Chapter Seven

Obi-Wan walked wearily out of Padme's apartment. After their conversation, he could only hope that she would do the right thing and help him. He knew he could have made a grave mistake in telling Padme exactly what kind of danger Anakin was in but he had to try. He wasn't sure what else to do, Anakin certainly wasn't going to help him, and he knew that even if what he had feared was true, maybe Padme would be Anakin's saving grace. Maybe by alerting her of the danger, she could talk some sense into him.

He sighed and leaned against a nearby window. He couldn't be completely sure, but he knew that Anakin loved Padme. And he had a sinking feeling that the Senator returned his former padawan's feelings. That in itself was difficult to understand, but now…Anakin was in real danger. If the Sith lord had come in contact with Anakin at all in the recent months, he could have sensed the conflict and the troubled emotions within Anakin. The Sith lord would certainly use that for his benefit.

Obi-Wan sighed again and ran a hand through his hair. Anakin had been distant as of late. Whenever they spoke, he was vague and somewhat mysterious with his answers. Obi-Wan knew, almost without a doubt, that he was spending nearly all his time with Padme. The rest of his time was being spend with the Chancellor and Obi-Wan wasn't sure which worried him more. The Chancellor had been acting strangely in the Senate, as far as politician behavior goes, and many were concerned over the Chancellor's seemingly inability to end the war. It was rumored that the Chancellor's real motives were to gain complete control over the Senate, but until the situation with Anakin, Obi-Wan had simply cast those notions aside as nothing more than what they seemed to be: rumors. But now that the Chancellor had been spending so much time with Anakin…and the knowledge of Anakin's very possible predicament, Obi-Wan knew that it most likely wasn't a coincidence that the Chancellor had requested Anakin as his representative.

But…he needed more evidence. He needed more proof that Anakin truly did love Padme. And that, Obi-Wan regretfully realized, might be the only thing standing in between Anakin and the Sith.

Anakin walked into Padme's apartment and was immediately greeted with a warm embrace from his wife. He smiled and held her tightly while she spoke.

"I missed you."

"Well I missed you too."

She released him and led him deeper into the apartment. "Obi-Wan came to visit me today."

His eyebrows raised slightly but then he felt it…yes, Obi-Wan had been there. He could feel his former Master's Force signature faintly in the room. "He must have just left."

She nodded and smiled reassuringly. "Yes. He's very worried about you."

Anakin frowned at her slightly, trying to think of a reason why Obi-Wan would be worried enough about him to come to Padme, when it struck him. Obi-Wan suspected them. He had to. There was no other logical explanation. He clenched his fists in anger and could feel his nostrils flaringly as wildly as his anger was.

Padme immediately noticed the change in him and gently took his arm. "Obi-Wan told me some things. He said he was worried that you were in danger."

"What kind of danger?"

"From the Sith."

At that, Anakin stiffened. Did the Council know what he did? Did they know what Palpatine had offered to him? "Tell me everything."

He took her by the arm and led her to a seat so he could question her more comfortably. She shifted in her seat, now extremely worried by Anakin's actions. Weren't Anakin and Obi-Wan supposed to be friends? She had thought that if they could trust anyone, it would be Obi-Wan.

"He just said that the Council was investigating the identity of the Sith lord. He said that you were in danger of falling to the dark side. You're in danger because of me, Anakin."

Anakin visibly paled and ran a shaky hand through his hair. "What?"

"Why would he say that, Anakin, if it wasn't true?"

"I don't know."

"Anakin, I think we should ask Obi-Wan for help. We could tell him about us and the baby and he could…"

"No! Definitely not! You know what would happen. Obi-Wan would take that right to the Council and they would take you and our baby away from me. We can't tell him. We can't tell anyone."

Padme sighed and leaned into Anakin so he could hold her. "I'm so afraid of what's going to happen when the baby's born. What if the Council takes him or her away from us? Then they would find out about us because I know our baby's going to be Force-sensitive. And then your dream…it's all just too much to deal with. I don't know what to do."

Anakin held her tightly and clenched his jaw in determination. He was going to make sure that she never felt that way again. He was going to make everything alright. He was going to keep his family together and Padme alive and well.

"I found a way to save you."

She lifted her head so she could look him in the eyes. "What?"

"I wish I could tell you more but I…the Council wouldn't be happy about it and…I have to leave soon to learn more…"

Padme's composure changed from shocked to extremely worried. "Anakin…you make it sound like you're going against the Council. You really need to talk to Obi-Wan and find out…"

"No. Padme, I told you we couldn't do that. There's just…I don't know."

She moved closer to him on the couch and laid her head on his shoulder. "What's wrong, Anakin?"

He bit his lip in agony over what had been haunting him the last few years. His greatest fears were becoming realized and he had to tell someone. "I'm not the Jedi I should be. Something's happening to me. I can't explain it, but there's this darkness that's growing inside of me, ever since my mother died and every time I see that…Organa…every time I think about my life without you…I feel it. It's building, Padme. I'm afraid of exploding, of what's going to happen if I let it consume me…but at the same time, I feel powerful, I feel the power that I could have…and it feels good."

He looked down at her and found her shining, tear-filled eyes looking right back at him. She reached up and placed a light, but loving kiss on his trembling lips. "It's going to be ok, Anakin. I know it. We'll find a way."

He nodded and held her even closer to him. "Yes, Padme. I'm going to find a way."

With a heavy heart and a guilt-laden conscience, Anakin slowly made his way to Palpatine's office. It was the only way, he knew that, but he wished there was another way. The Council would rather punish him than help him and Padme…she was so frightened. He couldn't get her scared face out of his mind, frightened for him, frightened for their baby, even frightened for her own life and he would do everything in his power to make it better. She wasn't going to be scared anymore because he wouldn't let it come to that. He couldn't let her die. She was his whole world. If he didn't have her, then life wasn't worth living anymore.

He didn't really want to do what he was about to do, but there was no other way. He might spend the rest of his days regretting it, but at least it would mean that Padme would live.

He sighed and whispered softly before entering Palpatine's office. "I'm sorry, Padme, but it looks like I have to break my promise."

Then he pushed open the door, ready to make a deal with the devil.