Author's Notes:  Just something I reckon should've happened in the film but didn't.  Just angst really.

Disclaimer:  No, not mine.  Don't sue, I'm broke.

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Obi-Wan Kenobi walked into the main hanger slowly.  Padmé – Amidala, he corrected himself – had told him that Anakin had refused to leave the fighter he'd flown.  She'd said that he wouldn't talk to anyone, just sat there.

So it was up to Obi-Wan to talk to the boy.  The Padawan scanned the hanger with his eyes, searching for the small sandy-haired boy, eventually finding him seated in the cockpit of a small Naboo fighter at the other side.

He walked over there.  Anakin made no move – Obi-Wan wasn't sure if that meant he hadn't seen him or not.  The fighter was closed to the world, leaving Anakin encapsulated in his own little mechanical world.

Obi-Wan pressed the button that would open the hatch, and leant on the starfighter.  For a moment, he wished that he was more like Qui-Gon – able to hug the boy, and help him with whatever it was.  But Obi-Wan could only be Obi-Wan, and so had to make the best of it.

"Anakin," he said softly.  "Why won't you come out?"  Anakin barely glanced at him, keeping his eyes focused on his twisting hands; he didn't reply.  Obi-Wan could see cuts on his hands from rubbing too hard, and another graze on his face from pulling the helmet off too roughly.  Behind him, R2-D2 whistled something.  "Anakin," Obi-Wan persisted, "please come out so I can clean up those cuts."  He was carefull not to let any off his feelings into his voice – Anakin didn't need the extra burden at this stage.

Anakin shifted slightly.  "I can't," he whispered at last.  His voice caught in his throat.  "I can't come out.  Master Qui-Gon told em to stay in this cockpit.  I can't come out until he comes to get me."  The boy raised his tear-stained face to feet Obi-Wan's gaze.  "But he won't come.  He's gone."

Obi-Wan was shocked that Anakin had felt Qui-Gon's death – he had no training, even if he was strong in the Force.

Anakin was still staring at him with an expression of finality.  Obi-Wan stumbled to find words.  "Anakin – Qui-Gon – he's…"  After a moment, he continued in a stronger tone.  "Qui-Gon didn't survive the battle."

"I know," Anakin said quietly.  "I felt him die."  The boy scrutinised Obi-Wan.  "You did too, didn't you?"  Wordless, Obi-Wan nodded.  Anakin hesitated for a moment, then stood and slid down the side of the fighter, landing next to Obi-Wan.  Insistantly he pulled Obi-Wan down onto his knees, then encircled the padawan with his arms, burying his face in the Jedi's robes.

Obi-Wan, surprised, found himself hugging the small boy back.  The tears that earlier had escaped him fell fast now, mingling with Anakin's as the two comforted each other in the silent hanger. 

Minutes passed until Anakin drew back.  Obi-Wan looked at him, and wiped away a grimy tear from his face. 

"What's going to happen to us?" he asked silently as he picked up Anakin as you would a small child and carried him out of the hanger.

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