DISCLAIMER: Star Wars and all publicly recognisable characters, names and references, etc are the sole property of George Lucas, Lucasfilm Ltd, Lucasarts Inc and 20th Century Fox.  This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment and no money was made from it.  Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended.  Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.  Any other characters, the storyline and the actual story are the property of the author.

Twelve years later...

Obi-Wan Kenobi was in trouble. Looking up at the law enforcement official's frowning face, he knew that there was no way he was going to be able to explain this one to his Master.

The burly officer glared at the boy in front of him. The kid looked innocent enough. He wore simple yet respectable clothes, and there was something in his blue eyes that made the officer wonder if he had grabbed the right person. Still, he'd seen clean-cut boys before who were nothing more than holy terrors, and he was not inclined to give any adolescent boy the benefit of the doubt. He had learned long ago not to trust appearances.

"I'm telling you I didn't do it," Obi-Wan said, trying to stamp down his frustration. A Jedi was supposed to be calm and patient. He had to trust the Force that this would all work out once his Master showed up to explain things to this hulking officer. But where was Qui-Gon? It wasn't like him to be so hard to reach, and surely he could sense Obi- Wan's despair.

"Yeah, I've heard that before... from just about every little scamp I bring in here," the officer replied. "Every thief claims he's innocent."

Obi-Wan sighed and crossed his arms stubbornly, trying hard not to pout.

A knock on the office door caught the officer's attention. Both Obi-Wan and the man turned to examine the new arrival. It was a middle-aged gentleman, perhaps in his early forties. Streaks of grey started at his temples and snaked their way up into the rest of the man's brown hair. He was not a remarkably handsome man, but there was a gentleness in his eyes that Obi-Wan immediately liked. And oddly enough, there was something almost familiar and comforting about the man.

"Excuse me, officer," the man said, and Obi-Wan felt a slight shiver. It was almost as if he knew that voice. "I was told that you've caught one of the boys that broke into my store?"

"You must be Mr. Lars," the officer said.

The man nodded and reached out to shake the officer's hand. "Yes, that's me. Where is the boy?"

The officer turned to glare at Obi-Wan again, and Obi- Wan glared back, making the officer feel uneasy. Since when did a twelve-year-old boy make him nervous?

"This is the little delinquent," the officer replied.

"I didn't steal anything!" Obi-Wan said angrily, this time turning his plea to the storeowner. "I didn't have anything to do with that group of boys."

Nils Lars stared at the boy in front of him and for a moment was speechless. He knew most of the boys that hung around in this neighbourhood, and he knew most of the troublemakers. He also knew that he had never seen this particular child before, and yet he felt inexplicably drawn towards the boy. Obi-Wan stared back at him curiously; his blue eyes evaluating Nils as much as Nils had been evaluating him. The boy had sandy blond hair that was cropped short against his head, and there was a single, thin, long braid that hung down from behind the youth's right ear.

"What's your name?" Nils asked.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi," the boy immediately replied. A look of surprise passed across Nils' face. "You seem surprised."

"Oh, it's just that 'Kenobi' is an unusual name around here. Although, it was my wife's maiden name," he added with a bit of a smile.

Obi-Wan could not help smiling back, but even as he did so, he felt uncertainty starting to well up in him. There was just something about this man that had him on edge. He didn't think there was anything bad about Nils, but there was definitely something in him that felt threatening to Obi-Wan. It was almost as if he could disturb the status quo that Obi-Wan was comfortable with in his life.

"So you say you don't have anything to do with the thieves who broke into my store," Nils said.

Obi-Wan quickly nodded his head. "Yes sir," he said. "I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Although, he had the funniest feeling that the Force had put him in that place at that particular time for a reason. He just didn't know what it was.

"And what are you doing running around the streets of Corellia all by yourself? You can't be more than 12 or 13 years old," Nils said.

"I'm almost 13," Obi-Wan replied indignantly.

"He claims he was with a guardian and that they got separated," the officer interrupted sarcastically. "Problem is, nobody can find this guardian of his. As far as we can tell, he doesn't exist."

Obi-Wan glared at the officer again, making the man squirm. "He does exist, and he'll be here as soon as he can!"

"Well, until then, little man," the officer snarled, "you'll be spending your time in a holding cell."

Obi-Wan didn't reply, but Nils did, feeling upset that the boy would be treated like a common criminal when there was no proof that he was involved in the robbery. "Is that really necessary?" Nils asked the officer. He couldn't explain it, but in his heart, he knew that Obi-Wan had not been involved.

The officer turned to look down his nose at Nils. "Mr. Lars, leave this to us. We've caught him, and we'll deal with him."

Nils didn't like the sound of that, and he felt the need to somehow spare Obi-Wan from this man's 'dealings.' "Well," Nils replied, his voice turning icy, "unless I press charges against the boy, you have to let him go, right?"

The officer frowned. "I wouldn't advise that, Mr. Lars."

Nils turned to evaluate the boy again. He opened his mouth to tell the officer to let the boy go, but then closed it again without uttering a word. For some reason, an aching sense of loss stopped him from forcing the officer to let Obi-Wan leave. Besides, he reasoned with himself, he couldn't just let the boy go until they had found his guardian.

"Maybe we can come up with some kind of an arrangement," Nils said.

The officer's eyebrow raised slightly and Nils knew he had caught the man's attention. "Like what?"

"How about I won't drop the charges just yet, but instead of locking this boy up in a holding cell, you put him in my custody until his guardian comes to collect him," Nils said. "I could use some help in fixing the mess that was made in my store. If the boy was indeed part of the group of thieves that broke in, then it's only right he help me clean it up. If he wasn't, then I can compensate him for his help later on."

Obi-Wan tried to hide his shock over the sudden turn of events. There was something definitely unreal about the whole situation. Besides, he didn't feel like he needed to be taken care of. And where was Qui-Gon anyway? He had to know by now that Obi-Wan was missing.

The officer stopped to think for a moment. From the look on Nils' face, he could tell that if he refused the offer, Nils would set the boy free. The officer hated the idea of Obi-Wan going free more than he hated the idea of releasing him into Nils' custody, so he finally agreed. "Fine," he said. "But the minute you turn your back on him, he'll be off. I know how these delinquents are."

Obi-Wan silently fumed. He was NOT a delinquent!

"I'll handle him," Nils said, sounding as irritated with the officer as Obi-Wan was. "You just be sure to tell his guardian, if he ever comes, where the boy is."

The officer muttered something under his breath and Nils turned to Obi-Wan.

"Well, Obi-Wan Kenobi, looks like you'll be coming with me for awhile," Nils said, trying to make the boy feel at home, even though he could see Obi-Wan's hesitation. Something in the way the boy was looking at him made him stop and do a double-take. That was the same way that Keiran often looked at him. It was almost uncanny.

Obi-Wan weighed his options. He could stay and enjoy the pleasant company of his hulking jailer, or he could go with Nils Lars, who appeared to be nice enough, and wait for Qui-Gon.

Obi-Wan shrugged. "I guess so," he said. "At least until my guardian clears up this mess."

As Obi-Wan stood, Nils put his hand on the boy's shoulder, steering him out of the office. They received a few curious glances as they passed rows of quietly working, stiff-looking individuals, and Obi-Wan felt a small wave of relief at getting out of the stifling environment. As they stepped through the glassy doors of the building and into the much livelier bustle of the outside world, Obi-Wan let out a tiny sigh. On impulse, he took one quick look around, hoping in vain that he'd see the familiar, powerful form of his Master coming towards them. His heart sank a little when he realized that there was no Qui-Gon, only Nils.

Nils led Obi-Wan towards a shiny new landspeeder. A young boy, maybe a year or two younger than Obi-Wan, sat in the passenger seat. He had the same dark brown hair as Nils and Obi-Wan guessed immediately that he was Nils' son.

"Obi-Wan," Nils said, "this is my son, Owen."

Owen looked at Obi-Wan curiously. "Hullo!" Owen greeted him.

Obi-Wan tried to smile. He was starting to feel more and more uneasy with each passing moment. Owen's presence seemed to evoke the same unsettling familiarity that he'd felt when he'd first met Nils. More than anything it made him long for Qui-Gon to be there. He felt he could handle anything if he knew that Qui-Gon was beside him. Besides, he was starting to worry about his Master now. What if something had happened to Qui-Gon that was preventing him from coming to get Obi-Wan?

"Obi-Wan is going to be staying with us until we can track down his guardian," Nils said to Owen, opening the door for Obi- Wan and letting the boy climb into the back seat of the speeder. "What's your guardian's name, Obi- Wan?"

Obi-Wan settled himself into the back seat. "His name is Qui- Gon Jinn. He's a Jedi Master."

Nils turned to stare at Obi-Wan in shock. Could it be? The last time he'd heard the name "Qui-Gon Jinn," was the day that the Jedi Knight had taken his son away from him. Nils saw Obi-Wan again, as if for the first time. Ben would have been 12 years old by now. Nils imagined he would look pretty much like Obi-Wan.

"What's wrong?" Obi-Wan asked, suddenly feeling self- conscious under Nils' scrutinizing stare.

Obi-Wan's voice seemed to snap Nils out of his daze. He knew he couldn't say anything about his suspicions to the boy. He also didn't think he should mention it to Keiran just yet either. She had taken it hard when they had lost Ben and she rarely spoke of it now. In fact, Keiran had been so upset over it that she had refused to tell Owen about his brother because she knew she wouldn't be able to handle the inquisitive child's questions. Deep down, Nils had disagreed with the decision. However, for Keiran's sake, he had finally given in and agreed not to tell Owen, at least until the boy was older.

"Nothing's wrong," Nils said, turning forward. He started up the speeder and headed for home.

Owen decided he was going to like Obi-Wan; he turned to the older boy and started chattering about his home, his parents, his toy speeder collection and anything else that caught his fancy.

Obi-Wan suppressed a grin. As nervous as he might feel about this sudden turn of events, it was hard to stay grim in the face of Owen's excited chatter.

From the shadows beside the building that the others had just left, Qui-Gon Jinn watched the speeder pull away and he sighed sadly. It was done. Now all he could do was wait. Qui-Gon pulled his comlink out of his pocket and flipped it on. In a few moments, he got his reply.

"Gone already, is he," Master Yoda said immediately, seeing the bereft look on Qui-Gon's face. "Necessary this is, Qui-Gon," Yoda added.

Qui-Gon nodded. He knew it was necessary. It was just that Obi-Wan had been his Padawan for the past four years, and he had become very attached to the boy. In many ways, Obi-Wan was the son that he would never have. It hurt to send him back to the parents that had brought him into the world.

"I know, Master," Qui-Gon said. "And I know that Obi-Wan is ready to learn about his birth family. Still, this will not be easy." For any of us, he added silently.

Yoda nodded in understanding. He hated to admit it to anyone, but Obi-Wan was one of his favourite students. The boy had always made him smile during his days in the Jedi Temple, when Yoda had instructed him. Yoda knew he would always have a soft-spot for Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"A necessary part of every apprentice's training, this is. Learn, he will, about the family that bore him, and then choose he must between the life that they could give him and the life that the Jedi could offer."

Qui-Gon did not reply. It was a standard part of any Padawan's training. As soon as the Council deemed that the student was ready to handle the burden of knowing who his or her family was, then the Padawan was sent to meet them. It was true that some Padawans had decided to quit the Jedi Order after meeting their birth family, but it was very rare. It was a way to test a young Jedi's commitment before carrying on with their training. In a way, Qui-Gon knew he should feel proud because the Council's decision to send Obi-Wan to the Larses showed that they felt he was learning and maturing quickly. He just prayed that when this was all over, he would still have his Padawan. After twelve years, he finally felt that he could truly understand part of what Keiran Lars must have felt when he and Mace had taken Ben from them.

Keiran Lars smiled as she heard the speeder pull up at the front of the house. Her son and husband would be coming in hungry and hopefully with the matter at the store cleared up. She carried a cup and saucer over toward the table in the dining room. The door burst open and Owen entered, full of excitement.

"Mom, Mom!" he called. "Come meet my new friend!"

Keiran stepped over to the doorway of the dining room, cup and saucer still in hand, to see what her son's excitement was all about. The first thing that she saw was Owen and then Nils; she looked at her husband with curiosity.

Nils, seeing his wife's confusion, stepped to the side as Obi- Wan Kenobi moved into the foyer of the Lars home.

Keiran gasped and dropped the cup and saucer, her hand flying to her throat when she saw the boy standing in her doorway. A disturbing familiarity flashed through her mind as she looked at the boy. Then, as quickly as it had first appeared, the familiar flash vanished. She dropped to her knees at the same time that both boys stepped forward to help pick up the shards that had once been her cup and saucer. As they picked up the pieces, Keiran's eyes locked onto an identical pair staring straight back at her. She held Obi-Wan's gaze for a moment, feeling like she was looking into a mirror. It was eerie.

"Mom, are you okay?" Owen asked, his concern for his mother evident.

Owen's question was enough to break Keiran out of her momentary reverie. She lifted a hand to Owen's face and nodded with a reassuring smile. "Yes, I'm fine. It just slipped. I'm sorry for worrying you." She dropped her hand. "So, Owen," she asked, "who's your friend?"

"Oh, Mom, I would like you to meet Obi-Wan Kenobi," Owen said, an excited, boyish grin breaking out on his face. Next, he turned to his new friend. "Obi-Wan, this is my mother, Keiran Lars."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Lars," Obi-Wan said, bowing slightly to the woman.

"It's nice to... nice to meet you Obi-Wan Kenobi," Keiran said hesitantly. She couldn't help feeling like this was not the first time she'd met the young man, but she knew that she would have remembered a unique name like Obi- Wan. She was even more certain that she would have remembered this unsettlingly unique boy. Obi- Wan gave her a shy smile, and unbidden, a long-buried memory flashed through Keiran's mind; Ben had often smiled at her like that. Keiran's eyes widened a little and she quickly forced that memory from her consciousness. She was not willing to open up that particular wound again. Instead, Keiran decided to concentrate on something else. "Obi-Wan, who are your parents?" she asked, trying to start a conversation. "My maiden name is Kenobi. Maybe we're related."

"I don't know who my parents are, Mrs. Lars," Obi-Wan said quietly, getting a funny feeling in his stomach.

"I'm sorry," Keiran replied, briefly resting one hand gently on Obi-Wan's head. She understood all too well what it was like to lose someone special.

"Sweetheart, I think I smell something burning," Nils said, trying to distract Keiran before she asked too many more questions. He needed to talk to her before they started delving into this strange boy's past.

Keiran gasped as she realized that Nils was right. She quickly dashed off to the kitchen and finished preparing the meal, calling Owen in to set an extra place for their guest.

Over dinner, Nils explained the encounter with the official who had been holding Obi-Wan and how they had ended up bringing Obi-Wan home. Keiran was greatly relieved that the boy had not been involved with the thieves and was deeply concerned that he had lost his guardian. Before she could ask who he was and where he had last seen him, Owen asked to be excused.

"I want to show Obi-Wan my room. Can I please Dad?" Owen asked. Obi-Wan hid his smile. Nils and Keiran might be making him feel strangely, but he felt such a kinship with Owen that the other boy just seemed to lift his spirits.

Nils glanced from one boy to the other, just barely catching the fleeting grin that passed over Obi-Wan's features. "All right, but take your dishes into the kitchen first," Nils replied.

"We will!" Owen said, already half out of his seat. Obi- Wan followed suit.

As the two boys entered Owen's room Obi-Wan stopped dead in his tracks. The most overwhelming sense of déjà vu washed over him. He knew he had never seen this room before, because he had never been on Corellia before, but still the familiarity was there. It was like stepping into another life, and the eerie feeling stayed with him as Owen showed him around.

"I want to show you something," Owen said, switching all the lights off in the room and climbing rapidly up onto his bed. He moved over to the side closest to the wall and Obi- Wan watched curiously as Owen laid down on his back to stare up at the ceiling. "Come look up here," he said, never taking his eyes off of the ceiling. Obi-Wan shrugged good-naturedly and climbed up onto the bed, laying down next to Owen. "My parents did that before I was born," Owen explained, pointing up with one small hand.

Obi-Wan stared up at the ceiling with fascination. Embedded in the ceiling was a star chart that glowed slightly in the dark room. He studied it as Owen explained its meaning.

"My mom and dad thought I would be born when the pattern of the stars would be just as they are in the ceiling, but I was born a month late... my birthday is actually two months from now. The stars had changed by then, but it was too late for them to fix it so they left it like this. Neat, huh?"

"So this is for a month from now? It matches my birthday then," Obi-Wan said softly.

Owen turned his head to the side to stare at Obi-Wan, and the two boys lay next to each in silence for a few moments. "It's weird isn't it," Owen said quietly.

Obi-Wan turned his head until his eyes met Owen's. "What is?"

"I dunno. I can't explain it. I feel like I know you," Owen replied, his brow furrowing in mild confusion. "Does that sound dumb?"

Obi-Wan quickly shook his head, the corner of his mouth curving up into a smile and a twinkle appearing in his blue eyes. "Not to me it doesn't. To tell you the truth, I'm glad you feel that way because then it means that I'm not going crazy after all. Or at least if I am going crazy, then I'm not alone," he added with a grin.

Owen giggled. Somehow it just felt natural to be laying here in the dark next to this Jedi student, whispering about things. Obi-Wan shivered slightly, uncomfortable with the sensation. He wasn't sure if he was prepared to deal with the implications of where his thoughts were going.

Suddenly, Obi-Wan rose from the bed and headed out to the living-room, where he could hear the voices of the adults speaking softly. He stopped in the middle of the room, facing the Larses, his mind racing.

Both adults' heads snapped up when he entered the room, and for a moment the three of them just stared blankly at each other.

Outside of the Lars home, Qui-Gon Jinn stood with his hand raised as if to knock on the door. Suddenly, he sensed the approach of another being. He turned to see if the person was stopping at the Lars home or if they were just passing by. His breath caught in recognition.

A dark-skinned female approached the steps that the Jedi Master was standing on, and she looked up in surprise to see someone already at the door. She took one look into the intense blue eyes staring back at her and took a step back. They seemed so familiar. Abruptly, recognition settled in, and the irrational thought that Qui-Gon was here to take the Lars' second son caused her to panic. She opened her mouth and started to scream, wanting to alert her friends.

Sensing the woman's scream before it reached her lips, Qui-Gon moved like lightning, covering her mouth with his hand and pulling her into the shadows at the side of the house. "Tamelin, please! I'm not here to hurt your friends," he said, using his most reassuring voice. The woman was shaking in his arms. "Are you going to scream?"

Tamelin Starr shook her head, her spongy curls brushing against Qui-Gon's neatly trimmed beard.

Slowly Qui-Gon pulled his hand away from the woman's mouth, his grip on her loosening as well.

The moment his grip loosened, she bolted away from him and toward the Lars' front door.

It only took a few of Qui-Gon's long strides to catch her, again clamping his hand across her mouth. "Tamelin listen to me! Don't scream and don't run. Please, just listen," he implored, feeling she would obey as he dropped his hand and turned her to face him. "Do you remember what it was like the first time Mace came home?" he said quickly, not giving her the time to react again.

She nodded, frowning a little. Then, realizing what Qui- Gon meant by the question, she gasped. "You mean... are you trying to tell me that... that Ben is in there?" she said in amazement.

Qui-Gon nodded.

Tamelin broke away from Qui-Gon and started for the door, feeling a rush of excitement, wanting to see Ben for herself. She had loved the boy so much and it had been far too long since she'd seen him.

He caught her arm shaking his head at her. "You can't go... not yet. They're not ready."

"What do you mean?" she asked, trying to ignore the sense of alarm that ran through her.

"They haven't figured it out yet," Qui-Gon explained, trying not to sound like he was talking down to her. "We have to wait."

"You mean you sent him in there without telling any of them?" she almost yelled. "You stupid Jedi! Don't you know what that could do? Owen doesn't even know he has a brother. The shock to Keiran could... well... shock her!" she finished lamely, worried for her friends.

Qui-Gon sighed. Honestly, the woman was exasperating! He was tired and worried about his Padawan. He did not need an irrational female calling him names. "Look, we had to handle this one differently. I couldn't very well just show up on their doorstep now could I? I mean, I am the one who took him. What do you think that would have done to them?"

Tamelin felt her shock wearing off, and she looked closely at Qui-Gon for the first time. She could see that he was tired and was under a great deal of stress. "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking," she said. She remembered back to her first encounter with this mysterious man. She had found him attractive then, but now he had matured into a rather distinguished looking gentleman. His hair was longer, hanging just below his shoulders, and he had grown a beard and moustache. "How long will it take?" she asked, trying to ignore the familiar stirrings within herself.

"I have no idea," he replied simply.

"I thought you Jedi could see the future."

Again he sighed. This woman assumed far too much. There was something else about her that was affecting him; something that he could not put a name to. At least, not yet anyway.

Noting the disconcerted look on his face, she apologized and then invited him to her home. "You look like a person who hasn't eaten in a while," she said sympathetically. She was starting to feel bad about her silly display. "Let me make this all up to you," she added, in way of a peace offering. Besides, she couldn't help admitting to herself that she wanted to spend more time with him, get to know him, and try to determine exactly what he was doing to her peace of mind.

He nodded, not having anywhere else to go and feeling that Obi-Wan would be spending the night, if not longer, with the Larses before things were fully out in the open. Plus, he had the desire to spend more time with Tamelin, too, even if she was exasperating.

In the living-room of the Lars house, Nils stared speechlessly at Obi-Wan for several minutes. He felt as if the boy was looking straight into his soul. He shivered and then asked, "What is it, son?"

Obi-Wan jerked out of his trance-like stare at the question, getting a queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach at the word "son."

"You don't look very good, Obi-Wan," Keiran said with concern, rising and going over to the boy to feel his forehead. Her mother's heart reached out to this strange, and yet not so strange, child before her. She felt something familiar as she touched the warm skin.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes as the soft, cool hand of Keiran Lars rested on his forehead. She was holding his arm with her other hand and he felt comforted and safe for the first time in several hours.

"You do feel a bit warm. I think you boys should go to bed. Maybe we can find this mysterious guardian of yours in the morning." She reluctantly let go of his arm and called up the stairs to Owen, who was sitting on his bed wondering if Obi-Wan was going to return. "Owen, pull out those clothes that Beru's mother sent over the other day. Maybe something of Daro's will fit Obi-Wan." As Owen did as he was told, Keiran gave a smile to Obi-Wan. "Beru is Owen's best friend," she explained. "Her brother, Daro, is about your age. Their mother is always giving Owen all of Daro's outgrown clothes."

Obi-Wan nodded in understanding. His mind was still racing with questions. Why were these people so familiar? How could he know that he'd seen Owen's star chart before? Was it at the Temple in the star maps room? Where was Qui- Gon? Was he hurt? Closing his eyes briefly, he tried once again to reach out with the Force to find his Master, but just like all the other times, it got him nowhere.

Keiran guided him back to Owen's room where the other boy had pulled a bag full of clothing out of his closet.

"Here, this looks like it will fit," Owen said, holding up a pair of blue pyjamas. "Maybe tomorrow I can take you to meet Beru. She's great... lots of fun," Owen added with an uncertain smile. He still couldn't figure out why Obi- Wan had taken off on him like that. They had just started to make a real connection. Had Owen said something wrong?

Obi-Wan tried to smile at Owen but the thought of spending a night without Qui-Gon was troubling him. They had been apart so little in the last four years that it felt really odd to be alone. All of his life, he could remember the piercing blue eyes of Qui-Gon Jinn watching over him. Those eyes were the first real memory Obi-Wan had. They had been peering over him, looming above his bed. He had only been two at the time, but he always had that memory to look back on and comfort himself with in times of trouble. Qui-Gon had told him that it was the first time that they had truly connected and that was why the memory had stayed with him. From that moment on, those blue eyes always seemed to have been there just when Obi-Wan felt he needed them. Now, for the first time when he needed Qui- Gon's piercing blue eyes to reassure him that things were going to be all right, they weren't there.

Wordlessly, he took the pyjamas and sighed. Despite whatever had happened to Qui-Gon, he was stuck here until he could find some guidance, either from his Master or from the Force. So far, he hadn't gotten anything from his Master, but the Force was telling him that he had to stay.

Keiran returned to the living-room. Hands on her hips, she sent a determined, penetrating stare in her husband's direction. "There's something you're not telling me about that boy, isn't there?" she asked, her voice firm. A small part of Keiran's mind screamed at her that she didn't really have to ask Nils this question; she already knew the answer. However, just as she had done earlier, she pushed the thoughts out of her head to protect herself from her painful memories.

Nils' dark eyes closed momentarily. He was all too familiar with that tone of voice. Keiran was not going to let this drop until she was satisfied with the answer. Sighing he said, "Yes, Keiran, there is. I think you had better sit down."

Keiran didn't move, crossing her arms and jutting one hip out in defiance. "Out with it Nils!"

"Sweetheart, please," he pleaded. Seeing his wife's stubborn streak and knowing there would be no way around it, he sighed again, rubbing his hand across his face and through his hair. "I only know that he told me who his guardian is. Are you sure you don't want to sit down?"

Keiran shifted to her other foot in agitation. Not only was she being stubborn, she was also starting to get annoyed.

"He belongs to Qui-Gon Jinn," was all Nils said.

Keiran found herself wishing that she had taken her husband's advice. Her knees suddenly felt weak. Qui-Gon Jinn's face swam before her and she could clearly see the image of the man holding her baby boy in his arms. She gasped in surprise and in sudden, remembered pain.

Nils jumped from his seat, putting his arms around Keiran, who paled before his eyes.

"What... no... it can't be... Nils, what are you saying?" Keiran's words tumbled out of her mouth as Nils eased her into a chair.

"I don't know, sweetheart. I don't know. We need to find him. Ask him if..." Nils could not finish. The weight of his thoughts was too much to bear, and he was afraid to voice his thoughts out loud. Somehow, it would make the whole idea far too real, and he wasn't sure that he could bear it if he turned out to be wrong.

"Are you trying to say that Obi-Wan might be our... our Ben?" Keiran whispered the last word, ignoring all of the things that had seemed so familiar about the boy.

"Search your heart, Keiran... think about it. I watched him all evening. There are so many things about him that are you. His eyes... his hair... the way he laughs... it took my breath away. He's..." tears had begun to form in the dark eyes and the man could not continue.

"I can't, Nils!" Keiran cried out, her voice cracking. "What if it isn't him and it's just some odd set of circumstances? What if it's just coincidence? I don't want to be hurt again." Keiran wanted to refuse to believe that what Nils thought could be true. It couldn't be possible that Obi-Wan Kenobi was really their little Benjamin Wade Lars. She could almost feel the tiny babe in her arms; the way he had felt before Nils had handed him over to the Jedi, Mace Windu. But something in the back of her mind and deep in her heart was telling her that he was Ben. She had the feeling that there had been no mistake or set of coincidences, just fact. Images of Obi-Wan from dinner came into her mind. She could almost count all of the times she'd felt as if she were looking into a mirror, and once, when he was telling them about some adventure that he had been on, she had seen Nils' mannerisms in the boy.

Abruptly, she popped up out of the chair that Nils had eased her into earlier. "We have to tell him," she said.

Nils grabbed her arm. "No, we may not be allowed to. We have to speak to Qui-Gon first, or to the other Jedi. Besides, we have no real proof. We can't just barge in there, wake him up and scare him half to death with news that we don't know for sure ourselves. We have to wait."

Keiran stared silently at her husband, warring with her own thoughts. She didn't want to agree with Nils, but deep down, she knew that he was right. It wouldn't be fair to Obi-Wan to drag him into this heartache until they were sure that they were right.

Late that night, Qui-Gon Jinn sat with his head in his hands. Tamelin had gone to bed hours ago, but he could not sleep. No amount of Jedi concentration or relaxation was working. He was worried, and that worry was so strong that it was clouding his mind and his use of the Force. Master Yoda would be disappointed in him. He sighed and reached out with what little control he had left to touch his Padawan's mind. Obi-Wan was sleeping peacefully. At least someone is, he thought almost bitterly to himself, immediately chastising himself for it. He was glad Obi-Wan was all right. The boy still didn't know that he was under his own roof, safe and secure in the home of his family. Qui-Gon had no idea if he should be happy about that or disappointed that the boy hadn't figured it out yet. However, he was happy to see that even though troubled by his feelings, Obi- Wan was able to sleep and get the rest he needed.

Qui-Gon shifted his reach to the minds of the other inhabitants of the Lars home. Owen Lars was sleeping soundly next to Obi-Wan, untroubled by what was going on around him. He could detect happiness in the boy, and he smiled to himself. He knew that Obi-Wan probably sensed the same happiness in Owen, and Qui- Gon knew that it would be a comfort to his Padawan to have the boy around. Nils Lars was also asleep, but not as soundly as his sons were. Sons. Plural. Whether or not they had accepted it yet, there were two Lars sons sleeping under the same roof. Two, not one, and one of them was Qui-Gon's ward, not his son, no matter how much Qui-Gon cared for him. Obi-Wan was not his, at least not until Obi-Wan himself made the choice. It would be up to the boy to decide if his future lay with his birth parents or with the "family" he had been raised by.

The Jedi Order had no claim on those it trained. They had to have permission to take a child, and then when the child was old enough, he or she was given the chance to either stay with the Jedi or go on with their lives elsewhere. Sometimes, it seemed almost cruel. Some children were presented with great riches, some with poverty, others, like Qui-Gon, with nothing. He had heard of children making the choice to rejoin their families, some for selfish motives, others to try and help their families out of a bad situation. Either way, it was always painful for the teacher to let their Padawan go. Qui-Gon had no desire to become one of those bereft individuals.

Finally, Qui-Gon shifted his attention to Keiran Lars. She lay wide-awake, her thoughts and emotions in turmoil. She could not stop thinking of the two boys sharing a bed in the room where baby Ben had once slept alone. Was it at all possible that the adorable boy with the short hair and tiny braid hanging over his shoulder could be their Ben? Tears ran down the sides of her face and into her hair, which was identical in colour to Obi- Wan's.

Qui-Gon tore his mind away from the woman's presence. He couldn't take much more. This had to be the hardest trial that he had ever faced. No matter what the outcome, someone was going to be hurt. He knew that not only was this a test for Obi-Wan, but one for himself as well. His actions following Obi-Wan's decision would be scrutinized by the Council. They would be used to decide if he was worthy of having a Padawan at all, whether it meant keeping Obi-Wan or receiving a new one, depending on the choice that Obi- Wan would make.

He rose and sat cross-legged in the middle of the floor, reminding himself of the day that he and Mace had left Corellia with Ben, twelve and a half years ago. He had to find that same blessed peace that he had turned to when he'd thought he was leaving without the baby. It had worked then; it had to work now. And it did work... it just took much longer this time.

The next morning, Keiran was up before the rest of her household, not having gotten much sleep. She saw no reason to stay in bed when she was not getting any rest anyway. Part of her suspected that there would be no rest for her until the situation with Obi-Wan was straightened out. She already had breakfast started when Nils entered.

"Good morning, sweetheart," he said, sounding subdued as he kissed her on the cheek.

"Morning. Could you help? The griddle isn't warming up properly this morning."

"Sure," he said. Nils moved toward the griddle and started tinkering with it.

Obi-Wan entered the kitchen, having woken after a rather vivid dream. His heart was pounding and he could still feel the adrenaline rushing through his body. When he woke, he had instinctively reached out with the Force to find the two adults, knowing that if he found them he would also find safety. He stopped in the kitchen doorway, seeing Keiran stirring something and Nils standing with his back to the door.

Feeling the boy's presence, Keiran looked up from the bowl she was working with and locked eyes with Obi-Wan. She smiled and stopped stirring, about to ask him if he was hungry. However, before she could get the words out, the boy spoke.

"Mom? Dad?" Obi-Wan asked hesitantly.

There was complete silence in the room as Obi-Wan, Keiran and Nils stared at each other. Each one was shocked by the words that had just come out of Obi-Wan's mouth, and none were quite sure what to say. Keiran felt her heart fill with hope. Could she and Nils have been right? Could this be their little Ben?

"I... I'm sorry," Obi-Wan said, flustered. It had seemed the right thing to call them, and yet at the same time it seemed so wrong. "I don't know why I said that."

Obi-Wan turned to escape from the room, but Keiran stopped him. "Please don't go," she said softly, causing Obi-Wan to turn and face her. There was a wary look on his face, and to Keiran he looked for all the world like a mynock caught in a trap. "Please come and sit down," Keiran said, trying rapidly to think of a way to put the boy at ease.

There was such a look of pleading in her eyes that Obi- Wan didn't have the heart to refuse her. Silently, he sat himself at the kitchen table, running through his Jedi calming exercises, trying to find peace.

"Morning!" chirped a voice from the doorway, making the two adults and Obi-Wan all turn to see Owen standing in the doorway. He was still in his pyjamas, his hair sticking out in all directions. The little boy was grinning from ear-to- ear and did not seem to notice the anxiety of his parents and his new friend.

"Good morning sunshine," Keiran said, trying to smile.

Nils looked from his wife, to his son, to Obi-Wan, and made a decision. All of this secrecy was getting them nowhere. He had to get to the bottom of this, no matter what the Jedi thought.

"Owen, come sit over here by Obi-Wan. There's something your mother and I have to say to the two of you," Nils said. Owen shrugged good-naturedly and ran over to take the seat next to Obi-Wan. He sent a bright smile over to the young Jedi.

Obi-Wan glanced at the boy as he settled in next to him. Owen was sitting close enough to him that their arms brushed each other, and Obi-Wan felt himself relax at the physical contact. Whatever it was that Keiran and Nils were about to say, he somehow felt better knowing that Owen was with him. The boy just seemed to have that effect on him.

Keiran and Nils sat at the table across from the two expectant boys and Nils took a deep breath.

"I guess there's no other way to start this than to just come right out with it," Nils began. "Owen, about thirteen years ago, your mother and I had a baby boy."

"But I'm only ten," Owen interrupted, scrunching up his face. Obi-Wan did not say anything, but he could feel his heart pounding almost painfully in his chest.

"I know," Nils replied, smiling gently at his son. "The baby that we had was your older brother, Ben."

"I don't have a brother," Owen said immediately, glancing from one parent to the other, an unspoken question in his eyes.

Nils and Keiran shared a look and then Keiran replied, "Yes, you do."

There was silence in the room as Owen let this thought sink in. "Really?" he said hesitantly.

Keiran and Nils both nodded.

Owen felt Obi-Wan tense beside him and he glanced quickly at his friend, feeling sympathy for Obi-Wan, but not quite knowing why. "I always wanted a brother but never got one," Owen said thoughtfully. He didn't seem to be angry or upset. In fact, he didn't even seem shocked. It was almost as if he had been expecting something like this.

Keiran and Nils both sighed with relief. They hadn't known how Owen would react to such unexpected news, and they had been worried that he might have taken it badly.

"But... where is he? How come he doesn't live with us? Why haven't I ever met him?" Owen asked. He knew there had to be some reason why he'd never been told any of this before.

"When your brother was just a baby, before you were born, he had to leave us," Keiran said, and Obi-Wan could read the pain that she still felt over losing her firstborn. He shivered a little. The motion caused Owen to glance at him again. Obi-Wan caught his eye and Owen could see the uncertainty in the young Jedi's eyes. Without thinking about it, Owen slipped his small hand under the table into Obi-Wan's hand. He squeezed once for comfort and Obi-Wan squeezed back gratefully.

"Why?" Owen asked, turning his attention back to his parents.

"Because he had a special gift and he had to be taught how to use it," Nils replied, glancing briefly at Obi-Wan, whose face was etched in stone.

Owen's eyes were wide. "Really?" he said, his curiosity peaked. "What kind of gift?"

"The men who took him wanted him to become a Jedi," Nils said. Before he could continue, Obi-Wan interrupted.

"Wait a minute," he said, sounding a little panicky. "Wait just one minute... are you trying to say what I think you're trying to say?" Obi-Wan's eyes darted from one adult to the other. He already knew what they were saying, but to voice it out loud was too much.

Keiran reached out to take Obi-Wan's hand but he pulled it away quickly. Deep down, he knew exactly what they were saying, and he knew somehow that they were right, but he didn't want them to say the words. Master! he called out in his mind, desperately hoping that Qui-Gon would come to him and make this stop. As he had expected, however, he got no response from his mysteriously absent Master.

Keiran tried not to feel hurt over Obi-Wan pulling away from her. She knew that this was as big a shock to him as it was to the rest of them.

"What we're trying to say..." Nils said, trying to think of an easy way to put it.

"Is that you think I'm Ben," Obi-Wan finished for him. Owen looked over at him in awe. Owen was already starstruck over Obi- Wan being a Jedi, but for him to be his big brother was too much to hope for. He stared at Obi-Wan and he felt the young Jedi's hand tighten on his.

Keiran and Nils both nodded. "We don't have any proof," Keiran said. "Just a feeling."

"A very, very strong feeling," Nils added. "And... and the fact that your guardian is Qui-Gon Jinn," Nils finished, causing Obi-Wan to eye him warily.

"What does Master Qui-Gon have to do with this?" Obi-Wan asked, a little too defensively.

"Qui-Gon and another Jedi, Mace Windu, were the two Jedi who first discovered your gift and took you to the Jedi Temple to be tested and trained," Nils explained.

Obi-Wan tried to hide his shock. Ever since he had been a little boy, Qui-Gon had always been around. At first, the Jedi Master had not had much to do with Obi-Wan's life, but his presence had always been there. When the boy started getting older, Qui-Gon's presence in his life had gradually become more pronounced and the connection that Obi-Wan had always felt with the Jedi Master began to grow and evolve. But Qui-Gon had never told him that he had been the one to bring Obi-Wan to the Temple.

Obi-Wan wrestled with his unsettled emotions, and suddenly, a niggling feeling of dread began to form in the back of his mind. Qui-Gon had been the one that had insisted he and Obi-Wan split up when they had arrived on the planet. He had been the one that had sent Obi-Wan to the Lars' store, where this whole mess had begun. He had not responded to any of Obi-Wan's attempts to contact him. Apparently, he had not even made an effort to find Obi-Wan once the boy went missing. Was Qui-Gon trying to get rid of him? Did he no longer want Obi-Wan as an apprentice? Is that why he had apparently gone to such trouble to bring Obi-Wan back to the Lars family?

Obi-Wan felt disappointed tears stinging his eyes, but he refused to let anybody see them. Qui-Gon didn't want him. Obi-Wan had done everything in his power to make the man proud of him, but it hadn't been enough. He had tried so hard, and all because Qui-Gon's respect meant so much to him. The Jedi Master had been the father that Obi-Wan had always wanted, and he had sometimes suspected that Qui-Gon had felt the same about him. He guessed that he'd been wrong.

Obi-Wan let his eyes focus on the Lars family. They were good people, but they were complete strangers to him. The Force was telling him that this was true: they were his family. However, deep down he knew that it was not the same kind of family and belonging that he had found with the Jedi. What does that matter now! Obi-Wan thought bitterly to himself. He didn't want to go back to the Jedi if Qui-Gon didn't want him. Maybe the rest of the Jedi felt the same... maybe he was not good enough for them.

Obi-Wan looked from Nils to Keiran. No, Qui-Gon didn't want him, but these people did. The only question was, did they want him or did they want the memory of a boy who no longer existed?

Qui-Gon stared solemnly out Tamelin's window, his arms crossed and his eyes far away. This was killing him. He could hear Obi- Wan desperately calling to him, but he could not respond.

He allowed himself a small moment to reach out to Obi- Wan, but he had to be careful not to allow the boy to detect him. It was imperative that Obi-Wan not realize how close Qui-Gon was. Through the faint connection, he could sense Obi-Wan's confusion and sense of betrayal, and Qui- Gon had to close his eyes against the pain that he felt coming both from Obi-Wan and from himself.

"Are you all right?" a soft voice asked, causing Qui-Gon to turn and face the woman who had spoken. He had been concentrating so hard on keeping Obi-Wan from detecting him, that he hadn't even sensed her presence.

Tamelin felt her heart break a little for the Jedi Master when he turned to face her. He looked even more haggard than the night before, despite his attempts at meditation and the peace that he had found. She desperately wanted to wrap her arms around him and comfort him, but she was afraid to.

Qui-Gon smiled humourlessly. "No," he replied. "But I'll live." Although, secretly, he wondered if he wanted to go on living without Obi-Wan's youthful presence brightening up his otherwise too serious life.

"Are you going to go and tell the Larses about Ben today?" Tamelin asked, still standing uncertainly in the doorway.

"They already know," he said.

Tamelin's jaw dropped. "How?" she demanded, wondering if Qui- Gon had slipped over there sometime during the night.

"Their insights serve them well, as do Obi-Wan's," Qui- Gon replied.

"Then I can go and see Ben now," Tamelin said excitedly, her eyes lighting up.

Qui-Gon sighed. "If you are to go over there," he said, "You must not let them know that I am here. And you must pretend that you knew nothing about Obi-Wan's arrival."

Tamelin frowned in confusion. "Why?"

"I can't explain it all to you," he said, hesitating for a moment, and then added, "Please Tamelin. For this to happen the way that it is supposed to, Obi-Wan must spend his time with the Larses without me. I cannot interfere."

Tamelin stared at Qui-Gon uncertainly. "When will you go to Ben?" she finally asked.

Qui-Gon studied her for a moment. "In a few days. By then, it will be time for Obi-Wan to decide."

For Qui-Gon, the next few days were agony. Being close to Obi- Wan and yet not being able to be with him was hard enough, but watching him with the Larses was even worse. Obi-Wan had started out hesitant and uncomfortable around his birth family, despite their efforts to put him at ease. The only one Obi-Wan seemed truly at home with was Owen, who was starting to adore his newfound brother more and more each day. Obi-Wan seemed to return his brother's affection, and the two would lay awake at nights, giggling with each other. However, each day Obi-Wan seemed to relax a little more around Keiran and Nils, as well. It was especially hard for Qui-Gon to see Nils being able to show Obi- Wan the fatherly affection that Qui-Gon had always felt, but had never been able to truly express.

Tamelin made regular trips to the Lars house to spend time with her friends, but she kept her promise to Qui-Gon not to tell them anything that she knew. At times, the urge to tell them was so overwhelming that she had to consciously stop herself from letting it out. At first, she was ecstatic that Ben, now called Obi-Wan, was back with his real family. However, the more time that she spent with the boy, the more confused she became by his behaviour. On the outside he seemed happy and seemed to accept that this was a place where he could belong. Yet, at times when Obi- Wan let his guard down too much, she also saw things that made her think he was downright miserable.

It wasn't until the end of the week that she finally got Obi- Wan alone to talk to him. She was on her way over to visit with to Keiran when she found Obi-Wan sitting alone out in the backyard, with a faraway look in his eyes.

She came toward him and he looked up, sensing her presence.

He started to smile at her, until she said, "Hello Ben." Abruptly, the smile faded and a troubled look came into his eyes. "What's wrong?" she said, feeling her heart sink at the forlorn expression on the boy's face.

Obi-Wan hesitated, as if evaluating his options, and then finally sighed in defeat. "That's not my name," he said, sounding depressed.

Tamelin sat next to him, sensing instinctively that if she pushed a little she might finally get the answers to what had been bothering Obi-Wan ever since his arrival. She'd always felt that talking about things helped make them easier to understand and accept, and she hoped that this would be the case for Obi- Wan, too.

"I'm sorry, Obi-Wan," she corrected with a smile. The boy tried to smile at her in return, but it came out weakly. "But, it is partly your name, too," she added quietly.

Obi-Wan shrugged. "No it isn't. I tried to make it be me again, but I can't do it. I tried to do it for them but no matter what I did, it wasn't enough and now I'm just pretending." He was quiet for a moment and then in a very small voice he added, "I failed them."

Tamelin put her arm around the boy and gave him a quick squeeze. "Hey now," she said lightly, "your parents and Owen love you very much. You haven't failed anyone."

"Yes I have," he said, his voice breaking. "They want me to be their son... but I can't give them what they want. I care about them, and I don't want them to be hurt, but I don't belong here. I don't feel like this is where I am supposed to be."

Tamelin nodded slightly. She had had this same conversation once before, many, many years ago with her own brother. At the time, she hadn't understood why he had to leave them again, but this time she was older and she understood only too well. As much as they all might love Obi-Wan and want to keep him with them, the only way that he would be truly happy was with the Jedi.

Tamelin smiled sadly at the boy. "You know, Mace said almost exactly the same thing when he was your age and came home to us."

Obi-Wan looked up at her with interest, his self-pity momentarily forgotten. "Really?"

Tamelin nodded. "He and his Master returned to Coruscant soon after."

The glimmer of hope that Obi-Wan had started to feel faded and his face fell.

"What is it?" Tamelin asked.

Obi-Wan shrugged.

"Is it still about Keiran and Nils?" she prodded. Obi- Wan shook his head. "Owen?" Again, Obi-Wan shook his head. Maybe it was because she had spent so much time with Qui- Gon in the past couple of days, but a light suddenly clicked on in Tamelin's mind. "It's your Master, isn't it."

Obi-Wan avoided her eyes, but did not deny it.

"Don't you want to go back to Coruscant with Qui-Gon?"

"It's not that I don't want to," Obi-Wan said, his voice cracking almost imperceptibly, "it's just that... that I don't think he wants me to."

Tamelin quickly covered her shock. Qui-Gon Jinn may still be a mystery to her, but if there was one thing in the world that she had learned about the man over the past few days, it was that losing Obi-Wan was the last thing he ever wanted. He had prepared himself to say goodbye to Obi-Wan if the time ever came, and she knew he would accept the boy's decision, however, she knew he would not like it.

Of course, if she told Obi-Wan that, she would be breaking the promise that she made the Jedi Master, and Obi-Wan would know that Qui-Gon had been close by all along. Tamelin fought back a sigh of frustration, nearly blurting the whole thing out.

"Well, how do you know if you haven't asked him about it?" Tamelin asked.

"Why else would he not answer me when I called him?" Obi-Wan replied. "Unless he were hurt or injured. That's what I thought at first, but now I don't believe it's true. I would know it if he were hurt. The Force would tell me... I think."

Tamelin tried to think of a way to ease the boy's worries without giving Qui-Gon away. "Obi-Wan, what have Qui-Gon and the other Masters taught you about drawing conclusions without having all the facts?"

Obi-Wan looked a little guilty. "They've taught me not to make hasty judgements," he mumbled, looking down.

"Then perhaps you should wait to speak to Qui-Gon before you decide that he doesn't want you. How can you decide so certainly that he doesn't want you if you don't have all the facts?"

Obi-Wan stared at his hands. He didn't look entirely convinced, but at least Tamelin had given him a lot to think about.

Inside the house, Keiran was smiling from ear-to-ear as she put away the morning dishes. It felt so good to have both of her sons back under one roof, and Obi-Wan was slowly but surely opening up to them.

Nils watched his wife, and felt an unsettled flutter of anxiety in his stomach. He had been happy to have Obi-Wan with them as well, but unlike his wife, he had not been able to successfully forget that the boy was still only staying with them temporarily. True, they had not been searching very hard for the boy's guardian, but Nils had the feeling that whether they wanted him to or not, Qui-Gon Jinn would not stay away forever. Besides, also unlike Keiran, he had been unable to hide from the small, almost imperceptible glimpses of unhappiness that he had detected in Obi-Wan. Nils suspected that Keiran saw it as much as he did, but had been able to brush it off as Obi-Wan needing time to settle in.

A buzz at the door caught Nils' attention.

"I'll get it!" cried Owen, who came tearing down the stairs. Keiran and Nils exchanged looks and both shrugged. Neither were expecting company. Nils followed his son into the other room to see who their visitor was, and stopped dead in his tracks when he recognized Qui-Gon Jinn.

Owen stared up at the huge man in the doorway, his gaze travelling up and up until his eyes connected with Qui- Gon's. He backed slowly away until he bumped into the motionless Nils. Unlike his father, did not recognize Qui- Gon and so he wasn't scared of the man. He was just nervous for some reason that he couldn't explain. Unconsciously, Nils placed his hands protectively on Owen's shoulders.

Keiran came from the kitchen and with a gasp grabbed the wall so that her knees would not buckle under her. She had known this day would come, but she had deluded herself into thinking that it was a long way away. She had not prepared herself for it. "You are not, I repeat not, going take him from me again!"

"It's not my decision, Mrs. Lars," Qui-Gon calmly stated.

Obi-Wan had just come in the back door, with Tamelin close behind him, when the door had buzzed. He'd heard Owen come thundering down the stairs and race out to see who it was. The thought that he had been abandoned by Qui-Gon was still occupying his mind and he still needed time to think. Could he spend the rest of his life here on Corellia and be happy?

The lack of conversation in the other room caught his attention. His parents should have been talking to whomever it was that had come to the door, but instead, there was only an eerie silence. His steps slowed and he cautiously peeked around the corner into the main hallway. He could see the entryway of the house, but there was no one standing there. Then he heard a very familiar and sorely missed voice say, "It's not my decision, Mrs. Lars."

"Master?" he asked quietly to no one in particular. His heart began to beat wildly out of control and a hope that he hadn't allowed himself to feel for days began flowing through him. With a gasp and in a very un-Jedi-like burst of emotion, he flew across the room and into the waiting arms of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn.

Qui-Gon returned the embrace with a quiet sigh... a sigh that did nothing to reveal the great wave of relief that had engulfed him as Obi-Wan wrapped his arms tightly around his waist. He placed one hand on the boy's back and the other on his head in a rare show of emotion, small as it was.

Obi-Wan revelled in the touch and then suddenly remembered his training. He looked up into the blue eyes and said, "Forgive me, Master." He took a step back, but was unable to take his eyes off of Qui-Gon. A genuine smile lit up the boy's face.

Qui-Gon said nothing. He knew exactly what was running through his apprentice's mind. There was no way he would rebuke the boy for the show of emotion. After all, he was just as guilty as Obi- Wan.

The display tore at Keiran's heart. She had always hoped that if she were ever reunited with her baby that he would do what he had just done to Qui-Gon, only running into her outstretched arms instead of the arms of the Jedi. In the past few days she had gotten absolutely no sign of affection from her son, only sad looks. She didn't understand this, but had tried to tell herself that hugs and displays of affection would come at some point. Keiran felt tears stinging her eyes and she glanced over to the other side of the room, noticing Tamelin for the first time. Tamelin had said nothing, but she had been as moved by the display as everyone else in the room. On one hand, she rejoiced for Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, but on the other, her heart cried for Keiran and Nils.

Nils' grip had tightened on Owen's shoulders as he had watched the two Jedi. His heart sank. He had been right. Their son was not going to stay. His whole demeanour had changed now that the Jedi Master was here. It was as if Obi-Wan had suddenly come to life after a long hibernation.

Keiran could hold back no longer. "No!" she gasped, her voice trembling. "Get out of my house! You will not take Ben away from me again!"

Obi-Wan winced at the use of his birth name, but said nothing. He knew that his mother was hurting and he didn't want to add to it by telling her that his name was Obi-Wan, not Ben.

"Keiran, please," Nils began. Keiran started to say more, but Nils' hand shot up to stop her. "Let the Jedi speak, Keiran," he said calmly, valiantly hiding the turmoil he felt inside. His eyes met Qui-Gon's and he could see the thanks in the Jedi's eyes. Oddly, he felt a sudden bond with the Jedi Master. Nils turned Owen around, drawing the boy's attention. "Owen, maybe you should go see Beru. She wanted you to go over and see her today. Now would be a good time."

"Yes, sir," Owen replied, glad to get out of the room. The tension was so thick it was suffocating. He caught Obi- Wan's eyes and the two boys smiled briefly at each other, each one detecting the strain in the other. Then, Owen darted around the huge Jedi and out the door.

Tamelin, feeling like an outsider, followed Owen out. She'd come back later and do what she could for Keiran, but at that moment, she didn't belong there. "I'll walk Owen over to Beru's," she said, leaving quickly. On impulse, as she passed Qui-Gon, she gave his arm a light squeeze of reassurance. Nobody seemed to notice, except for Qui-Gon.

Back at the Lars home, Obi-Wan spoke up, cutting Qui-Gon off before he could say any more. "Master, why did you do this to me?"

The question and the sadness in Obi-Wan's voice caused Qui- Gon's heart to skip a beat. "I had to, Obi-Wan. It was time for you to meet your family."

"Why didn't you tell me that you were the one who found me? Why didn't you ever tell me the truth?" Obi-Wan asked, trying to sort through his muddled feelings.

Qui-Gon hesitated, knowing that this detail seemed to be a pivotal point in Obi-Wan's mind. He truly did not know how to answer.

Nils could see the reluctance to answer on the other man's face. "Ben," he said, "I don't think now is the time for this.

Obi-Wan's hands balled up under the hem of his shirtsleeves at the use of that name again. The movement was not lost on either Nils or Qui-Gon.

Unbeknownst to any of them, Owen had returned just in time to see the frustrated movement and the look that crossed his brother's face. Owen hadn't been able to stay long at Beru's, knowing that he had a stake in this discussion, too. Since his future was also effected by the outcome, he had come back to make sure that he would have his say in the matter. He stepped around Qui-Gon, drawing the attention of all of the adults in the room. "Dad, his name is Obi-Wan," Owen said, letting his eyes rest on his brother.

Obi-Wan looked thankfully at Owen, and the two boys smiled at each other in understanding.

"Owen," Keiran bit out, ready to reprimand her youngest son.

"He's right, Keiran," Nils interrupted. She looked at him incredulously. Nils sighed and tried to explain. "We cannot force an identity on him. He is who he is," he said.

"He's our son! That's who he is. Our son!" she said angrily, plucking a picture up off the mantle and poking a finger at it. The picture had only recently been placed back on the mantle after having spent the previous twelve years buried in a box that held other mementos of Ben. Keiran had not been able to deal with the reminders, so she had hidden them away. "This baby, my baby, Benjamin Wade Lars, Nils. He's our flesh and blood and I want him back!"

"We gave up that right, almost thirteen years ago," Nils reasoned calmly. "Qui-Gon's right. It's not his decision. Nor is it ours. It's Be... Obi-Wan's," he corrected himself.

Obi-Wan was about to explode. They were talking about him as if he wasn't there. He couldn't take the blatant anguish that he detected in Keiran's voice any longer, or the quiet, less obvious anguish that he could hear in Nils' voice. He couldn't hold back any longer. "How can it be my choice, when it seems you've already made it for me?" he finally burst out.

"What do you mean, son?" Nils took a step forward and put a hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder.

Obi-Wan wanted to jerk away from him, but knew it would hurt the man if he did. He looked up at Qui-Gon who had remained silent. Gently, Obi-Wan freed himself of his father's grasp. "Obviously I was brought here for a reason," he said. "I did something wrong. I failed... messed up and Qui-Gon no longer wants me as his Padawan. It's their way of letting me know I can't be a Jedi Knight." He turned toward Qui-Gon. "Master, I accept whatever my fate is. If I have to stay here, I will. But I have to know, what did I do?" he asked hoarsely, breaking every heart in the room.

Keiran wanted to run to her son's side and take him in her arms, but was afraid that he would push her away. If I have to... the words echoed in her mind.

Even though the words had hurt, they had also given Qui- Gon hope. Finally he answered the question. "You have done nothing, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan noted that Qui-Gon had not used the word Padawan once. It seemed like a bad sign. It had always been a reassuring title for him, one that had meant the Jedi Master wanted him in that role, and also in his life. In fact, it was often more of an endearment than an actual title.

"Then, why, Master?" Obi-Wan pleaded. "Why are you abandoning me? Why now? You just told me last week that I had made great progress. Was that wrong? Do you still want me to be your Padawan?"

"I haven't abandoned you, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said firmly, his voice a little louder than he had intended. He couldn't bear having the boy think he was trying to get rid of him. "There comes a time in every Jedi's life where he or she has to make a choice. Your progress has brought you to that point. As you well know, the life of a Jedi is often difficult. This is but one of many of those difficulties. You must decide... between the life of a Jedi and the life of an ordinary citizen of the galaxy. Your parents love you, Obi-Wan. You can stay here, with them. You'll be loved and cared for, and all of your needs will be provided for by them. Other Jedi students have made that choice. No one will blame you... it is your decision."

Obi-Wan looked at each person. Qui-Gon was completely unreadable. Owen was supportive. Nils was hurting, but knew that the boy had to make his own choices in life. Keiran was near tears and terrified.

"I'll return in the morning for your decision," Qui-Gon said, his voice was even. He rested one hand briefly on Obi-Wan's shoulder, and then pulled it away quickly as if he had done something wrong. "I'm sorry for disrupting your lives yet again," he said, turning his attention back to Nils and Keiran. "But it had to be done." He turned toward the door.

"Mas...Qui-Gon!" Obi-Wan called, realizing abruptly that for now he could not call the man his Master. "Wait, Qui- Gon, you didn't answer my question."

The desperation in his voice nearly broke through the Jedi's resolve. "I can't influence you either way, Obi-Wan. If I answer your question your decision will be made. Seek guidance from the Force, my... friend. I will see you in the morning." He could feel Obi-Wan trying to reach out with the Force to pull the answer from him. "Don't, Obi- Wan. I will not answer." He stepped out of the Lars' home and into the bright afternoon sun, walking as quickly down the street as his long legs would carry him.

Obi-Wan stood stock still, frustrated and broken- hearted. It was the first time that Qui-Gon had not answered one of his questions. Yet this question was the most important one of his life, and still, the man would not help. Did he want him or not? All Obi-Wan could ever remember was wanting to become a Jedi Knight. To become the kind of man that he saw in Qui-Gon Jinn. Suddenly, taking babies away from their parents and then shoving them back on them when they were nearly teenagers, seemed rather cruel and not the kind of thing he wanted to do at all.

The silence in the room was nearly deafening. Keiran took the risk of having her son pull away from her again and neared him. She gathered him into her arms and hugged him gently. "I never should have let him take you. I'm sorry, Ben, I'm so sorry," she said.

Obi-Wan let himself be wrapped in his mother's arms. He did care for her, he just wished she would stop calling him Ben. She pulled away from him and looked into his eyes. Again, he got the eerie sensation of looking into a mirror. This time, the mirror showed the pain behind her words. It was a pain that equaled the inadequacy he was feeling at not being the person, whether it was Ben or Obi Wan, that anyone wanted him to be. He brushed at her tears and said, "You don't have to apologize, Mom. It was the right thing to do. I've liked my life." Keiran felt her heart nearly stop. It was the first time that Obi-Wan had voluntarily called her "mom." He'd gone out of his way to avoid that title in the past.

For the rest of the afternoon, the reunited family tried to make the best of the time they had together. Not one of them knew what the morning would bring. It would either be another painful goodbye or the beginning of a new life. That night, the thoughts plagued Obi-Wan as he lay next to Owen in the dark.

"Are you going with Qui-Gon in the morning?" Owen asked softly, drawing Obi-Wan's attention.

"I don't know," Obi-Wan said. "I'm not sure what to do."

"You know," Owen said, "I was really mad at first when I thought you might go."

Obi-Wan turned to gaze at the boy next to him. "Really?" he asked in surprise.

"Uh-huh," Owen replied. "I figured that if you left us, it would mean that you didn't love us, or maybe that we weren't good enough for you to stay."

"That's crazy!" Obi-Wan gasped. "It means nothing of the sort! Of course I love you, Owen... you're my brother! I know we haven't really had much time to get to know each other, but that doesn't matter... I know you in here," he said, putting his hand over his heart. "And I do love our parents, too... just in a different way." Obi-Wan paused for a moment and then continued. "As for not being good enough," he snorted, "You guys are some of the kindest, most wonderful people I've ever known."

"So then why do you want to go?" Owen said. Obi-Wan was silent, so Owen continued. "I can tell that it's what you really want... but why do you want it?"

"I don't know," Obi-Wan replied hesitantly. He was quiet for a moment as he closed his eyes, reaching out with the Force and relaxing, trying to see the future. He hadn't really gotten the hang of it yet, but Qui-Gon had told him that it would come more easily with time and practice. Several images floated about in his mind. People he didn't know; faces from his past at the Temple; friends; beings he and Qui-Gon had helped; his parents; Owen; Qui-Gon; Master Yoda; and a face that seemed very familiar and yet not. The face was of a young man with his colour hair, his blue eyes, and a dimple in his chin. He realized it was himself, much older, and wearing the clothing of a Jedi. Was this the sign he needed? Was he to be a Jedi or was it just what he wanted to see? He pushed the image aside and opened his eyes, glancing back at Owen.

"Because no matter how great I think you guys are, it's just not where I belong," he finally said, feeling the truth of his words right to the core of his being. "I have to be a Jedi," Obi- Wan said almost vehemently. All of a sudden, with a startling moment of clarity, Obi-Wan knew exactly what he was supposed to do. "I have to be a Jedi," he repeated, this time less vehemently, but with just as much determination. "Whether Qui-Gon is my Master or not. I can't become a Jedi for Qui-Gon's sake... I have to do it for me."

Owen shook his head, mildly confused by his brother's abrupt mood change. "You've known that all along, haven't you," he said, half as a question and half as a statement.

Obi-Wan thought about it for a minute. "Yeah, I guess maybe I have." He turned to face his brother with an amused grin. "When did you become so smart?"

"Always have been," Owen boasted quickly, although he was still slightly baffled by Obi-Wan's sudden decision.

"Oh reeeeeally?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Yup," Owen replied, turning his eyes back up to gaze at the star chart on his ceiling.

"Smart enough to avoid this?" Obi-Wan asked innocently. In confusion, Owen turned to face his brother, only to get a face full of cloth as Obi-Wan swung his pillow at Owen. Owen shrieked and jumped up, arming himself with his own pillow. Obi-Wan was smiling wickedly at him, and Owen responded with his own wicked grin.

"This means war," Owen said, and Obi-Wan laughed, letting go of all of his worries for the first time in days. His decision was made, and in his heart, he knew it was the right one.

Tamelin came over later that evening and had a quiet chat with Keiran. She tried to explain to her friend about Mace's visit and decision many years earlier. It had been painful for all of them, but now, not one of her family members would trade what they had. Mace Windu had saved countless lives and they were all proud of him. His visits were few and far between, but they were much- celebrated events in the Starr home. She tried to point out the fact that everyone had to make sacrifices in their lives. Even she had moved away from her family to live her own life, which had allowed her to be there for her best friend in her time of need. "I went through what Owen is going through now, so that I could help you through the same situation," she said, truly believing it. "If I hadn't been through this already, I would be no help to you."

Keiran nodded her head. "It just hurts so much, Tam."

"I know," Tamelin said sympathetically. "But later, it might not hurt so much. And even if Obi-Wan were to decide not to stay, would you deny him his dream? Even if it takes him away from you?" Keiran said nothing in reply. "Even if he stayed, he could leave again to pursue some other career. You just never know."

Keiran knew that what her friend said was true. Owen was already talking about becoming a farmer. Farming could take him to the other side of Corellia or even to the other side of the galaxy, to another planet where his services would be needed. "Thank you," Keiran said. "I am so glad you are my friend," she added, hugging the woman.

Later that night, Qui-Gon again lay awake, unable to sleep. He swung his feet to the floor and rested his elbows on his knees. For several minutes, he sat there, bare- chested, trying to put his thoughts into some semblance of order. Thoughts of Obi-Wan's anguished face and the pain that he had brought to Nils and Keiran Lars, mixed with confusing thoughts of the woman that he believed to be asleep down the hall, kept running through his head.

His initial meeting with Tamelin over a decade before passed through his mind. He had found her beautiful then, and he reluctantly had to admit that he still did. He had buried his feelings for her all those years ago, being too preoccupied with the infant Obi-Wan to deal with them, but now they had unwillingly resurfaced. This time, he had tried to bury his feelings again, having still been preoccupied with Obi-Wan and the Larses, but he hadn't quite succeeded. He wasn't sure he could deal with those feelings now, though. He was going to be leaving Corellia within the next day, having broken the hearts of an entire family or else having broken his own heart. Did he really want to add to that heartache by dragging Tamelin into it?

Tamelin, too, had been unable to sleep. Her mind was occupied with thoughts of how her friend would cope with her son's decision. In addition, and more disturbing to her, she found herself occupied with the thought that Qui- Gon Jinn would soon be departing from her life again. His departure was somehow affecting her more than it should. He had not outwardly indicated any interest in her, but she had caught him staring at her a couple of times. It had made her heart race. He had allowed her to hold his hand in an effort to comfort him, but she really had no idea what the man thought of her, or indeed, what she really thought of him. Twelve years ago, when he had been here with Mace, she had found him attractive. However, she'd been so angry with both of them for taking away her best friend's child that she had decided that any thought she'd had of him was out of hatred. Now she found herself second-guessing and reexamining what her opinion was.

She passed his open door and peered in, seeing that he was not asleep; instead he was sitting on the edge of the bed. Without knocking, she entered. She could tell how tense he was by the muscles in his back.

Qui-Gon heard her steps in the hall. He also heard her stop and enter his room. He did not turn his head or acknowledge her presence. He did, however, find it odd when she sat down behind him on the bed. His brows furrowed and then relaxed as she began massaging the tense muscles of his shoulders.

Neither one said a word as Tamelin's dark hands rubbed the tension away. When she was satisfied that he was as relaxed as he was going to get under the current circumstances, she moved to sit on the side of the bed next to him.

"Thank you," he said without looking at her; he was almost afraid to. The last thing he wanted was to do something that either of them would later regret.

Tamelin raised a hand to his bearded face and gently stroked the strong jaw-line.

Qui-Gon could not remember the last time a woman had touched him. He reached up and grasped her wrist. "You don't want to do this," he said, hearing the tension in his own voice.

"I don't?" she said with an amused smile. She reached up with her other hand and stroked his other cheek. "If I didn't want to, I wouldn't be here," she said simply, letting her hand trail down from his chin to his chest.

He released her wrist and pulled her closer. "Your brother is going to kill me."

"My brother doesn't need to know," she said as she kissed him.

When she pulled away he said, "Oh, he'll know all right." With a smile she had not seen all week, he kissed her again.

Qui-Gon awoke the next morning with his arm around Tamelin's sleeping body. She was holding his hand near her face with her back to him. He lay there for several minutes, until she stirred and released his hand with a kiss to each fingertip.

He kissed her forehead and said, "I hope you don't regret this later."

"I won't. I knew last night that I may never see you again," she said touching his cheek.

"I want you to know something," Qui-Gon said softly.

"Yes?" Tamelin replied.

"I don't go around putting the proverbial notch in my lightsaber..."

She didn't let him finish. "I know. And even if you did, it's not the same when the other person started it, is it? I like you, Qui-Gon. I wanted to be with you. I know the risks. I am an adult."

He smiled down at her. She indeed was an adult and he was going to miss her. She had been a quiet help during this stressful time.

That same morning, Obi-Wan woke with the same sense of peace that he had gone to bed with. However, he didn't go downstairs for breakfast with Owen because he had no appetite. He knew that the outcome of his decision was going to hurt the people that he had come to care for, and he was not looking forward to it. When the door buzzed he jumped, and then remembering himself, he slowly made his way down the steps.

All eyes were on him as he took his foot off the bottom step. He swallowed and glanced at Owen, finding strength in his brother's encouraging smile. "I'm sorry. I know that any decision I made would hurt someone, but I know what I have to do," he said, approaching the Larses, who were all standing in the middle of the room. Nils had his arm around Keiran and the other grasped Owen's shoulder. "Mom, Dad, I want you to know that I do love you and I thank you for all the sacrifices that you have made for me up until now." He reached up to both adults and hugged them at the same time.

He turned and faced Qui-Gon, briefly catching Owen's grin and wink as he did so. "I want to go back to Coruscant. I want to be a Jedi. Even if you are not my Master... even if it means being shipped off to the AgriCorps and never becoming a Knight." He got down on one knee as a sign of submission. He could hear Keiran's gasp and knew she was crying.

Qui-Gon's shoulders relaxed and he thanked the Force silently for giving his Padawan peace about his future. He also felt bad for the Larses. They were losing their son for a second time. He stepped forward and touched Obi-Wan's head. "Rise, my Padawan, and we will say our goodbyes. Here," he said, holding Obi-Wan's lightsaber out to the boy. He had retrieved it from the police just after Obi-Wan had left with Nils that first night on Corellia.

Obi-Wan dared not hope that Qui-Gon's words, and the return of his lightsaber, really meant what he thought it meant. He clipped his weapon back onto his belt and turned to the grieving parents behind him. "I'm sorry. I can't be the Ben you want me to be. I am a Jedi. I know I've hurt you, but I also hope to be able to become a Knight and someday make you proud of me. Do... do you think maybe you could love me as Obi-Wan and not as Ben?"

Nils knelt down in front of him. "Obi-Wan," he said, "We are proud of you now. We love you and want only your happiness. We know that your destiny does not lie here with us." He hugged his son and stood. With tears streaming from her blue eyes, Keiran hugged Obi-Wan and said, "I love you, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Don't ever forget that your mother loves you. Please come back and see us."

Obi-Wan nodded. The words seemed so familiar. He kissed the wet cheek. "I will Mom. I promise." He turned toward Owen and shook the boy's hand. "Take care of them, will ya?" he said with a smile.

"Of course." Owen squeezed the bigger hand of his brother and then wrapped an arm around their mother.

Obi-Wan took one last look at his newfound family and turned to leave.

"Qui-Gon, take care of my son, please. And thank you for letting us see him again," Keiran said. She had finally found it in her heart to forgive the Jedi and accept that her son was indeed special and needed the man's help.

"I will," he said, holding her gaze for a moment. Keiran actually smiled at him. Qui-Gon was connected to them, whether she wanted to admit it or not. For better or for worse, he was bound to them by his love for Obi-Wan, just as they were now bound to him. "Come Padawan," Qui-Gon said with a smile. He placed a large hand on Obi-Wan's back and led him from the house.

This time, there was no doubt in Obi-Wan's mind. He could feel and almost taste the fact that Qui-Gon wanted him to continue being his apprentice. He was happy and at peace, just as he should be.

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