AN: Thank you very much to all who reviewed. This story is almost finished, I needed it out of my head for exams (*groan*) so besides a short epilogue, this story is complete.
Ejm12: Thank you. I'm hoping to keep that mood going!
GirlFromNorth: I babysit a lot, so the Anakin vs. Skywalker twins' flashback was partially inspired by those experiences (though I never gave the kids six cookies each… yikes!) And thank you, I loved that line too.
Hmmm: As this story is primarily about Obi Wan I don't think I can work in another Qui Gon/ Luke flashback believably. But if you don't mind, I'd like to write a story about them, either from actual Star Wars cannon or in the AU. Let me know what you think!
Toni: Thank you. The flashbacks are the most fun to write.
Farewell, My Brother
"Luke!"
Obi Wan's body was broken, a used up vessel swiftly becoming a mere shell. Through the Force, Anakin could already tell that his Master had no ability to move anything below his chest, and the poison was already burning away the tissue and muscles near his heart.
Leia was cradled against her mother, like she used to do when she was just a child, scared or discouraged by the problems of her world. Master Windu was leaning over Obi Wan, as if checking to see if there was anything to do to comfort the dying Jedi.
But Obi Wan himself simply looked happy to see Luke. His blue eyes, tinged with a slight gray, sparkled just as they always did when Luke was around. He was really too weak to be moving anything, but the ailing mentor reached out a gentle hand to his student.
Luke came rushing forward and fell to his knees beside the bed of his Master. He clutched the hand reaching towards his and burst into tears. Obi Wan let out a gentle, sad sigh, and weakly ran his fingers through Luke's blonde mop, murmuring comforting words as he did so.
Anakin did nothing. He stood by the doorway and didn't move forward or anywhere near the dying Master's bed. He watched the scene, Luke on his knees, Leia and Padme comforting each other while Windu placed a gentle, reassuring hand on each of their shoulders. His earlier courage to comfort his family was forgotten as the awful truth resounded in the Force. Obi Wan Kenobi was going to die soon, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
Few would truly understand just what was lost.
"Anakin, does it look like I'm dissolving over here?"
Anakin gave his new Master a critical look, cocking his blonde head to the side. He'd never seen so much water, it was up to Obi Wan's knees!
"No..."
"See? There's nothing to be afraid of! The water's not even cold." The Master took a few more steps toward his shivering Padawan.
"What if I drown?" Anakin still looked trepidatous, as if contemplating his inevitable demise.
"I'm teaching you how to swim so you DON'T drown, padawan!" The Master held out a hand, "Come on."
Anakin took the hand and gradually waded into the Temple pool.
"There you see? So far so good!" Obi Wan's words weren't even noticed, Anakin was too preoccupied by the sheer amount of water. The feeling of it swooshing around his legs was amazing, and its warmth was soothing his tense muscles. He kicked a little, experimentally, accidentally splashing the older Jedi. He looked up quickly, expecting a reprimend, but instead an amused expression graced his Master's features.
With a loud splash, Obi Wan's shin made a large arc of water that got Anakin full in the face. Sputtering, Anakin had vowed revenge and within ten minutes, all the awkwardness between the newly made Master/Padawan team disappeared as a full fledged water war began.
It hadn't lasted too long, of course, this was a swimming lesson, not play time. Anakin soon found himself on his back, floating on the water. Terrified blue eyes focused on the Master's calm face. He tried to breathe deeply, but he kept tensing. Once he even completely submerged himself. It was an awful moment and he lost all sense of direction. He flung his limbs about haphazardly, desperately fighting for breath, until a strong hand jerked him up out of the water.
"Calm down, Anakin. Just keep a hold on my hand and I won't let you fall."
LINE BREAK
"Anakin! Anakin, wake up!"
"Go away!"
"No."
"...Please?"
"Well, fine. If you want to spend your birthday in bed, then I'm willing to..."
Anakin's blue eyes shot open.
"It's my birthday!"
"My scattered young padawan, did you truly forget?"
Anakin blushed, "maybe...how did you find out about it?"
Obi Wan looked rather proud of himself but he only said, "Oh, a Master has his ways. Now what would you like to do today. You have the day off classes."
"Podracing!"
"What would you like to do that doesn't contain the potential for bodily harm."
"um...I don't know?"
"Well, you can think it over while you eat your cake."
"You made me cake!" Anakin was out of bed and racing toward the kitchen as fast as he could.
When Obi Wan walked in the kitchen at a slower, more dignified pace, he saw his padawan staring at the cake with a slightly confused look on his face.
"Master, why is the cake...brown?"
"It's chocolate, Ani. Don't you like chocolate?"
"What's chocolate?"
"What's chocolate! Padawan, sit down right now." Anakin dutifully sat in his chair while Obi Wan served up a large portion of the weird colored cake.
"You've really never had chocolate before?"
"No. Is it good?"
Obi Wan nodded to the fork next to Anakin's plate.
"You tell me."
A forkfull of cake later, and Obi Wan was deemed the 'best Master EVER!'
LINE BREAK
"You're getting too old for this, Master!" One Force jump from the seventeen-year-old padawan and offensive blows rained down on the Master.
A twirl of the blue lightsaber, and all attacks were neutralized.
"Then why haven't you beaten me yet?"
A few hard slices were made at the stomach of the elder, the clash of the lightsabers echoed in the empty training hall. A slow, easy smile formed on the Padawan's face.
"I like a close match. And besides I wouldn't want to strain your old bon-OW!" The training sabers were dropped and both men inspected the slight burn.
"Fatal. Now what was that you were saying regarding my old bones?" A smug smirk danced on the Master's face.
The padawan pouted.
LINE BREAK
"I must say your rescuing skills have improved." Obi Wan caught the lightsaber tossed to him by his former padawan and ignited it.
"With you around Master, I get in lots of practice." The Team's blue blades rapidly deflected blaster bolts aimed at them; they were surrounded by battle droids.
"Well at least this time you didn't end up getting captured yourself, and I also see that you decided not to bring the good Senator with you. Very chivalrous of you."
Anakin destroyed a Seperatist droid with extra vigor.
"However, next time you should try to be more subtle, that way we don't have to fight our way through endless Seperatists just to escape."
"I did the rescuing bit, now it's your turn! Think of something!"
"How about..." Obi Wan took one hand off his lightsaber to brush back the ginger fringe of hair getting in his eyes. The gesture wasn't lost on Anakin.
"That won't work, we'd need more time. What if we..." Anakin tapped his nose twice.
"That's ridiculous. There's far too many of them."
"I don't know if you've noticed but we're going to have to do something drastic."
"Well, maybe if ..." Obi Wan brushed his eyebrow.
"Oh. good idea."
Quick as a flash, the blue blades cut a hole through the floor of the hanger. The two Jedi disappeared through it.
"That was perfect, now we're safe, and you're alright!"
"Leaving so soon Master Kenobi?" A hard, mechanical voice coughed.
"You've such a funny definition of 'alright', Anakin."
LINE BREAK
Anakin had never been more shocked in his life than when Obi Wan stood up and defended his marriage to the Council. (Well, Palpatine declaring himself the Sith Lord was shocking, but this was a close second.) He'd been prepared to hand over his lightsaber and face expulsion, but instead Obi Wan had just got up, stood beside Padme, and calmly disputed every point his collegues brought up. In fact, neither Anakin nor Padme had said a word in the entire exchange-Obi Wan had done everything for them.
When Yoda had dismissed the meeting, (Anakin was on probation and the Code would undergo reevaluation,) he was still gaping. Padme, however, had completely recovered from her shock and was smiling. She let go Anakin's hand and impulsively wrapped her arms around Obi Wan.
"Thank You," she said as she pulled back, still smiling.
"You're quite welcome, milady." Obi Wan had replied, clearly uncomfortable and even blushing slightly.
If he weren't still reeling, Anakin might have laughed.
Padme then turned toward Anakin and went up on her toes to kiss his cheek.
"I'll be in the apartment, love. Take your time." Then she'd simply walked away, leaving two confused Jedi in her wake.
There was a rather awkward silence for a minute before Obi Wan offered free caf at his quarters and of course Anakin had accepted.
The walk back to the familiar apartment was also silent. Anakin was trying to fathom why Obi Wan would defy the Code he'd been raised with and said Jedi Master was lost in a private revere of his own.
Anakin finally burst out his best theory once they were safely inside Obi Wan's apartment.
"Master, are you in love?"
Obi Wan's reaction was quite the sight-in fact, years later Anakin always said he'd wished he'd had a holocamera with him at the time. The Master leaned back startled, one eyebrow cocked, and his mouth falling open.
"I beg your pardon?"
Anakin immediately felt ashamed. His Master didn't trust him and that was his fault. If he'd come clean to Obi Wan about Padme, then there would've never been a need for all this deception. Obi Wan might not even have to bear that horrible scar on his hip-the parting gift from Palpatine.
"It's okay, Master. I won't tell the Council. I could even help you with your arguements if you want."
The baffled expression didn't leave his Master's face.
"Anakin, what are you talking about?"
"The woman you're in love with, Master. Keep up...Who is it by the way?" He frowned, a list of all the females he'd ever seen Obi Wan interact with already forming in his head.
"I'm...I'm not in love with anyone!"
Anakin quickly shoved the sting aside; it was his fault Obi Wan didn't trust him anyway. His face softened.
"Look, I'm really sorry I didn't come to you about Padme. I thought we'd got past all this."
"We have, Padawan. I forgave you a long time ago."
"Then why won't you tell me who you want to marry!"
Comprehension dawned on Obi Wan's face.
"Anakin, I'm not trying to change the attachment rule because I want to marry someone." His face darkened. "The only one I ever could..." He turned away.
Anakin was hopelessly confused until a horrible realization hit him, one that should've long ago.
"Master Tachi?"
His Master nodded, "Siri."
Anakin gently clasped Obi Wan's shoulder, offering comfort years too late. He'd suspected, but dismissed the notion. He had thought that since Obi Wan had let the bounty hunter who'd killed her go, he couldn't have really loved her, at least not like that. He had a better understanding of love now. The fact that Obi Wan hadn't killed him proved it.
There was a long pause where they simply stayed that way, one offering comfort and one recieving it. But the original issue hadn't quite been resolved.
"So...when you were negotiating with the Council, that wasn't for you...?"
Obi Wan shook his head, still facing away from his former student.
"No, Anakin. That was for you."
Anakin couldn't help the grateful tears that welled up in his eyes.
LINE BREAK
"Anakin?"
Gentle, small hands were stroking his face. He looked down into the warm brown eyes of his wife. Her touch was soothing and sweet, but the look in her eyes was as hard as it was the day she'd convinced him to fight Palpatine.
They didn't need words anymore, the way they had needed them that day, he already knew what Padme wanted him to do. Everyone else had said a tearful goodbye; and it was time for him to face this. He came forward, and placed a hand tenderly on his Master's shoulder.
"M-Master, I'm so..."
Obi Wan's hand grasped his forearm with more strength then Anakin would've thought possible, halting any words from him.
"It's not your fault. This is NOT your fault." Obi Wan's blue eyes were hard and uncompromising, almost angry.
"But if I had just..."
"It is NOT your fault." The eyes and tone grew harder, as if daring the younger man to broach another arguement.
He broke down then, poring out his guilt, and shame, and anger through his tears. He scooped the upper half of the weak form into his arms. The last moments were slipping away; Obi Wan didn't have ten minutes. Vaguely, out of the corner of his eye he could see Padme wrapping her arms around Luke and Leia and Master Windu sadly bow his head in respect. But none of that mattered at the moment, nothing mattered but the selfless, caring man who had given up his life for him.
There didn't seem to be anything to say. What could he say to the man who'd been is constant, his friend, his father, his brother, since he was nine? And they had so little time left, so little time...
"Obi Wan, I-I, Force, I'm going to miss you so much...you've...you've been..." Nothing was making it past the lump in his throat. But his mentor simply nodded, like he understood.
"I love you, Anakin." Simple words, spoken barely above a whisper, but they encompassed everything that needed to be said. The body went limp.
Obi Wan had taken his last breath in his brother's arms.