Hey readers, thanks for reviewing, reali appreciate it!!! I wasn't sure whether 2 go on or ditch the whole story…but now iv decided 2 continue.
Disclaimer: All SW puppets used for my evil experiments belong to Mr. Flannel (whose somewhat terrible script (my opinion, no offense) in the SW sagas we r now making up 4 by writing better, more emotion ridden stories…).
Enjoy…
Chapter 3- A Sudden Inspiration
Anakin escorted Padme to her door after they successfully hauled Obi-Wan out of the bar and into the speeder.
They stood there uncomfortably.
Anakin stared at her angelic features, now that he could see her properly in the dim light of the hallway, he thought she was even more beautiful than he had remembered.
She was dressed in civilian clothing, with a creamy coloured robe, which contrasted with her shining long, brown hair, Anakin liked her in simple clothing than her restricting Senatorial outfits.
He tried to sum up the guts to ask her to dinner, but instead found his legs shaking with nervousness.
"Padme…" He said softly.
She looked up and their eyes locked together, any courage Anakin had summed up was lost yet again, as he drowned in the dark depths of her twinkling eyes.
"Yes?" Padme asked, also falling into Anakin's intense blue eyes. She pulled her eyes away for a moment to survey his tall, and athletic body.
"Uh, goodnight." Anakin said lamely, he smacked himself mentally for not revealing his true feelings.
"Goodnight, Ani, I was really nice to see you again, you have grown quite a lot from when I last saw you. Thank you, Anakin, for tonight, I don't know what I would've done if you weren't there to save me from those crooks."
Anakin smiled, "Anytime, Milady, it's not everyday you get the privilege of saving a beautiful Senator such as yourself."
Padme flushed rosily.
There was silence again before Padme spoke, "I'd better go, see you some time."
Anakin nodded, "Take care, I'm not always around in the criminal side of Coruscant."
Padme nodded and typed the password into the panel on the side of the wall, the door opened and she walked in.
When she looked back, Anakin was gone.
A loud tapping in front of her caught her attention and once again, she looked into the apartment.
It was Sabe, she looked half infuriated and half worried out of her mind.
"Well? What have you to say for yourself?" Sabe asked Padme, her hands on her hips.
Padme fidgeted and stared at the ground like a disobedient teenager in trouble.
"I went out for a walk."
Sabe scowled, "I had to send for the security, they searched the whole building and I nearly alerted the Coruscant Police and Jedi in my alarm! Thank the gods for Anakin Skywalker, he alerted me that you were with him."
"I'm sorry." Said Padme in a small voice.
"Many things could have happened to you without an escort!" Sabe continued, "It's really lucky Knight Skywalker came across you."
Padme was red, and Sabe noticed quickly, "Oh Gods! Knight Skywalker, you met him, didn't you? How is he?"
Sabe led Padme over to a divan.
Padme answered softly, "He's really nice."
"Nice? Only nice?" Sabe asked with a disbelieving tone.
"Oh fine, he was charming, sweet, funny, everything the Holonets said about him." Padme said, her eyes brightening.
"Ah ha! This is going well, all I need to do is interview him to see if he is fit to court you." Said Sabé triumphantly.
"You mean interrogate him?" Padme asked, an eyebrow cocked.
"It's not that bad," Sabe defended, "All I ask about is his earlier lovers, if he has kissed, or slept with many women, and lets see, why he broke up with them, or if it was them who broke up with him because of his attitude, insensitivity, or some thing he said that offended them, his criminal record, if he is connected to any scandals, if his organs that create children are functional, if he is healthy, has any terminal infections, diseases, HIV, VIH, AIDS, ED, NEQ, AD, TIO, etc, his education, intelligence, humour, manners, bad habits, and if he is in any way disabled, crippled, or imperfect."
Padme laughed, "I feel sorry for all the poor men you…'interviewed, Do you need to ask about something that is so personal though, you know, the reproducing children part… "
"It is, what you don't want to have children someday?"
"Yes, but with him?"
"Why not him? He's the perfect father material."
"I don't know…"
"It only seems like he isn't, but I assure you, all men straighten out sooner or later."
"Well, I sure hope so." Padme said
"I'm good at evaluating men, trust me, you've found a keeper, and what's more, you got him, hook, line and sinker! And, for the interview, we want only the best for our Padme." Sabe said affectionately.
"But what if I don't want him?" Padme questioned.
"Of course you do, I know you too well to not see it on your face every time he's mentioned." Sabe said.
"Can we change the subject now?" Padme asked.
Sabe stiffened again and slipped her 'lecture' face on, "Oh no, young lady, you are still in trouble for sneaking out."
Padme groaned and braced herself.
"Oh yes, and did I tell you I received a holo from the Temple, they informed me that they would be placing you under the protection of Knights Kenobi and Skywalker, they will accompany you as bodyguards to the Celebration on Naboo."
"No way…" Padme breathed with a horror stricken face, "I will make a fool of myself, every time I see him, my heart goes all funny and I can't say anything coherent."
"See? Now we are improving slightly, good, you need to reveal your feelings more instead of bottling it up." Sabe said approvingly.
Padme wasn't listening, she was already thinking of what to wear.
Obi-Wan opened his eyes to a dark room, his head was pounding furiously and his mouth was dry as the sand on Tatooine.
He shifted his head to look around and realized he was lying in his bed in the Jedi Temple. He strained to remember what had happened last night. He knew he had a couple of drinks but then the memory blacked out.
He tried to use the Force to sense Anakin but it was dampened by his hangover and the toxins from the drinks which had not worn off yet.
He climbed out of bed, and promptly fell over as he tripped on the rug Anakin had given him that Christmas. His head banged against his bedside table and his head pounded even worse.
"Gods!" He swore, cursing the rug.
Fumbling in the darkness, half groping for the light and half stumbling around like a blind man, he finally succeeded in opening the curtains.
He shielded his eyes from the bright sunlight that suddenly poured into the room. It seemed that it was already past noon.
Just as he turned, the bedroom door burst open and Anakin bounded in.
"Gooood morning, Obi-Wan!" He shouted.
"Might you lower your voice? Your voice is bouncing around in my head right now." Obi-Wan complained.
Anakin seemed to not have heard it. "We have to go and start our mission now!"
"What?!" Surely they couldn't be asking him to present himself in front of the Senator and her handmaidens like this, scruffy-looking, wrinkled pants and robes, messy hair…" He thought, stricken.
The Council sent me from the eating halls to wake you up so that we could take Senator Amidala home!" Anakin said happily.
"Can I at least get changed? I haven't even eaten my First meal yet!" Obi-Wan said, looking everywhere some clean clothes.
"Well, if I were you, I wouldn't go to the eating hall yet, actually I recommend you don't go there for the rest of your lifetime." Anakin said mischievously and a little hesitantly.
"Where.is.that.blasted…huh? What?." Obi-Wan muttered distractedly.
Anakin sighed and yelled in Obi-Wan's ear, "I SAID, YOU SHOULDN'T GO TO THE EATING HALLS YET."
Obi-Wan covered his ears, "Alright, I'm not deaf you know."
Anakin rolled his eyes.
"Why can't I go feed myself?" Obi-Wan asked, starting to feel a little apprehensive.
"Um, because…wait, do you remember anything that happened last night?" Anakin asked.
"No, now tell me why I can't go and eat."
Anakin swallowed and stepped back a little way from Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan knew that move, he had seen it many times before, when Anakin had done something to humiliate him while he was unaware, and was about to reveal his activities, knowing that Obi-Wan would strangle him if he was too close.
"What, have, you, done?" Obi-Wan asked in a dangerous voice.
"Well, when you were asleep this morning, I went down to the pub we were at yesterday and requested their security recordings…"
"They have security recordings at such shady bars?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Yes, apparently this one did, which was good for me, but not so for you." Anakin replied.
"So, you took the recordings of the bar… what did you want with them?"
"You do know you were extremely intoxicated last night, right? And that, you were, uh, completely disgracing the Jedi Order, right? Well, your antics are on those recordings." Anakin said cautiously.
A bad feeling came to Obi-Wan, "What did you do with them, Anakin Skywalker?" He almost didn't even want to know the answer.
Anakin hesitated, "There was nothing on the eating hall's holotv this morning…only Barney the purple demented droid, and Flora the space-explorer…"
Obi-Wan groaned, "Oh no, don't tell me you…"
Anakin nodded, "Sorry, I couldn't help myself."
"How many people saw it?" Obi-Wan inquired.
"The Jedi Members on Coruscant, the younglings and a few of the Knights and their Padawans, they liked it very much though." Anakin said, stifling laughter.
"Please don't tell me that Siri was there as well." Obi-Wan said, he wished with all of his diminished Force powers that one of his best Jedi friends did not witness the holo-recorder tape, she loved to tease him, and if she had seen the recording, that would have just added to her fuel.
"Oh, oops, my bad, Obi-Wan, I accidentally summoned her from her quarters, she was still half asleep… at least the recording woke her up really well, anyway, I told her that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity…" Anakin said quickly, slowly inching towards the sleeping chamber door.
"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear… so where is the tape now?" Obi-Wan asked, knowing he had to get out of the Temple as soon as he could, before Siri could find him.
"The Librarian, Jocasta Nu, asked if she could make a copy to keep in the Jedi Archives, she said it would be a part of history," Anakin said, "I also submitted a copy to the Funniest Jedi Recording Competition."
Obi-Wan stood up, making his way slowly towards Anakin, hands outstretched, ready for throttling Anakin.
Anakin gave a startled look and walked quickly backwards, out the door and into Obi-Wan's visitor area. He stopped when he was halfway to the door leading out to the Temple hallway.
Obi-Wan followed.
"Just how many copies have you made?" Obi-Wan asked dangerously.
"Hundreds, after I gave one to the Jedi Archives and one to the competition, I thought that it would make good money if I sold them away."
"Anakin, you are a Knight, surely you remember the teaching that Jedi have no possessions? Except their necessities, robes and lightsaber?" Obi-Wan asked, Anakin was almost within lunging distance.
"Oh, yes, I asked Yoda if there was any way around it, he said he could make an exception, on the condition I gave him a copy, he told me the proceedings I make from the recordings, I could keep for presents for Senator Amidala and emergency money, just in case we need it on our assignment. Yoda said that he had betted on two weeks from now."
"I always hated that little green troll," Obi-Wan muttered, "and, two weeks to do what?"
"Surely you remember? Two weeks until I get Senator Amidala to go to dinner, of course!"
"Oh yes, hmmm, that." Obi-Wan said, scratching his chin thoughtfully.
Anakin moved even closer to the door, when he realized Obi-Wan was close enough to him that he was in mortal peril.
"I think I've found a way to approach Sabe!" Obi-Wan exclaimed, struck by a sudden inspiration.
"Oh? Really…" Anakin said, thinking to use Obi-Wan's way to get started with Padme as well.
"We can ask them to be our dates to the Celebration!" Obi-Wan said.
Anakin was astounded, "That's a great idea! I can protect Padme even as her escort!"
Both beamed at each other.
"Provided that you are not too scared to ask her…" Obi-Wan said good-humoredly.
"Don't even start, Obi-Wan, remember how that ended up? I pinned to the ground by your fat ass." Anakin said warningly.
"Even though…what's your problem anyway? I mean all the females under fifty standard years old are drooling at your supposedly 'good –looks', I think even Master Yaddle has something on you…"
He was cut off by the apartment door opening, Master Yaddle's small head poked in, "Heard that, I did, Obi-Wan, good listening skills in the Force, I have, am able to hear through doors, very hard skill to achieve, only one in the Temple, I am, to have the ability."
"I was just joking, Master Yaddle, I was trying to help Anakin with his love life." Obi-Wan quickly put in.
"Good, Obi-Wan, you do that, although your tips for women are proving to be faulty, they are." The Master said.
The Knights bowed and Master Yaddle disappeared out of the room.
"Close one," Anakin said, "You nearly got a week's refreshed cleaning duty, you never know, Masters give you punishments for nothing at all, sometimes."
Obi-Wan was about to reply when the door slid open again, it was Master Yaddle again, "Heard that also, I did, young Skywalker, the punishments are to help you to learn to volunteer and help around the Temple."
"I apologize, Master Yaddle." Anakin inclined his head and Master Yaddle left again.
"As I was saying, before we were so rudely interrupted…" He stopped.
"Knight Kenobi! Still hear you I can!" Master Yaddle's voice came from down the hallway.
"You never learn, do you?" Anakin asked Obi-Wan.
"No, he does not." Said Master Yaddle again.
"Fine then, as I was saying, before Master Yaddle dropped in to teach us some manners…" Obi-Wan started again.
"Better, that is, Knight Kenobi!" They heard Master Yaddle shout, her voice getting quieter as she went in the opposite direction from them.
Obi-Wan continued, "right, uh, I mean, it's not that hard to ask a woman out, come on, just one sentence," He imitated a female voice, "Senator Amidala, would you do me the honor of being my date to the Celebration?"
A new voice interrupted them, "Really? Obi-Wan, I would be honored to do so."
Anakin and Obi-Wan whipped around to stare at the newcomer.
"Senator?" Anakin asked disbelievingly.
Padme nodded, "I decided to visit the two of you, since Sabe told me you were escorting me to Naboo, what's taking you so long? We were expecting you earlier."
"Well, we got a little held up, you see Obi-Wan has a terrible hangover." Anakin explained.
"With all the wine you had, I'm not surprised." Padme said sourly.
"How did you get in without us sensing your presence?" Obi-Wan asked.
"I think it's your hangover and Anakin must have let his defenses down because there are so many Jedi around, there probably won't be any danger," Padme told them, "besides, I'm not dangerous anyway."
Anakin snorted, trying to turn it into a cough. Padme glared at him.
Obi-Wan spoke up, "Where are your bodyguards, please don't tell me you drove here by yourself!"
"I most certainly did, why not?" Padme asked.
"She's perfect for you, you're both stubborn and headstrong," Obi-Wan whispered in Anakin's ear, then to Padme, "it's dangerous, you know, assassins." Obi-Wan answered, while Anakin blushed.
"Well, too late, I'm here now." Padme said.
"Sorry we took so long, milady, we are ready to depart now." Anakin said gathering his wits.
Padme nodded, "Very well then, I will be waiting with my bags by the Temple foyer."
"Are your handmaidens to come with us?" Obi-Wan asked eagerly.
"No, Sabe is coming at a later date, Knight Kenobi." Padme said, smirking.
Obi-Wan colored, "How…Anakin did you tell her?"
Anakin shook his head, "No, Obi-Wan you said it last night when you were drunk."
"You didn't tell Sabe, did you?"
"No, Anakin told me not to." Padme said, a little disappointed, "Oh, and I didn't mean what I said earlier, I was just joking when I said I would be your date to the ball."
"Yes, I know." Obi-Wan answered.
"By the way, why were you asking that question?" Padme asked, "Surely you weren't thinking of really asking me, were you? Sabe would be very disappointed."
"No, no, I wouldn't think of it." Obi-Wan said.
"Well, see you later." Padme walked out.
"Don't women ever knock?" Anakin asked.
"Obviously not." Obi-Wan replied.
"I can hear you, Kenobi!" It was Master Yaddle again, she was teaching Younglings a few doors down the corridor.
Obi-Wan made a face.
"Did I forget to mention that I have a spy-recorder in your room, Knight Kenobi? Hear everything said in normal volume of voice and see you, we can. Bad influence, you are, on the Younglings watching, you are." Master Yaddle shouted in her creaky voice from her classroom.
Obi-Wan apologized sheepishly and ran to get changed.
Hoped you like my new chapter…im kinda running into dead ends, suggestions would help a lot…review, review, review, review, review plz!