Obi-Wan was sleeping when he felt it, and quite frankly, who wouldn't feel it? It's a huge warning in the Force, feels like declaring the deaths of millions of stars, feels like the call before galaxies collide and everything is no more.

Obi-Wan Kenobi has a strong connection to the Unifying Force. He always had weird dreams, sometimes visions, and perhaps, some of them are just warnings or things that cannot be explained, sometimes, he saw things that shouldn't exist, things so disturbing he wouldn't want to sleep for nights afterwards. But tonight wasn't one of them, and the Force didn't grant him any vision.

Tonight, the Force spoke to him.

Anakin had told him before several times that he could hear the Force speak to him. Sometimes whisper.. sometimes scream.. sometimes even laugh and cry...

At first, Obi-Wan was deeply unsettled by the knowledge, but then learnt to accept it as it is part of Anakin, child of the Force, the Chosen One.

The Force's voice is like nothing he expected it to be. It wasn't warm or kind, it didn't speak in a measured tone, and it certainly didn't sound like someone was speaking into his mind.

It felt like someone was speaking from inside his mind. It felt like a voice that's coming from the very walls of his brain, a voice he couldn't block out because the voice isn't outside his shields, no, it's right there, behind his shields and settled comfortably in his mind. There was no Force presence either, quite ironic huh?

The Force's voice is scratchy and low, almost menacing, like someone who is in great pain. Obi-Wan could feel great grief coming off of it in waves. What made it so unbalanced?

Roof... Go to the roof... Child is there...

Child? What child would be there? Who in the galaxy will allow a child to leave to the roof?

No time... Go... Go... NOW!

The command came with a very cold Force assault, making Obi-Wan hiss in pain. Quickly, Obi-Wan dressed into his night robe and ran to get to the roof of the Temple as fast as his feet could carry him. If he wasn't in such a hurry and if his brain wasn't being violated with attacks of pain, grief and sadness, he would've wondered about Anakin, he would've even noticed the rest of the Jedi move to investigate what caused the Force so much disturbance.

Hurry... No time... Child is almost finished...

Obi-Wan has absolutely no idea what the Force means or what it speaks of, but the words themselves make his body tingle with shivers. He forced his legs to run faster, pushed past the limits of his body.

Obi-Wan reached the roof of the Jedi Temple, preparing to see a child. Probably a youngling who snuck off and decided to explore, probably a youngling who got lost, or perhaps a youngling who was sleep walking.

He didn't expect to see-

"Anakin.", Obi-Wan whispered, voice choked.

Oh Anakin.

His sixteen years old Padawan was standing on the very edge of the roof, his heels on the edge and the rest of his left dangling.

One misstep, and all of it will be over.

"Anakin", Obi-Wan whispered again, very quietly and very cautiously, not daring to speak louder in fear of startling the boy. "Anakin, what are you doing?", his entire body shook with fear.

Anakin didn't answer. Obi-Wan couldn't feel him in the Force or see his face, and oh Force does that hurt. What is Anakin doing here? Why is he here? They- Anakin went to bed happy and laughing, they had dinner at Dex's and then Anakin gave him a long hug and told him he loves him, told him he's like the father he never had.

'He was saying goodbye', a low, barely there voice said in his head. 'He was saying goodbye, you fool, you didn't even tell him you love him.'

"Anakin? Dear one, please.", Obi-Wan begged. Begged like he never begged for Qui-Gon or Cerasi. Begged the Force to not be so cruel to allow him to be here but not being able to stop Anakin. Begged Anakin to speak.

This quiet, timid boy on the roof isn't his Padawan. His Padawan is bright and loud, his Padawan is a burning sun, a whole supernova in the Force, a never perishing fire. This isn't his Padawan.

Finally, Anakin spoke.

"I'm relieving you of the pain, Master", Anakin said, his voice void of emotion and lacking passion and so very wrong. "You will be fine. I was a lousy Padawan, you'll get a better one."

Was.

Anakin is already speaking of himself in past tense.

"Whoever told you that, dearest?", Obi-Wan's voice shook, like the rest of his body. "Whoever told you you're anything but an amazing and exceptional Padawan?", Obi-Wan tentatively took another step forwards.

Anakin was only 6 feet away, but he never felt so far away.

"Other Padawan. Knights. Masters.", Anakin shrugged, the movement making his body sway forwards and Obi-Wan's heart dropped, cold fear gripping him. "You deserve better, Master, you don't deserve a slave."

Obi-Wan never hated the title coming from Anakin's mouth than at this moment.

"You're free Anakin. You have been free for years. Seven years. I promise you. I promise to speak to the Council about the behaviour of the rest of the Jedi, Padawan, just please, don't do it."

Anakin didn't respond.

"I love you, Obi-Wan", Anakin said in that dreadful, emotionless tone. "You are my father, and my best friend. You are a great Jedi Master, you will be fine."

I won't be fine! Obi-Wan wanted to scream. I won't be fine! I love you and you're throwing your life away like that?!

"Pada-"

But Obi-Wan didn't get to continue, because Anakin jumped.

Obi-Wan only registered the sounds of steps finally arriving at the roof, the collected gasps.

He jumped after Anakin.

He heard screams and yells behind him, but didn't pay them any mind.

He focused on Anakin, who was falling too quickly, too fast.

Anakin who had his eyes closed and looked more peaceful than ever.

Obi-Wan could see the boy who snuck into his bedroom during their first year together and slept on his floor. The boy who learned how to make tea to cheer up Obi-Wan because Obi-Wan was grieving and couldn't get out of bed. The boy who smiled and gave him lectures about the freewill of droids. The boy he taught how to read and write.

The boy he raised, trained and fathered.

Using the Force, Obi-Wan pulled Anakin towards him, clinging to him and holding on for dear life. Anakin made an oof as he collided with Obi-Wan, unconsciously gripping his night shirt tightly.

Obi-Wan used the Force to slow their fall, at least tried to. If he dies, he dies with Anakin, he won't live without his Padawan, he cannot. But suddenly both of them were hovering into the air, Obi-Wan looked around to see who had stopped them from smashing into the ground, still clinging to Anakin.

Mace Windu stood with a hand outstretched, his expression grim, but Obi-Wan never felt happier to see the Jedi Master. Mace gently lowered them to the landing platform he's standing on, Obi-Wan still didn't let go of Anakin.

He heard screams and yells around him, the Force from everyone else felt grim and bothered, but the Force itself rang with relief. Later, Obi-Wan would be thinking about how the Force called Anakin it's child.

But now, Anakin is his child.

"-Wan! Obi-Wan! He's safe! He's alright! Breathe!", Obi-Wan looked up to see Quinlan standing over him, yelling, the words why are you yelling sounded on his lips, and he wanted to say it-

But-

He's shaking.

He's crying.

No. He's sobbing, gripping Anakin tightly and sobbing, rocking back and forth, muttering the words 'He's dead! He fell! I saw him fall!' into Anakin's hair. He's half hysterical, holding Anakin's body tightly to his chest, refusing to let him go.

He felt a soothing, caring presence in his mind. A familiar one. One he had gotten so used to, one he couldn't live without, one he had become attached to.

Anakin.

This only made him sob harder, his grip on Anakin so tight to the point his hands shook and his knuckles turned white, to the point he can hear his bones moving and shuddering. Anakin. Anakin fell. No. Anakin jumped.

Anakin left Obi-Wan.

"Obi-Wan", he heard his Padawan's quiet voice. Obi-Wan, still sobbing half hysterically, looked at Anakin through his blurred vision, seeing his eyes wide and alive. His child is alive. "Master, I'm here. I'm alive. I'm so sorry, I didn't want to leave you, you deserve better than me."

"N-never", Obi-Wan sniffed, calming a little at the sound of Anakin's voice. He heard Quinlan behind him sigh in relief. "N-never, little on-one, never- I love you. I love you. I love you. You're my child. I raised you. Don't leave. I love you. Don't leave."

He kept on repeating the new mantra, rocking back and forth. Anakin lifted a hand to wipe at his tears, let it linger on his cheek.

"I'm not leaving, Master", Anakin said tightly. "I'm here, I'm fine. I'm- Force, I'm not dead! Feel it!", Anakin guided Obi-Wan's hand to his chest, where his heart thumped loudly. Obi-Wan stopped sobbing, tears still ran down his face, his focus on the feel of Anakin's heartbeats under his hand.

"I'm alive, Obi-Wan.", Anakin said softly, eyes shinning with tears. Obi-Wan's own teary eyes found his Padawan's, and he immediately pulled the boy into his chest once more, planting kisses on his head.

"Thank the Force. Anakin, you're alive! You're alive, Padawan! Y-You're going to be alright. I promise. I will do my best when it comes to you. I love you, Padawan, please, please don't leave."

"I love you too.", Anakin's muffled voice came from his chest, where his head is squished in Obi-Wan's tunics.

Obi-Wan breathed in the smell of his Padawan's hair, still rocking back and forth, still kissing his head, still crying. He heard whispers behind him, but he couldn't find it in himself to care enough to listen.

Anakin is safe. And that's all that matters.