Obi-Wan watched as Padme leaned over the balcony, crying softly. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were red with obvious signs of lengthy sadness. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in anger. Obi-Wan knew it was against the Jedi Code to feel this way, but he had a hard time controlling his emotions when it came to her. Once again, Anakin had hurt Padme, and Obi-Wan had stood by idly. He emerged from the shadows and walked over to Padme's side. Wrapping one comforting arm around her shoulders, he hugged her close, rubbing his hand up and down her arm.
"What has he done?
"Same thing he always does: Be himself." Padme wiped away tears with the back of her hand. As she did so, Obi-Wan noticed bruises on her wrist. He took her hand in his, turning her arm over to examine the injury.
"Where did these come from? Did he do this?"
Padme lowered her head in shame. "Yes."
Obi-Wan gritted his teeth again. "He's going to come to a bad end...if he keeps this up, it'll be by me." He moved his hand to her injured wrist, slowly massaging the afflicted area.
Padme snatched her arm away from his grasp and moved her body away from him, uncomfortable with his closeness. "Don't, Obi-Wan. If you care about me, you'll act as though it never happened."
"I do care about you, Padme...more than you'll ever know." Obi-Wan flinched, wishing he had kept that comment to himself.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Padme watched as lines formed at the corners of his mouth as he clenched his jaw.
"Anakin is my friend, but I find it increasingly hard to remain that way with his continued mistreatment of you. I fear if he continues down this path, something will happen to him or worse, you."
"I can take care of myself." Her eyes concentrated on her fingers as she traced over a carving in the stone balcony.
"But you deserve better."
She turned back to look at him for a moment. "If it wasn't for you, Obi-Wan, I don't know how I'd make it another day."
"Padme, if it's that bad, please leave him. I'll help you."
"But I couldn't hide forever. He'd find me sooner or later, and I have made a commitment to him to remain his wife. For better or worse, I vowed. That's why I stay. That, and..." she paused, "because of my love for you." Obi-Wan's head snapped to the right to look at her. She gazed over her shoulder, her eyes meeting his. His inner struggle to control his emotions was clearly visible in his gray-blue eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but only a breath of air escaped his lips. "Say something, Obi-Wan."
"What do you expect me to say? He said, dumbstruck at the revelation that she, indeed, had felt the same for him.
"My name...that you love me as well. I don't know...anything."
Obi-Wan brought his hand to her cheek, lightly pressing his fingertips into her skin as he caressed her jaw line. Padme closed her eyes, savoring a kinder touch than the one she was accustomed to getting from Anakin. He brought his lips to hers, pressing them firmly together, his neatly trimmed beard scratching against the smooth skin surrounding her lips. Their lips parted and his tongue entered her mouth, coaxing her into a full kiss. A minute, perhaps two passed, but to the pair, it seemed like an eternity trapped in a moment.
"Padme! Padme!" They broke away from their kiss suddenly and looked toward the door. It was Anakin's voice, calling for her."
"I'd better go. If Anakin found me with you..." she began.
"Let him," he interrupted.
"I won't let you put yourself in that position."
"What? Do you think I am afraid of Anakin? Everyone else in the temple may bow to him and let him do as he pleases, but not this Jedi. Never will I bend to Anakin's will." Obi-Wan took her hand once more as Padme turned to leave the balcony. "Just remember, if he ever hurts you again, come to me."
She blinked in disbelief as her cheeks flushed red again. "What will you do?"
"I would make sure he would never do it again. This I promise you."
"How much longer will you be here on Naboo?"
"As long as you need me and the will of the council allows me to stay."
"Then I shall look forward to seeing you again, Master Kenobi." Padme bowed goodnight to Obi-Wan just as Anakin entered the balcony. Obi-Wan bowed respectfully in return and Anakin watched her as she left, her head held high in defiance of him. Anakin joined his master at the balcony's railing, leaning his tall, lean frame against it as he crossed his arms and sighed.
"What am I going to do with her?"
"You shouldn't even have the luxury of that worry," Obi-Wan thought to himself. "I wouldn't even begin to understand the complexity of a woman, Anakin, especially this one." Obi-Wan walks toward the curtained archway from the balcony and turns back to him. "Good night, my padawan."
"And to you as well, Master. Sleep well."
Obi-Wan thought to him self. "That's easy for you to say."
********************
"What has he done?
"Same thing he always does: Be himself." Padme wiped away tears with the back of her hand. As she did so, Obi-Wan noticed bruises on her wrist. He took her hand in his, turning her arm over to examine the injury.
"Where did these come from? Did he do this?"
Padme lowered her head in shame. "Yes."
Obi-Wan gritted his teeth again. "He's going to come to a bad end...if he keeps this up, it'll be by me." He moved his hand to her injured wrist, slowly massaging the afflicted area.
Padme snatched her arm away from his grasp and moved her body away from him, uncomfortable with his closeness. "Don't, Obi-Wan. If you care about me, you'll act as though it never happened."
"I do care about you, Padme...more than you'll ever know." Obi-Wan flinched, wishing he had kept that comment to himself.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Padme watched as lines formed at the corners of his mouth as he clenched his jaw.
"Anakin is my friend, but I find it increasingly hard to remain that way with his continued mistreatment of you. I fear if he continues down this path, something will happen to him or worse, you."
"I can take care of myself." Her eyes concentrated on her fingers as she traced over a carving in the stone balcony.
"But you deserve better."
She turned back to look at him for a moment. "If it wasn't for you, Obi-Wan, I don't know how I'd make it another day."
"Padme, if it's that bad, please leave him. I'll help you."
"But I couldn't hide forever. He'd find me sooner or later, and I have made a commitment to him to remain his wife. For better or worse, I vowed. That's why I stay. That, and..." she paused, "because of my love for you." Obi-Wan's head snapped to the right to look at her. She gazed over her shoulder, her eyes meeting his. His inner struggle to control his emotions was clearly visible in his gray-blue eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but only a breath of air escaped his lips. "Say something, Obi-Wan."
"What do you expect me to say? He said, dumbstruck at the revelation that she, indeed, had felt the same for him.
"My name...that you love me as well. I don't know...anything."
Obi-Wan brought his hand to her cheek, lightly pressing his fingertips into her skin as he caressed her jaw line. Padme closed her eyes, savoring a kinder touch than the one she was accustomed to getting from Anakin. He brought his lips to hers, pressing them firmly together, his neatly trimmed beard scratching against the smooth skin surrounding her lips. Their lips parted and his tongue entered her mouth, coaxing her into a full kiss. A minute, perhaps two passed, but to the pair, it seemed like an eternity trapped in a moment.
"Padme! Padme!" They broke away from their kiss suddenly and looked toward the door. It was Anakin's voice, calling for her."
"I'd better go. If Anakin found me with you..." she began.
"Let him," he interrupted.
"I won't let you put yourself in that position."
"What? Do you think I am afraid of Anakin? Everyone else in the temple may bow to him and let him do as he pleases, but not this Jedi. Never will I bend to Anakin's will." Obi-Wan took her hand once more as Padme turned to leave the balcony. "Just remember, if he ever hurts you again, come to me."
She blinked in disbelief as her cheeks flushed red again. "What will you do?"
"I would make sure he would never do it again. This I promise you."
"How much longer will you be here on Naboo?"
"As long as you need me and the will of the council allows me to stay."
"Then I shall look forward to seeing you again, Master Kenobi." Padme bowed goodnight to Obi-Wan just as Anakin entered the balcony. Obi-Wan bowed respectfully in return and Anakin watched her as she left, her head held high in defiance of him. Anakin joined his master at the balcony's railing, leaning his tall, lean frame against it as he crossed his arms and sighed.
"What am I going to do with her?"
"You shouldn't even have the luxury of that worry," Obi-Wan thought to himself. "I wouldn't even begin to understand the complexity of a woman, Anakin, especially this one." Obi-Wan walks toward the curtained archway from the balcony and turns back to him. "Good night, my padawan."
"And to you as well, Master. Sleep well."
Obi-Wan thought to him self. "That's easy for you to say."
********************