A/n- This is a bit late this week. It's another chapter I did enjoy writing very much...

Please review or follow to let me know you'd like the story to keep continuing. -GP

Chapter 33

Location: Kenobi and Skywalker Residence

Month 9 Day 30 Year 28 BBY

They laugh in unison at the joke told. Anakin keys in the datapad to his and Ben's apartment. Ben had begun renting this apartment in the spring. Anakin had moved in this month, since he had asked permission via Admiral Jinn. Jinn had agreed that it would be better to stay off campus and be closer in contact since his training with Maul had begun.

Anakin turns before entering and warns, " I will have to apologize for any messes. Ben and I are bachelors."

" I remember what your room looked like at home and that never bothered me." She dismisses.

He shrugs and murmurs, " Suit yourself."

He presses the panel and they enter into darkness. " Lights on." He commands.

He hears a loud crash into the living room floor. He hears a voice " Shh-"

He narrows his eyes and grabs his blaster from its holster. " Who's there?"

Ben pops his head up from the couch. He seems to be laying on his back, but his hair is disheveled and his breathing is labored. Padme narrows her eyes in suspicion as she notices the pink lipstick on both of his cheeks. Was he? Ben Kenobi had a woman over? Obi-wan never seemed like the type of person to bring a woman home. Her eyes observe the color of the lipstick. Padme' could have sworn her sister had a similar color she liked to wear...

Her mouth widens a bit from shock as she calls," Sabe?"

Her sister's disheveled appearance pops up from the floor. She does not stand and Anakin turns his back seeing her disheveled hair and the marks on her neck- those made by his best friend.

" Um-I should have called. Um P- I'll show you to my room." Anakin's voice stammers out.

He keeps his eyes downcast in embarrassment. Sabe is like his sister, so he finds himself turning red at finding her in such a state. Padme shakes her head at her older sister and follows her best friend to the back room.

The room is a fairly large size. Anakin throws his workout bag in the corner. His bed is not well made and appears if someone had just rolled out of those black sheets. There is a small refresher attached to the bedroom as well. It's simple and appears lived in. The small black dresser and nightstand have a small collection of books and holovideos. There is space in the floor for them to sit. He gestures to the ground and they both sit cross legged from one another.

They are not touching, but close enough to feel the warmth of the other. She asks, " So how do we meditate and why?"

He laughs at her question. " It helps ground you in the force- to be able to focus on your surroundings- feel the force through you. Now close your eyes and breathe."

She closes her eyes listening to his voice. " Good, now think of the place you feel the most safe."

She smiles. " That's an easy one."

She pictures her room on Naboo with all of the holos of her childhood- their childhood. She pictures that room and how safe she felt there with her best friend by her side. He senses her relaxing through the force and closes his own eyes. " Good, now I want you to stretch out your senses- feel the connection of the force through the objects in this room."

She does as he asks. She can feel the vibration of something similar to what she feels with people that she's close to. It's a lot cooler though. The feeling isn't dark, but isn't light. He begins, " Allow the force to flow with you. It is neither dark, nor light. It is what binds us together and ties us to this world."

She breathes in sensing the vibrations more and then she feels their connection. The warmth makes her feel fuzzy and joyous. Their connection had always been like this- even when her senses had been dulled. She can feel the raw power radiating off her friend. He can sense her as well. He brushes her mind gently like a friendly pat, to remind her that he senses her as well.

Her mouth curls into an automatic smile. She tries to brush back and can sense his openness. He has opened his mind and thoughts to only her. There are layers of what he's allowed her to scan and search for. She can sense his feelings and worries of her, of Sabe'- of Ben and Ashoka.

She pushes further and he allows it. Visions appear in her mind of the days they had spent swimming up to the lake as children. The memory of her flying through the air after her bike had flipped. The memory of meeting Palo for the first time and his hesitation. Then- then she hears her voice as if the memories are actually happening between them now.

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.

Then she pushes a bit further remembering that moment as well. But she brushes against their bond, he hasn't pulled away yet. Her mind searches for more of his memories of her- just curious of his side of what she remembers happening. He tries to keep her focus on the positive memories- but she pushes a bit further, hearing their voices once more fill her head- and she can see herself.

He lets go of her hand and states flatly, " No. Pad- we can't. I won't let you make decisions about your future to follow me."

Her eyes blink back in surprise of his reaction to her plan. She stammers out, " I thought you'd want me to be close by-"

There it is the break. He can feel the breaking of their bond through the force. Her worry is heightened as well as her fears. She swallows painfully and listens to his next words, " Our careers will put us at different ends of the galaxy. P- remember what I said about you going on with your life, it's time for us to realize this now- before-."

The tears are hidden behind her eyes but she spits out, " Before what Anakin? Before I fall in love with you?"

He tries to keep his own tears at bay. He doesn't cry ever. His own heart breaking at hearing her broken voice. The tears behind her brown eyes spring to life as he tries to continue. " Yes- I made a mistake in pursuing you that night. It should never have gone this far."

Too Late. His mind tells him. He doesn't know if she loves him yet. He hadn't even told her. He had only shown her his feelings each day and night they were together. He knows she could have feelings for him, but it has to end here.

Then she can feel the tight smack of their connection. He had shut her out of that last memory.

Why- she stops herself remembering his last thoughts in that memory. The revelation on her tongue but staying silent.

She hears him shift from his sitting position. His bed creaks as if he needs to be away from her. Her eyes snap open. He runs his hand through his hair in silence. His mind and body raced at her feeling those last few thoughts he had felt that night. It felt like such a long time ago. He hadn't meant her to dive deep into his mind, but she had. She had and now the truth lays between them- a blanket of silence.

She stands up and pats his shoulder to get his attention. " Anakin-" Her soft voice calls to him.

" I think you should go," He answers very quickly- too quickly for either of them to break the awkwardness between them.

She tries again, " I think we should talk about-"

He looks up to her with persistence. " I think you should go, now."

He can sense the hurt through the force. She nods and says, " Okay, I'll call you later."

He nods numbly- not sure what to say to her. She turns and exits his bedroom. As the door shuts, she can hear the slamming of something against the door via force. She jumps a bit, feeling his frustration but knowing he needs his space.

She travels through the living room and notices Sabe' and Ben are both in decent condition. Sabe' notices her weary expression and asks, " Is everything okay?"

She nods and lies, " Yeah, are you staying the night?"

Sabe eyes Ben asking, " Am I?"

Ben's lost puppy dog eyes search hers. He stammers out, " That's- that's up to you."

Sabe' smiles and says, " Then I am. Kiss little Bail for me?"

Padme' smiles and leaves her sister alone. She needed a walk- a long walk back to the Organa home.

To Be Continued.