Featured songs:

1. "Rewrite the Stars" from The Greatest Showman

2. "Right Here in My Arms" from Barbie as the Island Princess

_______________________

Meanwhile, on Naboo...

Anakin and Padme were sitting at a table, eating dinner together. Alone. Just the two of them, while their little girl was napping.

"And when I got to them, we went into aggressive negotiations." Anakin said as a waitress served him a plate. "Thank you."

"'Aggressive negotiations'?" Padme asked. "What's that?"

"Uh, well, negotiations with a lightsaber."

The two of them laughed for a bit, and Padme was about to cut into a pear, when Anakin took it with the Force and put it onto his plate, and started to cut it himself.

"If Master Obi-Wan caught me doing this, he'd be very grumpy." said Anakin.

Anakin then lifted a small piece of the pear with the Force once more, and floated it over to Padme, who grabbed it with her fork with a chuckle.

Later, Anakin and Padme were sitting by the fire together. It was dark, the only light being the lit fireplace, in a romantic sense.

Anakin looked at Padme and how beautiful she looked in her dress. But the dress wasn't what made him feel so tingly inside. She could be dressed in a burlap sack, and he would still think she was the most beautiful girl in the galaxy.

"From the moment I met you... all those years ago, not a day has gone by when I haven't thought of you." Anakin told Padme. He slowly started to put his hand on hers. "And now that I'm with you again, I'm in agony. The closer I get to you, the worse it gets. The thought of not being able to be with you... I can't breathe."

Anakin thought back to the first kiss he and Padme had. He'd been the one to initiate it, and at first they thought they shouldn't have done it. But then, Padme initiated the second kiss.

"I'm haunted by the kisses you never should have given me. My heart is beating, hoping that kiss won't become a scar. You are in my very soul, tormenting me. What can I do? I will do anything that you ask."

Padme looked down for a moment. She was silent.

"If you are suffering as much as I am, please, tell me." Anakin begged.

Padme wanted to tell Anakin that it wasn't possible for them to be together. But instead, she found herself caressing Anakin's cheek and looking into his eyes. And without thinking, they were kissing again. And again, and again. Padme knew she should probably stop, but for some reason, she didn't want to.

"I don't know, Ani. I don't know. It's impossible."

"Anything is possible, Padme." Anakin sighed, kissing Padme's lips again. "Listen to me."

And then Padme pulled away, and stood up, to Anakin's disappointment, going right from love struck to serious

"No, you need to listen. We live in a real world. Come back to it. You're studying to become a Jedi. I'm-I'm a senator. If you follow your thoughts through to conclusion, it'll take us to a place we cannot go, regardless of the way we feel about each other."

"Then you do feel something for me." Anakin concluded.

"I will not let you give up your future for me."

Anakin then thought of something.

"What about our daughter?" He said. "Should her future not come first? If I were to give up my future as a Jedi, why not for her if not for you?"

"Don't you dare use my baby as a pawn in your argument."

"She's my baby too. You asked me to be rational. That's what I'm at least trying to do. Believe me, I wish that I could just wish away my feelings, but I can't."

"I will not give in to this." Padme said, and Anakin turned away.

Anakin wanted to walk away, but found himself staying.

"Well, you know, it... wouldn't have to be that way. We could keep it a secret."

"We'd be living a lie." Padme pointed out. "One we couldn't keep even if we wanted to."

"And what about the fact that no one knows who Princess Gabriella's father is?"

"That is different. You know why we have to keep that secret."

Anakin knew as well as Padme did that if bounty hunters, crime bosses, and common criminals knew Gabby was Anakin's kid, that would put her at the top of every hit list for the rest of her life. If it wasn't because they wanted her as a slave, they would want to train her to use her powers for evil. Anakin and Padme being an actual couple, Padme, at least, believed it would be a different story.

"Is it really that different? How many times has Gabby asked either of us why we're not married like other kids' parents?"

"Anakin, it would still be too risky. It's already difficult enough keeping the baby daddy a secret. Us being an actual couple and keeping that secret as well...could you really live with two lies? What kind of example would that set for our daughter?"

No matter how many times they told Gabby that some kids just didn't have married parents, it never satisfied her curiosity as to why specifically her parents never got married. She already knew some kids had parents who were at least a couple once before they had kids. Her parents, however, were never even boyfriend and girlfriend before she was conceived. And being not much more than a baby, she didn't really understand despite being smart for her age.

"If that's the case... I'm more than willing to leave the Jedi Order if that's what it takes for us to be together." Anakin said.

"I already told you. I won't ask you to do that."

Anakin told Padme he understood her fear, but there was a reason politics were not his cup of tea. From what he knew, politics were most often where people lost their humanity, whether they were humans or another biped species. When you're a senator, chancellor, king, queen, duke, lord, duchess, prince, or a princess... there's a lot of pressure to be perfect, pressure to be the example for everyone else, pressure to not crack under intense amounts of pressure, and doing that takes a lot of hard work. It was not a career for the faint of heart, and Anakin could clearly see that as much as she tried to hide it, Padme wanted to have some time for herself, a taste of a normal life, even just for a little bit. And Anakin knew Padme's good friend Bail Organa, a senator from Alderaan as well as ruler alongside his wife Queen Breha. He was sure part of why the Organa's were so cool under pressure was because they had each other as a support system.

Anakin had himself convinced maybe what Padme needed was someone to love her and her baby, and Anakin felt he would be a great fit for it because not only was he a great dad to Padme's baby (who was also his), but he loved everything about Padme and wanted nothing more than for her to be happy and to know that she deserved all the best. And Anakin told her that he more than just cared for her, and he was more than willing to run through fire, climb the highest mountains, even swim across an entire ocean just to prove it to her.

Anakin held Padme's hands and looked deep into her eyes.

Anakin:

You know I want you

It's not a secret I try to hide

I know you want me

So don't keep sayin' our hands are tied

Padme started to look at Anakin like he'd lost his mind or something.

You claim it's not in the cards

And fate is pullin' you miles away

And out of reach from me

But you're here in my heart

So who can stop me if I decide

That you're my destiny?

Anakin started to dance with Padme, much like that night at the ball where they'd danced for the first time.

What if we rewrite the stars?

Say you were made to be mine

Nothing could keep us apart

You'd be the one I was meant to find

It's up to you, and it's up to me

No one can say what we get to be

So why don't we rewrite the stars?

Maybe the world could be ours

Tonight

Padme couldn't deny she felt like she was dancing on a cloud when Anakin twirled her around and held her in his arms. Anakin leaned in, and he and Padme kissed a little longer than their previous kisses. But as sweet as the kiss was, when they pulled apart, Padme started to deny her feelings again.

Padme:

You think it's easy

You think I don't wanna run to you

But there are mountains

And there are doors that we can't walk through

I know you're wondering why because we're able to be

Just you and me within these walls

But when we go outside, you're gonna wake up and see

That it was hopeless after all

Padme knew deep down she wanted to be with Anakin, but she was terrified of what the impact may be if anyone were to learn she loved a Jedi Padawan of all people.

No one can rewrite the stars

How can you say you'll be mine?

Everything keeps us apart

And I'm not the one you were meant to find

It's not up to you

It's not up to me

When everyone tells us what we can be

How can we rewrite the stars?

Say that the world can be ours

Tonight

But though they knew the risks involved, neither Padme nor Anakin could deny they felt at home in each other's arms; they needed each other. They loved each other.

Anakin & Padme:

All I want is to fly with you

All I want is to fall with you

So just give me all of you

Padme:

It feels impossible

Anakin:

It's not impossible

Padme:

Is it impossible?

Both:

Say that it's possible

Anakin lifted Padme into the air and spun around with her in his arms, the latter feeling like she was flying. Anakin was so strong, yet so gentle. She couldn't deny, that just made Anakin that much more attractive.

How do we rewrite the stars?

Say you were made to be mine?

Nothing can keep us apart

'Cause you are the one I was meant to find

It's up to you

And it's up to me

No one can say what we get to be

And why don't we rewrite the stars?

Changing the world to be ours

Anakin gently placed Padme down, holding her close, the two resting foreheads before leaning into another passionate kiss. Padme caressed Anakin's face to pull herself deeper into the kiss. It felt like a dream come true; unlike with any other man she'd met, Anakin was the only one with whom Padme felt like a princess, especially when their lips were touching. Padme never wanted the kissing to end. But...

Padme:

You know I want you

It's not a secret I try to hide

But I can't have you

We're bound to break and my hands are tied

Padme sighed and looked down, but Anakin held her hand again and said,

"There's no one here to stop us tonight. Why not make the most of the time we have?"

Anakin blushed a little as Padme fluttered her lashes at him with a smile.

"Just kiss me again." she told Anakin, closing her eyes.

And Anakin did. But, knowing Kara would likely be back any moment with Gabby, Anakin and Padme decided to continue this in a more private setting.

_______________________

Later, Padme quietly entered the nursery where Gabby lay fast asleep in her crib, dreaming pleasant dreams, cuddling with Teddy.

Padme sighed. Her baby was growing up so fast; before she knew it, she would be a big girl eventually reaching her thirteenth birthday, when she would get a Jedi master of her own for one year, and upon her fourteenth birthday, she would have to make the biggest decision of her young life: Stay in the Jedi Order and continue her studies, or leave the Jedi Order and become Naboo's next queen.

That created a big heap of worry in Padme's heart. What if Gabby decided to leave her mother behind and become a Jedi? There was a chance Padme may never see her daughter again.

Since she was young, Padme dreamed of someday becoming a mom. She imagined having a baby and watching them grow. Seeing her baby's first steps, her baby's first words, her first day of preschool, all of her firsts... and eventually seeing her graduate high school, her coronation, and maybe someday finding a boyfriend and getting married, eventually making Padme a grandmother. But if Gabby grew up and became a Jedi, none of that would be possible.

Padme wasn't sure what Anakin thought about this either. Did he feel the same way about Gabby's upbringing? If he did, what was he doing about it, if anything at all?

Was Anakin okay with his daughter possibly choosing to give up any relationships with other people, including her parents? What would she think of this after she grew up? Would she even know how to make a decision? Would her parents make it a difficult choice? Would the Council somehow find out about her origins and decide for her?

Padme asked Kara at one point how she felt about all this when she and Anakin confided in her that Gabby was in fact a Skywalker. Kara had said to her that ultimately it would be Gabby's decision whether she became a Jedi or a queen. Although, she couldn't say it didn't sound like a scary decision for someone so young, and knowing that it was her own niece who would endure such a thing, that impacted her emotions entirely. According to Kara, long ago, attachment wasn't seen as a threat, and neither were emotions, but something happened that made the Jedi Order change that, and since then, no Jedi had families, romantic relationships, or really much freedom to seek adventure.

Padme's train of thought was interrupted by Gabby getting fussy in her sleep and starting to cry from having a bad dream. The poor baby seemed to have them a lot lately and neither she nor her mother knew why. All Padme knew was that in one of Gabby's nightmares, the latter kept dreaming a bad man was taking her away and locked her up like the princesses in some of the fairy tales her nannies read to her. But Padme knew a special song that helped her back to sleep.

"Shh. Shh. Don't cry, Baby." Padme whispered, taking Gabby into her arms and gently stroking her daughter's hair. "Mommy's here. Mommy's here. Shh."

Sun goes down, and we are here together

Fireflies glow like a thousand charms

Stay with me, and you can dream forever

Right here in my arms

Tonight

Padme kissed her baby's head as she fell back asleep in her mother's arms. She hugged her tightly, never wanting such a special bond between mother and daughter to be broken.

Unless things in the Jedi Order changed regarding attachments and having families, there was no guarantee that Padme would have her baby in her life for longer than thirteen years, whether Anakin stayed in the order by then or not. If Anakin became like the Jedi Masters now, chances were he might not be as involved in Gabby's life as he wanted to be presently. Being a parent counted as an attachment, and knowing the Jedi at the moment, if he was lucky, they would give him an ultimatum that either he and Gabby ignore any attachment they had and stay separate in the Order for the rest of their lives, or one or both of them would have to leave.

Regardless of how the Order would be in eleven years, Padme knew she couldn't force her daughter to make certain decisions. Any good parent knows that children need to be allowed to make and learn from their own mistakes, and if they are good parents, they should be able to trust their children to make good decisions and think them through rationally.

"I love you, Mommy." Gabby said, half asleep on her mother's shoulder.

Padme felt happy tears in her eyes as she hugged Gabby.

"I love you too, Sweetie." she said.

If there was one thing any good mother loved to hear, it was that childlike unconditional love from her baby, whether it was her own, or a child she took in, to love as her own.

_______________________

Back on Kamino...

"Tell your council that the first battalions are ready." Nala Se told Obi-Wan. "And remind them, if they need more troops, it will take more time to grow them."

"I won't forget," Obi-Wan promised. "And thank you."

"Thank you."

Obi-Wan pulled up his hood and walked out into the rain, approaching his ship.

"R4!"

R4 beeped.

"Scramble code five to Coruscant, care of the old folks' home!"

R4 did just that, sending a transmission to Masters Yoda and Windu. Obi-Wan explained everything he knew so far.

"I have successfully made contact with the prime minister of Kamino. They are using a bounty hunter named Jango Fett to create a clone army. I have a strong feeling that this bounty hunter is the assassin we are looking for."

"Do you think these cloners are involved in the plan to assassinate Senator Amidala?" Mace asked.

"No, Master. There appears to be no motive."

"Do not assume anything, Obi-Wan." Yoda said. "Clear your mind must be if you are to discover the real villains behind this plot."

"Yes, Master. They say Master Sifo-Dyas placed an order for a clone army at the request of the senate almost ten years ago. I was under the impression he was killed before that. Did the council ever authorize the creation of a clone army?"

"No," said Mace. "Whoever placed that order did not have the authorization of the Jedi Council.

"Bring him here." Yoda said. "Question him we will."

"Yes, Master." Obi-Wan said. "I will report back when I have him."

And with that, the transmission was ended.

Yoda looked at Mace and commented, "Blind we are if creation of this clone army we could not see."

Mace sighed and said, "I think it is time we informed the senate that our ability to use the Force has diminished."

"Only the dark lord of the Sith knows of our weakness. If informed the senate is, multiply our adversaries will."

_______________________

After Padme put Gabby back in her crib, Anakin waited for her to leave before going in to see her for himself.

Anakin thought about his conversation with Padme earlier. Giving up his future for the sake of raising Gabby, he would not need to give a second thought. It was no question that he loved her as much as he loved Padme, and since he first met her, he believed in his heart that they were destined to someday become husband and wife. Then, he and Padme could raise Gabby like an ideal, traditional family with a mom and a dad who loved each other, always stayed together, and took care of their children together. And maybe they could eventually have another baby.

If they both had feelings for each other as well as both loved their love child, why shouldn't they figure out how to make a romantic relationship work? If Anakin had to give up being a Jedi, he would do it, and if he had to, he would train Gabby to use the Force himself. Not to mention, some of the royal families knew Anakin was Gabby's father and kept it secret, and were willing to help protect her if needed.

"I don't know if you'll understand this," said Anakin. "But... regardless of what the Jedi say, Princess... no one can force you to give up your family or your dreams if you don't want to. When the time comes to choose worlds, it'll be up to you to decide. But if it comes to the decision where I have to choose between you and becoming a Jedi Master, I will always choose you, Baby Girl. No matter what happens, whether or not your mommy and I ever get married, I will never stop loving you."

Anakin kissed his daughter's head and covered her more in her blanket, then went to bed himself. However, shortly after he went to sleep, he started tossing and turning.