Lost Family

VI - Lies

When Luke was out of sight, Obi-Wan and Leia's friend came around a corner.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan greeted.

"Where's Luke?" The kid... Han, asked.

"The chancellor wanted to talk to him," Leia said in a slightly faint voice and Han's eyes displayed utter shock.

"What's wrong with the chancellor?" Anakin asked amused.

"It's nothing," Leia said quickly and Anakin suspected that it wouldn't help to push her.

"Well anyway, I'm going to tell Padmé about what we found out," Anakin said instead.

"I have a council meeting," Obi-Wan said slowly, "will you two be alright on your own?"

"Don't worry about us," Han said.

"Alright," Obi-Wan said, "have a good day then."

"Same to you, Master Kenobi," Leia said formally, "and you Master Skywalker."

Anakin simply nodded to them and turned around to get to the hospital. They had said Padmé would be fully alright by today, but should still stay the night, maybe he could cheer her up a little.

During the trip to the hospital he received a message from the chancellor to come to him in half an hour, but that was enough time to visit Padmé.

"Anakin," Padmé greeted happily when he entered her room.

"Hey, Angel," Anakin said and sat by her bed in which she sat up straight, at which he gave her a worried look.

"Don't worry Anakin, I might have been poisoned, but it's not like it was any actually effective poison," she chuckled.

"About that," Anakin started, "we found the bounty hunter who poisoned you. It was a Rodian by the name of Greedo and he's in custody now, but he wasn't working on his own, he was just working for someone else. He didn't know anything about who that was, but said that it was supposed to be weak poison, to... to give a sort of warning."

"But... warning for what?" Padmé said confused.

"I'm not sure, but Padmé don't you see?" He urged her, "even if you survive the birth and my visions are just ordinary nightmares, you'll still not be safe!"

"No one is ever really safe, Anakin," Padmé said soothingly, "life in itself isn't safe, it's always a risk, and if you aren't willing to take that risk than you can't live!"

"No, that's not true. There is a way to keep you safe, forever!"

"Ani-"

"Padmé, there is a way! There's power I can gain to keep you and our child from ever being hurt!"

"Anakin there doesn't have to be a way, there's no power you have to gain."

"Yes, Padmé. I realized that today. I can never let you get hurt again!"

"Ani, that is all apart of life, it's the way things are supposed to be. People are supposed to get hurt sometimes."

"But why? If it doesn't have to be."

"Ani..." her voice faded away, she didn't know what to say to that.

"I need to go now," Anakin said after taking a quick glance to the mechanical clock in the hospital room.

"I'm gonna be let home today already," Padmé said quietly.

"That's great," Anakin said, but he noticed his thought were already at the chancellors office. "Just be careful, ok? I don't know when I'll be back, the chancellor asked to talk to me."