a.n. Well, I finally updated this story. It took me a while because it's kinda long and I have been busy working on other things. But here it is, Part II of Slave (which takes place during Episode II). I hope to do Part III sometime soon, but I don't know if I'll be able to, so bear with me as I try to update often, but my track record's not very good at this point. Anyhow, enjoy!

Disclaimer: Idon't know why, but I always forget this, but I'm actually remebering now. I do not own Star Wars, only books and comics, that's all. The characters are not mine, so don't even ask. Everything is copyright to Uncle George and LucasFilm Ltd., not me.

Part II

It had been ten long years since I left home. It had been ten years since I left my mother to become a Jedi. It had been ten years since the last time I had seen her. When Obi-Wan and I had returned from Ansion, the Council told us that because of recent assassination attempts, we were assigned to protect a certain Senator, Padmé Amidala of Naboo. I could barely contain my excitement. After ten long years of separation and longing, I would finally be able to see her beautiful figure again. I couldn't wait to appease the heartache I had felt for so long.

As we rode the turbolift up to her apartment, I began to feel nervous. My heart was pounding, my palms were sweating, I was fidgeting, anxious to see her again. Obi-Wan noticed this and told me to relax. I told him I was nervous about seeing her again after ten years. This was true, but I didn't tell him the whole truth. I didn't tell hem that my heart ached to be with her, to hold her safely in my arms, to run my fingers through her silky tresses, to gently caress her delicate cheek, to shower her with kisses. I didn't tell him these things because I knew he wouldn't understand. He had never felt this way about someone before. He could never understand the pain and the longing I felt whenever I thought about her. He could never understand the love and the pride I felt for her whenever I saw her passionately debating in the Senate or the fear and the anger that threatened to overcome me whenever there seemed to be a threat or a hazard to her life. Obi-Wan had never experienced these emotions. Obi-Wan had never been in love.

Love. Such a foreign concept to a Jedi and one of those emotions we were required to control. But I couldn't. I was a slave to my emotions, much like I had been a slave in a physical sense to Watto a decade ago. I couldn't control the love that I felt for Padmé; I felt it in every atom of my body. I felt its dull, aching throb course through every inch of my being. It was faint, but I could certainly feel it and I knew it would become stronger the more I thought about her and that it would never go away.

When we reached our destination, I was suddenly fearful. Would she remember who I was? What if she doesn't remember me? Does she feel the same way about me as I do about her? These thoughts and a thousand others like them were floating around in my head as we entered her apartment and were greeted by Jar Jar. His clumsy nature and goofy attitude set me at ease a little and I began to relax. But I tensed up again as I saw her enter the sitting room with her handmaiden by her side. She greeted Obi-Wan first, and I could see that her face was a mixture of both fear for her situation and irritation at our presence here. I smiled to myself. She is the same as the last time I saw her, stubborn, independent, and strong-willed. She is still the Padmé that I fell in love with.

She finally noticed me standing there and smiled at me. By her look, I knew that she recognized me, but just barely.

Ani? My goodness you've grown.

So have you... grown more beautiful, I mean...for a Senator, I mean.

Oh Ani, you'll always be that little boy I knew on Tatooine...

I was somewhat angry with her for that little remark. Here I was, someone who hadn't been able to stop dreaming about her for ten years and she tells me that to her, I'm still a little boy. I didn't think she would ever take me seriously, not if she thought about me in that way.

Well, things change and her feelings for me did. I remember going to the Lake Country in Varykino to keep her safe and all the fun times we had. Then there was that night in front of the fireplace. When I saw her there on the sofa, illuminated by the soft, warm glow from the fire, I knew I just had to tell her how I really felt and if she felt the same way about me. My emotions were controlling me again, and once I started talking, everything I had ever wanted to say to her just poured out of me and I opened up my heart and soul to her.

From the moment I met you, all those years ago, a day hasn't gone by when I haven't thought of you. And now that I'm close to you again, I'm in agony. The closer I get to you, the worse it gets. The thought of not being with you makes my stomach turn over – my mouth goes dry. I feel dizzy. I can't breathe. I'm haunted by the kiss you should never have given me. My heart is beating, hoping that kiss will not become a scar. You are in my very soul, tormenting me. What can I do? I will do anything you ask...If you are suffering as much as I am, tell me.

I can't. We can't. It's just not possible.

Anything's possible. Padmé, please listen...

You listen. We live in a real world. Come back to it. You're studying to become a Jedi Knight. I'm a Senator. If you follow your thoughts through to conclusion, they will take us to a place we cannot go...regardless of the way we feel about each other.

Then you do feel something! There's an extraordinary connection between us. You can't deny that.

Ani, it doesn't make any difference. Jedi aren't allowed to marry. You swore an oath, remember? You'd be expelled from the Order. I will not let you give up your responsibilities...your future, for me.

I was destined to be a Jedi. I don't think I could be anything else. But you are asking me to be rational. That is something I know I cannot do. I wish I could wish my feelings away...but I can't.

I am not going to give into this. I'm not going to throw my life away. I have more important things to do than fall in love.

It wouldn't have to be that way...we could keep it a secret.

Then we'd be living a lie - one we couldn't keep even if we wanted to. I couldn't do that. Could you, Anakin? Could you live like that?

No, you're right. It would destroy us.

That night was one of the most horrible nights of my life. I had been driven by my passion to open up to her, to tell her how I truly felt, and it had gotten me nowhere. I had poured my heart and soul out to her, to the only one that I have ever loved and she had to refuse me. I could see in her eyes that she felt the same way for me but she felt like she had to be the rational one and so prevented herself from saying what she truly felt. I knew I just had to try to change her mind.

Tatooine. A place I never want to go back to. My mother died in my arms and as I let my anger control me, it made me do terrible acts. I was a slave to that rage and I killed all of those Tuskens, the women and children too. When I told Padmé, she had comforted me, soothing my anger, quenching my thirst for revenge, for retribution. I was scared that I had let my anger get the best of me, but having Padmé there helped calm me down. I just hoped that my anger would never again get the best of me.

Geonosis changed our lives. After we had been captured and sent to our deaths, Padmé finally opened up to me. She finally revealed her true emotions to me. She finally revealed to me her true feelings and that she genuinely felt the same for me that I felt for her.

Don't be afraid.

I'm not afraid to die. I've been dying a little bit each day since you came back into my life.

What are you talking about?

I love you.

You love me! I thought we decided not to fall in love. That we would be forced to live a lie. That it would destroy our lives...

I think our lives are about to be destroyed anyway. My love for you is a puzzle, Ani, for which I have no answers. I can't control it...and now I don't care. I truly, deeply love you, and before we die I want you to know.

The kiss we shared then was one full of passion and love. It was full of emotion and feeling. It told me that she truly felt what she said, that she truly loved me. I knew then that I never wanted to leave her side, that I would always want to be with her. I told myself that I never wanted to be without her again and when we got out of this, I would ask her to marry me.

We managed to escape, though I was badly injured with my severed arm. A surge of emotions threatened to control me: I was angry at Dooku for doing it, angry with myself for allowing it to happen, fearful of what Padmé would say. But I needn't have worried. Padmé really was my angel and she reassured me and told me that she would love me no matter what. She told me that she loved me for who I was and that what I looked like outside didn't matter to her because she fell in love with the me on the inside. Those simple, heartfelt words of love and devotion that poured from her beautiful lips managed to quell my anger and release me from its control. I told myself then that I would try my best to never give in to anger or hate; I only wanted to be consumed by the love and the passion that Padmé and I had for each other, never their darker side.

Padmé and I married a few days later in Varykino, the same place where I had revealed my true feelings for her. Although we didn't want to, we knew we had to do it in secret because of my position as a Jedi. But even though the dark cloud of secrecy was hanging over us, there was also that ray of light that was love and hope and passion. We knew that even though our lives would be filled with secrets and hardships, trials and tribulations, all we had to do was believe and trust in each other and in our love and we could get through anything.