Beginnings

[Troy Vortex]

Kavin moaned as he slowly tried to push himself up. He raised his head slightly and as he opened his mouth blood poured out along with four teeth. He gingerly touched the side of his mouth where the teeth came from, and shook his head.

He immediately regretted doing that as it made him dizzy, and he fell back to the ground, managing to be on his back this time. "Miri..." He grunted in pain both physical and emotional. Tears started coming from his eyes as he looks up at her. "I'm shorry."

"Oh, honey, no, it's my fault!" A tear fell from her eyes and landed on his face. She forced herself to stop crying and called upon the force. Gently touching his face, she closed her eyes and started to use force heal upon him.

A few minutes later, Kavin took her hand in his and sat up. "Thank you." He spoke quietly, and swallowed as his other hand reached out to caress her cheek.

Miri began to weep and laid her head on his shoulder, burying her face in his tunic. "I am so sorry!"

"Shh!" He wrapped his arms around her and held her. "It's alright. It's not your fault!" He rocked her gently back and forth.

"I love you, Kavin, so very much!"

"I love you, too, Miri. You're my life!" He closed his eyes and felt himself start to shiver as he saw in his mind's eye her running away from him. He held her tight in reaction. "Please, don't ever run from me again!" He pleaded in a shaky voice.

[Troy Vortex]

"I won't. I promise." Miri returned Kavin's hug.

"Why..." Kavin paused and swallowed a lump in his throat. "Why did you run?"

Miri pulled away and looked down at the ground. "I thought you didn't want me. It made me feel like I did when we were younglings... when I was teased about having legs too long for my body." She blushed, feeling silly. "I've never been very pretty."

"What?" Exclaimed Kavin in wonder. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen! You've always been beautiful!"

Pulling her legs up and hugging them to her chest, Miri looks away from Kavin. "You're just being kind."

"No, I'm not!" Kavin came around in front of her and put a hand under her chin, gently pulling it up so she looked at him. "Miri, you are so beautiful! Everytime I see you, you grow even more beautiful. You outshine the sun!" He swallowed and blushed. "I'm the plain one. Short, scrawny, big ears that stick out too far... in fact, I'm not only plain, I'm ugly."

"No, never!" It was Miri's turn to exclaim. "You are not ugly! You are so cute and adorable."

Kavin moaned. "Even worse!"

Miri giggled. "I love the way you look."

[Troy Vortex]

Kavin smiled and looked at Miri, then took a sharp intake of breath.

"What is it?" She wondered.

"I..." Kavin whispered as he placed a hand on her cheek, "...love you."

Carressing the back of his hand that he has on her cheek, Miri kissed the palm of that hand. "I love you, too."

Kavin took a hold of her hand and got up. "Let's go. We've got a lot of planning to do for the wedding."

Miri giggled. "Shouldn't I go quit the Order first?" She asked as he helped her up.

"It would probably be best if we get married first, because once you leave the order, it would be hard to justify us being seen together."

"Good point."

They walked on, hand in hand. Kavin waved back to Gan. "Thanks for the hand."

Miri giggled and playfully slapped Kavin in the arm to which Kavin laughed and kissed her on the cheek.

[Troy Vortex]

Several hours later, they arrived back at the temple, having made arrangements to be married the next day, first thing in the morning. Kavin smiled at Miri as he spoke softly. "See you in the morning."

Miri blushed and nodded with a smile before returning to her room. Once there she leaned against the door and smiled to herself with a sigh. "Mrs. Miri Horn." She said softly and giggled and then practically skipped to the refresher to freshen up before turning in.

For his part, Kavin went to talk to Tiin and Qui-gon. He failed to find Tiin, but he found Qui-gon practicing his forms in a training room. Kavin joined in, and without a word to each other, they practiced various attack/defence techniques upon each other.

"So," Qui-Gon spoke quietly after they were finished. "Have you and Miri decided what to do?"

Kavin nodded. "We're going to take Tiin's suggestion. Arrangements have been made for us to marry in the morning, and Miri will quit the order."

Qui-Gon frowned and looked down at the floor.

"We know it's not going to be easy, Qui-Gon. Our love is strong we can make it through the tough times. We'll make a home on Naboo in the mountains. She has family that live in the mountains there, so she won't be totally cut off."

"Well, it sounds like the two of you thought this out pretty well." Qui-Gon's voice still has some misgiving in it.

Kavin nodded again. "Will you come and be witness at our wedding and be my best man?"

After a brief silence from Qui-gon, Kavin added, "I know you don't approve, but, you did say you'd support us in whatever choice we made." He looked up at Qui-gon with pleading eyes.

"Don't look at me like that, Kav," sighed Qui-gon as he put a hand on the yournger padawan's shoulder. "Of course I'll be there for you. I wouldn't miss it for world."

"Thank you." Kavin breathed a sigh of relief. He looked up to Qui-Gon like an older brother. "Have you seen Tiin?"

[Troy Vortex]

After Tiin had left the courtyard that morning, he first went to train with his master. Uncharacteristically, he had a hard time concentrating, and wound up hurting himself in a move he'd done so easily many times before.

After the healer was finished with him at the med center, his master had told him to go meditate. "You're not in the right frame of mind for physical training right now." he had said gently. "Go, meditate, and we can train tomorrow."

So Tiin went to a meditation chamber, and had been there for several hours before exiting. He felt refreshed after his meditations.

Until he saw them.

As he was turning a corner to go to his room, he saw Kavin and Miri walking together and smiling. He quickly turned back and hid, not quite sure why. When Miri went to her room, and Kavin walked on, he left the temple.

Back in the training room:

"I haven't seen Tiin since we left the courtyard this morning." Qui-gon replied to Kavin.

[Troy Vortex]

Miri went to the refresher and took a shower. Afterwards she lay down on her bed looking at the ring Kavin gave her, smiling softly.

"Mrs. Miri Horn..." She whispered one more time as she drifted off to sleep with a peaceful smile on her face.

She woke up soon after though, and could get back to sleep. Instead of tossing and turning, she decided to get up, and, after getting dressed in her padawan uniform, went for a walk.

Meanwhile, in the courtyard, Tiin paced. He had come back to the temple and tried to sleep, but could not. He felt anxious and guilt-ridden about the advice he had given to his friends. Maybe they won't take that course. Stop feeling guilty about bad advice that may not be taken, Tiin! With that thought, he decided to go to bed and try sleeping once more.

As he headed back to the courtyard entrance however, he came face to face with.... "Miri! Hi, what are you doing up so late?"

Miri smiled warmly. "I could ask the same of you." Her voice light and melodious.

"Oh," he said looking away from her so as not to make eye contact, "I couldn't sleep, so took a walk."

Miri laughed, her laughter sending a shiver of pleasure through Tiin's body. "I couldn't sleep either."

"Oh?" Tiin asked with concern, glancing over at her. "What's bothering you?"

"Nothing!" Miri laughed again and spun around just for the sheer joy of the movement. "Nothing whatsoever!"

Tiin smiled slightly as he watched her. She looked so happy.

And beautiful.

He swallowed as his love for her came bubbling to the top, and he quickly suppressed it. "Then why couldn't you sleep?"

"Oh, didn't Kavin tell you?" She looked at Tiin quizzically.

"I haven't seen Kavin since I saw the two of you here in the courtyard." He lied.

"We decided to marry!" Her excitement spilling over into her voice as she held out her hand so Tiin could see the ring on her finger.

"Congratulations." Tiin smiled, suppressing even from himself that he felt heartbroken at the news.

Miri gave Tiin a quick hug. "Thank you." Then she giggled as she drew away. "I am so happy and excited.. I can't sleep!"

Tiin could not help but smile at her exuberance. "So, when is the wedding?" Then he added, with a gulp, "and when are the two of you leaving...." he paused for a fraction of a second as he was about to say 'me', but instead said, "us?"

[Troy Vortex]

"Tomorrow is the wedding, but Kavin is staying. Only I'm leaving." Miri replied quietly.

Tiin froze. At that moment, he was stunned and could not speak. The moment he dreaded had come.

The moment he knew would come.

The moment he knew his friends would take his ill-considered advice.

"Tiin? Are you alright?" Miri gently placed a hand on his arm.

Tiin snapped out of it and looked away from Miri once more and took a few steps away from her. "Oh.. yeah... I just..." He swallowed, not knowing what to say.

"Tiin, why couldn't you sleep?" Miri asked softly as she went to him and just as softly laid a hand on his back. She could sense he was upset.

Tiin stiffened at her touch and he closed his eyes. "Because I was afraid the two of you would take my advise!" He said as her touch both thrilled and frightened him. He took another step away from Miri and turned to look at her. "I realized after you and Kavin left, that it was very bad advice. Qui-Gon reminded me how hard long-distance relationships are. The two of you should reconsider."

[Troy Vortex]

Keera looked down at the ground as she spoke. "We both realize how difficult it will be, Tiin. But I can't let Kavin quit the order for me. He has so much potential, and I know he could do so much good as a Jedi. I don't want to hold him back."

"But, you won't see much of him... it'll put a strain on your relationship."

"Our love is strong enough. We can make it through, Tiin."

"I hope so, I'd hate to think that my advice ultimately broke the two of you apart." He looked away from her again, puzzled as his statement rang false to him. He shook his head and suppressed the thought as he heard Keera speak.

"Please come to our wedding, Tiin." She pleaded. "You can give the bride away."

Tiin looked at Keera and chuckled. "Isn't that usually what the father of the bride does?"

Keera smiled. "Yeah, but I don't even know my father. It would mean more to me if you did it."

As she looked up at him with her big brown eyes, Tiin found himself unable to deny her. "Ok. I'll come, and for a few moments I shall act as your father." He bowed to her.

Keera giggled, then embraced him. "Oh, thank you, Tiin! I love you."

Tiin stiffened, catching himself returning her hug for just a few seconds. Then he pulled away. He longed to say, "I love you, too." But if he did, he knew she would be able to sense it was not the platonic relationship she had referred to, but that he loved her as Kavin did. So instead, he merely replied. "You are most welcome, my friend."

And his heart ached.

[Troy Vortex]

In his room, Kavin lay, tossing and turning in his sleep. He had a similar dream to the one he had the night he told Keera he loved her. Only this time instead of just hearing the babies crying and laughter, he saw Miri giving birth to the babies. The third baby she gave birth to though was a skeleton and Miri screamed in grief. She turned to Kavin with anger and threw the infant skeleton at him. "You should have been here!"

"Kavin, wake up!"

A hand grabbed his arm and he startled awake. He pulled away, then saw Qui-gon standing beside his bed. He quickly sat up. "Wha... why are you here?" He shook his head to clear the cobwebs.

"You said to meet you outside at first daylight... you've overslept."

Kavin jumped out of bed. "Stang!" He ran his hand through his hair, which was dripping wet. He felt all hot and sticky. "Oh, no, I can't go like this, I have to shower!"

As he stumbled into the refresher, Qui-Gon called after him. "You'd better hurry."

Kavin quickly showered and pulled on his robes. He combed his hair, picked up his pack which has the clothes he would change into at the chapel, and rushes out of the refresher.

"Thanks for waking me!" He tells Qui-Gon as they hurry out of the temple.

[Troy Vortex]

As Qui-gon drove one of the order's landspeeders to the church, Kavin sat in the passenger seat beside him, trying not to think about the dreams.

Qui-gon looked briefly at Kavin. "What is it, Kavin?"

"Huh?"

"You're fidgeting like someone put tatooine fire beetles in your robes." Qui-gon grinned as they made their way through traffic. "A bit of nervousness is normal for such a big step, but this seems like more. Are you having second thoughts?"

"No!" Kavin exclamed, then frowned. "Well... I.. maybe... no.. not about the wedding. I think."

Qui-Gon pulled over. "Kavin, what's wrong?"

"I had a recurring dream." Kavin swallowed.

"Do you think it was prophetic?"

"I-i'm not sure."

"Tell me about it."

Kavin told him about the first time he had the dream and about the dream from which Qui-Gon had woken him. "I know when babies are stillborn, they don't come out as skeletons, but, Qui-Gon, this dream felt... like it was actually happening."

"You said Miri said that you should have been there. Do you think perhaps this dream could have been your subconcious telling you that perhaps you should quit the order to be with your wife instead of remaining?"

Kavin silently nods.