Surprise! Because the last chapter was shorter than normal and I was a tad late on postage, here's Chapter 3! Thank you all again for your brilliant reviews, follows, and favorites.

CHAPTER 3

Obi-Wan stroked his beard as he attempted to understand all that the healer was saying. He stood in the hall outside of Anakin's room much as they had done for the past four days, waiting for the subtle changes in the knight's condition to result in consciousness. He glanced at Mace, who glanced down to Master Yoda as he tried to gauge their feelings toward the news. The elderly Jedi Grand Master had been meditating on the events on Coruscant since returning safely from Kashyyyk, though all he had said on the matter was in relation to a powerful shift in the Force. Even though he was here now, both Jedi Masters knew he was still contemplating everything that had taken place. Eyes closed, Yoda was silent, breathing evenly as the healer's words washed over them all.

From the first sign of hope, the healers had worked constantly, both through the Force and science alike, to determine Anakin's condition, and what they found was simultaneously astounding and worrisome. Since the birth of Anakin's twins almost four days ago now, Obi-Wan had taken Padmé's place by his former apprentice's side, feeling that if his wife's couldn't be the first face he saw, that a friendly one would be best. As the healer's assessment began to sink in, however, Obi-Wan wondered if his would even be familiar after all.

"You're saying that his mind is, what, in hibernation?" Mace Windu posed slowly. The healer nodded and addressed the gathered council members.

"From what we can sense, Master Skywalker's physical brain is intact. It is his consciousness, his mind that is fragmented. The majority of his working mind, as far as we can tell with him still unconscious, has gone into a sort of stasis, tucked away in his memory center, allowing it to heal itself, which it has been, just not as quickly as we would like. On the night of his encounter with the Sith, it's almost as if bits of his mind, his memory, possibly even his personality, were ripped violently away, hence the fragmentation and need for mental repair."

Obi-Wan clenched his jaw as the impact of Anakin's status settled over him, and the rest of the Council shared glances between each other, varying from understanding to slow comprehension. Obi-Wan faced the healer once more, pained to voice what he had gleaned for fear of it becoming real.

"So, when he awakens, he may not remember any of us?"

The healer sighed in compassion, and her eyes spoke of volumes more than the master's assessment. "He may not even remember his own name, Master Kenobi," she said sadly.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and dropped his head, the low murmurs of his fellow Jedi fading as his thoughts turned to Padmé and the children Anakin might never know. Though he had only seen them once since their birth, choosing to accept that he knew nothing about babies at all and to allow Padmé to adjust without his inexperience hindering her and her aids, it was clear to even the casual observer whose twins they were.

Leia was her mother's daughter, but her strong, demanding lungs loudly solidified the basis of her determined personality, and though her darkening eyes and slightly fair skin were her mother's, Leia's disposition was all Anakin. The small brown curls already forming on her chocolate brown head of hair were a testament to Padmé's own, and she was beautiful. Even at her incredibly young age, there was deep thought and interest in Leia's eyes, gazing at Obi-Wan and her mother with intelligence and curiosity, and both knew she would reflect Padmé in just about every sense as she got older.

It was Luke, though, who stole the Jedi Master's heart and helped to heal the hole still left by the baby's healing father. Already sporting a tuft of blonde on the top of his head along with Anakin's complexion, Luke was calm, collected, and clearly took after his mother in temperament. His already crystal clear eyes were trademark Skywalker blue, and his Force presence rivaled that of his Jedi father. But underneath it all, Obi-Wan could already sense an inherent light and sweetness from the tiny boy, and he knew that, if his parents permitted it, Luke could become a great Jedi, a fact that endeared the infant to Obi-Wan even more.

"That is not to say there isn't hope." The healer's words pulled Obi-Wan from his musings, and the female Jedi continued. "Even if at the moment his mind is in healing, when he wakes up we may be able to start rehabilitation to help his memories return, bring them out of their hibernation, so to speak." Obi-Wan turned back to her.

"So, he could still be who he once was?" The healer perked up.

"That, Master Kenobi, is why we have asked you all here. The most remarkable aspect out of all of this isn't what's there in Anakin's head, but rather what is missing."

"What do you mean?" Mace spoke up.

"Remember the missing pieces I spoke of, the cause of his mental fragmentation?" The masters nodded. "When we were first examining Master Skywalker, the only conclusion we could come to is that his mind, his very essence, had been purged of something, something amplified by outside sources that made it far more than it was ever supposed to be. In looking into his mind now, after his encounter with the Sith, the piece that's missing is…"

"The Dark Side."

The hall fell silent as the revered grand master finally spoke. All eyes turned downward as Yoda opened his eyes and looked up to the healer. "Purged of the darkness, young Skywalker has become," he stated.

The healer nodded in awe. "Yes, Master."

Yoda hummed in his throat as Obi-Wan knelt to his level. "Clouded by the Dark Side, Anakin's future has always been. An influence and manipulation by Darth Sidious, I believe this to be. Powerful, young Skywalker is. Desired him as his apprentice, Sidious did."

Over his shoulder, Obi-Wan felt Mace nod. "Before Anakin killed him, the Chancellor did mention something like that, something about having Anakin by his side."

"Hmm," Yoda agreed. "Played to Anakin's fears, desires, to his ego, Sidious did, from the time he was first made your apprentice, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan shook his head in sadness. "I had a feeling his relationship with Anakin was sinister. Every time Anakin came back from visiting with him, his frustration and bitterness toward the Jedi were stronger than normal… and I did nothing," he lamented, allowing his head to fall. Yoda's small yet firm hand on his shoulder brought Obi-Wan back to him.

"Blame yourself, you should not, Obi-Wan. A testament to Sidious' power in the Dark Side, our inability to help Skywalker is."

"Master," Ki-Adi-Mundi drew Yoda's eyes upward, "is it perhaps this dark influence that made Skywalker untrustworthy?"

"More than likely, a certainty, it is," Yoda acknowledged.

"But Skywalker proved that we were correct in our mistrust," Eeth Koth suddenly burst. "He consorts with a Senator, marries her, and hides it from the Council during a galactic conflict, a grievous violation of the Code. These are not the trappings of a redeemable Jedi, and I say he should be expelled regardless!"

Before Obi-Wan could rise to his feet to defend his pupil and friend, Yoda stayed his act. "A separate issue, Skywalker's romantic transgressions are, Master Koth," he intoned peacefully. "His attachments, not of the Dark Side. Saved us all, even with emotional ties, Anakin has. Recognized and held above all else, this must be."

Obi-Wan nodded even as Koth sighed and shook his head, a sentiment echoed by at least two of the remaining masters. Yoda locked eyes with Mace Windu, and the dark skinned master held the probing gaze. "In the Chancellor's office, a disturbance you said you felt, Master Windu."

Mace closed his eyes and Obi-Wan felt the master digging deep into his sensual memory before acknowledging the question. "In the most basic sense, that is what I would call it." Yoda nodded. "Just before Skywalker became incapacitated, I sensed a pulse of Light energy, an energy that had hung around him since he entered the room, though it was tinged by darkness as it always was. Once he fell and Sidious attacked, I don't know what happened. But, when Anakin faced Sidious again, saving my life, there was nothing but the brightest Light energy I have ever felt, no darkness at all."

"Hmm, the will of the Force, Skywalker's triumph was."

"Then hopefully the Force will help him heal," the healer voiced. "But we won't know any more until…"

The swish of the door opening silenced them all as the other healer emerged from Anakin's room and hurriedly pulled his female colleague to the side. As they whispered in hurried debate, Obi-Wan stood and watched them, sensing happiness laced with trepidation and uncertainty over something. Drawing into the Force for strength at the mixed emotions radiating from both healers, Obi-Wan whispered for good news as the female healer turned to him.

"Master Skywalker is awake."

The immense sense of relief flooding the Force at her announcement was palpable, and even the youngest padawan could have felt it and known calm. All the masters remained silent, however, choosing to share approving, relieved glances between each other. The healer held Obi-Wan's gaze, and he could sense that there was more, and an intense feeling of anxiety flooded his veins that caused his heart to pound as she bowed to Master Yoda in respect.

"Masters, I need to speak with Master Kenobi. We will inform the Council of his condition soon."

Yoda, intuitive Jedi that he was, understood immediately, and with a tap of his gimmer stick, he led what was left of the Council out of the healers' way. As the contingent of Jedi made their way down the hall and out of sight, Obi-Wan closed the distance between he and the healer as she led him slowly toward the closed door of Anakin's room. He waited for her to speak, knowing any questions he had would be in vain.

"He seems physically all right, Master Kenobi," she finally said. "He's sitting up, his vitals and presence are fine, but we sense a great deal of confusion and unease within him."

With a nod, Obi-Wan stretched out with his feelings and confirmed for himself the underlying meaning of her statement. "He doesn't know where he is, I can sense it, too."

"We're hoping that, perhaps you might be able to help him, if not simply reassure him that he is safe."

"Of course." The healer nodded. As she placed her hand to the door she paused and glanced up at the anxious Jedi master. "Remember, Master Kenobi, he is not himself, and he may not know you." Obi-Wan swallowed past the growing lump in his throat as he acknowledged her warning, and she opened the door.

Obi-Wan steeled his nerves as two innocent, lost, confused eyes met his at his entrance. The master felt as if he were flashing back to the past as those two eyes simply stared, unmoving, waiting for a move to be made while sitting on the edge of a knife. They were the eyes of his young student somehow housed in his brother's battle scarred, twenty-three year old face, and they were uncomfortably uneasy. The two stared at each other, each gaze filled with a different kind of caution, and Obi-Wan dared not step forward for fear of what Anakin's poor disoriented mind could tell him to do. Instead, as the healer moved to her colleague in the corner of the room, Obi-Wan simply held out his empty hands toward Anakin, a move that received no reaction.

"Anakin?" he said softly, allowing Anakin to see his emotion for one of the only times in his life as his Jedi Master. Anakin held his gaze, unmoving, but he clenched his jaw unconsciously in a very Anakin way. "Welcome back to the land of the living, my friend," Obi-Wan said gently. "I'm so happy to see you're awake. We've been worried about you."

Anakin blinked quickly and looked down at his hands in his lap, and Obi-Wan watched him fidget like he hadn't done since he was a boy. The young man stayed silent, picking at the healer's blanket with eyes so downcast that his old master could no longer read them. Obi-Wan looked at the female healer and she nodded in encouragement. He lowered his hands.

"You're at the Temple, Anakin, you were brought here after you defeated Darth Sidious. The healers have been taking excellent care of you. I'd say it's about time, old friend. That was some nap you took." Still nothing but silence, so Obi-Wan tried another, more personal tactic. "I've missed you, Anakin. When I heard what you did, I came as soon as I could." Obi-Wan took a slow step toward the figure on the bed, and Anakin eyed his boots before raising the same innocent eyes to his masters'. "You're a hero, Anakin, and I am very proud of you. You saved the galaxy."

Almost imperceptibly, Anakin's eyes went unfocused, glazing over as Obi-Wan continued to speak, taking another small step closer to him. "I thought I'd lost you for a while there, we all did."

Obi-Wan took one more step, putting him almost at Anakin's bedside, and his wounded heart took another pound as Anakin's eyes came back from wherever they'd been and he looked upon his master with anguish and fear, moving an inch away and beginning to coil in on himself. The healers stopped their discussion but made no move, and Obi-Wan glanced from them to Anakin. "Anakin, it's all right. It's me." Another step, another inch back, and Obi-Wan saw a tear make its way down Anakin's cheek. "It's Obi-Wan. Nothing's going to hurt you."

More swiftly than before, Anakin moved away, and though even sitting down his friend would normally tower over him, at the moment Obi-Wan felt like the giant as Anakin tucked his knees into his chest. He slowly began to shake his head as he closed his eyes tight, squeezing unshed tears down his face and onto the blanket as his hands came to his ears as if to shut out something unheard. Obi-Wan looked again at the healers, but they were just as perplexed as he was. Feeling as though he had nothing left to lose, and with no more words to offer his struggling friend, Obi-Wan reached into the Force and slowly touched Anakin's mind.

Obi-Wan gasped as a swirling mess of voices flooded his senses, and a mess was the kind word for what he was experiencing. There was no order, no pattern, nothing to suggest a way to unravel the hodgepodge of intensely emotional noise that reverberated through Anakin's head. There was shouting, screaming, cries of Anakin's name, and underneath everything, a crackling fire that burned unlike anything he'd ever felt before. Obi-Wan pushed deeper, seeking a root to the voices, something to pull Anakin into sanity, anything to stem the chaos. As he gently probed through it all, one phrase punctuated by the hum of a descending lightsaber became a constant thrum, a deafening rhythm screaming of pain, betrayal, and resolve.

"You were my brother, Anakin!"

The voice was his.

With an animalistic howl, Obi-Wan found himself extracted violently from his friend's mind and thrown across the room, hitting the wall with a hard crack, the back of his head immediately erupting in pain. Holding his head, his hand coming away wet and crimson, Obi-Wan looked up to see Anakin still holding his head in his shivering hands, rocking back and forth on the bed, tears streaming down his face as he continued to whimper and groan. The healers jumped into action, moving to tend to both Jedi at once. The female healer helped Obi-Wan to his feet, but the master kept his eyes trained on his anguished brother. Almost as if he felt his gaze, Anakin lifted his eyes to Obi-Wan's, tears flooding the blue orbs as he screamed out in torment. As the healer led him out, Obi-Wan's last glimpse of his lost friend was the male healer putting his hand to Anakin's forehead while simultaneously injecting him with a sedative, and the screaming stopped as Anakin fell limp onto the bed.