Anakin looked at Obi-Wan as they sat in the car outside the funeral parlor.
"I don't think I've ever seen you frown this hard," he commented as Obi-Wan stared at the card in his hands. "Be careful, or you might get lines. I don't know if Padmé would like her boyfriend if he aged ten years in an afternoon."
Obi-Wan turned and gave him a withering stare.
Anakin just shrugged in response. "I don't see what the issue is. Isn't he your boss?"
"Yes, but-"
"Then calling him should be easy," Anakin said pointedly.
Obi-Wan sighed, giving in. "In theory, yes," he grumbled as he punched the numbers into his phone and connected the call.
Anakin drummed on the dashboard while Obi-Wan talked with the secretary at the office, finding that since this morning's client had not shown up, Windu had the morning open. After hanging up, Obi-Wan turned on the car and started to drive.
"I take it they can squeeze us in?" Anakin asked.
"His morning meeting never showed," Obi-Wan replied as he pulled off into traffic and brought them to the office across town.
Anakin looked out at the building, "Your professor's law office is in a house?"
"What were you expecting?"
"I don't know, like some industrial building or something," Anakin shrugged.
"Fair enough," Obi-Wan sighed as he got out of the car and went towards the building.
Anakin hurried to catch up, skidding to a stop next to him in front of the secretary's desk.
"Send them in," Windu called from his office.
Obi-Wan let Anakin go in first.
"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Windu. You're not nearly as intimidating as he said you were," Anakin said as he shook Mace's hand.
Obi-Wan coughed awkwardly.
Windu raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" He gestured towards the seats across from his desk. "Please."
The boys settled into the chairs as Windu rang his secretary. "Have you heard anything from him?"
"Sorry, Sir, I still haven't been able to get in touch with Mr. Maul," the secretary replied.
"Well, keep trying," Windu sighed in annoyance, "His arraignment is in a week and a half and we have to finalize the details." He hung up, not noticing the awkward look that Obi-Wan shared with Anakin. "Sorry about that, boys."
"No worries," Anakin smiled a little too wide.
"Kenobi, I have to say that I was shocked to learn that your father had passed from the police department and not from you," Windu said, his brow furrowing slightly in concern, and, Obi-Wan realized later, sympathy.
"You never talk about weekends in the office," Obi-Wan shrugged.
"Fair enough," Windu said with a reluctant nod. He then turned towards the large filing cabinet behind his desk and rooted around until he found the folder he was looking for. After placing it on his desk, he leveled the boys with a serious look. "Are you sure that you're ready to hear this?"
"Is anyone ever ready to hear the last words from their father?" Anakin asked.
Windu tilted his head and looked down at the paper in front of him, beginning to read, "Boys, if this is being read to you, then unfortunately it means that I'm no longer physically there with you. Although I may not be there anymore, my possessions are. I know that I am not a man of means, but the things that I do own in this world now belong to the two of you. To Obi-Wan, I leave my house. I know it is a place that holds many memories for you. I only hope that you can continue to make memories there. To Anakin, I leave my car. Now, you have no excuse for driving your bike around in inclement weather. It's paid in full, you may do whatever you want, except putting flame decals on the side-"
Anakin snorted.
Windu cracked a small smile and continued, "Most importantly, to Obi-Wan I leave Anakin, and to Anakin I leave Obi-Wan. The two of you no longer have me as your go-between when things are difficult. It will be a learning curve, but one that I know you will be able to overcome. My greatest joy in this world was raising two boys who made me want to be a better man and to make the world better for them. My only request now is that the two of you go through the house together, as brothers. What's mine is yours."
"That's it?" Anakin asked.
"That's it," Mace replied, closing the folder.
"Well, thanks," Anakin said as he started to get up to leave.
"Thank you for your time, Professor," Obi-Wan nodded, moving to join his brother.
"Kenobi, take some time off," Windu told him.
"But, Sir-"
"Mourn your father," Windu said seriously. A look of sadness rimmed his eyes, making it seem as if he knew what it would be like if Obi-Wan didn't do that. "Throwing yourself into work, however tempting that may be, is not the solution you're seeking."
"Yes, Professor," Obi-Wan murmured, feeling as though an understanding passed between the two of them. He followed Anakin back out to the car.
"To Dad's?" Anakin asked, hands buried in his pockets as he rocked forward on his toes. "Or should I say to yours?"
"To Dad's," Obi-Wan replied as he slid into the driver seat. "After we buy some boxes."
"What do we need boxes for?" Anakin asked as he got in the car.
"Well, if you want anything, then you can pack it into a box. If there's any trash, we can get rid of it, and I'm sure there are some things we can donate," Obi-Wan replied as he headed towards the nearest chain store.
"He would want us to donate things," Anakin agreed, quoting Qui-Gon, "There's always someone less fortunate who would benefit from our misfortunes."
When they got there, Anakin grabbed a cart and started filling it with storage containers. When he noticed Obi-Wan hadn't followed, he doubled back through the store to find him.
Obi-Wan stood in the photo section, looking at the various photo albums. He was particularly entranced by a digital photo album that played photos on loop.
"We could get one," Anakin commented as he stopped the cart next to him.
"I think it would be nice for the ceremony," Obi-Wan turned to look at Anakin, "We could keep an eye out for some good photos while we're going through the house."
"And... maybe we could find some embarrassing candid shots as well," Anakin winked, "those show what dad's real nature was like."
Obi-Wan smiled and added the digital album to the cart. "Let's get out of here before we buy out all the containers."
"Yeah, don't want to upset the suburban moms on an organizational binge," Anakin chuckled as he rode the cart towards the check out lanes.
Obi-Wan laughed, watching Anakin go. Although everything had changed, he realized that in a way, there were still many constants in his life. In that moment, he was grateful for Anakin. "You're going to crash," he called out as he reached out to stop him.
"No, I won't," Anakin grinned.
"Yes, you will. I just stopped you," Obi-Wan replied as he pulled the cart along.
"No, I won't, because I know you'll always keep me from crashing," Anakin smiled.
Obi-Wan shook his head. "You're paying for half."
"You're the worst."
