Chapter Text
Obi Wan was tired. A bone aching tired that he had carried on him since the beginning of the war. The same tired he saw etching premature wrinkles into Anakin's face, into Ahsoka's. He was glad that they were taking some time for shore leave. That their shore leave matched up with being home at the Temple. Qui Gon had met them in the Hanger, smile wide as the sky as held out his arms to hug all of them. Obi Wan hadn't really wanted to hug his old master, given how filthy he felt, but Qui Gon barreled through as gathered his line into a tight hug of welcome. Obi Wan had broken off once he felt he'd hugged enough. Even after ten years, he'd not gotten used to how touchy his old master had gotten.
Obi Wan tapped in his door code and rubbed his hand against the back of his neck, then froze. Something was off. He crept around the foyer, noting that Anakin's room was wide open, knowing that it was shut when they had left. Anakin never left his door open. He frowned as he come into the living room. There was a woman, sitting on their couch. There was a woman sitting on their couch, and Obi Wan had not a single clue as to who she was. It wasn't strange for there to be a woman sitting on their couch, Padme and Ahsoka were often sitting on that couch during fun nights when they were home. Obi Wan has watched Padme and Anakin make goo goo eyes at each other on that couch, but who was this woman?
"Obi Wan, it is very rude to stare," The woman spoke turning to look at him from the couch.
"And you are?" Obi Wan asked, taken aback.
"Obi Wan! We're having movie night!" Anakin yelled as he walked into the apartment. "Qui Gon said you're not allowed to slither out of this one this time, he said "Council meetings be damned!" You know he means it when he cusses. He gave Mace the stink eye the second he opened his mouth."
"My Baby!" the woman jumped up and rounded the couch putting herself into Anakin's personal space. "Oh look at you! I thought I would not get the chance to see you until Death brought you home!"
Obi Wan felt as if ice was dropped down his back. Now that she was in Anakin's personal space he started to notice how much like Anakin she looked. The woman had Anakin's brass blonde hair, his nose, the shape of his eyes, but the color was off. Anakin's were blue compared to the vibrant life giving green of the woman's. She was also taller than Anakin, by at least two to three inches. There was only one other person that could call Anakin "baby" in that tone and she'd long since joined the Force, which meant.
"Anakin," Obi Wan spoke as they both looked at him and he could place all the features Shmi has given her son on his face. Obi Wan felt insane for what he was about to stay, but there was no other option but for it to be. "I think...I think she is the Force."
"My Knight," The woman smiled sweetly at him, not the same way that Anakin did, but it still sent warmth down his spine. "I have always loved how clever you are."
"Master?" Anakin turned to Obi Wan in shock. "Pull the other one, you know one comes off."
"He's not joking," The Force smiled. "I am indeed. I am not sure how I am tangible as it has be some eons since I last walked among the galaxy. Why it was long before The Father, The Daughter, and The Son came to be. I will have to relearn how to walk among you again. Hmm do you think Padme would be willing to assist me in clothing? I fear if I looked too Jedi L8ike your Sith Lord will become more of a problem then he already is for me. Terrible man he is."
"Obi Wan, I think we should get the..."
"I FORBID IT, ANAKIN!" The Force spoke, millions of voices making Anakin and Obi Wan grab at their ears, before she coughed. "No, baby, no. The council has failed to listen to you and thus me, so no, no council."
"I am on that very council, yet you trust me?" Obi Wan frowned, noting that Anakin was inching closer to him.
"You are My Knight," The Force spoke looking at Obi Wan as Anakin slotted himself next to Obi Wan. "You have always listened when I have spoken, except for your insistence for a future of Infinite Sadness. It is but a warning and you are not taking it."
"If it is truly a feeling from you, how can it be a warning?" Obi Wan frowned.
"You expect the future to be set in stone by me as if you do not have the will to change it?" The Force smiled. "Funny how sentient beings forget the Free in Free Will. I can no more control your destiny than I can stop the sands from shifting. Tell me, Obi Wan, what would you do if it was my will for Anakin to Fall?"
Both Jedi froze.
"You do not see the seeds of darkness that have been sown for years," the Force sighed, crossing her arms into her flowing sleeves. "You do not see the pain that has no place to be soothed. I cannot soothe what festers. My beloved Shmi was not to join me when she did. She was to die a soft death, in her sleep after many more years, but the illness that wracks my body took her from this plain too soon. We have already culled that tribe, do not do more, my child."
"Anakin, what have you done?" Obi Wan looked over as Anakin's head bowed.
"Do not run from it," The Force huffed, gently placing her hand under Anakin's chin. "Do not run from your actions. It will spread the darkness faster. We are ill, Baby, but we can heal if you start trusting those around you."
"I....." Anakin looked up and Obi Wan could see the tears starting. "I can't say I'm sorry for it! I can't say that. I know what I did was so fucked up. I know I just..."
"I was angry," The Force admitted. "We both were, but we cannot reign Vigilantly justice on those who harm us. Nor kill those who don't deserve it."
"I see," Obi Wan frowned then put his hand in his chin. "Considering what Anakin did is in Hutt Space and the Republic has not Juristriction there, I feel nothing will come of this, and we pushed Anakin into knighthood too... Don't you dare give me that look! both of you!"
"It was time," The Force huffed.
"I was ready!" Anakin snapped.
"I'm not saying you didn't feel ready!" Obi Wan snapped back. "But you were knighted far too early!"
"Just admit you were jealous that I moved so much...."
"I was not Jealous! I'm simply saying that you weren't rea..."
"I was ready! Everyone could see that but you! You always want to hold me back!"
"I don't want to watch you rush of and loose something far worse than your arm!"
"Oh so you do blame me for letting..."
"Enough!"
Anakin and Obi Wan covered their ears again and looked over at the Force, hands on her hips and a deep frown, Anakin's frown.
"That is enough," She repeated. "I concede to you feeling about the situation, My Knight. Anakin if Ahsoka was to be knighted, right now, how would you feel?"
"She's not ready," Anakin balked fear creeping into his voice at the thought of Ahsoka not having him around to protect her.
"So do you not think what you are feeling is something that Obi Wan has not felt, that Qui Gon has not felt?" The Force asked. "We all must fly one day, my little dragon, and that day is always scary for those who love us the most."
"I see your point," Anakin sighed backing down completely.
"And who said that Obi Wan is jealous?" The Force asked. "Why would My Knight be jealous of his other half? I do not make Dyads that fall apart that easily, my little dragon. I have sent Obi Wan countless times into the Realm of the Living without you, and the first time I have sent you to him in the Realm, you have this strange idea that your other half would be jealous?"
"Other Half?" Obi Wan repeated. "Did you call us a Dyad?"
The Force smiled and Obi Wan felt his eye twitch.
"MASTER!" Obi Wan yelled as he barged into Qui Gon's apartment, Anakin and the newly dubbed Mrs. Skywalker in tow. "I need advice and the good rum!"
"Well, with that tone, I shan't grant you any, my dear apprentice," Qui Gon smiled as he walked over to greet his guest, leaning on his cane. "It is good to see you, Anakin, but you look like you've been run over by a bantha."
"Yes, well, there's a lot that has been going on," Anakin sighed, avoiding looking at Obi Wan.
"I see, and this might be the surprise?" Qui Gon asked as Mrs. Skywalker floated into the room and smiled. "You know for being your favorite, you do seem to love ruffling my poor Obi Wan's feathers."
"He'll be alright, have you talked to those fiddle-farts about not being so attached to the here and now?" Mrs. Skywalker asked. "The longer you stay in this temple the bigger your target."
"Obi Wan is one of those Fiddle Farts, my friend," Qui Gon chuckled.
"Bah, my Knight is My Knight," Mrs. Skywalker waved him off.
"I have indeed been speaking with the Council about my feelings and your warnings, but as before, they will not listen," Qui Gon spoke. "I have tried not to meddle with Obi Wan's training of Anakin, at your request my friend, but that doesn't mean that others have not."
Obi Wan watched as Mrs. Skywalker's face got pinched before she rubbed at her chin in the same matter that he did, that Qui Gon and Master Yoda did, that Ahsoka was picking up from Anakin. How deeply was their linage connected to the Force? she looked at Qui Gon, Anakin's scowl was back. He wasn't going to like what she said next.
"It seems, my friend, I need to be clearer with my Jedi," she spoke with a sigh. "Starting with my Knight and needing to be more selfish about my child. I said 'selfish', not possessive. That little attachment rule is about being covetous and possessive, not about all attachments. I was there when it was made."
"Yes, yes, we shall not site the deep magic," Qui Gon smiled. "I take it we will be having dinner with Padme?"
"Anakin, and I will be going to see her," Mrs. Skywalker said.
"We're not taking Obi Wan?" Anakin looked at her scared.
"No, Baby, we're not, we're going to be having at very long and hard conversation," Mrs. Skywalker frowned, before noting Obi Wan's shift to Anakin's side. "It be best to not have Obi Wan there, or you will flinch and you cannot do that."
Obi Wan sat on the couch of his and Anakin's apartment hours later. He had kept Anakin's promise of movies with Ahsoka and Qui Gon. It had been a long evening, waiting for Anakin to return. He hoped that his old padawan was having a wonderful night with his wife and mother, but something cold and sharp had been sitting in his chest since Anakin had left with her. Obi Wan got up to check on Ahsoka, smiling to himself at the sight of their shared padawan curled up in Anakin's bed. He closed the door to let her sleep and moved to set up the couch for Anakin, putting out his second favorite blanket that was made from Jabber wool. They had found it one day at a market. Anakin loved the moon phase pattern on it, but it didn't hold a candle to the bantha wool one he'd brought home from Tatooine, one Shmi had made.
Obi Wan sight and head back to his room, noting that Anakin most likely wasn't coming back to the Temple. He got ready for bed, before something told him to pull the moon blanket onto his his bed. He didn't feel like it was that cool, but went with the feeling, and turned in for the night.
Obi Wan almost jumped out of his skin when he felt something cold and wet bury itself in his neck some hours later. he opened his eyes to see dark curls and was about to tell Anakin that it was inappropriate to crawl into his bed when the first sob reached his ears. Obi Wan wrapped Anakin into his hold, pulling the wool blanket over the two of them.
"Dear One," Obi Wan whispered into the nearest curl, rubbing his hand up and down Anakin's back.
Anakin hadn't moved from Obi Wan's bed in days. To her credit, Padme looked just as awful when Obi Wan sat down at Dax's to exchange the last of Anakin's belongings.
"You look awful, Senator," Obi Wan put it bluntly.
The last few days ad raked claws against his instincts in irritating patterns at the mere mention of his fellow Alpha. it wasn't often that Jedi thought of such things but seeing Anakin's distress, distress he rarely showed, and the subsequential stress nesting that his former padawan was doing in his bed had made Obi Wan even more wary of the woman.
"How... How is Anakin?" Padme asked, Obi Wan noted the dark circles under her eyes. "Is he eating?"
"He's taken over my room and Qui Gon has been attempting to feed him soup," Obi Wan spoke curtly.
"Obi Wan, I.... I'm sorry," Padme finally broke down crying. "I didn't think we were in that bad of a place and.... and..."
"Anakin's other Mother brought everything to light?" Obi Wan finished.
"It was awful it was so awful," Padme sniffed. "She pointed out each and everything we held back from each other the second we tried to hide how bad it was she dragged it back into the spotlight. She dragged me throught the mud for bringing Anakin back to Tatooine to Shmi's Death. About how Anakin and I were just playing at house, and...oh it was so bad, and she laid into him too about him not communicating about him being so possessive of me, and me of him and oh it was so awful!"
"I'm sorry for what it's worth," Obi Wan sighed. "You made him happy and that's all I've wanted for him. I should have pushed for him to leave once you met again."
"Oh, Obi Wan," Padme sniffed and reached out to grab his hand. "Ana...Anakin wouldn't leave the Order, not without you, Ahsoka and Qui Gon. I was so prepared to be leader of his pack, taking on you three when he finally realized what he wanted. I... I had everything prepared and then then....when we were talking I realized that I couldn't be what he needed. Obi Wan I can't give Anakin what he needs! I can't chase the shadows away. I can't break up the fights. I can't ease the hurt and the guilt of his mother's death. I can't even spend time with him when he's home! I have so much work that when we get to be together, we're strangers in a room. Worse is we found out he's pregnant and and...."
"Padme," Obi Wan felt his heart break. "Padme, I don't think the Force is so cruel as to give you and Anakin a child and then strip them away. I'm sorry that your relationship couldn't be romantic, but I very much doubt that Anakin would ever stop loving you."
"Thank you Obi Wan," Padme sniffed.
"But I think it's best for now, until you both can stand to see each other with out hurt and pain clouding your minds," Obi Wan sighed. "I'll act as a mediator."
"Thank you," Padme smiled softly. "I brought the last of his nest from my home. I didn't realize how much of you clothing was in my house. I found a shirt we got you last year and the wool sweater I knitted for you."
"I wondered were those went," Obi Wan chuckled. "I'm rather fond of that shirt when I do my stretches."
"Thank you, Obi Wan for being there for him," Padme sniffled.
"Please tell me that you have others in your corner as well?" Obi Wan asked. "That you're not alone?"
"I do."
"Then I will endeavor to keep Anakin alive so you can meet your child," Obi Wan smiled. "This is going to be a long pregnancy for all of us."
"You'll be even more grey at the temples," Padme tried to laugh.
"Between you and Anakin, I'm surprised I'm not fully grey," Obi Wan reached out again and clasped her hand. "All will be well, I promise, or I'll have words with Anakin's Mother."