I am SO, SO sorry that it has taken me so long to update! Things at work have been crazy, plus I had finals in my two classes. Needless to say, I didn't have much time for leisure writing. Thank you, Kenobifan, for e-mailing me about the story! I hope you're not disappointed!

ooooooo

A few days later, Obi-Wan was heading back to the room he shared with Padme and the babies. He had been thoroughly exploring their new home. He had checked out all of the maintenance areas and every nook and cranny he had found on the map that he had already put to memory. Obi-Wan was very glad that they had R2D2 here. The droid would certainly come in handy should anything mechanical decide to break down.

As Obi-Wan neared the room, he got the distinct impression that things weren't right. He sensed a lot of distress. When he walked into the room, he could understand why. Both Luke and Leia were crying, but then, so was their mother. Padme was sitting on the bed with Leia in her arms. Luke was lying on the bed beside them.

Padme looked up at Obi-Wan desperately. "Nothing I do seems to help! They won't stop crying!" Tear tracks were glistening on her face.

Obi-Wan picked Luke up in an effort to calm him. He didn't seem to have his usual magic touch, as Luke continued to cry. Obi-Wan reached out to the Force and used that to calm Luke down. When he finally did, Obi-Wan laid him down on the bed and did the same with Leia.

Once Leia stopped crying, Obi-Wan put her down on the bed and gathered Padme in a hug. He rubbed her back soothingly as she cried. "I'll take care of Luke and Leia. Why don't you go have a cup of tea and just relax. Take some time for yourself."

"I don't really even know why I'm crying." Padme felt guilty for reacting like this to her own children.

"I do." Obi-Wan pulled back to look into Padme's eyes. He gently wiped the moisture from her face. "You've been through a lot lately. You've lost a lot. And you became the mother of not one, but two children."

Padme laughed sardonically. "I'm sure my fluxing hormones aren't helping."

"I figured I'd leave that unsaid." Obi-Wan gave Padme a small smile.

"Good choice."

Taking Padme's hand, Obi-Wan pulled her up from the bed. "Go on."

Padme glanced at her children, looking uncertain. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure." Obi-Wan took Padme by the shoulders and started steering her towards the door. "We'll be fine."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Padme walked down the hall from the kitchen area, having decided to walk around her new home after enjoying a cup of tea. She came up to the door to the meditation garden and paused. Obi-Wan had told her that Yoda had been planting diligently in there the last few days. She entered the large room, having the sudden desire to speak with the wise, old Jedi.

Yoda looked up from his soil perch. "Ah, Padme. Come, help me plant, hmm?"

Padme shook her head ruefully as she sat down next to Yoda. As usual, he seemed to have been expecting her. "I hear you've been busy in here."

"Calming, gardening is. Try it, you should." Yoda patted down the soil over his latest deposit of seeds. "Watching the younglings, Obi-Wan is, hmm?"

"Yes. I was having a rather bad afternoon and he relieved me of duty."

"A way with younglings, he has always had."

"Yes, I know." Padme studied the small Master, wondering how to phrase her question. "Master Yoda, do you…do you blame Obi-Wan for Anakin's fall?" She held her breath, readying herself to come to Obi-Wan's defense.

Yoda paused from his work with a heavy sigh. "Blame him, I do not."

Padme released her breath in abject relief. Obi-Wan's words of guilt had been eating at her. She had wondered if this diminutive Master had given Obi-Wan a reason to feel that way. Now she felt bad for even thinking it. She should have known better than that.

"Culpability, we all had to some degree. But Anakin's, the choices were."

"Obi-Wan blames himself, Master Yoda, for everything that's gone wrong. I've tried to tell him that it isn't his fault – and I think I was even able to help him see a bit of reason in that regard. But I can tell that the guilt is still there. I can see it in his eyes."

"Carry more than his share of blame, Obi-Wan always has. Part of his nature, it is." Yoda heaved another sigh as he stopped his work completely and faced Padme. "Blind he was, to a certain degree, about Anakin's faults. But to blame for them, he was not."

"I wish…" Padme ducked her head. "I don't want him to blame himself anymore."

"Love him, you do." It was a statement, not a question.

Padme's head popped up at that. "Yes. Very much."

Yoda nodded his head. "Help him, you can."

Those words encouraged Padme more than she could express. "Master Yoda, you once told me that if it were up to you, you would allow Obi-Wan a formal attachment." Padme drew in her courage and looked the tiny Jedi in the eye. "Does that still hold true?"

Yoda studied her for a moment. "It does." He placed his clawed hand upon hers. "But ready for that right now, he is not. Wounded, he is – as are you. Push him, you should not. Let go of his guilt and his grief, he must first."

"When the time is right, and if Obi-Wan so desires, will we have your blessing?"

"Have it, you will."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Padme now lay on a sofa in the large living area, thinking. She kept mulling over her conversation with Yoda. She felt immensely better knowing that he didn't hold Obi-Wan responsible for Anakin's fall. But most of all, she was excited beyond measure that he approved of a relationship between her and Obi-Wan.

Padme knew she had to be patient, but she was finding it hard to not want to push. She loved Obi-Wan so much! Ever since her time in the Temple, she had tried to imagine what her life would have been like had she been married to him instead of Anakin. When Anakin had made love to her, she had fantasized about that beautiful man who had greeted her wearing nothing but a damp towel her first day at the Temple. Her fantasies hadn't really been fair to Anakin, but it had been the only way she could cope.

Padme had lived for her almost daily com calls from Obi-Wan. He had become her dearest friend and her most trusted confidant. He made her laugh when he sensed she was down. He made her feel safe and at peace by his mere presence. She truly felt Obi-Wan was her soul mate. Padme thought back to what her mother had told her at the Temple – that the Force would not unveil her soul mate if they would never get to be together.

Now, here they were together. No Anakin, no Jedi Order. Yes, Padme was mourning Anakin's loss – not as a widow, but as a friend. Of course, she was mourning the loss of the Republic and the loss of the Jedi. But the loss of the Jedi was not near as personal or painful to her as it was to Obi-Wan. Yes, she was grieving, but it was a grief greatly helped by having the man she loved to lean on. Knowing that Obi-Wan wanted to be with her and share a life her would be the greatest comfort and joy of all.

Patience…Padme snorted. It was not her area of greatest strength. But she would try to be patient for Obi-Wan's sake. Better that than pushing too hard and thus pushing him away. Padme got up from the sofa and headed back towards her room. She had been gone for several hours now.

When Padme walked into the room, her steps slowed and her heart seemed to instantly expand. The room was dimly illuminated by the night light they always left on. Obi-Wan was asleep on the bed. Laying on his chest, side by side, were Luke and Leia, also asleep. Their tiny bodies were rising and falling with Obi-Wan's breaths. His hands were resting on each infant's back to keep them in place. The sheer beauty of the scene was enough to take Padme's breath away.

Padme quietly pulled one of the rocking chairs over towards the bed. She was determined to observe this wonderful image as long as she could, etching into her memory. Only as she sat did she notice R2D2 in the corner, watching over her loved ones like a sentinel. She smiled and nodded over at the droid, but immediately returned her focus to the occupants of the bed.

A while later, as Obi-Wan started to stir, Padme got up from the chair to greet him. She smiled down into groggy, blinking blue eyes. She couldn't resist running her fingers through his soft hair, brushing it back from his forehead. "Hi," she said softly.

"Hi." Obi-Wan smiled as Padme placed a kiss on his forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"Wonderful."

Obi-Wan raised his brow at the complete change in Padme's disposition. He could feel the joy radiating from her. That served to lift his spirits. "I'm glad." He glanced down at the bundles still asleep on his chest. "It doesn't appear that I'm going to be able to move anytime soon," he said ruefully.

"No, it doesn't." Padme pulled the rocking chair even closer to the bed before sitting down. She stroked the hand resting on Leia's back. Long fingers twined with hers. As those sky blue eyes locked onto hers, she had to start up her new mantra. Patience, patience, patience…