Chapter Two

Padme's eyes opened slowly and she instinctively reached out for Anakin. Her head lifted in confusion as the sleep faded away and she realized that he wasn't in bed with her anymore. She looked around the dark room and quickly noticed that his robe was gone. Something was wrong, she could feel it. Whatever it was, she wasn't about to let him go through it alone.

She padded softly to the terrace of her apartment and exhaled when she finally saw him. Yet, something was wrong. She didn't have to see his face to know that.

His head turned and their gazes crashed; hers sympathetic and concerned, his troubled and worried. She closed the short distance between them and stood in front of him so she could see his face, etched with worry and now…fear.

"Anakin…what's wrong?"

His eyes closed and he sighed. The last thing he wanted to do was worry her, especially with everything going on in the Senate. He didn't want to add more stress or strain and he certainly didn't want to endanger their child. Yet, something was telling him that if he could tell anyone, it would be her. He knew he could confide in her because, after all, she was his wife, his partner, and the only thing that ever really mattered to him.

He sighed again. She didn't need to know this. Some horrors just don't need to be uttered. Instead, his mind grasped for something to tell her and he remembered a particular encounter that he was planning on asking her about anyways. It probably wasn't the best time to question her or ask her for answers, but he needed to know. And he needed something to keep his mind off of the images that wouldn't leave his mind. Besides, anger seemed like the better choice over fear, the lesser of two evils.

"Padme?"

"Hmmm?"

"If I asked you something about Organa, you would tell me, right?"

She frowned and stared to him. Where was this coming from? Besides, it was still too painful, too fresh even though it had happened two years ago. "Anakin, I don't want to talk about it."

"I know it's difficult for you, but I have to know something. Please?"

She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. Even though it was the last thing she wanted to talk about, she couldn't say no to him. "What do you need to know?"

"What did he say to you that day?"

"Anakin…you don't want to know. It would only make you angry."

"I need to know."

"Why?"

"Please. Just tell me."

"Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."

"Padme, I promise I won't do anything you won't like."

"Fine. He said that he knew about us, at the Retreat. He said I was going to belong to him, that he pushed up the wedding to protect his investment, that he had watched me since I was Queen. He said that if I did anything to stop the wedding, he would make me pay. And he called me a…"

"What? What did he call you?"

"He said I was a whore." She grabbed for him and let him hold her tightly to his chest, finally letting the tears and the emotions flow out of her that had been walled up since that day.

Anakin's jaw clenched so tightly he caused himself physical pain. But there was no way she needed to see his anger. It would only make her worry and she didn't have anything to worry about. But Organa did. He hadn't known what to expect, but what she had told him made him want to put his fist through a wall. He held her as she cried through the pain of that day, knowing that again, he should have been there for her. He promised himself that she would never have to feel that kind of pain again. He would never let any harm come to her and he would do everything he could to be with her more. And now, there was someone else to worry about and take care of. He would rather die than allow anything to happen to his family.

Anakin fidgeted in his chair, wanting more than anything for the incredibly boring meeting to be over. Politics had never really interested him, but he had never known that it could be that agonizing. And he certainly had no idea how Padme, or anyone else for that matter, could stand it day after day.

His eyes flew to her and he couldn't fight the smile that played across his lips. She was listening very intently, leaning over even, with her head resting on her propped up elbow. Then without warning, she grabbed a datapad and scribbled a few notes, then resumed her position.

It was far more entertaining to watch his wife than pay any attention to the proceedings. He cast a quick glance at the Chancellor, who was to his left and also listening very intensely. The Chancellor glanced back at him and smiled reassuring, obviously aware of Anakin's boredom. Then before long, a break was called and the room exploded with activity and voices as the inhabitants rose from their seats.

"Anakin?"

Anakin immediately looked at the Chancellor, who was now looking back at him with an intense, concerned stare.

"Yes, Chancellor?"

"Is everything alright? You seem…distant, troubled today. You know you can tell me. Whatever it is…in complete confidence."

Anakin sighed and realized that he would tell the Chancellor. He needed to tell someone, he definitely couldn't tell Padme, and he certainly couldn't mention it to anyone on the Council. "I had a dream last night. A nightmare. It was about Senator Amidala. She was in so much pain…she was dying. I don't know what to do…"

"Dreams of a Jedi often are a glimpse into the future."

Anakin's brow furrowed in confusion. "So you think it's really going to happen, then?"

"I remember, very well, that you had a similar dream about your mother shortly before she died. You didn't get there in time, did you?"

Anakin shook his head, grief and fear swarming around in his mind. No…no…not Padme. He wouldn't let it happen to her, whatever he had to do, he would do it.

"No I didn't. There has to be something…"

The Chancellor smiled knowingly. "I'm well educated in the ways of the Force, as you know, and there is a power, a very strong power, that can be used to prevent death."

Anakin leaned forward in his chair, listening intently and contemplating this as well.

"Is it possible to learn this power?"

The Chancellor stared at Anakin intensely, a faint smile on his lips as he answered: "Not from a Jedi."

Anakin nodded as his mind began to grasp this information. It didn't matter to him that this power had to be obtained outside of the Jedi. The Chancellor hadn't had to tell him that though. It was just like them to be too afraid to even consider touching the power the Chancellor was talking about. The Jedi weren't going to help him; he had no doubt of that. He turned back to the Chancellor and realized that the Chancellor and his knowledge just might be his only ally.

Before Anakin even knew what was going on, blaster fire exploded from beneath him. His insides twisted when he finally realized that the fire was coming from where his wife sat. That was all the motivation he needed. Within moments, he was out of his seat and headed towards the blaster fire's direction. Nothing was going to harm her. Nothing. He would die before allowing that to happen.