A/N: Hi! I'm so sorry for the long wait for this update, life has been incredibly busy for me lately. I really have missed posting this story, so I hope some people are still around to enjoy it with me.

Sabe cried out, almost falling backwards as she stepped out of her office for a much-needed caff break just in time for Anakin to march past. Normally, he would stop for a chat while somehow managing to ignore anything she might say about her job or adding things to his schedule. Neither Prince enjoyed the public aspect of their existence, preferring to leave it all to her to handle until she had to drag them like children to whatever photo-op she had planned.

But this wasn't her friend rushing by her office in the hopes of avoiding her insights on his public persona. The Royal Aide gasped at the Prince's rumpled appearance – he looked like he'd just stepped off his ship from a brutal mission. Bloodied, cut up and bruised, something must have happened… and here in the palace! Where were the guards? Why weren't the alarms blaring? Unless Anakin had already dealt with the threat? No… Something was happening. Something she was going to get to the bottom of right now. What kind of a friend would she be if she didn't?

"Anakin?" She called out, flinching when the Prince only picked up speed. Why was he avoiding her? "Um, hello? Anakin! Your Highness?"

"Leave me alone!" He snarled over his shoulder. She faltered, tripping over a step as those brutal words rippled through her. Not just that… but his face… Sabe inhaled a sharp, high gasp. What the hell had happened? Swollen and cut and bruised… Was that flecks of someone else's blood on him? Her heart leapt up into her throat. Who could have done this? He was a great warrior, fast and powerful, who could get close enough to hurt him like that?

Someone would have come found her by now if there were Rebels in the palace, surely? There would be statements to issue, holo-net news slots to book and –

Anakin began to storm down the red-carpeted hallway once more, charging toward the hangar bay. Maybe she should comm Padme? If he was this upset about something, the Senator was the only one Sabe knew who stood a chance of getting through to him. The pair had been inseparable for a year now, no one knew Anakin like Senator Amidala did… but then again, the pair were still reeling from their loss.

Sabe's heart ached for them. She could only imagine the pain they must feel…

Maybe Anakin didn't need his partner right now? Maybe he needed a friend to confide in? Someone to pour out his emotions to so he could support Padme in her grief? The thought had the Royal Aide's legs hurrying forward, chasing the Prince through the palace. As she rushed, Anakin's new astromech whizzed by, outpacing her with the quick wheels gliding him onwards. Even the little droid's beeps and whistles went unanswered by the Prince, causing a sad, low chime Sabe was glad she didn't understand.

"Anakin!" She gasped out – she really had to start using the palace's multiple gym rooms – "Anakin, wait! What's happened? Let me help you!"

He paused for a moment, long legs rooting to the spot while Sabe and Artoo hurried to catch up. "Did you know?!" Anakin whirled around, the words spitting from his mouth barked and furious. "Did he tell you?!" Her heart leapt into a frightening beat and her body felt heavy and slow. Know what? Her mind spun but nothing came forward. What was he talking about?

"I don't…" She sputtered but the rage in Anakin's eyes silenced her… Pure wrath and rage lined his vibrant blue eyes.

He prowled a step closer and Sabe retreated backwards, colliding with the little droid behind her. Sweat beaded on her brow and her face felt deathly pale. "Tell me the truth now or I'll break into your fucking mind and take it for myself!" Anakin hissed.

She was shaking – when did she start shaking?

It was easy to forget just who and what the Skywalker brothers were. Beyond the wealth and titles, they were gifted, wielding powers most couldn't begin to understand. Sabe loved them, she trusted them implicitly, but that didn't stop them from being dangerous. If she tried to run away, Anakin's size and strength meant he'd catch her before she made it to the end of the hallway. He'd use his powers and tear into her mind for… whatever it was he was looking for.

A cold shudder raced down her spine.

But the cold and queasy feelings rolling in her stomach were swiftly slipping into hot anger. Sabe felt her eyes widen, her mouth parting as each ragged breath tearing out of her mouth left her chest heaving. "You've never talked to me like this before," she said.

Another beat of silence between them and in its wake, the anger in Anakin's eyes shifted. His bruised and bloodied face paled with such blistering rage, that he seemed to be having a difficult time controlling his breathing. Despite her annoyance, a cold shudder of fear raised gooseflesh across her skin. She hated it, but the Royal Aide felt afraid. Of him. Of her own friend. For the first time since they'd met, Sabe was scared of him.

Anakin loomed over her, his raging blue eyes never leaving hers, and she felt trapped.

She didn't know how to get out of his or how to calm him down. He'd always had a temper that had to be cooled down and carefully maintained but this was… Sabe hadn't ever seen him this way before. Not even after Padme was brutalised by Varlo Hedsard last year…

Padme…

"Where's Padme?" She asked quietly, "Have you two fought? I – I know grief can be overwhelming, Anakin, but you have to calm down."

Anakin gave a low, hateful laugh. "I don't want to hear her name right now." One still-gloved hand came up in a warning point as he growled out the words. What the hell had happened here today?

"You're upset," Sabe tried to touch him but the Prince yanked himself away as the very thought disgusted him. Her hand hung in the air between them for a moment before falling limply by her side once more. "You… you just need to calm down. Whatever has happened, we can talk about it and think it through rationally. You don't want to lash out and say something you don't truly mean."

A cold, cruel smirk lifted the corners of his mouth and it struck her for a moment, just how much he reminded her of his father, "Believe me, Sabe, when I tell you," he took a heavy step toward her, "I mean every word when I say I'm fucking done with her. And Vader."

Her heart stopped beating. Sabe felt like her whole body went numb. Of all the things he could have said… she wasn't ready for this, wasn't prepared with an answer or the right words to cool that seething rage burning through him. She stood there, mouth hanging open uselessly as Anakin turned around and stormed out of the hallway doors toward the hangar bay. Artoo raced after him as quickly as his wheels could carry him.

Padme awoke with a cry.

Bolting upright in bed, she sat there as the bright afternoon sun streamed into her childhood bedroom through the gauzy curtains as they danced in the gentle breeze the open veranda welcomed. Panting, sweat ran down her back, making her nightgown stick uncomfortably to her skin. Burying her face in her trembling hands, the Senator gave a long, breathless sigh. It happened again. That dream. She dreamt it on the way here and again just now as she'd tried to sleep this horrible day away.

Anakin's face. His sweet, handsome face breaking as her words of betrayal sunk in… as he understood what she'd done to him. The tears that shone in his eyes even as he'd turned to hide them from her.

She felt every flash of horror and pain all over again. And the guilt… crushing, aching guilt.

I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, Ani. I love you. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.

Being home again wasn't as helpful as she'd hoped it would be. The fresh lake air was soothing anytime Padme stepped outside, but looking her mother and father in the eye, even if they didn't say it, she knew they felt disappointed in her. She was sure her mother had informed her father of what happened, they never hid a thing from each other for as long as they'd been together. Maybe she should have followed their example in her own relationship...

Maybe then she would be home with the man she loved right now?

Her hand drifted downwards to her flat stomach as yet another throb of agony pierced her heart. Luis was gone and now she'd lost Anakin too. What was left? This past year, her life had finally felt so full of light and love and passion, that she couldn't stand the thought of things returning to how they were before the Hedsard gala. Her days had been so empty outside of her work. So quiet and unfulfilling.

Until she and Anakin allowed themselves to finally follow their hearts and love each other…

And she'd ruined it.

These… feelings she felt for Vader, were tumultuous and confusing. Were they even real? Or was she only clinging to the safety he offered her, the promise of everything she ever wanted? Was that worth her heart? Sacrificing everything she fought so hard to have with Anakin? Vader said he believed love could be built over time, like a stone house, brick by brick, day by day, like it was a choice to be made, not something a heart yearned for. Could it really be that way?

A soft knock thudded against her door and Padme quickly wiped her face and cleared her throat. "Padme, darling?" Her mother's gentle voice floated into the room, "I have something for you, a package delivered just now."

She frowned. A package for her? Nothing she'd ordered would ever be delivered here, surely? Unless one of her handmaidens had sent something they thought she might need? "Come in!" She called, slipping out of the bed and reaching for her warm blue robe. Jobal entered the room, struggling beneath the weight of a large, black velvet box. She deposited its heavy weight onto the desk and heaved a great breath.

"Oh, mom – you should have left it downstairs!" Padme cried, "I could have come for it!"

"Nonsense," Jobal laughed cheerily, "You and your sister make me out to be a feeble old woman, honestly!" She laughed, placing her hands on her hips, "I'm as spritely as I've ever been. Now, what exactly have you been sent? Heartbroken shopping is never a good idea, dear, do you remember the time I used your father's credit account to purchase myself a new lake-cruiser after we fell out two years ago?"

Oh, she remembered. A small smile pulled at the corners of her lips as she recalled Ruwee's disbelieving fury at his wife's spending. Her mother had never bothered to attain a licence to fly any ship before that day and had never shown any desire to do so. It had been four years and Jobal still wouldn't allow Ruwee to sell that unused lake-cruiser.

Gods, she wished those were the kinds of problems she had right now.

"I have no idea what this is, actually," her fingers reached out to trace across the rich velvet box. It was large and beautiful, locked with an antique golden clasp at the front. Padme felt her hands shake a little as she undid it and carefully swung the lid open.

"Oh, Goddesses!" Jobal cried out at the same time she leapt backwards half a step. "That's not… That can't be real…"

"That's… That's Empress Shimi's crown…" Padme managed to say through the lump thickening in her throat. Tears pricked at her eyes. She had seen the portraits of the late Empress, Anakin and Vader's mother, in the Senate and the palace enough times to recognise the exquisite piece before her. It had been a favourite of hers, she wore it in almost all footage of her at galas and court events before the Princes were born.

The crown was crafted of magnificent gold and gleaming, bright rubies and glittering diamonds. The precious jewels curled and weaved in delicate swirls and patterns, glittering small rainbows across the room even from inside the cushioned box. In the very centre, the arching apex, a circular ruby, full and solid, shimmered proudly, surrounded by a circle of diamonds.

It was the most beautiful thing Padme had ever seen… so rare and precious and likely absolutely priceless… and it was here in her childhood bedroom on Naboo.

Vader's words came rushing back to her, ringing loudly in her ears.

Marry me. Be my empress and help me shape the galaxy the way we see fit.

Her wide eyes traced every curve and angle of the crown before her. It wasn't a ring but it carried the same offer – more of one if anything. Vader sent this to be sure she knew he was serious about his proposal, that the words hadn't come from inflamed passion or irritation in the moment. It stood. He wanted everything he'd offered, marriage, children, a life she couldn't barely imagine by his side.

Padme felt breathless. Her knees trembled.

"I… I think I'll leave you be for a while…" Jobal murmured, quickly flitting from the room, but her eyes remained trapped on the crown before her. Everything it represented rushed through her mind at once… It was too much to process at the same time. If she accepted, she wouldn't just have Vader but a place by his side, a throne beside his one day. She would be the Empress.

The practical, work-driven side of her purred and thrilled. She would reign over the Senate. There was so much she could do to make things better. In such a position, she could clean out the corruption and influence Vader to make the changes she knew would benefit the galaxy.

And Vader needed an heir. He wanted it. A family of their own, one she could want freely with a man who desired it as much as she did. It wouldn't be like it was before, like forcing a circle into a square-shaped hole. It would fit. It would work. Padme's eyes fluttered closed as she remembered the feeling of Vader's hands and mouth on her body. It could always be like that…

Her trembling hands reached out and carefully plucked the heavy crown from its box, letting it gleam and glitter in the sunlight of the room. As her mind whirled and her heart raged, Padme lifted and placed it atop her head.

Sabe should have known.

As the royal cruiser flitted through the skytraffic, the Aide grimaced at the datapad in her hands. What the hell Anakin was thinking stepping one foot inside a lower-level… establishment, she didn't even want to know. Wasn't he thinking? Did he ever think about how quickly word would spread about one of the heirs to the throne sitting casually in a bar all by himself? Not even an undercover guard or soldier to watch out for him?

There were already pictures, nothing she couldn't handle. Her on-call team had already rushed to the palace offices to ensure every image with the Prince was wiped from the holonet within the hour. Now she got to deal with him herself. It wasn't the first time Sabe had to drag a Skywalker out of a place like this, though usually the brothers were together, raucously drunk and in good spirits. She wasn't sure what exactly she was about to walk in on right now.

Her hands trembled as she remembered Anakin's gaze on her. Furious, barely in control of himself.

She should have talked to Vader and gotten to the bottom of this, whatever argument the brothers must have had couldn't have left things beyond repair. Nothing had ever come between them before, even their father's best efforts failed to fracture their bond. Whatever falling out they'd obviously had, however it included Padme, Sabe gave them a week – a month at worst – before everything was smoothed over.

Something a bit like guilt coiled in her stomach. She'd been busy these past few weeks, keeping herself occupied and distracted with her work, burying her face in datapads and media strategies. She hadn't really been there, not for Vader and certainly not for Anakin. It was difficult to know what to say, how to say it… What words could possibly measure up to what was lost? She'd been a bad friend. An uninvolved Aide too. None of this was like her, she was on top of things, putting out fires just as soon as either Prince started them.

Now she was facing a mess she had no idea how to clean up.

Scrubbing images of a battered, bloodied and bruised Imperial Prince drinking his weight in whiskey in a lower-level bar out of existence was one thing… but supporting him, understanding what he needed and knowing how to make it better? For the first time in a very long time… Sabe had no idea what to do.

The cruiser descended and the Royal Aide carefully set down her datpad before slipping out onto the grimy street. She winced at the filth and vermin which scuttled along the street without fear. Of all the places he could have gone, did Anakin have to visit somewhere this many levels down?

Her shoes were going to be ruined.

She'd done a little research on the journey over here. For an establishment so many levels below the lavish and opulent dwellings of the rich and powerful living on Coruscant, it certainly seemed to be frequented by many famous faces. She'd seen pictures of holo-film stars, models, and politicians staggering in and out of the place plastered across the holo-net. How had she never heard of it before? Anyway, it was no small miracle there were no paparazzi-droids outside tonight to capture Anakin in this state.

For an entrance fee of seven thousand credits per guest, one was granted entry into GlitterGlow nightclub to release one's inhibitions completely. Sabe stepped inside, only rolling her eyes when the scantily clad black and white striped twi-lek woman attempted to take payment. One flash of her Imperial Palace Staff Identification badge had the other woman stuttering paling as she drifted past. Sabe was sure her management didn't want any sort of Officials sniffing about this place.

She counted six bars offering colourful, exotic drinks that she could see across the club's eight floors and there were definitely more in the private, darker corners.

Nothing was forbidden within the walls of GlitterGlow, apparently, as beings of every race blatantly partook in various illegal spices amidst the foggy smoke pumped into the air. She dreaded to think what was mixed within that to make people relax and spend their credits. It did little to conceal the various couples rutting against walls, inside booths or in the middle of the various dancefloors.

Decency, it seemed, was the only thing prohibited here.

Sabe was appalled… and just a little bit intrigued. It might be nice to visit here one day under different circumstances.

She was horrendously overdressed in her smart silver dress, in a sea of flirtatious little slips, bare chests and naked bodies, the Royal Aide stood out worse than she ever had before. She felt eyes on her as she made her way toward the first of the bars, vaguely familiar-looking from the pictures she'd seen of Anakin. Changing her clothes before rushing here would have been smart, attracting as little attention as possible to Anakin was the goal after all.

The glittery silver skirt of her dress reached and dragged along the floor and Sabe cringed as people trod and danced all over the hem. Gathering as much of the satiny material as she could in one hand, the Aide grimaced and raced toward the bar. At least she could perch on one of the stools and compare the pictures to the place until she found him.

It was a damn shame. She had the perfect outfit to wear somewhere like here hanging in her closet at home.

No, stop it! She had to be professional right now.

But she was coming back here. And she was sending Anakin the entrance fee.

As it happened, Sabe found the drunk Imperial Prince on the third floor. Wearing the same clothes he'd stormed away from her wearing earlier, Anakin looked as out of place here as she did. Though the cuts and blood on his face did give him a fresh-out-of-a-fight wildness that seemed respectable in a place like this. How anyone had recognised him at all, hunched over the bar, bruised and swollen and knocking back drinks, she didn't know. He looked nothing like himself.

Sabe approached him as if he were a skittish Nexu, with slow steps and gentle movements, in case he lashed out again. Anakin barely glanced up at her as she slid onto the stool beside him, his bleary gaze locked onto the amber swirl of the whiskey inside the crystal glass in his hand. "Can't believe you found me here…" he muttered.

The tall, silver droid barkeep had four long arms designed for serving multiple patrons at once barely glanced at her before throwing together a bright blue, smoky cocktail into a high arching glass and setting it down before her. It didn't enquire about payment, assuming most likely it was to be added to Anakin's tab. The correct choice, she thought, lifting the drink to her lips. She was technically still within her working hours… but who was going to tell? Certainly not the Prince beside her.

"Well keeping tabs on you has always been the trickiest part of my job," she laughed, Vader too, but mentioning him didn't feel like a wise decision right now. "I've developed some tactics to make my life easier."

"Ha," he laughed humourlessly, "Spies you mean."

"The general public is very forthcoming in posting images when they see a member of the royal family looking like he's lost a fight with a wookie in the middle of a club…" Her lips pressed tightly together, holding back the scolding the professional inside of her desperately wanted to launch into. There were private members clubs she knew fine and well he was a part of that strictly prohibited leaking images of guests. Why couldn't he have gone to any of those instead?

"How'd you know I lost?" He swallowed his drink in one and immediately signalled for another.

"Well if you look like this, what state is he in if you won?"

Anakin's eyes darkened angrily before he massaged his bloodied skin, making the corners of his eyes go up and down tiredly. "Not bad enough," he hissed as the droid deposited another whisky before him. Sabe sighed, risking this calm between them to touch him, laying her hand on his arm. When he didn't shake her off, she laid it more firmly.

"Anakin, talk to me… Tell me what's happened?" She'd meant to have her team review the security cams in the palace to get to the bottom of it all on her own but there hadn't been enough time. Finding Anakin and getting him out of here before even more people recognised him had become the priority. "Please, let me help you…"

Help him? Anakin wanted to laugh. Hell, he wanted to take out his lightsaber and slash it across every inch of the glass bar his arms rested on. He wanted to throw and stamp on every expensive bottle lining the high, white-glowing shelf behind the bar-droid. He wanted to burn the image of Padme's engagement ring hanging off of Artoo's infusion welder out of his memory.

She left him. No note, no conversation, she was just… gone. Her staff said she'd gone back to Naboo in a hurry leaving him alone in the ashes of their life together. He rubbed a hand over his face – fuck did that hurt… He probably could have used some bacta patches before coming here. What the hell was he going to do now? Where was he going to go? He was never stepping foot in that damn palace again. Not as long as Vader was in there. He grit his teeth as his anger began to rise all over again.

Padme made herself clear by leaving. It was over. They were over. Maybe she'd picked Vader and everything he wanted to offer her over him. The wrathful jealousy that surged inside him left Anakin breathless for a moment. The darkness inside him roared for vengeance. Worst of all were the tears that burned in his force-damned eyes. Here of all places… He slammed them shut and forced himself to remember how good it felt to pummel his fists into Vader's smug face.

He wanted to tell Sabe everything, to unleash it all out into the open but force help him… How could he? The words were trapped in his mouth, poisonous and emasculating. Anakin had been the second choice all his life, the spare heir, the lesser brother… but it hadn't been that way with Padme. She saw him. She loved him. She chose him.

Until she chose Vader over him.

He swallowed his drink whole and ordered another. It burned his throat and stomach but soon enough if he kept at it he wouldn't feel anything at all. He would find somewhere to go and fall into quiet, blissful unconsciousness. If he was sleeping, he could pretend his son wasn't dead. That the woman he loved hadn't left him. Hadn't willingly walked into his own brother's arms.

How could Vader do this to him? They were brothers! They were each other's only true allies in the galaxy, best friends and trusted confidants. They'd gotten each other into and out of more messes than Anakin could stand to remember. He loved his brother – force knew he didn't always agree with him – and he thought nothing in the galaxy could ever change that. Their relationship had always been stone, as unshakable as any vast mountain after all their father had forced them to endure together.

He wracked his brain, trying to pinpoint the exact moment Vader turned against him. Was it because of Ahsoka? Did taking her in really make Vader hate him that much? Or had it been before – had something shifted between them without him noticing? His stomach twisted, threatening to surge up into his throat… Or maybe that was just the whisky?

Anakin didn't care. He drank again.

"She cheated on me…" The words tasted putrid on his tongue, "With him. Vader."

"Oh Gods," Sabe gasped, grabbing his drink straight out of his hand and finishing it in one. Anakin signalled for a refill. "Are you sure? I – I just… I can't imagine either of them…"

He wished he wasn't sure. Wished Padme had left room for one scrap of room in his head for disbelief or delusion, but she'd been as thorough as she'd been truthful, making sure he knew exactly what happened between the two of them. Knew exactly where it had started and stopped.

"She told me herself," Anakin forced out through grit teeth, "right after it happened." The bartending droid placed down two whiskies. Sabe must have changed her order without his noticing. He didn't notice a lot of things these days apparently.

"I just…" Sabe shook her head, "I don't… Anakin, I'm so sorry…"

He pushed her hand off his arm. The last thing he wanted was her pity, he didn't want anyone's pity. He wanted to curl up in a dark corner until everything just… stopped. Or until he stopped existing. Whatever came first was fine by him. The whiskies were starting to hit. Anakin could hardly see straight anymore. The club around him had melted into an ocean of colour and blurry shapes. He wanted to be sick. He wanted to die. Every time he closed his eyes he saw visions of fucking Vader and his hands all over her… Padme, his Padme, the woman he loved so damn much.

He threw his fist into the glass of the bar top with such furious force, his powers pulsing beneath his skin, that it cracked and shattered into a blanket of small, glittering shards all across the floor. People jerked and screamed, and drinks toppled to the ground, smashing on the sharp fragments already lying there. Hot pain shot up his already tender arm and he cursed, ignoring the shouting behind him. They could call for security if they wanted to, he'd like to see them try and remove him.

He could use another fight.

It was Sabe's yelp that drew him out of his dark thoughts, her soft hands grabbing at his arm that caught his attention. "Oh gods, you're bleeding! What the hell were you thinking?" she cried. He didn't care. He'd already bled today and survived. He hardly felt a thing now. The whisky produced a sweet numbness sweeping through his whole body, blocking away everything but its warm embrace.

But just as soon as Anakin thought he was free of the pain, it all came rushing back with a brutal vengeance. His face and limbs hurt like hell… and fuck, he couldn't breathe. His chest felt uncomfortably tight and his heart beat too fast. The room spun around him. Stop… he just wanted it to stop… but it wouldn't. He couldn't stop seeing Vader leaning into Padme… closer and closer…

He had replaced him! His own brother had stolen his place by her side, in her heart… Anakin couldn't escape the image of Vader's hands all over her body, the places only he had touched for so long. Force-damn it! The mostly intact remnants of his glass floated up into the air for his free hand to catch and toss right into those high, full shelves where the expensive bottles of alcohol sat. Endless glass pieces poured like a waterfall downwards over the bartending droid, followed by bottles and splashes of liquid flying everywhere. Something fragrant and sweet splattered against his cheek.

Screaming. There were shouts and cries all around him. Anakin didn't care. Couldn't bring himself to begin to care.

He tried to stand but immediately sunk downwards, shaking weak legs unable to hold his weight, and crashed on the carpet of glass below. A thousand bites and cuts slashed into his skin at once but the Prince was too breathless to cry out, too broken to let himself feel it. Anakin let himself sink to the floor, gasping, and felt the warmth of blood on his arms and wrists as everything around him faded to white-hot agony.

Before he'd gone away, he'd had everything. The woman he loved, a child on the way, a brother he trusted more than anything… but it was all gone. It was all as broken as the glass he knelt on, utterly irreparable. Anakin gathered a fistful of that glass, watching it slip like sand through his cut and bloody fingers. It was all gone. He'd lost… everything.

Distantly, he heard more shouting, Sabe's frantic voice crying out.

He felt a sharp prick on his neck and his limbs felt loose and limb. His eyes were suddenly so heavy…

As the sweet dark nothingness swept across his mind, he hoped he was going wherever Luis was.

A/N: Poor Ani... He's really going through it right now, isn't he? Which team are you, Anakin or Vader? You'll find out who I support when Padme makes her choice ;)