Anakin's parents visited him in the hospital the same day. He was still dazed from the anesthesia, but was otherwise fine. His forearm was broken, but fortunately, he had no internal injuries. The many bruises will heal, only the deep wound that stretched from the forehead next to his eye to the cheek, will leave a visible scar.

He was kept in the hospital for three days and on Tuesday evening his mother picked him up and took him to his small apartment. She stored food in the refrigerator that she had bought for a few days, and promised to come at the end of the week, but to call every day.

On Thursday, Anakin rang the landlady's doorbell.

„Buenos días, Señora Díaz. …" in Spanish, of course.. "I wanted to ask you to give me a few more days because of the rent. I can't work and have to take out a loan for my expenses…."

"The rent was paid till the end of September, Señor Skywalker...and there was an envelope left here for you...she said for health insurance and other expenses."

"Oh!...uh, I guess, I have to thank my mother and..."

"That wasn't your mother."

"Who else?"

"Someone who cares deeply about you."

"Thank you, Señora Díaz."

Can it be really … Padme?

He decided to call her. She did not answer, a text message, no answer either. Then the only option left, was to visit her. He really wanted to express his gratitude to her and promise that the money would be paid back.

After a few days, on Sunday to be precise, when he was feeling better and the pain became bearable after taking some painkillers, he called a taxi and headed to Padmé's house. He was nervous but determined not to let her think he expected this money that she left for him. When she opened the door, he thought he wouldn't be able to stand anymore. He didn't know what he expected, but surely not that she was pregnant. It took a few seconds until he could think clearly again.

"Hello Padmé."

"Hello Anakin...do you want to come in?"

"No, I...don't want to see him."

"Whom?"

"Clovis."

"He's not here...he's never been here."

"...or your new boyfriend...I don't want to see him either, I just wanted..."

She interrupted him. "There's no new friend."

"I don't understand." He shook his head.

"I live alone…I am alone."

"But you're pregnant, whose baby is..." and it clicked.. "Is that...my...baby?"

"Yes... and it's not just one baby, I'll have twins."

"Oh my God Padmé, and you didn't tell me? Why, Padmé, why?"

"You sent me away, I thought if you didn't want me, you wouldn't want the baby either."

"How can you think something like that about me? Tell me. Do you really think I'm such a bad person?" he made a serious face. "When they are born, I want a DNA test."

"You don't believe when I say they are your children …?"

"No, that's not the point, I want to claim them, I want custody of them." He turned around and left.

So, that was it. That was the price for refusing to tell him she was pregnant. She didn't want to listen to her father and her friends. Now she could let the tears flow, he was upset and gone forever.

Anakin walked down the street, he didn't know where to...home...on foot? Call a taxi? He left her standing alone in the doorway, without a word...but wanted to say so much, to thank her...for her help, her care. No, not acceptable. Go back, turn around and ran all the way back. He rang the bell again and when she opened the door he saw the traces of undried tears on her cheeks.

"I'm sorry. I behaved like an idiot. Instead of being happy about the babies, I scolded you... don't cry. Please forgive me."

She quickly closed the distance between them, wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. He put his left arm around her.

"Hold me tight Anakin, just hold me tight." She remembered their first night, their first dance and how he held her. They were both on cloud nine back then and now this embrace was a clinging to the hope of making things right again.

As they sat on the couch, she ran her finger over the unhealed wound on his face and held his uninjured hand.

"Was it bad?"

"Yes. When the car started to roll over, I don't know how many times, I thought for a second it is the end... and then I thought of you, of our love, I thought I'll never see you again. That hurt the most and then… it went black."

"I was your last thought?"

"You are always my first and my last thought, every single day."

"Still?"

"That hasn't changed, that will never changeI made such a big mistake when I sent you away, but I don't know if you can imagine how I felt. He was always around you, I was jealous and didn't trust you. That was a mistake, I see that now, but at the time I thought, if you don't deny it, don't say anything, that you don't care and then I thought, you'll find happiness with him and I'll forget you at some point. Unfortunately, it only got worse every day. I love you too much, Padmé."

"Never send me away again."

"No, I won't...never again...and I'm so happy to be a father, even though I still haven't fully realized it..." he ran his hand over her stomach. "Our children…" then he leaned over and kissed her lips.

"Anakin, stay with me...here...I need you."

"Fine, I'll stay until tomorrow...although...I just came to thank you for the financial help and promise that I'll pay you back."

"I didn't think until tomorrow, I thought forever. We will need you."

"After all the ugly things I said to you and sent you away? I don't know, I can't stay here and act like nothing happened."

"I'm partly to blame for this too."

"Good, this is getting complicated, but I still want us to be together."

"Stay until tomorrow and we'll make a plan."

That late afternoon, Padmé made two salads and gave Anakin steaks and corn on the cob to put on the grill. The weather was pleasant and they sat on the terrace. It felt almost like before. Neither of them was completely relaxed, after all there was a break up and a few painful months in between.

"I have to work tomorrow, but at least the period of morning sickness is over. It was bad…and I was alone."

"I'm here for you now...I just don't know if spontaneity and intimacy we shared can be regained."

"When we are together, by time it will be just like it was before, maybe even better...we have responsibilities now."

"Yes responsibility, but the bond of love has been lost. You hesitate to use the word love."

"It's just because I'm not sure you want to hear it. I wouldn't be happy if you thought I wanted to hold you just because of babies." She turned her head away from him. "...but if you want to know; I never stopped loving you."

"Look me in the eyes and say it again."

She turned around. "I love you, Anakin."

He stood up, pulled her up from the chair, and buried the fingers of his left hand in her hair.

"I'm sure we'll make it, you and I...I love you, Padmé."

In the evening, they made the plans...short term and long term.

In the short term it was decided that Anakin should move in with her by the end of September and since he now has to pay less for the rent, he was able to take out a loan to buy a car that he absolutely needed. She didn't want to accept rent from him, but he insisted. He will work diligently on his dissertation and try to finish it a year early. She will take longer maternity leave after the birth of the twins, as agreed with her father. ...and now, they will tell everyone who should and needs to know that they are back together.

Long term...yes, when Anakin is done, get a job. If Pasadena, then rent a house somewhere where they both are equally far from work, a good area, not far from a daycare center and school and, and, and... Looking far away.

That night they slept in her big bed...without sex. Anakin wasn't sure if he would harm the babies and wanted to check with a doctor first. OK. , but unnecessary, she thought. He stuck with it.

The first thing they decided to do, was to call Sola, grandmother, their parents, then the friends. Without exception, everyone was happy. The father, like every father, asked when the wedding was planned. He didn't get an answer because Anakin and Padmé didn't talk about the wedding.

Anakin took out a loan to buy a small, used car that could serve temporary; he had to get to Pasadena and UCLA somehow. What Padmé didn't know, was that he took out a little more credit and bought a modest half-carat...for like five thousand dollars, nothing more was possible.

The evening, he came home in the taxi from the jeweler, he prepared apple juice with sparkling water and champagne glasses and waited for Padmé to come from the office. There was some finger food in the fridge. He knew what she liked, so he bought mini baguettes and foie gras and decorated a few canapés with olives and herbs.

She came home tired, sat down on the couch, took off her sandals and put her swollen feet on the table.

"If this keeps up... ugh, I'll feel like a whale and I'm only five months pregnant." She whined.

"I could do something good for you." He winked.

"I don't even feel like doing that."

"OK. , then something else...for the love of my life, the woman I will always love, for the mother of my children, for my Angel.." he knelt down "Padmé Amidala Naberrie, give me the honor and be my wife?" holding the small black box with the ring.

"Anakin! Why, why now…I don't run away."

"I know and...I would like to marry you right away... but unfortunately we have to wait until I have completed my doctorate."

"I know and…and no matter when, I want to be your wife. That's what I wanted from day one."

"...and you have been my wife from day one, no matter when we were...no matter whether you were married or not, you belong to me. I love you."

"I love you too...until we're a hundred years old."

"And sex?"

"You mean when we're a hundred years old, or now...as an engaged couple?"

"As well as."

All family members and friends found out about the surprising marriage proposal, as well as their decision to move in together. Some of them felt it was long overdue.

By the end of the summer, Anakin had moved out of the small apartment where he had spent the last six years.

Anakin started diligently and planned to finish his dissertation within a year.

They didn't go out, Padmé also had a hard time driving the car, so her father said she should take maternity leave at the beginning of October. Their families and friends often visited them and they were not socially isolated.

The babies were supposed to arrive in early December, but since most of the twins arrive early, they were already on alert by mid-November.

Best regards from Germany