Padme awoke to find herself leaning against the man who called himself Vader. Her mind flashed back to the night before. She tensed at the thought of a punishment. She had yelled, cried, and showed Vader both physical, and mental weakness.I should have disappeared into my room. She thought to herself, No, I should have run away from here. She could have found the exit door Vader spoke of.

Padme remembered stupidly putting her head on his shoulder, movements in her sleep had landed her in her current position. She turned her head to see Vader. He looked free of stress as he slept, his facial features relaxed, his breathing soft. He looked. beautifully ordinary. She slowly moved away from him, and stretched.

"Good morning." Vader said suddenly, his voice thick with sleep.

"Good morning." She answered in a whisper without looking at him. "I'm going to get dressed. She said, moving even further from him.

"Good. I am going to take you somewhere today." He said, just as she was leaving the area. He suddenly sensed her fear. He watched her, and saw her hesitation. "I'm not selling you." Her feet picked up speed, and within a very short time, Vader watched as she made it to her bedroom.

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Padme walked slowly beside Vader for what felt like forever on the grounds of his home. For the thousandth time, she wondered how big the property was. Just as she was beginning to get tired, she saw a large silver dome shaped building. Vader led her into it. They entered a spacious hallway, At the end of it, there was a black door As Vader approached it, the door automatically opened, and he walked through it. Padme hesitated. What was this place, and what is going to happen to me now? She thought. The black door slid open, and she saw Vader. "Don't be frightened." He said, looking into her eyes. She looked up at him, and felt a twinge in her neck, her neck muscles were weak, and he was so tall.

"I... I don't trust you."

"I understand that."

"One of my owners sold me in his house. I didn't see it coming. I thought he would take me to some marketplace if he wished to sell me, but he did it right there in his home."

"Padme, I will never sell you. Come with me." Against her better judgment, she slowly put one foot in front of the other, and followed him into the room with the black door. Inside the room, it was white and silver. Vader walked over to a droid who was standing by some sort of table. "Come here, and get on the table Padme, there's nothing to be afraid of." Vader watched as Padme stepped closer to him.

"I'm not scared." She said, realizing the table was an examination table. "You want me to climb up on the table?"

"I can put you on it."

"Is this because of last night?

"Because you hyperventilate? No, I wish for you to be examined for your own benefit. I scheduled this long before last night. Padme's eyes became as wide as saucers, and she jumped onto the table. She forced a smile.

"l will give you some privacy. If you need me, I will be in the bacta tank room. " He pointed to the room now across from them. Vader instructed the medical droid to walk with him to the right side of the room. The droid did as told, and Vader whispered something, right before finally leaving.

Padme couldn't stand the silence as the medical droid thoroughly examined her entire body. The examination felt like it went on for an eternity when in fact it lasted an hour. As soon as it was over, Padme saw Vader standing in the doorway. The med droid left her side, and walked over to Vader. This time she heard the conversation.

"How is she? Is she alright?" Vader had asked the droid.

"She is extremely underweight, and she has an iron deficiency, but otherwise she is in excellent health." Padme saw Vader nod, and then he said. "Thank-you, She has been with me for a very short time. provide me with a list of foods that will fulfill all of her dietary needs." The droid walked away. Within seconds it was back, and holding a list, which Vader then almost jogged over to Padme. "Let's go home." Padme jumped off the table, and followed Vader all the way to the main house.

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As soon as Padme reached her room, she showered, and changed her clothes. She was napping when she heard Vader calling her from outside the bedroom door. Her brown eyes opened, and she moved off the bed, She opened the door, and saw the tall blond man standing there, his eyes now sky blue in color. "I would be honored if you would join me."

"Where?" She replied softly.

"The casual dining room."

"It's not dinner time."

"Come with me!" He said much louder than he intended to. She stepped closer to him, she allowed him to take her arm, and lead her wherever he wished. Padme prayed he didn't notice her flinch. Vader was honest, at least with her, he in fact did lead her to the casual dining sat in the chair that Vader considered hers, and he sat across from her. The table was full of food, A mixture of aromas hit her nose, and her mouth watered. She grabbed a piece of fruit, and began to eat.

"What do you need?" She asked, when the piece of fruit was gone.

Vader picked up a piece of breakfast meat, and placed it on his plate, before answering. "It is customary to eat 3 meals a day, we didn't have breakfast."

"Because you sent me to the medical droids."

"I went with you." He replied, biting into his meat." Padme's eyes were on him.

"May I have another piece of fruit?"

"Yes, you are not required to ask my permission, You can eat freely." Vader finished his meat, got up, grabbed a plate, and walked over to Padme. He placed a large piece of meat on her plate.

"I can survive on less than 3 meals per day." Padme said proudly. "You don't have to feed me much."

"You haven't had a meal in years." He replied angrily. The rage that bubbled up inside of him was not directed at her, but at all the people who had a hand in starving her. He watched as she grabbed another piece of fruit. She held it, but didn't eat it. "We have plenty of food, you don't have to ration fruit or anything else." He watched as she continued to hold the fruit without eating it.

"I don't eat meat." Padme informed him.

"Eat it now. I will stand here watching until you do." Vader answered authoritatively. She knew that he was serious, She placed her fruit beside her on the table, picked up a fork, and slowly ate the breakfast meat, She placed her fork down when Vader returned to his side of the table.

"Are you happy?" Padme asked, her voice laced with quiet anger.

"Yes." He said. "I am." Padme said nothing, and they slowly finished the meal in silence. It was a silence that made Darth Vader feel sick, and he broke it moments after the meal was complete. "Padme, I have to leave you for 3 weeks.

Padme's head shot up, her beautiful face was filled with a mix of shock, confusion, and other emotions, Vader could not name at the moment. "What?" She barely whispered.

"I must leave for 3 weeks, but I promise I will be back.

"Where... where... Where are you going? "

"I have work obligations I must attend to. I do not wish to go. I pledge to you, I will not be gone a day over 3 weeks. I don't want to go."

"What is it you must do?"

"I can not speak of that right now."

"When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow morning, before sunrise," He looked deeply into her brown eyes. "I will be back in exactly 3 weeks. During that time, my droids will take care of you. They have orders."

"Your droids?"

"Yes, the droids that I command, and program myself have been ordered to take care of you, and to protect you. I will be back in 3 weeks. He repeated slowly.

"Don't, don't leave me! Don't leave me here!"

"I have to." He replied very softly, shocked at her reaction.