Warnings: Spoilers for Anne Higgins' AU story 'Bonding Through
the Years'. It's best to read that one first, or this won't
make a lot of sense.
Series: This is a 'missing scene' from Anne's story, which she
says is going to be a part of a series. I'm just playing in her
universe.
Summary: Qui-Gon delivers a baby and finds himself in a
soul-bond. Then he has to say goodbye to his bondmate.
Feedback: Oh please! Do!
Notes: This was inspired by Anne Higgins' story 'Bonded Through
the Years', and is a vignette set in that story. She gave me
permission to post this 'missing scene', written in that
wonderful AU universe she created. Thank you for letting me
play in your sandbox, Anne!
This is a vignette inspired by Anne Higgins' 'Bonding Through
the Years'.
He walked down the corridors of the ship shakily. They were
about to dock and deliver the Kenobi family to their home
before taking off for Coruscant. Oddly enough, Qui-Gon thought,
the Kenobis were taking the other half of Qui-Gon's soul with
them.
He still couldn't wrap his mind around what had happened, all
unknowingly, two days previously. He'd delivered an infant in
an emergency situation - unusual, but not unheard of. However,
when he'd held the child in his arms and reached for its
mind...
A bondmate. His bondmate - an infant born into his own hands.
He'd never heard of such a thing happening before. He'd never
imagined his future so firmly set out before him. He trusted in
the Force, yes, but this... He was going to lose his
lover because of an innocent child. His future was set out for
him. Destiny had raised her head and he, and the child, were
drawn along by a fate beyond their controlling. It saddened
him, irritated him, made him want to scream in frustration. He
wanted to deny it all, and yet he couldn't.
For soon his bondmate would be taken from him. Not for long, of
course, since the child, Obi-Wan, would be sent to the Temple
when he was a few years older. But Qui-Gon had just 'met' the
new being whose life was now irrevocably entwined with his. To
feel that joy, that serenity that he felt in the baby's
presence, distanced from him, caused him a searing pain.
And yet now he walked towards the Kenobi family's quarters to
say goodbye. Mace had convinced the stunned parents that their
newly-born and newly-bonded son would need to have a few
moments with his bondmate alone. And so Qui-Gon followed Mace's
advice, and went to pay his respects to the family.
When he arrived the father and the older son were away from the
quarters. The mother sat cradling her son in her arms,
nervously awaiting the Jedi's arrival. Wordlessly she placed
the infant in Qui-Gon's arms, wincing at the sound of pure
delight and joy coming from the newborn, and then turned and
left the room.
22-year-old Qui-Gon Jinn had little experience with children,
less still with infants. He sat down on one of the bunks and
cradled his tiny soulmate in his arms. The child smiled up at
him happily, cheerful meaningless sounds chiming in his head.
He smiled, and leaned down to gently kiss the forehead of the
baby in his arms.
"I wonder if you are as shocked at this as I am, or if it all
seems perfectly normal to you?" he asked. The bright newborn
eyes gazed up at him as if the infant was listening to him
carefully. "I will always be with you, Obi-Wan. But until you
are older and come to live at the Temple, you must obey your
parents, love them and your big brother. They'll take care of
you until we are together again."
The infant cooed happily in his arms. Qui-Gon felt a growing
sadness at the thought of parting from the beautiful child, the
source of such joy within his heart. With Obi-Wan here it felt
as if all was right with the universe. He gently cradled the
child closer, and felt the joy of his bondmate held in the
living moment of the Force.
He was uncertain how much time had passed, until he felt
someone touch his shoulder, and looked up to see the worried
face of Mace Windu above him. It was then that he realized
tears were streaming down his face.
"It's time for the Kenobis to leave, Qui-Gon. The ship has
landed," Mace whispered.
"No, no!" Qui-Gon sobbed, and clutched the baby tighter.
Mace gripped his shoulders harshly. "Qui-Gon! Don't upset the
child - it can sense your feelings. Don't make this harder on
the parents than it has to be."
Coaxed by his lover, Qui-Gon stood and, with one Force-surge of
love and comfort directed at the child, he kissed Obi-Wan
gently again, and forced himself to hand the infant over to
Mace. Obi-Wan, picking up on his bondmate's distress, and
alarmed at being out of Qui-Gon's arms, began howling with
alarm. It felt like his soul was being ripped out, and Qui-Gon
rushed out of the room and away to his own quarters. He threw
himself on the bed and curled up tightly, but it didn't calm
the ache within his soul.
Finally Obi-Wan's obvious distress broke through his sorrow,
and he was able to comfort the child through their bond,
enveloping it in warmth and support. He felt Obi-Wan settle
down, now in his mother's arms, and left the formal good-byes
to Mace. He certainly wasn't up to them. He half-feared that if
he saw the Kenobis again he would get down on his knees and beg
that they let him keep his bondmate with him.
It was pure nonsense, of course - a Jedi Knight being addicted
to a baby. It actually didn't matter where Obi-Wan was raised -
despite any distance or barrier, Qui-Gon would always feel him
in his mind. But this first physical separation hurt in
a way he hadn't expected.
Mace found him there some minutes later, and saying nothing,
curled up behind Qui-Gon to enfold him in his arms. "Hush,
love. He is being taken care of, by parents who love him. You
will see him when he comes to the Temple for training. I'm
here, my poor love," Mace whispered comfortingly. Qui-Gon
turned and buried himself in his lover's embrace, sobbing as if
his heart would break.
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