The rush of wind and the whine of the engines was the only sound that enveloped them, as they whipped through the forest, dodging trees and other foliage. Neither of them were happy at the outcome of this mission, and both of them were ready for a break. A nice long break.

He'd almost caught them.

That thought reverberated round and round inside her head. Just a finger's breadth. That's all the space that had kept her out of his clutches, as she'd leapt from the window ledge. If she'd been even the least bit slower or he'd arrived just a moment sooner, she wouldn't have made it to safety. No. She'd now be his prisoner. She involuntarily shuddered.

Padme and Obi-Wan rode their speeder bikes in silence. Though Padme put on an indifferent front outside, inside she was a roiling mess. But, surprisingly…not as badly as before after their duel in the junkyard. Now, it seemed inevitable that she would run into Vader again. And, again. Even her brief brush with him at the Spire would certainly not be the last time she would see him. It was now blatantly obvious the trap had been laid specifically for her—Obi-Wan too, yeah, but mostly for her. She knew her adversary well. Vader would strive to capture her first, then he'd focus on capturing Obi-Wan, if he didn't already have him. It was an unsettling thought.

She frowned.

She had known from the very beginning of her duties as the Rebellion's assassin that this would be a possibility, if he ever found out her identity, that she was alive, but she had always naively assumed that he either wouldn't find out, or she'd be dead by the time he did. Now, it was a very real threat - her being captured by him, and she suddenly found herself unsure of continuing with her missions. Not because she wanted to stop fighting for democracy, of course, but because she had children. Two precious, adorable gifts from her beloved husband, and they needed their mom far more than the Rebellion needed her services.

Every time she left on a mission, there was a possibility that she would never come home. But every time, Padme was sure that her children would be in the safe hands of her mother, Jobal, plus Obi-Wan and Yoda. But, if she was ever captured by Vader, she knew it would only be a matter of time before he found the children. And, if he found them…

Obi-Wan's stark warning two years ago echoed in her mind. If he finds them, Padme, he'll turn them to the Dark Side. You must not let him know that you and the children are safe and alive. If he finds you and those children…especially those extremely powerful Force-sensitive children…democracy will be forever lost. She hadn't wanted to believe him, but Obi-Wan had also fought Ana…Vader after she'd passed out on Mustafar. He had seen firsthand who her husband had become. Hell, she'd seen it, too. Those glowing yellow, almost orange, eyes so full of anger and hate. And, over the last two years, she had finally accepted it, Anakin's fall, and was now grateful that she hadn't secretly reached out to Vader since then.

That didn't mean she didn't mourn and ache for who Vader had once been. She did.

So, now Padme was faced with a real dilemma. Right now, at this very moment, Vader was hunting her across the galaxy, but thank the Force, he had no idea where she lived. She had a feeling though, that it wouldn't be long before he did find out, if she continued going on these missions. Perhaps it would be best if…

She shook her head, focusing on her driving. She had time to think it over. After their failed mission (that, according to Obi-Wan, was doomed from the start), they had split ways with Rex and his men. She had delivered her report to the Council, who then would be spreading the word that Master Unduli was indeed dead, in the hopes that others would not fall into the same trap. After switching ships, they were now back on Gandle Ott, and she had been given leave to take a few weeks off. She planned to enjoy it while it lasted—training with Yoda and Obi-Wan, playing with her kids, being with her mom…Soon, the war would escalate, and then no one would be able to take a break from war. Least of all her.

Memories and regrets of the past suddenly assaulted her, nearly choking her with their intensity.

Oh, how she wished she and Anakin had done more relaxing together during the Clone Wars, like he'd begged her to do so many times, only to have her refuse over and over in the name of 'duty'. Now, it seemed like such a wasted effort. Perhaps, if they had…She shook her head, cutting her musings short. No sense in crying over spilt bantha milk. What was done, was done and couldn't be changed. No matter how much it hurt.

They finally reached the clearing, the house ahead of them quiet, still, almost tranquil under the shade of the surrounding trees. They parked, turned off the bikes, and Padme slowly got off of the hers, stretching. "Are you really thinking of quitting?" Obi-Wan asked with a raised brow, and she could tell that he was trying to remain neutral. He would be ecstatic if she quit, not because he didn't want to liberate the galaxy, but because he wanted her and her family safe. He felt like he owed it to the memory of her husband, his brother…

"Maybe." She replied shortly, rolling out her shoulders. "I've got time to think things through." She turned then, about to head to the house, but stopped as Yoda slowly approached them, leaning on his cane. She hadn't seen him walking when they approached. Honestly, the ancient Jedi Grandmaster almost blended into the surrounding grass. Perfect camouflage, she thought with some amusement.

"Senator, good evening." Yoda greeted with a soft smile. "Successful mission, did you have?"

Padme gritted her teeth as she spotted the twinkle in the old master's eye that told her that he already knew the answer to that question. She couldn't lie if she wanted to, to him, or herself.

"It could have gone better," She admitted, stiffly. "Vader is…persistent. I'm the one he's looking for, and I'm afraid that he won't stop until he has me."

Yoda shook his head gravely. "Letting go, Anakin was never good at." She grabbed her pack off the rear of her bike and slung it over her shoulder, wincing at the weight. Force, she must have been super tired. The pack seemed to get heavier and heavier every kriffing day. Yes, a vacation would be a good time for rest, and for deciding what to do. "Made up your mind, have you?"

"No, Master Yoda." She replied sourly. Jedi were so good at perceiving things…and it occurred to her that, with the exception of her mother, she was surrounded by people who could sense her feelings and thoughts without even trying. It might have been an unsettling thought, but since she knew and trusted all of them, it was more of an annoyance when she wanted her privacy. "I've been given a few weeks off. I plan on coming to a decision by the end of it."

Yoda nodded. "Wise indeed, Senator." He opened his mouth to say more, but loud squeals interrupted him. The three of them turned to find Luke and Leia making a beeline for their mother. Padme dropped her pack to the ground, broke out into a huge smile, and dropped to her knees, her arms outstretched…

Finally, he would get his answers! He'd made sure of it. Yes, she'd gotten away once more with Obi-Wan, much to his jealous annoyance. He scowled at the thought, but this time, he'd made absolutely certain his backup plan was in place. No failures would occur this time.

The moment he'd boarded the Executor, he'd ordered Piett to keep all personnel far away from his quarters if they valued their lives. Then, he'd locked himself in his room, removed the damned suit, changed into his sleep pants and a loose black tunic, and sat rigidly at his desk, watching the holo footage his microscopic probe droid was feeding back to his personal encrypted channel. He'd created the droid himself—it was nearly undetectable, no larger than his thumb, and colored black to better hide in its surroundings. Even better, unlike standard probe droids, this one didn't make any noise when following a target, whether it was flying or crawling on the three tiny legs embedded in it. He'd made sure that one of these droids snuck onto Padme's getaway ship while the rebels had been hurrying to get back onto it. It was also equipped with facial recognition, an amazing feature to include on such a microscopic device. So, the moment Padme had entered that ship, it had registered a perfect match with the data Vader had already programmed into it, and it had followed her through the ship and found the bag belonging to her and hidden itself away in it.

Sheer genius,if he did say so himself.

There was the possibility that it would be found, but when he activated the link to the droid, he was immensely pleased to turn on the holo footage in his room to find that she had not, in fact, discovered its existence...In fact, she had actually been in the middle of giving a report by comm to the leaders of the Rebellion. While this in itself was more than interesting from a military standpoint, the actual information she provided them was not anything he didn't already know. Just a summary of what had happened at the Spire…though the way she sounded (for he could only see her back), she sounded detached, as though this wasn't a battle of wills between dueling husband and an estranged wife. It was like she was emotionless about the whole thing. That was a disconcerting thought. He frowned. He'd been an emotional mess since discovering his wife was alive. To hear her sound so...monotone, practically blase, about their interaction was upsetting. Didn't she still love him like he still loved her?

He pushed these thoughts aside for the moment. He needed to focus here.

The woman she was speaking to, however (Mon Mothma, Vader knew. He recognized the woman's voice, and he rolled his eyes—they'd always suspected she was part of the resistance, but he couldn't exactly bring this holo as proof to the Emperor without exposing Padme. And, he refused to do that), obviously knew that she was hiding her feelings from her intentionally, and gave her two weeks off. The Padme that Anakin knew would have protested vehemently against that, but she didn't so much as ask why. She simply accepted it, thanked the ex-senator, and cut off the comm.

Interesting. Why wouldn't she put up a fight? Padme wasn't one to give in. She never had been. Just look how hard he'd had to work to woo her when they were courting. He expected a fight to convince her to come home to him, even when he did manage to capture her. So why…? He shook his head. It didn't matter, he decided. What was important was that she was given time off—time when she might go and stay in one place for an extended amount of time, making it easier for him to capture her. He mused on this, as he watched hours of boring hyperspace travel.

At one point, she, Obi-Wan, and her rebel friends (one of which had a very familiar voice…Was that Rex? No, it couldn't be…Could it?...) separated after landing at an obvious transfer point (though the droid didn't leave Padme's bag, and he had no clue where they were at), and when the camera finally stopped bouncing around due to the bag bumping against her hip, he found they were in yet another ship, though he couldn't see much of it. He did notice Padme grabbed the pilot's seat while Obi-Wan took the copilot's chair, and he actually smirked when he overheard Obi-Wan requesting she 'try not to fly like Anakin for once,' to which Padme just shook her head and laughed, firing up the engines, and lifting off.

Please, he prayed to the Force, please don't let her discover the droid…and maybe the Force was feeling generous, because as the hours passed, Padme never once bothered to go into her bag, and soon they had landed on a brightly lit, lush looking planet, one that reminded him of a cross between Naboo and Endor, and then they were mounting what looked like speeder bikes, and speeding off into the unknown. He tried to make out anything he could, but the droid had hunkered down deep into the pack to keep from falling out, and all he saw was darkness. He growled in frustration, but he bid his time. This was further than he'd gotten so far. This time, Padme would lead him right straight to her hide out, and she'd be his again. He smirked. Oh yes, my Angel. You'll soon be back in my arms, my Love.

A thought struck him again, one he tried not to dwell on for fear of what he might find. What if Padme wasn't alone? Oh, he didn't mean Obi-Wan, of course. Although, he scowled and gritted his teeth at the thought of his ex-best friend staying anywhere near his wife. No. He meant someone else, someone who would be no more than two, if he or she survived…His palms began to sweat, and it suddenly became very hard to breathe. What would he do if he found his child, alive? He, of course, wanted his child, had always wanted multiple children with Padme, but…it was like the Jedi-situation all over again. Kriffing hells, it would be hard enough to hide Padme from Sidious, and even harder still to hide both her and a toddler. That is, he reminded himself bitterly, if the baby didn't die because of what you did to Padme.

He shook his head, glaring at the holoscreen now, his jaw tight, as finally the speeder slowed and then stopped. Slowly, the little droid peeked back out of the bag flap, barely visible, and yet giving him enough of a view to see that they had stopped in a clearing densely surrounded by trees. Vader frowned, and his fingers began to fly over his console, trying to get the precise location from the little droid, still listening intently as Obi-Wan suddenly asked, "Are you really thinking of quitting?"

Vader froze, half jubilated, half dismayed. Yes, he wanted Padme to stop her foolish vendetta against the Empire...against him. It would certainly be safer. Not to mention the wiser course of action. And yet…Padme wasn't a quitter. He was certain he knew what her answer would be, and yet, when she spoke, she completely surprised him. "Maybe. I've got to think things through." He remembered how stubborn his wife was. When she set her eyes on something, she went after it with full single-minded determination. He'd never known her to start something and then later say she was thinking about giving up. Why start now?

He didn't get more chance to dwell on that, for a very familiar voice suddenly reached his ears, and the chrono on his nightstand instantly collapsed in on itself as a wave of fury slammed into him. Yoda. He knew that voice almost as well as his own master's…Yoda's speech pattern was, after all, unique. As Padme picked up the pack and slung it back over her shoulder, he only managed to get a quick glimpse of the little green troll. He snarled. Why the hell was Yoda near his wife?! Obi-Wan, he sort of understood. But Yoda?! Padme wasn't strong in the Force… What did she need two Jedi Masters nearby for?!

He listened to every word that was exchanged, gritting his teeth in anger, as they talked about him, and Yoda mentioned that he wasn't good at letting attachments go. Just because he was a human being and had feelings didn't mean he was less for not being an emotionless green freak like someone he knew. He certainly never would have told anyone coming to him for help to save someone's life to just let them die and then rejoice in their death. To this day, it was literally the stupidest, most asinine, most ridiculous advice he'd ever been given.

The conversation was suddenly cut short, however, by squeals. Very loud squeals. Vader startled at the sound, not recognizing it at first, as Padme (and the pack) swung around. He still couldn't see anything useful, and as his fists clenched in frustration, Padme suddenly dropped to her knees, the pack falling limply beside her to the ground, giving the little droid more ability to peek out to see what was happening, and...

His entire universe froze.

Vader's eyes widened to their fullest extent, his jaw dropping open, and his breathing hitched in his chest. He'd expected…he'd hoped…Force, he'd hoped that if Padme was alive, that his child was alive, too. He didn't care if it was a boy or a girl, just that he or she were somehow just as alive and healthy as his wife was. He'd never once expected or even considered that there would be two children with her! But, his eyes did not deceive him—there were two little ones, about two years old, the same age his child would have been, running on stout little legs towards his wife with their little chubby arms stretched towards her, massive smiles on their faces, joy clearly evident in their eyes.

At first, he didn't know what to think, or to feel. In fact, some wild, crazy part of him assumed they were someone else's children—Hell, he thought with a jealous snarl, maybe Obi-Wan had broken his precious code and had them with her. But, as soon as that thought came, rage consuming him with the idea of his ex-best friend even touching Padme, it passed, a feeling of soothing knowledge permeated him from the Force, dispelling that thought completely. No. These were undoubtedly, without question, his children. The boy was obviously his. Even at two, he could already see himself clearly in his features. The same blue eyes. The same sandy blonde hair. The same jaw line. But Padme's nose, he noted with a smile.

And the girl…obviously, she was Padme's. Curly mahogany brown hair that, at this age, was almost unmanageable. Dark beautiful brown eyes that held embers of fire already. Rosy cheeks that were still chubby with baby fat. She didn't necessarily look like him, but the expression on her face…He thought he'd seen it reflecting back at him in the mirror. A very long time ago, back when he'd still felt joy…His children. They were beautiful. As his wife scooped the kids up in her arms, laughing and tearfully kissing their foreheads, Vader suddenly felt a rush of…what? Desperation? Anger? Sadness? Yes. All of that. But, there was something else. Something he hadn't felt since…

Joy. He felt joy.

He was even more desperate to find them now, not just so that he could reunite with his wife like he should have two years before, but so that he could meet this children, hold them, snuggle them, love them. His twins. Twins...Holy Force! He had twins…His son and his daughter.

Anger. He felt angry that he'd lost two years. Two whole years lost! He was furious, absolutely livid, that Sidious had not only lied to him about Padme's death at his hands on Mustafar, but that he'd also lied about him also killing his unborn children! Oh, how he'd hated himself for murdering his family…and yet, there they were. Safe and sound before his eyes. Across the galaxy, his children were seemingly totally unaware of their own father. Did they think Obi-Wan was their father?! If they did, he'd make damn sure Obi-Wan died a very slow, painful…

He growled again, tears threatening to overflow as he stared at his children.

Sadness suddenly overwhelmed him in a surge so powerful it would've dropped him to his knees, if he hadn't already been sitting down. He'd been out, roaming the galaxy as the Emperor's fist, when he should have been at home with his family, helping his wife to care for and raise their children. He should have been there for their birth. He should have helped with diapers, feedings, and baths. He should have watched them take their first steps. He should have been there for their first words. Hell, he didn't even know their names! For the first time in many long years, his mother's kind face entered his mind, and he pictured how disappointed she would be. In what he'd become. In how he'd treated his wife, choking her mercilessly and then forcing her to run and hide with his children. From him. Perhaps he didn't deserve…

And yet….joy. He was a father. He'd spent the last two years facing a future of unending loneliness and unparalleled sorrow. Now…his beloved wife was alive. Trying to kill him and destroy the Empire, yes, but alive. And,he had two beautiful children…two children who needed him, who needed both of their parents. For the first time in two years, there was hope. True hope for the future.

He couldn't have stopped the radiant smile that spread across his face if he'd tried.

Without realizing it, he turned the volume up all the way, listening to his children's voices for the very first time. They were both speaking at once haltingly, babbling really, like any child their age, but that didn't slow them down in the slightest. They were clearly happy to see their mom again…their mom who at any point could never return and leave them wondering why she never came back…

"What the hell, Padme?!" he growled aloud, suddenly frustrated with his wife's decision to work as an assassin. Oh, he'd known how dangerous her mission was when it was just the fact that she herself was alive, hunting Imperials, a thought-dead senator with Darth Vader as her husband. That alone was enough to put a massive target on her back. Indeed, he was under direct orders from Sidious to find her and kill her! But, she was also the mother of his children, who would be left parentless - and at the mercies of the Jedi - if she were to be killed. He growled again and raked his hands through his hair. How could she put herself at risk like that?! Dammit! This wasn't the Clone Wars, when she'd sometimes seemingly thrown herself into the fray without thinking of the consequences. Now, the consequences were much more dire. But then Padme spoke, and again his mind went blank. "Luke," she said, lovingly, reverently, her hand running through his son's hair. "Leia." The other hand tangled in his daughter's riot of curls.

Luke. Leia. The names of his children. They were perfect.

He felt a sharp twinge of sadness at realizing he hadn't been involved in their naming, but he also knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he would have chosen the exact same names for them. Oh, Force! He was a father to a wonderful little boy named Luke, and a darling little girl named Leia. The thought felt…right. More right than anything had felt to him in a very long time. He found himself mouthing their names, over and over again, a huge grin on his face, feeling the way his mouth moved when he said their names. He wondered if they would like him when they met, or if they had been told awful stories of their father, and would hate him. Was it even possible to hate at that age? He didn't even know, and frankly, he didn't care.

His fingers were moving before he'd consciously realized what he was doing. In a matter of moments, the coordinates of the droid, and therefore Padme and his children, were in front of him, and he was comm'ing Piett. "Sir." Piett's voice sounded over the intercom.

Reading the data output from the droid and cross-referencing it with the maps of the Outer Rim territories, Vader couldn't help thinking, Gotcha!, when the planet name Gandle Ott flashed in red on his screen. So, that's where she'd been hiding all this time. Hmm...the Empire had little interest there and even less of a presence on the planet - or even in the immediate vicinity surrounding the planet. That would work in his favor. The less Sidious knew, the better. He turned his attention to Piett.

"Have you made sure that all personnel on this ship are loyal only to me?" He demanded, his eyes still on his little family. Leia was talking a million miles an hour to a grinning Padme, while Luke had let go of his mom to bend over and pick up a Loth Cat, who squirmed awkwardly in his son's chubby arms. He narrowed his eyes. He had a feeling he knew where they'd gotten the cat from. He didn't really love animals all that much, but he'd make an exception if it made his children happy…even if having a cat aboard the Executor wasn't exactly a recipe for order.

There was a pause, and Vader realized that the voice Piett was hearing was his own, actual voice, and his officer didn't recognize it. He didn't give a damn. "Yes, Lord Vader." Piett didn't sound phased, but even from here, Vader could feel his surprise.

"I'm sending you coordinates, Piett. Change course immediately." He paused, remembering the ships logs. Even on his own ship, he had a sneaky feeling that Sidious would have a way into his ship logs somehow. "Make absolutely certain that this journey is completely off the books, Piett. Alter the fuel logs, as well. I will not have anyone - on or off this ship - knowing where we are going if they don't need to know. Is that clear?"

"It will be done, Milord." He cut the comm off, and continued to stare at his children, at his wife. He wouldn't let them escape. He couldn't. Now that he knew where they were, the stakes were even higher. He'd find them, kill the Jedi who had taken them from him, bring them back aboard the Executor, somehow woo his wife back and convince her to resume their marriage and stay with him again, and then…Well, he actually didn't know what he'd do with two toddlers (and a Loth cat, he thought wryly) aboard a military vessel, but he'd figure it out. He always did. His immediate plans set, he felt the ship enter into hyperspace.

No. He wouldn't lose them. Never again. He was bringing them home, and they would be the family they were always meant to be…

Failure wasn't even considered. He had them this time.

I'm baaack! As some of you know, I've been updating my other stories. I finally got out of my funk for this one (it is my most difficult story to write), and got this written. My Beta took a vacation too, but now she's back so hopefully I can continue updating stories.

Guys. That trailer. I'm basically screaming on the inside 24/7.

Anyhow, review! I should hopefully update the next chapter soon.

Love,

Sarah