And here we are, last chapter. Enjoy.
After the work was done, he brought her suitcases into the house.
Padmé showered, went to bed and waited for Anakin. He was somehow nervous. He didn't know why. As a man in his prime, he never had a problem approaching a woman, but Padmé wasn't just any woman, he loved her and didn't want to do anything wrong, this time he was sober. He came to bed in his pajamas and sat down next to her.
"Padmé, I never told you, but you should know that I love you... for years, actually since I first saw you... and later, after my graduation party... in the library... what do you remember?"
"I remember you... inside me, your lips on my neck, my fingernails clawing into your back... not much more, and you?"
"Something like that, me inside you, my lips on yours and my fingers in your curls. You called my name and shouted. Was I too rough, or did I hurt you... or did you want it, did I ...?"
"No, you didn't rape me. I wanted it, long before we did it. It was probably that wonderful, that's why I shouted so loud."
"I love you so much, Padmé. When I first saw you, you were only eighteen and beautiful. Now you are twenty-nine and even more beautiful..."
"Stop talking and come here."
She slid into a lying position and stretched her arms out for him. He had no choice but to come over to her. He lifted her nightgown with one hand, cupped her breast and whispered,
"I love you, Padmé, I love you."
"Then do it."
With both hands, she pulled down his pyjamas. He kicked it off, and now she could feel what she couldn't remember, or not quite. He was between her legs, hard and warm. She instinctively spread her legs, and he slowly slid into her. The feeling was the only thing she remembered... being one with him, and his only regret was that he was so excited and hungry for her that he couldn't hold back any longer, so they both came quickly.
When he felt himself going limp, he pulled out, got up and got a towel from the bathroom to clean her up. She laid her head on his chest.
"I love you, Anakin."
"I never thought I would hear you say that. Now it makes me so happy I could cry."
"Do it, and I'll kiss your tears all away."
"Padmé... I won't let you go. You stay here with me."
"I don't want to go either. I came for to stay."
"I'm the happiest man in the world."
He kissed her once, twice, three times... and the lovemaking began again, only this time it was slow and tender, lasting longer, with a mutual crescendo at the end.
They were still lying there, exhausted, when he asked how Palpatine had died.
"He organized a small sex orgy in a hotel room, and it was filmed. The recordings were sent to his business partners and spread on the Internet. He lost a billion-dollar deal and suffered a heart attack."
She didn't tell him that she was the mastermind behind the whole thing, or about the last conversation she had with her husband because she was afraid, he would think she was a murderer, just as he didn't tell her that he had deliberately killed people in Afghanistan for the same reason.
"I suppose you're a rich widow now."
"No. I told you in Alaska that I was excluded as an heir. The company is now a corporation without a majority, and I only got the payment for sixteen months, on which I still have to pay taxes. Well, there's still a lot left."
"Even that must be much more than I have and will have; I'm just a well-paid employee. I could never offer you what Palpatine offered you."
"What's that saying... less is more. Look, Anakin, I grew up in luxury and later had even more of it, but it didn't make me happy. Quite the opposite.
All I need is your love, this bed and a little room for a crib.
"You... are you... pregnant?" He was shocked.
And let's face it, which man likes to raise another man's children?
"No, I'm not, but I will be soon."
"Padmé?"
"Don't you like children?"
"Of course I like children, but you mean... uh, right now?"
"Why should we wait?"
He buried her under him again. "This will be a beautiful baby now."
"With this father..."
"With that mother..."
Actually, they didn't sleep at all that night, but they got up relatively early to clean the living area and remove paint residue. The kitchen was not yet functional, but the refrigerator was full.
"We'll have some sandwiches and cappuccino. Does the espresso machine function?"
"Yes, but we have no chairs, no furniture..."
"We'll sit on a box out there on the patio."
They put on their hoodies, took the sandwiches and the cappuccino and went outside. It wasn't that warm, about 66F.
"It's going to be cloudy today. Stratus. What do you think?"
"Nimbostratus, it's already raining."
"Stratus. The clouds here look different."
"I know what stratus clouds look like, and they're the same everywhere, I was a group leader at NOAA."
"And I'm a section chief at CMC." He tried to hide the fact that he was laughing.
"Exactly...expert babble." She was laughing now, too.
"Tell me what do you do now, or..."
"I'm not doing anything, I quit. I can only stay here for three months as a tourist... and then..."
"Then we'll figure something out. We'll bring tea time forward a bit, and then we can go out to eat."
"We don't have to, it's nice here, you and me, doing something together... it feels so good. How about I clean the kitchen, and then we'll cook, the fridge is full."
"Yeah... something simple, like spaghetti Bolognese?"
"Like in Alaska. You're good at that."
"What else am I good at? Tell me, um... was the sex good... in a sober state?" he asked a bit uncertainly.
"That was the best sex of my life... that I can remember, and I never want to miss it again."
"You won't. We can have our tea in bed later."
"That's not exactly the fine English way, Anakin."
"We don't have any furniture."
"Then, how do we eat?"
"While standing."
"And what do we do lying down?"
"You know."
"When is the furniture coming?"
"In two or three weeks, about." Pause. "I have to work the day after tomorrow."
"I know. I won't be bored, don't worry."
"You don't have to do anything."
"But then I would be bored."
"OK. Whatever you want, Darling."
"Just don't call me Darling, please, not Darling." She got serious and immediately remembered that Sheev called her that.
"Why not?"
"Sheev called me that."
"I see. What should I call you then?"
"Padmé."
"That's what other people call you. To me, you are like an angel... from heaven sent."
"Agreed."
"Padmé, my Angel." He smiled at her and kissed her hand.
It was the first time he had ever called her an Angel.
They did everything they had planned for the day, showered and went to bed early.
"I love our tea time, which we can now do together again, today Ceylon Orange Pekoe... mmm."
"There's something I love even more that we can do together every day, Angel."
"What is that?"
"Make love."
"Definitely. Come on, let's not lose any more time...we've lost so much of it already."
She said sadly, knowing that it might have been her fault, and he thought it was his.
Anakin had to get up early on Monday to be on time at the Canadian Meteorological Center. He couldn't afford to be late.
When he came out of the bathroom, Padmé was no longer in bed. She must be making coffee, he thought, but as he dressed and opened the bedroom door, the wonderful smell of bacon reached him.
"Just like Alaska. Good morning, my Angel."
"Good morning." She smiled at him. "We had a great time in Alaska. We'll eat standing up, but be careful and don't ruin your nice suit. Do you always wear a suit and tie at the office?"
"Yes, I'm an executive now, there's such a thing as a dress code." And he laughed.
"It suits you perfectly and I love it. This style suits you."
"And you can pull off any style. A dress is only beautiful when you wear it."
He ate everything quickly.
"You flatter me."
"I'm serious... but now I have to go."
He kissed her a hundred times and left.
Padmé was busy all day unpacking her things, organizing them in the closet and dresser, and also rummaged through Anakin's things with a guilty conscience. He had nice things, but not much. Would he mind if she bought him something? She looked around the whole house and wrote down everything that needed to be done. She chose a nice room next to the master bedroom for the baby's room. Yes, she wanted a baby... with Anakin... right now... immediately.
After work, Anakin went to the Banque Nationale, which was near the Canadian Meteorological Center, and withdrew five thousand dollars. It wasn't much, but he knew he could buy a decent ring for Padmé with that money. He planned to take her out to dinner at 40 Westt on Wednesday to wish her a happy birthday and to propose. Padmé hadn't even dreamed of all this, especially that it could happen so quickly.
Anakin reserved a table for 8:00 p.m. and went to Tiffany's in downtown, spending ten thousand dollar on a modest half-carat. That was more than he thought, but now some work on the house would have to wait.
The days passed quickly. On Tuesday night, he asked her to pick out something nice to wear on Wednesday night to celebrate her birthday.
"Good morning, my Angel. Happy birthday and may all your wishes come true. I love you."
"Thank you, Anakin. I love you more. Come home a little early today."
All of Wednesday morning she tried on one dress after another and then took them off again. She had nothing to wear. That's the way it is with every woman; the more clothes she has, the less she has to wear. Finally, she decided on a short, light dress with three-quarter sleeves and ruffles. Irregular black and white dots were scattered across the light grey silk, all the edges were black, as was the belt. She chose black sling pumps and a matching bag, all by Valentino Garavani. She wanted to take a cream-colored pashmina scarf.
When Anakin came home, she asked him to put on his gray summer suit, and then they left. Padmé liked the restaurant very much.
"Not only is it beautiful, you can eat well here, but first champagne."
When the champagne arrived, Anakin toasted her.
"Again. Happy birthday to you, and may we stay together for the rest of our lives."
"I will never leave you."
"I won't leave you either, Angel."
Carpaccio as starter, porterhouse with vegetables as main course, accompanied by a 2001 Tignanello Antinori, a top wine, but Padmé drank only a little of it. The crowning glory was vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce.
"I ate soooo much, I don't know how I'm going to get my legs up on your back."
"Shh, we don't have to if you can't."
"We have to, I'm in the middle of my cycle."
"You want this baby, don't you?" he smiled.
"Absolutely."
"You'll have it, I promise. I'll pay and then we can go."
Anakin parked in the driveway of the garage, and they went straight to the bedroom.
"We don't even have a chair..."
"We have each other, Anakin."
"Exactly, and I want to keep it that way. Take place on the bed... please."
Padmé didn't know what he wanted, but she sat down. He stood in front of her and took her hands in his.
"Padmé, I have loved you for eleven years, wanted you for eleven years, dreamed of you for eleven years, but now... I hope I don't have to want you anymore, I hope I don't have to dream of you anymore, I hope you will be mine forever..." He knelt in front of her and took the box with the engagement ring from his pocket. "Padmé Amidala Naberrie, will you marry me?"
She hadn't expected this, or not so soon, but she was overjoyed.
"I will, Anakin, I will, I will, I will."
He stood up, pulled her up as well, put the ring on her finger and kissed her.
"I love you, Anakin."
"I love you too, Padmé. There's a holiday here, it is on Thursday, July 1st. We'll fly to Las Vegas the day before, get a marriage license on Thursday, and get married on July 2. Even though Sheev Palpatine died a few weeks ago, it's not against the law for you to get married right away. Besides, no one knows us in Las Vegas, and when we get back, we'll apply for a residence permit for you."
"I would like my family and yours to join us. I'll pay for the hotel and the flights."
"Agreed."
So Padmé's parents, her sister and her family, Owen, Beru and Cliegg received the invitation with plane tickets and hotel reservations:
Dear Family,
We are expecting you in Las Vegas.
We are getting married on July 2, 2010.
Everything is ready,
all you have to do is to come.
Padmé and Anakin
The day before they left for Las Vegas, Padmé took a pregnancy test; she was a week late. The test came back positive.
"Anakin, we're going to be parents, I'm pregnant."
He held her close. "That's... that's wonderful. I'm so happy, my Angel, so happy."
"Why are we in such a hurry to get married?"
"To make room for a baby bed, here in the corner."
They both laughed, not knowing they would need two of them...
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Best regards from Germany
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A/N
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