Title: Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Author: brokenlullaby
Characters: Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padmé Amidala (mentioned only)
Timeframe: Post-PM
Summary: Anakin learns an important lesson.
Author's Note: My response to the Proverbs Roulette Challenge. My proverb was ?Out of sight, out of mind?, hence the title. I came up with the idea in about 2 seconds and wrote this little vignette in about 5 minutes, so it's not my best work. But at least I had a little bit of fun with it.


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Out of Sight, Out of Mind


He traced a finger along the edge of the windowsill, traced it along the edge of his desk, traced the niches in the wood. All the while his eyes stared absently out the window, not focusing, seeing nothing. He could hear the pitter-patter of rain against the windowpane. Beneath his feet, the air conditioner kicked on, and he tugged the blanket up over his shoulders, holding it in place with one hand as he traced the words carved into his desk.

?Alyce hearts Jaymison.?

Whoever had owned this desk before him must have been just as bored and lonely as he was. He almost considered taking out a knife and engraving his own name next to theirs.

?Anakin hearts Padmé.?

The wind picked up speed, the raindrops were relentless. The pitter-patter soon escalated into a roaring swoosh-swoosh-splash. Anakin's teeth chattered. He rested his forehead against the top of the desk, pulling the blanket up over his head. He wanted to tell Obi-Wan to turn off the air conditioner, but that would only make matters worse. He was already in trouble as it was.

?I really hate this place, you know.?

?Do you, now??

?Yes!?

?And why is that??

?Because it's lonely and cold and everyone hates me! I miss home.?

?Attachments are forbidden, Anakin. You know that. It is best to let go of your past, to focus on the future. Out of sight, out of mind.?

?Huh??

?What is past is past, and it's time you stopped moping about and took your training seriously.?

?What makes you think I don't take my training seriously??

After that, Anakin had smarted off, and Obi-Wan had sent him to his room to ?think about his behavior?, but no matter how much he thought about it, he would never agree with Obi-Wan.

He missed home. He missed his mother ? her smell, her embrace, her whispered words of love and encouragement when everyone else in the world seemed like they were out to get him. He missed coming home to a happy house, a perfect house, a house that wasn't cold or smelly or uncomfortable. He missed climbing into bed at night, wrapped in soft sheets ? not the scratchy ones that Obi-Wan had given him. Sometimes he even missed Tatooine. He missed his friends, playing outside in the heat, laughing and running and causing all sorts of trouble. He missed being able to smile whenever he wanted and love whoever he wanted to love.

He missed Padmé, but he knew that he would never see her again. He was a Jedi, and she was the Queen of Naboo. She had no need of him. He missed her pretty smile, her floral perfume, her elegant hair styles... He missed the way she had sometimes looked at him, like he actually meant something in the galaxy. Not the way the Jedi looked at him. Not the way Obi-Wan looked at him. To them, he was a tool, ?The Chosen One?, to be used at their disposal whenever they saw fit. He was expendable.

?I miss you, Padmé,? he mumbled into his blanket, hoping that Obi-Wan hadn't heard.

He hoped she was happy, wherever she was. He certainly wasn't.

But maybe things would change. Maybe someday the Jedi would learn to appreciate him. Maybe Obi-Wan would learn to care about him. Maybe he would feel like he actually belonged. Something inside of him ? his conscience, maybe ? told him that, with time, everything would be set right. He didn't need Tatooine or his mother or Padmé. He had to take care of himself.

What was past was past. It was gone, and he would never see it again. He would never see Tatooine again. He would never see Padmé again. He may never even see his

 

Aw, poor Ani grousing and yet lonely and homesick and then when's he's thinking of bucking up - Obi-Wan comes in like that and all seems to be turning out okay.

If only....

 

a very nice piece showing a young Anakin and Obi-Wan is nice.

 

Very sweet! A little understanding on both sides goes a long way.

 

It's been a while since I've read a young Anakin piece. Nice to see him not acting just plain bratty, but lonely and homesick with that underscore of Anakin fire we all know and love. Poor little guy, he's going through a lot right now. Nice to see a glimpse of Obi-Wan as a young master, too.

Love the beginning with the names carved into the desk.

 

Well done! You worked the proverb in perfectly.

I'm glad that this ended on a more uplifting note -it's nice to see Obi-Wan and Anakin getting along.

 

Very nicely done and very nicely worked in.

 

Great use of the proverb! I love your Obi-Wan and Anakin

 

Aw, poor Ani!

It's too bad the Jedi couldn't understand his inability to sever his connection to his mother.

But I'm glad Obi-Wan came to him for that little talk before the holovid.

Great response to the challenge

 

Valairy_Scot: Thanks! If only is right... I wish things would have turned out better for the two of them. Too bad Anakin ruined it all! The little brat... I love writing about the lighter side of Anakin and Obi-Wan's relationship. Most shippers love angst, but a little bit of love goes a long way.

earlybird-obi-wan: Obi-Wan has always been one of my all-time favorite characters, so I'm glad you liked him in this story. Thanks for the comment!

Valiowk: Very true. I like to think that Anakin and Obi-Wan didn't exactly "hit it off" in the beginning. Their relationship was, inevitably, doomed to struggle early on. But they managed to push past their difficulties and formed a very close bond. Tahnks for commenting!

Idrelle_Miocovani: Young Anakin was so much better than snobby, teenage Anakin, wasn't he? I just love the little guy. A young Obi-Wan is nice as well. That's probably why I enjoyed writing post-TPM Ani/Obi stories so much! Thanks!

TheMacUnleashed: They never seemed to get along well in the movies, did they? But I like to think they really loved each other, whether they were willing to say it out loud or not. Thanks for the comment!

Miraluka Jedi: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it, and you'll likely be seeing more Anakin and Obi-Wan stories from me in the future.

GeneralKenobi7: Thanks! That's a big compliment. I'm glad you think my Anakin and Obi-Wan are both in-character. That seems to be the toughest part about writing them, at least from my point of view. Staying in character is very important to me. Thanks again!

KELIA: The Jedi were unable to fully understand human behavior, and that, inevitably, led to their downfall. If only they had been willing to help and understand Anakin, to understand what attachments truly meant, and what the difference between selfish and selfless love truly was. If only Obi-Wan had understood... So many "what if's". *sigh* But at least they had their good points. Thanks so much!

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Again, thanks for all the comments, guys! I'm glad you enjoyed the story, and hopefully you'll be seeing more from me sometime soon.