Qui-Gon sat up slowly, stretching stiff muscles. He'd fought Obi-Wan all night long for room in his bed as the small boy seemed to expand in his sleep. More than once he'd woken to find himself riding the edge of the bed with no blankets. No matter how many times he had moved Obi-Wan in his sleep, Qui-Gon always woke twisted and contorted around the child.

He looked at the boy, now laying almost diagonally across his bed, and smiled slightly. It appeared that his Padawan was not an early riser. He stood carefully and moved from the room making as little noise as he could. As he set water to boil for tea, he heard Obi-Wan call him from the other room.

The small, shorn head poked from around the corner of the kitchen and looked at him almost reprovingly. "You were gone." He said sleepily as he rubbed his eyes.

"Good morning. You were sleeping." Qui-Gon answered as he poured the hot water into his cup and added the tea and sweetener.

"Oh."

"Do you want breakfast?" Qui-Gon asked as he set his cup at the small table.

"Um, no." Obi-Wan said after a moment's thought.

Qui-Gon turned to look at the boy who was still standing halfway in the doorway. "You can come in the kitchen, you know. You don't want breakfast?"

Obi-Wan shook his head as he walked barefoot into the room. "I'm not hungry."

"Well, then, you can go get dressed and think about what you are going to pack when we move your things today." Qui-Gon said as he poured himself a bowl of cereal.

"Okay."

Qui-Gon read through some mail from his datapad he had not been able to access during the past few days and ate his breakfast quietly. He was distantly aware of Obi-Wan moving around the apartment but the boy didn't seem to need anything so Qui-Gon left him to his own devices.

When Obi-Wan reentered the kitchen, Qui-Gon gave him a brief smile as the boy climbed up into a chair opposite from him before returning his attention to his messages. After several moments, he looked up and found the small boy with his elbows planted on the table and his chin resting in his hands and staring intently at him. Qui-Gon paused, his spoon halfway to his mouth.

"Did you need something Obi-Wan?" He asked slightly bemused.

"What are you eating?"

"Cereal." Qui-Gon answered as he returned his spoon to the bowl.

"But what's in it? Those thing?" His Padawan pointed at he colorful pieces in his bowl.

Qui-Gon grinned and handed the boy one that had not been soaked in milk. "Try it."

Obi-Wan looked at the food curiously for a moment before taking a careful bite. His eyes lit up and he looked at Qui-Gon in shock. "You have candy in your cereal! Master Heri never let us have this kind of cereal."

"Yes well, you get to do all kinds of fun things when you're not in the Creche anymore. Are you sure you don't want breakfast? You can have this kind too."

Obi-Wan seemed to think about it very hard before shaking his head. "No, I don't like to eat this early."

"Okay. How about something to drink, I could get you some tea." Again the boy shook his head. Qui-Gon sat back in his chair sipping his tea as he finished his breakfast. "Have you thought about what you need to pack from your old room?"

The boy nodded and sat back in an imitation of the older man. "I don't have much, just my clothes and my models and my wookie."

"Hm, all the important things." Qui-Gon said seriously.

Obi-Wan nodded. "Do I get to keep my bed?"

"I think it would probably be better to leave that for the other children who will be living in that room, don't you think? I can contact Temple Supplies and get you a new one."

"Okay." Obi-Wan looked at him, his blue eyes wide.

"Okay, then. Well, I'll get ready and then we can go." Qui-Gon said, standing up and placing his bowl on the counter."

"What should I do?" Obi-Wan asked as Qui-Gon headed out of the room.

Qui-Gon paused and looked blankly at the boy for a moment. "Well, I guess you can go look at your new room, see where you want to put your things. I shouldn't be too long."

"My own room all to myself." He said with no little excitement as he hopped down off his chair and ran out of the kitchen.

Qui-Gon shook his head as he watched the boy run from the room. The sudden shift from being just friends to being Master and Padawan was slightly disconcerting. With Alla and Xanatos, he had only interacted with them for a short time before he took them as Padawans; they had also both been several years older. He'd had more distance from them both and had been more of an authority figure to them for the first several months before becoming a companion. With Obi-Wan, the entire process had been done backwards and he wondered briefly if he would ever be able to regain his footing as an absolute authority figure with the boy.

Shaking away the thoughts, Qui-Gon quickly dressed in his customary robes and contacted Temple Services to requisition a new bed for his Padawan along with the other necessary furniture the boy would need to fill out his room. They assured him that the new furniture would be delivered by the end of the day and he would not have to share with the small boy again. Disconnecting from the Temple's internal communication, Qui-Gon left to find his Padawan.

When he entered the room, Obi-Wan was not immediately visible. After a moment of concern, he heard a muffled laugh coming from the closet and quickly caught on to the game. "I wonder where Obi-Wan is? I could have sworn that I saw him come in here." He said loudly as he looked around the room. "I hope he hasn't gone off somewhere and gotten lost, I wouldn't know where to look for him." Qui-Gon began circling the room carefully avoiding the closet. "Oh well, I guess I'll just have to get another Padawan." He said in an exaggerated tone.

"No! I'm right here." Obi-Wan called out from the closet, the laugh still apparent in his voice.

"Oh, there you are. I was worried." Qui-Gon commented calmly as the boy came out with a grin on his face.

"You didn't know where I was." Obi-Wan said proudly, as though he had accomplished a great feat.

"Yes, you hid very well. What do you think of your new room?"

"This is all mine?" Obi-Wan asked looking around the room in something close to awe.

"Yes, the room is yours, though I imagine that once you grow a little it won't seem nearly so huge." Qui-Gon commented as the boy walked over to the window and peered at the ships passing in the distance.

"I want my bed here." He said, not turning from the view.

"You can put the things in your room wherever you want them, as long as you can open the door and get to your closet." Qui-Gon held out his hand to the boy. "Come on, Obi-Wan, we have much to do today."

* * *

"Do you need this?" Qui-Gon held up a coloring book, half filled with colored pictures.

"Um, yes." Obi-Wan nodded and turned back to his pile of things he was packing.

Despite the claim the boy had made earlier that morning that he had only his clothes, models and wookie, Qui-Gon had been quickly disillusioned to the statement. He and Obi-Wan had already managed to fill up two large boxes of things Obi-Wan stated he could not live without.

"Obi-Wan."

The boy looked up from where he was sitting, two small ships held in his hands in mid-flight. "Yes, Master?"

Qui-Gon suppressed as smile at the official title and assumed a stern expression. "The idea is to pack the toys away, not play with them."

"I wasn't playing, I was flying them over to the box." Obi-Wan said innocently.

"Could you fly them a little faster?"

"I can't."

"Why not?" Qui-Gon asked, intrigued at the response the boy would give to avoid working.

"This is a Nubian model GR-7 and this is a Corellian heavy freighter, they're substandard models and can only fly slow. That's why no one uses them unless they have to." Obi-Wan held out the ships for Qui-Gon to see.

The Jedi Master thought for a moment, unable to deny the boy's logic. "Just put them in the box, Obi-Wan."

* * *

"I'm hungry." Obi-Wan said as he watched Qui-Gon place another item in the growing number of boxes. It amazed Qui-Gon how a five-year-old could acquire so many possessions.

"That's why you should have eaten breakfast." Qui-Gon commented.

"I can't eat when I get up, it makes me sick. I'm hungry now though." The boy's tone had taken on a slight whining tone.

"Okay, well, we're almost done. As soon as all of this is packed, we can call one of the moving droids from Temple Services to move everything to the apartment and then we can get you something to eat."

"But I'm hungry now."

"I guess that means you'll work faster to get everything packed then, doesn't it?"

* * *

Obi-Wan paused in mid-bite and looked up at Qui-Gon sharply. "Does Master Heri know that I'm not going to live there anymore?" He asked anxiously. They were in the busy Temple Dining Hall, surrounded by other Jedi.

"I'm sure someone has told her. Don't worry, she isn't going to think you escaped somewhere." Qui-Gon assured him.

"Oh." The boy paused and looked as though he wanted to say more but continued to eat instead.

"Did you want something, Padawan?"

Obi-Wan looked up at him, suddenly shy. "I just wanted to know if we could go see her sometime, in the Infirmary. I know your my Master now, but--"

"But you still care for Master Heri. That is perfectly understandable, Obi-Wan. I would be a little worried if you didn't miss her. We'll go see her as soon as we finish here, I'm sure we have time for a visit."

They finished the rest of the meal in silence, and left the Dining Hall for the Infirmary. Qui-Gon had a moment's concern that Obi-Wan seemed to spend more time in the Infirmary than most Creche children, but brushed the thought aside as they entered. Obi-Wan took the lead and directed Qui-Gon to the room Heri was in. He knew the boy had been to visit her, but was surprised he remembered where she was staying.

"Obi-Wan." Heri called with a smile as she saw the boy enter her room. "Or should I say Padawan Kenobi?" She asked seriously.

"You heard." Obi-Wan said as he climbed onto her bed with Qui-Gon's help.

"News that good travels fast. Congratulations. I knew it wouldn't take long for someone to see how special you are." She looked up at Qui-Gon. "I'm glad that things turned out."

"As am I. How are you feeling?"

"Better, they say I'll be able to leave tomorrow. It will be nice to go back to the Creche, though I don't know what I'm going to do without my favorite golden-haired, blue eyed boy to look after." Heri smiled at Obi-Wan who glowed with her comment until he realized what she had said.

"Hey, I'm the only golden-haired blue eyed boy you had." He accused.

"But that doesn't make you any less my favorite one." Heri said.

"Will you come visit?" Obi-Wan asked pulling absently at the blanket on the bed.

Heri looked briefly at Qui-Gon, the older man took her cue and answered. "Well, Padawan, you know how busy Master Heri is, but I'm sure she will come visit you sometimes. If you like, would could make dinner for her every once in a while." He looked to Heri.

"That would be very nice, but you have to promise me that you will keep an eye on what your Master makes and make sure he doesn't burn everything."

Qui-Gon straitened. "I can cook you know."

Heri just looked at him before she turned her attention back to Obi-Wan. "So, do you have everything settled in your new home?"

"No, I spent all morning packing but then we went to lunch at the Dining Hall, there were lots of people there, I didn't know that um, there were so many padawans, they all have braids like me and um, there was really good food today, but maybe it was good 'cause I was really hungry 'cause Master wouldn't let me have anything to eat till I got done packing and then we called the droids to put my stuff in my room, but I haven't um, unpacked it yet."

Qui-Gon winced inwardly at the 'Master didn't feed me' comment, but relaxed as he saw the amusement and understanding in Heri's eyes.

"Sounds like you've had a full day. Maybe you should go get your room in order before it gets too late." Heri suggested.

"That's probably a good idea, Obi-Wan. You want to make sure you have everything settled before you have to go to bed tonight." Qui-Gon said as he held out a hand to the boy.

"Okay. Bye, Master Heri, come visit and see my new room." Obi-Wan said as he hugged the Creche Master tightly.

"I will." She promised. The two Masters watched as the boy hopped down and began to walk from the room. "Listen, Obi-Wan doesn't like to eat in the mornings, but if he doesn't eat something, he's starving in an hour or two. You might want to watch out for that." Heri said as she dropped him a wink.

"Thanks." Qui-Gon said sarcastically before turning serious. "I'll call you about a time when we'll have you over for dinner. I know he'll miss you."

"Thank you, Qui-Gon." She smiled at him. "Take care of our boy."

* * *

"Master, how come this room was empty?" Obi-Wan asked as he placed some of his toys on the new set of shelves that had been delivered; Qui-Gon was making up his bed.

"Well, this is the room that all of my Padawans have stayed in and after the last one, I just didn't want to come in here very much. I don't have all that much myself so I didn't need it for storage space." The tall man shrugged. "I just didn't think about it much."

Obi-Wan paused in his work and turned to look at his Master. "Does it make you sad that I'm in here now?" He asked quietly.

Qui-Gon placed the boy's pillow on his new and newly made bed and went to kneel at Obi-Wan's side. He placed his hand on the boy's back as he spoke. "No, I love it that you are here with me and living in this room. I think that it has been too quiet in here for too long." He looked at Obi-Wan questioningly. "Does it bother you to live here?"

Obi-Wan shook his head emphatically. "No, I love it. It just smells a little funny." He wrinkled his nose to show his point.

"Yes well, that comes from not being used very much. I'm sure that will pass in the next couple of days." He stood and surveyed the room. It had gone from empty and lifeless to filled with the evidence of a little boy's existence in only a few short hours. Smiling he turned to Obi-Wan. "Are you hungry?"

Obi-Wan nodded, but then looked concerned. "Are you going to make it? I don't want to eat burned food."

Qui-Gon rolled his eyes. "I can cook. I don't burn everything."

***

Qui-Gon sat on the couch in the common room of the apartment reading over a list of the classes being offered the coming term for new padawans and children Obi-Wan's age. He had already signed the boy up for most of his required classes, though he wanted to consult Obi-Wan about a few of the classes and see if he had a preference. He had also written out his own practice schedule for the boy when they would meditate together and begin learning the first basic forms for the katas and lightsaber practice. The five-year-old was still several years away from using a real lightsaber, but it was never to early to begin to learn the forms.

When he finished all he could, he set the datapad aside and stretched. It had been surprisingly easy to fall into the old patterns of being a Master, despite the years that had passed since he had been one. He could remember spending nights like this one early on in the beginning of both his former padawans' apprenticeships, signing them up for classes and making training schedules. The only new element was the child, and he imagine he was in for quite an adventure with Obi-Wan.

He was just getting ready for bed when a scream ripped through the quiet of the apartment and Qui-Gon was out of his room and in this Padawan's room without conscious thought. He knelt by Obi-Wan's bedside and sent a calming wave of the Force to him.

"Did you have a bad dream, Little One?" Not at all surprised that something like this would happen given the events of the previous days.

Obi-Wan shook his head and looked frantically around his bed in the low lighting. "No, something crawled on me." He said, rubbing a hand over his arm.

Qui-Gon stretched out his senses, trying to locate with the Force whatever had crawled over the boy. When he found no other life signatures, he ran a soothing hand over Obi-Wan's back and he could feel how quickly the boy's heart was beating. "I can't find anything here."

"Are you sure?" When Qui-Gon nodded he sat back. "I can't sleep in here. Can I sleep with you?"

Qui-Gon rolled his eyes and suppressed a groan. "Obi-Wan, I think--"

"Please, Master?"

Qui-Gon sighed at the plaintive tone. "Okay, but just this once. You have your own bed now and you need to sleep in it." He held out a hand and led the boy to his room.

When they were both settled, Obi-Wan jumped again. "There it is." He whispered frantically. "It's in here."

Qui-Gon reached out and felt for what was disturbing the boy. When his hands met something soft and furry, he let out a small laugh. "It's just your wookie, Obi-Wan."

"Oh. 'Night, Master."

"Good night, Obi-Wan."