A knock at the door woke him up immediately. Qui-Gon sat up on the sleeping couch, completely overwhelmed. He realized with a look on the clock that it was a way to early to stand up.

Obi-Wan was still asleep after his concerning nightmares this night. The knock wasn't noisy enough to wake him up. And Qui-Gon was grateful for the fact that his student was able to sleep in the most unusual situations and at every time on every place. Swiftly, Qui-Gon stood up and layed a hand on his forehead. The fever was gone! Qui-Gon took a deep breath and tried to avoid a tear falling from his eyes. He was so glad that Obi-Wan now was out of danger. As the healer said, he was out of danger some days before but Qui-Gon knew exactly, how Obi-Wan could react on fever. When he was ill one year before, they said that it was not dangerous and he would only need two days in bed. The fever wasn't high but after the two days Obi-Wan felt incredibly sick and from that day, Qui-Gon knew that he need to pay attention at his student, when he was feverish.

A second soft knock at the door brought him back in reality. Quickly, to not disturb Obi-Wan, he ran to the door and opened it. Bant stood there and seemed totally nervous. Qui-Gon left the room and closed the door behind him.

" What happened?", he asked.

" The healers called me" said Bant impatiently. " They said that Tahl got a high fever over night and that her condition is critical. I can't visit her because the danger is to high but I'm completely scared. Yesterday, she looked so healthy and now..."

Qui-Gon rested his hands on her shoulders. " Listen to me, Bant." He waited until she turned her full attention to him, then he continued speaking. " Tahl is a very strong person and she will make it through the fever. With or without our help. She knows that she isn't alone and I assure you that she will fight for us."

Bant nodded slowly. " I know but I can't stop worrying."

" Don't bother yourself. It's not your fault!"

Now Bant lifted her head and met his gaze. " Please, don't tell Obi-Wan anything about what I told you. He is still thinking too much about what happened..." That was the moment when she realized that she had said to much. " I need to go now!"

" Bant, wait!" called Qui-Gon and Bant stopped walking. She wasn't allowed to contradict a Jedi-Master or to deny his instructions. Qui-Gon knew that but he hated to use this kind of status against one of the students, especially with Bant and Obi-Wan.

" Bant, please, I need your help", he murmured. " Obi-Wan is speaking in his dreams about something, I can't understand and I feel something that worries him over the days, although he is trying to hide it from me. I know that he would tell you everything and I respect his privacy and your private conversation but if that conversation is the reason for his bad dreams, I need to know."

Bant turned around but she focused the floor. " Obi-Wan asked me not to tell anybody!"

" But I'm not a stranger. I'm his Master and I need to know everything of his suffering thoughts or I can't help him. And I'm the only one, who could help him."

" He will be angry..."

" We're talking about Obi-Wan" continued Qui-Gon. " He is the most kind student in the Jedi-Temple. He is never mad at someone, especially you. I promise that he will not be angry at you."

Bant took a breath and closed her eyes for a moment. Qui-Gon recognized that she regretted her behavior and that she was reckless enough to tell Qui-Gon from his problems but now she had no opportunity.

" Yesterday, when you were with Tahl and I went back to Obi-Wan, he was awake and waited for me. He asked if he could tell me something and I said that it would be ok. Of course it was, I'm his friend. He told me from your mission on New Apsolon and what happened during the mission. He said that he felt guilty because he was the reason why Tahl is still in the med-center. He said that it was all his fault and that he would never be able to see her in her eyes or even talk to you about her..."

" That was the reason because he quickly tried to sleep yesterday evening" murmured Qui-Gon more to himself than to Bant but he apologized and waited for her to continue.

" I told him that it wasn't his fault but he was stubborn and convinced that you was also mad at him during the mission when he hurt his leg. Is that true?"

Her question sounded that innocent that he wasn't able to answer for some seconds. He needed to think about that. Was he angry at that moment? He knew that he wasn't happy about that but was also concerned about Obi-Wan and his condition. He couldn't remember a situation where he could have given him the feeling to be a burden.

" I'm honest, I can't remember a situation where I should have been angry at him."

" You know Obi-Wan" replied Bant. " Even a little sign leads to the fact that he regrets his own behavior, whether it was wrong or not."

" You're right Bant" said Qui-Gon thoughtfully. " Obi-Wan shouldn't suffer himself for what happened to Tahl. I need to talk to him, when he wakes up. I thank you so much!"

Bant gave him a soft smile and left the room without a word.

Qui-Gon turned around an entered Obi-Wans room again. His Padawan was fully awake and watched his datapad. When Qui-Gon opened the door, he looked surprised.

"Master!" He sat up. " I thought you left for a talk with the Council or maybe Mace Windu!"

" What made you thinking that?" asked Qui-Gon.

" You left abruptly."

" So you were awake when I left the room. You pretend to be asleep but were awake?"

Obi-Wan didn't know what to say. Qui-Gon went to him and sat down on the bed.

" I talked with Bant about Tahl", he began, not sure if it was right to tell him. " She is in a bad condition because she got a fever last night and the healers are worried if her new organs would make it."

During his explanation, Obi-Wans gaze turned worried and Qui-Gon knew that he pushed the right button to activate Obi-Wans feelings. Now he couldn't hide it from him.

" And Bant also told me about your feelings..." Obi-Wan bowed his head and watched the blanket when his fingers played with it.

" And I came to the conclusion that I need to apologize" continued Qui-Gon and met the confused look on Obi-Wans face.

" Apologize?" asked the boy shyly. " For what?"

" That I gave you the feeling that it was all your fault! Nothing of that was your fault, Obi-Wan." He saw that Obi-Wan wanted to avoid this conversation and that he searched for a reason to left the room. Qui-Gon swiftly grabbed his hands and forced him to look at him. " Obi-Wan, we need to talk about it. I don't want you to feel guilty for what happened. It was not your fault and it wasn't my fault. You were right that we weren't quickly enough to rescue her but we also weren't allowed to be on this planet. If would would have followed the instructions of the council, we would have stayed at the temple and waited that she would come back. But I wasn't interested in what the Council said and you were loyal enough to follow me. We weren't supposed to find her and maybe to safe her. It was luck that we went there to help her. If we would have been there, she would be dead now. She knew that and I knew that. She is alive and she is strong enough to fight for her life a second time. She is aware that you helped me to rescue her and she is thankful for that!"

" She is thankful that you saved her" interrupted Obi-Wan. " I noticed her feelings for you and I know that she is only fighting for you!"

Qui-Gon closed his eyes for a moment. " Our feelings for each other are another topic for another conversation but I assure you that I don't leave you behind or that it will change something on our current lives. Do you understand?"

Obi-Wan nodded but he couldn't answer.

" Good" continued Qui-Gon. " Tahl loves you as much as she loves me and she will be happy when she 'll see you again."

" How is she?" asked the boy.

" I want to ask the healer himself after the breakfast but I think she will need a day or two to recover from the fever. And when she is strong enough again, I'll take you to the med- center, so you can see her and talk to her, all right?"

Obi-Wan nodded. Qui-Gon gave him the feeling that everything would be ok but he wasn't completely convinced.

Qui-Gon seemed to feel that. " Don't think about it Obi-Wan. Everything is fine!"

He opened his arms and wrapped them around Obi-Wans small body. The boy closed his eyes and enjoyed this peaceful moment alone with his Master.