Caught in the act

Anakin had a right to be angry, or at least annoyed. If his training didn't get in the way, or his desire to see his wife and Padawan again. Seven months of having one less saber guarding his rear, and it had been even longer since he'd shared proper quality time with his wife.

And for what, a false alarm, a ploy by the Sith to distract them. Not a single attack had been reported back to him from Coruscant, not a skirmish or anything. Ahsoka would've reported if a bounty hunter had been anywhere near senator Amidala, regardless of whether they got anywhere close to harming her.

And to be honest, he was expecting SOMETHING to happen. He had every confidence in his apprentice, but that doesn't mean she was enough of a threat to discourage an attack. It wasn't like bounty hunters to make empty threats.

After seven months of being told to stay cautious and not to take away the senators protection too early, he finally convinced Obi-wan that the threat was gone. Which is why Anakin was on his way to the senators quarters, ready to take his Padawan back into action, and get a moment alone with Padme.

But there was a feeling of dread that had been with him since landing on Coruscant. A tingle in the ****, or perhaps an old-fashioned gut feeling. But he had been told several times that Miss Tano and senator Amidala were waiting for him, unharmed and in good spirit.

Still Anakin tended to trust what the feelings were telling him. Or at least, he'd learned to trust them.

Entering their quarters with gusto, he called out to them. "Ahsoka? Padme?"

His sudden concern at not seeing them was opposed by the sound of voices coming from one of the bedrooms. His smile was replaced as he joyfully entered the bedroom.

And it was gone again just as quickly.

Anakin could only believe this was happening, because he was seeing it. Maybe he could've spared himself some dignity by waiting and listening to what was going on...then again probably not.

"What are you two doing?"

Padme turned her head his way upside down. "Oh, hey Ani" she greeted him with a giggle.

Ahsoka's head was the right way up, but her arms and legs were bending to almost impossible angles around herself and Padme. "Master, you have to have a game after."

"I think I'll pass Snips, but why are you playing cosmic twister...naked?" Anakin asked, diverting his eyes away from the mass of private parts.

"It's strip cosmic twister. The senator here..." Ahsoka patted Padme's side once with her balancing hand before quickly planting it back on the floor "...thought of the stipulation to embarrass you when you came in, and I couldn't resist agreeing Master."

"Well...mission accomplished." He grumbled.

"I had to penalise Ahsoka for cheating, with the use of the ****. Right now I'm winning, I've only got my undies left." Padme showed him said panties.

Ahsoka showed him her boobs and said "although there's something good at being the loser."

"Honestly...just the pair of you get changed... and, just get in here." Anakin ordered, rather unconvincingly.

"And I'd take care of that bulge problem you know, you don't want to break something." Ahsoka teased on his way out. They heard his yell of anguish and both girls laughed.

As the humour began to subside, the seriousness caught up to the two girls. They untangled themselves and both laid on their fronts, with Padme leaning her head on Ahsoka's shoulder. "That was close."

"It was indeed."

The truth is Padme and Ahsoka had been snuggled up together in bed only five minutes ago, and by hearing the intercom message from the ground floor that Anakin was here they only had two minutes to act.

The sexual mayhem had continued every night since the first. Unable to work out what was going on, and unable to ask for assistance due to the news of their affairs being spread, the pair could only wait it out until Anakin or another Jedi came by.

And another problem had occurred. Because of the issues their nights were making, they had to support each other during the day. They cried on each others shoulders, got each other through. They'd got to know each other on a emotional and personal level...and when the memories of they're sexual activity came back to them, they had physical attraction on top.

In short, Padme and Ahsoka had fallen deeply in love. It became a huge barrier to overcome, especially when the nightly sex suddenly stopped. A whole month of anger, resentment, blame and guilt...was not enough to dissuade their feelings. The night they had sex of their own free will, was the night they accepted each others love.

And the sex was even better when it was truly loving, truly passionate and truly consensual.

And only last month, sickness struck Padme and the shared knowing glances both knew that the final nail had been bashed into this betrayal of a coffin.

"Soka, I don't even know how to begin to explain this to him. He'll hate us for sure."

Ahsoka nodded. "We knew this was coming. We pretended that it wouldn't but...I was prepared for this. We know Anakin better than anyone bar Obi-wan, so we already know forgiveness would be hard to get. But our best chance of getting it is to tell him the truth."

Padme kissed Ahsoka's cheek "when do we tell him? We can't leave it too late."

"We tell him tonight. Set it out from the start that he needs to hear the whole story. And we have to be honest and refrain from being patronising, no mincing our words to make it less than it was. But try not to be blunt or insensitive either."

Neither needed to admit aloud that they were doomed from the start.

"And the baby?"

"Keep the baby out of it. If Anakin cuts ties with us, he'll be spared the pain of ever knowing. If he doesn't we can tell him the news further down the line, and pretend it went undiscovered."

Padme kissed Ahsoka again and they both began putting clothes on. When they were both ready to step out, Padme grabbed Ahsoka's arm and drew her near. "You won't leave me will you Ahsoka? I can't bear to lose two people I love."

Ahsoka held Padme back, meeting her eye-to-eye. "And leave you to raise our child alone? Never. For better or for worse, I'll be right with you."

"But you'll be off fighting the Separatists, I'll be supporting the war from the senate, we'll barely see each other."

"You had the same problem with Anakin. That's why Jedi shouldn't fall in love. But we have, and I'll do my damnedest to support you and that kid. And I should say now that if it came to choosing between my family and the council...I would choose this."

Padme kissed Ahsoka lovingly, then when they parted she told her "I'll never ask you to do that."

Ahsoka smiled. "Come on, let's go. Our doom is waiting."