Prologue

I can't afford to watch you walk away
These games you play, are bringing me down
If you could see, all of this sorrow in me
I've got to believe you'd stick around

If I'd known then what I know now

If I'd known then what I know now my love

"She's asking about him." Obi-Wan spoke once he joined Yoda in the waiting room. His face scratched up, his Jedi robes hanging off him, and he had a perpetually tired look in his eyes.

"Tell her, you must." Yoda commanded. Observing Obi-Wan, Yoda could see he was riddled with guilt. "Tell her!"

"I can't." Obi-Wan said with a gloomy sigh. "It'll destroy her."

"About to change, her life is." Yoda reminded Obi-Wan of the responsibility Padme will now have to keep her children safe and hidden from the Emperor. "Be prepared, she must."

Obi-Wan entered the maternity unit in the hospital, heading straight for Padme's room. Her body seemed frail as she lied there in bed, trying to get some rest. Her skin was pale, and her hair disheveled. Her eyes soon fluttered open once he joined her at her bedside.

"Did Anakin come?" She asked, her voice groggy.

Obi-Wan looked down at her weakly.

"...I'm sorry." He uttered, his face pained with grief. He lowered his head. "He – he didn't make it."

"What?" She gasped, her voice barely audible. For a second her heart stopped, as she pulled herself to sit upright.

Padme began to panic, feeling her stomach twist.

"I," Obi-Wan quavered. "I had no choice."

Her hand flew to her chest, sniveling – trying to control her inhalations.

"Yes you did!" she bawled, trembling as the tears came rolling down her cheeks. "You did have a choice. You always have a choice!"

"He was too far gone." Obi-Wan reasoned, hopelessly. His words sounded like a plea, with a fragile cadence in his voice.

"No – no, I–" Padme shook her head, refusing to accept it. "I could have brought him back." She insisted with a frantic cry.

Obi-Wan shook his head, apologetically. "Padme–"

He tried to reach for her in an effort to console her but she whacked his hand away.

"Don't touch me." She spat nervously, shuddering.

Obi-Wan helplessly tried to reconcile with her, bending down to her level, taking her hand in his.

"No!" She wailed. "No! Get out."

His eyes began to well up with tears as he stood before her.

"Get out!" She barked.

He sheepishly left the room, and she burst into tears.

Obi-Wan, Yoda and Bail continued to check in each day since the birth of the twins. The medical droid informed them of Padme's condition, diagnosing her with depression. The babies were being cared for by nurses in a separate unit.

Saddened by the news, the three of them were at a loss for words – not knowing what to do, other than getting these babies out of here and as far away from Palpatine as possible.

Bail and Obi-Wan couldn't make sense of it. They didn't know how to connect with her. They've always known Padme as a vibrant, strong, passionate leader – they didn't know how to deal with her like this.

And Yoda could sense their perturbation.

"As a colleague, a senator on an ordinary day, you cannot treat her. A frightened mother, she is now. A scared, heartbroken, patient, she is."

Bail abruptly stood up, deciding to go check on her himself.

Padme turned to face him as soon as she heard the door swing open.

"Bail." She muttered, unable to sit up. Her voice was quiet, brittle. Her eyes were bloodshot, her cheeks puffy from all the crying. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought you could use a friend." He shrugged, offering her a faint smile as he walked over.

She remained silent. Her absent eyes glazed over the bed.

"...I know what loss feels like." Bail began, "And it's okay to be upset for a little while. . .but just for a little while."

His gentle eyes were soothing but he still couldn't get a reaction out of her, as her bleak eyes stared into space.

"Padme, don't let the darkness win." He stressed. "We need you. Your babies need you."

Tears began to stream down her face as she hopelessly mewled: "I can't do it."

"You can – and you will." He asserted.

"I'm not strong enough." She cried

"Well you're going to have to be." Bail said firmly. "Those kids in there, they need you."

She closed her eyes, unable to hear those words. She felt terrible enough as it is.

"They've already lost a father." Bail sighed. "Are they going to lose their mother too?"

He paused, realizing that he didn't need her to answer. He knew she was taking it all in.

He began to head out of the room once she turned away from him.

But once he reached the door, he turned to face her once more.

"One more thing." He interjected. "He loved him too – Obi-Wan."

Padme's eyes raised slightly, still unable to make eye contact but it was clear she was listening – even though her face was impassive.

And Bail reiterated, "He loved him too."

Only a couple of days had passed, Obi-Wan checked in on the children daily, following up with the medical droids on Padme's well-being.

He sat there, holding Luke in his arms, while Leia slept in her crib. He was determined to do right by these kids. He couldn't fail again.

Just then, Padme entered the unit. Obi-Wan's eyes lifted.

"–I was just leaving." He quietly blurted out.

And Padme let out a weakened sigh.

"Stay." She murmured, walking over to them.

She grabbed a chair and sat beside them, looking down at her baby boy.

There was a clear distance between her and Obi-Wan. He didn't know how to react. All he could do was give her space and hope that she'd heal, and find it in her heart to forgive him.

"He likes you." She finally breathed out. Her voice frail like she hadn't spoken in a long time.

Obi-Wan glanced up at her, grateful that she was meeting him halfway. He then gazed back at the baby, who appeared to smirk at him, and started to feel a sense of hope. "He has a great smile."

Padme was suddenly quiet. Her eyes lowered to the ground.

"Like his dad." She drawled finally

Obi-Wan paused before turning to face her. His sorrowful eyes gazed upon her.

"I'm so sorry, Padme." He whispered earnestly, full of despair.

She swallowed a gulp, taking a moment to fight back tears.

She let out a deep breath, trying not to choke up. "I know."

Once Obi-Wan and Padme arrived on Naboo with the children, he helped her unpack, put the babies to bed, and was just about to head off.

"If you need anything just give me a call." He said warmly, while on his way out. When she didn't reply, he turned back around.

Padme remained stood in the kitchen, leaning her hands on the counter, her eyes downcast.

"...I can't do this." She puled softly, closing her eyes.

Obi-Wan released an exhale, his empathic nature could feel her grief.

"Padme–" He politely urged, making his way towards her.

"–He said he'd be here!" She cried, anxiously, now facing him – her woeful eyes filled with a combination of worry, resentment, fear and devastation. "He promised me!"

Obi-Wan's heart broke a little as he watched her eyes fill with tears.

"I can't do this without him!" She panicked. "I can't do it alone."

"Shh." Obi-Wan soothed, wrapping his arms around her, trying to calm her down.

Her hopeless eyes fell closed once she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Listen to me." His voice was feathery yet crisp, managing to put her at ease. "You are not alone. You have me."

Once the Star Destroyer landed on Mustafar, Palpatine waited until Tarkin was out of earshot.

"They're holding a funeral for senator Amidala on Naboo." The Emperor's voice was as grating as the news to Vader.

Vader remained quiet but Palpatine could feel him tensing up.

He pushed past him, exiting the ship – and Palpatine snickered.

On Mustafar, Vader stood right in the spot where he last saw her, remembering an unconscious Padme fall to the floor after he force-choked her.

With a woeful sigh, he stepped back. He glanced up at the stars, and leaned against the wall.

Anakin leaned against the wall on Padme's balcony at the Naboo lake retreat. He watched her, looking beautiful in a backless gown of warm shades of yellow and purple that clasped around her neck.

She turned around, noticing him behind her, giving him a bright smile – an affectionate grin that lit up her eyes.

He made his way over to her, holding out his hand, gesturing for her to dance with him.

She placed her hand in his and he spun her around. She felt light-headed, feeling his hand slide across the small of her back, as he placed her arm over his shoulder.

Despite no music playing, their bodies found a shared rhythm. Their hips swayed as one, as he led her in circles. She felt like she was floating on air, held in his strong arms, gliding so effortlessly around the balcony.

Suddenly, he dipped her, and she felt a rush as her hair toppled down to the floor. She had literally been swept off her feet.

Letting out a girlish giggle, she could feel her heart pounding in her chest.

Anakin admired her fully – from the way her neck delicately curved up, her sultry lips parted to the way her smooth back felt against his fingers. He gradually lifted her back up, slow enough to feel the tension as his eyes gazed from her cleavage up to her lips.

Now upright, her eyes darted from his bright blue eyes to his ardent mouth. She was cautiously aware of the little space between them – there wasn't enough room for air to pass through. She had never heard her inhalations harmonizing so clearly with another person's before – it was almost deafening.

His eyes fervently staring at her mouth, dying to taste what he's been craving for so long now – no longer capable of showing restraint now that her lips were inches away.

His parted lips starving, his fingers gripped onto her a little tighter. Her cheeks suffused with red, nervous from how intently he looked at her.

Her awareness was heightened. She could feel his rough hands tenderly splayed across her back, urging her closer. She could feel his deliberate provocation as his hips pressed against hers.

A shaky breath left her lips just to be blocked by his mouth. His ragged breaths stained her lips as he stole a kiss. And she let him. Unable to break apart, she found herself giving into the sensuous touch of his lips on hers. He opens her mouth with his tongue as she invites him to deepen the kiss.

And she came to life – almost as if she had been asleep her whole life until this moment. Passion within her had been dormant. It just needed the right spark to ignite. Or the right man. A man who oozes passion – who was driven, reckless, spontaneous, impulsive, cunning and forthright – who was the opposite of everyone she had ever known.

And that thought scared her. She quickly pulled away, breathless as she escaped his grasp, leaving him panting.

She put an end to it. The unknown. This was not only uncharted territory but forbidden territory.

Padme sat on that same balcony, tortured by her memories – realizing there was no place she could go that didn't have traces of their love.

She shed a tear as she remembered their first kiss. Now bittersweet that he was gone. And he left the world in a devastating state. What a difference from the first memory of their love blossoming to their last encounter – with his hands viciously strangling her through the force.

And it's not like it was all good before their tragic end, even when he was around – you don't intertwine your life with a man who was driven, reckless, spontaneous, impulsive, cunning and forthright, and expect it to be easy. Obviously, looking up at the night sky and knowing the world will be even darker tomorrow, she knew the bad was exceptionally bad.

But despite the fact that he broke her heart, abandoned her and their two children, and broke every promise he ever made to her, she couldn't help but wonder if she'd do it all again. And take the bad as long as she could have the good.

Because the good was exceptionally good.

10 years later...

My life goes on slowly without you
I move through space and time
I feel the air heavy upon my skin
And wonder if I'll see you again

If I'd known then what I know now

If I'd known then what I know now my love

Space and Time - The Piercers