Knights of the Old Republic: Episode II
Ahmose Inarus
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Criminal Minds, and I most certainly do NOT own Star Wars.
SLASH WARNING! H/R
Chapter 24
PLANET: CORUSCANT
LOCATION: JEDI TEMPLE
TIME: AFTERNOON
Spencer and Aaron were both nervous as they went to meet with the Council. But it was not to the High Council Chamber that they were summoned to, but a larger meeting room. And when they arrived, they knew why. They weren't just meeting with the High Council. They were to stand before all four of the Councils…
The High Council, the Council of First Knowledge, the Council of Reconciliation, and the Council of Reassignment. Reid felt sick when he saw the last of the four Councils there. The Council of Reassignment was in charge of overseeing all Jedi Initiates. Those who did not pass their Trials to become Padawans, or who were not to become Jedi, were assigned to the Service Corps. They also oversaw the Padawans who failed the Trials to become a Jedi… When Reid saw them there, he had to fight back the nauseating possibility that he may never be a Jedi Knight…
Hotch had to fight not to take his hand, and instead reached out to him through their Bond, trying to reassure him. But he too was very anxious. He had never faced all four of the Councils before, and he had a feeling that they all now knew that he and Spencer were… involved.
The pair stood side by side before the Four Councils, and the room grew silent. The Council Members regarded the pair before them. Reid kept his head down, penitently staring at the floor. While not penitent, Hotch kept his eyes lowered as well. Brazenly staring the Council down at this time would not help them.
For a long time things were silent, and Hotch felt Reid's anxiety building more and more by the second. And finally, Kitata Ree sighed, and spoke.
"Where to begin?" He asked, leaning back in his seat and tapping a claw on the arm of the chair. "So much to discuss… and to decide. Erin?"
Strauss sat up in her chair. "Padawan." She called, and Reid slowly raised his eyes and looked at her. "You returned to the Order. And for that we are glad. However, your conduct once returning was unacceptable. You were abusing a substance that is outlawed for a reason. You should have sought help immediately upon arrival. While I understand that you were grieving the loss of a friend and partner in Darth Dualath, that is not an excuse. This addiction, that you should have dealt with, led you to break the conditions of your probation. You were confined to the Temple. And you left it several times in order to procure more Nectar. Your use of the Nectar weakened you, and your ability to control yourself. And you injured five Jedi in your complete lack of control!" Reid winced, dropping his head and lowering his eyes in his intense shame.
"However…" Raahn Syr rumbled. "When it counted… you did come through with bravery and integrity. As a Jedi. Even at the risk of your own life. You chose death over the Dark Side." Reid swallowed thickly.
"BUT!" Strauss continued suddenly, her voice hard. "The Council has also been made aware of another rule broken. And this one is a rule that was laid down for all Jedi. It is forbidden to enter into a relationship with another." Reid tensed, and his heart leaped into his throat. His head snapped up, and he stared at her in shock. "And you have BOTH broken this fundamental code." Hotch also raised his head to stare her in the eye, though he showed no fear. And no remorse.
"What say you?" Max Ryan demanded.
"If you're looking for an apology, you're not going to get it." Hotch said immediately, and Reid gaped at him. "I'm not going to apologize for something that I do not feel sorry about. I don't regret it. And I would do it again. A hundred times over." And he took Reid's hand and held on tightly. "I know that the Jedi forbid romantic relationships… But I don't agree with this taboo. You don't choose whether or not to love someone. You either do or you don't. And for us, it happened. We didn't choose this."
"But you DID choose to act upon these feelings and allow them to flourish." Master Tonnia pointed out, and Hotch looked at the Echani woman.
"We were true to ourselves. To our hearts and every instinct. And to the Force."
"To the Force?" Bre Mong asked.
"I whole heartedly believe," Hotch explained, "that our acting upon our feelings would not have resulted in the formation of our Bond, if this were not the will of the Force. Especially considering the fact that it weren't for the Bond, none of us would be here in this room having this meeting right now. Not only did it save his life, but it brought him back from the Dark Side."
"That's true." Reid said, softly. "If Aaron hadn't freed me through the Bond… Darth Livion would still rule my every breath." He shuffled closer and looked up. "I don't regret this either. This Bond… this relationship I have… there were times when I was prepared to take my own life to escape the pain of the life I was living with the Sith. But the slightest hope that I could be reunited with the one I love was enough to keep me going… to keep me fighting. This love gave me strength I wouldn't have had, otherwise."
"I believe…" Tarash Virr spoke up, "That the reason we discourage these relationships is because they can lead to the Dark Side. Passion comes from a romantic relationship…"
"Spencer." Raahn Syr said, and Reid looked at him. "I trust that you know the Sith Code?"
"I do, Master." Reid nodded.
"Speak it now, for those of us who do NOT know it."
Reid stared at the Master Shadow, then nodded.
"… Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken... The Force shall set me free."
"Now the Jedi Code." Raahn Syr commanded.
"There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force. "
There were a few moments of silence, and then Raahn Syr said, "please give us your interpretation of these Codes, and how they apply to the Jedi, and to the Sith."
Reid nodded and stood silent for a moment, pondering his words before speaking them.
"The Sith use emotion to drive them. Anger, passion… all of this to benefit only one person. Themself. The Jedi focus on everyone else. But… I think that… the Sith and Jedi code… There is one aspect that I disagree with in the Jedi Code, and agree with in the Sith Code."
"Excuse me, Padawan?" Eesa K'Tal asked, sounding surprised.
"Explain, please." Requested Master Payton Kai of the Council of First Knowledge.
"The Jedi Code states 'there is no passion, there is serenity'. And the Sith Code says 'through passion, I gain strength'." Reid began.
"And?" Master Linnash asked.
"A Jedi should strive for serenity." Reid said firmly. "With serenity, our minds are clear and we have control. But…"
"Yes?" Encouraged Eesa K'Tal. Reid sighed.
"Go ahead." Hotch said. "Tell them. The Council must know what you believe."
"We MUST have passion." Reid blurted, and they could all hear the passion in his voice. He gave them a slight smile. "For life. For what we do. For the people and Republic that we protect, for the other Jedi we work with. For what we teach and what we believe! If all we have is serenity, then what are we but a bunch of robed fools wandering the universe and smiling at every tiny thing that we find beauty in?" Eyebrows shot up at that, eyes watching as he began gesturing wildly, his being suddenly filled with the very passion that he now spoke of.
"If I may add something?" Hotch asked, suddenly.
"Speak." Strauss nodded.
"A couple of years ago, Master Kitata Ree told me something." Said Hotch, turning and bowing to the Grand Master. "I told him that I loved Spencer. He… understood that in a different way… And he spoke of how Masters love their Padawans. How the Council loves all of the Jedi that they both lead, and serve." And he bowed to the Council as a whole. "And I said… that love is supposed to be forbidden to the Jedi."
"I remember this." Kitata Ree nodded.
"You told me that this was not true. That the Jedi serve the Republic, because they love it. The Jedi love the Order. They love their comrades. We are Jedi. And we fight and serve, protecting peace, order and justice. Because we believe in it. Because we LOVE it. And Master Kitata Ree said that the Dark Jedi love power. And control. He said that love is something that every sentient feels. It is not something that is possible to forbid. What we, as Jedi, must focus on, is to love the RIGHT THINGS. And for those things that we love most… we are passionate about."
"Yes." Reid agreed vehemently. "Denounce passion all you will… you all have it. WE all have it!" And he turned, thrusting a finger out, pointing. "Master K'Tal." The Master Artisan blinked her dark eyes, startled. "Your passion is for the construction and art of using, Lightsabers. You teach it to younglings. And you have PASSION in your teachings. A serene and patient passion, yes… but you have it."
He turned. "Master Kao. Your passion is in finding those Force Sensitives and bringing them to the Order, and seeing them grow and learn and flourish and… develop a passion for their training! Master Bre Mong is our Battlemaster, because that is what she is passionate about! Learning and mastering the art of combat. Master Tonnia is passionate about protecting our history and our archives. And Master Syr is passionate in his pursuits of doing what he can to rid the Galaxy of the Dark Jedi and the Sith. Masters Noria and Ralko are passionate about Healing. And promoting the physical and mental health of all the Jedi in the Temple, and teaching others to do the same! Master Sa'Eeya'Da is passionate about flying his fighter! It's why he's a Jedi Ace! Would he be if he weren't passionate about it? And for Master Kitata Ree to be our Grand Master and Head of our Order… mustn't he be passionate about the Order? The Council? The Force…
"Our passion is what drives us. It helps us to become who we are… and to do what we do. But it is a different passion than that which is spoken of in the Code of the Jedi, OR the Sith. That passion is a raging force beyond our control that brings nothing but destruction. But the Jedi… we harness our passion and direct it. And we use it to better ourselves… not empower. And we see the difference between those. And that is what makes us Jedi.
"My passion makes me who I am. Who I was. Who I will be. And without it… I would have surrendered to despair. It fuels the fires in my heart. My passion. For the man I love. For my team. For the Order, and all that it stands for. My passion is in truly redeeming myself and standing for the Order and all it protects. And without this passion… I would have given up and allowed myself to die long ago, leaving Darth Livion to do as he wished. But here I am." And his voice calmed, and grew soft and gentle. "Here I stand. And I await your judgment, come what may."
The silence that followed his speech was long indeed. It felt like it went on for hours…
"I sense much anger in you…" Strauss finally said.
"No." Reid said quickly. "I feel no anger. Not here. Not now. But I am feeling my passion. And… it is intense at this moment."
"We can all feel it." Gideon nodded. "And you are correct. It is not anger. It is… righteous, maybe a bit indignant... And it is powerful. But it is not negative."
"No, it isn't." Kitata Ree announced. "It is… Strength. It is your own strength. Not of the Force… but of your very essence. It is the creed of your heart. And it is strong."
"And equally so in Aaron…" Bre Mong said, a smile in her tone.
"So…" Kitata Ree sighed. "What to do with you two?"
"What CAN we do?" Master Virr asked, a broad grin on his face.
"What do you mean?" Max Ryan demanded to know.
"Well, really…" Tarash Virr said, waving a hand. "We can't change who they are or how they feel. They love each other. They are in a relationship. They are Bonded. And they are strong in what they believe. YOUR idea of what to do is to make all of this go away and make the text book example of Jedi. What YOU want is for them to stop loving each other. No longer be in a relationship. And believe that this is what's right. We can't do that! And why in the blazes would we even want to?" He demanded loudly, banging his fist on the arm of his chair, before standing. "They are who they are! What they feel is what they feel! What they believe is what they believe! And we would have NO right to change that, even if we COULD! That would be totally and completely against EVERYTHING that we stand for as Jedi! We protect the Republic, AND our own! We do NOT force them into submission to do as we want them to do or believe what we want them to believe or be what we want them to be."
"Now really, Tarash." Sa'Eeya'Da said, frowning. "If we want them to—"
"I want Strauss to be less of a bitch!" Tarash Virr interrupted, and jaws DROPPED. "I want Max to pull that tree that he's been growing for the last ten years out of his ass! And he may as well take his head out of there while he's at it! I want Eesa to let her non-existant hair down from time to time and just have a drink and let loose! And Bre could lighten up from time to time too! I wish Noria and Ralko would knock it off with the secret conversations that no one else can hear! I wish Raahn would stop shedding everywhere! I wish Amna would smell a bit less like a swamp! And I wish Kitata Ree would stop hearing things he's not supposed to hear! But he's got those big old Chadra-Fan ears, and Raahn has that blasted fur, and Amna is a Nautolan and she's SUPPOSED to stink!"
"I do NOT stink!" Amna Kao all but shrieked.
"We are who we are!" Tarash shouted. "I'm sure the rest of you would like it if I were a bit less rash and immature sometimes! But guess what? That's who I am! Strauss is a bitch, Max is supposed to have his head up his ass, Noria and Ralko have a Force Bond! Eesa is Kaminoan, Raahn is Cathar, Amna is Nautolan, Sa'Eeya'Da is Devaronian, Tonnia is Echani, I'm Miraluka… this is who we are! We can't change each other! How in the blazes are we supposed to change THEM!" And he pointed at Hotch and Reid, who both looked stunned.
"… Your point is valid." Kitata Ree said calmly. "Though you could have made it without insulting everyone."
"Technically, he only insulted Max and Erin." Gideon chuckled. "The rest was stating facts."
"… Yes, thank you Jason." Kitata Ree sighed.
"They are in love." Tarash said. "And we have only three options."
"And those are?" Max Ryan snarled, GLARING at Master Virr.
"Ah ah, Max… I'm sensing much anger from you." Tarash chided, shaking a finger at the man.
"Do NOT mock me you—"
"Oh, pull the tree out of your ass, sit down and shut up, Max." Amna Kao demanded, annoyed. Everyone looked at her in surprise. Slowly, eyes wide in shock, Max Ryan did as she commanded. "Please do not antagonize anyone else any further, either, Tarash."
"Never, Amna."
"Enough with the attitude, now get on with it." Bre Mong snapped. "Our three options?"
"The first is… we simply calm down, and accept." The Miraluka said. "We accept their love. Their relationship. Their Bond."
"And the second?" Sa'Eeya'Da asked, not sounding happy with the first option.
"We separate them." Tarash said. "And we keep them separate. From here on out." Reid gasped slightly and he seized the arm of Hotch's robe. "We watch them grow lonely. We watch them long for one another. We watch them seek one another out through their Bond. We watch their hearts slowly break, as that meager contact is not enough. And we watch them wither. And finally… we face the possibility of watching them rebel, and give in to the anger and resentment for the Council and Order… And we watch them… BOTH of them… Fall.
Silence followed this.
"Or." Master Virr continued, "we send them into Exile. Banish them from the Order, and from the Republic. To punish them for DARING to form a Force Bond out of love… we destroy their Bond. But it has grown strong. Noria and Ralko confirmed that. There is only one way to destroy it. We not only send them into Exile from the Republic, but from the Force. We Sever them from the Force. And we leave them to their fate, to wander the Outer Rim and beyond, completely blind and lost… their only comfort in each other's arms. And they will hate us for it."
"If we were to choose either of the latter choices, what would we be?" Master Virr asked. "Tyrants. Despots…"
"… hypocrites." All eyes turned to rest on Master Raahn Syr. The Cathar let out a deep sigh, glazed eyes staring off into space. "… And I would never forgive myself."
"… Raahn?" Aman Kao gasped, looking startled.
"I wouldn't, Amna."
"You have been… oddly silent on the issue of their relationship until now, Raahn." Eesa K'Tal pointed out.
"Because I cannot speak out against it. To do so, would be to speak out against myself. And the one I love."
"WHAT?" Blurted Noria and Ralko Cereni in unison.
Raahn Syr turned and looked at Amna Kao, sitting beside him. She looked back, then sighed and nodded. "You're right." She said, and placed her small hand within his great paw. "As it is, we have kept our secret long enough, haven't we, my love?"
And the massive Cathar nodded, a sound rising from his throat and chest that could only be a purr.
"… Ooh… Scandal in the High Council!" Someone hissed.
"SHH!" Everyone looked at Sedina, who was staring in shock at Nym Daphora. Linnash and Payton Kai exchanged looks, and Master Tra Tonnia settled the rest of the Council of First Knowledge with a withering glare.
"Well… This is… unexpected." Master Virr said, slowly, amusement filling his tone. "… How long?"
"Nearly five years." Amna Kao said.
"Am I hallucinating again?" Reid whispered.
"If you are, I'm hallucinating the same thing." Hotch hissed back.
"… What were you thinking?" Max Ryan suddenly demanded. "You… you… your actions have completely undermined the authority of the Council!"
"Only if you plan to separate or exile them." Raahn Syr rumbled, narrowing his eyes at Max Ryan.
"Or perhaps you intend to do that with us as well?" Amna Kao asked. Then she stood and walked over to Hotch and Reid. They stared at her, and she smiled, wrapping an arm around each and hugging them gently. "If you have found happiness… Then I am pleased for you." She told them. Reid blinked, then grinned and hugged her tightly.
"I'm happy for you, too." He said, and she gave him a brilliant grin. Reid turned to Master Syr. "BOTH of you." The Cathar smiled slightly and nodded to him.
"I give them my blessings." He announced, relaxing in his seat. "I feel that their place is here. With the Order. And with each other. Normally, romantic attachments are frowned upon. But in this case, I feel that it is beneficial. To them. And to us all. They are stronger together, than they are separated. And the Padawan seems to have found his stability in Aaron. Their Bond brought him back from the Dark Side. And I feel that their Bond will be what keeps him from straying, or even Falling again, in the future."
"Agreed." Master Virr nodded. "I feel that VERY strongly."
"It is… unorthodox." Eesa K'Tal said, steepling her fingers before her face. "But… I do not oppose this… union."
"Union?" Max Ryan blurted. "What, are we allowing them to marry or something?"
"And why not?" Bre Mong asked. "They love each other. They are Bound together by the Force for the rest of their days. If they wish it, why can they not be bound in matrimony?"
"For their Bond to be this strong, and to have been formed in the way it was…" Master Virr sighed. "I agree with Aaron. It must be the will of the Force."
"I must agree." Master Kitata Ree said with a nod. "Can we please take our seats again? Thank you… All in favor?" Hands went up; Tarash Virr, Eesa K'Tal, Bre Mong, Raahn Syr, Amna Kao, Jason Gideon, Noria and Ralko, Tra Tonnia, Nym Daphora, Linnash, Sedina and Payton Kai were all among them, as well as a full half of the Council of Reconciliation, and three out of the five of the Council of Reassignment.
"Then it is decided." Kitata Ree announced. "Spencer Reid and Aaron Hotchner. May your Bond strengthen every day… as well as your love." Reid let out a yip and leapt at Hotch, flinging his arms around the man's neck. Hotch stumbled slightly, catching Reid and holding him close. The joy poured off of them in waves, and a moment later, they shared a tearful kiss.
"Now then… About the Padawan's… transgressions…" Strauss drawled, and Reid went stiff in Hotch's arms. Hotch looked down at him. Reid had his eyes closed, then sucked in a breath and turned, facing the Four Councils.
"Everything is a little… hazy and jumbled… starting a few days after my return to the Temple until I woke in the infirmary. But… I will not deny that I broke the conditions of my probation. I left the Temple four… maybe five times. And it was to obtain the Vi'Tani Nectar that I should have…" He trailed off. "I should have told you as soon as I returned. And I should have sought help. And I didn't."
"Why?" Asked Noria.
"… I was afraid." Reid said softly. "And… ashamed. I was in pain… Adam… He… They… He and Amanda… I felt that I had failed them. I deserved to suffer. And yet… I sought the comfort that the Nectar brought. It dulled the pain. Made it go away. And… I didn't deserve to be saved from that… hole I had dug myself into."
"Yes you did. You never asked for any of that." Hotch argued.
"But worst of all," Reid continued, "I was unable to hold the darkness that lingered within me at bay… And… I injured some of the Jedi Shadows… I can't forgive myself for that…"
"You learned a valuable lesson that day." Master Tonnia said. "And so did the Shadows you injured. You opened their eyes, and they will be better prepared because of what you did."
"It doesn't excuse my actions." Reid argued.
"No." Master Syr sighed. "It does not."
"But we must also take into consideration the fact that you were under the influence at the time." Ralko Cereni said. "Deeply under its influence for you to have been hallucinating as you were."
"You have not seen Darth Livion again, correct?" Amna Kao asked.
"No, Master." Reid said, shaking his head. "Not since that night in that warehouse."
"Good." Master Syr said with a nod.
"You… really think it was the Nectar?" Reid asked after a moment. The Council stared at him. "It… wasn't…"
"The Nectar causes hallucinations." Ralko said, firmly. "And as you have been off of it, and awake and functioning, for… how long now?"
"Twelve days, Master." Reid informed him.
"And before that, you were seeing Livion every day?" Noria asked.
"Day and night. Asleep and awake…" Reid confessed.
"But nothing for the past twelve days?"
"Only in my dreams."
"How often?" Ralko queried.
"… Twice, so far."
"So. You went from seeing him constantly, no matter your state of consciousness, to dreaming of him twice in two weeks."
"Twelve days." Reid corrected.
"Don't be obnoxious, Spencer." Gideon chuckled.
"I would say that the Nectar had everything to do with it." Ralko continued.
"And I would say that the Nectar had everything to do with your inability to control yourself." Raahn Syr said.
"And with your poor judgment while you were on it." Noria added. Reid sighed.
"I feel that he must be tested." Master Tonnia announced, and the others looked at her.
"And what do you propose?" Strauss asked.
"I have a few ideas." Tonnia said.
"It is time for dinner." Kitata Ree announced. "Spencer and Aaron. Go. Eat. Do as you will. But report back to us tomorrow morning. We will decide on what to do at that time. For now, we reserve judgment."
"Yes Master." Hotch said, bowing.
"Thank you Master." Reid added, and the pair turned and left the room. The doors closed behind them, and the pair stood there for a long time. Then they looked at each other. Their minds were spinning. But when they met eyes, there was only one thing to do. They kissed. Arms slid around each other, fingers through hair, bodies pressed together. Reid felt a tongue flick over his lips, and with a wanton sigh, he parted them to allow his lover entrance. And as Hotch did just that, all of Reid's fears melted away. And all he felt was relief and joy.
I love you! He cried. A moment later, Hotch broke their kiss. But they stayed close, only an inch apart, breathing in the other's breaths.
"We should eat." The man reasoned.
"Not hungry." Reid gasped.
"Liar." Hotch grinned, letting out a warm puff of breath in semblance of a laugh.
"I want you…" Reid whimpered.
"I want you too… but you're still recovering, and you've hardly eaten a thing all day." Hotch murmured, then stepped away. "You need to eat." And he offered his hand. Reid stared at him for a moment, then smiled and accepted it, allowing Hotch to lead him down to the dining room. Dinner was already in full swing, and the team was there. When they saw them, they leapt to their feet, looking hopeful and anxious.
"Well?" Garcia gasped.
"They feel that all of Reid's… negative behavior was because of the Nectar." Hotch said with a smile. "But… they're going to test him tomorrow."
"Test him?" Morgan asked.
"They're going to test my control." Reid said. "Of my Force abilities, and… the Dark Side that would come out when I began to lose control."
"And… what about… the two of you?" JJ asked. Hotch and Reid slowly grinned, clasping hands.
"You're not going to believe it." Hotch chuckled.
"Tell us!" Emily gasped.
Hotch grinned, turning and taking Reid into his arms. Startled, Reid gasped. Hotch placed a hand in the small of his back and the other between his shoulders, then leaned down and claimed his lips again.
"MM?" Reid squeaked, startled. His wide eyes blinked rapidly several times, and then, he swooned, curling his arms around the man's neck and letting his eyes fall closed. Slowly, the general sounds of the dining hall disappeared. Feelings of shock filled the room.
"Mmmmmm…" Reid sighed, and then Hotch stepped back, grinning at his dazed lover. The silence reigned for another couple of seconds, and then Emily, JJ and Garcia leapt on their pair with laughter and cheers, and Morgan clapped Reid out the back with a booming "Reid! My man!"
"Congratulations, Aaron." Rossi announced, taking Hotch's hand and slapping him on the shoulder. Hotch just grinned, then turned and watched his lover disappear under the women.
"I can't believe that they let you." Rossi chuckled, shaking his head.
"Masters Syr and Kao kind of… may have decided that?"
"Master Kao I can see championing your cause, but… Raahn Syr?" Morgan asked, and Reid grinned, managing to shake off the women.
"Raahn and Amna came out and admitted to being in a relationship." He announced. The team, the Jedi around them who heard, just GAPED.
"Are you SERIOUS?" Emily finally demanded.
"As the Dark Side." Reid nodded.
"Apparently, they've been together for five years." Hotch said with a shrug. "Master Ryan was NOT happy."
"And oh my God, you should have HEARD Master Virr telling him off!" Reid blurted. "He called Strauss a bitch and told Master Ryan to take his head out of his ass!"
"He also told Bre Mong and Eesa K'Tal to loosen up." Hotch chuckled.
"It was AWESOME!" Reid squeaked.
"Now that's enough." And everyone turned when the Council entered the room, heading for their table. Jason Gideon walked over to Hotch and Reid, grinning and saying, "We don't need the entire Order knowing EVERYTHING that was done and said in that meeting."
"What's the point?" JJ asked. "They'll all find out everything eventually." Gideon just made a face and waved his hand, turning and going to join the other Masters of the Council.
And finally, everyone sat down to eat. Reid dug into his dinner with relish, and Hotch was pleased with how much he ate. Reid cleaned his plate, and soon enough, was announcing that he was ready for bed. Chuckling to himself, Hotch followed Reid from the dining hall, ignoring all of the whispers and stares, and led the Padawan back to his room. And as soon as the door closed, Reid turned and pressed himself up against the man, kissing him.
"Bathe first…" Hotch murmured against his lips, and the pair stumbled to the bathroom, shedding their clothes as they went. Hotch ran his hands over the alabaster skin, smooth and unmarred by bruises. They bathed together, running their hands over each other's bodies, savoring every touch, every kiss, every moment… And finally they stepped out, dried one another off with equal care, and then finally fell into bed.
This scene has been removed due to the restriction on explicit content
Reid sighed and rolled onto his side, cuddling into the Knight's side. Hotch smiled and held him close, and with a flick of his fingers, the blankets flew up to cover them. Reid giggled tiredly, and he and Hotch snuggled down into the covers and fell asleep, cuddled into each other's arms, Hotch with his nose buried in Reid's hair, and Reid slowly twirling his finger around his Padawan's braid.
And both were perfectly content, neither concerned about the trials Reid would have to face in the morning…
Miaka92: LOL No… there is no Goku in the Jedi Temple… And the council isn't saying that love itself is wrong… but relationships, or to be more specific, attachment, is strictly forbidden to the Jedi.
14hpgirl19: Hope you have a little bit more faith in the council after this chapter. ^_~
Twilightmecrazii: Don't worry… the council isn't THAT bad.
Guest who I suspect is NormaJeanBeauSoleil: Cyber celery and raisins? XD! Nice. I hope that your faith in the council has been restored after this chapter though… I must admit, the teaser did show the worst… LOL
LarienGubler: Yes! They made it! And no one ever doubted that their feelings were real… it's a matter of it being forbidden. And they had to face the Council for it. But as you can see, they had more allies than they ever thought they would… but you are correct. The council really did only have two choices. Keep them both or lose them both. There is no in between. And as for the impending War, it will be discussed in these final chapters, but that will actually be the focus of the third installment.
Cristina reid: Glad you like the cover! And I hope you enjoyed this chapter… only one to go!
Livion: Yeah, there wasn't much action in this chapter, so I understand this review being shorter. Glad you made it, though! Now... Hotch is very much prepare to be there for Reid, no matter what, and he makes sure that Reid will know this. and as for Livion... well... you'll just have to wait and see. And yeah, Koltos is a healing substance, and immersing one in a tank will speed up the healing process dramatically. Wookieepedia is GREAT. I always have it open when I'm writing this series.
It will be fun to write Reid in Episode III as himself again. I've kind of missed it. Just like I've missed the relationship between Hotch and Reid. It was very much a relief for me too, to have the pair curl around one another. And as for the Council stopping their meeting over the pair waking, it's not that Hotch and Reid are THAT important... it's also that the Council cares for them. As they care for all the Jedi that they oversee. Hotch and Reid ARE a very unique pair, however, so they do manage to get a bit more attention. As they should... ^_~
But they still have to face the judgement of the Council... And by the time you read this, you'll know how (most of it) went! And uh... yeah... let's not make T shirts... XD
And wait... what are you trying not to read too much into?
Hmmmmm?
*cruel chuckle*
Next Time: The conclusion of "Knights of the Old Republic II: Redemption"
Please review!