(I keep trying to remind myself that you guys don't know what happened before all of this…then I giggle because I suck at keeping secrets.)

Bang!

Anakin shot up from bed and ran a shaky hand through his long locks. He looked over at Padmé's sleeping form and smiled, glad that he hadn't woken her. He let his eyes wonder down to her small hand, which gently rested on her flat stomach. Using the force he could slightly sense a presence growing right underneath her long fingers.

I am going to be a father.

Anakin had repeated this statement like a chant in his head until it was nothing more than random words. All he had to do was look down again at Padmé's stomach to remember why he was saying them in the first place. He winced at the quiet noise that the bed made as he slid out of the warm covers, and quietly padded out of his room. His apartment had been partially destroyed during the attack, but he had refused to move out. Quietly, he dodged the boxes and various paint cans that littered his hallway. Making his way into his large kitchen, he looked out of the floor to ceiling windows that had spit glass at them in a fiery rage not too long ago. Anakin smirked and had to hold back a bout of hysterical laughter-while they had been hiding under his metal breakfast table watching fire engulf the buildings near by, their child had been safely growing inside Padmé unbeknownst to its parents. He rested his head on the glass and let the Force envelop him. Slowly so that he barely noticed all of his stress and worries slid away from him as he slipped deeper into his meditations. He would be visiting Padmé's family in a few hours, something that he wasn't particularly excited about. He knew little about the planet Naboo, but he was certain that the people were extremely traditional. Anakin pushed himself deeper into the Force and wondered if he should marry Padmé to keep her father from killing him. He tried to listen in to the quiet whispers of the Force, but he sensed a distraction-there was something important that he should know, but he couldn't place it.

"Anakin"

He felt a soft hand rest on his lower back snapping him out of his meditation.

"What are you doing awake?"

He turned around and tried to ignore the fact that he had almost instinctively broken her arm- he had caught himself just in time. It felt like it took ages for her to answer him, her brown eyes desperately trying to read his blue.

"I could ask you the same thing."

He frowned, not sure if he could tell her about his dream.

"I just don't feel tired anymore that's all."

She wasn't buying it. Padmé walked around him and looked out the dark window, barely noticing Anakin's reflection directly behind her own. Even at such a late hour speeders zoomed past leaving streaks of gold and red in their wake. Anakin wrapped his large arms around her resting his palms flat on her belly and kissed the exposed skin on her neck.

"Are you going to tell me about your dream?"

Anakin buried his face deeper in her dark curls and shook his head.

"It's too fresh." He kissed her neck once more. "You need more sleep."

She stared at their reflection, her eyes unfocused in the dim light of the speeders passing by outside. They stayed still for what felt like ages before Padmé eased herself out of his hold and turned to face him. "When you feel ready to talk about it…I'm here." She was frustrated. She looked down at her hands and wondered if he would ever open up to her. Their 24-hour relationship felt like a lifetime for her, but she knew he just needed time to get more comfortable. Anakin nodded and slowly walked her back to his bedroom, carefully steering her through the littered floor. He noticed the little differences now, like how her hand was almost glued to her stomach and the soft glow of the Force, which seemed to pulse around her-the child would be strong.

Anakin rested next to her for almost an hour before he was certain she was fully asleep. Quietly, he slid out of his large bed again and walked the short distance to the window near his side of the bed. He felt a strange stirring in the pit of his stomach that was a strange mixture of worry and fear. Anakin had been having premonitions since he was a young child, Master Yoda had even told him that the Force guided him in ways "experience, others do not."

The change in the air was slight but Anakin felt it as if ice water had been dumped over his head. The Force screamed in his ears and he felt a sudden rush of blood straight to his head as the vision overtook him.

Padmé woke from a rather pleasant dream to the loud "thump" of Anakin landing on his knees. She scrambled out of bed, letting out an aggravated groan when the soft sheets wrapped around her ankles pulling her to the floor. Padmé quickly pushed herself off of the floor-glad she had landed on her bottom and moved over to where Anakin was. He was perfectly still; so still that she wasn't even sure if he was breathing.

"Anakin…Anakin what happened. Are you hurt?"

Her words seemed to snap him out of his trance. He gasped loudly and then pulled Padmé into his broad chest.

"We can't go to Naboo….no they have been planning it Padmé and I won't let them win." Anakin pulled her deeper into his chest and buried his face in her long hair.

"Wha-" She tried to speak but stopped when Anakin started to shake. Padmé eased herself out of his strong hold and examined his face.

"Anakin…I need you to explain what is going on right now." He acted as if he hadn't heard her and pushed himself off of the floor. Before she knew it Anakin was out the bedroom door.

He searched blindly in his dark living room for his comlink. Images from his vision were fighting to make their presence known in the back of his mind, and Anakin struggled to keep his mental shields strong. The vision had been so vivid-he could still smell the burning flesh and crackling of the many fires around him. Their trip to Naboo had to be postponed…indefinitely. There! He reached out for his comlink and stopped abruptly- his mechno-arm looked scary in the dark. He sighed, his arm was a small price to pay for Padme's life, but he wondered if he could stop the danger that the Force was telling him of.

Padme was the epitome of confusion. Unsure of how she should handle Anakin's odd behavior, she slowly got up from the floor and went in search of her new boyfriend. He seemed to be having a heated discussion with someone on his comlink.

"I don't think you are understanding me officer." His face was red in anger and the gears in his mechno-arm whined from the strain of his clenched fist.

"I am perfectly aware of the time, and you will follow my orders." He stopped pacing the length of the open living room and leaned into the comlink as if to hear the man clearer.

"It is of little importance how you do it! Cancel all of it…immediately!"

Without warning Anakin ended the conversation and tossed his comlink back on the couch. His eyes found Padmés and he immediately frowned.

"The Sith group that wanted to kill us during the attack…Padmé they're back and after you." He walked over to where she was standing and hugged her tightly to his chest.

"I saw everything and I can't let them win. If we go to Naboo you will be in danger and I simply wont risk losing you or the baby."

Dazed, Padmé slowly nodded, her small hands tugging on his blond hair. She thought everything had been settled, she had believed their troubles to be over. That group- the New Brotherhood of Darkness wanted to kill her because of the Korriban bill that would have the Sith planet Korriban destroyed. She had helped create the bill and had worked tirelessly with the Jedi to perfect it. The planet Korriban was an old breeding ground for the galaxy's scum; Sith sympathizers and criminals used it as their home base and dark energy was scientifically proven to be deep in the planet's core. She shuddered and pulled herself away from the warm cocoon that was Anakin- it was time to face her fears.

"You can't hide me in this apartment forever Anakin for the sake of protection. My family is worried about me-"

He frowned at her and quickly decided to interject.

"They have every right to be worried Padmé! You almost died three months ago and then you willingly put yourself in danger not long after that for the sake of politics! If you and I get on that ship tomorrow morning, we could be killed-the baby…"

His words became more panicked as he went on while deep creases formed in his brow as he remembered the vivid explosions from his vision.

"I understand all of this I assure you. What I don't understand Anakin is why we can't take extra precautions instead of giving up on the trip altogether. I will go to Naboo Anakin...I need to go."

Her brown eyes turned glassy and she took a step back and turned away from him, hugging herself protectively she felt the cold tightening in her abdomen that was fear.

"Yes Admiral?"

The voice on the comlink sounded wary. Padmé turned around to watch Anakin; he had his broad back to her and his mechno-arm was making that noise again.

"I need six warrior starships fueled and ready for flight by the time I arrive with the Senator. Ready the Wasp for departure five minutes after the rest."

Padmé gaped at him, her shock quickly morphing into a bright smile.

A/N- If you have read this...Thank You! I understand that I have left this for way too long and so it warms my heart that you have even bothered to read it. I have struggled to stick to my outline and I apologize for taking such a long time to update this story. I would like to say a special thank you to Abby, who unconsciously makes me feel guilty for not writing more. College is coming up very soon good luck to everyone!