"For Your Ears Only"
Summary: Obi-Wan has a habit of being there as others die and having to hear their last words be about Anakin. I wanted to change that.
Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine.
Padmé felt herself floating upwards and leaving her body behind. In her spirit form, she came to stand at the side of her bed, looking across at Obi-Wan, who still held Luke in his arms as he stared down at Padmé's earthly shell, not knowing he was being watched by the Senator's spirit. She wished she had been able to tell Kenobi how much he had meant to her. She ached to tell him, but now, it was too late. Though she could talk to him, he wouldn't be able to hear her…
"Frustrating, isn't it?" a deep voice asked knowingly.
She looked up at the sound of the familiar voice. Qui-Gon was standing beside her, and, like her, was a ghostly version of his former self.
"I just needed a few more minutes," Padmé said sadly. "It would have been enough to tell him that I--"
"That you loved him?" Qui-Gon nodded, watching as Obi-Wan carefully shifted Luke in his arms so he could push a stray lock of hair away from Padmé's pale face. The Senator herself had to shut her eyes as the tender gesture was performed on her body, keeping her eyes closed as she said, "I told him there was still good in Anakin, and I believe it, but…but I didn't want to leave Obi-Wan without telling him goodbye."
"Yes. I know how you feel. My last words to him were about Anakin as well. I instructed him to train the boy. I told him that Anakin was the Chosen One and would bring balance to the Force." Qui-Gon shook his head, but whether it was done out of shame at his folly or out of regret for Obi-Wan, Padmé didn't know. The older man continued, "I gave Obi-Wan no words of love or encouragement in my final moments. He was my son, and instead of easing his pain or making sure he knew I loved him, I left him with a difficult task to carry out and a heavy burden to bear." He took his eyes off of Kenobi, who was now leaving the birthing room with Luke in his arms, to look at Padmé. "Do you know what he told Anakin before leaving him on Mustafar?" he suddenly asked.
She opened her eyes again, which were wide with surprise and anticipation. "No. What did he tell him?"
"That Anakin had been like a brother to him and that he had loved him." Qui-Gon paused, looking towards the ground but seemingly not focusing on anything.
Thinking he was finished speaking, Padmé went back to watching Obi-Wan again. The Jedi Master was in the hallway outside the birthing room, still holding Luke and speaking to the medical droid who was holding Leia. Padmé was just admiring what a natural Kenobi was at holding a baby when the sound of Qui-Gon's voice made her jerk her head towards Jinn again.
"Obi-Wan did what neither of us could do for him. He made sure another person knew how he felt about them."
Padmé winced, feeling her guilt intensify at Qui-Gon's words. "Is there nothing we can do to make it up to him?" she whispered, her gaze turning once again to the Jedi Knight in question.
The barest hint of a smile crossed Jinn's lips. "There may be something we can do. I know of a way to make your presence known in the Force to those who are living and are trained to sense it. I have made myself known to Yoda already and told him how to gain this knowledge. He will share it with Obi-Wan when the time is right…and I will share it with you if you wish."
Padmé stared at him. "You mean, Obi-Wan will be able to see me again? And I can tell him what he means to me and he'll hear me?"
Qui-Gon nodded. "Both of us can tell him what he means to us," he said.