CHAPTER 1

Obi-Wan punched the throttle of his starfighter harder despite his inner anti-pilot screaming the same apprehensive tune as his R4 unit. He danced in and out of Coruscant's midday traffic flow, feeling the Force urging him towards his destination. With his mission on Utapau complete, Grievous dead, and the droid armies all but stalled, Obi-Wan should be relieved, happy even to realize that, at long last, the war was over. The Republic had triumphed. Instead, he felt only worry and apprehension as he drew closer to the Jedi Temple, his home.

Master Windu's response to his victory over the droid commander had been calm and silently triumphant, telling Obi-Wan to aid in clean up efforts on the planet. The master's unexpected message several hours later, in the dark of Utapau's early night, had been clipped, and Obi-Wan didn't miss the bruising and bandages adorning Windu's holoimage. However, he would not tell Obi-Wan what had happened, only that he needed to return to the Temple immediately. Sensing a massive disturbance in the Force associated with Windu's urging, The Negotiator left Cody to deal with the planet, and had burst through Utapau's atmosphere at speeds he hadn't known he could utilize. He had always hated flying, but something was pushing him to let his feelings on the matter go, and to fly home with haste.

Obi-Wan finally landed at the Temple, met by a grim looking Ki-Adi-Mundi and a battered Windu. He sprung out of his fighter the moment the canopy opened and faced his fellow council members. "What's going on?" he demanded without ceremony, but neither Mundi nor Windu flinched.

"Come with us, Obi-Wan," Mace offered. "We will tell you on the way."

Obi-Wan nodded, and he fell into step alongside the two masters. "Looks like I missed a good brawl," he prodded, though his usual humor was hampered by the grief radiating off the pair. Mace met his gaze beside him.

"Indeed you did, Obi-Wan, a brawl to end them all." The master sighed and began to relate the whole tale of Chancellor Palpatine's revelation as the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, his fellow masters deaths, and how Anakin had saved them all. At the mention of Anakin's name, a sharp stab of something skittered along Obi-Wan's skin, igniting the undefined anxiety that had lingered with him since Utapau. Even as he felt a spike of overwhelming pride at his former pupil's heroic deeds, Obi-Wan couldn't shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong.

"So, Palpatine was the Sith Lord all along," he decided to remark, keeping his worry to himself for the moment. "How did we miss it?"

"Perhaps we became too comfortable in our own power that we refused to acknowledge how deeply the Dark Side had clouded everything," Mundi hypothesized.

"Perhaps," Mace agreed. "We will have to meditate on these events and, if necessary, examine ourselves."

As the trio turned a corner in the eerily silent Temple corridors, Obi-Wan suddenly realized where they were taking him, and his heart leapt. He stopped in his tracks, forcing the other two to halt their steps.

"Masters," he said quietly, "where is Anakin?"

As the two Jedi Masters gave each other mournful looks, Obi-Wan knew his answer was down the hall, and without thinking, he pushed past Mundi and began jogging into the Healer's Wing. His escorts didn't try to stop him, allowing the master to find out for himself.

Following his instincts, Obi-Wan turned corner after corner, looking lost to anyone but an attuned Jedi, until he felt the Force telling him to stop. A glazed glass door met his strides, and Obi-Wan attempted to swallow the lump in his throat that he hadn't felt since Satine's death. He touched the door, and it quietly slid open at his touch. Obi-Wan gasped and gripped the door frame, the vision of his former apprentice chillingly white and uncharacteristically still something he would remember forever. Barely noticing his slow steps, Obi-Wan approached Anakin's bed, hearing the heart monitor's reassuring rhythm as he reached Anakin and looked him over.

Not a scratch could be seen, leaving Obi-Wan puzzled. His friend looked no worse for wear, despite his unnaturally wan tone, and certainly not as though he had dueled a powerful Sith Lord. Obi-Wan placed his hand gently on Anakin's forehead and reached into the Force, seeking anything that would give him a clue. He delved into Anakin's mind, and what he felt made him pull back his hand as his eyes began to burn.

Nothing.

He felt nothing.

"He's in a coma, Obi-Wan." The dark skinned master's deep voice surprised Obi-Wan, and he spun to see Mace and Mundi standing respectfully in the doorway. Blinking back his tears and wiping the unnoticed ones away, Obi-Wan turned back to his friend.

"What happened?" he pleaded again, and he heard Mace shuffle a little closer to him.

"We don't know." Obi-Wan continued to stare at Anakin's face, noticing for the first time the almost flat line of the brain activity monitor, and his heart sank. "Anakin was incredible, showed amazing strength that resonated within the Force. But, when he killed Palpatine, he simply collapsed, as if he had been suddenly switched off," Mace continued. "I can't explain it, but as soon as we could get him here, he was like this, and he hasn't changed." Obi-Wan sniffed and wiped at his rebellious eyes, embarrassed by his inability to control his emotions. "We don't know when, or if he'll come out of it, but the healers are doing everything they can."

Obi-Wan nodded his understanding, but he refused to let himself entertain the possibility that he would never see Anakin's cocky grin, hear his endearing chuckle, or know his powerful friendship ever again. No, Anakin was stronger than anyone could possibly guess, his master could feel it. He had to trust in his brother, trust in the Force.

As he placed his hand tenderly on Anakin's shoulder, clothed in the thin, blue healing gown, he became slowly aware of a distant chime. Shaking himself at least half way out of his stupor, Obi-Wan realized that someone was calling him, his comlink lighting up insistently. He blinked, removed his hand, and made an excuse to leave the room for a moment, missing the tiny, imperceptible spike on the screen monitoring Anakin's brain that went unnoticed by all.

"Kenobi," he answered once he was in the alluringly light hallway once more and away from his brother's perilous condition.

"Master Kenobi." The Jedi felt the lump constricting his voice grow even more so as the one person he hadn't wished to call him waited patiently on the other end of the line.

"Senator Amidala," he choked, wishing beyond hope that his well of emotional turmoil would pass for signal interference. He knew Anakin and the senator were close, and he suddenly dreaded telling her anything of his condition, running a hand down his face in unease. Unfortunately for Obi-Wan, the senator was far more intuitive than he wanted her to be at the moment.

"Obi-Wan? Are you all right?" she asked, and the master flinched around his constricted throat.

"Fine, Senator. What can I help you with?"

"Obi-Wan, we've been friends for far too long, I can tell when you're lying to me." Obi-Wan sighed. He had been caught. "I was hoping you could shed some light on what's going on. I turned on the HoloNews this morning, and it's all stories and speculation that Chancellor Palpatine was revealed to be a Sith, that he is dead, and that Anakin killed him." Obi-Wan glanced at Mace, but the master was still. Apparently, Obi-Wan was on his own with this one.

"Senator, where are you?"

"I'm at the Rotunda, but everything is blocked off and I can't get in. We're all standing here no wiser than we were a few hours ago."

"Padmé, I suggest you meet me at your apartment, I will explain everything there." Obi-Wan placed his best impassive face on as he nodded to the two masters, glanced briefly at Anakin's room, and began the walk back to his starfighter. He heard Padmé release a shaky sigh and he could hear her walking, too.

"Obi-Wan," she whispered as if hiding a secret, "is Anakin all right?"

Obi-Wan paused in his steps and shook his head in a futile attempt to clear it of his overwhelming and sudden pain.

"I'll meet you at your apartment, Senator." With that, he ended the call and climbed wearily back into the cockpit, leaving the Temple behind at half the speed at which he had arrived.

Settling into the natural flow of traffic, growing steadily heavier the closer he drew to the Senate district, Obi-Wan began planning what he was going to say, but much to his dismay and frustration, the words wouldn't come. What could he say when he was still processing the new state of his life and how drastically it had changed in less than a full day? The Clone Wars were over, General Grievous was dead, Chancellor Palpatine… Darth Sidious was dead, and Anakin was… he couldn't finish the thought. Even the renowned Jedi Healers didn't know what Anakin was, but Obi-Wan had to hold onto the hope, however dim it may be, that his friend would live to celebrate the heroism he demonstrated and the Mastership he was sure to gain. Obi-Wan wasn't going to give up, and steeling his resolve on that conclusion, he arrived at 500 Republica, still without a word in his head.

Padmé was already waiting for him, pacing in her living room attached to the opened veranda. Dressed in a flowing, heavy looking gown of the deepest purple velvet, her hair held up on the back of her head by a crescent shaped clip, she was every inch the physical image of Senator Amidala. But, in her movements, her wringing hands and bit lip, he saw Padmé, his friend who worried about everything whether she had a say in it or not. The moment he pulled up to her balcony, Padmé started and rushed expectantly to meet him as his feet touched down. Surprisingly, she hugged him briefly, relief flooding towards him from her to see a friendly face, and as she pulled away she sought his gaze and held it firmly.

"I'm so pleased you're all right, Obi-Wan," she said and motioned for him to follow her inside. They both remained standing, far too wound to sit and feel comfortable. Not a word fell between them as Padmé studied her friend and Obi-Wan uncharacteristically fidgeted under such a gaze. Finally, Padmé swallowed. "Tell me the truth, please. I have people looking to me for answers because of my close relationship to the Jedi, and I have nothing for them." Obi-Wan shifted and met her firm but warm eyes.

"What do you want to know?" Padmé clasped her hands together in front of her, her well-practiced senatorial mask washing over her face, but the Jedi Master knew that underneath he was still dealing with his worried friend.

"The Chancellor," she began cautiously, pausing before continuing quietly, "was he a Sith?"

Obi-Wan nodded, knowing she would settle for nothing less than the whole truth. He dreaded what he knew would eventually come, but for now, he could keep his face at least somewhat impassive until the inevitable subject was raised.

"Yes. According to Master Windu, he revealed himself to Anakin, and Master Windu went to apprehend the Chancellor."

Padmé nodded. "And what happened? There are some disturbing whispers amongst the staunchest Separatist supporters that the Jedi are going to declare martial law."

Obi-Wan fought the instinct to roll his eyes at that one. Typical Sith deception. "Master Windu and three others went to his offices and declared him under arrest. Regrettably, only Master Windu survived when Palpatine resisted." Padmé gasped, but Obi-Wan continued. "Although he was told to wait for news, Anakin arrived to help, and after a struggle, Anakin defeated Palpatine, ending the threat once and for all."

Again, Padmé nodded, but much more slowly than before, absorbing everything. "How brave," she said, and he nodded. She smiled softly. "He's always been reckless, hasn't he?" The silence that followed her statement was less than comfortable as Obi-Wan tried to clamp down on his emotions at the mention of his friend's name. His discomfort grew as he began to feel that Padmé was working up to something, and though it was a small flicker, Obi-Wan saw the mask of Senator Amidala begin to dissolve as she drew breath, and he braced himself.

"And, Anakin?"

Obi-Wan forced his gaze not to drop, but he couldn't keep his eyes from wandering, partly to keep his pain hidden, but more so to keep himself from having to look at Padmé when he told her. He hesitated, and it was a bit too long.

"Obi-Wan?" The Jedi started at the emotion he heard in the senator's voice, and he pushed himself to look at her once more. She still clasped her hands, but they were higher and out towards him in supplication, begging for him to answer. Obi-Wan swallowed past the lump that still impeded his voice.

"He's in a coma, Padmé." Her face fell and Obi-Wan couldn't help but look at the floor, and as he continued he turned away, knowing that he wouldn't survive his explanation without shedding tears if he looked at her. "The Healers can't explain it, and neither can Master Windu. During their confrontation with Palpatine, Anakin suffered some sort of attack, which subsided just in time for him to save Master Windu and kill the Sith. But, as soon as he did, Anakin just collapsed." He paused, swallowed once more, and blinked back a tear that was threatening to fall. "I just saw him, Padmé. He has no brain activity and the Healers don't know what to do. They don't know if he'll ever come out of it."

A sharp sob cut through Obi-Wan's statement, and he turned back to his friend. She had clasped a hand to her face while the other hugged herself across the chest as her whole body was wracked with hard sobs. Though this was not the reaction he was expecting, certainly not from the strong Nubian senator, Obi-Wan's heart went out to her. He took a step to comfort her as best he could, but suddenly stopped as he took in Padmé's form more closely. How did he not see it before? From under her arm that wrapped tightly around her as she cried, Obi-Wan saw her stomach protruding far more prominently than for any petticoat or underskirt to be the culprit. He stood there stunned, his body refusing to act on this new piece of knowledge.

"Padmé?" he said quietly, and she slowly brought her head from her hand, but didn't turn to him, wiping furiously at the tears she had allowed to fall and clearing her throat.

"I'm sorry, Obi-Wan, I…" Her heart stopped as she took in the shocked look on his face, her eyes following his to where her secret had been revealed. She bit her lip, another tear falling unbidden, and she wiped her cheek red to rid her face of it. "I, uh…" She fought for words as she removed her hand and smoothed down her dress, attempting to disguise what he had seen, but knowing it would do no good.

He watched her straighten herself, his mind still working furiously to put pieces together he was certain were there for him to find. Her tears at Anakin's condition could be put down to hormones, but Obi-Wan wasn't so chauvinistic to believe it was only that. No, something deeper was going on, he could feel the Force telling him that much, something Padmé was still trying to shield him from despite his perfect eyesight. It hit him like the most powerful Force Push he had ever received, and once it did he couldn't believe he had been so blind.

"Anakin's the father, isn't he?"

Padmé's eyes darted towards him and he read deep pain and begrudging acknowledgment from her shining chocolate eyes. She steeled her face even as her eyes still clung to tears yet unshed and slowly nodded.

"How long?" he asked. She sniffed softly.

"Since Geonosis three and a half years ago." Obi-Wan stiffened as all his suspicions, all his underlying, denied beliefs about his former padawan were all perfectly founded and true, regardless of the lies he told himself to keep Anakin an honest Jedi in his mind. Finding her footing momentarily in the topic at hand, Padmé released all pretenses of hiding. "He's my husband, Obi-Wan."

The Jedi Master shut his eyes tight and sighed as his annoyance spiked, and the part of his mind that was Obi-Wan Kenobi, stoic, strict, ever faithful Jedi Master took over. He turned away from the Senator and found himself unconsciously digging the knuckles of his fist into the back of the couch.

"I knew Anakin was reckless, emotional, and even down right stupid sometimes," he said low and slow, stewing in his own anguish, shock, and was that anger? "But I expected more clarity and reason from you, Senator Amidala." He turned back to her, and their eyes met, his burning with more than a hint of betrayal while she looked almost prepared despite her sadness. Obi-Wan read the acceptance of his admonishment clearly in her watery eyes, and her unfazed, complete acknowledgement of her recognized transgressions radiating from her countenance caused something within him to snap. "How could you let him convince you that this was a good idea? I can only assume he is the more guilty party. He will be expelled!"

"I know," she whispered.

"Did either of you put any thought at all into what this would do to him as a Jedi? Any thought as to how he would be able to carry on if something happened to you in this war? Did you stop to wonder why exactly attachment in all its forms is forbidden by the Code? He could have turned, Senator, very nearly did from what I understand, and then where would we be?"

"I know." Another whisper.

Obi-Wan began pacing a small path in front of the couch, so caught up in his own shock that he didn't notice Padmé's tears. "Every time I pressed him, he assured me that you were just friends regardless of his obvious feelings for you, lying right to my face!" he exclaimed, more for his own ears as his blood boiled for every deceptive time Anakin had denied his deepest secret to him. "I just don't understand, with knowing how he is, his unpredictable nature, how you could have…"

"I love him, Obi-Wan!" Obi-Wan stopped pacing at the utter pain and sorrow he felt in her outburst. He glanced up at her and immediately felt his anger evaporate at the tear streaks on her cheeks. She clasped her hands to her forearms, hugging herself again and revealing the bump of Anakin's baby. "I love him, and he loves me. We tried to deny our feelings, but it took us to places we didn't want to go, and I know had we not given in and accepted what was between us that he would have ended up more bitter, more resentful, and it would have destroyed us both. We just…" she glanced down and wiped her eyes again. "… couldn't. I just love him so much, Obi-Wan…"

Considering the deception, the lies, Obi-Wan should have continued to act on his disappointment. After all, his former apprentice had broken the Code, and the smart, reasonable senator from Naboo had broken it with him. His incredibly by-the-book brain, however, was suddenly silenced by his wounded heart, and Obi-Wan felt a wave of compassion, empathy, and an overwhelming protectiveness settle over him as he silently assessed his friend's wife. For everything he had ever been taught and every lesson about the detriment of attachments to a Jedi, Obi-Wan couldn't find any more anger within him. Acceptance of a fact he couldn't change no matter what he said overrode all else with a sigh, and in two quick strides the Jedi Master took Padmé into his arms and held her.

He felt her stiffen in shock, but he continued to simply hold her until she finally held him back and began to sob once more. "I'm sorry," he apologized, as he rubbed her back soothingly as he used to do for Anakin as a child. In his heart, Obi-Wan knew he should continue to rage and cite the Code in all its glory. Unfortunately, Obi-Wan's subconscious reminded him, he wasn't immune to the idea of damning the Code's rules for someone he loved, and had he been more like Anakin and his own master, perhaps Obi-Wan would have given in to his strong attachment to a certain blonde Mandalorian duchess, regardless of the inevitable life of lies and hidden affection. He found himself not envious of Anakin and Padmé's life in the shadows, but he found, surprisingly, that neither did he begrudge them their choice. In fact, with Anakin's devoted service to the Republic and the Order during the Clone Wars, an argument could be placed for his attachment to Padmé being nothing but an underlined side note to his much deserved title as The Hero with No Fear. He may not always have been the most composed and rational Jedi in the Order, but that was just Anakin. Nothing could have changed that fact.

Obi-Wan felt Padmé's sobs begin to subside, and as she sniffed and whispered an apology of her own, Obi-Wan took her at arms length and led her to sit on the couch beside him. She wiped the last few stray tears away before Obi-Wan decided to speak.

"Married," he sighed in resign. She nodded and lowered her gaze. "It's times like this that I wish he could have found it in him to tell me," Obi-Wan mused aloud.

"We were afraid, Obi-Wan," she said and lifted her head once more. "That's not true. I was afraid. Anakin did want to tell you, had wanted to for a while, but I always talked him out of it. I couldn't bear it if he were expelled from the Order because of me."

Obi-Wan sighed. He understood perfectly well, and had circumstances not become what they are now, Obi-Wan might still agree with her. However, Anakin was now the Republic's biggest hero, and after everything, perhaps the Jedi, he, owed him the benefit of the doubt.

Padmé swallowed and turned to look out onto the turning late afternoon Coruscant skyline. "You're going to have to tell the Council."

"Yes." She sighed and nodded. "But, Padmé," she turned back to him, "you have my support. Anakin's been through so much, and I suppose that if he was married to you throughout this conflict, perhaps his attachment wasn't a hindrance."

Padmé looked at him agape at his statement, barely believing what she was hearing from the master who had only moments ago admonished her and her absent husband for following their hearts. "Do you think they'll go for that?"

"I don't know. But, so much has changed so quickly, I'm uncertain about quite a lot at the moment."

Padmé pursed her lips, and Obi-Wan could see her quick mind working. "Can I see him?" she finally asked very quietly and cautiously, not wanting to step on any toes.

"Of course." Obi-Wan squeezed her hand. "I can't promise an absence of whispers, but of course." Padmé smiled gratefully at her friend and he quirked a brow. "First though…" he said nervously, and she tilted her head in question. He held out his hand to her stomach. "May I?" Padmé smiled, took his hand, and laid it on her belly gently. Obi-Wan gasped at the strong Force presence he felt already, and his eyes misted ever so slightly in wonder, joy, and a small measure of sadness. He met Padmé's eyes and smiled widely at her. "They're beautiful," he said.

She gasped and clasped a hand to her mouth, her eyes wide, and Obi-Wan was suddenly worried he had overstepped some boundary. Only when she slowly lowered her hand and he saw her look of wonderment did he somewhat relax.

"They?"

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