Broken, but Together

Title-Broken, but Together

Author-Zoey Skywalker 11

Summary-Obi-Wan recovers from his capture on Larbec.

Rating-PG

Time Frame-Pre-TPM-Obi-Wan is 7.

Sequel Notice: Please note this story is a direct sequel to my story "Taken and Alone." You need to read that story first for this story to truly make sense.

Spoilers-Only for my story "Taken And Alone."

Reviews-Sure. But please be nice. This is my first shot at real mush and only my second story.

Disclaimer-The world of Star Wars belongs to the God known as George Lucas. I only live in the world, I don't own it.

Author's Note #1-This story takes place when Obi-Wan is 7. It does not follow the events in the JA books, as Obi-Wan has been Qui-Gon's apprentice for about two months at this point.

A/N #2-I self-betaed the story, and I did my best, so try not to be too harsh about that.

Broken, but Together

Home, at last, Qui-Gon thought as he carried his apprentice through the door of their apartment. The mission to Larbec was a disaster for Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi. The negotiations on Larbec were supposed to be easy, but that was before his Padawan was captured and used as a bargaining chip for one of the tribes fighting for land rights. Obi-Wan had come out of the mission, with multiple injuries, including a left leg with six breaks in the bone. Obi-Wan had spent the last week and a half recovering from his injuries, and while he still had a very long way to go, the Healers had finally deemed him well enough come home. He would still have to go for physical therapy, but Obi-Wan was alright with that as long as he could go home. Obi-Wan had been changed from his ordeal on Larbec. He was no longer the happy-go-lucky child that Qui-Gon knew, but he had become a scared child, leery of everyone who was not Qui-Gon and terrified to be alone. Qui-Gon had not left his side in the entire time that his apprentice was a resident at the Healers. The Padawan would have had a panic attack if he had left, not that Qui-Gon would have left anyway. Recovering from the broken leg was one thing, but fixing the fear in Obi-Wan's mind would be very difficult. It will just take time. That was the mantra that Qui-Gon had adopted in the past few days. He just hoped it was true.

"Welcome home, Obi-Wan." Looking down, Qui-Gon saw the small smile on his young face. It had been the first time that he had smiled in days. Smiling back, Qui-Gon walked over to the plush couch in the common room and gently laid his Padawan on it. He got some pillows and a throw from a nearby chair and started to get his apprentice settled. He propped up his head and broken leg on the pillows and wrapped his apprentice in a warm throw. Obi-Wan just looked up at him, a sleepy look in his eye. The Healers had started Obi-Wan's physical therapy today and it had worn him out.

The Master decided that it would be best for his Padawan to have something hot to drink before he fell asleep for the entire night. Qui-Gon got up to move to the small kitchen that was in their quarters. He was almost there when he heard Obi-Wan call for him, terror in his voice. The master moved quickly back to the couch, where he left his apprentice. When he got there, his Padawan had tears brimming at his eyes.

"It's Ok, Obi-Wan. I was just going to the kitchen to make some tea. I didn't leave."

"I…o-opened my eyes and you weren't here!"

"I know. But it is alright. Now I am going to make us some tea. You need to get some liquid in you, before you fall asleep. I will be in kitchen and if you need me all you have to do is yell, OK?" Obi-Wan looked uncertain, but gave a small nod. "While I am in the other room, I want you to remember two things, little one. Number one: I will never leave you. And number two: You ARE safe. Now I am going to the kitchen, will you be alright for a few minutes?" Obi-Wan still looked nervous, but he seemed more confidant.

Qui-Gon quickly prepared the tea for him and his Padawan. He was keeping an eye on the boy in the next room, via the training bond that the two shared. It was clear that the boy was still nervous at not having Qui-Gon in his sight, but he was trying to keep it under control. Qui-Gon was very proud of his apprentice. It was clear that this experience had implanted a deep fear in his Padawan, but he was trying to overcome it. But the fear was just so much bigger than he could handle… Shaking off his thoughts, Qui-Gon collected the tea and moved into the next room.

Sitting on the coffee table near his Padawan, Qui-Gon handed the tea cup to his Padawan and helped him sit up enough to take few sips without running the risk of choking.

"What do you think about watching a holovid, while we drink our tea?" Obi-Wan brightened up at that.

"Can we watch the 'Shivberator'?"

"Sure. When your 12. For now, how about 'The Fulvian Tales'?" At Obi-Wan's reluctant approval, Qui-Gon put in the vid. After some repositioning, Master and Padawan were comfortably arranged on the couch with Qui-Gon sitting on one end, with his feet propped up on the coffee table, Obi-Wan's head cushioned in his lap, stretched out over the rest of the couch. About halfway through the vid, Obi-Wan fell asleep. Qui-Gon could tell that he had been fighting sleep for awhile, but his body finally gave out. Stopping the vid with the Force, Qui-Gon picking up his Padawan and started to carry him to his room. Settling him on his bed, Qui-Gon started to arrange his Padawan for sleep, taking off his boots and belt, positioning pillow and blankets. Halfway through, Obi-Wan woke up. Qui-Gon tried to coax him back to sleep, but that fell apart when he saw where he was.

"Why am I in here? You're not going to leave me alone in the dark, are you?"

Stupid, Qui-Gon. The child is terrified of being left alone and you are going to leave him in the darkness of his room when he is already suffering from nightmares. Stupid. Qui-Gon could not admit his stupidity to the child, so he lied instead. He hated lying to the child, but he did not want to scare him. "No, little one. I think that you will be spending the night with me. But all of your clothes are in here and I wanted to get you into your sleep clothes so that you would be more comfortable. And since your up you can help me, so lift your arms." Qui-Gon helped Obi-Wan get ready for bed and then carried his once again slumbering apprentice into his own bedroom. The Master's bedroom was larger than his apprentice's, as was the bed. It was large enough that both of them could sleep comfortably without the risk of someone falling out, which was most certainly not the case in Obi-Wan's child-size bed. Qui-Gon put his Padawan in his bed on the side closest to the door. Knowing that he would not be able to leave the room without his Padawan knowing, Qui-Gon settled in for bed. Once in bed, Qui-Gon settled himself on the left side of his Padawan, who was still asleep. Just before he fell asleep, he felt a shifting to his right. Looking he found that his Padawan had shifted so that his head would rest on his Master's chest. Qui-Gon wrapped a protective arm around his Padawan and fell asleep, hoping against hope that this sleep would be peaceful for them both.

It was not. Qui-Gon awoke to a shot of pure panic running through the training bond. Looking down, he found that his Padawan was startlingly still, considering that he was having a nightmare. There was no thrashing or moaning, just a layer of sweat on his forehead. It was almost like the fear had paralyzed the child. Qui-Gon immediately set to work of waking his Padawan up. After a few minutes, Obi-Wan woke up with a scream that half of the Temple probably heard. He saw his Master and buried his head in Qui-Gon's tunic. Tears were running down his face and his whole body was shaking. Qui-Gon was concerned at how much the nightmare affected the child, but he did not let that show as he rubbed Obi-Wan's back, murmuring words of comfort in his ear. He knew that the boy would not want to talk about. Even if he did, the Master got the feeling that would not be able to talk about it. Obi-Wan was just too scared right now. He would need to calm down first. It took about an hour, but Obi-Wan eventually did calm down. But before his Master could question him, the apprentice fell asleep, still leaning against his Master's chest. Qui-Gon just gave a worried smile as he settled his Padawan back in bed.

A week went by and the nightmares did not get any better. At least once a night, he would wake up terrified and shaking. He would huddle next to his Master and try to calm down, getting the comfort that he so desperately needed. Qui-Gon was very worried now. The nightmares seemed to be getting worse and they occurred more frequent. He decided that he would speak to Obi-Wan's healer about it when they went for physical therapy.

Qui-Gon hated waking his Padawan up in the morning, especially after another restless night, but he knew that he did not have a choice. Obi-Wan had his physical therapy with the Healers at ten. Every morning he reluctantly woke Obi-Wan up, he got him dressed and fed and to the Healers at promptly at ten.

Qui-Gon sat in his usual chair in the corner of the physical therapy room. The healers had put him there to keep him out of their way, since this was usually done without the Master's presence. But they understood that Obi-Wan needed him here, so they put him a corner and made sure that his Padawan could always see him. Obi-Wan preferred Qui-Gon to be closer, but he was alright. Qui-Gon watched as his Padawan was pushed through the therapy for his leg. He knew that his boy would be in agony when this was over, but it was necessary. About halfway through the session, Master Healer Winna Di Uni came in. She had been in charge of his case since the beginning and she was just the person that Qui-Gon wanted to talk to.

"Winna. Could I have a word?"

"Of course, Qui-Gon. I just came in to see how your Padawan is."

"Well, the physical therapy is going well. And he is being very good about letting me carry him. But I am worried more about his mental state. He has been having nightmares and they are getting worse and more frequent. He had three last night alone. It is starting to affect his sleep. I think he only got about four or five hours last night and that is going to catch up to him. And his fear about being left alone is not getting any better. He still gets scared every time I am not in sight. He is nervous around everyone that is not me. I know that what happened on Larbec was terrible, but it is not getting any better. What should I do?

"I was afraid of this. Qui-Gon, has Obi-Wan shown any reluctance to go to sleep?"

"Yes. I have had to resort to Force-pushing him to sleep a few times. His body needs rest."

The Healer just nodded. "What about classes? Does he want to go to them?"

"I have not been making him go. Like I said, he panics every time I am out of sight. He would not make it through a class. He does not even trust his friends to be with him."

"Qui-Gon. Your Padawan is showing all of the classic signs of an acute stress reaction. If it gets worse it could develop into Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Or PTSD. Neither one of these is often seen among Jedi, because of our training to get past things like this, but Obi-wan has not learned many of those skills yet, which is why he is having problems. It is common among the non-Jedi. Here is what we can do. I want to have him start seeing a mind healer…"

"A Mind Healer!? He is seven years old. Most older Padawans never have the need for one!"

"I know that. But acute stress syndrome is serious. It will prevent him from opening up like he needs to. You can still be with him and I can send the mind healer to your apartment, so you do not have to bring Obi-Wan here. I know how much he hates this place. I also want to start him on some drugs. One, Fluasixian, is the common drug used for PTSD and it is one that I want to start him on so it does not become PTSD. It helps reduce the frequency of flashbacks and it will help keep him calm. The second, Sanbigian, is taken right before bed. That will help with the nightmares. I am also going to some breathing exercises that you can do with him. That should help to calm him down. The amount of stress that this causes is not good for anyone, let alone a child. That should help. Any questions?" Qui-Gon shook his head. "Ok, then. I will go get you the information about the breathing exercises and the medicine that he needs. The dosing instructions will be on the bottles. If you have any questions about them, you can always comm me. I'll be right back." And with that Winna left the room, leaving Qui-Gon to reflect on what she said.

PTSD. He had heard of the disorder before, but it had never even crossed his mind that that could happen to his Padawan. For the thousandth time in the last week, Qui-Gon cursed himself for ever taking Obi-Wan on that mission. He knew how dangerous those "simple" missions could be. And now his Padawan had an acute stress syndrome. His thoughts circled around this until a few minutes later when they were interrupted by Winna, who had come back in the room with everything that he would need to help his Padawan.

"Ok, Qui-Gon. Here is the Fluasixian. This needs to be taken four times a day, once when he gets up, once at the midday meal, once at the late meal and once when he goes to sleep. Make sure he eats it with food. When he takes the bedtime dose of that give him a Sanbigian pill. Here are some instructions on breathing exercises that help calm him. Do it at least twice a day; once mid-day and once before bed. Feel free to do it more and add simple, preferably guided, meditations when you think necessary. But I would not want to push his use of the Force, since it is still a little weak from the Rignin his kidnappers gave him and might bring up bad memories. I talked with Thalo Baldor, the Mind Healer who will be handling Obi-Wan's case. He is very good with children and he always handles the Padawan cases. Thalo wants to see Obi-Wan tomorrow. He will come to your apartment around fifteen hundred in the afternoon. That will give Obi-Wan a break between his physical therapy and his session. Thalo also wants you to talk to Obi-Wan tonight about his coming. Most Padawans have no idea what a mind healer is and we do not want to throw any surprises at him. So get him comfortable with all this and the real work will start tomorrow. Don't worry, Qui-Gon. Your apprentice is tough. He will get through this. Any questions?" Qui-Gon just shook his head. "Ok. I will check in with you in a few days and see how things are going. Comm me if you need anything." And with that she left the room, leaving Qui-Gon to think about all that he would have to do with his Padawan once they left here.

After the grueling therapy session was over, Qui-Gon carried his exhausted apprentice to their shared quarters. Putting his new worries aside, the Master went through the routine that he and his apprentice had worked out the past week. After getting Obi-Wan settled on the couch, he put lunch on to cook. Today was going to be a ponick soup with noodles. One of Obi-Wan's favorites. After setting that on the stove he got out the wash towels and soaked them in hot water. Filling a large basin with additional hot water, Qui-Gon went back to his apprentice and draped the hot towels over his apprentice's small leg. This helped reduce the swelling and the pain that often came from the therapy. That done, Qui-Gon finished preparing lunch, which he then brought to his apprentice. The two ate and talked about the small things that children often find so enjoyable. Obi-Wan usually drifted asleep before he could finish all of his food, and today was no exception. Qui-Gon cleaned up the dishes from lunch and the hot towels and water; he sat down in the common room to watch over his Padawan. Obi-Wan often fell into a dreamless sleep during this nap time, especially if he did not get much sleep the night prior. Between the nightmares and the torture that the Healers put him through, his small body just gave out. Two hours was all that he needed, but, sadly, those two hours were becoming more and more important.

Once Obi-Wan awoke from his nap, he did his homework. All of the work from his classes was being sent to their quarters, since he was not attending the actual classes. It was a good thing that Obi-Wan had a sharp mind. The child was not behind in any of his classes and was still getting the same impressive grades that he always got. Qui-Gon found it comforting that one area of his life was not affected by this tragedy. It usually only took an hour or two for Obi-wan to do his work for the day, slightly longer if he needed help; but his Master was close by so help wasn't that far away.

After Obi-Wan had finished with his work, Qui-Gon decided to tell his apprentice about what was going to start happening. "Obi-Wan, we need to talk about some things that are going to start happening around here."

Obi-Wan got a scared look on his face, but it was quickly replaced by something that Qui-Gon did not expect to see: determination. "Ok, Master. It's Ok. I know. I have been acting like a baby these last two weeks with having to sleep with you and the nightmares, but I can change and be a good Jedi. I WILL change and be a good Jedi. You don't have to send me away." Even before he had finished, Qui-Gon had wrapped his arms around the small frame, trying to dispel those notions.

"No. My little one. You must know that I would NEVER send you away. You are my Padawan from now until you are knighted and you will stay by my side until then. Understood?" Qui-Gon felt Obi-Wan's head move in the right direction. "Ok. And as for you being a bad Jedi, you are wrong. You are a very good Jedi. You showed that on Larbec and now that we are home you are just acting as your mind needs to. That does not make you a bad Jedi. It makes you human. Ok?" Qui-Gon pulled away from his Padawan slightly so he could look in his Padawan's eyes to make sure that he really believed that. He did. Repositioning his Padawan against him, Qui-Gon got comfortable on the couch, ready to tell him everything else.

"Obi-Wan the reason I wanted to talk to you is because I talked to Healer Di Uni while you were doing your therapy."

"I know. I saw the two of you talking. It was about me, wasn't it?"

"Yes, little one. I wanted to talk to her. I know that you have been having problems with nightmares and it is not getting any better. I know that this is hard for you and all I want to do is help, ok?" Obi-Wan just nodded. "So we are going to try a few different things and I want you to be comfortable with them. Some we will start tonight and others tomorrow. The first thing is that Winna wants to start is some medication. The first you need to take four times, when you get up, when you eat the midday meal, again when you eat the late meal and then when you go to sleep. Also, when you go to sleep you will need to take another pill. The four that you take during the day will help you to stop thinking about Larbec all the time and it will help get rid of some of your fears. And then the extra pill that you take will help with the nightmares. We are also going to start some breathing exercises tonight. They will help to relax you, since we have not been doing meditation. And then there is one more thing that we will be doing, that starts tomorrow. Obi-Wan after your nap in the afternoon Thalo Baldor will be coming. He is a Master Mind Healer."

"What's a Mind Healer?" Obi-wan asked in a small voice.

"Well, it is sort of what it sounds like. He was trained as a Healer, but you know how Winna helps Jedi when they get hurt on missions. That is her focus. Healer Thalo took a different focus. He stays here at the Temple and it his job to help people get over bad experiences."

"Like what happened to me?"

"Yes. Just like what happened to you. He is going to come here and help you deal with it."

"But you will be here, right?"

"Yes, Obi-Wan. I will be here. Now what do you say to dinner?"

The rest of the day went by rather quickly. The two had dinner and Obi-Wan started his medicine. They did the new breathing exercises, and to Qui-Gon's happiness, Obi-Wan really enjoyed them. When they were finished, Qui-Gon had not seen the boy so relaxed since the return from Larbec. The Master knew that there was a long way to go, but it was a start. He prepared a snack for his Padawan before bed, putting in a vid to keep him amused. Obi-Wan ate his snack and took the pills that Qui-Gon had also given him. When the Master settled down on the couch, his apprentice immediately snuggled up to his side. But to Qui-Gon's great joy, it was not out of fear. Obi-Wan had been making small improvements during the daylight hours about being left alone in the apartment, but tonight had been a large step forward. Now if only we can make that kind of progress at night. Looking down, Qui-Gon found his Padawan to be sound asleep. Thankful that his apprentice willingly fell asleep, the Master carefully changed him into his sleepclothes and put him in the king size bed, right next to his Master.

The drugs that Obi-Wan was on seemed to be working. He only had one nightmare that night and it was not nearly has bad as they had been. Maybe he would not get PTSD after all. When the two went to Obi-Wan's therapy, Qui-Gon was eager to share the good news with Winna. But she was not as enthusiastic.

"I am glad that Obi-Wan has made some progress, Qui-Gon. Really I am. But that child still has a long way to go. He still only really feels safe at home with you. We need to get him to classes with his friends. Training. Missions. The fear is still there and, sadly, there is only one thing that will make it go away. Obi-Wan has to talk about what happened to him."

"But-"

"No buts, Qui-Gon. I know that what Obi-Wan went through was horrible and that you don't want to put him through any more pain, but talking about it is the only way he is going to get better and you know that."

"Yes. I know that. But is it wrong for me to want him to be spared all this."

"No. It makes you human. Don't worry. It is Tralo's job to make him talk not yours. You are there to catch him when he falls."

Obi-Wan hated physical therapy. It made his leg hurt really bad. They pulled his leg is all sorts of weird ways and it just made it hurt worse than before. He didn't even see the point. Every time he went his leg hurt like it did right after the surgery and it would get really swollen. Then he would go home and Qui-Gon would make it feel better and the swelling and the pain would mostly go away. Just to wake up and go through it all again. After a particularly painful pull, Obi-Wan looked over at his Master, needing some kind of comfort. The Padawan saw that his Master was talking to Healer Di Uni again. But he gave his Padawan a warm smile when he saw him.

The Padawan knew that something was wrong with him. He was scared all the time. It was almost as if he did not have any control over his emotions anymore. Before he was captured, he was always fine with Qui-Gon not being around. Sometimes he preferred it, happy to be in the company of Bant, Garen, Reeft and the other kids his age. Now he panicked when he did not see him. Obi-Wan did not even know why. It was like his brain was not connected to the rest of his body. He remembered a week ago when he had freaked out when his Master went to make tea. The Padawan had gotten better since then. He was alright as long as they were in the apartment, but outside of the apartment was another story. Obi-Wan just could not understand why he was acting like this. He wanted control over his life again. The Padawan just could not figure out how to make that happen. He knew that he could talk to Qui-Gon about this, but every time he thought about it, he would just clamp up. It was like there was something preventing him from talking about Larbec. But it would go away on its own, right?

"OK. Obi-Wan. You are done for today. Your leg is getting much better. Another couple weeks and you wouldn't have to come here anymore. "

The Padawan just looked up at Healer Doumnt, who had been doing his therapy. The Healer motioned for his Master and Qui-Gon immediately came over, thanked the Healer and swept his Padawan up in his arms. Obi-Wan had to admit that this was the one good thing about breaking his leg. When he had been captured all he had wanted was his Master and now he had him. Qui-Gon took his Padawan home and made his lunch and wrapped towels around his leg. Obi-Wan did enjoy this after-therapy routine that he and his Master had settled into. It made him relaxed and it always put him to sleep, which Obi-Wan found he needed more of, as he was always tired.

Obi-Wan awoke to his Master shaking his shoulder. "Obi-Wan, little one. Time to wake up. Healer Tralo will be here soon. Very reluctantly, the Padawan got himself fully awake. He did like the idea of yet another Healer around, but at least Qui-Gon would be here. His Master would not let anything happen to him. The Padawan was slightly intrigued by the idea of a Mind Healer, but he had a feeling that he would not like what the Healer wanted to talk about.

Soon after he was awake, the door chime rang. After giving his Padawan's arm a reassuring squeeze, he went to the door to let in the Mind Healer. Obi-Wan watched the door with great anticipation. He was very surprised to see a Chagrian at the door. He was really tall and had the trademark blue skin and horns. The guy looked like he could step on Obi-Wan and not even feel it. All of a sudden, Obi-Wan was really scared. This new person was even bigger than Qui-Gon. But the Chagrian just sat in a chair that was near the couch that Obi-Wan still sat on. Qui-Gon also moved near his Padawan, sitting next to him. The Padawan immediately curled up into his Master's side as much as his broken leg would allow.

"Hello, Obi-Wan. My name is Healer Tralo. How are you doing?" Obi-Wan just shrugged still very unsure of this new person. The Healer seemed to understand the uneasiness of the seven-year old and attempted to put him at ease. For the next half an hour, the Healer posed questions to the young Padawan about what he liked to do, who his friends were, how his classes were going. Obi-Wan was starting to relax, especially when he was given the chance to talk about the things that he liked. But he was still unsure about this. His Master had told him that it was the job of a Mind Healer to help a person get over a bad experience. That was why he was here. So why was he asking all of these questions that had nothing to do with Larbec?

About halfway into the session, he decided that he did like this Healer person. It was like he was back on Larbec. The kidnappers told him that they were not going to hurt him. They treated him really nice and then they changed and broke his leg, among other things. Obi-Wan decided that he would not listen to the Healer. Odds were he was going to make him happy and relaxed and then hurt him. So he stopped listening. The Padawan just retreated into his own world, firmly ignoring everything around him, save for the steady heartbeat from his Master's chest that was currently being used as a pillow.

Qui-Gon had felt a shift in Obi-Wan's thinking about 30 minutes into the session. From that point on, Obi-Wan refused to answer any of the Mind Healer's questions. It was like he didn't even hear him. The master had to wonder why. Tralo had not even mentioned anything related to Larbec. He was just trying to make him comfortable. But while there seemed to be progress earlier, it seemed that all progress had ended.

After about 15 minutes of stony silence from the Padawan, the Healer quietly told the Master that this was not going anywhere. The Padawan probably just needed time. Tralo showed himself out, assuring the Master that this would get better.

But it did not get better. For the next week, Obi-Wan continued to make progress in his physical therapy and in how he acted in the apartment. As long as Qui-Gon was somewhere in the apartment with him, he was fine. The nightmares had also greatly improved and Obi-Wan had even slept through a few nights without one. He still slept with Qui-Gon, but the dire need that originally came with it was diminishing. Qui-Gon was very proud of his Padawan. He was doing his very best to be brave and get back to his old life and he was making progress. Unfortunately, the only thing that would make the fear go away entirely was to get him to talk about what happened to him. But that was the area where Obi-Wan's progress halted. Obi-Wan was starting to get some of his old spunk back, but it would die when Tralo came around. Obi-Wan would just curl into his Master and pretend the rest of the galaxy did not exist. Then once he was gone, the Padawan would go back to his mostly happy self.

Qui-Gon, Winna and Tralo were not pleased with these failed sessions. The three of them decided to discuss it when Obi-Wan was at one of his last physical therapy sessions. "I don't know what to do with him, Qui-Gon. I have never had anyone shut me out so completely before. I am pretty good at getting a meter out of a millimeter, but your Padawan isn't giving me anything to work with."

"So what do you suggest, Tralo?" Winna asked.

"Well. I suggest that Qui-Gon take a crack at this. It is obvious that the boy trusts you and he might be willing to talk to you about this."

"Me?! But I am no Healer. I have no idea how to help Obi-Wan get past this!"

"All he needs to go is let go. He has been shielding everything that happened on Larbec. Even from himself. Your Padawan just needs some encouragement to open up. Once he lets go of the event, he will truly begin to heal."

"That is true, Qui-Gon," Winna said. "Your Padawan has already made some improvements. The only thing holding him back from a full recovery is the fact that he is suppressing the event. If you can gently encourage him to tell you what happened, then he should be fine."

"Just try, Qui-Gon. The worse that can happen is that you don't get a response from him, which is where we are right now. Just show him some of the same gentle love and care that you have been showing and he should be more willing to open up."

Qui-Gon was still unsure about this. He had never had to force one of his Padawans to talk about a traumatic event, and he found that it would be very hard with Obi-Wan. He had made so much progress and Qui-Gon knew that by doing this he would have to hurt his Padawan. The Master knew it was for his own good, but still…

Obi-Wan knew something was wrong as soon as his therapy was over. Qui-Gon was acting very worried and his eyes held a very sympathetic gaze. If Obi-Wan didn't know any better it was like Qui-Gon was going to hurt him. But his Master would never do anything to hurt him. He had swore not to send him away and he had done everything to make his Padawan feel loved and safe. Obi-Wan knew that he was better than he was at the start of all this. It was like he was getting control of his life back. And it was all because of Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan also suspected it had something to do with all of the pills he was taking, but he knew that no amount of medicine could replace his Master. Qui-Gon had put aside the strictness that he often shown in training and been like a…father. Obi-Wan had never known his father before and he had to admit that he liked the idea of one. Especially since it was Qui-Gon. But that did not explain why he was acting weird.

The two went through their afternoon routine, which Obi-Wan fell asleep through. But when he awoke, Obi-Wan knew that something was wrong. It was after the time when Healer Tralo came. Well, good, thought Obi-Wan. Now there is no chance of him hurting me. Satisfied, but still curious, Obi-Wan looked around to find his Master on the common room floor in a meditation position. Not really wanting to disturb him, but curious all the same, Obi-Wan reached through the bond he shared with his Master. Even after three weeks of the Rignin had gone through his system, his Force connection still was not where it should be. Not that he was working at it, though. Qui-Gon awoke from his meditations almost directly after Obi-Wan called him.

"Well, welcome back to the world, little one. How do you feel?"

"I'm Ok, Master. You know I feel better after a nap. But why didn't you wake me up? Isn't Master Tralo coming today?"

"No, not today. Why? Are you sad about that?"

"Not really. But I thought that you wanted him to come."

"I did, little one. But I get the feeling that you didn't."

"No. I didn't really see why he was coming. I mean he didn't talk about…about what happened. Just about stupid stuff."

"Healer Tralo just wanted to make you feel better about him coming. He didn't want to push you into talking when you weren't ready."

"But he never asked if I was ready!"

"Calm down, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said in a very gentle tone. "Does this mean that you want to talk about what happened?"

"I don't know," Obi-Wan said in a very small voice, looking down at the floor.

"Obi-Wan. I know that you do not want to talk to Healer Tralo about this. But can I ask why?"

"He's the same as they are."

"Who?"

"Rutefery and Gurtjer."

"You will have to fill me in Padawan. Who are they?"

"They were the people who kidnapped me. They were real nice to me at first. They took good care of me. They gave me food and they gave me warm stuff to sleep on. But then they tied me up and hurt me. That's what the Healer would have done. He was real nice, but then he would have hurt me…" Obi-Wan's voice failed a he surrendered to the tears that had been falling down his cheeks during the confession. The Padawan just slumped into his Master's arms and started to cry. Qui-Gon, still somewhat shocked at the confession, immediately began to comfort his young Padawan. Rocking him back and forth, saying soft words of comfort. Qui-Gon picked Obi-Wan off of his awkward position on the couch and settled him on his lap as he sat in a nearby plush chair, waiting out the flood of tears that had erupted from his young ward.

After a few minutes, Obi-Wan had gotten over the worse of his tears, but still clutched to his Master as tightly as possible. Qui-Gon seemed to take this as a good place to move forward. "Little one, do you want to talk about what happened?" Obi-Wan just shook his head and buried deeper into his Master's robe. "It will make you feel better, little one. I know that it hurts, but it will help you to heal. Let me help you."

"Why? Why do I have to think about it? It will just go away," Obi-Wan pleaded his voice on the edge of another tearful breakdown.

"No, Padawan. As much as I wish it would just go away, it won't. You need to talk about this. Let me help you. It was wrong to get Tralo in here. I know that now. But from now on it is just you and me. I will not let anyone else get involved in this. I will help you. I will do everything in my power to make you feel better. But you need to help me out here, Padawan. I am not a Mind Healer, but I will do my best. Just open up to me and I will help you. You are safe. Just please let me help you."

His Master's love-filled pleading voice was what did it. With a loud sob, Obi-Wan's shields fell. Both Master and Padawan saw everything that Obi-Wan had repressed behind durasteel shields. The small Jedi just started to cry again, much harder than before, his breath coming in harsh pants, his body shaking. Qui-Gon just held him close, once again comforting him as much as possible, waiting out the latest wave of tears. The Master also had his own emotions to sort out, his own tears wetting his cheeks. It took almost an hour before Obi-Wan had calmed down enough to talk again.

"I'm sorry, Master," Obi-Wan said, his breaths still coming in small gasps.

"Don't be. That had to come out. Now do you want to talk about some of this?" Obi-Wan just shrugged, still shaken from his latest emotional outburst. "Come on, Padawan. Let's get through this together."

"I don't know where to start," said a small voice in Qui-Gon's tunic.

"Well, why don't you start at the beginning?"

Obi-Wan looked up at the Master, eyes still glimmering from tears. "OK." And, so the Padawan started to tell his tale. He talked about his fear on waking up in a strange new place, his panic when he realized that he was without the Force and his Master, the slight relief when he captured fed him and were nice to him, the raw fear and anguish when they turned and started beating him, the loneliness followed by the pure joy when his Master found him. The young Padawan told his Master everything, holding up very well, never breaking down, only a few stray tears falling down his boyish cheeks. Qui-Gon just held him through it all, offering silent support and powerful love. When Obi-Wan finished, he just slumped against his Master, exhausted by the emotional toll that this release took on him. Surprisingly, though, he felt much better. It was like some weight was lifted from him. But he was too tired to care.

"You did very well, my little one. I am very proud of you. Now we will be able to heal, but for now, just rest." Obi-Wan felt his Master's Force suggestion in his mind and he drifted off to the world of slumber, still safe in his Master's arms.

Epilogue

The day that Obi-Wan told his Master what happened to him on Larbec was the turning point in his recovery. Qui-Gon started to work with his Padawan on getting past the emotions that came with his capture. The Jedi Master started to do guided meditations with his Padawan, as the two worked through Obi-Wan's feelings together. This also prompted Obi-Wan's Force connection to come back as strong as ever.

Less than two weeks after Obi-Wan's confession, the Padawan went back to his classes. When he came back on that first day, he was bouncing off the walls, telling his Master what had happened to him in his favorite science class with bounding enthusiasm. Around that time, Tralo and Winna decided that Obi-Wan no longer needed the medication he was on and they slowly weaned him off the drugs.

Within three weeks of his confession, Obi-Wan moved back into his own room. The Padawan was down to only have a nightmare or two a week and he would always come to his Master if he needed him, but he was happy in his own bed once again.

Qui-Gon could not have been more proud of his Padawan. Obi-Wan had made outstanding progress and he was once again the happy child that Qui-Gon knew. Obi-Wan would make a fine Jedi when he grew up; this whole experience had shown that. The Master knew that this was not the first recovery that Obi-Wan was going to have to go through in his life as a Jedi, but the two had gotten past the first one, relatively unscathed. Qui-Gon knew that the team of Jinn and Kenobi would have many hard days ahead of them, but he knew that they would be able to handle it. The bond the two shared were stronger than that of most Jedi teams, for they shared the bond of father and son. And that is one bond that can never be conquered.

The End

Thank you all so much for reading!! I hope that you enjoyed it, especially since this is the end of "Larbec arc." However, my third story is currently in the works so look for that in the upcoming weeks. Thanks and May the Force be with you!!