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; Dear readers. For a long time now this has been lurking in my mind, waiting for its moment to appear. It's a two parter, one where I try to establish the vast difference between Anakin and Obi-wan, if I haven't already. When you go to the second chapter, please, DO NOT SKIP THE AUTHOR'S NOTE THERE. That is all I ask. Enjoy. Mu-san

Peace of Heart

Intimacy part 1

With a quick word of thanks to her secretary, he took a moment to lean against the doorpost. He had never seen her at work and to see her so concentrated and serious impressed him. Her focus was so complete she hadn't even noticed him opening the door. But what amused him was the string of muttering under her breath, probably about the things she was reading on the datapad. He couldn't hear if there were any curses in there, but there was a good chance for that.

After a minute Obi-wan decided to finally announce him. He gently knocked on the doorframe to attract her attention. But to his amusement she didn't even flinch. He knocked again, a little louder this time. Padme waved her hand in front of her without taking her eyes off the datapad.

"Just leave it on the edge of my desk, Yubona. I'll look at it when I get through this blasted Neimodian text."

With a smile Obi-wan walked up to her desk. "Any good bedtime reading?"

He was afraid she had given herself whiplash with the speed she looked up, but she seemed all right enough to scold him right away.

"Obi-wan! My goodness, you scared me half to death! Have you no manners!"

For an answer he settled on a simple shrug. "I knocked. Twice."

She frowned slightly, probably trying to remember if she had heard anything. "I only heard one knock…"

Obi-wan grinned. "Can't help it that your powers of observation were hindered by your intense devotion to your work."

Padme gave him a glare that practically yelled 'smart-ass' at him, and chucked the datapad on the desk. "Blasted Trade Federation has hired some new proposal writer. I swear, if we ever cross paths, I'll break nine of his ten fingers so he can't write so blasted many pages of absolute nonsense!"

"Yes, well, the only good Neimodian is a flat-broke one."

To his relief this brought a smile back to her face. "Well put. I'll try and circulate that one around the Senate."

With a soft shake of his head he continued. "I was wondering if you were free for lunch, but I can see you're quite tied up at the moment."

She nodded. "Sadly, yes."

"Then we shall meet for dinner."

Padme smiled widely. "I'd like that. My place?"

He smiled back. "Unless you want to have a private conversation with hundreds of Force sensitives around."

"No thank you," she chuckled.

Obi-wan made a little bow. "Then I will see you tonight, milady."

"Master jedi"

He gave her a wink to lighten the formalities, and left her office. 'I'll be very curious what she'll say about my conversation with Yoda. Mmm, dinner.' He paused for a moment, before redirecting his steps in a different heading. 'A bottle of Janarian wine should make everything a little easier.'

- ∞ -

A little indecisive Anakin held his comm device loosely in his hand. He had been standing outside for ten minutes now, his eyes roaming the datapad endlessly. The young lady described on it already started to haunt him, making it difficult for him to keep in mind that it was a total stranger, not someone he knew intimately. Yet, so much of it sounded like Padme. She had volunteered for public service, had been the leader of a student group, and even had helped in political circles before following her father into the police service. And her picture…

He still couldn't believe how much she looked like Padme. Almost all the features he loved in the Senator were present in Jazela Fenris. Part of him wanted to see her immediately and see for himself if this could be true. But a different part of him told him that this was not Padme, and could never be her.

With a shake of his head he cleared such thoughts. It was irrelevant how she looked, she was there to help him crack the case for the chancellor. Like Obi-wan always said, duty first. This steeled his nerves again and he confidently dialled his comm-link. A female voice on the other end picked up, and he gave her the strongest and most confident voice he could.

"Miss Fenris. My name is Anakin Skywalker, I am a jedi knight. Supreme chancellor Palpatine said we needed to talk."

- ∞ -

When he had contacted her this afternoon he had been calling the shots, he was in charge. And now? Now he found himself walking besides her, trying to keep up. From the moment they had met in person the comparison between Jazela and Padme became even more elaborate. They were practically of the same height, and the brisk and business like manner in which she presented herself and immediately addressed the matter at hand had been very familiar to him. Could it be that Padme had an identical twin without knowing of it?

They hadn't spoken much yet, only agreed how to best proceed and handle this assignment. Her voice was different than Padme's, he noted, slightly higher and with a completely different accent. This girl grew up on Coruscant, she had the same accent as Obi-wan. It was just everything else that reminded him so much of Padme, that he had to keep in mind she wasn't her.

She stopped in front of him and he halted in his tracks as well. Across the street the bright neon lights announced they had arrived at their intended target. One of the busy nightclubs on the lower levels of Coruscant. The music was already vibrating the air around them, and Anakin's curiosity to see what the inside would be like doubled. Jazela turned and looked at him.

"So, how are we going to play this?"

He hadn't really thought of that yet, so he covered it up quickly. "What do you think we should do?"

She smiled softly, making her visage even more appealing. "The youths that come here as friends, often lovers. I think it would be best to pose as the best of friends, or a couple, that way we can stay close together in case we need to help each other, or get out."

Anakin nodded. It sounded plausible.

"But whatever you decide, jedi Skywalker."

This made him fix her with a stare. He could see she meant it, and was deferring to him as the leader of this 'mission'. A feeling of righteousness surged through him. Yes, he was the jedi knight now, he was making the plans. The way it should have been for a while now. He nodded again.

"We'll pose as a couple. That way I can protect you if it comes to that."

In response she nodded too and turned away to look at the club again. The complete lack of argument over his protection made him feel even better about this. Without turning she grabbed his hand.

"Shall we?"

He placed his other hand on her shoulder, not yet accustomed to touching her. But getting there quite quickly. "After you, milady."

- ∞ -

With a small motion of his hand Obi-wan swept some lint off his cloak. In his other hand he held a bottle of Janarian wine, the best vintage he could find. In a jedi's diet there was no alcohol to be found, but on rare occasion he would drink a single glass of spirits. This was usually at some diplomatic banquet to keep a good accord going between factions. But tonight was special. Very special.

Taking in one last deep breath he tapped the pad next to the door, and it opened. He stepped out of the lift and walked calmly to the living room. The first thing he noticed was the level of light. Or better said the absence thereof. On the small tables next to the couches stood small clusters of candles giving off a soft glow. At the end of the room the large dining table had been cleared, and two places set up right at the end of it, facing each other. Two more candles illuminated the table, but other than that the apartment was dark. Well, as dark as it could be in the city where there was always some light source to pierce the night.

Obi-wan walked up to the table and set down the bottle. He noted that the plates had a beautiful Nubian image displayed on it, and the silverware was faintly glistening in the golden yellowish light of the candles. Shrugging off his coat he kept looking at the table, not wanting to spoil her surprise by reacting to her signature in the Force.

"Good evening, master jedi."

He turned on his heels and took in the image of the woman standing before him. Padme was leaning with her back against the doorframe, coming from the kitchen. She was wearing a deep midnight blue velvet gown, the material only just hanging off her shoulders and with an elegant neckline, adorned only by a fine silver weave depicting elongated tree leaves along the seam under her clavicles. The same design of leaves hung in her hair, fine silver threads linked together to form delicate oval rings around her head. Her make-up was so fine he could barely see it, but the thin dark lines under her equally darkened eyelashes accentuated her eyes and made their normal sparkling brown color turn into a more alluring and evasive brown, seemingly pulling the light of the candles into it and make it a part of their hue.

He made his voice as soft and sexy as he could make it, to give his words the maximum effect. "You, Padme Amidala, are an exceptionally beautiful woman."

The candlelight was making it difficult to see, but he reckoned there was a blush on her cheeks. 'Good, my words had their intended effect. Now for the 'sweep her off her feet'-gesture.' Obi-wan stepped forward and placed himself right in front of her. He then bent down slightly and took hold of her hands with his, and lifted them up to his face. There he placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles.

"And I mean it when I say I feel a very lucky man to have found you, and to be loved by you."

Okay, so he hadn't intended to go overboard like that, but some things just slip out in the heat of the moment. And now, looking into those enthralling eyes, he couldn't help but smile softly and fondly at her. In return she gave him a look that was both startling and fulfilling in its intensity. He felt her squeeze his hands briefly, and her voice was a little uneven in the beginning.

"Shall…shall we sit down?"

Without a word he led her to the table and helped her into her seat. As he stepped away from her he couldn't help brushing his hands over her bare shoulders. Heat of the moment. He sat down opposite to her and their eye contact was…electrifying to say the least. When one of her handmaidens brought a deliciously smelling dinner in, he decided to stave off the heavy conversation with Yoda as long as he could. He wanted to enjoy this as long as he could.

- ∞ -

It didn't take long for them to spot a group of teenagers that fit the description. They were hanging around one of the booths in the club, steadily drinking and smoking. The question was now how to place contact, without seeming too obvious. Anakin had half a mind just to walk up to them and demand in the name of the Republic that they leave, but he knew that wouldn't do any good. No respect for authority, he thought. No matter how strong the Republic is, some people will never listen. Someone should make them listen, he idly thought.

He was pulled from his thoughts when Jazela pulled him towards the dance floor. The music that was playing at the moment was quite wild, and he couldn't see why she was suggesting dancing.

"I don't dance!" he half screamed in her ear, in order to make himself heard.

She shook her head and tugged on his hand, telling him she had a plan. Somewhat hesitant he followed. When they reached the edge of the dance floor the music changed. The bass made his diaphragm throb, but it was the melody over it that made him pause. It was slow, beguiling, haunted even. He was about to say that he definitely didn't dance on this type of music, when she leaned in and delivered her words directly into his ear.

"Hang back until I've got another man over me on the dance floor. Then come up and start a fight with him."

Then she was off and unto the dance floor. And there she started dancing. And he was rooted to the spot. Jazela started undulating her body in time with the melody, slowly gyrating her hips in lazy circles. Her eyes closed and she seemed to glide into the music rather than dance to it. With deliberately sensual motions she slid her hands over her torso, and Anakin could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Around him he could feel the attention of almost everybody focus on her, and he was also unable to look away. His eyes were fixed on her, taking in every move she made, every expression of near ecstasy she displayed.

Faintly he felt the Force swirl around her, casting a vague glow over her, making her even more enticing than she already was. All his senses were filled by her, and he almost forgot what she had told him. He couldn't tell whether it was 10 seconds or 10 minutes she had been dancing, when a guy from the crowd stepped unto the floor. The man was humanoid, late twenties, almost as tall as Anakin was. He could distinguish a few catcalls in the distance, probably friends of the guy, egging him to go and dance with Jazela. As the man drew near to her a fire lit in Anakin's gut. Flames licked at his insides, burning higher and higher when the guy reached her and placed his hands on her hips. She didn't stop her dancing and placed her hands on top of his, her hips now moving dangerously close to his pelvis.

The fire swept over him, consuming his focus until he could barely see more than the two of them. Unconsciously her words came back to him, but consciously he decided that this just wouldn't do for a completely different reason. In a few quick strides he was on the dance floor. Anakin grabbed the guy's shoulder with his normal hand and pulled him from Jazela. This caused the man to stumble back a bit in surprise. Surprise that was immediately replaced by a low anger.

"Hey man, go find your own girl to dance with."

Anakin stepped forward and held his hand up, preventing the guy from coming back to Jazela's side. She was still dancing slowly, but far less expressive and had her gaze locked on Anakin and her new dancing partner. Anakin barely noticed her.

"Back off."

The fire inside of him still raged, but he felt more clearheaded than before. This was as clear to him as Rokian crystal. She was here with him, and no other would get near her.

The guy obviously didn't see the fire in him. "I saw her first, man. Now get out of my way."

He came up to Anakin and placed his hands flat on his chest, ready to push him off to the side. With a practised move Anakin twisted his body and the guy's hand pushed at nothing but air. Anakin brought up his mechanical hand on instinct and grabbed the man's wrist. Servo's and small gears accepted his command and the metal prosthesis clenched, squeezing flesh and bone closer together. The man let out a yelp and fell to his knees, his eyes alight with pain. The inferno in his blood sang with satisfaction to have control, and Anakin held the man's wrist tightly. He leaned in close and bit his words into the guy's face.

"She's mine."

He then twisted the wrist, close to breaking point, and made the guy fall to the ground. With his other hand he found Jazela's waist and pulled her a little closer. She in turn draped her arms around his neck. The guy took the warning seriously and stumbled back to his friends, shock evident on his face.

He kept his eyes on the retreating man, but let Jazela pull him off the dance floor and into a small alcove in the wall. She leaned in like before and spoke directly into his ear, her warm breath flowing over him.

"Well done, Anakin. We attracted the attention of the group, and they seem impressed by your display. It may be too soon to establish some form of contact, but they know our faces now. We'll stay for a few minutes longer, then we'll go and come back tomorrow night. Agreed?"

He could only nod. His anger at the guy had abated, and now his senses were consumed once again by her. She was pressed up again him, her mouth close to his ear. Right below his own mouth her neck tantalized him, daring him to lean down and taste her skin. He flexed his normal hand on her hip. Instantly he noticed how she bowed her head a little, exhaling a warm shuddering breath over his neck. Anakin felt aroused, his senses and emotions surging inside of him, a fire of a different kind igniting within him. But he fought it, some part of his mind still telling him this wasn't Padme, and the rest of him wanting to have control of the situation. But when her hand slowly slid from his neck over his chest and down to his stomach control was rapidly dancing out of his grip.

"Anakin…"

Her voice had lowered, burning right through him. With effort he kept from kissing her right there and then.

"Come with me…"

But he didn't have the will to deny this request.

- ∞ -

"So I say to him to come down from there, that the danger has gone. From that moment on he started using Force jumps more and more, to the point where I can't even begin to slow him down."

The way she smiled had a warming effect on his heart. Her eyes would light up, and her lips would stretch into a charming smile, very disarming in its result. To feel depressed would be impossible for that instant. She was simply too good to ignore when smiling.

"I can imagine the Anakin I met on Tatooine Force jumping into a tree, but not the Anakin I know now," she said with a broad smile.

He let out a chuckle of his. "Well to be fair he only jumped into the tree that once, and he was young and unpracticed. These days he jumps into the fray, instead of out of it."

Padme nodded. "That sounds more like him."

Obi-wan put down his spoon, his dessert mostly gone. "Yes, he is quite the fearless one. Very brave."

"But I seem to recall someone else jumping out a closed window I might add, completely unsure if he would catch the hovering droid outside."

He refrained from rolling his eyes. "Yes, well, sometimes jumping is a necessary tactic. I believe I already apologized then for causing you a scare."

"Oh no you did not, master jedi, you scolded me for turning off the cameras," she laughed, wiggling her finger at him.

Obi-wan idly waved his hand in the air. "I let you stay on the couch, apology right there."

He didn't try and avoid the napkin that was thrown at him. It was quite clean after all.

"In your dreams, Kenobi! I would like to hear the actual words next time you go and do something so dangerous and irresponsible."

It was good to laugh with her. Dinner had been delicious, and they had enjoyed easy flowing conversational topics. He knew things would get serious at some point, so he reveled in the uncomplicated time before it as much as he could. But when her laugh receded to a small smile he knew she wanted to know what had happened between him and Yoda. Committing to the moment he stood up, picked up his glass and the bottle of Janarian wine, and pointed at the large and comfortable couch.

"Perhaps we can make ourselves more comfortable before we step into this conversation?"

She looked both parts surprised and grateful he had guessed her thoughts, and without a word she rose, picked up her own glass and together they walked over to the sitting area. The candles were still giving off ample light. And he reckoned this type of conversation shouldn't be held in bright light anyway.

They sat down and he refilled their glasses, emptying the bottle. He had to give the salesman that had helped him his credit, he certainly recommended a fine wine.

"Tell me."

He slowly took a sip of his wine, stalling to find the right words. Out the corner of his eye he could see she was leaning forward a little. No doubt eager to hear his story and get all her questions answered. An internal smile formed as he found his way to start.

"Why don't you ask me what you want to know, and I'll fill in the rest?"

It was a good thing he had foresight and good reflex training, cause the smack on his upper arm could have very well knocked the glass out of his hand.

"Just tell me."

Obi-wan was happy to note her smile had broadened again. "All right. Well as you suspected, Master Yoda was already waiting for me when I got there."

She looked a bit smug over that little fact but he let it slide.

"At first it was…awkward to find the right things to say. But as you suggested I just let go and blurted out the first thing that came to mind."

"Which was?"

"That I was sorry."

"Obi-wan…"

"I know, I know. I just couldn't help it. But after I tried to explain everything to him, he turned all the tables on me and took the responsibility for himself. He explained to me how the guilt was his part to take. I still find it hard to believe, but in a way everything he said made sense. He chose to save Anakin and I instead of stopping Dooku. It was his choice, one that didn't truly follow the Code."

She frowned at that. "How is that?"

"Master Yoda saved us because he didn't want to sacrifice us in order to get to Dooku. A jedi must be free of such attachments during a fight if he is to fight his best. In a way, he allowed Dooku to escape. And for that he takes up the responsibility."

"Well next time you see him tell him that I think he did the right thing, and that Dooku used you as his escape plan because he couldn't best Master Yoda in a fair duel."

This brought a smile to his face as well. "I'll tell him."

"Now what about…us? What did he say about that?"

Obi-wan pointed his index finger at her. "This will be the only time I will go to master Yoda and ask for advice on my love life, you do realize that don't you?"

Padme giggled softly. "Can imagine it would be strange."

"You have no idea." He adjusted his body on the couch so he was facing her more directly. He locked eyes with her. "He said he already knew of us."

The faint blush on her cheeks surprised him and prompted him to ask her a question instead of continuing with his story. "You knew?"

She smiled apologetically. "Well, I…I sort of…I was a bit emotionally distressed when I saw you lying on the ground of that hangar, wounded. So I rushed to your side, only to be stopped by Master Yoda. He asked me to hail a new transport first. Then he stepped aside and I did kind of flung myself to your side. So that might have given away a few things."

He couldn't help but smile fondly at her. "How could I forget? My personal nurse to the rescue."

Her smile went up another notch. "I finally managed to make you blush too."

The word spongebath drifted back to him, causing him to clear his throat.

"Yes, well… Like I said, Yoda said he knew of our affections. He asked for the whole story and I gave it to him." Slight shock registered on her face and he quickly amended. "Slightly edited, of course."

Evidently he didn't need to explain further as she sagged in relief a little.

"But I told him pretty much everything. How we met, how we had parted on Naboo, how we found each other again. After I had finished he surprised me. He told me that I had finally understood the message the Force was telling me all along."

She surprised him utterly when her eyebrows rose in realization. "Our warmth."

His mouth probably hung open in astonishment. "You're amazing, you know that?"

Padme waved away his compliment with her hand. "It was something that struck me as incredible right from the very start, and being a non Force sensitive it was only natural for me to think about it more. I've been wondering about it for as long as I can remember."

"Ah, right." That fortunately made him feel less obtuse about the matter.

"So what does this mean?"

Again he felt the importance of the moment, just like he had done during his talk with Yoda. He scooted forward a little so their legs were touching. His wineglass went to the table next to them, as did hers. They intertwined their fingers and looked at each other.

"Can you promise that whatever happens, whatever we feel for each other and mean to each other, that you will not hesitate to do your duty as Senator to the Republic, as well as accept that I need to uphold my duty as a jedi to the Jedi Order and Council, and the Republic? That I must do all I can to bring peace back into this now fractured galaxy, perhaps giving my life for it? Can you promise me that you'll love me and still let go when you must?"

He could see the internal struggle and debate, just as surely as Yoda had read it in his eyes. And to be fair Yoda had given him all the questions more strung out instead of concentrated in one speech. But he knew she would want it all at once, and not be shielded from that which she needed to hear.

For a moment he thought he saw tears forming in her eyes, but the next her features hardened in determination. The light of her convictions shone just as brightly as it had done so many years ago when they had first met, but this time a maturity and strength she didn't possess at that time filled her gaze. And unflinchingly she made her promise, letting him know she would do all she could to keep it.

"Yes"

Her voice was no more than a whisper but he heard her loud and clearly. When he responded his voice was cracked by emotions.

"Then we are free to see where this can take us."

Padme pushed herself up and into his awaiting arms, hugging him fiercely. He pushed his cheek against the side of her head as she buried her face into his neck and closed his eyes. For a while they embraced, relishing in the contact. When she drew back a little he kept his arms around her, not wanting to let her go. She smiled and softly kissed his lips. The tingle rushing down his spine was definitely not of the wine he knew.

"I love you," she whispered, before kissing him again, this time fuller and longer.

When they had to break for air he brushed his thumb over her cheek, finding it slightly moist. He realized there were tears in her eyes, making the vibrant brown color sparkle in the candlelight.

"And I love you," he replied softly.

They hugged again. The warmth he now recognized as the Force suffused them, filling their very bodies and hearts, confirming how beautiful it was what they had found in each other.

- ∞ -