Disclaimer: I'm pretty sure that I don't own Star Wars and as such, anything that you recognise from the books cannot possibly be mine.

Chapter 3 - In the Night

The atmosphere was sombre, full of hushed whispers and sniffled tears, as the funeral procession moved slowly through masses of Theed. The body of Padmé Naberrie-Amidala, their beloved former Monarch and Senator was laid out for all to see.

Death had not robbed the Queen of her beauty, fresh flowers were entwined in her curly hair and she was clothed in a flowing, undulated blue gown. An elaborate, beautiful dress that had been designed for the upcoming freedom day celebrations; instead it only served to draw attention to her unborn child.

The entire planet of Naboo had paused to mourn. People milled in the streets, men, women, and children alike, each anxious to see the procession, to confirm the news they dreaded with their own eyes. Nobody knew how she had died, but that did not stop the rumours from spreading. Everything from her being assassinated by the vindictive Jedi, to her being killed by an alien parasite growing within her, floated around, though more to abate curiosity than anything.

Anakin didn't care for gossip. It had a tendency to be frivolous and irrelevant, but he wasn't blind, nor deaf to the whispers that reached him. He could hear what they murmured about his Angel, but they were wrong, the distortions of the ignorant. Instead, he pushed past the crowds, worming his way to the front of the mob, a foreshadowing lump wedged in his throat.

It was only once he neared the edges of the street that he was able to use his height to peer over the heads. He finally caught a glimpse of his beloved, and the pale shell of her body. The denial that had built up dissolved. He couldn't breathe, he didn't want to breathe.

It hurt too much to know that the world was now devoid of the kindest, sweetest and most determined woman in the galaxy. The one person that he had left was gone, their child stolen with her. She was replaced only by agony and pain, turning that was left of Anakin's heart turned to iron.

Why was it always him? The universe seemed to actively work against him, to be born a slave and freed only to be torn from his mother. To have the same mother die in his arms, and his brother turn on him for trying to save his Angel. Except now she was dead, attempting to save her was futile. The title of 'Chosen One' was a joke, a cruel repayment for a life of pain and misery. There was no point in being a saviour if you couldn't even save those who meant the most to you.

Everything was wrong.

She wasn't meant to be dead.

Anakin woke up in a cold sweat, his whole body trembling from the nightmare; or was it a vision, as the dreams of his mother had been. He couldn't tell and it terrified him,

The bed was cold, and empty aside from him. Anakin hated it. Years of sleeping alone on missions meant that he almost never slept in the temple when he was on Coruscant - or was it the Imperial Centre now - instead seeking out Padmé's company.

Unwilling to go back to sleep and face the relentless flurry of nightmares, and the pain that they brought, Anakin roused himself, noting that it was still far too early to officially get up . Pulling on a pair of grey slacks, he found himself drifting over to the double doors that had become his spot for nights like this one.

The glass balcony peered out over the city. The shimmering structures that lay below continued well beyond the horizon, the lights within them winking in and out of existence. Characters of all types bustled about, to and from, here and there, even at this hour nothing ever seem to stop.

The balcony was an oasis of calm in a hive of endless activity. A balcony fit for an Emperor was what the architect had said. Perhaps it was, it was extravagant, flamboyantly so, yet it lacked a spark that made a place an actual person was meant to go, there was no warmth, no life. The atmosphere almost seemed to serve no purpose other than isolating it's occupant, displaying a galaxy of wonderous life and opportunity, the seemingly perfect view, yet the distance a taunting reminder of just how unreachable it was.

Anakin had chosen it as his place of solace for precisely that reason. The one spot he could simply stand, watch from a distance as the rest of the world went on with their business, petty and mundane as it may be. His perfect vision of the future might not be going as he had planned, but life still seemed to go on for the rest of the galaxy. He had made his bed and now he had to lie in it.

Not that he would accept his fate without a fight. No, he would fight for what was his. Everything he had done, everything, had been for her and their child… children.

The doctors had informed Anakin, much to his shock, that Padmé was carrying two babies. It saddened the ex-Jedi that he had to find out what should be wonderful news in such a grim manner. He couldn't help but wonder if Padmé had known, perhaps she had intended on keeping the news a secret, never the less, the idea of having twins delighted him. He knew first hand how lonely growing up an only child could be.

Anakin vowed he would put things right, he would make things the way they were meant to be.

There was no victory without a partner to share it with.

His musings were interrupted by the noise of his comlink chiming from within the bedroom.

It instantly struck him as odd that anyone would dare call him at this hour, in fact, it was an unprecedented occurrence. He knew there would have to be a good reason for doing so, the action would have been weighed up against the consequences, and if they had decided it was a matter worth contacting him about so early in the morning then it had to be important.

Still, he was annoyed at being disturbed, and he would decide if the matter was worth it himself.

"What is it." He spoke abruptly.

"I apologise for having to interrupt your sleep, my lord."The voice on the other end was squeaky and unfamiliar, clearly, they had decided it was better for someone disposable to make the call. "It's your wife, she's awake."

I know it's been forever since I last posted, I don't really have a good excuse other than I'm terrible at getting things done. I'm a horrible procrastinator.

But I finished the chapter eventually, I apologise that it's a little shorter than the others, but if it's any consolidation I should be able to post the next chapter soon.

I also wanted to thank you so much for all your wonderful reviews, they really do mean a lot to me. Can anyone see where this is going?

~Dyenya