Chapter 11 – To Reach an Understanding

Author's Note: In which Obi-Wan goes to talk to Ani. :D

~ Amina Gila

Ani had woken up not long after Anakin left for the Temple, the turbulent emotions of the elder rousing him. It didn't take him more than a few seconds to remember what had happened, and despite his best efforts, he'd broken down, desperate to feel his father's Force signature there, to feel their bond humming with the promise of safety and comfort. The longer he's apart from his father, the scarier and more uncertain everything feels.

Ahsoka had awoken not long later, and she comforted him as best she could before Padme came. After a time, he'd managed to calm down, and Padme had given Ahsoka a few instructions before leaving them there. Ani had eaten breakfast with the Togruta, even though he wasn't hungry, before she took him to watch an entertaining holofilm. He might have been able to concentrate on it better – and maybe even let himself be distracted from the gaping void in his chest – if not for the fact that his right thigh is aching fiercely.

It happens occasionally after the... experiments which Plagueis ran on him, and usually, his father uses the Force to ease the pain. They don't know if it will ever heal right. He doesn't want to tell Ahsoka about it; he doesn't want to try to explain to her what happened to him. He only wants this all to stop. He wants his father back.

He's curled in Ahsoka's lap on the couch, watching the holofilm when he senses a familiar Force signature approaching the apartment. He stiffens involuntarily because he doesn't want to see Obi-Wan right now. He doesn't think he can handle it. Ahsoka senses him too, of course, because she sighs and pauses the holofilm, twisting to the door as it opens and Obi-Wan enters; someone – probably Threepio, actually – must have let him in.

The Jedi Master stands there for a moment, looking at the two of them before he walks closer. "I came here to speak with Ani," he declares at last.

He already spoke to Anakin, Ani thinks, because he can feel the elder's chaotic emotions, even from here. "He doesn't really talk to anyone," Ahsoka informs him as Ani shakes his head, burying his face into her shoulder, "But you can try."

"I would rather do so in private," Obi-Wan replies.

"No!" Ani blurts out, suddenly frantic. He doesn't want to be by himself, especially not with someone who is a Jedi, and therefore, untrustworthy. Besides, he took away Ani's father. He's not safe. He winds his arms around Ahsoka's waist, clinging to her desperately.

"It's okay," she soothes, rubbing his back and hugging him against her. "I'll stay with you. You won't be alone." It's only her reassurance that allows him to begin to relax, the spike of terror abating enough for him to focus on how Obi-Wan moves closer, sitting on the other end of the couch, keeping far enough away from him so that he doesn't need to panic.

"I wanted to talk to you about Custos," Obi-Wan says, and Ani finally lifts his head, shifting so that he can see him.

"Is he coming back?" he asks, a tentative hope springing to life.

"I'm afraid not," Obi-Wan answers apologetically, and that hope instantly dies a withering death. "The Council asked me to look into the situation with him. They want to know more about him."

Ani glares. "I'm telling you nothing," he states adamantly, pointedly dropping his head back on Ahsoka's shoulder. "Go away." He only says it because Ahsoka is here, because he knows that she'll protect him if Obi-Wan tries to hurt him. He – he doesn't think the older man will, but... after having been with the Sith for so long, he doesn't trust anyone, and after what the Jedi did to his father, he trusts them even less.

Obi-Wan sighs audibly, and Ahsoka strokes his hair, pushing comforting pulses to him through the Force. She's nice, Ani thinks, much like what one of his old friends on Tatooine was like before she died trying to help some slaves escape. He knows why Anakin likes her so much.

"Master Obi-Wan, if Ani does tell you more about Custos, will you be able to free him?" Ahsoka inquires.

"Probably not. For now, he has been deemed too much of a risk to both of them," Obi-Wan admits. "His influence is... disturbing."

Anger and bitterness surge up, overwhelming him. "Dad wouldn't hurt me!" he snaps hotly, twisting to glare at the Jedi Master. "He wouldn't! He's protected me." His thigh throbs sharply suddenly, but he doesn't so much as twitch at the pain. He knows better than to do so. He's been through worse. It's nothing. "He's not dangerous," Ani continues, speaking more now than he has in a long time. "He's not going to hurt anyone unless you attack him. You're being unreasonable."

Obi-Wan's expression flickers with something almost like amusement, but Ani wonders if he imagined it, because it's still impassive as ever. "Is that so?" he replies calmly. "Then can you explain what Anakin was doing in your cabin?"

"Dad wanted him to stay," Ani shrugs, unsure why there's even anything to say about it. It's not like... his father was showing Anakin any dark, Sithly rituals or anything. They were just sleeping. "Said he shouldn't be alone with those kinds of thoughts."

Obi-Wan stills. "What kind of thoughts?" he asks, sounding wary. Even Ahsoka seems... uncertain now, and Ani realizes that he's probably said too much. It's not his story to tell anyways. If Anakin wants to share those things – he doesn't; he can't though he yearns to – then he'll do it on his own.

But he has to answer the question; he can't simply ignore it, can he? "He was unhappy," he mumbles finally, though it's not nearly a strong enough word to encompass the raging pain which had been whirling in Anakin then when he realized how much beyond his reach his most ardent dream was. Obi-Wan doesn't know how Anakin feels, and Ani knows that Obi-Wan is a Jedi first and foremost... but if his father loves him so much, surely Obi-Wan must feel something towards Anakin?

He doesn't know though; he can only go by what Anakin had said, and he knows that their judgement isn't always the best. If Anakin is hurting, he might not have realized the signs which were so obviously there. Would it really hurt for him to expound a bit on Anakin's feelings? Maybe if Obi-Wan understands, it would help Anakin. Not him though, because his father is still a prisoner, and that thought sends icy fear coursing through his veins. Despite the warm temperature of the room and being pressed against Ahsoka's body, he shivers.

Somehow, he gets the feeling the Obi-Wan is patiently waiting to see if he'll keep talking, so he does, hoping that it will help, at least somewhat maybe. This is something that he told his father when they were still... with the Sith; it's what ended up drawing them together. "Family is... important on Tatooine," Ani explains slowly, trying to figure out how best to phrase it. "I only had Mom, y'know, and I... she told me I didn't have a father." He makes a face, remembering what he'd thought, what he still thinks. "Figured she meant he was a slaver, y'know, cuz Gardulla would try to breed slaves with desirable qualities."

Ahsoka inhales sharply. "Slaves?" she echoes numbly, and Ani winces, because didn't she already know that?

He sits frozen for a moment, mind racing, wondering if he'll be in trouble, before he finally manages to answer. "Yes," he confirms, "Gardulla owned Mom and I until she sold us to Watto. She lost us in a bet."

Ahsoka mutters a Huttese curse under her breath – she definitely must have learned that from Anakin, because Ani doubts that any Jedi would know such language without having lived in a Hutt world – before tightening her grip on him. "I never knew that," she admits. "Anakin never wants to talk about his past. He only tells me he won't talk about it."

Anakin won't hurt him, Ani knows, but that doesn't stop the irrational fear that freezes him in place, his mind instinctively scanning for exits and places to hide if necessary. He shouldn't have said anything at all. He should have stayed quiet, because by trying to help Anakin, he's only making it worse.

"Ani, it's okay," Obi-Wan says soothingly, and that voice is enough to reorient him. He's trembling, and Ahsoka seems confused by his reaction. Obi-Wan too, to an extent, but at least he appears to recognize what's happening, so he knows how to deal with it. Sort of. His father was always better at this.

Ani pulls away from Ahsoka, sliding off her lap to sit next to her, the thought of touching someone too much for him right now. "I'll talk to Anakin about it, alright? He won't be mad at you. I promise," Ahsoka assures him. She seems unsure if she should touch him, so she doesn't, nudging his shoulder lightly with her own, watching him with worried, blue eyes.

"Are you alright?" Obi-Wan questions.

Ani miserably shakes his head. "I want Dad," he whispers not for the first time that day, feeling the urge to cry again. He almost never cries, but after he lost his father... it's as if he doesn't want to stop.

**w**

Ahsoka slowly wraps an arm around Ani, pulling him against her side when he doesn't resist. "It's okay," she promises, squeezing him. "We'll figure this out." They have to, because she can't imagine having to see him so miserable for weeks on end.

Ani mutely shakes his head, tears gathering in his eyes, and she panics. "Oh no," she blurts out before manages to censor herself. "Nonono. Ani..." A tear slips down his face, and Ahsoka really wants to scream right now, because she doesn't know how to handle a highly distressed, emotional child. Padme managed far better than her earlier, but she's not here right now. Ahsoka pulls him against her, hugging him tightly as he starts crying again.

She hates this. She hates seeing him – this young version of her master – so miserable and depressed. Anakin almost never cries, and it's strange to see Ani in this state. "Master Obi-Wan," she manages to say with far more calmness than she feels, "I really think that you should ask the Council if they can release Custos and keep him and Ani together at the Temple under surveillance, because of the extenuating circumstances."

"Extenuating circumstances?" Obi-Wan repeats, sounding mildly amused.

Ahsoka glares at him, though there's far more exhaustion than heat in the look. "You should try dealing with a traumatized, miserable child who only wants their father back," she grumbles, stroking Ani's hair. "It's okay," she murmurs helplessly to him, knowing that her platitudes will be meaningless, because it's not okay, but she doesn't know what else to do.

Obi-Wan moves closer, reaching out towards Ani, but Ahsoka blocks his hand. "Don't touch him," she warns. "He doesn't know you, and he doesn't want you to comfort him. It will only make it worse."

Her grandmaster acknowledges that with a sigh and backs down, studying the child with sympathy clear in his blue-gray eyes. "Ani, what were you telling me about Anakin?" he questions gently. It's a good question, and Ahsoka is wondering the same thing. What did Ani mean by saying that Custos didn't think Anakin should be alone with "those kinds of thoughts?" What kind of thoughts? She's almost too scared to know.

For a moment, Ahsoka doesn't think Ani will answer, but he turns his head, swiping furiously at the tears on his face and sniffing. "Family is... important to us. He doesn't have a family here."

What? That doesn't make any sense. Is Ani right, or is he guessing at Anakin's feelings? Obi-Wan seems similarly confused. "The Jedi are Anakin's family, Ani," he tells him carefully. "I don't know what... your father told you about us, but the Jedi are a family."

Ani scowls. "Then why's he so lonely?"

Obi-Wan's voice is strained. "I don't know."

From his expression, Ahsoka thinks that he believes Ani, that he accepts his words to be the truth. She... doesn't know what to think. But then, she remembers what she was wondering about Anakin, how she questioned if he wanted the connection with Obi-Wan that Ani has with Custos, and she knows she's right. Everything falls into place, and it momentarily takes her breath away. Anakin went to Custos out of curiosity, no doubt, and he saw the connection between father and son. He stayed, because Custos knew he was depressed and hurting, and he wanted to help.

And he was taken away because of that.

Ahsoka doesn't know if she should laugh or cry, but if she cries, Ani will too, and she doesn't want that. But still, her heart aches for her master. She wishes he was here right now, so she could hug him and try to make him feel better. He wants to free Custos as much for himself as he does for Ani. He – he needs the anchor that Obi-Wan can provide, that Obi-Wan does provide, and Ahsoka can only hope that he isn't... trying to replace his former master with Custos. She doubts it, because Anakin is unfailingly loyal, but she might be able to see why he would.

"I think perhaps I need to have a talk with Custos," Obi-Wan decides after a moment of silence. "He might be able to shed light where Ani and Anakin could not."

"I think that is a good idea," Ahsoka agrees, a bit dryly, "And you really should try to have him released. He's done nothing, and to put it simply, Anakin has been a wreck yesterday." She doesn't mince her words, trying to get across the seriousness of the situation. "For everyone's sakes, Custos needs to be here."

Something flickers across Obi-Wan's face, and it hardens almost imperceptibly. "I will take that into consideration." It's all he says before he leaves.

Ahsoka can only hope that he will actually do something with the information he learned. If not, well... she and Anakin do unauthorized things all the time, and she refuses to sit by idly while her master and Ani become more and more miserable and depressed by the day.

"Do you want to talk to me?" Ahsoka inquires softly once they're alone again.

Ani shakes his head, so Ahsoka gestures to the holofilm which is still paused. "Do you want to keep watching that?"

After a momentary hesitation, Ani nods, seeming to refer remaining quiet as much as possible. It makes her wonder again, why he doesn't speak much. Maybe she can ask him later when he's calmer. But for now, they'll continue this holofilm. She uses the Force to turn it back on, hoping that it will be able to draw Ani's attention so he's not brooding and missing his father even more. At this point, all she can do is hope.

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