"Anakin! Get your dirty boots off my table!" Padmé called out from the kitchen.
"Oh, sorry." The young man murmured as he put his feet back onto the thick lilac rug.
Padmé and Dormé were milling about in the kitchen preparing dinner for their guest. Occasionally, the young Jedi padawan would drop by, usually around dinnertime, and usually when his Master was occupied giving lectures or dealing with the council. Padmé wondered which it was this evening and then swept the thought aside. She had forced herself to stop thinking about that particular Jedi long ago.
Dormé set the timer on the cooker and began cleaning the mess they had made. "I'll get this, Mi'Lady." She offered. "You go entertain our company."
Padmé thanked her assistant and joined Anakin in the living room. She found him twirling a decorative marble ball in the air, displaying his control of the Force.
"You'd better not drop that." Padmé joked as she walked by him, choosing a seat opposite of where he was. Anakin beamed and the marble sphere landed softly in his hand. "Not a chance." He replied, setting the object back on its silver filigree pedestal.
"So what brings you around to see us this evening, Padawan Skywalker?" Padmé teased. She had always felt so at ease with the younger boy ever since coming to Coruscant. Even though during their initial meeting on Tatooine, she had shown him very little interest, when she was elected as senator and moved to Galactic City, Anakin was one of the first to welcome her. He was also one of the few people from her past that she actually felt comfortable with. She considered him to be like a younger brother and was grateful that he seemed oblivious to her past. If he knew what had transpired on Naboo all those years ago, would he even have anything to do with her? Or would he share his Master's opinions?
Her attempt at playful conversation fell flat as Anakin's face abruptly turned somber and his eyes locked onto hers.
"What happened between you and my Master?" He asked.
Padmé's mouth went dry. Was she ever going to be able to forget what had happened then? To forget all the terrible mistakes she had made? She licked her lips before stammering out a response.
"Why do you ask?"
"Because, he doesn't seem to like you very much. He doesn't generally like politicians as a rule, but I get the feeling that he is holding a significant grudge against you and I was wondering why. I've asked him about it before, but he won't talk about it. I was hoping that maybe you would."
Padmé regarded the teenager thoughtfully. They had become close friends these past few months. Maybe he wouldn't judge her too harshly. She had to at least give him the benefit of a doubt. She'd tell him, but only enough to satisfy his curiosity. Most of the facts, she would take with her to the grave.
"We met during the Naboo Occupation, as you know." She began softly, playing with the ring on her right hand. "At first, I was attracted to Qui-Gon."
"Qui-Gon?" Anakin choked out, apparently quite shocked.
"Yes. Qui-Gon. I had a thing for long hair." Padmé smirked and then smiled, before her eyes moved back to examine her ring. "Things didn't work out between us, but Obi-Wan was there for me. He even saved my life."
"So what happened?" Anakin prompted Padmé out of her extended reminiscing.
"He found out the truth." Her voice was hushed and Anakin could sense the tension rising.
"What truth?" He asked gently, waiting a moment before reaching across the table and placing his hand on hers, noticing that they were trembling. "You can tell me, Padmé."
"That I was responsible for Qui-Gon's death." Padmé replied shakily.
"You? How?"
Padmé took a deep breath before continuing. "I made a deal with Nute Gunray and the Trade Federation for the sole purpose of luring Master Jinn to Naboo. I needed to secure a husband, and he seemed so perfect. I had no idea things would turn out the way they did. It was a stupid and selfish thing to do."
"You killed Nute Gunray. You saved your people and your planet." Anakin pointed out.
"And Qui-Gon died." She added.
"But that's not your fault."
"Isn't it? If I hadn't struck that deal, Qui-Gon wouldn't have been on Naboo in the first place." Padmé sniffled and shook her head back and forth.
"You did the Jedi a favor." Anakin answered back firmly.
"A favor? What are you talking about?" Padmé laughed sarcastically, wiping her hand roughly against her cheek to rid it of an escaping tear.
"You exposed the Sith! The Jedi thought they were extinct. You opened their eyes and now we aren't so blind. We know that the Sith are a threat once more and we are actively seeking them out."
Padmé's head came up and she sought Anakin's eyes. She had never thought of it that way before. But what did it matter what he thought. She knew the truth.
"You did the Jedi a favor." Anakin repeated.
"Ha." Padmé sniffed again. "I'm afraid Obi-Wan doesn't quite look at it that way."
"Well, Master Obi-Wan can be a bantha's ass sometimes."
Padmé laughed and squeezed the young man's hand.
"Are you all right?" He asked, now wishing he hadn't brought any of this up. He hadn't meant to upset her. He cared for her too much. She was like the older sister he never had.
"It was a long time ago, Ani." She answered, wiping away the smeared makeup underneath her eyes. "I'm fine. Really."
"Good." Anakin replied with a smile. "Cuz I'm starving. Is dinner ready?"
Padmé chuckled again, rising up from the couch. "I'll go see."
Anakin watched her leave the room with a smile, but his brow gradually lowered and the smile faded.
Finally, there was one piece of the puzzle that fit. Now, he only had to figure out how to fit the other. The problem was, the other piece was his Master, and his Master was so aloof sometimes. Anakin wasn't sure if Obi-Wan would ever fit anywhere.