Master Apprentice Archive It Didn't Happen Quick search:

Rated: G

Series: Knight Moves

Summary: Anakin has a very familiar nightmare.

Category: AU, H/C, Massive Denial

Archive: M_A, All Maul, my site http://eyrea51.com/knightlife/kmindex.html

Disclaimers: The characters and concepts are copyrighted by Lucasfilm; I'm just having a little non-profit fun.

Feedback: Is always welcome! jedi_knight_writer@yahoo.com

Notes: I was working on "One" and had the new TPM soundtrack playing--disk 2. The Qui-Gon's Funeral track started playing, distracted me, and depressed the hell out of me, and I found myself writing this just to make myself feel better.

//MASTER!//

Anakin kicked and flailed at the sheets winding around him, tears flowing down his hot cheeks, his mind engulfed in sheer panic as he fought his way free both of his blankets and the nightmare that had terrified him.

Running footsteps, the door sliding open, the lights coming on--and then his Master was there, freeing him from the entangling sheets and gathering him up in a tight embrace. For a moment, he forgot that he was almost fourteen and therefore too big to be coddled; he wrapped his arms around his Master's stocky waist and hid his face against his Master's neck, breathing in the comforting scent of his skin that reminded him of lavender.

Maul gently rocked him and stroked his hair until slowly the pounding of his heart diminished and the hitching breaths in his chest evened out. When he had calmed down enough to stop clinging like a leech, his Master lifted his chin and made him look up even though his eyes were still swimming in tears.

"Do you want to tell me about your nightmare?" he asked quietly, leaving the choice up to Anakin, as he usually did about such things.

"It was huh-horrible," Anakin hiccuped, the vivid images still roiling around in his mind. "I dreamed that things were all duh-different, but in a really, really bad way."

"How so?" Maul rubbed his back soothingly, and Anakin relaxed against him, feeling his fear begin to drain away.

"It wasn't clones on Naboo," he said drowsily. "It was really you, and it was really Master Qui-Gon. You killed him, and then Obi-Wan killed you. He sliced you in half, and you were really dead. It wasn't a clone of you, and you didn't turn from the Dark Side and come here to the Temple and fall in love with Obi-Wan. And Master Qui-Gon didn't come back and make up with Obi-Wan and fall in love with Maede either because he was really dead too. Obi-Wan was my master, and everything went wrong... It all went so wrong..." He trailed off, shuddering, and Maul hugged him tight for a moment.

"That is indeed horrifying, but it isn't real. It was only a dream."

"Still..." Anakin sat back and gave his Master a pleading look. "Can I sleep with you and Obi-Wan for the rest of the night? Please?"

Maul hesitated, then nodded. "All right."

Anakin grabbed his pillow and followed his Master back to the room he shared with Obi-Wan; he quickly scrambled onto the bed, claiming the middle spot, and Obi-Wan roused a little, awakened by the unexpected jostling of the bed, his long hair spilling across his face as he lifted his head off the pillow and cracked his sea-green eyes open.

"Hi." Anakin smiled at him, and Obi-Wan blinked muzzily back.

"Hi."

"Anakin had a disturbing nightmare and wants to spend the rest of the night with us," Maul explained as he slid beneath the cool sheets and settled comfortably on his side, facing both Anakin and Obi-Wan.

"... 'kay..."

Obi-Wan rolled onto his side as well, facing his bedmates, and Anakin soon found himself nestled between them, snug and safe, wrapped up in a cocoon of love and Light emanating from both Knights.

The last thing he remembered before drifting back to sleep was his Master's arm surrounding him and his Master's voice whispering one last reassurance.

"It never happened."

-end-