FAVORS

Timeline: Late JA

Genre: Humor

~*~

"No."

"Oh, come on. What's the very worse that can happen?"

Qui-Gon looked at Mace like he had grown a third eye. "Do you want me to make a list? Anytime we try anything remotely rule bending we get caught and not only that, but somehow we seem to suffer both physical pain and embarrassment."

Mace seemed to ponder his friend's words for a moment. "But what's the very, very worse that can happen?"

Qui-Gon answer was somewhere between a grunt and a growl, however Mace didn't seem phased.

"Come on, when's the last time I asked you for a favor?"

"What time is it!"

Mace grabbed his friend by the shoulders and stared him squarely in the face. "Seriously, I need you to help me out here! I'm begging you."

Qui-Gon let his shoulders fall. He was caving and he knew it. Somehow he just couldn't say no to his friend when he seemed so pathetic. It was depressing to see a Jedi Master act like a whining ten-year old.

The older Master was just about to agree when he saw his Padawan heading in his direction. He smiled to the boy. "Obi-Wan! How the heck are ya?"

The surprised look on Obi-Wan's face was much like how a bantha looked before it was hit by a speeder. "Um...I'm fine, Master. And how are you and Master Windu?"

Suddenly in a blur of dark brown, Obi-Wan found himself being dragged away from Mace. His Master had him by his upper arm and was blazing a trail away from the Council Member.

However, with a burst of super-human speed, Mace caught up to the two Jedi and ran in front of them. "Qui-Gon! Please, please, please help me!"

Obi-Wan cocked his head to one side and turned his glaze from his Master to Mace and back to his Master.

"Ah...I'm going to be going now." The Padawan attempted to move away from the older men, but felt two pair of hands grabbed both his shoulders. Soon, he found himself in the middle of a Master sandwich.

"Kenobi, tell your Master he has to help me out."

Obi-Wan turned to his Master and then looked at the Council Member. "But, normally when he helps you out he somehow always gets caught and somehow suffers both physical pain and embarrassment."

Qui-Gon shot an 'I-told-you' look to his friend, but Mace was one step ahead. "Sith, Kenobi, do you want to be at the Healers for a month?"

"What?!"

"Either you convince him to help me or you will be helping the healers out with cleaning the freshers and bed-pans, plus be a dinner guest of Yoda's for a month!"

"You...you can't do that! It's just not fair!"

Mace smirked at the surprised and scared Padawan. "Watch me! I'm on the Council. I can do anything I want."

Silently, Obi-Wan wonder how a Sith could ever make the Council, but he kept the question silent and turned towards his Master.

"Help him. For the love of the Force help him. I'm just your Padawan! I'm too young to deserve this."

Qui-Gon felt torn. Should he suffer or his Padawan? Surprisingly the choice was easy. His Padawan was his son and he loved the boy with all his heart. What Mace was doing was unfair, un-called for, and just plain mean. He knew what sacrifice he had to make.

"Obi-Wan will help you, Mace."

"WHAT??!!" The young Jedi turned towards his Master. "That's not fair! I didn't do anything! Why are you doing this?"

Qui-Gon placed a hand on his Padawan's shoulder. "I'm doing it because I love you and only want the best for you. I believe this will be a wonderful learning experience. Since you're almost eighteen it's about time you start to do missions on your own."

"This won't be a mission! It's going to be something awful that is going to hurt me somehow. Please Master, I'm too young to go through this!"

Qui-Gon removed his hand and patted the top of Obi-Wan's head like a little puppy. "You'll be just fine." With that the Master jogged away and Obi-Wan could have sworn there was a little bit of a skip in his step.

Mace sighed. "I really wanted him to help me." He looked the young Jedi up and down. "I suppose you'll be just fine though."

Obi-Wan shuddered to think what awful fate awaited him.

~*~

If there was a Heaven in the Universe, he was in it. Obi-Wan smiled contentedly as he was served another drink. Ah, bliss!

The younger Jedi looked over to his older companion and gave him the thumbs up. Mace smiled back and gave the Padawan a small wink.

"Okay, now I need all the contestants to line up." They did so. "Good, good. Now, we're going to go down the line and I need you to tell us what you would want to cure in the universe."

Obi-Wan only half listened as the constants rambled off the answer. He could care less to what was happening inside their heads...

...he cared more for what was happening on he outside of their heads. Namely, what they looked like.

In truth, the Padawan figured Jedi were above beauty contests and was surprised, pleasantly at that, to find out that somehow Mace had been selected to judge this said beauty pageant. He knew it had something to do with a mission he had been on years ago in which he had to play judge then, but, again, he could care less.

All he cared about was never letting this day end.

That and the bathing suit competition.

~*~

Qui-Gon felt bad, guilty, and just plain Sithly about what he had done to his Padawan. He knew the boy didn't deserve this and only hoped that, in time, Obi-Wan would forgive him.

The door swishing open brought the Master face to face with his smirking apprentice. By the look of his face, Qui-Gon figure he was either in so much trouble he was in denial, or he was having post-traumatic stress syndrome. Either way, it didn't look good.

"Padawan?" The boy's failure to answer only worried the Jedi more. He moved closer to the lad and waved a hand in front of his face.

"Obi-Wan?" The boy shook his head and finally focused on his Master.

"Oh, hello, Master. How are you?" Qui-Gon gave his apprentice a raised eyebrow.

"I'm fine. So, um, what did you do?"

A loud, happy sigh escaped his Padawan and the eighteen-year-old gave his Master the same bright smile. "I went to Heaven."

Confused the Master led the boy to the couch and sat him down. He grabbed both the boy's hands and held them tightly. "Now, Obi-Wan, I need you to tell me everything that happened. I know it may be painful, but please open up to me. I hate to see you suffer so."

Fifteen minutes later, Qui-Gon was attempting to kick his own butt at his stupidity of letting Obi-Wan go off with Mace. It was so unfair and unjust and...and just unfair! He should have gone! He should have judged! Was there any fairness left in the world?

Obi-Wan slipped silently off to his room to dream of his day and Qui-Gon continued to fume on their couch.

~*~

THE NEXT DAY

~*~

Mace wandered the halls looking for pray. He needed help again, and hoped he could find a sucker soon. He saw Qui-Gon walking a bit further down the hall and speed up to reach him. He finally stood next to his friend and gave him a large smile.

"Hey, Qui, I was wondering if you could help..."

"YES!"

Mace stopped his speech. The Jedi Master had just said...yes?!?! "Great! Okay, met me at the pool in fifteen minutes for the…"

Qui-Gon smiled inwardly, this has to be a bathing suit competition or maybe synchronized swimming or…

"...Initiate swimming lesson."

"WHAT!?!?!" Mace, however, never heard the question as he ran down the hall.

Life was truly unfair, Qui-Gon thought as he slowly made his way to his quarters to grab his swimming trucks. He wasn't sure, but somehow, he knew this was Obi-Wan's fault and that boy would regret it with tomorrow's training.

The End.