Work Text:
The night of the reunion came too quickly for Anakin's liking. Sitting in the kitchen, nursing a cup of caf and a slight headache from a few shots of whiskey and bourbon, he watched the sun set slowly off in the west field, its golden light cast soft upon the swishing stalks of corn and wheat. The digital clock - he'd never get used to calling it that - above the stove revealed ten minutes past seven, Earth Time.
He repressed a sigh, picked up his cup, then promptly set it back down and frowned. No matter what way he looked at it, this night was ruled by tension. Back handed, burned and overly dried out tension, thick as smoke but twice as choking. Not that he could fault the Force for that; were he in her position, he'd be suffocating by now. It thus made him oddly glad that he knew now of his extended family outside his mother and adopted members. He wouldn't want to create stress through having to introduce himself to people he was related to, yet knew nothing about nor had any intentions of getting to know.
(Alright, so maybe the last bit was only directed to himself, but he digressed-)
And then she arrived at last. He sensed her before she entered the room, her presence swelling in the Force like a pool of water, calm and collected. But also quivering from the wind of fear, her anxiety betraying her ruse as it had every single time since-
He closed off the thought, the memory that refused to wither and die. He drowned it with a swig of caf, as Barriss slowly crept into the kitchen, more timid than before, her posture reminding him too much of her wolf form. She stopped just before his chair, fiddling nervously with the hem of her dress. Silence ensued uncomfortably for a moment, with only the crickets outside the kitchen window to break it.
She spoke after a minute of hesitation.
"...How do I look?"
He paused mid-drink, eyes flickering to her figure as he swallowed the last of his caf and set the mug down on the table, the drink stale in his mouth. Truthfully, she looked a dream; a pretty black dress made from what he assumed was light cotton, down to her knees, barely hugging the form of her pregnant belly yet not so loose to expose her to the warm summer night air. Her legs, covered with her recently usual black leggings and flat boots, shifted awkwardly from side to side, further emphasizing her nervousness as Anakin slowly made his judgement call.
"Presentable" he answered, flashing her a teasing smile that faltered at her crestfallen look. "You look wonderful, Pup. Don't fret; doesn't help any."
He rose from his seat with a groan, prosthetic leg creaking rustily, patting her gently on the shoulder as he brushed past into the living room. Obi-Wan was there, sitting in the middle of the floor in the midst of meditation. Or so Anakin presumed, until his former Master's voice nearly made him jump out of his skin as he tried to sneak past.
"You're troubled."
Anakin swore terribly, his eyes narrowing a fraction at the older man, frown marring his features.
"Only troubled by the old man taking pleasuring in scaring his once Padawan" he grunted, moving back to stand before the redhead in dismay. To his chagrin, Obi-Wan didn't even open an eye.
"Pleasure is taken from things of value and worth."
"Oh haha, funny" Anakin rolled his eyes, taking a seat across from Obi-Wan. "And here I assumed that tea and books were only things the elderly took pleasure from. Which they are."
"Age comes with wisdom, Anakin," Obi-Wan murmured, opening his eyes at last, "and with wisdom comes a good sense of judgement, and confidence."
Yet even as he spoke, Anakin could see; the turmoil and stress lingering in those grey eyes was something he'd become too accustomed to seeing over the past few months. The closer Luminara got to her due date, the bigger the storm swelled inside. It was hurricane, fierce and unstoppable, and not for the first time Anakin had wished he'd just kept his damn mouth closed about his stupid visions.
But he hadn't the time to worry of that now; that was Obi-Wan's battle, and as much as he wished he could help, he could not fight it for his Master.
"Always in motion, the future is" he murmured to himself, unconsciously as Obi-Wan blinked in confusion.
"Quoting Master Yoda, are we?" Obi-Wan teased, the smirk on his face enough to make Anakin scowl.
"Quoting a wise man, actually" the Chosen One replied stiffly, lifting his chin in childish defiance, a trait he'd never outgrew. Though truthfully, he'd take on a dozen Lickers before he'd admit it, and then maybe a pack of Hunters. Obi-Wan, however, was not one to surrender in a good verbal fight.
"And yet you never quote me."
"Only because you bother me" Anakin smiled sweetly, before letting a true chuckle escape. "No, but... you are a far wiser man than me, Obi-Wan. A much better Jedi."
He laughed, but stopped as the atmosphere stilled. Obi-Wan was staring at him, lost and shocked. Anakin blinked, looking around; no enemies, no BOWs hiding in the shadows of the couches, no surprise spectral beings appearing, nothing to set them off. The Force hummed peacefully, content and free of warnings. Even the Darkness was calm for the moment, not even a flare of passion arising.
"What?"
He raised an eyebrow eyes as Obi-Wan snapped out of his trance, shaking his head. "It's nothing" he said after a moment, flashing Anakin a shaky smile, so false and messy even a Youngling would've seen through it. Luke would have, at least, were he in the room and not upstairs playing with his sister and cousin.
Anakin frowned. "Obi-Wan-"
The loud ring of the doorbell interrupted his lecture, signaling Lin's arrival and the increasing swell of tension filling the house. Anakin looked back to Obi-Wan, but the man shook his head, gently shooing away his brother.
"Go on. You mustn't be late."
"Obi-"
"I'm fine, Anakin. Really, I am."
Anakin narrowed his eyes, but said nothing more, rising to his feet as the doorbell rang again in time for Barriss to enter the front hall, Ahsoka at her heels.
"Skittles still upstairs with Luke and Leia?" he murmured to the Togruta, his sister giving a nod even as her son's loud squeak of joy made her instinctively turn her head back towards the stairs. Barriss shivered beside him, her bandaged hands shaking even as she held onto Anakin's arm with a frighteningly tight grip.
Lin was waiting for them on the porch as he always did, yet Anakin knew something was off. The Mirialan's posture was slouched, Anakin catching the hint of a troubled expression before it vanished in place of yet another small, fake smile at the sight of the three former Jedi.
"All set?" he called out, voice lacking its usual perkiness. As the group shifted past him to the car, Anakin heard him whisper to Barriss softly, "You don't have to go through with this. I completely understand if you don't. They... aren't the best of people."
But Barriss, despite her fears and anxiety, held true to her Jedi teachings and refused to let fear back her into a corner. Not this time around, at least.
"They're family - my only family, Lin. As are you" she glanced up at her brother - half-brother - and offered him a reassuring smile. Lin could only swallow, Barriss making a surprised noise as his arms came around her tightly and fast, holding her close for a brief second.
Then the moment was over, and the night truly began upon entering the car.
---
Watching Lin's old car pull out of the driveway, Obi-Wan frowned slightly in thought. Anakin was growing up, much more observant and wiser than he'd ever been in his time as a Jedi. It was almost wasteful, if Obi-Wan didn't know that half of the learned knowledge and sensibility came from a mingling mix of both Dark and Light sides of the Force. Whatever had happened to Anakin in that small period after Padme's untimely death, it'd changed him. Whether it was for better or worse remained open to interpretation, but Obi-Wan had faith that Anakin was on the right path.
But what he'd said back there...
"You are a far wiser man than me, Obi-Wan. A much better Jedi."
Words he'd heard before, but from another mouth. The voice of Qui-Gon Jinn, however, was as strong as it had been all those years ago. And as much as he loathed to admit it, Obi-Wan still had his doubts over his teachings of Anakin. In the end, it hadn't mattered; no matter what would have been, could have been, Anakin would have eventually left the Jedi - and him - behind in the wake of the War's end.
"A far wiser man".
"To which, I am none" he said softly, his voice quivering with doubt.
"A much better Jedi".
"Am I really?" his voice went even softer, speaking to himself than to the voice of his former apprentice lingering in his head.
"Are you what?"
Obi-Wan jumped, whipping around as Luminara's calm yet tired voice broke the otherwise impending silence of the living room. Standing in the doorway, her hair mused from sleep and eyes shadowed over, she regarded him with a concerned frown.
"You're troubled" she mused, unconsciously echoing Anakin's remarks. Not wanting to repeat the conflicting conversation that he couldn't even hold with himself, Obi-Wan shook his head, moving across the room to her side.
"Not troubled, tired" he smiled down at her, though her frown never vanished.
"Obi-Wan," she began, the chiding tone setting him on edge, "you know that's not true. You can feel it; I can feel it. Something is wrong. Please-"
Her voice softened a touched, her hands reaching out to grasp his, both palms rough and calloused from years of lightsaber use.
"Obi-Wan, tell me" she urged, her eyes flickering over the bothered expression upon his face. Her voice went even softer, "Don't do this to me. I want to help you."
He took her in, her soft face and light green skin. Blue eyes holding so much for him, so much hope and belief. He glanced over her form, the soft nightgown to the gentle swell of her belly - the reason of his anxious worries - to the lingering scars and burn marks left as a reminder of Umbrella's cruelty. He watched her move closer, pressing against him for comfort, for reassurance that he was there with her, not trapped in his own storm of self-doubt and fear.
He spoke at last.
"I'm fine. Really, Ara. I'm just tired. We all are."
She looked up at him, disappointed, but said nothing more. He leaned down, lips brushing over her cheek as he whispered softly in her ear.
"Get some more rest. I'll be back later."
She blinked, looking confused - and slightly hurt - as he pulled away and made for the door. "Where are you going?"
He paused, hand on the frame as he dared to glance back, smile comforting yet too sad to be real.
"To the hill and back. I... I'll be alright, Ara. I promise."
He left the house, and she watched him venture off to the edge of the property and then turn around and come back when the sun finally set, spreading darkness over the land. Her child stirred and she bit her lip, watching Obi-Wan's form become swallowed within the growing Dark before he reached the safe Light of the house again.