It had taken much longer than expected but he finally did make it to the high-rise apartment that he and Padme shared. He had been around several people today and none of who he had particularly wanted to see, but to be around her, the one person who he didn't have to pretend with. He didn't have to put on the façade that everything was alright when it wasn't. He loved her for that reason. When he came to her which was much later in the day she had a dinner waiting for them. She didn't ask many questions, but let him do most of the talking. He talked to her about the guilt, pain and shame that he still felt knowing his apprentice was dead. She told him how much she would miss her too. He had expressed to her how much he was anticipating going on this goodwill cruise with him.

"That's so exciting that the Chancellor asked you to accompany him on the goodwill cruise," began Padme while brushing her hair by the nightstand before they went to bed. "Not that I'm surprised," she sighed and laughed, "he thinks so highly of you Anakin," .

"At least some one does," Anakin muttered while leaning against the door post.

"Huh?" Padme turned around to face him. "I hope you are not referring to me," she said playfully pointing to herself as she put the brush down on the countertop and walked over to him with a seductive gleam in her eyes. She wrapped both arms lightly around his neck and rested her head on his chest, "I think the galaxy of you," she whispered and nuzzled deeper into his embrace. Which wasn't nearly as strong or as tight as she would have liked. His mood hadn't improved much since the funeral, not that she thought it would magically dissolve overnight, but she did miss him actually genuinely smiling at her. She hated seeing him so tense and beside himself with all the tremendous weight he placed upon his own shoulders.

He nudged her chin up looked her deep in her brown eyes and gave her an imitation of a smile. Having a Jedi for a husband meant that the thoughts that she tried to keep to herself weren't always kept that way. "No, I wasn't referring to you," he breathed and walked away from her to go and sit on his side of the bed, "Just every Jedi who I happen to run across," he grumbled.

"What do you mean?"

"Bant wanted to have breakfast."

"Bant?"

"Obi-wan's friend, she's a healer at the Temple," he explained, "I know Obi-wan probably told her to check on me. Nobody seems to think I can handle this on my own." He grumbled. "Wanted me to have a physical," he grumbled the more.

"Wait! A physical!" Padme called he voice went up a notch with worry. "Ani are you feeling ok?" she asked sweetly as she came by the side of the bed and placed a hand on his forehead.

"I'm fine," he said gruffly brushing her hand aside, but secretly loving when she acted so maternal. "It's just Luminara telling people I need to be checked up on."

"I don't think you should take it that way Ani, I'm sure they are just concerned," she stressed rubbing his shoulder. "They're trying to help," she offered him a smile.

"I don't need their help," he stood up and looked her square in the eye as he declared it. He crossed pass her and went into the fresher washing his face before getting undressed. He most certainly didn't need their help. He didn't need Bant to babysit him and try to talk about everything under the sun except the fact that his apprentice had just died. Really had been murdered and he had to watch the whole horrid event unfold. He didn't need Yoda to tell him to meditate at every waking hour. He most certainly didn't need Master Windu trying to extort his mechanical gifting without ever giving a word of praise or even a thank you, no if that was what they had to offer as help he most certainly didn't need that.

When he came back out of the fresher Padme was already lying in the bed, she was wide awake though and her affectionate brown eyes beckoned him to her side.

"I think I just need to get away for awhile," he explained as he flopped down beside her.

"That's why the Chancellor's invitation comes at such an opportune time," she stated wrapping her manicured hand around the strapping muscles on his arm.

He interlaced his mechanical fingers with her smooth hand, "It'll be good for us to spend sometime together where we're not actually hiding or dodging blasters," he snickered while running his hand along her the smooth bare skin of her arm. She smiled reminiscing, but then the grin faded. "What?" Anakin asked.

"Ani, actually…actually the Chancellor didn't ask me to come," she reported. She hated to inform him of such things. He had actually seemed happy at the momentary prospect of them spending so much time together, but she hadn't been invited.

"What? That can't be true! You'd be perfect to come, Padme, you have such a genuine care about the people of the Republic and Naboo is a system that carries a lot of weight in the political circuits." Anakin explained.

"I know, but my presence was not requested." She stated abruptly. She wasn't trying to be short with her husband, but there honestly wasn't much to discuss. Rumors had circulated around the Senate months prior that the Chancellor was planning something of this nature, Senators and delegates had been lobbying and brownnosing for months trying to get an invite. They new that to be one of the chosen would ensure their political futures and help to further their own agendas with the Chancellor. She hadn't done all that. She hadn't thought that she needed to. She thought she knew where she stood with the Chancellor, but apparently she didn't stand as close as she had believed.

"Maybe it was an oversight, maybe he thought you would know that you were automatically invited," Anakin offered. Padme was looking down smoothing out the wrinkles in the bed. He nudged he chin up and looked at he with a warm hopeful grin.

Padme shuck her head. "I don't think so Anakin. There is another senator from Naboo who will be in attendance though, his name is Oshnee. He's actually the queens brother and he has been working closely with the Chancellor for sometime now. I encouraged it, trying to give him more of an opportunity to participate in representing our system,".

"You should be there Padme not …Achu," Anakin quipped

Padme playfully slapped his rock solid chest, "its Oshnee" she annunciated the syllables in his ear.

Anakin took her hand in his and raised it to his lips and kissed the inside of her palm and wrist, "I could talk to the Chancellor for you," he whispered as he watched her shiver slightly.

"No, no Anakin that's Ok. I really do have work that I need to do. There are some old laws that are up for review in the senate. I'd rather be here to discuss them."

Anakin raised his eyebrow at this flimsy excuse, "Fine then. I'll stay with you." He shrugged and leaned back on his pillow folding his hands behind his head as he smugly stared up at the ceiling.

"Anakin be serious,".

"I am being serious. This is my convalescence. I'm supposed to be doing things that I find relaxing and enjoyable, remember? Being around you always relaxes me and sometimes Padme you are the only thing in this galaxy that brings me joy," he swore.

"Oh Anakin," she gasped and leaned her head against his bare chest. "You know I want us to spend this time together, but this is way too important for you to pass up. I think it will be good for you. You've already told the Chancellor you were going to attend and you have already made that known to the Jedi Council… if you went back on that,

"Indecisive a Jedi should not be," Anakin chimed in quoting master Yoda's backwards speech. "Force knows I don't need the Council thinking I'm indecisive then they'll put me on meditative retreat for so many planet rotations that I'd get dizzy," he quipped.

"See you have to go," Padme confirmed.

"I suppose you are right," he sighed.

She nuzzled deeper against his flesh and kissed his neck, "when do you leave?"

"Tomorrow," Anakin said through a pleased smile.

"I didn't realize," she muttered somewhat disheartened she had hoped that they would atl east be able to spend one whole day together. " Well we can have breakfast together," she offered happily.

Anakin scratched behind his ear, "Probably not, the Chancellor has prepared a meal of his delegates in the morning I think we're actually all supposed to be arriving their quite early."

"Oh," she uttered and she knew that she sounded very disappointed. She hadn't meant to sound that way

"Padme, I can stay," Anakin offered once more.

"No, your presence on that trip will be needed I am sure. Besides you just said so yourself that you needed to get away," she shrugged. "It's getting pretty late, you need to get some rest. If I would have known that you needed to be up so early I wouldn't have kept us up watching that old holonet movie," she giggled.

"I actually enjoyed it," Anakin confessed.

"Really?" Padme asked with shock. Her face lit up and she looked him in the eye.

"Yeah, it was funny," he replied. Padme smiled despite herself. He didn't laugh during the holonet special at all, perhaps he had smiled at a couple of parts.

"Anakin if you didn't like it, you don't have to pretend you did," she reminded him.

" I liked being with you," he leaned over and whispered in her ear and she felt her cheeks flush. "And I also liked the holo," She was satisfied with that answer and she snuggled in next to him. Anakin used the Force to shut off the lights in their room.

" I love it when you use the Force," she purred sleepily. He kissed her neck and before long they were sleep in each others arms.