AN:

Hey guys! So the big ears thing is not me making fun of Adam Driver's ears, so don't worry about that. I love Adam Driver, I wouldn't make fun of him...I try not to make fun of anyone's appearance, period. I read in a Tumblr post that it's hinted in Bloodlines by Leia that Ben keeps his hair long because he's self-conscious about his ears.

I don't own Star Wars.

The same day

"Who are you?" I snap around to see a surprisingly young man enrobed in a blue glow. He has lighter brown hair around his shoulders and a scar near his right eye.

"I feel as though I already answered that."

"Anakin Skywalker." I breathe.

"The one and only." He holds out his arms, showing himself off. I must admit that he is rather attractive, but he's also my boyfriend's dead, asshole grandfather.

"I...I wasn't calling for you." I state. I know who this man was. I know the stories of Darth Vader.

"No, but I can help you."

"How? Why?"

"Because this is my family and my mess that my descendants are still having to clean up." He moves to sit down next to me. "I caused this, let me fix it."

"You're Darth Vader, how am I supposed to trust you?" I spit at him.

"Because at this point, I'm your best bet. Obi-Wan and Yoda have agreed to let me handle this one." He seems rather proud of that.

"That isn't necessarily reassuring."

"Listen, Rey. My grandson loves you, and for some inexplicable reason you love him, too." I open my mouth to protest, but he stops me. "Don't bother, I know why. Now, Rey. I will tell you everything that I know about Force Bonds."

He goes into details about how they're formed, how they work, why they form, basically everything.

"In order to forge a bond, you must be a part of the bond."

"So Snoke was lying." He nods. "Thank goodness."

"The longer a bond exists, and the more it is used, the stronger the bond will become."

"How far will it go?"

"That depends on you and Ben, how far you want to take it." He sighs. "Is there anything else that you want to know?"

"How's Master Luke?"

"He's fine. He's peaceful. He is angry though that his ghost form is older than mine."

"Why are you so young?" He died like thirty years ago when his children were already grown. He should be at least forty.

"Because this was the last time that I was truly Anakin Skywalker. Even at my death, I was Vader. I was more machine than man." He flexes his hand to show me that its metal, like his son's.

"Your grandson worships you."

"Not anymore, he's found someone better to idolize." The sly smirk that crosses his face makes my cheeks burn. "Love is an incredible thing, Rey. It's a dangerous thing, I used to believe that love is what caused all of this. I turned to the dark side to save my wife but lost both her and my children in the process. To this day, my daughter has yet to forgive me, and she shouldn't. I'm wiser than I used to be, in death I know more than I would have ever hoped to know in life. I know now that love is not what caused my fall, it's just the excuse I used to justify what I did. I fell because of my own lust for power. A lust which caused me to kill my pregnant wife and so many more. Love couldn't save me, but it has saved him. His love for you saved him."

"But it did save you, your love for your son saved you."

"It was too late at that point. I also feel now that was more guilt than anything else. Love couldn't save me until everything had gone to shit. You've stopped him from getting to that point."

"Thank you, Anakin, for all of this."

"It's been a pleasure, Rey. Anytime you need advice, just call me."

"You should go to him."

"And do what? Rey, I told you, he doesn't idolize me anymore. He doesn't need my reassurance, he just needs yours."

-oOo-

"The First Order is coming. They've managed to track you, and I can't stop them. Get out of there, go. They'll be there in less than two hours." I run out of the room, leaving him standing there. I feel the bond close as I get closer to Leia's office.

"Leia, they're coming. We have two hours."

"Did he tell you?" I nod. Leia grabs her intercom and makes an announcement. "The First Order has located us, evacuation code 6679."

I run back out to grab my small bag of things and probably Rose's since she'll be evacuating machines and stuff. People are running up and down the halls of the base in a panic. I distinctly hear the roar of Chewbacca as I pass the hangar bay. It's a lot. I haven't really evacuated a base before. Okay, okay. What do I need?

Clothes.

Saber is on belt.

Sketchpad and pencils.

Toiletries.

Blanket.

Pillow.

Everything else is on the Falcon.

Thank the Force I don't need much. I grab Rose's emergency evacuation bag and stuff it full of anything else it can carry.

Gotta get to the Falcon. Even though we've been able to build up our fleet once again, the Falcon is still our main non-fighter ship. Anyone, not a pilot or too important to lose in a fight will go on the Falcon.

All around me people are pushing or pulling things, ready for the evacuation. I feel like I'm doing nothing, however, I was never really given a place in the Resistance. I'm the Jedi, the role model, the ideal. I'm not one of them. In the end, the fight against the First Order has never been my fight. I don't fit here. Leia, Rose, and Finn are the only ones I can really talk to. Not even the infamously charming Poe Dameron is someone I can converse easily with. He's just too ingrained in this fight. I don't know what he'll do once it's over.

"Chewy, the Falcon ready?" He roars back a reply. "Good, I'll go help, Leia."

I place the bags into my personal drawer in the Falcon before running to help the General.

Review Replies:

Chapter 8:

QueenErynn: It's so hard for me to reply to reviews like this now, a week after they were posting asking for a new chapter. I update daily, so…Thanks!

rainne.2000.16: Anakin showing up like, "So, you're dating my grandson. Welcome to the family, everything bad that happens is my fault."

27vampyresinhermind: There's no way in Hell that boy doesn't get bedhead. Yep, Anakin's here!

Dream-Runaway: Well, apparently it may be canon. I understand him, I always try to cover my ears, they stick out a lot more than I would like.

LegatusLeo: It was really hard for me to write these on my tablet, so they all ended up being shorter. I'm trying to add more details, but it's hard for me. I am a very in-the-moment writer and constantly feel the need to keep conversations and situations moving.

Vero Diaz: Good for you.

biddle29: Don't worry, he'll show up a few times.

The Apocryphal One: Yeah, while they may be able to trigger meetings, they can't stop the random ones from happening. Let's be real, the Force ships this more than any of us.

Abby: OH SHIT HE DID

Kendra Iscariette: Yeah, yeah, Anakin. That's her, that's, that's the girl. Seriously, I think that they're both touch-starved and now they have an outlet for that. When he takes off his glove to touch her hand, you know that this was the first amount of physical contact that he's had in years that was not vicious.

AyannaIvanova: I don't deny that the Prequels happened. I actually kind of enjoy Revenge of the Sith if for no other reason than Anakin's face. Though I do hate how they treat Padmé as a plot point rather than a character or really just a person who gives birth to far more important characters. Padmé was great in the first two, screw whoever decided to take that away from her.

jade598: Grandpa Anakin.

phhsdj: I love how excited everyone is for Anakin.

MuffinLove03: Snappity snap!

eh84132: Thank you! Somehow this story is the most popular thing I've ever written and became so within two days. It was crazy.

FrostyGirl317: Thanks!

Magenta Brave: Who says that Ben's gonna know?

WeasleyIsMyKing540: They really are.

Alextheballerina: We saw it getting stronger in TLJ, they went from being able to see each other to water passing through the bond even after that session was closed to them being able to physically touch each other.

Hannalice: Anakin's here to fix shit!

Arugula Pacioli: It is his family.

Timber Wolf of Purity: I wish I could have Padmé, but she wasn't Force-Sensitive. There's no way for her to be there.

Maryarey: Not much of a bet.

duke15tam: Anakin has returned to attempt to fix his family because he fucked it up.

.hope: Star Wars has given us many trash sons, has it not?

Dumby95: Thank you.

Alysia Of The Pen: There's no being delicate when you're rudely awakened.