AN: Thank you to all of you leaving reviews! I usually like to reply to comments, but life has been pretty crazy so I haven't had as much time to do so. Just know I read them and appreciate them so very much! All the best to you!

Enjoy!

The angry disappointment rolling off of Anakin and indescribable tension around his shoulders was nearly more than Leia could bear as they made their way through the cold sand to Luke's home.

She'd done what she thought was right. It made sense to try and get the boy safely on the ship, and yet somehow she couldn't find the conviction she'd experienced earlier. Anakin was angry with her and, in turn, that made her feel angry too. She almost hated that his opinion mattered so much and that, even worse, he wasn't wrong. This was just like Antal again.

Stumbling in the sand, Leia tried not to cry out with frustration. Her shoes were filled with grit. It was digging into her ankles and rubbing them raw through the stockings. She was tempted to take the shoes off and just walk in her bare feet, but Anakin wasn't slowing his pace as they marched through the darkness and she didn't think he would respond well if she stopped walking right now. Or perhaps that was her pride speaking. She didn't feel like speculating.

Her legs throbbed from the effort it was taking to keep up. Even Luke had longer legs than her and seemed more at ease moving over the rough, constantly changing terrain. He stayed in place just behind Anakin's shoulder, bobbing along nervously as he stole quick glances at the silent man. Luke was fortunate that he hadn't re-covered his face yet.

"How much further?" Leia muttered under her breath.

"We should be there soon." Luke offered, finally tearing his eyes from Anakin and wincing when he looked down at her footwear. "Aunt Beru has a great salve that helps sand rub."

"I'm fine." Leia insisted, gritting her teeth and pushing forth a false mask of strength. Her foot tripped over something hidden in the sand and she fell.

"Are you ok?" Luke was already trying to help her up and dusting her off even as Anakin paused in his long stride to look over his shoulder at them.

"I'm fine." Leia ground out again, struggling to her feet with little dignity as her feet slipped in the sands once more.

"This is taking too long." Anakin stated bluntly as he cast another look around the pitch black desert.

Fury, exhaustion and pain flared and Leia found herself ripping off her shoes to empty them of sand while snapping, "I'm sorry that my short legs and inefficient attire are holding you up! Next time I'll be sure to read the advertisement and pack my wardrobe accordingly!"

Anakin stood before her, an odd look washing over his face as he blinked down at her feet.

"Put those back on. There are lots of things in these parts you don't want to step on in bare feet."

"I'm getting the sand out." Leia retorted, shaking her shoes and stockings vigorously.

"It won't come out all the way." Luke sighed unhappily. "It kinda gets everywhere."

"Of course it does." Leia grumbled, still holding her blistered feet up off the ground. Her muscles shook with the effort and the heels got dangerously close to the ground as she balanced on her sit bones.

Crouching, Anakin's big hands caught her feet before they could land in the sand. Concern and sympathy bled through his previous anger towards her making Leia's harsh walls of feigned strength waiver. He turned each foot slightly from side to side, examining the raw skin and sand filled blisters with a dark look. Behind him, Luke's head peered over his shoulder, cringing at the sight.

"That's really bad!" Luke breathed. "How were you even walking at all!?"

"I'm fine." Leia insisted again, tugging her ankles back a little and blinking back involuntary tears as the air touched the open sores with a stinging breath. "It's just a few blisters. Nothing to cry over."

Anakin's grip tightened gently. "Stay still."

Settling both heels in his prosthetic hand, Anakin stretched his other palm out, hovering over the tops of her feet.

"What are you doing?" Leia asked with more sharpness than she'd meant to.

"Hush," Anakin murmured, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath. "I'm cleaning the blisters."

The air around them shifted and she felt tiny prickles of pain flicker through her feet as every grain of sand worked its way free from her sink, dancing in the air around her toes before falling like rain to the ground. Luke gasped, reminding Leia that the boy likely hadn't seen a Jedi use the Force before. She had already. A few times. Each time it was just as amazing and startlingly comforting.

Opening his eyes again, Anakin nodded his head to the shoes and socks clenched in her fists. "Give me those."

Stunned by the tender, kind and arguably magical gesture of using the Force to remove the sand from her sores, Leia compiled without question. She and Luke watch with utter fascination as Anakin did the same to her shoes and socks, dragging every speck off the garments with grim willpower and an invisible hand.

"Put them back on." Anakin ordered, handing them back and reaching to support Leia's feet again as she struggled not to drop her heels on the ground again.

Shyness, something Leia was not accustomed to, washed over her and the girl murmured, "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet," Anakin's mouth tugged into a half smile and his eyes sparked with mirth.

"Why not?"

"Because," Anakin said, reaching for her the second she had her shoes on and was about to try to stand up. "You aren't going to like this next part."

He picked her up. Like a baby.

"HEY!" Leia squawked, her already wounded pride instantly burning with further humiliation as she flailed without dignity. "PUT ME DOWN!"

Anakin had the nerve to snicker and Luke just gaped at them both, not really sure what was going on.

"Put me down this instant!" Leia ordered, pushing against Anakin and glaring at him with all her might.

Anakin did not obey. Instead he rolled his eyes at her and shook his head. "We need to get moving and your feet are in no condition to get more sand rubbing against them. Trust me. The sooner we get back to the Lars farm, the better. Besides, there's something in the air that's making my bones ache. Think it could be a sandstorm brewing."

"You didn't even ask me if I wanted to be carried!"

"I'm so very sorry," Anakin answered, looking down at her with amusement and exasperation. He seemed only half sincere in his apology. "Princess, would you allow me to carry you to safety since it's extremely dangerous out here and you are in no condition to keep walking with your current footwear?"

Leia clenched her jaw a little and crossed her arms, looking away. She hated it when he was right.

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do." She muttered under her breath.

Anakin's laugh rang out into the night, lifting the last traces of his anger and dispelling them like dust in the wind.

"I would never dream of it." Anakin still smiled when he said it, but the words range with a note of genuine truth. He did believe in her abilities to face hard things, perhaps more than she did herself. He sobered, adding quietly, "But, Leia, don't let that pride of yours take you so far as to not be able to admit when you need help. It will get you into the worst kinds of trouble. I know how much you're hurting right now. There is no shame in needing help. Let me carry you, at least till we are out of the dunes."

Something snaked around the knot in her gut, warming the cold shard of anger and shame. Leia sighed and relaxed a little into Anakin's arms. Perhaps it would be quicker this way, and her legs were hurting and the blasted sand would probably just get back in her shoes again.

"Alright." Leia conceded with as much dignity as she could, trying not to bristle when Anakin's smile returned and she couldn't figure out why.

"How are you doing there, Luke?" Anakin asked quietly, looking down at the silent boy who had been watching the pair as he hurried along next to Anakin.

"I'm alright." He answered, squaring his shoulder and lifting his head a little higher.

"Are you sure?" Anakin asked, lifting an eyebrow as if he knew something more.

Luke's confidence melted instantly and Leia got the feeling he was hiding being in pain too.

"I'm a little bruised from falling down the rocks," The boy admitted uncomfortably. "But, I'm ok. I've had worse."

"Really," Anakin's strides hesitated and Leia spotted the way his gaze sharpened. "When."

"Well," Luke rubbed his neck and looked at the ground. "Just stuff me and my best friend Biggs get into…we get a little scraped up sometimes. This one time I broke my arm and Aunt Beru grounded me for a month."

"Sounds like quite the story!" Anakin's comment was inviting, but Leia could still see the underlying alertness of someone digging for more information.

Luke didn't notice. He just smiled brightly and nodded vigorously. "Yeah! It is! See, Biggs and I were- well, I mean. Yeah. It's a good story, but…I can't tell it. I promised Biggs I wouldn't. I just told Aunt Beru we were racing the speeder and that's how it got wrecked but really we…nevermind."

Leia felt Anakin release a long controlled stream of air as he cast a sideways glance at the boy.

Silence stretched as they kept walking across for a few more minutes before Luke spoke again.

"I don't get grounded that often." Luke told them, a hint of anxiety clouding his face. "Just…just in case you thought I did. I'm not a troublemaker."

Anakin quirked an eyebrow at him as amusement pulled his mouth. "I wasn't thinking that at all. I'm sure you're a reasonable and responsible young man."

"I've lost count how many times I've been grounded." Leia stated, taking pity on Luke as a deep blush crept up his neck to his ears, only just visible in the breaking dawn.

"That doesn't shock me in the slightest." Anakin answered drily, the annoyance from earlier resurfacing as he craned his head to the sky and frowned.

Leia bristled, but didn't try to defend herself. Instead she opted to smile a little at Luke.

"There's a ship!" Luke exclaimed even as Leia spotted its shape coming towards them.

Anakin grew still as he watched it approach and both children held their breath.

"I-It's not that woman…is it?" Luke asked, his voice low and void of the excitement it held moments ago.

Anakin instantly shook his head, dragging his attention to Luke.

"No. I looked after her. She won't be back."

"Is she dead?" Luke asked, awed and worried all at once.

Leia stiffened at the thought of Anakin killing knew he could if he wanted to just as easily as the other.

"No." Anakin's arms tightened around her subtly as he said the word. "I didn't. But, you don't have to worry about her anymore. I've looked after her. I promise."

"What did you do?" Leia eyed him suspiciously, unable to fathom how the deadly skirmish with lightsabers could have ended any other way other than death.

Anakin tilted his head down to see her face.

"I helped her. Simple as that. She's on a different path now."

"But, you were fighting her and she was trying to kill me!" Luke protested, wringing his hands and tucking behind Anakin as the lights of the ship grew closer.

Leia felt Anakin stiffen before he suddenly breathed a relieved sigh and muttered, "Finally."

Curling around her and Luke, Anakin used his body to protect them from the sudden flurry of sand as the ship began its descent.

"Who is it?" Luke asked when the ship landed.

"A friend." Anakin assured them both.

"Is it Ben?" Leia asked excitedly, straining to see over Anakin's shoulder as the hatch opened.

"See for yourself," Anakin told her lightly, setting her down on more solid ground than the shifting sands they had been walking on before.

Leia hit the ground running as the ship doors opened and the older Jedi exited.

"Ben!" She cried, joy spreading from her toes and manifesting as a huge smile and outstretched arms. "You came back!"

Ben bent down onto one knee and caught her into a hug with a laugh.

"Well, I didn't think breaking my promise to you would go over very well."

Deadpan, Leia pulled back and studied his face seriously before stating, "It wouldn't have. No."

Anakin and Luke joined them in the pool of light cast from the inside of the ship.

"Where's our new friend?" Anakin asked, his hand hovering protectively and unnoticed behind Luke's shoulder.

"She's resting elsewhere. I'll explain later. For now, I figured Owen and Beru are anxious enough about Luke's wellbeing."

Noting Luke's curiosity and uncertainty with Ben, Leia had to assume they'd never met and took it upon herself to make introductions.

"Luke, this my friend Ben! Ben, this is Luke!"

Ben's attention settled on Luke and he smiled, emotion working the lines of his face before he said, "Hello there!"

"Hi!" Luke mumbled, ducking his head sheepishly.

Anakin nudged the boy between the shoulderblades.

"Come on. Let's get you home. Your Aunt and Uncle are worried."

Luke didn't need too much prompting to board the ship. In no time at all his previous shyness dropped. Anxiety and fear from the evening adventure was temporarily forgotten as he bounced around the tiny interior of the ship and asked more questions about its inner workings than Leia could have thought to ask. She enjoyed ships a great deal, but droids were more her area of special interest.

Ben and Anakin shared more than one mysterious look in response to the enthusiasm, which only made Leia's suspicions grow.

Something was connecting her to Anakin, making her hyper aware of him and she'd felt Luke's fear like it was her own. She wasn't dumb. There were some obvious explanations that she wanted answers for, she just couldn't bring herself to ask.

When they made the short flight and landed in front of the Lars home, Luke's mood dampened again and he pulled at the threads along the hem of his shirt as the ramp opened into the growing light.

"LUKE!"

A woman raced towards them while a burly man limped further behind.

"Aunt Beru! Uncle Owen!"

Luke ran to them, all the fear he'd been hiding suddenly raw and fresh once more.

An unexpected lump rose in Leia's throat as she watched Beru and Owen hug, kiss and fuss over Luke. They'd been so obviously worried for him, making her wonder just how badly her own parents worried over her these past days. All because she'd run off instead of apologizing to her stupid cousin.

A light hand touched her shoulder and she followed it up to Anakin. His face was still uncovered, but his hood was drawn, obscuring his features with a shadow.

"You'll be home soon too." He promised, watching Luke and the Lars wistfully. Luke was turning and pointing to them, half crying and half babbling with awed excitement as he recounted his rescue.

"Come on," said Ben. "We best get this over with. I can't promise they'll be happy to see you, Anakin, or me for that matter. I'm not very popular with Owen. Beru can be reasoned with but he has been adamant I stay away. Just as a warning."

"I'm such a pleasant person. I can't imagine why they wouldn't want to see me." Anakin said breezily, "You, on the other hand, I can absolutely understand."

Ben didn't give the light jab the dignity of a verbal reply, but the eyeroll made Leia smile.

"Ben!" Beru exclaimed, pressing her hand over her heart as she pulled Luke close to her with the other. "Thank you! Truly!"

"I'm afraid I had little to do with it," Ben told her, gesturing to Anakin. "He is the one who found him and rescued him."

"And who are you?" Owen asked gruffly, sizing Anakin up with little trust.

Slowly, Anakin dropped his hood, revealing his face.

An audible gasp escaped from Beru and Owen's face went pale.

"Hello, Beru. Owen." Anakin said, apologetic and unsure. "It's been a long time."

"Y-you?!" Owen gapped at Anakin. "But, you died!"

"Not as dead as people thought." Anakin answered quietly. "And hoping to keep that quiet."

"Are you here to take him from us?" Owen asked instantly, the register of his voice darkening a little as his fist gripped Luke's sleeve tighter. "Because I won't let you take him."

From where he stood wedged between his Aunt and Uncle, Luke went still at Owen's words, uncertainty and hints of betrayal flickering over his face as he studied Anakin.

"Owen." Beru started, trying to calm her husband whilst casting worried looks at Anakin and Ben.

"NO!" Owen's voice shook and he was white faced now. "I don't care who-"

"Owen!" Beru raised her voice, making her husband startle a little. Clearly she didn't speak like that to him often. Sternly she indicated Luke and Leia and shook her head.

"Oh," Owen breathed.

"Luke…sweetheart," Beru smiled and ran a hand through her nephew's hair. "Why don't you take your new friend and find her something to eat? The poor girl must be hungry! It's nearly breakfast time and it's getting hot already. I'm sure she would appreciate being somewhere cooler with the suns coming up."

"But-" Luke started to protest but Owen shook his head once, putting an end to that. "Ok. Come on, Leia."

Leia wanted to argue, but Ben shooed her along with his hand and a little nod of encouragement.

She followed Luke down the set of stairs inside. They looked at each other a brief moment after the doors closed, studying each other and weighing the other out.

Luke spoke first.

"So there's a hatch in the workshop that opens really close to where they're standing if you want to-"

"Thank goodness, I thought you'd never suggest something like that!" Leia breathed, her face breaking into a smile as she ran after Luke deeper into the house where it was delightfully cool. Debribs and broken pots, crates and materials littered the floors, grimly reminding them both of how close Luke came to death, and yet both push it aside for now. Leia knew now Luke was just as curious as she was about what the adults were saying, and she herself was desperate for answers.

"It's up there. There should be room for both of us on the ladder." Luke said, pointing to the ceiling.

As they came to the hatch, Luke eased it open a sliver and both children poked their heads near so they could see and hear the adults.

"I don't care WHAT or WHO you are," Beru was saying, now suddenly the savage one, "I will fight you tooth and nail to keep my boy. Just look at what being your child has already brought to him! What kind of life is it to be on the run!?"

"Owen, Beru, please. We aren't here for any trouble. Just listen to what Anakin has to say." Ben said. "We only want what's best for Luke."

The same fear from before rippled up Luke's spine and he glanced worriedly at Leia.

"Why…why would that man be here with Ben to take me away? H-he wouldn't take me away from my family…would he?"

Leia chewed on her lip before letting the one thing she'd been thinking for the last hour loose from her lips.

"I think he's your father!"

"What!? That's Anakin Skywalker!?" Luke's head snapped back to the hatch, practically pressing against the crack with terrified excitement and trying to glimpse Anakin. "But, I thought he was dead! And you said his name was Orden!"

Leia stayed quiet as the second thought in her head rolled around. If the man was Luke's father…and she was right in her suspicion that he was also her birth father, then Luke was her brother…and if Anakin meant to take Luke away…what if he meant to take her from her family too? Worse still, what if he only meant to take Luke and didn't want her?

Both concepts frightened her.

Betrayal crept up her spine and Leia pushed away from the hatch a little. The second Luke and her own fear mixed, Anakin's head snapped in their direction and both children gasped, ducking down.

"Beru, Owen…you misunderstand my presence here," Anakin was firm and reassuring, as if speaking more to the two of them than Luke's aunt. "I'm not here to take him from you. I could never put you or him through that kind of confusion and pain."

Leia let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding and Luke mirrored her. Together they peeked over the hatch sill again, but the grown up's were walking further away now.

"Aw man," Luke sighed, letting the hatch close. "We'll never hear anything now."

"Figures." Leia muttered, irrationally cranky at Anakin for noticing them eavesdropping.

They descended from the hatch and stood awkwardly for a moment before Luke said, "So, you hungry? You sorta seem like you could use something to eat."

Stomach growling, Leia had to nod.

"Come on," Luke lead her back through the house to a stone kitchen with a dome roof. "Have you ever had this kind of milk before!? It's great!"

"It's blue," Leia stated as she peered into the cup Luke had thrust into her hands.

"Yeah!"

Luke was grinning, eager for her to try it, so Leia politely took a sip.

"What do you think?"

"It's surprisingly better than I expected." Leia told him with all the diplomacy of her title.

Voices and scuffing feet echoed off the stone walls as the adults entered the house and Luke only briefly paused in his quest of dragging food from the cupboards and pantry.

"I'll look after that, Luke dear," Beru said as she marched into the kitchen. "Go see your Uncle and get yourself looked after. Orden said that you fell down a rock face."

Leia noted how carefully Beru said Orden, like she was struggling to remember the right name to call Anakin. They must have decided to keep his true name a secret from Luke, and a part of Leia was indignant. Surely if Luke was Anakin's son he had a right to know the truth?

"I-I did, but he...A-Ord-" Luke fumbled, a thousand questions working around his lips before he settled for, "That man... caught me, so it wasn't that bad and Leia put Bacta on most of the cuts already-"

Beru raised her eyebrows silently with a neutral expression and Luke gave her a meek smile.

"Yes, Aunt Beru. I'll go do it now."

"Thank you. And Leia, honey, go with him. There's an ointment in the cupboard under the sink for your blisters. Orden said he will help you with it if you need. He knows how to treat sand blisters." Beru was already turning away and rolling up her sleeves as she set to work preparing a full breakfast for everyone. "Ben, I know you're hovering and brooding out there. Get in here and make yourself useful or else go and get your own injuries looked after. I dare say you have a few and you're terrible at hiding them."

Leia smirked when she saw the sheepish look on Ben's face and she decided that she still liked Aunt Beru a great deal even if she was keeping the truth from Luke right now.

The burning question in her mind remained. Would they ever tell them the truth?