Anakin entered his bedroom to find C3P0 and R2 were still keeping watch over an unconscious Padmé.
"How is she?" Anakin asked as he approached the bed and sat down next to Padmé.
"Boop boop boop." R2 replied.
"Her condition is stable, master." C3P0 responded.
"Call me Anakin."
"Yes, Master Anakin. She has not moved since you left, but her condition has not deteriorated."
"Thank you 3P0, but you do not have to call me master, just Anakin will do."
"I'm sorry sir, but that just wouldn't be proper. You are my maker and the title is to show my respect."
Anakin sighed in exasperation, there was no point in arguing with his droid. "Thanks for your help, both of you. You may leave if you want, I'll stay and watch over her."
"Very well Master Anakin, call us if you need us. Come along R2." C3P0 replied and then turned and left the bedroom. However, R2 did not immediately follow.
"Boop beep booooop?" He asked Anakin.
Anakin turned towards Padmé and brushed a tendril of hair away from her face. "I think she'll be ok. I hope."
R2 seemed to be pleased with this response, and left the bedroom. Anakin did not even seem to notice he had left for his attention was completely focused on Padmé. He absent-mindedly ran his fingers through her hair and gazed at her in silence for a few minutes. Then he began to softly murmur to her.
"You were right, my angel. I should have listened to you. I was blinded to his true intentions. Blinded by the horrors of my past, but I am no longer shrouded in darkness. I will find a way to stop him, I promise to right the wrongs I've caused." Anakin paused for a moment before continuing.
"You were right, you were always right. I'm sorry. I love you." With this last statement Anakin leaned in to brush his lips against Padmé's in a soft kiss. However, before he could consummate his kiss, two hands rose to his chest and pushed him away from Padmé.
Anakin was puzzled by this, and looked down to see that Padmé was pushing him away. His blue eyes lit up and he smiled, "You are ok. I was so worried." He spoke as he looked up into Padmé's brown eyes. He leaned back in to complete his kiss, but Padmé pushed him away again more forcibly and shouted at him.
"Keep away from me! Do not touch me!"
Anakin was shocked by this outburst, but he knew he should have expected it. After all, he had Force choked her and she had no reason to trust him. He tried to reach a hand out to comfort her, but she quickly scrambled away from his touch. However, the movement was too fast too soon after all she had been through and as she stepped off the bed, she immediately collapsed to the floor.
Concerned, Anakin quickly moved to the opposite side of the bed. Padmé appeared to be fine; it looked like she had just fallen. He tried to pick her up, but Padmé batted away his hands and yelled at him again.
"Do not touch me! I do not need your help, you monster!"
Anakin was hurt by her last declaration, but he knew she was right. "You are right, I was a monster. I was blind to the truth that my master was evil. I should have listened to you."
Padmé was surprised by this declaration, and even more so by the remorse she heard in his voice. Something must have happened when she passed out that had changed Vader's opinion on his master. However, Padmé did not care. His change of heart did not change the fact that he was a Sith. After dealing with his mood swings, watching the attacks on her rebel comrades, and being Force chocked twice, she did not trust him. This change of heart was probably temporary.
"I'm glad you are finally seeing your master as the evil scum that he is!" She spat out angrily.
"I was lied to, and I was blind to see it." Anakin replied sullenly.
Padmé rolled her eyes and then looked back at Anakin and sarcastically replied, "That's an understatement." Padmé gingerly pulled herself off the floor and tried to sit back on the bed, but she collapsed back to the floor on this first attempt. Anakin held out a hand in an attempt to steady her and help her, but she saw it and yelled at him, "Don't you dare touch me!"
Anakin dropped his hand and his eyes from her sadly. "I'm sorry," he murmured as Padmé made a second attempt to get back on the bed. She succeeded this time and coldly stared back at him.
"You are not sorry. You have wanted to do that for a long time, so do not waste the false pity on me." She angrily replied.
Anakin shook his head, "No, I would never want to harm you. That was the darkness blinding me to my true feelings. My former master has revealed his true intentions, and I now see the truth. My darkness has been lifted, and I could never harm you, I love you."
Padmé's mouth fell at this last statement in mortified shock. She stayed silent for a moment until she had composed herself and then sarcastically replied, "You love me! Ha! Well, you have a funny way of showing it, Lord Vader."
Anakin sadly stared back at her; he deserved her anger after all that he had done to her. He did not think that she would ever love him, after all he had done, but at least she knew what he felt. "The name is Anakin Skywalker. I quit being Darth Vader a few minutes ago when my master revealed his true nature."
Padmé rolled her eyes at this comment. He said this now, but she suspected that in any moment he would go into Sith Lord mode and be choking her again.
Anakin took on a slightly more serious, but gentle tone as he continued to speak. "I have something to tell you. We are going to Sullust."
Padmé's eyes grew wide in horror as she shouted, "I knew it! Nothing has changed you are still killing rebels!"
Anakin raised a hand in a gesture indicating that she should calm down as he shook his head, "No, you have it wrong. That might have been my initial plan, but things have changed. I will have my crew stop The Executor along the outskirts of the system and I will take a shuttle down to meet with the rebels."
"Oh, so you are going to kill them in person this time." Padmé stated haughtily.
Anakin sighed in frustration and then continued, "No, I will provide them with the information they need to destroy the Emperor. I will give them the ability to rebuild the Republic, that I regretfully destroyed." Anakin frowned as he turned his face away from Padmé's.
He choked back the sadness in his voice as he spoke, "After my meeting you are free to join them. I will be taking the Executor far away where it cannot hurt the rebel's plans. Then I will find a quiet place to live in solitude for the rest of my days."
Padmé glared at the back of Anakin's head. She did not believe a single word he had just said. She knew that tomorrow would be the last day of the rebel alliance and she was angry that the man before her would take a key role in its demise.
Anakin could feel Padmé's doubt and anger, but he did not blame her for her feelings. They were all a result of his actions, of the darkness that had consumed his life. The woman he loved may never forgive him, but he would not fail her. He would restore freedom to the galaxy and to her. Although it hurt that she may never speak to him again, he thought that perhaps that was the punishment he would have to serve for the stupidity he had shown for years.
Anakin got up and walked to the bedroom door, but before he left he called back to her, "Get some rest, I'll be back in a while. I have some things to take care of. Call R2 or 3P0 if you need anything."