A/N: Another chapter for you. Sorry about the cliffie's… It's probably not going to get any better, unfortunately. I'm not going to say much else. Just enjoy this next update on this emotional roller coaster of a journey that I'm taking you on.

"Padme," he said again, more a greeting this time, though Padme noted how uncomfortable he looked as he squirmed in front of her. It filled her with a cruel sense of glee. He deserved to squirm. And, she definitely deserved to watch him.

Rush Clovis?! Of all the people to run into at the coffee cart, it just had to be him. Padme grit her teeth in annoyance and silently cursed the universe at throwing another curve ball at her just when she and Anakin had gotten past the last one. It wasn't fair! What was he even doing here? From what she'd last heard, he'd graduated not long after he'd broken up with her, and was an associate at some law firm in town. There was no reason why he should be here, at Harvard, at the coffee cart of all places!

Unless…

He was here…intentionally. Unless he had come here specifically to run into her, and make it seem like an accident. She swallowed. No. Surely he wasn't that stupid. Surely he would have gotten the hint when she didn't respond to his Christmas card.

The line moved forward a little and still, Padme had remained stunned, hardly even registering where she was or what was going on until Clovis bent a little lower, meeting her eyes. "How… how are you?"

She blinked rapidly, brought back to life by his question and rearranged her features into what she hoped was a smile. It felt more like a grimace. "Great!" she said, far too enthusiastic for how she really felt, but she didn't want him to think that she was pining over him or anything and get crazy ideas in his head of trying to get back together with her. She was well and truly over him. And, she wanted him to know just how great she was now that she was no longer with him.

He gave an awkward laugh and nodded his head. "That's…that's great. You look…well."

His compliment, even though small, was completely unwarranted, and she fixed him with a firm stare. "Thank you," she said in a flat monotone.

Nodding his head awkwardly, he stepped up to the barista and ordered his coffee, and Padme stared at the back of his head in frustration. All she wanted was to order her coffees and find Anakin so that they could get back to her apartment and make up for lost time. The last thing she wanted in her mind when she was making sweet love with Anakin was Rush Freaking Clovis. It would surely put a damper on the mood, and she wasn't about to let anything spoil their reunion.

Soon, it was Padme's turn to order, and she held out her keep-cup to the cashier. She ordered her vanilla latte and Anakin's cappuccino, handed the barista a ten, and then went to join the waiting queue.

"Still sticking to vanilla latte's, huh?" Rush asked her with a small smile, as they stood there awkwardly, breaking the silence.

Snapping her head up to look at him, she narrowed her eyes, her lips thinning into a frown. "Yes," she responded, haughtily. "Is that a problem?"

His eyes widened a little at her aggressive answer, and he shook his head, clearly trying to placate her with a small smile. "No. Not at all." Sighing, he adjusted the thin, charcoal tie he was wearing. Padme watched the gesture with contempt. He was dressed in a very expensive, light grey suit with black dress shoes and a black brief case in his hand. His attire made her roll her eyes at the pretentiousness of it all. Of course, he was in a suit. If she knew Rush, she knew he liked to flaunt his success, and his suit-wearing was just another way to express his arrogance. She'd never liked that about him, but had overlooked it when she had been young and naïve. "I'm just trying to make conversation with you, Padme."

Padme glared at his words, practically seething with anger. "What would make you think I could possibly want to talk to you?!" she snarled, crossing her arms back over her chest.

"I… Padme, I know that I – " he broke off, suddenly flustered and seemingly tongue tied, and it surprised Padme to see him like this. She'd never seen him stutter before. The Rush Clovis she had known when she had been in a relationship with him was a smooth talker, never fumbling over words or struggling to find ways to express himself. It had been one of the reasons she'd fallen for him in the first place – he'd known exactly what to say to make her fall prey to his attentions. The sight of him stuttering felt… satisfying. She liked watching him struggle, took pleasure from him in a greedy, sadistic way.

"I don't deserve anything from you," he continued once he'd cleared his throat, refusing to meet her eyes. "I know that. I treated you poorly, badly even, and you deserved so much better than that, Padme. I know that now. But…" he paused and sighed, as his green eyes met her gaze tentatively. "At least let me apologize to you. At least grant me that. Please?"

Raising an eyebrow, she pursed her lips in a thin line. "Why should I? After you harassed me at Christmas?!"

He started, blinking his eyes rapidly, a look of pure shock on his face. "Oh, so you did get that, then. I was wondering if maybe…"

"Yes, I got it," she spat, remembering the awful fight with Anakin that had transpired after she'd brought up that particular surprise. It wasn't something she wanted to relive anytime soon. Why was it taking so long for her coffees? She wanted to get away from Clovis before Anakin came back and saw them together.

"And, if you think that by apologizing to me, it'll somehow make me want to get back together with you, then you're more of an idiot than I thought!" She finished her little monologue with a curt nod, pleased with herself for finally getting it off of her chest.

His reaction was not what she was expecting, however. She was expecting him to grow angry and terse, or begin pleading with her to take him back. But, he did neither of these things. Instead, he merely cocked his head to the side and stared at her as though she'd gone crazy.

"Get back together with you?" he repeated her words slowly, confusion clearly evident in his eyes, and she could visibly see the cogs turning in his head as he processed her words. "Wait…is that what you think? Padme, that's not what I want at all. I just wanted to apologize. Nothing more, and to also tell you that I'm engaged."

Padme blinked in shock.

Engaged? Rush was engaged? That was the last thing she'd ever expected to hear out of his mouth. She stood there, stunned, eyes wide as she absorbed the information, feeling suddenly incredibly small and very stupid. She'd been so presumptuous, somehow expecting Clovis to still be mad about her, when, really, it shouldn't have surprised her that he wasn't interested in reforming a relationship. He had cheated on her. He had broken up with her. Of course, he wouldn't still be interested in her, if he hadn't even wanted her when they were together.

But, as idiotic as her assumptions made her feel, she couldn't deny the sense of sheer relief that swept through her either. There was nothing to worry about. He wasn't trying to win her over. Clovis had just been trying to apologize for his bad behavior, in a weird, awkward way, because the situation itself was awkward. No question about it.

A smile broke out on her face at the thought. Anakin was wrong. There was nothing to fear from Clovis. And, Padme beamed up at him, feeling a huge weight lifted off her chest. Even if Anakin did come back now, there'd be no problem, because Clovis was getting married, and as long as he didn't want anything to do with Padme, she was glad for him. Happy, even.

"Engaged!" she exclaimed in surprise. "That's…Rush, that's wonderful for you!" And, she meant it, too. Clearly, he had found what he had been looking for, and if he was even half as happy as Padme was with Anakin, then she wished him all the best. "Congratulations. Really."

He shifted his stance, and nodded his head, a smile on his face. "Thank you, Padme," he said, sincerely. "We're very happy. Liz is a student here. She's in class at the moment, but I took some time off work to surprise her."

So, that's why he was here. To see his fiancé for Valentine's Day. Once again, Padme felt herself shrink from her stupidity. She'd been so quick to judge him, so quick to assume the worst, when, in actual fact, he was probably just as surprised to see her as she was him.

"That's very romantic," Padme commented, giving him a reassuring smile. The uncomfortable air that existed between them was somewhat lifted after his surprise announcement. Perhaps, they would never be completely friendly towards each other, but Padme decided, at that moment, that she was going to be as kind to him as she could – show him that she was truly over him and that she forgave him and was happy he had moved on, too. It gave her a sense of accomplishment, as though she was doing the right thing.

And, she was.

Clovis nodded his head, before meeting Padme's eyes, completely serious. "Look, Padme," he began. "I'm sorry about Christmas…I didn't go about it the right way, but I was unsure what to do. I mean, I didn't expect you to even read it, to be honest. It was Liz who suggested that I write you, to get the guilt off my chest, and hopefully, give you some closure. You deserved that. That's all I wanted, honestly."

Padme smiled kindly up at him. "It was Liz, wasn't it?" she asked. "You were… involved with her when we…when we were together, weren't you?" Her voice trailed off in the air, a neutral tone to it. She wasn't sad, not exactly, but the memories of how much it had hurt her were still there in the back of her mind.

Her pain, she had come to realize, wasn't associated with losing Clovis so much, rather it was with being betrayed by a man she'd cared about. With trusting someone whole-heartedly only to find them being unfaithful to her behind her back. That was what had hurt the most.

Guilt flashed through his eyes, and he swallowed nervously. "Y-Yes," he admitted. "It was Liz. I…she…we knew it was wrong, but I - I couldn't help the way I felt about her, Padme. I never meant to hurt you. I hope you know that. Not intentionally anyway."

His admission somehow made her feel a heap better. He'd been in love with another woman. And, now they were getting married. The knowledge that it hadn't just been a fling, that it had been real love for him, somewhat lessened the betrayal a little. She briefly wondered what would have happened had she known Anakin whilst still in a relationship with Clovis. The chemistry between them, the heat, the way they were so perfectly matched…it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to ignore, she had to admit. Perhaps, it had been the same way with Clovis and his fiancé.

She reached out and lightly touched his wrist as an act of peace. "I'm glad you found what you're looking for, Rush. I really am. Thank you for explaining...I wish you all the best. And, apology accepted." He visibly relaxed at her statement, and they shared a smile of understanding.

He went up to retrieve his order, coming back with a latte which he sipped at generously. "And, you? Are you seeing anyone special now?"

The question made her beam widely, her face glowing as soon as she thought of Anakin. Special was an understatement. Anakin was more than just special to her. He was everything to her; her lover, her best friend, her strength, her protector. He made her feel alive and safe and strong. He made her feel cherished and adored, and being with him was greater than anything she'd ever experienced in her life. He wasn't perfect, far from it, and neither was she. But, they completed each other in the most perfect way and brought out the best in each other. That was love. Pure and simple.

"Yes," she gushed, feeling her cheeks flush with heat. "I am. His name's Anakin. We've known each other since we were kids. We sorta grew up together. He's…He makes me very happy." Her eyes sparkled in the sunlight, a tender smile on her face.

Clovis smiled and eyed her over his latte. "Is it serious?"

"Yes...Very much so," was her response. Padme knew without question, deep down, that she and Anakin would be forever. That they were meant for each other. The only certainty in her future was that it would contain him. That much she knew to be true, without a doubt.

Her name was called, and she quickly went and claimed her coffees, coming back to join Clovis. Just as they were continuing their conversation, she saw Anakin walking out of the library and approaching her. She grinned at him as she saw him, but he didn't return her joy. Instead, she saw how his face was somewhat hard and stoic. Oh dear, she sighed internally, watching as his eyes darted back and forth between her and Clovis sceptically. Once he reached her, he slung his arm possessively around her waist and dropped a fleeting kiss on her cheek, his eyes quickly returning to Clovis.

"Ani, here's your coffee," Padme beamed up at him, and handed out his takeaway cappuccino, but he ignored her gesture, stern blue gaze trained intently on Clovis.

"Padme…?" his voice rose up a bit in question, and she sighed. This was what she had been dreading. Of course, Anakin didn't know what Clovis looked like, but if he was reacting like this seeing her randomly talking to another man, he'd absolutely flip out when he'd find out it was her ex-boyfriend...Clovis specifically.

Chewing on her bottom lip, she tried to think of a quick solution to her dilemma, so that she could quickly steer them on the way back to her apartment where she could calm Anakin down and soothe his masculine pride.

"Anakin…This is, uh…" She broke off, unsure of whether to lie or just give a vague introduction.

Before she had a chance to finish her sentence, Clovis held out his hand to Anakin in a gentlemanly gesture. To her complete horror, he introduced himself. "Anakin, it's good to meet you. I'm Rush Clovis."

Padme sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes immediately darting up to Anakin's face, watching as his expression contorted from vague scepticism to complete outrage at the mention of that name. The sudden heat, the anger that exploded and shimmered in his cold blue eyes was unnerving. He flexed his jaw, eyeing Clovis' outstretched hand like it had just slapped his own mother.

Fearing just such a reaction, or worse, Padme instinctively joined her hand with Anakin's, trying to reassure him that it was okay, but he didn't seem to register her action. Somehow, he seemed to grow even taller, and the dark expression on his face was a little frightening.

Don't do anything stupid, Ani, she pleaded to herself desperately.

Eventually, Clovis seemed to sense he wasn't a friendly face, for he slowly withdrew his hand, looking between Padme and Anakin helplessly.

Then, in the most deathly quiet voice Padme had ever heard him use, Anakin whispered, "How dare you!" It cut through the air as cold and sharp as a machete and made the hair on the back of Padme's neck stand on end. Goose-pimples broke out on her skin unconsciously. She'd never heard Anakin talk like that before, but suddenly, she was worried for Clovis' wellbeing. The more compassionate side of her wanted to warn Clovis, tell him to get out of there, to leave - and quickly, but she remained mute and rooted to the spot, unable to utter a sound.

Clovis frowned a little and tipped his head to the side. "Excuse me?" He asked, clearly confused, looking from Anakin's furious expression to Padme's frightened one.

His comment seemed to drive Anakin over the edge. She could feel him shaking as she held his hand, as he fought off the wave of rage that was obviously boiling inside him. "You fucking bastard!" He cursed, voice rising hotly, and the comment made Clovis scowl at him, not used to being addressed in such a manner.

Padme swallowed and tugged on his hand, her eyes darting around to see if people could hear them. The last thing she wanted was to cause a scene, especially not here, in public. "Ani…please, let's go," she pleaded with him, but he suddenly yanked his hand free from her grip, clenching it into a fist by his side, knuckles turning white.

"How dare you stand there, talking to her! You have no fucking right to speak to her!" Anakin snarled, expression positively venomous. His top lip was drawn back slightly and his eyes narrowed to slits as he locked and unlocked his jaw.

"Listen, mate," Clovis held up his palms pathetically in some sort of surrender, "I don't know what you think happened between Padme and I but I can assure you that – "

Crack.

Clovis never got to finish, as it was difficult to talk with a fist in one's mouth. At first, Padme didn't register what had happened...it happened so fast… until she saw Anakin retract his hand from Clovis' face, which had blood spewing from it. He stumbled backwards with a cry of pain, clutching his nose as blood dripped between his fingers. She gasped. Had Anakin just punched him? Initially, she felt a small sense of pride. He was defending her honour, and it was almost sweet in a way. But, that initial pride soon faded away to horror once she came to her senses.

All around them, people were staring and gasping and pointing, and Padme felt her cheeks redden with anger. What was Anakin thinking?! Lashing out at Clovis in such a public arena?! Had he lost his mind?! "Anakin!" She scolded him, trying to pull his hand away, to pull him away from Clovis, as he looked like he was about to strike again. This couldn't be happening – not here of all places. He'd promised he wouldn't get angry or jealous about Clovis anymore. He'd promised her that. And now, here he was, breaking his promise out in the open, in broad daylight.

"What the fuck?!" Clovis groaned, eyes shooting daggers at Anakin, hand still clutched around his bleeding nose – Padme suspected it was broken by the look of it.

"Ani…" Padme called to him, but he either didn't hear her, or didn't want to. Shrugging her off, he took another step closer to Clovis, and even though they were close to the same height, Anakin was easily the more intimidating. Just his very posture oozed power, and Clovis rightly shrunk under that fierce, blue gaze.

"You sick bastard!" Anakin roared at him, and now most of the entire courtyard was staring at the interaction, make Padme groan in embarrassment. She couldn't believe this was happening. It just couldn't be happening! "You treat her like shit, go behind her back like the fucking pig you are, and then think you can try and win her back! You don't even have the right to look at her!"

He drew his arm back and snapped it forward again. His fist collided with Clovis' face with another sickening crack, and if his nose hadn't been broken before, it definitely was now. "Cheating scum!" He bellowed with each punch, stepping forward for more, and Padme could only stand and watch in horror as Anakin beat the...well, the shit...out of her ex-boyfriend. Some girls might have thought it was romantic, or swoon worthy, but Padme wasn't like most girls. It sickened her. This side of Anakin was the one he'd promised her he'd left behind. She knew it was horrible, but she was suddenly a little scared of him.

Deciding that she couldn't just stand there and let Anakin break every bone in Clovis' body, she rushed forward, grabbing hold of Anakin's arm as tightly as she could and jerked him back. "Anakin!" She cried, desperately trying to get him to listen to her. "Anakin, stop! Please!" She looked down at Clovis, who was now slumped to his knees, trying to shield himself from Anakin's unyielding fists. "Please!"

Anakin finally seemed to hear her and snapped his head up, staring directly at her, his blue eyes blazing. "You have no say in this!" he snapped at her, and she flinched. That expression in his eyes, it was unlike anything she'd ever seen before. It was raw and so intense, like an animal before it pounces, and Padme shrunk backwards, suddenly frightened. Her hand dropped from his, and she took a step back, tears in her eyes. It was then that he came to his senses with a shake of his head, and he softened immediately, pleading at her. "Padme…"

She shook her head, biting her quivering lip, as tears started to spill down her cheeks. Anakin looked down at his fist and flexed his knuckles, as though he couldn't even remember what he'd done with it, and he stepped back, suddenly horrified at himself, at what he'd just done.

"Padme… I'm – " he reached for her, stepping closer to her, but instead, she rushed to Clovis' side, crouching next to him.

"Just leave us, Anakin," she told him sadly, not even looking up at him. "Please. Just go." He needed space and time to calm down, and Padme was too upset to speak to him at this point.

She saw him nod and turn and begin to walk away in her peripheral vision, and she sighed. What was she going to do? Clovis groaned from next to her, and it caught her attention.

"Are you… Are you alright, Rush?" She asked tentatively, reaching out to gingerly help him to his feet.

He nodded and brought his hand away from his face, and the sight made Padme gag. His nose was horribly bent, and there was blood everywhere. A dark bruise was forming around his swollen, left eye and his lip was cut and bleeding. Anakin certainly hadn't held back any of his rage. "I guess I had that coming, didn't I?" He chuckled feebly, obviously in pain.

"Oh my god!" Padme cried in horror. "You need to get to a hospital! Come on, I'll take you."

"No, Padme," he argued firmly. "I'll get Liz to take me. She should be outta class soon. Besides, I think you have other...more important things...to attend to right now." He motioned after Anakin's retreating figure.

Padme scowled. "I'd rather not deal with him at the moment," she said darkly, narrowing her eyes. "I can't believe he did this to you! I'm so sorry, Rush. Honestly." Going over to the coffee cart, she grabbed some napkins and handed them to Clovis, who began to dab the blood off his nose and mouth. He really did look awful, and Padme felt a surge of sympathy for him. Sure, he'd been a complete jerk to her, but she wouldn't have wished this on anybody, not even him. She sincerely hoped that he wouldn't pursue the matter and get Anakin into trouble. That was the last thing she...they...needed to deal with right now.

He frowned, before wincing at the pain. "He makes you happy?" he demanded. "That Neanderthal?"

Even though she was furious with Anakin, Clovis' insult made her glare at him, and she crossed her arms. "Anakin's not a Neanderthal!" she said, immediately defending him. "He's very…protective...of me. And, sometimes he doesn't think things through first. But, he loves me."

"Yes, I can see how much he loves you," he drawled sardonically, gesturing to his broken nose. "He attacked me."

Padme glared at him, stonily. She'd almost forgotten how much of a baby Clovis could be. Always complaining. "Anakin would never do anything to hurt me," she told him honestly. "He's a good person, Rush. Better than you will ever be."

Even the arrogant Rush Clovis couldn't disagree with her comment. Instead, he merely hung his head and grumbled something under his breath, before dapping at his nose again. When he finally looked at Padme, she could see the humiliation in his sharp, green eyes. "I think it would be…uh, best, if we forgot all about this. Don't you?"

Padme nodded, relieved that he wasn't going to pursue the matter. "Yes. Of course."

"Well," Clovis nodded his head. "I wish you all the best, Padme."

"You, too."

They stood there in an awkward silence, before Clovis turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Padme standing there alone in the middle of the courtyard. All around her, people were whispering and staring. She needed to be alone for a moment, just to think about what she was going to do. How was she supposed to proceed with this? Anakin had broken his promise to her, he'd humiliated her, and he'd lashed out and attacked Clovis when it had seemed like all things were forgiven. Yet, a part of her knew that he'd done it out of love for her. His intentions had been good, but his execution had been poor. It was becoming a reoccurring problem, Padme realized miserably. She vaguely wondered if he would ever change, or if she'd be stuck constantly worried about him lashing out in jealousy for the rest of her life?

Taking a sip from her, now lukewarm, vanilla latte, she hugged her arms tightly around herself and walked off back to her apartment, feeling more conflicted than she'd ever felt in her life.

What was she going to do?