A/n- Thank you for all the reviews and comments! I have been working on this story nonstop in my spare time and it has grown way more than I ever expected it too. As always, read, review, follow!

Chapter 8

Location: Theed, Naboo

Month 7 Day 3 Year 29 BBY

Padme watches her stunning cousin as she giggles happily, eyeing her ball gown. Her gown is a deep forest green. It gently glides to the floor without guidance. Dorme' admires the front of her gown, which has a plunging neckline to accent her chest. Unlike her cousin, Padme', Dorme' actually has a larger bust that is accentuated if put into the right kind of shirt or dress. Her dress radiates with elegance. Her hair displays the same sort of elegance.

Dorme's hair is wrapped into braids, wrapped in an intricate headdress. Her chestnut braids are wrapped around the emerald colored headdress. The headdress displays a few pearls in the heart shaped pattern.

Katrina claps her hands together and smiles. Her bright green eyes shine with pride as she comments, " You look radiate, my dear. Senator Organa will be flushed when he sees his soon-to-be bride."

Dorme giggles and her dress makes the swirling sounds as she whirls around to face Padme'. Padme' watches her cousin's happiness and delight of her fiance'. Dorme' had been courted by the Senator for some time now. It had been since the beginning of the year after Dorme' had attended a ball held on Alderaan with her Uncle and Aunt. Senator Organa had caught her attention and hadn't left her side since. He is infatuated by her beauty and enjoyed her easy manner.

Dorme' has always been like that though. She is polite, not shy and social. Her manners are impeccable and no man could resist her charms. She is wife material.

Padme' tries to make her voice sound excited for her cousin. " I can't believe you'll be married in a month's time!"

Dorme' sighs and eyes her youngest cousin. " I know. This is what I've been dreaming of since I was a young girl."

Dorme's affectionate smile is infectious and her smile is genuine this time. She is truly happy for her cousin to have found love. Her thoughts turn as Katrina questions, " Is that charming boyfriend of yours coming tonight?"

Padme turns her brown eyes on her step-mother and her smile fades. Katrina liked when Palo had come over. He comes from a prominent Nabooian family and is very polite each time he arrives to visit his beloved.

Dorme' smiles and jokes, " Yes, where is the lover boy? I haven't seen him in a week or more. The two of you are always together."

Padme's smile fades as her thoughts dwell on the events that had occurred two weeks prior. Her beloved had been very cautious when visiting the last few weeks since the incident with Anakin. And the week prior, Padme had seen him out when she had gone into town on her own. He had been walking out of the corner cafe' with a blonde girl from their school on his arm. Padme's heart had thudded in her chest as they had seen her cross the street. In the middle of the shopping area, Padme had broken off things with her first boyfriend. She had left without buying anything and gone to the local garden to cry alone. Her heart hurt, but it wasn't love and she knew Anakin had been right. If he had been her first love she'd be more broken up about their break up.

Dorme' stares down at her cousin and asks, " Padme, is everything okay with Palo?"

Padme' bites her lip. She hadn't managed to let anyone know of her break up. She sighs and replies, " It's over between us."

Sabe's eyes shine in sympathy and she reaches for her sister's hand. Katrina does the same and says, " First loves are the hardest, but perhaps we can find a nice gentleman to dance with you tonight. Get your mind off that boy."

Padme' attempts a smile at Katrina's suggestion. She might need a few distractions between her breakup with Palo, and her best friend acting distant and leaving soon… She nods her head and says, " Yes a distraction sounds very nice."

Dorme reaches for the violet dress sitting on her bed. She holds it up and hands it to Padme'. Padme' sighs and eyes the dress, which has sleek drooping sleeves and a low neckline, much more modest than Dorme's but a bit overwhelming for anything Padme' had ever dared to wear.

Dorme' touches her shoulder in reassurance, " This gown will look lovely on you. No man will be able to keep his eyes off you."

Padme' tries to smile for her companions and suggestions, " Okay, but only if Sabe' does my hair."

The girls and their stepmother chuckle together as they prepare for the night.

( Later that evening)

Location: Ball Room, Naberrie Residence

Anakin leans against the wall as he watches the dancers in their fine wear of the evening. Katrina and Ruwee hadn't spared any type of expense for their precious niece. It is her engagement party to Senator Organa. She has been dancing most of the evening away, chatting with old friends and new. Anakin detests these gatherings of any sort and finds himself standing alone. Usually a certain brown eyed young lady joined him on the sidelines to mock the elegant company Katrina had invited to her parties or balls. She always had a mocking voice for those elegant women that wore their precious diamonds and other jewels. Her mocking voice usually had a regal tone as if the people invited to a party in their home were royalty. It usually helped get Anakin through these dreadful parties. He detested having to dress in clothes other than those he worked in. Tonight he wears one of the regal black formal suits of the citizens of Naboo. His hair is even slicked back for the occasion. Dorme' had begged him to come. She wanted all of her family to be there.

Family. That's what he is to them. He feels the same about the entire family, including Ruwee'.

Ruwee had been proud to hear he had accepted a position at the academy. Ruwee' had offered for Anakin to go to Theed university, but Anakin knows he doesn't belong planet side. He yearns to see other worlds and leave his past behind him. Anakin will be leaving for the Imperial Naval Academy at the beginning of the next month. It didn't seem like the summer had gone so fast. For Anakin it's been tormenting, especially with the way he left things with his friend. He can't leave things left unsaid. He cannot leave knowing she thinks he's angry with her over their words. He had been angry for some time, but without spending time with her each day or every other day had been more tormenting. The time apart has made him realize how much he cares for her. How much she doesn't know. He yearned to at least make things better before he left for the Academy. He won't have time off until Fete week in the winter months. He won't see his friend for months on end.

At least he had the wine to keep him company. He sips on his third glass of Nabooian wine. At almost 19, he is considered a man in this culture and allowed to drink. Though Anakin hasn't been much of a drinker in the past, the reality of leaving his home for many years and his family made him yearn to drink. He also yearned to make things right with her. He had too...

" Speak of the Devil." Anakin's thoughts race through his mind as a certain young woman appears on the dance floor. Her partner seems clearly infatuated with her. Anakin recognized the man as the newly elected Senator Rush Clovis. Rush is tall and well toned. He has dark almost auburn tones in his cropped hair and green eyes that gleam at his dance partner. He is six years the young girl's senior and completely taken in by her.

Anakin's hand clenches against his glass as he watches the Senator's hand caress her bare back. He feels the same envy rising within his chest watching the pair. Why is she dancing with this young Senator? Where is her beloved Palo?

Anakin hadn't seen him for a few weeks. He had seen him coming along the drive from his speeder. He had thought of apologizing to the young boy but the boy had avoided his direction ever since being nearly choked to death by him. Anakin can't blame him for his fear. It terrified him as well. The power had felt vicious and satisfying in a way he couldn't comprehend. But the force hadn't felt like that before. His anger had nearly killed someone and he needed to learn to harness it better. That had been another reason he had avoided his best friend. He didn't want to hurt her. He had promised her long ago that he would never do that. But instead, he had hurt someone she had cared about.

Or did she? Padme appeared to be having a wonderful time with the young man. Had she broken things off with Palo? Had he broken things off with her? Perhaps Anakin's assurances about their feelings for one another had been correct. His mind races the pair glide on the dance floor.

Anakin chugs down the last bit of wine in his glass as he watches her smile at the man. A waiter comes by and Anakin reaches for another round. If he is going to make it through this vile ball, and watch his best friend fall for the man dancing with her, he's going to need to be drunk as hell.

The music stops for a few moments and Anakin takes in Rush's beautiful dancing partner. Her hair is tied back in some braid Anakin has no clue what it is. But the hairstyle suits her heart-shaped face. Her brown eyes glitter with amusement. His eyes roam down the violet dress which accents her body in many places he's seen tightly fit on her before. He gulps at the thoughts racing through his mind. You've got to fix things with her. The voice crawls inside his mind.

He musters all the courage he has left within what is sober inside of him. His feet begin to move to the pair.

Padme does not hear the sounds of footsteps coming towards her as she listens to Rush Clovis's latest tale from the Senate. He is a wealthy man and had been suggested as a dancer partner for the night. Just the distraction she had needed for the night. She needs this, especially when she has peeked over many times at her best friend standing near their favorite spot to observe the crowds and mock the onlookers.

He had been standing there most of the night, eyeing everyone and speaking to a few friends and family but that was all. She had watched him drink by himself- several glasses of her family's finest Nabooian wine. She desires to fix their friendship before he leaves for the academy. Her heart ached to not have him in her life.

" May I cut in?" The deep baritone of her best friend, cuts through her thoughts. Rush's green eyes narrow as the young man offers his hand to his latest dancing partner. The boy is nothing and shouldn't be considered competition, but there is something in the way Padme' Naberrie's eyes her young friend.

Padme covers her surprise as she apologizes to the Senator, " Senator Clovis, would you mind? I owe my dear friend a dance."

Rush smiles politely and bows in front of Padme'. He takes her hand and kisses it and states, " I look forward to more dances milady."

Padme' smiles politely to hide the kind of distance that has been present in their friendship. Anakin's warm hand on hers sends sensations through her body. Her eyes peer up into his blue ones. His eyes are kind and a clear blue. The color on a beautiful sunshine day of the sky. She is impressed that he has dressed formally for this occasion. She comments as they arrive further on the dance floor, " I'm surprised you actually dressed so formally."

Anakin shrugs with just his shoulders as his arms are locked around her back and her other hand. He comments, " Dorme' sort of begged me too. She said if I didn't come she'd be missing one of her favorite family members."

Padme' chuckles , imagining her cousin kneeling before her best friend pleading to come. Although it probably hadn't been that dramatic. Dorme' is known for finding ways of puckering up for anything she wants.

" I hope she didn't cause too much trouble," She comments, keeping her eyes planted on her friend. She cannot keep herself from smiling, nor admiring his handsome features. Anakin really had no idea how handsome he could be when he cleaned himself up.

Handsome? What in sith hells is happening to her? She usually didn't use that word to describe her friend's features to anyone, including herself. Usually the words were, " scruffy features."

No scruffy handsome features. Her brain responds to her musings. Oh force, she blushes red knowing if her thoughts are loud enough he can hear her. Anakin's smile broadens as he responds to her comment, " No, she didn't cause too much trouble. She just reminded me I'm her favorite family member."

Family. Yes Anakin is her family. But he's not your family. Padme's thoughts drift away as she ignores the feeling of his closeness since the last time they had been this close. She had been avoiding him these past few weeks, all having to do with what had occurred during their last argument. She had yearned for something she shouldn't want. She had been with Palo, and in that moment all she could thought about was- Focus. Change the conversation.

She smiles back focusing on her mind, screaming for her to stop. She comments, " Thank you for stealing me away from the Senator. I thought he was going to stumble over his own feet."

Anakin's smile is deep as he chuckles and suggests, " That man was particularly infatuated with you milady."

There is an edge to his comment, almost jealousy laced through the comment. Why would she think she heard that? Oh maker what is the matter with her!

She giggles and says, " Perhaps, he is a kind man, but a terrible dancer."

Anakin chuckles right along with her. His deep laughter warms her heart. She likes this- this is their bond. Their bond hadn't been the same since, but tonight it felt right. It felt as if nothing had passed between them those weeks ago.

He catches her eye as the laughter stops. He needs to speak to her alone, and speak his mind before his liquid courage evaporates into the force.

He holds her close as the song continues playing. He leans closer to her face and she can feel his breath at their closeness. She tries to gulp down the rising butterflies within her stomach. It's as if she's on a formal date going off onto her own accord with her beloved. How can she feel like this with someone she's always seen as an older sibling?

He whispers against her ear, " Can we speak privately?"

Her eyes drift away to her family members who are all busy with their own social gatherings. They won't notice her absence, nor his for a while. She has wanted to speak to him all night and now is her only chance before she loses the courage to do so.

" Yes," Is all she has to state.

To Be Continued.