"Anakin, wh….what are you doing here?" Darred asked, astonished at what had just transpired.

"Saving your skin," Anakin retorted, "and believe me, had they not been cheating, I wouldn't have intervened." Darred could see that Anakin obviously wasn't in the mood to be trifled with, and kept silent. Anakin, however, was looking for some answers. "You mind telling me what's going on?" Anakin asked with a very impatient tone.

Darred's mind raced with how he should respond. What do I tell him? Just as soon as this question popped into his consciousness, Anakin's accusing tone broke it into pieces. "Don't even try to lie to me either. In case you forget, I can just rip any information I want out of your thick head, whether you like it or not."

Darred knew that he needed to come clean once and for all. "I wouldn't expect you to understand," he began, frustrated at this turn of events.

"Try me," Anakin responded coldly.

Darred looked down at the ground, his pride not even allowing him to look up at his brother in law. "I've been a freighter pilot my whole life. I know it's not glamorous work, but I never went to the university, and up until a few years ago, it's always paid the bills."

Darred looked extremely uncomfortable, but it felt good to get this off his chest, so he continued. "It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do, moving back in with the Naberries," he said, with mounting frustration.

"All I ever wanted was to provide for Sola and my children, make them happy and maybe even give them a couple of the nicer things in life. Do you realize the pressure I'm under married to the daughter of a man whose name is synonymous with wealth, influence, and respect here in Naboo?"

Anakin was about to point out the obvious fact that he too had married a Naberrie, but Darred just plowed on, seemingly oblivious to his blunder.

"I have wealth flaunted in my face every time I take a step into their home, even if they do live rather humbly for the resources at their disposal, and every moment I'm there eats away at me, reminding me of the things I can't provide for my family."

Darred was now pacing the walkway outside of the bar, still looking at the ground in front of him. "I had to do something, I had to try to get some money the only way I knew possible, but soon I became horribly addicted to games of chance, and the more and more I lost, the less and less I felt I could show my face around that home. Every time I walk through that doorframe it's like a dagger to my heart, a glaring accusation and a living reminder of the complete and utter failure that I am."

Everything became clear to Anakin as he watched his brother in law with a sense of pity. "I can't even look at my wife anymore without feeling like the slime of the earth at having to keep all this from her." Even Darred's voice now betrayed his desperation.

"And then there's you," he said, looking accusingly at Anakin. "I can't turn anywhere without seeing your picture on the holonet or hearing someone talking about your battle prowess in a passing conversation. And here I thought I had it bad before when I just had to feel like a failure in front of her parents, but being the 'other' son in law, they guy that hasn't accomplished anything in life or made anything of himself makes me feel like I'm completely worthless. Can you even begin to comprehend how hard this has been on me?"

Anakin pitied the man before him, and wished he knew what to say in order to alleviate some of the pain he was feeling. In the end, all he could manage was, "Darred, I can see the difficult situation you've been put it, but I need to tell you something that you aren't going to want to hear. You need to pull yourself together and stop acting like a nerf herder."

Darred's eyes shot up in surprise and hurt at his brother in law's comment, but Anakin needed to wake him up and bring him back to reality.

"You have a wife and children at home who love you more than anything, and do you really think they care that you don't make as much money as the guy down the street, or that you're not on the news every night? I think…..no, let me rephrase that, I know Sola knew exactly what she was getting herself into when she married you. Wealth and fame mean absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things, so it's time you stop feeling sorry for yourself and become the husband and father that your wife and children need."

Darred felt pure anger wash over him at Anakin's brazen rebuke, but this was quickly replaced by humility in knowing that Anakin was right. He put his face in his hands and wept bitterly.

"I know I need to change," he managed, "but it's too late. I'm addicted to gambling now beyond my ability to control. I've completely ruined my life, and almost destroyed my family. If it weren't for Ruwee and Jobal, my wife and children would be out in the streets of Theed, or forced to live in the jungle like savages. I've sought help in the past, but I've been like this now for over five years, and I just can't control myself."

Anakin looked at the broken man before him, and desired more than anything to lift him from the mire through which he was wading. "Perhaps there is something I can do to help," he said softly.

Darred looked up suddenly, a fresh hope covering his features as he grasped at anything that might help him become the man he once was. "I'd do anything," he pleaded, "anything you ask!"

Anakin briefly hesitated as he thought of the young deck officer whose memory he had erased, and the utter failure of that experience. The same questions now flooded his mind as he looked upon his brother in law. Can people change and be redeemed from their poor decisions? Will they make the right choices if they are presented with a second chance? Am I perpetuating misery and woe just because I take it upon myself to change someone's destiny? Do we even follow a predetermined destiny?

Just looking at the miserable condition of the man before him made his choice an obvious one. I refuse to believe that people can't recover from poor decisions, and I believe that everyone, no matter what they've done, deserves a chance at redemption, he thought to himself.

"If you will do anything I ask," Anakin said, "then I want you to promise me something. I want you to promise to never again even enter a gambling establishment or play a game of chance, even for recreation. If you promise me this, then I will remove from your mind your overwhelming addiction."

"I promise, I promise," he said quickly, finally seeing a ray of hope enter his darkened world.

Anakin reached out with the force, and felt the mind of his brother in law, tracing along the gentle flowing of his neural pathways until he was able to locate and destroy the addictive impulse that was plaguing his relative. He felt a wave of relief wash through Darred as he severed the connection.

"You are a free man," Anakin said warmly, "now live your life the way you know you should."

"I don't know how to thank you," Darred said joyfully.

"Don't worry about it," Anakin responded, "but know that I left the memories of your addiction intact. I hope that this will help you to keep your promise, but it will also inevitably be a source of guilt for you until you can forgive yourself for what you've lost and cost your family these past five years."

Darred's guilt soon replaced the joy he felt at finally being free of his burden. "Please don't mention this to anyone," he said awkwardly, the foolishness of his actions hitting him full force.

"It's not my place," Anakin responded. "But I really think you should tell your wife about it."

"I will...someday. I promise." Darred said, just happy to feel like himself again.

"Don't worry," Anakin added as they turned to leave, "I think we both know that the Naberrie women are remarkably forgiving."

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"What exactly did you do?" Padme asked, as she walked hand in hand with her husband along the terrace of their new home, amazed that Darred had come back with him and was now with Sola and their children.

"That's really not my place to say," Anakin said slowly, not wanting to disappoint his wife, but respecting Darred's wishes. "Darred will have to be the one to break the silence on this matter."

Padme looked a little frustrated at having to wait for an answer, but then just smiled and looked up at her husband.

"Well, I don't know what you said or did, but thank you for doing it. And here I thought I was the diplomat," she added with a slight smirk. Anakin grinned and added, "How do you know they weren't aggressive negotiations?" Padme only laughed in response. "I think Darred would have looked a lot more frightened as he got off the ship if that were the case."

They stopped walking as they both keenly remembered that this exact spot is where they shared their first kiss just a few years before.

Anakin pulled his wife close as he gazed into her eyes. He ran his fingers down the side of her face as she reached up to grab his hand. "I love you so much," Padme said as she looked into the eyes and admired the features of the man she loved with all her heart.

Anakin gently lifted her chin to bring her lips to his own as he kissed her passionately, letting his actions speak for him. They finally broke away, staring lovingly into one another's eyes before Padme turned to watch sunset over the lake.

She leaned into her husband as Anakin wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him while running his hands gently over her womb. "I can feel them kicking," he said excitedly as Padme wrapped her arms around his.

"Ani, how many children would you like to have?" she asked dreamily.

"As many as my wife would like," he said, gently kissing her neck, sensing her pleasure as his lips brushed across her skin.

Padme only smiled as she considered his words. "Good answer," she responded, wishing this moment would never end. After a few moments, she voiced her thoughts.

"I always wanted a big family," she said as the disappearing sun warmed them with its last remaining rays. "Maybe six kids or so."

Anakin just smiled as he held his wife in his arms. "That sounds wonderful, but know that I'll be happy no matter what," he said, picturing his life in the future with his wife and children.

This is what truly matters in life, Anakin thought. He held his wife tightly as he pondered their situation; a husband and wife, together and complete in the love they had for one another, excited beyond belief at the prospect of becoming parents and bringing their children into the universe, to raise them and love them as best they could.

They both stood there at their home in Naboo, gazing off happily into the distance, unaware of the many adventures that awaited them in their future.

THE END

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Well guys, that's it. It's been quite fun writing this, but between all my other activities, and with as much tuition as I'm paying, I probably won't get around to a continuation of this or starting something else for a while. Recently breaking up with my girlfriend kind of allowed the time to do this as it is. I want to especially thank the following for their many reviews and support.

ibelieveintruelove

JessicaTheFair

Jedi Master Arie Skywalker

QueenNaberrie

ILDV

annependragon

You guys are awesome. Thanks again for all the sweet (meaning awesome) reviews.