A/N: On the bottom

Chapter Six:

All time had stopped.

Obi-Wan shut his mouth tightly, mind racing and heart thumping loudly in the silence. What have I said? He thought miserably, not daring to seek Qui-Gon's reaction. He could not bear to see the hurt or confusion on his face that he felt throbbing just as steadily over their bond. He only peeked in for a second before bolstering up his shields and hiding away his face.

He wanted to apologize. Oh, how he yearned to just as the words slipped from his mouth. The same impulsiveness was digging him a hole deeper and deeper every time he did it.

"What do you mean, Obi-Wan?" Obi-Wan nearly screamed. How could he be so calm and justifying when Obi-Wan had just blurted out everything.

What do I say? He thought miserably. Do I dare answer his question or blame it on the sickness? Do I need to keep locking myself up in this hole and repeating the same misfortunes over and over again, making Qui-Gon disappointed all the while, or do I need to reach out? Will he help me out?

"It was a mistake," He whispered, wishing the words were not rolling off his tongue. Qui-Gon opened his mouth but Obi-Wan quickly cut in. "Everything was a mistake."

"What was a mistake, Padawan?" He asked quietly, making Obi-Wan wince. Qui-Gon's brow knotted, thinking he had hurt him in someway. "Obi-Wan?"

"I don't know if I explained myself you would understand." Qui-Gon grasped one of his Padawan's cool hands and stared intensely into the closed eyes.

"Should I tell you what I know already, young one?" He asked gently and was surprised to see Obi-Wan nod slowly.

"Yes," His voice was a mere whisper, knowing it would crack with emotion if he allowed it to rise any higher.

Qui-Gon took a moment of silence to steady himself, allowing his emotions to flow over their bond easily. If Obi-Wan would not believe him from listening, then he would believe him from feeling.

"I know that you think I don't trust you. No, Obi-Wan let me finish." Qui-Gon placed a gentle hand on the boy's forehead and he nodded in compliance. "I know," He continued. "That you thought this entire mission was a failure because of what has happened to you, and because of this, you think you've failed me in a way."

"No, don't you see," Obi-Wan said, the ferocity in his voice stopping Qui-Gon dead. "It was a mistake. My mistake alone."

"I can't allow you to believe that, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon interrupted gently. "It was my duty as a Master to know that you were sick. I should have been more perceptive and listened to what my instincts were telling me, but I did not and for that, I am very sorry, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan was silent, blue eyes pulling themselves inwards to some cold pain. Qui-Gon could feel the agony ripping through him, like a viro-blade twisting his heart into nothing more than a puddle of former self. He wanted to help. He wanted to reach out and draw this blade out of his Padawan's heart but unless Obi-Wan explained to him what was wrong--what was really wrong other than what he already knew, he could not see a way out of this constantly pattern of trepidation and tears.

"What is it, Obi-Wan?" He reached out to place a hand on the quivering shoulder but the youth dodged aside. "Obi-Wan?"

"No," He said strongly, turning his stormy blue eyes from his blanket. "I need you to listen, Master. Just to listen."

There was a prolonged silence; each of them staring with a measured intensity. Obi-Wan's eyes were filled with a silent desperation, prodding Qui-Gon's own that were glazed with regret.

"Of course," he said quietly, sitting back slowly so that Obi-Wan could right himself. The Padawan did it with tedious movements, as if all strength was purged from his limbs and was making one final attempt at regaining some ground. Qui-Gon reached out to show him that he did not need to worry, but the shields were still bolstered up tightly. No specific emotion shone through except that of vague desperation.

How could he have not seen this earlier? He was neglecting this young boy just as he had done before. What was wrong with him that he couldn't see the obvious right in front of his eyes or shouted--or lack of--into his ears. The signs were all around him but for some reason, he had chosen to remember oblivious of them.

Chosen? No, not this time, he countered. He did not choose to ignore Obi-Wan or even think of the possibility. This time he was not waiting to be betrayed or hurt. This time he had been caught up in a

Obi-Wan pulled in a deep breath, closing his eyes for a second to pull himself together. The scars of tears still burned the pale skin, making his already young face look even younger.

"Master," his voice cracked. Hurriedly he cleared it before Qui-Gon could say anything. "Some time has passed since Melida/Daan and I don't think I have been…honest with you about it. There are some things I have left unsaid to you that I think it would be best that you hear and I say."

"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon could not help but interrupt. "There is no reason to be formal with me. What ever you want to say, I will listen."

Obi-Wan's heart tightened as he heard the caring tone in Qui-Gon's voice. The man was too good to him. He did not deserve such a caring master.

"Yes, Master. I'm sorry—"

"Obi-Wan, please, don't feel that you have to apologize. I am not here to judge you. I am here as your friend and mentor, ready to listen to anything you want to say." He gave Obi-Wan a stare that turned his own stomach—not from the look but from what that stare saw. "Do I not have your confidences?"

Obi-Wan began to shake his head but Qui-Gon raised a hand.

"You do not need to hide the truth," He said gently and he watched as the boy's face fell into shame.

"I don't mean to," He murmured, turning his shameful eyes away to his tightly clasped hands. They were beginning to turn white from his thudding anxiety. His voice was a mere whisper when he spoke again; "I am afraid of what you would say."

"Is this why you didn't tell me that you weren't feeling well? Did you think I would be ashamed of you and send you back to the Temple? Were you ashamed that you were not strong enough to fight this to be the perfect padawan that you think I want you to be?"

Obi-Wan could do nothing more than nod. Fresh tears begun to press against his eyes, so hard that he had to close them shut to stop them from falling. I've disappointed him, he lamented. A blind man could see the displeasure in his voice.

For what seemed like eternities, silence soaked the room. Obi-Wan's tears leaked through their barriers and came as fresh wounds on the marks from before. He dared not open his eyes though, in fear of what Qui-Gon looked like. He lightly peaked in at their bond but Qui-Gon was keeping his thoughts shut to himself. Trepidation twisted his stomach in a knot.

He longed, oh how he longed to take back his words, to take back everything that had happened. He yearned to go back to that fateful day when he stood beside Qui-Gon on Melida/Daan. He was no longer a Jedi but ready to return to a captive Temple and beg them to take him back.

He could have stayed on Melida/Daan. He could have helped Nield rebuild the planet he fought so hard to win peace over. It would have been easy to stay, but, for reasons unknown, it did not feel right. Qui-Gon had known it was not the life he was destined to have and that was why he took him back to the Temple and finally back as an apprentice.

If it was his destiny, why could he not claim it? Why did he feel such a need to strive for placement?

/It is the way I've made you feel. / Obi-Wan started at the sad voice in his head. /It is how you were raised and what you have been trained to do. Our purpose is to serve and nothing else. / Qui-Gon sighed aloud and placed a hand on Obi-Wan's.

"But it's not your duty to me. Obi-Wan, please open your eyes."

The countenance that he saw shocked him though. Instead of wrinkles of agitation and anger, there was only a clear gaze of pain. Shadows flocked behind the green eyes, growing darker as he looked into them. The haggard face was not like the strong one he had been so accustomed to seeing. This one was open, personal and honest.

"I need you to understand something for me, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon's voice flitted with pain. "If you cannot understand that I trust you I need you to believe this."

He pulled Obi-Wan's hands apart and held them tightly between his own, locking his gaze with Obi-Wan's shaky one.

"You are the most important thing to me Obi-Wan. If I had not met you those few years ago, I do not know if I would be here today. I was spent, Obi-Wan, when we met; ready to throw my life away to the only one that I knew how to do. Xanatos' betrayal hurt so much back then, it consumed me. Yet, I was lucky that day when our paths met." He smiled sadly as Obi-Wan's eyes filled with tears again. "Yes, I know, Jedi do not believe in luck but it must have been the will of the Force that brought us together on Bandomeer."

"Even when you left, Obi-Wan, I did not forget you. I could not forget you, for you had taught me so much. It was not that I was forever cursed and no one would accept me as a Master again. You had showed me, through your strength, that I could be as strong as you could. You taught me how to be human again, how to teach, how to love again." He paused for now Obi-Wan was nearly sobbing. "Which is what I want you to know, Padawan. My Padawan is that I love you. You are the son I never had."

With a sudden force, Obi-Wan threw himself into Qui-Gon's arms. "I know, Master," he sobbed. "I've just been to blind to it all. I love you too. I love you too."

Qui-Gon wrapped his arms around the quivering figure, surprised but unashamed to feel wetness sliding down his own cheeks. It was then that he felt Obi-Wan open up; their bond throbbing with a torrent of emotions. It was nearly overwhelming, yet most of the pent up emotions disappeared as soon as Obi-Wan let them go. Relief and love pushed them out like an embedded splinter. He saw the struggle, the worry, the doubt, the pain Obi-Wan had gone through in the past months, feeling as much relief as Obi-Wan as they were eradicated.

"Master?" Obi-Wan's muffled voice sounded below his chin.

He pulled away gently to stare into the cerulean eyes, now clear of any pain; like a rainstorm during the night hours, when finally brushed aside by some stray wind, a pallet of clear, sparkling stars would shine against a black drop back. It was a look Qui-Gon had not seen in the boy's eyes...ever for that matter. There were no feelings of worry or anxiety or self-rebuke. It was the clear, innocent boy that finally brought himself out of his hole of desperation to meet him.

"Yes, my Padawan."

"Thank you," He spoke louder as the feelings mounted. "Thank you for everything."

"No, young one, thank you for everything."

There was a moment of silence before Obi-Wan whispered, more to himself than Qui-Gon. "Things will all right now, won't they?"

Their eyes locked together. Qui-Gon pressed his forehead to the boy's and spoke;

"As long as you are by my side, I will be. I will be."

And, for the first time, they both believed it was true.

(The End)

A/N: I am so, so, so terribly sorry this was a month—no, nearly two months delayed. Real life was just in havoc and NaNoWriMo was my primary objective last month. I won, though. 50,000 words in one month was the competition and I did it. Hooray:)

Thank you everyone so much for your wonderful, wonderful reviews and support. I could not have finished without many of you. Your comments gave me the incentive I needed to actually finish something:)

I know there's this 'Review Reply' now but I would rather place the responses on the bottom as usual.

I'm going to have a sort epilogue soon for when Obi-Wan opens the present from the little boy. So one more chapter to come yet! (and this time it won't be 3 months away!)

Thank you all again and May the Force Be With You!

Kind Regards,

K.Elessar

ultimateSUfan: Just one more chapter! I don't want to spoil you too much. :) Thank you for you comment, it got me motivated!

Masterarcher: Hurrying as fast as I can, I am! Hee hee. Sorry this was so delayed. I'm glad your patience lasted this time! ;) Thanks for the review so much!

Out Of Phase: Glad you loved the little boy. He was actually very fun to write about. Very cute. Thanks!

The Dancing Cavalier: Thanks! It doesn't come easily to me to keep the characters in character but I'm glad you think I'm doing a good job. Thank you very, very much!

Nelarun: Hee hee, "midget." Well you'll just be my little friend still. :) Thanks for reviewing this chapter! Hope you liked this one, and just one more to go!

SFGrl: We're so very close to finishing it's almost….unbearable. :) Thanks for the motivation!

Laura of Maychoria: I loved writing about the little boy too! I hope I clarified the last line! Thank you!

Siarah: Thank you, thank you! Hope you enjoyed this one as well!

Mikayla: Thank you for begging! It really got me motivated again, so thank you very much! I hope his fulfilled your begging needs!

Wyndmir: I feel honored when anyone puts me on their update. So thank you very much!

i luv ewansmile: Obi-Wan really needs to stop being so hard on himself, I agree. Hopefully this chapter worked out everything. :) Thanks for the comment!

RavennBeastboy: Updated! Thanks a bunch!

Alone Dreaming: Here is your ending (well perhaps not thefinal ending but close)! The real ending will be up soon! No worries!