Series: May have a companion piece to follow at some point...
Archive: M_A
Spoilers: Nope
Summary: In a universe where love between master and padawan is
forbidden, the results of Obi-Wan's love for Qui-Gon must be
hidden...or it will destroy them both.
Warnings: THIS IS A BABY!FIC...that means that if having one of
the boys pregnant (Obi-Wan) squicks you, now is the time for
you to hit the 'back' button. Unfortunately, you will be
missing a lovely story...
Feedback: Please. Thank you. : ) Flames, should you feel the
need to send them, will be cheerfully forwarded to the ferret,
who will hunt down all flamers and bite their ankles.
Disclaimers: We all know who these characters belong to (Thank
you, Mr. Lucas!), so there's no question as to who's getting
all the credit, money, attention, etc. for these wonderful
Jedi. (Hint: It's not me...) Disappointing as that is, I'd just
like to borrow them to tell this story...
Thank yous: This story was started from an idea from April.
After reading 'After Azali', she wrote to ask if I'd do a
'pregnant Obi' story. As it's not an idea I'm naturally drawn
to, I resisted, but she had some interesting thoughts on the
subject. I must say that this story is nowhere near what she
was envisioning, but her ideas did get me started on the road
to this fic. So I offer her thanks for that inspiration. Thanks
also to Caly Rose, Robin Serrano, and Emrin Alexander for their
thoughts on this, a fic written in about twenty-four hours'
time. Without them, the ending would have been much less
satisfying. Thanks, you three!
Note: / / denotes telepathy
Qui-Gon paced back and forth, every nerve on alert, every sinew
taut. The situation would have to be handled carefully, gently.
Obi-Wan had not reacted well to Qui-Gon's discovery, but he
must not be made to feel ashamed or wrong for what had
happened. Finding his leggings, where they had been tossed onto
the floor earlier, he slipped into them and waited.
When Obi-Wan reappeared from the bathroom, he was dressed once
again in tunic and leggings, face drawn and pale. Qui-Gon's
reservations disappeared and he covered the space between them
in four long strides.
"Oh, Obi-Wan," he said as he took the young man's face and
tipped it back. "I love you so much." As the pride and love in
his heart began to make their way to his brain, Qui-Gon leaned
over his apprentice for a long, slow kiss. "The news is
wonderful, Obi-Wan, really."
Obi-Wan gasped into Qui-Gon's mouth, obviously not agreeing
with the opinion. "Wonderful?" he demanded, breaking away from
his lover's grasp. "How can you say that? This," he indicated
Qui-Gon's embrace and the mouth that had just captured his. "Is
not even allowed by the Council. We have lived every day of the
last five years in fear of being discovered. Can you imagine
how they would feel if they knew this?"
Now it was Obi-Wan who paced, going 'round and 'round in a
circle as if his life no longer had direction. Sweat beaded on
his brow and he wiped it away with the sleeve of his tunic.
"Oh, gods, Qui-Gon," Obi-Wan said as he walked. "What are we
going to do? We're not always entirely successful at hiding our
relationship-sometimes I swear Master Yoda knows about
it and is just waiting for the right time to expose us. But
what of this? If the Council refuses to allow loving among the
Jedi, what will they have to say about...about..."
The despair cut Qui-Gon to his soul.
"Qui-Gon...I'm...carrying a child..." Obi-Wan seemed to
be trying to convince himself.
"Obi-Wan, I know this is unexpected, but the Force does not
allow anything to happen without a reason." Qui-Gon caught his
padawan in mid-stride and led him to the bed. "Come, sit down."
Obediently, Obi-Wan sat, but he could not remain still. Muscles
twitched beneath his skin, jaw clenched and unclenched, fingers
grasped the blankets in search of comfort, something to hold on
to.
"We should never have started this," Obi-Wan murmured almost to
himself. "Hiding a bond is one thing, but hiding a baby?
I'm sorry, Qui-Gon. I'm so sorry..."
Suddenly Obi-Wan was off the bed again, not pacing, but moving
restlessly.
"For what, Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon asked gently. "You have done
nothing wrong." He smiled. "And if we are placing blame, I
believe that I had an equal hand in the creation of this life."
"I never should have allowed it to happen!" Obi-Wan continued
as if he had not heard Qui-Gon. "I should have had more
restraint! Jedi control!" He snorted in disgust. "For myself, I
would take whatever punishment the Council set...but you? You
could be stripped of your position because of this. They could
forbid you to take on another padawan." His face paled further
at the thought.
"I have the only padawan I will ever need," Qui-Gon told him.
"And I will have you in my life forever. Padawan, knight, Jedi,
friend, lover, lifemate," Qui-Gon gestured with his hand.
"Whether I train another after you is inconsequential. I will
live in the moment, and in this moment I have you. Nothing else
matters."
Pulling the apprentice down onto the bed once again, Qui-Gon
took Obi-Wan's hands in his own, pressed them to his lips,
kissing them lightly. "Do you want this, Obi-Wan?" he asked
quietly, looking over the top of their joined hands. The blunt
question caught Obi-Wan off-guard.
"Y-yes!" he stammered, as if he'd only just come to the
conclusion. "I-I do. More than anything. To have a child with
you...a child created out of our love for each other..." His
green eyes were filled with wonder. "I'm just so..."
"Scared?"
Uneven breath. Blond head nodding.
"Of the situation and what the future holds-or of the Council's
reaction to it?"
"Both, actually," Obi-Wan admitted, his cheeks turning a dusty
rose.
"We will get through this," Qui-Gon assured him, ever ready to
play Master to an uncertain padawan.
Obi-Wan fell against Qui-Gon's chest. "I...I just
n-never...thought it would happen," he said, at last, not
meeting Qui-Gon's eyes.
Qui-Gon pulled the apprentice into a solid embrace. "We've
always known there was a possibility," he reminded Obi-Wan.
"Childbearing is a trait native to both the males and
the females of your homeworld."
"A trait which has been all but eliminated in the males over
the last several centuries!" Obi-Wan exclaimed. "One in one
hundred thousand. One in one hundred thousand men become
bearers of children!" His voice shook with his disbelief.
Qui-Gon held him tighter, stroking the short hair comfortingly.
"I know this has come as a terrible shock to you. I will admit
that I, too, was stunned. But," he placed one large hand on
Obi-Wan's belly, now acutely aware of the small life within. "I
cannot think of a more perfect way to show the depth of our
love than to bring a child into the world. And I do love you,
Obi-Wan."
So saying, he laid his padawan down on the bed, straddling the
slim hips more carefully than he had just that morning. Bracing
his hands beside Obi-Wan's shoulders, Qui-Gon rocked his hips
sensuously against the still-clothed padawan. Immediately
aroused, Obi-Wan surged into the movement, lifting his hips,
demanding more contact. Even fully-clothed, the sensation of
hardness against hardness was indescribable.
Consumed with the need for more, Obi-Wan held onto
Qui-Gon's upper arms, thrusting up as his master thrust down;
both were wound too tightly for anything but hard, fast
release. Gasping, back arching, Obi-Wan exploded, feeling
Qui-Gon's climax follow his own.
"Oh..." Obi-Wan said breathlessly as reality swam back into
focus. "I needed that...thank you."
Chest heaving from the exertion, Qui-Gon lifted himself off of
the other, sparing a glance down to inspect their soiled
leggings. "My apologies for not preparing you properly," he
said, equally out of breath. "I'm afraid we'll be needing
showers and clean clothing."
"I couldn't have waited any longer," Obi-Wan admitted, sitting
up. "It had to be right then, clothing or not. Thank you," he
said again softly. He brushed hot fingers against Qui-Gon's
temple, placed a soft trail of kisses in their wake.
Qui-Gon leaned into the touch, sighing with contentment. "A
shower first and then meditation," he said after a time. "The
Force will guide us in this."
Hair and skin still damp from the shower, both men knelt across
from one another on the floor. Heads bowed, eyes closed, they
reached into the Force together, searching out answers to the
direction their lives had taken this day.
It had been during one of his many meditations that Obi-Wan had
become aware of the presence...the life...inside himself.
Believing-or perhaps wanting-it to be some sort of delusion or
Force-vision, he had not mentioned it to Qui-Gon. Only today,
had Qui-Gon sensed it as well.
Hands on Obi-Wan, gently cleansing him after their early
morning love-making, Qui-Gon had frozen, blue eyes suddenly
locking with green.
"Obi-Wan? What...?" He'd reached out his mind, searching,
grasping for answers to the force signature he felt. When he'd
been sure of its origin, he'd reached out for Obi-Wan.
"Obi-Wan...my Obi-Wan. Why did you not tell me? All these
weeks...you have kept this a secret unto yourself..."
Gentle understanding was not what Obi-Wan had been expecting
from his master, and it seemed almost cruel, considering.
"It is impossible!" Obi-Wan had shouted, rolling away to cover
himself as if he could not bear to be.
"It appears to be quite possible, padawan," Qui-Gon had
answered back.
"You know what I mean!" the other exploded. "It is
impossible for me to bear this child. I cannot. It is against
the code, against the very beliefs of the Jedi."
"Love is not against the Jedi code, padawan. And that is what
this child is. Love."
"Don't purposely twist their words! They will make me
end this. You know it as well as I do," he said with a
conviction so absolute it made Qui-Gon's stomach clench.
"Obi-Wan..." a tendril of Force, wrapping around the distraught
apprentice. "Allow me to help you. Together we can..."
"No!" came the viscous response. "Physical love between Master
and padawan is forbidden. A product of that love will be..."
He couldn't finish the horrible thought. While he had kept the
truth to himself, he been able to deny it, to bide his time
while he meditated on a solution. But now...now that Qui-Gon
knew...Obi-Wan could no longer pretend it was not so.
Shaking, he had fled into the bathroom. Kneeling miserably on
the floor, getting sick for nearly half of the next hour. And
he hadn't wanted Qui-Gon anywhere near him.
Coming out of the meditation, Qui-Gon saw Obi-Wan raise his
head as well...as he swayed on his knees and pitched forward.
"Obi-Wan!" Qui-Gon's reflexes were quicker than the gravity,
and he managed to get his arms around the dead weight that was
his padawan. Reality was sometimes a double-sided lightsaber,
Qui-Gon reflected, and it had just hit his apprentice as surely
as a physical blow.
Getting to his feet, Qui-Gon carefully lifted Obi-Wan and
carried him to the bed. They would get through this. All
three of them.
A cold cloth on his forehead brought Obi-Wan around. Blinking,
he looked miserably up into Qui-Gon's face.
"You have always been stronger that I," he said in defeat.
"What makes you think I can do this?"
"Nonsense," Qui-Gon said lightly. "You are suffering from a
tremendous reshaping of your perceptions and an enormous amount
of physical change. I merely have more energy than you at the
moment."
Obi-Wan closed his eyes again, concentrating on the cool
patterns being traced along his face and neck, and basking in
the calm that was his master.
"What will we do, Master? It will be another three
months before the child..." The words caught in his throat.
"Before our child is prepared to make its entrance. By that
time-or even by the first of those three months-what has
happened will be obvious. We will not be able to deny it. And
trying to mask the erratic force signature of an infant..." He
shivered.
Qui-Gon consider the point. Among Obi-Wan's people, gestation
for a fetus was usually four months, the unborn infants
developing at twice the rate of many other species. Obi-Wan was
correct. They would not be able to hide their secret for long,
here at the Temple. However...
"A mission, Obi-Wan. If you carry the child to term while we
are away from Coruscant..."
"Away on some warring, back-water planet, with no access to
clean sheets much less an acceptable medical facility or a
skilled healer?" Obi-Wan sounded appalled.
"Or here, at the Temple, where those skilled healers will not
even assist you when your time comes because it violates the
code..." Qui-Gon reminded painfully.
Obi-Wan was silent, weighing the choices. "Then a mission
appears to be the best option," he admitted. "And the further
away from the Temple, the better our chances of not arousing
suspicion...or the force-sensitivities of the Council."
"Agreed," Qui-Gon said. "And speaking of missions, we have a
meeting with the Council in an hour to discuss where they are
to send us next."
Obi-Wan attempted to sit up, grateful for the hands pressing
him back toward the pillows as he grew dizzy and his stomach
threatened to rebel again.
"I have a meeting," Qui-Gon corrected himself. "You will
remain here and rest."
"But master...it will call attention..."
"It will not. I will tell them that you are feeling ill-the
truth-and that you send your apologies for not attending. They
will think nothing of it."
"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan mumbled, even as he felt himself
succumbing to Qui-Gon's force-suggestion to sleep.
/Master! Ahhhh!/
In a light meditation as he listened to the Frescan emperor
drone on and on, Qui-Gon was jerked to full awareness by
Obi-Wan's desperate mind cry.
/Master...Master, help me!/
Flushed, feeling Obi-Wan's pain and uncertainty, Qui-Gon
quickly got to his feet, the emperor so involved in his speech
that he did not even notice. Making an excuse to the cabinet
member seated next to him, Qui-Gon held onto decorum until he
was out in the corridor. Then he took off at a run which would
have surprised many of the palace attendants, had they seen
him.
It is too soon! he thought to himself as he navigated
the long, winding corridors. It is too soon for the baby to
be born. And yet...Obi-Wan is projecting...
He rushed headlong into their shared quarters, nearly knocking
over the padawan as he leaned, panting against the doorframe.
"M-master..." he panted, clutching his stomach.
"Please...something is...w-wrong..."
"Obi-Wan! Come, lie down."
Qui-Gon stood at Obi-Wan's back, arms wrapped around him,
urging him to let go of the door. But although Obi-Wan's
knuckle's turned white under the pressure, he would not-or
could not-let go.
Obi-Wan whimpered. /It hurts, master...oh, it hurts.../
With supreme effort, Qui-Gon peeled Obi-Wan's fingers away. If
he could not get him to the bed, he would lay him on the floor.
Either way, Obi-Wan needed to be off his feet.
"Here...Obi-love...let me see..."
Qui-Gon gently took Obi-Wan's hands away from his belly, now
round with child. At two months along, the only way his
condition was not fully visible was hidden beneath the fullness
of his Jedi robes. And to avoid drawing too much attention to
themselves, they had done just that during the mission. No one
knew, as far as they were aware, and that was as they wanted
it. They were Jedi first, and anything of a personal nature was
second to that.
Concentrating, Qui-Gon drew the Force around him like a cloak
and sent a tendril of it weaving through his writhing padawan.
Obi-Wan gasped, feeling the energy only as another pain to be
endured.
"Shhh...I'm sorry, love," Qui-Gon soothed. He felt so
inadequate! Certainly he was no healer...
Obi-Wan panted, grasping his belly again. "Make...it...stop..."
Sending his thoughts spiraling, Qui-Gon focussed on the force
signature of the fetus. Yes. The problem lay here.
The infant's thoughts were unorganized, as Qui-Gon would have
expected. But they were also electrical, pulsating. It was
mesmerizing. Pulling himself away from the captivating
undulations, Qui-Gon delved deeper. Ah. Something in the fetus
was telling it that the time had come for it to be born. And
something in Obi-Wan's body was warring against it. Vehemently.
It was no wonder Obi-Wan was experiencing such pain.
Carefully, Qui-Gon held onto his connection with the baby while
communicating his discovery to Obi-Wan. Immediately, he felt
the apprentice's fear and denial.
/It's too soon, Master! This can't be happening./
Obi-Wan's pulse raced, making that of the child do so as well.
And with its increased heart rate came an increased push to
make its way into the world.
/Obi-Wan, listen to me. You must calm down. Your mood affects
the baby. The more frantic you are, the more disturbed the
infant becomes." Qui-Gon spoke aloud. "Your body knows it is
not yet time, Obi-Wan. Focus on my voice, my thoughts, and
allow me to help you."
He could feel Obi-Wan clamping down on his emotions, forcing
himself to consciously relax. For the moment at least, he had
Obi-Wan's attention.
/Good, padawan. That's it. Now,/ he warned. /I am going to
place my hands on your abdomen. I need to convey to the child
that now is not its time and I need to use thought as well as
touch./
Obi-Wan sent his acquiescence and mentally braced himself.
Qui-Gon slid deep into meditation, hands upon Obi-Wan. Gently,
he soothed the ragged edges of the infant's frantic reactions,
quieted its mental squalling. Carefully, he planted a force
suggestion that the baby remain as it was, to grow and mature
until such time as it was ready to be born naturally.
Slowly withdrawing his presence, Qui-Gon brought himself out of
meditation. Obi-Wan was breathing heavily, head thrown back,
hands pressed flat to the floor as if he expected more of the
pain.
"Obi-Wan? Can you hear me?" Qui-Gon asked aloud. Slowly, the
padawan's eyes opened, the shadow of remembered agony still
within them. "Obi-Wan, I know this has been difficult for you,
but you came through it beautifully. Do you still feel pain
anywhere?"
Obi-Wan appeared to mentally catalogue his body. He gave a
small shake of his head. Qui-Gon let out the breath he'd been
holding.
"I am happy to hear that," he told the younger man. "At least
for now, I believe I was successful in convincing our son that
this is not his time. Whether it will be a problem again, I
cannot be certain."
/What if this does happen again, Master...this early labor...?/
came Obi-Wan's anguished thought. /I have two months yet to go!
The baby could not survive, born this early!/
"We will bide our time and allow the Force to direct us,"
Qui-Gon answered. He just hoped that that would be enough.
Obi-Wan's job became resting. While Qui-Gon finished the
dealings with the Emperor of Fresca, Obi-Wan rested. While the
people of Fresca celebrated their newly-elected cabinet and
threw a party to honor Qui-Gon's hand in it, Obi-Wan rested.
Qui-Gon knew that it bothered Obi-Wan a great deal, to be shut
up like an invalid while his master covered for him in the
field. But he also knew that the scare they'd had a month ago
had frightened Obi-Wan badly. And the two or three false alarms
they'd had after that, while Obi-Wan was up and moving about,
had been more than enough to convince both of them that bed
rest for the last eight weeks would be wise. As long as Qui-Gon
could tend to business alone, there was no need to take
unnecessary risks.
Three weeks before the baby's scheduled arrival and nearly
twice as large as he been only a month earlier, Obi-Wan could
seem to find no peace. Both restless and exhausted, he was
uncomfortable no matter how he stood or sat or lay. His only
relief seemed to come from the warm, herbal baths Qui-Gon
prepared for him...but getting in and out of the tub was
difficult for all involved.
Soaking in the tub was where Qui-Gon found his apprentice as he
returned from his final meeting with the emperor.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, kneeling down above the sunken
area, leaning in for a kiss.
"Mmm..." Obi-Wan made a satisfied sound. He turned pleading
eyes on Qui-Gon.
It didn't take a hyperdrive scientist to interpret the look.
Obi-Wan gave him an injured look. "I can't even remember what
it feels like anymore," he lamented. "We haven't...been
together...in over a month."
"Obi-Wan, you know as well as I do that we can't risk it. I
promise you, as soon as the baby is born, I will take you in
any and every way you can think of." He sealed his promise with
another kiss, tongue slipping over Obi-Wan's lips and teeth, a
reminder of things left too long undone.
"Ahhhhh..." Obi-Wan groaned. "Please...just touch me. You don't
need to do more, but I need to feel your hands on me, loving
me, making me feel alive again. Please..."
Qui-Gon found that he could not resist. In a matter of moments,
he had divested himself of his clothing and was in the tub,
Obi-Wan resting awkwardly in his lap.
"Better?" Qui-Gon whispered. Obi-Wan practically purred. "Is
that so?" he said into Obi-Wan's ear, enjoying the pleasure
Obi-Wan seemed to derive from the simplest of pleasures. When
he moved so that his hard shaft lay between Obi-Wan's sensitive
cheeks, Obi-Wan let out a yelp and nearly catapulted from the
water.
"Qui-Gon! Are you trying to cause me to go into early
labor? Because if you continue this, you may very well be
successful!" Obi-Wan's words were a mixture of anger and lust.
Qui-Gon was repentant. "I'm sorry," he told his padawan
guiltily. "You know I would never do anything to endanger you
or our son." He sighed. "You are right...it has been a long
time."
Without warning, Qui-Gon's hand swept underwater, finding
Obi-Wan's stiff readiness. Whispering words of love into his
apprentice's mind, he grasped the fullness, wrapping his hand
around it, sliding it deliciously through his fingers.
"Oh, force!" Obi-Wan cried out as he rose off Qui-Gon's lap,
back arching. "Oh..."
Qui-Gon fought to retain his hold on the slippery apprentice as
his callused hand moved one, twice, three times up and down
Obi-Wan's throbbing hardness.
"Oh...yes...!" Obi-Wan came with a shout, muscles in his belly
contracting as he erupted into the warm water. "Oh, gods,
Qui-Gon..." he sighed. "Thank you."
"It was my pleasure," Qui-Gon answered, absently rubbing his
hands over place where their son slept peacefully on, unaware
that anything untoward had taken place. "I love you, my
Obi-Wan. Never forget that." As Obi-Wan turned his head,
Qui-Gon caught his mouth in a kiss, drinking in the taste that
was so uniquely his padawan.
As the kiss deepened, turning Qui-Gon's thoughts inside out,
the communications console beeped. At first, he ignored it,
knowing that whomever it was, he could contact them later,
when...this...was over. But as the beeping persisted, he began
to lose his resolve.
Untangling himself from Obi-Wan's grasp, he attempted to get
his feet under him.
Obi-Wan made a sound of discontent. "Stay?" he begged. "Whoever
it is can wait. We've had so little opportunity to be together
like this."
"I'll come back," Qui-Gon promised. "Just wait here."
Obi-Wan snorted as he watched Qui-Gon climb out of the tub and
wrap an inadequately-sized towel around his waist. "Where would
I go?" he asked. "And how would I get there?" He could hear
Qui-Gon laughing as he made his way into the next room, and the
sound warmed him immensely.
Moments later, when Qui-Gon returned to the bathroom, the smile
had disappeared from his face. In its place was a grim look
that spoke of bad news.
"Master?" Obi-Wan asked in concern. "What is it? Who was the
message from?"
"The Council, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said quietly. "We have been
ordered to return to Coruscant."
"Coruscant! But we can't!" Obi-Wan exclaimed. "Not now!
They'll see...they'll find out..."
"I know, I know." Qui-Gon's mind raced as he helped Obi-Wan
awkwardly out of the water. "And so we will come up with
another option."
"But we must return," Obi-Wan said. "We can't defy the
Council..."
"We will not," Qui-Gon assured him as he toweled Obi-Wan dry
and prepared to help him dress. "But if they only wish us to
return to report on our mission and to offer us another one,
perhaps there are ways to get around them seeing you. And once
we are safely aboard the next vessel, headed for the next
planet..."
Obi-Wan did not look convinced. "There are always problems,
Master. Nothing is ever as simple as it seems."
"Then we will face those problems when we encounter them, my
Obi-Wan. If we encounter them."
They had disembarked in the wee hours of the morning, and the
traffic in the hanger was almost non-existent. That was to
their advantage, but it had been much harder than Qui-Gon had
imagined, to smuggle Obi-Wan onto the Temple grounds.
To avoid calling any more attention to themselves than
necessary, they had not gone to their quarters. Reaching them
would have taken Obi-Wan a considerable length of time, if he
could have made it at all, and they had a meeting to attend in
Council chambers at seventh hour.
Not knowing what else to do, Qui-Gon had picked a deserted spot
in the Temple arboretum and settled Obi-Wan there to await his
return. With any luck, he could make his report, receive any
instructions the Council had for them, and return to Obi-Wan
with no one the wiser. It was a risk, but it was one they had
to take if they wished to continue their status as lovers.
Obi-Wan's quiet acceptance and his whispered, "Force go with
you," stayed with Qui-Gon long after he was inside the Temple
and heading for the Council room.
"Welcome back, Qui-Gon," Mace Windu nodded from where he sat
beside Yoda. "And congratulations on completing the mission.
The Council is impressed by the speed with which you completed
it. We were not expecting to hear of your success for at least
several more months."
Qui-Gon had to force himself to remain calm. Small talk! Why
couldn't they accept his report as it was written and move
along? "Yes, well, the emperor and his people were most
cooperative."
"Accompanied by your padawan, you are not," Yoda said suddenly,
standing up. "His responsibility it is, to be by your side."
"Yes, Master," Qui-Gon answered, preparing to give the excuse
he had invented.
"At our last meeting with you he was not either."
Qui-Gon was barely successful in masking his surprise and
dismay. Leave it to the 900 year old master to recall a detail
like that.
"What excuse have you to offer?" Yoda asked.
Qui-Gon bit his lip. Did the elder Jedi know he was
hiding something? He had Force-duped the one padawan who had
seen them enter the aborted, but he could not fool the entire
Council that way.
"Ours was a long mission," he began. "Perhaps not as long as
expected, but long enough. Obi-Wan worked as hard as I did on
Fresca. He assisted with the mission details and prepared the
reports we sent back to Coruscant as well as keeping up with
his meditations and studies."
The explanation, as he gave it, sounded lame, even to his own
ears. All that he spoke of was nothing less than what was
expected of a senior padawan. Obi-Wan was twenty-five. Surely
the Council would not believe he had been too tired to attend
this meeting.
So he would add a bit more to the deception. In for a credit,
in for a bar. He faced the doubting looks before him.
"Before we left the Temple on this mission, Obi-Wan received
some disturbing news. He was quite affected by it and has
struggled throughout our mission to be accepting of it. When he
stepped foot on Temple grounds, he finally felt as though he
could attain some measure of peace. I believed it more
important for him to remain in the gardens to meditate, rather
than to attend this meeting, which I can and will talk to him
about later."
Qui-Gon held his breath. It was very nearly the truth. Would
they believe him?
"An admirable decision," Depa Billaba commented. "Please convey
to your padawan our deepest wishes, that he may find peace
within himself."
"Yes, thank you, I..."
/MASTER!!!!!!!/
The mind shout caught him by surprise and Qui-Gon had to slam
his shields up in mid-sentence, to avoid its broadcast
throughout the chambers.
"Qui-Gon?" Mace was looking at him in concern.
"Yes," he began again, wishing he could remember what they had
been speaking about. "I'll do that." The answer had already
formed in his mind, and he spoke it, although he could not
recall what it was in reference to.
/Unnghh! Qui-Gon...Our...SON.../
Suddenly there was nothing across their bond but burning heat
and uncontrolled pain.
/Obi-Wan! Hold on! I'm coming!/
Focussing again on the Council, Qui-Gon felt them searching,
exploring, trying to interpret the thoughts in his mind.
"I...I beg the Council's permission to adjourn this meeting for
now," he said, concentrating on remaining still. "I am
detecting extreme stress through our training link. My padawan
has need of me."
/Ohhhhhhhhhh! Please......hurry!!!!!!/
Qui-Gon waited only until the majority of the heads in the
Council room nodded. Then, spinning on his heel, he took off
for the door at a speed that would not have been acceptable for
a master inside the Temple at any other time.
/Obi-Wan, I'm on my way. Lie down and remain calm./ Qui-Gon
sent through their bond.
/Remain...ahhh!...calm...?/ came the tense reply.
/I'm almost there, padawan,/ Qui-Gon soothed. /I'm almost
there./
/I'm sorry.../ Obi-Wan was apologetic. /But
it...HURTS...and...it's all happening...so fast.../ There was a
pause. /OH, Please!!!!!! Hurry, Qui-Gon! I don't think I
can.../
Qui-Gon rounded a copse of trees to find his padawan on his
hands and knees, rocking back and forth, face contorted in his
agony.
"Obi-Wan!" Qui-Gon threw off his robe and placed it on the
ground, looking around only briefly to reassure himself that
they would be away from any watchful eyes here. With a bit of
Force manipulation, he moved the apprentice off of the cold
grass.
Qui-Gon was already stripping Obi-Wan down, laying the clothes
aside and preparing himself to assist in whatever manner he was
needed.
He eyed Obi-Wan's belly, noting that the baby already appeared
to have shifted to a much lower position. "We have no choice,
Obi-Wan," he said softly. "This baby isn't going to wait long
enough for us to move elsewhere."
Grunting as the pains came closer and closer together, Obi-Wan
remained otherwise silent.
"That's right, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon urged, brushing his hand
across the damp, heated forehead. "Take deep, even breaths.
Close your eyes if you need to. Find your center..."
Obi-Wan gasped in pain, attempting to even his breathing. He
rolled first onto his back and then curled onto his side,
ending up, as before, on his knees, panting shallowly.
Qui-Gon maneuvered so that he could see beneath his lover. The
birth had begun. Even as he watched, the head was crowning.
He reached down, soothing Obi-Wan with his hands and his voice.
"Yes, Obi-Wan! You are doing wonderfully!"
It was amazing. The males and females of Obi-Wan's native
planet had been created equally able to give birth to children.
There were other details that set the genders apart, but in
this they were all the same. For Qui-Gon, watching their son
emerge, so naturally, from his father's body was no less than
an act of the Force.
Concentrating, Qui-Gon reached out to Obi-Wan, enhancing his
shields, reinforcing his control. One shoulder slipped free.
"Take a deep breath, Obi-Wan," he ordered. "And then push. One
shoulder is out and the other will follow if you just help it
along."
The breath was a shaky, unsure one, but Obi-Wan followed his
master's instructions.
"Again, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon instructed. "Breathe deeply and push
as you breathe out."
The second breath was more certain and as Obi-Wan let it out,
he prepared to take another one. Pain radiated from his every
pour, sweat beaded on his face, ran down his temples, but his
breathing was all that was audible.
"No," Qui-Gon said, catching Obi-Wan mid-breath. "Do not push
again. Wait for a moment if you are able."
Qui-Gon took the baby's slippery shoulders into his hands,
feeling the warmth of the new life invade every pore in his
body, feeling his son already mentally connecting with him.
"Now, gently, Obi-Wan," he coached. "Very gently. One more soft
push, if you can manage it. I have his head and shoulders in my
hands. He only needs a small amount of coaxing to make it the
rest of the way out."
True to his very nature and his absolute faith and trust in
Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan did as he was told.
"He's out, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said in awe.
Obi-Wan collapsed to the ground, panting.
"Oh, Obi-Wan, he's so beautiful. Look." Helping Obi-Wan to turn
onto his back, Qui-Gon placed their son on his bare chest.
"He's perfect," Obi-Wan said, reaching out to hold Qui-Gon's
hand as he ran a gentle finger along every part of the infant
that he could touch. "And he's ours..."
Qui-Gon leaned over, shielding both of them with his body. He
kissed Obi-Wan, wiping away the drops of effort from his face.
"Mmm...correct the Force was..." came a quiet voice from beside
them.
Both Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were startled, able to do nothing but
remain as they were in a frozen tableau.
"Saw this in a vision, I did," Yoda said. "Shown I was...the
union of two Jedi to form a third, more powerful Jedi. And
here, in the Temple, did it have to take place." The elder Jedi
sounded pleased with the accuracy of the prediction.
"Great your son will be. Important to the future of all Jedi he
is. Seen this, the Force has, and acted on behalf of the Force
you have. Mmm, yes," Yoda smiled serenely. "Blessed by the
Force are this union and this life. Smiled upon and kept safe
all of your days you will be."
As the Jedi master walked away, Qui-Gon lay beside his lifemate
and his son, taking them both into his arms.
"Do you think what Yoda says is true?" Obi-Wan asked quietly,
clearly overwhelmed by the announcement.
Qui-Gon gently touched a long finger to the infant's still-wet
hair. It was going to be as light as Obi-Wan's had been when
he'd been small. Moving his hands, Qui-Gon began to stroke the
other man's back comfortingly.
"You have always been precious to me, my Obi-Wan," he said,
"And now we have created something together that is equally
precious. My heart sings with the joy our son is going to give
us, and that song will continue regardless of whether he grows
up to be a great Jedi knight or the captain of an ore
freighter."
"Tay'Ren," Obi-Wan murmured. "Song of the heart..."
Qui-Gon paused, letting the ancient word's literal translation
sink in. "Yes...that he is."
Obi-Wan cradled the infant, kissed both its cheeks. "We name
you Tay'Ren," he whispered. "Our heart's song."
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