Blinded By Love

By Serena

A/N: Finally got a chance to update this. Was inspired by watching the new Clone Wars season encore. :D


"Ty!" I gasped. "Ty, are you all right?" I reached out unseeingly for him, but I kept my other hand tightly wrapped around Luke's. I couldn't let him go. "Ty!"

"He's unconscious," said Luke, sounding frustrated.

"What?" I turned towards Vader's breathing. "Why did you do that?" I demanded. "Why did you try to kill him?"

I got no reply. But I felt something… something strong. Dark. I shivered instinctively and held Luke's arm more tightly. A presence touched my mind. Probed gently. For what, I didn't know. But I didn't like it. I tried to set up mental blocks, and the presence halted, then drew away. But something about it just felt so… so familiar.

But suddenly, the presence wrapped itself around my mind, delving in deep to my inner thoughts. I gasped, unable to stop the new flood of emotions crashing into me. It was so warm… so hot…

Anakin… Anakin, help me!

I couldn't take it any longer. "Luke," I mumbled. My eyes slid shut.

The last thing I heard was Luke's cry of "Mother!" before everything went black.


"I'm supposed to be on a meditative retreat. We should go away together. I know a place, far away from here, where no one will recognize us. Yeah, it'll be like we're actually husband and wife… instead of Senator and Jedi."

"I… I can't, Ani."

"What do you mean you can't?"

"I have to bring this bill before the senate. It's important."

"Uh-huh. More important than the way you feel about me?"

"Not more important. But important!"

"Isn't our love more important to you? No-no but! To me, there's nothing more important than the way I feel about you. Nothing."

Vader's eyes squeezed shut painfully as he remembered that conversation that was so long ago. It seemed like a lifetime ago. And maybe it was.

He'd gone to that ridiculous farce of an assembly not as an opportunity for neutral ground, but to see his son again. His foolish son, who was blind to the real truth about the Force, who'd been indoctrinated by Obi-Wan Kenobi into believing that the Jedi were the incredibly peace keepers of the galaxy, and that he had killed Anakin Skywalker. That he was not Luke's real father.

He had gone to try to convince his son once again to join him on the right side. Why couldn't Luke see the truth? The Jedi were arrogant, self-righteous, and above all, heartless. No attachment. No joy, hate, anger, frustration, no love. No emotion. They were so cold, so set apart from everyone else. They might as well have been robots. But even droids had more feeling than most Jedi.

But then his plans had been swept under the rug, completely forgotten when she showed up in a blaze of gunfire. She looked the same as so many years ago. Delicate, gently curved body. Luscious, thick chestnut curls that fell in her face.

But her eyes. Those beautiful, soulful brown eyes that could be so intense, so passionate, and yet at the same time so gentle and loving… they were glassy. Sightless.

Those eyes ripped his heart open once again. Reminded him of feelings and emotions long forgotten, long buried in the past.

His senses hadn't been wrong. She was alive. She was alive. She was here. He didn't know how, or why, but he didn't care. It didn't matter how she got here, or what she was doing here.

She was his. And his alone.

The only difference was… she couldn't see.

It didn't matter, though. He could still see her. Now he just had to get her back before the Rebels and Mon Mothma dragged her away to their foolish crusade. He had to get both of them back. His son. His wife. They would be a family again.

Vader glanced down at his chest piece, filled with blinking lights. He touched it in disgust. Well, almost a family.

He had to speak with her. Because nothing was more important than the way he felt about her.

Nothing.


"… did you run off like that? We were in the middle of a diplomatic assembly! The last thing… need is to… caught up in a fight… Vader!"

"Leia… you don't understand…"

I heard voices, muddled at first, but slowly, the pieces came together, and the voices became clearer. I heard Luke and a young woman talking somewhere near me in hushed, urgent voices.

"Leia… it's my mother."

A pause.

"Your… mother?"

"Yes. I don't know how, but she's alive. She knew who I was."

"How do you know? It could be some scheme set up by Vader…"

"No. No, it's not. Leia, let me show you. She's sleeping, but you need to see her. I know it's my mother. I can feel it. Just like you knew where I was, and that I was in trouble on Bespin."

The young woman sighed. "Luke… I don't know…"

"Just come and see," Luke urged gently. "Please."

"Well, all right."

A curtain slid back. And I heard a truly astonished gasp.

"Leia?" Luke said, puzzled.

A warm, small hand gently touched mine.

"Mmm…." I groaned softly and moved my head to the side. I opened my eyes even though I couldn't see. "Luke?"

I heard a choked sob. Frowning slightly, I reached over and put my other hand on the stranger's hand touching mine. "Luke, are you there?"

"I'm here, Mom," said Luke softly. His hand touched my arm. "I'm here. This is Leia. My friend."

I started to tremble.

Oh Force. Oh Force.

"Leia…" I whispered, squeezing the small hand that was shaking so much. "Leia."

The young woman started to cry. I enveloped her small hand in both of mine, feeling tears run down my own face.

"Leia? Mom? What's…" Luke trailed off, and I knew that he was sensing something more.

"Luke," I said shakily, "This is Leia. Your sister."

"Mom," Leia sobbed, reaching forward and pulling me into a hug, resting her head on my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around her tightly as tears streamed down my face. I couldn't believe it. Both my children… my children. They were here. Together. Friends… and all the while, they had no idea that they were twins.

"I love you," I whispered to both of them. "I love you so much."

I thanked the Force that we had been reunited after so much pain, so much suffering. I had my children back at last. Everything would be all right.

Unfortunately, I should have known better than that.


TBC...


Thoughts and comments are appreciated! Really looking forward to seeing some Ani/Padme in the new CL season.

- Serena