The Smith household was an ecosystem of contained chaos. That afternoon, Jerry was attempting to explain the rules of a complicated board game to a hologram of himself that Rick had created "so he'd finally have someone to listen to him." Summer had her music blasting, and from the garage came the unmistakable sound of Rick apparently trying to cram a black hole engine into a blender.
Kaelen and Padmé met in the hallway, exchanging a look of mutual, silent desperation.
"I need a break," Kaelen murmured. "A break from... all this wonderful, noisy family."
"A moment of silence would be a luxury," Padmé agreed.
"I know a place," Kaelen said, a mischievous smile forming on his face. "It's not exactly Theed palace, but it has the competitive advantage of not having an alcoholic sociopath in the garage."
Ten minutes later, they were in the modified sedan, driving aimlessly through the suburban streets. The simple normalcy was a balm. It was then that they saw it: a neon sign flickering with the words "The Traveler's Palace - Motel." The building was anodyne, the paint slightly chipped, but it promised the one thing they craved: privacy.
Kaelen looked at Padmé, raising an inquiring eyebrow. She laughed, a sound of pure freedom. "The 'Traveler's Palace'? It's... perfect."
The motel room was exactly as Kaelen had imagined from his Earth memories. A large bed with a questionable floral bedspread, a carpet of an indeterminate color, and a crooked painting of a sailboat on the wall. It smelled of pine air freshener and anonymous tranquility.
For Padmé, it was the most exotic place she had ever been. There were no protocols, no guards, no senators. It was a neutral space, outside all their realities.
"It's... charmingly basic," she said, running a finger over the dust on a lamp.
"It's ours for the next three hours," Kaelen replied, closing and locking the door. The click of the lock seemed to seal off the outside world.
Finally, they were alone.
A Bold Decision
They moved towards each other, the tension of the past weeks melting away. Their kisses were deep, filled with repressed longing and the joy of having a moment that was entirely theirs. Clothes began to seem an unnecessary hindrance, and soon, the floral bedspread was the only witness to their reunion.
Amidst the rising passion, as Kaelen kissed her neck, Padmé placed a hand on his chest, gently stopping him.
"Kaelen, wait," she whispered, her voice a little breathless. He looked up, confused. "We must be careful. With everything going on... a war in my galaxy, a council of tyrants hunting you... perhaps now isn't the most prudent time to..."
He smiled, understanding. His pragmatic, responsible Senator was still there, even in the passion of the moment.
"Don't worry," he said, reaching for his jacket he'd tossed on the floor. "I come prepared for any contingency."
He pulled out a small, sleek metallic case. When he opened it, inside were not latex condoms, but three small, almost transparent discs that glowed faintly.
"Nanotechnology barrier from Dimension 7-Q-2," he explained with a wink. "Instantly adapting. One-in-a-trillion failure rate. Completely safe."
He held the protection in the palm of his hand, a testament to his planning even in the most intimate matters. But as he did, he saw Padmé's expression change. The furrow of concern was replaced by a slow, mischievous smile.
She looked around, at the cheap motel room, at the sailboat painting, at the man she loved with his gadgets from other dimensions. And an idea, a romantic, impulsive, and wonderful idea, took root in her heart.
"An heir to Naboo," she said softly, almost to herself. "A prince... or a princess... conceived in a place called a 'motel' on the planet Earth, in a universe that shouldn't exist." She laughed, a sound filled with joy and a bold defiance. "The story would be incredible. Our grandchildren would never believe it."
Her eyes shone with a light Kaelen knew well: the light of a Queen making an irrevocable decision.
"You know, Kaelen..." she continued, her voice dropping to a seductive whisper. "The future we promised... sometimes, you can't wait for conditions to be perfect. Sometimes, you have to take a risk and create it in the moment."
Before he could process her words, she took his hand and closed her fingers over the small discs. There was a soft crunch, a flash of blue light, and the most advanced contraceptives in the multiverse dissolved into a harmless cloud of glittering dust.
"I think we can afford to take the risk," she whispered, pulling him closer.
The astonishment on Kaelen's face transformed into absolute adoration. He saw the woman he was willing to fight gods and monsters for, choosing faith over fear, choosing their future over any plan or contingency.
And in the privacy of an anonymous room, in a world that wasn't their own, in The Traveler's Palace, they decided they wouldn't wait for the galaxy to be at peace to start building their own world. They would build it now, together, with an act of love and defiance.