Witch's thoughts: Ok, this one and the one I'm writing right now are going to be the last parts when everything goes soooo long, I promise -.-' from now on things will start to get interesting^^ and again I'm going to bully Obi-Wan, oh dear me...

Usual thanks for reviews for FlowerChild13 and Rhea1305, my wonderful beta :)

oh, man this story will take much more chapters than I imagined 0.0 whatever. ^^

Hey, reader, yes, I'm talking to you, I wish to know what you like/dislike in my story. Please? Just want to check if continuing some of plot things have sense:P

Enjoy^^

...

The sun shinning through the shutters woke up Obi-Wan, making him slowly come back into consciousness from a tiredness-caused sleep. At first he didn't remember, what provoked him to curl up in the legs of the bed, with Baby stretched around his head, but recognition hit him almost immediately, when he looked into sleepy, forest-green eyes. She wasn't asleep, her paws hidden under her light coloured body, long tail caressing his cheeks with feather-like touches. Shutting his eyes tightly in an instant, Obi-Wan allowed his head to fall back onto bed with a heavy thud.

Maybe this was not real. Maybe it was some kind of sick nightmare, they were so frequent, to say at least. Maybe…

But he just had to look again in Baby's tired eyes to know she didn't sleep at all this night, aside the time before they had heard Master Alberona and Master Jinn. She didn't avert her eyes, blinking slowly, walls of her mind gently going down from his own.

"I'm sorry" he said quietly, stretching hand to stroke her head. A sky-blue wave of affection reached him almost immediately, along with soft whimper and she got to him even closer, snuggling into his sleeping tunic. He understood the allusion, staying still until she found a best place to lie down, which was his chest above heart, under his chin.

Obi-Wan could clearly feel that his Master was not home at the moment, hadn't been for some time now. Since morning? Well, at least that meant, he didn't have to walk in the kitchen this morning looking serene, calm and relaxed after the all-night sleep he hadn't had. Sighing heavily, even if he didn't want to, he got up from the bed and strode lazily to the kitchen. Not that he was hungry in particular, but his daily routine seemed to steer him there, as if his body was programmed. With one hand holding Baby against his collar bone, he started to prepare a tea in his mug, when the door hissed and someone came in.

Turning on the balls of his feet, Obi-Wan nearly dropped Baby, knocking down the mug that crashed on the floor with a loud noise. He remained silent, with his head bowed, not wanting to look his Master in the eyes, not to see rejection and regret in them…

"Okaaaaaay" he heard a familiar voice, so unlike Qui-Gon's that he looked up almost immediately. "What was that, what chewed you up and then spitted?"

"Ha-ha, very funny Garen" he said humourlessly, bowing to gather shreds of glass that were scattered around his feet. Baby climbed over his shoulder and found refugee on a cupboard near the heating unit, with narrowed eyes following Obi-Wan's slow, indifferent gestures. Just like Garen, who didn't move from his place near kitchen door, watching Obi-Wan with increasing suspicion.

When silence prolonged, he stepped forward, with firm hand taking from Obi-Wan glass slivers, then tugging at other boy's wrist to make him sit by the table. Catching a broomstick, he swept all the remaining, glittering pieces, throwing them out into trash bin, then quickly prepared for tea and put steaming mugs before Obi-Wan and his own place by the table. In the end, Garen took Baby from the cupboard from where she observed him intently, placing her on his lap, when he sat.

"Ok. Talk." without any introduction, Garen jumped into matter. Obi-Wan looked at him with tired expression on his face.

"What do you want to hear?"

"What do I want to hear? I want to hear why you look like bantha shit and were trying to make a hedgehog from your feet, before I stopped you. Care to explain?" he rolled his eyes impatiently.

"I didn't sleep well" Obi-Wan's tone suggested that it was not your business, so fuck off, but as Garen was his friend, he swiftly ignored unspoken warning, grinning mockingly.

"Are you joking? I bet you just had some pleasant dream, and woke up quite… stiff in the morning. Nothing to be embarrassed about".

This time Obi-Wan couldn't take it.

"Get lost, Muln" he barked, throwing at his some someran apples, he found in the nearby fruit basket. Garen avoided it with even broader toothy smile.

"That's the spirit. Ok Kenobi, finish your breakfast and we can go." he unconsciously stroked Baby's fur, as she seemed to fall asleep on his lap.

"I'm not going anywhere with you." Obi-Wan knew that he had a class later in the morning, not to mention that his Master hadn't left him any assignment, so at least he should wait to receive it. Besides, walking around the Temple in his sleeping clothes wasn't the best idea.

"Ohhhh, you so are, just get dressed, we don't need girls chasing us around." Garen obviously had other plans than sitting here with his sulking friend. He stood up, carefully putting Baby on the table, minding not to knock down the mugs, then shoving Obi-Wan not so gently from his chair into the bedroom.

"Your Master asked me to take you to training arena" he started saying casually, ignoring his friend who, in the middle of changing his tunic, shouted surprised,

"WHAT?", only to throw at him clean clothes and chuckle.

He didn't say anything more, no matter how much Obi-Wan asked him, not until he was dressed properly and ready to leave his quarters. Well, theoretically ready, Garen still didn't like shadows under other's eyes and the way, he didn't want to talk about anything, but, oh hell, whatever. He sped up his steps a little, only to stop abruptly, causing Obi-Wan to bump into his back with unfocused "ouph".

"Kenobi, where is the little one?" he asked, turning to his friend. What he first saw were tired, greenish blue eyes, which widen abruptly in realization. They nodded in unison, directing back to Obi-Wan's quarters, running back through the corridors they were walking in, not so long ago. They found Baby still on kitchen's table, peacefully asleep between the fruit basket and the wall, with her tail tangled around Garen's cup. Obi-Wan sighed.

"What were you two doing yesterday to get her that tired? She normally can't sit in one place for more than a few seconds!" Garen asked, looking warily as Obi-Wan untangled her from devices and gently put into his hood. She didn't wake up for a moment.

"Look who is talking" Obi-Wan murmured, yawning secretly. He didn't sleep much as well, but as a sixteen year old was supposed to be bearing with this better, than any baby. Especially this one.

When they finally were off to training grounds, carefully checking if they had everything this time, Garen explained Obi-Wan that he had met his Master this morning and the older man asked Garen to take care of Obi-Wan for today, as his class is cancelled and he won't receive any particular assignments. Was it another day, Obi-Wan would laugh happily with a vision of full-length, duty-free day. As for now, he only slouched and said nothing, wishing his Master was not so straightforward with wanting to follow Quella's suggestion.

Garen observed his friend with narrowed eyes. Obi-Wan was always like this - when lost in thought, he didn't care about his surroundings, what made him so easy a target for the likes of Bruck Chun. But hell, he'd be damned if he left Obi-Wan like this. Tugging at the other's sleeve, he practically dragged him all the way to training ring, where Reef was waiting for them. Their friend visibly winced and his eyes went wide with surprise, when he noticed that an unusually serious Garen was hauling strangely quiet and sad Obi-Wan. When the two of them came closer, he went forward to meet them.

"Ok Reef, as for me it looks like this: we have one Obi-Wan here, that's how you use him. First, you make him stand straight" Garen stopped abruptly, causing Obi-Wan to bump into him again. 'Man, what's wrong with this guy today?' he thought, with one hand straightening other's arms

"Second, you strip him from everything that is in way." ignoring Obi-Wan's protests, they took off his robe and outer tunic, with Reef gently removing still sleeping Baby from his hood. At the same time, Garen took training swords, they prepared in advance, in way that Obi-Wan was turned from him, and didn't see him coming.

"Third, you kick his ass", he said casually, stabbing unarmed Obi-Wan in his lower back and leaping away immediately.

The boy turned swiftly, years of training with his ideal Master paying off in his gracious, but still completely unconscious movements, when he positioned himself in self-defence. He was tired, maybe sad and maybe angry, and he'd rather want to meditate over this, but when Reef, who was behind his back, stabbed him between his shoulder blades with another training sword he didn't notice, Obi-Wan had one thing in his no-more-confused mind:

THAT MEANT WAR!

…...

When they finished laughing, Obi-Wan dried tears from his cheeks. He didn't remember, when was the last time Garen managed to make him laugh so hard, he had to sit on the grass, at the same time holding his aching stomach and defending from training sword that was stabbing him everywhere he didn't cover with his hands, tickling and twisting lightly in his cloth-covered flesh. Now, he was covered in sweat, with his inner tunic thrown over his shoulder, boots in hand, when they were walking him back to his quarters. Passer-bys looked after them, as if seeing three Padawans, partially naked and laughing like mad was so unusual…

All right, maybe it was. But Obi-Wan couldn't recall when he felt such as now, at ease. Garen's method, however kind of strange, considering the circumstances, was quite effective, he must say. He felt sore and tired, even more than in the morning, yes, but at the same time his head was light and his thoughts not confused anymore. His problems were not resolved, but at least he found a strength to deal with them.

Taking turn into proper corridor, they could see the door to Obi-Wan's quarters, now opened. The boy felt as his insides twist uncontrollably, when he recognized who was standing there. However, when he tried to stop and ran away, he found that it is impossible from one, simple reason - Garen and Reef behind him noticed her as well.

Quella strode in their direction with pride and an awful smugness that Obi-wan hated. Her robe flew around her, resembling wings. She wasn't short - Obi-Wan frowned a little. He always considered her in that way for his Master was much taller than average. Alone now, she really gave different impression. But before he could determine it, she spoke.

"Ah, Padawan Kenobi, good timing, go home, I don't need you. As for the two of you… care to accompany me?" she beckoned at Garen and Reef, who bowed hesitantly, before walking away after her, as she didn't spare Obi-Wan another glance. He blinked, trying to understand what just happened. With one hand holding Baby, preventing her from falling from his shoulder, he shrugged, reaching the door and palming the lock. Only then did he remembered, why this day started bad.

The corridor was dark, but small noises from kitchen told him where his Master was at the moment. It made sense - this way, he couldn't imagine getting unnoticed to his room, having to walk near kitchen doors. Feeling violet wave of warm reassurance washing over his senses, he gathered all remaining strength he gained today and walked in, to take what was waiting for him head on.

Qui-Gon felt the arrival of his Padawan when the boy was still two corridors away. Somehow, it made him smile, feeling that Obi-Wan enjoyed the day he so absentmindedly granted him, as it was a rare occasion to relax. He didn't give a reason for that unexpected treat; his apprentice didn't have to know how his old, wise master had to meditate all day on a matter that would make a youngling blush. Yes, it was a good idea to stop Padawan Muln in the corridor and make him take care of Obi-Wan. He needed some time for himself. And his friends.

"I'm back Master" he heard soft voice of the boy calling him from the corridor, along with a clack of taken off boots. After few seconds, he saw his Obi-Wan walking in, bare-chested and sweaty, with a kitten over his shoulder that seemed to be taking a nap, however strange it would look.

"Welcome home, Obi-Wan" he answered back, busy with preparing meal for the two of them. The boy sat quietly, stroking the kitten's head into consciousness and putting her near his cup, when she yawned and whimpered, licking his nose. He laughed the most beautiful sound of the world.

"How was your day, Padawan? Qui-Gon asked, setting a plate of food before the boy.

Obi-Wan must have been hungry, for he started to eat as if the food attempted to escape from him. Between bites, he describes how the two others, Garen and Reef, worked him out in training ground, and how they wanted to visit Bant, who now felt better, but Healers forbid them to, as they were dirty and sweaty. Qui-Gon laughed good-naturedly on that attempt, at the same time eying Obi-Wan's shoulders. His muscles there were stiff, nothing strange after intense physical activity, but he knew that his Padawan was nervous for some reason. And he most likely wouldn't tell his Master why.

They talked and laughed for the rest of the meal, and the tension in Obi-Wan's arms started to fade. Baby curled up near boy's elbow, hiding her pink nose under coiled up tail and didn't move even when the boy put his hand on her back, stroking lightly her soft fur. Qui-Gon smiled at this picture, observing Obi-Wan, whose eyelids started to fall down as well. They both were tired, it was clearly noticeable.

Later, when Obi-Wan fell asleep on kitchen table, supporting his head with folded arms near sleeping kitten, his Master smiled to himself. He might have been a bad Master lately, but his Padawan was exceptionally reasonable and self-reliant, this was what made the older man thankful to the Force for granting him the boy. Obi-Wan was light; his master didn't even have to manipulate Force to lift him and put into bed, covering with blanket his deadbeat, young body. He was becoming a man, his limbs loosing their lankiness, gaining muscles as well as confidence in moving. Will it be long before he would want to be independent from his Master?

A soft whimper from the door caught him off guard, but he quickly opened it for Baby. She was a little dazed, as if abruptly awaken, but without hesitation found her way to Obi-Wan's bed. In one jump she reached boy's pillow, where she lay down with a sigh of relief, before falling immediately asleep again. Qui-Gon chuckled silently.

"With you here, I don't have to guard him, little one. But you need to rest too. Will you entrust him to me for tonight?"

Baby opened one big, green eye and licked his near fingers as if with permission. The older man laughed silently, with two fingers smoothing her fur a little, and watched as she drifted to sleep yet again. He touched her closed eyes one more time, gently stroking her fair head, before getting closer and kissing Obi-Wan's forehead. They were dead tired, he told himself again, he wouldn't remember.

Closing the door behind himself, he took one last glance of the two younglings curled up on the bed, and smiled.