If you are just beginning to read this story, I have to explain that while writing Qui-Gon's Senior Moments, I'm afraid I've had one of my own. Accidentally deleted Chapter One! You will find it following Chapter Ten. As far as I know, there isn't a way to put it back in order. Chapter Eleven will now be following Chapter One. Sorry about that!

Chapter Two

"A Bomb Falls in Theed"

As Qui-Gon misted the collection of living organisms he had collected along his travels throughout the galaxy, he pondered the words Mace had said to him. So, the council was concerned about Anakin, eh? They should be. He was the Chosen One, after all; the sole Jedi who would bring balance to the Force, who would get rid of the darkness once and for all. It was a heavy burden to bear, and he had often worried and wondered if the young boy from Tatooine was up to the task. However, he had never worried about Anakin's Master. At least not until today. If indeed, Obi-Wan was being too rigorous and firm, he couldn't blame him. He had learned from the best.

Now that he had retired from active duty, Qui-Gon had much more time to think about the rights and wrongs he had done to his padawans of the past. Amongst them, Obi-Wan stood out like beacon in a black hole. He had been a bright, upstanding, and intelligent child, eager to learn and eager to please. Though, perhaps too eager at times. Qui-Gon had decided early on with Obi-Wan, given his failure with his apprentice just prior, he would keep a tight rein on the young man and not allow any foolish idealisms or pursuits get in his way of becoming a Jedi Knight.

His philosophy had worked, and they had goten along well. That is, until their assignment to Naboo. There were a couple of things he now regretted which happened during that mission. One: He should've handled announcing to the council that he wished to take Anakin as his apprentice a little differently. Perhaps, he had been too neglectful of Obi-Wan's feelings in that regard. It was something that needed to be done, however, and there was no other way to do it.

No, that wasn't the issue.

Qui-Gon returned to the kitchen to refill his spray bottle and continue with his chores, misting every individual specimen, which seemed to have somehow taken up the majority of his living space. When had that happened?

The issue which stood between them like a bantha carved from stone was the stand he had taken in Theed, after he had been nearly fatally wounded by that Sith creature.

He had been lying in the palace infirmary, an oxygen line running into his lungs, a bactade drip sunk into his veins, unable to move, but unfortunately not unable to talk. He wished that would've been the case. Things would be so much better now.

His apprentice had entered the infirmary concerned about his Master as he should've been, but bubbling with a happiness Qui-Gon had never seen before in the young man; not since he had been chosen as his padawan. After ensuring his Master was indeed going to survive, that's when he dropped the bomb.

He was in love. With the Queen of Naboo.

Qui-Gon decided to put away the tools of his hobby before he drowned one of his friends. This was a most aggravating memory, one he wished to forget, but one that always seemed to come up from time to time. It was during these moments, he wished he could be like non-Force sensitives of his age and suffer from some form of dementia or something. Maybe, then he could live peacefully in ignorance, walk around in his smallclothes, be forgetful and lose his senses from time to time. That would be nice.

He sat down on the sofa next to the carnivorous plant he had picked up while visiting Thyferra, watching its toothy trap open wide as soon as it sensed his presence. "Don't be such a glutton. I already fed you."

From his recovery bed in Theed, he had recited a long and thorough lecture in regards to the various pitfalls of a Jedi becoming involved in a personal relationship. Obi-Wan had stood with excellent posture, apparently taking it all in, the entire thirty-three and one-half minutes Qui-Gon had droned on and on, before he spoke one word: As any respectful student would.

"Master, I've been thinking on the matter, and I know how you feel about the subject, but I've come to the conclusion that I agree with the New Order Jedi, who believe that having a stable and committed relationship only stabilizes a Jedi's health and mental state. It decreases stress by directly affecting cortisol levels, improves mood by guarding against depression, and recent studies have even shown that being in love lowers systolic blood pressure."

He was gawking. He realized that, but at the time, he blamed his open mouth on his difficulties breathing.

He had to hand it to his apprentice, however. The boy had done his research. But still, the heartache and disappointment that invariably accompanies a long-term relationship was not worth the risk. He should know. He had been in love once, and when she had died while performing her duty as a Jedi, the grief had nearly caused him to turn to the dark side.

It was Obi-Wan who had kept him safe. It was Obi-Wan who had given him a reason to stay in the light.

No. He couldn't allow it. His padawan's future was much too bright to take a chance on something as frivolous as young love. So, as any other responsible Master would do, he had forbidden it. With just those few words, he had distinguished the light burning behind his padawan's eyes, and since then, their relationship had never been the same.

And now the council wanted him to talk to Obi-Wan about how to raise his own padawan. There was no way in the hell Obi-Wan was going to listen.

But perhaps he knew someone else who would.