Title: Home Leave – Part 9, & 10
Author: Cheshire Cat
Rating: G
Spoilers: yes for the JA books (great stuff!)
Timing: Obi-Wan is 13.
Archive: yes, just let me know where
Summary: Nilko bugs Obi-Wan in the barn and during wash up. Obi-Wan
and Fea'la talk again. Obi-Wan feels rejected by Qui-Gon and leaves him a
note to that effect when he runs away.
Disclaimer: The boys and all therein belong to George Lucas (although I
don't mind sharing them occasionally)
Author's note: Yes, I did steal the name "Alban Arthan" from the old Celtic
calendar. If you didn't know that before today, neither did I - I looked
it up. Besides, you learned something new. *Wink*
Chapter 9
That night when Obi-Wan climbed, exhausted, into bed, he had aches in muscles he didn't know he had. He'd never mucked out a stable before and it was not an experience he wanted to repeat any time soon. To make matters worse, Nilko, the thirteen year old son of Qui-Gon's little sister, had come into the barn to tease him.
_*_*_
"What are you doing, little Jedi?"
"I'm cleaning out the stable. That should be fairly obvious."
"Yes, I can see that. How come?"
"My Master told me to," Obi-Wan responded. He was getting irritated. Nilko knew full well why Obi-Wan was being punished – he just wanted to rub it in.
"So you're obeying him now, but not earlier today?" Nilko asked in that annoying, sarcastic tone that Obi-Wan hated.
"Why don't you just say what you came to say? Let me get my work done in peace." He heaved another shovel-full of muck onto the trundle-cart.
"I know you've been getting friendly with my cousin, little Jedi."
"Does that bother you?" Obi-Wan grunted, shoveling another load.
"Not particularly. I just thought I'd tell you that you don't stand a chance. I mean, you'll be leaving in a few days. What'll she ever do without you?" He batted his eyes, mockingly.v Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. "Leave me alone, Nilko. I have work to do."
Nilko sensed that Obi-Wan wasn't rising to the bait, and he soon grew frustrated of hanging around the barn. With a parting shot of, "Well, I'm going sledding. Wanna come? Oh, that's right. You can't," Nilko left.
Obi-Wan wrinkled his nose for reasons other than the smell and heaved the next shovel-full at the cart violently.
_*_*_
When Obi-Wan awoke the next morning, Qui-Gon was sitting at the corner
desk, reading. He lay perfectly still with his eyes closed, hoping for a
few minutes rest. He should have known better; the Jedi Master knew the
moment he woke up.
"Get up, Padawan. Get dressed. You've got work to do."
"More?" Obi-Wan half-whined.
Qui-Gon quirked an eyebrow at his Padawan. /Give me strength,/ he thought. Aloud, he said, "Up, Obi-Wan. Now."
Obi-Wan grumbled something under his breath, but obeyed.
Twenty minutes later, the Padawan was sitting on top of the cottage roof. He and his Master and some of the other adult males of the family were re-thatching part of the roof that had come undone during a recent storm. It was hard work, and cold. Obi-Wan was in something of a quandary. He couldn't work with his gloves on; they were too thick and cumbersome. If he took them off his fingers froze. He scowled. This just would not do.
When Fea'la brought them some mugs of steaming tea, Obi-Wan cast a questioning glance in Qui-Gon's direction.
"You can talk to her, Padawan. As long as that's all you do, I have no objections."
"Yes, Master. Thank you."
Fea'la came over, somewhat shyly. "Here, do you want some? It's really hot. Be careful."
Obi-Wan accepted the tea gratefully. "Thank you. My hands are really cold." As an afterthought he added, "I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to get you in trouble. I, uh, I really like you, Fea'la." He blushed and looked down at his boots.
"I like you too, Obi-Wan," she said, smiling faintly as he looked up. "But I really don't want to get in any more trouble."
"Me neither."
"Alright, Padawan," Qui-Gon said, coming over and interrupting the conversation just when it was getting interesting. "Enough of that. It's time to get back to work."
/Does he just *know* the worst possible point to interrupt?/ Obi-Wan grumbled to himself. /Probably./
For the next several hours, work on the roof continued, ceasing only when the sun sank below the horizon.
That night at supper, Qui-Gon kept his Padawan at his side. He wasn't exactly sure what had passed between his Apprentice and his niece earlier in the day, but neither was he taking any chances. As the meal ended and the young people grumbled and groused about being forced to do the washing up, Qui-Gon still sat at the table, pretending to read a data pad. In reality, he was paying very close attention to his duties as chaperone. The children laughed and joked and tossed water at one another, but all seemed normal. Until Nilko made some comment that hit Obi-Wan a little close to home. The Padawan turned to him and snapped something Qui-Gon didn't hear, but it was enough to make Nilko throw a pan of water at Obi-Wan. The Apprentice ducked under the main gush of water, tackling Nilko just above the knees. Pots and pans went flying as the two boys crashed to the floor.
Qui-Gon closed his eyes briefly before lifting the boys apart with the Force.
Nilko and Obi-Wan suddenly found themselves suspended about a meter off the ground and the same distance apart. Obi-Wan looked embarrassed, Nilko just looked angry.
"Put me down!"
Qui-Gon dropped him. Obi-Wan started to laugh, but a malevolent glance from his mentor silenced him. The other children looked on in dismay.
"Boys, calm down. Both of you. This bickering is unseemly and I will not stand for it." Qui-Gon didn't sound *too* angry, Obi-Wan thought optimistically.
"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan answered, trying to sound as contrite as possible. "May I be put down, please?" Qui-Gon's mouth quirked in a faint smile as he lowered his Padawan to the ground.
"Nilko, get up. I mean it, young man," Qui-Gon said sternly.
/Ooh, 'young man' – I know that tone./ Obi-Wan thought with some satisfaction.
Nilko rose, glaring at anyone who dared crack a smile at his discomfiture.
Qui-Gon stared down at his nephew. "You will not antagonize my Apprentice, Nilko. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Uncle Qui-Gon."
"And as for you, Padawan," Qui-Gon began sternly. Obi-Wan felt a sudden rush of panic that he sought to quell. He had a feeling this was going to be bad.
Qui-Gon continued, "You will meditate in your room until bedtime."
Obi-Wan winced. He'd never been banned from the evening story-telling sessions before. He was about to protest this new punishment, when he saw the look on Qui-Gon's face.
"Yes, Master," he sighed resignedly.
_*_*_
The next several days passed in a blur. Obi-Wan was kept so busy that he
collapsed into bed each night, bone weary. He had no time to search out
Fea'la although his imagination created scenarios where he had a few
minutes to spare and they would somehow both know to meet in a certain
place. It never happened and he only saw her at the supper table.
The only good to have come out of the whole ordeal was that Nilko now left him alone. Qui-Gon had apparently scared him sufficiently so that he was loath to risk the Jedi's ire again.
Obi-Wan realized one morning with a start that it was his last full day of holiday. He and his Master would leave in the morning and arrive later that day at the Jedi Temple. He sighed dejectedly. He was never going to get the chance to be alone with Fea'la.
TBC~~~
Chapter 10
Author's note #2: Thanks to Suze for the plot twist!
As Obi-Wan stood in his room on the morning of their last day, he stretched
and prepared to put on his clothes. He looked around. Qui-Gon was still
asleep.
/That's a first,/ Obi-Wan thought. /Usually he's up way earlier than me./
As he dressed, Obi-Wan thought back over the events of the last two weeks. The visit with his own family had been wonderful and the first couple of days at Qui-Gon's Mother's farm had been amazing. But after Qui-Gon had caught his niece Fea'la, and Obi-Wan kissing in the barn, the Padawan had not had a single minute to himself.
A sudden thought struck Obi-Wan. /Does he object that I was kissing a girl in general, or that it was his niece?/ He scowled. Qui-Gon's admonishment earlier reverberated in his mind. The Jedi Master had, in a fury, snarled, "What part of 'keep your hands of my niece' didn't you understand?" /Does he think I'm not good enough to be a part his family?/ Obi-Wan wondered, silently.
Obi-Wan had had a hard time getting Qui-Gon to accept him as his Padawan. Even after he'd saved the Jedi Master's life on more than one occasion. He sighed dejectedly. Fears and doubts surrounded him.
/Maybe he doesn't want me anymore./ His lower lip trembled. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly.
Tired of feeling sorry for himself, Obi-Wan decided to do something about it. He finished dressing and tossed his thermal cape and a couple of blankets into his satchel. Leaving his lightsabre and the rock, he scribbled a hasty note to his Master and, opening the latch on the window, threw a leg over the sill. It was but the work of a few moments, and he was gone.
_*_*_
Qui-Gon shivered. A part of his sleep-soaked mind wondered vaguely why it
was so cold, but the rest of him objected violently to waking up and he
slept on. The banging of the window frame jolted him from his slumber. He
sat up, blinking. The window was open, which explained the cold. A light
fall of snow was on the floor.
Scowling he rose and went to shut it. He gasped in surprise as his sleep-warmed bare feet came in contact with the snow.
/Sith, but that's cold./
Noticing his Padawan was not in his bed, he called out, "Obi-Wan? Are you in the bathroom?"
No answer.
"Padawan?" He poked his head into the hallway looking to the left and right. When his gaze fell upon Fea'la's door, he frowned. Two short strides and he was at her door. He knocked. No answer.
With a frown, he opened the door. Fea'la was still in bed, and she yelped in surprise as he entered.
"Uncle! What's wrong?"
"Do you know where Obi-Wan is?"
She shook her head.
"Fea'la if you know, you must tell me," said Qui-Gon. "Did he say anything to you yesterday?"
"No, Uncle, he said nothing. Don't you have a bond or something with Obi-Wan?"
Qui-Gon frowned. "It's not fully formed yet," he explained. "He hasn't been my Apprentice for long enough."
"Oh," she answered, obviously confused. "But you said you found us in the barn with it."
"I can feel emotions and sensations from Obi-Wan most of the time. But not always. Especially not if he's far away...." He trailed off, fighting a sensation of panic.
Qui-Gon swore. Fea'la's eyes went very wide and she giggled. "Sorry," Qui-Gon said winking at her. "Don't tell your Grandmother."
Fea'la followed Qui-Gon back to his room, wrapped in the comforter off her bed. Her nightdress was long and white and she'd pulled a pair of thick stockings on over her bare feet.
"Here, Uncle, look at this," Fea'la said, holding up a piece of paper that was weighted on the table with a rock.
As Qui-Gon read the note, Fea'la saw the color drain from his face. He closed his eyes for a long minute. Fea'la was half-afraid he was going to faint. Without a word, he handed her the note and she read:
Master, I'm sorry that you don't think I'm good enough to be with your
niece. I guess that I'm not good enough to be a part of your family. I
guess that means I'm not good enough to be your Padawan either. I'm
leaving my lightsabre and the rock, since it was my Padawan-gift.
-O.K.
"He's gone," Fea'la said, stunned. Qui-Gon nodded. He picked up the rock
and looked at it, cocking his head to one side as if seeking answers within
the stone itself. With a sigh, he slipped it into his tunic pocket.
He turned to her, eyes blazing with a fury he could not express. /How could I have been so blind? First Xanatos and now Obi-Wan! Damn it all!/
"Fea'la, go get dressed. Get your father. We're going hunting."
TBC~~
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