Chapter 46

[Six months later.]

Meri peeked mischievously over the edge of the cliff, her hands wrapped tightly around the ivy-swathed ground, her head and body concealed by the wild prickly berry bush.

All was relatively quiet in the Woodland room, named for the plant life it held. Just behind her was a great tree, its bark an ivory white, its massive limbs spreading over her head, sheltering her with its dark green leaves. It was the perfect place to be alone and meditate, except she wasn't really alone or meditating, nor had she come here with those things in mind. //That would be especially obvious to anyone, since I'm sitting in a bush,\\ she mused.

Grinning the eighteen-year-old watched the silent couple below, secure in the knowledge that they were entirely unaware of her presence. Shifting quietly to dislodge an especially sharp leaf that was poking her forehead, Meri bit her lip in effort to keep from laughing. It looked as though she was finally going to have proof. Proof that her friend, Obi-Wan, was crushing.

She'd been accusing him of it for weeks, seeing his starry-eyed looks and lack of concentration whenever he was around a certain padawan. Now the two in question were sitting hand in hand on a stone bench just off the path that wound below.

//Ooo, what will Master Jinn think of this?\\ she snickered inwardly as she watched Obi-Wan turn to face his companion. Not a bad choice, she had to admit. The girl was blessed with large violet eyes, and hair as dark as night.

Obi-Wan took the girl's hand and turned to face her, bringing the two of them quite close.

//Finally! Now we're getting down to business.\\ Meri leaned out further, balancing precariously on the edge of the drop off. She was careful not to dislodge any dirt or leaves as she knew that anything falling on them would alert Obi-Wan and his companion to her presence.

Slowly, Obi-Wan leaned closer to the girl's face. //He's going to kiss her!! HA!\\ Meri gleefully concluded.

Just as the triumphant 'Ha' passed through her mind, a hand came out of nowhere and clamped around her waist from behind. She gave out a little shriek, which was immediately muffled by another hand firmly settled over her mouth as she was jerked backwards.

A shower of leaves puffed out from the spot Meri had occupied, raining down on the two below.

Muffled giggles emanated from the bushes and then finally a dark head broke through first, leaves and bits of twig thoroughly embedded in the thick hair. Alex stumbled out into the clearing, some distance away from the area his apprentice had been watching.

Meri pushed through seconds later, laughter still on her lips. "Master! I almost had him!"

The knight was vainly fighting the grin on his lips as he ran a hand through his hair, attempting to loosen the twigs and leaves. "Yes, and instead I got you," he commented with a smile. "Besides, Padawan Kenobi is quite capable of doing, whatever it is he was doing, by himself, without your spying."

"He was going to kiss that girl," Meri informed. "He's been denying he even thinks she's pretty for the past week."

"Ah," Alex said wryly, a black brow arching upwards. "Well, that's none of my business, nor yours I should think. Though he must have a reason for not telling you."

"Yes," she grinned. "He's afraid I'll tease him mercilessly."

"You will," Alex stated with an amused tilt to his lips.

"Yes, but that's the whole point. After what Cillian tried, I thought I'd never hear the end of it from him."

"Hmmph." The noise in the back of his throat said it all. "You need to work on your shielding," he said instead.

"My shielding? Obi-Wan hadn't a clue I was even there!" Then she added. "Until you came along."

"Yes, and you hadn't a clue I was there, either. Your focus was too much on keeping Obi-Wan from sensing you and not open enough to sense anyone else."

"Yes, Master," she eyed him with a glint in her eye. "You look as though you've just been for a romp in the bushes."

Alex sent her a look and then continued his attempt to rid his thick hair of the stubborn matter. "Depends on your point of view," he said dryly, glancing at her with a pointed look.

"Oh here, let me," Meri offered, drawing near. She had to reach up, because of his height, though he tried to dip his head so she could easily see. She would never admit it, not even under grievous torture, but she loved his hair and touching it was even better. It was so thick, soft and black.

Alex cleared his throat lightly and Meri jerked her thoughts back to everyday thoughts, hoping that her Master hadn't even sensed the edges of *those* thoughts.

"Okay, I've got it." She let out an uncertain breath and took a step back.

Alex firmly brushed off his shoulders then turned his attention back to his padawan. "Thank you. Now let me see if I can return the favor. Turn around, so I can see better."

"Better?" Meri harrumphed. "At all you have to do is look down from your vantage point." Another thing she secretly admired…his height.

//*STOP* that,\\ she commanded herself.

A faint smile crossed his face. "It does have its advantages."

A few moments passed in silence as Alex picked leaves and twigs from Meri's hair.

"Oh look," a dry voice broke in. "This reminds me of that holo I had to watch in class of those baboons that pick vermin off each other."

Alex sent a withering glance toward Obi-Wan.

"Where is your friend," Meri questioned with a smirk.

Obi-Wan's eyes narrowed. "She had something to do." The seventeen-year-old glanced meaningfully at Meri, but didn't broach the subject of what had just happened. "Are you free?" he asked instead.

Before Meri could answer, Alex did. "No, Padawan Kenobi. You will simply have to extract your revenge later." He looked amused as he flicked the last leaf out of his apprentice's hair.

Obi-Wan's lips tilted upwards slightly, but he just nodded respectfully and then turned and left.

Meri glanced up at Alex, meeting his bright blue eyes. " Don't give him ideas, Master. And just what is it I have to do?"

"He already has ideas," he returned evenly. "And it is what we both have to do. The Council has summoned us."