He had stayed strong throughout the cremation, kept a stoic face for the other Jedi, but now in safety of an empty Naboo garden, Obi-Wan was crying silently for his old master, for his old father.

He had been thinking about his training, about his lifelong friendship and admiration for the pile of ashes now being scattered by the others. He couldn't face watching the last remains of his mentor and guide being thrown across into the wind so he had disappeared to here.

He wasn't the only one to have left the ceremony, he felt a gentle hand lay on his arm and jerkily looked up, fearing to find a sympathetic Jedi. Instead his eyes locked onto one of the most breathtaking young women that he had ever met, but the young queen's eyes no longer danced with an inner light but seemed deeper, older, and somehow less alive.

"Queen Amidala." said Obi-Wan and immediately sunk into a respectful bow.

She didn't seem keen on formalities and ignored the gesture,

"I should say that I'm sorry," sighed Padme softly, "but I guess that you've heard that enough tonight and my now it probably seems really fake."

For the first time that evening Obi-Wan smiled, though weekly and not at all concealing the pain,

"Yeah, it does...thanks."

Surprisingly, he sensed that she understood his feelings even better than the other Jedi- even though she couldn't tap into his head when he let his guard down, and despite not knowing him half as long as the others-she saw him as a person, the others saw him as another jedi.

Obi-Wan stood up and ran his fingers through his hair

"You can't break down now."

He looked to see Padme who was still sitting on the bench,

"You need to do one more thing for him."

The boy, of course he would fulfill his master's dying wish.

Padme didn't need to be a Jedi to read the expression on his face,

"One last assignment, one that he never could've helped you with. Make sure that his teachings live on." she breathed

Their eyes met and he nodded slowly, he knew that this was just a softer way of saying what he had just been thinking but he appreciated the gesture.

His mind was still too distracted to notice that Padme had placed her hand over his, but he heard her next words,

"If it means anything, I know what you're going through, kind of. My mother died just after I was made queen of Naboo. The people were a little wary at first, I was so young and foolish, I couldn't talk to anyone in fear that everyone would deem me unfit to take charge. I wanted to prove myself and didn't want them to see me week and defenseless. I guess that's the same face that you have to hide from the rest of the jedi, but you can talk to me if you feel like it."

Obi-Wan made no answer but looked just in time to see Padme draw neared, too near for comfort. He was too numb to pull away.

Anakin clenched his fist, he came to the garden after the cremation and was crying in the bushes, not wanting to be seen and couldn't help but watch as the kiss took place, but now an unexpected rush of anger, resentment, and jealousy took him.