A/N: Same disclaimers apply, but mostly concerning language from here on...

This chapter has multiple perspectives like the first, you'll see what I mean. Just know - things are happening simultaneously. Part 3 will be up soon, and then it will be updated as they are completed. Enjoy ~

Ch. 2

3 Weeks Later:

*thump…thump…thump*

"What in…" Obi-Wan rose from his desk, leaving his office to look around the corner.

*thump…thump…thump*

He opened the door, catching the small stress ball in the palm of his hand. "Anakin, I believe you're supposed to squeeze this, not throw it, to relieve stress," he said, tossing the ball back to Anakin as he swiveled the chair around to face him.

"That's what you think," he threw the ball again, catching it on its return bounce. "I'm sorry, I just… I can't focus! I think I'm going crazy."

Obi-Wan scratched his beard before mumbling, "I'm afraid I may already be there…" He sat in front of the desk and looked at Anakin. "It's been over two months for crying out loud, and you're still going on about this? What on earth did the girl do to you?"

Ahsoka came charging in the office, "Are we talking about Anakin's love life again? This mystery girl? Sorry, but these walls are thin, and I've been dying to hear more anyway." The younger woman pulled out the chair, sitting beside Obi-Wan.

Anakin mindlessly bounced the ball on his desk, gripping it and rolling it around, "You guys don't understand…"

"Then tell us! Where did you even meet her? Did you try going back there if you haven't found her yet?" Ahsoka snatched the ball away when he lost control of it.

Going back there… Wouldn't that be a trick. If he could go back, he would and he wouldn't have let her slip away in the first place. Why was this such a mess? He couldn't say anything. He'd kept the whole thing to himself, afraid that there wasn't a good way to bring up the topic, or to explain the reason he couldn't stop thinking about her. So, he just had to sit with all his thoughts, trying to run through all the places she may be. Like New York City was a small area he could just comb through. If she even lived here! And literally acting on zero information, he had nothing. Just aimlessly hoping to bump into her on a sidewalk. Because the likelihood of that was so… He groaned, kicking the trash can under his desk, causing his company to look at him with concerned expressions on their faces.

"Maybe you need a drink?" Obi-Wan offered, "C'mon, you're no use to the firm sitting around like this. What's the last thing you even drew up?"

Maybe his friend was right, maybe a drink would be nice. And - he hadn't come up with a single good idea for the client he was supposed to be working for anyway. But how the fuck could he think about restructuring a roadway when he was concerned about… "Okay, a drink."

"I'm inviting myself, if I wasn't invited already," Ahsoka chimed in, smiling as she threw the stress ball back to Anakin, "What's Satine doing? Does she have time to make it for happy hour or something? We could go to the Village - she could meet us there after work?"

"Hm, yes, I'll call her on lunch. Either way – Anakin… come up with something to give me for the meeting on Monday, I don't care if it's just a technical readout for a new stoplight. I'm not going empty handed," Obi-Wan said, tapping a finger on the desk, "And no more throwing that ball. No more thinking of this girl you'll probably never see again, either."

"Who knows, maybe you'll find someone tonight at a bar. We can stay out until you do if it means no more of this!" Ahsoka cheered, much to Anakin's disappointment. He didn't want to forget her, or to find someone else. He wanted to see her, ridiculous as that may be. But whatever, one night out won't hurt, what's the worst that could happen?

"Sounds good, I'll figure something out for Monday, and I'll meet up with you both later." He packed up his stuff, deciding on an early lunch. What he really needed was a sick day. Or two. Or three.

Padme had been strategically concealing her… situation, as she had taken to calling it in the last couple weeks, which was relatively easy. She wore slightly more flowy clothes, switching some of her dresses for her pantsuits, excusing herself inconspicuously when she felt the need to throw up every. single. morning. And pretending everything was the same as it always was. Easy.

Except for now. Now – it could not have been harder to come up with some rhyme or reason to not join her coworkers for a girl's night after they were off. All she wanted to do was go curl up on her couch, alone, and continue contemplating what she was going to do once it became impossible to deny she was pregnant. Which was probably her reality in a matter of a weeks. Instead, however, Sabe came bursting into her office announcing Padme had been 'moping around' and that had to end. Apparently, they were instead going out, for drinks, and who knows what else. 'Wherever the night takes us' was the exact phrasing, which made her want to roll her eyes.

She insisted they at least go to a place serving food, and assured her friend there was nothing wrong when she ordered a Coke to drink instead of joining in for the pitcher of margaritas they ordered. Sabe didn't look totally convinced, but she mentioned she hadn't felt good and just didn't want to bother her stomach more. Oh well, she'd deal with the suspicion later. That part of the night was… not great, but fine. However, when Sabe and Rabe tried to pull her along to go barhopping, something she normally agreed to with very little convincing, things got a bit trickier.

"What do you mean you… don't feel like it anymore? It's Friday, we go out on Fridays, like every other Friday, like every Friday since we started at the firm," Rabe looked at her like she had three heads, like the words coming out of her mouth were not just ridiculous, but implausible also.

"Yeah, Padme, you're… are you sure you're okay? You've been acting weird. You haven't wanted to tag along for like... the entire last month." Sabe looked her up and down, crossing her arms across her chest.

Padme mumbled under her breath, "why does everyone keep asking me that…" before throwing her hands up. "I've just been under a lot of stress, I'm coming up on deadlines for a few of the cases I'm working. My associates haven't gotten me my briefs since I told them they needed revised, and I guess it's just all throwing me off. It's finally getting to me."

Rabe considered her, shrugging her shoulder slightly, "Okay, I get that… but it sounds like a reason to go out – we always go out when we're in the thick of it – not to stay home and, what, watch reality tv?" Her and Sabe exchanged glances before turning back to Padme.

This was… not going well at all. They were only asking more questions, seeming more confused, instead of less. Think, Padme, think.

"Okay, fine. Maybe you're right, I'm just letting it get the best of me, but I still don't think I'm gonna drink. I'm down to go have a good time though!" Padme shrugged, much to her girlfriends' delight.

That wasn't exactly what she was going to do, but not drinking was the main problem – which was solved. Maybe she'd have a great time anyway and everything would work out. Everything is gonna work out. That was her entire motto these days.

"You not drinking – it's gonna be like college again!" Sabe threw her arm around her friend's shoulders as they walked around Greenwich. "Let's see if there's somewhere playing music at least…"

Padme felt her cellphone buzz, reaching in her purse to retrieve it, "Hello?"

"Padme! Hey, are you in the village right now? I think I just saw you!" Satine called, sounding like she was having a great time, a few slurred words and the thump of a bass in the background of the call.

"Yeah, I am! I'm just out with some girls from work. Are you down here? Is that music in the background? We're looking for a place to go – we could join you?" Padme looked to her friends who both smiled and nodded enthusiastically.

"Oh, for sure, hold on, they've got a band in here." There was a pause before the background noise lessened. "We're at LPR!"

"We? You're out with Obi? You convinced Obi to go out-out?! And at LPR?" Padme was now completely intrigued. From what she knew about Satine's husband, he wouldn't shy away from a bar to have a drink, but he wasn't exactly a 'live music in a crowded bar' kind of guy. This was something she definitely wanted to see. "Okay, we'll be right there," she confirmed after getting thumbs up from both Sabe and Rabe. From their past experiences, LPR rarely disappointed.

"That's great! I'll wait here outside for you! See you soon!"

Padme tucked the phone back in her purse as they made their way to the club.

"I can't believe we convinced you to stay out with us!" Rabe grabbed her shoulders, shaking her a bit as they both laughed.

"Well, since you all already dragged me out, I might as well stay!" That was pretty close to the exact opposite of how she felt, but she didn't really want to argue about it anymore.

They crossed the street, reaching Satine standing just outside the bar as she promised. Padme quickly introduced all of her friends to each other, Satine she knew from her time as a summer intern at the law firm, Rabe and Sabe from the firm she took a job offer from. Technically, they were probably competing firms, but no one had the time to worry about the legal office politics of it all. The older woman let Padme by the hand into the club to find her husband, her other friends trailing behind. The music was really loud, maybe it had just been a while since she'd been out. It felt like the bass was radiating through her entire body which made her a little nauseous. She definitely did not have time to get sick right now, especially if she didn't want to answer some serious questions they'd all start asking.

"Padme! It's so lovely to see you again!" Obi sat his beer down, grabbing her for a tight hug before shaking hands as Padme introduced Rabe and Sabe. "And so good to meet the both of you as well!"

Well, he was sure in good spirits. She smiled to herself as he pulled Satine into his chest, nuzzling his face in the crook of her neck. Her friends took off to find out if the 'hot bartender' was still working there.

"Is it just the two of you out tonight?" She leaned closer so they could talk without as much screaming.

"Oh no, it was actually an attempt to get my co-worker to relax a bit, he's been pretty uptight! Very unusually for him anyway. But now it's making my job more difficult, so it's much cheaper to buy him a few drinks than to hire a new assistant!" Satine's husband definitely had too much to drink, Padme had met him multiple times and she'd never heard him be quite so candid. Satine shook her head as she pointed at his beer and held up the number five. Padme smiled in return. Her assumption was right.

"Anywayyyy. They went to order some more shots - I think they're around if you wanted to find them and order your own!" Satine added, again to her dismay. She was starting to wonder if she drank too much with the confidence in the voices of everyone suggesting alcohol to her.

She shook her head, "No thanks! I'm okay nursing a soda tonight, haven't felt too well recently! We just wanted to come for the music!" She hoped her body language was coming off nonchalant, or that her friends were too buzzed to care otherwise.

Satine glanced around, "Oh! Here they come now!" She waved, Padme eyeing the crowd carefully, trying to see anyone who looked like they were moving this way. Her short stature was really a pain in the ass for situations like this.

Sabe and Rabe rejoined them, drinks in hand, with a soda for Padme which they handed her with an eye roll as she nudged them with her hip. With her friends behind her, she turned to hear about the bartender before looking back up as his friend caught up with their table, greeting them.

Oh my god. She's pretty sure the entire world stopped, right then, as she suddenly found herself standing in front of a very tall, broad shouldered, golden-tan man, staring right at her with his intense blue eyes and wide smile. This could not be happening.

Anakin just finished his third…no, maybe it was the fourth?… drink of the night, smacking the glass down on the bar as Ahsoka took another shot, squeezing her eyes and making a distressed noise as the alcohol burned going down her throat. She smacked him on the back, "You haven't looked at a single girl in this place, what the hell is going on with you?"

"Nothing's going on with me, Snips, I told you that. I'm just… not interested in anyone in here, that's all."

Ahsoka eyed him, unconvinced. She grabbed the back of his shirt, "Well c'mon then, we should go find Obi-Wan and Satine again, since we're having no luck over here." She thought maybe they would have come across someone 'his type' on the way. And, of course, they didn't. Then, she was hoping that last shot would make his sulking easier to handle. Instead, it may have just made him more annoying. Whatever he was freaking out over, with whoever she was, she'd be glad when he finally figured it out or got over it. She used a bar stool for leverage to look around. Spotting Obi-Wan from across the dance floor, she pointed, "They're over there!"

Anakin nodded as she hopped down, taking her by the arm and pulling her through the crowd. He was significantly taller and bigger, making it much easier to part the sea of people to get across the club. About halfway, he glanced up, and stopped dead in his tracks, Ahsoka running into his back with a soft thud. He stumbled forward a bit, bumping into a few unhappy people along the way.

"What the hell did you stop for?" Ahsoka got closer to him as people pushed and shoved around her. She couldn't see a damn thing with all these people. She tugged on his sleeve when he didn't respond.

Anakin ducked down toward her, a bright smile lighting up his face as he grabbed Ahsoka's shoulders and practically shouted, "I found her!"

"Found who?" She stretched up, trying to see whatever he was looking at. All she saw was their friend and his wife who was waving at them, and a few ordinary looking brunettes coming to the table with drinks. Before she got an answer to her question, he took off. "Hey wait! Anakin! Come back!" She rushed through the crowd as best she could as he continued practically shoving people out of the way.

He didn't care how foolish or impulsive he looked as he made his way, full steam ahead. He was hoping he wasn't imagining the whole thing playing out in front of his eyes. But the closer he got, the surer he was. It was like the music and everything else had suddenly gone quiet as he closed the distance between himself and the group of women that had joined their table. He threw his arm around Obi-Wan's shoulders, smiling brightly.

"Hey! What's going on over here?" He probably looked ridiculous, but he didn't care. He thought he might actually explode with joy. That was until she looked up at him in sheer horror, her eyes going wide.

"Oh! Hey, this is Anakin!" Satine motioned to him, and he kept the smile on his face, despite the concern in the back of his mind over the look on hers. "Anakin, this is Padme, and her friends Sabe and Rabe!"

"Sabe," He smiled as she nodded and gave a brief hug, the other woman doing the same, "Rabe." He was about to do the same to the third woman, despite how much more he wanted to say to her. Ahsoka caught back up with them and he stepped away, between the women as they made their own introductions. Their friend now seemed to be trying to make a mad dash away from him, and he was absolutely certain she was exactly who he thought she was. He reached out and gently grabbed her arm before she left completely.

She got to the end of her range of motion with his hold on her before she was forced to turn and face him. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name. Padme, was it?" He cocked an eyebrow at her as her face turned bright red looking up at him.