Title: An Important Presence in My Life
Author: Keyla Kenobi - delilah_br@hotmail.com
Rating: G
Archive: Sure, just e-mail me!
Disclaimer: The boys belong to George Lucas, I have no money so don't sue me! =)
Warning: There is a loving and parental relationship between Obi and Qui, there is no slash so if you don't like that, don't read any further.
Summary: Qui finds something that makes him realise of an important presence in his own life.
Beta-Read by Aida (The best Beta-reader!!!! Thanx!!)
/ Are italics / and // mental talking //
Note: You better read my other fics before reading this one, Grumpy Tummy and A Rainy Day,
cuz they are all connected.
An Important Presence In My Life
Part 1
Midnight, and he was still working. Hundreds of data pads were spread all
around his room, as well as on the desk along with his books and papers. But
none of those papers were the ones he needed or was looking for.
"Sith! Where is it?!", he growled as he checked under the desk, "It doesn't
have legs, so it has to be somewhere here!"
As he began to stand up, he neglected to watch where he was going and struck
his head on an open drawer. He loudly cursed himself, the drawer, the day,
the papers, and the whole damn galaxy. While warily rubbing his head, he
looked inside the drawer and spotted a large envelope with "Qui-Gon" written
on the front. Hoping the missing papers might be inside, he grabbed it and
opened it quickly. The envelope held no papers, only some long forgotten
holo-pics.
Frowning with surprise and curiosity, he took the holo-pics out of the
envelope and counted five onto his hand. He examined the first one: it was a
picture of him, much younger, and standing beside a little boy. Both
displayed happy, toothy grins, the little lad clearly missing a tooth. Then
realization dawned on him. The little boy was Obi-Wan at about four years of
age.
A broad smile brightened Qui-Gon's face as he stood up, gazing at the
pictures. Completely forgetting about the lost papers and his subsequent
mission, Qui-Gon sat down in a chair and was caught up in memories past.
Contemplating the first picture he held in his large hand, he chuckled as the
long forgotten memories settled around him.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"QUIGGEEEEEE!!!!"
"Obi-Wan! What is it?" Qui-Gon quickly rushed into the living area, searching
for the boy.
"Look!" Obi-Wan showed the Master a tiny white object that he held between
his chubby little fingers, "It fall f'om my maus'!"
Qui-Gon examined the white little object in question and started laughing,
"Obi-Wan that's a tooth! Let me see your teeth," he asked amused, as he
looked into the little boy's mouth. Yes, indeed, it was a tooth. A hole could
clearly be seen in the upper line of teeth where none had been before.
"A tuth? Dat's bad? I don' wan' healers Quigee!!" the toddler clutched at
Qui-Gon's leg pleadingly.
"No, little one, is not bad. It is very good. This means that you're growing
up!" the Master replied gently, as he unstuck the boy from his leg, then
picked him up.
"What was all the fuss about?" Mace asked, entering the living area minutes
after Qui-Gon.
"Nothing, Mace, it's just that Obi-Wan lost his first tooth."
"And you say this is 'NOTHING' ?! We have to celebrate this, man! I'm going
to bring the camera. Wait here!"
"Wat Unkl' Mace say?" the boy asked as Qui-Gon sat on the couch and placed
him on his lap.
"That we have to celebrate this."
"Ce'beit?" the child slurred, "Wat dat?"
"That means having a party."
"Pa´ty? Yeeey!! Chocolate!!" Obi-Wan exclaimed excitedly as he began bouncing
up and down, and clapping his hands.
"Oh, no..no.. no! You're not seeing any more chocolate for a looong time, big
guy!" the Master chuckled as he gently tickled Obi-Wan. The small child
started laughing uncontrollably, trying to get away from the Master's
tickling fingers. /Again, that delightful sound./ thought Qui-Gon. He
couldn't help the wide smile that broke on his lips as he watched and enjoyed
the little boy's merriment.
/He lost his first tooth...he's growing so fast....,/ he thought as he
continued tickling Obi-Wan, joyfully realizing that he was thinking like a
real father. Suddenly, Obi-Wan lost his hold on the little tooth in his hand,
and it fell to the floor. Qui-Gon stopped the tickling and stooped down to
look for it. When he found it, he handed it to Obi-Wan.
The small boy quizzically looked at the tiny tooth, asking, "Wy it fall down,
Quigee?"
Qui-Gon had expected that question, "Well, because now you are going to have
all new teeth. All the ones that you have now are going to start falling,
one by one, until they are all replaced by the new teeth."
"Ahh...An' wat for?" the little boy asked again as he held the tooth out to
Qui-Gon.
"Because the ones you have now are not as strong as the new ones that will
grow out."
"And now you have to put the tooth under your pillow, Obi-Wan, and then the
galactic tooth fairy will be able to leave you some credits!" Mace said as he
prepared the camera for the picture.
"Mace...", Qui-Gon shot the other Jedi a 'shut-the-hell-up' look.
"Is twue, Quigee?"
"Of course it is true! Master Yoda himself told me so!" Mace answered for
Qui-Gon, throwing a mischievously grin towards the Master.
Obi-Wan's expression showed nothing more than amazement and awe as he
continued to look at the tooth.
"Mace...shut up...just take the pic..." Qui-Gon said, shaking his head as he
sat resigned and smiling.
"All right, all right! Obi-Wan show me that one toothless grin of yours. And
Qui, show the camera that charming 'lady-killer' smile that has made you so
famous around the Council..." Mace tried not to smile too much as his friend
fired him an 'I'll-kill-you' stare.
"Smile!"
*CLICK*
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
The Master's chuckling increased as the memories continued to flow. That had
been a great day. After taking the holo-pic, the three of them had gone out
to a local funfair to celebrate the event. He moved to the second picture: it
was Obi-Wan at about five years of age. Qui-Gon was holding him. The little
boy wore a cast on his right arm, and there were traces of tears on his
cheeks. But even though tear-stained cheeks, he continued to smile. The
Master's chuckling slowly ceased as he remembered this particular day as if
it was yesterday...
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Master Qui-Gon Jinn paced up and down the waiting room of the Healers
Quarters. Mace Windu was sitting on a chair against a wall, holding a
holo-picture camera between both hands, as he watched his friend's impatient
pacing.
"Qui-Gon, time will not go faster just because you pace the room," Mace tried
to sound cheerful, but he knew he was not getting his point across.
"This is no time for jokes, Mace...," Qui-Gon stopped in front of the door
were the healers had taken Obi-Wan, "Why are they taking so long?!"
"Qui, don't worry. An-paj said that Obi-Wan was going to be all right."
Qui-Gon shook his head. It was supposed to have been a nice day. He and Mace
and had been called to help a creche Master take care of a class of initiates
out on a picnic. Obi-Wan had been included among those thirty initiates. This
was the only reason why Qui-Gon had accepted the job. They weren't going too
far, only to a separate section of the Temple's Gardens.
Everything had been going just fine. Some of the children played cheerfully
as they circled each other around the small plants and trees, while others
watched colorful fish swimming along a small river. Qui-Gon sighed
contentedly. It was a lovely sunny day, not too hot or too cold, and the
birds were singing. The children were having fun, as was Mace as he chased
some toddlers that had stolen his camera and his boots.
Everything was perfect...until he saw Obi-Wan climb a tall tree -actually a
*very* tall tree - following behind two older boys. A little girl from the
base of the tree was shouting at him to come down, but he ignored her and
continued to climb. Before Qui-Gon could stand up, Obi-Wan missed a step and,
in a fraction of a second, was falling towards the hard ground. Qui-Gon felt
his heart miss more that one beat as he watched Obi-Wan's small figure
descend from the tree, and hit the ground, hard. As the shouts of the little
girl pushed him to react, he rushed hurriedly towards the fallen boy. When
he reached the boy's still form, he gently turned the limp body, which he had
accustomed to see as his own son, to see if he could find any exposed wounds.
But, luckily, he found none. Only Obi-Wan's right arm appeared to be laying
at an awkward angle.
Gently patting the small boy's face, Qui-Gon attempted to bring him to
consciousness. "Obi-Wan! Wake up, please!"
The initiate didn't wake, but lightly stirred and moaned softly. The small
movement was enough for some of Qui-Gon's concern to disappear, but he was
still far too worried about the unconscious youth. Gently scooping the boy
in his strong arms, he quickly carried him off to the Healer's quarters.
Now, he waited. His worry and concern increasing within every minute that
passed. After checking Obi-Wan, An-paj confirmed that there were no internal
injuries, and that he had only suffered a broken arm.
/But if it's just a broken arm why can't I see him?!/ Qui-Gon fumed.
"Qui, relax, sit down. If you contin-...," Mace's statement was cut in
mid-sentence by the sound of the room's door opening, and An-paj stepped
inside.
Qui-Gon rushed towards him, "Is he all right? Can I see him?" But he didn't
wait for an answer. As An-paj opened his mouth to say answer, Qui-Gon strode
past him, searching for Obi-Wan. He found the little boy was sitting on a
stretcher, carefully scratching at the cast the healers had placed his arm. A
sigh of relief escaped Qui-Gon as he saw, with his own eyes, that the boy was
fine.
Qui-Gon quickly walked towards the stretcher, and very gently placed his
large hands on Obi-Wan's shoulders. Obi-Wan appeared surprised to see Qui-Gon
in front of him and, for a moment, he beamed a smile at the Master. But, as
he slowly remembered the cause of his injury, he lowered his eyes and sadly
continued to look at his boots.
"Obi-Wan are you all right?" Qui-Gon asked gently, his face showing nothing
more than concern. The boy nodded briefly without looking into the elder
Jedi's eyes.
"Thank the Force!" The Master sighed, relieved. But his relieved expression
then turned to a harder one, one showing disappointment and irritation.
"Obi-Wan, what exactly were you trying to do back there?" Qui-Gon was not
going to let this one go so easily. He was not angry at the boy by any
means, even though he knew that Obi-Wan was aware he should not have been so
reckless. "You endangered your life deliberately, just because two goofs
challenged you! That's not the way a Jedi behaves!"
Obi-Wan's ice-blue eyes shot up. How did Qui-Gon know?
"Your friend Bant told Master Skyla. She told me," Qui-Gon said as he
immediately saw the message displayed in the young boy's eyes. "Now, I want
you to promise me that you will never *ever* do such a foolish thing again!"
Obi-Wan's eyes lowered again. He replied in a small strangled voice as he
held back the tears burning in his eyes, "I pwomish, Quigee..."
Qui-Gon's features softened at the sight of the little boy battling his
emotions, biting hard on his quivering lower lip, and attempting to prevent
any sob escaping. The child looked so little and so repentant.
Without hesitation, he picked Obi-Wan up and tightly hugged him. "Oh,
Obi-Wan, I was so scared!"
Obi-Wan returned the hug and allowed every tear to flow without holding back.
What Master Qui-Gon had said, surprised him, "Y-you...weah s-shcare...?"
"Of course, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon answered gently, as he sat on the stretcher
while firmly holding the boy as he rubbed a large hand along the tiny back,
"You are very important to me. And I love you. That's why I got scared,
'cause I don't want you to get hurt."
Obi-Wan pulled back a until he could see Qui-Gon's face, "I wuv you a wot
too, Quigee," he said, kissing the Master's cheek and hugging his neck. He
began sobbing again.
Qui-Gon returned the kiss on the top of the boy's head. He continued to
soothe Obi-Wan as he gently rocked him and listened to him sobbing, all the
while wearing a wide smile on his face.
At that moment, Mace entered the room with his camera. "Hey, buddy," the
Council member placed a hand on Obi-Wan's head, gently stroking his hair. "Is
he all right?" he asked Qui-Gon.
"Yes, he's a little scared, just like me." he answered smiling.
"Well, then, we have to change that!" he stated and looked down at his
camera. "I know," he added, "Why don't we take a holo-pic?"
"Now?" Qui-Gon asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"Yes, Qui! This is like the tooth stuff. Is this his first cast? Come on,
Qui, please?"
"Mace, I think it's time for one of your brain pills..."
"Pwease, Quigge?" Obi-Wan added, his tears had dried and he had completely
forgotten the bad moment.
"You too? Ow, all right. I wonder if I'm ever going be able to say 'no' to
you, little one!" Qui-Gon agreed, chuckling.
"Yeah! That's my best friend! Okay, now a big smile, Obi and Qui
Well...umm...do what you can."
Qui-Gon rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"Smile!"
*CLICK*
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Qui-Gon allowed a small chuckle to escape him. That was Obi-Wan's first cast
and Qui-Gon's first worry. He never believed that incident would be the last
time he would be made to wait in anguish outside Obi-Wan's room in the
Healers Quarters.
After Obi-Wan began his training to become a Padawan, Qui-Gon did not see the
boy for a long time, and thought he would never see him again. That idea did
not appeal to him. But he smiled as he remembered the day he had been
allowed to chose the boy as Padawan. That day had been simply incredible.
Qui-Gon changed the holo-pic...and started laughing. In the picture, he was
standing by the front door of his quarters, soaked to the bone. He was
completely covered in mud, his hair was matted, and he had small, thin
branches sticking out of it. Not to mention the many leaves that had stuck
to his dirty tunics. And 4-year-old Obi-Wan was sitting on his shoulders, as
dirty and soaked as he was.
He remembered that day very well. Mace had taken that picture by surprise the
moment he had spotted them. The Master gave a small laugh and moved on to the
next holo-pic. He looked at this one for a brief moment before he tried to
recall who had taken this picture, but couldn't quite remember who. He
looked inside the envelope to see if there was anything else was in there,
and found a little white card that said:
"Happy Birthday, Qui! Mace and Skyla"
Then realization dawned on him. In about two days, he would be celebrating
his birthday. He vaguely remember that Mace had insisted on looking for some
keys the day before, insisting that he had lost them in Qui-Gon's home. Mace
had checked everywhere, including Qui-Gon's desk. To be precise, Mace had
given special attention to one particular drawer where Qui-Gon had found the
envelope. So all this was their doing.
Qui-Gon smiled and looked again at the holo-pic...
Part 2
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Obi-Wan finally entered the room. It was pretty dark, so dark it was
difficult to see further than his nose. He continued on anyway, just like on
a certain rainy day, not too long ago. But as he reached the bed where
Qui-Gon was sleeping, he didn't know what to do. He couldn't believe that
Master Qui-Gon had been hurt. That was not possible. After all, it was
Quigee. Who would want to hurt him? Quigee wasn't bad, he always took care
of him and told him stories. But Master Skyla had said that Quigee needed
rest.
Obi-Wan bit his lower lip and looked back towards the entrance door. Maybe
Qui-Gon didn't want to see him right now, and he should go and leave the
Master alone. No! Quigee would never leave him to be alone, and he was
definitely not going back. Again, he looked towards the bed and saw that the
Master's hand on the edge, almost falling down. Obi-Wan gently lifted and
took Qui-Gon's hand in held them in both his smaller ones, gently tugging on
it.
"Mashtah Quigee?" he whispered with a shy and hesitant smile. But it faded
quickly when he received no answer. He tried tugging a little harder, but
with no change. Large tears began to build in his ice-blue eyes, and he
struggled to suppressed hundreds of sobs that seemed trapped in his throat.
He held on until he couldn't hold any longer, and started crying softly. As
he cried, he held Qui-Gon's large limp hand up to his cheek and pressed it
tightly against his face. He held on to the large hand, expecting it to move
while trying to draw comfort into his young being.
Slowly, Qui-Gon felt consciousness returning, and he took a deep breath. His
chest still hurt, but it was getting better. At least now he could breath
easily. He was just beginning to relax when, suddenly, he remembered. Obi-Wan
was in danger! Or did they just make him imagine that? But, it looked so
real.
He had been running, trying to reach the boy. But, as he ran, Obi-Wan just
got further and further. When he realized that he was not making a
difference, he stopped, trying to catch his breath. Suddenly, the Force
warned him of danger, and he looked up just in time to see a dark and huge
shadow wrap itself around Obi-Wan. His eyes opened abruptly as remembered
hearing the horrified scream coming from his little Obi-Wan, and it continued
to echo in his mind.
Qui-Gon looked around and found himself in one of the Healer's rooms. He
sighed, relieved that it had been only a bad dream. During his mission on
Merka, he had been kidnapped by a group of rebels who had wanted to stop the
negotiations. They had not only tortured him physically, but mentally as
well. They had used his memories against him, twisting them with malice and
cruelty. His captors had known that there was nothing worst for a father
than to see his son in pain. And so, they had used this weakness against him
as they tortured him.
The Council had sent a rescue team as they continued to negotiate with the
rebels. Fortunately, everything had ended on a positive note. Qui-Gon had
been rescued and the rebels had been captured and judged. But still, there
was something missing. The Master had wanted to be sure that Obi-Wan was
safe, and to see him, even if for a short moment. The moment would be enough
to satisfy him of Obi-Wan's safety, and would allow him to rest calmly.
Sleepily, he felt a soft, warm pressure on his hand, and then felt something
warm and wet caressing his skin. Slowly, he opened his eyes and found Obi-Wan
crying softly against his hand, the little boy holding it with all his
strength. He couldn't believe his eyes. Gently, he stroked the little boy's
chubby cheek with his thumb, waiting for Obi-Wan to react. The small head
shot up immediately, tear stained eyes to be met with the elder Jedi's kind
eyes. Qui-Gon extended both hands, momentarily forgetting about the pain in
his chest, and picked the young initiate up. The Master sat him carefully
beside him. Obi-Wan was still looking at him intensely, with moist eyes
showing disbelief, "Mashtah Quigge?"
"Yes, little one, it's me."
Qui-Gon could never recall seeing him smile so brilliantly. Obi-Wan threw
himself against Qui-Gon, hugging him tightly and letting his tears run
freely. Qui-Gon returned the hug, hushing him as he soothingly stroked the
boy's hair, thanking the skies that his son was all right.
"I mished you a lot, Quigee", Obi-Wan whispered after he calmed a little.
"I missed you too, Obi-Wan, very much."
"An' I wash vewy wowwied, Quigee, because I heard Mashtah Lyla and Unkl' Mace
say dat you had been kin...kin..."
"Kidnapped," Qui-Gon helped him.
"Yesh, an'-an' I wash vewwy *snif* wowwied because I don't know wat's
dat...," Obi-Wan finished, pulling back from the embrace and expecting an
explanation.
Qui-Gon smiled kindly at him, "You'll understand what that is when you grow
up." /Mental note: tell Mace and Skyla to shut up in front of the kids./
"Quigee?"
"Yes?"
"No more mishons, Quigee, pwease?" the little boy pleaded.
Qui-Gon chuckled, "I'm sorry, Obi-Wan, but I can't promise you that," he
explained , "What I can promise you is that no matter where I am, you can
always find me here," Qui-Gon softly tapped on Obi-Wan chest, right over his
heart.
The initiate looked at him, confused, titling his head to a side. Then he
looked inside his shirt for the place that Qui-Gon had mentioned.
Qui-Gon laughed, "No, not inside your pajamas. Inside your heart."
Obi-Wan smiled broadly as he understood what the Master was saying, "An' me
inside yours?"
"Of course, little one," Qui-Gon drew him into another hug, placing the small
head on his own chest. After a few minutes, Obi-Wan fell asleep, lulled by
the sound of Qui-Gon's heartbeat.
Neither the Master nor the Initiate had noticed Skyla spying through the gap
of the half opened door. The Creche Master had known perfectly well that
Obi-Wan would be here. Slowly removing Mace's camera out of her robe's
pocket, she focused and pressed the red button.
*CLICK*
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Qui-Gon's features softened as he continued to watch the picture. Obi-Wan
looked so cute sleeping. Now that he had a chance to remember all these
moments, he realized how important Obi-Wan's presence had been in his life.
If it wasn't for this Padawan, he would have buried himself inside a hole of
self-pity after his last Padawan, Xanatos, had turned to the Dark Side. He
had much to thank Obi-Wan.
Qui-Gon pulled out the last holo-pic. "Oww, just look at this!" Qui-Gon
whispered. Obi-Wan was sleeping on Qui-Gon's chest, clutching a brown teddy
bear, and both of them covered with a blanket. It was during his
five-year-old birthday...
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"Force! Next time that you do something like this, Qui, don't count with me!"
Mace complained as he headed toward the entrance door, still wearing a funny
birthday hat. "And don't expect me to help you clean all this mess! It was
YOUR idea to bring to YOUR quarters that bunch of little Siths that Obi-Wan
calls friends!"
"Mace!" Skyla scolded him.
"Leave him, Skyla," Qui-Gon interfered, "Then he'll come running, asking for
help to escape from Master Yoda's walking stick!" he said out loud for Mace
to hear. But the Council member had already exited out of the room.
Qui-Gon was truly exhausted. A whole day taking care of the little monsters!
He let himself collapse on sleeping couch, sighing, relieved that this awful
day was over.
"I'll prepare something to drink. Would you like something?" Skyla asked the
Master as she headed towards the kitchen.
"Sure! But I don't have whisky here, so fix us up with tea or coffee," he
heard Skyla's chuckle coming from the kitchen, and he smiled. Well, it hadn't
been that bad. At least Obi-Wan had fun. By the way, where was Obi-Wan? He
looked around the living area while still reclining on the couch, but was
unable to find the boy.
"Obi-Wan?" he called.
Obi-Wan exited from his room, dragging a teddy bear and rubbing his eyes
sleepily. He walked a little bit unsteady to where the Master was, then stood
by the couch, yawning.
"Well, I thought I was the only one tired!" the Master teased, picking the
boy up and sitting him on his chest.
"Did you have fun, little one?"
Obi-Wan nodded, "But not 'little' anymore." he stated.
"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Qui-Gon smacked a hand to his forehead, "I almost forgot
that you're five years old now!"
Obi-Wan smiled sleepily and yawned again. His eyes were threatening to close,
so Qui-Gon gently lowered him, laying his sleepy bundle flat on his chest.
The initiate instantly snuggled and made himself comfortable, both
hands clutching the teddy.
"It seems that you like that bear," Obi-Wan nodded, "Did you gave him a name
already?"
"Ba'to," Obi-Wan murmured, his voice a bit muffled by Qui-Gon's tunics.
The big Jedi chuckled, "I imagined you would name him like that. You know
that this particular teddy was one of his?"
Obi-Wan rose his head until he could look into the Master's eyes, "Reawwy?"
"Yes. He gave it to me specially for you."
The small initiate smiled contentedly and lowered his head again, "Than' you,
Quigee."
In a few minutes Obi-Wan was fast asleep. Qui-Gon crossed an arm over the
little boy, preventing him from falling. As he looked at Obi-Wan sleeping, he
began feeling his own eyes closing as the exhausting day took its toll on
him. He never realized the moment when he fell asleep.
"Here's your coffee, Qui. You don't have anymore tea. You should go to...,"
Skyla stopped in mid-sentence, taking in the sight that greeted her.
"Awww....," she whispered, smiling. It was so cute to see her two babies
sleeping so peacefully.
She placed the two cups of coffee gently on the small table near the couch,
and went into Qui-Gon's room. Carrying a long blanket in her arms, the young
Master placed and tucked it in carefully around her sleeping charges. She was
about to leave for her own quarters when she spotted Mace's camera. She just
couldn't leave without taking a picture as they slept so peacefully. Skyla
took the camera and tried to find the perfect angle.
*CLICK*
*****
Qui-Gon smiled, biting his lower lip. As he again looked at the holo-pics, he
realized that he hadn't been paying much attention to Obi-Wan since the mess
with his current mission had begun. He decided he should make an effort to
spend more time with the boy, just like in the old days. Then, suddenly, an
idea struck him as he looked at the holo-pic of the teddy.
The Master got up and opened the door to Obi-Wan's room and stepped in.
"Obi-Wan?"
The bed was empty but it looked as if someone had been sleeping on it...or
jumping. Qui-Gon shook his head. /How can one 14-year-old boy do such a
mess?/ He looked at the boy's desk and found his Padawan, sound asleep on his
Astronomy book. He approached his sleeping Padawan, scooped him up, and
placed the drowsy apprentice on the mess that was supposed to be his bed.
During the short trip, Obi-Wan awoke, a bit confused.
"Master? I-I was studying...," he murmured.
"Yes, I know. It's just that you looked so tired studying there, that I
thought that you should stop and rest for a while," the Master explained
patiently, as he tucked the blankets warmly around his Padawan. "There you
are. Comfortable?"
Obi-Wan nodded and snuggled under the blankets, "Good night, Master." he
murmured.
"Good night. But, before you fall asleep, I have something for you."
"For me?"
"Mmm hmm," Qui-Gon showed him the teddy bear. Obi-Wan's sleepy eyes lit up
when he saw the toy.
"Blarto!" he exclaimed.
"Then you remember him," Qui-Gon chuckled.
"Where did you find him? I've been looking for Blarto for years!" the excited
apprentice said, hugging the bear tightly.
The big Jedi smiled, "Well, I have...my sources."
"This bear means a lot to me," the young man stated.
"Why is so important?" Qui-Gon asked, pretending not to know.
"I'm not sure. But I always thought that...my dad gave me this."
Qui-Gon tried to hide his surprise. Obi-Wan continued, "But that's
impossible, I never met him. I was brought to the Temple when I was very
little...," he paused, "Although, every time that I held this bear close, I
could feel him near," Obi-Wan said with such longing that if Qui-Gon hadn't
been a Jedi Master, tears would have been running down his cheeks.
The elder Jedi cleared his throat, "And, you don't remember who actually gave
you this?"
"No... But maybe you know! Whoever had this bear must know!"
Qui-Gon looked at him. He looked at the boy, unable to response. How could he
tell him that it was HIM, Qui-Gon, the one Obi-Wan was talking about? How he
would react to this knowledge?
"Master?"
His apprentice's voice brought him out of his thoughts. Well, he would have
to tell him something...
"Obi-Wan, that teddy, well, that bear...it was...," /Oh come on Jinn! Say it!
You have no choice!/ "It was *I* who gave you that bear."
Okay, he told him.
Obi-Wan looked at him, blankly. His Master? His Master?! But, he first met
him when he was about 13 years old! When he took him as his Padawan!
Wait...then his Master was actually...his dad?
Obi-Wan's shields were down and Qui-Gon received every single thought through
their bond. "Obi-Wan, I know it may not sound logical, but the first time
that I actually met you was when you were 3 years old."
Obi-Wan said nothing. He couldn't, he was still in a state of shock. /Maybe
I'm still dreaming. Yes, it has to be a dream..., / he thought, trying to
find a reasonable explanation for his Master's words.
Qui-Gon smiled and continued, "No, it's not a dream. It's real, Padawan.
Look," he handed Obi-Wan the holo-pics.
Obi-Wan glanced at the holo-pics, and then to his Master. With an unsure
hand, he took the five pictures and slowly started looking at them one by
one. It was real, he was in all those holo-pics, and his Master was always
right beside him. He stopped when he reached the last one. As he watched the
picture, he could feel all the memories returning to his young mind.
"This is my five-year-old birthday," he said, as every single memory began to
fit into place. The young man smiled and returned to the first picture, "And
this is when I lost my first tooth!"
Qui-Gon chuckled, "You remember what happened that day?"
Obi-Wan nodded excited, still smiling, "Yes, we went to a funfair with Master
Windu!" he said happily, now that he could remember everything.
"Yes. And you don't remember anything else?"
The apprentice frowned as he searched through his mind, "No... I mean, I
remember playing in lots of games, but anything else..."
"Well," the Master started, "That day, while we were in the funfair, a clown
came near you and started doing all those silly tricks that they usually do.
Then, he told you to smell a small, red flower that he had stuck in his
jacket's lapel. When you went to smell it, he pressed something and a water
spurt came out of it, watering your eyes," Qui-Gon chuckled as he remembered
that scene, "The thing is, you started crying and I...well..."
"What?" Obi-Wan asked impatiently.
"Well, I...kind of took my lightsaber out and chased him through all the
funfair, until Mace caught me."
Obi-Wan fell backwards on the bed, laughing heartily and clutching his
stomach. After several minutes, he was somewhat able to speak, "I-I....I
can't believe...believe that...you chased...chased a clown...with your...
light-," his voice cracked again, laughing even harder as he pictured his
Master chasing a clown with his lightsaber.
The Jedi Master was looking at Obi-Wan with his 'You-Are-Soooo-Silly-Obi-Wan'
look while biting his lower lip. What had caused his Padawan to continue
laughing?
It seemed that Obi-Wan's laugh was contagious because, soon, Qui-Gon was
laughing as well. He knew he could spend hours and hours listening to his
Padawan's laugh. His 'Padawan'. He still couldn't believe that the little
3-year-old boy he found lost in the creche playground, was now his Padawan.
But not just his Padawan. Since the very first day he had met the boy, he
had felt a special and unique bond between them. Even if he refused to admit
it at that time. It was a connection that went beyond the Master-Padawan
bond, a union that only the members of a family could share. And in their
case, a father and son bond.
"Master," Obi-Wan spoke after all their laughter had reduced to scattered
giggles and chuckles, "Why did you do something like that?"
"Like what?" Qui-Gon asked, good-naturedly.
"Like chasing a clown with your lightsaber," he explained, suppressing some
giggles.
Qui-Gon smiled in a paternal way, "Because that stupid clown hurt you with
the water. And I was definitely not going to let him get off that easy!" he
finished chuckling.
Obi-Wan grinned broadly and then, surprisingly, launched himself into
Qui-Gon's arms, "Thank you, Master!"
Qui-Gon caught him and hugged him back. But he was completely puzzled, "Why?"
"Thank you for taking care of me, always"
The Master felt his heart melt inside his chest, "You have nothing to thank
me for, Obi-Wan. I love you too much to let any goofy clown make you cry."
Qui-Gon squeezed his apprentice as he finished speaking.
The young man pulled back a little until he could look into his Master's
kind, blue eyes, "I love you too, Master." he whispered softly.
Qui-Gon couldn't believe it. Was it possible that his heart could melt a
second time? He supposed it was possible, because he could feel it, as well
feel all the love filling their Force-bond. He drew the boy into a tight and
loving embrace again, unable to say anything. There weren't any words to
express how he felt. But, if he had to define them, he would have to say that
he was the most proud and happiest of all the fathers in the entire universe.
They stayed like that for what it seemed like an eternity. This time, it was Qui-Gon who
didn't want to break the hug. But he knew that Obi-Wan was asleep, and that
he wasn't as comfortable as he would be in his bed. Trying not to wake the
young man sleeping in his arms, he laid him gently on the bed, tucking the
blankets carefully around him. Once he was sure that Obi-Wan was comfortable,
he dropped a kiss on the boy's soft forehead, whispering, "Good night, Son."
Standing up, the tall Jedi prepared to leave the room. Glancing back at the
sleeping boy once again, he smiled contentedly before switching the lights off.
The room began filling with the soothing silence of the night. Obi-Wan
opened one eye and, smiling, he whispered, "Good night... Dad."
Author: Keyla Kenobi - delilah_br@hotmail.com
Rating: G
Archive: Sure, just e-mail me!
Disclaimer: The boys belong to George Lucas, I have no money so don't sue me! =)
Warning: There is a loving and parental relationship between Obi and Qui, there is no slash so if you don't like that, don't read any further.
Summary: Qui finds something that makes him realise of an important presence in his own life.
Beta-Read by Aida (The best Beta-reader!!!! Thanx!!)
/ Are italics / and // mental talking //
Note: You better read my other fics before reading this one, Grumpy Tummy and A Rainy Day,
cuz they are all connected.
An Important Presence In My Life
Part 1
Midnight, and he was still working. Hundreds of data pads were spread all
around his room, as well as on the desk along with his books and papers. But
none of those papers were the ones he needed or was looking for.
"Sith! Where is it?!", he growled as he checked under the desk, "It doesn't
have legs, so it has to be somewhere here!"
As he began to stand up, he neglected to watch where he was going and struck
his head on an open drawer. He loudly cursed himself, the drawer, the day,
the papers, and the whole damn galaxy. While warily rubbing his head, he
looked inside the drawer and spotted a large envelope with "Qui-Gon" written
on the front. Hoping the missing papers might be inside, he grabbed it and
opened it quickly. The envelope held no papers, only some long forgotten
holo-pics.
Frowning with surprise and curiosity, he took the holo-pics out of the
envelope and counted five onto his hand. He examined the first one: it was a
picture of him, much younger, and standing beside a little boy. Both
displayed happy, toothy grins, the little lad clearly missing a tooth. Then
realization dawned on him. The little boy was Obi-Wan at about four years of
age.
A broad smile brightened Qui-Gon's face as he stood up, gazing at the
pictures. Completely forgetting about the lost papers and his subsequent
mission, Qui-Gon sat down in a chair and was caught up in memories past.
Contemplating the first picture he held in his large hand, he chuckled as the
long forgotten memories settled around him.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"QUIGGEEEEEE!!!!"
"Obi-Wan! What is it?" Qui-Gon quickly rushed into the living area, searching
for the boy.
"Look!" Obi-Wan showed the Master a tiny white object that he held between
his chubby little fingers, "It fall f'om my maus'!"
Qui-Gon examined the white little object in question and started laughing,
"Obi-Wan that's a tooth! Let me see your teeth," he asked amused, as he
looked into the little boy's mouth. Yes, indeed, it was a tooth. A hole could
clearly be seen in the upper line of teeth where none had been before.
"A tuth? Dat's bad? I don' wan' healers Quigee!!" the toddler clutched at
Qui-Gon's leg pleadingly.
"No, little one, is not bad. It is very good. This means that you're growing
up!" the Master replied gently, as he unstuck the boy from his leg, then
picked him up.
"What was all the fuss about?" Mace asked, entering the living area minutes
after Qui-Gon.
"Nothing, Mace, it's just that Obi-Wan lost his first tooth."
"And you say this is 'NOTHING' ?! We have to celebrate this, man! I'm going
to bring the camera. Wait here!"
"Wat Unkl' Mace say?" the boy asked as Qui-Gon sat on the couch and placed
him on his lap.
"That we have to celebrate this."
"Ce'beit?" the child slurred, "Wat dat?"
"That means having a party."
"Pa´ty? Yeeey!! Chocolate!!" Obi-Wan exclaimed excitedly as he began bouncing
up and down, and clapping his hands.
"Oh, no..no.. no! You're not seeing any more chocolate for a looong time, big
guy!" the Master chuckled as he gently tickled Obi-Wan. The small child
started laughing uncontrollably, trying to get away from the Master's
tickling fingers. /Again, that delightful sound./ thought Qui-Gon. He
couldn't help the wide smile that broke on his lips as he watched and enjoyed
the little boy's merriment.
/He lost his first tooth...he's growing so fast....,/ he thought as he
continued tickling Obi-Wan, joyfully realizing that he was thinking like a
real father. Suddenly, Obi-Wan lost his hold on the little tooth in his hand,
and it fell to the floor. Qui-Gon stopped the tickling and stooped down to
look for it. When he found it, he handed it to Obi-Wan.
The small boy quizzically looked at the tiny tooth, asking, "Wy it fall down,
Quigee?"
Qui-Gon had expected that question, "Well, because now you are going to have
all new teeth. All the ones that you have now are going to start falling,
one by one, until they are all replaced by the new teeth."
"Ahh...An' wat for?" the little boy asked again as he held the tooth out to
Qui-Gon.
"Because the ones you have now are not as strong as the new ones that will
grow out."
"And now you have to put the tooth under your pillow, Obi-Wan, and then the
galactic tooth fairy will be able to leave you some credits!" Mace said as he
prepared the camera for the picture.
"Mace...", Qui-Gon shot the other Jedi a 'shut-the-hell-up' look.
"Is twue, Quigee?"
"Of course it is true! Master Yoda himself told me so!" Mace answered for
Qui-Gon, throwing a mischievously grin towards the Master.
Obi-Wan's expression showed nothing more than amazement and awe as he
continued to look at the tooth.
"Mace...shut up...just take the pic..." Qui-Gon said, shaking his head as he
sat resigned and smiling.
"All right, all right! Obi-Wan show me that one toothless grin of yours. And
Qui, show the camera that charming 'lady-killer' smile that has made you so
famous around the Council..." Mace tried not to smile too much as his friend
fired him an 'I'll-kill-you' stare.
"Smile!"
*CLICK*
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
The Master's chuckling increased as the memories continued to flow. That had
been a great day. After taking the holo-pic, the three of them had gone out
to a local funfair to celebrate the event. He moved to the second picture: it
was Obi-Wan at about five years of age. Qui-Gon was holding him. The little
boy wore a cast on his right arm, and there were traces of tears on his
cheeks. But even though tear-stained cheeks, he continued to smile. The
Master's chuckling slowly ceased as he remembered this particular day as if
it was yesterday...
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Master Qui-Gon Jinn paced up and down the waiting room of the Healers
Quarters. Mace Windu was sitting on a chair against a wall, holding a
holo-picture camera between both hands, as he watched his friend's impatient
pacing.
"Qui-Gon, time will not go faster just because you pace the room," Mace tried
to sound cheerful, but he knew he was not getting his point across.
"This is no time for jokes, Mace...," Qui-Gon stopped in front of the door
were the healers had taken Obi-Wan, "Why are they taking so long?!"
"Qui, don't worry. An-paj said that Obi-Wan was going to be all right."
Qui-Gon shook his head. It was supposed to have been a nice day. He and Mace
and had been called to help a creche Master take care of a class of initiates
out on a picnic. Obi-Wan had been included among those thirty initiates. This
was the only reason why Qui-Gon had accepted the job. They weren't going too
far, only to a separate section of the Temple's Gardens.
Everything had been going just fine. Some of the children played cheerfully
as they circled each other around the small plants and trees, while others
watched colorful fish swimming along a small river. Qui-Gon sighed
contentedly. It was a lovely sunny day, not too hot or too cold, and the
birds were singing. The children were having fun, as was Mace as he chased
some toddlers that had stolen his camera and his boots.
Everything was perfect...until he saw Obi-Wan climb a tall tree -actually a
*very* tall tree - following behind two older boys. A little girl from the
base of the tree was shouting at him to come down, but he ignored her and
continued to climb. Before Qui-Gon could stand up, Obi-Wan missed a step and,
in a fraction of a second, was falling towards the hard ground. Qui-Gon felt
his heart miss more that one beat as he watched Obi-Wan's small figure
descend from the tree, and hit the ground, hard. As the shouts of the little
girl pushed him to react, he rushed hurriedly towards the fallen boy. When
he reached the boy's still form, he gently turned the limp body, which he had
accustomed to see as his own son, to see if he could find any exposed wounds.
But, luckily, he found none. Only Obi-Wan's right arm appeared to be laying
at an awkward angle.
Gently patting the small boy's face, Qui-Gon attempted to bring him to
consciousness. "Obi-Wan! Wake up, please!"
The initiate didn't wake, but lightly stirred and moaned softly. The small
movement was enough for some of Qui-Gon's concern to disappear, but he was
still far too worried about the unconscious youth. Gently scooping the boy
in his strong arms, he quickly carried him off to the Healer's quarters.
Now, he waited. His worry and concern increasing within every minute that
passed. After checking Obi-Wan, An-paj confirmed that there were no internal
injuries, and that he had only suffered a broken arm.
/But if it's just a broken arm why can't I see him?!/ Qui-Gon fumed.
"Qui, relax, sit down. If you contin-...," Mace's statement was cut in
mid-sentence by the sound of the room's door opening, and An-paj stepped
inside.
Qui-Gon rushed towards him, "Is he all right? Can I see him?" But he didn't
wait for an answer. As An-paj opened his mouth to say answer, Qui-Gon strode
past him, searching for Obi-Wan. He found the little boy was sitting on a
stretcher, carefully scratching at the cast the healers had placed his arm. A
sigh of relief escaped Qui-Gon as he saw, with his own eyes, that the boy was
fine.
Qui-Gon quickly walked towards the stretcher, and very gently placed his
large hands on Obi-Wan's shoulders. Obi-Wan appeared surprised to see Qui-Gon
in front of him and, for a moment, he beamed a smile at the Master. But, as
he slowly remembered the cause of his injury, he lowered his eyes and sadly
continued to look at his boots.
"Obi-Wan are you all right?" Qui-Gon asked gently, his face showing nothing
more than concern. The boy nodded briefly without looking into the elder
Jedi's eyes.
"Thank the Force!" The Master sighed, relieved. But his relieved expression
then turned to a harder one, one showing disappointment and irritation.
"Obi-Wan, what exactly were you trying to do back there?" Qui-Gon was not
going to let this one go so easily. He was not angry at the boy by any
means, even though he knew that Obi-Wan was aware he should not have been so
reckless. "You endangered your life deliberately, just because two goofs
challenged you! That's not the way a Jedi behaves!"
Obi-Wan's ice-blue eyes shot up. How did Qui-Gon know?
"Your friend Bant told Master Skyla. She told me," Qui-Gon said as he
immediately saw the message displayed in the young boy's eyes. "Now, I want
you to promise me that you will never *ever* do such a foolish thing again!"
Obi-Wan's eyes lowered again. He replied in a small strangled voice as he
held back the tears burning in his eyes, "I pwomish, Quigee..."
Qui-Gon's features softened at the sight of the little boy battling his
emotions, biting hard on his quivering lower lip, and attempting to prevent
any sob escaping. The child looked so little and so repentant.
Without hesitation, he picked Obi-Wan up and tightly hugged him. "Oh,
Obi-Wan, I was so scared!"
Obi-Wan returned the hug and allowed every tear to flow without holding back.
What Master Qui-Gon had said, surprised him, "Y-you...weah s-shcare...?"
"Of course, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon answered gently, as he sat on the stretcher
while firmly holding the boy as he rubbed a large hand along the tiny back,
"You are very important to me. And I love you. That's why I got scared,
'cause I don't want you to get hurt."
Obi-Wan pulled back a until he could see Qui-Gon's face, "I wuv you a wot
too, Quigee," he said, kissing the Master's cheek and hugging his neck. He
began sobbing again.
Qui-Gon returned the kiss on the top of the boy's head. He continued to
soothe Obi-Wan as he gently rocked him and listened to him sobbing, all the
while wearing a wide smile on his face.
At that moment, Mace entered the room with his camera. "Hey, buddy," the
Council member placed a hand on Obi-Wan's head, gently stroking his hair. "Is
he all right?" he asked Qui-Gon.
"Yes, he's a little scared, just like me." he answered smiling.
"Well, then, we have to change that!" he stated and looked down at his
camera. "I know," he added, "Why don't we take a holo-pic?"
"Now?" Qui-Gon asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"Yes, Qui! This is like the tooth stuff. Is this his first cast? Come on,
Qui, please?"
"Mace, I think it's time for one of your brain pills..."
"Pwease, Quigge?" Obi-Wan added, his tears had dried and he had completely
forgotten the bad moment.
"You too? Ow, all right. I wonder if I'm ever going be able to say 'no' to
you, little one!" Qui-Gon agreed, chuckling.
"Yeah! That's my best friend! Okay, now a big smile, Obi and Qui
Well...umm...do what you can."
Qui-Gon rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"Smile!"
*CLICK*
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Qui-Gon allowed a small chuckle to escape him. That was Obi-Wan's first cast
and Qui-Gon's first worry. He never believed that incident would be the last
time he would be made to wait in anguish outside Obi-Wan's room in the
Healers Quarters.
After Obi-Wan began his training to become a Padawan, Qui-Gon did not see the
boy for a long time, and thought he would never see him again. That idea did
not appeal to him. But he smiled as he remembered the day he had been
allowed to chose the boy as Padawan. That day had been simply incredible.
Qui-Gon changed the holo-pic...and started laughing. In the picture, he was
standing by the front door of his quarters, soaked to the bone. He was
completely covered in mud, his hair was matted, and he had small, thin
branches sticking out of it. Not to mention the many leaves that had stuck
to his dirty tunics. And 4-year-old Obi-Wan was sitting on his shoulders, as
dirty and soaked as he was.
He remembered that day very well. Mace had taken that picture by surprise the
moment he had spotted them. The Master gave a small laugh and moved on to the
next holo-pic. He looked at this one for a brief moment before he tried to
recall who had taken this picture, but couldn't quite remember who. He
looked inside the envelope to see if there was anything else was in there,
and found a little white card that said:
"Happy Birthday, Qui! Mace and Skyla"
Then realization dawned on him. In about two days, he would be celebrating
his birthday. He vaguely remember that Mace had insisted on looking for some
keys the day before, insisting that he had lost them in Qui-Gon's home. Mace
had checked everywhere, including Qui-Gon's desk. To be precise, Mace had
given special attention to one particular drawer where Qui-Gon had found the
envelope. So all this was their doing.
Qui-Gon smiled and looked again at the holo-pic...
Part 2
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Obi-Wan finally entered the room. It was pretty dark, so dark it was
difficult to see further than his nose. He continued on anyway, just like on
a certain rainy day, not too long ago. But as he reached the bed where
Qui-Gon was sleeping, he didn't know what to do. He couldn't believe that
Master Qui-Gon had been hurt. That was not possible. After all, it was
Quigee. Who would want to hurt him? Quigee wasn't bad, he always took care
of him and told him stories. But Master Skyla had said that Quigee needed
rest.
Obi-Wan bit his lower lip and looked back towards the entrance door. Maybe
Qui-Gon didn't want to see him right now, and he should go and leave the
Master alone. No! Quigee would never leave him to be alone, and he was
definitely not going back. Again, he looked towards the bed and saw that the
Master's hand on the edge, almost falling down. Obi-Wan gently lifted and
took Qui-Gon's hand in held them in both his smaller ones, gently tugging on
it.
"Mashtah Quigee?" he whispered with a shy and hesitant smile. But it faded
quickly when he received no answer. He tried tugging a little harder, but
with no change. Large tears began to build in his ice-blue eyes, and he
struggled to suppressed hundreds of sobs that seemed trapped in his throat.
He held on until he couldn't hold any longer, and started crying softly. As
he cried, he held Qui-Gon's large limp hand up to his cheek and pressed it
tightly against his face. He held on to the large hand, expecting it to move
while trying to draw comfort into his young being.
Slowly, Qui-Gon felt consciousness returning, and he took a deep breath. His
chest still hurt, but it was getting better. At least now he could breath
easily. He was just beginning to relax when, suddenly, he remembered. Obi-Wan
was in danger! Or did they just make him imagine that? But, it looked so
real.
He had been running, trying to reach the boy. But, as he ran, Obi-Wan just
got further and further. When he realized that he was not making a
difference, he stopped, trying to catch his breath. Suddenly, the Force
warned him of danger, and he looked up just in time to see a dark and huge
shadow wrap itself around Obi-Wan. His eyes opened abruptly as remembered
hearing the horrified scream coming from his little Obi-Wan, and it continued
to echo in his mind.
Qui-Gon looked around and found himself in one of the Healer's rooms. He
sighed, relieved that it had been only a bad dream. During his mission on
Merka, he had been kidnapped by a group of rebels who had wanted to stop the
negotiations. They had not only tortured him physically, but mentally as
well. They had used his memories against him, twisting them with malice and
cruelty. His captors had known that there was nothing worst for a father
than to see his son in pain. And so, they had used this weakness against him
as they tortured him.
The Council had sent a rescue team as they continued to negotiate with the
rebels. Fortunately, everything had ended on a positive note. Qui-Gon had
been rescued and the rebels had been captured and judged. But still, there
was something missing. The Master had wanted to be sure that Obi-Wan was
safe, and to see him, even if for a short moment. The moment would be enough
to satisfy him of Obi-Wan's safety, and would allow him to rest calmly.
Sleepily, he felt a soft, warm pressure on his hand, and then felt something
warm and wet caressing his skin. Slowly, he opened his eyes and found Obi-Wan
crying softly against his hand, the little boy holding it with all his
strength. He couldn't believe his eyes. Gently, he stroked the little boy's
chubby cheek with his thumb, waiting for Obi-Wan to react. The small head
shot up immediately, tear stained eyes to be met with the elder Jedi's kind
eyes. Qui-Gon extended both hands, momentarily forgetting about the pain in
his chest, and picked the young initiate up. The Master sat him carefully
beside him. Obi-Wan was still looking at him intensely, with moist eyes
showing disbelief, "Mashtah Quigge?"
"Yes, little one, it's me."
Qui-Gon could never recall seeing him smile so brilliantly. Obi-Wan threw
himself against Qui-Gon, hugging him tightly and letting his tears run
freely. Qui-Gon returned the hug, hushing him as he soothingly stroked the
boy's hair, thanking the skies that his son was all right.
"I mished you a lot, Quigee", Obi-Wan whispered after he calmed a little.
"I missed you too, Obi-Wan, very much."
"An' I wash vewy wowwied, Quigee, because I heard Mashtah Lyla and Unkl' Mace
say dat you had been kin...kin..."
"Kidnapped," Qui-Gon helped him.
"Yesh, an'-an' I wash vewwy *snif* wowwied because I don't know wat's
dat...," Obi-Wan finished, pulling back from the embrace and expecting an
explanation.
Qui-Gon smiled kindly at him, "You'll understand what that is when you grow
up." /Mental note: tell Mace and Skyla to shut up in front of the kids./
"Quigee?"
"Yes?"
"No more mishons, Quigee, pwease?" the little boy pleaded.
Qui-Gon chuckled, "I'm sorry, Obi-Wan, but I can't promise you that," he
explained , "What I can promise you is that no matter where I am, you can
always find me here," Qui-Gon softly tapped on Obi-Wan chest, right over his
heart.
The initiate looked at him, confused, titling his head to a side. Then he
looked inside his shirt for the place that Qui-Gon had mentioned.
Qui-Gon laughed, "No, not inside your pajamas. Inside your heart."
Obi-Wan smiled broadly as he understood what the Master was saying, "An' me
inside yours?"
"Of course, little one," Qui-Gon drew him into another hug, placing the small
head on his own chest. After a few minutes, Obi-Wan fell asleep, lulled by
the sound of Qui-Gon's heartbeat.
Neither the Master nor the Initiate had noticed Skyla spying through the gap
of the half opened door. The Creche Master had known perfectly well that
Obi-Wan would be here. Slowly removing Mace's camera out of her robe's
pocket, she focused and pressed the red button.
*CLICK*
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Qui-Gon's features softened as he continued to watch the picture. Obi-Wan
looked so cute sleeping. Now that he had a chance to remember all these
moments, he realized how important Obi-Wan's presence had been in his life.
If it wasn't for this Padawan, he would have buried himself inside a hole of
self-pity after his last Padawan, Xanatos, had turned to the Dark Side. He
had much to thank Obi-Wan.
Qui-Gon pulled out the last holo-pic. "Oww, just look at this!" Qui-Gon
whispered. Obi-Wan was sleeping on Qui-Gon's chest, clutching a brown teddy
bear, and both of them covered with a blanket. It was during his
five-year-old birthday...
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"Force! Next time that you do something like this, Qui, don't count with me!"
Mace complained as he headed toward the entrance door, still wearing a funny
birthday hat. "And don't expect me to help you clean all this mess! It was
YOUR idea to bring to YOUR quarters that bunch of little Siths that Obi-Wan
calls friends!"
"Mace!" Skyla scolded him.
"Leave him, Skyla," Qui-Gon interfered, "Then he'll come running, asking for
help to escape from Master Yoda's walking stick!" he said out loud for Mace
to hear. But the Council member had already exited out of the room.
Qui-Gon was truly exhausted. A whole day taking care of the little monsters!
He let himself collapse on sleeping couch, sighing, relieved that this awful
day was over.
"I'll prepare something to drink. Would you like something?" Skyla asked the
Master as she headed towards the kitchen.
"Sure! But I don't have whisky here, so fix us up with tea or coffee," he
heard Skyla's chuckle coming from the kitchen, and he smiled. Well, it hadn't
been that bad. At least Obi-Wan had fun. By the way, where was Obi-Wan? He
looked around the living area while still reclining on the couch, but was
unable to find the boy.
"Obi-Wan?" he called.
Obi-Wan exited from his room, dragging a teddy bear and rubbing his eyes
sleepily. He walked a little bit unsteady to where the Master was, then stood
by the couch, yawning.
"Well, I thought I was the only one tired!" the Master teased, picking the
boy up and sitting him on his chest.
"Did you have fun, little one?"
Obi-Wan nodded, "But not 'little' anymore." he stated.
"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Qui-Gon smacked a hand to his forehead, "I almost forgot
that you're five years old now!"
Obi-Wan smiled sleepily and yawned again. His eyes were threatening to close,
so Qui-Gon gently lowered him, laying his sleepy bundle flat on his chest.
The initiate instantly snuggled and made himself comfortable, both
hands clutching the teddy.
"It seems that you like that bear," Obi-Wan nodded, "Did you gave him a name
already?"
"Ba'to," Obi-Wan murmured, his voice a bit muffled by Qui-Gon's tunics.
The big Jedi chuckled, "I imagined you would name him like that. You know
that this particular teddy was one of his?"
Obi-Wan rose his head until he could look into the Master's eyes, "Reawwy?"
"Yes. He gave it to me specially for you."
The small initiate smiled contentedly and lowered his head again, "Than' you,
Quigee."
In a few minutes Obi-Wan was fast asleep. Qui-Gon crossed an arm over the
little boy, preventing him from falling. As he looked at Obi-Wan sleeping, he
began feeling his own eyes closing as the exhausting day took its toll on
him. He never realized the moment when he fell asleep.
"Here's your coffee, Qui. You don't have anymore tea. You should go to...,"
Skyla stopped in mid-sentence, taking in the sight that greeted her.
"Awww....," she whispered, smiling. It was so cute to see her two babies
sleeping so peacefully.
She placed the two cups of coffee gently on the small table near the couch,
and went into Qui-Gon's room. Carrying a long blanket in her arms, the young
Master placed and tucked it in carefully around her sleeping charges. She was
about to leave for her own quarters when she spotted Mace's camera. She just
couldn't leave without taking a picture as they slept so peacefully. Skyla
took the camera and tried to find the perfect angle.
*CLICK*
*****
Qui-Gon smiled, biting his lower lip. As he again looked at the holo-pics, he
realized that he hadn't been paying much attention to Obi-Wan since the mess
with his current mission had begun. He decided he should make an effort to
spend more time with the boy, just like in the old days. Then, suddenly, an
idea struck him as he looked at the holo-pic of the teddy.
The Master got up and opened the door to Obi-Wan's room and stepped in.
"Obi-Wan?"
The bed was empty but it looked as if someone had been sleeping on it...or
jumping. Qui-Gon shook his head. /How can one 14-year-old boy do such a
mess?/ He looked at the boy's desk and found his Padawan, sound asleep on his
Astronomy book. He approached his sleeping Padawan, scooped him up, and
placed the drowsy apprentice on the mess that was supposed to be his bed.
During the short trip, Obi-Wan awoke, a bit confused.
"Master? I-I was studying...," he murmured.
"Yes, I know. It's just that you looked so tired studying there, that I
thought that you should stop and rest for a while," the Master explained
patiently, as he tucked the blankets warmly around his Padawan. "There you
are. Comfortable?"
Obi-Wan nodded and snuggled under the blankets, "Good night, Master." he
murmured.
"Good night. But, before you fall asleep, I have something for you."
"For me?"
"Mmm hmm," Qui-Gon showed him the teddy bear. Obi-Wan's sleepy eyes lit up
when he saw the toy.
"Blarto!" he exclaimed.
"Then you remember him," Qui-Gon chuckled.
"Where did you find him? I've been looking for Blarto for years!" the excited
apprentice said, hugging the bear tightly.
The big Jedi smiled, "Well, I have...my sources."
"This bear means a lot to me," the young man stated.
"Why is so important?" Qui-Gon asked, pretending not to know.
"I'm not sure. But I always thought that...my dad gave me this."
Qui-Gon tried to hide his surprise. Obi-Wan continued, "But that's
impossible, I never met him. I was brought to the Temple when I was very
little...," he paused, "Although, every time that I held this bear close, I
could feel him near," Obi-Wan said with such longing that if Qui-Gon hadn't
been a Jedi Master, tears would have been running down his cheeks.
The elder Jedi cleared his throat, "And, you don't remember who actually gave
you this?"
"No... But maybe you know! Whoever had this bear must know!"
Qui-Gon looked at him. He looked at the boy, unable to response. How could he
tell him that it was HIM, Qui-Gon, the one Obi-Wan was talking about? How he
would react to this knowledge?
"Master?"
His apprentice's voice brought him out of his thoughts. Well, he would have
to tell him something...
"Obi-Wan, that teddy, well, that bear...it was...," /Oh come on Jinn! Say it!
You have no choice!/ "It was *I* who gave you that bear."
Okay, he told him.
Obi-Wan looked at him, blankly. His Master? His Master?! But, he first met
him when he was about 13 years old! When he took him as his Padawan!
Wait...then his Master was actually...his dad?
Obi-Wan's shields were down and Qui-Gon received every single thought through
their bond. "Obi-Wan, I know it may not sound logical, but the first time
that I actually met you was when you were 3 years old."
Obi-Wan said nothing. He couldn't, he was still in a state of shock. /Maybe
I'm still dreaming. Yes, it has to be a dream..., / he thought, trying to
find a reasonable explanation for his Master's words.
Qui-Gon smiled and continued, "No, it's not a dream. It's real, Padawan.
Look," he handed Obi-Wan the holo-pics.
Obi-Wan glanced at the holo-pics, and then to his Master. With an unsure
hand, he took the five pictures and slowly started looking at them one by
one. It was real, he was in all those holo-pics, and his Master was always
right beside him. He stopped when he reached the last one. As he watched the
picture, he could feel all the memories returning to his young mind.
"This is my five-year-old birthday," he said, as every single memory began to
fit into place. The young man smiled and returned to the first picture, "And
this is when I lost my first tooth!"
Qui-Gon chuckled, "You remember what happened that day?"
Obi-Wan nodded excited, still smiling, "Yes, we went to a funfair with Master
Windu!" he said happily, now that he could remember everything.
"Yes. And you don't remember anything else?"
The apprentice frowned as he searched through his mind, "No... I mean, I
remember playing in lots of games, but anything else..."
"Well," the Master started, "That day, while we were in the funfair, a clown
came near you and started doing all those silly tricks that they usually do.
Then, he told you to smell a small, red flower that he had stuck in his
jacket's lapel. When you went to smell it, he pressed something and a water
spurt came out of it, watering your eyes," Qui-Gon chuckled as he remembered
that scene, "The thing is, you started crying and I...well..."
"What?" Obi-Wan asked impatiently.
"Well, I...kind of took my lightsaber out and chased him through all the
funfair, until Mace caught me."
Obi-Wan fell backwards on the bed, laughing heartily and clutching his
stomach. After several minutes, he was somewhat able to speak, "I-I....I
can't believe...believe that...you chased...chased a clown...with your...
light-," his voice cracked again, laughing even harder as he pictured his
Master chasing a clown with his lightsaber.
The Jedi Master was looking at Obi-Wan with his 'You-Are-Soooo-Silly-Obi-Wan'
look while biting his lower lip. What had caused his Padawan to continue
laughing?
It seemed that Obi-Wan's laugh was contagious because, soon, Qui-Gon was
laughing as well. He knew he could spend hours and hours listening to his
Padawan's laugh. His 'Padawan'. He still couldn't believe that the little
3-year-old boy he found lost in the creche playground, was now his Padawan.
But not just his Padawan. Since the very first day he had met the boy, he
had felt a special and unique bond between them. Even if he refused to admit
it at that time. It was a connection that went beyond the Master-Padawan
bond, a union that only the members of a family could share. And in their
case, a father and son bond.
"Master," Obi-Wan spoke after all their laughter had reduced to scattered
giggles and chuckles, "Why did you do something like that?"
"Like what?" Qui-Gon asked, good-naturedly.
"Like chasing a clown with your lightsaber," he explained, suppressing some
giggles.
Qui-Gon smiled in a paternal way, "Because that stupid clown hurt you with
the water. And I was definitely not going to let him get off that easy!" he
finished chuckling.
Obi-Wan grinned broadly and then, surprisingly, launched himself into
Qui-Gon's arms, "Thank you, Master!"
Qui-Gon caught him and hugged him back. But he was completely puzzled, "Why?"
"Thank you for taking care of me, always"
The Master felt his heart melt inside his chest, "You have nothing to thank
me for, Obi-Wan. I love you too much to let any goofy clown make you cry."
Qui-Gon squeezed his apprentice as he finished speaking.
The young man pulled back a little until he could look into his Master's
kind, blue eyes, "I love you too, Master." he whispered softly.
Qui-Gon couldn't believe it. Was it possible that his heart could melt a
second time? He supposed it was possible, because he could feel it, as well
feel all the love filling their Force-bond. He drew the boy into a tight and
loving embrace again, unable to say anything. There weren't any words to
express how he felt. But, if he had to define them, he would have to say that
he was the most proud and happiest of all the fathers in the entire universe.
They stayed like that for what it seemed like an eternity. This time, it was Qui-Gon who
didn't want to break the hug. But he knew that Obi-Wan was asleep, and that
he wasn't as comfortable as he would be in his bed. Trying not to wake the
young man sleeping in his arms, he laid him gently on the bed, tucking the
blankets carefully around him. Once he was sure that Obi-Wan was comfortable,
he dropped a kiss on the boy's soft forehead, whispering, "Good night, Son."
Standing up, the tall Jedi prepared to leave the room. Glancing back at the
sleeping boy once again, he smiled contentedly before switching the lights off.
The room began filling with the soothing silence of the night. Obi-Wan
opened one eye and, smiling, he whispered, "Good night... Dad."