A/N: This one's a bit of a short filler chapter to do just what the title says : )

Chapter Thirty-Seven – The Passing of Time.

Life on Coruscant continued with relative ease over the weeks. Not long after Sabé had been reunited with Obi-Wan, he and Anakin were sent off on another mission, and Sabé was left behind to perform Senatorial duties in public, and pace with worry in private. And to top it off, she, Saché and Moteé were now alone in the apartment, as Padmé had disappeared to fly Yoda to a planet called Ilum, taking C-3P0 and R2-D2 with her, so the three women didn't even have the little droid's cheerful whistling to keep them company.

On the day of Padmé's return, Sabé had just finished a trying session in the Senate Chambers, and was steadily making her way back to the apartment with Saché and Moteé, when her attention was drawn to a small silver craft approaching a nearby landing platform. She smiled. "I know that ship."

"We all know that ship," Saché said, squinting at it from under her hood.

"Is the Senator back then?" Moteé asked quietly.

"I would say so," Sabé nodded. "Only 3P0 walks like that."

The three of them shared a rare laugh, and hurried home to hear Padmé's story. A few days later Sabé paid a visit to Yoda at the Jedi Temple, and was greeted with the news that a Jedi Master on Hypori had discovered that the Separatist droid army had a new General, a creature that seemed to be alive and yet had the body of a droid. Grievous its name was, and Sabé found it difficult to believe that he had only just joined the Separatists. She had asked Yoda why Dooku had not revealed him earlier in the war, but the tiny Jedi had no answer for her. She returned to Padmé to report what she had learned, having made up the excuse that Yoda had requested to hear about what went on in the Senate. Padmé had believed the story, to which Sabé was grateful, even though she hated lying to her cousin.

Four months passed. Sabé made regular visits to Yoda, and Padmé continued her excellent Senatorial work. Obi-Wan and Anakin returned to the Capital as often as they could, always to the warm welcome of their wives, but all four were dissatisfied with such brief snatches of time together. Neither couple was aware of the other's marriage, and in fact did not even guess at the strength of their relationships.

The two Jedi had just left for another mission, leaving Padmé and Sabé feeling subdued, when they received word that Queen Jamillia had abdicated back home in Theed and another girl had been elected in her stead.

"Sabé!" Padmé called, hurrying into her friend's room. "Look at this." Eagerly she thrust a data pad in her hands and gestured to it.

Sabé glanced down at it. "When did they vote on this?"

"Yesterday apparently. No-one expected Jamillia to abdicate so they were all thrown off guard."

"And we didn't get to vote why?"

Padmé chewed her lower lip. "It seems that no citizen of Naboo who lives off planet is eligible to vote. I wonder why nobody thought to tell me of this."

"You didn't know even when you were Queen?"

"That law didn't exist when I was Queen."

Sabé made a face and looked back down at the data pad. "Apailana. Never heard of her. She wasn't on the political scene when we left was she?"

Padmé's brow furrowed. "Yes," she said slowly. "She was. But only just. She's just turned thirteen, so she didn't have a lot of responsibility. But the public must like her."

"I think we'll be forced to go and see her," Sabé huffed.

"Of course. We have to report." Padmé picked mindlessly at a speck of dirt on her skirt. "I should visit everyone anyway. Sola in particular wants to know what it's like living here."

"Tell her it's full of traffic," Sabé said with a sigh.

Their routine trip to Naboo passed with surprising ease. The new Queen Apailana was well briefed in matters of state, and Padmé and Sabé felt that their confidence in her would not be misplaced. Jamillia's abdication, it seemed, was due to the pressure of war, despite the fact that Naboo was staying out of it as much as possible, but whispers on the underground grapevine reported that she was forced to resign after the Council of Governors feared she was siding with the Separatists. She had decided to disappear back to her home village, and was apparently enjoying a new life working on a farm. Padmé had shaken her head slowly upon hearing this, not managing to comprehend the idea of anyone giving up politics so completely.

They had had the chance to see Dormé during the visit. Now head handmaiden for Queen Apailana, she seemed happy to see them, and came back from a private talk with Captain Typho with a beaming smile on her face and a shining silver ring on her finger.

During one of the formal dinners Saché caught the eye of a young officer, and reported the incident in full to Sabé afterwards. Her friend smiled to see her flushed cheeks and bright eyes, but could not help feeling sadness at the separation she currently faced. Who knew what kind of horrible battle Obi-Wan could be getting into while she sat about here and took tea with the Council of Governors. It didn't even bear thinking about. Fortunately, Saché's excitement was enough to distract her, and she gladly welcomed the younger woman's chatter.

When they returned to Coruscant, Sabé noticed that both Typho and Saché were hesitant to leave Theed. Saché had promised to write to her young officer, and the thought of this left her happier, even during Senatorial duties.

The weeks and months slipped by, and meetings with Obi-Wan were rare. Rarer still was the chance to spend more than just a few hours together, and the familiar ache was beginning to return to Sabé's heart. But when almost a year had gone by since Geonosis, there came a sudden stroke of luck. Obi-Wan was granted the position of Jedi Master and a place on the Jedi Council. These new responsibilities meant that he would be expected to spend more of his time on Coruscant. Sabé could not be more delighted, not only for her husband's new rank, but also for the promise of more time spent together. Sadly, Padmé did not share in this good fortune, as Anakin was simply sent out on missions alone.

Jedi at the Temple grew used to seeing Sabé around, but she was touched when Yoda presented her with a brown robe on her anniversary. When she put it on she became even less noticeable amongst the Masters and Padawans, allowing her to slip in to see Obi-Wan with much more ease than before. She thanked the tiny Jedi Master, who nodded wisely, a twinkle of laughter in his large eyes.

Sabé's life seemed to improve over the following weeks. She saw Obi-Wan frequently, and he often accompanied her when she and Master Yoda walked through the Temple's many rooms. This short interval of peace in Sabé's routine, however, was too good to last. One afternoon after a walk with Yoda through the Room of a Thousand Fountains, Obi-Wan dropped a bombshell. He was leaving again.

"Jabiim?" Sabé exclaimed.

"Yes. The situation there is getting out of control, and they need my guidance."

"How long will you be gone?"

"I don't know," he said regretfully. "However long it takes."

"To do what?"

"Win." He pulled her into the thick foliage where they were safely hidden, and he was free to hold her.

"I'm so used to you being here," Sabé whispered into his shoulder. "It's going to be such a shock to see you go again."

He smoothed her hair and kissed the crown of her head. "I hope it won't be for long."

"My heart will weep every second until your return," Sabé said poetically, meaning every word.

"As will mine, my love. Every second."