At the Stroke of Midnight

I hate cliffhangers... how could you do this to me????? POST POST POST!

 

awww come on now. . .

Obi was shot (somewhat flesh wound) and Rufas got it in the head .. . .

 

Nope. My guess is that the bad guy will live to rear his ugly head some other time, in true classic tradition...

 

No Villians are despensible . . . enimies come a dime a dozen but freinds are worth a fortune. ..

 

Daphne, I'm running out of superlatives! That was just soooooo good!

Looking forward to the next one!

 

To all my loyal readers. I just wanted to let you know that there will be a sequel, and I am already writing it. So.... although soon we will finish this story, the angst and heartbreak is not over.

I just want you to know, I struggled with this post, but I hope it's up to standard.




At the stroke of midnight - part twenty seven (boy this is long!)

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue.

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Corrine stared as her target fell, hard, to the ground. Her arms were locked, her blaster still trained on Rufus Meridan. The beating of her heart had stopped for an instant when she had seen him squeeze the trigger - her reaction was instantaneous. She shot him.

A soft moan grabbed her attention. The sound of a blaster hitting the dirt was distinctive.

"Obi-Wan!"

Kneeling on the ground, she drew him into her arms. Silently, the Jedi leaned into her, allowing her to support him. Her hand closed over his as the blood flowed from his shoulder beneath. Corrine rocked forward on her heels, resting her forehead against his. "We have to go. Master Jinn will be worried."

Obi-Wan glanced up. The question didn't really need to be spoken, and Corrine nodded. Resting his head against her arm, he bit his lip and locked his knees, desperate to make it to his feet.

Corrine staggered, not quiet able to bear his weight, but not willing to let him fall. They made it twenty meters, perhaps less, when Qui-Gon raced around the corner. The girl stepped back, answering Qui-Gon's questions with short, clipped answers as the Jedi Master lifted Obi-Wan effortlessly from wobbling legs and into strong steady arms.

------------------

"Are we ready to go?"

"Not yet!"

Alex had been on this planet, this chase, longer than he would have thought - been seperated from Meri longer than he would have wanted, ever. Dropping down the ladder, the blue-eyed Jedi wished they had thought to bring a larger shuttle, with 20 extra passengers, the only place left to put them was the cargo hold. It wasn't his first choice for victims, especially ones Rufus Meridan had traumatized, but it would have to be enough.

Extending his arms, laden with pillows and blankets raided from the storage closets, Alex made sure each of the women were comfortable. The clamoring at the hatch brought him up quickly. Meri was back, and she would be returning with the body of Mr. Meridan. This was not something Alex wanted to miss.

He made it up the ladder just in time to see Meri collapse. The last weeks had taken their toll on her as well, and Alex gathered her into his arms.

"Where is he?"

Meri lifted her head from his shoulder and looked sadly at Corrine. Her face and blouse were streaked with Obi-Wan's blood, and her hair fell in tangles down her back and over her eyes, the typically neat and regal looking woman might well have come from a war zone. Impatiently, she tapped her fingertips against her hip. "Well, where is he?"

Meri ducked her head, looking like a small child being punished, rather than a strong Jedi almost-Knight. She burrowed back against Alex before meeting Corrine's eyes. "He wasn't there. There was blood, but he wasn't there."

------------------

"Obi-Wan?"

The voice drifted through the foggy haze that had overtaken the Jedi's mind.

"Obi-Wan?"

"Jemmy?" The weak voice barely whispered the word, but it was enough.

Corrine shook her head. Not that it mattered. She didn't need Qui-Gon to tell her he was out of it, nor did she need anyone's expert opinion to know her place once it was all over. For now, though, Jemmiah slept away the exhaustion and fatigue. She would stay, and hold his hand, allowing Master Jinn to alternate his time between the two patients.

 

*Gasp* I guess that's OK.. as long as they're all OK, they can go chase the bad guy some other time ( and it's an excuse for a sequel *yipee*)...

 

I'm in a posting mood. I have two ready, so I might as well post two. Here's the next! Now would someone read them?



At the stroke of midnight - part twenty eight

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue.

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"I feel alright! Just let me out of here!"

"Padawan."

"No, master. I won't hush. I hate the infirmary, and now that I'm well enough to walk out, I'm walking out."

"You are not well."

"They let Jemmiah out, and now I want to see her."

Qui-Gon looked long and hard at his apprentice. Although two weeks in the infirmary had done wonders for his wounds, they had not touched his mental state. Qui-Gon could still barely sense him through their bond - Obi-Wan's tenuous grasp of the Force stalling his recovery. On the other hand, perhaps seeing Jemmiah could help him....

"Alright. I'll bring a set of tunics down for you."

"Thank you Master."

--------------------

Jemmiah stared out the window - not that the view had changed, but here, in the Temple, was the one place she felt safe. In the background, she could hear the holovid - she had been on the news for nearly a month, uninterrupted. Now the announcer was speaking of the Chancellor's support for her recovery. *Ha! He hasn't even seen me since.....* Shaking her head, she wondered if it was time to sleep yet. Sleep was the one time her mind quieted down - the nightmares she was learned to tolerate, but the things she saw when she was awake.....

Not once had the nightmares changed. Even after all these years, she could see Nagotria, but now her waking mind conjured up images of the recent past, rather than the distant. Images of Obi-Wan, hanging by his wrists from the wall, the blood seeping slowly from him as Qui-Gon carried him onboard the shuttle, Corrine's face as Rufus fired on her in the Temple - the infirmary. It all seemed so clear in the light of day, everything she had done, everything she was - it was all wrong.

"Jemmiah."

The Correlian turned her head in acknowledgement. Only Meri and Alex visited now. Qui-Gon had come at first, but it was too hard, too much of a reminder, of what she had cost those she loved. Once he had seen the hurt he brought, Master Jinn had stopped coming. Someday, it would be time to go, leave the Temple behind for the last time. Now, she just wanted to hide from the world.

"Jemmiah. Obi-Wan is here."

Obi-Wan. Her Obi-Wan. She should have known, of course he would come for her, he always came for her. He always saved her, comforted her, held her, soothed her. What had she done to desearve it? Nothing. Nothing but scream at him, embarrass him, hurt him, and now, now she had brought Rufus done on him. She had caused his torture. She had caused his suffering. She had nearly killed him. Still he came for her. *Oh Ben. What do I have to do to make you see? I'm not worthy of you.*

----------------------

Obi-Wan stood, toying with his braid, outside Master Arieh's quarters. His thoughts drifted through time. He could still remember the little girl, clinging to his master's robes, and in the next breath bandaging the Jedi Master's wounds - could still remember the look on her face, determined to save his life, even if it cost her own. He only hoped she would find him worthy of that kind of bravery.

Meri paused behind him, suprised that he had not yet, sensed her presence. //Obi-Wan?//

When she drew no response, she shook her head. It was worse than she had imagined. *Obi, lay your ghosts to rest already.*

"Obi-Wan, she said you may see her."

Turning, the apprentice gave one of his oldest friends a brave smile before proceeding her inside.

Nodding to Alex, he crossed the living quarters for the bedroom door. Even without the force, he knew he would find her in Master Arieh's bedroom, admiring the view, and trying to ignore her thougths. It was her way of avoiding everything, and she would not improvise now.

"Jemmiah."

She did not turn, but she did not send him away.

"Jemmiah, I need to talk to you."

 

Talk to him, Jemmy! Talk to him!

 

Up!

I was going to post the next part while I'm here, but geez... two comments for two posts...

Maybe I'll get online and post this afternoon.

 

Daphne: PLEASE POST!!!! I loved the two parts that you posted...I'm at work at the moment so, shhh! Don't tell anyone. I couldn't post earlier than I have.

So, the bad guy got away...YES!

And the promise of a sequel: EVEN BETTER!

Do I sense the onset of some major guilt/slush etc coming our way?

I do hope so!

 

UP! UP! So that Daphne might post again later on!

 

I just thought I would let you know that I *am* working on Chapter two of Correlian Rum - I have not forgotten it, just having some trouble getting it right.

Part 29 is a shortie, but I hope you like it.



At the stroke of midnight - part twenty nine

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue.

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*Talk? He wanted to talk?*

Closing her eyes, she tried to shield her heart from the barrage of emotions the sound of his voice tore out of her. *Ben, Ben, Ben..... Why did you have to come here? Can't you let me be?* She could hear him coming closer. She could see his hand descend until it rested on her shoulder. Her first instinct was to flinch away, but some part of her couldn't.

"Jemmy, I have to tell you, I still love you."

She shifted as he moved around her, wrapping her up against him. "I was a fool to let you go once, I....."

"I was the fool. You had your reasons for calling it off. I think something about a causing a galactic incident was part of it."

Obi-Wan flinched at the raw emotion in her voice. He knew he hadn't acted like a Jedi after the ball, but the ambassador's wife had been so upset - as had Qui-Gon.... "It doesn't matter, I shouldn't have said those things."

Jemmiah fell into silence again, and so Obi-Wan stood behind her, resting his arms loosely around her, staring out the window over her head. "Marry me."

*Did he just......* Closing her eyes, Jemmiah couldn't keep the wave of panic away. *I'm not good enough for him, I don't desearve this. I just hurt him over and over again.*

She was crying. That was the last thing the Jedi expected. "Jemmy, I'm sorry. What did I say?"

"No."

Confused, Obi-Wan wondered what she was......*No, not that....* "No what?"

"No, I can't marry you."

------------------------------

The blood had gathered beneath her nails, and deep withing the mass of red hair. Scrubbing again, Corrine wondered if she would ever feel *clean* again. Dumping her skirt into the laundry for the droids, she changed into the white skirt and blouse she had laid across the foot of her bed.

Volunteering to sit in her father's box during the vote on galactic slaving had been bowing to his wishes, and she knew it, but after 20 years of playing the part of political assistant to her father, she just couldn't tell him no.

*Look at what he's doing to Jemmy. Stay home, sleep, and pray you don't see his face tongiht.* *Go, be a good child.* *Call Obi, talk to him.* *He's got Jemmy, let them be.*

Corrine shook away the voices arguing in her mind. Drawing on her stockings, she fastened the skirt about her waist before pulling the blouse over her arms. Buttoning the front, she surveyed the result.

*Jemmy looked better in white.*

Wrinking her nose, she wondered if she could go in bloody clothes she had yet to pull from her travel bag. That would show them the reasons to vote against slaving.

Shaking away the melancholy thoughts that seemed to have taken over her mind, she dismissed the droid hovering nearby to answer the door chime. When a moment later, she sensed a presence in the room, she turned, expecting to see her father. Instead, she stared wide-eyed at Obi-Wan.

 

Daphne...that's not the end of the story, is it? Please don't let it be the end?

I mean, I know you're working on a sequel but I wanna know what happens next.

LIKE NOW!!!

 

Please post soon Daphne or else I'm going to start poinging around the room like a hyperactive ferret!

OOPS! Too late!

 

ohhhh boy. . . what's Obi up to now?

 

Daphne, those posts were wonderful! And THREE of them!!! You're spoiling us. (Please keep doing so though!)

Poor Obi! To go through all that, realise he still loves Jemmy and then be turned down!

More please!

 

D'oh! our stupid ISP wasn't working and i missed all the new posts. But now i read them and they were SO GOOD!! but sad. poor Obi, don't give up.
MORE!!

 

As the official upper of this thread, I'm rocketing this thing skywards. Daphne, you have a Mouse who thinks she's a demented ferret on your hands. I might possibly be joining her.

If you don't post soon, your thread is going to be overrun with ferrets and you don't want that do you?

Still. Useful for controlling plot bunnies...

 

And now, for the landmark part 30.... geez, my readers are impatient.... =)



At the stroke of midnight - part thirty

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue.

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"Obi-Wan? What are you doing here?" Corrine didn't even bother to hide the suprise in her voice. Actually, she would have been less surprised if anyone else had appeared. Anyone. "I thought you would be with Jemmy."

"Can I come in?"

The Jedi's voice was tight with emotion. Thinly controlled, and the Chancellor's daughter waved him inside her room and guided him towards the bed. "Sit down. What happened?"

"Everything."

"Everything covers alot of ground. Do you want to talk about it?"

Obi-Wan watched as the red-head gathered up the full skirt and sat next to him on the bed. Shaking his head, he wondered why he had come here. If he ran into the Chancellor, he was certain to say something he would regret, after the man's absent concern for his girlfriend and his daughter. *How do I tell her about Jemmiah when I never.....* *Oops, forgot a crucial step there, did you?* *How do I tell her I asked Jemmy to marry me when.....*

"Are we still dating?"

Corrine rocked back a little, surprised by the question and by Obi-Wan's bluntness.

"Is this about Jemmy?"

Swallowing, Obi-Wan found something interesting on the floor and stared. "Sort of.... you know, maybe I ought to go...."

"It's alright. I mean you love her, you ought to be with her." Corrine smiled, half for his benefit, and half to convince herself that she meant it. "So, are you and Jemmy together again?"

"Yes and no."

Raising an eyebrow, the young woman waited patienly. Ambiguous wasn't something she expected the apprentice to be, and she knew he would keep going eventually. Twirling his braid between his finger and thumb, Obi-Wan Kenobi tried to ignore the silence. *She's okay with it, just tell her.* *How can she be okay with it?* *She's wonderful, she loves you, she wants you to be happy.* *You're not happy and you want to be with Jemmiah....*

Talking quickly to quiet his own mental discussion, Obi-Wan blurted out his secret. "I asked her to marry me."

Corrine stopped toying with the fabric of her skirt. Only a lifetime of political training kept the look of shock from plastering itself to her face. Finally swallowing her shock, she smiled. "That's wonderful! I'll tell father. When is the event?"

"That's just it Cory. There isn't an event. She turned me down."

"Oh Obi! I'm so sorry."

Wrapping her arms around his, she let the Jedi cry softly against her shoulder. Somehow, she didn't think she was going to make it to the vote tonight, and somehow, it didn't matter.

------------------

"Jemmy, how could you tell him no?"

"I had to Meri. I don't desearve him."

"Jemmy, you can't do this to yourself."

"I *hurt* him. I always hurt him."

"He loves you."

"He loves Cory too, and she desearves to have someone wonderful."

"Jemmy...."

"No, Meri, the answer is still no."

------------------

Qui-Gon activated the holo projector in response to the persistant beeping of the call button.

"Padawan?"

The shimmering image of Obi-Wan standing in front of him, nodded, creating waves through the image.

"Master, I don't believe I will be returning to the Temple tonight."

"Padawan...."

"It's alright Master." Qui-Gon noticed that the image turned, facing someone offscreen as he added, "I'm alright."

Nodding, Qui-Gon only asked that the boy return in time for his trip to the healer's. As the connection ended, Qui-Gon wondered if it was still proper to think of his padawan as a boy. //Not if he's doing what I think he's doing.//

 

Great post! Obi, just don't do anything stupid! keep it up.

 

Uh-oh....

 

These two...so perfect for each other, but too blind to see it. Well, Jemmy's the blind one, but still Great post, Daphne...I hope Obi-Wan doesn't get his little heart broken!

aa

 

I know, I start spoiling you and you expect it all the time, but I'm feeling inspired, so as long as the story is being written faster than it's being posted, I stay ahead.




At the stroke of midnight - part thirty one.

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue.

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"Are you sure we ought to do this?"

"Yeah. Isn't this what normal people do when they get rejected?"

"And I became normal when?"

"Point taken, but here's the spot, so we might as well go in."

The club wasn't the worst place on the planet, but it wasn't the best either. Obi-Wan had chosen a place where he hoped Corrine would not be recognized, and he would not have to play Jedi. Somehow, alone, together, it had just seemed awkward, so he had suggested going out. Drinking away the still fresh rejection had been his idea. He only hoped it helped.

Grabbing a table against the wall, Obi-Wan ordered a firebrand for himself - might as well start off strong - and watched, amused, as Corrine ordered muja juice, seemingly immune to the odd look that drew.

"Drink something."

"I am, but I have a feeling drowning your sorrows is going to leave you needing a sober friend."

The Twilek waiting on them deposited their drinks, and Obi-Wan wondered when he had gotten so slow. Corrine had produced her credit chip and payed before he even had a chance to argue. Downing half his drink in one swallow, he let the slow burn make its way down his throat.

"So is that what we are now? Just friends."

"Obi, you are in love with my dearest friend. I'm not dating you."

"But she doesn't love me."

Wordlessly, Corrine bit back any editorial comments. Instead she sat back against the chair and sipped her juice, watching as the Jedi downed three bottles of firebrand, and poured out his heart, or what was left of it, to her. Somehow, she'd known Jemmiah would be the big player. By her count, she was only the third person he'd dated - other than Jemmiah.

When the Twilek came back, bearing yet another round, Corrine waved her off. She doubted Obi-Wan had any stories left to tell, and she doubted he would still be conscious after another round.

"Time to go home Kenobi."

"Ah, you're just ruining the fun.."

"Doesn't matter. My place or yours."

The red-head hid her smile at his hiccup. Even Jedi had their limits.

"Did you just ask me....."

"Where you want to *sleep*. I do have a couch in my sitting room."

"But your.....*hiccup*.... father wouldn't want me there."

"It's almost morning. I doubt he'd notice. Come on."

---------------------

Jemmiah stared at the ceiling. She should have expected the sleepless night. Her Ben asked her to marry him, and what did she do.... *You turned him down. The one man that will have you and you turn him down.* *Why accept? You want him to die next time?* *He won't. He'll be safe.* *Just like he was this time, right? Rufus is still out there, and you are still a danger.* *But I love him.* *But he loves Cory. Doesn't she get to be happy.* *But I want to be happy.* *But she doesn't hurt him.*

Rolling over in bed, Jemmiah pressed the pillow up to her ear, hoping that the voices would stop. They didn't. It just seemed like they were more persistant than ever. *Maybe if I talk to him.....*

Pulling herself out of bed, she lifted a comm from the dresser and walked out on the balconey to avoid waking Meri. Pressing in his code, she waited for Obi-Wan to answer.

-------------------

Obi-Wan fumbled for his comm. It wasn't on his night table.... and then he realized he wasn't in his room. Peering through veiled lids, he spied the offending unit on the heavy wood shelf above the bed. Pulling himself up off the couch, he stumbled across the room, managing to answer on the fourth buzz.

"Kenobi."

<Obi-Wan, it's me.>

"Hi me, can I go back to bed now."

<Ben!>

"Oh, sorry, Jemmy."

<Aren't you awake?>

"No."

<I thought Qui-Gon always woke you up.>

"Not at the Temple."

<I want to talk to you.>

"Can we talk later?"

<Sure.>

"Bye."

<Bye.>

Groggily, t