Chapter 17: The Diary

"Hello, Master Yoda sent me to speak with you," Padmé said politely to the face that showed through the small crack in the door.

"I'm sure he did," the other woman replied dryly but nevertheless opened to the door for Padmé to enter.

Because it had been hinted at that Siri was a former love interest of Obi-Wan's, Padmé was surprised to find that this woman was as different from Sabé as humanly possible. Moody and grumbling as she moved about, Siri did not seem to be the type Padmé would have thought of asking assistance from.

Chaos surrounded them. Books, paper, and datapads were strewn over what appeared to once have been a sitting room. With great interest and amusement, Padmé watched the pregnant woman shuffle her way over to a couch and flopped down. Padmé sat down on the couch next to the Jedi and allowed the other woman to scrutinize her.

"You aren't here for something my padawan did, are you?" Siri asked suspiciously.

This comment startled Padmé but she managed to politely nod.

"That's a relief," she muttered. "Why, just the other night, I received this comm that-" abruptly, the Jedi trailed off. "I shouldn't have said that." Nervously, she fidgeted with the hem of her oversized tunic.

Quickly and with a lot of tears, Padmé explained to Siri what had happened.

Disbelief covered the Jedi's face and, in an awkward way that conveyed that she was not used to giving or receiving comfort, Siri patted Padmé's hand before swiftly moving away. "Your poor friend," she sighed. "Hers was not the first heart he's broken."

Before she could even help it, Padmé gasped loudly and bolted out of her seat. "What?" Her wide brown eyes stared at her companion.

Wistfulness crossed Siri's face as her hands relaxed and stopped their fidgeting. It was evident that her mind was no longer in the same room as Padmé but in a time long past. "Obi-Wan and I had been friends and… erm, rivals since we were crèchelings," she said quietly. A sparkle entered into her eyes as she spoke, and Siri smiled at Padmé. "Oafy-One was my best friend, and we went everywhere and did everything together- missions, getting in trouble, driving Master Qui-Gon crazy. Both of us were too stubborn and bound by the Code to reveal to confess that we had feelings for each other. Years passed and he became a Master while I continued on my life, always waiting for him to come and confess that he had feelings for me."

"And did he?" Padmé breathed, momentarily forgetting the present.

Siri shook her head sadly. "He didn't… until it was too late. I… I finally gave up on him and married a good friend of mine, Garren, and the rest of the story you know," she brightened, laughing while looking down at her stomach.

Padmé managed a smile. "What should I do? I was on the verge of becoming a politician, but my two best friends bailed out me and Master Skywalker probably not wanting to speak with men ever again-"

"And what did you ever do to poor Anakin?" Siri cried out incredulously. "Wait- would you like something to drink- decaf maybe?" she blurted out right as Padmé was about to speak. Soon, she bustled into the kitchen from which much banging and other racket could be heard. Minutes later, though, she reemerged with two large cups with the decaf sloshing over the sides. After handing one to Padmé, Siri grumbled again as she sat down. "I have a feeling that I'm going to regret drinking this in about thirty minutes," she said, casting a significant look at where her baby grew. "So, what were you telling me?"

But Padmé was not listening.

Something was floating in her mug.

She wasn't sure what it was, but it looked awfully like a drowned bug. Resisting the urge to throw up, Padmé smiled and rested it on her lap. "I walked out of his class today," she confessed.

"Why ever in this galaxy did you do that? His class is highly popular- as a matter of fact, as soon as I can fit into the cockpit of a fighter, I intend to attend it," the Jedi said rather darkly.

Giving her new friend what she hoped was a sympathetic look, Padmé protested, "But he hates me! I swear that he's trying to flunk me!"

In response, Siri raised an eyebrow at the distraught young woman. "Firstly, it is against the Code to hate, and secondly, Anakin is not trying to flunk you."

"He's giving a pretty darn good impression of it," Padmé said under her breath, praying that her friend would not hear.

"That is preposterous! Anakin told me himself that you are one of his favorite students!"

Padmé gaped.

"I shouldn't have said that. Well, what do we need to do first? We'd better hurry if you're to make it back in time for you Remedial Piloting lesson." With a struggle, Siri stood up.

Shock continued to course through Padmé. She was his favorite student? How?

"Did you not like my tea?" the pregnant woman asked, her lips turning down into a pout as she noticed the untouched cup.

Looking down and not blinking, she saw that other floaties had risen to the top of her cup. "I…"

"I know that I am not much of a cook," Siri said, her eyes welling up with tears.

It was then that she realized that the Jedi's pregnancy was tampering with her emotions. "No, I'm sure it's wonderful," Padmé said hastily. "It just is that I gave up caffeine." Biting her tongue, she realized that there was no caffeine in decaf.

Fortunately, the other woman did not notice. "Oh," she said simply. With a flick of her fingers, Siri brought the mug into her hands and instantly downed it.

That was way too close

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About an hour later, a triumphant Siri and Padmé strode out of Bail Organa's office- well, Siri waddled, but they were still elated.

"I can't believe it!" the soon-to-be senator exclaimed as they stepped into the turbolift.

"Well, as I always say," Siri began as she pressed the button to begin their descent, "if you want something done, you sometimes have to do it yourself."

"You do?"

"Erm…"

Soon, they arrived back at the Jedi Temple and they walked all the way to the piloting classroom, laughing and gossiping as they went.

"Well, I have to leave you here," Siri said regretfully though an impish smile crossed her face. "I need to go whip Garren at sparring.

At this, Padmé gaped at the Jedi but said nothing.

"Well, I t was nice meeting you and I am sure that it will be a pleasure working with you in the near future," Siri said more cheerfully. "Just let me know if Anakin picks on you again, and I'll come beat him up."

Doubting that the tubby Jedi would be any match against the muscled and hard-willed Jedi Master, Padmé nevertheless waved her new friend off before stepping inside the classroom.

It was empty. Without Anakin's looming and obnoxious presence, it seemed to be an entirely different room and, for a minute, Padmé wondered if she had gone in the right door.

Then, she saw the oversized robe carelessly thrown over the back of his chair and the homework with decaf stains all over them that waited on the table.

Where was he? Anakin had always demanded punctuality yet, although she was late by a good fifteen minutes, her Jedi nemesis was nowhere to be seen,

Time passed slowly and Padmé eventually got tired of standing and, after a few moments of considering how Anakin would be likely to respond, sat in the chair behind his desk.

It was then that she saw it.

A diary.

Having grown up with an older sister who was five years older than her and eventually becoming the aunt of two very mischievous young girls, Padmé knew better than to snoop. Yet, as she sat there, an overwhelming desire to see what was written inside it overcame her. More and more restless she grew, and in an attempt to dissolve this temptation, Padmé quickly shut the diary and shoved it to the farthest edge of the desk.

Still, here was a good opportunity to find out what he really thought of her. Without realizing what she was doing, Padmé soon found the book in her hands.

What should I look at first?

A creaking sound from behind her made Padmé jump in fright, but there was no one there.

Just my imagination

Unfortunately, most of the stuff that Anakin had put in his diary was either highly boring or depressing. Giving up on finding out her true purpose in this perusal, Padmé went back to the first page.

She soon learned that Anakin had met Saché when he was quite young when he'd accompanied two Jedi on a mission shortly after being freed. In his writings, he briefly mentioned a pretty young girl named Padmé, but soon her friend took over his deepest thoughts.

Time passed, and fate brought Anakin and Saché together again. He'd been on Naboo for a mission, and it was in his diary that he poured out his feelings for this woman. They married the day before his departure but only saw each other occasionally when one of them could steal away from their line of duty.

At this, Padmé paused in her browsing and looked up.

Anakin had still not come.

Once the Clone Wars had ended, Anakin's entries became shattered and they all revolved around dark thoughts and how much he missed his wife. Enclosed in these pages were numerous letters from Saché, but she dared not read them out of respect for her deceased friend.

Thumbing around, Padmé saw that there were several pages that had been left blank. Hurrying back to the last entry, Padmé noted that Anakin's handwriting was sloppier than usual.

Dear Journal,

Today is a happy day- the happiest day of my entire life.

Two seconds later, the book fell from Padmé's limp hands and onto the floor.

"Did you find anything of interest, Miss Padmé?"
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Spoiler for the next chapter: A is For Nerfherder

Then, for the slightest of moments, his blue eyes flickered down to her slightly parted lips, and it momentarily it seemed like he was going to kiss her.

Momentarily.

"Goodbye, Miss Padmé," he hissed, releasing his grip on her. "I never wish to see you in my classes or otherwise."