Chapter Fifteen

"I'm sorry I had to talk to you that away," Anakin said as they rode the lift down through the Senate building. Padmé was looking away from him, and he took her by the arm to face him. "Angel?"

To his surprise, Padmé was laughing. "Padmé? What's so funny?"

"I decided that, once I had her, I simply couldn't let her die. She is simply too fine to be wasted," Padmé said. "That was too much, Ani. I'm sorry, but that just struck me as so funny."

Anakin smiled. "Well, I needed to lay it on pretty thick," he told her, "was that too much?"

Padmé shook her head. "No, it was perfect. As far as Palpatine knows you are simply keeping me alive to be your sexual play thing."

Anakin's smile grew. "Sexual play thing? You know what it does to me when you talk dirty to me, Angel," he said, pulling her into his arms.

Padmé laughed again. "You are so bad," she said. "What am I going to do with you?"

Anakin thought for a moment and then whispered something into her ear, which caused Padmé's face to grow warm.

The shocked look on her face made him laugh and Padmé shook her head once again. "Well you'll have to wait until we get home for that," she told him. "The lift is about to stop."

It was Anakin's turn to be shocked but was unable to offer a response because the lift stopped at this point and the doors opened.

"I think we ought to go to Naboo for our wedding," Anakin told Padmé as they rode back to his apartment. "I know you'd want your family there, and my mother is there as well."

Padmé nodded. "Yes, I think that's a great idea. But don't you think we ought to go to the Jedi Council first?"

Anakin shook his head. "No," he said. "We need to get married, Padmé. Besides, if we go to the Jedi Palpatine will undoubtedly catch wind of it. We must be secretive about this, Padmé. We cannot simply go to the Jedi Temple openly."

"Yes, I suppose you're right," Padmé replied.

"But we aren't going to worry about this right now," he told her, reaching over and taking her hand. "Our wedding is our first priority."

Padmé smiled. "Very well, Ani. If you insist."

It was evening when Anakin and Padmé arrived at the Naberrie home. Shmi, Jobal and Ruwee were just sitting down to dinner when they entered the house.

"Padmé, what are you doing back so soon?" Jobal asked.

"Well, we have a lot to tell you all," Padmé said, glancing at Anakin. Ruwee was staring at Anakin, his expression not hard to read.

"Yes, so it seems," Ruwee said. "Starting with who this man really is, and why he's here with you."

Padmé turned to her father, realizing that this confrontation had been inevitable.

"This man is my son," Shmi spoke up. "Anakin."

Ruwee turned to Shmi, and then looked back at Padmé. "Perhaps you ought to explain all this to me, Padmé. This man came here weeks ago looking for you and told me his name was Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"There was a reason for that," Anakin spoke up at last. "And if you permit me, I will explain it all."

"Sit down, please," Jobal said. "I get the impression there is a lot more to this than we know."

"You're right, Mom," Padme said. "There is."

Padmé and Anakin sat down under the watchful eyes of Jobal and Ruwee. Shmi felt badly for her son; she had wanted to explain the situation herself to Ruwee, but didn't feel it was her place to do so.

"Where do I start?" Padmé said, glancing at her parents.

"You can start with the reason Anakin here lied about who he was," Ruwee said, looking directly at Anakin.

"I think perhaps I ought to explain that," Anakin said, not relishing the thought of doing so. "I was sent to Naboo to find Padmé," he explained.

"We figured that much," Ruwee remarked. "Why? And why did you give a false name?"

"I was sent to assassinate her," Anakin continued. "By Chancellor Palpatine. The false name was…."

"You were here to kill her??" Ruwee shouted angrily, rising to his feet. "And you sit here at our table and expect us to…."

"Daddy, please," Padmé interjected. "Anakin didn't kill me, obviously. He has changed; he isn't the evil Sith who came here to kill me. In fact, he and I are going to the Jedi to report Palpatine for his part in the attempts on my life."

Jobal and Ruwee looked at one another.

"So why are you here?" Ruwee asked, not believing her entirely. "Why aren't you on Coruscant right now talking to the Jedi?"

"We came here first to tell you that my life is no longer in danger," Padmé explained. "Anakin killed the bounty hunter that Palpatine had commissioned to have me killed."

"I thought Palpatine commissioned Anakin to kill you," Ruwee said, looking at Anakin coldly.

"He did," Anakin replied. "But when it became evident to him that I wasn't going to do it, he hired someone else to do the job."

"And you ….killed him?" Jobal asked, secretly horrified by the callous manner in which Anakin was discussing the murder of another human being.

"Yes," Anakin replied. "I had no choice – he would surely have killed Padmé if I hadn't."

"I have to ask why you are suddenly so concerned about Padmé's well being," Ruwee asked. "Not one month ago you were prepared to kill her, and now you expect us to believe you care about whether she lives or dies??"

"I know that is probably hard to believe," Anakin admitted, "but…"

"Hard to believe, yes that's an understatement, Skywalker," Ruwee replied angrily. "Impossible to believe is more like it! Now get out of this home! You have a lot of nerve coming here!"

"Dad, please!" Padmé interceded. "You don't understand!"

"Oh I understand," Ruwee replied hotly. "What I don't understand is why you are defending this man, Padmé," he added.

"I am defending him because I love him, Dad," she said, looking at Anakin. "I love him and I'm going to marry him."

The silence that followed her declaration was so tension filled you could have sliced it with a lightsaber. Anakin counted down in his mind, knowing that the explosion was imminent. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six…

"What!!??" Ruwee exclaimed. "You can't be serious!!"

"I am completely serious," Padmé said, starting to grow angry with her father. "We love one another and we are going to be married as soon as possible. That is why we came here, so that our families can share in our wedding day."

"Well count me out," Ruwee said, standing up. "I want no part of this." He walked away from the table and left the room.

Padmé looked back at her mother. "Mom, you understand, don't you?" she asked.

Jobal looked at her daughter, and at the man beside her, unsure what to think.

"Your father's reaction is a natural one, Padmé," Shmi spoke up at last. "After all, he doesn't know Anakin like you do. He is only trying to protect you."

"I know," Padmé replied. "But if he refuses to even consider that Anakin has changed, he will never get to know him."

Jobal sighed. "Your father will cool off," she said. "Right now he's too angry to speak to rationally. Just give him time, Padmé."

Anakin was about to speak up, but he thought better of it. This was an unexpected road block, one that he had not anticipated. Still, would he have reacted any different were he in Ruwee's place?

"Your mother is right, Padmé," Anakin said at last, to the surprise of all. "We'll get started with our plans, and hopefully your father will come around before the day we are married."

"And if he doesn't?" Jobal asked.

Anakin looked at her. "Then he will have to learn to live with it," he told her. "Because we are getting married, whether he likes it or not."

Jobal looked at Padmé, not sure how to reply to such a statement. "Let's eat," she said at last. "There's no sense in this going to waste."

Padmé nodded, looking at Anakin. "Yes, we might as well."

Anakin and Padmé were discreetly assigned separate rooms to spend the night in. Anakin was tempted to tell Padmé's parents that it was rather like closing the cage door after the rancor had escaped; but thought better of it. He tossed and turned in the small bed, trying not to think about Padmé, but failing miserably. Ever since they had made love for the first time, he had not been able to get her out of his system, and he knew that he never would. No woman had ever affected him like she did; no woman had ever managed to reach his soul as she had. Ruwee's reaction frustrated Anakin; not because he cared what Ruwee thought, but because Padmé did. He knew that she was close to her family; surely their acceptance of her husband meant a lot to her. And because that was the case, Anakin felt compelled to do what he could to convince Ruwee Naberrie that he loved Padmé, and that he intended to take protect her and cherish her for the rest of his life. Somehow he will learn to accept this; he thought as he drifted off to sleep, sooner or later he will realize that he doesn't have a choice.

At breakfast the next morning, Anakin noticed that Ruwee was not present. He noticed something else; Padmé looked as though she hadn't slept a wink. Anakin could sense how upset she was, and he had to wonder if she'd had another set to with her father. It angered him that she was being put through this, particularly now that she was pregnant. Of course she doesn't believe that yet, but she will soon enough.

"You look upset, Angel," he told her as he sat down. He leaned over and kissed her. "I missed you last night," he whispered in her ear.

Padmé smiled, glancing towards her mother in the kitchen, hoping she hadn't heard his comment. "I'm okay," she replied.

Anakin frowned. "No, you're not," he said. "You had another argument with your father, didn't you?" he asked.

Padmé didn't reply, which gave Anakin his answer. "I'm going to talk to him," he said, standing up. "Where is he?"

"Anakin don't," she pleaded, grabbing his hand. "It won't do any good!"

"I'm not going to let him continue to upset you," Anakin retorted. "It's not good for you; it's not good for the baby."

"Ani, don't say anything to him!" she implored. "Please!"

Anakin looked down at her, the look in her eyes stopping him. "I don't like this," he muttered as he sat down again. "I won't let him treat you this way, Padmé."

Padmé took his hand and squeezed it. "He will get over it," she assured him. "I promise you. So please, don't provoke him? Just try to be patient, okay? For me?"

Anakin knew he'd lost the argument at this point. "Very well," he grumbled. "I won't say anything, for now. But I can't promise that I can keep my mouth shut for long, Padmé."

Padmé smiled. "Thank you," she said, leaning over and kissing him. "I love you," she added.

Anakin lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it. "I love you too," he told her. Jobal and Shmi walked in at this moment and saw the exchange between them. Shmi smiled, knowing that Jobal would, of the two of Padmé's parents, be far easier to convince. Mothers always were more reasonable when it came to matters of the heart.

"So," Jobal began. "Have you any ideas for what sort of wedding you'd like?"

Padmé smiled at her mother, grateful that she at least was making an effort to accept Anakin.

"I'd like to have it at the lake retreat," Padmé said. "On the terrace maybe. It's so beautiful up there this time of year."

"That sounds like a splendid idea, Padmé," Shmi said. "I'd be happy to help you with anything you like."

"Thank you," Padmé replied. "I'd appreciate that."

"Maybe we could go dress shopping later on if you like," Jobal suggested.

"I'd like that very much, Mom," Padmé said with a smile. She looked at Anakin. "Think you can keep yourself out of trouble if the three of us go shopping?"

Anakin smiled. "I will do my best," he replied.

"Splendid," Jobal replied with a smile. "Perhaps we can meet Sola in town as well- you haven't told her yet, have you?"

"No, I haven't had the chance," Padmé replied.

"Then let's be sure we contact her before we leave," Jobal said.

"Good idea," Padmé replied. "I can't wait."

Padmé, Jobal and Shmi left shortly after breakfast. They were all rather anxious about leaving Anakin and Ruwee alone in the house, but reasoned that the home was big enough for them to avoid one another. And that is exactly what they hoped would happen.

Padmé's elder sister, Sola, agreed to meet the three ladies in Theed, at one of the city's most exclusive dress shops. Sola had been rather surprised by the invitation, for she had not realized her sister was back on Naboo. And since when does Padmé enjoy shopping? Sola wondered as she waited for her mother and sister. What is going on?

"It's so great to see you!" Sola said as she hugged her sister. "I didn't know you were back home."

"I just arrived yesterday," Padmé explained. "Sola, this is Shmi Skywalker," she said, turning to Shmi. "Shmi, my sister Sola."

"Very nice to meet you," Shmi said warmly as they two women shook hands.

"Same here," Sola said, beginning to get the feeling that something was going on. "Is someone going to tell me what's going on?"

Padmé smiled. "We have a wedding to go to," she told her sister. "And need some appropriate attire."

"Whose wedding?" Sola asked.

"Mine," Padmé said, the smile on her face growing. "I'm getting married!"

Sola screamed in excitement and threw her arms around her sister, not caring if patrons in the posh boutique were staring at them with expressions of disapproval.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me that you'd met someone!" Sola declared. "Who is he? When did you meet him? What's his name?"

"His name is Anakin Skywalker," Padmé said as the four women headed for the bridal section. "We met as children, actually, but hadn't seen one another for about ten years, until recently."

"You mean the Anakin Skywalker who you were searching for?" Sola asked. "The boy who helped us during the blockade?"

Padmé nodded. "Yes, the very one."

"Well, I'm just thrilled for you, Padmé," Sola said, hugging her again. "So you must be Anakin's mom," she said, realizing who Shmi was suddenly.

Shmi nodded. "Yes," she said. "And I can tell you that I'm just as thrilled about this whole thing as you are."

Sola smiled. "Padmé is a wonderful person," she said. "As I'm sure Anakin is too. So when do I get to meet him?"

"Whenever you like," Padmé replied as she started looking through the dresses.

"Why don't you come over for dinner tonight?" Jobal suggested. "The whole family. I'm sure Darred would like to meet Anakin as well."

"Sounds great," Sola said. "We'll be there."

Padmé merely smiled, hoping against hope that tonight's dinner was far more pleasant than the previous evening's. It couldn't be much worse, now could it?