Vader had had his eyes closed while waiting for the young boy to submit, so it was a surprise when he felt something moving his arm. Looking down he saw the small boy pressing close to him, huge tears on his thin cheeks.

Vader pulled the child into his lap and let him moan. Luke seemed so small that Vader couldn't help wondering if the records on the child had been correct about his age. He certainly didn't seem seventeen.

Vader was tempted to speak to the boy, but Luke's eyes were closed. Vader imagined that Luke was trying to convince himself that he was in someone else's arms. Vader let the boy cling to him and he didn't bother him.

Luke pressed against Vader. He hated himself for not being able to avoid this need for human contact. He wished that it was someone other than his family's killer who came to his cell every day. He wished that he was pressed against his father instead of his father's killer.

Vader's huge hands started to brush through the boy's hair. Luke mumbled something quietly and his small hands slipped into Vader's cape and he clung there. Vader allowed himself to forget, just for a moment, everything he had done and just hold the little boy.

Luke pressed his cheek to his worst enemy's shoulder and cursed himself for his weakness. He couldn't help it. Vader came every day, the only person in the galaxy who seemed to care at all what happened to the rebel farm boy. He was almost glad that Vader never brought food. All he ever brought was himself, his strange willingness to listen and his gentle offer of comfort. He treated Luke as an equal, despite the fact that he could kill him with a glance.

Vader stared at the boy who lay in his arms. He seemed so young and weak. He was so small. He refused to be dependant, but he needed love so badly. Vader stroked the little boy's back.

Perhaps this might have been how it would feel to care for his son or daughter if it had survived. Except that then the child would trust him completely, it wouldn't be sending out crashing waves of loathing amongst the gentle wash of happiness that someone had time for it. And most of all then the child would be coming to him with some small hurt, not a massive combination of many large wounds.

Luke shivered and Vader carefully wrapped him in his cape. The boy didn't struggle he just curled into a ball so that there was less of him to cover.

Suddenly the boy spoke, brushing aside his tears, "Why do you care?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why do you care about me? Aren't I just another rebel?"

"No. I need someone who needs me. Someone who will come to me like this."

"And you were willing to wait all this time for me to be that person?" Luke's hand fumbled with the hem of Vader's cape.

"Yes."

"Can I call you something other than Lord Vader? We won't ever be able to be close if I have to call you by that name."

"After what I've done to your family I can understand if you wouldn't want to, but I like the idea of being 'Dad' to someone." Vader gave a pained smile that Luke couldn't see.

Luke nodded, "I think I can do that. I owe you for your time."

"Please don't think of it as a matter of owing me."

Luke pressed closer to his semi-adopted father. "Thank you, Dad."

They sat together for a while and Vader was vaguely aware that he should have left long ago.

Suddenly Luke looked up at him, tears in his eyes again, "I don't have any information."

"What?"

"I don't have any information about the Alliance. I never even got to their base. I'm being tortured for nothing." His small hands formed fists, "They're trying to get information that I don't have out of me and they're going to kill me for an alliance that lasted less than a day. This is all a mistake. I was never any help to anyone. I just want to go back to the farm and my aunt and uncle. I wish this hadn't happened." With that Luke started to punch every part of Vader he could reach.

Vader caught the child's hands in his own and stroked his back gently, "Hush, Luke. I'm sorry. You're only hurting yourself when you try to punch me."

"I don't care!" Luke sobbed hysterically, "I don't care! What does it matter? They're just going to hurt me tomorrow." He dove back into Vader's arms and hung there. Vader was reminded of marsupials, the behavior of the child clinging to its parent.

Vader stayed in the cell, stroking his adopted son's hair and trying to comfort him. Finally he had to go, though, "I'm sorry, Luke. I was supposed to be somewhere else hours ago, I have to leave."

Luke drew back out of Vader's arms and curled up on the floor. Vader stood and retreated from the cell, glancing back over his shoulder at the tiny body on the floor. "Goodnight, Luke."

"Goodnight."