As Sabé woke, she became aware of the line of questioning taking place in the other room.
"Where are Meira's eyes?"
The little girl's giggle was quickly followed by Obi-Wan's deeper masculine chuckle.
"That's very good! Now where's Meira's nose?"
Sabé rose, taking great care to keep her movements silent. She peeked around the doorframe and saw Obi-Wan sitting on the floor, leaning back against the sofa. Meira was facing him and pointing at her nose, grinning with confidence.
The girl caught sight of her mother. She jumped up, crawled quickly over Obi-Wan and ran to Sabé, arms high in the air.
Sabé took her hand and led her back to the center of the room. "You were doing so well that I want to see what else you know." Taking a seat on the floor about half a meter from Obi-Wan, she looked at Meira expectantly.
The Jedi noted the space that Sabé had left between them, and with an amused gleam in his eye, scooted closer to her. "Let's see, where were we? We did eyes and nose...Where are Meira's ears?"
She pondered the question for a few moments, then touched her ears.
"Very good," Sabé said as she applauded.
"It is to be commended," Obi-Wan confirmed.
Sabé laughed. "I guess I'll never live that down." She edged a short distance toward Obi-Wan. "Where is Meira's mouth?"
Meira responded immediatly, finger pointing at her lips. She joined in with Sabé and Obi-Wan's applause.
"Show me your foot," Obi-Wan prompted, adjusting his position to come within centimeters of Sabé. Meira leaned back and waved her foot in the air.
Sabé ran her lower lip between her teeth, glanced at the Jedi quickly, then eliminated the distance between them. "One more--your hand, Meira. Let's see it."
She answered by thrusting her hand toward them, then jumping up to drape herself across her parents' laps. Somewhere in the fracas, Obi-Wan's arm ended up around Sabé's shoulders.
Sabé took a deep breath and leaned into Obi-Wan with in a tentative, almost shy, manner. He pulled her closer. She sighed and laid her head on his shoulder.
This can't be wrong, he thought to himself. There's too much of the Living Force and the light side here for this to be wrong. The feeling washed over him, refreshing him more than any food or drink ever could.
"Would you like to play something else now? Want to get your ball?" Sabé asked.
Meira nodded and started to roll out of their laps, but Obi-Wan stopped her. "Wait, let me show you something." He focused and used the Force to call the little sponge ball to his hand. He deliberatly took a few seconds to work the trick, waiting to see Meira's reaction.
"Ooooh," she cooed, seeming to show every indication of sensing that he was tapping into the Force. She stood very still, feeling the flow of the natural energy. It was just what he had wanted to see, and it pleased him a great deal.
Sabé and Obi-Wan took turns rolling and throwing the ball to Meira. She had a bit of trouble catching it at first, but she got noticeably better as the game went on. Eventually,they wore her down enough that she was content to be put in the playpen for a bit.
Obi-Wan stood up and stretched. "Excuse me for a moment. Be right back," he said, heading to the 'fresher.
Sabé looked around, and spotted the brown outer cloak. Looking back at the 'fresher door before she moved, she reached over and picked it up. She ran her fingers over the coarse texture of the fabric, then held it up to her nostrils. Inhaling, she relished the scent the Jedi had left there. Overtones of the Naboo forest remained, along with his natural muskiness and a bit of the leather of his boots. She stood up and hesitated, but then allowed the cloak to unfold, and she quickly slipped it on.
"Jeddi Ma!" Meira called out. She smiled with approval.
"Shhh, Sweetie," Sabé cautioned, looking back. Then she grinned at her daughter, and began to play at lightsaber fighting, going through some motions and making the humming sound effects. She was very into it when she heard Obi-Wan's laughter.
"No fair, shielding like that!" Sabé exclaimed, face reddening. "That's the second time you've caught me. I thought I was safe in my own home."
"I wasn't laughing *at* you, " Obi-Wan explained. "I was enjoying the delight the two of you were feeling. No, you don't have to take it off. Please, keep it on awhile if you want. It looks good on you. And I'm beginning to think you were right. Yané worries too much. You seem farther along with recovery than she gave you credit for. Does she know you're Force sensitive?"
"No, not that I don't trust her. I just don't think she really needs to know. Amidala knows, of course. Saché and Rabé figured it out and Rowan knows just about everything Rabé does. But I've tried to keep it from getting out too far."
"Who knows about Meira's paternity?"
Sabé shifted uncomfortably and looked down, still a bit ashamed of the lie. "Most of the inner circle at the time. Even Eirtaé and Yané knew that I never had a relationship with Baris Calle. They can all be trusted. Governer Bibble was acting Senator, and he, along with Rabé and Rowan, forged the marriage certificate with me."
Obi-Wan approached her and put his hand on her shoulder. "You did what you had to, to protect Meira. I couldn't have helped you. We won't worry, we'll do what we can now." He put finger under her chin and lifted her face. "As you are doing so well, I'd like us to go somewhere that we can practice tommorrow. Don't you have a training range?"
Sabé beamed with excitement and anticipation. "We have an excellent training range! I can hardly wait!"
"Where are Meira's eyes?"
The little girl's giggle was quickly followed by Obi-Wan's deeper masculine chuckle.
"That's very good! Now where's Meira's nose?"
Sabé rose, taking great care to keep her movements silent. She peeked around the doorframe and saw Obi-Wan sitting on the floor, leaning back against the sofa. Meira was facing him and pointing at her nose, grinning with confidence.
The girl caught sight of her mother. She jumped up, crawled quickly over Obi-Wan and ran to Sabé, arms high in the air.
Sabé took her hand and led her back to the center of the room. "You were doing so well that I want to see what else you know." Taking a seat on the floor about half a meter from Obi-Wan, she looked at Meira expectantly.
The Jedi noted the space that Sabé had left between them, and with an amused gleam in his eye, scooted closer to her. "Let's see, where were we? We did eyes and nose...Where are Meira's ears?"
She pondered the question for a few moments, then touched her ears.
"Very good," Sabé said as she applauded.
"It is to be commended," Obi-Wan confirmed.
Sabé laughed. "I guess I'll never live that down." She edged a short distance toward Obi-Wan. "Where is Meira's mouth?"
Meira responded immediatly, finger pointing at her lips. She joined in with Sabé and Obi-Wan's applause.
"Show me your foot," Obi-Wan prompted, adjusting his position to come within centimeters of Sabé. Meira leaned back and waved her foot in the air.
Sabé ran her lower lip between her teeth, glanced at the Jedi quickly, then eliminated the distance between them. "One more--your hand, Meira. Let's see it."
She answered by thrusting her hand toward them, then jumping up to drape herself across her parents' laps. Somewhere in the fracas, Obi-Wan's arm ended up around Sabé's shoulders.
Sabé took a deep breath and leaned into Obi-Wan with in a tentative, almost shy, manner. He pulled her closer. She sighed and laid her head on his shoulder.
This can't be wrong, he thought to himself. There's too much of the Living Force and the light side here for this to be wrong. The feeling washed over him, refreshing him more than any food or drink ever could.
"Would you like to play something else now? Want to get your ball?" Sabé asked.
Meira nodded and started to roll out of their laps, but Obi-Wan stopped her. "Wait, let me show you something." He focused and used the Force to call the little sponge ball to his hand. He deliberatly took a few seconds to work the trick, waiting to see Meira's reaction.
"Ooooh," she cooed, seeming to show every indication of sensing that he was tapping into the Force. She stood very still, feeling the flow of the natural energy. It was just what he had wanted to see, and it pleased him a great deal.
Sabé and Obi-Wan took turns rolling and throwing the ball to Meira. She had a bit of trouble catching it at first, but she got noticeably better as the game went on. Eventually,they wore her down enough that she was content to be put in the playpen for a bit.
Obi-Wan stood up and stretched. "Excuse me for a moment. Be right back," he said, heading to the 'fresher.
Sabé looked around, and spotted the brown outer cloak. Looking back at the 'fresher door before she moved, she reached over and picked it up. She ran her fingers over the coarse texture of the fabric, then held it up to her nostrils. Inhaling, she relished the scent the Jedi had left there. Overtones of the Naboo forest remained, along with his natural muskiness and a bit of the leather of his boots. She stood up and hesitated, but then allowed the cloak to unfold, and she quickly slipped it on.
"Jeddi Ma!" Meira called out. She smiled with approval.
"Shhh, Sweetie," Sabé cautioned, looking back. Then she grinned at her daughter, and began to play at lightsaber fighting, going through some motions and making the humming sound effects. She was very into it when she heard Obi-Wan's laughter.
"No fair, shielding like that!" Sabé exclaimed, face reddening. "That's the second time you've caught me. I thought I was safe in my own home."
"I wasn't laughing *at* you, " Obi-Wan explained. "I was enjoying the delight the two of you were feeling. No, you don't have to take it off. Please, keep it on awhile if you want. It looks good on you. And I'm beginning to think you were right. Yané worries too much. You seem farther along with recovery than she gave you credit for. Does she know you're Force sensitive?"
"No, not that I don't trust her. I just don't think she really needs to know. Amidala knows, of course. Saché and Rabé figured it out and Rowan knows just about everything Rabé does. But I've tried to keep it from getting out too far."
"Who knows about Meira's paternity?"
Sabé shifted uncomfortably and looked down, still a bit ashamed of the lie. "Most of the inner circle at the time. Even Eirtaé and Yané knew that I never had a relationship with Baris Calle. They can all be trusted. Governer Bibble was acting Senator, and he, along with Rabé and Rowan, forged the marriage certificate with me."
Obi-Wan approached her and put his hand on her shoulder. "You did what you had to, to protect Meira. I couldn't have helped you. We won't worry, we'll do what we can now." He put finger under her chin and lifted her face. "As you are doing so well, I'd like us to go somewhere that we can practice tommorrow. Don't you have a training range?"
Sabé beamed with excitement and anticipation. "We have an excellent training range! I can hardly wait!"