Thank you for your wonderful comments! I appreciate them very much!

ooooooo

The next afternoon, Obi-Wan stood before the Council. There was an air of informality, which he'd never encountered before when the entire Council was together. As usual, Mace was the first to speak. "This is not an official meeting, Obi-Wan. And thus, it will not be logged." Mace was glad that they were able to do at least that much for him. "We have met with every master and creche leader in the Temple concerning this, ah, situation."

Oh, please don't tell me… "Every single master?" Obi-Wan didn't think he wanted to hear the rest of this. It could only go downhill from here.

"As I'm sure you've noticed," Mace continued dryly, "your celebrity status has gotten seriously out of hand. The entire Temple has been disrupted."

That'll look good on my service record. Obi-Wan found it hard to continue to look Mace in the eye.

"We have emphasized the need for the masters and creche leaders to work one-on-one with their girls. The girls need to learn how to focus and not let a crush determine their actions."

Yoda noticed Obi-Wan turning his usual shade of pink. "Emphasized we have the need for the boys to be taught the difference between admiration and hero-worship."

Adi spoke up from behind Obi-Wan. Her voice was laced with compassion. "We're sure that this will calm the situation down rather quickly."

Yoda nodded. "Yes, take care of this it should."

"Is that all, Masters?" Obi-Wan wanted to leave NOW.

Mace shifted in his seat. "Ah, we have one more thing to discuss."

Obi-Wan was not at all encouraged by Mace's obvious hesitation. What can possibly be coming next?

Mace shifted again. "The Council is requesting, that is, we are asking..."

Yoda decided he had better step in. "Request we do that you grow a beard."

Obi-Wan's mouth hung open for a minute. "I beg your pardon?"

"Heard me right you did."

Obi-Wan held up his hand as though physically trying to stop this from going any further. "Let me get this straight. I'm being ORDERED by the Jedi Council to grow a BEARD?" Obi-Wan was now a lovely shade of crimson.

"Ordering you, we are not. Requesting it of you, we are."

Obi-Wan suddenly pointed at Mace. "HE doesn't have a beard!"

Mace looked at him impassively. "My face also hasn't caused the entire young female population of the Temple to lose their focus."

Obi-Wan gritted his teeth. "Is that ALL, Masters?"

Yoda and Mace nodded. Obi-Wan quickly bowed and stalked out of the Council Chamber.

Mace let out a breath and turned to Yoda. "That went well."

Obi-Wan's thoughts were in a whirl. As he stalked through the hallways, everyone gave him wide berth. Stories about his escapade in the training room were already well circulated.

Obi-Wan entered his apartment and breathed deeply. I have to get a grip on my emotions! He closed his eyes and worked to center himself. Feeling a bit better, he went into the kitchen to get a glass of muja juice. He drank it down quickly. He set the glass on the counter and stared at it thoughtfully. "I think I can safely say that things can't get any worse."

At that moment, Anakin stalked through the front door. He did not look the least bit happy.

"Anakin?"

The boy continued towards his room without even pausing.

"PADAWAN!"

Anakin stopped and turned around. "Yes, Master," he hissed.

"Anakin, what's the matter?"

Tears sprung into the boy's eyes. "All the initiates hate me and it's all your fault!" With that, he spun around and ran into his room.

Obi-Wan started banging his head against a cabinet door. "Okay, so I was wrong."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Obi-Wan was lying on a bench in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. He was trying to sort out the disastrous mess that had become his life. He was also emitting a wave that told anyone nearby to 'back off and leave him alone.'

Obi-Wan sensed a familiar presence enter the room. He rolled his eyes. The little troll will probably take my warning as a welcome signal. Sure enough, he heard the telltale grunting and clicking heading his way. Obi-Wan reluctantly sat upright and placed his boots on the ground. He prepared to stand up and show proper respect to the lead Council member.

"Don't get up, Obi-Wan. Sit with you, I will." Yoda managed to work his way onto the bench. "Pack your bags you must."

"Pack my bags, for what?"

"Leave in two hours, your transport does."

"May I ask where I am going?"

"Sending you to Mendar the Council is."

Obi-Wan couldn't hide his surprise. "Mendar? But that's an exclusive resort planet! I heard that you have to reserve a trip a year in advance!"

Yoda smiled. "Normally, true that is. Know a major shareholder Master Gallia does. Owed her a favor he did. Worked it she did so you could go."

"That's incredible! But…what about Anakin?"

Yoda placed his clawed hand on Obi-Wan's arm. "Stay with Anakin, I will."

Obi-Wan's eyes grew wide. For the lead Council member to volunteer to stay with his padawan… It was a great honor. "Thank you, Master!"

"Need this time you do. Known that right away, I should have."

"Please don't blame yourself, Master. I shouldn't have let all of this get to me the way I did."

"Much to deal with you have had. And yet, time you were not given to truly sort through it all. That time you now have."

"How long do I have? A week?"

Yoda smiled again. "A month you have."

"A month? Master, I can't be gone a month! I have work to do, a padawan to train…"

"A month you will take." Yoda's firm voice brooked no argument.

"Yes, Master." A thought then dawned on Obi-Wan. "Anakin. He's not going to understand this, Master. He's not exactly happy with me right now. He blames me for the initiates in his classes not liking him."

"Ah. Jealous the initiates are of Anakin."

"Oh, they must have heard the rumors of him being the Chosen One."

"No, that is not it. Jealous they are because YOUR apprentice he is."

Obi-Wan looked disbelieving. "I doubt that's it."

Yoda sighed. "Longed for the chance to become your padawan many initiates did. Become a knight soon, they knew you would. But with the incidents on Naboo, dashed their hopes were."

"Oh, I had no idea." He did understand what it was like to be an initiate with hopes dashed, however. "They see Anakin as the source of their lost dream."

"Exactly."

Obi-Wan sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "How long before the transport leaves?"

"One hour, forty-five minutes."

"I guess I'd better pack. Anakin is in a special lightsaber tutorial right now. I won't even have the chance to say goodbye."

"Perhaps that is best. Make sure he sees things clearly, I will."

Obi-Wan smiled. "Thank you, Master. Please be sure to tell him goodbye for me."

"I will." Yoda got off the bench and started down the path towards the exit. He paused and turned around. "While gone you are, Obi-Wan, grow a beard." Smiling, the small master left.

Rolling his eyes, Obi-Wan got off the bench and headed towards his apartment to pack. He knew that he had also better visit Bant. She'd never forgive him if he left for a month without so much as a goodbye.

Obi-Wan was contemplative as he walked down the hallway. A month! What am I going to do for a whole month? Even as he asked himself that, he knew he needed it. Ever since returning from Naboo, he'd felt like an overloaded circuit about to burst into flame. Maybe, just maybe, he could return to the Temple to find everything back to normal…