It was not hard for Obi-Wan to follow Mindy's trail. He didn't know how it was possible that he hadn't sensed her presence. He had scanned the area through the Force before they began their training, but he'd somehow missed her. Perhaps she had come after he began to get distracted by Anakin's worries over Senator Palpatine.

He followed her out of the park, expecting her to get into her car to drive away, but when he got to the parking lot he saw her car still parked, the driver's door open. Cautiously, he approached the car, peeking inside to find Mindy sitting in the drivers seat, sobbing.

Instinctively he froze up. He had comforted people before, but for some reason the sight of her crying made him feel…useless. As if he were some bumbling Padawan again, unsure of himself. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out, and he couldn't help but feel awkward as she continued to cry.

She was the first one to speak. "How can you stand to be around him?" The words were jumbled, and he had to strain to understand the words. "He betrayed you. Of everyone, you should be reacting this way!"

Obi-Wan knelt down next to her, trying to think of just how he could adequately explain the complicated relationship that he had with Anakin. After a moment, he tapped into the Force, letting it guide him. There was no way that he could get through this conversation without it. "I won't excuse what he's done," he started slowly, "Because you're right: what he did was awful. It was evil. It was unforgivable."

"Then why keep helping him?" Mindy asked, looking down at him. Her dark eyes were puffy and red, evident even in the darkness. "Why let him stay with us when you knew what he's capable of?"

Obi-Wan had asked himself that question many times, and he still wasn't fully sure of the answer. He followed the Jedi code and wasn't going to seek revenge. But it was more than that. "Anakin was my brother," He started, "I practically raised him. He was a good person: loyal, passionate, and reliable…"

"But then he turned into…whatever you said he turned into." Mindy pointed out, and Obi-Wan noticed she was starting to cease her tears. Thank goodness.

"He did," Obi-Wan relented, "And as I said, he did awful things. I don't even know all of the things he's done. But I can't help but think I could have helped prevent it."

That did get Mindy to stop crying, if only to give Obi-Wan a skeptical look. "He didn't make it sound like you did anything wrong." She said.

"Because he and I talked about it and…well, we haven't gotten over it completely, but we're working on it. If you'd asked him back when he was Darth Vader, he would have blamed other people for everything he was doing. But now he mostly blames himself. That alone shows how much he's changed." He took a deep breath. "When I found out about Anakin turning to the Dark Side, I didn't think I had it in me to kill him. It was my duty as a Jedi to kill him. I was torn between wanting to help him and the need to follow my duty."

"So what did you choose?" Mindy whispered, her dark eyes wide as she listened intently.

Obi-Wan looked at his hands. "For the first time since I was a Padawan…" at her strange look, he clarified, "Jedi-in-training, I was angry. Anakin's decision was a personal betrayal to me. I chose duty over friendship. I didn't know where he was, so I went to the only person I knew that had a close relationship with him."

"Padme."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes. I knew she knew where he was, but even after I told her what he'd done, she refused to tell me. I knew then that the child she carried was Anakin's. I knew that they were close, but I didn't know they were that close. I didn't even know they had been married for years until just last week.

"I was sorry for Padme's pain, but I didn't let that stop me from sneaking onto her ship when she went to go after him." He hesitated. "Padme was trying to convince him to go with her. Even knowing what he'd done, she still loved him. He was stubborn though and kept trying to get her to see his side of things. I could hear everything they said, and when it became obvious to me that he wouldn't budge, I came out of my hiding place. As I did, Padme put her foot down and told him she wouldn't live like that. She knew that Anakin's biggest fear was losing her, and although I'm sure she was serious about leaving him if he stayed with the Dark Side, I realize now that she was also giving Anakin an ultimatum.

"When I came down from that ship, I saw the hesitation in his face. I saw him processing her words, I knew that he knew she was serious. If I hadn't come down, if I had chosen our friendship over duty, maybe he would have listened to her. Maybe, if only temporarily, he would have turned away from the Dark Side just long enough for Padme and me to help him. But I did go down that ramp, and our eyes met. He knew I was there to kill him, to fulfill my duty as a Jedi. Because I came out of Padme's ship, he thought she brought me there to kill him. Anakin told you what happened after that.

"But I still could have tried to help him. I focused so much on what he'd done, I didn't try to understand why. I just knew that he had betrayed us, betrayed me, and for the first time I fought in anger. I have faced other Sith Lords who betrayed the Jedi order, but I never fought them the way I did Anakin.

"Most would say that I was right to fight Anakin the way I did. But he'd also betrayed Padme, and even her dying breath was spent telling me that there was good in Anakin and not to give up on him. But I didn't listen. I thought maybe she was too blinded by her relationship with him to really see who he had become. I believed that for years as I helped watch over Luke, helped train Luke to one day defeat his father and the Empire.

"But it was Luke that proved his mother's words. I told Luke that the only way to defeat Darth Vader, his father, was to kill him. Luke flat out told me he wouldn't kill him because he knew there was still good in him. I told him he would fail if he didn't. In the end, it was Luke's faith in his father that brought Anakin back. Even when Luke had the chance to kill his father—and trust me, Darth Vader had not been kind to Luke either—he chose to spare him and insist that his father had goodness in him and therefore could not be destroyed."

Obi-Wan stopped, his heart hammering painfully in his chest. "If I had done the same, all those years ago, would Anakin have come back? I can't help but think he would have." He looked up into Mindy's conflicted gaze. "If Padme knew about Anakin's past, and believed him, what do you think she would do?"

For a while Mindy didn't answer. "She wouldn't believe it," She whispered, avoiding the answer to the question.

"But if she did."

Now it was Mindy's turn to look down at her lap. "She would say that since Anakin's return, he has tried to redeem himself, and that would be good enough for her."

Obi-Wan nodded. Padme would react that way. He was sure of it. "You are not Padme. You have no reason to give Anakin a chance. You're a good friend, defending her even though you now know just what Anakin could do to you if he lost his temper. I think Anakin is impressed by that loyalty. But Padme has a right to make her own decisions just as you have the right to make your own as well. And Anakin is trying to be a good person. He's already come far, and he actively seeks to improve himself. But it was reacting in anger that pushed him further into the Dark Side in the first place. You don't have to give him a chance, but I ask that you at least think about it."

Mindy continued to stare at her lap, her tears long dry now. Her breathing seemed to be even, and though he could still see the conflict in her eyes, he could see that she was honestly reviewing the situation.

Finally, she nodded. "I'll think about it and get back with you."

Obi-Wan relaxed a little. "Thank you. Anakin will be staying at my apartment until you decide. So you don't have to worry about being pressed into a decision."

"Thanks."

Obi-Wan stood, his knees groaning from kneeling so long. "Have a good night, Mindy."


Padme moved her little 'surprise' for Mindy and Anakin into her room with one hand and held her cell phone with the other hand, talking to her sister Sola. "So you're back in town for a while?" she asked.

"For a while," Sola confirmed, "So I'll be around when mom and dad have that big gala to sponsor their campaign in November." Her mother had just sent them a memo about the big gala to them a few days ago and had stressed the importance of the whole family being there to support the campaign. Part of the reason voters liked her parents so much was because they were a 'family' type of politician, and voters seemed to identify with that. Not that Padme was going to complain. Her parents were excellent at what they did.

"Well we should go dress shopping then." Padme said with a smile.

"We totally will." She paused. "I do need to ask a favor of you this weekend."

Typical. Being an actress, her sister was always busy. "Okay, what can I do?"

"I'm going to be doing a read through of the script for Thor: Ragnarok in Los Angeles this weekend. Darred is going to be on a business trip until Monday. Do you think you could possibly look after Ryoo and Pooja Friday and Saturday night?"

At this Padme couldn't help but smile. She adored her nieces, and she looked forward to when they would come to visit her. "Sure," Padme said, "I'm sure Mindy and Anakin won't mind. Maybe I can take them to Disneyland on Saturday."

"I'm sure they would love that, if you really want to put up with them in a crazy place like that." Sola laughed, "Now who is this Anakin?"

Oh jeez. She shouldn't have said anything about Anakin. "He's just a roommate."

"A roommate, huh?" The mischievousness in her voice made Padme groan. "When's the wedding?"

"Roommate does not equal a wedding." Padme pointed out, trying, and failing, to hide her irritation. Her sister was obsessed with Padme finding a man. Sola had taken a different path than Padme, choosing the life of the spotlight rather than the life of a politician or lawyer like the rest of her family. She had therefore found her husband quickly, and though they were a happy couple, she was obsessed with the idea that Padme also needed to find a man to be with.

"We will see, little sister." Padme could hear the grin in her sister's voice. "I'll see you on Friday. Maybe I'll get to meet this Anakin."

Padme didn't make any promises. In fact, she was already thinking of ways to get Anakin out of the house when her sister dropped by. "I'll see you then," was all she said before she hung up and returned to the kitchen just as Mindy entered looking like she had just pulled five all-nighters. "Whoa. What's wrong?" Padme asked, shocked to see her friend so…deflated. It was the only word that adequately described the way Mindy looked.

Mindy plopped into a chair at the table, burying her face in her hands. "I feel like I've been dragged through the mud." She mumbled into her hands.

Concerned, Padme sat down next to her. "What happened?" She asked, trying to remember if Mindy had recently started dating anyone. Mindy tended to date around, but she was the one breaking men's hearts, not the other way around. Besides, Padme didn't recall seeing Mindy go out for a date lately.

Mindy pulled her hands away from her face to stare down at them. From this close, Padme could see the puffiness around her eyes. Had she been crying? "I…I found out something awful today." She said, her voice shaking. "And now I don't know how I should treat this person."

Padme hesitated. "Do I know this person?"

"Not really." Mindy grumbled, and Padme relaxed. For a moment she was worried that Mindy had been talking about Anakin.

"Okay, well what was so bad that you came home looking like this?" Padme's voice was gentle, and she reached out to touch her friend's hand in comfort. Mindy pulled away, still not looking at her.

This is really serious, Padme thought as worry gripped her heart.

"This person has been nice since I met them," Mindy said slowly, "They've been helpful to their friends. Their family adores them. But even from the beginning, there was something off about this person. They even warned me that they weren't whole. And now I know…. I know that they did something absolutely awful in their past. Something that the majority of people would consider unforgivable. And yet the people they hurt have forgiven them. But when I found out, I wanted them to stay away from me. But at the same time, I see the regret in their eyes. I see them trying to make amends. I see it, but I still want to hate them. I don't know what to do."

Padme sat there in silence for a long time, processing what Mindy had told her. She was curious to know who this person was, but she didn't think Mindy would tell her if she asked. "It's understandable to be angry," Padme said slowly, not sure how much of her opinion was wanted in this matter.

Mindy finally looked at her. "What do you think I should do?"

Padme thought carefully over her answer before she replied. "I think that if this person is trying to redeem themselves, you should give them a chance to prove themselves."

Mindy raised an eyebrow. "Even if they did something really horrible?"

"Even if they did something really horrible."

Mindy bit her lip, but she nodded. "Okay. Thanks." Suddenly she stood, the chair scraping loudly against the tile. "I'm going to bed. I'll deal with it more tomorrow."

Padme also stood. "Wait. I have a surprise for you."

"Me?" Mindy frowned.

"Well. For the house, really." She took Mindy's hand and pulled her to Padme's bedroom, leading her inside.

There, sitting next to the bed, was a golden retriever puppy. When it saw the girls, he wagged his tail and stood, approaching them excitedly. "You got a dog?" Mindy asked, surprised.

Padme grinned. "Yup. I was at Wal-Mart today and there was this lady giving them out for free in the parking lot. I thought if I didn't take one home, it might end up in a bad home. Plus, it would be fun to have a dog to run with in the mornings."

Mindy knelt down and scratched the dog behind its ears and it leaned into her touch. "Have you named him yet?"

"Not yet. Any ideas?"

Mindy thought it over, petting the dog as it danced in excited circles around her. Finally, a slow smile crept upon her lips. "Oh. I've got a name that I'm sure Anakin would love." She said, her voice serious even though she had a mischievous look in her eye.

"What is it?"

"Jedi."

Padme blinked. What a weird name. But…it was a name she had heard before. And looking at the happy little puppy, she couldn't help but feel like it fit. "I like it." She agreed, kneeling down next to her friend to pet the puppy. "Jedi it is."


Anakin sat on the stool in the workshop the next morning at school. He had a large white paper in front of him and he was currently sketching his rough draft for that he would eventually build for his class project by the end of the semester. Rex had given him the assignment that morning, and the idea for this particular project had instantly come to Anakin's mind.

He didn't know if it was technically possible to build in this world though. He supposed that he would be the first to find out.

He had spent the night on Obi-Wan's couch, and his back was now full of knots because of it. Obi-Wan lived in a tiny one bedroom apartment that was barely big enough for Obi-Wan to comfortably live in. With Anakin there, it had been well, rather awkward to say the least. Obi-Wan didn't say what he'd talked to Mindy about, or how she had reacted. He just said they needed to trust the Force to take care of things.

Still, when Anakin arrived to school that morning, he felt as if his emotions had been hit by a car—and he knew what that felt like, so he figured it was an accurate description.

So as soon as he'd received the assignment, he had spent the day in the workshop sketching out the plans, making a list of everything he would need to get. It felt good to set his mind to a task: working with machines had always grounded him, even in his darkest moments. It felt good to create something rather than destroy it.

The day passed by swiftly. He barely stopped to eat, sketching his project to the last detail. By the time he finished, the sun was setting and his stomach was growling fiercely from hunger. Sighing, Anakin rolled up the paper to go turn it in to Rex, when someone stopped him.

"Knock knock." He whirled to find Mindy standing at the door to the shop, watching him cautiously. "Can I come in? Or am I not allowed?"

Why was she here? He wondered. Didn't she want to never see him again?

He didn't say that though. Not yet at least. "I don't think there's a rule against non-majors coming in. Padme came in here once and no one said anything. Just don't touch other people's projects." His voice was hoarse from his silence that day. He wished he sounded more confident, but Mindy didn't seem to mind. She cautiously walked into the room, skirting around sawdust and scattered screws still yet to be swept up. "How can I help you?" He asked when she didn't say anything.

She reached him, looking him in the eye. There was no fierceness. There was no hatred. There was no fear. But there was caution. "I came to…to apologize."

That Anakin did not expect. "Wait, what?" He asked.

Mindy blushed and looked away, suddenly finding his work table very interesting. "I've been thinking a lot since yesterday," she began, "And although I hate what you've done, I also realized that you can't change your past. Since I've known you, I've never actually felt that you were a personal threat to either Padme or myself. The one time you did lose your temper, you were trying to protect Padme. And, well, Padme is a grown woman. She make decide for herself who she associates herself with."

Anakin wasn't sure what to say. He hadn't even expected her to talk to him again, let alone apologize. "You don't have to apologize. You're just trying to protect your friend."

"I know," Mindy said, looking at him again. "But I also need to learn to trust the new friend I've made."

Again, Anakin was not expecting this. "Are we friends?" He asked, unsure.

A small smile quirked on her lips. "I assumed we were before yesterday. Can we continue to be?"

At first, Anakin was speechless, his mind whirling to process Mindy's change of heart. After a while though, his own lips formed a smile. "Any friend of Padme's is a friend of mine."

Mindy's smile widened into a grin. "Good. My threat still stands though—hurt her, and I'll hurt you." She frowned. "Well. I'll obviously have to find a way to get you back without you expecting it, what with you having all that hocus pocus stuff."

"It's called the Force."

"Whatever." She waved her hand dismissively. "Let's go home. Padme was wondering where you were this morning. I told her you and Ben were on a magical journey through fairyland and she stopped asking me questions, but that means she'll probably turn to you for a serious answer. So prepare one."

Anakin couldn't help but chuckle. "Thanks for the tip."

"No problem." She paused as Anakin gathered his things. "Oh. And there's also the matter of the dog…"


Thank you to Ladyw1026 for the idea about Padme getting a dog. I think it adds another our-world personal touch to Padme's life. Plus...Anakin will develop quite a interesting little relationship with that pooch. Mans best friend and all.

So I want to say a quick thing on Mindy. I've gotten quite a few reviews where people mentioned that she reminds them of Sabe. Well, you're correct in a way. When I created this story, I made a pintrest board for inspiration and when I looked for pictures of possible look alikes for Sabe, I picked Kiera Knightly with short hair, who played Sabe. I didn't put two and two together until after I wrote the first chapter, and I decided to keep her as a real world character. So in many ways she exhibits the same traits as Sabe or another of Padme's hand maidens, but I wanted to make sure she was also her own character. When you want to create a good plot, you have to have side characters as well. Padme in this world is going to be surrounded by different people, and although there may be a direct Sabe or other handmaiden in this world, Padme hasn't developed a relationship with them. She developed a relationship with someone similar, but also of this world. Now, I've received mostly positive feedback for Mindy, but some people may not like her. Trust me, I have a point in what I'm doing with her. I needed her to know about Anakin's past for future things. I need her to be there for certain things. If you don't like her, I'm sorry you feel that way, but she's not going anywhere for now at least.

Also, I got lots of good feedback for potential Obi-Wan relationships. I will say this: he will not be getting together with Mindy. Mindy may think he's hot, but I have a hard time picturing her with Obi-Wan. I think Obi-Wan would go crazy after a week. XD

Anyhow, love you lots! Review! Thanks for your support!

Love,

Sarah