The couple jumped apart, Padmè's breath catching in her throat. Anakin was slightly angered at the intrusion, but he was more stunned that Obi-Wan had followed him. The room filled with an uncomfortable silence, Padmè's eyes were fixed on the ground, desperate to avoid Obi-Wan's penetrating stare.
"Well," Obi-Wan prompted, wanting a response from either of the two people he considered his friends.
"Obi-Wan..." Anakin started, considering his answer slowly, wondering how to not make it any worse. "Padmè and I... We are married..." Anakin stood up to face his former Master, both Anakin and Obi-Wan's anger seemed to be under control for the moment. However, Obi-Wan's expression was unreadable. His face was set in stone, but he couldn't hide the disappointment in his eyes.
"Anakin..." he sighed, frustration evident in his tone and posture as he sat on the chair opposite the Senator. Padmè still sat with her gaze downwards and her back straight, frozen in a trance. "You do realise that you have broken the Code, jeopardised your career as a Jedi, and have put any number of unknown complications in place! How long have you been married?"
"A little over a month, nearly five weeks. Since the Battle of Geonosis," Anakin confessed, sitting beside his wife once again, instinctively taking her hands in his.
"I'm pregnant," Padmè whispered just as Obi-Wan was about to speak. Padmè looked up to Obi-Wan, finding the confidence to speak. In any other uncomfortable situation she would have gone into 'Senate' mode, deflecting any personal questions, but that would just make things worse for Anakin. He didn't need his wife drawing away from him while his friend was so angry and disappointed. Whatever Obi-Wan was about to say had gone from his mind, the shock of Anakin and Padmè's confession had him frozen, grasping for something to say. The silence settled again. A few moments later, Obi-Wan's communicator started beeping. He made his excuses then walked out to the balcony to answer the call.
"What is going to happen now?" Padmè asked in a whisper as soon as Obi-Wan had left the room.
"I don't know," Anakin replied, looking at their hands. "It all depends on what Obi-Wan decides. If he tells the council then anything could happen. If he doesn't then our secret will just be less of a secret."
"What of the baby?" Padmè said protectively, her free hand touching her still flat abdomen.
"Nothing will ever happen to our baby, Padmè, I promise," Anakin said kissing her quickly, reassuring her. "We have months to figure this out."
"Yes, but how many of those months are you going to be here? You could be pulled into war at any moment. What if you don't come home?" Padmè said anxiously, standing up and pacing, her nervousness making it impossible for her to sit down. "Especially now that Obi-Wan knows. I know you hate it when I say this Ani, but you are unreliable at the moment, and that is not your fault but..."
"Shh, Angel, it's okay, it's going to be okay," Anakin soothed, wrapping her in his arms, holding her tightly. Anakin hated to admit it, but she was right. He was unreliable, the missions he could he sent on could mean that the months they had to prepare could turn into weeks, or days. He had his own fears about being away when it was time for the baby to be born. He was also afraid of the questions it would raise if he was there at the birth, or involved in the child's life. Most importantly, he was scared of the questions their baby would have when they were older. Padmè had voiced her fears, which made Anakin's seem all the more real.
"Master Windu," Obi-Wan greeted.
"Master Kenobi, where are you?" Windu greeted. He couldn't tell where Obi-Wan was from the hologram, but it was unusual for him to be anywhere but the temple when he wasn't on a mission.
"Seeking advice from an old friend," Obi-Wan said smoothly, he may not agree with Anakin's choices but he was not about to turn his friend over to the council. "How may I help you Master Windu?"
"You and Skywalker are to report to the council, we need you both to go on an... Extended mission. With the track record you two have as partners on the front line, the council has decided that you and your former Padawan would be best for this assignment," Windu stated. "Report to the council in two hours, you will be travelling under nightfall."
"Understood Master. Can I ask where we are to go to?"
"The Outer Rim," Windu stated, cutting off the transmission. Obi-Wan placed the communicator back into his robes whilst he walked away from the balcony. He found Anakin holding Padmè in the centre of the room, it was clear by her posture and his tense stance that they were both worried of what the future will bring. Obi-Wan cleared his throat, alerting them of his presence. They couple didn't break apart as frantically as they had done earlier, they simply looked at Obi-Wan, Anakin held his arm tightly around Padmè's shoulders as a few tears threatened to slip down her cheeks.
"Come on Anakin, we are going to the council," Obi-Wan stated, Anakin's eyes widened in shock. How could his friend turn in him to the council? Padmè began to cry again softly, burying her head into her husband's chest. Obi-Wan realised the error of his wording. "No, no, no, I'm not turning you in, Anakin, we have a new assignment." Both Padmè and Anakin sighed with relief, before Padmè was struck with new fears.
"How long will you be gone?"
"I do not know, Milady," Obi-Wan replied. Padmè nodded slowly, her eyes glistening with tears that had not yet fallen. She hated it when her emotional barriers where broken, especially in front of her peers.
"It's okay Padmè, I'll return home to you safe,"
"That's what you said last time, and you came home with this," she whispered, gently touching the healing wound near his right eye. "Don't scare me like that again," Anakin smirked and nodded, bending down to kiss his wife. He didn't know when he would be able to speak to her next, let alone see her. Anakin rested his forehead against Padmè's and whispered 'I love you'.
"I love you too," came her reply as the two Jedi walked to the elevator, leaving her standing in the centre of the room, staring after them.
"Master, I am truly thankful for your discretion to the council. I am sorry for going against your teachings, but you have no idea how much I wanted to tell you..."
"You deliberately disobeyed the Council Anakin," Whatever restraint Obi-Wan had had in front of the Naboo Senator had gone. "How can you go against everything you have been taught time and time again? This isn't the first time you have broken the rules. Do you think you are exempt from the rules that make the foundations of the Jedi Order? When you first joined the Jedi Order, against the council's wishes, you made a commitment to obey the code, to protect the Republic, to serve others, not yourself!" Anakin was surprised at Obi-Wan's outburst, but the older Jedi did have a few valid points. While it was Anakin's dream to become a Jedi, he had no idea how much he would have to give up. Possessions, attachments and part of his freedom. His early childhood as a slave taught him that freedom was precious, and too easily taken away. Anakin sometimes felt he had given up life as a slave just to be enslaved to the Jedi Order. "Perhaps it's good that we are to be given this assignment, time away from Coruscant would be good for the both of us..."
"You think I can just forget about her?" Anakin almost shouted, "I tried for 10 years while we apart, but when I saw her again, it all came flooding back. How do you expect me to be without her? Especially now she is carrying OUR child! I do not mean to disobey you Obi-Wan you are the closest thing I have ever had to a father, you have become my brother. I wanted to tell you about our marriage from the beginning. I was afraid of disappointing you, you risked so much to train me against the council's wishes, and I didn't want to burden you with the responsibility. The responsibility of either keeping the secret or handing me over to the council." Obi-Wan was silent for a few moments. He didn't want to be angry at Anakin, nor for Anakin to be mad at him. He slowly nodded, considering Anakin's argument.
"Let's just concentrate on the mission. I won't tell the council. We shall have time to figure out what to do next when we reach the Outer Rim," Obi-Wan concluded, calmly. Any anger between the two disappeared and Anakin grinned with relief.
"Thank-you, Obi-Wan"