The Jinn/Kenobi case

by Hilimi

Summary:

When the son of the Republic's wealthiest man, Qui-Gon Jinn, is nearly murdered in his own home in front of his husband and youngest son, Fox is put in charge of the investigation, and in Fox's team, there was Cody.

Cody just could not help but feel attracted to a handsome redhead with sad eyes, ring on his finger or not. Yes, Fox was desperate that he was falling under the spell of a suspect one again - old story. Things just take a very different turn than usual as the investigation progresses and his ties to the Jinn-Kenobi family deepen, blurring the line between personal and professional bounds.

Falling in love with a married man was the worst possible idea for a single man, so two of them?

Chapter 1

Cody greeted his colleagues without a word and slowed down at the same time as Fox when he saw a man in front of the door they were interested in, cautious.

No one should be allowed to be so close to their victim's room. Qui-Gon Jinn was a personal friend of Chancellor Valorum.

"Sir?"

The man straightened up and Cody looked him over, trying to get a clear picture of who he was as quickly as possible. A young, rather attractive man in his thirties, well-dressed but visibly exhausted and distressed.

Their victim had a son that age, did not he?

"Are you Feemor Jinn?" He asked as he reached him.

"Fee... Oh no, God no, I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"Mr. Kenobi," his brother took over when he saw his surprise, but it should also be noted that Cody had barely had time to read the file and that, even knowing that his victim was a gay, married man, he did not think there was such an age gap. "I am Captain Fox Fett and this is Inspector Cody Fett, Coruscant Police Department. Do you have time for us to take your statement?"

"Now is as good a time as any," the redhead muttered, looking one last time at the closed door of the hospital room where his husband was before following them. "I don't know if I can be of much help, I didn't see much of the altercation."

"Anything you can remember could be useful, even if it seems insignificant."

Especially considering that he had already done so much for them by stabbing the intruder who had broken into their home and nearly murdered his husband.

They got drinks from the nearly deserted cafeteria and sat down at a secluded table. Cody took out a recording device so he would not have to worry about writing, only listening and asking questions.

"Can you start by telling us when it all started? We'll then continue with a description of the events as you experienced them? We'll proceed from there."

"Yes, I... It was around one o'clock in the morning when Qui-Gon woke me up. He had heard noises downstairs. He doesn't sleep very well and often wakes up during the night. He told me to stay hidden with Anakin, our son, while he went to investigate. Normally Anakin sleeps in his room, but sometimes he comes to join us at night. If he had been downstairs..."

If he had been downstairs, perhaps the bullet that hit his father in the stomach would have hit his head and killed him instantly. Fortunately, he was unscathed and Kenobi only had a few scratches.

"So he went downstairs alone first," Fox summarised calmly, steering the conversation back on track.

"Yes, he... he's not afraid of anything, you know?"

"I know others like that."

Cody glared at his brother before noticing the slight smile on their witness's face and losing his annoyance to play along. It was quite rare in his work but sometimes it was necessary to be kind, gentle and empathetic. Deeply human.

Cody saw so much of the worst that his fellow human beings had to offer that he sometimes felt he forgot that not everyone was like that.

"Can you tell us what happened next?"

"We waited, but then we heard sounds of a fight. I hid Anakin and went downstairs. The man... he had Qui-Gon cornered and was beating him on the floor, and I... I didn't know what to do, he had blood all over the face and..."

Cody leaned forward to place a hand on the grieving husband's trembling hands.

"It's okay, take your time, you're safe here."

"What's the point of being safe in a hospital when your own home isn't safe?" The other man replied flatly before shaking himself up and continuing. "They hadn't noticed me, and I was standing there weak, useless and pathetic in the kitchen when there was another noise, then a gunshot. When I realised he had shot Qui-Gon, I... I don't know, I grabbed a knife, one of those really big knives that I wouldn't even know what to do with if I was given meat to prepare with it, and I..."

"There's no doubt about self-defence," Fox clarified. "You were protecting your wounded husband and your child from an armed and dangerous intruder."

"Oh, I know that, I'm aware of it, I have a fairly good knowledge of the law, it's just... I don't like how I felt at that moment. I wanted him to die."

It was said simply, so plainly and calmly in fact that it was surprising. There was something strange about this man, not in his rather ordinary story, but in his attitude. A disturbing clarity and detachment.

"So you injured him, as you said on the phone to the operator."

The other man nodded, staring at his cup.

"That's right, he was surprised and ran away. I called the emergency services and the police immediately. As for the rest, I think you know as much or even more than I do."

Cody was beginning to really grasp the bigger picture. Now they would have to figure out whether this house had been targeted at random or deliberately, and then, of course, who the intruder was. If it was a hitman hired by a third party, it would immediately become more complicated.

It would be interesting to talk to Mr Jinn quickly.

"We won't lift the protection on your husband until we've ruled out certain leads," Fox said, straightening up. "Now, we've seen the surveillance cameras at your house..."

"Yes, I... do you need access to them? I'll take care of it as soon as I get back... to... to the house."

"You don't have to go home. If you prefer, you can sign an access authorisation that we will forward so that you don't have to act as an intermediary."

"Oh, that would be wonderful."

The document was signed after being read in its entirety, which was actually rare, and returned to Fox.

"Did any physical details stood out you when you were close to him?"

"He had dark skin," was the immediate response. "Dark, and I'm not sure, but I think he had tattoos, although it's hard to say for sure because of the balaclava and hood. It could even have been face paint to cover his tracks, who knows? Brown eyes, definitely not blue or green... but I suppose contact lenses exist. Clothed from head to toe, all in black, the only thing I'm absolutely sure of is that it was a man, but he barely made a sound even when I wounded him, so I won't be able to recognise him by his voice. Maybe Qui-Gon could."

"Speaking of your husband, does he have any enemies?"

"Oh, come one... Qui-Gon has plenty of enemies, and so do I, but most of them wouldn't think of doing such a thing. I can't think of anyone in particular."

"So he didn't seem anxious or worried in the recent weeks?"

"He was more tense and on edge, but I think that's quite reasonable considering the circumstances."

For once, Cody could see that Fox did not understand either.

"What do you mean?"

They did not really follow the political news, so had something huge happened that was affecting them?

"We have adopted Anakin," replied the redhead, frowning. "I thought you already knew that. Having a child at home is stressful, so we were both still getting used to it, but other than that, I can't think of anything else. Qui-Gon is a rather secretive man; he doesn't talk much about what worries him."

"That's all for today. Feel free to contact us if you remember anything else."

"All right, thank you."

As the man hurried away, probably to return to where they had met him, Cody turned off the recording and turned to his brother.

"What do you think of him?"

"He's suspicious, and considering the age gap, the recent marriage and the adoption of a child..."

"Are you thinking of a hitman he might have tried to silence?"

"Anything's possible. Our victim is the second son of Count Dooku of Serenno."

Cody remained stupidly silent as he began to understand the full scope of this investigation. The son of the wealthiest man in the Republic had nearly died that night. This was going to be complicated.

"All right... we can start by looking into whether the couple had internal tensions and whether there is a will that is particularly favourable to the last surviving spouse. We need to question the sons."

Fox nodded, phone already in hand.

"I'll tell Thire to find Feemor Jinn urgently. The kid can wait and won't be so easy to reach."

"Which means I'm driving, right?"

"You see, little brother, you can actually be smart sometimes."

"Mir'sheb," he grumbled as he grabbed the keys.

This investigation was already promising to be a complex one. They would have a hard time questioning anyone, considering the kind of friends the couple must have had and so on.

"I should have joined the army like Wolffe," he muttered once they were in the car. "At least he gets to shoot at things every day."

"Yep, you really chose the wrong career," Fox teased, phone to his ear. "No, not you, Thire. You're my favourite for a reason, you were born for this job. I need you to find Feemor Jinn as soon as possible.’"

"You know," he said once Fox had hung up, "you could have asked the sexy stepfather if he had this guy's number..."

"Not another word, Cody. I know your type very well, but I forbid it. As your superior."

"Excuse me?"

"He's a suspect and a married man, Cody."

"Do married men become inherently less sexy when they have a ring on their finger? I wonder what Jinn looks like."

Fox showed him a photo of the man at an event at the next traffic light.

"Not bad," he admitted. "Especially for a fifty-year-old man."

Then, because he was a little shit, Cody called Rhys the second they arrived, motioning to Fox to go without him.

The police officer at the hospital passed him Kenobi, who immediately gave him Feemor Jinn's number, so Cody returned to his unit like a victorious peacock, stopping in front of Fox's office with a huge smirk that threatened to devour his face.

"Guess who got Feemor Jinn's number after kindly asking his sexy stepfather?"

Thorn, who seemed to be filing a report, smiled where Fox could not see at the "sexy stepfather" and Fox sighed.

"I knew I shouldn't have agreed to work with the family."

"Hey, I'm your cousin!"

"Not the same thing, Thorn. You're fine, but Cody's been a little shit since we came out of the womb."

"And Fox has been a grumpy old authoritarian ass since he came out of the womb. I'll send you the number, beloved big brother born just half an hour before me."

"The happiest and most peaceful thirty minutes of my entire life!"

Thorn could still be heard as Cody sat down at his desk.

"Honestly, guys, I'll never understand how twins can be like that. Thire and I are like one person."

"That's what you don't understand, Thorn. We're also one person, but since our personality is awful, we can't stand each other."

Cody smiled as he wrote and sent his message via his work email.

 

CodyFett - Here's Feemor Jinn's number 😘

FoxFett - 🖕

 

Cody chuckled, opening the already large file on his desk. He had a feeling this case was going to be complicated. Terribly complicated and delicate, actually, judging by the two men's extremely detailed resumes, which were freely available on the internet.

He had his hands full.

Chapter 2

"Mr. Jinn, thank you for coming."

"It's only natural," the young man said simply with a gentle smile as he sat down in one of the chairs in Fox's office. "I don't think I can be of much help if you have questions about the attack, but you're trying to find those responsible, so it's worth my time to meet with you."

Well, at least he seemed willing to cooperate, which was better than Jinn's employer, who did not want to disclose anything without his consent... and unfortunately, a man in a coma could not give his consent, and the husband of a man in a coma had no say in the matter because his spouse was not dead, just temporarily indisposed and... Cody hated bureaucracy and sometimes even the law most of the time.

"We prefer not to dismiss any leads. Did you hear from your father or anyone else about any possible threats against him?"

"Threats? No, not that I know of."

"According to Mr. Kenobi, he had many enemies."

That was a contradiction.

"Of course," the blond man nodded in agreement. "They are both involved in negotiating extremely important treaties and agreements, whether between companies, states, international or intergovernmental organizations, and sometimes all of the above. Everyone has conflicting interests, and a lot of money is at stake, so... yes, they've upset a lot of people, especially my father, but he's never feared reprisals."

Interesting. Cody made a mental note to investigate Kenobi's potential enemies. So far, they had focused on Jinn, but deep down, perhaps he was not the real target. Perhaps it was also an attempt at intimidation that had gone wrong. It was still too early to tell.

"When did you last see your father and his husband?" Cody asked next.

"This morning, I went to the hospital as soon as I got to town. Of course, my father is in a coma, but it was important to me, and Obi-Wan needed some company that wasn't the beep sound of a heart monitor. Before that, it was for my birthday almost a year ago.

"Were you two close?"

"With my father? A lot, especially after my mother died. Obviously, now that I live far away and have a job, we talk less, but we still have an excellent relationship."

"And with his new husband?"

"Obi-Wan? They got along well, which is pretty much what you'd expect in a marriage, I guess."

Cody hid a laugh behind his hand when he saw Fox stifle any physical reaction upon hearing this, because he knew it was not what his twin wanted to hear.

"I mean, what's your relationship with Mr. Kenobi?"

"Oh. Wow, tough question. I... I had a hard time seeing my father start dating again after my mother died, so I was a little... hostile at first. It's better now, we don't know each other well enough to be friends, but we have some things in common and talk fairly easily."

"You must have been surprised when he brought home a man twenty years younger than him."

"Not that much, at least not the "man" part. My father has always been very open-minded about sexuality, as was my mother, for that matter. They would both joke about their youthful experiences and end on a very romantic note, saying that among all those experiences, they were each other's favorite..."

"Was his age an issue?"

There was a silence at this question, and Cody could see him thinking carefully about his answer.

"You know, beyond the fear of being forgotten or pushed aside because of the new partner, there's always the fear that the person is a gold digger. Which is pretty awful, as if a person can no longer be attractive for who they are after a certain age, but... I couldn't help thinking about it."

"I imagine you've come back from that idea," Cody said quietly, confirmed by an amused smile.

Fox seemed to want to ask him how he knew that, but Cody shrugged to signal that they would talk about it later. It was just... instinct, okay?

"Indeed. Obi-Wan is obviously not on my grandfather's level, no one can compete with him anyway, but he comes from money. His parents are wealthy and own very successful businesses, he had an excellent education and was noticed, climbing the ladder at lightning speed even before he started orbiting my father professionally."

In other words, he did not need to seduce a man almost twice his age for his money when he was already a successful man himself with plenty of safety nets to catch him if things went wrong for him.

That did not cleared Kenobi, but it was an important point. Until now, they had had trouble obtaining information about the redhead. His parents were discreet, and their businesses did not make waves. It was the kind of thing the police and the courts did not look into too closely.

"You have a younger brother, according to our records. He wasn't born to your mother, Mrs..."

"Tahl Jinn, née Tahl Noorian. Yes, they adopted Anakin, somewhat on a whim."

"Was it Mr. Kenobi's wish to be a father?" Fox asked with genuine curiosity, and Cody applauded the tactic.

For this man, that would probably be all there was to it, a man in his thirties wanting to experience fatherhood even though he was married to a man. For them, it was something else: in the event of death, a lot of money would go to the minor child and his guardian. A lot. Sometimes a chocking amount, especially in families like these.

"Actually, it was my father. I don't really know where Anakin came from, it all happened quite quickly and hastily. Obi-Wan probably didn't want to be a father, if you ask me, they argued about it at the time."

Revenge, then? The child should have been on the ground floor. Was he the target of an assassin hired to get rid of the recent addition that was disrupting the life of a young married couple? But that seemed really far-fetched and brutal for someone who was described as extremely gentle and calm in all circumstances.

"I apologize for asking this, but... are you aware of your father's last wishes?"

"The... you think Obi-Wan is involved."

"I didn't..."

"I'm not an idiot, Captain." Mr. Jinn interrupted him sharply. "You're wondering who benefits from the crime, and right now the crime is my father, who may never wake up, in the hospital. If he dies, then the spouse is the first person suspected. Crimes are mostly related to love, money, or sex, and their relationship meets all the criteria. My father's estate has been settled for years and has not changed much with his marriage and adoption. Even without any support, Obi-Wan would do fine. He's not like that."

"We're just exploring all possibilities-"

"Then explore others," the other ordered coldly in a tone that reminded everyone where he came from. "Obi-Wan suffers from PTSD and has a phobic fear of blood. For him, approaching the scene and defending my father with his own hands was hell, more so than for anyone else. Stop going after him."

"When did he tell you he had these medical conditions?" Cody asked.

"Not this morning, and he didn't ask me to say that," the other man said irritably, getting up and putting on his coat, ready to leave. "If you really want to know, he didn't even have to say anything. I cut my hand opening a bottle of champagne one day, the kind of stupid everyday accident, and he collapsed when he saw all the blood on my hand. Anyway, I don't get what you're accusing him of. There are cameras outside and inside the house. You've already seen the footage. You know he did nothing but defend himself, otherwise he'd already be in custody. Don't do anything to add to his burden."

"We're doing our job-"

"No, you're not, and if you are, do it better. You know how to reach me if you need me."

They did not try to stop him - it wasn't a formal interrogation - but Cody now had a specific question in mind.

"Why defend him so fiercely if you're not even that close?"

The man stopped, his hand on the door handle, and looked at him, his expression serious.

"He loves my father, and incidentally, he may have just saved his life. That's enough for me."

"Well... the family drama is interesting in this family, you don't see that every day," he concluded once their guest was outside.

"I was particularly marked by the two bisexual parents with varied youthful experiences," Fox rolled his eyes. "Have you seen the recordings?"

"Not yet. Thorn just told me that they confirm everything Kenobi said from the moment he came down from the master bedroom. And that the son did indeed go up to join them around eleven o'clock. There are only cameras on the ground floor."

"You can tell me your opinion but I tend to agree with what the victim's son said. I don't think the husband is responsible, it seems too... you'll see."

Hmm... very mysterious, just what he needed to put everything else aside and finally watch the recordings that had arrived earlier that morning.

He started with the outside, from the moment indicated by the person who had identified time markers to make their task easier, then moved on to the inside cameras.

There was no sound, but the image was of good quality, and very quickly Cody felt a sense of anxiety grip him. This was neither a thriller nor a horror movie, it was real. It was painfully real.

Most of the time, there were no cameras to record a crime, they could only imagine but never see. See the violence of an attack, blood splattered on the walls, and the distress of a man holding the most important person in his life as he died in his arms.

Everything matched up, absolutely everything, and there was nothing unusual in the phone records. They would have to check the outdoor cameras along the entire street over several weeks to try to find something, but... yeah, Kenobi's distress was real.

He was terrified and in a state of total panic, probably not the type to do something like this.

Okay, he was going to the bottom of their list of suspects until further notice.

"We need access to information about his work," Fox muttered into his second drink at the local bar that night. "I hate these cases, they take advantage of a tiny legal loophole to hinder us, damn it-"

"Every corporation needs to keep certain things confidential for data security," Thire reminded him curtly, "go try going to question military or ex-military staffs when one of them is murdered, and you'll understand what omerta means."

"I've never had that problem," Fox muttered. "Wolffe makes phone calls for me and people become very talkative."

"Because your fucking brother is on the inside and vouches for you. We don't have anyone in this company who can be the trusted intermediary who loosens tongues."

Cody looked at Thorn, as if blessed with divine inspiration from Manda: they did not have an intermediary, really? Did not they have two victims working at Jedi Mediation Corps? Had not they received someone today thanks to that?

"We could ask him to introduce us to a few colleagues?" He suggested to his twin, trying not to stammer.

Three drinks were too much, he should not have accepted Thire's refills.

"Who do you want to ask?"

"Kenobi."

"Cody-"

"Let him try, please, " Thire said plaintively, clinging to him. "I'm tired of hearing confidential again and again. Please, cousin, please... "

Their ancestors blessed their Aunt Arla for being more beautiful than their father: Thire had effective puppy dog eyes.

"Fine, you can try."

Cody smiled, made a note in his agenda for the next day to "Meet Kenobi to ask him to get his colleagues to talk" and let himself be carried away by more relaxed conversations.

The next day, he was at the hospital first thing in the morning, waiting outside Qui-Gon Jinn's door for his appointment to "Find sexy redhead to talk office colleagues" – yeah, he had not exactly written what he was thinking the night before, but at least he understood his drunk Cody, so it was okay – and stood up when he saw Mr. Kenobi arrive, this time with a blond boy of about ten behind him.

"Mr. Fett?"

"Hello, Mr. Kenobi, can I talk to you for a moment? It won't take long," he promised, seeing him looking at the boy with concern.

"All right. Anakin, stay inside, okay? And if you need anything or want to see me, ask Mr. Rhys, who's here, but don't go anywhere alone under any circumstances."

"Okay."

The child with the disinterested tone disappeared inside, slamming the door behind him.

"Sorry about that, he's... this is particularly difficult for him, what's happening."

"Of course," he said reassuringly. "Come on, let's go somewhere else."

Once they had coffee in hand, they sat down on a bench outside on one of the hospital's many terraces, and the grieving husband looked at him with a calculating, cold stare that electrified him before he even said a word.

"So you suspect me?"

Damn it. Shit. He was going to have to be very convincing to gain his trust.

Very very convincing.

Thanks, Feemor Jinn, really.

Chapter 3

"We're doing the routine checks, I hope you understand."

"And what questions do you have for me today?"

"Actually, I didn't come here to ask you any questions."

"Oh, really?" The other man scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Not even about my hemophobia? Would you like a note from my doctor?"

"I can't deny that it would help your case, but that's not why I'm here, really."

"Oh, yes, sure. The will, then?"

"Please, you're no longer our prime suspect, for real."

"That's exactly what I'd say to someone I suspected to get them to let their guard down."

This was going to be difficult... and the worst part was probably that Cody liked it.

Fox was right, this man was totally his type....

He did not like it when Fox was right about him.

"We're trying to find out more about your husband's professional environment, and yours too."

"Mine?"

"There are several possibilities at this point: no one was supposed to be there, no one was supposed to come down, your husband was a target..."

"Or the target was me."

"Exactly. I noticed you had an escort."

"Yes, Qui-Gon's father doesn't do things by halves. Since the break-in, we have people with us everywhere to protect us. The house is under constant surveillance, as are Anakin's school and the hospital."

"If I can give you some advice, don't send them back until we know more."

The man made a neutral sound and Cody sighed.

"A work-related conflict could be the reason for the intrusion and perhaps even the attack on your husband, but we're running into refusals from all sides."

"That's because our agency operates as an independent zone as an international foundation for peace. Anything related to employees or the building is not subject to the laws applicable on Coruscant, such as-"

"Embassies, believe me, I've heard it enough."

"I can't betray my employer's trust, confidentiality is an important part of my job."

"I'm not asking you to do that. All I would like is for you to talk to the people around you and tell them to call us if they know anything."

"How would that be any different?"

"Saying Qui-Gon Jinn had a violent argument with this person a week before the incident wouldn't betray anything about your professional activities, would it?"

"Hmm... that's true. I'll just ask my superior for permission before I do it, he shouldn't refuse."

"Who is that?"

"Mace Windu."

Okay, it was over. Mace Windu? He was the big boss of the Jedi Foundation for Peace and all its branches and affiliated NGOs working in fields as varied as education, medicine, and research. Fox had never managed to get anyone higher up than Windu's assistant's assistant. He was never going to say yes.

"Don't pull that face," Mr. Kenobi said curtly as he finished his coffee. "There are rules and procedures to follow, and having his approval will help loosen even the most hesitant tongues."

"If he gives his approval."

"He's friends with Dooku and likes Qui-Gon a lot. He has no reason to forbid anyone from giving information as long as it's concise and doesn't concern our clients, partners, or current contracts."

Cody was still skeptical.

"Never mind," the other man muttered, stretching. "I'm going to join my son."

"This son, it was your husband who wanted to adopt him, wasn't it?"

There was a silence, a very long pause. Awkward.

"Yes, Qui-Gon wanted to adopt Anakin. We talked about it at length, and I finally agreed."

It did not seem to be an outcome he was happy with, but Cody did not point it out unnecessarily. It was none of his business.

"Are you okay? Taking care of him on your own like this, given the situation? In the police force, we're in contact with various professionals who can help with children."

"Am I okay?" The other man repeated incredulously. "You're asking me if I'm okay? Of course I'm not okay! My husband is between life and death, the days go by and he doesn't wake up, I don't even know if he'll wake up, and the boy we recently adopted together, who preferred him to me, is now alone with me, who never really wanted to be a father. How am I supposed to feel?!"

Yeah... when the question was stupid, the answer was usually aggressive.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"No, I... I'm the one who should apologize. I know you're just doing your job, but... this is our life, you know? My life is falling apart and everyone is watching me, everyone is getting involved and everyone thinks they know better and... I'm just a man, I can't do everything on my own."

"I guess that's what spouses are for," Cody whispered hesitantly. "They're your pillars in the storms."

"That's right," the redhead confirmed, trying to control his breathing behind his hands again. "Qui-Gon is always so calm, I... it's horrible to say, but I think I'd prefer it if the roles were reversed. At least he'd be better at it, and Anakin wouldn't have to put up with me."

"Does the kid not like you?"

"It's not so much that he doesn't like me, it's more... I'm not the father he wanted, Qui-Gon was. I'm a poor substitute."

Did he feel like an unqualified impostor? Perhaps that and the stress of the whole situation painted a bleaker picture than it actually was. Cody would prefer that to be the case. Being pushed into fatherhood against your will by an insistent partner who had emotional leverage over you rarely ended well for anyone involved.

"I'll walk you back."

Cody walked him back to the room and watched the reunion for a minute. Jinn was still in a coma and hooked up to machines in his bed, the child was sitting next to him, holding his hand, and Kenobi approached without saying a word, immense sorrow in his eyes as he hesitantly placed his hand on the blond boy's shoulder, who leaned slightly toward the comforting touch.

"I know it's hard to see him like this, but we'll have to be patient."

"Have the doctors said anything?" The boy asked with a slight accent and distinctly poor diction, revealing his modest origins.

"I haven't had time to see them yet. The police just came to tell me they needed my help with something. I know my friend Bant is here today, she's seeing patients. Would you like to come with me to ask her if there have been any developments since last time?"

The young Anakin Jinn-Kenobi nodded and stood up, casting one last glance at his sleeping father before following his other father. Cody could not help but notice that he flinched when he saw him and took a slight step back as the policeman made a silent farewell gesture toward them.

He seemed pretty scared... but then again, knowing the government's child welfare and foster care system, it was no surprise that an adult would be anything but reassuring, but rather frightening, and even worse when that adult was a cop.

The kid looked like he had been through some bad stuff, and he hoped for his sake that Jinn would wake up and they would be okay.

"So, how did that attempt go?" Fox asked mockingly when he returned, misinterpreting his reserved expression.

"He'll see what he can do."

"Hmm. He'll see what he can do, huh? Sounds like a failure to me, what do you say, Thorn?"

"I say I'm leaving before I get caught between you two again," their diplomatic cousin declared with a placid smile, pushing his brother with him to get him out too.

"Hey! But I was the one with the appointment with Fox next, not him!"

"Anything new?"

"Nothing, he seems to be exactly what he claims to be. He's uncomfortable with the kid they adopted, maybe he didn't really want to do it, but he's not bad with him. Nothing else to report."

"Okay. Tell Thire to... Holy shit!"

Cody, Thire, and Thorn could not have rushed over to Fox's side any faster to see what had caused such a strong reaction, and Cody smiled triumphantly at his brother when he saw that he had received an email from Mace Windu himself inviting him in two extremely succinct lines to send his men to their Coruscant offices the next morning for the entire morning so that they could officially question those who would come to them voluntarily, as Cody had suggested to Kenobi.

"How on earth is that possible?"

"If I had to bet, I'd say... he has Windu's number in his phone?"

"No matter how," Thire interrupted, "we need to agree on our approach and the questions to ask by tomorrow morning."

"You can take care of it if you want, take Rhys with you... and Cody too," he sighed, pushing Cody, who had brought his face close to his, until he was only a few millimetres away. "If Kenobi really likes you, it could be useful."

"Sometimes I wonder how Cody can be such a flirt when he's your twin," he heard one of their cousins say as he walked away from Fox's office.

"I don't know, maybe he took everything."

"Possible."

"Probably even," added the second twin.

"Shut up. I just hope Cody doesn't sleep with his crush. I don't want Jinn to wake up to that and Serenno to come down on my brother like a raging harpy."

"A harpy who is the richest person in the world."

"Yeah... Why can't Cody ever just do things simply?"

Cody was wondering the same thing.

"When did any of us ever want simple? Even Thorn can't do it, it must be genetic."

"Hey! You've got no right to talk, Thire, last time you ended up-"

"Get out of my office!"