A/N: WELL IT'S ABOUT TIME.
JIMNEY CHRISTMAS, IT ONLY TOOK ME WHAT, ALMOST FIVE MONTHS TO ACTUALLY UPDATE THIS.
But! Before we get into this long overdue chapter, please let me touch on a few things as to why it's so late.

Okay! So originally I planned for this story to be humours-which I felt it has been, given the first four chapters. Chapter 5 was sort of the turning point in this story, being the half-way point and all. (Note: There are actually going to be eleven chapters to this. That's where 'And the one time she pretty much did' bit comes in.) Now, I have a feeling that some of the ideas that I came up with in regards to the next few times she almost catches them aren't as humorous as the others. Granted, I don't see how I can really make some of them funny. I can try though, adding in banter and all. That said, this story might end up not being quite as funny as you thought it would be to begin with. Sorry! But I think having some serious moments here might balance it all out.

While I don't really want to see them as excuses, there are a few reasons as to why there was a May-October gap in this story, including but limited to: finals, graduating(!), graduation parties, family trip, packing for college, moving in to college, starting classes.
That, and I've also started and been working on another story here that I must say I am quite proud of.
If any of you want to go check out Malum Rêve and leave any sort of feedback it would be greatly appreciated! It's got Anidala and drama.

Oh, and go check out FishyIcon while you're at it. It might as well be her fault this story exists. :)

That said, let's get past that and you can get to the sixth time Ahsoka almost caught them because now I'm rambling and this darn thing has taken me long enough!

-While reading this, there are a few songs I listened to while imagining the dance bit between Anakin and Padmé, and I figure I might as well share them to help give you the mood I was going for. :)
Fairytale by Alexander Rybak / Little Motel by Modest Mouse / Boats and Birds by Gregory and the Hawk / Carry by Tori Amos / & Dreamer by Elizaveta

You can pick any of the five you like; they're just the ones I was flipping through while writing this.

VI.

The sixth time they're at some Senate get-together with Padmé because there's nothing else to do.

One of the benefits that came to hanging around her—not that Ahsoka minded her company; she quite liked the woman—was definitely the food.

Her first introduction to whatever it was she was currently chowing down on had been at Padmé's apartment a few days back, having been greeted at the door by a plate of food that the Nabooan had snagged from the last soiree or gathering or shin-dig or…what did they call these parties?

She'd smiled and encouraged Ahsoka to eat to her little heart's content because Sabé had managed to horde half a dozen other plates elsewhere in the kitchen. The food was had presumably been going to be thrown out after the party anyhow, and the hungry Togruta had appreciated the offering, picking at the bits of hors d'oeuvres she knew Padmé wasn't overly fond of—being around someone for so long made the other's eating habits common knowledge between the two.

The political figure had lapsed into some story as to why she didn't eat a certain sort of snack Ahsoka was gnawing at before trailing off, concluding her story with a light blush, sideways glance at Anakin and an abrupt attempt to change the subject with "Well, go ahead and east as much as you'd like; there's more where that came from."

Ahsoka had resisted the urge to spit out whatever she'd been chewing into her hand, but she'd been too afraid to ask for further details.

She was currently reminding herself to compose herself and stop shoveling food in her mouth when she noticed the senatorial aides staring at her and making comments about her montrals with what she would have hoped were awed more so than troubled expressions. Ahsoka was forcing herself to eat with 'dignity' and be 'ladylike' because they were in public and oh well if Anakin didn't like it then he should have come here alone.

Speaking of the man, where was Anakin anyway? Sitting alone at a table with Obi-Wan was starting to get awkward.

Setting down her utensils and leaning back the Togruta gave the expansive room a slow once-over, hearing her beads click against one another while she grimaced at the notion of having to dress up. Sure, attending some Senator event or whatever this was could have been fun and all, but she was increasingly beginning to feel exposed without the feel of her weapon on her hip.

Ahsoka had quickly realized that Anakin's interpretation of formal robes was much different than hers. Not that she had put on some get up that made her unrecognizable, but at least she had put effort into looking decent. Anakin had just grabbed whatever tunic wasn't stained and shoved it on over his head at the last minute.

If he'd left her there alone, she was going to—

"I see you're having a good time," The man in questioned said as he seated himself back at Ahsoka's side in-between her and Obi-Wan, the latter with a fairly glazed look upon his face as if he wished he was anywhere but where he was right then.

"I thought you'd gotten lost." Ahsoka muttered, resting her elbow on the table top and then placing her palm into her hand before she remembered it wasn't 'proper manners.' She was seriously wondering what was up with Anakin and his sudden desire to make a good impression—usually it was more or less let's-just-wing-it-and-hope-no-one-dies-okay?

"I didn't think my bladder was that important to you." Anakin said, quirking the un-scarred eyebrow and glancing around the room before him.

"Ew," His Padawan made a face and glanced down at the remnants of food still on her plate.

Skywalker nodded curtly. "I miss anything?"

She gave him a blank look, gesturing to a great deal of politicians and aides and caterers and whoever was here because who in the entire galaxy would miss this shebang? Ahsoka had actually forgotten what this thing was supposed to be for anyway. Some Senator's birthday or just some random get together? Was there a good reason for them to all gather in one room outside of their sessions?

"Senator Orn Free Taa almost stole Master Kenobi's plate, Senator Burtoni's still glaring at everyone and those aides are still staring at my head." Ahsoka quickly supplied in a rather droll voice, trying not to let those peering eyes irritate her too much.

"They're probably just jealous of your headtails."Anakin replied, his voice not nearly as sarcastic as it could have very well been.

"Who wouldn't be?" The Padawan muttered under her breath, stabbing at a vegetable on her plate in a rather vicious manner. Choosing to forgo the risk of being stabbed in the arm by a somewhat frustrated Togruta, Skywalker turned to the rather silent man that had once served as his Master and attempted to engage him in conversation.

"Well, Obi-Wan, you've been remarkably quiet." Kenobi's head slowly swiveled toward Anakin, his eyes fairly unfocused as he stared at the younger man. Anakin bit back any snide comment about him being either tired or drunk in the next moment.

"You simply haven't been listening."

"Ouch."

The two quickly launched into some lighthearted conversation—mostly because Obi-Wan didn't seem too thrilled about having to contribute to it from the way his gaze kept flickering away, eventually turning to the woman steadily approaching them.

Padmé sighed, seating herself next to the Togruta girl and smiling at her. In that moment Ahsoka took in how drawn and weary the older woman looked after having been hounded by other Senators all evening.

"How's the food?" She asked, garnering an earnest response from Ahsoka accompanied by a large smile.

"It's really good!" There was a mischievous glint in her eyes before she continued. "You should be asking Skyguy that though—he's the one that's been eating all of it."

At that, said man frowned. "Well excuse me for being hungry, Miss-apparently-I-feel-like-fasting-today-and-I'll-make-you-fast-too. I've only had one plate of food here, need I remind you. I'm a growing young man."

"Saying 'I'm not hungry right now' isn't the same thing as fasting." Ahsoka scoffed. Padmé looked fairly amused at the banter as she glanced to and from each of them; Obi-Wan appeared rather indifferent. "It's not my fault you don't like to eat alone."

Anakin grimaced, trying to keep his eyes away from his wife because he knew if he so much as glanced at her he wouldn't be able to look away. (Had he told her how lovely she looked in that dress? She really should wear blue more often—this dress fit her in just the right way for him and now her sleeve was sliding off her shoulder while she laughed at Ahsoka's remark…Okay, he really should look away now before Obi-Wan said something.)

"Well excuse me for trying to be social." He remarked, derailing his current train of thought to focus on something other than Padmé's dress and also ignoring his Padawan's "It was two plates, you just dropped one. And the one you didn't has food piled on it."

The Togruta shrugged rather than grace him with a real response, giving birth to a lull in conversation. The four sat in relative silence save for the hum of chatter and music around them; the two married ones fought to avoid too much eye contact with one another. Padmé gnawed at her lip and failed to hold back her blush when she realized Anakin's gaze was upon her.

"So how's the rest of the Senate treating you?" Let it be known that no one had ever said that Anakin was good with words, let alone starting conversations.

Ahsoka found herself absently watching the people either milling about or dancing when Skywalker's question flopped lifelessly.

"I suppose it's no worse than usual," Senator Amidala shrugged, absently re-adjusting the shoulder of her dress when she noticed her husband glance down to it. His Padawan turned her attention back to the two, if only to immerse herself in some intelligent conversation other than the soliloquy she was giving herself regarding the fact that she wasn't sure if one of the dancing—um, more like dying—figures was male or female. It wasn't like she was going to ask them.

"How so?" Was the response from the man who had taken it upon himself to eat the food still sitting on his plate.

The quirk of Padmé's brow mirrored Ahsoka's at his sudden interest in politics.

"Well," The woman grinned, turning away for a brief moment to thank the caterer that had just set down a plate before her. "I haven't had the urge to beat one of them with a datapad recently, if that's an indication."

"Non-violence in the work place sounds like progress." Anakin said, smirking up at his wife—even though Ahsoka didn't know that so oh yeah, they were just good friends—and trying not to look to overjoyed at the fact that he was finally able to see his wife for the first time in a few weeks. The young Togruta female frowned at his looks, but said nothing.

"You'd think so," Padmé smiled, and with that the conversation grew slightly strained until it finally died. Apparently, small talk wasn't something these two were overly fond of, and Ahsoka and Obi-Wan weren't going to be the first to try to add in their two sense. Especially the latter since he looked just about ready to hightail it out of there as soon as someone gave the word.

Silence crept up on them again while Ahsoka slid her fork around her plate, trying not to make that scraping noise because apparently in was rude and all that jazz and if Anakin didn't like it maybe he'd like a fork imbedded in his arm then. It was his fault she was stuck there anyway.

Padmé thusly took it upon herself to cut into their individual reveries with a beaming smile.

"I like this song," She murmured, glancing toward the people now dancing slowed as the tempo changed. Ahsoka withheld the urge to say 'Well that's nice' because Padmé was her friend and that would just be mean. Besides, she had to admit that she liked the song as well.

"Would you care to dance?"

Obi-Wan just about choked on his drink as Anakin stood and walked behind his Padawan to kneel before the Senator.

Ahsoka didn't say anything, a bit too shock by his forwardness to do so.

"What?" If there was a way to describe how Padmé reacted, it would have to have been she squeaked. She shot a look over at Master Kenobi who was currently staring at his former apprentice and then at Ahsoka who was more interested in that idea that maybe Skyguy could dance than just what he was trying to imply at the moment.

"I asked if you'd like to dance," He repeated with a smile. On the outside he appeared calm if not a bit too pleased with himself whereas on the inside not only was he chanting please say 'yes,' please say 'yes' and hoping that the two watching them wouldn't think too much of it.

Anakin was just about ready to have a heart attack and keel over when she returned his expression and all too eagerly complied before composing herself and giving him a more subtle and not so excited, "Of course."

Ahsoka dropped her utensil onto her plate with an audible clang as Anakin's arm looped around his wife's waist the moment they apparently thought they were hidden in the throng of party goers.

If this troubled Obi-Wan at all, he was too busy keeping a watchful eye in their general direction to say anything.

For the most part their dance passed by without too many issues, especially considering how Ahsoka couldn't really see anything because the number of people slow-dancing had suddenly multiplied. From what she could caught glimpses of, however, it appeared as if Padmé's preferred resting spot for her head on Anakin's shoulder and his hand really liked the small of her back.

It was just because of the crowd, Ahsoka told herself. Yeah, that was definitely it.

"I really need to teach you better lie detecting skills, Snips."

Maybe.

No, no, Anakin wouldn't do that. No. He might have been a rebellious fool, but he wouldn't really go so far as to break the code like that, would he?

As she contemplated this, Ahsoka Tano took a few heavy gulps of water to soothe her suddenly dry throat, full of thoughts of this friendship between Padmé and Anakin and just what it all implied.

"Master Kenobi," She coughed out, twisting toward the older man in order to get his opinion on the matter. It was then that she fully took in how ruddy his face looked, his eyes in and out of focus and his hand lightly pressed to his temple—out of exhaustion or whatever he'd been eating taking its toll she didn't know.

Not one to be deterred even if Obi-Wan was a bit tipsy (even if he wouldn't admit it, and he didn't seem keen to), Ahsoka pressed on, if only due to the way the question of just how deep Anakin and Padmé's relationship ran was gnawing at her.

"Senator Amidala and Master Skywalker have known each other for a while, haven't they?" His eyes flitting to meet hers, the man she was questioning nodded slowly. "How long have they known each other, exactly?"

He swallowed and ran a hand down his rather warm face, leaning back in his chair.

"They met roughly…twelve years ago or so." Obi-Wan paused, cleared his throat, and continued. "Granted, neither of them really saw the other for about ten of those years…" He trailed off, pressing his fingers to his temple again, which Ahsoka acted fairly ignorant towards.

"How close would you say they were?" She tilted her head as she spoke and in doing so missed the way Padmé laughed at Anakin as he twirled her around, the mirth drowned by music and the general chatter around them. Ahsoka almost missed to fairly indiscrete that very few noticed—and many of those few were wavering where they stood.

"Er, good friends, I would say." (He couldn't really say "I would hope," could he?) Obi-Wan was suddenly staring Ahsoka down and she suddenly felt very small. (It was almost like one of those looks Anakin gave her only when she really screwed up.) "Why do you ask?"

"Well," The girl sighed, adjusting her sleeve as she spoke, her gaze downcast and oblivious to the merriment currently occurring between the Senator and Jedi Knight only mere meters away from where she sat. With their arms tightened fiercely around one another, Anakin slowly began to twirl his wife around in small circle, their eyes locked as they refused to look away from one another. He went in for a quick kiss the moment he was sure no one was looking and Padmé simply smiled in that way of hers just for him.

"It's just that…" She frowned. "I feel like there's something going on that we don't know about, like they're hiding something. Like maybe they're…I don't know, really close or something. Romantic maybe? Pfft, I don't know."

Ahsoka chuckled at herself.

"Wow, sounds kind of petty, doesn't it? Like Anakin and Padmé actually have something going on. He's not that much a fool, is he?"

She glanced up, and the smirk she had on her face quickly faltered.

"Master Kenobi?"

Ahsoka was tempted to reach over to the man and jostle his arm just to make sure he wasn't dead, but thought better of it at the sound that emanated from his throat. Letting out what sounded like a gentle snore, Obi-Wan's chin ducked into his chest.

If Ahsoka had taken a moment to look away and back to the dance floor she might have noticed the look the Skywalker couple was given one another. She also might have noticed that not only did they leave the dance floor together, but were just about to immerse themselves in shadow and leave the grand room if only for a few spare moments of time alone together.

Not for the second time in the past few days, Ahsoka wouldn't be getting the answers she was looking for in regards to how involved Padmé and Anakin were with one another.

"Forget I ever asked."

A/N: Yeah, so...I'm not overly fond of the ending here, but at the same time I don't quite mind it.
I do want to apologize for this taking me so long, but I hope you'll understand!
And for those of you still reading this: thank you so much for sticking with me and having faith in me! I don't know where I'd be here with you guys! :D
I write partly for myself, but for you all as well.
:)