Those were questions Padme could not answer. She knew a man– a monster such as Vader, with his high caliber would not have bothered staying with a woman such as herself to simply chase away simple nightmares. There had to be something more. He had to have a reason. Vader was not the kind of man– if he was a man, to do something and not receive anything in return. He had a reason for staying with her, but that didn't mean she hadn't hoped...
Hoped? Hoped for what? Again, she didn't know. That last night he was not covered in the darkness? That perhaps he would fall asleep, and when she awoke he would still be there? That she would be able to see the man– the monster– the being under the hood? Perhaps she hoped she could solve some part of his mystery. That she could see if he was human. That maybe perhaps he had feelings? That he did care? That he could care? That he…
No. Padme cut off her train of thought as quickly as it started, not knowing where it would be taking her. What could she hope for? Nothing. Hope and Vader were two words that did not go together. While she was in Vader's establishments, hope was something she could not afford to have. It would get her nothing and nowhere.
Sighing, Padme rolled onto her stomach, hoping that by some miracle, the bed would suffocate her. It didn't, but Padme didn't mind. The moment she rolled onto her stomach and onto the other side of the bed, she was greeted with a friendly surprise. Her face melted into the mattress and his smell surrounded her. There was her evidence of Vader. He had been there. He had left sometime before she had awoken, but his smell remained. It still lingered in the room and was embedded into the covers. It was not as strong as before, but Padme knew it was there. A smile formed itself over her features as she inhaled deeply through her nose, forgetting all of her worries; even it was only for a moment.
It was only when she heard the sound of footsteps pause at the door that she pushed away from the mattress and entered back into reality. She heard the sound of the keys being pressed to unlock the door to her room and for a moment she was frightened. Millions of questions began to scream in her mind. What if it is Vader? How can I face him? What if he holds last night against me? What can I do? What will he do? Thankfully, the second the door slid open, Padme's fears washed away. To her relief, it was not Vader that had come to see her; but C-3PO.
The golden droid shuffled into her room holding a small silver breakfast tray. "Good Morning, Mistress Amidala." 3PO said happily as he continued over to Padme's side. "Did I wake you?" He asked politely, as he laid the tray onto the young senator's lap.
Padme shook her head, unable to form any words. The guilt she felt at the sight of the golden droid was overwhelming her. 3PO, however, didn't seem to notice. He just waited patiently by the side of her bed, waiting for the senator to eat. Padme obliged, even though she wasn't hungry. She forced down a few bites of her breakfast, before turning back to the droid.
"I have to apologize for yesterday, Threepio." Padme apologized, truly meaning every word. "I didn't mean to… I just…" "It is fine, Milady." 3PO replied truthfully, "I understand."
Padme smiled at the droid, knowing his words were true. She was thankful that 3PO was so understanding, she couldn't imagine what would have happened if she lost him… if she would have to be in this hell completely alone. She pondered on that idea for a moment, before tuning back to him. "I was afraid that I might have gotten you into trouble with Vader." She confessed quietly, the imagines of 3PO being mashed to smithereens playing through her mind.
3PO shuffled closer to the young senator, placing his hand lightly on her shoulder. "My Master," he began slowly, "he may be a little rough around the edges, but he would never harm me." 3PO explained, looking at Padme affectionately, "Truthfully Milady, I was worried about you." Padme remained silent, as 3PO's statement created more questions within her mind. She had so many questions and not so many answers. Over the past few weeks, 3PO had given small things away about Vader. Small, insignificant things that he hadn't realized he had said. Luckily for 3PO, they didn't give away much; but they still gave Padme clues. She still didn't know much about the Sith… Except one thing. Vader did actually care about the droid. She could tell. If he didn't, he would have destroyed 3PO for failing him. It was a well-known fact that Vader killed anyone that displeased him, failure was unacceptable in Vader's ranks, but for some reason the golden droid was an exception. 3PO pushed Vader's limits and endured no punishments. He lived with Vader and did not complain. He even seemed to be happy with his placement in life. The droid was perfectly content being in the presence of his Master… Which to Padme, only meant one other thing. That the two have been together a very long time.
The thought made Padme crave answers. She needed something. Not just a clue, not just assumptions; but a hard fact. Just one answer about what or who Vader was, but how? Padme turned towards 3PO as her mind began to spark with ideas. She didn't need Vader to get answers, she had all she needed. 3PO liked to talk, he was an obsessive talker. The small statements he had made in the past were what brought her to her previous conclusion about Vader and the droid's relationship. He gave things away without even realizing it. Perhaps if she tried to get information out of the droid, he would tell her something. Even if it was an accident.
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