Tomorrow Can Wait (JA) : New post 23rd Feb!

Before anyone says 'Oh, no! Not another one...has she gone stark raving mad?' I have to confess that I have over 80% of it already written so I feel comfortable with posting it here.

This slots in about 3 months post TLST and as a result might be considered a 'spoiler'. If you haven't already read Daphne's 'At the Stroke of Midnight' and 'Someone to Watch Over Me' which both take place after TLST and you don't know who survived the Kaligari trip for certain, you might not wish to read this. You have been warned!

I am posting this in smaller pieces than I have on my sister's website in the hope that it will eek it out a bit more!

Oh, and stand by with the tissues...

*************

Tomorrow Can Wait



"Can we talk?" Evla asked Jemmiah over lunch, watching as the Corellian girl stuffed a section of melon into her mouth with all the gusto of a hungry Sand Hamster. The very sight of the way she and Obi-Wan had been bolting food away ever since they had been rescued from Urior caused Evla no end of sorrow, although she supposed in Obi-Wan's case there was no real noticeable difference, at least none that Qui-Gon had managed to detect. He'd always been a quick eater, and a world class refrigerator raider when his master's back was turned. Evla didn't know where the young man fitted it all because he was trim and limber with hardly a spare piece of flesh round his middle.

Or so Jemmiah had claimed.

"Wearetalking." Jemmy nodded as she munched, wiping away juice from her mouth. She pointed at the fruit as she cut herself another large segment. "Thisisgood!Havetogetsomemoreofthis."

"Pardon?" Evla queried. "That might as well have been in Rodian for all I know."

"I said," Jemmiah chewed at the mouthful for a few seconds until she could make her words intelligible, "that the fruit was good. You should have some. I feel guilty eating away like a Gamorrean."

"Yes, well you need some fattening up." Evla took hold of her daughter's wrist and examined the thin flesh over the bone that was taking an age to creep back on.

"I won't get fat on this kind of thing. Let me at the Takkini chips for a month and I'll be back to my usual shapely self."

"Uh-uh. You know what An-Paj said. No rich foods, no spicy foods, no?"

"No enjoyable foods." Jemmy pouted. "It's not fair! Do you know how much I need chocolate right now? I'm going through withdrawal symptoms. I mean, this is nice but it's no substitute." She replied, starting to work on the second melon segment. "Better than ration cubes though."

Evla winced at the memory. She would be happy if the word Tildas were never mentioned in her presence again. So many people had suffered, so many were still suffering?it made her heart ache to relive those moments again. Since she'd channelled her energies into helping Jemmiah recover her own problems had been shoved to one side and Evla had been glad about it. Jemmy needed her and was the sole focus of her attention. Personal suffering was forgotten, dealt with in the blinking of an eyelid and cast away as of no consequence. Funnily enough, she had felt stronger as a result. An-Paj had warned her to slow down and have some time for herself, that she needed care as much as Jemmy did but Evla's determination had only increased.

Indeed An-Paj had been astonished at just how well she had been doing. It was almost as if the whole diabolical aftermath of the Tildas/Urior affair had given her a purpose and a further lease of life?

She wasn't stupid though. Evla knew that the time would soon come when all that would end and the energy that came from force knew where would cease to be. And when it did?

That was why she needed to talk to Jemmiah. She'd been putting the deed off for months now, telling herself that as long as she looked alright and her outward appearance did not give away the severity of her condition she would say nothing to cause her daughter any consternation. When Jemmiah had been brought back from Tildas she had been the one needing the care and skill of the healers. There was simply

 

*clenches hands, grits teeth, and mutters "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's plot bunnies, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's plot bunnies" over and over and over again*

Ten pages to go? Why did that line give me a bad feeling about Evla?

Poor Jemmiah. As if she didn't have to suffer enough already, she's going through withdrawal from chocolate!

 

Okay, box of tissues and lots of chocolate! I know I'll need both by the time this is over.

But I can't wait!! Post more!!!

 

Just upping this for later on...

 

Oh. that doesn't sound very hopeful....

I really like Evla.

 

"Padawan, I'm sure you will be fine. Just relax." Qui-Gon brushed himself down, removing one or two stray hairs that were sticking to his robe. "It's only a dinner dance."

"Master, I am such a bad dancer. What are people going to think?" Obi-Wan pulled a miserable face that Qui-Gon found strangely amusing. At the back of his mind he began to wonder if he wasn't actually beginning to enjoy watching younger people suffer, now that he himself was of an age group enabling him to look back and laugh. The disgruntled expression on his apprentice's face was genuine enough however and he elected to answer helpfully rather than with a comment that might actually hurt the young man's pride.

"Padawan, if it's that important to you why don't you have dancing lessons?"

"Pardon?" Obi-Wan's mouth fell open, as if his master had suggested he eat one of his own socks.

"Dancing lessons." Qui-Gon answered, admiring himself infront of the mirror.

"Me?"

"It's you we are talking about." Qui-Gon tilted his head to the right, finding yet another clump of grey hairs beginning to grow in. He sighed to himself. He wasn't vain by nature but that didn't stop him from regarding this gradual slide into middle age as an enemy that had to be ignored at all costs.

"Who ever heard of a jedi getting dancing lessons?" Obi-Wan tried to peer round the side of his master so that he too could see the mirror, an impossible task, as Qui-Gon was a much taller and broader individual than himself.

"I did." Qui-Gon replied, facing his padawan.

"Y-you?" The smile on Obi-Wan's face cracked wide open until it became and amused grin, accompanied by a chuckle that set his master's teeth on edge to hear it. "You got instructions on Alderaani waltzes?

"Amongst other things." Qui-Gon shrugged, remembering his own initial reaction to the suggestion. "My sabre co-ordination wasn't as good as it should be. So I was offered the chance to improve via a rather unusual method."

"Does Master Berlingside know?" Obi-Wan smirked.

"No! And you are NOT going to tell him!" Qui-Gon warned him. "It would be all round the temple by sunset. I'd never hear the end of it."

Obi-Wan considered his master's words. Jemmy liked dancing, that much was true. He had never particularly cared for it but then that had a lot to do with the fact he was particularly bad at it. Perhaps when Jemmy was better she might consider going to dancing lessons with him? That way they would be spending more time with each other than they usually did.

Lately it had been a nightmare. Hardly a moment to themselves, and with An-Paj's strict edicts on top of all that?

//Just like the good old days of sneaking around and stealing a moment here and there whenever we could. Only this time we have to stick to a 'hands off' policy.//

"I'll think about it, master." Obi-Wan said after a moment's consideration.

"Good," Qui-Gon replied lightly as he finished grooming his hair, "it won't do you any harm at all. It will improve your balance, your co-ordination and your footwork. And maybe it will gain you some plus points the next time you have to dance with a lady, rather than having to call for an emergency chiropodist."

"I'm not THAT bad!" Obi-Wan sniffed.

"Padawan, you are the only person I have seen who can reduce a line dance into a skittles alley. You knock one person over and then 'whumph!' They all go down."

"That was an unfortunate accident." Obi-Wan grimaced.

"It was for Senator Jakka's wife. You managed to tear the dress off her back as you fell. And then you got entangled with her corset strings?" Qui-Gon reminded him.

"Okay! I admit it, I am a useless dancer." Obi-Wan darted infront of his master to procure his turn at the mirror.

Qui-Gon glanced at the chrono and sighed.

"The hardships we have to suffer as ambassadors of goodwill." He muttered. "Wine, women and song. Or in your case song, because you aren't able to partake in either of the first two."

"Why can't I drink?" Obi-Wan glowered.

"Because you are being tested on your sabre skil

 

Upsies!

 

I've heard that men only want a few things and I think that Obi is one that proves.

1. Food
2. Drink
3. Seeing something naked (Jemmiah)

But he wouldn't be our Obi if he didn't!!

 

Bringing this up for others to read... it's too good to disappear down the board.

 

I'm new here.I've never read past the first chapter of any of your stories.I was just wondering do you ever write a story without the infamous "Jemmy" in it that overshadows,not compliments OBI?!?!?!?!?!.It seems you have such writing ability.PEACE Ewen

 

Hey, wonderful start, Jem!!! Excellent writing, as usual. I love all the humor you always manage to insert, no matter what the circumstances!!! Like others, I have a bad feeling about Evla but am definitely looking forward to more!

 

Lol, when I started reading I had the same reaction. GET PAST JEMMY TO OBI! Then I grew to have a bit of a bemused affection for the character.

 

Ewen, Jemmy can be a bit much but she is purposely written that way. Obi-Wan is growing up and leaving her behind in the maturity stakes and I had hoped that would come out. This story will actually help Jemmy to bridge the gap a little and will help her find a new level of selflessness by the end of it. If anyone wants to read a story that actually has Jemmy and Obi-Wan very much on a par with each other I suggest you read Someone to Watch over Me which shows both of them more or less grown up. It was co-writtten with Mouse and I had great fun doing it.

*************


Rela lounged along the floor, trying to ignore the hole in the carpet made by a certain padawan of both her and Jemmiah's acquaintance. It had been there ever since the night she had loaned the use of her apartment to the couple so that they could?get more familiar with each other away from the constant supervision of Qui-Gon and Evla. Being a secret trashy romance reader Rela had been pleased to help her two friends out at the time.

True, she had ended up sleeping with Dinkos and insects on a badly sprung sofa whilst Jemmiah had been sleeping with Obi-Wan in Rela's comfortable bed but it had been a gesture she was happy to make. Until she'd come back to find Obi-Wan hopping around in the nude, her neighbor unconscious from shock on the floor, the floor of the shower awash with water and her bed covered in doughnut jam and sugar. As for the 'items' she'd found in the sink?

Just to top it all off there had been a mysterious hole burned into the carpet, caused by the hot sauce that Obi-Wan had dropped whilst eating some greasy Corellian fast food.

Jemmy grinned as she stared at Rela's brooding face, watching the red head try and pull the rug back over it.

"That's our perforation." Jemmy smiled, sighing. "The one that Obi-Wan made whilst he was pigging out on spiced sausage."

"Don't be sickening." Rela smirked back.

"Can't help it! I'm in love!" Jemmy clasped her hands to her breast and laughed at herself. "Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"Well," Jemmy shrugged, "I suppose I am. I don't have anything to compare it with so I don't know. I've never been close to loving anyone else. I've had plenty of things to NOT compare it with."

"What, like Zac, Jay and Gethin?" Rela elbowed her friend insinuatingly.

"Amongst others, yeah."

"So," Rela returned her eyes back to the holoscreen, watching some costume drama she'd flicked on whilst bored, "When did you know that Obi was THE one?"

"Dunno." Jemmy paused, wracking her brain. "Maybe when I realized that the smell of his socks didn't offend my nose as much as it used to."

"Ever the romantic." Rela snickered, nodding at the screen. "Hey, what do you think of him in the britches?"

"Not tight enough." Jemmy pursed her lips.

"Who, him or the britches?"

"Both!" Jemmiah laughed, watching the man stagger down the gangplank of some sailing ship. "I'd prefer him if he split them. Or took them off."

"Imagine saying that after what you said about Obi!" Rela tutted at her friend. "You're busy telling me he's the love of your life and there you are ogling men's bottoms!"

"That was never an ogle!" Jemmiah protested, rolling on her side to get a better view. "That was a clinical examination of the facts before me."

"I know the sort of clinical examinations you like." Rela countered wickedly, popping a chocolate in her mouth. "The kind that Gethin likes to give, yes?"

"Leave Gethin out of this." Jemmiah answered in resolute fashion. "I'm fond of him but that's where it stops. I'm with Ben, and I'm perfectly happy with him. You see, what I had with Gethin was just fifteen minutes of lust. What I have with Ben is something much more fulfilling, more mature?Whoa! He's a bit of alright!" Jemmy crawled closer to the screen, hands and knees. "Now that is what I call a nicely sprung rear!"

Rela began to chuckle at her friend's antics, relieved to see the Corellian up and about and acting more like her old self again.

 

Jemmiah and Gethin? Where did I miss this? I love the way Rela is concerned about Jemmy, and the way she's encouraging her about Obi-Wan. Loved the description of "that night", too!

So Evla's getting better? *hopeful look*

 

Hmmm, I'm not sure I want to read the story involving that carpet...Sounds frighteningly funny.

 

It is frighteningly funny! It's at the very end of A Night to (Almost) Remember.

I'm glad Rela's concerned for Jemmy... she's going to need her friends.

 

"Master, I don't feel right in this place." Obi-Wan wore a tight grin on his face but talked out the side of his mouth. "This place is full of women!"

"I thought you liked women." Qui-Gon sipped at a drink of iced petal fruit juice.

"I do?I just don't feel comfortable being so near to so many of them at one time. It's like they see me as some kind of strange one-man freak show. They're all whispering and nudging each other and pointing at me." Obi-Wan glanced down at his trouser pants and began to adjust the waistband.

"What are you doing?" Qui-Gon was incredulous.

"I'm checking my trousers aren't open!" Obi-Wan replied in an indignant manner.

"If you continue?prodding yourself like that in full view of everybody of course they will stare at you." Qui-Gon answered testily.

"Sorry, master."

"Look, just relax." Qui-Gon soothed.

"Yes, master."

"And start mingling."

"I thought you said you wanted me to relax!?!"

"Just do it Obi-Wan. I have to speak to the chancellor and?actually, you're right." Jinn followed Obi-Wan's furtive gaze towards the group of women who were chatting freely - and loudly - in the corner. "They are staring at you."

Obi-Wan did as near perfect an imitation of a turtle as possible and pulled his neck as far into his hood as he could get, shrinking almost out of sight.

"What is it, do you think?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I don't know." It took all Qui-Gon 's self control not to end up checking his own trousers just as his padawan had done earlier. "Women are mysterious creatures Obi-Wan. Infact they are a bit like your socks."

"What?" A voice asked from over Qui-Gon's shoulder. "Scented and in need of constant replacing?"

Qui-Gon didn't even have to turn round.

"No Dex, I was going to say a law unto themselves." Jinn sighed out loud. "What are you doing here?"

"Same as you, although in a more round about fashion." He raised his glass to an elegant brunette standing in the corner. "I have friends in high places too."

"You have friend in all sorts of places." Jinn shook his head.

"Exactly, and some in places you really wouldn't want to?hello Obi-Wan." He nodded, changing the subject as Qui-Gon elbowed him in the side. "Having a good time?"

"Not really, Master Berlingside." Obi-Wan confessed.

"Oh? Why would that be? What more do you need? Good company, pretty girls?lots of food."

Obi-Wan shot his master a heated look.

"Yes, whilst you have mentioned Obi-Wan's favorite things I'm afraid that he won't be sampling any of them tonight." Qui-Gon answered.

"Are you ill?" Dex frowned at the padawan.

"I wish I was. Then I could be at home in bed." Obi-Wan groused.

"He won't be enjoying the company because he is pining for Jemmiah." Qui-Gon teased the young man. "He won't be enjoying the food because he has a sabre exam tomorrow. He won't be enjoying the women because Jemmiah would kill him, and for that matter so would I."

Dex pulled a sympathetic face. "Oh, well! All the more for me!" He grinned. "What a pity."

"Cad." Was Qui-Gon's only comment.

One of the women actually waved at the group and Dex being who he was wasted no time in waving shamelessly back.

"Let the fun commence." The blonde master smirked, raising his glass in a toast.

************



Jemmiah returned to her apartment some four or so hours after she had left it, armed with two bottles of pink sparkling wine and a box of chocolates the size of a Hutt's mud-wallowing pool.

"Jemmiah, no!" Evla replied stubbornly. "You are NOT eating those chocolates! An-Paj said that?"

"I know what An-Paj said." Jemmiah tapped at the side of her head. "I have it memorised word for word. Anyhow, they're not for me. They're for you."

When Evla appeared somewhat startled, Jemmiah tried to explain, shuffling in embarrassed fashion from foot to foot.

"I got them because I wanted to say thank you for the way you've looked after me. I know that it's been tough on you and I never felt happy that you should have all that unnecessary burden?"

"Why don't you let me decide

 

Just upping this one

 

"Some women find jedi fascinating." Dex stated as he munched on a sliced piece of Alderaani dough bread. "It's a strange fact of life."

"True." Qui-Gon agreed. "It could be that."

The stares and winks had been going on for some time - infact for the last few hours - and Obi-Wan had only calmed down when Qui-Gon had led him over to the buffet table and allowed him to stuff his face. The manner in which the padawan was eating left Qui-Gon shaking his head in disgust. The boy was looking at the food as if he hadn't eaten for the best part of a week.

"Slow down, Obi-Wan!" Qui-Gon said out the corner of his mouth. "Unless you want people to stare at you even more."

"I'm hungry, master."

"You're always hungry!"

"That's why I'm always eating."

Qui-Gon sighed and eyed his padawan balefully.

"I suggest if you want to leave any food for the guests you will stop acting like the termite I know you to be and just find a plate and pick what you want. If you continue eating as you go the table is liable to get devoured as well." He sniffed.

"I'm not that bad! Anyway, I couldn't eat a whole table."

"I'm glad to hear it."

"Maybe a leg?"

"Padawan." Growled Qui-Gon.

Obi-Wan smiled and went to find a plate.

"What's wrong with him?" Dex wondered, flirting across the room with several young and nubile looking ladies on Valorum's staff.

"He's worried about Jemmiah. Frankly so am I." Qui-Gon continued to sip at his drink.

Dex paled visibly. "Surely she's getting better? I thought An-Paj had it all under control?"

"More or less. It's still early days of course but I think the fact it was such a close run thing is only just beginning to sink in. You should see her Dex, she's normally such an energetic person - so full of life - but she's so tired and worn out it's almost like looking at another person. It hurts to see it."

"It just takes time." Dex answered quietly, trying to reassure his friend. "She seemed pretty determined to me when I saw her last week."

"Oh, yes. There's no doubting her resoluteness. As you say, I am sure she will bounce back. Of course," Qui-Gon lowered his voice even though his padawan was far away from where they were both talking, "I did think twice about going to this thing tonight. If the Chancellor hadn't asked me personally I would have refused, but that would have been a slight and one can't afford to lose the friendship of someone as influential as Finis Valorum."

"You never know when it will come in handy?" Dex second-guessed him.

"Indeed."

Dex looked about him, scanning the large party of people for anyone else he might know.

"Well," Dex admitted, "I can't help but despise these sorts of functions. In my opinion the politics gets in the way of what is otherwise a very fine party!"

"You don't know how right you are." Agreed Qui-Gon, who for some after time remained silently lost in thought.

Dex picked up a sliced orchichi and began to slurp noisily as he sucked on the juice. He saw Qui-Gon's eyes gleam warningly.

"You are as bad as him!" Jinn nodded in the direction of his padawan who was in plain sight down the other end of the table, filling up his plate so that it resembled a mountain peak.

"You are so easy to wind up!" grinned Dex.

"How you ever survived your days in the crèche I will never know."

"Because all the crèche master's loved me!" Dex beamed proudly. "I was adorable!"

Berlingside's green eyes flicked from side to side, taking in the strain on his friend's face and the downcast turn of his lips. Something was bothering him.

"Want to talk about it?" Dex nudged him.

"What?"

"Whatever it is that's got you moping about with a face like a wet day on Dagobah." Replied the fair-haired master.

Qui-Gon turned a melancholy smile on his friend.

"Dex," he mumbled, "I appreciate your efforts at trying to cheer me up. I know its' not been easy for you since the Kaligari business," he stopped as he saw Dex's normally affable smile falter, "and I know that you are still in some discomfort."

"What's your Leona

 

"...my master starves me..." Oh, that was too funny! And the way Obi-Wan did not return the favour to Qui-Gon! Who did that? I was thinking it was Dex, but then I went back and looked, and he at least pretends not to have met them until after the stares and giggles have started, so it's hard to add him to the short list of suspects. But more importantly, what does Qui-Gon's label say?

I hope Evla gets the nerve and the opportunity at the same time! Poor Jemmy, though.

 

Obi-Wan!!!!!! How could you???? That's not proper behavior for a Jed Apprentice!!!


As for Jemmiah, she is definitely a spoiled brat!! I know she's had it tough and everyone feels sorry for her, but that's no excuse for letting her run wild!! (yes, I know it's a story! ) My niece/cousin may be a similiar case. She was adopted from China and only has my Aunt for a parent. Poor sweet child! Now this child is five and can do NO WRONG! (Yeah, right!)
She's jumping off coffee tables, and mouthing off to anyone who tries to correct her!! Ugh!!!

 

I love it Jem!!!

Obi's just getting his master back for lack of food! Just remember it's done out of love! Jemmy wouldn't do it if she didn't care!

I love the fact that Jemmy and Rela are watching a "costume drama" aboard a ship. Hmmmmm.... Wonder where you got that idea from??

 

Hilarious. More?