Thank you for being adventurous enough to click on this story! For those who missed the summary, this could be considered pre-slash and in my mind is one of a three part story arc. Whether I actually get there... Hope you enjoy! Feedback is always welcome.

Disclaimer: Doesn't belong to me. See LucasFilms.

THE GAMES WE PLAY

World of Fragile Things

There was no time to think. A fact which Obi-Wan was profoundly grateful for. If he stopped for even a moment to think of everything he was risking with his reckless actions, he probably wouldn't go through with it. After all, he wasn't the rebellious one. That title belonged unequivocally to his master, Qui-Gon Jinn.

He was just the obedient apprentice. The perfect padawan. Dependable, loyal, responsible, trustworthy, competent and just this side of average. Nothing special. He'd known this simple fact all his life, drilled into him from infancy, even before the Jedi had taken him in. Obi-Wan accepted it without question or comment. He knew his place in the order of things.

Though his master's recent, and very public reminder, he could have done without.

At the very worst, he would likely be expelled from the Order. At best, he would be assigned to another master and allowed to complete his training. But he couldn't deny the visions that haunted him, even in his waking hours, since the beginning of this mission. Even now, when the danger should have passed, his mind was besieged by images: of smoke and ash and ravaged planets, of space and cold, dull, mechanical monotony, of scattered bodies, lifeless and grotesque and too numerous to count. Screams of rage and pain and the fury of helpless despair - death - blood spattered walls - death - charred clothing and frozen expressions of guileless innocence - death of hope--

Obi-Wan would come back to himself with dry tears marring his face. In moments of near hysteria, he thanked the ancient Jedi for designing such concealing clothing, and carefully hid the evidence of his weakness within the deep cowl of his robe.

Live in the Moment.

As his ship neared the bustling spaceport of Mos Espa, Obi-Wan wondered if Qui-Gon would see this act as an homage to his master's teaching, or an indulgence in his dubious talent for prescience. Either way, the course of history would change. And he was honoring Qui-Gon's request; if he chose to be creative in the implementation, well, he'd learned from the master.

But in his heart, the only thing Obi-Wan could see was the searing light blue that peeked out from underneath sandy blond hair. Incredibly blue eyes that knew too much for one so young. Eyes that in the rarest of moments, asked for only one thing: to be loved.

Obi-Wan would keep that unspoken promise.

XXXXX

The steady pulse on the monitor was just another annoying electronic beep to Anakin. Normally, he'd probably be tearing all this stuff apart trying to figure out how it worked. Maybe if he could make the machines work better, Master Qui-Gon would wake up sooner.

But that idea had been shot down by the scathing look the healer gave him when he asked what kind of power cell the machine ran on.

He was getting that look a lot.

If the lighting wasn't quite so bright, and Anakin squinted his eyes just a little, he could almost pretend the tall Jedi was just sleeping. If the beeping wasn't there. Padme told him that Master Qui-Gon would be alright, that he just had to take some time to let his body heal. That the master would wake up when he was feeling better.

Anakin didn't think that queens could lie. But then, he didn't think that Jedi could get hurt either. Suns forbid, they might be…killed.

But Obi-Wan had told him that Master Qui-Gon would be alright. And he would know 'cause he's the master's padawan.

He missed Obi-Wan. Padme was really busy being the queen and helping people after the battle, even planning this big celebration for the Gungans and Naboo. He didn't really want to bother her when she had all that important stuff to do. But Obi-Wan always told him what was happening. Like why Padme lied about who she was.

Anakin thought the padawan seemed nice enough when they first met, not at all like the other slaves who'd been with their masters for years. He was friendly and really smart and told great stories. And Obi-Wan's eyes changed colors; Anakin kept trying to sneak a glimpse and see how many different colors there were. He'd even let Anakin poke around the hyper drive engine and work on the power couplings.

But after they arrived on Coruscant, Obi-Wan seemed to get really upset whenever Master Qui-Gon started talking about middle-chlorines and the Force and how Anakin should listen to his heart and quiet his mind. He tried to pay attention and do what he was told… but the small pain in his head and heart grew worse when he tried.

Obi-Wan and Master Qui-Gon got into a big fight after that, and Anakin knew it was about him. He didn't want to be a problem, but he didn't know what he'd done wrong. So Anakin had hidden back in the engine room and hoped that if the Jedi couldn't see him, they might forget about the fight. They might forget to send him back to Wattoo.

And that's where Obi-Wan found him an hour later, wedged in tight underneath the circuit breaker array. Cold, frightened, and more alone that he had been when he'd left Tatooine. Obi-Wan smiled, gave him a blanket, and pulled him into his lap with a warm hug. Anakin thought he was too old for that now, but it was the same thing Mom might have done…

They sat and talked, Obi-Wan explaining things in ways he could understand. Why the Council asked all those questions, why everyone looked at him funny, why Master Qui-Gon got angry…Obi-Wan even apologized. Anakin was stunned. That had never happened before. They talked until Anakin couldn't keep his eyes open anymore.

Anakin felt safe there, safe and loved.

He wished he could feel that again, but Master Qui-Gon still hadn't woken up, Padme was busy, and Obi-Wan had left.

"I'll be back soon, Ani. There is a…mission I must attend to. I'll be back in a few days, I promise. Will you watch over Master Qui-Gon for me?"

So here Anakin was, looking after Master Qui-Gon, and trying really hard not to think about the future. He shifted nervously in the straight-backed chair, attempting not to fidget too much, and waited for the something that tickled his skin.

XXXXX

Xanatos DeCrion was many things, but a happy Jedi Knight was not one of them. Being pulled from a very delicate diplomatic entanglement, then requested--dragged more likely-- to appear before the Council on Naboo for a matter concerning his one-time master, definitely did not rank as one of his better experiences. He'd rather do most anything--including reliving that hellish mission to Dilantria and the interminable physical therapy in the Healers Ward that followed it-- than deal with Qui-Gon Jinn.

But Master Yoda overrode his protest. And had then uttered the magic words: Obi-Wan Kenobi. A baited hook if ever there was one.

He could still picture in his mind that first meeting. The red-headed initiate had stood in the garden path barely two meters from where Xanatos was attempting to meditate, with little success. A stuffed Wookie clutched firmly in his right hand, looking a little lost and vulnerable yet wearing a tenuous smile, the boy stood there watching him struggle to find his center. The last thing Xanatos needed then was some sniveling little initiate whom he'd probably scar for life with the pain and anger that surrounded him.

And then the strangest thing happened. The boy slowly walked toward him, promptly plunked himself right down next to him, and offered Xanatos the beloved toy.

He'd been torn between laughing and sobbing at the gesture, and in the end had settled for a mixture of both. At a time when his faith in the Jedi, in his master, in himself had been shaken so badly he'd almost resorted to the unthinkable, a timid boy, who knew absolutely nothing about him other than his pain, offered him comfort and sympathy.

Xanatos had been doubly blessed then; with a little brother to guide and protect, and a beacon of Light that guided him in turn.

Now if only he could get the stubborn, mischievous little rascal to realize that…but it was something he'd been trying to do for years. In vain. And his former master's teaching wasn't exactly helping.

So here he was, on a formerly peaceful Mid-Rim planet struggling valiantly to put itself back together under, in Xanatos' opinion, the Council's overly strict security precautions for a reason Master Yoda had not yet deigned to share with him. Oh, and the bait used to get him here? Not even on-planet.

The only thing keeping him from being more vocal was the implication that Obi-Wan had left against the Council's wishes while Qui-Gon was still comatose.

Out of character seemed like an understatement.

With a sigh, he turned the corridor and entered the hastily erected Healer's ward. Nothing was going to happen until Obi-Wan came back -- and unlike some on the Council, Xanatos' firmly believed he was coming back -- so with reluctance, he decided to assuage that nagging sense of obligation and at least visit Qui-Gon. That Qui-Gon was still unconscious didn't matter.

At least not to him.

Xanatos would do his duty, visit, and reassure the little voice in the back of his mind still gibbering in fear that he might have lost Qui-Gon.

Being confronted by a pint-sized sandstorm was not on his list of things to do.

"Who are you?"

Startled, but too well trained to show it, he replied, "Xanatos DeCrion. And you are?"

"Guarding Master Qui-Gon." And from his expression, Xanatos could see he was doing just that.

"Oh, I see. May I stay here for a bit then? I just want to make sure he's alright."

The kid took in his appearance with a suspicious frown far too worldly for his age. "The Council people have already been here."

Too smart by half this one. "But I'm not on the Council. I'd never survive the bureaucracy. I'm a student of Master Jinn's."

Puzzled now, the boy responded indignantly. "But you can only have one apprentice at a time. I know cause that's what Master Yoda told Master Qui-Gon at the big Council meeting. And Obi-Wan is his apprentice. Not you."

Interesting. Just why would the old troll see the need to point that out? Qui-Gon, what have you done now? Xanatos put on his most charming smile and squashed the urge to strangle his master. Better to wait till he was awake to appreciate it.

"You're right. But I was his first student, Obi-Wan is his second."

The boy's eyes went wide. "Wow. You must be pretty old."

Xanatos raised an eyebrow.

"Oops. Sorry. Mom always tells me--" He broke off so suddenly, it took Xanatos a moment to realize why.

"What's your name kid?"

"Anakin Skywalker."

"Well Anakin, do you mind if I sit here? I promise you I won't hurt Master Qui-Gon."

"I don't know…Obi-Wan asked me to watch over him while he was gone…"

Xanatos smiled and pounced on the uncertainty. Anakin needed looking after and unfortunately for the kid, Xanatos was it. "I've known Obi-Wan since he was younger than you are now. I'm sure he would say it's okay. And I could certainly tell you some stories about when he was little--"

"Really? Like what? I know he likes flying, did he ever go to a pod race?"

"I don't know about pod races, but there was one time on the Initiates annual field trip to Dantooine…"

As Xanatos launched into his tale, he thought that if it distracted Anakin for a while, Obi-Wan would see the logic and forgive him. Eventually.

XXXXX

Mission accomplished. It had taken a fair number of credits, and quite a bit of skillful haggling, but even now he could feel the rightness of his actions, feel a peaceful calm slowly replacing the destructive chaos of his visions. And if that weren't enough, the endless gratitude in warm brown eyes would be forever imprinted on his heart.

But there would be consequences.

Obi-Wan engaged the landing sequence and requested a docking bay, hopefully one not scattered with the remnants of Nubian star fighters. He didn't think his passenger needed to see that just yet. He could barely get his own mind wrapped around the odds Anakin had survived…

He did note, with an increasing sense of irony, that he was being directed to land in a bay which was indeed rather empty, with the exception of two transports, easily recognizable by their insignia.

The Jedi Council had arrived.

As he touched down, he reflexively probed the training bond, searching for that reassuring pulse. Nothing. The same as when he'd left. He couldn't feel anything at all from his master. Not since--

Ruthlessly shoving that image to the back of his mind, Obi-Wan powered down the control boards and wrapped his serenity around him like a cloak, a mask long perfected, and went to collect his passenger.

No matter what this day brought, there would be at least one happy ending.