Chapter 1

Present Day: Imperial Palace

This is the part where I say something, Pamila mused to herself as she stared blankly at a kneeling Vader. The shiny ring in front of her did not help ease her stunned silence. It wasn't just her mouth that was frozen. No thoughts moved through her brain, her lungs refused to breathe, and her body was a statue. The one thought Pamila did have was not pleasant.

This is how rabbits react before foxes eat them!

She cringed. It wasn't a good sign to be thinking about predator/prey relationships in the middle of a proposal.

"Pamila?" Vader voiced again, his unmasked eyes becoming concerned. Pamila inhaled loudly, her eyes beginning to dart around the room as if looking for an escape. What should she do? What should she say?

That's when she saw her.

Standing directly behind Vader was a blue specter of a young woman. She was dressed in what looked like a hospital gown with long dark hair falling over her shoulders. Her dark eyes were wide with alarm as she stared unblinkingly at Pamila. Pamila stifled a scream. Images raced through her mind. She remembered her dreams from weeks back. Dreams of weird robots and hospital beds. Of the red-haired British gentleman standing beside her holding a baby in his arms. Her baby….

Padme's baby!

As Pamila realized she was staring at the ghost of her possible former self, Padme looked down at Vader kneeling on the floor, then back at Pamila. She nodded and mouthed one word: Yes!

"You want me to say yes?" Pamila accidentally asked Padme out loud. Realizing what she did, Pamila cringed and touched a hand to her lips.

Vader followed Pamila's gaze and looked over his shoulder. As he did, the image of Padme vanished. Seeing nothing, Vader looked at Pamila again, his eyebrows forming a quizzical arch.

"Of course I want you to say yes," he replied. His eyes began turning yellow once more. Pamila knew his rage was returning.

"Oh, I wasn't talking to…never mind… it's not important. Why can't I just keep my mouth shut?" Pamila muttered as she began hyperventilating.

Vader moved to sit beside her on the bed. He was about to wrap his arm around her, but hesitated, "What's happening? Is it something I did?"

"No! No!" Pamila protested, then thought about his abusive kiss earlier "No…maybe…I don't know. I don't know anything anymore!"

Pamila was in full rant mode now. She got up and paced in front of a confused Vader, "How many women can say their potential future husband is some dark space warrior? And how many of those women have witnessed the man they love kill five people? And then, as a cherry on top, have him propose to her a half hour later? I bet there's not even a Venn Diagram for those categories! I'm just a singular dot in a sea of crazy!"

The yellow that was filling Vader's eyes disappeared. They turned soft blue as he placed his gloved hands on his thighs, staring at the floor. "You are right, Pamila."

"Your damn right I'm right!" Pamila scoffed, then crinkled her forehead. "What am I right about?"

"Everything," Vader admitted. He got up and moved toward Pamila. He went to touch her cheek, but she flinched. He sighed and dropped his hand in defeat. "I am sorry. I never took the time to see the situation through your eyes. Now that I am, I see why you are terrified. Your life has changed completely and your future is unclear. And here I am demanding you stay to fix my broken soul."

Vader closed the ring box and tossed it on the bed. His gaze avoided Pamila's, "I will speak with Piett and arrange for a transport to send you back to Earth. Until then, I suggest we don't see each other, for if we do, I won't be strong enough to let you leave."

Tears welled in Pamila's eyes.

Goddamn this man! How can I be totally furious with him one moment, then want to kiss his face the next?

Vader didn't look at her. He turned on his heels and went to put on his mask. Pamila watched him, seeing a blue flicker in the corner of her eye. She glanced over and saw Padme again. The petite brunette stood stiff and mouthed the same word, except this time she was more demanding: Yes!

Vader unsealed the bedroom door. The moment was fading…

"Wait!" Pamila involuntarily cried out.

Shit! What am I doing? Am I doing what I think I'm doing? Oh, god I'm stupid!

Vader halted in the middle of the doorway. He stared straight ahead, refusing to look at her, "You don't know how hard-"

"Just shut up and come back here!" Pamila interrupted him. Her arms shook. Fear, rage, and excitement mingled in her heart. She knew what she had to do. She didn't know how she knew or why she should do it, just that it had to be done.

Vader paused, deciding if he should obey her commands. Finally, he walked back to her. His shoulders were no longer rolled back with an air of confidence. Instead, they were slouched and his boots seemed to drag on the floor, like a child about to be scolded by his mother.

Pamila waited for Vader to stand in front of her. She then bent over the bed to grab the black ring box. She fiddled with it in her hand. For being so small, it carried a lot of weight. Not pounds or ounces, but significance. Accepting or declining the piece of metal in that box would alter Pamila's life forever. God knows that's all she could think about!

Then she thought of happier times. Times with Vader in her tiny apartment when her biggest concern was hiding her dirty laundry from him. When he would hold her on the couch and stroke her hair as she fell asleep. She thought of how he risked his life to rescue her. How he ran through a burning, exploding building to save her from the clutches of a madman, and how he jumped off the roof to get her to safety. He never hesitated. He risked life and limb to save her, never once asking for anything in return.

That was the man behind the mask. The true man. The Emperor could try to destroy that spark, but Pamila would fight for it. She would fight for Vader.

Her chest filled with renewed confidence. She grabbed one of Vader's hands and placed the box inside of it. Vader looked at his hand, then into Pamila's eyes.

She gulped and nodded, "Try again. This time, leave out the painful kissing and invisible bondage."

Vader was about to kneel when Pamila placed a hand on his chest to stop him. She wrapped her fingers around the brim of his helmet and lifted it off his head. Placing it gently on the bed, she wrapped her arms around his neck to remove his mask. She expected him to stop her, but he just stood there, accepting her actions.

She slowly peeled the mask away from his face, afraid she might do something wrong. Once his mask was completely off, Pamila could see tears glistening on his face. His lips quivered as his walls crumbled.

Pamila laid his mask on the bed, "Perfect! Ok, now go."

Smiling hesitantly, Vader got on one knee and opened the black box. Even though she had already seen the ring, it still took Pamila's breath away. And the man holding it made her heart race.

"Pamila Jenkins," Vader began, Pamila reveling in the sound of his natural voice. "I may not be able to offer you much, but you have my love. You've had it the moment we met and you'll have it even if you refuse this ring. I love you more than I have any right to. Pamila, will you marry me?"

Now it was Pamila's turn to be domineering. She got on her knees and cupped Vader's face with her hands. She kissed him deeply, pushing herself against him. He moaned as she moves to his cheeks and left little pecks along his jaw.

"Pamila," Vader tried to say between groans. "Is that a yes?"

Pamila pulled away and blushed, "Yes! Of course!"

She moved in to kiss him again, but he placed a gloved finger on her lips. He gingerly lifted the diamond ring from its cushion. Pamila gasped as he lifted her left hand and slid the silvery ring down her finger. It fit perfectly. Once it was settled on her hand, Vader kissed her fingers.

"Lady Vader. My sweet Lady Vader," he brushed some hair back behind her ears, his voice becoming a growl. "Finally, you are mine."

His lips were upon hers. The roughness he demonstrated before was returning. He threw the empty box loudly against the wall. With his hands now free, he hoisted Pamila by the waist and tossed her onto the bed. She squeaked as she hit the mattress. Soon his weight rested on top of her. His kisses stung her lips so much, she almost didn't notice the hem of her dress climbing up her legs.

Almost.

Vader still dominating her mouth, Pamila glanced down and saw his gloved hands pushing the skirt of her dress up, gathering it in a bundle that rested on her abdomen.

She squirmed. She knew what was coming. Granted, she was not an innocent, but her experience was limited to a single one-night stand with a nerdy guy who only lasted a couple of minutes. He had the time of his life while she was left severely underwhelmed. He sparked nothing in her, but Vader? Oh, he made her burn in a way she never felt before. It wasn't like she never imagined being intimate with him, but was she ready?

Pamila pushed against his biceps, trying to make him stop. "Vader…Please…Wait…"

A growl emanated from his throat. He then tilted his head and bit her neck. She gasped, bucking her hips against his. It hurt, but in the most enjoyable way. He sucked on the mark, ensuring that it would leave a bruise.

"I have been waiting," He mumbled into the waves of her hair. "Waiting is nothing but a waste."

He moved to push the straps of her dress off her shoulders. As he did, someone cleared their throat behind him.

Both Pamila and Vader sat upright, their eyes alert. Standing in the doorway was the Emperor. His yellow teeth smiled under the shade of his hood. A chuckle built in his throat.

"I see you two have reconciled. How lovely."

Vader stood in front of Pamila, blocking her exposed state from the Emperor, "What is it, my Master?"

Pamila cringed as she straightened her dress. She hated how loyal Vader was to Palpatine.

The Emperor smirked as he watched Pamila make herself presentable, "Meet me in the Throne Room once you have…finished. I have a surprise to share with you."

Pamila grimaced. The Emperor's last surprise was an execution.

Vader had the same worry, "What kind of surprise, Master?"

"The ultimate surprise," the Emperor purred. "The finalization of Project Stardust."

*Moriarty appears on your screen. He slowly turns to face the camera and smacks his lips* Did you miss me?

OOOOOOOH! I missed these two crazy lovebirds and I missed you guys & dolls! I'm back!

I'm sorry Vader is a bit Beta in this chapter and not his usual Alpha self. However, for most of this scene, being an Alpha would have scared Pamila and she would've packed her bags faster than you can say Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious ;)

It felt good to take a break. For a little while, Vader/Pamila were a little too stuck in my head and they needed to get out. But now I'm ready to go and ready to write more about this crazy little thing called love! : )

Unicorn kisses for everyone!

PS: If you want to check out my Young Palpatine fanfiction "Allure of Evil Charms", I would be most grateful!

More unicorn kisses!

(I think I had too much coffee. Can someone please take the espresso machine away?!)