Author's Notes: Set in Episode II, between when Anakin goes to find his
mother and when he gets back, at the Lars' farm.
Disclaimer: If it was mine, do you think Episode III would be coming out in 2005? No, they're not mine. None of it. More's the pity.
**************************************************************************** **********************************
Padmé finally turned away from the horizon, where Anakin was now just a black speck. She looked back at the farm. Beru Whitesun had emerged from the domed building, and was watching Padmé worriedly.
"Where did he go?" she inquired. 'Was he serious about going to find Shmi?" Padmé sighed, and moved into the cool shade of the building next to Beru.
"He went to find her," she answered. "He…he's been having nightmares about her for weeks now, apparently. If she's still alive, he'll find her."
"Shmi always used to talk about him," Beru admitted with a soft smile. "I've seen pictures…he's grown up so much."
"Yes," Padmé agreed quietly. "He has." She blushed slightly at the appraising look Beru gave her. "I mean, the last time I saw him he was just a little boy – now he's well on his way to being a Jedi, and he's grown so much…" She shook her head. Beru, seeing something in her face, urged her back into the farm. She led the senator into the kitchen, where they were soon sipping at cool drinks.
"I don't know how you can live in this heat," Padmé admitted with a laugh. "I couldn't do it – Naboo, my home world, is a lot cooler than this. And Coruscant is almost freezing in comparison." Beru smiled softly.
"We get used to it," she admitted. "It's just normal for us. I can't imagine being on a planet that has rain regularly – it's only ever rained three times in my life. It was really funny, seeing Owen dancing about in it."
"You're really in love with him," Padmé observed smilingly after a moment. Beru blushed, but nodded. "Does he feel the same way?"
"I think so," Beru faltered. "I mean, sometimes…sometimes he's so romantic, and it's just so clear, y'know?" Padmé nodded slightly. Oh yes, she thought to herself. She knew. "And then sometimes he's so distant. So cut-off from me, like he thinks I wouldn't be able to help him, or understand at all."
"I think maybe all men are like that," Padmé sighed, sipping her drink. "Or at least, all men from Tatooine." She traced a pattern on the table with her finger. Beru gazed into space for a moment. Then Padmé looked up again. "I hope he's alright."
"I'm sure he will be," Beru smiled encouragingly. "And he'll find Shmi, if she's still alive."
"He thinks she is," Padmé murmured. "Because of his dreams…" She shook herself. "He'll be fine," she said unconvincingly.
"Of course he will," Beru agreed firmly. She glanced up at the chronometer. "I'd better start making supper."
"Can I help?" Padmé offered. Beru gave her a horrified look. "Please, I want to. I haven't cooked since I was a little girl." The Tatooine girl nodded after a moment, and Padmé moved to help her.
Soon enough it was growing dark, and Cliegg and Owen came down into the kitchen. Owen raised his eyebrows quizzically at the sight of Padmé silently setting out the plates, but neither she nor Beru said anything. Cliegg sombrely helped himself to food, and Beru and Padmé sat down on opposite sides of the table.
"I hope Anakin's alright," Owen said at last after a long, uncomfortable silence. Padmé looked up at him sharply. "he is," she said with certainty. Her cheeks reddened, and she returned her attention to his food.
"Well, he's a Jedi," Cliegg said gruffly. 'He'll be alright. And he used to live on Tatooine, he'll survive." Beru met Padmé's eyes, then they both looked down at their food again. Cliegg glanced between them, then looked at Padmé. "Shmi told me that you were some sort of handmaiden to the queen of your world."
"Oh," Padmé blushed yet again. "No. Well, that is…when I was on Tatooine I was in disguise. I was actually the queen of Naboo for five years." Beru, Owen and Cliegg stared at her. "But my term finished, and now I'm serving as Senator," she added quickly.
"A queen," Beru said faintly. "I just let a former queen help cook dinner."
"Yes," Padmé agreed quietly. "And you're about to let her help wash up." She pushed her chair back and began gathering the now-empty plates.
Later Padmé sat on the steps that led down to the house, and gazed up at the stars. Silently Beru joined her. Padmé ignored her for a moment, then raised a hand and pointed at one star. "That's Naboo," she said softly. "And there, next to it, that's Alderaan. We're both peaceful planets. Very alike, actually. And then that one over there is Coruscant – it's the brightest. And there's Malastare, and Geonosis, and right out there is Hoth. I can't name many others from here. From Naboo I can name pretty much all of them."
"Have you been to many?" Beru inquired in the same soft voice. Padmé shrugged. 'Quite a few," she admitted. "As a senator, I have to go wherever I need to for the interests of my planet." She smiled suddenly. "When I first came here, ten years ago, I heard Ani say that he wanted to be the first one to see them all." She sighed. "I dare say that he's been to more than me already."
"I wish I could see them," Beru admitted after a moment. "But I'm hardly likely ever to go further than Mos Espa at the most. I rarely go to Mos Eisley even now."
"It must be hard," Padmé murmured. Beru nodded. "But it's worth it," she claimed. "For the right person, anything can be put up with."
"You think Owen is the right person?"
"I do," Beru agreed. She looked down from the stars at Padmé for a moment, then looked back up at the bright dot that was Coruscant. "Is Anakin the right person?"
Padmé looked across the sands in the direction Anakin had gone earlier. "There seem to be too many complications between him and I for him to be the right one," she said softly. "But…but yes. He is the right one."
Disclaimer: If it was mine, do you think Episode III would be coming out in 2005? No, they're not mine. None of it. More's the pity.
**************************************************************************** **********************************
Padmé finally turned away from the horizon, where Anakin was now just a black speck. She looked back at the farm. Beru Whitesun had emerged from the domed building, and was watching Padmé worriedly.
"Where did he go?" she inquired. 'Was he serious about going to find Shmi?" Padmé sighed, and moved into the cool shade of the building next to Beru.
"He went to find her," she answered. "He…he's been having nightmares about her for weeks now, apparently. If she's still alive, he'll find her."
"Shmi always used to talk about him," Beru admitted with a soft smile. "I've seen pictures…he's grown up so much."
"Yes," Padmé agreed quietly. "He has." She blushed slightly at the appraising look Beru gave her. "I mean, the last time I saw him he was just a little boy – now he's well on his way to being a Jedi, and he's grown so much…" She shook her head. Beru, seeing something in her face, urged her back into the farm. She led the senator into the kitchen, where they were soon sipping at cool drinks.
"I don't know how you can live in this heat," Padmé admitted with a laugh. "I couldn't do it – Naboo, my home world, is a lot cooler than this. And Coruscant is almost freezing in comparison." Beru smiled softly.
"We get used to it," she admitted. "It's just normal for us. I can't imagine being on a planet that has rain regularly – it's only ever rained three times in my life. It was really funny, seeing Owen dancing about in it."
"You're really in love with him," Padmé observed smilingly after a moment. Beru blushed, but nodded. "Does he feel the same way?"
"I think so," Beru faltered. "I mean, sometimes…sometimes he's so romantic, and it's just so clear, y'know?" Padmé nodded slightly. Oh yes, she thought to herself. She knew. "And then sometimes he's so distant. So cut-off from me, like he thinks I wouldn't be able to help him, or understand at all."
"I think maybe all men are like that," Padmé sighed, sipping her drink. "Or at least, all men from Tatooine." She traced a pattern on the table with her finger. Beru gazed into space for a moment. Then Padmé looked up again. "I hope he's alright."
"I'm sure he will be," Beru smiled encouragingly. "And he'll find Shmi, if she's still alive."
"He thinks she is," Padmé murmured. "Because of his dreams…" She shook herself. "He'll be fine," she said unconvincingly.
"Of course he will," Beru agreed firmly. She glanced up at the chronometer. "I'd better start making supper."
"Can I help?" Padmé offered. Beru gave her a horrified look. "Please, I want to. I haven't cooked since I was a little girl." The Tatooine girl nodded after a moment, and Padmé moved to help her.
Soon enough it was growing dark, and Cliegg and Owen came down into the kitchen. Owen raised his eyebrows quizzically at the sight of Padmé silently setting out the plates, but neither she nor Beru said anything. Cliegg sombrely helped himself to food, and Beru and Padmé sat down on opposite sides of the table.
"I hope Anakin's alright," Owen said at last after a long, uncomfortable silence. Padmé looked up at him sharply. "he is," she said with certainty. Her cheeks reddened, and she returned her attention to his food.
"Well, he's a Jedi," Cliegg said gruffly. 'He'll be alright. And he used to live on Tatooine, he'll survive." Beru met Padmé's eyes, then they both looked down at their food again. Cliegg glanced between them, then looked at Padmé. "Shmi told me that you were some sort of handmaiden to the queen of your world."
"Oh," Padmé blushed yet again. "No. Well, that is…when I was on Tatooine I was in disguise. I was actually the queen of Naboo for five years." Beru, Owen and Cliegg stared at her. "But my term finished, and now I'm serving as Senator," she added quickly.
"A queen," Beru said faintly. "I just let a former queen help cook dinner."
"Yes," Padmé agreed quietly. "And you're about to let her help wash up." She pushed her chair back and began gathering the now-empty plates.
Later Padmé sat on the steps that led down to the house, and gazed up at the stars. Silently Beru joined her. Padmé ignored her for a moment, then raised a hand and pointed at one star. "That's Naboo," she said softly. "And there, next to it, that's Alderaan. We're both peaceful planets. Very alike, actually. And then that one over there is Coruscant – it's the brightest. And there's Malastare, and Geonosis, and right out there is Hoth. I can't name many others from here. From Naboo I can name pretty much all of them."
"Have you been to many?" Beru inquired in the same soft voice. Padmé shrugged. 'Quite a few," she admitted. "As a senator, I have to go wherever I need to for the interests of my planet." She smiled suddenly. "When I first came here, ten years ago, I heard Ani say that he wanted to be the first one to see them all." She sighed. "I dare say that he's been to more than me already."
"I wish I could see them," Beru admitted after a moment. "But I'm hardly likely ever to go further than Mos Espa at the most. I rarely go to Mos Eisley even now."
"It must be hard," Padmé murmured. Beru nodded. "But it's worth it," she claimed. "For the right person, anything can be put up with."
"You think Owen is the right person?"
"I do," Beru agreed. She looked down from the stars at Padmé for a moment, then looked back up at the bright dot that was Coruscant. "Is Anakin the right person?"
Padmé looked across the sands in the direction Anakin had gone earlier. "There seem to be too many complications between him and I for him to be the right one," she said softly. "But…but yes. He is the right one."