Three Days Later

"Dropping out of hyperspace now General; sorry for the delay but we won't reach Coruscant without resupplying first."

Anakin arched his eyebrows at the apology. More and more the clones were looking at him differently as the news of his changed status filtered through rumor and word of mouth. "No need to apologize, trooper; supplies are necessary to run any ship."

"Yes, sir; I just figured you'd be chaffing at the delay, is all sir."

"Necessary delays, lieutenant," Anakin waved away the concern, suppressing a grin. His troops didn't really know how to treat him and it was quite entertaining to watch. It also, he was finding, helped him keep his sense of humor. "I'll start getting irritable when we hit the unforeseen and pointless delays, how's that?"

"Very good, sir."

"General Skywalker."

He turned towards the communications officer. "What is it, Sketch?"

"A message coming through sir; a… holo reporter for the Coruscant Galactic News," the clone frowned. "Should I get rid of her, sir?"

Anakin stiffened; he'd been expecting this call since Padmé and he had spoken about it. She'd sent him a data burst with exactly what information she'd released to the news outlets and to which one she'd promised an exclusive. This was it.

"I've been expecting the call, trooper. I'll take it in tactical."

"Would you like me to clear the deck General?"

"That won't be necessary, Rex," Anakin assured his friend. This was one interview he didn't need to do alone and a part of him relished the thought of an audience. Of not having to hide. If nothing else, it would help him keep a reign on his temper if the reporter got belligerent. "Go ahead, Sketch" he offered as he walked into the tactical area to stand before to the console. "Put her through."

"General Skywalker," the holo reporter smiled from her seat as she took in Anakin's at ease stance. "Ever the soldier, or so I was told; I see they did not lie. I can't thank you enough for speaking with me; I'm Arden."

"You can thank my wife, Arden" he offered in reply, inclining his head to the human broadcaster. "She's the one who's set up this interview."

"And so you jump straight in." She chuckled. "Your reputation precedes you, Jedi Skywalker; but if you'd like to jump straight in, I'll not deny you. Padmé Amidala has released a statement stating that you and she were married in a private ceremony on Naboo barely a week after the first battle for Geonosis; can I take it by your comment that this is true?"

"Every word," Anakin acknowledged. "The statement she supplied the press is factually accurate and we agreed on its contents before the release."

"Facts are fine, Jedi Skywalker-"

"Call me Anakin," he insisted with a disarming smile.

"Anakin then," she inclined her head. "As as I saying, facts are fine, but everyone is far more curious as to the circumstances, the story behind them. First of all, why was the secrecy necessary?"

"At the time I was a Padawan learner and Jedi, as the general public is aware, aren't encouraged to form attachments. It's a cornerstone belief that lets Jedi be as effective as they are. A wife would have been seen as against the code; a wife who's a senator? Some might see it as a conflict of interest."

"How so? If I understand my politics, the Jedi serve the Senate. Surely closer ties wouldn't be discouraged."

"Closer ties no, but marriage is a tie that the Jedi are discouraged from forming unless it's necessary by culture. Some of the Masters on the Jedi Council are married, but it's a requirement of their home world and caste system. As I'm human, the revelation of my marriage to Padmé would have been a fast track to expulsion."

"And have you been expelled?"

"The Council hasn't yet reached a decision; I've been told they're waiting to make that judgment until I'm back on Coruscant."

"Ah. So your fate is as of yet undecided."

"For the moment."

"Does that bother you? I understand you've been a Jedi since the liberation of Naboo."

"The last fifteen years of my life have been dedicated to the Jedi," he confirmed. "But even before I was a Jedi, I knew Padmé was my destiny."

"Then why, if I might ask, did you become a Jedi when you knew you were breaking their code?"

"How much did you research our history before this interview, Arden?"

"Extensively. You were the Hero of the battle of the Naboo, liberating the planet almost single handedly at the age of nine where you then taken as a Padawan learner by Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Ten years passed before you were brought into contact with the Senator again when you were assigned as her bodyguard during the time of the Military creation act due to an assassination attempt. Your Master was assigned to hunt down the assassins while you were assigned to take her into hiding. How am I doing so far?"

"A very… sterilized version of events," he replied dryly. "What else did you find?"

"After the battle? You were her escort home to Naboo where you stayed for a month to recuperate from injuries obtained in the battle of Geonosis. From there very conflicting reports, but mostly just snatches of missions the two of you were sent on through this war."

"Or missions where we ran into one another?"

"Those too." Arden grinned. "So fill us in; you've known Padmé Amidala for-"

Anakin raised one hand, cutting her off. "Padmé Amidala Skywalker," he corrected with a polite smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'd appreciate it if you use her full last name now that we no longer have to hide. We've waited a long time for the privilege of it."

"Of course; my apologies." she inclined her head in a show of respect. "As I was saying, you've known Padmé Amidala Skywalker for the better part of the last two decades and you've stated that before you became a Jedi you knew she was your destiny. Why then, did you choose to become a Jedi?"

"It's what my mother wanted for me; it's what the Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn who found me wanted for me and it's what my old Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, promised Qui-Gon I'd become."

"Did you want to be a Jedi, Anakin?"

"Absolutely." His grin was anything but abashed. "I was also nine years old at the time and didn't realize I couldn't have everything I wanted."

"Meaning being a Jedi and some day being with Padmé."

"Right; except I was nine and she was my friend first. Master Obi-Wan did everything he could to help me mitigate my attachment to her, except she was ingrained in my head; I thought about her every day for ten years before our reunion."

"That's quite the crush; did she feel the same?"

Anakin laughed; he could now that things had turned out as they had despite the crushing despair at the time that she'd forgotten him. "Hardly. She remembered me as about this big," he pantomimed his nine year old height for the journalist, "and nine. She admitted to me later, after we were married, that I'd been a total surprise. I don't think she'd really ever thought about the fact that I'd change. Time is funny that way."

"Is it true you," checking her notes, Arden flashed him a teasing smile, "called her an Angel upon your first meeting?"

"I called her what I saw her to be; she's still an Angel – mine."

"That's quite the pickup line for a nine year old."

With a shrug, Anakin dismissed the tease. "I was nine; I just wanted to talk to the pretty girl."

Arden laughed. "And yet still smoother than most men three times your age at the time! Moving on; in your own words, can you describe the events that were the courtship that led to this marriage?"

"Complicated?" He quirked an eyebrow, and shook his head. "Padmé and I were on the run together pretty much from the moment the assassins tried to kill her in her apartment on Coruscant; it was my first assignment without my Master so I was a little nervous. We went to Naboo because Padmé knew it so well, and once there, I met her family, the Queen at the time and the Security Council. Not in that order – and then we hid. Padmé picked a place we would never be found and, once there, without the threat hanging over us, we were able to relax." He paused, well remembering the initial day they'd arrived and his expression clouded a little.

Arden, like a predator scenting blood, zeroed in on it. "Have I made you uncomfortable, Anakin?"

"Not at all, Arden, just remembering…" He smiled faintly, "our time together on Naboo is like something out of time. We were building our relationship without really realizing it; at least, that's what we said. I knew better; as my old Master would say, I tended to know what I wanted and went for it. And I wanted Padmé. I did everything during our time together to get her to see me as something other than the little boy she'd known."

"Sounds romantic; you must have swept her off her feet to get her to agree to something so dangerous to you both."

"Far from it, actually," his smile was rueful. "To give you an idea, she classed our first kiss as a mistake."

"A mistake?" Arden's attention, if it hadn't been caught before, was now. "What do you mean?"

"Both of us knew anything beyond friendship was... unwise but, even knowing it, I refused to give up. Padmé says I charmed her, but to be honest, I was just myself; I let her see how I felt about her."

"A powerful lure if ever there was one. How is it you waited until after the battle of Geonosis to marry then?

"Padmé refused to let me give up my future for her. We eventually had a discussion about if we could or would take our relationship beyond friendship. Padmé, as you've seen in the senate over the years, played devil's advocate. She had a lot of valid points that didn't sit well with me at the time but I eventually agreed it wasn't wise; we'd even agreed that keeping it secret, as we have for the last five and a half years, would destroy us. Yet, somehow it hasn't."

"If you'd agreed not to, I don't understand how is it you're married now."

"My old Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi was captured on Geonosis and we were sent word. I was told by the Jedi council to guard Padmé at all costs; Padmé decided we were going to rescue Obi-Wan. I, naturally, went along."

"Naturally." Her tone was dryly amused. "And there was nothing between you two than friendship and duty at the time?"

"There was way more between us but we were fighting it." Anakin corrected. "I loved her but couldn't tell her again-"

"Again?

"We'd agreed to avoid love," with a shrug, Anakin got back on topic. "Anyway, she refused to give me any kind of encouragement because she wouldn't be the catalyst for me losing my status as a Jedi. We attempted to rescue Obi-Wan and ended up captured ourselves. Count Dooku, who is currently in our custody, tried to get us to see his point of view then handed us over to the Geonosians. We endured a a farce of a trial and were sentenced to death. Just before we entered the Arena, when it looked like we were going to die with little hope of escape, Padmé decided to tell me she loved me."

Arden's eyes widened but Anakin didn't notice; nor did he notice how his voice had changed. His feelings for his wife plain to hear; the memory of the event grasped a hold of him, giving his words an almost reverent tone.

"She said… she said…" he stopped and shook his head as he got a hold of himself. "True love always finds a way, Arden, because that was the turning point. After that, we didn't try and fight what was between us."

"I take it you're not going to tell me what it was she said to you?"

"Nope," Anakin's grin was suddenly irrepressible. "Some things aren't for public consumption. I intend to keep some of my secrets."

"Fair enough, Jedi Skywalker. What happened next?"

Anakin held up his right arm. "I lost my arm while attempting to subdue Count Dooku and had to be fitted for a new one. Padmé used her influence to help me with it, the surgeons on Naboo being some of the best in the galaxy. It's why I was allowed to accompany her back to Naboo; officially anyway. We knew we couldn't go public with the change in our relationship, but we also knew we couldn't stand to be apart; marrying her only made sense."

"Even though you were a Jedi."

"Even though; as a Padawan I was likely to be expelled on the spot if it was discovered, but the gains far outweighed the risks."

"And how would you classify your relationship over the years, clandestine as it's been?"

"Stronger than ever," there was no doubt in his tone. "It hasn't been easy, but it's been all the more rewarding when we do get time to spend together. We cherish those times, make them happen. Take every opportunity and use it to our advantage. Padmé's done some pretty wild things to get me alone over the years… just as I've done for her."

"Can you give us an example?"

"Several months ago we received word that the Gungans were considering an alliance with the Separatists. Padmé was dispatched to investigate and Master Kenobi was originally assigned to go with her because of his relationship with the Gungans and the role he played in the original Nabooian conflict where I met Padmé. To make a long story short, Obi-Wan was reassigned at the last minute to enforce and broker a delicate peace negotiation on a member world deep in civil war and I was sent to Naboo."

Arden laughed. "However did you manage that?"

"I had a little help from the Chancellor," Anakin admitted with a smirk. "I suggested that Master Kenobi's skills might be better utilized in a zone of actual conflict than on Naboo where just rumors resided. The Chancellor, as you know, is from Naboo and agreed that a fresh perspective would be useful. That, and he'd been searching for a way to end the civil conflict; requesting Master Kenobi's services as a Negotiator was one the Council couldn't refuse. Obi-Wan was the one to suggest to the council that I take his place; they agreed. Mostly," he conceded, "because I was the only Knight available to do it."

"Another of your plans, no doubt?"

"Exactly."

"And how did Padmé feel about the change in plans?"

Anakin arched his eyebrows. "We spoke about it briefly but she wasn't as irritated about the shift as she pretended to be. As a result we got a couple of days alone while in transit there and back; not something either of us was going to complain about."

"Do you ever truly fight?"

"Not often; I suspect if I was underfoot more often it might happen more. We're both very opinionated people."

"No doubt." Arden checked something in her notes. "So tell me, Anakin, did you always want to be a father?"

"Eventually," his smile was proud, and a touch awed. "We might not have planned for children just yet, but Luke and Leia were one heck of a surprise and Padmé and I couldn't be happier. To be honest, I'm still reeling with the news."

"Was it unexpected?"

Something Padmé hadn't mentioned in her press release and for that Anakin was glad.

"Completely"

"So when did you first discover that your wife was expecting and what was your reaction?"

Anakin finally pulled his hands out from behind his back and leaned forward on the console. It was the question he'd been waiting for. The question he'd known would arise and the only one he'd planned an answer to. Everything else was improvised. "Actually, Arden, the first I heard about it was from you when you and your station advertized Padmé's removal from office and the reason why just under a week ago. You ruined her surprise, Arden; she'd been intending to tell me when I came home next."

The reported was silent, her expression solemn as she processed his even and accusatory words. Cocking her head, she regarded him shrewdly. "How is it you didn't know, Jedi Skywalker? Haven't you been around at all?"

"Actually, no; I haven't." His eyes flashed, and Arden recoiled. "I've been on the front lines trying to track down Count Dooku and General Grievous for the last seven and a half months to end this war. The last time I was back on Coruscant was for a debriefing which happened to be a month and a half before Padmé and my five year wedding anniversary. We celebrated early - and I had to ship out again the next day. I've been here ever since."

The reported swallowed hard, looking slightly sick. "She didn't contact you?"

Anakin's fingers gripped the console. "Why would she, Arden? News like that, even over a secure and encrypted channel, would have been a dangerous and foolhardy risk to the relationship we were concealing. Besides; would you have wanted a message in place of a face to face disclosure if you were me?"

"No."

Anakin straightened. "Exactly; and that's what Padmé thought as well. Your little article last week was my first inkling she'd been pregnant. I'm afraid we're not feeling very generous towards you for that."

"And so you shouldn't but you've answered my questions anyway; for that I thank you."

"Thank my wife," he responded curtly. "She's the one who set up the interview."

"My apologies to you and your wife, Jedi Skywalker. I did not know, I couldn't have known, but that's no excuse. I didn't mean to-"

Holding up his hand to forestall whatever else she had to say, he managed to find a hard smile. "I'll accept your apology on our behalf, Arden, but don't lie to me. You were trying to draw in listeners and views; you didintend to do just what you did. I would, however, ask that you and the station make a formal apology in a separate broadcast; something that absolves Padmé and restores her good name."

"I can try."

"You can do; there is no try." he informed her tightly. "You're the one who destroyed it and now you have the power to set this right. Use it."

"Of course," Arden agreed reluctantly, seeming to shrink from the fierceness of his look. "I shall, of course, have to finish my research and speak with the Jedi Temple for some kind of comment."

"Whatever you're going to do, do it soon; now, if you'll excuse me, I've a ship to run."

"Of course; thank you for your time, General Skywalker. My regards to your wife and - if I may? - my congratulations to you both."

Anakin nodded once before flicking off the holo. A slow clap behind him had him turning his head only to find that the deck had been cleared of all but Rex and Sketch; both of whom were across the room managing the supply transfer and out of earshot. Anakin was all but alone, save for a single figure with his shoulder pressed against the door putting his hands together.

"Obi-Wan."

"I must say, Anakin, I'm impressed. I didn't realize just how diplomatically hostile you could be."

"Coming from you, I'll take that as a compliment." He glanced at the holo receiver and back to the other Jedi. "How much did you hear?"

"Most of it. The more I know of your and Padmé's relationship, the more I realize just how blind I've been. All of the signs have been there but I, like most, thought yours was nothing more than friendship. A deep friendship perhaps, but friends all the same."

"We always were friends first, Master and she's a hell of a conversationalist. It's a good part of the reason I enjoy her company so much."

Obi-Wan's sudden smirk and wry response was unexpected. "You have two bundles of joy in the maternity ward at Skyrim Center on Coruscant who say you do a little more than talk, Anakin."

"I didn't say that's all we do." Moving away from the holo display, Anakin felt as if he'd been put through a wringer; a day's work killing battle droids wasn't so hard! Suddenly he had a new appreciation for Padmé's ability to handle the press.

"Obviously. What's next?"

"Wasn't this your plan, Master?"

"I didn't arrange the holo reporter; I thought this was one of your plans."

"Padmé's actually. Now we wait and see what the council has to say." A beeping on the communication console brought them back around and Anakin frowned upon seeing the sender; Jedi Council. "Speak of the Sith…"

"Anakin," Obi-Wan cautioned with a shake of head as he stepped forward, keying the display on. Masters Yoda and Mace Windu were again facing them but this time Shaak Ti was with them. He inclined his head. "Masters."

"Master Kenobi," Shaak Ti looked about. "Is Skywalker with you?"

"He'll be here in a moment," Obi-Wan crossed one arm over his chest and used the other to stroke his beard. He caught Anakin covering his comlink with his hand to muffle the sound and pressed the call button as a visual summons for the other Masters. "Was there something you needed to say before he arrives?"

"Wait for him, we will," Yoda stated firmly. "Affect his future it does."

"While we wait, might I extend my congratulations on Dooku's capture?" Shaak Ti's smile was warm. "The two of you have proven to be effective and formidable opponents, Master Kenobi."

"Actually, Master Ti, it was Anakin and his Padawan Ahsoka who won the day. I'm afraid I was little more than target practice for Dooku."

"We've read your report, Obi-Wan," Mace assured him. "And your modesty is commendable. The three of you have struck a considerable blow to the Separatists."

"What'd I miss?" Anakin stepped in as if he'd just entered the room. "Masters."

"A decision we have reached, young Skywalker." Yoda jumped in without preamble, abandoning the previous line of discussion. "Ready are you, for the council's judgment?"

Anakin stiffened. "I thought a decision was going to be postponed until we arrived at Coruscant."

"They've been some developments that have helped accelerate our decision." Mace looked from Obi-Wan to Anakin and back. "More threats have been received against the newly reinstated Senator Skywalker from Naboo and against the Skywalker twins."

"What?"

"Foiled one plot has been," Yoda assured Anakin calmly, though his countenance was grim. "Spoken with the Senator we have to discuss the best course of action."

"Is she okay? Are they okay?"

"Your wife and children are fine, Skywalker." Mace looked as if he'd swallowed something sour while saying it, but he got the words out. "Master Plo Koon is at Skyrim Center guarding them."

"We can't afford to lose such a powerful ally in the Senate," Shaak Ti added. "And the Nabooian people have been most insistent that you, Anakin, not be separated from their beloved Senator and her children. The Chancellor, however, has made a personal request that you be returned to Coruscant immediately to investigate. He's also requested that another Jedi be permanently assigned as the Senator's bodyguard so keep you and Master Kenobi on the front lines."

"He appears to believe that, with you hunting Grievous, the war will come to an end more swiftly."

"No." Anakin crossed his arms over his chest, the need to contact his wife beating like a drum against his ribs. They said she was okay, but he'd never believe it until he saw her with his own eyes. "I'm sorry Master Windu, but if Padmé's in danger, if my children are in danger, I have to be there to protect them."

"Do not trust us, do you, to keep them safe?"

"In the interim, Master Yoda, but I suspect that Grievous may one day come after them for the role I've played thus far in the war. I wouldn't be as effective on the front lines knowing they might be in danger."

"Know this, we do; a reason why no attachments allowed, are they." He looked at Anakin sternly. "Assigned you will be to the Senator until Grievous is caught."

"What then, Master Yoda? Is Anakin to be expelled?"

"We apologize for not including you in the discussion, Master Kenobi, however, the council has reached its decision in light of the new situation with Padmé Skywalker." Shaak Ti glanced at Yoda and Mace before folding her hands within her robes and looking straight back at Anakin. "We cannot afford to lose a Knight of your caliber and effectiveness, Skywalker; in a near unanimous vote," she inclined her head in apology towards Obi-Wan, "it has been decided that your discretion in handling the matter of your marriage weighs heavily in your favor – providing it continues and you give the council no other cause to discipline you, you shall remain a Jedi."

There was a pregnant pause as Anakin's breath whooshed out of him; they weren't going to expel him!

Shaak Ti continued. "Much thought has gone into this decision and what comes next. For the foreseeable future, you and Master Kenobi will be assigned to Senator Skywalker as additional protection for her and the twins. Both, as I am sure you will not be surprised to hear, Anakin, are Force sensitive."

Anakin blinked, reeling. He hadn't even given it a thought! Was he dreaming? Was this even possible? Had the council really just accepted his blatant insubordination and condoned it; rewarded him? He had to be dreaming.

"Consider this a test, young Skywalker," Yoda told him firmly. "Tied your fate will be to how handle you this matter."

"Yes, Master Yoda."

"What of Anakin's Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, Masters?"

"A Padawan goes where their Master goes, Obi-Wan," Shaak Ti replied mildly, arching an eyebrow. "Surely you've not been without one for so long you have forgotten?"

"No, Master Ti," Obi-Wan replied with a faint smile, "But with Anakin's new responsibilities, somehow I don't think the Senator will appreciate the sleeping arrangements of Master and Padawan."

"Trust you, we do, Obi-Wan, to find a solution. Return swiftly to Coruscant you must. Away the Senator must be taken, into hiding once more. Go without you, she will not, Skywalker."

"I know just the place we can go, Master," Anakin assured him, finally finding his voice. "I'll convince Padmé to take a year away to give someone else a chance to capture Grievous. Once he's gone and the war ended, it should be safe to bring her back to Coruscant."

"Master Ti and I will handle Grievous," Mace stated firmly. "Just remember this isn't a pleasure outing, it's a mission, albeit a long one. Until the threats to the Senator and the Skywalker children are eliminated, they're to be protected at all costs."

As if they needed to tell him that; Anakin would have willingly given his life to keep his wife and children safe. Still, something in Mace's words sounded wrong. "Master?"

"Foreseen I have, great things the twins will accomplish. Safe they must be kept. Hidden. Balanced they are and balance they will bring. Return you must, and swiftly."

"Yes, Master Yoda," Anakin agreed. "As soon as we resupply we'll be on our way. We should be there by the end of the week."

"Master Ti and I are departing to continue your patrols of the outer rim territories. May the Force be with you; may the Force be with us all."Mace and Shaak Ti faded away leaving only Yoda behind, but the small Jedi Master made no move to leave and instead planted both palms on top of his cane.

"Master?"

"Agree with the council decision do you, Obi-Wan?"

"It's not my place to question it, Master."

"Disappointed you were not. Expecting this outcome, yes?"

"In all honesty, Master Yoda," Obi-Wan asserted with a glance at his old apprentice. "I was expecting Anakin to be expelled."

"Afford, we cannot, to lose any Knights. Know this the council does."

"And if others choose to follow in his footsteps?"

"A special case, Skywalker is. A special case always he has been. Much deliberation was required to this decision reach the council has. Trust him we can, for his years of discretion; for his years of service. Should others follow him, discuss we will, each circumstance."

"I'm flattered by the trust the council is putting in me, Master Yoda; I'll endeavor to be worthy of it."

Yoda smiled, inclining his head to them both. "May the Force be with you."

Anakin punched one fist into the air and let out a whoop as the holo of Master Yoda faded away. Clasping him on the shoulder, Obi-Wan grinned and turned him towards the door. "What do you say we give Ahsoka the good news?"

"You do it, Obi-Wan; I need to check in on Padmé."

"Same Anakin," Obi-Wan teased. "Always checking in on Padmé - only this time I know the real reason why."

"Hiding in plain sight is a trick I learned from you."

Obi-Wan departed as Anakin turned back to the holo emitter for one last call; one last discussion to ease his mind and spread the good news. One last discussion on the holo emitter before they were finished resupplying and could get underway again; one more and then, the next time, he'd be able to hold his wife in his arms. He was looking forward to it.

TBC