A/N: So I've never written a Star Wars fic before. This is my first shot. It's incredibly AU, but it'll pretty much mess around with the original trilogy, not so much the prequels. I'm not familiar with much outside the movies in the Star Wars universe, so you'll have to bear with me on that. For those of you reading my other stories in the LotR, Stargate, and L.M. Montgomery sections…….I'm trying. I really am. Here's hoping that this fic will open the floodgates of creativity for me.

Pairings: It's a definite possibility.

Summary: Padme survives the birth of the twins, only to have one taken from her for protection. In a nutshell.

Disclaimer: Don't own it. Never will.

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"Let her go, Anakin!"

Padme struggled to breathe as she felt rather than saw Obi-Wan brush past her. Suddenly, the constriction around her throat was gone. There was a brief moment where she panicked. Why wasn't she breathing? She felt a warm rush of air surround her. A calming reassurance pervaded her senses, and then a soft whisper floated through the air.

"Relax, Padme. Breathe," the voice instructed. But she could not. There was no air to breathe. She was closed in, surrounded by an oppressive evil. Just as she was sure it was hopeless, she felt another pulse of warmth rush around and through her. And she gulped air into her lungs almost greedily.

Then there was pain. So much pain. She felt as though her entire body was on fire. And although she struggled against it, lest it overwhelm her, her mind whispered to just let go. Little by little, she succumbed to the thought. The pain dissipated, fading away into nothingness as she welcomed the darkness. In darkness, there was no pain, there was no heartache. In darkness, she could pretend that she and Anakin……Anakin. She could feel him pulling at her, taking her further into the darkness. And she longed to be with him.

But then she felt her hand being grabbed. That same voice from earlier pierced through the fog of her mind, scattering her thoughts of death.

"Don't you dare, Padme. Don't you dare leave these children. He has taken too much. He will not take you. I swear, he will not take you."

She knew that voice. Knew it well. Slowly, the darkness lifted. Padme instantly wished it hadn't. Now she was too cold. And the light was far too bright. Where was she? This wasn't Mustafar, that much was certain. She glanced over to her right and was surprised to see Obi-Wan kneeling beside her with his eyes closed, holding her hand. Of course. Obi-Wan was the one who had spoken to her.

"Obi-Wan-" she began, but she was cut off as his eyes flew open. For a moment, she was alarmed. His eyes, normally so calm and serene, were alive with electric intensity. She noticed that his forehead was damp……but the room was so cold.

"Be still, Padme," he said, his tone clipped. "Save your strength. You will need it. Just concentrate on your children. You have enough to do."

His eyes closed again and she felt him grip her hand even harder. For a moment, irritated by his expectations that she would just follow orders like a soldier, she let her mind wander. She thought of Anakin, let her mind rest on their times on Naboo, on stolen moments in her quarters on Coruscant. Anakin should be here, not Obi-Wan.

She realized with sudden clarity that Obi-Wan had most likely left Anakin to die on Mustafar. Anger began to build inside of her. Perhaps Anakin had been right. Obi-Wan wanted to keep them apart. He knew they were in love, knew it was forbidden. Obi-Wan had never been one for breaking rules, or even bending them. What he told her on Coruscant couldn't be true. Anakin would never…..kill younglings. No, there had to be an explanation

He was not dead, yet. She could feel that. Long ago, Anakin had shown her the thread that bound them together. He had taught her how to feel his presence even when he was not with her. She closed her eyes and, tentatively, stretched out to find him. What she found was chaos. There was a bond there, but it was twisted and dark. The emotions of anger, grief, pain, and betrayal flooded her senses. They were the same things she had sensed when Anakin had told her he was going to Mustafar. But this time, they were much stronger. And they began to pull at her, drawing her further in. Instead of struggling, she relaxed.

Anakin would not hurt her. It was Obi-Wan he was angry with. She was angry with him, too. If only she had more time with Anakin. Obi-Wan and the precious Jedi Order. Padme was sick to death of their rules and regulations. How could human beings not be allowed to love? Had they ever considered that the possibility of turning to this 'Dark Side' would be lessened if Jedi WERE allowed to love? Love was a pure emotion. It was having to hide from Obi-Wan and the other Jedi that had turned Anakin away from the right path. All of this was their fault. She could've stopped him. She still could! All these emotions…..she could soothe them, convince Anakin that she loved him. She was his only hope.

Padme reached out further, straining to reach her husband. He needed her. He was so alone. Anakin had promised to protect her. It was only right that she do the same for him. She sensed his nearness, endeavored to send a wave of love towards him. And then…….he was gone. Something was blocking her path. Something…….or someone? Obi-Wan! He was doing it again! Trying to keep them apart! Padme would've screamed had she been able to find her voice.

Obi-Wan let loose with a string of Hutt-ese curses in his mind when he realized Padme had done the exact opposite of what she had been told. Stubborn woman. She would kill herself. He concentrated harder, trying to narrow his focus again to only Anakin. Or what had once been Anakin. Obi-Wan didn't think that Vader realized what he was doing. The Sith was in horrible pain, near death, and he was drawing on Padme's own life-force in a bid to save himself.

This battle was fierce. And more heartbreaking even than the physical one on Mustafar. Part of Obi-Wan still longed to reach out and comfort his former padawan. He had not lied to Anakin earlier. His padawan had been his brother. His friend. Obi-Wan cared for him still. If he was to win this battle for Padme's life, though, he had to separate Anakin from Vader.

Methodically, he began trying to build protection around Padme. It was not easy. She was reaching out to Vader, trying to be with him. Obi-Wan sensed that she was trying to help, trying to save the young man that she knew as her husband. She didn't realize that Anakin no longer existed. Obi-Wan had seen enough to know that his former padawan was beyond help. Even if the help came from Padme, whom he claimed to love. Sithspit! He had already tried to kill her once! Was that not proof enough for her?

He had to hide her. He had to hide all of them. It took almost every ounce of strength within him, but he finally succeeded in blocking Padme off. When he put himself between them, he felt the rage and despair buffet him on both sides. Oddly enough, he was more concerned with Padme's anger than with Vader's.

It was relatively easy to completely cut Padme off, to not have her sense Anakin's presence anymore. Although she was determined, she had only a rudimentary understanding of how to use the Force, something Obi-Wan was profoundly grateful for. Both he and Qui-Gon had long ago sensed that Padme Amidala was Force sensitive, although certainly not to the extent that those who were trained as Jedi had to be. Still, he was glad that Anakin had not taught her to her full potential. It made things much simpler.

Cutting Vader off from Padme proved to be more difficult. Still trying to draw on a life-force, the monster that was Vader pulled at Obi-Wan himself and the darkness grew even more terrible when Vader realized he would not gain anything in that area. He continued searching for Padme…..and was fully capable of finding her again. Obi-Wan was tiring quickly. With a final push of his will, he could sever the bond between Anakin and Padme irrevocably. But……

Oh, and what a time for his emotions to come into play! Desperately, he tried to beat them back, to think logically. But they would not be denied. What about the children? What about Padme? Did they not deserve a father? Did she not deserve a husband? Without success, he told himself that only Anakin could've been those things. And Anakin was no longer alive. Vader had killed him as surely as he had killed the younglings in the temple.

Slowly, he willed his thought back into focus. The children would be taken care of. One way or another. He could watch over them. There were others who would help as well. And Padme…….he couldn't be a husband. But he could be a friend. He had always been her friend. Making his decision, Obi-Wan swiftly and forcefully snapped the bond between Anakin and Padme. He felt only a small stab of guilt at the inhuman scream that emanated from Vader. And then he let go.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''Polis Massa – one hour after the birth of Luke and Leia

Obi-Wan paced outside the room. He had felt an outpouring of grief and rage into the Force only a few moments ago and recognized the signature as Anakin's. Changed though it was, a spark of Anakin's energy remained in the twisted black soul of Vader. He had more than a feeling that Anakin believed Padme to be dead. So much the better, as far as Obi-Wan was concerned. His battle had not been in vain, apparently.

She was not dead, although her life force was very weak. Closing his eyes, Obi-Wan focused on her. She still remained, her force signature not nearly as vibrant as usual. But she still remained. She was a strong woman and Obi-Wan had faith that she would pull through this unscathed.

Well, as unscathed as a woman can be when her husband has slaughtered the majority of the Jedi order, younglings included, and then tried to kill her, Obi-Wan thought, grimacing. He filed his feelings of guilt and grief away. They were to be dealt with later. For now…….for now he had more important things to think of.

His gaze flicked across the room where the droids were tending to the twins. Luke and Leia. They would have to be hidden, as would their mother. But Obi-Wan was not certain that he could keep all of them together. It would not be safe. They had only been born an hour ago, but he could already sense the presence of the twins in the Force. Luke, especially, had a particularly strong signature. It was only a matter of time before Vader sensed it as well.

They would have to be shielded, protected. Obi-Wan knew he was not strong enough to hide all three from Vader with his shields. Not indefinitely. Vader knew Padme's signature too well. Even though he believed her dead, he would recognize her instantly if, for some reason, he was able to sense her in the future. And the twins would continue to grow in strength. He wasn't even sure Yoda would be able to accomplish this. With his turn to the Dark Side, Vader had become even more powerful than when he was Anakin. The protection would be broken, Padme and the children found, and Obi-Wan did not care to think of the consequences. The solution was plain.

They would have to be separated. Before Vader could recover from his injuries. Before he was at his full strength.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''Yoda's Quarters on Polis Massa

"Difficult will be what you propose, Obi-Wan. Suffered much, young Padme has already. To take both her children…."

Yoda trailed off, not finishing his sentence. But Obi-Wan knew what he was thinking. Most likely, it had been the thought of the twins that had saved Padme in the first place. What would happen if he removed them from her care?

"I don't propose to separate them utterly and completely. And I believe that we can successfully hide Padme and Leia together, Master Yoda. Although the Force flows strongly within Leia, it is not as strong as Luke's presence. Any shields you could place around the two of them would hold. When Leia is older, it's possible she could even help."

Yoda raised his eyebrows at that and regarded Obi-Wan with interest.

"Planning on training young Leia, you are?" he inquired. Obi-Wan shook his head.

"Only to help protect her. If she desires more…….we'll see what the future brings."

"Naboo?" came the simple inquiry. Obi-Wan's own eyebrows shot up at that.

"No. Not Naboo. Padme cannot be placed with her family. They must believe she is dead if this ruse is to work. I have planned to inform the queen of Padme's death and follow through with a funeral. It will help with the story, certainly. I was hoping to place Padme and Leia with Bail Organa and his wife. Alderaan is a simple, peaceful planet. Far beneath Palpatine's notice."

"And young Skywalker?" Yoda asked, peering at Obi-Wan with keen interest.

"He will go to his father's stepbrother on Tatooine. Owen married two years ago. They will raise him. I will watch."

Obi-Wan's expression was hard and his tone clipped. Yoda shook his head. That would not do. He knew Padme would eventually see the reasoning in separating her from her son. But he also knew that she would not be content with Obi-Wan's word to watch him while others raised him. No, this would have a different outcome. He regarded Obi-Wan, considered voicing his opinion on this. He saw by the set of the jaw, though, that he would not convince him on this subject. He would leave it to Padme.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''Three weeks later – the palace of Alderaan – Padme's quarters

"Absolutely not."

"Padme."

"No. I refuse to discuss it."

Padme glared up at him from her position on her reclining couch. She still wasn't at full strength, and was confined to her quarters with the twins and a handmaiden/nanny that had been assigned to her. But to look at her now………Obi-Wan almost felt glad for the spark of life he was currently seeing in her normally listless brown eyes.

If only it wasn't for the fact that the spark of life was due to anger. And, unfortunately, the anger was directed at him. Had been directed at him ever since the birth of the twins. Padme had blamed him for separating her from Anakin, as he had known she would. The result was a particularly acidic speech that described just what she thought of the Jedi Order in general and Obi-Wan in particular. This had been followed by a silent treatment that went on for a week Somehow, Padme had pulled off this childish stunt with incredible dignity, which had both impressed and irritated Obi-Wan at the same time. A truce had been called upon reaching Alderaan despite the fact that neither of the parties involved had made an apology.

Now, however, it was a different story. Padme was angry with him again, but this time Obi-Wan sympathized with her. After all, Luke and Leia were her children. He hadn't expected this to be an easy task. But he hadn't expected her to be so impossible about it, either. Looking back on his friendship with her, he realized he really shouldn't be so surprised.

Obi-Wan had been on the receiving end of Padme's sharp tongue a couple of times during the Clone Wars. Familiarity had, on occasion, trumped any respect due a Jedi Master in his case. But this time was different. Obi-Wan tried a different approach, kneeling down next to her, putting her at eye-level with him.

"Padme, I wish you would just hear me out. I fully understand that you don't want to part with Luke. And I sympathize with you. I truly do. But if you would listen to me reasonably. Give me a chance to argue my point."

For a moment, Padme's expression softened. Almost as if she were just realizing that it was her friend Obi-Wan proposing this plan to her and not some beast determined to steal her child. But the moment passed quickly, and her eyes narrowed as she regarded him.

"I don't think you heard me when I said I refuse to discuss it. I meant what I said, Obi-Wan."

As she turned away, Obi-Wan fought to channel his anger into the Force. It would do no good to get angry. But, oh, she could make him so mad! She and Anakin both had possessed an uncanny ability to push every one of his buttons in just the right order. Silently, he wished that Yoda were present. He would find it easier to remain calm with the Jedi Master there.

Sighing, he stood back up and wandered around the room for a bit. Padme pointedly ignored him, going over to the crib that held the twins instead. She glanced at her handmaiden, Rhynna, who curtsied and left the room for a while. Padme knew Obi-Wan wasn't through. But she didn't know Rhynna well, yet, and she was hesitant to discuss this any further with her around. Not that there was anything to discuss.

She picked Luke up and cradled him against her chest. He made a small sound and she smiled down at him, her heart aching unbearably when he opened his eyes and looked at her. Those eyes. So like his father's. No. It wasn't fair. She had already lost her husband. Because of Obi-Wan. He would not take her son as well. Her arms instinctively tightened around Luke.

Obi-Wan watched her from across the room and resisted the urge to roll his eyes when he saw her hold Luke so tightly. He wasn't a monster with nefarious plans to steal and corrupt her son. That would be Vader. He was a friend trying to help, and it was high time she realized it. He had tried to discuss this with her for the past week, but she'd always been able to deflect him. Usually by saying it was time for the twins to eat. It didn't take her long to realize that this particular tactic was very useful. But not this time, he told himself. No. This time, she would listen.

"Padme, please listen to me. You know enough about the Force to know that everyone has their own signature. We have to hide all of you away from Vader. No, don't say it. You know as well as I do that Anakin no longer exists."

"He does. Obi-Wan, I know there's good left in him. I just know there is," Padme insisted, laying Luke back down next to his sister.

"So you keep telling me. And while your faith in such a thing is admirable, Padme, it doesn't help us deal with this very real problem. We have no way of knowing just what Vader would do if he were to find you and the twins still alive. As you have said before, it might be the catalyst to turn him back. But, Padme, it might not. He is perfectly capable of killing you. You know that."

Padme straightened and moved closer to Obi-Wan.

"I am not afraid of death," she stated staunchly.

"Are you afraid of your children's death?" came the blunt response. Padme very nearly lost her ability to remain upright and her face went white as a sheet. She hadn't expected such a question from Obi-Wan. He sighed as he sat down.

"Padme, I don't want to frighten you. I really don't. But you've got to remember that this is not Anakin we're dealing with anymore," he could see the denial spring to her lips and he wasn't able to suppress the frustration within him, or the remark that resulted from it. "Or do I have to remind you of what was done in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant?"

He received a glare in return as she regained her equilibrium.

"I'm not a fool, Obi-Wan, whatever you may think."

"I've thought many things about you, Padme. But never that you're a fool. Which is why I think you'll eventually realize I'm just trying to protect you. And the children. I wish there was a way to keep you all together. But Vader would find you. I have no doubt of that. He knows your Force signature too well. And the twins are very strong in the Force. Stronger together than they are apart. If I could shield all of you, I would. But that is beyond my capabilities. Beyond even Master Yoda's. We couldn't hold them indefinitely. One of you has to leave the other two. And since Luke has the strongest Force presence, it should be him."

As he talked, Padme walked over to one of the windows and gazed outside. She had a view of the gardens from her room, something she was very grateful for. Looking down, she saw Rhynna playing with her own son, who was three. The sight of the two of them together just hardened her resolve.

"Luke will stay," she said softly. "I will not give him up, Obi-Wan."

She heard him get up, knew he was running his hand through his hair in an attempt to gain control of his emotions. The Clone Wars had taught her a great deal about Obi-Wan. So had Anakin. So she knew that, this time, he would not be successful in masking his irritation. But she didn't expect what came out of his mouth next.

"You don't have a choice, Padme. For your own safety, and for the twins, I have to take him. I give you my word I will watch over him. My plan is to take him to Tattooine. Owen and Beru will raise him. But I will watch over him. We'll be leaving for Tatooine in a week. I suggest you prepare yourself."

He wasn't the least bit surprised that she was angry. And he let the slap land on his face. It relieved her feelings, he was sure. But he couldn't let Luke stay here. It wasn't an option.

"How dare you! How dare you come in here and order me to give up my own child! You think your word to watch over him is good enough for me, Obi-Wan? You're out of your mind! Qui-Gon trusted you with Anakin. You gave your word to both him and the Jedi Council. We all saw what a stellar job you did there. How could you think I would trust you with my own son?!"

Blue eyes pierced her own and Padme immediately felt the effect of her words. Obi-Wan fairly radiated guilt and sorrow, if only for a few moments. She had hit her mark. She had won the battle, if not the war. So why did she not feel victorious?

"Mi'lady," Obi-Wan said softly. He bowed at the waist and walked out of the room, the door closing quickly and quietly behind him. Padme sank into a nearby chair and let her head fall into her hands, wondering not for the first time how things could have gotten so terribly out of control and questioning if her life would ever be in order again.

TO BE CONTINUED