A/N: Ok I'm sorry for the delayed update, I didn't mean for this chapter to take so long… I think I had another writer's block. Anyways thanks for all the reviews and please review again! Oh and tell me if this chapter was confusing because then I can help you guys understand it!

I DO NOT OWN STAIND OR STAR WARS!

If You Come Softly

Summary: AU, during ROTS. Padme is married to another man under Anakin's wishes. But will her love for Anakin get in the way? And what is Padme's deadly habit? Can Anakin save her?

But you always find a way
To keep me right here waiting
You always find the words to say
To keep me right here waiting
And if you chose to walk away
I'd still be right here waiting
Searching for the things to say
To keep you right here waiting
- STAIND 'Right Here'

Chapter 3

Sabe gently pressed a cold towel the Padme's forehead. Sabe had found her earlier in the afternoon, slumped against a wall in her closet, blood flowing out of her arm. How could Padme do this to herself? She didn't deserve it. Padme moaned and turned on her side as her eyes opened.

"Sabe?" Padme asked weakly. Sabe nodded and wrapped a bandage around Padme's wrist. "What are you doing? Where am I? How long was I asleep?"

"Shhh..." Sabe said and pushed Padme gently down to her bed again. "You will be alright."

"You were not suppose to see me like this." Padme sighed and winced as Sabe tightened the bandage.

"Nobody was suppose to… Padme, how can you do this to yourself?"

"What do you mean?" Padme questioned innocently and Sabe shook her head. She took hold of Padme's wrist showing her the scars.

"What are you doing this for?" Sabe pointed to the dark red scars. Padme felt tears welling up in her eyes. She shook her head and tried to smile.

"What? It was an accident." Sabe threw Padme's arm down and walked out of the room, furious at Padme. She shouldn't do this to herself, she shouldn't hurt herself. But Sabe knew that she couldn't change Padme, as much as she tried, she couldn't.

NABOO – VILLAGE – EVENING

Anakin walked around the village waiting for Obi-Wan to come out of a shop. Finally Obi-Wan walked to Anakin holding a small bag.

"What did you get?" Anakin questioned and Obi-Wan shook his head.

"Nothing important." They walked along the shops. They were mostly closed down for the night.

"Remind me why we're here."

"We're on a mission for the queen. We were sent by the Jedi Council to protect her. You know that… Why do I have to keep repeating myself?" Obi-Wan sighed and kept walking.

"I don't know. I just think that we could be somewhere doing something else… Something better." Anakin said and shook his head, trying to get the thoughts of that woman out of his head. She had seemed so familiar.

"Did I tell you I ran into Sabe today?"

"It must have slipped your mind because this is the first I have heard of it." Anakin stopped and waited for Obi-Wan to continue.

"Well I was walking along when I saw Sabe. She tried to hide from me, but I knew it was her." Obi-Wan smiled. "She said she was in hurry and walked away saying something about Padme." Anakin winced at her name.

So that's who he had bumped into. He would never forget those eyes as they looked up into his. A day had no passed without him thinking about her. About… Everything. He shook his head. He thought everyday about her. He wondered about how her life had turned out and if she was happy.

"Padme?"

"Yes, something about Padme. We should visit her. It's been years since I've seen her. I'm guessing you haven't seen her in awhile either…" Obi-Wan walked on, talking to himself and reminding himself to call her and see if she was free. Anakin stood there for a moment remembering their last talk.

Flashback

"Padme?" Anakin walked into her room as she placed things into suitcases. He almost choked when he saw her so happy. He knew that he would hurt her by confronting her about their problems.

"Anakin… I wasn't expecting you." She walked over and kissed him gently before walking back to her work. "I can't believe that tomorrow we'll be getting married." She smiled and looked back up at him.

"Something wrong?" She questioned and sat on the bed, patting the spot next to her. "You look… Worried."

Anakin sat down next to her, taking her hand in his. "I don't think I can do this Padme." He bit his lip to make sure he didn't say the things that he really wanted to say. He tried to focus on what was going on here.

"You mean getting married? We have all the time in the world; we don't have to get married tomorrow." Padme smiled.

"No Padme… I don't think I can love you." He lied and looked at the ground. He didn't want to do this, but it was the only way.

"What do you mean?" Padme jerked her hand away, her eyes falling to the ground.

"I don't want to ruin your life." He looked out the window. At the sun and the flowers and the singing birds. Everything seemed perfect outside, but inside the whole world was crumbling.

"What do you mean ruin my life? How is this ruining my life? This is the best thing that has happened in my life." She had a confused look on her face. Was he trying to ruin her life right now?

"Padme… You knew this wasn't right from the beginning… I'm just going what you wish."

"What do you mean?" She shook her head as she tried to hold back her tears. "What are you talking about Anakin?"

He looked away. "We can't be together."

"I-I… I don't know what to say." She let her tears fall down her cheeks. "Please say that we're meant to be together."

"I'm sorry Padme… It's not right. We were never meant to be." She got up, fighting her anger to yell at him, to tell him he was wrong and that they were meant to be. But instead she just ran out of the room, tears falling down her face. Anakin watched her leave and he didn't stop her. How could he?

And no one's heart is strong enough… To fix what happened here.

End of flashback

And he hadn't seen her since.

NABOO – PALACE – EARLY MORNING

Padme sat next to the queen, she wasn't sure what she was doing here, just knew that the queen had invited her. Padme sighed and ran her fingers gently up and down her arms. She didn't want to harm Sabe, but she had hurt her. By hurting herself. She wasn't even listening to what the queen had to say. She just sat there, lost in her own thoughts.

She didn't even notice as the Jedi entered the room. She didn't stand up or look up as they entered.

"Padme?" The queen questioned and Padme looked up. She choked when she saw who was standing in front of her. Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. She shook her head to make them go away, to make sure she was in a nightmare. She wasn't. She stood up and sat down when everybody else did.

"May I be excused?" Padme questioned and the queen nodded. Padme stepped outside of the room and sat down on a bench.

"Milady are you alright?" Sabe questioned and sat down next to her. She usually stayed outside during Padme's meetings. Padme turned to look at her and opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

"Is there something wrong?" Sabe asked and Padme nodded, pointing to the room. Sabe got up and looked in the window. She gasped. There was Anakin and Obi-Wan. She sighed and sat down next to Padme again. "This is unfortunate."

Padme nodded. "What are they doing here?"

"They're on business… I guess." Padme sighed and buried her head in her friends shoulder. She cried softly as Sabe rubbed her back saying over and over again.

"Let it go milady… Just let it go."

NABOO – PALACE – EARLY MORNING

Anakin walked into the meeting room, not liking how he would have to be stuck in this building for over three standard hours. He walked into the room and his breath caught in his throat. There she was, sitting perfectly in a chair starring at the ground. Padme Amidala Naberrie Organa. The queen spoke to her softly and she stood up. Her eyes looked around the room and finally settled on him. She gasped. She sat down.

"May I be excused?" The queen nodded and she walked out of the room and outside into the fresh air. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. He didn't know that he would meet her here. He shook his head and tried to listen to what the queen was saying.

He felt a wave of sadness wash over him and he knew it was from Padme. She was crying, she was hurting, she was dying. And he felt exactly as she did.

End of Chapter 3