WHAT IS REAL

XXXI

Padme was mentally exhausted. She did not know how her poor heart could take another wrong thing this wretched day. Remembering her children's birthday was hard enough and being physically assaulted by one man she thought she could trust made her heart feel like one sore pile of Jell-O. She had just enough strength to get in bed and pull the covers over her head. She did not want to think anymore or talk she just wanted oblivion. Soon the darkness of sleep took over and cradled her the peaceful bliss she so needed.

Padme was hardly asleep when a presence seemed to walk into her dark bliss. She could not make out whom it was yet somehow the presence was familiar. It came to her as dark rolling thundercloud yet for some reason she was not afraid of it. It did not consume her, as she would have expected. Instead it stood still just an arm length away from her. She felt the urge to touch the cloud and when she did a light seemed to burst from the very center of the cloud. It entered her and filled her with a burst of fire that toughed her very heart making it strong again. "Anakin," she whispered. Suddenly the cloud changed into the form of Vader. He said nothing he just touched her cheek where he had hit her and kissed it. The kiss was not soft nor was it rough. At the touch of his lips to her cheek all the soreness went away and she could feel the bruise dissipate into nothingness. Then his lips traveled from her cheek to her lips and they claimed them. She gasped for the possessiveness that was conveyed in the kiss. Vader's lips were hard and yet not hard enough to bruise. This was kiss that told her she was his and none could or would take her from him. She knew that she wanted to be no where but right there at that very moment. She threw her arms around his neck and met his kiss with an equally hard and possessive kiss of her own. She always knew she could never resist him forever and he had always held her heart no matter what. Love for him filled her again and she felt strong enough to go face him, in fact the need for him drove her from the blissful world of sleep.

Padme's Eyes pooped open and she jumped from the bed practically screaming for Jennifer.

She came running in the room half in a panic. "What is it, milady?"

"I need to get cleaned up can you find me some fresh cloths, please."

"Are we leaving, milady?"

"No, just the opposite. I need to see my husband but I will not go to him looking like this."

"Oh milady, you can't he will hurt you again."