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 5: Painful Realizations

As darkness fell that night Anakin took several deep breaths to control the pain that flared up in his chest and abdomen while Obi-Wan cleaned and dressed his wounds one more time before he went into the Healing Trance. The young student was tired and right at the moment the pain was too much for him to handle, "Obi-Wan, please…stop." He pleaded. "Please…it hurts."

Qui-Gon held fast to his youngest son's hands and whispered words of comfort to the Padawan, "It's all right Anakin." He said softly as Kenobi retied the clean strips of cloth that they were using as bandages. "We're almost done."

"You're doing so well Ani." Obi-Wan said as he moved to clean and redress his chest wounds. "The reason it hurts so much is because I'm trying to help your body fight off the infection a little before you go to sleep. Hopefully it will help keep your temperature from getting any higher then it already is."

"Father…please help me." Skywalker begged. "I can't…"

"I know little one." Jinn replied sympathetically. "Obi-Wan needs to have control of your body for the moment."

"Anakin I need you to relax." Kenobi told him after a few more minutes of trying to get Anakin's fever down. "You're fighting me."

"What?" The Padawan asked in astonishment. "I'm not…doing anything."

"You're doing it subconsciously." Obi-Wan explained before sending him a lopsided smile. "And even though you're wounded, you are still a great deal stronger then me." The Jedi Knight tilted his head in thought and smiled again before heading for the door. "I'm going to get a beautiful woman to distract you while we finish."

"Well." Qui-Gon said sending the Padawan a lopsided smile of his own as Kenobi left the room. "I guess I'm not helping much."

"Father you're doing…fine." Anakin said before gently squeezing the older man's hand. "How are…you doing?"

"A little tired." Jinn admitted with a tired sigh.

"Go lay down." Skywalker pleaded. "You shouldn't…have to worry about…me."

"Anakin Skywalker." His father reprimanded. "Stop this right now young man. I may not be your father by blood but I am by all rights your father by love; it is my job to worry about you. And I don't just worry about you. I have Obi-Wan and Christian to worry about too. Do you understand me?"

Anakin nodded, "Yes sir."

Qui-Gon smiled, "You are going to have the same problem soon yourself."

"Huh?" Skywalker asked.

"Trust me Ani." Jinn said before running a hand through Anakin's sweat soaked hair. "As soon as your daughter and your son take their first breath you are going to worry over both of them until the day you die."

"I worry about them…now." The Padawan said with a small shrug. "I guess I've just…never…thought of it like that."

"I never got the chance to grow attached to you or your brothers before birth." The Jedi Master admitted. "But boy did I get attached to you three afterwards." Anakin smiled at that and Qui-Gon squeezed his hand again. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."

"What I miss?" Obi-Wan asked as he came back into the room with Padme behind him.

"Nothing much." Jinn replied with a small shrug. I'm going to have to have a long talk with your brother here when he wakes up. He told his eldest son through their bond while keeping Skywalker from hearing.

Kenobi nodded in understanding; having a pretty good idea about what the upcoming conversation would be about, "Okay Ani." The knight said with a sympathetic smile as he came back over to the bed. "Are you ready to try this again?"

"Yes." The Padawan said as he mentally prepared himself for what his brother was about to do.

"Hi baby." Padme said as she sat in the empty chair next to the Jedi Master and took one of his hands from his father. "How are you feeling?"

"I've done…better." Anakin replied before gasping when his brother retied the cloth around his chest before using the Force to try and help his apprentice fight the infection that was trying to kill him. "Oww! Oww!"

"Relax Ani." Obi-Wan instructed as he felt the younger man start to push him out of his mind. "I'm almost done."

"Someone wants our attention." Padme said before taking her husband's hand and placing it on her swollen stomach; using the movement of their twins to get the young man to think of something other then the pain.

"You okay?" Skywalker asked.

"Just tired." His wife answered with a small smile. "It's been a busy day."

The Padawan smiled softly and closed his eyes for a moment as he felt Kenobi's hold on his body taper off. "I'm done Anakin." Obi-Wan said as he gently ran a hand through his younger brother's hair. "I'm sorry I hurt you."

"It's okay…Obi-Wan." Skywalker whispered before opening his eyes. "Tell me when…you find Christian?"

"I will Ani." Kenobi said before blinking back unshed tears. He hated the fact that the only way Anakin was going to survive was by helping the young Padawan into a coma like state for a week. "I will." The knight straitened up and smiled softly. "I'll let the others know that they can come in for a few minutes but we can't hold off the Healing Trance much longer."

"Okay." The other replied before trying to smile. In truth Anakin was feeling more like the sacred nine-year-old boy he once was instead of the twenty year old Senior Padawan he was now. He knew he might never wake up from this long sleep he was about to take but he also knew that what ever happened, his wife and unborn children would be taken care of.

"I'll help him into the Healing Trance Obi-Wan." Qui-Gon said as he got a good look at his two sons. "That took way to much out of you for you to be able to help him safely."

Obi-Wan sighed and nodded, "Thank you. He said before walking towards the door. "I'll be right back."

"Ani." Padme said as she gently wrapped her arms around her husband and bringing him back to the present. " I love you so much."

"I love you…too angel." The young man said with a tired sigh before hissing in pain as his wife accidentally hit his chest.

"Oh Anakin I'm sorry." Padme said as she backed off.

"No." Anakin said before pulling his wife back into his arms but away from the wounds marring his chest. "You're fine…baby. Just let me…hold you."

"Are you all right?" Padme asked when she noticed the unshed tears in Skywalker's ice blue eyes.

"Yeah." He replied with a partial shrug of his shoulders before saying what was on his mind. "I'm scared that I'm not going to be able to wake up and I don't want to be alone."

"You won't be alone Anakin." Qui-Gon said causing the young man to look at him. "I'll be here and if I sense that you are in any danger I will bring you out of the trance immediately."

"I'll be here too Ani." Obi-Wan said with a small smile as he came back with Padme's family.

"I know." Skywalker said before biting his lower lip. "But it doesn't make…this any easier."

"It will be okay Anakin." Joble said as she moved to give him a gentle hug. "We'll all be here when you wake up."

"Don't worry about anything but healing." Darred said from where he stood off to the side with Pooja and Ryoo.

"Would you like to sleep with my Wookiee doll Uncle Ani?" Pooja asked as she and her sister came over to hug their uncle.

"Oh, I'll be…okay little one." Anakin said with a weak smile. "I think he would…miss you."

"Are you sure?" The child asked. Her uncle nodded and she smiled back. "Okay."

"Thank you for…the offer though." The Jedi said with a tired smile. "Little one."

"It's time Ani." Kenobi said softly from where he stood at the head of the bed, "We can't wait any longer little brother."

"All right Obi-Wan." The young man said looking up at the knight. "I'm ready."

Jinn stood up, positioned himself on the edge of the bed and switched to his native language as he rested his forehead against Anakin's. "I love you more then life my little Ani. May The Lady, the Gods and the Force protect you my son." The Jedi Master smiled as he straightened up and placed a hand on the young man's forehead. "Close your eyes Padawan and listen to the sound of my voice..."

Obi-Wan carefully monitored Skywalker's heart and respiration rate while their father used the Force to help the wounded man into a coma like state where the body of a Force sensitive person will automatically use the Force as a form of life support, "Father." Kenobi said when he felt Anakin's body instinctively reach out and touch his mind. "He's in the trance."

"Thank the Lady." Qui-Gon said, continuing to use his Nir'duinain dialect. "That took more work then I thought it would."

"Is Anakin all right?" Ruwee asked, unable to understand what the Jedi Master was saying.

Jinn looked towards the others in the room and sent them a small smile, "I'm sorry." He said, apologizing for not speaking so that they could understand. "Ani is fine and is responding well to the Healing Trance. Hopefully he'll be able to come out of it in about a week."

"Are you and Obi-Wan all right?" Padme asked as Obi-Wan helped her untangle herself from her unconscious husband.

"I'm all right." Qui-Gon answered before lifting the young woman and helping her over Anakin.

"Me too." Obi-Wan replied with a small smile.

"Master Jinn." Padme said while tapping his shoulder. "Could you put me down now please?"

The Jedi Master looked down and turned red when he realized he was still holding his pregnant daughter-in-law. "Oh Force I'm sorry child." He said as he gently set her down. "You hardly weigh a thing to me."

"Right now I find that hard to believe." The young woman replied with a small smile.

"Believe it Padme." Kenobi said before moving to stand next to Jinn. "Nir'duinains are extremely strong; not superhuman mind you but extremely strong nonetheless."

"It's because of the environment my people live in." Qui-Gon explained when their adult hosts went a little tense. He resisted the urge to smile when they relaxed at the statement and sighed when he realized that his strength would most likely start to decline before too much longer. Already, he was starting to feel the effects of the Asacalare's disease and that was starting to make him uneasy.