f o u r

For the first time in a while I was able to sleep comfortably despite carrying a five pound baby in my uterus.

I slept on my side, Anakin hugging me from behind.

He had his hand wrapped around my stomach protectively and his chin on top of my head.

I was cocooned in a blanket of warmth and I couldn't be happier.

**

I got up to attend yet another Senate meeting despite the worsening pain in my back.

I quickly showered and ate before changing into a Senate dress.

Anakin still hadn't moved a muscle, so I decided to wake him up.

"Anakin, honey, we need to leave," I whispered, moving hair out of his face.

I sat down on the bed beside him, looking down at his face.

He was so calm and serene when he was sleeping, too bad I needed to wake him up.

"Anakin," I shook his arm slightly.

He still wasn't budging.

I decided to resort to my last idea and just kiss him.

I leaned down and connected our lips softly, hoping it would wake him up.

Seconds after I could feel him smiling just before he grabbed my head, deepening the kiss.

I pulled away quickly.

"You were awake the whole time weren't you?" I accused.

He simply smirked at me as he sat up in bed, the blanket falling to reveal his bare chest.

The sight made me blush and I turned away.

"What? I can't kiss my wife?" He asked, chuckling as he got up from the bed.

He tugged me to him by my hips, which was hard considering my stomach was in between us.

"I love you," he said before kissing me sweetly

He then turned his attention to my stomach.

"And I love you too," he cooed, placing a chaste kiss on my belly.

The sight made me smile and I wanted nothing more than to stay here with him forever, but I knew I couldn't.

**

The Senate meeting was going as usual, boring and uneventful.

Until Chancellor Palpatine made some interesting comments about Clovis taking over the banks.

There was an uproar of protests from other Senators and representatives.

I narrowed my eyes.

That really didn't sound like a good idea, let alone one that could benefit anyone but himself and Clovis.

I looked from the Chancellor to Clovis and back again.

They always seemed shady to me, like they had ulterior motives.

Perhaps it was my pregnancy hormones, but I couldn't help but feel like the Jedi Council was correct about their assumptions of Clovis being connected to the Separatists.

And with the Chancellors constant support of his ideas and proposals I couldn't help but wonder if perhaps the he had been conspiring with the Separatists as well.

Though it wasn't a rarity to see politicians going corrupt for their own personal gain, it did surprise me that the Separatists had potentially managed to pay off Clovis and the Chancellor.

I knew if I didn't say anything there was a huge chance that the peaceful democracy I, and so many others, had fought to build would be destroyed.

I decided to only inform Anakin, and ask him for his thoughts on the manner.

I turned to leave the pod and find him.

Like the good Jedi protector he is, he was standing guard outside of my pod.

"Master Skywalker?" I called to him.

He turned to look at me, "Yes Senator?"

"Take a walk with me? I need your help on a difficult situation,"

"Of course Senator," he replied, keeping his face stoic.

"I have reason to believe that Clovis is working for the Separatists," I said in a hushed whisper.

"Senator, the council knows of this already,"

"I wasn't done, I also have reason to believe that the Chancellor is colluding with them as well,"

Anakin stopped walking.

"The Chancellor? But he's a good man, he's been a great source of guidance and wisdom for me."

I simply quirked my brow, "Trust me General Skywalker, something is going on here, and if you won't at least inform the council, I will." I stated, turning on my heel.

"Senator, wait!" Anakin called to me, jogging to match my pace, "He invited me to a private show with him later this evening, I'll see if there's any merit to your accusations."

It was my turn to stop in my tracks.

"Excuse me what? You're having a meeting with the Chancellor and you didn't even bother to tell me?" I asked, angered at his lack of communication.

"I was going to tell you Senator, but he just asked me a few clicks ago," he rationalized.

I narrowed my eyes at him, "Ok whatever, but if does or says anything weird, tell me."

**

"Verena! Darling!" Anakin called as I opened the door of my apartment to let him in.

"What's gotten into you?" I asked, confused at his behavior.

"I think you might have been right, the Chancellor was talking about some weird stuff." He explained, sitting down on my couch, patting the spot next to him.

I sat down where he wanted me to and turned to face him as he explained.

"He was talking about saving people I loved? Which kind of scared me because I've been having these dreams of you and Obi Wan dying in a fire and he-"

"Woah woah, wait, hold on, what?" I interjected.

"I didn't tell you about those did I?" Anakin winced, "nevermind, it's not important right now," he concluded, shaking his head.

I just stared at him with a confused expression.

"Then he started talking about some guy named Darth Pla- Darth Polterge- no Darth Pladi- something weird, I can't remember. And he was saying how he could control life and death and that only Sith can wield its power."

I was silent for a moment before it hit me.

The day Anakin took me to the temple, I read about a Sith Lord who could control life and death using midi chlorians.

"Darth Plagueis?" I whispered, not sure if that was the correct name.

"Yea!" Anakin exclaimed, "but how did you know that?" He asked quizzically.

"The archives, when you took me to the temple, I read about him." I tried to remember the exact details of my research, "How could the Chancellor know about that though? And why would he mention it to you?"

"I don't know, but it was really unsettling,"

"Tell the council Anakin, I'm worried," I exhaled, leaning back on the couch and rubbing my stomach.