PART V

The next morning Obi-Wan and Padme left to return to Coresaunt. Not much was said between them on the flight back, Padme rested most of the time and when she did finally wake, they were just about to land. Obi-Wan waited until Padme got off the ship and everyone was out of sight before he snuck off the ship and into her apartment. He knew it was safe to come in because they had arranged for R2 to come out if Anakin was there. Once he walked into her living room he saw her in her office, listening to her messages, when she came back out she walked him out to the balcony where they could talk without the droids being around.

"Obi-Wan, I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do. I totally understand if you don't want to see me anymore" Padme spoke in her sharp senator voice to keep her composure.

"We've discussed this, I want to help you, I will stay with you, always." He almost sounded annoyed by the way she questioned his loyalty earlier.

"Okay." But Padme knew always was less than a month away.

"I better go, I have to check in with the Council, we'll talk later, soon." And then Obi-Wan gave her a formal kiss on the cheek then walked out.

Surprisingly, the council didn't question Obi-Wan at all about where he'd been for almost a week. It was most surely because the Jedi had other things on their mind, not only finding General Grievous, but discovering the identity of the Sith Lord. Obi-Wan felt very relieved, he didn't have to worry as much about being discovered that he had deep feelings for Padme, but then again, they hadn't figured out that Anakin was married to Padme either. He tried to shake the thought from his mind, Anakin was definitely someone worthy of love, and Obi-Wan knew Anakin could give love back in return.

'I'm sure it that was why she fell in love with him' he said to himself, but then quickly brushed it off and went into the meditation chambers to start figuring out how to help Padme.

So for the next two weeks, Obi-Wan continued to play second fiddle to Anakin in Padme's life. She was the one who would call him and Obi-Wan would rush over to their secret meeting place in the office building by Dex's Diner. It had become a routine for them, he'd walk in, without even saying hello she'd be pulling off his Jedi robes, at times he almost felt violated and used, but when he looked into her eyes after lovemaking he saw such love in her eyes. Those eyes never lied.

One afternoon, while sitting together on a chair, her back up against his chest, he thought about how pale she had become. He knew she was feeling worse, but now she was looking it too. As if reading his thoughts she then said,

"Anakin keeps on questioning me about why I am so pale."

"What did you say?" he asked her while placing a kiss on her shoulder.

She shrugged, "I told him it was anemia, he seemed to believe it at first, but today he said he found a way to save me."

"Save you?" Obi-Wan had been sensing great fear in Anakin all week but now he knew why.

"From death, I'm really worried about him, no one can stop death, not even a Jedi right?" she then tilted her head up to face him.

"Not to my knowledge no" Obi-Wan tried to keep a calm face to hide his anxiety, after all, he too was trying to save Padme from death.

"I figured, coming here takes my mind off of all of that, off of everything, I just want to feel love and be loved and not be reminded about what I am going to lose." Padme's tone was so matter-of-fact it stung Obi-Wan.

"So, you don't care about losing me then?" He knew he shouldn't have said it, but he was sick of feeling used and not saying anything about it.

She quickly pulled away and stared at him, realizing the full extent of what she had just said. She paused, then said,

"That's not true, I do care, I'll admit at first I befriended you for selfish reasons, I wanted someone to take my mind off of things, but now, I want to be here with you because I can't live without you. When I lose you, I'll be reminded of what I do have, a husband, two children, and a man who loved me completely, even with all my flaws, Anakin doesn't really know of my flaws, you do, you know the complete me. I'm prepared for Anakin to be forever angry with me for not telling him the truth, he might stop loving me once he knows, but at least I'll die knowing that someone did love me. And I'll die knowing I did my best to protect Anakin, I only hope he knows that once I'm gone."

Obi-Wan couldn't stand to listen to anymore of it, all he said was, "He'll know" then moved in to kiss her, trying not to get her to speak anymore, he had his answer, for the first time his adult life he had let his guard down and love someone, and she loved him back. Not under the ideal circumstances, but for a Jedi to find true love doesn't happen very often, so he knew to stop questioning the situation. They kissed and cuddled until she fell asleep. He decided to meditate while she was sleeping, while meditating, he saw a vision, of darkness. Obi-Wan immediately opened his eyes wide.

'The dark side' he said to himself, it was the Sith Lord who was causing death on Padme, but why and who he still needed to figure out, time was running out.