Title: HSU ficlet: Seekrits
Author: Julia
Follows: Emmy's 'Tis the Season'
Rating: WTE a.m. (Written too early in the morning
to make a whole lot of sense, but we had a mission)

~*~

"Wait, wait...over here!"

Qui-Gon resisted the urge to roll his eyes and dug deep for patience.

Remember, he told himself. It is this, or go back into the cottage and listen to his Wishpuff and that man in lavender go on and on about colors, flowers, printing, napkins, seating arrangements, hair styles...

Wasn't it supposed to be a simple matter of saying heart-felt vows then celebrating with loved ones?

Apparently he was quite wrong.

"Nooooo...." Julia chewed on her lip, gaze darting around the garage. "He'll find it here. He's a Jedi, he's not blind!"

"All right..." Sere put her hands on her hips. "Then where do you suggest we hide it?" They had already been to Vocab Man's shed, the Cottage, the Admin Building basement and the miner's camp.

The Jedi Master leaned against the rather large crate, knowing it was useless to rush the two.

Rushing them would only make them angry at him.

He was tired of people getting emotional around him.

Where was the serenity of the Temple when a Master needed it?

"In plain sight." As though hit with a bolt of brilliant inspiration, Julia grinned hugely. "Quigs..." She gave a smile, eyes glinting with that 'don't stop me now, I'm on a roll' look. "Follow me? And don't let the General see this, whatever you do!"

"Where are we going?" Sere had to hustle to keep up with her sister who looked back to make sure the other Jedi was following along.

The crate drifted serenely along in front of him.

"Hello, my little elves," a cultured voice drawled like melting honey, golden and warm.

Uh oh. Qui-Gon looked around quickly, seeking a hiding spot for the huge crate.

No where. They were out in the open.

Well, improvise.

He *was* a Master Jedi, after all.

Qui-Gon stepped in front of the crate and put on his best serene, Jedi Master expression.

And it seemed as though Obi-Wan's two grrls were doing an admirable job in distracting him. Looking avidly interested in whatever they were saying, he hadn't even noticed his former master standing there with a large crate behind him.

Before he had a chance to start feeling left-out, Julia gestured for him to move along, pointing towards the Communications Building.

Delegated to delivery boy. With a sigh, Qui-Gon effortlessly wrapped the crate in the Force and moved it alongside him as he walked towards the indicated building.

He still had to find a collie.

~*~

"This is nuts!" Sere glared at the huge crate now covered with a hunter green flannel sheet. Christmas decorations, a small tree and lights covered it. "Like he's not gonna notice THIS?"

"He'll notice and be too bloody polite to ask," Julia retorted, sitting down in one of the chairs near the radio board.

"And if he does ask?" Sere sat next to her.

It was impossible not to notice the crate.

It took up a great deal of the space in the radio room.

"Distract. Divert." Julia gave her sister a look.  "Do you need to go back to one of those Ho refresher classes?"

"Might be fun..." Sere's grin was positively nawtay.

A polite cough behind the two reminded them they had a visitor still.

"Thank you, so much!" Julia jumped up to run over and give the tree of a man a hug, grinning. "When UPS just dropped the Triumph at the gate, we didn't know whether to cry or kill 'em!"

"Gettin wenchly, Jules..." Sere winked and grinned at Qui-Gon, ignoring the look of death cast her direction. "Thank you though."

"I was wondering if..possibly...well..." Qui-Gon sighed and just decided to ask. "Where could I find a collie?"

"Dog?"

At the master's nod the two sister smiled. "We know a place...."

~*~

The end

P.S. we didn't know if his Triumph had ever been replaced, but figured if it had been? The man could use a spare! :)