A/N: Hello... it's me.

No, I haven't deserted this story. I just haven't found the time to write. I'm letting you know now that Uni is starting back soon, and I've just started by second job, so I probably won't be updating as quickly as I used to just because I'll be pressed for time to actually write.

Also, to my fellow Aussies - HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY (for yesterday). I was hoping to get this up yesterday but I was otherwise preoccupied in celebrating a more 'traditional' Australian way (booze), so you know, patriotism and all that.

Interesting question to pose to all of you... how do you come up with dialogue? Personally, I actually re-enact scenarios between characters (yes, talking out loud), trying to figure out what people would actually say and how that would come across in different situations. So, yes, if you see me talking to myself and having heated conversations with invisible people, I'm doing it all for the good of the written word!

Wow I'm in a weird mood tonight. Oh well, I hope you enjoy this chapter xx

Those striking blue eyes were staring at her when she woke the next morning, on her back. She could feel his gaze before she saw it, but it was clear as soon as she turned her head. Anakin was propped up on his side, gazing at her with an expression that was somewhere between awed and sad. The smallest of smiles crossed his lips and he ran the back of his knuckles down her arm in a soft, soothing way.

"How long have you been up?" Padme asked as she lay on her back.

Anakin shrugged. "Couple hours."

Nodding, Padme rolled onto her side and reached for his hand. "Couldn't sleep?"

He shook his head and gave her hand a squeeze, before letting go of her grip and brushing his fingers against her cheek. "You're so beautiful when you're sleeping," he said in a small whisper. His fingers found her hair, combing through the tangles, and Padme closed her eyes for just a moment, let herself be caught up in the simplicity of it all before the cold reality hit her like a brick. "I wish it could always be like this," Anakin mused, more to himself than to her but she listened anyway. "Just you and me. No drama. No distance. Just us."

She didn't respond, save for a melancholy smile and sighed into his touch. It was cruel, really, that it had come to this between them, when they loved each other so. Perhaps, love wasn't enough. The passion that sizzled between them, that burning chemistry which was so addictive, it has sustained them for six months, but now the kindling was running low, and a log needed to be put on the fire. A slower burn. A longer flame. Something had to change.

"I've gone and fucked it all up, haven't I?" he remarked, miserably.

"Don't, Anakin," she sighed. "I'm just as much to blame. It takes two to fuck it all up."

Then he did the most unexpected thing. He started to laugh. At first it was a quiet sort of laughter, a chuckle, even, barely a rise of his chest. Then it progressed to something larger, a full bodied laugh and suddenly his head was thrown back and his eyes were squeezed shut and he was laughing so manically that Padme grew a little worried for his sanity. "What is wrong with us?" he cried in partial hysteria.

Padme bit her lip. It was a question she had asked herself all night. Why was this happening? Why was there so much tension in their relationship when it was clear they were both so in love? It made no sense. "Do you…" she began, timidly, blinking at him under heavy eyelashes. "Do you think it's possible to love someone too much?" He tilted his head to the side, an adorable frown of confusion on his face. "That it – that it destroys everything?"

Anakin smiled fondly. "You're far too pragmatic to believe that," he quipped. "Since when are you so melodramatic?"

She couldn't help but laugh. "I guess I've been spending too much time with you," she returned with a smirk. This was what she liked, what she was used to. The smart remarks and light-hearted banter that they shared together. It was so much easier to handle. The coldness between them had been something she wasn't accustomed to.

At her remark, Anakin cupped her cheek and ran his thumb across her lips, so delicately that it warmed her from the inside. The way he was staring at her reminded her of their first kiss. He was so shy and timid and unsure, but there had been this determined look in his eye. It was there now. Padme envied him, sometimes. Anakin was so sure of his emotions, lived and breathed everything so fully, even when he shouldn't, and yet still managed to take her breath away. Padme, on the other hand, was a constant wave of uncertainty.

"Some people are worth destroying everything for," he whispered. Padme almost began to cry when she heard him say those words. It was such an Anakin thing to say, dramatic to the point of ridiculous, and yet she was thoroughly touched by his belief that everything was going to be fine. That they would be okay. It was the kind of hope Padme needed.

"I don't want to destroy everything, Anakin."

"It won't," he assured her firmly. "We'll… we'll be fine."

Padme shook her head vigorously. "Stop saying that, Anakin. Nothing will be fine unless something changes. Ignoring our problems won't make them disappear."

He grew silent and rolled onto his back, nose pointed to the ceiling. The air between them grew thick and uncomfortable, and for the first time since they'd been together, Padme suddenly wanted to be alone. It was too much. This was what she'd been concerned about. They were electric, and the chemistry between them was enough to ignite a blaze, but she knew it wasn't enough. The distance was their biggest killer. It had turned the both of them possessive and jealous. A relationship couldn't survive under that kind of pressure. And as much as it pained her to admit it, it was true.

Anakin reached for her hand and brought it up to his mouth, smoothing his lips over her skin delicately. "I'm sorry," he muttered as he kissed each of her fingertips. Turning his head, his eyes scanned her face. "I acted like an asshole. I don't know what's wrong with me, sometimes. I just – I don't want to be that guy – the guy that gets all possessive and aggressive and overprotective. I hate that guy." He paused his monologue to kiss her hand again, before continuing. "I love you so much, Padme. You have no idea. And I just want you to be happy. If – if you want to see… him… again, then – then I trust you." The way he spoke, almost strained, made it clear that it had taken Anakin a lot of strength to say that, to release his jealousy, and she appreciated it more than she could say.

She smiled sadly at him, her eyes growing moist with affection. "No, I'm sorry, Ani," she told him earnestly. "I was being selfish. I didn't think about how you would feel. I mean, after the way I've acted in the past, it wasn't fair of me to do that to you." Saying the words was a great relief. They needed to do this, to admit that they had both been at fault and accept the other's apology. To begin the healing process.

But it was only the start. They had so much to do, so far to go, still, if they were ever going to get past this hurdle. "We need to learn to trust each other," Padme began with a heavy sigh. "We have an issue with trust, and we need to fix it, because we have a long distance relationship. Trust is everything." Anakin nodded in agreement. "All this… all this jealousy, on both of our parts, it's not healthy."

He frowned. "But we love each other. Isn't that all that matters?" His innocence, his naivety, was endearing to her.

"Love isn't enough sometimes, Anakin." She wished it could be as simple as Anakin had said; just them and their love. But that wasn't life. It was unrealistic. If their relationship was going to last, it needed to be founded on something far more concrete than just love alone. "I said from the start that this could be a mistake. That the distance would tear us apart. And look what's happening to us?" She gestured to the air between them, unable to keep the emotion out of her voice.

Anakin's eyes widened and he swallowed thickly, suddenly stricken. "Well, yeah the distance is hard, but, it's not forever, right? I mean, you'll graduate soon and then – then we'll be together all the time and it'll be like we want."

Padme bit her lip. "Will it, Anakin? Do you truly believe that?"

He gripped her hand fiercely. "This is just a rough patch, okay," he growled, eyes flashing. "I promise, I'll never act out like that again. I swear to you, Padme. We'll get through it – we have to, because… because I can't lose you. I'll do anything – ask me and I'll do anything but don't – don't say things like that. I… I can't – "

She cut him off with a finger to his lips. "Ani," she said with a soft expression. "I'm never giving up on you. I've told you that before." She let her fingers dance across his cheek, in an attempt to soothe his anguish. "I'm not going anywhere."

Normally her touch could calm him, even just a gentle brush of her fingers, but Anakin only frowned, jaw locked, eyebrows furrowed, eyes narrowed. "But…?" he spat out through clenched teeth.

Closing her eyes, Padme sighed and drew her hand away from his face. "Nothing is going to change. Anakin. Not unless we physically change it." When she opened her eyes again, she met his. They blinked at her with raw uncertainty. "We should be able to talk to each other. We should be able to trust each other. This is my last semester of Harvard. I'm going to be so busy. We won't be able to see each other as often as we used to – maybe once a month if we're lucky – and I need to know that you'll… you'll be okay. That we'll be okay."

He smiled, then, and his lip twitched into a slight smirk and Padme felt her heart soar at the sight of it. "What's six months?" he grinned. "When we have forever?"

It was things like this, his absolute certainty that they could make it through anything that made her love Anakin the most. He was so sure, believed in them so much, how could she possibly doubt him? When he was looking at her like that, a goofy, lovesick smile on his face and the skin around his gorgeous eyes crinkling adorably. She returned his grin with as much enthusiasm as she could muster and cupped his face with both hands.

"We'll get through this, Ani," she told him. "We'll fight for this together and we'll come out on top together. Because… believe it or not, I – " she broke off to swallow the emotion in her voice. "I can't lose you either."

And then Anakin seized her in his arms and kissed her fiercely, rolling them both so that she was stretched out on top of him. His hands slid up and down her sides as he lazily moved his mouth with hers. Padme hummed happily and rested her cheek on his chest, listening to the steady thud of his heart as his arms came around her. She could have been content to stay in that position for the rest of the day.

Just as she was getting comfortable, she felt a terrible, ripping pain slice through her abdomen. It made her cry out and clench her eyes shut and she hurriedly rolled off of Anakin, curling herself into a ball. Her hands immediately went to her stomach, clutching her sides as another stab of pain coursed through her. Anakin called her name, his arms coming around her, asking her if she was alright, but she could barely hear him. All she could concentrate on was the horrendous pain in her stomach. With a groan, she hit his arms away, more brutally than she had intended, and sat up, still clutching her stomach.

"Angel…" Anakin's voice was soft and timid, full of concern.

With a shake of her head, Padme stood up off the bed, slightly hunched over, and headed out to the bathroom. It was there, while she was on the toilet, she found the source of her sudden cramps. She had her period. Tears of frustration and pain welled in the corners of her eyes as she stared down at her destroyed panties, the new ones that Sola had gotten for her for Christmas. She hadn't expected it to come now. With the pregnancy scare, she'd forgotten that she was due. If she'd known, she would have come prepared. Now, she as at Anakin's house, in his bathroom, and there was nothing he could do for her.

A sharp rap on the door brought her out of her thoughts. "Angel, what's wrong?" Anakin's worried voice floated underneath the door.

Padme groaned. "N-nothing, Ani. I'm fine. Really." It sounded pathetic even to her ears, but she had to try. She couldn't face him right now. It would be utterly humiliating. A part of her insisted that he wouldn't care, that this was Anakin and he would understand, but Padme knew from experience that this was not something men were comfortable with, and the last thing she wanted was to make Anakin uncomfortable.

"You don't sound fine," Anakin persisted. "Are you sick?"

She was about to retort when she was seized by another horrific cramp and let out a low, pained moan.

"You're scaring me, angel," he cried, frantically. "If you don't tell me what's wrong I'm coming in there."

"No!" she assured him quickly. "Don't come in Anakin. I'm – " she sighed and let out another groan. "I've just got my period, that's all."

It was silent for a few moments and Padme could almost hear a pin drop. "Oh." She waited for the exclamation of disgust, but it never came. Instead, he muttered. "Is there anything I can do for you, angel?" Padme was so surprised by his response that she didn't answer for a while, and was only brought back to life when he called out to her again, clearly worried.

"No, Ani," she told him, as sweetly as she could because he was being very thoughtful and sweet and she wanted him to know how much she appreciated it. "Not unless you have tampons in your bathroom, which you don't. I checked."

He clicked his tongue. "Wait right here. Don't move. I'll be back, alright?"

She did as he asked, trying not to focus on the fact that she had ruined her gift from Sola. She felt awful. The first time she'd worn it, and this had happened. It was such bad luck. Everything about last night had gone badly. Part of her wished she could wind back the clock and do it over, broach the subject in a different way. Padme believed that she was a logical and put together individual, but when it came to Anakin, her emotions tended to get the better of her and cloud her judgement. Her hormones also played a role in that, it seemed. All she wanted was to be with him, and sometimes, even her own goals and aspirations were set aside. It wasn't healthy, was it? To be totally absorbed and consumed by one person so much that it was almost like she couldn't breathe without him?

But it feels so right.

"Okay, I'm back," Anakin's breathless voice sounded at the door, as though he had been running. "I've got some things for you. Are you going to let me in?"

She swallowed. "Ani, I'm not… decent, right now."

He scoffed. "I've seen you naked more times than I can count, angel," he said in a teasing lilt. "It's not something I haven't seen before."

His joke makes her laugh softly and she hesitantly pulls her ruined underwear back up and opens the door. Anakin is standing there, with a pile of things in his arms, smiling sweetly at her. "Okay," he began to hand things to her. "I've got some aspirin. For your cramps. And I found some Tampax in my mom's bathroom, I don't know if it's the ones you use or the right type but it's all I've got for now. And I've got some of my smaller clothes for you, ones I grew out of in highschool that mom still keeps. I know they'll be too big for you, but they should do for now."

Finished with his list, he placed the items in her arms and beamed at her proudly, looking every bit as adorable as he had when he was a child and had finished working on a project. It was one of those grins that warmed her heart and took her back to simpler times, when they were younger, and the biggest problem between them was their age gap.

Padme didn't know what to say. He'd done all of this for her and it was possibly the sweetest, most endearing thing anyone had ever done for her, and if she didn't currently have her arms full, she would have thrown them around his neck and kissed him so hard that he would have fallen backwards. Instead, she opted for the largest smile she could muster, her eyes brimming with tears of affection. "I love you so much," she whispered, and it only served to make his grin widen and he bent to press a kiss to her hair.

"Take your time, angel. I'll be in my room."

She nodded and closed the door, unable to keep the silly smile off her face. This made everything all worth it. Anakin was so good to her, he was so attentive and assertive and sweet and gentle and even though it was sort of over the top and sappy, it made her heart flutter in her chest like she was fourteen again. She continued to grin even as she sorted through the clothes had he had brought her – a pair of grey sweatpants and a large, maroon jersey that he'd obviously worn when he was at school, for it had the name SKYWALKER in large, black letters on the back. Everything was far too long for her; she had to roll the bottoms of the sweatpants up four times before they rested about her ankles, and the jersey swallowed her petite form, like she was wearing a large sack. But it smelt so distinctly of Anakin, musty, like dried sweat and dirt and oil, yet there was the scent of the apple smelling washing detergent his mother used. She brought the collar up to her nose and inhaled deeply, closing her eyes. It smelt like home.

Once she was dressed, she folded up her things and put them in a plastic bag before heading into Anakin's room. He visibly brightened as she approached him and leapt to his feet, taking her shoulders in his large hands. Kissing her nose softly, he beamed down at her. "Are you feeling better? You're as pale as a ghost."

Padme laughed at him. "It takes about half an hour for the meds to kick in, Anakin," she reminded him.

He rolled his eyes. "Well, you must be feeling better. You're back to chastising me," he teased playfully, earning him a wack to the shoulder. He didn't notice, only took her hands and lead her back to his bed. The way he was handling her, like she was a porcelain doll, made her frown a little, but she held her tongue, because he was really just trying to be sweet and it wasn't fair of her to reprimand him for it. He made her sit down and propped her up with some pillows behind her head, then smoothed out her hair. "You look so beautiful right now," he told her, sincerely.

"I definitely don't feel beautiful," she scoffed. "I feel like shit." As she said the words, she was hit without another terrible cramp, and curved inwards to absorb some of the pain. A flash of worry flickered in Anakin's eyes and he sat beside her, stroking her cheek with his long fingers.

"Is there anything else I can do?" he asked, concerned eyes scanning her face. "What do you need, angel? I'll get it for you, anything, just tell me."

She couldn't keep her tongue any longer. "I've got my period, Anakin. I'm not an invalid."

He remained firm. "I don't care. Let me take care of you. Stop being so stubborn and let me get you what you need."

Eventually, she reneged and nodded her head, slowly. "Well, a cup of herbal tea would be nice. Camomile, if you've got it," she added, not wanting to seem too picky.

Smiling at his victory, Anakin kissed her wrist and nodded. "Your wish is my command, milady," and it was one of the silliest things she'd ever heard and she snorted with laughter as he left the room, flashing her a teasing grin. While he was gone, she snuggled further into the pillows, pulling the covers up to her chin so that only her head was peeking out. Anakin returned moments later with a steaming mug of camomile and she took it eagerly between her hands, delicately sipping the sweet nectar and letting it warm her body from the inside. The aspirin began to kick in after ten more minutes and she was no longer a victim of cramps. With a contented sigh, she reached for him and pulled him down beside her, curling into his chest as he flung an arm around her shoulders.

"Thank you for doing all this," she told him, full of gratitude. "You're so good to me, Ani. Truly. I don't know what I did to deserve you."

Gentle fingers took hold of her chin and tilted her head just enough so that she met his gaze. The way he was looking at her, the way he always looked at her, left no doubt in her mind that she was all he would ever want and nothing, nothing, could stop him from loving her. It was a constant reassurance that was only strengthened when she was with him. Those eyes, that beautiful blue that had suddenly become her favourite colour in the world, would never lie to her.

"I ask myself that same question every day," he muttered, thick with adoration and he bent to brush his lips against hers and it ignited that same fire in her belly as it did every time. "Can I ask you something?" Suddenly, he was awkward and shy and uncomfortable, and Padme tilted her head in confusion at his change in demeanour.

"Of course, Ani," she nodded with a smile.

He swallowed heavily, eyes leaving her for a moment to quickly scan the wall before once again resting on her features. "I'm not being jealous or anything, right now, I promise. I'm – I'm just… curious." The way he said it, so insistent that she would believe him, gave her no choice but to nod her head again in reassurance. "Why did you want to see Clovis again, anyway?"

The question caught her by surprise. "I… I don't know," she replied, honestly. "I guess I thought that, maybe if I saw him again, I'd figure out why, you know? Why I wasn't good enough for him." She laughed bitterly as she said the words, realising how stupid it all sounded. Why did that even matter anymore, when she had Anakin? Why had she let it bother her so much? "I was being so selfish, Ani," she continued, glancing up at him under her eyelashes. "None of that even matters. I don't need to be good enough for Clovis. All that matters is that I'm good enough for you." She cupped his jaw as she said the words, trying to express how sincere she was with her eyes and touch alone.

Anakin smiled kindly down at her and turned his head to kiss her palm. "Trust me, angel. You are way too good for me."

Padme frowned. "Don't say that," she pouted, crossing her arms and fixing him with a firm stare. "How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not perfect?"

The corners of his mouth twitched up into a smirk. "How many times do I have to tell you that you are to me?" When she sighed in exasperation, her nuzzled into her hair, inhaling her scent. "How did you ever fall for me?"

She paused and took his hand in hers, meeting his steadfast gaze with equal sincerity. "Because you're the most real person I've ever met, Anakin Skywalker," she said, honestly.

"Real?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Everyone in my life hides behind pompousness and facades and masks, but you're so raw," she explained, every word dripping with the intense affection she felt for him. "You make me feel alive."

His eyes sparkled and it only took a moment before he was smirking at her. "Well, damn. I thought I wooed you with my devilish good looks and charm." He winked at her and she rolled her eyes.

"Don't flatter yourself," she teased. "You're not that good looking." Which was a total lie, because honestly, he was probably the most attractive person she'd ever seen who wasn't famous, and he didn't even have to try. But she didn't want to tell him that and inflate his ego.

He made a face of mock insult. "Maybe it's your age talking, but you need glasses, Miss Naberrie. I'm pretty fucking sexy."

She snorted, raising her eyebrow. "My age? I'm only older than you by four years."

He grinned and nuzzled into her cheek. "Mmm," he hummed against her skin. "Practically a cradle snatcher."

Padme hit him, and he cried out before tightening his grip around her shoulders and pulling her into him so that her face was squished against his chest. She shook with laughter, wriggling out of his embrace and pecked his cheek lightly. They settled back into their previous positions, Padme sipping her tea and Anakin stroking her hair. It was so relaxed and easy, she could have stayed that way forever.

"Can we just stay in bed all day and watch T.V.?" she asked through a yawn, rubbing her cheek along his shoulder.

Anakin grinned. "I thought you'd never ask."

That day, they made it to season 4.