Leia glanced at Ben as they entered the Senate building. She hoped Bail's office was in the same spot from when she was growing up. Somehow she had to expose Palpatine without letting him know she was from the future. "Lets head to Bail's office, and explain to him why we're here."
"You know dad is going to have to rescue us from the detention level, later," Ben quipped in a sarcastic tone.
"Lets think positive," Leia spoke in a calm tone. "Bail is not hot-headed, unlike your grandfather."
"You really don't like Anakin, do you?" Ben questioned in a curious tone as Leia shook her head.
"I eventually forgave him, otherwise you wouldn't have cousins," Leia explained with a frown as Ben raised an eyebrow. "I feared that one of my children would fall to the dark side resuming your grandfather's role."
"I guess that makes sense," Ben agreed with a frown. "Where is Bail's office from here?"
"This way," Leia answered with a slight smile as she led the way.
Padme glanced at Anakin as he walked beside her, they decided to go and tell Bail about the marriage. She felt nervous about coming clean with her longtime friend but they felt it was overdue and if others didn't take too lightly to it, then the plan was to go to Naboo and find a new meaning in life. She would miss her senator duties, but at least her and Anakin would live a happy life together. "Still think this is a good idea?"
"Padme, I'm getting sick of fighting and want to do something else," Anakin answered easily. "Besides, I don't think he'll overreact to the news."
Padme gave a slight nod in agreement as they approached an older woman with what looked like a thirteen-year-old with her that reminded her of her sister and Anakin a little. She glanced at Anakin as he looked perplexed as he nodded for them to continue. That's until the woman turned towards Padme and froze in mid-stride as the teen looked shocked.
Anakin's attention got drawn to the child's side as she noticed what looked like a lightsaber hanging off his belt. "Who are you? I don't remember seeing you among the students at the temple."
"Where's dad?" The teen questioned as the woman looked down at the teen with a questioning expression.
"Ben, did Luke go to the temple or didn't he go?" The woman questioned Ben with a hardened expression Padme recognized as one of Bail's quirks in the woman when he was being strict causing her to raise an eyebrow. The teen didn't seem too fazed by it.
"I promised not to tell," Ben answered honestly as the woman turned Ben towards her. "Dad said not to say anything unless we don't hear back from him after six hours from when he left this morning, sorry Aunt Leia."
"Ben, please, what did Luke tell you this morning?" Leia said in a firm tone. "Did he or did he not go to see Yoda?"
Padme started recognizing Anakin's tone in the older woman as she glanced at Anakin who looked suspicious.
Ben suddenly became nervous as he glanced at Anakin then turned his attention back to Leia. "Dad said he was…" He shook his head in confusion as he turned his attention to Anakin. He pulled out a comlink and started speaking into it as Padme realized something was wrong. Ben seemed shaken to see her and Anakin. "He didn't go to the temple this morning and planned to go after tracking him down, he could sense you being in turmoil last night and wanted to talk with you about it," he answered nodding to Anakin. "Dad's not answering his comlink and I suddenly have a bad feeling about this. If you're here, where's dad?"
Padme looked at Anakin in with a concerned expression as Anakin turned his attention to Ben with a frown.
"What's your dad's name?" Padme questioned with a frown.
"Luke Skywalker," Ben answered easily.
Padme looked at Anakin in shock as she placed her hand onto her stomach feeling the baby kick. Luke was the name they had picked out if it was a boy. How is this possible? Did Ben refer to Leia as his Aunt? Was she carrying twins?
Luke opened his eyes as his head starting pounding fiercely and he felt nauseated to his stomach. He lied still for a minute waiting for nausea to pass as he noticed he was sitting in the dark, it was cold and very damp causing him to shiver. He wondered if he had a concussion as he felt another wave of nausea wash over him, this time it was stronger then the first time. He closed his eyes again as he fought down foul tasting vile in the back of his throat.
"Do you need something for the pain?" A new voice questioned from the doorway. Luke glanced towards where the voice was coming from and grimaced noticing a figure standing in the light from the hallway.
Luke gave a slight nod as the man turned to an associate. "Get him something for the pain and don't hit him again."
Luke heard mechanical laughter causing him to cringe, it sounded close to what Anakin sounded like in the life-sustaining armor. "Who are you and what do you want with me?"
"The better question is, who are you and what does my master want from you?" The man questioned with a frown causing Luke to freeze. Palpatine sent this man to capture him? Good thing he told Ben to start worrying if he doesn't hear back from him.
"I'm getting too old for this," Luke muttered under his breath as he stared at the man. He had to be cautious about what name to use. Owen Lars was known as Anakin's stepbrother during this time. "My name is Kyp Durron," he lied through his teeth.
"We shall see about that," the man answered with a frown. "I can already sense it's a lie, but we'll go with that for now."
"What's your name, sith?" Luke questioned with a curious expression.
"Count Dooku."
Anakin entered Bails office as Ben and Leia looked at him expectantly. He shook his head as Padme released a frustrated sigh, it appears Luke disappeared altogether or was possibly kidnapped. "I just spoke with Master Yoda, and Luke has not shown up yet and I never ran into him this morning."
"I would not be surprised if Palpatine is behind this," Leia muttered under her breath as Padme looked at her with a frown. "That man is such a snake."
"Aunt Leia," Ben nudged Leia in the shoulder shooting her a warning glare. "Most likely, but they don't know Palpatine as well as we do."
"Is Palpatine really behind the war?" Bail questioned in curiosity as Leia nodded. "How is that possible?"
"Palpatine is the Sith Lord the council has been searching for," Anakin spoke with a frown as Leia glared at Anakin. "Don't look at me like that, how was I supposed to know? I just figured it out last night."
"Fall to the dark side causing death, destruction and helping Palpatine keep everyone in line using fear," Leia shot Anakin an angry glare again causing guilt to rush through him. "Not to mention torturing Luke and I, along with Han… You lived inside life-sustaining armor for twenty-one years. Maybe that's why you were so angry all the time."
"Aunt Leia, you promised dad not to chew Anakin's head off," Ben reminded Leia quickly.
Padme reached for Anakin's hand as the nightmare from last night reminded him what he does in the future. No wonder Leia was so bitter and angry towards him. "Leia, I don't know what I do to you in the future and I'm sorry I caused you that much pain."
Leia glanced at Anakin with a surprised expression on her face, he suspected their children never did get a chance to know who he truly was. He planned to take out Palpatine first chance he got, he wanted to raise his children with Padme this time. "I don't know you or Padme at all. I'm sure Bail risked his life to raise me…"
"That explains why I picked up so many of Bails traits in you," Padme muttered under her breath. "Who raises Luke?"
"Owen and Beru," Leia answered honestly.
"To the place I swore to never return too," Anakin muttered under his breath. Leave it to Obi-Wan to figure out the best hiding place. He let go of Padme's hand and approached Leia with caution, He saw so much of himself in her. He knew deep down in his heart that she was his daughter from the future. He reached for her hand as she looked stunned and shocked. "Leia, I have loved you and Luke from the beginning. I don't know how I'm going to prove that to you, somehow I will. Please forgive me. Maybe this is a chance to get to know the real me?"
Leia gave a slight nod and smiled. "All right. You need to help us get Luke back."
"I will," Anakin promised with a slight smile. "Then I plan to go after Palpatine."
"Anakin, talk to Palpatine and see if he's willing to confess about kidnapping our son," Padme requested as Anakin gave a slight nod.
"He would never confess to it," Anakin pointed out with a frown. "He's led everyone right along with this war. By the way, Palpatine, would you care to tell me where you stashed my son from the future? Afterward, I plan to take you out back and lop your head off for high treason. I wouldn't be surprised if Dooku has him."
"Anakin Skywalker, with tact please," Padme snipped causing Anakin to grimace a little.
"We need Palpatine alive so we can convict him of his crimes," Bail pointed out with a frown. "Please restrain yourself, General. No matter how tempted you get, I want him brought to us alive, otherwise, you would be facing high treason charges. Or might I remind you of the Senator Merrik incident?"
"Good point," Anakin agreed with a frown. "You're never going to let me live that down, are you? He was going to blow up the ship with everyone on it. If push comes to shove and he fights back, I can't promise a live delivery. I will do my best, your highness."
"That's all I ask," Bail sat down as Padme leaned into Anakin's side as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. This didn't promise to be easy but he had a pretty good idea on where to start. He would not be surprised if Dooku had his son.
Leia glanced around Anakin and Padme's apartment noticing it was sparse, it appeared they were not into collecting too much of anything. She watched as Anakin and Ben walked through the door behind her as Padme walked out with a teapot and snacks causing her to frown. "It feels like we're intruding."
"Nonsense," Padme reassured with a smile. "It'll give us a chance to talk and get to know each other. You and Luke never had a chance to get to know us, have you?"
"No," Leia agreed as she sat down on the couch. "Ben and I appreciate your generosity."
Anakin sat down on the chair facing the couch as Leia diverted her eyes from his. "I'm curious about something, you have trouble making eye contact with me…"
Leia turned her attention back to Anakin and nodded. "It's difficult to see you like this compared to how I knew you," she answered honestly as she reached into her pocket and withdrew a small holo cube. She turned it on as Vader appeared as Anakin looked at it in pure shock. "This is how I knew you, as Palpatine's right hand and second most hated man in the galaxy."
Anakin studied the holo as he looked visibly shaken. Luke was right, he was in a fragile state of mind. "I'm so sorry," he stood up and walked to the balcony.
Leia turned the holo cube off as Padme handed her a cup of tea. "Is that how you really knew him?"
"Yes," Leia answered honestly as Padme frowned. "I never really knew him any other way."
"Leia, please don't hurt him," Padme warned with a frown. "Anakin had a rough life when I first met him, his mother died in his arms a few years ago. Go talk to him, get to know him."
"A rough life?" Leia questioned in confusion as Padme nodded.
"Anakin and his mother were sold into slavery when he was very young, that's when I met him when he was in his master's shop on Tatooine," Padme explained with a slight smile. "Qui Gon made a bet with his master for the Pod Race, and that's how he earned his freedom by winning the pod race."
"You said his mother died in his arms?" Leia questioned with a frown.
"Owen's father bought and freed Shmi, she was out collecting mushrooms one morning when the Tusken Raiders attacked and kidnapped her. By the time Anakin found her, she was on the brink of death. They exchanged a few words before her body gave out. He hadn't seen his mother in ten years," Padme paused for a moment as she looked at Leia with a smile. "Do you have any children?"
Leia nodded with a smile. "Three, Jaina, Jacen and I named my youngest after Anakin in hopes of recovering the innocence behind the name."
"You named one of your children after me?" Anakin questioned as he sat down beside Padme as Leia nodded. "I did some thinking and I don't want to be the reason you're mad or angry with me. I realize this is a chance to change things."
Leia gave an appreciative nod as she sipped the tea and placed it back down on the table. "How do you plan to find Luke? Palpatine won't confess or tell you."
"I've been thinking about that," Anakin answered with a frown. "I need to track down Ventress, she most likely knows where Dooku resides planetside. I wouldn't be surprised if he's the one who has Luke."
"She'll want a price for it," Padme pointed out with a frown. "Didn't Ahsoka promise her a pardon for her war crimes?"
"Do you think you can get it?" Anakin questioned with a curious expression as Padme nodded.
"I'll get the pardon, and see if she's willing to negotiate for it," Padme questioned as Anakin nodded in agreement. "But we should offer a bit more then what was originally promised. I'll make arrangements to get a certain amount of credits for her and double the fee to make it worth her while."
"You're the best, Padme," Anakin quickly kissed her on the lips. "I think if I go to Palpatine now, he'll make it more difficult to get Luke back."
"I agree," Ben agreed with a slight smile. "So can I call you grandpa now?"
"I prefer if you didn't," Anakin smirked. "I don't need to feel my age any more than I already do. Just call me Anakin."
"Grandpa it is," Ben smirked teasingly as Anakin shook his head sadly.
"What do you do for a living, Leia?" Padme questioned in curiosity.
"I'm a politician," Leia answered with a slight smile as Anakin groaned.
"Not another politician in the family," Anakin muttered under his breath as Padme smacked him teasingly on the arm. "And what about Luke?"
"Mechanic, grand master of the new Jedi order," Leia answered with a smirk. "Lacks your temper though."
"What?" Anakin questioned with a curious expression. "He's not my son? Padme did you cheat on me?"
"With Obi-Wan, didn't think it was a big deal," Padme answered with a teasing smirk.
"And here I thought you would say Clovis," Anakin said with a hard-edged tone making Leia wonder what the back story was. "But with my former master?"
"And here I thought you let it go by now, Ani," Padme smirked as Ben grinned.
"How did you earn a girl's nickname?" Ben questioned with a smirk.
"And pray tell from which planet did Ben get his sarcastic tongue from?" Anakin questioned with a frown. "My mother shortened my name to Ani, and it stuck with my childhood friends. Padme is the only one who references that nickname these days."
"His mother Mara Jade," Leia answered honestly. "Mara has been good for Luke."
"Aunt Leia is sarcastic, who did she get it from?" Ben questioned with a smirk.
"From Anakin," Padme answered with a grin. "What does your husband do?"
"He has a checkered background. He was raised and forced into stealing, later he joined the Imperials. Got dismissed for rescuing a slave wookiee. Did smuggling for several years before we met, and he's now a General in the New Republic army, he's a mechanic, excellent pilot and a natural born leader," Leia explained with a nervous tone. She wasn't sure how they would react knowing her husband was a criminal at some point.
"He rescued a slave?" Anakin questioned sounding a bit impressed. "Only an honorable man will do that. Despite him being a smuggler he sounds like someone worth holding onto. You wouldn't be with him otherwise."
Leia nodded in agreement as she felt herself beginning to relax around Anakin. His personality was too different from how she knew him during the war. Vader was completely different and that made her realize just how much the dark side could change someone so dramatically. She wondered how well Anakin and Han would've gotten along in the long run.
Leia stood up and walked to Anakin and sat down beside him on the couch. She did something she thought she would never do in this lifetime and wrapped her arms around him. He wrapped his arms around her as she finally felt peace for the first time.
Thanks for reading the the feedback :)