It was Mundi who broke the silence. "So, what are we to do?"

They'd sent Anakin, Obi-Wan and Shmi out of the room so they could discuss the punishment for the initiates who'd beaten Anakin. They'd call the three back in once they'd decided and then discuss how they were going to keep Anakin safe from this sort of thing happening again.

"Fair they were not," Yoda said, "Fair we were not. Speak to the temple we must. Explain about Anakin we will. Fear him we must not."

Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to the darkside. Windu had heard maxims like that over and over again.

Still, Jedi being afraid of Sith wasn't something he'd considered. The inititates had been afraid of Anakin. When he went to their classes and was moved into their rooms they were angry with him, and when he did well they hated him for making them even more afraid.

Windu sighed and rubbed his forehead. He wondered sometimes why he'd taken a role on the council… then he realized that if he hadn't he'd have an even bigger headache from not being able to change or affect all the things happening in the order that he disagreed with.

"I agree with Yoda," Windu said, "We should not be so afraid of the Sith that we would abandon our morals and way of life to remove them."

"But what are we going to do with the initiates?" Plo Koon asked. "They all need to apologize, but after that… what?"

Windu hesitated for a long moment.

"I think that an essay on the definition of justice along with scrubbing in the more abandoned parts of the temple for three or four weeks, one or two hours a day, along with punishment of an increased two weeks of scrubbing everytime they bully each other would work. Rude behaviors would include pushing or tripping each other, intentionally ignoring their questions, or trying to sabotage their work. All would increase the length of the punishment."

It would cut down on the time the initiates had to find masters… but it was probably fair. They needed to think about their actions and the consequences of them… and this was one way to be sure they did just that.

…-…

It seemed to take forever for the council to come to a decision.

And then, when they were all called back in, it was time to discuss what they'd do with Anakin. Anakin made sure to keep breathing. It was important.

"I would like to take Anakin as my Padawan." Obi-Wan said, reaching out and squeezing Anakin's shoulder, "When my missions permit it, I will take him with me. When they do not he will go to classes with teachers present, then go to Shmi for the rest of the day. That way we can be sure he will be safe from the other initiates."

"Anakin isn't even an initiate! He can't be a Padawan!" Windu said, then paused, and though his skin tone made it harder to tell Anakin could swear the man was blushing.

Plo Koon spoke next, slowly as if tasting his words. "It… would work though. He was obviously far safer staying in your quarters, even when you weren't around…"

Not all of the Jedi were happy about it, but they did agree.

Which was good.

…-…

The initiates learned very quickly that the teachers were serious about the new rules. Any and all bullying, of anyone, was punished with two weeks of scrubbing the temple's corridors by hand.

A few of the initiates approached Anakin and apologized for what'd happened to him.

And Anakin found himself a lot happier with friends who were closer to his own age.

…-…

Shmi had talked a lot to her therapist, and he had really helped her. She knew that her son had suffered just like she had, and she knew he needed help too.

And now that he was staying with her a good portion of the time, now that he would allow himself to be around her, she was determined that he would get it.

Anakin was nervous, she could tell, but he was also determined.

He faced the door, shoulders square, jaw clenched tight.

Shmi smiled and led him inside.

…-…

"So…" Anakin said.

He was sitting in a chair, kicking his legs in an alternating pattern as he tried to avoid looking at his therapist.

"What exactly am I supposed to do?" he asked.

His therapist. James or Jamie or something smiled at him. "Your mom says you've had some experiences that you need help working through. I'm here to help you. I listen to what you have to say, and then I tell you what you can do to feel better."

That didn't sound too bad.

"Alright," Anakin said, slowly, "What do you want to know?"

"You can tell me whatever you want to," James? No… it was Jamie. Maybe?

"Okay," Anakin said. "But I have one more question."

His therapist nodded encouragingly.

"What's your name?"

Epilogue

Sidious closed his eyes, feeling the force flow through him.

He could feel his little chosen one in the Jedi temple. Sidious sighed. So much effort had gone into Maul and the boy and he got so little out of it.

Sidious made sure to breathe evenly; it would not do for rage to overtake him here.

Still- war was coming soon.

And Sidious would need to get the boy back-or kill him.

Sidious sighed again. He really wished his little queen had had the decency to just die.