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Padme sat in the living area on one of the sofas, sipping her tea. Obi-Wan was laying on the floor with Luke and Leia, keeping them entertained. Yoda was sitting beside them, helping in Obi-Wan's task. It had been more than two months now since Obi-Wan started meditating again. Obi-Wan was doing a lot better. The melancholy that had often enshrouded him had lessened considerably. There seemed to be more and more moments of genuine happiness.
Padme reflected on her own journey to healing. She had grieved over her own losses, but that grief had been eased by the presence of Obi-Wan, her beautiful children and Master Yoda. She still felt the loss, of course, but was coming to accept her new life here. Despite that, her frustration was growing.
Yoda seemed to follow her train of thought. He gave Padme a knowing look, but quickly returned his attention to Luke and Leia.
Focusing on the source of her frustration, Padme firmed her resolve. She and Obi-Wan needed to have a conversation – and today was the day. She had been patient long enough! Obi-Wan seemed to be getting everything resolved within himself, except the status of their relationship. He had not made one move to advance their relationship beyond that of deep friendship. Not knowing what Obi-Wan wanted or if he was even willing to entertain the idea of a full-blown romantic relationship with her, along with having to stifle her ever-growing sexual attraction to him, was beginning to drive her to distraction!
Obi-Wan turned his attention to Padme. "They're getting hungry."
Placing her tea cup on the end table, Padme got up to collect Luke. "Let's take them back to our room. It's almost their nap time, anyway."
Yoda got up from the floor with a grunt. "Go meditate, I will."
"We'll see you later, Master." Obi-Wan gathered up the toys in the blanket and then scooped Leia into his arms. "I can't believe how quickly they're growing!"
"I know. Me either." Luke was certainly getting noticeably heavier. After entering their room, Padme put Luke down on the bed. Obi-Wan watched over both babies as she made up two bottles. She was in the process of transitioning Luke and Leia fully to formula.
Once the babies were fed and sound asleep in their cribs, Padme went and sat down on the bed. She patted the spot next to her. "Obi-Wan, we need to talk."
Obi-Wan noted the serious look on Padme's face. That sentence was never a good beginning to a conversation. He sat down next to Padme, wondering what might be coming.
"Do you love me?"
Obi-Wan was caught off guard by the directness of the question. Now was the moment of truth. He had never expressed it to her verbally before. "Yes, I do."
"And I love you, Obi-Wan, very much." Padme took hold of his hands. "You're my dearest friend, and I value our friendship." She took a deep breath. "But I want more. I want to share everything with you. I want to be with you in every way possible."
Obi-Wan was suddenly uncomfortable. "But Anakin has only been gone three months."
"Yes, but I've loved you and wanted to be with you much longer than that. There was a time when I thought it was impossible for us to ever be together. Now, here we are. I think the Force has blessed us with this opportunity to share our lives. My question is this…Do you want that? And if you do, are you willing to let yourself have it?"
Obi-Wan didn't know how to answer her. Yes, he loved Padme. Yes, he wanted to share his life with her. But…
Padme could see the conflict in Obi-Wan's eyes. "Before you give me your answer, I want you to talk with Master Yoda. Feel free to tell him what I have asked you." She squeezed his hand, sensing his hesitation. "Please?"
"Okay, Padme, I'll go talk with him." Obi-Wan got up from the bed. With one last glance at her, he headed out the door.
Padme fell back on the bed. "It's up to you, Master Yoda." She worked to calm her palpitating heart. Please, Obi-Wan! Go with your heart!
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Yoda opened his door and gestured Obi-Wan in. "Tea, would you like?"
"No, thank you, Master."
"Conflicted, you are."
"Yes, Master." Obi-Wan's hand twitched in agitation as he moved about the room. He stopped, took a deep breath and opened himself to the Force.
Yoda sat down in one of his chairs and waited patiently while Obi-Wan centered himself.
When Obi-Wan felt calmer, he sat down in the other chair. "Padme has asked me…That is, she has expressed…" He took another deep breath. "She wants us to be romantically involved."
Yoda had to keep himself from smiling. "Ah. What feel you about that?"
"You don't seem very surprised by this."
"Surprised, I am not. However, a question I asked you."
Obi-Wan knew that now was the time for complete honesty. "I love her, Master. I have since our time together at the Temple."
"Deal with that, how did you?"
"I allowed our friendship to deepen, considerably. Probably too much. But I knew I could not go beyond that."
"Get a sense from the Force about your feelings, did you?"
Obi-Wan studied the diminutive Master. As usual, his face and his feelings were inscrutable. "On my way to Fembrak, I got a rather surprising sense from the Force. I didn't feel chastised in any way, as I expected. Instead, I was reminded that everything happens for a reason – including the love I felt for Padme."
"More to it, there is. Love you, Padme does, as well," Yoda said with certainty. "Why so conflicted, are you?"
"Why? Padme wants an attachment, Master – a formalized attachment. What about the Code?"
"Perhaps, revised the Code should be."
Obi-Wan's eyes widened. Yoda was willing to revise the Code?
"Do your duty, despite an attachment, I know you would."
"You would accept a permanent relationship between me and Padme?"
"Accept it, even encourage it, I would. Knew I did, since Padme's time at the Temple, that entwined your futures were. Complete each other, you do. Need each other, you do."
Obi-Wan was at a loss for words. He never guessed that Yoda would encourage an attachment outside of the Jedi Order. Could this be what the Force was preparing him and Padme for since her time at the Temple?
"So surprised, you should not be. The utmost trust in you, your fellow Jedi have always had."
"Thank you, Master." Obi-Wan bowed his head. He had always been so humbled by the level of trust bestowed upon him by his Jedi comrades. He felt quite unworthy of it, even as he treasured it.
"Completely satisfy your conflict, that does not. What else troubles you, hmm?"
Yoda knew him too well. Obi-Wan swiped his fingers through his hair. "It's Anakin. Isn't it hypocritical of me to engage in an attachment with Padme, when I felt so betrayed by his attachment to her?"
"Hypocritical, it is not. Completely different, the situation is. Hiding a formal attachment from me, while pretending to be a committed Jedi, you are not. Disciplined and dedicated you are, in a way Anakin was not. Rebellious and disobedient, you are not." Yoda leaned forward in his chair. "Let Anakin go, you must. Time, it is, to get on with your life."
Yoda was right. It WAS time to start getting on with life again. Maybe this could be a new beginning for the Jedi Order, for him and for Padme. He had the workings of the Force and the encouragement of Yoda. What more could he ask?
"Known you, I have, since the first day you came to the Temple, thirty-eight years ago. Knew I did, that important to the Order, you would be. Ready, are you, to accept your destiny and lead the Jedi Order into the future?"
"Lead? But Master, you're…"
"Almost nine-hundred years old. Live forever, I will not."
The last thing Obi-Wan wanted to think about was losing Yoda! "Well, personally, I'd like for you to make it to one-thousand."
Yoda chuckled as he got down from his chair. "Record, that would be for my race." He placed a clawed hand on Obi-Wan's knee. "Go to Padme, you should. My blessing, you have."
Obi-Wan placed his hand over Yoda's. "Thank you, Master." He got up and quickly headed out the door.