Title: Home Leave Parts 11, 12 & 13
Author: Cheshire Cat
Rating: G
Spoilers: yes for the JA books (great stuff!)
Timing: Obi-Wan is 13.
Archive: yes, just let me know where
Summary: Qui-Gon, Hal, Brakkan and Fea'la set out to find Obi-Wan.
Obi meets up with a rather nasty animal and gets scared.
Disclaimer: The boys and all therein belong to George Lucas (although I
don't mind sharing them occasionally)
Author's note: Yes, I did steal the name "Alban Arthan" from the old Celtic
calendar. If you didn't know that before today, neither did I - I looked
it up. Besides, you learned something new. *Wink*
Chapter 11
{Quick recap: Obi-Wan got despondent b/c he felt Qui-Gon didn't want him anymore. So he ran away.}
Obi-Wan shivered. He was freezing. Of course, the fact that he was waist deep in snow might have had something to do with that…
When he'd climbed out the bedroom window, he'd had a vague idea of going to the nearest town and hitching a ride on the most readily available transport he could find. Tiny icicles had formed on his cheeks where his tears had coursed. Maybe he wasn't meant to be a Jedi after all.
_*_*_
Qui-Gon, his brother Hal, and his brother-in-law Brakkan had set out to
find Obi-Wan. Fea'la had joined them at the last minute, intent on 'giving
that stupid boy something to remember' as she put it.
The four of them were double mounted on two speeder-like transports. To balance out the weight equally, Fea'la was riding behind Qui-Gon, being that he was the largest of the three men. The Jedi Master felt his niece's arms wrapped around his cloaked form. He followed behind Hal and Brakkan numbly. To lose two Apprentices within five years – the pain of Xanatos' betrayal was still so fresh. Was he to become the only Jedi Master in the history of the order to lose two so quickly?
Qui-Gon swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat. The bond with Obi-Wan was still so *fresh* - to severe it now…
The thought of the bond reminded him that he was supposed to be searching out the boy. He felt along the tenuous remains of their mental link. Obi-Wan had not severed it completely. Whether this was because of some sub-conscious desire to be found or whether he merely didn't know how to severe it, Qui-Gon didn't know – although he suspected the latter.
The thread in his mind was so thin, it was hard to distinguish it from the bonds he held with his family members. That gave the Jedi Master pause. If Obi-Wan was so hard to tell apart from his family…what did that mean? Qui-Gon frowned. /Obi-Wan? Family? Do I really treat him like he's my son?/ His eyebrows came together as his frown deepened. /Maybe I *have* been a bit unreasonable. Damn it! Now I know I'm getting old./
Fea'la felt her uncle tense. She knew that he blamed himself for Obi-Wan's disappearance. She wrinkled her nose. Boys were just stupid – that was all there was to it. What she wouldn't give to follow Uncle Qui-Gon through the Galaxy…Obi-Wan didn't know what a life he was capable of having.
_*_*_
The boy in question was lost. Very, very lost. He had the feeling he'd
been wandering in circles for hours. He was certain that the town was in
one direction, only to find that it wasn't.
Obi-Wan shivered, pulling his cloak tighter about him. He was beginning to get frightened. In all his thirteen years, he'd never spent the night completely alone. As a child, he was always surrounded by the other Initiates and since becoming Qui-Gon's Padawan, he'd rarely slept more than 2 rooms away from his Master. The sun was setting in the western sky. It set early this time of year. He decided he'd better see about making some kind of camp. He'd had survival training when he was an Initiate. They all had.
He carved himself a little niche in the snow, and lay stones in a circle. He tried to get a fire started, but soon discovered that every piece of wood was soaking wet. Giving up in disgust, he settled for wrapping himself up in his cloak and the blanket he'd taken off his bed.
_*_*_
Qui-Gon had to force himself not to panic. The setting sun put a stop to
their search. The three men and Fea'la were forced to make camp in the
woods. Hal relayed a message over the comm-link to Boni, letting her know
they were safe. The speeder bikes were positioned parallel to one another
and a tarpaulin slung over them to make a rough tent.
Hal was sitting in a crouched position, boiling water over the small flame they'd been able to light. He was watching his brother carefully. Qui-Gon sat, curled in a despondent ball, staring morosely at the tiny flame. Reaching over, he patted his younger brother on the shoulder reassuringly.
"We'll find him, Qui-Gon."
The pain shrouded eyes that gazed back at him could have been those of a stranger for all the recognition they showed. Hal winced. He didn't understand the Jedi. He never had nor pretended to. But he knew that the Master-Apprentice bond was a strong one. Qui-Gon had come home after Xanatos' betrayal. That had almost destroyed him. Hal remembered the sleepless nights and, when Qui-Gon finally could sleep, the nightmares that plagued him. To have two bonds broken in quick succession could very probably spell the end for Hal's younger brother.
_*_*_
Obi-Wan sat up, startled from his uneasy slumber. Something was wrong.
His hand went instinctively to his lightsabre, only to remember he'd left
it on the table in the bedroom. He squashed down the panic that rose in
his chest with some effort. Obi-Wan called out, "Who's there?"
The only answer was a faint rustling in the undergrowth.
Obi-Wan shivered a shiver that was not entirely brought on by the cold.
TBC~~~
Chapter 12
Qui-Gon was jolted from his slumber by the knowledge that his Padawan was in trouble. The emotion was strong. It could only mean that Obi-Wan was close by. Sitting up, the Jedi Master took stock of his surroundings.
Fea'la and her father, Hal, were snuggled together for warmth to Qui-Gon's left. Brakkan, his brother-in-law, was to his right. He shook Hal gently.
"Wake up, Hal. There's something wrong. Obi-Wan's in trouble. He's close by, I can feel it."
Fea'la sat up too, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "Uncle?"
"Yes, child?"
"Is Obi-Wan gonna be okay?"
Qui-Gon swallowed. "I hope so," he replied.
_*_*_
Meanwhile, Obi-Wan was standing with his back to a tree. He was still
wrapped in the blanket. The satchel he'd been using for a pillow was on
the ground at his feet. There was some sort of ursine animal sniffing
around the indentation his body had left in the snow.
/Sith, but that thing has big teeth!/
Obi-Wan was frightened. There was no use kidding himself that he wasn't. He was wishing that he hadn't left his lightsabre behind. At least then he might have had a chance. His survival training hadn't included fighting off wild animals with one's bare hands. He made a mental note to mention that to Master Yoda if he made it back to the Temple alive.
The ursine creature snuffled and sniffled its way closer to Obi-Wan. In an idiocy born of desperation, he began making shooing noises.
"Shoo, go away. Leave me alone."
In response the animal cocked its head and looked up at him. It growled. Obi-Wan shut up. He licked his lips nervously. He reached out to the Force, trying to send calming waves towards the animal. But his own aura was so panicked that he was unable to do anything.
_*_*_
Crawling out of the tent, Qui-Gon realized with some dismay that it was
still very dark. The twin moons had not yet risen and the snow obliterated
all landmarks.
Fea'la stood beside him, staring out across the landscape. He heard her swallow nervously. He wanted to reach out to reassure her, but he could not.
Qui-Gon felt a ripple in the Force that he knew could only come from Obi-Wan. It was so faint it was almost a whimper. But at least it gave him a direction to work with. Hauling one of the speeder bikes out from under the tarp, he clambered on board. Fea'la crawled up behind him.
"No, Fea'la. You should stay here."
She shook her head violently. "No. I'm coming. He's important to me too."
Qui-Gon grinned at her and gunned the engine. They set off, daring Hal and Brakkan to keep up.
As if on cue, the twin moons arched over the horizon as Qui-Gon neared the stand of trees where Obi-Wan was camped. The moonlight sparkled brilliantly over the snow, giving the entire area an eerie blue glow.
_*_*_
Every nerve in Obi-Wan's body was screaming at him to run, but something
told him this animal liked moving targets. A sound approaching a sob was
torn from his throat.
_*_*_
Qui-Gon heard the tortured sound from where he sat on the speeder bike.
With a gruff, "Stay here," to Fea'la, he jumped off. The Jedi Master
ignited his lightsabre, its green glow contributing to the eerie lighting.
He ran towards the stand of trees. He could see Obi-Wan's dimly outlined form against the tree. Standing before the young man was a wild animal he remembered from his own youth. The ursine creature was growling deep in its throat and it was making swiping movements at Obi-Wan with a well-clawed paw.
Qui-Gon projected the image of a small rodent into its mind. The animal sat back on its haunches, obviously confused. It was but the work of a moment, and Qui-Gon convinced the beast that it should go chase smaller creatures in the forest.
The Jedi Master barely had time to extinguish his lightsabre before Obi-Wan was flying into his arms, sobbing openly.
"I'm sorry, Master. Won't ever, ever again." At least, that's what Qui-Gon thought he said. The boy's face was buried in his tunic.
Qui-Gon patted his back awkwardly. "Sshh, Padawan, you're safe now."
Obi-Wan pulled back. "Are you mad at me?"
Qui-Gon flinched at that. "Padawan, it is I that owe you the apology. I realize that I have been unreasonable about you and Fea'la."
At the mention of her name, the young girl came running into the clearing. She walked straight up to Obi-Wan. She looked angry, dark eyes flashing and braids streaming out behind her. Without a word, she pulled back her arm and slapped Obi-Wan across the face as hard as she could.
Obi-Wan staggered. He looked absolutely bewildered. Qui-Gon's face betrayed his shock too. "Don't you *ever* scare me like that again, Obi-Wan Kenobi." With that, she flung herself at him and kissed him soundly on the mouth.
Obi-Wan's eyes flew wide open in shock. Qui-Gon shook with silent laughter.
TBC~~
Chapter 13
Their departure had been delayed by a day. Qui-Gon had sent a brief transmission to Master Yoda to that effect.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had to have a talk. The time had come and Qui-Gon couldn't procrastinate any more.
Taking his Apprentice by the arm, he sat down on the edge of the hearth. Obi-Wan sat down next to him.
"Padawan, I have something I'd like to say," he began awkwardly.
Obi-Wan looked at him questioningly. This was a side of his Master he'd never seen before. Usually, the practiced diplomat knew exactly what to say in any situation.
"Obi-Wan, over the past several months…" he paused, uncertain. "Well, you've become very important to me. I realized that on Phindar when you were taken, and I realized it again last night in the woods. I, uh, well…" he trailed off, somewhat embarrassed.
Obi-Wan's eyebrows raised. "Master?"
"Padawan, you have become like a son to me. I guess that's why your being with Fea'la bothered me so much."
"Huh?" Obi-Wan was confused. Was his Master blushing? Qui-Gon never blushed.
"Obi-Wan, do you know what the word 'incest' means?"
"Oh, uh, yeah." Suddenly Obi-Wan understood. /So *that's* what's been bothering him!/ "I understand, Master. At least, I think I do."
"Good," Qui-Gon said. "Well, in that case…" He rose. "Obi-Wan I want you to know that if you ever have any questions about anything, you can come to me."
"Yes, Master. Actually, Master, I do have one question."
"Yes, Padawan?"
"How come Fea'la slapped me last night?"
"She was worried about you, Padawan."
"Yeah, but," Obi-Wan broke off, looking up at Qui-Gon. "You were worried too, right?"
The corner of Qui-Gon's mouth quirked. "Yes, I was. Are you really wanting to know why *I* didn't smack you? Is that what you're asking?"
Obi-Wan nodded, eyes focused firmly on his boots.
Qui-Gon grinned. "Fea'la beat me to it." He started to laugh when Obi-Wan's head jerked up. He clapped Obi-Wan on the shoulder.
"Come on, Padawan. Let's go pack."
Obi-Wan was staring at his Master's retreating form in shock. Was Qui-Gon joking? Sometimes there was just no way to tell.
THE END
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