Luke rolled over on the floor of his cell, wishing there was something he could do to keep himself safely off the floor. Just lying still hurt, and moving hurt more.
He wanted his father. He wanted to go home. He wanted an end to the pain.
He shivered again and tried to pull his shirt around more of himself. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been truly warm.
Hearing Vader's boots on the floor outside his cell, he looked up. Even staring at the man who had killed his father and teacher, he couldn't bring himself to have any emotion as strong as hatred. The monster turned, and looked down at Luke for just a moment before continuing his slow rake of the cells.
Luke continued to gaze at him. He was still trying to find anger and hatred for hope that they would warm him, but he couldn't find them. When he'd seen up into Vader's face for that one moment, he had thought he'd seen sadness in the other man's eyes.
Vader had been Anakin's friend, Obi-Wan had said. Luke wondered what Vader remembered of him. He wondered if Vader might choose to help his old friend's son. But of course he wouldn't. Vader had killed Anakin, and if he recognized Luke, he wouldn't hesitate to kill him too.
Do I remind you of my father? Did he look like me?
Another shiver coursed through him, and he curled up in a tight ball, wrapping his arms around his knees. He rested his head against his knees, hoping to find warmth there.
Luke knew he was sick. He was aware that he had a fever. Coughing hurt him. No one cared, of course.
He let his face slide from his knees to press against the floor. The cool metal felt good against his fevered cheek, soothing the cuts and bruises that had made his skin tone purple in so many places. He sighed quietly.
Again, Vader's eyes moved back to him. Lying in the murderer's gaze, Luke felt suddenly desperately homesick for the father he'd never known.
He considered standing and walking to the front of his cell to beg for stories of his father. Vader's gaze was already drifting away from him, though. He closed his eyes, pressing closer against the floor in an effort to distract himself from the pain in every part of his body.
Suddenly, he was aware of a hand on his side. He opened his eyes again, and saw Obi-Wan's pale ghost standing over him. Slowly, he shook his head.
"You shouldn't be here."
The ghost smiled. "You shouldn't be talking to yourself."
"Why are you here?"
"You're dying, Luke."
Luke quaked. He had suspected, but he had hoped it wasn't true. He nodded.
Obi-Wan's face was kind, and Luke felt his ghostly blue hand slowly caressing his side. "Call Vader."
"What?"
"Just do it. Now, before I change my mind. I'm going to tell you what to say to him."
Luke stared at Obi-Wan for a moment. Then he did as he was told, crawling to the front of the cell.
"Vader! Lord Vader!"
The man turned towards Luke, and he wilted under his gaze.
"Don't give up. He has to come over to your cell."
Luke tried to get his shaking under control and called out again. "Lord Vader, please!"
Vader started to walk over, and Luke could feel himself shaking ever harder. As the man stood in front of Luke's cell, Luke felt his heart beating frantically against his ribs.
Vader was staring down at Luke with something between contempt and pity. Finally, he knelt, and Luke was able to look at him without needing to twist his neck painfully.
"What?"
"Repeat after me. 'You're my father.'" Obi-Wan told Luke.
Shaking all the harder at the prospect of lying to Darth Vader, Luke relayed the message.
For a moment, Vader looked taken aback. Then it was as if a mask had been pulled down over his feelings.
"What is your name, child?" He asked, clearly unconvinced.
Luke looked at Obi-Wan. He had been very careful to avoid giving his name away, on Obi-Wan's request.
"Tell him."
"Luke Skywalker."
Again the look of surprise flashed across Vader's face, once more hastily covered up. "What was your mother's name?"
Luke didn't have a clue. He shook even harder, wanting to just break down and cry. Sooner or later, Vader would realize he was bluffing, and it would be his end. But when he turned to tell Obi-Wan that he couldn't go on lying, that he didn't know how, he saw the old wizard nod kindly at him, encouraging him.
"Padmé Amidala."
"Padmé Amidala," Luke repeated to Vader.
"Where have you been, Luke?" Vader asked. Luke was surprised to see a tender look on his face. He was even more surprised when Vader stood again and opened the door to his cell, walking in. As he took Luke in his arms, Luke started to cry.
"Hush, it's going to be okay. I promise you it'll be all right now. Where were the Jedi keeping you?"
Luke turned to Obi-Wan. He thought the words instead of speaking them, hoping that Obi-Wan would be able to hear them, but Vader wouldn't.
"I can't lie to him like this. He really did lose someone. Why are you telling me to lie to him? It's cruel."
"We're not lying to him, Luke. I'm sorry, but I lied to you. It was the only way to keep you safe."
"Did you ever plan to tell me?" Luke asked angrily.
"I didn't. I wouldn't have, but you were dying. What's important is that you have one another now. Simply because I lied to you isn't reason to forsake the Alliance, though."
"I won't. Thank you for telling me now. I wish you'd told me sooner, but at least this way they won't kill me."
Obi-Wan just smiled sadly and dissipated in the stiff winds that raced through the prison constantly, designed to keep the prisoners uncomfortable.
Luke turned his attention back to his father. Now that he knew that he wasn't just lying about their relationship, he began to cry harder. He wrapped his arms around his father's neck, feeling the comforting protection his father was giving him.
"Father?"
Vader sat Luke on his lap, like a very small child. "Yes, Luke?"
"What's going to happen now?"
"I'm going to take you home before anything else happens."
Luke nodded thankfully and dragged himself to his feet. Vader stood up too, and took off his cloak, wrapping it around his son. Luke struggled to get his hands through the sleeves far enough that he could do anything with them. In an instant, his father's hands were at his wrists, pulling the sleeves back.
"Thank you." Luke said, wrapping the cloak around him more tightly, still cold, despite the residual warmth of his father. Vader put one arm around his son, adding his body heat to the heat of the cloak, and supporting Luke slightly.
"Everything's going to change now, isn't it?" Luke asked, looking up at his father's face.
Slowly, Vader nodded. "I suppose it will. But don't be nervous. It's all going to be okay."
Luke smiled, "I'm not nervous. If anything, I think I'm kind of excited."
"That's good. But before anything else happens, I'm taking you home and nursing you back to health."
Luke nodded, "Thank you. I think that's going to be important."
"I'm sure of it. You have a bad fever and you're pale as a ghost."
"Obi-Wan said I was dying." Luke told his father.
"Obi-Wan is here?"
Luke shook his head. "Not anymore. He went away a few minutes ago. Father, he just told me that we're related. That's why I've never asked for your help before. He was telling me the answers to all your questions as you asked them. I thought I was lying to you, right up until you picked me up and promised it was going to be okay. Then I told Obi-Wan I couldn't bear lying to you because you had obviously really lost someone. He thought I knew he was telling me the truth." Luke said in a rush.
Suddenly, everything struck him anew. He burst into renewed tears. Vader pulled him close, trying to comfort him and continue moving towards a ship at the same time.
Luke took a deep breath and stood straight, keeping a very tight grip on his father's hand. He was unable to completely shake the feeling that if he let go, his father might disintegrate as Obi-Wan's ghost had.
He let his father finish leading him onto a ship and stumbled into the cockpit beside his father. Vader sat down in the pilot's seat, and gestured Luke to the co-pilot's.
"Sit down, Luke, and strap yourself in. If you're already dying, I don't want you flying out of your seat." As he said 'dying', a tiny tremor ran through Vader. So tiny, in fact, that Luke barely saw it.
"I'm going to be okay, Father. I promise I won't let myself die. Not if I actually have a future."
"I promise that you have a future. Now strap yourself in." Vader said.
Luke did as he was told, sitting down and strapping himself in. He watched his father's hands darting over the ship's controls, like bizarre bugs taking part in an even stranger, but beautiful, dance.
He felt his head drift downwards and yanked himself back awake. But again his head rolled down. He turned his attention to the stars outside, but even their beauty was too soothing, and he began to drift off again. As he snapped his head up that time, though, he saw his father watching him kindly.
"Don't stay awake for me, Luke. You need the sleep."
Luke nodded tiredly, and the next time he felt his head roll, he didn't bother to sit back up.