Grateful

(c) Rogue 1999

Spoilers: For Keelywolfe's "Whispers" and possibly her "Story's End", too.

Rating: PG, I think.

Archive: Master and Apprentice, yes! Anyone else who wants it, go right ahead. Leave my name on there, please.

Warnings: How can you warn anyone about a relaxing vacation?

Summary: Middle piece between Keelywolfe's "Story's End" and "Whispers." A grateful Master does his best to spoil his (thankfully) very much alive Apprentice.

Disclaimer: Yea Mighty Man Lucas owns Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. Keelywolfe owns the ficline in which this story is being written in. I only own this fic, and at that, just barely, considering the universe it's being written in. I'm makin' no money off this, I just really, really, really wanted to fill in the blanks.

Author's Note: I give special thanks to Keelywolfe for allowing me to write this fic and post it, even though I pulled the classic "Do first, beg forgiveness/permission later" routine. My only argument is that the fic wanted out, and that if the Great and Wonderful Fic Goddess nixed the idea, it would never have made it past my compy, only to be stashed into a notebook - this disclaimer included - and read by mine green eyes only. Keely, I am humbly grateful and promise to behave myself the next time I get the urge to dabble my fingertips in your ficline! (bows down willingly and lays Happy Naked Choco-Jedi on Keely's Altar)

Feedback: Tell me what I wanna hear at rogue10@hotmail.com

"Master, why have we come to Tal-Heel?"

Qui-Gon looked over at his apprentice and resisted the urge for perhaps the thousandth time to simply reach over and stroke the young man's cheek for no apparent reason that could be explained away. "I told you before on Breel, Obi-Wan. I want to show this to you."

The younger man was slightly confused. "Is it part of training? What am I going to learn here?"

Qui-Gon just barely smiled, the corners of his mouth quirking up. "No, it's not part of your training. Whatever you learn here is entirely up to you. My Padawan, this is a vacation for you; I brought you here to relax and recuperate from your near-death experience on Breel."

Obi-Wan blinked. "But ... Master, I feel fine!"

The older man sighed and then smiled openly this time, laying his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder and gripping firmly. "Be that as it may, Padawan, it would not do either of us any harm to simply relax and immerse ourselves in the serenity that abounds on this planet."

Obi-Wan sighed, then smiled. "Yes, Master. So, where are we going to ensconce ourselves on this lush planet of paradise?"

Qui-Gon grinned. "The Tal-Heel Ambassador is an old acquaintance of mine, and when I explained my reasons for wanting to show this place off to you, he was quite gracious in lending us the use of a cabin on one of the lakes up in the low hills. I've used it before, and the sunsets are almost magical in their beauty. Additionally, the lake is geothermal, so we can bathe and swim whenever the mood strikes us."

The Padawan's eyebrows winged up into his hairline. Then he grinned and said, "Master, when you decide to take a vacation, you really go all out, don't you?" He laughed slightly, then added, "It all sounds wonderful, truly it does. And I can feel the humming of the Living Force all around and inside me. Thank you for this opportunity to relax."

As Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan hefted their packs and climbed into the landspeeder that had been given to them for use, the Master glanced at his Padawan. Thank you, my Obi-Wan, he thought silently to himself, for being alive so that I may give this opportunity to you.

Within a half-hour, they arrived at the cabin. It was wide and only one story tall, but it had a long, shaded porch and some comfortable chairs set on it facing the lake so that a body could sit and vegetate for a spell. The air was crisp and clean, and Obi-Wan stood for a moment, breathing deeply as the wind soughed through the trees around them. The sunlight glinted off the lake and birds flew and chirped over head. The sounds of nature were the only sounds he heard.

Well, nature, and his master, who had climbed out of the speeder and had hoisted both their packs onto his shoulders and was making for the cabin.

Turning, Obi-Wan hurried to catch up to his master, taking his pack from the older man with a smile. "Master, allow me to take my share of the load. I'm not decrepit, you know."

Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm well aware of that, Obi-Wan. However, you seemed to be enjoying the view. There was no reason to drag you away from it when I could easily handle this. After all, bringing you here to enjoy the scenery is the purpose of this trip."

The Padawan gave a rueful smile and then gestured for Qui-Gon to lead the way inside. "I know, my Master, but it is ingrained habit to leap to help you in all things, to take as much burden from you as I can that you will allow."

The Master sighed, smiled slightly, and shook his head. "Well, my Padawan, I'm going to ask that you try to relax while you're here. There's time enough to be proper and to attend to duty when we return from our vacation. For now, it's time you - we - just goofed off for a little bit."

Obi-Wan gave a theatrical gasp and clutched at his chest. "The great Qui-Gon Jinn goof off? Oh, miracles never cease! And here I am without a holocam to capture this admission for posterity."

Qui-Gon led the way into the cabin as he snorted and said, "Keep up with that cracking wise, Obi-Wan, and I'll be swatting your posterior!"

An incredibly mischievous grin spread over the apprentice's face, causing Qui-Gon's heart to flip-flop erratically for a moment, and then the younger man said, "Excuse me? That sounded like a dare..."

After a moment's silence, during which Qui-Gon attempted to get himself under control, the Master regarded his Padawan Learner with an arch look. "If you're certain you want to be humiliated, I'm equally certain I can arrange that by beating you in some contest or another. However, may I suggest you look around the cabin first and put your things away? And maybe take a hike in the woods, if you want to. I shall make the call to Coruscant to let the Council know we arrived alright, and then there's a recipe for a stew that I had last time I was here. I want to experiment and see if I can duplicate it."

"You mean mutilate it," Obi-Wan sassed, grinning. Goofing off, sassing his master, and the chance to go exploring to his heart's content. He very subtly pinched himself to make certain he wasn't dreaming. After the faint twinge faded away, he grinned inwardly. Nope, he was definitely awake, thank all the fuzzy gods!

Qui-Gon pinned him with a look that made the Padawan decide that invisibility was the better part of valor and so he vanished in the direction of one of the bedrooms, the one nearest the lake, taking note of the cabin as he did so.

There was a large kitchen and a cozy living room area complete with a fireplace and comfortable armchairs to slouch in. The dining area was just off to the other side of the kitchen and boasted a table big enough for three people to eat at comfortably, and six or seven with a minor amount of scrunching. The dining area walls were decorated with a few pictures and a window to see out of, but it was clear that it was not considered an entertainment area.

Walking into his chosen bedroom, Obi-Wan grinned. The bed was long and just wide enough so that he wouldn't have to worry about falling out if he rolled over in the night. He sighed as he glanced at it again before moving to the small bureau along one wall and began to put his clothing and other articles away. I can think of another way to keep from rolling out, but I doubt that when he said we both needed to relax, that that was what he had in mind.

Finished with his unpacking, Obi-Wan went to the window and glanced out. The sun sparkled beckoningly off the water, but he didn't feel like swimming at the moment. However, there appeared to be a dock down there, and certainly some walking around wouldn't hurt. Grinning with the idea of exploring and learning the terrain around their temporary home, the apprentice turned and made his way out to the center of the cabin. As he walked in, he noticed a hidden hallway off to the rear of the cabin, and assumed that it led to the sani-unit.

He found his master wearing a simple pullover tunic and his trousers, with soft-shoes on his feet, moving about the kitchen and pulling out cookware as he muttered to himself. "Master?"

Qui-Gon straightened and turned, smiling at his apprentice. "Yes, Obi-Wan. Is your bedroom satisfactory?"

Obi-Wan grinned. "Perfectly, Master. I've got a bit of wanderlust in me right now, however, so I believe I'll be off strolling down to the lake and around. How soon should I be back?"

The older man looked at him silently for a moment, then assumed his best nonchalant look and said, "First things first, Obi-Wan. We're on vacation here, so drop the 'Master' for a little while, okay? Feel free to use my given name while we're here. Secondly, note the word 'vacation.' There's no set time for anything. Wander back in whenever you want. I'll let you know when dinner is ready. If you don't feel like coming back in and poisoning yourself with whatever I concoct, then say so." This last was added with a wry grin.

Obi-Wan laughed outright. "Yes, Mas - Qui-Gon. Thanks. I'll go mosey around." He made it to the door and then turned back, finding his master still watching him. "And Qui-Gon? I do appreciate that you're attempting to cook dinner for us. Thanks." He smiled softly, showing his affection and gratitude.

Qui-Gon made a non-committal sound and motioned for him to take his leave, then turned back to his cookware. He stared blankly down at a skillet and thought, Oh, Obi-Wan ... if you continue to smile at me like that too much more, I won't be held responsible for my actions.

Giving himself a shake, he went about trying to do his best with the recipe. While his cooking was usually edible, he wasn't quite as enthusiastic about it as Obi-Wan was, and so his meals usually ended up simple to prepare and blandly nutritious, a fact that had prompted Obi-Wan to learn how to cook. Qui-Gon didn't mind; he was grateful, for it freed him up to do other things, never mind that he got very nice meals out of the bargain. He was quite grateful for his Padawan's cooking.

As he began to assemble and cook the stew, he thought to himself, Then again, I'm just grateful to have my Padawan.

Shaking his head yet again to free himself of those unnecessary thoughts, he paid attention to his stew and wondered how Obi-Wan was enjoying his stroll.

Obi-Wan was enjoying himself immensely. Being up in the hills as they were, the breeze was chill enough to require his cloak, but not so cool that the cloak combined with the sun's rays couldn't keep him comfortably warm. He strolled down onto the dock, feeling it dip and sway with each step, recognizing it as a floating dock.

Reaching the end of it, he stretched his senses out, breathing deeply and steadily of the clean, crisp air. Closing his eyes, the warmth of the sunlight on his face, the breeze ruffling his hair, he relished the sensation of the Living Force, so abundant on this planet, filling him. The lake was stocked with all sorts of fish and aquatic critters, and along the shoreline a ways down he could sense a family of rodents of some sort scurrying about, gathering food and going about their business. Birds were in the trees, insects busy in the earth, and other creatures roaming the woods around him.

And a few dozen yards away was the shining brightness in his mind that was his master, still in the cabin.

Obi-Wan smiled to himself, then slowly opened slightly dazzled blue-gray eyes. The expression on his face was utterly peaceful and serene, his drooping eyelids and smiling mouth creating an innocently sensual picture.

Then, the urge to wander off and explore took him and he shook off his slight drowsiness and turned, walking back along the dock, then following the shoreline through the woods. He found pinecones of various types and gathered a few since he liked the smell. He'd hang them in his bedroom and maybe in Qui-Gon's as well, if the older man also enjoyed the scent. He stopped once by the edge of the lake to pick up a smooth, flat stone that was shaped oddly like a heart. He managed to startle a family of Busker deer, but they calmed down when he projected waves of peace, then silently left.

By the time he had walked all the way around the lake, the sun was setting and his pockets were collected with various and sundry items. He made his way out to the dock again and watched as the setting sun created a fantastic display of colors and sparkles. Reaching out through their training bond, he called, Qui-Gon?

Yes, Obi-Wan. What is it? Qui-Gon replied instantly.

You were correct; the sunsets are incredible. This one is starting now. Care to join me?

Certainly. Allow me to place supper on the table, and I'll be right there. You're at the dock?

Yes, Qui-Gon.

I figured. It's the best vantage point. I'm on my way.

Obi-Wan waited and true to his master's word, the older man stood beside him as the sunset reached the peak of its display.

Qui-Gon sighed contentedly and slung a companionable arm around his apprentice's shoulders and smiled. He could sense Obi-Wan's enjoyment of the sunset, and of the fact that his master was there to watch it with him. He allowed the boy to feel his own contentment in having his Padawan beside him to share the colorful display with, and stifled a chuckle at the small flush of embarrassed delight that trickled along their bond before Obi-Wan cut it off.

They stayed like that until the sun had set and the sky was fading in pinks and golds and oranges, allowing the blues and violets of evening to appear, and then Qui-Gon shivered as the chill breeze bit through is tunic. He dropped his arm from around Obi-Wan's shoulders and grinned down at the young man, hiding his more intense emotions, and said, "Come along, Obi-Wan. The night is chilly and dinner is waiting."

The younger man playfully made a wry grimace, then grinned up at him and gestured for his companion to lead the way.

Chuckling, Qui-Gon reached out and tugged lightly on Obi-Wan's braid and said, "Walk beside me, my friend. We're equals on vacation. How many times do I have to mention this?"

Obi-Wan continued to grin as they began walking back to the cabin. "Be reasonable, Qui-Gon. You can't seriously expect me to shuck years of ingrained training as quickly as all that, can you?"

"Yes. You've done it before, on missions."

"True, but that's because it was required of me by duty. Now, you simply require it of me as a request from a friend. Give me time, Qui-Gon; by tomorrow afternoon, I'll probably be totally relaxed," Obi-Wan stated.

Qui-Gon snorted. "That's if you have the energy to be so blasÈ after I'm through humiliating you."

The younger man simply laughed and led the way into the cabin, ready to face his master's attempts at cooking.

"AAWHOA!!"

Obi-Wan went sailing through the air and landed with an undignified SPLAT into the water of the lake. When he surfaced again, sneezing water out of his nose and clearing it out of his eyes, he looked over to where his master regarded him with an expression of satisfaction. In fact, if the Padawan didn't know better, he'd swear Qui-Gon was being smug about it.

"Obi-Wan, perhaps we should choose a different contest. It's clear that you are not yet recovered enough to really participate in water wrestling," Qui-Gon all but purred.

Eyes narrowing to blue-gray slitted shards of pure annoyance, the younger man bared his teeth and growled, "I'll show you participation!" And with that, he dove under the water, arrowing straight for his master.

Large hands reached down for him, but he managed to twist away and flit around to the side. Then, in a surprise move, he wrapped himself around his master's legs and twisted for all he was worth, yanking backwards.

Nerves poleaxed from the shock of Obi-Wan's naked body wrapping around him, Qui-Gon was startled and stunned enough to lose his balance and go under. Before he could get his bearings, he was being pulled up to the surface again, held in a loose sleeper hold, one that would not actually put him under, but held him firmly enough so that pressure could be instantly applied as needed.

"Who needs to recover now?" a young, cultured voice taunted him from behind, and Qui-Gon grinned. It was so nice to see his mischievous Obi-Wan back in full form. And oh, what a form...

Mentally de-railing that train of thought, Qui-Gon reached up to grip Obi-Wan's arms with his large hands. The only rule they had during this wrestling match was no use of the Force, since Qui-Gon was a good head taller and proportionally stronger than his young apprentice. There was already too much of a disadvantage in that to warrant using Force to cheat.

"So," Obi-Wan stated conversationally, "give up?"

Qui-Gon laughed. "No."

"You realize that I have you at a disadvantage now, don't you?"

"I realize that all I have to do is roll around a bit and the motion combined with the water and my own strength should allow me to squirm free, providing you don't cheat, young man."

"Cheat? Me? Now, Qui-Gon, why would I ever do something like that?"

"Perhaps because it is the only hope you'll ever have of beating me?"

"Your BS is piling up ass-deep to a Bantha, Qui-Gon."

"Still hasn't managed to cover up the hot air from the windbag breathing down my neck, though. Hmm. Maybe a change of tactics?" Qui-Gon murmured, and with that, he stood, intending to go diving down into the deeper waters of the lake, dragging his Padawan along with him, but stopped when Obi-Wan's startled, delighted laughter burst forth. The younger man had not relinquished his grip on the taller man, and so hung from the broad shoulders like a child. Qui-Gon was loathe to do anything to disrupt such happy sounds that he'd been fearful he'd never hear again.

Turning his head, he said, "Something amuses you, Obi-Wan?"

"I haven't ridden piggyback in years!" the younger man laughed. "I forgot how much fun it was to do so just to be doing it, rather than needing to be carried because of some injury or another."

"Really?" Qui-Gon grinned, then reached back and tugged Obi-Wan's legs up around his waist, staunchly ignoring the sensation of the young man's groin pushing against his lower back. "In that case, allow me to indulge you this once."

"But, Master-" The younger man was slightly embarrassed, not only because of the silliness of this new game, but because they were both stark naked, and he really did not wish to have an embarrassing reaction. But perhaps that could be avoided, with a subtle rearrangement of shields...

"Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon murmured, sensing the shift in the Force.

"Just situating myself more comfortably, Qui-Gon," the younger man said, thanking the Force that his master couldn't see the blush in his face.

"Ah. Well, at least you remembered to use my name again," the older man laughed. Tightening his hold on his wet apprentice, he began to wade through the water towards the shore, then walked out onto the dock, grinning at the feel of Obi-Wan's giggles against his back.

They stood out at the end of the dock, simply looking over the sparkling lake and watching a family of waterfowl diving for their dinner out in the deeper section. Obi-Wan sighed contentedly and then said, "Master, have you ever gone piggyback riding?"

"No, Obi-Wan. Believe it or not, when I was a young boy, I was shy, until I learned to know the Jedi and my place among them. And by then, I was too old for it, because even as a youngster, I was bigger than most of my agemates," Qui-Gon said quietly. "I usually gave others rides."

"That's a shame," the younger man said, his chin resting on a broad shoulder. "This really is fun. And comfortable for me. I bet you're starting to get tired, though."

"No, actually, I'm not." The truth of the matter was, Obi-Wan had lost a bit of weight from his ordeal, and it was even easier to support the younger man's bulk. The Master was not at all pleased by this, but knew that with time everything would be back to what passed for normal in their lives.

"Really? Because if you wanna know what you've been missing, I can probably carry you around for a little bit. Of course, I'd have to use the Force to cheat a bit, but since we're not wrestling anymore..." Obi-Wan teased.

Qui-Gon snorted. He turned to walk off the dock again as he said, "As if that wouldn't be the most ludicrous sight in the-" and got cut off as a hunting bird, spotting a fish beyond them, came swooping in low, claws extended as it shrieked directly over their heads, forcing Qui-Gon to duck. He was startled enough to loosen his grip on his apprentice, and since Obi-Wan was still slick from the lake water, he slid right out of his master's grasp. Qui-Gon was horrified to hear a muffled thud, a yelp, and then a splash of water as something heavy dropped into the lake.

Spinning about, he dropped to his knees and plunged his arms down into the water, sensing that Obi-Wan was already rising up to the surface. As soon as he had hold of the smaller, yet muscular shoulders of his Padawan, Qui-Gon yanked the boy to the surface, not really seeing the laughter in Obi-Wan's eyes, or the smile on his face.

"Padawan! Are you okay?" he snapped, his voice tight as he scanned the younger man with the Force, checking for any injuries the boy might have sustained.

Obi-Wan blinked up at his master and said, "Yes, Master. I'm just fine. There might be a bruise on my backside later, but it's doubtful. I only fell a short distance and then into water almost immediately."

Qui-Gon sighed and then grinned ruefully at his charge. "I can see that. I'm sorry, Obi-Wan, I know I'm overreacting. I guess I'm feeling a bit more overprotective than usual."

Obi-Wan grinned up at the older man. "Completely understandable. But you might want to consider curbing that tendency, hmm?"

The Master sighed and nodded. "Alright. Well, come on; I'll help you out." He started to shift his grip to take hold of Obi-Wan's forearms.

Pure wicked intent flashed across Obi-Wan's face with a quicksilver grin as he purred, "Or better yet..."

Before Qui-Gon was quite aware of what was happening, he found his own forearms gripped and then he was yanked forwards over his apprentice's head. "Gah-hah!!" he yelled before he plunged head and shoulders first into the lake water, losing his grip on his Padawan.

Around them, the air was filled with the noises of a young Padawan's convulsive laughter and the semi-outraged sputtering of an older Master.

A few evenings later, Qui-Gon Jinn stood silently in the shadow shrouded and moonlit room of his sleeping Padawan, staring down at the young man who lay peacefully in his bed, the covers pulled haphazardly to reveal a smooth expanse of chest, bare arms, and a taut tummy, and the peek of one hip. And the toes that stuck out at the bottom of the covers.

He and Obi-Wan had stood side by side, watching the sunset, and then they had gone inside and washed and dried dishes together after the evening meal which Obi-Wan had gratefully cooked for them. While the stew Qui-Gon had assembled their first evening on Tal-Heel had been edible, the liberal use of salt, pepper, and various other spices had helped make it palatable. Since then, Obi-Wan had done the cooking during their vacation.

Qui-Gon was pleased with his Padawan's improved health. The young man had the healthy glow of fresh air and exercise and good appetite around him, and the relaxed atmosphere was letting him recover at his own pace. In truth, Qui-Gon suspected that his apprentice was fully recovered and then some, but he was not ready to admit that he had needed the down time as much as his student.

The two of them had chatted companionably, reminiscing about past missions together, and then when they were done, Obi-Wan had clapped him on the shoulder in a friendly manner. Then the younger man had frowned, catching Qui-Gon's attention. "What?" he had asked.

"You're tense. Your shoulders are rock hard," Obi-Wan had muttered, trailing his fingers lightly from shoulder to shoulder.

They won't be the only thing if you keep that up, my Obi-Wan, he had thought silently to himself. Instead, he had merely raised an eyebrow and said, "Indeed?"

"Yes. It's a good thing we brought our massage oil along with us. Go lie down in front of the fire and strip off your tunics. I'll go get the oil and then loosen you up," Obi-Wan had replied, and then had disappeared from the kitchen before Qui-Gon could object.

And there are so many fascinating ways that statement could be taken, he had grumbled sarcastically, then went to do as his Padawan had ordered him. When Obi-Wan had returned, he'd been face down on the floor in front of the fire, his head pillowed on a chair cushion, his arms loose at his sides.

Then the most divine torture he'd ever experienced had commenced.

Quite innocently, Obi-Wan had sought to loosen his muscles, stroking and kneading and flexing the muscles in Qui-Gon's back, shoulders, and arms. While the rest of Qui-Gon had melted in utter bliss, other parts of him had gone tense instead. Finally, eventually, Obi-Wan had finished the massage. Then he had suggested that Qui-Gon take off his boots and roll over so that the apprentice could give him a foot massage.

The idea of confronting Obi-Wan with his blatant arousal had all but horrified him, but instead of giving a vehement and flat out denial, he had yawned and said, "Actually, Obi-Wan, I'm quite content as I am. If you'll do me the favor of taking off my boots at least, I believe I may catnap right here for a bit."

There was a long moment of silence from the younger man, but eventually, there'd been a quietly murmured, "Yes, Qui-Gon," and his boots had been removed. Then, calmly and warmly, Obi-Wan had bid him a goodnight and disappeared into his bedroom.

Qui-Gon had remained where he was until he could get his body under control.

After a long while, he had finally been able to get up and go to his own room and change into sleep clothes. But before seeking his bed, he had felt the need to look in on his Padawan, and so he stood there now, gazing down at the peaceful young man.

Grateful, my Padawan. So grateful to have you still here with me, he thought silently to himself. So grateful. You may never know how grateful I am, but Force willing, hopefully some day I can tell you, show you, just how grateful I am, that you are alive, and with me still.

Leaning down, he gently brushed his fingertips through Obi-Wan's hair, then turned and left the room. Sleep well, my Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan sat on the porch in one of the comfortable lounging chairs provided for that purpose. Surprisingly enough, he had a purring ball of fur on his lap.

During their stay, Qui-Gon had, in his own, mysterious way, managed to discover the two half-wild Locse cats that lived around the cabin. True to form, the cats had immediately and quite happily attached their purring selves to his master, demanding lovies and food, both of which the older man freely gave. One of the cats tended to flat out ignore Obi-Wan, but the other would occasionally wander up to him for a sniff, and maybe allow the younger man to scratch behind its' ears or stroke its' body before wandering off.

Sitting on the porch in the middle of the day, soaking up the warmth of the air in the sheltered sitting area, he had been surprised when a patchwork pattern of fur had suddenly appeared on his lap, demanding the attention it usually demanded of Qui-Gon. Smiling, Obi-Wan had begun to pet and scratch it, and eventually the cat - a female, whom he had taken to calling "Tabitha" - had been reduced to kitty ecstasies and sprawled on his lap, apparently oblivious to anything but the attention she was receiving.

Obi-Wan was, all in all, quite content. It had been a fantastic few weeks on Tal-Heel. Every evening, he and his master had watched the most gorgeous sunsets Obi-Wan had ever seen, from any corner of the universe. Every day was filled with laughing, teasing, practice drills and exploration of the area, and soaking up the Living Force, which he was doing now. In fact, he was in a near meditation daze, totally tranked from the warmth of the air, the smell of clean air, the peacefulness surrounding him, and of course, the soft, silky fur under his fingertips.

That was how Qui-Gon found him when he wandered up from the lake after trying his hand at fishing. He smiled at the sight of his half-dozing apprentice who sat with a pile of fur draped, and purring noisily, over his lap. One of the lean, elegant hands was continually stroking said pile of fur, whose tail occasionally twitched in utter bliss.

"Obi-Wan," the older man murmured softly, and caught his breath when dazzling blue-gray eyes slitted open and a lazy, sensuous smile spread across the beautiful face.

"Yes, Qui-Gon?" Obi-Wan asked, then yawned. "Want your cat back now?"

Qui-Gon laughed, then settled on a chair next to his Padawan. "No, thank you." He glanced down, then grinned. "I believe I'm about to get my own." True enough, a moment later, a lean, lighter colored patchwork cat leaped agilely and gracefully into his lap and began to knead his cloth-covered belly for all it was worth. Chuckling huskily, he casually stretched out one long finger and scratched the purring cat under its dainty little chin. "Hello, little Agatha."

"Agatha?" Obi-Wan echoed, smiling.

"The cat is a she, and only a year old. Besides which, the name just seems to suit her. Much like Tabitha's name does for her," Qui-Gon said with a pointed look at the cat in Obi-Wan's lap.

Obi-Wan chuckled. "I'm not arguing it, Master."

The two were silent for a little while longer. Then Qui-Gon sighed. When he caught Obi-Wan glancing at him with an upraised eyebrow, he smiled and said, "It's been a pleasant few weeks, hasn't it?"

"Yes, Qui-Gon, it has," agreed his apprentice. "I've had a wonderful time. And I feel closer to you than I have for a while. Thank you."

"You're quite welcome, my Obi-Wan."

There was another stretch of silence, then the younger man said, "But I have the feeling it's time for us to get back to our duties, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. Fortunately for us, the Council is going to give us something relatively easy, just to ease you back into the swing of things," Qui-Gon said, speaking softly so as not to startle Agatha, who had reached up with a tiny paw to carefully pat his bearded chin, mimicking the soothing stroking he was giving her. The action made both Jedi smile with affection.

"I am grateful that they're being so considerate of me," was the smooth, diplomatic reply, and Qui-Gon shot a glance at the young man. No trace showed of the sarcasm he was sure was laced in that statement, but Obi-Wan was shielding very well, and Qui-Gon smiled with approval at this subtle display of readiness.

"Indeed, and I think you will do just fine, my Padawan," he murmured.

"Thank you, Master. Now, where are we going?" Obi-Wan asked, a glimmer of a smile on his mouth. His Master was never overt with his praise, but it was always said with sincerity and with a wealth of affection and pride lacing his words.

Qui-Gon chuckled back and settled into his seat, basking in the warmth and peace surrounding them just as his apprentice was doing. "We'll be going to Alastaar, to help two clans negotiate over water rights..."