Welcome to my readers and first time browsers! this little story will be four chapters long, I believe, but it may end up five, I really don't know yet. Happy reading!

"Kenobi." She spoke the word softly as she stepped out of the shadows. "Long time, no fight, hmm?" Asajj hoped her voice sounded smooth, with her typical suave, "fighting-Kenobi" tone, rather then how she felt.

"Indeed. It has been far too long since our last little spat." His face wore a look identical to her own, eager for a challenge. He regarded her as a challenge, yet not a mortal danger type of challenge.

"I've found it gets quite dull around here without anyone to kill." Lies. Kenobi was in no danger from her. Asajj would gladly kill herself if it meant saving his life. He had risked his own life time after time for her. And, most humiliating of all, worse even then not being able to kill him, she loved him.

"Well, I'm here to throw some spark into your day then, my sweet." Spark. How ironically accurate. Her heart was skipping, as it always did when she saw him, spoke to him, heard him call her by his adorable nicknames for her. Anakin called her 'The bog witch", a complete opposite of how she and Obi-wan treated eachother. But it hadn't always been that way. As impossible as it seemed now, she'd once hated him. Asajj immersed herself in the memory for a few seconds as they ignited their lightsabers.

She hated Kenobi. Hated him. Hatred was what she lived on, what kept her going. And now, Kenobi laid in front of her, helpless, without even his Jedi friends to save him. The electrowhip hummed in her hand, idle for now, but she wasn't done. Kenobi's body was covered with slash marks, marks she'd given him. And with every slash, all she could think was that she hated him. And he didn't break. Normally, they would give in by now, give in to hatred. But he hadn't, and she didn't understand. She had to break him, make him feel the same hatred she felt. Make him hate her. Her whole world was based on hate, and an enemy who didn't hate her, didn't even dislike her, had to be made to hate her.

She heard his sharp cries of pain as she hit him again and again, taking out her own anger. Finally Asajj stopped, breathing hard, staring down at what she'd done. His robes were torn, just like his flesh, and scarlet blood pooled around his body. Was he incapable of hatred? She'd felt his dislike for Grievous, for her master, for various other of his enemies, her allies. But all she could feel from him now was pain, hope... pity? NO one pitied her! Asajj gave one more angry, hard slash, but got no satisfaction from his yelp of pain. Suddenly, all the anger, hatred, she directed towards him melted away, and all that was left was grief. She dropped to her knees, ignoring the pounding pain that seeped into her kneecaps and cried. She didn't know why, didn't know what made her suddenly lose her composure. But she knew she had to cry. It was the first time since Master Ky's death that she'd let tears leave her eyes. But with hate gone, there was nothing to hold them back. Asajj Ventress, dark one, buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

What happened next was really what made her fall over the edge. Obi-wan, covered in blood, weak, tattered, staggered to his hands and knees. The Jedi half crawled, half dragged himself to her side, hauled himself to his knees, then put one arm gently around her. She wasn't used to anything like this, that he, so wounded, would comfort her- and when she had done this to him! But she didn't question him, just leaned weakly against his shoulder and cried until she couldn't anymore. She wasn't sure how long they sat there, prisoner comforting torturer. Finally she managed to stop the unexplained tears and pulled away from him. She pulled the electrowhip back into her hand and turned it off. She remembered how she'd ordered the droids to take Kenobi to a cell, how he'd later escaped, how she hadn't cared, been almost glad he'd got away. Because she didn't hate him anymore. And with that gone, his flirtatious teasing took on a new meaning. She played along. And then she found that she actually liked him. His merciful pauses as she regained footing, his blue eyes looking at her with a kindness she'd never seen, won her over.

Asajj felt a surge of guilt whenever she remembered how he'd looked, so weak, as if she'd driven all the strength from him. But she hadn't broken him. And she still got a little thrill when she remembered his arms gently around her, how she hadn't even cared about his blood soaking into her shirt. Obi-wan was facing her, lightsaber drawn, waiting for her to attack. She did.

Their blades clashed back and forth, and the assassin was careful not to strike him. He seemed to take the same precautions, not wanting to injure someone he knew could rejoin the light side. She launched herself backwards, bounced off the wall, then cam leaping back down towards him. Kenobi stepped easily aside, knocking her back with the force, then pulled both her lightsabers to his hands. The next thing she knew, her back was to a tall pillar with his lightsaber tip to her throat.

"Excellent. Very good." Her masters voice came from the shadows as he stepped forwards, clapping his hands together idly. Asajj hadn't even known he'd been watching.

"Your style was good, but you hold back too much." Dooku's deep voice sounded larger then normal as it echoed through the room. "Don't be afraid to leave yourself exposed for a strike if it means you can get in a jab at your opponent. He'll be left too off guard to attack your weak spot."

"I'll try master." she stammered out. Kenobi seemed as surprised as she was.

"And you Kenobi. Very good move. Force pulling her lightsabers away and pinning her. Clever." Dooku must have some sort of motive here. "But now it's time to see a master at work." Her worst fears were confirmed as he pulled out his own lightsaber. He was going to defeat Kenobi. That could never happen. Kenobi must be allowed to live, no matter what the cost. But she couldn't interfere now. Asajj watched as both men circled, giving a few strikes here and there. Dooku had a look on his face like a cat with a mouse-just toying with him. Eventually the game would get old, and the mouse would be killed. Obi-wan knew it too. He was frowning with concentration, eyes darting around the room, looking for a way out. There was none.

Dooku amusement faded, and he began slashing harder and faster so Obi-wan could barely keep up. Then he brought out the final weapon: Force lightning. Obi-wan dropped over as it hit him, gasping for breath. His lightsaber dropped from his hand and skidded across the floor.

"You have much left to learn, Jedi fool." Dooku brought his lightsaber slashing towards the younger man's throat, but it never met its mark.

"Move!" he hissed, rage in his gray eyes.

Asajj didn't answer, and she didn't move her lightsaber from where she struggled to keep it: inches from Kenobi's throat- blocking Dooku's from reaching the same mark.

"Kenobi run!" she hissed down at him. He looked afraid, and it was the first time she'd seen him so.

"Why are you...what about you?"

"Just go!" he rolled out from under the locked red sabers, then sprinted away, pulling his lightsaber to his hand as he left. Dooku and Asajj's blades hit the floor right where his head had been seconds ago. "He got away." she gasped, knowing she was in more trouble then she'd ever been in. The Sith's stern eyes turned from where Kenobi had vanished to her.

"A traitor? Are you a traitor to our side?" Dooku spoke as though he were asking a simple question, but even that couldn't hide the fury in his voice.

"N...n...no?" Her reply was anything but the strength she desired.

"Why did you let the Jedi escape?"

Ventress panicked. There was a touch of dark force in his hissing voice, and she told him.

"I love him."

Ah, yes, my usual mush. the torture scene above is about as violent as it's going to get, even though the next chapter Obi-wan feels guilty and Asaj...oops! can't tell you the whole plot! reveiw please, I love hearing comments, even if you're just telling me it's mushier then rotten bananas.