A/N: I haven't updated in so long because I've been so busy…and then I went to Anime USA yesterday, so I didn't have time to update…Anyway, back to where I left off…

Chapter 2: The Beginning of Worry

After the day I met Padmé, my life changed. I remember, all I could think about for a long time, was her. That's why I followed after those strange travelers, and was able to save the Gungan called Jar Jar from Sebulba. That's why I begged Mom to let them stay, why I decided to help them in the race.

I wanted to help people, but mainly, I wanted to help her.

I remember Mom looking at me in a funny way after I was talking to Padmé. I think she might have known. If no one else figured it out, she did.

But after I won the podrace, after I had earned my freedom from Watto, I was faced with the decision to either stay with Mom, or to leave with the Jedi Qui-Gon, so I could someday become a Jedi.

Even though I didn't want to leave Mom, and I always wondered every day of my life what it would have been like if I had stayed with her, I decided to become a Jedi.

Because…if I was a Jedi…I might be worthy of her.

Padmé is what drove me to make all of my decisions. Padmé, and my childhood dream.

But, before I had learned that I was free, I thought that she would leave and never come back. I was a bit heartbroken, being too young to know what real heartache was like. So I decided to make her something to remember me by; a pendant, carved from a japor snippet. It was said that the wood would bring good luck to anyone who wore it, and I hoped good luck for her. I wanted to see Padmé happy.

When Qui-Gon told me I was to be a Jedi, I was overjoyed. I'd have a little more time with Padmé. I could give my gift to her later.

There was one even that drove my thoughts of Padmé from my head, the appearance of the mysterious figure who attacked Qui-Gon. I could see even from the ship that the shadowy creature carried a lightsaber—a red one.

The thought of him made a shiver go up my spine. Qui-Gon said it was well trained in the Jedi arts…and that only meant trouble.

But, being the happy nine year old I was, I didn't think on it for long. I had met another Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi. But, unlike Qui-Gon, I got the feeling he didn't like me.

So much had happened that day, that I didn't go back to thinking about Padmé for a while. I was mainly thinking about my mother…and how much I would miss her…and wondering if I would ever see her again.

Once the ship was in hyperspace, I ended up in a room with Jar Jar, and the droid R2D2. I seemed forgotten as everyone settled down to rest after the tiring events of the day.

I was shivering, I had never experienced space. It was very cold. And, being from a warm planet, it felt ten times colder than it actually was.

I hugged my knees to my chest, thinking about Mom, when I heard the pressurized door whirr as someone was coming in. I glanced near the doorway, and my heart jumped in surprise.

It was Padmé.

She was wearing orange robes, which I figured were her ceremonial robes as a handmaiden to the queen. Unlike the happy person I saw her as before, she looked worried. Very worried. Almost to the point of sadness.

From what I had been told, her planet was under attack. But it never really had comprehended with me.

Padmé didn't notice me, she walked over to the holoprojector and played a message.

I saw an old man, one whom I couldn't recognize. He had the same look she did, tired, almost to the point of hopelessness.

After the buzz of the message, I heard the man plead, "The death toll is catastrophic…You must bow to their wishes...You must contact me!"

Padmé watched the message, looking even sadder. My heart felt sympathy for her. If nothing happened soon, more people would be killed.

As the hologram faded away, I saw Padmé take a few breaths to give herself courage. She blinked many times, I knew she was blinking away tears. She was so worried for her people. So sad that she couldn't do anything to help them.

She must have noticed me watching her, because she suddenly turned around and faced me.

I couldn't deny that I had been listening, my eyes fell downward.

Padmé gave me a puzzled look. "Are you alright?"

I looked her back in the eyes. I didn't want to mention what I had just seen. "It's very cold." I shivered, remembering the freezing I felt.

Padmé gave me a motherly look, and brought a blanket over to me. "You come from a warm planet, Ani." She said, putting the blanket around my shoulders. "Though a little too warm for my taste. Space is cold."

As we looked at one another, I realized I didn't just know that she was sad. I felt it. I could feel her sadness in my very bones.

"You seem sad." I said.

She took a second to collect her thoughts, as if trying to figure out a way to put it so I would understand. "The queen is worried." She replied. "Her people are suffering…dying…she must convince the senate to intervene."

After a moment's pause, she said, "I'm not sure what will happen."

I didn't like seeing Padmé so sad…so worried…At that moment, I wished that I was a Jedi. A Jedi could make things all right for her…A Jedi would be able to stop the ones hurting her people.

A Jedi would always be there to keep her safe.

But I'll be a Jedi someday…I thought. I can keep Padmé safe someday…

Feeling a bit sad that I wasn't a Jedi, I wondered what I could do now to help her. And then I remembered the pendant that I had made for her. It'll help her…

I took it out. "I made this for you." I said, handing it to her. "So you'd remember me."

Padmé inspected it, smiling slightly. It made me a little happier knowing that she liked it. "I carved it out of a japor snippet." I continued. "It'll bring you good fortune."

When I finished, I looked back at her, wanting to see how my gift would be accepted. "It's beautiful." She said, looking back down on it.

You're beautiful…I thought.

"But I don't need this to remember you by." She smiled. I smiled back. That phrase made my heart swell a bit.

She sighed, her smile fading. "Many things will change when we reach the capitol, Ani…But my caring for you will remain."

That made my heart swell up even more. She cares about me! My soul cried.

"I care for you too." I told her, wishing this wasn't so much like a goodbye. It reminded me too much of when I said goodbye to my mother. "Only…I…"

She finished my sentence. "Miss your mother."

I looked back at her, unable to speak. Padmé placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. She understood completely. And then I remembered that her mother was probably down on Naboo, now hurting from the oppression, if not dead.

In that feeling, we were the same. And it drew our understanding of each other even closer.

We both missed, and cared deeply for our families.

But, when I thought about how much we were alike, I felt even sadder. We would be in Coruscant soon. Where she would have to go with the queen and plead to the senate, and I would go with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan to the Jedi temple, where hopefully my training would begin.

It was very likely that we would never see each other again, that this would be our last moment together.

No! I thought, determinedly. When I am a Jedi, I will find Padmé again…When I am a Jedi, I will be there to keep her safe…

That is when I made my promise, to always be there for her, to keep her safe from harm. To make sure that I would always be there to protect her.

But I made one more promise to myself.

When I am a Jedi…I will make sure that she never cries again…

Oh, how I wished that I could have kept that promise…How I wish that would have been true.

She cried more often when I was a Jedi…

She cried because the world was becoming darker, more frightening. Things were worse than they had been then, when I was an innocent boy.

I thought that was as bad as it could get, but how I was mistaken.

Back then, that was just the beginning of all our troubles.

That was just the beginning of sadness.

The beginning of worry.

A/N: I think I drew Ani's self pity out a bit…next time, I'll make the scene longer…

Anyway, I saw HP 4 today…my only word is…Ewwww…I didn't like it at all. I mean, I DIDN'T feel the emotion, Voldy DIDN'T scare me, they gave WAY too many hints about Barty Crouch, AND they turned Neville into some kind of pimp. They cut out WAY too much stuff, and I think the director is a hardcore Harry/Hermione shipper.

(The only put the RHr stuff in there to keep it canon.)

Oh well, at least they put in the bouncing ferret…but why cut SPEW?