Padme leaped joyfully down the hallway. She was so happy Anakin was back from his mission! Now they would be able to spend some time together, for crying out loud. It felt like months since she last saw him, and considering the intensity of the war, that may very well have been the case.

Ignorant of her surroundings, Padme accidently bumped into Lux Bonteri.

"Oh, sorry Lux! I didn't see you there!"

He smiled. "That's fine, Padme. What are you so happy about?"

"Oh, nothing in particular," she responded nonchalantly.

"Really?" Lux questioned slyly and crossed his arms, "Are you sure?"

"Yes!" she said quickly, "I'm just in a happy mood!"

"Padme, I know that happy mood. You're thinking about someone, aren't you?"

She held back a gasp. "NO! NO! That's not it at all! Like I said…"

"…you're just happy?" Lux filled in, "Oh come on, Padme, I'm not an idiot."

"Well, you must be," said Padme as she scanned the area for a potential exit, "Because I'm not."

"Defensive, are we?" Lux teased.

Padme groaned. She had known Lux since I was a baby and he was like a little brother to her. A very, very annoying little brother.

"Drop it, Lux," she snapped, "What do you kn…"

She stopped dead in her tracks and covered her mouth. Lux smiled sadly.

"Oh my gosh," she whispered, "I am so sorry…"

"Don't be," Lux said, "You did nothing."

"I just wasn't thinking! Oh my gosh, how could I say that? I'm so…"

"Padme," Lux cut in, "It's been almost a year and a half now since Steela died. I've learned to move on. It's alright."

She nodded. "That doesn't excuse me though."

Lux smiled at her. "Don't concern yourself with it."

She smiled back.

"Well, I have to go," Lux said, "I'm meeting with Ahsoka today. It's round three of our spitting competition and I need to break the tie."

Padme recoiled in disgust. "Really?"

Lux laughed. "Really."

Padme just shook her head. "You two never cease to amaze me."

Lux smiled brighter. "Don't worry, we don't plan on stopping any time soon."

Padme laughed. "Well, I got to go too. I'll see you later."

Lux nodded. "Goodbye."

And with that Padme was off, relieved that she had avoided the topic of her and Anakin. Lux, however, stared after her confused. Maybe Ahsoka would know something of Padme's joyful mood.

"Three days in a mud hole…"

"…five in an airtight tunnel…"

"…and eight in a ti-fighter! Master, we need to get a new strategy!"

Anakin grinned. "Oh, come on, Snips, it wasn't that bad."

Ahsoka raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, maybe it was that bad," Anakin admitted, "But hey, we're out of it now, right?"

"Barely," she grumbled as she gently touched a large cut, "Look at me! I'll never be cleaned up in time to meet Lux!"

A look of horror and realization suddenly snapped across Anakin's face.

"Um…Master?"

Before she could inquire further, Anakin ran to the dresser in their shared quarters and began tearing through his clothes. Ahsoka just watched in confusion.

"Master, what are you doing?"

"Oh, kriff, kriff, kriff, kriff!" he cursed, "How could I have forgotten? I'm meeting with Padme tonight!"

"What?" Ahsoka asked, "Why do you need to meet with her?"

Anakin froze. "Um…we're discussing a…a future mission!"

Ahsoka's expression grew even more confused. "That hasn't happened yet?"

"Involving the Senate," Anakin continued, "I'm to escort her to…and then we'll arrange for…and I'll be undercover as…you know what, it's complicated!"

Anakin finally found the clothes he was looking for and pulled away from the dresser. He quickly and somewhat roughly pushed Ahsoka aside and ran into the refresher.

"Complicated?" Ahsoka mumbled to herself, "That's an understatement."

Ahsoka was impressed when Anakin came out only three minutes later with new clean clothes, neat bandages, and groomed hair.

"I gotta go. Oh wait, I forgot the…darn it!" Within a few moments he ran back into the refresher.

Ahsoka casually approached the door and knocked on it.

"What?!"

"You know, I'm meeting with someone too and I kinda need the refresher!"

"Patience, Snips! I'm sure your spitting contest can wait!"

Ahsoka sighed. No one understood the full importance of spitting contests.

"Master, I only have so much saliva," she quipped.

She heard a growl from the door. After another few minutes, Anakin ran out from the refresher and out their quarters. Ahsoka stared after him for a little bit. Eventually, she went into the refresher and got cleaned up. About fifteen minutes later she left and headed for the Senate building. Maybe Lux would know if Senator Amidala was equally panicked.