A/n-I am sorry that I didn't update a bit sooner this week. Thank you for all the support! I love hearing feedback from my fans and ideas. Please R&R .

Chapter 21

Location: 502 Alpha, Infirmary, Imperial Center

Month 3 Day 3 Year 28 BBY

Padme' lays on her side staring out at the skylanes flying by. Hundreds of speeders pass by as she watches the world from her window. Her body hasn't moved from this spot for what seemed like forever. Her voice is silent as she stares into the open world of Coruscant. She feels a hole in her heart. Her world has collapsed in a matter of hours.

Her day had begun with a breakfast served by her loyal handmaiden Corde'. She had served her fresh eggs and bread with jams imported from her homeworld. She had woken up with the mental state of enjoying her morning with Sabe' and Corde'. Perhaps a trip to the fresh market after breakfast and then a shopping trip for a few more items for the baby.

Her plans had gone well until they had reached the market. She had felt sudden sharp pains in her stomach and had dropped to the ground. Then there had been the blood- blood on her beautiful teal gown. She had found herself in this room. This well lit white room with her sister and a droid. Corde had gone back to the apartment to get a hold of her husband.

She had been looked over by the medical droids which had determined preterm labor. Her baby had tried too come early. There had been more blood and pain. The medical droid determined her child needed to be delivered now. It didn't explain why, but Padme had been given drugs to continue her labor, which had been very quick, unlike what Sola and Katrina had described.

She had lost a lot of blood and needed a transfusion to keep her awake for the delivery. That had been the worst pain of her life- her body had felt like she had been torn apart.

Then the empty feeling of the child not within her body had happened. Then no sounds of cries, no joyous cries coming from her child. She had seen the child's blue lips and skin. She had heard the droid declare the child was stillborn. She had been so tiny- so tiny and came before her time- taken before her time.

She had cried out for her sister and her best friend's name. She had cried and screamed with her grief. She had held the tiny babe in her arms and then covered her and the droids had taken her out on her insistence. She never wanted to see those pale lips and skin again. She couldn't or she'd be more broken than she was now.

Tears are dried on her face. Her hospital gown had been changed with the help of her sister. But now she had asked for her to be alone. She needed time to stare off into nothing to be alone with her grief. She doesn't need anyone now- she has no will to move from this spot ever again. If she could have died with her child, she would have.

The grief is overwhelming. Katrina had warned her that nothing like this existed. Her grief is raw and she doesn't want to cry anymore. She wants the force to swallow her. If she can find a way to take her own life-

The door to her cell opened. Her eyes don't move from their spot on the window. Anakin watches his love staring off into space. He can sense her grief through their bond. It thumps against his own breaking heart. The loss of their child is overbearing even for him. Sabe' had told him of the news when he arrived. He had come too late- too late to save his daughter.

He had a daughter. The reality of the pain of never knowing his little girl is overwhelming. Tears are in his eyes. He positions himself on the small infirmary bed and touches her cold arm. She flinches at first and then he whispers, " P-"

His voice brings her back to reality. She slowly lifts her head and turns in his direction. His warm hand finds her cold one. The blood loss had taken its toll on her body. She whispers, " You're here."

He nods slowly and lays down beside her. She cuddles to his warmth and touches the side of his face. " Thank you for coming-"

He shushes her and murmurs, " You asked for me, so I came."

She blinks back her tears and whispers, " It was a girl."

He smiles and strokes her hair out of her face. He replies, " Yes, Sabe' told me."

Her voice breaks as she stammers out, " She was so blue Ani- It's my fault- I- I"

He shushes her and pulls her against him. Her hold tightens on him as he murmurs, " Shh-it's not your fault. Sometimes these things happen without a cause. I'm sorry."

She bobs her head against his neck. She whispers, " She had blond hair like you-"

Anakin feels the warm tears slide down his own face. He swallows the lump in his throat and just holds her. He knows what the girl looked like. He had asked to see her- Sabe' had taken him down the corridor to the morgue. He had seen his little girl- so small and tiny with no life in her.

He had stroked her cheek, told her how much she was loved and how much he wished he could have watched her grow up.

" I want to name her-" She murmurs, her voice unsteady.

Anakin pulls back to see his friend eye-to-eye. Her brown eyes shine with her grief and so did his. He asks, " What do you want her name to be?"

Padme' tries to spit it out- but her words are drowned by her body's weakness. So instead her voice crawls into his head. Annika- her name is Annika.

He leans forward and kisses her forehead and holds her there. If he hadn't left her alone, Palpatine wouldn't have had his child murdered. He could have saved them. He won't leave her alone ever again. He had learned his lesson.

" I'm sorry for not being around enough-" He breaks and kisses her forehead.

His apology is all she needs. She just needs him around. He is the only one who understands her grief. " Promise me that you'll never leave again. Promise me." She whispers into his neck.

His voice is tight but he manages to croak out, " I promise."

His heart breaks for her and their child. But his body is searing in rage. He knows because of him he'd almost lost both of them. Because of his father's actions he'd lost his child- no their child. He is more determined than ever to continue his training with Qui-gon and Ben. He will murder that bastard. In time he will have his revenge for taking one of the people he loves. The galaxy would have their hero.

To Be Continued.