Summary: Once again, our favorite heroes are forced to assume their undercover personalities while they wait for the ultimate confrontation with the evil Jarrick. The third and final installment of my "Reality" Trilogy; sequel to Dancing with the Star Wars and Racing Through the Stars.

Genre: Humor, Romance, Action-Adventure

Disclaimer: I do not have any claim to Star Wars or Skating With Celebrities (yes, that's a real show, set to debut on Fox sometime this Fall!). This is simply doneas a bit of fun!

Author's Note: Well, my friends, we're back! Yay! And first, I must thank you for reading and reviewing those angsty vignettes I can't seem to get out of my system. You are all so good to me!

Secondly, I wanted to let you know that I don't know if I'll be able to keep up the daily posting rate like I have in the past (real life is crazy at the moment), but I will try for every other day or every third day. Thanks for bearing with me!

Now, I hope you'll join me for one last adventure with Liri and Kaide -and- Dake and Tarv. (Cue somewhat exciting music).

00000

EIGHT MONTHS AFTER "RACING THROUGH THE STARS" FINALE

JEDI TEMPLE - OUTSIDE

Padme pulled the hood of her cloak a bit closer, effectively concealing her identity from the hoards of Holonet reporters blocking the steps of the Jedi Temple. Her heart leapt in a fresh surge of panic as she heard one of them call out to Obi-wan, who was waiting patiently for her at the top of the melee.

"Master Kenobi!" the young reporter cried. "Is it true that Anakin Skywalker, The Chosen One, has been gravely injured?"

"Now, my friends," Obi-wan replied calmly. "You know I am not permitted to give you any updates. That duty falls to Masters Windu and Yoda. However, I can tell you that Knight Skywalker is safe and in the hands of our most experienced Jedi healers. Please, let's all move aside so one of our housekeeping maidens can enter."

Discreetly, Obi-wan made a slight motion with his hand and the reporters fell silent, shuffling aside and giving Padme plenty of space to walk. Seizing the opportunity, she ascended the stairs and entered the great hall, keeping her head down demurely. As she passed out of their range of view, she perched on a plush bench, her posture regal and serene...

The exact opposite of what she was feeling inside.

Finally, the ornate doors closed with a resounding thud and Padme stood to face Obi-wan, preparing herself for the possibility of bad news. Her throat closed with anxiety and it took her three tries before a coherent word passed through her lips.

"Obi-wan," she finally managed, swallowing painfully. "Threepio delivered your message. Anakin's been hurt? He's unconscious? What happened?"

"We're not sure, Padme," he replied honestly. "Apparently, there was a malfunction with his speeder - he was returning from Dex's diner when it exploded in mid-air."

Padme put a shaking hand to her mouth, but refrained from commenting as she sensed Obi-wan had more to tell.

"Somehow, he managed to retain control long enough to bail out over a balcony, but he still fell quite a distance. As a precaution, the healers are now in the process of evaluating his injuries." He stroked his newly re-grown beard, falling back into one of his oldest habits.

"Can I see him?" she asked hopefully.

"Of course," he assured her. "But we must be discreet. Not many outside the Council know of your relationship with Anakin and it would be best to keep it that way."

"Yes, I understand." The scandal that would erupt if the news got out would be unlike anything the Galaxy had ever seen. Not only would her credibility and Anakin's be left in shreds, the Jedi and the Senate could suffer as well.

She suddenly felt as if she carried the weight of the entire universe on her shoulders.

Resolutely, she straightened her spine and adjusted her hood. With a determined nod to Obi-wan, they began to walk side-by-side, their steps echoing through the magnificent halls.

00000

She stood outside the simple door and released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Obi-wan placed a comforting hand on her back and entered the security code. There was a moment of silence while the numbers were verified and then the door slid open...

...And she saw her Ani - sitting up with a sheepish grin on his face as a droid hovered by his side.

"Anakin!" she gasped. Her hood fell back to her shoulders as she hurried to his side. "You're awake? You're okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," he insisted, casting an amused eye at their disbelieving expression. He gestured to the medic droid that was monitoring his vitals. "You can hear it for yourselves if you'd like. The healers have left their instructions with SR-908 and he was just about to give me their final diagnosis."

The droid turned towards them automatically, its scanners returning to their resting position. The clipped voice intoned, "Knight Skywalker's statement is correct. Despite the serious accident, he sustained surprisingly minor damage. He was very fortunate."

"I prefer to think of it as being very skillful and talented," Anakin retorted, wincing as the droid began to probe the growing bruises on his cheekbone and forehead.

"Anakin, what happened?" Obi-wan asked, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Did you come under attack?"

"No, Master," he replied quickly. "Nothing like that. It seemed to be a regular malfunction." His expression changed to one of uncertainty. "It's strange though. Artoo and I are very diligent in making sure that speeder is in top condition. I will have to check his internal records."

"Already done," Master Windu replied, entering the room. "Good to see you're awake, Skywalker."

Anakin inclined his head respectfully, wholeheartedly agreeing with the latter part of the Jedi Master's comment.

"The droid's records match your recollections," Mace continued flatly. "Your speeder was in top form."

"A simple accident then, I suppose," Anakin mused. His easy acceptance caused Padme's temper to flare.

"No, this was more than that. I think Jarrick was behind it," she stated, her brown eyes flashing.

"Milady," Obi-wan said soothingly. "We've been over this before. Some of the best Jedi in the Order are hunting that criminal. He wouldn't dare come to Coruscant - he would be discovered immediately."

Padme fell silent, her clenched jaw and chilly stare the only outward sign of her disagreement. The three Jedi looked at each other nervously before Mace finally began to speak.

"Senator, we know you've received a few mysterious holotransmissions." Anakin's eyes grew dark at the reminder, but the Jedi Master ignored him and continued, "I can assure you that we are taking all the necessary precautions. In fact, we have even remained in close contact with our friends in charge of the upcoming season of Holonet shows. If it becomes necessary - Liri, Kaide, Dake and Tarv can be resurrected."

Padme noticed that Anakin and Obi-wan both paled slightly at the thought. She still felt the familiar flutter of worry in the pit of her stomach, but it was soothed somewhat by the fact that they at least had a back-up plan in place. She was tired of feeling like a sitting duck, just waiting for Jarrick to make his move.

Wanting to know more, she inquired, "And what shows do they have on the agenda, Master Windu?"

"Your question is quite timely, Milady. Our contact was supposed to have his assistant send me the final selection about an hour ago." His manner serious, he pulled out his datapad and began to peruse its new contents.

"It appears the selections are not as plentiful as they have been," he admitted, taking in the short list. Then a scowl began to form on his face before deepening into an outright glare. Finally, he shouted, "This is unacceptable!"

Stunned at the outburst, Padme was sure her expression mirrored the ones on her husband's and his former Master's. Pure shock. Before she could open her mouth to question the normally unflappable Jedi, he began to rage.

"A series of dating shows? Temptation Planet... The Galactic Bachelor... Marry my Mother, the Hutt...?" he spat. "We can't participate in any of those!"

"Surely there must be more, Master," Anakin encouraged, swallowing thickly as he thought, Oh please let there be more.

Taking a deep breath, Mace seemed to calm himself and he continued to skim the remaining shows. With a groan of frustration, he slapped a hand to his forehead and dragged it down his suddenly exhausted face.

"There is only one possibility," he admitted, resigned.

"Oh dear. And what is that, dare I ask?" Obi-wan's blue eyes were blinking rapidly as he awaited the answer. Quoting the text directly, Mace's voice grew higher with each passing word:

"Skating with the Star Wars is designed to be a good natured competition – on ice. Over the course of the show, teams will learn skating routines that will challenge the contestants' athletic and artistic ability. Each week, teams will perform in front of a live audience and receive scores from a panel of judges - as well as viewers from across the Galaxy."

There was a moment of horrified silence as four pairs of widened eyes darted around the room. Finally, Obi-wan straightened his cloak and cleared his throat before he began to speak, his voice tentative.

"Master Windu, are you sure that's even a true possibility? Do you remember the, um, incident we had on Ginper? With the iceblades? And the giant collision in the middle of a snowy forest?"

"Of course I remember," he snapped. "Master Yoda brings it up every other day - as well as those unfortunate head-covering mishaps. But what other choice would we have? Would you prefer to be a contestant on Marry my Mother, the Hutt?"

"No, Master," he quickly replied, abashed.

"We are Jedi, I'm sure we'd be able to figure it out quickly enough," Mace continued, trying to assure himself. Looking at Padme, he winced slightly before insisting, "Senator, I'm sure you'll be a natural."

"Well, perhaps we will capture Jarrick soon and none of this will be necessary," Anakin offered, trying to ease the frustrated look that was quickly coming across Padme's face. She simply shook her head and began to pace.

"I think we should join the show," she began, ignoring the startled looks that fell across the faces of the three Jedi. "Think about it for just a moment. I am assuming it will be held in one building, similar to Dancing with the Star Wars?" At Mace's nod, she continued, "That means we will be in control of the environment - we can stock the security team with Jedi. You know Jarrick will be aware of their presence, but I'd bet my entire Senate career that he'd show up anyway. He's too arrogant not to. We could end this once and for all - maybe even find out the identity of the Sith Lord."

She finished her impassioned speech and turned to face Mace, adrenaline coursing through her veins as she realized the possibilities. Freedom from evil… Freedom from fear… Freedom to have a normal life with Anakin…

"You make a good point," Mace acquiesced reluctantly. "But the Council would prefer to investigate this a bit more fully before we join another show. There needs to be some sort of unshakable evidence of danger. Every time we go before the public in such a manner, we risk our true identities being revealed and the consequences of that are something we would like to avoid."

Padme's disappointment was evident and he felt a stab of guilt pierce his chest. Reluctantly, he promised, "If there is an attack, Milady, I promise the Council will not hesitate to see to our safety." After a long suffering sigh, he muttered, "Even if that means joining Skating with the Star Wars."

00000

Night was falling on Coruscant and Padme stifled a yawn, the day's events taking a toll on her. Taking a break from his conversation with Obi-wan, Anakin squeezed her hand supportively and brushed a stray curl behind her ear.

"Padme, you should go home and get some sleep," he gently instructed, his own eyes starting to grow heavy.

"As much as I hate to leave, I think you are right," she admitted. Standing slowly, she worked the kinks out of her back and pulled on the dark cloak, settling comfortably into the familiar folds.

"If it's all right with Anakin, it would be my pleasure to escort you home, Milady," Obi-wan offered, glancing at his former apprentice's weary face.

"Yes, Master. I think it might be best if I avoided speeders for at least another day or so," Anakin teased.

Smiling, Padme pressed a gentle kiss to his lips and smoothed the hair from his brow in the loving motion he enjoyed so much. Within seconds, he was fast asleep.

Shooting Obi-wan a bemused glance, she followed him through the door and towards the turbolift.

"Thank you for offering to take me home, Obi-wan," she said honestly. "I'm glad to have the company. Things have been a bit… unsettled the past few weeks."

"I know those messages have been disturbing you, Milady," he confessed. "Although they are brief, there is something sinister behind them."

"Yes," was all she could manage. For he was right. Although the datapad transmissions had been ridiculously simple, the fact that they came from Jarrick added a layer of malicious intent to the phrases. A simple "I miss you" was now enough to make her shudder.

The realization left her angry.

The turbolift doors finally swished open and they headed to Obi-wan's speeder, already waiting for them in the open-air section of the hanger. As the Jedi Master made a move to jump in, Padme put a firm hand on his arm and began to tug him backwards fiercely. Confused, he turned towards her and felt his heart stop.

Her datapad was blinking.

"My darling, please step away" it read.

Putting the Force behind his movements, he grabbed Padme and raced across the floor. The power of the explosion knocked them to the ground, expelling the air from their lungs momentarily.

Glancing in disbelief at the smoldering wreckage, Obi-wan could only nod as Padme commented:

"Dake, I hope you're ready to skate."