The light subsided and Luke's and Leia's bodies fell to the floor exhausted letting the light immerse itself into their father. The father's eyes snapped open. Electricity swam within blue, no longer yellow. Anakin Skywalker had returned. Without thinking he bolted up in the bed noting that the force binds were gone. He jumped over to the side of the bed and rushed over to where his children laid crumpled on the floor. He knelt down next to them not understanding what they had done and how they had done it. But what ever it was, it had drained them of all their energy. Gently he brushed back hair from each of their faces. Taking this opportunity to examine them closely. Luke looked like him and Leia looked like Padme. He turned sharply towards the door when he heard running footsteps and met Obi-Wan's eyes.
"They did it!" Obi-Wan breathed. "They did the impossible."
Anakin stood up then and walked over to his old mentor. He stopped and summoned his lightsaber. Obi-Wan's eyes widened in fear. "Fear is the path to the dark side," Anakin reminded him and walked away to the window. He ignited the crimson blade and threw it out the window into the lake where it was destroyed in the water.
"Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked.
Anakin looked at him. "Yes Master?" he said.
Obi-Wan let out a breath in relief. "You have one hell of a mess to clean up this time," he said.
Anakin looked over at the twins. "Is that the only set of jedi robes they recovered from the temple?" he asked.
"There is more in Luke's room. I'm sure your itching to get out of Vader's clothes," Obi-Wan told him putting a hand on Anakin's shoulder ready to take him to Luke's room.
"Wait," Anakin said and walked over to Luke and Leia. He knelt down next to Leia and picked her up before carrying her over to the bed where he set her down. He brushed her hair back from her face and kissed her forehead. He then did the same for Luke before walking over to the door where Obi-Wan stood.
"I'm guessing that red mark on your face is from Leia," Obi-Wan said.
"You can say that," Anakin told him.
"She takes after you, you know. Training her was as difficult as training you. Now Luke on the other hand, he had Padme's patience. He was much easer to train," Obi-Wan told him. He then looked at Anakin. "They've just earned their knighthood, you know. Bringing you back was their trial," he told him.
Anakin looked at him at that. "I'm assuming that you've had help then," he said.
"Master Yoda helped guide them and offered words of wisdom here or there when we went to see him, other than that, he had very little to do with their training," Obi-Wan told him. They walked inside Luke's room and stopped. "The robes are in that create, you'll find many of your things in there," he said. He then reached inside his own robes. "And I'm assuming that you will be needing this," he said handing Anakin his old lightsaber.
Anakin took it and ignited the blade. Seeing it made him see the faces of the jedi he had killed. He suddenly shut it off and handed it back to Obi-Wan. "Destroy it," he said.
Obi-Wan looked at him funny then. Then a look of understanding came over him. "I see. Well, we have the supplies to make a new lightsaber then. It seems as though the twins have your habit of loosing lightsabers," he said.
Anakin walked over to the crate and opened it finding the robes piled neatly on one side, an extra set of boots rested by the bed. He grabbed the jedi robes and walked into the refresher to change. Minutes later he walked out dressed as a jedi once again. He handed Obi-Wan the clothes he had taken off. "Burn these," he said handing him the boots as well. He then sat on the bed and pulled on the extra set of boots.
"I'll just take these down to the fireplace then," Obi-Wan told him. As he got to the door he stopped and turned around. "And Anakin, Padme isn't going to be as welcoming to you as we are. You're going to have to work extra hard and prove yourself before she can forgive you. You've hurt her too much," he said sadly. "I suggest that you give her some time," he said just before he left.
Once he was gone, Anakin placed his face into his hands. The things that he had done. How could she ever forgive him after what he did to her? She had to. He had to prove to her that he had changed. That he isn't Vader anymore. That he was sorry. But how was he going to do that after what he had done?
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Anakin stood out on the veranda the next morning with his palms resting on the railing. He watched the sun rise. He knew what he had to do now. He knew what he was going to do to fix things and he needed Luke's and Leia's help. He could still sense that they were resting. He wouldn't disturb them yet. He still marveled at what they had done. Where they had learned to do it was beyond him. If Obi-Wan could have done it, he would have already. He tensed as he felt a familiar presence come out on the veranda. He felt her fear before he turned around to face her and see it in her eyes.
"Padme," he began not knowing what to say.
She backed away from him and he noticed that her dress was torn and the bruises that had formed on her face and arms. He had done that. He hated himself. He had to make things right.
"I'm sorry," he said being brave and taking a step towards her.
Padme pulled out her blaster aiming it this time at his heart. "If you make one more move I'll kill you," she told him.
Anakin froze and put his hands up. "Okay," he said. "Fair enough. Force knows that I deserve it," he told her.
Her hand holding the blaster began to tremble and tears began to form in her eyes. "Damn you," she seethed. "I should have killed you on Coruscant! I would have too if my children weren't standing next to me!" she yelled.
Anakin said nothing. He knew that she needed to say it. She needed to get it out.
"You took everything from me! You will not take my children too!" she yelled.
"I'm not going to take Luke and Leia from you Padme," Anakin told her.
"You were their hero! They did everything so that they could make you proud! You took that away from them!" she yelled.
Anakin didn't say anything. Every word she spoke cut him like a knife. The blaster was still aimed at his heart. He didn't know whether or not she would actually do it. The Padme that he had known wouldn't have. But she isn't the same anymore. His Padme would never shoot him, but she had done that already. What would stop her from doing it again?
"You were the galaxies hero! You've betrayed us! You killed helpless children! You deserve to die!" She yelled at him.
Anakin watched as she moved to pull the trigger. So this was his fate? He wouldn't stop her. He knew that she was right. He stood there and said nothing. He merely watched as she pulled the trigger. Suddenly the blaster flew out of her hands and into the water. He watched helplessly as she crumpled to the ground crying. It was his fault. He had destroyed her. He tore his eyes away from her unable to watch her cry knowing that he couldn't do a thing about it and met Obi-Wan's eyes.
"What have I done?" he asked sinking to his knees.
Obi-Wan knelt down next to Padme and helped her up. "Things are going to get better from here," he said. "It has to," he added meeting Anakin's eyes and then looked at Padme. "Maybe it would be better if you rested," he said to her.
"I want him out of my house," Padme told him before going back inside.
Anakin watched her go before standing up. He said nothing as he walked over to bank ready to leave and do as she wished when Obi-Wan stopped him.
"So you're just going to give up without a fight then?" Obi-Wan asked.
"You heard what she said Master," Anakin told him.
"Then Anakin Skywalker is truly lost," Obi-Wan said disappointedly.
Anakin stopped and turned around. "What do you expect me to do Obi-Wan?" he demanded.
"I expect you to fight Anakin. Fight for your life back!" Obi-Wan told him. "If you leave now, Luke and Leia will sorely be disappointed. They've wanted nothing but for you to magically return to them, and look at what they have done! Was it for nothing?! Because I don't want to be the one to tell them that they had failed."
Anakin didn't say anything. He knew that what his children had done was considered impossible. He had already been a disappointment as a father, did he really want to continue like this?
"You have no idea how much we've all wished for you to come back to us Anakin. Don't leave us again. Stay here and fight. For Luke's and Leia's sake, don't walk away from your family again," Obi-Wan said.
"How do I even begin to fix what I've done?" Anakin asked.
"The force will guide you," Obi-Wan told him. His eyes lifted upwards. "It seems as they're waking up, it's about time too," he said. He then looked at him. "Go to them Anakin, you're going to need their help," he finished.
Anakin didn't need to be told twice. He took the stairs up to the balcony outside of the room that they were in. He had two angels to thank for the gift they had given him. When he stepped into the room both twins sat up and stared at him.
"Did it work?" Luke asked.
Anakin nodded. "You two are indeed powerful," he said walking fully into the room unsure of what to do next.
Leia eyed him skeptically but sprang up off of the bed and threw her arms around him once she saw his blue eyes.
Anakin wasn't sure what to do next. When he felt her tears he suddenly knew what to do. He held her close. "I'm sorry. So very sorry," he whispered.
Leia pulled away from him and looked into his eyes. "We forgive you," she told him.
Anakin held her tightly again and welcomed Luke into the hug, embracing both of his children for the first time. "Thank you," he said. "For not giving up on me," he whispered.
"You're our father, how could we give up on you," Luke told him.
Anakin pulled away from them for a moment. "I can't stay here," he told them.
"Why not?" Leia asked.
"I've done too much damage. Your mother hasn't forgiven me for what I did to her and I don't think she ever will. I can't be around here. I can't see her in pain," he told them.
Luke and Leia frowned. "Give her time, she'll forgive you," Luke told him.
"She loves you. You have to stay, if you leave now, it will kill her," Leia told him.
Anakin shook his head and stepped away. "I don't want to cause her any more pain than I already have," he said.
Leia grabbed his hand, his right one, "Then stay," she told him.
Anakin didn't know what to say to that. He wanted to stay with them more than ever but Padme had made her feelings very clear out of the veranda. But if he had any chance to fix things, he had to stay. He looked down to where Leia held his prosthetic hand and he somewhat knew what he needed to do. He met Leia's pleading eyes so much like Padme's and he gave in. "I'll stay," he said.
Leia smiled and Anakin loved that smile. It was her mother's smile. He wondered if he would ever see Padme smile in front of him again. He was even more determined to make things work if only to see that smile again.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Padme busied herself in the kitchen preparing breakfast. She needed to be doing something or else she would fall apart. She hated feeling this way. She hated her life now. But she had to keep on moving ahead. She couldn't afford to break down. Not now, not ever. She couldn't let Luke and Leia see her fall apart. Vader's attack on her the night before had shaken her up more than the first one. It unnerved her more than ever to see him standing out on the veranda this morning. She had planned on killing him then. She hesitated when she saw Anakin's eyes staring at her instead of Vader's. It unnerved her for him to act like Anakin. But it was a trick, she knew it and she would have killed him then anyway if Obi-Wan hadn't intervened. For a moment she entertained the thought that Anakin had finally returned. But she quickly shot it down. Anakin was gone. She had accepted it. She would never have her husband back. This man wasn't her husband. He was a stranger and she wanted him gone. She didn't want him here screwing with her sanity.
She didn't notice when her hands started shaking and she dropped the stack of plates on the floor. She cursed herself and him as she bent down to pick up the broken pieces. A second pair of hands joined hers, one flesh and one mechanical and she backed away as if burned. She stood up suddenly and so did he slowly. She made the mistake of looking into those eyes. They were still blue and filled with so much sorrow and guilt.
"Padme," he began and she back away further until her back hit the counter. She had nowhere to go as he approached her. She flinched when his hand touched her face. "There aren't enough words to express how sorry I am," he told her.
Her eyes flashed as she found a way to get away from him scooting to the side and turning trying to get as far as she could away from him. She watched as his shoulders slumped. She didn't say a thing to him. If she opened her mouth she would scream. But what was stopping her? Finally she passed the block of knives and pulled out the biggest one to defend herself should he come near her again.
"I want you out of my house," she told him.
He watched her every move but he didn't approach her again. "Luke and Leia want me to stay," He told her.
"We don't need you here nor do we want you Vader," she told him spitting out his chosen name. She saw him flinch at the name but her resolve didn't falter.
"Don't call me that," He told her.
"I'm not calling you Anakin," she told him. "Anakin died," she finished satisfied by the pain in his eyes. "I'm not fooled by this act Vader," she told him.
"It's not an act Padme," he said. "I'm not Vader anymore."
At that moment Luke and Leia walked in with Obi-Wan. Padme didn't keep her eyes off of Anakin. "Kids, pack your things we're leaving," she said.
"If you leave now, the Executor will capture you and bring you to the Emperor," Anakin told her.
"We've escaped capture before what makes you think we won't again?" Padme asked.
"The entire imperial fleet is looking for the Millennium Falcon," Anakin told her, "you wont get very far."
"Padme, it wouldn't be a good idea for us to leave while the Executor is hovering over Naboo," Obi-Wan told her.
"I don't want to be stuck here with him," Padme said.
"Mom, we just got here," Luke told her.
"We haven't been here for year and half," Leia whined.
Padme hated this. She was in a no win situation and they knew it. As long as the Executor was hovering over Naboo she couldn't leave to join the rebel alliance. They would be captured. They would be followed. She put the knife down on the counter and walked over to Obi-Wan. "Either you figure out a way for us to get out of this situation or I will," she told him before leaving the kitchen.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anakin watched as his children splashed each other in the face while they swam. They seemed to do a lot of swimming. He smiled faintly. They loved to swim he guessed. He used to loved to swim, once he learned how to. There were a lot of things that he used to take joy out of. But that was a part of a life he had thrown away. He didn't deserve this family. Not after what he had done.
"Do I have to warn you about negative thinking again?"
Anakin turned to where Obi-Wan stood next to him with his arms folded over his chest. Anakin leaned on the railing some more. "They like to swim don't they?" he asked.
"Very much. They swim at every opportunity they get," Obi-Wan told him. "We let them have their fun considering everything. Besides Swimming in the morning is good for them. The doctors recommend it," he said keeping an eye on the twins.
"What do you mean the doctors recommend it?" Anakin asked concerned by not only Obi-Wan's choice in wards but his tone also.
"Luke and Leia were born four months premature Anakin. Some of their organs including their lungs weren't fully developed and their hearts failed a few times. Padme barely made it through labor before going into postpartum depression. Neither of them could be taken out of a medical facility for a year. Bail Organa finally had convinced Polis Massa Medical Facility to release them into his personal care. If it weren't for either myself and the viceroy Padme and the twins would be dead," Obi-Wan told him reluctantly.
"I nearly killed them," Anakin said emotionlessly.
"Vader nearly killed them," Obi-Wan told him.
"But I am Vader," Anakin told him.
"Not anymore Anakin. You can never make up for the lives that Vader destroyed, but that doesn't mean that you can't move on from it. You cannot be the only one to blame. The only things that you can blame yourself for is the things that you weren't ordered to do. But even then, it is Vader who must be blamed for it, not you," Obi-Wan told him.
"There isn't much of a difference Obi-Wan. You can't blame Vader without blaming me," Anakin told him.
"From my point of view and the twins, you and Vader are entirely two different people," Obi-Wan told him.
"Padme doesn't share your point of view," Anakin said.
"Then you'll just have to persuade her to it," Obi-Wan told him.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"It looks like we're trapped," Han said as he and Chewie walked into the kitchen with food supplies that they had collected from the village. "There are storm troopers and imperials all over the place. We'll never get out of here unnoticed," he finished.
Padme grew alarmed at that. She could take hiding in her home, but hiding with the monster was another story. "We have no choice then to stay," She said disappointedly.
"Look, we'll find a way out of here soon. We'll find a way to get away from him. We've escaped worse before," Han told her and Chewie growled an agreement.
"It doesn't make me feel better," Padme told her.
"Look Padme while were stuck here Chewie and I will take turns guarding you at night so that you can sleep. We wont let another repeat happen," Han told her.
Padme smiled faintly. "What would I do without you Han?" she asked.
"Look. I owe you a life debt. Besides you and the twins are my family. There's no way Chewie or I would let something happen to you guys," Han told her.
I appreciate it. I really do," Padme told him giving him a kiss on the cheek and patting it before getting the supplies put away.