Chapter Text
In the land of Serenno king Qui-Gon Jin was in his office working on some papers when his phone rings.
He picks it up. "Hello?"
A gentle woman's voice comes through. "Hello Qui."
He smiles brightly. "Shmi it's good to hear from you. How have you been?"
"I've been as good as I can be Qui. So has Ani." Shmi says.
"That's good to hear. Is everything alright? It's not Sunday the day we usually talk." He says worried.
"Qui I'm sorry it's just I'm sick and that the doctors say I'm not getting better. I... I'm sorry I have to ask but-"
"Shmi it's alright I don't mind paying for whatever treatment you need don't worry."
She lets out a short sob. "Qui it's not that I need you to take Anakin."
"Shmi I'm not against this but I thought we agreed to let him stay until he was eighteen."
"I have lung cancer stage two it's on the verge of stage three. You and I both know what the treatment will do to me, not to mention it might not even work. I'm sorry I hate to ask but-"
Qui-Gon cuts her off. "Shmi please calm down, it will be alright. I'll take Anakin in and pay for whatever you need. I don't mind."
"Are you sure, I mean what about your father?"
"He's very sick and can't leave his bed. He'll never even know he's here. Oh and I'll be sure to keep Anakin away from your family."
"How are they anyway?"
"Same old same old. Your brother is still ranked as one of the worst general among the men."
"Figures. How's Tahl and the baby?" Shmi looks out of the window into the night sky.
"Oh she's doing fine and the baby should come in a few weeks now."
"That's so good to hear I'm so happy for you."
"Thank you Shmi. When should I bring Anakin over?"
"Soon as you can. I'm sorry to rush but the doctors are wanting to start this treatment as soon as possible and I've been holding off telling you. I just..... I don't know what to do."
"I understand Shmi. I'll go see when I can bring him here."
"Thank you Qui I owe you a lot." She says in relief.
"No you don't. He's my son and a part of my responsibility as well."
"And you're sure you can take better care of him than your pet fish?" She says sarcastically.
"Yes Shmi don't worry. I helped out taking care of my cousins, how hard can Anakin be?"
"He's the spitting image of a younger you. Gets into trouble and all sorts of things. Even has the crazy rush for Adrenalin like you. Oh and I can't forget about him being also stubborn, short tempered, aggressive, pulls a lot of pranks, but he's also loving, caring, always wants what's best for people, and protective." Shmi says as she messes with one on the rags on the counter.
"Well then we should get along more nicely than." Qui-Gon says with a laugh as he picks up a photo of Anakin and Shmi that was on his desk.
" I'm just worried he won't fully understand what's going on." Shmi said.
"I'll talk to him. I'll do my best to make sure he understands and has everything he needs."
"Please be patient with him." Shmi twirls the phone cord. "He doesn't like you very much no matter what I tell him so he could be very aggressive towards you and Tahl."
"I can handle it Shmi I sorta deserve it for all that I put him through." He says and sets the photo down.
"It was never your fault." She said. "And you know it."
"I know but I should have held my ground. I should have fought him."
"You couldn't and you know that." Shmi says sympathetically.
"Why don't you come here and get treatment in the castle? I mean we have everything here, you would be well taken care of and be with Anakin."
"Serenno is no longer my home. I'm not welcome there and no I don't care what you say I'm not coming back. You have a new life and so do I. We've changed and now live different lives."
"Alright. It's what ten o'clock there you need to get some sleep." He said.
"I will Qui don't worry I'll call you Sunday." She smiles gently as she says this.
"Alright then. Goodbye Shmi."
"Goodbye Qui."
She hangs up and Qui-Gon sets his phone down and looks out his window. "I'm finally getting to meet my son, but I just wish it was better circumstances." He thinks as he gets up and walks out of the room.
He walks down to the nursery to see Tahl, a beautiful woman. She had dark honey skin with beautiful gold and pale green eyes. Her dark hair was up in a low hanging bun with a few hair strands flowing. She had on a simple blue dress that made her in Qui-Gon's eyes perfect. She turns and sees him. "Finally taking a break?"
Qui-Gon chuckles and walks up to her. "Sort of."
She raises an eyebrow and looks at him. Never really looking at him through her glazed eyes. "What do you mean sorta of?"
"It's Shmi. She has lung cancer and it's getting worse. She wants me to take Anakin in."
"And we will do our best to take care of him." Tahl says.
He kisses her gently. "Thank you."
"For what? he's your son Qui-Gon and I'm his stepmother it's my job to help him." She rubs her stomach gently. "I want to be there for him."
"I'll need to arrange for someone to pick him up, get his room ready, and-"
"Qui-Gon calm down. First your going to pick him up and I'll get everything here ready for him. I'll call over Feemor, Orykan, and Bant to see if they can come home from college a bit early to meet him. I'll get everything set up you just worry about where you're going to take your son out for lunch."
"Are you sure I mean I don't want you stressing over these types of things especially in your condition." He looks at her stomach.
"I'm fine don't worry just go to Windu and talk to him when you can leave to go get him." She rubs the side of his face gently brushing over it with her thumb.
"Alright then. Just don't over do it or over work yourself."
"Coming from the man I usually have to drag out of his office to go to bed." She moves her hand to his chest and leans in.
Qui-Gon rubs the back of his head. "I'm not always like that."
"Ninety nine percent of the time you are." She smirks.
He hugs Tahl. "What if he hates me to the point of never wanting a relationship? What if he tries to run away like I did? What if he-"
Thal pulls out of the hug and puts both of her hands on his face. "Calm down. I know there is a lot of what if but we must stay calm and work through it. Stay in the here and now. Sure it might be scary for both of you at first but we can't let fear control moves. The best thing for you to do is to go there yourself and talk to him."
"Are you sure? Maybe I should send Mace to pick him up and talk to him so that way-"
"I wouldn't love. Doing that will probably make Anakin think you care even less than he probably already thinks. It's best if you go there and pick him up. Take him out to a nice place for lunch and just talk." She moves her hands grabbing his.
"And if he doesn't want to talk?" Qui-Gon says as he looks out the window.
"Well then you'll just have to think of something like you always do." She kisses him. "I promise you'll be alright."
"You always know what to say love." He keeps his head up against hers.
"I'm the queen, it's my job to be there for you." She laughs. "Now go find Mace and see what you can do."
"Alright just be sure to rest okay?"
She rolls her eyes and pushes him slightly. "Go on now. It's best if you get started."
Qui-Gon turns and leaves shaking his head. He leaves the nursery and over to the office and knocks on the door next to his office. "Come in." A man calls out
Qui-Gon opens the door and walks in. To see a dark skin man named Mace Windu. He's the third most powerful man in the kingdom right under the king and queen and looks up at a Qui-Gon as he enters. "What did you do this time?"
"I didn't do anything." Qui-Gon says as he walks in.
Windu raises an eyebrow giving him the really look.
Qui-Gon at Mace. "It's Shmi actually." He said.
Windu straightens up and replaces his look of one with concern. "Is she alright?"
"No she isn't." Qui-Gon walks closer to Windu. "She has lung cancer stage two almost stage three."
"What do you need me to do?" He quickly turns to his computer.
"I want you to work into my schedule a time where I can go pick up Anakin and find the best place for Shmi to revive treatment." He moves and sits down. "I need to get to him as soon as possible."
Windu nods. "I'll get right on it and are you sure you want to go? I can arrange someone to pick him up or I can go get him myself."
"No, I think I should be the one to do this and Tahl said it would be better. I mean I've never been in his life unless you count the cards and gifts I send for his birthday and holidays." Qui-Gon lays back.
"It's understandable why you've never been in his life. I'm sure when he knows who you are he'll understand." Mace says as he turns to his computer.
"Or maybe he'll hate me even more. From what Shmi told me he hates me. He probably thinks I've abandoned him and his mother." He puts a hand on his face.
"I can be there when you talk to him if you'd like to make sure everything goes well." He types a bit
He removes his hand and looks at Windu. "I'd appreciate that Mace, Thank you."
"Anything for you sir." Mace gives one of his rare smile and looks at his computer pulling up some things. "Let's see the earliest we can leave is Sunday and get there around late Tuesday early Wednesday. We will have to leave on the same day."
Qui-Gon shakes his head. "Why do we have to leave so early?"
"You have some very important meetings that can't be postponed. If you stay the whole day there or until the late evening by the time you leave it will only give us a day left and I'm sure you want to spend time with him here." Windu starts putting things into his computer.
"Oh right." He slouches back. "I completely forgot about that. I don't want to drag Anakin into that as soon as he gets here."
"You don't have to. You can keep him away from the public eye for a while until you feel he's ready or when you think it's a good time." Windu looks down at the planner and begins to write things down.
"That sounds good thank you Windu."Qui-Gon says smiling at him.
"It's a part of my job Qui-go." Windu doesn't look up and keeps writing things.
Qui-Gon rolls his eyes. "I'll be leaving now let me know when everything is set."
"I'll leave it on your desk sir." He says as he finishes up.
Qui-Gon stands up and takes his leave going back to his office. He sits down in his chair and looks at his computer. "Should I get him something? That would be nice wouldn't it? I mean it will at least show him that I do care. Right?" He thinks and begins searching for the newest toy that Anakin might like.
When Shmi hung up the phone she walked over to the sink covering her mouth as she coughed. She pulls her hand away and rinsed it off
A click of a switch and the hallway lights coming on with a little boy calls out. "Mom?"
She turns around to see Anakin had said that. "Ani what are you doing out of bed it's ten you should be in bed."
He rubs his eyes. "I couldn't sleep I came in here when I heard you talking." He walks over and hugs her. "Who were you talking to mom? Was it a doctor?"
"No Ani it wasn't a doctor and will talk more about it later, okay?"
He mumbles something and still holds on to her.
"Come on sleepy head let's get you back to bed." She gets him off of her and puts a hand on his back.
Shmi turns out the kitchen light and they walk to his room and Anakin looks up at her. "Mom is Qui-Gon going to help pay for your treatment?"
"Yes he is Ani but you don't have to worry about that right now." She pets his head.
"At least he's doing something useful." Anakin mumbles
Shmi looks down at him. "Anakin don't say that he loves and cares for you." She gets on her knees and pets his face gently.
Anakin pouts. "If he does care how come he never comes around. Is he too busy with his new family to deal with us?"
"Anakin you don't even know if he has a new family. You won't listen to anything I say a bought him." She says as she moves some of his hair behind his left ear.
Anakin looks at her in the eyes. "I'm sure he does that would explain a lot. I'm sure his new wife wouldn't like to hear about us." He then rolls his eyes.
"Anakin that's enough. If you want to go to the pod race then you will stop that train of thought right now." She looks at him sternly as she says this.
"Yes mom." He yawns at the end of it as Shmi gets back up standing.
"Now then let's get you to bed sleepy head I don't need you falling asleep in class." She pats his head.
He mumbles something as they get to his room and he gets into his bed.
Shmi tucks him in and kisses his forehead. "Good night my little Ani sleep tight."
Anakin yawns and stretches a bit. "Good night mom."
Shmi turns, closing his door. Going to her room she turns off the hallway lights. She sits down on her bed and starts coughing badly covering her mouth as she moves to lay on her bed.
Anakin quickly slips out of his bed and goes behind his dresser pulling out a small box. He quickly pulls the covers over him and turns on a flash light. He opens the box to pull out a small blade and a piece of Jasper that has been carved into a unique pattern. "I hope mom loves this. I really wished I could have gotten her a fancy necklace like some of the other kids got their moms'" he sighs and keeps carving out the little stone until his eyes start getting too heavy to keep open and closes the box with the jasper and the blade back. He puts it behind the dresser and lays back down going to sleep.