WHAT IS REAL

XLVIX

Though the inside of the Lake house appeared as Padme's Senatorial Apartment the outside was still the same. Vader looked out the window but something had changed in the plot of ground. A beautiful red rose had sprung up in the ground. 

Padme also seemed to notice the rose bush at the same time he did but she turned her back on the window. "Do you see Vader her love for you is what made the rose grow? Her life was full but you brought love to her. Something she never had considered before. She had even thought it an impossible thing in her life. She did not expect it and was not ready for it. So she chose to ignore it."

"I remember." Vader said dully. "It probably would have been better for her if she had kept turning her back on it."

Qui Gon said nothing he just motioned for Vader to watch. Padme could not ignore that plot of ground forever because that flower bloomed and produced many roses too many to ignore. She turned and acknowledged those flowers of love and suddenly the whole garden was filled to over flowing with flowers. It was spilling out on to the ground surrounding the trees and house until the place was overrun with the smell of roses. 

Vader suddenly realized how different their loves were. Oh he loved her and he loved her fiercely. He too had a rose bush (only one though) he had tended it carefully all through those 10 years of their separation. It struggled at times but it lived. Then seeing her had made his bush blossom into a wonderfully full bush. But he could barely touch the most beautiful thing in his life without being fiercely pricked by a thorn. It seemed that all of his fears and all of his love was wrapped up in that one bush. Soon the thorns started taking over the whole bush until now it was nothing but thorns. "Does she still love me like this?" Vader asked.

"Watch and you will understand what makes Padme like she is right now."

These were not very encouraging word from Qui Gon. But what could Vader do but watch?