Here's another shorter chapter!

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Obi-Wan was only vaguely aware of where he was. He was deep in a healing trance. He distantly felt pain, but it seemed so far away as to not be his own. He couldn't remember a time when he'd felt so at one with the Force. It felt completely different than it ever had before.

He tried to focus on the task at hand, but then again, it didn't seem like he needed to focus too much. The Force itself seemed to be taking an active role in his healing. He wasn't having to expend nearly as much effort as it would normally take to heal wounds of this magnitude.

Obi-Wan felt so safe, so embraced. He didn't want it to end. He distantly felt someone touching his face. The touch was so gentle, so loving. Obi-Wan laughed a bit in his mind. Well, it's certainly not Vader or Sidious! Padme must have been released from the wall. He wanted to talk to her, but he also knew that he needed to heal.

Padme sat down on the table next to Obi-Wan. Her legs needed a break from standing. She leaned over him, very careful not to touch a wound, and continued stroking his face and running her fingers through his hair.

She stopped as she felt her eyelids start to spasm. The muscles were jumping and twitching. She was glad to have movement again, at least! She tried closing her eyes, but still couldn't. Her eyelids kept up their dance. She tried rubbing her eyelids and closing them manually, but it was like they were cemented in place. Finally, the twitching started to subside and her eyelids began to tingle. She tested her eyelids again and found that they were finally working again!

Padme blinked several times. Her eyes immediately began to tear up and moisturize her sandpaper-feeling eyes. She looked like she was crying, but she was overjoyed! She did not want to have to go through that again! There you go again, Padme! At least you aren't having to go through what Obi is going through!

Padme carefully took Obi-Wan's hand in hers. She wiped away the tears with her other hand, trying to see through her hurting eyes. Her eyes widened in amazement. This is incredible! The burns from the low setting were barely noticeable. The wounds from the higher setting were still inflamed, but the skin had been knit. If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she never would have believed it!

Padme felt his hand grip hers. She looked at his face to find his eyes open. "Obi!" Relief and joy filled her face. She smiled at him and kissed his hand. "How are you feeling? You LOOK infinitely better than you did even a half hour ago!"

Obi-Wan smiled lightly. "All things considered, I actually feel pretty good." He sighed and closed his eyes.

Padme leaned in and touched his face. "Obi?"

"Still here." He smiled slightly and opened his eyes. "Tired as I am, I'd really like to get off this table."

Padme got down and took his arm to help him sit up. He tentatively put a foot down and slid off the table.

"Wait a minute." Padme walked over to corner and picked up his cloak, his clothes and his socks. Obi-Wan smiled gratefully at her. He was freezing. She then put the cloak around his shoulders and walked with him to the cot. He sat down and got dressed with Padme's help. That act alone sapped him of strength. He laid his head down on the cot, feet still resting on the floor.

Padme lifted his legs and put them on the cot. She put his cloak over him and tucked it snuggly around him. She then climbed over him onto the cot. She lay on her side and pulled him against her. She snaked her arm over his side and clasped his hand in hers. He fell asleep immediately.

Padme couldn't help but wonder what tomorrow was going to bring. She knew it was only going to get worse. How worse, she couldn't bear to contemplate. Her arm tightened around Obi-Wan protectively. She hated Vader, more than she ever thought she could hate anyone. For the first time in her life, Padme wanted to kill someone. If she had the chance to kill Vader, she'd do it in a heartbeat. She'd gladly do it to spare Obi-Wan more pain and to protect her children.

Her heart ached at the thought of Luke and Leia, but she again pushed the thought away. Thinking about them could endanger them. She concentrated on the form beside her. She loved Obi-Wan so much, yet she still found it hard to tell him. What's the matter with me? Then it dawned on her. Telling someone that you love them gives them power over you. Anakin had terribly abused that power. The injured part of her heart was still bent on protecting itself. Even though she knew that Obi-Wan would never abuse that power.

Obi-Wan wore all of his powers lightly. Part of that was probably because of the self-doubts that had always plagued him. But most of all, it was because he was a good man – the most decent man she'd ever met. She vowed to herself not to let her fears stop her again from telling Obi-Wan how much she loved him. He deserved that much from her! Yes, she had told him right before they landed here that she loved him, but it was said in a panicky, desperate moment. She also wanted to tell him in a quiet moment. She wanted him to know that it wasn't a sentiment brought about only by desperate circumstances.

With that determination in her mind, Padme finally fell asleep.