Two hours later, Luke walked in rubbing his head, missing his long hair, the only long

pieces left were that in his padawan braid.

"Go on and start cleaning your room. If you're lucky you'll get it done tonight. And leave the door open so we know you aren't playing any games," Obi-Wan told him.

"Yes, Papa," Luke sighed going to his room. Obi-Wan smiled shaking his head going to his and Anakin's room. His smile grew when he saw his lover, leaning over he gave Anakin's forehead a gentle kiss.

"Mm..." Anakin let out a happy little noise, and leaned his head up, to move that kiss from his forehead to his lips. "Welcome home..." He opened his eyes, smiling, speaking against the elder’s lips.

"What a welcome," Obi-Wan murmured returning the kiss. "Good sleep?"

"Yes." He nodded, still smiling. "Did you find out about my ship?" Obi-Wan pulled the key from his pocket and placed it in his hand.

"Ready and waiting," he answered. "Luke is cleaning his room, the door open so we can make sure that's what he's doing. It's getting late you must be hungry."

Anakin nodded, sitting up, and looking at the key with an odd kind of hunger in his eyes. It had been so long since he'd had an excuse to fly...most of his jobs were just in Coruscant. He hadn't flown in space since Mustafar. He was looking forward to it. Obi-Wan smiled sensing his happiness and left the room to start their supper. He paused outside of Luke's room.

"Luke, you cannot fit everything under that bed. Put the stuff where it's supposed to go," he said. Anakin laughed aloud, upon hearing that, and flopped back onto his back. He was sure this job wouldn't take too long to finish.

"Dad... can you help me put these games on the top shelf of my closet?" Luke questioned from the doorway, he was still a bit short to reach it.

"Coming." Anakin nodded, rolling off the bed to go help. He needed to explain about this job anyway...He'd never been gone for such a long one. Did Luke even know what he did for a living? He wasn't sure... Luke handed him about eight boxes when he came in, he then set to separating the dirty clothes from the clean ones.

"Luke," Anakin began as he started putting the boxes away. "I'm going to be gone for a while. You'll be good for Papa, right?" Luke looked up at him from the floor.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"Cornath." His father informed him. "It's beyond the Outer Rim. It'll take me a while to get there and back."

"You better take some light clothes, then. Cornath's atmosphere is very humid," Luke replied. Anakin paused, and turned to him, grinning.

"You've been paying attention, in class," he commended, feeling a small swell of pride. "More than I did, at your age." Luke smiled.

"I'd get punished more by Papa if I didn't. I don't want to wake up cold sometime," he laughed.

"Oh, I got punished too," Anakin assured him, with a small laugh. "I just didn't care. I was more interested in learning practical skills, than history or geography."

"I like history, I hope you don't mind snakes and stuff, that's what Cornath's people look like. Big lizards," Luke told him.

"Yeah..." He nodded thoughtfully, finally turning back to put the last box up. "I noticed that. Anything else I should know, O Wise One?" Luke thought a moment before shaking his head.

"No. I think that's it. Thanks, Dad," he thanked him carrying the container of dirty clothes to the wash room.

"No problem," Anakin called after him, leaving the room himself. He was going to miss his son, while he was gone...He headed into the kitchen, to see the other male he was going to miss.

"Wait and I'll help you separate them," Obi-Wan called to Luke.

"Okay, Papa." Obi-Wan turned and smiled at him.

"Come here and try this," he said offering a spoon to Anakin over the steaming pot of stew. Anakin obeyed, and made a happy noise.

"Wow," he mumbled, pleased with what he was tasting.

"Glad you like it. Grab some bowls, it's almost ready. Luke! Supper!"

Anakin gave him a quick hug from the back, before doing as he asked, whispering, "I'm going to miss you." in his ear, as he passed by him, to get to the cabinet that the bowls were in.

Obi-Wan didn't let the sadness he was feeling show; he didn't want Anakin to be go for long. Luke came into the kitchen, getting the spoons and cups helping his dad set the table.

"Master Yoda said you were falling behind in negotiations, why?" Obi-Wan questioned setting the pot of stew in the middle of the table. Luke looked down at his feet shrugging his shoulders.

Anakin eyed his son oddly. "You live with Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Negotiator, and you're falling behind in negotiations?"

"I don't know. It's hard, I just can't get my points across," Luke replied. His father licked his lips thoughtfully, before turning to Obi-Wan.

"Can you help him with that?"

"I can try. Negotiation skills are important. Some people have a knack for them, others don't," Obi-Wan answered, giving him a pointed look.

"Hope he takes after Padmé, on that level..." Anakin murmured, blushing subtly, and taking a drink from his glass. Aggressive negotiations were generally frowned upon.

"We'll work on it after supper, and we get you're clothes started, alright?" Obi-Wan questioned.

"Yes, Papa," Luke agreed and started eating his supper.

"And, you're going to help," Obi-Wan told Anakin with a smile.

"Obi-Wan," Anakin's blush darkened a little. "Do you really want him learning my method of negotiations?"

"No, I do not. You're going to take one side of the issue we choose and Luke will be on the other. It will be good practice for you both," Obi-Wan answered. Anakin snickered a little, before just nodding.

"Yes, Master," he agreed, finally, trying to calm himself down, so that he didn't choke. "Although, aggressive negotiations are necessary to know, you have to admit. They've saved both of our lives more than once."

"He can learn that way after mastering it peacefully," Obi-Wan agreed. Anakin shrugged.

"Have you taught him the 'Your Lightsaber Is Your Life' rule, yet?"

"It protects you, if you protect it," Luke answered for Obi-Wan.

"He actually pays attention..." Anakin blinked, a little impressed. "He knows the climate conditions of Cornath! Did I ever pay that much attention, in class?"

"Sadly no," Obi-Wan sighed smiling a little as he rested his cheek on his palm.

"I still managed, though," Anakin reminded him, sticking his tongue out a little, and digging into his food a bit faster. He was hungry, and he wanted plenty of alone time with Obi-Wan that night.

"Don't take after his study... or eating habits," Obi-Wan advised Luke. Luke laughed covering his mouth to try and hide it. Anakin offered him a dry look, and resisted the immature urge to kick him under the table.

"I still saved you ten times." He sniffed indignantly. "Even with apparently poor study habits."

"And for that I am thankful."

After they had each finished their supper Obi-Wan and Luke left Anakin with the dishes while they did Luke's laundry.

"Come on," Anakin tugged on Obi-Wan's sleeve, once he was finish with that. "How much laundry does he have?" Jedi swore off possession. He couldn't have that much. Obi-Wan laughed.

"You said you would help with a mock negotiation remember... and, my dear Anakin, Luke comes before our needs," he whispered giving him a soft kiss on the lips.

"I know, I know." He nodded. "Which is why I want to get started."

"Alright. Go to the living room, Luke should be there getting his points together already. I'll be there in a moment," he replied.

"Alright." He agreed giving him another kiss. "And, don't forget my...presents..." He warned lowly, before getting up to go find his son. Obi-Wan smiled and turned the wash on, he walked out to join the other two in the living room. He explained the issue they would both have to speak for and then sat on the couch between them.

"Ok, Luke, you start with your opening statement and we'll go from there." Luke nodded and stood, starting his side of the issue. "Don't stare at your feet, and even if you don't know what you're talking about, make your voice strong so that it sounds like you do." The lesson lasted for another hour before Luke yawned.

"Alright, kiddo." Anakin smirked at him. "Get to bed, or you'll never wake up tomorrow." He leaned back idly against Obi-Wan, allowing the older man to wrap his arms around his shoulders. Obi-Wan waited until he felt Luke was falling asleep before he turned and attacked Anakin's ear, picking up where he left off in the gardens. Anakin let out a low moan of pleasure, and pressed against him.

"Oh...Master..." He hadn't been kidding, all those years ago, when he'd said that the Master and Padawan positions could make for some kinky sex games. "Please...teach me..." It was still so early on, it was obvious that he was playing.

"You don't like to be taught," Obi-Wan replied, before continuing with his slow torture.

insert porn here

Anakin panted, and rolled over, to face Obi-Wan, his eyes half lidded with fatigue. "I'm going to miss you."

"Don't remind me..." Obi-Wan whispered, laying his forehead against Anakin's. He let some of the sadness he was feeling to go through their bond but not all of it.

"I won't be gone long," he promised softly. "I'll probably only be on the planet for about a day. Most of it will be in travel."

"You'll still be gone... it will be cold without you here." Anakin kissed him gently.

"My hyperdrive's working fine," he promised softly. "I'll be home as soon as I can."

"Mmm..." Obi-Wan sighed burying his face in the side of Anakin's neck. 'I love you. Be careful,' he whispered through their link.

"You be careful too," Anakin mumbled. "I'll be fine. I know what I'm doing." Obi-Wan just tightened his hold on him and then fell asleep. He knew Anakin would be gone when he woke up in the morning.

Yes, he was gone. He'd been gone for about an hour, but he'd left a note and a holo-transmission for them, saying goodbye. By the time Luke and Obi-Wan got it, he was already in a teleporter heading for the Outer Rim, to go find this planet he needed to be on.

Obi-Wan looked at the cat woman standing in front of their door waiting for them it seemed.

"Larisa, it's good to see you. Is there something we can do for you?" He asked.

"No, Master Kenobi. I just thought it would be good for you to have a break from your own cooking for a night," she answered with a kind smile and nodded to the bag of food at her feet. Obi-Wan returned the smile as he opened the door and waited for she and Luke to enter.

"That would be lovely, thank you." The night went on without incident, Larisa agreed to do a mock debate with Luke to help him with his negotiation skills, he had improved a great deal with Obi-Wan's coaching each night. Larisa was saying goodnight and was about to leave when Obi-Wan stopped her staring at the door.

"What is it, Master Kenobi?" She asked quietly. He shook his head, there was a great dark energy coming from the other side of the door.

"Luke, go to your room and stay there," he ordered. Luke jumped up and went to his

room without question, he rarely heard his papa's voice get that harsh, and when it did he knew it was not a time to argue.

The door exploded revealing three hooded figures. Obi-Wan pulled out his light saber and stood in front of Larisa. The figure in front seemed to be the leader, it raised a scaly clawed hand and motioned the others forward. Obi-Wan tried to fight them off but their own lightsabers and blasters soon had he and Larisa separated, they were pushing him back down the hall, his light saber making marks on the wall when it hit.

One of the figures went into Luke's room.

"Luke!" He yelled and tried to get by them but it just wasn't possible. He heard Luke's light saber and the sounds of him trying to fight the figure off. They were in his and Anakin's room now, he was quickly cornered, light saber knocked away. Brining his hands up he tried to keep them away with the Force. The hooded figures kept pressing against the walls he put up before they finally broke through them.

"PAPA!" Luke screamed. Darkness started to claim him, he had used to much of the Force. Obi-Wan could feel his wrists and ankles being tied, and then... pain... indescribable pain, he would have screamed but he had been gagged as well so he was forced to scream into it.

'...Anakin... I'm... sorry...' he thought before the darkness truly claimed him.

Larisa's body lay on the floor behind the couch, blood matted the fur around the wound in her stomach. Her eyes were closed, never to open again.

‘What happened?’ Anakin wondered, feeling a bit nauseous, as he saw the corpse. What had happened that this sight would greet him when he came in.

"Obi-Wan?" He called hesitantly through the almost eerie silence. Only silence answered him, no energy from the Force or anything, not from Obi-Wan or Luke.

"Master!" He called again, delving deep into the Force, and starting the wander around. Fine. If the Force wouldn't tell him, he'd find his lover the old fashioned way. Pain greeted his senses as he started down the hallway. Burn marks from lightsabers seemed to mock him on the wall. Luke's room was once again a mess but from the high dark energy levels that had been there and the marks on the wall, he highly doubted it was just because his son was a slob.

His breath caught in his throat, when he finally did find Obi-Wan. He had a distinct feeling that he'd been tricked.

'Baby,' he called to his lover, moving forward toward him, and kneeling down next to him, carefully running an unfeeling hand through the sweat stiffened hair. 'What happened?'

Obi-Wan's senses tingled as they brought him back to consciousness. He could... he could feel... Anakin! His eyes opened and looked at the hazy figure of his lover. Relief overcame him, over riding the pain he was feeling.

"Anmmm mhmmm lmmm!" He tried to manage around the gag that was still in place.

"Hush," Anakin ordered, finally noticing the gag, and tugging it away quickly. "Now, what?"

"They took Luke!"

"Who took Luke?" His eyes darkened. Someone was going to be subjected to a major ass kicking. "When?"

"They were hooded, I never saw the faces... I don't know how long I was unconscious," Obi-Wan answered sadly. Hooded? Anakin scowled, and with deliberate silence, untied Obi-Wan, and helped him sit up, before speaking again.

"This place is crawling with the dark side," he stated, in an almost unnaturally calm tone. "We can't stay here. Go to the Temple, and Yoda will give you a room. I'll catch up with you, after I find Luke." Obi-Wan nodded, he wanted to find Luke just as much but Anakin seemed to know something he didn't. Anakin helped him to stand being mindful of the way Obi-Wan slouched a bit, a sign something was wrong with his ribs.

"I'll catch up to you," he repeated, prodding him toward the elevator.

"Be...careful..." Obi-Wan told him shakily through clenched teeth.

"They'll be dead." Was all he promised, before heading for a flight of stairs. He didn't plan on waiting for the elevator to work.

"Ssstrong he isss," the leader hissed.

"Let me go, you freak'n lizard!" Luke yelled struggling against his bonds. He didn't really know what they looked like except for the scaly tail that stuck out of the long cloak a bit.

Anakin had been using the Force, to find the ship with his son on it, it had taken some time but he found it. The creatures on board didn't have very strong mental defences, it only took a couple of simple Jedi mind tricks to get on board. Then...well, then it was a simple matter of search and destroy.

Luke's head snapped up when he felt his father's presence, he wanted to call out to him but the lizard's had gagged him just like they had Obi-Wan.

'Dad!' He exclaimed through their mind link.

'Keep quiet,' Anakin ordered him simply. 'Don't say anything out loud. And...just trust me, when I get in there.' He wasn't positive how his son would react to watching him, quite frankly, savagely murder a bunch for foreigners, even if they had kidnapped him. Luke became quiet and started trying his best to loosen the ropes that held his hands behind his back without being discovered.

"There'sss an intruder!" Luke glanced up, he hoped his dad would be okay.

"Very good," Anakin muttered sarcastically, pressing the handhold of his saber against the alien's chest. All he had to do was turn it on, and the thing was dead. Which, he did quite promptly, pulling the humming blue blade out with a vaguely disgusted look. "Anyone else want to play?" He wondered in a pleasant tone, turning to the rest of the creatures in the hallway.

There was silence for a moment before each of the lizard figures pulled out a light saber of their own, the blades humming as they were activated. Looked like they weren't going to go down without a fight. Anakin snorted, and threw the hood of his cloak back. This would be fun, he decided, getting into his favourite stance, before it began.

Luke finally got his hands free and silently thanked his Papa for teaching that trick to him. He focused his eyes on his light saber and watched as it shifted then flew off the table to his waiting hands.

"No!" The lizard that had been left guarding him screeched. Luke just smiled as he activated the light saber, he knew he probably couldn't defeat the lizard on his own but he could at least defend against it until his father got there.

"Never fight with the hired help," Anakin advised the pile of corpses coldly, once that was done, before heading into the room. A small, proud smirk quirked his lips, as he saw Luke being the perfect distraction to the guard, and it only took one stroke, before the thing's head was on the floor, and rolling away from them. Luke deactivated his light saber and ran over to him, throwing his arms about his waist.

"Dad!" He exclaimed.

"Hello to you too," Anakin snorted, placing his own light saber on his belt, before quickly prodding him toward the door. "Obi-Wan's waiting for us at the Temple," He explained, as they went. "We're going to be staying there for a while, my ship's in the hanger here." Luke turned worried eyes up to him.

"Is he ok? I heard... I heard him screaming... and Larisa... they hurt her to."

"She's dead, he'll be fine," Anakin deadpanned, in response, he‘d never been great at giving news easily. "But, we can't live there anymore. So, we'll be staying in the Temple dorms, until we can find some place else." Luke looked at the ground nodding. He would miss her greatly...

"Come on," Anakin grunted, sitting down in the cockpit, and pulling his son into his lap. "It's a long flight back to Coruscant, so get comfortable." Luke nodded and lay his head against Anakin's chest, listening to the gentle hum of the engine’s he was lulled to sleep, feeling very safe once again.

Once they landed back outside the Jedi Temple, Anakin prodded him awake gently.

"Luke," he murmured, raising the roof up. "You need to go talk to Master Yoda, to see where you'll be staying." Luke rubbed his eyes waking up.

"Okay, Dad," he answered and went off to find the old master.

And, while Luke was doing that, Anakin searched for the Force, for his old master. He found Obi-Wan laying on the bed, but he walked right past him, into the small bathroom behind him. He looked slightly strained, and once he was alone again, the adrenaline crashed, and he broke. Leaning heavily against the wall, his eyes screwed shut against the tears flowing from them, sinking down to the floor. His shoulders wracked with sobs. He didn't know what had happened, but...

He'd been late again. Almost too late again. And, that thought was almost too much for him to handle.

He felt strong arms wrap around him a few moments later. The owner of those arms said nothing, they just held him.

"S...sorry..." Anakin managed to choke out, leaning heavily against Obi-Wan, rocking slightly on the balls of his feet. "I'm...I'm so sorry..." The arms only tightened their hold.

'Don't blame yourself. It was not your fault,’ Obi-Wan soothed through their link, he didn't trust his voice to speak.

"I'm...I'm tired..." He mumbled miserably. "I'm so tired of being the person to save everyone. Even now...I'm the one...but I can‘t." His shoulders shook harder in their unhappy grief. "I can't really save anyone!"

'You saved me, twelve times now? And you saved Luke... who knows what they would have done to him if you hadn't...' Anakin could only shake his head, and cough slightly, against his tears.

"I'm not a hero," he stated. "The Force only knows what I'm supposed to be, but I...I suck at being the Hero and the Villain..." These facts were truer than he'd like to admit. "And, I'm tired of trying..." Obi-Wan slapped him, hard. He then brought Anakin's face back towards his and kissed him deeply. The normal taste was mixed with that of their tears as well.

'I'm serious!' Anakin continued, even through the kiss. 'I'm not good at it.'

'I don't care about any of that Anakin... only you being here... knowing you are safe is enough. Forget everything else,' Obi-Wan replied after pulling away. Anakin just stared at him for a moment, before letting out another sob, and completely collapsing against him. He was, in addition to being emotionally tired, completely exhausted. He hadn’t slept in so long...Fatigue was making everything look like a bigger deal than it actually was. Putting that with what really was a big deal was a problem.

Obi-Wan continued to hold him until his crying stopped, he could feel Anakin giving into sleep but he didn't want him sleeping here on the bathroom floor.

'Come Anakin, come with me to the bed.' He slowly helped him up and then together they went to the bed. Obi-Wan lay him down before laying beside him, he wrapped his arms around him once more.

"I'm so tired..." Anakin mumbled helplessly, eyes already closed. He didn't even have the energy to have his muscles tensed. He just let his mind shut down, once they were laying down, vaguely amazed by how soft the mattress was.

'Sleep,' Obi-Wan encouraged. But...he already was asleep. It was just a matter of when he'd wake up again, at this point.

Anakin woke up a couple of days later, but he still didn't have any desire to move from the feathery softness of the bed. He didn't see any reason to, either. None of his clients could reach him here, so he didn't have work, and he couldn't sense anyone in the room, so he didn't need to move for them either. He was free to just lay there, staring at the wall, and waiting for something to happen.

The door slid open revealing Master Yoda. He came in and sat in the chair that had been brought close to the bed.

"Please I am to see you awake, young Skywalker," he stated.

"Hello, Master," Anakin greeted him, his tone still strained and hoarse from his meltdown the other day. He did bother to summon up the energy to roll over, and face the old master.

"Feeling better you are?"

"Not really," he admitted flatly. "But, you don't need to worry."

"Worried Obi-Wan has been for you," Master Yoda told him. Anakin blinked rather hollowed eyes at him, before asking,

"Where is he? And, Luke?"

"Sent him to eat I did. Left your side he has not. In meditation Luke is," Yoda answered. Anakin nodded slowly, processing that.

"He shouldn't worry so much about me," he murmured, now focusing his eyes on the new wall in front of him. "He always has...but, I've never really been worth it."

"Worth it to him, you are."

"Obviously," he snorted darkly. "But, that doesn't change the fact that I shouldn't be."

"Change it you cannot. New arrangements for you I have made," Yoda said.

"Oh?" He forced up what energy he did have and finally sat up. "What're those?"

"Live here you will. Protected you and others shall be," Yoda answered. The door slid open revealing Obi-Wan, his eyes showed his relief when he saw Anakin awake and sitting up.

'Anakin,' he whispered with a smile coming over and sitting by him. Anakin leaned back against him, with admitted relief, squeezing his hand reassuringly, a slight note of hope in his tone, as he replied to what Yoda was saying.

"I don't...have to protect anyone, anymore?"

"Unless you want no protect you do not," Yoda told him smiling.

"Thank you, Master." He actually smiled very thinly at him. "Thank you very much." He was sick of playing Anakin Skywalker ‘The Hero With No Fear.’ Being the Hero was hurting Anakin, and honestly, he just couldn't take it anymore. Yoda nodded standing.

"Talk more later we shall," he said before leaving. Anakin just turned to look at Obi-Wan, over his shoulder.

"I heard you were worried about me."

'Aren't I always?'

"Yes," he confirmed flatly. "You shouldn't, but yes." Obi-Wan smiled and kissed him gently.

'We should go see our new apartment. It's on the 9th floor,' Obi-Wan told him after he pulled back.

"Obi-Wan, sweetie..." Anakin blushed a little. "I'm not sure I can get up." The part of his legs that wasn't metal felt rather weak...he really hadn't slept enough, while he'd been gone. Or, at all, really...he hadn't been kidding, when he'd said he'd only be on the planet for a day, and it was a bad plan to fall asleep in a star fighter. Obi-Wan smiled and lifted him up into his arms.

'You've gotten light,’ he commented as he carried Anakin from the room. He knew this would have embarrassed the hell out of Anakin so he had sent the medical staff away, everyone else was away doing their normal duties.

"Really?" He blinked idly, resting his head against Obi-Wan's chest. "Huh. Weird..."

Obi-Wan took him up to their new apartment, it looked a lot like the old only it was bigger. He didn't ask Anakin where he wanted to go before taking him to the bedroom and laying him on the bed.

"Yoda's letting Luke still stay with us, right?" Anakin wanted to make sure. "Since you're his Master, and everything." All padawans lived with their Master. He saw no reason that Luke wouldn't too.

“For now... but soon I will not be able to show favor towards him over the others. We cannot have 15 other padawans living here with us,” Obi-Wan answered.

"But, he's your lover's son!" Anakin pouted a little. "A little nepotism's allowed sometimes, right?"

“He will be turning thirteen in eight months, Anakin. At that point he will want to be getting away from us. Master Yoda and I are checking into some connections, we may have some new teachers who may also be Masters join us soon.” Anakin nodded slowly to that.

"I can teach too...a little..." He mumbled, volunteering. "I told Yoda I would, when you guys started rebuilding the Order, and I think this might have been a sign to...stop killing people."

“If that is what you want. Sleep now, you are going to need your rest.” Anakin nodded in agreement. He'd sleep for now...then meditate later, and try to remember if he'd done anything lately, to make himself more tried than usual...besides not sleeping for two weeks. That might have done it on it's own, but he was sure there was something else...he'd figure it out later, he decided, lying down, and falling asleep again.

Obi-Wan watched him sleep, stroking the side of his face with his thumb before standing.

'Watch over him for me, Padmé.' A warm presence entered the room and he smiled slightly knowing she was there.

'Obi-Wan...he's hurt.' Padmé stated, her tone slightly concerned, as she reached into his mind. She could feel it. 'Physically.'

Obi-Wan's eyes widened and he quickly kneeled on the bed, he quickly ran his hands over Anakin's body searching with the Force the wound he couldn't see with his eyes.

'I can't tell where...' She continued, and he could practically hear the frown evident in her tone. 'Or what. It feels like some sort of...poison, though. Be sure to ask him about it, when he wakes up?'

Obi-Wan found a small wound that was covered with a scab just under Anakin's hair line. He used the Force to search Anakin's blood for any sign of what the poison could be. As it turned out, it was why Anakin's limbs felt so weak and heavy. His exhaustion really was just that, but this was the reason he could barely move, even after a good four days of solid slumber.

"This is annoying..." Anakin groaned into the pillow, a few days after waking up from his second long spurt of slumber. Obi-Wan chuckled as he brought him some soup.

"You're getting better. Be glad the poison was not deadly," he told him.

"Still annoying," he muttered, rolling back over, and sitting up, to accept the soup. "I should have known that thing was poisoned..." And yet, he hadn't. Which irritated him to no end.

"I've got to go, the one's Master Yoda and I will be testing for the position of Master will be here soon. Is there anything I can get you before I go?"

"No," Anakin shook his head a little, smiling gently at him. "No, I'm fine."

"Alright, I'll be back soon," he answered and leaned over giving him a heated kiss.

"Have fun." He rolled his eyes teasingly, before getting started on that soup. It was still annoying. He was shaking like a damn leaf in a sandstorm...

Obi-Wan went to the council chamber, he took his seat and waited for Yoda to arrive bringing the potential Masters with him.

"I can feel you spying on me, Padmé." He informed his wife good naturedly.

'Just making sure you are okay,' she answered sitting on the bed. Her figure was seeable but just barely.

"I'm not," he admitted, sitting up so that he could meet her eyes. "But, I will be." She smiled.

'Luke is growing up.'

"Yes," he agreed with a smile. "He is. Leia too. She looks like you."

'I'm pleased to hear that. They will be thirteen soon yes?'

"Yeah." His expression fell. "Obi-Wan wants Luke to move into the dorms."

'He doesn't want him to, he feels it is best. We have already talked about this, Master Jinn believes it is for the best as well,' she told him.

"So, I'm the only one who wants to be a dotting parent, and keep him at home, to be babied?" He smiled sadly. "I never imagined myself as being so...over protective..."

'I did,' she smiled.

"You're faith in me is astounding."

'You had the same in me. I am only returning it.' She looked up. 'Someone comes.' With that she faded although her presence was still there.

"Hey, Dad," Luke called coming in. He jumped on the bed sitting cross legged. "Papa and Master Yoda canceled classes for the rest of the day so they could interview the new people." Anakin quickly wiped the disappointment, at seeing Padmé leave, and smirked at his son.

"So, you're free for the day, and you're bored," he translated. Luke sighed his shoulders slumping.

"Bored, yes, but with plenty of work to do. Both Papa and Master Yoda piled it on to make up for what classes we wouldn't have today," he answered and then looked around. "She's here, isn't she?"

"Yes." He nodded, smiling. "She likes to watch you."

"Hey, Mom." Warmth enveloped them both.

"She loves you," Anakin murmured to him, pulling him against his chest in a hug. "And, she's very proud of you."

"Daaaddd..." he complained but was also smiling.

"You know, kiddo, I'm proud of you too," Anakin informed him, with a teasing grin, and tightening his hug, as though to spite his son. It wasn't really because of that, though. Luke looked up at him.

"Oh yeah? Well sue me, but I'm proud of you to. Not every kid can say his father is Anakin Skywalker... even if you are retired," Luke replied.

"You're proud of me?" Anakin raised an eyebrow at him. "You...really shouldn't be...There a very important reason that I'm not a Jedi anymore."

"Of course I am, and I don't care. You're my dad and that's reason enough, now... I really need to go and start on this work. If I'm lucky I can get it done before Papa comes back," he told him.

"Do you know why the Order needs to be rebuilt, Luke?" Anakin wondered, ignoring his excuses about his homework. "Why it was destroyed in the first place?" He didn't deserve his son's pride. It made him feel horribly guilty. Luke looked down.

"The Chancellor Palpatine was part of the Sith, but no one knew it. You were good friends with him and he tricked you into believing some things that weren't true. You fell from being a good Jedi and destroyed the Order... Mom went to see if she could save you, and Papa went with her, but she didn't know it. That was when you guys had you're big fight... when you lost you're arms and legs. But Papa saved you and brought you back here," he explained.

"Oh." Anakin blinked. Well, there went his big dramatic story. "So, yes, you do. And, you're still proud of me, even knowing that?" Luke looked up at him smiling.

"Of course. You're my dad," he said as if that should clear everything up.

"Yeah..." He agreed, not quite sure if that was a legitimate reply or not. "Well, go do your homework," he added, with a slight shooing motion. Luke hopped off the bed.

"Call me if you need me," he told him before leaving to go to his own room.

"Will do," Anakin agreed, even though he knew he wouldn't.

Nine hours later, Obi-Wan dragged his tired body into the apartment, it was dark showing everyone was already asleep. Not sure if he could make it to the bedroom he collapsed on the couch and pulled the cover that hung over the back over himself. He was asleep in minutes.

Anakin could sense him before he fully woke up, and a small smile playing across his still mostly asleep lips.

'Welcome home. Did it go well?'

Obi-Wan yawned stretching. '9 hours of interviews, but worth it. We've got three new Masters,' he answered.

'Good,' Anakin commented, barely shifting in bed. 'Hey...Obi-Wan, when did you tell Luke about the whole Mustafar incident? And, why wasn't I informed about that little lesson?' Obi-Wan sent him a confused wave, not wanting to get up just yet.

'I didn't...'

'He knew. Would Yoda?'

'Not unless we asked him to,' Obi-Wan replied.

‘Well then, how'd he know, if no one told him?'

'I don't know. That archive is locked away with the other most dangerous ones, at your request. Only myself and Yoda know the code to get into the room or where the room is for that matter.'

'Do you think...he remembers? From when he was little?'

'It's possible, but I highly doubt it. Why don't we just ask him when he wakes up? He should be waking soon,' Obi-Wan answered finally standing. His back popped as he stretched.

'Yeah...' Anakin agreed slowly. His mind was awake enough, he shifted a bit more in bed, and forced his eyes to open up. 'We'll have to do that.'

Obi-Wan went to make sure Luke was indeed awake. The blonde boy was just sitting up blinking sleep out of his eyes when he knocked.

"Get ready and come to our room, we need to talk," Obi-Wan told him. Luke was fully awake now.

"I haven't done something bad have I?" He asked. Obi-Wan fixed him with an imploring stare.

"Have you done anything that could be considered bad?" Luke quickly shook his head. "Alright, well get ready you don't want to be late."

"Luke," Anakin spoke to him, once he arrived in the room. "That story you told me yesterday...where did you hear it?" Luke shifted from one foot to the other.

"I'm not gonna get in trouble for this right?"

"Possibly," Anakin eyed him dryly. "It depends on what you did."

"I didn't do anything! I saw it!" Luke exclaimed. Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow and looked back from him to Anakin.

"Saw it?" Had he remembered that dream, all this time? "When?"

"I've had the same dream for a long time now. It was always in pieces, I just put them together. Anybody I didn't know I looked up," Luke replied. Anakin watched him carefully, in silence for several minutes.

"Do you ever hear anything in them?" He wondered finally. "Like, dialogue, or just see things?"

"Sometimes," Luke confirmed.

"Hnnn..." He thought about that for a moment, before turning to Obi-Wan. "Have you ever heard of anyone having visions of someone else’s past? Forget reoccurring, I mean at all."

"Other than the Scarath race no, but they are hundreds of light years away. Neither you nor Padmé would have had connections with them at any point in your life times," Obi-Wan replied shaking his head.

"Thought so." He nodded, slowly. "Could he be drawing the information, through our link?" Anakin was his father, and Obi-Wan his Master. Luke would have very strong mental links with both of them.

"I haven't, I swear!" Luke insisted.

"We both have very strong mental shields, he wouldn't be able to do anything of the sort without us knowing," Obi-Wan told him.

"You're not in trouble, calm down," Anakin informed his son testily, trying to figure out what might have possibly been happening. Luke became quiet although he still wanted to protest.

"He is your son Anakin. He could just have stronger visions than you do," Obi-Wan suggested.

"Maybe," he agreed with a small nod. "Have you had any others like that, or just the one?" He wanted to know next.

"Just that one... mainly..." Luke answered.

"Yes or no, no maybes allowed."

"No."

"Maybe he picked up on it, in the womb..." Anakin mused softly. "It was a painful time for Padmé, too. His senses might have been heightened."

"Anything’s possible," Obi-Wan agreed.

"What do you think?" He wondered to the empty air. He could feel Padmé, but only faintly. He could feel Qui-Gon too, but no more than her.

'I don't know Ani... he's telling the truth. Like Obi-Wan said. Anything's possible,' she answered.

'He could be a visioner, but there hasn't been one of those in the Jedi Order since before... well I don't even remember,' Qui-Gon told Obi-Wan.

"We should have Master Yoda test him," Obi-Wan said.

"It wouldn't hurt anything..." Anakin nodded, his resolve hardening. He wanted to know why his son could relate, in detail, the literally darkest hour of his life.

"What else have you seen Luke?" Obi-Wan questioned.

"Places I don't know, and people. Master Qui-Gon was in one, accepting a baby from a lady... she was dying," Luke answered. Anakin shook his head in mild confusion. Luke wasn't taking them from him, he didn't remember that. Obi-Wan sighed.

"Go grab something to eat. You're going to be late," he said. Luke nodded and quickly ran off, glad to get away from the interrogation.

"Maybe he is just stronger in the Force than I am." Anakin shrugged a little. He was happy when he didn't get visions. He still remembered both the ones about Padmé, and his mother as clear as if they'd just smacked him.

Obi-Wan lay down staring into his side.

"It was me..." he whispered.

"What was you?" His lover blinked at him in confusion. "You just said you didn’t tell him--"

"No, not that. The baby... in his vision. It was me."

For a moment, Anakin felt amazingly unsympathetic. He didn't let that feeling travel through their mind link, though, and just stroked Obi-Wan's hair for a moment.

"Not to sound cruel," he spoke up softly again, after a moment of silence. "But, you should feel privileged. You didn't have to watch."

"The only reason I know it was me was because Qui-Gon told me about it once, so he couldn't have gotten it from my memories either," Obi-Wan told him.

"Odd..." He noted, with a frown. "Besides, he wouldn't have known about my conversations with Palpatine, from you." He pointed out. "I'm sure Yoda will know." Obi-Wan nodded and scooted closer to his side.

"Glad I have today off, it's about time," he said quietly.

"You have the whole day?" Anakin's face lit up with a smile, as he leaned down to place a kiss on his lover's temple. "Good. You don't get enough time off."

"Don't I know it." Obi-Wan turned his head and kissed him back. "I still owe you from doing that demonstration."

"Oh, yes," he agreed, his smile now slightly devious. "I'd almost forgotten." The main door slid closed signaling Luke had left. Obi-Wan smiled back at him.

"Perhaps...we should take advantage of this rare opportunity to repay that debt..." Anakin suggested slowly.

"I conquer," Obi-Wan agreed pushing him back down.

-insert porn here-

"Mu...much better..." Anakin panted, letting his sweat damp head sink further into the pillow, as he tried to regulate his breathing again.

"Are we...even now?" Obi-Wan questioned smirking as he tried to catch his own breath.

"Think so," his lover confirmed with a nod, rolling over slightly, to press his nose into Obi-Wan's shoulder. In bed with this man, was the only place he could let himself be dominated, without feeling weak, or foolish. It was kind of nice, honestly...

Obi-Wan wrapped his arms about Anakin's waist holding him close. He felt sleep coming upon him so he leaned down and pulled the blanket over both their bodies.

"You have my heart," he whispered before sleep claimed him.

"Good," Anakin mumbled weakly, allowing his own eyes to close. "Cause, I'd feel like a real idiot for loving you, if I didn't."

"How'd your new teachers shape up?" Anakin wondered curiously, calling to him, sensing more than hearing his arrival.

"Masters Maeth and Baom are really cool and know their stuff but I don't like Master Advan," Luke replied.

"How come?" His father raised an eyebrow, at the open doorway, leaning over so that he could actually see Luke.

"I don't know. He's good at geography but I just don't like him," Luke answered with a shrug. "Sometimes there are just people that rub you the wrong way."

"Yeah..." He agreed, then turned a curious eye on Obi-Wan. Had he sensed anything off with him? Obi-Wan returned the look.

"He was a padawan once but was kicked out, when he couldn't keep up in the trials. The three Yoda and I chose are the best out of the eight that were there," he replied.

"Hmmm..." Anakin nodded, and tried to calm down. He was probably just being paranoid anyway...

"But you said the other two were good?" Obi-Wan asked. Luke nodded.

"Master Maeth totally rocks at teaching with a lightsaber and Master Baom is really into teaching history. We were all laughing so hard today but I remember everything she said," Luke explained. Obi-Wan smiled.

"I'm glad then. If you continue to feel off about Master Advan, let me know, alright?" Luke nodded.

"I want to meet him," Anakin informed Obi-Wan, his tone leaving no room for argument. "When I'm back on my feet." Literally.

"Alright, but try not to scare him off unless you feel something really off, we need all the help we can get," Obi-Wan told him.

"I'll be good," he agreed with a shrug. "But, if he is corrupt, he doesn't need to be here." Obi-Wan nodded.

"If he is... he must be powerful to get past both Yoda and myself." With that he left the room to start on their supper. "Come on Luke, I'm going to give you a cooking lesson." Luke grumbled but did as told.

"Pay attention to him," Anakin advised, his worry momentarily fleeting, in lieu of amusement. "Someday, you'll be grown up and home alone, and happy if you know how to cook."

"Yes, Dad," Luke replied.

"Okay! Okay! If I take you, will you stop complaining? But first you have to prove to me that you can get up and walk to the living room first," Obi-Wan sighed.

"No fair," Anakin grumbled, with a distinct pout. He did start inching off the bed, toward the floor, though.

And, he did it...sort of. He had a heavy limp, obviously favoring one of his legs, and it seemed to take a great deal more effort than it really should, but he made it. It might have been one hundred percent willpower, but he did eventually make it. Obi-Wan nodded.

"Alright, come on I'll take you," Obi-Wan agreed, putting one of Anakin's arms over his shoulders to help.

"Thank you," Anakin murmured, panting slightly from the work it had been to get as far as he had. He let Obi-Wan support most of his weight, on this trip, though, so even though it was longer, it wasn't quite as hard.

Obi-Wan took him to the Healersm and helped him sit on the bed, before stepping back.

"I need to go see Master Yoda for a bit. I'll come back by to see how it went after alright?"

"Alright." He nodded, eyes closed, as he struggled to regulate his breathing and heart beat, before the medical droids came in. "I'll see you later." Obi-Wan gave him a soft kiss on the forehead before he left. The medical droid entered a few moments later.

"Good day, Master Anakin. I hear you haven't been feeling well," it said.

"Correct." He nodded, opening his eyes again, to face it. He hadn't done a bad job with that whole breathing thing, if he did say so yourself. "I had an...incident, with some poison, and I was wondering how it's coming as far as actually getting rid of it."

"I'll take a blood sample, and come back in about 15 minutes with the results," it said pulling out a needle. Anakin nodded, and pulled one of his gloves off, shoving his sleeve up high enough that the droid could get to actual flesh again, and not just metal. The droid took a sample of blood and then left him to his thoughts.

That could have been more fun. But, most Anakin reverted to his favorite activity: laying on his back, staring at the ceiling. Even that grew dull after a bit, though. Luckily, by then the droid was back with his results.

The droid returned. "Your blood test indicates that very little of the poison remains. About 2 in fact. But it should not be enough to still affect you," the droid told him.

"Well...good...except..." He frowned. If it wasn't still affecting him, why was it still so hard to move? He turned to the droid, and explained that little problem.

"Hmm... I will give you a full examination, Master Anakin, we will determine why you are still affected this way." Anakin nodded in agreement to that, and shifted slightly, to make his muscles relax. He didn't want to do anything that might make the results more negative than they needed to be, after all.

After a thirty minute examination the droid told him his findings.

"It seems that this poison has effected the mechonisims where your left leg is connected. We could repair them but there would be no guarantees that you would be any better," it explained.

"Oh." Well...great. "Anything that you can guarantee will help?"

"I'm sorry, Master Anakin. There is not," the droid answered.

"Oh," he repeated in a flatter tone. He couldn't even think of a word foul enough to suit this situation, in any language he'd ever heard. And, he'd heard some pretty foul words, during his time in slavery, on Tatooine.

"I can still try to repair the problems and give you a cane, but I am afraid that is all we can offer." The first image that came to his mind was Yoda. He bit back a shiver, and just offered the droid a thin, grateful smile, and nodded.

"If that's all you can do, that's all I can ask for."

The droid nodded and left to make arrangements. Obi-Wan returned a few moments after it had left.

"So? What's the verdict?" He questioned.

"I broke myself," Anakin stated, in that same, flat tone. "And, in effect, am getting a new toy." Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow not understanding.

"Oh...you'll see." He made an impatient brushing movement in the air. He was feeling annoyed about this, and didn't particularly want to explain, when Obi-Wan would see for himself in just a few hours.

The droid returned before he could asked anymore questions.

"Master Kenobi, I'm sorry but we need to take Master Anakin into surgery." Obi-Wan's eyes widened.

"Sur-surgery!"

"I told you I broke myself." Anakin reminded him. "Don't worry, it's nothing too major. I'll be back soon." Obi-Wan could only nod and watch as Anakin was taken away.

Anakin did come back, after a little over an hour, and he was walking on his own...for the most part. The droid had given him that cane he'd mentioned, when he'd woken up, so he was leaning on that, but he didn't need any more support. He assumed Obi-Wan had sat still, and would be waiting for him in the hall...or lobby.

Obi-Wan had been sitting for a bit before he had gotten up and started pacing.

"But, you're not impatient." Anakin smirked at him, teasingly, and limping toward him. Obi-Wan let out a sigh of relief.

"Only when it comes to you," he replied and glanced down at the cane before smiling at him. 'It's hot.'

"Told you I have a new toy." Anakin stated, he looked a bit more irritated, when he looked down at the wooden stick. Obi-Wan chuckled.

"I got put in charge of negotiations class. Master Advan is supposed to be sitting in on it today. Would you like to come as well?" He questioned as they walked out of the healing wards.

"Yes..." He replied slowly. "I think I would." Obi-Wan nodded as they walked together down to his class. He checked the time.

"The initiates should be arriving soon," he commented getting things together.

"Alright," he agreed, sitting down in a chair near the desk. This was good. Advan would be distracted by the class, he'd have ample opportunity to see if he could sense any of the dark side in the man.

Excited voices soon came into the room from the hallway before the owners of the voices came into the room.

"Greetings, Padawans," Obi-Wan greeted them.

"Greetings, Master Kenobi," the padawans chorused as they took their seats.

"Master Kenobi," Master Advan greeted.

"Master Advan, please take a seat off to the side," he requested. Advan nodded and found a seat in the corner. Anakin spent most of the class staring at him. But, he had only come to one conclusion by the time it ended: if Advan was evil, he was doing a fine old job of concealing it.

The Padawans stood to leave but Obi-Wan stopped them.

"I have an announcement to make: tomorrow, the issue we will be looking at are the requirements for a Padawan to become a Knight. There is a reason behind this, so I hope you all put a good deal of research into it. You may go," he told them. Each Padawan gave each other a weird look before shrugging and leaving each whispering what Master Obi-Wan could be talking about.

"You haven't lost your touch," Anakin commented, getting back to his feet, and going over to him. "Congratulations."

"What, to confuse everyone? I believe that is Yoda's job," Obi-Wan replied with a chuckle. Advan stood and came over to them.

"I can now understand why these students enjoy this class. This was most fun, probably the highlight of my day," he stated holding out his hand for Obi-Wan.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Obi-Wan replied shaking his hand.

"You must be Master Advan." Anakin nodded politely to him. "My son's in one of your classes." Advan stared at him for a moment before smiling.

"Ah. Anakin Skywalker, of course. Yes, Luke shows great promise as I hear from most of his Masters," Advan commented.

"As it should be." Anakin nodded, feeling a twinge of pride. "I've been looking forward to meeting you. To meeting all the new Masters."

"It is a pleasure, but if I don't hurry I will be late and we can't have that now can we? Good day to you both," he said before turning and was gone. Obi-Wan waited until Advan's energy had faded before he turned to Anakin. "Well?"

"I can't tell." Anakin shook his head, frowning. "Whatever he failed, on his trials, it wasn't mental defense."

"Highest in his class there," Obi-Wan confirmed.

"It's going to be tricky, to find out what he's really thinking, without letting him know..." He continued slowly. "It can be done, I'm sure, but it'll be difficult." Obi-Wan nodded.

"Well I spoke Master Yoda, he agreed to test Luke tonight after his classes. I think he has one last class... with Master Maeth if I'm not mistaken," he told him.

"Does he have any theories?" Anakin wondered hopefully.

"Not without testing him," he replied.

"Alright..." He nodded thoughtfully. Well, if they had to test him, they'd test him. The tests wouldn't hurt, he'd gone through them too, when he'd first come to the Jedi Temple. Worse things had happened than getting these tests.

"Well should we go on up or do you want to do something else?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Nah," He shook his head. "I think I've done about all the damage I can do for one day. We can go home now." Obi-Wan nodded.

"Once Luke gets in we'll go on to Yoda."

"That's fine," he agreed with a shrug. "Maybe I should come to class with you more often." He added with a teasing grin. "I miss you, when you're gone during the day." Obi-Wan laughed as they walked.

"I don't know, you might prove to be a distraction."

"To the students, or you?"

"Both," Obi-Wan answered.

"They didn't seem particularly distracted today." He pointed out, letting his fingers intertwine with Obi-Wan's.

"Alright maybe it is just me." Obi-Wan shrugged, with a smile.

"Of course, if my Master wishes me to stay at home, like a good little boy, I can hardly refuse," he continued, with a small sigh.

"You'll get too bored. Maybe we should ask Yoda about giving you a teaching position," he suggested.

"That works too," he agreed with another shrug. "Being bored is part of the problem now."

"What would you like to teach?"

"Hmmm..." He thought about that for a minute. "I don't know. You already have teachers for the things I'm good at...Flying, maybe? Do you have a Master for that, yet?"

"No we do not," Obi-Wan answered.

"It's an important skill to know." He felt an excited grin tugging at his lips. "Never know when good piloting skills will come in handy."

"There's some of the old Anakin showing through," Obi-Wan commented with a smile. "But you cannot start off with those incredible stunts you usually pull. These students won't have flown before."

"You mean the ones that you hate so much?" He laughed softly. "Like the one with the power company?"

"Yes those... uh... my stomach turns at just the thought of them." He shook his head.

"Oh, come on." He stuck his tongue out at him. "You know you love the rush."

"Once my stomach stops turning yes," Obi-Wan agreed as they came to their apartment.

"It's not that bad..." Anakin pouted at him. "Besides, when was the least time you let me fly for you? When I was nineteen, and we were chasing that assassin, who was after Padmé?"

"Actually you saved me from those little droids when we were going to rescue... anyway, you're right, if I were younger it probably wouldn't be that bad."

"Oh, yes." He rolled his eyes slightly. "You're sooo old."

Obi-Wan laughed sitting on the couch. "You're right. I am sooo old."

"Liar," Anakin accused dryly, limping over and collapsing next to him. "I don't sleep with old men. My sex life is a testament to your youth." Obi-Wan started to run his fingers through Anakin's hair.

"You make me feel young. Of course also thanks to you, I am getting grey hair as well."

"Well, so am I." Anakin pointed out, moving a couple curls on his head, to reveal some silvering strands. "And you, sir, have been getting grey hair for years. I highly doubt it has that much to do with your age."

"No. It's only you who I have known for years," Obi-Wan replied.

"Ha ha." He kissed his check, right above his beard. "Very cute." Obi-Wan smiled and looked back as the door opened. Luke walked in, R2-D2 rolling along behind beeping and whistling. Luke laughed at whatever the little droid had been telling him.

"Did you two behave?" Anakin teased them both, wrapping his arms around Obi-Wan's waist, and resting his head on the older's shoulder. He felt like he was married again...it was a little odd, considering this was Obi-Wan, and not Padmé. R2 whistled and Luke smiled nodding.

"Do you have much work for the weekend?" Obi-Wan questioned.

"Nope and that's the great thing! No work all weekend... except for your class tomorrow which is also the only one," Luke replied. "I should have known you wouldn't grow soft with new Masters." Obi-Wan laughed.

"Goodness, Anakin! Your boy is smart!"

"You doubted it?" Anakin raised an eyebrow at his lover. "Really. Intelligence is in his genes."

"I never doubted it, just surprised that he thought I would go soft," Obi-Wan replied.

"You can't go soft." Anakin smirked at him. "That's why I'm here. To keep you on your toes."

"There you have it, Luke. You can blame your father for not letting me go soft," Obi-Wan told him. Luke gave Anakin a mock glare although his eyes were laughing.

"Sorry, kiddo," Anakin snickered at him. "I never got out of my rebellious teenager phase."

"Well we better get ready," Obi-Wan said slipping out of Anakin's arms to stand. Luke gave him a questioning look.

"Where are we going?" He asked.

"Your father and I are taking you to Master Yoda to be tested," Obi-Wan explained.

"Tested? But haven't I already been tested?"

"Not that kind of test." Anakin yawned, stretching slightly, and standing back up. "It's a test to find out why you're getting those visions."

"They have tests like that?" Luke questioned.

"Of course... and if not we could always invent one," Obi-Wan replied.

"Master Qui-Gon had a theory we thought was worthy looking into, though," his father explained, with a shrug. "So, we're going to."

"Come on now. We don't want to keep Master Yoda waiting." Obi-Wan ushered Luke out the door. Anakin fully intended to come along, and did so. He wanted to know too! It wasn't fair making him wait at home! Besides, he was sure Yoda wouldn't mind, if he tagged along. Luke was his son, after all. Obi-Wan could hear his thoughts and smiled.

'Jealous I didn't usher you?' He thought.

'Not jealous,' Anakin corrected, limping as quickly as he could to catch up to them. He did hope he'd get faster about this... 'Slow, but not jealous. I would have snuck in, if you hadn't wanted me to come anyway.' He wasn't completely serious about that.

"Welcome you are," he greeted. Obi-Wan bowed in his greeting.

"Thank you, Master." Anakin nodded his head. He would have bowed, like Obi-Wan, but he feared he might fall over, if he did. That was one humiliation he wasn't ready to face yet.

"Testing, to see if you are a visioner, they want for you," Yoda commented.

"If that is what they want Master," Luke replied. Yoda nodded and looked at Obi-Wan and Anakin.

"Ask you both to leave I do," he requested. Well...it seemed coming along had been absolutely useless.

"Yes, Master," Anakin agreed anyway, turning around to go back out of the room. Obi-Wan followed him, closing the door after himself.

"Well I guess now we just wait," he sighed.

"Looks like it," Anakin confirmed, leaning against the wall and sinking down to the floor, with an already bored sigh.

"Well?" Anakin glanced at them, raising an eyebrow.

"Powerful visioner, Luke Skywalker is," Yoda confirmed. Obi-Wan smiled and put a reassuring hand on Luke's shoulder. Luke looked up at him before collapsing into his arms. Obi-Wan quickly caught him and shifted so that he was cradling him like he had when he was little.

"Thank you, Master Yoda." Anakin nodded at him, forcing himself back to his feet. "That's what we needed to know."

"He's exhausted, we should get him to bed," Obi-Wan said, and bowed his head to Master Yoda.

Anakin followed his example, and patted his son's head, before starting toward the elevator. He was hoping to average the speeds out, and keep up with Obi-Wan, by starting first. Shaking his head with a smile, Obi-Wan matched his steps.

"Well, that answers that," Anakin noted. "Absolutely nothing's wrong."

"He'll need special training, probably from Yoda himself."

"Yes, but it's nothing that can't be handled."

"True," Obi-Wan agreed as they got back to the apartment. He took Luke to his room and covered him up. "I hope he got all his research done before all this." Anakin snickered a little, waiting in the doorway, with an amused smile plastered on his face.

"I'm sure he did. And, if he didn't, he will have before time for his class."

Obi-Wan came back out closing the door. "And so that leaves us," he whispered. Anakin's smile softened slightly, and he leaned in, giving Obi-Wan a gentle kiss, before he spoke again.

"To bed," he suggested, pointing toward the door, and starting off for it. Obi-Wan smiled and followed him.

"As far as I know," Obi-Wan confirmed.

"Good..." He nodded thoughtfully, taking a sip from his coffee cup. "Padmé wants to see her." There was a knock at the door.

"That should be them now," Obi-Wan said with a smile.

"See? I told you, she'd be coming," Anakin informed Padmé, or the empty room, as he did that, before grabbing his cane, and starting after Obi-Wan, to also greet their guests.

Obi-Wan pushed the button that would allow the door to open, and his breath caught. This couldn't be Leia! Not the little girl he had seen last year. She had grown at least two feet, her hair braided on the sides joined into one at the back. Her brown eyes sparkled, her hands folded elegantly in front of her.

"L-Leia?" He questioned finally.

"Master Kenobi," she greeted curtseying a little. It was all Anakin could do to not start laughing at his lover's bemusement.

"Happy birthday, squirt," he greeted, holding his free hand to his face, to hide the slightly helpless grin. Leia smiled and entered hugging him.

"Hi, Dad. What happened?" She asked, a worried look coming over her face when she noticed his cane.

"Hardware malfunction." He brushed it off. Really, that was what it was. Leia didn't need to know that he'd been poisoned. "This was the best they could do, without replacing the whole thing. It's good enough."

"Oh well, that's okay then. Where's Luke?" She questioned.

"Right here, Sis," Luke called waving from the living room. Her smile lit up the entire room as she ran to him, he picked her up and spun her around laughing. "Great to see you too." Obi-Wan looked out into the hallway searching for the Senator and his wife but he didn't see them.

"Leia? Where are your parents?" He questioned.

"Oh, Papa had some business to take care of, and Momma didn't come," she answered.

‘So,’ Anakin reflected, feeling a small smile tug at his lips. For the first time in thirteen years, he was going to see his daughter without Senator Organa breathing down his throat. That seemed like a nice idea. Well, Bail Organa was a nice enough man, but it was the principle of the matter, mostly.

"I see you're taking after your mother's hairstyles. How long did this take?" Obi-Wan questioned taking a closer look at her hair. Leia giggled.

"Not long. Only three hours," she answered.

"And, she's defiantly female," Anakin concluded, joining them in the living room, and looking amused. He wasn't sure how long Padmé spent on her hair, although she definitely brushed it enough. He'd always arrived after it was done, and had to leave before she could change it again. Obi-Wan sat in a chair while Luke and Leia took the couch.

"So how is your training going, Luke?" Leia asked.

"Top of my class in history and negotiations, thanks to Papa," Luke answered.

"He's being modest," Anakin informed Leia, with a smirk. "He's going to be a very strong Jedi, when he gets old enough."

"Aww! I'm so proud of you!" She exclaimed and hugged him tightly.

"Leia... please... it's not a big deal. Really," he insisted.

"And, how have you been doing, squirt?" Anakin questioned his daughter. He hadn't seen her for a year either...It was a big deal to him, to be able to talk to her.

"I've been fine, Dad. Papa says I have mother's negotiation skills," she answered with a smile. Obi-Wan stood and went to the kitchen feeling a little out of place. He decided to get their food ready, also giving the family some alone time.

"You must be very good then," Anakin smiled at her, as he sat down. "Your mother was a fabulous politician." He'd actually meant that as a compliment...really he had.

"Papa let me watch some of the HoloNet reports, with her in them. I was very impressed," she answered.

"She was very impressive," he confirmed with a nod. "When I met her, she was already the reigning Queen of Naboo."

"Do you think I could do that?" Leia asked her eyes shining.

"Well, being elected Queen of Naboo would be easier if you actually lived there," he smiled teasingly at her. "I'm sure you have the talent, though. But, if you want my advice, avoid politics." She pouted.

"But I might be able to change things... no I know I could change things," she told him, her voice determined.

"I don't doubt that you could," he assured her, his expression softening again. The Republic was just now regaining political balance, from Palpatine’s Empire, and then death. "But, the life of a politician is a hard one. You're actually in the public eye, whether you want to be or not." He snorted, and smiled again. "You probably already know that, though, don't you? Living with Senator Organa, and all."

"Of course, I love it." She smiled.

"Hmm..." He studied her carefully. "Maybe you will make a good politician..." Luke closed his eyes for a moment before opening them and looking at his sister.

"Mom thinks you would make a great Queen," he told her.

"Does she?" Anakin glanced around the room, for the centre of Padmé's energy.

‘You're sure you should be encouraging her?’ Anakin wondered dryly.

'Our children are going to change things, Ani. I know it,' she answered.

‘They probably will,’ he agreed, looking back to them. ‘They're strong enough to change the galaxy, hopefully for the better.’

"Hey, Anakin, are you ready?" Obi-Wan questioned from the doorway. It was time for the cake.

"Yeah," he confirmed with a nod, breaking his connection with Padmé reluctantly. "Yeah, now's fine." Obi-Wan lit the candles and then brought out the cake. Luke smiled slightly and Leia giggled.

"Well, you guys are officially teenagers," he said, setting the cake down.

"That," Anakin decided, obviously teasing them. "Is an absolutely terrifying thought."

"Dad!" Both complained at the same time and Obi-Wan chuckled.

"What?" He smirked at them. "You two growing up makes me feel like an adult. Which, frankly, is just as scary as you being teenagers."

"I'll say," Obi-Wan agreed.

"See?" He looked up, and smirked at him. "Master agrees."

"You're not helping, Master Kenobi," Leia scolded.

"I knew I should have stayed in the kitchen," he mumbled but was smiling.

"Actually," he coughed discretely, to get Obi-Wan out of trouble with the children. "I was referring to his agreement on my level of immaturity."

"You're much more mature than you give yourself credit for," Leia told him.

"Really?" He blinked, slightly touched, and glanced at the other two in the room.

"When you want to be," Obi-Wan agreed.

"Being childish is fun," he retorted, sticking his tongue out, to prove his point. They all laughed. It was almost midnight when Leia stood.

"Well, I really should be going," she said. Obi-Wan also stood.

"I'll escort you, as safe as the Temple is, you're still to young to walk on you're own," he told her.

"Squirt," Anakin gave her a stern look. "You're not getting off that easy," he informed her, but then just held his arms out to her. "I want my annual hug."

"Of course, Daddy," she replied and came over hugging him tightly as well as giving him a kiss on both cheeks.

"Alright." He let go of her after a couple minutes. "Fee paid. I'll see you."

"I'll be at the ceremo..." she started but Obi-Wan pulled her away smiling.

"Yes, yes we'll see you tomorrow Leia. Come on let's go," he told her quickly, and just like that they were gone.

"What's tomorrow?" Anakin wondered, turning to Luke. Luke also stared at the door in curiosity.

"I have no idea," he said, shrugging.

‘Do you know?’ He questioned Padmé.

'Obi-Wan has said nothing to me or Master Jinn,' she replied.

"I'll bribe it out of him, later," he decided finally, with a shrug. Luke yawned.

"Well I'm gonna go to bed. Night, Dad," he said standing.

"Sweet dreams." He nodded, before getting up himself. He'd go wait for Obi-Wan in their room.

One hour later, Obi-Wan returned and turned the lights out before coming into their room to change. He saw the look Anakin gave him.

"Don't even think about asking. I've been sworn to secrecy," he told him.

"What's tomorrow?" He asked anyway, in a dry tone.

"I just told you I can't tell you," Obi-Wan repeated.

"No fair." He frowned a little. "No sex tonight, for you."

"I can't help it Anakin. It's a total secret. Only Yoda and myself know," he said climbing into bed.

"And Leia." He corrected, with a small sniff.

"Well she's the guest speaker so yes, Leia to."

"But, what is she guest speaking for?" Obi-Wan smiled and drew a finger over his lips.

"I can't tell."

"I'm not going to be able to trick you, am I?"

"Highly doubtful," Obi-Wan replied laying down.

"No sex for you for a week," Anakin amended dryly, before rolling over so that his back was to the older man, and closing his eyes. Fine, if Obi-Wan wasn't going to talk, he'd just go to sleep.

"I think you'll change your mind after tomorrow," he whispered and then turned over so that his back to was facing Anakin.

Anakin ignored him, though, to the best of his abilities.

"You'll need to be down in the training rooms around three, and dress nicely. We'll see you then," Obi-Wan told him, he kissed him on the cheek before he and Luke left for classes.

Anakin raised his eyebrows after them, but when the time came, he did obey and show up. He could only dress so nicely, since he still only had his Jedi robes, but he did put on some clean ones.

Leia smiled and came over giving him a hug.

"I'm sorry you can't know, Daddy, but it's a big surprise," she told him with a smile.

"Obviously," Anakin confirmed, with a gentle smile at her, petting her carefully done up hair.

"Oh! I have to go, we're getting ready to start." She quickly went up to the stage. Anakin raised an eyebrow at them, but just sat down in one of the chairs set up, and waited to see what would happen next. Obi-Wan smiled at her and nodded after everyone was seated. "Today I welcome you here for a very special event. Among the students of the Jedi Order, there are two that have surpassed their expected limitations. There is also another man among us, who will gain something as well." She smiled at Anakin and winked. "If Masters Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi would come and join me." Yoda and Obi-Wan stood, each standing on one side of her.

"First, we would like to honor someone who has been a big part of the Order for many years now. Today we recognize him as a Master who will teach piloting to the Padawans, even though he is not currently a real Jedi. Anakin Skywalker," she announced.

Anakin blinked, and almost fell from his chair. Were they saying what he thought they were saying? His eyes flickered up at Obi-Wan, widening in slight alarm. He was really getting Mastership? He'd only wanted to be an instructor, and they were doing this for him?

'Come on Anakin. This is your moment.' Obi-Wan smiled.

'Is this for real?' He wondered, even as he scrambled to his feet. 'You're serious about this?'

'If we weren't, would we be doing it?'

'I'm really getting Mastership?' he continued up to where Leia was standing anyway, even as he went.

"Helped us much you have young Skywalker. The least we could do, it is," Yoda told him. Leia only smiled and pulled out (something that shows they are Masters) and gave it to him.

"I'm so proud of you," she whispered and kissed his cheek. Anakin was speechless for several minutes. Fifteen years of working for this, and it was finally in his grasp, when he'd given up on it completely...

"T...thank you, Master..." He managed to get out, finally. "This is a great honour." Both Yoda and Obi-Wan bowed to him. Leia waited until he gone to sit down again before she once again spoke.

"Now, we shall bring forth the two Padawans that have worked very hard for this honour. Very few have gotten this title so early in life. It is my pleasure to announce that Padawans Derstin and Skywalker are now Jedi Knights. If you will please come forward."

Luke and Ariel both stood although they were both as speechless as Anakin had been. They came forward and bowed to Master Yoda and Obi-Wan.

"Normally this would mean you would be ready to separate from your Masters, and go on missions on your own. But seeing as you have not had Masters that portion of the title will be with held until it is felt you are ready. However you will now begin your apprenticeships. Luke Skywalker, you shall become Master Maeth's apprentice and Ariel Derstin you shall become Master Baon's. I wish you both luck," Leia explained.

Anakin still seemed to be in a state of shock, by the time the ceremony ended. He managed to scrounge up a sincere word of congratulations for his son, but other than that, he was just totally out of it. He couldn't believe this was happening! He wondered if Padmé was watching...and his mother. She would have been so proud of him, if she were still alive... Obi-Wan came over to him smiling.

"Now do you see why I couldn't tell you?"

"Ah...huh..." He replied slowly, nodding in a distracted fashion, before finally snapping back to reality, and glancing up at Obi-Wan. "A wonderful choice of date, too." He smiled slightly. "Exactly twenty-seven years ago today, your ship landed on Tatooine, and Qui-Gon and Padmé found me."

"Did it really? Well I guess you are right. Great present, huh?" Obi-Wan laughed.

"DAD! I DID IT! I DID IT! I MADE KNIGHT!" Luke exclaimed running over to him. Had he been able to fly Anakin was sure he would be soaring.

"I know, I know." Anakin grinned at him, and gave him a congratulatory hug. "Much faster than I did." Luke ran over to Leia and picked her up twirling her around.

"Luke please! Put me down!" She exclaimed through her laughter.

"He sure seems happy," Obi-Wan commented before looking back at Anakin. 'So... does this mean you take back what you said last night, or will I have to put my negotiation skills to use?'

'Consider threat withdrawn.'

"Yeah, he does." Anakin agreed, still smiling slightly. "So, why is it he gets to be a Knight at thirteen, but I had to wait until I was twenty-one?" He wondered, turning a look onto his former master, filled with dry amusement.

"Master Yoda thought it was time. But... you also know that this means he won't be with us anymore. The rule about apprentices living with their Masters has not changed," he said. Anakin turned an little glare on him, and he stood up wordlessly, heading for the door, and mentally tossing at him,

'Threat reinstated.'

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan called running after him.

"No," Anakin shook his head, and just continued to walk away from him. "You don't get to just say you're sorry, and make this better."

"I wasn't going to. You knew this was coming. Besides he'll still be here at the Temple, just not living with us," Obi-Wan replied walking next to him.

"If you were going to grant me Mastership anyway, why couldn't you make me his Master?"

"Anakin,you know as well as I do that it will be better for him for neither of us to be his Master," Obi-Wan insisted.

"I can teach him everything he needs to know." He stopped, and turned an angry look onto his lover. "I was the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy, you pick now to start doubting me?"

"I do not doubt you,Anakin, you should know that I would never doubt you. It is just the way things must be." And with that he turned and went back to the training rooms.

"You're trying to take him away from me!" Anakin shouted after him, an old fury stirring in him. It was an anger he'd let rest more than twelve years before. "But, I won't let you. You will not take anyone else away from me, General!" Then, without another word, he threw up every mental shield he had, and started limping away from him. He wasn't heading for the elevator, to their apartment, though. He was heading for the hanger. Flying was the only thing he knew for a fact would calm him down. Maybe he could rant a bit to R2, as well...

Those words hurt... but Obi-Wan continued walking, there was nothing he could do. It had already been decided.

Several hours later, he landed on Senator Amidala's private landing deck, and stumbled inside, collapsing down tiredly to the ground, next to the shut down fountain. It gave him no soothing, tricking rhythm this time.

Minutes passed, then hours, then over a day, and he still didn't move. He started crying, but he didn't move.

'Why didn't I go after him! WHY!' He thought. Luke came up behind him, he to was worried about his father, but he knew Obi-Wan was more so. He hadn't slept since Anakin had disappeared. Sure it was only a day... but what if it turned into more?

"Papa? Are you going to be okay?" He asked coming up behind him. Within the next two days he would be moving in with Master Maeth, he hated it that his father was not there. Obi-Wan turned just as there was a rumble of thunder and the skies started to grow dark.

"I'll be fine Luke... it's your father I'm worried about," he answered and turned back to the window as the rain started to fall.

‘Padmé,’ he begged miserably into the Force. ‘Please, come here. I miss you so much, please come.’

And her presence came, she sat down beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder, very lightly but it was enough.

"I missed you." Anakin repeated, sitting up quickly, and throwing his arms around her materialized spirit. "Feeling you...isn't always enough."

"Anakin? What has happened? The air around you... Obi-Wan... Luke, and Leia, has been thrown into turmoil," she questioned.

"Obi-Wan's trying to take him from me," he informed her, his voice shaking with his tears. "He's trying to...take my little boy away from me. But, I won't let him. He can't do this to me again, Padmé. He can't take anyone else--I won't let him!"

"Obi-Wan would never do such a thing, Anakin. He loves Luke as much as you do. Please explain."

"He...he...and Yoda...finally granted me Mastership..." He began slowly, still crying into her shoulder. "And...they decided...that Luke deserves a real Master. Like Obi-Wan was for me, and Qui-Gon for him. But...did they chose me? No!" A harsh sob broke out, and it took him a moment to recompose himself enough to continue. He didn't even care about his mental blocks enough to keep all his misery from leaking through whichever one it happened to reach first. "They...they're sending him off to live with a complete stranger! They finally make me a Master, but they won't let me teach my own son!"

"Hush... shhh..." She tried to sooth. "Ani... Master Yoda and Obi-Wan are doing what they think is best. Luke has thrived under your and Obi-Wan's teachings... don't you think it will be good to see how he does under someone else?"

"He's my son..." Anakin repeated, shaking his head the least bit. "What makes Obi-Wan think he can still pull this garbage? He's my son! And...he's all I have left that reminds me of you."

"Anakin." She took his face in her hands. "You have Me. Here." She placed a hand on his heart. "And you will always have me."

"I still love you..." He whispered, as though just realizing it himself. "I never stopped--I swear I didn't. I never will. Padmé...I miss you so much, I would gladly die to be with you again...I'd rather have you back than my next ten minutes of oxygen..." His shoulders wracked with his inner turmoil. "And Obi-Wan Kenobi is trying to take the last thing I have of you away from me! The last good thing that we made together! I hate him for it! I wish he would burn!"

Padmé's eyes widened. "Anakin, stop this! Take it back!"

'What is this...' he thought dizzily.

"Papa! What's wrong?" Luke exclaimed running to him. His heart was pounding to, he had had a dream in which he had seen Obi-Wan very sick, he prayed that this wasn't it coming true.

"I'm not turning against you, Anakin! I never turned against you! The Force is powerful, it will grant your wishes in time. Anger fuels it's power. You will kill him!" She pleaded.

Anakin seemed stunned into silence, by those words. His eyes were also wide, but with shock. He forced the darkness in him to recede, at least a little, and more grief washed over him.

"No..." He groaned, doubling over and burying his hands into his hair. "No...I...I can't! I can't kill anyone ever again! I'll die!" Not literally, of course. Well...he might...But, mostly, he meant that the guilt would eat at him, and he'd eventually mentally decay to nothing at all, but flesh and blood, and pieces of metal.

"No, Papa! Don't give into it! Please you can't leave me and dad. I'll...I'll find him... everything will be ok. You'll see," Luke promised. Obi-Wan was cold to his touch. "Stay awake don't fall asleep! I'll go find Master Yoda!" He jumped up and ran off the find the old master.

'Master... is this what... what you felt... when you were dying?'

"Maybe I should die..." He was shaking horribly. "I'm dangerous. I can't even protect the people I care about from others, how am I supposed to save them from myself?"

"Don't you ever let me hear those words again, Anakin Skywalker! You saved us all!" She scolded.

"Saved you?" He echoed, with a hollow laugh of disbelief. "Saved you? Padmé, I destroyed you all!"

"Anakin, you saved me, you saved me from a life of loneliness. You have kept me in your heart, and therefore allowed me to stay with you and watch our children grow up. You saved Obi-Wan countless times, you even saved Luke. Please don't do this..."

"I don't deserve him!" He shook his head, barely trusting himself to speak. "I don't deserve you, either! I don't deserve to live, I don't even deserve to die!"

"Would Obi-Wan have stayed by you for all these years if you didn't deserve him? Would Yoda have allowed you to be together? Would you have been allow to live after you were born if we didn't deserve you?"

"Yes." He bit off bitterly. "Because I'm the stupid 'chosen one'. But, I fulfilled by destiny! And...I'm tired of playing the damn Hero with No Fear." He'd already told Obi-Wan that...But, no matter what Yoda told him about not having to protect people, he was still Anakin fucking Skywalker. No amount of insane promises could change that.

'Padmé, we need you,' Qui-Gon said appearing. She looked up at him from her place.

'No... he took it back...' she replied.

'It was started. We must help stop it,' he answered. She nodded and looked at Anakin.

"Anakin I love you more than anything, but now I have to go and help Obi-Wan," she told him and kissed him as best she could before she and Qui-Gon disappeared.

Anakin just sat there for several more minutes, completely silent, before he got slowly to his feet, form still shaking like a leaf, as he put his weight back on his cane, and went back to the speeder he'd stolen. Obi-Wan couldn't take anyone away from him. Including himself. So, he was going to go back, and make sure the bastard didn't die on him.

"We can only hope the Force will guide him back," Master Maeth answered.

"Get another blanket. We need to bring his temperature up," a droid ordered.

Yoda sat in a chair by the bed, head bowed in meditation as he spoke with Qui-Gon and Padmé, trying to keep Obi-Wan from sinking further into the lost depths of the Force.

Finding Obi-Wan could have been harder, Anakin decided, as he parked the speeder out side of the healer's tower, and went in. The cockpit had been open, so he was soaking wet, from the rain, but he didn't care. He ignore the droids' and healers' offers for assistance, and just went where the Force told him to. Up to the third floor, down the hall, fourth door on the left. He passed by Luke and Maeth without even looking at them, and just entered the room, despite the droids' protests that he'd need to wait outside.

There was no emotion from Obi-Wan. Just the hard feeling of... cold.

Anakin stood there, and stared at him for several minutes, still stunned by what he'd accidentally done. No...no...this couldn't be happening...not again...Still without a word, he dropped down to the floor, right where he stood, not caring that he was sitting in a puddle that his wet clothes had made. He knew what he had to do. And, he didn't care if it took ten years off his life. He crossed his arms over his chest, and his legs beneath him, and closed his eyes, delving as deeply into the Force as he could. He dove into his Master himself.

'I'm sorry.'

'G-go a-away, An-Anakin. D-don't do this.

'It's my fault this happened to begin with. I'm not going to let another person I love just die.'

'You-you'll hurt y-yourself. S-st-stop.'

'I don't care.' His tone was firm, leaving no room for argument. It was the tone of a soldier. In battle, you couldn’t let your inferiors argue with you, or you'd all end up dead. Obi-Wan wasn't his inferior comrade, but the principle was about the same. 'I'm not leaving until you wake up.'

'You b-being here w-will not h-help. I-it's so c-cold. Who k-knew the F-force could b-be s-so cold?'

'I'm not leaving you alone, Master.' He seemed more determined now, not less. 'This is my fault, and I intend to take responsibility for it.' He paused, before saying pretty much what he'd told Palpatine, concerning Obi-Wan on the Invisible Hand. 'You are my partner. My fate shall be the same as yours.'

'I don't want to die.'

'We won't let you,' both Qui-Gon and Padmé said.

'Padmé,' He sighed. Was the whole world against his atonement? 'I couldn't save you. But, I can save him! Even if I have a fraction of a chance of success, I have to try!'

'Ani... alright...' their presence faded, although he knew it was still there. Anakin took a deep breath, to calm himself down. He just had to focus on the moment, like Obi-Wan was always telling him. Just focus...

But, with that focus came an old fear that he could have sworn he left with his legs and arm, on Mustafar.

All things must die... His dragon whispered to him. Even Jedi.

No. That wasn't going to happen to Obi-Wan. Anakin took another deep breath. He needed to fucking focus!

'You need to wake up now, Master.'

'I can't feel you... like before...'

‘We'll fix that later, you need to wake up, for now.'

You did this...this is your fault. He's going to die because of you.

No. Focus. He just needed to focus. Anakin felt a brush of Obi-Wan's energy, it was weak but still it was something. His breathing caught, already exhausted and ragged, and a bead of sweat trickled down his cheek. Focusing was now getting irritatingly difficult.

'Wake up,' he repeated, a little less demandingly, a little more pleadingly. 'Please. You can't take anyone else away from me.' Anakin felt a hand on his shoulder.

'Wake up Papa. For us both,' Luke whispered. Obi-Wan's energy left the cold place, his eyes slowly opened.

Anakin could have collapsed right there, and to be perfectly honest, he almost did. A broken little laugh of triumph escaped, amongst his panting, as he put all his energy into working his eyes open.

"Stop...doing that...you...you... peedunkel." He called Obi-Wan a very, very rude name, in Huttese. "Your comas...are getting on my nerves."

"I didn't plan this one," Obi-Wan replied. Luke slowly helped Anakin to stand and brought him to the chair beside the bed. Anakin sat heavily down again, leaning forward against the bed. Damn he was tired...

This isn't over... His dragon whispered, despite the reassurance of Obi-Wan's waking. You'll mess up again. Just watch.

"S...shut up..." He mumbled tiredly, eyes closing again. Obi-Wan reached his hand out and took Anakin's in his own, he held tightly.

"Don't hide anymore, Anakin... please. Let me share your pain," he begged softly. Anakin's eyes opened again, and locked on him, stormy with thought.

"I haven't done that...ever. With anyone..." He protested, swallowing slightly.

"Then let me be the first," Obi-Wan replied his eyes pleading with him. Anakin continued to watch him in silence for several more minutes, before nodding. He let down the mental shield he'd been using to block his bond link, with Obi-Wan. There. Now his former master would feel exactly what he felt.

Obi-Wan's own eyes closed at the immense sadness and guilt he felt. His hand tightened around Anakin's. He sent back reassuring waves of peace and love.

"Now do you see why I didn't want you to know?" He'd have gotten up and left, but he didn't think he could. Besides being totally exhausted, his cane was across the room. "I feel like an idiot..."

"Don't. Don't lock me out again. Don't feel stupid. You're emotions are your power, Anakin," Obi-Wan told him.

"You spent years trying to teach me to get rid of them." He pointed out, with a raised eyebrow.

Obi-Wan smirked. "It never worked did it? You're passion is what made me love you."

"I'm...not feeling very passionate right now." He admitted, turning his eyes away, and closing them again. What did he feel right then? Tired. Tired, and alone.

"You have us, Dad. You should never feel alone. We all love you," Luke whispered bringing his arms around his neck. Anakin bit back a frustrated groan, and opened his eyes again, to offer his son an odd look.

"That was out loud?" Besides, he'd be losing Luke far too soon. Luke spared him a smile and a nod.

Anakin groaned, and turned his face into the sheets and mattress. Once again, he made use of his knowledge of Tatooine's language, and curses. He was quite happy no one else in the room spoke it, as he let the muffled words fly into the sheets. These were words Luke probably shouldn't know for about six years.

"You both should get some rest. I'll come back and see you later," Luke told them and started to leave the room.

"Sit," Anakin corrected, still speaking into the mattress. "You're not leaving my side, until you have to move."

Luke stopped at the door and then turned back. He came over and kneeled by him. "Dad, is that what this was all about?" He questioned.

"Maybe..." His father replied slowly, after a moment of pondering whether he actually wanted to answer or not.

Luke rolled his eyes. "I can't believe you made that big scene after the ceremony because I won't be living with you guys anymore. That's why you were mad at Papa? Because you thought he made that decision?"

"Well...yes..." Okay...so...he'd had a temper tantrum. He'd already openly admitted that he was immature. His son shouldn't be surprised about it anymore.

"I was the one who asked Master Yoda and Papa to not let either one of them be my Master, Dad. It was my decision, although I didn't know that they would actually listen. And at the time I didn't even know you were gonna be granted Mastership. But, that doesn't change anything. I've lived with you guys for 13 years, you've taught me everything I know, but... now I wanna see what someone else has to teach me," Luke explained.

Anakin finally looked up at him again. Dark circles were already forming under his eyes.
"Fine," he agreed finally, in an almost carefully impassive tone. "Go. Your choice." Thirteen years just seemed like a much shorter amount of time, when it wasn't your whole life span.

Luke nodded. "I'll see you, Dad." And with that he was gone.

Anakin watched after him for several minutes, before turning his face down into the mattress again. Brat...didn't realize that he was still his daddy's baby...he threw his shields back up, and started working on loosening up his shoulder muscles. They were starting to cramp, and he was getting a headache...

Obi-Wan let go of his hand and started to gently stroke his head, at least it was something he could feel.

Anakin didn't move for a moment, but finally grumbled, still muffled by the bed, "I'm tired." And, he was. He felt like he'd been awake for twenty years. It was ridiculous. He did hope this wasn't going to be another permanent condition, like last time...

Obi-Wan scooted over. "Come on, Anakin. There's plenty of room for the both of us," he said quietly.

Anakin nodded tiredly, and somehow managed to pull himself up into the bed, falling asleep almost immediately. And, to the most interesting dream he'd ever had...

"What are you afraid of, Anakin?"

He was riding on the back of a large dragon, but he was very small. He didn't like this dragon. It made him nervous.

"I'm not afraid of anything," he replied defiantly to the inquiry.

"Don't lie. What do you fear?"

"Nothing!"

"Not death?"

"I'm not afraid to die."

"Not pain?"

"There's always something worse."

"What about suffering? Poverty? Starvation? ...Loss?"

"I'm a Jedi. I have nothing to lose."

"There's always something to lose. What about your loved ones? Are you frightened to lose them?"

"Well...maybe a little..."

"I can take them from you."

"What?" He blinked down at the dragon in alarm. Now he knew what was wrong...

"I can steal their lives away with a thought."

"No."

"All things must die..."

"No!"

"Even stars burn out..."

"NO!" He sat up quickly, eyes wide, breathing heavy, his hair dripping with cold sweat. He glanced down at Obi-Wan. It was dark out...the man was asleep...he should be asleep too, Anakin knew, but how could he go back to sleep after that dream? He needed air, he decided, all but tumbling out of bed. It took some work to be quiet, until he could get to his cane, to get some help, but after that it was easier, and he got to a small garden, outside, before too long. The night air whipped at his hair, and dried his face. Stupid fear...he wasn't going to let it rule him again...

"Troubled your thoughts are this night."

Anakin didn't need to look over his shoulder to see who it was, but he did anyway. "Bad dream." He shrugged, turning back to the way he'd been facing before.

"Disturbed you greatly, this dream has," Yoda commented coming up beside him.

"It's an...old fear..." He admitted slowly, licking his dry, and chapping lips. "One that I thought I'd gotten rid of a long time ago..."

"Speak to me if you wish young Skywalker. Trust me you can to tell no one," Yoda offered.

Anakin was silent, and completely zoned out for a few minutes. Then, with the taste of copper, he realized he'd been chewing on his lip, which probably wasn't helping with the chapping problem.

"You told me, once, that fear of loss is a path to the dark side." He murmured finally, licking the blood off of his lip again. "But...it's really the only thing I'm afraid of..."

"Hmm... our fears can be a path to the dark side... but only if we allow them to take us down that path. Control your future you do. The only decision you need to make is what to do with it."

"I don't know," he admitted, shaking his head slightly. "I just...I don't know. I almost killed another person that I love today...Master, will I ever be able to truly progress past that state that I put myself in? Will I ever be able to control my anger, and hatred, and fear?"

"Tell you this I cannot," Yoda replied sadly. "Your own path you must carve."

"I thought the Force showed you the future."

"One side it does. However, two paths there always are, take one instead of the other and you change your future."

"I don't want to kill anymore, Master," Anakin admitted, frowning, and ignoring the blood as he started chewing on his lip again.

"Decision is yours to make, Anakin. Often we must deny the desires that feed our very souls," Yoda said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He raised an eyebrow. "I'm supposed to take up a chastity vow?" Even though...it was a little late for that, in all actuality...

He could have sworn he saw the little alien laugh... or chuckle. "That vow would not mean much would it, young Skywalker?"

"I'm really not comfortable, talking about this," he admitted, blushing a little. "But...seriously. What're you talking about?"

"Determine that for yourself you must, young Skywalker. Words are about our own interpretations of them," Yoda answered, and turned walking out of the garden.

Well, Anakin noted with a dry look after him. That had been one of the most useless conversations he'd had with a sage in a long time. And, now he definitely wasn't getting back to sleep. He sighed tiredly, and limped over to sit down on a bench, resting his face in his hands.

Still lost in thought he didn't hear someone else enter the garden, or even notice their presence until they were sitting beside him, stroking his hair.

He didn't bother to look up, just reached into the Force to see who it was. "Hi," he greeted, after a moment.

"Hello to you too," Obi-Wan replied.

"I had a nightmare," he explained simply, with a small shrug. "Going back to sleep seemed like a bad idea."

"I woke up when I got cold, which was just a few moments after you left."

"Ah..." He nodded, still not looking up. "You going to ask what it was about?"

"Not if you don't want me to," Obi-Wan answered.

"I'll answer, if you ask. But, not if you don't."

"Okay then, I won't." Obi-Wan lay his head against Anakin's shoulder.

"Alright then," Anakin agreed to that, slumping a bit further, closing his eyes. And, they sat in silence, until he started explaining anyway. "Did I ever tell you about my dragon?"

"No. Are you talking about a real dragon, or an inner demon?"

"Inner," he mumbled, finally sitting back up, and popping his back, as he did. That felt a little better... "Do you remember when we went to that dead system, right after I became your Padawan? And I asked you what had happened, and you explained about the 'way of the universe', and how 'all things have a time to die'?" He sighed, and rubbed his eyes in irritation. "It's my 'dead star' dragon."

Obi-Wan stared at him. "It has plagued you for that long?" He finally asked.

"Yes," he confirmed, with a small sigh. "It got worse, after my mother died, though."

"What can I do, Anakin? I don't want it to hurt you anymore than it already has," Obi-Wan told him.

"Stop almost dying," he conditioned slowly, after a moment. "Other than that, I don't think there is anything you can do."

Obi-Wan wrapped his arms about Anakin's waist, his hair tickling Anakin's neck as he tucked his head under his chin with a sigh.

"I will do my best, but if you ever think of something I can do... tell me, alright?"

"I will," he agreed, his voice irritatingly tight. "I promise."

'I love you, Anakin.'

He almost choked, and very nearly started crying again. "I...I love you too."

Obi-Wan's grip loosened a little bit, he didn't let go as he fell asleep, a small smile playing on his lips.

Well, Anakin noted dully, at least one of them was getting some sleep. He just got into a more comfortable position, and settled in for a long night.

Anakin slowly woke to the feel of feather light kisses on his neck.

"Nnn..." He mumbled, twitching a little. He didn't remember falling asleep, but judging from the sunlight blinding him, he had. Obi-Wan continued his gentle kisses, deciding this was a good enough way to wake up after a bad couple of days, without being totally bad in a public place.

"Morning, Master," he greeted with a yawn, before slumping back down, with the intention of more sleep.

Obi-Wan smiled. "Come on, our bed would be much more comfortable," he suggested standing.

"Coming..." He sighed, standing up, and grabbing his cane. Or, he'd come if he didn't collapse first.

Watching him for a moment Obi-Wan came up beside him and put the arm not using the cane over his shoulders to keep him steady.

"Bless you," Anakin groaned, letting most of his weight rest against his lover. "I'm so tired..."

"That's not surprising. Don't worry, soon you'll be able to rest," Obi-Wan promised.

"When does Luke leave?"

"Either tomorrow or the next day," Obi-Wan answered.

"I'm not gonna sleep through his last day with us."

"We'll make it the next day then. You need to sleep."

"Yes, Master..." He agreed his knees giving out beneath him right there.

Obi-Wan quickly caught him, using some of the Force to make him lighter. He carried Anakin to the elevator that took them up to their apartment, Luke's door was closed showing he was still asleep, quietly he took him to their room and lay him on the bed.

After watching him for a moment Obi-Wan lay beside him and covered them up, soon he fell back asleep.

Luke sat on the couch in the living room writing on a report for Obi-Wan's class. Obi-Wan had gone to talk with Master Yoda about... who knows what, therefore leaving him alone with Anakin, who he thought was still asleep.

"Hey, kiddo," Anakin yawned, coming over beside him. "You mad at me?"

"A little," Luke replied not looking up from his data pad.

"I trust your judgment," Anakin assured him with a sigh. "And, I trust Obi-Wan. I'm just having trouble letting go."

"I'll still be around, Dad. Just not right here," Luke said glancing up at him.

"I know. I over-reacted," he admitted, nodding. "You just...you and your sister mean a lot to me."

"You mean a lot to us too, Dad, probably more than you'll ever know," Luke told him, finally putting the data pad down looking at him.

"Oh, probably," he agreed with a small snort, ruffling his son's hair. "You, Leia, and Artoo are just the only reminders of your mother I have. I'm being possessive, feel free to ignore me."

"Artoo?" Luke questioned.

"Yep." He nodded, remembering it. "After we got married, I couldn't actually give her a ring, or any kind of devotion gift. So, I gave her Threepio instead. When I did, she gave me Artoo. He used to be her droid."

"I never knew that." Luke lay down, so that his head was laying on Anakin's leg. He looked up at Anakin. "I get to talk to her... but it's not the same as really knowing her. Can you tell me about Mom?"

"If you'd like," he confirmed, leaning his head back against the couch. "She was such an amazing woman...she was fourteen, I think, when I met her. Obi-Wan, and Qui-Gon were escorting her from Naboo to Coruscant. Their ship broke down, and they landed on my home planet--Tatooine. Your grandmother and I were in slavery to this guy, Watto, at the time, but that's not important." A slight smile came to his face, and he let out a contented sigh, through his reminiscing. "She was the most beautiful creature I'd ever seen. I thought she was an angel, at first. Asked her if she was too. Anyway, she was a very...kind person. Strong political figure head too. She got elected twice, to be Queen of Naboo--that's the maximum term limit there--and they tried to amend the constitution, to keep her in office longer. It didn't go through though. She was offered a place in the Senate, though. That was how I saw her again. It was ten years, after the first time. She hadn't changed a bit. There was an assassin after her, and Obi-Wan and I were assigned for security. That was how the clone wars started."

"Leia wants to be Queen of Naboo," Luke commented absently.

"I know," he confirmed with a rueful grin. "Personally, I think she should stay away from politics, but it's her choice."

"Just like it's mine to be a Jedi, right?"

"Right." He nodded, still smiling that same smile. "You're in for a rough road too, but I'm convinced it's the one you should follow."

"How come?" He questioned looking up at him.

"The Force is so strong in you..." He replied thoughtfully. "I sensed it the first time I saw you. You're going to make a far greater Jedi than I could ever hope to be."

Luke smiled. "I doubt I could ever be as cool as you, Dad. I mean... you were the only one with enough guts to really go against the Jedi code."

"Not true," Anakin protested that, wagging a finger. "Nor necessarily a wise move to make."

"What do you mean not true?" Luke asked giving him a questioning look.

"I didn't know him for very long, but from what I've heard, Qui-Gon didn't set much stock by the rules either," Anakin informed him. "He never got married, and had kids, but Obi-Wan told me once, that he almost went against the Council's direct orders to train me."

Luke laughed. "Yes, Papa has told me some interesting stories about their adventures."

"What I do know about him," He supplied with a teasingly slow tone. "Is that he was very kind. Kind enough to risk stranding the Nubian queen on a nowhere planet like Tatooine, to help free a little boy."

"Do you think Papa was jealous when they found you?"

"I don't know," he admitted, with a small blink. "I didn't meet him, until we were back on the ship, and not personally until after Qui-Gon was dead."

"I'm gonna miss living with you guys... but I also can't wait. I guess that's something I got from you. Being adventurous I mean," Luke said.

"Maybe..." He agreed, expression softening slightly. "Or, from your mother. She was pretty adventurous in her day, too."

"She doesn't really strike me as the adventurous type, brave maybe but not adventurous."

"Hey, she married a Jedi, didn't she?" His smile took on a teasing air again. "Can't get much more adventurous than that. Besides, I think you'd feel differently about that, if you'd seen her blasting those droids away, in Geonosis."

Luke's eyes widened. "Okay, maybe I was wrong."

"She handled that big cat pretty well too..." He continued, thoughtfully. "We managed to get ourselves arrested," he explained, with a small snort. "In the attempt to rescue Obi-Wan from an apparently impending doom."

"What happened? Tell me everything!" Luke exclaimed with a smile. Anakin eyed him in amusement, before launching into an overly dramatized tale involving Padmé's attempt assassinations, his attempts to protect her, he skipped over the stuff with his mother, and the Tusken Raiders camp, but he went into meticulous detail, to make up for it, about the actual Geonosian battle.

"That sounds so cool! Well... not the really being at war part and people getting killed... but you understand," he said after Anakin had finished.

"That wasn't the fun part," Anakin admitted. "The fun part was the space battles." Which would have been more fun, if they hadn't kept him on the Outer Rim, away from Padmé, for months on end. Still he went into detail about several of those too.

The door slid open letting Obi-Wan in. He looked a bit surprised to see Anakin awake. Anakin broke off mid-sentence, when he came in, and broke into a grin.

"I was just telling him about the Outer Rim sieges."

"Those were some interesting battles," Obi-Wan agreed.

"He was rather impressed by Geonosis, too."

"And you started talking about all this how?" He questioned getting some tea from the kitchen.

"He wanted to know about Padmé." Anakin supplied idly. "It went from there."

"I see. Your mother was a great woman, if it hadn't been for certain people, who are dead now, she might have gotten more done," Obi-Wan commented.

"Subtle," Anakin sneered at him. He hadn't missed the pass at Palpatine, and himself in effect, considering at the time he'd been prancing around as a Sith lord name Darth Vader.

'Talking about the first I was not you... damn. I've been spending to much time around Yoda. I'm starting to talk like him,' Obi-Wan thought.

'So, my Master, what were you talking about in terms people can actually understand?'

'Just Palpatine, you know I was never fond of him.'

'Uh huh.’ Luke sat up and stretched.

"Well, I guess I should finish my paper, and finish packing," he said and stood. Anakin made no comment, just shielded his contempt on the matter, and bopped him teasingly on the head. Not hard enough to hurt him. Luke stuck out his tongue as he picked up his data pad and went to his room.

It was a few weeks, before they were disrupted again, and by that point it was mostly because...

"What do you mean you have to go on a mission?" Obi-Wan checked through his bag.

"Just that. I'm going on a mission that could take a few months," he replied.

"And you didn't tell me this sooner, because...?"

"I found out yesterday, Anakin. From that point I argued with Yoda about letting you go with me, but he firmly said no, because the Padawans need their piloting Master," Obi-Wan answered.

"But...but you're just leaving!" He was feeling reasonably insecure about this. Every time Obi-Wan left, he got in trouble. Obi-Wan turned and gave him a smile.

"Not until the morning. Why do you seem so worried? It never bothered you this much before, I would almost think you would be grateful to get rid of me for a while."

"I was always with you before," Anakin pointed out, with a small huff. "And, my fear is not without cause. There was a reason I saved your skin twelve times."

"I will try to be very careful, as I said I wanted you with me but Yoda would not allow it."

"Yeah, yeah." He made an impatient movement with his hand. "You'd better come back alive. I might have to hunt you down, bring you back, and kill you again, if you don't." Obi-Wan chuckled.

"That's soo reassuring," he stated.

"It was meant as a threat," Anakin informed him, slumping a bit further down, on the couch. Obi-Wan leaned down over the back of the couch, his arms circling Anakin's neck.

"You know I never take your threats seriously."

"Considering how lacking my knowledge of Necromancy is, I'd say that's safe enough," he admitted, leaning up to kiss him. "But, you'd still better come home alive!"

"And alive I promise I shall come, but for now... let... us... say... goodbye," he said between kisses, letting the Force do wicked things. Anakin nodded in agreement, and was tempted to throw him over the couch, to be done right there, but they somehow managed to make it into the bedroom...

-insert smutty content here-

He cursed softly the next morning, and tried not to be too emotional. "Hurry back," he warned, resting his forehead against Obi-Wan's. Obi-Wan kissed him gently.

"I will do my best, I will be in contact," he promised.

"Alright..." He agreed with a sigh, before moving away from him, and walking back toward the Temple. He wasn't going to stand there, and watch his boyfriend fly away, like some weepy woman. It just wasn't going to happen. He was looking forward to getting Obi-Wan back, though...

Obi-Wan kept his word and contacted him nearly every two days for the first three months he was gone, after that they just stopped. It left a uneasy feeling in the pit of Anakin's stomach but neither Obi-Wan or Yoda had told him where he would be going on this mission. When asked Yoda just said that it was unimportant.

The room was so dark...Force, it was haunting. The only light that entered it came from a solitary torch, suspended on the wall, outside in the hallway. The shadows, of the scarce items in the room, seemed inlongated, by the dim light. Still, Anakin could see the apallable conditions. The cracked stone floors, the leaking, thatched ceilings...It was freezing in there too. But, that didn't bother him nearly as much as the display he was unwillingly witness to.

Obi-Wan Kenobi was suspended from a support beam, by a long chain. A creature that he couldn't recognize stood before him, baring knives and whips. The creature was making use of them, too. Obi-Wan looked like he was in so much pain...Anakin felt his heart restrict, and he wanted to throw up.There had to be something he could do...but, he couldn't seem to reach his lover, to help him.

Obi-Wan coughed something out, but Anakin couldn't hear him anymore. He realized he must be asleep...but, this was so horrorfyingly real...It felt more like a vision, than a dream...He wanted to wake up...to be able to see if it was real or not. He'd talk to Master Yoda...that was all, for the moment, that he could do...

"Busy this mission keeps Obi-Wan. Understandable his silence is," Yoda replied.

"Well, yes, but...seriously! He always gets in trouble!" Yoda smiled a little knowing this was true, but the Force had told him nothing was wrong with Obi-Wan. Of course... that didn't mean anything if the people of Warcous had found a way to block the Force.

"Meditate on your concerns I will. Inform you of my findings I shall," Yoda promised.

"Thank you, Master..." Anakin agreed to that, with a small sigh. Maybe he'd kidnap Luke for the afternoon...to distract himself...or, maybe he'd go home and worry more...yes...that seemed less disruptive...

"Yes, Master?" Anakin opened the door, sweating slightly. He'd been meditating too...and the Force hadn't been too thrilled about it. It had been tiring. Yoda came in and was quiet for a few moments before turning to Anakin and looking him in the eye.

"Bad news I bring."

"What happened to him?" No...hell no! He'd fucking promised to come home alive!

"Know of Obi-Wan's condition I do not. The news I bring is that the Force for him has been blocked. Tell me it would if he were dead, told me this it has not," Yoda replied.

"Blocked?" He echoed, blinking. "How can it be blocked?" Yoda bowed his head.

"Know this I do not. Ways there are but not many know."

"He has to come home..." Anakin muttered, blinking very rapidly. "He promised he would, so he will."

"Leave you now I shall. Do all I can I will." Yoda left him then to do what he could to get through this block that had been placed around Obi-Wan. Anakin blinked again, and sunk down onto the couch. Well then...if the Force was going to be a bitch, he could play too. But...mostly, he just prayed to it, to bring his lover home...he couldn't take to lose anyone else...

"I have an unidentified person trying to make contact commander," the soldier reported. His commander looked at the connection signal and then nodded.

"Make it." The soldier quickly did as told.

"Unidentified starship, please identify yourself," he ordered. Static met their ears for a few moments before a voice cut through it.

"My... is... Oriku... wounded... trans... wounded... Jedi..." the voice answered although it was very broken by the static.

"Repeat again starship, static is interfering," the soldier said.

"...wounded... Jedi..."

"Report this to Master Yoda. Give clearance for landing, but have a line of soldier's ready in case this is a trick," his commander ordered. Two other soldiers ran off to see his orders through while the other kept trying to get more out of the starship.

Oriku leaned heavily against the side of the now open doorway.

“Help… Jedi…” He managed before going unconscious and falling off the platform.

“Take him to the medical wards! Search the ship for this Jedi!” The commander ordered. It only took moments to find the bloody and bruised body of Obi-Wan laying on one of the beds.

“It’s General Kenobi, Sir!”

"Master Skywalker," he panted slightly, obviously he'd been in a hurry. Anakin paused, to offer him an annoyed look. He was more tired than usual, from all the meditation (which within itself was slightly ironic), and this clown was interrupting his demonstration! "General Kenobi has landed, sir. But, he's wounded, they're taking him to the Healer wing."

Anakin froze at the words 'but he's wounded', and as soon as he found out where Obi-Wan was, he took off wordlessly. His Padawans were old enough to not get themselves killed...right?

Unlike the last time he was not allowed into the room where Obi-Wan was. The droids even requested a guard to not allow him back.

"You may see the other one though, Master Anakin. He may have some answers you desire," a droid said before disappearing.

"But..." Anakin protested, sweating from his rush, and panting, and swearing all at the same time. "But I have to see him! He'll want to see me! You have to let me back there!" He was fighting against the guard as much as he could, too, all the while screaming through the Force,

'Master? Master!' The Force granted him nothing this time. He could feel a thin string of Obi-Wan's energy but it seemed ready to break at any moment.

"You have to!" He repeated, sending out a wave of energy that he really didn't have, to get the guard to let go, and fall over, so that he could get past. "Please! Please...you...you have you!"

"I'm sorry, Master Anakin, but I have my orders," the soldier answered. His mental defenses were superb. "Until I am told otherwise, you will have to settle your answers with the other patient."

"Anakin. Come with me you shall," Yoda ordered.

"But..." He was on the verge of tears. Exhausted, frustrated, and desperate, crying seemed like the only thing he could do...but, he wouldn't. Not yet. "But, Master, he's hurt!"

"Hurt he is. Trust you must have in the medical droids. Come now. Find out we shall what has transpired for Obi-Wan to be returned to us as such," Yoda replied. Anakin blinked at him, but nodded, and scrambled to regain his balance.

"Have Luke and Leia been told that he's back yet?"

"Told they have not been," Yoda confirmed. "Better for now it be for them to not know." He led Anakin to another room where another injured person lay, although he guessed not as bad as Obi-Wan. Anakin could barely summon up the energy to speak, but he managed.

"What happened to him?" He demanded angrily. "The Jedi you brought in. What happened?" Oriku tried to sit up but failed.

"My master was not pleased... with the way the talks were going. He captured the Jedi and had him...thrown into the dungeons. Mad my master is, forgive me for... not being able to get him away sooner. Fed barely for three days he was... and beaten badly. Help I tried to bring... Master punished me when he found out," he explained through his pain.

Anakin eyed him in cold silence for a few minutes, and when he spoke again, although it was to Yoda, his eyes never left the man.

"I need to get to him," he stated in an empty tone. "To Obi-Wan. I was able to help him before, and he needs me even more now."

“Grant you entrance I cannot, young Skywalker," Yoda told him sadly. An energy passed over Anakin. One he knew well by now, Qui-Gon.

"It wasn't a request, Yoda," Anakin informed him, in a firmer tone. "It was a statement." He was perfectly willing to pull rank, on these stupid machines, if he had to. They couldn't refuse a direct order from a military General of Jedi Master rank.

"Master Yoda, Master Kenobi has been moved to a different room. The droids have performed all the surgery they could but he is still unstable," the guard that had been guarding the door from letting Anakin in informed them. Anakin glanced up at the soldier, feeling his second...or seventh wind coming in.

"I can see him now?"

"No rules against it now," the soldier answered.

"Good." He nodded, his grip on his cane tightening. "Go find out what room he's in."

"One floor up, 687."

"Right..." He nodded, before limping past him. No damn droid was going to stop him this time...that was for sure...

The sight that greeted him when he arrived at the room Obi-Wan had been put in was not pretty. A tube forced air into Obi-Wan's lungs, bandages covered every visible part of his body and probably the invisible. The one around his head was already becoming bloody again.

The blonde froze in the doorway, eyes wide. He heard Yoda murmuring to the soldier something about informing the children, but it felt like it was from a hundred miles away.

'Oh...my Master...' He couldn't even speak, his throat had closed up. But, he could still try to reach through the Force for him...It's 'eternal, pure light' was offering him little comfort right now. 'You said you'd be careful...'

'Anakin... things are not looking good,' Qui-Gon told him sadly.

'But...but there has to be something...' He felt his eyes burning hotter than ever. It was only a matter of time, before he started crying now, not will. 'You can't just mean...that we have to wait this out...I can't do that, Qui-Gon!'

'There is nothing you can do this time. Not even I can feel him this time.'

'But...I can't just lose him...He's all I have...My children don't need me...Padme's gone, my mother's gone...This is ten times worse than when you died, for him...'

'I'm sorry, Anakin.'

Pounding feet came rushing through the halls. Whoever owned them skidded to a stop gasping for air, but their breath caught when they came through the doorway.

"...Papa..." Luke whispered in an incredibly small voice.

'Nothing, Qui-Gon, is impossible,' he stated quite firmly, with more confidence than he possessed, at the moment.

Stumbling forward, Anakin leaned heavily against the bed, looking down at Obi-Wan's battered face. His hands fisted around sheets he couldn't feel, and hot tears trickled down his cheeks. This couldn't be happening...not again...he wouldn't let this happen again!

"Obi-Wan...you need to wake up now," he stated tightly, ignoring Luke and Leia watching him from the doorway. That infuriating dragon spoke up in his mind, as his tears dampened the sheets, and his gloves alike.

All things must die, Anakin Skywalker.

No. Not Obi-Wan.

"You can't do this to me...bastard..."

Even stars burn out.

No! Not Obi-Wan!

"I won't let you do this to me...!"

All things must...

He felt something snap, and what he yelled, he shouted so loudly that he could have sworn he felt blood vessels in his throat pop.

"WAKE UP!"

There wasn't even a change in the slow beat of the heart monitor. Luke stood frozen just staring, Leia hid her face in his neck crying.

"You...you have...you have t-to wake up..." Anakin sobbed brokenly, his knees giving way under his weight, sending down to the floor, but he barely noticed. "You...you're too strong for this, too--too stubborn! Obi-Wan Kenobi...can't die...from a damn whip..." Once again nothing happened. It seemed that this time Obi-Wan was fighting to hang onto that last thread of life... but also just wanting to give up and be at peace.

"You can't leave me yet..." Anakin continued, and...this time it almost seemed that he was laughing through his tears...Mirthlessly, but as he continued, the irony continued to build up, and he was definitely laughing. "I still need you." He'd gone on and on for years while Obi-Wan had been training him, about how he didn't need anyone, how he would be just fine on his own, how he was far too strong to possibly need his master's help...yet here he was, broken, defeated, sobbing, pleading for him to stay and help him more.

Beep...beep...beeeeeeeeeeeeep...

The only two sounds in the room were the flat line and Anakin's laughter. And, he continued to laugh. Harder now, still crying, and his mumbling lapsed languages. While he spoke in Huttese, it was impossible for Luke and Leia to know what he was saying, exactly, but his progressively angry tone gave them a pretty good idea that he was spewing out every curse word he knew.

A droid entered and unhooked the monitor so now only Anakin's curses filled the room, for the first time in their lives Luke and Leia were scared of their father.

Yoda came in and rested a hand on Anakin's head putting him asleep before he could hurt himself. He then nodded to a soldier to come and get him before leading him out of the room.

When he woke up again, he was at home. He sensed some energies in the room, but he couldn't bring himself to identify them.

"Where is my Master?" He wondered, to whoever happened to be listening. "I can't feel him." Padme gently stroked his hair while Yoda sat silently. Luke and Leia had cried themselves to sleep on the couch in the living room. None of them wanted to answer his question.

"I need him," he continued, chuckling nervously. "He needs to chase my nightmares away."

"Unable he is to do that now, Anakin," Yoda told him quietly.

"No, no!" He protested, only half registering that he was crying again, and still snickering slightly. "He always has before. Since I met him. If he isn't here to do it, the monsters will come. I need him."

'Ani... he's gone,' Padme said as gently as possible.

"No!" He repeated, shaking his head. "No! He can't leave! Without him my dragon will come! My dragon will come, and he'll eat you all up!"

'Recover from this he shall not,' Yoda thought. 'Endanger himself he will.'

"My dragon...he can eat whole systems. He can crush them. Make them all die!" He continued to rant, cursing ever so often. "My Master is the only one who can calm him down. Where is my Master? I need him!"

"Left us, your Master has, Anakin," Yoda answered. Qui-Gon appeared and stared down at him sadly.

'He's dead, Anakin,' he stated his voice cracking a bit. 'He cannot come to you now.'

"NO!" He shook his head desperately, shrieking the word out, and thrashing a bit. "No...there is no death," he stated quite confidently. "My Master taught me that, you know. There is no death; there is the Force. The Force is my friend, my companion, it wouldn't take my Master from me!"

'He's gone, Anakin, and there is nothing you or any of us can do about it. I'm sorry,' Qui-Gon replied. The mixed sobs and laughter got louder, and louder.

"But, my dragon can't take him." He shook his head, smiling now through his tears, and tremors. "It can take my mother, and my wife, but it can't touch my Master. My Master is stronger than my dragon. He's stronger than death!"

"Hurt yourself you will. For the best this is." He heard Yoda say before he knew no more once again.

"D...Daddy?" The adults turned to see Luke and Leia watching in horror from the doorway. "What's wrong with him?" Luke wondered, his eyes wide. He could feel his mother here...and Qui-Gon...and obviously Yoda was...someone would know...

Padme's energy wrapped comfortingly around them both, they could also feel her sadness.

"Hurt deeply by Obi-Wan's passing he is. Recover from this loss he may not. Put away where he can hurt none and none can hurt him shall he be," Yoda explained sadly.

"So..." Leia spoke up this time, shivering slightly, and pressing closer to Luke. "He really is broken?"

Yoda only nodded in answer before saying, "The last anchor to the sane part of his mind, Obi-Wan was. Broken he is now."

"But...isn't there something we can do to help him?" Her tone was so naively hopeful...It almost hurt Luke to hear it from his sister.

"Sadly there is not. At this point, even his love for you cannot pull him back, I fear." In his sleep, Anakin shivered, and twitched in his bed. He hadn't just been rambling about his nightmares...

"But...Papa got him to come back from the dark side!" It was Luke's turn to sound hopeful this time. "Is this that much different?"

"Outside forces the Dark side is. Inner demons he faces now," Yoda replied.

"Oh..." Both their expressions fell, upon hearing that. Wrapping an arm around her waist, Luke led Leia away from the door. He'd take her home, to the Organas. She didn't need to be here to watch their father be locked away.

Yoda called for a soldier to help him with Anakin. He would be taken care of, Yoda himself would see to that but locked away he would be. Deep below the Temple, where no one could hear his screams.

Whenever anyone went to see him, to feed him, or some such thing (He wouldn't be medicated, Yoda had feared that might do more harm than good.) they were always met with the same image. Anakin Skywalker, broken and curled up in the corner, his face buried in his hands, laughing softly, and speaking with himself...or, an Obi-Wan Kenobi that no one else could see. As the months passed, and absolutely no improvement came, it became all too apparent.

The Hero With No Fear had finally, truly fallen into his own fears.

End

"Gone away.

Who knows where you've been?

You take all your lies, and wish them all away.

I somehow doubt we'll ever be the same.

Too much poison, and confusion on your face.

Can you feel it?

Do you mean it?

I cannot see ya.

How are we doin'?

I think I love ya

But, I ain't sayin' nothin' you don't know!"

Hate This Place (Goo Goo Dolls, Dizzy Up the Girl)

"Ani...you're not all powerful."

"Well, I SHOULD be. Someday, I will be. I will be the most powerful Jedi ever, and I will even learn to stop people from dying."

Anakin Skywalker, and Padme Amidala (Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones)

“Masters Kenobi and Skywalker are dead.”

This was what all the Padawans were told. Well, Yoda was the one who told them, so it actually came out more to the effect of ‘Joined with the Force, Master Kenobi and Master Skywalker have.’ Those who hadn’t actually seen Anakin being carried down into the Temple’s basement accepted this explanation with no problem. Some of the ones who had, even, just figured he’d died down there. Only a few didn’t believe the old Jedi. They had no confirmation, though. Luke wouldn’t talk about Anakin at all. Not even to Leia. And, when anyone, other than his sister, brought him up, he’d actually leave the room. Eventually, they stopped trying.

It wasn’t so much that Luke was embarrassed about what had happened to his father, as much as that he just really didn’t want to think about it anymore than he already had to. Which, was quite a bit already. It seemed that with his breakdown, every shield Anakin had possessed had just shattered. Luke could feel every terrified, agonized thought, and moment that his father suffered through. He couldn’t go to anyone about it, either! Yoda would be absolute useless, Leia would start crying…again, if she knew, and Maeth wouldn’t get it. Anakin didn’t have any other close relatives, who would care, either…

So, Luke did the only thing he could do. He went to the Force. He could find his mom, and Qui-Gon in it…Why not look for Obi-Wan as well?

‘Papa…? Papa…are you there?’ He wondered tentatively. He hoped he was doing this right. He’d never tried to find someone in the Force, on his own. Anakin had always been the one to do the actual searching…

At first, there was nothing. He was sure he’d done it wrong…But then, he felt the bares brush of energy, and a renewed hope sprang up. Maybe, if he could find Obi-Wan for him, Anakin would calm down, and get better…

‘Papa, Dad needs you. He’s really sick. Papa, he’ll die if someone doesn’t do something.’

Once again, he got nothing. He could feel Obi-Wan still there, but the energy didn’t answer him. And, then, it was just…gone. Luke sighed in defeat. Didn’t Obi-Wan care at all?

“Master Yoda has turned against us, Master.” He mumbled, feeling his back and shoulder muscles spasm uncomfortably. “He’s locked us up in here. He…he told me you’re dead. But, you can’t die, because there is no death.” He felt the energy brush against him, in confirmation that what he was saying was true. “Master…can I join with the Force too? Can I see you again?”

‘No, Padawan.’ Obi-Wan’s voice was soft, and comfortingly sad. ‘Not yet. You’re not finished here yet.’

“But…but my dragon! My dragon will come and—and kill them all!”

‘I’ll take care of your dragon, Anakin. You just focus on you.’

He never did just learn to do as he was told.

He died in that cell, some twenty years later.

And, thus is the fate of the Chosen One.

"In the arms of the angels, fly away from here

From this cold, dark hotel room

And the endlessness that you feel

You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverie

You're in the arms of the angels

May you find...some comfort here...

Angel (Sarah McLachlan, Mirrorball)

Pedro Calderon de la Barca