When You Come Home

-43-

"There!" Tala exclaimed in satisfaction, giving a final tug to the bandage around Anakin's arm. "No more adventures for you two for a few days, alright?" She looked sternly at Anakin and then at Obi-Wan. "You need to give your bodies time to heal."

When Obi-Wan nodded tersely, Anakin followed quickly, not wishing to invoke further her ladyship's wrath. She had been mad enough about their treacherous quest, then they'd engaged in a ferocious, and frankly unnecessary, argument about who Tala should tend first. Obi-Wan had insisted that she patch up Anakin first, but Anakin was adamant that Obi-Wan was worse. Eventually, Tala had taken the initiative and decided for them, sitting Obi-Wan down and utilizing her doctoring skills in deafening silence. Apparently this meant Tala was annoyed by the time their banter wasted, as evidenced by Obi-Wan's sealed lips and mildly concerned expression. Employing every power of their unspoken bond, he had willed Anakin not to say a word, a plea Anakin readily fulfilled. She was scary when she was angry.

But all seemed forgiven as she gave Obi-Wan a kiss on the cheek, smiling fondly at him before sweeping off to direct her medical knowledge to the rest of the troop.

Obi-Wan exhaled slowly, sitting back on his crate, tugging a blanket under himself. The warehouse wasn't cool, but the crates were decidedly uncomfortable, saved only by the worn and torn blankets littered around their temporary home. But Obi-Wan seemed not to notice the discomfort, instead watching after his wife as she flitted from person to person. "She never ceases to amaze me."

"Yeah, me either," Anakin muttered sarcastically.

Obi-Wan smiled, even laughed a little. "I love her temper; she's cute when she's angry."

Anakin scoffed, gagging dramatically. "That's so gross, dude! You're only saying that because you're married. Admit it: she's scary."

This time he did laugh. "I suppose she could be considered scary. But she only gets frustrated when she's stressed." He looked at Anakin, his eyes filled with love for his wife. "And when she's stressed, that means it's my job to help her, to support her. When she's angry, it's an opportunity for me to love her. You'll understand one day, when you find your special someone."

Anakin shuddered emphatically, mostly to make Obi-Wan smile again. "I'm not even eighteen; I think it's a bit soon for me to find 'the one,'" he did air-quotes with his fingers.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "I was fifteen when I met Satine, on that business trip to Mandalore, with Dad. I knew from the first moment I saw her that I wanted to spend my life with her. It was 'love at first sight' for me."

Anakin swung his legs against his box. Maybe Obi-Wan was right. Anakin had taken one look at Padmé and decided he wanted to marry her, to protect her and provide for her the rest of his life. Maybe he should tell Obi-Wan about her. What would he think of her? Would he approve? Would he even care?

"How is Dad doing?" Obi-Wan asked quietly, watching Anakin carefully, as though worried a wild beast might lash out from the shadows.

Anakin hesitated, observing Obi-Wan out of the corner of his eye. Then he looked down, rubbing his right arm. "He was fine when I left. I haven't heard from him since I joined the military. Got another girlfriend, I think: some cute redhead."

Obi-Wan shifted. "Oh."

The silence that fell between them was suffocating. A pair of doves fluttered in the rafters. Anakin coughed awkwardly.

Another beat, another fluttering. Anakin stood up, swinging his arms casually. "I should probably –"

"Wait, did you say redhead?" Obi-Wan interrupted, then looked embarrassed. "Sorry; I didn't mean to cut you off. But ... do you know her name? Actually, it doesn't matter if you know her name or not." He looked even more embarrassed, his flushing red as he sunk into his blanket. "Don't worry. Keep doing whatever you were doing."