(no subject)
Title: Return to the Desert - Part 1
Series: Dune
Rating: PG-13
Summary: This story takes place towards the end of Sandworms of Dune. Paul and Chani are reunited and make plans to return to the desert.
Chani sat at the end of the makeshift bed she had made for Paul. His blood soaked clothes laid on the floor near her feet. In her lap she had fresh clothes that the Lady Jessica had brought to her. Shortly after dropping off the clothes and checking one last time on Paul, Jessica had left Chani with Paul to tend to Alia’s funeral proceedings.
“I trust you, Chani,” she had said, her smile weak.
In Paul’s sleep, he moaned and slept restlessly. Chani reach out and stroked Paul’s leg as she laid the clothes on the floor. She closed her eyes, remembering everything they had shared. They had both been brought back together after thousands of years. A second chance to live a life free of all the pain and obligations they had to endure.
Paul moaned again, muttering Chani’s name. Chani laid down beside Paul, putting her arm over his chest.
“Usul,” she said, the name she had called him so many times before in private. “I’m here.”
Chani felt Paul’s body relax as he drifted back into dreaming. She rested her head on his shoulder. Inside her, Chani felt the comfort this brought. She remembered the countless times she had laid beside Paul in the sietch. How they made love during the desert storms. She remembered their children. Leto and the twins…. Chani’s Fremen training helped her hold back tears as Chani was consumed with emotions from long ago. They were painful memories. Chani had never even held the twins before she died.
Chani focused on the path that fate had now presented them. Chani’s heart craved for something….
* * *
Paul woke wondering how long he had been asleep. The blood loss had drained his body. He felt hungry and he craved water. Paul went to sit up, but he felt Chani’s body heavy in sleep at his side. He smiled, amazed at the love he had for the young woman beside him. He rested his head and stroked Chani’s dark red hair. Reunited again with the love of his life. Things could be different this time.
He felt Chani move and her slight sigh as she awaken.
“Usul?” she whispered. “I’m sorry. You were so restless. I did not mean to fall asleep.”
Paul smiled, turning on his side to face the girl who was physically two years younger than him. “You were the one to ease my dreams, Chani,” he whispered in the dark.
“Can I get you anything?” she asked.
Paul smiled, Chani was a true Fremen woman. Chani was looking after him like she had done so many years ago.
Paul brushed a piece of hair from Chani’s face. “Something to eat and some water.”
Chani sat up and nodded. She crawled out of the bed and picked up the clothes on the floor. She handed the clothes to Paul.
“These are for you. I will take these away now,” she said, gathering Paul’s blood soaked clothes from his battle.
* * *
Chani rushed around, looking for something for Paul to eat and drink. She found Sheeana. Her face was tired and she was carrying herself differently. Something was wrong.
“Sheeana,” Chani said, getting the woman’s attention.
Chani watched as Sheeana studied her. “Chani…you have your memories.”
Chani pressed her lips together and nodded. “Paul, as well.”
“I could tell, when I saw you both earlier,” Sheeana said. “Have you not heard?”
“Heard what?” Chani replied.
“Leto is gone,” Sheeana informed, her tone readless. “He had regained his memories before he…. He joined with Monarch, after the battle.”
Chani lowered her gaze from Sheeana. The mother inside Chani wanted to reunite with Leto II and to get to know him like a mother would want to get to know her son. Chani had love for Leto…she always had, even before he was born. Chani stood strong, and held back tears.
Nodding, Chani looked back up at Sheeana. “Do you have food?”
Sheeana held up a finger and went to one of the Bene Gesserit sisters walking around. Chani watched as Sheeana talked with the woman and pointed to Chani. The female nodded and rushed away.
“She will bring you food,” Sheeana said, and then left Chani.
Chani waited for a few minutes for the woman to return. She had brought Chani energy bars and a canteen of water. Chani gave the woman her thanks, and she returned quickly to Paul.
When Chani returned to Paul’s makeshift room, she found him dressing. Chani’s cheeks went red, and she looked away.
“I brought you food,” she said, making her presence known.
She darted her gaze to Paul’s face and back away. Chani heard Paul laughing softly. She felt his finger go under her chin to pull her gaze gently towards his eyes.
“How many times have we made love in the desert, Sihaya?” Paul asked. “There’s no reason to be shy.”
Chani knew Paul was right. She could remember his smell, the way Paul’s hair laid after getting up in the mornings, his freckles on his shoulders and around his nose, and how the muscles formed under his skin. Chani looked at Paul and smiled.
Chani felt Paul take her in his arms, his hands at the small of her back. “I’ve missed you for so many years, Chani. The minutes you were gone just now…were unbearable,” he said, his voice sounded older than his body. “I have you back, after so long. I still and have always loved you.”
Series: Dune
Rating: PG-13
Summary: This story takes place towards the end of Sandworms of Dune. Paul and Chani are reunited and make plans to return to the desert.
Chani sat at the end of the makeshift bed she had made for Paul. His blood soaked clothes laid on the floor near her feet. In her lap she had fresh clothes that the Lady Jessica had brought to her. Shortly after dropping off the clothes and checking one last time on Paul, Jessica had left Chani with Paul to tend to Alia’s funeral proceedings.
“I trust you, Chani,” she had said, her smile weak.
In Paul’s sleep, he moaned and slept restlessly. Chani reach out and stroked Paul’s leg as she laid the clothes on the floor. She closed her eyes, remembering everything they had shared. They had both been brought back together after thousands of years. A second chance to live a life free of all the pain and obligations they had to endure.
Paul moaned again, muttering Chani’s name. Chani laid down beside Paul, putting her arm over his chest.
“Usul,” she said, the name she had called him so many times before in private. “I’m here.”
Chani felt Paul’s body relax as he drifted back into dreaming. She rested her head on his shoulder. Inside her, Chani felt the comfort this brought. She remembered the countless times she had laid beside Paul in the sietch. How they made love during the desert storms. She remembered their children. Leto and the twins…. Chani’s Fremen training helped her hold back tears as Chani was consumed with emotions from long ago. They were painful memories. Chani had never even held the twins before she died.
Chani focused on the path that fate had now presented them. Chani’s heart craved for something….
* * *
Paul woke wondering how long he had been asleep. The blood loss had drained his body. He felt hungry and he craved water. Paul went to sit up, but he felt Chani’s body heavy in sleep at his side. He smiled, amazed at the love he had for the young woman beside him. He rested his head and stroked Chani’s dark red hair. Reunited again with the love of his life. Things could be different this time.
He felt Chani move and her slight sigh as she awaken.
“Usul?” she whispered. “I’m sorry. You were so restless. I did not mean to fall asleep.”
Paul smiled, turning on his side to face the girl who was physically two years younger than him. “You were the one to ease my dreams, Chani,” he whispered in the dark.
“Can I get you anything?” she asked.
Paul smiled, Chani was a true Fremen woman. Chani was looking after him like she had done so many years ago.
Paul brushed a piece of hair from Chani’s face. “Something to eat and some water.”
Chani sat up and nodded. She crawled out of the bed and picked up the clothes on the floor. She handed the clothes to Paul.
“These are for you. I will take these away now,” she said, gathering Paul’s blood soaked clothes from his battle.
* * *
Chani rushed around, looking for something for Paul to eat and drink. She found Sheeana. Her face was tired and she was carrying herself differently. Something was wrong.
“Sheeana,” Chani said, getting the woman’s attention.
Chani watched as Sheeana studied her. “Chani…you have your memories.”
Chani pressed her lips together and nodded. “Paul, as well.”
“I could tell, when I saw you both earlier,” Sheeana said. “Have you not heard?”
“Heard what?” Chani replied.
“Leto is gone,” Sheeana informed, her tone readless. “He had regained his memories before he…. He joined with Monarch, after the battle.”
Chani lowered her gaze from Sheeana. The mother inside Chani wanted to reunite with Leto II and to get to know him like a mother would want to get to know her son. Chani had love for Leto…she always had, even before he was born. Chani stood strong, and held back tears.
Nodding, Chani looked back up at Sheeana. “Do you have food?”
Sheeana held up a finger and went to one of the Bene Gesserit sisters walking around. Chani watched as Sheeana talked with the woman and pointed to Chani. The female nodded and rushed away.
“She will bring you food,” Sheeana said, and then left Chani.
Chani waited for a few minutes for the woman to return. She had brought Chani energy bars and a canteen of water. Chani gave the woman her thanks, and she returned quickly to Paul.
When Chani returned to Paul’s makeshift room, she found him dressing. Chani’s cheeks went red, and she looked away.
“I brought you food,” she said, making her presence known.
She darted her gaze to Paul’s face and back away. Chani heard Paul laughing softly. She felt his finger go under her chin to pull her gaze gently towards his eyes.
“How many times have we made love in the desert, Sihaya?” Paul asked. “There’s no reason to be shy.”
Chani knew Paul was right. She could remember his smell, the way Paul’s hair laid after getting up in the mornings, his freckles on his shoulders and around his nose, and how the muscles formed under his skin. Chani looked at Paul and smiled.
Chani felt Paul take her in his arms, his hands at the small of her back. “I’ve missed you for so many years, Chani. The minutes you were gone just now…were unbearable,” he said, his voice sounded older than his body. “I have you back, after so long. I still and have always loved you.”