Chapter 3

Anakin snuggled close to Lara, well aware that her handmaidens were in the other room, ready to hurry in at the first sign of any problem or intruder. He held her tighter, wishing that holding her could take away the dread he felt in his heart.

"Ani," she whispered, as she was one of the very few that could get away with calling him by that pet name. "Ani, I know you're upset about something. What's wrong?"

He sighed and began to tell her about his new "on-leave" assignment, as well as his concerns about the chancellor, concerns he never even shared with Obi-Wan, his former master, his "brother", his best friend.

"Chancellor Palpatine wasn't concerned about Obi-Wan at all," he was saying. "He said he was glad I had made it back in one piece, but didn't say anything to Obi-Wan, or express the same sentiment for his well-being. He even said he'd have you to contend with if I hadn't come back unharmed, since we were to be married in two weeks."

"He didn't say anything about having to contend with my cousin?" Lara asked incredulously. "She's the one married to Obi-Wan." She shook her head. "Something's not stirring the Naboo grape juice here."

He found himself laughing. Sometimes her wit matched his so well; it was scary, as well as hilarious. "Yeah, you could say that." He kissed her softly, forcing his concerns to the backburner for the moment.

There was a wing of apartments off to the side of the Jedi Temple. One was being used by Anakin's mother Shmi, and the one two doors down from her was leased to Obi-Wan and his wife, Senator Padme Amidala-Kenobi. When she became the official representative of the Jedi order in the Senate, the Council offered them an apartment in that wing. It was reserved for those allied with the Order, as well as Council members who wanted to live separately from the temple, for privacy purposes.

As he entered the apartment, he sensed Padme was in the bedroom. Peeking in, he saw she was sleeping. Congress must not be in session today, he thought. Deciding he needed a shower, he headed to the refresher. After cleaning up, he went back to the bedroom, dressed in his sleep pants and nothing else. Smiling, he crawled under the covers beside his napping wife. Tenderly cuddling her close, he tilted her sleeping face to his and pressed his lips against hers. After a moment, he felt her beginning to respond to his kiss, and also felt her arms slip around him.

Once he released her from the kiss, she sank back down onto the bed and pillows, her face flushed, yet beaming. "I've had many dreams about that lately," she murmured breathlessly. "Only you weren't there when I woke up."

"I'm so sorry, Padme," he whispered. "I didn't mean to be away for so long this time."

"Don't say it," she admonished him gently. "You were doing what needed to be done. You just didn't expect to be taken captive." She cuddled closer. "I'm just glad to have you here with me now."

He smiled and kissed her again, gently sliding a hand under her sleep dress, savoring the feeling of the softness of her bare skin under his calloused hands. Slowly, almost reverently, he removed the dress, tossing it to the floor. To his surprise, she had nothing on underneath.

She grinned. "I knew you were coming home today," she breathed softly. "I sensed it. And I also sense you have nothing on underneath your sleeping breeches, my Jedi lover, so you shouldn't be so shocked."

He chuckled and then kissed her again, caressing her breasts as he did so. Before long, he was naked as well and they were one body, one heart, one soul. As they moved together, she could feel the Force hovering around them as it always did when they made love. Their shared climax slammed into them, causing them to call out each other's names, aloud and mentally.

In the peaceful aftermath, Obi-Wan found himself holding his wife tight, kissing her over and over.

It was good to be home.