A/n- Thank you for continued support!
Chapter 6 -Goodbyes
Summary: Alternate World: The Empire Prevails and the Jedi have all been in hiding for thirty years. Emperor Palpatine searches for a way to live long past his dying body through cloning technology and his attempts at descendants. One of his " experiments" escapes and comes to live a slave's life on Naboo. He will meet and forever his destiny changed by the fateful meeting with none other than one young Naberrie girl…
Location: Lake Country, Naboo
Month 7 Day 35 Year 29 BBY
The boiling sand under her fingertips aches, but she continues to bask in the hot rays of the summer sun. Her eyes are closed as she listens to the sounds of a toddler splashing in the water nearby. The beach is empty today due to the vacation season in the Lake Country has begun to wane. Most families are headed back to their estates for a few days before their children will go off back to their primary schools. Their parents will be satisfied once more knowing their days are filled with education and of their future careers.
" Auntie Padme, come play in the water!" Cries her niece Ryoo.
Padme's eyes open and she watches the almost 4 year old Ryoo splashing about in the shallow end of the lake. She smiles at her niece and says, " In a minute Ryoo!"
She hears a sigh coming to her right and notices her eldest sister Sola plop down in the sand beside her. She props her feet up on the towel arranged on the sand where she had left it. She rubs her heavily set belly and complains, " I don't know how you are not in the water with them. It's sweltering out today!"
Padme' shrugs and asks, " How are you feeling?"
Sola sighs and murmurs, " Like I could pop this stubborn child out in this sweltering heat."
Padme' chuckles upon hearing her answer. Sola and Darren had married five years ago. Sola had been Padme's age and had wanted to start a family early. She had Ryoo at 18 and now another daughter on the way at 22. Despite being so young, Sola is a natural mother. She had always festered at her younger sister's before Katrina became their stepmother, and even continues to do so now.
Sola turns her attention to the two splashing about in the water- namely her best friend who continues to push water back at Ryoo as he sits on a rock near her. She giggles and laughs at him. Anakin's blue eyes sparkling with mirth at the attention Ryoo is giving him. He loves her very much, as much as any other Uncle can.
" Uncle Ani, watch me!" Calls Ryoo and she lays down in the water and begins to try and swim on her belly.
Anakin claps for her and announces, " Great job Ryoo. Now- just kick each back leg out and you will start moving more."
Padme is so immersed in watching the pair play, that she doesn't notice her sister eyeing her. Sola smiles at her in depth focus on the pair playing. She's noticed the change in her sister's reactions to her best friend in the past few months, almost as if she has finally begun her interest in the other sex.
" He's going to be a great dad one day," Sola comments, amused at her daughter playing so nicely in the water.
Padme' keeps her eyes on the pair and murmurs, " Yeah- I think he probably will. If being in the Imperial Navy doesn't become his whole life, then maybe he'll meet someone wherever he's stationed and bring her home to meet us."
Sola suggests, " Or maybe he'll come back home and realize what is right in front of him."
Padme' snaps her head back at her sister and surmises, " If Anakin were involved with anyone, he would have told me. He tells me everything."
Sola smiles at her and leans forward and whispers, " Maybe the person I'm referring to, he hasn't noticed yet. But I think they fit together perfectly."
Padme' heart races upon hearing her sister's admittances. Wait- she doesn't think- she and Anakin would end up together?
Padme' shakes her head quickly and says in her defense. " Ani, sees me as a little sister- he's never going to see past that."
Sola's smile grows even bigger, hearing her words. She has left out her own feelings on the matter at hand. She leans back into their quiet space and murmurs, " So you have feelings for him?"
Padme' turns two shades redder than her cheeks are now. Has she become that obvious? She has begun to notice more details about her friend that she's attracted to- and how handsome he has become. She ducks a peek out at the pair playing in the water to be sure he hasn't heard.
" I know that my feelings for him are changing," She admits quietly, " But Sola, I don't think it is worth risking our friendship over. Besides, he's leaving tomorrow for the Academy. He has to focus on his career."
Sola tilts her head in acknowledgement. She points her finger in the space between her sister and the pair playing in the water. " Time apart makes the heart grow fonder and know what it wants. Perhaps if someone started dressing and acting more like a young lady her age, he'd noticed her beyond the little girl he grew up with. He'll be back for Dorme's wedding during Winter Fete. I can help you If you would like to get noticed by the boy you admire ."
Padme ponders for a moment, peering back out at her friend and then turns back to her sister. " All right. But don't get your hopes up."
Sola pats her shoulder reassuringly. " If he's too ignorant to notice you when I'm done with your transformation, then another boy will."
Padme smiles at her sister's confidence. She doesn't want to think of the goodbyes she'll have to endure within the next few hours. Anakin has been there for her everyday these past seven years. He is her partner in crime; the one she goes to for advice if her sisters' aren't available. She hears the sound of footsteps that come closer as she continues her daydream- like state. She eyes her best friend coming over to her and Sola. His eyes gleam with plops down on the sand beside her and watches Ryoo continue to glide across the swallow water. She giggles as the small waves hit her back.
Anakin leans into his friend's space and questions, " What are you two chit-chatting about?"
Sola has that sly knowing smile and Padme's cheeks reddening. Don't you dare Sola.
" Oh just talking about a boy from school Padme' has a little crush on." Sola teases.
Padme's swears under her breath and she can feel the reddening of her cheeks all the way to her ears. Her best friend's azure gaze catches hers in curiosity and he continues the teasing, " Hmm a crush huh? It isn't that fellow- what's his name- Merrick from your law class is it? I heard he was interested."
Padme' shakes her head silently, ducking her eyes away from her sister and best friend. She's mortified. Again- another reason she would probably never be able to tell her best friend that she likes him beyond their friendship. He only sees her for having a little girl's crush on a boy. After all she is 17- an adult in Nabooian standards, but to him, she's just that ten year old girl still- following him around, learning with him and racing with him.
Padme's silence irks Anakin. He shoves her gently with his shoulder against hers. He suggests, " Aw- c'mon P- we've all been wondering when you were going to start growing up."
Padme's head pops up from her position, her eyes are fuming with fury. She stares directly into those gorgeous blue eyes of his and she retorts, " I'm not a little girl, Anakin. As a matter of fact, who I am interested in is none of your business. You'd probably try and scare them off anyway."
She doesn't back down on her glare or words. Anakin shrugs off her threat and replies " Damn right I would. You're too young to be getting involved with someone. You have a career to think about."
Padme's anger fumes hotter within the force. He senses it and doesn't care. He'd follow through on his words if she did decide to date some random boys. She's better than that! She wants to be a Senator which means she doesn't need to have her head up in the clouds and spend time with a boy that is only looking to get into her pants.
She turns on him and replies with anger, " Well it won't matter because you'll be gone tomorrow, so you won't get a chance to scare him off!"
She gets up off the sand and stomps off towards the house. Who did he think he is? He isn't her father or her brother! He's just some friend that is way overprotective of her.
Anakin doesn't seem too phased by her anger and continues to sit next to Sola. Sola turns her eyes back onto him and mutters, " You probably should apologize."
He huffs out while snapping, " Apologize for what? Should I lie and say I agree that now is the best time for her to start dating?"
Sola rubs her belly in thought and turns her eyes back on him. His blue gaze shines in concern for her sister. He genuinely doesn't want to see her put off her career for someone. He has always been overprotective of her baby sister and Sola always thought it was endearing. But this transition had to happen at some point. Yet, Padme' has always had her focus on a future career and less on the desire to date.
" Would you want her to tell you if you weren't allowed to date anyone she didn't approve of?" Sola chimes in, trying to keep herself from spilling her sister's secret.
Anakin shrugs and says, " I don't date someone long enough for her to get a chance. It's different. You can't compare my dating life to hers. She's-"
Sola finishes for him. " A young lady. I understand what you are saying. But one of these days Ani, after she's had a successful career in politics it's going to be quite lonely without someone by her side."
Anakin frowns upon hearing her words. He doesn't want to think of his best friend needing another man in her life to be consoled by. He dislikes the idea of her being comforted by someone else, confiding in someone else with her problems- instead of him.
He reassures, " She won't be lonely, she has all of us to protect her and to spend time with her. If she's on Coruscant, I'm sure I'll be stationed nearby. If she's here, all of you are here with her."
Sola tries not to smile at his sincerity. " Ani, you and I both know Padme' is going to be the one out of all my sisters to fall head over heels for someone and he'll be the one. She's a fighter, and that's why it will be the hardest for her to see until it's too late."
Her words sting him a bit. He's known this too well about his friend since she started to hit puberty. There have been plenty of his own friends that have commented about how hot she is and how attractive she is even without dressing like a nobleman's daughter. She didn't know the few times he'd actually gotten into fights because some banatha ass was talking about fucking her and how she'd be wild in the bedroom.
He says determined. " I know she will. That is why I'm trying to protect her from getting hurt by the wrong kind of guy. She deserves more than someone wanting to get into her bed. She deserves to be treated like she's an angel from Iago."
Sola tries to not laugh at his corny line and obvious answer right in front of him. He still seems a bit oblivious to his own feelings changing for her as well. No man out of their right mind would call their best friend a beautiful angel unless they are interested.
" She does deserve more, you are right about that. But you're about to leave and she's going to need to do this on her own for a while." Sola comments knowingly.
Anakin leans himself back against the sand and eyes the direction his brown eyed friend had gone in. He huffs and mutters, " I know I can't protect her from afar- but I want the best for her."
Sola nods in agreement. " Go apologize because when she does need someone to protect her after a broken heart, you'll be there to pick up the pieces."
Anakin nods and pushes himself off the sand and towards the direction Padme had left in a huff.
Sola watches him go, and a smile spreads across her face. She gave them by the time the next summer rolls around- that both of them will be head over heels for the other.
Anakin had strolled along the path into the woods for about ten minutes. He knew where she had gone. It was their spot to think- to feel and to be alone. Since Padme had brought Anakin to this beautiful place, they had found a grove in the middle of the woods- encircled by the trees and where a long forgotten hut had once been. Anakin makes his way around the bend and notices her lilac colored skirt from far away. She's perched on a nearby log with her eyes staring off into the farthest direction from him. He can't help but think how pretty she looks sitting there- fuming mad. Any man would be lucky enough to have a chance with her.
She senses him as he approaches. His distinct force signature she's familiar with. He is like a bronze sun, beaming with a huge signal of light. Anyone force sensitive would be able to notice his glow for miles around.
She uses the force with a flick of her fingers, sending a few pieces of the broken tree branch near her in his direction. He dodges it, as she again sends another branch his way. He stops the branch via the force and sends it off to the side of the encircle of the woods.
She huffs again and crosses her arms as he stops another of her attempts. He tries to not smile at her. He's proud of what she can do via the force. In the past year, she has grown within her abilities and soon Anakin really wouldn't have anymore to teach her until he was trained more in his own abilities, which wouldn't happen unless he is discovered by the Inquisitors.
He plants himself down next to his fuming friend. She mutters, " I want to be alone."
He does not budge from his spot and insists, " I'm sorry P for trying to protect you. You know I don't want to see you get your heart broken by some ass."
She nods in understanding and he can feel her composer beginning to waver. He knows her better than herself. She'd give in and they'd be fine. They have had plenty of arguments over their friendship and still made up. This is no other time.
" Sola shouldn't have said anything. I wasn't even ready to mentioned my- attraction towards someone-" She admits.
He says nothing and takes her hand. She leans her head affectionately into his shoulder and she smells the sweat small of the musk that is the smell she knows is his. She keeps her face dipped into his neck as she murmurs, " Do you have to leave tomorrow?"
He chuckles at her pleading. He shakes his head and says, " Yes, we both knew this day was coming-P. Besides, in no time you'll be doing your internship on Coruscant and then we'll get to see each other all the time."
Her thoughts mull over the idea of being closer to him. That is if she were to go to Coruscant for her internship. She can potentially end up on Naboo in an internship with the local governor. Ideally it is extremely difficult to get the internship positions off-world in the Imperial Center due to the millions of applications that are put in for each Senator's open intern positions. Padme' knows of at least 20 people already applying for the spring to be part of Senator Rantha's crew.
She pulls away from him enough to meet his blue gaze. She tries to smile, but finds herself frowning and saying, " It is near impossible Ani. Let's be honest with each other. More than likely our friendship will begin to dull and fade over the next year or so because we'll only see each other twice!"
She knows she sounded like a petulant child. But it is the truth. He'd be off training for the next two years; one year at the Academy and the second year with his main division of the Imperial Navy. That also doesn't count his first duty station upon graduation within his division and he has spoken of being a pilot or engineer. Pilots are stations all over the galaxy- or on a star destroyer. Engineers are the same. The likelihood that she'd see him more than twice a year from here on out makes her chest feel heavy. It also makes her realize that two things might happen to her feelings for him: one they might fade with the time apart and she'd find someone eventually or two: their time apart will only make her feelings stronger and deeper without being able to express to her friend. And she'd have to live with either choice- either choice she doesn't want, but she's unsure of sharing feelings like this to a man who she could lose forever as her best friend.
He pulls her in for a hug, feeling the ache inside his own chest and her feelings of loneliness seeping into him as well. He knows she's correct. Their friendship will have its cracks and fade if they are not in contact with each other. He cups his calloused hands around her cheeks and promises, " I will send you a holomessage every week and if we're allowed actual comm. time, I'll call you as much as I can."
She sniffs back the tears that are forming. She nods and murmurs, " Okay. I'll keep you to your promise."
He laughs and pulls her tighter against him. They both know after tonight, their friendship will diverge and change because of their own paths.
He murmurs against her hair, " I'll always be here for you P, even if I'm halfway across the galaxy."
She laughs back, wiping the tears from her glistening eyes. " Same here Ani."
To Be Continued.