Disclaimer: This story includes excerpts of the movie Star Wars. The characters and idea of Star Wars is property of George Lucas. I'm borrowing the characters as respectfully as possible, simply to entertain myself and anyone willing to read this fanfiction.
AN; Haven't received a lot of reviews. Is anybody interested in this fic? Thanks to the ones who did review, it motivates me greatly!
For now I'll be taking moments out of the movies, twisting them in my own personal way. Eventually I'll break off, and end it all my own way. But be patient, I have a lot of other projects going, so it might all take a while.

Peace of Heart

A late night bump in

Silently Padme entered the common room. Jar Jar was vast asleep on one of the chairs, mumbling and softly snoring. It both amused and irritated her. She was very glad she could see in separate chambers, where only Rabé would softly snore. And that was far less disturbing then the noise this Gungan was making.

Leaning over the console Padme activated the message they had received from Governor Bibble. Intently she watched him as he pleaded for her to contact him. The words death toll sent her head spinning and with a heavy heart she saw the holo image fizzle and fade. For a moment she stood still, wondering if the jedi had been right. Her rational mind was telling her this could easily be a trap, but she couldn't help but worry for her people. She blinked a few times, suppressing her fear and hurt. She struggled to keep from crying. Why must everything in this galaxy be so difficult?

A soft shuffling of a blanket made her look to the left. There was Anakin, perched on one of the benches for the night. Padme immediately shoved her own feelings aside.

"Are you alright?"

"It's very cold," he softly said.

Finding an extra blanket next to the chair at the console Padme walked over to Anakin. She tucked him under the blanket. A slight hint of maternal instinct made her act, and internally she smiled at her behaviour. Anakin was a cute little boy, and she liked him. He gave her a pendant made out of a jappoor snippet. After assuring him she would not forget about him he admitted to her he was missing his mother. Sympathy swelled in her heart. She told him to lie down. Carefully she tucked the blanket all around him. Padme kissed his forehead and said goodnight.

Quietly she walked back to the console. She downloaded the message unto a small personal holodisplayer and left the common room. Poor Ani, she thought, so young and already thrown into this cold galaxy. He should not be without his mother. She thought of her own mother back on Naboo. Deep in her thoughts she bumped into someone in the hall, and completely surprised she fell backwards. She couldn't help but let out a small yelp. Two arms quickly wrapped around her waist and prevented her from falling down entirely. In an instinctive reaction she swung her own arms out. One grabbed a fistful of material, the other clutched at warm skin. Warm skin? In a flash she realized what had happened. And a bright flush crept up her neck and cheeks, flaming her face exactly like her dress.

- ∞ -

Quietly Obi-wan studied the printout of the ship sensor logs. He had extracted parts of the logs right after Qui-gon and Anakin had come back from Mos Eisley. It displayed small representations of Qui-gon and the mystery attacker. Slowly he scrolled through the time index, studying the movement of the two figures. He could easily see which one was his master. The recognized the movements instantly. But the thing that worried him the most was that he recognized some of the moves of the other figure as well. And this could only confirm Qui-gon's initial assessment. His attacker was trained in the jedi arts. And that could only mean one thing… Obi-wan felt a shiver pass along his spine. He, like every padawan, had learned about the Sith. In the history classes, that is. Not in real life, and they were never supposed to!

Closing his eyes for a second he calmed his nerves. Focus on the moment, Obi-wan, not on your anxieties, he thought. Qui-gon never ending advice sounded through his mind, reminding him of his shortcomings. He sighed. 'I know I still have a long way to go, master. But what about you?' Obi-wan felt another shiver pass through him. He had rarely seen his master so out of breath and surprised as he had been right after the encounter with the dark warrior. Although he knew Qui-gon was one of the best jedi knights in the order a small voice in the back of his mind kept whispering to him. Whispers of danger, failure and death. And try as he did, the voice would not leave him.

Suddenly he felt a short warning through the Force. He had been too concentrated on his worries and fears to hear the warning of the Force sooner, and was unable to stop. His arms and body connected to another body. Through his training Obi-wan was able to stay on his feet, but he quickly realized the other was not so fortunate. The yelp he heard confirmed his assumption. Without conscious thought he dropped the pad he was holding and reached out with his arms. He grabbed the other person by the waist, arresting its fall. A hand grabbed the front of his robes, and another clasped itself around his neck. Short nails dug themselves in his flesh, shooting small flares of pain to his mind. Obi-wan had to step forward with his right foot to support the added weight.

When he was convinced his balance was restored and there was no danger of falling he took a look at the identity of the person that he had bumped into. A scarlet blushing face greeted him, and the signature in the Force felt infinitely familiar. Obi-wan's eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

"Padme!" he whispered loudly, remembering most of the occupants of the ship were asleep.

"Obi-wan! Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking, I—"

"No, Padme, it was my fault! I wasn't paying attention. If I—"

"No! No, no, no, I was entirely my fault!"

Obi-wan looked at Padme, her face scrunched up with a sincere apology. Suddenly the situation seemed extremely funny to Obi-wan. They were both apologizing over something trivial whilst standing in a position best classified as a dip during a classic dance. A badly executed one. A smile crept up his face, and he couldn't help but tease her a little.

"Alright handmaiden, you're right. But why the Queen would employ such clumsy handmaidens I do not know…"

The blush on her cheeks became even darker then before, although with the minimal lighting Obi-wan couldn't be sure. The hand that was holding his robes let go and swatted his right upper arm.

"Oh! I can't believe you! Have you no manners in front of a lady?" she whispered in a somewhat shocked and indignant tone.

Obi-wan grinned a little wider. This was just too easy, and it was a nice relief from the stress he had been collecting lately.

"I caught you didn't I?"

Her eyes grew wide, and he could sense she was looking for an appropriate name to call him. Several passed the revue and all of them weren't very complimentary.

"Now that's no language for a lady, Padme."

If he wasn't sure of it a minute ago, he was now. He face was almost as red as some of the tones of her dress. 'Come on, Kenobi, how old are you?' Taking pity on her he pulled her to her feet. He let go of her waist, but not before noticing how frail she felt. And he guessed it wasn't her body weight that mainly caused that.

Straightening her dress Obi-wan saw Padme casting around, most likely for something she had dropped. He turned his head around and spotted his own pad. Crouching down he retrieved it. Right next to it laid a small holodisplayer. Realizing it was Padme's he picked it up. Accidentally his thumb his the play button, and the small holographic figure of Governor Bibble illuminated the hall. After it had played Obi-wan turned it of and looked at Padme. She was looking back at him absolutely stunned and horrified.

- ∞ -

Padme froze, feeling horrified and embarrassed. As if bumping into Obi-wan, holding on to his strong body and clawing into his neck hadn't been enough. Now it was possible she had blown her cover! She had trouble thinking straight, too much was happening in and around her. In an attempt to compose herself Padme tried to take a few deep breaths, but they came out as short shudders. Her knees felt weak and she was about to fall to the ground for the second time.

And for the second time strong arms wrapped around her waist.

"Come on, let's set you down for a minute."

Obi-wan was close enough to her for her to feel his breath on her neck. Again she had the pleasant sensation of warming up, especially the places where he was holding her. The skin of her neck tingled. Obi-wan started walking, but her feet weren't really complying. Half dragging her he guided her to the nearest room, the galley. He set her down on one of the chairs. She latched unto the surface of the table to keep her balance. Slowly he let go of her. Feeling the solid chair under her helped Padme to get her world under a little control again.

"Better?"

Still a little dazed she looked at Obi-wan. She didn't feel completely alright yet, but the concern in his voice and eyes made her feel a lot better. She nodded demurely. Obi-wan went around the table to the food dispenser.

"I think a cup of tea would be in order."

She followed him around, watching him as he gathered two cups, tea and a little sieve. Padme was surprised when he made the tea. Normally on board they would have instant tea. But he was actually taking the time to prepare a proper tea for her. She found that a little thing like that made her feel appreciated, human again. No royal responsibilities, no war to think about. Just Padme, Obi-wan and tea. She laughed softly about that.

"Hey, don't laugh. I know my way around the kitchen."

"Oh, it's not that!" she quickly apologized.

He looked back at her over his shoulder. The lights in the galley were brighter then in the corridor, and this time she didn't miss the amused glint in his eyes. Relief shot through her like a rocket, and left her feeling immensely better. And to show him this she decided to tease him a little. Again. The rational part of her sighed in confusion, but the emotional part didn't care.

"Although it is nice to see a man who knows his place."

She found she really got a kick out of raising the young jedi's eyebrows, and he didn't let her down on this one.

"I never knew you handmaidens are so much like the Queen. Bossy."

The tone of his voice had been gentle and teasing, but his words had sent her insides into a cramp. Did he know? Oh no, this was not good, she thought. She hung her head, looking down at the table. A noise to her left told her Obi-wan had come round the table. A cup of tea entered her vision. Obi-wan's hand put in directly in front of her. Then his hand retracted and left her field of vision again.

"Drink. It will do you good."

His voice sounded warm and rich, softly commanding her to do as he told. And for once she didn't mind taken orders from someone else. For once she let her head hang low and allowed her to be lead by another. And for someone raised since an early age to compete in any political arena and be the ruler of an entire planet, that was no little thing. But she didn't care. Right now, it didn't matter. She picked up the cup and took a sip. The herbal tea was warm but not hot, and the delicate taste softly touched her tastebuds.

This jedi knew how to make one hell of a cup of tea.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"You should." She wasn't really surprised he had read her thoughts. She knew a little more about jedi since their last encounter. Anakin had literally asked question about the jedi to Qui-gon all evening, even when they had left the table. Jedi were able to pick up the most outspoken thoughts if they were in proximity to the person. Emotions and feelings were more easily read. Qui-gon had told Anakin that jedi masters were quite skilled in sensing thoughts and underlying feelings and motivations. But it took a great deal of practise and experience. But headstrong padawans had to really concentrate hard on the person if they wanted to hear their thoughts. Padme had inwardly bristled a little at his joke at Obi-wan's expense.

The realization hit her like a speeder. Obi-wan was focusing on her. Carefully she tilted her head to look at him. And found him staring right at her. She gasped almost inaudibly. His eyes were a mass of dancing colors, hues of blue and grey she could not name. She gulped.

"Are you reading my mind, master Kenobi?"

He remained looking at her for a moment longer. Then he sighed and placed himself in the chair next to her.

"Padme, I want to apologize to you."

'Huh? He wants to apologize to me? What for?'

"W—Why?"

Obi-wan lowered his gaze to the same spot on the table she had been looking at. Taking a deep breath he continued.

"Because I have read your feelings without asking, and it is something I cannot do to a friend."

Three questions instantly popped into Padme's head. When has he read my mind? What does he know? And does he think of me as a friend? The last question was not the most pressing, but strangely invoked the most curiosity and nervousness.

"When have you read my mind?" 'Start off with the easiest one.'

Obi-wan shook his head. "No, it's not like that. Well I did read your thoughts just a second ago, but the compliment was a very loud one. Mentally. You didn't say it, but I had a feeling you were about to."

True, she thought.

"But that's not what I meant. I haven't really read your thoughts. More your feelings. And I acted on those feelings without your knowledge, and it feels like I overstepped my boundaries."

'Alright, now I'm confused. He read my feelings and did something because of it. How come I didn't know about that? And what the hell did he do?'

"Obi-wan, what did you do? And when?"

The padawan sighed. "The other day, when you were cleaning the droid."

"Okay, now I'm really confused. You said you read my feelings, and did something because of them?"

He nodded, still looking at the table.

"Then how come I didn't notice?"

A wry smile graced Obi-wan's lips. "Probably because you have no idea it was something I could do."

He had her full attention now. She shuffled in her seat a little, scooting to the edge. Her tea forgotten she stared at him intently.

"Tell me."

"Do you remember after I informed you when we would arrive on Tatooine you went back to cleaning R2?"

Remember, how could she forget? Every moment of the conversation was burned into her memory. She had always been a sponge for knowledge, and her memory was razorsharp. But their first real conversation was something she vividly remembered, without real effort. She nodded at Obi-wan's question.

"Do you also remember feeling hurt, alone and pained for the people on Naboo?"

"The grime on R2's plating made me remember…," she softly whispered, wrapped up in the memory he was asking about.

"Remember feeling pain, a cold pain in your stomach?"

She could only nod. He lifted his head and unexpectedly locked eyes with her. Again she was blown away by the intensity in his eyes. She could see a slight feeling of guilt reflected in the grey tones.

"Remember feeling calm all of a sudden, without any real explanation?"

Force, did she remember that. Her emotions had quieted down and she felt oddly calm. When he had been standing behind her her back had been comfortably warm. But when she had risen from her seat and turned her entire front had been pleasantly warm. All because he was standing…so…close…

"You did that…," she whispered, slightly in awe.

"Yes, and that is why I wanted to apologize. I had no right to sift through your feelings and use the Force to do something about it."

Her eyes grew wide. "That was you using the Force?"

He nodded.

"But how?"

"How what?"

"I mean, what did you do exactly?

"I sent you a soothing wave through the Force, dampening your negative feelings."

"Ah" She really had no idea a jedi was able to do that. But it sounded right to her. It had felt like it. Everything had slowed down, and she had felt utterly calm and at ease. Now it also made sense why the feeling started leaving her when he moved away. Right?

"And I would have felt better only when you were around?"

"No"

"No?" she blurted out, expecting a different answer.

He shook his head. "No. The wave would sooth you for a few moments, then let you continue on your own. I merely meant it to give you a moment of peace."

Yes, peace! He had certainly given her that! But she had felt it far longer then he was suggesting the Force wave should have worked. And it didn't explain the warm sensation.

"Obi-wan, can someone feel warm when you send out a wave like that?"

He frowned slightly, she could only guess in deep thought.

"I suppose. But I meant to calm your emotions, not to raise your body temperature."

"But you could if you wanted to?"

"Yes, it is possible."

"And the side of my body facing you would feel much warmer then the rest?"

"Eh, no. Your entire body would warm up if I'd do something like that."

She looked at him, slightly confused and astounded. Only the part of her body facing him had been considerably warmer then before. The only logical conclusion would be that he didn't do it. But the warmth had come from him, she was sure of it. It had changed sides when she had turned, and he was the source of it, no doubt about it.

"So, I apologize for doing it. And I swear I will not do it again if you do not know about it."

'No, no! Don't apologize, I could never blame you for something that wonderful!' She reached out and laid her hand on top of his.

"No, Obi-wan, you did nothing wrong! I'm sure you never intended to root through my thoughts without permission. You did what you felt was needed, and I cannot thank you enough for your compassion. It's good to know someone in the galaxy still cares about their fellow being."

The relief was clearly evident on his face, and some of it poured into her as well. And she was feeling warm again. Especially her hand.

"I'm glad to hear that."

The look of gratitude in his eyes was almost too much for her, and she looked away. But she didn't move her hand, still resting comfortably on top of his. She almost jumped off her seat when she felt his other hand close on top of hers, capturing her hand in between his.

"Now would you care to tell me why you were walking through the corridors this late at night with the holomessage from Governor Bibble?"

'Blast! I had forgotten about that!'

"I…I…"

She had no idea what to say. It wasn't an option telling him the truth, there was too much at stake for that. But how could she explain this? He would probably see through any excuse I come up with. A feeling of panic rose up in her. She looked back at Obi-wan.

"I…it's…please…," she pleaded.

Obi-wan just stared at her. Although he had assured her he wouldn't read her thoughts without her permission she felt like he was peering into her soul, slowly breeching every wall she had built to keep the outside world out. But that didn't scare her. It was just that he could not know of her real identity. Not yet.

"Please…," she whispered.

She was about to do something drastic, breaking down into tears or yanking her hand away from his and tell him it was none of his concerns the two most likely options. But he moved his left hand of hers and laid it against her cheek. Immediately her cheek heated up, and from his hand spread a wonderful peaceful feeling. The panic disappeared, and her mind settled down again.

Looking in his eyes she thought she saw little pinpricks of light, like small stars, shine brightly for a split second. Then they vanished as quickly as she had spotted them. The blue and grey were still fighting for dominance in his eyes, and she was mesmerized by them. They truly seemed alive to her. His voice was soft, softly bringing her back to reality.

"It's alright. It's not my place to ask. I know you miss your home a great deal. But please, do not believe that message. To do so would be to give up hope, and that is something no one should ever do."

Padme struggled to keep the tears at bay. When did she become so emotional? Where was her infamous control? She lifted her right hand and laid it on top of his left, still resting on her cheek. She couldn't let this go without telling him something, she owed him as much.

"Obi-wan, I—"

"It's alright. When the time is right you will tell me, not before."

Still basking in the warm peace he had brought to her she was relieved. She wanted to tell him, but now was not the time. And the secret was safe, he didn't know.

"Thank you."

He nodded and removed his hand. Curiously enough the warm feeling did not disappear.

"I suggest you get some rest, Padme. We'll be on Coruscant soon, and you'll need your strength."

What is it about his voice, the accent and tone, that makes me so obedient? I'd readily jump into a lake if he'd ask it of me in that voice, she idly thought. When he stood up she wanted to say something to keep him here with her, but she couldn't find any reasonable excuse. Obi-wan moved to the door and typed the pad to open it. He took a last look over his shoulder.

"Goodnight…Padme."

A shiver ran down her spine. 'That voice!' He had somehow turned his voice down a notch, making it even more soft, warm and attractive then it had been before. Right now she wanted nothing more the to hear him say her name once more in that voice, to hear him caress her name with it.

"Goodnight," she hoarsely whispered.

Then he was gone, and the door softly closed behind him. She closed her eyes.

"Obi-wan…"

Slowly she recapped all the events of this night. In slow motion she replayed their collision. And she came to the conclusion she was right. Where his arms had touched her waist she had been warm. His hands had warmed hers. Her cheek was still burning. Obi-wan was the source of it, the warmth and the peace she was still feeling. It was all Obi-wan.

- ∞ -

Obi-wan rested the back of his head against the cold wall of the corridor. 'Calm down, Kenobi. Breathe, breathe…' He tried to clear his head, but failed as the sensations of holding her cheek, feeling her soft skin and looking into her deep brown soulful eyes came flooding back to him. Almost inaudibly he groaned.

'As if I don't have enough problems.'

He went and did it again! Once more had he used the Force to sooth her. But when she was looking at him like that, close to tears due to emotional and physical stress he couldn't help but reach out for her. Maybe Qui-gon was right. Maybe it was right to act on his compassion in situations like that. But his entire being was humming a different tune. It wasn't compassion that had made him do it. 'Blast! This just keeps getting better and better!'

He pulled his cloak tightly around him. In a brisk tempo he moved to the quarters he and Qui-gon shared. With a small smile of his face he wearily shook his head.

'Master always did say I have a tendency to go look for problems…'

- ∞ -