"Are there any questions?" Qui-Gon asked looking around the room of young children.

Twenty-two pairs of blank eyes looked back at him and Qui-Gon knew he had lost their attention entirely. Luckily, he only had five minutes left until the end of the class. With a sigh he glanced once more around the room.

"All right, then, if there are no questions you may go." He held up his hands as the children immediately returned to life and stood from their desks. "Please remember to bring in your stories tomorrow, children."

He sat back behind his desk with a sigh and made a note to himself to bring extra books, the blank stares had returned as soon as he had spoken. He hadn't been aware they taught manipulation skills so young. Qui-Gon watched the children file out of the room, and could hear their voices rise as they entered the high ceilinged hallway.

Turning his attention from the children, Qui-Gon began reading over some of the essays the students in his fifth level Politics class had written. He was halfway through the first paper when he finally noticed one of the children had not left the class. Qui-Gon glanced up to see the small form of Obi-Wan standing nervously in front of his desk waiting to be noticed.

He smiled at the boy. "Is there something I can help you with, Obi-Wan?" He asked seriously, trying to make the boy feel more confident.

Obi-Wan watched him for a moment before answering. "Do you remember the present you got me for my birthday?"

Qui-Gon nodded, hoping there was nothing wrong with the gift.

"Um, well, so I was trying to put it together, but it has all these little tiny pieces and the directions are really confusing, so I asked um, Master Heri, my Creche Master, she's really nice and she reads us stories before we go to bed and once she let us stay up really late and watch holovids, but anyway um, I asked her to help me and she said that she wasn't very good at it and that maybe on of the other Masters could help, but I don't really um, know any other Masters that could help me as good as you cause you were the one who got it for me so I thought um, that you would be really good at putting them together, so I was wondering if you would help me put it together." Large blue eyes looked up at him full of hope and innocence, and Qui-Gon knew there was no way he would be able to deny the boy.

"Of course I will help you Obi-Wan, we can't let you have a model that isn't finished can we?" He smiled down at the elfin face as he stood and gathered his things from his desk. He reached down and held the small boy's hand in his own. "Come, let's go see your Creche Master and find out when you're free."

The two walked through the wide halls of the Temple in silence which was only broken by Obi-Wan's occasional humming. After a few moments, Obi-Wan began to swing his arm and hand held by Qui-Gon causing both of their arms to swing in the air. Qui-Gon looked at the little boy with a raised eyebrow, but Obi-Wan just grinned at him and swung higher.

As a thought occurred to him, Qui-Gon grinned in return. "Obi-Wan, reach out you left hand."

The boy looked at him curiously but did as he was asked. His smile broadened when his small hand encountered another hand formed from the Force. With careful control of the Force and his own hand, Qui-Gon picked up the boy by his hands and swung his entire body forward.

Obi-Wan let out a shriek of delight as he settled to the floor. He looked up at Qui- Gon with laughing eyes. "Again." It was not a request or a question but a demand.

They continued in the same manner through much of the hall until a small green head poked out from one of the doors to the classroom. Yoda glared at the pair of them for a moment as they stilled under his gaze.

"Disturbing the other students you are, dignified a Jedi is. Swing children through the halls of the Temple a Jedi should not." Yoda pointed his stick at Qui-Gon and the Jedi was certain if he had been closer his former Master Yoda would have smacked his shins.

"I apologize, my Master. We'll be more quiet." Qui-Gon said carefully, trying to keep the laughter from his voice and face.

Yoda glared at them for a moment longer. Then the small green Jedi Master dropped the boy a quick wink before disappearing into his classroom.

Obi-Wan walked alongside the older man in silence for a moment. "I'm sorry I got you into trouble." He said softly.

Qui-Gon smiled reassuringly at the boy. "Don't worry about a thing Obi-Wan, I knew what I was doing. Besides, I was getting into trouble with Master Yoda years before you came along." He shook his head in remembrance of the hours he had spent cleaning various parts of the Temple as punishment for some of his more memorable exhibitions.

Obi-Wan's eyes lit with interest. "Really? What did you do?"

"Oh no, I am not going to give you any ideas. If you want to get into trouble you can think up things all on your own." He shook his head and thought briefly about the uproar it would cause if the boy suddenly began imitations of some of his more interesting adventures.

When they arrived at the section of he children's quarters assigned to Obi-Wan, Master Heri was there to greet them. While Obi-Wan had spoken of his Creche Master on occasion and Qui-Gon had wanted to meet the Jedi for some time, they had never seemed to be in the same place at the same time. She smiled at the small boy as he bounced into the common room.

"Hello, Obi-Wan. Did you have a good day?" She glanced briefly at Qui-Gon in acknowledgment before turning her attention solely on the boy.

Obi-Wan nodded. "I got to be first in the line for lunch today and Teacher Jel-tan- Git said he liked my drawing and I got to bring Qui-Gon with me." He flashed a bright smile up at the Jedi Master.

"That's very good, Obi-Wan. Why don't you go put your things away and Master Jinn and I can talk for a little bit?" She brushed a hand through his short golden hair as he ran off. "It is very good to finally meet you, Master Jinn."

"I'm pleased we finally managed to come together. I thought we'd have the chance at Obi-Wan's birthday party but that didn't work out either." Qui-Gon felt uncomfortable as though the impression of this woman mattered a great deal to him. In a way he supposed it did; if she did not approve of him, he could guarantee he would not see Obi- Wan again.

"Obi-Wan thinks very highly of you." Heri sat behind her desk and nodded to a seat opposite her.

Qui-Gon took the seat relaxing slightly at the Jedi's easy manner. "Thank you, he's a very good boy."

Heri looked briefly in the direction the boy had run and nodded. "Yes he is. I suppose you are here about the model? I had a feeling he would ask you. If you really don't want to do this, I am sure we can work something out if you're afraid of hurting his feelings."

Qui-Gon was shocked. "Oh no, no I want to help him, I just came by to see when he was free so we could work on it."

Heri smiled. "I was hoping you would feel that way. He tried so hard the past couple of days to make it work, but his hands are just too small and he is only five. Some things are still beyond his ability and he just isn't capable of doing everything on his own yet. I would help him but that's never really been my strong point, and I wanted his first model to turn out well. He has a great interest in ships and I really think this is good for him." She paused and looked toward the ceiling as though considering something. "He's free to work on the model any day after his classes are over, though I would ask that you have him back before the seventh hour." She said at last looking at Qui-Gon with a smile.

The Jedi Master nodded. "So, I could take him with me now, today?" He asked tentatively.

Heri broke into a broad smile. "I think that would be wonderful. He wants to work on it so badly and I think he had about reached the end of his patience. Just remember to have him back before the seventh hour, please." She turned her head to the room in which Obi-Wan had disappeared. "Obi-Wan, you can come out and stop listening at the doorway now." She called in a voice only a little louder than her normal speaking tone.

Obi-Wan came out with a worried expression, his model clutched tightly in his hands. "Sorry. Are you done talking about me now?"

"Yes, Obi-Wan. Master Qui-Gon would like to take you with him today to work on the model. Would you like that?" Heri asked as she knelt on the floor to better see him.

Obi-Wan nodded happily, glancing at Qui-Gon.

"Okay, you will be back by the seventh hour, which will give you enough time to do your homework and get ready for bed. I want you to listen to Master Qui-Gon and do as he tells you. Do you understand?" Her tone was serious and she held the boy's gaze directly. Obi-Wan nodded seriously. "All right, off you go. Have fun." She said as she gave the boy a hug and handed him over to the Jedi.

* * *

"See, this piece fits here, like this." Qui-Gon said, placing his hand gently over Obi-Wan's and guiding him.

"Ohhhhh." Obi-Wan said as though the simple move had opened up an entirely different way of seeing things. Obi-Wan examined the model in its partially completed state in satisfaction. "I can't wait till it's done." He said, looking up at Qui-Gon.

"Well, you may have to wait just a little longer than today, Little One. I think it may take us a while to get this together. I had no idea there were so many pieces."

"Yeah, there are lots of them." Obi-Wan agreed absently as he turned the figure in his hands.

"Are you hungry, Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon asked suddenly realizing it was getting a little late.

"Yes."

"Would you like something to eat?"

"Yes."

"What would you like?" Qui-Gon asked with a smile, the boy was so intent on the model.

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to reply then looked at Qui-Gon for a moment. "Are you cooking it?" He asked slowly.

"Well, yes." He wasn't sure where this was going.

"Um, Master Yoda, he said it would be a bad idea to eat the things you make, that um, you're a bad cook." Obi-Wan said with all seriousness.

"Oh really? And when did you talk with Master Yoda about me?" He asked the boy with an exaggerated expression, though his curiosity was true.

"I don't know. We talk about you sometimes." Obi-Wan shrugged. "He said you were a bad cook. I don't want to get sick."

Qui-Gon laughed out loud is surprise. "I will have you know, Obi-Wan Kenobi, that I am a very capable cook. You'll note I manage very well on my own. Besides, Master Yoda has some strange ideas about what is edible and what isn't. What do you say, care to take a chance on me?"

Obi-Wan looked at him suspiciously. "Okay, I trust you." He said at last, as he stood from his seat on the floor.

Qui-Gon smiled and stood as well as he moved into the small kitchen area of his apartment. He'd thought about taking the boy to one of the empty art rooms in the Temple but decided they would probably both do better in his apartment. Qui-Gon threw a glance over his shoulder and found Obi-Wan walking around his common area inspecting the small things he had set out on display from his travels. He scanned the area to make sure there was nothing the boy could hurt himself on before entering the kitchen to make them dinner.

"What's this?" Obi-Wan called from the other room.

Qui-Gon stopped in the middle of his preparations to see what the boy was asking about. "That is a crystal from the mines on Alciris. They mine those underwater and have to use special suits to work. It was a gift from a friend." He smiled as he remembered the planet, it had been one of his better missions.

He was again ensconced in his task when Obi-Wan called from the other room asking for another identification. He placed his items on the counter and went to inspect what the small boy had found.

"That's a carving of a mountain on Na-il'sa. It's a sacred place for the people and when I was a Padawan, my Master and I helped save the people from a massive earthquake. They gave us each one to remember them by." He smiled again, it was strange the things he had collected over the years that he never really thought about any more. They were just things that made his apartment distinguishable from the thousands of others.

When the third call came from the other room to identify an object, Qui-Gon repressed and sigh and walked fully into the room. The boy stood before a sketch mounted on the wall.

"Obi-Wan, how about I answer this question then you come in the kitchen and help me, okay?" He asked hoping the bargain would be sufficient. He had noted during his association with the boy that he enjoyed helping others.

"Sure."

"That is a drawing I did of a sunset on G'liplas. It was my first night on the planet and I thought it was the most beautiful place I'd ever seen." He looked at the sketch. Little had he known the next day the world would dissolve into chaos and he would be lucky to escape with his life, let alone the sketch.

He felt a small hand tug at his and looked down and saw Obi-Wan's large expressive eyes watching him sadly. "Something bad happened there?" He asked quietly.

Qui-Gon brushed his hand over the boy's head and picked him up. "Yes, Obi- Wan. I keep the picture as a reminder." He did not elaborate further, he had no wish to burden the boy. "Come, let's see what we can do about making a dinner you can eat." Qui-Gon said as he moved to the kitchen, purposely lightening his tone.

* * *

"Will you show me how to draw sometime?" Obi-Wan asked as he helped place the last of the dishes into their storage space.

"How to draw?" Qui-Gon asked, a little confused. Dinner had gone well and Obi- Wan was pleased to discover that the tales of Qui-Gon's incompetence had been highly overrated. Of course, it helped that most of the meal had been prepackaged.

"Yeah, you drew the sketch on the wall and it is really good, can you show me how. I'm not a good drawer."

"But I thought you said your teacher liked your picture today in class." Qui-Gon said, remembering the boy's earlier discussion with Heri.

"Yeah, but is wasn't very good. He just thought so because he could tell what I was trying to draw today. Usually he can't tell." The boy shrugged showing it didn't concern him too greatly. "But you're really good."

"Thank you, Obi-Wan. I would be happy to help you sometime. I used to draw all the time, but I have, well fallen out of practice in the past few years." He said thinking of the half filled sketch book that lay at the bottom of his closet.

"Why?" Obi-Wan asked as they moved form the kitchen back to Qui-Gon's main room.

"I don't know Obi-Wan, I just haven't felt like it much." He wasn't lying to the boy exactly, he hadn't felt like it in years. His last sketch had been a portrait of Xanatos just before he turned. It was the last thing in the sketch book and he'd had no desire to add to it. As he sat, the boy crawled up on the couch next to him and wiggled his way into the older man's lap. He rested the back of his head against Qui-Gon's chest and looked up at the older man.

"I think you should draw more, cause you're good." He said with all the authority he could muster. The effect was only slightly marred by the fact that his face was nearly upside-down and he yawned at the end of his statement.

Qui-Gon checked the time, before too much longer he would have to take the boy back and although he knew they would get no further on the model, he selfishly did not want Obi-Wan to go back early. He enjoyed spending time with him.

He was about to speak when the chime sounded to his down. Frowning in curiosity, he sent a Force probe to find out who would be visiting him. A smile broke across his face as he recognized the Force signature immediately. He gently placed Obi- Wan on the floor and held out at hand. "Come, Obi-Wan there's someone I want you to meet."

They crossed the room as quickly as the five-year-old's short legs could managed and Qui-Gon opened the door to reveal a young woman in Jedi robes. Her long black hair fell loosely at her shoulders and her brown eyes sparkled with warmth and mirth.

"Alla." Qui-Gon spoke her name with quiet joy and pulled the Knight into a great hug. He had not seen his former Padawan in years, though they kept in touch through frequent letters.

"Master." Alla murmured against his shoulder. She smiled as she stepped back. "I heard they had you grounded at the Temple and when I got here I had to see you. And who is this?" She asked of the young boy standing quietly at Qui-Gon's side.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, meet Alla, my first Padawan. Alla, this is Obi-Wan. His is," Qui-Gon paused uncertain of exactly how to describe the boy. "My friend." He finished finally and knew he had chosen correctly by the smile that lit the boy's face.

"Hello, Obi-Wan." Alla said seriously, kneeling to shake the boy's hand.

He returned the gesture just as seriously. "Hello, Knight Alla."

"Please come in. I am sure you remember where everything is." Qui-Gon stepped back to allow the Knight entrance.

"Hm, it is exactly as I remember it, Master. I think there are a few more things on the shelves, but other than that, it's the same." She walked in and looked around the room slowly before sitting on the couch, on the opposite end from where Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had been sitting earlier.

Qui-Gon sat and Obi-Wan immediately crawled back into his lap, settling comfortably. Alla raised an eyebrow at her former Master but said nothing, only smiled. It seemed quite a lot of people did that around him when he was with Obi-Wan.

The three quickly fell into easy conversation, and Alla kept to topics in which she could include the boy. She easily built a fast rapport with Obi-Wan, as she had always been able to do with most people, especially children. He was so wrapped up in their conversation that Qui-Gon nearly missed returning Obi-Wan on time.

He stood realizing he had only a few minutes before the boy's curfew. "I'm sorry Alla, I have to get Obi-Wan back to the Creche before the seventh hour. You could walk with us if you like." Obi-Wan nodded his agreement.

"I think I would like that very much." She nodded with a gentle smile.

They managed to deliver the boy only moments before the seventh hour bells struck and Heri gave the trio a wry grin. "You cut that one close, Jinn. Say goodbye to Master Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan."

Qui-Gon knelt and the boy practically threw himself into the older man's arms. "Thank you, Master Qui-Gon." He whispered in his ear.

"You're very welcome Obi-Wan. I had a lot of fun. Maybe we can work on the model again sometime this week, okay?"

"Okay. Good night, Master Qui-Gon." He said quietly for the older man's ears alone.

"Good night, Obi-Wan." he replied equally hushed.

The small boy smiled sweetly and moved away a little reluctantly. He waved at Alla. "Good night."

She waved back at him. "Sleep well, Obi-Wan. I am very glad to have met you." She said sincerely.

The boy gave the pair one last smile before Heri led him of into his room.

As the former Master and Apprentice walked away from the Creche, Alla looked closely at Qui-Gon. "It seems you have something of a story to share with me, Master."