AN: Yeah... about the last chapter... The Moon Ponies started out as a private joke from an astronomy course I took when I wrote the chapter (It too had a poor pronunciation guide). Also, it was to poke fun at my 'Goth' sister who was at the time obsessed with the new My Little Pony Show. That plan failed epically because, now she's apathetic about it and I'm the one obsessed.

Anyways. There is a song that goes with this chapter. The song is Daughters by John Mayer and this symbol # will tell you when to hit play if you want to listen while you read.

Chapter Eight: Bonding Time

"And then the Moon Ponies brought us here!" Jane said as she finished telling the young woman behind the registration desk the story of how they gotten to the medcenter, where Qui-Gon was currently being treated for his shoulder wound.

The young woman was smiling, but she glanced with wide-eyes at Obi-Wan, who was finishing up filling out the paperwork.

"Believe it or not, she's not making this up," Obi-Wan said, not looking up.

"Okay," The young woman squeaked. She sat there looking back and forth between the two then and when Obi-Wan handed her back the clipboard, she told them they could go, then she hastily made her way into the back. She didn't return, but neither Padawan really cared.

Obi-Wan leaned back on the couch in the waiting room, while Jane sat beside him, resting from the day's adventure while doodling on a piece of paper. To his surprise, he discovered she was left-handed, something he hadn't noticed before.

Obi-Wan studied Jane in the quiet and watched her draw. Her drawings were not childlike. She took her time and the shapes were easy to make out. Obi-Wan smiled briefly when he saw that she was drawing a Moon Pony.

He watched as she began to color and shade in the pony for a few minutes, then returned to studying her. He wondered, if did find one trait that was similar to Qui-Gon, if he would be relieved or-

"He's not my father," Jane said softly.

"Pardon?" Obi-Wan said, shaking himself out of his reverie.

"Qui-Gon is not my father, though I wish he was," Jane said. She looked up at Obi-Wan. "I hear the talk around the Temple. I know you wonder if the rumors are true. I can deny them one hundred percent."

"I have a feeling you are not going to be forthcoming with telling us who your father really is, then," Obi-Wan said.

"A girl's gotta have some secrets, right?" Jane said with a grin before she returned to her drawing.

With a sigh, Obi-Wan turned to stare out the window. Then he chuckled.

"Weird to think we were out there tonight. With the stars," Obi-Wan said.

"A billion bright and holy beams of light that travels far. Began the trip from His fingertips the wonder of the stars. Affirm the signs and seasons, so silently they sing of the wonder of their Kindler, the power of their King." Jane sang softly. (1)

"That's pretty," Obi-Wan said. "Where did you hear that?"

"It's a song my mommy used to sing to me at night on summer nights. We would lay there and find all the constellations and tell each other about the myths those constellations were paired with. Mommy would tell me all about the planets she visited, the ones she thought I should see when I was older," Jane said. She was smiling as she said it, but it was clear that talking about her mother hurt.

"You miss her." Obi-Wan said.

"A lot," Jane said sadly. "But it's okay, because I know I'm going to see her again someday and I know that she won't ever be in pain again."

"This might sound like a really personal question," Obi-Wan said. "And I'm okay with it if you don't want to answer, but, how did your mother die?"

Jane looked down at her drawing and sighed.

"Everything was fine. Then, one day, she got sick. At first, she and Nonna—the woman who trained my mother on Corellia—thought it was just the flu. She went to the doctor, and the doctor thought it was the flu and gave her some medicine. It was clear the medicine wasn't working. Soon, she was in so much pain, she couldn't move without crying, though I know she tried hard not to," Jane closed her eyes, then opened them again quickly, wiping away tears. "Nonna dragged her back to the doctors. The doctors put her in the hospital. I don't think there was anything they could have done, because it was nothing they had ever seen. Some doctors from off-planet came, and so did some of the local Jedi healers, but they couldn't heal her. All this happened within two months.

"Nonna and mommy spent a long time talking, making plans. They were both very worried about me, and they didn't want me to become a ward of the state. Nonna was too old to take care of me. So Mommy asked for a lawyer to come and help her fill out all the papers to assign me a guardian. A week later after she completed them, she was dead."

Obi-Wan felt sorry for the little girl. Many students at the Temple had no memory of their times with their families. For Jane's time with her mother to end as it did was heartbreaking.

"I'm sorry," Was all Obi-Wan could get out.

"No. It's okay. I know she's okay, and that she knows that I'm okay with you and Qui-Gon," Jane said. She finished a stroke with her pencils and grinned. "What do you think?"

Obi-Wan looked at Jane's picture and grinned. The horse was light blue with a rainbow-colored mane.

"I like it," He said. "Does the pony have a name?"

"Yes. Her name is Bouncing Rainbow," Jane said.

"Good name for a Moon Pony," Obi-Wan said.

"Thanks," Jane said, brushing her Padawan braid out of her face. "Hey, I just realized, you still haven't gotten your Padawan braid fixed." Jane pointed out.

"Oh yeah," Obi-Wan said, fingering his hair lightly. "I didn't have time on the way here and haven't had time since."

"I'll do it for you if you want," Jane offered.

"Sure," Obi-Wan said. Jane "stood" on her knees and carefully began the process of braiding a portion of the older Padawan's hair.

"Obi-Wan," Jane said softly.

"Yes, Jane?"

"Thanks."

"For what?" Obi-Wan asked.

"For letting me be a kid around you. I… I couldn't really do that at the Temple," Jane said.

"What do you mean?" Obi-Wan asked.

Jane paused for a second before speaking again.

"I think that the worst mistake I've ever made, was letting the Masters at the Temple know how smart and advanced I am. Now I'm always being watched, always expected to be perfect. Expected the be the good little quiet girl who does everything she's told, yet encouraged to show off for other people. At least, that's how I feel around that really creepy old dude in the Council."

"C'Boath?" Obi-Wan said. Jane nodded. "Yeah, he's always creeped me out a lot, too,"

"Yeah. That guy is one twisted duck," Jane said with a shake of her head.

"What's a duck?" Obi-Wan asked, his brow furrowed.

"I don't really know," Jane said with a shrug. "It's just a phrase Nonna would use to describe someone she thought was corrupt or had evil intentions. Mostly she used it to describe politicians. Anyways, the point is, I never had to be something I'm not around you and Qui-Gon. There, that should do it," Jane said, finishing tying off Obi-Wan's Padawan braid.

#

"Thank you," Obi-Wan said, pulling back the rest of his hair.

"You're welcome," Jane said. Her grin grew broader as she heard a song start up on the radio by the receptionists' station. "Ooh, I love this song! Obi-Wan, will you dance with me?"

Before Obi-Wan had a chance to respond, he was on his feet and both his hands were being clasped by Jane's small hands.

Jane started swaying to the music and gave Obi-Wan a look when he didn't do the same. Awkwardly, Obi-Wan began to sway as well.

By the time the first chorus came around, Jane had Obi-Wan moving more comfortably with the music.

By the time the chorus came around the second time, he was actually having fun.

By the last notes, they were both laughing and dancing silly.

By the time they were back in their seats, Obi-Wan couldn't imagine life without this adorable little girl.

Half an hour later, Jane sat on Obi-Wan's lap, the lights around them dimmed and her eyes half closed while Obi-Wan ran his fingers over her brown locks.

"Hey, Jane, you know what?" Obi-Wan said in whisper.

"No, what?" Jane asked.

"I've always wanted a little sister," Obi-Wan told her, gently kissing the top of her head.

"Well, that works out," Jane said with a yawn. " 'Cause I've always wanted a big brother."

Qui-Gon woke up with something warm at his side. Moving his hand over it, he discovered that it was moving. No, not moving, breathing.

He smiled as he looked down at Jane, curled up under his good arm, while the other arm was bandaged and had an IV placed in the crook of his arm. On Qui-Gon's other side was Obi-Wan, fast asleep in the armchair beside Qui-Gon's bed.

Qui-Gon smiled as he felt at peace with his two Padawans. There was a silent knock on the door and an older woman Qui-Gon assumed was a nurse entered the room. Qui-Gon carefully gestured for her to be quiet, so as to not wake the two apprentices. The woman smiled and nodded. After checking the dressing on Qui-Gon's wound and taking his vitals, she whispered to him,

"You are very lucky. Not many people would have survived if they had been shot out there."

"Yes, I am quite lucky," Qui-Gon said, looking down at Jane. If not for her quick reaction, he would be dead.

As the nurse left, Qui-Gon was filled with a sense of dread as he looked down at his precious goddaughter.

What if he had died?

He knew Obi-Wan would be alright in the hands of another Master, but what about Jane? Given the precarious situation by which he took her on, he was scared to think of what would happen to her if he was unable to take care of her. She would become the Council's pet, forced to do whatever they desired.

Jane had such a free spirit, such a passion for life, such a desire to love and be loved. That would all be gone if her life was chosen by a committee. There would be no music to dance to, no pictures to paint, no peals of laughter to lighten hearts. She would be molded to become the perfect Jedi, as uncaring as a machine. There was too much room in the little girl's heart for that to happen.

Qui-Gon knew he couldn't let that happen to her. He just didn't know how to protect her long after he had joined the Force.

At least, he didn't know yet.

1: Lyric from the song "Starkindler" by Michael Card

PS: This is the last chapter with Jane being three years old.