Ender Returns to Earth *Currently Editing*

Chapter 10

The light was incredibly blinding as Ender's eyes flew open within a split second.

He was gasping. The much needed sleep had turned into a horrible dream only minutes before, and he was overwhelmed.

"Ender? Are you alright." A familiar voice echoed through his skull as he sat up, and saw Petra standing overtop of him.

"I'm..." He couldn't contain his heavy breathing and she waited until he calmed down.

"Don't try to fool me. You look absolutely mortified."

"What.. Where am I?" He was almost certain about their whereabouts, but Ender figured that he should ask her just to be sure of his surroundings.

"Still at the Court Martial." She sat beside him on the couch and slipped her cold hand into his.
"It's only been an hour since we all left the debate."

She eyed him suspiciously, and he couldn't help but squeeze her hand. "It was just a dream."

"Sure it was." She was looking at him like he was a broken toy.

"I'm fine, Petra." Ender said in a more serious tone. "I can handle it."

"It didn't seem like just a dream to me.." She trailed off at his obvious glare and dropped her urgency. "You need to open up to somebody. If not me, then your family. You can't keep going through everything alone."

"I understand", Ender said simply. "But this is not the place nor time for personal matters."

She sighed. "Right. It's time to go back to Command. The Martial sent word that they were finished for the day and the crowds have packed up and gone home."

Ender only nodded. He still needed a minute to collect himself before he responded. "And they sent you to get me?"

She raised her eyebrows. "I asked. I gave them some lame excuse to let me in. Don't worry about it."

He let go of her hand. "Thank you."

"Of course", he could just barely see Petra blush under the dim lighting.

"Once you have a free moment. We actually do need to talk about some stuff."

"Yes we should." He gave her a fake smile.

Ender almost couldn't refrain his sigh. It was hard enough that he liked this girl... and now the dream, or rather the nightmare, he just had was proof enough that he should never be with her.

"I can make some time after we get back." Were the only words he could manage to say at the time, and stepped out of the room.

He was immediately met by guards, and was escorted down the hall towards the exit. "There is a black van waiting for you both, Admiral."

Ender shook the hand of who appeared to be some top notch security captain, and then headed out into the evening haze with Petra.

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"Admiral Wiggin. How wonderful for you to join us." Graff's sleek smile made Ender cringe as he took a seat beside Mazer in Graff's office the next morning.

"We have a lot to discuss, I take it." He wasn't in the mood for exchanging sarcasm with either of them.

"Yes. The martial of course." Mazer looked at Ender quizzically but he shrugged off his attempt at wanting to know what was up with the boy.

"Before you express your anger, I do not regret what I said on the stand." Ender was directing this right at Colonel Graff.

"Actually.." Graff replied rather mutually. "I don't care. Your little fiasco didn't do anything to further endanger or jeopardize my case. According to my estimations, I will still be titled Minister of Colonization. After you and your posse left the room, the adults had a nice little chat."