AN: Okay so just to clear some things up, yes I have read Wookipedia, quite extensively as well (since I have nothing better to do with my life xD), and for this story Luke will be 20 and Anakin will be 23. Luke may know some things which, (in the movies), he might not know about. PLEASE bare with me here as this is my first time writing a time travel Star Wars fic and I'm still trying to align everything up timline wise etc...etc...so yeah, I might make some stuff up or whatever but this story is just a little side one to the main one I'm focusing on atm so yanoe, yeah :D


Chapter Two: Nightmare

To say it was awkward would not even begin to cover how Luke and Anakin stared at each other in complete silence. Luke felt the overwhelming urge to flop onto his new bed and wake up to find it had all been a screwed up dream.

Luke ran his fingers through his hair and let his eyes wander around the corridor they were in, he just couldn't stay still. Anakin, on the other hand, hadn't seemed to move a muscle since Obi-Wan had left-save for his eyes which awkwardly gazed everywhere apart from Luke.

"Well, what should we do?" Luke asked, a strained smile appearing on his face.

Anakin regarded him briefly, and let his blue eyes wander up to the ceiling, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Are you hungry?" He finally asked, and Luke realized how hungry he actually was. His tummy rumbled as if to answer for him, and Anakin watched in amusement as Luke's face heated up.

"Yeah." it seemed that the previous animosity his father had had towards him was gradually fading away, though the older Jedi was still on edge.

They walked in companiable silence for a while, Luke simply soaking up the sight of the Temple, his mouth loosely hanging open. Anakin chuckled, and was reminded of when he himself first arrived at the temple-the same look had been upon his face too.

"Here we are, the canteen! You can find pretty much anything that's served on Coruscant in here." Anakin lead the way towards the front, an eager Luke following closely behind.

After getting their food, Luke sat down opposite Anakin and immediately started eating. Anakin watched in fascination at the amount of food Luke seemed to inhale.

Force, I hadn't been that hungry when I was younger, had I? He thought, watching with a feeling of disgust and amusement. Shaking his head lightly, he brushed his long-ish hair out of his face and ate at a more leisurely pace.

"So...you're from the future?" Anakin asked, watching with mild interest as Luke choked at the sudden question.

"Y-yeah." he coughed, his eyes watering. Growing suddenly concerned, Anakin reached across the table and thumped him hard on the back.

Rubbing the back of his neck in a sheepish manner (similar to Anakin's habit), he mumbled an embarrassed thanks and continued to eat more slowly.

"Must be weird, being so far back in time? I can't imagine how I'd feel. Sorry about the whole-you know-pinning against the wall thing." he reached up to rub his neck, and paused before lowering his hand.

"Huh? Oh." Luke laughed, and Anakin immediately smiled as well. "It fine, really." waving his hand in a dismissive gesture, Luke got up and cleared his plate away.

The two men walked out of the canteen making small talk which consisted of Luke asking questions and Anakin answering them.

Yes, this was definitely the father that Luke had yearned for since he was a little child. It was hard to believe that this was the same man who had become Darth Vader. Vader. Luke frowned as his heart suddenly ached.

Anakin himself was lost in his own thoughts; the young man standing next to him (though he seemed so much like a child) had only been in his life for an hour or so, and he already felt as if he shared a connection with him. He couldn't explain why he felt so protective over the young man, it wasn't as if he couldn't fight or defend himself, it was simply a mystery.

"Ah, Anakin! How good to see you!" Anakin was pulled from his thoughts by the warm voice of Chancellor Palpatine.

"Chancellor Palpatine." Anakin greeted, stopping to greet the man. Over the last few years the man had become a somewhat of a father figure to Anakin, save for Obi-Wan. No one could replace him.

Palpatine. Luke restrained himself from physically launching himself at the man. He could kill him right now...and his future would be different. He'd grow up with both his parents, he wouldn't be in the Rebellion-it wouldn't even exist!

"And who is this young fellow?" Palpatine asked, his voice curious. Curious, yet laced with darkness. His very being screamed out malice intent, was Luke the only one who noticed?! The way the mans eyes were deceivingly filled with warmth, but no, Luke could see the coldness behind those eyes.

"Luke Starkiller. He's from-"

"I'm from Tatooine. C'mon Anakin, I wanna do something." Luke all but pulled the Jedi away from the Chancellor, sending him the darkest glares he could manage.

"Luke!" Anakin hissed, pulling them into a corner, "that was the Chancellor, you can't act that way in front of him! I really should find him and apologize on your behalf..." he swept his left hand through his hair, his right clenched into a fist.

"No! Let's just go somewhere else." Luke didn't wait for Anakin's reply as he stormed off, momentarily surprised at how he was acting.

It's not my fault, that conniving old man ruined everything! He ruined my life and the entire Galaxy! Luke hadn't realized how much he hated Palpatine until he had come face to face with him, manipulating his own father, turning him to the Darkside...

Anakin was completely bewildered as to what had caused Luke to become so angry. They had spent the rest of the day relaxing and getting to know each other in the gardens that surrounded the Temple, he had hoped that they would calm Luke down; and right he was. Luke was soon back to his old self. Still, perhaps it was best that the Chancellor and Luke avoided each other.

Still, Luke had challenged him to a Lightsaber duel (due to take place the next day), and Anakin was curious as to how skilled he was. Flexing his mechanical hand, he let his thoughts drift to Padme and their unborn child, hoping that they were well. He'd have to visit her tomorrow, perhaps he could bring Luke...


"You were my brother Anakin! I loved you!"

"I HATE YOU!"

Fire...burning his skin...he screamed in agony, why wasn't Obi-Wan helping him? The pain was overwhelming, his every nerve was on fire, he couldn't feel anything...smoke...coughing as he suffocated...choking on the smell of his own burnt flesh...an agonizing scream damaging his already damaged throat...

The painful scream died in Luke's throat and he flopped off of his bed and onto the floor in a tangle of legs and duvet. He had broken out into a cold sweat, and he couldn't stop himself from shaking. The first time he had seen that scene in a vision had rattled him to his very core, and every time he dreamt about it, it still had the same effect.

He reared back as he felt hands grab at his arms. He kicked out, the nightmare still effecting him.

"Luke shh, shh it's alright your safe. You're in the Jedi Temple." a familiar voice soothed, helping him sit on his bed. Luke shrugged away the hovering person and shakily pressed his face into his hands. He thought he'd managed to deal with that particular nightmare...but he obviously hadn't.

Anakin had been woken from his sleep by a scream. He had instantly recognized it as Luke and he leaped out of bed, Lightsaber in hand. He burst out of his room, not even bothering to shut his door.

Brandishing his Lightsaber, Anakin had expected to be faced with a deadly foe; perhaps it was rogue Jedi or even a Sith. He knew his imagination was running away from him, so he focused back on Luke; he was tangled up in his duvet on the floor, thrashing around and clearly in pain.

Anakin wasted no time in dragging him up to sit on his bed, even when he felt his legs being viciously kicked. He tried to calm Luke down, and it seemed to work to some degree for the wild look in his eyes had faded and his breathing had calmed down.

Suddenly realizing how close he was, Anakin shuffled away to give the other man some space.

"I'm fine." Luke finally croaked out, refusing to look into his father's eyes. He couldn't, not knowing what terrible pain he would soon be suffering. He squeezed his eyes shut to control the torrent of tears that usually accompanied that nightmare. Even after months, he still wasn't used to it, and he doubted that he ever would be.

"You need some water. Hang on, let me get some for you." Anakin got up and poured Luke some water before returning to him. Sipping the water, Luke snuck a glance at the other man.

He looked disheveled and tired, though the most noticeable thing about him was the look of worry on his face.

"It must've been an intense nightmare, to have you screaming like that." Anakin commented, unsure as to what he should do. He was no stranger to nightmares, he was plagued with them on most nights (the reason why he detested sleeping) but he would deal with them himself.

Luke looked so young and vulnerable in that moment, the nightmare clearly having shaken him. Anakin wished that there was something he could do, anything to remove the terrible look on the younger mans face.

"It is. You have no...idea." Luke swallowed, you will have an idea soon enough, he thought morosely.

"You can tell me what in it. Maybe that'll help. Have you ever told anyone about them before?"

Luke shook his head, eyes downcast.

"Well, it'll probably help if you told someone." Anakin smiled reassuringly, though careful not to do anything to make the issue worse. He'd only met Luke that day and they knew each other only for a few hours, and yet it seemed as if Anakin had known him all his life.

It scared him to a certain degree.

Luke was eerily similar to himself; sun-bleached hair (from living on Tatooine, something which Anakin was itching to ask him about), their personalities were very similar, and when he smiled it was like he was looking into a mirror. The thing that threw him most however, were his eyes.

Force they were blue. As blue as his own. The same electrifying bright blue eyes.

"Please Anakin, I don't want to keep you up." Luke sounded so tired that Anakin nodded and got up.

"If you need me you know where to find me." he paused at the door, hesitant to leave Luke alone.

I'll talk to him tomorrow. He'll be better by then. He quietly shut the door and retired to his room.

Neither Anakin or Luke got anymore sleep that night.