Strangers from Henceforth
Leia squared her shoulders and lifted her chin proudly. She had made her decision.
When she spoke, her voice was firm, with only the barest hint of an apology whispering through the weak and fragile Force bond that existed between them. "You already have a son. You don't need a daughter."
Echoes of her parents and the love she had for them, of Alderaan, of the life she'd lost and could never recover, of the torture she'd endured at Vader's hand flickered in rapid but vivid flashes between them. It was both a painful accusation (look at what you did! At what you destroyed! You did this to me!) and an undeserved, gentle explanation for why what he wanted and hoped for was impossible for her to give.
She had expected to feel Anakin's disappointment, sharp and hurt and sad – and in that, she was not wrong; after all, this one sparse, brief meeting in itself was a moment that had taken years to come to fruition – but what she hadn't expected to feel was the gentle understanding and acceptance that accompanied it. It was warm and… and kind… and a very honest sense of love filled her to the absolute brim, to the point where she could distantly understand why Luke loved this man as much as he did.
It stunned her momentarily. She hadn't expected kindness. Despite what little Luke had told her, in the rare moments when she was willing to listen, she had refused to believe that the man who was once Darth Vader could possibly be kind, let alone capable of what the Force told her was very genuine love.
One gloved hand raised, stretching hesitantly for her face. When she didn't retreat from it, Anakin briefly and so very gently trailed his knuckles down the side of her cheek.
"You are so much like Padme. She would have loved you and been so very proud of you." He said softly. The Force whispered truth truth truth to her and it made her draw in breath. Memories, sharp and clear were passed to her – ones of Padme laughing, of the way her hair shined in sunlight, of her kindness and compassion and her fierce determination to always do what was right.
…of a breathless Ani, I'm pregnant and a quiet, disbelieving but utterly thrilled That… that's wonderful! and the accompanying joy and preparations that followed. It was enough to make her eyes sting with tears that she refused to let fall.
Anakin's fingers lowered to her chin and tilted it upwards. He smiled sadly at her, eyes glistening with emotion, with an apology and regret, and so much love and pride.
"Live your life and be happy." He told her quietly. "And never look back."
Do not regret your decision. Whispered through her mind. He was releasing her from the burden of this choice, of being his daughter, his flesh and blood and the shame that would inevitably follow should that ever be made public. He was embracing what she wanted, without trying to make her feel guilty for it. Another thing that she never would have expected.
Despite herself, despite all the hurt and pain this man had caused her and caused her still, Leia offered him a gentle smile in return. She let the sense of gratitude between them and for a very brief moment, she imagined a galaxy where things might have been different. The moment lasted for but a few seconds until she stepped back. Anakin's hand fell to his side but the smile of understanding remained.
"Goodbye… Father." The word crossed her lips before she could stop them, the one and only time she would ever give that precious title to the man in front of her. It didn't hurt as much as she thought it might have.
"Goodbye, my daughter."
They parted ways, never to meet personally again, strangers from henceforth, just the way that she wanted it to be. She lived her life the daughter of Bail and Breha Organa of Alderaan and she lived it happily.
A/N I've never particularly liked AU's where Vader bullies Leia into accepting their relationship. That seems wrong on a very important and fundamental level. Whatever Leia wants from their relationship is really all that matters and I've never gotten the impression from anything I've read that she ever really accepted/embraced the idea that Darth Vader was family. And she shouldn't have to.
Anyways, I'd love to know your thoughts! Thanks for reading!