Disclaimer: Not mine, they all belong to GL. I'm just messing with the movie
to my own liking!

Notes: Continuing on in my "Meeting Again" series. This story gets a plot as
well as romance from here on out! Oh my!

Missing Parts: Star Crossed Souls:
http://www.dreamwater.net/sydsvaughn/obiwan.html

~~~~~~~~

Padme sighed, trying not to laugh at Anakin's obvious attempts to impress her
by levitating various pieces of fruit around the table. Really, it was a
sweet gesture, but her mind was otherwise occupied.

She felt a blush rise in her cheeks as the images of her dream last night
swamped her mind. A sensuous, delicious, definitely forbidden dream, but
wonderfully satisfying all the same.

"Padme, what are you thinking?"

She jumped at Anakin's voice, quickly masking her thoughts, knowing the last
thing she needed was to have to explain to him why she'd been thinking about
an imagined erotic encounter with his master.

"Just wondering how long we will have to remain here, or how long it will be
before another attempt is made on my life," she managed, seeing his eyes
darken in concern.

"Do you find spending time with me so uncomfortable?"

She sighed at the question, trying to find an answer that would not offend
him, yet not encourage him.

"It's not that I don't enjoy being with you and Obi-Wan, but I am anxious to
get back to work. I have an entire planet depending on me, and I hate not
being able to do more than sit around and wait for someone else to make a
move," she finished, knowing at least in that, she spoke the truth.

"I understand, but Padme, we have to be sure you are safe, I will not take
any chances with your life," he murmured, his eyes going dark again in the
familiar way she had learned meant he was going to say something romantic.

"I know that, and I trust my life to you both, speaking of whom, where is
your master this morning?" she managed, hoping the diversionary tactic would
work. She sensed the frustration in the young man's demeanor at the
deliberate change of subject, but breathed a sigh of relief as he seemed
unwilling to press the matter.

"He woke early and went for a walk, said something about needing to clear his
mind and figure out what to do," he suddenly stopped, his eyes going dark and
his hands clenching into fists.

"Anakin? What's wrong? Is it Obi-Wan?" she asked, afraid something had
happened as she noted the look of agony in his eyes.

"My mother," he finally whispered, rising and striding towards the balcony,
anger and fear resonating off his body.

She quickly followed, now concerned for her friend.

"What's wrong? Another dream?" she asked quietly, watching as his back
stiffened.

"Master Obi-Wan should learn to mind his own business," he muttered, staring
off into the morning light.

Padme sighed.

"He's worried about you Ani, he loves you like a son, and when you're haunted
by these dreams, it worries him," she tried to pacify him, stopping as he
whirled to face her, a look of anger on his features.

"It only worries him because he thinks it will deter my Jedi training! He
doesn't care about my feelings, the fact that my mother is out there,
obviously in pain. He doesn't know about loving someone so much it physically
hurts, and he never will!"

Padme stepped back at the outburst, fear and surprise in her gaze as she felt
the rage flowing off him in waves. She had never heard him speak so of
Obi-Wan and it frightened her to see what appeared to be a well of anger
towards his master.

"Ani, what are you saying, you know Obi-Wan cares about you, you know he
loves you like a son," she tried again, only to be cut off by another
outburst.

"Obi-Wan loves duty, not people, not things. He is so damned determined to do
his duty, he has blinded himself to everything, including love. And it's his
loss, because he will never know how it feels. He'll die a lonely old man,
unloved and unremembered," he muttered bitterly, turning away from her and
looking back into the sun.

Padme felt something shift in her heart at his words, wanting to believe the
pain and agony of his dreams were coloring them. But something inside her
heart turned dark, realizing the young man before her was already well on his
way down a dark path.

It frightened her more than she cared to admit.

She wondered what to say, knowing no matter what words she came up with,
Anakin was in no mood to listen. She found herself wishing Obi-Wan were
there, knowing he must have some wisdom on how to deal with his angry padawan.

She started as Anakin suddenly turned to face her, his eyes clearing and his
hands unclenching.

"I am sorry Padme, I didn't mean to frighten you, I just, I don't know what
to do about my mother," he whispered, the sad, lonely little boy once again
reappearing.

Sighing, she motioned for him to sit on one of the chairs, taking a seat
beside him.

"What do these dreams tell you?" she asked, hoping maybe if he talked about
them, his anger would dissipate. She sighed in relief as he began to talk,
although his words brought her no comfort.

"I sense she is in great pain. Something is wrong, something has happened to
her. I need to go to her, I need to save her," he whispered brokenly, a tear
slipping down his cheek.

Padme felt her heart soften as she reached out to take his hand.

"Anakin, you have no idea where she is, you might never find her," she began,
only to be stopped by his words again.

"I know I can find her. I'm connected to her, she's my mother and I love her!
She shouldn't have to suffer that much pain, not when I could save her," he
cried heatedly, his hand unconsciously tightening on hers.

She sighed, wishing again that Obi-Wan were here, needing his guidance to
help Anakin through this pain.

"But if you leave, if you go to try and find her, help her, you'll be
breaking your orders from the Council, leaving your training, jeopardizing
your future," she managed, stopping as he jerked his hand from hers and rose,
striding over to the balcony and gripping the ledge tightly.

"What future can I have if I am always wondering what happened to her?
Knowing that I could have saved her, but I didn't? Jedi are not supposed to
love, I know this, but I cannot accept it! I have to do something Padme, I
have to," he finished in a whisper.

She sighed, knowing nothing she said would register, deciding saying nothing
was best.

When she remained silent, she saw his shoulders straighten as he turned back
to her.

"Padme, please do not say anything about this to my master," he stated more
than asked.

"But Anakin, he might be able to help you," she tried, stopping as his eyes
flashed and his voice grew angry.

"Not a word Padme. I don't want him to know how I feel, not yet. Besides, I
am just angry and upset, it will pass," he managed, trying a smile to soften
the harshness of his words.

But she had seen the steely determination he had tried to mask in his eyes.
She had a very bad feeling that something deeper was going on, that Anakin
had his own plans, and they did not involve his master.

"I won't say anything at the moment Anakin, but please, consider telling him
how you feel, I'd hate to see this come between you," she replied, seeing his
eyes flash once more, then calm.

"So it is settled," he stated with finality, his eyes again taking on a
boyish light, all traces of anger gone. "Let's go for a walk, I'm feeling the
need for some air and you could use some color in your cheeks," he offered,
holding out a hand as if the past conversation had never happened.

Pushing her trepidation down, she took his offered hand, making a mental note
to talk to Obi-Wan later about her fears. For the moment, she suspected her
best course of action was to try and keep Anakin's mind off his dreams and
his desire to find his mother.

But a veil of fear had descended over her heart.

~~~~~~~~~~

Obi-Wan sighed as he looked up at the Naboo sky. He'd spent the past two
hours sitting in the middle of this field, trying to clear his thoughts and
rid his mind of the images that haunted his dreams.

But all he could see was her beautiful face, lost in the throes of passion,
hear her voice crying out his name in ecstasy.

Cursing his wayward mind, he called upon the Force to help purge the images,
knowing he needed to focus on finding who was after Padme, and getting
Anakin's mind back on his training.

He frowned as he remembered the dreams his padawan kept at bay nightly,
sensing there was more to them than he had imagined. He worried now what
Anakin might do if those dreams became too overpowering. Coupled with his
growing frustration over Padme's feelings, it was a recipe for disaster.

Sighing, he decided to walk back, knowing Anakin and Padme would be wondering
where he had been. As he walked, he let the calming power of the Force wash
over him, showing him what he had to do. These feelings for Padme must be
pushed aside while he concentrated on protecting her and training Anakin.

Several minutes later he spotted the objects of his thoughts wandering across
the field in his direction.

He cursed himself as his heart leap to his throat as he heard Padme's soft
laughter ring out at something Anakin had said. His eyes took in the sundress
she wore, which bared most of her shoulders and back to the gentle heat of
the late morning sun. He felt his body immediately tighten, remembering how
he had watched her last night.

Not good.

Forcing those thoughts down, he concentrated on clearing his mind, knowing he
needed to have all his wits about him to hide these feelings from both Padme
and Anakin.

"There you are Master Kenobi, we were wondering what happened to you!"

He smiled to himself as he saw Anakin shoot him a frustrated look, realizing
that the boy was not exactly happy to see him. His padawan had obviously been
hoping for time alone with Padme, time that she seemed anxious to avoid.

Sighing, he decided to rescue her again, unable to resist the plea he could
clearly read in her gaze.

~~~~~~~~~~

Padme felt her heart leap to her throat as she spotted Obi-Wan walking
towards them across the field. She couldn't stop the pounding of her heart as
she immediately flashed back to her dreams of the night before.

His confident stance showed off his muscled chest and arms, his reddish gold
hair waving in the mid-morning breeze. His eyes were nearly the color of the
sky as she stared into them, allowing herself for one brief moment to get
lost in his gaze.

"Master, you have been meditating?"

She jumped at Anakin's voice, hearing the annoyance in it, sighing as she
realized he was not happy to see his master, most obviously because he'd
wanted to be alone with her.

But she was relieved to see Obi-Wan, hoping he would see the plea in her eyes
to not be left alone with Anakin. They had only been walking for ten minutes,
but already Anakin was turning romantic, and she was doing her best to
discourage him.

"Yes I have my young padawan, and unfortunately, the Force has provided no
immediate answers, but I am sure those will come in time," he mused, sending
a gentle smile her way.

Padme swallowed hard, trying to keep her wavering emotions in check.

"Well, sooner or later this assassin will make his or her move and then,
we'll have something to go on," Anakin offered helpfully as his master sighed.

"But that is what worries me," Obi-Wan mused, turning to fall into step with
them. "He has not made a move yet, which makes me wonder if he knows Padme is
not on Corusant," he mused.

Padme felt a slight shiver run through her at the words. She didn't like
knowing someone out there wanted her dead. It frightened her even more to
think this assassin might be aware of their deception.

"Do not worry Padme, we will protect you should he try anything," Obi-Wan
offered, careful not to stare too long into her beautiful brown eyes. She had
a knack for capturing his gaze and not letting it go.

"I know that, I worry for my people, and my handmaiden Dorme," she mused,
allowing the worry she'd pushed to the back of her mind to finally surface.

"Well, if something had happened, the council surely would have contacted
us," Anakin
stated with confidence.

"I know, but I still can't help but worry," she replied, feeling the
impending gloom of her current situation set in.

Obi-Wan sighed, able to sense her feelings, knowing she worried and wishing
he could eliminate her fears. Unfortunately, he couldn't. But he could surely
do something to take her mind off their problems.

"Well, we will do no good worrying about what events the Force has set in
motion, so I propose we spend the day exploring some of your woods and
valleys here and attempt to forget about everything," he offered, smiling as
her eyes lit up and even Anakin's spirit seemed to lift.

"An excellent idea Master, and I know just where to go," Anakin chimed in,
grabbing Padme's hand and pulling her with him across the field.

Padme sighed, shooting a glance back at Obi-Wan, feeling her breath catch as
she noted the flash of emotion in his eyes. It gave her hope that maybe her
dreams had not just been hers alone.

"Come on, you're moving too slow!"

Sighing, she turned back to Anakin, glad Obi-Wan was following behind.
Something told her it was going to be a long afternoon.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that evening found all three sitting around the fire, relaxing after an
afternoon spent exploring the forest. Much to Padme's surprise, she had had a
wonderful time, thanks in part to the easygoing camaraderie between master
and padawan. After Anakin's outburst that morning, she was worried how things
would be between them.

But the two had settled into their familiar master/padawan routine, keeping
her amused with their verbal and lightsaber sparring, not to mention their
knowledge about plant and animal life. She knew she shouldn't be surprised at
how smart the Jedi were, trained in almost every aspect of culture and life,
but their knowledge still amazed and awed her.

The three had returned tired and hungry, and after consuming a huge meal,
were now talking quietly about what would happen when and if her assassin
attempted to make a move.

Well, Anakin and Obi-Wan were arguing in their normal way over how to handle
the situation. She was simply sitting back, enjoying watching them spar.
Although she had to admit, her gaze kept going back to Obi-Wan, memorizing
his features and expressions.

His face expressed so many emotions. Laughter, frustration, excitement and
most of all love for his padawan. No matter how annoying or irritating Anakin
got, Obi-Wan always seemed to know how to calm him down, a wry twinkle in his
eyes and a sarcastic or heartfelt word of advice that Anakin seemed to take
with a grain of salt.

She found her mind wandering as she watched, imagining herself in the
master's arms, held tightly against his body as he planted kisses across her
neck and shoulders. Could feel his lips on hers, his hands running over her
body, caressing places she'd only dreamed about.

"Padme, are you all right, you look flushed."

She jumped at Anakin's words, feeling the heat in her cheeks burn a little
more as she tried to avoid Obi-Wan's curious gaze.

"I'm fine Ani, just very, very tired," she managed, a yawn accompanying the
words as she realized how true they were.

"It has been a long day, perhaps it is time to retire," Obi-Wan chimed in,
watching as Padme continued to avoid his gaze.

He'd been watching her surreptitiously all evening, unable it seemed to tear
his eyes from her. She was beautiful, skin glowing in the firelight, a smile
on her lips and in her eyes.

Despite his vow of earlier, he found himself imagining what she would look
like in his arms, or better yet, in his bed. The image of her writhing
against him, her hands on his skin, her lips locked on his, soft moans of his
name coming from deep in her throat.

Shaking himself back into the present, he noted Anakin was again annoyed that
Padme was not paying much attention to him. He felt a slight quickening of
his heart as he realized it was because she was surreptitiously staring at
him. He'd caught her glances, and with a few unobtrusive mind probes, been
able to see that she was imagining much the same scenario he was.

The knowledge only served to harden his already aroused body, creating a
sweet agony that he knew could not be relieved any other way than by taking
her in his arms. But that he could not do, for fear of his padawan's emotions.

Sighing, he watched as she made her excuses, and with a few more secretive
looks at him, left the room quickly. It was probably for the best, since he
was not sure how much longer he could restrain himself from grabbing her and
proving that reality could be so much better than dreams.

"Master, why can she not seem to see how I feel about her?"

He started at Anakin's words, turning his attention to his apprentice, not
sure how to respond without angering him, but knowing he must speak the truth.

"I do not think it is a question of her feelings, but more her obligations
and duties and yours," he began, continuing before he could interrupt. "You
know your duty is to the Jedi Order. Be mindful of your feelings for her,
they can lead to the Darkside," he finished carefully, hoping his words had
gotten through.

"I know where my duty lies, but I don't know if I can follow it without Padme
by my side," his padwan replied. "She is exquisite. Every time I am with her,
it's breathtaking, I don't know anything more than that I want to be with her
forever," he continued, striding towards the window and staring out into the
night. "I know she could feel the same if she would just let herself, I know
it!" he finished, missing his master's solemn expression.

Obi-Wan sighed, knowing that it was doubtful Padme would ever return those
feelings, especially if she had such a strong desire for him. He felt a small
sense of pride that it was he Padme wanted, not Anakin. But he quickly pushed
that thought down, knowing it would be very bad if Anakin caught hold of it.

"Padawan, you cannot make someone feel something they do not. If she loves
you, she loves you, and if not, then you are better off. Love is a
distraction we do not need in these times," he replied, despite knowing part
of him did not believe his own words.

Love was a distraction, passion was frowned upon by the Jedi. But he could
not deny, like Anakin, he found himself longing for the right to lose himself
in Padme's deep dark eyes, to explore the world of desire he felt simmering
between them but was helpless to act on.

"I would rather be distracted and have her love than live a lifetime without
it," his padawan replied fiercely, hands clenched into fists at his side.

Obi-Wan sighed, knowing no words would make a difference when Anakin was in
such a mood.

"Why don't you try and sleep, you'll see things differently in the morning,
on a clear head," he offered, sighing as Anakin shot him a wry glance.

"Sleep has become more of a prison for me lately," he muttered before bidding
him good-night and stalking from the room.

Obi-Wan watched him go, a frown of concern on his face as he realized his
padawan was falling more and more off track in his quest to become a Jedi
Knight. He knew the signs, saw them clearly in his young apprentice. Which
meant he must be even more diligent in his training and instruction.

Sighing, he pushed the worry to the back of his mind, striding from the room
and directly to his own.

But still, the worry lingered.

~~~~~~~

Notes, disclaimers and such in Part 1

~~~~~~

Padme sighed as she felt the cool touch of a hand on her shoulder. She was
having another lovely dream about Obi-Wan, wrapped in his arms as his lips
did skillful things to her body, making her cry out his name in ecstasy.

"Padme, Padme, wake up!"

She frowned in her sleep, realizing the voice was not her imaginary lover's
but Anakin's.

Why was Anakin suddenly invading her lovely dreams?

"Padme, please!"

The urgency in the voice finally pulled her eyes open, squinting in the
moonlight to see Anakin hovering above her.

"Ani, what are you doing here, what's wrong?" she asked, quickly pulling the
covers up to her neck, feeling immediately vulnerable as Anakin's heated gaze
swept over her body under the sheet before returning to her face.

"Padme, I have to leave," he began, striding over to the window and looking
out into the moonlight.

"Leave? What has happened?" she asked, struggling to sit up, watching the
agitated way he moved around her room.

"It's my mother. She's dying, I have to go to her, I have to find her," he
whispered desperately, moving to sit on the bed next to her.

She pushed off the uncomfortable feeling she had of having him so close as
she tried to get him to explain.

"How do you know she's dying? How can you be sure you're not walking into a
trap?" she began only to be cut off.

"I know Padme, she's my mother, she needs me, I have to go," he replied in a
fierce voice, his eyes now far away and remote.

Padme felt a strange sense of fear at his words. Something told her that if
Anakin left to find his mother, a course would be set that could not be
altered. A course that would lead to darkness and despair. She would have to
do what she could to prevent that.

"Ani, have you talked to Obi-Wan about this?" she tried, but stopped as his
eyes flashed.

"It will do no good, you know what he will say, he will forbid it and I
cannot allow that," he replied tersely.

Padme felt herself loosing this battle, but tried desperately to find a
solution.

"Ani, please at least wait until morning. Think about what you're saying,
what leaving like this will do for your future with the Jedi, and who will
protect me?" she pleaded, pulling out another trump card she had hoped never
to use.

Anakin's harsh laughter chilled her to the bone.

"My master will keep you safe, after all, he is so sworn to his duty, to
following orders, that he will not follow me, he will stay with you. And you
must keep him here, I do not want him following me, even if he would," he
whispered heatedly, turning to lock his gaze on hers.

She shivered at the menace in those once innocent eyes.

"I would not feel right about letting you go, please stay until morning and
think about this," she begged, seeing his shoulders finally slump as he
returned to his position by the window.

"All right, for you Padme, I will try and wait until morning, but I cannot
promise you more than that. Much as I would like to, I just cannot," he
whispered, turning to her with a weary gaze.

Padme sighed, knowing that if she could just keep him there until she could
speak to Obi-Wan, they might have a chance of keeping him from striking out
on his own.

"Thank you Ani," she finally managed, seeing him nod before turning and
striding from the room. As he reached the door, he suddenly stopped and
turned back to her, a strange expression on his face.

"Do not wake my master with this, I will tell him in the morning and let him
say what he may, I promise," he stated again rather than asked.

Knowing words would do no good, she simply nodded as he turned on his heel
and left, the door sliding softly shut behind him. She knew she should go to
Obi-Wan immediately, but something kept her where she was. Despite her
worries, she had to believe that Anakin would keep his promise. He had kept
everyone he had made to her so far, she knew doubting him now would be
tantamount to sending him completely over the edge.

But the worry stayed with her, coloring her dreams throughout the night.

~~~~~~~~~

She was in the middle of a strange dream involving Anakin, a dark, masked man
and Obi-Wan when once again she heard a voice pulling her from sleep.

"Padme, Padme, wake up!"

Instinctively realizing it was not Anakin this time, her eyes shot open to
see Obi-Wan's concerned gaze boring into hers.

"Obi-Wan, what is it?" she asked, quickly sitting up in bed, uncaring that
the covers had fallen to her waist. Unlike Anakin's visit, she found herself
somewhat relishing the way his eyes quickly skimmed over her satin covered
body.

Until a possible meaning for his being in her room when the first light of
dawn was barely breaking occurred.

Anakin.

"Oh no, he's gone, isn't he?" she whispered, suddenly seeing the worry in
those beautiful blue-green eyes.

"You knew he was leaving, why didn't you come find me, let me know he was
considering going after his mother?"

Obi-Wan knew his voice held frustration, but he was extremely worried and
upset over the note he'd found underneath his door when he'd awoken a short
time ago.

Padme felt the weight of the world descending on her as she sighed and
recounted Anakin's visit of the night before.

"I thought he would keep his promise to me, he has never broken one before,"
she whispered, the magnitude of the situation suddenly hitting her.

Obi-Wan sighed, running a hand through his hair as he unconsciously sank down
onto the bed next to her.

"He left a note, all it said was he had to save his mother, she was dying. He
told me not to worry, that he would be back soon and that I had better
protect you with my life," he murmured as Padme looked at him in worry.

"I have a very bad feeling about this," she murmured, hearing him emit a
harsh laugh.

"You're not the only one. I fear events have been set in motion that will
determine his future and it will not be for the better," he replied, his
hands unconsciously clenching into fists.

Seeing his pain and worry, she instinctively reached out to cover his hand,
bringing his gaze to hers.

"Anakin was determined to go, nothing you or I could have said would have
stopped him," she whispered, knowing she spoke the truth and willing him to
understand. "Anakin's future was determined a long time ago, he must follow
his path, no matter where it leads him, just as we must follow ours," she
whispered, seeing his troubled gaze lock on hers.

Obi-Wan sighed as he looked into her eyes, hearing the truth in her words,
but worried none-the-less. Anakin would follow the path the Force had set him
on, and as he had suspected from the moment he'd seen the young boy tagging
along after Qui-Gon, it would not be a simple one. Although he must not have
been a good guide if Anakin was so determined to go off on his own.

"Don't blame yourself, it is not your fault," Padme whispered softly, sensing
where his mind was wandering.

He sighed, amazed she was able to read his mind so clearly. She was truly a
remarkable woman.

"I know, but it's hard not to see myself as a failure," he whispered, twining
his fingers with hers and giving them a light squeeze.

Padme sighed as she reached out her free hand to tilt his chin up so his gaze
met hers.

"You are not a failure Obi-Wan Kenobi. You took a scared little boy and
trained him to be a great Jedi warrior. You gave of your time and your life
to make sure he got the training he needed. What he does with that training
is not up to you, but you cannot feel guilty about it," she whispered,
unconsciously stroking the rough beard where her hands rested on his face.

Obi-Wan sighed, closing his eyes and leaning slightly into her gentle touch,
amazed that despite all the turmoil his emotions were in, he could still feel
pleasure in the soft strokes of her fingers against his skin.

"I know, but would you keep reminding me of that Padme?" he finally
whispered, opening his eyes to find her face only centimeters from his.

She swallowed hard, feeling the puffs of his breath against her face, heart
pounding in her chest as she struggled to reply.

"Only if you promise to listen," she whispered, her fingers unconsciously
moving from his beard to trace the outline of his lips. She was amazed at the
soft texture, compared to the roughness of his beard.

It felt exactly like she had imagined it in her dreams.

Obi-Wan literally stopped breathing as he felt her fingers against his lips.
Almost unconsciously, the hand that wasn't holding hers rose to cup her
cheek, his fingers mimicking the motions she was making against his lips.

Padme felt her heart pound at the touch, allowing herself to get lost in his
eyes and the feel of his rough hands against her soft skin. It was the most
erotic sensation she'd ever felt in her life and she knew only that she
wanted more.

Obi-Wan swallowed hard as he read the emotions in Padme's eyes, his hand
tightening on hers as his fingers gently cupped her cheek and pulled her
slowly towards him, pausing for just a moment before their lips touched.

For an instant, they stared into each other's eyes, knowing a line was about
to be crossed.

An instant later, it was done, and there was no going back.

Sensations like she'd never felt before burst over Padme as she felt his lips
lightly cover hers. It was a light, experimental kiss, filled with gentleness
and wonder.

But she wanted more.

Moaning softly, she parted her lips and allowed his tongue access to her
waiting depths.

Obi-Wan knew he was sinking fast as he deepened the kiss, arms moving to wrap
tightly around her small body, knowing this was utterly and completely wrong,
but realizing nothing had ever felt so right.

The feel of her soft body, pressed against his, her lips devouring his as he
kissed her breathless, was more than he had ever dreamed. He never wanted to
stop.

Padme simply lost herself in the whirlwind of emotions that swamped her body
as she twined her hands in his hair, pulling him closer as she pressed
herself against him, delighting in the feel of his chest against her
sensitive breasts.

"Obi-Wan," she moaned when they finally parted for breath, locked in each
other's arms, breathing heavily.

"Padme," he whispered, leaning in to capture her lips again.

They both jumped when the beep of Obi-Wan's comlink suddenly broke the
romantic moment.

With a small smile and a quick brush of his fingers across her cheek, he
released her, pulling out the small device, trying to calm his emotions and
his thoughts, knowing he needed to keep a clear head to deal with whatever
had caused this summons. Something told him it had to do with Padme's
assassin.

Smiling softly at her, he reached for her hand, out of sight of the
transmitter and clasped it tightly in his.

Padme felt her heart calm as she twined her fingers with his, knowing from
the small action that he did not regret what had just passed between them.
Despite her worry over Anakin, she felt more alive and content than she had
in a long time.

A contentment she suspected would soon be shattered by whatever message the
Jedi Council had to impart. Tightening her grip on his hand, the two turned
to face the now shimmering form of Mace Windu as it appeared before them.

"Obi-Wan, Anakin, you are both there?" the Jedi Master asked.

Obi-Wan sighed before answering.

"The Senator and I are here, what has happened?" he stated, exchanging a
quick glance with her as he noted Mace's frown.

"Anakin is not with you?" the tall Jedi asked, confusion in his voice.

Obi-Wan sighed, not relishing the explanation he knew he must give.

"Anakin left this morning without my consent or knowledge," he began, seeing
Mace's expression darken. Sighing, he continued before he lost his nerve. "He
has been having dreams, dreams about his mother. He believes she is hurt and
in trouble and that he can save her. He left this morning for Tatooine," he
finished, trying not to let the despair sound in his voice.

"Troubled this has made me."

Padme watched as the small form of Master Yoda joined Mace in the hologram.

"There was nothing I could do Master," Obi-Wan began, only to be cut off by
the small Jedi Master.

"Know this I do Master Obi-Wan. Anakin must follow his own path, chose it
himself whatever it might be," Yoda replied with a hint of sadness in his
voice.

Silence reigned for a few moments before Padme decided to jump in.

"Master Jedi, while this news is disturbing, I cannot believe it is what you
contacted us about. Has something happened on Corusant?" she asked, seeing
the two holograms turn towards her.

"An attempt has been made your decoy's life Senator," Mace finally replied,
his tone sober. "She is all right," he quickly reassured her as she felt her
heart take a leap. She felt Obi-Wan tighten his grip on her hand in
reassurance and sent him a grateful smile.

"A bounty hunter attempted to assassinate her while she slept. Her security
guards managed to chase and capture the bounty hunter, although it was
determined she was not the one behind the plot," Mace went on as Padme
tightened her grip on Obi-Wan's hand.

"Once captured, a second bounty hunter killed the first before she could
reveal who hired her. But through a special dart she was shot with, it has
been determined the original bounty hunter has some connection with a remote
planet called Kamino."

Padme felt a wave of relief swamp her at hearing Dorme was alive, her mind
then quickly turning to the situation at hand.

"Kamino, I have never heard of it, is it a part of the Trade Federation?" she
offered, moving closer to Obi-Wan so she might fully enter the transmission.

Mace's frown and Yoda's 'hummm' sent a bolt of worry through Obi-Wan.

"Kamino's location we know, but erased from the Jedi Archives information
about it has been," the diminutive master replied.

"Erased? But who would have the power to erase something from the Jedi
Archives?" Obi-Wan asked, confusion in his voice.

"Dark possibilities this brings, an investigation conducting we are, but now
Obi-Wan, send you we must to Kamino to learn what you can," Yoda went on,
only to be stopped by Obi-Wan's outburst.

"But Masters, what about the Senator? She should not be left alone, she needs
protection," he began, only to be cut off by Mace.

"We had planned on having Anakin stay with the Senator on Naboo, but if he is
not there, we must find an alternate solution," he finished, looking
concerned.

"I suppose I could bring her back to Corusant, leave her under your
protection while I track down this bounty hunter's connection to Kamino,"
Obi-Wan began, but this time was cut off by Padme.

"I believe the best solution would be for me to go with Master Kenobi to
Kamino," she stated firmly, ignoring the immediate protest she heard from the
man beside her having expected it. "I am perfectly capable of handling myself
in such a situation, and maybe I could be of help. Being a Senator might hold
sway, especially if they are not aligned with the Republic yet," she
finished, reaching over to place her fingers across Obi-Wan's mouth to stop
his protests.

"Makes sense the Senator does, needed she could be, provide protection then
you still can," Yoda mused, stroking his chin in contemplation.

Obi-Wan sighed in frustration, seeing the sense in this solution, but also
the danger. And he was not willing to put her at such risk.

"I know it's a risk Obi-Wan, but I believe I would be safer with you than if
I were to return to Corusant alone," she answered his thought, unaware that
he had not spoken it yet.

Obi-Wan felt a spark of something ignite inside him at her obvious trust in
him. Not to mention the thought of spending more time alone with her.

However, he had to make sure she was aware of how serious this situation was.

"I need you to realize Padme that if you come with me, anything could happen,
I might not be able to protect you," he whispered, the words hard to get out,
but knowing they must be spoken if he were to be totally honest with her.

Padme swallowed around the lump in her throat as she squeezed his hand.

"I know the risks and I accept them, as I know you will protect me to the
best of your abilities, and that's enough for me," she responded quietly,
staring deeply into his eyes.

Obi-Wan smiled, amazed at the courage this woman possessed.

"Settled it is then. Go with you she will to Kamino," Yoda replied, breaking
their eye contact as both turned back to the transmission.

Obi-Wan suddenly frowned.

"Masters, what about Anakin? I worry at leaving him alone," he began, unsure
of how to voice his other concerns.

"Anakin must do what he believes is right. When he returns from this mission,
we will deal with the consequences. But for now, protecting the Senator and
finding this bounty hunter must be your top priority," Mace finished as he
and Yoda signed off.

When the transmission had ended, Obi-Wan turned to Padme, the echo of their
kiss still lingering in his eyes along with the worry he felt at what was
ahead of them.

"This will not be an easy mission, I do not know what we might find on
Kamino, you are sure you want to do this?" he asked, reaching to cup her face
in his hands again.

Padme smiled through the worry she could feel building in her body and his
mind.

"I know it will not be easy, but I want to end this, to know who is trying to
kill me and why. If that means heading into danger, then the only place I'd
want to be is with you," she whispered, letting him see everything she was
feeling in her eyes.

Obi-Wan sighed, knowing they were headed down a dangerous road. But what was
going to happen would happen, it was pointless to deny the Force.

Besides, he was a Jedi Knight, he could certainly restrain himself from
giving completely into these feelings for Padme. After all, they would be on
an informational mission, and would have to be concentrating on staying safe
and learning what they could from the Kaminans.

But as he looked into her eyes, remembered how it felt to have her in his
arms, her lips and body pressed to his, he knew it was a losing battle. One
he really, really did not want to fight at the moment, no matter what the
consequences.

"This is going to get dangerous," he whispered, stroking her cheeks lightly,
eyes filled with a mixture of passion and worry.

Padme sighed, closing her eyes and leaning into his touch.

"But we'll see each other through it, together," she whispered in reply,
leaning in to plant another soft kiss against his lips.

When they parted, they smiled at each other as Obi-Wan rose.

"Gather what you need, I will arrange for a transport within the hour," he
called as he headed for his room to pack.

"Should we try and contact Ani?" she called back, suddenly worried about
leaving without a word to him.

Obi-Wan sighed and stroked his beard.

"We cannot risk any correspondence being found or tapped. Anakin will
hopefully realize something happened when he returns and contact the
Council," he offered in weak explanation as he disappeared out the door,
trying to push down the worry that was fast growing on him.

Padme sighed as she watched him go, knowing he spoke the truth, but feeling
as if something was not right. She had a feeling Anakin would take drastic
measures if he returned and found neither of them there. Sighing, pushing
those worries down for the moment, she began to pack.

~~~~~~~~~~