Fic: Depths of the Soul, 16/17, Obidala, M
Title: Depths of the Soul
Author: queen_meep
Pairing: Obi-Wan/Padme
Rating: M, contains sexual situations
Status: Complete
Original Beginning Date: 10-03-05
Original Completion Date: 04-16-06
Prequel: A Search For Wings: Fallen Angel
Summary: Continuation of A Search for Wings: Fallen Angel. AnakinObidala. Post ROTS, AU, ObiWan struggles with inner turmoil at the new developments of Endor, and Darth Vader waits to claim his ultimate revenge. (As originally posted from ff.net)
Originally posted here.
Back to the index post.
Chapter 16 - Birth
Obi-Wan paced outside Padmé’s door, frustrated to no end. “What sort of ancient custom requires the father to be outside the delivery room, anyway? These are more modern times than that, surely!” he made the comment to the wall, as everyone had been gathered to Padmé’s side for the birthing. The screams within were agonizing, tearing at his soul. Every cry of pain conjured the image of her last labor, in which he had so nearly lost her. And every time he blinked, he saw her writhing in pain, his dream come to life.
Finally the door cracked, Sabé slipped through the small crack, closing it behind her quickly. “What news?” he begged of her, worry creasing his face.
Sabé had called upon the Queen face, which had his gut clench in anticipation of bad news. “There is a problem.”
Panic coursed through his veins, he took a deep breath before answering, remembering the breathing exercises he had learned as a youngling to calm. One with the Force, one with the Force… “What problem?” he had tried for a smooth tone, it came out cracked.
Sabé hesitated, running through her mind how to let the Jedi know. “The baby is breached.” She explained, going for the straight approach.
He stared at her, blinking, “What?”
“She’s coming out the wrong way.” Sabé explained, almost annoyed at having to explain such a phenomenon to a Jedi.
He sighed, exasperated, “I know what it means. But what are they doing about it?” he gestured to the room, irritation written across his face, the calm completely gone. “And why can’t I go in?” he demanded.
Sabé scrunched her face before beginning, He reminds me of my little brothers- so irritating! “Obi-Wan, it is a tradition in Naboo. They follow very strict traditions…”
He interrupted, “That’s not good enough.”
It was her turn to blink. “Excuse me?”
Obi-Wan crossed his arms. “They have highly advanced technology, sonogram machines more sophisticated even than those on Coruscant. Yet you’re telling me they have such a… an… obtuse! Yes, obtuse tradition of not letting the father be in the birthing room?”
Sabé scowled, “Yes, Obi-Wan. They do. Now unless you’d like to renounce all rights to this child and we’ll put Anakin’s name on the birth certificate…” she threatened, leaving it hanging.
He glowered, “You wouldn’t.” there was a touch of menace.
Sabé sighed, “They just don’t want the men passing out, okay?”
He rolled his eyes to the ceiling. “Surely you’re not serious.”
“Serious as the day you were born.” She returned.
His voice was even as he recounted, “I participated actively in the Clone Wars. I watched as my fellow Jedi and the clones were slaughtered wholesale by walking tin cans. I have patched Anakin up with much more horrific wounds more times than I can count. I’ve had several lightsaber burns. And you’re trying to tell me that they’re worried I’m going to pass out as if I were some ninny?”
She struggled to keep back a giggle at his choice of words. “Ninny?”
He glared, “Ninny. It’s a… never mind. Beside that, I’ve already watched her give birth to twins, Sabé, I think I can handle the birth of our daughter.” Pride swelled in him again as he said it- our daughter.
She sighed, throwing her hands up in the air. “I give up! You’re impossible!” she stared at him suspiciously, “Did you use some sort of Jedi mind trick on me?”
He finally laughed, relief setting in that he would finally be able to join Padmé. “No, Sabé. Believe me, you’re too strong minded for it to have worked if I did.”
She smirked and led him inside. The room was pleasantly lit, lacking the glaring, painfully bright lights of the operating theater Padmé had last given birth in. The room was painted in soft shades, a mural on the wall. “Is this supposed to help you?” he asked, clasping her hand tightly.
Padmé nodded slightly, perspiration dripping down her temple. “Naboo’s version of mind numbing drugs.” She replied grimly, glancing down to her knees. “She’s more stubborn than the two of us combined, Obi-Wan.”
He grinned, glad she was in a more pleasant mood, given the circumstances. “What are they doing about it?”
She shrugged, “The same thing they always do.”
He kissed her forehead. “You’re doing brilliantly. I was so worried, out in the hallway, not being able to see you, only hearing your cries…” he trailed off, remembering the anguish very distinctively.
Padmé relaxed, growing more sedated in his presence, temporarily ignoring the pain, “It’s healthy to scream, they say. I rather agree, actually.” She grabbed his hand as another contraction sent a wave of pain over her. “I hope they hurry.” He blanched as she squeezed his knuckles tightly.
Shortly thereafter, they were greeted with the very arrival of a very healthy, rosy girl. Atop her head was already a mass of dark hair and her eyes were a crystalline blue. Sabé wrapped the girl in a blanket and set her in Obi-Wan’s waiting arms. As he gazed into his daughter’s eyes for the very first time, he instantly fell in love. He recognized the Force signature growing within Padmé, recognized the face belonging to it.
He admired the tiny fingers, the tiny nails, and for the first time was able to fully appreciate the miracle of life first hand, though he had helped Luke and Leia into the world. “So perfect, so tiny.” He whispered, staring in awe at Padmé.
Obi-Wan sat beside her, delivering the tiny bundle to her mother. Padmé drew her close, tears coming to her eyes. “I never thought I would actually get to do this.” She kissed her daughter’s forehead, meeting Obi-Wan’s eyes once more. “You know, we never decided on a name.”
Obi-Wan blinked and then laughed. I had been so caught up in making sure that you didn’t die to remember that this little one needs a name. “Well, we can’t call her ‘daughter’; she does need a proper name, doesn’t she?”
Padmé smiled, “Yes, she deserves it, the little warrior.” She traced the line of her daughter’s face. “Do you know your mother’s name?”
Obi-Wan shook his head, “I didn’t know her, the name would be meaningless. Shall we name her after your sister or your mother?”
Padmé in turn shook her head. “She needs her own name.”
He thought for a moment, back to the time they spent on Endor. “Tiané. It was your name when she was conceived.”
She grinned, blushing, remembering the days she had first spent in Obi-Wan’s arms. “Tiané it is, then. Tiané Kenobi.”
He nodded, content with it. He remained by her side, taking Tiané when she needed to rest. A nurse came up beside them, with a tray. She was preparing a syringe. Obi-Wan barely noticed, his attention devoted to the tiny life in front of him, no longer a faceless bulge.
The nurse injected Padmé with the syringe, replacing the needle on the tray, situating a drink and a few pills on the bedside table. She turned to take Tiané away from Obi-Wan and he shook his head. “I’ll take care of her.”
“She needs to be cleaned better.” The nurse insisted. Obi-Wan froze, trying to place the voice.
He looked up and right into the big brown eyes of Keine Ghinori, a woman he believed was dead. He blinked twice, not sure of the ability of his own eyes. He swallowed hard. “You’re dead.” He said dumbly, shock apparent in his eyes.
“You left me for dead, at least.” She returned, her expression blank. “Lord Vader saved me.”
He inhaled sharply, drawing Tiané closer. The babe cried, disturbed. “No. You were dead.”
She shook her head, “You thought I was dead. But then again, you thought Anakin Skywalker was dead when you left Mustafar, too. Seems you have an awful tendency to overlook a pulse, living bodies, when you’re on that planet.”
He looked to Padmé, still sleeping peacefully. “Why are you here?”
The former Jedi’s smile was eerie. “To finish what was started. Padmé’s death and the return of the child to Lord Vader.”
“Never.”
Back to the index post.
Author: queen_meep
Pairing: Obi-Wan/Padme
Rating: M, contains sexual situations
Status: Complete
Original Beginning Date: 10-03-05
Original Completion Date: 04-16-06
Prequel: A Search For Wings: Fallen Angel
Summary: Continuation of A Search for Wings: Fallen Angel. AnakinObidala. Post ROTS, AU, ObiWan struggles with inner turmoil at the new developments of Endor, and Darth Vader waits to claim his ultimate revenge. (As originally posted from ff.net)
Originally posted here.
Back to the index post.
Chapter 16 - Birth
Obi-Wan paced outside Padmé’s door, frustrated to no end. “What sort of ancient custom requires the father to be outside the delivery room, anyway? These are more modern times than that, surely!” he made the comment to the wall, as everyone had been gathered to Padmé’s side for the birthing. The screams within were agonizing, tearing at his soul. Every cry of pain conjured the image of her last labor, in which he had so nearly lost her. And every time he blinked, he saw her writhing in pain, his dream come to life.
Finally the door cracked, Sabé slipped through the small crack, closing it behind her quickly. “What news?” he begged of her, worry creasing his face.
Sabé had called upon the Queen face, which had his gut clench in anticipation of bad news. “There is a problem.”
Panic coursed through his veins, he took a deep breath before answering, remembering the breathing exercises he had learned as a youngling to calm. One with the Force, one with the Force… “What problem?” he had tried for a smooth tone, it came out cracked.
Sabé hesitated, running through her mind how to let the Jedi know. “The baby is breached.” She explained, going for the straight approach.
He stared at her, blinking, “What?”
“She’s coming out the wrong way.” Sabé explained, almost annoyed at having to explain such a phenomenon to a Jedi.
He sighed, exasperated, “I know what it means. But what are they doing about it?” he gestured to the room, irritation written across his face, the calm completely gone. “And why can’t I go in?” he demanded.
Sabé scrunched her face before beginning, He reminds me of my little brothers- so irritating! “Obi-Wan, it is a tradition in Naboo. They follow very strict traditions…”
He interrupted, “That’s not good enough.”
It was her turn to blink. “Excuse me?”
Obi-Wan crossed his arms. “They have highly advanced technology, sonogram machines more sophisticated even than those on Coruscant. Yet you’re telling me they have such a… an… obtuse! Yes, obtuse tradition of not letting the father be in the birthing room?”
Sabé scowled, “Yes, Obi-Wan. They do. Now unless you’d like to renounce all rights to this child and we’ll put Anakin’s name on the birth certificate…” she threatened, leaving it hanging.
He glowered, “You wouldn’t.” there was a touch of menace.
Sabé sighed, “They just don’t want the men passing out, okay?”
He rolled his eyes to the ceiling. “Surely you’re not serious.”
“Serious as the day you were born.” She returned.
His voice was even as he recounted, “I participated actively in the Clone Wars. I watched as my fellow Jedi and the clones were slaughtered wholesale by walking tin cans. I have patched Anakin up with much more horrific wounds more times than I can count. I’ve had several lightsaber burns. And you’re trying to tell me that they’re worried I’m going to pass out as if I were some ninny?”
She struggled to keep back a giggle at his choice of words. “Ninny?”
He glared, “Ninny. It’s a… never mind. Beside that, I’ve already watched her give birth to twins, Sabé, I think I can handle the birth of our daughter.” Pride swelled in him again as he said it- our daughter.
She sighed, throwing her hands up in the air. “I give up! You’re impossible!” she stared at him suspiciously, “Did you use some sort of Jedi mind trick on me?”
He finally laughed, relief setting in that he would finally be able to join Padmé. “No, Sabé. Believe me, you’re too strong minded for it to have worked if I did.”
She smirked and led him inside. The room was pleasantly lit, lacking the glaring, painfully bright lights of the operating theater Padmé had last given birth in. The room was painted in soft shades, a mural on the wall. “Is this supposed to help you?” he asked, clasping her hand tightly.
Padmé nodded slightly, perspiration dripping down her temple. “Naboo’s version of mind numbing drugs.” She replied grimly, glancing down to her knees. “She’s more stubborn than the two of us combined, Obi-Wan.”
He grinned, glad she was in a more pleasant mood, given the circumstances. “What are they doing about it?”
She shrugged, “The same thing they always do.”
He kissed her forehead. “You’re doing brilliantly. I was so worried, out in the hallway, not being able to see you, only hearing your cries…” he trailed off, remembering the anguish very distinctively.
Padmé relaxed, growing more sedated in his presence, temporarily ignoring the pain, “It’s healthy to scream, they say. I rather agree, actually.” She grabbed his hand as another contraction sent a wave of pain over her. “I hope they hurry.” He blanched as she squeezed his knuckles tightly.
Shortly thereafter, they were greeted with the very arrival of a very healthy, rosy girl. Atop her head was already a mass of dark hair and her eyes were a crystalline blue. Sabé wrapped the girl in a blanket and set her in Obi-Wan’s waiting arms. As he gazed into his daughter’s eyes for the very first time, he instantly fell in love. He recognized the Force signature growing within Padmé, recognized the face belonging to it.
He admired the tiny fingers, the tiny nails, and for the first time was able to fully appreciate the miracle of life first hand, though he had helped Luke and Leia into the world. “So perfect, so tiny.” He whispered, staring in awe at Padmé.
Obi-Wan sat beside her, delivering the tiny bundle to her mother. Padmé drew her close, tears coming to her eyes. “I never thought I would actually get to do this.” She kissed her daughter’s forehead, meeting Obi-Wan’s eyes once more. “You know, we never decided on a name.”
Obi-Wan blinked and then laughed. I had been so caught up in making sure that you didn’t die to remember that this little one needs a name. “Well, we can’t call her ‘daughter’; she does need a proper name, doesn’t she?”
Padmé smiled, “Yes, she deserves it, the little warrior.” She traced the line of her daughter’s face. “Do you know your mother’s name?”
Obi-Wan shook his head, “I didn’t know her, the name would be meaningless. Shall we name her after your sister or your mother?”
Padmé in turn shook her head. “She needs her own name.”
He thought for a moment, back to the time they spent on Endor. “Tiané. It was your name when she was conceived.”
She grinned, blushing, remembering the days she had first spent in Obi-Wan’s arms. “Tiané it is, then. Tiané Kenobi.”
He nodded, content with it. He remained by her side, taking Tiané when she needed to rest. A nurse came up beside them, with a tray. She was preparing a syringe. Obi-Wan barely noticed, his attention devoted to the tiny life in front of him, no longer a faceless bulge.
The nurse injected Padmé with the syringe, replacing the needle on the tray, situating a drink and a few pills on the bedside table. She turned to take Tiané away from Obi-Wan and he shook his head. “I’ll take care of her.”
“She needs to be cleaned better.” The nurse insisted. Obi-Wan froze, trying to place the voice.
He looked up and right into the big brown eyes of Keine Ghinori, a woman he believed was dead. He blinked twice, not sure of the ability of his own eyes. He swallowed hard. “You’re dead.” He said dumbly, shock apparent in his eyes.
“You left me for dead, at least.” She returned, her expression blank. “Lord Vader saved me.”
He inhaled sharply, drawing Tiané closer. The babe cried, disturbed. “No. You were dead.”
She shook her head, “You thought I was dead. But then again, you thought Anakin Skywalker was dead when you left Mustafar, too. Seems you have an awful tendency to overlook a pulse, living bodies, when you’re on that planet.”
He looked to Padmé, still sleeping peacefully. “Why are you here?”
The former Jedi’s smile was eerie. “To finish what was started. Padmé’s death and the return of the child to Lord Vader.”
“Never.”
Back to the index post.