Disclaimer: How about this—I'll tell you when I own Star Wars. Until then, take the disclaimer as a given.

A/N: Oh, gosh. Will my sincere apologies be enough to calm your anger? I'm SO SORRY. SOOOOO SOOOO SOOOOO SORRRY! Please forgive? And while you're at it, please read and review : )!

Chapter Eighteen

PART ONE: BUDDING

The woman was pressed against the wall, her skin pale and drawn with fear. Beads of sweat lined her brow, and her dark hair was falling out of it's elegant up do. It was as if everything was in slow motion—the flame traveling, speeding through the air towards the woman. Move move move! Ali willed the woman, praying that the brunette would hear her thoughts and dodge the attack. But it was too late—a split second before the fire made contact, the woman (or was it Ali? Maybe it was both.) let out a shriek that echoed throughout the room. Then the air filled with the sizzling, sickening scent of burning flesh, and the woman collapsed into a pile on the ground, her arm blackened and burnt, eyes glazed with pain. Ali wailed in anguish—her voice rang in her mind, over and over.

She sat up suddenly, heart pounding in her chest and breath coming in short gasps, and almost immediately gave a little gasp of pain. Her left arm throbbed horribly at the shoulder, and she felt almost as if she had pulled something out of its socket. After a few wincing moments, she relaxed her shoulders and lay back down on the pillows beneath her, letting the darkness of the night wash over her face. It was all just a dream.

Where was she? The room and bed, with its starch, crisp white sheets, was unfamiliar to her. It was a hospital—of that she was certain. Needles and syringes and bags full of liquids she did not recognize lined the walls. Medicine bottles and herbs surrounded her on all sides. She glanced downwards and saw a head of sandy blonde hair that she recognized lying at her side.

"Ani?" She whispered. This was all so odd. What was she doing in this infirmary? He was sitting in a chair too small for his long frame, looking very cramped and uncomfortable and exhausted. She regretted waking him up.

He started, blinking blearily up at her. Then a wave of relief passed over his familiar face, and he smiled up at her, rubbing his eyes.

"You're awake."

"Seems like it," She replied wryly, and he emitted a low chuckle. "How long have I been out?"

"Three days," He murmured back, sitting up now and stretching. "Your shoulder's dislocated, so I'd advise you not to move it. And you have some pretty bad bruises, but they'll be fixed over time."

She nodded absentmindedly, noticing how his hair was tousled adorably and black bags hung under his eyes.

"Have you been here all this time?" She inquired quietly. He nodded, and then shrugged nonchalantly. She flashed him a grin, her way of wordless gratitude. He waved it aside and smiled back.

"So why am I here?" Ali said, puzzled, head tilted to the side. Anakin paused, hesitated, and his face lost that happy countenance.

"You don't remember?"

She shook her head, no.

"Why? Is something wrong?"

He blew out a breath of frustration and directed his gaze to the ceiling, running a hand through his messy hair. There was a silence, so she waited patiently.

"You were on a mission," He spoke slowly, deliberating, as if he was thinking each word through before voicing it aloud. "And got injured trying to complete it."

She nodded in understanding, and was about to pry further into the details when he interrupted her.

"Hey, Ali?" He asked. "Do you errr…remember anything about the last few days? About the ummm…ball and just stuff that happened during it?" For some odd reason, he looked furtive and half hopeful.

She sat there, brow furrowed, and concentrated on pulling back her memories. It was rather like pulling a slippery object to you—her grasp kept slipping right as she touched on something vital. Shutting her eyes, she focused upon the past. Her head was throbbing.

Suddenly everything came flooding back to her in a tidal wave of thoughts. Images, unbidden, came flashing in her mind, and her eyes flew back open.

"Oh, no," She whispered, eyes welling with tears. Padme!

"Was it that bad?" He asked bitterly, smiling a bit. She looked at him quizzically, and he blushed.

"The…you know, the kiss."

The kiss. She had forgotten about that, too—now she remembered, and a sense of dread welled up in her stomach.

"Oh!" Her face lit with surprise, and then with fear. "No, I wasn't referring to…that. I was talking about the Padme thing. When I hurt her. Is she okay? Oh, this is all my fault."

"You were trying to help," Anakin answered stoutly. "You didn't mean for it to happen. Besides, we got there in time to fight them off, and she's doing fine now. She says she forgives you and that you needn't worry—a flesh wound is better than a mortal one, after all. She tells you not to blame yourself, and that you saved her life in those vital seconds when you distracted them. Come on, Ali. It's okay."

The girl had sunk her forehead into her good hand, refusing to remove it.

"Are they really upset?"

"Who?" Anakin asked.

"The Jedi Masters. Oh, Lyra must be infuriated."

"It's not your fault," Anakin insisted. "I contacted them, and they thought you were being a little rash, but they aren't that angry. They shouldn't be, either. It was an honest mistake—you were trying to help, and thought that was the best plan of action. Don't beat yourself up over it. Ali, look at me. Please."

"Lyra knew, you know." The girl replied sadly. "She warned me that I wasn't ready for this after I screwed up in the tournament. She told me not to go."

"Ali…"

"And she was right, wasn't she? Look where I am now? In the infirmary, probably of Padme's mansion, after literally burning the Senator and ruining the mission."

"Ali…"

"And we kissed, didn't we?" She cut in.

"Yes, we did." His voice was quiet and harsh.

"We shouldn't have."

"I know that, Ali," Anakin said, brushing it aside impatiently. She could tell he had wanted to talk about this for a while. "But we did. And we can't take it back, and I think we need to talk about where we go from here."

"I think it's obvious," She said simply. He looked puzzled.

"Obvious? How is it obvious?"

"We pretend it never happened. We'll go back to the way things always were, and it'll just be a thing of the past. A mistake, an error, one that will not be acknowledged." She sounded so cool and calm, detached and collected. Her heart, beating erratically insider her chest, told her otherwise.

He was staring at her, mouth agape in shock. Then what she said registered, and anger overran his features.

"Pretend it never happened?" He said quietly, his tone deadly. "I can't do that."

"And why not, Anakin?"

"Because I just can't, Ali! I'll never be able to be your friend again without wanting something more!" He exclaimed passionately, and she motioned for him to be quiet for fear of someone overhearing. He obeyed and yet the intensity of his tone didn't diminish. "We kissed, Alianne, and we can't take it back. Denying it won't help matters. We both felt it, Ali, and we can't pretend we didn't."

"Felt what?" She faked dumb, but in truth she knew what he was talking about. It was the flutter in her stomach, the pleasant twinge that ran through her body—the mindless bliss that overtook her thoughts when they kissed. Everything just felt so right, so perfectly in place, when they were together. As forbidden as it was, Ali could not deny that she had liked it. A lot.

"Don't play stupid, Alianne. It doesn't suit you. You know what I'm talking about."

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"Ani, it's forbidden. We'd get expelled from the Order." She whispered pleadingly. "We have to put it behind us."

"I know it's forbidden, Ali," He cried fiercely. "But putting it behind us isn't the solution either. I think we should just forget about the rules, for once in our lives. Listen to our hearts instead of our brains!"

"I can't do that, Anakin! I've worked my entire life to become a Jedi Knight, and I will not give it up for some silly little puppy love, probably caused by teenage hormones." Immediately she regretted saying the words at his fallen expression.

"So that's all this is to you? Some silly little puppy love?" He sounded so disappointed, so bitter, so hurt. "Maybe I was wrong then. Maybe you didn't feel it. But I did, Ali. I've liked you for so long; I can't even pinpoint the moment. All I can tell you is that it's been years. I just kept denying it to myself, but I can't anymore. This isn't just a fling to me."

"It isn't to me, either," She replied quietly. "I shouldn't have said that, and I'm sorry for it."

"Apology accepted."

"It's just…such a huge decision to make, Anakin. Can we just have some time…maybe apart from each other, just to think?" She glanced at him, eyes tired and weary.

"Alright," He conceded grudgingly. "But how long do you want?"

"Give me two weeks, just to clear my head and think this through." He nodded softly, his eyes boring into hers.

"Two weeks," He whispered in agreement. And then, before she could say anything, he swooped down and kissed her again, on the lips, leaving her breathless and flushed.

"Just something to remember me by," He said, winking. And then he strolled out of the room, leaving her lying there, stunned, hand pressed to her lips. It would be quite a while before she was capable of coherent thought again.

A/N: Short, I know…but I promise to update sooner! Please read and review!