Sleepwalker

Chapter 2: Drowning in the Abyss

After hearing the mishaps of Anakin's dreams, Obi-Wan had sat on the couch quietly, his sea-green eyes gazing off into the distance, pondering the information he had just been given. It had been an hour now and Anakin was beginning to become restless.

He began to twitch his feet, and then shift in his seat. Soon he was crossing and uncrossing his legs, along with fiddling with his Padawan braid. His Blue eyes swept the room, his own thoughts getting away from him. Thinking of what he could do about his dreams, what they meant, what Obi-Wan could do about them? What Obi-Wan's hair would feel like at this very moment? And how would he be able to ruffle the Jedi Knights hair with out his intentions being noticed.

He grimaced as he caught himself looking a little too intently at his master. Way to be inconspicuous Skywalker. Why don't you just announce that you think he is dead sexy the next time? Maybe it'll be a more subtle. Continuing his mental scolding, Anakin failed to notice that his master was speaking to him, until the ginger haired man placed a hand on his shoulder causing his gaze to snap up and look directly at his masters.

"Anakin?"

"Sorry master. My mind had wandered." Obi-Wan seemed to search the teen's soul with his eyes. Satisfied with the answer he had found, Obi-Wan lifted his hand from Anakin's broad shoulder and glanced out the window.

Anakin found himself already missing the touch he always seems to be yearning for.

"This could be just you sleepwalking, and we will just have to make sure to take the necessary precautions. Or," His eyes moved away from the window to look deep within Anakin's blue depths and continued. "This could be much more serious. I'm afraid that this young girl, Zanie, could be causing you harm. But as to whom Zanie is? We will have to find out soon enough."

Obi-Wan turned and put a hand on his Padawan's knee, causing a shudder to rack through out Anakin's body, and descend to his groin. He shifted, uncomfortable in his growing tighter pants, to conceal his love for Obi-Wan. His master took the shudder as a different message.

"Anakin, do not worry. I will allow no harm to come to you. Now it is getting rather late, we should be off to bed. I will make sure to keep my mind open as you sleep. So as to make sure you don't sleepwalk."

"Yes, master." Getting up, Anakin walked to his room and closed the door and locked it behind him. Shedding his clothes immediately, Anakin let the cool air sooth his hot and sweating body.

With just one touch, he sets my body ablaze. Damn him. He has no idea how he affects me. Running a hand through his curly hair, Anakin trailed his other hand down past his abdomen to caress his ever growing erection. Making sure his shields were firm in place, he let his love for Obi-Wan cloud over his mind, and began to stroke himself.

He began slow, taunting and teasing himself, imagining Obi-Wan on his knees before him a mischievous grin on his perfect features. Then bending down and engulfing him whole. Anakin bit his bottom lip so as not to make any sounds as he set his pace quicker with longer strokes.

His breath coming in pants now, Anakin leaned heavily against the door to make sure he wouldn't tumble across the floor if his knees gave out on him.

God, Obi-Wan would be amazing. Not nearly satisfied yet, Anakin brought the hand locked in his golden hair to come down and pinch one of his dusty rose nipples, trailing his fingers over his glistening body. Running his fingers up his stomach, down his sides, across his abdomen he saw Obi-Wan doing all this with his tongue.

His breath coming faster now, Anakin continued to embrace his erection with harder strokes, finally dragging himself in to release. His knees quivering, Anakin made his way to his sleep couch and dropped himself on to its soft mattress and blankets.

He lay there motionless, panting, his body exhausted. But his hunger for Obi-wan had just seemed to grow inside of him. It tore at his very being, begging not for his own touch on himself, but for Obi-Wan's caresses. His loving embraces, his lustful eyes, and his loving heart.

If only, With a scowl he cut that thought short, If only, is all it will ever be between us. With that thought, Anakin dragged himself further up on to the sleep couch. His withered mind finally gave away to sleep.

"Ani? Ani, you awake?" The warmth of the sun basked on his entire body, and he heard a rumbling coming from somewhere not to far away. It gave him the renewed energy to open his eyes, and see Zanie leaning over him.

"Zanie! You're okay!" He shot up and wrapped his arms around the young girl. He felt her giggle and her small arms come around his naked torso in a loving embrace.

"Of course I'm fine Ani. You're with me. You'll protect me." She leaned away from him and looked directly into his eyes, her love and innocence hitting his heart with a furious pang. I didn't protect you the last time. If only I had.

Zanie looked at him, and spoke once again making the teen ponder if she could read thoughts. "We are here, in the now, nothing else matters." The response to his thoughts was elderly, and did not portray her innocence as before. But once she smiled, everything else was lost among him.

"Isn't it beautiful Ani?" She stood, giving him his first opportunity to look around. He was in a grassy hill, facing a vast ocean that beat itself on the shore of the beach. That explains the rumbling.

The sky was a clear blue, and only a few clouds scattered across it to cast some shade when they pass before the sun. When the breeze swirled around him he could smell the sea, the freshness in the air. No one was on the beach when he stood to get a better look, and he realized as he felt the breeze hit 'every' part of his body, that he was utterly and completely nude.

"Ah!" Zanie let out a fierce giggle, as she watched the older man try to cover himself. Turning her back to him, she covered her mouth as more giggles erupted from her and waved her left hand in a child-like dismissive gesture.

"It's okay Ani." With no other explanation Zanie raced down the grassy hill and on to the beach. Her pure white dress blowing in the breeze, revealing her pale legs and then he saw them.

Scars. Tracing down her legs, across her ankles, some looked painful while others were faded with time. But they were there, revealed to him. He felt pure hatred race up and coil into his heart, hatred for the person who had done this to a small child. Was she abused? Were bullies picking on her? Was she in danger?

"Ani! Come on, the water is wonderful!" He looked up at her beaming face, as she waved a hand for him to catch up to her. I'll ask her about them later. But for now, she just wants to have fun.

Finding his sleep pants just a few steps away, Anakin looked at them, puzzled. What in the name of the stars is my sleep wear doing here.

"Anything can be found here Anakin! Anything you want!" Zanie yelled over the roar of the waves. He grabbed them and shoved the pants on to his legs, covering the bottom half of himself. Straightening, Anakin looked over the beach and his heart swelled as he watched Zanie.

She ran away from the cool crisp water was it washed up higher on to the beach nipping at her toes before she jumped back. Once the water receded she walked forward, let out a screech of giggles, and then ran away as the water once again crept close to her toes.

The sun was high in the sky, reflecting a bit of orange in her brown locks and when she turned around and waved to him he saw a small child wanting some companionship. She beckoned to him and so he complied.

Racing down the beach he stopped dead in his tracks as Zanie let out another screech, of pure terror.

Snapping his head up, his golden Padawan braid slapping the side of his face, Anakin saw Zanie being overcome by a powerful wave. Her screaming stopped, and all he saw was the ocean.

"Zanie! Zanie, where are you!" Racing faster towards the beach he saw her break the surface of the water, coughing sea water from her lungs. They made eye contact for a second until her brown eyes closed and she fell deeper in to the water.

Speeding towards the sea Anakin found another powerful wave drop over him and drag him further out in the water. He was twirling, tumbling, searching, but saw nothing in the dangerous water. Nothing, not the white cloth of Zanies dress, nor her brown hair, all he could see was a growing blackness around his vision. Until his air ran out, and he took a breath.

"ANAKIN!"

Coughing and spluttering, air entered his lungs, and water came out as he continued to cough. Unsure of what had happened or who was talking to him, Anakin blindly grabbed a hold of the person who had saved him from a very painful death.

A pair of hands lifted him out of the water and into strong and comfortable arms. Still coughing, shivers soon began to rack the Padawan's body.

"Shhh, Shhh it's okay. I am sorry Padawan, I am sorry Anakin." Opening his eyes further, Anakin looked around the room and realized they were in 'The Room of a Thousand Fountains." Then his eyes darted upwards to gaze at worried sea-green.

Sea-green, my favorite. Anakin thought, before he fell into darkness all too soon.

"Ani! Ani! You left me!" He could hear Zanie yell at him and her small hands tap gently on his chest. Relief swam through his body as he heard the young girl speak to him. Sighing, he opened his eyes and looked directly at Zanie.

But something was different; there was only Zanie, nothing else, only darkness shrouded them.

"What? Zanie, where are we?"

"What are you talking about Zanie? We're at the beach just like before." She smiled at him; she was so sure of herself that he found himself questioning what he was seeing. Maybe something was wrong with him.

"No. I can only see you, everything else is black." Looking back into her brown eyes, she frowned brushed her tumbling curly locks out of her face and placed a small hand on his forehead.

"Oh, Ani, you have a fever." She kissed his brow then lay down beside him. As soon as she did so, he felt himself get hotter and hotter. As if the fever were spreading through every cell of his body. Something wasn't right.

"Zanie?"

"hmmm?"

"How did you get the scars on your legs?" The heat continued to grow through his body and Zanie stiffened beside him.

"It's a secret." Turning his head, Anakin looked down at Zanie who was curled up at his side. Then things began to blur.

"You can tell me Zanie, I won't tell anyone." The image became even more distorted and Zanie began to cry.

"I can't Ani. It's a secret!" She put a finger to her lips in a silencing gesture, hoping to convince the teen that she honestly could not tell him.

"Anakin." The voice was neither Zanie's nor his own. Looking about, darkness swallowed him whole and felt himself being dragged out his dream, his thoughts, his time with Zanie and back into a painfully bright consciousness.

Obi-Wan peered over him, concern etched into his perfect features. Turning his head to the side he saw Luminari kneeling beside his sleep couch, concern radiating from her as well.

When he opened his mouth to speak she shook her head and Obi-Wan uttered a muffled "shhh." The two turned to each other, and Luminari spoke with a firm and to be obeyed tone.

"I will care for him until his fever has completely gone Obi-wan. Then we shall discuss the matter of Anakin's sleepwalking. But I believe we shall do the later with the council present."

"I agree Luminari. Something is not right; someone or something is trying to harm Anakin." Looking down at his Padawan, Obi-wan sent his caring and calmness through their Master Padawan bond. "The council may be able to decipher the meaning of all this."

With a curt nod, Luminari looked back at Anakin, but the boy kept his eyes on Obi-Wan. With a raw and scratching voice, he spoke.

"It was different this time Obi-Wan. Something was different." Obi-Wan sat on the bed and clasped the boys hand with his own, listening as Anakin spoke of what had transpired in the latest dreams.

"Something was wrong. Something was holding me back from seeing the entire dream."

"Interesting," Luminari spoke allowed. "I believe that it was Obi-Wan holding you back Anakin. Obi-Wan was in your mind trying to drive the fever from you, and comforting you. I believe it was he who may have distorted the dream."

Standing up, she walked out of the room. Her mind thinking over the information she had received.

Obi-Wan leaned down and looked at Anakin. The boys pulse quickened as he felt the love Obi-Wan had for him race through their bond. But it was a love for a brother, a son even, not the love for a companion.

"I am curious Padawan," Anakin looked back up into his Masters eyes giving him his undivided attention. "Before you passed out you sent the word 'Sea-green' through our bond. Does it have a connection to your dream?"

Anakin's mouth dropped open in sheer horror.

OOOooo

C.S: Okay, the long awaited Second chapter is now done! How was it? Personally, I'm really proud of how it's going. The dreams may confuse you at the moment, but believe me, everything gets explained but Anakin and Obi-Wan are going to be put through the ringer.

And poor Ani, wanting so bad to confess his love, but afraid of it not being accepted. Obi-Wan may seem to have a small role at the moment, but he gets dragged into the plot soon enough.

Here's a little summary/teaser for the next chapter.

As the dreams with little Zanie become more violent, and Anakin's life becomes more threatened, a whole new twist is throw at the Jedi Duo. Causing Anakin to judge his Sanity, and for Obi-Wan to question his feelings for his young Padawan. But can this mystery be solved before it is too late, before Anakin is lost to himself, to obi-wan, to the Jedi, and to the light.

Hope you all enjoyed Chapter 2 of Sleepwalker!