I

The sweet smell of flowers and fresh air wakes me from a refreshing, deep sleep. I stretch, waking up with an exhausting yawn while twisting and turning in the soft, pastel sheets that cover the large bed I'm in. Morning sunlight pours through the curtained doorway and illuminates the open, familiar room. It feels good to be home at the Lake Palace. I feel rested.

I get out of bed and reach for the blue overcoat to slip over my white, satin nightdress. I wrap it around my body and walk out onto the terrace.

As soon as the morning sunlight hits my face, I feel rejuvenated from its warmth. Standing on the balcony, overlooking the lake, I open my arms and feel the breeze blow gently through my long, curly mass of hair. I feel the cool mist of the lake sprinkling on the damp ground.

For once in what feels like an eternity, I feel at peace. I've woken up to this beautiful paradise and cannot allow myself to take a minute of it for granted after the life of terror that's now behind me.

When I turn, he is standing in the doorway, greeting me with that wonderful, handsome smile. He found me. He must have rescued me from that medical facility. Deep down, I knew he would all along.

In his arms are our two infant children. He hands me our baby girl, Leia, and I hear her coo softly in my arms. She is so tiny, but so alive. Luke is fast asleep in his father's arms, but silently stirs when he hears his sister's noises.

They look just as beautiful as I'd imagined them in my dreams. Their eyes are bright with a light of hope and happiness. Their smiles and giggles are loud with the sounds of nature around them.

We're here—the Skywalker family—finally at peace in this illuminated morning.

In my head, war is over and democracy reigns. The sun seems to shine a little brighter than I can recall in recent memory over the lush mountains. I feel the happiest I've ever felt. I don't feel pain anymore.

I am so happy here in this moment. As soon as I look at Anakin, he moves close to me and finally, after a wait that went on far too long, he moves into me and places his soft lips on mine.

This kiss is perfect. It begins softly, and then gradually grows more firm and passionate between the two of us. This is our love story. We began and two star-crossed individuals who were brought together by duty and found that more importantly than anything, love—our love—matters more than a career or a role in society. It's not about me fighting for my people, or trying to rule a planet at fourteen. It never was. That was my duty and I felt that it was necessary. But it was never the essence of my true happiness.

This is my true happiness. And through this happiness, we found each other. Through this kiss, we realized just how important our love was all along.

As soon as we kiss, the love theme returns to my ears. It's been so long since I've heard it, yet it rings with such familiarity, it's as though I haven't forgotten a single note. I feel as though it never left my ears.

Just as it did for our first kiss in this very setting, the musical sounds of nature add to the symphony that rings though my head. The bird's chirping sounds harmonious to the gentle breeze that rustles nearby trees. And the soft gulps of the water as tiny waves lap the side of the stone building are the perfect bass to our orchestra.

Now that it's in my head, it will never leave. I'll make sure of it. Just as I know my husband and children will never leave. We'll never have to.

I'm glad we got away from it all. I'm glad we were able to escape the Empire and begin our life on Naboo. I'm glad Anakin was able to understand that power and control had no value over the love and happiness a family could offer.

Who knows where Palpatine is right now or what state the government is in? None of that matters to me any more. All that matters is that we are here as a family and nothing will ever be able to take that away from me.

I thought I had lost everything. I thought I had left a world full of darkness and evil. I thought I had left a broken Republic to further fall into darkness by a ruthless dictator. I thought I had left two, orphaned children to fend for themselves alone with a small band of surviving rebels in a galaxy that is more cruel than they could possibly know. And I thought I had left a husband, warped and twisted by the seduction of power and control, out there among the twinkling stars, searching for anything that he could take his anger and frustration out on while being controlled by his Sith Master.

But I was wrong. I didn't leave any of that. I have it all. I have my peace. I have my children. And I have my husband. Now, everything is perfect.

We're here.

We've found each other.

I knew my heroic Jedi would find me, even from across the stars.

End.