A/N: I would like to apologize for the lateness of this chapter. The reason for the lateness is that it seems that my Beta has disappeared. I hope this is due to real life (she had said her new schedule was making her life hectic) and not anything more serious. In the meantime, though, I've sent her three chapters and got nothing back. So for now, the chapters I post will be un-betad, and I'm putting out a call for a new beta to check my grammar, spice up the chapters a bit, and generally be a sounding board for the new ideas that pop into my head. So if you'd like a sneak peak, don't mind being spoiled, and would like to be my beta, please shoot me an e-mail at anakinflair AT charterDOTnet.

Chapter 5

Homecomings

"So...Chinese" Willow asked her friend as they rode towards her home. Buffy shrugged.

"Ancient Corellian, actually." the Slayer replied. "Which turns out to be very close to Chinese, so go figure. Ani and I started learning it a few years ago. We wanted a way to talk to each other, without everybody else knowing what we were talking about."

"So you two decided to learn an effectively dead language?" the witch asked incredulously. Buffy just shrugged again.

"Well, nobody else knows what we're saying…except for Master Yoda." she sighed. "It may be a dead language, but Master Yoda was around for a few birthdays before the funeral."

It was only a short time later when the four of them, peasant robes discarded and back into their normal wares, made their way to the simple, yet tasteful two-storied home where Padmè had grown up. Anakin and Buffy, both back in their Jedi robes, hung back while the two Senators strode towards the front doors of the home. Padmè noticed their hesitation.

"What?" she asked the two Jedi. "Don't tell me you're shy!"

"No!" Anakin started, but then he was distracted by screams of delight from the two little girls that were running out of the yard towards the group.

"Aunt Padmè! Aunt Willow!"

Padmè smiled broadly, and Willows eye's lit up in delight as the two girls dashed towards them. Each Senator scooped up one of the children and enveloped them in a warm hug. The two looked to be no more than a few years old; one had short blond and curly hair, the other had long dark hair much like Padmè's.

"Ryoo! Pooja!" Padmè cried, hugging the girl in her arms, before switching off with Willow. The two put the girls down, then led them to the waiting Jedi. "This is Anakin and Buffy. Anakin, Buffy, this is Ryoo and Pooja!"

The two girls shyly said hello to the two Jedi, Anakin was equally as shy in his greetings, though Buffy greeted both of the girls warmly, then laughed as the two danced around Artoo, giving the small droid a hug of its own.

"Mom and Dad will be so happy to see you two." A voice said from the doorway. Anakin looked up to see a woman who looked very much like Padmè, and yet…

She was older, Anakin saw. A little heavier, a little more…worn. But the eyes held the same light the smile the same warmth.

"Hey, Sola." Willow said as she gave her second adopted sister a hug. "How are they holding up?"

"It's been a difficult few weeks." she replied, then noting the look of discomfort on Padmè's face, she changed the topic. "Mom's making dinner. As usual, your timing is perfect."

The five moved into the tastefully appointed house, where Padmè made the somewhat awkward introductions of Anakin and Buffy to Ruwee, her father, and Jobal, her mother. Soon after, they were all sitting around the large dinning room table, enjoying the fruits of Jobal's cooking. Especially Anakin.

"I'm glad you were hungry," Jobal stated wryly as Anakin helped himself to another role.

"Anakin's always hungry," Buffy noted, a small smirk on her face. "Master Yoda once told me that a full quarter of the Temple's monthly food budget goes towards feeding my little brother there."

Anakin blushed in embarrassment before he fired back, "Just because some of us are still growing doesn't mean you have to get like that…"

"Har-har. You just keep going with the short jokes, little boy, and I'll just keep cutting you off at the knee."

"Of course, that's all you can actually reach…"

"Will you two stop?" Willow pleaded, laughing at their antics. "You tow are almost as bad a Xander and Cordelia…" she trailed off with a far-away look in her eyes, and Buffy felt a pain of regret, yet again, that she couldn't find a way to get them home.

"Honey, it's so good to see you safe. We were so worried."

"Dear-"

No, Dear," Jobal went on, looking pleadingly at her girls. "You two have done so much for so many people. Haven't you done enough? Haven't you had enough of that life?"

"Mom, we're not in any danger." Padmè insisted. Instinctually her hand sought out Anakin's, which she grasped lightly.

"Is she?" Ruwee asked Anakin.

Oh, boy, Buffy thought, this won't end well…

"Yes, I'm afraid she is." The younger Jedi replied. Just looking at the man's face, he saw the deep set concern in his eyes, and he knew that he deserved to know the truth. Judging from the tightening of Padmè's grip, she didn't seem to agree.

"But not much," Padmè quickly added, turning towards Anakin with a a smile that just screamed I'm going to get you for this. "Right, Anakin?"

"The Senate thought it prudent to give her some time away, and under the protection of the Jedi." He continued casually, showing no signs of the pain he was in from Padmè's nails digging into his hand. "My Master, Obi-Wan, is even now seeing to the matter. All should be well soon enough."

Good boy, Ani. Buffy thought. Apparently Padmè thought so, too, as Buffy could feel Anakin's relief as the young Senator's grip loosened.

Later that evening, Padmè was helping Sola and Jobal cleanup in the kitchen; Anakin was taking a walk with Ruwee, Buffy was looking around Willow's sparsely appointed room as her friend packed some clothes for the trip to the lake country. There wasn't much in the room- just a bed, a plain, wooden disk and chair, and a bedside table that held a lamp. A lone picture hung on the wall, showing a younger Willow standing arm and arm with Padmè on the steps of the Senate.

"My first day on the job." Willow said, noting her friends gaze. "Padmè had been in office for about a month. Tullè, the original Junior Senator, had to leave her post due to family issues. Padmè talked to he Queen, then I was appointed."

"You look happy," Buffy noted. Willow nodded.

"I was. At the time, I was on leave. I was expecting to go back to Handmaiden duty after about two or three month's downtime. Imagine my surprise when I got the call." She smiled fondly at the memory. "It was probably one of the happiest days I've had here." Willow finished pulling clothes out of the closet, and then pulled out a small suitcase. "It was my chance to make a difference here, to do something other than be a bodyguard. It was a nice change of pace." She sighed. "I'm going to miss it."

"Miss it?" Buffy asked, confused. "Why would you miss it? You'll be going back in a few days."

"But will it really be the same?" she asked. "We're headed to war, Buffy. Now it's going to stop being about the individuals and start being about the corporations- the big players that will be affected by the war. The process breaks down, and bureaucracy takes over." She finished putting her things in the suitcase, then took the photo off of the wall and placed it on top before closing the lid. "I probably won't be going back."

"Well, I for one hope you reconsider." Buffy said. "If this does go to war, I can't think of anybody I'd rather have fighting for the common person than you."

Willow gave her a small smile. "Maybe," she said considering, Then she picked up her suitcase. "Shall we go see if the others are ready to go yet?"

"Alright, let's go."

The two girls left the room, with Buffy turning out the light before keying the door closed. She didn't notice the letter that had been left laying on the bed.

It was a few hours later when the two women trudged up the hill from the docks they had been dropped off at towards the small cottage that stood at the top of the hill. It was small, ranch-style cottage, painted in soft, earth tones. Willow was busy filling Buffy in on the specs of the house.

"It's got two bedrooms, a bath, full kitchen, living room and a porch with a view to die for."

"And it's yours?"

"Ours."

"Huh?"

"I know that Jedi aren't permitted to own anything, so it's in my name." Willow explained as she entered the code to unlock the door. "But I got this place for us. It's the closest you can get to heaven without, you know, dying. A place we could come to get away from everything and just hang out. Ah, here we go..."

Willow opened the door, and the two women entered. Buffy looked around at the tastefully appointed living room, but her gaze was drawn to the glass patio doors. She stepped out onto the patio and took in the breathtaking view around her.

Directly below them was the lake the island was situated in. To the north Buffy could see the waterfall that fed the large body of water; to the east were smooth, grassy plains and valleys, and to the west was a lush tropical rainforest. Willow stepped out onto the patio and stood next to her friend, leaning against the railing.

"Welcome to Serenity, Buffy." she said with a contented sigh.

The next day, while Buffy and Willow spent the day relaxing at Serenity, Anakin and Padmè set down in the meadow for a nice, relaxing picnic. For Padmè, it was a pleasant way to unwind after the past few weeks. For Anakin, it was a way to spend time with the woman he had fallen head –over-heels in love with.

Padmè sat on the grass, idly picking flowers as several cow-like creatures grazed off in the near distance. Every so often she would steal glances at Anakin, watching him react to the numerous natural wonders around him. She loved the way he was reacting- in a lot of ways, he was reminding her of the small, awe-struck boy he had been ten yes prior.

"Well?" Anakin asked, forcing Padmè to once again consider the question he had just posed.

"I don't know." She replied dismissively.

"Sure you do! You just don't want to tell me!"

Padmè laughed. "Are you going to use on of your Jedi mind tricks on me?"

"They only work on the weak-minded." The Jedi explained. "You are anything but weak-minded." He ended with a smile that would have melted many a heart, and Padmè was no different.

"All right," she finally said. "I was twelve. His name was Palo. We were both in the Legislative Youth Program. He was a few years older than I…" she narrowed her eyes, teasing Anakin with sudden intensity. "Very cute," she said in a low, suggestive voice. "Dark curly hair…dreamy eyes…"

"All right, I get the picture!" Anakin cried, waving his hands in exasperation. After a moment, he calmed down and asked her "Whatever happened to him?"

"I went into public service. He went on to become an artist."

"Maybe he was the smart one."

"You really don't like politicians, do you?" Padmè asked, a bit of anger creeping into her voice despite the idyllic setting.

"I like two or three," he replied. "But I'm not really sure about one of them." He flashed her a perfectly disarming smile that she had to fight to keep a frown against.

"I just don't think the system works." He said matter-of-factly.

"Really? Well, how would you have it work?" She asked sarcastically. Anakin stood up, suddenly intense.

"We need a system of where the politicians sit down and discuss the problem, agree what's in the best interests of the people, and then do it." He said, as if it were the most logical thing in the world.

"Which is exactly what we do." Padmè replied at once. Anakin looked at her in doubt. "The trouble is that people don't always agree." She continued. "In fact, they hardly ever do."

"Then they should be made to."

Anakin's blunt statement caught Padmè off guard. Surely he didn't think that he… at once, she put the unsettling thought out of her mind. "By whom?" she pressed. "Who is going to make them?"

"I don't know," he answered, frowning in frustration. "Someone."

"You?"

"Of course not me!"

"But someone."

"Someone wise."

"That sounds an awful lot like a dictatorship." Padmè said, convinced that she won the debate.

"Well," Anakin replied calmly, "if it works…"

Padmè looked at him in shock. I can't believe he just said that! How could he…then she laughed at herself as suddenly Anakin's face lit up with a mischievous grin.

"You're making fun of me!"

"Oh, no!" Anakin said, backing away from her and falling down to sit in the soft grass. "I'd be much too frightened to tease a Senator!"

The two began laughing at one another's antics until Anakin jumped up and ran towards the herd of shaak that were grazing nearby. Without missing a beat, Anakin jumped up and landed perfectly on the back of the animal, and started to ride it standing as it ran off into the meadow.

Padmè watched Anakin ride the animal and laughed joyously, but she couldn't help but feel a few pangs of guilt. Why was she out here, enjoying this peaceful setting, having fun with a handsome young man, when there was so much she needed to do? She shouldn't be thinking about such selfish things...

Her musings were cut off when a sudden panicked scream brought her back to the present, and she watched in horror as the shakk bucked wildly, and Anakin was thrown off, landing hard on the ground.

"Anakin!" Padmè cried out as she sprang to her feet and ran towards were he lay, deathly still. "Ani! Ani! Are you alright?" She fell to the ground next to him, hesitating just a moment before reaching over to turn over his still body….

Which revealed the young Jedi to be unharmed, and laughing his head off.

"Oh!" she cried, then punched out at him. Anakin caught her hand and pulled her down towards him, and the two spent the next few minutes laughing and wrestling with each other, rolling around in the grass.

They spent the evening in relaxed conversation. Dinner was an amusing affair where Anakin told stories of his apprenticeship under Obi-Wan.

"And when I went to them, we went into…"Anakin paused dramatically as the waiters laid out desert. "Aggressive negotiations." He finished with a smile.

"Aggressive negotiations? What's that?"

"Uh, well, negotiations with a lightsaber." He replied, still grinning wryly.

"Oh," Padmè laughed, and then eagerly stabbed at the desert with her fork. The shuura moved, and her fork hit the plate. Confused, she stabbed at it again, and once again it moved. She looked up at Anakin with a mixture of confusion and embarrassment, but then she saw that he was fighting hard not to laugh as he stared at his own plate a little too innocently.

"You did that!"

He looked up at her with a wide-eyed look. "What?"

Padmè scowled playfully, then stabbed at the fruit again, but Anakin was quicker and snatched it away from her once again.

"That!" Padmè replied, "Now stop it!" Finally she couldn't hold her feigned anger anymore, and she burst out laughing.

Anakin took her lapse of concentration to use the Force to lift the fruit off of her plate, and brought it over to him, where he let it hover for a moment.

"If Master Obi-Wan was here, he'd be very grumpy." The Padawan admitted as he lowered the shuura to his plate, where he cut a small piece off. "But he's not here," he continued, and once again used the Force to lift up the small piece of fruit, then send it back over to Padmè. It hovered in front of her for a moment, and she used her fork to finally, successfully, stabbed it with her fork and ate it.

Soon desert was complete, and the two retired to the living room, where they both sat on a couch next to a crackling fire.

"From the moment I met you, all those years ago, a day hasn't gone by when I haven't thought of you." Anakin said as he leaned back on the couch. His voice was intense and husky, his dark eyes seemed to bore a hoe into her soul. "And now that I'm with you again, I'm in agony. The closer I get to you, the worse it get. The Thought of not being with you makes my stomach turn over, my mouth go dry. I feel dizzy! I can't breath! I'm haunted by the kiss you never should have given me. My heart is beating, hoping that kiss will not become a scar."

Padmè sat in silence, listening in amazement as the young man in front of her opened himself up completely to her. He was baring his heart to her, even though he thought that with one word, shoe would tear it asunder. It touched her, while at the same time, it frightened her.

"You are in my very soul, tormenting me," he went on honestly. It was refreshing for Padmè, who spent all of her life around men spinning lies and falsehoods trying to garner political favors; who spent her life surrounded by handmaidens whose job it was to attend to her every need, to please and entertain the dignitaries her job demanded that she deal with.. "What can I do?" he asked her softly. "I will do anything you ask." Several moments slipped by in silence before Anakin spoke once more. "If you are suffering as much as I am, tell me." He implored.

"I can't" she shot back, her own frustrations bubbling over the surface now. "We can't. It's just not possible."

"Anything is possible." Anakin replied. "Padmè, please listen­-"

"You listen." She replied, scolding the Padawan while trying to hold onto her own sense of denial. "We live in the real world. Come back to it, Anakin. You're studying to become a Jedi Knight. I'm a Senator. If you follow your thoughts through to conclusion, they will take us to a place we cannot go…regardless of the way we feel about each other."

"Then you do feel something!" Anakin exclaimed. "Buffy was a Slayer, and Angel was a vampire. Follow that through to conclusion, and she should have killed him. Instead, they fell in love…"

"Jedi aren't allowed to marry," Padmè pointed out. "You'd be expelled from the order. And Willow told me about Angel, and what happened when they got together."

"Okay, so that was a bad example…"

"I will not let you give up your future for me." She said firmly.

"You're asking me to be rational." Anakin replied confidently. "This is something I know I cannot do. Believe me, I wish I could wish my feelings away. But I can't"

"I am not going to give in to this." She said. She clenched her jaw and sat up straight, knowing she had to be the strong one here, for Anakin's sake even more than her own. "I have more important things to do than fall in love."

Anakin turned away, obviously hurt by her comments, and Padmè winced. Still, she knew that this was for the best. She watched as he stared into the fire, obviously searching for a way around her resolve.

"It wouldn't have to be that way," he said finally. "We could keep it a secret."

"Than we'd be living a lie- one we couldn't keep up even if we wanted to. Sola saw it, as did my mother. I couldn't do that. Could you, Anakin? Could you live like that?"

Anakin thought for a moment, then looked right at her, right into her soul.

"Yes." He said, finally. "Buffy once told me, 'If you can't do something smart, do something right.' This may not be the smartest thing in the universe, but it is right. I know it, and you know it. I'm willing to fight for it, Padmè." His eye's bored into hers. "Are you?"

At that moment, Padmè had no answer.

FLASH

Buffy ran up the stairs that led to the main hanger of this facility. She wasn't quite sure where she was, or where she was going to, but she knew she had to reach the hanger and help her brother and Obi-Wan. She reached the level where the hanger was and ran into the antechamber connected to it. Wait, there was someone here…

On the floor! Buffy still couldn't make out who it was, but the person was tied up. She quickly activated her lightsaber, and the silver-colored blade sliced clean through the ropes.

'Quickly!' she called to the person. 'We have to get in there and help them!'

As she turned to run into the hanger, she heard the voice speak.

'I got a better plan.' The voice said. It clearer now, but still indistinguishable, though she could tell from the sound that it was definitely feminine. Buffy turned around to face the person-

And was blasted back into the wall by a powerful burst of energy.

'You die.'

FLASH

Buffy was in a small hut. Where it was, she couldn't tell. But she could see who was in it-

Shmi, her mother. And she was tied to a post, hands outstretched, back facing out. And her back was already criss-crossed with cuts that welled up blood. She screamed as the whip was brought down upon her back yet again…

FLASH

Buffy's eyes shot open wit a start. As she focused on the world around her, her mind went back to the terrible vision she had just had.

That was no dream, she thought as the sweat dripped off of her face, that was real. Shmi's in danger. Worse she's dying.

"Buffy?" Willow called out, slowly walking into the room. "Are you okay?" One look at the Slayer's face told her all she needed to know. "What's wrong?"

"I had a vision. Been having them, actually. Of mom- Shmi," she clarified. "I see her being hurt- tortured. I told aster Windu about them, but he seemed to think that I was picking up on Ani's feelings. He's always gone through these phases where he's really missed her…" she looked her friend dead in the eye. "They're not dreams. Not nightmares, not some kind of shared vibe. It's a real vision. Shmi is being tortured, she's dying…" Buffy let out a shuddering breath. "I've been getting them for the past three weeks, and I've done nothing."

Willow stood in silence for a moment, before finally speaking. "Then I think it's about time we did something about it." She said, holding out her hand to Buffy. "What do you say the Scoobies ride one last time?"

Buffy looked up at her friend in stunned disbelief, but soon a smile formed on her face.

"You know that Master Windu would never approve of this." She stated matter-of-factly.

"So we don't tell him."

"Anakin will be furious if we leave him behind. So will Padmè, for that matter."

"So we bring them with us."

Buffy grasped her friend's hand and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. "One last ride in the Mystery Machine?"

"At least." Willow said with a smile.

The next morning, Padmè found Anakin standing on the east balcony, overlooking the lake and the sunrise. He stood by the balustrade, deep in meditation. The young Senator regarded him for a moment. Her mind had been working overtime since their conversation last night. For all of her posturing, for all of her denial, in the end she had to admit, if only to herself, that she was falling in love with the Padawan before her. And even though she knew it was impossible for them to be together, to have a life together…

If you can't do something smart, do something right

It couldn't be that simple, she thought. Could it?

Shaking her head, and noticing her own state of relative undress, she turned to leave and leave Anakin to his meditations, when suddenly his voice stopped her.

"Don't go."

"I don't want to disturb you."

"Your presence is soothing."

They stood in silence for a moment, before Padmè finally spoke. "You had a nightmare again last night."

"Jedi don't have nightmares."

"I heard you."

He wanted to deny it. He wanted to explain it away as his Master had done- an overactive imagination and a deep-seated longing for his mother. But after three weeks, he could no longer deny what his feelings told him.

"I saw my mother." He said at length. "I saw her as clearly as I see you now. She is suffering, Padmè. They're killing her! She's in pain!" he took a shuddering breath, then turned to look at her.

"I know I'm disobeying my mandate to protect you," he tried to explain. "I know I will be punished and possibly thrown out of the Jedi Order, but I have to go."

"Go?"

"I have to help her! I'm sorry, Padmè. I don't have a choice."

"Of course, you don't." Padmè responded. "Not if your mother is in trouble. And I'm going with you." At his shocked look she gave him a small smile. "Besides, 'if you can't do something smart, do something right'."

"Words to live by."

The two started at the voice, and turned to face a very serious looking Buffy, with an equally serious looking Willow.

"Buffy, listen-" Anakin started, but stopped when the Slayer held up a hand to cut him off.

"Mom's in trouble, and we're going to go get her." She finally said, then flashed her brother a grin. Want to come along?"

A few hours later, Anakin brought Padmè's sleek starship out of hyperspace and proceeded to begin the entry sequence to take them into Mos Espa. Tatooine was a stark contrast to Naboo- the lush greenery and deep blue oceans didn't exist anywhere on the sandy, brown and orange ball that was Anakin's home world.

"You know, I REALLY didn't miss this place." Buffy quipped, turning to her brother. "The sand always got in EVERYTHING."

"Complain, complain, complain…" Anakin replied with a n exaggerated sigh. "If you weren't complaining about the sand, you were complaining about the lack of a shopping mall, whatever that is…"

"No shopping mall? Now that's criminal." Willow said in false sympathy, patting her friend on the shoulder. "Now, how are we going to find Shmi?"

"Watto." Anakin replied.

"Your former Master?"

"That's right." Buffy said, placing a calming hand on her brother's shoulder. He knew his former enslavement was a sore spot with him; heck, it was a sore spot for her, as well. But Watto had never treated either of them overly unfairly or cruelly. Indeed, he had been a better master than the bastards that had sold her had been.

"If he did anything to harm my mother…"

"He wouldn't have." Buffy reasoned. "He was always about threatening the violence, not he actual violence itself. He rarely, if ever, beat you. And he never used the collar on me."

"That's because he knew that, if he did, you could punt him into the upper atmosphere." Anakin shot back. "Mom poses no such threat."

Soon they were landed, and after Force-convincing the docking attendant, Anakin had flagged down an rickshaw pulled by an ES-PSA droid that was large enough to hold the four of them, and instructed the droid to head towards Watto's junk shop. When they arrived, Anakin turned towards the three women.

"Padmè, Willow, stay behind me. And keep your hoods up- we don't want anybody recognizing you. Buffy, let me go first. Wait for the opportune moment to jump in. Got it?"

"By your command." Buffy replied wryly.

Anakin asked the droid driver to remain, then walked up to Watto's shop. Sitting in front of the shop was Watto himself, vainly trying to replair a broken droid component. Anakin noted that he looked as run down as the shop did, with his dirtied clothes and scraggly beard.

"No chuba da wanga, da wanga!" Watto yelled at the broken piece of equipment, tossing it onto the table in front of him.

"Chut chut, Watto," he said in greeting, and Watto looked up in surprise.

"Ke booda?" he responded.

"Di nova, chut chut." Anakin reiterated. "Ding mi chasa bopa."

Anakin picked up the broken droid piece and stated manipulating it expertly. Watto's eyes narrowed as he looked him over, then widened as he caught sight of he lightsaber on his belt.

"What ever it is, I didn't do it." He said in basic.

"I'm looking for Shmi Skywalker." Anakin replied, putting down the droid part and activating it, showing it to be fully functional.

"Ani? Little Ani?" his eyes lit up in delight as he took in the grown man in front of him. "You are Ani! It is you! Ya sure sprouted!"

"Hello, Watto." He replied calmly.

"Weehooo!" the Toydarian exclaimed. "A Jedi! Waddya know? Hey, maybe you could help wit dome deadbeats who owe me a lot of money…"

"Hey boss…"

Buffy didn't think it was possible, but the Toydarian's face paled when he saw her move to stand beside her brother. "Relax, Watto. I have no grudge with you. We're looking for our mother."

"Oh yeah, Shmi. She's not mine no more. I sold her."

"Sold her?" Buffy placed a hand on Anakin's shoulder and squeezed in a comforting manner.

"Years ago." Watto explained. "Sorry, Ani, but you know business is business. Sold her to a moisture farmer named Lars. Believe it or not, I heard he freed her and married her. Can you beat that?"

Anakin shook his head, trying to take it all in. Buffy smiled at the news- finally some good news. "Do you know where they are?"

"Long way from her. Someplace on the other Side of Mos Eisley, I think."

"Could you narrow it down?"

"Sure, sure. Absolutely. Just let me go check my records." He moved to go back into the shop, then stopped and looked over his shoulder. "You know, believe it or not, it is good to see you."

"Thank you, Watto. But time is something we don't have right now. Please, find us where Shmi is." Buffy implored. Watto nodded in compliance and moved into his shop to find the paperwork."

It was midday, and See-Threepio was busy fine- tuning the moisture collectors at the Lars farm, when suddenly the wind picked up in a furious windstorm. Threepio was confused- sandstorms didn't normally kick up so suddenly- but his confusion as soon abated when he saw the gleaming silver starship touch down a few meters from his position. He watched as the ramp lowered, and four figures stepped out onto the hard desert ground and started walking towards him.

"Oh, hello," he greeted. ""How may I be of service? I am See-"

"Threepio?" Anakin asked, not believing his eyes. It was his old droid, complete with coverings.

"Oh my!" the protocol droid exclaimed. "The Maker! I knew you would return I knew you would! Oh, and Mistress Buffy as well!"

"Hey Threepio." Buffy said in greeting, staring in wonder at the now-completed droid.

"And this must be Miss Padmè!" the droid continued, nodding the best he could at the young Senator.

"We've come to see our mother." Anakin explained. The droid turned towards home, then started backing up.

"I think…I think…Perhaps we'd better go indoors." He finally said, leading them towards the house. The four walked down the stairs the led into the courtyard of the farms courtyard. "Master Cliegg! Master Owen! Might I present four important visitors!"

A young man and woman came rushing out of the house, but slowed to a halt at the sight of the four travelers.

"I'm Anakin Skywalker." Anakin said.

"And I'm Buffy Skywalker. We're looking for our mother, Shmi."

"My mother, too." the young man said. "Not my real mom, but as real a mom as I've ever known." He extended a hand to Anakin. "Owen Lars. This is my girlfriend, Beru Whitesun."

Beru nodded. "Hello," she said.

Padmè stepped forward. "I'm Padmè. This is my sister, Willow." Willow nodded in hello.

"I guess I'm your stepbrother." Owen said, his eyes never leaving Anakin. "I had a feeling you might show up."

"Is my mother here?"

"No, she's not." A gruff voice replied from behind Owen and Beru. The couple stepped aside to reveal an older, heavyset man gliding out of the hut in a hoverchair. One of his legs was heavily bandaged; the other was missing completely.

"Cliegg Lars." He said, extending a hand that Anakin took at once. "Shmi is my wife. We should go inside, we have a lot to talk about."

Anakin followed Cliegg into the home, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"It was just before dawn," Cliegg said as he pulled up to the table in the kitchen. Beru quickly fetched a pitcher of water, and started pouring glasses for everyone, which she then passed out.

"They came out of nowhere," Owen added.

"A band of Tusken Raiders," Cliegg continued, and Anakin collapsed into his chair as if he had just been shot in the gut. "Your mother had gone out early, like she always did, to pick the wild mushrooms that grow on the vaporators. From the tracks, she was about halfway home when the took her. Those Tusken's walk like men, but they're vicious, mindless monsters. Thirty of us went out after Shmi. Four of us came back. I'd still be out there, only…after I lost my leg…I just can't ride anymore." Cliegg almost broke down then, and Anakin could see just how much he loved her. "This is not the way I wanted to meet you, son. This isn't how your mother and I planned it. I don't want to give up hope, but she's been gone nearly a month. There's little hope she's lasted this long."

Anakin didn't want to believe it. He wouldn't believe it. He knew she had survived- he had felt her pain. The Force had been trying to tell him about this all month, but he had ignored it, passed it off for nightmares. Well, now the nightmare was real. And he was going to do something about it. Without another thought, Anakin shot to his feet.

"Where are you going?" Owen asked.

"To find my mother." Anakin replied grimly.

"No, Anakin!" Padmè cried out.

"Your mother's dead, Son. Accept it." Cliegg added.

Anakin glowered at the man. "I can feel her pain. Continuing pain. And I will find her."

"Like hell." Buffy declared shooting to her feet. "Not like this, you won't." At the look of shock on his face, the Slayer continued. "It'll take hours, if not days, to track her down by blindly searching. We need to narrow things down."

"And how do you propose we do that?"

"You use me." Willow declared, also standing. She turned to face Owen. "I need something personal of Shmi's. Something she used everyday, like a hairbrush, or a favorite piece of jewelry. And a map of Tatooine; specifically the area around this farm in a fifty-mile radius." As Owen left to get the requested items, she turned back to Anakin. "My magic is limited, but not non-existent. I can still do a locator spell. Once I do that, we'll know exactly where your mother is, and then we can go get her."

"What?" Padmè cried, looking at her sister in confusion. "Why would you have to go?"

"Shmi's been in captivity for a month. She's obviously been beaten severely. I can use my magic to stabilize her so we can get her to proper medical attention."

"Padmè, you stay here." Buffy said. "Once we get a location, we'll take the shuttle, go pick up mom, and get her back here. Can you get a doctor here to treat her?" she asked Cliegg, who nodded.

"Here you go." Owen said as he handed Shmi's brush, then laid a map of the area down on the table in front of her.

"Perfect." Willow muttered as she carefully removed several long, gray strands of hair. She then removed the crystal she was wearing around her neck. "A gift from Tara," she explained to Buffy, "By drawing on the planets energy, and filtering it through the crystal, I can use it to sense the residual life-energy from her hair. I send that energy back into the planet, where it will search for it's originator, and when it finds her, her location will show up on he map."

"Wow. Willow techno-babble. I'm impressed." Buffy quipped, but Willow's eyes were already closed in concentration. She held the crystal over the map, and slowly breathed in and out. Soon, the crystal glowed a bright blue, and not long after that, the glow transferred from the crystal, to the map below.

"She's about thirty miles away- the far side of the Jundland Wastelands." Anakin stood up quickly and turned to Padmè. "I need you to stay here, Padmè. These are good people- they'll look after you."

"I will, Anakin." Padmè replied. "Just bring your mother home safe."

"It'll take us about twenty minutes to get there." Buffy was saying, looking at the map. "Their camp is most likely down in this valley, so we can land here, on this cliff. We drop down, take out the guards, and get mom out of there." Willow nodded in agreement, and Buffy looked Anakin. "You ready?"

Anakin nodded. "Let's go to work."

Twenty-five minutes later, Anakin set the ship down on the bluff overlooking the Tusken's camp. It was dusk, and the darkness aided them as the three made their way down the side of the cliff and into the camp. Anakin instinctually went to an adobe hut on the outskirts of the camp, then used his lightsaber to open a hole in the side of it. The three climbed through, then froze in horror at the sight in front of them.

Shmi Skywalker was propped up against a small wooden rack, her hands lashed to the top bar, propping her limp body up against it. Her clothes were ragged and bloody, with long slashes cut into he back where a whip had obviously been used.

At once, Anakin was at her side, freeing her from her bonds. "Mom…Mom …Mom" he kept repeating, gently cradling the broken body in his lap. Buffy watched, with tears streaming down her face, as he slowly rocked back and forth. "I'm here, Mom. You're safe now. Please hang on…"

"Ani? Is that you?" Shmi tilted her head towards her son. "Ani! You look so handsome…"

"Save your strength, Mom." Anakin said. "We've come to get you out of here."

"My son, my grown up son," Shmi continued, fading fast. "I knew you'd come back to me. I knew it all along. I love you…I love…I love…" Suddenly, Shmi's voice faded, and she went limp.

"Mom?" Anakin asked weakly. "Mom? No…" Gently he laid her body on the ground, and immediately Willow went to work, placing her hands over the older woman's heart and quietly murmuring in Latin. Anakin stared at the fallen form of his mother for a few moments, then looked up, and Buffy gasped in shock and fear at what she saw. The pain, the anger, the hate…

FLASH

Anakin, his grief all-consuming, rampaging through the camp, killing every living being in sight…

FLASH

Anakin, making his ay through the Jedi Temple and into the Council Chambers, where he proceeded to slaughter a group of Younglings that were huddled there in fear…

FLASH

Anakin, his eyes eerily reminiscent of a demon man she had once fought, cutting down Neimoidians in what appeared to be a control room of some sort…

FLASH

Anakin, fighting furiously against Obi-Wan as they floated on a small platform over a river of lava…

FLASH

A terrifying figure, clad in black armor, his cape billowing out behind him, a stead hiss of a respirator sounding from beneath the black helmet, a red lightsaber striking down an elder Jedi in some futuristic corridor… a figure she instinctivley knew to be Anakin…

FLASH

And suddenly she was back in the hut, looking over Willow, who was still working on her mother, to the terrifying visage of a very angry Anakin as, for the first time, he tapped into the Dark Side to enact his revenge…

TBC

A/N: Well, the bad news was that it took so long to get this chapter up. The good news is that, not only do I have chapters 6 & 7 written, but also that we are starting to get into the main action of the story. So no more sappy love stuff, lets blow some shit up!

Review Responses

Pur33vil: Wait till you get to chapter 4, then tell me if it's still interesting. Oh, well- at least I got some action in this chapter for you. Glad you liked the story!

MaxCobra: Hey Max! Thanks for the review, but please: Periods. Look into them. No Buffy/Willow (though it sure seems like it, doesn't it?). As for Anakin turing to the dark side- stay tuned!

Sarah: Now, now…I can't give those types of things away yet! Glad you've liked it so far!

Lightdemondarkangel: Yes. I need a good Chinese translator, if you can find one. As for Faith, look for her to appear in about two chapters. I'm glad you are enjoying this story- I, too, didn't used to read Buffy/Star Wars, so I'm glad you gave it a chance. While you're at it, check put Winterd's "Phantom's and Slayers", the inspiration for this story.

Cycloneozgirl: Glad to see I can still please, even with the dullest of updates.

Jedi-Princess: As I write these chapters, I find I have a problem of finding tiem for all of the characters. Seeing as the story focuses mostly on Padmè/Anakin and Buffy/Willow, I try to split the time evenly between the two. Unfortunately, Obi-Wan had to get cut out for the most part. But don't worry- we'll be seeing him soon! And thank you for the image of Darth Vince- I couldn't stop laughing.

Devine-desire: No, Buffy and Willow are not going to hook up. Buffy is straight, and Willow is a one-girl woman. And yes, I do love Harry Potter. I got my own HP fic that I put on hiatus until next month. I'd be happy to read over it, and my beta Katilwen has been a godsend.

Adme Shmi Skywalker Vader: sorry, I got a different plan in mind for Buffy…

Marz1: Well, no blowing things up yet, but the fight is a'commin…

Just Me Prime: Well, next chapter we see just how much influence Buffy has over Anakin. And I'm glad you liked the chapter!

Comming up next chapter- can Buffy stop Anakin from walking on the Dark Side? Will Shmi survive? And what's happened to Obi-Wan? Tune in next week! I promise it'll be here!

General Mac: Sorry it's late, but here's the next chapter!

Raggedygal: Buffy speaking Chinese was a two-fold thing threw in there. On one hand, I wanted her and Anakin to have their own way of communicating with each other that most of the other Jedi wouldn't be able to understand- their own private language. And I figured that, after ten years studying to be a Jedi, she would have picked up a few languages. On the other hand, that was my nod to Serenity and the 'Firefly' universe, which I have grown to love. I tend to do things like that.

Stcobb: By your command.

Wicked Angel: Give her time- she's still confused. But don't worry- she'll get better soon.