"I miss you." Padmé playfully flicked her finger in the cleft of Obi-Wan's chin as he lay next to her in bed, her having been confined there by Healer T'Pal.
"What do you mean? I've been here with you every day." Obi-Wan grasped ahold of her hand and placed it to his lips for a gentle kiss.
"You know exactly what I mean."
He did. With the Force inhibiting band that Padmé wore on her arm, their bond was dampened so much that their telepathic communication was no longer possible, and their previous strongest desires to be together eliminated. However, their love for one another had not diminished, and Obi-Wan actually was beginning to believe that he possibly loved Padmé even more than he had before.
"Have I told you how beautiful you are pregnant?" He teased, although meaning every word.
"Obi-Wan, I'm as big as a bantha!"
"You are radiant, my love." He bent over to gently kiss her lips, and smiled warmly at her.
Padmé recognized something else behind his grin and smirked at him in response. "What is it?"
"I've brought you something." He moved off of the bed and retrieved a small item from a nearby bag, wrapped in plain brown paper.
"The children wanted to give you a present."
Padmé grinned widely and accepted the gift, unwrapping it carefully. She glanced at it and turned it over, glanced at it some more and looked up to Obi-Wan, perplexed. "What is it?"
Obi-Wan chuckled. "It's you."
Padmé squinted and glared hard at the tan glob in her hand. "Oh yes, I see it now."
Obi-Wan reached over and turned the object upside down in her hand. "That lump right there is your stomach."
"Oh." Padmé smiled up at him, still quite perplexed at the object she held in her hand. It was indeed the ugliest, but at the same time, the most beautiful gift she had ever received.
"The creche master has been teaching them Force manipulated art. I believe this was their first group sculpture."
"Tell them, I loved it."
"You can tell them yourself after the baby is born." He whispered to her before stealing another kiss.
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Obi-Wan powered down his lightsaber immediately upon hearing his comlink chirp. These days, he kepthis comlink on him everywhere he went, even while showering. Padmé was expected to deliver any time, and Healer T'Pal had promised to notify him as soon as her labor had begun.
He smiled broadly at the chirping comlink, recognized the Healer's code and excused himself from the initiates, nodding to his assistant to take over the saber lesson.
His quickened steps slowed suddenly at the sight of Healer T'Pal outside of the healer's rooms, speaking rather heatedly with Master Windu and Master Yoda. An abrupt feeling of dread crept over him and he ran the last bit of distance to the group who were now standing quietly and staring at him.
Mace Windu approached him slowly, placing a hand upon his shoulder. "Obi-Wan. Padmé has disappeared."
No words would form. Surely they had made a mistake.
Panic seized him and he shoved the three Jedi aside to enter the rooms he had grown so accustomed to visiting throughout the day, every day for the past three months.
He checked the shower. He even checked the closet. He turned to see Master Yoda's disheartened gaze upon him.
"How? When?"
"Healer T'Pal, checked her two hours ago, she did. Gone to check the security monitors, Master Windu has. Patience, Obi-Wan. Find her, we will."
The usual comforting tone of Master Yoda's voice did little to soothe Obi-Wan's dismay. He sunk to his knees and wept bitterly, picking up the pieces of a shattered, tan sculpture that lay scattered across the floor.