Chapter 1

Obi-Wan Kenobi was not hiding away and sulking like a child.

He was not!

Just because he was currently sitting alone, in the small cargo hold, hidden by crates of spare parts for every major ship's system, it didn't mean he was sulking. He would admit to possibly brooding, only to himself of course, but to anyone else who asked, he was seeking solitude for meditation.

Well that was his story anyway and he was sticking to it.

In truth, he was hiding from everyone, but mostly from his Master and the boy…Anakin.

Obi-Wan had given up on meditating as a bad cause shortly after finding this hiding spot. He had been unable to reach a state when his mind could slip into the Force and release all the emotions he was currently struggling with.

'Think Obi-Wan, what is it that's bothering you the most? Figure that out and start from there' he mused to himself.

What was bothering him the most? He didn't know if it was the outright dismissive and hurtful rejection of his master in favour of the boy…Anakin… in front of the High Council no less! Or his own guilt for feeing resentful and jealous of the bo…Anakin who was pretty much the only person who was innocent in this whole mess.

The boy…Anakin… hadn't asked Qui-Gon to push Obi-Wan aside in order to make room for him. He hadn't asked to be born with a ridiculously high midi-chlorian count that could only bring trouble for him when everyone in the Temple discovered that, yes, the boy really was that powerful (and wasn't that a frightening concept) and he certainly didn't deserve Obi-Wan's comment of how dangerous he was. That comment, he could admit had come from a place of frustration and jealousy, due the fact that once again he was coming in second best to one of Qui-Gon's "pathetic life forms" and certainly not the boy's fault.

He still didn't know the circumstances that surrounded the boy that prompted his joining their party but given the type of world he'd been living on, he suspected it hadn't been the best of lives but the b…ANAKIN, his name is Anakin Obi-Wan!, but Anakin wasn't cruel or selfish or dark, quite the opposite really, he was light, full of love, curiosity and childlike joy at the simplest of things.

He could feel that Force itself was pushing him towards Anakin, it was subtle, little nudges here and there, but it was there.

He wondered if Anakin felt the same thing.

And despite Obi-Wan's best efforts not to let Anakin affect him on an emotional level, his simple joy was infectious and made Obi-Wan smile. He felt a strong urge to protect him from all the bad things in life which he did admit was an unrealistic notion given what Obi-Wan suspected of Anakin's upbringing so far but still, he couldn't help himself, he had already started for form an attachment to the mischievous little imp of a boy.

So no, it wasn't Anakin that was bothering him and while Obi-Wan felt like a rotten Jedi, a terrible person and feeling very guilty and remorseful for his previous feelings and thoughts about him, he was fine with Anakin's addition into his life.

No, the problem lay with his Master.

This was not the first time his Master had inadvertently hurt his feeling with his careless or dismissive remarks. It had been an ever continuing trend ever since Qui-Gon had accepted him as his Padawan after the events on Bandomeer and even then, his Master hadn't been one for mincing words when he disapproved of Obi-Wan's "idea" on how to save his life and the lives of the other slaves. Offering to sacrifice one's life in order for others to live ought to bring some sort praise or emotional response, but no, Qui-Gon had been anything but impressed with his offer. It had only gotten worse after what happened on Melida/Daan and the Young.

He still wasn't sure what had changed Qui-Gon's mind about taking him as a Padawan but he'd been so grateful for it that he'd done everything in his power to prove to his Master that taking him on hadn't been a mistake by attempting to become the perfect Jedi.

He had done his best, quite often at the expense of his health; to excel at everything he was being taught. From politics and negotiations between planetary leaders to the most basic things like cooking and making sure he kept his things neat and tidy. Nothing out of place which was a rarity in an apartment like Qui-Gon's with his horde of exotic and sometimes just strange plants, memento's and gifts from places and people given to him over the years scattered everywhere over the apartment except Obi-Wan's bedroom.

There were even plants in the fresher!

Even flying, which he hated with a passion unbecoming a Jedi, he'd done his best to excel at and as a result became a highly qualified, if reluctant piolet.

He had mastered meditation, force assisted trances and studied other techniques, so much so that he had taught older Masters a thing or two.

He had even copied his master in his preferred style of lightsabre fighting. Form IV: Ataru. It was an aggressive, acrobatic style that utilized Force assisted leaps and moves and while it worked for him, his shorter stature shorten his reach and he found he needed to move around and use the Force more to compensate but he made it work and he was highly skilled in it. He hadn't wanted to shame his master who was considered one of the Masters of Ataru alongside of Master Yoda.

He had the praise of his tutors and he was the envy of all the current Padawan's his age. Younglings wanted to be like him and Masters wished their Padawan's were half as dedicated to the Jedi teachings as he was and he accepted well earned praise with humility and never let it go to his head.

So why did it feel like he had wasted his time trying to be the perfect Jedi?

Obi-Wan realised now that perhaps it had been a mistake to attempt to conform so much to the Jedi Code, to prove himself the perfect Jedi. He suddenly realised that he'd lost something of himself in his attempt to become the perfect Padawan.

He had slowly stopped talking to his friends; he'd forgotten how to have fun because it wasn't becoming of a Jedi to be having fun. He used to be quite the prankster; his best friend Quinnlan Vos in particular lived in fear when Obi-Wan got a certain look in his eye which meant certain trouble for whoever was on the receiving end of it. All of it had stopped when he because Qui-Gon's Padawan because Qui-Gon hadn't approved of such frivolous activities.

Had it really been worth it?

He didn't know.

He'd forgotten how to be himself and right now, with the sudden rejection of his master and the terrifying thought that he'd left cope on his own, without his Master telling him what to do and how to do it to help him, Obi-Wan realised that he wasn't sure who he was anymore without Qui-Gon Jinn in his life. He knew who he was now but who he would become in the future without his Master by his side?

He didn't know, yet.

It was something only time and he could tell.

"Found you!"

Obi-Wan was startled out of his thoughts as a bright spot in the Force known as Anakin Skywalker slipped into his small hiding place. He frowned, wondering how Anakin had found him. He checked his mental shields; they were still in place and strong. Not even Master Yoda could find him at the moment if he tried to.

So how did Anakin find him?

"You think too loud. I could hear you from all the way across the ship. Are you ok?" The small slip of a boy asked the Padawan he'd crossed the ship to find, feeling concerned about Obi-Wan's emotional state.

If it there was one thing Anakin knew, it was that everyone needed a friend to care about them when they were hurting.

He was hoping that he and Obi-Wan could be friends because he was hurting too.

Anakin was exhausted. The last few days had been and emotional and stressful as a pod race on his soul. Not only had he won the Boonta Eve Pod Race, the only human to ever had won it but he'd also been freed from his life of slavery, left his mother behind to join the Jedi only to be told that he was too old and too dangerous to be trained and was now left in a state of limbo, waiting for the Jedi Council to decide his fate while he was heading to a planet on the brink of war and the worst thing of all in Anakin's young mind was the fact that he hadn't been able to spend any time with Padmé at all since they left Coruscant! The Queen had been keeping her too busy to spend any time with him and with Mister Qui-Gon in meetings with the Queen and Captain Panaka; Anakin was left to his own devices.

He had decided to have a nap, because he was so tired, but had been unable to fall asleep. At first he thought it was because he was in a strange place, despite the fact he'd been in the ship before, but soon decided that it wasn't it, so he once more tried to go to sleep.

He was on the edge of sleeping when he thought he could hear a voice, murmuring in the distance. He wasn't sure who it was or what they were saying, but it the voice sounded like it was in distress, like they needed help but didn't want to or know how to ask for it and there was something else,

Whoever it was, they were hurting.

"Is there anyone there?"

He got no reply but that didn't deter him in the slightest. This person was hurting, he needed to help them. He listened again but heard nothing.

Use the Force. Listen with your heart, not your ears.

Anakin had no idea when that came from but it sounded right to him. The only problem was that he didn't know how to use the Force like that but then he remembered Qui-Gon saying something about how meditation aided a person with connecting with the Force. He'd seen Jedi meditating while he'd been in the Temple and it didn't look hard. Actually it looked a lot like sitting down with your eyes closed, almost like sleeping…wait a minute that gave him an idea. He'd first heard the voice when he'd been in that transition state from waking to almost sleeping and wondered if he could recreate that feeling, he would be able to "hear" the Force.

He promptly sat down on his bunk, his legs crossed, back resting against the bulkhead that the bench was attached too and tried to relax and empty his mind of his worries. It didn't really work because Anakin didn't really know what he was doing and it felt wrong to him in a way he couldn't explain. He huffed and rose from the bunk; feeling discouraged and started pacing the room, trying to think of a way to find the person who needed help.

"Anakin…"

Anakin spun around startled, hearing his name, but there was no one there. He frowned in confusion.

"Hello? Who's there?"

"Not his fault…"

Anakin spun around rapidly again. That voice sounded familiar.

"Forgive me…I didn't mean it Anakin."

"Obi-Wan?"

"I'm sorry."

And suddenly Anakin knew where to find the person who was hurting.

"Anakin, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with Master Qui-Gon?" Obi-Wan couldn't quite keep the bitterness out of his tone when he said Qui-Gon's name. Anakin shrugged drawn out of his memories.

"He's busy, besides, you need me here more, I think. You're not happy Obi-Wan, what's wrong?" Anakin asked him.

Obi-wan was startled at Anakin's rather actuate insight into his state of mind. His feelings were tightly locked behind his shields so show did the boy even know that Obi-wan was having a hard time coming to terms with his Master's callouses dismissal of him?

"I'm fine Anakin. You don't need to worry about me. Go back to whatever you were doing before coming to find me." Obi-Wan attempted to smile and convince Anakin to leave. He didn't need to dump his very adult problems on a nine year old child.

Anakin though wasn't your typical nine year old child and was having none of it.

"You're lying. Don't lie Obi-wan it only makes things worse in the long run and lying about your feelings never end's well. Mom always makes me talk about whatever's bothering me, even when I don't want to cause she says talking about it always helps and she's right you know. I do feel better after talking to her, even if I can't fix whatever's bothering me, it still helps. So talk to me Obi-Wan, please, I'm worried about you. I can feel you're hurting real bad right now." Anakin's sincerity and clear want to help him touched Obi-Wan's heart.

Here was a boy whose whole life had been turned upside down only a few days ago and whose future was still uncertain and here he was, trying to comfort someone he hardly knows. Such inherent kindness and compassion in a child that didn't deserve the crap that life had thrown on him.

"I'm sorry Anakin, you were right; I did lie about how I'm feeling. But you shouldn't have been dragged into my mess. It is neither your fault nor your problem to fix. It's between Master Qui-Gon and me and as the adults; it's up to us to fix it." Obi-Wan apologised and gave Anakin a small but genuine smile, "But I do thank you for your concern, it's very much appreciated. I feel a bit better already thanks to you just being here."

Anakin smiled at the older boy, pleased that his trek across the ship hadn't been completely for nothing if it helped his friend only a little bit but it wasn't enough for Anakin. He knew that things would be very dangerous for them on Naboo and that bad things could and very much would happen.

He could feel it the way he felt it when something bad was about to happen when he was pod racing.

Anakin wasn't stupid thank you very much. Stupid slaves usually died very quickly on Tatooine because they weren't observant enough to read the situation around them or their master's moods.

He knew full well that Mister Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were at odds with each other because of him. Personally, he didn't think he was worth the fuss and he felt bad for Obi-Wan.

He'd seen it before, the old favourite slave of the Master suddenly being tossed aside for a new favourite.

It had never ended well for the former favourite.

And while neither he nor Obi-Wan were slaves, the situation was eerily similar.

He had felt Obi-Wan's pain as if it was his own while they had been in the council chamber but had been unable to do anything about it at the time. But now he could at least attempt to help Obi-Wan feel somewhat better.

"I'm sorry." He suddenly said.

Obi-Wan looked at him in confusion.

"What are you talking about? You of all people have done nothing to be sorry for!"

He received a slightly shame filled look.

"I'm the reason why you and Mister Qui-Gon are fighting right now. I didn't mean to make trouble for you Obi-Wan honestly! You're my friend; I wouldn't do that to you…not on purpose anyway." Anakin sheepishly explained why he was sorry.

Obi-Wan stared at him in confusion for a moment longer then started to laugh quietly.

"Why do I get the feeling that any trouble you will cause for me will end up being much more spectacular than a simple disagreement between two friends." He grinned.

Anakin laughed with him.

"Probably," he admitted. "I don't go looking for trouble though, honestly; it usually ends up finding me! Although that's not normally a good thing. Slaves, who are too much trouble to their masters, usually end up dead pretty fast. I'm just glad Watto isn't too bad for a master. At least he won't beat mom cause I'm not there to help anymore." He mused out loud to himself, not realising the gundark nest he just stirred up.

Obi-wan's jaw dropped in dumbfounded shock. He'd guessed that the Anakin hadn't had the best of lives so far, he'd figured it had been harsh and demanding but never in his life had he thought for one moment that this sweet, kind, caring child had been a slave!

"You were a slave?" He squeaked out the question.

Anakin frowned.

"I'm a person and my name in Anakin!"

Obi-Wan frowned in concern at the angry, defensive reaction of the boy.

"I know your name is Anakin and it's a good, fine strong name. I'm actually more concerned over the fact that Qui-Gon didn't tell anyone that you used to be a slave. How did he even manage to free you in the first place?" he demanded.

"Mister Qui-Gon won me in a bet with Watto. He couldn't free mom though but at least he tried to. I won the Boonta Eve pod race so Mister Qui-Gon could get the parts he needed to fix the hyperdrive. I'm the only human to ever race and the only human to ever win the Boonta!" Anakin babbled rapidly, proud of his accomplishments that enabled him to help his new friends.

Obi-Wan didn't know if he should be impressed or appalled after hearing this.

"I didn't know he made the bet with Watto then but now I think about it, it does explain the weird comment Watto made before the race started. To be honest I wasn't totally sure I'd win before we got the pod working, but then I was sure I'd win when the race started. Do you think Mister Qui-Gon did something with the Force to help me win?" He asked the older boy in a rush of air.

Obi-Wan frowned at the torrent of information that flew from the youngling's mouth, desperately trying to deny what he had just heard because he didn't want to think that his Master had been that stupid and reckless!

Qui-Gon had won Anakin in a bet over a pod race? He was utterly horrified at hearing that. It was appalling behaviour and very much not in keeping with either the Jedi Code or Republic law.

"And do you know what Watto would have won if you had lost?" he asked the child calmly.

Anakin gave him an uncomfortable look.

"Your ship."

Obi-Wan stared at him in utter disbelief for just a moment then started furiously cursing in Mando'a while Anakin looked on in wide eyed awe at the older boy.

"Hey, I know a few good curses in Huttese if you need some good ones!" He chirped at Obi-Wan, amused to see the normally calm Padawan lose his cool.

"Of all the foolish, reckless, irresponsible beings in the universe, HE is the worst! What was Master Qui-Gon thinking? If, no when, the Jedi High Council hears of this, I dread to think what will happen to my Master this time." Obi-Wan muttered, reverting back to Basic, just loud enough for Anakin to hear.

"Is Mister Qui-Gon in trouble? He was just trying to help everyone and he managed to free me. How is that bad?" Anakin inquired of the older boy.

"That he freed you is a good thing Anakin, never doubt it, it's a good thing. Unfortunately, it's the way he freed you and acquired the parts we needed that was extremely reckless and extremely dangerous." Obi-Wan started to explain before he was interrupted.

"How was it reckless? I mean, yeah sure there was chance I'd lose the race but I didn't and I knew I wouldn't this time so everything worked out didn't it?"

Obi-Wan took a deep breath and reached for his patience, feeling he was going to need it while he attempted to explain his Master's foolish and reckless behaviour to a child who never really had a true idea of what was considered reckless and what was not due to his upbringing.

"While yes, it did work out for the best…this time…Master Qui-Gon was reckless because not only did he risk your wellbeing, indeed your very life on an extremely dangerous racing event, something he absolutely no right to do with a child no less, but he also risked the lives of those who were depending on him to procure the parts we needed. It was expected that he do the right thing and barter for the parts if he could not outright buy them or failing that, we could have contacted the Jedi council, which in hindsight we should have done regardless, but instead he choose to gamble with the only real asset we had access to at the time, our ship, which was our only way off the planet. You with me so far?"

Anakin nodded and Obi-Wan continued.

"If you had lost the race, not only would we be stuck here, without the resources to live on, we would also be unable to help Padmé and her people. They are being unjustly imprisoned and hurt by the Trade Federation in order to make the Queen bow to their wishes, in order make the invasion of Naboo legal which it is most definitely not. While the Senate is unable to help at this time, the Queen has some sort of secret plans in the works to take back her planet and kick the Trade Federation in their exhaust pipes in order to free her people, which she wouldn't be able to do if Master Qui-Gon had lost his bet with Watto now would she?"

Anakin who had been listening to him hard with a look of concentration on his face nodded his head.

"Yeah I can see how that would be really bad. I'd hated it if I had lost the race and Padmé wasn't able to help the Queen free her people. It really was a big dumb risk to take wasn't it Obi-Wan? Cause I nearly did, lose the race that is, three times! Once when the engines stalled out at the starting line, but I managed to catch up pretty quick to the others once I got the problem fixed and the second time when I had another issue with one of the engines, I think Sebulba did something to it before the race started; he was hanging around my pod engines. And the third time was just before the end of the last lap. Sebulba cheated and tried to kill me…again, but this time, I was able to get away from him at the last minute and win. Although, I'm happy he crashed. It's about time! Now he knows how it feels when he does it to others. Stars knows he's done it to enough racers so that these days it's considered a dull race if Sebulba hasn't caused at least three crashes or deaths."

It was the vindictive tone in the child's voice that worried Obi-Wan the worst.

"Anakin, while I understand why you feel that way, it's not right to wish harm upon others simply because you wish it so. Yes there are a lot of cruel and evil beings in the universe but if you wish harm on them, if you actively seek revenge on them, to make that harm happen, then it makes you no better than the one who hurt you and such ways lead to the Dark Side. If you wish to become a Jedi, you must try to rise above such emotions, to seek revenge is not the Jedi way. We are peacekeepers; we seek justice, not vengeance."

"But I'm not going to be a Jedi. The council said no." Anakin said in small voice, his entire body curling in upon itself, trying to deny the hurt that came with that decision.

Obi-Wan smiled gently at him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Somehow, I don't think you are the type to let anyone tell you what you fate shall be without a fight. If it's your dream to be a Jedi, then fight for your dream to come true. I did and look at me now!"

Anakin's eyes widened in shock.

"You had to fight to become a Jedi? You? Nope I don't believe you. You're perfect. You're the perfect Jedi Obi-Wan and a really good person."

Obi-Wan laughed. He was quite amused.

"Oh I'm far from perfect my young friend although I appreciate the vote of confidence. I was quite the trouble maker as a youngling, if the truth is to be told, always getting into trouble with my crèche master, usually dragging my friends into trouble along with me and even after Qui-Gon finally accepted me as his Padawan, I still had quite the temper. It took me a long time to learn how to control it."

He leaned in closer to Anakin,

"Let me tell you a secret young one, there is no such thing as a "perfect Jedi" and if anyone tells you otherwise, their lying." He smirked at the look of disbelief on Anakin's face.

"It's true. We are sentient beings, just like you, we can and will make mistakes because that is what happens to everyone and contrary to popular rumour, we do have emotions. We know what it is to be happy, angry, to feel joy and sadness, to feel hate and love. It's just that a Jedi also had a connection to the Force which makes it a little more dangerous for us to let our emotions take control because out emotion can effect out connection with the Force and influence how we use it."

"We are trained from the day we enter the crèche that attachments are not acceptable. We are taught how to control our feelings so they don't affect us when we are using the Force otherwise, the darker emotions can lead us down a dark path that ends with the Jedi being corrupted by the Dark Side into something they are not. Something dark and unnatural, twisted from the good person they used to be and forever lost in the dark. It's not a good thing Anakin, they become so destructive, so twisted by the Dark Side that then end up taking pleasure and strength from the suffering they inflict on others. Can you imagine that? To become so dark and corrupted that you would take pleasure in your own mother's suffering? Because that is what Sith and other Darksiders do."

It was perhaps a bit too blunt for a child of nine, but this boy was not an ordinary child. Anakin had already seen and experienced the darker side of life, he knew it, had lived it and understood it in a way they even Obi-Wan, despite his own experience with the darker side of life, couldn't.

Anakin for his part shuddered in dread. He didn't have to imagine it, he'd lived it. He'd seen he cruelty and malice that people were capable of. He'd seen slavers and slave owners take a vicious cruel pleasure in watching or making others suffer, usually both. Females suffered the worst of it but in the end, all slaves suffered under cruel masters. On Tatooine, all you had to do was open a window at night and you could hear it. The slave quarters in Mos Espa were small, cramped and privacy was a concept only dreamed about. Anakin had heard the screams, the cries for help, faceless voices begging for mercy, begging their cruel torturer's to just please stop and the cruel, evil, pleasure filled malicious laughter that was their only reply.

"Will I become like that if I'm not trained in the ways of the Jedi? I have a temper, I'm often angry over the smallest things and I've sometimes wished for really, really bad things to happen to happen to the really bad people. Does that make me dark? Am I a Darksider?" Anakin asked Obi-Wan in a small voice, scared to know the answer.

"Stars Anakin, no! By the Force no! You are a good person Anakin, your kindness and compassion for others shines so bright that I don't even need the Force to know how much of a good person you are! You are not dark, and you'll never be dark if I have anything to say about it!" Obi-Wan declared in a firm voice in order to reassure Anakin while kicking himself as a fool for scaring him in the first place.

'Well done Obi-Wan. You have just proven that without a doubt that you are not a perfect Jedi, not even a good one! Why don't you scare him some more and convince the boy he's destined to join the Dark side why don't you.' He sneered at himself. 'Fool, you are a complete and utter fool'

Tears shone in Anakin's eyes, making them look larger and impossibly blue. Obi-Wan internally sighed and mentally berated himself again for scaring Anakin. So he did the only thing he could think of.

"Come here Anakin, it's alright; I'm so very sorry I scared you like that. I shouldn't be speaking of such things to someone as young as you and yes, I know you know better but still, I'm sorry." He said as he gathered a tearful Anakin in his arms and drew him in close for a hug.

It proved to be a smart move as Anakin latched onto Obi-Wan tightly, his small body shaking with distress and supressed sobs as he curled up in Obi-Wan's lap, seeking the only type of comfort he's ever known in order to calm himself.

"Sith spit, I really screwed up this time." Obi-Wan muttered, closing his eyes as he clutched Anakin close, his heart hurting for the pain he had inflicted on the child while trying to deny that having Anakin in his arms like this, that providing the comfort the child needed felt…right in a way he'd never experienced before.

Oh he was in trouble now because he just knew that Anakin was going to be in his life one way or another no matter what the Council decided.

Obi-Wan would make sure of it.

The Force hummed in approval at him, pleased with his decision.

Anakin was finally starting to calm down but Obi-Wan could still feel his worry and fear as if it was his own. He had to do something to reassure the youngling curled up in his arms that everything would be ok.

"I tell you what, let's make a deal," he told the boy curled up in his embrace, his voice light and calm, with just a slight hint of amusement.

Anakin raised his head and looked Obi-Wan in the eye, feeling that despite of Obi-Wan's light tone, this was a serious moment and even untrained as he was, he could feel the Force pulsing in anticipation.

"I'm willing to hear what you have to offer." He said in his best salesman tone, the same one he used when it came to those of Watto's customers who didn't always have the right amount of wupiupi to cover what they wanted to buy.

Obi-Wan struggled to cover the smile that threatened to break out at Anakin's serious response.

Shards, the boy was adorable. He could get anyone to do almost anything he wanted to, he was just that cute.

"Very well, this is my offer, I promise to keep you from turning to the Dark Side if you promise to do the same for me."

Anakin gave him a searching look while relying on his instinctive rudimentary Force skills to gauge the Padawan's sincerity. Obi-Wan for his part, kept his face open and honest while lowering his shields so Anakin could feel the sincerity in his words.

For a long moment, neither one moved or said a word.

Anakin smiled.

"It's a deal." He said, holding out his hand so they could shake on it and seal the agreement.

Obi-wan smiled pleased with Anakin's response.

"Indeed." He said and shook Anakin's hand and they both felt something click into place while the Force swirled around them in happiness, radiating its pleasure at the pair. Their eyes widened in surprise as they felt the Force coursing around them.

Anakin was just about to ask why the Force felt that way when his stomach gave a loud grumble of hunger. Anakin went red in embarrassment over the noise. Obi-Wan just laughed.

"Someone's hungry. Did you miss breakfast?" He asked with a gentle smile.

Anakin turned his away. He didn't want to answer that.

"Anakin?"

"I didn't know if I was allowed to eat in the big room." He said embarrassed at his behaviour.

Obi-Wan frowned.

"Anakin, when was the last time you ate something?" he asked the youngling gently.

He was scared to hear the answer.

"I don't really remember, at the Temple I think?"

"Anakin! That was two days ago! You mean to say that you haven't eaten in two days?"

Obi-Wan was appalled that no one had noticed that a child had gone for two days without any food. He was even more disgusted with himself now for wallowing in self-pity while Anakin struggled to adjust to life as a freed person.

"No?..."

"Well, we can't have that. Let's go and find you some food shall we?"

Obi-Wan was determined to make this right.

"But you can't! You shouldn't waste your time on me. I'll just wait for lunch and eat when everyone else does. It's not a big deal. I went without food all the time back home. I can wait a couple more hours until the midday meal." Anakin protested, not feeling comfortable at all with the concerned look on Obi-Wan's face. He was a slave; he took what he was given and was grateful for it.

"I'm hungry too Anakin. It's ok to feel hungry and its ok to for you to eat something anytime you want or feel the need too." He looked at Anakin with compassion.

"You're not a slave anymore Anakin."

"You're free."