This is it; the final chapter. I hope you like it!

Chapter 9

It has been two weeks since Jory's parents went to visit her. In those two weeks, Jory had completely ignored Vader, but had grown a lot closer to Anakin. She thought that Anakin was her only friend and depended on him a great deal. Anakin could sense that Jory was falling in love with him, which was great, but it still bothered him that she despised Vader. Anakin was going to spend the day with Jory while they were making a pit stop on a remote planet and he decided that today would be the day that he would tell Jory the truth. How she would react he had no idea.

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"So, what do you think of the finklestein's?" asked Anakin.

Jory chewed a bit more and pondered about the question, "Umm, they're okay. A little tough to chew, but flavorable. Do you like them?"

"They're alright. After lunch, I want to take you somewhere private, so we can be alone."

Jory raised her eyebrows at Anakin.

Anakin rolled his eyes and said, "No, nothing like that. I just need to talk to you about something important."

Anakin took Jory to a room in the inn where they had their meal. It was a small, but comfortable room with a beautiful view of the ocean.

"Do you really think it's wise to be in a room by ourselves? I mean, what if Vader finds out." asked Jory.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Sit down, please."

Jory took a seat on the sofa and Anakin brought a chair around so he could sit facing her.

"Do you remember all the times that we were ever together, you were always so worried that Vader would hurt me if he found out about us spending time together?"

"Yes."

"And I was never afraid of being caught or afraid of Darth Vader."

"Yes."

"Didn't you think that was kind of odd?"

"Well, yeah, I did but I thought you were just trying to be macho or something. You know how guys are."

"Yeah, but that wasn't the reason."

"Tell me then."

Anakin exhaled a deep breath and said, "Jory, I really don't know how to say this without just coming right out and telling you. So, here goes; the reason why I'm not afraid of Darth Vader is because I am Vader."

"Huh?"

"My name is Anakin Skywalker, ex-Jedi, turned dark Sith, Darth Vader."

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Jory blinked her eyes a few times as if to clear her mind. She gave out a small, disbelieving laugh, and said, "Umm, so you're Darth Vader?"

"Yes, I am."

Jory laughed a little bit harder this time, "That's a good one, Anakin."

She stood up and started walking towards the view.

Anakin got up with her and said, "No, Jory, I'm being serious."

Jory turned to face him and said, "That's impossible! Vader is a terrible, horrible person and you're such a wonderful man. It can't be true!"

"It is true, Jory."

Jory was starting to cry now and was moving towards the exit.

"No! I won't believe it! No, it's not true. You're lying!"

She got to the door and tried to leave, but Anakin used the Force to keep the door closed.

"Let me out!" she screamed.

"No, but do you believe me now? Now that I'm using the Force to keep you from leaving?"

Jory slid down the wall and was crying into her arms. "Yes, I believe you."

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Anakin hated seeing Jory hurt so much. What did he expect though? He had been lying to her for months now. He knew how much she hated Vader and he knew how much she cared for Anakin. What did he really think was going to happen? She would shrug her shoulders and say, "Gee, that's okay."

"Jory, please don't cry."

Jory looked up at him and said, "Why?"

"Why, what?"

"Why did you lie to me? You had always been honest about your...... Vader's feelings and intentions. Why disguise yourself as someone else and lie to me all this time?"

"I never meant to lie to you and technically I haven't lied, really. When you came into that mechanical room, you had no idea who I was. The way you spoke to me......you talked to me as If I were a human being and not some evil man who you hated being around. You asked me my name and I told you Anakin, which is true. I just chose to go on as two people so I could get to know you and you could know the real me. I was hoping....."

"What?!" Jory interrupted him. "You were hoping what, Vader?! That I would fall in love with Anakin and then you would tell me the truth and I would think that everything was alright and fall in love with Vader too? Were you thinking that?"

"I was thinking along those lines, yes."

Jory stood up and coldly said, "Well, you thought wrong, my friend."

She walked towards Anakin and he knew she was going to hit him, but he didn't stop her. He knew he deserved it. She smacked him across his left cheek and walked back towards the door. Instead of keeping her in the room, he let her go.

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Jory ran down the stairwell, with tears running down her cheeks. Not only was she stuck with Vader for the rest of her life, she now had no friends at all, with the exception of C-3PO. How could he do this to her? She knew that Vader was as evil as they come, but she had no idea he was capable of this kind of deception. She felt betrayed and humiliated . Everything that she had told him; her life, her dreams, her feelings, everything. She told a complete stranger everything.

Once she reached the outside and started to make her way towards the park where Anakin had originally taken her to, she felt a hand reach out on her shoulder. She was spun around and it was Anakin.

"What?! What do you want? Just leave me alone!"

She tried to walk away, but Anakin stopped her. "Please, just listen to me."

"No! I don't want to hear it!"

Anakin pulled her to a stop and made her sit on the grass, "Just listen! I want to tell you everything."

"Great! There's more?"

"Not anymore truths, but I want to tell you my feelings."

"I don't give a shit about your feelings!"

Anakin shook her and said, "Well, I don't care! You're going to listen!"

Anakin sat down next to her, looking straight into her eyes and said, "Jory, I love you. As soon as I laid my eyes on you, I knew that you were the one and only one for me. You are so beautiful, so kind-hearted, so loving. Everything that I was before Vader. You made me feel alive again, like I wasn't some evil demon trapped inside a man's body. I thought that I could make you fall in love with me, even if that meant forcing you. I know now that I made a mistake. I don't know why I ever thought that a woman like you could ever love someone like me, but I had to try. That's why I took you away. I thought if you got to know me, you would fall in love with me. I thought you would be able to see the goodness that is still inside of me and the love that will only come out when you're around. My heart leaped with joy when I found out that you didn't know that I was Vader. I figured this would be my way to get to you, to let you see me and I was hoping you would fall in love with me. Did I know that you would not be happy once you found out who I really was? Of course, I knew this, but I had to keep trying. You were my only shot at true happiness, Jory. I had to try. I just want you to know that everything that I did to you, Jory, was because I am a man completely in love with you, but one who does not have the capabilities to express it without forcing it upon you and for that, I am deeply sorry."

Jory couldn't help but feel sorry for Anakin. She knew that she would never love him, especially after everything, but she did feel something for him. Compassion perhaps? Since she was able to get to know Anakin, she knew that this was not the man whom she thought was just pure evil. She knew that he did really love her and he was only trying to live a normal life.

Jory reached over and kissed Anakin on the cheek, "Thank you for telling me your feelings."

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"Oh, Mistress Jory, I am so glad that you are going home. You really deserve to be released." said C-3PO.

"Yes, I'm glad to be going home too. I spent far too much time away from the people that I love. I will miss you, however."

"Thank you, Mistress Jory. I shall miss you too. It was very nice serving you."

Jory smiled and stepped outside of her room and into the hallway. When she started walking towards the exit, Darth Vader stepped in front of her.

"Do you have everything?" he asked her.

"Yes, I do."

Vader stood aside and said, "You best be going then. I'm sure your parents are eager to see you."

Jory started to walk away, but she turned back around. She hugged Vader and said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now leave before I change my mind."

Jory chuckled and said, "Take good care of 3PO, okay?"

"I told you that you could bring him with you."

"No, it's okay. You need him more than I do."

Jory stepped off the ship and was walking toward her transport that would take her home. She felt a breeze come across her face and heard a soft voice in her head.

~Jory, I will miss you and I do love you.

It was Anakin's voice she heard. She decided to respond back.

~I know you love me, Anakin, and the reason I know that you love me is because you are showing me the ultimate love now; freedom.

The End

That's all she wrote, folks. I hope you liked it because I did enjoy writing it. Reviews, please, and thanks for reading!