A/N: Ladies and gentlemen, please strap in because we are about to take off!


Chapter 6

She hadn't seen him at first. In fact, she had only walked up to the window to look out at the sleepy street. Then she had noticed him sitting there on the other side by the window of his bedroom. At least she thought that it was his bedroom. For a split seconds, Padmé did not know what to do. Did not know what to think. Did not even know what to say. It was all to ironically perfect to be true.

They were neighbors? The boy that she thought about day and night. The boy that made her unable to walk, talk or sit straight, was her neighbor. He who had so recently been a great enigma to her, was suddenly a lot more touchable. More real in some ways.

All of these thoughts raced through her head at a mad, rapid tempo. It almost felt like it would be cleaved in two unless it would not stop. Slowly she walked closer towards the window with a bathed breath deep in her somewhat dry throat that she at first hadn't been aware of. Her slender hand closed around the brassy window handle just as she sat down at her window seat. The boy who was sitting on the other side, looking at her so intensely that she almost felt uncomfortable, did the same, unconsciously imitating her every move. Like a mirror reflection.

For a moment the two just sat there on each side of each other, no one saying anything at all. They were both caught in a pregnant pause. The air around them was full of promise and yet, also uncertainty. A light breeze suddenly engulfed them, fanning their hair and clothes around them. It also broke the two of them out of their small rivière's.

"Hello," Padmé then said, a bit louder than she had planned to, but at least she had finally broken that somewhat awkward silence that had settled over them.

"Hi," Anakin answered back, removing the cigarette from between his lips, down to his fingers.

"You know…" Padmé began to say before biting her bottom lip, contemplating her words carefully. Nervously. "If I knew that we were neighbors, I would have spoken to you sooner. I guess I just… Didn't know where to starts."

"Hmm. Yeah, that sounds familiar," Anakin muttered, almost scoffing slightly as he moved his piercing blue gaze back to her face.

"So… You come here often?" Padmé said, immediately wincing slightly at her own question. Not now. Not now. Not now. Please common sense… Don't abandon me now!

Anakin almost smiled then. Almost. From both her somewhat stiff body language and the fiddling hands by her sides, he supposed that she was probably just as nervous as him.

"Well…" Anakin said, looking left towards the sleepy street and biting his lower lip momentarily before looking back at her again "This is my bedroom. So… Yeah. I do actually come here a lot. Figures…"

At this Padmé actually blushed, her already rosy cheeks turning red. "Yes. That's what I thought," she replied somewhat bashfully.

The two of them laughed together, and for a few moments the both of them just sat there across each other. No one said anything, but right then and there, there was no need for words. Often words are very overrated.

"I had an argument with my mom," Anakin then said out of the blue, his tiny smile immediately disappearing from his handsome face, turning into a small frown of sadness. And the atmosphere around them that had just been light, and bubbly once again grew somewhat sharp and intense.

The tension could almost be cut with a knife. It was just like a rope, stretched and weighted down to it's very limit, seconds from bursting and crashing down along with those who clung to it. His words caught Padmé of guard. She really hadn't expected his sudden change of mood. The pained expression on his smooth face pulled at her heartstrings. She hated it when other people suffered.

"I'm so sorry," Padmé said, ever so gently.

"It's not like I wanted to get angry at her. I hate it when we argue." Anakin was once again looking down at his lap, almost as if desperate to not catch her concerned gaze. He didn't want pity from anyone. He hated pity. Loathed it. Pity made him seem week. He wasn't week. Others just couldn't understand. No one did, and no one ever would. All of this Anakin was sure of, etched into his marrow as it was from years of wallowing in hatred, bitterness, and self-hatred.

"She just doesn't understand," He continued almost whispering to himself by now. He then looked up again, and for a moment he was surprised to see the mysterious girl from his dreams still sitting across from him. She hadn't left, and she wasn't an illusion.

She was looking at him intently, not in pity, but in compassion, gentleness, concern, and empathy. She didn't judge him. She didn't flee at the first signs of "weakness". She genuinely cared about him. Truly he could see that.

"I don't know your mother, of course, but I'm sure she only means well," Padmé then replied before giving him a small smile. "But it's not my place to pry and place judgment."

Anakin nodded at her words, really contemplating them. Perhaps she is right.

"Maybe," he answered back. Somehow, he immediately felt better. Lighter. Her whole presence made him calmer and… happier?... somehow. It felt strange because these were feelings that he had not experienced in years. And he didn't even know this girl, who he had until recently been sure was only an illusion of his deprived, hollow mind, because surely goodness like this didn't exist in real life? He actually started to smile a bit then.

"Okay. Enough about me. Why did you come up here?" Anakin asked Padmé, eager to change the subject and divert the attention away from himself.

"Well," she said, now with a small smile on her beautiful face, "Except for this being my bedroom, just like you are being in your bedroom, I was planning on reading a bit. You like reading?" She asked him.

He scrunched up his nose a bit at her words. "Not particularly. Only when I have to. Can't really sit still for that long I have to admit."

His words made Padmé giggle a little, making her put her hand in front of her plump mouth. "I understand. It's not for everyone," she than answered concisely, her voice still filled with a note of laughter.

She has a beautiful laughter and a beautiful smile, Anakin silently noted to himself.

"What are you reading?" He asked, his interest now piqued.

Padmé jumped down from the window seat for a moment, going to her bedside table where the book in question laid. She picked it up and then walked back to the window seat.

"The other Boleyn girl by a British author called Philippa Gregory. It's basically about two sisters and their rivalry for the attention of the King. When he tires of one, he marries the other after many complicated things. He later executes her for failing to give him a son, among other things," Padmé explained, as shortly and as uncomplicated as she could, trying very much to leave out all of the heavy, complicated details.

"That sounds very cheerful," Anakin replied snarkily.

Padmé snickered a little at his words. "Yeah, I know! It's based on a true story, however."

"Really?" Anakin said, raising one eyebrow at her words.

"Yes, The King in the story, called Henry VIII is notorious for having had six wives, and that he executed two of them. And I just happen to be a bit obsessed about his second wife, the one called Anne Boleyn. She is also one of the sisters that this book is about," Padmé said pointing at the book that she held in her left hand.

"I like this book, but it doesn't make Anne Boleyn justice at all! If anything, it paints her as a major bitch! Sure, she was strong-willed, hot tempered, opinionated, and could sometimes perhaps be a little cruel, but she wasn't a bitch."

"It does actually sound very intriguing," Anakin said while nodding his head. "Tell me more about it all sometime. I might not be very fond of reading, but I have always found history to be quite an interesting subject. Especially the wars and battles and everything." Anakin scoffed a bit before continuing. "The boy in me I guess?"

"Perhaps," said Padmé sides, her amber eyes glittering with mirth.

"As if you already haven't noticed it, I happen to be a real history geek! I'm kind of obsessed with Medieval and Renaissance Europe. Especially Tudor history, A.K.A the time period in around which Henry VIII and his wives lived and ruled. It's called Tudor history because Henry's family name was Tudor."

"I think I've heard of it, but never any of the details," Anakin said. "But I would gladly learn more about it if you taught me," he replied while dumping the cigarette that he been holding between his index finger while talking. All of a sudden, the ashy weight of it between his fingers had made him feel dirty. Soiled.

"I would gladly do that," Padmé said while smiling that gorgeous smile of hers. Then, suddenly an idea struck her. "Do you want to go out for… I don't know. A milkshake? Tomorrow that is. It's a Sunday, so no school, and Shabbat is over by then."

"Sure." Anakin said before realizing what she just said. "Shabbat. You're Jewish?" He asked a bit sharply.

"Yes. I'm Jewish," Padmé said. "Do you… Have a problem with that," Padmé asked, suddenly a bit nervous.

"No! Of course not! I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out. I mean, not like that! I don't have any issues with you. Ugh- That you're Jewish, I mean…" Stop blubbering you idiot. You sound like a pathetic fool, Anakin thought silently to himself.

Padmé shook her head and laughed quietly at the verbal mess he was making of himself. He's so cute right now, she thought.

"It's alright! I understand what you mean. Anyway, do you want to grab a milkshake with me tomorrow?"

"Yeah! I would," he quickly replied. He really did. He hadn't been this enthusiastic about anything for a very long time.

"I don't know many milkshake places here California however, so you'll just have to surprise me though." Padmé said.

"Sure do," he replied before remembering what she had just said. "And then you can tell me more about Tudor history!"

"Great! See you outside at 9 AM? At the driveway?" She asked him.

"That will be perfect," Anakin answered.

Padmé then stood up from the window seat, and just as she was about to close the window she said, "Oh! And by the way. My name is Padmé. Padmé Naberrie."

Padmé. Padmé. Padmé. Anakin rolled the name around in his mouth. Tasted every syllable, every vowel, every consonant. Padmé Naberrie. What a pretty name.

"Padmé Naberrie. Alright. My name is Anakin. Anakin Skywalker," he answered back.

"Anakin. Anakin Skywalker. That's a very strong name," she said excitedly.

"Well Anakin, it was nice finally talking to you. Goodnight, and see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight Padmé," Anakin said just before they both closed their own windows. That night, the both of them fell asleep with contented smiles on their faces.


A/N: They are actually talking to each other, AND they each other names! I repeat, They are actually talking to each other, AND they each other names! AAAAAHHHHH!

Those of you who got The other Boleyn girl reference, GOLD STAR TO YOU!

(For those of you who didn't, Natalie Portman starred in a Hollywood movie adaption of this book in 2008.) By the way, about Tudor history… I happen to be completely obsessed with Tudor history, and especially Anne Boleyn (In my opinion THE GREATEST WOMAN WHO EVER LIVED! SERIOUSLY GO READ UP ON HER AND TUDOR HISTORY RIGHT NOW!)

Any way… so I decided to just incorporate my own obsession about Tudor history into this story, and literally all of the thing Padmé mentions in this chapter are my own opinions.

Anyway, enough from me. Thanks so much for all of your lovely comments and stay tuned for the next chapter!