A/N: Sorry about the very long wait, things came up and I was so busy writing another stories (SORRY! I WANTED TO BE TRUTHFUL) that I just totally forgot about this story and I couldn't think of any good ideas for it… So sorry! Now let's see, this chapter is probably my WORST ever, but I had to give it to you guys because I didn't want you waiting any longer… So please REVIEW!

I DO NOT OWN 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?

There are secrets that we still have left to find
There have been mysteries from the beginning of time
There are answers we're not wise enough to see

-Five For Fighting 'The Riddle'

Chapter 9

She remembered why she had been addicted to this before and with that thought lingering in her head, she blacked out.

--

Padme awoke on her bed; she looked around and found herself alone. Like anybody was going to be there. She shook her head and looked at her arms. They were still bare, no bandages or anything. She must have moved herself to safer grounds last night and just not remembered it.

"Milady?" Sabe's voice filled her ears and she looked around for a sweater. "May I come in?"

"Just one second!" Padme called out and threw on her sweater. She inhaled deeply and looked around the room. Everything seemed to be in place. "Okay Sabe, you may come in." Sabe opened the door and smiled at Padme.

She held out the fresh linens. "Here you go Milady; I thought you might need them." She placed the linens on the bed and walked towards the door.

"Breakfast will be ready in a couple of minutes… Do you need anything?"

"No – no, I'm fine; I'll be down soon… Is Bail still here?"

"Yes Milady, your husband is downstairs, but he'll be leaving in a couple of minutes to attend a meeting."

"Thank you Sabe." She said and Sabe nodded, bowed slightly and closed the door behind her. Padme walked towards the door and locked it. She looked around and decided that a shower would be nice right now. She would then figure everything else out.

--

"Hello Padme." Anakin's voice made her stop and turn around.

"Anakin – what a surprise… What do you want?"

"Well, I want to talk about your baby… Or should I say our baby."

Padme was appalled, "Our baby?"

"It is mine you know."

"Well… I don't think that I want you involved in it's life at all." Padme said and looked at Sabe who was tapping her foot and waiting for Padme to catch up. "I have to go."

"What are you going to do with it?"

"Do with what?" Padme questioned and kept glancing over to Sabe.

"The baby."

"Raise it and love it for both parents." She stated.

"What are you trying to say?"

"Figure it out Anakin." She walked away towards Sabe and that ended the conversation. She heard one last phrase out of Anakin before she totally walked away.

"Why didn't you tell me Padme?"

--

Padme sighed and fell back against her bed, she couldn't deal with this anymore. She looked at her planner and saw something that she didn't plan. "Abortion" was written in a hand-writing that wasn't hers. She looked at Sabe and she shrugged. Sabe continued to fold Padme's clothing.

"What's this?" Padme questioned.

"Bail decided that you needed to get an abortion, so he planned it for you… I am sorry Milady."

"Ugh, I hate him." She curled up into a ball on her bed and closed her eyes.

"You're not going are you?"

"No, I'm not going… Just because I made a mistake, doesn't mean that I have to kill this child."

"Good, I will tell him that you did it and I went with you… He can blame me if he ever finds out." Padme was shocked by what Sabe said.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't want him hitting you anymore."

"What?"

"I saw what he did last night and I don't want him to do it anymore. I swear if he does it again, I'm telling the Jedi."

"What? Sabe… You can't."

"Why not Milady?"

"Because…" Her thoughts went to Anakin, she didn't want him to think that she was week and couldn't handle herself. "Because, it's just not right."

"If you want it that way… I guess I'll let it be." She said and looked down at the ground disappointed.

"Yes, I can take care of myself, but thanks anyways." Sabe walked out of the room without another word.

--

"Can I talk to you?" Bail was walking along the Jedi Temple when he heard those five words uttered towards him. He turned around and saw Anakin Skywalker standing behind him. Bail stopped and walked backwards towards Anakin.

"What do you want?"

"Well, I just wanted to congratulate you on your baby." Bail laughed.

"You can't possibly think that we're keeping it, do you?" Anakin took a step back in surprise.

"Well I just thought then you were planning it… But I guess not."

"Well you guessed right, can I trust you?"

"I am a Jedi." Bail thought for a second.

"Well – you see… My wife was having an affair with somebody else… She got pregnant and I just can't have her having that baby and people finding out that it wasn't mine."

"Ah, I get it…" Anakin shifted nervously. "You do what you have to do."

"Right, I knew I could trust you Skywalker." Anakin laughed while Bail smiled.

"I have to get going, an important meeting for me to get too." Bail nodded and walked off as he left Anakin standing there. He had to talk to Padme.

--

Padme sat on the deck on the apartment and just sat there. She had a book in her hands that was titled 'Parenting'. She knew that she didn't want to fail as a mother, so she had to read up about it before Bail came home. He knew that she had an affair; she just didn't know who it was with. She was hoping that he never found out. Sabe hadn't talked to her since the last time that they were in her room together and truthfully, she didn't really care. All she wanted to sit in silence and just think about how she was going to raise this baby without Bail knowing… Would she get a divorce? She hoped that she could, she would just complain that Bail was abusing her and then get a divorce. That would work. She stood up and walked towards her room. She had no idea what she was going to do anymore. She missed Anakin, but knew she couldn't go back to him after what he did to her. She couldn't admit that he was the father of her first child. She sighed and walked towards her room. She looked around and then when the coast was clear, she ducked into her room. She grabbed the knife and sliced part of her under arm. That's when the door opened.

"What the hell?"

End of Chapter 9