Hey everyone! I'm finally back!
I know, I know, this has been far too long coming, I can only give you all my sincerest apologies. You would not believe what a pain this chapter was to write, I must have rewritten it at least 5 times and this final version alone took over a month to get right.
Now for the many thank you's I have to dish out to all of you for reviewing and my goodness there were loads of you, which I love! Thank you so much to Jedi Keladry, Mickey, Darkness-Knight, Solo7mbp, Adelaide, Sparkvallen, Aiska, Smenzer, Crystal Kenobi and finally my most recent reviewer Obifan. Thank you to all of you for all the kind and encouraging words, I really do appreciate it.
Sorry to be so quick but I really want to get this up for all of you. If you forgive me for the insanely long wait then please read and review.
Please enjoy!
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She stood staring dumbfounded at the dark inanimate mahogany door through which Obi-Wan had just gone, wondering what she could have possibly done wrong, if indeed she had at all.
Could he have run out of the room any quicker?
She didn't think so.
She'd stood and watched him meditate for only a few moments before he was up on his feet mumbling something about needing to clear his head along with aching muscles and hot water.
Before she could have even hoped to understand what he'd said, the door was shut behind him.
What could have changed in the time she'd been in the fresher?
When she'd left him his mood had been cheery, even playful despite the serious tone of their conversation before hand and it seemed to her that maybe just maybe, everything would be alright but now things appeared to have changed for the worst.
Ugh! Men were so confusing, Jedi even more so and unfortunately for her, Obi-Wan was both.
When would she catch a break?
Could she ever hope to understand him?
11 years she'd known him, their friendship forged during the events on Naboo that had changed their lives so completely and yet she still felt like she was only at the tip of the iceberg.
It was hardly surprising though, it wasn't as if they each had lots of spare time with which to spend together.
It was only in the last year that they had been able to develop their friendship further during what little leave from battle he had and even so there was still a lot they didn't know about each other.
Obi-Wan was very careful with which stories he decided to tell her about his past, making sure to only tell her the few tales about his life with Qui-Gon that wouldn't cause his voice to falter, his eyes to water and his heart to fill with pain.
He was, however, quite forthcoming with stories about his time spent in the crèche and of Anakin's early training.
She didn't mind the lack of information she had of him though because she was just as picky with what she revealed about herself to him, staying away from anything that was less than light-hearted, she figured that their galaxy was already under so much darkness that she didn't need to add to it with any tales of woe.
Anyway for the moment she knew all she needed to know and the rest was for the future to divulge.
One thing she could say for sure about Obi-Wan was that he thought too much, she was exactly the same most of the time.
He spent so much time thinking of what he should be doing for others and what would be best for Anakin that he forgot to just live for himself and allow himself to feel.
She understood why he did it though, he didn't know how to be any different, it was as simple as that.
It wouldn't surprise her if it was his over thinking that had changed his mood so suddenly in the time she'd spent in the fresher.
Force sensitivity; was it a gift or a curse?
Those who didn't know a lot about the life of a Jedi might well think it was a fantastic gift, one that they themselves wished they had.
All they saw was the power and nothing of the price that the individuals paid in return.
Only those who knew as she did, the burdens and sacrifices that went along with the 'gift' of the force, might well think differently.
She thought of her love for a moment.
Anakin had had to give up so much to become a Jedi, his mother, his friends, everything that he'd ever known but at the same time he had gained so much from the order, an education, the chance to travel the universe, a father in Obi-Wan as well as the friendships of other Jedi and maybe the most important of all, the chance to make something of his life.
But then again, the opportunity for Anakin to become a Jedi had been presented to him at a later stage in life than the rest and it had been his choice to join them.
Her mind wandered back to Obi-Wan.
From what he had told her, she knew that he had never known his biological family at all, had no memory of his mother whatsoever, having been taken as a baby to join the Jedi order.
He'd spent all his life up to becoming a Padawan inside the Temple, his peers becoming his siblings and the crèche Masters becoming his parents, the Jedi were his family.
He only knew how to be the man that they had sculpted him into, it was too late to try and be something different now.
Just like her, he had no time to be selfish.
A small smile eased the serious look of concentration she'd had on her face, Anakin was nothing like that, he always seemed to find time to do something for herself, always managed to get what he wanted.
He'd got her.
She hadn't meant for that thought to feel so serious in her mind and she didn't like the strange emotions that it raised within herself, she moved quickly to make her mind continue with the previous chain of thought.
Maybe it was his age that made it easier for him to be impulsive and selfish, but then again she couldn't remember being like that at his age.
She chuckled to herself, she made it sound like she was in her late 30's struggling to remember what it was like to turn 20 when in fact it had only been five years ago.
Those five years had felt more like ten though.
She'd done a lot of growing up in both mind and body during such a short space of time where so many other things had changed.
But then so much had changed in this last year alone.
The galaxy of today was a far cry from the one that she had served such a short time ago.
To top it all off she was now someone's wife, something that hadn't been easy.
Not easy at all.
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Anakin only had eyes for his wife, watching intently for every emotion that flickered across her face as his Master fled the room.
He too had been shocked to see him so quickly up on his feet and through the still open door but he wasn't about to let his attention slip from her.
And it was just as well that he hadn't because otherwise he would have missed the look of hurt that surfaced onto her flawless face as she stared at the door through which his Master had disappeared.
That one look burned into his memory, never to be forgotten and forever to cause a bubble of doubt to rise in his mind about his wife's true feelings.
That part of his mind that clung to the light in his soul begged him not to read too deeply into it, that it was just a natural reaction to the event, it didn't mean anything.
That part was loudly drowned out by the part of his mind that harvested the darkness and wanted to feed his anger and jealousy, the part that loved it when he lost control.
He'd have to be a complete idiot to believe that there was absolutely nothing behind it.
It was all too easy to let his imagination get the better of him as his mind raced with all the possible meanings that one look from her could have meant.
Was she upset that she hadn't been able to continue her playful banter with his Master?
Was she disappointed that she hadn't been able to draw him into another one of their all too inappropriate hugs?
Did she wish that she could be in the fresher with him and now be regretting the fact that she hadn't invited him to join her in the fresher in the first place?
Anakin slowly closed his eyes as his hands worked to ease his aching temples of what he had now decided was officially the worst headache he'd ever had.
He didn't want to be doubting Padme and her commitment to him but he couldn't help it.
This whole ordeal had opened his eyes to her behaviour with other men, he could only imagine how many men besides his Master that she flirted with and that was the problem.
His mind began to flash through several scenarios of his wife welcoming what should be unwanted attention from suave and sophisticated Senators that were eager to have their way with her.
It was hard but nevertheless he tried to remind himself that realistically he had no reason to suspect that she acted like this at all or that she would ever be unfaithful to him, of course the latter part was set to change in the next few hours.
He couldn't really hold her responsible for that though, it had been his decision and his decision alone, and she'd made it quite clear that given the choice herself, she would have said no.
Anakin closed his eyes for a moment in frustration.
He was so tired of all this, of all the feelings he was trying to suppress, not only his anger but also his love for her in the hope that he could fool Dooku and to keep from revealing their secret.
It was all beginning to get a bit too much to handle, especially without the aide of the force.
Somehow he hoped that this would all turn out to be just a very bad dream and that he would wake up to find his love wrapped up in his arms.
Begrudgingly he opened his eyes to find that he was actually still living the nightmare and that his angel had moved to stand in front of the large wardrobe that stood in the corner of the room.
Its large doors were wide open and he curiously watched her carefully fingering the different materials of the many dresses that hung inside.
Women were such funny creatures when it came to clothes, he would never understand what was so hard about choosing something to wear, especially in this situation, it was only Obi-Wan that she'd be seeing, there was no need to dress up for him.
Even still it was several minutes before she appeared to choose her favourite, gently removing it and laying it down on the plush bed.
Still fingering the material she looked over at the door to the bathroom for a few moments, appearing to decide something in her head before slowly untying her robe and letting it fall to the floor.
And there she stood in all her glory.
Anakin's breath began to quicken as he let his eyes sweep appreciatively over her body, reminding himself of the trails of kisses he'd laid across her creamy skin, the few nights he'd spent stroking her curves, bringing her to the heights of passion.
He desperately wanted to touch her, his body finding it hard to not react to her the way it always did but it wasn't long before he realised that he wasn't the only one that could see her like this right now.
He felt like he hadn't had a break from the anger and jealousy that seemed to permanently be in control of him in an eternity.
Trying not to make it too obvious he slowly scanned the room he sat in, watching the wide eyes of the few men there too.
He wanted so badly to be out of this damn chair and blinding the men that now stared at her as if she was just a piece of meat for them to gawp at.
No one had the right to think or look at his Padme that way except for him and that was the way he wanted it to stay.
Continuing to look around the room his eyes met those of Dooku's and it seemed that the old man couldn't resist a smile at his expense.
"Well young Skywalker, suffice it to say your Master is in for a treat tonight. I don't think I've ever seen something more perfect in my entire life."
Anakin resisted the bait, biting his tongue to keep from making any response as he refocused his attention onto his angel.
He stared at her so hard that she turned into a haze, his mind becoming clouded with images that made him physically sick with anger.
It was in that moment he'd only just realised the reality of the situation.
In no time at all he was going to be witness to one of his worst nightmares and it wasn't going to be easy to stomach.
If he was finding it difficult to keep his emotions under control with a few strangers just looking at her naked body then how was he going to cope with watching Obi-Wan do things to her that only he himself had the right to do?
What if she enjoyed it?
What if his Master turned out to be a better lover than he was?
Surely he wouldn't be, would he?
Force his headache felt like it had gone up yet another notch.
Finally feeling the need to blink the image of a now fully clothed Padme was awaiting him.
Her slender body now covered in the purest shade of white he had ever seen, purer than that of her own wedding dress.
He watched her as she inspected her reflection in the mirror, standing sideways, her hands sliding over a non-existent stomach, he knew exactly what question she was asking herself and he didn't know what conclusion she'd come to but his answer would always be no.
From the view she provided him he could see the dress she'd picked straight on and besides the fact that at this moment she looked far more beautiful than he'd like, he couldn't be happier with her choice of dress.
The material did indeed hug her every curve but with the long length and high neckline she looked respectably elegant and thank the force she was completely covered up.
It appeared that the skin of her bare arms was the only flesh on show for Dooku and his men for now, he didn't want to think about what they might see later but for now he was happy.
Happy until she turned to close the wooden doors of the wardrobe and at the same time revealing the back or should he say the non-existent back of her dress.
While from the front the dress would be fit for a queen to wear at any formal engagement, the back was a completely different story.
It was wide open, showing off the expanse of her wonderfully smooth back, the shadowy curve of her spine leading hungry eyes down to the small of her back and very nearly beyond before the previously elusive fabric made a re-appearance at the tip of her behind.
Anakin couldn't quite believe what he was seeing.
What could have possibly been going through her mind when she made the decision that it would be a good idea to wear that dress?
He truly couldn't fathom any reason for her to choose that dress, what was she trying to do?
Padme was by no means a stupid woman, she knew exactly what a man would be thinking when he saw her in that, leaving no questions as to whether she was wearing anything underneath it as it was quite clear that she wasn't.
He simply couldn't think straight at the moment with all the questions swirling around in his head that couldn't be answered because he needed the answers to come from her and because of that he couldn't ever hope to resolve the situation in the hope of calming the anger that lived within him.
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Silently she stood staring at her own reflection in the full length mirror on the back of the wardrobe door, running her hands over the smooth material while she intently studied every aspect of her appearance finding both her flaws and her beauty.
The dress she'd chosen fit her perfectly, in a way a little too perfectly and she didn't even want to know what lengths Dooku had gone through to find out her sizing.
Even still it was gorgeous and yes it was maybe a little too provocative from behind than her current situation required but it was only Obi-Wan, he probably wouldn't even notice, he'd never noticed her outfits before so why would that change now?
Giving herself one last look over in the mirror she closed the wardrobe doors.
She idly looked around the spacious room subconsciously playing with her fingers, what could she do now?
The rumble from inside her stomach reminded her of the enormous spread of food that lay on the long table just a few feet away and to the fact that she hadn't eaten properly for days now.
Slowly but at the same time eagerly she approached the table, her eyes constantly looking from end to end, trying to take in all that was before her.
Her mouth began to water, her tongue slipping out to lick her lips as she stared at a large chocolate cake not unlike the ones that her mother would make for her birthdays, she really couldn't stop herself from sliding a finger through the icing and bringing it up to her mouth.
She moaned quietly as she savoured the satisfying taste of the heavenly dessert, closing her eyes so that she could fully appreciate the feelings it provoked.
"Listen Padme I really think that we should sit down and..........."
She almost jumped out of her skin at the sudden re-emergence of her friend causing her to gasp loudly, bringing her hand up to hold her chest while stepping away from the table.
Attempting to calm the beat of her heart she turned to face him, wondering what it was he'd said and why he'd stopped.
She was presented with a bit more Obi-Wan than she was normally used to seeing, as he was clad in only a towel tied around his waist and another that merely hung around his neck.
She hardly knew where to look and she certainly didn't want him to notice her staring.
"Oh Obi-Wan you scared me bursting in like that."
Awkwardly she sort out his eyes only to find them spread wide while a shocked expression had settled onto his face.
She looked down at her dress, trying to find what it was he was looking at.
She couldn't see anything.
"What is it? Did I get chocolate down it? I knew I shouldn't have worn white but I just loved the design."
She still didn't have his attention.
"Hello? Obi-Wan? Anyone there?"
That seemed to do the trick as he shook himself out of it.
"Sorry, what did you say?"
He truly was adorable when he was flustered, something that she hadn't witnessed often.
"I asked if I had got chocolate down my dress."
"Oh no, nothing at all."
"Then why were you staring so hard?"
She watched him closely, noticing he had to swallow hard before he answered and also the somewhat intense look in his eyes as he gazed over at her.
"It's just......well to tell you the truth it's......you look absolutely stunning."
She was a little taken back by his compliment, not used to him saying such things about her appearance.
She almost wished she hadn't asked as she felt a heated blush tint her pale cheeks a rosy pink and she hated it because now he would know that she was embarrassed, among other things that she didn't want to address right now.
For once she couldn't quite look him in the eye, suddenly becoming shy, not knowing what to say but desperately wanting to break the fast growing expanse of silence between them.
So plucking up enough courage she lifted her head back up to look at him.
"Oh well thank you, who would have thought that Count Dooku would have such good taste in women's clothes?"
That earned her a small smile and a grunt of a laugh from him.
"Certainly not me."
This time they shared a smile and that's all they did as once again they were surrounded by an uncomfortable silence.
She'd never had this problem with Obi-Wan before, they were almost always involved in some kind of discussion and even if they did end up in silence it was always in an easy calming fashion, never like this.
It was ridiculous, all this because of one compliment from one friend to another, ok so maybe it did make a difference that it was from a man to woman and that aforementioned man was at this time standing in front of her half naked but all the same it shouldn't be a problem for them.
There had to be something she could say to put a stop to this, come on Padme this is Obi-Wan, it's always easy to talk to Obi-Wan.
It turned out that her mouth didn't need to break the silence as her body decided to add to her embarrassment by having her stomach rumble loudly in want of filling.
She didn't miss the rise of his eyebrows at the sound along with the much wider smile that crept onto his face.
If she'd hated the slight rosy pink her cheeks had gone just moments before then she was really going to hate the bright shade of red they were now.
"Hmmm well it seems someone's hungry."
There was no mistaking the amusement she heard in his voice, in return all she could offer was a sheepish smile of her own as she tried in vain to cool down the heat in her cheeks.
"You've got me there Obi-Wan. You caught me as I was having a sneaky taste of the chocolate cake while I was eyeing up what else might be nice to eat. Come over here and take a look for yourself, you must be starving as well."
"Well I wouldn't say starving, I guess a little something to eat wouldn't hurt but I'm not so sure we should be eating food that Dooku has provided us, who knows what he might have done to it."
"Oh come on Obi-Wan, if he was going to poison us he would have done it days ago."
"I guess......"
Rolling her eyes she walked over to him, grabbing him by the arm she led him over to the table.
"Now just pick something you like."
She wasted no time herself, heading straight back for another sample of the icing on the chocolate cake, which was possibly even more delicious this time.
Obi-Wan still just stood staring at the masses of food before them; she wished he would just choose something.
"Look Obi-Wan grapes, here have a grape,"
Reaching across the table she broke off a few from the stem for both of them, forcing one into his mouth as he tried to voice a protest.
"Hey! There was no need for that."
"Yes there was, we both know that if I hadn't then we'd be here a year before you finally made a decision whether to eat or not, there's no point in denying it."
She didn't even wait for a response from him, her body overcome with an overwhelming need to quench the deep hunger inside her.
Greedily her eyes feasted on everything on offer, helping her to make a mental list of everything she wanted to eat, so caught up was she that she didn't even hear Obi-Wan trying to talk to her.
"You know I'm not so sure about this, there's something not quite right about......"
Without realising it she cut right into what he was saying.
"Oysters! Can you believe it? I love Oysters!"
Quite unladylike she proceeded to devour 3 or4 one after the other hardly giving herself time to fully appreciate the taste.
The slight after taste of salt made her thirsty and she scanned the table for something to drink, thanking the heavens above when she cast her eyes upon the bottle of red wine at the end of the table.
Now with her hunger satisfied for the time being she was able to calmingly pour herself a glass of the dark burgundy liquid.
Unaware of the permanent look of shock on Obi-Wan's face she slowly walked a few steps away from the edge of the table, stopping just s few feet behind him.
She couldn't believe how calm and relaxed she felt, the change in her moods being so abrupt.
Holding the glass against her lips she took in a deep breath and finally laid her eyes on her friend again.
With his bare back to her she was able to see for the first time the result of the stand that he'd taken against the Count's men in order to protect her.
Patches of both healing and fresh bruises were spread across his back as well as scars from what could only have been caused by a whip and also burns that appeared to come from an electro probe.
Her eyes barely believed what they were seeing; he'd gone through all that just for her.
Tears sprung to her eyes, how could he have endured such torture and then go on as if nothing had happened?
She felt sick looking at the mess she had been the cause of, she didn't feel worthy of his friendship, he'd already gone through so much to help her in the past and now this.
How could she ever hope to repay him?
The only option she had at this point in time was to follow through with Dooku's proposal, there was no way that she could allow this man that had saved her life on so many occasions to die now when she could so easily prevent it.
This time she would save his life.
Tbc......
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Well there it is, I hope everyone liked it. The last part may have been a little rushed but I wanted to have Padme be a bit of a scatter brain for a few minutes because I gather that's how you'd be if you suddenly had a load of food in front of you after days of say bread and water. I had planned on it being slightly longer but this ending to the chapter snuck up on me. Ok so if any of you guys have forgiven me for the awfully long wait on this and are kind enough to write a review I would dearly love it. Believe me I have no intention of leaving it this long again. I hope to hear from you all, thanks for reading, Sassy.
