Chapter Eight

"Answering Nature's Call"

Anakin had no intentions of confessing his feelings for Dormé, but the truth was, Senator Amidala made him nervous. And he'd been concerned for Dormé's safety. His idea had worked actually, but it was more than just a ruse. He wouldn't play with her feelings in that way. He was ecstatic, however, when she seemed overjoyed over his declaration, planting himself in his lap, kissing him repeatedly. He wasn't sure how long the Senator had stuck around, but when Dormé finally allowed him to catch his breath, the other woman had gone.

"Did you mean it?" Dormé asked, her smile bright, her eyes twinkling. Anakin couldn't help but be infected with her delight.

"Of course," he smiled before noticing a rapid change in her countenance. She looked worried all of a sudden.

"It's just that, we haven't been seeing each other for very long. I mean…is it okay if I'm not sure? I really care about you, Anakin, but I'm not sure if I'm, like, in love with you. Is that okay?"

He couldn't pretend her confession didn't disappoint him, but there was still hope. He would just have to keep pestering her for a while longer – until she made up her mind.

"Don't' worry," he assured her by kissing her neck. "You'll know when you know. We're not in a hurry."

"Again," she suggested throatily in his ear.

"We're not in a hurry?" Anakin breathed against her neck before being thumped on his head.

"No, silly! Kiss my neck like you were doing before."

Anakin eagerly obeyed the command before hearing his name. At first, it sounded muffled and desperate, and he concentrated his efforts, but realized quickly, his name was actually being yelled out and from another room. Something was wrong!

He stood quickly, dumping Dormé off his lap, before rushing into the Senator's bedroom, where he found the woman holding up his Master, who was quite unsteady on his feet.

"He's up!" she announced while struggling to keep him upright.

"Padawan…padawan…" the older man blubbered as Anakin took over, reaching around his Master to support his weight, giving the Senator some relief. "Padawan….." Obi-Wan repeated yet again.

"Yes, it's me," the young man pointed out strongly, although he wasn't sure his Master had any idea what was happening, or what he was saying. His skin was still hot to touch and his eyes were glassy. "You need to get back in bed, Master. Here, let me help you."

"No!" Obi-Wan stated loudly, before reaching for his crotch. "Padawan….I need to relieve myself!" he hissed, apparently trying to be quiet, although what he achieved was the opposite. "You know…use the head, visit the loo, take a leak?" The man paused, actually beginning to giggle. Anakin had never heard his Master giggle before. Ever! "Anakin, I've got to piss!"

"Okay, okay, Master." The young man thought he'd better put a stop to this before someone got embarrassed – mainly, himself!

"Do you need some help?" he heard Padmé ask as he basically hefted his Master's dead weight across the room.

"I've got it," Anakin assured the Senator, recalling a similar situation on a mission, although his Master was unconscious and carrying him away was a matter of life and death. "I'll use the Force if I have to," he told her.

Anakin managed to assist his mentor with his own strength, until Obi-Wan actually began the process, that is. Senator Amidala's apartment was expensively decorated and immaculately clean. The young man didn't want his Master making a mess.

With a minimal amount of direct observation and a slight amount of Force application, Anakin made sure everything ended up where it was supposed to. He was awkwardly trying to help the man dress, when Obi-Wan began his mutterings again.

"Where's Padmé?"

"She's in the other room, Master,"

"She's nice."

"Yes, she is."

"She's an angel. Didja know that? I saw her wings."

"Is that so?" Is patronizing someone actively hallucinating a good idea? Anakin wondered. He'd have to ask Healer Erin sometime.

The Senator offered her help once they had returned to the bedroom, and she ushered Obi-Wan back to the bed, where he fell bonelessly, one leg dangling off the edge. Padmé moved it onto the mattress, then tucked his Master in. She then offered him a glass of water, which his mentor drank greedily from while his intense, dilated gaze never moved from her face.

"There you go," she soothed with a gentle voice. "Try and get some rest. We'll have some medicine for you soon, and you'll feel better, Obi-Wan. I'll make sure of it."

Anakin watched with increasing interest as the Senator lovingly swept aside the copper fringe off his Master's brow, smiling sweetly at his mentor as she did so.

"Did you see them?" Obi-Wan turned his gaze toward his student at that moment. "They're white and fluffy."

The Senator rotated her head and looked at him as well, a question lifting her brow. "Wings?"

"How did you know?" Anakin asked. He was actually about to suggest his Master was having hallucinations of bunny rabbits.

"He mentioned an angel earlier," she answered before applying a soothing touch to his Master's brow, wiping the man's forehead with a fresh, cool cloth, causing Obi-Wan to drift back to sleep.

It occurred to Anakin, there was something vaguely familiar about this scene, almost as if he were experiencing a déjà vu moment.

And then he remembered. The holovid. Although he couldn't remember all the details, he couldn't forget the way Dormé had gone on and on about it.

There was something going on between his Master and the Senator!

Son-of-a-sith! Dormé was right! He'd have to be sure not to tell her.