Author's note: I had just finished watching the ending to the Clone Wars series and I have to admit it ripped me apart. There were so many missed opportunities to save our boy, Anakin. So this is a ROTS AU of what if they pieced everything together before it was too late? It starts after Anakin's and Palpatine's conversation at the opera. I borrow heavily from CW for my arguments especially the Mortis arc. I also borrow from movies and hint at the themes from Episode 4-6. Please enjoy!

Chapter 1

The gentle early morning light teased into the bedroom announcing to the young couple that morning has arrived. Anakin had been up for hours now. His nightmares still troubling him. He laid next to his beloved Padmé, propped up on one elbow, watching the rise and fall of her beautiful chest. He drank in her beauty trying to memorize every soft curve as if it was the last he'll ever see of her. Her beautiful brown curls washed around her delicate face. His eyes turned deliciously to her plump lips fighting the urge to capture them with his own, not wanting to wake her up, and desiring to make this moment last forever. He swears her pregnancy has only made his angel, from the moons of Lego, glow even more beautiful then he could possibly imagine. When he first returned to Coruscant, Padmé revealed her pregnancy to him and he swelled with such pride and joy that he never knew he could experience. Then, there was the vision, the nightmare, of her death in childbirth that haunted him. He couldn't let this happen. Not now when he finally is able to experience such joy and happiness. He was about to have a family. Something he never was fortunate to experience as a child. How can this vision take this away from him? His focus turned back to his lovely wife as she begin to stir.

"Ani, you're up already?" She murmured still mostly asleep.

He smiled back. "Did I wake you, my love? Go back to sleep. You need your rest," he told her selflessly.

Padmé didn't want to continue sleeping. It had been so long since they were last together. The outer rim siege kept her husband away at the edge of the Republic. If she could she would never sleep again, at least, while he was with her. Sleep could wait. "Did you sleep ok, Ani?" She rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Yes," he lied. He took his free hand to trace the outline of her jaw. "Have I told you how beautiful you are?"

She smiled back at him, she knew he was lying as to not to worry her but she didn't want to press the issue, and responded coyly, "Why don't you show me?"

He obliged her, "Yes, milady." He encased her rosy lips in a deep, tender kiss eliciting a soft moan from his wife. He smiled into her lips tracing her lips with his as he murmured. "I wish we could stay in bed all day."

She blinked up at him, "Do you need to be somewhere today?" No one knew that he spent his nights with her when he was back on Coruscant. He often had to go back to the Temple to prevent suspicion but it didn't prevent her from feeling disappointed every time.

"There's an early morning meeting at the council today. I need to report what the Chancellor told me about Utapau at the opera last night." He stated, hoping she wouldn't press him with what transpired during that conversation.

Padmé had a growing concern about the Supreme Chancellor's unchecked power in the Senate and didn't want to bring him up right now. She propped herself up on her elbows grinning broadly at him. "I'm so proud of you, Ani! You a member of the Jedi council. The youngest to ever sit there!"

"Yes, but they won't recognize me as Master." He grunted softly trying not to take it out on her. It wasn't her fault the council was so short sighted.

She sat up and cupped his face with both her hands and looked into his dashing blue eyes. "Obi Wan said it's only a matter of time before they recognize you as a Master. I believe that also. Anakin, in my eyes, you are already a Jedi Master and in time they will see that too. I'm so truly proud of you!" She didn't understand the deep traditions of the Jedi but she knew her husband and she had complete faith in him.

He smiled and turned to plant a kiss into one of her palms. "Thank you for believing in me, Padmé."

She wanted to soothe his hurt pride, "they are absolutely lucky to have you Anakin. If they can't see that then they don't deserve you." She meant it whole heartedly. She never meet anyone with as much conviction and dedication as her husband. His bravery on the battlefield and loyalty to his troops were well known. If only he didn't always throw himself into such danger but she couldn't stop him. He would do anything for those he cared about especially for her. It was just his nature.

Anakin pressed another kiss into his wife's palm. She always knew what to say to give him peace. With her, he always felt accepted for who his is. The fact that she still wanted to marry him after he told her that he had slaughtered the sand people, who killed his mother, all those years ago, is a testament to her commitment to him. He was so lucky to have her.

"Are you hungry? Let's have breakfast together before I leave."

Padmé nodded happy to have some extra time with her husband. She giggled as he lifted her out of bed.

—-

At the Jedi Temple

Anakin walked out of the council meeting feeling frustrated again at the council although not surprising. They denied the Chancellor's request for Anakin to be the one to find General Grievous on Utapau. He felt so belittled and even humiliated with the way they just disregarded him. He had one of the highest, not the best, success rates of all the missions during the Clone Wars. He continued to surprise them, when all seemed lost, he would find a way to still complete the mission successfully. Ok, so he regularly disobeyed orders along the way but the the final results are undeniable. He grumbled to himself as he turned the corner. One bright side to all of this is that he had time to focus on other matters on his mind.

Something about what Chancellor Palpatine said at the opera didn't sit well with him. How could the Sith create life? Isn't their very nature to destroy it? Why wouldn't the Jedi be able to possess such powers? Isn't that something the light side of the force should be able to accomplish? He needed answers.

As Anakin headed to the central Jedi library he felt the dread rise up like when he was a padawan. Of all the requirements, he absolutely loathed studying at the library the most. It wasn't that he didn't like to read. Give him a droid manual, combat strategies, or ship maintenance manuals and he could read forever and forget the world around him. He hated reading about the mystical aspects of the cosmic force and the living force. Yes, the living force, something Master Qui-Gon, was so fond of. He heaved a heavy sigh. His time with him was too short and he felt that there was so much more he could have learned. Known as a rebel, like Anakin, Qui-Gon stood for what he believed in even if it completely went against the Jedi council. Oh, how he wished he could have watched how his old master handled that damn council….how he would have handled them now.

Stopping in front of the library he braced himself before going in. Maybe the reason he didn't like reading about the deeper dealings of the force was that he would have to face that damn prophecy. He snickered. Rubbish. What does that even mean to be the chosen one? He certainly didn't feel like he was. His thoughts sadly going to his mother's death as he entered the library.

Quiet. The library was always very still as if breathing was a blasphemy to such a treasured place of deep knowledge. They held their most treasured secrets here on Coruscant. Right where they can keep an active eye on it. At least, as far as Anakin knew, the oldest known texts were here. He passed by the padawans in front of holocrons and computers busy studious with their duties. Half a smirk graced his face as he caught one of them fending off sleep while reading. Anakin would never admit it but there were some nights, when he was a padawan, when he couldn't sleep and reading about the inner workings of the force lulled him to a deep, restful slumber.

—-

"AAAAhhhh. This is useless!" Anakin pushed himself away from the computer he was reading from. He was blocked. He couldn't read any further. He needed a higher level of clearance to access the holocrons in the restricted Jedi holocron vault to read the more obscure, ancient Jedi texts. If I was a Master I would have clearance. He thought bitterly to himself.

It didn't matter anyways. He kept rereading the same text over and over and he still couldn't understand all the riddles. Why couldn't they just plainly state what they are trying to say instead of going in circles and making vague generalizations that could be interpreted in multiple different ways. Honestly, the integrity of the information wouldn't be so diluted by simply stating the facts. What ridiculous pretentiousness did these Jedi scholars have for taking the extra effort to make it THAT much more confusing. It's not like anyone could read it and become an expert. No, that's what experience gives you. Why waste such effort to potential lead people astray or worse turn to the dark side of the force by such hyperboles. Why did everything come with a warning that the universe will end?

He stood up. There has to be another way to save Padmé. As he was about to leave he caught the eye of the chief librarian, Jocasta Nu, who wandered over to him.

A frail looking old lady, he had no clue how long she's been here serving at the library. She was here before Anakin started for sure and even before Obi Wan. The padawans use to joke she was just as old as Yoda but lacked the short stature and pointy green ears.

"Can I help you Master Skywalker?" She asked the deep lines around her blue eyes showing her age. Her face was always very calming and soothing. Her silver hair always pulled up in the same bun day after day.

"No, I think I've had enough of trying to understand the living force for today,"Anakin remarked.

"Ah, the living force….yes. Very complex and elusive." She waxed and waned.

Anakin gave her a polite smile. "Yes, that's one way of putting it."

"Master Qui-Gon so loved learning about the living force. Why, when he was just a youngling he was always in here reading everything he could about it." She flashed a gentle smile at the memory. "And asked many questions about it."

"You knew Master Qui-Gon?" Anakin asked surprised then caught himself. Of course she did. Maybe she was as old as they say.

She put a tender hand on his shoulder. Her eyes were gentle and loving. So soothing. "Come, let me show you something."

She led him to the bust of Master Qui-Gon. "You remind me a lot of him you know. Very passionate…very headstrong. He had an innate sense of what was right and couldn't be persuaded otherwise. Was he not the one that said you were the foretold chosen one in the prophesy?"

Oh no. Not this again. Before Anakin could voice his protest she continued.

"As the chief librarian here you might be surprised to hear this but there's only so much you can learn from these texts." Master Jocasta stated.

Anakin was surprised to hear that.

Seeing that she had caught his attention she continued, "Master Qui-Gon's knowledge isn't just from here. He experienced the force himself. He let the force continue where the teachings here could not."

Anakin looked at her puzzled at what she was trying to say. Furrowing his thick brows together at yet another round about answer. Then it dawned on him. Mortis.

"Thank you Master Jocasta for your assistance. You have been most helpful." He gave her a deep bow and quickly made his way out. He knew what he needed to do to get his answers.

Author's notes: Next up! A conversation with Master Qui-Gon….