Chapter 12: Nevermore

"Anakin, what are you doing?" Padmé whispered, her eyes widening in shock as she slowly backed away from him.

Gone was the handsome Knight who had swept her off her feet- cold eyes now regarded her unsympathetically.

"Anakin?"

"My name is not Anakin," he spat, his sudden movement causing her to jump.

"But…" she began to protest, Padmé's heart fighting against what her mind knew to be true.

"There are no 'buts,' my love," he sneered, running a long index finger against her fragile jaw, "just as there is no longer an 'us.'"

"But you said… you told Leia you'd changed." A lone tear rolled down from her disbelieving brown eyes to gaunt cheeks. "You promised…"

"A two year old who was foolish enough to believe a Sith," he finished flatly.

"I do not know you," she whispered, shaking her head mournfully.

Anakin, why?

"I do not know you," Padmé whispered in a hollow voice.

"I could say the same about you, my dear."

"Are you calling me a liar- again?" she asked softly. Padmé quickly turned her back to him so that she would not have to see her greatest failure.

Suddenly, she felt something cold press against the thin material of her nightgown to her back, causing her to arch away from it until a firm hand gripped her shoulder. Crying out in pain, Padmé struggled to get away even as Vader dug his gloved hand further into her skin.

"Just where do you think you're going?" he hissed into her ear, his hot breath sending chills down her spine. Not caring how much he hurt her, he pushed the hilt of his lightsaber harder against her back.

Then, she stopped struggling. "Nowhere," she whispered, her face becoming obscured by cascading curls as Padmé hung her head in defeat.

Perhaps her comment had surprised him, but Vader surprisingly said nothing.

A minute went by as she tried to even her breathing and pounding heart, taking what were sure to be her last glimpses of life. He had failed her twice before, fate eventually grant her respite.

Soon, all that could be heard was the sound of his labored breathing and the whispering of his gloved hand against the metal of his lightsaber.

Knowing what had to be done, Padmé slowly moved. Instantly, the large hand tightened its hold, and , biting back the urge to cry, she turned around to face him.

For some odd reason, he loosened his grip on her and Vader's hand fell to his side. His ignited lightsaber still pointed at her, but she noticed that it wavered.

Padmé now stood facing him and, with an effort that was beyond bearable, she lifted her brown eyes to look into Vader's one last time.

"Anakin," she whispered, placing her trembling fingertips on his chest.

The lightsaber was soon pressed against her stomach.

"Anakin," she said in an even quieter voice, ignoring the pain the weapon caused. "Please, let me taste your lips one last sweet time before… before…"

Confusion flitted into his brown eyes before a sneer parted his lips. "Gladly."

In a single movement, he crushed her against him and kissed her roughly. When Padmé struggled, he only responded by pulling her closer against him until her body ached and she was left breathless. His free hand gripped at her neck, causing her to cry out in pain.

Against his forceful movements, Padmé began to lightly kiss him, her gentle affection a sharp contract to his plundering. A growl was his first response but slowly and in an almost imperceptive way, Vader's lips began to move in tandem with hers. The hand, the one that had been squeezing her neck moments before, lightly caressed her skin.

Suddenly, it was over.

Pulling away and gasping for air, Padmé triumphantly gazed at Vader. "Now you can kill me," she whispered, delighting in the way his eyes moved uncertainly.

He did not move.

"Is the great Dark Lord of the Sith a coward?" she taunted.

Vader said nothing but turned h8is broad back to her as he gasped for breath. Shoulders slumping, he hung his head and, though she could not see his face, Padmé knew of the conflict that was present on it.

Not wanting him to have the satisfaction of hiding from her, Padmé slowly walked around Vader and purposely placed herself just a few inches in front of him. Daringly, she lifted her face to meet his, a wide grin on her face.

"Kill me, Vader," she sneered. "Kill me like you were so willing to moments ago."

Turning his head to the side, Vader avoided her accusing glare.

"Or…" she said purpousfully, "has Palpatine not fully destroyed the side of you that you've tried oh so carefully to hide?"

Suddenly, her cheek stung and she fell to the floor, numbly staring up at the man she'd just challenged. A beam of red inched narrowly close to her throat."

"Daddy?" a childish voice from behind them asked. "What are you doing?"