After Jedi

Hope (Happy Ending)

A/N: Hey everyone, so I was rereading the final chapter to tweak the dialogue so it sounded more in-character and I realized that the most in-character thing to happen would result in a different ending. It differs from the other chapter right after Padmé gets off her ship and hugs Anakin, so you can go reread that part in the first version of this chapter or just let me know if you'd rather I just put in the whole chapter before the different ending. Anyways here have this *yeets chapter into the void*

"Oh, Anakin! "

"Hi, Padmé. What are you doing out here?" He let go of his wife.

"I was worried about you. Obi-Wan told me terrible things."

Anakin's expression darkened. "What things?"

"He said that you turned to the dark side... That you killed younglings." She sounded horrified.

"Obi-Wan is a liar." No!

"He cares about us."

"Us? He knows?"

"I think he's known for a while." Padmé chuckled. "He told me he wanted to help."

Obi-Wan had stowed away on Padmé's ship, Ahsoka could sense him. It was a smart move, but Anakin would not be happy.

"Is Obi-Wan strong enough to protect you?" Ahsoka pinched herself to see if she could wake up from this awful nightmare. It didn't work.

"Anakin, you're strong enough to protect me."

"I don't know how else I'm going to save you, Padmé."

"What do you mean?"

"You know about the dreams I keep having. I had similar ones before my mother died. I wasn't fast enough to save her... I won't make that mistake again; I can't lose you too."

"Then run away with me to Naboo!  We can leave all of this behind. We won't have to hide anything there. If we go now, we can finally have normal lives," Padmé suggested.

"This way, we won't have to hide ever again." He was smiling, but it was dark, twisted. "The war is over... because of me. "

Padmé stepped back in horror.

"You mean - Obi-Wan was right? You're responsible for the massacre at the Jedi Temple? You killed children?!"

"Enough about Obi-Wan. All he and his precious Jedi Order ever did was put me on a leash and force me to obey. For the first time in my life, I'm finally free. We're finally free."

"You say you're doing this all for me," Padmé began with a thoughtful expression, "because your dreams predict my demise. Ahsoka had visions of me dying, too, yet due to her bravery, here I stand. You must realize that my death is one of many possible futures."

Ahsoka felt a small swell of pride. She remembered.

Anakin paused. "I... didn't think about it that way."

"So," she continued, "saying that you're doing all this to save me... that's just you using me to justify your actions. To justify 'reclaiming your freedom.'"

Anakin looked at Padmé with wide eyes.

"What you didn't realize was that we can be free together. Come with me, Ani." She held out her hand. 

For a moment, it seemed like Anakin would actually go with her. Unfortunately, Obi-Wan chose this moment to reveal himself. He saw Ahsoka and nodded, signaling her to help Padmé get away as soon as she could.