"The second gift is comforting illusion: the ease of gentle dreams in a night's embrace, the beauty that immagination brings to what would repel in a day's harsh light. But the greatest of its comforts is the illusion that the dark is temporary: that every night brings a new day. Because it is day that is temporary. Day is the illusion." Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Stover

Chapter 2: Unwanted Visitors

Flying at top speed around Coruscant with vulture droids pursuing them would hardly be a thing Padmé's doctor would have recommended; nor was this the Senator's ideal pastime. After fainting and nearly being shot down several times, when the speeder finally landed and she placed her feet on the hard ground, Padmé instantly passed out.

Ever the chivalrous gentleman, Bail Organa had rushed the unconscious Senator back to her penthouse with a worried Mon Mothma in their wake. Ellé and the other handmaidens had squeaked in fright upon seeing their beloved 'Mi'Lady' rather scratched and unconscious in Bail's arms. Nevertheless, they locked the pesky See-Threepio out of the room and requested that the nervous Senator from Alderaan resume his pacing outside the closed doors as the handmaidens debated about what to do. Haunting memories of children lost had taught Bail Organa to never underestimate a woman's health, including Padmé's, no matter how strong she might be, and he was determined to stay there until she was once again in good health.

Slowly, as consciousness came back to Padmé, she felt the softness of the blanket that was carefully tucked about her sleeping form and the damp cloth that was being pressed against her sweaty forehead. As she became more awake and stirred in her sleep, Padmé faintly heard the bickering of her handmaidens.

"Mi'Lady will not like it," one feminine voice, belonging to Motté protested.

The gentle patting of her head with a cloth stopped and Padmé felt the pressure of someone sitting down on the bed beside her.

"Mi'Lady doesn't always realize what's best for her," Dormé tersely replied in an uncharacteristic way. Even tempered, only her worry over the Senator's well being could cause her to become riled.

Even in her semi-conscious state, Padmé found herself annoyed by the repeated 'Mi'Ladys.'

Although she much rather would have liked to sleep some more, her eyes flew open in irritation. She found herself being scrutinized by her three handmaids who hovered over her with worried faces.

Only Ellé had not noticed that her friend was awake, and from within the large wardrobe, she called out, "We must consider what's best for her health…"

"Ellé!" Dormé hissed to no avail.

"I know I am not an obstetrician, but I can tell when things are about to go bad…"

"When you do become one, be sure to add it to your profile," Padmé said irritably. "You might get a raise. What part of my life are you three planning without my consent?"

"It was Ellé's idea," both Dormé and Motté simultaneous said;a blushing handmaiden peeked out of the closet.

"They agreed until Dormé began second-guessing it," the girl protested.

She was the youngest out of the three and, although the others watched over her like an older sister, she still was treated like the baby of the group. When she saw Padmé's disapproving look, the handmaiden clamped her hand over her mouth and retreated back into the refuge of the closet.

Although they had been talking about her and the three knew that she was aware of it, none of them seemed inclined to share it with her.

In an attempt to change the subject, Dormé asked, "Are you alright, Mi'Lady?"

Her dark brown eyes momentarily flitted down to where the Senator's hands rested before placing the cloth against Padmé's head.

"Considering the fact that I feel like I've been run over by a bantha… yes," Padmé muttered.

Much to the disproval of the other women, she quickly sat up, ignoring both their protestations and the dull ache that spread through her body.

"No, Mi'Lady," Motté said gently as she tried to get her to lie back down. "You need rest. The doctor…"

"I can't," Padmé sighed. Part of her was inclined to take her friend's advice, but then again, duty was calling, and she wasn't one to ever ignore it. "I have a meeting with the representatives from Dantooine in less than one standard hour."

"Umm… Mi'Lady," Dormé began cautiously. In response, she received a wary glance. "I already cancelled it. We thought… that, well, with the attack today and the Chancellor having been kidnapped, you might need a break."

Before then, Padmé had forgotten the plight of her former mentor. Sadly, she knew that there was no hope for him and, although she did not always agree with his ideals, she already mourned the sure loss of her friend. Had Anakin and Obi-Wan not been called away to a remote planet, they surely would have come to his rescue, and she knew that no other Jedi would be able to provide as much hope. Somewhere out there, she knew, Anakin was lamenting his inability to help and her heart hurt with the knowledge of how he would react to this failure.

For a brief moment, there was silence as they all thought of their leader.

Whether or not Padmé would have debated the bed rest issue any further, she did not know, for at that moment Elle, who had wandered out, gasped and ran to the large window. "There's a huge fire!" Unattended, Padmé rushed to the handmaidens' side and peered out at the smoke that was billowing in the distance.

"It's coming from the landing strip," Dormé said in a hushed tone.

Already a step ahead of them, Ellé turned on the holivid to see if there was any news about this.

An attractive female Twi'lek news anchor was standing several yards in front of the flames and, although her mike was calmly held in her slender hands, the way she nervously kept looking back at the wreckage betrayed her fear. "Here on Coruscant we have breaking news. As you are all very aware, our beloved Chancellor Palpatine…"

At this Padmé couldn't help but smirk at the anchor's reference to the Chancellor being beloved.

"…Had been kidnapped by the ruthless Count Dooku and his droid General Grevious. Just moments ago, the Chancellor emerged from this ship safe and sound. Two Jedi Knights- we have no names as of yet- are to be honored for this rescue."

Crestfallen, Padmé knew that it was going to hurt Anakin that he hadn't been the one to save his friend, but her eyes remained glued to the holovid.

"We have also confirmed that Count Dooku is dead, but for now, the whereabouts of General Grevious remain unknown. It is suspected that he is fleeing to the remaining members of the Trade Federation…"

All over Coruscant, citizens sighed in relief upon hearing the news, but they all became filled with fear upon hearing that their deadliest enemy was still uncaptured.

Shaken, she collapsed back onto the bed and held her head in her hands.

Suddenly, she was filled with inspiration. Only one person could have flown that huge Trade Federation ship and not only manage to land it, but also manage to make that huge trench in the ground.

Anakin was home. Though not even the officials could know it, in Padmé's heart she knew it to be true- the two brave Jedi Knights were none other than her husband and his mentor.

Only her Annie would be so crazy.

"Motté, turn it off," Dormé commanded, interpreting Padmé's silence wrongly.

"Wait," Ellé hissed, holding her hand up in a command for silence.

"It's distressing Mi'Lady."

"Wait," the news anchor suddenly blurted out, holding the transmitter close to her ear. "We have just confirmed the identity of our two heroes- they are none other than our wise Negotiator and the dashing Hero With No Fear."

Tears of relief washed down Padmé's face as the handmaidens hugged her.

My Annie is alright.

Though down in her heart she had known this to be true, it wasn't until she heard it from someone else's mouth that her mind dared to hope in it. Many times, she had been misled by the media, and she had consequently spent a lot of sleepless nights mourning the husband she had supposedly lost.

"Mi'Lady, we had best get you prettied if you want to meet with that handsome Knight of yours!" Motté exclaimed, already running to go get the hair supplies.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Ellé said, hitting her forehead with her fist. (NEW PARAGRAPH) When she went over to the door and allowed it to slide open, she found a brooding Bail Organa standing in front of the frame. As soon as he saw that Padmé had regained consciousness and seemed to be doing quite well, a friendly smile covered his face and he quickly approached her. Instinctively, Padmé rearranged her robe and held out her hand to him which he kissed. Either he was too polite to make a comment or was completely oblivious, he fortunately did not seem to notice the shaking of her hand.

Mothma was very worried about you, but she was called back to the Senate for an emergency meeting with her colleagues, but she sends her best hopes," he apologized for the Chandrilaian Senator's absence. "Now that I can see that you will be in good in good hands, you must forgive me, but I must make contact with my wife." He bowed to her.

"Oh yes, do so- Breha must be so worried." From personal experience, Padmé knew only too well how tormenting it was to be unsure of the well being of a loved one. "Did you hear the news- Chancellor Palpatine has been rescued."

The smile on his face was replaced with a grim look. "Yes, I had heard about it, but whether the news is wonderful or not we shall soon find out."

"Yes, of course," Padmé said slowly. "Do tell your wife that I send my best regards for her."

"I certainly will," he beamed at the mentioning of his beloved wife.

Despite the glumness of the atmosphere, she smiled at the way her friend's face lit up. She could only hope that her face didn't betray such emotions upon the mentioning of Anakin's name.

"Are you sure you will be alright?" In a manner characteristic of him, Bail stood his ground till he was comfortable with her condition. "It's not characteristic of you to faint this often."

The prospect of seeing Anakin so soon had made Padmé giddy and she playfully patted his arm. "I assure you, my friend, that I have plenty of handmaidens to fret over me, but if you are still unsure, you can send in Threepio."

"I am sorry but I shut him down for the moment," the older Senator confessed. "He was rather annoying." Beneath his carefully trimmed goatee, his mouth quirked as Bail tried to not laugh. "But, do keep my offer in mind," he said in an undertone as he reached the doorway.

A heavy look was given to her, one that made her feel rather uncomfortable.

"I will," she said quietly.

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Thirty minutes later, Padmé found herself musing as her handmaids prepared her for her eventual meeting with her beloved. Like always, the thought of seeing him again had brought a pretty blush to her cheeks and it took every ounce of her control to not get up and pace around.

"You fear for him, do you not, Mi'Lady?" Dormé asked in a hushed voice.

Eyes rapidly blinking away tears, Padmé's gaze fell to the floor. In her lap, her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her sleeves. "I would never wish for any woman to suffer as I have," she said softly. Never before had she conveyed to another person this much fear. "As a Senator, I sacrificed so much, but as his secret wife I have had to forfeit who I am."

"Do you ever regret it?" The other handmaidens politely silent.

A moment went by as Padmé considered what her friend had said. This question had been foremost in her mind during these long months. Was all this dread and fear worth the few precious moments that she shared with Anakin? Her gaze traveled out the window and to the Jedi Temple.

Instinctively, her hands slid down to her swollen stomach as the child that grew within her kicked.

"Mi'Lady?" Motté asked uneasily after the long silence, giving the other women a silencing look.

"No, I do not regret it," Padmé said quietly.

Abruptly, there was a knock at the door, but when no one moved and Padmé looked up, she found her three companions exchanging mixed looks.

"It was Ellé's idea," Motté accused, pointing her finger at the girl who was only a year younger than her.

Turning beet red, Ellé refused to look at her but instead went to the door. "It was partially my idea," she admitted as she rested her hand on the blinking controls while the door chimed once more, "but it wasn't all my idea."

Once more, Padmé hastily covered herself with her robe before finding herself being scrutinized by two pairs of familiar eyes.

"Did you honestly think that we weren't going to show up and make sure that our favorite Senator wasn't overworking herself… again," the first guest said with a smirk.

"We also thought it was time to remind you that you do have a family," the other chimed in.

Suddenly, Padmé's life had become more complicated.

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Who are the visitors?