~* Hello everyone, it's Blaze again back for a slightly anticipated sequel to "When You Believe". This is a Thanksgiving oneshot taking place a few months following the oneshot mentioned above. This is very AU and it is a family/drama story. And basically consider Thanksgiving to be whatever Thanksgiving in the Star Wars galaxy. This is the last in my three shot AU that started with "Hope" and another appearance will be made in this oneshot. *~

~ Blaze ~

Forever Thankful

The Empire was falling apart all around them and the Alliance was struggling to try and drive the remnants of the Empire further away from, not only the core, but from the galaxy forever. But even with the Empire still breathing down their necks, the Alliance decided that it was time to stop planning and start celebrating their many victories.

And what better way than to have families and friends gather together.

Luke Skywalker was looking forward to tomorrow, it was the first time the Alliance had free time and families and friends could get together for a day of thanks, a day known as Thanksgiving. Luke knew he had many thinks he had to be thankful for and one of those things was the man that was standing at his side.

"What's the matter, Luke?" Anakin Skywalker asked glancing at his son with worry in his sharp blue eyes. Only a few months had passed since the Force, itself, had brought Anakin back to the living and Luke was still glad that it had occurred. He remembered spending days on end wondering about his father when he was living with his Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen on Tatooine and, even when he learned his father was Darth Vader, he still wanted to know about him.

And it was as if the Force had granted him his secret wish, even if Luke would only be with his father until the day Anakin turned eighty but he was glad for the time he would be able to spend with him and not just him but the other family member that he had only found out about a few days before the Battle of Endor, his sister Leia.

"It's nothing, father, just thinking," Luke replied to his father's question. Anakin frowned again but didn't say anything out loud for a long moment as he examined the hangar bay they were standing in. The Alliance was currently in orbit around the planet of Naboo, which had joined the Alliance five days after the Battle of Endor. It was also the same place where Leia faced the truth of her parentage and accepted Anakin as her father.

Luke knew that it would be a while before Leia forgot about the terrible deeds that Anakin had committed when he was Vader. The twins were the only ones that knew who Anakin had once been, the other Alliance members, even Han and Lando, believed that Anakin had been in hiding since the Great Jedi Purge so many years ago. Luke shook his head, it was the holidays, he knew he shouldn't be dwelling on the past and he should start looking forward to the future.

As if sensing his thought, Anakin smiled slightly before putting his arm around his son's shoulders. "At least we have a break against the war we are fighting against the Empire," he commented out loud.

"That is true and I'm glad for the break," Leia said walking over to join them with Han and Chewbacca right behind them.

"At least we get to spend some time with our families before we have to think about the Empire, one day is better than nothing," Luke commented.

"That's true, I'm going with Chewie to Kashyyk so that he may see his family," Han said glancing at his Wookie partner who growled in response.

"I didn't even know Chewie had family," Lando mused walking over to stand beside Han before glancing at Luke. "I'm going to visit my family as well, I contacted them a few days ago and they're on Correllia right now."

"Hopefully you won't run into the Empire," Han pointed out.

"Hopefully not," Lando muttered in reply before straightening up and glancing at Luke and Leia. "Where are you two going?"

"We're going to spend Thanksgiving with our mother's family on Naboo," Leia replied. Luke felt Anakin flinch slightly but he took no notice of it as he nodded in reply to his sister's statement.

"I never knew your mom was a Nabooian," Han commented.

"Frankly, I didn't either until father told me," Leia replied with a slight shrug. She smiled at Han before adding, "try not to get into any trouble."

"Ah, ya know me better than that, your Worshipfullness, I live for trouble," the former smuggler replied smiling.

"Yes, it's a wonder you've lasted this long."

"Ah you know ya love me."

"Maybe so but stop getting on my nerves," Leia snapped.

"How the krithing hell am I getting on your nerves?" Han protested.

"Shut up, you scruffy looking nerf herder," the former Alderaanian princess snapped.

"Who's scruffy looking?"

"They argue like that all the time," Luke commented. "On Hoth, on Bespin, and I'm pretty sure on Endor when they were trying to knock out the shield generator."

"Hey, Kid, we succeeded in that," Han protested.

"Only barely," Luke replied.

Han snorted. "Come on, Chewie, let's get going so that'll we'll have time to get there, eat, spend time with your family and get back," he said. Chewbacca growled in reply before walking after Han as he led the way toward the Millennium Falcon that was parked in the hangar bay and nearly taking up the entire area.

"I'll see you after Thanksgiving," Lando said.

"Bye Lando, happy Thanksgiving," Luke replied. The former administrator of Cloud City nodded before jogging toward the B Wing fighter that the Alliance had provided him with when he joined the Alliance after what happened at Bespin. Leia glanced up at Anakin as he gazed at the blue planet of Naboo rising up in front of them.

"What's the matter, father?" she asked and Luke realized she had clearly sensed what Luke was sensing; a dull, sad, longing feeling coming from Anakin.

Anakin shook his head. "It's nothing," he muttered. "Let's get going, I told Sola, Jobal and Ruwee that we would be there before the sun set today." Without even explaining the sad, dull, longing feeling Luke was sure he was aware he was feeling, he walked toward the shuttle with Luke and Leia just behind him.

"Why is he so sad?" Leia asked. When she had accepted that Anakin was her father, Anakin started to teach her the basic elements of the Force, such as feeling another person's emotions if they are not shielding them through the Force.

"I don't know, I think it had something to do with mother," Luke replied. As if he had sensed Luke's words through the Force, Anakin flinched before walking into the shuttle and making his way to the cockpit.

"You should be happy father, the Empire is dying and we get a day off, there are plenty of things that we should all be thankful for," Leia pointed out.

"I know," Anakin replied a bit sadly. He shook his head as though to clear it before starting the ship up and it lifted off of the ground before flying toward the planet of Naboo.

The trip to Naboo was uneventful and Luke found himself looking forward to seeing the beautiful planet once again. The last time he had been on the surface of Naboo had been a few months ago when the Alliance had driven the Empire from the planet.

Unlike him, Anakin wasn't looking forward to revisting the planet in spite of it's beautiy. Luke figured it was because there were a lot of bad memories of this place. He didn't know what those memories was but he felt the unease and the sadness that his father was portraying.

"Father, are you sure you're all right with this?" Luke asked.

Anakin shook his head. "I'm fine with this, Luke, I'll be all right," he said. He flew the shuttle toward the landing bay that lay a few leagues from the Naberrie household. He landed the ship before shutting the ship down and Luke followed him as his father led him out of the ship. Leia followed them before making sure the ship was closed and walking down onto the landing pad.

Two people were standing on the landing pad and Luke figured these were Jobal and Ruwee Naberrie, their mother's parents. The two of them walked forward before stopping when Anakin stopped a few feet from them.

"Hello Anakin," the woman greeted him, her voice was guarded and Anakin winced slightly.

"Jobal, Ruwee," he replied before gesturing for Luke and Leia to move forward. "These are your grandchildren, Luke and Leia." The man and woman, Jobal and Ruwee respectively, glanced at them before smiling and walking forward. They hugged Luke and Leia at the same time.

"Leia, you look just like your mother," Jobal commented stepping back to gaze at Leia. She was an elderly woman with graying hair and warm eyes; Ruwee was an elderly woman as well but with gray hair and chocolate brown eyes, the same eyes as Leia.

"And you look just like your father, Luke," Ruwee said, his voice was guarded as well and Luke didn't miss it as Anakin winced again.

"As I told you over the Holonet, we decided that it would be best for Luke and Leia to celebrate Thanksgiving with their family," Anakin said.

Ruwee nodded, he and Jobal glanced at each other and Luke could have sworn he saw a look of happiness in their eyes. He figured it was because they finally got to meet their grandchildren after all Luke and Leia were hiding from them after Palpatine took over.

"Come on, the sooner we get back, the sooner we can eat," Ruwee said. He gestured for Luke and Leia to start walking before taking the lead and Anakin brought up the rear of the group, Jobal walked alongside her husband and Luke and Leia found themselves in between the two of them.

"Why did Jobal sound so guarded when she greeted Anakin?" asked Leia.

"I don't know," Luke admitted; he knew that his father would tell them when he wanted them to know.

By the time they reached the Naberrie household, the sun was starting to fall into the sky, causing the waters of the lake that lay outside the household to shimmer. Luke, for some reason, couldn't help but feel something important was going to happen here today but he couldn't figure out what it was. It wasn't Thanksgiving yet and Luke thought that most surprises are saved for the day of the holiday.

He shook his head to clear it before following Jobal and Ruwee into the household with Anakin just behind them. A woman of about thirty-nine years of age walked into the open and she was followed by someone that looked nearly identical to Leia.

Anakin stiffened and Luke could feel the sharp wave of shock coming off of his father and he glanced at his father. Anakin was staring at the young woman with dark brown hair and chocolate brown eyes as she walked deeper into the room.

"Luke, Leia, this is your Aunt Sola," Jobal said pointing to the elder woman.

"And this…" Ruwee pointed to the younger woman. "…is…"

"Padmé?" Anakin breathed before Ruwee could finish his sentence and the younger woman glanced up, her eyes hardened slightly but then she gazed at the twins and they softened again.

"Luke, Leia," she breathed drifting forward as though she was gliding across the ground. She stopped before them before wrapping her arms around them and holding them close.

Luke, startled but the sudden show of emotion, was speechless and Leia seemed unable to speak as well. In the end, it was Leia who broke the silence. "Why do I have this feeling that I know you?" she asked.

"It may be the Force, Leia," Anakin said and Luke felt the surprise coming off of him again. "After all, a mother's bond with her daughter is strong."

"A mother's bond?" For a moment, both Luke and Leia were confused and then realization suddenly dawned on them and they glanced swiftly back at the younger woman whom Anakin had called Padmé. "Mother?!" They exclaimed at the exact same time.

Tears appeared in Padmé's eyes. "My beautiful children," she whispered before grabbing Luke and Leia into a fierce hug and Luke and Leia both gasped out, "can't…breathe!" until Padmé let go.

She then turned to gaze at Anakin and Anakin at her, silence entered the household and Luke found himself holding his breath. He let out it slowly before gazing at his mother and father as they faced each other for, from what Luke knew, the first time since he and Leia were born.

Anakin was the one that broke the silence. "Padmé? I…I thought you were dead," he said softly though the shock in his voice was more profound than Luke had thought possible.

Padmé didn't reply right away, instead, she walked forward to stand in front of Anakin and she slapped him hard across the face, so hard that Luke and Leia both winced as they heard it. Anakin put a hand to his face but he didn't protest and he lowered his gaze.

"I guess I deserved that," he murmured.

"You deserve so much more," Padmé snapped angrily. "Over twenty years! Over TWENTY YEARS I've been away from my children, unable to watch them go, and it's all because of you."

"I know, Padmé, you have every right to hate me, I can, and will not, ever forget or forgive myself for what happened that night on Mustafar," Anakin murmured lowering his head again. "From the very beginning, Palpatine was wrong. He used my fear against me and he made me believe that I had lost both you and my children but even so, I will not forgive myself for what I did to you on Mustafar."

Padmé's eyes softened slightly. "None of us could see Palpatine's faults," she pointed out. "You can't blame yourself for what Palpatine made you do after that day."

"Yes, but I can still blame myself for that day on Mustafar," Anakin said in reply.

Luke and Leia exchanged glances with each other before glancing at Anakin and Padmé as husband and wife continued to gaze at each other before they looked back at Luke and Leia.

"What are you two talking about?" Leia asked finally.

"Maybe we'll tell you after the holidays," Padmé replied with a small smile. "But right now, we have Thanksgiving to think about." To Anakin's surprise, she put her arm around her husband's waist before leading him toward the kitchen. Luke and Leia glanced at each other before following their parents into the kitchen.

Dinner the following day came quickly and Luke, Leia, Anakin, Padmé, Jobal, Sola and Ruwee were sitting down around the table. The food on the table were Nabooian foods but Luke found them filling and delicious.

"This is delicious," he said after swallowing another bite of food.

"Thank Sola, she was the one that cooked it," Jobal replied gesturing to Padmé's sister.

"Thank you Aunt Sola," Luke replied with a small smile.

"Yes, thank you, Aunt Sola," Leia replied.

"Before we go onto desert, why don't we go around the table and say what we are all thankful for?" Jobal suggested as she pushed her plate away.

"Sure," Luke replied pushing his plate away as well.

"I'll start," Sola replied. She glanced at Padmé with a small smile before saying, "I'm thankful that I have my mother, my father and my sister with me on this holiday and that the Empire is dying and freedom will be restored soon."

"I'll go next, I'm thankful that I got to meet my grandchildren after so many years," Jobal said.

"I'm thankful that I have the chance to meet my grandchildren and that my daughter is still alive," Ruwee said.

"I'll go next," Leia said. She paused for a moment before starting to speak again, "I'm thankful that I still have a family with me even after Alderaan was destroyed."

Anakin flinched slightly and Luke glanced at him. "Do you want to go next, father?" he asked.

"I guess," Anakin replied. He was silent for a long moment as he studied a suddenly interesting piece of the wall in front of him. "I'm thankful that I now have the chance to get to know my children. I'm thankful that my wife is alive and well, even after everything that happened in the past." He fell silent and for a moment, no one spoke. Luke found that everyone was watching him as they waited for him to speak.

"I have many things to be thankful for," he said finally. "I'm thankful that I have a sister when I had always thought that I was an only child. I'm thankful that I now have the chance to get to know my mother. But that is not all, the one thing I am thankful for, the one thing that I will be forever thankful for…" Luke paused before glancing at Anakin, "…is that the Force has granted me the one thing that I have wanted from the day I was born, my father."

Anakin smiled slightly but before he could say anything, Luke began speaking again, "no matter what you did in the past, father, you are now redeemed, you are free, and you are forgiven, maybe not by everyone, but by many. That is the one thing that I am forever thankful for, that, even after your crimes, I, the Jedi, Leia, and mother, found it in our hearts to forgive you."

Tears formed in Anakin's eyes and Luke found that he was speechless, unable to think of a reply to Luke's statement. Instead of replying, he put his arm around his son's shoulders and wiped the tears that were starting to fall down his face. "Thank you, Luke, for everything," he murmured softly to me.

For a long moment, the dinner table was silent as everyone digested Luke's words and Luke was startled to find tears in, not only his father's eyes, but his mother's, Jobal's, Ruwee's and Leia's eyes as well. The silence was broken by a beep that sounded from the stove and Jobal glanced up.

"Time for desert," she said softly.

The Skywalker-Naberrie family nodded in reply and waited as Jobal pulled out the desert and began serving it to everyone. But from what Luke could tell just by looking into the eyes of the family around him, no one was going to forget what he said today. But he knew in his heart that it was truth, he would be forever thankful to the Force, to the Jedi and to his family, for the forgiveness they gave to Anakin even after everything he has done. He gazed around at his family before smiling slightly.

For this is what Thanksgiving is all about, forgiveness and family, Luke thought as he studied the family that was around him.

A/n what do you think?

Blaze: I loved this oneshot the best

Darth: so did I

Tigerstar: I liked Luke's little speech

Anakin: (sniffs) so did I

Palpatine's Ghost: stupid sappy stuff

Anakin: (glowers angrily at Palpatine's Ghost before pushing him into a phantom zone)

Palpatine's Ghost: (in the phantom zone) damn Skywalker, I hate him but mwuhahahahaha, I will become more powerful than ever

Jar Jar's Ghost: hi Senator Palpatine, meesa miss yousa very much

Palpatine's Ghost: NOOOOOO!


Blaze: Hahaha! Nice!

Anakin: thanks

Blaze: please review, they are very appreciated and I really do hope you liked this oneshot.