AN: For anyone in the DC/Maryland/New York triangle, be safe this weekend. This storm looks impressive. School starts up again soon, so the updates will probably slow down in the next few weeks, but bear with me. For now, this is one long chapter of Obi-Wan and Charlie! Enjoy! Read and review, and as always, May the Force Be With You.

Disclaimer: Belongs to George Lucas.

CHAPTER 12

The knock came at precisely 8:05. Charlie shook her head. Typical. She paused for a second, not wanting to give him the idea that she was eagerly waiting. Walking slowly towards the door and trying to control her breathing, she wondered why she was nervous now and not in the heat of battle. She palmed opened the door after what she determined was long enough to reveal Obi-Wan.

"Stars, does he look good." Charlie thought to herself.

She kept her walls up tight around her force presence, not wanting to give away any feelings.

"Come in." Charlie said, smiling at him. "How are you?"

"Infinitely better now, darling." Obi-Wan replied with the grin that never failed to make her knees shake a little. "You look fantastic." He gave her a slow up and down that made her entire body flush.

She smiled big in return.

"Thank you." she said. "You don't clean up so bad yourself."

She returned his appraising look up and down. He was wearing his regular pants, boots, and cloak, but had a more relaxed tunic on. Really, she liked this one better. It was untied at the neck just enough to give her a tantalizing view of the top of Obi-Wan's tanned chest. She suppressed her desire, and met his gaze, resigning herself to a long night.

She gave him a grin as good as she'd gotten.

"Shall we?" he asked, holding out his arm in invitation.

Charlie said goodbye to R4, and together they left, the door sliding shut behind them.

"So, Obi-Wan, how was your day after the council meeting?" she asked.

His grin dimmed a little, and she immediately regretted asking the question.

He sighed. "It was as productive as it always was." he said, his voice heavy.

"The council does a lot of... debating and meditating. However, I think you planted a very interesting thought with your Force-signature identification idea. I know its hard to tell, but the council is very impressed with you. They would love to see you join their ranks once this war is over."

She thought over his words.

"I see the advantage in doing that. And really, my position now is not much different than a Jedi's. However, I'm afraid my interpretation of the code would be too liberal for the council's taste. There are parts of the code that I really couldn't live by, such as the no passion part. I live my life as passionately as I can. It makes me a better warrior." she said, shrugging.

Obi-Wan was nodding.

"You have a different background than any of the Jedi." Obi-Wan said. "As I'm sure you've been told, the code is very much up for interpretation. I've taken the passion part to mostly mean that they don't want us to feel intense anger. It's such a debilitating emotion, and it is true that it leads to the dark side." Charlie agreed with him, but was unable to figure out how to describe the passion that came without anger.

"I fully believe that there can be passion without anger." Charlie said carefully, thinking through how to express her point.

"I see it in the padawans I pass in the hall, in Anakin, and in you. It makes you stronger than you know. There can be both passion and serenity. But I'm not so sure the council would take well to that interpretation of the code, so for now I will remain outside your ranks. I enjoy the freedom that comes from governing myself, and yet the camaraderie among the Jedi is a strong draw. I haven't had a true family since I was taken from the aunt and uncle on Janulik." she finished, hoping that Obi-Wan understood.

Charlie could feel the sadness for her emanating from Obi-Wan's force signature.

"I…" he started and stopped. "I am sorry you had to go through what you did. From what I can tell, it is a great relief to the council that you chose the light side of the force. I am glad, too, that you made the decision you did." Obi-Wan said with a sense of finality. Charlie let her gratitude seep through her walls so that Obi-Wan might understand how much that meant to her.

They walked in silence for a while. They'd exited the temple and were walking down a busy street. Charlie was amazed at all the people out and about. They weren't just humans, but species of all shapes and sizes. Charlie had to force herself not to stare. Coruscant wasn't famous for nothing.

The bar was surprising to Charlie. It was a dive bar, there was no mistake, but the atmosphere was lively, the music was good, and the patrons, both the drunk and the dancing, all looked like they were enjoying themselves. Obi-Wan had sat them in a booth about halfway back along a wall bordering the dance floor.

"I never, in a millennium, would have guessed that a Jedi would take a night out in this place." Charlie teased Obi-Wan.

"Well, that's the point, isn't it?" he replied, with that wicked grin again. She saw the logic in that. She appreciated the sense of obscurity that the bar gave her.

Obi-Wan ordered them drinks, and the distinctly not-human waitress that brought then over gave Obi-Wan a distinct grin that Charlie did not appreciate.

"What?" Obi-Wan asked when she'd left, noticing Charlie's expression.

"Oh, nothing." she replied, feeling stupid for feeling jealous.

"Ah ah ah, I don't think it was nothing." he replied, still grinning.

In an attempt to distract him, she motioned to the drinks.

"What've you ordered for us, Obi-Wan?" she asked. His smile, if anything, widened even more at her attempt to chance tacks, but he let it go.

He pushed a dark green, silently and slowly bubbling concoction towards her.

"This is a Feloidian dark ale. It's one of my favorites. Try it." he said.

She'd lost track of what he was saying, though.

"Alright." she said, not really paying attention to anything but his face. One eyebrow raised, skin flushed with the temperature of the bar, those blue-green eyes, always sparkling with humor, and those lips, so full, pink, and kissable…

"Stop it Charlie." she thought to herself. She pulled back, shaking her head as if to clear it, and grabbed the bubbling green glass in an attempt to cover her momentary weakness.

She'd never tried Feloidian ale, but she'd had her fair share of alcoholic beverages, so she took a sip without trepidation. The alcohol exploded into vibrant heat in her mouth. It didn't taste bad, in fact, she would probably say it tasted good. The burning sensation was made its way down her chest and through her limbs, leaving behind a sensation of warm bubbliness. Charlie suddenly felt a lot more relaxed. She smiled lazily at Obi-Wan, who was grinning at her reaction.

"You have good taste, Jedi." Charlie said. "That was an… experience."

Obi-Wan's eyes darkened beautifully at her insinuation, and she held his gaze until, for some inexplicable reason, they both started to laugh. Charlie physically felt herself relax, a combination of the alcohol, the atmosphere, and the laughter. It was good to feel the stress of the past few weeks slide off her shoulders. Obi-Wan's rich laugh forced her eyes open and her head back to reality.

"I should have warned you." he said, not looking the least bit repentant, "It is a wee bit strong." Charlie simply smiled and rolled her eyes.

They made small talk over the next few minutes, until they came to the topic of Anakin.

"It's a wonderful thing, the affection I see between the two of you." Charlie said, remembering the night before. Obi-Wan's smiled dimmed again, and she cursed herself for continually putting her foot in her mouth. She tried to backtrack.

"I'm sorry, we don't have to talk about Anakin." She shook her head and stared down into her drink.

Again, his finger was tucked under her chin, forcing her gaze up. She met his eyes, surprised at the emotion she saw there. He'd let his shields down.

"It's not that I don't want to talk about Anakin." he began, as if forcing the words out. "He's as talented of an apprentice as any Jedi could hope for. It was difficult at first, with Qui-Gon's death, but its become much easier than I thought it would. I love him like a son, like a brother. He's just… difficult. He feels and acts with every part of his being. He's... passionate, like you say. I worry sometimes that I've failed as his Master." Obi-Wan sighed. "He's incredibly powerful, and he's gotten attention for the feats he achieves. They call him the Hero With No Fear for good reason. He's not arrogant, but I want to avoid ever letting him go down that path."

Charlie was sympathetic. She understood what he was saying, and couldn't image having to tutor a padawan at her age. Anakin had come off as so young the night before, despite the fact that he was fairly close in age to her, and to be as famed as he already was had to be difficult for the still young boy.

Obi-Wan copied her move from a few moments ago, and shook his head.

"I remember how it was to be a padawan. I wasn't much different from him. I fought the system, simply for the love of the fight. Qui-Gon had a certain… disregard for the council's strict interpretation of the code, and I accepted that as normal. I was rebellious, and time and time again it was my downfall. I want Anakin to understand what I do now, but I have the feeling it comes with time and experience. He loves his wife, Padmé, with all that he can, and sometimes I wonder if that will be his downfall instead of his pride."

Charlie nodded. She'd seen Anakin and Padmé together a few times, and each time she could clearly see the love in the way they touched, spoke to, looked at each other. Obi-Wan hadn't mentioned Qui-Gon in any detail before, and Charlie hoped they might have that conversation one day, unwilling to push it now.

Then, hoping to lighten the mood, she joked "I understand, but stars above, tell me you grew out of that. I don't think I could handle a rebellious Obi-Wan."

He laughed then, the frown leaving his face, and she reveled in his amusement, finishing off her drink in response.

His hand fell to hers, wrapped around her glass.

"Well, at least the council thinks so." he responded. He was joking. Probably.

It didn't matter though, because her entire being was focused on the way his thumb was stroking the back of her hand.

"Can I get you another one?" Obi-Wan had asked her something, but she wasn't quite sure what it was.

"Charlie?" She pulled herself out of the haze of desire, and answered his question.

"What?" she said, somewhat confused. "Oh, sorry, I got distracted. Ah, yes, another one, good idea. I don't believe you'll be able to top this," she raised her empty glass, "but please try."

Obi-Wan gave her a wicked grin in response.

"Should I consider that a challenge?" he questioned.

She leaned forward. "By all means." she said, with a grin and a blush that she hoped he couldn't see.

With more than a few drinks down between the two of them, Charlie was feeling as relaxed as she could ever remember. Their long conversation had been decidedly flirtatious, but good all the same. Obi-Wan had a strong sense of humor and a wit that she appreciation, and that had her laughing.

"Master Yoda would never do suchathing." Charlie said, slurring her words just a little.

Obi-Wan had been telling her a story about Master Yoda's strange ability to beat anyone at jungee, a card game that required the sort of wit and thinking favored by Jedi Masters. Obi-Wan confided in her that he was sure he was using the force to cheat. Admittedly, Obi-Wan was somewhat inebriated, but who really cared.

They laughed together at the end of his story, and Charlie got distracted yet again. His lips were so full and… her mind flashed back to the dream she'd had.

He hadn't kissed her in the dream, and she wondered what those full lips would feel like against hers. She remember her hands on his broad chest, his mouth on her chest and then on her…

CRASH!

She jumped, awakened from her reverie by the smash of Obi-Wan's glass on the floor. The noise in the bar lulled a little at the sudden loud noise, and then resumed its normal level. Obi-Wan stood, though, and grabbed Charlie's hand. He threw a few credits on the table, and almost bodily dragged her out of the bar.

"Obi-Wan!" Charlie said, trying to get his attention. "Obi-Wan, stop and tell me what's wrong!" She started to worry when the normally controlled and stoic Jedi Master gave no response. He dragged her off the main road down a service road, and then off into an alley. The only light was from the windows above them. He turned so he could face her, and she could see how dark his eyes were. He slowly walked her back towards the end of the alley, until her back was against a wall.

"Obi-Wan, what is going on?" she asked, again, starting to worry.

"I let my guard down for a moment." he said, finally, his voice low and rough. "Just a moment. And you slip right through it with that?" he asked.

Charlie still had no idea what he was talking about.

"Guard down, what? He must be talking about his Force… oh Sith's hell." she thought silently to herself. She looked at him in utter mortification. Her current state of inebriation had relaxed her enough that she'd broadcast her dream right to an equally relaxed Obi-Wan.

"I'm… I'm so sorry, Obi-Wan, I had no idea I was..." she said, but Obi-Wan put a finger to her lips.

"I want to be very clear, darling." he said, the endearment not lost on the mortified Charlie. "I am in no way complaining. I just didn't expect to be talking about Yoda one minute and see you… in all your glory the very next. And in such detail too."

He gave her a wicked grin that might just have held a hint of pride. He backed her slowly into a corner, his eyes sparking with the same look dream Obi-Wan had given her. Passion, intensity, and desire for her. She felt the heat build in her just from that look.

"Where is this going, Obi-Wan?" she asked, hearing the desire in her own voice, needing to know if he wanted what she did. She needed confirmation if she was going to throw all her trepidation about getting involved with him in the wind.

"As far as you want it, darling." he responded, and now she could hear the desire in his voice as well as see it in his eyes.

And then he was kissing her. He was gentle at first, but she could feel the restrained intensity behind it. She threaded her hands through his hair and brought her palms to his cheeks. She opened her mouth to his, allowing the kiss to grow in intensity. She moaned into his mouth, finally appreciating the feeling of his soft lips on hers. They couldn't last forever, though, and eventually parted, breathless and flushed.

Their gazes locked, both finding the desire in each other's eyes, and before another second had passed, their mouths were fused together. Obi-Wan grabbed her hips and pulled them forward to press against his own. The pressure was divine as he ground them together, building the heat in her stomach. Charlie ran her hands all over his back, though his hair, over his neck. Their tongues battled for dominance, but she eventually gave in to the pleasurable onslaught, allowing Obi-Wan to take control of the kiss.

She couldn't think, couldn't form a thought worth a damn, and yet she knew that this was building, this was going somewhere, and this was so not the place.

She gathered her strength of will, and pulled back, desperately in need a breath. She hooked her elbows around his neck, and pulled back to look him full in the face. With his lips red, his eyes dark with desire, and his hair mussed, Obi-Wan look dead sexy. Then he gave her a desire-filled grin that upped the sexiness tenfold.

He was teasing her and he knew it.

Charlie wasn't about to give in, though. Wondering if he'd put his shields back up tight, she grinned in response and purposely broadcast an image of her on her knees in front of a… prone Obi-Wan.

Apparently his shields were still down, because he tightened his hands on her hips and hissed, clearly trying to restrain himself. He pushed her up against the wall behind her, grinding their bottom halves together and growling out "If you don't stop that, I will not be held responsible for my actions, Charlotte."

She let her head fall back and moaned at the heat in her stomach and his use of her full name.

"Then stop looking at me like I'm dinner." she forced out.

Obi-Wan laughed outright and stopped his hips, pulling her head to his chest and embracing her, apparently understanding her worry of going any farther in the alley.

Eventually, they disentangled themselves and began the walk back to the temple. They had somewhat recovered from the alcohol, but they were still slow and slightly unsteady. It was a miracle they found her room without any embarrassing encounters.

At her door, they mirrored their position from the night before, but this time Obi-Wan didn't hesitate before kissing her, rekindling the desire from the alley, and she didn't hesitate to return the favor. When they parted, she found that she didn't want him to leave. She felt… right, in his arms. She was giddy from the booze and exhausted from the long weeks she'd had, but she was happy, deliriously, amazingly happy simply being in Obi-Wan's arms. And so, of course, his wrist comm interrupted them again.

He cursed in Huttese, a word that she didn't know he knew, and flicked it on. He cursed again.

"It's the council." he said. "They seem to have a knack for interrupting us. I made it clear I wasn't available tonight, so it must be an emergency. I really do apologize, Charlie." He pulled back and caught her gaze. She smiled lazily in response.

"You're a Jedi, Obi-Wan. It's your responsibility. I can't hold a grudge over that." she said.

She kissed him, one last time, just lightly, and opened her door with a touch of her palm. She stepped through, forcing herself to leaving his embrace.

"But do let me leave you with a parting gift." And, again exploiting the cracks that were still in his shields, sent him a very graphically explicit image straight from her dream, of his head between her thighs. She saw his eyes go dark and his hands form fists just before she palmed the door closed. The thin metal, however, did not disguise his groan and his forced out: "You will pay for that Charlotte."

Charlie giggled, slightly delirious and not at all apologetic. He tapped twice on the door before she felt his Force signature recede as he walked down the hall.

Charlie, without the energy to even undress, fell onto her bed fully clothes and passed out.