Lost Without You (AOTC)

Tenth

It's Clovis's and Padmé's wedding day. I stand behind Padmé, gazing at her through the full-length mirror as I help her zip up the back of her dress.

"Some decisions I make are so stupid. This one included," Padmé says. We speak quietly back and forth. "I should've just said no. It wouldn't have been that hard to."

"I don't know about that. He would've --"

"What? Bugged me for the rest of my life? Yes, you're probably right."

I chuckle softly. "So you've admitted it."

"I have." There's a long, quiet pause, the only noise being the zipper sliding up the back of Padmé's dress. She turns around and looks up at me, her deep brown eyes penetrating me. Sometimes she makes me want to drool, in a good way. "Now sometimes I make very, very wise decisions," she mumbles, burying her face in my tunic, "such as meeting you," she whispers so quietly I can barely hear her, and she lifts her head, kissing me softly. She takes me away. She takes my breath away, my very soul.

"I love you so, so much," I mumble, kissing her again. I let go slowly, pulling back slightly to gaze into her eyes.

"I love you, Ani. And I cannot marry that... that monster out there. We're just not meant to be."

"I know."

The wedding bells chime, and Padmé forces a smile. "It's time." We give each other one last, long kiss, and then we break away, Padmé waltzing gracefully out of the room.

I watch the whole thing, and the entire time he and Padmé are standing on the stage across from each other, Clovis has a devious smile plastered across his face. I feel a sharp pang of annoyance and hate. No, I think. Not again. Not the feeling of hate again.

The vows are over, and the priest says, "You may kiss the bride." Clovis leans in, and Padmé leans the opposite way, squinting to try to get over with and forget the kiss. I can't bear to watch anymore, but as soon as I think it, I do it. Something I am brave to do.

I run out from behind-the-scenes and yell, "Stop!"

Everyone gasps, Padmé looks at me (I see her smile a little and look down at the ground), and Clovis glares at me.

"You!" he says, full of rage. "How dare you interrupt my wedding!"

I walk forward. "If she doesn't want to, don't do it, Clovis. Give the girl what she wants."

Clovis scoffs and continues to glare at me. And, ruining his 'perfect' intention, he calls me a son of a (curse word) in front of everyone. Padmé's family, his co-workers, his boss -- everyone.

"Give her what she wants, you say? I know what she wants!" Clovis stomps over to me, and on the way over, he grabs a handful of cake and a glass of punch. He drenches me with the stain-red drink and smears cake all over my face, in my hair -- everywhere.

"Clovis!" Padmé screeches. He turns around, and as soon as she does, she smacks him across the face, leaving a white handprint across his cheek and making a loud sound. "That's what you get for everything! Everything you've ever done to me!" She grabs fistfuls of cake, and as she smears icing all over his face, making sure to get it all up in his nose, she screams at him everything he's ever done wrong.

Everyone's running around, wreaking havoc, screaming... every sight you could possibly imagine.

"And one last thing, Clovis. You are the worst person I have ever met in my entire life!" Padmé yells, stamping on his foot with her heels. He howls in pain, and she jumps in my arms. I make a quick getaway, running to my ship and flying away with her in it. Her dress is smeared with cake and stained with punch. I put the shuttle on autopilot and walk over to where she's sitting.

Quickly, she stands up, and we kiss, our frosting-lips touching. Padmé pulls away soon after, gazing at me. "You don't know how much I kriffing love you."