Disclaimer: I don't own anything, just the plot (shocker)
All was quiet in the healer's ward at the Jedi temple.
The council had left and Padme was still resting,
which left Obi Wan. Obi Wan had not moved from Ankin's
side all night. His hand remained entwined with
Anakin's and was once again lost in his thoughts.
Anakin was his best friend, his brother, he couldn't
loose him now. During this time, Obi Wan had realized
how close he and Anakin had become and how utterly
alone he would feel if Anakin were to die.
Light was now beginning to come through the windows
and Anakin's face seemed to glow as the light hit it.
Obi Wan stroked Anakin's cheek, it seemed much cooler
and Anakin had stopped coughing. All of the color had
come returned to Anakin's face and overall, he seemed
much better. This gave Obi Wan hope, the healing
trance was indeed working.
A few moments later, Anakin's eyes fluttered open.
"Obi Wan" Anakin whispered, "what happened?"
"Don't you remember?" Obi Wan asked, "you saved the entire Republic, you killed Darth Sidious, you brought balance to the force, fulfilled the phrophecy!" Now Anakin remembered, he had indeed done all of those things, but he had also come very close to turning to the Dark Side. Sidious had tempted him to turn so that he could save Padme, and he almost had. He'd almost betrayed the entire Jedi order and for that, he didn't deserve Obi Wan's praise, or anyone else's.
"I'm sorry Obi Wan," said Anakin softly, his voice hoarse, "I'm sorry."
"Sorry?" asked Obi Wan, confused, "Why are you sorry?
Anakin, you did wonderful things yesterday, you should
be proud of yourself!"
"No, I almost turned to the dark side Obi Wan, Sidious told me that if I did, I could gain enough power to stop death, to save Padme.
Now Obi Wan understood what a terrible creature Sidous was. He had lied to Anakin in an attempt to get him to turn his back on the Jedi. But Anakin had known better, he saw through Sidious's lies, he just didn't realize it.
"Anakin, you saw through Sidious's lies, you remained loyal to the Jedi Order, you thought of others before yourself, only Jedi do that, not Sith. You may have almost turned but you didn't, you single handidly destroyed the Sith, and I'm quite proud of you."
"Really?" asked Anakin with hope in his eyes. Obi Wan nodded,
"Really." He said. A smile spread across Anakin's face but was immideatly erased when another thought came into his head.
"What happened to Padme?" he asked, "Is she safe? And what about the baby?"
"Relax, Padme's fine, she's resting right now and the baby hasn't been born yet." Anakin relaxed against his pillows.
"How do you feel?" asked Obi Wan.
"Much better actually," said Anakin I don't feel as weak, I've stopped coughing and my shoulder doesn't hurt anymore."
"That's good," said Obi Wan, "I should go tell someone you're awake." Anakin nodded as Obi Wan turned to go get a healer. He returned a few moments later with the same healer who had taken care of Anakin the previous night.
"It's good to see you're doing better Anakin." She
said She approached him and began changing the
bandages on his left shoulder. "Does the wound still
hurt?" she asked Anakin shook his head no. "That's
good, the infection has gone away for the most part
and your fever has broken. Although you're doing much
better, I'd prefer that you stay the night again to
you can rest, I promise you will be able to leave
tomorrow. Although Anakin didn't like it, he agreed,
knowing he really didn't have a choice in the matter.
"I should inform the council that you're doing better." Said Obi Wan and he left.
The rest of the day came and went with Obi Wan and a
few other people coming into Anakin's room to see him.
Padme didn't due to the fact that she really wasn't
really in the right condition to go anywhere.
The next morning, Anakin was released from the healers ward.
"Anakin, if you feel ny pain at all in your shoulder, come to the healers wars straight away, it might mean the infection has come back." said the healer.
"I will," Anakin promised and he walked with Obi Wan to the council room dressed in his most formal Jedi robes.
"What do you think they'll say?" Anakin asked Obi Wan.
"I think they are quite impressed with you, I know
that they feel awful or the way that they treated you.
I think you just might become a master today my
friend." said Obi Wan
"I'm going to tell them about me and Padme." said Anakin "Do you think they'll expel me?"
"It's hard to say," said Obi Wan. He hoped to death
that Anakin wouldn't be expelled. He had killed the
Sith Lord for force's sake why in their right minds
would they expel him? "But I know one thing's for
sure, if they expel you, I'm leaving the Jedi order"
said Obi Wan. "If they expel you, then they have truly
lost their minds."
"You would do that?" asked Anakin amazed.
"Yes, it would be unfair to have you expelled."
They reached the council chambers and entered, Obi Wan took his seat while Anakin stood in the middle of the room facing Yoda and Mace Windu.
"We're extremely glad that you're doing better
Anakin." Said Mace "And I know that I speak for the
entire council when I say that we give you our deepest
apologies. Without you, the Sith would have taken
over, you eliminated the Sith and ended the war, and
brought balance to the force and we thank you so much.
"
'Thank you master, but I do not feel as though I deserve your praise," and then Anakin told him about his brush with the dark side.
"Decived by a lie you were," said Yoda "Understand we do. Thought of yourself before others you did, like only a true Jedi would do." This was exactly what Obi Wan had said, perhaps the council wasn't as heartless as they had seemed.
"I have one more thing to tell you masters," said Anakin he hesitated about to reveal his secret it could get him in serious trouble "Senator Amidala and I are married, we have been since the beginning of the Clone Wars, when I escorted her back to Naboo. She is now pregnant and I am the father of the child." Anakin looked at the ground, he didn't dare look at the Masters before him.
"Step outside please, discuss this in private we wish." Said Yoda
"Yes master," said Anakin so softly it was barely audible.
"What do we do now?" asked one of the masters. The fact was no one except Obi Wan knew what to do.
"We can't expel him," said Obi Wan, "look at all that he's done. He may have broken the code, but he let go of his attachment when he needed to. Sidoius offered him a way to save Senator Amidala and he refused. I see no harm in letting him remain a Jedi and being with the women he loves.
"I agree with you," to everyone's surprise, these words had come out of Mace's mouth. Anakin has done more for the Jedi order than any of us ever have. We cannot expel him. I also think we should make him a master and allow him on the council" Everyone agreed to this and Anakin was summoned back into the room.
"Made a decision we have, "said Yoda "Allowing you to remain a Jedi and be with your wife and child we are."
Anakin's face lit up, he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Are you serious?" he asked. Everyone nodded.
"We are also making you a master," said Mace Anakin couldn't believe it, this was turning out to be a very good day indeed.
"Thank you masters, I cannot explain to you how honored I am.
"There's more," said Mace "we were wondering if you would be willing to do us the honor of to remaining the Jedi council."
Anakin smiled, "Of course I would."
"Welcome to the Jedi council Master Skywalker,"