TORMENTED RECOVERY.
A year ago Anakin was taken by Dooku while he was resuing Chancellor Palpatine, in an attempt to turn him to the darkside; now he finally escapes. But the Anakin who returns isn't same Anakin who was taken. He is frightened, withdrawn; his memory of the last year fragmented, his spirit and soul shattered.
Obi-wan and Padme join forces to help Anakin rediscover the man he used to be; but sometimes things that are broken, cannot be fixed.
PROLOGUE.
Anakin's head lifted as the door to his cell opened; he no longer knew how long he had been in the cell, no longer remembered how long his torture and suffering had gone on. All he knew was the pain, the agony that seemed to have no end.
"It would all be so much easier if you just gave in," Count Dooku's voice was the only indication of what was to come. Moments later, white-blue lightning shot from his fingetips.
Anakin screamed, his body convulsing as wave upon wave of agony struck him; he writhed and howled, his tortured screams echoing off the walls of the cell.
"This wil all end if you give in." He could barely hear Dooku's voice through the pain, could barely grasp the meaning of the words. "Give into your anger and your hate..."
The pain faded and Anakin lifted his head again, "... No ..." His voice was hoarse, his breath coming in shaking, shuddering gasps; with grim determination he pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the agony his every movement brought. "... I ... Will never ... join you ..."
Dooku shrugged, "as you wish." The lightning came at him again, sturging towards him with ferocious force; Anakin raised a hand in defense, a seemingly futile guesture...
The lightning never hit him, it curled away from his outstretched hand, back towards Dooku; the shock sent Dooku staggering back as the streams of lightning hit. Anakin didn't hesitate, he ran; pusing passsed Dooku and out into the narrow hall.
He was not recaptured. In fact, he made it to the hanger bay unhindered; he chose the nearest ship, staggering on board unsteadily. He was at the controls before Dooku arrived, the ship responded instantly and he sped out of the hanger and into open space.
xxxxxx
Coruscant.
The ship crashlanded, sneding sparks flying in every direction.
inside the ship, Anakin was thrown free out of the pilot's seat and flung hard against the side of the ship, he heard a sickening crunching crack followed by agonising pain blazing from his left side.
He lay unmoving as a frantic scene errupted outside the crumpled remains of the ship; he didn't notice when he was dragged free of the wreckage, didn't notice the frenzied voices around him, didn't notice when the robed Jedi arrived at the scene; he drifted soundlessly into a void of darkness.
xxx
His face was gaunt, his body skeletal thin, his hair hung limply trailing down past the middle of his back, but it was his eyes that held Obi-wan's attention; eyes that were sunken deep into their sockets, eyes that were devoid of life. He couldn't believe that this was Anakin, not his reckless, wild, defiant, rebelious former Padawan and friend.
No, this man wasn,'t 'Anakin'; he sat on the floor pressed into the far corner of the room in the Temple of Healing, his arms wrapped tightly around himself. He had been there a full week. His injuries from the crash weren't severe and his body was otherwise unmarked, aside from the obvious signs of starvation, he had not been terribly harmed.
And yet the man cowering in the room was terribly, horribly, traumatised.
"What happened to him?" Padme's voice was a shocked whisper, as she stared at Anakin through the open doorway.
Obi-wan shook his head, he didn't know, couldn't know; It was a question only Anakin could answer. "I don't know," closing his eyes Obi-wan shook his head. Anakin had been in a healing trance for only two days, when he had been brought out of it, Obi-wan had gone in to see him; Anakin had instantly started screaming, had leapt from the bed and all but thrown himself into the corner.
He hadn't moved since.
"We have to help him," Padme held Luke and Leia on her hips; the children had been born almost eleven months ago, it was then that Padme had revealed her and Anakin's marriage, and the babies' parentage to the jedi Council.
Obi-wan sighed and nodded, "I know. But he won't let anyone in," the moment anyone entered the room, he became extremely distressed.
Biting her lip, Padme frowned. "Let me try," beofre Obi-wan could say anything to disuade her, Padme pushed Luke and Leia into his arms and walked slowly inside.
"Ani?" She kept her voice soft, soothingly gentle as she aproached. His head snapped up, his breath quickening with fear; he hadn't started screaming though, that was a hopeful sign. Smiling Padme walked closer, "it's alright Ani, you're safe now." She was only a few feet away now, one step closer, then another until she was right in front of him.
Crouching low, Padme reached out tentatively, "Ani? Please, can you answer me?" Anakin cringed, trying to pull away from her touch; Padme followed him, keeping her hand against his cheek. She felt her hand shake as she gently stroked back his hair, "I won't hurt you." She dropped to her knees and took his hands into her own, "I love you Ani."
His body stiffened for a second, then he stared at her, his eyes boring deep into hers; he blinked, once, twice, then he licked his lips. "P-Padme?" It was the first word he had spoken; it was spoken with such increduality and wonder that Padme felt her eyes gather with tears.
"Anakin," she leant against him, refusing to be pushed away as he jerked back from her. "Don't shut me out. Let me help you." she rested her head against his chest. "Hold me, like you did by the lake on Naboo, so long ago when there was nothing but our love..." She felt his arms slowly move, shaking tremulously as he drew her closer against his chest; his head lowered to rest against the top of hers, and Padme felt her heart break as she heard him start to cry.
