QueenNaberrie: This is an interesting twist with Anakin dreaming about Obi-Wan dying instead of Padme and possibly the baby. A member over at Jedi Council Forum posted the plot bunny up for adoption, as soon as I had seen it, I emailed her about adopting it. Boy am I glad she did. But is it the same dream but from another perspective? Time will only tell. And I sure hope that Anakin doesn't fall for Palpatine's lies this time and fall to the Dark Side. Well, Palpatine was a master manipulator. And I hope that Anakin does tell Obi-Wan about he and Padme's relationship and about the baby. He will, but sometimes things don't go as we planned. I always thought that Anakin should have done that in the movies. Perhaps his downfall wouldn't have happened if Obi-Wan was there supporting him through everything.

Author's Note; Just a little warning, but Chapter 3 will not be posted next week but the week after. I do apologize for the delay, but DRL has a way of taking away my free time (which isn't much, mind you).

Chapter Two: The Talk -- Part II

The ride back to the temple allowed Anakin time to think over his conversation with the Chancellor. He had no intention of being disrespectful towards his friend, but the only thing that had been of any importance from their discussion had been the topic of Mastery.

As a Master, nobody could stop him from saving the man that meant as much to him as Padmé, if not more. Technically, no one could stop him now, even if they tried. But he wouldn't shame Obi-Wan anymore than he had already done. He would not add on to his guilt by dishonoring Obi-Wan's teachings any further.

Time seemed to go by slowly for Anakin as the Chancellor's private shuttle landed in the spacious bay of the Jedi Temple. The short trip had given him time to think… and plan. For now, he needed to talk to Obi-Wan. This time he would allow no interruptions. Not this time, for he couldn't shake the sense of urgency that he had begun to feel from the Force since leaving the Chancellor's office.

He hoped that Obi-Wan wasn't in a council session. Those meetings had been known to last for several hours and he wasn't in the mood to wait anymore. On his way out of the bay, he stopped a passing Knight to inquire about his former master's whereabouts.

As he headed to the Command Room, he began to wonder what would catch Obi-Wan's attention that would make him ignore the strict orders of the Healers to take a vacation… and resting, under the strict orders of the Healers. Maybe Commander Cody, Obi-Wan's first officer, was briefing… Briefing?! Obi-Wan was going to kill him – he had completely forgotten about the Outer Rim briefing which ended over an hour ago. This was not how he wanted to begin his talk with Obi-Wan about his marriage.

Anakin had barely stepped into the Command Room when a voice froze him in place.

"You miss the report on the Outer Rim sieges."

Anakin waited till he was standing next to the individual before answering. "I'm sorry, Master. I was on my way to see you, to talk to you… about something, when I was called away to see the Chancellor."

"The Chancellor," was all the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi said in his Core-accented voice.

"I wish you wouldn't do that, Obi-Wan," Anakin replied disapprovingly. "I know you don't like Palpatine, but he is my friend."

"I didn't say anything negative about the…"

"It's how you said it, Obi-wan," Anakin interrupted almost angrily. He hated this feeling like he was in the middle of a tug-of-war between two very powerful forces. They were the two most influential men in his life, and neither one could stand the other, regardless of how hard they tried to hide it. "I did not come here to argue with you, Master. I need to…" He began to struggle with the words, trying not to stutter, "…to talk… to you… about…" His voice cracked, cutting off any attempt to speak.

Though he kept silent, the unreadable look in Obi-Wan's blue-green eyes quickly turned to concern as he observed the internal battle going on inside of his former padawan. In all their years together, Obi-Wan had never heard the young man struggle for words. Anakin had never had a problem saying what was on his mind – getting him to know his place had been the issue. It seemed as if Anakin struggled more with himself now, than he had prior to Geonosis. He also seemed to anger more easily.

Since Geonosis, Anakin was more distant towards him, as if… if he had someone else to confide in… to lean on… to seek guidance from. He was not ashamed to admit that he missed those confidences and was hurt by their absence. During the early years of their parternship, Anakin had quickly become the balm for his soul that had been shattered when his master… his father had been killed on Naboo. But since Geonosis, the distance between them had slowly been causing an ache in his heart that worsened as time went on.

Sometimes he wondered if this was what parents went through when their children left home to begin their own lives. He even wondered if Qui-Gon… No, that was in the past and he had already come to terms with losing his old master. He would not dwell on it. He needed to focus on the 'here and now', not the past.

"Anakin, what is wrong?"

Anakin slowly turned around so that his back was to Obi-Wan. He did not want Obi-Wan to see the guilt on his face, for it was sure to be there. The guilt wasn't for marrying Padmé or even becoming a father. He was excited about the baby and marrying his 'angel' had been the best thing to ever happen to him besides becoming a Jedi. No, the guilt was for lying to his master over the years. It had taken Anakin a long time to realize just how much of a sacrifice his Master had made when he took him on as his padawan.

Instead of learning to be a Knight, Obi-Wan went straight from being a padawan to being the master of one. And not just any padawan, but the fabled 'Chosen One'. The 'Chosen One' had not been very appreciative of his newly knighted master. Even to this day, he was amazed by how patient and understanding Obi-Wan had been with him. And how did he repay him? By being rude, mean-spirited, and not caring at the time that Obi-Wan had not only lost, but witnessed the death of a man who had been as much of a father to Obi-Wan as Obi-Wan was to him, if not more.

"I've… I… have… an att... attachment, Master."

Concern turned to confusion. "An attachment?"

"Yes… an attachment… to Pad--"

Confusion slowly turned to understanding. "Oh, I know about your attachment to Senator Amidala."

Shocked, Anakin spun around to look at Obi-Wan. "You do?" i 'Maybe this won't be as hard as I thought it would be,'/i he hoped silently.

"Yes, I do. We all do. Now, I know…"

How could everybody know? They had been so careful about not giving their secret away, not even Padmé's family knew of their marriage. It was one thing if Obi-Wan knew, but everybody else? Cautiously, Anakin interrupted, "We… all… do?"

"Yes, Anakin, we all do. As I was saying," Obi-Wan refrained from glaring at Anakin as he continued, "I know that the Code frowns upon attachments… romantic attachments that is." So intent on his lecture, Obi-Wan did not notice Anakin squirming at his statement. "You cannot simply disregard the attachments that we have in our lives. If you think about it, we have an attachment to this temple, this is our home. A master has an attachment to their padawan and a padawan to their master. We even form attachments when we make friends. And Senator Amidala is a good friend to you and you've known her since you were a little boy, Anakin."

Anakin's shock quickly turned to frustration as he realized that there was a miscommunication between him and Obi-Wan. But then the frustration turned to anger when Obi-Wan referred to Padmé as a friend. Angrily, he blurted, "Padmé is much more than my friend! She is my wife!"

"You shouldn't be embarrassed of your friendship with Padmé. She's…" Obi-Wan had mistaken the frustration on Anakin's face for embarrassment before realizing what Anakin had blurted out. "She's what?"

"She is my wife and the mother…"

Once again the unreadable look was back in Obi-Wan's eyes. It was a look that Anakin had seen frequently throughout his apprenticeship and hated even more than the lectures. It was a look that saw much, yet betrayed nothing of what Obi-Wan was feeling or thinking.

But one thing that could not be mistaken, was the barely restrained anger that could be heard as Obi-Wan interrupted, speaking through clench teeth. "Don't, Anakin. Just don't. How could you? How could you do something so stupid… so foolish? Do you not…"

Any thought of having a civil conversation with Obi-Wan went away as Anakin began yelling, his face flushed with anger. "How could I? Because I love her. That's why."

"End it."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You will end this farce… this marriage." As quickly as it came, Obi-Wan's anger was gone. He was still upset with Anakin and who wouldn't be, but protecting his son and best friend from the censure that was sure to come if the Council found out was the only thought to cross his mind.

'I will not allow anything to happen to Anakin or his status as a Jedi. Maybe in the future when this business of bringing balance to the Force has settled, then they can be together. Maybe than it'll be time to start thinking about making changes to the Code.' An image from the past of a blond, blue-eyed, hot-tempered woman materialized before disappearing, but not before Anakin had picked up on the image through the bond.

"No, Obi-Wan, I won't. My marriage is not a farce! I will not give up Padmé or my child because you say so. She is mine and neither you or the Jedi will take my family away from me." Anakin narrowed his eyes and took a step back as Obi-Wan approached him.

Anakin recognized the woman in Obi-Wan's thoughts as Siri Tachi, master of his arch-nemesis, Jedi Knight Ferus Olin. He had heard of rumors concerning Obi-Wan and Master Tachi, but had disregarded them as nothing. Obi-Wan had always been a stickler for the rules; and he never thought him capable of having any type of romantic notions. But now, he realized that his old master had been lying to him. As if an afterthought, Anakin added, "You're jealous."

Obi-Wan froze in mid step, unsure of what he heard.

The dragon took control of Anakin, wanting to hurt the older Jedi in front of him. His father. His mentor. His friend. Part of him didn't want to hurt Obi-Wan, but that part was quickly consumed by the flames of his dragon. He repeated, "You're jealous, Obi-Wan. You always have been. Just admit it."

Obi-Wan stared at Anakin in confusion, "What are you talking about, Anakin? Why should I be jealous? I have never been anything but proud of you, Anakin. Proud of everything that you have accomp-"

Angrily, Anakin interrupted, "Why won't you admit that you're jealous of me, Obi-Wan? You were jealous when Qui-Gon chose me over you. You were jealous when the council knighted me at such a young age. You've always been jealous. I'm stronger and better than any of the Jedi. I was strong enough to listen to my heart and go against the code for Padmé. And you," Anakin glared at Obi-Wan in disgust, "you were too weak to chose love over you're blasted Code. To weak to cho-"

"Enough, Anakin!" A temper that had once came close to costing him his apprenticeship, was slowly coming to the surface. Obi-Wan was not a man prone to emotional outburst, but he was a man nevertheless. "You have a duty to t-"

"My duty is to my family. To Padmé."

"No, Anakin, your duty is to the Jedi… to the Republic! You will end your marriage. You will lis-"

Anakin's mechanical hand clenched in fury at his side, as if squeezing an imaginary throat. "I'm sick and tired of listening to you. You tell me that I should listen to you; you know what you're talking about. Yeah, right. I listened to you when you said that my dreams of my mother would 'pass in time'. Because of you, she was murdered by th-"

For the first time since his master had introduced him to a sandy haired slave child on that fateful day on Tatooine, Obi-Wan regretted training Anakin. Instead of hurting Anakin as he had done to him, Obi-Wan stormed out of the command room. Not once did he stop to look at Anakin or the shadow that seemed to embrace his former padawan. For the first time, he wondered what his life would have been like had he not fulfilled his promise to his dying Master.

The dragon did not care about of the hurtful words that it sprouted, for it had tasted victory and was roaring for more.

Anakin could not remember how he managed to get from the Command Room to his assigned – yet inhabited – quarters in the lower levels of the Jedi Temple. One minute he was telling Obi-Wan about his marriage and… and… the next he was standing in front of the door to his quarters with no memory of how he got there, or even ending his conversation with Obi-Wan. Why couldn't he talk to Obi-Wan like he could talk to Padmé... or even the Chancellor?

He walked towards the COM Unit as he thought of his wife. 'Padmé? She will know what to do. I need to talk to her. She has always been able to soothe me. To center me.'

Anakin began to despair as he was unable to reach anyone from his wife's private quarters. He finally tried her personal communicator. Anakin allowed a sad smile to grace his face when his wife appeared on the screen of the COM unit.

"Padmé."

"What is wrong, Anakin? Did you talk to Obi-Wan?"

Anakin did not speak for a moment, trying to collect his jumbled thoughts before replying darkly, "Oh, we talked, Padmé. And then we yelled at one another."

Concern was evident in her voice as Padmé asked, "Are you okay? I can do this meeting another time, Ani. Wher-"

That was one of the things that Anakin so loved dearly about his wife. Her compassion. She was willing to leave a meeting – a very important meeting at that – to comfort him. "No. I'm… fine… for now. I'm at the temple." Anakin's voice broke as his eyes glistened with tears, "I hurt him, Padmé." His voice quickly became strained with pent-up emotions, "We were wrong to think we could trust him, Padmé. He is too much like the other Jedi. Too wrapped around the blasted Code. He's just jea-"

Padmé was worried about Anakin and didn't like to see him angry. And as much as she loved her husband, she was in the middle of an emergency and could not deal with Anakin's over obsessive protectiveness or anger. She loved both her husband and Obi-Wan, but one thing that she had noticed over the years was that both men were incredibly stubborn. Neither one could admit to their faults. And once again, it was up to her to make her husband see reason. She felt it was important that he make amends. And for some reason, Padmé could not shake the sudden chill that ran up her spine.

"Anakin, you need to apologize to Obi-Wan." She ignored the glare he gave her as she continued, "No, Anakin, you need to apologize to Obi-Wan. Soon."

"Why?"

"I… I don't know. You just need to." Padmé closed her eyes before speaking, knowing that her words would open old wounds, but she had to for her husband's and Obi-Wan's sake. She couldn't help but feel apprehensive at the sense of premonition she was feeling. "Anakin, sometimes… sometimes we don't realize how much we care for someone until they're gone. Cordé," Padmé stopped to gain her composure, "Cordé and I had… an argument the morning she was killed. I… never… got the chance to apologize to her. She apologized to me… and she wasn't even the one that started it. It's funny, I will never forget her apologizing to me on that day on the landing pad, but I can't even remember what we were arguing about."

"You need to have faith in him, Anakin. I still don't believe he would betray us." Padmé stared gravely at her husband on the screen, "You need to make amends with him, Anakin. Don't let this opportunity slip through your hands. If you have to, take time to meditate, to think things through. But apologize to him the first chance you get." Padmé looked behind her, before turning to face Anakin, "I'm sorry, Ani. I need to go. I love you."

Anakin turned off the unit and then headed towards his bed. The fight with Obi-Wan and the talk with Padmé had drained him. The lack of sleep wasn't helping him either. He would sleep for a while before meditating. There would be time to talk with Obi-Wan later. But the last thought that crossed his mind before sleep over powered him, was of Obi-Wan standing before the Council.

The hours that Obi-Wan had spent in meditation had helped him to find his center. Meditation hadn't taken away the pain that Anakin's words had caused, but it did allow him to focus more clearly. As much as Anakin had wounded him deeply, he still loved the boy. He would not betray him, instead he would stand by his side. He would protect him as much as he was able to.

He would wait until tomorrow before speaking to Anakin to give the young Knight time to calm down. Right now he needed to attend a private council session with only Master Mace Windu and Master Yoda. He was curious as to the extra precautions and privacy as well as the special mission Mace had mentioned in his message to Obi-Wan.

He pushed all thoughts of Anakin, his secrets, and their argument to the back of his mind. They would have time to talk tomorrow. Until then, he would keep his padawan's secrets. He would not betray him.