A/N: This is it! The final chapter! I can't believe I've finished this (it took 3 years longer than I anticipated, but hey, life happens). Thank you for sticking by me, and coming along with me on this rollercoaster of a story. Your support means the world to me! Now I'm off to get started on Part Three: The Truth About Love. So stay tuned for that one... it's gonna be just as dramatic as Anakin is about sand! (though, I did include his aversion to sand in this piece because it's so cringy and I just can't).

Hope you enjoy the last chapter of my baby. All my love.

shelivesfree xx

Chapter 50

Anakin woke feeling more relaxed than he'd felt in a long time. It had been a while since he'd slept in a bed as comfortable as this one, or as big, as his twin bed on campus was hardly long enough to hold his entire body. With a yawn, he stretched out his arms and legs, letting his muscles wake slowly and rubbed his eyes several times before rolling onto his side. The sight that greeted him made him smile.

Padme. His Angel. The woman he loved more than anything in the entire universe, the woman he would risk his life to protect. Her petite form lay curled up beside him. The sheet had fallen from her shoulders and rested above the slender curve of her hips, leaving the smooth, porcelain skin of her back bared to his appreciative gaze. Her mahogany curls tumbled over her shoulders and down her back, the light from the window highlighting them to look like gold. He watched her for a few quiet moments, admiring the way her deep slumber made her body rise and fall with each breath. From where her arms were resting underneath her pillow, he could see the slight curve of her breast, and her beautiful face was calm as she slept, her plump, pink lips slightly parted, long eyelashes casting delicate shadows across her fair cheekbones.

There was nothing more beautiful to Anakin than Padme sleeping naked beside him, of that he was certain.

The reason why she was naked, why they both were, made Anakin grin wickedly. They had definitely made up for their time apart. It had been the longest separation yet, almost three months, and while it had been agony to be apart from Padme for so long, Anakin had made the most of their time together. They'd made love four times – once in the tub, once in the living room, and twice in bed, and Anakin had worshipped her. It was nothing less than she deserved, for she was a goddess and he wasn't worthy of her, and he had spent hours showing his devotion to her, his infinite love for her, until she had cried his name over and over again. Those sounds were the most beautiful in the entire world – nothing compared to the way Padme said his name when she was falling apart from his fingers, his mouth, his cock…

The memories of the previous day made his morning erection twitch as it lay against his thigh. A part of him, a very dominant part, wanted to pull Padme into his chest, lavish her body with kisses and resume what they started the day before, wanted to make her come again and again, hear her cry his name in her sleepy, breathless voice, but he resisted the urge. She looked so peaceful that he didn't want to disturb her. Besides, he had other things he needed to do, to prepare, so lovemaking would have to wait until later.

Taking care not to rock the bed, Anakin rolled over and swung his legs over the side, before standing up and stretching once more. He then pulled the sheet back over Padme's slumbering form, up under her chin, and she snuggled adorably into it, nose scrunched up in such a cute way that it took all of Anakin's strength not to lean down and kiss her.

After a short trip to the bathroom, he made his way into the living room, completely naked but not caring at all. There was something he enjoyed about walking around completely bare, it was almost freeing. A new platter of fresh fruit had been delivered sometime early in the morning by the resort staff, as well as a flask of coffee and several fresh baked pastries. As Anakin passed the table, he took another piece of watermelon and then headed outside to their private deck and pier.

The morning sun was warm against his skin, and he could feel the humidity in the air already. He didn't know what time it was, but it was definitely early, for he could hear the morning calls of seagulls out over the ocean. He finished his watermelon slice, then dove into the ocean from the wooden bridge.

Despite the warmth of the day, the water was refreshingly cool, and he rose up and shook his head, letting water spray around his face. He hadn't had a lot of experience in the ocean, having lived in Minnesota for most of his life, but he enjoyed the feeling a lot. The salt water made his lips tingle and he licked them curiously, before rolling over and floating on his back, letting the sunlight warm his skin. If he wasn't awake before, he definitely was now.

While he was floating, he let his mind wander. There was so much he wanted to organise for Padme. This week away was meant to be important, something he never wanted her to forget, and he was determined to make it perfect. Anakin loved her more than anything, more than his own life, and he never wanted to live a single moment without her. She was his life, the very reason he was the person he was today. She'd encouraged him to go to university and actually do something with his life. She'd supported him through his darkest moments and helped him become a better man. With Padme by his side, Anakin knew he could do anything.

It was this that had made Anakin bring his grandmother's engagement ring along with him. He knew that they were young, and hadn't even been together a whole year. He knew the future was uncertain… but there was only one certainty that mattered to Anakin. That he wanted to be with Padme for the rest of his life. He wanted to love her, share his life with her forever. He wanted to marry her, he wanted her to be the mother of his children. He wanted to grow old and grey with her, and spend his whole life showing her how much she meant to him.

No matter how determined he was to propose to Padme, there was this lingering voice in the back of his mind that made him insecure. Would she even want to marry him? Sure, he knew she loved him, but he also knew that he wasn't good enough for her. She was pure light, and he was… broken, damaged… She'd forgiven him for all of the things he'd done, terrible things, but would she want to spend the rest of her life with him? Her views on marriage were different than his. She was pragmatic, she liked things to run their natural course, for things to take time, to follow a plan. Would she say yes?

Still, Anakin had made up his mind. He'd made it up long ago, when he was organising this trip for the two of them. He'd already asked for Ruwee and Jobal's blessing, and while surprised at the suddenness, they'd both given it wholeheartedly. All he needed to do now was plan it. It had to be perfect, Padme deserved nothing less.

Nodding his head with determination, Anakin swam to shore and walked up the private beach, shaking his head and limbs dry. His eyes scanned along the beach. Up ahead, there seemed to be a small alcove, like a bay, surrounded by rocks and palm trees. He headed in that direction, wanting to find the perfect spot to propose. Yes, this is it, he said to himself in delight when he reached it. The rocks gave it some sort of privacy, and the way the light filtered in through the trees bathed the soft white sand in golden light. It looked beautiful, just like Padme.

Pleased with his discovery, he headed back to the bungalow, stomach rumbling with the beginnings of hunger. He was greeted with the most delicious sight when he went inside; Padme making coffee, hair a wild halo of chestnut curls around her head, naked save for a sheer, pale blue robe that came to her knees. Suddenly, Anakin's hunger was replaced by something far more insistent… want, need.

"God, you're gorgeous," he said deeply, voice quivering with lust.

Padme jumped at his voice and whipped around to face him, eyes wide and startled, mouth open slightly. One of her hands came up to her chest, and she closed her eyes, smiling. "Anakin! You startled me!"

She must have only then noticed that he was completely starkers, for her eyes unabashedly raked over his body, and she wet her lips with her tongue. A faint rosy blush coloured her cheeks as she noticed his obvious arousal and her eyelids half-closed. Anakin knew that look well, and his chest swelled with pride. She was just as aroused as he was.

"And you said I'm not stealthy," he quipped, winking at her.

She turned back to her coffee, rolling her eyes, but Anakin didn't miss the final sweep of her gaze over his body before she did so. He took a few steps closer to her, enjoying teasing her.

"Do you want some coffee?" she asked, ignoring his comment, determined to keep her eyes straight.

"No."

She seemed surprised by his remark - Anakin normally enjoyed a cup of coffee in the morning. But, there was only one thing he wanted at that moment. Coffee could wait.

"They brought us breakfast," she told him happily, turning back around and leaning against the counter, cradling her mug in her hands. If possible, she looked even more ravishing. The sheer robe clung to her body, and he could clearly see the curves of her small breasts, her hardened nipples, her flat stomach, her beautiful pussy… God, he wanted her.

Anakin took another step towards her, until they were barely an arm's length apart. Padme glanced up at him through hooded eyes, breath caught in her chest, causing her breasts to rise and fall sharply.

"I don't want breakfast."

She swallowed thickly, blushing even deeper. "You're not hungry?"

He took her coffee mug from her hands and placed it beside her on the bench, then stepped closer so they were almost chest to chest. His hands came up to rest on her waist, rubbing her skin gently under the soft fabric of her robe. "Not for breakfast," he whispered softly, his forehead pressed against hers. His fingers deftly playing with the tie of her robe, then pulled it loose so that it fell open, exposing her skin to his hungry gaze.

Her lips curved into a playful smirk, and she brought her hands up his chest to twirl her fingers through the hair at the base of his neck. "What are you hungry for then?" she whispered, her hot coffee breath wafting over his nose.

He growled, then hoisted her up by her thighs so her legs were wrapped around him and kissed her deeply. Padme sighed into his kiss, and opened her mouth to him, and Anakin swept his tongue into her mouth, relishing in the taste of her. His hands moved up from her hips to cup her breasts. They fit perfectly in his hands, and he pinched her pebbled nipples, causing the most erotic whimpers to fall from Padme's lips. He broke away from her mouth, dragging her bottom lip out between his teeth, before bending low to lather little kisses and nips along her cheek, neck and down towards her breasts.

Padme's eyes closed and she tilted her head back at his ministrations, and Anakin groaned deeply against her skin as she began to roll her hips over his, rubbing her slick sex over the head of his cock. She was wet already, just from his touch alone and he grinned slyly. He loved how quickly he could make her melt, how turned on she became from him and his actions. It was the greatest power he possessed and he loved to wield it.

One of his hands fell from her breasts and snuck between her legs, playing with her clit and she released a higher mewl, scratching her nails down his back. "Anakin…"

There it was. What he'd been waiting for. That sound, the breathless way she said his name. "I love the way you say my name, Angel" he praised her, slipping a long finger inside her. She clenched around his finger, hot, tight, perfect, and continued to grind her hips against him.

She laughed softly and trailed a nail around his hip to drag slowly along the length of his erection. "I love the way you touch me, Ani. She then gripped him in her tiny fist, making his muscles clench. "Don't stop!" she begged, voice high and lofty with arousal and Anakin added another finger, then moved them in and out of her slowly, letting her feel every inch of him.

How could he possibly refuse anything she asked of him? He would chop off his own hand if she asked it of him. He would do anything, anything, for her.

"Anakin," Padme called to him again, more desperately this time. "Need… you. Inside me. Need to feel you…" she tugged his cock again, aggressively, and Anakin nodded against her skin and removed his fingers. He brought them up to her lips and she took them into her mouth, swirling her tongue around his digits, making his eyes darken. Fuck, she was the most exquisite creature on the planet and he was completely gone for her.

He complied with her wishes and covered her hand with his, guiding him inside her, and she groaned at the feeling. Anakin held her there for a second, hands back on her hips; going so terribly slowly, letting her feel every single inch of him. No matter how many times they made love, it still felt like the first time to Anakin. He was so consumed by her, the way she felt as she clung to him, hands tugging roughly at his hair or scraping down his back. The little noises she made, encouraging him, praising him… Anakin wanted this forever, to only be with Padme like this for the rest of his life.

"Ugh, Padme… Angel…" he stuttered hoarsely and began to move harder, faster inside her.

Padme gripped his hair. "So… good, Ani. You're so…" Then, with surprising aggression, she yanked his head down to her face, her teeth biting down on his earlobe. "You feel so good inside me."

Her words, such dirty language coming from one so proper, made Anakin's eyes roll back into his head and he thrust up into her deeper, until he was completely buried in her. He was close, he could feel it, but he didn't want to come. Not yet. Not until she did. He wanted to watch her fall over the edge in his arms. He knew how to get her there, too. Just like he knew everything about her. He tightened his grip on her hips, digging into her soft flesh, and slipped his hand between her legs, where he was pistoning out of her. In fast, hard circles, he rubbed her clit, all the while continuing to thrust into her. She became loose and pliant in his arms, mouth open muttering wordless cries of pleasure. Anakin watched her, enraptured by her beauty.

"Are you gonna come, Beautiful?" he asked her, dragging the flat of his tongue up along her throat.

"Ugh...Ani," her teeth clamped down on her bottom lip and her eyes rolled back into her head.

But Anakin didn't want her to hold back. He took her bottom lip in his teeth and pulled it out. "No, Angel. I wanna hear you when you come," he told her. "I wanna hear you scream my name."

She was ethereal as she clung to him desperately. Her back arched, pressing her painfully hard nipples into his bare chest, and dug her nails sharply into his back. Anakin knew she was close, he could feel her, clenching around him, trying to pull him over the edge with her, but Anakin held on. He needed her to fall first.

Then she came, with a breathless cry of, "Anakin!" and shuddered around him. The feeling was too much for Anakin, and he snapped his hips forwards with a grunt, spilling himself inside her forcefully.

They stayed that way, wrapped up in each other in their own euphoric bubble, for what felt like hours - Padme's head resting against the wall, Anakin's buried in her hair. Chests heaving, skin sticky with sweat, they drank in each other. When Anakin finally gained enough strength to move, he pressed a sweet kiss to her forehead and pulled slowly out of her, rubbing his hands lovingly along her thighs. They were shaking.

She carded her fingers through his hair softly, watching him with her gorgeous, brown eyes. "I don't think I'll be able to walk after this week, if you keep this up, Ani," she laughed, lips curved into a teasing smile.

He grinned back at her. "I've been without you for three months, Angel. I've got some catching up to do."

She rolled her eyes but bent to kiss him regardless. Perhaps this, their teasing banter, was what Anakin loved most - how easy their relationship seemed when it was just the two of them, together, without any distractions. He wished that it could always be just like this.

"Where were you this morning?" she asked him curiously, tucking a lock of his hair tenderly behind his ear. "I woke up and you were gone."

"I went for a swim. It's so nice out. A pretty good way to wake up, I reckon."

Padme giggled, a soft, silvery laugh. "I don't know, I think I just got the wake up of a lifetime."

"When you move to Chicago, I can wake you up like that every morning, if you like?" he waggled his eyebrows at her.

"You know that I won't be moving into your campus dorm room, right?"

Anakin laughed. "That wouldn't be very fair to Rex. But, you'll be closer and I'll be able to… stay over a lot… right?"

Padme smiled happily. "Of course, Ani. You can stay over as often as you want."

Anakin chewed on the inside of his cheek. He didn't just want to visit Padme, he wanted to live with her. Wanted to wake up every morning with her by his side, and go to bed next to her every night for the rest of his life. He decided to test the waters – if she didn't want to live with him then there was no way she wanted to marry him.

"What if…" he began tentatively, "I moved in with you. We lived together?"

She didn't answer straight away, teeth sinking into her lower lip as she processed what he was telling her, and Anakin began to panic. He'd said too much, gone too far. Maybe she wasn't ready for this type of commitment.

"Only if… if you want –" he stuttered clumsily, tripping over his words as he tried to recover from his misstep. "I mean, we don't have to. It was just a suggestion… I'm happy to just visit you if that's what you – "

Padme silenced him with a kiss, then beamed back at him, a beautiful smile that made him weak at the knees. "I'd like that, Ani."

His heart swelled with affection, and he couldn't keep the excitement from his expression. "R-really? You mean it?"

"Of course!" Padme ran her hands through his hair with gentle affection and Anakin leaned into her touch. She had this way of calming his emotions, made him feel in control and safe. "I love you. I'd love to live with you."

He took her hand and kissed her palm. "I love you, too," he told her, as though it was the easiest thing in the world to admit. He remembered when he was a teenager, how saying those three little words was the most terrifying thing he'd had to do. Even telling Padme the first time had been mortifying. But now it was the only true thing he knew in the world. He loved Padme, and he was going to tell her that every single day.

"Now, let me down please, Ani. I need to clean up, and have a shower." She fixed him with a knowing glance, playful but accusatory. Smirking, Anakin picked her up deftly and placed her back down on the floor.

"Don't be too long," he teased, smacking her delicious ass impishly as she headed off to the bathroom. "I wanna go exploring today!"

She hummed back a response, and then she disappeared, and he heard the water running as she showered. He felt a tremor of excitement. Padme wanted to live with him! They were going to live together! It was a step closer – it was the confidence booster he needed. Maybe, she would say yes to his proposal. It was enough for him to hope.

The hunger pains returned - after all, he had done quite a bit of exercise that morning, and so he helped himself to more fruit and several pastries, then drank from Padme's coffee, before topping it up for her. She was very protective of her coffee, and would kill him if she knew he'd drunk some of it. Once he was satisfied, he went into the bathroom to wash off the salt water and sex that lingered on him from the morning.

Padme was dressing when he entered, pulling her loose cotton shorts up over her hips. Her hair was in a ponytail, and most of her back was exposed from her one-piece swimsuit. He couldn't resist, and moved closer to wrap his arms around her waist, sweep her hair to the side and kiss the back of her neck. Then, before she could tell him off for distracting her, he loped off into the shower with an impish grin.

Once showered and clean, they filled their water bottles and packed a few snacks into Padme's large beach bag, before heading out. Hand in hand, they strolled along the beach, making their way up towards the main town. It was a solitary walk, as they didn't pass many people, but Anakin enjoyed the way the sun felt on his skin, and how the salty sea breeze tousled his hair, and the chorus of seabird calls that serenaded them. It really was a paradise on earth, and Anakin was forever grateful that Ruwee had helped him pay for this trip, because he definitely wouldn't have been able to afford this on his own. He'd barely been able to pay for the plane ticket. But Ruwee had been incredibly generous, especially when Anakin had told him of his plans to propose to his daughter. Sola had helped too, and he made a mental note to give them both his undying gratitude when they returned. Unfortunately for Anakin, though he'd gotten a decent settlement from the taxi crash in February, he was still a poor college student who wanted to give Padme everything she deserved, when all he could afford was a small hotel room.

When they reached the main town, Padme's face brightened, eyes wide, lips into a broad smile, as she saw dozens of stalls, selling a range of different items like, handmade jewellery, sarongs and wraps, candles and other things that Anakin hadn't seen before. If he was being completely honest, he wasn't that interested in markets, but he was willing to suffer through, if only to see Padme's adorable, excited expression.

"Look, Ani!" she cried happily, tugging on his hand and pulling him to a stall that was selling opal necklaces. Anakin humoured her, as she showed him piece after piece, pulled him through the markets to see everything. Only because she was so cute. He lost track of how long they were there for, but Padme ended up buying a blue sarong with swirls of silver, and an opal pendant, which she seemed extremely pleased about.

When they were done, they headed back towards the beach. It was early afternoon, and the temperature had increased, making sweat bead on the top of Anakin's lip. It was swelteringly hot and the humidity had made Padme's curls start to frizz, something she was very self-conscious about and kept tugging on her broad-brimmed hat to hide it.

"Wanna go for a swim?" Padme asked him as they neared the ocean. Her exposed skin was shining with perspiration in the sunlight; it sparkled on her porcelain skin like drops of liquid diamond.

Anakin nodded enthusiastically. They put their things down near a tree, and Anakin kicked off his slides and tugged his singlet over his head, tossing it aside. Beside him, Padme took off her singlet and shorts, then turned to Anakin with a bottle of lotion in her hand. He drank her in - she was gorgeous as always, her white swimsuit shone brightly, clinging to her supple curves, leaving her long, slender legs bare to his gaze.

"Can you put some lotion on my back?" she asked, handing him the lotion.

Anakin nodded and squirted some on his palms and rubbed them together. Padme turned around and held up her ponytail, and Anakin smoothed the lotion over her soft skin. He rubbed it in gently, until it had completely soaked through and gave her shoulders an affectionate squeeze.

Then, before she had a chance to thank him, he lifted her up into his arms and over his shoulders, and ran into the water. Padme squealed in protest and pounded her fists against his back.

"Ani!" she cried! "Anakin, put me down!"

He just laughed, water splashing around him, and waded out until he was at least waist deep before throwing her into the ocean with a loud splash! Padme screamed before her head went under water, but when she surfaced, her face was screwed up in frustration, hair clinging all messy to her face.

"Why you - !" she spluttered, and launched herself at him, throwing herself around his neck and trying to push him under. Anakin couldn't help but roar with laughter. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't push his head under, and her irritated groans were so amusing that he couldn't help it.

"Having fun?" he teased when she dove off him and tried again, this time pulling her entire body out of the water so she was wrapped around his top half.

"Damn you, Anakin," she grumbled, panting slightly.

He grinned and held her around the waist, before ducking under the water line, dragging her with him. Padme kicked at him in an attempt to break his grip but he took the blows with ease. She was so small that she hardly made any impact on him.

He jumped up, breathing deeply, and kept his hands on Padme's hips. She glowered up at him and wiped hair from her eyes with a huff. "Not fair," she muttered bitterly.

"What did you expect? You can't even stand up here properly."

"Yes, I can!" she argued stubbornly.

Frowning, Padme wriggled out of his grip and paddled away from him. Anakin watched her in amusement as she tried to keep her head above the water while touching the sand below them, but wasn't able to manage it. That adorable little frown returned when she realised that he was right… she was too short to even stand up where they were, so there would have been no way for her to pull him under the water.

"It's alright, Babe," Anakin grinned and took her back into his arms. Her legs wrapped around his hips and she rested her hands on his shoulders. "You don't need to stand. You've got me."

She pouted up at him and Anakin couldn't resist bending down to kiss her quickly, and she softened under his touch. When he pulled away, he couldn't help but stare at her. If possible, she was even more beautiful now, than before. Water droplets clung to her long eyelashes, and her skin shimmered iridescently, giving her this ethereal aura that made her look like a true angel. She caught him staring at her and eyed him quizzically.

"What is it?"

Anakin wet his lips with his tongue, unable to keep his eyes off of her. It was moments like this that he felt truly undeserving of her. "You're so… beautiful."

A pretty blush warmed her pale cheeks and her chocolate eyes darkened. "Ani…" She hugged him tighter and rested her head against his shoulder, eyes closing, as though she couldn't handle his affection. Anakin hummed contentedly and his hand raked gently through his wet hair. He could feel her heart beating against his, in time with his own, and it soothed him somewhat. They stayed like that for a while, as the sun sank lower in the sky, content with each other's company without noise.

It wasn't until Anakin's fingers began to grow wrinkly from the water, that they decided to head back to their bungalow. While they walked, Anakin's mind was racing. How was he going to be able to set up everything for the big event without Padme noticing that he was gone? It needed to be a complete surprise! She couldn't know it was coming, or it would ruin everything. And when was it appropriate? Was tonight too soon? He chewed on the inside of his cheek while he pondered what to do. It had to be done while Padme was asleep, or - if he was really quick - while she was in the bath.

It was mid afternoon by the time they arrived back home. Padme yawned beside him - the sun and heat must have tired her out.

"You sleepy?" he asked her when he noticed her yawn for the third time in a row.

Padme rubbed her eyes cutely and nodded. "That was a big walk, and it's so hot here…" she blinked up at him. "I think I wanna lie on the couch and read my book with a coffee. I haven't had time to read in ages."

Anakin knew just how busy she had been over the past few months. Finishing her thesis had taken a huge toll on her, and now that she wasn't busy, she was overwhelmed with exhaustion.

"You deserve that, Angel," Anakin smiled and kissed her cheek.

"What are you going to do, Ani?"

He shrugged and ran a hand through his hair. "Dunno," he said honestly. "Might go for a run? Might have a nap."

Padme's eyes glazed over and she smiled wistfully. "Mmm, a nap sounds nice."

"I thought you wanted to read?" he smirked.

She shrugged her shoulders casually. "I'm tired, Ani. You've worn me out."

Anakin winked at her, feeling that sense of animalistic pride resurface. He, Anakin Skywalker, had tired Padme Naberrie out from too much sex, and he wanted to pound his fists against his chest at the knowledge.

"Admit it...You just can't keep up with me and my youthful stamina," he quipped, teasing her and she rolled her eyes at him.

"You're so proud of that, aren't you?"

He nodded, a huge grin on his face, eyes flashing with mischief, and Padme laughed softly, shaking her head at him. Then, she reached for his hand and pulled him towards the bedroom, and Anakin followed willingly.

He lay down on the bed next to her and curled around her, spooning her against his chest. Padme made this adorable little sound in her nose and snuggled further into him, nuzzling her head against the pillow, and within seconds, she was asleep. Anakin smiled into her hair. She wasn't kidding when she said she was tired. He'd never known her to fall asleep so quickly.

Anakin waited for about ten minutes, pressing tender kisses to her crown, gently stroking her back until he was sure she was sleeping soundly, before carefully peeling himself away from her and tiptoeing out of the room.

It was dusk when Padme woke from her nap, and once again, she woke up alone. Her fingers reached out blindly for Anakin, but only felt soft sheets, and she blinked her eyes open, confused. He had been there when she fell asleep. Where had he gone? She rubbed her eyes and gingerly rose from the bed, stretching out her neck and shoulders. The nap was refreshing and had made her feel a little more alive, and a little less jet lagged.

She stumbled into the living room, hoping to see Anakin there, but it was completely empty. She frowned. Maybe he had gone for a run, like he'd suggested? Something caught her eyes on the kitchen counter. Padme walked over to it, to see there was a piece of paper lying there, folded in half, with her name scribbled onto it in messy handwriting. Anakin's handwriting. Curiously, she picked it up and opened it.

Get dressed up nice and meet me on the beach. Love, Anakin

Padme's heart fluttered in her chest, her mind reeling. What was he planning? She giggled in nervous anticipation, then hurried into the bedroom to fix herself up. She'd only packed one nice thing, just in case they'd decided to go out for dinner in one of the fancy resort restaurants, and she was glad she had. It was a short, pale blue wrap dress with short, flowy sleeves, a tie around the middle and a pattern of tiny white daisies. It hugged her chest and flared out prettily around her thighs. She slipped on a pair of brown sandals and pulled half of her hair back into a top-knot on top of her head, keeping her flyways at bay, while the rest of her hair curled over her shoulders. Then, she spritzed herself with some perfume, added some mascara, blush and lip-gloss and then almost ran out to the beach.

She saw him standing near the water a couple of yards down the beach, and her heart soared at the sight of him. Eagerly, she hurried towards him, unable to keep her smile from her face. As she neared him, she saw that he had dressed up nicely, too. He was wearing a loose white linen shirt, unbuttoned at the top and sleeves rolled up to his elbows, left untucked with a pair of dark slacks. His feet were bare and his hair was curlier than usual from the salt water. But it was the expression on his face that took her breath away. A deep affection shone in his cerulean blue eyes, which shone like crystals in the twilight. His lips were curved into a warm smile and he seized her up into his arms when she approached him, spinning her around effortlessly.

"You read my note," he said, kissing her sweetly.

A blush rose on her cheeks and she noticed that Anakin was trembling slightly. "Ani… what have you…?"

Flickering light caught her eyes and she turned her head, to see the most romantic scene in front of her. Hidden in the alcove, tucked away in the privacy of the palm trees, was a large picnic rug, surrounded by a ring of small candles. A couple of large cushions – taken from their bungalow, were scattered around the outside, and in the middle was a dark wicker basket of food and a bottle of champagne sitting in a bucket of ice, with two champagne flutes next to it.

"Oh, Anakin," she began, almost speechless and tears began to form in her eyes. This was so sweet! He'd organised a picnic dinner for them, and she was completely blown away by his actions. He watched her face with adorable anticipation and she beamed up at him. "This is beautiful, Ani. I can't believe you've done all of this!"

He shrugged sheepishly and ran a hand over the back of his neck, humble compared to his normal arrogance.

"Well I – I didn't make the food," he said, immediately, as though he was worried she'd somehow only cared about that. "They brought our dinner while you were napping and I just...set it up. I found this picnic rug and these candles, and I took the pillows from the sofa, so it wasn't too difficult."

Padme reached out and took his hand, giving it an affectionate squeeze, and leant up on her toes to kiss his cheek. "It's wonderful, Ani."

That seemed to be what he needed to hear. He pulled her down and they sat in each other's embrace, supported by cushions and each other, and watched as the sun began to dip below the horizon. Anakin popped the cork of the champagne and poured them both a glass, then returned his arm to its position around her back. Clinking their glasses together in a toast with a shared Cheers, Padme felt like the luckiest woman in the world at that moment, as they sipped their champagne. She was in a tropical paradise on earth, having an intimate sunset picnic on the beach near their private bungalow with the man she loved more than anything – nothing could have made that evening more perfect. Nothing in the world.

Their dinner consisted of poached fish, toasted bread and a fresh salad, topped off with an exquisite chilled mango mousse for dessert, and they ate in comfortable silence, just simply basking in each other's company. No words needed to be said; the sounds of the waves gently crashing on the sand, the salty tang of the wafting ocean breeze gently swept over them, and the calls of seabirds as they made roost for the night was music enough. Glancing out over the water, the setting sun set the sky ablaze as it dipped below the horizon. Truly, it was the most romantic experience she could have imagined.

"Padme," Anakin said quietly, almost uncertainly, after they had eaten, and Padme glanced across at him expectantly.

"Yes, Ani?"

"Are you…happy? Y'know...With - with me?" He looked so unsure and nervous, and Padme just wanted to reassure him.

"Of course!" she said brightly. She was still unsure where this was coming from, but wanted him to know without a doubt that she loved him.

He swallowed and took both of her hands in his, turning so he was sitting across from her. He was still trembling and it made Padme worried. Why was he so nervous all of a sudden?

"G-good, m-me, too," he stuttered, and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath in before continuing. "I'm so… you make me so happy, Angel. I've never felt like this before…ever. You're so… incredible, and kind and smart and gorgeous, and you believe in me. You make me believe in myself. That I can do anything."

"You can do anything, Ani," Padme told him sweetly, rubbing her fingers lovingly over his knuckles.

"Angel, please don't talk. I need to… get this out, okay?"

She nodded, more confused than ever, but silently waited for him to finish.

"I love you, Padme. I love you so much it consumes me. You are the light of my life. When I'm with you, everything just makes sense." He met her gaze, his eyes earnest and sincere, and it made Padme tremble under the weight of it. Her heart began to pound in her chest and she took a deep breath.

"I never want to be without you, Angel," Anakin continued, those brilliant blue eyes never straying from her gaze. "I want to wake up beside you every morning and go to sleep next to you every night. I want to be with you every single second of my life. You have me completely, body, mind, soul. I'm yours, forever, and I want you to be mine."

There were tears shining in his eyes, and Padme felt herself well up with emotion. The things he was saying, such beautiful things, overwhelmed her, and a sob of happiness bubbled out of her mouth. And then, he reached into his pocket and Padme couldn't stop the tears that poured from her eyes as he pulled out a tiny black box. Her bottom lip quivered and her sobs came trembling out of her, shaking her entire body.

He opened it. Inside, resting on a white velvet cushion, was a beautiful ring. Obviously antique, it had a large circular diamond set in the centre of the intricately carved white gold band, the gem sparkling as it caught the light of the setting sun, and it was flanked by two smaller diamonds on either side. It was simply exquisite - old fashioned, but beautiful, like it was an heirloom that had been handed down to Anakin. But, no matter how gorgeous the ring was, it paled in compared to the way Anakin was looking at her. She couldn't even handle it, it was a look of pure rapture.

Then he parted his lips and uttered the words that, up until that moment, Padme wasn't sure she wanted to hear. But now, she ached to hear them.

"Padme Amidala Naberrie, will you marry me?"

She couldn't believe this was happening! Only a few months ago, she'd been terrified at the thought of marriage, but now? Her beautiful, golden boy was in front of her, pouring his heart out to her, asking her to marry him, and there was not a single bone in her body that was afraid. Nothing had ever sounded so right than hearing Anakin, her Ani, saying those precious words to her, and she was absolutely certain of her answer. Truly, there was only one thing she could say.

Her "Yes!" stumbled out of her mid-sob, it was all she was able to say, before she launched herself at him with such force that he was pushed backwards. "Yes, yes, yes!" Euphoric tears streamed down her face, and she clung to him desperately. He returned her embrace with matched enthusiasm, and the cry of sheer delight that erupted from him made Padme's heart flutter madly in her chest. They held each other, crying together, basking in this moment, savouring it for all that it was worth.

When they pulled away, Anakin took her left hand in his and carefully slid the diamond ring onto her finger, half-laughing, half-crying, then brought it to his mouth, pressing soft kisses all over her hand.

"I love you, I love you," he kept saying, reverently, like a prayer, and she echoed it back, until their foreheads were pressed together.

Anakin let go of her hand and cupped under her chin, capturing her lips in a deep kiss, and Padme returned it enthusiastically, and knotted her fingers in his hair, bringing him closer to her until they were no longer separate but one heart, one soul. He rolled them over, so he was hovering atop of her and slid his hands up and down her sides. Padme opened her legs, her dress hitched up around her hips, letting him settle between them, arching her back into his touch.

"Can't… believe…" he was muttering against her lips. "Mine. You're… mine." He nipped at her bottom lip gently, and his fingers tightened their grip on her hips.

Padme nodded her head and sighed into his mouth. "Yours, Ani. Always."

Fin.