He blinked heavily as light filtered into his cell.
"For Force's sake close the door." Sherlock shook his dark head angrily. Moran's latest game had been inducing migraines upon the poor man every hour or so. His head felt like a melon fruit under a hammer. The cell door closed.
"It must be difficult for you not having the Force, being cut off from your deductive reason." A snide voice railed him. It was garbled, but Sherlock smirked.
"It does not take the Force to know your heavy tread, my lady." Sherlock said snidely. His head was killing him, he didn't mind physical pain, but his mind was beginning to ache. "What do you want?" He hissed.
"My brother will not take to me."
Sherlock snorted. "Color me surprised."
"Tell me why he won't." She said quietly.
"Get the migraines to stop, and I will consider helping you." Sherlock clenched his teeth in pain. Harriet knelt in front of him with two pills in her hand, she pressed them to the knight's lips. He swallowed them dry.
The ache vanished.
"Tell me."
"You took him from everything he cares about and you cannot figure out why he isn't smothering you in love?" Sherlock almost laughed.
"The Jedi took him, I've saved…"
"He doesn't see it like that." Sherlock growled. "You to look at it through his eyes. Jedi have a bond, you've all but temporally severed it between us. It hurts." He said hotly.
"I would never cause Hamish pain." Harriet said shortly. "He is my little brother, he learned to walk at my hands."
"And he learned to stand up for himself, wield a light saber, and drive a cruiser at mine." Sherlock said evenly. "This collar is prevent us from communicating, let me see him."
"I cannot…"
"Then ask him about the Jedi. Find out his point of view on things, don't try to erase it. He likes to be challenged, not smothered." Sherlock snapped. "Call him John, not Hamish. Let him practice with the Force on his own. Let him see me alive."
"He knows you are alive."
"Trust me he needs to see for himself." Sherlock said slowly. "They've been talking, in a week I will be in the custody of my original owner, and John will need an ally. If you give him what he wants until I am gone he will come to you willingly." Sherlock lied.
She frowned. "He doesn't sleep. It's been four days, why won't he sleep?"
Sherlock hesitated. "In our old flat there is a robe and a bear on a bed, he will only sleep with those or..."
"Or?"
"Me." Sherlock said softly. "He needs to be able to smell me."
"You just want me to bring him to you." She said shortly.
"I want my padawan." Sherlock confirmed steadily. "But only to make sure he is alright. He is my responsibility, I have a duty to him."
"Is that all he is to you?" She spat. "A duty? How can you not love him?"
"Jedi, as well as Siths, are forbidden to love. I cannot love John." Sherlock said simply.
Harriet grabbed at his throat. "He loves you, and that is all you can say? You don't deserve him."
"Clearly."
She threw him to the ground angrily and stalked out.
Sherlock smiled.
Now she was no longer threatened by him.
oOo
They attached him to longer chains to give him more reach.
The choice had been given that John could change one thing about his identity or Sherlock could have his leg broken. Obviously Sherlock chose the latter. He limped/paced angrily around his cell waiting for the door to open.
He had to inform the child of their daring escape.
The door clinked.
John walked in slowly, eyes cast down, hands shoved deep in his pockets. Harriet was still whispering proper edict in the child's ear. John's lips pressed into a thin line. "And don't call him "master", and don't touch him, and don't even think of…"
It changed when the boy's sky blue eyes found his master's ocean blue. The two Jedi stared at each other for only a second before John launched himself into Sherlock's arms. The knight nipped the child's ear lightly.
John nipped his master's ear four times to make up for lost days. Sherlock rocked the child soothingly under Harriet's watchful. Both Jedi ignored her.
Sherlock sat down with his back pressed deep into the wall. His chains clanged noisily, causing John to whimper. Sherlock pried the boy from around his neck to inspect the child for injuries. John held still under Sherlock's quick fingers, the boy was perfectly healthy. Sherlock exhaled.
John made his master sit still so he could be inspected. The child instantly cringed at the broken leg, but after turning Sherlock's head every which way, having the Jedi lift his arms, and cupping the forming scruff on his master's cheeks, John was satisfied enough to crawl back into his master's arms.
At last the elder spoke. "Eat."
"Do."
"More."
"Sick."
"John."
The watery sky blue eyes peeked at the master unsurely. "I eat." He said timidly.
"Eat more than enough to sustain you, moron." Sherlock rolled his eyes. He caught his padawan's chin and stared into the young face. John giggled as his teacher cocked an eyebrow.
"Missed you." John mumbled as he curled himself tighter into Sherlock's chest. He passed Sherlock his reed pipes hopefully. Sherlock played a soft melody that made the child smile. Sherlock stroked the boy's hair as he handed the precious instrument back.
His child was an absolute genius.
"Clever." He muttered into the child's ear.
John beamed.
"I'll be as clever as you one day." John grinned. "Then you can be my sidekick."
Sherlock tickled the child's armpits. "Never. No one is as clever as I, brat."
John laughed fiercely as the tickling continued. "Master! Stop! Please!"
Sherlock smiled, John's laughter was slightly intoxicating.
Slightly.
He allowed the child to settle back against his master's chest. Harriet frowned at both of them, Sherlock cocked his head. She sighed. "He cannot call you "master" anymore. And you should never address him as "brat". He is a prince, he has no master. And no one reserves the right to call him "brat"."
John glared at his sister angrily. Sherlock stroked the boy's back soothingly, John buried his face deep in his master's chest. "Teacher, please…"
"It is alright, little one." Sherlock said softly. He curled around the child protectively as John began to snivel. John cried against his mentor's bare chest. Harriet faltered.
Sherlock raised his eyebrows at the young woman. John was nuzzling his teacher's neck fiercely. Harriet frowned deeper. "It is time to go, Hamish."
John let out a loud sob and clung tighter to the Jedi.
"Let him dry his eyes first." Sherlock demanded as John sniffled into the knight's side. John whimpered noisily as Sherlock pushed the boy away. He ran the pad of his thumb over the child's tear stained cheeks. "Enough, John."
"M-master." John wept.
Sherlock ground his teeth to together. He lowered his voice and spoke in the native language of Tatooine. "It will not take long, little one. I need to find out more about the missing padawans."
His padawan responded in kind. "And then we can go home?"
"Yes." Sherlock cupped the child's cheek.
"I warn you, Jedi. Do not speak in foreign languages again." Harriet hissed.
"Five days at most."
"Jedi."
Sherlock nipped at John's ear. "I promise you." He said in basic.
"Yes, Master." John looked at the ground. He looked towards his sister and whispered softly in Tatooine's language. "Grandpa came to visit. He said I need to retrieve my bear."
"My master?" Sherlock blinked at his padawan.
"What other grandpa is there?" John snorted.
Sherlock didn't ask if there had been a message left for him, the knight merely pulled the child in closer and sniffed him. John sighed as Sherlock ran his nose over the fair hair. Sherlock wrapped his arms tighter around the small being as Harriet told them it was time to go.
John shook his head against Sherlock's chest.
"Little one." Sherlock tilted the young chin up ward. Their foreheads met lightly, John gave another small sniffle, but allowed Sherlock to hush him. "I will see you again." Sherlock said firmly.
"Yes, Master." John mumbled.
"Practice your forms."
"Yes, Master."
"Eat more than a meal a day."
"Yes, Master."
Sherlock kissed the soft brow gently. "Don't tell anyone about that." He gave a halfhearted tease.
"I won't, Master." John wrapped his arms around the tall man's neck once more.
"Go." Sherlock gave his padawan a light nudge towards his sister. The boy teetered, then nodded solemnly. The child gave the man a short bow, Sherlock gave him a dismissive nod.
It killed the young knight to dismiss his padawan so calmly. It killed him to be separated from his child. But it would have killed him even more to have the boy forcibly ripped from his arms. He allowed one more swift embrace, enough to memorize John's smell further and once again muttered, "go".
Harriet frowned at the pair.
oOo
She walked Hamish into the cold cell unhappily.
His shoulders slumped further and further in defeat as she reminded him the child was no longer attached to the Jedi in custody. She scolded him for mumbling that the Jedi was still his master. He was a prince, the need to act like one was great.
She opened the door and did her best to remind him of the proper way to treat the slave, but the moment Hamish's eyes found the Jedi's it was clear he would no longer listen to her. Hamish stood perfectly still as the Jedi's eyes wonder over him. The child's eyes immediately teared as he ran to the strong knight.
Hamish cried as he was clasped to the bare chest. The knight kept his face emotionless, but his eyes were shining joyfully. Broken leg be damned, the knight held her brother fiercely. The Jedi nipped each other's ears.
The tall Jedi half sat, half fell against the wall as he clung to the child. The dark haired knight gave the child a gentle shove away and began thoroughly inspecting for injuries. He kept a spidery hand rested on the child's neck, applying soothing pressure to the sensitive skin. Hamish seemed absolutely calm in the presences of the Jedi, despite the cold cell.
The knight reopened his arms, but the little boy shook his fair head. The boy child examined the master's leg with a grimace. The Jedi shook his head with a secretive smile meant only for the child. Hamish pulled at the knight's arms, turned his dark head every which way, and held the knight's cheeks between his little hands. The elder leaned forward and nipped the little boy's ear gingerly.
Hamish crawled into the Jedi's arms and settled into against his chest.
They were made for each other.
The Jedi pulled the child close. He seemed to be weighing the small boy. "Eat."
"Do."
"More."
"Sick."
"John."
John.
His name is Hamish.
She wanted to scream at them both. Her brother's name was Hamish.
They were smiling, music drifted from the knight's corner. Hamish smiled and cracked a snide comment, the knight's lips twitched. "Brat." There was fierce giggling.
Unacceptable.
Harriet let out an irritated sigh. "He cannot call you "master" anymore. And you should never address him as "brat". He is a prince, he has no master. And no one reserves the right to call him "brat"."
The Jedi soothed the angered boy until the rage turned into bitter sobs. The Jedi was instantly protective, he curled around the child and glared at the young woman.
"It's time to go, Hamish."
"Let him dry his eyes first." The Jedi snapped. The child was thrust away gently, the pad of the Jedi's thumb dried his tears. Harriet bit down jealousy as Hamish stood perfectly still for the knight. Hamish had fought her in every way, eating what only servants brought to him, pretending to sleep when she was present, refusing to answer to his royal name. "Enough, John."
John.
He really wasn't her Hamish anymore. He wasn't the little boy who used to hide behind their mother's skirts, he wasn't the little boy who used to smile so hugely to see her.
"M-master." John wept.
John.
The Jedi lowered his voice and began speaking in a tongue she couldn't understand. "Ivt to kun pada, ton min. Ju pica non ve bia hanna tu padawans."
"Se vasa fui?"
"Gee." The Jedi cupped the small cheek. John nuzzled his teacher's palm.
She warned them both to stop, but what could she do? Whip the Jedi in front of her brother? He'd truly hate her.
"Quin has fes."
"Jedi."
"I promise you." He said gently. He nipped the boy's ear.
"Yes, Master." John gave her a small glare. "Granpapa ja so lo gearo. Te blar tucon I slew bearo."
"Me shifta?" The Jedi sound almost hurt.
John snorted. "Alacic granpapa tu fearos?"
The knight pulled the child back against him. Something was wrong in the handsome knight's eyes. There was pain, clear pain. Perhaps it was because the Force no longer hid his emotions, or because the child could not see his eyes. The Jedi sniffed the child possessively.
She intervened by telling John it was time to go.
She still used his royal name.
"Little one." The knight tilted her brother's chin up ward. Their foreheads met lightly, John gave another small sniffle. "I will see you again." The Jedi said firmly.
"Yes, Master." John mumbled.
"Practice your forms."
"Yes, Master."
"Eat more than a meal a day."
"Yes, Master."
The Jedi gave the child a light kiss on the forehead.
The kriffing Jedi loved her brother after all.
"Go." The Jedi said firmly. Her brother barely let him go before he embraced the Jedi once again. "Go." The Jedi murmured sadly.
Harriet tried to pull John close as they exited the cell, but the little boy stalked ahead of her without a backward glance.