AN: 9 reviews for the third chapter, yay. I really don't know what's going to happen in the story yet. I find out as I write, so if you have suggestions, I gladly take them (and occasionally incorporate them)


A most interesting sight assaulted itself onto Obi-Wan's eyes as he approached Anakin's favorite fountain. He hadn't bothered checking for his friend through the Force; he knew to check here first. Anakin was facing away from him, toward the fountain, but he was deep in meditation. Force how he hated meditation when he first came to Coruscant, Obi-Wan thought as he approached, and he sat down, dropping into meditation himself. It was a good hour before Anakin noted his presence, and the indication that he'd noticed came in the form of a bear hug.

"Breathe," he said hoarsely, as Anakin had been able to knock the wind out of him.

"I'm sorry, Master," he said unrepentantly, but Anakin did release him.

"Now, what was this 'matter of importance' that couldn't wait until after the Council meeting?" Obi-Wan asked as he adjusted his robes back into something approaching normalcy.

Anakin, for his part looked confused, but then, like a light switch inside his head he brightened as he remembered. "I heard something while I was meditating with Yoda."

"And that would be?"

"I'm not quite sure you'll believe me, Master."

"I've learned not to disbelieve you, at least, until further evidence presents itself."

Anakin nodded. "Master Qui-Gon spoke to me."

Obi-Wan sat down next to the fountain. "What did he have to say?"

"He told me that this dream is only the worst possible path. He said that I should listen to you. That I've made mistakes, but it's not too late, and one more thing."

"Go on."

"He said that he's proud of me, and of you."

The last thing that Obi-Wan had expected was approval from his Master, from beyond the grave, no less. Was his Master truly able to talk from beyond? He was glad that he was sitting down at that moment, because his knees wouldn't have held him. "Did he really say that?"

Anakin was serious, usually not a good sign, but indicative of honesty, "Of course, Master. I wouldn't, couldn't make something like this up."

He ruffled Anakin's hair. "I didn't mean that I didn't believe you, but this is, well, rather unbelievable."

"I know, Master, but it's true," he said as he sat down next to Obi-Wan.

"So, what had you so wrapped up in your meditation that it took you an hour to notice me?"

"I was meditating on the ramifications of my actions on the last occasion that I had to hear his voice."

"And that would be?"

"When I was on Tatooine, Master, when my mother died."

"You've never spoken about that. Are you ready to share now, with your horrible old Master Obi-Wan?"

"You aren't horrible."

"You're avoiding my question."

"Yes, I think I need to."

"Alright, I'll listen, my former Padawan," he said, scarcely believing that this was the same young man that he'd come home with two days ago.

"I went to Watto's, but he told me that he'd sold her to this guy, Cliegg Lars, years earlier, and that this guy, Lars had freed her and married her. I got the information from him as to where she was, and went to see her. They had a moisture farm, just a little place, and Lars had a son, Owen, who's nearly my age. They told me that Tuskan Raiders had kidnapped her, and I headed out to find her, to bring her home. They'd already sent a party of like thirty people out after her, but only four of them had returned, one of them Cliegg, minus a leg. I found her, but she'd been beaten, tortured, starved, and was dying. She knew me, she talked, babbled really, about how proud she was of me, and that she loved me then she died," tears streamed unnoticed down his face.

"I'm sorry, Anakin. I wish that I'd known. You had dreams for weeks before she died. It was so hard to tell you that it was your duty not to go to her."

"It's the past, Master. I haven't finished, though."

"Go on, then."

"I weep for her, there in the Tuskan's prison tent, I wept until dawn. I got up and I killed the guards outside her tent. I wanted revenge for what they'd done to her. There was a little child there, maybe five or so. I, I'm not sure what happened then, but I killed that child, then driven by a blood rage from the death of the first innocent, I killed every one in the camp: every last man, woman, and child. Most of it is thankfully a blur, but it remains that I did it."

"Oh, Anakin," he said, drawing the young man into a hug, thankful for whatever good forces had finally gotten through to him, before something worse happened to him. They wept together, for a long time. The cleansing that good tears can do, Obi-Wan mused, as he helped Anakin to rid himself of that demon.

"You said that was the last time that you'd heard Qui-Gon's voice," Obi-Wan stated.

"Oh, that. Just before I first went to kill the guards, I heard him."

"I assume that he wasn't happy with your actions."

"You could say that."

"I'm sure," Obi-Wan said sarcastically.

"I believe the exact phrase was, 'No, Anakin, NO!'"

"Ah," he said, something that could mean both everything and nothing.


Palpatine had not had the best of days so far. His plan to place his future apprentice in a compromising position on the Jedi Council had thus far failed miserably. His former Master had interfered yet again, saying that the boy had been give leave to investigate visions. Visions that he had sent Anakin. Damn him anyway. He thought. He would just have to catch him later on, as he was on his way to see his wife. He wondered briefly what the boy was up to. He trailed the evil strings that he'd tied to Anakin's soul, feeling that the boy was a tumult of emotions. He was reliving the night of his mother's death. That was a good memory for him to be reviewing. Palpatine relaxed as he sensed what his next apprentice was enduring. Then something happened. He wasn't even sure himself what, but some of the dark bonds that he'd so carefully woven around Anakin started to snap. He felt out again from Anakin, and found, not only was Obi-Wan close, but he was in physical contact with him. Palpatine withdrew, knowing that his anger at the situation wouldn't help, because the situation was already quickly getting worse. This was a nasty turn of events. He thought, Maybe tonight, I can send him something more horrific, before all of his beautiful darkness evaporates.

"I want you off the front lines for a while. With everything that is going on, I just don't think that's a good place for you. The Council has agreed."

"I don't see that as necessary, Master, I can pursue my visions on the battlefield as well as off. You didn't tell them everything, did you?" he said, worried, but not the panicked fear that Obi-Wan actually expected out of him.

"I promised that I wouldn't, and so I haven't. You have things that need done, which will have you preoccupied if you are in the middle of a war zone. I told them that you'd had a vision; I didn't go into detail, other than the fact that I found it quite strange. I told them that you were finally starting to open up to me again, and that I wanted to see if I could make further progress with you before I sent you back to the war. They wanted to know if I would be indisposed with you for that whole time, but I think I can trust you for long enough to go lead troops in battle a couple of times a month. Cody is capable, but he likes to have me there."

Anakin laughed at that, "So he does, Master."

"I told them that this shouldn't take more than six months, am I right?"

"I don't really know, but I know who to ask."

"Later, my former Padawan. I'll assume that it's probably about the right length. If not, then we have more problems than I care to think about." Anakin looked confused. "Let's go get some dinner, and then we can visit some of your Senator friends. I'm sure that they all are dying to see you, since I don't think you've been out of the Temple for nearly an entire day."

"Certainly, Master," he said as he bounded up, and then offered his hand to Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan waived him off. "I'm not infirm, Anakin," he said as he managed to get up off the ground with some dignity.

They made their way to the Dining Hall, where they found something that resembled food, ate, and went back to Obi-Wan's Quarters. Obi-Wan wanted to ensure that they looked their best, and robes in which they'd been sitting on the ground just didn't cut it.

After a quick change of clothes, they got into Anakin's speeder, and headed over to the senators' residence. They landed on a platform, with which Anakin was apparently quite familiar, and they made their way to an elevator, taking it to a floor which Anakin selected. When the doors opened, there was no one in the hallway, but that didn't seem to disturb Anakin, who simply made his way to one of the many doors on the floor. "Well?" Obi-Wan asked him.

Anakin seemed disturbed. He put his fingers up to the door, as though he were feeling it, or rather behind it. "She's not here."

"Maybe she had some late meetings."

"Maybe," He agreed unhappily.

"Is this earlier than you usually arrive?"

"Yes, but not that much. I'd think that she'd be home."

"Do I detect a bit of jealousy?"

"Probably, Master. Padmé tells me constantly that I have nothing to worry about, but…" Anakin leaned up against the wall next to the door.

"With the hiding, and everything else, that negative emotion rears its ugly head."

"Yes, Master."

"And you have no real reason for any sort of jealousy, I don't suppose."

"Not really, Master, it's just that I get to spend so little time with Padmé as it is, that…I don't even know what I'm thinking," he said, with a look of absolute defeat.

Obi-Wan didn't even have time to respond when Padmé came into the hall. "Am I interrupting something?" she asked, obviously unsure what to do.

"No. I came to have a talk with the two of you." Obi-Wan said, leaving no room for questions that the discussion would take place.

"Why don't you come inside, Master Obi-Wan?" she said somewhat nervously, opening her door.

"I'm sorry," was the first thing that Anakin said once the door was closed.

"What for now?" Padmé asked him, carefully sitting down on the sofa. Had Obi-Wan not been watching for it, he would have missed the fact that her belly was definitely swollen. He'd guessed correctly, she'd gotten pregnant their last trip through. He sat across from her on the other sofa.

"Because I said that I'd be back last night. I fell asleep on Obi-Wan's couch." Anakin said as he curled up beside her.

She looked at him incredulously. "Have you taken a fever?"

Anakin, for his part, looked confused. "Why is everyone asking if I'm OK? I feel better than I have since…" He thought about the last time that he'd felt as good as he did at that moment. "Since I first met you on Tatooine."

"So then you understand the depth that this change has undertaken." Obi-Wan said.

"I understand. I'm very happy. I think I'm finally starting to understand all the nonsense that you babble about."

"Anakin, it is not nonsense, it is the Way of the Jedi."

"I realize that, now. Two days ago, it was just that much drivel."

Obi-Wan began to realize the depths to which he'd been failing his Padawan. Don't forget that just this morning Qui-Gon was saying that he was proud of you. That must count for something. "Alright, the reason that we are here; so much has happened in the last day, that I'm not sure where to begin," he said.

"Maybe it would be easier if I did, Master."

"Perhaps. Go ahead."

"Padmé some very wonderful things have happened since I returned to Coruscant. First I learned that I was to be a father, and that led to the other wonderful things that happened. Obi-Wan asked me why I was so happy; he'd felt it through the Force. I made him promise not to tell anyone else, before I told him, but letting it free, it was like it freed me. I had a horrible vision, though," he said, his jubilance abating, "but I talked with Master Yoda and Master Qui-Gon about it and everything will be fine, I'm sure of it." Anakin said as he stroked her hair, which she hadn't put down yet, and he watched as her mouth opened and closed several times before Obi-Wan spoke again.

"I don't think that you could have shocked her more if you'd grown another head, Anakin."

"I-I'm not sure what to say, Obi-Wan. Did he say that he was talking to Master Qui-Gon?"

"Yes, Apparently Qui-Gon talks to him, and has for years. I found out this afternoon."

"I'm not losing it, I swear. I just hear his voice, when I really need it." Anakin told them.

"I've been trying for years to get through these landmines that have come between us. Also, I wish you wouldn't go to see Palpatine; I don't want to lose you, after just getting you back."

A slight flare of anger, nothing compared with what it would have been the day before, even, appeared in Anakin's eyes, "For how long, and why?" was his incredibly reasonable answer.

"Until the baby is born, at least. It shouldn't be too much of an issue, as you are going off planet soon, and won't return until then anyway. As to why, logic would suggest that of all of the people in the Senate the Sith Lord would want to have Palpatine under his control. I'm afraid he might be using your friendship with Palpatine to attempt to corrupt you," Obi-Wan explained.

Something happened. Obi-Wan, having prepared for the battle of his life, was suddenly left hanging. "You think the Sith Lord wants to turn me to the Dark Side?" Anakin asked.

"Yes, Anakin, I do. With Dooku dead and you in a state of emotional vulnerability, it makes sense he'd make a play for you. Coupled with the fact that you have the potential to be the greatest Jedi in recent memory, if not ever, is it really a stretch?" Obi-Wan said gently. Padmé gasped at the implications of Obi-Wan's words.

"Oh, Ani, if that were to happen to you…"

"Don't worry Angel, Obi-Wan's concern is enlightening, I had never thought of the possibility, but what you say Master, it does make sense. I won't see Palpatine for the foreseeable future, if you think that's best, Master."

"Who are you and what have you done with my Anakin?" he asked, chuckling, then he continued, "Yes I do, however it may be easier said than done, my friend. He requested to speak with you this morning. I told him I had given you leave to investigate a vision you had had. However if the Dark Lord Dooku told us about is influencing the Chancellor he may attempt to seek you out regardless," Obi-Wan said.

"That means getting off planet. We can stay with your parents on Naboo, Padmé."

"Any thoughts on how Anakin is going to get away from the war?" Padmé asked.

"Obi-Wan got me off of active duty at least until the baby is born," Anakin said.

"But won't they expect you at the Temple?" Padmé asked.

"You're right, they won't expect me to leave Coruscant for any reason," Anakin said.

"I've already thought of that," Obi-Wan said. "I've informed the Council that I'd planned to take you off planet again anyway."

"I think I have an idea, what if my life was in danger again? That would give Anakin something to do that doesn't involve going to the front lines," Padmé said.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Obi-Wan said.