Dad?"
"I'll go get them. Come sit down." With one last glance at the bundles, Sola turned and disappeared into the kitchen.
Padmé took Anakin's hand and led him into the sitting room. They sat down together on one of the comfortable couches. Anakin hoped she wouldn't notice that he was beginning to sweat. The last time he was this nervous was when he had met Padmé again after ten years. And that's saying something.
"Here," she whispered, "You better let me hold Luke." Anakin nodded.
"Right." He handed her the bundle containing their son. Just then, Sola emerged from the kitchen, Jobal and Ruwee following closely.
"Sir, I…" Anakin started, standing. Ruwee looked surprised.
"Oh, Anakin! It's nice to see you again. Sit down, son, sit down." Anakin nodded and slowly sat back down and grasped Padmé's hand. The three took seats across from them and Padmé noticed Sola eyeing Anakin suspiciously. Jobal had her attention on Padmé though. She looked concerned.
"Not more danger, is it, dear?" she asked warily.
"Oh, no, Mom. I…uh…" she glanced at Anakin and squeezed his hand, "I have something to tell you." Jobal glanced down at the bundles Padmé was holding, as if noticing them for the first time.
"What is it, dear?" her father prompted.
"Well, I…" she started. Padmé paused and Jobal raised her brows expectantly.
"We've married," Anakin said quickly. Padmé squeezed his hand again. A shocked silence filled the room. For a moment, Anakin wished he couldn't sense the atmosphere so well.
"I'm sorry we didn't tell you or ask permission, but, Jedi aren't allowed to marry. We had to keep it a secret for a while at the least," Padmé explained. Jobal found her voice first.
"I suppose it's alright, Padmé. But we've been so worried," Jobal said, and Padmé could tell in her eyes that she wasn't so sure about the marriage idea. Padmé sighed and Leia cooed softly.
"I know, and I'm sorry. I had to lay low for a while when the war began because I was…" she glanced at Anakin, "pregnant," she finished quietly.
"Oh," Jobal gasped, bringing a hand to her mouth.
"I wasn't planning on telling Anakin at first. I didn't want him to give up his dream of becoming a Jedi for me. But, I came home to Naboo and quietly did my work at the Theed complex while he was finishing his training."
Sola had been quiet during the whole explanation, but she suddenly laughed.
"So my little sister has finally settled down?" she asked, grinning, "You know, Anakin, she almost missed my wedding because of a Senate conflict she just had to deal with."
"Sola!" Padmé exclaimed.
"That's Padmé for you. Always looking out for the greater good." Sola laughed again. Padmé scowled at her, but Sola's statement did give much levity to the mood. Jobal and Ruwee were chuckling softly and Anakin couldn't help but smile. Jobal stood and approached her daughter.
"Who do we have here?" she asked, sitting at Padmé's side. Padmé smiled.
"This is Luke and Leia," Padmé responded, holding the twins up so her mother could take them.
"Twins?" Jobal asked, taking the infants into her arms. She removed the fold of fabric that almost completely covered Luke's face and peered down at the little tike. He was indeed a beautiful child.
Padmé nodded in response. Sola and Ruwee stood and joined them, and the group admired the twins for quite some time.
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The sun was setting in the distance, and Anakin could see a golden moon already in the sky. It was after dinner and he and Ruwee were walking together in silence in the tidy backyard. After a few quiet moments of observance, Anakin spoke.
"I apologize for not asking your permission, sir," Anakin said quietly. He flexed his now-gloved hand nervously. "But I had to leave to go back to Coruscant and…"
"No need to explain, son, I understand," Ruwee said reassuringly. Anakin let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding.
"I just wanted you to know," Anakin said, again quietly, "That I love your daughter very much." Ruwee smiled and patted him on the shoulder.
"I know, son," he said, looking ahead and walking on, "I know." He looked again at Anakin and noticed his gloved hand.
"What happened there?" he asked, indicating it. Anakin looked at the hand and then back at Ruwee.
"Accident at the Geonosis battle," Anakin replied, "Would you like to see?" Ruwee nodded. Anakin pulled up his sleeve and removed the glove, revealing his mechanical hand. It glistened slightly in the low sunlight.
"Wow. How'd you do that?" he asked curiously.
"Lightsaber fight," Anakin stated, pulling the glove back on, "The leader of the Separatists is a former Jedi. My old master and I were trying to keep him from escaping. I was battling him and he…" Anakin made a slashing movement with his hand were the mechanical arm began.
"Oh my," Ruwee said, "Seen a lot of action, haven't you?" Anakin shrugged and smirked.
"A little."
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"I told you so," Sola said, pulling the brush through Padmé's hair again. They were in Padmé's room, in front of her vanity. Padmé had an elbow propped up on the vanity tabletop, and her head was resting in her hand. She rolled her eyes.
"I know. But-"
"But you thought of your duties first, and of his obligations as a Jedi. Of course," she said it with a knowing grin. Padmé sighed.
"I was in denial. I didn't realize how much he meant to me until we were about to be executed on Geonosis." Sola nodded and yawned.
"All this excitement has worn me out," she said, take a final brush of Padmé's hair and putting it down, "Goodnight, sis."
"Goodnight Sola." Sola turned and walked out of the room. Padmé went to her bed and sat, not really wanting to sleep. If she slept, tomorrow would come and Anakin would leave. She almost couldn't bear the thought. Her parents gave him the guest room to sleep in, and now she wished he was there with her.
Padmé tried not to think about it and instead began to read a data pad with the current news briefing.
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Anakin couldn't sleep. He kept tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable, but to no avail. He gave up and raised himself to lean against the wooden headboard. This wasn't how he wanted to spend his last night on Naboo.
Anakin closed his eyes and reached out into the Force, feeling around for Padmé. He found her, with the twins peacefully asleep nearby. But she was awake.
Anakin got out of bed and quietly went to the door. He felt around for anyone in the hallway, and, satisfied that the coast was clear, opened the door and crept out of his room. He wandered down the hall, trying to remember which room was Padmé's. He stopped at a door a little ways down and reached out into the Force again. Sure enough, he felt her presence in there, still awake.
He gently eased the door open and poked his head into the room. Padmé looked up.
"Can I come in?" he whispered. Padmé nodded. Anakin entered and gently closed the door behind him.
"Can't sleep?" she asked, putting a data pad she was reading on the bedside table. Anakin nodded and started towards the bed.
"Me either." Padmé scooted over to accommodate him. Anakin slid into bed next her and scooted close to fit.
"I didn't want to spend my last night here with out you," he said softly, bringing a hand up to push a loose curl behind her ear.
"I know," she said and kissed him softly. "It would be like already saying…goodbye." Anakin nodded, pulling them down to settle on her pillow. He put his arms around her waist and put his face close to the back of her neck. She could almost feel his breathing move through her with the movement of his chest and his breath on her neck. It was very comforting indeed, knowing that he was alive. But, she tried to shake the thought from her mind. That was no way to think. Of course he'd come through this conflict alive. But she couldn't help worrying, of course.
Anakin kissed her neck. "Sweet dreams," he muttered against her skin, "I love you."
"Goodnight," she responded softly, "I love you too."
Needless to say, Padmé had much less trouble getting to sleep after Anakin arrived. She knew he felt the same as his breath came long and even, showing that he was asleep. Padmé started to drift off herself…
(A/N: You see Wayne and Garth? Okay. Good.)
The scene before her was vaguely familiar, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Padmé was standing in a dining area, looking out into an open courtyard. The ceiling was painted brown and black, obviously of human design and the plain wooden table told of a simple family. She walked out into the courtyard and glanced around. She recognized that the place was very warm, even though she couldn't necessarily feel it.
Not really realizing what she was doing, Padmé wandered up some steps on the left side of the circular courtyard. She ended up at ground level outside of the compound, still wondering where she was.
Tatooine. She was on Tatooine. The two suns were setting off in the distance as she glanced around, surveying the area. A man stood at the edge of the compound opening. Padmé approached him to get a better look and he did not turn or acknowledge her at all.
The man was young, around Anakin's age. He had medium length sandy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He wore a simple white tunic and trousers, a sign that he probably helped on the moisture farm. He was watching the two suns as they lowered themselves in the sky, making way for the many moons. He had one leg propped up on the ridge and he had a yearning in his eyes, for something beyond the sand dunes.
He too looked vaguely familiar and Padmé felt an overwhelming sense of sympathy for him. She reached out her hand to touch his face, and the scene abruptly changed.
A dark corridor on some kind of ship appeared and Padmé tried to get her bearings. She looked around and wondered if you could get motion sickness in a dream. There was blaster fire somewhere else on the ship and Padmé went to see what it was. Before she got to the bright corridor ahead, Padmé heard some familiar beeping behind her. Turning around, she saw a little blue-clad asteroid droid.
"Artoo?!" Padmé exclaimed, but no sound came out. A young woman, wearing a simple white dress with a hood, went to the droid. She was another vaguely familiar person. What could this all mean? Padmé watched as a invisible presence, truly puzzled.
The young woman had deep brown hair and brown eyes. She looked around quickly and said a message that Padmé didn't really hear except that she mentioned Obi-Wan.
"Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi," she told the droid, "You're my only hope." She looked around again and inserted a data card into Artoo. Why was she talking to Obi-Wan? Why was he her only hope? The woman heard something and quickly hid behind a wall. Padmé turned to see several troopers in white armor stride into the corridor. The young woman peeked around her hiding place and Padmé saw that she was holding a blaster.
One of the troopers noticed her and said to the other, "There's one. Set it for stun." The other adjusted his blaster and aimed. The woman picked off one of the troopers with a blaster shot and began to run away. But with a blast of the stun ray, she was on the floor. The trooper handcuffed her and brought her into the brightly lit hallway. Padmé followed.
They traveled through the ship around endless corners and then halted, the remaining troopers snapping to attention. Padmé followed their gaze and a feeling of dread flitted in her stomach.
A being with a human form towered over the others. His face was covered in a horrifying black mask, and the rest of his clothing was black, from his cloak down to his boots. His breathing was weirdly amplified with a mechanical tinge to it. As his cloaked swished, she could see a lightsaber attached to his belt…and the scene changed abruptly again.
She wished that it would stop doing that. It was rather irritating.
Now Padmé knew where she was. It was the Senatorial apartment building's landing platform. She winced, remembering that her loyal friend and decoy, Cordé, died on this platform.
The buildings in the surrounding area glistened in a distorted afternoon light as Padmé searched the area for someone, anyone, to end this bizarre dream.
"Padmé?" someone whispered behind her. She turned to see Anakin, looking slightly eerie in this dream world. His cerulean blue eyes seemed to glow brighter than life itself. His face was fearful though, as if he knew something dreadful that Padmé didn't seem to realize in her dream state.
"Ani?" she asked cautiously, "What's wrong?" She started toward him, but her feet did not want to obey. Padmé fought hard, but to no avail. She was stuck to the permacrete, a feeling of guilt that she couldn't comfort her love washing over her. Anakin swallowed and his eyes were moist.
"I love you," he whispered. His eyes focused on something beyond Padmé.
"And so," a grave voice said behind Padmé, and she was allowed to turn to regard him, "You've finally come to me." The voice belonged to a shorter man, covered in a black robe. His hood kept most of his face in shadows, but Padmé could see his deathly pale mouth and chin. The same feeling of dread that had her on the ship threatened to suffocate her again.
The man slowly brought a pale hand up to point at Padmé. "Kill her," he commanded, and Padmé heard a lightsaber hum to life behind her. She whipped around and saw the towering terror from the ship standing in Anakin's place, bringing his red lightsaber above his head to strike…Padmé let out a silent scream…
And awoke, sitting blot upright in bed. Padmé was visibly shaking, and she felt oddly cold, like it was penetrating her heart. It hurt. It hurt worse than anything she had ever felt before in her life. She clutched her chest and was breathing hard.
The bed shifted and Padmé felt a hand on her back.
"Are you alright?" Anakin asked, his voice concerned. Obviously Padmé's awakening startled him awake as well. Instead of responding, Padmé buried her face in his chest and began to sob. Anakin wrapped his arms around her, slowly beginning to understand that she must have had a nightmare. He stroked her hair, trying to quiet her.
"Shh…" he said, his voice soft and low, "It's alright, it was only a dream. Only a dream." He gently rocked her as she wept, wondering what had happened in her nightmare to make her this upset. But that could wait until tomorrow. He kissed her forehead and sent some comforting thoughts her way, knowing that he would just have to wait it out.
Eventually, Padmé's weeping ceased and Anakin gently laid her back down. He did the same, keeping his arms around her waist. Padmé sniffed and Anakin wiped a tear from her cheek.
"I was so scared," she whispered. Anakin nodded and pulled her closer.
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It really makes me wonder why some things happen when they do…It really makes me wonder why it wasn't me instead of you…
Jobal and Ruwee stood at the bottom of the steps, watching Anakin and Padmé from a distance.
"What do you make of all this?" she asked quietly. Ruwee smirked.
"Just two crazy kids in love," he responded. Jobal chuckled softly. "Let's leave them to it," he continued, and they walked back up the steps together.
"I want you to take Artoo," Padmé was saying, "And send me a message whenever you can." Anakin nodded, his forehead brushing against hers.
"I will," he said softly. For a moment, they just gazed into the other's eyes, wanting to hold on to this moment. Anakin kissed her, starting gently and it deepened. When he pulled back, a tear was sliding down Padmé's cheek and he wiped it away, kissing her again. Padmé turned the kiss into an embrace and Anakin began making a trail of kisses down her neck, wanting to save the taste of her skin.
"Just be careful," she breathed against his neck. Anakin pulled away, smirking. He shook his head.
"Don't worry!" he said, and became serious. "I won't be long. I promise." Padmé nodded and another tear fell. With one last kiss, Anakin slowly began to walk away. Padmé held let her hand slide down his arm as he backed away.
"I love you," he said. "And don't you worry." He grinned. "You're very good at that." "I love you too," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
"C'mon Artoo," he told the droid, and blew a kiss Padmé's way. She caught it, and held it close to her heart.
…to be continued.
Post note: This has to be a record-breaker for me. That was the longest chapter ever! REVIEW.