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The ride to Naboo passed mostly in silence. Anakin's thoughts were back at the Temple with Sarah, and Padme was thinking about a letter that she had received while she had been on Coruscant.
A while later, they were walking once more along the terrace of Padme's lake retreat in silence. Finally, Padme spoke.
"Anakin," she said, "you'll never guess who wrote me."
Anakin raised his eyebrows, "Who?"
She smiled, "Palo."
He stared at her blankly, "Who?"
She rolled her eyes, "I told you about him, remember? Dark hair...dreamy eyes?"
Anakin held up a hand, "Yeah...I remember. What about him?"
"I told you that he became an artist, right?" Anakin nodded and she continued, "Well, it turns out that he's been doing his work on Coruscant lately and he wants to meet. Isn't that exciting?"
Anakin was happy for her, "Yeah, that is exciting."
She smiled at him, but her face turned serious when she said, "Listen, Ani. About what happened here, when we -"
"I remember," he said, trying to head off any awkwardness.
She looked at him sadly, but he smiled, "It's ok. Really. We aren't meant for each other. You have dark-eyed, dreamy-haired or whatever he is Palo...and I have Sarah."
"So you two really are -"
"Yes."
She smiled and gave him a hug. "I'm happy for you, Ani."
He returned the smile, and she continued, "Thank you for coming here, for protecting me...even though you didn't do a very good job the first time around."
Anakin grinned. He hugged her back and then quickly dropped his arms. They stared out at the lake for a few minutes before he said, "I have to get back, to Coruscant."
She smirked, "You mean to Sarah."
He grinned, "The Jedi have a war to fight. I need to be there."
With that, they said their goodbyes. They promised to stay in touch. Anakin made Padme promise to tell him all about her date with Palo, and she obliged. With a smile and a wave, Anakin took off, back across the stars...back to Sarah.
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At the Jedi Temple, Obi-Wan was wandering along, not really sure where he was going. He was running over his conversation with Sarah in his mind, trying to figure out if he had said the right thing. He had found the conversation exceptionally difficult to have.
He continued to wander aimlessly, not paying attention to where he was going, when he saw a flash of familiar blond hair right before he tripped and fell over his own feet.
He shook his head, trying to figure out what had just happened, when he heard roaring laughter coming from the other Jedi. She knelt down to help him up, still chuckling, and Obi-Wan could feel his cheeks turn red.
"You know Obi-Wan, they call you one of the most graceful Jedi in the Order, but I always have to remind them that they just don't know you well enough. They don't know that you've been tripping over your own feet since we were five."
Obi-Wan's cheeks reddened even more, "Funny Siri. Hilarious."
"I thought so," she said with her sly smile.
She smiled at him, and he smiled back, glad to be her company. He hadn't seen her in many months, but as he smiled, he felt his heart grow heavy and he knew that his smile was waning.
She immediately picked up on it, "What's wrong?" She asked with concern in her voice.
"I'm just happy to see you." He tried to give a convincing look.
Siri rolled her eyes again, "Obi-Wan Kenobi, you are great at many things, but lying is not one of them. What is wrong."
He laughed, "It's just a little problem with my Padawans, that's all."
"Don't give me that Kenobi. Are they ok?" She asked with genuine concern, always having been fond of Anakin and Sarah.
Obi-Wan pulled at the collar of his tunic. "Well..." he trailed off, trying to gather himself. "They're...in love."
Siri's eyes widened. "Oh my," was all she could say.
Obi-Wan nodded. They had made their way out by the gardens, and Obi-Wan took a seat on a stone bench amidst the flowers. It was a very beautiful spot, and one that he would sometimes come to when he found that the Temple felt too crowded. Siri sat next to him, and Obi-Wan could not help but think how much he enjoyed being in her company. It had been so long, he had forgotten.
"I don't know what to do," he said.
Siri looked at him, "I always thought that they might have had feelings for each other."
Obi-Wan looked at her in surprise. She grinned at his shock and said, "It was a little obvious."
Obi-Wan sighed, "And I seem to be the only one who did not see it. I think that even Master Yoda knew."
Siri laughed, "Well, Master Yoda pretty much knows everything, so..."
"I guess." He looked out across the garden, simply enjoying Siri's presence.
"What are you going to do?"
He took a deep breath. "I don't know. I already talked to Sarah, and Anakin should be returning from Naboo anytime now. I suppose that I will have to talk to him as well." He momentarily got distracted by a fluttering insect that was crawling on the petals of a flower. "I just don't know what to say."
He looked at her sadly and continued, "We're at the start of a war. Anything could happen. I don't know what to say to them."
It was Siri's turn to sigh. "I can't believe that we are at war."
Obi-Wan nodded sadly, "I won't be their Master forever. I know that the Council has been discussing knighthood, and it will not be long. This war will define them as Jedi."
"But they are not knights yet, Obi-Wan. You are still their Master and it is still your duty to guide them."
"I know." He stared into her eyes, trying to suppress the feelings that came with it. "But I feel like a hypocrite. Because I can't say that I'm perfect. I've made so many mistakes, and to lecture them on love...it feels wrong."
She looked at him sadly. "You'll do the right thing." She grabbed his hand and held it for a moment. His head snapped up and looked at her. His feelings for her were suddenly rushing back to him in a torrent. They had promised each other that they would not do this.
He pulled their hands apart. "I'm sorry Siri. I can't...please understand. I must go."
"Obi-Wan -" She said, confused.
He rose andwalked quickly out of the garden. He glanced back at her for a moment, where she was still sitting, staring out at him as he walked away.
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A/N: So, we will be getting into the war here shortly, and I don't quite know what will happen, so bear with me. In any case, thanks for reading, and feedback is always most glitteringly appreciated!