Author's Note: Hey everyone! I have another update for you today! Hope you enjoy it! Hellish Red Devil – I'm so happy to hear that you are enjoying the story so much! It's always such a nice feeling to hear someone say that! Thanks for joining me on this crazy adventure! Hopeless4Life – Ha! Glad you liked that last line – I figured it was enough to drive fear into most any man – even Anakin Skywalker! Padme's Sister – Yep, Padme definitely knows how to make her husband squirm, doesn't she? Thanks for the sweet review! Meandmysharpie – Ha! Your review cracked me up, as always! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter and hope you get a kick out of Ani's response. Erik's leadinglady – Read on to find out what our dear Anakin has to say. He's a creative guy, I'll give him that! All – Thanks for stopping in – you make all the hard work worthwhile!

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Anakin froze, stark apprehension clouding his handsome face.

There is no right way to answer this question, he thought worriedly. If he said yes, then he was insulting her. If he said no, then he was being dishonest.

Force help him, he was trapped.

He didn't need to reach out to Obi-wan through their Bond to know he was grinning like a madman somewhere over his left shoulder. Scowling, he realized he had to figure out a way out of this.

Then, inspiration struck.

In one easy motion, he pulled on his own crash pads. Triumphantly, he finally responded, "No more than I do, my dear."

Padme looked at Siri and rolled her eyes. The Jedi simply shook her head in amusement as they rejoined the group on center ice.

"That was a close call," Padme murmured teasingly, coming to a stop beside her frazzled husband.

"It didn't faze me a bit," Anakin lied, hoping he sounded nonchalant.

Obi-wan, meanwhile, was pulling on his own gear and trying desperately not to slip and fall. Catching sight of his struggle, Siri loaned him a steady shoulder to lean on, and he accepted it gratefully.

Once the group was attired correctly and ready to begin practice, Threepio began to explain the move they were about to learn.

"The jump you will be performing is called a toe loop," he outlined. "To complete the element correctly, contestants must dig their toe pick into the ice, push themselves into the air and complete an entire rotation before landing on the outside of their blade. A smooth, one-footed landing is the key to a top score."

"A toe loop, huh?" Obi-wan asked, amused. "Oh, this is going to be easy."

Taking his cue, Artoo quickly flashed up a series of step-by-step holovids. Anakin knew his eyes were growing wider and wider with each passing image and he could see that his Master was regretting his overly confident statement - and it was not something Siri was going to let him forget anytime soon either.

Swallowing his dread, he turned to Padme and she immediately met his gaze, forcing a bright smile.

"We can do this. I know it. But still... do you think I can make my crash pads even thicker?" she wondered.

The tension broken, everyone began to laugh.

TWO HOURS LATER

Padme dug in her blade and leapt with all her might. For a glorious moment, she sailed through the air, her arms tucked to her chest, hair fanned out behind her dramatically. The feeling passed all-to-quickly as she felt her skate make sudden contact with the unforgiving ground. Valiantly, she tried to adjust her balance accordingly, but... down she went.

Biting back a curse, she landed hard on her backside, feeling the bite of the cold ice even through the protective padding. Exhausted, she sat there for a moment in an attempt to regain the tattered remnants of her dignity.

At least I'm not the only one having trouble, she mused, watching Siri and Obi-wan tumble to the ground, still beautifully in sync even in disaster. When are they going to realize they are made for each other? she wondered, surprised at her sudden sentimentality. Blasted Jedi Code...

Her husband's loving presence shook her from her reverie.

"Are you all right?" he asked, concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine," she insisted. She climbed back to her feet and took a deep breath. "I just can't manage the landing, no matter how hard I try."

"It will take some time." His tone was reassuring, but chagrined for even he was finding it difficult to gain purchase on the slick surface after a jump.

Master Yoda and the rest of the Jedi Council would never let him hear the end of it if he fell flat on his face in the middle of the routine. He could already hear the diminutive Jedi Master:

Wipe out, a Jedi does not. Stick the landing, you must.

Determined to avoid embarrassment at all cost, he gave Padme a kiss of encouragement before skating off to tackle the difficult business of staying upright...

EARLY EVENING

"Ow, ow, ow," Siri complained, slowly making her way into the suite.

"My entire body hurts," Padme added as she flopped onto the sofa. "Even my hair hurts."

"How can your hair hurt?" Obi-wan asked. Siri answered on Padme's behalf by giving his ginger-colored locks a good yank. "Ouch! By the Force, Siri! That was uncalled for!"

"Well, you asked," she replied sweetly, batting her eyes demurely.

Obi-wan smoothed his hair back into place, frowning at his partner even as a smile threatened to break through. He was finding it harder and harder to suppress his emotions. His connection to Siri was growing stronger with each passing day and now she was almost a constant presence in his thoughts.

What was most unnerving was the fact that they still had several weeks to go. He honestly didn't know how he was going to handle it. The assignment was getting far more complicated than he ever could have imagined.

But silently, he admitted, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

As if she could sense his addled thoughts through his mind shields, Siri winked at him and motioned for him to take a seat next to her. Powerless to refuse her, he moved to the sofa and felt another piece of his resolve crumble.

Well, perhaps it wouldn't hurt to just relax and enjoy the evening meal with her, he reasoned. And the one after that... and the one after that... and perhaps every evening meal for the rest of our lives.

Letting out a soft groan, he ignored the confused look Siri shot his way.

Nice going, Kenobi, he berated himself. Make it even more obvious.

Thankfully, Anakin's legendary appetite spared him from any further agony as he was called into the kitchen to join his former apprentice in fixing something for dinner.

SHORTLY BEFORE MIDNIGHT, SUITE OF LIRI AND KAIDE

Padme tucked her feet under her and watched Anakin tinker with the TX-306 droid, his determination to get it up and running almost palpable. Unfortunately, he had only succeeded in burning himself on a hot fragment of metal and inventing some new and rather descriptive curse words.

"Sorry," he growled after another round of scalding language.

She shook her head and tossed him a clean cloth so he could wipe the grease from his cheek. "You really should get to bed," she finally prompted. "I know you're exhausted and we have to practice early tomorrow morning..."

"No, I still have a couple more hours here, but you go on ahead," he insisted absently.

"Anakin-" she started to plead, but her argument was interrupted as he leapt up with his fists clenched.

"We're running out of time!" he shouted. "This droid probably has all the answers we need to defeat Jarrick and I can't get a blasted thing out of it. This is my responsibility and I won't fail." His voice dropped to a whisper. "I can't."

Saying nothing, Padme watched her husband's display of temper with mounting concern. He always put so much pressure on himself - it was one of his greatest weaknesses. And yet, no matter how much she tried to share some of the burden, he refused to allow it.

It must be awfully difficult to carry the weight of the Galaxy on your shoulders, she mused.

Mumbling an apology, he tried to snip a few of the loose wires, but the cutter blades were dull and useless. His fury mounting once more, he threw the tools aside and tore out the wires with his bare hands...

...and another holo-recording began to play.