Chapter 10 Six months later

Meri frowned at her reflection, mirrored in the still waters before her. Subconsciously, her hand curled around the dark braid on her shoulder and started rolling it back and forth.

The Ornamental garden was just one of the many gardens in the Jedi Temple and as it happened, it was one of the quieter and more secluded gardens. She imagined most preferred the lavish, Room of a Thousand Waterfalls, but right now, she wanted no interruptions.

Her 15'th birthday was next week and not for the first time in the past months, Meri's feelings were a twisted mass of confusion. They were, of course, centered on the person who had stepped into Meri's life those six months ago when her Master had died.

At the painful thought, tears welled in her eyes and trickled down her cheeks, coming much easier than in previous months. It was one of the many changes; she seemed to cry for no reason, and every reason. Sniffing, she wiped away the moisture with the back of her hand and sighed heavily.

There is nothing wrong with my new Master, she reasoned with herself. It's just...he's too nice. Even that thought sounded confused, but the fact was, she was having a hard time keeping her promise of not letting herself get close to her new Master. The tall knight was constantly doing and saying things that chipped, bit by bit, away from her strong shields.

His smile was infectious and he was constantly teasing her. At first she hadn't known how to take it, but now something within her was crying to be loosed. It took all her willpower to keep from coming back with a witty reply that would probably shock him into tomorrow.

Many times, with Ariana, Meri's mouth had put her in trouble. A faint smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, as she thought about the *many* incidents.

Meri thumped her heels against the stone bench and giggled softly as she thought of her most grievous offense. Hells fire and damnation! she thought, nearly choking on a laugh she refused to let loose.

"A credit for your thoughts? Or at least whatever is making you smile in that way?"

The familiar accented voice startled Meri so much she jumped in surprise.

"Master! You scared me!" she said in an accusing tone.

He laughed softly, his blue eyes flashing playfully. "I know. You really need to learn to focus your senses."

Before she could stop it, the retort slipped out. "Well, you're my Master."

The minute the words fell from her mouth, she wished they'd never been said.

Alex let out a small huff of air at the words, but did not laugh. He moved gracefully to stand in front of the small pond that Meri had looked into earlier, and a heavy silence ensued.

Meri tucked her chin down and focused her eyes on the pebbled pathway. She knew as well as he, that in order for him to help her heighten the senses, a stronger bond would need to be formed. What they had now almost couldn't be classified as a bond. The words said were true. He was her Master, but it was just as true that he would never force her in this matter. She was going to have to trust him on her own or not at all.

Tears began to pool once more in her dark eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered, and without looking up she pushed away from the stone bench and fled the gardens.

**

Alex turned swiftly and watched as Meri hastily exited the garden. A long sigh escaped him and he shook his head slightly. She had improved so much over the past months on dealing with her grief and yet she still held him at arms length. He was beginning to doubt that she would ever let him closer.

She still had trouble in meditating and she continued to refuse his help. He had even gone to the measure of requiring her to kneel in mediation with him, in hopes that she would one day reach out for help.

This is not the time for this, he commanded himself firmly. In fact, the reason he had come to find his apprentice was because they had actually been assigned a mission. They were to leave in the morning. It was their first mission together and to be quite honest, Alex wasn't sure if they were ready for that. However, he couldn't blame the Council. If they waited for the rapport between he and Meri to improve, they might be waiting for quite awhile.

Besides that point, it should prove to be a simple mission, though it had possibilities for danger. They were to pick up a witness to the murder of a Senator and escort him safely back to Coruscant. The planet the witness was on currently was only a few hours out from Coruscant, so it wouldn't keep them away for very long.

Alex cast one more glance at the peaceful setting around him and then left to find his apprentice, for the second time that day. To his relief, she had gone back to their quarters and was now in her room.

Shrugging off his robe in the main room, he walked down the hall, pausing in front of the closed door a moment, before knocking softly.

"Come in," a tear soaked voice murmured back quietly.

A sympathetic smile tugged at the corner of his mouth at the sound. That was another change in his apprentice. He often found her crying, but instead of being worried, it relieved him. For those first few months, she had usually held in her grief.

As the door whisked open silently, he stepped in and looked to his apprentice. She sat on the bed, one leg folded underneath her, the other hanging down. She was quickly trying to wipe away any evidence of her tears and was definitely avoiding looking at him. He thought it best, at least for present, not to mention what had just occurred, and instead addressed what he had come to discuss the first time.

"The reason I sought you out, Padawan, is because the Council has given us a mission." He paused to take in her reaction, but other than a fleeting look of surprise, she said nothing. "We leave in the morning to pick up a witness and bring him back to Coruscant safely."

"Yes, Master," she replied softly.

Alex stood silently a moment, his gaze intense as his blue eyes scrutinized his padawan. He could tell she was miserable about what had happened earlier. Almost hesitantly, he reached out through the Force to assure her, but immediately, he could almost see her flinch visibly at the contact.

For a reason he couldn't quite understand, that reaction hurt him more than the words she had said earlier. Keeping any expression from his face, he nodded stiffly. "Very well, then," he said shortly. Turning on his heel, he walked swiftly out of the room.