Having left Mos Espa and Beru behind, Anakin had taken Padmé to the small moisture farm that the Lars family stayed at. It was a small underground building in the middle of the desert, surrounded by multiple machines. Anakin was certainly right about one thing. Nobody would be looking for them here. "I know it's not much, but I figured it'd be as good a place to hide out as any."

"Don't worry, Ani, it doesn't have to be much. It's your home." She knew that much. She'd only briefly looked around, but there were all sorts of holos of Anakin, Shmi, and their step family on the walls.

"I don't know if I'd say that." He rubbed the back of his head. "I don't have a problem with my step family, but it doesn't really feel like home." Padmé waited for him to elaborate. He didn't.

"What's stopping it?" Padmé asked after a moment more of silence. "Everywhere you look, there are tiny hints of you everywhere."

"We've only lived with them a couple of years, even if we've known Cliegg and Owen for a lot longer," Anakin answered, though it was clear it was at least a bit of a deflection from what he really wanted to say. "It makes it hard to adjust at times."

"Where did you stay then?" Padmé asked.

"On Coruscant. Sometimes with my mom, sometimes with whatever Senator was supposed to be watching over and teaching me." Anakin gave a weak laugh. "I'm amazed Bail still tolerates me. We didn't have the best of starts."

"You didn't? What happened?"

"I'm not telling you anything about that unless you tell me about Yoda's robes." It was clear Anakin was teasing, but Padmé pouted.

"Senator Skywalker–"

"I only deal in even exchanges, Knight Naberrie." Anakin smiled. But she still wasn't ready to embarrass herself in front of Anakin quite like that yet. "Thought so. What do I have to do to get that story out of you?"

"You can't." Padmé crossed her arms smugly. "No story is worth trading that knowledge for."

"Can't blame a guy for trying?"

Padmé laughed. "I absolutely can, Senator." She watched as Anakin stood up, walking over to a small fridge in the corner. "Looking for something?"

"I figure we should have something to drink while we're catching up, officially this time." Anakin brought over two cups of some kind of blue liquid. "Blue milk, it's popular on Tatooine since water can be hard to come by."

Padmé smiled, taking the glass. "Thank you." She took a sip, enjoying the refreshing, light, sweet flavor of the milk. Different than she was used to, but far from bad. "I'd imagine that's what the water farms are for?"

Anakin nodded. "They produce water for the people who can't afford it. We're looking to set up moisture farms much more widespread, as part of an effort to clean up Tatooine. It won't be easy, but certainly worthwhile."

She nodded. "It sounds like you've got a lot of plans."

"Somebody has to make life better around this dust bowl. Freeing the slaves and removing Hutt control was just the first step of many, and hopefully if a war does start, it won't stop us from continuing our efforts to improve the planet." He pulled up a chair next to her, facing her rather than the table. "But that's not the only thing I have plans for?"

"Oh?" Padmé asked, more than a little curious at where the Senator was going with this.

Anakin smiled. "I've been making plans for years for exactly what I want for my life after I'm done as Senator. Ever since I was a kid if I'm honest." His hand found hers, and Padmé closed hers around it in a squeeze, hoping he'd take it as an invitation to continue. "I want to do what I can to help clean the planet, but then once Tatooine is fixed, I want to retire with the people I love most, so I can always be with them."

Padmé found herself smiling. "A noble goal, Ani." His nickname fell from her tongue easily. "Who are these people you want to retire with?"

"My mom, Cliegg, Owen, Beru, Obi-Wan if he can be persuaded to ever leave the Jedi." He named her master so casually, it shocked her. She hadn't realized they were that close. "There's one more person who's more important than all of them though, who I'd give anything for if she chose to join me." His hand danced along her arm, taunting her with the answer that a part of her wanted more than anything and a part of her did not want to hear.

Padmé watched waiting for him to elaborate, to tell her it was somebody from Tatooine, Coruscant, anybody really besides his true answer. When he didn't continue, she asked. "Who?"

Rather than answer, Anakin leaned in, hesitant and unsure, and for a moment, Padmé found that same, uncomfortable tension building in her heart, urging her forward. She leaned in on instinct, following his lead as her eyes closed and their lips met. Her heart beat rapidly, and she felt nothing short of elated at the kiss. It was chaste, sweet, and so very Anakin that she couldn't help but be lost in the sensation for a moment.

But the world kept turning, and it wasn't long before her sense returned and she turned away, unable to look at Anakin. "I shouldn't have done that." She was a Jedi. Returning his kiss, his affections, it was doing nothing more than leading him on. Anakin deserved better than that.

"Sorry." She looked up to see the torn, yet sad look on Anakin's face. There were no signs of regret, but at the fact that he'd been kissed and then rejected, he did look pretty embarrassed. "I'll uh...take you to your room, so you can settle in. Assuming you don't have to look after me the entire time."

"I-I don't, no." She couldn't believe herself. Except she absolutely could. This was Anakin she was talking about. He was so easy to let herself go with, to love.

He led the way out of the room and down to another one, opening the door. "Maybe we can find something to do tomorrow?"

"Yeah. We'll figure it out." Whereas conversation both on the trip and earlier had gone so easily between them, now it was hesitant and uncomfortable. Padmé definitely wasn't happy with herself for causing that. "Good night, Anakin."

"I'll see you tomorrow." He closed the door, leaving Padmé to settle in as she buried her face in the pillow.

That night, she dreamed of Anakin, and the kiss they shared.

"You want to hear about the inner workings of the Senate?" Anakin asked, looking at her surprised as he was working on the mechanisms inside the vaporator. Aside from the slight awkwardness, both of them were attempting to forget about the kiss they'd shared upon arrival at the moisture farm, or at least Padmé was, and so she was scrambling to find any topic of conversation she could for them to discuss. "Why?"

"I suppose I'm just curious. I've always wanted to know, and while the Chancellor teaches me some things, having different perspectives is always good." She knew the Chancellor had some ideals that she didn't fully agree with, and she wanted to see if Anakin's were perhaps ones she agreed with more, or if a similar partial agreement would come between them as well.

Anakin smiled, glad to talk about his job for a change. "Well, as Senator of Tatooine, I have to make sure that the Senate attempts to listen to what would be best for us here." His smile changed into a smirk quickly. "Sometimes it's easy, sometimes I have to use...aggressive negotiations to get what I want."

"Anakin!"

"None of the Senators have been seriously injured...I have been arrested twice though over it." Padmé stared at him for a moment, trying to take in that last bit.

"You what?"

"I'm joking, I promise." Anakin smiled. "Well...about the arrested part."

"Has anybody told you you make a terrible senator." Padmé couldn't help but laugh. Even the idea of him as a senator seemed a little strange. "I know you care about Tatooine, but…"

"But it's hard to imagine a senator from somebody as rash as me, right?" There was a twinkle of amusement in the senator's eyes, almost as though he was pleased that she was poking fun at him. "Truth be told, if I was from anywhere other than Tatooine, somebody probably would have voted me out, or at least insisted that my mom take back over. But the people here love that about me, no matter what, I'll get results."

"That's not how it's supposed to work." Or at least she was pretty sure that was not how any government was supposed to work.

"It doesn't matter if it's not how it's supposed to work, what matters is that Tatooine's a better place because of it. I'm sure the Republic is too." He smiled. "I'm sure you've heard all about it from the Chancellor. He wanted to take me under his wing and teach me all about politics. I'm pretty sure now he's glad he didn't so he doesn't have to be responsible for me."

Padmé frowned slightly, actually, the Chancellor hadn't mentioned that. Then again, why would he? Palpatine knew that Padmé and Anakin were friends. Talking bad about one of her closest friends outside of the Jedi because he was causing a bit of chaos in the senate wasn't likely. "He hasn't, but probably out of respect, he knows I care about you. He's the one who told me about your request for Jedi help."

"Guess I owe the old man some thanks." Anakin smiled. "Even if he and I don't always get along."

"Of course."

They fell into an easy silence, enjoying the other's company as Anakin continued his work. She found her eyes occasionally straying towards him, finding it difficult to look away despite knowing she should.

"Can you tell me about your missions?" It was both a command, and a request, one that took Padmé a moment to process.

"Huh?"

"Not all your missions are spent protecting cranky senators who want to do their job, right?" Anakin smiled, indicating he was mostly joking. "I'm not saying you have to tell me the specifics, just give me an idea of what they're like."

Padmé couldn't help but smile at that. "You're right about that, Ani. A lot of times we'll be sent to various planets just to do what we can to keep the peace. Obi-Wan and I are sent out most of the time when they want to keep things peaceful. We have a reputation for finding trouble at the temple, but both of us are good at helping others find peace without having to pull out a weapon."

"You mean you don't just whip out your lightsabers whenever you want something?"

"Of course not, we're peacekeepers, lightsabers aren't f–" She watched him smirk only to come to the realization that he was teasing. "You're making fun of me, aren't you?"

"Me? Never my lady. If you were to ever find out I was teasing you, I'd end up much better acquainted with the sword end of a lightsaber than I'd ever asked." It was hard to take him seriously as it became clear he was trying to keep himself from laughing at her reaction.

"You are, aren't you?" But she found herself grinning too, easily brought up by his joking tone and attitude.

Anakin smirked and didn't respond, and she threw her lightsaber hilt at him, watching as he caught it easily. "I was right, you tried to kill me."

"It wasn't even on, Anakin. A lightsaber isn't dangerous if you don't have the blade out. It's just a piece of metal." And a Kyber Crystal, but the existence of the crystal inside the lightsaber was a secret that if Anakin didn't know, she didn't want him to. The idea of him in the Senate with a lightsaber was definitely not one she wanted to see become a reality.

"So you say, maybe I could've gotten killed." Despite his joke, the saber did seem to have captured his attention as he looked it over and pressed the button, watching as the beam part of the saber appeared from the hilt. "I can't compliment the execution with knowledge, but I can say it's perfect, just like everything you do."

Padmé wasn't quite sure how to respond when he handed the sword back to her.

"Obi-Wan's a gifted negotiator, he could talk down anybody into doing what he says if he was asked." Despite the awkward pause in the conversation they had found earlier with Anakin's flirts, they'd quickly resumed the easy banter from earlier in the day for Padmé to tell Anakin about her missions like he'd asked. Which was proving a good idea as things started to calm down for the night.

"And he passed those methods onto you?" Anakin asked. Padmé nodded. "I'm guessing that's helped out with more than a few missions?"

"It's probably a huge part of why the galaxy isn't involved in all out war." Maybe she was being a little praise heavy for her master, but Obi-Wan was her brother, the one who taught her everything she knew, her idol. "He and I have been offworld so often trying to negotiate with the Separatists ever since I got knighted."

Anakin frowned as soon as she said that. "You don't think something like having you guys out of the way could contribute to starting the war sooner?"

Padmé paused. It...was a possibility, even if it wasn't one she'd want to acknowledge, but no. That couldn't be right. The Chancellor chose her and Obi-Wan because they already had a relationship with Anakin. "I don't think so. The Senate should still be in negotiations on their own right now, and we don't have an army. The other Jedi should be enough to keep everything under control. Obi-Wan and I might be the best, but we're not the only ones."

"Right, of course." Anakin sighed, but she wasn't sure if he was reassured.

"Ani…"

"I know, everything will be fine. I should have more faith in Mon and Bail and my mom. It's just...hard not being there." He shook his head, resolving himself. "I'll try not to think about it." Padmé looked at him, doubtful. "Care to be my distraction for now?" She must have looked confused, because he elaborated moments later. "Teach me how to use a Lightsaber."

"Anakin, they're sacred weapons to the Jedi, not toys." She shook her head. Sure, when they were all Younglings and Padawans doing exercises there would be competitions for fun, but those were a part of training. It didn't make her weapon a tool for a game.

Anakin frowned. "I'm not treating it like one. I'm not asking you to give me your lightsaber, I'm asking to know how to use the basic forms. They can be applied to other weapons with a similar structure. It wouldn't hurt for me to know."

He had a point, and it was likely to keep his mind off of the goings of the Senate if he was exhausted from learning the different forms. "We'll start with Form I." Anakin's eyes widened, as though he hadn't expected his request to work, but didn't say anything. Padmé looked around for a moment before tossing Anakin a walking stick, which he caught easily. It'd be long enough. "The first form is simple, and almost all others are based on it. If you can't learn this, you won't be able to learn the others."

"And you use it?" Anakin asked.

"On occasion. I favor Forms III and IV." She smiled. "If I do keep teaching you, you won't learn those for a while. And definitely not IV while we're in here." Ataru required too much movement, and the idea of Anakin learning something like that in such a small area sounded like a terrible idea.

Anakin laughed. "I get the idea, too advanced. So, Master Naberrie, show me the basics." And she did, running through the poses and positions, watching Anakin try to emulate them himself and move fluidly beneath each position.

If she was honest, he wasn't bad. Considering it was his first time learning any of the forms, he was picking up on it with surprising ease. She made note of any mistakes before stepping up to him. "Your third pose has your 'lightsaber' pointed too low." She had him re-enter the pose and stood behind him, before she got to work at adjusting the pose. When she touched him the first time, Anakin stiffened at the contact, and though she went to pull his shoulders back, she couldn't find it in her to move. The world was still, and for a moment it felt like nothing mattered besides the brief point where they touched. The staff she'd found dropped from his hands, and the clatter it made as it hit the floor pulled her out of the moment, and away from whatever Anakin had been planning to do. She backed away, unable to face him after their moment.

"Padmé, I can't..." He seemed frustrated with his wording. "I can't keep dancing around what I feel like this." At that, she looked up, almost startled. "We have a connection, and I know you feel it too. Whenever I see you it's...it's difficult to even breathe. I can't stop thinking about you, or the kiss we've shared... You're the only person I have ever loved in this way."

"Ani...Anakin." She amended herself from the nickname to his full name. "I can't...you're a Senator, and I'm a Jedi…"

"That doesn't matter." Anakin looked at her. "I don't care that you're a Jedi or anything else. I don't care what we have to do, if I have to spend the rest of my life loving you in shadows, I would do it. I know you feel the same way…"

"Anakin, what I feel in this case doesn't matter. I have duties. So do you." She watched him for a moment, and the burst of courage he'd seemingly had earlier died down, and her heart hurt. She wanted him as badly as he wanted her, and both of them knew it. "If we admitted our feelings, fell in love...We'd be living a lie, and it would destroy us both."

"...I know." He finally relented, looking away and giving up in a way he hadn't earlier. "I know that more than anybody, but Padmé-."

"I'm sorry Anakin." Her hand grabbed his, and he winced, though didn't make a move to pull his away. "Maybe in another life, we'd have a chance to be together, but as it stands, we can't. Not in this one."

He remained silent, and so did she. "I'm going to clear my head." Anakin stood up, leaving Padmé there to watch after him, her heart aching just as much as his was.

She buried her face in her hands. Why did Anakin have to make all of this so difficult.

She hadn't seen Anakin for the rest of the night, and had found him gone for most of the morning. Fearing the worst, she had been about to sound some alarms and call in the other Jedi when she watched the senator appear at the entrance to the small house. "Anakin?"

Had this been before yesterday, she would've run to hug him. Right now, she knew that would just make things worse for him. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." His voice was tired, it was clear he hadn't slept. "I'm…" He rubbed his hand through his hair, unsure of himself. "I'm sorry for running off last night, I just needed some time. Not everyday your crush for ten years turns you down."

She understood all too well, maybe not the ten year long crush part, but the idea that after what had happened, he needed some space. "It's alright, you don't have to apologize. Just please don't do it again, I thought that all those assassination attempts might have finally succeeded."

Anakin nodded. "They won't, I'm not that easy to get rid of." A fact that she was thankful for. He sat down on the couch for a moment, looking at her as though trying to figure out what he was trying to say. "I think we need to get off of Tatooine."

Padmé looked at Anakin in confusion. "What?"

"We can't stay trapped on this world alone, doing nothing." Anakin explained. "You're…" He sighed. "Look, we both agreed we're not falling in love, right? Well staying here on a small farm where we're the only company the other has besides a couple of droids and all we're doing is finding ways to kill time together isn't going to help. I know it's for my protection, but we can't keep staying."

"We're not going back to Coruscant Anakin. You'll be in danger."

"It doesn't have to be Coruscant. Just...not here."

As much as she hated to admit it, Anakin was right. It couldn't be easy for him, staying trapped on the planet with just her while he was dealing with her rejection. She could understand his desire to get away as well. "I can call for another Jedi to take my place."

"No!" Anakin protested almost immediately too fast. "No, sorry, I just…"

It was frustrating to say the least for both of them. She knew there was nobody Anakin would trust more with the job aside from Obi-Wan (truthfully she wasn't sure she trusted anybody else with Anakin's safety besides herself and him either) yet so long as they stayed like this, it wouldn't be easy for either of them to continue to dodge and ignore any feelings they'd managed to catch.

"I'll…" Padmé frowned. There had to be something she could come up with. Some way to manage this and keep Anakin on the world without… "Get some rest. I'll come up with something."

Anakin nodded, and went towards his room. "At least consider the idea."

Truthfully, there wasn't a lot else she could do.

The sound of a door opening pulled Padmé out of her meditation, and she turned to see Anakin. "Thinking on ideas looks like sleeping?"

"Meditating Anakin." Padmé smiled. Anakin tilted his head, as though asking for elaboration. "It's something all Jedi do to help them feel more balanced in the Force, more connected. Obi-Wan and I tried to teach it to you, remember?"

"Nope." Anakin sat down next to her. "I remember how to use the Force, how to make shields to keep any Sith from detecting me, but meditation? Don't seem to recall that one at all."

Padmé rolled her eyes. Of course he wouldn't. Trying to get Anakin to sit down for ten seconds to meditate was a harder ordeal than anything else they'd had to try. She couldn't be surprised that he didn't remember when he'd probably purposefully tried to forget. "It's meant to help me figure out what's the best way to go about things."

"What did it help you figure out, Master Jedi?" Anakin smiled, and Padmé couldn't help but be relieved that they'd found a return to the easy conversation from before.

Padmé shook her head. "It didn't, but I could show you how to do it, if you'd like."

Anakin seemed to be taking that under consideration. "You sure it'll stick this time?"

"Well, my Padawan," she teased, chastising herself moments later in case he took it as flirting after they had just resolved not to do so. "You'll be the judge of that."

Following her lead, Anakin sat down on his knees and closed his eyes, looking over to Padmé as he closed his eyes. She watched him, interested in how he took it, though unsurprised when he started to wiggle, unable to sit skill. "You need to focus on your breathing, just keep your mind clear and reach out. Stretch out your senses until you can feel the Force around you."

"That's...vague."

Padmé laughed. "It is, but I trust you to figure it out."

"You'd make a terrible master if that's how you plan on training any padawans you get."

"I thought you were done making fun of me."

"You won't kill me, I'll be fine." Anakin opened one eye, giving her a smirk.

"I could take you out and blame it on whoever's after you."

"Would you though?"

She wouldn't, but Anakin didn't need to know that. "Are you questioning me, Padawan?"

At that, he sighed. "No Master Jedi, I'm not." And he closed his eyes, taking deep breaths in and out, although still clearly struggling with staying focused entirely on the meditation. Deciding it would keep Anakin out of her hair at least for a few more minutes, Padmé closed her eyes, hoping the Force would send her a clear answer. What could she do to keep Anakin entertained until they were able to leave this desert planet behind.

Before she could continue meditating, a loud beep grabbed both hers and Anakin's attention. "Artoo?"

"What is it buddy?" Anakin asked, patting the droid on his blue domed head. The droid beeped at them a few more times, causing Anakin's face to darken as he looked towards Padmé. "Meditation practice is going to have to wait."

"I'm guessing he didn't come with good news?" Padmé asked. Anakin shook his head.

"It's Obi-Wan. He left a message for you." Padmé felt her heart drop almost immediately, as though it plummeted right to her stomach the moment Anakin spoke again. "He's in trouble."

"Artoo, relay the message." The droid let out a few more beeps before running out of the room to lead them to the comms.

Looked like their vacation away from the world was over.