Before - Legends Jedi Snapshots *New story 15/06/06* 'These Boots Were Made For Walking'

TITLE: Duck!
AUTHOR: Jemmiah
SET: JA
CHARACTERS: Vernice Ashdal and Jemmiah Gleshan
SUMMARY: The hazzards of shopping with children...

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


"Are you sure about this?" Vernice asked as she dragged Jemmiah round by the arm. "You could have the choice of any number of gifts and you want bath oils?"

"I missed not having baths." Jemmy looked solemnly at Vernice. "When I was stuck on that planet for five years we only had sonic showers. I liked being able to soak in the bath. When I was little I used to splash my brother in the face. He used to pinch me, see? So I tried to get foam in his eyes to make him cry."

Vernice half smiled.

"Sounds delightful." She said dryly.

"It was fun. Except when he'd force me to eat the soap." Jemmy pulled a face at the stray memory. "I don't recommend it at all. So I used to hit him with my duck."

"Duck?" Vernice asked, wondering her sanity in asking.

Jemmy nodded her head really fast. "I had a bath duck when I was little. No bath should be without a duck."

Vernice was kind of thankful that Jemmiah was still too weak and wobbly to do much in the way of shopping. She seemed to tire easily, which left the master wondering if it had been such a good idea of Qui-Gon's in the first place. They'd been picking out a few items of clothing for the girl, and Vernice was wondering what exactly Qui-Gon would make of them. They'd argued over style and practicality, Jemmiah seemingly being drawn to the impractical and the daring (which she knew Qui-Gon would NOT tolerate) and in the end practicality had won out. As a compromise the Corellian child had insisted that the colors be loud.

And they were. VERY loud.

//She'll certainly be eye catching// Vernice thought dryly to herself as Jemmiah charged off towards the perfumes and bath oils. Well, he'd promised her she could get what she wanted within a certain price range and so far they were still well under budget?

"Corellian orchid is very good." Jemmy unscrewed the tester and let Vernice sniff at it. "Here. What do you think?"

"I think," Vernice tried to catch her breath, "Qui-Gon won't know what's hit him!"

Jemmy dropped the bath oil into the basket and moved on.

"Bath cubes." She held up the container.

"More Corellian orchid?" Vernice wondered. "Why not something more subtle, like Alderaani rosewood, or Korrassi pine?"

"Bleuch!" Jemmy pretended to gag. "They're for babies! I prefer something more mature."

She walked over to the counter and picked up a scented bath sponge.

"Let me guess," Vernice stared as the item was added to the collection, "Corellian Orchid?"

"Yup!" Jemmy gave small grin.

"I hope Qui-Gon likes Corellian Orchid."

"So do I." Jemmiah agreed. "But nevermind. I'm sure he'll get used to it."

The next stop was over to the bath accoutrements. Jemmiah had taken a few steps round the corner and then suddenly her eyes lit up.

"Ducks!" she pointed gleefully. "Just what I need."

Vernice followed the child's enraptured expression towards the shelf that was literally overflowing with plasti bath ducks. White ducks, green ducks, blue ducks?ducks of every color.

Wall to wall ducks.

"Okay, if you're sure." Shrugged the master, reaching out to pick up the nearest one to her.

"Uh uh." Jemmy rounded her eyes. "I'd like a yellow one."

"Yellow? Why yellow?" Vernice looked up at the shelf where the yellow ducks were. The TOP shelf. "They are way up where we can't get at them."

"My duck was yellow." Jemmy said defensively. "And I'd like a yellow one to remind me of him."

Vernice cast her eyes up once more. She couldn't help but wonder if Jemmiah was being deliberately awkward by requesting a yellow duck but one look at the disappointed look on the girl's face was enough to persuade her to make a special effort.

"Okay. A yellow duck it is then." She murmured. "I'll have to get the assistant to get one for us."

"Can't you float it down?" Jemmy asked, waving her hand about to imitate Vernice's force powers.

"In a store? That would look maybe a t

 

SNORDLE!!! Hehehe!!


Great bunch of posts!!! Too many to comment, on, so I'll just say "AWESOME!!!"

 

TITLE: A Girl's Best Friend
AUTHOR: Jemmiah
SET: JA
CHARACTERS: Qui-Gon Jinn, Jemmiah Gleshan
SUMMARY: Small but perfectly formed...just who IS a girl's best friend?

**********

It was, Jemmiah smiled pleasantly to herself, a great thing to be fifteen years of age.

She could finally do things without people raising their eyebrows critically at her, or look down at the clothing she opted to wear, or the color of her lipstick. Yes, at last she could wear exactly what she wanted; eye make-up, a discrete amount of rouge, maybe even color crawlers in her hair if she had a mind to. Accordingly, the length of her boots had increased whilst the length of her skirts had defiantly decreased by an entire inch. It was as if Evla and everyone else finally accepted it. Well, everyone except Qui-Gon, that was?

The man just couldn't stop himself expressing his unwanted opinions. Why couldn't he just accept that she was growing up? Why did he treat her like she was a little girl of ten?

In a way it was amusing, as well as frustrating. Poor Quiggy, so naturally intelligent and compassionate - yet unable to come to terms with the fact that time had passed them all by. She wasn't that helpless, fearful little girl anymore, even although she could turn on the 'miserable waif' look whenever she wanted something badly enough. Truth was she knew she could manipulate the man more or less as she liked, but there was no fun in it anymore. He was just too?honest to deserve it.

Just like his opinions were. Honest. Heartfelt. He didn't want to see her come to harm or be put in any danger. As far as he was concerned, dressing in typical provocative teenage fashion was just asking for the wrong attention. Of course, it was only the 'wrong attention' when it wasn't wanted?

"Can't fault him for wanting to look after me." Jemmiah removed her coat and placed it neatly over the back of the sofa, straightening out the creases in the material. "I just wish he'd let me grow up a bit?"

Whistling an airy Corellian tune, Jemmiah kicked off her high-heeled shoes onto Evla's fluffy white rug and sank back against the sofa, rubbing at the backs of her feet. In this respect Qui-Gon was right; there was a price to pay for sporting the latest fashions! In her case it would be a rather nasty case of blisters come the morning. No matter! She and Spider had enjoyed one of the best days ever round at Verity Filbert's party. Verity had just turned sixteen, which as Spider had reminded her with an insinuating wink, meant she could legally do a whole load of stuff she couldn't before without getting prosecuted.

"Lucky Verity." Mumbled Jemmy.

It had been a wild party, lots of loud music, lots of alcohol and strange fruit punch (strange because Jemmiah could swear she couldn't taste any fruit in it at all) lots of laughter - and lots of rather attractive young boys who had been quite happily casting their eyes in her direction on more than a couple of occasions. Such a change from three years ago, where her sharp, pointed little features and pale skin marked her out as someone who was likely to have problems getting anyone to look on her favourably. But fate for once had been kind, and her features had transformed themselves into a kind of delicate beauty, so that after all her past disenchantment she was almost happy with her appearance! The fact that her figure had become more noticeable as well hadn't done her any harm?

If only she could have stayed out longer and talked with some of those young boys! Well, one young boy in particular?

But Jemmiah had enough of a conscience to know that she had promised Evla she'd be back in time for when she came off her shift at the crèche which, according to a swift glance at the chrono hanging around her slender wrist, should be any time now. No doubt she'd want a full discussion of all that had happened at the party, including who was there and, possibly, who she was likely to be seeing again?

"Evie, I hope you come back soon." Jemmiah gave up trying to massage the feeling back into her feet an

 

LOL!!!!! Too funny!

 

TITLE: Lipstick, Powder & Paint
AUTHOR: Jemmiah
SET: JA
CHARACTERS: Qui-Gon Jinn, Dex Berlingside, Jemmiah Gleshan, Mace Windu, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda.
SUMMARY: A new image for Qui-Gon...

*******


?Three weeks,? Qui-Gon raised his eyebrows as he handed Mace Windu a cup of Caf, ?three whole weeks since my home was invaded by a tornado with legs.?

Mace laughed, enjoying the time away from more pressing matters elsewhere. ?You asked for it.? He grinned. ?You were the one who swore all manner of nasty and un-jedi like things if the Council didn?t grant you the kid?s custody.?

?Don?t remind me.? Qui-Gon closed weary eyes.

?You don?t regret taking her in, do you?? Mace frowned suddenly. ?If you?re having any difficulties then we could try to find somebody outside the temple??

?No.? Jinn replied immediately. ?I stand by my promises. Nor do I regret making them in the first place. It?s just??

?What?? Windu asked, adding more sweetener to his Caf.

?Having somebody that young round the place is making me realize how young I no longer am.?

Mace laughed. ?Old, Qui. The word is old. You can say it, you know. It won?t kill you.? He stirred the liquid in the mug. ?Yet.?

Jinn sighed for what seemed the hundredth time since Mace came to speak to him.

?She?s come on a lot since we brought her back, but I really think she?s only just beginning to get used to life here. I?m not sure she likes being stared at. Being a non-Jedi has made her a conversation point for the temple gossips. You know, the people who don?t know anything about her background.? He placed his cup on the table. ?When she first arrived she spent most of the time in the infirmary getting treated for that wasting illness she picked up on Nargotria. An-Paj warned me she?d do very little but sleep. Well, fine. I can cope with that. What he DIDN?T tell me,? Jinn rolled his eyes,? was what she would be like once she started recovering.?

?And what has she been like?? Frowned Mace.

?A complete and utter nightmare.? Confessed Qui-Gon wearily. ?One minute she?s so tired she can hardly keep her eyes open with her fingers and the next she?s like a tiny whirlwind. I thought Obi-Wan used to be hyperactive but it was not a patch on this!?

?You should take her back to see An-Paj.? Mace offered.

?I did. He was a bit more forthcoming this time. He said that the drugs that she?d been given were causing the hyperactivity but that it would wear off after she stopped taking them.?

?And when does she stop taking them?? Windu asked hesitantly.

?Another two weeks.? Jinn gulped softly. ?And that?s not it by a long shot.? He stood up and beckoned Mace over to the kitchen area.

?Open it.? Qui-Gon said, pointing at the refrigeration unit.

Mace blinked but did as was instructed. Pulling back the door, he looked in and found himself staring back at-

Nothing.

?That was full yesterday.? Jinn shook his head. ?Between my new Ward and the force sensitive termite, I have absolutely nothing left in this apartment that is remotely edible.?

?You don?t call your padawan ?the termite?, do you?? Laughed Windu.

?Only when he?s out of earshot.? Qui-Gon admitted dryly. ?This was yet another thing that An-Paj neglected to tell me when she came back from the infirmary. Making sure she has regular meals is one thing. Stopping her eating long enough for her to take her regular meals is another.?

?You can hardly blame her for having an appetite.? Mace smiled reassuringly at his friend. ?She looks half starved.

?Tell that to the packet of Takkini chips I purchased yesterday.? Jinn shot back.
He looked up at the ceiling.

?What Gods hate me enough to saddle me with two constantly snacking children??

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

Vernice Ashdal sat and braided Jemmiah?s hair later that night. She had been yet another visitor to Qui-Gon?s apartment to see if he was coping with his new responsibilities, or crying into his cereal, or slitting his wrists?

?What is it with girls and hair?? Jinn pondered to Obi-Wan as they finished drying the d

 

LOL!!!!!!!!

//Damn//, thought Jinn. //Outsmarted by a termite!// LMAO!!!

Too great!!

 

TITLE: Pillow Talk
AUTHOR: Jemmiah
SET: JA
CHARACTERS: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn and Jemmiah Gleshan
SUMMARY: What is Qui-Gon to do with a padawan in love? (and you thought Anakin was bad!)


*******

"Just one call!"

"No."

"Please, master!"

"Well..."

"I'll make it quick. I promise."

Sigh.

"OK. But it had better be quick or else..."
"THANKS MASTER!"

Obi-Wan dashed over to the Holonet terminal to place his call before Qui-Gon could change his mind.

Which he was seriously considering.

Somehow the Jedi master doubted his padawan knew the meaning of the word quick when it came to the small matter of contacting his girlfriend. However, the young man had moped almost from the moment they had left the temple until they had reached their suite in the hotel they were staying at. He'd barely spoken to him once, and all because he'd refused point blank to let Obi-Wan put in a 'frivolous' call from the ship they were travelling on.

Who'd be young again, Jinn thought bleakly?

He settled down in the chair and watched with idle amusement as his apprentice tried to contact his ladylove. Evidently, absence was not getting the chance to make the heart grow forgetful. But whose heart? His or hers?

It took a further five minutes of frustrated teeth grinding and hair pulling before Obi-Wan finally got through to the object of his desire...

"Hello? Jemmy?" Kenobi said anxiously.

"Ben?" Came back a surprised voice.

"Where were you?" Obi-Wan asked. "I was starting to worry."

"I was in the bath, if you must know." Jemmiah 's voice replied.

"Yeah?" Obi-Wan's smile became a leer.

Qui-Gon rolled his eyes and tried to concentrate on the report for tomorrow's talks he had on his lap.

"I'm sorry the picture's bust." Jemmy sighed. "Letina said she'd help me fix it tomorrow. You'll just have to close your eyes and remember how beautiful I am."

"I don't have to close my eyes," grinned Kenobi, "If I reach out with the force I think I can just about see you...standing there, covered in that damp pink bath towel..."

"Oh, PLEASE!" Jinn shook his head. "I'm going to order some of that funny tea they give to over-sexed prisoners."

"I hope you enjoy it, master!" Kenobi laughed, before receiving a force swat to his rear.

"Rela, Spider and me are going to the S-W-O-O-P track." She spelled it out quietly so that Qui-Gon wouldn't hear.

"Why are you whispering?" Qui-Gon raised his voice suspiciously. "And you said a quick call. We have this report to go over."

"Yes, master. I know." Obi-Wan frowned. "I'll be only a few more minutes."

Qui-Gon sat back against the chair and settled in for a long wait.


FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER:

"Time's up, padawan." Jinn folded his arms.

Kenobi did his best to ignore him.

"Are you eating something?" Obi-Wan frowned as he heard the faint yet distinctly familiar crunch of toast against teeth.

"Yes 'Termite', I am!"

"That's not fair." His stomach began to growl at the thought.

"You were the one who called me." Jemmy pointed out as she bit down on the golden slice of Alderaani dough bread. "Mmmm! It's a pity you're not here. I could have shared it with you. One bite at a time! And I know how you like to nibble things." She laughed musically. "Do you know what I've got on?"

"What?"

"Corellian treacle."

"Is this you or the toast?" Obi-Wan smirked.

"That would be telling."

"PADAWAN!" Qui-Gon chastized.

"Anyway, it's not what you've got. It's how you use it." Jemmy said coughing on some inhaled crumbs.

"Are you OK?" The padawan asked, concerned.

"Yeah," she spluttered. "Next time I'll try not to inhale..."

Qui-Gon cleared his throat pointedly.

"Sounds like a nasty cough your master's got there, too." Jemmiah smiled. "What's his story?"

"He's got 'getofftheholoterminalitis', by the sound of it." Obi-Wan tittered.

"Sounds bad. Maybe he should see someone about it."

"And what would you recommend?"

"Ooooh, let me see." Jemmiah paused in thought. "Complete bed rest. I find that's a pretty good c

 

TITLE: Happy Birthday An-Paj!
AUTHOR: Jemmiah
SET: JA
CHARACTERS: An-Paj (used with permission from Jane Jinn) and Jemmiah Gleshan
SUMMARY: An-Paj discovers that his birthdays are six times more hazardous than anyone else's.

*******


Birthdays tended to come and go in the An clan household, unless they belonged to the children. In a way An-Paj thought that was both right and proper: let the children have their happy memories, after all who could say what awaited them in the future. Long and prosperous lives, he hoped?but you could never tell. Not even a jedi could say for certain. Thus it was with dignified acceptance that An-Paj regarded his own birthday as insignificant when compared to that of his family. If everyone was healthy and safe and happy, what more could he ask for?

Something bothered him though. It wasn't that he felt unappreciated, merely slightly?it was so difficult to put into words! Perhaps he felt somewhat resigned that the years kept passing by in a regular and routine fashion, with little or no change at all since the birth of the last member of the An dynasty. He wasn't after praise; he wasn't looking for monumental presents to mark the occasion. In truth An-Paj didn't know what he wanted. As his padawan had said, what did you get the healer that had everything?

// Something different!// An-Paj begged silently. //I want something different to happen today! Something to make me remember a birthday just like my children do. I mean, of course I enjoy my work and I like helping sick people to get well again?after all it's what I do best. It's what the force intended for me from by birth. Just for once though I'd like an unusual gift. Something from the heart.//

He'd had a lot of gifts: and that was the problem. The advantage of being married six times over was that you would get more gifts, if you were to think of it in purely mercenary terms - which he didn't as a rule. The unfortunate part of it was that he had been given this morning six pairs of standard temple underwear, six temple pairs of socks and six pairs of hand knitted antennae warmers which he was now wearing one on top of the other, thanks to an innocuous comment by Simeon that it was frequently so cold in the infirmary that it was a wonder that the extraneous body parts of a human being didn't drop off! Whilst An-Paj doubted that was quite what his padawan was referring to his wives had taken such alarm from the comments that this morning he had been fighting them off as they argued over which pair he should wear to work. It had certainly been a gift from the heart all right but one he might just have to strangle Simeon for with the unravelling thread from number three's present.

He hadn't wanted to hurt their feelings, so he had said thank you. His smiling wives had then thrown six pairs of thick woollen and itchy gloves on the table to match. Not exactly practical for the finer tasks involved in healing and surgery.

That hadn't been the worst of it. He'd gotten six bottles of scent (hideously choking and VERY strong) which he was now wearing, and he had all but knocked out the newly knighted Gethin Territ with the various mixed odours. An-Paj had looked closely at the labels on the bottles. 'Lust for life' and 'Vigour for men' along with the less subtle 'Grrrrrrrrr!' What had his wives been thinking of??? He didn't really want to think of what that gift meant for the evening?

Just when he thought it was all over, his wives had produced six miniature toolkits. The self-interest had been easy to spot in THAT gift. Collectively they had been nagging - no, dropping unsubtle hints - for him to make a start on the various things that needed done around the place they lived. Well, they had a point because the jobs certainly needed to be done but as a professional healer and a senior one to boot he supposed he was used to doing things the way he liked and at a time when he considered to be exactly right. It was just that he hadn't felt sufficiently motivated to admit as yet when the right time was to do the repairs

 

TITLE: Under wraps.
AUTHOR: Jemmiah
SET: JA
CHARACTERS: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, Evla Sovalla, Jemmiah Gleshan, Rela Quinn, Geri "Spider" Pippage, Dimallie Melbra, Letina Sorrell, Kylenn Imri, Meri Irhana and Jasmyn Perris.
SUMMARY: Party games...Corellian style!

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


?This is the BEST game I have ever played!? Rela grinned. ?I never got to play this stuff when I was a kid.?

?I never got to play ANY games when I was a kid.? Jemmy grumbled as the parcel was sent round the circle.

?No?? Meri?s brow creased. ?How come??

?Because where I grew up there wasn?t any kids.? Jemmiah replied, straining her ears for the sound of the music cutting out.

?You must have played some games?? Spider asked as she tried to hold on to the parcel a little longer than was permitted.

?Nope. Well?not unless you count hide and seek with the guards. I got very good at that.? Jemmy said flippantly. ?And stop cheating, Spider! That prize is mine, do you hear? Mine?.MINE!"

?If you wanted it so badly you shouldn?t have donated it in the first place.? Letina grinned wolfishly.

?I?m not complaining!? Meri chuckled.

The music stopped.

?Jaz! Take off the next layer!? Kylenn clapped her hands. As Jasmyn did so, a great round of applause went up from the group.

The music started up again, and the parcel continued its journey round and round..

?We had a few parties and things when we were initiates.? Kylenn remembered. "Never anything to rival this though..."

?Yoda used to come and sing to us.? Letina grimaced.

?Oh, I?m sorry I missed that!? Jemmy said dryly. ?Are you sure this music timer whatsit of yours isn?t rigged??

Kylenn looked shocked.? As if I?d do something like that!?

?We all saw you at that Cantina. You will never be seen as Miss Sweetness-And-Light ever again.?

?You had to bring that up.? Kylenn groaned. ?It?s not as if Sal-Fina didn?t make a full recovery.?

?More?s the pity.? Jemmiah said under her breath.?

The music stopped once more.

?Dimallie!? Letina pouted. ?How?d you get so lucky??

?It?s the person who gets the last wrapper off the parcel who gets the prize.? Rela said tartly. ?And I?m telling you guys, it?s going to be me!?

?ME!? Squeaked Jemmy indignantly.

?Me!? Spider, Jaz and Letina called out together.

?Talk about competitive.? Kylenn shook her head in amazement. As Rela took the parcel she couldn?t help but squeeze the outer wrapper.

?Don?t prod, it?s delicate.? Jemmy grumbled. ?You don?t want it to break before the last layer?s off!?

Rela sniffed. ?I only wanted to see what lurked behind the covering.?

?Keep that up and you won?t get to.? Jemmy drawled. She took the package and gave it back to Spider, who almost failed to notice that the music had faded again.

?Whoa, my turn!? Spider challenged Jaz.

?Is not!?

?Is too!?

?You were too slow!? Jaz complained as the package was pulled back and forward between the two young women.

?Oh, give it to Spider.? Meri said in exasperation. ?You?ve already had a turn.?

Sulking, Jaz returned the package to the triumphant Spider.

?Not many layers left!? Jemmy rubbed her hands.

?There?s no way YOU are gonna win.? Rela laughed.

?Course I am.? Jemmy said. ?I deserve to win, therefor I will. The force is going to choose the most deserving person. ME!?

?Garbage!? Meri added.

For the next four minutes the parcel went round and round the circle of excited females, stood like standing stones in some ancient. prehistoric monument. Kylenn got to take off the next layer, followed by Spider yet again.

?Me!? Rela crowed triumphantly.

?It?s not the LAST layer.? Letina reminded her.

Jemmiah grinned.

?But the next one is!?

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

The noise of the party drifted outside the apartment that Jemmiah stayed in with her guardian. No, Qui-Gon amended as he accompanied Evla back to her rooms, the noise could be heard from as far away as the turbo lift?

?What?s going on?? He frowned at the high pitched, feminine shrieks and cheers.

Ev

 

TITLE: A Footnote in History
AUTHOR: Jemmiah
SET: JA
CHARACTERS: Qui-Gon Jinn, Jemmiah Gleshan and assorted characters.
SUMMARY: Drastic situations call for drastic action...

********



?Make sure he?s comfortable.? Came an authoritative voice in the background. ?I don?t want him turning nasty.?

?I?ll say,? said a young female in reply, ?It was a nightmare even getting him THIS far.?

?How?s it looking?? another male tone cut into the conversation. ?OK so far??

?He?s in pretty bad shape.? Replied the female, shaking her head. ?What a mess??

The object of their concern struggled and cursed as they continued their examination.

?That?s it. Restrain him.? Said the first voice. ?I?m not having him writhing about when I?m about to start a delicate operation. Can?t you sedate him a little??

?What with?? The young female asked. She bit her lip and then came up with the semblance of an idea.

?Wait here. You two pin him to the table if necessary.?

?Lemmmego!? Snapped the angry patient as he tried feebly to overpower his captors.

?It?s for your own good!? Retorted the older male. ?I don?t know how you?ve managed to go on like this for so long.?

?Getofffffffffffff!?

?Oooooh. His beginning to get nasty.? The young male said. ?What now??

?Sit on him.? Yelped the other as they both used the force to pin his arms solidly against the table.

?Nurse?? Called the first man; ?Are you ready yet??

?Just about.? Came the muffled reply.

?I?ve NEVER seen such a bad case before.? The young male shook his head mournfully. ?Do you think he?ll be alright??

?I?m worried about shock. It?s a complicated procedure that we?re doing. I?m worried that it might not be too much for him.?

?He?s not big on surgery, is he?? The young male frowned. ?How are his life signs??

?Plenty of fight left in him.? Muttered the older man, wiping sweat from off his brow.

The female returned to the room where the patient lay spread out on the table, carrying a tray with a bowl of steaming water, a cotton swab, a pair of tweezers and what appeared to be wrist restraints.

?You can?t use them on him!? the young man said. ?That?s barbaric!?

?I thought you wanted him restrained??

?Not with those!? The elder man inspected the binders. ?Where did you get them from, anyway??

?Just hold him down!? She hissed, irritated.

?Ready??

?Ready.? Replied the others.

The older man flexed his fingers. ?Tweezers, nurse.?

?Tweezers.? The woman handed the object to her colleague.

?I could do with some light.?

?I don?t think I want to see.? The young male craned his head all the same.

?URGH! It?s worse than I thought.? The older man gasped. ?The smell is overpowering??

?Could be gangrene.? The young woman said optimistically.

?Leavemealone!? cried the patient in the throes of distress.

?Might have to cut it off.? The older man said doubtfully as he inspected the damage. ?No, wait a moment. It?s beginning to?yes. That?s it!? He sighed in relief. ?Got it!?

?Well done!? the woman congratulated him.

?Now for the other one.?

?Are you sure you?re up to it?? Asked the young man. ?It?s a lot to ask of anyone.?

?The force will guide my hand.? He replied. ?I?m going in.?

The young woman paused to wipe the man?s forehead with a cotton swab. ?Thank you.? He muttered as he picked up the tweezers again.

?Very delicate.? Nodded the younger man as he watched the master at work. ?Such skill is rarely witnessed.?

?This one?s proving a little stubborn.? The older man?s brow furrowed in concentration, as he redoubled his effort to keep the squirming patient pinned to the table with the force. ?Let me see what we?ve got here.?

He examined the offending limb carefully, studying it from all angles.

?Hmm. I think it?s going to have to come off.?

?Good. The sooner the better.? Replied the female, brandishing another set of tweezers. ?I?ll go in this side and you pull from the top.?

?Agreed.? Nodded the elder man. ?Here we go then. One, two, three?!?

?You did it!? The young man

 

TITLE: Double Trouble Part 1
Author: Jemmiah
SET: JA
CHARACTERS: Qui-Gon Jinn, Chancellor Valorum, An-Paj (with thanks to Jane Jinn) and Jemmiah Gleshan.
SUMMARY: Qui-Gon takes on a new project...

*****

"I'm bored." Jemmiah grumbled.

An-Paj nodded.

"Yes, so you've said. At least ten times in the last half hour."

"But there's nothing for me to do." Jemmy turned large, pleading, copper colored eyes to her jailer. "I hate just lying here. I've counted the tiles on the ceiling so often I'm beginning to imagine extra!"

"Hallucinations?" An-Paj asked wickedly. "Well, there's nothing that can't be cured with the liberal use of calming injections?"

"I never said that." The child replied, her round eyes getting bigger.

"Just as well for you." The healer smiled as he tried to make sense of the latest data regarding his young patient.

Patient? He laughed at the very notion of this girl being patient. She'd been in here for two weeks now which had been fine whilst she was too ill to misbehave. Ever since her health had slowly began to improve the healers had been collectively bombarded with "I'm bored!" at regular intervals. He couldn't blame her for being a Corellian pain in the rear. The treatment was not very pleasant and had made her quite sick to begin with until they had sorted out the right medication for her. The wasting disease had taken its toll on any sense of humor that she might have possessed.

"Perhaps if I could get up?" The ten-year-old asked.

"Absolutely not." An-Paj said sternly.

"But you said I was getting better."

"And so you are. But you are still a long way from being fully recovered and you don't have the strength."

As the girl scowled at him from underneath dark eyebrows, An-Paj took that determined expression as one of potential mutiny.

"I mean it." He emphasized. "You put so much as one foot out of these sheets without my permission and I'll have someone sat beside you at all times to make sure that you stay there."

"You know something?" Jemmy glared at him.
"What?"

"I think you are perfectly horrible." She stuck out her tongue at him and then pulled the blankets over her head.

An-Paj shrugged his shoulders in resignation.

"Not perfectly horrible, no. Nobody's perfect. Very horrible will do me just fine." He said as he regarded the lump under the bed.

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

An hour later and Jemmy was still bored.

Master Jinn was going to pop in later to see how she was doing and bring Obi-Wan with him.

//That's a damn silly name// Jemmy thought with a sigh.

In the meantime, she was stuck in here with only the walls for company. Well, the screens at any rate. She hated the idea of being stared at and so she had begged An-Paj to close them and he'd agreed at first, knowing that she had been to unwell to get out of bed unassisted. But now?

She still wasn't well enough but that didn't mean she wasn't going to try.

He'd pulled them half round by way of a compromise.

She hardly knew anyone except for the few healers who had been called to attend her, An-Paj himself and his rather goofy padawan whose name began with an S, and Master Jinn and his rat tailed apprentice. Slowly but surely, Jemmiah was beginning to go mad. At her own inability to get better, more than anything else. Her appetite was non existent. The only reason she ate the few mouthfuls of garbage she was given was to get An-Paj off her case and more often then not it made her sick anyway. But she'd be damned if she'd just lie here and suffer.

She knew she could get up. She knew she could walk.

So, when it seemed as if there was nobody about Jemmiah slipped herself out of the covers and shifted round to the side of her bed, feet placed flatly on the cold floor.

//Oh, c'mon! This is easy! You've been able to do this for over eight and a bit years//

Funny how suddenly even a floor seemed scary. If she could just prove to herself that it was as easy as she believed then she could pester An-Paj to let her up and about the next time he came to see h

 

TITLE: Double Trouble Part 2
AUTHOR: Jemmiah


******

Two days later:

"Look, I CAN walk! Honest!"

"That's what you told yourself the last time." Qui-Gon replied. "There's no way you can possibly have got better in just two days."

The petulant look edged its way back onto her face. Qui-Gon was beginning to become very much accustomed to the vast repertory of facial contortions but this one was by all accounts her favorite.

"Stay in bed." He warned her.

"You sound just like An-Paj." She protested.

"The day I sound like a healer is the day they put me in a home for retired Jedi." Qui-Gon answered. "An-Paj did tell me that if you carry on getting better the way you have then perhaps at the end of the week he might consider letting you try to walk with supervision."

Jemmiah's face lit up with a wide smile.

"I think that's the first time I've seen you do that since we brought you back." Qui-Gon sounded somewhat surprised, but smiled right along with her.

"If you had only the ceiling to stare at you wouldn't exactly be a bundle of joy." Jemmy pointed out.

She looked about her.

"Is it the end of the week yet?" she asked.

"No! And you asking about it is not going to make it arrive any faster."

"But I'm bored!"

"Jemmiah?"

"I can't help it! I need to get out of here before I try slitting my throat with that plasti spoon." She nodded at the tray where her virtually untouched food lay.

Qui-Gon shook his head.

"Jemmiah, if you don't eat you won't get well."

"But it's horrible." She lowered her voice. "It taste's of Nerf's pi?"

"Pardon?" An-Paj interrupted as he opened the privacy curtains and joined the twosome.

"It's not very nice, is it?" Jemmy pushed the tray even further away. "I thought people were supposed to come in here to get better? There's no way that would induce me to recover, even if I was hungry."

An-Paj took that in.

"Still not eating?" he asked.

"I can't! I feel sick when I eat." She huffed. "Maybe if you fired the cook?"

Qui-Gon actually tittered at that and left An-Paj feeling rather annoyed at the pair of them.

"Are you going to eat this or not?" he asked in a steady, over-patient voice.

"Sorry." Jemmiah said.

"Well, let me put this in a way you will understand." A renegade smile suddenly appeared from nowhere. "NO FOOD = ETERNAL BEDREST."

"But that's not fair! You said I could get out at the weekend." Her face fell, causing Qui-Gon to feel very sorry for her.
//She's well and truly got him hooked// thought the healer with amusement.

"An-Paj, that is a little unfair." Qui-Gon replied.

"Life is unfair my friend. Those are my terms I'm afraid. Take it or leave it."

"I'll be sick again." Jemmiah grabbed hold of the tray and then shot him a poisonous look that took even the healer by surprise. "And it will be all your fault."

An-Paj leaned in closer.

"I know, I'm a heartless individual." He grinned. He watched her scoop a mouthful of something green and vaguely spinach like and hold it in a wavering hand.

"Eat it." He smiled.

Jemmy stared at the stuff as if it were a lump of pure poison they had asked her to swallow. Concentrating, she brought the plasti fork up to her mouth.

"I can't." she shook her head.

"Yes you can. Go on." An-Paj encouraged her.

"Bassalads!" the girl cursed.

"Pardon?"

Jemmy looked apologetically at the two of them.

"It's just a word. It's used to express discontent with life in general." She looked down at the fork again. "And this Nerf's fodder in particular."

"Jemmiah?" warned Qui-Gon.

"That's not fair. Two against one; what chance do I stand?"

"None at all. Better give in graciously." Jinn answered.

The Corellian girl sniffed in the face of adversity and hurriedly shovelled the green matter down her throat for fear of it coming straight back up again.

"That was evil." She said after a moment had passed.

"Don't exaggerate." An-Paj smirked.

"I'm not! You work here; you don't eat the food the patients get! Have you EVER tried any of their food?"

 

TITLE: Water, Water Everywhere (But not a Drop to Drink)
AUTHOR: Jemmiah
SET: JA (Obi-Wan is 20)
CHARACTERS: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jemmiah Gleshan, Qui-Gon Jinn, Menali-Jay Abran, Kryztan Harkley, Yoda and others.
SUMMARY: Jemmiah gets a dastardly plan...but will Obi-Wan dare to go along with it?

*********


?I?m bored.? Jemmiah groaned as she dragged her shoulder bag across the grass of the temple gardens.

?You should think yourself lucky that your tutor only teaches you on certain days.? Obi-Wan replied morosely. ?For some of us this teaching thing is an all round the clock effort.?

?You?re free now.? Jemmiah smiled.

?True.? Kenobi shielded his eyes from the glaring rays of the sun as they trudged over to their favorite part of the temple. It was an old tree that blossomed at certain times of the year, where Obi-Wan had once made a swing out of an old piece of wood and some rope. The swing was long since gone, partly because the council hadn?t approved it in the first place but mostly because Obi-Wan had nearly managed to kill Jemmiah when he?d been a little to ambitious with his force push. That had been over four years ago.

?You?re thinking about that swing, aren?t you?? Jemmiah laughed. ?You nearly did for me then, didn?t you??

He caught the teasing in her voice. ?My master was beginning to think he was a jinx. You could just see him thinking ?not another one for the healers!? He was terrified everyone would have him labelled as a neglecter of children!?

?I still like this place best.? She shrugged. ?It?s nice and peaceful. Just what you need after a hard days study with professor perfect.?

?What?s he like?? Obi-Wan asked with perhaps the slightest stirring of jealousy.

?Tall, dark, good looking?that?s the plus side. But he likes mathematics and Galactic Geography so that more than cancels out any virtues he has.? She shuddered. ?Sith, I hate mathematics.?

?I?d never have guessed.? Kenobi grinned as they crossed over towards the tree.

?He says if I?m good his going to give me special tutoring.? She replied impishly, watching his face darken.

Obi-Wan fell silent. Just tell her, he thought. Get it over with. The worst thing she can say is no. Damn it, Kenobi. Ask her out before somebody else does!

?Jemmiah,? he sat himself down under the shade of the tree, ?I was wondering??

?Yes?? She looked at him casually.

?Er?I was wondering if,? he swallowed, ?you could tell me what the time is.?

Jemmiah shrugged. ?It?s five minutes after the last time you asked me. Is something wrong? You don?t have to leave already, do you??

Was that disappointment, Kenobi wondered?

?N-no.? He smiled. ?Have you heard what they?re doing to the gardens??

Jemmiah shook her head, and then proceeded to twist her chestnut hair around one finger. Obi-Wan swallowed. //Sith, I wish she wouldn?t do that//, he thought! //I?m not sure she?d be too happy if I told her I had a thing about her hair?//

?They?re, er, putting in some new sprinkler system?or ?something.? He said, still keeping his eyes on her hair.

?Really? That?s nice.? She said idly.

Looking up suddenly, she spotted Kryztan Harkley and waved at him. ?Look Ben, it?s Kryztan.?

She stood up and walked over to meet the blonde haired young man, loping away with her loose Corellian gait. Obi-Wan watched her go.

?Great.? He said.

The pair returned a minute or so later, with Harkley sitting between Jemmiah and himself.

//Even better//, thought Kenobi sarcastically.

?Did you hear about the new sprinkler thingy that they?re installing in the fountain gardens? It?s supposed to be massive!?
Kryztan asked, filled with importance.

?Yes.? Obi-Wan replied shortly.

?Oh.? Harkley blinked in surprise. That had rather taken the wind out his sails.

?Why are they putting it in?? Jemmiah asked. ?Surely it?ll cost an arm and a leg to fit up properly. And the money could be much better spent keeping you in Bacta for the next half year or so.?

?Thank you.? Obi-Wan muttered.

?Yoda?s getting it done for free. He?s invited

 

EEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!

I'm glad to see that Qui-Gon did manage to take Obi-Wan's advice on staying to the back though.

 

TITLE: What Money Can't Buy
AUTHOR: Jemmiah
SET: JA
CHARACTERS: Jemmiah Gleshan, original characters.
SUMMARY: Jemmiah makes herself an enemy...

********


"?And then when I got back from school," Sophie let her voice deliberately rise so that everyone in the classroom could hear her, "I found that my father had bought me my own pet cannoid! She's such a sweet little thing and she just adores me!"

Sophie's classmates ceased packing away school equipment into their bags and crowded around their distinctly smug looking classmate, who was handing out holopics showing her holding her newly acquired pet. As they looked on amidst ooooooohs and ahhhhhhhs, their eyes enviously studying the image of the small, fluffy white dog in Sophie's pudgy arms, one person alone in the class continued to ignore the hubbub, her back turned against the centre of attention by way of a deliberate snub. It was, as Jemmiah clearly recognised, Sophie's way of belittling everyone around her - but herself in particular: the impoverished orphan with poor connections and extremely feeble prospects. Whilst most would think that having Jedi as guardians was kind of special, Sophie disagreed vehemently. What was the point of having all that so-called power if you could never use it for yourself, she would argue? They had no material goods to speak of, which meant they had no real influence and in turn was of no importance whatsoever. Infact, as Sophie had been quick to point out, the Jedi served no real purpose at all in the galaxy, classing them as little short of vermin.

And that was exactly what she thought of Jemmiah Angeline Gleshan.

Well, she could think what she wanted, the Corellian girl reminded herself obstinately, rustling her bag as loudly as she could so that Sophie would see that somebody wasn't paying her the slightest bit of attention. Sophie went out of her way to make her life a misery. She stole food from her locker. She used threats and insults to get whatever she wanted. Jemmy had met her type before. In her old life, back on Nargotria, she would have simply backed down and gone out of her way to do as was requested - anything for a quiet life. Not here, though?not now. Jemmy would not be put upon by stupid cowards like Digwurt!

"Last year I got a Sand Hamster," Sophie continued, making her voice carry further still to all the corners of the room, "but my brother accidentally sat on him. So this year I got a cannoid! Isn't she just the most wonderful thing in the galaxy?"

Everybody agreed instantly. There were few that would argue with Sophie. All except for Jemmiah who continued to pack, feeling the radiating displeasure from Sophie's eyes falling squarely between her shoulder blades.

"I got a gold pendant with a teardrop Corusca stone for my birthday." Piped up a brash little voice, that of a small dark haired girl who dared to steal some of Sophie's thunder, which Ms. Digwurt did not take at all kindly.

The temerity! The insolence! The?the barefaced cheek! Just who were they talking about here???

"I'm sure it's lovely." Sophie said dryly, not meaning it in the slightest. "But it's not as big as a dog, is it? And not as expensive as a dog! My dog has a studded diamond collar. You can't love a cheap necklace the way you can a dog. You can't take it for walks or feed it. You can't play with it. It doesn't love you back?"

Jemmy's mouth quirked into a lopsided smile. The chances of Sophie taking her pet for a walk or looking after it were small indeed, for when Sophie tired of gifts they were generally abandoned very quickly in favour of some new fad. And if Sophie did indeed love the poor creature for something more than being prized by her school rivals - which Jemmy doubted very much - the chances of her being loved in return were slim, for there were few people breathing that were so universally unlovable as Sophie Digwurt?

Not surprisingly in the face of such a dismissive comeback, Sophie's rival shut up.

"I got a year's pass to the amusement park on the south side of Coruscant!

 

TITLE: Game On!
AUTHOR: Jemmiah
SET: JA
CHARACTERS: Mixture of canon and original characters.
SUMMARY: Somebody's been playing on the training console...

*********
?We?re going to have to hurry! He usually comes back about now.?

?Relax. There?s plenty of time.?

?You don?t understand. He?ll be livid if he sees us playing these games.? The first voice hissed in concern.

?You are such a worrier.? Put in a third voice. ?Stress is a very bad thing. It can lead to all sorts of nasty illnesses.?

?I am NOT stressed!? Number one rejoined.
?Ulcers. You can get them from stress.? A female voice offered her opinion.

?I do NOT have ulcers.?

Number three sighed. ?No. You don?t have ulcers. You?re just a carrier. This is supposed to be FUN!?

Pause.

?I told him we were meditating in the gardens.?

?What all of us?? Queried number two.

?It was the best I could do at such short notice. I?m not used to lying with any great imagination.?

?Then you should get used to it. It?s part of basic Jedi training. Said individual should be prepared to lie and cheat as when required if it?s for the greater good of the order.? Number two grinned.

?You invent rules just to suit yourself.?

?It?s true.? Argued number two. ?Well, from a certain point of view.?

?C?mon guys,? the female voice broke in. ?This was meant to be a break from the rigors and strains of everyday Jedi duty. When do we ever get time off together?? She grabbed at a packet of hot Banajj crisps. ?Who?s for more?? She asked, her mouth full.

?Manners? tutted number one, wiping the crisps that had been sprayed on him from his hair.

?You?re impossible.? She glared reproachfully. ?Lighten up a bit, instead of sitting there like a great big slab of marble!?

?Yeah,? rejoined number two. ?No wonder they call you frosty!?

Number one looked shocked. ?Frosty? Who calls me that??

?Number three snickered. ?I know somebody who does.?

?Doesn?t happen to be a female that starts with a ?J?, by any chance?? Number two laughed back.

Number four smirked.

?Very droll.? Number one crossed his arms. ?I?m still worried, though.?

?We?ll have the place all tidied up. He?ll never know we were here.?

?You KNOW what he?s like about these games.?

?You?re just moaning because you?re so bad at them.? Number four said in a lilting voice. ?If you were to practice more??

?And how am I supposed to do that?? Number one said in frustration. ?He knows when I?m so much as thinking about playing with the console.?

Number two frowned. ?Do you do anything other than whine? I don?t know how he puts up with you.?

The rattle of fingers against console was the only sound for a while, until a ?Blap!? sound indicated that the game was over.

?Sithspit!? swore number two loudly. ?It killed me! How did it do that??

?I though you were supposed to be good at this?? smirked number one.

?I?m better than you, any day!? challenged number two.

?Yeah??

?Yeah!?

?Settle down!? Number three stepped in, ever the peacemaker. ?Let?s have some more of that Alderaani wine.?

?Not more, PLEASE!? Implored number one.

?Oh, shut up!? chorused the other three. ?It?s your turn with the console.?

Number one gulped guiltily, and took the console from his friend. ?What if he comes back?? He asked fearfully.

Number three smiled. ?He?s getting checked over by the healers, isn?t he? I?m sure they?ll give him a full examination. One that will last a good few hours. I?m sure we?ll be safe for the time being.?

?Yes.? Number four added wickedly. ?Those healers can be VERY thorough, can?t they!?

?Tell me about it.? Groused number two. ?Rubber gloves will never look the same to me again!?

Reluctantly, Number one depressed the start button on the console, and after a moment found himself lost in the game, utilizing the force around him to sharpen his Vampire-slaying instincts.

Got you! He grinned.

This was easy, after all.

?I think I?m beginning to enjoy myself.? He said triumphantly.

?Is that so??

The voice of a fifth pe

 

I'm glad that Jemmy is trying to take down Sophie by getting everyone else to think for themselves. Maybe they'll figure out just how shallow and petty Digwurt is!

Tee-Hee! Busted masters! And I'm certainly glad that it was Obi-Wan that caught them!

 

Now for my humble contribution.

Title: "I'm With You" (song by Avril Lavigne)
Author: Mouse
Timescale: pre-JA (take place the few days leading up to The Missing Years...)
Genre: song-fic/missing scene
Characters: Rela Quinn
Summery: What goes through a child?s mind when she?s living on the streets?

I'm standing on a bridge
I'm waiting in the dark
I thought that you'd be here by now
There's nothing but the rain
No footsteps on the ground
I'm listening but there's no sound

Had it already been five hours since she had snuck out her window and ran away? For some reason she felt it had been days. The sun had long since disappeared, but being Corsucant there was still plenty of light streaming from the buildings and endless traffic. Unless, of course, you happened to be standing in the exact spot she was, which seemed to be controlled by the shadows. It didn?t help matters any that as she stood there the first few drops of rain began to fall. Fat raindrops splattered on her clothes and on her face mixing in with the salty tears.

Standing up against the railing of one of the many skywalks she tried to make herself as small as possible so as not to draw unwanted attention. But that still didn?t stop her from eagerly looking up and down the walkway hoping, praying that she would see a familiar face. Actually there was only one face he really wanted to see.

She wasn?t sorry in the least for running away from the Zemans. Now that she was out and away from them she could truthfully look back and tell herself that she should have known. Granted she knew from experience that happiness never lasted, and that should have been her first warning. The more she thought about it the more she remembered that, yes, she had been welcomed into their home as a foster child, but in the end she became more of a cheep source of labor. Making sure everything was kept clean and always in it?s place. Then again maybe that was how families functioned. How would she know?

The rain was beginning to come down harder. She wished she had thought far ahead enough to bring a jacket with her. The sheets of rain made seeing anything or anyone difficult. Combined with the roaring sound of what seemed like someone was dumping boxes of metal bits made hearing anything impossible. She still tried to strain against the sound in hope, but there was nothing and she was as good as deaf.

Isn't anyone trying to find me?
Won't somebody come take me home
It's a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this life
Wont you take me by the hand
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
But I... I'm with you
I'm with you

She had lost track of time, but somehow she knew that at least a day had passed. In those passing hours she had lost all her hope as well. She must not have been as important as she thought otherwise she was sure he would have come looking for her, or at least sent someone after her. Why hadn?t he found her yet? He had always been there before when she had needed him, why was this time any different? Granted the she left note wouldn?t have helped any, that is if he had even gotten it, and the way things were looking he most likely hadn?t.

Somehow she had made it down to the lower levels, mainly in search of a place to get warm and hopefully find something to eat. Granted she wasn?t much on eating, but that was more of a learned response. In a foster home someone may take you home if you looked like you weren?t a troublemaker or seemed to eat much. Low maintenance. That was the key, although it hadn?t seemed to work so well. There was always something she did wrong, or was it something wrong with her?

Her teeth had started to chatter, so she clamped her jaw shut but it didn?t seem to do any good. Now she really wished that she had brought a jacket or at least something warm with her. She walked closely to the wall with her arms wrapped around her keeping her head down.

She didn?t like it down here on the lower levels. She didn?t care for the funny

 

Aww...what a lovely, warm fuzzy ending to a situation that started off so dire! Rela's thoughts of whether anyone was searching for her was very moving. I especially liked the bit where she realized it was going to be cold again and wondered if she could get away with huddling against the door. But of course the best bit was at the end when "somebody" found Rela!

Thanks for writing this Mouse. It wraps up a plotline I've long been burning to know about!

 

Thanks Jem and Leona!

The first time I heard that song it reminded me of Rela's time on the streets. Glad you enjoyed it!

 

TITLE: Names Will Never Hurt Me (Sticks & Stones)
AUTHOR: Jemmiah
SET: JA
CHARACTERS: Qui-Gon Jinn and Jemmiah Gleshan
SUMMARY: Qui-Gon reveals more of his past to Jemmiah then he perhaps should...

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

"Master Jinn?" Jemmy asked, looking up from the painting she was doing of a bowl of fruit sitting on the table in front of her, desperately trying not to give into temptation and eat every last one of the shiny red Dilarberries.

"Yes, Tangles? What is it?"

Qui-Gon seemed preoccupied with what reading some kind of report, and didn't even look up when she spoke. He and Obi-Wan were about to leave on a mission that would take them far away from Coruscant, where only Jemmiah's prayers could reach them. He'd not spoken much about the mission except to say that it was on a distant planet in the outer reaches of the galaxy, and that their stay might be quite uncomfortable, seeing as how the place they were travelling to was rather hot and somewhat uncivilised in places. Perhaps then she shouldn't even be bothering him with idle chit-chat.

"What were you like as a child?"

That had the desired effect. Qui-Gon's brows knitted together and ever so slowly his head turned to face the ten-year-old, baffled by the curious nature of the question. Jemmiah could see the cogs turning in his head, obviously wondering what direction the conversation might take from that point.

"Where do you get these questions?" Jinn wondered aloud, bewildered blue eyes scrutinising the Corellian child, sweeping her up and down in puzzlement. "Why do you wish to know that?"

"I'm just having trouble imagining you at Obi-Wan's age." Jemmy shrugged defensively. "You're so serious sometimes. I wondered if you were always like that."

"The life of a Jedi IS a serious one." Countered Qui-Gon, patiently waiting Jemmiah's next questions.

"Yes, I know that. But surely that doesn't mean it's always like that? I mean, I always get into trouble and do stupid things." Jemmy looked across at him expectantly. "Didn't you ever do anything silly as a child?"

"No." Jinn tried to expunge some of his less commendable exploits with Dex, Mace and Vernice from his thoughts. He'd had his share of scrapes but it wasn't the sort of thing he wanted to admit to Jemmiah. If he didn't give her an ideal role model to follow then what kind of signal did that give out? After the life she had been forced to live the girl was in need of stability and a good, moral grounding. Admitting his many failures would not be a wise move. How would she look up to him then?

But maybe it might make him appear less distant. Less 'serious' as the child had put it. Even after all these months Qui-Gon still felt that he was finding his way with Jemmiah. That she found him remote at times was quite frankly alarming to him. So what should he say?

"What, never?" Jemmiah blinked. "Not once?"

"Well?" Qui-Gon hesitated, fiddling with the clasp that tied back his long hair.

"Ha! I knew it!" Jemmy put down the paintbrush and clasped her hands together expectantly, waiting for more information to be forthcoming. "What?"

"Pardon?"

"What did you do?" The eagerness in her small face completely threw Qui-Gon for a moment. "You can tell me! I won't say a word - not even to Obi-Wan!"

Qui-Gon took a deep breath, foot jiggling slightly as it did when impatient or uncomfortable. He'd backed himself into a corner. Part of him intensely disliked the idea that he was going to have to leave Jemmiah in the care of G'emela, his first padawan, so soon into their first half year or so together. That of course was inevitable - as he'd explained to Jemmiah on countless occasions - for the life of a Jedi was purely to serve in the name of galactic peace and stability. He went where he was bade, and his padawan went with him. It had been that way before Jemmiah had appeared on the scene and would continue that way for years after. The sooner she got used to the idea the better.

Of course it wasn't ideal: the stability he'd hoped to give her by becoming her guardian wo

 

TITLE: Family Maters: Obi-Wan's POV
AUTHOR: Jemmiah
SET: JA
CHARACTERS: Obi-Wan Kenobi
SUMMARY: When tragedy strikes Obi-Wan is made to weigh up his feelings...

****


I think this has to rate as possibly the worst day of my life.

I say day; it?s actually very late at night now. Somewhere along the line I must have lost track of the time.

I?ve been sitting for the last Sith knows how many hours trying to make sense of this whole thing. My conclusions?

There are no conclusions.

My brain is just completely numb. One minute everything is going fine and the next?

I?ve seen people in Bacta before. Myself, I?ve been in the stuff on far too many occasions. Everyone keeps saying comforting things like: It?ll be fine. That?s the best place for her right now, but of course they are wrong. The best place for you is back at your apartment with Evla and myself and Qui-Gon. Just like we were last night.

I don?t understand how things can change so suddenly. You were fine yesterday. So was our child.

The idea of being a father took some mental adjustment, I can tell you. Shocked would have been the understatement of the millennium! But I did get used to the idea, quicker than I thought. I even began to imagine I might enjoy it?

My master has tried to console me by telling me that it just wasn?t meant to be. Maybe he?s right, but I still feel sickened. Hollow. That?s a better word.

Like I?ve lost a part of myself.

They?re all worried about you, too. An-Paj comes in from time to time to check up on how you?re doing and he smiles and makes optimistic rumblings but it?s difficult not to be worried. After all, if Rela hadn?t found you slumped on the floor of the restaurant fresher when she did, you probably wouldn?t even be here for me to complain to. Leona says that you were within ten minutes of being beyond help. Note to self: must hug Rela to within an inch of her life. She?s outside with my master. I think she?s been crying.

I?d love to cry too but it?s a luxury I can?t afford right now.

They are going to keep you in the tank for another five hours; at least that?s what Leona told us. For the time being the only thing I can do is place my hand against the glass and watch you. An-Paj is trying to figure out what caused you to lose our child but I think he?s as much at a loss as the rest of us.

You weren?t too happy about this whole parenthood idea, yet I understood that some of it was just an act. Like last night when you complained about the probability of looking like a Hutt that had swallowed a beach ball. My master nearly choked on his glass of water! And then when you laughingly suggested you wouldn?t be able to see your feet to paint your toenails, I looked at you to see how miserable you were.

I almost think you were happy.

Evla is extremely upset, of course. She?s not been well of late and my master is worried how this is going to affect her. It?s selfish of me, I know, but I?m more worried how this might affect us. Everyone keeps saying how tough you are and how you?ve come through worse but they only see what?s on the surface. For a non-Jedi you shield very well. You?re not in the least bit tough.

Kryztan Harkley has gone missing, or so his master thinks. He?ll turn up no doubt. I don?t care if he does or not and I know you certainly won?t, but all the same I understand how concerned Master Berlingside is. Just one more upset person in the temple today.

Qui-Gon is waiting outside. He wanted to give me some time alone with you, which was very good of him. Rela doesn?t want to see you like this so she is staying outside. Simeon has popped in to see you too. He?s still looking a bit on the green side, poor fellow, even after nearly two months since..

The zoo.

I am never going back there.

If we ever get married I think we?ll have to hold the ceremony in a Bacta tank! You see couples do those sorts of things. Some of them get married under water, some of them on tightropes over ridiculously high waterfalls. Yoda could officiate, although we wouldn?t be able to h

 

Awwwwwwwww!!! That one's too sweet!!

In response to What Money Can't Buy, aww... poor Jem. I know EXACTLY how she feels... I don't know what it is, but little girls are just MEAN to the "unpopular" ones... I'm glad to see that Jem will at least stick up for herself.

 

Family matters always makes me cry! And now it's even worse.

I certainly hope you plan on posting the rest.