Wake up, Luke.
His father's voice echoed through his dreams, as loud as if he were in them. The words shook him out of sleep so quickly, he almost hit his head on the bunk above him. Still weighed down by exhaustion, he didn't recognize where he was at first, and peered wildly around the cramped room, his hands fumbling for the lost lightsaber that used to be at his side…to find Leia quietly sitting in a chair in the corner, hunched over a tablet, concentrating on something on the screen. He exhaled slowly, finally remembering where he was: The living quarters of his mother's ship. Obi-Wan was following them in his dad's ship. He suddenly felt his father's amusement on the other end of their bond, and he scowled, shooting as much annoyance as he could back down the bond at his father. Stay out of my head!, he snapped mentally.
His father was neither offended, nor bothered by the venom in Luke's mental voice, but he could sense the smirk in his mental tone. We're almost home. Someone had to do it.
You could have asked Leia. Luke pointed out wryly, and this time his father didn't respond as he felt his father's attention shift to beginning the landing process of the ship. Rolling his eyes, Luke slowly sat up with a low groan. He'd spent pretty much the entire trip over from Switzerland sleeping so deeply, that any dreams that had come were merely snippets of random pictures, a jumbled unconnected mixture of time. Apparently, the bacta treatment had done wonders to heal the cuts, bruises, and cleaned shrapnel wounds to the point where it looked like he'd never been injured, but it hadn't done anything to relieve the utter exhaustion he felt in his muscles. He thought back to the electric shock torture that he'd endured, figuring that that was probably the primary culprit of the exhaustion—and felt an intense wave of barely controlled fury from his father.
I said stay out of my head. Luke sent again bitterly, and with some embarrassment. He still didn't want to talk about any part of his past, much less show his father any of it. With some difficulty, he did what he could to put up a barrier, though it didn't block most of the connection. He could feel his father reluctantly respect that desire, though Luke knew that eventually his father would press him about it. In the meantime, though….
"You drool in your sleep." Leia's voice startled him, and when he looked over at her, he realized that she was now openly staring at him, the tablet lying forgotten in her lap.
"I do not." He managed to get out in a hoarse voice. He cleared his throat, but given that he still felt like he could sleep for another ten hours, he doubted it would do him any good.
"You also snore. Loudly." The corners of Leia's mouth twitched into a tired smile. "Although, I already knew that."
For the life of him, he couldn't remember anyone ever telling him that he snored…but then again, Palpatine had messed with his memories, and he doubted any of the other Inquisitors would have had the nerve to tell him that when he was part of them. It wasn't like he filmed himself sleeping, so he supposed it was possible. "I'm sure you do, too." He replied weakly, which only succeeded in making her roll her eyes.
"Mom and Dad are landing the ship." Leia said, getting straight to business. "Then we'll mostly be home."
"Mostly?"
She shrugged. "Well, the landing pad is sort of behind the Jedi Academy. So, it's a bit of a walk back to our house, but at least you'll finally be back on the property." She paused, "Where it's safe."
Safe. That was not a word he ever thought would truly apply to him. He had a hard time believing that now. "Right," He said with a slight nod, trying and failing to sound like he wasn't skeptical.
Leia frowned, turning off the tablet and coming to sit down beside him. She reached up, her fingers brushing against his blonde hair, where he realized that half of it was sticking up in random places. She attempted to smooth it down, but failed, so she soon gave up. "I just want you to know, Luke, that I love you very much, and I missed you so much." She said softly, her dark brown eyes meeting his. Even in the dim light, he could see that she meant the words, that she wasn't saying it to tease him or be sarcastic. She truly meant it. "I know things are awkward between you and Dad,"That's an understatement , he thought dryly, "But, I'm here for you if you ever want to talk. I've always been here for you, though you probably don't…" she cut herself off, biting her lip awkwardly, though he knew what she meant. He probably didn't remember. She was right—he didn't remember that. He suddenly wished he did.
"Okay," He said lamely with a small shrug. It was strange, though—he didn't want to talk to her about his past, and yet, he still felt like he could trust her the most out of everyone, as if his relationship with her went beyond their blood ties and deep into the Force…and yet, there was no re-created bond. Why? "What were you doing on your tablet?" He asked tilting his head toward the tablet, changing the subject.
Leia frowned, obviously seeing what he was doing, but she relented. Thankfully. "I was doing homework. I've got quite a bit piled up since I've been chasing after you the past few weeks…but, um…Luke, there's something you should know." Oh great. He just loved it when his family had revelations for him. They all seemed to be totally life altering revelations. He sighed, and motioned for her to continue with his hand. "Both the school and Mom and Dad's work wanted to know where we had gone. Given that Mom and Dad are both in very public positions…the reason spread super fast. Basically, the whole world now knows that you've returned home, and that going after you is where we've been. So…long story short, the gates outside our property are practically bursting with reporters and paparazzi."
Luke stared at her wide eyed. "You're over exaggerating, Leia. The entire world does not know that I'm home."
Leia shook her head solemnly. "When your Dad is the Director of NASA and is the guy who essentially brought the whole world into the age of advanced technology and your Mom is the District Attorney here….yeah. The whole world tends to know about their missing son, and his now safe return." Leia rubbed her hands on her knees and watched her twin closely for his reaction.
Luke was on his feet in an instant, ignoring Leia's protests as he stormed out of the living quarters and towards the cockpit. Through his bond, he could feel his father sense him coming, bracing himself for Luke's confrontation. The moment that he reached the cockpit door, he blurted out, "We have to turn around. Now."
"What?" His mom, busy with the landing sequence, couldn't really turn to look at him, but he could feel her confusion and concern. "But, I thought…"
"We are perfectly safe, Luke." His father assured him calmly, not looking up from the control panel in front of the pilot's seat.
"You don't know that!" Luke insisted, feeling Leia come up behind him. "If Palpatine worked so hard to separate me from you before, he's going to be beyond livid that I'm home again...with you! It might actually make him send everything he's got at you and…"
"That," his father interrupted, shooting him a half-mad grin over his shoulder, "Is exactly the point." Luke stared at him, stunned into silence. Half of him wanted to tell his father that he was insane, but the other half….
"You actually intend," Leia said slowly, "To draw Palpatine out of hiding by being super public about the fact that Luke is now home?" There was clear disapproval in her voice.
"Well, that wasn't originally my intent, no. I just wanted Luke home. But, in talking it over with Obi-Wan and your mother, it occurred to me after the news went viral that it might just cause Palpatine to get angry enough to...force his hand, so to speak. Like Luke, I was concerned about that for a moment…but, then I remembered that we've been preparing for an attack on the Academy for years. We are way better prepared for Palpatine to come at us again than we were when Luke was taken. Plus…since even Luke had to go to great lengths to find him, why not play into his game? And, if trying to be a normal family makes him play his hand, well…" His father shrugged. "Then fine...All the better. We'll be prepared, and more importantly, you'll still be home and safe."
It actually wasn't a bad idea. Frankly, had Luke known that Palpatine had tried so hard to manipulate him into being enemies with his family, he would have returned home much sooner simply to stick it to the Sith Lord. "I don't know if I like this idea." Leia crossed her arms, scowling at their father who had begun to slow the plane down, flipping switches on the control panel.
This time, it was Luke who responded. "What are we going to do, Leia, hide for the rest of our lives? I'm tired of hiding. Besides, the sooner we get rid of Palpatine, the better. The guy's like a bad case of cockroaches—he never really goes away. And, this plan might actually be the 'Roach Motel' we've all been looking for...Palpatine checks in and never checks out." Luke smirked, liking that thought, and instantly felt his father's equal surge of delight at the idea.
His mom, also flipping some switches on her side of the cockpit, laughed a little. "Now, that's an accurate description." She said, "Now, both of you go strap in—we'll be landing in just a few minutes."
It wasn't long before Luke felt the ship jolt and shudder as it landed on a smooth landing pad. He could hear the whine of the engine dying down slowly, and as he glanced outside through a viewport at the dark world that had once been his Texas home, he felt Leia place her hand on his arm. "You're not alone." She reminded him softly. He forced a smile, but it faded fast, and he turned away from his twin. How could he explain to her that he wasn't afraid of being alone? After all, he'd been trained to embrace loneliness, not fear it. What he was afraid of was her reaction to him once she realized how vastly different they were, how he wasn't anything like the brother she expected or needed him to be. If he mentioned that fact now, she would insist that he was fine the way he was, even though they both knew that wasn't true.
So instead, he unbuckled himself and stood up, heading towards the lowering ramp that would lead to the home he left behind all those years ago. Leia stood and followed after him, keeping close to him, as if afraid he would disappear the moment he left her sight. As they reached the ramp, their parents met them from the cockpit. "Luke," his mom said gently, and the tenseness in her voice made him stop at the top of the ramp and wait for her. He could feel through his stupid bond that his father was tense as well, but not in the danger-sort of way, so Luke ignored him and focused on his mother. "Before you go out there…there's some things we should warn you about."
Luke raised an eyebrow. Frankly, he just wanted to go back to sleep. He was more than a little tired, and he figured he would have to deal with a bunch of exhausting waves of emotion in the coming days; so he wanted as much rest as he could get. He'd need it for sure. If it had been anyone else, he might have brushed them aside or flatly ignored them, but this was his mother. And, he didn't have it in him to refuse her…which may, he realized, have been why she was the one telling him this rather than his father. "What? Am I going to walk out there to find a wild party waiting for me or something?" He couldn't help but ask sarcastically…some habits died hard.
His mother didn't seem offended though. Rather, she seemed a bit guilty. "Well, not a wild party…but a welcome home party, yes."
Luke clenched his jaw, pushing back a wave of irritation. "Who?" He forced out, his voice tight.
From behind him, he sensed Leia's surprise—obviously, she didn't know about the welcome home party either. Well, at least he wasn't the only one being ambushed with this.
"Obviously, your baby brother Hayden is there." His mother said, her eyes searching Luke's face for recognition, as if she were worried that he didn't remember Hayden. Luke kept his expression as neutral as possible: He remembered his brother, but only barely, and what little he did remember, it wasn't pleasant. "Your Uncle Ben's family will be there, also, including your Aunt Satine and their daughters, Ella and Rachel, and your Aunt Soka and Galen will be there, too, since they've been keeping an eye on your brother for us, and the Academy while we've been gone." Shit. It really was a party. Aww, jeez.
Already, everything within Luke screamed at him to go back to the cockpit and take off to find some secluded place where he wouldn't be forced to trade niceties and meaningless words with people he barely remembered. "And, your Grandma Shmi—your father's mother, will be there, too. She would have come down with your Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru and your cousin, Kylee, but since Grandpa Clegg died a few years back, Owen has had to take care of the ranch. My parents, Papa Ruwee and Nana Jobal, would have been here, but they're with my sister, your Aunt Sola, in New Zealand for a movie shoot, and your Uncle Darred, Sola's husband, and their daughters, Ryoo and Pooja, couldn't get off work to come...but they'll be here in the coming days."
Holy Shit! It was a whole freakin' family reunion! He was so not down for that. "Well, that's just fantastic," Luke couldn't help the sarcasm—frankly, he was outright pissed. Had he known that a bunch of near strangers would be coming to smother him with gooey emotions, he would have opted to stay in Switzerland. "Why don't we just invite the Pope while we're at it?"
There was an instant surge in the Force of protectiveness from his father, so strong through their bond that it was almost overwhelming. Immediately, Luke knew his mistake—his father may not have tried to kill him for supposedly 'killing' his mother, but the part about his father being super protective of Luke's mother was not made up by Palpatine. That was no joke. Anakin really was extremely protective of his wife. Luke braced himself, his hands twitching at his sides, wishing he had a lightsaber to protect himself…but his father didn't attack. He didn't even yell. When Anakin spoke, his voice was firm as durasteel and succinct, and yet even and low. "You will not speak to your mother that way, young one. You will address her with proper respect in your tone...always. And, this," his father motioned toward the open ramp door with a flick of his wrist," was not her choice, or even my choice. They are your family, Luke, and they've been worried about you for the last nine years, just like we have. Grandma bought her ticket from Idaho and they all arranged this before we could tell them to hold off a few days...And, what's more, you will treat them all nicely and respectfully when you greet them. Understood?"
It was chastising, yet respectful. Luke locked eyes with his father for a moment, and couldn't help but notice, begrudgingly, that his father's eyes went the same steely blue that his did whenever he was in the midst of an argument he was determined to win, but unlike his own gaze, there was no threat of violence in those eyes. Just a stern determination to get his point across: Do not be sarcastic to your mother. Ever. Still, it took a few moments for Luke to fully understand that his father wasn't going to lash out at him, and he forced himself to relax. There was a sting of sadness from his father, accompanied by words in his head; I'm not going to attack you, Luke. I am not Palpatine or any of his cronies. And, Luke knew that. Still, old habits died hard. "Sorry, Mom." He said finally, looking back down at his mother. "Guess I've been hanging around Mara and Han for far too long."
At the mention of Mara and Han, his father physically tensed, a wave of rapid emotions flooding through their bond before it was quickly cut off by his father's mental shields. There was another wave of emotion from his sister, but it wasn't as keenly felt as his father's emotions were—still, he felt…Sorrow? Why would Leia be sorry about either Mara or Han? It was a puzzling question Luke didn't have the time to ponder at that moment.
"It's fine, Sweetie." His mom said with a small smile, oblivious to the turmoil her husband and daughter were currently battling at the mere mention of his friends. "Everything's going to be fine, Luke. I'll make sure they don't smother you, okay?"
"Okay," He said cautiously, debating on pressing Leia and his father for answers…but another wave of exhaustion hit him, and he decided now wasn't the time. He'd pester them about it later…well, maybe Leia at any rate. He wasn't sure what he was going to do with his father still. He followed his mother down the ramp.
Sure enough, there was quite a crowd waiting for them. Even though it was the middle of the night, the landing pad was all lit up. Behind his mother's ship was his dad's ship, already comfortably landed and turned off. Obi-Wan was already out talking to some individuals in the crowd. In the distance, he could see the massive complex of the Jedi Academy looming above them, all lit up in the night with lights. To either side of it were two large houses surrounded by cypress trees: One he didn't really recognize, and the other…
"Mom! Dad! Leia!" A young boy's voice called out, bringing Luke's attention back to the waiting crowd. A shorter figure broke free of someone and raced out towards his mom. Luke paused, his hand yet again going to his side where his lightsaber had been…and forced himself to relax. Where he was from, it wasn't normal for someone to run at another person unless they had intentions to harm them, and yet here, he sensed no danger, just happiness and an overwhelming sense of curiosity…aimed at him.
The small figure flung his arms around his mother's waist, hugging her tight, and his mom returned the hug. With a start, Luke realized that this was… "Hayden," His mom said, and he could hear the smile in her voice. Luke froze, wondering if it was too late to turn around and go back to the ship and just sleep there until everyone left…but his mom was already turning around, pulling Hayden off of her to face the older brother he probably didn't remember. "Hayden, this is Luke…your older brother. Luke, this is your baby brother, Hayden."
For a moment, two matching sets of cerulean blue eyes locked, sizing each other up, Luke taking in the younger boy's lanky frame and brown curly hair so like their mother's. Over and over again, Luke replayed the memories implanted into his brain. According to those memories, Hayden had been the son who had been wanted….the few times he'd thought about Hayden over the years, he'd pictured a spoiled brat. However, at first meeting, Hayden didn't feel like a spoiled brat at all. His presence felt like any other normal kid who just happened to be Force Sensitive…although, he could tell that despite being about eight, his powers, though equally strong to his or Leia's, were only sort of developed. Not for lack of trying, His father's amused voice drifted into his head, He's more his mother's son at this age. He'd rather go to school than pay attention to his Jedi training most days. I expect that to change as he gets older. Although the information was useful, and it told Luke a great deal about the brother he had never really known, he didn't appreciate his father reading his thoughts like this.
Stay out of my head! He snapped back.
I could teach you to block me, you know.
Luke scowled and ignored his father, focusing back on his little brother who was staring up at Luke in awe. No. He would not be baited into Jedi training. He knew how it would go: First, it would be lessons on mental shielding, and then the next thing knew, he'd be a full-fledged padawan working towards taking the Trials to become a Jedi. No thanks. "Hey, kid," He finally said, using Han's form of endearment. The word sounded weird in his mouth, but it felt weird to just be best friends with a kid practically half his age.
Hayden didn't seem to mind, blinking up at him. "Do you like science?"
"Um. What?" Luke blinked back in surprise. What a random question for an eight-year-old to ask.
"Do you like science?" Hayden repeated, clearly not knowing or caring that his question was super random.
"I…I guess so. Why?" Force, he wished Hayden were a little older...then at least he could identify with the kid. What did kids this age even like anyway? My Little Pony? Xbox? Chocolate? Picking noses? He had no clue.
"I need to do a science project. Do you want to help me?" The question was so innocently asked and randomly normal, Luke didn't even know how to respond. I told you, his father said into his head with some amusement, He does not get that from me.
"Hayden, your project isn't due for another month, remember?" Another woman suddenly announced, approaching from behind his mother. Whoever she was, she was tall, almost as tall as he was at 5 foot 10, with creamy dark skin, friendly blue eyes, and dark hair that was braided into seemingly a thousand tiny braids with multicolored beads on the end of each braid that made a light clicking sound as she walked. She carried herself with confidence, and it didn't take Luke long to feel the Force wrapping around her presence like a well-worn glove. "It's almost midnight. Now isn't the time to talk about school."
Luke's eyes narrowed, feeling as if he knew her. "Aunt Soka?" The name sprung to his lips before his mind had even conjured up the name, but once it was said, he knew it was correct. He knew she wasn't really related, but considering her close relationship with his parents and their family, she might as well have been.
She grinned a crooked grin and nodded. "Welcome home, Luke." Her voice…it was so familiar, he…An image formed in his brain, unbidden and surprising in hits clarity. It wasn't like the brain-splitting visions that blurred everything else out…it felt like an actual, normal memory, one that had been buried away for years...
Aunt Soka was looking down at him. He was surrounded by his toys, lots of mechanical toys that he was currently in the process of taking apart. "You broke all of your toys, Luke," She pointed out the obvious, and there was an exasperated expression on her face.
"No Aunt Soka," He told her confidently, "I fix them! Like Daddy!"
Ahsoka smiled a little then, and she reached down to ruffle his hair. "Well, maybe I can help….your parents are going to stop letting me watch you if they come home to find all of your toys broken."
The memory faded, and Luke felt as if he'd found a very tiny piece of himself. He marveled, for this was a memory that Palpatine had left alone. He felt sure of it. He eyed Ahsoka with renewed interest. "Thanks," He mumbled with a small smile, reaching out with the Force to observe her Force presence. It was full of light, and though she shielded most of herself (and therefore, made it impossible for him to get a fully accurate read on her), he could tell that she was very strong in the Force. She was another Jedi Master, he suddenly remembered. It made sense that she would be trusted to watch over one of the Skywalker children…why she had been entrusted to watch over he and Leia when they were little.
He didn't get more time to dwell on that, for an elderly woman walked into view, and once again Luke was struck with the knowledge that he knew her…but unlike Ahsoka, no memories surfaced, leaving Luke feeling disappointed. They will come in time. His father's voice assured him, and he sounded so sure of this that Luke considered asking how he knew that…and decided to drop it. He didn't feel like encouraging his father to continue invading his personal space.
The woman was shorter than he was, but not by much. Her hair was long and graying, braided over her shoulder. She had warm, gentle, dark brown eyes, holding years of knowledge. When she looked at Luke, he felt as if she could see straight into his soul, even though he knew that she wasn't Force Sensitive. Still, she was a very special woman, he could tell. "Oh, Luke," She said softly, approaching him, reaching up to place a hand gently on his cheek. Luke stood still, letting her get a closer look at him. She smiled slightly, her eyes tearing up. "You still look so much like your dad."
My mother, your Grandma Shmi. His father explained, and there was so much love and pride for the woman in his mental voice, that Luke truly believed that his father adored the older woman before him. "Hi, Grandma," Luke said, trying to smile for her, and yet, all he could really do was marvel. In the space of just a few days, he'd gotten his mom and his whole family back…and now, that family was growing with both blood relatives, like his grandma, and adopted family, like Aunt Soka and Uncle Ben. Though he still just wanted to crawl into bed and sleep for another twelve hours, if he was honest with himself, it felt…good, really good, to have an actual family again. His grandmother wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. "I'm so happy you're finally home, Dear." She said into his shirt. "My, you've gotten so tall! Just like your dad!" Well, not really. He was still a little bit shorter than his father, though he was several inches taller than Leia and his mom, who were the same height. He was sure hoping Hayden wouldn't pass him up in height one day, but he suspected he might just by how tall he was already at age eight…
Others approached as his grandmother held him. There was a lovely blonde woman who, based on the fact that her hand was entwined in his Uncle Ben's and the fact that she wasn't much younger than Ben, Luke figured was his Aunt Satine, Ben's wife. Two younger teens, both with striking strawberry-blonde hair and blue eyes, stared at him curiously. The older one of the two approached him, grinning. She wasn't much younger than he and Leia. "Hi, Luke. Remember me?" When Luke just stared at her blankly and shook his head no, she grinned even wider. "I'm Ella, Leia's best friend. I used to annoy you when we were little."
Luke frowned. "Not on purpose, I'm sure," He remarked dryly; although, he did have implanted memories that said that Leia cared about this girl more than she cared about him, and had always ignored him in favor of her. But, since everything else was wrong, he figured that had to be wrong, too.
"Nah," Ella's chortled, "It was intentional. Trust me. You were way too much fun to annoy."
From beside him, Leia laughed. "You did blow up our third birthday cake with the Force after all, because you were upset with her," Leia thumbed at Ella,"for grabbing the cake with her hands." There was a surge of amusement through his bond with his father, accompanied by his own father's memory of the incident. He and Leia were yelling at each other across the table, while little baby Ella was happily chomping down on the cake she'd fisted, and the cake suddenly exploded outward over the entire kitchen...and all of their guests. Half of those guests didn't even know about the Force either. Man, what a mess that was to clean up! You were covered in cake and frosting! His father said through the Force, and Luke could practically hear the laughter in his father's mind. Looking over at his dad, Luke saw him smiling and shaking his head at the memory.
So, maybe that implanted memory wasn't really implanted at all or as farfetched as some of the other ones. Obviously, it was exaggerated, but he supposed that if one was going to convince someone to lie, one would need to base it with just enough of the truth to make it believable.
"Huh." He said, not sure how to really respond to that.
There was another man there waiting to say hello. He was about Luke's size, maybe an inch taller, with close-cropped dark hair and dark eyes. He looked as if he were of eastern European descent, and his body was almost buff, muscled and taut but still lean. The man was clearly quite a few years younger than his father, and yet much older than Luke, too. In an instant, another memory, like the one he'd had when he'd seen Ahsoka moments before, sprang to mind…
Galen, his father's apprentice, held out his lightsaber for Luke to look at. "Don't turn it on, Luke. You're still too little."
"Five isn't little." Luke insisted half-heartedly: Most of his attention was fixed on the lightsaber. It was so different from his father's, and yet it was just as good. Even in Luke's limited experience with lightsabers, he could tell that this was well made, and would serve his friend well. He longed to turn it on, but Galen pulled it away…
"Galen." Luke couldn't help but smile a little. He'd completely forgotten about his older friend, almost like he had with Ahsoka…perhaps Palpatine didn't care about Ahsoka and Galen as much. Perhaps that was why those memories came easier to Luke, because they weren't suppressed as much.
If Galen was surprised that Luke remembered him, he didn't show it. He just smiled and nodded…but Galen had always been more reserved than Ahsoka, or even the other Padawans, so he didn't say anything other than, "Welcome home, Luke." He had always preferred to stick close to his father when he was around, so Galen was sort of like an older brother rather than an uncle figure like Ben; though, Luke didn't think that his father considered Galen to be a son-figure. But, then again, he'd been so wrong about his father lately, at this point Luke wouldn't be surprised to learn that the great Anakin Skywalker secretly had a stash of pretty-princess Barbie's lying around somewhere either….
I do NOT have a stash of pretty-princess Barbie's lying around, thank you very much! His father sounded so appalled in his mind at such an idea that Luke couldn't help but smile and begin to laugh, causing those around him to look at him a little funny.
"Sorry," he managed to say with a shake of his head, smiling at the annoyance he could feel still emanating from his father, "I'm just tired."
"Clearly." Obi-Wan sounded very amused, and when Luke looked at him, the older man was smirking at Anakin with a knowing expression. Apparently, Obi-Wan had gotten Luke's mental image of his dad hoarding Barbie's from his father's mind…because Luke was sure that he was closed off to anyone else with the Force….except his father, whose bond stretched far beyond what it should have. "Why don't you go with your family, get some rest, and get settled in, alright?"
Finally, someone who understood what Luke ultimately wanted in that moment. "Yes," Luke said before anyone could even think about protesting, "Let's do that."
"Good Heavens!" Threepio chirped excitedly as Luke trailed behind his parents into the back door of the house and into the large, white, semi-darkened kitchen. The droid pointed to her son, turning to face Padme and Anakin. "Bless my circuits! Look who it is! Young Master Luke, returned at last!"
Knowing how unintentionally invasive Threepio could be, Padme moved to plant herself between her son and the overbearing droid, but Luke snorted out a laugh, calming Padme's worries. "Oh, I remember you alright,Threepio. I'm not sure anyone could forget about you." Luke's tone was dry and ironic, but the droid didn't take it offensively.
"Why, thank you, Master Luke! It pleases me to hear you say that! Oh, just wait until I tell Artoo about it in the morning! He's in his recharge cycle at the moment. Do you have any bags that I could assist you with?" The golden droid asked, ever eager to help.
"No, I'm good, thanks." Padme watched anxiously with a slight frown on her face, as Luke turned his attention away from the droid to start looking around the kitchen. Not much had changed about their home in terms of style or general layout since he'd been taken from them. Every time they'd thought about changing some things, Padme had never found the enthusiasm to do so, and Anakin had agreed with her. They wanted things to be the way Luke would remember them…and yet from the look on his face, Padme could tell that he didn't really remember anyway. It ripped her heart in two, but she managed to smile just the same.
"Come on, I'll show you to your usual room, Grandma." Leia told Shmi as she walked into the house behind Luke. Threepio, seeing that the older woman had baggage, immediately moved to help. As Leia and Shmi moved past Luke, Leia paused and leaned up to kiss Luke's cheek. "Goodnight, brother."
Luke was quiet as he watched Leia and Shmi walk up the back stairs off the kitchen, his hands shoved into his jeans pockets. Padme could tell that Luke was still exhausted from the dark circles under his eyes. Gently, she touched her son's arm, making him jump a little, but he relaxed when he realized it was just her. "Why don't we hold off the tour of the house for the morning and get you to bed?" She asked softly, and watched as relief flooded her son's clear blue eyes…so much like his father's. Force, Shmi was right—Luke was every inch his father's son, at least physically.
"We have a lot we need to discuss tomorrow." Her husband, who was busy trying to get Hayden upstairs to go to bed, said, "So, get as much sleep as you can."
She watched Luke tense, like he did every time he had to interact with his father, and again Padme's heart cried out for her son. She'd always known Luke's return would be hard on her son. She'd known, bastard that he was, that Palpatine would work hard to twist her son to the point where it would be a long, hard healing process for him should he ever return to them, but to completely sever the relationship between Luke and his family…well, everyone except her relationship with him. That was still very much intact. But, it was so painful to see Luke so tense and hesitant around Anakin, Leia, and Hayden…it shouldn't have been that way, and she couldn't help the wave of white hot fury she felt at Palpatine for that. Somehow, she vowed, she would help Luke fix that. Palpatine would not win. Not this time. "But Dad," Hayden whined, frowning, "I want to show Luke my room."
Anakin smiled at his youngest son, ruffling his dark brown curls affectionately, bending over and planting a quick kiss on the boy's head. "Your room will still be there in the morning. You can show him then. Now, scoot. Time for bed."
Hayden seemed satisfied with this answer, and headed up the back stairs to his room. Anakin turned to follow, but paused at the bottom of the steps, one hand on the rail, looking back at Luke with a small smile. "I'm going to make sure your brother gets into bed, but if you need me, Luke, I'll know."
"I don't need you." Luke's response was automatic, almost reflexive, and the tone was harsh, but he seemed to remember that his father wasn't the enemy and added in a softer tone, "Right now, at least."
Although Anakin didn't look like Luke's response affected him, Padme knew her husband better than anyone. She knew that Luke's words would be like a dagger to the heart, even though Anakin knew that Luke was still getting used to the idea that he'd been lied to all these years. The younger Anakin from their old galaxy might have responded with offense, but Anakin was older, more mature, and much wiser now, with the finely honed training of a Jedi Grand Master under his belt...not to mention years of fatherhood, as well. Padme was certain that Anakin would maintain as much patience as he could with their wayward son. "Good. I'll see you in the morning. Sleep well, and...Welcome home, Son." With that, he turned and headed up the stairs after Hayden.
For a moment, Luke was silent, watching him go, as if waiting for his father to turn around and start yelling at him. Finally, he relaxed, and as he did, Padme placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Come on." She said, "I'll show you to your room." He met her eyes, relaxing further, and nodded before following her up the stairs. "We didn't change anything about your room, so the bed might be a little smaller than you're used to, and the decorations might be…well, fit for an eight-year-old boy, but you can change it if you want, now that you're home…"
"I'm sure it's fine, Mom." Luke assured her as they reached the top of the stairs. Padme led him down the hallway to the bedroom door that had remained closed for nine long years—she had, of course, occasionally had Threepio clean and vacuum it for any dust, but no one had set foot inside there since Luke had been taken. None of them had the heart to go in—not even Hayden, as curious as he could be, had ever gone in there, to Padme's knowledge. So, Padme wasn't sure how it would look when she opened the door…
But, it looked exactly the same as she remembered.
The walls were the original blue Luke had picked out when the house was built, with the same glow-in-the-dark stars pasted everywhere, stars that had probably lost their glow years ago. A model of the solar system hung from the ceiling, above Luke's twin bed. The bed was made, and was still the same space-themed sheets that Luke had picked out for himself when he'd first gotten his own room. There were toys neatly placed on the shelves, with some of Luke's old "unintentionally" broken toys on the desk where Luke had previously been fixing them, the tools still lying there where Luke had left them, untouched. There was even the practice lightsaber that Anakin had made for the twins using plastic and lights to light the blade up. Suddenly, a strong wave of nostalgia flooded Padme's mind, nearly buckling her knees with its intensity.
This was the room of her sweet little Luke, the one who loved space and electronics, and fixing things. The little Luke who loved both of his parents, and wanted to be exactly like his dad when he grew up. Padme's eyes teared up as she stared around at it, watching her now almost grown Luke walk into the remnant of his lost past, looking at everything as if he were a stranger looking at someone else's bedroom. How much had Luke changed? How much of her little Luke was still left in this nearly grown man?
"When it happened," Padme began in a shaking voice barely louder than a whisper, "I'd just tucked you into bed after putting your brother down. I had only given birth to Hayden three weeks before, and you were concerned about how having a new baby in the house would change things for us. You were always nervous about changes, but when I explained that having a little brother didn't mean that we didn't love you any less, you seemed okay with that answer, especially after I told you Dad was planning on making pancakes just for you and Leia the next morning…I told you I loved you and said goodnight and went back downstairs. But then, Ventress attacked and…." She trailed off, her eyes glassy from tears. "We never had the heart to change anything in here." She motioned around the room with a wave of her hand.
Luke turned around then, approaching her, his expression soft. He reached up, wiping the tears away from her cheeks as they spilled over. "It's okay, Mom." He assured her, "I'm just happy to be home with somewhere safe to sleep. I might change some things, but it…" he hesitated, "It's just further proof that Palpatine lied to me. Parents who don't care about their kids don't make a room like this for them. I can tell that a lot of thought and love went into this, and I just wish that…" Now, it was his turn to trail off. He didn't need to finish. Padme knew exactly what he meant—he wished that it hadn't happened. He wished that he could remember. He wished that he'd known the truth sooner.
She smiled tremulously for him, hoping that it was enough for now to show him that it was alright, even though her heart was hurting for her son…something that Luke was sure to pick up on. Luke was still in many ways her little Luke, she decided…deep down, underneath all of that confusion and pain, the little boy she and Anakin had raised was still there. He just…needed time and patience and love to come back. If Anakin could come back to her, Luke would, too. "I love you, Luke." She whispered, "I'll see you in the morning." With a gentle kiss on his cheek, Padme smiled and walked out of the room, leaving Luke to settle down for the night.
Anakin felt the moment when Luke fell asleep, shortly after his son's head hit the pillow. Two thoughts occurred to Anakin then: Luke must have been extremely tired still (no surprise there), and he really needed to teach Luke to shield against their bond….not because he didn't want to feel his son, but knowing what his son was feeling, thinking, and doing at all times was not only invasive to Luke (and himself, because conversely, Luke could also do the same with his father, when Anakin wasn't shielding against him), but would also grow distracting in the future, for them both. However, Luke was clear that he didn't want training from Anakin because he had no desire to become a Jedi….which actually stung Anakin more than he cared to admit aloud.
I am a Jedi, like my father before me. Luke had once said, standing over his defeated father on the second Death Star. He could have killed him….frankly, Vader had given him every reason to do it. But, Luke, just like his mother, had stood up for what he believed to be right….He had sided with the goodness in his father. No one, other than Padme, had ever done that before. Vader hadn't expected it…and it had brought him back to the Light, back to this second chance at life.
So yes, it stung to know that Luke had no desire to become a Jedi. He knew that Luke was still very confused and unsure of what to do now that he realized the last nine years of his life had been full of lies, deceit, and manipulation at the hands of Palpatine, but it still hurt. Maybe it would change….he hoped it would change. At the very least, he hoped Luke would let him teach him how to guard himself a bit better, so that he wasn't practically shouting everything in his head at his father, which, truthfully, had begun giving Anakin headaches.
Anakin now sat quietly on the edge of his and Padme's king-size bed, staring down at his clasped hands, mulling all of this over. It wasn't long after he felt Luke fall asleep that the door to their room opened and in stepped Padme, closing the door softly behind her and locking it. In the darkness of their large master suite, they simply stared at one another for a moment, neither one saying anything, neither of them really needing to speak. They knew. Finally, Padme whispered, "He's home, Ani." And, despite the fact that they had so far to go, Anakin smiled—truly smiled. Luke was home, and that was much better than where he'd been the last nine years. It was a big first step…just the fact that Luke had asked to go home was a major step in itself. Anakin stood up as Padme suddenly rushed at him, flinging herself into his welcoming embrace, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. "We did it, Honey! We brought our boy home!" She laughed through tears that were now bathing his neck.
So many years of stress and worry seemed to melt off of them both in that moment. Even though things were still bleak, there was now hope and optimism that was actually tangible and possible. Making sure that he was totally closed off to all of his children through the Force, as well as the rest of the Jedi Academy and Obi-Wan and that he'd shielded Padme also (for their privacy), Anakin pulled away from his Angel and kissed her deeply, wantonly, desire for his beloved wife surging hotly in his veins. He'd learned many years ago that if he wanted to have any sort of private 'alone time' with Padme that involved…intimate marital activities, he would need to make sure he walled off his connection with his children and shield his wife as well. The first time it had happened when the twins were old enough to notice, a three-year-old Leia had openly asked him why he and her mommy were "kissing all night long" at breakfast the morning after. Padme had been mortified, sputtering and spewing coffee across her plate, and Anakin had almost choked on his bacon.
And oh, Anakin wanted to celebrate tonight with his wife, in a way that only he and Padme could celebrate...through the shared love and passion that had created their children to begin with. They had waited for so long…they had gone through so much, and now…now it was almost over.
"Thank you, Anakin." Padme suddenly whispered.
Anakin frowned, trying to think of anything he'd done that would warrant that. "For what, Angel?" He asked when he couldn't think of anything. He pulled away slightly from their embrace, just enough to look into her shining dark eyes.
Padme smiled, and it was full of so much joy that he found that he was smiling back just as much. "For not giving up."
"Of course I wasn't giving up." Anakin laughed, as if it were obvious. He understood what she meant though. The police had long go told them to give up searching for Luke, that he was likely gone forever. Most parents probably would have stopped actively searching…but not Anakin and Padme. "You didn't give up either, may I remind you."
"I know," Padme grinned. "I guess you and I are just too stubborn to know when to stop."
"Well," Anakin agreed with a tilt of his head, leaning his forehead against hers, and his voice dropped, turning soft and husky, "We've never been known to give up on what we want."
Padme closed her eyes and buried her face against his chest, taking a deep breath. "In this case, it was a need that drove us to continue on."
That was true. A complete family had never been a want. For the Skywalker family, it was a need. Now that Luke was home, their family was complete. "I love you, Padme." Anakin said, looking down at the woman in his arms.
She looked up, another dazzling smile on her beautiful face. "I love you too, Ani." And, as Anakin leaned down to kiss her once more…Another Force presence unexpectedly arrived near their home, in the direction of the landing pad. Anakin froze, scowling as he recognized Mara Jade's vibrant presence in the Force. "What is it?" Padme asked, confused as to why her husband was suddenly stopping.
"They're here." Anakin grumbled unhappily on a sigh.
"Who?" Padme's voice was tinged with worry, probably thinking it was someone way more dangerous than it actually was….although, Mara Jade was dangerous in the sense that she'd captured Luke's heart...in their old galaxy and in this one. So, maybe it was a good reaction.
"Luke's friends. I can sense Mara all the way from here." She was certainly powerful in the Force, he'd give her that much. That didn't mean he wanted her with his son, though.
"Oh." Padme surprised him by laughing a little bit. "Well, Ani, let them be. Besides, we knew they were coming. Their presence here will help Luke settle in more comfortably, and Mara should probably be trained as a Jedi anyway. Besides, Leia likes having Han around." There was something in her voice that Anakin couldn't put his finger on….but he let it drop.
"That's what I'm afraid of." He scowled.
That only seemed to make Padme laugh more. "Oh, Ani. We were young once…well, twice, actually. Remember? We probably made more reckless decisions with all of our relationships than Luke and Leia combined."
"I don't know about that." Anakin's response was half-hearted though. Getting married in secret had been pretty reckless. He didn't regret it, of course, but it had caused complications not only in their relationship, but with their other friends and colleagues as well.
Padme reached up and brushed her hand across his cheek. "Besides, they're only teenagers. The more you order them not to do something, the more they're actually going to do it." She had a point, but somehow, he didn't think Luke and Leia would be convinced enough to not date Mara and Han because he used reverse psychology on them. He didn't get a chance to think about it though, because Padme twined her fingers in his hair at his nape and pulled his face back down so that she could touch her lips to his. "Master Jedi, I don't want to talk about our kids' dating lives right now. I have something else in mind that I'd like to do with you."
He could feel her sly smile against his mouth, causing him to grin ferally, his eyes darkening with desire, before sealing her lips with his own. "As Milady commands."
Luke didn't know how long he was asleep, but his dreams were dark, imageless, and full of an echoing, deep breathing sound that seemed to follow him wherever he stumbled. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't escape the darkness, or that noise, and then….A hand was on his shoulder, shaking him out of sleep. He jerked awake so quickly, his hand went flying to his side where his lightsaber had been…only to find it gone and Mara standing over him in the darkness, the moonlight making her flame-red hair shimmer like burning embers in the dead of night. He let out a pent up breath. "Dammit, Mara," He whispered, "Hasn't anyone ever told you that sneaking into a boy's room in the middle of the night is not socially acceptable?"
"No, actually." He could hear the dry amusement in Mara's voice, but her expression was serious. "We just landed. I could feel your unease from the Falcon. I thought I would check on you."
He remembered then that he wasn't in England in their make-shift home in the abandoned office building. He was back home in Texas, in his childhood bedroom—the room he didn't remember being quite so…personable. He'd remembered just a normal room with plain boring walls. This room…this room wasn't boring or plain, and he didn't feel like he belonged in it. With Mara in the room, he suddenly felt even more out of place. "How did you even get up here? You didn't break into my house, did you?"
"Not exactly." Mara motioned to the open bedroom window, as she sat down on the edge of his bed. "It wasn't that hard, with the Force. And, I didn't break anything, so you can't technically say that I broke in." This time, she grinned, using air quotes to emphasize her words, and despite the fact that he was still exhausted and shaken from his nightmare, he found himself smirking back...until he heard, "Nice room, by the way. It suits you."
The smirk disappeared from his face. "No, it really doesn't."
Mara scoffed. "I beg to differ, Luke. Do you know how many DVD's Han, Chewie and I had to pack up that were space themed? Seriously, do you know? Because we lost count. That doesn't count all of the books on space or spaceship engineering that we packed from your bedroom. It makes total sense that your childhood bedroom would be space-themed. Space isn't your interest—it's part of your very soul."
He opened his mouth to disagree…but found that he couldn't. He had always found space fascinating. "I guess…that's not what I meant. I mean…this is the room of someone normal, of someone innocent, of someone who isn't…" He trailed off. Me, he thought sourly. Palpatine had succeeded in turning him into a monster. How was he supposed to just come back into a normal life and pretend that it didn't happen?
Mara was silent for a moment. "Well," She finally said, "It is a little childish. Maybe you and I could kidnap Han and Chewie and make it a little more adult. But, if you want your room to reflect your mistakes…well that's a bit dark, don't you think?. Everyone makes mistakes, Luke. If I based my room off of my mistakes, it would either be pitch black or dark red." She met his eyes straight on, unflinching. "You aren't the only one who has killed people, y'know."
He knew that. He understood that. Yet, that didn't mean that he didn't feel awkward being in a place that was so obviously innocent and was supposed to be his home. He sighed, running a hand over his face. "I'm sorry, Mara."
"For what?" She asked, her eyebrow lifting, "For running off and almost getting yourself killed? Or for making me pack your underwear?"
Luke felt his face flush red—he hadn't even thought about that when they'd gone back to London to pack everything. "You didn't…"
"You're right. I didn't. Chewie did. But, it was fun to see the look on your face, though." Her grin faded after a moment. "I believed your apology back in Switzerland, Skywalker. You don't need to apologize every time you so much as breathe wrong. Like I said, no one is perfect…even the son of the Grand Master of the Jedi Order."
"I know," He grumbled, "I just…wanted to make sure you knew I was."
"Just don't ditch me again, Skywalker. You had me worried sick with that stunt."
Now, he couldn't help but smile a little. "You? Mara Jade? Worried? I'll believe that when I see it."
"Believe it, Space-boy." She suddenly leaned over, closing the distance between them, kissing him firmly on the lips before pulling away slightly. "I didn't move out here because I wanted to be a Jedi. I moved out here for you. Regardless of what happens between us…I want to see where it goes. And, I don't want it to end in one of us dying prematurely because we couldn't trust each other enough to rely on one another in battle."
"I do trust you." He protested, "That's not why I did it. I did it because…because I couldn't lose you." Talia's face flashed in his mind. "I couldn't…I couldn't watch you die."
Mara was quiet. Now that she knew at least some of Talia's story, he had no doubt that she knew what he was referring to. "I can't promise that I won't, just like you can't promise me that you won't. But, we stand better odds together than apart."
"I know that." He said, "I figured that out real quick after starting that mission." He sighed again, before leaning forward and kissing her again, softly, tenderly….
What the HELL, Luke?!
He immediately pulled away, blushing furiously, as he realized that his father could sense everything…and was currently sensing Luke's turbulent emotions as he kissed Mara. Um. Not what it seems, I promise….
Dammit! It is three in the morning! Get her out of there and GO TO BED! Now!
"What is it?" Mara asked, confused at the look on Luke's face. "What's wrong?"
Luke looked at her painfully, a blush still staining his cheeks. "Well, my dad knows you're in here…and he knows you and I are, um, kissing. In my room. At three in the morning."
If Mara was embarrassed, she didn't show it. Instead, she just smirked and seemed more amused than anything else. "Oh? I thought you could block him?"
"I used to," He grumbled petulantly, "But now….it's a long story, Mara. I'll tell you in the morning….but I think…" He hesitated, knowing that once it was said, it could open a door to becoming a Jedi….which he did not want. Still, having his father able to get into his head, all the time, whenever he wanted….it was going to drive him...Ok, them both...insane. "I think I'm going to need to at least get trained on how to block Force-connections."
Leaning in for another kiss, Mara whispered, "The sooner the better, I'd say," and just as their lips met...
LUKE, don't make me come in there!
"Damn!"
Sorry it took so long to update. I was back home for the holidays with all of my siblings and my best friends there...so, writing this was long and slow.
Rogue One was amazing...and I won't give any spoilers, but I will say that I'm super glad that I went with Mara as Luke's love interest in this story. That is why I don't write characters I don't know.
I am also very sad that Carrie died... she was such an inspiration to women everywhere. Not gunna lie, I cried when I found out. At work. It was an awful day.
Anyhow, I shall update sooner now that I'm back on my normal writing schedule. The song for this chapter is "I Was Me" by Imagine Dragons.
Review!
Love,
Sarah
