SeraphimXII: Sorry for the confusion, but I thought I'd move these characters on a bit as they will become important again as the story continues. I also thought it would be interesting to explore what would happen with their relationship after such an event. Old Obi's words from the movie "You will be expelled from the Jedi order!" came back to me and I thought, well what would happen if he was expelled? He's supposed to be the Chosen one and he's 'choosing' to abandon the Jedi! As for Padme, I've read stories where she's died having had the kids, but never something where all prospect of having the kids is gone and I wanted to explore that situation.
AndrossKenobi: Point taken, I'll probably post more than one chapter at a time, which will mean longer times between posts, but I agree that the chapter lengths have been getting shorter and I can see how this would be frustrating. Apologies for that.
Anakin was surprised at how shaky his legs felt under him as he made his way to Padme's room. They had not been injured and yet were not doing what was asked of them in this simple trip. Yoda, at his side, slowed down, leaning on his stick a little more heavily.
"Slow down, you must, legs not as long as yours I have," and he nudged the young man's calf to get him to pull back. Anakin wasn't fooled by his old Master's comments, but was grateful for the excuse to take things a little slower. He always did have a tendency to over exert himself and now was no exception as he desperately needed to be close to Padme.
They entered the ante chamber to the suite of rooms Padme and her entourage had at the Palace and all eyes turned to them, faces full of concern and fear, others with flashes of anger at the Jedi's presence. It was understandable after all, Anakin had been assigned to protect Padme and only brought her into danger both on Tatooine and the tragedy of Geonosis. It was not something that the room's occupants openly expressed, but the flow of emotions in the room showed the hostility towards him and his Master coming more from the blood relations of Padme. Her parents sat by the door leading into her bedroom and they rose at the Jedi's entrance, only to sit almost immediately, comforting each other.
Dorme came over to Anakin and took his hand to lead him to the bedroom. He sensed her nervousness, but no hostility towards him from the hand maiden. If anything she seemed genuinely pleased he was there, and led him quickly through the room.
"She's been asking for you, she woke up almost as soon as she got back here and wanted you inside first." On hearing this he realized some of the hostility had been raised due to this simple request of their daughter, and he couldn't bring himself to look upon Padme's parents as he moved past them. He was just about to head through the door, when Padme's mother touched his arm and he paused to look down at her with eyes of deep regret at the situation. Although tears welled within them, her mother smiled suddenly warmly at Anakin. He was surprised at this and moved to touch her hand, only to remember his left hand was gone. He closed his eyes and simply nodded at her and then turned into the room.
Padme lay sleeping it seemed, propped up in the large bed against the far wall of the room. It was less opulent than the one he had found himself in and had been filled with obvious touches from her family residence where he had spent such a brief but happy time with her recently. So much had happened between them since then, and surrounded by these trappings, she looked so small and vulnerable, more so than at any time he had seen her. He moved to the side of the bed and eased himself into a chair as Dorme moved to see how Padme was doing.
"Looks like she dozed off for a moment, the surgeon said that might happen. It could be a while before she wakes up again."
"I'll stay for a while, if I may." He looked at Dorme who was straightening the covers over Padme. He had noticed a change on all Padme's people since returning to Naboo. It was as if they had matured into something a little more distant and quiet. He reached up and took Dorme's hand, knowing the source of her underlying concern.
"How are the others taking the news about Latterie?" he asked as she stopped and looked to the floor. She thought about her response very carefully and Anakin realized that, although they now knew of his secret, they really hadn't had the time to process it, with the illness of their Mistress and the horror of this war starting. He rubbed her hand with his thumb, sending subtle waves of reassurance to her as she turned to him and sat gently on the bed so as not to disturb Padme. She sighed heavily before she began. Where was she to start?
"Some better than others," she said softly, "Nawe was particularly shaken by the whole experience, not surprisingly. I think at first he blamed himself terribly for what happened with Latterie's disappearance, but then he moved to blaming him for his injuries and had some trouble dealing with his anger for a while. Chancellor Palpatine was wonderful and really helped him a lot and he's been accepted into the Republic Guard Academy, he leaves tomorrow."
It had been difficult for them to come to terms with having someone they trusted so completely turning out to be someone completely different. She had loved him as a close friend, confided many of her concerns and fears to him, and she had to admit he had always been there for her, even recently with the terrible bombing of their ship. But now, even though she knew his character was good, she felt cheated, like she had only known half a person. He had never exactly lied to them, but he'd never felt close enough to them to reveal his true self. Perhaps he was doing it for noble reasons, it didn't make up for that empty feeling she now felt, knowing the man Latterie was gone and replaced with this former Jedi. It would have been easier if Latterie had been a man who had died, rather than this limbo she felt. At least then she could have mourned for him. But all she really wanted was to see his face again, reach out to him and hold him close to her, just as they had done in the hospital room where he had made her laugh over some silly mess of tissue.
Realizing she had been contemplative for a while she looked back up to the inquiring eyes of the Jedi before her, witnessing the same calm serenity in adversity she had seen within her Letterie and strangely she found comfort in that. And she squeezed his hand reassuringly and smiled.
"Gregar, I mean Captain Typho, thought he'd dreamt the whole thing about Latterie claiming to be a Jedi!" she chuckled to herself, trying to lighten the mood. "He's been the best at pointing out what Latterie did for us all, how he brought us all together. He's been an excellent replacement, which is just what Latterie would have wanted, I'm sure."
"We'll be alright, he trained us well and Gregar is continuing that training. We're not likely to forget that training any time soon considering in what good stead it's placed us. And we're going to need it with this war coming. I just wish…"
She was cut short by the murmur coming from the occupant of the bed.
"Padme?" asked Dorme gently, turning to her Mistress and getting off the bed. Anakin let go of her hand and lent forward to see the stirring woman. "How do you feel?"
"Better for the rest, thank you Dorme." Hear voice was a little hoarse and sounded weaker than he had ever heard her, but it was so good to hear he really didn't care and held back a quiet sob as his feelings for her rushed up through his body, his sense of relief at her waking overwhelming him.
"Anakin?" came the sweet voice, a little stronger this time. "Oh, my darling, how long have you been here?" And she tried to lift herself to reach for him, but Dorme gently pressed her back into the bed.
"He still has both legs, he can come to you!" she said playfully and backed away so that Anakin could get to her and embrace her as gently, but firmly as he could.
Dorme backed away from them, smiling warmly at the happy reunion. "I'll leave you alone for a while. Call if you need anything and remember, you do have other visitors, don't tire each other out." And she headed out of the room.
Anakin just wanted to hold her like that, despite the discomfort to his still injured body. He wanted to breathe in her warm scent and hold even that inside himself, not wanting to have any part of her leave him. But a gentle pat from her hand on his back indicated she wanted to be released from the embrace. He sat back on the bed, his eyes studying her face, examining every line and crease, eventually falling into those deep pools of dark brown, sensing nothing but her love flowing freely from her healing form and his own love washed over her like a cleansing breeze. Her gentle eyes closed and for a moment he thought she had perhaps fallen asleep again, overcome with the power of their feelings.
But her eyes reopened with a sudden deep sadness in them. She glanced down at her belly, covered with the light blanket Dorme had carefully placed over her.
"We'll get through this, Padme, together," his voice gentle and nurturing to her ears. It wasn't that she had wanted children right now, but the thought of never having that experience, to feel another life grow inside of her, feel those tiny kicks and rolls, hold her own child in her arms. She shivered, a coldness of feeling she had never known draining her body. He was there to warm her, her shining knight, and she sank back into his arms, the warmth of him soothing her, making the world bearable again. It was her turn to breath him into her lungs and that sweet scent lifted her more than his words.
"I'm so glad you're here," she said, barely a whisper, but he heard and held her closer, bringing her into his hold and she turned to place her side against his chest , her legs bent in a half curl. He stroked her arm, her head resting against his chest and he gently placed his chin on the top of her head. "I can't face them just now, I need .." she paused to compose herself.
"Take all the time you need, I'm not going anywhere."
She looked up at him and his injured arm.
"The operation is tomorrow and I'll be fitted with the new arm in a matter of days. It's almost over, for both of us."
"How can you say that? I started a war, Anakin! No matter what others may claim, it was my direct actions, that you even warned me about, that have plunged this galaxy into a terrifying conflict."
"A conflict that has been building for years and was so far towards the brink that any tiny move on either side could have triggered the situation. Let me remind you that the Clone army, alone, was enough to place both sides on tender hooks. Please, Padme, don't take this whole thing on yourself, it will crush you under its weight and I couldn't bear to see that, my dearest love."
He pulled her head to rest on his chest again, his love to her flowing so freely through the force, she gasped at the touch of his feelings on her mind. This direct connection they had formed was something completely new and unexpected and she reciprocated his feelings of love and comfort whole heartedly.
"Padme," Anakin gasped as he felt the connection between them suddenly growing into something more akin to a Master/padawan training bond, only deeper, a connection of soul to soul that exposed their minds to all aspects of one another. "It truly is the will of the force." His voice was merely a whisper, as the force around them and within them seemed to sing through their huddled forms, binding them together, forming one soul within two bodies. Suddenly the empty, cold feeling from before was completely gone from Padme and a new, greater spirit began emerging from deep within her. Anakin, for his part, just basked in the awakening of his love and rocked her gently on the bed, feeling her strength returning to her mind and body.
After what seemed an eternity they came back to themselves, breathing deeply and evenly, as though they were waking from the most restful sleep either of them had experienced. Anakin let Padme sit up against the pillows and he sat back on the bed, admiring her infectious smile, his own smile aching his face.
"Wow," said Padme quietly, "OK, that was …. extraordinary, to say the least! What happened?"
Anakin giggled and shook his head. "I have no idea, but I really liked it! It felt so …"
"So completing, like we were one being!"
"Exactly," he said enthusiastically, all thoughts of their earlier conversation stripped from both their minds. "Like the force was bringing us in from the cold."
"That's exactly how I felt about it!" she replied and gazed into his excited crystal blue eyes. Now she was the one giggling. "I love you." She said earnestly and he took her chin in his hand and drew it to him and with their lips barely touching he whispered "I know," and then took her lips to his and descended into a kiss that electrified his senses.
A rather demanding knocking and disturbance at the bedroom door had the two break from the kiss and turn just as the door burst open to reveal Yoda getting past Dorme.
"I'm most terribly sorry, he rather insisted," she tried to explain as the green gnome trundled over to the bed.
"It's alright, Dorme, Master Yoda is most welcome at this time," came Padme's crisp reply and her warm smile brought tears to Dorme's eyes to see her Mistress looking so radiant. She bowed and closed the door behind her as she left.
"You felt it, didn't you Master?" asked Anakin as The Jedi Master jumped from the chair to the bed, his face concerned. He placed his walking stick on the covers and held his hands out for the two young people to lean into. Placing his palm on each of their forehead he breathed in a large sigh as he felt the deep connection that had formed between them. This was not supposed to be possible, this was something unique between force sensitives. And no Master/padawan link had ever been this close, this complete in his many years of experience.
"What does it mean, Master Yoda?" asked Padme from her bent position over the Jedi Master. Both Anakin and Padme shot each other a playful glance, feeling the Jedi Master testing their bond. He breathed in deeply several times and then broke from the connection none the wiser as to how this could have happened. The force was certainly changing around them, perhaps here they were outside the influence of the Sith. But that didn't explain the strength of this bond between them. Anakin's abilities were considerable, and Yoda himself had practically released him from his obligations to the order, but it all seemed to be happening too fast for the almost nine hundred year old Master.
"Say, I cannot, for know I do not" he said honestly to them and looked up into their beaming faces, "cautious you both must be. Sith, I'm sure, aware of this, will be. Protected you must be."
A somberness suddenly descended on the pair as the creeping reality of their galaxy slipped back into their beings. They lifted themselves from Yoda's palms and held hands, Anakin nodding his understanding, Padme feeling weighted down again by the situation.
"We will return with you to the temple as soon as we are rested," he began, Padme nodding in agreement as he spoke.
"No!" exclaimed Yoda, much to the surprise of both of them, "Jedi Temple, no place for you, will be," at first Anakin was rather hurt by Yoda's words, but the Jedi Master continued to explain his outburst in calmer tones.
"Safe there, you will not be. Influence of Dark Lord felt even there. Hide, you must, study this connection you must, but this conflict, avoid you must. Sensed this I have. Terrible time approaches and from this, protect you, we must. Find place to hide, you must, out on the Rim."
An idea flashed to Anakin.
"Tatooine!" he exclaimed, "I have family there, but none that anyone within the temple knows about. It's out of the Republic, and the Hutts have autonomy. No Separatist is going to dare to cross the Hutts."
"For a start, good place this will be, but stay there too long, do not. And of this, mention nothing to anyone outside this room. Trusted, they can be, but defend them all, you could not. Comes first, your safety, in this. To the temple, return will I and study also, this new connection."
"It's decided, then, we go to Tatooine and figure out what happened and why between us, while Master Yoda returns and tries to find out all he can about this within the temple," said Padme summing up. "But first, I have to talk to my people and you have surgery tomorrow, so I suggest you head back and get some rest."
Her voice was strong and confident again, reminding them both of the Queen she had once been and both Yoda and Anakin found themselves marveling at the glow she now seemed to exude at them through the living force. She felt rather disconcerted suddenly by their gaze and began to brush them off her bed.
"Well, gentlemen, I believe our meeting is concluded," she said, mockingly taking on her politician tone, making Anakin smile, and the Jedi rose from the bed and bowed to her as they left.
"Oh, Anakin," she said as he was almost at the door. He turned to face her and although she was across the room in her bed, he felt the gentle caress of the force against his cheek and then drift over his lips, leaving them pleasantly tingling.
Padme was very pleased with her manipulation of his force signature to be able to do that and she smiled at him as he recovered from the caress.
"Just wanted to see if that would work," she said quietly and he replied simply by smiling ruefully at her and blowing her a kiss.