A sharp and unexpected pain on the right side of his face startled the ginger haired Council member for the briefest of moments, but it also allowed him to dodge his dark copy's outstretched hand. Ugly yellow eyes blinked in confusion and there was surprise written on the dark being's face. He had not expected Obi-Wan to be able to dodge, so much was clear.

The Jedi General allowed himself to take a deep breath, now that the fog was starting to dissipate and he didn't feel like he was drowning anymore. The whole atmosphere was getting lighter and the Jedi's surroundings brightened considerable. Even the dark being's aura did not bother him that much anymore, for it was vanishing with the fog.

Once the angry shouts had died down, alongside the dark being's Force presence, Obi-Wan felt a gentle yet firm pull back to consciousness. He allowed his mind to follow this pulling sensation and not a moment later, he was back in his sparely lit bedroom, panting and slightly trembling.

It took him some minutes to get his bearing back together and only then he barely noticed that his blanket had fallen to the floor and that he was not alone in his small yet comfortable bedroom. For a short moment, his heart stopped beating, when he found himself gazing into yellow eyes, but it soon started pumping strong again, once he realizes that he was just looking into the concerned and very worried face of his twin brother. Now that he looked closer, he noticed that his brother's eyes were warmer than the ones of his dark copy's had been. They also had a certain spark that spoke of life, which the being had also lacked.

"Obi-Wan..." there was worry and a certain caring undertone in his voice and it helped the trembling Jedi to settle down a little more. The figure in his vision – or whatever that had been – had not talked like this. Its voice had sounded arrogant and cold, distant even.

"Ben?" it was more of a question than anything else, but he needed the reassurance right now¸ probably more than anything else.

"I'm here," the Sith replied and weren't that the best words Obi-Wan had ever heard? The older male sat himself directly next to his brother, so that he could drape an arm over shivering shoulders. "Are you alright... again?"

It took the Council member a moment to understand what the other person in the room meant by 'again' and it took him even longer to realize that it had indeed been Ben, who had pulled him out of this terrible nightmare and who had heard him calling for help.

Obi-Wan eventually was able to nod, "What...?"

"I'm not quite sure yet..." Ben answered the unspoken question. He pulled the still distressed male closer to his own body. Said Jedi noticed that the Sith had discarded his robe, which meant that he was only clad in a black shirt with short sleeves. He still carried his lightsaber with him though and that too, gave Obi-Wan a strange feeling of security.

"But you have an idea," his tired and violated mind unconsciously made him lean against the other's warm and comforting body.

A hand started to massage his temple, "I have a few ideas, every one crazier than the one before... but when I come to a plausible conclusion, I will let you know. Just... just give me some time to think, alright?"

Obi-Wan hummed contently. He knew his brother would keep that promise. He was also very much aware of the gentle Force suggestion Ben was sending his way through the contact of his hand against Obi-Wan's forehead. But there was still something else bothering him. He knew that Anakin and Ahsoka were sleeping in the living room, while the Sith had taken the spare bedroom on the other side of Obi-Wan's quarters. This way, the older man would have to get past a self nominated defence before reaching his brother's bedroom, yet here he was and Obi-Wan could feel that Anakin and Ahsoka were still asleep.

"What is with Anakin and Ahsoka?" he couldn't help but ask.

"They are still asleep, they did not hear your call. Or perhaps they did... it was too weak to wake anybody however." Ben patiently explained, continuing his ministrations.

Something about this statement bothered the drowsy Council member, "Why did you hear me then?" Why indeed?

"I don't sleep..." The ginger haired General had not expected a real answer, especially not a true one.

"Why not?" his curiosity was spiked, but just enough for his mind to focus at least a little bit on reality again.

"My mind has the scary capability of being dark and demented." Obi-Wan was surprised by his brother's openness.

"You are afraid of your dreams?"

"Yes," the Sith was starting to build shields around their bond and he even build some in Obi-Wan's mind, when the latter allowed him the entrance. He wasn't sure why his brother did this, but Obi-Wan guessed that it had some higher purpose his sluggish mind wouldn't understand right now.

"Oh," he was also not sure what to say to the Sith's unexpected revelation. He was simply too exhausted from the attack on his mind to really think. The world would look different in the morning, he was sure about this, but for now he allowed the older male to push him back into his soft pillows and to tuck him in again. He had previously picked up the green blanket from the floor and now made sure that Obi-Wan was properly covered with it again.

Obi-Wan himself was sure he would be highly embarrassed the next day, but for now he did not care, but simply enjoyed the caring gesture of his older brother. A certain feeling of rightness had also started to form in his chest. Or in other words, it couldn't be that bad, could it? Therefore there was no reason to be embarrassed in the first place. At least that sounded logic to his own mind... for now.

"Don't worry, I'll keep you protected until we can talk," a voice somewhere above him mumbled into his ear. Obi-Wan only nodded weakly, his eyes were already closed. "Now, sleep," and did that not sound like a great plan?

I hope you liked this chapter. ^^

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