These are just little random one-shots that I will be doing about the relationship between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. They will be updated as often as I can, and if any wants me to expand on any of them or if you have a prompt for me, just say in the review :)

/words\\ = Bond speak

Please read and review :)

Prompt from bluedragoninamber ( /users/bluedragoninamber/pseuds/bluedragoninamber): I would ask for a piece of Dooku & Qui-Gon emotional hurt/comfort/friendship set maybe after Tahl died and after The Call to Vengeance in the Jedi Apprentice series which you are clearly familiar with. I can imagine Qui-Gon growing so depressed from grieving that someone, maybe even Obi-Wan, dares to contact Dooku (separated from the Order but neutral not fallen, just as you wrote him in chapter 4 I think it was) to plead with him to come and pull Qui-Gon out of it. I think Qui-Gon would be resistant to being comforted and that perhaps the only person who he would allow to hold him if he falls apart is Dooku, at least as you have written him.

….

Obi-Wan sighed wearily to himself as he watched his Master perform kata after kata, working himself to exhaustion, just as he had been doing for the past few weeks. Ever since almost losing Tahl and almost falling to the Dark side, Qui-Gon had resisted any help from his friends and padawan.

Mace, especially, had been particularly concerned….however, every attempt at contact with his friend, had been rebuffed. Obi-Wan had tried (oh god had he tried) to help. Cups of tea, leaving his Master alone except for lessons and meals together…but still, every time it seemed as though his Master was improving, Tahl would enter the man's thoughts again and the bitterness would return.

Obi-Wan wished that he could help more…but his mind often flashed back to when his Master was on the edge of falling. The sheer rage that pulsed over their bond, as the Jedi Master stood over the leader of the rogue faction, honestly scared him…and whilst he was more scared for his Master, rather than of the man…Obi-Wan felt unable to fully assist his Master.

This is why he was here.

Standing in the Jedi Temple comms unit, mentally preparing to contact the one person who he believed could actually help Qui-Gon.

Taking a deep breath and glancing around, Obi-Wan inputted a communications code and waited patiently. After a few minutes of steady beeping, a cultured voice came over the comms and the blue, flickering figure of Count Dooku appeared in front of him.

"Padawan Kenobi?" Dooku frowned at the young man, "I trust you have a good reason for contacting me?"

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to answer…only for the words to get caught in his throat. He ducked his head as tears brimmed in his eyes.

"Padawan…" Dooku now sounded concerned, "…Is it Qui-Gon? Is he alright?"

Tearily, Obi-Wan shook his head and gasped, trying to get his emotions under control. Slowly, he took deep breaths and expelled his grief and sadness into the Force, until he was finally ready.

Lifting up his head once again, Obi-Wan sighed. "Ever since the death of Master…Tahl. Master Qui-Gon has been distant…refuses all help and continues to be…bitter. I've done all I can but he still pushes me away…you're the only one I can think of who might be able to get through to him."

There was silence for a few moments, until Count Dooku nodded. "I see…my old padawan is grieving for his friend. Qui-Gon has always been one to take loss harshly…" the elderly man glanced at Obi-Wan, before seemingly coming to a decision. "I shall be there in two days….continue what you've been doing for the time being."

"Yes Master" Obi-Wan bowed his gratitude as Dooku cut the comms. Remaining where he was for a few moments, Obi-Wan sighed…closing his eyes as he reached out to his Master over their bond…only to be mentally pushed away within seconds.

He winced in pain, retreating back into his own mind. Groaning as a dull ache set deep into his head, Obi-Wan quickly made his way back to their rooms…knowing that his Master wouldn't be there.

….

Dooku sighed as the speeder docked in the Jedi temple's bay…nothing seemed to have changed since he left all those years ago. Initiates and Padawan's roaming around as Knights and Masters chatted in small groups…many of the older members of the Order giving him suspicious looks of recognition.

Striding down the corridors that led to the shared Master/Padawan rooms, Dooku couldn't help but smirk as the younger Jedi's practically leapt out of his way…still got it.

"Dooku!"

Hearing the voice of one of his ex-padawan's oldest friends caused Dooku to stop in his tracks. Spinning around on his heel, he smirked at the slightly frantic pace that Mace had set, as he sped up to the ex-Jedi. "Mace…delightful to see you once again. Is Qui-Gon around?"

Mace frowned, "He should be…why do you ask?"

"I ask, because getting a comm off of Padawan Kenobi detailing how his Master, my old padawan, is suffering the loss of a dear friend….well, it's not something I ever want to hear again."

Mace opened his mouth to protest, however, he was interrupted by Dooku. "No Mace….that boy is being neglected because you and the council seem to believe that Qui-Gon will work past this. He needs some sense knocked into him, because he has a padawan to take care of. He needs to let it all out on someone who isn't going to mollycoddle him!"

Mae sighed, "We've tried…we know Obi-Wan is suffering as well, but he won't let anyone else take him in whilst Qui-Gon mourns, not even Master Yoda!"

"The boy's loyal, of course he isn't going to let his Master suffer….but have you actually tried forcing Qui-Gon to see someone? This isn't healthy for either of them!"

"He won't see them….and we are not in the habit of forcing people to see our mind healers."

"That's not what I remember…" snarled Dooku, before taking several deep breaths and turning away, "…all I want to do is help my grand-padawan and Qui-Gon before one of them does something that they'll regret."

Remaining silent, Mace watched as the Count strode away. "Good luck…." He whispered under his breath, "…you'll need it."

….

"It's simple Obi-Wan! Even the youngest of initiates can do it, why can't you!?"

Obi-Wan tried to remain composed in the face of his Master's blind fury…but Force it was hard. As the shouting and screaming got louder and louder, Qui-Gon's face got redder and redder.

After five more minutes of being called useless and a bad Jedi, Obi-Wan finally snapped. "I'm tired!" he yelled, "You haven't let me sleep or eat properly in weeks because of this obsession!"

"How dare-"

"How dare I? How dare you treat me like this, after all we've been through! You know, I miss her too…Master Tahl, she was someone I could truly look up to and she would be disgusted at what you've become!"

Qui-Gon's eyes flashed with barely contained anger as he lifted in hand in the air. However. Before he could strike his padawan, there came a cultured voice from the doorway. "To strike a child is to forget the basic good in you…"

Qui-Gon spun around on his heel, his eyes widening in shock when he saw his old Master in the entrance to their rooms. "Master!"

Dooku ignored him, turning his attention to Obi-Wan, who was shaking slightly with exhaustion. "Padawan Kenobi…come here." He beckoned for the child to stand by him, which Obi-Wan was all too happy to do, "You need to rest…Master Yoda will be very happy to give you somewhere to sleep for the time being."

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to protest, but soon stopped when Dooku held up a hand, "No arguments. You have done a remarkable job…but now let me do what I came here to do, what you asked of me."

Obi-Wan nodded, glancing once more at his Master before rushing down the corridor.

Qui-Gon sighed, "Thank you Master….I really appreciate being undermined by my old Master, who isn't even with the Jedi Order any more…"

Dooku simply stared at him, his eyes scanning him from top to bottom, until his gaze softened. "Her death was not your fault Qui-Gon."

"Don't talk about her!" growled Qui-Gon, "You have no right to talk about her!"

Dooku remained silent, watching as his ex-padawan glared at him.

"You never approved of my relationship with Tahl!"

"For a good reason clearly…" sighed Dooku, "Ever since your early apprenticeship, you were too easily influenced by that young lady, and let your emotions take control of you."

"I-"

"No…." interrupted Dooku, "…it's my turn to talk. When your padawan comms me, worried about you and your grief, then I need to get involved….when I shouldn't have to. It has been months Qui-Gon, you should have expelled your grief into the Force by now."

"I need time to-"

"To grieve? I agree….but not for too long, and certainly not when you have a young padawan to train and take care of. That boy looked on the verge of collapse, and that means that you are failing as a Master."

Qui-Gon scoffed, "Like you have any room to talk…" he muttered under his breath.

He clearly wasn't quiet enough, Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dooku frowning at him. "You think I mistreated you?"

"Well I-"

"Did you ever go hungry? No. Did you get enough sleep? Yes. Did I ever hurt you? No….Did I let you bring every single creature into our quarters? Yes."

Qui-Gon remained silent as Dooku strode closer. "How dare you…" continued the ex-Jedi, "…how dare you imply that I was ever cruel to you?!"

Seating himself on the sofa, Dooku patted the space besides him, encouraging his ex-padawan to sit beside him. Once the man had sat down, Dooku turned to him and sighed. "You can't live like this Qui-Gon…" he began, "…you are killing yourself and that young boy!"

"You exaggerate…"

"No…I don't."

Qui-Gon opened his mouth as if to protest, but simply shook his head. "I…she's dead Master. The one woman who I would have left the Order for is gone!"

"I know…" murmured Dooku soothingly, watching as his ex-padawan practically deflated in front of him, the previous anger and arrogance gone.

"I was so angry…" sighed Qui-Gon, "…I was so ready to kill the person who took her away from me!"

"And what stopped you?"

"…Obi-Wan. All I could see was the look on his face…and then I thought, how could I do this to him? After all that we've been through with Xanatos and the troubles we had right at the beginning of our partnership….I couldn't turn my back on him like that, not by turning to the Dark side…"

"And yet you've spent over two months neglecting him…you might as well have turned, he might have had a chance at becoming a Jedi, because I'm sure someone would have taken him in…in fact, I would have come back myself in order to teach that boy, because even I can tell that he will be a great Jedi one day and to know that I was the one to teach him, would be the greatest honour."

There was silence for a few moments, before Qui-Gon sighed, his head falling forwards into his hands in despair. "I swore, when I became his Master, that I would teach him and take care of him….maybe I shouldn't be a Master when I keep pushing my padawan's away."

Dooku shook his head, "Don't give up Qui-Gon…yes, you went through a terrible experience but that was no reason to treat Obi-Wan like he was worthless. You now realise that, and now you can move forward…" He stood up and helped his ex-padawan to his feet, "I will stay until you are ready, but I'm sure that you have some grovelling to do to that young boy. Agreed?"

Qui-Gon nodded, and Dooku smirked. "Excellent…now, I think that that's enough of the heartfelt conversations."

Qui-Gon smirked at this and the pair headed down the corridor, towards Master Yoda's rooms.

"…How many animals did I really bring into our rooms?"

"Count how many grey hairs I have….that's how many."