Author's Note: Another update you say! I've decided that I want to have this finished by Saturday, November 18. More info on the reason why later.
The song 'A La Nanita Nana' below is a traditional Spanish Christmas carol that I heard on The Cheetah Girls 2 soundtrack. While not exactly a lullaby to rock a baby to sleep with, when I heard it for the first time, it came to mind that it could be used in that sense. I decided to replace the original lullaby I had – 'Rock a by Baby' – with this because in my opinion, 'Rock a by Baby' is too corny to sing to a child.
Obviously, I don't own the song, so all credit goes to whoever wrote it. I think the person's name is Noel Project, though I'm not entirely sure.

Chapter 83 responses:

Anakin's Love Slave: Yeah, Padme's a bit more of the villain now. We all hate her.

G-Anakin 13: Everyone wants Padme to die! I wish she would too, but she has a major role in how the sequel to this ends.

arzu pekdemir: I know I sent you an email, but I wanted to thank you again here. (Even though your review was for Chapter 1).

The Lure of the Dark Side: Chronicle 1-The Turning of an Era

Episode V: Revenge of the Sith

Chapter 38: A Night of Passion

Once Arica left the Amidala estate and than also the Lake Country earlier that day, she ventured into Theed with the intention of buying a suite in the glamorous oceanside Holiday Lakes Hotel and Resort. She ended up purchasing the most expensive suite in the building – the penthouse on the fiftieth and final floor. It cost her three quarters of a million, (being a General in the Clone Wars had its advantages), but was worth it. The penthouse contained a total of fifty rooms, which included a variety of bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms, sitting rooms, dining rooms, and all types of other rooms in-between. Arica spent the day shopping for things to fill and decorate her new home with, and than performing the act.

Around 2100, after eating a dinner of room service, she prepared to ready herself for bed. She didn't usually retire this early, but because she was more than a little tired figured what the heck.

Before crashing though, she wanted to try out the large tub in her master bedroom-bathroom condo. It featured numerous different knobs that weren't only for water, but pleasant smelling bubbles as well. There were so many flavors to chose from – peach, apple, banana, strawberry. At the last minute, however, she got lazy and decided to take a quick shower instead. Only thing is, just as she stripped of all her clothes and was about to step into the shower, she heard the doorbell ring.

Who could that be? She wondered, quickly wrapping herself in a towel and racing to the door.

Upon reaching it she looked through the peephole, but saw nothing but darkness. Obviously, the person on the other side was holding their finger over it so she couldn't see them.

Well, two can play the same game.

Tapping into the Force, she requested for it to tell her the identity of her visitor, and was pleased to discover that it was Anakin and the twins. He was obviously holding his finger over the peephole to be funny. She inwardly laughed and cleared her throat. Again, two could play the same game.

"Who dares to enter my home at this lowly hour?" she asked in a deep voice.

Anakin smirked behind the door and decided to play along. "I'm a poor little sheep, with no place to sleep," he said in a high, squeaky voice. "Please open the door and let me in."

Arica laughed. "Ha! Not by the hairs of my chiny, chin-chin. You can't fool me with that old sheep skin."

He gave a roar of fake rage. "Than I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in."

Arica gave a squeak of fright. "Oh no! My home will be destroyed! Whatever will I do?"

"Open the door, and let me in," he playfully growled. "And I may spare you."

"Oh no!" she cried. "You won't eat me will you?"

"Hmm…I'll have to think about that," Anakin said. "It all depends on if you look appetizing or not."

Arica laughed and swung the door open to see a equally laughing Anakin holding the twins in a carrier. They looked up at her with wide, curious eyes and she smiled back. Anakin was also smiling, but soon changed to wearing a slight frown at appraisal of her appearance. "Is this a bad time?"

"No, not at all," Arica assured. "Come on in. Just as long as you don't eat me."

Anakin smirked, looking her up and down as he came in. "No, no Arica. You're not exactly my type of food. I promise I won't eat you."

Arica laughed, and so did Anakin as he closed the front door behind him. When he turned back to her however, he persisted in taking in her appearance. What made Arica a bit nervous was the way his eyes continued to regard her, up and down, with a hint of lust in them. Nonetheless, she chose to ignore it. Taking the baby carrier from Anakin's hands, she sent a soothing wave of comfort and trust to the twins, who had been on the verge of crying a second before. Anakin followed her into the living room just beyond the entrance hall and to the plush couch she placed the carrier in front of on the floor. Gently taking each twin out of the carrier one at a time, she cuddled Leila and then Luke briefly before placing them onto the sofa. She smiled brightly at them and they both giggled, choosing to like her. Arica gave a giggle of her own back at them as Anakin sat down on the floor beside her. The two were now facing the propped up twins on the sofa. She looked over at him and smiled. It was returned only briefly in a faint manner, and eventually he lowered his gaze to the floor.

"Anakin?" She used her hand to raise his chin. "What's wrong."

He gazed back at her a moment with an expressionless, yet sad look in his eyes. And than abruptly, he threw himself into her arms, crying.

"Oh, Anakin," she soothed, stroking his hair. It broke her heart to see him like this – sad and hurt. It wasn't like him. Padme had certainly done a fine job damaging him and Arica's blood boiled. The mere thought of that evil witch made her what to kill something.

After a while, Anakin finally calmed down and pulled himself away from her. He was suddenly being overcome with a feeling of stupidity at getting so emotional all of a sudden. "I'm sorry," he muttered to the floor.

"Don't be," Arica said, crossing the space between them so they were close again. "You've been hurt, and I'm more than willing to comfort you as much as I can."

Anakin sighed and gave her faint smile. "Thank you."

She smiled as well and took him into her arms once more for a hug.

When they broke apart, Anakin appraised her appearance again, smirking slightly. "So the reason you're wearing nothing more than a towel is…?"

She blushed somewhat at the way it came out. "Oh well, I was just about to take a shower and go to bed."

"Oh I'm sorry." Anakin quickly got up and collected the twins. "We can come over tomorrow and see you than if that's better."

"No, no Anakin. It's fine." She took Leila out of his arms and gently placed her back onto the sofa. "You don't have to leave. We can talk when I get out of the shower."

Or perhaps while in, she added slyly to herself.

Anakin raised an eyebrow at her, and Arica inwardly groaned. She should of known better than to think naughty thoughts around him. He would always pick up on them. She ignored his knowing smirk with a blush and turned her attention to Luke and Leila. They were such cute little babies, both of them. Luke already looked a lot like his handsome father, Arica silently mused. And Leila, like a miniature version of that wicked Padme. But it wasn't her fault, Arica reminded herself. Leila couldn't help how she looked.

Arica climbed onto the couch at the far end and held open her arms. Just as she'd hoped, the babies slowly crawled into them and Arica hugged them both close to her breast while they cooed.

Anakin sat down on the sofa next to her with a smile. "They like you," he said softly.

Arica beamed with a nod. Placing them back on the sofa, she played with the twins by tickling their necks and just giving them the undivided attention she knew they craved and enjoyed.

Anakin watched Arica play with his children with a sad smile. This was how he'd imagined his life with Padme after the twins' birth. Just the four of them spending quality time together as a family. Alas, fate had its way of changing things.

After a bit, Arica got up and cooed to Luke and Leila, "I'll be back my little angels. I'm going to go take a shower now."

She kissed both on their foreheads and turned to Anakin. "I'll see you in a bit."

Or maybe sooner , he thought to her slyly.

Arica smiled and winked before strolling off.

Lustfully sighing, Anakin watched her go as she held tightly onto the towel that covered her from chest to knees and had also, an instant before, almost slipped off.

He wanted her. Gods, he wanted her more than anything. He wanted nothing more than to pound her mercilessly while she screamed for more.

Quickly shaking his head of these thoughts, he turned back to Luke and Leila. They were both yawning tiredly. He picked them both up and carried them into one of Arica's vast bedrooms, placing them softly onto the bed and laying a blanket he saw nearby on top.

As they continued to yawn, Anakin decided to sing to them a soft melody his own mother once sang to him when he was a small infant.

"A la nanita nana, nanita ella, nanita ella

Mi Nina tiene sueno bendito sea, bendito sea

A la nanita nana, nanita ella, nanita ella

Mi Nina tiene sueno benito sea, bendito sea

Fuentecita que corre clara y sonora

Ruisenor que la selva cantandro llora

Calla mientras la cuna se balansea

A la nanita nana, nanita ella

A la nanita nana nanita ella nanita ella

Mi Nina tiene sueno bendito sea, bendito sea

Fuentecita que corre clara y sonora

Ruisenor que en la selva cantandro llora

Calla mientras la cuna se balansea

A la nanita nana, nanita ella."

Singing this softly a few more times, Luke and Leila finally fell asleep. For a while, he just sat there, absentmindedly watching his children sleep. His mind, however, was on Arica. 'My little angels,' she'd called them. That brought a smile to Anakin's face. It was obvious she loved the twins, for she treated them like they were her own.

Rising from the bed, he gave them both one last look and closed the door to the room behind him. He decided he'd wait for Arica in the living room, but than thought against it. He made his way to the master bedroom of the suite and once inside, looked around its glamorous decor. The door to the bathroom, on the north right of the room, was closed, but Anakin could hear the sound of running water inside. Just the thought of Arica naked in the shower for only it to see turned him on even more. He swiftly walked toward the bathroom door, opened it gently, and went inside, making sure to close it behind him just as gently. His eyes clouded with lust as he saw the outline of Arica in the shower dancing around to a tune she was humming. Anakin sighed deeply in heat and proceeded to ripe off all his clothing. He than barged into the shower that contained his new lover.

Arica, meanwhile, was oblivious to Anakin's presence in the bathroom. She was happily humming to herself a tune all her own when suddenly the shower door opened. Arica whipped around in surprise and gasped in absolute shock. Anakin was standing in the entrance of the shower, in all his glory, naked.

"Anakin! I-I you-"

He quickly interrupted her by crossing the distance between them and crashing his lips down onto hers in a hungry, needing kiss. Arica was shocked to say the least, but hungrily kissed him back with the same amount lust, clinging to his body. They broke apart a few moments later panting loudly, and Arica, who was still in a state of shock, was slightly surprised to see Anakin smiling down at her.

"I thought I'd take you up on your offer," he said breathlessly. "It is still open, isn't it?"

"Well yes Anakin, but I-" She was once again interrupted by Anakin crashing his lips onto hers. That's all he needed to hear. Laying her down on the shower floor, he took her as his own.

An hour later, Anakin and Arica were laying beside one another on the shower floor catching their breathes and intently gazing at each other with their heads propped up on an arm.

Letting out a breath of satisfaction, Anakin thought back to a few minutes previous: the passion, the heat, the ecstasy. Their lovemaking was strong and addictive, better than anything he'd ever felt in his life. Because it was lovemaking he assured himself. It wasn't just two people fooling around with each other…was it?

No, of course not. It was lo- No, don't even say it. He wasn't in love with Arica…was he?

Nonsense, he'd just gotten his heart broken earlier that very same day. He couldn't be in love again. Not that fast. No way. Yet, at the same time, it felt like he was. Like he'd always been. The feelings he shared with Arica now felt more intense and loving then when he was with Padme. Naturally because she never loved him to begin with. Anakin's blood boiled at that and his eyes flashed.

Arica, who had just been thinking about how in love she was with Anakin, was surprised to see his eyes suddenly flash. Moving closer to him, she wrapped the arm that wasn't supporting her head around his neck. "Anakin baby, what's wrong?"

He simply looked at her with no emotion. "You knew about this all along."

She was confused. "What?"

"Padme, Arica. You knew all along about that."

Realizing what he meant, she lowered head in shame.

"And yet you never told me," he emphasized.

Arica didn't know what to say so continued to hang her head.

Anakin was utterly disgusted with her and got up to leave the shower.

"No, Ankin wait!" Arica tried to stop him by grabbing his arm, but he yanked it from her grasp and was about to open the shower door when she jumped in front of him. "Anakin, please. Listen to me!"

He stopped to listen, but Arica was forced to look into his accusing face as she explained. "I-I wanted to tell you. Really I did. So many times and…"

She paused briefly overcome by emotion as tears started to form in her eyes.

"…I didn't want to see you get hurt but...it looks like I did anyway."

Anakin's disgust toward Arica quickly vanished, and he felt ashamed of himself for snapping at her. Pulling her into his arms, he apologized. "I'm sorry Arica. I didn't mean to snap at you. It's not your fault I got hurt."

The couple simply held each other a few minutes before breaking apart ever so slightly and sharing a sweet kiss.

They exited the shower sometime later and went to check on the twins in the other room. Luke and Leila were still under the blanket Anakin placed on them and sleeping peacefully. Anakin and Arica smiled at one another and went to bed themselves in Arica's room.

Nestling under the covers, and in each other's arms, Anakin gave Arica a smirk. "You wanna go at it again?"

Arica allowed a small laugh and returned the smirk. "Why not?"

Tackling one another, they proceeded to make love a total of three more times that night before falling asleep in each other's arms.

Only three chapters to go!