Eighty-three days. Over two excruciatingly long months since Anakin had last been on Coruscant with Padmé. He could barely hold back his excitement for being back pacing back and forth on the bridge of the Resolute. When he noticed his pacing, he stopped as to hide his impatience. He starred out into the blue blur of hyperspace, but it was a poor substitute to staring into her beautiful brown eyes. Those eyes would always swallow his worries. He could almost imagine seeing them, and the soft lips below whispering his nickname in a soft voice. Ani. He absentmindedly raised his hands to touch her invisible cheeks feeling the phantom warmth of her smooth skin. He yearned for the warmth that she always gave him.

"Sir, in an hour we will be at Coruscant" Anakin dropped his hand feeling the cold air of space again, as he was interrupted from his daydream by Rex, his loyal commander.

Finally. He had been counting down every hour on the journey to Coruscant, and had told Rex to keep him updated. He turned his head back to look at Rex, and answered "Thanks Rex, tell Ahsoka to finish my report."

"She can do mine too, you know." Rex chuckled.

"I'm not your report girl." A snippy voice interrupted them.

"Hey I wasn't talking about Rex's-" Anakin reasoned.

"And I don't have to do yours." Ahsoka finished for him.

"But, Padawan."

"Being my master doesn't mean you own me." Ahsoka teased.

Anakin's face suddenly turned pale and he stuttered out, "I didn't mean it like that."

"I know, master. Just teasing you." Ahsoka smirked, sensing his sudden seriousness.

Anakin's face relaxed as she said that. Anakin knew she was joking, but he never wanted to be compared to being a slaver, even if it was a joke. "Report duty for me it is." Anakin left the bridge to write his report. A welcome distraction from his longing for Padmé. He started the report, but the minutes crawled by. Fifty-nine, fifty-eight...

One minute left. Anticipation thrummed through Anakin as he left his room to go to the hanger. Reaching the hanger, a familiar jolt announced their exit from hyperspace. As he reached out to feel the familiar presence of Padmé he felt nothing but emptiness. Damn she's not on the planet right now, he thought to himself. As he entered the hanger he entered his yellow Jedi Starfighter. As he took off the whine of the engine echoed his internal frustration. I should look at the engine later, he thought to himself as he dived down to the Jedi Temple on the surface of Coruscant.

When he landed in the Jedi Temple Hanger, Ahsoka and Obi-Wan were already waiting for him. "How was Cato Neimoidia?" Obi Wan asked.

"Another victory like always," Anakin responded with a hint of pride.

"The Council's granting you two a week's leave after your reports are finished," Obi-Wan said.

A bitter irony twisted in Anakin's stomach. Great, the one time Padmé isn't here I get a whole week of leave, he thought to himself. He plastered a smile on his face. "Great."

"You can finally let me see what you do on those late Coruscant nights," Ahsoka chimed in with a smirk.

A grin tugged at Anakin's lips. "Those aren't exactly Padawan-friendly activities," Anakin joked. Meetings with Padmé did often involve activities not meant for Padawans. "I'm not planning any of those this week anyways."

Anakin and Ahsoka walked back towards their apartment. As they entered Anakin entered his bedroom. He was frustrated about Padmé not being here. He knew it wasn't her fault, and that something must have turned up, but that didn't make it any easier. To distract himself he picked up his current project, a probe droid, and started to disassemble the head. As he was working his comlink buzzed. It was the one reserved for only Padmé. Hope ignited in his chest as he grabbed it, looking at the message. It was an apology for being off-world. Padmé didn't need to apologize to him, she never needed to, but she always did, Anakin thought with pride in his heart. The second part of the message was wonderful news, an invitation to Naboo, and he even had time for it. Excitement washed over him, erasing his earlier frustration. He needed to see her, to feel her warmth again.

He took out his Jedi com and called Obi-Wan, "Obi-Wan I'm going to be off Coruscant for my leave. Could you watch Ahsoka for me?"

"Can I ask where your going?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Yes, but you won't get an answer," Anakin retorted.

"Ahsoka won't be happy about you leaving her again," Obi-Wan warned with a hint of amusement.

"She's old enough. I would have loved the freedom as a Padawan," Anakin retorted.

"Yeah so you could get in trouble again," Obi-Wan responded.

"Trouble you got us into! I saved the day, remember?" Anakin corrected.

"What about the podracing incidents. I wasn't even there when you got in trouble," Obi-Wan said.

"I wasn't in trouble until you showed up. I would have been fine without you, and didn't you almost get us into more trouble?" Anakin corrected.

"Leaving tomorrow then," Obi-Wan deflected.

"Sunrise. I need to sleep before leaving," Anakin answered.

"May the force be with you," Obi-Wan says before hanging up.

"And you," Anakin replied.

Anakin leaves his room, and shouts out to Ahsoka, "I'm going to be going on a trip by myself! Obi-Wan will watch you!"

"I thought you weren't going to go on any late night trips," Ahsoka answerd.

"I'm not. I'll be gone for most of the week," Anakin answered.

"And how is that better," Ahsoka responded.

"Because I don't have to see you for even longer," Anakin joked before reentering his room. Anakin picked the droid back up, and continued working on it until exhaustion hit him. As he drifts of to sleep in his bed he can't help but think of how much he wishes Padmé were lying beside him.

The next morning he wakes up at the first sliver of dawn. The first rays of sunlight had barely lit up the inside of his room. The temple was silent, except for a few quiet snores due to most of the Jedi still sleeping. Anakin runs in the silence, his heart beating in anticipation, to the hanger for his starfighter. Artoo was already patiently waiting for him when he jumped into the starship. As the starship takes of Artoo beeps a question.

"Naboo, artoo," Anakin answers artoo's beeps. The starship tore through Coruscant's atmosphere, out into the blackness of space. Anakin speaks up again, "Artoo, how long until Naboo?"

Artoo beeps again before Anakin responds, "Eight hours, okay."

Artoo then beeps questioningly before Anakin answers, "Padmé invited me to her families home." When Anakin looked out into space again he could feel the cold embrace of the air, a stark contrast to the warmth that Padmé would always give him. He glanced up as he entered hyperspace, before he looked at the map, the tiny ship icon inching closer to its destination. He was counting down the minutes, not just to reach Naboo, but to find solace in Padmé's arms.

As the starfighter exited hyperspace, Naboo unfolded before him like a jewel - a stark contrast to his birth planet of Tatooine. Naboo had always been his favorite planet. The first time he had been there the amount of water had already impressed him. On Tatooine water was incredibly valuable, while here on Naboo it was everywhere, you could even see it from space. But something had changed. The vibrant greens of his memory were replaced by a blanket of pristine white. Snow. He'd never seen Naboo with it.

Landing at the Theed spaceport, he jumped out of the ship, the snow billowing up around him as he landed in it. He still remembered the steps he and Padmé had taken the first time to get to her childhood home. This time he would be taking them alone, but in just a few minutes he would see her. He stopped himself from reaching out for her presence with the force. He wanted this to be a surprise for her. His hood was low enough on his face to prevent him from being recognized. He had many fans in the galaxy and the streets were filled with people shopping and exploring.

When he got to the stairway to Padmé's home he slowly climbed the stairs. With each step his excitement grew. At the top he lifted his hand and placed a gentle rap on the door. The echo from his knock echoed in the quiet streets. A moment later the door swung open revealing an older woman with concerned eyes, who asked, "Anakin Skywalker?"

Anakin introduced himself, "Yes. I liked Naboo last time I was here, and Padmé mentioned I could visit while I'm on Naboo."

The woman lightened up, and a smile crossed her face as she recognized Anakin. "You protected our daughter. You're always welcome here," Jobal answered.

Out walked her father and added, "She'll be back here within the hour."

As Anakin walked inside two little kids ran up to him. "The hero with no fear is at my house!" the older one Ryoo exclaimed.

"They revere you," Jobal whispered into Anakin's ear, with a hint of amusement.

"There's a lot of people that do," Anakin responded back, "It comes with the job."

"We'll be having a dinner party tomorrow, the guests would love to have you there," Ruwee said.

"I'll be sure to join you," Anakin answered.

"Are you hungry, I still have some sandwiches from lunch," Jobal asked, the motherly kindness radiating from her.

"I'll take one," Anakin answered. He was indeed starving the last time he ate was last night's dinner. Anakin loved how they already treated him like family even though they didn't know that now they were family for him.

Jobal brought out the sandwich and Anakin started eating it in the kitchen while looking out into the winter landscape. He took a bite, savoring the taste not just of the food, but of the anticipation that Padmé would be here.