TITLE HSU Files: Bon Anniversaire, Mon General
PART 1 of 2
TIMELINE After "Call of Duty"
AUTHOR Dean Caeryn
RATING NC-17 in part 2
SUMMARY Together again...wouldn't miss it...
how we doing?...same as always...
ARCHIVE Only to the mistress of evil...no pun intended, Darry :-)

DISCLAIMER This is not the site you're looking for, George....move along....profound apologies to everyone...I seem to be in nostalgia original trilogy kick back mode right now...SAPPY ALERT! SAPPY ALERT! If mush bothers you don't read this...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The bus ride back to the campus was blissfully uneventful. Caeryn sat in her seat near the front, absently smoothing Paddington's fur.

Just when it seemed things couldn't get any worse, something else invariably went wrong. Damn probability...damn luck...but most of all, damn that overly clever Murphy and his fucked up law!

The more she thought about it, the more the tired Dean just wanted everything to get back to normal. Much as she hated to admit it to herself, she had almost completely forgiven the General for his temper tantrum. Heavens knew, she'd thrown a pretty good one herself in response. The important thing now was to get the school up and running for the new term.

He hadn't crashed her computer system on purpose. It was just one of those Karmic quirks that always came to slap you in the face when you were down. And he had tried his best to make up for it. Things were almost back to normal with the student files...only the scheduling stuff was really left, and as much as she whined, that could be done by hand.

In truth, there was something deeply satisfying about making the schedules by hand. Arranging all the class times and rooms manually was soothing. With life still in chaos, it was nice to know she could make something work out.

With a frown, she shifted in her seat a little. Self pity would accomplish nothing and it was positively nauseating besides. She looked down as Paddington slipped a little in her lap.

"You want to look out the window? It's dark...there's not much to see."

Paddington could be a very stubborn bear on occasion. Sitting in the adjoining seat, Pixie gave her a strange look...much like the look one gives a live snake that is held at arms length.

With a slight sigh, Caeryn picked Paddington up and sat him on the armrest, bringing his nose to a level just above the bottom of the window. Contentedly, the well loved little bear watched the lights whiz by the bus, bright streaks against the black night.

Black. The thought drew Caeryn's mind back to the evening at the park. The way the leather of the General's jacket had clung to the curves of his torso...the perfect fit of his tailored black pants lovingly caressing the well defined muscles of his legs. As hormonally deprived as she was, it wasn't so much the thought of his body, but his eyes that turned her insides to jelly. The twinkle of laughter as he conversed easily with the devoted students clustered around him.

And here she was. The Dean of the University. Relegated to the sidelines...by her own actions. First she had blown up in his face, then she had demanded they revoke his title...then she had run off with Methos to Alderaan...and to top it all off, when they got back she had turned into a vampire Prima Donna, demanding nothing less than his spilled blood... rather ungraciously at that.

"Oh Paddington! I've been such a ditz."

Paddington was quite willing to return to his mistress' arms...the window was quite cold and he could no longer feel the nose he had pressed up against it.

"Well, I suppose it wasn't completely my fault...he did ruin the database. But he tried his best to fix it."

She paused to wipe the small bead of moisture from his nose with her sleeve.

"You're welcome. But you know, despite all that, I am the Dean. I'm supposed to know better...you know, not fly off the handle."

Caeryn was discovering that Paddington had quite a philosophical streak.

"I suppose...but still...the point is I didn't even pause to think. I just blew up...and even if it was provocated, that's just an excuse. I should know better."

Pausing to consider the bear's next words, she failed to notice that Pixie had quietly vacated her seat, muttering something about checking out the back of the bus.

"Okay...so I'm human. But still...how can I ever face him?"

In the back of the bus, Obi-Wan noticed Pixie join the edges of the crowd with a bit of a wild look. Catching her eyes, he quirked an eyebrow in question.

"Of course I'm sorry, Paddington! How can you even ask that? Well, so I acted like a bitch, but technically, that was Ginsu's fault..."

Paddington regarded her steadily, hardly batting an eyelid when he saw the General silently slip into the seat behind his mistress.

"Okay...so that's another excuse...I know. Well, I'll just have to make it up to him, and hope he's more forgiving than I was..."

Caeryn sighed. She would have to swallow her pride eventually. She'd made a right royal ninny of herself.

"I've been such a self-righteous idiot, Paddington...screaming and carrying on like that....okay, so I'm wallowing in self pity, what's your point?"

Leaning forward in his seat, Obi-Wan rested his forehead against the back of her seat, his hand lightly caressing the fabric by his face as he listened to the troubled Dean. He could almost imagine it was her hair, the soft silk teasing his fingers as he stroked it lovingly. He could feel her distress wrapping through the Force around him and it made his heart ache.

"I hope he likes his present, Paddington. I had an awful time trying to find something at the last minute like that. Of course, that was my own fault too."

The resigned tone of her voice wrenched at something inside him. He longed to gather her in his arms and soothe away her doubts and fears. Every protective and cherishing instinct within him flooded to the surface as he clenched his fists in frustration. Why, oh why had he done something as stupid as deliberately hurting these beautiful and unique women?

Caeryn looked up as she felt the telltale shift of the bus' movement as they turned on to the gravel drive of the school. Resolutely setting aside her swirling emotions, she slid to the edge of the seat as the bus rolled to a ponderous stop. Time to see what was up with Shana and Emmy.

She didn't even notice the General sitting behind her, watching her every move...reaching out to caress a strand of her hair as it fell across the seat as she moved out into the aisle and off the bus.

Caeryn furrowed her brows in puzzlement, tilting her head slightly as she regarded the two lightly snoring ho's passed out on the couch. If the reek of alcohol was any indication of how much they'd drank, she was surprised they were still alive.

"They are gonna be hatin' life tomorrow." Darry snapped the bubble on her gum, the pop breaking the momentary stasis that had fallen over the room when they had discovered their fellow Ho's in the movie room. So far as her cursory look had gone, Caeryn had noticed nothing wrong.

And that worried her. Emmy and Shana were not the type to let their accidental exclusion go unpunished...mix alcohol into the equation and the nervous Dean was getting a headache at the mere thought of what could have happened.

"I say we just leave 'em with a couple buckets and a bottle of aspirin."

"Darry! We can't do that. It's bad enough that we left them behind...we can't just leave them like this."

"I'll take care of it."

Caeryn whirled around to see the General move from where he had paused in the doorframe. The look of concerned intent on his face caused an alarming little flip-flop in her chest. Not trusting her voice, she nodded slowly.

Obi-Wan held her eyes for a moment, for the thousandth time wishing that he could simply caress away her pain. As he passed close enough for her to smell the distinctive scent he carried with him everywhere, he reached out his hand, brushing his fingers down her cheek in a soft caress.

His touch was like lightning. Every muscle in her body was instantly energised by the fleeting contact. Feeling her lip begin to tremble, she stumbled back a few steps, clutching Paddington to her chest. Noticing the sharp looks from the gum snapping Darry and a few other girls, Caeryn bit her lip sharply to stop the tell tale tremors. She would *NOT* break down in front of the others.

Problem was, she could feel the huge lump forming in her throat as she watched the General gently pick up Emmy, cradling her against his strong chest, his face a soft mask of concern and tenderness. She felt an ugly twinge of jealously as the sleeping Diva curled right into his touch, her head turning to nuzzle into his shoulder.

Caeryn fled before she lost it completely, practically flying all the way back to her room.

Firmly clicking the door shut behind her, she took a deep breath. What was wrong with her? The swirl of residual guilt from her behaviour, combined with the last little tendrils of anger over the entire Database mess were pulling her alarmingly off centre. If she got anymore tossed around by her conflicting impulses she would get sea sick.

Absently setting Paddington down on her dresser, she slowly stripped her sweater off over her head, stretching out her arms as she did so. Releasing the strap on her bra, she turned to her bed to retrieve the ever-present flannel pj's neatly folded on top of the pillow.

The site of the General's birthday present sitting front and centre on the forest green down filled comforter brought her up short. Damn! How was she going to get it to him without causing a big scene. Regarding the last minute inspiration with mixed feelings, she thoughtfully pulled the soft plaid flannel long-sleeved top over her head, too lazy to undo and redo the small buttons.

The general was probably still putting Emmy to bed. After that he had to move Shana too. If she hurried, she could plant the gift in his room while he was gone. Deciding that was the best...and safest course of action...she quickly skimmed off her jeans and slipped into the matching bottoms. Rummaging around under the edge of the bed for a few seconds, she swiftly located her boot style slippers.

Before she could chicken out she grabbed the unwrapped present from the top of her bed and headed out the door.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Emmy muttered disconsolately as he shifted slightly to lay her down on her bed having Force-moved the heavy comforter out of the way. Obi-Wan carefully set her on the soft sheets, his hands lingering slightly, unwilling to let her go.

How had things become so confused and mixed up? As he watched her sleep, her hair pooling out around her head in a dark silk halo, he was at a loss for an explanation. Kneeling on leg on the bed lightly, he reached down to slip off her shoes.

He smiled as he heard her giggle slightly as his fingers traced the sensitive inner curve of her now bare feet. Turning to look up at her, he slipped into a kneeling position beside the bed, his right hand pulling the comforter up her body as his left hand cupped her cheek lightly.

She looked so peaceful in repose. The weight of the recent days far away as she slumbered, her pale skin glowing in the soft beams of moonlight leaking in through the paned glass of the east wing tower room. Leaning forward, unable to resist the lure of her soft lips he pressed a soft kiss to the red curves.

"My Emmy. Why oh why...? I'm sooo sorry...for everything...." With an anguished groan he buried his face in her hair on the pillow, inhaling the soft fragrance -- wincing as he clearly detected the unmistakable reek of Corellian Ale mixed with tequila.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

There was something instinctively naughty about scurrying through the darkened hallways on her way to the General's room. By default, a few lights were always left on to allow easy access to his rooms -- they were Ho's after all.

It wasn't far. Her rooms were in the west wing tower and the General's were located in the centre back wing. It wasn't, strictly speaking, a "tower". The blocky structure was separated from the main enclosure of the campus by a rather nondescript hallway. Originally, the hallway had been solid, impregnable stone. However, one of the first renovations the Ho's had completed was to knock out huge sections of walls between the supporting buttresses and replace the rock with glass.

All the better for seeing when the General was on the way to his rooms so they would know where to find him when the mood struck...and it always struck.

Naturally, the door was unlocked. Despite the recent unpleasantness, the General was rather predictably adamant about remaining available to the staff and students.

The soft hearted Dean couldn't stop the wistful smile that curved her lips as she surveyed the ground floor room. Evenly spaced, carved stone columns supported the ceiling over the scuffed wood floor. In the dead centre of the room a ring of darker wood was inlaid amidst the oak, delineating the edge of the traditional training circle.

Memories flitted through her brain as she padded across the room in slippered feet to the curving staircase that led to the second level and his bedroom. She could almost feel him in the room, practising his katas with the smooth grace that marked his every move. She could hear his measured breathing as he swung his sabre in the prescribed arcs of defence he had been taught as a child in the temple.

Her heart ached as she climbed the stairs, remembering the many times they had gone up them together. Her smile broke into a grin as she stepped over the stair at the top...the place they had settled for when rampant hormones had not allowed them the extra time of reaching the bed.

Her sigh was regretful, as she crossed the threshold into his room. She yearned for his touch...his voice...but mostly, just for his presence. He had a way of lighting up the room. She felt alive in his presence...as though the energy of creation were at her finger tips. Without him, everything was flat...stale as soda without the fizz.

Keeping her eyes resolutely on the floor, Caeryn shuffled over to the bed, trying to avoid the site of the massive oak piece that had been the site of many exquisite encounters in the now seeming distant past. Wincing as she stubbed her toe on the small stone step up to the imposing piece of furniture, the wincing grrl involuntarily glanced up.

And was lost.

The midnight green of the down-filled comforter beckoned invitingly as she involuntarily reached out a hand to slide over the expensive cotton weave. The black silk of the sheets reflected the pale luminescence of the moonlight, seeming to come alive with the memories she had of this bed.

Skin on skin...tongue to tongue...heartbeat to heartbeat...moan to growl...

Like a wounded animal seeking shelter, she was completely helpless to stop herself from crawling up onto the soft expanse. Creeping on hands and knees into the very centre, she pressed her face into the intoxicatingly luxurious pillows, her mind now well entrenched in the past.

Part of her screamed to hurry...that he would return at any moment, but she resolutely pushed the impulse aside, reasoning that he had to put both the drunken Diva and Student Affairs Director to bed before retreating to his rooms.

Confident that she had at least a little window of safety, Caeryn allowed herself to sink down into the welcomed embrace of the bed.

The smell of sandalwood and cedar rose from the linens, surrounding her as she inhaled deeply and repeatedly. Damn, she had missed that....she missed everything about him she quietly admitted to herself. Strong woman be damned for the moment, she needed him so much it hurt.

Closing her eyes to stop the stinging rise of tears, she turned her head to the side, rolling slightly to curl her knees up into a more comfortable position.

The last thing she saw as she drifted off into an emotionally exhausted slumber was the yellow raincoat of his birthday present where she had set it on the edge of the bed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Stretching slightly, Obi-Wan turned slightly to realign his back as he silently moved across the practice area in the direction of the staircase leading to his room. It had been a long day, birthday or no.

He was halfway up the staircase before he realised that someone was in his room. He instinctively tensed as he reached out through the Force. The presence signature that greeted his questing senses stopped him cold in surprise. He hadn't expected her to actually come to his rooms of her own accord so soon.

Hurrying his step, he took the last few steps two at a time in his eagerness to see her. His eyes unerringly found her, the white and maroon plaid of her pyjamas standing out in stark contrast to his dark bed coverings.

If he could have stopped breathing, he would have. The rush of relief he felt at seeing her there was euphoric. Licking his lips slightly, realising from her Force sense that she was asleep, he tip toed gently to the bed, scared that if he moved to fast she might wake up and flee.

As he approached he noticed the ever-present Paddington sitting on the edge of the bed. Frowning, not sure how he felt about sharing his bed with a rather prudish bear, he reached for the fuzzy mass, pausing as he caught sight of a small card hanging from a ribbon around the teddy's neck. Nudging open the small scrap of parchment, he tilted his head slightly to read the words.

Paddington thought you could use a confidant of your own -- one that could listen without swooning :-) Bon Anniversaire, Obi-Wan.

Swallowing past the sudden lump in his throat, he brought the bear up to his face, burying his nose in the new smelling fur, catching the Dean's soft perfume faintly over the tang of the plastic raincoat. He could easily identify the smell of books...and tea...she was very fond of good tea...but there was something about the fragrance that forever eluded him. The musky tang of exotic incense mixed with night blooming flowers and spice...it tantalised him, calling him to her embrace as a flower drew in a honey bee.

Setting the soft bear aside almost reverently, he carefully and quietly removed his boots, setting them down at the end of the bed softly. With one leanly graceful pull, he removed his black tunic over his head, revealing the sculpted planes of his torso to the soft glow of muted moonlight that permeated the room.

Taking a deep breath and holding it, he deliberately circled the bed to the side her back was facing. Carefully, he stepped up the small raise and knelt on the gently yielding mattress. Licking his once again dry lips he crawled over to the slumbering form, wincing as the bed dipped slightly.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Caeryn was floating, wrapped in the warmth of much needed slumber she couldn't figure out why she wasn't sinking any deeper. Something in her brain was screaming at her to wake up.

Muttering disconsolately, her speech sleep slurred, she shifted slightly as the mattress moved under her. Something about the General finding her in his bed...but why would he do that? Like it would be a bad thing.

"leave...fore he gets back" Her foggy brain held onto the barely vocalised thought.

From his kneeling position beside her, Obi-Wan could just make out her words. From the looks of things, she had been trying to sneak in and leave his present before he returned. The now familiar twinge in his chest was especially sharp as he realised she was trying to avoid him.

Well, that would end right now. He sent a fervent thank-you to the Force for whatever quirk of fate that had prevented her from leaving as he slowly sank down to lie on the bed behind her. With a tender gentleness that would not have bruised the most sensitive rose petals, he slipped his arm around her waist, scooting as close as he possibly could without jarring her sharply. Through the fog of sleep Caeryn felt the enveloping warmth surround her, accompanied by the irreplaceable sense of well being that his embrace always imparted. Even as her subconscious sunk into the offered succour, her eyes flew open, widening impossibly as she realised what had happened.

Behind her, the General groaned softly, sensing that she had awakened. Unable to bear her leaving, he tightened his arm around her waist imperceptibly.

"Please....stay...."

The burgeoning urge to flee was thus, swiftly and effectively, extinguished. Unable to deny the soft plea, she gulped slightly as she felt his nose nudge the back of her skull through her hair.

"Please...."

His voice was breathy...sultry...but not commanding. Every worry and concern that had plagued him loosened and fled as he felt her relax back into him.

"Gods..." The moan was ripped from him as he pulled her back flush with his torso, his face burrowing into the curve between her neck and shoulder. His words were muffled, but easily detectable given the proximity of his mouth to her ear. "I've missed you so much."

Licking her suddenly dry lips, the confused Ho murmured softly. "Obi-Wan..."

If a single sound could evoke ecstasy, the way his name rolled off her lips in that breathy sigh would be pretty close to it. Groaning again, he lifted his head slightly, leaning his lips in to brush the curve of her ear.

"Please...let me show you how much I've missed you."

The rush of adrenaline that simple phrase introduced into her system was almost as confusing as the screaming of her brain. The confusion of the last weeks rose to the surface, choking her with a welter of mixed impressions. Pulling slightly at his clasp she twisted around to face him.

"But what about...."

The lean finger brought to rest across her lips stopped her unspoken question.

"Please....let me show you how much I need you."

Given that it had now been over a week since she had been in his arms, the swiftly sinking grrl was actually rather surprised that her rationality had held out this long. Searching his eyes as she bit the inside of her bottom lip, she did the only thing she could think of...

She kissed him.

Damn, but he tasted good. The honey of his lips swiftly parted as his tongue arched out to meet her own. With a moan of capitulation, the administrator gave herself over to the sweep of hormones rushing through her. He tasted of sugar and sunshine and freedom....and completion. Desperate to fill the void his absence had opened, she strained toward him, her mouth hungrily duelling with his own as she clung to him as she would a life raft in a stormy sea.

"Oh god...I'm so sorry....so sorry...." His words were little more than a soft sigh as his mouth broke from hers for short gasping breaths.

She didn't care. The pain, the betrayal, the anguish, the whole stinking mess...she just didn't care. She couldn't care...not with him in her arms like this, whispering softly endearing apologies with each desperate breath. Slipping her hands between their pressed bodies she looped her fingers under the edge of his waistband

"You...nekkid...now!" She practically growled as her caresses became frantic. She needed to feel him...all of him. Dignity be damned. She wanted every glorious sweaty inch of him pressed against and inside her and she wanted it now. The frustrations of the last week came crashing into this moment, manifesting in her desperate desire.

His growl thrilled her nerves as he obligingly shifted his weight to his knees. Moving to a position above her, he knelt up, releasing the clasp on his pants as he shifted his hips to remove the fabric.

Wriggling slightly to loosen the trapped fabric of her pj's, the Dean managed to free her hips enough to slip the well washed flannel down to her thighs, at which point the now gloriously nekkid General took over, skimming the bottoms down efficiently.

She was dying...and damn! Did it feel good! She arched her back, her head pressing into the pillows behind her as he leaned in to kiss the top of her thigh. Everything was impression...the roughness of his shadowed chin as it moved over her skin, the kiss of the breeze across her throbbing centre as he nudged her legs apart, his fingers moving unerringly to her core.

Her cry was music to his ears. The pulse of wetness coating his fingers was ample evidence of her readiness for him. Gritting his teeth, he steeled himself to go slow....wanting to show her how much he cherished her. His member had other ideas, however, the beat of blood swelling to a painful intensity.

As though sensing his unspoken conflict, the writhing Ho looked up to meet his eyes. With a firm tug she pulled his face up level with her own.

"Play later, General. Now, I need you to fuck me."

The play of light over his skin was enticing, his lids shutting over his eyes as he swallowed convulsively. Instinctively, she knew that he would want to draw this out, and that didn't suit her in the slightest.

Fine...she could fix that. Any Ho worth her title could fix that. Spreading her knees wantonly, she wrapped her legs around his hips, arching her back to maximise the contact. So great was her need she barely noticed that she was still wearing her flannel top.

A thousand lights exploded behind her eyes as, with a desperate growl, he plunged into her waiting depths. For a moment she couldn't breath, couldn't see, couldn't hear anything but the thundering of her own heart. Then, as he pulled back slightly, thrusting forward with a bruising force her senses returned in an overload.

Her voice caught in the back of her throat as his now frantic pulses sent her spiralling at a heady speed, his delicious invasion stroking past every yearning muscle inside of her as his angle of penetration brushed past her swollen clitoris.

Her climax crashed over her in a shattering wave that robbed her of speech...breath...thought...awareness....she simply floated as she felt the flood of his release fill her.

The relief was so sharp it brought tears to her eyes. Turning her head to press her lips to his tousled hair, she choked back a sob.

"I love you, Obi-Wan."

His head snapped around to meet her gaze. A wealth of emotions chased across his face in response to her words. Her tears ripped at his soul as he watched them spill down her cheeks.

"Nononono...baby...please...don't cry." He rolled slightly, pulling her with him, pressing her face to his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry." She managed to hiccup the words out past the tears.

"No...no....nothing to apologise for, my love."

It felt good to cry...to have him hold her. As the flood of the past few weeks began to flow, she clutched at him desperately.

"Shhhhhhhshhhhh...my dearest love....no more...I promise...no more." Caressing her hair softly, he leaned down to kiss her forehead. "I'll make everything better...I swear....now sleep."

As his Force aided suggestion slipped past her overwrought defences, one random thought crossed the Dean's mind...

"Can't sleep...haven't bid on the video yet....closes tonight."

Obi-Wan's eyebrow arched a little as he felt her breathing fall into a sleeping pattern. That video. The bidding did close tonight. As he continued to run his fingers through the sleeping grrls' hair a glimmer of an idea began to surface in his mind.

Smiling slightly, he carefully disentangled himself from the slumbering form of the Dean, pulling the comforter up as he left the bed reluctantly, in search of a computer.