Oct 2002
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this, all the characters (Except for Tasha) are property of Lucasfilm etc etc.
Hide Your Love Away
Chapter 11
Padmé looked up as Anakin entered her room, barely able to lift her head off the pallet. She felt weak, exhausted, as if she'd fought a battle on both sides for a month and was finally able to rest. She felt like she had when the adrenalin had worn off after Anakin's fight with Dooku.
He came quickly to her bedside, his expression worried, "Angel?"
Her smile was faint, "Hello, lover."
He chuckled, "I see being weak hasn't dulled your sense of humor." He grasped her hands, smiling down at her.
"Any luck finding Tasha?"
Anakin shook his head. "Not a bite. Her boss said she works most nights, but this weeks she has them off. Last time he'd seen her was when she was with Obi-Wan. Apparently she divested him of his Jedi robe in the bar, hiding his identity, and was ready to..." he trailed off, not wanting to complete the sentence.
Padmé raised an amused eyebrow. "Mount him in the bar?"
Anakin flushed but nodded, "Yeah."
She laughed weakly, squeezing his hands, "Anakin, if I could do that to you and get away with it I would."
His jaw dropped. "Pad..."
She laughed, but quickly fell into a coughing fit. Whatever the Jedi Healers had done hadn't affected her lungs. Anakin held her, sliding onto the bed beside her and rubbed her back to ease the pain. He held a glass of water to her lips and helped her drink it before the coughing finally subsided. He'd been warned not to use the Force to ease her pain; it might cause a relapse.
"Better?"
She nodded. "Sorry, I couldn't resist."
He clucked her under the chin, "Save that kind of thinking and talk for later, Angel, when we can do something about it."
She smiled, leaning against his shoulder. "I can't help thinking about it," she admitted.
"Oh?"
She sighed, "I'm terrible. We're here trying to save our family and all I can think about are ways to get you into bed with me."
His blue eyes danced at her admission, "Really?"
She nodded, slumping against him in disgust, "Really. Isn't that pathetic? I should have bigger concerns and that's the one that consumes me."
He laughed, hugging her gently, "I think about it too, but not until you've recovered."
She grimaced as he laid her back against the bed, tucking the cover around her body. "Anakin."
He met her gaze again, a soft smile on his lips, "What can I get you, Angel?"
She grasped his hand, feeling as if her plug had just been pulled. Her ability to stay awake was waning fast. "Promise me you'll wait until I can. You won't go searching anyone else out or let someone seduce you?"
He leaned down, kissing her gently, "I promise Angel. You're the only woman I want; the only one who could seduce me."
She smiled as her eyelids fluttered closed and she dropped into a healing slumber.
Anakin stood, for long minutes, at her bedside, a frown on her face. Had that been Padmé's way of warning him that Tasha might try something with him? He hoped not. With a sigh, he turned and left the room.
Obi-Wan lay abed, his mind roiling with everything that had happened in the last few days. His memory was barely touched, the events with Pearl locked in his subconscious and inaccessible to him. Anakin would be facing the Supreme Chancellor in the morning. What a mess. Would Anakin encounter Pearl tomorrow? He frowned. Shaking away his last image of her, he closed his eyes to sleep.
Soft, silken hair caressed his face, a whisper of a kiss sliding across his lips as feminine hands opened his tunic, sliding along his jugular to the pulse point on his neck-
His eyes flew open as the feeling registered. His gaze moved around the room, his body tense with apprehension. Nothing. He spread his senses through the Force, feeling for another presence. He couldn't relax and pushed himself off of the bed. "Pearl?"
Silence greeted his inquiry. He frowned, lying back down when it became obvious he was alone. He closed his eyes again, inhaling deeply. He froze. The fragrance Pearl had been wearing the night he'd taken her to the club filled his nostrils. His eyes flew open again. This time he slid from his bed and checked the room manually, being very careful to check the nooks and crannies. Nothing. He frowned. She'd been here, but why? His hand went to his neck, feeling nothing.
Grabbing his brown robe, he left his quarters at a run. If Pearl was in the building she could only be after one of two things. Himself, or Anakin.
Anakin stepped out of the medical lab absorbed in thought. A hand on his neck startled him, causing his head to come up quickly. His eyes widened and he took a step back from the blond vision in front of him. "Tasha."
Tasha smiled at him, "Anakin," she purred. "It's been a long time."
Not long enough, he couldn't help thinking. He forced himself to smile at her, "So it has. What brings you here?"
She straightened, cocking her head teasingly to the side, her tight flight suit straining across her ample bosom, "I wanted to express my condolences."
"For?"
"Why, the passing of your wife of course!" She fluttered her eyelashes at him, "I would do anything to relieve the tension you must be feeling."
Anakin's mind flashed a warning signal as Padmé's words came back to him. How had she known? "I'll accept your condolences but I'm afraid I can't take anything else from you, no matter how tempting."
She stepped nearer, daring to walk her fingers up his arm, "You're still a young man, Anakin. Surely you mean to enjoy life's little pleasures?"
He picked up her hand and dropped it as if it were infected. "I have to decline."
He saw her frown, looking at him critically, and hid a smile. He'd taken a drought to counter-act whatever drug of the six she'd used on him. He would remain immune. At least, he hoped. Hers smiled blossomed again. "Care to go for a drink then, for old time's sake?"
He inclined his head to her, "I'd enjoy that a lot, Tasha, but I'm afraid I'm heading to bed. Before you offer again, no, I don't want company. I have a busy day ahead of me tomorrow and what you intend would drain me. I'll need my strength."
She pouted prettily. "Fine then, you're no fun. Obi-Wan is more fun than you are."
He arched his eyebrows in blatant disbelief. "My old, stingy Master is more fun than I?" he laughed.
She grinned back at him but didn't respond as running footsteps echoed through the hallway. They both turned to see Obi-Wan moving towards them, his gaze fixed on Tasha. Anakin heard alarm bells again. Obi-Wan had the look of a man willing to commit a crime to get what he wanted. He frowned. Had Tasha used some of her mix on the older Jedi before coming to see him? From the look of him, yes.
Anakin glanced at Tasha in time to see her take off towards Obi-Wan. He shook his head. If Tasha had to use enhancements to get a man to want her, and Obi-Wan had to be dipped in them to be affected by a beautiful woman, they deserved each other.
Tasha was swept into Obi-Wan's arms and spun in a circle, his lips coming down hard on hers as he crushed her body to him. Anakin shook her head again and began walking towards them. If he had to pass them, he'd at least make sure they didn't embarrass themselves in the hallway. Surely Tasha wasn't that much of an exhibitionist.
He stopped next to them as Obi-Wan's hands were undoing the zipper on the front of Tasha's flight suit. He reached out and grasped the hand, stopping his former Master who seemed content to take her against the wall in the corridor. "Obi-Wan, might I suggest your room?"
Obi-Wan blinked at him twice before nodding slowly, the suggestion slow to set in his mind.
Tasha's hands were no better than Obi-Wan's as they slid down over his trousers, grasping him in her hands as Anakin spoke. Obi-Wan pressed more firmly against her, but pulled away sharply, grabbing her hand and walking off. The intent in his stride and posture were obvious. Tasha fairly ran at his heels, her own body language suggesting she was as eager as he.
Anakin sighed. If that was how Obi-Wan reacted under a powerful and potent aphrodisiac, he would hate to see the man in love. His lips twisted into a half-smile. He'd never need that kind of help with Padmé. That thought firmly in his mind, he walked to the end of the corridor and stepped into his temporary room. So long as Padmé was in the lab, he would remain close by. Settling himself on his bunk, he prepared to sleep alone for the first time in over a year.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this, all the characters (Except for Tasha) are property of Lucasfilm etc etc.
Hide Your Love Away
Chapter 11
Padmé looked up as Anakin entered her room, barely able to lift her head off the pallet. She felt weak, exhausted, as if she'd fought a battle on both sides for a month and was finally able to rest. She felt like she had when the adrenalin had worn off after Anakin's fight with Dooku.
He came quickly to her bedside, his expression worried, "Angel?"
Her smile was faint, "Hello, lover."
He chuckled, "I see being weak hasn't dulled your sense of humor." He grasped her hands, smiling down at her.
"Any luck finding Tasha?"
Anakin shook his head. "Not a bite. Her boss said she works most nights, but this weeks she has them off. Last time he'd seen her was when she was with Obi-Wan. Apparently she divested him of his Jedi robe in the bar, hiding his identity, and was ready to..." he trailed off, not wanting to complete the sentence.
Padmé raised an amused eyebrow. "Mount him in the bar?"
Anakin flushed but nodded, "Yeah."
She laughed weakly, squeezing his hands, "Anakin, if I could do that to you and get away with it I would."
His jaw dropped. "Pad..."
She laughed, but quickly fell into a coughing fit. Whatever the Jedi Healers had done hadn't affected her lungs. Anakin held her, sliding onto the bed beside her and rubbed her back to ease the pain. He held a glass of water to her lips and helped her drink it before the coughing finally subsided. He'd been warned not to use the Force to ease her pain; it might cause a relapse.
"Better?"
She nodded. "Sorry, I couldn't resist."
He clucked her under the chin, "Save that kind of thinking and talk for later, Angel, when we can do something about it."
She smiled, leaning against his shoulder. "I can't help thinking about it," she admitted.
"Oh?"
She sighed, "I'm terrible. We're here trying to save our family and all I can think about are ways to get you into bed with me."
His blue eyes danced at her admission, "Really?"
She nodded, slumping against him in disgust, "Really. Isn't that pathetic? I should have bigger concerns and that's the one that consumes me."
He laughed, hugging her gently, "I think about it too, but not until you've recovered."
She grimaced as he laid her back against the bed, tucking the cover around her body. "Anakin."
He met her gaze again, a soft smile on his lips, "What can I get you, Angel?"
She grasped his hand, feeling as if her plug had just been pulled. Her ability to stay awake was waning fast. "Promise me you'll wait until I can. You won't go searching anyone else out or let someone seduce you?"
He leaned down, kissing her gently, "I promise Angel. You're the only woman I want; the only one who could seduce me."
She smiled as her eyelids fluttered closed and she dropped into a healing slumber.
Anakin stood, for long minutes, at her bedside, a frown on her face. Had that been Padmé's way of warning him that Tasha might try something with him? He hoped not. With a sigh, he turned and left the room.
Obi-Wan lay abed, his mind roiling with everything that had happened in the last few days. His memory was barely touched, the events with Pearl locked in his subconscious and inaccessible to him. Anakin would be facing the Supreme Chancellor in the morning. What a mess. Would Anakin encounter Pearl tomorrow? He frowned. Shaking away his last image of her, he closed his eyes to sleep.
Soft, silken hair caressed his face, a whisper of a kiss sliding across his lips as feminine hands opened his tunic, sliding along his jugular to the pulse point on his neck-
His eyes flew open as the feeling registered. His gaze moved around the room, his body tense with apprehension. Nothing. He spread his senses through the Force, feeling for another presence. He couldn't relax and pushed himself off of the bed. "Pearl?"
Silence greeted his inquiry. He frowned, lying back down when it became obvious he was alone. He closed his eyes again, inhaling deeply. He froze. The fragrance Pearl had been wearing the night he'd taken her to the club filled his nostrils. His eyes flew open again. This time he slid from his bed and checked the room manually, being very careful to check the nooks and crannies. Nothing. He frowned. She'd been here, but why? His hand went to his neck, feeling nothing.
Grabbing his brown robe, he left his quarters at a run. If Pearl was in the building she could only be after one of two things. Himself, or Anakin.
Anakin stepped out of the medical lab absorbed in thought. A hand on his neck startled him, causing his head to come up quickly. His eyes widened and he took a step back from the blond vision in front of him. "Tasha."
Tasha smiled at him, "Anakin," she purred. "It's been a long time."
Not long enough, he couldn't help thinking. He forced himself to smile at her, "So it has. What brings you here?"
She straightened, cocking her head teasingly to the side, her tight flight suit straining across her ample bosom, "I wanted to express my condolences."
"For?"
"Why, the passing of your wife of course!" She fluttered her eyelashes at him, "I would do anything to relieve the tension you must be feeling."
Anakin's mind flashed a warning signal as Padmé's words came back to him. How had she known? "I'll accept your condolences but I'm afraid I can't take anything else from you, no matter how tempting."
She stepped nearer, daring to walk her fingers up his arm, "You're still a young man, Anakin. Surely you mean to enjoy life's little pleasures?"
He picked up her hand and dropped it as if it were infected. "I have to decline."
He saw her frown, looking at him critically, and hid a smile. He'd taken a drought to counter-act whatever drug of the six she'd used on him. He would remain immune. At least, he hoped. Hers smiled blossomed again. "Care to go for a drink then, for old time's sake?"
He inclined his head to her, "I'd enjoy that a lot, Tasha, but I'm afraid I'm heading to bed. Before you offer again, no, I don't want company. I have a busy day ahead of me tomorrow and what you intend would drain me. I'll need my strength."
She pouted prettily. "Fine then, you're no fun. Obi-Wan is more fun than you are."
He arched his eyebrows in blatant disbelief. "My old, stingy Master is more fun than I?" he laughed.
She grinned back at him but didn't respond as running footsteps echoed through the hallway. They both turned to see Obi-Wan moving towards them, his gaze fixed on Tasha. Anakin heard alarm bells again. Obi-Wan had the look of a man willing to commit a crime to get what he wanted. He frowned. Had Tasha used some of her mix on the older Jedi before coming to see him? From the look of him, yes.
Anakin glanced at Tasha in time to see her take off towards Obi-Wan. He shook his head. If Tasha had to use enhancements to get a man to want her, and Obi-Wan had to be dipped in them to be affected by a beautiful woman, they deserved each other.
Tasha was swept into Obi-Wan's arms and spun in a circle, his lips coming down hard on hers as he crushed her body to him. Anakin shook her head again and began walking towards them. If he had to pass them, he'd at least make sure they didn't embarrass themselves in the hallway. Surely Tasha wasn't that much of an exhibitionist.
He stopped next to them as Obi-Wan's hands were undoing the zipper on the front of Tasha's flight suit. He reached out and grasped the hand, stopping his former Master who seemed content to take her against the wall in the corridor. "Obi-Wan, might I suggest your room?"
Obi-Wan blinked at him twice before nodding slowly, the suggestion slow to set in his mind.
Tasha's hands were no better than Obi-Wan's as they slid down over his trousers, grasping him in her hands as Anakin spoke. Obi-Wan pressed more firmly against her, but pulled away sharply, grabbing her hand and walking off. The intent in his stride and posture were obvious. Tasha fairly ran at his heels, her own body language suggesting she was as eager as he.
Anakin sighed. If that was how Obi-Wan reacted under a powerful and potent aphrodisiac, he would hate to see the man in love. His lips twisted into a half-smile. He'd never need that kind of help with Padmé. That thought firmly in his mind, he walked to the end of the corridor and stepped into his temporary room. So long as Padmé was in the lab, he would remain close by. Settling himself on his bunk, he prepared to sleep alone for the first time in over a year.