Disclaimer: Star Wars and all associated characters, plotlines, and worlds (good and bad) are property and copyright © of George Lucas (aka The Richest Man in Hollywood). This is purely for fan entertainment only.

Also a warning… this fanfic is rated MA for adult themes. I have also officially crossed over into "Obidala land"… in other words, if you're offended or otherwise do not like the pairing between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padmé Amidala, then please don't read further to spare yourself the irritation. Otherwise, enjoy!

Chapter 12 – Welcome Surprise

They had spent the next several weeks quietly, not sharing their views with the public on many occasions. They were also formulating plans on where their next destination would be- they could not stay long on Endor. Obi-Wan had sent several encrypted files to Bail, but receiving them back was slow and the response sparse. He was doing their legwork but Obi-Wan had the suspicion in his gut that he was being watched, the reason for the short replies and infrequent transmissions.

They had once again found themselves in the pub. Cazi had quit frequenting their table as often, favoring a new man in the corner of the room. He sat shrouded in shadows, cloaked in mystery. She was sure the barmaid was drawn to him because of the questions he begged. Intrigue had always drawn Cazi, thus far.

Padmé sat quietly, listening to the murmur of the crowd around them. She had not felt right all evening, nearly nauseous. Her head had a slight ache to it, just enough to make her notice, not enough to pain.

Obi-Wan seemed oblivious tonight, concentrating himself on the new man in the corner. He was suspicious of everyone, everything, it seemed. She hoped against hope that he was wrong- not everyone was a spy. But unfortunately, the odds were against them.

Cazi came to the table with their food, setting it down in a hurry to get back to her new source of entertainment. She scurried off, and the movement of air sent a rush of scent to Padmé. She inhaled, usually fulfilled and hungered by the scent of the fresh meat and vegetables. However today, she felt as if she were going to be sick to her stomach. Immediately.

She grabbed the table for support, her vision swimming around her in a wave of nausea. Startled, Obi-Wan looked to her, just in time to see her bend over and lose the minimal contents of her stomach onto the freshly wiped floor. He rushed to her side, putting a soothing arm about her, pulling her hair back away from her face. "Are you alright?" he queried.

She shook her head briefly, grimacing at the taste of vomit in her mouth. "No, I'm not sure this is over."

Obi-Wan looked wistfully at the food, and then drew her up with him as he stood. "Come, now, let's get you back home." She nodded weakly, letting him lead the way. They ambled along at a slow pace, stopping a few times to rest, and another for her to finish getting rid of the offending contents of her stomach. He helped her lie down, wiping her face with a damp rag and soothing her hair away from her face. "Sleep." He commanded, and she obliged willingly.

Darth Vader sat back in his office, waiting for the transmission to begin. It was time for his daily briefing from Kale. He had arrived on the moon at Endor a week or so before, and had been watching the locals avidly, looking for signs of dissention. The transmission fluttered to life, and instead of Kale's face, he projected the images he had caught with a small camera. The quality was lacking, but the features of a man were well distinguishable.

His fingers curled in anger at seeing the bright blue eyes, ever familiar. The dark blond hair and beard, streaked with hints of grey, filled him with rage. It was his former Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. He rose from the desk in anger.

Kale's voice came at last. "I have found him here on Endor's moon." He said it simply, switching the view to a wider angle. A woman sat across from him, another very familiar sight. He was confident he was looking at his wife, his Angel. He wanted to cling to that image forever, of her gentle smile and her hair tumbling down her shoulders. She was so relaxed, so joyful… Pangs of guilt flooded through him. He did not want to disturb her bliss. But how he wanted to be with her!

He emitted a feral growl, "Padmé."

Kale did not confirm this immediately. "The couple is going by Ben and Tiané Kenobi." He paused, letting this information sink in. "The man is plainly the Jedi you had me search out. However, the woman known as Padmé was known to have several bodyguards that could be her twin sisters, with limited disguise."

He inwardly shook his head. He was certain this was Padmé- not even Sabé had learned to imitate her smile! But there was only one way to be certain. He would know for sure when he arrived himself on the moon at Endor, and find his Master, wife, and child.

Padmé woke groggily the next day, only to find herself needing to rush to the 'fresher and repeat the process begun before she fell asleep. She stumbled out, dazed, and sunk to the mattress. Obi-Wan came to her side. He was guarding his feelings again, and his mask was thrown up to her. "Padmé, when was your last monthly?" she could not read his emotions behind it, he asked it as if her doctor was asking.

She shook her head, thinking. "About a month and a half ago, after it returned from the twins…" she trailed off, then realization sunk in. "Oh." She echoed it out loud, then turned, wide eyed to him. "Do you think…?" she was not sure whether to ask the question aloud, whether she was happy or not about the thoughts floating through her mind. She recognized that there had been a chance that she would get pregnant again after the twins, but she had not expected it this soon!

He closed his eyes, inhaling a deep breath. When he opened them again, she could see the fear and a worry in them. "I have noticed subtle changes in your Force signature." He stated simply, working through the feelings himself. He took her hand, squeezed it. What if he lost her in child birth, Anakin's prophecy come true, belated?

She squeezed his hand back, then realized that this was a blessing in disguise- she could have a family again! "Obi, we're going to be parents." She murmured, a smile spreading across her face, "You're going to be a father."

He could not help himself at the smile at that, and did not hesitate. He drew Padmé to him, then drew back, as if holding something fragile that he was afraid to break. She giggled, and clasped him closer, kissing him. "You won't break me." She giggled more between her kisses, "In fact, I am sure you were more forceful the other night."

He colored, remembering, the blush creeping to his ears. But, that was the activity that led them to this situation in the first place. He looked at her, and told her, seriously, "I love you, and I will love our child." He felt giddy at that, feelings of pride welling within him. He had never thought he would ever say that- our child!

It was definitely not something that Jedi training had prepared him for, he could not contain the feelings swelling inside, nor did he want to. But his thoughts eventually turned to the practicality of the situation. As he had observed, her Force signature had altered, and was no longer only her own, but that of hers and their unborn child. They could more practically hide from Darth Vader. If only he were able to do the same himself!

She kissed him again, "And I love you too, Obi." She grinned, putting his hand to her abdomen. He could feel the Force surging subtly through her, a small life growing. It brought awe to him, interrupting his thoughts of the Dark Lord. They had created this…

His chest swelled, thinking of the possibilities. It could be a boy, strong in the Force, with his mother's will to move worlds. Or a girl, with her mother's looks and his own stubbornness. He grinned at that- between the two of them, their child would definitely be stubborn.

She smiled, watching his reactions. If only Anakin had reacted this way. The bittersweet thought erased her frown, and she tried to keep the sigh she felt from interrupting Obi-Wan's happy thoughts. She remembered Anakin's troubled look when she had told him their good news, remembered the fear in his eyes. Then he had lied to her, told her it was the happiest day of his life.

She frowned finally at this, not sure why she remembered it like that. But the feeling grew stronger in her now. She had initially denied it, pushed it away, but it was ever there. Anakin had lied. It did not sit well with her at all. Obi-Wan was incapable of lying, though not of hiding partial truth.

Anakin had betrayed her even then.

Obi-Wan looked to her, questioningly, noticing her frown. "You're so much different than he was." She stated simply, then at last sighed. "I'm sorry to taint this. It is just that it is so fresh."

He sobered, drew her near to him for another embrace. "Don't worry about that, Padmé, I understand." He whispered in her ear, "Nothing could spoil this moment."

And it wouldn't- the thoughts of impending fatherhood swirled around in his head. He would just have to worry about the what-ifs later. He kissed her, reassuring her, everything would be alright.

You can't stop fate.

Let me know if you absolutely hate it or not… I had mixed feelings whether I should or not. But I figured I would explore it like this… ;) BTW it is shorter to try to get the updates out quicker.