Futures Past

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Chapter 17- Realization

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"Ah Obi Wan, welcome. Jedi One this is. Magnificent is it not?" Yoda greeted the tired Obi Wan as he followed Anakin into the ship.

"Yes Master, it is indeed, how did you manage to find me? I myself did not know my own location."

"Picked up your trail we did, by the Force, guided us it did, lucky you are that fast and well equipped this ship was, a republic cruiser we did not expect." Yoda nodded to a couch for Obi wan to rest on. He lay down, loosening the tunic around his top half, to try and cool himself.

"Well you did, letting go of your emotions, letting the guidance of the Force help you. Dooku did not expect such an adversary hmm? Proud Qui Gon Jinn would be. Proud am I."

Obi Wan smiled gratefully at Yoda, sheer exhaustion threatening to take hold of him, he only now realised how gruelling his experience had been.

"Padmé." He groaned, rolling over to glance around the spacious interior of Jedi One.

"Well she is, though harrowing her experience must have been." Yoda nodded smiling in the direction of the senator as Anakin cooed over her.

"Used your emotions against you Dooku did." Yoda murmured, lowering his tone to one only audible by Obi Wan. "Perhaps those emotions should not be there at all hmm?"

"I can't help what I feel Master, you should understand, being so in tune with the Force. We do not always get to decide our own destiny, if the will of the Force has planned it, there is little we mere mortals may do."

"Destiny it is not though Obi Wan, well you know as I. Still maybe destiny it is not to be destined hmm?"

"Perhaps, these days things seldom are what they seem, maybe destiny meant for us to be together, but forbidden too, doomed perhaps, though such morbid thoughts should not be dwelled on."

"Wise you are beyond your few years Obi Wan, a great high council member you would have been, pity it is."

"Would have been?" Obi Wan asked confused, but Yoda was already hobbling away.

*

Padmé woke in a large warm bed, fluffy pillows supporting her, and soothing silken sheets surrounding her in a soft haze, like a dream.

"Obi Wan?" She whispered, confused, as he was the last she'd seen before falling unconscious.

Unless that was all some horrible dream, maybe my dream lover is here to protect me, and I am still warm in his bed. But that dream lover did not seem like Anakin…

She was left alone in her thoughts for too brief a time, as the door to her room whooshed open and Anakin strode in, his eyes as dark as his robes.

"Thank the Force, Padmé you're alright!" He brightened, running to her side and scooping up her hands in his own.

"Ani, why are you…? Where's Obi wan? Was I dreaming?"

"Oh." Anakin's voice soured somewhat, though he probably wasn't intending her to notice. "He is in the main room, no you weren't dreaming angel, Dooku kidnapped you, Obi Wan went after you before I had a chance to, we distracted Dooku's ship so he had to retreat, then we came and got you."

Padmé thought this was dampening Obi Wan's efforts and his performance somewhat, it sounded like Anakin was taking all the credit for her rescue and putting Obi wan down.

"It's not a competition Ani." She said softly.

"Did I say it was?" He almost snapped.

"You are making it sound like Obi Wan did nothing, that you were the hero."

"I am." Anakin frowned. "I surely did more than he! Going to get Master Yoda and Master Windu, distracting the ship, firing at it, coming to find you and rescue you. If we hadn't been there, where would Obi Wan have taken you? You would've been stuck on that ship and Dooku probably would have killed Obi Wan anyway."

"He seemed to be doing pretty well at the time." She mumbled. Then she raised her voice and her eyes to his gaze.

"I see Anakin. I know you did very well, I appreciate your efforts, all for little me, I'm sure the council had more important things to deal with than me though."

This seemed to satisfy Anakin and he said "Nothing is more important than you angel, and I made sure they knew that."

"Thank you." She blushed a little. "Ani, if you wouldn't mind, could I get some sleep, I am rather exhausted."

Anakin nodded understandingly and said "I'll be up front in the cockpit if you need anything, and Master Yoda is around somewhere close at hand."

Padmé nodded, though she didn't really feel like sleeping, she just didn't want Anakin with her at that moment, goodness knows why. She had a longing to talk to Obi Wan, especially about their almost kiss. She became aware Anakin was still there, and hoped he didn't catch her thoughts. But he seemed bright as before, and bowed to her, blowing a kiss before he exited.

She breathed a sigh of relief and concentrated as she had before.

~

Obi Wan? Obi Wan?

Obi Wan felt something prodding at the back of his brain, his consciousness returned to him and he felt it again, through the Force.

Padmé?

Come to my room, please?

There was a desperation in her message, and Obi Wan opened his eyes, raising his head and allowing himself to become accustomed to his surroundings.

The lights in the main room were dimmed, probably for his benefit, and a small blanket was pulled over him. He was topless to allow bandages over the lightsabre wounds Dooku had inflicted, though they were cauterised by the lightsabre, they still needed healing room in case they caught or were irritated by the Jedi garments.

The room was empty of life, he sensed Anakin in the cockpit and Yoda in another room, probably meditating. He also sensed Padmé and eased himself up, quietly, slipping an open robe around himself for warmth more than anything, as he couldn't close it due to the wounds.

"Padmé?" He whispered, opening her door as gently as he could. He made his way to her bed, and perched himself at the end of it, as she sat up to greet him.

Her hair fell in mahogany ringlets around her face, loosely pinned back from her face, a blue nightdress clung to her figure and her bright eyes danced in the light reflected from the stars outside.

Obi Wan's breath caught in his throat, she looked stunning, an exquisite mockery of a girl, for nothing human could possibly be so beautiful could it?

He mentally scolded himself for feelings he didn't even believe were there, though also believed them with all his heart.

"You called me?" He said softly, like a warming waterfall on Naboo to Padmé's ears.

"I thought we had things to discuss. And I was lonesome."

"Very well." Obi Wan took a deep breath, anticipating what was coming next.

"About the kiss…"

"It wasn't a kiss." Obi Wan said simply. "It could have been but, it wasn't. We stopped."

"How can you be so rational about it?" Padmé demanded, "How can you just justify it without even justifying it?! Why do you make it so simple?!"

"Because it is simple. Maybe it wouldn't have been if we had… but we didn't, so it is senseless making it something it is not."

"But it is something!" Padmé cried.

"Padmé keep your voice down!" Obi Wan whispered fiercely, glancing apprehensively at the door, then using the Force to lock it.

"No! You cannot just say it is nothing, I know you felt something Obi Wan admit it!"

"I… I can't." He choked harshly. He looked at Padmé and she could see the turmoil in his eyes and the pain, swirling like the sea in a storm.

"You don't understand Padmé, what is happening to me, inside of me. What would happen if I had… I couldn't do it, and I can't. You don't understand…" He trailed off bitterly.

Padmé got out of bed and sat beside him, arm around his broad shoulders. "Then tell me." She said simply.

He recoiled from her grasp. "Why are you doing this?!" He cried, leaping up.

"Do you enjoy seeing me this way Padmé?" He moaned. "Do you like what you are doing to me? That the mere prospect of your touch fills me with joy but with pain? That thinking of you makes me… it makes me want to forget the Jedi! Forget the Force if it could mean one moment of happiness with you?! I am feeling these feelings that I've never felt before and I don't know why, I can't understand why you do this to me… why?" He trailed off, collapsing to the floor, head in his hands.

Padmé stared at him, aghast for a moment. Then she went and sat on the floor next to him.

"I just need to know why. Do you know, while Dooku had me sedated, and I was unconscious, I had a dream. It was the most perfect dream one could wish for. The most tender and passionate love making, a strong and protective embrace, and the feel of utter contentment, pure love. It was amazing."

"What has this to do with me, do you wish to torment me with your fantasies of Anakin?" Came the mutter from his hands.

"No silly. You see, the lover in my dream, it wasn't Anakin."

Obi Wan pulled further away from her, but she grabbed his arm and pulled it away from his face, tilting his face to look at her.

"It was you Obi Wan! You! And I wondered why, and I remembered, that day in the pools in Theed, we talked for hours… and then as the sun was setting, and you knew you had to leave, you kissed me. It may have been on the hand but it was the most powerful kiss I've ever known. And I realised then, though somewhere deep I knew that Anakin and I had a destiny together, that you were who I should've been with. And ever since that night in the infirmary, when you almost did it again, I was wondering what it would have been like, and whether we really were meant to be together, Anakin or no."

Obi Wan raised his cerulean eyes to hers, his brows knitted in confusion. Then a kind of realisation of what she was asking struck him, and a small smile creased his lips.

"Let's find out then shall we?"

And he leant over and kissed her.

*

Crappy ending but I love to do those now don't I? Please review, do you think it was a bit sudden? Or not quick enough, should I have put more into building their relationship? You tell me, don't be too harsh though folks, there will be more to come ;)

Thanks

xXx