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After greeting her youngest grandchildren, Jobal pulled her daughter aside. "What was that about?"

Padme blinked at her mother in confusion. "What was what about?"

"The way you spoke to Obi-Wan."

"Mom, as glad as I am to have all of you here, doing what he wanted to do himself would have put him at too great a risk. I could have lost him to the emperor."

Jobal's eyes softened at the fear in Padme's eyes. "Honey, he did what he did because he loves you and because he wanted to do something to ease your grief and isolation."

"I know that, Mom. But why can't he understand what his risking himself does to me? Why can't he understand what losing him would do to me?"

Jobal placed her hand on her daughter's arm. "Do you hear yourself? You haven't mentioned the effects on him of doing nothing." She smiled at Padme's perplexed look. "Obi-Wan is a Jedi and a noble man, who's first inclination is to put the welfare of other's above his own. It's who he is. Don't ask him to be anything other than what he is, my dear. Trust me, it's the worst thing a woman can do."

Padme paused, letting her mother's words sink in. "I hurt him, didn't I?" She trusted and respected her mother's opinion more than almost any other.

"Yes, I think you did." Jobal pulled Padme into a sympathetic hug. "We've all done it – all wives throughout history have tried at some point to turn our husbands into an incarnation of our liking. I think it is part of our nature. But it's one that we need to try and temper."

Padme pulled away from her mother. "I need to go to him." She smiled a happy smile. "Thank you, Mom. I'm so glad you're here." She gave her mom a kiss before heading back to the hangar.

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Sensing Padme's presence, Obi-Wan paused from his work. He waited expectantly as she made her way across the hangar. R2D2 came out of the cargo hold of the ship and stopped when he saw Padme there. He made a series of sounds that indicated he was not happy with her.

Obi-Wan flashed the droid an exasperated look. "R2!"

Padme smiled at the droid. "It's okay, I deserve it. You did such a wonderful thing for me, Obi-Wan. Something that speaks volumes about who you are and how you show your love. And I didn't acknowledge that. I only reacted with the anger and the fear I felt at the risk you might have taken to accomplish it."

Padme closed the space between them and took Obi-Wan's hands in hers. "For that I truly apologize. I cannot tell you how happy I am to have my family with me again, nor how grateful I am to you for making one of the greatest wishes of my heart come true." She earnestly gazed up into his blue eyes. "Do you forgive me?"

Obi-Wan released Padme's hands and gently grasped her face. He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "Of course, I do." He pulled her into a hug and caressed her hair. "If you'll forgive me for not giving more consideration to how my actions might affect you."

"If you feel you must apologize, then I accept. But as my mother just pointed out to me, I can't expect you to be anything other than who you are. The man who thinks of other's before he thinks of himself, the man who is capable of so much compassion and thoughtfulness, who feels very little fear of what may happen to himself – that is the man I fell in love with. Though it may be hard for me to deal with at times, I wouldn't have you any other way."

Obi-Wan was awed by Padme's heartfelt words. "Thank you," he whispered.

Padme looked at all the crates and boxes stacked up on the hangar floor. "Does this have to be done tonight?"

"I suppose not. R2, we can always finish this tomorrow."

R2D2 beeped happily as he continued to work. Padme had apologized, Obi-Wan was happy and safe – all was right with the world.

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Obi-Wan and Padme entered the living area hand in hand. Everyone was still gathered there, happily playing with Luke and Leia. Even before they had entered the room, both Luke and Leia had focused all of their attention on the entryway. At the first sight of their father, they broke out in huge smiles and their arms strained to reach for him.

Sola and Jobal passed over their squirming bundles to Obi-Wan. Sola grinned at him. "They certainly missed you!"

"And I missed them." Obi-Wan kissed each child on the forehead, sending them tendrils of his love and affection through the Force. "How are my little ones?" Luke and Leia gurgled and smiled happily up at their daddy.

Obi-Wan looked over at Padme. "They've grown so much since I left."

"Yes, they have."

Obi-Wan's gaze moved to the small figure on the sofa nearby. "Master."

Yoda couldn't help but smile at the scene before him. "Obi-Wan." He was glad to see the young man so deservedly happy.

Obi-Wan moved over to where Padme was standing with her parents. "I need to speak with Master Yoda. Why don't you show your family where the empty rooms are and let them take their pick."

"Alright. We'll take Luke and Leia with us." The moment Padme and Jobal took the children out of Obi-Wan's hands they started wailing.

Jobal raised her voice to be heard over her crying grandchildren. "I don't think they're ready to be separated from their father just yet."

"It's okay." Obi-Wan pulled Luke and Leia back into his arms - immediately ceasing their crying. "They can stay with me." He soothed his children through the Force and spoke quietly to them. "Yes, you can stay with Daddy a while longer."

Sola approached the group, young Pooja in her arms. "I don't know about everyone else, but I'm really tired and looking forward to sleeping in a real bed again."

Padme gestured down the hall. "Come on. I'll show you to your rooms. We can take the grand tour of your new home tomorrow."

As everyone filed from the living area, Obi-Wan went and sat down on the sofa by Yoda. He settled Luke and Leia snuggly against his chest and secured them with his arms.

Yoda watched in amusement as the children almost immediately fell asleep – safe and content in their father's embrace. "Bonded with them, you have."

Obi-Wan glanced down at his slumbering children with a smile. "I guess I have. I am able to reach them through the Force rather easily."

"A confirmation, it was – their reaction to you tonight."

Trying to get more comfortable, Obi-Wan sunk further down into the cushions of the sofa. "They are both strong in the Force – Luke especially so." Just like Anakin.

Yoda studied Obi-Wan's face for a moment. "Your trip. How did it go?"

"I was able to get all the supplies we needed without any problems. As for my other goal, Senator Organa insisted on investigating on his own whether or not there was any concrete information on possible Jedi survivors. He didn't find any. After I told him about my contact with the emperor, he was set against my conducting any kind of search." Obi-Wan chuckled. "So was R2."

Yoda's ears had flattened against his head and his eyes had narrowed. "Contact with the emperor?"

Obi-Wan told Yoda everything about his contact with the emperor through the Force. He didn't leave any detail out of either encounter.

The small Master had a grim look on his face. "Greatly troubling, that is. Made Sidious incredibly powerful, The Dark Side has. Agree with Senator Organa's and R2's reaction, I do."

Obi-Wan sighed heavily. "I know. In retrospect, so do I. If I had gone to Naboo myself…"

"In the emperor's hands, you would now be."

"Yes."

"Give up, he will not."

"Wouldn't it just be easier for him to find some untrained Force user out there?"

"Easier, perhaps, but not better. Piqued his interest again, you have."

Obi-Wan snorted. "Only because I'm one of two Jedi left."

"No." Yoda place his clawed hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "Important, he knows you are…and powerful."

"I'm not all that powerful, Master. I'm nothing compared to you and I'm definitely nothing compared to what Anakin was."

Sometimes Obi-Wan's feelings of unworthiness were enough to frustrate even Yoda. "Distorted, your feelings on this matter are." There was a hint of rebuke in his tone. "Powerful you are, and even more powerful I foresee you becoming."

"More powerful?" Obi-Wan didn't think that was possible.

"Done learning, you think you are? Hmmphh! Learned all there is to learn in almost nine-hundred years, I have not!" Yoda closed his eyes and drew in the Force. "Your connection with the Force, in time, will grow even stronger – and along with that, your ability to wield it."

Obi-Wan mulled over his mentor's words. He had never thought his abilities extraordinary, and certainly had never thought them enough to gain the notice of the Sith. However, everyone now seemed to look at him and see some great destiny. But why was that vision eluding HIM?

Yoda answered the unspoken question in his own way. "Brought out feelings of guilt again, this trip did." He knew Obi-Wan too well to think the young man had let go of all his guilt.

"Yes, Master." Obi-Wan knew there was no point in trying to deny it. "I wanted so badly for there to be even one other Jedi who survived."

Yoda opened his sleepy eyes. "Exonerated, would you have felt?"

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and rested his head on the back of the sofa. "Partly,…maybe."

Yoda shook his head sadly. "Never, will you forgive yourself?"

"I will not wallow in the past, Master." Obi-Wan opened his eyes and focused on the diminutive Jedi. "But neither will I forget my role in what has befallen the galaxy."

"Of your own choosing, your role was not. Done well with the lot you've been given, you have. Finished with you, however, the Force is not." Yoda squeezed Obi-Wan's shoulder before climbing off the sofa and heading for his room.