Thanks to you who reviewed! I honestly wasn't expecting any, considering this is my first tip into the Star Wars universe. As for how long I plan on making this, I don't know yet... but I'm beginning to get an idea! If you have any, let me know. Special thanks as always to Katrina, my beta.

And now...

*****

Part II

Padmé could still hear Anakin's feeble protests as he was taken deep within a small hospital run by the Jedi Council. Flanked by both Master Windu and Master Kenobi, she couldn't feel safer, or more smothered. As they searched the area, she allowed her eyes to roll and her thoughts to carry away.


It had been nearly a day since they had arrived back on Coruscant. Padmé had been fussed over immediately, first by Yoda and the surviving members of the Jedi Council, and then once Palpatine had heard the news his star pupil had been injured on Geonosis, he too had come to see how the Senator was holding up.


Now that she had been thoroughly checked over and her wound carefully cleaned and bandaged, she was in a great hurry to return home. It was almost strange to be back on Coruscant, her faithful Captain and handmaiden at her side. Yet she felt completely useless as she stood there, now rounding three hours, listening for Anakin's progress. She knew that he was rather skeptical about the Jedi being able to replace his arm. She was even second guessing their decision. But it was his good lightsaber arm and he would need it for further battles.


Her thoughts darkened as she saw Master Kenobi returning. His face was grave. "Perhaps you would be more comfortable in the wait room, M'Lady."


"No," she said, stubbornly crossing her arms. "I wish to see how he is."


"We will not know of his progress for several hours," Mace Windu replied softly, returning to Padmé's left elbow. "If you would please, m'Lady. I do not wish to return you to the Jedi Council."


The thought of returning to the building with the surviving Jedi, watching them meditate and converse about the tragedies of war and the cold-blunted ruthlessness of the Dark Side was almost unbearable. Forcing a steady smile, she agreed to be lead to the waiting room, where her security Captain and her lady in waiting were seated, on the edge of their seats, poised to receive any news.


"Any news, m'Lady?" her maiden asked, standing immediately as Padmé was escorted by Obi-Wan into the room.


"He has only been in surgury for an hour," Obi-Wan replied, watching as Padmé walked to the side of her maiden, grasping the older woman's hand. "I will let you know of news if there is any, m'Lady."


Padmé watched as he left, a single muscle tensing in her jaw. She knew she shouldn't be angry with him. She knew he blamed her for Anakin's emotional state. His fragile emotional state.


The muscle jumped in her jaw. She could feel the anger brimming.


But he was also right, she realized, relaxing. What possible future could there be for a Senator of Naboo and a Jedi Padawan? It took a death sentence for her to confess her true feelings for the younger man. Now that they were both alive, what would happen now?


Anakin's last thoughts before he eased into unconsciousness were of Padmé. The gentle sway of her hair, the annoyed glint in her eye when she was truly frustrated with him. The stubborn air of defiance in her voice when she was about to do something both stupid and dangerous. Yes, quite the woman she was. His woman.


As his thoughts drifted, he was brought back to the day on Naboo, in the lake country, and the forbidden kiss. But in his mind, events played differently. She actually completed the kiss before turning away, saying that it was wonderful that after ten years, she had finally gotten to do what she had wanted to do for so long.


He gently reached out and caught a faint strand of hair blowing in the breeze. He moved it behind her ear before leaning in, his lips tracing below her ear down to her neck before pulling back.


She turned to him, shock in her eyes. "Ani?" she asked, her voice hushed with uncertainty.


"For ten years, all my best dreams were of you," he said, reaching forward to take her hand. "Ten years, and all I could think about was spending the rest of my life with you..."


As his thoughts drifted away, he could feel himself being brought back into consciousness.


Anakin opened his eyes and glanced around the dimly lit room. He spied four faces around him, none of whom he wanted to see more than the Senator from Naboo. Obi-Wan was there, along with a doctor and Mace Windu. The other face belonged to another leading member of the Jedi Council, no doubt checking in on the young Padawan's condition.


Anakin noticed that Obi-Wan's eyes met his curiously, as though he could read the dream Anakin was having. He tried to speak, but his words wouldn't come. Instead, he lifted his arm to tap at Obi-Wan when he noticed the glint of gold and gasped. He brought his arm forward and stared at the metallic golden arm from his elbow down. He clenched his fingers and wriggled them, trying to ignore the sensation of squealing metal. "What is this?" he asked, his voice tense.


"A prosthetic arm, with extra sensors built in for quality control of your lightsaber," the other member of the Jedi Council replied.


It hit Anakin then. The loss of his arm and the gold stick now holding its place. Choking back his tears of fury, he turned to Obi-Wan, his eyes flashing his disgust at the surgical arm. "Padmé! I wish to see Padmé!"


Obi-Wan nodded. "I spoke to her as you were coming out of surgury, but she was asleep. She will be in as soon as she -"


"Wakes up?" a feminine voice spoke at the door. "I'm here."


Anakin glanced up with pleading eyes. Mace and Obi-Wan exchanged a tired glance and with a sigh, the three Jedi left the room. The Doctor checked over Anakin, promised he'd be back in the morning to release him, and left, pulling the door closed behind him.


Padmé walked to the bed, her steps ginger as she approached it. She bent over with her hand and gently brushed her fingers of the cold, glistening gold. "It looks nice."


"I hate it!" Anakin burst out, twisting his face into a look of undescribable hate. "Why did they have to scar me? Why not cut off my other arm too?"


The look on Padmé's face forced him to regret his outburst. He reached out with his good hand and gently touched her face. "I'm sorry. I didn't know what came over me."


"Ani," she whispered, feeling the onslaught of tears but forcing them back. She turned away, his hand falling back.


"Padmé?" he asked, his voice full of a deep, husky sadness that made her heart break. As she turned back to him, she opened her mouth at the same time as he.
"I need to return to Naboo tomorrow."


"I don't want to lose you again."


They both stared at each other, lost in the thoughts that clung to the words they had spoken.


Finally, it was she who spoke up. "You're not going to lose me again," she said.


"I thought you had died and I regretted not saying things I had meant to say," he replied, turning away from her. "But there wasn't time."


"There never is," she whispered. "But what can we do about it?"


He turned to her, a smile appearing on his face. "We could spend it together."