Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars. I just play in his sandbox in my own little world.

AN: Hey everyone! Welcome to the not so new story, The Awakening. I know what you're all thinking. I already wrote a story called The Awakening. Yes, I did, over three years ago. I was looking back at it and I realized that there are so many things I could have done with it and didn't. My writing skills have much improved in the last three years as well, so I've decided to rewrite this awesome little story. I don't have the heart to delete the old Awakening, so I've decided to just title this one as the "Revised Edition." I plan on fleshing out the storyline and characters more than I did in the original. Some scenes will stay in tact and most of the storyline will remain the same, but I will add much more to it. I love the concept behind the original "Awakening" and those concepts that made the first one great will not change. I'm positive that those who enjoyed the original story will also enjoy the rewrite and for those who haven't read the original, then you're in for a real treat with the rewrite. On a final note, after I complete the rewrite on this story, I plan on doing a "Revised Edition" of the Never Gone series, which is also a much bigger undertaking. As with this story, much of the original concepts will stay in tact with Never Gone, but there will be rewritten scenes and added scenes. I'm looking forward to making needed improvements to these stories. While I believe they are great, I also believe that there is always room for improvement. So, without further ado, I present, The Awakening: the Revised Edition!

The Awakening: The Revised Edition

Chapter 1: Forbidden Love Forged and A Vision of Change

She was going to do this. They were really going to do this. Senator Padme Amidala stood before her mirror in her spacious bedroom in a brilliant white gown. So much had transpired in the last few days; almost a lifetime worth of events in just a week. War had erupted in the galaxy between the Republic and the Separatist movement, the Jedi now had a Clone army to combat the droid armies, and most importantly, to her at least, she had fallen in love. She had fallen so deeply in love like she had never before. Padme previously had a few relationships, but despite what some believed, she had never been intimate with any of the men she had ever dated, even though each of her boyfriends had pleaded with her to be with them. But it had never felt right and now Padme knew why. She had been waiting for the right man and that man was Anakin Skywalker. She had saved herself for him and that was something that made her quite proud. They both knew that what they were doing was forbidden; that they would have to keep their true relationship a secret. It was going to be so hard. There were going to be periods of separation that could last months at time. But to deny their hearts what they really wanted would be far more agonizing. So, they were doing this. They were getting married…in secret. She took a deep breath and exited her room, before slowly descending the stairs. She saw Anakin turn to her, as her heard her footfalls. She looked down shyly, as he gazed at her in awe. A Holy Man waited patiently, as Padme slowly strode toward her husband to be. Threepio and Artoo stood to the side as their only witnesses.

"You're so beautiful," he uttered in awe. He couldn't take his eyes off her and hers could not be torn from him. Her young husband to be was so gorgeous. He was by far the most handsome, passionate man she had ever met. For once, she was indulging her desires as her sister had always urged her to and it felt so good! She couldn't wait to be with him; to give herself to him and only to him forever. All the apprehension and doubt in her mind disappeared.

"Are you ready?" the Holy man questioned. Padme nodded eagerly, as she put her hands in his own. He gave her that soft, half smile she had fallen in love with the last few days and her heart melted. This was right…they could both feel it. As they gazed into each other's eyes, the Holy man performed the ceremony and they recited sacred vows to each other. Then he pronounced them husband and wife, before quietly leaving them alone. Padme's breath quickened, as his lips slowly descended upon hers. Their lips moved passionately over each other's in a sensual rhythm. As their lips parted, Padme cuddled against his muscular chest, as they gazed out at the sunset lit lake.

"I love you Anakin," Padme gazed up at him, into his sapphire pools.

"I love you too Padme and I will forever," he replied, as he angled his mouth over hers in another soul searing kiss. Padme clung to him, afraid that if she let go, he'd disappear. And she knew that he soon would. Kissing him felt amazing. She had never had a man's kisses make her feel so complete or made her knees turn to jelly. He was the one; her soul mate. Padme pulled him into another kiss, surprising him with the hunger in the kiss.

"I'm so sorry," she said suddenly, as their lips parted.

"Sorry for what?" he asked in confusion.

"For the things I said a few nights ago…when we were in front of the fireplace. I didn't mean them. I felt the same way and I wanted to tell you then that I was in love with you too…I was just so scared of what it would mean," Padme confessed.

"Shh…it's okay. None of that matters now. You're my wife now and all my dreams have come true," he replied. She smiled coyly.

"All of your dreams?" she asked. He smiled shyly.

"Well, maybe not quite all of them yet, but that will change after tonight," he replied.

"You...have to leave in the morning, don't you?" she asked hesitantly, dreading the answer that she knew would be affirmative.

"Let's not think about when I have to leave. For tonight, all that matters is you and me," Anakin replied, as he kissed her again. Slanting her head, she slowly parted her lips, allowing his silky tongue to invade her mouth. Padme moaned softly, as the kiss deepened and she felt her knees go weak again. Anakin carefully swept her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom, where they would consummate their marriage and give themselves completely to one another...

Their kisses slowly grew feverish, as they entered the bed chambers. What had once been Padme's bedroom was now their marriage bedroom. They broke the kiss, as they took air into their starved lungs and Anakin pressed his forehead to hers.

"I've thought about this night many times…but I've never been with anyone before," he told her.

"Neither have I," she replied, causing his eyes to widen in surprise.

"Really?" he asked. She nodded.

"Does that surprise you?" she asked.

"Well…you're one of the most beautiful women in the galaxy. I guess I just assumed that you've had previous lovers. There are many men who desire you," he replied

"Do you remember when we were in my apartment on Coruscant and I was packing?" she asked. He nodded.

"And I told you not to look at me the way you were?" she asked.

"Yes, because it made you feel uncomfortable," he answered.

"It did, but in an amazing, beautiful way. Ani, I saw love in your eyes, just like I see it now. And if I had been truthful in that moment, I would have ran into your arms and told you to never let go. But at the time, I wasn't quite prepared to deal with such feelings. In fact, I was completely caught off guard by what just a look from you made me feel," she said.

"That's why any men that I have previously dated mean nothing. They all wanted things from me that I wasn't willing to give for nothing in return. They didn't love me. They loved the idea of having me or parading me around like some kind of trophy. But you love me and you make feel like I've never felt before. Even when I told you that we couldn't be together, you still loved me," she said, tears welling in her beautiful brown eyes.

"I do love you, more than my own life. And I don't deserve you," he said, as he got down on his knees before her.

"But I promise to take care of you and cherish every moment that we are together," he promised.

"I know you will and you do deserve me. I'm the lucky one to be married to such a strong, amazing, handsome man," she replied.

"Not after what happened in the Tuskan camp. You should be disgusted by the sight of me," he said.

"You are human and you can learn from the atrocity that occurred by promising never to give into anger like that again. Next time you are faced with a terrible situation, you can focus on my love, instead of your anger. Perhaps if I had been honest about my feelings for you, then maybe you wouldn't have lost control and felt so alone," she said. He stood up.

"No, I won't let you blame yourself for my failures," he replied.

"Then stop blaming yourself. Learn from the event and move forward," Padme said.

"I can do that, as long as I have your love," he replied.

"And you do…for eternity," she said, as their lips met in a passionate, searing kiss. Padme took his hands in her own and slowly led him to the bed. After tonight, they would forever belong to only each other, mind, body, and soul. Little did they know, this would be the beginning of a love story that would save the galaxy in its darkest times and would one day be called the galaxy's greatest love story…

Anakin was in pure heaven at the moment. He had dreamed of being with her for so long. She starred in all his fantasies and yet being with her in reality put all those fantasies to shame and all they had done so far was kiss. There was so much more to come. Padme broke the kiss and looked up into his incredible sapphire eyes.

"I'm going to change out of this dress and I'll be back," she told him. He smiled and nodded.

"Okay. I'll go get some wine from downstairs," he replied. She smiled.

"Sounds perfect," she replied, as she went into the fresher.

When Anakin returned with the wine, he poured it into two long stemmed glasses and waited. As he did, he decided to shed his leather jerkin. As he tossed it aside, he heard the fresher door slid open and he turned to find his new wife awaiting him, now dressed in a long silky white nightgown the hugged her curves perfectly. He was stunned to speechlessness by her beauty, as he let his eyes drink in the sight of her perfection.

"You are so beautiful…" he uttered in awe. Padme seemed to float toward him, like she was an angel, and he was convinced that she was. She took his hands in her own and gazed up at him. He was so incredibly handsome and she couldn't wait to be with him.

"I was right…all those years ago. You are an angel," he said.

"And you're the man I've been waiting for. And now we can finally be together," she replied, as he towered over her. Their lips slowly got closer and closer, until there was only two inches of daylight between them.

"I need you," she whispered. He kissed her with that declaration and the passion exploded between them. He swept her into his arms and carried her to bed, where they would finally give themselves to each other completely…

Sometime later...

"Oh Anakin...you were amazing. That was...ohh I don't have words," Padme panted, as she snuggled close to him.

"It was incredible," Anakin said, as he lay sated with his arm around her. They shifted until they were facing each other. They kissed and caressed softly, as they bathed in the afterglow.

"I love you so much," she whispered, as she gazed into his sapphire gems.

"And I love you, my angel," he replied, as he pressed another kiss to her swollen lips. She clung to her husband tightly and she knew at that moment, she could never and would never let him go. He would go off to war soon, leaving her behind. But he would return to her and she would be waiting for him. The lovemaking that had just occurred between them had been amazing and she knew how lucky she was to have a man that could love her and connect with her so deeply on so many levels. Their love was different than the love most shared. It was stronger, more powerful, and deeper than any abyss. Their love was the mind blowing, heart shattering, soul searing love that she thought was only found in fairy tales. The questions of how they would keep it a secret were now pushed to the back of her mind. And in place of those thoughts were ones that left her wondering how she would ever live without him while he was away. And of course, he heard her questioning thoughts.

"It will be the hardest thing either of us do, but I'll fight just to come back to you and that will be enough, because there is nothing that can stand in the way of my being with you; not anymore. Now that I have you, I can never let you go and sometimes that can be a dangerous thing for a Jedi. I need to know you're safe and I can never lose you. I need your light to keep me grounded from the darkness inside. I never want to go back to that darkness; that place I was when my mother died, because I would surely lose you forever," he whispered, as they lay pressed ever so tightly together. She caressed his handsome face.

"I will always be what you need, my love, I promise. But we must always confide in each other and you must always tell me what you're feeling. It's the only way I can help you. Don't shut me out, even if it's Jedi stuff that you don't think I'm going to understand," Padme told him. He nodded.

"Promise me," she pleaded. He smiled softly at her.

"I promise. If I shut you out and tell you it's "Jedi business", you can hit me really hard," he joked. She smirked.

"Now you're just making fun of me again. Let's just say if you do shut me out and make me angry, then I'll hit you where it hurts the most and make you sleep on the sofa," she replied coyly. And he sensed that she wasn't joking, which meant there would be no hiding anything from her.

"Then I will make it my life's mission to make you happy always, milady," he replied.

"Don't call me that," she ordered.

"Yes my angel," he replied, as his sapphire gaze seared through her. She felt her entire body tingle just under his amazing stare. That same stare that she told him not to look at her with only a week ago. Her lips were on his and all coherent thought was escaping her mind. They only had mere hours until dawn approached and his departure was upon them. That reality made their kisses grow more feverish with every passing second.

"Love me…" she pleaded desperately.

"Forever," he whispered back, as the flames of passion roared between the new lovers again, flames that would never die or be extinguished. As their lovemaking began anew, they were aware of nothing else but each other and their love…

As Artoo performed the final flight checks on his star fighter, Anakin held her tightly in his arms. As they pulled back, he cupped her cheek with his hand. She tried in vain to keep the tears from escaping her eyes, but several rolled down her cheeks. He was returning to Coruscant to meet up with Obi-Wan and then the two would be sent on a mission, thrust into this Force forsaken war that had begun. She would spend her nights cold and longing for him, crying for him, and praying to the Force that he was alive.

She didn't want her husband to be off to war, maybe never to return. Last night, she had been in heaven and as she felt the soreness between her legs, she wondered how it was that she was even able to stand today, let alone walk. Anakin had loved her three more times after their first time together. They both knew their time was short and it drove their need and passion to be together. She buried her face in his neck, memorizing his scent. Their lips met in a passionate, searing kiss, as they sought to memorize the taste of each other as well. Ten days ago, she was just fine with focusing on her career for the rest of her life. She didn't really see the need for a love life, though deep down, she knew she desired one. But then Anakin came back into her life and she had fallen hard for him. She knew that she could never live without him and they would end this war in order to be together.

"I love you and even though we'll be apart, I'll think of you every chance I have. I'll remember last night, holding you and kissing you. I'll let the memories of making love to you play in my mind at night to get through and I'll fight with all I have just to come home to you, so I can take you in my arms again. I'll long to kiss you, to hold you, and to make love to you. I will ache inside for you every moment and that ache will remind me of why I'm fighting," he said.

"And I'll do my part in the Senate to find a solution and bring the war to an end, so you can come home to me," she replied. They heard Artoo whirl, indicating that he was done with the checks. It was time for him to go. Padme threw herself into his arms and he held her tightly, lifting her off the feet. She threaded her fingers into his air, as he kissed her deeply and feverishly, letting her taste the immense amount of passion he held for her. Since they had been reunited, their feelings had swelled between them and when they had finally given into them, a love and passion like neither had ever imagined possible had been unleashed between them. This was a love that would last far beyond this lifetime and they both knew it. They had a bond and a love that would last forever. And they were determined that nothing would come between them.

Palpatine smiled, an inhuman glint flashing in his eyes. His loyal servant, Captain Panaka, had just shared a privileged piece of information with him. One that was only supposed to be known to the Queen. But what Jamilla and Amidala didn't realize, was that captain Panaka was loyal only to him. This information would be very useful to him indeed. Skywalker had lost control when he found his mother in the Tuskan camp. He had touched the dark side and now Palpatine wanted that sheer power to serve him. A few nights ago, when he had consulted his visions of the future, he had foreseen the boy's fall. He would fall, because of his desire to save her. It would be so pitifully easy to turn him. Palpatine mused on this, as he decided to consult his visions again to see how best to proceed next. But he was suddenly assaulted with a peculiar vision; one that surprised him greatly. And Darth Sidious was not surprised very often. Perhaps it was the Force itself intervening and though no one would ever know why this vision was suddenly revealed to the Sith Master, it would, in fact, change everything…

It started out dark, as most of his visions did. But he noticed many differences right away. This was an entirely new vision, one he had not seen before. He saw himself, much older and weathered, striking Force lightning into a boy, who was writhing on the floor in pain. The boy bore a strong resemblance to Anakin...

"Anakin's son," he deduced. Then, there was a very tall figure in black suit and mask. He heard controlled breathing, indicating a respirator. He reached out with his senses to determine the identity of this man. He sensed that it was Anakin and realized that something must have injured him gravely to require such a suit. He sensed the light and dark emotions wrestling within his Sith apprentice.

"Father...PLEASE!" the boy begged and cried. The Sith Lord looked at his Master and did something that Palpatine did not see coming. He picked up his master, the future version of himself, and thrust him over the railing and into the abyss below. Anakin had returned to the light...

Palpatine awoke from the vision, seething angrily. So, he would lose years of careful planning and work to a Sith Lord returning to the light. It was acceptable and expected that an apprentice would one day kill his master. It was the way of the Sith. But it was NOT acceptable for the apprentice to turn back to the light. How wretched fate was! He wanted...no he needed the Chosen One as his apprentice. He had to have that power serving him! No one else had power like that. But if he turned Anakin, then he would eventually only succeed in causing the Sith order to die out completely due to his future apprentice's treachery. No, he couldn't turn Anakin. But who was powerful enough to carry out his bidding? Palpatine put his head in his hands and leaned over his desk. Then, a thought struck him. A devious, sick plan that would make most want to wretch. But the absolute horror of this plot made a creepy, devious smile slither over his face.

"Not who is powerful enough...but who would eventually be powerful enough?" Palpatine said, as a sinister plan began worked out in his head. He cackled at the pure brilliance of it. Skywalker and Amidala would most certainly procreate. The child of the Chosen One. How particularly, brilliantly sinister! If he could find a way to steal the embryo from its mother's womb without her knowledge, the Kaminoans would take care of the rest for him. He cackled at the evilness of the whole plan. He would have a Skywalker as an apprentice...it just wouldn't be Anakin...

To be continued…