a/n: hi again. Thanks to everyone who has been following this story so far. I appreciate you all. And I think that everyone knows that these characters and settings are not mine. I could never come up with something as amazing as Star Wars or Star Trek! I just like playing in their worlds, and this was just written out of love, not for money. Though reviews would be nice...

Obi-Wan felt caged by his surroundings as he paced the floor of the same meditation chamber, head bowed, needing to distance himself from Anakin so that he could think. For once he could feel the austerity of the Jedi lifestyle, almost as if it were closing in on him. Ah, the simple life of a Jedi. Clear mind, centered calm, and the gentle flow of the Force as he opened himself up to it...

So why didn't anything seem so simple and clear anymore? He knew in his heart that something was wrong; that something was happening with Anakin. So then why was he so powerless to help his Padawan? Even knowing that a--so far as he could sense--omnipotent being was behind it all did no more than silently scream at him through his mental haze. No plan for dealing with the situation forced itself through his mind, which only heightened his sense of frustration. Confronting Anakin didn't work. Now what?

Obi-Wan again found himself wondering about Q's interest in the Jedi, and especially Anakin. He couldn't figure out Q's motive for making his offer. Certainly not out of the kindness of the being's heart. No, it still seemed to Obi-Wan that Q was toying with them all, that this was all just a game for Q's private amusement. But what Obi-Wan couldn't determine, and it worried him far more than he cared to admit, was Anakin a pawn in Q's game, or the prize?

The Jedi's head suddenly jerked up as he felt a familiar presence approach the Temple. Worry and fear radiated from her, mingling with Master Kenobi's own. But how did Senator Amidala learn of Anakin's situation?

He left the Temple to meet her; thankful for an ally who, with the exception of himself, and possibly Master Yoda, knew Anakin's thought and dreams as well as anyone could, Anakin having confided in her often. For once, it might be helpful to have someone as emotionally attached to Anakin as Padme Amidala was, Obi-Wan decided. It was quite possible that Anakin would be more willing to respond to Obi-Wan if his friend Padme was also there for encouragement.

Padme stopped short as she saw the lone Jedi Knight heading toward her in the space hangar. Obi-Wan Kenobi, exactly the man she needed to talk to.

"My lady," he said as he approached with a quick formal bow, "this is a surprise,

but--"

"Master Kenobi, please, we do not have time for formality," Padme interrupted somewhat impatiently. "Something is wrong with Anakin," she added more softly, looking anxiously into the Jedi's eyes for the slightest hope that she was wrong.

"I know. I can sense it," he replied, still a little surprised that she came. "But how did you know?"

"I saw him tonight. He came to see me and…and… Something had really shaken him. I thought maybe you would know more about what had happened." As the young woman spoke, her concern and fear for Anakin made her seem more vulnerable than Obi-Wan could remember ever seeing her before, in spite of her strength of purpose and regal poise. But something she said...

"Wait," Obi-Wan said suddenly. "What time did you see him?"

"I don't know exactly. I saw him in my rooms; something made him run away, and immediately after he left I came here. It hasn't been very long. Why?" Padme answered, a little testily. What did it matter what time she saw Anakin? He needed her! Was it all that important for Obi-Wan to catch Anakin for breaking curfew now? Really, she almost felt like trying to knock some sense other than the Jedi variety into Master Kenobi's head, when she saw the expression on his face change to one of genuine alarm.

"What's wrong?" she asked, dreading the answer.

"Anakin was here. I saw him not too long ago. He wouldn't have had time to be there and back!" Obi Wan cried, running back toward the Jedi Temple with Padme close at his heels.

This time when Obi-Wan reached Anakin's door he stretched out with the Force to try to sense his Padawan's presence, without luck. Anakin wasn't inside.

Obi-Wan used the Force to over-ride the lock on the door and leaped inside, looking around at the emptiness of a droid- cluttered but otherwise sparsely furnished Jedi room, minus one occupant.

Only one explanation came to Obi-Wan's mind regarding Anakin's new nocturnal activities, and everything clicked into place.

"He took the power Q offered!" Obi-Wan shrugged hopelessly. "That boy..." he said with a long-suffering sigh.

"What?" Padme asked in confusion, unable to make heads or tails of what Obi-Wan was talking about. "What is going on? Where is Anakin?"

Obi-Wan explained to her as best he could about their strange encounter with the god-like entity known as Q and about the offer he had made them. He told her about their refusal, and Anakin's seeming hesitation...

"I saw the interest Q took in Anakin! I should have foreseen this!" Obi-Wan concluded, suddenly angry with himself.

"Foreseen this, you could not have, Master Kenobi," a voice said behind them.

Obi-Wan and Padme spun around, both having a bad feeling about what they would see. The turn of phrase was Master Yoda's but the voice belonged to--

"Master Q, at your service," Q said benevolently, wearing the brown robes of a member of the Jedi Order. "I must admit that I didn't expect you to catch on so quickly. I am impressed, Master Obi-Wan. Perhaps here is hope for your absurd little Order after all," Q said with a smile.

Obi-Wan didn't respond. Those ears look better on Master Yoda, he thought critically.

"Oh, fine. Have it your way," Q replied to Obi-Wan's thoughts, his long, green ears shrinking down to human size and color. "Better now? I wouldn't want to offend you with my fashion sense."

"Where is Anakin?" Padme demanded anxiously.

"And this must be the enchanting Senator Amidala I've heard so much about!" Q stepped forward with a charming smile as he held out his hand as if to take hers. When she kept her arms crossed in defiance he shrugged indifferently and replied, "Oh, he's probably exploring the mysteries of the universe. He's a young man and new worlds have just opened up to him. I'd assume he's seeing what all is out there." Q held one arm out in a gesture of invitation. "You can try calling out to him, but personally, I doubt he'll listen."

I told you to leave Anakin out of this!" Obi-Wan shouted at Q, his anxiety over his Padawan escalating to new, unforeseen heights.

"Temper, temper, Master Jedi," Q taunted. "Don't you guys have a little line about where that's supposed to lead? Let's see, fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to a big mess that you'll expect me to clean up." Q peered closely at the furious Jedi Knight. "What do you expect to do about it anyway?" he asked smugly. "Come on! You Jedi think that you are all-knowing and you can't even recognize a dark Jedi standing inches from your face! Even with your vaunted powers in 'the Force' you still couldn't sense my presence unless I chose to allow you to. Face it, I am far greater than anything in your Order's collected, rather pathetically limited, experience."

Obi-Wan refused to answer, which delighted Q further. He poked a finger at Obi-Wan's chest, his lips twisted in a satisfied smirk. "I think you're just jealous because Anakin recognized this and chose me over you. And now he has more experience than you could hope to show him in a lifetime. Come to think of it...now that Anakin has surpassed his teacher, he doesn't really need one anymore, does he?"

The super-being made a motion as if he were brandishing a lightsaber but instead of being struck down by a blade of light, Obi-Wan felt himself engulfed by a brilliant, deadly radiance. He slumped down to the floor in agony as Padme screamed, "Anakin!"

She fell to her knees beside him, clasping his limp hand in hers. "Obi-Wan, please be all right," she pleaded, desperately willing his strength to return. Padme couldn't believe what was happening. Obi-Wan was a powerful Jedi Knight. How could this man standing triumphantly over them be able to overcome him like this? She wondered in horror.

Thinking he'd finally gotten the hang of the Q's ability to travel through time, Anakin stood no longer powerless to rescue his mother, whom before he could only cradle in his arms as she lay dying, when he felt it. The disturbance in the Force--the power he had ignored to gain the Q powers--hit him like a shock wave that he could not suppress. Obi-Wan was in trouble!

"Master!" he cried as he felt Obi-Wan's presence ebbing away and heard Padme's distraught cry for his help. And he felt another presence there as well. Q.

"But what about my mother?" Anakin looked despairingly down at the encampment where his mother would soon be taken and slowly tortured to death. Something within told him that he would only have the opportunity to save one, and his mind cruelly forced him to make a choice.

He had already lost his mother and that pain, along with his own inability to save her, had nearly destroyed him. But he had survived that loss. To lose Master Obi-Wan and Padme, he felt now would be even more unbearable. If he used these powers, which he had known he was never meant to have in the first place, to save his mother, but Obi-Wan and Padme died because of it...Anakin didn't think he could live with himself if something happened to them as well. He had to save them!

Agonizing over the decision, he whispered, "I'm sorry, Mom," and disappeared through time once more.

"What did you do to him?" Padme demanded, venomously glaring up at Q as she knelt beside the dying Jedi Knight.

"Nothing your tiny consciousness could comprehend, my dear," Q said in a surprisingly pleasant tone.

"Don't you dare talk to her like that!" Anakin's voice said sharply behind them. Padme looked up, startled. If Q experienced the same feeling he didn't show it.

"Ah, welcome back, mon Padawan! How's your mother--" Q stopped abruptly as Anakin rushed past him to his fallen Master's side, completely ignoring the super-being. "What-What are you doing?" Q inquired in surprise.

"Saving my Master." Anakin called upon all the power he possessed, new Q power mingling with the energy of the living and unifying Force in his effort to save Obi-Wan. He didn't know if what he was doing would work, didn't know if he could make it work, but he had to try. Obi-Wan couldn't die, he just couldn't!

Anakin held his breath as he anxiously watched Obi-Wan for any sign of movement, and let it out in a long, ragged sigh as he felt a warm glow flow out of him and into the Jedi Knight.

"Master!" he cried in relief and gratitude as life slowly began returning to Obi-Wan's still form. "Obi-Wan, I'm sorry..."

Obi-Wan gasped sharply, a good sign since he was barely breathing a moment earlier. "I take it--you still need me--after all?" he managed to say with a pained smile, struggling to sit up.

Anakin quickly put an arm around the Jedi to help support him. "Of course I need you, Master! If I had lost you too..."

Q watched the touching scene before him, shaking his head reprovingly.

You chose him over dear old mom? Really, Ani, I'm disappointed. I honestly thought you showed potential, but I believe I may have been wrong about you."

"I guess even a Q can make mistakes," Anakin retorted, his back still to the omnipotent being.

"Well!" Q huffed. "I don't think you deserve my powers after all!"

"Take them back. They interfere with my Jedi abilities!"

"Fine!" Q shouted angrily. "But don't think I'm the only party that's taken an interest in you, young Skywalker!" And with that, Q vanished.

Padme stared at the spot where Q last stood. "I hope that's the last we see of him!" She shivered. Anakin stood and wrapped his good arm around her, helping Obi-Wan to his feet with the other. Obi-Wan looked worried, his mind on Q's parting statement. He wondered if Q really was so quick to give up on them.

"Master," Anakin said softly, facing him, "I'm sorry. You were right about the Q power all along. But I couldn't see that. If you and Padme had died because of my impatience--"

"Wait, Padawan," Obi-Wan replied shakily, but with a slight twinkle in his eye. "Anakin, remind me to lecture you about this later. Right now," he paused for a moment to catch his breath, "I don't seem to have the strength!"

Anakin nodded solemnly, knowing Obi-Wan didn't need the reminder and probably wasn't expecting it. And, just this once, perhaps he conveniently wouldn't even get around to giving the lecture anyway. But, just this once, Anakin wouldn't have really minded receiving it, since his Master was still alive to give it.

a/n: Winding down! Just an epilogue left, I think. Anyway, thanks for reading!