Chapter Nine
"No Appointment Necessary"
Qui-Gon couldn't quite get used to the absence of his long hair. True, the sink in the 'fresher didn't get clogged as often, he didn't wake up with strands of it in his mouth any more, and his early morning ablutions didn't take nearly as much time as they used to, but he discovered that while tossing his head about, he missed the feeling of it against the nape of his neck and face. It had given him comfort in some odd way, and had made him feel distinguished, set apart from other Masters. Maybe he should allow it to grow out again. But then, he actually was enjoying the appreciative glances he was receiving, and would honestly miss them.
Damn. Maybe he needed to have his testosterone levels checked the next time he was forced to go to the healers. Since when did he care about his looks? Especially the length of his hair? He had allowed it to get that long in the first place due to his lack of concern. Obi-Wan was the only one who had ever given him grief about it, often asking him if it ever got in his way during a battle, didn't it make his head hot?
He had to admit it did feel as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders once it'd been cut, and there was often a soothing coolness drifting along his bare neck he couldn't remember experiencing before. Maybe he would keep it this way, he decided, dropping a fresh cube of nerf into the mouth of the carnivorous plant he favored.
"What do you think, Dina? Should I keep it like this or let it grow?" Qui-Gon paused, watching with wonder as the morsel disentegrated within the plant's toothy trap.
"Talking to plants now, I see. Honestly, Qui-Gon, I'm beginning to wonder about you."
He was beginning to wonder about himself. He hadn't heard his front door open.
"Your door wasn't shut all the way, so I let myself in," Mace Windu explained, taking a seat across from him. The man looked worn out, but Qui-Gon supposed being a member of the Council was responsible. He couldn't imagine having to sit and listen to arguments between Mundi, Windu and Yoda for hours on end.
"You look tired, my friend."
"Just finished with an all-nighter."
And there it was, in a nutshell. The main reason he had refused the offered position: Spending the entire night listening to the Council? He would rather dine with a sarlaac.
"Anything I need to be made aware of?" Qui-Gon asked with genuine concern. There was something in his friend's eyes which spoke not only of weariness, but disappointment. Something was going on. "Is it the Sith? Anakin? Come on man, what is it?"
"It's you, Qui-Gon. I'm afraid Senator Amidala has contacted Master Kenobi, and he has brought his concerns to the council."
What concerns? He didn't understand. No one knew about his involvement in the threat of the senator except for Anakin and Mace, and he was sure neither one of them had broken his trust.
"Did you dine with Senator Amidala the other day?"
Now, he was even more confused. Since when was it a crime to dine with a friend?
"And did you..." the other man paused dramatically, "did you actually attempt to flirt with her?"
Uh oh. "Listen, Mace. I know it seems odd, but..."
"Odd? It seems odd? Are you serious? You scared her to death! What were you thinking?"
"I know what I'm doing!" Qui-Gon defended his actions, leaning forward on his knees to match the other man's more aggressive posture. "You're going to have to trust me."
"My trust is not your concern. I'm not the one who has an issue with you right now."
"Who does?" He knew the answer to his question before he had even heard it. "Mundi?"
"He's not your biggest fan, and you know it. I can't understand why you continue to put yourself in situations like this. You're smarter than this!"
"All I did was have mid meal with the woman! We enjoyed some light conversation. That's all."
"That's not what she told Master Kenobi." Mace's voice softened and for the first time, Qui-Gon shift uncomfortably. "She said you insinuated you two were on a date. A romantic date. And that you would soon have another, and that she owed you a favor - one which you planned on collecting soon. She said you made it sound...sexual. Qui-Gon, have you lost your mind?"
Oh, Force. The older Jedi fell back against the couch and scrubbed a beard he no longer had. "Mace, I'm not the one who's losing it. Apparently, she is. I made no such advances. We participated in a little innocent flirting. No harm was done."
He was staring at him now without speaking, which made Qui-Gon more nervous than he already was. Everyone in the Temple knew Master Windu was a man of few words, but rarely was he ever as silent as he was now. Mace had always shared his opinion quite freely, especially when he thought he was in the right.
When the man finally did decide to speak, the words which came out of his mouth were the last ones Qui-Gon expected to hear.
"Master Yoda wishes for you to report to the healers for a psychological evaluation, Qui-Gon. This evening at 0700. They'll be expecting you."
Damn.