May The Force Be With You, Padawan Jinn

by Nightsister

Archive: M/A, all others please ask first

Category: AU, Non Q/O, Preslash

Rating: G

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are the property of Lucasfilm or Scholastic Paperbacks. The author makes no money from this.

Summary: A prequel to The Returning Chamber - Qui-Gon doesn't understand.

Feedback: sop2nd@yahoo.com

Notes: Mush! The title and one of the lines were influenced again by Kurt Vonnegut.

Thanks to: maj the Magnificent and Knight Burgess of Typo Killer for the betas and inspiration. Of course, I'm a tweaker - any and all mistakes are mine alone.

"Stop, padrin, please," Qui-Gon groaned, as he turned over in his bed. It was no use; Xanatos was still crying. And why did he sound so loud? It was almost as if-

"Oh, no." With an oof the cranky fourteen year-old padawan hauled himself up onto his elbows to switch on the bedside lamp. Swinging his feet to the floor, he didn't bother with his slippers and shuffled barefoot across the room. After stubbing his big toe on a discarded datapad and muffling the ensuing curse, Qui-Gon pulled the door open slowly, trying unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn.

As tired and annoyed as he was, his voice was gentle when he peered around the door and greeted his two year-old padrin. "Why, hello, Xani. What are you doing out of bed?"

Xanatos was leaning up against the wall, a thin line of drool drying down the front of his sleep shirt "Yo," he said, looking up at the older boy expectantly. "Yo."

Qui-Gon frowned and scratched his head. "I'm sorry, Xan, but Master Yoda's still in a High Council session."

"Yo," Xanatos insisted. He sniffed, hard, and ran a chubby hand across his nose.

The older padawan grimaced and switched on the hall lights. Then he picked up his padrin, fully intending to take him back to his own bed. "We have to make certain sacrifices as padawans to Master Yoda," he told him, wiping the little boy's face with a corner of his own sleep shirt. "We have the distinct honor of living with not one, but two masters with seats on the High Council, and both are also still very active in the field." He paused, regarding the toddler affectionately. "You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?" He emphasized this last question with a belly tickle. Xanatos giggled with glee but immediately became panicky when he saw where they were headed.

"No!" he shrieked, grabbing Qui-Gon's sleep shirt tightly. "Yo!"

Qui-Gon bit back his frustration and stopped to consider of his options. He desperately needed to get back to sleep--he and both Masters Yoda and Yaddle were scheduled for an early morning flight to Chandrila to take part in that planet's Congressional Opening Ceremony, casually known as a Meet and Greet. All of the local politicians would be present, and Qui-Gon would be hard pressed to stay alert, even with adequate sleep. Although still relatively young, Master Yoda had finally decided that Qui-Gon was mature enough now to take part in the more politically delicate off-planet missions.

But this was also the first time that Xanatos would be left behind by himself, and Qui-Gon suddenly had a startling thought. Did the boy sense this somehow?

Well, it couldn't be helped. Qui-Gon was anxious to prove himself in the diplomatic arena, and he wouldn't be able to do that if he nodded off during the cocktail hour. His mind made up, Qui-Gon turned around and headed back into his own room, with Xanatos still in his arms. He would get some sleep, and they would have to leave Xanatos behind.

A little embarrassed, he started cooing to the boy. (Force forbid if any of his agemates heard him talking baby talk.)

"Xaa-nee. Sleepy time, 'kay? You can stay with me, I promise. You'll see Master Yo (snicker) in the morning. What do you say, Xani? Sleepy? Please?"

They made it back to his bed with no more incidents. Xanatos, already nodding off, only stirred once, when Qui-Gon placed him under the covers. Luckily, Master Yoda had ordered a larger size bed than usual, in anticipation of his padawan's rapid growth, and there was plenty of room left to spare. Still, Qui-Gon allowed Xanatos to snuggle close to him.

"Good night, Xani," he said, then he thought, ~Love you~

"Adores you, he does."

"I could use a little less adoration and a little more common courtesy, Master."

"Hmmph."

Qui-Gon peered sideways around his hood at Master Yaddle, who also had her hood up. It almost sounded as if she were laughing. He had just finished telling her of his adventure the night before, as they made their way to Master Illira's Padawan Care center. The early morning sun splashed small golden pools of light across the silent Temple hallways, and Qui-Gon absently adjusted his robe, covering his padrin's head to shield his eyes from the patches of brightness. Xanatos, having calmly said his good-byes to Master Yoda earlier, was now sleeping innocently in Qui-Gon's arms.

"I don't even know how he got out of his crib," the padawan continued, fighting a yawn. "And why did he sit by my room like that? It's more than a little annoying, and he could have hurt himself."

His master looked up at him in amazement. "Hurt himself? Allow that, you would?"

"Well, no, but-"

Yaddle smiled at her young charge. "Knows you, he does. Better than you know yourself, I think."

Qui-Gon frowned and dismissed her words with a small shake of his head. "You should've heard him last night," he said. "Crying and carrying on for Master Yoda. Then this morning they say good-bye as if nothing had happened. Why did Xanatos act one way for me, and differently for Master?"

"Hmmph," Yaddle said again, still smiling enigmatically.

Xanatos was waking up by the time they reached Master Illira's center. The Wookiee Jedi and her assistant, a senior padawan, were waiting.

"Master Yaddle, Padawan Jinn. Welcome."

"Thank you, Padawan Alaan," Yaddle turned to Qui-Gon. "Ready, are you?"

"So this is Xani," Padawan Alaan said, grinning, "It's so nice that you can stay with us." He turned to Qui-Gon. "Why don't I take him now?"

"No!" Now fully awake, Xanatos had grabbed onto Qui-Gon's robe. The older boy would later swear that he could feel the apprehension emanating from his padrin.

"Shh, Xani, it's all right," Qui-Gon soothed, stroking his back gently. "You'll like Master Illira and Padawan Alaan. We'll be home in two days. We're coming back, I promise." Surprisingly, Xanatos calmed down immediately. Qui-Gon gave him a kiss on the head and passed him over to the senior padawan. "Take good care of him," he instructed soberly.

"Yes sir," Padawan Alaan replied, just as seriously.

Master Illira and Padawan Alaan, with Xanatos in tow, waited and watched as Qui-Gon followed Master Yaddle down the hallway back to their waiting transport. At the bend, before the lifts, Qui-Gon turned around and waved to his padrin.

"I love you, Xan!"

And then he was gone.

END