Author's note: I'm on a roll tonight. I am having a little writing frenzy. But the ideas keep coming. R&R please. ;) ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She had been watching him for hours. He had on only the dirty beige pants that he'd been wearing for a few days. His bare chest was covered in sweat and dirt and glistened as the moisture caught the glare of the burning sun overhead. He'd found a field and set the floating training remote for advanced. She assumed he needed to vent frustration and anguish. He swung the blue lightsaber around, catching two quick shots fired off by the remote.

Padmé was leaning against one of the tall, old trees that surrounded the field. She recalled now how she once watched him train from the window of her bedroom on Naboo, when she was still Queen. It was the day of the Parade and she assumed he was remembering his Master's death. Again, the training session was done to relieve the anguish that plagued him. She saw on his face then, what she saw now. His expression was cold and hard, as if a million things were running through his head at once. And when he blocked an attack it was with his full force, grunting as he did so.

When the program ended he turned the saber off and leaned over, breathing heavily and bringing a big hand up to wipe his brow. The strands of golden brown hair were stuck to his face and forehead, wet from perspiration. The strands of his beard hung down as well, the colors darkened from the moisture. He huffed as he stood upright again and clipped the saber to his belt. He lifted his right hand, palm open and called the remote to him with his powers. He closed his hands around it and bent over to lay it gently in it's box. It was then when he lifted his head up to take notice of her as he was fastening the box shut.

She was wearing a thin white gown, and the curve of her belly was so much that as she walked forward and towards him her back was arched to support the weight. She gave him a smile. She was glowing with full, red lips and glittering eyes. Her hair was fuller and she looked almost ethereal to him. He stood up straight very slowly, taking in her beauty in the sunlight. He skin was pale but the color mixed with the sun made it look like smooth cream. His mouth was half open and he spoke gently. "You are so beautiful," he whispered. "It catches me off guard sometimes"

She smiled brightly now, the smile she gave only to him, her teeth showing a bit through the slightly parted lips. "You only say that because I am carrying your children."

He laughed lightly, "Oh, so they are my children now, what happened to our children."

"On better days," she said, moving her head to the side and letting a small laugh escape her lips.

He moved closer to her and put a strong, muscled arm around her waist. She leaned forward to press her lips to his. As she opened her mouth to let his tongue slide in she could taste the salty perspiration and now she threw her arms around his neck and stood on tip toe to pull him closer. He wrapped the other arm around her and crushed her to him.

She pulled away a little to stare into those stormy blue-green eyes. "Feeling better," she asked in a whisper.

"Much better," he whispered back so intensely it sent shivers through her. And his eyes seemed to look right through her and into her soul as he dipped in for another kiss.

She was elated to see him in this mood. She knew the raining sessions always made him feel a little bit more like himself. But it had been days since he'd reacted to her the way he was now. She was afraid that perhaps the strain of being in hiding and expecting children had taken their toll on him.

He pulled back now and looked at her with a shocked expression as if he'd read her thoughts and then he leaned forward and purred in her ear, "Never Padmé..do you understand? You could never take a toll on me."

She smiled and closed her eyes, letting he cheek rest against his and she whispered back into his ear, "I love you so much. And no matter what happens, never forget that."

"I won't my love, you will always be in my heart, until the day I die and forever after," he said to her as he pulled back to look into her eyes.

--

That night they lay in each other's arms, Padmé curled up on Obi-Wan's chest and his arm wrapped tightly around her. She was concentrating on the rise and fall of his chest with his even breaths to try and sleep when she felt him stir and whisper, "I know what I must do."

"What do you mean," she answered softly, not moving, "do about what?"

"When you and the children are safe on Alderaan with the Senator," he continued, "I must go and find Master Yoda. I understand his meaning now."

"What," she asked moving her head to look up at him as he now sat up. She sat up with him and looked puzzled. "Meant about what, what are you on about?"

"Remember on that last communication to the Council on Naboo, Master Yoda said to me that you were the key to our future, that I must protect you."

She nodded, "Yes, and."

"And," he cut her off, a bit of excitement in his tone, "don't you see? The children are our future. They are children of Jedi, Padmé. They are the future of the Jedi, the future of the galaxy."

She took in a breath and she gasped. And deep inside she felt the fear a mother feels when she sends her child off and into battle. But the freedom fighter within her knew this might be the only way, if Obi-Wan was right and her children did hold such power. "But I am not a Jedi," she whispered trying hard to hold on to her children as she had been doing all along it seems.

"It does not matter darling, they hold all the power of a Jedi," he said as gently as he could. He now felt her unease, and feeling the part of the father, felt her worries within himself. "They are our only hope my love. You know I speak the truth."

She nodded and looked down at her belly, placing both her hands across the top. "How can you feel so much happiness and love and so much pain and sadness all at once," she asked in a very soft voice.

Obi-wan leaned over and put an arm around her, pulling her near and pressing his forehead against hers. He felt just the way she did and he knew that this path they were choosing would not be an easy one.