Anakin was pacing nervously outside of the Council room. Something was happening. There had to be or else the Council would not have insisted on seeing Obi-Wan alone. The only time they ever wanted to see Obi-Wan alone was when Anakin had done something unbecoming of a Jedi and they wanted to speak to Obi-Wan before reprimanding him. In his present state, however, there was no need to brief Obi-wan before Anakin was punished for his antics on Ranth'fer on Geonosis.

In order to maintain the secrecy of the Council's dealings there was a dampening field around the Council room to prevent any other Force sensitive beings from eavesdropping. As much as he understood the need for that kind of protection, at the moment it only made Anakin anxious.

Scrubbing his hands over his face, Anakin stabbed his fingers into his hair when the second hour passed. There was nothing that would take over two hours for the Council to discuss with Obi-Wan alone. Obi-Wan only had two weeks' worth of memory, most of which he'd spent as a prisoner of Count Dooku.

Sudden there was a loud crash from the other side of the door. The door slid open then and Obi-Wan burst out of the Council room. His eyes were wild, unseeing, and behind him flowed voices from the Council room, the Masters all talking one on top of another. Anakin didn't care about any of it. He held his arms out, immediately enveloping Obi-Wan when he stepped within reach. His body was positively vibrating as he clutched tightly at the back of Anakin's robes.

"I don't want them in my head. Keep them out," Obi-Wan moaned into Anakin's chest. "Keep them out. Keep them out."

Anakin held Obi-Wan tighter, his face buried in the short copper hair. "It'll be okay, Obi-Wan. I won't let them in your head anymore. I'll keep them out."

Lifting his head slightly, Anakin glared through the open doorway. The Jedi Masters were all still involved in their frantic conversation. Knowing that the Council still wanted to talk to him, Anakin steered Obi-Wan down the corridor and away from that area of the Temple. Even if one of the Masters had appeared then, Anakin wouldn't have stopped. Obi-Wan was far more important to him than that Sith-cursed Council and their robotic, emotionless Code.

At the end of the corridor, Anakin positioned himself between Obi-Wan and the Council then punched the panel to call for the turbolift. It wasn't much, but at the moment it was the only protection he could offer. Obi-Wan was still clinging to him, one handed now as his other was pressed to the side of his head near his temple. When the turbolift doors opened, Anakin guided Obi-Wan into the cubicle with one arm around his shoulders. Once they were inside, he slipped his other arm around Obi-Wan's waist, holding the other man to him.

Anakin didn't know where they were going, but anywhere had to be better than where they had come.

Obi-Wan was breathing in deep and even, trying to calm himself. Feeling Anakin's arms around him was definitely helping. It gave him a center, somewhere to focus. He could still feel the echoes of other voices in his mind, their intrusions into his thoughts and memories. They hadn't warned him about any of it. They'd questioned him about what had happened on Ranth'fer, Tatooine and Geonosis, distracting him so that others could try and sneak into his thoughts.

They hadn't cared about what it did to them or what he wanted. He'd pleaded with them to stay out of his mind, swore that he would answer all of their questions truthfully, if they would just stay out of his head.

"Sorry, we are, but necessary it is that we determine what keeps your memories locked away," Master Yoda apologized when Obi-Wan protested.

"I was hit on the head," Obi-Wan reminded them. "When I woke up I had a headache and there was some type of injury here." He pointed to his temple where there was a slight scar even after he'd spent time in the bacta tank."A blaster bolt or some type of blow. My memory will come back in time. Delving inside my mind will not bring it back any sooner."

"That is not what the healers tell us," the Jedi Master sitting next to Master Yoda contradicted. "Physically there is no reason for your continued memory loss."

"Then there is a reason for it," Obi-wan protested, his eyes drifting towards the door.

"Changed the relationship has between you and your padawan," Master Yoda intoned.

Obi-Wan met Master Yoda's gaze unflinchingly. "I love Anakin."

"Love is forbidden."

Pulling back from the embrace, Obi-Wan scrubbed his hands over his face. He fidgeted about the small space, finally ending up leaning against the wall opposite Anakin. "Do the Jedi truly forbid love?"

Anakin bowed his head and that was the only answer Obi-Wan required.

"Yet you've told me that we're both Jedi," Obi-Wan continued, furrowing his brows. "Why would we be part of an Order that forbids love?"

There was no answer that Anakin could think of to give Obi-Wan. Not when Anakin himself didn't always understand it himself. He was a Jedi because it was what he'd always dreamed of being when he was a slave on Tatooine. Obi-Wan, however, had been trained in the Jedi arts since he was a toddler and knew no other life. Obi-Wan had always been accepting of his life as a Jedi.

"We're Jedi because we want to help people," Anakin finally answered as the turbolift came to a stop on the ground floor of the Temple. "It's a life of sacrifice. We give up certain things so that we can help others to the best of our abilities."

Obi-Wan frowned, following Anakin from the turbolift. "That sounds awfully rehearsed."

Anakin paused, waiting for Obi-Wan to stop next to him before turning to the older man. "They're your words. You made me memorize them years ago when I first hit puberty."

"Then I take them back. I don't want to believe that." Obi-Wan frowned, scratching idly at his temple. "It's inhuman to think that people can live without love. If that's the way the Jedi live I no longer wish to be a Jedi."

Even though Anakin had long toyed with the idea of leaving the Order, it had only ever been when he was frustrated. When he was calm, Anakin knew that being a Jedi was all he'd ever wanted. It was all he'd ever wanted.

"Let's just go back to our rooms," Anakin suggested as he drew Obi-Wan into his arms. "They'll be coming to collect us again soon enough."

Soon enough turned out to be barely an hour. Anakin had just barely got Obi-Wan calmed. The two of them were seated on the couch, Obi-Wan leaning back between Anakin's spread thighs, while Anakin tried his best to help Obi-Wan meditate. The older man's mind was a mass of chaotic emotions that Anakin did his best to calm.

The door opened barely a second after the chime sounded and through it came Masters Yoda and Mace Windu. As soon as he saw them, Obi-Wan tensed, gripping Anakin's thighs tightly. Anakin didn't feel any more relaxed and he hugged Obi-Wan to him as though he could somehow protect him from the Jedi Masters.

"Unexpected these events have been," Yoda mused as he made his way over to the couch. "Unfortunate that separated you must be."

Faster than Anakin could even process the words, Obi-Wan was on his feet and stalking towards the two Jedi Masters. "No. You don't get to decide things like that. You don't get to take Anakin away from me."

"The Council has made its decision," Master Windu continued as though Obi-Wan hadn't spoken. "Master Tiin will take over Anakin's instruction while you will be taken into seclusion until you've regained your control."

Behind him something crashed into the wall. Obi-Wan was fairly certain that he was the reason the object was launched across the room, but he didn't care. Not about his lack of control or about anything else except for the two beings in front of him who were threatening to take Anakin away from him.

"It is not for you to decide where Anakin and I go or whether we're together or not. You do not have that type of control over our lives," Obi-Wan insisted, meeting both their gazes unflinchingly. "Right now Anakin is the only one that I trust and I won't let you take him away from me."

"In case you've forgotten we are in the middle of a war," the taller of the two said. "We cannot afford to lose two Jedi when it is necessary that only one be sidelined."

"So you'll lock me away and wait for things to fix themselves?" Obi-Wan demanded, the Force around him swirling with anger.

Rising up from the couch, Anakin moved up beside Obi-Wan, placing a hand on the small of his back. Turning himself sideways, Anakin touched his lips to Obi-Wan's temple. Obi-Wan needed to be calm or else Yoda and Master Windu would just find another reason to have him locked away. And while the two master Jedi might think nothing of it, Anakin doubted very much that this version of his master would be able to withstand such rigorous schedules of meditation. Obi-Wan craved contact now far too much to spend hours alone in a windowless room with only his thoughts for company.

Cupping Obi-Wan's cheek, Anakin turned his head towards him, meeting his eyes. A silent conversation passed between them in the space of a blink and Obi-Wan moved to stand in front of the older man.

"Master Yoda, while I respect Master Tiin's abilities, I would much prefer to keep my own master," Anakin stated calmly. "As you can see, separating us will only be detrimental to my master's recovery. We were able to escape from Count Dooku's factory with no assistance from any other Jedi. Our ability to work as a team has not been hindered in any way. We trust one another completely and is that not the basis for a true team?"

An odd smile curved Master Yoda's lips. "A diplomat you have become, young Skywalker, in past weeks," the diminutive Jedi Master announced. "Your master that role should take."

"You are far too affectionate," Master Windu added. "A Jedi should have no attachments for it leads to the Dark Side of the Force. You know this Skywalker. Times are dark enough without us risking the Chosen One to the Dark Side. So you're to be separated until Kenobi learns to control himself and the Force around him."

"I refuse."

Everyone stared at Obi-Wan, shocked by his outburst.

"Refuse, you cannot," Master Yoda said, the first to regain himself. "Our mandate this is."

"Well I do refuse," Obi-Wan growled, the air around him vibrating his anger. "I will not be parted from Anakin. Banish me from your order if you will, but I won't be separated from the one thing I remember."

"Unfortunate, this is," Master Yoda sighed, shaking his head. "Most unfortunate. Discuss this the Council will and return out final answer we shall."

Obi-Wan found himself unable to remain still. Even sitting still he could not refrain from fidgeting about, his muscles twitching. He and Anakin had been left alone in their quarters once the two Jedi Masters had left, and Obi-Wan had been using that time to try and refamiliarize himself with his home. Anakin left him to it, but stayed near enough so that he could answer any of Obi-Wan's questions.

The balcony intrigued him the most. The view was nothing overly impressive as there were very few impressive views to be found in a city, but it was the roiling sensations that Obi-Wan received when he stepped onto it. He would have thought that Anakin was standing on it as well for all he could feel him.

"It looks out towards Tatooine. Where I grew up," Anakin explained when he did join Obi-Wan on the balcony. "At night I could always make myself believe that if I looked hard enough I could see it reflected in the stars."

"I want to go back to the stars," Obi-Wan announced, turning back to look at Anakin. "If we wait, they'll separate us. You'll be taken from me or I from you. I couldn't stand that."

Anakin was staring at him with wide blue eyes. "You want to leave Coruscant?"

"I do. There has to be somewhere we can go."

Closing the distance between them, Anakin cupped Obi-Wan's face between his palms. "I'm nearly certain that I'll regret this later... but I think we should stay. I don't want to take the coward's way out. There would be no victory in that and I want to prove to the Council that we're stronger together than apart."

"I won't lose you," Obi-Wan insisted, touching his forehead to Anakin's.

Dipping his head down further, Anakin touched to his lips to Obi-Wan's in a fleeting kiss. "You won't lose me. I promise. No matter what the Council's edict you won't lose me."