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♯ ❝ THERE YOU GO. THAT'S MY GIRL. ❞
CHAPTER FIFTEEN ✧･ﾟ: *✧
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ ACT TWO ── destiny calls 🪐

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NEWS OF THE FREMEN GOING BACK OUTSIDE INTO THE HARSH DESERT SPREAD FAST THROUGH THE COMMUNITY, THOSE WANTING TO JOIN IN A ROOM WHERE THE LIGHT PEEKED THROUGH A LOT MORE THEN USUAL. The Fremen were getting ready by placing their stillsuits back on, and so were the trio once they had found out what Jessica was tasked to do to be accepted.

"It's an honor, isn't it?" Paul was talking in a soft voice to his mother in front of them, the male behind his girlfriend fixing up her stillsuit, fingers brushing along the skin of her neck which made her shiver a bit, "I think you should feel honoured."

Jessica pursed her lips with a stoic expression, her eyes meeting worried (E/C) eyes making her smile a bit reassuringly, before it faded into a straight line, "Well it was either this, or death." She states scoffing to her son, "So forgive me if I'm not feeling it."

When Paul was finished strapping is girlfriends stillsuit over her clothes, he pressed a chaste kiss against the side of her head, and moved to stand beside her closely. (Y/N) squeezed his hand in thanks, before her looking back at Jessica a bit curiously, "How does one become a Reverend Mother?"

"It's different from one culture to another, but it appears here on Arrakis I have no idea." Jessica tells them in a honest tone, trying not to show how nervous she was and fiddles with the cuffs of her stillsuit while she talked.

(Y/N) glanced up to her slightly taller boyfriend with furrowed brows at her answer, seeing him staring intently at his mother as he was reading what she was feeing, and whispered, "You're afraid."

"The Reverend Mother is a task holding the memories of all the Reverend Mothers that came before." She retorted in a light tone, eyes zooning onto something in the sand as she sighed through her nose, "So, I'll be given centuries of pain and sorrow."

Her (E/C) eyes went wide a bit in fear for her mother figure, and stepped forward out of Paul's hold, grasping Jessica's slightly trembling hands in hers, "If it's dangerous, you shouldn't have to do this-" She states firmly, now feeling some Fremen's eyes on her, "I'm sure there's another way."

The corner of Jessica's lips perked up at the girls kind nature like always, knowing out of anyone that was born with the power to save Arrakis, she was the right one. Their wasn't a bad bone her body, whether that as a good thing yet or not, it was still to be determined. But if Jessica could guess, she believed it was a powerful thing. A universal good.

And so the mother just threaded her fingers through the younger ones, and squeezed tightly to give her some strength, "It's lethal for men, that's for sure." She whispered lowly which didn't reassure her or Paul whatsoever, if anything it made their worries rise higher.

(Y/N) nibbled on her bottom lip nervously, exhale leaving her nose spotting the determined glint in Jessica's eyes, and she knew the mother made up her mind. Their hands slipped from each others when the Fremen started to exit out of the hall, and she felt her waist being circled by a muscular arm.

She looked up briefly to see her boyfriends soft expression staring down at her, the one whom pulled her flushed against him as they walked. She rested the side of her head just below his shoulder, and relaxed in his hold momentally, knowing what was about to happen to Jessica.

"Don't worry sweetheart," His raspy voice filled her ears, as he leant down to graze his lips along her left ear causing her eyes to widen and feel flushed more then comforted, "My mother will be fine. Don't lose your faith in her now."

She tilted her head a bit when he didn't move his face away from her, a few inches apart from them as they paused in the middle of the group for a few seconds, "I haven't lost faith in Jessica," She mumbled trying not to focus on the need to kiss her boyfriend like their was no tomorrow, and saw how his hazel eyes darkened a bit like he heard her thought, "I worry about what the consequences will be."

He furrowed his brows a bit hearing her words, gaze flickering back and forth over her serious face before he nuzzles his nose into hers playfully, which did light the mood between them when he heard her giggle a bit at the sensation.

"Like you always said, we'll face them together." He quotes her words to him when they were back in house Atreides all those months back, and flashed a tender smile at the love of his life, "Just like usual, right?"

She doesn't answer him straight away, and looks past his shoulder to see Chani's blue eyes staring at her from beside Stilgar. Chani quickly looks away when she was caught, and (Y/N) sighed heavily at that as she squeezed Paul's hand slipping into her own, "Right. Together like always."

The couple joined the Fremen who had already all started to set up outside in the heat, which had her squinting her eyes from the brightness. That same rush of energy washed over her more, making her hold on tighter to Paul's hand to ground her from feeling it.

Jessica was already inside the sacred ritual, going to drink a poison known as the spice agony the achieve increased awareness and abilities through access to Other Memory, and gain the title she was forced upon in a way.

(Y/N) was stood outside the cave beside Paul as they both watched, but couldn't see what was happening since darkness was covering the view from the shadows inside. She had her jabba coat's hoodie over her head a bit, thanks to her boyfriend wanting her to not get burnt to a crisp.

She crossed her arms over her chest leaning her one leg, and moved her attention briefly away from the cave. She landed on some Fremen behind them being covered by half a stilltent, and found them staring at her uncannily, and curiously. Once again she was met with a feeling stirng in her stomach, and shuffled closer to Paul's side, who gladly accepted her contact.

They both felt more pairs of eyes watching them from the side, and spotted some more Fremen camping outside on the rocks near the cave, directly beside them but a bit further away. Chani and her friend were laughing at something, which had the other four Fremen chuckling along with the two girls.

Paul, the intrigued and nosy man that he was sometimes, pulled along (Y/N) who was internally sweating at walking over to their tent, feeling like they were invading Chani's and the others privacy. It didn't help either that she thought Chani didn't like her, and it hurt her a bit that she did. But what the girl didn't know, was that Chani was far off from hating her.

"What are you guys laughing about?"

At his sudden question the group stopped their amusement, and went quiet as Chani looked up with a smug smile staring at Paul, "Don't bother." She snorted annoyed, before her gaze drifted to (Y/N)'s figure hiding behind his which had her expression softening the slightest at her trying to respect their privacy and not listen.

He clicked his tongue, and shuffled in his spot as he turned to his girlfriend who was fiddling with his fingers mindlessly, causing him to smile fondly to himself. Letting her be for now, he looked back at the others in question again, "You don't believe in any of this?"

"No. We don't." Chani's tone dropped into a monotone one, which made Shishakli snicker to herself a bit and sent her a knowing look from mixing around something in a cup, sensing her friend didn't like the male very much.

"These are all southern believes." Shishakli takes over the talking now, which gained (Y/N)'s attention hearing what she said, and peeked over Paul's arm a bit, "Southern tribes believe that the Messiah's will come to deliver us from evil."

"But, you don't believe in the Ardh Waker-Gaib nor Lisan Al-Gaib?" Paul pushed again with another question, the names rolling off his tongue like it was second nature to him which he knew wasn't odd since those names were familiar to him and his girlfriend, who was listening silent from beside him now.

Chani's face morphed into an irritated one, her top lip perking up a bit in a scowl towards Paul but not the girl beside him, "We believe in the Ardh Waker and Fremen." She spoke firmly, making her friends mutter a pray in their langue in agreement, "You want to control people? You tell them the Messiah's will come, then they'll wait for ceuntires. Just like we already do for the one whom walked the Earth before us."

(Y/N) felt a sense of familiarity wash over her hearing Chani's words, taking a small step back a bit when her blue eyes were on her as she spoke. Her brows furrowed in confusion not understanding, and her sudden shift in mood caught Paul's attention, who was already turning to console her fears.

Before he could do anything other then shot a glare at Chani for making his girlfriend uncomfortable, and clasped her upper arms in his hands, the sound of Stilgar walking out of the cave brought their attention away. He spoke some things in Fremen mother tongue to everyone, before walking into the center of the cavern they were stationed on.

"Now, we must pray." He announced before going towards where someone placed down a material for his knees, and he sat down on his knees to join the few already starting to pray for Jessica's ritual.

Her (E/C) eyes scanned over what they were doing in obvious respect, and praying for Jessica's ritual to succeed before she tilted her head towards Chani, "What about Stilgar?" She asked interested, keeping her voice soft so she didn't ruin the praying session.

"He's from the south. You didn't notice his accent, dezərt rōz?" She spoke in their language at the end so the latter couldn't understand, as it made the others around her snicker amused.

          Paul however, knew Chani was calling his girl a fond name, which had him grumbling under his breath and clenching his jaw to calm himself down, lucky for her hand touching his arm that did.

He trailed his gloved hand down his arm to squeeze the top of (Y/N)'s, finding strength in her touch again as he swallowed the lump in his throat, "What will happen to my mother?" He asked the question he was too afraid to ask, looking between the Fremen for an answer.

"She will drink worm piss." Shishakli jokes in Fremen langue with a mouth full of food, earning her laughs from her friends and a warning look from (Y/N), who could sense she was making fun of her boyfriend once again.

Chani lightly smacks the side of her arm in a scolding way, but a small smile rested over her lips finding it a bit amusing hearing what her friend said, "Don't laugh. He's going to lose his mother."

"Only if she's stupid enough to drink poison." Shishakli points out making hand movements, and shakes her head as she placed down the food in her hand, making a few of the males chuckle again.

Having enough of the constant talking behind him, Stilgar raised his head up from praying and made a loud exclaim in his mother tongue, "Quiet. We are praying." He scolds his people making them back down from the teasing, and he went back to praying after seeing that.

(Y/N) looked away from the group under the stilltent, still feeling eyes on her as she walked a few steps forward that had Paul instantly following behind her like usual. Her weapon was back inside their home currently, but still felt the weight of it as she stared into the abyss where Jessica was going through the ritual.

She had a horrible feeling about letting the mother go through with this, as she was extremely worried about the child inside of Jessica's stomach, even more the one carrying it. A heavy breath of air was sucked in through her nose, trying to focus on anything but the negatives, and felt Paul's hand slip into hers, their fingers intertwining together.

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind killer.." Those mutters escape her lips constantly, the same thing Jessica taught her to say in the face of things she didn't want to overcome. It was a prayer left unheard by whatever greater being shadowed over them, as she felt the sudden shift in the air which meant Jessica's ritual had now finished.

Her (E/C) eyes fly open with a gasp, and stumbled a bit forward feeling the intense amount of power coming from the cave. Paul caught her trembling figure against his chest, arms around her waist and back tightly, as she grasped at his back with her fingers breathing heavily.

Jessica was now a Reverend Mother.

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LOUD YELLING AND COMMOTION BROKE OUT BETWEEN THE FREMEN WHEN THEY HEARD THE NEWS OF JESSICA, PUSHING, SHOVING AND FIGTHING FOLLOWED BEHIND IT. Her tried figured laid on the soft sand, head placed in (Y/N)'s lap as she brushed the hair out of Jessica's face with a sniffle, Paul sat right beside her holding onto his mothers gloved hand worriedly.

Stilgar was trying to calm everyone down from the shouting at each other, him being on one side of the Fremen with a lot gathered behind, while Chani was on the opposite side with those who agreed with her on the matter at hand.

"That was not a miracle!" Chani yelled at the man she looked up to forcefully, motioning to Jessica's figure with the couple a few feet away from them.

"You saw it with your own eyes!" Stilgar retorted just as loud causing Chani, and the others on her side to exclaim in disbelief while a few mother draped Fremen females wrap Jessica's body up in a bodystill sheet, "The carer of Ardh Waker-Gaib! and the mother of Lisan Al-Gaib! And she did survive! How it is written!"

His words make those behind him join in with the agreement, all cheering and yelling at the very thought of it being true. While Chani's side grows more raged, and she stomps forward to point a finger in his face, "Your people wrote that!"

"Blasphemy." Stilgar raised his palm up in the air to signal calm down, and pointed to the trio sat on the sand as he talked to Chani, "The prophecy was fulfilled."

This sets off Shishakli now who pushed past her friend, a furious expression shown for Stilgar, and her voice matched her look, "The Qa'im and Mahdi who be Fremen!"

(Y/N) blocked out their voices yelling louder and louder with each second passing, her worried gaze trained on Jessica in her lap, fingers brushing through her messy hair still. She looked up from Jessica to glance at Paul, who was already staring at her and nodded towards the Fremen behind them.

"Arrakis must be liberated by its own people!" At hearing what Chani had yelled at Stilgar more clearer this time, (Y/N) removed her hold on Jessica and placed her head on the sand softly. Paul watched his girlfriend confused as she stood up, and went to use her voice to get all their attention.

"She's right! It's no miracle." At her intimidating shout over everyone else's, the Fremen all immidently stopped talking to turn their heads towards her, "Paul's mother was trained to do that, as I've been told. Poison transmutation is something advance Bene Gesserit can do."

Her eyes scan over the crowd all gaping in surprise up at her, the aura around her becoming more stronger to the Fremen as she talked to them. She turned down to Paul who watched her, pride swelling in his heart again and grabbed her outstretched hand for him to take.

"I'm sorry to disappoint, but we're not your Messiah's." She gestured to her hand in Paul's, as she pulled him down with her to walk across the rock to step onto the same level as the Frement, "We're not here to lead. We come to learn your customs. Let us fight beside you, that's all I'm asking."

Her switch in between Fremen language and English fit so well, it sounded natural to everyone's ears. Paul wrapped his arm around her waist, hiding his proud smirk by placing his face into her hair, and felt the eyes of the Fremen on them, either judging or seeing them for whom they were.

The commotion between the two parties died down after her words, going back to their own sides for the time being as the duo's attention was now on Jessica. Stilgar was talking to the believes about the couple, them not hearing it as they were inside the temple sat on the floor with Jessica, who was now awake.

(Y/N) runs the back of her fingers along Jessica's face in comfort, seeing how pale and sweaty she was, "How are you?" She asked in a soft tone, worried lacing it also as she stared down at the woman whom raised her, Paul knelt next to her also, while the draped Fremen work in front of them to clean up the ritual area.

Jessica sighed through her mouth, swallowing to ease her dry throat, and felt a jump in the power that was now running through her at the girls touch, "Better." She rasped out, shuffling so she rested on her side.

"How is she?" Paul's voice speaks up this time in question beside his girlfriend, talking about his unborn sister inside his mothers stomach, who in response touches it gently hearing the words.

"She was frightened, but she's okay." Jessica reassured rubbing her thumb along the material around her stomach, a sudden serious look crossing her face staring up at her children, "(Y/N), Paul.. she talks to me. She believes in you two. She says...."

Jessica slowly starts to raise up from her laying down position, which makes Paul a bit on edge seeing the predatory unwavering glint in her eyes for (Y/N), and it caused him to place a protective hand on her thigh, and back, not knowing if his mother should of taken the Water Of Life now.

Her hand comes up to touch the side of the younger girls face, who's eyes darkened into pools of fear at the new look from Jessica, "The Kwisatz Haderach's will show us the way." Her voice also became nothing like her normal one, sounding like it was someone else's behind it, "You two are so close now. Only one step remains, and you will become the Kwisatz Haderach's. Only one step remains."

Paul's grip on his girlfriends body became tighter at the expression of fear across her face, wanting to pull her away from his mother, but felt stuck in some sort of trance like (Y/N) did listening to Jessica's words of widstem.

"You must both do what I did. You must drink the Water Of Life. For your minds will clear, and open and you will see." Jessica continued to persist in the same deepened voice, it turning into a hiss now as she squeezes (Y/N)'s cheek a bit too tight for her liking, "You can see! The beauty and the horror!"

When the last word left her lips, (Y/N) sprang herself away out of Jessica's grip, feeling her skin hurting a bit from how rough she was gripping her. Her eyes were wide when she stumbled back away from the mother, who went back to laying down like nothing happened.

Paul was instantly up by his panicked girlfriends side, taking her face gently in between his hands, careful not to irritate the already pain on it, "Hey, hey. You're okay, baby." He coaxed in a soft voice hearing her rapid breathing, directing her larger eyes into his calmer ones, "I've got you, you're alright."

She stared into his hazel eyes that she loved so much, feeling herself relax a bit now as her breathing steadied and didn't even realise Paul had takin them away from his mother, to more down the hallway a bit to comfort her.

"There you go. That's my girl." He cooed tenderly when she was a bit calmer now from what happened, his thumbs rubbing soothing circles over her cheeks, as his own eyes harden at the sight of nail marks on her skin from his own mother.

She swallowed the lump in her throat grasping onto his wrists, that bad feeling churning in her stomach again when she spotted Jessica resting after what she just did and told them, "What was that Paul?" She breathed out in question, shaking her head a bit aggressively, "I knew this was a bad idea-"

He didn't answer her but instead cupped behind her head, brining her flushed against his chest, as he nuzzled his nose into her hair, "I know that was a lot, and she shouldn't of touched you like that, but everything will be alright, love." He mumbled into the skin of her forehead, and left a lingering kiss against it also.

(Y/N) chose to believe his words for now since they were the only thing, apart from him keeping her together in that moment. She rested the side of her head on his chest, eyes closing for a few seconds as she listened to the steady beat of his heart, straight away feeling less anxious now as they stay in each others hold for a little while longer.

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THE SUN WAS SETTING OVER THE DESTER WHICH MEANT IT WOULD BE COOLER SOON, AND IT MADE A BEAUTIFUL GOLDEN HUE SCATTER OVER THE DUNES ACROSS THE SAND. Stilgar had lead the couple into the deseter for training to become a Fremen, and were a bit out from where the community was resting.

"If you want to fight with us, firstly you must learn to be one with the desert." Stilgar was telling the duo who stood in front of him wearing stillsuits, and he motioned to the environment around them, "So, here is a tent."

He handed (Y/N) the kit that carried the sleeping ware inside of it, as she smiled in thanks and took it from him. She had her quarterstaff hanging around her shoulders now, and felt the wind ruffle up her hair, another sense of peace washing over her from being inside the desert that she felt so familiar with.

"And enough food. I want you two to cross that small edge, and come back." Stilgar points into the distance with his free hand that wasn't grasping Paul's shoulder, "Finish by nightfall. You know how to use a paracompass?"

She nodded her head in silent confirmation, while Paul grabbed the bag from her hands to carry it instead over his shoulders like the gentlemen he is, "Yes. Anything else we should know?" He asked Stilgar who hummed, and thought for a moment.

"Besides the worms, and the Harkonnens, be ware of the trapdoor spiders." He began to speak which caused (Y/N)'s face to pale at the mention of the last bit, and shuffled closer to Paul's side, "Centipedes are very nasty. Not the big ones they're harmless, but the little ones you have to worry about."

The two share a side glance between each other in surprise, never guessing there was so many dangers out in the desert other then the ones they knew. It caused Paul to press a hand behind her lower back, flushed against it in a protective way that seemed to ease her tensed figure.

"Don't ever, ever listen to Jinn. The desert spirits." Stilgar continued to taunt the on edge couple, voice dropping into a serious one, "They whisper at night. They can possess you. Really, be careful. They are demons."

He goes to scare them with a loud noise, which caused (Y/N) to jump in her skin and flinch a bit, actually terrified. However, it vanished within seconds listening to the sound of Stilgar laughing, and she deadpanned not amused at his sense of humour.

"But it is true. Don't listen to them." Stilgar patted the top of her head in a fatherly manner making her eye twitch, and huff as she turned away from him, kicking the sand with her staff a bit.

"That's so not funny, old man." She grumbled annoyed, looking up to Stilgar who grinned assumed hearing her words, and she was instantly remined of her actual father, whom died trying to protect her and Paul all those weeks ago. It both made her heart warm, and break inside her chest.

He snickered to himself at her reaction, watching Paul grab onto her forearm gently and guided her along the dune as he waved and yelled farewell to them, gaining one back even louder, especially from the girl whom almost tripped if it weren't for her boyfriend holding her steady.

❪ ✏️ ❫ 𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙳𝚂 : 4279
─►☆ AUTHOR'S NOTE :
much longer chapter for you all this update which im proud of and this chap also is very important for y/n's story and where she fits in to it, but none of you will see it YET since its only very little of what i have planned EHEH 🤭 oh and writing those scenes with paul made me squeal and giggle fr i love him so much and timmy omfg

anywayss don't be silent or ghost readers, every comment and vote is greatly appreciated <33 thank you for reading xx 🫶