Summary: A semi-alternative ending to Separation Anxiety &
Time and Space.
Feedback: yeah - I like that!
Then I got mugged by an alternative way that meeting on the
landing platform could have happened. This is definitely the
fault of making too many sarcastic comments when seeing the
movie for the 9th time with Smitty & Becky. I should have
gone shopping in that lunch hour, but instead this happened.
The transport slowly settled to the deck and rested there for a
few moments before the landing ramp lowered gently. A man
started down the ramp, his stride purposeful and strong, his
dark brown cloak swirling behind him. Three figures stood at
the edge of the platform, awaiting this man, one tall and two
much shorter. As he stepped off the ramp, the taller figure
stepped forward and the two met midway between the craft and
the watchers.
"Master."
"Padawan."
They tried again.
"Qui-Gon."
"Obi-Wan."
They stopped and looked each other in the eye, tension
building.
"How could you do that to me!" They uttered the words
simultaneously.
"What?" Again the doubled voice and then...
"You had someone else cut off your Padawan braid! You left
while I was unconscious! I woke up and reached for our link and
you weren't there! I thought you had died!"
"You kept on putting me down! So full of your Chosen One
that I could be discarded like so much Bantha poodoo! You ran
ahead of me and almost got yourself killed! I was supposed to
stick around and let you kick me while I was already down?"
"Yes, but you weren't there! You were gone from my mind! It
was... it was... well, I was terrified! Horrified!"
"You took him as your Padawan without discussing it with
your Padawan! Talk about horrified! And talk about not being
there! You weren't there when I needed you! You didn't want to
talk to me, just explain about bloody midichlorians to him!"
The two watchers made a discreet exit as the pair paused,
drawing breath.
"How could you let someone else Knight you? How could you let
someone else cut off your braid and tell you about your first
solo mission? Don't you know that moment is sacred when a
Padawan completes his trials?"
"Oh yes. Like I could be so sure you would have wanted to be
there, that you wouldn't have gone off to give him his
Padawan haircut instead!"
"Of course I wanted to be there you idiot! Don't you know how
much you mean to me?"
"How much I mean to you? How about how much
you mean to me?? How much you've always meant to
me? How could you hurt me like that? And no, I don't know how
much I mean to you. I mean, you're not exactly very
demonstrative, are you? 'You will be a great Jedi Knight one
day'? There I was apologizing to you (for expressing a
perfectly reasonable bit of doubt, might I add) and all you can
tell me is that you think I'll be a great Jedi Knight? How
about an apology of your own? How about talking to me instead
of doing the 'Dignified Jedi Master' act?"
"Dignified Jedi Master Act?? I'll give you bloody Dignified
Jedi Master Act!"
"Go on then! Let's see you do Dignified Jedi Master! Right
here. Right now!"
The two stopped, glaring at each other, bristling with
frustration and breathing heavily from their impassioned
'debate'. Qui-Gon very obviously tried to marshall his usual
calm. Just as obviously, he failed.
"Hah! You can't do it!"
"Well, maybe I just don't feel very dignified." He drew himself
up and looked down his nose at Obi-Wan, but the attempt was
marred by the slightly petulant tone in his voice.
"You certainly don't look it," Obi-Wan grinned. "Or sound it.
Dignified Jedi Masters do not 'do' petulant."
Qui-Gon's lips twitched at this. Twitched again. The pair
looked at each other, looked around for the long absent Yoda
and Anakin, looked at each other again. They both started to
shake with suppressed mirth, and then they couldn't control it
any longer and they collapsed to the ground, howling their
laughter to the crowded skies.
When the last chuckles finally subsided they found themselves
sitting close together, leaning against one another, arms
comfortably entwined.
Qui-Gon looked down into Obi-Wan's eyes.
"That wasn't quite the greeting I had intended giving you,
Obi-Wan." A wry smile curved his lips. "I had been intending an
apology. I do know how to make them, you know. It just takes me
a bit longer than some to realise when I owe one."
"Well, I had my own apology all lined up too. It was very
flowery, so perhaps it's better that I haven't inflicted it on
you." Obi-Wan smiled gently up at Qui-Gon. "I think we got it
all out of our systems though."
"You think?"
"Well, I hope so. There are much better things to talk about
than the past."
"The future?"
"That was kind of what I had in mind, yes."
"A future together?"
Obi-Wan's smile grew at this, spreading to his eyes and
illuminating his face.
"Something like that." He reached out to Qui-Gon and was met
halfway, fingers entwining for a long moment of shared quiet.
He leaned forward and briefly rested his head on Qui-Gon's
shoulder, inhaling the scent of the man and letting the
pleasure of simply being together again seep into his bones,
his soul.
Then he pulled back, reached into the folds of his tunic and
drew out the box that he had stored there earlier. He opened
it, picking up his Padawan braid, and looked up, suddenly
serious.
"Qui-Gon Jinn, I would spend the rest of my life with you. I
claim your soul as mine, and offer my soul into your keeping.
As it has been, so it should be."
He held out his braid and Qui-Gon's eyes lit with a deep joy to
see it again and to be offered the heart of his beloved
apprentice. He took the braid and wrapped it around one hand,
then captured both of Obi- Wan's hands between his.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi, I claim your soul as mine and gladly release
my own back into your keeping. As it has been, so it will
always be."
The solemn moment held a bit longer.
"Assuming you can put up with my Dignified Jedi Master Act of
course. I've been perfecting it for much too long to abandon it
now."
"I think I'll cope. After all, I can always tickle you if you
get too carried away..."
"Tickle me! Hah! I seem to recall you're much more ticklish
than I am!"
"You cheated that time - I'd had too much to drink!"
"Was that MY fault? If you make yourself vulnerable that
way..."
They rose and moved to leave the platform, arms around each
other, trading teases and gentle insults. Together. Forever.
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