A pumpkin colored car sped off of Tosche Street and slogged through the gravel lot of the motel. Ahsoka honked the horn twice. Moments later Anakin descended the stairs, backpack slung over his shoulder. Ahsoka rolled down the window and joked, "Going my way?" with one hand on the steering wheel and the other arm draped across the passenger seat.
Anakin smiled, then remarked, "You drive?"
"What, you don't?"
"Hey, don't get snippy with me," Anakin replied. He settled into the passenger seat and swung the door shut. "I'm your elder, remember?"
Ahsoka scoffed and pulled back onto the main road. "Five months hardly gives you authority," she said.
"But you must admit, it gives me some authority." He held back a laugh as Ahsoka glared at him. "So where're we heading?"
Obi-Wan sipped spiced tea and looked at the map of Coruscant once more. They would wait until dark, and then drive out to the lake. From there, they'd need a boat, and—
The doorbell rang.
He tucked the map into his tunic and answered the door. Deputy Rex.
"Would you follow me, sir? You'll need your shoes."
At the library, Anakin and Ahsoka had trouble staying quiet. They needed to find a classic novel to analyze, but it was so much more fun to scout out bizarre books and share bits of the passages.
"Look at this one, Anakin. How to Survive an Ewok Apocalypse," Ahsoka read. "Step One: Learn the language. What do you think 'yub nub' means?"
Anakin gasped. He lowered his voice, "Snips, I can't believe you said that."
"What? What did I say?"
Anakin grinned at Ahsoka's wide eyes, which quickly narrowed in suspicion.
"You're teasing me," she said dryly.
He pulled another book off the shelf and replied after a laugh, "I think it means 'freedom'." Anakin flipped to a random page and read to himself, The other man beckoned to him like a devil in a fevered dream. It was forbidden, and yet he kept crawling back. If anyone held power over Sam, it was this man, with his eyes so blue and his simple, undeniable demands. "Come for me."
Anakin's face turned a vibrant shade of red with a strange sense of embarrassment, as if his veins had been injected with helium. He fumbled with the book as he tried to put it back as quickly as possible.
The corner of Ahsoka's lips quirked up. She asked slyly, "What did you find?"
"Nothing," Anakin blurted. He ran both hands through his hair and suggested, "Why don't we pick something for the project?"
She went over to where the steamy novel was stacked and read some herself, despite Anakin's protests. Anakin watched her read about a page before she started snickering. Ahsoka said, "I dare you to ask Mr. Clovis if this counts as classic literature."
"No way!" he yelled. Someone shushed them from the cowardly cover of a bookshelf. Anakin moved closer to Ahsoka and whispered, "There's no way in the galaxy I'm doing that."
Ahsoka shrugged. "You never know."
Anakin raised an eyebrow. "Are you implying—?"
"So this is where all the racket is coming from." Barriss approached them, smiling lightly.
"Barriss!" Ahsoka hugged her happily. "Do you know what you're reading for the English project?"
"Can you explain why General Grievous' vehicle is here?"
Obi-Wan stared at the oversized, cream-colored truck, its sides splattered with rusty mud. So close to the motel, and somewhat hidden by the tall brush. "No," he answered with a shrug. Then he raised an eyebrow and gestured with his hand to signify the idea, "Maybe you should ask Grievous."
Deputy Rex crossed his arms and stared at him silently, as if he could pressure the truth out of him with mere intimidation. A breeze rustled the lanky stalks of grass.
"Is he going to move it soon? I haven't had a guest yet, I don't want them thinking they can park wherever they like," Obi-Wan said, feigning annoyance.
Rex studied him a few seconds longer, then replied, "I'll do what I can, Mister Kenobi." He sent a message to Sheriff Cody through a comlink. "You're free to go," he added, before assigning his attention to the truck in case he missed something.
Obi-Wan turned and walked away as casually as he could. Tension snaked through his shoulders. Just breathe, Father. He wished Anakin was there to remind him.
Ahsoka drove Anakin and Barriss back to her house. They managed to take notes on two and a half chapters before completely losing focus. With intense concentration and controller in hand, Anakin won the last round of virtual podracing as Ahsoka and Barriss roared in denial. A Togruta with a vermilion complexion came to check on them.
"Girls, could you keep it down? Oh, hi," she said, noticing Anakin.
"Auntie, this is Anakin," Ahsoka said.
Anakin stood and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you," he said.
"Likewise," she said, scrutinizing him with sharp, dark eyes. "Do you need to be home by a certain time, Anakin?"
"Well," Anakin frowned, "Sometime soon, probably."
She smiled politely. "Just let Ahsoka know when. Maybe you can get some work done first?"
"Auntiiie," Ahsoka groaned. Barriss smiled. She received a similar welcome when she first met Shaak Ti.
"Alright," she resigned, "Have fun, you three." Shaak kept the door open as she left.
Anakin settled back down between Barriss and Ahsoka. "Do you like your parents?" he asked. It had seemed like a good question when he'd thought it.
"It's just my aunt and me," Ahsoka replied, her eyes downcast.
"Oh," Anakin said. They were more alike than he knew. He informed her, "My mother died when I was little."
Barriss placed a comforting hand on Anakin's shoulder. He looked at her, unused to contact from people other than his father. She was all soft eyes and vibrant green skin. Barriss' hand slid away and she leaned her head against his shoulder instead.
Ahsoka continued, "I do like her, but she can be..."
"Protective?" Anakin supplied.
"Overbearing," Barriss said, and Ahsoka nodded.
Anakin smiled sympathetically. He knew how that felt. "It was good to get out of the house," he said.
"Your father wants to keep you close, doesn't he?" Ahsoka sounded envious, in a way.
"Yeah," Anakin replied, and he realized that he was incredibly lucky. "I should get going."
"Aww," Barriss whined, and Ahsoka rolled her eyes. She jumped up off the couch and said, "Come on, then."
When Ahsoka dropped Anakin off at the motel, they made plans to work on the project again. Anakin felt content as he entered the house and set down his backpack. Obi-Wan didn't appear to be around, so Anakin leaned on the staircase and called, "I'm home!" No one answered. Anakin grimaced, annoyed at how his voice resounded in the empty house. Maybe Obi-Wan was just doing some work in the motel office. Anakin poured himself a glass of blue milk and tried to convince himself he didn't need to check. He peered out the window moments later, cursing himself for not noticing earlier. The car was gone. He'd have to wait to see Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan was on his way to the grocery store when he spotted Sheriff Cody directing traffic around a couple crumpled, steaming cars. When he'd reached the intersection, Obi-Wan rolled down his window and joked, "How did you get stuck on road duty?"
Cody recognized him with a smile and kept traffic flowing in the other direction while he talked to him. "It happens to the best of us," Cody shrugged. "How's your wrist?"
"Much better now, thanks to you," he said, and by the Force, he did not mean to sound so flirty. What was it with Cody that made him like this?
The Sheriff observed the growing number of honking vehicles behind Obi-Wan's and turned back to him. "I have break in twenty minutes, if you'd like to talk. There's a café just down the street."
"I'll take you up on that offer," replied Obi-Wan, finding it difficult to contain his enthusiasm. At Cody's signal, he drove away and parked in front of Pilot Outpost, with just a small amount of time to get what he needed and mentally prepare for their rendezvous.
On the other side of the store, a young woman stood in front of the flower aisle, deliberating.
"Who's the lucky guy?"
She jumped, not having noticed the tall, green-eyed man beside her. He looked kind, so she laughed and explained, "I want to get some for my brother. I haven't seen him in a long time."
"But you can't decide which ones?" he asked.
"That's the problem," she said. "I don't know what he'll like."
He considered the choices before them briefly and then inquired, "How old is your brother?"
"He's in high school."
"Well, in that case, I might know him. I teach at Coruscant High." He patted his school bag.
"Really?" She looked at him thoughtfully. "His name is Anakin."
"Anakin, huh?" His lips curled into a smirk. He surveyed the tangled mess of vines and pigments. "These," he decided, picking up a bouquet. The petals were bright orange with jagged, black stripes.
She took the flowers from him and marveled at them. "These are perfect," she beamed.
He bowed, and she giggled. "The name's Rush," he told her.
"Padmé," she said, and offered her hand as if she were royalty.
He pressed a languid kiss to her hand. "In all honesty, Padmé, the prettiest flower here is you."
What a terrible line! Padmé smiled anyway and started walking towards the check-out counter. "Have a good evening, Rush," Padmé said sweetly.
He watched her go, someone else on his mind entirely.
The café was decorated in earth tones, which Obi-Wan found welcoming. When Cody walked through the door, a little bell rang and a few employees said hello with the kind of admiration boys give superheroes. With a charismatic smile, he shirked off his leather jacket and found his way to Obi-Wan's booth.
"Nice to see you again," said Cody.
"Nice to see you, too," Obi-Wan replied.
Cody raised his hand somewhat and a waitress came right over. "One Corellian caf, and whatever pleases Obi-Wan," he requested.
"I'll have the same," said Obi-Wan, feeling warm.
The Kiffar waitress hummed cheerfully. "Makes it easy for me."
"Thanks, Jovi."
She patted Cody on the shoulder and went to put their orders in.
Obi-Wan shifted so he supported his head on one arm and the other rested across the edge of the table. "You seem rather well-liked," he surmised.
"That's one perk of working in a small town," Cody replied, a hint of mischief crossing his face. "But I'm willing to bet half the people who claim to like me are actually scared of me."
"Oh?" Obi-Wan challenged, a laugh caught in his throat. Jovi came back with two delicious smelling mugs of caf. Obi-Wan thanked her this time.
Cody fixed his caf and then asked, "So what brought you to Coruscant?"
"There was an accident," Obi-Wan said as he watched cream swirl in the black caf. "A terrible accident." He wasn't sure if he wanted to elaborate.
"What happened?"
The truth was dangerous in any hands, let alone a policeman's. Obi-Wan looked in Cody's warm eyes and just wanted to spill everything. So he would allow him a little. "I met Asajj Ventress while living in Naboo." He pictured her rain-soaked and shivering in the dead of night, and said, "She had strayed far from home. She didn't have a family to help her." Obi-Wan chuckled. "The funny thing is, I saw this beautiful woman and completely underestimated her. Asajj didn't need my help to survive, but she received it anyway." Obi-Wan had given her his robe and offered her a place to stay for the night. In her low, mystic voice she'd refused, day after day until something changed. Asajj almost looked forward to Obi-Wan's pestering, right on time, just as the sun set and cast enough shadows over the peaceful, dazzling city that she could pretend she belonged. "We lived happily together for several months," Obi-Wan continued, neglecting to mention the unhappy times, "before she…"
Cody reached across the table and placed his hand over Obi-Wan's.
Obi-Wan was reminded of the present and forced a smile for Cody. He shouldn't dwell on old lovers so much. The details, even the dishonest ones, were still hesitant to form in his mouth. He simply said, "She died."
Sheriff Cody gave Obi-Wan's hand a squeeze before taking a sip of his drink, without breaking eye contact. He replied, "I'm sorry you had to go through that."
Force, he has such a strong gaze. Maybe he really did care about Obi-Wan. He explained, "The best thing I could do was leave and start anew with Anakin." Obi-Wan took a breath and ventured, "But that's been a bit difficult with the police force knocking on my door, you know?"
Cody laughed lightly. "Ah, well, Rex is always very dedicated to our investigations. Any leads and he's on the chase like a puppy. You don't have to worry, Obi-Wan." Cody leaned in close and whispered, "He doesn't have anything on you."
Obi-Wan kissed him before he could argue the reaction. He pulled away just as fast, face a shade of rose. The entire café probably saw that! Their sheriff! What have I— "Sorry, I don't know what I was thinking," he rushed to say.
"There's no need," said Cody. Was he smirking? "Would you have dinner with me?"
Obi-Wan didn't know how he was still functioning. "When?" he asked.
"Tomorrow." Cody checked his watch and stood. "We could go to the holotheater after," he offered smoothly, and placed a few credits on the table.
"Yes," Obi-Wan agreed, feeling like a tongue-tied teenager. He'd never done anything with a man before. Maybe he'd have better luck.
Cody swung his jacket over his shoulder and motioned goodbye with a wave of two fingers. Obi-Wan waved back, and when he'd left, Obi-Wan buried his face in his arms.
Anakin had grown bored waiting. He drifted about the house, looking for something to do. Eventually he sat at the ancient square piano in the family room and tried to play a tune. The notes manifested erratic and ghostly. Anakin smashed his hand against the keys. A sound that could've been in a horror holovid echoed off the walls. Curious, he lifted the lid and looked inside. Well, might as well give it a try. He extended his arm and concentrated on the idea of balance, and the strings began to tighten.
The imagined harmony became real as the chime of the doorbell resonated. He ran to the door, not expecting such a beautiful sight.
"Hi, Ani."
"Padmé!" Anakin hugged her, swiftly lifting her off her feet and spinning her around. "I missed you," he said, setting her down gently.
Padmé stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "I missed you, too," she said, and presented him with the bouquet of flowers. "These are for you."
His face lit up and he brought the flowers to his nose, breathing in deeply. Honey and firewood. Anakin admired them again, rubbing a velvety petal between two fingers. "They look like tigers," he said, smiling shyly. "Thank you, Padmé."
She thanked Rush internally. They walked into the kitchen to get a vase for the flowers. "So how have you been?" Padmé asked. Her eyes were drawn to the bruises on his face. "Getting into fights often?"
Anakin sat next to her at the kitchen table and joked, "Not often. Don't worry."
"Ani," she chastised, and he didn't say anything more. Padmé surveyed her surroundings, and she had to admit, the old house was charming. She turned to Anakin. "Where's Obi-Wan?"
"Father has been out for a while," he answered sharply.
They talked a little longer about what was new and found that distance hadn't changed them much. Obi-Wan arrived with an armful of groceries and nearly dropped them when he saw Padmé. "What are you doing here?" he asked.
"Nice to see you too, Obi-Wan," she retorted, tone pleasant despite the bite behind the words.
Obi-Wan set the groceries on the table and looked at Anakin, then Padmé. "I'm sorry, I just wasn't expecting you."
She stood, and Anakin felt the last scrap of peace in the room dissipate. The flowers wilted with his mood. Padmé said, "You might've if you hadn't moved to the middle of nowhere without telling me."
"We've had this argument before. You liked your life in Naboo—"
"And so did you, Obi-Wan, before you met—"
He stopped her before she could say the name that triggered so many memories and demanded, "Stop calling me that. I'm your father."
Padmé pressed her lips together and tried to gather her arguments, but Anakin knew why she came. He looked at Obi-Wan with big blue eyes and said, "Father, Padmé needs a place to stay." He finished the sentence with a subtle pout of his bottom lip.
Obi-Wan relented. Despite all her misgivings, Obi-Wan did love Padmé, and Anakin loved her, too. "I'm glad to see you're safe," he told her. "Of course you can stay here."
Padmé was surprised at how quickly he'd tempered, but then again, she shouldn't have been. Obi-Wan always did what Anakin asked. She took her seat again and they all ate a quiet, yet uncomfortable, dinner.
Later, Anakin helped Padmé get her things from her car. Night had fallen, and the windows from the house lit up yellow and bright. At the bottom of the stairs, Anakin watched as an ink black silhouette came into view from Obi-Wan's bedroom window. He could distinctly make out his father taking off his belt, then the overtunic. Obi-Wan let the inner tunic slide off his shoulders as he turned his back to the window, and he pulled his undershirt over his head, taking care to smooth his hands over his ruffled hair. His shadow disappeared for a moment, then reappeared with something more delicate clutched in his hands. Probably that thin cotton robe that was so kind to his skin. Anakin watched him slip it on, and he had been staring so long that his vision clouded, when a stair caught his toe and he fell on the box he'd been carrying.
"Anakin! Are you alright?" Padmé called from the top of the stairs.
"Fine," he grumbled, and dusted himself off. He'd have to pull the curtains closed for Obi-Wan. And for his own sanity.
Padmé had settled in and Anakin was getting ready for bed when the doorbell rang, followed by a series of harsh knocks. Obi-Wan padded down the stairs, peeked through the peephole, and pulled his brown cloak on before answering the door.
Sheriff Cody and Deputy Rex stood under the porch light, ominous shadows cast against their identical faces. "Something has come to our attention," Cody said. Obi-Wan's heart sank. Cody turned to Rex solemnly.
Rex said, "A witness saw you and General Grievous arguing on your front lawn." He narrowed his eyes and accused, "You said you'd never seen him."
Obi-Wan swallowed the lump in his throat. He managed, "I thought you meant, had I seen him recently? I didn't say I'd never seen him."
"Most would consider within the week recent," Rex countered.
Obi-Wan looked from Rex to Cody and said, "I'm not most people." Cody smiled.
"Then you won't mind if I take a look around," the Deputy pressed.
"Actually, I do," Obi-Wan replied, pulling the door a little tighter. "It's late, and I'd like to get to bed."
Rex turned to Cody with a hard expression, but Cody tipped his head toward their car. After a pause, Rex started down the stairs, frustrated.
Obi-Wan relaxed. He relinquished his death grip on the door and moved closer to Cody. He said nonchalantly, "It looks like I'm guilty until proven innocent."
Cody's eyes raked over Obi-Wan, the corner of his mouth curling up. "You'll get a chance to prove your innocence to me."
Obi-Wan remembered that his nighttime robe wasn't the most modest of garments and self-consciously crisscrossed his Jedi cloak over his torso. He laughed along nervously.
Cody looked sympathetic and told him, "We'll talk more tomorrow. Have a good night."
Obi-Wan nodded and retreated into the house. A bead of sweat formed on his brow. Am I really that see-through? Dread filled his body. I'm certainly no stranger to sex—He's met Anakin! And yet…
Obi-Wan didn't notice Anakin had come down the stairs until he was standing in front of him. His son observed him carefully and concluded, "You look pale." Anakin held his hand to Obi-Wan's forehead. Concerned, Anakin tried to check on him through the Force, but met a wall. The boy appeared dejected for a second, before asking bluntly, "Who was at the door?"
He didn't want to worry Anakin, but they were running out of time. "We have to go through with your plan," Obi-Wan said, "Tonight."
Anakin turned to get ready.
"Anakin," Obi-Wan called.
"Yes, Father?"
Obi-Wan admired Anakin. He always kept his head when Obi-Wan didn't. He hoped Anakin could read it in his gaze.
"I missed you," Anakin said, for the second time that day.
Obi-Wan melted. He could carry on as long as he had Anakin. "Be very quiet. Make sure your sister is asleep," Obi-Wan whispered.
Anakin nodded, the faintest tinge of color in his cheeks. The lake awaited them.