A/N- I am humbled by your follows and reviews. Please review and follow. Note: After this chapter the timeline will not be jumping as much. I have altered the timeline to make the story fit a bit better. Happy Memorial Day Weekend. Stay Safe!

Chapter 9

Location: Naberrie Grounds, Garage

Month 7 Day 3 , Year 29 BBY

She had wanted to come on this little stroll to speak about how they had ended their argument. She had meant to speak her mind and fill the space with her words. She desired to know that when he leaves everything would go back to being the same between them.

He had wanted to apologize for his behavior that evening. He had meant to ask about Palo. He had meant to speak of unspoken words he needed to say. He desires her to know the truth of how much he loves her.

And yet silence remains in the space between them. Nothing had been said after they had begun their stroll through the gardens, towards the drive and now they stand in silence within their favorite place on the grounds.

Anakin's hands fiddle with the tools on his organized cart. His eyes watch her within their distance. The comfortable distance that neither of them wants to break. It kept apologies, un-shared secrets , all away from their hearts and minds. He overturns the screwdriver in his fingers..

Her fingers skim the top of the golden speeder. They had spent many days working on this old speeder. It was a moment of pride and joy for both of them when they had been able to take it for a spin. She had become their normal mode of transportation to and from the main city. Padme' loved this speeder. She loved the memories they had together within this speeder.

" I'm sorry," His voice catches her off guard. The silence had crept between them and now she didn't expect them to speak at all.

She turns her eyes onto him then. His eyes hold sincerity within his words. She nods and suggests, " I'm sorry too. I haven't liked this distance between us. I-"

He cuts her off with completing her words, " I miss you too. But please hear me out."

She leans against the speeder's hood and crosses her arms, awaiting for him to speak.

" It was wrong of me to use the force on Palo. I overreacted to finding the two of you in here. I shouldn't have interfered and it won't happen again." His tone is sincere and complete. Although his blue eyes say something else, something hidden that she can't quite put her finger on it.

" Anakin- she begins, but stops herself. seeing the shame in his kind eyes.

His eyes peer down at the ground. " I crossed a line. I don't expect you to forgive me. Neither do I expect Palo to. But I'm happy for you, if you love him."

His tone of voice was sincere, but that hidden tone of despair she caught on. She steps closer to her friend and clasps her hand in his. She squeezes his hand and mutters, " I forgive you, but you were right about how I felt about Palo. I was just angry because you knew the truth in my words. As for Palo? You don't have to worry about him being around any longer."

Anakin breathes a sad sigh at her admission. " Gods P, I hope I wasn't the cause of your relationship ending- I never meant for that to happen."

She admits bitterly, " You were right about his ambitions. I saw him out with another girl, so I broke it off with him. I hate that you were right."

His deep chuckle changes her mood immediately. He replies with his eyes meeting hers this time, " That was hard to admit, wasn't it?" It wasn't a question but a rhetorical statement.

She smirks and shrugs. " Yes, but don't tell anyone that I admitted you were right."

His own smirk forms in the corner of his mouth. It had been hard for her to admit defeat as stubborn as she is.

He pats her shoulder and changes his stance. He leans against the speeder. Her eyes fall onto his leaning position and eyes his muscled chest underneath the white formal shirt and black jacket. She shakes her notions away by suggesting, " It's going to be different without you here."

His smirk falls as his mind wanders back to their predicament. It won't be long now. His destiny lies elsewhere far from his home, far from her. He tries to make light of the situation by stating, " Nope, you won't notice I'm gone for too long. You'll find some handsome fellow to take up your time and take you out for fancy dinners. I'll be in the distant back of your mind."

She plays along, leaning against the speeder as well. Her violet dress makes a quiet noise as she moves closer to her best friend. She leans against his shoulder as a friendly bump. Her voice is mocking as she says, " Yes, a fine young man who can cook. He'll also have a fine collection of speeders that he'll drive me in and take me on picnics in the fields by the waterfalls."

Anakin listens to her comments nodding in agreement. He counters, " Yes, and he will sweep his charms on everyone in your family- and by the time I am back for winter holiday you'll have fallen madly in love with the fellow."

Padme rolls her eyes and admonishes, " Me fall in love? Doubt it."

Anakin eyes her playfully but his tone is honest. " You will P. You're the kind of girl who won't see it coming and then it will hit you harder than a ton of durasteel and you won't let go because it will be the right time and right person."

Padme' eyes her friend in curiosity and mocks, " Yes, I am just the damsel in distress from those holos."

He chuckles and murmurs, " Far from it, but you're that strong girl from the holos. The strong girl who falls in love and has to learn to admit when she desires more from someone else, a partner in crime so to speak."

She bursts into laughter at this. Her laughter is contagious and he begins to chuckle too. He watches her beautiful face bright as ever and happy. She turns and caresses his face between her soft hands and whispers, " You're my partner in crime. I don't need anyone else."

His laughter dies at her words. He gulps watching those large innocent brown eyes and those red lips so close to him. He cannot fathom any words to speak at this moment in time. She says it for him. " No one is going to replace you in my life Ani. I promise that will never happen."

The wine has gone straight to his head. He yearns to be able to be her partner in crime. He yearns for her to know his secret feelings for her. He yearns to be able to take her upstairs and bed her properly and to show her how much he cares for her.

" There will be someone P," He whispers sadly. He knows he isn't the one for her. His is meant to support her through their lives. He'd support her when she becomes a Senator, when she meets the man who will sweep her away from him. He'd support her when she becomes a mother and watch her children grow….

Her eyes fill with tears. Did he not know how much he meant to her? The hole in her heart when he left for the academy would never fill. He is her best friend. He has been there for most of her teenage years and hopes he'll be there in the years to come. She fingers his cheek and questions, " How can you think that? Your friendship means the world to me."

And that awful word dredges on his throbbing ache of a heart. Friendship.

He is silent with her confession. She allows a few tears to creep into her eyes to the point of falling. She takes his silence as he does not feel the same. Her eyes downcast and she whispers, " I see. So you don't want our friendship to continue."

Anakin's eyes fall back onto her at her comment. He shakes his head and cups her cheeks in his calloused hands. His eyes stare back into hers as he whispers, " No- why do you think that?"

She bites her lip and tears slide down her cheeks. " Because you've been distant these many months. You say I will find someone to replace you. Ani- don't you get how much I care?"

He hates watching her cry. He thumbs the tears resting on her cheeks. He hadn't wanted to make her cry. He hadn't wanted their conversation to fall upon the subject of him leaving. He desires to spend the time left with her laughing and making moments that are worth keeping for the entire lives.

" P- I do care-" He hesitates as he watches her unsure eyes. Her eyes shine in defeat of needing to know how much he cared. He tries to get the words out but words fail him.

She pulls away from him and mumbles, " It's okay-" It's a lie. It's not okay. They both know this isn't okay and nothing will be the same. Their friendship had grown apart in the months she had spent dating Palo. She sees that now. She had spent most of her time before Palo with Anakin. He felt the need to pull away because she had been experiencing her first relationship and he expected her to meet someone new in the months to come.

Anakin shakes feeling her lie in the air. He can't. He can't lie to her anymore. His body moves towards her praying she won't pull away. He prays she can become clear on his feelings of their friendship- of his feelings for her. He has no words. His fingers pull her in by the black belt on her dress. His right hand caresses her face and he leans in pressing his lips to hers. The pressure light and more like a peck to allow her time to register what is occurring.

She stiffens at first, she hadn't been expecting for that to happen. She hadn't expected him to kiss her. He watches her waiting for her to stop him. She blinks and her breathing is shallow waiting for someone to make the next move. She doesn't have to wait much longer. His lips come crashing down on hers more of a demand this time. She whimpers and follows his lead. His tongue brushes her lips and she allows him to set the pace of their mouths together.

Padme's desire builds up inside her. She clutches the side of his face as they continue to repeat their onslaught of the other's delicious lips. He tastes like the Nabooian wine he had been drinking most of the night. She has never felt so alive.

She whimpers slightly as she tries to get closer to him. He pushes her against the speeder. His lips leave hers and he kisses the crook of her neck. Her skin smells of the shura fruit gel she uses to bathe with. He moans against her skin trying to slow down their pace. He had meant to kiss her once, not attempt to have her right here on the speeder.

Her fingers slip under his white shirt and he tries to hold back. " P-" He warns lust apparent in his voice. He had to warn her to stop. She had to be the one to stop him. His restraint only would last for so long. If she gave in, he'd take her. He loved her and wanted to show her how much he did.

Her fingers tug at his shirt and she whispers, " Ani- please more."

He fights her pleas, but his body gives in. He growls out and pulls them both inside the speeder.

He places her on his lap, more like straddling his lap. Her skirts are all around them. He leans in and kisses her neck, her bare shoulders. He tugs at the violet fabric as her bare breasts begin to reveal themselves.

She bites her lip when she feels his mouth sweep over the tip of her breast. The sensations rockin in her body tell her this feels right. This is the right time and he's the right person to be with for her first time.

Her head falls back as he continues his onslaught of each breast. She allows the sensations to make her fingers fly to his pants belt. She tries to help him free himself, but her fingers fumble in their attempt. He stops his roaming and finds her fingers to steady them. His eyes watch her pleasure as he croaks out, " I want you, but we don't have to go away further."

Her closed eyes open and her bright innocent eyes watch him. His eyes are a deep navy blue and filled with desire for her. She smiles at him honestly and whispers, " This feels right Ani, I want you too."

He kisses her again as if answering her. He fumbles with the buttons on his pants and is able to free himself. He lifts her skirts and guides her to him. His fingers under her dress pull away her underwear to the side and he guides her to situate herself on him.

She sits up higher and places herself onto him. Tears well in her eyes as she feels the tear of her maidenhead. She whimpers slightly from the tightness and pain within her. He kisses her and whispers, " Angel- shh."

His reassures make her continue to edge herself onto him, taking him into her wholly. He groans at the pleasure rocking through him. Her tightness surrounding him could send him over the abyss before he can pleasure her.

She follows his lead as he lifts her hips in the air slightly. He grips her dress as he shows her how to twist her hips in a way that doesn't hurt as much the second time they meet. She grabs his shoulders as she continues this fluent motion of her hips.

The pain begins to subside and she moans out in pleasure. Her body burns for more and raises on a wave or a high. Their rocking of their hips continues in a rhythm, comfortable for both of them. He knows she's close as she clings to him, her fingers digging into his shoulder blades. He tries to hold back waiting for her to plunge over her edge. It comes not long after.

She shudders from the sudden wave of pleasure overcoming her senses. She's never felt something so amazing in her life. His control collapses and his release happens. His head falls back with his eyes closed. The pleasure sweeping over both of them.

His eyes open and her eyes are wide and bright watching her best friend. She bites her lip as the consequences of what they had just done weighs in on her. " Ani-" Her voice is hoarse from wear.

He presses his finger to her lips and mumbles, " Don't-." He leans forward and kisses her lips. She closes her eyes and kisses him back. She'd deal with what all this means in the morning.

To Be Continued