Missing Images ? Anakin/Amidala between Ep. I and II

Welcome to my new fic. It's not so much a story as a collection of Anakin and/or Amidala scenes that take place from the end of Ep. I to what could be the beginning of Ep. II.

I hope the scenes hang together well enough and that you all enjoy the fic. I'll be posting twice now and once a day after that...I greatly appreciate any and all feedback.

Here goes...

 

This takes place at the end of TPM. Anakin is 9. Amidala is 14.


It was the day after Qui-Gon?s funeral and the mood from that event could still be felt throughout Theed. The memories of the Jedi Master, as well as others lost in the battle, were almost palpable to the Naboo people. Mourning and loss draped the palace.

But, today was a new day. There was a resoluteness to work through those feelings ? to move on, but not forget. Preparations for the morning?s parade and celebration began, and the somber silence of the previous night slowly gave way?

?except in the quarters assigned to Anakin and Obi-Wan. The two had been up for hours, with few words exchanged between them. Both were overwhelmed by the grief and confusion that had accompanied Qui-Gon?s death; neither wished to broach the subject with the other. Obi-Wan decided to focus on the duties he had to attend to this morning.

?Anakin, we must prepare for the parade. I need to give you your Padawan haircut.?

?Okay?I mean, yes, Master.?

Anakin sat uncertainly in a chair in the middle of the room, while Obi-Wan looked for the clippers. He was going to have to adjust to calling Obi-Wan by that title. It still felt strange. Anakin glanced over his shoulder at his bed. A new set of Jedi robes lay there.

I once had a dream that I was a Jedi?the words he said to Qui-Gon ran through his mind repeatedly. Would he look like the man he saw in that dream once Obi-Wan was finished?

Anakin was suddenly possessed with an urge to run to the mirror for a last look at himself. But it was too late. Obi-Wan had found the clippers, and was headed over to him. What does it matter anyway? he wondered to himself. It?s just my hair?and my clothes?

Obi-Wan began to work on his Padawan?s hair. For a time, snipping noises were the only sounds in the room.

Although he seemed distant to Anakin, Obi-Wan?s thoughts were completely focused on the boy. He was unwavering in his commitment to make Anakin a Jedi ? to prove the doubters on the Council wrong and Qui-Gon right. The skepticism he had felt earlier was forgotten. Anakin?s ?lucky? actions in the space battle had solidified Obi-Wan?s belief in the boy?s innate connection to the Force. He now held the responsibility for molding and directing that power.

After 16 years of being Qui-Gon?s Padawan, he now had to rededicate his life to Anakin.

Anakin squirmed in the chair. Obi-Wan realized he had been so deep in thought that he had stopped cutting. He quickly resumed, hoping that his pensiveness wasn?t making Anakin too uncomfortable.

Anakin relaxed a little once Obi-Wan started working again. He didn?t want to break the silence in the room?maybe Obi-Wan just needed the time to think.

Anakin was realizing that he didn?t know Obi-Wan at all. Well, except for the fact that Obi-Wan didn?t seem to like him much. That scared him. Anakin was beginning to wonder if he had made the right choice in leaving home.

Will I ever see you again? Anakin wasn?t sure that even Qui-Gon understood how difficult it was to walk away from his mother. But the Jedi had tried to make things easier on him ? taking time to talk and explain things to him, despite everything else he had to worry about. Anakin had felt that Qui-Gon would take care of him no matter what.

But now, Qui-Gon was gone. As unthinkable as it was, attending the Jedi?s funeral had been almost as hard as leaving his mother. The only bright spot was the news that the Obi-Wan would train him. Anakin couldn?t remember being so relieved about anything. Where would he have gone if they hadn?t changed their minds?

But Obi-Wan wasn?t Qui-Gon. And as much as he had wanted to leave Tatooine, as much as he had hated being a slave, the question, Should I have stayed home? refused to go away.

?Anakin??

?What? I mean?yes, Master?? Anakin hoped that Obi-Wan hadn?t said his name more than once.

?I need you to hold this lock of hair. I?m almost finished with the rest of your cut.?

Anakin grabbed the strand obediently. He assumed that it would become his

 

Half an hour later?


Stand straight.

Shoulders back.

Arms crossed.

Eyes narrowed.

Hmmm?it still doesn?t look right. Anakin was alone in his room while Obi-Wan talked to the Council. He stood in front of the mirror, in his full Jedi regalia, mimicking the serious look Obi-Wan so often wore. He and Obi-Wan would be among the leaders in the parade, marching just behind the Queen and Boss Nass. Anakin wanted the crowds to see a Jedi ? a warrior. Not the slave boy who had accidentally saved the day.

He squinted at himself. He wasn?t convinced.

A beep at the door interrupted his thoughts.

?Ani, it?s me. Is this a good time??

Anakin?s face lit up. He and Amidala hadn?t talked much since leaving Coruscant.

Amidala entered the room dressed in the formal white gown she planned to wear to the parade. Her hair was down and her make-up hadn?t been started. Anakin openly stared at her. He didn?t care what she said ? if she wasn?t an angel, they didn?t exist.

?Wow,? she said, noting his new appearance. ?I leave you for a day, and come back to find a Jedi. Very impressive look, Ani.?

He beamed with pride. ?I just got my haircut and clothes this morning. But you haven?t seen my ?Jedi look? yet.?

?Your ?Jedi look???

?Yeah, like Obi-Wan.? Anakin ran through the checklist ? posture, shoulders, arms, eyes ? and gave her the most serious stare he could muster. ?I?m going to look like this at the parade.?

Amidala tried, but he looked so amusing in the pose that she couldn?t stop a giggle from escaping. Anakin narrowed his eyes further for that offense. Amidala gave up and burst out laughing. He started laughing too.

?I?m sorry, Ani ??

?No, it?s okay Pad?Your Highness. I don?t know how he does that all the time. It?s hard.? Anakin wasn?t bothered at all. He loved to hear her laugh.

?Please don?t call me that, Ani. Not in private.?

?Which one? Padmé or Your Highness??

?Both.? Amidala paused thoughtfully. ?There are very few people who feel comfortable just calling me Amidala.?

?Don?t you have a nickname?? Anakin asked. ?People have called me Ani forever.?

She shook her head no. ?What do you think you should call me??

?Ami,? he said without hesitation. ?It goes well with Ani.?

Amidala was laughing again. ?Fine. Ami it is.? She walked over to sit in the chair, and he sat on the bed across from her. Her face became more serious. ?Have you been all right, Ani? I know Qui-Gon?s death must be dreadful for you.?

Anakin sobered a bit as well. He realized that if she had asked that question just an hour earlier, he would have felt much, much worse.

?Well, I miss him a lot??

?But?? Amidala prompted.

?But if Obi-Wan and I get along, things won?t be so bad. And we were getting along this morning.? Anakin pointed to Obi-Wan?s braid, which was lying on his nightstand. ?He?s nicer than I thought?but I think about Qui-Gon?and my mother a lot.?

Amidala placed her hand over his. ?Ani, it?s perfectly fine for you to miss Qui-Gon and your mother. Sometimes?good things come at a high price.?

?What do you mean??

She sighed. ?Well, you?re going to be a Jedi, but you gave up so much for it to happen?We?ve reclaimed our planet, but a heavy toll was paid to do so.? She focused back on him. ?We ? both of us ? can acknowledge the pain, but that shouldn?t stop us from enjoying the good things ahead of us. That?s what today?s celebration is all about, Ani.?

Anakin thought about it. ?I guess that makes sense,? he said, wondering how she had gotten so smart.

The comm link buzzed. Anakin pressed it, and heard Rabé?s voice.

?I?m sorry to interrupt Your Highness, but we must begin your preparations soon.?

?I?ll be there in a minute, Rabé.? Anakin shut off the link.

The Queen stood, readying herself to leave. ?I?ll see you at the parade, Ani. Maybe we can talk a little more at the reception.?

His face fell in disappointment. ?The Council wants us to leave as soon as the parade is over. This may be the last time we see each other??

The sentence hung between them. Who knew when they would me

 

Woohoo, you finally posted your story, a-p!

 

This is great ami-padme!

 

That was excellant ami-padme. I can't wait for more!!!!

 

That was excellant ami-padme. I can't wait for more!!!!!

 

This is great.
Love the Ani/Ami stuff.

 

Awwwww!

This is great...I love the Anakin/Obi-Wan
scenes AND the Ani/Ami ones....can't wait
to read more.

There IS more...right?!

Marie

 

Yup, there's plenty more for the next few days...today I'm doing the first half of a more Amidala-centered scene.

Thanks for the compliments everyone!

 

A year after the previous post (Ani ? 10; Ami ? 15)


Amidala stalked through the hallways of the Senate building. Bail Organa watched her uncertainly as he labored to keep up with her. Neither had spoken since leaving the conference room a few minutes ago. Amidala wasn?t in the mood to talk, but they needed to come to a decision about their strategy for tomorrow.

?Amidala?? Bail sounded tentative. She didn?t respond. ?We simply have to remain firm on our position. Tomorrow won?t be as difficult as today was. They were purposely being unreasonable; they just wanted to see if they could ring some early concessions from us ??

?? because of course the young, foolish Queen of the Naboo would back down,? she finished. ?Or maybe they think I?ll just call another vote of no-confidence and throw the Senate into chaos again??

?Amidala??

She stopped walking and turned to face him. ?You should be the one representing us. You are not nearly as controversial as I am. Every time someone disagrees with me, they use my age or my ?instability? as a smoke screen. We have to get these negotiations back on track.?

Organa didn?t answer right away. Instead, he started walking again at a slower pace. Amidala so rarely got upset ? or showed that she was upset ? that he couldn?t help being taken aback. It wasn?t that he didn?t understand; they had just gone through a full day of meetings without getting a thing accomplished. And with more than a passing criticism directed towards her.

?There?s nothing more we can do tonight. It?s probably best for us to get some sleep. Maybe we can try to talk to some of the delegates one-on-one before tomorrow?s meetings.?

Amidala?s eyes shut for a moment. When she opened them she replied, ?Fine. I could use the extra rest. I?ll see you tomorrow.? With a curt nod, she turned and walked down a different hallway towards her quarters. Her handmaidens, who had been observing from a discreet distance, followed.

She immediately felt guilty for being so short with Bail. She would have to apologize in the morning. In the morning? Amidala fought the urge to groan at the thought of another day like this one.

Amidala had arrived on Coruscant the day before. Chancellor Palpatine had requested a summit between the leaders of several of worlds; he wanted to start a dialogue about the massive militarization of previously pacifist planets like Naboo and Alderaan. The meetings were intended to stave off any needless misunderstandings and to discuss how these moves would affect the balance of power among neighboring planets and systems.

She was surprised at the vehemence with which her neighbors had reacted against the armament. She suspected that Bail was right; that everyone would settle down as the talks went on, but it was still curious. She had wondered from the outset whether Palpatine?s plan to have the meetings this early was wise. It only seemed to make others edgy ? to perceive their actions as a threat instead of a defensive move.

Amidala and the handmaidens exited the Senate building and stepped into a pleasant, cool night on Coruscant. She gratefully inhaled the fresh air and felt a little better. Ultimately, this wasn?t anything that she and Bail couldn?t handle. As the head spokespeople for the pacifist planets they had to focus on calming their neighbors? fears. His suggestion of closed meetings was a wise one.

Amidala reached her quarters and immediately started to remove her makeup and take down her hair. With the maidens help, she was comfortably dressed and flopped facedown on her bed in a matter of minutes.

She wasn?t sure how long she had been lying that way, but she felt a sudden desire to move. Maybe it was because she couldn?t breathe with her face in the pillow. She lifted her head a bit and found herself staring directly at a chrono on the wall.

Now she couldn?t stifle the groan. Did I really promise Ani that we could go to the festival show tonight? Maybe she could talk him out of it. He would probably understand how tired she was. They would do

 

Yay! Good inter-movie stuff! Ani/Ami stuff! And good interaction with Obi-Wan... this is really looking good so far; I'm looking forward to more.

 

Hey, great new fic, a-p! Looking forward to more

 

I read this, the first two posts, on a fan fiction site just yesterday.

Glad to see it here, now!

 

Here's the rest of yesterday's scene...

 

Amidala let Anakin lead her by the hand through a maze of streets. Saché and Rabé followed, trying not to infringe on her off-duty time. The cacophony of sights and sounds that surrounded her barely registered. She was still trying to figure out why she had decided to come. But Anakin was determined to make her have some fun, and they were headed to the public park for the show.

The public park was one of the few strips of greenery on the entire planet. The locals often came to admire its ?beauty.? It wasn?t much compared to Naboo, but provided a nice change of pace from the endless horizon of buildings. Tonight it was packed with people wanting the best spot to see the annual laser show light up the Coruscant sky.

She had to be careful not to step on someone as they kept walking. Anakin was still leading her by the arm, but she didn?t see anywhere for them to sit.

?Ani, where are we headed??

?Over there,? he said, pointing to a spot near the back of the park. It seemed just as crowded as anywhere else.

Finally, Anakin came to a stop. They were standing directly in front of a large tree. She turned to give him a blank look, but he was no longer standing next to her. He was already climbing.

?Anakin, what do you think you?re doing?? She had to strain to see him; he was getting up that tree pretty fast.

?Come on! There are branches to sit on. We can see so much better from up here!?

Amidala knew her handmaidens were trying not to laugh. ?I thought you weren?t allowed to do that.?

?No one will care tonight ? there are too many people out here for them to even notice.? Anakin was now entirely out of sight and had to yell in order to be heard. Some people nearby were starting to stare at her.

She shook her head, wondering what those delegates would think to see the Queen of Naboo tree-climbing in the park with some young boy. With a rueful look at Saché and Rabé, she began climbing. She wasn?t as fast as Anakin, but didn?t have any trouble. She found him comfortably perched on an over-sized branch. Amidala took a seat next to him and waited for the show to start.

A few moments later, the dark backdrop of the sky exploded into a rainbow of colors. Dancing streaks raced across each other, creating a dazzling array of patterns and designs. Amidala absorbed the sight; it seemed the show would live up to expectations. They didn?t stop traffic in the airways of Coruscant for nothing.

Anakin was enthralled; his eyes sparkled and he laughed merrily. Every new trick bought a gasp from him ? ?Look at that!? ?How did they do that?? ?Wow!? ? followed by a burst of applause. She smiled, wondering if he had seen anything like this on Tatooine.

Amidala, on the other hand, found her mind wandering after the first few minutes. She couldn?t help thinking about everything that had to be done the next day. There isn?t enough time to finish all of this?She wondered guiltily if Bail was in his quarters, retooling their presentations. Maybe I should talk things over with him before we get started ?

?Ami??

Anakin?s voice jolted her from her thoughts. She looked at him a bit sheepishly.

?Are you bored?? he asked.

?No, Ani, I?m sorry. I just have a lot of things on my mind tonight.?

Anakin nodded. ?We can leave early if you want. I don?t mind.?

She shook her head. ?Let?s stay.? Amidala wished she hadn?t been so obvious. She knew he would leave right now without complaining if she asked him to. ?There isn?t much more I can do tonight anyway. At least nothing helpful.?

?Are you sure??

?Yes?I just keep thinking myself into circles,? she sighed. ?The important stuff has to wait until tomorrow.?

?Well in that case, you should really have fun tonight,? he said sincerely.

The sky suddenly glowed bright purple. The two looked up to see streams of color appear to rain down on them. The effect was breathtaking.

Anakin, of course, had already joined in the applause. ?Come on, Ami!? He gave her a slight nudge.

Amidala stared at him for a moment. Then she started clapping.

All day she had be

 

ami-padme walks into her thread, and hears her footsteps echo loudly.

Here's the next segment...

 

Two years later (Ani ? 12; Ami ? 17)


Anakin fidgeted in his chair, his impatience increasing. Obi-Wan was in the next room waiting. Anakin knew that the two of them would have to leave on their mission soon, and it looked like Amidala was going to miss their scheduled holo-chat. Even if she initiated a transmission now, they would only have a few minutes to talk.

They had missed each other before, of course. Plenty of times. They were both so busy that it had to be expected.

Yet he was disappointed every time. Letters were okay, but still a poor substitute for being able to talk to her. That never failed to brighten his days or lift his spirits.

He had already missed his mother earlier this week. He had been upset?but not that upset. And that bothered him. A lot.

He had never stopped missing her. Or thinking about her. But he felt as though he was becoming accustomed to life without her. The torrent of emotions that had accompanied every thought of his mother had greatly subsided. The guilt of leaving her behind; the fear that something would happen to her ? they seemed like distant dreams, echoes of something that no longer existed.

I shouldn?t feel that way. Should I? Anakin couldn?t be certain. I?m supposed to feel bad about this, aren?t I? He and Obi-Wan had talked about it many times. His Master was always sympathetic, telling him not to hide from his emotions, that they could deal with them together. After each conversation, Anakin felt much better.

Other times, though, he felt the nagging doubts. Like now. Anakin stared at the blank holoviewer. Why did he still feel so strongly about Amidala? He didn?t have to worry about her at all. She had no problem taking care of herself. She was surrounded by her handmaidens, advisors, and countless others on a daily basis.

Who does Mom have? He had left her completely alone, a slave to Watto.

He had Obi-Wan. And Amidala. And a few other friends. She had?C-3PO? He remembered the last time he had spoken to his mother. She kept up a brave face, but it was evident that she missed him terribly. It was depressing.

Anakin knew he shouldn?t dwell on these thoughts. His fear, sadness, and hopelessness were to be brought under control as a part of his training. Mace Windu and Yoda even mentioned his mother specifically when he meditated with them. He had to be fully at peace; his destructive emotions could only do more harm than good.

Nevertheless, it seemed callous to let the Jedi simply train those feelings out of him. He wished he could go see her, but was certain that the Council would take any such request as a sign of weakness. Obi-Wan understood better than they did, but Anakin didn?t want to put him in a difficult position.

At least they left him alone about Amidala. He guessed they weren?t worried about her because he didn?t have so many ?negative? emotions regarding their relationship. He was eternally grateful for that ? at least she was completely separate from his life as a Jedi. He needed someone like that.

Anakin glanced at the holo in resignation. Obi-Wan came into the room, his bag packed for the journey. ?It?s time to leave, Anakin.?

?Yes, Master.? Anakin shut the holo off, grabbed his own bag, and followed Obi-Wan out of the room.

[This message has been edited by ami-padme (edited 03-03-2000).]

 

Yay, most excellent. (Don't ask me why I'm suddenly talking like Bill and Ted...) I love the kind of "fear of losing fear" about his Mother. A very real-feeling emotion.

 

Agreed. I think this is taking a great course and this is how the Anakin/Amidala relationship would go.

 

Thanks everyone! I really do appreciate the comments.

Here's more...

 

Two years later. (Ani ? 14; Ami ? 19)


Amidala stared blankly at the pad in front of her. She was writing Anakin a letter, but her mind kept wandering. His behavior was concerning her of late; she was trying to decide how to proceed.

Why is this such a problem now? She wasn?t blind. Even if she were blind, she still could have seen Anakin?s crush on her from the moment they met. She had always found it sweet and flattering. After all, how much of a real crush could a nine year old have anyway?

Of course, he wasn?t nine anymore. He was fourteen ? the same age she had been when they met. His feelings weren?t quite mature, but she knew they ran so much deeper now. Amidala was shocked that Anakin had maintained this level of interest in her. She had been certain he would have forgotten his crush long before now. But he hadn?t, and Amidala wanted to make sure he didn?t mistake their closeness for something it wasn?t. Obviously, he was far too young for her to think of him as anything more than a friend.

Amidala dropped the pad with a sigh, remembering their last holochat several months ago.

Ami, there are rumors about you everywhere.

I?ll bet. This is about Bail, isn?t it?

She had laughed when she said it. She was constantly amused that anybody cared enough to put the story in the news.

So?it?s true? He?s asked you to marry him?

Well, he was courting me.

He had looked so utterly crestfallen?Amidala wished she could have taken it back and started the conversation over. She hadn?t thought he?d be thrilled, but had assumed he knew it was possible she would date, or might even get engaged.

Ani? Ani, say something.

Silence.

Ani?I?m not going to marry him.

He picked up a little then. Another pause.

Why not?

I don?t feel that way about him?I wouldn?t marry someone I didn?t feel strongly for.

She had told him that because it was the truth ? and she always told Anakin the truth. She and Bail had just recently come to that very understanding.

Anakin was thoroughly relieved; he was back to his normal chatterbox self instantly. He apparently thought that as long as she didn?t marry Bail, he would still have a chance with her someday.

Amidala didn?t want him to harbor false hopes, to be hurt every time someone new came into her life. She didn?t want to jeopardize their friendship.

She frowned to herself. Maybe I?m overreacting. Maybe I don?t need to make a big deal out of this. In any event, telling Anakin, ?You?re too young for me, so too bad ? but I still care for you,? wasn?t going to help anything.

She wondered if she treated him too much like one of her peers. The age difference didn?t matter as the friendship went, but he might be led to think that it didn?t matter at all. It couldn?t be difficult to misinterpret their unusual closeness as what he wanted to see. She could do a better job of delineating the boundaries of their relationship ? that might be best for both of them.

Amidala finally set to writing the letter. She hoped she had made the right decision.

 

oops...

[This message has been edited by ami-padme (edited 03-04-2000).]

 

Aaagh! The But-We'll-Always-Be-Friends letter! Poor Ani! I'll have to have a good cry for him tonight.

 

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