Obi-Wan had searched for his friend Bant's Master for only a few minutes when he found him in the lounge outside the waiting room of the Healer's Ward. He walked over to him quickly, tripping on his own foot and knocking over a plant, which he caught and quickly righted, although not before the Council Member noticed what had happened.

"Hello Obi-Wan." Mace looked up from what he was reading and smiled. The boy probably wanted to know if Bant and he could go for a walk. He knew the girl had intended to surprise her friend with the knowledge that she was allowed to walk around again.

"Master Windu, I was supposed to be back half an hour ago!" Obi-Wan was frantic. He was unsure as to whether he was confessing this to Mace or asking for help, but the Master simply smiled.

"When I talked to Qui-Gon last night, we talked about how upset you've been since he left and he agreed that as long as you got your homework done first there was no harm in letting you stay as long as you wanted." The boy grinned. He was sure Mace had had something to do with that change. "I can be very persuasive, and I convinced him that you spending time with Bant is aiding her recovery."

"Thank you Mace! Can Bant and I go on a walk?" Mace nodded, and Obi-Wan headed off to get Bant.

"C'mon, let's go to the gardens!" Obi-Wan burst into Bant's room. "Don't you have to go back?" She looked startled, and Obi-Wan worried momentarily that startling her might be bad for her health.

"Your Master talked to my Master and convinced him that me hanging around here is helping you recover. He says as long as I finish all of my homework first I can stay for as long as I want!" Obi-Wan helped Bant out of bed and offered her his arm. She took it, and the two strode out to the gardens adjacent to the healing wing.

They walked around for about twenty minutes before Obi-Wan felt Bant grab his arm. Sensing that something was wrong, he reached out and was able to catch her as she fainted. He put his hand on her cheek, and at that moment realized what the problem was. She was too dry. Perhaps she hadn't been drinking enough water since they took her off of the IV. Whatever the reason, she was dehydrated, and if he didn't find her water soon she might die.

Closing his eyes and listening intently, Obi-Wan heard the sound of running water. He knew there was a small brook somewhere in the garden, and he figured it was his best chance to get his friend water before...well, he didn't want to think about that. He picked the small girl up in his arms and was shocked by how light she felt. Bant had always been small, but holding her now was like holding a very small child, perhaps a six or a seven year old. Pushing his worry aside, he concentrated on his current task: finding water for Bant. The water had sounded as if it were somewhere on his left.

Heading that direction, Obi-Wan quickly came upon the small brook. He walked up to the edge and gently submerged Bant. When he felt her beginning to come to life again, he pulled her back up. She sputtered for a moment and then looked up at him. "What happened?" She looked around, confused. This wasn't where they had been a few moments before.

"You fainted. You felt so dry, I thought you were dehydrated." He looked at her with eyes full of worry. "I was so scared!"

"Oh! I've been drinking plenty of water. I guess maybe the extra effort of walking around after so long used more water than I'm used to." Obi-Wan nodded. Mon Calamari used water as energy, and different sorts of activities drained them of different amounts of water. That was part of the reason not having enough water was so unhealthy for them. If they didn't stay damp, their bodies would literally stop functioning. If she hadn't been doing much lately, then the short walk could very well have drained her.

"Are you okay now?" Bant held her friend's gaze a moment before she nodded. She would be fine, if she didn't exhaust herself on the return journey. Obi-Wan reached down and picked her up, not giving her a chance to argue. "I'm not taking any more risks. Let's get back and get you checked out by the healers." She didn't argue. Although she felt more than capable of walking back, she could see how worried her friend was and knew it would be better for his nerves if she just let him carry her.

When they got back, Mace looked at them in surprise. "What's going on? Bant, why are you so wet? Obi-Wan, why are you carrying her?" His voice was near frantic.

"She fainted. I took her to the brook and submerged her. I think she's okay now, but the healers should probably check her out." Obi-Wan sat Bant down gently on her feat, and she stood, looking completely steady. It was almost impossible to believe that she had fainted only a few minutes before.

"Of course. I'll send for a healer. You should go home Obi-Wan. Bant needs to rest, and I don't want her disturbed for the rest of the evening. Come on little one. You should get back in bed. Nurse! Could you come take a look at her? She fainted in the gardens."

Obi-Wan walked back to Mace's quarters, still worried about Bant. He knew she was okay now, but what happened if she fainted again, and nobody helped her in time? She could die. Once he got back to Mace's quarters, Obi-Wan walked into his room and began going through his bag. He emptied it and went through the contents again before realizing that the disk he was looking for wasn't there. His journal was gone. This wasn't good.

Without thinking, he headed out the door and to his own quarters. Once he got there, he proceeded to tear his room apart in much the same way he had his duffel bag. Still not finding the data chip containing his journal, he finally gave up. Looking at his chrono, he realized he had been gone for over an hour.

Jumping to his feet, he hurried back to Mace's quarters. When he arrived, panting and out of breath, he was startled to find Mace sitting on the couch, arms crossed, looking as if he had been waiting for him for quite some time. "Where exactly have you been?" His voice was harsh, and Obi-Wan winced.

"I went to my quarters to look for something I thought I'd packed. I tore my room apart looking for it, but I couldn't find it anywhere." He was careful not to mention what he'd lost. He didn't want Mace to know he kept a journal! It seemed too girly.

"What exactly did you lose?" Mace had relaxed a bit upon realizing Obi-Wan had only been in his quarters, but he still seemed upset.

"A data chip with some, err, personal files on it." Mace gave him a look that said quite plainly that he'd better be more specific. "I lost my journal." The words were frank and plain, and Mace saw the truth in the boy's eyes. That didn't mean he wasn't upset.

"You're grounded Obi-Wan. That means you can't just wander off whenever you feel like it. You aren't supposed to leave just because you lost something. Consider yourself lucky Qui-Gon isn't answering his comlink, or you'd be in a lot of trouble right now young man. As is, there's nothing I can really do until I talk to your Master. Go to your room and I don't want to see you again tonight." Obi-Wan nodded, turning and going into the room without another word. He was afraid anything he said would either sound like he was whining or making excuses. He spent the next few hours sitting on his bed, trying to figure out where his journal could possibly be.

Obi-Wan suddenly remembered where it had been two days before. In the small pocket of his backpack with the note from Master Knoels. His Master might have picked it up when he picked up with the note. What had his Master done with that note? Had he thrown it away, or put it in his pocket? Obi-Wan couldn't remember.

Eventually, he decided he wasn't going to find the journal, and went to bed. He slept restlessly through the night, terrified of his Master's return and worried about Bant. At this point, he didn't think he could make his situation worse, and he'd given up on convincing Qui-Gon to keep him. All he could do was steel himself for his dismissal and take it like a Jedi, without complaining or showing any emotion.

The next three days passed in a blur. Mace was still unable to contact Qui- Gon, and he'd begun to worry. Perhaps something had gone wrong? He hoped not. He wasn't sure Obi-Wan would make it through losing his Master at this point. The boy was too insecure and timid to ever adjust to a new Master. Plus he was still convinced that his Master intended to drop him as soon as he got back. If the two of them didn't get that mess sorted out, Obi-Wan might never recover emotionally from the ordeal. He hesitated to tell the boy that his Master was missing, for fear that the boy would make himself sick worrying.

On the fourth day of Obi-Wan's stay at Mace's, Bant was scheduled to arrive at home. Mace, still unable to contact Qui-Gon for permission, allowed Obi- Wan to miss classes to be there for his friend on her first day home.

Bant was released from the Healer's Wing at about nine in the morning, and her Master was delighted to welcome her home. He had been worried sick about her while she was in the hospital, even once she had passed from danger, and he was glad to have her back under his own watchful eye.

Bant settled in easily, and spent most of the rest of the day sitting in her room talking to Obi-Wan. The situation reminded all of any given afternoon prior to Bant's illness, when the two had spent almost all of their free time hanging out either in Bant's room or down two levels and to the left three doors in Obi-Wan's. The two chatted and worked on homework, happy to just be together outside of the confining walls of the Healer's Ward.

Mace sent Bant to bed around nine thirty, not wanting her to get too tired on her first day home. Obi-Wan went to bed half an hour later, managing to be in bed five minutes ahead of curfew.

Mace was in the living area reading when his com beeped. Answering it, he was surprised to see Obi- Wan's Master on the line. "Qui! Thank the Force you're okay! I was worried. Why haven't you been checking in? I call you several times every day, but you never answered or returned my calls. What's been going on?"

Qui-Gon laughed. "You sent me to end a blockade. Part of the blockade was communications blockage. They got the transmission for help out right before the blockage went into effect. I was calling to tell you I'm on my way home. How's Obi? Is he doing any better?" Qui-Gon seemed concerned. From what Mace had said, the boy had been extremely distraught over the whole mess, and Qui-Gon was eager to get home and get things straightened out.

"He's doing fine. I've already told you about the fight with Bruck, and the other day I sent him back from the Healer's because Bant needed to rest, and when I got home he was gone. He got back about half an hour later and swears he only went to you guy's quarters to look for his journal. I told him grounded meant he couldn't wander around the Temple freely. I figure you've got something to say about both things. On the bright side, he got all of his missing work caught up the day after you left, and he's kept up with everything ever since. He's been great with Bant, and other than those two episodes, the only issues we've had was yesterday when he wouldn't get up for class. He did eventually get up, but he got to class with about twenty seconds to spare." Mace tried to sound as easygoing as possible, as if nothing Obi-Wan had done was serious. He knew the two were going to have some issues to work out when Qui-Gon got back, and he didn't want to say anything that would add to them.

"Just wonderful. I don't want to have to yell at him when I get home, but he's going to be in serious trouble for the fight and now this. I hate it when he acts up." Qui-Gon suddenly looked very tired.

"I know how you feel. I hate it when Bant gets in trouble. You look at them and you know they're sorry and you wish that could be enough, but you know if they don't have to pay the consequences of their actions now it could get them killed later." Qui-Gon sighed. "That doesn't make it any easier. I wish I didn't always have to be the bad guy."

Mace laughed. "The bad guy? Qui, the boy adores you. I don't think he'd worship you the way he does if he didn't understand that you do what you do for a reason." Qui-Gon shook his head. "That's part of the problem. He looks up to me, and that makes him more sensitive when I lecture him. I'm always afraid I'm either going to be too strict and break his spirit or too lax and make him think whatever he did was okay."

"That is a problem only you can solve my friend. When are you getting back?" Mace tried to steer the conversation to a lighter note.

"Tomorrow, around noon."

Mace nodded. "I'll schedule you with the Council around twelve fifteen then. Come by as soon as you get in." He knew Qui-Gon wasn't going to like that.

"I need to be able to go see Obi-Wan first!" Ah, he had been right. This wasn't going to go well.

"We'll make it quick. Just tell us nobody died and that the situation was resolved and I'll get you out of there as fast as possible."

Qui-Gon nodded, unconvinced. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Safe journeys, old friend." Mace ended the communication, sighing. Tomorrow was going to be a difficult day. He debated whether or not to wake Obi-Wan up and tell him his Master would be arriving the next day, finally deciding against it. The boy needed his rest, and he could tell him first thing tomorrow. Reasoning that that was the best thing to do, Mace turned off the light and went to bed.