Warnings: none, unless you don't like cuddly, fluffy things
Spoilers: Spoilers? What spoilers?
Summary: Obi-Wan can't stand the new living arrangements with
Qui-Gon and seeks help. Qui-Gon, on the other hand, gets
dressed-down by an old friend.
Feedback: Sure, if it tickles your fancy. Please off-list to
my e-mail address.
Disclaimer: Lucas created Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Yoda. Lily -
She was another one's creation! Nuff said.
Note:Pets - can't live with them, can't live without them. Go
fig!
"Help - I need somebody"
"LET GO OF HIM!" Obi-Wan struggled, both with himself - to
keep from giving in to the Dark Side and simply strangle that
thing - and with his Master, unwilling to part company
with his new companion. "Get off him, you stupid, mindless,
self-absorbed excuse for thing!" His frustrations had
been building by the minute.
As she was wont in the morning, Lily just hung there over
Qui-Gon's shoulder, carefully slinking her little tongue in and
out of his ears. "You are wrong on two counts, my young
Padawan", Qui-Gon admonished Obi-Wan, slightly angered at the
youth's outburst. "She certainly is not self-absorbed. Just
look at her!". Obi-Wan looked, and felt furious! Teasing
Qui-Gon's ears like that to get him into "the mood" was usually
one of his preferred little exercises.
"And secondly, she has a very powerful mind!" Qui-Gon started
to smile: "I felt it the moment we met her".
"Yeah, right, great Master, don't you see how silly you behave
when you're with her?", Obi-Wan whined silently. By now Lily
had made her way to Qui-Gon's chest and was happily licking his
...
"That is MY job!". Obi-Wan had enough, something had to
be done! He would not allow that creature to take over his
Master any further. Preparing to leave, he caught a last
questioning glance from Qui-Gon: "Where are you going,
Obi-Wan?", he asked, while still clearly enjoying Lily's
manipulations. "I will do what I must, Master!", he replied
ominously and left the room
"In the Force, a disturbance you say there is? Those two, a
strong bond they have formed, eh?" Master Yoda shifted
uncomfortably in his chair. Obi-Wan continued:"Yes, Master, I
hardly have his attention anymore! It's constantly 'Lily did
this' and 'Lily can do that'...never stop he
does!". The stress of the last week had been too much - he
found himself taking on Master Yoda's syntax. He blushed in
embarrassment.
In thoughts, Yoda started tapping his cane onto the floor
slightly. Eventually he looked up into the apprentice's
face:"Everything ... in order is ...in that
department?", Yoda asked carefully. Obi-Wan didn't need to ask
as to what "department" Yoda was refering to, and as if he
wasn't put off enough already, he snapped "What's that
got to do with anything?".
At this instance Yoda swore that no young man stuttering words
like those again would ever become an Padawan under his
watch!
"Hmm, touching him, she does, in ways he was never touched
before". Obi-Wan's throat tightened as he pondered the Master's
words. "She touches him in new ways?" He prided himself
of being quite inventive when it came to express his feelings
for Qui-Gon. Quite inventive! "Yes, young Padawan, but
of the obviours, do not think!", Yoda tried to warn. But
Obi-Wan didn't listen.
"F..king cat!", Obi-Wan fumed and could no longer contain his
frustrations. "To anger, you must not give in! Anger leads to
...". Obi-Wan spun on his heel and turned to leave. He'd heard
that one before. "I KNOO-OOW, yadda,yadda,yadda ...". He took
off into a hallway. "Meditate on it, you should. Resolution
to the problem, it will reveal itself!", the Jedi Master
yelled after a very unhappy Padawan.
The young man was impulsive, not looking ahead or inside at
times. Watching him go, Yoda knew the solution to Obi-Wan's
problem was to be found where the young man might least
expected it to.
Your Padawan days are never over!
The cool water felt pleasant on this increasingly humid day.
After Obi-Wan had stormed off so abruptly earlier this morning,
Qui-Gon had decided to take a quick, refreshing bath. He was
still puzzled, and, yes, somewhat angry, at why his Padawan
reacted so badly to something he new was of great joy to his
Master.
As he stepped out of the bath tub he saw Lily standing right
in front of him. Over the last several days he had noticed she
took some sort of unscrutinable pleasure in observing the men
taking showers. Obi-wan just brushed her aside,or at least
tried to ignore her whenever he took his morning bath. But
Qui-Gon was quite intrigued, and pleased, by her curiosity.
"What are you looking at, hm?" He looked around for a towel to
cover his naked frame. Lily approached him closer, now only
half a foot away, intensely looking up at him. Qui-Gon knew by
now what was coming. That look could only mean one
thing. "Oh no, you won't! Wait till I get a tow...".
With one swift leap off the ground Lily had propelled herself
onto the Master's chest and dug her little, sharp claws into
his unprotected shoulder to steady herself. His face grimaced
just slightly and he made a mental note to give her a nice
pedicure later that day. Jumping up to his shoulder was quite
an impressive feat for a being her size, given that he towered
over her for more than 6 feet. "You are quite something!", he
said, his voice being more than just laced with apprechiation
of her agility. "Come, let's eat!", and without further ado
they started towards the living room. Suddenly, there was a
knock at the door.
Qui-Gon, with his living "adornment" still draped on his
shoulder, opened the door, facing a very bemused old Jedi
Master.
"Nice look you have, Master Qui-Gon. That young Kenobi desires
you, surprised am I not!", Yoda said with a tiny giggle. "She,
quite in control of you, she is. Even to dress, forget she made
you, hmm!"
Totally startled, Qui-Gon loosened Lily's embrace and put her
down. Hastily he searched the room for the nearest robe he
could find.
"Think, seen you like this, I never have, hm?", Yoda teased.
Masters often saw their Padawans scantily clad during training
exercises, it was nothing unusual. So it had been when Yoda
trained Qui-Gon. Still, the latter quickly wrapped himself
inside the "refuge" of the robe, thankful for the privacy it
offered.
"What can I help you with, Master Yoda", Qui-Gon inquired
politely, hoping to steer the conversation to safer grounds.
"That, she is?" Yoda pointed his finger to Lily who happily
munched on some plants that adorned the room. He opened himself
up to reach out to the living Force, that link that connected
all living being. "Plants, not like to be nibbled on like that,
they don't!", and he used his cane to chase her from them.
After a while he opened his eyes and added: "The living Force,
strong it is in her!".
"Well", Qui-Gon laughed, "she certainly has an aura about
her!" Not unlike his beloved Padawan, he thought to himself. "I
can feel the power of the force in her, too, Master. Hm,
sometimes it seems she plays me like a ...".He trailed off,
giving Master Yoda a vague smile.
"Yoda quietly continued: "Close, you are with her! Towards
her, no mental shields there are from you! Your very
essence, being, she is allowed to touch!" Qui-Gon wasn't
sure where Yoda was leading with this. "Of course that is so!
There is no harm in that!" Lily was, after all, no more than a
diversion, not sentient and complex as other beings. Not able
to grasp emotions against which mental shields and guards often
were necessary, as he had found out the hard way.
Yoda picked up that last thought from his former pupil. It
saddened him a little. "Being as open to Obi-Wan as you are to
a "mindless" creature, are you, Qui-Gon?" Yoda's voice was
quiet, but had an unmistakable seriousness to it.
With a slight edge of anger in his voice, Qui-Gon answered:
"Master Yoda, I seriously do not think my dealings with her are
of any relevance regarding my relationship with Obi-Wan!"
Yoda repeated the question, and this time an answer better was
forthcoming, or else: "Being as open towards him, are
you ... Padawan?"
(Ouch, that hurt) Nobody had addressed Qui-Gon like
that in many years! He had earned his place among the
Jedi Masters dearly, had had apprentices before Obi-Wan, was
strong with the Force. Qui-Gon was furious, stung by such an
invasion of his privacy by his former Master. First at the
door, and now here in matters that should concern Obi-Wan and
himself alone. What right did he have to poke his puny little
nose into his private affairs? "Little twerp!" The thought came
to his mind, but he suppressed it immediately, scolding himself
bitterly for even allowing such a ... padawanish thought
into his head.
He quieted himself. He knew that if the old Master took it
upon himself to meddle in other people's affair, something had
to be wrong. He looked on in silence, pondering the question
his Master had put before him After what seemed like an
eternity, he finally replied:"No, Master... I am not!" The
meaning of his words slowly began to sink in. "I... I can not
...". His words trailed off.
"Still new, your bond with Obi-wan, yes?" Qui-Gon sat down and
nodded. It had merely been a few months that both man had
decided, and by the Council been granted permission, to fully
explore their mutual feelings for each other. "Time, it will
take, and patience. And openness, Qui-Gon! For both!
Learn, you must, to trust your Padawan, As trust her, you do.
Jealous, young Kenobi is, and blame him, I do not!" Yoda looked
at his former student.
All the while Lily had dallied around Qui-Gon's legs, and he
now started to pet her absentmindedly. Yoda smiled: "Good she
is, peace she affords you". He looked at her and she started
meandering over to Master Yoda, rubbing her head against his
waist. He barely stood higher than her, and was almost knocked
over by her urgency. Nevertheless, he took his hand and gave
her a pat on the head.
"So easy to please, this one. Gives without asking!" Finally,
Qui-Gon understood. Although their love had been consummated
some time ago, and he kept enjoying their little - and
sometimes extensive and elaborate - trysts in bed, there
were times when he still felt uncomfortable being stripped of
every defense he had. With Lily, what was there to protect?
What was there to hide? What was there to fear? -
Nothing! No rejections, no remorse, no guild, no
expectations from a being that had no intellectual
capacity for such things.
"Go, I must , now!". Yoda started to waddle off, dusting a
good portion of Lily's hair off of him. He looked around the
room. "Clean room, impossible to keep with her around!" Qui-Gon
couldn't help laughing.
Before he left, Master Yoda gave a last, warm look towards his
former charge. "Need you, Obi-Wan does. Now especially!
Neglect, you must him not! Whatever must be done, you
do! Now go, find your Padawan!". And almost as if as an
afterthought, he added, "And take her with you, Qui-Gon. Help,
she will!"
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