"Take him back! You're right, he's too dependent!"

Anakin whipped around. That couldn't possibly have been Vader speaking, could it?

It was. He was holding Anakin's son, who actually waved at his father. Anakin told himself harshly that it was just Vader making the boy do that in some twisted parody of the typical cutesy new father.

"Father!" Luke released Anakin's neck in a heartbeat, and raced into his father's arms, pressing so close against him Anakin almost thought that he was trying to attach himself there for life.

To Anakin's surprise, and partial horror, Vader released his own son. He ran forwards to catch the child before he hit the ground, but to his surprise, Luke stood up, looked straight at his father and said happily, if somewhat clumsily, "Daddy!"

Anakin did catch the child as he stumbled childishly into his father's arms, proclaiming again, "Daddy!"

"Luke," Anakin said happily, hugging his son once again and then sitting the boy on his bed where, unlike before the switch, he sat happily, watching as Vader and his son were reunited.

Anakin turned to watch as well and saw Vader gently removing Luke from his person, setting the boy on the floor, but not pushing him away, as Anakin had expected.

"Luke," Vader said, gently putting one gloved hand in his son's hair.

Luke smiled up at him like an eager child, "Father. Oh, Father, I'm so glad you came back."

As he started to cry, Vader reached out and held him again. As the evil monster cradled his sobbing son, Anakin stared in confusion. He wanted to turn to his son to ask for verification as he had grown used to, but when he did, Luke looked as confused as he did, still watching the exchange from his seat on the bed.

"Love?" his own son asked.

"Yeah. I think they do love each other."

"Good," Luke said.

"I think so too."

Vader finally removed Luke again, but Anakin noticed he kept one hand on his son's shoulder, and Luke stayed very close to him, apparently afraid to leave him again.

"You've missed your son as well," Vader said, as softly as Anakin had ever heard him speak.

"Of course I have. Any father would," Anakin said, half way between expecting Vader to agree and expecting him to deny it, "At least any father who loves their child."

Instead of the resentment Anakin had been expecting, he sensed amusement from his darker self.

"It's the strangest thing, but I've missed this little piece of rebel scum."

Vader's son looked hurt for a moment, then seemed to sense what his father was saying, and laughed.

"Yeah, and I've missed my evil, neglecting dictator of a father. I didn't know you had a sense of humour, Dad."

"I thought I was 'Dad'."

Luke smiled cheekily, the most at ease Anakin had ever seen him "You were. Now he is."

Anakin was too stunned to answer, too glad that Luke had finally been able to return home, and Luke suddenly looked concerned, "You're not hurt, are you? I was only joking, I love you both!"

Anakin made himself smile, "Of course I'm not hurt. I'm glad to see you feel safe with your father now."

Anakin's own son made his own contribution to the conversation, "My daddy," he said, wrapping himself around Anakin.

Vader's son laughed lightly, and Anakin found himself smiling down at the boy wrapped around himself, "Yeah, I'll always be your daddy. But I'll be his as well," he told Luke, gesturing to Vader's son.

Anakin's son shrugged, smiling, "Daddy," he said, pointing to Anakin, "Daddy," he said again, pointing to Vader. Anakin was beginning to get the feeling that Luke didn't quite understand what he was saying, until he pointed to Vader's son and announced very clearly, "Brother."

"Yes," Anakin said, smiling, "He's your brother. Or something like that."

"I thought we were switching permanently when it happened," Anakin said.

"I thought so as well," Vader added.

"I'm really glad we're not, though," Luke said, turning to Vader "I can go see Leia and Han again as soon as we get home, can't I? Please?"

He's talking to Vader almost as if he expects to be treated fairly, Anakin thought sadly, but Vader was nodding.

"You're going to let him?"

Vader made a slightly louder wheeze, which Anakin assumed would sound like a sigh without the enhancement of his voice.

"Your son is a wonderful boy."

Anakin's Luke was sitting on the bed still, watching with intent interest, "I know he is."

"I really did like having a child who followed my every command."

Anakin rolled his eyes, "You would."

"It was wonderful to be needed for everything, but…," Vader paused, "It can be a bit much at times, can't it?"

Anakin smiled, "I know it can. But when we, uh, traded, he couldn't even sit up by himself. Now he's walking and talking!"

"Daddy!" Luke repeated.

"If not fluently."

Vader sighed, "I used slightly harsher methods than you would to convince him to learn. Once he started trying, though, I think he likes it."

"Harsh!" Luke said.

"New word," Vader explained quickly, "He really does learn much faster now."

Part of Anakin was thrilled, but another part made him ask, "What harsher methods?"

Vader's son had a matching worried expression, and once more Vader hurried to explain himself, "Nothing drastic, I promise. It was just a matter of putting things a little bit out of his reach. He had to learn to move to his food when he wanted it. Once he'd mastered that, I made him ask for me to put it out. Since then, he's taken hold of his own learning curve."

"Wow," Anakin said, looking at his son again, "You were able to teach him all that in just a few weeks? I've spent years trying to teach him and… nothing."

Again he sensed amusement from Vader, "I think the phrase is 'tough love'."

Anakin was beginning to search for something to say, after all, he hadn't had nearly as much of a positive effect on Vader's son as Vader had had on his, when Obi-Wan entered.

"Anakin?"

Anakin turned and saw that it was the Obi-Wan from his galaxy, not Luke's strangely older mentor.

"Luke? And is he—,"

"Vader. Yes. And both our sons."

Obi-Wan looked around the room again, obviously surprised, "Then, is this your son?" he asked, approaching Anakin's child.

"Yes."

"Doesn't he usually start to cry when he sees me?"

"He's quite different now."

"Different!" Luke proclaimed happily.

"So I see."

"Have you ever had any contact with the Obi-Wan from Vader's galaxy?"

To Anakin's disappointment, Obi-Wan shook his head.

"I have," Vader said, "How do you think I got here?"

"I don't know. I assumed that you'd figured out a way to do that yourself, because Obi-Wan wasn't here. And, speaking of Obi-Wan being here, why are you here?" he asked, turning to his teacher.

"I wanted to see that you and Luke had patched things up."

"In the middle of the night?" Anakin asked in confusion.

"It's nearly morning now."

Vader's son gave a wide yawn, "Keyword being nearly. I really hate to be trouble, but I need sleep. Can we go home? Please? I want to go home," Luke said, a strange mix of sad and happy. Sad to need to ask to go home, happy to be brave enough to ask, Anakin assumed.

Anakin felt Vader smile again, "As soon as Obi-Wan comes back," he turned to Anakin, "I asked him to let us speak privately."

"Should I leave?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Leave!" Luke said happily.

Obi-Wan looked around, confused and hurt. Anakin smiled back at him, "He doesn't understand everything he says. I think he just picks up words at random."

Vader nodded.

"Maybe it is best that I leave. You should say goodbye to one another."

Suddenly Vader's son seemed less sure of what was happening. As his happiness was wiped off his face, Obi-Wan turned to leave.

"We really are going to say goodbye, aren't we?" he asked.

Anakin stood up, and sensed his own son getting unsteadily to his feet. He steadied the boy, who continued to toddle towards Vader as Vader's son raced back into Anakin's arms.

"It's not forever, I promise. I'll find a way to come and visit, and," Anakin lowered his voice, "Make sure that this change of heart isn't faked."

Luke smiled with complete, open, easy trust, "It's not."

Then Luke broke away from Anakin, turning back to Vader, "But there is just one thing. When he sends us back to our galaxy, like he did with you two," he indicated his other self and Vader, "You'll hold me, won't you? It really does hurt."

Vader nodded, "Yes."

Then, much to Anakin's surprise, the two of them were gone. He ran to catch his son whose already tedious balance had been knocked off by the sudden loss of his support. Then the little form in his arms began to shake, and he clung to the fragile boy as the pain subsided. Then he helped the boy to his feet and over to the other Luke's bed.

"I guess you're mature enough to sleep in a bed without walls now, aren't you?" he asked fondly.

"Madure!"

"Mature."

"Matsure?"

Anakin smiled, "Close enough."