Chapter 44

Meri ambled slowly into the room Cillian had specified. The doors closed with a soft whir behind her as she suddenly stopped a few steps inside. One dark eyebrow arched as she quickly gazed around the small garden room, taking in the thick green shrubberies and dwarf trees. The babbling sound of a water fountain carried throughout, creating a pleasant, relaxing atmosphere.

Meri shook her head and with a slight roll of her eyes, she started down the pebbled path. It curved through the thick greenery until it led her to the water fountain she had heard when she entered. Leaning against a tree, waiting for her, was Cillian; an altogether too pleased expression on his face.

She folded her arms inside her sleeves as she approached him. "It's rather an odd place to play any games," she said, glancing at the secluded niche among the plants. Her gaze turned to his face, with a knowing look in her eyes. "We seem to be missing a few players, as well," she commented dryly.

Cillian straightened and came towards her, a sheepish smile creasing his face. "Okay, you caught me. There is no game." He stopped before her, gazing at her with that certain look in his eye. "I just wanted to spend some time with you, Meri. I really like you," he paused as though trying to find the right words.

Meri rolled her eyes again, as she wondered how many times he'd used that line on a girl before.

"I mean, I *really* like you," he said meaningfully. "And I never get to spend the time with you that I would like. Either one of my friends is around, or Kenobi. Then of course your Master is always lurking in the background."

Meri bristled inwardly at his words. //He really thinks I should agree with him and will agree with him for that matter,\\ she thought. Suddenly an idea began growing and the more she thought about it, the more she liked it.

Meri smiled modestly, but there was a glint in her dark eyes.

Cillian smiled back and took her hand in his, but she didn't pull away.

"The more I've gotten to know you, the more I realize what a truly amazing girl you are, Meri," Cillian paused, lifting one hand to brush a wayward strand of dark hair behind her ear in a tender gesture. "And beautiful," he added in a murmur.

Meri had to steel herself to keep from shuddering at his touch, and to hold back the strong urge to slap him for taking such liberties. Inwardly, though, she smiled. She would bide her time, and when she was through with him, Cillian would have more to deal with than a red handprint on his face.

Quietly she stood there, listening as he continued to murmur sweet nothings in her ear. //What a great sales pitch. Pity he expects me to actually fall for it,\\ she thought to herself. //Well, maybe I should give him one more chance, though I'm probably being entirely too nice.\\

"I thought you were only interested in being friends, Cillian?" she interjected in a soft voice.

Cillian moved even closer, one of his arms creeping its way around her waist. "Can't a guy change his mind?" His other arm slid beneath her dark hair, coming to rest on the nape of her neck, where he began to methodically rub his thumb over her skin.

She was expecting his next move, and tensed as he brought his lips down to hers.

She had known he was going to kiss her, and had allowed Cillian to think that she also wanted a kiss in order to lure him close enough where she could injure his pride and knee something else. But she hadn't expected it to be like this. Her immediate response was natural, as she struggled to get out of his tight embrace and push him away, as pure disgust shuddered through her limbs. Jerking up her knee, she slammed it into his groin, at the same time clenching her jaw and nipping the invading member in her mouth.

Cillian let out a yelp and then a deep groan when her knee made contact, but before he even had time to fall to the floor, he was yanked away from Meri, his feet dangling even as he tried to draw them up from the pain.

Meri's dark eyes widened at the sight of her Master, his normally bright blue eyes flashing violet as he held Cillian several feet off the floor. The compulsive urge to spit, again and again was temporarily forgotten, as she took in the towering visage of the Jedi knight before her.

Meri watched as Alex shook Cillian like a cannoid would a rat, before dropping him unceremoniously to the ground. In the same movement he turned to her, eyes flashing.

//He thinks I initiated this.\\ The thought made her simmer. "I had everything under control, Master," she spoke before he could. She saw his jaw twitch at her words.

"Control? You call that control," he asked in a very quiet voice, one hand flinging out behind him to point, without looking, at the groaning Cillian. She jumped as he clamped a firm hand around her wrist and proceeded to lead her from the room. //Lead?\\ she let out a huff of air at the thought. More like drag if she hadn't kept up.

He didn't speak again until they reached their quarters, where he promptly turned to her. She could tell by looking in his eyes that he hadn't calmed down one bit.

Folding his arms across his chest, he fixed Meri with a glare that could freeze Tatooine. "Would you care to explain to me how *that* was control!"

Meri's chin rose a fraction of an inch, her dark eyes smoldering. "I thought you trusted me!"

"I did trust you Meri, but what am I to think when I find you kissing with that upstart!"

"Did it *look* like I was enjoying that to you?! Do girls generally knee their companions in the groin for fun, Master?"

Alex paused and he seemed to sag a bit, some of the tension flowing from him. "Well, why did you allow him to kiss you in the first place, then?"

"Because he was so cocky. He thought I would just melt into his arms at his sales pitch, which he's probably given two dozen or more times," Meri said, the frustration evident in her voice.

She was so intent on ranting that she didn't see the beginnings of a smile tilt Alex's lips.

"Besides, I didn't know it would be like that. That was disgusting," she paused wiping a hand over her mouth. "He slobbered all over me!"

By this time Alex was fighting a full-blown smile. "Slobbered?" he questioned.

Meri was incensed. Her next words were spoken with heavy incredulity and disgust. "He stuck his tongue in my mouth! I never want to experience that again. It's so … so gross."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you kissed him just so you could … ah, knee him?" Alex questioned, his anger toward her almost completely faded.

"No. I didn't kiss him. I let him kiss me. And if that's what kissing is all about, it's highly overrated."

Alex looked downward, trying to hide the laugh that threatened to escape from his throat, as well as to hide the fleeting expression crossing his face.

Meri looked at him curiously. She'd never quite seen that expression on his face before. He almost looked … satisfied? Confident? She couldn't name it. She shrugged mentally.

"I take it you won't be spending any more time with Padawan Kaeton?"

Meri looked back toward Alex in all incredulity. "NO, Master!"

Alex grinned again. "Good. Very good. We can end all this nonsense."

"I'm going to go wash out my mouth and scrub my tongue until my taste buds are gone," Meri said dryly. "Excuse me, Master."

As she turned to leave, she heard a short burst of laughter following her out of the room. The sound caused an answering jump of joy in her own heart that she didn't quite understand.