Chapter 29

Padmé felt strange as she walked outside with Anakin and her mother. Anakin had managed somehow to distract the security and the staff, in a manner that amazed Padmé. It's almost as though he has some sort of unusual powers, Padmé reflected, looking up at her husband. My husband…who is little more than a stranger to me…

"The speeder is this way," Anakin said, leading his wife and mother-in-law away from the grounds of the facility.

Padmé turned and looked over her shoulder at the high stone wall that surrounded what had been her home for the past twenty years. She had never seen it from the outside, and it was a surreal experience.

"Angel?"

Padmé turned to see Anakin looking at her. "What did you call me?" she asked.

"I called you Angel," he told her with a smile. "That was my name for you."

"Because you asked me if I was an angel when we met," she said, pleased at having made the connection.

Anakin nodded, his smile growing. "That's right," he said.

Padmé smiled at him.

"Here we go, hon," Jobal said as she helped Padmé into the speeder. "We'll be home soon."

Padmé felt an unfamiliar sensation of freedom as Anakin lifted the craft off the ground and headed for the mountains. She watched the scenery pass them by, wishing fervently that something, anything, looked familiar to her. It will come back, she told herself. Just give it time…be patient.

Anakin could sense Padmé's tumult of emotions as she sat at his side. He could feel her excitement, her sense of wonder as they passed by the beautiful sights of Theed. He wanted to tell her everything all at once, about her life here, about their life together, about their children; but he knew that he could not do so, for it would only serve to confuse and overwhelm her.

"How beautiful," Padmé said as they passed by the great waterfall near that predominated the city landscape.

"You've always loved the water," Anakin told her.

"Have I?" she asked.

Anakin nodded, keeping his attention on his flying. "You have," he told her. "You love to swim, love the rain," he said.

Padmé listened to him, trying to imagine what it felt like to swim. "I do love the rain," she told him. "There have been a few times I've been out in the garden when it started, and I loved it. Of course they always made me come back inside," she told him.

"Well now you can stand out in the rain as long as you wish," Jobal told her, putting her hand on Padmé's shoulder. "Just like you used to do when you were a little girl."

Padmé smiled. "That sounds like fun," she said.

"Is this the house I grew up in?" Padmé asked as the three of them entered the Naberrie home a short time later.

"Yes it is," Jobal told her. "I hope you don't mind that I've asked your sister to come over," she added. "She hasn't seen you in a while, and is anxious to welcome you home."

"I would love to see her again," Padmé told her mother as they walked into the parlor. She looked around the cozy room, feeling certain that she had enjoyed many wonderful times within it.

"Would you like to see your room?" Anakin asked her.

She turned and looked at him. "Yes, I would," she said.

He held out his hand to her. "Come with me," he said.

Padmé put her hand in his and let him lead her down the corridor. Jobal watched with a smile, feeling confident that it was only a matter of time before Padmé's memories started to come back now that Anakin was back in her life.

"This is it," Anakin said as they entered her bedroom. Padmé walked into the room, looking at the arrangement of furniture, and then moving over to look at the holographs that hung in frames on each wall of the room.

"That one is from your first day as an apprentice legislator," Anakin told her. "You were eleven years old I believe. And this one," he continued, pointing to the next holo, "was when you went to Shadda-Bi-Boran. You were helping to relocate the children because the planet's sun was imploding."

Padmé looked at the child she was holding in her arms, the smile on his face. "I wish I could remember him," she said softly. "He looks like such a sweetheart."

Anakin turned to her. "That was his name," he told her. "I don't remember the native word, but it meant sweetheart."

"Really?" Padmé asked.

"Yes, really," he replied. "You were always such a champion for those less fortunate than yourself, such a defender of justice. You made a wonderful leader, Padmé."

"I was a leader?" she asked him.

"You were a queen," he told her. "And then a senator. You served your people for almost ten years."

Padmé shook her head. "I never would have guessed that," she said, looking back at the holograph of the smiling, laughing child. Looking at it made her remember a question she needed to ask.

"Anakin, do we have any children?" she asked, turning to him.

Anakin turned to her, not surprised by her question. He knew it was only a matter of time before she asked it.

"Yes, we do," he told her. "We have twins, a son and a daughter."

Padmé stared at him, trying to determine how she felt upon hearing this news. She was elated to know that she was a mother, and yet grief stricken that she had no memory of her children. She had not seen them in twenty years; would they even know her now?

"What are their names?" she asked.

"Luke and Leia," Anakin told her.

"Where are they? Why aren't they with you?" she asked.

"It's a rather complicated situation," Anakin told her gently. "They are currently involved with the Rebel Alliance, perhaps you've heard of it."

"Yes, I have," Padmé replied. "They are rebels?"

Anakin nodded. "Yes, they are," he said. "Leia is the image of you," he told her with a smile. "Though I think her personality is more like mine."

"And Luke?" she asked.

"He resembles me," he told her. "He has my eyes, but he's smaller in stature than me. I think he's a mix of both of us, actually, both in his looks and his nature."

"I want to meet them," she said. "Is that possible?"

"I think so," he told her. "I know they are very anxious to meet you."

"Have they believed me to be dead all these years too?" she asked.

Anakin nodded. "Yes," he said.

Padmé frowned. "I have missed so much," she said softly. "I don't remember them at all…nothing."

Anakin felt terrible for her pain, but did not know what to say to assuage it. Those twenty years were gone, and nothing could bring them back. He himself had missed their children's entire lives also, and had only recently learned of their very existence; so in a way, he could relate to what she was feeling.

"I'm sorry, Padmé," he said simply, not knowing what else to say. "So sorry."

She looked at him. "Will you help me to remember, Anakin?" she asked him.

Anakin smiled at her. "Yes," he said. "I will. I want to take you to a place you loved very much, Padmé," he told her. "We fell in love there, and were married there too. Will you let me take you there?"

Padmé was uncertain. The thought of seeing a place that held so much significance to her at one time excited her, for it could potentially help to unlock the memories within her mind. Yet, the thought of being alone with Anakin, without her mother, without her sister, was rather unnerving to her still. Yes, he was her husband, but until three days ago, she did not know he existed. He was little more than a stranger to her at this point.

"I…I don't know," she answered at last, looking away from him. "Let me think about it."

Anakin sensed her reticence, and the reason for it, and it broke his heart. The lake retreat had always been their sanctuary; the times they had shared there were magical and memorable. But she knew nothing of those times; she knew nothing of the love that had bloomed there, or the vows they had made to one another there. But she will remember them, he vowed. She will remember me.

"Padmé, your sister is here," Jobal said, poking her head into the room.

"Thanks Mom," she said. She looked up at Anakin briefly before leaving the room. Anakin stood alone in the room for a moment, trying to maintain his positive attitude. But it was so hard to have the woman he loved look at him with no love in her eyes. She was his soul mate, and yet to her he was little more than a stranger. It will not be this way forever, he reminded himself. It will come back to her…the day we met, when we fell in love, our wedding…He stopped as a thought crept into his mind- Mustafar. How do I tell her what happened there? How do I explain why I attacked her and abandoned her? He had not considered this, and now that he had, it filled him with a cold sense of dread. She will no doubt want to know why she had been found on the streets of Theed, why the twins were raised apart, why she'd been in such a state; and it would all come back to Mustafar, and to his attack upon her. This is your punishment for what you did, he told himself. You will have to tell her yourself what you did to her there, you will have to see the look in her eyes when you tell her that you tried to kill her...

With that sobering thought, he left the room to rejoin his wife and her family.

Padmé was embracing her sister, Sola, when Anakin entered the parlor. When Sola saw Anakin, she released Padmé and turned to him.

"Anakin, it's good to see you again," Sola said with a smile. "I am so grateful to you for getting Padmé out of that place. My mother has told me everything."

"Padmé means everything to me," Anakin said, looking at his wife. "Once I realized what was going on in that place, I couldn't rest until I'd taken her as far away as possible."

Padmé smiled at him, seeing the depth of love he felt for her in his eyes. The intensity of his love for her astonished her, and on one level, it excited her as well. To have the love and devotion of such an attractive, powerful man was flattering, and it made Padmé wonder what her life with him must have been like.

Anakin could see the thoughts in her mind, and he smiled. She was starting to get curious, that was a good thing. Her wanting to remember would be instrumental in her regaining her memory.

After the family had lunch together, Sola announced that she and her daughters were going to take Padmé shopping. Anakin was not sure he liked the idea, but kept his opinion to himself for the moment. Padmé seemed so excited by the idea, that he did not have the heart to voice his concerns.

"There are so many lovely outfits at Reginald's," Ryoo said. "Aunt Padmé you would look amazing in any of them, you have such a beautiful figure."

Padmé smiled. "That's very kind of you," she said. "I don't need much, though," she began.

"Nonsense," Sola said. "You have always had the most amazing wardrobe, Padmé. I know you don't remember that right now, but you will, and when you do, you'll be horrified if you don't have at least a dozen lovely outfits to choose from. Besides you want to look nice for your husband, don't you? "

Padmé blushed, and caught Anakin's eye. "I…I suppose so..." she said.

"Padmé looks beautiful to me no matter what she is wearing," Anakin declared.

Padmé smiled at him and Sola exchanged a smile with her mother.

"Well let's be going then," she said, standing up. "Girls, you can clean up for grandmum."

"That won't be necessary," Jobal said. "My dishwasher is finally fixed, thanks to Anakin here."

"Oh?" Sola said, looking at Anakin. "You're a handy man too?"

Anakin smiled. "In a manner of speaking," he replied. "And I can clean up," he added. "I don't want to hold you ladies up from your big shopping excursion."

"Don't you want to come?" Padmé asked him as he stood up and started clearing the dishes.

He was thrilled that she wanted him along; but the thought of dress shopping with four women was a little more than he could handle. "Uh…thanks for thinking of me," he said. "But I think maybe I'd just be in the way. You show me what you bought later," he told her with a smile.

"Very well," Padmé replied, oddly disappointed that he would not be coming with them. "I'll see you later."

Anakin nodded. "I'll be here," he told her with a smile.

Soon enough, the house was empty, all the women having gone into the village to help Padmé pick out a new wardrobe. Anakin felt oddly out of place as he loaded the dishwasher and tidied up the kitchen. Isn't this what droids are for? He wondered.

Finally his task was finished, and he left the kitchen, satisfied that he had done a fine job. He wandered outside, enjoying the smell of the flowers in the Naberrie garden. Spying one particular bloom, he smiled as he was reminded of something from long ago. Carefully he bent to the blossoms and picked four of them. He smiled, enjoying their delicate scent, and then continued his leisurely stroll around the garden.

"Sola, I will not wear that," Padmé insisted as her sister handed her a long black negligee.

"Why not?" Sola asked. "It would make Anakin go wild," she added with a smile.

Padmé's face turned red, and she felt extremely uncomfortable.

"Padme, I'm sorry to embarrass you," Sola said. "But surely you've considered that at some point you and Anakin will resume all aspects of your married life."

"I hadn't thought of that at all," Padme said, looking at another rack of clothes.

Sola watched her sister. "Liar," she said.

"Excuse me?" Padme said, looking up at her.

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed how handsome Anakin is," Sola said.

Padmé shrugged. "I suppose he's handsome," she replied.

"You suppose?" Sola said with a laugh. "Oh come on, Padmé. You may have lost your memory but you're not blind."

"Will you stop harassing your poor sister?" Jobal said, shocked by Sola.

Sola shrugged and put the garment back. "I'm only trying to help," she said.

"Padmé will do just fine without that sort of help," Jobal said. "Now come along, the girls are in the shoe department and if you're not there to stop them they will run your credit account up to the stars, Sola."

"You're right," Sola said, leaving Jobal and Padmé.

"I'm sorry Sola was so…nosy," Jobal said. "She means well."

"I know she does," Padmé said. "But Anakin is a stranger to me right now, Mom; doesn't she get that?"

Jobal nodded. "I think so," she replied. "But he won't always be, Padmé. Besides, it's pretty obvious by the way you look at one another that there is a considerable amount of attraction between the two of you."

Padmé frowned. "I haven't looked at him in any particular way," she said.

Jobal nodded with a smile. "If you say so," she replied. "Let's go get this checked out. I need to get home to start dinner soon."

"I'll be right there," Padmé said. Jobal walked away to find Sola and her daughters. Padmé waited until her mother had gone, and then picked up the negligee that Sola had replaced on the rack.

The quiet of the house was soon shattered by the return of the shoppers, and Anakin was surrounded in the parlor by the Naberrie women who all had several items to show one another. Padme was the quietest by far, and Anakin could see that she was beginning to feel overwhelmed by all that had happened.

"Would you like me to help you take your things to your room?" he asked her as Sola's girls checked out their mother's purchases.

"Yes," she replied. "Thank you."

Anakin stood up and picked up the bags that Padmé had brought home. He walked with her to her room and set the bags down at the foot of her bed.

"Thank you," she said. "I'm afraid I don't share my sister's zeal for shopping," she told him with a smile. "Did I used to like shopping?"

"No," Anakin told her. "You hated it as a matter of fact."

"Well at least that hasn't changed," she said, relieved to hear it. She noticed a vase of freshly cut flowers on the table beside her bed. "Where did these come from?" she asked.

"I put them there," he said. "I remembered how much you liked this particular flower."

She looked up at him. "I did?"

He nodded. "It was your favorite," he told her. "In fact, that was the very flower you carried at our wedding."

Padme smiled and bent to smell the blossoms. Smelling their delicate fragrance created an unusual reaction within her, as memories, fleeting and elusive, flooded her mind. They were gone too quickly for her to grab a hold of them, but they gave her hope. She looked up at Anakin, who was watching her intently, sensing that something was happening.

"Did you know that a human's sense of smell elicits memory more than any other sense?" he asked her with a smile.

"I didn't know that," she replied. "But I believe it now."

"You are starting to remember, aren't you?" he asked.

"I…I had something fleet through my mind," she told him. "But it came and went so quickly I can't even describe it. It's more like feelings than memories, though.

"What feelings?" he asked.

"Good ones," she told him. "Happy ones. I must associate these flowers with times when I was happy." She looked up at him. "And you remembered that they were my favorite," she said.

"Of course I did," he said. "I remember everything about you, Padmé. Your favorite color, your favorite song, that place on your neck that makes you crazy when I kiss you there," he told her with a smile.

Padmé felt her face grow warm again, and the words of her sister rushed to her mind unheeded.

Anakin could see that she was a little uneasy with his candor, and so he changed the subject. "Come on," he said. "I'm sure your mom could use some help with dinner, and somehow I've ended up as the delegated kitchen assistant."

Padme couldn't help but laugh, and left the room with him, once again captivated by her husband's charm.