One Last Encounter

AUTHOR: Abigail

SUMMARY: There was only one way that Anakin and Padme could have stayed together…Twists the plot from RotS.

CHAPTER 8: Reflection

RATING: M

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything that was created by George Lucas.

NOTE: Hey guys. If you read my last chapter, sorry about my switch there. I realize that I screwed up everyone's eye color but this is my story and I felt like forgetting what their 'true' eye color was. (hehehehe). I was mainly trying to get the point across that Leia resembles her mother and Luke resembles his father. Thanks again to all of my amazing reviewers that have helped me make this story as best as I can. Keep it up. Anyhoo…I present to you my next chapter.

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Anakin stared out the front room window that overlooked the vast city of Coruscant. His eyes were looking at nothing particular, but they were wandering over the glass, glaring at his faint reflection staring back at him. He had slipped away into the bottomless pit called his thoughts and didn't see that Padme was standing close behind him. She stepped closer and placed her hand on his back. Rather than be startled, Anakin didn't move a muscle. He continued to stare at the window, waiting for Padme to speak to him. Padme looked at his reflection and saw that his eyes refused to look at hers. Anakin shifted awkwardly and cleared his throat.

"You should be in bed, Padme," he said, remaining still. Padme ignored his comment and continued to look up at his turned face. Anakin finally turned to her, his eyes shifting over her face, refusing to meet her saddened gaze. I can't bring myself to look at her…he thought to himself. All of those awful memories began to flash through his mind again. The way he had taken advantage of Padme, the way he had hurt her, the way that he had dragged her down to that merciless hell of the dark side. Yet she had followed him so willingly, all for love's sake.

He looked at her face. She still bore such innocent features. Her skin was porcelain white, tinged with rosy cheeks. Her dark brown hair was still down in curls. But he didn't look at her eyes. He turned away again, finding refuge in the window. The images were still playing in his mind, like a hologram on repeat. He was sickened with himself and what he was doing. But he wanted this. And he had promised himself to his Master, pledging that no one would stop Darth Vader from his reckless path to power. Did that include Padme, his very reason for living?

Anakin could feel himself growing weak from his sudden burst of trapped emotions. He knew that Obi-Wan had always told him to never hide your feelings and emotions, for once you did, it led down the path to the dark side. Where was he now? And where had his new Master's advice gotten him? Anakin was empty inside and even more distant from Padme. But he had no choice. Becoming a Sith Lord was his destiny, and Anakin knew it. There was no doubt in Anakin's mind that Darth Vader would become the most powerful figure in the galaxy.

Padme watched Anakin's sketchy emotions dance across his face and could see the contradiction that lay inside his mind. She could feel the gap between them growing even deeper than before, and she suddenly felt cold and alone without Anakin near her side. Although her physical health improved each day with the more rest she got, Padme felt her sanity slipping away. This man that she knew so well was now a stranger. Even Padme felt a stranger to herself. She had betrayed everything she believed in that night on Mustafar. But she wasn't going to let Anakin slip away from her again.

Padme moved her hand from his back to his shoulder, where she shifted his body towards hers. He looked down at her, locking eyes. Padme searched his face, hunting for that hidden emotion that she knew lay deep in the shadows of his heart. She knew how he truly felt deep inside. And she knew that goodness; pure goodness was hiding in his soul, only temporarily trapped by the bonds of the dark side.

"Anakin," she whispered, her hand lightly traveling up his neck and face. Her fingers gently traced the scar over his eye. Anakin winced and tried to pull away from her. But Padme insistently moved closer to him. She wrapped her arms around him, resting her head against his chest. "Hold me, Anakin. Hold me like you did on Naboo where there was nothing but our love."

Anakin slowly pulled Padme too him, tucking her head under his chin. His fingers were entangled in her hair as he softly began to cry. Small, angry tears slowly glided down his face, dripping into Padme's hair. Anakin grimaced as the images returned, screaming that constant reminder of what he'd done to her. Padme's body was shaking; her muffled sobs the only sound in the quickly darkening room.

Anakin turned to see Coruscant's sun slowly drift down below the horizon. Padme continued to cry while Anakin stared out the window again. His reflection had changed from earlier. The sun's position in the sky allowed the sun to highlight his face. He no longer looked like that shadowed figure from his nightmares. He held Padme in his arms, protecting her from what was previously reflected on the window. A small hope was growing inside his heart as he turned back to Padme, running his hands through her silky hair. Padme lifted her face up to his, her tear-stained face straining to meet his. He lowered his head, meeting her soft lips and placing a gentle kiss upon them. He pulled away and cupped her face in his hands. Anakin kissed her again. Padme ran her finger alongside his cheek, stopping at his chin where she brushed away a singular tear. Anakin did the same, wiping away the wetness from beneath her eyes. Their eyes locked, and for that moment in time, their emotions lay open and exposed to each other. Neither one of them moved and neither one of them spoke. Only soft touches and soft kisses were given.

Anakin then took Padme's hands and held them to his heart, continuing to bear his soul to her.

But the sun had suddenly disappeared beneath Coruscant's horizon. The light left Anakin's face and the light left the room with a quickness that caused Padme to gasp. The moment had passed and the two of them were left in the dark room, Padme's hands still in Anakin's. Padme watched with a horrifying sadness as Anakin's face darkened, the door to his heart and soul slamming shut. He suddenly dropped her hands and walked away from the window, leaving Padme standing there. "I'm going to bed," he said without emotion as he shut their bedroom door shut. Padme's heart sank and her head lowered onto her chest as she swallowed the tears that threatened toburst forth fromher eyes. Padme slowly walked towards their bedroom door, opening it and hurriedly walking to her side of the bed. Anakin sat on the edge of the bed as he removed his shirt. He quietly pulled back the bed sheets and slipped into the bed, closing his eyes. Padme faced the wall as she removed her dressing robe, leaving only her soft nightgown to cover her body.

Padme cautiously crawled into bed. She lay down on her back, staring up at the tiny slits of light that peeped through the window blinds. She then turned to Anakin, only to see that he had his back to her. "Goodnight…" she croaked, trying her best to keep from sobbing in front of this stranger. No reply came from the figure that lay on the other side of the bed. Padme looked back up at the ceiling, swallowing the tears that ran down the back of her throat. She pulled the covers over her body and closed her eyes. Padme scooted closer to the edge of the bed, widening the gap between her and Anakin. Padme lie awake, until she couldn't bear it any longer. She slowly rose out of bed and crept to the corner of the room where Luke and Leia were sleeping.

They looked so beautiful. Their tiny fingers curled into their palms and their little stomachs slightly rose and fell with each breath. She stroked Leia's soft hair that so resembled her own. Leia stirred, a sigh escaping her tiny little mouth. Her attention turned to Luke. Padme gently scooped him up into her arms. She rocked him in her arms, gently singing to him an ancient Nubian lullaby that her mother used to sing to her. Luke shifted in her arms until he became accustomed to her holding him. Padme watched her son sleep. His little fingers would sometimes move, but for the most part he remained absolutely still. If she were holding Leia, she knew that the opposite would be true. Padme was surprised that after several days she already knew her children so well. I guess that's what makes motherhood so amazing…she thought, a tear streaking down her face. Quickly setting Luke back down, she wiped the tear from her cheek and got back into that cold bed that no longer held any warmth for her.

Padme shivered from the coldness as more tears brimmed her eyes as she thought what had just happened. She could still feel the soft touch of Anakin's lips upon her own. How tender and gentle he was with her. That moment was such a paradox compared to who he was now. But Padme had seen inside his eyes and she saw that part of him that she hadn't seen in a while. Padme couldn't describe it, but in words, it made her think of goodness. And she knew that it was still there, lurking within in his mind. Slowly, Padme closed her eyes. Both of them lay awake for a while, until sleep overcame them and they drifted into the hiding place of their dreams.

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Anakin rolled onto his back. Something from the real world was entering the realms of his mind. In the distance, he could hear something. He turned back onto his side, until he slowly woke up. He quickly sat up in bed, his hair, face, and chest glistening with sweat. His entire body felt like it were on fire. But then he heard it again…a scream. He suddenly turned and saw Padme, her body writhing on the bed, her hands grasping the sheets that covered her. She was mumbling slurred words, many that Anakin couldn't pick up. "Ani…" she said, her brow wrinkling. And then she screamed again. Anakin grabbed Padme by the shoulders and gently shook her, trying to get her to wake up.

But this only made matters worse. Padme continued to thrash about, crying out Anakin's name, tears making their way down her face. Anakin shouted her name, tried to get her to wake, but she only thwarted his efforts. He finally picked her up and pressed her close to his body as she finally calmed down and woke up from her terrible nightmare.

"Padme, its ok. Wake up. You were having a nightmare…" he said calmly. Anakin was still holding Padme, who was fully awake by now, wondering why she was drenched in sweat and out of breath.

"Oh…Ani…I…it was awful," she said, peering up at Anakin, a look of horror written across her face.

"What happened, Padme? I heard you screaming my name. Did you have a nightmare?" Anakin asked, the emotional distance between the two still prevalent. Padme stared at Anakin for a moment, but then shook her head.

"It's nothing…I'll…be fine," she whispered, pulling herself out of Anakin's arms and back into her solitary side of the bed. Padme sniffled and lightly coughed, then shut her eyes, hoping that Anakin would think she was asleep. But Anakin knew better, and continued to sit up in bed, watching Padme pretend to sleep. The gap between them was growing larger every minute, and Anakin knew there was nothing he could do to stop it. Yet he knew that wasn't true. I just don't feel like stopping it, he thought to himself.

He finally laid himself back down into the bed, and stared up at the ceiling. Night had finally fallen overthe cityand all was calm and quiet in Coruscant, except for the tension in Anakin and Padme's room. Suddenly, Anakin began to speak.

"I know you're awake, Padme. And I'm going to talk whether you chose to listen to me or not. I know that you had a nightmare and I would rather you tell me about it than keep it to yourself. Stress like that, after what you've just gone through, isn't healthy…" Anakin paused, waiting to hear if Padme would speak. She slightly shifted in her spot, but said nothing. "Please talk to me Padme…Don't shut me out" he said, realizing too late what an impact his words would have on Padme's silently listening soul.

She quickly turned towards him, sitting up. "Don't shut me out?" she whispered. "You're the one who has shut me out, Anakin. These past few months, you've been a complete stranger to me. And then, I finally find out what's happening with you, and I risk EVERYTHING just so we can stay together. Yet you continue to shut ME out?" Padme paused to catch her breath. "If you want to know what my nightmare was about, I'll happily tell you. I dreamt that we were back on Mustafar and I went into labor. Everything was hot and loud and painful, and I was screaming your name, but you never came. Everything went black, and then I was back there again, with Luke and Leia. I was running so fast, looking for you. And then I found you and…" Padme slowly stopped talking and began to cry.

Anakin slowly sat up and moved closer to Padme. "You don't have to tell me the rest, Padme. I'm so sorry…" he said, pulling her into his arms. She limply fell onto his chest, continuing to cry. Anakin stroked her hair, unable to find any words that could possibly comfort Padme at this moment.

"Anakin, you killed them…," she gasped. Anakin paused and looked down at Padme. She opened her eyes and looked over at Luke and Leia, who silentlyslept in their beds. Anakin shook his head, looking back at Padme. "You killed them Anakin, Luke and Leia. You took them from me and…" Padme choked on her own words, looking back up at Anakin with a look of sympathy mixed with confusion.

Anakin back away from Padme. "I would never do that. You know that." Padme remained motionless, turning to that corner of the room, then back to Anakin. "Don't look at me like that, Padme. Stop it!" he yelled at her, getting up out of the bed. Padme continued to stare at him, with such a look of confusion and fear that Anakin was beginning to wonder about Padme's nightmare and was suddenly filled with apprehension. Anakin pictured Luke and Leia in his mind, their tiny bodies that made tiny sounds and tiny movements. Leia was so like Padme, and Luke; Anakin knew that Luke was going to be a Jedi when he grew up, that he knew for sure. But their images suddenly disappeared from his mind.

He looked back at Padme, who stood up from the bed as well. "Do you feel it too?" she whispered ever so quietly. Anakin felt terror engulf his mind as he rushed over to their tiny beds, finding them completely empty, blankets and all...