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."

Qui-Gon scratched his neatly-trimmed beard, and let an innocent smile play over his lips. �This could take awhile.�

Alla didn�t even check her chrono, and she inclined her head towards him as she spoke. �For you, I�ve got the time.�

Qui-Gon looked down into her familiar brown eyes and reached an arm around her shoulders, giving her a squeeze. �I still can�t believe you�re here. . .it�s been so long since I�ve seen you.�

He felt her reach out and do the same, threading an arm behind his back. She looked up at him, and he couldn�t help feeling like she was ten years old again. �I�ve heard a lot of stories about you.� She grinned. �Every time news of your antics gets back to me, it makes me miss you terribly, Master.�

�We did have a few adventures, didn�t we?� he said fondly. �Sometimes I think the Council was even more anxious to knight you just to get you out from under my jurisdiction.�

Alla laughed, and Qui-Gon realized how much he�d missed that sound. �Can I help it if the Council still holds over grudges from your padawan days?�

The two made their way down the corridor, arm in arm, and Qui-Gon found himself using expressions he hadn�t used in years. �What was it you used to call Mace? I was trying to think of that the other day. . .�

Alla bit her lip, looking up to the ceiling as if that would reveal an answer. �Oh wait! I remember, it was Windula. That�s what it was,� she said, finally losing control into a snickering laugh. �And you always said how disrespectful that was when he was around, but you�d call him that yourself when he wasn�t around! You always were a bit of a hypocrite, Master.� Alla grinned, wiping a tear from her eye from laughing so hard.

�I never claimed I wasn�t.� Qui-Gon smiled back, chuckling. �Windula. I�ll have to resurrect that one sometime soon.�

Alla took a deep breath, a content expression crossing her face. �So where shall we go? We�re going to get thrown out of the Temple for making such a commotion in the hallway.�

Qui-Gon shook his head. �Master Yoda wouldn�t dare. Make us clean the rocks in the Meditation Garden, yes, but he wouldn�t throw us out.�

�Oh, those blasted rocks!� Alla cried, rolling her eyes. �I couldn�t even count how many times I had to do that.�

�Probably a lot less often than I had to,� Qui-Gon rejoindered, eyes sparkling.

�I don�t think any Master got reprimanded more than you did.� Alla smiled. �You were an inspiration for all the padawans, Master.�

Qui-Gon sighed lightly. �Well, it�s good to know I was a mentor in some respect.�

Alla gave him a nudge. �You always were the expert at self-deprecation.� She looked at him warmly, her eyes radiating admiration. �You know that you were the best master I could have asked for. There�s not a day that goes by when I don�t think of you and how you would handle a situation, or how patient you were with me. . .�

Qui-Gon felt himself flushing, but he quickly regained control of his embarrassment. �You�ll make an old man�s head swell.�

�Old?� Alla laughed. �Hardly. Yoda is old. You�re. . .distinguished!�

Qui-Gon gave her a pointed look. �That doesn�t sound any better.� He let his stern look become a smile, and he led his former Padawan back towards his apartment. �Come, there�s something I want to show you.�

***

Alla�s laugh trickled out from the living room of Qui-Gon�s apartment as he fixed a pot of tea in the kitchen. �These are hilarious! I can�t believe you did these!�

Qui-Gon threaded his large fingers around two teacups and balanced the container of sweetener on top of them. �You still take sweetener, Alla?� he called, picking up the teapot with the other hand.

�You addicted me to the stuff, Master. I can�t drink tea without it,� she called back, the smile evident in her voice.

Qui-Gon made his way sedately back towards the couch, careful not to spill the boiling liquid. �So you like them?� he nodded towards the portfolio of drawings he�d taken out.

Alla�s expression conveyed her sense of astonishment. �I had no idea you�d done half of these! You practically documented all my years as a padawan.� She picked up one of her at about age ten, when Qui-Gon had first accepted her. �I look like I�m afraid of you,� she said strangely, staring at the picture.

Qui-Gon sat down on the couch, pouring her a cup of tea. �You were.�

�How could I not be? You were nearly four feet taller than I was,� Alla exclaimed, indignant. She picked up another drawing. �And then there�s the last one; was this the evening before I was Knighted?�

Qui-Gon nodded, remembering that night with mixed emotions. It had been a great confirmation of his padawan, and in turn of his ability as a Master, but was unprepared at that time to let her go. In some ways, he never truly had. �Yes. You didn�t want me to; you always complained you looked terrible and you didn�t want a picture looking the way you did.�

Alla shrugged, sniffing. �I had a lot of things on my mind that night.� She set the drawing down, and took a drink of tea. �Very good, Master. Tea was one of the few things you could cook well.�

Qui-Gon settled back with his own cup. �Everyone�s a critic. I haven�t starved, and neither did you, Padawan.� Alla flashed him a smile, and then stirred her tea. �That�s what I was coming here to talk to you about.�

The Jedi Master nodded, and met her gaze without hesitation. He watched her fumble with the cup for a moment before she spoke, and he could sense she was feeling slightly anxious. �I�ve been speaking with Yoda,� she began, her tone quiet. �I�ve been spending a lot of time away from the Temple in the last five years; I had a permanent position on Rofolx for awhile, and although I enjoyed helping them there, I�ve been getting the feeling that I�m being pulled towards a different path.�

Qui-Gon didn�t interrupt; he knew Alla always liked to get out everything she had to say before she received advice. It had been one of their main sources of contention until Qui-Gon discovered he only needed to listen silently first.

She ducked her eyes for a moment, and then looked up at him. �I�m thinking about taking a padawan.�

Her gaze indicated she wished him to react, and he couldn�t help but break into a smile. �You want to be a Master?�

�Yoda thinks I�m ready for this; he even has one of the year seven children in mind for me.� Alla bit her lip, suddenly looking to Qui-Gon like she did before she took her trials. �It�s hard to resist taking a padawan, knowing how wonderful my experience was.�

Qui-Gon set down his tea and gave the girl a warm hug. �I can�t believe my little Alla is going to be a Master.� He released her, and held her gaze. �You will make an extraordinary Master. I�m so proud of you.� He felt a smile tug at his lips. �Although you might find yourself involved with the Council more than you ever wanted.�

Alla smiled back. �It�ll be worth it.� She gave him a pointed look. �Besides, if you survived, Master, I�m sure anyone can.�

Qui-Gon shook his head as he spoke. �Just wait until the little one calls you Master for the first time. You won�t know what to do with yourself.� He thought back to the tiny dark-haired girl who had spilled milk all over his sleep-couch within her first five minutes under his care. Her first words to him had been, �Sorry Master.�

�So you truly believe I�m ready for this?� Alla probed, taking another sip of tea.

�Alla, I hardly think there are many things in the galaxy you�re not ready for. A seven-year-old will be a trip you�ve never taken before, but I don�t think you�ll regret it.�

She looked up shyly at him. �I might need a little...guidance along the way.�

Qui-Gon laughed. �You undoubtedly will. When questions arise, please don�t hesitate to ask.� he paused, chuckling. �That is, of course, if you want my advice.� He set down his cup, and then reached down and picked up the portfolio, riffling through it to find a blank piece of drawing paper. �You realize what this means, don�t you?�

He saw her eyes widen as she suddenly noticed what he was doing. �Oh no, you don�t. I had a red-eye express to Corcusant. You�re not going to draw me like this.�

Qui-Gon fished out a piece of charcoal from a dish of odds and ends on his table. �This is the night my first padawan became a Master. It calls for a picture.�

�I�m not a Master yet. . .� she protested, but Qui-Gon broke off her objections.

�You are in my eyes.� He smiled, and settled back in a chair across from her, adjusting his plastiglass drawing board across his lap.

�Fine,� she consented, eyes flashing. �I�ll let you draw me if you tell me what�s going on.�

Qui-Gon took a deep breath, and started sketching the preliminary lines of her face. �Which part of �what�s going on� are you interested in knowing?�

Alla ran her fingers through her dark hair, flipping it back over her shoulders self-consciously. Her voice was quiet. �I�ve been at the Temple more often than you in the past two years, Master. And I can count my days here on both hands, so that says how long you�ve been gone. What happened?�

Qui-Gon flicked his eyes up to study the line of her chin. His voice came calmly. �You know what happened with. . .� he trailed off, still unable to say the name aloud.

Alla nodded quickly, cutting him off, her voice laced with sorrow. �Yes, I heard. I still have that letter you wrote. . .�

�Well,� Qui-Gon jumped back in, waving a charcoal-stained hand to indicate he wished to continue. �Being around the Temple after...he left was, to be frank, far too painful for me at that time. I kept occupied with solo missions, traveling all over and working diplomatic cases. If it hadn�t been for the...robbery,� he hesitated, �I would probably be on the other side of the galaxy on another mission right now.�

Alla leaned forward a bit, and then sat back, trying not to move too much. A small smile crept across her face. �This is one of the stories I�ve been waiting to hear.�

Qui-Gon started on her hair, amazed as he drew at its length. �There�s not much to tell; I was on a mission with Mace, I was already ill, and I ended up at the wrong place at the wrong time.�

�You nearly died! What was it, virbroshiv?� she asked, concern evident in her tone.

He nodded, concentrating on the drawing.

She suddenly held out her palm, and Qui-Gon drew in a quick breath when he saw a thin white scar running across her right hand. �Like Master, like Padawan, I guess.� she smiled. �That whole wrong place, wrong time will get you every time,� she quipped, withdrawing her hand back into her lap.

�I�m sorry. . .� he began, but she cut him off with a smile.

�Believe me, compared to a knife in the side, it�s nothing.�

�Yes, well, Yoda seems to agree with you; he�s the one that clipped my wings, so to speak,� Qui-Gon said, peering intently at her as he began shading the sketch. �So what else do you want to know?� he asked, feeling through the weak bond that still existed between them that she was anxious about something.

Alla kept her expression even, clearly not wishing to make Qui-Gon�s drawing experience more difficult than it needed to be. �I don�t want to pry, Master.�

He looked up at her, returning her gaze. �Nobody ever wants to pry, Alla.� he continued sketching as he spoke. �You�re wondering about the boy.�

Alla sighed, obviously relieved she didn�t have to ask him directly. �Are you related to him?� she questioned tentatively.

Qui-Gon nearly laughed aloud, but managed to swallow back his guffaw. �Definitely not.�

�And he�s not your padawan.�

He shook his head, darkening in the brown orbs of her eyes on the paper. �Definitely not.� he repeated, erasing a few stray lines from around her neck.

Alla pursed her lips, taking a breath and holding it. She released the air after several moments of silence. �So how did you end up with him, Master?�

He kept sketching, avoiding her heavy stare. �Have you ever heard of kilabis?�

The young woman nodded. �It�s a pretty nasty virus. It killed a few people over on Hunstal-5 last year.�

�Well, Obi-Wan contracted it after being bitten by one of the other children in the Creche about a year and a half ago. I was the only Master in the Temple at that point who had the antibodies, and I gave the boy blood to save his life.�

Alla winced on behalf of her former Master. �And you with your hypo phobias...�

Qui-Gon rolled his eyes. �It wasn�t so bad. But I suppose you could say we bonded over that experience, and honestly, we just seem to keep bumping into each other whenever I�d come back to the Temple for a few days. It�s all very coincidental.� he paused, paying close attention to the clasp on her robe to get the sizing correct in the sketch. �And then there was the fire. . .�

�The Creche fire? You were here for that?�

�I was here when I started. Obi-Wan got trapped in the back nursery, and if someone hadn�t have gone in. . .�

�. . .you, obviously. . .� she filled in.

�He might have died,� Qui-Gon finished. �After that, I suppose I didn�t see him for awhile, but then there was the mission to Hirashr, and I got wounded, and Yoda asked that I teach here for the rest of the term.�

Alla gave him a knowing look. �And you�re teaching the year five students, let me guess.�

Qui-Gon shrugged his shoulders, giving the drawing a sidelong glance. �Like I said, before, it�s all rather coincidental when you put all the pieces together.�

His former Padawan clapped a hand over her mouth to stop the snickers from escaping her lips. �You,� she managed, trying to compose herself, �my Master in tune with the Living Force is blaming coincidence?�

Qui-Gon held up a hand, feigning insult. �There�s no reason to believe otherwise.�

Alla sat her chin on her hand, looking pointedly at him. �The boy clearly worships you. He�s very attached.�

�I�m aware of that,� Qui-Gon replied mildly, keeping his focus on the nearly-completed sketch.

�Master,� she said, waiting for him to look at her.

He flicked his glance up, sensing her stare. �Yes, Alla?� Qui-Gon chuckled in spite of himself. �That depends on what you�re asking for. You of all people should know the answer to that question.�

Alla nodded, conceding. �Too true,� she sighed. �Please, Master, just hear out your old padawan on this. Promise me you�ll at least think about it.�

A puzzled expression came over the older Jedi�s face. �About what?�

�Taking the boy, of course.�

Qui-Gon started erasing the preliminary marks he�d made on the paper. �Now what would make you think I�d want to do that?�

Alla gave him a frustrated look. �You�re the best Master I ever could have received. If not for you...I�d never have it in me to become one myself! I�m not one to tell you what to do, Master, but it seems unfair to deny another child the opportunity to learn from you.�

Qui-Gon smeared the charcoal under her chin, using his fingertip to create shadows. �As much as I appreciate you saying that, I don�t want to do anything I�m not personally prepared for.�

Alla nodded emphatically. �Point taken. But just promise me this: when the time comes for Obi-Wan to be taken, remember to think about how it will feel if he leaves under another Master�s care.�

�I�ll think about it.� Putting down the charcoal, he studied the sketch in his lap before he answered. �But choosing a padawan isn�t about your feelings, Alla. You�ll see that very soon.�

�Yes, well,� she sighed, �I was thinking more about Obi-Wan�s.�

Qui-Gon gave her a kind smile, and held up the sketch. �Look like anyone you know?�

He watched her eyes scan over the face in the drawing, and then looked back at the sketch himself. Where a young timid girl had been once, a beautiful woman with flashing eyes, a strong jaw, and rich dark hair now existed. Beneath the picture, he had written Master Alla.

�Master,� she breathed, her eyes filling with tears. She wiped away at them quickly, obviously not wanting him to see. �It looks just like how I feel right now.�

Qui-Gon only allowed himself a small smile, but inside he felt vindicated. He hadn�t drawn in years, and it felt good to recapture a gift he�d thought he�d lost. �And how�s that, Alla?�

�A little unsure if I�m going to be able to fill your shoes,� she admitted, getting off the couch to come over and give him a hug.

Qui-Gon laughed as he returned her embrace. �My shoes, I highly doubt. But my position, well, you�ve been qualified since before you were Knighted.�

�Thank you, Master,� she murmured, brushing at her eyes.

Qui-Gon took the drawing and rolled it, placing it in an empty drawing tube. �I think you need to keep this for yourself. Whenever you�re feeling like you�ve taken on something far too big, just remember this and know that I have perfect faith in you.�

She took the drawing with a grateful smile. �You�ll remember your promise to me about Obi-Wan, won�t you?�

Qui-Gon patted her head as he had so many times when she was a child before she moved towards the door. �I don�t think I promised anything,� he corrected. �But as with everything you say, I will take your words with great consideration.�

�Good,� Alla affirmed. �Because I�m very nearly always right, Master, if you recall.�

Qui-Gon merely laughed. �Too true.�

She pressed the button to open the door, and then turned to give her former Master one more embrace. �I will keep you posted on the great padawan search. Write me?�

�Always.� he replied, planting a fatherly kiss on the crown of her head. �May the Force be with you.�

He watched her disappear down the dim corridor, her Jedi robes swishing as she walked. �And with you, Master.�