A/n: The lyrics/song shown at some point in this chapter belongs to one of the queens of music herself, Rihanna. All credit and kudos for the lyrics go to her and anyone else who helped her write and/or produce the lyrics and song in general. Enjoy this second to last(for now) flashback chapter! Thank you again for reading this book and your support!

Anakin wakes up with a throbbing headache and finds himself laying on a blanket and pillow, facing a warm breeze repeatedly hitting his face and just any exposed part of his body in general. He blinks his eyes awake and looks around, noticing that he is in a tent. His nose tickles, picking up a smell of spices, meat and...bread. Someone is probably nearby and cooking. On cue, his stomach growls ferociously; making Anakin curl a bit into himself on his side, feeling rather embarrassed. 'Where is Obi-Wan?' He wonders in his head, not sensing his master's presence anywhere.

Suddenly, a voice caught his attention, "Oh, you're awake. Welcome back, sir. A friend of yours dropped you off and-" Anakin tightens his fingers and curls them in a cat-like manner, as if he is going to scratch someone, before dashing forward and aiming for the source of the sound. His mind clears of fear and anger just in time for him to stop before his hands connected with skin. He looks and does a sharp gasp. The person in front of him is a strong, curvy, and slightly plus size woman. Her ebony skin glows beautifully in the sunlight. It's so clear and smooth looking as if she were a doll. Her hair is long and as black as the night sky empty of stars. It's in multiple tight braids that rain down her back, until it reaches her knee. Her eyes were a light shade of purple that sparkles like a diamond discovered for the first time in years. Her lips are round and full without your typical 'curve' at the top of it. Though she isn't wearing any makeup, her lips are dark brown with little sights of light pink in the middle.

Anakin is amazed by her beauty.

"As I was saying, your friend dropped you off and your weapon is here, in that pouch over there. I brought you some food. You were out for quite a while. I advise that next time you don't do so much intense activity as you did here. You're refusing to let your face show it, but you're still in pain, aren't you?" She asks at the end causally.

Anakin mentally curses himself, 'Damn. How did she know?! If master were to find out, he would never let me live it down!'

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone that you were so easily readable."

Anakin widens his eyes before glaring at her, "You can read minds?" He asks cooly.

"Yes, and I can use what you Jedi call, The Force. Here, we call this The Spirit." She answers with a smile.

Anakin looks down at the food, which looks absolutely delicious, "Can you explain this meal to me?"

"That's a first, but sure. We have this grain called rice, some bread rolls, spicy meat, and some fruit. This fruit here is called strawberries, this one here is called oranges, this one is called pineapple. Don't worry, this is not poisonous and if it is somehow, you may kill me. Now here, eat." She stretches out her arms and holds the meal out to him, in which Anakin reluctantly accepts. She then hands him a spoon, "For the rice," and some napkins, "for the rest of the food. It can get a bit messy." Anakin nods his head and thanks her, going back to his blanket to sit down. He takes a bite of his rice and some meat and freezes.

Then a smile graces his lips, this food is amazing! Dare he say this, it's even more better than the food he usually gets at home! "I love it miss, this food is so delicious, I'm jealous of your talent." The woman smiles and bows her head briefly before turning to exit the tent. "I will be back with your water." Anakin pauses his eating and calls out to her, "Wait! You didn't tell me your name." The woman turns around for a moment and gives him a dazzling smile that gives Anakin butterflies.

"My name is Nneka Ashanti!"

Just like that, she is gone. But she held true to her word and returns with water twenty minutes later, seeing Anakin's empty plate. "Good job, you finished. Would you like seconds?" She asks as she hands him his large cup of water. Anakin nods his head, "Yes, please." She nods in understanding and leaves again.

Anakin ends up eating a total of four plates of food and drinking three large cups of water. He is now satisfied and full for hours, maybe even a full day or two. It's now night time and Nneka waits until he falls asleep for her to step outside the tent. Her face is serious and lacking any of her past compassion and patience. She takes a deep, quiet breath and counts down from five.

Five...

...Four...

...Three..

..Two...

...One...

...

Zero.

A long wooden spike with a sharp, metal end suddenly appears and is heading towards the spot where Anakin is sleeping at full speed. Nneka leaps and catches it just in time. More spikes appear in the same directions and Nneka stretches out her arm and twirls the spike in her hand fast, blocking as much spikes as she can. It took around five minutes for the attack to end. Nneka was still in a defending position, but was very tired and weary.

"You never cease to amaze me, Nneka. I still wonder why you would be attracted to that pale skinned male in that tent. The same skin color of people who would persecute us and cut our throats if we ever disobeyed them. It's only been ten years or so since we've been freed from slavery and hardship." A voice speaks out with hints of venom in their words.

Nneka sighs and relaxes, getting out of her body position. She looks through the remaining dust clouds and finds a darker caramel skinned male with beautiful wooly hair shaped like a fluffy ball on top of his head. The edges of his hairline were neat and even, it fits his whole being. His face and mouth were strong and sharp. His light caramel eyes sparkled like stars in the night. His name is Izaiah, a man who has been pursuing Nneka for a while.

Once he was close enough, she responds, and her words were like ice. "Don't start to use and abuse our people's history just to advance your agenda. You nor men like you ever glanced my way for years. Instead, you would make fun of me because of my figure and my eyes. None of you acknowledged and help me to be at a healthier stage in my life and lose weight. None of you helped me raise two children to I had taken in as my own. No, instead, you KILLED them! All because they didn't come out of my own womb and as a way to hurt the most ugliest and fastest girl in our village. You only want me now because our current leader has recognized all that I've done for this place and named me his successor. For when it's his time to go, I will become the first woman to be the face of our village, and you don't like that. I know men of my skin color group love me and would be glad to treat me like the queen I am once we find each other. It's just the very few of you that makes me sick to my stomach! I understand, acknowledge and empathize with the controversy of my feelings. But that doesn't mean you and your group get to be worse than our oppressors! That man in there hasn't done a damn thing to us! This is my last warning, Izaiah. Stop attacking this man and leave him and myself alone. Come here again, I will end you. Even if it means I am stripped of my honor and sentenced to death." Izaiah says nothing, because he doesn't have much to say.

She's right about the hypocrisy and cruelty of some men who look like them, especially when it comes to their actions against her and women like her. However, she is wrong about two things. One, that man in the tent is a threat or at least someone to be suspicious of. Two, he does have feelings for Nneka. But he guesses that his cruel actions to her in the past hurt her too much to ever consider him as a potential partner. He knows that she would never forgive him for ordering her adopted children to be killed just out of spite and hate for what he saw as "deformities." They're not deformities, they're gifts. But it was too late when he realized his hateful actions, he already lost her. He now realizes that though he doesn't like the man in the tent, doing this will only further push Nneka away.

"Does he know that he was unconscious for months? That you have been attracted to him for months?" Izaiah asks.

"That is not of your concern." She answers sharply.

Izaiah shrugs and snaps his fingers before making his horse that he was on turn around, "He's going to find out one way or another. Oh well, let's see if your sister will marry me." With that, he and his group left, never to return again. A woman with one brown eye and one purple eye appears, she is beautiful like Nneka and a bit skinnier. But she is also strong and brave in her own right. This is Nneka's sister, Hesteria.

She places a soft hand on her sister's shoulder, "Sister, are you okay? I heard everything while making sure to check on the man in the tent." Nneka smiles and looks back at her younger sister, placing a hand on top of hers. "I'm okay, little one. It's just that...I feel like I failed my people by being attracted to a man of another race. But I just refuse to show hate or discrimination towards another person who is not like me. Not without reason, anyway." Hesteria shakes her head in disagreement, "You're not a failure to any of us, sister. Especially not to me. You can't help who you fall in love with all the time. But what you can control is your response to those feelings. It's up to you and your judgement. If he seems like a good man who likes you and will take care of you, you should be with him. I will defend your honor." Nneka sighs and shrugs her shoulders, "You got good advice, but what if my conscious is clouded by love? How am I suppose to make the right decision?" Hesteria turns Nneka around and pulls her into a hug.

"Follow the words whispered to you in your head in regards to this. If they say for you to pursue him, do so."

--

Over the course of three months, Nneka and Anakin grew closer and more comfortable with one another. Therefore, their secret feelings for each other continued to grow. Anakin became more willing to open up to her. He talks about his mother, his bond with Obi-Wan, his time as a slave for Waldo, and more. He even opens up his feelings about being a Jedi, one day. Though he did make sure to teach her briefly about Jedi and their role to the galaxy beforehand.

"Sometimes, I feel like I should've stayed with my mom and go to become the Jedi that I am now. The Council has every right to be cautious of me, I can see that now. I'm too brash and stubborn, I can be rude, I have too much anger within me that comes up so easily at dangerous levels. I'm an emotional person, I feel and want to embrace the emotions within me, especially love. But it's against the Jedi way; just like anger, love can blind me and cloud my judgement." Anakin explains.

Nneka tilts her head slightly to the side, "I think you experienced so much trauma and hurt for far too long. It's affecting you in more ways than one. It's hard to suppress love, Anakin. It's apart of our being. Besides, love comes in many forms. There is parental love, love of friends, love of pets, love of objects, romantic love, and so on. If you still plan on suppressing that, then you're doing a horrible job. By the way you describe your master, you seem to love him like he's your father and best friend. You hold him to high regard and never want to disappoint him or anybody else. I admire that, however, don't put unrealistic high expectations on yourself. You're not perfect and the world doesn't expect perfection. Not with its thousands of flaws anyway," she looks down and notices Anakin's hand slightly shaking, "you feel anger, don't you? Get up, let's have a friendly fight. I do that with someone available that I trust whenever I'm upset." She gets up and goes outside the tent, only to come back long wooden swords.

She throws one to Anakin, who easily catches it and gets up from his spot as well. "Be warned, I may go too hard on you. If you start to get injuries, let me know. I sometimes get too excited doing this sort of thing." Anakin smirks, "Are you some type of warrior." Nneka looks back briefly as she continues walking and gives a smirk of her own, "I'm a commander in my land's battalion. I am called the Shadow and Speed warrior." Anakin raises an eyebrow in slight surprise.

"I'm looking forward to it."

Nneka suddenly stops and throws her sword up very high in the sky, then she jumps to matches it height before it drops and does a halfway spin. She kicks it slightly to the side then slams her heel down on it's hilt. Sending it quickly down to Anakin. He gasps and barely manages to jump away. Nneka suddenly disappears within one blink of his eyes. 'Where is she? ' Within a second, he is pulled back and slammed onto the ground all in one go. He howls in pain and gasps sharply, his body automatically taking in each labored and quick breath as a form of distraction and quick recovery.

A voice puts him back on high alert, "Warriors do not rest in the heat of battle. You should know that, Jedi." Nneka comes out of nowhere and lands on his stomach hard, giving it one large stomp, but she angles it slightly more to the right. "GAH!" Anakin chokes for a second, sprinkles of saliva sputtering out of his mouth. "You're due for a nap." Nneka says emotionlessly, lifting her foot to get ready to bring it down. However, halfway to connect with his forehead, Anakin reaches out and stops it by grabbing her ankle. "Ar-Aren't you s-s-s-supposed to go easy on me since I'm still recovering?" He stutters out, struggling to hold back Nneka's foot. The woman smiles, "You're well enough to move. Therefore, any injury you sustain now that is not so serious, you can drink our healing ambrosia. It will complete most of your healing and recovery journey. Now Jedi, would you like to continue or shall we stop here and declare me the winner?" Anakin ponders and then whispers something very quiet.

Nneka raises her eyebrow and relaxes her foot, bringing it down and back into position. She then readjusts it and her other foot on the ground at both of Anakin's sides, squatting down and bringing her face close afterwards. "What did you say? I couldn't here you." She says, slightly turning her head so that her ear can face him. Anakin smirks and grabs both sides of her head in his hands, "Checkmate." He turns it around to face him and closes his eyes, bringing it down and connecting both of their lips together. Her breath quietly hitches and her body freezes, but she doesn't move away. Instead, she presses herself closer and lets herself be engulf in Anakin's passionate embrace. Her face heats up and her heart beats rapidly as if she is running a marathon. Anakin does a small lick to the bottom of her lip and she willingly invites him in. They engaged in a dance. Left-right, up-down, and all around. One of Anakin's arms wraps around her waist and his other hand cradles the back of her head, treating her like a precious jewel.

She trembled slightly as her heart, her soul, blossoms like a newly emerged rose. The more they continue, the more their souls twist, braid, and woven together into a tight, un breakable rope. That rope then bends itself at its ends and ties together into multiple secure knots. After a forever amount of time, Nneka and Anakin slowly pull away. Starting with the feet, then the arms, then the hands, and finally the lips. Now, their bond is complete.

Anakin's voice trembles as he lets out a shaky sigh and declares this about the woman in front of him, his wife all forgotten. "My rose. My precious, beautiful, rose." He looks up at her as she looks down at him, their shiny, tear-filled eyes locking together in a glance. When they both let their lips stretch into blinding shiny smiles, the tears fell, and so does their resolve. Anakin's tears continue to flow down and paint his face when he closes his eyes. Leaning his forehead forward and connecting it with hers.

"Please be mine..."

Nneka lets out a small but slow breath, closing her eyes as well. Her silence was only for a few seconds before she reveals her answer, "I'm yours, Anakin. I'm...yours, forever."

Their lips once again, come together in another dance.

--

Another three months later...

"...Nine months, for nine months you all hid this from me?"

"Anakin please, it was for your own..."

"My own, what? My own good? Are you serious? Tell me this...tell me this right now. How is all of THIS, for my own GOOD?!"

"Hush child, and refrain from being angry and doing something you regret."

"My leader, please don't be too harsh on him, I will take care of it. I promise you."

"WHERE IS OBI-WAN?! TAKE ME TO HIM! YOU COULD'VE FOUND A WAY TO TAKEN US BOTH IN BUT YOU LEFT HIM TO DIE!"

"Anakin, listen to me. After the explosion, you were in critical condition. He couldn't find a healing center near enough and I was nearby. I saw the both of you and was willing to help. But we only had extra supplies of equipment and treatment for one person. He insisted on you staying with us, instructing me to take care of you and not let you go until you're well in the body and mind. I'm not sure where Obi-Wan is but I sense that he is a strong and resilient man. He will come for you."

"Nneka he is the only family I have! Everyone else either hates and disowns me or is DEAD! He's my dearest friend and like a brother and parent all in one, I LOVE HIM! Let me go, please! Obi-Wan...oh, Obi-Wan, I'm sorry. I'm sorry...I'm a total failure."

Anakin collapses onto his knees and bends down to the ground, tears of pain and agony drenching his face as he lets out broken, soundless sobs. He lets Nneka pull him close to her and cradle him close, directing him to lay the side of his head on her shoulder and press his face in the crook of her neck. Smelling soft vanilla and strawberry scents on her. She gathers as much of her love onto her lap as she can, rocking and shushing him. At this point, everyone else except for the leader, left a while ago. Anakin takes slow, deep breaths and listens to Nneka's heartbeat. Feeling her relaxing force energy.

...ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dam, ba-dam, ba-dam,...

Yes, the heart beat of his love.

..Bom, bom, bom, bom, bom..."

What a minute. What is this second heart beat? Why is this small ball of force energy really strong? Anakin places a soft hand on Nneka's stomach...

...and immediately retracts his hand and stands up.

Nneka looks at him worriedly, "Anakin! What's wrong? What's going on?"

"You're...pregnant. Aren't you?" He asks slowly.

...

Nneka sighs softly and nods her head, "Yes, that's correct. I'm pregnant with your child, Anakin."

Anakin's eyes went wide in surprise as a small and sharp gasp escape his lips. He stiffly turns around and marches out of the tent, Nneka doesn't do anything to stop him and lets Anakin go. They will be okay, everything will be okay and the way it was before. The leader lets out a sigh of his own and stands up, "Anyone would be glad to have a child. His response is suspicious. You better hope this is just hysteria or whatever. I'm heading to bed, goodnight, Nneka." The woman nods, "Goodnight." The leader looks back right when they reach the exit, "Rest well, child. I will be praying for you." After that, the leader leaves and Nneka is all alone.

Later that night, Anakin is outside while Nneka sleeps inside their now, shared tent. He is sitting in front of the fireplace he made not too long ago. "I made a very, very, bad mistake. I have a wonderful and beautiful wife at home, waiting for me. There is no right of me to just abandon her because of one little argument. I shouldn't have let myself fall in love with someone else. I-I can't stay here...I have to say my goodbyes and leave. This isn't fair to Nneka. She doesn't deserve this. I will do it...yes, I gotta do it now before I get myself more stuck here. I'm not sure where Obi-Wan is but I will find him and finish our mission." He whispers to himself, getting up and heading back into the tent, not noticing another presence there.

He reaches Nneka's sleeping form and his heart aches as he notices her dried up tears on her beautiful, ebony skin. Such a beauty and kind soul shouldn't cry, not because of him, anyway. Anakin takes a deep breath and squats down, gently shaking Nneka awake. He watches her eyes fluttering open, revealing her gorgeous purple orbs alongside her long eyelashes. She lets out a small yawn, in which Anakin finds utterly adorable. "Anakin, are you alright? You can't sleep again?" Anakin shakes his head and pulls her into his arms, closing his eyes and pressing long kisses to the crown of her head.

"No." He croaks out.

Nneka looks up and cups his cheek in her warm, comforting hand, "Anakin...something is up, you seem very distressed. What's wrong?" Anakin holds her hand in place and turns his face, kissing the inside of her hand. "I love you so much, my rose. You understood me much better than anyone else, I swear on it. You helped me recover and regain my strength. You made me whole again. I enjoyed our time together and this baby," he places his free hand gently on her belly, rubbing it slowly in circles, "is a blessing. The greatest gift I will ever receive in my life." He leans down and kisses her for the last time, easily going into their usual dance and embrace. Nneka, still a bit worried and uneasy, let's him and doesn't 'complain' when he ends it earlier than usual. Anakin kisses all over he face slowly before moving away and holding her hands in his, only. Rubbing his thumb gently over her knuckles.

"However, I have to go, I did something that is not fair to you...or the other person involved." He declares softly.

Nneka's hearts did a painful leap in her chest, "An-Anakin, what are you saying...I don't understand."

Anakin presses his cheek closer to Nneka's hand, using her natural warmth as a way of comfort and to steady himself,"It's not you...it's me. Nneka, you have fallen in love and conceive a child with a married man. I have been married to a woman named Padmé Amidala, former queen and now current senator to Naboo. Our wedding is secret to the Jedi because they don't allow marriages. As far as I know, no one except for now...you, knows of our union. I'm a horrible man, Nneka. You deserve someone better, someone who can give you the world-"

"But you give me that world, Anakin! You did, no one else! Just like you told me a lot about yourself, your insecurities, and more... in which I'm honored by this, I told you a lot about me and my feelings and insecurities. Other than my family and few remaining friends that I adore, I don't trust everyone so easily. Yes, even the leader! He knows this too and can tell you if you ask him! You promised to marry me and for us to run into the sunset. Please don't let that be a lie...please." She chokes out, trying to hold back her tears.

Anakin's heart and soul is aching in pain, he can't take it anymore. He lets go of her completely and stands up, moving away. "Goodbye my rose, good luck to you and our child." Nneka grabs onto his ankle, sobbing and begging Anakin not to go. Anakin faces forward and starts to walk, dragging her along, hoping that she would let go pretty quickly. But she doesn't.

She sobs...wails...screams for his love, for a man already gone to turn back and come with her. A lot of people on her village wake up and race outside, their hearts also aching once they witness the heartbreaking scene. The leader and Izaiah rush out of their own tents, watching Nneka declaring her love for Anakin and begging him to stay over and over again. She even goes as far as mentioning their baby and how they will need both parents, she even starts talking about Obi-Wan would "want" Anakin to be well enough before heading back to the Jedi world. But nothing she says worked. Her words and sadness fell on deaf ears. It was useless, her efforts are futile.

The leader and her sister rush forward and gently but firmly grab her arms and legs respectively, "Nneka stop this, he's gone! There is nothing else you can do! Let. Him. GO!" The leader roars furiously mixed with some panic. Her sister hums a small melody as she successfully pries Nneka's hand away from Anakin's ankle, replacing it with her own hand. The rest of the village people who are awake join in the humming, just as her sister starts to sing a lullaby their late mother would sing to them.

"Lift me up...hold me down; Keep me close, safe and sound."

Nneka goes limp and she lets her sister pull her onto her lap, cradling close like a mother soothing her distressed child in the night with rocking and calming melodies.

"Burning in a hopeless dream, hold me when you go to sleep. Keep me in the warmth of your love; When you depart, keep me safe. Safe and sound..."

Some of the villagers joined in while the others keep up with humming the melody as a way to help comfort their fellow friend...child...sister.

"Lift me up..hold me down. Keep me close, safe and sound..Drowning in an endless sea, take some time and stay with me. Keep me in the strength of your arms; Keep me safe...safe and sound..."

The heart is warm, but the tears never stop.

She is broken, never to be fully put back together again, she is at least assembled temporarily from time to time, but she won't stick together forever. Not anymore.