Thanks for the reviews, everyone! I finally figured out what I'm going to do with this story! Um, haha. I've been making this up as I go. Ha. But no more! Now I have THE PLAN. Wrote in Biology. Now I'm going to fail the quiz about neurotransmitters.

SO APPRECIATE THIS!

Ok?

Ok. Here's a longer chapter in compensation for the last one.

I'll shut up now.

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Padmé was absolutely relieved when Dormé arrived.

Soon after her confrontation with Anakin, the Emperor had entered the room and asked to speak with her privately. She'd sat with him for a long time while he had explained Anakin's new medical needs, such as nutrition and sleep and such matters. It was then that she had realized that she would probably never be going home again. Anakin would be needing constant attention, and the medical supplies he needed were with Palpatine. Conclusively, Padmé would have to go wherever he would go.

Now she was residing in the Imperial Palace with the emperor of the galaxy and his second-in-command.

She'd asked that Dormé be allowed to live with them just last night, claiming that she needed the extra help, what with her being pregnant and such, and Palpatine had reluctantly agreed. And now, after two weeks, Dormé finally arrived with all the things from the apartment. Not much; some decent clothes, a few personal possessions, and all of her datapads. Padmé marveled at the swiftness with which she had adjusted to the nonmaterial lifestyle.

The Senator grinned and threw her arms around her handmaiden and friend, albeit somewhat awkwardly with her large belly. "Dormé!" she exclaimed happily. "How I've missed you!"

After a moment, her handmaiden pulled back and gave a small smile. "How have you been, my lady?" she questioned politely, her primary concern being her lady's well-being. "Are you all right? Is the baby ok?"

Padmé nodded. "We're fine, Dormé." She gave a small, sardonic chuckle. "Well, getting by, at least. Come in, please! I've been in this dress for a week and I feel absolutely filthy." She ushered the other woman inside the suite and shut the door behind her.

"It's very large," Dormé commented, sweeping her gaze critically over the spacious living space. "But do we really need all this space?"

Padmé shrugged. "Not really," she said by way of answer. She stopped herself from saying that she liked the large space because it made it easier to avoid Ani when he was in one of his moods. And over the past fourteen days, she'd seen him in every possible mood imaginable.

Dormé eyed her for a moment, then handed one of the bags she'd brought to Padmé. "This one's yours," she informed her. "Where's the bedroom?"

Padmé took her friend's arm and led her through the suite, noticing that it was indeed very spacious. It was very easy to get turned around in the twisting corridors of the apartment. Sometimes it took her several minutes to find her own room.

Once they reached the bedroom, the women began unpacking. Padmé could not express her gratitude to finally have some of her things with her again. Maybe, now that she had her clothes and Dormé was here, it would finally start to feel like a place worthy of the title 'home.'

She was lost in thoughts such as these when the killer question came.

"How's Anakin?"

Padmé froze from within the closet, where she'd been hanging up a dark blue dress. The tone of Dormé's voice told her that it was not a simple, polite inquiry. It was a very serious question, one which she probably wanted a very detailed answer to.

Quickly, she recovered herself. "Well," she began, placing the dress on the hanger. "He's been hurt." She hoped that maybe Dormé would see this as a tender subject and let it be at that.

"You already mentioned that on the comm. last night," Dormé pointed out accusingly. "What do you mean by 'hurt'?" Obviously, she wanted more.

Padmé winced at her handmaiden's straightforwardness. "It's bad," she replied slowly. "He had major surgery just two weeks ago."

Dormé curious face appeared in the doorway of the closet, hands on her hips and determination in her eyes. "What kind of surgery?" she pressed on.

Padmé sighed and stopped fussing with her clothing. "Dormé," she said firmly. "I was hoping to have this conversation with you later, but it appears that you won't rest until you get answers, so I'll be honest with you, Dormé. Anakin has turned to the darkside."

Dormé's brows furrowed, like in confusion, and her hand very slowly progressed upwards to cover her mouth. "What?" she whispered. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said," Padmé retorted, and tried to explain the situation as best as she could. "It turns out that the Emperor is a Sith Lord. He's been behind everything, Dormé; the war, the creation of the army, everything. After Count Dooku was killed, Anakin joined Palpatine." Padmé took a deep breath and forced the words to come out. "He killed the Jedi."

The color drained from her friend's face.

She held her hand to her heart as her jaw dropped, and slowly she sank down to the floor. "How could he?" she hissed to herself.

Padmé felt her heart go out to her handmaiden, and she slowly knelt down beside her. "Palpatine deceived him," she told her, and placed her hand on Dormé's arm. "He befriended him when Ani was just a little boy. My guess is that Palpatine saw his potential and began to foster Anakin's talents in his own ways." She shuddered briefly.

Dormé said nothing.

"I know how shocked you must be," Padmé tried to sympathize with her. "I just found out myself. Obi-Wan tried to tell me, but I wouldn't believe him. So I went looking for Anakin, and when I saw what he was capable of…well, then I believed." She sighed. "He hurt me. He thought I had betrayed him and he tried to choke me."

Dormé's head snapped up at that. "He tried to choke you?" she cried, and jumped up. "Padmé, what are you still doing here?" she questioned harshly. "How can you stay with him after that? How?!"

She sighed tiredly, wishing she could make her friend understand. "Because I saw when he was hurt," she whispered, and leaned her head back into the wall, closing her eyes. "I saw Obi-Wan immolate him."

She could almost feel the heat of the lava on her face. She could taste the ashes in the air and smell the odor of sulfur. She could hear Anakin's screams.

"Anakin rolled down the hill, screaming," she continued, a lump of emotion rising in her throat. "He was lying there, so limp, like he was about to pass out. I could feel his pain, Dormé. Force, just thinking about it hurts so much." She swallowed. "He was so close to the lava…the flames caught onto his clothes. He has third-degree burns all over his body. He can't breathe on his own or eat on his own, or feel the air on his face or even see me with his own eyes. He's in a life-support suit now. And no matter what, he'll never be the same."

She opened her eyes, and saw Dormé gazing at her, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I can't leave him," Padmé choked, and squeezed her eyes shut to keep the tears from falling. "Believe me, I know I should. I've seen what he can do…what he is now. He can kill and torture and he can do it without a second thought. But after seeing him hurt like that…" She trailed off and took a deep breath. "I have to keep hoping, Dormé. I have to keep praying that the Anakin I know will come back to me. That, and the baby, are all I have left."

Padmé kept her eyes closed for a long time, just trying to keep herself from crying. She'd thought she had no more tears left to shed, but it appeared that she still did. Finally, after that tense moment of silence, she felt Dormé's arms go around her, comforting her.

"I'm so sorry, Padmé," she whispered into her lady's ear. "I'm so sorry." She stayed there with her, rocking the sobbing, pregnant woman until the tears stopped falling.

-:-:-:-:-

Two hours later, they heard Anakin at the door.

Padmé's head snapped up from the datapad she was reading and frantically met Dormé's eyes. She herself was used to an emotional Sith Lord coming home from his physical therapy, but her friend was not. She hoped Dormé would be able to adjust. She'd not seen him in the suit, yet, after all.

Dormé gave her a reassuring smile, and nodded. Padmé was relieved.

"Come on," she said, putting the datapad down. "Let's get this over with." She very slowly managed to hoist her very heavy body out of the seat she was reclining it. Cursing her immobility, she hoped to herself that the baby would be born soon, because she was beginning to tire of being pregnant. Well, she was eight months along. It would not be far off now.

With her friend at her side, she made her way towards the front of the apartment, where Anakin would be. Bracing herself, she prepared herself for the worst.

He soon came into view.

He was standing, black armor gleaming underneath the lights of the suite, just in front of the door, looking curiously at his left arm and moving it around in a strange, experimental fashion. He noticed them very quickly.

"Dormé," his mechanical voice boomed. "I…didn't know you would be here so soon."

Dormé composed herself immediately, and Padmé could not stop the swell of pride in her at that. "Well, I wanted to be here for Mistress Padmé."

Anakin looked at her for a moment longer, then turned to face his wife. "Padmé, I need to speak with you," he said in a tone of voice that indicated it wasn't a request. "Privately."

Padmé swallowed a thick lump in her throat, and spared a glance in Dormé's direction. "Would you excuse us?" she asked, and she was sure her voice trembled.

Dormé lowered her head. "Yes, my lady," and quickly stepped from the room.

Leaving the two of them alone.

Padmé pulled her tangled hair away from her neck and looked into the deep orbs of an expressionless face. "What do you need to talk to me about?" she asked, trying to sound casual.

He looked at her a moment longer before replying. "Padmé, you're eight months along in your pregnancy, aren't you?" he asked slowly.

She narrowed her eyes. "Yes, I am," she answered quickly. "What are you getting at?" She shifted her feet and refused to look away from his face.

He sighed, the noise sounding extremely foreign through his mechanical oxygen mask. "I think you should rest more often," he told her, stepping closer to her. "You look more tired every day, and well, with the baby on the way…I just don't want to take any unnecessary risks."

Padmé sighed, exasperated. Would he ever let that damned dream of his go? "How many times do I have to tell you?" she snapped. "I'm fine-"

"I know that," he hissed back, coming to a halt directly in front of her and gazing down at her, his breaths landing on her face, tickling her nose. "But I can't lose you, Padmé," he said in a low voice, moving his hand up to cup her cheek. "Not now. Not after everything that's happened."

Sith Lord that he was, she could still hear the barely suppressible fear in his voice, could detect the tremor in his hand. Her heart feeling heavy, she reached her own hand up and forced it to grasp his upon her cheek, holding it to her. She closed her eyes and whispered, "You won't lose me. You have to believe me, Anakin. It's not healthy to live like this. Your fear is eating away at you from the inside, hindering your judgment. You can't go on like this."

She meant her words to be soft and gently advising, but they had the opposite effect on her temperamental husband. Immediately, he stepped away from her, as if disgusted. "Perhaps you should keep such opinions to yourself," he snapped at her, and made for the front door. "The Emperor's asked me to meet with him. I just came home to tell you that you need to take it easy." The door swished open with the mere will of his mind. "Heed my words, Padmé. They will do you well."

And with that, he was gone.

Padmé let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, and sighed. Until she could prove to him that she would be all right, he'd continue to act this way. Like Vader. Not Anakin.

She was beginning to miss his blue gaze and his soft, loving voice.

Pushing such maudlin thoughts aside, she went to speak with Dormé, and reluctantly noted that the next month would probably be the longest, most intolerable month of her life.

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To be continued…