This is just a short addendum to the previous section, which I had intended to leave with the current ending, but I had a little idea to continue with, so here it is.
******
Troublemaker, Part 2: A Terrible Confession
With Qui-Gon's rapid pace, he quickly made up for the headstart Obi-Wan had. He scooped him right off his feet and held the squirming boy as he carried him off to his quarters.
"Well, it's awfully late now after all this horseplay," Qui-Gon told him once they were securely within the confines of his apartment. "We don't have time for a story, so how about a snack instead?"
"Mmm, snack, yummy," Obi-Wan said as Qui-Gon placed him in a chair at the kitchen table.
"Not that you've earned it," Qui-Gon chastised, though he tried not to sound harsh.
Obi-Wan's eyes fell. Finally sitting calmly, he could think about his actions a little more. He did not want to make his Master, or anyone else, mad or upset. "Me sorry."
"You be quiet," Qui-Gon said in a more pleasant, joking tone. "Here you go." He set a plate of cookies and a glass of milk in front of Obi-Wan.
"Thank you, Master."
Qui-Gon sat down next to Obi-Wan and touched the boy's cheek. "You're welcome, little one."
Obi-Wan quietly nibbled at his cookies. Glancing at Qui-Gon, he saw the Master had not gotten anything for himself, so he held out a cookie in offer to him. Qui-Gon, still smiling at him, gladly accepted it.
"Thank you, Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan beamed; he had made his Master happy. "You're welcome, Master."
When Obi-Wan finished, Qui-Gon cleared his dishes and picked up the little initiate. "All right, time to get you back with the others."
Obi-Wan yawned and snuggled securely against Qui-Gon's chest. "Do I have to?"
"Yes, Obi-Wan, it's where you belong," was the answer.
Qui-Gon thought he heard Obi-Wan sniffle as he carried him through the quiet halls. "But I don't want to." Qui-Gon barely heard the softly spoken words.
"Why not? All your friends are there. They are waiting for you."
"I know, but... I miss you," Obi-Wan whispered.
Qui-Gon was not surprised by the words. He had expected the transition from living with him to living with the initiates to be hard for the young one. In truth, he missed the constant presence of his little companion a great deal and wanted to tell him so, but he knew he should not encourage Obi-Wan that way.
"You need to learn to be on your own, Obi-Wan. I won't always be there for you," he said instead. "And you want to learn to become a Jedi, don't you?"
Obi-Wan shook his head against the Master's tunics. "No."
"Well, I want you to, and the only way to do that is to study with the other initiates and go to classes. Then after a while, you can come be with me again." Qui-Gon knew he should not have told the boy that last part, but he did not care. He only wanted Obi-Wan happy.
It worked. Obi-Wan looked up at him with bright, hopeful eyes. "Really?"
Qui-Gon nodded. "Yes, but you will have to work very hard, and practice a lot, and do everything your Masters tell you."
Obi-Wan pressed his lips together and looked away. "That sounds hard."
"It is, Obi-Wan, but I know you can do it, and I will help you. All right?"
"Okay, Master." Obi-Wan yawned again.
"For now, I think the only thing you need to worry about is getting to bed."
When they entered, Bant, Garen, and Obi-Wan's other friends called to him and hurried over. Qui-Gon put him down to join them.
"Hi, guys," Obi-Wan said and went off with them to play for a short while more before bed.
Qui-Gon watched them move off, then sighed quietly to nobody, "I miss you too."
******
Troublemaker, Part 2: A Terrible Confession
With Qui-Gon's rapid pace, he quickly made up for the headstart Obi-Wan had. He scooped him right off his feet and held the squirming boy as he carried him off to his quarters.
"Well, it's awfully late now after all this horseplay," Qui-Gon told him once they were securely within the confines of his apartment. "We don't have time for a story, so how about a snack instead?"
"Mmm, snack, yummy," Obi-Wan said as Qui-Gon placed him in a chair at the kitchen table.
"Not that you've earned it," Qui-Gon chastised, though he tried not to sound harsh.
Obi-Wan's eyes fell. Finally sitting calmly, he could think about his actions a little more. He did not want to make his Master, or anyone else, mad or upset. "Me sorry."
"You be quiet," Qui-Gon said in a more pleasant, joking tone. "Here you go." He set a plate of cookies and a glass of milk in front of Obi-Wan.
"Thank you, Master."
Qui-Gon sat down next to Obi-Wan and touched the boy's cheek. "You're welcome, little one."
Obi-Wan quietly nibbled at his cookies. Glancing at Qui-Gon, he saw the Master had not gotten anything for himself, so he held out a cookie in offer to him. Qui-Gon, still smiling at him, gladly accepted it.
"Thank you, Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan beamed; he had made his Master happy. "You're welcome, Master."
When Obi-Wan finished, Qui-Gon cleared his dishes and picked up the little initiate. "All right, time to get you back with the others."
Obi-Wan yawned and snuggled securely against Qui-Gon's chest. "Do I have to?"
"Yes, Obi-Wan, it's where you belong," was the answer.
Qui-Gon thought he heard Obi-Wan sniffle as he carried him through the quiet halls. "But I don't want to." Qui-Gon barely heard the softly spoken words.
"Why not? All your friends are there. They are waiting for you."
"I know, but... I miss you," Obi-Wan whispered.
Qui-Gon was not surprised by the words. He had expected the transition from living with him to living with the initiates to be hard for the young one. In truth, he missed the constant presence of his little companion a great deal and wanted to tell him so, but he knew he should not encourage Obi-Wan that way.
"You need to learn to be on your own, Obi-Wan. I won't always be there for you," he said instead. "And you want to learn to become a Jedi, don't you?"
Obi-Wan shook his head against the Master's tunics. "No."
"Well, I want you to, and the only way to do that is to study with the other initiates and go to classes. Then after a while, you can come be with me again." Qui-Gon knew he should not have told the boy that last part, but he did not care. He only wanted Obi-Wan happy.
It worked. Obi-Wan looked up at him with bright, hopeful eyes. "Really?"
Qui-Gon nodded. "Yes, but you will have to work very hard, and practice a lot, and do everything your Masters tell you."
Obi-Wan pressed his lips together and looked away. "That sounds hard."
"It is, Obi-Wan, but I know you can do it, and I will help you. All right?"
"Okay, Master." Obi-Wan yawned again.
"For now, I think the only thing you need to worry about is getting to bed."
When they entered, Bant, Garen, and Obi-Wan's other friends called to him and hurried over. Qui-Gon put him down to join them.
"Hi, guys," Obi-Wan said and went off with them to play for a short while more before bed.
Qui-Gon watched them move off, then sighed quietly to nobody, "I miss you too."