A/N: QueenMeep: Luke's hand actually was cut off right before Padmé intervened. It was subtle...;-)

Chapter 7: Waking to Wondrous Things

Padmé was slowly waking up…once again, it felt like she was swimming toward the light…she was relaxed, floating.

As she became more awake, she could feel the warm caress of the sun and a light breeze on her body. She leisurely opened her eyes to the beauty of a cerulean cloudless sky that she could see through the tree branches gently swaying above her. Birds were chirping and the fragrance of blossoms filled the air.

Taking a deep breath, she sat up. Her hands brushed the soft coverlet she was laying on. She was dressed in a beautiful golden sundress with tiny Nubian flowers embroidered on it that bared her shoulders to the warm sunshine. She smoothed the full skirt of her gown with a quick flick of her hand. She must have fallen asleep!

Now, where is he?

She looked to her right and saw Anakin sitting near her with his back propped against the tree trunk, toying idly with a deep green leaf and watching her with a rather serious look on his face. His smoldering gaze swept over her body, caressing her, which brought a rosy blush to her cheeks.

He was so handsome and looked rather dashing with his tousled longish dark blonde hair and dressed in his dark Jedi tunic. He was completely oblivious to his appeal, which made him even more desirable to her. And the scar along the right side of his face did nothing to detract from him, she thought.

She smiled at him, delighted. Then she laughed. The look on Anakin's face was priceless, in her opinion. He looked a bit puzzled, which was comical to her. He gave a slight inquisitive smile at her bemusement, but he also had a wary look in his eyes.

"Oh, Anakin! You do not know just how happy I am at this moment!" Padmé exclaimed with a sigh. She stretched her arms above her languidly with a blissful grin.

Anakin cocked his head in inquiry and raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to elaborate. She moved closer to him and placed her head on his left shoulder as his left arm came up around her to gently bring her closer to him. He looked down at her with an appreciative and longing glance. He always wanted her near him.

He closed his eyes and savored the feel of her. A stray curl fell from her intricate coif and Anakin's leather clad right hand moved to tenderly smooth the curl from her face as she looked up lovingly at him. She had an impish look on her face as she began to describe her fanciful tale.

"I had the most amazing dream! Or, rather, it was more like a nightmare..." She began.

Anakin looked down at Padmé's joyous upturned face with hooded eyes. He really, really wanted to kiss her.

But that will have to wait.

"What kind of dream…?" Anakin haltingly inquired, one eyebrow raised.

"Well…it was rather strange…We were far from Naboo…In fact, it seems like I was in a coma at a medical facility on Coruscant," she rolled her eyes in exasperation and continued her tale, "for many years and then I awoke." Padmé's brow wrinkled with the vivid and unpleasant recollection.

Anakin nodded faintly; his mouth opened slightly and his eyes widened imperceptibly as he registered that bit of information.

Interesting.

"Everything had changed in the Universe. Oh, Ani, it was truly awful! I found out all my friends had died…" her face became really sad, "Even you…"

Anakin, clearly uncomfortable, gave a slight disbelieving grin. His eyes looked weary. Anakin's arm tightened around her. His other hand gently stroked her cheek. Padmé put her face to Anakin's chest and grew maudlin.

"Can we talk about this later, Anakin? I just want to savor this moment, the happiness we have…our time together with no interruptions," Padmé snuggled closer to Anakin, inhaling his scent. Anakin could intensely feel Padmé's love and, closing his eyes, he sighed as the pleasant sensation washed over him.

"Of course, my love," Anakin replied in a throaty whisper, rubbing his cheek against her hair. He had always preferred action over words, anyway, and he was no longer interested in hearing the rest of Padmé's odd dream.

Anakin's right arm went further around Padmé to embrace her fully, as he buried his nose in her sun-warmed hair, savoring the sweet fragrance of Meleas blossoms. Padmé sighed and held Anakin to her closer, just reveling in the sensation.

She reached her hand up to twine her fingers around Anakin's Padawan braid and found his loose, shoulder-length hair instead. Puzzled, she moved slightly away from Anakin to glance up at his face. His expression as he looked back at her was guarded.

That scar…Her gaze lowered as her hand grazed his black-gloved right hand…He didn't wear the glove until…

"But how can this be?" She murmured, with growing agitation. "We were only on Naboo together a short time when…"

As she stared directly into his eyes, she could see sadness in them. It caused her heart to clench. She sat upright, puzzled.

"Anakin, what's going on? Something is not right here. We're on Naboo and everything is perfect, but something is off…"

Anakin turned his eyes away from hers.

"Anakin, tell me we are on Naboo and everything is perfect." Padmé pleaded, hands grasping his tunic. Anakin closed his eyes and remained silent; his arms gently trying pull her back into his embrace.

She pushed abruptly out of his arms and stood up. Her eyes were wild with a dawning realization.

"Blast! This is the dream, isn't it?"

Anakin opened his eyes but would not look at her, instead focusing on a point in the distance. He sighed deeply under her perusal, clearly uncomfortable. But he remained stoic, with his back leaning against the tree trunk.

"Anakin, tell me the truth! How did you do it? How?" Padmé demanded.

Anakin sighed again and looked up at her. If she hadn't been so agitated, that piercing look would have disarmed her. He crossed his arms in an unconscious defense gesture. She was beautiful even in her anger; a fierce warrior goddess, he mused He carefully chose his words.

"Padmé, you're sleeping right now, and I…I…"

"You entered my dream! But why?" She had cut him off. He could never say she wasn't quick-witted, he thought wryly, with a slight shake of his head.

Anakin rose up and towered over Padmé. "I thought it would be easier to talk to you this way instead of…"He reached toward her.

"In real life…" Padmé turned away.

"Yes," Anakin admitted, defeated.

"Padmé…I could sense the revulsion you had when you first saw my…mask…" She turned back to him; his voice sounded pained. He looked so forlorn that Padmé immediately wanted to comfort him. But she was also exasperated at the ruse.

Padmé took a deep breath to calm herself. Then she yawned. She was mortified.

How terribly inappropriate!

"So, this dream is a lie and the nightmare is the truth!" She ground the words out, trying to dampen her irritation.

Suddenly Padmé was exhausted and felt unsteady on her feet. Anakin approached her, took her in his arms and gathered her to his chest. She did not resist. His right hand snaked around her body as his left hand caressed her neck.

"Oooh…Why am I so tired, Ani? I feel like I will collapse…"

Padmé sighed petulantly as her legs lost feeling. Anakin's heart warmed at her pet name for him as her head lolled on her neck. He gently put his hand on her head to cradle her at his chest and he brushed her cheek gently with his warm fingers. When he spoke again, she could feel his deep voice rumbling in his chest.

"Padmé, you only have so much dream time until you fall into a deep dreamless sleep where I can not enter. You've been through so much recently that you most likely need a great deal of rest. I think I will have to let you go, now," Anakin murmured, his voice heavy with regret.

Padmé's eyes closed as exhaustion enveloped her in a cloak of oblivion. She could vaguely hear Anakin whispering her name through the Force. Her last thought was of Anakin; the last thing she felt were Anakin's arms around her body. His were lips pressed against her temple, holding her tightly to him as she slipped into the abyss.