Merry Christmas everyone! Thank you all so much for waiting so patiently. I'm finally able to breath after this semester from taking all these exams and doing all these papers and presentations. Now as for this new chapter, I hope you all like it. The last bit was a little tricky to finish. Enjoy.

Chapter 7

Once Divo's attention was on Anakin and Ferus, Padme had grabbed the box of holos and ran with Sabe and Typho right behind her. When they reached the dining room, they stopped and hid when they saw the Stormtroopers outside a little ways from the terrace.

Then there was a loud explosion on the other side of the house, drawing most of the Stormtroopers away from the terrace towards the mayhem Padme was sure Anakin was causing. They wasted no time. They ran. They went across the terrace and down the steps. They were nearing the brush when the last two Stormtroopers turned around and saw them.

"Hey you! Stop!"

Padme's hands were full, which meant she couldn't grab her blaster. She continued to run.

Typho and Sabe fired their blasters and shot the Stormtroopers, but it was too late. Once they reached the brush, Padme saw that the Stormtroopers' shouts had caught the rest of their squad's attention. They started chasing them.

Padme ran as fast as her legs could carry her, hugging the box to her body. Branches snagged her clothing and scratched her skin, but she kept running.

Once they reached their speeder, Typho started the engine while Sabe untied them. Padme sat down next to Typho, continuing to hold the box when Sabe jumped in and Typho gunned it. They flew across the water, and Padme looked back to see several other water speeders and feared they were coming after them. She quickly realized that the water speeders weren't chasing them, but after another speeder she knew had to be carrying Anakin and Ferus. She knew Anakin would be alright, but the wife in her still worried about her husband.

Typho continued on for a while, and Padme was unable to relax even when Sabe announced that they weren't being followed. When they made it to the docks, they got on their land speeder that they had left earlier and headed back to Theed.

The clouds had covered the Naboo sun, and a cold wind ran through the landscape, reminding Padme that it was the eleventh cycle that year which meant that it would be snowing soon. Six months in the hot, dry weather of Tatooine had caused Padme to be unprepared for the cold weather here. She shivered a bit, wrapping her cloak more tightly. Now, she knew how Anakin felt the first time he left Tatooine.

They made it back to the Lasara house and were greeted by a relieved Rabe at the back door. "Thank Shiraya you're okay. Where are Anakin and Ferus?"

"Divo found us, so Anakin and Ferus stayed behind to distract them," Padme answered as they quickly went in.

Everyone else was in the library, and like Rabe, they were relieved and happy to see Padme, Sabe, and Typho safe, but concerned with Anakin and Ferus' absence. Padme explained what had happened at Varykino from what they had found to Inspector Divo ambushing them and Anakin and Ferus leading him away so Padme, Sabe, and Typho could escape.

"How could he have gotten there so fast? And with so much backup?" Sache asked.

"It would have to had been after two at the time he attacked. Maybe he had planned on leaving the funeral early? Or maybe one of the neighbors spotted you and reported it?" Dorme suggested.

Padme wasn't sure, but she knew it was possible. Inspector Divo wasn't the brightest spec in the galaxy, but there were neighbors too nosy for their own good.

"That box of holos was the only thing you could find?" Eirtae asked.

"Yes, I don't know why Malorum went through it or why he took my aunt's comb, but it was one of the few things we could find," Padme explained.

"Vatie here should be able to splice into Imperial records and see what they had taken from the crime scene," Motee said, motioning to the new person in the group.

Vatie Bibble had been one of Padme's handmaidens back when she had been queen. Having red hair in contrast to everyone else's dark brown made her stand out from the rest of the handmaidens like Eirtae with her blonde. Being the daughter of Governor Bibble through his first marriage gave her plenty of career options after serving Padme during her two terms. She went into journalism which had her digging into shady dealings with corrupt officials to court gossip. Over the years she had also developed the ability to hack into private files of officials. If anyone would be able to help it would be Vatie.

"I'll see what I can do," Vatie said.

The next hour or so consisted of Vatie busily hacking into Imperial files while everyone else kept an eye out the window for Anakin, Ferus, or anybody suspicious. Padme tried not to worry about the fact that Anakin had yet to come back.

What was taking him and Ferus so long?

Had they been caught?

Had Malorum found them?

Had Ferus turned on Anakin?

Was Anakin d-

Padme stopped herself from finishing that last thought. He'll be coming back she kept telling herself that.

To distract herself, she decided to go through the holos in the box she had gone through so much trouble to save. She could remember as a little girl when her grandmamma would come to visit them at Varykino and tell them stories of the Thules and Lydonias. She once showed Padme and Sola a holo of their great-great-great grandparents from the Thules who married and fought in the Gungan wars, and a great-great-great-great grandmother on the Lydonia's who married seven times and was widowed throughout the war. Now, as Padme looked through the holos she couldn't help the feeling of nostalgia. She could almost hear her grandmamma's voice telling her the stories behind the holos, bringing tears and a sad smile out.

There was a holo of her great-grandparents Ruger and Hane Lydonia with her grandmamma as a little girl in front of their little home in Claines.

A holo of her Grandma Hane holding her great-aunt Padme as a toddler on their porch.

A holo of her grandmamma and Grandpa Jon with her newborn mother.

And a holo consisting Padme's mother, grandparents, her great-aunt, her Lydonia great-grandparents, their nursemaid Mammy, and her great-grandmother Nare Thule.

These were holos of her family legacy. While the Thules and Lydonias weren't as notably famous as the Naberries throughout Naboo, they were just as important to Padme and her family.

She looked further into the box, finding a wooden goober fish her grandfather Jon had played with as a little boy, and an old wooden charm necklace that her great-grandma Hane use to wear. The wooden charm was similar to Padme's japor snippet with a Naboo rose carved into it. Padme smiled a bit as she remembered the story her grandmamma had told her behind it. Because they were poor farmers in the mountains, any jewelry they had was handmade. Padme's great-grandfather had made the necklace for her great-grandmother during their courtship, and she wore it until the day she died.

Padme's hand found the japor snippet around her neck, remembering when Anakin had given it to her.

Where was he?

She heard a commotion outside the library, and everyone in the room tensed up, grabbing their blasters. Padme grabbed her blaster and went out, but stopped when she found what the commotion had been.

"Ani!"

She threw her arms around her husband and buried her face into his neck. He was cold, damp, and muddy, and there was a smell that Padme didn't think she wanted to identify, but he was here, his arms wrapped tightly around her. Padme felt tears in her eyes as the day's events hit her: her grandmamma's funeral, seeing her family again, facing Palpatine, and the events at Varykino. She pulled away from him to look into his eyes as a couple of tears shed from her's.

"Where have you been?" her voice laced with emotion.

Anakin wiped her tears away with his prosthetic as he explained what had happened. "When we escaped we had to take a detour to throw Divo off our trail incase the speeder we took had a tracer on it. When we ditched it, we had ourselves a long walk on foot all the way back here, and trying not to get caught."

Padme turned her head to see Ferus behind him and a little worse for wear like Anakin. Sabe was talking to him, asking if he was alright which caused Padme to raise a curious eyebrow. Her friend Sabe never had the best of luck in relationships, the last one ending in a divorce before the war started. Padme hoped that her friend would find happiness in love again.

Sabe found a cut on Ferus' head, covered by his hair and made him sit down in one of the chairs in the library while Yane attended to him.

Padme turned back to Anakin. "Were you hurt?"

"A bit lumps and bruises, but I'm alright," Anakin quickly reassured, and Padme knew he was lying. Narrowing her eyes, she ordered him to sit down next to Ferus and allow Yane to tend him. At this point, Anakin knew better than to argue. Padme didn't know if Anakin was exhausted, or he was more injured than he said he was when he sat down without a fight. They later found out that Anakin had a laceration on the left side of his back he had gotten from shrapnel of the walker he blew.

When he and Ferus were cleaned, bandaged, and warmed up, everyone gathered in the library where a fire had been built to discuss more of their discoveries. Padme introduced Anakin and Ferus to Vatie who had succeeded splicing into Divo's files on Ryoo Thule's case.

"The autopsy reports confirm what we already knew happened to Ryoo," Vatie said, everyone crowded around her and her computer. "The evidence that indicates that it was Ferus and a "mystery partner" comes from several holopics a neighbor had taken from across the lake at Convergence by an anonymous." She showed them the holopics taken at a great distance from Varykino. In one it showed a dark figure standing over Ryoo as she struggled to crawl away from him on the terrace. In another it showed Ferus and a figure next to him that everyone knew had to be Typho. Ferus was kneeling down at Ryoo, most likely trying to hear her words.

Padme felt angry tears in her eyes, wanting nothing more than to hunt Malorum down and make him suffer the way he made her grandmamma suffer.

"You said these were taken at Convergence across from Varykino?" Anakin asked, his mind remembering the instances he noticed the house when he would come to visit Padme.

"Yes."

"Who owns it?"

Vatie searched and instantly found out. "A Supe Costil and her daughter Mari," she answered.

Anakin noticed Dorme shift uncomfortably, and sensed her feat. his mind thought back to what e said to Ferus about there being a traitor among their group. Was Dorme that traitor?

Padme stood up and headed towards the door. "Let's get going then," she said, taking everyone, including Anakin by surprise.

"Padme, we can't," Anakin said, going after her.

She stopped and spun around, looking at him incredulously. "And why not?" she demanded.

"Well, for one thing," Vatie said, tapping her computer and showing Padme a recent news report article.

"Skywalker and Olin Spotted at Varykino: Sight of Ryoo Thule's Murder"

The article went on about the confrontation the Imperials had with the Jedi and how investigators were searching the area.

"It's impossible for you guys to go back to the lake country," Vatie said. "It'll be crawling with Stormtroopers now, and even if you did manage to get to Convergence undetected, I highly doubt Supe or Mari would be willing to tell you guys anything."

"They won't," Dorme's soft voice spoke, wrapping her arms around her torso. "They're loyal supporters of Palpatine."

"We'll have to try something else then," Ferus said before looking at Anakin and Padme. "It's getting late, and it's been a hectic day for everyone. A couple of us will go to your motel and retrieve your things for you since the Imperials now have an image of Anakin."

The article showed the image of Anakin on the Varykino balcony before he jumped and attacked. Now the galaxy knew Anakin had grown a beard in his months of hiding. Anakin inwardly cringed. So much for that disguise working. He looked at Padme. He hoped she would see the logic in this decision. He knew what those holopics had stirred, and knew that she wouldn't just sit and do nothing. He remembered what his mother's death did to him.

What would Ryoo's do to Padme?

Padme decided for a moment before reluctantly agreeing with the decision.

000{{*}}000

After eating a light supper, everyone prepared themselves for bed. Sabe had gone to the motel Anakin and Padme had been staying at to retrieve their belongings and to check them out. The man at the desk probably hadn't realize that Sabe wasn't Padme considering how much alike they looked. There's a reason why Sabe always served as Padme's decoy while she was queen.

While Anakin was using the fresher, Padme couldn't stand just sitting in their guest room so she started wandering around the house.

The Lasara home was quite big even for a Jafan era house in the city. It had five bedrooms and three guest rooms to house thirteen people. Of course some of them had to share bedrooms, but it was still a large house. Padme could remember the awe she felt the first time she stepped in here, and Eirtae mumbling how her family got it through her mother's...private business. That had taken some of the beauty out of the house, making Padme understand a bit why Eirtae never felt at home here.

Padme found herself back in the library. The room was full of holobooks and flimsibooks dating back to pre-Gungan war era, all carrying stories waiting to be told. Eirtae had once told Padme that this was her favorite room in the house because it was her and her father's refuge from the rest of their family. Her brothers didn't love books and her mother hated it, so she and her father could spend hours together reading books on Naboo's history, folklore, and quote philosophy. Padme was glad that through out her rough childhood, Eirtae had a kind and wonderful father like Kam Lasara.

It brought to Padme's mind memories of her own father. She could remember as a little girl when her father would read her stories of the Pixie Padme and Naboo's heroes, how he whooped with pride when she scored high on her aptitude tests, and how supportive he was when she decided to pursue her career in politics. Tears came to Padme's eyes as she remembered him. That's why it hurt so much when she had told her family about her pregnancy he yelled at her for being irresponsible and for disgracing herself like this. She yelled back at him too, saying he cared more about honor and respect than his own children. Things she didn't mean but still hurt. Padme couldn't stand anymore of her family's disappointment or confusion, so she left with her grandmamma to spend the rest of her break at Varykino where she didn't have to worry about pleasing anyone. She hadn't spoken to her family since then. Now, her grandmamma was dead, and her family had no idea where she was or if she was even alive. Padme could only imagine how she would feel if it were Luke or Leia in her place and she didn't know where they were.

That made her cry harder, her hands covering her face as she leaned against the window. Were Luke and Leia missing her and Anakin right now? Was Beru keeping an eye on Luke's diaper rash? Was Leia getting enough sleep? Were Owen and Beru making sure Luke and Leia were trying to eat solid foods? Were they okay? Padme stopped herself from overthinking. They're fine she told herself. She was just missing them. Beru and Owen wouldn't let anything happen to the twins. She took a deep breath and wiped her tears away.

"Are you alright?"

Padme had been so caught up in her thoughts she had failed to notice that she wasn't alone in the library. Vatie was sitting at the desk with her laptop, still wearing her day clothes. She must have been here since supper.

"What are you still doing up?" Padme asked, her voice still shaken from tears.

"I'm trying to splice into these interviews Divo had with the witnesses, but it's taking a while, so I'm trying to work on the assignment my boss had given to me about your grandmother's funeral," Vatie explained.

The tears came back and Padme tried to fight them as guilt weighed down on her. Here was Vatie trying to help her and struggling to keep up with her normal life.

"Thank you," Padme said to her.

Vatie nodded. "No Problem. You always tried to hide your vulnerabilities that you forgot that as your friends and confidents we knew you," she said, her eyes filled with understanding.

Padme took a shuddering breath as she sat down in front of Vatie, her hands smoothing out her nightgown and dressing gown.

"I keep thinking about my family. How much they must hate me for disappearing and hiding my pregnancy," Padme confessed in a whisper.

"They don't hate you," Vatie assured her. "They could never hate you, Padme. When I had to interview them after your grandmother's death I could tell that they missed you every time you were mentioned."

Padme didn't know if she believed that, but she appreciated what Vatie was trying to do. "I just don't understand why this is happening. Not just my grandmamma's death but everything. The Empire, a sith ruling the galaxy, the Jedi dead or in hiding, and Democracy dying everyday. Everything we ever fought for in the war gone. Someone we all trusted and believed in a monster," Padme said.

Vatie was silent for a moment. She knew friends who had fought and died in the war, and people who suffered hunger from rationing their food in the name of patriotism. And for what? A dictator who suppressed them and promised them sweet little nothings with his smooth and lying tongue? She could remember being in Padme's place when she was a young girl. Her mother had just died, she was estranged from her father, she had just become a handmaiden, and the Trade Federation was blockading Naboo. The people were starving and everyone was afraid, and the Queen was missing. Then Amidala returned with the Jedi, capturing the Viceroy and freeing the Naboo from the Trade Federation. It had seemed all hope had been lost, but Amidala had proven that it could still be found. Vatie had to remind Padme of that.

"I know it seems hopeless, but we have to keep our heads. When my mom was sick, I threw myself into my studies and training at the academy because I didn't want to deal with it. Then she died and I found myself cursing Shiraya for taking her from me. I didn't want to deal with the grief, so when the opportunity came I jumped at the chance to become a handmaiden. Then the Blockade happened. I'd said 'Kriff you, Shiraya'. I figured she was saying, "Kriff you, Vatie Bibble. How are you going to get out of this?" The Blockade had me questioning a lot of things. Then you came back to Naboo. You captured the Viceroy with the Jedi's help and freed us from the Viceroy. That's when I realized that everything happens for a reason whether we like it or not. Shiraya never abandoned us. She gave us the choice to lay down and take the brutalities from the Trade Federation, or to stand up and hit back. You proved that to me. You, Padme Naberrie Amidala Skywalker proved that things will get better for us if we willed it," Vatie told Padme.

Padme was stunned for a moment from Vatie's speech, but then she smiled. "Thank you, Vatie."

Vatie smiled back. "We'll get that bastard, Padme. I promise."

000{{*}}000

When Anakin had stepped out of the fresher, Padme was sitting on the bed going through the holos from the box they had found at Varykino. He sensed something different in her. Like…rejuvenation. What had happened?

He sat down next to Padme on the bed. "What happened" he asked her.

"I ran into Vatie downstairs. We talked about the Blockade," she said, going through the holos.

Anakin didn't know if this was a good sign or not, but he wasn't going to complained. He noticed the holo of Padme's great-aunt Padme Lydonia with her boyfriend and felt the Force nudging him. He picked it up from the pile and studied it. That bad feeling he had when he first saw their holo at Ryoo's funeral returned. There was something important about these two, but what?

"Does this man look familiar to you?" Anakin asked, showing it to Padme.

Padme narrowed her eyes at it. "Yes, but I don't know why. My grandmamma never gave us a name."

Anakin frowned. He knew this man was important. The Force was telling him so. He set the holo down. He'd think about it later. He watched as Padme continued going through the holos. He knew how important family was to her. When he was a boy and a slave his only family had been his mom. No one else. He had no father, and his mother had vague memories of her birth family. He could remember when he was little he would ask her to tell him stories of where she came from. She would tell him of meadows filled with beautiful flowers that smelled unlike anything he had ever smelt, of mountains that seemed that they could reach the skies, and a man with dark brown eyes that looked at her with such love and devotion. From the stories Anakin use to believe that his mother was a long lost princess. To him she was so beautiful and kind and smart she could be a princess. But sadly, they were just a boy's dreams. If his mother had any family out there they'd be long dead or they'd forgotten about her.

Another holo caught his eye. This time it was of Padme Lydonia in an office with a red-headed woman dressed like a queen's handmaiden. The handmaiden was obviously older than Lydonia, but it seemed like they were good friends if the big smiles and arms wrapped around each other's shoulders were any indication. Like Padme's boyfriend, this woman seemed familiar somehow.

"Who's this?" Anakin asked, showing it to Padme.

She gasped, dropping what she was holding before taking it. "I forgot all about this one," Padme said as she stared at the holo. "It's Pooja Janren, Darred's grandmother. The one little Pooja was named after."

Anakin's eyes widened as he looked at the holo again. Now he knew why she seemed so familiar. She had the same strawberry-blonde hair as little Pooja and her facial structure was similar to little Ryoo's, Padme's nieces and apparently this woman's great-granddaughters.

"I remember now when I was a little girl, when my Grandma Winama would watch me and Sola for my parents, she would take us to the Theed Care Center to visit some friends of her's. One of them was this woman named Pooja. She had been a handmaiden to Queen Celestine before an attack injured and damaged her brain. She had been paralyzed from the neck down, and had trouble remembering things. She was placed in the care center and has been there since then," Padme explained, remembering the times she would see the older woman.

She could remember at eight years old, walking beside her grandma and seeing the woman in a hoverchair or in the middle of a physical therapy session trying to learn how to move her limbs again. She couldn't believe that this woman was the same age as her grandmothers in her fifties and confined to a hoverchair like her great-grandpa Ruger. Her grandmother's both seemed alive and active compared to this woman. Then her grandma told her that before her injury Pooja had been the alive and spontaneous woman compared to everyone Winama ever knew. It had saddened Padme when she learned the tragic story as to how Pooja got to where she was.

Padme looked at the holo sadly. The image of a young and happy Pooja Janren that wasn't confused was heartbreaking when you knew her full story. Padme also looked at her great-aunt Padme, young and excited for her future. It had been her first day working as the Queen's secretary instead of an intern. She was dressed in a simple long-sleeved red gown. Like the Pixie Padme. Padme shuddered for reasons she couldn't explain.

"Is that the Pixie comb you were talking about earlier?" Anakin asked, pointing at the holo.

Padme looked closer to see a golden pixie peeking out from the bun in her aunt Padme's hair. It wasn't the melted mashed up piece Padme remembered. It was beautiful and detailed.

Padme nodded. "Yes. This was the day my aunt died and Pooja was injured."

"Do you think Pooja would know why Malorum would want the pixie comb?" Anakin asked.

"Maybe. I don't know," Padme admitted. "When we would visit her, Pooja would think we were visiting Queen Celestine and forget what we had just said. It's worth a shot though."

Anakin nodded.

Getting off the bed, he went back to the fresher and started to shave his beard off. He was almost sad to see it go. He had finally gotten used to the feeling. Once he was done, he looked at his reflection in the mirror to see the face of the Hero with No fear. No point in hiding it now. After he was done, he went back to the bed where Padme had gathered and put away all the holos. He couldn't believe everything that had happened that day: Ryoo's funeral, Palpatine, Malorum, Ferus, Varykino, and everything they've learned in one day. He still hadn't found out how he was going to find the traitor in the group, or how he was going to tell Padme. She always saw the good in everyone, and he feared the traitor and their enemies were taking advantage of that right now..

Getting under the covers, he held Padme in his arms. "I love you, Padme."

"I love you too, Ani."

000{{*}}000

Naboo; 66 bby

Once she got out of the lift, Padme found Pooja and they hurried to change Padme out of the white gown and into her lavender-black one. Luke had already left for the presentation, and if he was gone that meant Ryoo was waiting outside the palace which meant Padme didn't have any time to change at home.

"You go on out. I'll take the dress back to Lady Dragon's rooms," Pooja said, taking the gown from Padme so she could fix her hair.

"Be careful. I saw Lady Veruna and Tapalo go into her rooms so they might be a while," Padme warned, handing her her keycard. She'd give it back to Padme tomorrow.

Padme grabbed her cloak and handbag and practically ran down the halls to go outside. She found Ryoo at the bottom of the stairs in her black mourning cloak. She looked up and saw Padme running down the steps as fast as she could in her dress.

"Finally, what took you so long?!" Ryoo exclaimed as Padme reached her.

"Long story," Padme said very quickly. She felt a little guilty making her sister wait out here in the cold for her while she played dress up.

"Come on. We have to get going or we'll be late," Ryoo said.

They hurried down the couple of streets to Jobal and Ruwee's school. Padme couldn't believe she had spent so much time dressing up, dealing with Palpatine and Costil, and talking with Sheev. She didn't know what it was with him. He was a spoiled rich little boy who loved to tease her, and yet… there was something about him. Stop that she told herself. They came from two different words that could never collide. She shouldn't be wasting any time pondering on the fancies for some boy out of her league and had no feelings for her whatsoever.

She and Ryoo made it to the school and went into the auditorium where the presentation was taking place. It was crowded and people were already sitting in their seats. On the stage, children were sitting down in chairs with a podium in front of them. A rodian boy whom Padme realized was Onocanda Farr, the exchange student was at the podium quoting a speech a Naboo senator had made on Rodia a long time ago. Padme looked behind him at the group of children on the stage. Jobal was sitting in her seat, dwindling with her hands nervously while her speech cards laid on her lap. She noticed her mom and aunt enter the auditorium, and walk down the aisle to where Winama and Luke were sitting and had kept their empty seats. Padme gave her a small wave and encouraging smile as she and Ryoo sat down next to Luke and Winama.

One after the other, students came up and quoted their speeches. Ruwee accidentally forgot a couple of lines on his King Jafan I's speech, but overall did well. Finally, it was Jobal's turn. Her hands were holding her flashcards when they suddenly slipped and fell on the floor. A few kids were snickering at her as she scurried to pick them up. Padme saw a look of panic on Jobal's face as the cards were mixed up, and she prayed to Shiraya to help her niece get through this. When Jobal finished picking her cards up, she went to the podium. Padme watched as Jobal looked at the audience and took a deep breath before going into her speech.

"My fellow Naboo, today is the day that marks not only end of suffering and tyranny but a beginning of freedom and peace." Jobal paused, her eyes finding Padme's. Padme gave her an encouraging smile. Jobal continued.

However, the further she went through her speech the more she realized how mixed up her flashcards were and that she was saying the wrong words at the wrong time. The snickers were getting louder now, and Padme could feel Ryoo next to her, shifting worriedly. Padme worried too.

'Just keep going Jobal. Don't pay attention to anything else,' she silently willed to her niece. The snickers got even worse, and to Padme's horror, she saw a tear fall down Jobal's cheek. Jobal stopped in the middle of her speech and ran off the stage.

Ryoo started to get up to follow Jobal, but Padme stopped her. "Let me," she whispered. After all she knew more than Ryoo what it was like when people laughed at you. She got up and went to the backstage. It took a while, climbing over all the props but she finally found Jobal hiding behind a painted meadow scene.

"Hey Jojo," Padme said softly as she sat down next to her niece. The little girl had brought her knees to her chest and buried her face in them. When she lifted her face to look at her aunt, Padme felt her heart break when she saw the tears streaming down her face.

"Oh sweetie." She opened her arms and Jobal immediately went into them. She sobbed into Padme's shoulder as Padme did her best to comfort her by rubbing her back.

"They were all (hic) laughing at me and (hic) I lost my words," Jobal hiccupped.

"I'm sorry, Jojo," Padme whispered. She pulled back to look at her niece's face, brushing some of the hair that was in her face back. "Maybe you'll do better next time," Padme encouraged.

Jobal shook her head. "No I'm never doing that again," she sighed.

Padme sighed. She didn't have the heart to tell Jobal that she was going to have to for future assignments, so she settled with just holding her until Ryoo and the Naberries found them.

That night as they were heading back home, Padme thought about her niece's performance. It made her think about all of the times she would speak in front of her classes. Of course she was nervous every time she spoke in front of people but after a while it had faded a little. The worst times for her would be when she spoke about Gungan Rights. Padme could remember the first time she had spoken in front of people she had been a little younger than Jobal and it had been for a play. Her mother had helped her practice for the auditions, and when she got one of the main parts her mother would help her practice. Of course, Padme wasn't Hane, and she wasn't Jobal's mother. She was her aunt, and Jobal was very different from Padme.

000{{*}}000

The next day, Padme was working on some of Lady Veruna's papers, some of her holiday spirit for the upcoming Fete gone.

Servants were rushing to hang decorations everywhere in the palace, security was busy making sure none of the gifts coming in were bombs to be given to the queen, and everyone was trying to get time off for Fete.

Padme had so much on her mind with upcoming finals and assignments due before the end of the semester, and she still hadn't found any presents to give her parents to give to her family, the Naberries, and friends. She had been saving for a while from helping Winama at her shop so she would be able to buy everyone a present. Her main concern for the time being was getting through the finals and surviving Lady Veruna's temper lately.

"Padme," the sound jerked Padme from her thoughts.

She looked up to see Gregor looking down at her, holding her keycard in his hand. "Pooja asked me to return this to you. Said you dropped it as you were leaving last night," he said, and Padme could swear that there was amusement in his eyes despite the stone look on his face.

"Well… thank you," Padme said, before taking the keycard and putting it in her pocket.

Gregor placed his hands on her desk and leaned in a bit. Padme looked at him, a little worried as he spoke in a more quiet tone, "You know I was on monitor duty last night, and on the Queen's floor, I saw an interesting figure leave Lady Veruna's bedchamber in a stunning white gown." There was a teasing note in his voice. "Someone who looked an awful lot like you."

Padme shifted in her seat uncomfortably, and Gregor grinned before he chuckled. Soon, Padme was grinning too.

"You know guarding the queen and the Royal Council isn't my only job. I'm also to report people misbehaving, and there's only one thing that'll keep my mouth shut," Gregor tapped a spot on his cheek.

That finally drew an open laugh from Padme. "Now, Gregor Panaka what would Lane say?" she asked before leaning in to kiss his cheek.

"I'll buy her a jaded gown from Winama's so she doesn't say anything," Gregor responded.

They laughed.

"A little bird told me you've been down lately even with the first snow of the season," Gregor said.

"What? Really?" Padme looked at the window to see that he was right. She had been so focused on her work she hadn't noticed the flurry of snowflakes falling down, covering the gardens outside in a thin white blanket. "I hadn't realized it," she said in awe.

"A perfect day for some hot chocolate," Gregor said, standing up. "I was on my way to the kitchens to fetch some if you want to join."

"Sure," Padme said, putting her files away and standing up from her desk. She hadn't realized she'd been sitting in that chair for three hours straight, causing her muscles to be a little stiff.

She and Gregor walked out of the offices, dodging people decorating as they headed towards the kitchens. The smell in the air was heaven, making Padme's stomach growl. She could already smell bread baking, nuna cooking, and snickerdoodles coming out of the oven. The Queen had managed to send the Trade Federation delegation away for the holiday, and was now entertaining ambassadors from Coruscant which explained why everything was in such a flurry.

Somehow, Gregor managed to get two cups of hot chocolate and a couple of cinnamon buns from one of the cooks before he and Padme were shooed out of the kitchens. Padme informed one of her fellow interns that she was taking a break before grabbing her cloak and heading outside with Gregor. The cold air felt refreshing after being cooped up in those stuffy offices as Padme and Gregor walked through the gardens, eating their cinnamon buns and drinking their hot chocolate.

"So have you figured out what to get the girls for Fete?" Padme asked, taking a sip of her drink.

"For Ro I'm thinking of getting her this stuffed wookie I saw at the toy store the other day…"

The next several minutes were spent exchanging gift ideas and plans for the holidays. Padme had finished her cinnamon bun, and drank half of her hot chocolate, and her cheeks were numb from the cold, but she was smiling. The stress and glum she had been feeling not just from Jobal's presentation the night before, but also the past several weeks dealing with school, her internship, and her mother's passing seemed to fade away as Gregor took her mind away from reality for a few minutes.

"Thank you, Gregor. I needed this break," Padme told him.

He smiled back at her. "You're welcome, Padme. I remember my first days on duty. It takes time to adjust, especially with what you've been dealing with this year."

Padme smiled sadly as tears began to sting her eyes. This would be her first Fete without her mother. It brought to mind memories of her mother baking in their small kitchen, decorating their house with simple but pretty decorations because they couldn't afford the fancy stuff they had here in Theed, and her mother sipping cafe as she watched her children and grandchild open their presents on Fete day.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up at Gregor's kind and understanding eyes. "I know. It doesn't go away, but it gets easier to deal with over time."

"Thank you Gregor. You're a good friend," Padme thanked him, wiping her eyes.

Gregor squeezed her shoulder.

They walked in silence for another minute before Gregor had to return to his duties. Padme decided to walk around for a few more minutes before she would have to return to Lady Veruna. For some reason, she was in a foul mood compared to her bubbly one the day before. Padme had the feeling it either had to do with Tapalo or Ars Veruna considering that the Trade Federation delegation had left.

She turned the corner around the snow covered shrubs and was startled when she nearly ran into someone. Not just someone.

Sheev Palpatine.

As always, he was dressed in his fine dark clothing that kept him warm from the cold. Padme was expecting the annoyance she usually felt, but to her surprise she didn't. Sheev seemed to lack the Fete spirit like she had earlier.

"Are we going to keep bumping into one another?" Padme asked with a grin.

Sheev hadn't seemed to have noticed her before because he looked up in surprise at her with an expression Padme couldn't decipher. For just a moment, they just stood there, staring at one another.

"It's snowing," Padme commented.

Sheev nodded.

Padme shifted uncomfortably. "Back home in Claines, my sister and I would play in the snow until Mama or Mammy called us in, and we would drink hot chocolate," she rambled awkwardly, but still Sheev remained silent. "Are you alright?" she asked, concerned.

"I'm fine," he grumbled.

"I don't get you," Padme blurted out. "One moment when I see you, you're teasing me, and the next you act like I kicked your voorpack. What's really bothering you?"

She worried that when he turned away from her he was going to leave without answering her, but instead he brushed off the snow from the stone bench nearby and sat down. Padme took that as an invitation and sat down next to him, sipping her cooling hot chocolate as she patiently waited for him to speak.

She was thinking of leaving and going back to work when Sheev spoke, "My father's mistress is back in court, and he sent my mother back home in the Lake Country."

Padme winced, setting her mug down on her lap.

She had heard this morning that Lady Regina Costil had come to the palace to spend Fete with her brother Reggie, along with many other nobles. She felt compassion for Sheev and his mother the Lady Dreann Palpatine. Winama had once told her that one of the important factors in the affairs of the nobles was discretion. It seemed Lord Cosinga Palpatine had no skill nor care at keeping his affair with the Lady Costil discreet, therefore embarrassing his family and making his wife the object of ridicule and pity to everyone at court.

"Is it just you and your father here in court?" she asked gently.

"Yes," came Sheev's cold reply.

That was probably even worse. Padme couldn't imagine being stuck in a house with a man like Cosinga Palpatine by herself. It was no wonder Sheev's mood was cranky.

"Why don't you come to dinner tonight?" Padme asked before she even thought of it.

Sheev looked at her confused.

Padme felt her cheeks redden as she explained to him, "I mean it might be crowded. It's me, my sister, my niece, and the Naberries, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind a guest."

Sheev looked at her, and Padme worried that he would sniff at her and leave. She was actually surprised when Sheev nodded and said, "Sure."

A smile broke on her face. "Really? You'll come?"

"I said sure. Not like I have anything better to do," Sheev told her.

"Alright, we usually eat at six. That is… if your father won't mind," she said, a little worried about getting Sheev into trouble with Lord Palpatine.

Sheev scoffed. "My father won't care. He'll be too busy."

Padme had the feeling it wasn't with work he was talking about.

"Well, I'm done working for Lady Veruna at 1700. We can meet at the servants' entrance and we'll walk to my house," she said, smiling.

It took a moment, but then Sheev shared her smile. It wasn't a full smile, but it was a smile all the same.

"Padme!"

She turned her head to Dane at the edge of the garden, looking for her.

"I have to go. I'll see you tonight?" Padme asked hopefully as she stood up.

Sheev nodded.

Padme smiled even as she ran to join Dane. When she turned her head back, Sheev was still sitting on the bench looking at her.

000{{*}}000

Thank you all for reading this! I just watched The Last Jedi Friday night with my father and it was AWESOME! I recommend anyone who is a Star Wars fan to go see it and prepare to have their socks knocked off. The only sad thing was watching Carrie Fisher and remembering that she's gone. Her last performance was FREAKING AMAZING! In my opinion it was her best one ever.

May the Force be with you Carrie Fisher, forever our Princess and General Leia.

I don't know when the next chapter will be. Hopefully soon. Keep reviewing and favoring because it's the best encouragement for a writer.