Author's Note: I am so sorry for the long wait! I have been busy with life and working on other stories that I haven't been showing this story the love it deserves. I do love all of the attention that this story is getting and we are drawing close to the wedding and the night that follows but I am still have apprehensions and would love y'alls opinion on what I should do. I just don't want a shotty sex scene to ruin this nice story. Anyway, let me know what you think! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Warnings: Language, OOCness, unbeta'd.
Word Count: 5,944
A pretty, eight year old girl, sits at a desk in the corner of her room, reading over old, musky books that she stole from the library on the first floor of her home. A large window in front of her lets in the early evening light. Beyond the window is the large expanse of a city that went on as far as the eye can see. Large, clean and bustling, even as the day is beginning to wane.
She's hunched over the books, reading them in depth, brown eyes wide and focused. The tombs were written in an old language that she has been working hard to learn well, and she's getting there. Her mother has spent a lot of time helping her learn it - at least, when she's around. The little girl has been trying hard to be able to master understanding the language to please her mother.
Just keep trying. Just keep trying. She'll get it down sometime. She just has to keep focusing.
There is a light knock on the door, but the little girl doesn't hear it. She's too engrossed in the text, lips moving slowly, trying to pronounce the word in the strange language, before writing it down to look up its meaning later, so that she will better be able to understand. There is a notebook next to her filled with words from an intricate language with definitions written down next to words she didn't know.
She was both dedicated and vigilant, if nothing else.
"Padme?"
The girl perks at the sound of her name. She turns away from the desk and the big window next to it to the door behind her. Her father, a handsome, young man with a smooth face and dark slightly curled hair and brown eyes, stares back at her with a gentle smile on his face.
"Daddy!" Padme jumps from her chair and runs into the man's arms, being lifted up effortlessly. He holds onto her tight, kissing her hair a few times and gives her a loving squeeze before pulling back.
"Hi, princess," her daddy says, smiling charmingly. "Still studying those old books your mom collected, huh?"
Padme nods happily, a huge grin splitting her face. "Yes! I'm going to surprise her by being able to read chapter eleven in Adicardo!"
Her daddy laughs, shaking his head. "Well, you certainly got your brans from your mother. All of that is just nonsense to me. But I'm glad that you're still at it. Mommy will be too."
"Really?" Padme asks, brown eyes blown wide. "You really think so? Mommy will be happy?"
Her daddy nods, swaying side to side a bit with her still in his arms. "Yes, she definitely will be. In fact, I spoke with her just the other day. She's expecting to be back sometime next week should everything go according to plan."
Padme's face lights up. "Really? She's coming home?" Her little hands gripped tightly at the cloth of his shirt over his shoulder. She is practically bouncing in excitement at the prospect of seeing her mother again so soon.
Her daddy smiles charmingly, kissing her on the cheek lovingly. "Yeah." He pushes her loose, curly brown hair from her face and tucked behind her ear. "We are going to have to surprise her, huh?"
Padme nods, happily, wrapping her arms around her father's neck, a bright smile on her lips. "Will you help me learn this, daddy?"
Her father laughs, walking over to her desk and setting her down before kneeling next to her and looking at the text book, curiously. "I don't know, princess. Daddy isn't good at stuff like this like mommy is, but I can look up definitions for words, so maybe you and I will both learn something new. How about that?"
"Great idea, daddy!" Padme gushes, returning to her book, flipping the pages all the way to the beginning. "Here, I'll start from the beginning so you can get caught up."
Her father laughs, running a hand through his wavy brown hair, pushing it away from his face. "Alright, Padme. Read it to me."
Padme leans against the concrete railing to look out over the large Naberrie yard to see Anakin and Shmi walking amongst the tall grass and beautiful shrubbery talking. Their steps are slow and purposeful, and Shmi has her arm linked through Anakin's. Both appear to be splitting their time between talking to one another and enjoying the beautiful scenery.
The young senator smiles. Anakin looks so blindingly happy that his mother is at his side. He doesn't know the pain and fear of losing his mother. Holding her dead body in his arms and burying her. He might be able to imagine, but at least he doesn't know for certain. And Shmi looks happy too, smiling up at her son while holding tightly to his arm.
"That's the happiest I've seen her in a long time," Cliegg says, leaning against the railing next to Padme, pulling the young brown haired girl's attention away from her guard and his mother. She looks up at the older man.
"I'm happy to hear it," Padme says kindly. "Both of them deserve a bit of happiness."
Cliegg nods, smiling lovingly down at the woman walking with her son. "She spoke of Anakin all the time. She really missed him, but was certain that he was going to be fine. She always said that he was the strongest person she knew and that no matter what came his way, he would be able to handle it. She had the upmost faith in him in just about every way possible."
Padme smiles at that. "She's right. Anakin is good. There is great strength and love in him." Padme reaches up and tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "He's been worried sick about his mother all this time, I'm sorry that he hasn't been very cordial to you, Beru or Owen. He's very protective of his mother."
"I understand," Cliegg says, waving away her apology. "I'm not sure how much you know about the way of life on Tatooine, but I don't blame him for not trusting me when it comes to his mother. But I really do love her. I just want her to be safe and happy. I would never blame Anakin for thinking the worst of me. He doesn't know me and I doubt I would ever be able to convince him of my intentions without Shmi being there to confirm it."
"I believe you," Padme says softly, turning to watch the two again. "I am glad that Shmi is with you. I was worried about how lonely she must have been without Anakin with her. It's a relief that she's not alone anymore."
Cliegg smiles a bit. "I'm glad you feel that way. I know it's not going to be easy to win over Anakin, but it'll be worth it. Shmi loves him so much. I can wait."
Padme smiles at him. She really does like Cliegg. She hopes that now they will be able to live a long and happy life together. The nice, and lovely, woman that Shmi is, deserves all the happiness in the world. Padme loves Anakin so much, she doesn't mind sharing him with his mother. So long as he's happy, she doesn't care if some of their precious time together, with her.
Padme lowers down into the sofa in the center of the lounge, looking down at the fireplace next to her, thinking about the last time that she was here. This was where she and Anakin kissed again, but then she told him that they would never work out. She broke his heart, right before her very eyes. He was so hopeful about them, having seen her for the first time in forever, being able to touch her, talk to her, be with her. And Padme breaks his heart - just like that. All because she couldn't stop herself from caring what other people think of her.
She can feel the cool night air coming in from the large windows behind her, cooling the revealed skin on her back and shoulders. She enjoys the contrast of the heat of the fire in front of her and the cool air blowing in from the window behind her. It's peaceful, listening to the crackling of the fire and feeling the contrast. In her mind's eye, she can see Anakin's face with the fire light casting a flattering shadow across his young, youthful face.
He was so beautiful in that moment, open and raw. She realized in that moment that she loved him, yet she still turned him down. She looked into his hopeful eyes, filled with want and love, and shot him down, like she didn't feel the same somehow.
She feels a large, hot hand slide across her shoulders, drawing her attention to Anakin, lowering down on the couch next to her, staring down into her eyes like she's the most beautiful woman he's ever seen. Padme turns away from the fire, toward Anakin, staring back up at him. Like in her memory of him, and the him now, he's so beautiful. Blindingly happy, not knowing the pain of losing his mother and the steady fall to the Dark Side the loss of her would bring upon him. He doesn't know that feeling. And if Padme has her way, he never will.
"How is your mother?" she asks, softly.
"Fine, thanks to you. She's resting now, per Galdrina's orders," Anakin says. "But I don't want to talk about her right now."
Padme reaches out, lightly touching his cheek before leaning in and meeting him half way, kissing him softly. She reaches up with her other hand to run her fingers through the shorter bit of his hair. She relishes in the feeling of his full, soft lips against her own, eager but tender and a bit clumsy from lack of experience. It really brings her back to the parallel to these moments in her own time. He's confident and self assured, even when it's obvious that he has no idea what he's doing. But it just makes him more appealing in Padme's eyes.
Anakin's hand settles on her waist, pulling her closer while her fingers run over the back of his head, slightly missing his long, curly hair for her to tangle her fingers into. She runs her long, manicured nails along his scalp relishing in this moment. His innocence, simply because he doesn't know how kiss a woman, and has had the biggest crush on her for forever. It all draws her in. She is slightly worried for the future, but she doesn't have to be at that moment. Right now, he's so focused on her that he doesn't care about anything else.
And Padme loves him. She's willing to look past everything she has to, in this moment, just to have him with her. Finally, they pull back because Anakin hasn't yet mastered the ability to breath through his nose and Jedi breathing techniques only last so long, so they separate to breath. But they don't pull away far. Their lips part but their foreheads stay pressed together, breathing in the same air.
Padme reaches up and runs her hands up and down his cheeks, feeling his smooth skin under her fingers. She opens her eyes to see his are closed, still lost in the moment as he breaths heavily. He doesn't say anything, he doesn't move, which suites her fine. She can stare at him without worrying about freaking him out at all. She takes in his nice, tan skin, his impossibly long lashes, the gentle swooshing of his eyelids as his eyes move beneath them. He didn't have his scar yet, nor the large, prominent dark circles under his eyes, or the darkness in his eyes just yet. He's still happy.
"I love you," Padme whispers, kissing his lips softly. Anakin easily reciprocates, a smile splitting his face nearly in two, like her words make his entire day ten times better.
To Padme, it just made her feel good. She did love him, and telling him made her happy. Because simply saying it made him happy. If she could somehow get him to smile for the rest of their lives, then she would. She would do anything to keep that beautiful smile on his face. She loved him so much and it does her heart good that he's able to find a bit of happiness, even in these simple moments. It's the least she can do.
"I have always loved you," Anakin whispers back, as if they spoke too loud, it would shatter the pretty peace that they were wrapped up in. "Ever since I first met you, you have filled my thoughts and dreams. I saw you everywhere I went. I can't believe that you are here in front of me now. I'm afraid that you're going to be just another wonderful dream." He kisses her again, savoring the moment, without opening his eyes.
Padme grabs his hands and brings them to her lips, kissing them both softly before resting them on her cheeks and holds them there. She relishes in the moment, feeling the heat of his body on her cheeks and closes her eyes.
"I'm here," Padme whispers, feeling his forehead press against hers. "I'm here, Ani. I'm not going anywhere." And she means it. Anakin's smile broadens and he looks so beautiful. What Padme wouldn't give to keep that beautiful look on his handsome face?
"Marry me," Anakin whispers. "Here, on Naboo. My mother is here, your family..?"
"My family would make a huge special about it," Padme says softly. "But I agree. Your mother is safe and sound and will be here for a little while yet. We should, while we have the time and we are together. Besides, Naboo is a closed system, separate from the Republic archives, one of our stimulants for joining. We retained a degree of our independence."
Anakin stares at her, wide eyed. "That means we can legally marry..." His smile grows even brighter. He looks so blindingly happy at that. Padme was too.
"How do you feel?" Padme asks as Anakin leaves Galdrina's office about a week later, after his physical therapy for the day. Anakin stops after closing the door to wait for Padme to catch up with him. "Therapy going well?"
Anakin nods and starts walking when she falls in step with him. They walk slowly, not in a hurry to do anything. For just a moment, they have all the time in the world, as crazy as that sounds. And to be honest, Padme is dreading the moment that they return to Coruscant, because then Anakin would be gearing up and getting ready to leave her for war. Padme knows that Anakin is strong and that he'll be fine, but she hates it every single time he leaves. She is so utterly terrified that something will happen to him and he will never return to her.
She isn't as much worried about that anymore, though. Well, she is, but not as much. She's more worried about what happens out there that drags Anakin down the dark path that ultimate leads to his fall. She trusts Anakin cares enough about his life to keep himself safe, but she is always worried that something might happen that'll set him over the edge.
But she also wants to trust Anakin. She doesn't want to be terrified of his every thought and action. She wants to trust that he'll be able to look after himself, without losing himself. It's a hard thing to grasp, but she's going to have to try. She can't let Anakin deal with everything on his own without support, but she can't just suffocate him with her presence either. There has to be a healthy medium that she can balance out.
She'll just have to see.
"I feel good," Anakin says, offering her a charming smile. "I'm starting to get used to this arm." He looks down at his right, mechanical hand, opening and closing the hand before pulling his black glove on snugly. He wiggles his mechanical fingers around a little bit, smiling faintly to himself, thinking about something that makes him happy, before he looks down at her, eyes soft. "Thanks for asking."
"I feel responsible," Padme admits, folding her hands neatly in front of herself, intertwining her fingers together, trying to get them occupied so they aren't just waving around aimlessly. It was a nervous habit she picked up when she got pregnant. Normally, she would interlace them on her growing stomach, but now she doesn't have the babies in her belly any longer so her hands just rest in front of her. It was a pain, being pregnant. The morning sickness, being doted on twenty-four seven, being bedridden, the mood-swings and cravings. Annoying things that were sometimes unbearable.
But there was positive things too. When her children started moving, when she felt them... it was such a wonderful, unexplainable feeling that made it all worth it. Thinking that soon, she would be able to hold him or her - them - in her arms. Love them and hold them and just be with them, it definitely made everything worth it. Padme wanted them so bad. She just wished that things could have been different.
She wished Anakin would have been there more. She wished that he would have been able to really feel them move in her belly, and not just the tail end of moments when she yelled for him when he returned to Coruscant and he came rushing only to barely feel it. He would smile anyway, bashfully innocent and happy, but she could tell he was scared. Scared that he wouldn't be able to live up to the wonderful mother he had. Scared that he would somehow mess up their lives.
But Padme didn't see it that way. She thought that Anakin would be a wonderful father. She saw how he was with Ahsoka. How they fought, but found common ground. How they disagreed, but ended up always having each other's back. How they would both be reckless, but would never throw the other under the bus and leave them high and dry. They took care of each other and loved each other.
Anakin would be a wonderful father.
"For what?" Anakin asks, looking down at her with his eyebrows pulled together tightly. "For me losing my hand? That wasn't your fault."
"It was," Padme says softly, looking down at the ground in front of them, watching as each step she takes would kick out her dress a bit. She has definitely up a bit of speed in her shame. Anakin's long legs let him keep stride easily. "I distracted you. If I hadn't, then perhaps things would have turned out different."
"You didn't distract me," Anakin says firmly.
"But I did," Padme insists, turning her eyes up toward his again. "You looked up at me right as he..." Padme lets out a long sigh, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, Ani, if I had known..." Another sigh. "Things would have been different."
Anakin grabs her shoulders, pulling her to a stop and turning her to face him. "Padme, I don't blame you. I know how dangerous it is to fight with a lightsaber. I was being careless in a battle against an opponent that I really shouldn't have been. Battle is dangerous, we both know that. As much as I would love to blame Dooku for me losing my hand, I know that ultimately was my fault."
Padme stares up at him, seeing the worn, drawn down look on his face. Normally, Anakin would be drawn up in rage over the loss of his arm and blamed Dooku until he was blue in the face. He hated Dooku for the loss of his hand, and in some ways, Padme did too. All she had to go off of was his story about how he lost his arm - he was angry, he lost focus and Dooku got the better of him. He hated Dooku for that, and harbored it all the way up until the day he killed Dooku. So, to see him talking calming about not blaming Dooku, is a little surprising, but not unwelcome.
Any unnecessary rage is to be avoided, she thinks.
"Don't blame yourself, okay?" Anakin asks, his voice soft and gentle. Padme nods, silently, in awe of this new Anakin. Is it possible to love him more than she already does?
"Good," Anakin says, pulling back and smiling charmingly. "Are you... um, excited for tonight?"
"After our wedding?" Padme asks innocently.
Anakin blushes. "Yeah, I've been thinking about what I was going to say for our vo-" He blinks, eyes blown wide before his entire face lights up, turning a deep crimson color as he jerks his head away, coughing. Padme laughs, feeling bad for teasing him. Anakin became so suave in their years together, she kind of missed his bashful innocence when they first got together. She liked to tease him a bit and he fell for it every time they met for the first three months before he took her up on her challenge and started teasing her back.
But for now, she can relish in a bit of teasing.
"Senator!" Anakin gasps, trying to cover up his embarrassment that Padme finds so cute. "Should you be saying things like that?"
"No," Padme admits. "At least, not to anyone but my husband." She smiles sweetly at him.
Anakin coughs again before looking back at her, still blushing in embarrassment. "At least we can agree on that."
Padme laughs, somehow feeling this heavy weight being lifted from her shoulders. She reaches out, lightly cupping his face, unable to control the jubilant smile nearly splitting her face in two. "Relax, Ani. I'm sure whatever it is you say tonight will be wonderful. Speak from the beautiful heart that you have, I'm sure I will love it."
Anakin smiles sweetly down at her, making her heart flutter. He's so beautiful and filled with life. She can already see the difference in Anakin. Sure, he lost his arm still, but he just looks so much happier. She couldn't be more proud of his outlook on life at the moment. She couldn't be more in love with him than she is. He's just so wonderfully beautiful.
"Thanks," Anakin mumbles, looking bashful. They turn and start walking again.
"How are you feeling, Master Kenobi?" Secura asks, walking alongside him toward the Council chambers. They walk slowly, close so that their shoulders bump together in familiarity. "How is the physical therapy going?"
"Good," Obi-Wan says easily. "I actually had my last session today." His limp is completely gone and he moves his arm around a bit to show that he was no longer in any pain. "I feel good."
"I'm happy to hear that," Secura says and smiles, her pretty blue face transforms beautifully from her usual stoic look. "I'm going to be heading out of here later on tonight and I just wanted to check up on you before I left."
"Going out to meet your clones?" Obi-Wan asks.
Secura nods. "Yeah, my division is ready for me. I've got a bit of time to go out and meet with them before we are deployed. Something tells me that we are going to be spending a lot of time together. Best to at least know who I'm going to be working with." She shrugs her shoulders a bit, face dropping with a dark look in her eyes.
Obi-Wan reaches out and pats her shoulder. "Don't think about it too much, Aayla." He smiles at her reassuringly. "I'm sure everything will work out."
"Thank you, old friend," Aayla says, looking away.
"You know," Obi-Wan says, a joking lilt to his voice, "I'm not so old that I would need someone to babysit me to my first council meeting. I think I know the way well enough not to get lost."
Aayla rolls her eyes. "I know that. I just wanted to see you before I headed off. Besides, it's not every day that your childhood friend is promoted, not only to Master, but welcomed onto the council. It's a big deal, so let me congratulate you." She shoots him a little glare, which Obi-Wan smiles sheepishly at.
"Well," Obi-Wan says, looking forward as they turn onto the hall leading to the council room, "I appreciate the thought, Aayla. I hope that I can live up to everyone's expectations of me."
"I'm sure you'll do great, Obi-Wan," Secura says, letting out a slow sigh. "I've always known that you had it in you." They stop outside of the council room, not minding the temple guards that lined the hall, watching them closely. "I'd best go, lest my flight leave without me. Good luck, Obi-Wan. May the Force be with you." She tips her head in a respectful bow.
"And with you as well, Aayla." Obi-Wan tips his head in a bow as well, watching as she heads back down the hall and disappears around the corner. Obi-Wan turns to the door, nodding his thanks when one of the guards opens it up, welcoming him inside.
Obi-Wan has been in the council room a handful of times after his surprise promotion to Master, but as soon as he steps into the room, he knows that something is immediately off. There is a strange energy in the air that he's surprised he didn't notice until now, standing in the room. His large, light blue eyes rise up, locking first with Master Koon, then Kit Fisto, then Mace Windu, and finally Master Yoda. All of them were staring at him expectantly, as if they were waiting for him. Like he wasn't part of this meeting, but the discussion of it.
That's when he realized that there was other people were in the room.
Obi-Wan looks around at the strange, unfamiliar faces. There was five of them. The one that stood out immediately was the human woman in all white. White robes, hair, skin with wintery eyes. Her posture is rigid and there is a frown on her lips.
The next is a balding human man with pale eyes and a permanent scowl on his face and pale skin. His body is just as rigid as the woman before him.
The next is more relaxed. Also a balding human man with darker skin and eyes and a black mustache.
The one that follows is a twi'leki man. Pink skinned with narrow purple eyes. His hands are folded neatly behind his back which is ramrod straight.
The very last man is also human, the one closest to him is fair skinned with blond hair and blue eyes. His arms are crossed over his chest and he's leaning on his hip, looking by far the most relaxed.
"Hello," Obi-Wan says, tipping his head respectfully. He looks toward the masters sitting on the council. "Can I ask what is going on?"
"High ranking secret that you are being let into, Master Kenobi, this is," Yoda says, narrowing his eyes a bit, troubled. "Masters of old, they are." He raises a hand in a slow gesture toward the strangers in the room.
Obi-Wan looks over at them again, noticing how they were studying him, watching him closely, even probing him in the Force to get some sort of read on him. He's not sure how he feels about this. He doesn't know these people, but they are obviously very strong in the Force. Yes, he could believe what Yoda called them. They have to be Jedi Masters. Just, he's never seen any of them before.
"He's young," the woman says, eyeing him up and down. "I heard he was, but I didn't expect by your description of him that he would be this young."
"He is young, Atris," the blond man says, "but he is very strong in the Force."
The woman tuts, staring at Obi-Wan for a moment before looking at the twi'lek next to her. He pulls his hands from behind himself and crosses them over his chest, as if thinking about something. "Zhar?"
"It's nothing. I just," he mumbles, tilting his head to the side a bit. "You fought and killed a sith lord?"
"Yes," Obi-Wan says, shifting uncomfortably. "He killed my Master, shortly before."
"Our condolences," the twi'lek master says.
"It was many years ago," Obi-Wan says dismissively.
"Perhaps we should introduce ourselves to Master Kenobi," the dark skinned Master says. "I am Master Dorak." He offers a little smile to Obi-Wan.
"Master Vrook," the bald, pale master says, crossing his arms over his chest, still frowning.
"Master Atris," the woman says.
"Master Zhar," the twi'lek master says, a small nod in Obi-Wan's direction.
"And I am Master Kavar," the blond man says.
Obi-Wan bows his head again. "Masters. As it seems you are aware, I am Obi-Wan Kenobi." Obi-Wan rises again, folding his hands neatly in front of him. "Forgive me, Masters, but can I ask what's going on?"
"Master Yoda felt a tremor in the Force a few weeks ago," Mace says, leaning forward in his seat. "He went to investigate and located the lost world of Tython. A very powerful, Force sensitive world that had been lost for thousands of years. There, he found a temple of Jedi that brought him to slumbering masters that have been in a form of stasis for a very long time."
Obi-Wan casts a slow glance over at the Masters next to him, looking them up and down for a moment, before looking back over at the masters he's grown up with all his life. He's not sure he knows exactly what to say to that only to ask, "How long is a 'very long time'?"
"We have been sleeping for over three thousand years," Atris says, leaning heavily on one hip, a heavy frown on her lips. Obi-Wan actually choked on that number. Three thousand years? He couldn't imagine that! He couldn't imagine someone sleeping for that long! They had to playing some sort of joke on him because he's the new Master. Right?
"Are you kidding?" Obi-Wan asks, looking around the room.
"We are not, Obi-Wan," Plo Koon says, shaking his head. "They went into a deep slumber three thousand years ago in order to escape from the Sith Lord that was hunting them."
"Instead of stopping them?" Obi-Wan asks, confused. Then, he realizes how his words sound. "Forgive me, Masters, for I don't say it to be rude. I've just... never heard something like that before. A Sith Lord so bad?"
Atris and Vrook both scoff at his words.
"He's not just some Sith Lord," Kavar says, shaking his head slowly, looking out over the vast city of Coruscant. "He is the Sith Lord that has never been bested. Darth Revan. We had to escape him and his Jedi purge. We hoped that we would be able to outlive him, and destroy his empire once he was gone, but we overshot it."
"The Sith Empire came to an end over a thousand years ago," Obi-Wan says, eyebrows pulling together. "Darth Revan... until just recently, I thought he was just a myth..."
"Well he isn't," Vrook says, glaring at Obi-Wan, not out of anger, but what became his natural face it seems. "He's very much real and it sounds like his influence lives, even to this day."
"You mean the Revanites?" Obi-Wan asks. "What does that mean? If his followers are still about? I mean, that's insane that even after thousands of years, there would still be a running faith, but still. What does this mean?"
"That is what we are here to find out," Atris says. "Nothing good can come of it, if Revan or his followers are involved."
"Now, we want to ask you a very difficult question in regards to someone you care about," Zhar says, purple eyes sad.
Guarded, Obi-Wan nods slowly. "Okay..."
"Your Padawan, Anakin Skywalker, is his name, correct?" Zhar asks.
Obi-Wan's stomach drops to his feet as he shifts uncomfortably. His jaw works a bit as he nods, very slowly. "Yes, that's his name. Why?"
"Are you worried about him falling to the Dark Side?" Zhar asks, all of the masters in the room studying his reaction carefully. "Do not answer from your heart though, Master Kenobi," Zhar says, quickly, when Obi-Wan opened his mouth almost immediately. "Are you, in any way, worried about young Skywalker?"
Obi-Wan's eyes lower to the ground, thinking to himself about everything he knows about Anakin. About everything he's gone through with the boy. About his obvious affections for the girl he's spent the last week with. About having almost lost his mother because of Obi-Wan's ignorance. About the vid call he got from Anakin just a day ago where they talked out what happened. Obi-Wan apologized for not realizing that Anakin was right in his fear. The shame that Obi-Wan felt for not taking Anakin's worries seriously. How Anakin forgave him. How Anakin wanted to talk more when he got back, face to face. He wasn't angry. He wasn't disappointed. He understood why Obi-Wan didn't think it was real.
And then Obi-Wan faintly heard a woman's voice call out to him. And somehow, he knew it was the voice of Shmi Skywalker. Anakin bid him farewell without explanation, and that was the end of that.
"No," Obi-Wan says, looking up into Zhar's eyes. "No, I don't doubt Anakin's loyalty to the Light. Why do you ask?"
"He is the Chosen One, is he not?" Zhar asks.
Obi-Wan nods. "Yes, I believe so. Why? What's the connection between Darth Revan and Anakin?" As if he actually wanted to know the answer to that question. He doesn't like the insinuation that he fears is coming.
"There are a lot of similarities between Revan and what we've learned of young Skywalker," Zhar says, creases forming between his eyes. "Some of which being that both of them were thought to be the Chosen One, found on Tatooine at an old age. And that's just the beginning."
For the Reviewers:
1. Kate Skywalker: Thank you so much! I'm still not that sure on what to do about the wedding night yet. I've never written one before and am afraid that it'll just suck as it's own piece and take away from the story. X.X I'm so indecisive, but thank you for reading thus far! I am sorry about the wait!
2. changingdestiny40: Thank you! I'm excited for the return of the Revanites and more. XD Papa Palpatine is going to be in for a world of surprise when he realizes what's going on, that's for sure! I think I already messaged you about the later half of your review, but they are like a family unit, not this huge massive orgy mess. XD Thanks for asking for clarification, though!
3. CzarZelinsky: Thank you so much! I'm sorry about the wait!
4. Lord Lelouch: Thank you for mentioning that! There will be more to be added about Padme's past in the chapters to come. I have been thinking about it, but we will simply have to see where the story takes us. I will promise nothing, but that it is in my mind!
5. Silent Sambo88: I was thinking about doing something like that. Not to rip his arm off for no reason. Although there is partly a reason revealed. Anakin lost his arm in both timelines because Padme distracted him. Both when she fell to the sandy dunes and he didn't know for sure if she was alright and when she stood right in front of him. She makes him both reckless and thoughtless, and she hasn't realized the full extent yet. I was also thinking about that too. I'm not sure how to go about the wedding night, as I said in my note, I'm just having a lot of mixed feelings. I don't want to put a sex scene in here for the lols. I want there to be a degree of purpose for everything in this story, not simply fan service. While it's nice and all, if it doesn't somehow push the story forward or add to it, there isn't a lot of practical need for it other than it being their wedding night so they should consummate their marriage.
6. Jadaerys: We will just have to see, now won't we? XD I'm sorry about the wait!
7. lcbacteria: Aww, thank you!
8. MattKennedy: Thank you so much!
9. Bobboky: Thank you!
