Title: Fishing

Author: tarotgal

Fandom: Star Wars

Rating: G

Disclaimer: The great flannel-wearing one, not me.

Summary: Obi-Wan's doing assignments and looking forward to a trip

Notes: This is a combination of two things. One- too much helping sister with calculus. Two- a conversation with my mother during dinner clean-up on Memorial Day. There was a commercial on TV that used the Andy Griffith Show theme song and I said how it just wasn't the same without Andy and Opie going fishing. She thought I said Obi. And I laughed at the idea of Obi-Wan fishing and how I couldn't see it but she thought he might... and then the damn bunny bit. So this is my way of dealing with the resolution of that ;-)

Fishing

     Obi-Wan always did his homework on his master's bed. He could lie on his stomach and spread out his notes, datapads, and readers. The bedchamber was out of the way, so he could close the door and not be bothered by sounds in the common room from the beeps of the communication terminal to Qui-Gon speaking with guests. Usually it was the perfect setting. Usually...

     "Obi-Wan Kenobi!"

     The young padawan came awake in an instant. He found himself stretched out on the bed his one arm bent and his head resting upon that. He looked up with bleary vision at his master, standing akimbo in front of the bed. "Master?" he said weakly, then cleared his throat. Qui-Gon usually left him alone to study for hours and they weren't scheduled to leave for the practice rooms to do saber work until just before dinnertime. Surely he had not nodded off for that long.

     "Your snores were so loud I could hear them in the other room with the door closed." Obi-Wan looked alarmed and guilty, especially as Qui-Gon's tone grew sterner. "I thought you said you would be studying, not napping. We have a very tight schedule as it is and I had trusted you to finish your homework during this time."

     "I know, Master," Obi-Wan said, sitting up and rubbing his hand over his face. "I cannot imagine how I allowed myself to fall asleep. Please don't cancel the trip."

     They were planning to leave in one day's time for some off-world training. Qui-Gon was going to teach him some wilderness survival skills and help him commune with the natural world around him using the Force. It was not often that they were able to find a time in both their schedules to get away. There was always something else going on, from classes to missions, training to tournaments, banquets to assignments. But this had been scheduled for nearly half a year and Obi-Wan was looking forward to it immensely.

     "You just want to learn how to fish, don't you?" Qui-Gon said with some amusement.

     Obi-Wan nodded sheepishly.

     "There's no fault in looking forward to enjoyable events. So long as you concentrate on the present with just as much respect." Qui-Gon sat down on the bed and looked over the work spread out upon the bedspread. There were numbers and equations as far as the eye could see, and a long list of problems to be solved, only two of which had check marks of accomplishment beside them though quite a few had been attempted. "Do you need some help with these?"

     Obi-Wan hesitated, looking over all the work in front of him.

     "There is no shame in asking for assistance when you need it, either. I want you to do well and it's my duty as your master to help you do so." He ran his hand up and down Obi-Wan's back soothingly, then picked up one of the datapads and brought up the topic of study.

     As he began explaining the bits his padawan had not quite been able to grasp, Obi-Wan sat and tried to listen attentively. But he kept rubbing at his nose and yawning. And roughly ten minutes into the explanation he found himself nodding off.

     "Obi-Wan!" Qui-Gon said sternly. "I suppose you are falling asleep to the physics lesson and not to a saber training one. But I am very disappointed in you!" He looked down at his sleepy Padawan, whose eyes conveyed almost an infinite amount of regret. Qui-Gon narrowed his eyes, studying Obi-Wan for a moment. Then he began to collect the studying materials.

     Obi-Wan blinked, looking confused as he watched his master clear away his assignments.

     Then Qui-Gon moved so that he sat cross-legged in front of Obi-Wan. "Sit up please, Padawan. I will help you channel the Force."

     This certainly did not help clarify things for Obi-Wan. "I'm just a little more tired than usual," Obi-Wan insisted, assuming this must be one of Qui-Gon's usual punishments. Channel the Force to gain insight. Respect the quest for knowledge. Be mindful of the future but not at the expense of the present. Release your feelings in order to embrace them.

     Qui-Gon softened and gestured until Obi-Wan quickly sat up properly to face him. "I am not angry with you," Qui-Gon started. "I think you're tired because you're coming down with something and want to lead you in healing meditation before you get worse."

     Obi-Wan looked shocked. "But I'm not sick!"

     Qui-Gon smiled kindly. "Search yourself, Padawan Mine. I assure you, you are."

     Obi-Wan shook his head. "I'm not... because I cannot be. We're scheduled to go off-world. You were supposed to teach me to build a fire and track an animal through the woods and..."

     Narrowing his eyes, "Obi-Wan, are you trying not to sneeze?"

     Subtly his nostrils flared and his face twitched around it. "Of course not." He bit his lip and rubbed the back of his hand against his nose. "It's just a little feel-ing-hih!" His breath caught and he closed his eyes tightly in concentration. "H'tch!" He scrubbed at his nose. "Not a sneeze," he insisted. "We're leaving tomorrow and I'm going fishing with you." He sniffled.

     Qui-Gon sighed. "I have a bad feeling about this." He reached over and gently petted Obi-Wan's head, sneaking in a touch to his forehead to feel for fever. "We will discuss the trip- and fishing- when we've completed our meditation. Please do not argue with me about this."

     Obi-Wan nodded obediently then followed his master into a deep, healing meditation. Maintaining such a deep bond with the Force took much more concentration and strength than holding back a simple sneeze. Obi-Wan sniffled a few times during the meditation, but it was as natural in a healing trance as breathing was in any other.

     With Qui-Gon's help, Obi-Wan let everything out into the Force and harnessed it in the form of healing energy. It swept through his body, filling his cells and his calming his emotions. No longer was he worried about resisting or hiding. Instead, he willingly embraced the Force and all it could do through him. It was as familiar and comforting to him as his master's gentle soothings. It was as instructive as his assignments. It was as important as learning survival skills.

     When done, Qui-Gon opened his eyes to see Obi-Wan looking up at him apologetically. "Master," he whispered. Then his eyes shut and head snapped down. "hihhh-IHShhhh!"

     Qui-Gon rose and pulled the blankets down a little. He guided Obi-Wan under the covers and tucked them tightly around his padawan.

     "Good thing I study in bed," Obi-Wan said with a weak smile.

     "Very convenient indeed," Qui-Gon agreed. He sat down on the bed and rubbed Obi-Wan's arm through the blankets. "Now, about our trip..."

     Obi-Wan shook his head. "I should stay in bed for the next few days and not be sleeping outdoors and wading about in streams."

     Qui-Gon patted his arm once more then caressed Obi-Wan's cheek. "We will find the time and reschedule the trip." He leaned over and kissed Obi-Wan's forehead. "I will take you fishing."

     Smiling, Obi-Wan snuggled into the pillows and blankets of his master's bed. "I will look forward to it as I concentrate on helping my cold pass more quickly." He rubbed at his nose and closed his eyes again, but this time for sleep and not sneezing.

     Qui-Gon petted him soothingly, stroking his head and rubbing his arm and side through the blankets. "I will help you thread the thin line through the hoops on the long pole. We will practice your casting techniques as we would practice a kata. And then we will stand beside the shores of the lake, gazing into its depths as we wait to feel the tugs at the ends of our lines. It is a beautiful blue and silver when you see it in some light. But when you look more closely, it is so clear you can see fish swimming by. And when the sun sets there is a brilliant orange and gold reflection all along the surface."

     Obi-Wan's breaths were slow, in and out through his mouth instead of his nose. His whole body was relaxed as sleep had taken its hold to do its part in healing the padawan. And though Jedi rarely dreamt, Qui-Gon hoped Obi-Wan was dreaming of fishing rather than his unfinished physical mechanics problems.