Padmé was amazed that they made it back to the 500 Republica safely, and that Anakin said he couldn't even sense Palpatine nearby. She had been unable to run as fast as she normally could due to her pregnancy, and Anakin had matched her pace for courtesy's sake, so it would have been easy for Palpatine to catch up to them.

Artoo immediately went inside and bragged to Threepio about their adventure, but Padmé and Anakin remained on the balcony.

"I find it odd that he didn't go after us," Padmé said.

"I don't- you're one of his Senators. He wouldn't go after you; that would look bad. And I'm his friend... Or, I was, anyway." Anakin frowned slightly and stared off at the twinkling cityscape. "Besides, didn't you see him, all burned and disfigured and weakened?"

"He killed Master Windu after we left. I don't think he was as weak and helpless as he appeared to be."

Anakin shrugged and gave no other response. Padmé didn't want to poke at him unnecessarily, but she felt that she had to help him see the truth.

"Maybe you're right that he wouldn't go after me, but I strongly felt that he expected you to defend him. It's possible that he now sees you as a threat. Of course, we can't be certain of anything at this point."

"I should have defended him," Anakin said, as if he hadn't heard her. "After all the advice and guidance he's given me over the years, I repay him by leaving him to potentially die by Windu's hand." He glanced down and stared at her with intensity. She tried to read his expression- it didn't seem to be anger, exactly, but it was close. "Why did you make me leave without helping him, Padmé? I... I don't understand!"

In a way, she didn't care if he was angry. She had helped him turn from a very dark decision that might have led to other atrocious acts, and if he didn't appreciate it now, perhaps he would someday. "If you had killed Windu," she said, "you would have regretted it. I know this about you. When you killed the Tusken Raiders, it felt good at the time, but you soon regretted it- even though they're despicable creatures. You regret killing Dooku, despite all the harm he has done. I don't know if Palpatine is good or evil. I don't know if Windu was right to attack him. But I do know that killing a person is never the answer."

"It's not that I would have enjoyed killing Windu or something. I hate it when people die. But to let him attack Palpatine like that, and not do anything about it!"

"Anakin, listen. I know this may be hard for you to hear, and I can't be sure that this is true, but here's what I think. Palpatine probably could have defeated Windu, on his own, at any time. It doesn't seem like he actually... needed you... to save him. He's a powerful Sith, isn't he?"

Anakin sighed and stared at the ground. Padmé decided that this was enough on the topic for now, so she changed the subject. Stepping a little closer to him, she reached up to put her hands on his shoulders. He was shaking a little, and still breathing heavily. "Listen," she said softly, staring up into his eyes. "We're going to have a baby soon. This sort of thing just can't be going on with a child around. Do you see what I'm saying?"

"I know, I know... I'm sorry."

"It's all right." On many levels, it wasn't alright. It alarmed her that he needed this much persuasion to spare his fellow Jedi's life. But she couldn't say that; she needed to be patient with him. "Though, we need to discuss what to do now that all this is over."

"I already know one thing." Anakin hesitated- he glanced down at the ground and took a deep breath. "I can't go back to the Jedi Order. Surely they've found out about Windu by now, and they'll see that I was involved. They'll never accept me back. And they just... I don't know. I was never able to fully embrace their philosophy."

"I understand." Padmé could agree with his reasoning, but she couldn't help feeling a twinge of sadness. The Jedi had been a part of his identity for so long. Being a Jedi used to be his dream, his lifelong aspiration. This was the end of an era for sure.

"You're upset?" He must have sensed her feelings.

"A little," she admitted. "But I do think it's the best decision. Keep your lightsaber, though. You trained so hard to learn to use it."

He shrugged and absentmindedly put a hand to his lightsaber hilt. "Maybe... So, what about you? Will you stay with the Senate?"

"Yes, as long as I can. They still need me, especially now that the war is ending, and we need to settle some things. But... think about it." She closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest. He began to stroke her hair, slowly and gently, and she felt a pleasant shiver pass down her spine. "When our baby gets closer, we can leave all this behind and go back to Naboo, just like we always wanted... And stay there. Maybe forever."

The very thought of her home planet made her heart ache. There were things she had come to love on Coruscant, but none of it quite matched the lush wildlife, classical architecture, artistic culture, or vast lakes and rivers of Naboo. Besides, her family lived there, and she and Anakin had fallen in love there. She missed the place so much, it was almost unbearable sometimes.

"I certainly don't need an excuse to get out of here," Anakin whispered. "Whenever you can, I'm more than ready."

(Author's Note: So, what do you think of my first real Anidala chapter? I know this one was mostly dialogue, but don't worry, more action is coming! :) Thank you for all your votes and comments thus far! Please continue to vote and comment!  I do my best to reply to any comments I receive.Thanks for reading!)