Title: Everything In Its Time (Part 3/??)
By sidewinder (sidewinder@fanfiction.net)


Please see Part 1 of 
this story for full headers, disclaimers, etc.

***!!!BIG LAST CHANCE WARNING!!!          ***
***                                       ***
*** The following fiction involves an     ***
*** UNDER-18 Obi-Wan in sexual situations ***
*** with his master. If the idea of such  ***
*** subject matter disturbs you, you are  ***
*** hereby advised to look no further.    ***
*** YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.                 ***


ADDITIONAL NOTES:
Z'Enbarr was a world I created for another 
story some time ago that I realized would 
serve my purposes quite well here as well. 
The two stories are not, however, in any way 
related.

* * * *
PART 3
* * * *

As their transport ship cleared 
Rainin's atmosphere, Obi-Wan glanced over at 
Qui-Gon and asked, "Shall I set course for 
Coruscant, Master?"

"No, for Z'Enbarr. We're going to spend a 
few days there before going back home."

Obi-Wan searched his memory as instructed 
the navigational computer to find a course 
to this destination. "Z'Enbarr...isn't there 
an old Jedi temple on that world?"

"And not much else, yes. It's a very 
beautiful place--not just old, but ancient. 
Legend tells that one of the first Jedi 
knights found this world. He loved it so 
much that he remained there for the rest of 
his life."

"...And when he died, he gave his spirit to 
the planet's living Force, merging with it 
so he could remain its guardian forever," 
Obi-Wan finished, now remembering the old 
story from his childhood. "Is there really 
any truth to that?"

"Every legend has some measure of truth to 
it, Padawan. In any case, I believe I 
promised you we would begin your new 
training exercises after this mission was 
completed. I think Z'Enbarr will provide a 
more conducive atmosphere for that than 
Coruscant. I've contacted the Council to 
inform them of our plans, so we are not 
expected back with any great urgency."

"I see," Obi-Wan answered, trying to sound 
nonchalant even as his heart skipped a beat. 
It had been hard enough keeping his 
concentration focused on their mission the 
past few days, knowing what lay ahead when 
it was finished if Qui-Gon kept his word--
and Obi-Wan had had no reason to believe he 
wouldn't. During those days, sharing a bed 
with Qui-Gon--something he'd taken for 
granted for several years now--had become 
almost more than he could bear in his 
anticipation. The thought that soon they 
might lie together in a completely more 
intimate fashion had kept him awake late 
into the night--and spending an increased 
amount of time in the relative privacy 
of the bathroom to relieve his building... 
anxiety.

"You do wish to proceed with this, don't 
you, Padawan?" Qui-Gon questioned. "If you 
do not feel ready--"

"No, I am ready, Master." *Force, more than 
ready. Ready to burst, I think, if I have to 
wait much longer.* 

"Good. I would not have made these plans if 
I did not think you were, but I want to be 
sure you are certain."

Obi-Wan nodded and said, "I am." After a 
pause, "The flight will take twelve-point-
two hours, Master."

"Very well. That should be time enough for 
me to finish our report to the Council on 
the resolution to the situation on Rainin."

The flight passed uneventfully 
and with minimal conversation. Qui-Gon 
busied himself working on their report, then 
gave it to Obi-Wan to read through to see if 
he had anything to add. Obi-Wan always 
appreciated that his master asked for his 
input on their reports, but he found his 
concentration wavering quite a bit from the 
datapad before him. He was much more 
interested in what challenges he might have 
to face over the next few days than the ones 
they'd already met on their last mission.

* * *

Obi-Wan brought the transport down for a landing 
at a tiny spaceport not far from the 
temple grounds. There were only two other 
settlements on the world--research 
installations according to the ship's 
computer--and they were located on the 
opposite side of the planet, far away from 
the Jedi retreat. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were 
greeted by a human who appeared to be the 
only person manning the port. He had 
apparently been informed to expect them and 
was eager to offer assistance.

"I'll give you a ride over to the temple," 
he said, indicating his small hovercraft. 
"You *can* walk it, but it'd be past dark 
before you get there, and the path's a 
little tricky in some parts." 

Qui-Gon accepted the offer and soon enough 
they were speeding over lush green and brown 
terrain that was about as different from the 
overbuilt industrial landscape of Coruscant 
as Obi-Wan could imagine. The young Jedi 
could sense immediately that this was an 
unusual place, incredibly strong in the 
Force. He could feel the charge in the air, 
like a prickling sensation down the back of 
his neck and spine. The temple was visible 
ahead of them, a bright spire of white 
rising high above the trees and low hills 
they skimmed over. As they drew nearer, the 
wild vegetation turned into expansive, 
beautiful gardens, so vast Obi-Wan was 
certain it would take many days to explore 
them all. The white spire was at the center 
of the gardens and surrounded by a circle of 
smaller, low buildings constructed of stone 
and wood.

They put down in the courtyard before one of 
these buildings and the man told them, "You 
need a pick-up to get back to your ship 
anytime, you just give me a call--571.9 on 
your comm unit'll reach me."

Qui-Gon thanked him while Obi-Wan stepped 
out of the craft and took a look around. 
"It's beautiful here, Master," Obi-Wan 
observed. "And there is certainly something 
in the air here. I can't quite describe it."

"It's a lovely place," Qui-Gon agreed. "Now, 
let's make our presence known and see about 
settling in."

It didn't take long to locate Master Roan, 
the current administrator at the temple. 
They were welcomed and shown to simple but 
comfortable quarters in one of the buildings 
on the courtyard. A brief walk led them to 
the common dining area, where they had a 
light dinner and met with the handful of 
other Jedi currently visiting or residing at 
the temple. 

Dinner was followed by meditation back in 
their quarters, during which they adjusted 
their body cycles to that of the planet. It 
was a necessary skill Obi-Wan had learned 
from Qui-Gon early on in his apprenticeship. 
Considering how much of their lives were 
spent traveling between worlds, on planets 
with varying cycles of day and night, being 
able to function properly without the 
difficulties of time-disorientation was an 
important sill to master. When Obi-Wan came out 
of his light trance, he yawned and stretched 
lazily, feeling ready for a very good 
night's sleep...

...unless Qui-Gon had other things in mind, 
he thought to himself with hopeful 
expectation.

But that didn't seem to be the case, Obi-Wan 
found soon enough, and with a small amount 
of disappointment. They settled into a 
familiar embrace in their unfamiliar bed, 
but nothing more than that. Qui-Gon's hand 
rested lightly on the back of Obi-Wan's 
neck, soothing him to sleep with the light 
caressing touch of his fingers. Yet before 
he could drift off completely, he heard his 
master whisper softly, as if he didn't want 
to wake him if already asleep, "Obi-Wan?"

"Yes, Master?"

"I want you to know something, before the 
situation between us...changes. And it will--
it is inevitable, when two people go forward 
on the path we will soon begin to explore. I 
want to make sure you know just how much you 
have come to mean to me in our short years 
together. I know we didn't exactly get off 
to the best start...in fact I cringe today 
to think of the damn stubborn fool I was, 
the way I treated you. I want you to know, I 
have never regretted taking you as my 
padawan. You brought light back into my life 
that I thought I had no right to anymore. I 
love you dearly for that, and for so much 
more...For just being you, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan was too stunned to know how to 
respond--to even remember to *breathe*, 
until stars began flickering in front of his 
eyes--ones that glistened slightly from the 
tears building, clouding his vision. 
Inhaling a shaky breath and blinking the 
moisture away, he could not find his voice, 
could not tell Qui-Gon just how much those 
words meant to him. All that came out was an 
incoherent, strangled sound as he hugged 
himself more tightly against his master.

*I love you so much, Master...why can't I 
say it?*

"You just did, Padawan," Qui-Gon assured 
him, kissing him lightly on the forehead. 

Obi-Wan blinked in confusion. Had Qui-Gon 
just heard his thoughts? "How--?"

"Tomorrow. We'll talk about it some more 
tomorrow," Qui-Gon assured him, and Obi-Wan 
slowly drifted off to sleep, a smile 
lingering on his lips as he kept hearing his 
master's words echoing through his mind.

* * *

Obi-Wan awakened the next morning feeling 
well rested. He stretched out slowly, 
allowing his legs and arms to rub against 
his master's warm body as he did so. The 
touch sent tiny shivers of anticipation 
through him, but he tried to clamp down on 
that response for now. 

*Soon enough,* he told himself, though he 
still allowed himself one more full body 
stretch before slipping off Qui-Gon's body.

The elder Jedi was still sound asleep. Obi-
Wan indulged in what had become a guilty 
pleasure in recent times, simply watching 
his master sleep. He had always struck Obi-
Wan as so regal, so very dignified in his 
appearance: the long hair, the carefully 
trimmed beard and moustache--his master's 
one vanity. Obi-Wan studied the 
lines in the corners of Qui-Gon's eyes 
and across his forehead, which did not quite 
fade away even as he slept. His eyes 
lingered over Qui-Gon nose, badly healed 
from a break sometime long before Obi-Wan 
had known him. He'd never learned the story 
behind that injury, nor why Qui-Gon had not 
had it surgically repaired, something which 
would have been so simple to do. Not that 
Obi-Wan didn't find the small imperfection 
strangely endearing--it was just another 
mystery, one of many Qui-Gon kept from his 
padawan.

Obi-Wan wondered, when precisely had this 
face changed from one he merely admired to 
one which stirred such feelings of desire 
within him? When had he begun to notice the 
fullness of Qui-Gon's lips, and imagine what 
it would be like to kiss them? And Qui-Gon's 
words to him last night only had made that 
desire worse, almost unbearable in the soft 
light of morning. The Force-bond between 
them suddenly felt incomplete as it had 
never felt before. Obi-Wan needed *more*. 
The bond needed more, a physical anchor to 
channel the increasingly intense emotions 
between them...

Obi-Wan reached out cautiously, fingertips 
hovering just over Qui-Gon's lips, aching to 
touch them. But then he drew his fingers 
back quickly when he sensed Qui-Gon 
beginning to stir and settled back down 
against his chest. Moments later Qui-Gon 
shifted, brought his hand up against Obi-
Wan's back to caress it gently. Obi-Wan had 
to fight the strange urge to purr at the 
touch, to arch into it and demand more, but 
instead he settled for a soft sigh.

"Sleep well, Padawan?"

"Mmm...yes, Master."

"Are you eager to explore the gardens? They 
are particularly beautiful in the morning 
light."

*The gardens are not what I'm anxious to 
explore, Master,* he almost answered, but he 
got the hint that was what Qui-Gon intended 
for them to do so he really shouldn't 
complain. 

//Patience, Obi-Wan.//

The sound of that voice so clear in his mind 
startled him, and he recalled how last night 
it seemed as if Qui-Gon had read his mind as 
well. "How did you do that?" he asked, not 
sure he liked the idea that his master was 
suddenly privy to his private thoughts. 
Sensing each others emotions was nothing 
new, but hearing such thoughts with this 
clarity certainly was.

"Another change in our bond--full 
telepathy," Qui-Gon confirmed. "We'll have 
to work on building up your mental shields 
over the next few days. Don't worry--I 
haven't been probing your mind for your 
every secret," Qui-Gon reassured him, though 
with a smile he added, "It's just that 
you've been broadcasting some of your 
thoughts quite loudly and I couldn't help 
but overhear them."

Obi-Wan felt himself turning bright red, 
wondering what precisely Qui-Gon had 
"overheard" and how long *this* development 
had been taking place before his master had 
decided to let him in on it.

Shielding. Yes, that sounded like one mental 
discipline he was going to make sure to 
learn quickly and with as much efficiency as 
he could.

* * *

They only encountered a few Agricorps 
workers on their walk through the gardens, 
who nodded and spoke soft greetings to them 
but otherwise left the Jedi alone. The 
temple grounds were incredibly lovely, 
and the air so filled with the heavy scent 
of exotic flowers and fruits it was almost 
intoxicating. As they walked along, Qui-Gon 
stopped to collect samples of many of the 
different fruits for them to sample, making 
for a satisfying if rather sweet (and 
sticky) breakfast.

Pausing at the bank of a small stream, Qui-
Gon decided they should conduct their 
morning meditation exercises there. When 
completed, he then guided Obi-Wan through 
the basic steps of constructing mental 
shields that would keep his stray thoughts 
from being overheard by his master. They 
practiced sending and blocking at varying 
levels of intensity for nearly an hour, 
until the effort was starting to give 
Obi-Wan a slight headache.

"Enough for now," Qui-Gon decided when he 
sensed Obi-Wan's discomfort. "It will get 
much easier with a little more practice. I 
know it seems very strange right now, but 
the ability to communicate directly through 
thought alone can be a valuable tool in many 
situations."

"I'm sure it is. I always thought you and 
Master Yoda were having some interesting 
conversations in Council meetings the rest 
of us were not hearing," Obi-Wan commented 
with a grin. "I thought it was a skill that 
came with time and training."

"The most powerful Jedi can learn to read 
the thoughts of nearly all individuals. But 
it is generally a talent limited to 
master/apprentice pairs or lifebonded Jedi."

They sat quietly for a while, relaxing in 
the shade offered by the trees around them 
and listening only to the gentle rippling of 
running water. Obi-Wan stood up and 
stretched, and walked over to the stream to 
test the waters with his hand. It felt 
pleasantly cool, and he cupped a small 
amount between his hands to splash on his 
face.

"The stream feeds into a lake that's not far 
from here, if you feel up for a short hike 
and then a swim," Qui-Gon suggested.

Obi-Wan thought that sounded like a nice 
idea. His anxiousness over what other 
activities were to take place on this trip 
were--for the moment at least--forgotten, 
chased away by the simple pleasure of 
spending the day with his master. A day with 
no real responsibilities, no wars to avert, 
no long, boring negotiations to attend. 

"Let's go then. A swim sounds wonderful," 
Obi-Wan agreed. 

Especially as he realized they'd have to 
go swimming wearing nothing but their 
birthday suits, as they had not 
brought any bathing attire with them.

And a naked and wet Qui-Gon Jinn was not 
something Obi-Wan was about to raise any 
objections to.

* * * * * * * 

Go on to part 4

sidewinder@fanfiction.net