Padme's Discovery

Anakin Skywalker had been traveling between planets for the past few days, it wasn't much different from the days of the Clone Wars, so Anakin gladly left the flying to Ahsoka, Artoo, and Rex and caught up on some much needed and hopefully dreamless sleep. Memories slipped through, and he could feel Padme in them. Padme had felt so different on Naboo. 'Stop, that's not my name.' She had said when he called her Padme. 'Amidala' Cos had called her. He had been certain he would find Padme with Palpatine, but he had found her with a youth, who had very little presence in the Force. The man, Cos, he had been called had just seemed curious and concerned, and Anakin would never force anything upon his wife.

"Padme, this is the happiest day of my life."

"What about the Council, if they find out that you're the father, they won't allow you to continue being a Jedi, and I doubt the Queen will allow me to serve."

"This is a happy moment," Anakin said, drawing her deeper into his arms and tilting her chin up to his. "We aren't going to worry about this, Padme."

"You don't worry enough," she grumbled as she met his lips. He laughed.

"And you, my love, worry too much. Come on, let's go to bed," he said and he hefted her up, even pregnant and carried her to their room.

Padme sat up panting. She looked over at Cos who appeared to be sleeping. What had that meant? Was it another trick from Vader? She had loved him, she could feel it, it was more alive in memories than anything she felt in life. She felt something whenever she had these memories, as if she was more connected, more bonded to the man in them than anything she felt, the emotions, the feeling she felt in them took her breathe away and made her a little dizzy from emotion. She placed her hand on her belly. Why would she tell this...Anakin that she was pregnant? Why did it feel so right to be with him? And yet, when she had been face to face to him she had felt...fear. Overwhelming fear and an urge to run from him, and still there had been a need to protect him, to soothe him. Padme wished she could remember something, anything.

The only times she remembered were when she felt him, and she wasn't quite sure how. Should she leave Cos? Where would she go? She didn't know anyone besides Vader and Cos...and Luke. She had been pregnant with Luke she was sure of it, and he had still lifted her easily. Padme shook her head. Amidala, that was her name. So why had Vader called her Padme. That name felt right as well. She had been Queen of this planet, that much Cos had told her. So there had to be some clue on this planet. Automatically, she shielded her thoughts from Cos though how she had learned this she had no idea. She opened the door to go out and one of her handmaidens came in.

"Look, Queen Amidala, this is for you. Aren't they lovely?" the handmaiden asked as she thrust yellow and pink flowers toward her.

"Leias," Padme mummered as she was struck with another memory, only this time she didn't feel him in them.

"Anakin, please let me see," she told him from behind his human hand.

"No peaking, Padme, it's a surprise. I had to go through so length to get them and I want it to be a surprise," he added, laughter in his voice.

"Ani," she pretended to pout, as she followed him, she trusted him. She knew they had arrived home, but she didn't let on.

"Three-poi," she heard and he turned her to face him.

"Alright, Padme," he said taking his hand off of her eyes and lacing his fingers with it. "You can turn around now." She did as he said and her breathe hitched in her throat. There were small candles around the darkened room, and leis everywhere, covering the bed, the flowers were in varying colors of yellow and pink. Flowers that she knew bloomed only once every eighty some years.

"Oh, Ani, you shouldn't have gone through so much trouble," she said, looking into his clear blue eyes. "It's too much, and it must have cost a fortune."

"Nonsense, I only had to call in a few favors."

"You didn't give away our secret did you?"

"No, but I would if you would ask me to."

"I couldn't ask you to give up your dreams, Anakin," she said as she melted into him. And for once everything felt right in the world. She had never imagined that that little boy from Tatooine could make her feel more precious that the rarest of jewels. No other man had treated her as if she was some angel, some goddess that he happened to stumble into, one that made both their lives the better for it.

"Milady?" she heard, and realized she had been staring off into the distance.

"Yes, Tanel. Put these in water, please. Thank you."

Was the memory real? It sure felt real. She remembered the feel of his lips on her ear as he had whispered that he became Vader for her and their children, what did that mean? There was something significant about the leias, but what. Suddenly, she had an image of a dark-haired newborn babe, but it disappeared from her so quickly. Was it a niece of hers? A cousin? She knew she had a son, but a daughter? Was it possible? What if Cos had lied to her? What purpose would that serve? He had taken care of her, kept her safe, she owed him her life...she had to trust him. She walked around the palace of Theed, feeling images but nothing more. This had been her home once, but she didn't feel as if she belonged here.