Disclaimer: I've tried selling my soul for it, but I still don't own Star Wars.

Author's Note: If anyone has ideas or thoughts on how to continue the story, they'd be much appreciated. I need inspiration.


Not Ani

Obi-Wan stared down at the drink in his hand. The name of the concoction escaped him at the moment, but he could tell that it should be his last one. His vision was blurring a tad. But then again, how much of that was the drink and how much was sheer exhaustion? He closed his eyes for a second, hoping that his eyes might refocus once he opened them again. No such luck.

He downed the last of his drink and went in search of information. That was why he came to this party, to get information. Obi-Wan walked around the room for a while, trying to find someone who looked approachable. Finally, a man caught his eye. The man was dressed as a Sith lord. It could have been costume, but it could also have been true. Costume party, remember? He's wearing a costume. The Jedi Master silently ridiculed himself as he walked towards the figure.

The "Sith lord" had been standing alone in a corner. While he was wearing the clothes of an oppressor, he was actually smiling and seemed in quite a pleasant state of mind. He swayed along with the music while sipping on a drink very similar to the one Obi-Wan had been having himself.

"Enjoying the party?" Obi-Wan started off with as simple a topic as possible. Confrontation would not be a brilliant plan. He couldn't rush into things the way a certain Padawan had always done. It's not like I'm – He closed his eyes once more, trying not to think about him….

The man turned to look at him. "It's okay. I've definitely seen more interesting things in my life time…like watching paint dry, for example." Obi-Wan gave a small laugh, before letting the man continue. "There are, after all, only politicians playing dress-up here." They had an exchange of false names, neither feeling the need to be completely honest with each other. The two seemed to get along very well. Too well, in fact. A Sith should never be that comfortable with a Jedi.


Lunch had been both delicious and heart-warming for Anakin. The twins had eaten with silent smirks that said they knew that their parents were truly happy…for now. Anakin and Padmé had talked about a possible break for a family vacation, though they knew that it was more fantasy than reality. Padmé also brought up the subject of the twins' upcoming start to school. The question was where their children could go to school without being alienated or admired. They wanted a small bit of normality for their hope and little angel.

After lunch, the twins had been put to bed for a small nap. Anakin put Luke to bed, while Padmé tucked Leia in. The couple then met in the hallway. They went to the living room hand-in-hand. Anakin spread out across the couch and gestured for Padmé to sit on his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and smiled contentedly before whispering in her ear.

"I love you, angel."

"I love you, Anakin."

"Ani."

"Anakin." He sighed. She was not going to cave in. He could already tell that much. She sensed his frustration and kissed his palm. Quietly, she explained why. "I can't pretend that everything is alright. I do love you, but I can't pretend quite that much. Please understand that."

"Let's not fight about all this." His arms tightened slightly around her waist, telling her to drop the subject. She sighed and snuggled into him. His arms relaxed around her. He took a deep breath and calmed.

"I really do love you, Anakin." Padmé was desperate to reassure her husband. No matter what he did, she would love him. He had to know that. He had to know that. She suddenly needed him to know more than she needed air. She stood up suddenly, knowing he would follow suit. His hands reached out for her – a silent gesture asking what was wrong…because his lips couldn't. They were busy kissing her, as she had turned around so that her lips could meet his as soon as he had stood.

Without bothering to break the kiss, he guided them both backwards to the couch. Anakin sat down, and Padmé sat on his lap. She pulled away just long enough to whisper "I love you," before Anakin brought her back towards him. He answered her without words, knowing that his reply would mean more in her mind. I love you too.

Before they could go much further, Padmé broke away. It was becoming too much. She had just gotten her loving husband back that morning. More than anything, she wanted time to think about what was happening. I need time to think – lots of time. I can't think with him here.

Thoughts ran through Anakin's mind as well. He wanted to stop all this back and forth – to find the center of the problem and fix it. "I'm good at fixing things…" He remembered saying that to Padmé so long ago.

Both saw the conundrum at the same time. They both wanted to think alone, but they might never get this time back. They wanted every minute. How could they use every moment when they were still so torn up inside? Whatever decision they made, it would hurt them somehow.

Both decided that the choice most likely to hurt them both was the only one they could choose. Chocolate brown eyes found the blue ones looking back. They thought as one for a moment.

Don't leave me – not yet…


A couple hours of the party were spent collecting information. The two men enjoyed their time together. Obi-Wan felt reacquainted with Coruscant. He once again had the common gossip of city planet that had once been his home. Whether or not the gossip was true was unimportant. He just needed to get a sense of the people and what was supposedly going on. The facts were always jumbled and often half-truths were all a person could get his hands on. Even when the Republic had existed, that had been true.

The party was beginning to end, so the two men went their separate ways. Just as Obi-Wan walked away, the other man's comlink began to go off. The Sith reached down to dig into his pocket. His hand found the comlink and hit the button to have Palpatine's image come into view just as Obi-Wan stepped out the door.