Where Am I Going To?

Part One

Chapter Two

Luke had managed to excuse himself from the room as the torture droid approached the princess, and his father coolly snarled "And now, princess, we shall discuss the location of your hidden rebel base."

He knew he could do absolutely nothing to actually stop the torture. Being a rebel, she was getting her just deserts, but that didn't really make Lord Skywalker any easier. Hours passed, and he just stood outside the door, kicking his heels against the wall, waiting, waiting, waiting. His head perked up when his father stormed out of the room, enraged. He brushed against his mind with the Force first before reaching out and touching his arm.

"Father?" Luke asked softly, and he could feel some of Vader's rage dissipate slightly. "Let me talk to her."

There was a brief stand off of sorts as the two simply watched each other, before Lord Skywalker inwardly begged Father, please, and Darth Vader nodded.

"Good luck," he added sarcastically before sweeping down the hall. Even with the granted permission, Luke waited a few minutes, drawing in a few good breaths before entering the room.

He could feel emotions rolling off of her as she sat up on the bench of her cell, glaring cold fire at him: Pain, fear, sorrow, despair…..Well, those would be easy enough to manipulate, but he wanted them to stew a little with the newly added feelings; confusion, curiosity.

Lord Skywalker paced the room briefly, his eyes constantly on her, just watching, whilst she in turn watched back. At great length, he said "We've met before, you know."

She didn't nod – mostly because her whole body ached – but replied with a firm "I know."

"May we dispense with the formalities? I'll just call you Leia, you just call me Luke." He paused as he watched her dissolve the new tidbit, as confusing as it was. "Simple."

After a moment, the princess asked "Why? Why are you doing this? If you think I'll tell you where the rebels are, you're sadly mistaken."

"I'm not out to get you," he replied, wishing there was another chair, wanting to be on eye level with her. "I don't want to be your enemy, I don't like seeing you tortured."

"Then don't watch."

"You don't have to go through this. I can stop it all right now, and no one would say a thing. All you need to do is give me the location, that's all they want."

"They want?"

"That's what I said."

"And what about you? What do you want?"

Lord Skywalker fumbled, flushed slightly. "Uhh….I'm not sure I understand the question." Untrue. He knew exactly what he wanted, but he was going to have to be patient.

Princess Leia didn't believe him, and leaned back against the wall slightly. She was extremely tired, but more than willing to keep the conversation going as long as it was necessary.

"Why should I believe anything any of you tell me? If I give you what you want to know, what's to stop you from killing me?"

"My word of honor."

"I repeat: What's to stop you from killing me."

The barb struck, and Luke was trying very hard to keep his anger in check, made more difficult by the fact he was constantly told to never hold back his anger; it made him powerful. But he didn't want powerful in that type of situation. Powerful wouldn't earn her trust, which was what he needed.

He gently motioned for her to move over on the bench, and sat down next to her, turned to look her in the eyes, her big, brown eyes. "I swear, I won't let them harm a hair on your head."

She blinked, and, strangely enough, believed him.

"Just give them the name," he continued, "and you can have a nice, comfortable room, good food, rest, relaxation."

"And my friends will die," she spit back.

"What do you care about that?" he demanded. "Are your friends the ones being tortured now? Are they suffering to save you?"

"That isn't the point! The point is to stand up for what you believe in, for what is right."

"Someone has to get burned in the end."

"Ah, so it's better you than me?"

"Well, why not?" She stared at him in total disbelief. "It's survival of the fittest. Their sacrifice means you live to see another day."

She scoffed. "One bad turn deserves another?"

"In not so many words, yes."

She glared coldly and shook her head. "How do you sleep at night?"

Lord Skywalker blinked, confused by the question. Well, he just sort of laid down, and closed his eyes, and went unconscious…..Was that really a question you were supposed to answer?

"You're not like any person I've ever met before, Leia…..It's actually rather attractive."

"I'm not sure if I'm flattered or not," she said, scooting slightly away from him, still glaring.

"You won't say, then?"

"Did you really expect me to do otherwise?"

He shrugged. "More like hoped, really."

"Why are you doing this?" she demanded again. "What do you possibly have to gain by it? What's in it for you?"

He took her hand, which shocked her, and spoke very softly and gently, which amazed her. "I don't want to see you get hurt." He waited for the astonishment to subside a little before continuing. "I can get you out of this, I really can. I'm Darth Vader's son, I'm second in line to the Imperial Throne, I think I can work a princess out of prison." Her amazement became disbelief, and had not yet worked its way through to comprehension. "All you have to do is a few simple things."

"Betray the rebels, and….?"

"And agree to marry me."

The disbelief remained for a long moment before become rage. "You're joking."

"I'm quite serious."

"That is most definitely the oddest way I have ever been proposed to, and I do not accept!"

He gave her hand a small squeeze, and shrugged. "I'm not asking you to fall in love with me. Who knows, that may follow. But you're just so different, and so….." Was there even a word for it? "Stunning," well, that sounded pretty good, "that I can't get you out of my head, I'm tripping over my own feet. That's never happened before, and I don't want it to stop. Look," he said, sighing slightly, "think it over. I could be good for you, you know. Second in line to the throne, think about it. I can give you everything you could possibly want. Money, luxuries, even power….." He was whispering in a beguiling manner, really causing her to think. "Just imagine it, the entire universe at your fingertips. And all you have to do is say 'yes.'" He stood up now, releasing her hand and striding to the door. "I'll let you think about that for a while, unless you want my father to interrogate you again."

Stunned, Leia had shrunk against the wall, staring out into nothing, causing Luke to feel a smirk tug at the edge of his lips. He could feel her resolve weakening; he had the rebels now. And possibly more importantly, he had her.

Something inside him drew him to her, called, and bellowed, and whispered. A piece of his soul felt more complete around her, though previously he'd never felt incomplete. If he had, it had gone unnoticed up to that point. He didn't want the feeling of being whole to leave. He didn't want to let her go, seeing as he had as much right to her as anyone, and probably more so. After all, he was a powerful Lord of the Sith, she was a princess, a smart match by any means. He wanted her because she was different, something totally new that had never been presented to him before.

He wanted her because he was desperately lonely.

Lord Skywalker was convinced that fate had handed him this opportunity on a silver platter; end the Rebellion, and end the loneliness. End the gapping, raw wound that had so long been a part of him. And damn anyone that tried to stop him.

Acting on impulse, he crossed back to her and kissed her hand, which she quickly snatched back, disgusted, and glaring daggers. He couldn't help but smirk at that. Her fiery temper was another thing that drove him to her; someone who wouldn't lay down and cower at his feet, but could and would fight him blow for blow. How wonderfully unusual!

"Have a nice evening, princess," he said, bowing slightly mockingly to the floor before sweeping out of the room, entirely satisfied. He had probably shaken her up more than the torture did.

Lord Vader was convinced that it was nothing more than an infatuation. Brief, that would soon pass. Unless, of course, it didn't. That wasn't a possibility he was entirely sure he wanted to think on.

He wasn't worried because his son had a little crush, mostly because he could tell his son didn't have a little crush. He had a passion that was making his heart rattle in his rib cage and made his mouth go entirely dry of words. Brushing against Luke's mind, he noted that most of the desperation was gone, replaced by a smug sort of certainty. What was he playing at? What had he hoped to accomplish with the princess? It went far beyond simply locating the plans to the Death Star and the hidden rebel base. Maybe he should talk with him about it?

Or maybe not. After all, if he could marry a Queen from Naboo, it only made too much sense that Lord Skywalker would set his sights on a Princess of Alderaan. A lust for royalty seemed to run in the Skywalker blood, for better and for worse. Darth Vader very, very rarely allowed his thoughts to drift to his wife. He didn't want his son to go through that pain. But the pain had reaped rewards, as he learned all pain did; He had a son.

Even if he did talk to Luke on the subject, he wouldn't listen. Young men in love never listen to anything but their hearts and hormones. But then, Luke was a smart boy, he had a good head on his shoulder, he might do fine on his own. Probably not, but he might.

In the end, Vader decided to leave events entirely alone unless Luke brought them to his attention. If it did upset the Emperor, which he highly doubted it would, he could claim innocence, and be truthful….for the most part.

However, he would keep an eye on things, just incase Luke did screw up somehow, which he was more than likely to do.

His little boy had grown up….Well, here's to grandchildren!

To Be Continued…

xInuyashaxAngelx: You're welcome

preciousbabyblue: I think the chapter answers the question

Doreen: Thanks! I found a couple of typos after posting, but that's always the way, isn't it?

Schnickledooger: You'll just have to wait and see! (Yes, I am evil)