Luke awoke to find Anakin still sitting over his bed. He quickly closed his eyes, hoping that his father hadn't noticed.
"How do you feel this morning?" Anakin asked.
Luke sighed, of course he wouldn't have any such luck, "I just want to go back to sleep."
"You don't want to talk about it yet, do you?" Anakin asked gently. Luke found himself smiling slightly as Anakin started petting his head.
"No, I don't. I just… I don't want to be turned away. You understand that, don't you?" Luke curled closer to his father.
"Of course I understand. They don't know about Padmé, do they?"
"She is my mom, isn't she?" Luke asked, cautiously opening his eyes.
Anakin smiled down at him, "Assuming you are my son, which I still find difficult to believe, yes. She's my wife."
Luke laughed, "I still can't quite believe it. Does this mean you're not going to drag me off to explain to Obi-Wan right this moment?"
"I won't," Anakin promised, "Would you like to go get food? You haven't eaten in almost twenty four hours. There's no point in doing something unpleasant on an empty stomach."
Luke sat up, suddenly very aware of the hunger gnawing a hole in his stomach, "I'd love that. But won't Obi-Wan notice?"
Anakin laughed, and stood up, leading Luke over to the closet, "Do you honestly think I just walk out the front door when I want to see Padmé," he pulled aside his belongings, revealing a door behind them.
Luke laughed, feeling foolish, "I guess not. Where does that take us?"
"A maintenance hall," Anakin answered, leading Luke through. Luke carefully arranged the cloaks over the door, and then closed it.
"So, where are we going?" Luke asked, following as his father led him down the hall.
"I thought we might go to see your mom, if you'd like," Anakin offered.
"I—," Luke stumbled over his words, "I would like that. But – we don't have to tell her, do we?"
"Not if you don't want to. You just let me know if you want to explain to her, all right?"
Luke nodded, "Thank you so much for understanding. It means a lot to me, really. Where I'm from…" he cut himself off before he could say anything more.
"We don't exactly have a good relationship where you're from, do we?"
Luke bit his lip very hard and shook his head, "Not good at all."
Anakin turned back to him, and Luke bit his lip harder, desperately not wanting to burst into tears. Not now, not when he was finally with his father. He didn't want to disgrace himself.
Anakin seemed to forgive Luke's fear, and decide not to mention it until later. He opened another door onto a landing platform, and showed Luke to a yellow speeder.
"I noticed you like to fly," Anakin said.
"I do," Luke said, smiling, "Uncle Owen used to joke that I was flying before I could walk."
Anakin laughed, "Would you like to drive, then?"
Luke nodded enthusiastically, "I'd love to. Thank you so much. It makes me feel much better."
Anakin climbed into the passenger seat, and Luke took the wheel, "We have a lot in common," Anakin told him.
Luke turned to his father, smiling hopefully, "Really?"
"Definitely. Have you ever tried working with mechanicals?"
"I love machines! I'm usually pretty good with them too."
"I am too, it's how I calm down when flying isn't an option. I get a lot of practice too, because I keep losing lightsabers."
"Losing?" Luke asked incredulously, "I thought a lightsaber was a Jedi's life."
"Thank the Force it's not literal. You have no idea how many times he's lectured me about that. But no matter how hard I try to hold onto them, they get dropped in bottomless caverns, or cut in half, or… or a lot of things. The end result is, I start a mission with a lightsaber, and end it with a maximum of half a lightsaber. And then I get a minimum of a half hour lecture."
Luke laughed, "I feel a little bit better about having lost my first one now." Yours, technically.
"You've only lost one? You're definitely doing better than most Jedi. Even Obi-Wan has been forced to admit to ruining a couple. He hasn't managed anything too dramatic though, he claims he's just got a couple that aren't waterproof wet. I guess we can't all be creative with destruction," he shrugged.
"You'll tell me when to turn, won't you?" Luke asked. He had been flying the speeder straight so far.
"Yes, I will."
"What are we going to tell Mom?"
"I'm not going to tell her anything," Anakin said, "I'll let you tell her what you want to. I'm just going to say that when we freed the wookiee slaves, you had a flashback and you need some time to be pampered."
Luke sighed, "That is the truth, I guess."
"Here, that's her apartment there," Anakin offered, pointing.
"Okay," Luke said, flying up the building to the landing platform.
Anakin climbed out of the speeder and Luke followed him closely. He watched as his father knocked softly on the door, wondering how many times he'd done so before. Padmé came to the door, already dressed with her hair half done.
"Hello, Anakin," she opened the door, smiling at Anakin, "You brought Luke with you?"
Luke nodded, feeling himself shrinking into his father's shadow again. It was something he'd become very used to doing, something Anakin had actually seemed to support. I guess he thought it was me needing physical protection from slavers.
"Yes," Anakin said, "I hope you don't mind. We found ourselves on a mission to save some slaves and Luke had a little bit of a relapse. I thought going to see a good friend would help him to feel better."
"I don't mind at all," Padmé said kindly, "Come in, both of you. I was just about to order some breakfast, would you like to join me?"
"Uh-huh," Luke answered before he could think about it.
"Would you give me a hand?" Padmé asked, gesturing to the back of her head, "This style requires something I can't do without seeing it."
"Don't look at me," Anakin said, "Surely you remember last time I tried to help you with your hair."
"I could try," Luke offered, "I have a friend who likes to do fancy things with her hair. I've helped her a few times. Would you like me to try?"
Padmé looked at him for a moment, then nodded. She seated herself on the sofa, and Luke sat on the back behind her, listening attentively as she explained the process.
"And would you call for our breakfast, Anakin?"
Anakin smiled at Luke, who was working hard to continue braiding his mother's hair. He then activated a little datapad and typed in a request for three human-geared meals.
Luke finally finished with his mother's hair and climbed down to sit beside her.
"Thank you, Luke," she said, finishing with the part of her head she could reach.
Anakin took a seat on Luke's other side, and he found himself easily falling back into the role he'd originally gained entirely by accident: son. He thought of how his father had originally interpreted it as a need for affection spawned by being raised a slave. He resolved to find out if there was anything he could do to make Anakin feel that having been a slave was nothing to let go on hurting him, and that no one had decided to like him any less for it.
Anakin put an arm around him, making Luke feel wonderfully safe and cared for. Padmé smiled at them, "Obi-Wan wasn't joking when he said you acted parental to him, Anakin."
"I know," Anakin said, and Luke heard laughter in his voice, "I am, aren't I?"
Padmé looked at Anakin, and Luke read what she hadn't said, "He told me," Luke supplied.
Anakin nodded and hugged Luke a little more tightly.
"You've grown very attached to him, haven't you?"
"I guess I have," Anakin said.
Padmé smiled at Luke, "You like Anakin too, don't you?"
"He's great," Luke smiled, "I've never known anyone so caring."
"The reason I was wondering," Padmé said at last, "Is that, well," she allowed her posture to slip for a moment, and the pregnancy Luke had expected became obvious.
He felt Anakin jump up and watched as he leapt to his feet and wrapped his arms around Padmé, "You're pregnant?"
"Yes, Anakin, now please stop squeezing me, the sensation is strange enough without your help."
Anakin laughed and released her, "I'm sorry, I'm just so glad," he looked at Luke over her head, and she turned to look at him as well.
"May I hug you as well?" Luke asked hopefully. He hoped it didn't deviate too much from whatever act he had accidentally been putting on to put his father at ease earlier.
His mother smiled, and held out her arms. Luke stood up, and hugged her, glad to feel a parent's loving arms around him again.
When Padmé released him, he found Anakin's arms around him again. It's almost like he wants to be my father as much as I want him to be! I hope… I hope he keeps feeling this way. The only trouble is, I don't want to go home. I want to stay here, with my mom and dad who love me, and not need to face Vader's uncaring again.
A waiter droid arrived with their meals, and Anakin directed Luke to sit. Luke found himself gravitating back towards his father, who accepted him without question.
"Are you eating properly?" Anakin asked Padmé concernedly.
Padmé smiled, and Luke found himself returning it, "I always take care of myself, Anakin."
Anakin nodded, "I know you do, Padmé. I just worry about you, especially now that I know that you're caring for two."
Luke watched as his father pressed a hand to his mother's belly.
"He kicked me!" Anakin declared enthusiastically.
Padmé laughed, "You get used to it, when they decide to do that at all hours of the night."
Luke decided that feeling himself kick was one opportunity he was all right with missing out on. He quickly took another bite of whatever was on the plate Anakin had passed him. Then he pretended not to have noticed that Padmé had given him a glance which asked fairly openly if he would like to feel her belly.
Finally, Anakin took Luke's plate, and stacked both of them atop the table, "We need to return to the Temple. I'll see you again soon?"
Padmé stood and kissed Anakin. Luke slipped back into his father's shadow. He loved how Anakin allowed him to stand there, feeling safe and loved, taken care of. It was something Vader would never allow him, and just one more reason on the constantly growing pile of reasons he didn't want to go home.
"Come on, Luke. We have to go," Anakin said, and Luke realized that he'd fallen behind. He hurried to catch up, and Anakin led him back to the speeder that had brought them.
"Would you like to," Anakin turned to Luke, and noticed the tears on his face, "Never mind. I'll drive. Relax, and take some time to think about how to explain this."
Luke nodded, and climbed into the passenger's seat. Anakin looked at him kindly, "Would you like to talk to me about it first?"
"I-," Luke stuttered, "I don't want to go through it more than once."
He felt a sob break through. He squeezed his eyes shut, and soon Anakin had his arms around him.
"I understand, Luke. Would it be easier for you if I told them the truth about Padmé first?"
Luke shook his head, "No, thank you. Only one of us has to go through that today. I'll just explain everything in one go. Thank you for offering, though."
Anakin lifted the ship, and Luke wrapped his arms around himself, looking out at the city, "Where I'm from, I could never be here."
"Why not?" Anakin asked, and Luke felt an urge not to answer.
"In the galaxy I was raised in," he said hesitantly, "The Republic was turned into the Empire by Darth Sidious, and I'm a leader of the resistance."
"You are?" Anakin asked, and Luke was horrified to hear surprise in his voice. He's not going to reject me for it, is he?
"I am, and his second in command is out to turn me to the Dark Side."
"You're a Jedi, aren't you?"
Luke nodded, "I am."
"I bet your master is worried sick about you by now."
Luke bit his lip, "I don't have a master. Vader killed my teachers, and just about everyone who's ever cared for me. I only have some friends waiting for me there. I want to have parents who love me," Luke said, looking up into Anakin's face, "This place is everything I've ever dreamed of."
Anakin smiled sadly, "You feel obliged to go home, don't you?"
"I am home," Luke answered emphatically, "But I need to return to where I was born."
"Your friends will be lost without you," Anakin said, "You'll be safe with them, you know."
"I know. But… no one's bothered to take me under their wing as a child since Obi-Wan, and it's all I really want."
"What's happened to Padmé that she's not being your parent?" Anakin asked. Luke couldn't help but notice that he hadn't even considered himself. How had he become Vader, a man who could cut off his own son's hand and then go ahead and tear apart everything he thought he'd known?
"Mom's… Dad, Mom's dead. I don't know what happened, but I never knew her."
"Oh," Anakin said haltingly, "I'm sorry, Luke."
"And you… aren't around. You never have been."
"Not around?" Anakin asked.
"Just… you've never been a part of my life until recently. And now, it's sort of dubious."
"What do you mean by that?" Anakin asked kindly.
Luke sighed, "It's just that… you're very busy. You don't really have time for a son, and so you're trying to recruit me to help you. I don't think he – you know it hurts me."
Anakin frowned, "I'm sorry he treats you badly."
"I think he's trying to show that he does care for me. He's just always been so busy that he doesn't know what would really and truly matter to me."
Anakin sighed, "I'm sorry he's hurt you so much."
Luke started to cry. He'd fought for so long not to cry near his father, but then, suddenly, he realized that it was a defining characteristic that separated Anakin from Vader. Vader would be repulsed, but Luke was certain that Anakin would accept his fears and worries and need of comfort, and cater to them. If things went according to plan, he didn't have long to enjoy that affection.
Anakin turned to him, a concerned look on his face, "Luke? Are you? Oh, Luke. Here, chew on this and we can go to my room and you can cry for as long as you need to before we go talk to Obi-Wan. Would that make you feel better?"
Luke took the nutrition bar Anakin offered him and bit down hard. Like most nutrition bars, it was completely rubbery, and chewing on it allowed him to slow his tears slightly, "Yes, please."
Anakin looked at him again, then pulled the ship in for a landing. He helped Luke out of the speeder, and Luke managed to stand straight, following him back to his room. There, Anakin removed the remaining nutrition bar from his hand and pushed him onto his bed. Then he sat down beside Luke and put an arm around him.
For the first time in his life, Luke was glad of his small stature. He felt properly small, curled up under his father's arm.
"You're all right, Luke," Anakin promised.
Luke nodded, "I just need to cry for a bit."
"I know. Go ahead, I understand."
Luke pressed closer against Anakin, "I don't want to go back to the Empire. I want to stay here, with you."
He stiffened as a knock came on the door.
"Come in," Anakin said, carefully shielding Luke.
The door opened, and Luke forced himself to look up. There stood Han, Obi-Wan just slightly behind him, "I thought I heard you get back," Han said.
Luke blinked at him for a moment, then buried his face against Anakin again. As he started to cry harder, he felt a hand on his back. He turned slightly, and saw Obi-Wan sitting beside him, gently caressing his tense shoulders.
"Han told me everything," Obi-Wan soothed, "I'm sorry, Luke."
Luke blinked up at him for a moment, then smiled weakly, "Thank you, Ben."
Obi-Wan nodded, "You are most welcome."
Han smiled at him too, "I've almost fixed the Falcon," he said, "We'll be headed home soon."
"Right," Luke said, forcing a smile, "Home."