Title: Star Bound
First in Series of Seven; Prequel to "Homesick"
Rating: PG
Characters: Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Jamie Griffin (original female)
Category: Romance and Otherwise
Status: Complete
Disclaimer: George Lucas owns Qui and Obi and everything Star Wars.
Not me—George! Don't sue me; I didn't make anything off this fic.
Jamie's a real person; so don't use her unless you ask her first, ok?
Summary: Jamie's a star track runner. She meets up with two men (Qui
and Obi) come to Earth to scout out some new territory for the
Republic. Of course, when they leave, Jamie-girl goes with them.
Jamie doesn't know why she did it, but there may be some mysterious
Forces at work...(no pun intended)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Part One: "The Big Race"
Jamie Griffin, age eighteen, sat on the track, stretching out her muscles for the race she was about to run. Her teammates and her coach came by several times to make sure she was confident. They also made sure that she knew that their success was riding on her. The two schools were tied, point for point, with only one race left- Jamie's race. She stood up and shaded her eyes against the glare of the sun.
Suddenly, in the brightness, she saw a picture: a ship, gleaming silver in the bright light, heading slowly for the earth's surface about a mile and a half over to her left. Surprised, Jamie blinked. The blink cleared the picture, and the sunlight, from her eyes. Grinning at her overactive imagination, Jamie blamed it on the heat and turned her attention to the track. The wind began to blow steadily from the direction her imagination had flown, but she paid it no mind.
"Hey, Jamie!" a voice called from the team's bench to her right. Jamie turned to see her two best friends walking towards her.
"Ben, Andy," she acknowledged, dividing her attention between them and the track. "What's up?"
"Not a thing, Jamie-girl. Just wanted to tell you good luck. Watch your temperature out there. It won't do for the team's best runner to faint from heatstroke," Ben remarked, green eyes laughing. Jamie finally turned her full attention on them.
"What is that supposed to mean?" she snapped, hands on her hips. She glared at them, and Andy stepped forward.
"He's just being stupid, Jamie. Don't pay any attention. But do be careful out there. It's getting hotter." He gave her a one-armed hug and walked back to the bench, dragging Ben along with him. Jamie shook her head, a smile playing around the corners of her mouth. Her coach walked over again, this time to tell her the same thing her friends had just said. He handed her a water bottle, indicating that she should drink it. Jamie smiled and nodded, poured the water down her throat, and walked slowly over to her place on the track.
The boy running against her sauntered over, throwing nasty glances at her the whole time. Jamie ignored them. "Hey, Thompson. Ready to run?" she asked him cheerfully.
"Always, babe," he replied rudely. Jamie ignored that too, knowing he only wanted to make her mad and throw her off. She smiled sweetly and turned away. "Hey, Griffin. Who are those two guys up there, waving at you? You bring your dad and brother with you? Had to baby-sit?" he asked with a sneer, and walked away. Jamie ignored his further comments to look and see whom he meant. Her father was out of town on business, and she was an only child. Only her grandmother had come to see the meet: her grandfather was sick. There were no guys that she knew (except the ones on the team, of course) who had come to watch the meet. Her confusion only grew when she couldn't find whom he was referring to. Shaking her head again, this time in annoyance, Jamie once again turned away from the stands.
* * * *
"Our presence has not been discovered yet, Master," a soft voice remarked from the shadows next to the stands. A tall boy stood there, watching the activity on the track to his left. "Why did the Senate choose to expand their boundaries now? And why here? This system has only one inhabited planet, and it's not even technologically advanced enough to keep up!" Anyone who didn't know him would think the boy was agitated. The man standing beside him knew better. His student was only vaguely confused. He watched as the boy pushed his straggly hair out of his eyes.
"I don't know why this system, Padawan," he replied, his voice a mild baritone. "Maybe they see something that we cannot. Maybe they just selected randomly. I do not pretend to understand politics. That is Adi's job."
Anything the younger would have said was drowned out by the cheers from the crowd. The race had finally begun. Though started at different intervals, the girl in front, the boy behind, the two racers were even. The boy wore a look of smug concentration while the girl's face was blank. The boy attempted to blink his hair from his aqua-grey eyes in annoyance. 'This'll have to be cut again,' he thought absently.
And they hold these events that don't seem to even have a purpose! Why do something like that, Qui-Gon? the boy asked silently.
Everything has a purpose, Obi-Wan, the man replied, their thoughts jumping together naturally. We just don't know yet what the purpose of this particular exercise is.
The two stopped conversing to watch. The girl was falling behind, and the crowd had stopped cheering so loud. To the Jedi's trained eye, it was clear that the girl was holding back some reserve of energy to use closer to the end. Sure enough, as they neared the end, the girl pulled even with, then ahead of the boy.
Both Obi-Wan and his master felt a ripple in the Force planes as the girl put on one last burst of speed to win the race. They exchanged looks as the spectators surged from the stands to congratulate the winner. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon withdrew to a set of double doors to discuss what they'd seen and felt.
"You felt it, too. I think I can give you a reason to choose this system, though it may not have been their original intent. Force-sensitivity. That girl used the Force to push herself ahead at the end. And I don't think it was a conscious action on her part."
"Maybe we should talk to her."
"If you want to talk to someone on the team, they're all out on the track, congratulating themselves. Excuse me, I need to get through." Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon turned quickly, their hands automatically going to their hips for weapons that they had concealed elsewhere. Standing in front of them was the girl who'd won the race.
* * * *
Jamie stared at the two men in front of the doors. She waited for them to move, then grew tired of that and politely pushed past. She was inside and gone before they had registered it.
Jamie's ever-present smile cooled to a neutrally blank expression as she proceeded to the locker rooms. Her head was pounding, her arms and legs ached, and her back felt like she was carrying a two-ton load. 'I wish I had listened to the doctor,' she thought wearily. Once inside the locker room, Jamie let even her neutral expression go. Tears formed in her eyes and she rested her feverish forehead against the cool metal of her locker. The tears poured down her cheeks, soaking her white t-shirt. Her eyes hurt now, and she just wanted the pain to go away for a while.
"Mommy..." she whispered sadly. It had always been her mother who took care of her when she was sick. It still hurt to think that her mother was dead. It had been almost five years, but the pain was still raw. Standing up quickly and wiping the tears from her cheeks, Jamie had to grip the locker door to keep from collapsing as the room spun around her.
Cool hands pulled her up, supporting her against something warm and blessedly solid. Her head stopped throbbing, and her body aches lessened. Her eyes closed, and Jamie drifted in and out of consciousness, not knowing, or caring, what was going on.
"Obi-Wan, we've got to get her to one of those healing buildings we saw before," Qui-Gon remarked, holding the girl against his chest, feeling her fevered skin radiate warmth.
"Hospital..." she muttered.
"Yes, that," he replied absently, motioning for Obi-Wan to gather her things. Obi-Wan shoved all of the things in her locker into a bag and led the way out the door. They heard voices coming towards them, and he and his master faded back into the hallway's dark shadows, waiting for the people to pass. It didn't appear as if any of them realized that someone was there, until the last two boys turned towards them on their way into the locker room, searching the shadows for something they could sense, not see. Finally, the taller of the two shrugged and walked into the open locker room.
"Come on, Ben. Let's grab Jamie for an ice cream before we head home."
"Coming," Ben muttered, giving the area one last confused glance before shrugging and following his friend.
"Ben... Andy..." Jamie muttered softly, turning her head to rest her face against Qui-Gon's chest. Her arms rested in her lap. Qui-Gon looked down at his burden and smiled gently. She looked so peaceful, like a child; and she was so trusting, like a child. She doesn't weigh much. I wonder how old she is, he mused. Obi-Wan was tapping his foot impatiently, as he watched his master situate the girl more comfortably, and then led them out into the sunlight.
The instant the light hit her face, Jamie jerked upright in surprise. Finding herself in the arms of a very large, very strong man only served to terrify her. Before she could let out a scream of fear, Obi-Wan appeared and covered her mouth gently with one hand. She relaxed, though not enough to lie back down in Qui-Gon's arms.
"I know you two from somewhere. What happened to me?" She motioned for Qui-Gon to set her down, and when he shook his head at her, she pushed off of his chest weakly and landed on one foot, somewhat shakily. Setting her other foot down, she placed a hand on Qui-Gon's arm to steady herself before she fell over. "I'm fine, thank you. I need to change clothes." She moved to go around Qui-Gon when Obi-Wan put a hand on her arm. He received a small shock, but recovered quickly.
"This is everything that was in your metal box." He handed her the bag. She took it with a small smile.
"My locker."
"Your locker, then." Jamie smiled at him and moved again to try to walk around Qui-Gon to get to the locker room and her celebrating teammates. He stopped her with a heavy hand on her shoulder. Jamie glared up at him and coolly removed his hand. She shouldered the bag and began walking the other way, around the bleachers to the parking lot. She didn't hear either of the Jedi until they were walking next to her. She made a face at them, which they ignored.
Silently, the two Jedi followed Jamie to her car. Unlocking it, Jamie opened the backseat door and threw her bag inside. She slammed that door and slid into the front seat behind the wheel. The first thing she did was turn on the air conditioner. It took almost five minutes for the heat to air out.
"Thank you both for your help. I can handle it from here." She closed her door and shifted from park to reverse, keeping her foot firmly on the brake. It took her still-fuzzy brain a minute to realize that the reason she couldn't see out her back window was because Qui-Gon was now sitting in her backseat, blocking her sight. Obi-Wan touched her arm from the passenger side, and Jamie literally jumped a foot in the air.
"You look a bit pale. I think you're ill," he said softly. Jamie found herself drawn to his voice. She shook her head to clear it.
"I don't know your names," she replied, just as softly. Obi-Wan looked to be fighting back a laugh. Qui-Gon smiled and answered for him.
"I am Qui-Gon Jinn, and this is Obi-Wan Kenobi, my Padawan apprentice. And you are?"
"Jamie. Jamie Griffin. What are you doing here? Unless I miss my guess, you're a little far from home." Jamie's fuzzy mind accepted their explanation, even though she'd grown up with the Star Wars™ stories. She believed them solely for the reason that her brain was too tired to think.
"We came..." Obi-Wan began, shooting a questionary look at Qui-Gon.
"We came because the Republic Senate is looking to expand its rule. Obi- Wan and I were sent to scout out new planets for membership to the Republic."
"Wonderful. I think that's just wicked. Excuse me, I'm going to pass out now." True to her word, Jamie's eyes closed and she slumped onto Obi-Wan's shoulder. The youth acted quickly, putting the car back into park by following her earlier movement in reverse. He turned the key and pulled it out of the ignition, tossing it back to Qui-Gon, who placed it into the bag next to him on the seat. He gently took her off his arm and pulled her onto his lap, her back to him.
"Now what, Master?"
"We can take her back to the ship or we can leave her in her transport for her friends to find..." He trailed off slowly, waiting for his Padawan to offer the best and most obvious solution.
"Can we take her to one of those hospitals?"
"I think that would be best, Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon got out of the car and wrote something on a piece of paper for her friends to find. He stuck it to the inside of the car window and helped Obi-Wan to pull Jamie out of the car. Once again, she was settled in his strong arms. Obi-Wan grabbed the bag from the backseat and followed his master to the road. The two walked in silence, stopping occasionally to reposition Jamie in Qui-Gon's arms so that the sun was not shining on her eyes.
* * * *
It took almost an hour of walking to reach the nearest hospital, and both men knew it was only because they'd quickened their strides by using their command of the Force. When they handed Jamie over to the nurses and doctors in the ER, they were glad they had.
"She's lucky you found her when you did. Another few minutes, and her dehydration would have become life threatening!" one nurse exclaimed as she guided them down a hall. Jamie was already in a bed, arms hooked up to various machines. One contained water; that much they could tell from looking.
As they watched, color slowly returned to Jamie's pale face and lips. Her eyes opened and she attempted a weak smile. The nurse smiled at them, thinking them her family, and left the room, closing the door behind her.
"You'll be okay now," Obi-Wan said softly, walking over to sit by her bed.
"Thanks to you. Both of you. Thank you both. I owe you my life." She coughed lightly and shook her head, embarrassed at herself. "But now I'm repeating myself. If you ever want anything, or need anything from me, just ask. I can't truly repay you, but I can sure try." Her eyes sparkled as she said it. "You really are from Coruscant, aren't you?" Jamie was accepting it now because she felt it was true. In her heart, she hoped it was true; it was her fondest wish.
Obi-Wan nodded and Qui-Gon smiled. Obi-Wan and his master exchanged looks, and Jamie watched, getting the distinct feeling that there was more in those looks than there appeared to be.
Suddenly, Obi-Wan turned back to her and took her hand. He bent close to her ear. "We're going to keep you, Jamie-girl. You're ours." Oddly, those words comforted Jamie rather than making her angry, as they would have, coming from anyone else. She merely smiled. The IV had only revived her so much, and she was getting tired again. Yawning, Jamie closed her eyes and felt herself drifting off.
As soon as he felt her consciousness slip, Obi-Wan pushed back from the bed, releasing her hand. "We can come back to visit, can't we?" he asked wistfully, throwing another glance back over his shoulder at her. Qui-Gon looked at her tenderly and nodded.
"We can try, Padawan. We can certainly try."
Part Two: "Returning Home"
"Have you discovered whatever it was that you came here to discover?" Jamie asked the two Jedi, setting down the pizza tray before dropping tiredly onto the soft couch next to Obi-Wan.
It had been three weeks since the hospital had released her into the care of the two Jedi. The doctors had assured her, several times, that there would be no lasting damage to her systems, but she should probably still take it easy for the next few months. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had helped her enormously by giving her several small endurance exercises to boost her stamina back to its old high levels and beyond.
To their apparent surprise, she could hold her own with them in fencing. Of course, that was only if they were using actual rapiers. She had been fencing since she was four years old. Her endurance was once again at top level, except on hot days like today, when the heat drained her energy. Every morning, before the sun came up, the three would go jogging.
"We still need to make some more observations before we leave, but yes, we have discovered what we needed to. We'll be leaving tomorrow," Qui-Gon answered carefully, watching her face closely.
"Oh. That's nice." Jamie's voice was so bland that it caused both men to look at her sharply. She ignored them and got up, walking down the hall to her bedroom, as if in a dream.
She picked up her purse and car keys from the chair she'd tossed them on only an hour before, and walked back out to the living room/den where the Jedi were waiting. "Eat your pizza before it gets cold," she ordered, walking down the hall to the front door.
"Where are you going?" Obi-Wan asked, getting up to follow her. Qui-Gon also gained his feet in anticipation of her reply.
"Out."
"Out where?"
"Just shopping. Go eat your pizza and watch cartoons. I'll be back in a while." Neither one paid attention to her orders, as she'd known they would. They were very protective of her, and she found that amusing, and intensely gratifying.
"We're coming too," Qui-Gon remarked. Jamie smiled and waved her hand at him.
"I'm not going anywhere," she replied, throwing her purse and keys onto the hall table. "You win." She followed them back down the hall and seated herself on the couch once more. Before either man had had a chance to sit, she'd turned on the TV and picked up a slice of pizza. Obi-Wan had developed a particular love of the greasy junk food, but Jamie wasn't one to complain. She and Qui-Gon preferred the healthier rice that she had in barrel loads, but indulgence was fun.
As soon as they had each begun a slice, Jamie started channel surfing. She lit on each long enough to tell the two Jedi what it was about. Suddenly, she lit on the only movie she didn't want to explain to them. She'd finally discovered a channel that played Star Wars.
Quicker than a blink, she pressed the channel down button. Obi-Wan looked over at her, hearing her breathing speed up at the sight of that last program.
"What was that one about?" he asked, curious of her reaction.
"I don't want to talk about it," she mumbled. Obi-Wan stared at her, obviously dying to know. Qui-Gon shook his head at his apprentice, who turned away with a shrug. Jamie suddenly dropped her pizza back onto the tray and ran from the room.
She shut her bedroom door behind herself and threw herself face down on the bed, crying silently. 'I hate this knowing,' she thought. 'Knowing when and how he'll die. Knowing that...knowing that I'll lose both of them. Knowing about... him.' Her thoughts jumbled together and mixed, blurring steadily.
She smelled him before she felt the gentle hand on her hair. Obi-Wan loved to play with her hair, whether simply combing with his fingers or styling it various ways. She was comforted by it, immensely grateful to him for that.
"I'll miss you," she whispered, rolling onto her back and putting her head in his lap.
You won't miss us... if you come with us, he replied silently. Jamie jumped. It was the fourth time he'd spoken directly to her mind, and she still jumped every time he did it. He stared at her pleadingly. Please, Jamie. Come home with us.
"Come with you? But... but I'd have to leave... all this." Obi-Wan nodded, still running his fingers through her long hair. Jamie found his touch soothing, but still, she drew back. "I can't Obi-Wan. I'd be on the outside, looking in. I'd have no friends, except you and Qui-Gon. I have friends and family here. Connections."
"But there you would have love, and connections. Qui-Gon and I would be your family. You could make friends."
"Connections, friends, and family, Obi-Wan. But where would I find the love I need?"
I love you, he replied, using her hair to bring her closer to him. Smiling softly, she reached up to trace the lines of his face. Her eyes begged him to listen to her, to understand. I love you so much. I would do anything to be with you, to stay with you.
"Except leave the Jedi Order." Her statement was said as fact, and Obi-Wan hurried to contradict her. "You would not leave. I would not let you do that, not even for me. You've already left once, Obi-Wan."
"How did you know about that?"
"I couldn't tell you. You wouldn't believe me. Obi-Wan, don't ask this of me. Please, understand." Her eyes begged him to understand. Obi-Wan's face clouded with hurt and anger. He abruptly stood, disentangling his hands from her hair. He left the room as silently as he'd entered it. Jamie stared after him, struggling to contain her tears.
The sun disappeared from the sky, turning it navy blue. The stars appeared one by one. Jamie had still not come out of her room. Qui-Gon had tried talking to her, but she'd locked the door, and he was loath to intrude on that bit of privacy. He and Obi-Wan shrugged to each other and bedded down in the living room/den, where they usually slept. They were up before sunrise to leave. They had a long way to go.
The sun was just cresting the trees to their left when the two Jedi arrived at the track, where they'd left their ship. Obi-Wan climbed into the pilot's seat, and Qui-Gon strapped himself into the co-pilot's chair. Both were still numb from Jamie's flat refusal to say goodbye. She'd yelled at them through her door only a half hour before, telling them to go away, she never wanted to see their faces again.
Obi-Wan started the takeoff sequence, pressing the necessary buttons to get them in the air. Sadly, he looked once more at the planet he'd come to adore. It was true that he'd probably never see it again. The planet was just too far behind to ever really keep up with the rest of the Republic. The only thing to recommend it, in Obi-Wan's mind, at least, was Jamie.
He snapped the back of those thoughts before they led to tears. It wouldn't do for him to break down over her. She'd made her choice.
Obi-Wan activated the hyperdrive and the small transport disappeared forever from the Earth's system.
Below, near the cargo hold, Jamie peered out a viewport, transfixed. 'So that's what hyperspace really looks like.' George Lucas had gotten it perfect, it seemed. Jamie sighed and blew one last kiss back in the direction they'd just come from. She knew that she'd probably never see her family or friends again.
She smiled as she thought about what she'd left behind. It had taken her an hour to rig up that tape recorder to play her yelling at the two Jedi. She'd packed lightly, bringing only the things she knew she couldn't leave behind. Then she'd written the series of letters to her friends and family, explaining in a vague sort of way where she was. She'd stamped, addressed, and mailed them on her way to her current location, on board the Jedi's cruiser.
She grinned when she thought of what her new life would hold for her. She'd made her choice.
Silently, she crept up to the bridge, carefully keeping her presence concealed, as Qui-Gon had taught her. It was still basic, but she could manage it. She was soon standing outside the open bridge door, watching Obi-Wan punch in their destination coordinates. She watched the play of muscles in his arms and nearly sighed out loud.
"I wish she would have come with us, Master," Obi-Wan remarked softly. Jamie could hear the tears in his voice.
"You would have left the Jedi again, for her, wouldn't you?"
"Most likely. If she'd have let me. Somehow, she knew all about the last time."
"Sometimes, our path is chosen for us, but always, we must learn from our mistakes."
"Yes, Master."
Silence settled in again. Qui-Gon's gaze suddenly flickered towards Jamie. She placed a finger against her lips and grinned, shaking her head. Qui- Gon's eyes lit up, and he began smiling. He nodded once and turned his attention to the controls in front of him.
"What's got you so happy, Master?" Obi-Wan asked, catching sight of the older man's grin.
"So, how much longer?" Jamie asked, her tone teasing and light. Obi-Wan stiffened in his seat and turned around slowly. His eyes did more than light up when he saw her. He abandoned his chair to sweep her into a hug. "I'd never let you go, Obi-Wan. You're mine." He recognized his own words to her, three weeks before, and his smile lit up the bridge.
First in Series of Seven; Prequel to "Homesick"
Rating: PG
Characters: Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Jamie Griffin (original female)
Category: Romance and Otherwise
Status: Complete
Disclaimer: George Lucas owns Qui and Obi and everything Star Wars.
Not me—George! Don't sue me; I didn't make anything off this fic.
Jamie's a real person; so don't use her unless you ask her first, ok?
Summary: Jamie's a star track runner. She meets up with two men (Qui
and Obi) come to Earth to scout out some new territory for the
Republic. Of course, when they leave, Jamie-girl goes with them.
Jamie doesn't know why she did it, but there may be some mysterious
Forces at work...(no pun intended)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Part One: "The Big Race"
Jamie Griffin, age eighteen, sat on the track, stretching out her muscles for the race she was about to run. Her teammates and her coach came by several times to make sure she was confident. They also made sure that she knew that their success was riding on her. The two schools were tied, point for point, with only one race left- Jamie's race. She stood up and shaded her eyes against the glare of the sun.
Suddenly, in the brightness, she saw a picture: a ship, gleaming silver in the bright light, heading slowly for the earth's surface about a mile and a half over to her left. Surprised, Jamie blinked. The blink cleared the picture, and the sunlight, from her eyes. Grinning at her overactive imagination, Jamie blamed it on the heat and turned her attention to the track. The wind began to blow steadily from the direction her imagination had flown, but she paid it no mind.
"Hey, Jamie!" a voice called from the team's bench to her right. Jamie turned to see her two best friends walking towards her.
"Ben, Andy," she acknowledged, dividing her attention between them and the track. "What's up?"
"Not a thing, Jamie-girl. Just wanted to tell you good luck. Watch your temperature out there. It won't do for the team's best runner to faint from heatstroke," Ben remarked, green eyes laughing. Jamie finally turned her full attention on them.
"What is that supposed to mean?" she snapped, hands on her hips. She glared at them, and Andy stepped forward.
"He's just being stupid, Jamie. Don't pay any attention. But do be careful out there. It's getting hotter." He gave her a one-armed hug and walked back to the bench, dragging Ben along with him. Jamie shook her head, a smile playing around the corners of her mouth. Her coach walked over again, this time to tell her the same thing her friends had just said. He handed her a water bottle, indicating that she should drink it. Jamie smiled and nodded, poured the water down her throat, and walked slowly over to her place on the track.
The boy running against her sauntered over, throwing nasty glances at her the whole time. Jamie ignored them. "Hey, Thompson. Ready to run?" she asked him cheerfully.
"Always, babe," he replied rudely. Jamie ignored that too, knowing he only wanted to make her mad and throw her off. She smiled sweetly and turned away. "Hey, Griffin. Who are those two guys up there, waving at you? You bring your dad and brother with you? Had to baby-sit?" he asked with a sneer, and walked away. Jamie ignored his further comments to look and see whom he meant. Her father was out of town on business, and she was an only child. Only her grandmother had come to see the meet: her grandfather was sick. There were no guys that she knew (except the ones on the team, of course) who had come to watch the meet. Her confusion only grew when she couldn't find whom he was referring to. Shaking her head again, this time in annoyance, Jamie once again turned away from the stands.
* * * *
"Our presence has not been discovered yet, Master," a soft voice remarked from the shadows next to the stands. A tall boy stood there, watching the activity on the track to his left. "Why did the Senate choose to expand their boundaries now? And why here? This system has only one inhabited planet, and it's not even technologically advanced enough to keep up!" Anyone who didn't know him would think the boy was agitated. The man standing beside him knew better. His student was only vaguely confused. He watched as the boy pushed his straggly hair out of his eyes.
"I don't know why this system, Padawan," he replied, his voice a mild baritone. "Maybe they see something that we cannot. Maybe they just selected randomly. I do not pretend to understand politics. That is Adi's job."
Anything the younger would have said was drowned out by the cheers from the crowd. The race had finally begun. Though started at different intervals, the girl in front, the boy behind, the two racers were even. The boy wore a look of smug concentration while the girl's face was blank. The boy attempted to blink his hair from his aqua-grey eyes in annoyance. 'This'll have to be cut again,' he thought absently.
And they hold these events that don't seem to even have a purpose! Why do something like that, Qui-Gon? the boy asked silently.
Everything has a purpose, Obi-Wan, the man replied, their thoughts jumping together naturally. We just don't know yet what the purpose of this particular exercise is.
The two stopped conversing to watch. The girl was falling behind, and the crowd had stopped cheering so loud. To the Jedi's trained eye, it was clear that the girl was holding back some reserve of energy to use closer to the end. Sure enough, as they neared the end, the girl pulled even with, then ahead of the boy.
Both Obi-Wan and his master felt a ripple in the Force planes as the girl put on one last burst of speed to win the race. They exchanged looks as the spectators surged from the stands to congratulate the winner. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon withdrew to a set of double doors to discuss what they'd seen and felt.
"You felt it, too. I think I can give you a reason to choose this system, though it may not have been their original intent. Force-sensitivity. That girl used the Force to push herself ahead at the end. And I don't think it was a conscious action on her part."
"Maybe we should talk to her."
"If you want to talk to someone on the team, they're all out on the track, congratulating themselves. Excuse me, I need to get through." Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon turned quickly, their hands automatically going to their hips for weapons that they had concealed elsewhere. Standing in front of them was the girl who'd won the race.
* * * *
Jamie stared at the two men in front of the doors. She waited for them to move, then grew tired of that and politely pushed past. She was inside and gone before they had registered it.
Jamie's ever-present smile cooled to a neutrally blank expression as she proceeded to the locker rooms. Her head was pounding, her arms and legs ached, and her back felt like she was carrying a two-ton load. 'I wish I had listened to the doctor,' she thought wearily. Once inside the locker room, Jamie let even her neutral expression go. Tears formed in her eyes and she rested her feverish forehead against the cool metal of her locker. The tears poured down her cheeks, soaking her white t-shirt. Her eyes hurt now, and she just wanted the pain to go away for a while.
"Mommy..." she whispered sadly. It had always been her mother who took care of her when she was sick. It still hurt to think that her mother was dead. It had been almost five years, but the pain was still raw. Standing up quickly and wiping the tears from her cheeks, Jamie had to grip the locker door to keep from collapsing as the room spun around her.
Cool hands pulled her up, supporting her against something warm and blessedly solid. Her head stopped throbbing, and her body aches lessened. Her eyes closed, and Jamie drifted in and out of consciousness, not knowing, or caring, what was going on.
"Obi-Wan, we've got to get her to one of those healing buildings we saw before," Qui-Gon remarked, holding the girl against his chest, feeling her fevered skin radiate warmth.
"Hospital..." she muttered.
"Yes, that," he replied absently, motioning for Obi-Wan to gather her things. Obi-Wan shoved all of the things in her locker into a bag and led the way out the door. They heard voices coming towards them, and he and his master faded back into the hallway's dark shadows, waiting for the people to pass. It didn't appear as if any of them realized that someone was there, until the last two boys turned towards them on their way into the locker room, searching the shadows for something they could sense, not see. Finally, the taller of the two shrugged and walked into the open locker room.
"Come on, Ben. Let's grab Jamie for an ice cream before we head home."
"Coming," Ben muttered, giving the area one last confused glance before shrugging and following his friend.
"Ben... Andy..." Jamie muttered softly, turning her head to rest her face against Qui-Gon's chest. Her arms rested in her lap. Qui-Gon looked down at his burden and smiled gently. She looked so peaceful, like a child; and she was so trusting, like a child. She doesn't weigh much. I wonder how old she is, he mused. Obi-Wan was tapping his foot impatiently, as he watched his master situate the girl more comfortably, and then led them out into the sunlight.
The instant the light hit her face, Jamie jerked upright in surprise. Finding herself in the arms of a very large, very strong man only served to terrify her. Before she could let out a scream of fear, Obi-Wan appeared and covered her mouth gently with one hand. She relaxed, though not enough to lie back down in Qui-Gon's arms.
"I know you two from somewhere. What happened to me?" She motioned for Qui-Gon to set her down, and when he shook his head at her, she pushed off of his chest weakly and landed on one foot, somewhat shakily. Setting her other foot down, she placed a hand on Qui-Gon's arm to steady herself before she fell over. "I'm fine, thank you. I need to change clothes." She moved to go around Qui-Gon when Obi-Wan put a hand on her arm. He received a small shock, but recovered quickly.
"This is everything that was in your metal box." He handed her the bag. She took it with a small smile.
"My locker."
"Your locker, then." Jamie smiled at him and moved again to try to walk around Qui-Gon to get to the locker room and her celebrating teammates. He stopped her with a heavy hand on her shoulder. Jamie glared up at him and coolly removed his hand. She shouldered the bag and began walking the other way, around the bleachers to the parking lot. She didn't hear either of the Jedi until they were walking next to her. She made a face at them, which they ignored.
Silently, the two Jedi followed Jamie to her car. Unlocking it, Jamie opened the backseat door and threw her bag inside. She slammed that door and slid into the front seat behind the wheel. The first thing she did was turn on the air conditioner. It took almost five minutes for the heat to air out.
"Thank you both for your help. I can handle it from here." She closed her door and shifted from park to reverse, keeping her foot firmly on the brake. It took her still-fuzzy brain a minute to realize that the reason she couldn't see out her back window was because Qui-Gon was now sitting in her backseat, blocking her sight. Obi-Wan touched her arm from the passenger side, and Jamie literally jumped a foot in the air.
"You look a bit pale. I think you're ill," he said softly. Jamie found herself drawn to his voice. She shook her head to clear it.
"I don't know your names," she replied, just as softly. Obi-Wan looked to be fighting back a laugh. Qui-Gon smiled and answered for him.
"I am Qui-Gon Jinn, and this is Obi-Wan Kenobi, my Padawan apprentice. And you are?"
"Jamie. Jamie Griffin. What are you doing here? Unless I miss my guess, you're a little far from home." Jamie's fuzzy mind accepted their explanation, even though she'd grown up with the Star Wars™ stories. She believed them solely for the reason that her brain was too tired to think.
"We came..." Obi-Wan began, shooting a questionary look at Qui-Gon.
"We came because the Republic Senate is looking to expand its rule. Obi- Wan and I were sent to scout out new planets for membership to the Republic."
"Wonderful. I think that's just wicked. Excuse me, I'm going to pass out now." True to her word, Jamie's eyes closed and she slumped onto Obi-Wan's shoulder. The youth acted quickly, putting the car back into park by following her earlier movement in reverse. He turned the key and pulled it out of the ignition, tossing it back to Qui-Gon, who placed it into the bag next to him on the seat. He gently took her off his arm and pulled her onto his lap, her back to him.
"Now what, Master?"
"We can take her back to the ship or we can leave her in her transport for her friends to find..." He trailed off slowly, waiting for his Padawan to offer the best and most obvious solution.
"Can we take her to one of those hospitals?"
"I think that would be best, Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon got out of the car and wrote something on a piece of paper for her friends to find. He stuck it to the inside of the car window and helped Obi-Wan to pull Jamie out of the car. Once again, she was settled in his strong arms. Obi-Wan grabbed the bag from the backseat and followed his master to the road. The two walked in silence, stopping occasionally to reposition Jamie in Qui-Gon's arms so that the sun was not shining on her eyes.
* * * *
It took almost an hour of walking to reach the nearest hospital, and both men knew it was only because they'd quickened their strides by using their command of the Force. When they handed Jamie over to the nurses and doctors in the ER, they were glad they had.
"She's lucky you found her when you did. Another few minutes, and her dehydration would have become life threatening!" one nurse exclaimed as she guided them down a hall. Jamie was already in a bed, arms hooked up to various machines. One contained water; that much they could tell from looking.
As they watched, color slowly returned to Jamie's pale face and lips. Her eyes opened and she attempted a weak smile. The nurse smiled at them, thinking them her family, and left the room, closing the door behind her.
"You'll be okay now," Obi-Wan said softly, walking over to sit by her bed.
"Thanks to you. Both of you. Thank you both. I owe you my life." She coughed lightly and shook her head, embarrassed at herself. "But now I'm repeating myself. If you ever want anything, or need anything from me, just ask. I can't truly repay you, but I can sure try." Her eyes sparkled as she said it. "You really are from Coruscant, aren't you?" Jamie was accepting it now because she felt it was true. In her heart, she hoped it was true; it was her fondest wish.
Obi-Wan nodded and Qui-Gon smiled. Obi-Wan and his master exchanged looks, and Jamie watched, getting the distinct feeling that there was more in those looks than there appeared to be.
Suddenly, Obi-Wan turned back to her and took her hand. He bent close to her ear. "We're going to keep you, Jamie-girl. You're ours." Oddly, those words comforted Jamie rather than making her angry, as they would have, coming from anyone else. She merely smiled. The IV had only revived her so much, and she was getting tired again. Yawning, Jamie closed her eyes and felt herself drifting off.
As soon as he felt her consciousness slip, Obi-Wan pushed back from the bed, releasing her hand. "We can come back to visit, can't we?" he asked wistfully, throwing another glance back over his shoulder at her. Qui-Gon looked at her tenderly and nodded.
"We can try, Padawan. We can certainly try."
Part Two: "Returning Home"
"Have you discovered whatever it was that you came here to discover?" Jamie asked the two Jedi, setting down the pizza tray before dropping tiredly onto the soft couch next to Obi-Wan.
It had been three weeks since the hospital had released her into the care of the two Jedi. The doctors had assured her, several times, that there would be no lasting damage to her systems, but she should probably still take it easy for the next few months. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had helped her enormously by giving her several small endurance exercises to boost her stamina back to its old high levels and beyond.
To their apparent surprise, she could hold her own with them in fencing. Of course, that was only if they were using actual rapiers. She had been fencing since she was four years old. Her endurance was once again at top level, except on hot days like today, when the heat drained her energy. Every morning, before the sun came up, the three would go jogging.
"We still need to make some more observations before we leave, but yes, we have discovered what we needed to. We'll be leaving tomorrow," Qui-Gon answered carefully, watching her face closely.
"Oh. That's nice." Jamie's voice was so bland that it caused both men to look at her sharply. She ignored them and got up, walking down the hall to her bedroom, as if in a dream.
She picked up her purse and car keys from the chair she'd tossed them on only an hour before, and walked back out to the living room/den where the Jedi were waiting. "Eat your pizza before it gets cold," she ordered, walking down the hall to the front door.
"Where are you going?" Obi-Wan asked, getting up to follow her. Qui-Gon also gained his feet in anticipation of her reply.
"Out."
"Out where?"
"Just shopping. Go eat your pizza and watch cartoons. I'll be back in a while." Neither one paid attention to her orders, as she'd known they would. They were very protective of her, and she found that amusing, and intensely gratifying.
"We're coming too," Qui-Gon remarked. Jamie smiled and waved her hand at him.
"I'm not going anywhere," she replied, throwing her purse and keys onto the hall table. "You win." She followed them back down the hall and seated herself on the couch once more. Before either man had had a chance to sit, she'd turned on the TV and picked up a slice of pizza. Obi-Wan had developed a particular love of the greasy junk food, but Jamie wasn't one to complain. She and Qui-Gon preferred the healthier rice that she had in barrel loads, but indulgence was fun.
As soon as they had each begun a slice, Jamie started channel surfing. She lit on each long enough to tell the two Jedi what it was about. Suddenly, she lit on the only movie she didn't want to explain to them. She'd finally discovered a channel that played Star Wars.
Quicker than a blink, she pressed the channel down button. Obi-Wan looked over at her, hearing her breathing speed up at the sight of that last program.
"What was that one about?" he asked, curious of her reaction.
"I don't want to talk about it," she mumbled. Obi-Wan stared at her, obviously dying to know. Qui-Gon shook his head at his apprentice, who turned away with a shrug. Jamie suddenly dropped her pizza back onto the tray and ran from the room.
She shut her bedroom door behind herself and threw herself face down on the bed, crying silently. 'I hate this knowing,' she thought. 'Knowing when and how he'll die. Knowing that...knowing that I'll lose both of them. Knowing about... him.' Her thoughts jumbled together and mixed, blurring steadily.
She smelled him before she felt the gentle hand on her hair. Obi-Wan loved to play with her hair, whether simply combing with his fingers or styling it various ways. She was comforted by it, immensely grateful to him for that.
"I'll miss you," she whispered, rolling onto her back and putting her head in his lap.
You won't miss us... if you come with us, he replied silently. Jamie jumped. It was the fourth time he'd spoken directly to her mind, and she still jumped every time he did it. He stared at her pleadingly. Please, Jamie. Come home with us.
"Come with you? But... but I'd have to leave... all this." Obi-Wan nodded, still running his fingers through her long hair. Jamie found his touch soothing, but still, she drew back. "I can't Obi-Wan. I'd be on the outside, looking in. I'd have no friends, except you and Qui-Gon. I have friends and family here. Connections."
"But there you would have love, and connections. Qui-Gon and I would be your family. You could make friends."
"Connections, friends, and family, Obi-Wan. But where would I find the love I need?"
I love you, he replied, using her hair to bring her closer to him. Smiling softly, she reached up to trace the lines of his face. Her eyes begged him to listen to her, to understand. I love you so much. I would do anything to be with you, to stay with you.
"Except leave the Jedi Order." Her statement was said as fact, and Obi-Wan hurried to contradict her. "You would not leave. I would not let you do that, not even for me. You've already left once, Obi-Wan."
"How did you know about that?"
"I couldn't tell you. You wouldn't believe me. Obi-Wan, don't ask this of me. Please, understand." Her eyes begged him to understand. Obi-Wan's face clouded with hurt and anger. He abruptly stood, disentangling his hands from her hair. He left the room as silently as he'd entered it. Jamie stared after him, struggling to contain her tears.
The sun disappeared from the sky, turning it navy blue. The stars appeared one by one. Jamie had still not come out of her room. Qui-Gon had tried talking to her, but she'd locked the door, and he was loath to intrude on that bit of privacy. He and Obi-Wan shrugged to each other and bedded down in the living room/den, where they usually slept. They were up before sunrise to leave. They had a long way to go.
The sun was just cresting the trees to their left when the two Jedi arrived at the track, where they'd left their ship. Obi-Wan climbed into the pilot's seat, and Qui-Gon strapped himself into the co-pilot's chair. Both were still numb from Jamie's flat refusal to say goodbye. She'd yelled at them through her door only a half hour before, telling them to go away, she never wanted to see their faces again.
Obi-Wan started the takeoff sequence, pressing the necessary buttons to get them in the air. Sadly, he looked once more at the planet he'd come to adore. It was true that he'd probably never see it again. The planet was just too far behind to ever really keep up with the rest of the Republic. The only thing to recommend it, in Obi-Wan's mind, at least, was Jamie.
He snapped the back of those thoughts before they led to tears. It wouldn't do for him to break down over her. She'd made her choice.
Obi-Wan activated the hyperdrive and the small transport disappeared forever from the Earth's system.
Below, near the cargo hold, Jamie peered out a viewport, transfixed. 'So that's what hyperspace really looks like.' George Lucas had gotten it perfect, it seemed. Jamie sighed and blew one last kiss back in the direction they'd just come from. She knew that she'd probably never see her family or friends again.
She smiled as she thought about what she'd left behind. It had taken her an hour to rig up that tape recorder to play her yelling at the two Jedi. She'd packed lightly, bringing only the things she knew she couldn't leave behind. Then she'd written the series of letters to her friends and family, explaining in a vague sort of way where she was. She'd stamped, addressed, and mailed them on her way to her current location, on board the Jedi's cruiser.
She grinned when she thought of what her new life would hold for her. She'd made her choice.
Silently, she crept up to the bridge, carefully keeping her presence concealed, as Qui-Gon had taught her. It was still basic, but she could manage it. She was soon standing outside the open bridge door, watching Obi-Wan punch in their destination coordinates. She watched the play of muscles in his arms and nearly sighed out loud.
"I wish she would have come with us, Master," Obi-Wan remarked softly. Jamie could hear the tears in his voice.
"You would have left the Jedi again, for her, wouldn't you?"
"Most likely. If she'd have let me. Somehow, she knew all about the last time."
"Sometimes, our path is chosen for us, but always, we must learn from our mistakes."
"Yes, Master."
Silence settled in again. Qui-Gon's gaze suddenly flickered towards Jamie. She placed a finger against her lips and grinned, shaking her head. Qui- Gon's eyes lit up, and he began smiling. He nodded once and turned his attention to the controls in front of him.
"What's got you so happy, Master?" Obi-Wan asked, catching sight of the older man's grin.
"So, how much longer?" Jamie asked, her tone teasing and light. Obi-Wan stiffened in his seat and turned around slowly. His eyes did more than light up when he saw her. He abandoned his chair to sweep her into a hug. "I'd never let you go, Obi-Wan. You're mine." He recognized his own words to her, three weeks before, and his smile lit up the bridge.