Where Dreams Become Nightmares

Anakin jerked awake with a start. He looked around in a panic, searching the darkness for any familiarity and not that cold isolated medical outpost. It was a dream, not reality, he was home. Not home at the Temple, though he could be "home" there whenever he was with Ahsoka or Obi-Wan, but home, with Padme, their child, and the promise of a bright future when this damnable war was over.

He reached down, rubbing his flesh fingers across his beloved wife's cheeks, emotion swirling so strongly in him it was a wonder he didn't burst. On instinct he closed his bond with Ahsoka. She wouldn't be able to deal with this. He would have to explain things to her and she wasn't ready. Better not to wake her.

Padme was alive.

Padme was alive and he was going to make sure she stayed that way.

...'nakin..? was a sleepy call in the back of his head.

It's nothing, Master. Go back to sleep. Anakin took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He reached for his robe and headed out so he could think and try and get a proper hold on everything that was swirling so violently inside of him.

Not a chance, Obi-Wan replied, more alert. You only call me "Master" when you're upset or worried. You have this irritating habit of thinking you can just shoulder everything unless I start poking, prodding, and pulling teeth.

Anakin ignored him, sitting down to rub his face desperately. He couldn't do this. Not now. Not when it was still so fresh. He had just seen Padme. Felt her breath, her heartbeat, her very life. She was fine. The baby was fine. Both were in peaceful slumber. He needed to get a grip, but everything was spinning out of control. He had no control, not anymore. The Council wanted him to spy, the Chancellor wanted him to spy, both had the best of intentions but he was being pulled apart. Padme was a part of something and couldn't tell him despite her belief that he needed to know and had dragged his Padawan into it. Everyone was pulling him in so many directions, intended or not, and it was just hurting.

And the very real possibility that the dream could become reality was not only going to hurt him, but break him. Split him into little pieces. Grind whatever was left of his soul and then shoot it out of a canon.

Anakin? What happened?

"Ani?" was another sleepy mumble, but this time not in his mind, but behind him.

"It's nothing, angel."

Padme stopped rubbing the sleep from her eyes and looked at him with her full attention. Gently, she came over, sat by his side, and hugged his arm. "Ani, you are a strong and noble man. One I am proud to call my husband and father of my child. But you have this irritating ability to think you have to do everything. I'm here for you. It makes me happy to be able to share your worries and concerns as much as it makes you happy that I share mine with you."

A very tiny corner of his mind gave harsh voice to the fact that Padme hadn't been sharing one particular worry with him. But Anakin viciously stomped that thought down and kicked it away.

"I... Everything's fine, Padme. You need your rest. Eight months along and hiding it takes a toll on you," he replied, laying a hand over her swelled belly.

Padme gave a flat gaze. "Don't go changing the subject."

They were interrupted by a comlink going off.

Answer that, Anakin, or you can explain to the healers why I had to sneak out of their care to have a proper discussion with you and your lovely wife.

"Fine," Anakin grumbled. With a wave of his hand, the comlink came to his hand and Obi-Wan's voice filtered across.

"Thank you, Anakin. Milady Padme, I thank you for not putting up with my former Padawan's stubborn belief that he must do everything."

"Master Obi-Wan," she greeted. "I take it whatever is bugging my dear husband has awoken you as well."

"Yes, indeed."

"I am here, you two," Anakin pouted. Sighing, he looked aside. "It was just a dream."

From Padme, Anakin felt steady concern, but no worry. Oh no. Worry was coming across very strongly from his brother-turned-father.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan said in a strained voice over the comlink. "Show me that dream. Now."

"What-?" Padme started to ask, but Anakin had already closed his eyes, removing the filters to better show the horrible, horrid, terrible nightmare that had set his heart ablaze with fear and worry.

Ahsoka, far away, isolated and crouching in great pain as something from inside tears her apart.

Obi-Wan, betrayed, devastated, holding back tears while saying "Hold on!" desperately.

Padme, crying out for Anakin, in labor and pain and with a heavy soul, slowly passing on.

Himself, no where to be found as his beloved wife dies crying for him to be there.

Obi-Wan let out a harsh breath across the comlink.

"How much have you told your wife about your ability to dream?"

"I know of his nightmares with his mother," Padme replied, squeezing his arm. She turned to him. "Did you just have a dream like with your mother?"

Anakin said nothing, only nodding. The dream was still to fresh in his mind. Too many thoughts were firing back and forth. What had happened to Ahsoka? Why was she so alone? What was she feeling that had hurt her so much? Why was Obi-Wan so devastated? Where had that feeling of betrayal come from? And why, why wasn't he there for Padme? The images were flashing across his mind again and he couldn't help the tears that were starting to come to his eyes.

"That dream will not happen. I swear it."

"Ani? What did you see?"

Tell her, Anakin. If she is to be cautious and watchful, she must know.

But Anakin didn't want to be told what to do at that moment. He had made his vow and he would keep it. He didn't need help. Everything else was such a complicated mess, he couldn't ask for any help. He needed to do it on his own.

Yet a small part of him wanted to be told what to do. To go back to being a youngling and letting the adults take care of the problems. To have that guidance and carefree abandon of youth so that he could just stop worrying about everything and take a breather.

Anakin shook his head. He was about to be a father. Or, he hoped he would be, since the dream didn't give any clue about the fate of his own youngling. He needed to be strong for that youngling. He was the adult now. And his mother never pushed off responsibilities, even when things were at their darkest under the Hutts. Obi-Wan never pushed off his responsibilities, even when he didn't have to worry about anything and could take a break. Padme never pushed off her responsibilities.

So he wouldn't either.

"All three of us," Obi-Wan said quietly across the comlink, "your mother, myself, and Padme, have all asked for help when we needed it. We are here for you Anakin. You want us safe, and we love you for it. But we are here to help as well."

Padme nodded, her head resting on his shoulder. "I've said this before. You're not all-powerful. Perhaps I should amend that, given what I've heard about what you can do. You're not all-powerful. But when you have your friends and family to support you, you can come pretty close."

Anakin couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped his lips as Obi-Wan groaned.

"Milady, you've now made him impossible to work with."

The laugh was a needed break and Anakin leaned back into the cushions of the couch. He ran his mechanical fingers through his sweaty hair. "It was likely a vision," he said. "I saw... Padme you'll die in childbirth."

His wife went very still.

"The baby?"

"Don't know."

Obi-Wan firmly said, "Always in motion, the future is." Along the bond, wave after wave of love and affection swirled around Anakin's battered and scared heart from both his wife and brother-turned-father. "I'll start looking into the archives about dreams. I've done this before, but we've already seen that we can change the outcome of your visions."

"Plus," Padme ran her hands along his arm, "I'm here on Coruscant. People don't just die in childbirth here. My pregnancy hasn't been high-risk at all."

"I know, I know," Anakin replied, running through the frightening images of his vision again. "But why wasn't I there? Do I die? Is that why Ahsoka is hurting and you're devastated, Master? Is that why I can't come when Padme calls for me?"

"No!" Padme hissed. "You will not die on me!"

"I can't say for sure, Anakin. We can only work with what you saw. We must take whatever precautions we can. This will be difficult for you, but trust that we will do everything we can. And if something terrible does happen, we will be here for you."

"But if I die, who will be there for all of you?"

"We'll all be here for each other," Padme replied fiercely. "We're all a family. And that's just what families do."

A darker part of Anakin that was so very angry with all the directions he was being pulled in and not liking one bit that there was something new to worry about, flared. "Some family," he growled. "I'm spying for both sides of what's supposed to be the same side, you're involved in something you can't talk about, my Padawan doesn't even know half the stuff we've been doing. How do you propose to be there for each other with the way things are?"

"Ani..."

He sighed. "Sorry, angel." Ever since he realized the darkness inside of him, it had been a struggle to release it. And there were times it still reared its head like a dragon furnace. He knew the only way to really deal with it was to deal with his fear of being alone, but there was always something else to do. And this dream certainly wasn't helping in his attempts to control and face that fear.

Obi-Wan reached through the bond and channeled some of his turbulent feelings out to the Force with the ease of one who had done this many times before.

"Thanks, Obi-Wan," he muttered. Someday I won't have to have you do this for me all the time.

I help in any way I can. You... mean too much to me for me to not help. You are my brother.

Obi-Wan was never one to speak so openly about such feelings, though they always came across the bond so clearly. To actually hear Obi-Wan say it, even indirectly, warmed Anakin greatly.

"Milady, you need to start seeing your doctor more regularly."

Padme nodded. "I have an appointment in about two weeks-"

"I think weekly would be more appropriate," Anakin said. "We don't know what but something big is going to happen. And soon." He rubbed her stomach, amazed that their child stayed asleep during all this serious talk. "We know it'll be before you give birth, so we have around a month. Assuming stress doesn't make you premature. So I'd like it if you could manage it weekly."

Padme winced. "The Senate will notice, but I understand your concerns. I'll see what I can do. I'll have Threepio start clearing some of my schedules in the morning."

And just like that, a great weight lifted off of Anakin's chest as his love for her swelled. She had been squeezing his arm and he decided that just wouldn't do. He pulled her to his lap and gave a strong hug. "Love you," he muttered in her ear.

"Love you more," she mumbled back playfully.

"Obi-Wan? I'm being pulled in too many directions. Can you keep an eye on Ahsoka for me at the Temple?"

"Of course," Obi-Wan replied. There was hesitation, but quietly, he added, And if anything happens to you, she will become my Padawan.

That brought tears to Anakin's eyes. He knew how much Obi-Wan had hurt after Qui-Gon had died. He knew that Obi-Wan hadn't been ready to take on a Padawan and all the confusion and grief that had swirled around him as he tried to teach a new life that was needy, clingy, and woefully unprepared for some of the difficult sacrifices a Jedi made. The bond had left nothing hidden, and he knew that it would be beyond painful for Obi-Wan to take a Padawan if Anakin died, especially Ahsoka. But he offered anyway.

I couldn't leave her in better hands, he replied quietly.

"Ani?" Padme sat back, a hand coming up to his cheek and a finger ran along his scar. "You're looking out for me, you're looking out for Ahsoka. Keep an eye out for yourself, alright?" she turned to the comlink. "Can you two drop some of these filters you've mentioned? So that you two can at least send aide to the other if its necessary?"

Anakin shrugged. "If Obi-Wan doesn't mind me offering two-bit commentary on his dull life."

Obi-Wan scoffed across the comlink. "And if Anakin doesn't mind my... ah, seeing a few more things when two certain people are together?"

Padme blushed. "I'm too fat for anything to happen," she grumbled.

Anakin, used to this after actually being able to spend time on Coruscant for a change, was well prepared to kiss her thoroughly, leaving her gasping for breath. He closed his filters and very deliberately kissed her again, this time with a bit more passion as his fingers massaged certain points that made her melt deeper into his arms.

"Ahem? I can still hear you. Might you two lovebirds wait until we've settled things?"

"Things are settled," Anakin shot back. "I'll open more filters in the morning. Good night, Obi-Wan."

"Good night, my apparently amorous old Padawan."

Padme grasped the comlink, shut it off, and threw it across the room as she pulled off his robe.

Anakin let her love fill him. Even through the filters, Obi-Wan was sending support and affection. And surrounded by all this love, he could forget his nightmare. At least till morning.

But now, at least, they had a plan.

Author's Note: Anakin is always very sweet with Padme, but sometimes he turns to us and just demands to be naughty. And whenever we try to reign him in, Padme just gets naughtier.

So, um, yeah, that was just a little different than canon. And hopefully, by this point, believable with all the small changes that have lead up to this. Anakin is still going to be tempted by the Darkside. We both feel he needs to be in order to face his fears and such and Anakin is such a powerful character that he'll probably be fighting dark tendencies for his entire life. Anakin falls into a trap that a lot of heroes do, and he thinks he has to do everything himself when in reality, if he just takes a breath and asks for help, life would be so much easier for him.

Many movies have a glorious hero that just bears the burden of everything and that makes him cool. Reality doesn't work that way. If you try and do everything yourself, you'll break apart. You need a support network and people who can help. Anakin didn't allow himself that in Episode III beyond Palpatine, but here, he does. Granted, Padme and Obi-Wan both have to smack him to make him see he needs help, but he listens. This makes things turn out better for him. Or so we hope at this point.

And things are really going to start changing soon, as if all this wasn't enough. ^_^

Next week: Ahsoka absorbs a bombshell of sorts...