InsaneJournal

Who: Mary Margaret & Obi-Wan
When: Last Week
Where: Women’s Shelter
What: Mary Margaret takes on an assistant
Rating/Warning: G, but references to reasons why the shelter exists
Status: Complete



The calls were still coming in, but Obi-Wan hadn't accepted a construction job in quite a while, now. He'd moved his tools into Anakin and Padme's basement, with plans to turn it into his workspace, but thus far he hadn't so much as picked up a hammer. The smell of the wood turned his stomach. Perhaps it was because he and Faiza had shared an old, musty cabin, or perhaps it had more to do with the intense emotional fatigue that was making him feel so damn old as of late. He knew needed a change and he needed to feel useful, that there was life in him and that he had something to give. He needed it like medicine.

Obi-Wan had put in a call local shelter, because he knew first-hand that there was always a task ready for someone looking to help, and that too often that cry went unanswered. He'd volunteered at shelters and soup kitchens before, but as he approached the door, he had the feeling like it was his first time walking into such a place. It was a feeling he didn't like, because he knew it meant too much time had passed. He'd gotten caught up in his own problems. Honestly, he knew he had a very blessed life compared to far too many. It was time to start giving back again.

Mary Margaret was still trying to figure out exactly how one hired an assistant and exactly what tasks she’d be able to give up to an assistant without worrying too much, because stressing while she wasn’t at the shelter would be counter productive. As usual, she wasn’t actually in her office, instead wandering the shelter, checking in on everyone, including the current residence and workers and volunteers alike. As someone walked in, she had just stepped into the main room of the shelter where a couple kids were watching tv while others in the room were simply hanging around. It always made Mary Margaret happy to see everyone else happy.

Going in, Obi-Wan knew he would get a few stares. He was an imposing figure with his beard and his posture. To counter it, he’d worn a soft blue dress shirt and nice khakis, to make sure he was presentable and non-threatening, but he knew the best thing he could do was meet people’s eyes and smile.

As the door opened, Mary Margaret looked up, towards the hallway and excused herself from one of the women she had been talking to to see who the new arrival was. Reaching the large doorway between the main room and the hallway, Mary Margaret smiled, “Hi, can I help you?” There were a few men who worked for the shelter, so it wasn’t strange to see a man come in, but this man was new. A lot of people would probably say that they should have some sort of security or a sign in system so that people didn’t just walk into the shelter, but Mary Margaret hadn’t wanted anyone to feel like they were being kept there. She wanted anyone who came to the shelter to want to be there and feel at home. If there was a situation with anyone connected to any of their residents then they took the proper steps they needed to keep everyone safe.

Obi-Wan recognized the woman right away as someone with some level of authority in the shelter. The Force had nudged him even before she spoke. He bowed his head slightly, trying to express humility and a desire to help, and held out his hand. “Hello. Yes. I got the impression on the Valar Network shelter was looking for some volunteers.”

Mary Margaret smiled as the man spoke and she approached him further, “Yes, we can always use volunteers. My name is Mary Margaret.” She extended a hand towards him. It always warmed her heart to see people who wanted to volunteer their time to help other people.

“Obi-- Er, Ben. You can call me Ben.” He had surprised himself there. Ben? Really? It was as if his actual name had gotten caught in his throat and he had settled for the next thing that came to mind, which happened to be an old nickname. But still. How strange.

Mary Margaret was curious about the catch on the man’s name, but she didn’t want to seem rude and ask too many personal questions. “It’s nice to meet you, Ben.” While she was still curious about the whole name thing, she was also curious as to what his skills were, “Is there anything in particular you were looking for? Any particular skills you have?”

"I'm fairly handy when it comes to fixing things, " he replied, finding his voice again. "Really, I'm just looking to help wherever it's needed. I know what sort of problems these places face on a day to day basis."

Fixing things up? Mary Margaret could actually think of a few things that could use fixing, “There are actually a couple of things that I’ve been meaning to have fixed. A few windows won’t stay up on their own anymore and a couple of ceiling tiles that are stained from when we had a leak in the ceiling in the kitchen.”

“I can manage that,” he replied with confidence. Obi-Wan hadn’t seen the windows, but he didn’t have to, nor did he need to see the ceiling. He had been tackling such projects for many years.

Mary Margaret smiled in response, “I can show you, if you want. So you can see it all. And perhaps you can see anything else that needs fixing, that I can’t.” She assumed that as a carpenter he had a better eye for these sort of things than she did.

It seemed like he was going to be quite useful here. Obi-Wan was glad. He knew he had plenty to offer in the way of mending whatever was broken, but at the moment working with hammers and glue was preferable to his carpentry projects. He still couldn’t stand the smell of wood since Faiza’s death. “By all means. I don’t mind getting started straight away.”

Mary Margaret’s smile widened then and she gestured for him to follow her. This man showing up was almost like a stroke of luck, because now this was one less thing that she needed to worry about while she was trying to find an assistant. “You don’t have to start right away. I mean, if you want to then that’s fine, but I hadn’t intended to put you to work so soon.”

"I have all the necessary clearances from when I did some work on a school in Long Beach." He followed her with a sense of excitement mounting. Obi-Wan felt relieved. At last, something was coming together.

“Well that’s fantastic. I really appreciate this.” She led Ben towards the first bedroom and knocked on the doorframe of the open door where there were at least three teenage girls inside. She explained the situation to them and then moved aside so that Ben could check the windows.

He took the time to smile kindly at them, but without making a show. His thoughts drifted back to his own mum and why he had been drawn to help here in the first place. Sometimes, his own problems seemed so incredibly small.

As suspected, the trouble with the windows was an easy fix, although not for someone without experience. "I just have to run out for a few supplies," he said returning to Mary. He really did intend to get started right away.

“Do you want to see the others before you go out there so you don’t have to make so many trips?” Mary Margaret asked, happy that these things were going to get fixed finally.

Obi-Wan formed a smile and nodded. “Oh. Yes, by all means.” It would have been too difficult to explain the workings of the Force, how he could sense what needed to be done. By her perception, he knew he had jumped the gun a little.

He was just glad to feel useful again.