Title: Alderaanian flu

Author: Khylea

Rating: Um, probably PG. Nothing really bad, just a rather graphic description of someone vomiting

Disclaimer: I do not own Anakin Skywalker. George Lucas, the genius, created him. But God, I wish I could just borrow him for a while now and then

Feedback: Bleah.....you really want to comment on this self-serving piece of crap? Alright....go ahead: sl_chester@hotmail.com

Timeline: God, I don't know. Maybe a little bit before Attack of the Clones. And yep, I would probably have to classify it AU. Padme? Who's that? :) *evil grin*

Archive: Well, if you really want it, who I am to protest, I guess. Just let me know where it's going, and I'll visit it when I'm not feeling so sick.

Summary: Anakin helps someone he loves when they're sick.

Author's notes: Okay, I sort of got the idea for this from another list I belong to. Another person was as sick as I am, and wrote a fic where Obi-Wan took care of them. So I felt I had to do the same thing for sweet little Anakin. I mean, he's who *I* would want to take care of me when I was sick, and God, I really wish I could borrow him for a few hours. As I write this, I've been puking off and on for about a day, and I just HAD to pretend I had someone to help me to the bathroom. *sigh* If I only did. Be warned, this is unbetaed, I just read it through once, and I may have missed some typos, my eyes are so blurry right now I can barely see.

My eyes flew open as the taste of bile in my mouth told me I had five seconds, tops, to get to the bathroom before I puked again. I threw the covers back and leaped out of bed, running for the bathroom. Not bothering to close the door behind me, I dropped to the floor and slammed the toilet seat up just as the retching started. Every muscle in my body convulsed as I heaved, the splash of puke back against my face making me even more sick. I sensed someone behind me but didn't move from my position on the floor. My hair was gently pulled away from my face and held out of the way, and a hand softly stroked my aching back.

Finally my stomach was empty of what little I had been able to eat in the last few hours and I spit out the awful taste from my mouth. I leaned on the rim of the toilet, too exhausted to even flush it, and the sour smell of my vomit caused me to begin retching again. The hand dropped from my hair and grabbed a wad of toilet paper, carefully cleaning the vomit off the rim of the toilet. I was gently pulled away from the toilet as the paper was dropped into the bowl and the toilet was flushed.

"Feel better?" A quiet voice behind me, and I leaned back against the chest of my companion.

"Stomach feels better. Head feels worse." I moaned, closing my eyes and trying to fight down the throbbing pain in my temples. I finally turned to look at the concerned face of my husband, Anakin Skywalker. For once the reckless grin was gone, the laughing blue eyes were dark with concern.

He stretched up and grabbed a washcloth from the shelf and wetting it in the sink, gently wiped the sweat and vomit from my face. He helped me sit on the edge of the tub and ran a glass of cool water for me. "Here."

I shook my head. "I can't even keep water down right now, honey."

"I didn't mean for you to drink it. Just wash the bad taste out of your mouth. Puke isn't the greatest taste in the world." I nodded, taking a sip and swishing it around in my mouth. He helped me lean forward and spit the water into the sink. I rinsed my mouth again, then closed my eyes, my head pounding so hard it wouldn't have surprised me if he could hear it. "Come on. Let's get you back to bed."

I nodded, attempting to stand, but the Alderaanian flu I had contracted had left me so weak I wobbled on my feet. He threw an arm around my shoulders and supported most of my weight as we made it the few steps back to our bed. I could see by the look on his face he would rather have carried me, but after the last time I had yelled at him when he tried it, he hadn't asked again. Two can play the stubborn game.

He slowly set me down on the edge of the bed and helped me slide under the covers. Moving around to the other side, he slid in next to me and gently pulled me toward him. I was too weak to fight and didn't pull away when he positioned me on my side facing him, my head on his chest. But I wasn't too weak to protest. "Anakin.....I don't want to sleep like this. My stomach's still really upset. I don't want to puke on you."

"I don't care."

"I do."

"Khylea, please. Let me hold you. You're burning up. That's a good way to get chilled."

I looked up at his face. His eyes looked almost black in the dim light, but the worry in his face was easy to see. But I wasn't going to relent. No way was I going to take a chance on puking on him. I gathered my strength and rolled to my other side, facing away from him. He didn't move and I closed my eyes, trying to relax enough to fall asleep.

I jumped when I suddenly felt him move closer. An arm was draped across my waist, the other gently stroked the hair over my temple. I shivered as I felt his warm breath against my neck. "How about this?" He asked softly. "This way I can still hold you, and if you throw up, you're faced the other way." I nodded, pressing myself back against him. The arm around my stomach tightened slightly, but not enough to be uncomfortable, and he seemed to have an amazing awareness for just where it would feel the best to rub.

After a while, his hand moved to my shoulders, then my back, and he Force-stroked the backs of my legs, gently massaging away the soreness in my muscles. I felt my eyelids droop at the gentle touches. "Good night, Anakin." I finally managed to whisper, just before dropping off to sleep.

"Good night, my love." He replied, and with a smile, I allowed myself to sleep.

THE END