Chapter 3

Anakin fell asleep while meditating. It was simply human for his body to give out after such an extended amount of consciousness. He would have given almost anything to keep from hearing Padme's screams, but unfortunately it wasn't in his cards. His head dropped and instantly he was in a blurred world of pain. He stood over the operating table holding Padme's bloody hand. Tears flooded his face as he screamed in a torrent of rage, scattering medical tools across the room. She was dead. Each dream only resulted in a quicker death. The time was drawing nigh.

With a scream that would have deafened, he awoke to a throng of other Jedi staring at him. They weren't gawking, but seemed honestly concerned. This helped none. His anger had found a way out of the dream world into reality. To the others, Anakin must have seemed insane. He stood, brushed himself off, and with a flushed face, took leave of the meditation chambers.

Dawn broke over the jagged skyline of Coruscant, the sun emitting rays of warm light, reflecting in thousands of directions. Almost every surface of Coruscant was constructed of a reflective surface, which made the dawn and dusk blinding. The perfect time of day to forget, Anakin thought, typing in the security codes of his air speeder. Instantly he found himself hovering a good human sized distance from the duracreet landing pad. He considered his airspeeder the perfect place to think. It even outweighed meditation to some extent. Flight had always brought a sense of calm into his mind. The clearest moments were often the more tense situations in dogfights. As he made way into the string of traffic that buzzed through the city, he contacted Obi-Wan via commlink.

"Master, do you know of a meeting place?"

The comm crackled. "Dex's diner, in one hour."

It was settled. Anakin would confide his worst fears to the only one he trusted. He prayed silently as he wove in and out of traffic that this wouldn't end badly. His entire career rested on the next move. The answer to all his mysteries might be found. It was with profound fear and anticipation that he made way for Dex's Diner.

By the time he spotted the small row of speeders near Dex's Diner, the sun had started it's daily reign over the city, shimmering off of everything save the dull duracreet surface of the parking area. The wind had whipped Anakin's hair around so harshly that his scalp hurt, but he wouldn't have it any other way. He'd prefer an open cockpit on a space fighter if the laws of physics didn't prevent it. The soft whine of the repulsors alerted him of his proximity to the duracreet landing zone. Within seconds, he was safely upon the deck, gazing at his beautiful craft. He wiped a smudge on the viewport with a look of frustration.

"Damned bugs."

"What was that, Anakin?" The familiar voice echoed along the landing pad.

"Obi-Wan, good to see you again." He grinned. "I was simply commenting on the perseverance of the insects on Coruscant."

Obi-Wan gave Anakin a warm smile. The soothing smile that always brought a sense of humor into the deadliest situations. "Indeed," He said.

Within the confines of their booth, Anakin fed himself on a delicious and visually unappealing assortment of meats. It had been so long since food was in his system.

"I won't ever understand how you can eat such disgusting things." Obi-Wan stated dryly, taking a pull from his glass. He sighed. "At least you're eating something. You've been gaunt looking for quite some time now."

Anakin barely looked up. "Thanks for all your support, Master." Without missing a beat, he returned to what lay on his plate.

"What was this you wanted to tell me?"

Anakin eyed the translucent glass that made it's way to Obi-Wan's mouth. It was now or never, he thought. "I've been hiding something from you, Master." He winced, fearing the end of the universe had come. Upon cowering for a few seconds, he looked up to see a blank stare on Obi-Wan. He wasn't even phased?

"Go on."

Anakin let go of all emotions, hoping that a miracle lay before him, waiting simply for the perfect moment to save him from social oblivion. "I must start by saying that I haven't been faithful to the Jedi Order since before the clone wars."

"There's no such thing as a perfect Jedi."

"Well, I'd have to say I've truly made a mess of things."

"You have feelings for Padme," Obi-Wan deadpanned.

Anakin stared at him. First Palpatine, and now Obi-Wan! Who else knew?

"I admit that. But I must say that I went a little further than having an attachment to her." He paused, hesitating. The next move was crucial to his entire future, not to mention his relationship with Obi-Wan. "I have taken her as my wife." This is it, he thought. The end of my life.

Obi-Wan sat silent. So quiet that the sounds of scraping utensils on plates could be heard from around the restaurant. His eyes fell out of focus.

"Master, your silence is deafening." He leaned closer. "Please, I beg you, say something."

Obi-Wan reached out and put his hand on Anakin's shoulder. Once again the fatherly feeling nearly overwhelmed Anakin. He understood instantly that Obi-Wan saw eye to eye with the former student on the issue.

"I will keep your secret. You need not fear the council knowing."

"Master, this is just the beginning. I told you that for a reason. I need your help. The dreams have returned."

"Padme?" Obi-Wan asked, clearly shaken. He knew very well the potency of Anakin's nightmares.

Anakin could only bring himself to nod. He had expected the world to start spinning out of control, but at the zenith of his fear, it had come back into reality. The heart that lay within Anakin's chest began to calm, allowing him to think clearly. It was a Godsend that Obi-Wan supported him.

"I need your help. If I can't find the answer to this mystery, Padme is going to die." He stopped, dropping his tired face into the palms of his hands. "And I'm not going to let that happen."