All right, this was originally meant to be a one shot fic but so many, including one very good friend, asked for a sequel… So here it is. Only it ends much like the first time, with no real closure, so therefore I have to right about one or two more chapters to close things up. Be patient. And I noticed something – this was the first Luminara/Obi-Wan fic on FF.net. I'm so special.

Disclaimer: Jedi, Obi-Wan, Luminara and so forth all belong to Lucas. Which is good because me with a lightsaber would be a bad thing.

A/N 2: If you have read my friend Ender's fic Forbidden, you may notice the two seem a bit alike. No, neither copied off the other, we just supported each other's ideas and tossed them back and forth. So please, no arguments or accusations.

For as Long as I Can

Part 2

Spazoid

He was a very understanding person; he had to be, considering who his former master had been. But now, Obi-Wan Kenobi had been pushed past to his limits.

          He had sat alone, high in a meditation tower overlooking Coruscant, since the previous evening; now it was near dawn. His piercing blue eyes finally opened as he gave a quiet sigh, watching the shimmering vessels cross the trafficked sky, tinted by the sun peeking over the rim of the giant city.

          He unfurled his legs, rubbing out the slight cramps from sitting so long. His brown robe pooled around him and he placed his hands in the sleeves to ward off the slight chill. His usually calm thoughts were in turmoil, replaying one scene in his mind over and over again.

+~+

          "Anakin, could I please speak to you?" His voice was low, barely concealing the worry and anger he felt.

          Obi-Wan watched his apprentice turn towards him, puzzlement in his youthful features, before he stood and walked over to stand in front of his master. "Yes Master?"

          "I was speaking to Captain Typho earlier…" Obi-Wan started slowly, watching his apprentice's face.

          "Yes…?" Anakin asked uncertainly, obviously not knowing where this was going.

          "He was with Threepio when the droid mentioned something to him. Something you neglected to tell me."

          Anakin's face paled and the Jedi Master knew he had caught on. "And what would that be Master?" The boy answered faintly.

          Hurt flashed through Obi-Wan, a now familiar feeling. "Padawan, is it not bad enough that you disobeyed the code and married but that you also have to lie to me as well?"

          Anger replaced the fear in Anakin's eyes so quickly it startled Obi-Wan. "You wouldn't understand! No one does!"

          As the boy began to yell, Obi-Wan felt his careful control slipping. "Anakin Skywalker, you are still my apprentice and you will not raise your voice to me, you—"

          "Stop it! It's always with the rules! You don't know what I can do because your always holding me back!"

          "I hold you back because you are too reckless! Too arrogant in your own abilities!" Obi-Wan yelled back, his own anger threatening to consume him. "You think you know everything when you know nothing because you refuse to listen!"

          "No, you don't listen." The boy reversed, his voice becoming deadly calm. "You didn't listen to me- my dreams- and now my mother is dead. Maybe if you had listened to your inner instinct, you wouldn't have lost Qui-Gon."

          Bitter words. Obi-Wan felt himself reeling, stung more than the irate padawan would ever know. He swallowed past the large lump that had suddenly appeared in his throat. "You... will remain in this room. I will know if you leave, don't even try it. I want you to think about your words and your actions. I will speak to the Council about this later."

          With a heart heavy and the Force eluding him, he left the room, hurrying to be alone, where he could hide the tears forming.

+~+

          Obi-Wan felt the bitter taste of bile rise in his throat once again. He had handled the situation horribly; he should not have lost his temper. Confronting Anakin had been the wrong strategy. He buried his head in his hands, trying to rub away the migraine forming.

          Qui-Gon would have known what to do.

          It made his heart ache but nothing could mar the truth. He had done everything he could to live up to his Master's standards but he wasn't even half as good as him.

          Ten years of pent up grief, pushed aside for others, welled up inside and threatened to spill over before the stoic Jedi Master pushed it back, like so many times before. His eyes slid back to the Coruscant skies, alight with even more ships now.

          "Obi-Wan, I've been looking all over for you."

          Obi-Wan turned at Luminara Unduli's exasperated voice, smiling faintly in the olive colored woman's direction. "I apologize, Luminara; I needed to think some things over."

          She tilted her head, looking at him with vividly blue eyes, seeming to know something more. "Okay, Obi-Wan, spill it."

          Her orders surprised him, and he could not help but smile a little wider. "What? Excuse me? When did you start ordering me around?"

          She came down and sat beside him, blue robes billowing. She turned to him and ran a delicate finger along his cheek. "When I realized you had lost your way and needed someone to lead you back."

          Obi-Wan felt his throat constrict; he wanted to so badly to tell her what was wrong, but was afraid of reminding her of her own deceased Padawan.

          Luminara felt his turmoil through the bond they had formed accidentally only a few days before and cupped his face in her hands. "Obi-Wan, tell me. Please don't leave me worrying."

          The bearded Master gave up. "It's Anakin," he admitted. "While on Naboo… he… I don't believe him… he married the Senator, Padme Amidala. I knew he cared for her but to go so far…" he trailed off. His expression darkened. "I went so wrong… Qui-Gon would be sorely disappointed that his training was put to waste on me…"" The bitter taste was back in his mouth.

          Luminara just wrapped her arms around his and brought him closer, silently reveling in the touch of his body to hers. "Hush, Obi-Wan. You did all you could… not all- not even those destined to be the chosen one- can become a knight…"

          He struggled through the words, throat clenching. "But… I failed Qui-Gon…" Therein lied all his problems. Years after he had become a knight, he still feared failing his Master.

          Luminara recognized the problem immediately. She began rocking him gently back and forth, whispering comfortingly. " No Obi-Wan, you didn't fail him. He would have been very proud of you. Very, very proud…"

          The wall was crumbling; the invisible wall that had held all his turmoil was coming down. It broke and tears slid down his face in salty rivers as he cried into Luminara's cloak, the way she had down mere days before. And like he had to her, Luminara just held on till the crying subsided.

          Obi-Wan felt Luminara tilt his chin up gently and kiss him softly. His arms wrapped themselves around her and pulled her close as he kissed her a little deeper. Heat flooded his body, pleasurable warmth he didn't want to loose.

          "You hypocrite." The voice made Obi-Wan tear away from Luminara and looked wide-eyed at a livid Anakin. "You tell me- and then you-" the enraged Padawan couldn't even form sentences. He gave his master one last hateful glare and left before Obi-Wan could utter a single sound.

          Obi-Wan went to rise but felt Luminara hold him back. "No, Obi-Wan. It will only end in a shouting match, you know that."

          It was true. So he settled back and waited, mulling over his padawan's words for a moment before dismissing them. He would have to wait with Luminara.

          And that was enough.