DISCLAIMER: see chapter one

CHAPTER THREE

"Your Highness, Master Kenobi is here," Sache announces me.

The personal sitting room speaks Padme so gracefully. The soft feminine touches, the vibrant colors all state Padme as apposed the rest of the palace that shouts Queen Amidala.

"I'm ready," Padme enters from her chambers.

I am for a moment, stunned. There are few things that I can't prepare for—this is one of them. She is stunning. She wears a soft pink and blue gauzy dress that hooks around her slender neck leaving her arms and shoulders bare. A gentle pearl belt sits on perfect hips, an azure blue gem falling from the center.

"I…um…are you ready?" I stutter stupidly.

She grins, a faint blush staining her cheeks, "I—am."

I think I am blushing now, now that she has taken the lead revealing to me her bare back.

"I love this time of time of day. Its perfect, like stolen moments that belong neither to the day nor the night…" she sighs as we step into the highly guarded Royal Gardens.

"These moments shall belong to us. I am Queen so I decree these moments between the suns set and the moons rise to be Padme's and Obi-Wan's," she nods with satisfaction. She puts her arm through my bent elbow and keeps my pace, the pace I have now slowed.

I suck in a breath finding air elusive when she is near.

"What would you do if were given an amount of time where anything was possible…You could have anything, do anything and there would be no consequences, no repercussions?" she asks suddenly stopping our strides.

I eye a stone bench a few paces away, nestled among a Moon's Flower covered arbor. I take the steps and sit, preparing my thoughts; this is in deed a strange question. She stands before me waiting.

"It would depend, I suppose on how long it would be for," I sigh.

She plucks an ivory blossom with its cool blue center from the arbor and twirls it between her thumb and finger.

"What does it matter? An hour, a day, you could have anything!"

"It does matter milady. Because there are things that I would do if given a day but things if only given an hour I wouldn't," I shrug.

"Why?"

I fold my arms, "Because paradise for an hour would be torture for eternity when it's taken away. But a day…well a day lived well, lived fully, that is a day you can relive again and again, but that hour—well that just isn't worth the effort, or the pain."

The flower drops and her eyes grow wide, "You are right, you are truly wise Obi-Wan."

I laugh eyeing the flower; the creamy white petals remind me of her bare skin, soft and perfect. I may not be able to touch her, but why shouldn't this flower have the pleasure? For a moment, I use the Force to play.

She is first awed, then amused as I lift with bloom, moving it towards her, positioning it behind her ear.

"A beautiful flower for an even more beautiful woman," I breathe with a laugh though to my dismay it sounds more like a sigh.

She steps close to me, and even closer still, hiding both of us in the arbor.

"Thank you."

I can barely hear her words.

She begins to lean down, I know what is coming, I want it more then I can say, certainly, more then I should.

Anakin.

I freeze, and before either of us can react to my sudden stiffness, a shot rings out.

"Get down!" I cry pulling her into the arbor and behind me. My pulse pounds and with only a breathes time draw my lightsaber.

Rustling of trees surround us.

"Guards!" I shout shielding Padme with my body. I can't move for I will expose her, another blast comes at us; I am able to deflect it with a quick snap.

"It'll be alright milady, I promise," I assure.

Three more shots in rapid succession, I deflect every one.

"Queen Amidala! Your Highness?" I hear the guards enter by way of the noisy iron gate, then the rustle of the intruder's footsteps start then fade. I want to chase them, I want to hunt them down but I have to remain, I have to keep her safe, I can't leave her open.

"She's fine, she's here!" I step away from Padme letting anxious guards and handmaidens rush to her.

"There were at least three, get the Queen into her chambers, keep her there. No one enters or leaves the palace till I return. Understood?" I nearly growl at the Captain.

"Yes, sir."

"Obi-Wan what are you doing?

I turn to the Queen who has regained herself, fear still evident in her eyes.

"My job," I answer starting for the gate.

"Be careful!" her words follow me.

I let my guard down; my mind wasn't focused on what it should have been. She could have been killed because I was too busy using the Force to play with flowers instead of using it to sense the would be assassins…I failed.

Foot prints in the soft dirt, they went east. Closing my eyes, I quiet my mind…see the Force…

Instead of the Force, I can only think of my failure, I can't get a lead on them. I follow the footstep till the end of the dirt. I grab the speederbike that waits.

Freedom, I find it once I am far enough from the palace, from her. Finally the connection comes back, faint at first, like a whisper. What is a Jedi without the Force?

Closing my eyes, I let the Force guide me, a reckless act I am sure the people around me think.

I get only to the outside of the city, there I find nothing. Emptiness. The Force trail ends abruptly.

With frustration, I return to the palace. My anger is scaring me, my emotions are not in check, I am angry, I am worried, I am anxious and that is not of a Jedi. I shouldn't have been outside with her in the first place! I should have stuck to my position; I should never have been out there…

"I want guards at every entrance and any place considered a penetrable area! Alert me if there is any, and I mean any questionable activity!" I glare sternly at the Captain of the Guards as I enter.

He nods, salutes and leaves…to fill my request if he is smart, and I know he is.

I breathe deeply starting for the Queen's quarters. Moving quickly my robes billow behind me, then hang with sudden loss of motion as I stop abruptly at her door.

I can't do it, fighting her leaves me utterly in an upheaval. Remember you training I remind myself. I control my breathing, resolve my mind to calm, and knock on the door, "Your Highness, it's alright it's me."

"Obi-Wan!" she cries throwing open the door flinging herself into my arms.

I tremble as I resist returning her fevered embrace. My worry and relief breaks my resolve and I cling to her.

"Oh Padme," I whisper, mouth in her hair.

She cries softly into my course, tawny tunic.

She is safe for now; she is mine—for now.

"Sabe, be careful, they are still after the Queen and while I suspect it won't take them long to figure out she is gone you will still be in danger," I tell the young handmaiden as I load the real Queen's things into a small gondola speeder.

"Yes Master Kenobi," Sabe nods obediently.

I sigh studying the pitch black night. I pray this is the right choice, the Force seems vacant to me tonight.

"Tell the Queen we are ready."

Sabe nods again and quickly heads for the small building where Padme waits. Seconds later Padme emerges huddled in one of my dark brown robes, the hood hiding her head and face.

"Are you ready milady?" I asked hushed.

"Yes," she states, there is no hesitancy, no fear, no doubt.

I board the boat and offer a hand to her. The water is calm and we glide smoothly, only a small wake breaking the sleek water. I constantly search the banks, only the occasional animal life Force detectable in the midnight black night.

"Sleep milady, we'll reach our destination soon…I'll be right here, watching, keeping you safe," I guide the gondola looking down to her.

She tips her head but the moonless night offers no light in which to see her expression.

"I think that having you near will finally allow me to sleep peacefully."

Having you near milady—well it's both peace like heaven and torture like hell, but I yearn for every second.

And sleep she did, the whole way. Paddy Accu meets us at the dock of the Naboo Lake Resort with sleep laden eyes and dull smile. The sun is just on the rise. I don't want to wake her, she looks so incredibly serene and at ease with her brown hair pooling on her folded arms where she lays her head, the brown hood having fallen sometime along the way.

"Hello Mr. Accu," I great the aging man, remembering Padme describing him as a grandfather figure, it is an accurate description.

"Master Jedi. I am glad to see you and the Queen have arrived safely."

"Yes, as am I. The Queen has been under immense stress and has only now gotten some rest. If you could possible manage the bags I will bring her in," I smile softly as she stirs slightly in her sleep.

"Got it," Paddy takes a few of the bags and starts toward the estate.

"Come on now milady…" I mutter to myself lifting her effortless into my arms and cradle her.

She fits perfectly, as if she was made for me to hold. I start up, stepping lightly.

"Obi-Wan…"

I am startled to hear her voice, but she is only speaking in her sleep, I release my pent up breath. Leaning my ear down, I try and catch the last words she is mumbling.

"I…I…lov…" I can't make out the rest as she shifts pressing her face into my collar bone.

I make it to the main house, Paddy is just returning from depositing the luggage in their respective places I suppose, meets me at the entrance and proceeds to show me to the Queens chambers.

The room is coolly decorated, with icy gray rugs on polished wood floors, a stretching ceiling that has stormy gray clouds painted faintly on it, the gray-blue washed walls are adorned with wistful water paintings, large ornate furnishings fill the room but the crowning glory is a large four poster bed with royal blue satin bedding, which faces the floor to ceiling double glass doors opening to a balcony, the doors covered with crisp white lace curtains. This is without a doubt a room for Padme…the Queen.

Laying her on the bed I feel my heart clutch, she was content in my arms but as she leaves them, her face contorts to a look of loss, of confusion and I hear her whimper softly before turning her head into the pillow. Is she looking for me? Does she miss me holding her? Does she even know it was me?

Shaking my head I walk out, she is my charge, I have been entrusted with her safety and all I can think about is how beautiful she is, how good she felt.

"You are a Jedi get a grip," I tell myself sternly starting down the hall.

The morning brings new hurdles, ones the human side of me revels in while the Jedi side balks.

"No one knows we are here, we are for the fist time on the closest thing to a vacation, and lets enjoy it!" Padme huffs hands positioned on her hips, a place she likes to keep them I am finding.

"Your Highness, this is neither a vacation nor a license to be carefree. I am to make sure no harm comes to you till you take your seat on the Senate," I state my mission as much for my benefit as hers.

"I understand, but please loosen up at least a bit! You can start by calling me Padme, not milady or your highness. There is absolutely no reason to be so formal here anyway," she laughs sitting in a soft chair on her room's balcony.

"Milady, you are still the Queen and I am still only a Jedi, no matter if there are people around or not," yeah, Obi, keep reciting that…I've used that argument a few times myself in relation to this and shall we say …a few other situations.

"I won't be Queen in a few weeks; besides we are friends Obi-Wan…at least I thought we were. Shall I from now on always refer to you as Master Jedi Knight Kenobi?" she sticks out her stubborn chin.

Oh, I wish you would! That does not sound as perfect coming from your lips as Obi-Wan does.

"Different situation," I begin.

"No, no, we are the same. We've been through this before, or don't you remember? Water and sky, equally important, equally different but both completely necessary; Obi-Wan, Padme…"

One more wall of protection crumbles around my heart.

"As you wish…Padme," I sigh.


A/N:

sassy-satine: Where to begin? What a thorough review, I appreciate it so much (it helps so much to know what the readers think…makes writing so much easier and fun)! I have to say there was some satisfaction in writing Anakin staying on Coruscant, I just really hated they way his character went in Episode II…it's like geez Anakin get a grip on your hormones. As far as flattering a Jedi goes…no, it doesn't work, but as for an author…well it works like magic :-) Again, I appreciate your review so much!

sayinjinij7: Thank so much for the praise, I am so glad that people are enjoying my story, makes me feel so good (cheesy huh:-) I think I am going to be able to finish all three parts, truth be told I am in the middle of two now; I just can't stop writing it! I hope that everyone sticks around for them and likes them!

SuP3R G1R: aren't they so? Obi-Wan and Padme are classic, unrequited love…always the perfect love story. Thanks for the review!

mrs. skywalker: I have to agree on all points, Anakin just made me sick in II, and Obi-Wan can not get any better...yummy!

KindaConfuzzled: I like to pretend when I watch the movies that Padme settled for Anakin because she couldn't have Obi-Wan…she just married Anakin so she could still have a connection to Obi-Wan…what can I say I am just a wee bit delusional. Thanks for reviewing

Aiska Kenobi: Thanks for the review, and sure, I would be flattered to have you post my story on your site! And thank so much for asking, makes my day when people like my stories enough to ask to archive them. Just email me, and I will glad to help in any way with sending the story…I also have if you are interested a title fan art that goes with the story. Thank you so much for reading!