Mistaken: Chapter Four

Padmé was quiet. She wasn't normally chatty, but I knew what had been said during our meeting with the Council was troubling her. Perhaps it was time I shared with her what I'd experienced. I just hoped she understood and didn't think her husband was insane.

The conversation during our walk through the Temple, as well as in the transport back home basically consisted of how heavy the traffic was, how the fashions of Galactic City elite were shifting, and how Adi Gallia was too kind to be on the Council. I agreed with everything Padmé said but couldn't wait to get home where we could speak privately. I knew that's what she was waiting for. I appreciated that about her and it was one thing we always agreed on: Public places were not appropriate locations for a lovers' quarrel.

As soon as we entered the apartment, she dropped her bag, took off her cloak, and sat on the couch. I followed suit, laying my robe over the back of the chair.

"Tell me everything," she asked patiently.

I resisted the temptation to look at my commlink. How much time did we have? Now that I realized I'd been called back to the Temple simply for the sole purpose of addressing the Council regarding my hallucination, I really had nowhere to go. Therefore, all my time was hers.

I shared with her the long version of my tale while she listened intently. She wasn't angry with me, although she did appear to be possibly annoyed.

"I really wish you would've shared all this with me. It would've made so much more sense why you were so blunt and open with me after the Council assigned you and Anakin for my protection. You really threw me for a while. You've always been so reserved and standoffish. Even when you were young, I wasn't sure I could bring you outside the walls you had so carefully constructed."

I knew exactly what she was talking about. My early training as an apprentice had been a rough road, and Master Qui-Gon hadn't been exactly the most nurturing mentor. He had initially passed me over as his padawan and I had barely escaped being sent to Agricorps to become a farmer. It was quite a blow to my ego and self-confidence. Even after the Force brought us together, he was highly critical, overbearing, and stubborn. It took years of us working together to develop a relationship of any kind. At the end of his life, I had come to respect him, but we had never gotten close as some Master/Padawan pairs I'd heard about. I imagine I had inadvertently built a barrier between my heart and the outside world, just in case, there was a chance I'd get hurt.

"I'm sorry," I told her truthfully. "If I'd understood what was happening, perhaps I could've explained. All I realized is that I desperately wanted you to be a part of my life."

She looked down at her hands and I began to worry. Something was gnawing at her and I found myself nervous about what she was going to say.

"If Master Windu's theory is correct, you've been manipulated, Obi-Wan. How can we be sure this is what you really want? That this is your idea at all? How can I ever be certain that you really love me?"

I wanted to jump in and argue with her, convince her how much I loved her and wanted to be with her, but what better way to show her that than to listen to all she had to say?

"This witch," Padme continued, "whoever she is, seems determined to complicate our lives. Somehow, she provided you with a dream that convinced you to do something you had no intention of doing. Why go to all the trouble? And whose life is she trying to ruin anyway? Mine? Just yours? Why?"

My head shook sympathetically as I grasped her hand. Her touch always grounded me and confirmed that no matter who assisted me in opening my eyes, this is what I wanted. She is what I wanted.

"I don't know," I answered, unable to erase the frown from her face. I couldn't give her any false hopes when I didn't have any to share. "But I do know that I truly love you and I will spend the rest of my life proving that to you if that's what I need to do."

My admission brought a smile of relief to her face, which vanished quickly right before she threw up her hands. "We have to do something!"

Padmé's voice became animated as she rose from the couch and paced to the window and back. "What's to stop her from interfering again in the future? Or bringing us grief? Who knows what she has up her sleeve! Don't you think we need to find out why so that we can put a stop to it?"

Always the activist. Of course, Padmé would want some answers. I expected nothing less from her.

"I'll take care of it, sweetheart," I promised, rising to meet her halfway across the room.

"I'm going with you," she announced, which again came as no surprise. "And before you tell me no and warn me how dangerous it could be, I want you to realize that this woman apparently has the ability to break into your subconscious, track us to Naboo, and form a space anomaly in the middle of nowhere. I really don't think that staying home is going to offer any more protection for me than being with you."

She had a point. How could I protect her if I wasn't with her? At the same time, I would be protecting myself as well as my mind. Now that I was aware of this witch's abilities, I would be much more cautious about dropping my guard.

"Very well," I agreed, which caused an eyebrow to arch high on her lovely face. She was obviously shocked I had given in so quickly.

"Well, that was easy," she teased, stepping forward. I met her once again and pulled her into a tender embrace.

"I promise you, we'll figure this out. I'm not going to allow this woman to interfere with our lives. Our future is bright. There's no room for darkness. I won't allow it."