CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The night before the mission, Qui-Gon had allowed his apprentice and Anja to bed in the same room. Ianol had discussed her worry about her Padawan with her fellow Master and decided that she needed comfort before the long journey. From Anja's outburst in the Council room, they were all a little uneasy about the mission they were to take the next morning. But they parted to their rooms to try and get some rest before the stress of the following sunrise. Obi-Wan laid by Anja's side on the sleep couch, sound asleep at the moment with his arm flung over between the valley that her breasts and belly made. She sighed and stroked her pregnant abdomen with her hands as she stared up at the ceiling. Her mind reeled quietly with the education she had received on dealing with a matter such as the one on Layiunne. She hoped that the whole ordeal would be over in a matter of weeks. The baby inside her was at unrest with his mother's worries and stress. She felt him trying to move and squirming around, little by little. Sighing, she stroked her tummy comfortingly hoping that she could quiet the little one while her own body tried to rest. But to her dismay he would not. She sat up slightly and felt Obi-Wan stir beside her and then roll over onto his other side to continue sleeping. Rising slowly with a soft smile to Obi-Wan, she pulled herself up off the bed to wander and walk around the room. She steadied herself by holding her back and resting a hand against the soft ridge that contained her child. She quietly opened the door to the secluded balcony and stepped outside for some fresh night air to cool her down. Leaving the door cracked open slightly behind her she leaned her side against the wall and hugged her belly gently as she looked out into the lights of Courscant around her. The wind whipped gently at her light brown hair as she stood in the quiet surroundings to calm her and her child's mind. Her eyelids blinked slow and soft as the gray pools reflected the city lights. A sigh escaped her throat as her fingertips stroked the growing belly from behind her tunic. She smiled softly as she felt her son kick in response for the first time. Suddenly, warm arms encompassed her tightly and soft lips blew against her hair, kissing their way sleepily down her neck. "Are you alright, Anja.?" Obi-Wan's lips whispered into her ear as he kissed it, his fingers running against the backs of her hands as he held her tight. "It's your son that's keeping me up." She toyed with him, keeping the mood light in the anxiousness for their mission tomorrow. His handsome chuckle infiltrated her ears. "Hey.don't blame it all on me. You helped too you know." Anja smiled and let her one hand move back to snake around his neck. Her fingers twined softly through his strawberry brown hair while she leaned against his chest with a soft sigh. They stood for a long moment, just in silence, basking in the contentment of being there in each others' arms. Suddenly, Anja jumped with a soft cry in surprise as the baby sent a swift kick against her ribs. Obi-Wan looked down at her from behind her shoulder with intense worry. She laughed breathlessly and glanced up at him quickly. "Obi-Wan.feel this." She smiled as she took her hand in his and pressed his palm against the top ridge of her belly. From the pressure of his hand, their son kicked against it and he felt the movement against his palm. "The." "Baby is kicking." he finished her sentence and smiled warmly. He kissed her forehead and gently pressed again to be followed by another sharp kick. Their son kicked a few more times before Anja laughed. "Let him and I rest! He's the one bruising my insides because you keep doing that." Obi-Wan laughed sheepishly and let his hand drift to rest over her other hand lower on her belly. "Sorry ." He said softly as he brushed a kiss against her cheek. After a long moment he yawned and then hugged her. "Its late, Anja. Both of us need to go to bed to rest for tomorrow." His arms gently turned her around and he kissed her lips tenderly. "Let me help you, Love." Smiling he bent down and picked her up into his arms, cradling her in between both of his arms as he took her inside. She laid back onto the bed with a sigh and a soft smile up at her Obi-Wan. He pulled off his tunic, leaving only his sleep pants and snuggled in beside her. His body moved so his cheek rested against the side of her belly, listening to the baby's heartbeat contently as his arms encircled her in a gentle hug. Anja's hands gently reached down to cradle his head and rest against his shoulder blade as they slowly fell asleep.
The night before the mission, Qui-Gon had allowed his apprentice and Anja to bed in the same room. Ianol had discussed her worry about her Padawan with her fellow Master and decided that she needed comfort before the long journey. From Anja's outburst in the Council room, they were all a little uneasy about the mission they were to take the next morning. But they parted to their rooms to try and get some rest before the stress of the following sunrise. Obi-Wan laid by Anja's side on the sleep couch, sound asleep at the moment with his arm flung over between the valley that her breasts and belly made. She sighed and stroked her pregnant abdomen with her hands as she stared up at the ceiling. Her mind reeled quietly with the education she had received on dealing with a matter such as the one on Layiunne. She hoped that the whole ordeal would be over in a matter of weeks. The baby inside her was at unrest with his mother's worries and stress. She felt him trying to move and squirming around, little by little. Sighing, she stroked her tummy comfortingly hoping that she could quiet the little one while her own body tried to rest. But to her dismay he would not. She sat up slightly and felt Obi-Wan stir beside her and then roll over onto his other side to continue sleeping. Rising slowly with a soft smile to Obi-Wan, she pulled herself up off the bed to wander and walk around the room. She steadied herself by holding her back and resting a hand against the soft ridge that contained her child. She quietly opened the door to the secluded balcony and stepped outside for some fresh night air to cool her down. Leaving the door cracked open slightly behind her she leaned her side against the wall and hugged her belly gently as she looked out into the lights of Courscant around her. The wind whipped gently at her light brown hair as she stood in the quiet surroundings to calm her and her child's mind. Her eyelids blinked slow and soft as the gray pools reflected the city lights. A sigh escaped her throat as her fingertips stroked the growing belly from behind her tunic. She smiled softly as she felt her son kick in response for the first time. Suddenly, warm arms encompassed her tightly and soft lips blew against her hair, kissing their way sleepily down her neck. "Are you alright, Anja.?" Obi-Wan's lips whispered into her ear as he kissed it, his fingers running against the backs of her hands as he held her tight. "It's your son that's keeping me up." She toyed with him, keeping the mood light in the anxiousness for their mission tomorrow. His handsome chuckle infiltrated her ears. "Hey.don't blame it all on me. You helped too you know." Anja smiled and let her one hand move back to snake around his neck. Her fingers twined softly through his strawberry brown hair while she leaned against his chest with a soft sigh. They stood for a long moment, just in silence, basking in the contentment of being there in each others' arms. Suddenly, Anja jumped with a soft cry in surprise as the baby sent a swift kick against her ribs. Obi-Wan looked down at her from behind her shoulder with intense worry. She laughed breathlessly and glanced up at him quickly. "Obi-Wan.feel this." She smiled as she took her hand in his and pressed his palm against the top ridge of her belly. From the pressure of his hand, their son kicked against it and he felt the movement against his palm. "The." "Baby is kicking." he finished her sentence and smiled warmly. He kissed her forehead and gently pressed again to be followed by another sharp kick. Their son kicked a few more times before Anja laughed. "Let him and I rest! He's the one bruising my insides because you keep doing that." Obi-Wan laughed sheepishly and let his hand drift to rest over her other hand lower on her belly. "Sorry ." He said softly as he brushed a kiss against her cheek. After a long moment he yawned and then hugged her. "Its late, Anja. Both of us need to go to bed to rest for tomorrow." His arms gently turned her around and he kissed her lips tenderly. "Let me help you, Love." Smiling he bent down and picked her up into his arms, cradling her in between both of his arms as he took her inside. She laid back onto the bed with a sigh and a soft smile up at her Obi-Wan. He pulled off his tunic, leaving only his sleep pants and snuggled in beside her. His body moved so his cheek rested against the side of her belly, listening to the baby's heartbeat contently as his arms encircled her in a gentle hug. Anja's hands gently reached down to cradle his head and rest against his shoulder blade as they slowly fell asleep.
