Chapter 16 – Family Together

DISCLAIMER: We (unfortunately) do not own Star Wars. :P

Author's Note: In which Luke joins them. :P

~ Amina Gila

Obi-Wan hadn't thought the trip to Tatooine would take long, but he hadn't counted on the Lars' reluctance at letting Luke go. He hated how he had to pull the boy away from them, knowing how much it was hurting Owen and Beru, but it was necessary. He knows that Anakin will be more than willing to let Luke visit his uncle and aunt, but Anakin needs his son more than his stepbrother needs his nephew. Really, there wasn't anything to debate.

While Owen was stone-faced and Beru held back her tears, Luke was practically bouncing with excitement. He never knew much about his father, and to hear that he would finally be able to meet him – because he's alive – caused no small amount of rejoicing. "Are we gonna be there soon?" Luke asks for what feels like the millionth time.

Thank the Force Obi-Wan has had experience with Skywalkers in the past. "Soon enough," he answers as calmly as he can. The shuttle has yet to emerge from hyperspace, and Luke's questions are only increasing the longer they wait. He's asked everything Obi-Wan could ever have imagined and much more that he didn't. Does Leia like flying? That was one of the more seemingly random inquiries.

Luke flits around the main hold before going to the cabin and coming back again. This time, he doesn't ask anything, maybe because the alarm goes off on the control panel, signaling the end of their journey. As the ship reverts to real space, Luke squeals at the first sightings of Alderaan. Obi-Wan lets him ramble with excitement – trying to ignore how painfully it reminds him of the way Anakin used to be – as he transmits the authorization code and flies down towards the landing platform at the palace.

"Am I a prince like Leia is a princess?" Luke wants to know as the shuttle lands.

"I'm sure we can talk to Viceroy Organa about it," Obi-Wan answers, somewhat distractedly as he completes the shutdown procedure and rises to leave the cockpit. Luke is already holding his bag of possessions and bouncing from excitement.

As the ramp lowers, Obi-Wan gets a look at everyone who is waiting to greet them. Vader is standing the center, arms crossed. Ahsoka is one on side while Leia is on the other. Bail is between Leia and Breha. Luke, for all his prior excitement, suddenly seems a tad shy when he sees everyone standing there.

"Come on," Obi-Wan urges him, amused. "Your father is there." He motions towards Vader. "No, he's not as scary as he looks."

Luke still sticks close to Obi-Wan, eyeing his surroundings, wide-eyed. It dawns on Obi-Wan that the boy probably isn't used to this much greenery. The planet is so different from anything he's ever known, after all. Anakin was much the same after coming to Coruscant. He's shaken from his musing when Vader steps towards them, probably sensing his son's unease.

"Luke, my son." There's a faint tremor in his voice which is audible through the vocoder.

The change in Luke is instantaneous. His face lights up, and before Obi-Wan can blink he's flung himself at Vader with the cry of "Father!"

If Vader is taken aback by the enthusiastic greeting he received, he doesn't show it as he catches Luke and hugs him tightly. Much as he tries to deny it, Obi-Wan is confident that he'll make a full recovery – mentally and emotionally more than physically – if he remains close to his children. While Obi-Wan and Ahsoka can offer Vader the stability and support that he needs, the twins are the only ones who can bring him back from the self-destructive edge he's ready to fall over.

"How was the trip?" Bail questions, as he and Breha approach.

"It was good, thank the Force," Obi-Wan informs them. "The Lars were not exactly happy about letting Luke go, but they understood. They only want what is best for him."

Breha nods, understandingly, face filled with compassion. "I imagine they must be struggling, even if they only raised him as a nephew." She sighs, turning her head to watch as Vader finally lets Luke go, and he immediately moves to embrace his twin. Obi-Wan has a feeling they'll get along splendidly. "It would have been nice to raise them both together," she comments wistfully.

"Yes," Obi-Wan agrees quietly, "But you know why we couldn't afford the risk." He walks over to Ahsoka, half-listening to the twins chattering.

"Well," declares Ahsoka lazily, "This is going to be an interesting experience."

"What will be?" Obi-Wan queries, throwing her a look, and she grins wickedly.

"Watching Anakin deal with two rambunctious children," she elaborates, ignoring the glare that Obi-Wan can feel him giving her. "I wonder if they'll be like he was?"

Something is… different, though Obi-Wan finds that he can't put a name to the feeling. It's just there. What exactly happened when he was gone? He'll have to ask Ahsoka about it later. Considering how she's hovering only a few feet from Vader, it has to do with him. It's nothing bad, or she'd be worried. If anything, she feels more tranquil than she has for a while.

"I'm going to show Luke to a guest room," Leia announces, one hand holding her brother's, brown eyes alight with unadulterated joy. Without waiting for a reply, she drags him off.

"They're going to be a handful," Obi-Wan murmurs, stroking his beard and endeavoring to hide his amusement. He glances at Vader again, wishing that he could see his brother's face. It's so hard to read him now; he's closed off in the Force too. Obi-Wan can't ever remember his former Padawan being this quiet in the past, and it bothers him.

"When is the surgery scheduled?" It seems like a safe topic, especially when he literally cannot gauge Anakin's mental status.

"Tomorrow," Vader replies succinctly. "It will likely take me weeks to recover."

"Then you'll be able to spend plenty of time with your children." It's more of a hope than anything else. Obi-Wan isn't sure how Vader will react to them being around, though it's painfully obvious how much he loves them.

"Let's go find Luke," Ahsoka suggests, giving Vader a meaningful look.

"That would be wise," Obi-Wan agrees before Vader can protest. "He's never been off Tatooine, so he'll have some difficulties adjusting. You're definitely best suited to help him."

Vader only inclines his helmet at that and strides off, Ahsoka tagging along beside him. Obi-Wan pauses to look at Bail and Breha. "Thank you so much for accepting him here," he tells them, trying to convey the immense gratitude he feels into his words. "I know it couldn't have been easy, especially knowing that he could take Leia from you."

"He won't," Breha says softly.

"What do you mean?" Obi-Wan queries, puzzled. "How do you know?"

Bail smiles slightly. "Leia told us this morning," he explains. "Apparently, she talked to him last night, and he said that he won't take her if she doesn't want to leave. She doesn't."

The words send a mixture of relief and regret through Obi-Wan: relief that Leia won't be separated from the people she's known as parents, and regret that Vader even had to make such a choice. It's clear that he's changing. If what Bail said is the truth, then Vader is nothing like the man he'd used to be, where his love bordered on obsessive and selfish. That's good, but if only it hadn't taken so much pain for them to get here.

"I'm – I'm glad," he manages to say before following after where Vader and Ahsoka disappeared.

It takes longer than he would have expected to find them. They're in the garden with the twins. Luke is running around, completely in awe of the plants all around them. Leia is hovering right behind him at all times, lecturing him about each species. Ahsoka is leaning against a tree, watching, while Vader is sitting on a nearby bench, further away from his children, though clearly observing. It strikes Obi-Wan suddenly how much the scene resembles the one from the paradise, except that Vader is still in his life-support suit and Padme is dead.

He's moving towards Vader even before the thought registers in his mind, and with a hint of resignation, he realizes that this is where he'll always end up. It's as though he and Anakin are forever entwined with one another, and where one goes, the other will follow. Were it not for this twist of fate, Obi-Wan is certain that he would have tried to confront Vader, and he would have died, no doubt. Maybe there would once have been a time when he tried to pretend that he doesn't care quite this much, but those times are gone. The Jedi were wrong, and the galaxy is suffering for their mistakes.

Vader twitches slightly when Obi-Wan sits next to him, letting their shoulders touch. It's not as though he'd be able to feel it through the armor, and the thought briefly crosses Obi-Wan's mind that perhaps Vader also realized how similar this scene is to the one he'd experienced before leaving his paradise. Obi-Wan leans relaxedly against the bench, sending feelings of love and comfort to Vader through the Force. Though their bond is closed off, Obi-Wan is certain his brother can still feel it.

At that moment, Luke bounds over, holding a small, striking flower in his hand. "Father, look," he exclaims, vibrating with excitement. "Leia told me this species is rare. And beautiful."

"It is," she asserts firmly, stopping next to her brother.

"It is attractive," Vader concedes slowly, reaching out to take it. He turns it over in his gloved fingers before handing it back to his son.

Luke accepts it, climbing onto the bench next to his father. "Can we stay here for a while?"

"Of course," Vader agrees, helmet turning towards Luke.

Leia frowns at Luke – who took the only free spot on the bench – before gleefully sitting down in Vader's lap. He tenses, but doesn't reject her, slowly wrapping an arm around her waist to keep her in place. Obi-Wan sees Ahsoka smirking when Luke sticks his tongue out at Leia and allows himself a small grin in turn. This is perfect. This is real. He only hopes that his brother can agree with him.