Secrets and Suspicion (Book 1)

Ways to Say Goodbye

"Be careful. Do what you're supposed to do. Don't sleep in late. I'll miss you," Padmé instructed, putting her hands up on Anakin's shoulders.

Anakin tucked Padmé's long, brown curls back behind her ear. She was already dressed to go to work, but she hadn't done her hair yet. He looked at the clock, reading 5:30. "I really have to go. I love you," he said kissing her.

Padmé placed her hands on Anakin's strong chest. "Please be careful," she said with tears in her eyes. "I love you."

"I will. And if anything bad happens, I'll call you. Well, if it's really bad, I will," he added.

He looked at Padmé, her face grimacing.

"Hey, maybe you shouldn't go to work today," Anakin said.

"No. I have to."

"Bring the paperwork home."

"I can't."

"Fine. But if you start to feel really bad, leave work. Okay?"

Padmé nodded. "I love you so much."

"I love you more," Anakin said, kissing her cheek. He picked up his suitcase.

"Are you sure you can carry that?"

Anakin looked at Padmé, his eyebrows raised.

"Right. I shouldn't ask that question."

"I'll be home in a week and a half. Ahsoka will be here. See you soon," Anakin said.

Padmé nodded. Soon. Yeah, soon...

"Gotta go. Bye." He waved at her and walked out their bedroom door. Once he was out in the living room, he saw Ahsoka still lying down on the couch, her eyes closed.

Anakin shook her ankle lightly. "Snips. I'm leaving."

"Bye, Master," she whispered, with her eyes still closed.

Anakin smiled and walked on towards the balcony, where his ship was parked on. It reminded him of the time he and Padmé went to Scipio. The time not too long ago when he beat up Clovis. The time when he and Padmé had that argument. He tasted bile in his mouth. To make him feel better, he thought of how Clovis was dead and he didn't have to worry about him anymore, and when he and Padmé apologized to each other, Padmé not meaning anything she said. As he walked on his ship and put his bag down and scolded himself for thinking of someone dying to make him feel better. Wow, that doesn't sound too good when I put it that way, he thought.

He sat in his chair and started the ship up. R2 had followed him in.

Back in Anakin and Padmé's room, Padmé sat on Anakin's side of the bed on the edge. She thought about how Anakin never really mentioned or talked about the baby. He just has a lot on his mind, the one part of her said. The other part of her thought, He should think about me an the baby more than work. But she knew that was selfish. She prayed that Anakin would stay safe during his trip. In fact, he had been putting a bunch of time aside to stay home lately. She had loved every minute of it. But, sadly, she knew that Anakin had to be gone a lot, and after all, she was married to a Jedi Knight, a military leader, a general.

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Anakin had picked his things up at the Temple and went in his way. The Jedi decided to travel separately in their personal ships to Florrum. Big Jedi Cruisers would bring far too much attention, Obi-Wan decided, and besides, they weren't going to fight. They were going to study the remnants of Grievous's base and research, Anakin's favorite. In reality, Anakin hated the research missions. He flew out of Coruscant and went in his way to Coruscant. Traffic wasn't busy out in space. Anakin's hologram on the dashboard lit up, and Obi-Wan's image popped up.

"Anakin, looks like you're on your way. What are the coordinates you're at?"

"Why?"

"Anakin. I need to know where you are. I just left Coruscant 10 minutes ago."

"I left 2 minutes ago."

"Well, then, this time you are the one falling behind."

"I can change that. I'm going lightspeed, so I'll be there soon."

"See you there," Obi-Wan said. His image disappeared and Anakin reached his arm up above him, activating lightspeed. This better be good, Anakin thought.