The separation was never as painful for her as it was now. Obi-Wan made good on his promise to call her on their coded, private channel when he reached the lake house on Naboo. Padme had sent ahead orders to the property's caretaker, Paddy Accu, and the rest of the staff to help him feel at home. It was hard not to feel like she was keeping her lover in a gilded cage. This was not forever, but it was difficult to see beyond the next day, let alone the next hour.

Anakin said that they had found Grievous. Who found him and how, she had no way of knowing. A Senator was not privy to that kind of information.

So she carried on with her political tasks, studying bills, and writing her own proposals, all the while dancing around the suspicion and accusations that inevitably came her way in the wake of her presentation of the ex-General Kenobi's data disk. Days passed, and she had not seen Bail or the other members of the Delegation in person in all that time. She was staying away, for everyone's sake.

If anything helped her keep her sanity, it was being able to see Obi-Wan's hologram once in awhile. It couldn't amount to the real thing, but it was some small relief to see him, to receive that reassuring smile from him. It was the late evening when she called him. The sun was setting over Coruscant, bathing the glittering skyline in a fiery hue, casting long dark shadows. She stood on the veranda where it was peaceful, where she was reminded of him, a warm cape over her shoulders to ward off the evening chill, the holocom disk on the floor and standing over it the life-sized ghost of Obi-Wan.

"It's like the whole galaxy is holding its breath…" she said softly, trying not to reveal her own anxiety. "I just keep waiting for the news that Grievous is dead…"

"I don't suppose you know who they sent after Grievous?" Obi-Wan asked, knowing the answer already.

She shook her head. "The Jedi never share that information… Too sensitive, I suppose…"

He nodded pensively, and in the lined image of him, she could still see the crease of his brow.

"I miss you," she couldn't keep it to herself any longer.

The frown smoothed away and he was pulled from his deep thoughts, and his eyes met hers across the galaxy. "I miss you too, Padme… Don't worry about me. I'm passing the time well. Another two days and I might be able to win back my credits from Accu at sabacc… Or else I can start betting the clothes off my back…"

That finally brought a small smile to her face. Even though he was no longer a Jedi, he still had almost no personal objects to call his own. She had learned that the Jedi seemed to have a prejudice against ownership of anything, especially material objects.

"Don't lose all of your clothes… I still have your old robes here and I don't know how soon I can get them to you."

"Is that what happened to them?" he said absently, as if he didn't have a care in the world if he misplaces them. "I suppose it would be rather undignified to lounge around here in the nude."

He was trying to make her laugh, and the twinkle in his eyes comforted her. She tried to be light about it, but she could not help lingering on the fact that she honestly didn't know when she would see him again.

"Padme…." He said softly. "Not to worry, we shall see each other again. Soon. I can feel it."

It was difficult to know if he was just saying that for her benefit or if he meant it. But how could she argue with that comforting smile? She pulled her cape closer around her neck and nodded, even if she was not as sure as he pretended to be.

"I hope so… I don't know how much more of this I can take." The strain was very real if it was enough for her to finally say it aloud, and she could see the pain in his eyes to hear it.

"Senator!" C-3PO was shuffling in from her room. "Master Anakin is here!"

Her blood ran cold, and Obi-Wan's face went blank.

"I will call you later, Obi-Wan…"

He nodded his understanding. "I'll be waiting… I love you..."

Those words were enough to spark warmth back into her. "I love you, too…"

His image flickered away and she felt suddenly alone. Plucking the holocom from the floor, she slipped it into the hidden pocket of her skirt and walked briskly past Threepio, through her room and into the lobby.

Anakin wasn't alone. There were no Clones flanking him this time, but rolling idly a few steps behind him as he paced along the room was R2-D2. Anakin was looking with disinterest at the various collectible artifacts that decorated the place, pausing with his back towards her as he stared at the empty table where a vase once sat. The very one that Obi-Wan had smashed his head with. His wide shoulders rose and fell heavily in a huff.

She couldn't even begin to guess why he was here, but she was hopeful that perhaps he had news of what was happening in the galaxy. After all, there was no one else who was in with the Jedi and the Chancellor simultaneously. Padme donned her best politician mask and walked into the room. Artoo's domed top swiveled towards her while he let out a cheerful whistle, and Anakin turned to face her.

"Hello Anakin…" she said calmly. "What brings you here?"

"I wanted to see you… I've got good news."

Her heart was beating rapidly. He didn't say anything, he just looked at her, his gaze drinking in the sight of her from head to foot. She never liked it when he looked at her like that.

"What news?" she finally asked slowly, when he failed to elaborate.

"General Grievous is dead." He said it so casually.

She let out her breath and resisted the temptation to thank the stars. She knew she should thank whatever Clone troopers or Jedi were responsible. "The war can end then..."

The edge of his mouth tugged into something of a smile. "Yes."

"What's going to happen now? Are steps being taken for peace?"

"There is more to do…" he said languidly. "But now that Grievous is gone and the Separatist Council is… dissolved… We'll be able to finally bring order to the galaxy. I'm on my way to the Jedi Temple now."

"The Jedi Council doesn't know yet?" It seemed so strange.

"The Chancellor decides when they receive the report," he said it as though it was obvious. "It was his Clone Intelligence that found Grievous in the first place, not the Jedi."

"I thought the clones were under the jurisdiction of the Jedi?"

"Not anymore." His voice was hard. "Padme, when I get to the temple, things are going to change quickly…" He was stepping nearer.

"What do you mean?"

Though he smiled reassuringly, there was something so... askew. "Everything's going to be okay. You'll see…" His gaze dipped to her hand and he hesitantly reached for it.

She didn't pull her hand free when he took it in his own warm, flesh hand.

"You're cold…" he closed his gloved hand over it and she could feel the electric joints beneath the leather. She remembered that feeling well, his durasteel hand never bothered her. Until now.

"Anakin… What are you not telling me?"

He continued to study her hand, his breath trembling a little and he frowned. "Just promise me that whatever happens, you'll stay here… Stay inside... Grievous is dead and the war is going to end tonight… Everything will be set right…"

The way he was holding her hand didn't seem to her to be romantic in nature. It wasn't unlike the way a child would hold on, terrified of getting lost. His words baffled her and frightened her to the point that she couldn't conjure what to say. He lifted her hand, and she thought he was about to kiss it. But he let go and turned sharply on his heel.

R2-D2 began to follow, but a clipped order from Anakin stopped him in his tracks.

"Stay with Padme, Artoo. Don't leave her side."

Artoo trilled and chirped what sounded like confused compliance.

Anakin marched out of the room, his cloak billowing behind him.

The air was left with an electric chill when he was gone and Padme found herself staring at the door. The last rays of sunlight were sinking behind the horizon and night was falling fast over the city, the lights of her apartment turned up a little brighter.

He told her to stay. That was the last thing she wanted to do. Still in her cape, she ran for the door and bolted out. Or at least, she would have, if two armored arms didn't block her path.

"Halt!"

She was only stunned for a moment when she realized there were two Clone Troopers on each side of her door. "Let me pass!"

"Sorry, Senator. We were ordered to keep you here for your own safety."

"Safety from what?" she breathed.

"Just stay inside, my lady. We'll alert you when it is safe to leave."

The two guards kept their arms across the doorway, their blasters in their other hands. Slowly she stepped back into her quarters and closed the door. Panic was beginning to take hold of her now. Something terrible was going to happen, and she had no way of knowing what.

C-3PO emerged from the room now, his short strides taking him to the astromech's side where he leaned inquisitively over him. "Master Anakin seems to be under quite a lot of stress… Do you know what is going on?"

Artoo chirped and beeped with a few low boops.

C-3PO straightened his back. "What do you mean, you don't know what's going on? Aren't you with him at every moment?"

There was a flurry of short squawks and boops from Artoo that sounded decidedly frustrated.

Padme moved nearer, kneeling in front of the agitated little droid. "Artoo, do you know anything at all? Threepio?" she looked up at the protocol droid desperately, waiting for a translation.

R2-D2 went into a long, complex string of sounds, occasionally wobbling on his legs.

"He says that he is not authorized to disclose certain details of their missions…" Threepio said simply. "He also says that he does not know what is happening. Master Anakin had left him with the ship when he carried out his mission. Master Anakin has also stopped talking to him, which he says is very unusual."

The end of the explanation ended with low, sad wooo, and Artoo's cylindrical body tipped forward. Obi-Wan may have had zero interest in the opinions of droids, but Padme found it invaluable at the moment. R2-D2 had proven impossible loyalty to his masters over the years. When he belonged to Padme, and now more than ever with Anakin. He was unique among astromech droids thanks to the upgrades that Anakin had given him, and the two seemed to have been inseparable. Until now, when Anakin abandoned him in Padme's apartment.

"Something's wrong…" she said, her throat tight. "Anakin might be putting himself in danger. I need to do something…"

Even as she said it, she knew how futile it was. She sat on the floor with Artoo, C-3PO standing over her, and she buried her face in her hands as she tried to gather her wits. After a few minutes, she sniffed, swiped the tears from her cheeks, and got back onto her feet. She pulled the holocom from her pocket and used the coded channel to call Obi-Wan. It crackled, but the transmission couldn't get out. It made no difference, but she hit the disk with the heel of her hand.

"Something's blocking the signal…" she could barely get the words out as she tried to keep calm. The disk was put back into her pocket and she kneeled in front of R2-D2 again. "Can you help me send a message to Obi-Wan?"

Artoo beeped again.

"He says… His communications were disabled prior to coming here by… Master Anakin…"

Did Anakin do that, knowing she would want to call Obi-Wan? Or call anyone? If this was his idea of protecting her, he had another thing coming. She was feeling less defeated and more defiant every second.

"Threepio… I want you to go out the front door past those guards to get my speeder. Bring it to my personal landing platform… Tell them I am sending you out to deliver a message to Senator Hault-Botaff on a bill we have been working on. Here…" she hurried to her room and returned with a disk that genuinely had the aforementioned bill on it. "It's imperative that the senator gets this, since I am apparently having technical difficulties…"

C-3PO took the disk in his metal fingers. "Yes, my lady! You can rely on me!"

He was very good at lying, she had made him do it countless times. He shuffled to the door, and she saw him stopped by the same armored arms.

"Halt!"

"Oh my!" Threepio leaned back from the arms, his hand shooting up to show the disk. "Senator Amidala has asked that I deliver this message to Senator—"

"No one leaves. Not even droids."

"I beg your pardon!"

"Get back inside, droid."

"Yes, but, you see, this is very important—"

"Get. Inside. Move it!"

She could just see a gloved hand push at C-3PO's chest plate, nudging him back inside.

"Oh, well, that is I… Oh…" The doors closed again in Threepio's expressionless face. He turned and looked to her. "I am sorry, my lady… I'm afraid I am not equipped to fight my way past them."

R2-D2 rolled across the room, speaking his binary at the protocol droid.

"How dare you! You might wish to watch your language around the Senator, you rusty can!"

Artoo squelched back at him.

Padme was losing her battle against the fear that was taking over her. She was beginning to feel truly trapped. She sank onto the couch, facing the wall and holding the holocom tightly between her hands. All she could do was wait…