"Was that Senator Amidala leaving before?" Obi-Wan asked. Anakin's eyes snapped open. Obi-Wan saw the panic in his eyes, but he had to admit his former apprentice was a skilled liar.

"Yes, she said she was at the temple when we landed and wanted to see how I was," Anakin replied, not daring to look at the Jedi Master beside him. He quickly searched for another direction to take the conversation. "How long was I out?"

"A little over two days. What are you doing?" Obi-Wan inquired as Anakin started unhooking various monitors, setting off the alarms.

"I think I've spent enough time in here," he said as he pulled on his leather tabard over the brown shirt he wore. Some trainee healers appeared at the doorway but Anakin waved them off. They scurried away quickly but reappeared moments later with the chief healer. The duo were just as famous for breaking out of the hospital wing as they were for needing to be there.

"General Skywalker,"

"I'll save you the trouble. I feel fine, the cut on my eye is beginning to heal and I don't have a concussion," Anakin and Obi-Wan knew the routine for getting discharged, so the younger Jedi barely acknowledged the Healer's presence, just continued collecting together his stuff.

"I want to examine you all the same Skywalker," a hint of familiarity entering her tone.

"I won't give you back your lightsaber until I do," she added, noticing the Jedi looking for his trusted weapon. Anakin glared at her for a moment before giving into the Healer's wishes. 10 minutes later, the two were leaving the hospital wing. Obi-Wan spotted the braid hanging behind Anakin's ear.

"You should cut that off," he commented. Anakin smirked, his hand coming up to the Padawan braid that lay to just past his shoulder.

"Well you know, between getting shot at and saving the galaxy, I've had little time for considering new hair styles," he quipped. Obi-Wan sniggered. "I'll get it cut right away Master,"

"No you won't, we have a council meeting to attend to,"

"With all respect Master, why do I have to go?" Anakin asked, silently disappointed. He had hoped to spend the evening with Padmè. He had barely had chance to see her when she had visited earlier, which she wasn't pleased at. Padmè wished desperately that her husband wouldn't have to go to the front lines of war, but since he did, she wished she could care for him when he came back half dead.

"Just to give the report of Geonosis, my young friend, nothing too major I presume. It is customary for all involved to give the report, even if it is only one that will give it. You missed most of the mission anyway," Anakin grinned at the familiar humour he had with Obi-Wan, and again wished he could tell his friend of his happiness with Padmè.

"Just keeping you on your toes Master, you are too used to me saving you," Anakin replied, smiling. The rest of the journey to the council chambers was quiet. Neither had felt inclined to strike up a conversation when they were both happy in the comfortable silence. The report didn't take long and Anakin was soon excused from the meeting, but with strict orders to wait for Obi-Wan outside. Anakin did so with good grace, but Obi-Wan knew his friend to well to fall for the facade that Anakin was happy to wait.

"Trouble young Skywalker is," Yoda stated as soon as Anakin was out of the room.

"Yes Master, but he seems more comfortable around the council than ever before, around the Jedi as a whole," Obi-Wan defended.

"Trust your instincts, you must Obi-Wan. Skilled your former Padawan is in hiding what he truly feels,"

"It isn't hard to sense Skywalker's distrust and dislike of the council," Mace Windu interjected, "But it is not easy to sense his true feelings. He keeps a mental barrier up at all times. A much more powerful one than any other Jedi."

"With his... Distrust of the council, as you put it, is it unreasonable to want to block us out. Anakin came from a life where you don't show weakness, his years as a slave taught him to be cautious of anybody and everybody. Had we found him sooner, had he not been enslaved in one of the vilest communities in the republic, then maybe he would be open about his feelings, about what troubles him," Obi-Wan stated. He hadn't meant for his argument to sound so aggressive but he seemed satisfied that he made his point.

"Meditate on this, I will. Speak to your friend, you must Obi-Wan," Yoda concluded, drawing the meeting to a close.

Anakin watched as the Jedi Masters began to stream out of the room, as usual Obi-Wan was last out, but Anakin was surprised when Obi-Wan ignored him. After a moments confusion Anakin ran to catch up with him.

"Master… Obi-Wan, is something wrong, I was told to wait for you then you just ignore me?" Anakin asked.

"What are you keeping from me Anakin? What could you have done to gain the unnecessary attention of the council, not in a good way either," Obi-Wan stated, staring at the younger Jedi. "I have just had to defend you once again to the entire council, except this time I have no idea why I need to defend you!" Anakin could feel the anger building up inside him. Obi-Wan fought for control of his own emotions. Years of teaching Anakin had led to Obi-Wan having a lot of patience, but this was stepping over the line. Obi-Wan had hoped that there was no secrets between them anymore, whilst the younger Jedi had always been reluctant to open up, he would always confide in his mentor. "Anakin, I am begging you to tell me what it is that you are clearly trying really hard to keep a secret from the council," Anakin was too angry to listen to Obi-Wan's pleas, instead of answering his former master, Anakin simply turned away and stormed down the Temple's large hallways. Obi-Wan was angry at himself too, he knew that if he pushed Anakin too far, then he would get nothing but silence. After considering what to do for a few moments, Obi-Wan followed Anakin, hoping to apologise to his comrade.

Padmè was surprised when Anakin stormed into the apartment, she jumped slightly in her seat as he stalked through the main living area, knocking over a few things as he went. Finding him in the bedroom, she gently called out to her husband. After no reply she stood a little taller, and called him once again with a more assertive voice.

"Anakin Skywalker, what are you doing," Amazed at the firmness in her voice Anakin looked up at her. He began to tremble, realising what giving into his anger had done. "Ani, talk to me, what's bothering you?"

"I…I…I don't know. I just got so angry at Obi-Wan. I want so much to tell him about us and then at the end of the council meeting he started questioning me on what I was hiding from him. I just got angry, too angry for a Jedi… and I…" Anakin couldn't finish his sentence, instead he dropped to floor tears rolling down his cheeks. Padmè sat down beside him, wrapping him in her arms the way she had done on Tatooine when his mother had died.

"Sometimes our emotions are just trying to reveal something to us, a truth we need to accept, no matter how much it hurts. Despite you wanting to tell him, you are scared of how he will react. Ani, that is out of your control. Things have a way of working out in the end. You'll see," Padmè soothed. She felt Anakin nod his head, she stroked his hair until her fingers found the Padawan braid. "Let's cut this off," she suggested tugging on the golden braid. Anakin smiled a little and the glitter returned to his blue eyes. Padmè led her husband back to the main living area, grabbing a pair of scissors as he sat on the floor by the couch in front of her. He listened for the gentle 'snip' of the scissors, the true end of his time as a Padawan leaner, and the beginning of his journey as a Jedi Knight. The married couple joked about the now redundant symbol of the Jedi, enjoying the peaceful time together.

Obi-Wan followed his young friend from the Jedi Temple and through the streets of Coruscant. When Anakin stopped outside the building of apartments that Senator Amidala lived in, Obi-Wan was both confused and angry. For a few minutes, Obi-Wan was unsure of what to do. Eventually he came to the decision that it might be best to confront Anakin now, rather than later. Even if he was with Senator Amidala. The sight Obi-Wan was greeted with when he reached the top floor of the building was a shock, not unimaginable but still a devastating shock.

"What is going on here?" he demanded, breaking the kiss between Jedi and Senator.