Star Wars: The Chosen One || An Anakin Skywalker Story [COMPLETED]

Twenty-Two || Hiding

He released her and his eyes hopelessly searched her face. "What's troubling you?" he asks, his voice trembling.

"I can't believe you went up there, Anakin. And landed yourself in the medbay? You're crazy, Ani. What made you think going to talk to her would actually work?"

There it was again... that distrust that everyone seemed to have for Anakin. He was at a loss for words, unsure of what to say to his displeased wife. He was afraid that saying the wrong thing would displease her even more, perhaps even increasing her levels of distrust towards him.

"I'm sorry, Padmé, I thought it would work." He always thought he was right... he clenched his fists having to tell her otherwise. "I was wrong."

She purses her lips and crosses her arms, nodding. "I'm glad you see that, Anakin."

He walks past her, peering inside the apartment. "Are the children asleep?" he asks, his attempt to change the conversation.

She turns to face him. "Yes."

He nods and turns. "I'm sorry. I wish I could've been here... wait - how did you know I ended up in the medbay?"

She clears her throat, cautiously thinking of a way to word this. Eventually, she gave up, and decided to tell him the truth. "Obi-Wan told me." She stepped forward, caressing his cheek in hopes of lowering his anger. "He said you'd - been choked, but that you were okay..."

"I should've been the one to tell you," Anakin snaps coldly, his anger obvious. "Not Obi-Wan."

"Anakin, I was worried, so I contacted him hoping he knew something! You were gone for a whole day, of course I was worried - " Gently, Padmé wraps her arms around the back of his neck and leans into his chest. "I'm sorry, I know you didn't want me to contact Obi-Wan about this..."

"I told you Obi-Wan didn't know I was going to speak to Demetrious," he says sternly, prying away from her arms locked around his neck. He walks over to the balcony and leans on it, struggling to lessen his anger. "He contacted me, saying the Council was worried or something... Now he knows. I told you, Padmé, he didn't know, and he couldn't know, but now he does!"

She walks over to him again, praying he doesn't lash out on her. He hadn't done that in so long... but he looked so angry, there might be a good chance.

"Anakin, I'm sorry. I was afraid, so I contacted Obi-Wan, hoping he knew where you were and if you were okay. It isn't my fault he knows," she lied, then told the truth, "I thought you'd been killed."

He turns his head slightly to look at her and exhales through his nose, like he did when he was trying to calm himself. She decided he wasn't as angry as he was minutes ago, so she caresses him again, using her thumb to push back his stray strands of wavy brown hair. "I'm sorry," she says again, this time in a whisper, "I love you."

Anakin hangs his head now, feeling stupid for ever getting mad at her in the first place. He shouldn't have gotten so worked up over Obi-Wan knowing. He knew it wasn't going to end well when Obi-Wan contacted him through the comlink, claiming he knew where Anakin was. But the fact that Obi-Wan was the one to tell Padmé of his whereabouts...

"No, I'm sorry, Padmé. It isn't right of me to get angry with you."

"It isn't right of you to get angry at all," she says softly, rubbing the back of his neck with her hand as they leaned against the balcony. She sighs, deciding to leave him be. He needed to be alone. "I'm going to go check on the children. Surely they'll want to see you if they're awake."

He flinches as she removes her hand from the back of his neck, almost as if her touch needed to be there.

She walks into the apartment, and Anakin finds himself alone yet again. He sighs, watching Coruscant like always. The city didn't sleep; ever. Apparently, neither did his children. He hears their cries from inside the apartment, probably wanting their father. Groggily, he rises from his position leaned against the balcony, and enters the apartment to help Padmé with their kids.