***
After Anakin thanked Owen, he boarded the ship to have his new wife run into his arms. He buried his face in her hair, thinking that he had missed her. He ached without her, for she was the only one who always accepted him as he was. Not the Chosen One, not a student to train and scold and disregard.
Code and Council be dammed, she was worth all of him.
If the Jedi knew anything at all of love, they wouldn't forbid it. Love made him more glorious; love gave him courage to spare. Love made him unselfish in a way no hour of mediation ever would. Couldn't they see that, that their own tenets were unreasonable? That they broke their own code?
He had seen Obi Wan weep over the death of Master Qui Gon on the cold floor of a space station, even as Obi Wan's eyes had been dry the night of the funeral pyre. If he were to die, Obi Wan would mourn as well. And it would be a stronger grief than that over the death of innocents, more unwillingly personal because the tragedy had a face. If nothing else, this was love. But love scared the fearless Jedi, as did anger, as did Anakin, and what scared them they tried to suppress.
Padme brushed her hand along the side of his face and he shuddered, turned to kiss her palm. She was so trusting and beautiful in her faith. He couldn't stand it if she were to ever flinch from him with fear or shamed. For if she feared him, she would try to use her influence to curtail his powers. And he could not have that.
As long as she was loyal to him, he could give her the world.
Of course, he would have to correct some of the erroneous ideas that Padme seemed to harbor. He watched as she pulled away and let down her brown hair from one of its elaborate hairpieces.
Keeping his tone light, Anakin asked, "Why didn't you free her?"
She was humming a happy Naboo lullaby, but stopped with a "hmm?"
Anakin could hear the rumble of the ship taking off and when he spoke, it added an unnecessary menace to his words. "Remember when I saved your planet when I was nine years old? You were queen at the time, as I recall. You thanked me, but you know what would have been an adequate reward? If you had spent a little money and freed my mother."
Her eyes widened. "You never mentioned it."
He shrugged. "I was young. I wouldn't have thought of it at the time."
He was only a little sorry to see the tears well in her eyes. Her hands clapped over her open mouth. "Oh, Ani!" she cried. "I'm so sorry. Of course, what was I thinking? Poor, poor Ani!" She smothered his face with kisses.
He stopped her, held her face in his hands, stroked his thumbs across her cheeks, and petted her hair. She was always like this, thinking too much about the whole good of mankind or too intent on saving one endangered species or another, to remember about those closest to her.
For all the work she had done, she was entitled to a few favors, she should have some benefits. She could have saved his mother if she had not been so busy thinking of her subjects. Well, thanks to her, Anakin had suffered. But she wouldn't suffer because of him. He would watch out for her. As soon as he made her realize that she should care about herself first and then worry about the rest of the galaxy.
He reflected sadly that both the people he loved were in sorry states. Padme and Obi Wan. Padme, his brilliant gem, who would always keep hurting herself by helping others. Obi Wan, who was only a shadow of his former self and didn't realize how unhappy he was. Anakin could protect Padme and love her at the same time. Anakin could redeem Obi Wan and make him happy, the way he used to be. Anakin must be their saviour. It must be him who saved them, it could be no other way.
When Anakin kissed Padme, he saw a premonition. There he was, robed and regal as the greatest General of the Clone Wars, the leader of the Jedi, and Chancellor Palpatine's right-hand man. Padme stood beside him in a white dress, a blaster in her hand as she prepared to guard his back. Obi Wan, his lieutenant, had his full confidence and would help him bring any rebel forces in line.
Master Qui Gon had told him to trust Obi Wan and he would. He would tell Obi Wan his plans and his Master would understand the logic. Obi Wan was a smart man and Obi Wan cared about Anakin. Even if the Jedi Council were to oppose them, his Master and his wife were by his side. Together, they could take on the galaxy.
If Anakin's fingers pushed too hard into the gentle curve of her hips and his kisses bit too fiercely at the soft skin at her neck, Padme may not have noticed. Certainly, she said nothing.
Anakin was thinking that he would need additional assistance. It was fortunate that he had cultivated a friendship with Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. There was something about that man that reminded him of Master Qui Gon. Both had the same air of dignity and both treated Anakin with the respect that he deserved. He felt that he could trust Palpatine and that the Chancellor could help him achieve his final aims.
Yes, Anakin thought to himself, all would be right.