April Viggie

The days spent at the lake retreat already seemed like an ebuillent dream, not quite real, as the ship loaned to Senator Padmé Amidala from the royal fleet lifted off from Theed's spaceport. The dynamic between her and her Jedi protector had changed from a relaxed, friendly, flirtaceous one to all-business. First, Padmé had put a stop to Anakin entertaining any notions of a serious relationship between them. She knew her words had broken his heart. Saying them broke hers as well. Seeing the pain and rejection in his eyes was hard enough to endure without the added pain of having to say no to someone she cared about. Someone she knew deep down she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

Then there was his nightmare about his mother, one so intense he felt compelled to go to Tatooine and find her. Anakin had admitted similar nightmares plagued him for a month, including once aboard the refugee ship from Coruscant. It was why he avoided sleep as much as possible on that trip. He didn't want to experience those horrifying dreams and he worried about embarrassing himself if he cried out or spoke in his sleep.

Padmé, without giving it a moment's thought, immediately said she would go him. She knew nothing would keep him from looking for his mother, even the risk of discipline or expulsion from the Order for abandoning his duty to protect her. She couldn't let herself be the cause of that by remaining behind. Nor did she have it in her heart to insist that he stay. She could see how much anguish this was causing him, she knew how much he loved his mother. Padmé remembered her as a gentle, kind, generous woman. She was grateful for what his mother had done for them years ago. After dressing and hurriedly making arrangements to find an available craft, she and Anakin made their way to Theed.

Padmé was also quite aware this journey out of seclusion put her in danger not only from those who put a price on her head but also from Tatooine's denizens. She remembered the rough streets of Mos Espa. Yet she could not let concerns for her own safety keep her from doing what was right for Anakin and for his mother. He would not allow any harm to come to her and she was more than capable of protecting herself.

Strangely enough, she felt closer to Anakin than ever despite the fact they've barely spoken since leaving the lake country. He seldom addressed her as "Padmé," calling her only "Senator" or "milady." He treated her with the same courtly behavior, but the smouldering gazes, the suggestive words, the daring caresses, were gone. Padmé realized it was in part out of deference to her wishes, but for the most part, he was completely focused on finding and if need be, rescuing, his mother. The young man who had been so open with her was now an inpenetrable fortress of determination.

She had pushed him away and now she wanted back inside.

This wasn't the time to contemplate the vagarities of the heart. The ship cleared Naboo's upper atmosphere and moved past its orbital traffic toward open space. The console beeped. "She's ready to go into hyperspace," Anakin said quietly from the co-pilot's seat, staring straight ahead through the viewport.

Gently and briefly, Padmé touched his wrist. He glanced at her with mixed emotions. "Go ahead and take her out, then," Padmé said. She didn't want to hurt him or confuse him. She only wanted to show him she was there for him. Biting his lip, he nodded and turned back to the controls. He pushed the hyperdrive lever forward and the ship shot into hyperspace.