Thanks for all of your continued support! Sorry for the wait, but school has been bogging my writing down lately.

For the second night in a row, Anakin woke in the middle of the night, his dreams haunting him. He fell back onto the bed, looking over at his wife.

'It won't happen.', he told himself, trying to put the image of Padme screaming in pain out of his mind.

The next day was spent in meditation with the various Council members, during which many were shocked and amazed. Anakin was notorious for his hatred of meditation, and to see him so focused just re-enforced many of them that they had made the right choice.

Each session brought him closer to that calm that had eluded him his entire life. By the time it was over he had spent eleven hours in meditation, and was amazed at how it felt, to not have the shadow of anger and hatred hovering around him.

As he made his way out of the Temple, a small skip in his step, Obi-Wan caught up with him.

"Well, you seem to be in a good mood." he said, grinning.

Anakin smiled. "I am. I feel great!" he said, laughing.

Obi-Wan's grin grew wider. It had been some time time since he had seen his former Padawan this happy. In fact, he wasn't sure he HAD seen him this happy before. Then he remembered why he had tracked Anakin down in the first place.

"The Chancellor has requested your presence at the opera house tonight."

"Has he? I wonder what for?"

Obi-Wan just shrugged. He didn't trust the Chancellor, but he knew Anakin did, and he didn't want to start an argument when he was so happy.

Anakin made his way to Palpatine's personal box in the opera house, which was currently showing Squid Lake, a ballet from Mon Calamari.

"You wanted to see me?"

Palpatine looked over to him. "Ah yes, Anakin, I have good news. Our intelligence network has located General Grievous, on Utapau."

"Really? Finally we can end this war." Anakin was elated. The war was coming to an end, and he would be free to spend time with Padme and their child.

The Chancellor dismissed his two aides and motioned for Anakin to sit.

"Have you ever heard of Darth Plagueis the Wise?"

"No." Anakin's brow furrowed. Darth Plagueis? That was a Sith name.

"I didn't think so, it's not something the Jedi would tell you. It's an old Sith legend."

"Sith?"

"As you know, I have a vested interest in history. The Sith are a part of that."

Anakin merely nodded, not sure what to make of this.

"Darth Plagueis was a Lord of the Sith so powerful, and so wise, that he could influence the midichlorians to create life, and even stop people from dying."

Something suddenly went off in Anakin's brain. 'Save people from death...my dream...'. Anakin's eyes widened.

"E..excuse me Chancellor, I must go."

Anakin quickly bowed and took off running out of the theater.

"AAAAAARRRRGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Sidious let loose a roar as he flung objects left and right through his chambers. What had gone wrong? Why?!

He stopped, composing himself, and resigned to something he hadn't wanted to.

"Skywalker is beyond my reach now, and he suspects me. I will have to find a different apprentice, and regrettably, destroy Skywalker."

Anakin ran as fast as he could through the Temple, heading to Master Yoda's quarters. Reaching his destination, he knocked, and hearing a reply, entered.

He saw that Master Windu was there as well.

"what is wrong, Anakin? You look as pale as bone." Mace looked at the yound Jedi with worry.

"I...I think that the Chancellor is working for the Sith Lord we've been looking for."

The two Masters looked at each other and nodded.

"Suspected this for some time, we have. What has alerted you?"

"He spoke about a Sith named Darth Plagueis, and how he could use the midichlorians to stop death. Incidentally, I had a another dream last night, of Padme dying."

Yoda looked thoughtful.

"Look into this we will. But best it would be, if return to your family you do. Merciless the Sith are."

Anakin bowed, and started to leave, before remembering something.

"Oh, by the way, General Greivous has been found on Utapau."

Mace smiled."Finally. Don't worry, Skywalker, we will take care of it."

Padme looked up as Anakin's speeder approached. She could feel the baby moving as well. She smiled.

"You feel your daddy coming, huh?"

"What's that your saying?"

She looked up at Anakin as he leaned down to kiss her.

"I was just telling our son you were home."

Anakin laughed. "Son? It's a girl you know."

Padme gave him a mock stern look. "And just how do you know that?"

"Fatherly instinct. Why do you think its a boy?"

"Motherly intuition."

Anakin laughed as he pulled his wife closer to him. He loved these moments, when everything was calm and joyful.

Zerus Corathus looked around in fear at the dark and twisted shapes that surrounded him.

"Master? Where are you?"

Sidious stepped from the shadows. "Right here, young Jedi...right here."

TBC