I get a lot of reads on this story. More than I do reviews coming in. I would love to know who all of my readers are, if you can review or comment, please do. And always, thanks for reading - CG!

In bed, he had gathered her to himself and draped his arm over body so that she couldn't so much as move without him knowing. She felt... smothered. Padme sighed.How was it, that she... of all people, could love someone so volatile and possessive? She had to know it was coming. The way he looked at her on Naboo, the way he talked to her, the way he cherished her and hung on her every word. He made her feel things she had never felt before. Perhaps, somewhere deep within herself she wanted to know what it was like to be loved as deeply as he loved her. When others looked at her and saw Senator Amidala, Anakin saw a beautiful, intelligent woman. He didn't care about the rules, he didn't care about the boundaries that should have been in place between them. He wanted to be with her and that was all that mattered to him.

Of all the Jedi she ever met, he was the only one who ever made his feelings plain. After that incident with the sand people, she knew he needed her. He knew he needed her as well. After all, did she not take care of him when he left tattoine all those years ago? Was it not she, who made sure he was alright? Did she not hug him when he was sad? Did she not comfort him? But her feelings for him at the time were maternal... she had no idea the little boy would grow up and repay her kindness and affection by asking her to marry him. Or that, when the boy looked at her, he thought of her in that way.

She was the soothing balance to Obi Wan's iron discipline. The comforting balance to his nightmares and the sting of Watto's whip. She made him whole and complete. But still... Anakin was afraid of losing her, the way he lost everything else... and sometimes the fear that he could lose her made him volatile and angry. Padme thought more and more of leaving the Senate altogether to devote her time to her husband. To show him, that he was more important to her than politics, more important to her than anything or anyone else. The stress of the war was beginning to take its toll and her Ani was turning into a different person right before her eyes.

Padme laid a hand on his shoulder and shook him awake. Anakin opened his eyes and rubbed a hand across his face as if to fully wake himself. "You're going to smother me," she said.

"I'm sorry, my love. I wasn't trying to hurt you."

He was her Ani again.

"There's something I wish to ask you."

Anakin sat up, propping his head on one hand. She too, propped herself up in the same manner, then inched closer to his bare chest. "Should I leave the Senate?"

Anakin smiled. "Are you serious?"

"Yes." Dead serious.

His voice took a darker tone: "Because of Cobra?"

Padme shook her head, "No, because of you."

Anakin looked down at her. "As much as I would like you to leave the senate, I couldn't ask you to do that. This is what you love to do Padme, I could never ask you to stop doing what you love, no more than you could ask me."

"You mean that, Ani?"

"Of course I do," he smiled. "I know, I'm a fool sometimes, but only because I love you so much, Padme I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you. It would probably drive me mad."

"You have control these... urges. I can only reign you in for so long. Ani, sometimes, I'm afraid of you."

"Of me? - I could never hurt you Padme. Not in a trillion years."

"That's not what you told me before." That's not what you did before, Padme wanted to say, thinking of the few times he had grabbed her just a bit too roughly.

"You mean the lover's pact?" he smacked his lips. "That's different."

"How is it different?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"Different because it's an agreement between you and I. It's not something I would ever force, should you wish to back down." He wanted to believe this, he really did. Anakin pulled her close. "You know what I'm thinking about?"

She had an idea.

He nibbled her shoulder and pulled her beneath him. Padme sighed as she turned away from his kisses. "Anakin, no. It's almost dawn and I have a meeting in a few hours." Their love making usually lasted a few hours.

He wedged himself between her thighs, resting his heavy body on top of hers. "It won't take long," he pleaded, showering her face with more kisses.

"You know how tired it will make me," she griped. Hadn't they already made love tonight? He was younger and had the energy. That on top of having the tenacity of a Jedi.

"I know," he mumbled, his lips against her hair as a hand slipped to her inner thighs. "It's just that, I won't be here much longer than a day. I have a trip to make, and if Obi Wan is better we're going back to the Outer Rim. I might not have a chance to say goodbye."

Padme had already resigned to the sensation of his hands, her eyes closed as he kissed her again. Anakin shuddered as he pressed into her. Her breathing and sighing deepened. "You feel so good, Padme," he muttered.

She pretended not to hear him as the strength of his body stroked against her. Anakin thought himself so lucky to have Padme... then suddenly, a disturbing thought entered his head. For how long would he get to have her? He thought of Cobra and nearly lost his momentum. That trip to Endor couldn't come sooner...

Padme is mine. He can't have her. He was brooding again.Anakin ceased in his lovemaking to stop and look at her face.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

He rolled over to stare at the ceiling, prying their sticky legs apart. Padme crawled to lay on top of him, but he flipped her over, assuming his previous position. He caressed her face. The soft look in her eyes was a sudden comfort to him. "Nothing. I love you," he said. He pressed himself into her again, laying his sleepy head beside hers on their pillow, thinking not of Cobra, but of the moment, and their love.