Crimes Between Us

Chapter Thirteen

Rating: PG-13

Obi-Wan had more books than I'd ever seen one person own. Funny, because he

didn't seem the bookish type. Master Qui-Gon, now there was a man I could

imagine spending time reading quietly, maybe even with thin wire framed glasses

resting on the end of his nose. But Obi-Wan...I thought he'd get bored too easily. He

certainly was restless.

I was flipping through one of his books, one about the history of Coruscant, when the

physical therapist Qui-Gon had mentioned a few days earlier came calling. She was

a tall humanoid female, slender with a dancer's body. Long blonde hair, almost

white, fell in cascading curls down her back. She was attractive, but not overly

beautiful, with an approachable demeanor. Grace enveloped her every move.

She smiled widely at my surprised stare, her blue eyes sparkling. I hesitated, blinking

my own green eyes at her. She nodded.

When she said my name in greeting, it sounded melodic but alien, like all of the

words blended together. "Mizkallasolo--"

I opened my mouth to speak, simultaneously attempting to stand. My ribs were only

a dull ache now, but my leg still gave me trouble, and I winced slightly as I put

pressure on it. Nevertheless, I held my hand out to her. "Yes, hello."

She smiled politely and shook it, but looked curiously at my leg. I wore pajama

bottoms, Obi-Wan's pajama bottoms, I realized, and blushed. They were tied tightly

at the waist, and large enough to allow for moving room and comfort even over my

bandage. If someone had told me to expect company today, other than Furry that is,

I'd have bothered to put on some other clothes. At least I'd showered and combed

my hair, pulling it back from my face in a loose ponytail.

"Iam TashaMioyan. Ishallbe assisting you with yourlegyes?"

I understood her perfectly, but marveled at the peculiar inflection in her voice, the

strange shaping of her words and sentences. It was as if she didn't have commas,

spaces, or anything of the sort in her native language. Words blended together,

sometimes several words at a time, and formed one larger word. Her name was

Tasha, of that I was certain, although it took me several moments to figure out

whether I'd heard Tasha Mioyan, Tash Amioyan, or Tashami Oyan.

"It's nice to meet you, Miss Mioyan," I ventured, hoping against hope I was getting

the name right. "I appreciate any assistance you can give me for my injury."

The humanoid woman with the pale hair, skin and eyes nodded again. This time

more enthusiastically. "Yesmizkallasolo," she said. "Masterqui-gonjinnhas made a

specialrequest ofme. He is agreat man, andI shallalwaysserve him in anyway

possible."

I smiled at this, pulling a hooded jacket over my tank top and following her out the

door and down the Temple corridor. Indeed, Masterqui-gonjinn was a great man. I

wondered just how great he'd shown himself to be to this eccentric woman.

**

The therapy was rigorous, but I welcomed the work. It was a much-needed

distraction, one that I was happy to undertake. After my last lap in the pool, Tasha

Mioyan motioned me out. I balanced myself on my arms as I pulled out of the cool

water, gingerly shifting my weight from one leg to the other as I accepted the towel

she offered me and wrapped it around my shivering body.

"Goodwork today Mizkallasolo," she complimented, holding the door to the exercise

room open and allowing me to step inside before her. "Weshall work the quadricep

muscle justalittlemore before we retire."

I nodded, keeping the towel wrapped about my waist as I planted myself on the

weight bench and waited for her to join me. She was tracking my progress in a

small yellow notebook, presumably reporting back to Qui-Gon with my results.

We'd been working out for almost two weeks now, and I was improving every

day. The wound on my face was just a faint scar that would soon be invisible; my

ribs were no longer tender to the touch, and the only evidence of the blaster wound

to my leg was a light pink scar, still deep but rapidly fading. Only the muscle

beneath could be helped now. Qui-Gon had assured me that the scar would fade to

virtually nothing, but would probably never be completely invisible to those who

knew it was there.

I looked around the exercise room, noting the time on the crono near the door. 0300.

Only two Jedi were sparring in the practice room beyond the glass pane that

separated the equipment from the open exercise space. They looked like Apprentices

to me, both couldn't be older than 15. I thought of Obi-Wan at that age, wondered

what he looked like, what he acted like. Probably acted much the same as he does

now, I presumed, cocky and arrogant on the outside, but an emotional vulnerability

on the inside that made you want to...need to...know him. Qui-Gon had described

him as "tenacious" as a Padawan. I wondered what exactly that meant. I'd seen

Obi-Wan be funny, using humor oftentimes to ease the tension in a room. I'd also

seen him be sullen and moody, then bright and enthusiastic all within the course of a

few hours.

Obi-Wan made my head spin.

We hadn't really talked since the night I told him I wanted to be friends.

Not about us, anyway. Our conversations were

limited to how I was feeling, how he was feeling, and how Qui-Gon was feeling.

We were pleasant, almost as though we were afraid to fight. I'd probably have been on a ship and out of

Coruscant by now if I hadn't been so injured. I was sure it was better this way. It

was the first time I hadnt' run from a problem. Even Furry had mentioned it. And

even though I wasn't exactly confronting Obi-Wan head-on, at least I was still there.

Maybe I'll talk to him tonight. Maybe.

"The young Padawankenobi occupies yourthoughtsyes?"

I looked up, shocked. I had no idea that Tasha could read minds too. She'd given me

no indication that she was a Force-user in the two weeks we'd been working

together. Although, I realized as I pondered it further, she did reside in the Jedi

Temple. And the only non-Jedi that lived in the Temple were some spouses of Jedi.

And even those, I noticed, were few and far between. If a Jedi did enter into

marriage, which seemed to be a rare occasion, they oftentimes married another

Force user. I supposed it made sense: while they were exposed to many different

beings while on their missions, most all of their contacts were short-lived, hardly

enough time to build a friendship, much less fall in love and be married.

I realized my situation was unique. I also realized that Qui-Gon Jinn, while revered,

was unique in the Jedi Order himself. He had a reputation around the Temple as a

rebel and a loner, someone who defied the Council many times and would be allowed

to sit on it had he not chosen to disregard their wishes so often.

So it was not unusual for me to find myself "looked after" by Master Jinn, although

he had no ties ot me or reason to keep me under his protection as soon as the

skirmish on Correlia had been resolved.

Except the small matter of his Padawan, of course.

"Ofcourse..." Tasha said, beaming.

I started. I'd been so lost in my thoughts once again, I'd forgotten she was joining in

them with me. My mouth opened, first instinct being to protest, but I snapped it shut

again before I could say anything.

Instead, I smiled and placed my foot into the strap and allowed her to guide my leg

slowly up and down. I didn't say a word as I watched my muscle flex and contract,

flex and contract, glad to see that my injured quad was finally beginning to take

shape as it had been before.

"Padawankenobi is very endearingindeed," Tasha ventured, studying my face

carefully to gague my reaction.

I looked up at her, feeling the coolness of my still-wet hair sticking to my bare back.

"Sometimes we get along, sometimes we don't," I admitted finally, smiling ruefully

at her.

She considered this, then nodded. "Asistrue with most webecome closewith, wouldn'tyousay?"

I shrugged. I supposed she was right. I fought with Furry on occasion, but we were

secure enough in our friendship to know that one fight wasn't going to bring

carefully built relationships crashing down overnight. Obi-Wan and I--that was a

different story. Because we'd gone straight from fighting and pretending to hate

each other's guts to sex, we were now floundering with what was between those two

steps. Nothing seemed normal anymore.

"Mizkallasolo," Tasha began, relaxing my leg and standing, pacing in front of me as

she allowed my rest time. "As aJedi I am attunedto the feelingsof mostother

Forceusers."

So she *was* a Jedi!

"IadmitIhaven't had much timewith Padawankenobi sincehe and Masterqui-gonjinn

returned from Correlia, butI sensemuch turmoilinhim."

Her voice, always soft, didn't sound accusing, but I felt responsible in the way she

said it. Perhaps it was the words she used. Since he returned from Correlia... which

was another way of saying since he slept with Mizkallasolo. I looked down, flexing

and unflexing my foot to work my muscle once again so it didn't get cold and cramp

up.

Tasha noticed and released a breath of air from her lips, bending down once again to

restrap my foot in and raise and lower my leg. She looked up at me after one full rep

and smiled again.

"Ididnotmeanto stick my nose in where it doesn'tbelong, Mizkallasolo."

I shook my head. "No, it's okay Tasha. I'm glad I can finally talk to someone about

it. You know, Master Qui-Gon always offers but I don't want to cross that line...I

know that he is the one Obi-Wan confides in and I wouldn't want to put him in an

awkaward position."

The woman nodded slowly. "Yes. I understand. Youmust be lonelyhere yes?

Masterqui-gonjinn and Padawankenobi are out allday, training. Masterqui-gonjinn

is preparinghisapprentice for the trialsIthink."

I shrugged again. "It's been nice, having this to do," I said, gesturing around the

exercise room. "And I have my Wookiee. He keeps me pretty entertained."

At her confused look, I raised my hand, holding it about seven feet in the air. "Tall

furry guy?"

Blue eyes widened, then Tasha smiled. "YesIhave seen youtwo out inthegardens.

He carriesyou on hisbackyes? Heis a petyes?"

I laughed softly. "He is not a pet, he is a friend. But he does carry me on his back so

I don't hurt my leg." I watched my muscle again, flex, contract, flex contract.

"Although soon I hope I will be running agian on my own."

Tasha eyed me carefully, once again releasing my leg and standing. She patted my

knee, indicating me to get up from the machine and move on to the next one. Each

time I worked my quad, I was required to work my hamstring as well. I heard

Tasha's voice in my ear: opposite muscles Mizkallasolo. One mustalways work

opposite musclesorbecome lopsided.

As I worked the hamstring on my own under Tasha's watchful eye, she repeated my

words. "Runningagainon yourown. Yessoon Mizkallasolo." She paused.

"Ionlyhope you willnot be runningawayfrom Padawankenobi." The woman paused

again and I opened my mouth to respond, but she began speaking before I could get

any words off my tongue.

"Although Isuppose it doesnotmattermuch. Kenobiandsolo's destinyslie forged.

Alongonepath sorun if you choose but donotbesurprised if youfindyourself

backwhere you startedwithhim. Muchangstlies in the boysfuture. Youwill savehim,

Mizkallasolo fromhimself oneday fromhimself."

Any words I had created and been prepared to say flitted out of my mind when she

finished her haphazard but completely comprehensible sentence. I almost found

myself wishing I had misunderstood, then in the same instant found myself glad I

hadn't. The metal weight bar clattered to the floor with a bang and I slowly rose

from the bench. Somehow I had a strange feeling that I had to find Obi-Wan now,

and talk to him. I wanted to tell him what Tasha had said, and wanted to hear what

he had to say back.

Tasha was looking at me with knowing eyes, and I was torn between the desire to

hug her and run as far from her as I could possibly get.

I chose the latter, only touching her shoulder briefly in biddance and scrambling for

the door, as fast as my fatigued legs would carry me. I hurried back to Obi-Wan's

room and knocked on Qui-Gon's door across the hall even though I knew there

would be no one there. The Jedi did not usually return to their rooms until 0500 to

wash and meditate before the evening meal. And it was not even 0400 yet. Part of

me wanted to rush around the Temple looking for them, but I supressed the urge and

rationalized with myself. I needed a shower and to change. I was still in a bathing

suit and towel from my workout. And I didn't really have anything to tell Obi-Wan.

I could tell him what Tasha said, but it didn't *mean* anything, not in reality anyway.

And how would he react? Would he say she was a nutcase and drop the matter? Or

would it lead to another knock down drag out kiss-me-then-hurt-me fight? I just didn't have the emotional energy for that.

Sighing resolutely I turned, heading for Obi-Wan's room and a nice, long, hot

shower.

**