Title: Meteor Showers and New Connections

Summary: Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon stay up late to watch a meteor shower. Obi gets bored, but Qui-Gon has his personal reasons for staying and watching the show.

Author's Notes: Dang it! It's 1:25 AM (Pacific Time) and I still haven't managed to kill enough time! Oh well, hope someone enjoys this really pointless fic that sorta describes my own thoughts at the moment

***

What really am I expecting? Obi-Wan raised his head, glancing into the sky again. He felt tired, even more tired than the time his Master had insisted they go for a thirty-mile run. "Master, what are we waiting for anyway?" he grumped.

Qui-Gon barely moved a muscle. "In one hour, a meteor shower will occur."

Obi-Wan yawned. "I'm staying up for that?"

"Beautiful, it is," Master Yoda said oh-so-helpfully. "Seen this many times, have I. Only every thirty-three years, it comes. Even more beautiful every ninety-ninth, it is. Tonight is the ninety-ninth. Grand spectacle, we shall see."

"That's wonderful to hear, Master Yoda," Obi-Wan said sarcastically. "I'm out here in the cold waiting for some shooting stars? I can always watch it on the holonet tomorrow. You can too, Qui-Gon."

Qui-Gon shot his apprentice a look. "Patience, Obi-Wan."

"No, I mean it," Obi-Wan insisted. "I can get some sleep and work on the piles of homework I have, and then tomorrow we can watch some professionals tape of a few stars 'falling' from the sky. It benefits all of us."

Yoda thwacked Obi-Wan's knees. "Nonsense, you speak, Padawan Kenobi. Thousands, there shall be."

"You hope there'll be," Obi-Wan grumped back. "All due respect, but Coruscant is a city, Master Yoda. What are the chances we can see any stars out here, let alone shooting ones? I still say we go back to the Temple."

"Padawan!" Qui-Gon's tone was sharp.

Obi-Wan kicked at the grass. The park they were at was relatively deserted, but if Obi-Wan crawled a few meters to his right, he would look down and see all of Coruscant - well, most of Coruscant.

Finally, he spoke again. "Master, really. I heard those news reports. They highly doubt we'll be able to see more than a speck because we're tilted away from the meteor shower in the first place! What we do see will be blocked by that building over there."

"Padawan." A low growl this time.

Obi-Wan wisely chose to shut up. The wind blew softly and Obi-Wan turned his attention again towards the sky. Technically, Obi-Wan knew, the meteor shower was going on right now, but he couldn't see a thing. "What time is it?" he asked bitterly. Maybe if it's late enough, I can convince Master I need to study.

"Only 1:09," Qui-Gon said, his eyes never leaving the sky.

"Wait a minute!" Obi-Wan blurted recklessly charging ahead with his plan. "We have to wait out here until 2:00? Master, it's morning time! I have a test tomorrow! I need to study! And I need sleep!"

"Go to sleep, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said, exasperated. "I'll wake you when the meteor shower begins."

"At this rate," Obi-Wan snapped, angry at losing. "You'll never have to wake me up!"

Qui-Gon's eyes flashed dangerously, but with Master Yoda watching, he did not want to argue with Obi-Wan. "That will be enough," he said, his tone low and even.

"But - "

"Enough."

Master Yoda sensed the tension between them and spoke. "Perhaps, Qui-Gon, go back we should. Tired, your apprentice is."

"Yeah!" Obi-Wan perked quickly.

Qui-Gon looked distantly off to the horizon.

Yoda sighed and gently touched the Jedi Master. "Realize, I do, important this is to you, Qui-Gon. But live in the past forever, you may not. Obi-Wan, future, he is to you. Future, present . . . most important in your life, he should be."

"I have no memories anymore," Qui-Gon said flatly. "My apprentice will not take it away from me."

The tone Qui-Gon used sparked curiosity in Obi-Wan. "What memories, Master?"

Qui-Gon looked distant again.

"Master?"

Qui-Gon sighed heavily. "Obi-Wan, it has been nearly a month since Tahl's - ease into the Force." Obi-Wan could feel the fresh pain that washed over Qui-Gon. "33 years ago, about this time," Qui-Gon smiled for the first time in memory. "We were just about 13, almost Padawans. We came out here," Qui-Gon shot a wry look at Yoda, "against orders. Tahl wanted to see the meteors."

"We stood right here, close together as the first ones lit into the sky. Down the meteors came. Tahl tried to pull one to her with the Force, but it was practically a lost cause. At last, one single meteor came down, a small thing barely larger than a pebble. Tahl and I argued over who would claim it." Qui-Gon smiled wistfully. "As usual, she beat me out. I couldn't say 'no' to her. That meteor - was taken away from her by Balog. I hoped in some way, that tonight, I could catch another meteor in honor and remembrance of her."

***

"I'm sorry," Obi-Wan said softly. "We can stay here forever until you catch one. I'll even wait here thirty-three more years if you miss one this time."

Qui-Gon smiled warmly at him. "Thank you, Obi-Wan." Obi-Wan grinned and reached out tentatively for their connection that he had once thought broken forever. He felt Qui-Gon respond, each sharing their private thoughts for the first time since Tahl's death back on New Apsolon.

In the background, Master Yoda smiled.

In the Council Rooms, Mace Windu swore loudly. Now he owed the diminutive Jedi Master 10 credits.