Estora: Thanks for the comments on style. I'm flattered and honored that you think so. :) Like I say below in the author's note, I don't usually ship Padme and Obi-Wan, but since it's an AU, I'm giving it a shot.

Littlefists: I'm very glad that you enjoyed Fire and Ice enough to give this story a shot. Fire and Ice is kind of my baby, so it's nice to hear that you liked it. :)

Moonstar 11: I was dissatisfied with Padme's death in ROTS, as well. I wouldn't go so far as to say it was out of character—love can make people do strange things—but I had a difficult time buying that she'd leave her children like that.

ObiBettina7: I thought she was stronger in Episode One and Two, also. I wish they'd kept in the deleted scenes in Episode Three that showed her planning to go against Palpatine. That seemed more like her.

Chasing Liquor: I always wondered how Obi-Wan dealt with everything all alone on Tatooine. I suppose Qui-Gon must have helped him, but it still must have been hard to be mostly alone and have all the time in the world to think and dwell on what happened.

Pronker: I thought a change of setting might be interesting.

Anakinpadmekenobi: I thought it could be fun to play around with the idea of Obi-Wan, Padme, and the twins altogether.

A/N: This is a pairing I usually don't explore. Actually, I really dislike Obi-Wan/Padme if it's not done as an AU. Basically, I think it's completely divergent from both of their characters. Whether you love or hate Anakin, Padme cares about him enough in canon to die because she loses him—it seems completely out of character to me to think that, in the context of ROTS, she would cheat on Anakin, with Obi-Wan of all people. In regards to Obi-Wan, if you accept the Expanded Universe canon, he's already given up love to be a Jedi. He's not going to randomly pull a turnabout with Padme. Plus, there's no way he wouldn't know what that would do to Anakin, and as frustrated as he gets with him, it's pretty clear that he cares about his former padawan. In short, I've seen good authors pull off this pairing, but it's certainly not my first choice when done within the bounds of ROTS.

However, as an AU pairing, I thought it would be fun to explore. :) So, here I go with an attempt.

The second part of my disclaimer: I usually don't enjoy writing romance of this sort, because I'm not a fan of casual, unmarried sex. Plus, I'm not comfortable writing something like that anyway: you won't ever see me writing scenes that go beyond kissing. Also, just because I write a character doing something doesn't mean I think it's right in actual life.

My actual disclaimer: Lucas owns it all. More's the pity for me.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I'm a busy college student who doesn't have lots of time, so I do my best to respond to the reviews that make particular comments... but I certainly appreciate everyone else's, too!


"Leia, give that back to your brother."

"But, Mommy, I had it first!"

"Leia—"

There were days when it seemed to Padme that the children fought constantly, giving her more of a headache than the bureaucrats in the Senate used to. It was especially bad when Obi-Wan was gone; he was so much better at successfully resolving debates between the children. Apparently, his expertise as "the negotiator" extended to his family life as well. And the children were always worse when he was gone, bickering over the littlest things…

"She did not!" Luke protested loudly, his tiny eyes going wide at what Padme knew was Leia's lie.

Setting aside the datapad she'd been reading, she tiredly pushed a stray lock of hair out of her eyes and turned her full attention to the children. "Leia, give it back to him. And don't lie."

"Mommy—"

"Now, Leia, and if I catch you lying again there will be consequences."

Scowling, Leia did as told.

Some days, Padme could hardly believe that the children were twins. As shy and sweet as Luke was, Leia was bold and opinionated, even at three years old. She acted first and thought later, but she had a good heart; she was just so like Anakin that at times it hurt Padme to think about it. Luke... Luke was, ironically, more how she had been as a child. He was quiet, but he took in everything around him and was typically the one who helped his sister out of any scrapes that her brashness got her into. Together they made a good pair, and she suspected that if they'd been allowed to play with other children, they would be a formidable force to be reckoned with.

"Mommy, Daddy's home!"

Immediately, her datapad slipped through her hands and clattered to the ground. The children never noticed—they were already rushing toward the door, their tiny legs moving as fast as they could.

"Daddy! Daddy!"

The moment that Obi-Wan opened the door, Leia flew into his arms, latching on with a fierceness that Padme was well-aware sprouted from his week-long absence. Obi-Wan seemed to have missed them just as much. Smiling, he knelt down and allowed both her and Luke to cling to him. Both wrapped their arms around his neck, seeming intent on never letting go.

In times like these, Padme knew she'd made the correct decision in asking Obi-Wan to act as their father.

"Daddy! You're back!" Luke exclaimed, grinning. "You're home!"

Obi-Wan laughed. "If this is the greeting I get, I should go into the city more often," he teased, picking them up. They giggled happily, hanging on.

Once he had a twin securely in each arm, Obi-Wan turned to look at her. "Padme," he greeted, his tone softer, more subdued. There wasn't the same lightness in his eyes when he looked at her—not like when he regarded the children—but there was something there. It was deeper, more complicated, but just as important, and whatever it was, a small smile softened it until she knew it at least contained an element of affection.

"You were longer than you said you were going to be."

"I know. I'm sorry. Bail needed some help with—"

She rose from her seat, moving to where Obi-Wan was holding the twins. Luke and Leia seemed to have recognized the mood and had gone quiet, resting their heads against Obi-Wan's chest. "You know I don't like it when you get involved with Bail's... activities."

He looked away. "I know, Padme, but if the Emperor is to ever be defeated, someone has to do something."

"I know. But not you. You—" How could she possibly explain that she wanted his first priority to be her and the twins? How could she ask him to put first a family that wasn't even really his?

She didn't need to explain. Somehow he seemed to know what she was thinking. He always seemed to find a way to know, and it was, she was sure, nothing to do with the Force. Anakin never could do that. This ability to understand what she was thinking—it was purely Obi-Wan. "My first obligation is to you and the twins."

"I—Obi-Wan, I can't ask that—"

"And I won't make you. It just how things are."

Leia saved her from having to answer. "Daddy?" Slowly, Leia reached out and gently put a hand on either side of Obi-Wan's face, smoothing her fingers lightly over his cheeks. She didn't remember a time when there had been a beard there, but Padme did, and with that memory came other... less benign ones.

"Yes?"

"Have you been doing dangerous stuff?"

For a three-year-old, she was remarkably astute. She was also the more vocal of the two twins, but not exclusively the more intelligent; if Leia knew that Obi-Wan was doing something dangerous, Luke must as well.

"Nothing that will stop me from coming home to you and your mommy."

That was, Padme knew, more for her benefit than it was for Leia's. Unfortunately, she wasn't entirely sure she believed him. Anakin had said he would come home, too.

Leia's face scrunched up in a picture of childish thought. "Good. We need you." Wiggling a little, Luke nodded his assent against Obi-Wan's shoulder.

"I know you're not convinced, Padme," he said slowly, meeting her gaze, "but Bail needs help. And I am obligated to give him the assistance that he needs."

Obligation. Always obligation. "You aren't responsible for... the state of things, Obi-Wan. Stop trying to atone." The words came out a little sharper than she'd intended, but she was tired of this—tired of his inability to let go of his guilt for what had happened to Anakin... though, not nearly as tired as she was of her own inability to do exactly the same thing.

Surprisingly, his face softened. "We can't hide forever, Padme."

"I—yes, we can. Alderaan is safe. He won't come looking here. We're two days journey from any settlements, and no one knows where we are—"

"Vader is smart, Padme. And even if he doesn't find us, we can't expect everyone in this family to hide forever."

He was speaking of the twins, of course—and he was right. She knew he was. Luke and Leia, as much as she wanted to protect them, had a destiny, and though she wasn't Force-sensitive, she could already feel that it was going to be a great one. Someday, they would no longer remain anonymous.

Thankfully, that day was not today.

"I'm glad you're home."

Carefully, he walked over to the sofa and set the twins down on it, settling beside them. As soon as he did, they both climbed into his lap, latching onto him once again. They would, she knew, be very reluctant to let him out of their sight for the next few days.

"I'm glad to be home," he admitted with a smile. "The supplies are in the storage shed. I'll bring everything inside in the morning."

She nodded and sank down next to him. It was good to have him back. When he was gone, it felt as though she couldn't quite breathe in fear of what could happen. He might not come back, and then where would she and the children be? She wasn't sure when he'd become so important—and not just because he helped care for their family. Truthfully, though, she wasn't sure she knew why else she needed him—at least not beyond knowing that everything felt more at ease when he was there, more like a household and less like she was holding her breath and waiting to exhale.

She didn't have an explanation, but she did know that he was home now, and it felt right.

She leaned back into the couch and let herself breathe.


Padme was the first to suggest that they share a bedroom. She told herself that it was purely for the children, of course. They needed to see what a normal family was like, and after some discussion, Obi-Wan eventually agreed. She never really knew if he understood her own motives better than she did, or if perhaps he simply gave in purely because it was something she asked for.

Obi-Wan never touched her inappropriately. Sometimes, she fancied that she saw some sort of deeper desire in his eyes, but it always seemed to flicker and dim—extinguished behind the Jedi self-control that he so often displayed—before she got a good look at it. He was unreadable, and that frustrated her. She didn't want him to be unreadable—she wanted to understand him.

The first time that they touched was almost an accident. As far as incidents went, it was fairly minor: the shoulder strap of Padme's gown slipped as she was climbing into bed, and Obi-Wan, ever the gentlemen, courteously reached over to gently move it back into place. The trouble came when his fingers brushed her skin, purely accidental, but enough to ignite the desire she hadn't been willing to acknowledge.

Immediately, he pulled his hand back. It took her a moment to realize that he'd felt her emotions.

"I—perhaps I should sleep on the sofa tonight?" he suggested quietly, a flush beginning to color his cheeks. He didn't seem angry. If anything, he appeared a little lost, as if he was unsure of how to respond.

Padme caught his hand before he could drop it back to the bed. "No. I—no."

He didn't sleep on the couch that night, and when they got up the next day, neither of them spoke about what had happened.

The second time that they blurred the lines in their carefully established rolls was a bit harder to deny... impossible, really. It started out innocently enough. They'd gone to bed, but he'd insisted on doing a bit of reading on his datapad before settling in to sleep. What he was reading about, she didn't know, but she'd begun to tease him about his propensity to spend his free time reading articles other beings found entirely boring. She'd needled him until he'd given in and lightly thrown the datapad onto her lap.

Completely amused, she'd thrown it back, laughing. And he'd thrown it back. Then, she'd tackled him.

She hadn't quite realized what she was doing until she was sprawled on top of him, their bodies pressed together. When she did finally notice, it was even more of a shock to realize that she didn't very much want to move. She liked the way he felt to her touch, warm and solid—comforting. He felt real.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, though she didn't move.

"We should talk about this."

"Sometimes talking doesn't solve anything."

"That coming from a politician?" he asked, his lips quirking into a playful smile. It looked different so close, and she was seized with the undeniable desire to feel that smile under hers.

"You're awful!" she quipped, swatting him in the shoulder with the back of her hand. It wasn't quite as satisfying as kissing him, but she wasn't sure how receptive he'd be, and making light of the position they were in seemed a good option.

The tension faded completely, and before she knew what was happening, he was flipping her over onto her side, grinning and laughing, his eyes sparkling with amusement. She loved that look in his eyes. It was everything that she'd missed with Anakin.

Except, Obi-Wan was not Anakin and, as odd as it seemed, she didn't want him to be. How could she? Anakin had failed her; she didn't want Obi-Wan to do the same.

They fell asleep that night lying very close to each other, exhausted from laughing.

The third time that they acted towards each other in a way not entirely platonic was the last time they cared to even think about it. It was two days after the second incident, five days after the first. This time, there was nothing accidental about it. They'd both slipped into bed after a long day of playing with the children outside. He'd turned over and she'd turned over until they were facing each other. Then, she had leaned forward and kissed him… and he'd kissed back

The kiss was entirely unlike anything she'd experienced. When Anakin had kissed her, there had always been almost unchecked desire behind it. She'd enjoyed his power, enjoyed feeling as if he consumed her. Obi-Wan... Obi-Wan was nothing like that.

The way he kissed her was sweet—gentle—and unhurried. He wasn't passive by any means, but he didn't thrum with power the way Anakin had. He was temperate. Solid. Unwavering. Padme had gotten enough adventure for a lifetime; as much as she'd loved Anakin, theirs had been a whirlwind romance, invigorating, but equally draining. Something steady now seemed entirely appealing.

Obi-Wan seemed entirely appealing.

Anakin had been excitement and passion—an adventure that she would never regret—but Obi-Wan felt like home.

"Do you want this?" he asked, pulling back after a few moments.

She nodded.

"Padme, I'm not Anakin, and I never can be—"

"I don't want you to be."

She didn't. She didn't want that at all. She wanted him to be him, because he was exactly what she needed now.

He looked at her a moment more as if he were discerning the truth in her words. Apparently, he liked what he found, because he leaned back in and brushed their lips together again. His skin was so warm under her hands—she could feel his heat even through his nightshirt—and he smelled of the mountains of Alderaan where they were living.

He smelled like home.