The Ties That Bind
Chapter 22
Padmé lay curled on the ground, feeling nothing. Her legs were cramping, her dress was soaked, yet she didn't register it. Anakin was dead. He was gone. But he can't be, a desperate voice inside her mind whispered. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that when she opened them it would all be a bad dream. It wasn't to be. The void remained inside her soul, the hole where her heart had been as her eyelids opened. She cried, tears leaking from eyes that didn't blink as she stared across the way at the palace wall. The wall where Anakin had disappeared; where he's sacrificed himself to save her. "Anakin," she whispered brokenly, her voice cracking. She began to shiver and shake, unable to stop the convulsions, and not caring. She didn't care if she never moved again.
Her gaze blurred, a pair of black, soaked boots entering her field of vision.
"Padmé?"
Awareness flooded her senses, searing through her body like a forest fire. Anakin? Was she imagining his voice? Her head came up sharply as soaked trousers came into view, her eyes flooded with tears.
"Padmé!" His arms were around her then, pulling her against his chest. Her eyes widened in shock and she sobbed once, her arms going about him and squeezing tightly. His face slid into the curve of her neck and she could feel hot tears soaking her skin.
"Anakin, oh Anakin!"
Their Bond came roaring back at the physical touch, her mind embracing his like a long lost lover. He pulled away only to capture her lips in a soul-stealing kiss. She slid her hands around the back of his head, anchoring him to her as she returned the kiss desperately. His hands were everywhere, caressing her back, her shoulders and the curve of her hip as if he couldn't get enough of her. She pressed closer, deepening the kiss as grateful tears streaked her face.
Anakin fell back on his heels and then onto his backside, pulling her onto his lap as they broke the kiss. He held her tightly, placing gentle kisses on her hair and face. Tears streak his face as they clung to each other, simply holding on and reaffirming their bond. "I thought I'd lost you," she said brokenly, her voice a whisper.
He kissed her again, briefly, fiercely, as his mind touched hers. *Never, Angel. You'll never lose me, I love you.*
She held him tightly as her shaking began to subside. She tucked her hand over the beat of his heart, taking comfort in the feeling against her palm. *I love you, Ani.*
They sat in the garden, clinging to each other, their hearts beating in time, as the sun continued to climb in the sky. Anakin's clothing, still wet from his soaking, made hers damp, but she didn't care. Anakin was alive, and that was all that mattered.
Mace Windu carried Sabé swiftly to the Medical lab, going immediately to the tech on duty and placing her on an empty bed. "She was severely injured in the collapse of the queen's wing." He said by way of explanation.
The tech leapt into action, slapping an alarm button that brought the emergency team of medics running. Activity swirled around him as Sabé was examined carefully and quickly, before she was fitted for the bacta tank. A field went up as thy stripped her down, dressed her in a brief top and shorts before slipping her into the healing liquid. Within minutes she was floating, suspended, in the fluid.
Mace waited patiently, his arms crossed in the sleeves of his robes as the techs did their job. Finally, with Sabé taken care of, the lead tech turned back to him. "Master Windu?"
"Your diagnosis, Ma'am?" he asked her softly.
The tech sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Not good. She had severe internal bleeding, One of her lungs is collapsed, her spin is fractured in four places, her collarbone is broken and her skull has several compound fractures. I'm amazed she's even alive, anyone else and I wouldn't have thought it possible."
"The Lady Sabé is a fighter."
"Fighter or not, I don't know if the bacta can save her. I'll be honest with you, Master Windu, I don't think she'll pull through. I don't know how she survived this long."
"But you will do everything in your power to ensure her survival?"
She nodded. "You have my oath as a physician, Master Windu. I - we all - owe her that much."
"Thank you. Do you know where Jedi Kenobi is?"
She made a face. "He had to be sedated, Master Windu, he was refusing treatment. I'm afraid he's mangled his hand almost beyond repair and we've had to keep it immersed in bacta. He's been restrained as well, in case he awakens and is objectionable to the situation."
"Take me to him."
The tech turned and led Mace through a series of hallways before stopping in front of one door. She keyed a sequence into the lock and the door slid open. Mace stepped inside, the tech close on his heels, and went to the bed.
Obi-Wan was sleeping, his Force presence diminished. "What else have you given him?"
"A Force suppressant. It was necessary, he kept trying to mind control the medics."
Mace nodded before turning back and carefully checking the Jedi. Obi-Wan's arm was encased in a long tube that swirled with bacta. Connected to a supply, the bacta was slowly moving through a cleansing unit on the wall before returning to the tube. From the look of the hand, the fluid was doing its job well.
"Can you bring him out of the state he's in?"
"Are you sure that's wise, Master Windu?" the tech asked hesitantly. "He's mentally unstable."
"Please."
She blinked before nodding and applying an agent to Obi-Wan's face. Slowly, his eyelids opened. Mace stepped forward, looking down at the prone Jedi. His dark eyes met Obi-Wan's agonized blue. "Master Windu?"
"How are you feeling, Obi-Wan?"
He looked around the room before meeting the Master's eyes again. "She's gone." His voice was soft, tormented.
Mace saw the flicker of knowledge in Obi-Wan's eyes. "No, Obi-Wan."
"I felt her die, Master."
Mace extended a hand and placed it on Obi-Wan's shoulder. The Force flowed through him, encompassing Obi-Wan and lending him calm and understanding. Mace sent him the images of the last time he'd seen Sabé; floating in a bacta tank.
Obi-Wan's eyes widened. She was alive? "Master?"
Mace nodded. "She's alive, Obi-Wan, for the moment. However, she is severely injured. Concentrate on getting well, my friend, only when you're healed can you help her."
His heart jumped and he had the most un-Jedi like urge to shout for joy. With Master Windu holding his shoulder he restrained himself. He couldn't stop the way his heart began to soar, and didn't even try. "Can you send me into a healing trance, Master?"
Mace smiled, and nodded. "Close your eyes, Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan did so, his mind spinning at a mile a minute. Sabé was alive! That was all that mattered. He'd get well and then he'd make sure she did too. By the time she was able to come out of the bacta tank, he'd have the council's permission to bond with her. Slowly, he cleared his mind and slipped into the hibernation healing trance. Before the day was over, he would be out of this room and working for his goal. Sabé would get well. It was the last thought that went through his mind as the Force sent him into oblivion.
Padmé finally pulled back from Anakin as the sun was beginning to set in the sky. "We should go inside, Anakin."
"No," he told her stubbornly, holding onto her, "I'm not ready to let you go yet."
She smiled, settling back against him. A thought rushed suddenly through her mind, causing her to tense. "Anakin?"
"Yes love?"
"What happened to Sabé?" She felt guilty for not thinking of her sooner. Her best friend had been with Anakin, in her place and protecting her. Yet she hadn't spared her a single thought! Seeing Anakin alive had caused her emotions to go into overdrive, just as losing him had, but that was no excuse. What had happ
He gently brushed his thumb over the curve of her cheek as he cupped her face. "She's in the medical lab."
"Is she...?"
"No," he shook his head, looking into her eyes. "She's alive. I think she wishes she weren't though. She's in really rough shape."
She felt relief spin through her for the second time in hours. "You saved her! But... I though..."
"I didn't save her, Angel." He told her quietly, the guilt clear in his eyes. "I tried, but I wasn't strong enough. She slipped, and I couldn't catch her. I failed her, just like I-"
"Don't say it," she placed two fingers over his lips. "You didn't fail your mother, Anakin, and you didn't fail Sabé. She's alive because you tried. I'm willing to bet if you had just let her fall without trying to catch her, she would be dead. Don't torture yourself with things you can no longer change."
He bowed his head, and Padmé could feel the emotions he'd almost succumbed to in the pit. "Show me?" she asked softly.
He jerked his head away before she could touch him again, "Why?" His voice was hoarse, tortured. He didn't want her to see the darkness he'd been willing to fall into when he'd thought her dead. Didn't want her to see the depths of his despair and anger.
"Because I love you. I want to help you."
He shook his head. "No. You deserve better than me, better than what I was willing to become."
She grabbed his head in her hands and looked at him sternly. "Anakin Skywalker, don't you start! Whatever you did, whatever you've done, it doesn't change how I feel about you. It never will. I want to share your thoughts, your dreams, good or bad, I'm in this for the long run, Skywalker."
He chuckled softly, pain underlying his voice. "I don't know if I can show you Angel. You deserve better than what I fear I'm becoming."
"Anakin..."
He pulled her closer, searching her eyes. "Are you sure?"
She nodded, feeling his fear at her possible rejection. "Positive. Let me in."
He swallowed hard. "I love you, remember that?"
"I can't forget it." She closed her eyes and waited as he slowly opened up.
Padmé gasped as images came flooding through her mind. She saw the fight against gravity as Sabé slipped the first time, felt his desperation and fear. She saw a kaleidoscope of colors and scenes as Sabé finally slipped, saw Carré rise from the pit, Sabé's broken body in her arms. She felt Anakin's anger, his rage at Sabé's seemingly pointless and avoidable death. She saw herself, and the gut twisting terror that shot through him as Carré finally understood their deception.
She felt the wind as it rushed past him as he fell, Carré wrapped in his arms. She felt the snapping of their Bond from his end and would have fallen if she'd been standing; the panic that consumed him as she disappeared from his senses, his anger and fear combining into a potentially explosive combination. She felt the impact as he hit the water, felt his inner struggle as the darkness began to win out against his better judgment. He'd wanted to lash out at something.
Carré presented an able target and she could only watch, horrified, as their battle began. The darkness ate away at his soul, consuming him completely. And he let it. She screamed in her mind, begging him not to let it win as Anakin wrapped Carré in a column of water. She felt the tainted energy overwhelming him, threatening to spin out of control. She heard the taunting he received, felt the realization of what he was doing. Her heart ached as he fought to regain control, to fight off the darkness. She cried silent tears as he nearly failed and succumbed several times. He hadn't wanted to live. He'd wanted to join her in death.
Slowly, he pulled back from her consciousness and simply allowed her to feel the regret and self-condemnation he was feeling. She brushed her tears away. "Anakin..."
He wouldn't, couldn't meet her gaze, even though he felt the waves of understanding rolling off her. "I'm sorry."
She gently cupped his face and tilted it until she could see his eyes. "Why?"
"I should have better control, I-"
"Shhh." She gently kissed him, "After what happened to us, what Carré did to us, I would have been disappointed if you'd been able to stay in control. You thought I was dead, Anakin, just as I thought you were. I didn't want to live either."
He swallowed hard and tucked her back against his chest, curling about her protectively. "I don't deserve you, Padmé. Thank you."
She held him tightly. "I love you, you don't have to thank me."
He stood, lifting her in his arms and turning back towards the Palace. "That's reason enough. Come on, I'll take you to see Sabé. Then I'm taking you someplace safe."
She looped her arms around his neck, holding him tightly. She could feel his need to hold her and willingly submitted. She felt the same way. Anakin's strides were purposeful and sure as he headed for the medical wing.
Obi-Wan woke as the sun was beginning to set, inhaling sharply as he came out of the hibernation trance. The Force came rushing back, welcoming and embracing him like a long lost friend. He lay silent for a few moments, testing the responses of his body. Everything, including his hand - which was now free of the bacta tube - seemed to be functioning.
"How do you feel?"
His eyes opened as he turned his head to find Mace at his bedside. He pushed himself gingerly into a sitting position, testing the strength in his hand. It seemed to be fully healed, though it was still tender. "Better, Master Windu. What brought me out?"
"I did. You're almost completely healed and whatever is left can heal naturally. Think of it as a lesson in control."
Obi-Wan nodded once. "Thank you, Master, I didn't expect to heal so quickly."
"You didn't want to heal much at all, Obi-Wan." Mace's tone held a mild reprimand. "You've always been a model Jedi Knight but since the return of this young woman, you've changed."
"I know."
"What happened? You know the laws of the order as well as I do. Why would you, and your Padawan, risk expulsion?"
"Some things are worth the risk, Master Windu. Sabé is one of them. If the medics have no problem, I'd like to see her."
Mace shook his head. "You've been given a clean bill of health already. You're free to go. Tread carefully, Obi-Wan, the council was torn before this tragedy struck, your attachment to her may yet be... prohibited."
Obi-Wan nodded, "Thank you Master, I understand."
Mace turned and left as Obi-Wan swung his legs over the side of the bed. His clothing was on a convenient chair, and he quickly shrugged out of the medical shift to slip back into his Jedi robes. He tugged his boots on, flexing his hand and testing the mobility. It was stiff, somewhat sore, but at least he could use it. He buckled his boots and left the room, heading quickly for the bacta lab. He noticed the lighting was dim, as if there was little or no power to spare.
Nobody stopped him as he clipped his lightsaber to his belt and stepped into the bacta lab. Looking around, he found a tech working at a desk and stepped closer. "Excuse me?"
The tech looked up. "Master Kenobi! How are you feeling?"
"Much better, thank you. Do you have a young woman named Sabé in your care?"
The tech's smile faded. "We do. Her prognosis isn't good."
"May I see her?"
"She just went back into the bacta tank, Master Kenobi. I'm afraid we've had to concentrate the fluid more than we like to try and save her life."
"I just want to see her, please?"
The tech shook her head, "I'm sorry, but it could be-"
He waved his hand, adding a Force compulsion to his words. "You will take me to Sabé"
"I will take you to Sabé," the tech replied obediently, rising from her desk and leading the way across the room.
Obi-Wan folded his hands inside his robes and followed the young woman to an isolated tank next to a generator. The bacta swirled through the plexi-glass around the scantily clad woman inside. His throat tightened and he mentally compelled the tech to leave him alone. She left without a word, going back to her desk.
Obi-Wan turned his attention to Sabé. She was suspended in the healing liquid, two light pieces of fabric wrapped around her body. He placed his hands flat against the glass, simply watching her. She was beautiful, her long hair floating about her, a nimbus of amber in almost-clear liquid. Her long, tanned limbs were at rest. He silently sent the Force searching for her mind, finding it in turmoil. She was fighting to live, yet a part of her didn't want to. He closed his eyes, reaching out and carefully wrapping his life-sense around her, reassuring her he was with her.
She was shocked, and he could feel it, could feel her struggle to come back to consciousness. His eyes opened and he searched her face above the respirator. Her eyelids fluttered before opening slowly. She squinted at him, seeing little more than a blur, and he assisted her in seeing him by calming the bacta that was swirling about her face. He could see the way her eyes lit up, her arms moving slowly in the liquid.
He shifted his hands and waited as hers slowly slid against the inside of the glass opposite his. His throat was tight with emotion. "I love you," he whispered softly, sending the same thought towards her mind.
He could see the smile in her eyes, the answering reply. He gently pressed his forehead against the glass and closed his eyes. He'd thought she was dead and here she was. He could feel her loosing the battle, beginning to lose consciousness again. He helped her, sending her back into the healing oblivion as he sent careful waves of Force energy towards her body. She'd get well, she had to. If he had to stay here for the next few days to ensure she didn't die he would. He felt her gratitude as she slipped, again, into unconsciousness.
Anakin carried Padmé into the medical lab and stopped. Obi-Wan was standing in the shadows by one of the bacta tanks, the tech looking as if she was absorbed in her work. She didn't look up, which was fine with him, as Anakin carried Padmé towards his master. He gently set her on her feet and crossed his arms over her shoulders from behind. "Master?"
Obi-Wan's head came up and he looked back over his shoulder. "Anakin. You're alright."
He nodded. "Yes Master. Padmé wanted to see how Sabé was doing."
Obi-Wan moved away from the tank but kept one hand pressed against the glass. "She's floating in and out of consciousness right now. Mostly out."
Padmé stepped away from Anakin and up to the tank, not touching, but looking at her best friend. "Sabé," she whispered softly. She could see the wounds on her friend's body, the blood slowly trickling into the bacta from several places. Tears formed in her eyes but she blinked them back. "Sabé, oh Sabé, what have I done?"
Anakin stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Nothing, Angel. It was Carré's doing, don't blame yourself."
"But, she was protecting me."
"Padmé," Obi-Wan's soft words drew their attention. "It's not your fault. It was Sabé's suggestion and she willingly took your place. She doesn't blame you, and you shouldn't blame yourself."
Padmé nodded as Anakin pulled her back against him, resting his chin on her shoulder. "I think it might be best if I take Padmé away from Theed for a while, Master."
Obi-Wan looked back to Sabé and nodded slowly. "I'll stay here and in touch with the council. The lake country should be safe enough. I trust you two will behave yourselves?"
They nodded.
"Good. Carré has disappeared for the moment, and Sabé's recovery will take a while longer yet. Contact me in a week, but keep it short so it can't be traced. Understand?"
"Yes Master."
Padmé reached out and squeezed Obi-Wan's hand. "She's strong, she'll make it through this."
He looked at Padmé for a long moment. "I know. I'll be here with her to help every step of the way. Be careful. And may the Force be with you."
"And with you, Master." Anakin told him as he led Padmé away. "The lake country?"
"Yes. It's filled with islands that are easily defensible and difficult to find. I know just the place."
Anakin paused at the door to the medical lab, looking back at his Master. "I hope he'll be alright. I should have told him."
"Anakin."
He met her gaze.
"He's got enough on his mind. There will come a time when you can tell him later."
"You're right." He sighed, taking her hand, "You're right. What do you say we disappear for a while?"
She stepped closer, smiling at him, yet a shadow of worry remained. "I think it's a lovely idea. I only wish I could stay to make sure Sabé pulls through."
He hugged her before they resumed walking. "I'll keep a minor connection with Master Kenobi. If something happens he'll tell me."
She sighed, bowing her head. "I don't like hiding, Anakin."
*Think of it as an early honeymoon, Angel.*
She laughed softly. *In your dreams, Skywalker. There's a cottage in the Lake country we can use and had better use. All of my clothing is gone.*
And that's a bad thing? Anakin asked himself silently.
Padmé elbowed him in the ribs. "I heard that. Let's get this over with. The sooner we hide, the sooner we can come back."
"And the sooner we'll find out about Sabé."
She nodded. "Yes. That's it exactly."
Anakin swept her up in his arms and picked up his pace. He didn't want to hide either, but the thought of having Padmé around, and to himself, for even a week was exciting. Dangers aside, he was looking forward to this.
Chapter 22
Padmé lay curled on the ground, feeling nothing. Her legs were cramping, her dress was soaked, yet she didn't register it. Anakin was dead. He was gone. But he can't be, a desperate voice inside her mind whispered. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that when she opened them it would all be a bad dream. It wasn't to be. The void remained inside her soul, the hole where her heart had been as her eyelids opened. She cried, tears leaking from eyes that didn't blink as she stared across the way at the palace wall. The wall where Anakin had disappeared; where he's sacrificed himself to save her. "Anakin," she whispered brokenly, her voice cracking. She began to shiver and shake, unable to stop the convulsions, and not caring. She didn't care if she never moved again.
Her gaze blurred, a pair of black, soaked boots entering her field of vision.
"Padmé?"
Awareness flooded her senses, searing through her body like a forest fire. Anakin? Was she imagining his voice? Her head came up sharply as soaked trousers came into view, her eyes flooded with tears.
"Padmé!" His arms were around her then, pulling her against his chest. Her eyes widened in shock and she sobbed once, her arms going about him and squeezing tightly. His face slid into the curve of her neck and she could feel hot tears soaking her skin.
"Anakin, oh Anakin!"
Their Bond came roaring back at the physical touch, her mind embracing his like a long lost lover. He pulled away only to capture her lips in a soul-stealing kiss. She slid her hands around the back of his head, anchoring him to her as she returned the kiss desperately. His hands were everywhere, caressing her back, her shoulders and the curve of her hip as if he couldn't get enough of her. She pressed closer, deepening the kiss as grateful tears streaked her face.
Anakin fell back on his heels and then onto his backside, pulling her onto his lap as they broke the kiss. He held her tightly, placing gentle kisses on her hair and face. Tears streak his face as they clung to each other, simply holding on and reaffirming their bond. "I thought I'd lost you," she said brokenly, her voice a whisper.
He kissed her again, briefly, fiercely, as his mind touched hers. *Never, Angel. You'll never lose me, I love you.*
She held him tightly as her shaking began to subside. She tucked her hand over the beat of his heart, taking comfort in the feeling against her palm. *I love you, Ani.*
They sat in the garden, clinging to each other, their hearts beating in time, as the sun continued to climb in the sky. Anakin's clothing, still wet from his soaking, made hers damp, but she didn't care. Anakin was alive, and that was all that mattered.
Mace Windu carried Sabé swiftly to the Medical lab, going immediately to the tech on duty and placing her on an empty bed. "She was severely injured in the collapse of the queen's wing." He said by way of explanation.
The tech leapt into action, slapping an alarm button that brought the emergency team of medics running. Activity swirled around him as Sabé was examined carefully and quickly, before she was fitted for the bacta tank. A field went up as thy stripped her down, dressed her in a brief top and shorts before slipping her into the healing liquid. Within minutes she was floating, suspended, in the fluid.
Mace waited patiently, his arms crossed in the sleeves of his robes as the techs did their job. Finally, with Sabé taken care of, the lead tech turned back to him. "Master Windu?"
"Your diagnosis, Ma'am?" he asked her softly.
The tech sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Not good. She had severe internal bleeding, One of her lungs is collapsed, her spin is fractured in four places, her collarbone is broken and her skull has several compound fractures. I'm amazed she's even alive, anyone else and I wouldn't have thought it possible."
"The Lady Sabé is a fighter."
"Fighter or not, I don't know if the bacta can save her. I'll be honest with you, Master Windu, I don't think she'll pull through. I don't know how she survived this long."
"But you will do everything in your power to ensure her survival?"
She nodded. "You have my oath as a physician, Master Windu. I - we all - owe her that much."
"Thank you. Do you know where Jedi Kenobi is?"
She made a face. "He had to be sedated, Master Windu, he was refusing treatment. I'm afraid he's mangled his hand almost beyond repair and we've had to keep it immersed in bacta. He's been restrained as well, in case he awakens and is objectionable to the situation."
"Take me to him."
The tech turned and led Mace through a series of hallways before stopping in front of one door. She keyed a sequence into the lock and the door slid open. Mace stepped inside, the tech close on his heels, and went to the bed.
Obi-Wan was sleeping, his Force presence diminished. "What else have you given him?"
"A Force suppressant. It was necessary, he kept trying to mind control the medics."
Mace nodded before turning back and carefully checking the Jedi. Obi-Wan's arm was encased in a long tube that swirled with bacta. Connected to a supply, the bacta was slowly moving through a cleansing unit on the wall before returning to the tube. From the look of the hand, the fluid was doing its job well.
"Can you bring him out of the state he's in?"
"Are you sure that's wise, Master Windu?" the tech asked hesitantly. "He's mentally unstable."
"Please."
She blinked before nodding and applying an agent to Obi-Wan's face. Slowly, his eyelids opened. Mace stepped forward, looking down at the prone Jedi. His dark eyes met Obi-Wan's agonized blue. "Master Windu?"
"How are you feeling, Obi-Wan?"
He looked around the room before meeting the Master's eyes again. "She's gone." His voice was soft, tormented.
Mace saw the flicker of knowledge in Obi-Wan's eyes. "No, Obi-Wan."
"I felt her die, Master."
Mace extended a hand and placed it on Obi-Wan's shoulder. The Force flowed through him, encompassing Obi-Wan and lending him calm and understanding. Mace sent him the images of the last time he'd seen Sabé; floating in a bacta tank.
Obi-Wan's eyes widened. She was alive? "Master?"
Mace nodded. "She's alive, Obi-Wan, for the moment. However, she is severely injured. Concentrate on getting well, my friend, only when you're healed can you help her."
His heart jumped and he had the most un-Jedi like urge to shout for joy. With Master Windu holding his shoulder he restrained himself. He couldn't stop the way his heart began to soar, and didn't even try. "Can you send me into a healing trance, Master?"
Mace smiled, and nodded. "Close your eyes, Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan did so, his mind spinning at a mile a minute. Sabé was alive! That was all that mattered. He'd get well and then he'd make sure she did too. By the time she was able to come out of the bacta tank, he'd have the council's permission to bond with her. Slowly, he cleared his mind and slipped into the hibernation healing trance. Before the day was over, he would be out of this room and working for his goal. Sabé would get well. It was the last thought that went through his mind as the Force sent him into oblivion.
Padmé finally pulled back from Anakin as the sun was beginning to set in the sky. "We should go inside, Anakin."
"No," he told her stubbornly, holding onto her, "I'm not ready to let you go yet."
She smiled, settling back against him. A thought rushed suddenly through her mind, causing her to tense. "Anakin?"
"Yes love?"
"What happened to Sabé?" She felt guilty for not thinking of her sooner. Her best friend had been with Anakin, in her place and protecting her. Yet she hadn't spared her a single thought! Seeing Anakin alive had caused her emotions to go into overdrive, just as losing him had, but that was no excuse. What had happ
He gently brushed his thumb over the curve of her cheek as he cupped her face. "She's in the medical lab."
"Is she...?"
"No," he shook his head, looking into her eyes. "She's alive. I think she wishes she weren't though. She's in really rough shape."
She felt relief spin through her for the second time in hours. "You saved her! But... I though..."
"I didn't save her, Angel." He told her quietly, the guilt clear in his eyes. "I tried, but I wasn't strong enough. She slipped, and I couldn't catch her. I failed her, just like I-"
"Don't say it," she placed two fingers over his lips. "You didn't fail your mother, Anakin, and you didn't fail Sabé. She's alive because you tried. I'm willing to bet if you had just let her fall without trying to catch her, she would be dead. Don't torture yourself with things you can no longer change."
He bowed his head, and Padmé could feel the emotions he'd almost succumbed to in the pit. "Show me?" she asked softly.
He jerked his head away before she could touch him again, "Why?" His voice was hoarse, tortured. He didn't want her to see the darkness he'd been willing to fall into when he'd thought her dead. Didn't want her to see the depths of his despair and anger.
"Because I love you. I want to help you."
He shook his head. "No. You deserve better than me, better than what I was willing to become."
She grabbed his head in her hands and looked at him sternly. "Anakin Skywalker, don't you start! Whatever you did, whatever you've done, it doesn't change how I feel about you. It never will. I want to share your thoughts, your dreams, good or bad, I'm in this for the long run, Skywalker."
He chuckled softly, pain underlying his voice. "I don't know if I can show you Angel. You deserve better than what I fear I'm becoming."
"Anakin..."
He pulled her closer, searching her eyes. "Are you sure?"
She nodded, feeling his fear at her possible rejection. "Positive. Let me in."
He swallowed hard. "I love you, remember that?"
"I can't forget it." She closed her eyes and waited as he slowly opened up.
Padmé gasped as images came flooding through her mind. She saw the fight against gravity as Sabé slipped the first time, felt his desperation and fear. She saw a kaleidoscope of colors and scenes as Sabé finally slipped, saw Carré rise from the pit, Sabé's broken body in her arms. She felt Anakin's anger, his rage at Sabé's seemingly pointless and avoidable death. She saw herself, and the gut twisting terror that shot through him as Carré finally understood their deception.
She felt the wind as it rushed past him as he fell, Carré wrapped in his arms. She felt the snapping of their Bond from his end and would have fallen if she'd been standing; the panic that consumed him as she disappeared from his senses, his anger and fear combining into a potentially explosive combination. She felt the impact as he hit the water, felt his inner struggle as the darkness began to win out against his better judgment. He'd wanted to lash out at something.
Carré presented an able target and she could only watch, horrified, as their battle began. The darkness ate away at his soul, consuming him completely. And he let it. She screamed in her mind, begging him not to let it win as Anakin wrapped Carré in a column of water. She felt the tainted energy overwhelming him, threatening to spin out of control. She heard the taunting he received, felt the realization of what he was doing. Her heart ached as he fought to regain control, to fight off the darkness. She cried silent tears as he nearly failed and succumbed several times. He hadn't wanted to live. He'd wanted to join her in death.
Slowly, he pulled back from her consciousness and simply allowed her to feel the regret and self-condemnation he was feeling. She brushed her tears away. "Anakin..."
He wouldn't, couldn't meet her gaze, even though he felt the waves of understanding rolling off her. "I'm sorry."
She gently cupped his face and tilted it until she could see his eyes. "Why?"
"I should have better control, I-"
"Shhh." She gently kissed him, "After what happened to us, what Carré did to us, I would have been disappointed if you'd been able to stay in control. You thought I was dead, Anakin, just as I thought you were. I didn't want to live either."
He swallowed hard and tucked her back against his chest, curling about her protectively. "I don't deserve you, Padmé. Thank you."
She held him tightly. "I love you, you don't have to thank me."
He stood, lifting her in his arms and turning back towards the Palace. "That's reason enough. Come on, I'll take you to see Sabé. Then I'm taking you someplace safe."
She looped her arms around his neck, holding him tightly. She could feel his need to hold her and willingly submitted. She felt the same way. Anakin's strides were purposeful and sure as he headed for the medical wing.
Obi-Wan woke as the sun was beginning to set, inhaling sharply as he came out of the hibernation trance. The Force came rushing back, welcoming and embracing him like a long lost friend. He lay silent for a few moments, testing the responses of his body. Everything, including his hand - which was now free of the bacta tube - seemed to be functioning.
"How do you feel?"
His eyes opened as he turned his head to find Mace at his bedside. He pushed himself gingerly into a sitting position, testing the strength in his hand. It seemed to be fully healed, though it was still tender. "Better, Master Windu. What brought me out?"
"I did. You're almost completely healed and whatever is left can heal naturally. Think of it as a lesson in control."
Obi-Wan nodded once. "Thank you, Master, I didn't expect to heal so quickly."
"You didn't want to heal much at all, Obi-Wan." Mace's tone held a mild reprimand. "You've always been a model Jedi Knight but since the return of this young woman, you've changed."
"I know."
"What happened? You know the laws of the order as well as I do. Why would you, and your Padawan, risk expulsion?"
"Some things are worth the risk, Master Windu. Sabé is one of them. If the medics have no problem, I'd like to see her."
Mace shook his head. "You've been given a clean bill of health already. You're free to go. Tread carefully, Obi-Wan, the council was torn before this tragedy struck, your attachment to her may yet be... prohibited."
Obi-Wan nodded, "Thank you Master, I understand."
Mace turned and left as Obi-Wan swung his legs over the side of the bed. His clothing was on a convenient chair, and he quickly shrugged out of the medical shift to slip back into his Jedi robes. He tugged his boots on, flexing his hand and testing the mobility. It was stiff, somewhat sore, but at least he could use it. He buckled his boots and left the room, heading quickly for the bacta lab. He noticed the lighting was dim, as if there was little or no power to spare.
Nobody stopped him as he clipped his lightsaber to his belt and stepped into the bacta lab. Looking around, he found a tech working at a desk and stepped closer. "Excuse me?"
The tech looked up. "Master Kenobi! How are you feeling?"
"Much better, thank you. Do you have a young woman named Sabé in your care?"
The tech's smile faded. "We do. Her prognosis isn't good."
"May I see her?"
"She just went back into the bacta tank, Master Kenobi. I'm afraid we've had to concentrate the fluid more than we like to try and save her life."
"I just want to see her, please?"
The tech shook her head, "I'm sorry, but it could be-"
He waved his hand, adding a Force compulsion to his words. "You will take me to Sabé"
"I will take you to Sabé," the tech replied obediently, rising from her desk and leading the way across the room.
Obi-Wan folded his hands inside his robes and followed the young woman to an isolated tank next to a generator. The bacta swirled through the plexi-glass around the scantily clad woman inside. His throat tightened and he mentally compelled the tech to leave him alone. She left without a word, going back to her desk.
Obi-Wan turned his attention to Sabé. She was suspended in the healing liquid, two light pieces of fabric wrapped around her body. He placed his hands flat against the glass, simply watching her. She was beautiful, her long hair floating about her, a nimbus of amber in almost-clear liquid. Her long, tanned limbs were at rest. He silently sent the Force searching for her mind, finding it in turmoil. She was fighting to live, yet a part of her didn't want to. He closed his eyes, reaching out and carefully wrapping his life-sense around her, reassuring her he was with her.
She was shocked, and he could feel it, could feel her struggle to come back to consciousness. His eyes opened and he searched her face above the respirator. Her eyelids fluttered before opening slowly. She squinted at him, seeing little more than a blur, and he assisted her in seeing him by calming the bacta that was swirling about her face. He could see the way her eyes lit up, her arms moving slowly in the liquid.
He shifted his hands and waited as hers slowly slid against the inside of the glass opposite his. His throat was tight with emotion. "I love you," he whispered softly, sending the same thought towards her mind.
He could see the smile in her eyes, the answering reply. He gently pressed his forehead against the glass and closed his eyes. He'd thought she was dead and here she was. He could feel her loosing the battle, beginning to lose consciousness again. He helped her, sending her back into the healing oblivion as he sent careful waves of Force energy towards her body. She'd get well, she had to. If he had to stay here for the next few days to ensure she didn't die he would. He felt her gratitude as she slipped, again, into unconsciousness.
Anakin carried Padmé into the medical lab and stopped. Obi-Wan was standing in the shadows by one of the bacta tanks, the tech looking as if she was absorbed in her work. She didn't look up, which was fine with him, as Anakin carried Padmé towards his master. He gently set her on her feet and crossed his arms over her shoulders from behind. "Master?"
Obi-Wan's head came up and he looked back over his shoulder. "Anakin. You're alright."
He nodded. "Yes Master. Padmé wanted to see how Sabé was doing."
Obi-Wan moved away from the tank but kept one hand pressed against the glass. "She's floating in and out of consciousness right now. Mostly out."
Padmé stepped away from Anakin and up to the tank, not touching, but looking at her best friend. "Sabé," she whispered softly. She could see the wounds on her friend's body, the blood slowly trickling into the bacta from several places. Tears formed in her eyes but she blinked them back. "Sabé, oh Sabé, what have I done?"
Anakin stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Nothing, Angel. It was Carré's doing, don't blame yourself."
"But, she was protecting me."
"Padmé," Obi-Wan's soft words drew their attention. "It's not your fault. It was Sabé's suggestion and she willingly took your place. She doesn't blame you, and you shouldn't blame yourself."
Padmé nodded as Anakin pulled her back against him, resting his chin on her shoulder. "I think it might be best if I take Padmé away from Theed for a while, Master."
Obi-Wan looked back to Sabé and nodded slowly. "I'll stay here and in touch with the council. The lake country should be safe enough. I trust you two will behave yourselves?"
They nodded.
"Good. Carré has disappeared for the moment, and Sabé's recovery will take a while longer yet. Contact me in a week, but keep it short so it can't be traced. Understand?"
"Yes Master."
Padmé reached out and squeezed Obi-Wan's hand. "She's strong, she'll make it through this."
He looked at Padmé for a long moment. "I know. I'll be here with her to help every step of the way. Be careful. And may the Force be with you."
"And with you, Master." Anakin told him as he led Padmé away. "The lake country?"
"Yes. It's filled with islands that are easily defensible and difficult to find. I know just the place."
Anakin paused at the door to the medical lab, looking back at his Master. "I hope he'll be alright. I should have told him."
"Anakin."
He met her gaze.
"He's got enough on his mind. There will come a time when you can tell him later."
"You're right." He sighed, taking her hand, "You're right. What do you say we disappear for a while?"
She stepped closer, smiling at him, yet a shadow of worry remained. "I think it's a lovely idea. I only wish I could stay to make sure Sabé pulls through."
He hugged her before they resumed walking. "I'll keep a minor connection with Master Kenobi. If something happens he'll tell me."
She sighed, bowing her head. "I don't like hiding, Anakin."
*Think of it as an early honeymoon, Angel.*
She laughed softly. *In your dreams, Skywalker. There's a cottage in the Lake country we can use and had better use. All of my clothing is gone.*
And that's a bad thing? Anakin asked himself silently.
Padmé elbowed him in the ribs. "I heard that. Let's get this over with. The sooner we hide, the sooner we can come back."
"And the sooner we'll find out about Sabé."
She nodded. "Yes. That's it exactly."
Anakin swept her up in his arms and picked up his pace. He didn't want to hide either, but the thought of having Padmé around, and to himself, for even a week was exciting. Dangers aside, he was looking forward to this.