Author's Notes: Here's the next part of Home Leave. I'll end it soon, I promise. It was never meant to be this long, but the bunnies multiplied while I wasn't looking. *smile*
DISCLAIMER: Star Wars and all publicly recognisable characters, names and references, etc are the sole property of George Lucas, Lucasfilm Ltd, Lucasarts Inc and 20th Century Fox. This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment and no money was made from it. Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Any other characters, the storyline and the actual story are the property of the author.
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.
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 Fea'la.