See Ch. 1 for Story notes

Authors Notes: So I've finally made it back to this story. Please don't throw things at me for making you all wait so long. Thanks for everyone who reviewed. I'm so glad you've all been enjoying it. Hopefully the next chapter will come more easily and quickly, but I don't have the greatest track record...Anyway, thanks for sticking with this little story. Hope you enjoy the next chapter.


Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan stood just outside of the Council chambers, Obi-Wan avoiding eye contact and Qui-Gon trying to calm his chaotic thoughts.

"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon took a step forward, hoping Obi-Wan would look up.

He moved away, leaning against the nearby wall and rubbing his fingers into his eyes, hoping that his Master would just leave him be.

"Obi-Wan…I don't think this is a good idea," he said gently.

Obi-Wan moved his hand away from his eyes, but still refused to look up.

"This could kill you my Padawan," he said, his voice soft and slightly choked.

Obi-Wan looked up, his eyes bright and hard. "I know that," he said harshly.

"This information…it's not worth your life. You heard the Council. There are other ways."

Obi-Wan let out a bitter laugh, his eyes once again looking downward. "No, this has to be done." He looked up and met Qui-Gon's eyes. "It's worth it…the things I've done…I need to make some good come out of it."

"Then let me help, anchor you."

"No."

"Please, Padawan. I don't understand. Why won't you let me help?"

"I don't want you to see it …all the things I've done. It's bad enough the entire Council will see it…will know, but I just…," Obi-Wan bit his bottom lip lightly, trying to get a hold of his emotions, "I just don't want you to hate me," he said quietly, almost a whisper.

"I could never hate you my Padawan, no matter what you've done," he said, stepping closer and putting a hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "Please, let me do this. I don't like that you're subjecting yourself to this, but if you must, let me anchor you. You'll have a much greater chance of surviving if I do. I can't loose you Padawan, not again…not like this."

"I'm sorry. I really am, but it has to be like this."

"This is not you Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon lifted his hand to brush against Obi-Wan's cheek, "Don't you want to fight…to survive?"

Obi-Wan looked away. "I'm going to see if there's a private training salle open. I'm out of practice."


He pushed away from the wall, forcing Qui-Gon's hand to drop. Without another word, he walked away. Qui-Gon stared as he disappeared into the crowd of Jedi striding through the hallway. He wanted to follow, he meant to, but he was too numb to move.

Obi-Wan twisted and leapt, flying through katas with practiced ease. He wasn't that out of practice, though he didn't feel he was at his best. Performing katas, honing his lightsabre skills through drills, the physical training was one of the few Jedi activities he allowed himself while healing. It calmed his mind, made him close out the outside world and concentrate only on his body.

He let himself fall out of the last kata. He opened his mind slightly, searching out the presence he knew would be nearby. Sure enough, Qui-Gon was hovering outside the salle door, his mind a flurry of agitation and fear. Obi-Wan lifted his hand, deactivating the door's lock with the Force and opening the door. Qui-Gon stood just outside, a look of shock flitting across his face just before he regained his usual stoic composure. He stepped into the salle, the door hissing shut behind him and the lock reactivating.

"Our discussion was not finished Padawan," Qui-Gon said, using his stern Master voice, giving Obi-Wan a look meant to intimidate and chide, a look he used on wayward young padawans. It made Obi-Wan slightly angry and very much annoyed. He wasn't in the mood for Qui-Gon's 'you will do as I say and smile in the process' stubborn streak. He had no intention on changing his mind about the procedure, but perhaps if he gave Qui-Gon something else he wanted, it would mollify him a bit.

So, in response to Qui-Gon's terse statement, Obi-Wan simply removed his inner tunic, leaving him bare-chested, clothed only in his leggings, his boots having been discarded earlier. He threw the tunic to the side and faced Qui-Gon once more.

"Are you just going to just stand there or are you going to give me a workout?" he asked, canting his hips just a bit and raising an eyebrow, letting his voice take on a breathy and suggestive tone. It was a tone he'd honed to perfection. He opened his arms in challenge, his lightsabre held firmly in his right hand.

Qui-Gon's stern gaze faltered for a moment, then his stepped forward, removing his outer tunic and tossing it near Obi-Wan's. He removed his lightsabre from his belt and moved into a defensive stance.

Obi-Wan surged forward, attacking with a ferocity Qui-Gon had never seen before. The Master was caught off guard and found himself struggling to defend the younger man's attack. He adjusted his stance and forced his body to move into an offensive form he hadn't used since his days as a lone Knight. Their lightsabres became a blur of motion as they traded blows, the air crackling with the angry sound of sabers meeting.

Suddenly, Obi-Wan switched his form, flying over Qui-Gon's head and attempting to take advantage of the Master through aerial maneuvers. Qui-Gon continued to defend himself, though, meeting each blow with equal strength. Obi-Wan realized that he was tiring, that months of less than rigorous training and no one to spar against had left him with decreased stamina. Unwilling to give up the fight, he reached into the force and pushed, sending Qui-Gon stumbling backwards and giving Obi-Wan a moment to breathe and calculate his chances. Before he could blink, though, Qui-Gon was up and forcing him to parry strong and nimble saber blows.

Obi-Wan met each of them, but his arms ached and he knew Qui-Gon was gaining the advantage. He tried going airborne again, but Qui-Gon was too fast, catching Obi-Wan just as he landed and sweeping his feet from under him. Obi-Wan fell onto his back, his saber tumbling from his hand, air rushing out of his lungs as Qui-Gon's saber swept down and stopped only inches from his throat.

"You are out of practice," Qui-Gon said, his breath coming in loud huffs as he disengaged his saber and held out a hand to help Obi-Wan up.

Obi-Wan lifted his hand, but instead of hoisting himself up, he yanked Qui-Gon down, causing the older man to tumble onto Obi-Wan in a rather ungraceful heap.

"You're faster than I remember," Obi-Wan said, his mouth brushing against Qui-Gon's ear.

Qui-Gon stared at the young man, unable to gage his mood or his intentions. His inability to read Obi-Wan even a little left him feeling uneasy and unsure how to proceed.

Obi-Wan, though, did not waver. He yanked Qui-Gon's head down and kissed him hard, his tongue lapping, tasting in an almost brutal crush of lips. Before Qui-Gon could do much more than kiss back tentatively, Obi-Wan was wiggling out of his leggings, pushing them past his hips and kicking them off his feet. Qui-Gon suddenly had a very naked Obi-Wan beneath him, something that had entered his dreams on more than one occasion, but right now it seemed almost wrong. He tried to catch Obi-Wan's eye, to gage the young man's mood, but he suddenly wrapped his legs around Qui-Gon, pulling the older man's hips down to meet his and began to writhe, pulling Qui-Gon into another brutal kiss.

Despite his reservations, Qui-Gon felt himself hardening under the onslaught. Obi-Wan felt it as well and chuckled, sending vibrations deep into Qui-Gon's chest.

"Do you want to fuck me Master?" Obi-Wan asked in a tone Qui-Gon was sure he had never heard his padawan use. It was seductive, but also practiced, as if Obi-Wan were speaking words he'd memorized for a play.

"You can if you want to. I know you want to," he said in the same tone.

Not waiting for a response, Obi-Wan flipped over to his stomach, pushing himself up onto his hands and knees and thrusting his ass into Qui-Gon erection, rubbing sensually.

Qui-Gon wasn't sure what to do, his cock had its own ideas as Obi-Wan continued to press against him, but the situation made him uncomfortable, like he was taking advantage of something precious and delicate.

"I don't have anything to ease the way Padawan. I don't want to hurt you."

In response, Obi-Wan grabbed on of Qui-Gon's hands and brought it to his mouth, sucking three of his fingers wetly.

"There, that'll do," Obi-Wan said.

"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said gently, his other hand rubbing a soothing circle against the young man's hip, "I don't think this is a good idea."

"Of course it is," Obi-Wan said, his voice loosing the seductive tone and gaining an edge, "you said yourself that we've waiting long enough."

"This isn't quite how I imaged it would go Padawan. I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't."

"I'm glad you trust me so much Obi-Wan, but I'm afraid that no matter how careful I am it will hurt you some."

"For Force sake. It's fine Qui-Gon. It's nothing I haven't done before. We both want it, so just fuck me already."

In response, Qui-Gon let his hand drop from Obi-Wan's hip and down to the young man's cock, which hung limp, despite their activity or Obi-Wan's words of desire.

"I don't think this is something you want Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said gently.

Obi-Wan's arms shook as he tried to hold himself up. A choked sob escaped his throat. "Please Qui-Gon, just do it…please…I just…I need…" Another sob escaped as he let his arms give and folded them onto the mat, hiding his head in his arms as Qui-Gon hovered above him.

Qui-Gon touched Obi-Wan's shoulder, encouraging the young man to roll over so he could see his face. Obi-Wan complied, rolling over limply, letting his arms fall to his sides and keeping his gaze down.

Qui-Gon reached to brush a tear off of Obi-Wan's cheek and the young man flinched, unable to control the reaction.

Qui-Gon sighed. "That's the second time you have flinched away from me Padawan. Tell me what's wrong."

Obi-Wan glanced up, looking into Qui-Gon's concerned eyes, his face pinched with worry. He felt his composure tear just a bit. He wanted comfort so badly, knew he didn't deserve it, but wanted it all the same. He wished Qui-Gon would have just fucked him raw instead of pulling this neediness out of him.

"They made me think it was you," Obi-Wan whispered so softly Qui-Gon could barely make out the words.

"They drugged me to make me susceptible to Force suggestion," he said, a bit louder this time, but still in a whisper, as if he were afraid that saying it would make everything shatter.

"When they tortured me…raped me…at first I didn't believe it could be you, but then they kept drugging me and…I was just so confused and I…," Obi-Wan took a deep breath and his voice came out a bit more steady, "I don't want it to be the only memory I have of us. I just want to forget. I want you to make me forget what it was like."

Qui-Gon's tears trailed down his face. He leaned down and kissed Obi-Wan gently, almost chastely on the lips.

"We will replace those memories with better ones my Obi," he said, his voice hoarse and trembling, "But we can take our time. We have time," he whispered.

Obi-Wan wanted to deny him, wanted to say that they had so little time, but Qui-Gon's eyes were so earnest, almost desperate, and for the first time in a long time he wanted to hope, wanted to believe that after everything, after all the pain, he could end up with something good, with something beautiful. When Qui-Gon leaned down to embrace him in a warm hug, he let himself be engulfed and cried, really cried, for the first time in years.