Disclaimer: All characters are property of George Lucas. I am but a humble fan who wishes to lay her offering on the altar of Star Wars.

A/N: This is my first Star Wars fic, and an AoTC inspired one at that. Anakin/Amidala pairing, it follows their marriage and may go into an AU Episode III. I hope you enjoy this and the following chapters, and I only ask that if you do, please leave a review. Thank you!

Dedicated to my darling GRRR's, and to Chelsey, who sparked the idea in the first place.

To Love and Be Loved

Chapter 1: An Answer

They tell me that I must not love,
That thou wilt spurn the free
And unbought tenderness that gives
Its hidden wealth to thee.
It may be so: I heed it not,
Nor would I change my blissful lot.

~Love Unsought, by Emma B. Embury

The gently rolling waves of the lake glittered in the sunset. Softly golden light illuminated the elegant curves of the railing, and a sensual floral perfume drifted on the breeze. Anakin Skywalker glanced down at his new hand, studying the way the light seemed to make it come alive. Unconciously, he rubbed the smooth plasteel as he gazed off into Naboo's horizon. The path that had brought him to Padmé had been a twisting one, marked with pain and uncertainty. His heart ached for her with each breath. He longed to kiss her again, to trace the delicate curves of her face, and watch his reflection in her eyes. The sweetness of her smile stirred awake the passion that had laid repressed in his soul for so long.

The Jedi code that gave faith to so many across the galaxy only hurt Anakin. He remembered countless repetitions of the code from Obi-Wan, and the thought sent a stab of guilty pain through him. The older man was constantly critical and cautious, but the real affection that lay beneath his rigid demeanour did not go unnoticed by Anakin. But he was past caring what anyone in Jedi order said now. The time for thought had slipped past him in one, heedless moment when Padmé's eyes had flashed up to meet his, and their souls had met. Passion dissolved any rigorous objections that others would have held. So when they'd been standing together on a balcony on Coruscant. watching the smoky evening life rush past beneath them, Anakin had taken her hand in his good one. The scene came back to Anakin with all the beauty of the original moment, and he held the elusive memory in his mind for a long moment.

Padmé watched him carefully as he studied her hand. Her slim fingers nestled in his palm, and she brushed her fingers over the light calluses on his hand. It was delicately expressive, and seemed to express the gentle power that Anakin held in his soul. She laid her head on his shoulder as he drew her closer into his embrace. She could feel the slow, steady rhythm of his breath against her body, and the warm, tender scent of him encircled her. How she loved him. Loved him with every fiber of her being, shot through with flame and passion.

he whispered, his lips brushing her ear as he said her name. The word caressed the air for a brief moment, and then slowly lingered on as she turned to look at him. Timidly, she reached up and brushed her hand across his cheek. He caught her hand and kissed it softly, his lips barely touching her skin.

I love you, she said softly, her dusky eyelashes briefly descending on her cheek. Anakin caught her chin and raised it to face him. His eyes slowly moved over her high cheekbones, the winged arches of her eyebrows, and those soft, full lips that he loved. He bent to kiss her lightly, but as Padmé wrapped her arms around him, deepening the kiss and embrace. The rushes of the airspeeders dimmed as they moved back towards Padmé's suite. She ran her hands over his shoulders, her eyes fixed on his.

Anakin, tomorrow you escort me back to Naboo, she murmured, her heart aching at the words. The cold loneliness of her world when Anakin left it would be permanent, relieved only by a few hasty communications and wistful looks that they could steal away from their duties. A wave of fear and pain overtook her, and a pearly tear fell lightly onto her cheek. Anakin pressed his lips together, his finger gliding up her face to check the wayward sign of sorrow.

Don't cry, my love, he said softly, even as he felt the beginnings of tears in his eyes. To lose Padmé now, the woman who was his heart, his soul, would be like ripping the world away from him. To be forever exiled from her love and confined to a solitary life of meditation repulsed him. For the first time, he thought he understood the brief traces of longing he'd seen in Qui-Gon's eyes, and knew why Obi-Wan sometimes watched Coruscant's sunsets silently, his hands gripping the railing tightly. He couldn't do it. Couldn't end up like another empty shell of a Jedi, living only for the gentle flow of the Force.

I can't let you go, he whispered fiercely, holding her tightly against him. Padmé gave a dry sob as she buried her face in his shoulders, her fingers digging into the fabric of his tunice. Padmé, I can't. Please don't ask it of me, my love.

she said helplessly, her voice choked with tears. It's not me that asks it. It's the rest of the galaxy. The Senate. The Order. I can't ask you to leave--

I don't care. Anakin's voice was desperate as he drew back and held her hand tightly. I don't care about the Order, Padmé. It's you I want. Padmé's tears flowed freely down her face as she looked down at his mechanical hand. He'd sacrificed so much to become his Jedi. He'd left his tender-hearted mother behind, his childish shoulders straight even as his face crumpled in agony. He'd dedicated his life to learning to weave his powers in the tapestry of the Force, and to leave that all behind would be a crime. Padmé shook her head. She couldn't let him.

Just you, Anakin finished. He looked at her pleadingly. Padmé, I--

She pressed her fingers to his lips, her hand reaching around the pocket of her dressing gown as she did so. Anakin's eyes followed her every move as she drew out a small package wrapped in Alderaanian silk. The watery folds of the fabric fell gracelessly to the ground as she held out the small amulet that he had carved for her so many years ago.

Do you remember? she asked him, feeling the hushed twilight around them both. Anakin took the trinket in his hand, turning it over and over. I'll never forget you, Ani, she continued, her voice trembling with pain. I never could. I never knew why I kept this all these years, but now I do. Anakin, I could never-- Anakin's eyes met hers in an intense gaze, and she bit her lower lip to keep herself from weeping outright.

Padmé, you don't have to. He straightened, his eyes falling on her with all the swift passion he held. The barriers life had imposed on them both fell away at the touch of love. They could no more stop him from loving Padmé than take away his connection to the Force. It was part of him now. He couldn't let their intereference halt the natural sway of life.

Padmé searched his face, her hands sliding down his arms as she did so. Her breath caught in her throat, and she felt a thrill of pure joy run through her at his next words.

Will you marry me? he asked her softly, touching a tendril of loose hair that kissed the side of her face. Stay with me forever?

Padmé hesitated before giving into the desperate desires of her soul. They couldn't, they couldn't, it would be too hard, it wouldn't work. But as she remembered the sweetness of their kisses on the pastoral grasses of Naboo, and laughing, the touching, the hoping, she knew that she'd found the one thing she couldn't ever give up.

Love.