Author's Notes: Thanks for reviewing, Thrawn's Girl, Skywolves, and
Pyrochan. Here's the next chapter, and I hope you enjoy it. I'll try to
update about every three days with this story, so the next chapter should
be up by Thursday.
Christmas Reunion Chapter 2
A stunned silence greeted Luke's announcement.
"I thought they were dead," Han finally said.
"So did I," Luke turned to his aunt and uncle, hardly daring to believe that they were alive and standing beside him. "Aunt Beru, Uncle Owen, what happened?"
"Some Imperial stormtroopers showed up early that morning, demanding to know where those two droids were," Owen told him. "We said we didn't know what they were talking about. I knew they were up to no good, stormtroopers never are. But they didn't believe us. Wanted to take us in for questioning. A fight broke out. They shot at us, we shot at them. Next thing we know the farm's going up in flames, and we're both under arrest and headed to prison camp on some desolate world that makes Tatooine look civilized."
"I saw skeletons," Luke whispered. "I thought-"
"Must have been some of those troopers," Owen grunted.
"Oh, honey, I wish we could have let you know," Beru squeezed his hand. "We were so worried about you, not knowing if they'd found you, or what had happened to you. We nearly went crazy." Her eyes filled with tears. "I can't believe you're here, and we're together again. I thought we'd lost you forever."
"I know," Luke hugged them both again. His aunt and uncle were alive! He could hardly believe it himself. It was just too good to be true. But they were here. He had to smile, just hearing their voices again was so wonderful. Their voices were raspy and thin, but still unmistakably theirs.
As he stepped back, he realized that he hadn't introduced Owen and Beru to the other members of his family, and all of a sudden it occurred to him that it could be rather awkward. They knew about his father's fall, but not about his redemption, and he wasn't sure if they had known about Leia's existence at all.
"Uncle Owen, Aunt Beru," he began a little nervously. "This is my sister, Leia, and her husband, Han Solo."
Owen and Beru both looked stunned. Leia stepped close and said softly, "I'm so glad I have the chance to meet you. Luke's such a wonderful person. I'm looking forward to getting to know you better."
"It's nice to meet you," Han shook hands with them, the Lars responding automatically, but still too surprised to say anything.
Luke took a deep breath and looked over at Anakin, who was hanging back, looking rather anxious himself.
"And this is my father, Anakin Skywalker."
He got no further because all of a sudden Owen and Beru's shock seemed to wear off. Beru gasped and grabbed at Luke's arm protectively, while Owen jumped between his nephew and Anakin, and exclaimed, "Luke! Stay away from him! You don't know-"
Thin and worn down as he was, Owen's fists clenched and he glared threateningly at Anakin. Luke reached for his uncle's arm and said, "Uncle Owen, Aunt Beru, I know. I know everything, and it's all right."
"All right?" Beru faltered, while Owen said disbelievingly, "But he-"
"I am no longer Darth Vader," Anakin spoke in a quiet voice. He made no move towards the Lars, but kept trying to explain. "Luke saved me, and I've dedicated the rest of my life to atoning for the past."
Beru and Owen looked doubtful, and Luke hurried to reassure them. "It's true. My father is a good man now. Come on, let's go back to our apartment, and we can explain everything."
Luke, Leia, and Han ushered them out of the central room and outside to the waiting speeder. Anakin followed them, his feelings all in a jumble. He was happy that Owen and Beru were alive. Shocked, but happy. For their own sakes', and for Luke's. He could sense his son's joy across their mind- link and knew that Luke was as happy now as he'd ever been.
But he was afraid that the Lars were not going to be very accepting of him. The introductions had not gone well. Their reservations were understandable, of course, but he did want to get along with Luke's guardians. Luke loved them, and he himself owed them a huge debt for doing such a great job of raising his son.
He stayed quiet on the way home, listening to his children and Han chatter, telling the story of how they'd met and become friends and heroes of the Alliance, interrupting themselves now and then to point out Coruscant landmarks. Beru and Owen were pretty quiet themselves, and no wonder. Being freed from prison, reunited with Luke, and seeing this great metropolitan planet so different from anything they'd ever known-any one of those things would have been overwhelming. With everything combined into such a short period of time, it was surprising that they were still able to function.
But the Lars were strong people, and though they were awed by the circumstances, they seemed composed. Anakin kept glancing backwards-he was crowded into the front seat with Leia and Han while Luke shared the back with his aunt and uncle-and saw that neither of them spent much time gazing at the landscape. Instead they couldn't take their eyes off Luke.
Beru clutched at her nephew's hand while Owen seemed to want contact with Luke, but since it had never been a usual habit between them, he didn't know quite what to do. He started to place his hand on Luke's arm or shoulder several times, only to withdraw it. Finally, Luke reached over and held his hand firmly in his own. Owen sighed and relaxed almost imperceptibly.
They gawked at the imposing apartment towers, but Luke grinned at them. "Don't worry, it's just a building."
"It's so grand," Beru whispered.
"Well, Leia is the Vice-Chancellor, you know," Luke remarked. "But our apartments are nice and cozy. You'll like them."
"Anything's better than that prison," Owen said gruffly.
As they entered and headed for their own suites, Leia said sympathetically, "You can take hot showers if you like, and we'll find some more comfortable clothes for you. Is there anything in particular you'd like to eat? One of the perks of being Vice-Chancellor is that we have great room service."
Owen and Beru looked uncertain, so Luke suggested, "How about soup and steaks?"
They nodded and as the turbolift doors opened, Leia turned to Han, "Sweetheart, why don't we see about ordering the food and getting extra clothes, and Luke and Father can take Owen and Beru to their apartment to get cleaned up?"
So they temporarily parted ways. Once inside the apartment that Luke and Anakin shared, the Lars gazed about in wonder. "Luke, you really live here?" Owen asked doubtfully.
"Part of the time, anyway. Father and I have been spending most of our time on Naboo lately, but we live here when we're on Coruscant."
"It's so beautiful," Beru added.
"Thanks, but I can't take any credit for that. Leia decorated it. Well, actually, I think Threepio helped, too. You remember Threepio, don't you?"
"Yeah, the droids that started it all," Owen said.
"It wasn't their fault," Luke told him.
"No, it wasn't," Owen gave Anakin a hard look.
Beru touched her husband's arm. "Why don't we get cleaned up? Luke, could you show us where the refreshers are?"
"Sure, Aunt Beru." Luke led the way to the refreshers and showed them how to turn the showers on and off. He had to laugh at their expressions as water poured out of the spigots. "It's a little different from Tatooine, isn't it?"
"Just a bit," Owen remarked.
Beru suddenly gave Luke another hug. "Everything's so different, but as long as we're together again, I know it will all work out. Let us get cleaned up, and then we want to hear more about what's been going on the last few years."
"Yeah, especially with him," Owen jerked his thumb toward the living area where Anakin waited. "Luke, you've always wanted your father. I know that, but you're better off without him. You just don't know what he's done, what he's capable of-"
"Uncle Owen, I do know," Luke answered. "But please believe me. He's different now." He hated the worried look in his uncle's eyes, but knew a full explanation would take time. "Look, you and Aunt Beru go ahead and get cleaned up. When you're done, come out to the living room, and I'll explain everything. If it makes you feel any better, I'll ask Father to go next door and stay with Leia and Han tonight. But once you've heard the whole story, you'll see that there's nothing to worry about."
He gave them a hug and then turned to leave, missing the concerned, and not very reassured, look that his aunt and uncle shared.
"I'm not sure about this, Beru," Owen muttered.
"Well, maybe it is all right," she said after a moment's uneasy silence. "We should hear the whole story first. Maybe Luke's right and there's nothing to worry about."
"Nothing to worry about! You know if half the things we've heard over the years are true, then that man is one of the dangerous in the galaxy. And he's sitting in there with our boy wrapped around his little finger. I've got a bad feeling about it, Beru," Owen shook his head. "A bad feeling."
TBC
Christmas Reunion Chapter 2
A stunned silence greeted Luke's announcement.
"I thought they were dead," Han finally said.
"So did I," Luke turned to his aunt and uncle, hardly daring to believe that they were alive and standing beside him. "Aunt Beru, Uncle Owen, what happened?"
"Some Imperial stormtroopers showed up early that morning, demanding to know where those two droids were," Owen told him. "We said we didn't know what they were talking about. I knew they were up to no good, stormtroopers never are. But they didn't believe us. Wanted to take us in for questioning. A fight broke out. They shot at us, we shot at them. Next thing we know the farm's going up in flames, and we're both under arrest and headed to prison camp on some desolate world that makes Tatooine look civilized."
"I saw skeletons," Luke whispered. "I thought-"
"Must have been some of those troopers," Owen grunted.
"Oh, honey, I wish we could have let you know," Beru squeezed his hand. "We were so worried about you, not knowing if they'd found you, or what had happened to you. We nearly went crazy." Her eyes filled with tears. "I can't believe you're here, and we're together again. I thought we'd lost you forever."
"I know," Luke hugged them both again. His aunt and uncle were alive! He could hardly believe it himself. It was just too good to be true. But they were here. He had to smile, just hearing their voices again was so wonderful. Their voices were raspy and thin, but still unmistakably theirs.
As he stepped back, he realized that he hadn't introduced Owen and Beru to the other members of his family, and all of a sudden it occurred to him that it could be rather awkward. They knew about his father's fall, but not about his redemption, and he wasn't sure if they had known about Leia's existence at all.
"Uncle Owen, Aunt Beru," he began a little nervously. "This is my sister, Leia, and her husband, Han Solo."
Owen and Beru both looked stunned. Leia stepped close and said softly, "I'm so glad I have the chance to meet you. Luke's such a wonderful person. I'm looking forward to getting to know you better."
"It's nice to meet you," Han shook hands with them, the Lars responding automatically, but still too surprised to say anything.
Luke took a deep breath and looked over at Anakin, who was hanging back, looking rather anxious himself.
"And this is my father, Anakin Skywalker."
He got no further because all of a sudden Owen and Beru's shock seemed to wear off. Beru gasped and grabbed at Luke's arm protectively, while Owen jumped between his nephew and Anakin, and exclaimed, "Luke! Stay away from him! You don't know-"
Thin and worn down as he was, Owen's fists clenched and he glared threateningly at Anakin. Luke reached for his uncle's arm and said, "Uncle Owen, Aunt Beru, I know. I know everything, and it's all right."
"All right?" Beru faltered, while Owen said disbelievingly, "But he-"
"I am no longer Darth Vader," Anakin spoke in a quiet voice. He made no move towards the Lars, but kept trying to explain. "Luke saved me, and I've dedicated the rest of my life to atoning for the past."
Beru and Owen looked doubtful, and Luke hurried to reassure them. "It's true. My father is a good man now. Come on, let's go back to our apartment, and we can explain everything."
Luke, Leia, and Han ushered them out of the central room and outside to the waiting speeder. Anakin followed them, his feelings all in a jumble. He was happy that Owen and Beru were alive. Shocked, but happy. For their own sakes', and for Luke's. He could sense his son's joy across their mind- link and knew that Luke was as happy now as he'd ever been.
But he was afraid that the Lars were not going to be very accepting of him. The introductions had not gone well. Their reservations were understandable, of course, but he did want to get along with Luke's guardians. Luke loved them, and he himself owed them a huge debt for doing such a great job of raising his son.
He stayed quiet on the way home, listening to his children and Han chatter, telling the story of how they'd met and become friends and heroes of the Alliance, interrupting themselves now and then to point out Coruscant landmarks. Beru and Owen were pretty quiet themselves, and no wonder. Being freed from prison, reunited with Luke, and seeing this great metropolitan planet so different from anything they'd ever known-any one of those things would have been overwhelming. With everything combined into such a short period of time, it was surprising that they were still able to function.
But the Lars were strong people, and though they were awed by the circumstances, they seemed composed. Anakin kept glancing backwards-he was crowded into the front seat with Leia and Han while Luke shared the back with his aunt and uncle-and saw that neither of them spent much time gazing at the landscape. Instead they couldn't take their eyes off Luke.
Beru clutched at her nephew's hand while Owen seemed to want contact with Luke, but since it had never been a usual habit between them, he didn't know quite what to do. He started to place his hand on Luke's arm or shoulder several times, only to withdraw it. Finally, Luke reached over and held his hand firmly in his own. Owen sighed and relaxed almost imperceptibly.
They gawked at the imposing apartment towers, but Luke grinned at them. "Don't worry, it's just a building."
"It's so grand," Beru whispered.
"Well, Leia is the Vice-Chancellor, you know," Luke remarked. "But our apartments are nice and cozy. You'll like them."
"Anything's better than that prison," Owen said gruffly.
As they entered and headed for their own suites, Leia said sympathetically, "You can take hot showers if you like, and we'll find some more comfortable clothes for you. Is there anything in particular you'd like to eat? One of the perks of being Vice-Chancellor is that we have great room service."
Owen and Beru looked uncertain, so Luke suggested, "How about soup and steaks?"
They nodded and as the turbolift doors opened, Leia turned to Han, "Sweetheart, why don't we see about ordering the food and getting extra clothes, and Luke and Father can take Owen and Beru to their apartment to get cleaned up?"
So they temporarily parted ways. Once inside the apartment that Luke and Anakin shared, the Lars gazed about in wonder. "Luke, you really live here?" Owen asked doubtfully.
"Part of the time, anyway. Father and I have been spending most of our time on Naboo lately, but we live here when we're on Coruscant."
"It's so beautiful," Beru added.
"Thanks, but I can't take any credit for that. Leia decorated it. Well, actually, I think Threepio helped, too. You remember Threepio, don't you?"
"Yeah, the droids that started it all," Owen said.
"It wasn't their fault," Luke told him.
"No, it wasn't," Owen gave Anakin a hard look.
Beru touched her husband's arm. "Why don't we get cleaned up? Luke, could you show us where the refreshers are?"
"Sure, Aunt Beru." Luke led the way to the refreshers and showed them how to turn the showers on and off. He had to laugh at their expressions as water poured out of the spigots. "It's a little different from Tatooine, isn't it?"
"Just a bit," Owen remarked.
Beru suddenly gave Luke another hug. "Everything's so different, but as long as we're together again, I know it will all work out. Let us get cleaned up, and then we want to hear more about what's been going on the last few years."
"Yeah, especially with him," Owen jerked his thumb toward the living area where Anakin waited. "Luke, you've always wanted your father. I know that, but you're better off without him. You just don't know what he's done, what he's capable of-"
"Uncle Owen, I do know," Luke answered. "But please believe me. He's different now." He hated the worried look in his uncle's eyes, but knew a full explanation would take time. "Look, you and Aunt Beru go ahead and get cleaned up. When you're done, come out to the living room, and I'll explain everything. If it makes you feel any better, I'll ask Father to go next door and stay with Leia and Han tonight. But once you've heard the whole story, you'll see that there's nothing to worry about."
He gave them a hug and then turned to leave, missing the concerned, and not very reassured, look that his aunt and uncle shared.
"I'm not sure about this, Beru," Owen muttered.
"Well, maybe it is all right," she said after a moment's uneasy silence. "We should hear the whole story first. Maybe Luke's right and there's nothing to worry about."
"Nothing to worry about! You know if half the things we've heard over the years are true, then that man is one of the dangerous in the galaxy. And he's sitting in there with our boy wrapped around his little finger. I've got a bad feeling about it, Beru," Owen shook his head. "A bad feeling."
TBC