I quickly forget my concerns about what happened in the council room as I spend the rest of the day with Obi. It feels so good to finally be able to talk to him about what my life really is like, commiserate our frustrations with the Force, and swap stories about Master Yoda. I also finally explain what my mission on Naboo was.

As evening approaches, we head the quarters Obi shares with Qui-Gon to ask about dinner. We know we're supposed to dine with the Queen, but we don't know any other details. Obi invites me into the main room of the suite, where Qui-Gon and Anakin are sitting. The two stand as we enter.

"Obi-Wan, Padawan Cloudbearer." Qui-Gon nods his head.

Obi and I both bow. "Master Jinn, Anakin." I smile at Anakin but he quickly hides behind Qui-Gon's legs. I must say I can't blame the boy. That must have been quite a scare for him.

"Padawan Cloudbearer, I believe I owe you an apology," Qui-Gon starts.

I hold up a hand. "No apology is necessary, you did your duty."

He bows his head again.

I peek behind him at the wide blue eyes looking up at me. "Hello, Anakin."

He simply stares at me.

"Please, don't be afraid of me." I squat down to hopefully seem a little less intimidating.

He swallows and steps out from behind Qui-Gon. "I'm not afraid! Jedi don't get afraid."

I chuckle at his grammar, and at what he's saying. "Anakin, Jedi are afraid all the time. What we do is scary stuff. We'd be insane not to be afraid."

He gives me a skeptical look.

"Why, you weren't the only one afraid back there."

"I wasn't?" he asks with wide eyes.

I shake my head. "No, you weren't. Obi-Wan here was very frightened."

The wide eyes turn to Obi's startled face. Obi laughs awkwardly and then nods. "You bet I was frightened. Weren't you afraid, Master?" he asks Qui-Gon.

I almost hold my breath as I wait for Qui-Gon to play along. I'm relieved as he nods, his face very serious. "Indeed. I was terrified."

Anakin looks up at Qui-Gon, still clutching the Jedi's robes with one hand. "But I thought Yoda said that I had too much fear to be trained."

Qui-Gon thinks a minute. So do I. The boy has a good point. Ah, hah. "Anakin," The boy turns his face back to me. "Yoda was talking about something slightly different. Being afraid in the face of danger is something that we can't help but feel. However living in constant fear…that can be dangerous."

Anakin looks down. "So I can't be trained."

I put a finger under his chin to raise his head again. "That's not certain yet. Can I let you in on a little secret?"

He nods eagerly.

"Yoda said that I had too much fear to be trained too. In fact Qui-Gon himself said I couldn't be trained."

"Really?"

I nod. "I was exactly like you. But look at me now, I've become a Jedi." I can feel Qui-Gon's eyes watching me carefully.

Anakin looks up at Qui-Gon with hope in his eyes. I bite my lip. Maybe I shouldn't be saying this. It would just make it worse if the council was to insist that he not be trained.

I stand up quickly and Anakin backs away again.

"You're not still afraid of me, are you Anakin?"

He nods.

"Why?"

"You looked really scary."

I squat back down. What should I say? I can't even begin to explain what happened, since I don't even understand it. "I…I was really angry."

Anakin thinks about this for a moment, then looks back at me. "Why were you angry?"

I look at the floor for a second. Why had I been so angry? Why will he be so angry? And hurt? And scared? I look back at him. "I don't know. But one thing is for sure: I wasn't angry at you."

He seems to relax at that. "You weren't?"

I shake my head. "Nope, not one bit." I stand again. "But my tummy's getting a little angry. When is dinner?"

Qui-Gon looks at me for a minute more before realizing that I just asked him a question. He suddenly blinks, and then responds, "In about half an hour. We're to dine with the Queen, Supreme Chancellor Valorum, Senator Palpatine and Masters Windu and Yoda in the Fre'qlea dinning hall."

I suddenly notice the handmaiden robes I'm still wearing. "Thank you,Master Jinn. Looks like I have enough time to return to my quarters to change." I nod to Qui-Gon, and smile and Anakin, and leave, Obi following me. He stops at the door to the huge suite the Queen has. When I walk past it, he asks, "Umm…aren't your quarters in here?"

I shake my head and keep walking. "Not my permanent ones that happen to have my Jedi robes in them."

"Oh," he laughs and catches up with me. "Do you live with Master Windu?"

I raise an eyebrow at him. "Of course, don't all Padawans live with their Masters?"

He blushes a little. "Well, yeah, I just thought that since he was on the council maybe…I don't know, he lived by himself."

I shake my head again as we get on a lift. "Nope, he lives with good ole' me." I put my hand in my pocket and frown when I feel my lightsaber. I take it out and hold it in my hand so as to make sure I don't forget it.

We get off the lift at my floor and I walk to my room. It takes me a second to remember the code since it's been so long since I've used it. I finally remember and the door whooshes open.

I step into the room and set the lightsaber on the table by the couch. The sitting area in this suite happens to be a bit larger and more decorated than the others because of all of Master Windu's guests. I guess being a big diplomat kinda comes with that.

Obi follows me in tentatively, and looks around. "Force, I'm in Master Windu's chambers," he almost whispers in awe.

I roll my eyes and point to the couch. "Have a seat, I'll be right out."

I go into my room and take a deep breath. Smells like home. I'm going to stay in the Queen's suite while she's here, to continue my close security, so I'll leave my bags in the Queen's suite for a while longer. I walk over to my closet and take out a set of Jedi robes. I glance at the clock and quickly change, taking a moment to inspect the bandage on my side. The pain is down to a dull throb...except when I step on my right foot. Then it's a shooting pain. I take a moment to center myself and focus energy on the wound, healing it a little bit more. There, that's better. At least I can walk without putting my full weight on this staff.

----------------

I look up when the door to Zanni's room opens and she steps out, dressed in Jedi robes. While the robes are plainer than her other clothes, she looks more powerful in them. Her hair is pulled back in a ponytail, and a long braid falls from the side of her neck. I draw a breath as I remember her hair my first day on Naboo. Of course! I had completely forgotten about that.

She grins at me. "What, you never seen a Jedi before?"

I can't help but grin back. "Nope, don't suppose I have."

She glances at her lightsaber on the table and holds out her hand. The weapon flies to her and she clips it to her utility belt. Another wave of realization sweeps over me. Zanni is a Jedi!

She nods her head toward the door. "We'd best be going."

I stand and follow her. After a few minutes of silence, I ask her something that's been on my mind. "You don't like Qui-Gon, do you?"

Instead of the giving me the surprised look I had been anticipating, she sighs. "I don't have much against him, I just…I don't like him any more than he likes me, how's that?"

I think about it for a moment. Sounds pretty reasonable. Qui-Gon has had a strong disliking for Zanni from the start, thought I don't think he dislikes her as much as he dislikes her effect on me. In the past few weeks I've had to go through more lectures about emotional attachments than I have in the rest of my Padawan career. It's weird; it would seem that after growing up apart from her, I would almost feel like she's a stranger. However I feel the exact opposite. I feel like we've been together all along, and are just as good of friends as we were ten years ago…well…almost as good of friends. There is something a little dark in the air between us, though I'm not sure what.

-------------

After a rather uneventful dinner, and an evening of convincing the handmaidens that yes, I really am a Jedi, and that yes, that really was my lightsaber, and that yes, it is real…I retire to the room I share with Padmé.

She's already there, lying on her bed staring up at the ceiling. She had assumed the role of Queen once again for dinner so that she could talk with the Supreme Chancellor. She has quite a bit on her mind. She's one of the strongest people I know, and being a Jedi I know quite a few strong people.

I silently prepare myself for bed, not wanting to disrupt her. As I'm finally slipping under the covers of my bed, she sits up on hers. "I must return to Naboo."

A/N: Sorry, talking heads, I know...but real action is coming in a chapter or two...