Celestial Death: Hi! Ah ha ha ha ha…; my I certainly am silly. Yeah…silly, to put it nicely. It seems I said that Vader got up at 7:30, and then said that Padme's room was bathed in moonlight. Eh heh heh heh. I didn't even realize…wow that was a brain-dead moment on my part. I had the image of her room bathed in moonlight in my head, so I just wrote it without thinking. Thank you so much Dan for pointing that out. My melancholy mood has seemed to pass for the most part, and I have all these Padme/Vader ideas swarming my head. I don't know how long this story is going to be, but I all ready have ideas in my head for a different Padme/Vader story. I'm sorry I've been away for so long! We've had relatives visit and camping and festivals and tons of stuff! Righty! On with the list of thanks for the kindly reviewers. Not that I don't love you readers. Uh…I really really really want to apologize for being gone so long. A lot of stuff has happened. I won't go into full detail about everything. One thing was my mom got hurt, so I've had to take on a lot of her responsibilities, seeing as my dad and brother can't seem to get off their lazy butts. I am now her personal driver, so there are some days when I'm barely at home. Plus I have work, and my attempts to work on my book and manga. You're not here for my excuses, so sorry again.
Countess Jackman: I know Ani is worth more than 6 million credits, but I'm not exactly rich. I'm glad you loved the chapter and found the twins adorable, the question is, how will Vader deal with it? Thank you very much.
Lilac Moon: Thank you, I will.
SkyBlueSW: Thanks, I love writing about Padme cleverly thwarting Vader's attempts. And as for Vader and the twins, it was just to good to pass up.
DannyBoi1689: Thank you! And thank you so so very much for pointing out the 7:30/moonlight thing, I was totally oblivious. I probably wouldn't have realized if you didn't say anything. And your welcome for mentioning you, you deserve to be given credit for reviewing, it means a lot to me. And you of course helped me realize my dumb moment. As for the 5 page word advice, thanks, I'll see how that works out. Thank you so much again! I owe you…something fabulous.
Jpink: Thank you very much. You should try to see the movie; I feel a little bad giving away spoilers. But thank you for all the enthusiastic reviews. You're the first person to give me four in a row. Ahhh! Don't die on me! I'll try to update as soon as I can, I just don't want to rush it.
Thefragile7393: Awwww, thank you. That was a review of few words, and yet, it made me very happy.
Joker: Thank you. I'm glad you find it sweet and love it. That makes me so happy.
MaekoChan: Oh, thank you so much. I really love writing Padme/Vader interaction so I try to put extra effort into it. I'm glad you like my story.
Anakin-Padme: Thanks. Yeah it is kinda odd to think of Vader as a family man. As for becoming Anakin…I dunno maybe. Stalks writer? What exactly do you mean by that? O.o It would be unwise to stalk me, if not deadly.
Snow Lepord: Thanks, I'm glad you found the bonding funny. I thought it worked well with the dreariness of the beginning. Oh, thank you so much again.
RavenSparrow: Thank you so much for the encouragement! It means a lot to me. I hope your dream comes true! I can't wait to one day read your stories. Thank you so much!
VadersGurl: Aww, thank you. I'm glad you like that side of Vader, I was worried that it was too unusual for him. Glad you like it, I'll try to keep up the good work
Ashley: Thank you very much!
Spidergirl130: Thank you, I'm glad you found it cute!
BGTom: uh…thank you for the suggestion, it caught me off guard, but I thought about it for a while. The only problems with it are the fact that I don't know where I would use him, and the fact that I don't know very much about him. I would hate to use him and get it all wrong. But thank you for the suggestion.
Dirbatua: Thanks!
Puppiescute A.K.A. Mic Mic: Hey thanks so much! I'm glad you liked my portrayal of Vader's sadness. I wanted to show that while he is not Anakin, he is not as far gone as he is by A New Hope. I also really think that Obi-Wan would be a real sore spot for Vader. I'm really glad you like it.
Ninasky: Thank you. I will continue.
Indigirl: Thank you! And I'm glad I could lead you to Draven Star's work, it really is good stuff.
Typewriter 15: Well, thank you very much. As for him turning back into Ani…I don't know, I think it's more the softer side of Vader.
Killer fozzie bare: Ha ha! Thanks Fuzz. I'm glad you're a newly hooked Star Wars fan! Thanks for looking at my story. As for the camera, they have holo images, so wouldn't that need a camera type object? Yeah….thanks again!
Rchan: YES! WHOOOO! Ha ha ha! Thank you so much! I'm glad my grammar has improved. And thank you for getting your friend to check out my story that means a lot to me.
Padmeamidala: Okay, I'll continue, if you insist. Heh, thank you.
Potterfamily21: I'm glad you like my story, and I'm honored it's the first you've read. If you like mine, you should check out Draven Star's work. Oh, and as for Vader turning back into Ani, as tempting as your offer is, I can't. With all that has happened to him, he can never truly be Anakin Skywalker again. I'm sorry, but that doesn't mean he'll be a heartless Vader.
Jedi Master Mace Chapman: Thank you very much.
Soneka the Hedgehog: Ha ha! Thanks, I imagine after two years without his wife, Vader has some definite want. But Padme isn't quiet willing to give in.
TheHellChild: Thank you! Oh, I like your name!
Norma Jean the Dancing Machine: Yeah man. Thank you very much. You wouldn't happen to be a Dance Dance Revolution fan would you?
And that is it for the reviews. Whew! I bet that most of this chapter will be reviews. Thank you to everyone who reviewed. And thanks to everyone that is bothering to take time out of their lives to read my story. Review took up three pages. Wow.
Discaimer: I own nothing, Star Wars belongs to George Lucas, I can only hope that he one day has a rummage sale.
Chapter Five: Scars That Bleed
After a good twenty minutes of trying to get the twins to settle down and get dressed, Vader's patience is far past lost. Luckily for the twins Vader is managing to reign in his temper very well. Eyes hard and mouth set into a deep scowl, Vader reaches out with the force and simply stops his children from moving. Leia is frozen mid twirl and Luke is frozen just as he has jumped off his bed, about to body slam Leia. Clenching his jaw, Vader lets out a deep growl and fixes the twins with a stare that has made grown men cry. Stepping foreword, he grabs a dark green shirt and black pants and a lavender sundress. He then puts Luke on the floor.
"That is enough foolishness. You two will take those clothes off and put these clothes on. It is time to get dressed and go to breakfast. I want you to dress quickly and if you have any problems I will help you, understand?" Vader says releasing the twins and holding out the clothes. The twins nod, staring at him with wide eyes and quickly get changed. Once they finish, Vader makes sure everything is on correctly before leading them from the room.
Upon entering Padme's room Vader takes in the sight of his wife in a knee length maroon dress with long lacy sleeves, her hair is down with a few braids and the sunlight, yes sunlight, is a glowing halo around her. He can feel his irritation melt away, as an arrogant smirk creeps onto his face. Padme gives him a small smile, eyes twinkling with mischief.
"Well, it looks like everyone is in one piece. I take it there were no casualties?" She says looking the twins over.
"Casualties? Why would you think that? I am more than capable of getting two small children dressed."
"Is that so? And I suppose those clothes threw themselves around the room?"
"Naturally. All part of the process of deciding what to wear."
"Hmmm, and I suppose it was the twins swearing in huttese?"
"Swearing in huttese? You must really be tired Padme, why would anyone be swearing in huttese?"
"I imagine for the same reason someone would have to use the force to get their children to stop playing and get dressed."
"Ah, there! You just admitted you're imagining things Padme."
"Right. And you're the most popular person in the universe."
"Hmm, I suppose. Good to know you think of me that way. Of course why wouldn't you?"
"Would you prefer we leave you and your massive ego alone? There doesn't seem to be enough room in here."
Shaking his head Vader wraps an arm around Padme's shoulders and ushers her out of the room, the twin's running along ahead of them.
"Why don't we go have breakfast?" He says with a slightly warm, lighthearted smile.
The four go down to the dining room, where a vast array of fruits, pastries, and meats lie, waiting to be devoured. Vader watches as Padme gives the twins their food, after carefully removing all dangerous objects, like butter knives, and cutting the food into bite size pieces. As the twins start to feed themselves, somewhat messily, and Padme fusses over them for a bit, Vader starts to feel a warmth filling him. It is small at first, a slight throb that unfurls in his chest until it fills his entire being. This is his family. These are the people he would do anything for, the people he can't live without. They are the single most important beings to him. He can feel the affection he has for his family pulsing inside. Vader decides it is the most wonderful and horrible thing he has ever felt.
He is a Sith, they do not feel love, they do not have family, they do not let this weakness in. Yet the voice inside Vader telling him this is easily drowned out by the raw need he has in every cell of his body. He needs his family. He needs them to survive. He realizes in that moment that if he was to lose them, that he would die. For so long Padme has been the sole source of light for him, his reason to live. And now he has two other reasons. He would achieve his dreams, with his family by his side.
As they sat their enjoying breakfast, Vader made an important decision. In three days he will go to the Emperor and kill him. He will rule the Empire, with his family, and they will make things better. He has three days to make Padme see things his way, before she became the Empress.
After breakfast the four go up to the hydroponics garden. Unbeknownst to Vader Padme has noticed the slight shift in his personality. He seems more lighthearted, like he was when he attempted to court her on Naboo. Yet, she can sense a darker energy underneath the lightness. It worries her. She can tellhe is planning something and Padme decides to keep her guard up for anything. They spend the afternoon in the garden, looking at the different plants, playing games, and bonding as a family. Vader decides to take that time to show the twins different abilities of the force.
"It is an easy ability to learn, and with some training you two will be able to do it without a thought. This is a merely a hint of what you can do with the force. It's strong in both of you, I can feel it." Vader tells the twins as he levitates different objects.
The twins are so focused on his words, that they fail to notice Padme scowling behind them at Vader.
"How come we have the force? How do you know it's in us?" Luke asks seriously.
"You two have the force, because you are very special children. I know, because I am very adept in the force, and can easily sense other force strong beings."
"Daddy, when can we learn how to use the force?" Leia says.
"We can begin your training in a year, maybe two. You will become my apprentices, and I will teach you everything I know." Vader says casting a glance at Padme who looks about ready to strangle him. Giving her a wink, he smiles at the twins.
"It's time for your nap." Padme says stepping forward and scooping up the twins. Vader frowns at the interruption.
"Awww, do we have to?" Luke says giving Padme a disappointed look.
"We were having fun. Can't we take it later?" Leia says.
"No. You two need your nap, and I need to talk to your…father." Padme says taking them to their room, with Vader trailing silently behind them. The twins then look to Vader with large imploring, puppy dog eyes.
"Can't we stay up please Daddy? Please?" Leia says sounding like a heartbroken child.
"Don't you want to play with us? Father please?" Luke says imploringly.
Unused to the effect children can have, Vader is momentarily caught off guard. Looking into their sad little faces he finds it hard not to give in. His hesitation last a moment, before he receives a sharp look from Padme. As forlorn and endearing as they may be, Darth Vader is not one to be swayed so easily, unless of course, by Padme.
"Your mother said it's time for your nap. I don't want to hear anymore protests." Vader says sternly as the twins are tucked into bed.
"Sweet dreams." Padme says as she and Vader leave the room.
"You wanted to speak with me?" Vader asks, watching Padme like a predator staking it's prey as she walks over to the windows.
"Yes, but not here. This isn't something to be discussed with the twins near by. Can you have a droid come watch them?" She says staring out the window.
"Of course." Vader complies, calling a droid, while a feeling of dread settles in the pit of his stomach.
A few minutes of tense silence later, Vader and Padme are back in the hydroponics garden. They begin strolling through the garden in silence, each unsure of how to breach the conversation. Vader glances at Padme every now and then noting her serious expression, and feeling the dread grow. Thinking over the last few hours, Padme can't help but wonder and worry about the change in Vader, if it truly is a change.
Eyeing him suspiciously Padme frowns. "What are you up to?"
"Hmm?" Vader says turning to look at her.
"You are far to…lighthearted. You are surly planning something."
"You caught me." Vader says with a mock sigh, "I was trying to make you relax by being more…Anakin like." He then becomes serious. "Isn't Anakin what you want Padme? Besides, do I honestly need a secret agenda to be lighthearted when I am with my family?" A scowl crosses his face.
"No. But you aren't Anakin." Padme says looking at the ground.
"No, I'm not. But I'm not as horrible as you make me out to be."
Padme turns her head and looks at him sharply. "No? You do unspeakable horrors to people that oppose the Empire. You kidnapped us, and have taken control over our lives. We don't know where we are, or what you plan, or if your going to lose your temper and kill us. Worse yet, you wish to kill the Emperor and take his place as tyrant, forcing us to be by your side. Not to mention all of the things you've done in the past two years. Including trying to kill our children and me. How are you not horrible?"
Eyes hardening, Vader scowls darkly at her. "I never said I wasn't horrible Padme. Perhaps you're right about me. I 've done these things of my own will, and I've even enjoyed some of them. I am a killer, I am a Sith, but I am also your husband, and their father. I will keep you by my side forever and you will never leave me again. I like the power of the dark side, but never forget Padme; I gave into it for you. Anakin threw away his life as a Jedi, for you. Had you stayed with me, then I wouldn't be so horrible. If you hadn't run from me, then I would never have had to bring you back home. If you had stayed and kept being the light and hope of my world, then I wouldn't be so tainted! The moment I couldn't feel you anymore, when even the slightest hint of you was no longer with me, is the moment I let go of all of my happiness and allowed myself to drown in the darkness. I may have set myself on the path, but you are the one that made it impossible for me to come back."
Eyes widening Padme can feel the prickling of tears in her eyes, but forces them back. Righteous fury coursing through her, Padme lets her hand fly. She stops it scant inches from his face. They both know he could have grabbed her hand before it got anywhere near him, but he didn't make a move to stop her. Drawing her hand back Padme points an accusing finger at him and scowls.
"How dare you! Don't you dare try to blame me for your decisions. I never told you to join the dark side! I never said become Palpatine's new puppet, or to slaughter the Jedi and the younglings. My only mistake was being with you! I gave you my heart and trust and everything that I am. And you have the audacity to say that it's my fault? I worried for you and I loved you and still trusted you, even after horrible things started happening. And what did you do in return? You accused me of betraying you. You tried to kill me, while I was carrying our children! So I hid from you, I ran. But what else could I do? I almost did die. Not because of complications of childbirth, but because I didn't want to live without you. I didn't want to live if you were like this. If it weren't for my beautiful babies I wouldn't have bothered to go on. You say I took away your light and hope, leaving you in darkness. Well you shattered my soul, and it's taken two years and two children to save me. And when I was finally able to start letting go, even a little bit, you have to come back and force yourself into our lives! Did you even stop to consider that maybe we were happy without you? Maybe we don't want you in our lives."
Vader reels back from Padme as if she struck him. The hurt in his eyes is obvious and a heavy silence falls between them. Padme can feel her heart tearing at the look of such intense hurt in his eyes. Deny it as she might, she will always love him. It's hard for her to let out such brutal truths, but necessary.
"I'm sorry you feel that way Padme. But I'll never let you go. I am not the only one that has caused pain in our relationship. Do you have even the slightest hint of how much it hurts to think that you killed the one person you love more than anything? Do you know how much it hurts to mourn them for two years only to find out their still alive? I blamed myself every. damn. day. Thinking that I had killed you and our child. I joined the Emperor for you. Believe it or not, but he said that if I joined him, I could stop you from dieing. I admit, the draw of power was enticing, but I had to do anything I could to save you, even if it meant destroying the Jedi, and killing younglings. Which I hated! I abhorred having to kill the younglings, but I did it to save you." He was shaking, and he didn't know if it was because of anger or hurt.
"I wasn't afraid to die! I would rather forfeit my life than have you like this." Padme yells, tears welling in her eyes.
"I was afraid to lose you! If you die, then I have no reason to live. I wasn't willing to give you up. I'm not willing to give you up. Even...even when I thought you died, I knew…I just knew somehow that you were still alive. I couldn't really feel you, but I had just the slightest hint and I knew that you were alive. I never want to hurt you. I admit, I overreacted two years ago. I was confused and hurting. I had gone against everything I believed in and then you were…were telling me that I was going down a path you couldn't follow. It sounded so much like you…didn't want me anymore. And then, He was there. Obi-Wan. I became jealous, and enraged and I over reacted. I shouldn't have hurt you."
"You over reacted? That is an understatement. Besides, did it ever occur to you that Palpatine could have been filling your head with those dreams? He was playing with you from the very beginning. Honestly Anakin! He used you from the moment you began training. I know how good he is at manipulating people, he used me to!"
Vader stiffens, and his emotionless mask slips back into place. Padme can no longer see the emotions in his eyes, and he's stopped trembling. In that instant Padme can feel her heart stop.
"That thought has crossed my mind many times before. In three days I will be going to the Imperial City and then I will kill the Emperor. At that time, I will become the new Emperor and you shall be my Empress. I would prefer, I hope, that you will be able to see past the dark public image of Darth Vader, and be able to see the nicer side, the side only for you and our family. It would be nice for you to join me of your own will. I admit, we will most likely never see eye to eye on how the government should be run. But I am certain that we will be able to come up with a solution that will make us both happy. As I have previously stated, without someone to take the Emperors place, the Empire will be thrown into chaos. I imagine that with you meeting with diplomats and finding out what would be needed to make things prosperous for everyone, we could agree on decisions that would be best, and I would make sure they are carried out. We could make the Empire a very nice place. Decisions would be made in the best interest of everyone, and they would be upheld." Vader says, carefully watching her.
A silence as Padme absorbs everything he's said. 'It makes sense.' She thinks, 'But it's also very risky. Would we be able to do that without compromising our beliefs?'
Padme looks at Vader, not as his wife, but as the politician "I would like some time to think about this. It's a big decision, and while I don't have much of a choice, I can still decide to go along with you, or make your life hell. You will have my answer by the third day."
Vader nods. "Very well. I shall be expecting it. This does not mean however, that I won't be spending time with you and the twins."
"You're going to try and influence my decision." Padme says, eyes narrowing.
"I am merely going to show you that life with me isn't as bad as you seem to believe."
"What gives you the right?"
"I am your husband."
"I forget sometimes. I still think of my husband as Anakin." Padme says looking away.
Sighing Vader steps foreword and gently, yet firmly takes Padme's face in his hands, forcing her to look at him. Padme refuses to meet his eyes.
"I am not Anakin. I will never be Anakin again. Not fully. I admit that a part of me is still very much him, but it has been buried. I am Darth Vader. I am the being that rose from the ashes of Anakin. He is a part of me, but he is not me. Do you understand Padme?"
Raising her eyes, Padme swallows and finds herself getting lost in the blue depths of his eyes. They are the warm blue of Anakin, not the cold blue of the Sith Lord. Padme almost loses herself, and then she remembers. This is not the man she married. This man is cold and dark, and so very lost. He knows who he is, and where he belongs. But the one thing he wants the most, the one thing to keep him sane and whole, is the one thing she can deny him. If she gives in, then they can be together raising their family without the worries of having to hide their love. They would complete each other. He would protect her from the dangers of the galaxy, and she would protect him from the darkness in himself. It sounds to good to be real, to good, because there is of course, the downside. Padme gives Vader a small warm smile. Reaching up, she takes his hands in hers and gives them a small squeeze.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to go back to my room and think things over."
Eyes softening further, Vader returns her smile. "Of course. Shall I come to collect you and the twin's for dinner later?"
"That would be much appreciated."
"Have a good rest then." Vader says, first kissing the backs of her hands, and then the palms.
They stay still for a moment, holding hands and getting lost in each other's eyes. Then Padme leans up slightly and kisses him softly on the nose.
"I'll see you later." She says and walks away, leaving the garden.
Vader stares after her as she leaves and says very softly, with a smile creeping on his face
"You will be mine once again Padme. Soon, so very soon."
Celestial Death: Here you are kiddies, the long awaited for chapter five! I apologize once again for the delay. I hope you like it, as Padme and Vader let out all that pent up hurt and resentment. Anyway that's it for now, Thanks for reading!