Chapter 3
Aboard the shuttle en route to his own planet, Qui-Gon looked up from the terminal, struck by a sudden thought. "Padawan, when we get to my Mother's house, it is customary that you remove your boots in the entry way and only walk about in the house with your socks on. Your socks are clean, aren't they, Obi-Wan?"
Qui-Gon knew well the habits of adolescent boys, having been one himself. Too long ago for his liking, but that was by the way.
Obi-Wan shrugged and blushed faintly. "Clean enough, Master."
"And no holes?" At a deeper coloring, Qui-Gon pointed a stern arm towards Obi-Wan's cabin. No words were necessary.
_*_*_
When they disembarked at Qui-Gon's home, Obi-Wan was struck with how cozy it seemed. Suddenly people, laughing, shouting, hugging, and kissing overwhelmed them.
"Qui-Gon, you old son of a-"
"Hal, little pitchers have big ears."
"What's this, eh? New scars? Have you been fighting again, son?"
"It's been far too long. You've no idea how much we've missed you."
"Uncle, look!"
Laughing, Qui-Gon held up his hands. "Enough, enough. One at a time."
Obi-Wan stood off to the side, feeling rather embarrassed and lonely. Just the day before, he'd had his own family's affection. No matter what he told himself to the contrary, the fact remained: Obi-Wan Kenobi was homesick.
The whole party made its way into the little stone cottage. Or not so little, Obi-Wan realized, looking around. The cottage stretched back into the hillside, so that it was much bigger than the outside appearance had led him to believe. As Qui-Gon had instructed him, he removed his boots. He noted that everyone else did as well, although their footwear was more conducive to easy removal.
Following somewhat behind the main press of people, he arrived in a central living area. The floor was covered with the pelts of long dead animals and a cheery fire burned in a stone fireplace. The chatter of people nearly overwhelmed Obi-Wan. He stood near the door, watching the happy family scene disconsolately.
"Hi." At the sound of a female voice, Obi-Wan turned.
"Um, hi." He replied.
"My name's Fea'la. What's yours?"
"Obi-Wan."
He took a step back, letting the light fall more on the girl. She was about his own age, maybe a little older. She stood at his height. This was unusual. Obi-Wan had never met a Human girl that at thirteen was as tall as he. He realized belatedly that she shared genetic makeup with Qui-Gon and that was probably the reason.
"Obi-Wan," She smiled. Obi-Wan decided he liked the way she said his name. "Are you Uncle's Apprentice?"
He could only nod, dumbly.
"How old are you?" She asked.
"I'll be fourteen in a few months," he answered.
"I'm fourteen now," she said with a grin. "I love Alban Arthan. It's not often I get to see all my cousins. And of course Uncle Qui-Gon."
Fea'la's hair was dark, and braided in two braids that fell just past her shoulders. She tossed them back with her hands. "Do you want to meet everybody?"
"Um, okay," Obi-Wan shrugged.
"Well, there's Hal, that's my father. And my Mum's name is Boni. My dad is Uncle Qui-Gon's older brother."
Obi-Wan was still trying to deal with the image of his Master having an older brother. It was disturbing.
"I have one older brother and two younger ones. I have an older sister too, but she's married. She just had a baby two days ago. Everybody thinks it's just the greatest, but it's just all red and squally right now."
"It?" Obi-Wan said with a faint smile. "Is 'it' a boy or a girl?"
"It's a boy. He doesn't even have a name yet. Keena, that's my sister, said she was waiting for Uncle Qui-Gon to get here so he could find its name in the Force. I think she's just being silly. Can you find *really* someone's name in the Force?"
Obi-Wan looked startled. "I, uh, I don't know. I've never tried."
Fea'la shrugged. "Oh," she said. She sounded disappointed. She shrugged it off quickly though. "Do you wanna go sledding?"
"Sledding?"
"Yeah, you know. Riding on a sled. Down a hill. It's fun."
"What's a sled?" Obi-Wan asked, perplexed.
Fea'la wrinkled her nose at him. "It's wooden and it has metal runners. It's fun. Come on."
"I should ask my Master…"
"Oh, please," Fea'la said sarcastically. "Uncle Qui-Gon won't be mad. He never gets mad."
Obi-Wan was about to protest that yes, Qui-Gon could get very mad indeed, but Fea'la slipped her little mitten-covered hand into his. His eyes briefly widened in shock. He blinked. He liked the way her hand felt in his. It made him forget everything else. He let her lead him into the entryway, where he put his boots and cloak on. He let her lead him out of the cottage and up the hill.
_*_*_
Qui-Gon had been ensconced in family joy for a long time before he realized his Padawan was no longer nearby. He looked up, scanning the room.
"Where did that boy get to?" He asked of no one in particular.
"Your Apprentice? I don't really know. He was standing kinda over there," Hal pointed vaguely.
"I tried to talk to him, but he seemed really shy," someone else put in.
"I saw him talking with Fea'la," a small voice said.
"Oh really, Mul'kan?" Qui-Gon asked his little nephew.
"That little saucy minx," Hal said with a grin. "She probably led him off to a quiet corner."
Qui-Gon's eyebrows raised.
"I'm just kidding, brother mine," Hal said, laughing at the expression on Qui-Gon's face. "She probably took him over to the old sledding hill - and then seduced him."
Qui-Gon laughed then. He realized with a start that he needed to have a long talk with Obi-Wan. The thought made him vaguely uncomfortable.
"I'll go look for them if you want me to, Uncle," said a young man of about eighteen. "I'm pretty sure I know where she went."
Qui-Gon nodded his assent.
_*_*_
Obi-Wan's cheeks were flushed with the cold and the wind. Fea'la's were too, and Obi-Wan thought she looked especially pretty that way.
After several trips flying down the hill on an old rickety sled, the two of them had started a snowball fight. A voice rang out through across the snow.
"Ho! Fea'la! Obi-Wan!"
"Over here, Seth'na," Fea'la called back. She turned to Obi-Wan with a grimace. "That's my older brother. He's a pain. He thinks he's so great just 'cause he's eighteen. He thinks he's all grown up." She rolled her eyes. "Here, shhh, don't say anything." She flung herself down in a hollow and began making a tightly packed snowball. She reached up and grabbed Obi-Wan, dragging him down beside her. When Seth'na topped the rise, she flung the snowball at him, hitting him squarely in the chest. He let out a yell, and then jumped into the hollow with the two already there. It turned into a three-way wrestling match with lots of shrieks and giggles.
_*_*_
Qui-Gon stood on the rise with his brother Hal. "It's nice to see they're enjoying themselves," he said dryly.
Hal grinned. "Either they're into something really kinky, or they're behaving themselves - sort of, anyway."
"You are a sick bastard. You know that, don't you?"
Hal laughed at his younger brother. "It runs in the family. At least I don't give my kids rocks on their birthdays."
Qui-Gon laughed as well. "Touché, brother mine. I suppose we should go get them?"
"Nah, they'll come home when they get cold enough and the presence of Seth'na will be enough to keep Fea'la's hands off your Padawan."
"You really don't have a very high opinion of your daughter, do you Hal?"
"I'm a realist, Qui-Gon. She'll be fifteen soon. I've already got one grandson, so what difference will a few more make?" He grinned and Qui-Gon knew that deep down Hal was just as concerned as any father. He just didn't want anyone to know how deeply he cared about his youngest daughter. It was all a show. He changed the subject.
"Speaking of this grandson of yours, I still have yet to see the wee laddie," Qui-Gon said, starting the walk back to the cottage.
"Aye, he's grand. Keena's waiting for you, you know. Before she names him. She said she wanted you to find his name in the Force."
Qui-Gon quirked an eyebrow at Hal. "Where did she get the idea that I could do that?"
Hal shrugged. "Probably some story she heard from her grandmother," he said with a wink in Qui-Gon's direction. "Mum carries tales about you everywhere she goes."
_*_*_
Qui-Gon peeked his head through the doorway of Keena's bedchamber. His niece was asleep in a big bed; her face was nearly as pale as the counterpane. In a tiny wooden cradle to the side of her bed slept his first great-nephew. Keena's husband, a burly man named Nun'ken, sat in a chair by the window, dozing. He looked up as Qui-Gon entered.
"Hullo, Qui-Gon," Nun'ken greeted him with a smile.
"Hullo yourself. I've come to get a look at the new arrival."
Nun'ken jerked his head in the direction of the cradle. "Look to your heart's content. He's a cute little critter." The pride in the new father's voice was evident.
Qui-Gon peered over the edge of the cradle. The tiny human being sighed gently. Qui-Gon felt a twinge of regret that he would never have one of his own. This was as close as he would ever get.
Nun'ken spoke again. "Keena thinks you can see his true name in the Force. Is that true?"
"To tell you the truth, I'm not sure. I've never done it before. No one has ever asked me anything like that. I shall think on it tonight."
Nun'ken nodded. "That's all the answer I need. If you can't find a name, I've got a few picked out myself."
_*_*_
Qui-Gon looked up from his tea mug as his Padawan tromped in with Fea'la and Seth'na. The three teenagers dumped their snow-covered boots and cloaks in the front hall.
"Hello, Obi-Wan. Did you have a pleasant excursion?"
"Yes, Master."
"Padawan, in the future, I would appreciate being told before you disappear."
Obi-Wan winced slightly. He _knew_ he was going to get it for running off without permission. He tossed Fea'la an 'I told you so' look. She merely grinned at him, totally unsympathetic.
"And you, Fea'la," Qui-Gon said, giving his niece a stern glance and shaking a reproving finger in her direction. "Don't you ever steal my Padawan again."
Fea'la looked her uncle in the eye, unabashed. In fact, Qui-Gon swore she was teasing him. "Yes, Uncle Qui-Gon." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. She giggled. Qui-Gon rolled his eyes to the ceiling. He knew about teenage boys. He could handle teenage boys. Girls on the other hand…. He thanked the Force that he had not chosen a female Padawan.
_*_*_
After having eaten his fill at a heavily laden table, Obi-Wan sat back. He sighed with satisfaction. Being a thirteen-year-old boy meant he was nearly always hungry. For once, he'd been able to eat all he wanted without looking greedy.
The young people were told to do the washing up, which they objected to, of course. But Obi-Wan discovered that Qui-Gon had inherited his sternest gaze from his mother, so they complied without too much complaining - at least, within the hearing of their elders.
"It's so unfair," Fea'la grumbled, under her breath. "They never do anything."
"Well," said Obi-Wan optimistically, brandishing a dishcloth, "They *did* do the cooking part."
"Shut up, little Jedi," snarled a bad-tempered young man named Nilko.
Obi-Wan took a deep breath. He did _not_ want to be caught fighting in his Master's house. He had a feeling Qui-Gon would kick his ass from here to the Outer Rim if he did. He tried very hard to ignore Nilko. The boy was not one of Fea'la's brothers, but rather a cousin. He was the son of Qui-Gon's younger sister.
Obi-Wan returned to drying the dishes Fea'la passed to him. "Don't listen to him," she whispered to Obi-Wan. "He's a brute. He doesn't know how to leave well enough alone."
Obi-Wan nodded. "Sure, okay. I don't care anyway."
He lied. He wondered if lying to Fea'la was wrong,
but decided it wasn't. As long as he didn't lie to
his Master, everything was okay.
Chapter 4
The several young people - there were six of them, not counting Obi-Wan, between ten and eighteen - were in the kitchen washing up after the meal. The adults and the very young children had retired to the main living room.
Qui-Gon sat back in the overstuffed chair, resting his stocking clad feet on a footstool. Their first day in his mother's home had passed without serious incident, although he had an uncomfortable feeling in the back of his mind. He knew that this feeling stemmed from the knowledge that before long he was going to have to sit down with his Padawan and have a very long, very embarrassing talk. In fact, he had to have 'the talk.' Facing down space pirates, slavers, or greedy diplomats was something Qui-Gon excelled at - telling a thirteen year old boy the facts of life frightened the Sith out of him. But it needed to be done - and quickly. He'd seen the way his little niece, Fea'la, looked at his Padawan. He shuddered. He could remember when she'd been just a wee little baby. Qui-Gon suddenly felt very old.
The thought of a baby reminded him that he was supposed to be thinking of a name for his first great-nephew, born a few days before his arrival. The child in question was nursing at Keena's breast in a quiet corner. He scowled into his tea mug. A pair of young scalawags interrupted him from his contemplation.
"Tell us a story, Uncle Qui-Gon." His seven year old nephew Mul'kan begged. Mul'kan was the youngest son of Qui-Gon's older brother.
"Yes, please. A good one. With a princess." This came from his youngest niece, Kipte, who was also seven. She was the daughter of his younger sister, Trela.
"No way! Not a girly story. A fighting story, with lots of blood and - "
"Enough, enough. Quit bothering your Uncle." Qui-Gon's sister scooted the two youngsters off the footstool they had climbed up on.
Qui-Gon chuckled, "No, it's alright. I'll tell them a good story, but wait until the older children get finished with the washing up."
As if on cue, the young people emerged from the kitchen. They were covered in soapy water and Qui-Gon suspected a water fight of some kind.
"Alright, now, everyone settle down," Qui-Gon's mother said, her aged voice gentle, but with a note of iron that bespoke years of motherhood.
Obi-Wan took a seat on the floor near his Master's chair, settling himself comfortably among the animal pelts and cushions that ringed the floor. Qui-Gon noticed with a faint smile that Fea'la nestled herself down close to Obi-Wan. They were not touching, and Qui-Gon suspected the reason they weren't had to do with the presence of so many adults.
"Are you gonna tell a story now, Uncle Qui-Gon?" Kipte asked.
"Yes, child, I am. But only if you're good."
Kipte immediately snapped her mouth shut and scurried to sit in her mother's lap.
And so Qui-Gon began to tell an old legend, one of mystery and intrigue, love and betrayal, murder and grief. His hypnotic voice spun such a web of wonderment, that Obi-Wan found himself transfixed. So caught up in the story was he that he didn't even notice his eyes drooping. He yawned. It had been an exciting day, but a long and weary one. He yawned again and blinked. The meal had been filling and he was pleasantly sleepy. The Jedi Apprentice fell asleep just so, surrounded by peace and love and all the good things in life.
Qui-Gon finished the story some time later that evening and, looking around, he noted with pleasure that everyone under the age of eighteen was fast asleep. He rose from his chair, stretching.
"That was a compelling story, big brother," said Trela, giving him a grin. "You've single-handedly put all four of my children to sleep. Most nights it's much more labor intensive."
He winked at her. "Never underestimate the power of a Jedi," he said softly.
"You mean…you did that on purpose?"
"Of course I did. I had a feeling that bedtime would shatter the moment, so I just gave them the suggestion that they were very, very sleepy. And, as you so noted, it worked."
The younger children were carried off to their beds, while the ones too old to carry were left on the floor where they lay. Qui-Gon regarded the sleeping form of his Apprentice in something of a quandary. He didn't want to wake him up to move him, nor did he want him spending the entire night curled up next to his fourteen-year-old niece. Settling for something of a compromise, he gently nudged Obi-Wan's mind with a touch of Force, sending him deeper into slumber. Once the boy was well and truly asleep, he hefted his form, grunting slightly. Obi-Wan was growing rapidly, he noted. He carried his Apprentice to the room set aside for the two of them and laid the boy on his sleep couch. With an afterthought, he covered him up with an old blanket. Qui-Gon gathered his kit bag and turned to go change into his pajamas. As he did so, he looked out the window. He smiled. A fresh snow was falling gently. It was a sign of good fortune if snow fell during Alban Arthan.
_*_*_
Once changed and washed, Qui-Gon knelt in the classic meditation pose on the floor of his room. He needed to find a name for the baby. He wasn't quite sure how to go about it. He recited the Jedi Code. And then he did it again. And again. He sank into a trance, letting his mind roam. He picked up the positive, healthy life images of his family and his Padawan. It was one of the things he liked best about coming here.
The Jedi Master was deeply in tune with the Living Force and the waves of contentment emanating from the household were nearly palpable. He sought outward with his mind, seeking the baby. Finding a tiny spark of pure innocence, he focused on it. He contemplated his own name and the names of those around him. His mental label defined their life-signatures, they did not have inherent names, or if they did, he was incapable of finding them. He sighed, breaking out of his trance. In the morning he would speak with his Apprentice and see if the boy could offer a fresh perspective on the issue.
_*_*_
The cold woke Fea'la sometime in the middle of the night. She shivered. She sat up, looking around, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. The fire had died down to a few embers. She rose with the intention of stirring up the ashes and making the room a little warmer. Struck by a thought, she frowned.
/Wait a minute. I'm in the living room. This is strange./ She thought to herself. Then the memory of Uncle Qui-Gon's story came back to her with a rush. /Where's Obi-wan?/ was her next thought. She looked to the place where the Jedi Apprentice had lain, and the pillows still showed the indentation of his body. She reached out and touched them, but they were cold. So he hadn't moved recently. She wondered if he had been awake at the end of the story. But no, she remembered seeing him close his eyes, right before she had closed hers. /Maybe Uncle Qui-Gon woke him up and made him sleep in a real bed. Ooh, a bed. Hmmm. A bed sounds nice. Where did Grandma say I was gonna be sleeping?/
Fea'la took a moment to cover her ten-year-old
brother, Othyn, with a blanket before she set off on a
quest to find her room. Once there, the teenage girl
snuggled under the covers, pulling the heavy comforter
up to her nose. She fell asleep, to dream of presents
and snowball fights and, of course, Obi-Wan.
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