Tea For Two

Chapter Six

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How dare this creep interrupt the kiss of her life! Dormé saw red. She'd been waiting and dreaming of this kiss all day -- and even before it -- and she wasn't going to take the interruption meekly. No way, no how.

Her training took hold. Automatically, she sized up the man. He was her height and looked to be close to her weight. He was scrawny and nervous and holding an old knife. It wasn't a big knife and she knew she'd have to hit him just right in the start or risk being cut. She'd trust Obi-Wan to step in if needed. Three moves, she thought. That's all I need. This creep is going down.

~~~~~~~~~~

You have got to be kidding me, Obi-Wan thought. What have I done to deserve a day like this? He stared at the thief. What sort of idiot would try to mug a Jedi and a trained bodyguard?

The kind who didn't realize it.

He opened his mouth to tell Dormé that he'd handle the matter, when she untangled herself from him and gave his arm a light squeeze.

"Let me," she said with a dangerous gleam in her eyes that loudly heralded much pain for this foolish man.

He almost pitied the thief, but then he recalled the blissful moment of the almost-kiss and all measure of pity fled. "Are you sure? Because, my dear Dormé, it wouldn't be any bother at all."

"No, I can handle it." She stood up straight, unclasping her cloak and letting it flutter to the ground. "Please allow me."

The thief gave the area surrounding them a nervous sweeping glance. "Come on already. The valuables people. I don't have all day."

"Then by all means," Obi-Wan said with a small gesture towards the man. "I wouldn't wish to deprive you of the pleasure."

"You're too kind, Obi-Wan. Really. Such a gentleman." She shifted her weight and with a glance at the thief, shifted again.

"Oh, no, no. Professional courtesy, Dormé. Ladies first." He inclined his head, smiling. "Whenever you're ready." Clasping his hands, he waited. This should be good. He couldn't wait to see what she did. Obi-Wan had never seen her in action before and looked forward to this display of her talents. Of course, if she needed help, he wouldn't hesitate to give it. He didn't anticipate any difficulty in disabling the man.

The thief rolled his eyes. "Would you two shut up and hand over the goods?"

Dormé's gaze slid to the thief. Her smile was sweet. "You really want it," she inquired.

Impatience rode the air about the man. "Yeah. Quite stalling and give it to me."

There was a flash of leg, a snap of her arm as her fist flew forward and another flash of leg and it was over. The man was on the ground, one hand at his groin and the other at his bleeding nose. Obi-Wan's smile widened into a grin. "That was beautifully done."

Dormé brushed her hands together as though dusting them off. "Thank you."

"You broke by dose!" A glare was directed towards her from the man on the ground.

"You shouldn't have tried to mug me," she retorted.

Obi-Wan stepped around the man and back to Dormé. "So, what shall we do with our mugger?"

"Have him arrested."

What a way to continue their day. The museum, the zoo and now the police station. He certainly wouldn't win any awards for the most boring afternoon now would he? Briefly, Obi-Wan hoped Anakin was staying out of trouble. He knew it was a futile hope, but after his own afternoon, he didn't think he'd feel like coping with any of Anakin's mishaps.

~~~~~~~~~~

"She's not back yet." Padmé's tone held more than a little triumph.

"I know." Anakin crawled along the carpet, searching in vain for the last earring. He hadn't meant to tip over her jewelry case. It had just sort of happened while they were flailing about on her bed. Besides, who kept a jewelry case on the nightstand anyway? Bizarre place for it in his opinion.

"It's been hours."

He chuckled happily. Fun hours he'd had with his wife. Thank you, Obi-Wan. "Don't I know it."

"You know what that means," she sing-songed.

"Not necessarily. I've told you --"

Padmé crawled towards him, apparently unnoticing that the pretty little chemise she'd put on to model for him had slipped down her chest and was displaying her charms in a lovely manner. "Oh hah! Boring Obi-Wan isn't. I mean, look at the interesting places you two have been and the things that happened to you over the years. Nests of gundarks, things like that." She settled into a sitting position, sliding the straps back up her arms and covering herself, much to his disappointment.

"I still don't think they're up to anything naughty."

"There are all kinds of naughty, aren't there? Dinner out says they are."

He sat back and thought that over. Dinner out meant finding a place that was dark and shadowed and didn't necessarily mean pricey food. Padmé would eat anywhere as long as they could be together. She'd even eat at the sort of dives Obi-Wan favored. Should he bet on this? She seemed pretty certain. Of course, he was equally certain Dormé and Obi-Wan were having a boring afternoon in some museum or something.

Padmé patted the carpet absent-mindedly, watching him. He spied the earring a few inches from her hand. "It's a harmless bet, Anakin. If I'm right, you treat me to dinner and if I'm wrong, I'll treat you. I'll throw in dessert regardless."

"You are dessert, my love." He reached for the earring, held it up.

She arched a brow, lips curved in a soft smile as she took the earring from him and set it back where it belonged. "Exactly."

Anakin sighed. Here's hoping Obi-Wan took Dormé someplace dive-y and boring. He nodded. "Okay. I'll take that bet. Shall we kiss on it?"

Padmé's smile widened into a grin. She pressed a kiss to his lips before commenting, "I tell you, Anakin, they're having an interesting time in one way or another."

~~~~~~~~~~

"Occupation," the bored clerk said, not raising his eyes from his work.

Obi-Wan adjusted his robe, looking for a nametag or deskplate and finding none. "Jedi." It had been easier than they'd thought to find the station with their wounded thief in tow. Now, they were in the final moments of giving their statements.

"Jedi?" His glance flicked up, now noting the robe swept aside slightly and the glint of metal from Obi-Wan's lightsaber. His brows raised, likely wondering how Obi-Wan had been allowed to keep his weapon inside this area of the building. Obi-Wan didn't bother explaining. "Okay. Guess I don't need an address for you then. Just contact the Jedi Temple if we need you." The barest of smirks tugged the clerk's lips as he turned his attention to Dormé. After perusing her most thoroughly and paying extra attention to the press of her breasts along the edge of her shirt, he asked, "And how about you, Miss? Occupation?"

"Bodyguard," Dormé said almost primly, her cloak folded neatly on her lap.

The clerk leered, enjoying another look at her. "Sure. Bodyguard." He gave the word enough emphasis to make it clear just how much he doubted that being her profession. "Yeah, I'll just mark that down here, Miss Yrevie. Uh-huh."

Obi-Wan watched Dormé roll her eyes. He could have told her what the clerk would think if she'd asked him. After all, on their way in hadn't they seen several escorts -- high-class prostitutes -- waiting to be processed that were wearing dresses of similar fashion to hers? He imagined the man's thoughts. Bodyguard? Yeah, sweetheart, you can guard my body any time. Listen, I got a free couple hours tomorrow night, so how about you guard my body then? The idea made him laugh. Quickly, he tried to turn it into a cough, managing to net a suspicious glance from Dormé in the process.

"I'll need your place of employment, Miss Yrevie."

She fixed a withering glare upon him that didn't even make the smirk waver. "I am currently the Senior Handmaiden to Senator Padmé Amidala. I can be reached through her office." Dormé rattled off the particulars in a regal tone that had Obi-Wan wondering how often Padmé used Dormé as her decoy. She had that cultured manner of speaking down perfectly. "Is that enough information for you, or shall I give you my credentials and the contact numbers of the local branch of the Handmaidens Guild as well?" With a deceptively sweet smile, she arched a brow.

The clerk gave her another once over, slightly more respectively this time. "That's sufficient. May I ask what you were doing in the park at twilight? I mean, you do realize that's when the nut jobs all come out, right?"

"We were strolling," Obi-Wan replied.

"There are safer places for a casual stroll."

"But none that were close. We didn't wish to travel far from home." An unfortunate choice of words he realized, as the man frowned, a confused expression on his face. Oh dear, he thought. I shouldn't have said 'home'.

"So, you live together then?" He reached for the datapad as though to make a correction.

"Oh no, we're not together." Obi-Wan shook his head, attempting to explain.

"You don't know each other?" The clerk narrowed his eyes, hand hovering above the datapad.

"Oh, sorry, we do know each other, but we're not together."

"We're not a couple," Dormé clarified. "We just didn't wish to go far from this area of Coruscant."

"We're friends," Obi-Wan said.

Once more, a lingering glance was dragged down Dormé. "Sure. Friends. Yeah. Tell you what, we don't need anything more at this time. We'll contact you if we do."

"We're free to go then?"

"Yup. Bye now."

In a minute, they were back outside.

~~~~~~~~~~

We do know each other, but we're not together.

We're friends.

Dormé looked up into Obi-Wan's eyes as they stood outside the building, and realized a truth. As much as she hoped and wished there was something more between them, there couldn't be. He could hardly ever be everything she desired him to be -- boyfriend, lover, husband and more -- because....

Obi-Wan was a Jedi. It was who he was and Jedi, she knew, were not allowed to marry. This man would not break that vow. He'd accepted that life as it was and had made it fully his. Being a Jedi was his life. She'd seen ample evidence of that this day, evidence she couldn't ignore. They could be friends, good friends, but nothing deeper. Dormé could not give her heart away to him because, inevitably, it would be broken. He would have to break her heart to keep his vow and she didn't ever want to remember him with that sort of pain. Regret for what might have been was one thing, but heart-sick pain of love lost was another entirely.

"I need to be getting back," she said, blinking back sudden tears that she hoped he wouldn't notice. But he would notice, wouldn't he? It was his nature to see such things. Always observant, her Obi-Wan. He'd notice and he'd wonder and he might even ask about them.

"So soon?" His brows raised. "It's only dinner time."

"I'm afraid so." No, she decided. Obi-Wan wouldn't ask unless she was more obviously distressed. A gentleman would never embarrass a lady and he was such a gentleman.

Disappointment flickered across his features. "Well, then I must say that I have greatly enjoyed our afternoon together."

"Even getting thrown out of the museum? And the zoo? And getting mugged?"

Amusement sparked in his eyes, as though that had been what he'd enjoyed most of all. "Even all of that. It was the company that made it enjoyable." Obi-Wan sighed, hands raising. He cupped her face and placed a sweet, brief kiss upon her lips. It was no more than a second or two. "Would you care for an escort back," he asked in a polite tone.

"Oh no, I think I'll run a quick errand first."

After a moment, where concern and curiosity warred on his features, he nodded, stepping back and giving that little bow Jedi were so good at. "Until next time."

"Yes."

He began to walk away.

"Obi-Wan," she called. He turned. "I had a lovely time today."

Another bow and then he was gone, around the corner and out of sight.

Dormé turned and hurried back to the apartment building, sinking onto a bench in one corner of the lobby. She needed some time to think and to compose herself before going up to the apartment.

Sighing, she turned her thoughts to all the ways she'd hoped that her time with Obi-Wan would go. She'd been so stupid. Stupid! A crush on a Jedi. And not any Jedi either, but one that was what a Jedi was supposed to be. One that accepted and embraced the life. It didn't matter if she felt anything for him. He'd taken a vow. He was a Jedi, through and through.

What was I thinking?

"Dormé? Is that you," a male voice called out.

She looked up. Tepin, her acquaintance in building security, had come through the door from the walkway outside and stood in the entrance.

He gave her a delighted grin as he crossed to her. "It's been ages since I've seen you about. What have you been up to, my lovely friend?" His grin faded the closer he got, blue eyes taking in her tear streaked face.

Dormé tried to smile back, to compose herself, but it wasn't working. She kept thinking about Obi-Wan and how her stupid girlish crush had gotten so out of control. She wished desperately that he was more like Anakin, willing to ignore a silly rule.

But he wasn't like Anakin and they couldn't have a future together.

It was nothing that he had said directly, but rather the course of their conversations through the day and what she had observed with her own eyes. Obi-Wan was Jedi Knight, a Master. It was who he was and he did his utmost best to uphold the codes he'd sworn to follow. The war had him all over the galaxy doing his job.

If they actively pursued a future together, they would be parted much of the time. That, Dormé knew, could be hell. Padmé put on a brave front most of the time, claiming she was doing fine being parted from Anakin. She missed him, yes.... All three of the handmaidens had heard her crying late at night when she thought no one would hear her. They didn't speak of it. Padmé didn't wish to. Dormé had once tried to get her lady to open up and had failed miserably, the only time Padmé had raised her voice at her in anger.

There would be no future with Obi-Wan and it made her heart ache more than she'd thought possible. It was a physical pain coupled with twinges of nausea in her belly.

Tepin joined her on the bench, concern rippling over his features. "What's upset you?" He rubbed a hand along her arm. He was the touchy-feely sort she'd noticed, inclined to greet friends with warmth and embraces. "Tell me."

"It's nothing," she replied, wiping her eyes and giving a shaky laugh that she saw didn't fool him in the least.

"Doesn't look to be nothing."

"Well it is."

His fingers touched her chin, gently tipped her head up. Tepin's gaze searched hers and finally he sighed. "Ahh, someone has broken your heart." His hand dropped from her.

Dormé glanced away. "Nothing so dramatic."

"It's very dramatic. A callous suitor tossing the fair maiden aside." There was a playful, yet caring twinkle in his eyes.

How sweet. He was trying to cheer her up. Despite herself, Dormé smiled at that, a genuine smile. "It wasn't like that. He's not the callous sort. I never told him how I felt."

He stared at her a long moment, curiosity in his expression. "Why ever not?"

"Because he can't return my feelings."

"You don't know that, Dormé. If you never told him, how can you know he doesn't feel the same for you? Perhaps he was hoping that you'd lay your heart bare so he could do the same. You women seem to have it easier doing so from what I've seen."

She shook her head. "I never said he doesn't return them, but that he can't."

Dormé watched him think that over, knew the conclusions he must be drawing. He'd never consider the man was a Jedi. After moment, Tepin took her hand, held it cradled in his own. His skin was warm, the touch reassuring and comforting.

"You're going to be okay."

She looked at him, really looked and found she had not ever truly seen Tepin at all. He was not swooningly gorgeous, but he was rather attractive. Mischievous and kind blue eyes coupled with a face with the sort of features that engendered trust. He was not as young as she'd thought, perhaps closer to Obi-Wan's age than to Anakin's as she'd originally assumed. There was a maturity and confidence in how he held himself that was so like Obi-Wan that tears prickled in her eyes.

How had she not noticed before? Dormé blinked. Easy. She'd had that crush on Obi-Wan.

Tepin had a lovely sense of humor as she'd already known and he knew when to be honestly alarmed. He was good at his job, well liked. And now she was curious. He was all that and obviously more, so why was he still single? Why did he not have a wife and several babies? "Has anyone ever broken your heart," she asked him.

He gave the question serious thought, finally tipping his head in a slow nod. "There is one woman who could break my heart quite easily. She holds it in her hands and has from the moment I met her. I would be hers if she would crook her finger."

"Will you tell me about her?" Silly, wasn't it? Wanting to hear of someone else's heartbreak.

His lips parted, the humor slipping from his eyes. Tepin squeezed her hand. "Very well. I see her nearly every day. I find her beautiful in looks and in spirit, compassionate, thoughtful, intelligent....and currently sitting beside me with her heart in pieces from another man."

She drew in a quick breath, coughed when she swallowed wrong and tried to tug her hand from his. He held on.

"Wait. Just listen to me, please. I'm not going to press you into anything. I know you're hurting right now. Just...." He turned a little on the bench. "Let's be friends and see where it takes us. We'll do friend things. Go to the theater, have lunch. If it leads us eventually to romance, then so be it and if not...." He shrugged. "We shall both have one more person to call friend."

She bit her lip, considering his offer. Why not? He was here and he wasn't going anywhere. There would not be long months between meetings. He was nice. He cared. Besides, it was always nice to have another friend. She nodded. "We'll see where it takes us."

They sat together for several more minutes, chatting quietly before he announced he needed to return to work. Dormé entered the lift, returning to an apartment that was still and quiet save for the male laughter that echoed from Padmé's bedroom. She knocked on the door, mentioned to a tired looking Padmé that Obi-Wan was going to be back at the Jedi Temple within the hour and went to her own room.

She listened to Anakin's hasty and vocal exit with an amused grin. Apparently, he'd hoped to have part of the evening here as well as the afternoon. She tuned it all out and began to change from her dress, pausing when she noticed her camera was on. She didn't remember Padmé returning it, but there it was on her dresser.

Dormé switched it on and off. It remained on. "Huh." Shaking it did nothing and when she tried to do anything, all she got were several jumbled images of what appeared to be very naked people. The images were too badly garbled to see clearly and she thought it was just as well. "Stupid piece of used junk."

Hopefully the camera hadn't spazzed out like that when Padmé was using it. That would have been embarrassing, trying to explain how pictures like that got on her camera.

She'd have to remember not to buy a used camera again.

Dormé hung her dress back up and slipped her robe on.

Her crush had been silly, hadn't it? Still, she wondered where they could have ended up had things been different. Dormé shook her head and consciously put away her crush. It would be awhile she knew before it no longer hurt, but some day she'd be fine.

~~~~~~~~~~

Anakin was not happy to see Dormé returned so soon. He'd only had a few hours with Padmé and that was never enough. He needed more than that. Especially since precious minutes were used dealing with the camera fiasco. Still, he knew better than to dawdle on his way back, managing to enter his room only a few minutes before his Master knocked on the door.

He opened it, wondering just how to explain why he was sweaty and out of breath. "Master, you're back."

"Yes. Did you get anything constructive completed while I was gone?" Though he asked the question, Obi-Wan didn't seem to want an answer, sniffing loudly and continuing on without giving him time to answer. "You look a little flushed, Anakin. Are you feeling all right?"

"Well, I --"

"Perhaps you should turn in early, yes? We'll be leaving tomorrow evening and you should be rested. Go to bed early. I'll see you in the morning."

"Well..." He nodded. "Yes, Master." As Obi-Wan walked away, he called out, "Did you enjoy your tea?"

Obi-Wan paused with a glance over his shoulder. He seemed a little sad. "Yes, thank you, Anakin, I did. Good night then."

Anakin waited until he was gone, then closed the door and sat on his bed. He'd better not sneak back out to Padmé's tonight. If Obi-Wan thought he was sick, he might check on him. He wondered what had happened between Obi-Wan and Dormé. His Master hadn't had the usual spring in his step upon his return. That didn't bode well for Padmé in the bet department.

He smiled, and turned his thoughts back to Padmé, lying back on his bed as he recalled the lovely hours they'd had together. If only he could have kept a couple of those pictures....

~~~~~~~~~~

Obi-Wan didn't want to know what Anakin had been doing. He decided the truth of why Anakin smelled like women's perfume would be far worse than anything he could imagine, so he'd let it slide this time. Besides, his Padawan looked as though he'd been running for a good half of an hour. Drenched in sweat and out of breath. Sometimes, it was better not to ask what Anakin had been up to and as long as he wasn't contacted by an irate shop owner or some such person, he'd excuse it.

He went to his quarters and went to sleep, dreaming of kissing Dormé.