Before - Legends From Little Acorns (Mighty Oaks Doth Grow) *Final post May 8th*

Title: From Little Acorns (Mighty Oaks Doth Grow)

Author: Jemmiah

Timeframe: JA - Obi-Wan is 13/14

Characters: Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi,
Jemmiah Gleshan, Yoda, Mace Windu and others.

Genre: Humor/drama

Summary: Qui-Gon gets first hand expeience of how difficult it is to be a pseudo-parent.

Notes: Reposted sequel to As Long As There Is Hope.





*******


The eye closed; long dark lashes folding shut in fastidious concentration.

Intrigued, the other eye stared straight ahead.

The object placed under such intense scrutiny was, on the face of it, nothing spectacular. A medium sized pot filled nearly to the top with rather moist soil sat on the side of the dining table, with its admirer merely inches away. Chin resting on bended arm, Jemmiah continued to stare in rapt fascination at the little mound of earth.

It wasn't so much the soil that was interesting but the contents?

"What have you got there?" A deep voice from over her shoulder asked.

"N-nothing." Jemmy replied quickly.

Qui-Gon frowned in puzzlement. It wasn't like Jemmiah to remain so still and silent for any length of time. Especially when occupied with something as mundane and seemingly normal as a bowl of compost.

"If it's nothing, why has it got you so enraptured?" Qui-Gon folded his arms. "What are you up to?"

Jemmiah turned a hurt expression on him.

"It's a project we've got at school." She replied in an injured tone. "We've been given three bulbs to grow. We have to see who can grow them the fastest and who gets the biggest flowers on them. That sort of thing. And let me tell you, there's a LOT of competition."

Qui-Gon's puzzlement grew as quickly as his smile did.

"I never had you down as a lover of nature." He apologized, leaning in for a closer inspection of the plant pot.

"I'm not that bothered usually," Jemmy admitted, "but this is interesting."

"But it's not doing anything." He said. "How can you find it so thrilling?"

"It is," Jemmy let her brooding stare fall back on the soil, "you just can't see it."

"Oh." Qui-Gon stifled a laugh at her expression. "Well, if you'll forgive me for saying this, I'm not sure that your staring at it will help it to grow any quicker."

"Course it will." She said defiantly.

The Jedi master shook his head ruefully. She'd been living with them now for three months and just when he thought he had her more or less sussed out she'd go and surprise him again.

"And how will it do that?

"I'm not just staring at it," the ten-year-old tilted her head to one side. "I'm thinking nice thoughts at it to get it to grow quicker."

Qui-Gon looked at her in astonishment.

"And what are you thinking of?" He asked.

"Well, I'm trying to picture what it'll look like when it's all grown up and beautiful with lots of flowers. And I'm thinking how tall it's going to get."

She stood up, with her hands grasped protectively round the pot.

"But most of all I'm picturing Sophie Digwurt's plant all scabby and chewed up by killer Chomp Weeds!" She grinned, walking away to sit down on the couch.

Qui-Gon regarded her as she stared intently into the soil again.

"It's nice to know the fair play ethic is still alive and well in modern schooling." He muttered.

****************************

Mealtime had passed in an unusually silent fashion.

Obi-Wan had sat down and stuffed himself as was befitting a constantly starving, growing young man of fifteen. The normal source of noise and chatter however was still preoccupied with the plant pot that sat next to her on the table, and for the first time in three months Qui-Gon found himself in the awkward position of being the one forced to make the conversation. His padawan didn't seem to mind. Infact, Jinn was under the impression that was one of the reasons that Obi-Wan had been so happy that the young girl had come to live with them.

It meant that he could get on with his meal all the quicker.

Qui-Gon sighed inwardly as he watched Jemmiah pick up her spoon, eyes still on the pot at the side,

 

The morning began as usual for Qui-Gon.

He woke up, looked at the time on the chrono by his bed and sent cheery and wakeful thoughts to his padawan.

As usual his padawan ignored them.

Then he wrapped his robe around him and ventured out onto the balcony, again sending Obi-Wan his morning alarm call.

Again his padawan ignored him.

Qui-Gon proceeded with his regime by breathing in the air deeply, trying to persuade his heart and lungs that he hadn't left them along with his body, behind in bed, this time issuing Obi-Wan with a stern reminder that it was time to venture forth into the land of the living and see what glorious things the force would throw at them on this truly wonderful Coruscant morning.

Obi-Wan responded in typical fashion by placing his cushion over his head.

The next port of call for Qui-Gon was the kitchen to pour himself a glass of fresh Citrus juice. This was the point (today being no exception) where he would inform Obi-Wan that if he wished to eat anything at all that morning he had better look lively and move his rear to the dining area.

Just as ever, the bleary eyed padawan threw open his door and hastened to the kitchen.

Qui-Gon ended the morning ritual as he always did by thanking the force that he knew his padawans' weaknesses?

A small sound interrupted his thoughts as he bustled round in the kitchen, preparing to make the toast. He glanced towards the couch.

"What are you doing up so early?" He asked.

Jemmiah straightened up from her bent double position.

"I'm talking to my bulbs!" she frowned.

Qui-Gon could now see three pots instead of the one she had shown him the day before.

"Do you not think you're perhaps taking this a little too seriously? He enquired.

"No way am I going to let that reptile beat me." She muttered.

Jemmiah bent over again.

"Listen, I'll strike a deal with you, OK? You start growing and I'll buy you a bigger pot. How about that?"

"It's not going to answer you." Jinn said flatly.

"I know, I know!" Jemmy pulled an impudent face. "I'm just giving it some encouragement."

"Seeing as you're up, perhaps you should get changed for school."

Jemmy looked at him in horror.

"It's the weekend!"

"Is it?" Qui-Gon frowned. " Sithspit! So it is."

Jemmy grinned.

"You said a bad word. I win!"

"What do you mean by that?" Qui-Gon couldn't understand what she was talking about.

"I had a bet with my bulbs that I could get you to swear within ten minutes of your getting up. I won, so now they have to start growing."

"I'm not convinced it works like that." Qui-Gon said, faintly embarrassed that he'd cursed in front of a ten-year-old.

"Course it does." She frowned at the soil again. "I'm not asking so much, am I? I'm only asking you to do what comes naturally?and anyhow, if you don't start growing in the next couple of days I'm going to drop you out of a high building!"

"Jemmiah!" Qui-Gon warned.

"Well, it's enough to drive anyone stark raving mad! How long do these things take to grow? I've been doing everything to help 'em and absolutely nothing has happened."

"These things take time. And if you drop them out of a window that's not exactly going to help you get one over on Ms Digwurt, is it?"

"Who says?" Jemmiah grinned. "I'd make sure she was underneath the window at the time!"

She picked up one of the pots.

"I'm sure you'll grow for me. I mean, you could have had Sophie tending to you. How would you have liked that, eh?"

Obi-Wan sauntered over; his short spiky hair and braid in considerable disarray.

"Master, why is Jemmy talking to the plant pot?"

Qui-Gon thought about it.

"Not now, Obi-Wan. It's too early in the morning for silly questions. And far too early for my even sillier answers."

**************

Two days later and nothing had emerged from the soil.

"What am I doing wrong?" Jemmy moaned.

"You aren't doing anything wrong. Perhaps there was something wrong with the bulbs."

"More likely I killed them." She mumbled. "I seem to have the knack of doing that."

 

"Well?" Qui-Gon asked when Mace escorted Jemmiah back, "what did he have to say?"

"He said you were right." Jemmiah didn't look too pleased. "He told me to show some patience."

Qui-Gon stood for a while with a puzzled expression.

"What's the matter?" Jemmiah frowned.

"I'm sorry. It's just that I could have sworn that you said something about Yoda telling you I was right."

"He did."

Jinn shook his head as if dazed.

"I'm going to immortalize this day in my diary."

"How come the troll sent me out of his home?" Mace grew curious.

"You're complaining?" Asked Qui-Gon.

"Not on your life. I hate the stink of that place."

"How do you think I felt? It didn't do much for me in the romantic stakes. I always had to sneak round to my girlfriends homes and even then they complained that my robes smelled like they'd been rotting in a bog for weeks and weeks." He looked at Jemmiah. "Cover your ears."

"You had girlfriends?" She asked, suddenly interested.

"There's no need to sound so surprised." Qui-Gon said, slightly wounded. "Even despite Yoda's attempts to stop me with his ancient recipe for gruel I managed to grow into a reasonable figure of a man, even if I say so myself. Don't you think so?"

"Well," She began, "you're maybe a little past your best?perhaps if you got rid of the beard?"

Qui-Gon looked shocked.

"I don't think so." He replied. "This beard and I go a long way back. I'm not shaving it off for anybody, and especially not to satisfy the curiosity of a ten year old girl who should be doing her mathematics homework."

"Rats." Complained Jemmy. "Nevermind. I'll get you one day. I'll make it my life's work to have that beard removed."

"Absolutely no way." Jinn answered with a smile.

"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot. Whilst he was singing your praises," Jemmiah placed the plant pot on the table next to the other two, "he also said that I couldn't really expect you both to help because when it came to the more practical, hands on aspects of gardening you were both totally useless."

Mace growled.

"He said that did he? From someone who spends his private life hanging around a giant swamp I think that's a bit rich!"

"How could he say that about me?" Jinn demanded, pointing to the collection of ferns on his balcony.

"Don't shoot me, I'm just the messenger." Jemmiah looked back and forth between the three plant pots.

"I can see what Yoda means about you. "Jinn looked at Mace. "You single handedly managed to kill off virtually every decent plant in the herb gardens when you had that punishment for stealing food from Quirida-Xac's refrigerator."

"It wasn't my fault!" Mace declared indignantly. "I thought they were weeds! And what about you? Force feeding Yoda's plants gruel for years and years? That as good as makes you a mass murderer!"

"I'm a better gardener than you any day!"

"Oh yeah?"

"You know it!"

"Garbage!"

"It's true." Qui-Gon said smugly.

Jemmiah looked at him with large, rounded eyes.

"Prove it." She said.

"Pardon?"

"I said prove it." She pushed one pot over to Qui-Gon. "You take that one and?" she pushed the other at Mace, "You take that one. Let's see which of the three of us gets their plant the biggest."

Mace looked uncertain.

"I dunno?"

"What are you scared of, Mace?" Qui-Gon remarked. "Are you afraid that a ten year old girl is going to beat you?"

"Of course not!"

"Well then. Do as she says. Prove it!"

The self-satisfied gleam in Qui-Gon's eye was all the challenge that Windu needed to rise to the bait.

"OK. Fine. I accept." He shot his hand forward and shook on it. "May the best man win."

"I think not." Jemmiah grinned.

"Haven't you got studies to see to?" Qui-Gon reminded her.

"Yes." Jemmiah picked up her plant. "In a little while. I'm going to water my plant first."

"You don't want to over water it." Qui-Gon suggested.

"Whoa, Qui-Gon. She's the enemy now. If she wants to kill the thing that's up to her."

"You are also the enemy." Jinn smiled at Mace. "Go attend to your plant."

Si

 

From somewhere in the distance, somewhere beyond the fringes of wakefulness, Qui-Gon heard something that disturbed him. He didn't know what it was, just that it was demanding his urgent attention. Swimming against the tide of sleep Qui-Gon struggled to bring himself to full consciousness, the mist still firmly wrapped around his mind.

He heard it again.

Blinking the sleep from his eyes the master sat up in bed, listening intently this time. He didn't have long to wait.

A scream.

A shorter one followed soon after.

Swinging his long legs over the side of his bed, Qui-Gon threw on his robe and bolted straight for Jemmiah's room from where the screaming had come from. Even before he had got to his door he could hear her yelling and screaming again.

"Lights on." He commanded, screwing up his face as the light hit his pupils.

She'd managed to fall off her bed and onto the floor taking half the blankets with her, most of which were wrapped round her legs in a tangled mass. That had probably explained the dull thud he thought he'd heard initially on stirring from his sleep. Still fully asleep and yet half sat up and shouting and screaming at something beyond him that he couldn't see, Jemmiah struggled in futile fashion to kick at the imprisoning blankets on her lower body. Qui-Gon bent down beside her.

"Easy, easy." He tried to calm her down with the force.

It didn't seem to have much affect. He saw Obi-Wan at the doorway.

"Master, what is it? What's wrong?" He asked in confusion.

"She's having a nightmare, that's all." Qui-Gon replied.

"That's all?" Obi-Wan stared at her. "It's enough to wake the dead!"

Jemmiah screamed something out in Corellian that Qui-Gon couldn't make out. There wasn't much use for ancient Corellian any more as the planet had used Basic for millennia, although it was still taught on the principle of national identity being so important. Qui-Gon had never had the need to learn it but decided to try remembering the words the girl was uttering in hope of unraveling this nightmare at a later day. Dex Berlingside spoke fluent Corellian. He'd almost certainly know?

"Can't we wake her up?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Too dangerous." Qui-Gon replied. "We'll have to let this one play itself out. Why don't you go and make some hot chocolate for the three of us, hmm?"

"Er?yes, master." Kenobi glanced back at the squirming figure as Qui-Gon held her gently.

He was glad he didn't have to share her dreams.

Jemmiah yelled something else that Qui-Gon didn't understand and then suddenly sat bolt upright, gasping for air.

"Shhh. You're alright now." He said gently. "It's Ok. It was just a nightmare."

If she heard him she gave no recognition.

This has gone on far too long, he thought, as he watched her start to tremble violently with shock. She'd had nightmares before, noticeably on the flight back from Nargotria but absolutely nothing like this?

"Hush," he said, brushing the hair back from her face, "you'll be fine. Do you want to talk about it?"

Eventually he was rewarded by a short shake of the head, interspersing the shivering.

"Come on then." He tried to remove the blankets from round her in an effort to redress the bed.

She shook her head.

"You can't spend the night down here." He said calmly but firmly. Suddenly he got some insight as to her behavior a few hours before.

"Have you had these dreams before?" He asked.

He wasn't surprised when she nodded.

"Last night? The night before?" He enquired carefully.

She nodded again.

"Is this why you didn't want to go to bed?"

Nod.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

This time he received a shrug.

"They weren't as bad as this?"

Another nod.

He reached for her dressing gown and draped it over her shoulders.

"You can speak to me you know. If you're having problems you should tell me about them. If you keep things to yourself then they only get worse. Now, are you sure you don't want to talk about your dream?"

She shook her head again.

Qui-Gon sighed. If she wouldn't talk then t

 

Darth Real Life and a pregnancy induced swiss cheese brain does not help one keep up with what's going on.

I certainly hope that Jemmy talks to someone about her nightmares. Although I think that Qui-Gon should pay a bit more attention to Jemmy's feud with Sophie Digwurt instead of playing it off to school girl competition.

Awesome posts Jem! Keep posting!

 

Thanks Mouse.

*********

"Do I have to do this?"

"Yes."

"It's not fair."

"Stop whining, please."

"But how would you like it? If anyone in here finds out I've been to see a S.P.O.O.K then I'll never live it down."

"A what?" Qui-Gon asked.

Jemmiah sighed.

"It stands for SORT PROBLEMS OUT OK. Because they always start off by telling you they will and then they never do."

"That's not going to happen." Qui-Gon remarked. "Look, what will it take you to be convinced that they are all friendly people who want to help."

"It's only deranged people that have to go visit them." Jemmy replied.

"Obi-Wan has had cause to use their services in the past. Does he look deranged?"

She looked at him in total surprise.

"I've even had to come here on one occasion. Do I appear mad to you?"

She was about to say something and Qui-Gon cut her off.

"On second thoughts, don't answer that." He said, marching her onwards.

There was an interval of about ten seconds whilst Jemmiah digested this information, and Qui-Gon could almost see the wheels turning in her mind.

"Why were you brought here?" She asked.

"I wasn't brought here." He said. "I made the decision myself."

He sat down next to her on the chair outside the room that Jemmiah's appointment was for, looking at the troubled face. Somehow he had to explain that it would be fine, that she had nothing to worry about.

"When I was young?"

"How young?" Jemmy demanded.

"Oh, I don't know. I'd been Yoda's padawan about a year and a bit. Mace and Dex and myself were more or less the same age. Well, Dex was a little younger and Mace a little older but we were good friends. Also part of our social group was a padawan called Lydia Shiel. She had a bit of a thing about Dex."

"Naturally," Jemmiah nodded, "he's Corellian."

"Anyhow," Qui-Gon continued, "We all wanted to go out one day because we were fed up with being in the temple. We just decided that we had to get out. Of course, our masters didn't know about this."

"And what happened?" Jemmy asked.

Qui-Gon cast his mind back into the distant past. In some ways it felt as if it had happened yesterday, still vivid and fresh in his mind?

"We went to numerous places we shouldn't have. Cantinas, clubs, you name it and we went there. Eventually we went to this fairground that was doing a planetary tour. We got to the top of one of the rides and," his voice wavered a little, "Lydia fell out."

"Wasn't she strapped in?" Jemmiah asked.

"Yes, but she hadn't done her harness up properly and it managed to unhook itself when she was at the top." He breathed out. "Dex and Mace didn't see what happened but I tried to stop her from falling. I only slowed her down."

"And?" Jemmiah said softly.

"She died before they could get the medics out to her." Qui-Gon replied. "I took it all to heart. It wasn't just my idea to go to the fairground. I hate these sorts of places. If anyone was keen to go it was Lydia, but I still felt responsible. I kept thinking that if only we hadn't gone, if only I had managed to stop her from falling then she would still be alive today."

Jemmiah looked at him.

"But how could it be your fault? There wasn't anything you could do."

"Precisely." He said. "And it took a good few months of visiting the S.P.O.O.Ks as you call them for me to see that."

"You'd better not tell anyone I'm here." She mumbled.

"Cross my heart." He said. "And Del-Isa Sidatu is a very kind individual."

"Maybe," Jemmiah said, "for a head doctor."

"Talk of the devil." Qui-Gon stood up.

Del-Isa Sidatu was a tall and slender figure with long bi-colored hair like the ticking Jemmiah had seen on some of the wild rodents that lived on Nargotria. The long strands were all woven together in tiny multiple braids and then scooped up in an elaborate clasp at the neck. It immediately caught her attention.

"How did you do that?" Jemmiah asked. "That must have taken ages!"

"I'm sure I can show you." She smiled, her dark skin wrinkling at the eyes. "You like braids?"

Qui-

 

Finally made it. Am going to read and comment later.

 

Thanks for reading Sabe

********

"Well?" Qui-Gon asked some forty-five minutes later. "Did she tell you anything?"

"No." said Sidatu with a smile. "And that in itself was extremely revealing."

Qui-Gon shook his head.

"Do you mind if I ask for some clarification on this point?"

Sidatu drummed her fingers on the table.

"We didn't discuss her nightmares at all because she refused point blank to talk about them. She was on the verge of walking out and then I told her she didn't have to answer any questions she didn't want to."

"And?"

"She hardly spoke another word during the course of the next thirty five minutes." Sidatu grinned in defeat. "She's a sharp one alright. Definitely knows her own mind. Although she actually said very little I was able to read between the lines. She was very uncomfortable with me. Her body language was screaming KEEP AWAY in big letters."

"So what DID you find out?" He asked, confused.

"Well, she's determined to be independent. She thinks that if she confides in anyone then it's going to be seen as a sign of weakness. That and the fact that she's just not used to having people to speak to. The idea makes her uneasy. She doesn't like her classmates at school and she has nobody to play with but she doesn't seem too heartbroken by that. In fact she seems to have taken all her frustrations out on someone in particular, er?" she looked at her notes.

"Sophie Digwurt?" offered Qui-Gon.

"Yes. I believe that was the name." Sidatu nodded.

"Oh, I know all about Ms Digwurt. She sounds utterly enchanting." Jinn rolled his eyes. "She's made some rather unkind remarks about her recently and it didn't go down very well as you can imagine."

"Yes, and that's what I was going to mention." Sidatu said. "She's still not very secure with either herself or her own position in your household."

Qui-Gon's face registered surprise.

"She told you that?"

"More or less. She was extremely worried that I was going to say something about her that might cause you to change your mind about her living with you. She's also thoroughly frustrated about other people's attitudes to her. The fact that she's so far behind everyone else in her class physically because of that wasting illness has made her a very angry young lady."

"Angry?"

"At herself, more than anything else. I think a little confidence boosting might help."

Qui-Gon nodded.

"What about those nightmares?"

"There's not much point in you bringing her back if she's not prepared to talk. And I'm convinced that she either can't or won't. I've got two suggestions that might help.

Firstly, your padawan is what, four and a bit years older than she is? See if you can't get her to speak to him more. She seems to like him, going on what she told me. Perhaps she'll trust someone closer to her own age.

Secondly, I recommend you buy her a diary."

"A diary?"

"To write down whatever she likes, from what she had for breakfast to how she feels after her nightmares. To deal with a problem you have to face it. If she confides in her diary it might help her through the worst of it. It's better to make your peace with a book than with nobody at all."

Qui-Gon took in the information, slowly running it through his head.

"I'd say you've got your hands full, Master Jinn. But you should be able to make some progress."

"My thanks to you." He replied.

"Not at all. I'm always here if you need to talk?"

"Oh, no. You're not getting me on that couch."

"Pity." She sighed. "Oh, well."

As he turned to leave, Sidatu called out after him.

"Good luck with that plant of yours. It sounds like you've got some serious competition."

Qui-Gon paused at the door.

Perhaps this was just what he needed?

*****************

"Halt!" Jinn commanded as the Corellian girl bounded past him through the doorway and headed for the sanctuary of her bedroom.

Jemmiah stopped with her back to him, but her arms slapped down at her side, displaying her annoyance.

"What?" she moaned.

Qui-Gon decided to overlook t

 

I?m so glad there is a sequel. I wanted to know what sort of havoc Jemmiah would bring to the lives of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan and in these first few instalments we have a very good idea! A wonderful look at everyday life for the three of them and how the relationships between them are developing.

There's nearly always some catastrophe or disaster round at your place so I thought I'd drop in on the off chance. ? ROTFL! Also at the competition between Qui-Gon, Mace and Jemmiah. Looking forward to seeing who wins!

Will read the latest instalment tomorrow.

 

Thanks very much for reading Sabe...I'm pleased that you're enjoying the mayhem Jemmy causes the Jinn household. And she DOES cause a lot of problems down the years!

*********

A day and a half later Qui-Gon glared into the soil of his plant pot.

Why wasn't it growing? What was he doing wrong?

Sith, he was beginning to sound like Jemmiah?

"You put this in the same time as your one?" He indicated the bulb with a sweep of the hand.

"Yup." Jemmy nodded. "Well. A day later. I did my one at school but it was easier to take the others home as bulbs and then plant them."

Qui-Gon nodded, not really paying attention.

Jemmiah watched him as he sat miserably beside the plant pot, wearing an expression half way between disgust and misery. Part of her wanted to laugh her head off at the irony and the other part wanted to tell him she knew how he felt.

"I'm NOT letting him beat me. No way!" Qui-Gon refused to countenance it. "I would never live it down. And besides?"

"You're incredibly mean with money and you don't want to pay him!" Grinned Jemmy, lying along the sofa on her front, kicking her legs up idly.

"I am not mean." Qui-Gon looked shocked. "Frugal, maybe."

"That's the same as mean on Corellia." Jemmiah replied.

"And what do you remember about Corellia?" Qui-Gon said absently, hoping to trick her into talking.

He watched her out of the corner of one eye and could see he hadn't tricked her at all. And yet she still decided to speak.

"Not much, really." She chewed her lip. "I remember we had a big garden. There was this huge tree that used to throw down acorns onto us. Father built a swing to push us on. Todd always fell off!" She laughed at the memory. "He always ran back to the house with cuts on his knees and scrapes on his head. But I was brilliant and I used to sit tight even when the swing went right up to the top so I could almost touch the branches."

"I didn't know you remembered your father." Qui-Gon looked surprised. "You never mentioned him before."

"I don't really." She smiled slightly. "He was really tall. He was just a pair of legs to me. Mother always said he was a pilot. I used to think that was pretty neat. But then she said he hadn't come back from a mission one day. They found the wreckage in the sea."

She looked at Qui-Gon in embarrassment.

"I find it difficult to get upset about him, does that sound terrible? I don't remember him at all well. And it's not easy to get attached to a pair of occasionally visiting legs."

Jinn shook his head.

"No. There's no shame in that." He replied. "What else do you remember?"

"About Corellia?" Jemmiah crinkled her brow. "Not much. We had this pet Vampki; he was a huge furry, ugly looking thing. He used to sit on my head like a hat! The size of his hairy feet was incredible, and when he jumped about you could hear him for miles. That's why we gave him his name."

"And what was that?"

"General Thunderpaws!" Jemmy giggled. "Wasn't that great? He had these massive eyebrows just like the pictures of General Zzubaki you see in history books. That was my idea."

"I thought it would be." Qui-Gon said. "And your brother?"

"Todd?" She twisted her hair around her finger uncomfortably. "What about him?"

"You only mentioned him once, as far as I recall." Jinn asked carefully. "What do you remember about him?"

Jemmiah looked at the floor for a moment.

"He was a year older than me. We used to play together a lot, but that's about it. I guess I'm worried?" She halted awkwardly.

"Worried about what?" Qui-Gon asked gently.

"That I'll forget him. Sometimes I can barley remember what he looked like."

Jinn nodded slowly.

"What happened to him?" He asked.

Jemmy chose her words carefully.

"Merdan didn't want him." She answered finally.

Ignoring the laden silence, Jemmiah tried valiantly to change the topic, pointing instead at the soil.

"So what do you think is wrong?" She asked. "You going to beat Windu or what?"

"That's Master Windu to you." Qui-Gon replied, glad to talk about som

 

"Two weeks." Grumbled Jemmiah with her arms up to her elbows in foam. "Two weeks of washing dishes, all because of that Digwurt creature."

Obi-Wan shrugged.

"You were lucky you didn't get a whole month." He replied as he looked up from the assignment he was writing. "When Zac and I put gum in our master's boots that's what we got."

"Did you do that?" Jemmy looked interested.

"Uh-huh. But don't go getting any ideas. Qui-Gon's a great person to have on your side but not very nice when you cross him."

"So I found out." Jemmiah moped. "You know, he wasn't so much upset that I did that thing to Sophie but that I got him and Master Windu to wash the dishes whilst I sat in the comfortable chair and watched holos."

Obi-Wan nodded.

"Sounds like my master. He probably thinks your schoolmate deserved it. Not that he'd admit it."

"Actually," Jemmiah looked uncertain, "I think he's afraid to come down like a permacrete brick on me because he doesn't know how to treat me at the moment."

"The Soul Healer thing?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Yeah," she let her face slide into a sneer, "that. You know, a less honest person would take advantage of that."

"And you're not going to?" The padawan popped a chocolate into his mouth.

"What's the point?" The ten-year-old groused as she scrubbed at the scrambled egg sticking to the pan. "All that does is drag this whole thing out. And he'll just think I'm psychologically damaged and send me back to that Sidatu woman."

She stopped for a moment, lost in thought.

"I can't pretend I'm sorry for what I did. And anyhow, if I hadn't then Digwurt would have just gone on tormenting everyone for ever and ever and ever?"

"That's why you should have spoken to me."

Jemmiah was so surprised she nearly dropped the dishes back into the water.

"Master Jinn?" she stammered. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough." He said.

"I wish you Jedi people wouldn't do that."

"What?"

"All that sneaking around. It's not dignified."

"Correct. About as dignified as putting rocks inside cakes."

Jemmiah dried the pan on the dishtowel, scowling at him.

"She's only got broken teeth. It'll stop her from thieving what doesn't belong to her."

"I could have done that." Qui-Gon shook his head.

"No you couldn't!" Jemmy insisted. "Have you any idea what school is actually like? If you're the slightest bit different from all the others then they bully you. If you show the smallest trace of weakness they'll pick on you 'till the end of time. Imagine what I would suffer if I had you go speak to my teacher and tell them I was getting harassed! I'd never hear the end of it!"

"I think you're exaggerating. Children have short memories. There's always something new to fall out over."

"Master Jinn." Jemmiah twisted the dishtowel in agitation, "I mean no offence so please don't jump on me for this, but how long has it been since you were a kid?"

Obi-Wan failed to cover his snickering.

Qui-Gon pointedly ignored the question.

"She could have choked on those stones and died." Qui-Gon said sternly.

"I never thought of that." Jemmy paused for a moment. "Not to self: must get bigger stones next time."

"What was that about a next time?"

"Nothing."

"I should hope not." Qui-Gon stared at her with his icy blue gaze. "I want your word that you will NEVER try anything of this nature again."

Jemmiah shook her head.

"I can't do that."

"Pardon?" Qui-Gon couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"I don't go picking fights with people," she said slowly, "but if someone has a go at me it is my right to defend myself in whatever way I see fit. That's what I was brought up to think."

"Who taught you that?" He asked coldly.

"My friend Nadine...you remember her. I know you do." She replied, lowering her eyes in reverence.

"Well, she is not looking after you now. I am." He answered, softening his tone accordingly. "There are ways of defending yourself that do not jeopardize other peoples' welfare."

"Speaking to the head teacher?" she said bitterly. "I'd b

 

Admit it Qui-Gon! You think that Sophie deserved what she got with those rock cakes. And Jemmy's right, speaking to the head teacher will do nothing but get her picked on even more.

But it's nice to see that Qui-Gon is trying to boost Jemmy's confidence when he can.

 

Just caught up again! That was brilliant! I love the way you portray Mace and Qui-Gon's friendship. As she glanced away, Qui-Gon and Mace both grabbed another couple of cakes each - ROTFL!


Turns out they had real rocks in 'em - An interesting way to get revenge. Wonder if it has worked?

Looking forward to finding out what happens next!

 

The days seemed to fly past far too quickly for Qui-Gon's liking.

Jemmiah's plant had suddenly started to shoot up and up and up, putting forth a display of tiny bluish flowers.
She hadn't stopped celebrating yet.

He, on the other hand still found himself looking at a heap of brown soil that showed no signs at all of springing into life. Time and time again he found himself wondering what he was doing wrong. He watered it, he fed it, and he made sure it got enough light. He even tried meditating with the darned thing sitting in his lap.

Then Obi-Wan came back to the apartment and caught him. The grin on his face told him exactly how amusing the boy had found it.

Well, he would not give up. That was not the Jedi way. Even although Jemmiah's plant was seemingly growing as he looked, mocking his own inability to tend its companion.

When the comlink chirped he wasn't astounded to hear Windu's voice on the other end.

"How's it going Qui?" he grinned. "How's my 200 credits?"

"They are my 200 credits and they are going to stay that way." Qui-Gon huffed.

"That's what you think." Mace said.

"And how is your plant doing?" Qui-Gon asked conversationally.

The pause was extremely revealing.

"Fine, fine." He said suspiciously. "Why shouldn't it be?"

"I bet you haven't even got it to break the surface." Qui-Gon stated.

"Have so."

"Liar."

"Well, what if I haven't?" Mace growled. "Stupid plant. I've tried everything! I've drowned it in plant food; I've baked it in sunlight and floated it in water. I've even tried breathing on it! What else is there to do?"

Qui-Gon shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

"Yoda said to Jemmiah that they respond to music."

"So?"

"We could always?sing to them."

"You said music, Qui. Not caterwauling."

"There's nothing wrong with my voice." Qui-Gon bristled.

"Wrong? It sound's like a Nerf in a mincing machine!"

Jinn was glad Mace could not see his annoyed expression.

"Well, I'm going to try it." He said in an injured voice.

"If anything's going to kill it off that will do it." Mace replied.

"Well, thanks Windu. I love you too. Just get my 200 credits ready."

Qui-Gon terminated the conversation and drummed his fingers against the pot and glared at Jemmiah's tall, leafy plant. He could swear it was laughing at him.

"I just want you to know that you are one ugly plant." The Jedi snapped.

************

"How's it all going at your place?" Zac yawned.

"Assignments, exams, assignments, missions, assignments, housework and?"

"Assignments?" Zac hazarded.

"Got it one." Obi-Wan nodded. "You are lucky that your master doesn't get field work. You get to deal with all the technical aspects of sabre practice."

"You get that too." Zac straightened his robe.

"Yes, and I'm good for my age. Everyone says so. But I could be better."

"Not as good as me." The padawan thrust his chest out proudly.

"Nobody is better than you." Kenobi grimaced. "Except maybe Jodi."

"I know!" He smiled momentarily then let it fade on his face. "But it's not all good. My poetry is suffering."

Obi-Wan shook his head.

"Zac, I mean this with the best will in the world. Your poetry is?not very good."

"That's because I don't get the time to practice!" Zac remarked. "It's almost impossible to think up new and original verses whilst you're in the middle of a kata."

"I suppose so." Obi-Wan grinned. "Want to grab something to eat at my place?"

"Sure. Why not?" Zac smiled.

They walked back to Qui-Gon's residence slowly, catching up on the events of the previous day.

"You know Obi, I think my muse has abandoned me." Zac sighed.

"It hasn't Zac, it's just?having a rest." Kenobi tried to reassure him. "One day soon you'll get inspiration from something and you'll be back to writing out verses of utter garbage just like before."

Zac thumped him between the shoulder blades.

"There's nothing wrong with my poetry." He laughed.

"It stinks, Zac! You know it too."

"But it's fun!"

"You just like to torture people, that's your

 

Er... Mace, don't you think that you should have checked the bulb a long time ago??

Then again you have to give it to Jemmy for being able to outwit not one but two Jedi masters!

 

And now, the final curtain...

********

A few days later and Qui-Gon had sent a rather excited Jemmiah on her way to school, armed with her plant to await the final result of the contest. He hoped she wouldn't be too disappointed if she didn't do well. And hoped she wouldn't be too hard to live with should Sophie Digwurt managed to beat her?

He was astonished when barely three hours later Jemmiah turned up at the temple looking rather sad.

"Why aren't you at school?" He demanded.

"No school." She mumbled.

"What? Why?"

"Got sent home." The eyes looked up at him apologetically.

"What have you done?" Qui-Gon stared in shock.

"I haven't done anything." Jemmiah pouted. "It's not my fault! The whole class got sent home and there wasn't anyone else who could take the classes."

Qui-Gon marched her over to the sofa and instructed her to sit.

"Now, tell me." He began.

"Well," she began uncomfortably, "you know that today was the day that our plants were supposed to be judged."

"Yes, I was aware of this." Qui-Gon said as patiently as he could manage.

"It didn't happen."

"Go on." He prompted.

"You see, our teacher who was s'posed to be picking the winner?"

"Yes?"

"Got arrested." She finished.

Qui-Gon's mouth dropped open.

"What for?" he asked.

"It seems that those bulbs he got everyone to grow were a little bit dodgy."

"In what way?" Qui-Gon said in dread of the answer.

"Turns out they were?Lucifer Tree-Winders."

"Oh, please tell me you are joking!" Qui-Gon's voice expressed his horror.

Jemmy shook her head.

"Master Jinn, don't they make Drekk out of that stuff?" she asked.

"Yes, yes they do." Qui-Gon nodded, closing his eyes at the thought of the highly toxic and addictive drug. "It's a good thing those flowers never opened or we would have all been high as Rock Falcons."

Jemmiah looked at her feet.

"What was your teacher thinking of?" Qui-Gon was one step away from being angry. "Getting innocent young children to grow a potentially lethal drug producing plant!"

"I put in soooooo much effort into growing that thing." She sniffed. "I sweated blood over that stupid plant and they took it away so they could burn it! Tell me what the point of that was."

Qui-Gon put his hand on her shoulder.

"I think the point of this is that I am going to have to consider a change of school for you." Qui-Gon said dryly.

"No more Sophie Digwurt!" she beamed.

"Yes, well things don't happen overnight. You'll have to keep going to your present school until I can arrange a transfer."

Jemmiah kicked her feet against the sofa.

"I'm bored." She said.

"You've only got in. How can you be bored already?" Qui-Gon frowned.

"I could try some more baking."

"No thank you." Qui-Gon shook his head.

Pause.

"Oh, they're coming to collect those two bulbs that didn't grow."

"The ones you put in upside down?"

Jemmiah grinned.

"Whoops!" she smirked. "I told you that gardening wasn't my strong point. I think if you don't mind I'll give it a miss from now on."

"I'm very glad to hear it." Qui-Gon replied.

Jemmiah took off her shoes and slid back into the sofa. She hadn't been joking when she'd said she was going to give up gardening. It caused far too much aggravation, and for what? Looking out onto the fern filled balcony she didn't know how Master Jinn could find it all so peaceful and relaxing.

Qui-Gon looked relieved that the whole thing was over and she couldn't say she blamed him.

Perhaps, under the circumstances, now was not the time to tell him about the bulbs she'd planted in the temple gardens?

THE END.

 

That's our cheeky Jemmy!

Gotta love her!

 

Will catch up over the weekend, please say this will continue with another story!

 

Hi Sabe! Yes, there is a sort of continuation set a few months down the line, which I've just started. Hope you enjoy!

It takes one to know one

 

She hadn't stopped celebrating yet. ? Yay go Jemmiah! LOL at Qui-Gon?s singing to the plant! He and Mace should have checked earlier! ROTFL at the ending, I agree it probably wasn?t the right time to mention what she planted in the gardens! They will discover it soon enough!

Excellent, shall be reading the next one!

 

ROFLM*O

Qui-Gon singing to a pot of dirt.

That has got to be the funniest thing I've ever read.

 

*struggles to catch her breath* Qui-Gon... *Shakes head* That was hilarious.

 

Hmm, at author's request, I wonder why? Sequel? We can hope?