Summary:

A young woman of Naboo is hired to become Senator Amidala's bodyguard. Her highly attuned senses coupled with her exemplary fighting skills save the Senator's life during an assassination attempt, and it is then that it is realized that she is Force-sensitive. She specializes in two things – sensing danger . . . and premonitions. When she begins getting premonitions of a horrible future, can she change it – and with that, the fate of the galaxy?

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~ Anali ~

I heard my door slide shut and whirled around. However, by then I'd realized that I was in no danger. Only person could slip past security so easily.

Obi-Wan.

Sure enough, the Jedi Master himself appeared at the door to my balcony seconds later.

I was startled by his appearance. He looked . . . haunted. There was no other way I could describe it. His eyes, which were usually a brilliant, dancing blue-green, were deadened. His normally impassive face was hollow, as if devoid of feeling. And there was something about the air around him . . . something was off.

Within a few steps, I was by his side. "Obi-Wan, what's wrong?" I asked worriedly. I had never seen him like this before.

He blinked and suddenly focused on me, as if noticing me for the first time.

"Obi-Wan?" I repeated, touching his arm.

Therefore, I totally did not expect his arms to suddenly snap up, seize me, and pull me against him. It wasn't the first time Obi-Wan had demonstrated the speed and power of his Jedi abilities to me, but it by no means made it any less surprising.

And then he kissed me.

For a moment I relaxed against him. He didn't like to be in the public, or to advertise our relationship; surely that was why he was here so late in the night.

But after a few seconds, I came to the realization that something was wrong. His kiss was almost bruising in its strength – and the strength did not come from his passion. He had kissed me before – at this same balcony, actually – and it had not been like this.

And there was an air of desperation around him, as if he really wanted to forget something.

That made me pull away, breaking the kiss and startling him enough that he let me go.

I backed up. "Obi-Wan, what's come over you?" I breathed, staring at him. "What – Why – What's going on?"

He folded his hands into his robes. "Nothing's changed."

I shivered as he spoke. Stars above, even his voice is strange. It sounded flat, unemotional. Jedi could be impassive, but this. . . I had heard Obi-Wan's "politician" voice before, and this was not it. This was the flat voice of a robot.

I eyed him. Oh, my love, what's happened to you? What's made you like this?

"Last time," I said slowly, "last time you made it clear you wanted this to be a secret. So why risk this?"

His eyes flashed in anger, startling me. "Nothing's changed," he repeated with a tint of anger, one I had never heard in his voice before. "Have you?"

"No!" I exclaimed, taking a step backwards. "I would never – I told you! Obi-Wan, please, stop this! What's wrong with you?"

Obi-Wan stopped short at my words, as if I'd smacked him in the face and suddenly he seemed drained of all energy. He passed a hand over his face.

"I . . . We just . . . I just came from the Temple. We were . . . We were . . . I had to see all the children." He swallowed, and his voice cracked. "All the Jedi. Everyone. No one got out."

Oh, my love. . . I stepped back towards him and this time I let him hug me. He rested his chin on my head, and I could feel the weariness and pain in his aura.

"It was terrible. I . . . I don't know . . . I'm not sure . . . Things are so different." His arms tightened. "You're the only thing not changed, I think."

A thought struck me, and I pulled back to meet his eyes. "What about the Council?" I asked. "They won't let you . . . We can't . . . They won't approve of this."

His eyes darkened. "I don't care about what the Council thinks, Anali." He laughed humorlessly. "Not that there's much of a Council left, anyways."

I pulled away completely. Something about the way he had said that. . . "Have you thought this through?"

"Of course."

I sidestepped his attempt to bring me back in his arms. "No, you haven't. You aren't thinking, Obi-Wan. You aren't."

"I don't need to!"

"Yes, you do!" I closed my eyes and sighed. "Obi-Wan, please. I love you . . . but I won't fall down the same path as Anakin and Padmé. We can't be together . . . not until you think this through. Are you really going to through everything away just for love?"

He stared at me for a few moments, his eyes unreadable. Then he whirled around and stormed away.

I sat down heavily on the bed and put my face in my hands. Seven days. Seven days. I hadn't seen Obi-Wan in seven long, anguish-filled, tortuous days.

Actually, I had seen him – he was a public figure. But . . . But normally we had private times together too, when we were just Obi-Wan and Anali, not Master Kenobi and Lady Anali speaking formally in front of everyone in polite, indifferent, public conversations.

But ever since he'd stormed away, I hadn't seen or spoken to him at all.

I collapsed on the bed completely, feeling tears fill my eyes. I did want Obi-Wan to think about what he was doing before he threw it all away for me, even though I was touched by his gesture. I desperately wanted to accept, but . . . but being a Jedi was who, was what Obi-Wan was. It had made him into the man I loved. If he stopped . . . well, I wasn't sure I'd know him anymore.

I wasn't one who usually wallowed in self-pity, but . . . but tonight I was making an exception. I wasn't sure how long I stayed like that, lying on the bed curled up, crying.

Suddenly, the bedside dipped and a hand landed on my shoulder. "Why are you crying?"

Startled, I immediately stopped, sat up, and shifted away in surprise. It was only afterwards, as my tears started drying and my self-control kicked back in, that I recognized the warm, gentle voice and its clipped Coruscanti accent.

"Obi-Wan." I hurriedly tried to dry my tears. "Master Kenobi, I – "

He lifted a hand and brushed his fingers against my cheeks, smoothing away the remaining tears. The movement surprised me into silence again. It was unlike him to be so forward and intimate, even with those he knew very well.

His hand fell to rest upon mine with a comforting, warm weight. I looked straight into his swirling blue-green eyes, which were back to their normal dancing, brilliant color. But there was something else in them as well – understanding. Acceptance.

I sighed and gave him a tired smile. He returned it and opened his arms to hug me tightly against him.

I snuggled deeper into his hold, resting my cheek on his shoulder. This time, it was relaxed and affectionate, not the tight, desperate hold of before.

"I missed you."

"And I you. . ." He took a deep breath. "I know what you were saying, and I'm sorry. I just . . . I wasn't thinking straight. You were right."

I smiled. "I always am, Obi-Wan."

He laughed softly and kissed my hair. "So you think, my love, so you think."

"Always have to ruin my fun, don't you?"

He stroked my hair. "What would expect?" he murmured.

"Stuffy Jedi," I teased, pulling back to meet his eyes.

He caressed my cheek gently in response, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "I won't leave the Jedi . . . but nor will I leave you. That's my decision." His hand faltered then, and I knew he was worried about what I would say.

I kissed him lightly on the lips and he started. I laughed. "What, I finally surprised a Jedi? How amazing. I should record this moment down – I finally surprised Jedi Master Obi-Wan – "

He shoved me lightly. "Anali!" he exclaimed, laughing.

I smiled. "Now you're back to your regular self."

He stood and pulled me up with him, and we kissed again. I wrapped my arms around him as his arms pulled me against him, pressing me against his chest. I almost melted against him, relishing in the feel of his arms around me and his lips against mine.

And then Obi-Wan pulled back abruptly. "There's one more thing that would make this night perfect. . ." he murmured softly, his breath warm against my face.

I read the question in his eyes, and rolled my eyes at him as I leaned against him. "I'm not made of glass, Obi-Wan, and I'm not a damsel in distress," I told him severely. I let my fingers unfasten the clasp for his belt, making him start as it dropped to the floor.

I let my eyes challenge him as I stepped away. If he wanted me, he'd have to come and get me. "Go ahead. Prove you're more than a Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi. I dare you."

For a second he stood there. Then a grin flashed across his face and his outline suddenly blurred as he demonstrated against how quickly Jedi could move when they really wanted to.

I yelped in surprise when his arms closed around me from behind, crushing me against the full length of his body.

"You might regret that challenge, Anali," he murmured in my ear, his voice breathless.

I deliberately arched against him, making him hiss involuntarily as our bodies rubbed together. "Oh, I don't think so," I fired back.

I slipped out of Obi-Wan's loose embrace and smiled at him. He was sleeping peacefully for the first time in my memory, his mouth slightly open, his hair falling slightly over his face, his face relaxed and open. He looked years younger in sleep, as if all the weight of his duties were lifted off of him when he slept.

I had never pegged Obi-Wan to be an almost aggressive lover, but he kind of was. Oh, sure, I'd expected him to tease me and laugh at me and to use the Force to ease any pain, but when I had finally snapped his control, it had seemed I was dealing with the raw, pure form of him – not the controlled, humble, gentle man I had fallen in love with.

It didn't really bother me, though. I loved him and he loved me and that was the end of it.

Now, his Jedi clothes, on the other hand. . . They really bugged me. I mean, usually I'd always heard Obi-Wan saying that Jedi dressed simply and lived simply and that politicians wore annoyingly fancy and elaborate clothes.

That begged the question – why so many layers?

His fingers, nimble and sure, had easily pulled away the nightgown I'd been wearing. But his tunic was really just ridiculous. So much for "dressing simply". More like "dress in simple colors but in a thousand layers".

I slipped out of bed and reached for a dressing gown. The apartment was empty except for me and Obi-Wan, but I didn't fancy getting captured on a security camera outside my bedroom stark naked.

I was just about to reenter my bedroom from the refresher when I heard a strange rustling sound. Then I saw that Obi-Wan was thrashing wildly in the bed, his hands clenched into fists and his face twisted into a mask of pain. Sweat made his bare chest gleam in the faint moonlight.

He's having a nightmare.

I ran to his side and grabbed his arms. "Obi-Wan!" I exclaimed, trying to wake him up. "Obi-Wan, wake up!"

His eyes suddenly flashed open, and one of his hands seized my arm in a painful and powerful grip. His eyes were wild and unfocused, as if he wasn't all here.

"Get away from me, you Sith!" he hissed, his tone suddenly fierce and dark.

"Obi-Wan, stop!" I gasped as his grip only tightened more. "You're hurting me!"

That seemed to wake him up. His hand sprang open as though with my words I had burned him. He blinked at me with an almost innocent confusion.

"Anali," he said, sitting up with surprise in his tone. "Anali, what – "

And then he saw the rapidly darkening bruise on my arm.

His eyes darkened and he tensed. Throwing back the covers, he got out of bed and grabbed his pants. "That's it," he announced, lacing on his pants.

I stared. "What – What's wrong?"

He whirled around. "Don't you get it? I just – I can't believe – I just hurt you! I – I – " He trailed off, collapsing in a chair with his face in his hands with jerky movements quite unlike his normal fluid grace.

I moved over slowly, sitting beside him and slowly prying his hands away. "What's wrong?" I asked gently. "You just had a nightmare. There's nothing wrong about that."

He looked at me as if seeing me for the first time. I saw a tear fall from his eyes as he touched my cheek gently. "You're so young, Anali," he said, his tone wistful. "So beautiful. Young and whole and beautiful."

He laughed harshly, dropping his hand. "I don't know why you want me. I'm just an old, broken man. I'm dangerous. I – I can't give you anything."

I stared at him. "What are you talking about, Obi-Wan? Why are you saying this?"

He looked at me sadly as a bitter smile twisted my lips. "I thought . . . I thought I could be with you. For a time. But . . . But I am a Jedi. I am broken by war. It . . . It's safer . . . for you . . . if you don't have me."

"What?" I exclaimed. I grabbed his hand, tugging him back in his seat when he made to rise.

"What if I don't care?" I demanded, trying to look him in the eye.

He evaded me. "You should," he said in a flat voice. "I have nothing to offer you. And you have your whole life ahead of you. Why should you waste it by binding yourself to a Jedi who will never be able to give you anything?"

"Obi-Wan . . . please. Look at me." When he didn't, I sighed and slipped off the chair to kneel in front of him. With a gentle hand, I reached up and turned his face towards me.

"I don't think of it as wasting my life. Some things are certain in my life. If I leave you now, if I let go you, I will never, ever stop regretting it."

His head shot up and he stared at me with startled blue-green eyes.

I smiled. "Obi-Wan, I can refute everything you say. You say you are old? You're barely a decade older, Obi-Wan; just eleven years. That's not a big difference in the grand scheme of things. As to being broken by war – Obi-Wan, we've all been changed by this war. Even I have. You're not broken; you're just hurting. We'll heal together."

"I'm still dangerous."

I waved a dismissive hand. "Dangerous to whom? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think I say with confidence that the day when you actually want to hurt me on purpose is – "

He nearly jumped out of his chair. "I'd never do that!"

"My point exactly," I said pointedly.

He sagged against the chair with a tired sigh. "You're very stubborn, Anali."

"Yes. Convinced?"

"No, I am not. And I don't think there is any way you could convince me otherwise."

I groaned and yanked him up out of his chair. Normally, I wouldn't have been able to, but he was tired and surprised, so this time I was. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him fiercely, pouring all of my passion into it.

At first he stood frozen, but then slowly his arms wrapped around me in turn and hesitantly he returned the kiss.

"This is my reason," I breathed softly when we pulled apart for air. "Because right now, it's just us. Just you and me. Forget about the Jedi, about the Senate, about the war. It's just us . . . and our love."

Slowly, the old sparkle started gleaming in his blue-green eyes again, and suddenly he smiled. He leaned forward and kissed my forehead gently. "Well . . . I guess you win," he said softly.

I grinned and when we kissed again, it was both of our passion and love for the other coming together.