TO LOVE A SITH
Chapter Twenty-Three
Padme looked up and stared into the most astonishing eyes she had ever seen in her life. Eyes that she had never thought she would ever see again. Somehow she found her voice and whispered: "Anakin."
He smiled gently and reached out to wipe the tears that had now fallen down her cheeks. He carefully took each of his children from her and laid them gently in their cribs.
"How is this possible…" She whispered, leaning against him. Her eyes followed his hand gesture to one of the most unlikely of rescuers. Obi-Wan. She smiled gratefully to him and turned her gaze back to her husband.
"Everything's going to be alright now, isn't?"
He took her in his arms and stroked her arm lovingly. "Yes, we're going to be alright now."
She took his face in her hands and kissed him gently, then with growing passion. It felt so good to have him back in her arms. Anakin was finally back. They could be together now just as they should have been three years ago. Yet, somehow she had a feeling that things might have gone differently if she had given in all those years ago.
"Obi-Wan, you have to tell me…how…how is he here now? What did you do?"
Obi-Wan chuckled lightly at her astonished words and stepped closer to the couple.
"I just realized that something had happened to give him back to us. And I'm pretty sure what happened to turn Vader back into Anakin." He smiled knowingly at Padme and she quickly closed the distance between them and embraced him.
"Thank you, Obi-Wan. You've been such a good friend to both of us. I don't know how we'll ever repay you."
Obi-Wan released her and met Anakin's eyes before he spoke. "Train your children in the ways of the Jedi. That's how you can repay me. Besides, you are the Chosen One after all."
Anakin rolled his eyes good-naturedly at his former Master turned rescuer. Very quickly, his expression became a serious one. He owed Obi-Wan his life and he had every intention of training his children, not just for Obi-Wan or himself, but for the rest of the universe. He reached out to shake Obi-Wan's hand and his former Master took it.
"Now you must go. Take whatever you can with you, but you must leave now."
Anakin and Padme nodded simultaneously and Padme quickly left to gather a few bags together.
"Obi-Wan, I can't thank you enough."
Obi-Wan nodded. "Everyone deserves a second chance, Anakin. Sometimes even a third or a fourth. You earned it, that was evident after you killed Palpatine. You deserve to have your life with Padme and your children, even though there are a few people who would disagree with me."
Anakin laughed heartily while Obi-Wan continued: "But then again, they don't know you like I know you, do they?"
"Obi-Wan, you've always been like a father to me. Not only that but my best friend as well. I'll never forget what you've done for me and my family."
The two friends embraced just as Padme re-entered with their baggage. She smiled at the two.
"Anakin, we're all ready. We should take Obi-Wan's advice and get out of here as soon as possible."
Anakin nodded quickly and took the bags from Padme as she reached over to gather her children in her arms. Obi-Wan led them to the hidden transport he had prepared for them and they boarded within moments.
As the hatch to the transport began to close, Obi-Wan called out: "Goodbye friends!"
The transport took off, taking Anakin and his family to their new home.
After Padme had settled Luke and Leia, she joined her husband in the cockpit.
"Are they finally sleeping?"
"Yes, finally sleeping."
"Good, come here."
She walked closer to him and he unceremoniously pulled her into his lap.
"Anakin…"
"Don't worry, angel, it's on auto-pilot."
Her melodious laughter was music to his ears and he quickly captured her mouth in a passionate kiss. It was the kind of kiss that could easily lead to so much more, the kind of kiss that two people in love shared. But Padme broke the kiss and gently put her finger to his lips before he could protest.
"We have all the time in the world for this, Anakin. Right now, I want to savor this moment. I want you to tell me everything."
He nodded and she leaned her head against his chest.
"I've done a lot of horrible things, Padme. I honestly don't understand how you were able to love me when I was Vader."
"I think that was because I loved you when you were Anakin. Vader looked just like you, he sounded like you, he felt like you…it wasn't hard to let myself believe that Vader was you."
"But I wasn't."
"No, you weren't. But whenever you looked at me, Anakin, something changed in you. I could see if, even if it was just for a moment. You were Anakin again, if only for a moment."
"Ahhh, I never knew it was that obvious."
Padme laughed before answering. "It kind of was. I think I was your weakness."
"You still are."
She smiled lovingly and he reached out to stroke her hair.
"Your hair is so beautiful Padme. You're so beautiful. I still can't believe that we're here. I still can't believe that you're here with him. That we're married. That we have two gorgeous children."
"Well it's true. And now we have a life together. I never thought this was going to happen for us. I thought I was stuck with Vader for the rest of my life!"
"And now you're stuck with me."
"I think I like you better."
She leaned forward and lightly kissed his lips before he drew her to him tightly.
"God, I love you, Padme. I should have said it so many times. I'm going to make up for that. I'm going to make up for all the pain I've caused you."
"You already have, Anakin."
"What do you mean?"
"You what to know how I was completely sure that you had come back to me? It wasn't just the fact that you killed the Emperor. You were willing to pay the consequences for your actions. You were willing to accept your fate and your sentence, even if it meant death. That's how I knew that you were back. And even before that, you saved my life, you saved Leia's life. You saved all our lives by saving us from a life with Darth Vader."
"I don't know what to say, Padme."
"You don't have to say anything. You just being here, all of us free, that's all I need Anakin."
They met in a forceful, yet passionate kiss and Anakin knew he was home. After so many years of wandering, of feeling lost, he was home. He had been given a second chance to have a life with Padme, thanks to Obi-Wan. But he had been given another chance long before that. Although Padme had just spoken about how he had saved their family, he knew that she was solely responsible for that. She had given him a second chance at life and second chance at being a good person when he had gone so astray. He was right where he belonged. He had always known that his life would intertwine with Padme's. But he had never guessed that lasting impact that she would have on his life. He loved her completely, unconditionally and he knew that love was returned in full. He was now truly complete. He had his life, he had his children, and he had Padme.
THE END.
Author's Note: Thanks to everyone for sticking with me through this! It's been a long ride, but I'm glad I did this. I have decided to write an epilogue, so look for that sometime soon. Thanks to everyone again!
