Luke raced after his father, following him out of the room before grabbing his arm and stopping him.

"Father, what are you doing?"

He sensed his father turn to look at him, "Saving you."

"But you said you weren't allowed to unless I turned. I'm not going to turn!"

"I don't care," Vader said simply.

"But what about Palpatine?" Luke asked, scared.

"I'll figure something out," Luke sensed his father's eyes turning to his wounds, "Probably including my lightsaber."

"Father, what if you don't win? Please, don't risk this for me!"

"I'm risking this for both of us. I want you to be safe. You don't deserve what they were going to do to you."

"But now—," Luke interjected.

"Now we're going to take whatever they can throw at us. I'm going to take you for medical attention, and they'll heal you. Then we'll take the galaxy as it comes. It'll all be all right now."

Luke took his father's hand, silently asking the other man to lead him. Vader took the hand and held it tightly and Luke found himself crying.

"What's wrong? Aren't you happy to be free?" Vader asked concernedly.

Luke made himself nod, "I will be. I'm just scared. I wish home could be a little house in a forest somewhere where we wouldn't be found. I wish I'd never joined the Alliance, and you'd never joined the Empire."

He sensed Vader smiling, "That would fix all the galaxy's problems very nearly in one motion."

Luke made himself smile back, ignoring the pain, glad that he and his father could finally share a smile.

"Once everything has calmed down, I'll make sure we get a nice secluded home. I can probably convince your politician friend to take over the Empire from me. Your friends will take care of it."

Luke felt something in his heart twist, "Leia. Do you know where she is?"

"She was brought in yesterday."

"You mean she's in prison?" Luke asked, frightened.

"As soon as I've taken care of you, I'll call them to bring her to me."

"No," Luke said, stopping in his tracks, "Call them now, please. I'll feel safer if I know she's all right. I'm not moving until she's here with us."

Vader blinked at him for a moment, then nodded, taking a comlink off his belt.

Luke waited, silent, while his father arranged for the princess to be brought to them.

"Luke," Vader said gently, "Let's keep walking. I made sure that there's a speeder ready to take us to the hospital."

"But what about Leia?" Luke protested.

"Son, the princess was just taken into custody. They haven't even been able to clear torturing her yet. She will be brought to the hospital in due time. I've ordered them not to hurt her. I promise they'll follow my orders."

"But what if they do something awful to her anyway?" Luke wailed.

Vader gently took Luke's hand and squeezed.

"They won't."

"Why couldn't she be here with us?"

"I don't want to hurt your feelings, but I think seeing you would frighten her. Hurt her, at the very least," Vader answered.

"Oh," Luke said, reaching up to his face and prodding gently at it, barely controlling a whimper, "I forgot that. I'm sorry I made it a big deal."

"Don't be sorry, Luke. It's not your fault. I'm certain this isn't what you want."

Luke smiled, "No, not really."

"Once you've been treated, I'll have them bring her to you."

Luke nodded, starting to walk again, "Thank you."

Was he really that hideous? Had his father's men really been able to ruin him to such an extent that even Leia wouldn't be able to bear to look at him? He felt his eyelids slide close, and his body struggle to cry.

"Luke?" Vader asked.

Luke turned his face up towards the direction of his father's voice.

"I just- I can't believe it's really that bad."

"Oh, Luke," Vader's arms encompassed his helpless young son, and Luke closed his eyes and began to cry on his father's shoulder. Finally, after several minutes of standing still and sobbing, Luke found himself being lifted, carried onwards.

He felt himself being loaded into a speeder, and felt his father sitting down next to him, pulling him close once more. He kept crying on the older man's shoulder until they finally reached their destination, and Vader lifted him once again.

"She-she'd love me anyway, wouldn't she? Even if I couldn't be healed?" he whimpered.

"Leia? Yes, of course she would. You've cared for one another for years now, and she would love you. That's why it would hurt her so to see what they've done to you."

Luke nodded tremulously, "What have they done to me?"

"I know they forced you to feel each incision. You must remember."

"I can still feel it," Luke mumbled, "But I don't know how bad it looks."

"You're better off not knowing. They'll fix you up, and then it won't matter what you looked like."

"I wanna—," Luke started, but Vader cut him off, gently covering his mouth with one hand. Luke flinched automatically.

"I'm sorry!" Vader gasped, "I didn't mean to hurt you!"

Luke shook his head, "You didn't. I just… have trouble staying still when anyone touches me now. I'm so used to it being...cruel."

He felt his father's hands gently tilting his head back, and realized gratefully that his father had learned to look into his face.

"I just want… to be all right."

He felt Vader nod, "I'll summon a doctor. They can put you out for the surgery a bit ahead of time, if you like."

Luke grasped his father's hands.

"I'm not sure I want that. I want to be with you!"

"You can be with me after the surgery, when you're feeling better," Vader offered gently.

"I want—," Luke said.

"Let me make sure you're cared for first. When you've been healed, you may do whatever ridiculous thing you think will help us bond," Vader said, a twinge of laughter in his voice.

Luke thought a moment, then finally nodded, "Okay. I love you, Father. Thank you for saving me."