A/N: Ok, this one is early. Don't get used to it. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter Three: Too Much

The Jedi Temple was deserted. Only a few Jedi passed by Anakin and Ahsoka as they headed towards the High Council Chamber and the ones that they did see were younglings scampering back to their dorms. Anakin hadn't even realized it was already that late. Ever since meeting Luke in the diner, the rest of the day seemed to have slipped through his fingers. Anakin had to admit it. He hadn't had a day so interesting since Palpatine tried to finish the Jedi.

Not that the Galaxy didn't have enough issues to keep Jedi busy. It had plenty of problems, and then some. Anakin's lack of excitement had everything to do with his Master ranking, his seat on Council and a new policy. The idea was to give more missions to Knights with Padawans that way the younger generation gained much needed experience. It was a great plan, but it bored Anakin to death.

Anakin shot a considered glance in Ahsoka's direction. He knew a lot of those missions fell on her, and it was starting to show. Ahsoka looked so tired that she might pass out right there in the hall.

"You know, Snips, you don't have to walk me all the way there."

"I know, Master," Ahsoka replied. "I just wanted to ask you a favor."

"Yeah, what is it?" Anakin was genuinely interested. It wasn't everyday Ahsoka acknowledged that she needed help.

"I was thinking," Ahsoka said. Her voice was shaking. This couldn't be good. "Maybe you could talk to the Council for me."

"About what?" Anakin asked, though he was almost sure where the conversation was getting to. He narrowed his eyes, and quickened his pace of the off chance he might out-walk her. She did seem very tired.

"I have been a Knight for awhile," Ahsoka said, walking a little faster to keep up with Anakin. "Isn't about time they at least consider making me a Master?"

"Ahsoka, you know that I have no authority on ranks," said Anakin.

"But you're on the Council."

"Don't remind me."

"Can't you just drop my name by them? Remind them I exist?"

Anakin was not in the right state of mind to handle this situation. He was tired, and anxious for the Council meeting. Most of all, he knew Ahsoka just wasn't ready to be up-ranked. But based on past experiences with the girl, Anakin also knew that telling her that she wasn't ready was far more trouble than what it was worth. Ahsoka was stubborn, and she would argue with him until they reached the Chamber. Anakin was just too worn out to deal.

"I'll see what I can do," Anakin quickly mumbled. "Don't get your hopes up. Those old Jedi aren't easily persuaded."

"I understand, Master," Ahsoka said. The amount of happiness in her voice indicated she did not understand, and at the very moment of Anakin's mumble, she had already considered the deed was done.

Ahsoka and Anakin stopped once they reached the doors of the Chamber. Suddenly Anakin felt as if he were that little nine year old kid again. It didn't help much that the doors reached up so high they were almost impossible to open without the help of the Force. Anakin never really appreciated just how intimidating the entrance appeared.

"Good luck," Ahsoka told him.

"I think I'm going to more than luck."

Luke was comfortable. Force, he was comfortable. All he wanted to do was fall back asleep and never wake up again. Luke would have succeeded to, if it hadn't been for that annoyingly high beep that insisted on sounding at even intervals. Stubbornly Luke refused to open his eyes. It didn't matter he was now wide awake; he was determined to beat the terrible sound.

He shut his eyes real tight and tried real hard to think about nothing. That didn't work out so well. To make things harder for him, Luke was almost sure there was somebody near him, watching him. He sensed it, and after a while, he could even hear breathing. For the sake of his own personal curiosity, Luke dared himself to open his eyes.

The bright ceiling lights and the pure white walls were too much for him. It took a couple of seconds for everything to come back into focus. Was he in a Medcenter? That had to be the reasoning behind the strange noise and the reason he was resting comfortably. An ice cold chill of dread spread through his entire body as he remembered the events leading up to his fainting episode.

It did bring a little console to Luke once he saw it wasn't a Jedi sitting in the chair next to him. Instead, there was a very fine substitute; a beautiful lady with chocolate brown hair and the eyes to match. Though Luke was wrong about her watching him, the lady had no clue Luke was staring her way. Her attention remained on a stack of papers neatly placed on her lap.

"Who are you?" Luke asked abruptly.

The lady's head perked up, and she met his eyes. For a moment, Luke thought maybe she was having some sort of medical problem herself, but then she was suddenly composed with the most charming smile.

"My name is Padme," she said. Luke noticed she did not tell him her last name. He wasn't surprised. They had just met, after all. "And you are Luke."

"That's right," Luke answered. So she knew his name already. Big deal. She seemed smart; she probably looked off one of the Meddroid's charts. Luke would not believe Padme was a Jedi. She was much too nice, much too pretty to be a monster. But if she wasn't one of them, what was she doing watching his bedside?

Luke narrowed his bright, electric blue eyes at her suspiciously. "Are you a Jedi?"

The only response he got from Padme was a fit of laughter.

"What's funny?" Luke asked defensively.

"Nothing," said Padme, still laughing lightly, "You just reminded me of someone, that's all."

"Who?"

Padme bit her lip nervously. "Well, my husband."

"You can't be a Jedi, then." Luke commented, grinning ear to ear. It was nice to know the lady wasn't his enemy.

"Oh, no, I'm a Senator for Naboo," she said. "My husband is the Jedi."

Luke's smile instantly faded into a confused frown. Since when were Jedi allowed to marry? And what exactly possessed her to say he reminded her of a Jedi? Luke crossed his arms and glared at her. He had wanted to like her, but if she was a wife of a Jedi, she made herself his enemy.

"Hey, don't judge," Padme told him. "What's so bad about Jedi?"

"Other than the fact that they're evil, baby-stealing, murderers?"

Padme's mood shifted to from happy to gloomy. No one likes to hear the truth about loved ones, but Luke didn't care. She should she's married to an emotionless, heartless brute. How did a Senator end up with a Jedi, anyway? It was scary to Luke that Jedi could have power in politics. Luke came to the conclusion it was the only reason he had married her in the first place.

"So what are you running away from?"

"Huh?"

"You're a runaway," Padme stated. "You must be running away from something."

Luke considered this. She did make a point, and she was right. But it wasn't as if he could actually tell her anything of value. Padme couldn't be trusted if she was the wife of a Jedi. He would have to wing it.

"Have you ever been to Tatioone?"

"Yes," answered Padme.

"Then you agree it's a terrible place to live," Luke explained. "It's hot, there's sand everywhere, and it's just boring."

"That's the best you got?" Padme didn't hesitate for a second before deciding that Luke was lying to her. "I work with politicians, Luke; I know when I'm being lied to."

Great, Luke thought. If it wasn't a Master Jedi getting the truth out of him, it was an alluring Senator. Luke was beginning to feel like an awful liar, though it was a stupid lie. No one runs away from home just because they don't like the weather, but it wasn't the only thing Luke had to offer her without giving up any information that was still unknown to them.

"Okay, fine, don't tell me." Padme dismissed the subject much to Luke's relief. Yawning she leaned back in her chair, seemingly uninterested, and pulled her attention back onto the pile of papers.

Luke stared at her, wondering why they would chose a Senator to watch over him. It didn't make any sense at all. Weren't they afraid that he would escape from her? Stupid Jedi, they were underestimating him. They thought he was weak just because he fainted. He would prove them wrong. He didn't know how yet, but he would.

Anakin marched into the Chamber with all the confidence he could muster. He ignored the comments about his lateness, and quietly took his seat next to Obi-Wan, who was sending him waves of questions and disproval through the Force. His tardiness was never a trait Obi-Wan was fond over.

The meeting started like always, with boring issues that Anakin could care less about. However, there was something new. Something surprising. Master Windu reported that there was a civil war breaking out on Tatioone. Somebody, though Windu had no idea who, was trying to take control away from the Hutts. It was shocking, but Anakin didn't think the Order should be involved unless they were fighting against those horrible gangsters.

"Send someone to investigate, we should," Yoda decided.

"May I suggest someone?" Anakin spoke up. "I think Ahsoka would be choice for this mission. She already has a good rep with the Hutts."

"Wise, that is," Yoda agreed. Anakin was almost beaming. It wasn't all the time when the Council actually used his ideas. Though Yoda was sold on Anakin's reasoning, Obi-Wan kept a suspicious eye on him.

"While we're on the subject of Tatioone," Windu said, "maybe we should discuss the Sith you captured earlier today." It took all of Anakin's self-control to not reply in an angry way. Anakin thought after he saved Windu from Palpatine's lightsaber, he would be a little nicer to him. No such luck.

"He's thirteen," said Anakin a little hotly despite all his efforts of self-control. "He's hardly a Sith."

"I think Master Skywalker might be too close to this situation to have proper judgment," Windu addressed the Council as if Anakin were not sitting in the room.

"What would you like us to do, Mace?" demanded Etha. "Sentence the boy to death? He's not even of age."

Anakin had to smile at her. She had only been on the Council for no more than four standard months, and she was already standing up to Mace. It made Anakin glad he was one of the ones who voted for her to be appointed the new Council position.

"I'm not suggesting that at all," Windu defended himself. "I just don't think it's a good idea for the Skywalkers to welcome him back with open arms."

"He's our son, and he was kidnapped. It's not his fault."

"No, I quite agree that it was not his fault."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Anakin stood up, and for the moment, forgot all about self-control. Luckily, Obi-Wan was able to push him back in his seat before something ugly happened.

"Enough, I've heard," Yoda said loudly. "Decision on this, I've already made." Anakin jerked his head to look at Yoda. He expected the worse. A decision made that quickly couldn't be one that Anakin would agree with.

"Take Luke home, Anakin must," said Yoda catching the whole Council off guard. "Bring him here in a week, you will. Dismissed."

Yoda didn't offer any explanation to his choice. He simply got out of his seat, and walked out of the Chamber, leaving the Council, including Anakin, utterly clueless. Though he didn't know the reasons behind Yoda's choice, Anakin wasn't about to question it. After a long thirteen years, he was finally able to take his son home.

Luke sat up in his bed which was beginning to become strangely uncomfortable. He wished he knew how long he had been there, or even why he fainted. But he wouldn't ask that Padme lady, no matter how nice she seemed. Luke couldn't show weakness by asking questions. The curiosity was killing him.

He decided he would focus on a way to escape. That would get his mind off all of his questions, but before he could come up with anything, his chance was over. Anakin Skywalker came striding down the steps of the Medcenter looking very proud of himself. No way Luke was getting anywhere far now. Before Luke knew what was happening, Skywalker ran right up to the Senator and put his arms around her.

"Good news?" Padme asked happily.

"The best," Skywalker said as he released his hold on Padme.

"What?" Luke exclaimed loudly. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. "This guy? He's your husband?"

"What's wrong young one?" Skywalker taunted him playfully. "Are you jealous?"

"No," Luke said calmly. "She's just too good for you."

"Then we agree on something," Skywalker said. "Are you feeling better?"

"Like you care," Luke retorted, paying no mind to how perfectly childish he had just sounded. Padme and Anakin exchanged wary glances.

"I'll take that as a yes," Skywalker said after an awkward pause.

Luke caught Skywalker's eyes. "When can I go home?"

"You're a runaway, Luke. You don't have a home, or at least one you want to go back to." Padme said gently.

"Which is why you'll be staying at our apartment for a while," said Skywalker as he sat down on the side of Luke's bed. Luke frowned as he tried to keep calm. No way did he want to stay in the same space as Skywalker. He would never escape the Jedi's clutches.

"I know that you hate me," Skywalker said as if he were reading Luke's mind. "But this is really the best option you have. You either accept my very gracious offer of the guestroom, or stay here, where they will lock you in a Sith-proof cell with no bed."

Luke blinked, and turned his head away from the married couple. He wasn't used to having a bed to sleep on, but his experience waking up this morning proved that a bed might just be worth the trouble. Besides, it wasn't as if he were from the Temple easier than Skywalker. Both options were hopeless by means of escapability.

"Fine," Luke agreed with a tone laced with defiance.

How in the Galaxy was he going to get out of this one?

VAD

The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy but I have come so that you may have life, and life to the fullest.

John 10:10