Anakin sighed. He hated seeing Padmé like this, but he simply couldn't ignore everything that had happened. He had been deceived and ostracized for years.
Padmé walked to the living room sofa and sat down, followed by Anakin, who sat beside her.
"Start from the beginning, Padmé," Anakin said, anticipating Padmé's turn to speak. She nodded.
"I returned to Naboo a year after Master Qui-Gon brought you out," Padmé began nervously. It seemed Anakin was getting annoyed every time she spoke.
"How did you manage to leave Naboo without being discovered?" "They would never have allowed the queen to go to the Outer Rim unprotected," Anakin asked.
"I escaped at night. Sabe replaced me until the next day. When Captain Typho found out, he searched everywhere for me, but he knew that issuing a search warrant would be more dangerous because they would know I wasn't on Naboo, and there was a risk they would try to remove me from the government for disappearing like that."
"Why didn't you send someone if that was your intention?"
"Because I knew freeing a slave wouldn't be easy. Watto would try to negotiate, just like he did with Qui-Gon. When I returned, Shmi was still in the same place. She tried to tell me I should leave, even more so when she realized I was the queen of Naboo."
"It was a sensible thought. If even one Hutt had found out, they would have sold you to your enemies."
" "When I was about to go talk to Watto, Cliegg appeared. It was a very pleasant surprise to see that they were in love," Padmé said, and she thought she saw a smile on Anakin's lips, which hardened when he saw Padmé watching him.
"Cliegg told him that he still hadn't come up with the amount of money Watto was asking for, and that's when I offered my help. At first, he thought I was a bounty hunter; it was hard for him to believe that I was the Queen of Naboo, but your mother convinced him, and we went to talk to Watto."
"Why did you end up pointing a blaster at Watto?" Anakin asked, remembering Padmé's conversation with Cliegg.
" "He said some silly things," Padmé said, blushing.
"What silly things?" Anakin asked, raising an eyebrow.
"He made fun of me for being in love with you," Padmé said, blushing and quickly changing the subject. "And he demanded that, in addition to payment, Owen stay on to work in his shop as a slave. He wouldn't accept any more money; he needed someone to work for him."
"He was always useless," Anakin said. "That's probably why his shop failed."
"Yes, probably," Padmé said, lying again, and Anakin sensed it.
"You're not telling me something," Anakin said, annoyed. "I want to know everything, Padmé. No more lies."
"A close friend helped us trick Watto into making a bad deal, and his shop went bankrupt," Padmé said, praying that Anakin wouldn't ask which friend it was.
"A friend?" Anakin asked, curious. "Who?" Padmé swore that if she didn't love him, she would have hated him right then and there.
"A friend?" "It doesn't matter," Padmé said, standing up and walking to the window. "Let me continue," she pleaded, ignoring Anakin's gaze.
"Who?" Anakin insisted, and Padmé cursed nervously.
"Rush Clovis," Padmé said, knowing she wouldn't get anywhere with Anakin after that.
"What? You let that idiot Rush Clovis help you with that?" Anakin asked, his pride wounded. Rush Clovis had helped her rescue her mother; now she owed that idiot Rush Clovis something.
"Rush Clovis was my friend at that time. I trusted him, and we were close. He loved any adventure or challenge that came his way," Padmé said.
"You loved him?" Anakin asked. "All of this was so you could run away with him, wasn't it?"
"How dare you suggest that?" Padmé asked, horrified. "This wasn't so I could run away with him."
"Were the pressures of being queen overwhelming you, and did you use me as an excuse to run away with your boyfriend?" Anakin asked, stepping toward her.
"What?" Padmé asked, surprised. "Do you think I did it to run away with Clovis? He went there when I called him," Padmé said, knowing she shouldn't have said that. She could have made up a story about using a hologram.
"Clovis traveled to Tatooine? Clovis was there?" Anakin asked jealously.
"Do you want to know the truth, Anakin?" Padmé asked, tears welling in her eyes. "Yes, Clovis went with me. Do you want to know another truth? Clovis met Shmi and Cliegg. It was when he was still good, and if you're right, Clovis was more than just a friend to me back then," Padmé said, looking away.
"So it was for him then?" Anakin asked, offended. "It was to run away with him? Did you want to do a good deed to justify running away with your boyfriend?"
"What? Of course not, Ani," Padmé said, tears of anger now welling in her eyes.
" "Liar!" Anakin shouted angrily. The mere thought of Padmé having had that entire adventure on Tatooine with Clovis wounded him.
"That's in the past, Ani," Padmé said, moving toward him, trembling with emotion. "All I need now is your love."
"Love won't save us, Padmé," Anakin said, taking her shoulders to look her in the face. In moments like these, Padmé hated that he was so tall.
"Just let me tell you the truth," Padmé sobbed, looking into his eyes. Anakin couldn't resist her tearful gaze; he loved her too much.
"Fine," Anakin said, sitting back down on the sofa, trying to calm himself. Padmé took the opportunity to sit behind him and rest her head on his shoulder. She thought he would reject her, but luckily, he didn't.
"Clovis left as soon as we finalized the deal with Watto," Padmé commented.
"Why?" Anakin asked. Why, if they were dating, would he leave her alone to face danger on Tatooine?
"Because he didn't understand why you were so important to me," Padmé said, blushing. Anakin remained silent, surprised. Was it because of him that Clovis and Padmé had ended their relationship?
"I never saw him again," Padmé said, confirming what Anakin thought.
"Why did you do all that for me?" Anakin asked. "Why risk your relationship for a kid from Tatooine?" he asked.
"Because you're important to me, you always have been," Padmé said, wrapping her arms around his waist, feeling him tense up.
"What happened next?" Anakin asked.
"There were many slaves on Tatooine. Shmi helped me organize a movement to free many of them, and we succeeded over the years," Padmé said, smiling fondly.
"I can't believe you were always in contact with my mother after that, Padmé. Why didn't you tell me?" Anakin asked, looking genuinely sad.
"She didn't want me to," Padmé said, a tear falling from her eye. "She just wanted you to fulfill your dream of becoming a Jedi. Just seeing you made her happy."
"And me?" Anakin asked, and Padmé saw the tears welling in his eyes. He would never forgive her. "Do you know how much I dreamed about my mother?" I wanted to see her, I wanted to hold her again. I even went back to Tatooine once, but I couldn't find Padmé, nor could I find Watto.
"You went back to Tatooine?" Padmé asked, sobbing.
"I barely had time to pilot my first ship and get away from the temple. No one knew," Anakin said. "I went back again and again, every time I could escape. The time I went with you was the only time I saw Watto again."
"I'm so sorry," Padmé apologized, crying. "I should have told you. I should have," she sobbed.
"How was your wedding?" Anakin asked, resisting the urge to comfort Padmé and hug her.
"It was at the Lars' house. It was a beautiful wedding, but Shmi was sorry you weren't there. She wanted to finish what you started, so we spent that whole week finishing off C-3PO," Padmé said.
"You finished off C-3PO?" Anakin asked, surprised.
"It didn't turn out as well as you would have," Padmé said with a slight smile. "But we did the best we could."
"How come C-3PO didn't betray you?" Anakin asked.
"To this day, I wonder that," Padmé smiled, remembering the day they went together to the Lars' house. She'd been trembling with fear, thinking that C-3PO, known for his inability to keep quiet, might say something.
"Great, even the droids keep secrets now," Anakin said, annoyed.
"Ani," Padmé said sadly.
"How did you come to Coruscant?" Anakin asked.
"I traveled to Tatooine many times. The first time was right after Shmi was freed. We came to Coruscant in a ship we got on Tatooine. You were about 12 years old."
"How did that happen?" Anakin asked.
"We went into the Jedi Temple," Padmé began, but Anakin stopped her.
"How did you get into the Temple?" Anakin asked, surprised.
"I can't say," Padmé said, turning away.
"Padmé," Anakin said, annoyed. "Just tell me the truth."
"Obi-Wan helped me. Okay?" Padmé said, knowing more problems would arise from this. "Please, Ani, don't be mad at Obi-Wan."
"My master knew?" Anakin asked, annoyed. "Did he lie to me too?"
"Only because I insisted so many times, Anakin, don't be upset with him. This was all my fault," Padmé said, hugging Anakin when he wasn't looking.
"I think it's my decision when and how to get upset," Anakin muttered, not returning the hug.
"We went into the temple. Shmi said you were having nightmares, that she sang you a song and you calmed down," Padmé said, her heart breaking as she saw Anakin weeping bitterly.
"I thought it was just a dream," Anakin said, remembering that time.
"I'm so sorry," Padmé sobbed as Anakin stood up and walked to the window.
"How many times did my mother come to see me?" Anakin asked.
"Every month for ten years," Padmé said, and Anakin looked at her in disbelief.
"Maybe more than twice a month, when you were injured," Padmé said, blushing. She had always been concerned about what was happening with Anakin, always lying to herself that it was to keep Shmi informed.
"Padmé," Anakin said, looking at her, "All I wanted for ten years was to see my mother one last time. Do you know how hard it was to watch her die?" "To find her like that and have that last image of my mother?" Anakin asked, sobbing.
"I can't imagine the pain you felt," Padmé sobbed. "I'm so sorry, Anakin. I wanted to do something good, I didn't think about what would be best for you."
"Why did you lie when we went to the Lars'?" Anakin asked. That was what he found hardest to understand.
"How was I supposed to tell you that I'd been watching over you for ten years? How was I supposed to tell you that your mother visited you every month during those years?"
"With the truth, Padmé," Anakin said, as if it were obvious.
"When your nightmares started, when I realized what was happening, I was terrified. I couldn't contact Shmi, and I was afraid you'd blame me if something bad had happened to her," Padmé sobbed, hiding her face in her hands.
"I would never have blamed you," Anakin said, annoyed.
"I couldn't have known. When I found out what happened to her, Cliegg didn't blame me for not doing anything either, but I couldn't stop feeling guilty. If only I had gone to Tatooine, I would have barely heard from her," Padmé sobbed.
"Why didn't you tell me when I went back to her?" "Why didn't you tell me when I confessed what I did to the Tuzken? I was honest with you that day," Anakin said, and Padmé knew he was right.
"Because you were so honest, you confessed what you did, I couldn't judge you, because I myself came to want to do the same thing. Shmi was important to me too," Padmé sobbed, "and I was afraid, afraid of hurting you more, of confessing my lie and hurting you."
"You were afraid of me, weren't you?" Anakin asked, moving closer to her. "Because of what I did to the Tuzken?"
"Never," Padmé said, not moving as he menacingly approached her. "I would never be afraid of you, Ani," Padmé said, looking him in the eyes.
"Padmé, we got married. I broke the code for you. Why did you lie to me for so long?" Anakin asked.
"Because I didn't know how to confess a lie I'd kept for so many years," Padmé wept. It was the truth; she just hadn't known how to tell it.
"Speaking as clearly as you are now," Anakin said, sitting down beside her.
"I was just afraid you'd leave me," Padmé sobbed.
"It didn't turn out as you expected then," Anakin said, and Padmé's heart broke again as she remembered they were no longer together.
"I knew you'd find out someday," Padmé said, sobbing. "I'm sorry it had to be this way."
"Anything else you lied about?" Anakin asked, hoping there wasn't anything else.
"I didn't love you until you came back into my life," Padmé said, blushing. "I think I loved you long before that. I could never forget you," she said, and Anakin blushed too.
"Thank you," Anakin said, walking back to the window. "Regardless of the lies, regardless of everything, thank you," he said, looking at Padmé. "For everything you did for my mother, for the Lars, and for me. Thank you so much, Padmé."
"Please, Ani, there's nothing to thank me for," Padmé said, then remembered that there might be something else she had hidden. "Perhaps there is something else."
"What?" Anakin asked, feeling sick.
"Master Yoda and Mace Windu knew about what happened with the Tuzken."
"What?" Anakin almost shouted. "How come I haven't been expelled from the Order yet?"
"How come I haven't been expelled from the Order yet?" "Perhaps I had a little to do with it, perhaps Obi-Wan did too," Padmé said.
"What happened, Padmé?" Anakin asked, worried.
"When we returned from Geonosis, they took you to a medical facility to repair your arm, and we were interrogated. Yoda and Mace Windu had sensed the death and destruction caused by your suffering."
"Mace Windu would have expelled me immediately."
"We discovered that your mother's death wasn't an accident," Padmé said. "While you were at the medical facility, I returned to Tatooine with Obi-Wan. It wasn't difficult to get there."
"I'm sorry you had to witness that," Anakin said, almost ashamed.
"That's the problem. There was nothing there," Padmé said, and Anakin looked at her, puzzled. He had killed them, even the women and children. "They had been buried, but whoever did it left a clue."
"A clue?" Anakin asked.
"A ring," Padmé said. "I took it to the council, reported what happened, and Master Yoda said it belonged to Dooku. Then Mace Windu came to your defense."
"Master Windu?" Anakin asked, incredulous.
"He said this was the work of the dark side, that banishing you would only cause your inevitable downfall, that you were the Chosen One, and that this had been a trap set by Dooku, that he knew this would be your reaction."
"I took it to the council, and reported what happened. "Was Dooku behind my mother's death?" Anakin asked, wounded. He would kill that damned Separatist.
"Palpatine, Dooku is just another one of your puppets," Padmé said.
"Thank you again," Anakin said, looking at his wife. "Padmé, you've done so much for me, and I never knew. You should have told me," Anakin said.
"Please never thank me for anything I do for you," Padmé said. "You're my husband, and I love you. I would do anything for you."
"Even so, thank you so much, Padmé," Anakin said.
"Ani," Padmé said, gathering her courage, "I know you don't want to be with me anymore, that I've lied to you about very important things for many years, that I lied to you these past few days when I went to Kamino. I know you don't want me by your side anymore," Padmé said, turning away, unable to look him in the face. "But..."
She couldn't finish speaking when Anakin took her firmly by the waist and kissed her. It was a passionate kiss that stole her breath and made her lose it. The balance, forcing her to cling to her husband's neck.
"Ani," Padmé said, tears falling again as they separated.
"I could never leave you, Angel," Anakin said, now also crying. "I'm sorry, I was an idiot. At first, I was angry, but you did all that for me. I was wrong to leave you, to make you suffer like that," Anakin said, wiping the tears from Padmé's eyes. "Please forgive me, Angel."
"You had every right to be angry. I lied to you for so many years. There's nothing to forgive," Padmé said, sobbing against his chest.
"It's all over now. We're okay," Anakin said, kissing Padmé's forehead.
"Ani," Padmé said, smiling, still holding him, fearing it was all a dream.
"I'm sorry you had to make that decision in Jabba's palace. We shouldn't have failed," Anakin said apologetically.
"There was no other choice," Padmé said, remembering.
"By the way, what were you thinking when you put on that suit?" Anakin asked, and Padmé smiled nervously.
"Saving you," Padmé said.
"That blue suit was quite revealing," Anakin said, caressing Padmé's shoulders. "Even your friend, the Mandalorian soldier, couldn't help but look at you."
"Ani," Padmé said, blushing.
"You fought quite well with a lightsaber," Anakin said, moving closer to her. Padmé knew he was seducing her. It was always like this. She could speak in front of the Senate or anyone else, controlling even the smallest situation, but alone with Anakin, in the most intimate moments, he was always the one in control, and she loved relinquishing that control.
"After so many years watching you, perhaps I've learned," Padmé said, turning to meet his gaze, her body trembling with emotion at his almost dark, intense eyes.
"You have no idea how much I've missed you," Anakin said, kissing her again and leading her toward his room.
The night witnessed the reunion of two souls who loved each other desperately, two souls who could no longer be without one another.
"What's wrong?" Padmé asked, caressing Anakin's face as he watched her, smiling.
"The days without you have been an empty space I never want to be in again," Anakin said, kissing her again. He never wanted to let her go; he wanted to stay like this with her forever.
"Ani, I've lived the best moments of my life by your side, and I'll continue to live them now that you're back," Padmé said with a smile. "In your arms, I always feel at home," he said, resting his head against her chest.
"I love you, Padmé," Anakin whispered. "I've always loved you, and I always will."
"I love you too, Ani," Padmé said, smiling. "I will always love you," she said, closing her eyes as he stroked the long strands of her disheveled hair.
When Padme finally fell asleep with Anakin by her side, she knew she was complete, that she could face any challenge if he was by her side.