Author's Note: I do not own Star Wars, Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Naberrie or any other characters. It's all Lucasfilm property: I write stories for fun, for free.

IN THE EYE OF THE STORM

Chapter 13

Anakin's second year with New York Jets was scheduled to begin with training camp on July 24, 2014 in Cortland. He was happy to have a job, to be busy, so he won't be spending too much time at home. The parents came to every of his home games. Once a week he went out for dinner with them. Once, the mother brought along one of her young colleagues named Irene, hoping Anakin would show interest, but Anakin hadn't exchanged a single word with the young woman, it was embarrassing. Anakin was implying that Mother shouldn't do anything like that anymore. It was clear to Shmi, he still grieved for Padmé, but she understood, that after all that happened, it would take a long time before he was ready to meet other women.

The first game of the regular season began with a home game against the Raiders. He met Bradley, who was drafted by the Raiders the year before. They spent the late evening at a bar with a few teammates. Bradley saw Anakin leave with one young woman, after he took a few glasses of Whiskey on the rocks.

Bradley knew what happened between Anakin and Padmé, of course, he was there and he was pleased it seemed like the two would never get back together. He was calculating the odds with Padmé and kept Blu Ray CDs that could have helped clarify the evening's events. He hadn't thought he was ignoring the unspeakable suffering of both of them and would steal the best years of their life together...or he had acted with intent.

"Goes making love so quickly, Skywalker?" He asked Anakin, who was back in less than half an hour and ordered another Whiskey on the rocks, which he downed in one gulp.

"That was just relief, a quick fuck."

"It was different with Padmè, wasn't it?"

"Don't put her name in your mouth!"

"You still don't know how to joke when it comes to Padmé."

"Damn Brad, we were friends."

"Well, times are changing, Skywalker. We are competitors now."

Anakin was sure there was no point in arguing anymore, grabbed another double Whiskey on the rocks, said goodbye and left...slightly drunk.

The whole season went more or less good for Anakin, he was starting quarterback and there was talk about contract extension for the next six years and a sum over a hundred million Dollars, although the playoffs were missed again.

And then came the last game against Miami Dolphins on December 28th , 2014, third quarter, Jets offense on the field, two and eight, Anakin doesn't see anyone open, hesitates, gets sacked...and the great accident happened: open fracture of the right forearm. He was taken to the blue tent, but the injury was obvious, the ambulance was already there. Rex and Cody had only seen him briefly, reassured him that everything would be fine.

Such an injury spells the end of a career of every football player, especially a quarterback. The injury will heal, Anakin knew it, but he'll never be able again to throw the ball , like a quarterback is expected to.

At the age of twenty-three, he was at the end of his career. Luckily he was financially secure, he earned well, had fifty million on his account and the taxes had already been paid.

Despite everything, Anakin had a hard time thinking about the end of his career, football had always been a big part of his life and after his relationship with Padmé broke up, football was all he had. Mama and Cliegg were there, but not every day.

Anakin had surgery and a fixator splint, had to spend a few days in the hospital, and then he came home. The pain plagued him for three four weeks, but it took another five months to heal. ...and the arm will never be the same again, he thought.

He was at home, alone and lonely. Shmi came almost every day after work and brought everything he needed for breakfast and dinner. At lunchtime he went to Sfoglia, sometimes to Korali Estiatorio and sometimes, he just stayed at home. He didn't eat much, didn't want to gain weight now that he couldn't train adequately.

Anakin had plenty of time to ponder now. He thought about what was to come or not, a new contract certainly not, he had to reorient himself. He recalled wanting to go to MIT to do his masters, maybe to do a doctorate, if he doesn't get drafted where he hoped. ...and then he would live in Boston with Padmé, sharing an apartment with her, as does Satine with Ben...oh yes Benn, he must have heard about it, but he has to call him.

*Hi Ben.*

*Hey Anakin, how are you. I saw it on TV, terrible, I also contacted your mother, but I didn't want to bother you right away. How is it now?*

*What should I lie, I feel like shit. The contract is gone, everything to hell, I'm in pain and until the arm is reasonably OK again, someday...maybe, the devil knows...and I'm alone, now I really know how alone I am.*

*Still alone?*

*Yes, if I can't have the one I love...*

*Anakin, the life goes on...you have slowly to move on.*

*All known, my friend.*

*I see her from time to time...I'll tell her.*

*I'm afraid it won't change anything*

*Nevertheless, get well soon.*

*Bye, Ben, regards to Satine.*

*Thank you and bye.*

Dormé and Sabé called that day, and Rex and Cody the day after. It was good to know that they were thinking of him, now that he was in a bad way. He waited in vain for another call. He hoped but knew she wouldn't call. A year and a half had passed and another year and a half, and another year and a half will pass, she won't call, she'll never call again. He started crying. At that moment he was feeling very bad physically and emotionally, his arm was aching and his heart was aching too.

When you're out of business, nobody will remember you. His ex classmates were, but they weren't around and he had no friends, his teammates had nothing in common with him. These are all young men who come from somewhere, go to college somewhere to get drafted by some team. They only function on the field, that's all. He went no longer to the bars where they frequented. He went often to his parents', sometimes he slept in the room where he spent his youth. There were days when it didn't do any good to him, the memories seemed to overwhelm him, high school time, part of the student days, once he even spent there the night with Padmé. Then he buried his face in the pillow and imagined he could smell the scent of her hair. ...and then ...a crying fit.

He was aware that he had hit rock bottom again and decided to go back to therapy. He had to talk to someone, something drastic happened in his life, which was difficult to cope with and he still hadn't gotten over the last catastrophe.

Anakin remembered MIT again, gathered all the paperwork he needed for admission, and applied. The answer was positive. He didn'n nee scholarship, he could pay tuition fee now. He will definitely find a small apartment, not a luxury, he longed for the old student life and secretly hoped to meet her somewhere in Boston someday.

With that hope and therapy, he got better soon, but the healing of his arm will take longer.

Spring break. Satine and Ben came home, to New York, and Dormé and Sabé had to celebrate partys somewhere in Florida, meet Rex and Cody …maybe. Typical they two.

Anakin was seeing Ben almost every day now, wanting to reestablish the close contact they had in the past, perhaps as it will be again… soon. He just didn't dare ask about Padmé, he knew Ben would tell him to let go.

He celebrated his twenty-third birthday at home with his parents. Even Owen had come, he hadn't seen him after the accident.

At the end of May Satine, Ben, Dormé, Sabé and Padmé came back to New York. They met as before, only this time not in the student cafes. They usually met on Times Square and went to Blue, Blue Midtown, Birdland Jazz Club or some other hip lounge or nightclub nearby.

Rex and Cody were out of town and Anakin didn't call anyone to come, no wonder. He met only Ben.

One night, while the five friends were sitting on their silver Chesterfields in Blue Midtown, sipping on their Cosmopolitans number-x, Dormé vented her frustration.

"I'm sick of this taboo topic!"

Ben knew right away what was coming and was afraid that an argument would break out, or Padmé would get up to leave.

"What a taboo topic?"

"Oh Padmé, please, don't be so hypocritical. Anakin was our friend, especially your friend..." Padmé looked away.."... It's been two years and we still can't talk about him, that you don't freak out. I don't know who your therapist was, but something went terribly wrong if you don't want to hear what we saw. We wanted to clear things up right away, but we weren't allowed to see you, your parents shielded you. Did they hate Anakin so much, that they didn't want to hear anything, we couldn't even describe what happened to your doctors. We all saw what happened, only you not."

"Dorme, you've been drinking too much..." Satine said.

"As much as you, Satine...and if you, Padmé, if you are not able to talk about it, then your therapy has failed and you're by no means over it, hiding in your emotional hole, pretending to be someone who has the life under control. You don't have it, you don't have a boyfriend, you don't go out and…..when was the last time you fucked? You need to talk to us about that night, Padmé, and most important thing, you need to face Anakin. He's miserable, you know what happened to him, right?"

"I know, but I can't."

"Great, then maybe we'll talk in two years, or four, or six, or whenever you feel better...or sometime at all."

The mood was at zero. That evening everyone went home quite depressed.

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Best regards from Germany

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