A/N: Thanks for reviewing. ^^

All rights belong to George Lucas. ;)

All righty...

Chapter 2

It was night.

Leia lay awake in bed, staring up at the stucco ceiling. Han slumbered beside Leia, hogging the blankets again. Typical, she thought, sitting up on the edge of the bed. The day's events had been surprising at the least. Her deep brown eyes looked vaguely around the room. They came to rest on Han, his back to her. She started to wonder how he could sleep with this shocking news when he turned around and surprised her with his hazel eyes, open and staring. His hand snaked up from under the sheets and felt for Leia's.

"You aren't sleeping," it was a statement, not a question. He propped himself up on one arm, watching his wife silently, his eyes full of concern. She looked away from his face, staring at her hand clasped in his large one. They were calloused, warm and safe. She often felt secure in them, but not tonight. The princess looked up at Han, and suddenly her defenses came down. He was startled to see s different Leia, not the snappy sharp-tongued princess with a rock-hard determination he knew, but a wide eyed, confused soul, unsure and heartbroken. She was a person who had hastily put together her heart from where they had been lying on the floor, broken and shattered. She had put the pieces together with honey, it was sticky, it soothed, but it would eventually rot away to nothing, an empty lie, eaten by the insects of Loss and Despair. It had held together, but it fell apart inevitably once in a fateful while. It was mending now, not with more honey, but with love.

The two gazed at each other in silence.

"I still can't believe he was my father," Leia's voice was soft, threatening to fall away. Han nodded.

"It doesn't matter,"

"But it does,"

"Don't lie to yourself." Han said, just as quietly. Leia stared at him in anguish.

"But it does!" she bolted to her feet, confusion and hurt making her angry. She decided to be angry; it was easiest.

"Leia, it doesn't matter where you're from, it matters only who you become!" His eyes pleaded to her, but Leia took no notice. She shook her head.

"Go to sleep, Han," she whispered, deflated. Han gave her an expectant look and she climbed back into bed. Han rearranged the blankets so they were equally dispersed again and leaned over to give Leia a good night kiss. He closed his eyes, his hand tight over hers. This time Leia fell asleep, the events of the day and fatigue joining together to overwhelm her into rest.

Her dreams made sense, they seemed almost real. It was not the type of dream where one thing coincided with another, blending to the oddest scenario and nonsense. It was as clear as day, and that frightened her.

She stood in a garden, with plants and flowers everywhere. Behind her there was a large palace with many circular turrets and rooms, covered with blue domed roofs. In the distance there was a large river pouring into the most beautiful waterfall she had ever seen. She was reminded of Alderaan, but she knew it was not her home planet.

"Leia,"

Leia's hand once again jumped to her blaster, to find it not by her side. She whirled around to see a woman sitting on a white curly-cued bench. She looked awfully familiar...

"Padme Amidala," she gasped. Her feet were frozen to the spot as she stood up from a bench and began approaching her daughter. She was even more beautiful in person, her eyes sad and clear. Leia's heart skipped a beat as Padme reached out to touch her face. She was very much solid, and not a ghost.

"Oh Leia," she sighed again. Leia calculated that she couldn't be much older than herself, maybe about two or three years.

She took Leia's hand, guiding her gently through the garden to the edge rail. The daughter took in the sights, realizing where she was.

"Are we in Naboo?" her voice was hushed. Padme smiled, nodding. "It's beautiful."

"I used to be Queen, but we believed in democracy, so I stepped down and became a Senator of the Old Republic." She smiled warmly at Leia, who managed a small grin in response.

"It's not an easy job," she said, watching the people walk about the town like tiny pegs in a board game, pausing by awnings to buy food and things.

"You've got that right," Padme winked. Her face turned somber again. "Anakin and I are so proud of you." she said, and Leia cringed. Padme looked into her eyes, brown to brown. "He loves you, Leia. He was a great Jedi, he is a loving person. You place a dark mask on Anakin Skywalker because you are afraid." Leia said nothing. "You name him Darth Vader. He was a completely different person."

Leia had taken complete trust in Padme Amidala from the start, from when she saw her face in the holo, sad, but true.

She was very beautiful...kind...but sad.

She now looked at her, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"Please, believe me." she whispered.

And Leia woke.

She woke to find Anakin Skywalker perched at the foot of her bed.

Leia gasped once again, scrabbling for Han. He wasn't there. Panic overwhelmed her even more than usual and she wailed for Han.

"Shh," Anakin's phantom soothed, his boyish face creased in sorrow and worry. "Your husband woke up and left after eating breakfast." Leia looked to the chrono. Sith, I'm late.

"What are you doing here?" she growled. "What do you want?"

Anakin Skywalker looked at his daughter sadly.

"I want you to know that I am your father. Not Darth Vader."

"You are Darth Vader," Leia snarled.

"Listen to Han Solo," he said suddenly, and Leia looked momentarily puzzled, surprised enough to forget to act hostile. "Did you hear what he said, last night?" Leia hesitated.

"It does not matter where or who you are from, it only matters what you do with your life," His eyes burned blue, even though he was a ghost.

"He gives wise advice, ex-space pirate or not. He is a good husband." A trace of a smile fell over Leia's face.

"I know," she replied.

"Even though people may frame you as the daughter of the evil Sith Lord Darth Vader, they will only see what you have become; a wise, determined, beautiful young woman," Anakin smiled, and Leia found the heart to return the gesture.

"Thank you," Leia paused, "Father." A brightness entered the eyes of Force ghost of Anakin Skywalker, and he bent over to give Leia a kiss on the forehead, father to daughter.

"No," he added. "Thank you."

The phantom of Anakin Skywalker faded back into the Force.

And Leia's heart was mended.

But she knew she would always have scars. That's when she would need Han, Luke, her mother Padme, and her father, a Jedi Knight named Anakin Skywalker.

Phew. Finished. :D

Reviews would be very welcome.