PART 56

She wondered if he would remember her; remember that day at the market. 'Maybe he's forgotten me' she thought.

Beru appeared into the kitchen, carrying drinks on a small tray.

"I'll help you with that" Padme said as she came over and took the tray out of Beru's hands and set it down on the kitchen table.

"Do you want me to take your cloak?"

"Yes, thank you" as Padme removed her red velvet cloak Beru noticed the light pink velvet dress she was wearing underneath. She looked at Padme in envy.

"That's such a beautiful dress, I love the material."

"Thank you Beru, I had it made for me when we were living on Roon. I could give you the name of the store; maybe you can place an order and have sent to you."

"I could never afford a dress like that."

"They sell dresses and materials at very decent prices there. I wasn't always a senator, I come from a middle class family on Naboo, I know how to bargain shop" she said with a warm smile.

"Still, I would never look as elegant as you in a dress that nice."

"You're elegant Beru, you remind me a lot of my sister Sola on Naboo."

"You're very kind." Suddenly they were interrupted by Luke coming into the kitchen.

"Mrs. Kenobi you came!"

"Hello Luke, but please, call me Padme."

"Where's Ben?"

"He's outside Luke" Owen said sternly.

"Do you want to come see my room?" Luke said grabbing Padme's hand.

She turned back and looked at Beru and Owen as Luke dragged her away, they didn't seem to mind her going off with Luke alone.

"This is my room" he said cheerfully as they entered his small room.

"It's very nice, I like it."

"These are my star fighter jet models, I want to get the new ones, but Uncle Owen said maybe for my next birthday."

"You are ten?"

"Yep, I had a small party; some of my friends came over. I wish you could have been there."

"I do too, I would have come, but I was away."

"Where did you go?"

"Chandrila."

"Why?"

"My daughters are there."

"Are they still there?"

"Yes, that's why I am here Luke, I've come to say goodbye."

"You and Ben are leaving?"

"Yes."

"Will I ever see you again?"

She didn't know what to say, she wished she could one day see him again, but her heart told her otherwise.

"I have something for you."

"What is it?"

"It's a gift a very special person gave to me a long time ago, I want you to have it, you give it to the person to let them know you love them."

"And you want me to have it?"

"Yes, I want you to have it to remember me."

"I don't need anything to remember you; I'll never forget you and Ben."

"I'm glad, I wish I could have known you better Luke, you are a very nice boy."

"You are the nicest lady I've ever met."

She reached down and gave him a hug, she held him for a few moments, not wanting to let him go, but she knew she had to.

She reached out and grabbed his hand and placed a small box in it.

"Goodbye Luke" she said as she kissed his cheek gently trying her best to hold back the tears.

She walked out of the room quickly shutting his bedroom door. She grabbed her cloak and quickly thanked Beru and Owen and said her goodbyes while walking out to the door. They were startled by her sudden urge to leave.

She had to get out of there as quickly as she could before she did or said something she would regret.

She ran out to the speeder and got in. "Drive" she said with anger in her voice as Obi-Wan approached her.

He got into the driver's seat and turned on the engine. He sped off into the setting Tatooine suns.

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Later on that night, while Luke was in room, he opened up the small box Padme had given him. He found a small wooden pendant inside. He never saw anything like it before, it was strung to a necklace. He remembered what Padme had said earlier.

"You give it to someone to let them know you love them."

He placed the necklace over his head and tucked it under his shirt. He was sad he would never see her again. He wished he could see all the places she had seen, he wanted to leave Tatooine, he hated living here.

His thoughts turned to his mother, he wondered if his mother had been as elegant and beautiful as Padme. 'Her daughter's are really lucky, to have a mother like that' he thought.

And for the first time in his young life, Luke Skywalker longed for another life, he wanted a life away from Tatooine, he wanted to see other worlds. He couldn't wait till he was older and could join the Academy. But most of all, he wanted to leave Tatooine so he could see Padme again.

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She stared out of the window on the star craft Obi-Wan was piloting back to Chandrila. She had done it, she had said her goodbyes. And she had done it without showing her tears, without showing Luke that she was sad, she did it without showing anything.

Her thoughts turned to Anakin, she thought back to the day he gave her the Jappor snippet. He said he was giving it to her to remember him by, now she gave it their son, to remember her by.

She thought about what could have been, how she and Anakin could have been happy, how they could have been a family together with Luke and Leia.

But that happy ending never came; instead her twins will never know each other and live separate lives. Anakin is now Darth Vader, and she had another life with Obi-Wan and the girls. A life she wouldn't give up in the world.

She gave Luke the Jappor snippet in the hope that one day the good that is still in Anakin will come back. She gave it to Luke for luck, and to show him that she loved him.

She just hoped one day he would he would understand what it all meant.

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He felt tears dripping down onto his chest. He looked down and saw her crying softly. They lay in each other's arms on the bed after making love, they hadn't spoken, there was nothing to say.

All he could was be there for her, in a few days she would be signing over her parental rights to Mon Mothma, he knew it wasn't going to be easy for her.

"Get some rest" he said placing a kiss on the top of her forehead.

She didn't respond, she didn't look up at him, she continued to weep quietly on his chest, pulling him closer to her, never letting him go.