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 4: A Brother's love, a blind Jedi and more to mournLater that evening after everyone settled down from the excitement of the Jedi moving in Obi-Wan brought Anakin a bowl of Shaak broth and a glass of water. He needed to have Skywalker eat a little before he went into a Healing Trance because it was going take a lot of calories for the young man to heal himself over the course of a week, "Anakin." He said softly as he gently placed a hand on his bother's arm. "I brought you some dinner."
"I'm not really... hungry Obi-Wan." Anakin replied quietly before sighing and opening his eyes to look at the knight. "Can we skip dinner tonight. I'm not feeling up to it."
Kenobi put the tray down on the bedside table before sitting in one of the empty chairs, "Anakin you need to keep what little strength you have. You won't be able to come out of the Healing Trance until you've fully healed."
"Please Obi-Wan... just leave me... alone." The younger man said before turning his head toward the wall.
"Anakin." Obi-Wan whispered before climbing onto the bed and carefully moving to hold the injured Padawan. "Our father is still with us, we can't count him out yet."
"I know but just isn't fair." Anakin said while moving so that he was looking into Kenobi's blue-green eyes. "I love him so much."
"I know little one. I love him too and he knows that. Obi-Wan said softly before giving Skywalker a gentle hug." Even if we don't tell him as much as we should."
Anakin sighed and hissed in a breath when he moved the wrong way, "He was the only… person besides… my mother who… really believed in me… on that ball of… dirt." He said before trying to shift positions again. " I remember… secretly hoping… that he really… was my father… and that I… was born normally. Like every… other kid."
Obi-Wan smiled gently but was interrupted before he could respond. "I probably would have been your father Anakin. If fate hadn't worked the other way."
The knight and the Padawan looked up to find Qui-Gon standing in the doorway with a small smile on his face, "What?" Skywalker asked as the older man came in. "How?"
"Anakin. I would think that as a married man with twins on the way you would know a thing or two about human reproduction." Jinn said with another small smile before slowly sitting in one of the empty chairs. "Or did they not teach you that in your Padawan Human Reproduction class?"
"I thought he slept through that class." Kenobi said with a laugh. "I distinctly remember hearing loud snoring coming from that end of our bond."
"Obi-Wan! Father!" Anakin squeaked before blushing slightly at the way his voice cracked. That wasn't… what I… meant."
"Oh I know Anakin." Qui-Gon said with a smile. "I was joking little one." The Jedi Master closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths as his left side cramped up momentarily.
"Father?" Kenobi asked sitting up when he noticed the pained look on the older man's face.
"Relax Obi-Wan it's just a muscle cramp." Jinn replied. "It will pass in a minute." He sighed and stood up. "I am going to go take something for the pain and I will be back in a few minutes."
"He must be in pain if he's going for the painkillers." Obi-Wan said more to himself then anyone else.
"And here he… is having to… worry… about me." Skywalker said before flinching as he took a deep breath.
"Anakin." His older brother chided as he lay back down. "Don't talk like that."
"I can't… help it Obi-Wan." The Padawan said with a small shrug. "It's… how I feel."
"Well don't." The knight said softly. "It isn't your fault these things are happening."
"Uncle Ani?" Pooja asked from the doorway where she and her sister stood. "Are you okay?"
Anakin and Obi-Wan looked over at them, "Hey you two...does your momma know... you're here?" Skywalker asked while trying to smile.
"Yes." Ryoo said as she and Pooja came into the room. "She and daddy said we could come in if we weren't being a bother." Both adults smiled. "Why are you and Master Obi-Wan crying Uncle Ani?"
Obi-Wan smiled sadly and sat up again before explaining, "Master Qui-Gon is very sick and it makes your Uncle Anakin and me very sad. He adopted me and my twin brother when we were babies and he adopted your uncle ten years ago after he was brought to the Jedi Temple."
"You have a twin brother Master Obi-Wan?" Pooja asked excitedly as she and her sister climbed into one of the empty chairs.
Kenobi chuckled at the little girl's enthusiasm, which was probably partly due to the fact that their aunt was expecting twins, "Yes I do and his name is Christian." He said as he picked up the meal he had brought for Anakin and looked the Padawan in the eye. "I'll be more then happy to tell you about him if we do it while your uncle eats his dinner."
Anakin sighed, "All right Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan smiled as he helped Skywalker into a position where he could feed him before positioning himself on the edge of the bed, "Christian is about fifteen minutes younger then me." He said before switching to the glass of water. "And was born blind but that didn't stop him from becoming an accomplished Jedi. He lives in the Jedi Temple on Corellia and usually uses his first name when he's not on missions."
"How could he be a Jedi if he can't see?" Ryoo asked.
"The Force has helped him adapt. He senses people and objects around him but he only does that when he absolutely has to because it takes a lot of work to use the Force constantly. My brother can navigate the Corellian Temple and the Temple on Coruscant on his own but he uses either a me, your uncle, Master Qui-Gon or a Seeing-eye Dog that's been trained to help him get around the cities."
"Can he read and write?" Pooja asked, cocking her head to the side.
Obi-Wan smiled, " Christian uses a special Datapad for that. He's smarter then me when it comes to academics and was always quicker in his Force studies. He was knighted about six months before Qui-Gon and I found your uncle on Tatooine." Kenobi said with a small smile before putting the now empty bowl down on the tray. "It was hard to finish my training without my brother and without a roommate. For Master Qui-Gon as well, after fifteen years of having to put up with the two of us, our apartment seemed way too big. I honestly don't know how he managed to keep his sanity. We were little terrors while we were growing up and I had a hard time adjusting to life without Christian to torture after he was knighted but then your uncle came along."
"The Force definitely has a sick sense of humor sometimes." Said a tired but contented voice behind them.
Everyone turned Qui-Gon watching them from the doorway, casually leaning against the door frame, "Why do you say that Master Qui-Gon? Ryoo asked smiling.
Jinn laughed softly as he walked over to the other empty chair and slowly sat down again, "After I get Christian knighted, his brother and I are assigned to negotiate with the Trade Federation on Naboo. While still recovering from having been wounded with a Lightsaber afterwards the Jedi Council thinks it's a good idea to have a newly knighted Obi-Wan Kenobi helping me start training a certain nine year old boy." The Jedi winked at his youngest son and smiled at the two children. "Just when I thought I could have some much needed peace and quite while training a new Padawan, the Jedi Council decides to have the newly knighted Obi-Wan Kenobi take that certain nine-year-old boy as his first Padawan. Just when I thought the terror of having two teenage Jedi in the house was over, oh boy was the terror just beginning. All the little tricks that Obi-Wan and Christian used while they were Padawans they quickly taught your uncle." The Jedi Master looked at the ceiling and rolled his eyes. "Why me."
"Because… somebody had… to do it." Skywalker said sending his father and the girls a sly smile.
"You little Imp of a Padawan." Qui-Gon roared as he lunged for Anakin.
"Force father!" Kenobi shouted in Nir'duinain as he jumped from the bed to the chair and narrowly missed being flattened by the larger Jedi.
"Oh no you don't!" Jinn said as he grabbed Obi-Wan's tunic and pulled him into his arms. "Come here you!
"Dad!" Anakin cried as the Jedi Master pulled Kenobi onto the bed. "Not… in front of… Ryoo and Pooja. What will they… think?"
Everyone started laughing before Padme's father, Ruwee knocked on the doorframe, "Excuse me for the interruption but I have a letter for Master Kenobi." He said holding out a view screen and trying not to laugh at the sight before him. "It just arrived a few minutes ago."
Obi-Wan untangled himself from the other two before standing and taking the letter, "Thank you Mr. Naberrie."
The older man smiled, "Padme was wondering if it would be all right if she came back in."
"Has she eaten yet?" Anakin asked starting to tire again.
"Yes, although it took an act of the Gods."
Qui-Gon smiled at the thought of his stubborn daughter-in-law, "I'm surprised you've been able to keep her out this long." He said, watching Kenobi move to stand by the widow to read the letter out of the corner of eye.
Ruwee shrugged and smiled, "I'll let Padme know she can come in." He said turning to leave. "Let's leave them alone for a few minutes girls." He said to his granddaughters.
"Bye, bye." Pooja said as she and Ryoo left the room.
Anakin and Qui-Gon smiled but as soon as their hosts left the two turned their full attention to Obi-Wan. Who was doing his best not to cry, "Obi-Wan, what is it?" Jinn asked, both he and Skywalker sensing the pain that Kenobi was in.
"It's from Bant." The knight said as he turned toward the others and fought the tears that threatened to fall, "The Jedi Temple on Corellia has been destroyed."
"Is Christian all right?" Jinn asked, getting up and moving to read the letter himself.
"I don't know, I haven't concentrated on our bond since we left Coruscant." Obi-Wan said quietly before reading the letter again and ran a frustrated hand through his short chestnut hair.
"What does the... letter say Obi-Wan?" Skywalker asked while trying to sit up, wishing that he could bring some comfort to what was left of his family.
"There were a few Jedi that escaped but they scattered." Kenobi's emotional damn broke and tears started streaming down his face. "Father, how could anyone be so cruel? He's blind and if Palpatine gets a hold of him. There's no telling what that mad man will do. How many more Jedi have to die?"
"Shhh." Qui-Gon said as he drew Obi-Wan into his arms and started rubbing soothing circles down his back "It'll be all right Obi-Wan. He'll find a way to come home to us, just wait and see."
Kenobi sniffed and looked up, "Yes father."
"Are you all right Obi-Wan?" Padme asked from where she was standing in the doorway.
"The Jedi Temple... on Corellia has... been destroyed, angel." Anakin told her.
"My Gods." She said before going to her husband's brother and put a hand on his arm. "Is your brother all right?"
"I don't know Padme." Obi-Wan answered as fresh tears started to fall. "He was sent on a mission about two months before we had to escape Coruscant but I don't know where he was sent or if he returned to Corellia afterwards. I just don't know."
Seeing Obi-Wan Kenobi cry was not something Padme saw every day. Come to think of it, seeing any of the Jedi in her family cry was a rare occurrence and it made tears slip down her cheeks as well. "He'll be all right Obi-Wan. He's strong, like you." The young woman looked at each Jedi in turn and smiled. "Like all of you."
"Thank you Padme." Qui-Gon said while giving his son another hug as the young woman went to her husband. "As soon as we get Anakin in to the Healing Trance Obi-Wan is going to contact his brother though the Force bond that they have." It wasn't an order but the Jedi Master was expecting Kenobi to comply nonetheless.
"Tell him that he's more then welcome here Obi-Wan." Padme said before gently kissing Anakin's forehead and turning to the others. "I'll speak with my family and the caretaker."
Kenobi sighed softly and nodded gratefully, "Thank you so much Padme."
"Padme." Her father-in-law said with a sad and grateful smile as unshed tears shown in his own eyes. "Child you and your family are truly sent to us by The Lady and Gods of my people's beliefs. How could we ever repay you?"
"You all ready have Master Jinn." Joble Naberrie said from the doorway before coming in to collect Anakin's dinner tray. "You, your sons and the Jedi Order have protected The Republic and its people since the day The Republic was formed." She smiled softly. "You also did the greatest service to me and my husband by protecting our daughter during the blockade. Now it's our turn to help you protect your loved ones."
"Thank you Mrs. Naberrie." The Jedi Master said softly before kissing the top of Obi-Wan's head. "My sons and your daughter mean the galaxy to me. I love Padme as if she was my own."
"Father, please sit down." Obi-Wan said softly before helping Qui-Gon over to one of the chairs. "You're shaking."
"I'm all right, just tired." Jinn said as he sat down. "It's been a long day."
Anakin and Obi-Wan looked at each other before trying to smile for their father as Kenobi rubbed the older man's back.
