Pairing: Padmé/Obi-Wan
Disclaimer: These characters belong to a one George Lucas. I make no money from this.
Notes: Missing RotS scene moment, set during the morning before Obi-Wan leaves for Utapau for Grievous and before Anakin visits Padmé and tells her he's found a way to save her.

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Padmé turned her face from Obi-Wan, staring out of the window of her apartment at the gleaming never-ending city of Coruscant. She had once thought it a beautiful city -- though not as lovely as the cities of her home world, Naboo -- but it seemed tarnished lately. It wasn't difficult to see something wretched and foul creeping across the planet, like a slowly degenerating disease.

"I'm worried about Anakin, Padmé. He seems preoccupied with something. He takes everything so personally and refuses to see the big picture. I expect he's told you about the Jedi Council's decision?" asked Obi-Wan. He had a lovely voice. Padmé often wondered if the Jedi would ever let him sing, because she would have paid good money to hear Obi-Wan Kenobi serenade audiences with that mellow tenor of his.

"He has," she said, swallowing reflexively. Did Obi-Wan know Anakin was her husband? How could he not know, as much time as he had spent with both of them? She rested a hand on her pregnant belly and stared down at the package of baby clothes that had arrived.

"He seems stressed -- and you don't want to talk about this right now," said Obi-Wan, shifting verbal tracks quickly. She looked up at him as his blue-gray gaze filled with concern. A concern that she had never seemed to quite see in Anakin's eyes. Padmé instead saw jealousy and suspicion too often in Anakin's eyes.

"I just have these new baby things to go through." Padmé smiled, but she knew it wouldn't reach her eyes. Anakin was supposed to be here, helping her go through things for their child, but he was too busy. He was always too busy worrying about her to actually spend time with her. Yet, Obi-Wan had taken the time to visit her before leaving to Utapau to hunt down General Grievous.

"Those are lovely, Padmé. I like that one." Obi-Wan pointed to a small blue outfit she had just picked up. "Are you expecting a boy?"

Padmé gazed at the outfit. It was very simple, but there were small, abstract designs on it in green. "I hope so. I don't want to find out until I give birth, though."

"Is the father going to help you at all?"

Padmé swallowed. "Maybe. Sometimes, I'm not so sure. We've grown apart, you see. I sometimes wonder if he's the same man that I fell in love with."

Obi-Wan bowed his head for a moment and then watched her select more outfits. He reached inside the package and his hand touched hers, his fingers closing over hers gently. Padmé stared down at their touching hands, noticing Obi-Wan had the hands of an aristocrat. If not for the feel of the calluses from his lightsaber, she would have mistaken those hands for those of a senator or a prince, not a Jedi Knight. She looked up into his face, biting her bottom lip. It was a mistake, for the moment she gazed into his eyes, he jumped back and pulled away from the touch. She didn't have to be a Jedi to see a bit of guilt on his face.

Sometimes, she wondered what would have happened if it had been Obi-Wan who had been sent to guard her on Naboo, instead of Anakin.

"Obi-Wan --"

"I should go. Take care of yourself, Padmé."

"Good luck on Utapau, Obi-Wan. I'm sure you'll find Grievous and destroy him. Stay safe."

He bowed and left her apartment as quietly as he had come in. She sat down on the couch, the blue and green baby's outfit that Obi-Wan had liked still in her hand. Her hands shook as she thought about Anakin; he had not been as happy as she had hoped to find out she was pregnant. Yet, when Obi-Wan had greeted her upon his return from Coruscant, he had smiled widely and patted her on the shoulder. He had told her that if she needed anything to call him right away. He had only seemed concerned that she might be alone while raising a child and had never given her the look of condemnation some of the other senators had.

Sometimes, Padmé couldn't help but wonder if she had married the wrong man.

End.