The Bittersweet Mission

Bonus Scene #4: A Proper Goodbye

This scene takes place during the beginning of the fourteenth chapter, A Little Rain on the Parade, where Padmé thinks back to how she left Obi-Wan to walk Satine home alone.

     The pair was silent in the first moment or so after Padmé left, since her absence was a constant reminder that they were now completely alone, and were free to speak as they wished. That was more than either one could have asked for in a goodbye, and yet, neither one knew what to say. Surely, they'd see each other again one day in the future, wouldn't they? They'd probably be forced together in some other plot, or worse, another political gathering.

     So, they walked together in what was partially companionable, partially awkward, silence.

     A minute passed, and then another, and Satine felt her heartbeat speed up as she began to recognize more buildings and streets around them, signaling that the end of their short walk was near. Should she say something? What should she say? Or should Obi-Wan say something instead?

     "Have all the preparations been made for Korkie and yourself to return to Mandalore?"

     Satine blinked, surprised that he had actually spoken first.

    "Yes... yes, everything is ready to go."

    Obi-Wan nodded, then swallowed. "So, I suppose there's a chance we may not see each other for a while... if things go well at the pickup, that is."

     "I suppose so," she said slowly, then had another thought. "I--I wanted to thank you for speaking with Korkie. Whatever you said to him..." she shook her head.

     "It was nothing," he assured her. "I just wanted to see if I could help, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you goodbye then. I had to leave before I got the chance."

     Satine smiled sadly. "There's no need to apologize. I understand that sometimes secrecy takes priority."

     "Speaking from experience?" he joked, recalling their conversation from earlier in the week.

     "Do shut up," she chided, though her eyes said otherwise.

     He chuckled, but the sound died in his throat as they rounded the last corner and Satine's residence came into view.

     Satine glanced at him, then followed his gaze. Her steps came to a halt, and his did as well.

     Suddenly, she felt her cheeks warm, and she ran the edge of her boot along a cobblestone at her feet.

     "Seriously though, thank you for speaking to Korkie. I wasn't sure how I'd ever get him to speak to me after..." she trailed off, aware of where her sentence was headed, then cleared her throat. "That meant a lot to me, and I appreciate it."

     Obi-Wan hummed in understanding and glanced off towards the end of the street after finding that he was unable to look her in the face. If he looked at her now, he wasn't sure he'd be able refrain from questioning her on the subject at hand. If he was honest, he wasn't sure he wanted to know the truth, and he wasn't sure how Satine would feel if she knew how much Korkie had said to him.

     When Satine noticed how he looked away, she began to question what he wasn't saying, but decided that this wasn't the time to press.

     They were supposed to say goodbye. Right.

     Satine cleared her throat again, and Obi-Wan's eyes shifted back in her direction.

     "Well, I suppose this is it."

     "I suppose it is."

     Neither one of them moved. 

     "I can walk you to your door if you're that nervous, Your Highness," he offered after a minute, with one eyebrow raised.

     She flushed, cringing internally as she thought about what kinds of feelings she must be giving off. However, she decided to take advantage of the opportunity.

      "Sure," she responded softly, walking forward once again.

     As they passed a few other surrounding buildings, Satine realized how quiet the street was compared to those that were closer to the marketplace. There was a nice stillness to it at the moment though.

     Then, they finally strolled to a stop just a few feet from her doorstep. She glanced at the windows where the curtains were closed, figuring that Korkie must have gone outside or that he was relaxing in his room.

     When her gaze lowered back to the door, she didn't turn around.

     "We've had far too many goodbyes," she stated. "Or, perhaps it's only been a few, but it feels like there have been enough for this lifetime."

     Obi-Wan stared at her back, but didn't respond.

     Finally, she turned so that she was facing back down the street, halfway between the doorway and Obi-Wan.

       "I think I'd prefer 'until we meet again'," she informed him. "There's a lot of gray area there."

      He exhaled. "It's still a goodbye, from a certain point of view. Though it sounds more promising."

     She snorted, and he blinked in surprise.

     "We're going to have to work on your pessimistic attitude. You've become far too bitter."

     He narrowed his eyes.

     "Don't tell me you consider yourself an optimist," she remarked.

     "No, it's not that. I'm just worried about what else you might be implying. I sensed that your words might have two meanings," he said dryly, wondering if her use of the word 'we' suggested that she wished to see him more often to correct said attitude.

     She smiled again, and it was a real smile that brought back some fond memories.

     Obi-Wan couldn't stop himself from smiling a little in return.

     "As I said," she began eventually. "Until we meet again."

     He bowed his head slightly in return. "Until we meet again."

     When he looked up though, she had closed the gap between them, startling him.

     He became more shocked, however, when she pressed her lips gently to his own.

     It was over just as quickly as it had happened, but Obi-Wan could only stare at her as she stepped back.

      She touched her lips with a faint smile as she opened the door, and she soon disappeared inside.

     Obi-Wan looked around the area quickly when the sound of the door closing startled him from his thoughts, as though checking to see if anyone had been around. Not that it would matter really, as he was still in his servant's robes, and he hadn't sensed anyone.

     He looked away from the house, and began to retrace his steps up the street alone.

     The only thing they had missed, unfortunately, was the fact that Korkie had stood peering out of the cracks of the curtains in an upstairs window, and he had remained unnoticed the whole time while hearing their muffled voices on the street below.

*****

Hi readers,

     I just wanted to let you all know that, sadly, this was the last bonus scene! That means I can officially say that this story is complete. I really hope you've enjoyed it, since I definitely have enjoyed getting to write it. 

Best wishes in your future reading,

- zap427