A/N: Hey! Merry Christmas! Here's the next chapter, and thanks for reading and reviewing!

Chapter Eleven: So Much to Lose

"Luke," said a distant, but familiar voice. "Luke, you have to wake up now."

Luke had no desire to open his eyes for whoever was speaking to him. His eyelids were very heavy, and he felt very hot, like somehow he had been transported back to Tatooine over night; only the twin suns of that dust ball could make a living organism feel as hot as Luke did.

"Luke," said the voice again, only this time it sounded closer, and something gently nudged him. Then there was that distinctive noise, the annoying, persistent bump that happened in perfect intervals. Was he in the Medcenter again? He hoped not. He absolutely hated Medcenters.

He barely opened one eye to check out the situation. It confirmed his fear. He was, in fact, in a Medcenter bed. The question was why. He hadn't done anything dangerous. The last he remembered he was falling asleep after a good day.

"What'ss goin on?" Luke managed. He didn't know how hard talking could be after a long sleep, or at least what felt like one.

There was a sigh of relief from the person sitting next to him. Without opening his eyes, Luke knew it was Anakin. It sounded like him, anyway. Luke didn't need to open his eyes, but he did anyway. He wished he hadn't. The results only disappointed him.

"You were sick, really sick," Anakin explained, but Luke wasn't paying attention. Something was wrong. Everything felt wrong. Luke tried to see over and around Anakin.

"Where's my mother?" Luke demanded.

"What?"

"Padme, where's Padme?"

"Oh," Anakin said, warily. "She and Leia had to go away for awhile."

"Why?" Luke asked. "What did you do?"

"Why do you assume it's something I've done?" Anakin's tone sounded like a mix between offended and amused.

"I don't know," Luke shrugged.

Anakin sighed. "They left with Obi-Wan because their lives are in danger. Right now, they need to hide."

Luke narrowed his eyes. Anakin was telling the truth, but not the whole truth. He knew when people weren't telling him anything. Years living with a Sith Lord pretending to be a father got him familiar with the feeling, the wrongness in statements. Luke's mind immediately went to the worst possible possibly.

"It's because of me, isn't it? My psycho imposter family has found us."

For a moment, Anakin didn't say anything, but he quickly recovered from his shock. "Actually, it's because of both of us. Lord Fintous has gotten to my former Padawan, and now she's going after all of us."

"Oh," said Luke, partly relieved that he wasn't the whole reason the Skywalker girls had left. "If we're all in danger, why did we have to split up?"

Anakin didn't have the heart to tell Luke that his sudden fever was the reason. Anakin used extra precaution in the Force this time, hoping it was enough to give a white lie to his son. He shrugged, and said, "It was the best plan Obi-Wan could think of."

"This plan sucks!" Luke said, not giving the idea another moment of thought.

"Tell me about it," said Anakin.

The Medcenter room grew silent over after that. Luke didn't realize how tired he was, and Anakin had so much to worry about that he sort of forgot how to talk. It was for the best, though, because Luke needed to fight off the fever.

"Hey, Anakin," Luke said, quietly and half asleep.

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're here."

"Me too, buddy," said Anakin, and with that, Luke fell back into a deep sleep.

Once again, Anakin watched as his son slept in the Medcenter bed. It was sort of strange and funny that it hadn't been too long ago that him and Padme discussed Luke's uncertain future while he slept in the very same room. Then Anakin worried that Luke wouldn't be able to fight the darkness he was raised in, but now it seemed as if Luke was a whole new person, happy and careless like any thirteen year old should be.

For that Anakin was very thankful, but he couldn't help to feel worried at the same time. Obi-Wan was getting along in age and what if him, Padme and Leia were attacked? What if Anakin lost them? Anakin didn't know if he would be able to take that, but he knew for sure that Luke wouldn't be able to.

Anakin.

Anakin paused, and focused just on the Force. Something was calling him, or someone. He decided to ignore it; after all, it was probably just some rowdy youngling playing a joke at the wrong time.

Anakin.

He shifted in his chair, slightly uncomfortable.

Anakin.

He ignored it.

VADER!

This time Anakin jumped from his chair. No youngling knew of that name. In fact, no one but Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Padme knew of that name. His heart raced. He and Luke were in danger.

"Master Skywalker, are you alright?" Anakin turned and saw Etha's young Padawan, a girl called Jamie, standing in the doorway.

"Yes, I am fine," Anakin told her, regaining his composure. "Would you mind looking after Luke for awhile? There's something I need to do."

"Yeah, sure," said Jamie.

Anakin followed the taunting calls, drawing on the Force more and more. He had to find the dark Force user who was calling him. How did this person know about Vader? Whoever it was, they couldn't be on his side.

His suspicions were proven correct when Anakin entered a dark alley just outside of the Jedi Temple. Standing at the other side stood the boy who claimed to be Luke's brother; the same boy Anakin had scared away only days before.

"I knew you'd come if I used your true name," Gage said, chillingly.

"You are foolish," Anakin said, "that has never been my name, just a desperate old Sith's dream that never came true."

Gage looked off into a distance. "Yeah, at least not yet."

Anakin ignited his lightsaber and took several swift steps. Before Gage could blink, the glowing blue blade was up against his throat.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't break you right here and now?" Anakin couldn't help feeling angry. His almost fall to the dark side wasn't something that brought back good memories, and he wouldn't stand for some Sith wanna-be punk talking about it without consequences.

"Because my Master has a message," Gage said, without any fear coming from his voice.

"You mean your father," said Anakin, trying to understand the situation Luke had lived in most of his life. Luke had been convinced he didn't have a Master, and yet this Gage claimed Lord Fintous as a Master, not father.

"No." Gage narrowed his eyes.

"What's the message?" Anakin pressed.

"He says if you want to see your apprentice again, you need to go to Mustafar."

Anakin frowned. That must be some sort of trick. They would wait for him to leave the planet, and then go straight for Luke. But if it wasn't a trick, Ahsoka would either die or become so involved with the dark side it would be impossible to free her.

"We don't play games, Vader." Gage blinked. "Mustafar has always been your fate. It's just time you stop fighting it."

Anakin frowned again. What was this kid talking about?

"You have two hours to think it over," said Gage, before taking a huge jump and disappearing into the night, leaving Anakin to curse himself for not seeing that move coming.

Anakin walked slowly back to the temple. What was he going to do? If he went to rescue Ahsoka, who may or may not be a sith, Luke would be defenseless. If he stayed with Luke, Ahsoka would surely cease to be Ahsoka, or cease to be at all.

And there was the fact that he wasn't invincible. If he went to Mustafar, a trap might be waiting, and he had so much to lose. A beautiful wife who carried another unborn child, a daughter, and now a son who couldn't afford to lose anything else.

He just didn't know what to do.

A/N: Hey guys. Wow, only a few chapters left! I can't believe it!

You have this to look forward to in the last chapters: 2 people will die… and one of them is NOT the Sith Lord. Sequel anyone?

VAD

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful. I know that full well. Psalms 139:14