AN-Ah, I am so sorry for the late update. Things have been so hectic lately and I haven't had to the time to do this chapter. I will try my best to see this fict through, I will not abandon it so have no fear people.
Now on to the chapter we've all been waiting for...
Encounters
For the first time in a long time, Anakin felt something akin to Obi-Wan that he had not felt in years.
Fifteen years to be exact.
A gnawing, bitter and dark feeling he had before which he identified as the feeling of frustration and regret for not getting a suitable revenge. Bu that was not it.
No, it was something far deeper and much more personal.
It was guilt.
To say that Padme was proud would have been an understatement. She was overjoyed that Anakin did what he did and gladly opened her arms in invitation for Obi-Wan the next day.
The time was slowly approaching.
Neither Anakin no Padme had spoken much in the hours that had passed.
Anakin was too caught up in what would be one of the hardest confrontations of his life.
Padme's concerns lied with her guilt at what she claimed as an unltimun. Even if everything didn't go as how it had turned out, Padme still could never consider the thought of leaving her husband, to follow through with her threat.
Thank the force she didn't.
Suddenly the chime to from the front of the apartment rang out in the quiet of the room. Both Padme and Anakin were frozen on the spot.
Both were thinking the same thing.
Well, this is it...
Anakin just stood there like a frightened animal in front of a oncoming speeder, not knowing what to do. Seeing her husband's pitiful state, Padme took it upon herself to open the door and greet their ever ready guest.
"Obi-Wan!" Padme greeted warmly upon seeing her longtime friend.
"Senat-Padme," the jedi master greeted back, quickly catching himself. Padme chuckled at the quick save the man had done in his formalities and greeting. For that she was thankful, he was finally loosening up and acting more of a friend than a jedi around her.
"Please, come in," she smiled as she ushered him in. "Lunch will be out in a moment, um, if you want to , Anakin is waiting in the sitting room." Before Obi-Wan could get in a word wise, Padme quickly brushed past in stating, " I'm going to check on our meal, I'll be right back. " And she was gone.
Obi-Wan gulped, so now was his chance. His chance to know what was wrong or more specifically, what went wrong.
The jedi master braced himself and strode to where the younger man was undoubtedly, albeit anxiously waiting for him.
Anakin paced up and down, his feet tromping at a rapid pace as if trying to etch a trail of some sort on the marble floor. His gaze bore down unblinking towards the empty space that dare enter his vision, as if to burn them to oblivion with his livid glare.
What was he going to say? Or do for the matter?
Anakin had thought for countless hours about how this conversation would play out, but none seemed to prepare him for the confrontation that was before.
It then hit him.
Obi-Wan was here.
In this very home.
Coming his way.
Now.
Anakin's palm started to sweat, his mechanical hand twitching as if lost. The sudden urge to run and find a quiet corner almost overwhelmed the man as he had to force back this cowardice behavior.
He had been a bloody sith for fifteen years. fifteen years which he had specifically spent hunting down the very man that made him want to bolt the room this very moment.
Oh how weak have I become he though in disgust of himself.
"Anakin," a voice called out hesitantly.
Anakin stiffened.
He had heard that name be called out by the man standing behind him many times. There were times when it was out of exasperation in his adolescent years, to mirth and amusement in mutual companionship that they had forged over the long years, but rarely did the man call out to him like this.
As if unsure of himself, or them for the matter. like he was afraid to speak to him.
Anakin found himself hating it.
"Obi-Wan," Anakin acknowledged the other man's presence. There was an awkward silence that followed after, both unsure where or how to begin.
Obi-Wan found it in himself to start off first.
"Anakin, I-I know how hard it is for you to open up to others, but you can do it, please, do it for me and Padme."
this got the younger man's attention. He knew deep down that sooner or later the truth would have to come out. The horrid atrocities that he had committed, the people he had condemned to an unjust own suffering and fate. All because of him.
"Do you really," was all that could be heard in the whisper that came out of Anakin's lips.
"I know." Obi-Wan told Anakin firmly.
Anakin whipped his head so fast in the direction his former master was in at a total state of shock. What did he mean by that. Did he know about Anakin's last fifteen years of being a sith, or living a shell of his former life in hell. Killing and extinguishing all that was ever important to the younger man. Did he know?
"What do you know-" but he was cut off my Padme's voice calling towards them.
"Lunch is ready-oh, I'm so sorry, was I interrupting anything?" Padme silently berated herself for walking in at a time of important for both men. She knew how much they needed to sort things out, that was the reason both were standing in the waiting room looking blankly at her. She cursed herself again.
unbeknownst to Padme, the elder jedi was relieved to have her interrupting as she did. He needed time to collect himself for the big reveal.
On the other hand, Anakin was feeling sick to his stomach with anxiety and anticipation whether or not Obi-Wan really knew the truth being everything that was troubling him. And more specifically, if he did, how did he find out?
Dinner to say was mostly a silently event with Padme trying and failing to bring some sort of light talk between the two, but both found it too troublesome or difficult to come up with some sort of conversation that didn't borderline on being personal and private.
In the end, Padme gave up her attempts and ate quietly along with the two jedi.
well, at least Anakin isn't trying to hurt Obi-Wan in anyway and Padme was thankful for that.
Anakin, meanwhile was pushing food around his plate lost in though.
What did he mean that he knew?
Anakin wanted so badly to ask, but was afraid that his secrets would come pouring out of the elder man. Especially not in front of Padme.
Obi-Wan was in a similar state thinking back at what he was revealed to by the force. It was hard to believe it all, but deep down he knew, anything was possible with the force.
As the silent fair of dinner continued, the three participants couldn't have been more relieved to see it end as C3PO cleared the plates away.
"I'll be right back with refreshments. Please make yourselves comfortable in the Veranda." She then left to the men.
Both were silent, unsure of how to start.
Finally, the younger man could no longer take it as he nearly shouted out in anxiety "What do you mean you know?"
Obi-Wan took in a deep breath to calm himself as he readied himself for what he was going to say.
"I-I know that..." he stared trying to find the right words.
some negotiator I am obi-Wan silently chided himself.
"Well.." Anakin urged growing impatient.
"I know that you are from the past."
This revelation cause unspoken question to appear to Anakin, but Obi-Wan beat him to it.
"Qui-Gon came to me."
"What?" this was not the answer that Anakin was expecting.
letting out another deep breath Obi-Wan being to regale his encounter.
Breathe in, breathe out, breath in , breathe out. Let the force flow in you.
The anxiety would not go away. How was he going to talk to Anakin?Though he was the one who had invited the Jedi master to talk, Obi-Wan had a feeling that the minute the two confronted, Anakin would shut himself off.
Oh, Anakin. He always had a way of doing that. When he had first left his mother to learn the art of being a jedi, just a mere few weeks into training and the boy had completely closed himself off to the rest of the jedi community with the excepting of Obi-Wan himself.
Anakin was known to hide his demons and troubles to himself, never seeking help when needed.
This made the jedi master wonder. Was Anakin doing this out of the sake that he really needed help, or was it something to do with his wife.
Wife. That revelation still shocked the jedi master whenever he thought of the term Anakin used for the senator.
"you seem troubled young one" a voice echoed.
Obi-Wan whirled his head in the direction of the voice, but found nothing.
A deep baritone of a chuckle resounded through the room. " use the force, and you will find what you seek".
Wary of the hidden voice, Obi-Wan closed his eyes and concentrated.
Breathe in, breathe out, breath in , breathe out, and Obi-Wan opened his eyes.
There staring back at him was his former master, Qui-Gon Jinn.
'Wha-" Obi-Wan gasped out loud, but decided to shut his mouth and observed his old master.
The long deceased jedi appeared his a light blue hue, a ghost of sorts.
"Surprised to see me, my young padawan? It is good to see you."
"Qui-Gon? Why are you here? How can this be?" then the jedi master suddenly went into a flurry of questioning. "why didn't you come sooner? I needed you! You died too soon, you could have done a much better job with Anakin then I ever could!" All these thoughts came tumbling out of Obi-Wan's mouth as he spoke his inner most thoughts.
"Hush, young one. Why I am here is to warn you"
Obi-Wan was about to speak but was shushed by Qui-Gon lifting up one blue translucent hand.
"But first, your doubts. Why Obi-Wan, do you have them, do you think so little of yourself that you could not have done a good job? I see that you have done a fine job."
"A fine job...A fine job! Qui-Gon look at Anakin, he won't even talk to me he...he went as far as shunning me out of his life. How can you say that I've done a fine job."
A sorrowful look passed on the ethereal jedi's face.
"You did the best you could at the time. A young man who had lost his master and had to take care of another. With all the truth in me, I say that you did a fine job. Taking care of another is never an easy task."
"But Anakin..."
"Now now, he may have done things to cause you concern or frustration, but have you ever felt pride for the boy?"
"Yes," was Obi-Wan's immediate answer. At this Qui-gon smiled, but just as it came it went away.
"I did come here for a different purpose in mind." This brought the jedi master back to the present.
"Something about warning me?" Obi-Wan asked rather hesitantly.
The deceased jedi nodded his head solemnly.
It doesn't concern Anakin does it, Obi-Wan asked with unease. Unfortunately for him, the ethereal jedi nodded once more.
"Oh, dear."
"I think you may want to sit down for what I have to tell you."
nodding blindly Obi-Wan followed as instructed as he sat down in a nearby seat.
"It all started fifteen years in the future..."
AN-and there's a cliffy, sorry about that guys. I haven't updated in such a long time that I wanted to post the chapter faster, so I cut it down into halves because this chapter would take much longer.
