Chapter 3 - Problem Child

Obi-Wan stood on the balcony that was attached the sitting room. His eyes were closed and he savored the feeling of the breeze as it cooled his skin.

The night before was terrible, his sleep kept getting disturbed by dreams of his master's death and on top of that there was something in the way Padme's father looked at him. The only thing he could think of was that the man did not like the idea of a jedi in his house or he didn't like the idea of him with Padme. Whatever the reason was he was sure to stay out of his way and give the other man time to get used to his presence.

His mind turned elsewere as he felt the presence of Padme herself outside of his rooms. He saw if clearly in his minds eye as she turned the knob and stepped in. He knew she could see him instantly, and that made him somewhat self-conscious. He was clad in his sleep pants and an almost transparent top that he simply pulled over his head that morning so as not to catch a chill while he did his morning meditations. Personally he didn't think Mr. Naberrie would appreaciate a half naked jedi walking around anyway.

Padme walked over to the large glass doors and opened them. Having Obi-Wan's back to her she couldn't tell if he was just watching the scenery or if he was doing something else. When she got closer to him and he didn't acknowlege her presence she was about to turn around and head back to her room.

"You don't have to go Padme." He said suddenly, almost making her jump. "Is there something you wanted to talk with me about?"

She watched as he turned around, his strong chest barely visible though the shirt. "I was just wondering if you had eaten yet."

"No I have not, would you care to join me?"

She didn't answer right away, she was too busy thinking about how better his bare chest would look without his hair brushing his shoulders and his facial hair. "I'm sorry?"

"I asked it you would like to join me."

"Oh, of cource Obi-Wan."

He smiled as if he knew what she was thinking and brushed past her, heading for the bedroom so he could change into something else. Padme waited. She knew jedi were mostly speedy and had no desire to wait and bother about something so trivial as looks. That's not why he was there, to win her approval, and she knew that, she just wished she always remembered it.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Anakin was getting ready to leave Kamino when he felt the strong disturbance again. Heading out the back way he saw it. Bobba Fett was calling out to his father who was indeed, without a doubt, the bounty hunter he was looking for. Running forward he was met with blaster bolts that were easily defelcted with his lightsaber which was humming a brilliant blue, just like his masters.

Jango flew down to the ground with his jet pack and started firing close range before Anakin disarmed him, which consequently lead to his lightsaber being thrown from his hands.

Anakin was up in a heartbeat and started physical combat with a guy in a metal suit. Attacking the leggs of the bounty hunter, Jango fell to the ground and saw the younger boy call out to his lightsaber using the force. Extracting a wire that was used for climbing large buildings Jango wrapped it around the jedi's arms. Anakin then kicked the man in frustration. Bad idea.

"Oh no."

As Jango started to fall off the roof, so did he. The bounty hunter was able to catch himself but Anakin kept falling until he was hanging on the wire for dear life.

'Okay, keep cool, what would Obi-Wan if he were in your possition?' He asked himself, then through the fog he saw the second landing. Before he could swing over the wire snapped and he fell. Thinking quickly Anakin tied the wire and threw it so it got caught on one of the pillars. waiting for Jango to leave the roof he jumped on the platform and ran to were the bounty hunter was left. He was just blasting off. Knowing he wouldn't be able to catch up with him in time he pulled a tracking device from his pocket and threw it. The circular object hit the side of the ship and stuck.

He needed to contact the temple.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Obi-Wan had been captured and he knew he was in trouble. Hilda had caught up with him after he and Padme had finished their breakfast. She was interested in the jedi, never meeting one before. The two sat on the couch in one of the sitting rooms and Obi-Wan had the distict feeling tha Padme was laughing at him from the other side of the room.

"Tell me Obi-Wan, what is it like being a jedi?"

He knew the question was coming, it was only a matter of time before he started to go off on one of his big speeches that would probably leave both women bored to death.

"Well it's hard. The jedi are trained at an early age how to deal with everyday things like first aid, basic duel, all the different planets and where they sit; even how to control emotion." Seeing the look on the older woman's face he made his point more clear. "It's not that we are emotionless, we simply cannot let personal feelings, no matter how big or small, get in the way of our job. If, lets say, there are two options given to you in a desperate situation what would you do? Now the choices are your best friend, mentor, father, or even your son and the other was a house full of hostages, which would you choose?"

Hilda thought about it. "It depends on if it was a close friend or just an aquaintance. Now, if it was my daughter it would need no active thought in my part. My daughter is my flesh and blood, she's my life." She said looking at Padme then back at Obi-Wan. "She's all I have Master Kenobi."

Obi-Wan knew she was silently asking him to protect her with everything he was and he understood, but he wanted to make himself clear. "Right. But being a jedi I would have to pick the hostages instead of say, my apprentice, no matter how hard that might be for me."

Padme thought of Anakin and wondered how he was doing on Kamino. Something told her she was grateful for both of these jedi playing a role in her life, no matter how small that may be.

The subject was getting too emotional for Hilda so she got up and picked out an old photo album from the stand. Walking back over to the couch that was occupied by the jedi she sat down and flipped it open to the first page. "This is Padme when she was a baby."

That one sentance made Padme get out of the chair and walk over to the couch quickly. Looking at the picture she smiled and sat next to her mother.

Obi-Wan had an almost wicked grin on his face, it made him look like he was that young man she first met, trailing after his master. The jedi caught Padme staring at him and she smiled.

"Oh and here she is at her first birth day. Look at that cake, I made it myself." Hilda said and sighed, "Yes, before we moved here I cooked all the time, it was more of a hobby for me, it was a passion. Needless to say all the 'passion' I put into making that cake was futile."

The next page was of the little girl with cake and frosting all over her face and clothes. Obi-Wan let out a chuckle which earned a glare from Padme. "Now Obi-Wan, don't forget that it is you who is the jedi here. No indulging of pictures from my childhood."

Obi-Wan gave her a look and Hilda flipped the page that made Padme blush. "Here we are after the party. I needed to give her a bath of cource but she had better ideas." And there it was in plain view, one year old Padme running naked through the house.

The usually controlled jedi let out a laugh and Padme blushed even more so. "Mother, that is entirely inappropriate."

Hilda always had a nack for making things worse for her daughter. "Come now dear," she started off. "It's not like this picture was taken yesterday. If it was I would never show it to your bodyguard here."

Padme didn't say anything and didn't look at Obi-Wan, giving a glare at her mother, the embarrassed senator rose from the couch and left the room.

"Poor dear, she was never so easily embarrassed. She was acctualy quite the opposite always standing on tables and singing, running up to people she didn't know and asking them if they liked her new underware then showing it off. My goodness, she used to be sure a problem child."

Obi-Wan let out another laugh and shook his head. "Hard to believe. I was trouble of cource, my master would make me sit in the corner for hours."

"Really? I would love to meet him someday. What is his name."

It hurt. Obi-Wan didn't really talk about Qui-Gon anymore. He usually only mentioned his name to Anakin now, and sharing his memories with someone else was something he wasn't so keen on doing.

"He died ten years ago. Here on Naboo."

Hilda shut the photo album and put a hand on the jedi's shoulder. "I'm sorry Obi-Wan, I'm sure he's very proud of what you've done so far. You were taught well."

Obi-Wan nodded and stood, so much for controling his emotions. "Thank you Mrs. Naberrie. If you will excuse me."

Hilda nodded and she watched as he left. Wanting to know more about this man she went to find her daughter.

"Padme! Padme? Oh, there you are my darling. I'm very sorry about what happened back there."

Padme looked at her mother and smiled. "It's alright. What else did you and Obi-Wan talk about?"

"Not a whole lot. I made the mistake of asking him about his master."

Padme closed her eyes, she should have told her not to say anything about Qui-Gon. She remembered the way Obi-Wan looked when he came back from defeating Darth Maul. He had destroyed the sith but the sith destroyed his master. Qui-Gon was a good jedi, and a good person and he would be missed but for Obi-Wan it was something that he would never be able to get rid of. Padme wondered if he still held feelings of guilt.

"It's okay mom, I should have told you about that. Obi-Wan and his master where very close. They had such a strong bond, not unlike that of a father and son."

Hilda shook her head. "He left the room when I said I would like to meet him. I think he's just wandering, the poor dear. Why don't you go and talk to him?"

Padme shook her head. "No. I should leave him be." She said and headed for the front door, she needed to take a walk.

TBC

Taking a walk ALONE? Padme, naughty naughty. Thank you to all those who reviewed!