Disclaimer: You know the drill. They're George's, except Anya. Enjoy!
Obi-Wan was sitting by Anya's bedside, watching her rest. It had been a couple of days since they'd shared that first kiss, and now he'd begun to feel guilty about it, for two reasons. One, she'd been hot with fever from the Sith lightning at the time. He feared he'd taken advantage of her in her weakened state. And two, she was so young. She's only twenty-two, he reminded himself. She needs someone closer to her age, not an old fool like me.
"You're hardly an old fool, my master," Anakin said softly, coming into the healing room. "Has her fever broken?"
"It broke yesterday. All we have to worry about now is keeping her comfortable and helping her get her strength back. If you could stay with her for a few minutes, I'll go and get some broth for her."
Anakin nodded, and Obi-Wan hurried to the meal hall of the temple. As he prepared the broth, his mind began to wander to when the bond between them had begun to be forged…
Seventeen-year-old Obi-Wan Kenobi was spending assigned time in the Creche when the new arrival came. All the other Crechlings were sleeping so he'd just been sitting and waiting for one to wake up. The Creche mistress beckoned him over.
"Padawan Kenobi, this is Anya Wynn. She's three months old." She smiled at the young Padawan. "Would you like to hold her?"
He smiled hesitantly. Glynn, the Creche mistress, smiled. "Don't worry; she has a cheerful disposition and enjoys anyone who gives her attention."
Obi-Wan felt the infant being placed in his arms. The baby whimpered a little, but the whimper turned into a yawn and her eyes fluttered. She contentedly looped her hand around his Padawan braid.
He sat down in the rocking chair with her in his arms. "You like that, huh?" He used his free hand to tickle her nose with his braid. Baby Anya sniffled and gurgled contentedly.
He filled a bowl with broth, grabbed a bottle of juice, putting both on a tray, and took it back to the healing room. Anakin stood up, seeing his former master. "She's still sleeping, Obi-Wan. Want me to wake her up?"
"No, I can do that. Go on back to Padme. You've helped me enough these past couple of days, and I'm sure your wife must be frantic. That can't be good for the babies."
"Babies?" Anakin asked dumbly.
"Anakin, honestly, I thought you would've figured it out by now. Are you sure you're Force-sensitive?" the Jedi Master teased. "She's carrying twins."
The younger Jedi began to laugh. "Love has made you positively giddy. I guess I've been so busy lately that I haven't paid much attention to the vibes the Force was sending me about my wife. Let me know if you need anything; if anyone needs to reach me, I'll be at Padme's." He grinned and walked out of the healing room, leaving Obi-Wan and the sleeping girl alone.
Obi-Wan placed a hand on Anya's shoulder, giving her a gentle shake. "Wake up, Anya. I've brought some broth for you."
As she began to stir, he remembered the first time he'd fed her in the Creche…
He was holding three and a half month old Anya in his arms as he gave her a bottle filled with formula. If only they had her mother's breast milk, but even if the Code weren't an issue, Anya's mother had died giving birth to her. When the Creche mistress had told him about that, his heart had broken on the baby's behalf.
He looked down at her as she drank from the bottle. He chuckled as she cooed and gurgled. "You're a noisy eater," he teased with a grin. She drank her fill, and then pushed the nipple out of her mouth. He then placed her against his shoulder and began to pat her tiny back to coax a burp out of her. His efforts bore fruit and she let out a loud burp.
Anya woke up and with much effort, and help from Obi-Wan, she was able to pull herself into a sitting position. She tried to reach for a spoonful of broth, but discovered she was still very weak. "It's all right, Anya," he said soothingly, giving her a spoonful of broth. "I'll help you."
She smiled as she ate. "Thank you, Obi-Wan," she whispered. She managed to finish the bowl and then went back to sleep, leaving Obi-Wan to his memories…
He saw her at Qui-Gon's funeral pyre, but he'd just been entrusted to take on Anakin as a Padawan learner, so he didn't get a chance to talk with her. The nine-year-old girl stayed close to Master Yoda, but their eyes met at one point. He could see the sympathy and compassion in their brown depths and was touched. He smiled at her sadly, and the moment was broken…
The memories flashed by him then, the battles, the missions, the moments when they felt each other's pain and joy. He smiled as he remembered her giving him her Padawan braid as soon as she was conferred a Jedi Knight. It had been right before that fateful mission on Jabiim…
Anya and Anakin had both passed the trials, and they were conferred Jedi Knights together. Her master, Ayala Secura, took her saber and sliced the Padawan braid, handing it to the newly conferred Knight, as Obi-Wan did the same to Anakin.
Once the ceremony was over, she came over to the older Jedi Master, her braid in her hand. "I wanted you to have this," she said shyly, handing him her Padawan braid. "If it weren't for you and Anakin, I probably wouldn't have made it to this point. I would've died on Rekam."
He looked at her, touched by her gesture. "I would be honored, Anya." He took the braid, coiled it and tucked it away in a hidden breast pocket in his Jedi tunic. They gazed at each other for a long moment, and then she smiled and walked away, joining her former master.
He smiled as the memory faded away. He'd kept that braid tucked away in the hidden pocket of his tunic ever since, even during the time he'd been held captive by Ventress. Knowing that he had a part of his bond-mate with him was the only thing that had kept him going. He settled back in the chair, wanting to stay with her while she slept, remembering when he felt the pain of her current injury and illness…
He'd been on Utapau, having just destroyed General Grievous and heading back to confer with Commander Cody, when he felt the sharp pain through his entire body. He was rendered breathless and fell to the ground.
"General Kenobi!" He could hear Cody yelling as he lay on the ground. The clone trooper crouched down beside his commanding officer. "General, are you all right?"
After a moment, he got up. "No, Cody, I don't think I am. There's trouble on Coruscant, I fear."
"Then go back, General Kenobi," the clone said simply. "We'll clean up here. After all, you did all the dirty work. We're just cleaning up after you." He chuckled ruefully and Obi-Wan couldn't help but smile weakly as he made his way to his starfighter. Before long, he was in space, heading for Coruscant, fearing the worst. Ever since Master Yoda had told him about his soul bond with young Anya, he'd become more protective of her. Protective and lately feeling something else, something he feared he had no business to feel for someone as young as her. He tried to push those thoughts out of his mind as he attached his starfighter to the hyperframe and went into light speed.
He sighed as he recalled the events that sealed those feelings a couple of nights before, the kiss they'd shared, the feeling of her body in his arms, the mild arousal he'd felt when they'd cuddled, the love in her eyes and the longing to show him how much she loved him.
"Oh Anya," he whispered. "Once you're healed, I will show you how much I love you…"