Title: The Shadow's Forgiveness
Author: Forever Faithful
Disclaimer: I don't own anything of Star Wars, or LucasArts. No profit is made here.
Summary: Nearly two years after the events of One Mistake-- Obi-Wan has made something of a life for himself with the help of others and is beginning to find stable ground again when suddenly Qui-Gon Jinn drops into his world again. Will Obi-wan forever resent him, or be convinced of forgiveness?
Rating: PG to PG-13...Not sure yet.
Feedback: Please! I beg of you! *grin*
Warnings: None as of yet.
Note: Arrows are change of scene, italics are memories or the 'book of' sequences.
A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed One Mistake! Hope you are reading this, because it's all for you! This first chapter, I had to introduce many of the characters and some of their personalites. Promise, the fic won't be this boring!!!! Just hang with me till next chapter…It may just be worth your wild. Lol!
Ch. 1 The Shadow's Forgiveness
The Shadow's Own
"You're angry." Obi-Wan pointed out quietly as Carlie opened a cabinet and looked in the mirror.
"Extremely." She growled jerking the collar of her white jacket so firmly that the fabric made a quick snapping sound.
Obi-Wan looked away and back out the window. He'd known her nearly 2 years now, and he knew full well when she was angry. He knew everything about her, TiFin, Aden, Skilar, Fice, and Moh Jehn. They'd been his family for 2 years. His home and friends.
"Anger is by that of fear."
"I know." Was all she said in replied brushing a strand of dark hair back towards the clip that held the rest up.
They'd brought him here all that time ago. Well, actually they brought him to a place called, The Shadow's Own. A large home for runaways, strays, and abandons. They'd all made lives for themselves. Even Obi-Wan, as Ben Kenobi. The group was now too old to be residents, but now they funded and nearly ran the place with their small pay checks keeping them living there.
The particular group that took him in happened to be a group of high talent. Carlie for one had been a trauma surgeon and doctor, not a healer, since she was just 15. Aden and TiFin were the heads of security here, at the hospital called simply A1374. They started 4 years ago, they were both 24. Moh Jehn, by far the comic relief of the group, was a physical therapist, he had been for 3 years, he was 21. Skilar was actually a mortician and an optomalogist…she was 21. Carlie was only to be 22 in a few weeks, she'd been a doctor for almost 7 years.
He had a hard time grasping this when he first met them, but it was obvious after a while that they were different then the other Shadows of the home.
"What did you have to fear?" He asked numbly watching the traffic outside.
"You know damn well what I had to fear." Carlie snapped. "You could have killed yourself!" She nearly shouted turning around only to face his back.
"He would have died." Obi-Wan protested turning the chair to face her.
"And you with him." Carlie added.
"I didn't, did I?" Obi-Wan replied.
"Ben, you know better than to tempt fate." Carlie reminded.
The first time she had said that to him he thought that she had found out his secret. That he was once a Jedi. But truly she said it to many people.
"I'm sorry.." Obi-Wan murmured.
Carlie had taken him as something as an intern just over 14 months ago. A bit after he lived with them. Secretly Obi-wan had used the Force to help some patients. No one knew he was a Jedi, used to be a Jedi.
Carlie sighed and moved to the side of the hover chair she had forced him to take. "I don't know how you do that, but all I know is that it caused you not to breathe for nearly 8 seconds, and I don't want to relive those 8 seconds again, tei?"
Just over an hour ago, a truama victim had been rushed in. Moments after he lost pulse and they nearly gave up on him. This would have been the first death on a table that Obi-wan had seen. He wasn't going to except that. He had quickly wrapped the Force around the victim and poured energy into him. He wasn't that skilled however, not in that type of action, and though it saved that patient, he had collapsed and according to Carlie and everyone else in the room, stopped breathing for 7 or 8 seconds.
He'd awoken not 20 minutes ago and was cleared to go. The small hospital needed all the room they could get. Funding was down this term and it wasn't going well. Carlie ordered him here, with a hover chair, and not till a few moments ago was he alone.
"Tei." He replied in her native language. She'd taught him it long ago. It was a good thing to use when others didn't know what they were saying.
"Vern tiurnwi, eh?…Ben, neiv utily." (We're family, right? …Ben, my brother.) Carlie said with a smile. Shadows always considered their friends their family. They often had no one else.
"Tiurnwi—Carlie, neiv otrinm." (Family—Carlie, my sister.) He assured her with a smile of his own.
Carlie stood, kissing him on the cheek as her native did with siblings as did the rest of the group.
"TiFin will come and bring you home soon. I have to go see a man about a young John Doe." She explained heading out.
"Ok." Obi-Wan replied nodding and looking back out the window.
He would have known if it was him, wouldn't he? He would have felt something…Or not. Maybe the bond was too weak, just as it had been for the past 22 months when he needed it most. Maybe it was-
Qui-Gon Jinn ordered himself to stop thinking. Just stop thinking in general. It never did him any good, literally. This would be just like the last time. And the time before that, and that, and that.
When the Jedi Master sent out aware warnings into the medical data base of the entire planet of Coruscant, not an easy thing to do, he didn't expect replies like this. In the past 4 weeks he had received over a dozen John Doe files leading towards his descriptions that have died in hospitals. Another 2 dozen of those checked in. And he'd been to 5 different hospital morges to claim or oversee bodies that was to his description.
Jinn rubbed his hand down his face. He'd been returned to active field duty over a year ago, after something of a probation stalling, but he continued to search for his Padawan. He never broke his silent promise, even if it was to himself. Nearly every spare moment he was searching for him…He'd admit that as of late, things were slowing down. And though he wouldn't admit this, he was starting to lose hope.
The door opened and a young woman entered the room.
"Master Jinn?" She asked softly looking up from a data reader which probably had his name and reason on it.
"Yes, that's me Intern--" He let the address trail not sure of her name.
"You can call me Dr. Grandai."
"Terribly sorry." Qui-Gon offered his hand. "Qui-Gon is fine."
"Don't worry about it." She said shaking his hand. "If you'll follow me." She said turning.
Qui-Gon paused a moment, hesitant, but then followed quickly at her side.
"You're looking for a young man correct?"
"Yes, about 14 or 15." Qui-Gon replied, he was used to these questions by now.
"How long have you been looking for him?"
"Nearly 2 years." Jinn replied. He hated that answer.
"I see. Description is here, did you give it?" She asked not looking up from the data reader.
"Yes."
"Ok. Take all the time you need, we don't need to rush in there." Grandai said stopping at the door.
"It's alright, go ahead."
"You've done this before, haven't you?" She asked knowingly.
Jinn flashed to the first time he did this. It was the worst thing in the world. He remembered what he felt when he received the information. It seemed to fit Obi-Wan so perfectly it was horrifying. When the body wasn't Obi-Wan Qui-Gon remembered how he had to sit down immediately. The doctors had taken it as a yes and quickly began to spread their sympathy. Thank the Force it wasn't Obi-Wan…as the others weren't.
"Yes I have." He said grimly.
"I'm sorry." Was all she said as she opened the door and stepped inside the cooler aired room.
Qui-Gon followed her, trying to keep calm. This wouldn't be him…it just wouldn't be.
"Master Qui-Gon Jinn, this is Dr. Skilar Verin, she's our mortician." Dr. Grandai introduced the green skinned twi'lek that moved towards them gracefully.
"Good day Master Jinn." Verin offered her hand.
Qui-gon shook it, he really just wanted to get this over with so he could leave. "Dr. Verin."
"This way." She lead the two towards the side and Qui-Gon tried not to look at the white sheets around him.
Verin opened a cooling capsole and slid out another rumpled white sheet. Jinn stood on one side, Grandai on the other, Verin at the foot.
Grandai glanced at Jinn, he nodded slightly clenching his hands at his sides. All his questions turning in his mind. What if it was Obi-Wan? What would he do? What if it wasn't? Then where was the boy? What if he was in danger, trouble? What if he was hurt off planet? What if he was off planet in general? Did he have-
Qui-Gon blew out a shuddering breath looking at the young man's face. It wasn't Obi-Wan. He had the ginger hair, slightly longer. And he was young, but it wasn't Obi-Wan Kenobi.
"No." He shook his head. "That's not him." Grandai nodded and placed the top of the sheet back over the boy. Verin pushed the body back into the cooling capsole.
"I'm sorry to have alarmed you Master Jinn." Grandai apologized.
Jinn just shook his head. This was a good thing…But then it only meant that Obi-Wan could be a billion and a half places other than here.
"May I ask the name of the missing, perhaps I can put it on the lists?" She asked as they moved out of the horrible room.
"I've tried everything. The only option is he's off planet." Qui-Gon mused mostly to himself.
"Coruscant is a very large place Master Jinn, he could still be here." She offered.
Jinn just shook his head slightly as they began to enter the upper levels of the hospital again.
"Hey Carlie?"
They both stopped turning to face a large humanoid.
"Yes Fin?"
"Went to get Ben from your office and he says he needs you to reply to this first." He held out a paper to her.
Carlie looked it over quickly.
"That moron." She muttered with a small smile and signed something to the paper. As she handed it back Qui-Gon glanced at the side that was facing him. Without realizing what he was doing he snatched it from the extended hand and searched it quickly.
"Master Jinn?" Grandai said surprised.
Qui-Gon looked to the center of the page…
Kenobi
"Who is this?" He said shaking the paper.
Carlie and Fin looked at eachother.
"Who is this Kenobi, Dr. Grandai?" Jinn repeated loudly.
"Master Jinn, calm yourself-" Carlie started.
"Calm down sir. St-" Fin too was interrupted.
Qui-Gon shook the paper again. "Who is he?"
"I am." A voice said above the three. They all looked at the person coming towards them.
TBC….
P.S. Yes, I know, Jinn probably would act so rash but think about it, he's been looking for one person for nearly two years and this is the only thing to lead him to him. What would you do? Even if you were a Jedi? *Grin
Reviews are always liked!!!!!!!!!