Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or anything that has to do with it, George Lucas does (Darn it! Oh well but if he ever wants to sell it...)

Summary: AU One year after Attack of the Clones Anakin and his family are on the run from the Empire. As they try to hide on Naboo, problems begin from within as Qui-Gon's health begins to fail.

Warnings: Nothing for this chapter.

Author's Note: This was my first attempt at fanfiction that I started in 1999 and I have rewritten it several times in order for it to tie into the movies a bit better. I just tried to fix some of the spelling, grammar and typing mistakes but bear with me. My CP and dyslexia makes it hard to catch everything.

Chapter 3: Close call and one last move.

Obi-Wan Kenobi winced as his headache started up again when his younger brother started mentally fighting him. Anakin was delirious and his body and mind were working off of instinct, Skywalker didn't even know he was doing it, "Padme!" The young Jedi cried in Nir'duinain as his body fought the high fever that had taken over him. "Please, Gods Padme, NO!"

"Ani." Obi-Wan said in the same language as he held the wounded man's hand. "Padme is fine."

Kenobi had to come running only about fifteen minutes before when Skywalker had regained his senses and started screaming at the top of his lungs in every language he knew, "NO!" Anakin continued to cry out deliriously as he tried to break away from his younger master's hands. "You can't take them, I'll never let you have them! They're mine!"

"Ani, shhh." Obi-Wan said soothingly before trying to cool him down with a cloth he had soaked in water that he cooled with their last handful of ice. "Your wife and twins are fine, just fine."

In truth he was more worried about the young man before him then he was about Padme and Qui-Gon at the moment. Anakin's temperature shot up even higher then it had been and if it didn't come down soon the young man would die.

"Promise...me Obi-Wan, please." Skywalker pleaded when he fought his brain for a moment of clarity. "If...something happens...to me, you and Christian take care...of Padme...and…the twins...for me. I'm not...asking as...your...Padawan...I'm asking as...your brother."

"Anakin?" Kenobi asked stunned, not knowing what else to say. Is he giving up? The Jedi Knight thought. "Anakin just hang on a little longer, Padme and father went for help."

"Obi-Wan...PLEASE!" Skywalker yelled before coughing violently.

"All right Anakin. I promise." Obi-Wan told the other softly with a smile before running a hand through Skywalker's hair. At that Anakin smiled weakly before closing his eyes and gasped before his breathing stopped. "ANAKIN!" Kenobi yelled as he stood and used the Force to push the chair away. "DAMMIT! ANAKIN SKYWALKER, DON'T YOU DARE GIVE UP!" He yelled, checking for a pulse, finding none he started C.P.R. just as the others came running in.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Qui-Gon grabbed Padme by both arms from behind when she screamed and tried to run for her husband, "Darred take her into the other room!" He ordered as he passed to her brother-in-law before running to help his eldest son.

"It's all right Padme." Darred said soothingly as he led the sobbing woman out of the room and down the hall into the room Jinn was using, he sat her down on the bed, ran into the Refresher and brought back a glass of cool water. "Padme drink this." He ordered, placing the glass into her trembling hands.

"I can't lose him Darred, not now, not after all we've been through." Padme said, unconsciously laying a hand on her belly.

"Hey Momma." Her brother-in-law said smiling, putting a hand on hers. "Anakin is not going anywhere."

They both looked up a few minutes later when Qui-Gon came in; looking exhausted but relieved. "Anakin is going to be all right for now." He said answering their unspoken question.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

"Anakin Skywalker, you almost sent me into premature labor!" His wife yelled before roughly kissing him on the lips. "Don't you ever do that to me again!"

Her husband smiled around her kiss, "I'm sorry...my angel." Was all he could manage before having to cough and try to breathe normally. "I'll try…not to…disappoint…you."

"Anakin, I want you to drink this." Obi-Wan explained as he poured a bit of powder into a small glass and added some water. "It's something that will help with the pain and it'll help bring your fever down." Kenobi said as he held the glass in one hand as he lifted the young man's shoulders with the other. "Small sips little brother. That's it; you'll be all right."

"Thank you." The apprentice whispered before sighing as he closed his eyes.

"Is he all right?" Darred asked.

Obi-Wan gave him a questioning look before Padme introduced them, "Darred this is Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Knight. Master Kenobi, this is my brother-in-law, Darred Janren."

Kenobi's blue-green eyes softened when he put a familiar name to the man's face, "He'll be fine but we can't hold the Healing Trance off much longer." He said sighing tiredly as he looked at Padme. "Is your family going to help us?"

"My Mother, Father and sister are going to meet us at our family home, it's in the Lake Country and very isolated." Padme told him. "We can stay there as long as we need to."

"We'll have to be very careful when we move him." Obi-Wan said mentioning Anakin. "But I suggest we do it soon." His attention suddenly went from his apprentice to his father when Qui-Gon suddenly went pale and ran for the Refresher, a hand clamped over his mouth. "Master?"

He looked at Padme, "That's the second time in four hours." She informed him, sharing his concern.

Kenobi nodded and took off after the older man, fearing the worst. It didn't take a genius to tell that Qui-Gon was throwing up, Obi-Wan quietly slipped behind him and held the ill Jedi's long hair out of his face as he retched again.

"Obi-Wan?" The older man asked, not looking up as he pressed a hand to his stomach.

"I'm here Father."

"Oh Gods this hurts."

"It's all right don't fight it." The young Jedi told him grasping one of his large hands as Jinn heaved again.

"I'll be all right Obi-Wan. It's just my body fighting the disease." The older man said before looking up and taking a deep breath. "And my stomach giving me a piece of its mind."

"Do you need me to get you anything?" Obi-Wan asked before carefully dropping to the floor in the cramped room.

"No." Qui-Gon answered in a whisper before he ran a hand through his long hair. "Just give me a minute little one."

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Kenobi did insist his father take a few sips of water before he helped the older man out of the Refresher and into the chair that he had placed by Anakin's bedside.

"Are you all right Master Jinn?" Padme asked when he was settled.

"I'm fine now."

"Are you and Anakin going to be able to travel?" Darred asked, worried as well. He had never seen an ill or wounded Jedi before and now he was seeing two

"As long as we're careful." Obi-Wan said as he took his father's pulse.

"Is everything you want to take already packed?"

"We don't have much but yes it's all packed." Kenobi said with a tired sigh as he bathed Qui-Gon's face with the damp cloth he was using on his brother earlier.

"All right I'll get everything into the speeder and we'll be out of here." Janren said with a small smile as he got up to leave the room.

"Let me help you Darred." Jinn said while pushing his son's hand away and tried to stand. He quickly thought against it though when his stomach reeled and threatened to bring up the water he had drank earlier.

"I don't think that's such a good idea Master Jinn." The younger man said when he saw how pale the Jedi Master turned just from trying to stand. "I'll be fine, you just rest there for a few more minutes."

Before they left, Jinn retrieved a carefully wrapped Holocron from a large crack in one of the walls of his room and placed it in a pocket of his cloak. Remembering what Master Yoda had told him the night they left Coruscant: "Hold in your hand the teachings of the Jedi, you do and within Senator Amidala is the hope of our future. On the small ones naming day, knight their father, we will. Train the twins you and Kenobi must, the blessing of the Council you have."

How can I train them if I'm dead? Jinn thought darkly to himself as he left to help the others move Anakin.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Qui-Gon and Darred had used an oversized blanket as a stretcher to carry Anakin out of the cabin and place him in the speeder. Obi-Wan had placed the Padawan in a temporary Sleeping Trance to keep from hurting the wounded man as they moved him. Once they were all settled Darred gunned the speeder down the dirt road and used the less traveled streets to reach the Lake Country.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

"Hello there Padme." The caretaker, Paddy Accu said warmly as he helped the pregnant young woman into the boat that would take her and her guests to Verykino, the Naberrie home in the Lake Country.

"Hello Paddy." She said hugging the older man before taking a seat.

"You're Momma, Papa, Sola and the girls are waiting for you. And don't worry they told me everything."

"Thank you Paddy, you don't know how much this means to us." Padme said cradling her husband's head in her lap.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

"Auntie Padme!" Ryoo and Pooja yelled excitedly as they ran to hug their aunt as she and the others came in the house.

"You must have missed me." Padme said returning the hugs with just as much effort.

"Of course we missed you, can we see Uncle Ani now?" Ryoo asked.

Their aunt looked beyond them and saw Darred and Paddy carry her husband into one of the spare bedrooms. Truth be told, she wasn't sure of what to tell them until her father-in-law saved her. "Your Uncle Anakin is asleep." Qui-Gon said coming to stand next to Padme. "You can see him in few minutes as soon as he's settled."

"Okay Master Qui-Gon, are you feeling better?" The little girl asked worried.

"Yes, I'm feeling much better. Thank you little one." Jinn said before cocking his head like he was listening to a quite whisper. "I can take you in to see your uncle now but he's still asleep, okay?" Both the girls nodded as the Jedi Master took their hands, "They'll be fine with us if you want to go rest Padme."

"I'd rather be there when Anakin wakes up."

"It'll be several hours, go rest. Obi-Wan, I or one of these fine ladies will come for you later." The Jedi ordered gently.

Padme reluctantly nodded once before turning and heading for another room. Qui-Gon smiled at the two children at his sides as quietly led them to see his apprentice. Pooja gripped Jinn's hand tighter when she saw an unfamiliar Jedi standing over her unconscious uncle.

"Who's he Master Qui-Gon?" Pooja asked shyly, as she hid her face in his robe.

"That is my son and your uncle's other Jedi Master." Jinn told her before looking at the other Jedi. "Obi." The Jedi looked up. "Do you remember these young ladies? They're Anakin's nieces."

"I sure do." The knight said as Qui-Gon brought them closer to the bed. He smiled but winced slightly as he dropped to one knee, "Hello Ryoo, Pooja. Do you remember me?" Both girls looked blank. "I'm Obi-Wan. Your Uncle Ani will be fine he's just asleep right now.

"When will he wake up?" Ryoo asked worried.

"Not for awhile yet but in the mean time why don't Master Qui-Gon and I tell you a story about a little green troll known to the Jedi Order as Master Yoda."

"Obi-Wan Benjamin Kenobi." Qui-Gon said in a mock-exasperated tone as he shook his head.

Obi-Wan smiled, knowing Jinn thought Yoda was a little green troll sometimes too, "Sorry Da." He said in Nir'duinain as both of the children laughed and nodded vigorously at the idea.