Bedtime Story

by Sage (greensage2@yahoo.com)

Archive: Yes to M_A. All others, please ask.

Category: Alternate Universe, Pre-Slash

Rating: G

Warnings: None

Series: Happens between Hugs and Kisses

Summary: More fluffiness. Obi-Wan learns a lesson

Notes: This fic is for Julia, whose delightful feedback on my first two Bonding Universe stories also included a plot bunny that grabbed me by the throat and wouldn't let go. <g> Thanks also to everyone who gave me feedback on Hugs and Kisses - your encouragement means more to me than I can express.

Feedback: Oh please, oh please! Either on the list or by email would be fine.

Disclaimers: Not mine. No money. All hail the mighty Lucas. Thanks and much praise to Anne Higgins for creating her wonderful Bonding Universe and allowing other authors to write in it.

Bond-speak is in italics

Timeline - Not long after "Hugs," but before "Kisses." Obi-Wan is still living in the Crèche.

Qui-Gon came awake suddenly and blinked for a moment in sleepy disorientation. Just back from a mission, he was exhausted enough to sleep like the dead, and he wondered what could possibly have the power to pull him from such a profound slumber. His quarters were abruptly illuminated brighter than a desert noon, and a tremendous clap of thunder followed closely after.

Qui-Gon blinked again and frowned. Something didn't quite fit. He struggled to get his sleep-addled brain to focus. There was a reason why an electrical storm felt out of place. He just couldn't remember...ah, yes. This was Coruscant. Placid, weather-controlled Coruscant. There weren't SUPPOSED to be any electrical storms here. The sizzling bolt of lightning that flashed through the air and the sonic concussion that rattled his window told him that 'supposed to' meant precisely nothing on this particular night.

Fully awake now, a disgruntled young Jedi Master rolled out of bed and padded out into the common room of his quarters. The message light was blinking on his data terminal. He sat down and keyed up his messages. There was a note from a good friend back in-Temple for awhile - he'd have to get in touch with J'trell while she was on- planet. The second message was a...GROAN...Council summons. No doubt they'd be shipping him out again soon. The third message finally gave him the information he was looking for. From the Coruscant corps of civil engineers, it explained that the weather control grids were malfunctioning. The problem would be fixed by morning, but residents should expect electrical storms for the duration of the night and should remain indoors if at all possible.

Qui-Gon sighed as another thunderclap shook the Temple walls. Just delightful. Well, he supposed that if he was going to be awakened in the middle of the night, he might as well take advantage of it and get a midnight snack. He shrugged his robe on over his sleep pants, smoothed his long, loose mane into some semblance of order, and left his quarters in search of some food. While en route to the refectory, he ran into several other similarly attired, sleepy-eyed Knights who were obviously on the same quest. His eyes settled on a tall, broad-shouldered form with a shiny dark head a short distance in front of him.

"Mace!" Qui-Gon called out to his friend.

The Knight turned around. "Qui? That you?" Dark eyes eventually found his yearmate as Qui-Gon hurried to catch up with him.

"Mounting a raid on the kitchens?" Qui-Gon asked with mischief in his eyes.

"If you help, I'll give you a share of the takings," Mace ribbed.

"Done," Qui-Gon replied with a nod.

Upon arriving in the refectory, the two young Knights prevailed upon one of the night duty cooks for tea and some of the sweet fruit dessert left over from the evening meal. Qui-Gon and Mace lingered over their tea, reminiscing about some of their first missions together and their wilder misadventures. It was almost enough to make Qui-Gon forgive the engineers who lost control of the weather grids on one of his few nights back at the Temple. Almost.

They were laughing about a particularly embarrassing incident with a noblewoman on Karell when Qui-Gon suddenly lurched to his feet.

"Qui?"

"It's Obi-Wan. This must be the first electrical storm he's ever experienced. He's petrified, and he's trying to shield it from me." Qui-Gon reached out and wrapped his young bondmate in a comforting Force embrace.

The abject terror leaking along the bond lessened a little, but did not fade completely.

Are you well, my imp? Qui-Gon sent, concerned.

Yes, Quigee. Obi-Wan's mental voice was tremulous despite his valiant attempt to cover his fear. He knew his Quigee was tired. He just got back from a mission, and he needed to sleep. Obi-Wan was determined to be a big boy and let his Quigee sleep. Besides, Jedi do not fear. Usually.

Are you frightened by the storm, Little One? Qui-Gon's mental voice was gentle.

Silence. Is the Temple going to fall down? the little voice finally quavered.

Qui-Gon's focus snapped back to Mace. "I've got to go to him. He's too scared for this to work long distance."

Mace sighed. "Go on, Qui. He needs you."

Qui-Gon turned to leave, then reconsidered. He swung back around to face his friend. "You know, all the kids in the crèche are probably terribly frightened by the storm. I could use some help, if you aren't in a hurry to get back to bed."

Mace considered that for a moment. No one was more astonished than he when he responded, "sure."

Qui-Gon blinked in surprise, then grinned at his friend as they started off towards the crèche amid more earth-shaking claps of thunder.

Hold on, Obi-Wan, I'm coming.

I'm okay, Quigee. You need to sleep, the little voice said bravely.

I couldn't sleep through the storm either, Imp. You're not keeping me awake. I'm almost there.

Obi-Wan's brave front collapsed. Th-thanks, Quigee.

The two young Knights entered the childrens' wing and were assaulted by the strident sounds of screaming infants. Crèche Master Aronna was pacing the hall, a squalling baby in each arm, trying to get them to stop crying. The harried woman glanced up as Mace and Qui-Gon came around the corner.

"Master Aronna?" Qui-Gon was concerned when he saw the Crèche Master's haggard face.

"Sorry, Master Jinn, Knight Windu. The children are all dreadfully frightened by the storm. Most of my assistants are working with the infants, and those that aren't are taking care of the young toddlers. Three of my people have come down with the Sorollan flu, and I just don't have any free hands to spare for the older children," she fretted. "They must be terribly afraid, all alone in there and no one coming to see to them..."

She broke off her worried rambling and fixed the two young men with a quizzical stare. "What are you two doing down here at this time of night?"

Qui-Gon looked faintly sheepish. "Obi-Wan is frightened. I was with Mace at the time, and, well..." he trailed off.

"I came along because Qui thought the rest of the children might be afraid." Mace grinned. "Figured he could use some backup."

Aronna nearly sagged with relief. Ask the Force for help, and it sends the cavalry. "Oh, would you? I feel just awful that there aren't enough people in here tonight to take care of the older children."

Qui-Gon hastened to reassure the older Master, whose tiny charges were screaming even louder. "Consider it done, Master. We'll look in on the older children for you."

Preoccupied with the noisy infants, Aronna simply nodded and resumed pacing, trying to soothe the babies enough to make them sleep.

Qui-Gon and Mace reached the doors of the crèche where the older children slept and entered the darkened room. Another blinding flash of lightning illuminated the rows of narrow beds, each holding one small, terrified occupant. Had the kids been any less scared, the two Knights might've laughed at the comical scene. Some of the children had buried their heads under their pillows, trying to shut out the deafening thunder. Others were huddled in small, trembling balls with the blankets thrown over their heads. Still more were clutching stuffed toys with their eyes screwed tightly shut.

Qui-Gon unerringly found Obi-Wan's bed. The little boy was lying ramrod straight and rigid on the mattress. His eyes were wide open, and he was shivering uncontrollably.

"Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon whispered.

A red-haired streak of lightning erupted out of the small bed and attached itself desperately to Qui-Gon's torso, burrowing into his robe and away from the storm. The little boy's shivering intensified.

"Q-quigee!" he choked out, trying very hard not to cry as the walls shook with the storm's power.

It's all right now, my imp. I'm here, and I'll keep you safe.

P-promise?

With my life, Little One. He tightened his embrace. It's just a storm. It won't hurt you.

Across the room, one of the other children whimpered. Mace left Qui- Gon's side and went to comfort the frightened child. After a moment, he returned with one child in each arm, and a third clinging desperately to his leg.

"You were right, Qui. They're all scared stiff. We've got to do something about this," Mace said, genuinely anxious about the children.

"We could try and put them all under, I suppose. Though with this racket, they probably won't stay asleep."

"You're right about that, but I don't know how to help them any other way, do you?"

Qui-Gon shook his head worriedly.

A curly head peeped out of Qui-Gon's robe. "You could tell a bedtime story," Obi-Wan whispered. "I sleep better when you tell me stories."

Qui-Gon smiled wryly. Trust the little imp to come up with a solution where two Knights were at a total loss. He glanced at Mace, who nodded and shrugged as if to say 'well, what do we have to lose?'

Qui-Gon surveyed the rest of the large room. "Is everybody awake?" he asked quietly. A variety of frightened noises answered him. "All right, then. Anybody who wants a bedtime story, follow me and Knight Windu."

A tremendous rustling of sheets heralded the mass exodus from beds as twenty-five terrified children clustered around the young Knight and Master. Qui-Gon and Mace headed for a corner of the room which was left open as a play area. They sat on some cushions, their backs to the wall. Almost immediately, small bodies filled their laps to capacity, and more huddled against their sides and all along their legs.

Qui-Gon still held Obi-Wan securely in his arms, lightly stroking his soft, curly hair. He thought for a moment, and then began to speak, weaving an epic tale of ancient warriors and their monumental battles against evil monsters, telling the children that the thunder was the noise of their eternal struggle. The warriors kept the monsters away from the Temple, and the flashes of lightning were the glow of their lightsabers as they kept the Jedi safe.

Qui-Gon's quiet, deep voice spun the tale until, one by one, their little charges all dropped off to sleep, lulled by the rolling cadence of his resonant tones. It wasn't long before he and Mace surrendered to the arms of Morpheus, as well.

Several hours later, Crèche Master Aronna emerged from her rooms into the merciful quiet of the pre-dawn crèche. Her heart leapt intoher throat for a moment when she saw all the empty beds. Surely, the storm hadn't frightened her charges into fleeing the crèche...had it? Surely not with Mace and Qui-Gon here to comfort them. Her eyes darted around the room, and she smiled with relief and mild amusement. There, in the corner of the room, two of the Order's finest up-and-coming Knights sat, propped up against one another and sound asleep under a heap of slumbering children.

Chuckling quietly, Aronna decided to let them all sleep on. It wasn't every day, after all, that she actually had a chance to enjoy her morning tea without a half-dozen little hands tugging at her robe. She looked toward the corner again, her gaze focusing on the Jedi Master and his young bondmate. The picture they presented tugged at her heart; even asleep, a gentle smile graced Qui-Gon's face as he rested his cheek against the silky curls of the little boy nestled so trustingly against him.

Aronna summoned two of her assistants, and together, they levitated the children back to their beds, all except Obi-Wan whom they couldn't extract from his bondmate's embrace. Aronna shrugged and floated the pair over to Obi-Wan's bed while another of the Crèche Masters settled Mace onto a spare pallet. Aronna smiled gently as she tucked the blankets around the young Jedi Master and his little imp. Sometimes, her charges still needed mothering even after they'd grown beyond her care.

Some time later, Qui-Gon's eyes came open slowly, responding to the suggestion of his internal clock that it was past time for him to be awake. He looked around, puzzled. He wasn't in his quarters, and the bed he was sleeping in was about a foot and a half too short for him. He pushed that assessment away for a moment. There was something important he had to get up for, something... Oh, yes. Council meeting. He inhaled deeply, preparing to stretch his long limbs, and promptly sneezed when fine strands of coppery hair tickled his nose. A small head popped up, startled into wakefulness, and grey-green eyes blinked drowsily at him for a moment.

Qui-Gon's memories came rushing back. He remembered the storm, the chat with Mace, then their trip to the crèche, and the bedtime story he'd told to help the children sleep. He smiled at the sleepy little boy who peered at him from within the folds of his robe.

Sorry to wake you, Imp. Did you sleep well?

Mm-hmm, Obi-Wan responded absently as he wriggled closer to his bondmate, making himself more comfortable on Qui-Gon's broad chest.

Qui-Gon felt a ridiculously silly grin spread over his face as he stroked his little imp's back gently.

Quigee? Obi-Wan's mental voice was endearingly soft and somnolent.

Mm?

Tell me 'nother story?

Qui-Gon chuckled. Sith fly away with the Council meeting. The rest of the world could wait. This was more important.

Fin