Chapter 37
The Ties That Bind
Padmé looked up as Anakin pulled himself through the window. His hair was soaked, his clothing obviously haistily donned, and he looked somewhat withdrawn. *Ani?*
He looked up, offering her a weak smile. "I'm alright. I just..." he shook his head, looking down at himself. His boots weren't done up, his belt was barely cinched and his pants were close to falling off. "I went for a swim."
*In the buff?*
He nodded.
She laughed silently, grinning. *Next time wait for me, I want to watch.*
He smiled this time, a warm smile as he tossed his cloak and kicked off his boots. He crawled onto the bed, his hair still dark with moisture as he stretched out, placing his head in her lap. "Next time you can come with me." He posmised. "I'm sorry I left you with Obi-Wan and Sabé. I just couldn't stay."
*What happened? I felt something, but you shut me out so quickly...*
He sighed. "I was tempted to force Sabé into bonding with Obi-Wan," he told her quietly, his voice cracking, "I almost tried."
She was silent for long moments. *What stopped you?*
He lifted his head, his eyes serious. "You. Your touch stopped me when I was willing to try. I'm sorry Angel, I'm so sorry."
*Is it me you should be apologizing to?*
His head dropped with shame and he shook it, "No. Sabé saw what I wanted to do, I'm sure of it."
*Then go find her. Explain yourself.*
"I can't," he said softly, looking at her through his lashes. Even the partially blocked view didn't hide the confusion eating at him.
Padmé opened her arms and Anakin went willingly, resting his head on her chest again like he had earlier. *You can, Ani.* she assured him silently. *You can do anything you put your mind to.*
"Do you really believe that?"
*I know it.* Her tone was firm, decisive. *You forget I've seen you in action, you're really something to behold.*
"Angel?"
*Yes?*
"Do you know why Sabé won't bond with Obi-Wan?"
*She didn't mention it, no.*
"Because of me." His words were barely audible, but his heart was bleeding, fairly screaming the words, and she couldn't help but hear them. "It's because of me, because of what I did that she's not going to go through with it."
*I don't understand.*
He looked up at her, "When I thought you were dead, that Carré had somehow killed you after the explosion, I lost control. Sabé saw me. She watched me willingly fall into that chasm and it's because of that, because of my weakness, that she's refused to bond with Obi-Wan."
Padmé pulled his head back to her chest. *That's her decision, Anakin. Sabé might view herself as Obi-Wan's weakness were she to become bonded to him. Admit it, I'm yours and you're mine. Yet we're both each other's strength. Sabé can't see that because she's never experienced it. Don't blame yourself, it's her decision to make.*
"But I influenced it," his tone was remorseful as he slid his arms around her body, his hands splayed across her back, "I feel guilty for having been the deciding factor in her choice."
Padmé gently brushed her hands through his hair. *Don't be, my love. Sabé loves Obi-Wan and even if they don't Life bond. They may not share the same level of togetherness that we do, but their feelings are pure all the same.*
"I know." He sighed softly. "We should ask them to get married with us tomorrow," he glanced up at her, smiling his sexy half-smile, "do you think they'd like that?"
Padmé grinned, nodding slowly so not to hurt herself. *That's a wonderful idea, Anakin! Why wait, right?*
He chuckled, nodding, as he pulled his arms free and braced himself on his elbows so that he could look her straight in the eyes. "Why wait? Because the waiting will make it all the more sweet." He leaned in, gently covering her lips with his.
She sighed softly as he pulled away, a small smile curving her lips. *Tomorrow. I only wish I could talk.*
"I can heal you." He offered. "Only it'll drain me considerably and I'll have to get lots of sleep tonight. So no keeping me up," he shook a finger at her teasingly, "no late night seduction attempts, missy."
She laughed, wincing as it turned into a cough. *Ow. Yes sir!*
Anakin grabbed the kettle on the burner by the bed and poured her a glass of tea before helping her sip it. She made a face at the acrid taste. *I think it needs a new tea bag.*
He took a sip and spat it out almost right away before taking the cup from her. "No kidding. So, what do you think? Now that I know Carré is gone I can sleep tonight. I can heal you."
*Are you sure?*
He nodded, smiling. "Trust me."
She smiled back, lying back against the pillow before closing her eyes. *Alright, Anakin. But only this once.*
He chuckled. "Good." He stretched out beside her, pulling her close and closed his eyes. Reaching out to the Force, he immersed himself into its energy stream, taking Padmé with him down into its healing and rejuvenating energies. By morning she would be almost completely healed. He smiled as he let the power take him.
The Ties That Bind
Padmé looked up as Anakin pulled himself through the window. His hair was soaked, his clothing obviously haistily donned, and he looked somewhat withdrawn. *Ani?*
He looked up, offering her a weak smile. "I'm alright. I just..." he shook his head, looking down at himself. His boots weren't done up, his belt was barely cinched and his pants were close to falling off. "I went for a swim."
*In the buff?*
He nodded.
She laughed silently, grinning. *Next time wait for me, I want to watch.*
He smiled this time, a warm smile as he tossed his cloak and kicked off his boots. He crawled onto the bed, his hair still dark with moisture as he stretched out, placing his head in her lap. "Next time you can come with me." He posmised. "I'm sorry I left you with Obi-Wan and Sabé. I just couldn't stay."
*What happened? I felt something, but you shut me out so quickly...*
He sighed. "I was tempted to force Sabé into bonding with Obi-Wan," he told her quietly, his voice cracking, "I almost tried."
She was silent for long moments. *What stopped you?*
He lifted his head, his eyes serious. "You. Your touch stopped me when I was willing to try. I'm sorry Angel, I'm so sorry."
*Is it me you should be apologizing to?*
His head dropped with shame and he shook it, "No. Sabé saw what I wanted to do, I'm sure of it."
*Then go find her. Explain yourself.*
"I can't," he said softly, looking at her through his lashes. Even the partially blocked view didn't hide the confusion eating at him.
Padmé opened her arms and Anakin went willingly, resting his head on her chest again like he had earlier. *You can, Ani.* she assured him silently. *You can do anything you put your mind to.*
"Do you really believe that?"
*I know it.* Her tone was firm, decisive. *You forget I've seen you in action, you're really something to behold.*
"Angel?"
*Yes?*
"Do you know why Sabé won't bond with Obi-Wan?"
*She didn't mention it, no.*
"Because of me." His words were barely audible, but his heart was bleeding, fairly screaming the words, and she couldn't help but hear them. "It's because of me, because of what I did that she's not going to go through with it."
*I don't understand.*
He looked up at her, "When I thought you were dead, that Carré had somehow killed you after the explosion, I lost control. Sabé saw me. She watched me willingly fall into that chasm and it's because of that, because of my weakness, that she's refused to bond with Obi-Wan."
Padmé pulled his head back to her chest. *That's her decision, Anakin. Sabé might view herself as Obi-Wan's weakness were she to become bonded to him. Admit it, I'm yours and you're mine. Yet we're both each other's strength. Sabé can't see that because she's never experienced it. Don't blame yourself, it's her decision to make.*
"But I influenced it," his tone was remorseful as he slid his arms around her body, his hands splayed across her back, "I feel guilty for having been the deciding factor in her choice."
Padmé gently brushed her hands through his hair. *Don't be, my love. Sabé loves Obi-Wan and even if they don't Life bond. They may not share the same level of togetherness that we do, but their feelings are pure all the same.*
"I know." He sighed softly. "We should ask them to get married with us tomorrow," he glanced up at her, smiling his sexy half-smile, "do you think they'd like that?"
Padmé grinned, nodding slowly so not to hurt herself. *That's a wonderful idea, Anakin! Why wait, right?*
He chuckled, nodding, as he pulled his arms free and braced himself on his elbows so that he could look her straight in the eyes. "Why wait? Because the waiting will make it all the more sweet." He leaned in, gently covering her lips with his.
She sighed softly as he pulled away, a small smile curving her lips. *Tomorrow. I only wish I could talk.*
"I can heal you." He offered. "Only it'll drain me considerably and I'll have to get lots of sleep tonight. So no keeping me up," he shook a finger at her teasingly, "no late night seduction attempts, missy."
She laughed, wincing as it turned into a cough. *Ow. Yes sir!*
Anakin grabbed the kettle on the burner by the bed and poured her a glass of tea before helping her sip it. She made a face at the acrid taste. *I think it needs a new tea bag.*
He took a sip and spat it out almost right away before taking the cup from her. "No kidding. So, what do you think? Now that I know Carré is gone I can sleep tonight. I can heal you."
*Are you sure?*
He nodded, smiling. "Trust me."
She smiled back, lying back against the pillow before closing her eyes. *Alright, Anakin. But only this once.*
He chuckled. "Good." He stretched out beside her, pulling her close and closed his eyes. Reaching out to the Force, he immersed himself into its energy stream, taking Padmé with him down into its healing and rejuvenating energies. By morning she would be almost completely healed. He smiled as he let the power take him.