Title: Maybe She's an Angel
Author: Felicia Zezili
Rating: PG
Time Frame: Obi-Wan age 16
Category: Drama
Summary: During some down time on Coruscant, Obi-Wan finds that in a galaxy filled with many problems, even a small act of kindness can go a long way.
Disclaimer: I do not own any recognizable characters, planets, so forth and so on. I also do not own the song Maybe She's an Angel. I could not write a song if the fate of the free world depended on it.
Author's Notes: Picture this if you can. I was in my room, listening to 92.5 WXTU (which is a country music station) and thinking about the next chapter to Obi-Wan's Odyssey (This was before I decided to rewrite it). I was flipping through Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology when I stopped on the page titled Angels and Djinns. Just as I turned to that page the song Maybe she's an Angel by Tommy Shane Steiner came on the radio. Coincidence? Probably but it gave me an idea for a fic. As of now this will probably be the only one post fic I will ever do (I have other ideas but they are complete nonsense) and also the only fic that doesn't have an evil presence of some kind. This might be a little OOC for Obi-Wan but it's all good right?
Sixteen-year-old Obi-Wan Kenobi pulled his cloak closer to him trying to keep out the frigid air as he stood on one of the Jedi Temple landing platform biding his Master Qui-Gon Jinn a safe journey. Qui-Gon would be leaving on a mission for a week to the planet Nisyros where the planet leaders were having a trade summit. The council didn't see that the mission was too critical that Obi-Wan needed to attend. Not when he had diplomacy classes to attend. Obi-Wan saw it completely opposite; of course he would say anything to get out of classes.
"Just try and stay out of trouble Padawan." Qui-Gon commented as he threw his pack over his shoulder and prepared to broad the transport.
"Master how could you forget one of Master Yoda's favorite saying? Do or do not there is no try. I mean he only says it about 100 times a day…"Obi-Wan trailed off when he noticed Qui-Gon glare at him. "I will do my best Master but really how much trouble could even I get into in only a week?"
"I shudder to think." Qui-Gon said flatly.
"Ah humor! Something that we barely see from the great Qui-Gon Jinn." Obi-Wan said with a slight smile.
"Goodbye Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon said and walked up the ramp.
"May the force be with you, Master." Obi-Wan replied as Qui-Gon entered the transport. The Jedi padawan watched as the ship lifted up off the landing platform and shot off out of the atmosphere. After the ship was out of sight Obi-Wan turned but instead of heading back to the temple he turned onto one of the pedestrian walkways and headed towards the Senate district.
Earlier that morning Astri, daughter of the owner of Didi's Café, had sent a message to that temple requesting that Siri, Adi Gallia, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan come down to the diner and try a new dish that she was thinking of adding to the menu. Astri was a little disappointed when Adi said that she was busy with Council meetings and Qui-Gon had a mission to go to but her high spirits returned when the young woman heard that Obi-Wan and Siri could come.
Obi-Wan was only about a block away from the café and could already make out the bright blue windowsills and doorframe. He was so focused on his destination that he didn't see the small object in his path until he stepped on it. Stopping and kneeling down, he picked up a rag doll that had been laying in the walkway. It was a little dirty thing that looked hand stitched with a red shirt that covered most of its soft body, save for the arms and feet, and a dozen yellow pieces of yarn that were tied back with a string for hair.
Still kneeling, Obi-Wan looked up to see a young girl who could only have been four or five years of age standing a few feet in front of him with her hands at her side and a blank expression on her face as she looked at him. She had dirty blonde hair that feel to just below her ear lobes and light brown eyes. "Hey." Obi-Wan said in a soft voice, not wanting to scare the child. "Does this doll belong to you?" He asked holding the toy out.
The girl took a step forward with her hand stretched out, ready to take the doll from Obi-Wan's grasp but then she suddenly stopped and looked to her left. Obi-Wan looked at her confused and followed her gaze but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. "What is it?" Obi-Wan asked. Instead of answering him the girl ran off down the street and into and alleyway. "Hey wait!" Obi-Wan called after her as he got to his feet and ran down the direction she had gone.
When he entered the alley there was no sign of the girl. Obi-Wan stood in the middle of the alleyway for a few seconds thinking about the strange encounter before he turned to head back out onto the walkway. He stopped as he saw a homeless man sitting at the entrance of the alleyway. The man sat against the side of one of buildings. Even though he was hunched over to keep out the cold air he was still shivering. His eyes were squeezed shut and he didn't even seem to notice the young man in front of him.
Feeling pity for the man, Obi-Wan took of his cloak and draped it over him. It wasn't a big lose. Obi-Wan could always get another cloak and this guy looked as though he needed it much more. Leaving the alleyway Obi-Wan stepped back onto the walkway and made his way it up to Didi's Café.
Inside the café, Siri was seated on a stool at the bar with a drink in hand while talking with Astri who was standing on the other side. At the end of the bar area closest to the door was a cashier that Obi-Wan guessed Astri must have hired not too long ago since the padawan had never seen the person before. A few customers were seated at the tables eating, a man at one of the few tables that were in the middle of the café and a woman with her two young children occupied a table in the far corner. There were still a few hours till the noonday meal when business in the café really picked up.
Astri waved Obi-Wan over and went back to the kitchen to get the dish she wanted them to try. Obi-Wan walked over to the bar and took a seat next to Siri. He placed the rag doll that he still had in his position on the top of the bar. Siri looked at the toy for a second then looked up at Obi-Wan. "Are you playing with dolls now, Obi-Wan?"
"No I'm holding it for someone." Obi-Wan replied.
"Good. I was a little scared there for a minute." Siri said as she turned away and took a sip of her drink Astri came back out from the kitchen with two bowls in hand.
"Enjoy." She said as she placed the bowls in front of the two Jedi Padawans. A brownish lumpy stew filled the bowls. Obi-Wan and Siri picked up their spoons and taking up a spoonful took their first bites.
"It's good." Siri said as she took another spoonful. "What's it called?"
"Roadside stew." Astri explained. "It's from the planet Ossa. The inhabitants move around from place to place and this stew was created from what they found on their travels or as the name implies the side of the road."
Obi-Wan stopped mid bite and Siri gently pushed her bowl away. "I think I've had enough." She said.
"Oh No!" Astri said with a laugh. "It's not made like that anymore. That's how the recipe originated. Now a days they use the same types of herbs and spices but they don't use things from the side of the road." Satisfied with Astri's explanation the two Jedi returned to the meal.
Off to his side, Obi-Wan began to hear the voices of the cashier as she argued with a customer over their bill. When the young man looked in the direction of the voices he saw that it was the woman from the far corner who had been feeding her children. She held her son in her arms and a small girl held her hand at the side. Obi-Wan could just about hear the words that they spoke.
"I swear that I had enough when I came in here." The woman said as she furiously looked through the pockets of her tunic. "I must have dropped the credits somewhere."
"Ma'am if you can't pay for the food that you ate I'm afraid I'll have to call the security force." The employee said with little empathy.
Obi-Wan listened as the woman tried to reason with the cashier. The padawan reached into his pocket and took out a few extra credits that he had. He let the currency drop to the floor and then using the force he pushed the money a short distance from the woman. He then turned back towards his meal.
As the woman continued to argue she glanced over to her side and spotted the credits on the ground. She did a double take making sure that she wasn't imaging it and then looked around the café to see who might have dropped it as she walked over and scoped up the currency. "See I told you had enough." The woman said as she placed the money in the cashier's hand and walked out of the café with her children.
Obi-Wan looked over to the door as they left. The little girl that the woman was holding hand with turned her head and looked back at him. Obi-Wan was shocked to see that it was the same girl from the street!
As the small family walked out into the crowded walkways, Obi-Wan stood from his seat, grabbed the rag doll and ran out to catch up with them. "Wait! Excuse me!" He called out as he tried to maneuver through the throng of beings.
He was finally able to get by everyone and catch up to the woman and her children. He stopped right in front of them and kneeled down to look at the little girl. But to his dismay the child was not the girl that he had encountered in the streets and in fact looked nothing like her. This child had jet black hair that feel down to the middle of her back and she had blue eyes that at the moment were looking pretty frightened by the stranger who had suddenly jumped out in front of her. Obi-Wan stood up and stepped to the side. "I'm sorry I thought you were someone else." He apologized. The woman eyed Obi-Wan as she walked past him with her two children held closely to her side.
Obi-Wan walked back into the café and over to where Siri still was. "What was that about?" She asked.
"It was nothing." Obi-wan replied. "Just my mistake. Are you ready to head back to the temple?"
Siri nodded. "Yes. Thank you for the meal Astri it was wonderful." Astri thanked Siri for the compliment and said farewell to both of her friends as they left the café.
A short time later Obi-Wan and Siri had returned to the Jedi Temple and gone their separate ways. On his way back to his quarters that he shared with his master, Obi-Wan passed by the Healer's ward. As he drew closer he noticed that there was a considerable mount of activity happening at the moment. His curiosity getting the best of him, Obi-Wan walked into the waiting area of the healer's ward to see if he could find anyone to explain to him what was going on.
The waiting area was filled to its capacity with beings suffering from various injuries. A few Healers were also in the waiting room attending to the injured. The ones who were suffering from extreme injures were taken back to be cared for immediately while those who were fortunate enough to have injures less server were given basic first aid till those in critical condition could be stabilized.
Obi-Wan walked over to one of the Healers who was looking over a male Twi'lek who looked to have a broken arm and was holding his side which brought Obi-Wan to believe he might have a broken rib or two. "Excuse me can you tell me what happened?"
The healer glanced over to him before she turned her attention back to her patient and said, "There was a cloud car accident. Two cars collided then plummeted to the ground. There are many injured and the near by hospital could not take them all so they asked us to help." She began to help the Twi'lek man to his feet. "We could also use some help. Could you please take this man back to Healer Sessa and tell him that this Twi'lek is suffering from two broken ribs, a broken arm and a concussion." The healer instructed Obi-Wan who nodded as he placed the Twi'lek's good arm around his shoulder and led him to the back area.
Healer Sessa thanked Obi-Wan for his assistance when the padawan brought the injured Twi'lek to him. Before the young man left to go back out into the waiting area, Healer Sessa asked him if he could take a tray of medications to Healer Yeager who was a few rooms down from where he was. Obi-Wan accepted the task and took the tray that Healer Sessa had indicated.
He walked down the hall and was passed by other Healers and their apprentices who were in a rush to help all the injured that had come to them. As Obi-Wan came to the room that he was told Healer Yeager would be in he by chance glanced into the room across from it. He nearly dropped the tray he was holding when he saw that the little girl that he had met earlier in the day was laying in bed with life support machines attached to her.
Healer Yeager came out of the room she was in and thanked Obi-Wan as she took the tray from his hands. "What happened to her?" Obi-Wan muttered more to himself but the Healer beside him heard his question and answered.
"She was in the accident with the others. She's one of the most sever injured. Poor thing, the other healers don't believe she will live through the night." Healer Yeager began to head back into the room she had come out of but not before saying, "Such a shame. She's so young."
In a daze, Obi-Wan walked into the room and over to the small child's bedside. He looked over her small body that looked even smaller with all the machinery hooked up to her. He pushed back a stray lock of hair that was in front of her face and stroked her cheek with his thumb. "I don't know who you are or what you are for that matter but I have been in this place many a time and I know that even the smallest comfort can make it easier to be in this situation." He paused as he reached into his tunic pocket and pulled out the small rag doll. "I believe you lost this earlier today." He lifted her small hand that was lying against her chest and placed the doll under it. He then gently laid her hand over the doll and began towards the door.
As he left her side, tiny fingers curled around the doll just as the monitors from the life support machines began to make noise.
*~*~*
On the planet Alderaan, Maxima Ovid walked from the open market place holding two heavy bags of groceries. The middle aged woman sighed as she went over her mental checklist of what she still had to finish up before her children returned home from their play date with their neighbors children and her husband was done his work for the day. I still need to do the sheets, pick the rip vegetables from the garden and fix dinner.
As she walked she noticed a small rag doll lying in her path. She placed her bags down and picked up the small doll with a red shirt and yellow yarn hair. She stood and saw a young girl with dirty blonde hair and light brown eyes standing a few feet from her. She smiled at the little girl and held out the doll asking, "Is this doll yours, sweetie?"
~Maybe she's an angel sent here from heaven
and she's making certain that your doing your best
To take the time to help one another
Brother are you gonna pass that test~
~You can go on with your day-to-day,
trying to forget what you saw in her face.
Knowing deep down you could have been her saving grace
What if she's an angel? ~