Boundless as the Sea

Chapter Six

"Anakin, help me!"

"She is doomed, Skywalker. Doomed like this fallen Republic. Her fate is within my very grasp, and her life will end unless-"

"Unless what?!" Anakin called. "I'll do anything! I can't lose her!"

Padmé's screams echoed.

"The only way to save her is if you..."

"What? What do I need to do?! Tell me! Tell me now!"

♦️

Anakin was still pondering the dream that he had woken from moments before. He looked to his right, and saw Padmé, peacefully sleeping as if the world of reality was miles away. He wanted to touch her, just to make sure she was really there, and that he wasn't still on Hypori, just imagining her.

He gently ran his hand over her soft curls, down the smooth, porcelain skin of her arm. He looked at her face; Her eyes were closed, and the moonlight shone through the window to dance across her lovely features.

Yes, she was definitely real. Even Anakin's wildest imaginings could never fabricate anything so beautiful.

He turned to look at the clock. 3:00 a.m. Anakin laid his head back down on the pillow and closed his eyes, but try as he might, he could not fall asleep.

He decided to see if anything in the kitchen might help him sleep. He slowly got out of bed, and after pulling on his robe, made his way toward the kitchen.

Luckily, Threepio was shut down. He would surely make a racket if he wasn't. Artoo however, wasn't shut down, in case of emergency. He rolled over to Anakin with a series of bleeps.

"Shhhh, Artoo, keep it down. Padmé's sleeping, and I don't want to face her wrath if we wake her." Anakin whispered.

While he was searching the pantry, Anakin sensed a presence coming toward him. He didn't sense it as a threat, however, for he knew it was his wife.

"You can't sleep either?" she said with a voice that sounded...sad?

"Yeah. I thought I woke you. I was just looking for something that might help me sleep. I'm not really much of a food-expert, considering we pretty much eat the same three meals everyday at the temple." He turned around to look at her. "Know of anything that might- Padmé, what's wrong? Even a youngling could sense that you're upset about something."

"It's nothing, Ani." Padmé quickly changed the subject. "I believe that a warm glass of blue milk should do the trick. Now let's see, I might have some somewhere..." She tried to reach around Anakin to search through the pantry, but he didn't budge.

"Padmé, please. I'm your husband. Aren't husbands supposed to make their wives feel better when they're sad? It might make you feel better to talk about it." Anakin stared at her with pleading eyes.

Padmé blew a stray hair from her face. "Anakin, I'd rather not. I highly doubt that you could make me feel better about this."

That stung a little. "What's that supposed to mean? Does it have to do with me? Did I do something? C'mon, Padmé. Talk to me."

Padmé sighed. "Well, alright. But let's sit down." They went to the living room and sat on the sofa. Padmé watched several speeders go by the apartment. She had no idea what so many people could be doing at this hour.

Anakin watched Padmé, trying to read her face and mind, wondering what it was that bothered her, what it was that she hadn't wanted to share with the person closest to her.

Padmé turned to face Anakin, noticing that he was staring at her. "Don't try to read my mind, Anakin. I'm going to tell you." she said with an annoyed look.

"Sorry." Anakin motioned for her to continue.

"I...I had a dream. Usually you're the one with the nightmares, but I guess everyone gets them now and then."

"Tell me about it," Anakin said softly.

Padmé's eyebrows furrowed as she recalled what happened in her nightmare. She looked Anakin straight in the eye, her eyes becoming wet with tears. "It was about Clovis."