*****

2 1/2 Years Later

Little Obi-Wan Kenobi looked around the room, searching for the Master that was in charge. He located Master Karin and toddled his way over to her. Today was the day the youngest Jedi students would practice their Force skills in solo tests rather than being paired up. Obi-Wan loved making the multi-colored balls rise in the air by lifting one hand. Usually he needed help from one of the other Masters to keep them aloft for more than a few seconds. Now he was able to keep them aloft for almost a full minute by himself. He had been practicing hard, he wanted to make all the Masters proud!

He used one of his chubby hands to tug on Master Karin's dark brown robe. He always loved the color of her robe. It was soothing to him. "Mas'er?" He had a hard time saying some words, so he tried again. "Mas'ser?"

She looked down at him, then kneeled so he wouldn't have to crane his neck up. "Yes, Obi-Wan?"

He crossed his legs and gave a little hop. "I hav'ta go." Using the refresher room was another skill he had just mastered, but only a few weeks ago.

"Now, Obi-Wan?" She frowned at him. "You were supposed to go before we left the crèche."

"I didn't hav'ta then." He gave another small hop. If she didn't take him soon, he was going to have another accident and the Masters frowned on those. "Pwease? Mas'er? I really hav'ta."

She sighed. "Do you know where it is, Obi-Wan?" She was the only Master in the room of 12 young toddlers, she couldn't leave them alone to take him.

He nodded. "Up da hall, and to da left." He had his legs tightly crossed now. If he ran, he could just make it.

She sighed. "You come right back here, do you understand me?" Why he waited until now, she would never understand. He was last on the testing list, so he did have time if he made it quick.

He nodded. "Yes, Mas'ser."

She dismissed him with a wave of her hand. "Go then. I'll be here when you get back."

He took off at a dead run, through the open door and down the hall. If he had recognized the urge sooner, he would have made it. Unfortunately, this time he did not. He was almost to the door of the refresher when he felt something wet on his leg. He looked down to see that he had wet himself.

"Oh, no." There was a small puddle on the floor at his feet and both is clothing and boots were wet. "No!" he said again and felt tears sting his eyes. Master Karin would not be proud of him and now he wouldn't be able to take the tests! He couldn't go back there all wet like this! That mean boy, Bruck would tease him and call him a baby! Bruck had mastered the refresher room a long time ago too!

He began to cry, sniffing unhappily in the nearly empty hall. Cleaning droids were constantly on the prowl to keep the Temple spotless. He saw one heading his way and he stepped out of the puddle he had created and watched as it was mopped up. Tears still slid down his face. What was he to do now?

Looking around he found a small recession in one of the walls that led off to one of the larger wings. It was dark down there, but he went to sit. How could he go back now? Frustrated, he began to cry some more, pressing his hands tightly to his eyes.

*****

Qui-Gon was on his way to the Temple Archives when he heard a small sound and felt a wave of pure misery in the Force. Whatever was making that disturbance was really unhappy. He began searching the nearby corridors, using the wave as a guide. He finally found the source of the sadness in one dark corridor huddled up and crying like his world was ending.

Qui-Gon knelt down. "Hello, little one."

The boy only looked at him and began to cry harder.

"Shhh. Shh. It's okay. Whatever is wrong, I'll help you." He held out one hand gently. "I'm not going to hurt you."

The boy looked up at him, his face still in the shadows. "Y-you not gonna yell?" He hiccupped and sniffed back another sob.

"No, I'm not going to yell at you, no matter what you did." He let a genuine smile cross over his face. He beckoned the boy to come forward. "Come on, it's okay."

The child hesitated another moment then let the big Jedi pull him out of the dark corner. He hung his head as they walked into the light, ashamed of himself for having the accident in the first place.

It was on the tip of Qui-Gon's tongue to ask what the real problem was, but as the light fell on the tiny initiate, he saw. The poor boy had an accident and was probably very embarrassed over it. The waves of misery rolling off the boy confirmed it, even as the child ducked his head in shame.

Qui-Gon knelt before the boy again. "There is nothing to be ashamed about. Accidents do happen." With one large hand he raised the child's face to meet his eyes. The emerald orbs met his reluctantly. Qui-Gon could see the puffiness forming already from many minutes of hard crying.

"Not sup'posd to." The child said sadly. "I'm a big boy. Was to be tested, now I can't!" This revelation sent the boy into a fresh wave of tears. "I s-stink now!"

"No, shh… little one. It's still going to be fine." Qui-Gon wrapped the boy in a small hug. "Where is your teacher?"

The boy pushed away from Qui-Gon and began to run down the hall. No! This man was going to bring him back to Master Karin and he would be laughed at! No!

Qui-Gon realized his mistake as he saw the boy's eyes widen and the fresh wave of horror that filled the young face. He thought Qui-Gon was just going to turn him in! He stood and took off after the child. He caught up with him at the end of the hall. "Young one," he called out and the boy stopped, knowing he as definitely in trouble this time.

"Sorry, Mas'ser." The little voice said and it tugged at Qui-Gon's heartstrings. Oh how he wanted to soothe this one's pain away.

Qui-Gon sighed. "I wasn't going to turn you in, young Jedi." He took one of the smaller hands in his own. "I was going to get you changed and then bring you back." He looked down at his young charge. "Is that acceptable to you?"

A wary nod. "I dunno where the crèche is, Mas'er." Obi-Wan had never been this far from his room the whole time he was in the Temple.

Qui-Gon smiled. "Well I do. Let me comm your Teacher and then we will get you changed. This way neither of us gets into trouble, okay?"

A hesitant smile. "Okay."

"Who is your teacher?"

"Mas'er Karin."

Qui-Gon made a quick call, but found out that the boy's teacher was already administering the tests and would be unable to take the call for the moment. He left a brief message telling what had happened and where he was taking the boy. He signed off and then took the boy's hand leading him back to the crèche to get clean clothing.

*****

Qui-Gon entered the crèche to find it empty. All the teachers and students were out with their young charges. Something that seemed to suit this boy just fine. The less that people knew about his little accident, the better it seemed. Qui-Gon looked around the room. "Where are your things?"

The boy pointed one small chubby finger towards a cubby with the initials OWK on it. Qui-Gon selected a fresh change of clothing, and a new set of boots. Each child had four complete sets in their cubby. "Come with me," the Jedi Master ordered and took the youngster to the refresher. He gave the boy a quick shower, then toweled dry the small body. Working with one so young made him realize just how independent his own Padawan was.

Xanatos was growing stronger and more self reliant each day. He was proud of his Padawan, so strong in the Force. The young Jedi was always obedient and seldom received punishment. It had been so easy to care for the boy. So easy that at times he felt like he wasn't really needed.

Unlike now. This young child still had trouble pulling his leggings on, so Qui-Gon reached his large hands down to help. He slid them up the slim body, and then dressed the boy in a fresh tunic. The socks and boots came last and finally the boy looked to be a proper Temple student. He rubbed one hand through the hair, buzzed short enough that the light reddish-gold color could only faintly be seen.

The beginnings of a braid was dangling behind the child's right ear. "Young one, I think you are ready now, to re-join your group." He tugged playfully on the tiny braid. "You will make an excellent Padawan some day. You listen to orders well."

Obi-Wan felt his heart soar at those words. Praise didn't come easy down here. They were just beginning to master the skills they would need, so more often than not, they were lectured. He let his first real smile show on his face. Something about this man seemed so familiar, that it was easy to trust him. He wrapped his arms around the kneeling man's neck and gave him a small hug of thanks. "Thank you." He said softly in the big Jedi's ear.

Qui-Gon returned the hug, feeling the small body accept it gratefully. He filled the child with love and acceptance from the Force then scooped the child up with one large hand. He carried both the boy and his soiled clothing back to the main room where he put the clothing in the recycler. It would be washed and returned to the child's cubby. All the clothing was marked with codes that the droids would recognize.

He tickled the boy lightly and listened to the sound of happy laughter. This was a much better sound than the tears he had first encountered the boy with. They laughed and giggled all the way back to the testing chamber. It was only after he had said goodbye to the young boy, who had waved happily and was well on his way that he realized he had never asked the boy for his name.

Dismissing it as a small oversight, Qui-Gon resumed his trek towards the Temple Archives and what he was sure to see, one very aggravated Jocasta Nu.

*****