A/N: More dialogue taken directly from a script from Revenge of the Sith. I don't own, so please don't sue. Also, the video is not my own. It is a deleted scene taken from Revenge of the Sith and belongs to the respective owners. I don't own, so please don't sue. Fair warning, this also probably the last of the happier chapters of this book for awhile so have some tissues nearby from here on out.

Padmé wakes up the next morning and calls her handmaidens. Just like the previous morning, this one is a flurry of activity

"Milady, Senator Organa is on the comm and wishes to speak with you," Moteé calls out.

"Tell him I'll be right there," Padmé calls back before turning to Ellé, "As far as I know, I'm not going to the Senate until later so I'm alright with wearing something a bit more casual for the time being."

"Of course, Milady," Ellé answers as she walks back to Padmé's closet.

"Moteé, I'll accept that call now," she says as Moteé approaches her with the commlink in hand. Padmé takes it and presses the button, "Good morning, Senator," she says.

"Good morning," Bail's cheery voice rings out from the comm and Padmé wonders why he is so chipper in the mornings, "I'm arranging for a meeting later on today. Would you be interested in coming?"

"Of course," Padmé answers, "In fact, I'm even willing to host since you hosted the meeting yesterday. Would it be alright if we had it at my apartment?"

"That sounds delightful," Bail says, "See you later..let's say at 1300?"

"Sounds perfect," Padmé replies, "I'll see you then." She disables the commlink just as Ellé and Dormé approach. Ellé holds her outfit for the day and Dormé simply wields the hairbrush. "Thank you," Padmé answers as she takes the dress and slips into the fresher. She quickly pulls it over her head when suddenly there's a knock on the door.

"I hate to rush you, but Master Kenobi is here," Sabé's voice rings out from the other side. Padmé nearly drops the dress that she's holding.

"I'll be right out," she answers and proceeds to slip the dark green dress over her head. It gently flows over her baby bump as she smooths it out and straightens out the hood in the back. She slides the door open and Dormé hurries toward her.

"Milady...your hair is in no shape to see a Jedi Master. I haven't put it in a hairstyle," she says as she tries to brush it out but Padmé hurries past her.

"Dormé, I'm sure everything will be fine," she says with a light laugh.

"But...."Dormé says, gesturing to the hairbrush. Padmé chuckles a little louder and sits down.

"It just needs brushed," she says with a soft chuckle. Dormé sits down behind her and quickly brushes it out.

"Pull your hood up. It will look nicer," she says and Padmé quickly pulls the hood up, leaving just a bit of the top of her head peeking out before she walks out to go see Obi-Wan Kenobi standing in her living room.

"Obi-Wan!" Padmé exclaims as soon as she sees him. She raises her arms and the two of them embrace.

"Hello, Padmé," he greets her as they hug, his hand gently rubs her back, "It is good to see you."

"It's wonderful to see you as well," Padmé replies, "You're welcome to take a seat on the couch if you like."

"Thank you," the Jedi Master says as he sits down on the nearest couch. Padmé takes a seat next to him and gently smooths out her skirt.

"So, what brings you to Coruscant?" she asks, "I know you've been out saving the Outer Rim from all kinds of sieges."

"Oh...it's been a long while since Anakin and I have been back," Obi-Wan says, "But of course I couldn't keep the Chancellor from the Senate and his position here. The Separatists had already tried that. And besides, someone has to keep the galaxy from falling to corruption, don't they?" Padmé shifts slightly at the mention of that. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to strike a nerve," Obi-Wan apologizes but Padmé shakes her head.

"You didn't. It's something else," Padmé replies, "But, you're knowledgeable about a lot of things going on in the galaxy."

"As a Jedi, it's part of my job," Obi-Wan answers nonchalantly, "What's the trouble?"

"I'm not sure I should say," Padmé replies, fingering the fabric of her dress and avoiding eye contact with him. Obi-Wan leans over to meet her gaze directly.

"Are you in danger, Senator?" he asks. Padmé shakes her head, thoughts whirling through her mind: thoughts of Anakin, thoughts of the petition and the meetings with the other Senators, going behind the Chancellor's back. She hardly feels safe around the Chancellor anymore.

And unfortunately with that, it's causing her to be very wary of Anakin. She's not sure she can trust her own husband anymore. She simply looks away from Obi-Wan again.

"I....I don't know," she says, "This war has shown sides of people that I wasn't expecting to see and that has broken my faith in them. And I'm not even sure what to think of the Jedi since the Chancellor has taken control."

"The Jedi don't trust the Chancellor and the fact that he has taken control of the Jedi Council," Obi-Wan says, "We want to remove his hold on the Council as soon as possible."

"As do I but it's not what the rest of the Senate wants," Padmé says in a frustrated tone of voice, "This war has brought out the worst in people."

"Yes it has," Obi-Wan says, "But some people can still be changed. Speaking of some people, has Anakin been to see you?" Padmé feels her blood nearly run cold. The baby kicks almost as if prompting her to answer.

"Several times," she answers as casually as possible before continuing, "I was so happy to hear that he was accepted on the Jedi Council. "

"I know," Obi-Wan replies, "he deserves it. He is impatient, strong-willed, very opinionated, but truly gifted." The two of them laugh, both knowing how true the statement actually is. After a moment, they fall into a silence and Obi-Wan looks slightly troubled.

"I get the sense that something is bothering you," Padmé inquires, "You're not just here to say hello. Something is wrong, isn't it?"

"With that kind of intuition, you should be a Jedi, Padmé," Obi-Wan says with a soft smile on his face.

"You're not very good at hiding your feelings," Padmé replies, "I've seen similar signs of worry on many of the Senator's faces at one time or another." Obi-Wan nods in agreement before continuing,

"It's Anakin," he says, "He's becoming moody and detached. He's been put in a difficult position as the Chancellor's representative on the Jedi Council. I think there's more to it than that. I was hoping he may have talked to you about it." Padmé feels a slight rush of panic run through her. Obi-Wan's gaze for the briefest of instances, brief enough that Padmé's not even sure it happens, flicks down to her stomach before locking gazes with her own.  She decides to play the naive and innocent card, except she's not sure that's going to work on Obi-Wan.

"Why would he talk to me about his work?" she asks innocently. Obi-Wan merely raises an eyebrow and studies her face intensely. Padmé fights the urge to shift uncomfortably under his gaze.

"Neither of you are very good at hiding your feelings either," Obi-Wan answers and Padmé feels her shoulders sag. Obi-Wan raises his eyebrows at her reaction.

"Don't give me that look," she finally says, rolling her eyes, "It's....more complicated than that."

"Is it?" Obi-Wan chirps in response, "I know how he feels about you."

Padmé feels her pulse slow down for the second time that day and she begins to grow nervous at Obi-Wan's prying. "What did he say?" she finally works up the nerve to ask.

"Nothing. He didn't have to," Obi-Wan answers. Padmé becomes frustrated at the fact that she can't hide her feelings as well as she thought she could. Obi-Wan is fairly close to her but still, if someone like him could see it, what's to stop any of the other Senators from seeing her love for Anakin? She lets out a slight huff, stands up and walks towards the balcony. She presses a button on the side of the wall and opens up the windows surrounding the balcony. Obi-Wan follows her out onto it. Padmé crosses her arms and leans out over the ledge. Obi-Wan leans up against it next to her and gazes at her.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Padmé says slightly irritably.

"I know you both too well. I can see that you two are in love. Padmé, I'm worried about him," Obi-Wan notes. Padmé merely looks away and down at the city below. Obi-Wan continues, despite the fact that Padmé is only half listening, "I fear your relationship has confused him. He's changed considerably since we've returned....presumably because he's been seeing you."

"Obi-Wan, can I trust you?" Padmé asks softly, finally looking up to meet his gaze, "And not just with Anakin, but with other things?" Obi-Wan raises an eyebrow at her.

"Padmé, I would never intentionally do anything to break your trust," Obi-Wan answers, looking her in the eyes. For some reason, and not necessarily in a romantic sense, Padmé feels something inside of her soften. Some sort of fresh hope is renewed in her by this statement. She looks back out to the city to contemplate on this. Obi-Wan turns back to look at the city as well, watching as it slowly starts to wake up from its long night's slumber. The light speeder traffic zips by as the first of the citizens of Coruscant hurry to their daily activities. The noise of the speeders struggle against the competition of Padmé's thoughts that feel so loud. After a few moments, Obi-Wan moves to leave. Padmé continues to watch the city traffic go by as the sunrise kisses the tops of the skyscrapers.

"And to prove that you can trust me," Obi-Wan continues, "I'm not telling the council about any of this. I didn't mean to upset you at all. We're all friends. I care deeply about both of you and if you ever need any help, I'm only a commlink call away."

"Thank you, Obi-Wan" Padmé says, meeting his gaze for a brief instant before looking back out to the city to consider everything. Obi-Wan reaches over and gently places a hand on her shoulder, using just a bit of the Force to turn her to face him. He looks her in the eyes and she actually holds his gaze as he gives one last request,

"Please do what you can to help him." Padmé merely nods and then goes back to slumping over the balcony as Obi-Wan gently trails his fingers down her arm as he leaves. She turns back for the briefest instant to watch his retreating form and then looks back out to the city. Her thoughts about her newfound hope and trust in Obi-Wan are interrupted by the sound of footsteps. She turns around thinking that it is a Jedi friend, only to see Dormé entering the room. 

"Milady, we need to get the apartment ready for the Senate meeting," she informs Padmé. Padmé turns back around to face the city and doesn't answer. "Milady? Is everything alright? Did something go wrong with Master Kenobi?" she asks.

Padmé leans her head on her chin as she softly sighs.

"No, nothing's wrong. I just..." she starts, "Everything's just a bit complicated. That's all."

"Did something happen with Obi-Wan?" Sabé asks as she joins Dormé in the doorway. Padmé absentmindedly runs a hand across the top of the balcony wall. Sabé approaches her lady.

"I'm going to go help 3P0 prepare some refreshments for this afternoon," Dormé says as she backs away to give the two women some space.

"What happened?" Sabé asks.

"Nothing. I'm just....confused," Padmé replies, "It's not Obi-Wan's fault. He didn't do anything to upset me. I think he knows..."

"About what?" Sabé asks.

"Anakin and I.... or at least he suspects things," Padmé reasons, "He's not going to tell anyone but I'm not even worried about that. Ani and I are going to have to leave Coruscant soon because of the baby."

"Then what's bothering you?" Sabé asks, "I know you too well for you to tell me that nothing's bothering you so you might as well be honest with me."

Sabé is one of the few people who can speak so candidly with Padmé and Padmé accepts it without taking offense.

"I feel like I can't be open with Anakin right now," she says softly, "He's too close to the Chancellor and with everything going on in the Senate, I'm going against what the Chancellor wants. I want to believe the best about the Chancellor but I just don't think I can right now. I'm worried that if I confide in Anakin about what the Delegation of 2000 is doing when the Senate isn't meeting, he'll turn us all in to the Chancellor and it will be seen as treason."

"He wouldn't do that to you," Sabé replies, "You're his wife. He loves you so dearly. You're carrying his child. Why would he turn you in? If he can just step away from the Chancellor, I'm sure he'd join you in your cause in a heartbeat." She notices a distressed look still on Padmé's face. "How does Obi-Wan coming here cause all of this?" she asks.

"I feel like I can trust him more than I can trust Anakin right now. He's not as loyal to the Chancellor and he told me that the Jedi Order isn't happy that the Chancellor took control of the Jedi Council," Padmé explains, "And if we, as in the Delegation of 2000, need the help of a Jedi, he would be one who I know would come to our aid."

"What about Zaja Mar? Have you talked to her at all recently?" Sabé asks.

"No, but I'm sure she holds similar feelings, although, she's not on the Council. She's a Jedi Knight just like Anakin. I have no idea how she would feel about this," Padmé considers.

"Perhaps you should talk to her next," Sabé says, "I can contact her and see if she is still onworld."

"That would be wonderful," Padmé answers.

"If anything, I can get the two of you some commlink time," Sabé says as she hurries towards a private part of the apartment to make the call. Padmé moves back inside the apartment to help the other handmaidens get ready for the meeting. Another light wave of pain attacks her as she helps 3P0 straighten up the room where they're going to have the meeting. Sabé finds Padmé a moment later.

"Were you able to contact her?" she asks.

"She's on the line right now but she can't stay too long. She's offworld," Sabé answers and despite her pain, Padmé hurries after Sabé into the other room.

"Hello, Zaja!" Padmé calls out.

"Hello, Padmé! It's good to hear from you," Zaja replies as the image of her flickers in Padmé's apartment.

"I need to ask you something that's a bit sensitive. Are you alone?" Padmé asks. After a moment, Zaja nods and says,

"Now I am. Ask away."

"How do you feel about the Chancellor taking over the Jedi Council?"  she asks.

"That's not what I was expecting you to lead with," Zaja says, "But you never fail to surprise me. I don't like it. I don't think it's a good idea especially with how the Council feels about the Chancellor. They don't like him...at all. Which makes them very skeptical of Anakin as the Chancellor's representative on the Jedi Council. I don't always wholeheartedly agree with the Council on everything, but in this situation, I think they're right."

"That's really all I needed to know," Padmé says, "Have you gotten to interact with Anakin much recently? Master Kenobi stopped by my apartment earlier today to talk about him."

"Not really. I've been on Coruscant some and I've been doing small scale missions out around the galaxy, particularly out in the Outer Rim. The Council sends me out, I do the mission and they call me back to Coruscant to debrief them in person. It gets to be kind of exhausting after awhile," she answers, "But it's what the Council needs and it's what the galaxy needs so it's what I must do."

"And I must do what needs to be done in the Senate," Padmé replies, "Even though that is fraught with much controversy." 

"Yes, that's a part of serving the galaxy, doing what needs to be done for the best of the people," Zaja answers, "I have to go. I have a briefing to hold with some of the clone troopers. I hope to see you one of the times I'm back in Coruscant."

"That sounds wonderful. Thank you for taking the time to talk to me," Padmé answers.

"Of course. Good bye, Padmé," Zaja says.

"Good bye, Zaja," Padmé answers and turns off the call.

The next few hours are spent getting ready for the meeting with the other Senators. At one point, Padmé sits down to eat breakfast and reviews the petition she sent out the day before. She sees two thousand signatures and each signature represents a member from the Delegation of 2000. She eats her breakfast and checks to see if any additional signatures had been added. Her heart drops just a bit when she sees no name beyond those in the Delegation of 2000.

After she finishes eating, the small group of women cleans the apartment and prepares some refreshments for the meeting.

"Milady, are you quite sure that your guests will like this kind of tea?" 3P0 asks.

"It's a very traditional tea from Naboo," Padmé replies, "As a Senator, it's my duty to advocate for some of the cultures of the system I come from."

"Yes, but what if it causes some sort of...?" 3P0 asks.

"It won't. The Senators are kind enough to decline politely," Padmé reassures the worrying droid. The time passes faster than they would have expected. The women have just finished rearranging the room where the meeting is going to be held when there is a buzz at Padmé's door.

"Senator Amidala, this is Senator Organa," Bail's voice calls out through the speaker.

"Go ahead and let him in," Padmé says. Dormé answers the door and smiles kindly.

"Hello, Bail," Padmé greets Bail as he enters.

"Thank you again for agreeing to host this meeting, Padmé. I figured this place is a bit more private and relaxed than the Senate building," Bail explains.

"Of course," Padmé replies. Within the next few minutes, the rest of the small group of Senators, all a part of the Delegation of 2000, arrive and Padmé and Bail invite everyone to take a seat on the couches. Padmé sits in between two Senators on one of the couches.

C3P0 and Dormé enter with refreshments.

"Tea, anyone?" 3P0 asks, "It is, as my lady says, a traditional tea from Naboo." 

"I'll take a cup, 3P0," Padmé says gently so as to soothe her protocol droid's nerves. She sets the cup down on the table once 3P0 hands it to her. Dormé sets down some pastries and other delights and the Senators start their meeting. A couple of the other Senators refuse and 3P0 remarks,

"It is an acquired taste." Fang Zar accepts a cup from the droid and 3P0 exits to give the Senators some privacy.

"Good day, everyone," Bail says to address the whole group, "I take it everyone has looked at the petition." The entire group nods their heads and Bail continues, "Thank you to all of you who signed. It means a lot to Senators Amidala, Mothma and I. Now to begin with our first order of business, we need to think about what the Delegation's next move should be."

"Presenting the Petition of the Two Thousand to the Chancellor as a formal petition from the Delegation of 2000 would be a good place to start," Chi Eekway, the Senator from Pantora, says.

"That's a very diplomatic way to start," Mon Mothma agrees, "Based on the track record that the rest of the Senate and the Chancellor have, this could be an awakening or another noise to their ears that are strangely deaf to our pleas."

"I hope they see it as a wake up call," Fang Zar adds in, "A petition is a formal but very diplomatic document."

"I agree with Mon Mothma that we will have to see what weight the petition actually winds up holding in the Senate," Bail concedes, "But, I'm not against resorting to bolder tactics."

"Bolder tactics?" Bana Breemu of Humbarine asks in slight surprise.

"Yes," Bail says, "They are not my primary concern at the moment. The petition is what we need to focus on."

"We cannot let this turn into another war," Padmé says to bring attention back to Bail's previous statement, "If the Chancellor ignores the claims in the petition and does nothing to act upon them, he will crush the Separatists with the Clone Army. If that happens, it will only be so long before the Separatists rebel and this will create another war. But, I also see why we need to end the war with diplomacy. If we create enough of an issue with our petition, we could split the galaxy again and create yet another war that way. We cannot let this happen."

"Absolutely," Bail agrees, "That is the last thing we want. This galaxy has seen enough war to last it a lifetime."

"We are hoping to form an alliance in the Senate to stop the Chancellor from further subverting the constitution, that's all," Mon Mothma says gently, "We are using this as a way to keep his power in check and allow there to be democracy. I'm sure you understand that, Senator."

Padmé nods her head in agreement and states, "Absolutely. I agree wholeheartedly. In fact, I know a couple of Jedi I feel it would be wise to consult."

"That would be dangerous," Bana Breemu says softly.

"We don't know where the Jedi stand in all this," Mon Mothma remarks gently. Padmé feels some of her hope slip away. She knows where these two Jedi stand in all of this and she knows they would help her. They know more about her personal situation than any of the Senators here do.

"I only wish to discuss this with two of them, two that I trust. I've even discussed their position on the Chancellor taking over the Jedi Council with each of them within the last few hours. I didn't share anything about what I was doing in regards to the Delegation. I merely just asked them their opinion on the Chancellor's take over," Padmé explains in as diplomatic a fashion as she possibly can.

"Going against the Chancellor without the support of the Jedi is risky," Giddean Danu reasons. Padmé remembers the disdain at the situation that both Obi-Wan and Zaja Mar had shared at the situation when she had brought it up with each of them. From what she could tell, many others in the Jedi Order were not happy either.

"The Jedi aren't any happier with the situation than we are," Padmé says with a new determination in her voice. She wants the help of the Jedi but she knows that this falls into Bail's category of bolder tactics. They need to tread carefully if they include the Jedi and use them as a last resort. If they turn out to be wrong about everything, then every single Senator will be looking at an accusation of treason.

"Patience, Senator," Chi Eekway says, "Bringing in the Jedi is a big decision."

"We have so many Senators on our side," Fang Zar continues, "Surely, that will persuade the Chancellor."

Padmé remembers to have hope. Senator Zar is right. Things could definitely change for the Delegation's favor. The Chancellor could relinquish his emergency powers back to the Senate and everything would be right again. The Delegation would have more stake in the situation than they had previously.

"When you present the Petition of the Two Thousand" to the Chancellor, things may change," Bana Breemu says and yet Padmé still feels a tad bit frustrated. The way the war has been going, she doesn't trust things to change. She wants to know who she can trust and who she can't in this war and it's frustrating. Her baby kicks her hard and Padmé struggles to hide her pain.

"Let us see what we can accomplish in the Senate before we include the Jedi," Bail says while raising a hand slightly as if to calm Padmé.

Padmé sighs in a frustrated manner as the baby kicks her again, the pain of both the child kicking her and the notion that they may not get the help that they need in time sinking in stabs her to the core.

The rest of the Senators bid Padmé farewell and she returns them as they leave her alone with her thoughts that grow darker with each event in the Senate and with each passing day as the child in her womb grows.

She has no idea of knowing what the right answer is at the moment and who she can trust, even with the potential of Anakin's frightening nightmare coming true and with it, her impending doom in childbirth.

A/N: This is easily my favorite chapter in this whole book as of right now.

I love her outfit, her conversation with Obi-Wan, her conversation with Zaja, her interactions with her handmaidens and the meeting with the other Senators. This whole chapter was just such a good one.

It's been my favorite one to write...as of now. :) That will probably change....eventually.

Anyways, we're starting to see more skepticism and more of a willingness to oppose the Chancellor from Padmé and it's exciting!!! She's the one who's now making the most noise about exposing the Chancellor. Definitely a difference from what we saw a couple of chapters ago.

Her outfit is my favorite one out of the entire series. Hands down.

Anyways, things are moving forward with the Senators but will they move fast enough???

If you've seen the movies, you know the answer to that question.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it!! Thanks for your support in whatever way you give it!! It means a lot to me.

-Aisling