" You're a great friend of Obi-Wan, Bant" said Qui-Gon after some minutes. " I'm glad that you're his best friend. There couldn't be a better one."

Bant firstly looked surprised to hear such a compliment from Qui-Gon. " I thank you so much, Master Jinn but it was only Obi-Wan's nature, which brought me here and which made me loving him. He is a perfect best friend too and I never saw a young boy so calmly and filled with compassion such as him."

" I agree with you" replied the tall Jedi-Master. " He is a extraordinary young man but I always need to remember that he is still a boy."

" And..." added Bant. " He is still human. I often believe that he forgets that fact. Obi-Wan is trying to be the perfect Jedi and he always follows the rules strictly but I think it's too much. He forgets that he is only a human with feelings like for example envy or jealousy."

" These are dangerous feelings for a Jedi because they can lead someone to the Dark Side..." started Qui-Gon but was interrupted by her immediately.

" Obi-Wan would never be evil! I know him for his whole life now and I can assure you that he would never turn to the Dark Side."

" I know him as well for some years and I also know that he is a very friendly and helpful person but some years before he was kinda restless and this concerned me."

" But you helped him to learn avoiding these feelings and this behavior" said Bant and reached for a plate. " He is always trying to do the right."

" He is still too young to do that!"

" Remember your own words, Master" murmured Bant strained. " Maybe I see something, you can't see."

Before Qui-Gon could ask her about it, Obi-Wan joined them in the kitchen. His face was pale and he looked exhaust. Qui-Gon grabbed his elbow and helped him sitting down on a chair.

" It's ok" whispered Obi-Wan weakly but leaned back against the chair and took a deep breath.

Qui-Gon could see that the pain was still there and that the fact, that he couldn't move that much, suffered him. Normally, Obi-Wan was an energetic young boy and to lay down the whole day must be a torture for him. But there were also something else in the back of his mind but he couldn't sense it. Something was bothering him but he shielded it from Qui-Gon. Nevertheless, Qui-Gon was able to feel it and he decided that he would talk to Obi-Wan later, when Bant was asleep. Now he needed to act like he usually does to avoid Obi-Wans attention on his thoughts.

" Tomorrow is the day, when Tahl will leave the med-center, Bant. Are you happy with that?" he asked innocently.

" I'm really happy about that" responded Bant. " I was worried about her and now I'm glad to see that she is fine. She always seemed so strong and to see her in so much pain was like a torture for me. I don't know, how this feelings appeared but they are still inside me."

" This is a kind of closeness to your Master" said Obi-Wan. " You are forming your bond with your master and during this process you develop this awkward feelings, you never felt before but some years later or maybe only some months, you will discover that these kind of feelings are the most powerful and fulfilling ones you ever want to feel..."

The young boy had his focus ion the table but when he was raising his head, he met the gazes of Qui-Gon and Bant, who looked totally confused. Qui-Gon looked kind of surprised because he never heard these words from Obi-Wan and he never expected them to be spoken by him. Bant looked very confused because she knew his feelings but never thought that he would speak about it.

Obi-Wan, on the other hand, looked vulnerable. He felt strange although he talked about beatiful ways of feelings. The feelings from a Padawan for his Master and from a Master for his Padawan.

This was an amazing way of the force. No Master know his destiny with his padawan before. It was the aim of them to develop how strong their bond is able to be. Qui-Gon and his Master Dooku never had a strong bond and he wasn't angry about that. He never liked his Master that much, he only liked it to be his student because Master Dooku was one of the best teachers and young Qui-Gon was flattered that he had chosen him as his student. Now they had no contact anymore.

His bond with Obi-Wan was different. It was much stronger and more powerful than his bond to his former student Xanatos and he enjoyed it very much. Obi-Wan was like a son for him and he cared for that boy like a father.

" Tahl is a good Master, Bant" interrupted Obi-Wan his thoughts. " You're bond will be very strong. I feel it!"

Without a word, Bant moved forward and took his friend in a tight embrace. Obi-Wan wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on her shoulder. Qui-Gon still stood on the other side of the room and watched his student. Obi-Wans gaze met his own and they shared their feelings over the bond. Qui-Gon smiled. This boy made him very happy.

" Enough love for now" said Bant. " You need something to eat."

" I hope you'll eat something too" replied Obi-Wan and stared at his plate with the soup. " I hate it to eat in front of people, who don't eat something. That's kind of embarrassing."

Qui-Gon laughed. " Don't worry. We're both very hungry!"

" Glad to hear that!"

They enjoyed their meal and talked about everything that came in their minds. Qui-Gon realized that Obi-Wan was still very tired but he looked much stronger than before. It was still the fever that made him exhaust. Bant seemed very excited because of her Master but she tried to stay calm because she knew that she needed to stay here overnight before she could return to her own quarters.

" Master, I have a question" said Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon stopped eating to listen to him. " Why is there a sleeping couch in my room?"

" Because of me" answered Bant instead of him. " Because Master Tahl sleeps in the med-center tonight, she asked Qui-Gon if I could stay here for the night."

" I'll sleep in your room if you agree with that" said Qui-Gon softly. He knew that he would feel it if Obi-Wan had a problem with that but he seemed very facilitated that he was not alone this night. He only nodded because he wasn't sure how his voice would work.

He would never tell his Master but sometimes he felt very weak. Like now, when he was happy to stay not alone over night but he was sixteen and not five years old. Sometimes he knew that Qui-Gon sensed his worries but he never talked about it. Obi-Wan was grateful for that.

Bant moaned. " I'm a little bit tired. Are you ok with that when I'm going to bed?"

Qui-Gon shook his head. " I'll clean the room alone." He looked at Obi-Wan. " You go to bed and Bant, you know where my room is. Good night!"

" Good night, Master Jinn. Good night, Obi-Wan!"

" Good night, Bant" said Obi-Wan and stood up. " Are you sure that I you don't need my help?"

" I'm very sure, Obi-Wan" replied Qui-Gon. " Go to bed. I'll come in some minutes."

Obi-Wan nodded and walked over to his room. He layed down in his bed and wrapped the blanket around himself. He knew that his Master would talk to him when he was still awake when Qui-Gon would enter the room but he didn't want to talk about something right now. He turned on his side and faced the wall. He was filled with guilt and he couldn't release this feeling. Qui-Gon would worry about it when he would feel it and so Obi-Wan raised his shields over day to avoid that his Master would sense something. But over night, he couldn't control his feelings and he was afraid that Qui-Gon would feel something while he was dreaming.

The reason, why he felt guilty, was Tahl. He knew that it was his fault that she was almost dead and only his fault. If he would have not hurt his leg they would have been faster to rescue her but only because of him, Qui-Gon was forced to stay a day longer in the settlement. His Master left him the next day, when Obi-Wan assured him that he was fine, despite that he felt the illness overcoming him but he was too late.

Fortunately, Tahl was still alive but Obi-Wan don't wanted to face her. He never could see in her eyes or talk to her without feeling bad. He was the reason for Qui-Gons worries over days and for Tahls fight for life. He stopped his thoughts when he heard the door opens. He tried to breath calmly and closed his eyes to prrtend that he would sleep. He sensed his Master behind him and felt a hand, which raised his blanket under his chin. The same hand stroked over his cheek softly and then left him. Obi-Wan felt safe now but he hated it to fool his Master. He heard the sound of the moving sleeping couch, when Qui-Gon layed down to sleep. He waited until Qui-Gons breathe turned calmly and he was sure that his Master was asleep. He turned on his back and watched the ceiling. He needed to sleep to regain his energy again. So he tried to push his thoughts aside and to calm down.

Qui-Gon slept peaceful when he fel a disturbance in the force. He opened his eyes quickly and looked after Obi-Wan. The young boy slept peacefully but Qui-Gon knew it better. He saw the eyes moving through the eyelid, which was often a sign for his bad dreams. He sat down next to his student, reached for his shoulders and caressed them with his thumb.

" Obi-Wan, what are you hiding from me?" he asked silently.

Obi-Wans mouth opened and he heard some mumbling. "...my fault...sorry...dead...burden…."

These were the only words, Qui-Gon could clearly understand.

" What burden?" asked Qui-Gon but he knew that Obi-Wan wouldn't answer. These were some private thoughts from the back of Obi-Wans mind and Qui-Gon was fully aware that this had something to do with what Obi-Wan was hiding from him. He needed to talk to Bant. Maybe she knew something.

For tonight, he could only calm his student. He stroked his arms and forehead and waited until Obi-Wan was sleeping peacefully again.