AN: So I got SO many requests for the reception both in reviews and in my inbox that I decided it would be insane to keep getting messages years from now asking for the reception chapter. So I decided to do a double update instead. So, if you requested this, ENJOY! If not, you can still enjoy adorable Anakin and Padme moments, but you may proceed to the next chapter if you want, as this is really just a cute chapter.

Seriously though, thank my beta reader, SW. She really pushed for this chapter for you guys, and offered suggestions and additions when I got stuck. So, this chapter is dedicated to you, SW.

Enjoy!


To really love a woman, to understand her

You gotta know her deep inside

Hear every thought, see every dream

And give her wings when she wants to fly

Then when you find yourself lyin helpless in her arms

You know you really love a woman

Obi-Wan watched as Anakin pulled Padme close, holding her tenderly as the music started, and they began to dance across the dance floor of the ballroom, the same ballroom they had danced in the night of the Gala—the night that had changed their relationship forever. Purple, blue, and soft white lights lit up the ballroom beautifully, casting a soft glow on the lovers as they glided smoothly over the dance floor. Padme was radiant and graceful and practically sparkled. Anakin, radiating pure joy into the Force unlike anything Obi-Wan had ever felt before, was the perfect picture of a clumsy yet charmingly in love Knight in shining armor.

They were perfect together.

When you love a woman

You tell her that she's really wanted

When you love a woman you tell her that she's the one

Cuz she needs somebody

To tell her that it's gonna last forever

So tell me have you ever really

Really, really ever loved a woman?

The way Anakin looked at Padme in that moment, with so much love and openness and tenderness…Obi-Wan shifted almost a little uncomfortably. He knew Anakin better than most people, and yet even he had never seen Anakin look like this before. It almost felt like it was too tender, too private of a moment to intrude upon, a moment that should have been reserved for just the two of them alone, not a moment that a whole room full of people should look upon. And, of course, it was all being captured on video for them.

To really love a woman, let her hold you

Til' you know how she needs to be touched

You've gotta breathe her, really taste her

Til' you can feel her in your blood

An' when you can see your unborn children in her eyes

You know you really love a woman

Padme whispered something to Anakin in his ear that made his smile brighten even more, and he laughed, his eyes shining with love for his bride, taking a moment to twirl her and then pull her back flush against him, wrapping her tightly in his arms, as he dropped a kiss on her forehead. Obi-Wan had long since realized that these two truly were meant for each other (he had announced this not even an hour ago during his toast at dinner), but watching Anakin looking so joyful, Obi-Wan marveled at how...and why...the Jedi had discouraged such relationships.

Obi-Wan glanced at Satine, who stood next to him with an almost empty champagne glass still in her hand, as she watched the two lovers on the dance floor. He watched the curve of her lips as she smiled, the way her eyes crinkled a little and twinkled in the soft lighting, and a soft flush swept her cheeks.

You've got to give her some faith, hold her tight

A little tenderness, you gotta treat her right

She will be there for you, takin good care for you

You really gotta love your woman

And when you find yourself lying helpless in her arms

You know you really love a woman

Satine, feeling eyes on her, glanced up at Obi-Wan. "What is it?" She asked.

"Nothing," Obi-Wan said sheepishly, reaching out and taking her free hand in his. "You're just so...beautiful." That made her smile widen, making Obi-Wan's breath catch in his throat. How had he been lucky enough to get a second chance with her? It had hurt him so much to lose her the first time, and now the thought of losing her again…

Perhaps this was why some Jedi, thousands of years before his time, had decided to keep the Jedi celibate.

And yet…

When you love a woman

You tell her that she's really wanted

When you love a woman you tell her that she's the one

Cuz she needs somebody

To tell her that it's gonna last forever

So tell me have you ever really

Really, really ever loved a woman?

Suddenly, he wanted to risk it all, too. Just like Anakin. Because watching Anakin and Padme today, Obi-Wan realized that he wanted that, too. He didn't want to keep waiting and not being able to fully decide, to commit for fear of…what, losing her? Of betraying an old rule he had broken the moment he had made it clear that he loved her?

Just tell me have you ever really

Really, really ever loved a woman?

Oh

Just tell me have you ever really

Really, really, ever loved a woman?

No. It was time to really make a commitment. It was time to overcome his worries and move forward with his life.

With their life...He and Satine. Together.

Yes! He was going to ask Satine to marry him! The thought sent a thrill up his spine!

The applause of the crowd as Anakin leaned down and kissed his new wife tenderly drew Obi-Wan from his thoughts. The music ended and changed, and now that the Bride & Groom's first dance was over, others also began to step out onto the dance floor to begin dancing. "Well?" Satine teased, setting her glass down on a passing platter one of the servers was carrying around, "Are you going to ask me to dance?"

Obi-Wan flushed, opening his mouth to ask, but now that he had decided to take that final step, he almost blurted out the question right there and then. He was pretty sure Anakin wouldn't be too happy with him, though, if Obi-Wan drew attention away from them on their special day by asking Satine that question during their reception. So, Obi-Wan closed his mouth, took a deep breath, nodded, and led Satine wordlessly out onto the dance floor, taking her in his arms and dancing with her like he had never danced with anyone in his life (which wasn't saying that much, given that she was pretty much the only girl he'd ever really danced with).

He lost track of the time as he danced with her. It was throughout multiple songs, that he finally knew for sure that she was indeed...the one. But, all he cared about was bringing her close to him, feeling her body under his fingertips, and listening to her laugh in delight as he occasionally twirled her.

But, soon the dancing faded, as Anakin and Padme made their way to the refreshment table, where a dark blue frosted, four-tier cake with white edible crystals positioned all over it to look like stars—very reminiscent of Padme's Gala dress...was sitting. "Here it comes," Satine grinned, taking Obi-Wan's hand and pulling him after them, "Padme said Anakin's face is in for a surprise!"

Uh oh.

As they passed a table, Obi-Wan quickly snatched an unused napkin to hand to Anakin when this was over. As everyone gathered around and the photographer began to take pictures, Padme and Anakin picked up the silverware, placing their hands together on the silver handle and cut out a small piece. Now that Obi-Wan had decided to marry Satine, he couldn't help but imagine what it would be like for them to do this…

Stop, he scolded himself mentally, focus on Anakin.

He cleared his thoughts, focusing on his best friend and brother as he tenderly, and a little nervously, fed Padme a piece of the cake, careful not to spill any crumbs on her dress. Mindy had threatened Anakin with 'a lifetime of annoyance' if he spilled cake on her dress, and Anakin was apparently taking her threat seriously.

Padme, however, had made no such promise. She grinned wickedly, and before Anakin could react, she gently smashed the cake into Anakin's face, eliciting rumbles of laughter and loud chuckles from the audience and lots of pictures from the photographer. Anakin blinked in momentary surprise, but then, as Padme giggled, he grinned mischievously and pulled her to him and crushed his lips against Padme's, moving his face back and forth, thereby smearing cake on her face as well and causing everyone to outright laugh uproariously and applaud the newlyweds' antics.

As soon as the two had stopped locking lips (Padme had pulled away laughing even as Mindy had walked up with a napkin glaring at Anakin and checking her dress over for crumbs), Obi-Wan approached Anakin with the napkin. "I had a feeling you would be in need of this." He teased him wryly with a grin, as Anakin grabbed the napkin and rubbed his face off.

"Yeah, me too, actually," Anakin smirked, "But, I got her back, and without a single crumb dropped on the dress!" Obi-Wan glanced at Padme, now surrounded by her bridesmaids, and sure enough it looked like her dress was spotless.

Obi-Wan let out a low whistle of appreciation. "Now, that's talent, right there." His eyes caught sight of Satine again as she was handed a plate of cake, talking to Padme about something, and the smile faded a bit from Obi-Wan's face.

Seeing the look on Obi-Wan's face, Anakin frowned, getting serious. "What is it?"

Obi-Wan snapped out of it and shook his head. "Nothing. It can wait."

"No. Is something wrong? Did…did something happen between you two?" Anakin pressed, and Obi-Wan sighed, knowing his friend wasn't going to let it go.

"No, nothing like that…I've...I've just decided that I…" He paused, taking a few deep breaths. To actually say it aloud was almost as frightening as deciding it in his head. It would suddenly make it more real. "I want this." He motioned around them, "With Satine."

Anakin blinked at him, but he didn't seem surprised. "Took you long enough," Anakin finally said, a smile spreading back across his face.

"Wait, you knew?" Obi-Wan asked, surprised. Why hadn't Anakin said anything if he'd known Obi-Wan would eventually want to marry Satine?

"Of course, I did. The way you look at her…" he shook his head and shrugged. "A blind man could have seen it."

"Are you calling me blind?" Obi-Wan asked with a raise of his eyebrow.

"Maybe. Anyhow, I'm happy for you, Brother. If you want any help, just let me know." Anakin clapped him on the shoulder, his new wedding ring reflecting the light as he did so. Obi-Wan could tell that his former Padawan was serious, and it was something that Obi-Wan knew so little about, he might have taken him up on his offer. But, he also had a feeling that this was something that he needed to accomplish by himself.

"Thanks, Brother." He looked over to find yet another crowd gathered, this time to watch as Padme threw her bouquet to all the single ladies there. "Ahhh...Looks like you're about to be up again, my friend," Obi-Wan said, highly amused, because if he knew Anakin...

Anakin glanced behind him and grinned ferally, a very wicked gleam appearing in his eye. "I've been waiting for this." He said with a wink, as he rubbed his hands together with glee, and before Obi-Wan could even ask him what he meant by that, Anakin was walking away towards his wife, who had just thrown the flowers. There was a mad stampede by her bridesmaids and essentially every other single woman there, but unsurprisingly, it was Mindy who came out of the screaming scuffle holding the bouquet triumphantly, as more applause and laughter rang out from the crowd.

That done, Owen did not take long to pull out a chair and set it before Padme with a rare grin, and she sighed dramatically with a roll of her eyes and sat down on it, as laughter, wolf whistles, and cat calls rang out from the men in the crowd. She watched Anakin with a challenge in her eyes as he approached like a wolf stalking its prey. Her eyes flashed, daring him to try something embarrassing, which only caused Anakin to grin wider, that wicked gleam dancing in his gaze, as music began to play...music with a very distinctive trombone and bu-ba-ba-bum drumbeat that made Padme's eyes widen and her cheeks flush hot pink.

"Oh NO, Mister," she said, "You turn that off right now…"

"Nope! Time for a little payback for that cake, Sweetheart," Anakin laughed triumphantly, kneeling before her, placing her right foot on his thigh and slowly, tantilizingly lifting her dress up so that her blue and white lace garter, wrapped around her thigh, was exposed. As more wolf whistles erupted from the crowd, she squeaked, opened her mouth to object, but Anakin, a feral grin on his face, was already moving, rather confidently, as if he'd done this in public many multiple times. He leaned up, flicked his eyes to his bride's mortified expression, and with his teeth, he grabbed hold of the garter and slowly, sensually, pulled it down her leg, his hand sliding under her thigh and then following the descent of the garter clutched in his teeth down her shapely leg, to finally grasp her ankle tenderly in his palm.

Padme, needless to say, was utterly speechless, as her face turned an even brighter red...redder than Obi-Wan had ever seen anyone's face turn. She was, quite frankly, as red as a lobster! The crowd ate it up and chanted Go, Anakin! to the senuous beat of the music, encouraging him all the more. As Anakin finished pulling it off, he slowly lowered her dress again, still holding the garter in his teeth. Grabbing it with his hand, he grinned up at her wolfishly, and leaned up and kissed her, whispering something in her ear (which made her jaw drop and her face burn even hotter than ever) before he stood and pulled away with a flourish to turn to face his groomsmen and all the single males…

And flicked the garter.

Obi-Wan wasn't going to go for it—he didn't go for it. But, somehow, it still managed to land in his hands, almost as if Anakin had specifically meant for it to happen. The crowd erupted in cheers. As Obi-Wan, blushing like crazy now himself, looked up, he caught Anakin's eye, who suddenly looked a little too innocent as the other groomsmen patted Obi-Wan's back and congratulated him. Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes at his former Padawan, but Anakin was now helping Padme to her feet.

That little sneak.

But soon, after a few more dances and the cake was served, the night was over, and everyone lined up outside in the warm summer breeze to see the bride and groom off. A white limo was parked right outside the terrace with a "Just Married" sign on the back of it, and as Anakin took Padme's hand to lead her off to officially begin their marriage together, Obi-Wan felt Anakin's Force presence touch his own in a feeling of tremndous gratefulness.

Thank you, Brother, he heard in his mind, I couldn't have done this without you.

Obi-Wan couldn't help but smile. He wasn't sure how true that statement was, but it felt good, no, right to have his brother again, home, where he belonged. Anytime, brother, he communicated back, his eyes tearing up as he watched as Anakin led Padme to the limo through a shower of rice and rose petals, where they paused, kissed again for the crowd, and got in and were driven off into the starlit night...Both of them finally home...

At last.


The song used in this chapter was Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman by Bryan Adams. A very, VERY intimate song.