Thank you so much for your reviews. I appreciate every single one!

Here's the final chapter. Enjoy.

Chapter 3 - It isn't what you think but what you know.

Obi-Wan was stumbling by the time they got back to their quarters. From the look of it, he had worn his oldest clothes to the diner, a pair of leggings and a shabby undertunic. They were even more noxious on closer examination. Apparently, he'd been digging into antique machinery from the splotches of oil stains on his knees and there was dried blood on his sleeve, hopefully from nerfsteaks and not from some untreated injury. His hair was dark with sweat.

Standing in the common room, looking at his obstinate and foolish Padawan, Qui-Gon fought hard to keep from feeling any sympathy for the boy. After all, Obi-Wan had disobeyed him, not something to be taken lightly and as yet, he had heard no word of apology or even an explanation - not that it would have mattered. It was possible that the intimidating presence of Master Windu had kept Obi-Wan from saying anything or perhaps it was the cold silence of their journey to the Temple. But now that they were alone, there would be a full accounting of this.

And it would not happen again.

Staring sharply at Obi-Wan, he realized that something else was missing, beside the usually clean tunic and tabards; it was the lightsaber that the boy had so carefully crafted only months earlier. He hoped that his apprentice was not unwise enough to leave such a weapon behind at the diner but with all the unpleasant surprises of late, it was entirely possible. Qui-Gon's indignation rose sharply.

"Padawan Kenobi, your willful disobedience and the obvious disdain you have for my instruction does not speak well of your commitment to the Jedi or to me as your teacher." The boy flinched again, his eyes clouding with hurt as he bowed his head in silence. "At the moment, I believe that we both need some time to reflect on this episode. You will clean up and make yourself presentable. Then you will return here for a full explanation of your actions."

Still gazing at the floor in an obvious attempt to avoid angering him further, Obi-Wan nodded and started to turn away toward the 'fresher but stopped when Qui-Gon demanded, "Padawan, before you go, I see that you are not wearing your lightsaber. Where is it?"

At that, the boy looked up, startled and frowning. In a rough whisper, he said, "In my room, Master."

"You didn't take it with you to the diner?" Qui-Gon was appalled. A Jedi always had his lightsaber with him. It was his life, as he had often told his apprentice, and could make the difference between success and deadly failure in combat.

"No, Master. I didn't think I... should." But Obi-Wan hesitated when he saw Qui-Gon's face. "No, Master."

"I see." Trying and failing to keep the dismay out of his voice, Qui-Gon ground out, "We will discuss this as well when you return. Now go."

And Obi-Wan fled.

For a moment, Qui-Gon stood there, frankly astonished at the turn of events over the past few hours, and then, with a weariness deep in his bones, he sat down abruptly on the couch. One hand scrubbing at the headache that had blossomed into needles of pain behind his eyes, the other gripping the edge of the seat with unsettled strength, he frowned at his Learner's closed door.

He did not know what to make of this. His apprentice could be misguided and very energetic in his views but this was just madness.

Growling deep in his throat, he realized that he had failed the boy somehow, in a way completely different from Xan, but still he had let Obi-Wan flounder. The Learner follows the direction of the Master by choice but it is the Master who must lead - a symbiotic relationship that, when in balance, is a joy and thoroughly satisfactory to both parties. But they were no longer in balance.

Where had he gone wrong? More importantly, what did he need to do now to correct the error?

Taking a deep breath, Qui-Gon leaned back, deliberately loosening his clenched hands, and closed his eyes. Seeking to free his mind of questions and doubts, he sank uneasily into meditation and tried to let the calm clarity of the Force guide him. Anxiety over past mistakes and the trepidation of the future would not aid him here. He needed to find a way to help his apprentice regain his balance and bring them into accord once again. He would settle for nothing less.

It was the odd rustling sound of flimsiplast that finally pulled Qui-Gon back into the now. Feeling calmer than he had felt in quite some time, he opened his eyes to find his Learner standing before him.

Obi-Wan was clearly nervous, his teeth biting at his lower lip, and he kept shifting his weight. He had showered and changed back into the proper clothing of a Padawan with tunic, polished boots and, on his belt, the requisite lightsaber - thankfully attached. With the exception of the somewhat disheveled braid and a large unwieldy something tucked under one arm, he looked very much the polite, serious student of months past.

Qui-Gon gestured for the boy to sit beside him but Obi-Wan just shook his head. Pulling out the clumsily-wrapped bundle, he thrust it into Qui-Gon's hands. "This is for you, Master." Then, stepping back, he gestured toward the package, and said softly, "Open it."

It felt odd in his grip, fluid but also heavy and awkward. Putting it down on the couch beside him, he looked up at his apprentice with concern, but Obi-Wan just stood there, waiting with some anxiety. The boy's eyes were grey with worry.

"What is going on, Padawan?" But his apprentice shook his head and pointed to the bundle.

It was obvious that Qui-Gon would get nothing more from his Learner until he opened the blasted thing. So, drawing in a deep breath, centering himself for whatever surprise or disappointment waited beneath the flimsiplast, he grabbed onto the bundle and tore it open.

Out tumbled dark brown cloth, soft and warm and incredibly pliant, so finely woven that it seemed like water under his hand. Taken aback, he lifted the rich material up, shaking it out a bit and realized in an instant that it was a cloak, large enough for him to wear. He had always had problems with the Quartermaster in stores; the cloaks were never long enough but this seemed to be just right.

He was stunned. Obi-Wan had given him a gift for his fiftieth Naming day. He had defied his Master for this? What was the boy thinking?

He must have had a look of complete bewilderment because, at first, Obi-Wan sent him a tentative smile. But when Qui-Gon didn't smile back, just stared at him in consternation, the boy's face fell and his narrow shoulders hunched down. Obi-Wan looked as if he had failed at something of importance and didn't know what to do next.

"Padawan, who is the cloak for?" Although he thought he knew the answer to that question, he had to know the truth. He had made far too many errors in judgment already and another could only make things worse between them.

Blinking rapidly, awkward and unsure, Obi-Wan said, "You, Master. It's why I've been so tired lately and why I was at Dex's. I've been trying to earn enough credits to buy you a Naming Day gift."

Qui-Gon said nothing, waiting patiently for him to finish his story.

When he didn't interrupt the boy, merely listened to his reasoning with a grave, focused interest, Obi-Wan seemed to ease a bit, his face smoothing out as he faced his mentor. His hands, however, betrayed his inner fears, his fingers clenching and unclenching in edgy anxiety, pulling at his tunic hem and then smoothing it flat again.

The way his narrative seemed to gather speed with every word was another tell-tale sign of the uncertainty in Obi-Wan's heart. But Qui-Gon could see that the boy was determined to tell the whole truth. That took courage.

"It was harder than I thought it would be." Obi-Wan shook his head, glancing down at the brown fabric draped so inelegantly across Qui-Gon's legs and then back up to meet his Master's stare. "The cloak was more expensive than I had planned and I wanted you to have it so I've been working extra hard so I could pay Dex off. He loaned me the credits because I had to buy it ahead of time so that I could give it to you today." He turned somber again. "I'm sorry the surprise got ruined, though."

Qui-Gon tried not to show it but he was horrified. Obi-Wan had missed classes, had defied his instructions, had risked his censure to buy him a gift. All this for a Naming day?

And he was just as at fault. Had he misjudged this boy so badly that he was seeing treachery in every youthful mistake? Had he seen a generous heart and thought it tainted with selfish purpose? If so, it was not Obi-Wan's balance at stake but his own.

"Obi-Wan, is this your explanation?"

Ducking his head in shy agreement, Obi-Wan looked at him with the beginnings of hope in his eyes. Apparently, Qui-Gon's reluctance to stop his tale or to instantly punish him for disobedience had had a calming effect on his apprentice. "Yes, Master. You are always having problems with getting the right size cloak. You're very tall so I got one that is extra long. It's made out of septspider silk and bantha wool so it's soft." Gazing down at the spill of cloth under Qui-Gon's hand, he said, "I... I hope it fits."

And then the anxious energy that had sustained Obi-Wan through his long speech drained away and he was suddenly swaying with weariness. The dark circles under his eyes and the way his shoulders trembled in his effort to stay upright alarmed Qui-Gon. Reaching out, he pulled the boy toward him and gestured to the couch. "Obi-Wan, please sit down before you fall down."

With a grateful sigh, Obi-Wan fell forward and slid almost boneless into place beside Qui-Gon. He looked like he needed a week's worth of sleep.

Ordinarily, Qui-Gon would have sent the boy back to bed immediately but they needed to clear this up. There could be no more secrets between them. He had already been wrong on so many levels that he refused to let this go on for one moment longer.

Putting one hand on Obi-Wan's thin shoulder, he squeezed sympathetically and said, "Padawan, I don't understand. Why did you think you needed to buy me anything, especially something so valuable?"

Biting his lip again, Obi-Wan said softly, "I know you've been worrying about what happened on Melida/Daan. I should have listened to you then but I was sure I was right and you were wrong and I just kept going." Frowning down at his hands, the boy seemed caught in remembrance. "When you took me back even though the Council was not happy about it, I was so grateful. I wanted to show you how much I appreciated your teachings and I tried to be the best Padawan any Master could have wanted. But you were so distant and distracted."

His eyes flicked toward Qui-Gon's own for a moment before he bowed his head again, the anxiety showing in his pale cheeks and in the way his fingers pulled at his tunic, twisting the cloth into wrinkled clumps. "But things just kept getting worse. There was Telos and Xanatos dying... the way he did. You got so quiet afterwards and I know you tried your best to teach me. But sometimes the sadness just came through." Obviously hesitant at revealing so much and risking a rebuke, Obi-Wan's story trickled to a stop.

Qui-Gon was dazed. He had no idea that his own problems in accepting Xan's death had affected Obi-Wan so much. The boy rarely showed anything but a smiling face and obedience, never a complaint or even the hint that something might be wrong - until now.

That was going to change.

Putting his arm around his apprentice, Qui-Gon pulled him close. Obi-Wan looked up in surprise and then leaned in, enjoying the warmth.

"Padawan, I'm sorry. I didn't realize." He couldn't quite keep the guilt and husking sadness out of his voice. How much had he missed, how much had he not noticed while he was trying to come to terms with Xan's death?

He felt Obi-Wan's shrug underneath his hand. "It's all right, Master. I know that you didn't do it on purpose. It's just that I'm sorry that I made things worse." But the boy had gone back to twisting his tunic's hem, his worry clear in the way he pulled at the cloth, how he kept looking at Qui-Gon and then shifting away.

As Qui-Gon gently pulled the fabric from young hands, the boy stilled abruptly and bowed his head. "Padawan, I'm supposed to be taking care of you, not the other way around." The flash of green eyes disagreed with him but Obi-Wan remained silent; he must have known that he would never win that argument. "When you grew more and more tired, I was concerned but I should have said something sooner. Much sooner."

Still worrying his lip, his Padawan curled inward, looking even more guilty than he had when first discovered, and very young. His skin was almost translucent with fatigue.

Hesitantly and with much bewilderment, Obi-Wan tried to explain, "I thought I could handle the work here and at Dex's but I wasn't getting enough sleep and I kept making mistakes. Then you'd get upset and I wanted to stop but I'd already promised Dex. I couldn't go back on my word, could I?"

Scrubbing at his eyes, Obi-Wan's confusion and frustration at the circumstances shone through the exhaustion. "I knew it wouldn't be long before it would all be finished so I kept going, thinking it was just a few more days. But you found out about me coming in late and I couldn't tell you. I'm sorry, Master. I didn't know what else to do." He looked away, down at the dark chocolate puddle of cloth that he had worked so hard to buy and one that had cost him dearly in time and anxiety. "It started out with one small thing but just kept getting worse and worse. I couldn't see any way out."

Qui-Gon nodded slowly, "It happens, sometimes, even to Jedi with years of experience. A small error in judgment that becomes two and then many. Overwhelming the senses until it seems impossible to escape the trap."

Pulling his apprentice close for a moment and then releasing him, he gazed down into apologetic eyes. But he wanted there to be no mistakes this time. Putting all the strength of command into his voice, he said, "That is why I want you to tell me when you are having trouble. I am your teacher, your guide to help you find your path. I can't help you if you hide things from me."

Obi-Wan ducked his head in agreement. "I know but I wanted it to be a surprise. It was your Naming day gift and I thought it would be more fun that way." Huffing in annoyance, he said bitterly, "Fun. It didn't turn out exactly as I had planned."

Sending a grateful smile toward the young apprentice, Qui-Gon said softly, "It is a gift that I will treasure all the more for your hard work."

The boy sent back a pleased grin. "I know that you've been wanting something that fits. I thought it would help. During the missions. It's waterproof and warm."

"It was a very thoughtful thing to do. Thank you, Obi-Wan." And he meant every word. His Learner had a generous heart, and while it could lead him into trouble at times, it was all the more precious for being unselfish and compassionate. He would make a very fine Knight one day.

Obi-Wan leaned back, yawning and half-closing his eyes as he slumped against Qui-Gon. Sleepily, he smiled to himself as he remembered, "Working at Dex's was harder than I thought it would be, Master. I kept making mistakes." He gave a little, embarrassed laugh. "My first day, I slipped on some oil and my lightsaber fell into the rsdakpot full of grease. I was a mess and I got a bunch of fried bits stuck in the handle. Took a long time to get out." He gazed up at Qui-Gon, looking worried as he said, "That's why I didn't take my saber with me after that. I was afraid I'd ruin it forever."

But Qui-Gon just shook his head and cautioned, "Padawan, you must take your saber with you at all times, even at the hazard of fried bits. It could mean the difference between you coming back to me alive or not coming back at all."

With all the solemnity of a vow, Obi-Wan said, "Yes, Master. I promise." Then, as he blinked several times and tried without success to suppress another yawn, he turned back into the warmth of Qui-Gon's shoulder and settled in. "Dex was fair but he expected a lot and he always gave me the messiest jobs. Claimed I was small enough to get into the cracks."

Qui-Gon knew better than to laugh but he could not resist smiling slyly and raising one eyebrow in mischief. "That would explain your appearance today. Digging into cracks. With your vast experience, perhaps you could help the Temple cleaning droids with those hard-to-reach places."

The boy was bristling as much as any fourteen-year old could do while fighting sleep. "Surely you know I'd only do something like this for you!" But then sheepishly, he realized, "Oh, you were teasing me."

"You would be invaluable." Qui-Gon managed to look serious and amused at the same time.

But Obi-Wan saw through the jest, just as Qui-Gon had known he would. The boy had a very dry wit. Shaking his head at his Master, he said softly, "I'm sorry I ruined your Naming Day."

"Padawan, it is not ruined." His arm tightened around Obi-Wan and they sat there for a few moments in silence, Qui-Gon relaxing into the thought that this might just be the catalyst for a deeper understanding between them, that his Padawan's generous heart held the key. But he had one last thing to teach before sending the boy off to bed.

"Obi-Wan, the cloak is beautiful and I appreciate the gift but it is only a material thing. There is something more important that I had hoped to receive on my Naming day."

Thinking about it for a moment, his apprentice asked quietly, "What is it? You never mentioned anything else."

Smiling down into that earnest face, Qui-Gon reached over and lifted Obi-Wan's red-gold braid. "You have chosen to learn the ways of the Force and the Jedi code under my guidance." His fingers felt along the twists of hair and down to the colored threads that marked the noteworthy achievements in the boy's short life. Letting the thin plait go, he asked, "Do you know what the braid symbolizes?"

Obi-Wan was too tired to give him more than a startled flash of confusion at the change of subject. But he answered with all seriousness, "That I am a student of the Jedi Order. That I have a Master to teach me what I need to know to become a Knight. That he keeps me from going to bed when I need to."

At that, Qui-Gon did chuckle, his low rumble answered in the boy's own soft laugh. "That is the smallest part of it, Obi-Wan. A braid is woven with three strands, symbolizing the student, the Master and, although the Council would have you believe the third part is the Jedi Order, it is not. It is the Force itself flowing between the student and teacher, binding them together. As we are bound."

Obi-Wan settled in, nodding sleepily as he listened to the wisdom of long experience.

"It is not a material thing that I would cherish as a Naming day gift but the focus of your time and energy in following the Force and doing what is right and honorable." Qui-Gon's large hand brushed through Obi-Wan's short Padawan cut, a sweeping warmth that whispered of affection and the promise of treasured tomorrows. "I hope one day to cut off your braid at the Knighting ceremony and hold it in my hand and know, in my own small way, I helped you to become the Jedi I know you can be."

Closing his eyes, Obi-Wan murmured, "I will do my very best, Master."

Qui-Gon smiled down at the drowsy boy and shook his head at the path his own misguided assumptions had taken him. Foolish man to see avarice in compassion and willfulness in generosity. "I know you will. But sometimes, you need to understand that even a Master can be blinded by doubt. Misunderstandings might arise and be compounded by silence. I am just a man, even though I follow the Force in all things, and sometimes I make mistakes."

The words were getting more slurred every moment but still Obi-Wan was awake enough to grin as he leaned on Qui-Gon's shoulder. "Are you sure? About the mistakes part?"

A huff of amusement and then he turned serious. "Yes, very sure, Obi-Wan. I hope that we will both learn from this experience."

He could feel Obi-Wan's half-stifled yawn against his arm and the way his apprentice was fast melting towards sleep. He knew that he should move the boy to bed and let the exhaustion fade with rest but he had to admit that he was enjoying this moment of warmth, this gentle accord between them.

"I'm sorry, Master. About the secrets. I won't do it again." Obi-Wan was whispering so quietly that Qui-Gon had to lean in to hear.

The trust so freely given, such a precious thing.

His hand swept through Obi-Wan's soft hair again, a silent benediction to the boy so willing to sacrifice for him. "I know you won't, young one. And I promise to you that I will see beyond my own failings..." As his apprentice shifted slightly, a wordless protest, Qui-Gon rumbled in amusement, smiling down at him and said, "You need to accept that I have them just as I must accept that I am sometimes wrong. I should not believe the worst without just cause."

Obi-Wan sighed into his Master's self-condemnation, a brief, weary nod to the resolute conviction in Qui-Gon's voice.

Picking up the braid's end, Qui-Gon felt the silky smoothness of it, all the hope and promise in a plait of hair, and then laid it carefully along his Padawan's tunic, patting it into place, reminding the boy of their pledge to each other and to the Force.

His Learner was too tired to do more than give a little quirk of his mouth, and instead breathed out,

"I'll never cut it, Master, even to trim off the ends. I know the other Padawans do but I won't." And then he was quiet, except for the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he finally fell asleep.

Leaning over, Qui-Gon unclipped the saber from Obi-Wan's belt and laid it aside, and then lifted his gift, his soft cloak to cover the boy. It was enough to sit there quietly, enjoying the harmony of the moment even as his apprentice burrowed into the warmth.

He knew that tomorrow would bring reality back into focus. He would need to apology to Dex and there was the problem of discipline for Obi-Wan's disobedience. No matter that some might say that he should overlook the indiscretion, he could not. He would be doing a disservice to his young charge and Obi-Wan would expect no less. But since he had also erred in judgment and assumptions, they would share in the penalty, binding them together even as the braid was bound among the three of them - Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and the Force.

He also knew that he would never forget this Naming day. He had received a wondrous gift - not the warm and luxurious cloak that Obi-Wan had given him but a true gift from the Force itself in the person of one young Padawan Learner. He would hold that realization in his heart until the end of his days.

But for the now of this moment, Qui-Gon merely sat there, enjoying the untroubled sighs of youthful slumber as he said softly, "It is enough to know that you will do your best. Sleep well, my Obi-Wan."

The end.

This was based on a personal challenge that I got from another writer - sneaky woman that she is. Thanks, VL. :)

Qui-Gon has a Naming Day coming up and Obi-Wan wants to get him a present. Unfortunately, he's short of credits. So he takes a part-time job. As what? Well, that's up to you! This can be as AU as you want to make it (meaning Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan can both be old men) or stick closely to the canon timeline. It can be humor, drama, angst, whatever. Qui-Gon finds out about Obi-Wan's moonlighting and confronts him. Obi-Wan has to say the words, "Surely you know I'd only do something like this for you!" Any era, any setting, whatever. You can use as many or as few words as you need. No one can die. A color should be mentioned in it.