Four days later

Planet: Alderaan.

Mara opened her eyes as the cabin was swallowed in the beeping of the hyper drive -they'd arrived and it was time to find Padmé Naberrie.

Anakin had already pulled them out of hyperspace -he was wearing a black tunic, pants and high boots without the mask. And Mara had to admit if it wasn't for his height now he looked like the Anakin Skywalker she'd seen in holo pics.

Mara smiled -she wore the same attire- according to their calculations it'd take them twenty minutes to get to the spaceport and land, then another ten minutes to get to the Palace -where they kept the files on the planets residents.

He started the ships decent to the planet and Mara reached out trying to work through the funny feelings she was getting from the Force and the planet.

Half an hour later she and Anakin had entered the palace and were heading up to the second floor.

"Not too shabby" Mara murmured as she walked round the turbo lift spotting every camera and sensor.

She nodded over his shoulder -in a way that security couldn't see she was showing him the main camera.

Anakin looked then nodded "Yep, actually pretty impressive" Mara nodded yes it was…her head snapped up as a vision flashed before her eyes of Alderaan exploding.

Anakin lifted a worried eyebrow "You okay?" she nodded but sent him the vision, he nodded back. He understood.

The turbo lift doors opened and they stepped out, they were halfway to the entrance to the grand library when he grabbed her and spun round and pulled them behind a pillar.

Mara barely contained her yelp and held her head for a second when they'd stopped and looked up at him "What's getting into you?"

She asked frowning at his worried expression and he nodded back over his shoulder, Mara looked. To see a brown haired, brown eyed woman walking down the corridor to them, next to the queen, a young girl -about a year older than Mara herself- who also had brown hair and brown eyes and also another young girl with white hair.

Mara's eyes widened when she realised it was Padmé, she looked at Anakin who looked totally scared. How sad he was scared to even see his wife. Mara took a breath and was about to step into her pathway when he grabbed her arm.

His eyes pleading her not to, Mara sighed and let them women pass, still watching them out of the corner of her eye. Once they'd got into the turbo lift she turned her glare on Anakin who grimaced.

"What the hell were you thinking!" Mara demanded.

He looked at her "I don't know I just couldn't!" Mara took a deep breath -anger is a path to the dark side she reminded herself.

"Sorry, I can understand…but Ani" she took his hands and squeezed them "You have to get over this fear, what will happen will happen" he nodded.

"I know…I'm sorry, did I hurt you when I spun you round?" 4

Mara shook her head "No, I just wasn't expecting it" She smiled at him "Come on, let's get her address and head over there" he nodded and they entered the library.

Bail was on his annual security check, the first for this month when he spotted two familiar people standing in the turbo lifts on the way up to the grand library.

"Punch up that picture!" he ordered and the picture grew on his screen.

Yes it was them! The young girl with the red-gold hair and green eyes he'd seen around the Imperial Palace from time to time when he was there on business and the man was a ghost from his past.

Anakin Skywalker! And not Vader wrapped up in his armour a real life in the flesh Anakin Skywalker -though he was taller.

Bail swallowed his wife, daughter, her companion Winter and Padmé were in the Grand library!

"Get the Grand library on screen" it appeared next to the other and he sighed when he saw them leaving.

But it'd been too soon to relax, the lift doors opened and the two stepped out and started down the corridor, they were nearly to the entrance when Anakin grabbed the girl and spun round and pulled them behind a pillar.

This time Bail knew he could relax -Anakin was afraid of talking to his wife- that'd give Bail the time to get them away. Bail left the security room and headed down to their private quarters where he knew they'd be going to next.

Mara typed the name into the computer and it seemed like an age before the computer spat out her home.

Mara blinked "She lives right here in the palace -she's one of the queens aides"

Anakin nodded frowning "Come on, I think Bail saw us" Mara nodded and they quickly departed.

Leia was just picking up her mail when her father rushed in looking flustered "What's wrong father you look like you've seen a ghost."

She commented "All of you pack your bags we need to go!" Leia jumped at the order and looked at her mother and Padmé.

"What's wrong Bail?" Padmé asked, Leia heard the door opening -probably the maid, he swallowed about to talk when a young girl and tall man entered.

Padmé gasped and collapsed as she rested eyes on him.

Mara and Anakin ran as fast as they could to the quarters avoiding security wherever they could and using Mara's mind tricks when needed. Anything to get there before they tried to leave. Mara waved her hand at a small door and it opened, they slowed their pace and entered.

The queen was standing next to Bail, the young princess and her friend next to the table and Padmé in the middle, she looked just as beautiful as the day they wed. They all looked at the intruders and Padmé's face paled, she gasped then collapsed.

Padmé was standing next to Leia when a girl rushed in followed closely by a tall man, Padmé's heart stopped. Anakin! Padmé heard herself gasp then her legs turned to jelly and she collapsed, his eyes flashed with worry as did the girl that was standing next to him.

Bail spun round and pulled his blaster, but even before he could fire a shot the girl held up a hand and sent the blaster into the wall with such a strong Force grip that it shattered.

Leia and Winter yelped and backed away as did the queen but Bail just stood there frozen. The girl found her voice first before the rest of them, Padmé still staring at Anakin -she never thought she'd see his blue eyes ever again!

"Look we didn't come here for a fight! We came to clear up the past –we don't want to hurt any of you. We just need to talk to Padmé"

Padmé moved her eyes to the red-gold haired girl with green eyes and suddenly recognised her voice.

"Farae?" she breathed and the girl looked at her and shook her head.

"No, I'm Mara Jade, Emperor's Hand"

Bail made a dash for the comlink on the wall but stopped at a warning glare from her.

"Me and Anakin came to see Padmé as just these two people -we don't want the Emperor to know we've defected, not until we can get control over the Death Star anyway"

She blinked "Sorry strayed off the path there. The point is we don't want the Emperor to know we've contacted you"

Padmé nodded and found her voice "Alright, we'll keep your presence a secret," she swallowed and looked at Anakin, "and we will talk."

Mara nodded "Good, now let's get you to your feet"

She held out a hand and Padmé took it "Thank you"

She shrugged "Don't sweat it, just doing my duty, is there anywhere more private where you two can talk?"

Padmé looked at Bail and he nodded not looking very happy "Sure you can use my office"

Anakin turned and left the room first and Padmé followed, a fresh new wave of emotions washing over her.

The girl watched them leaved then turned to the others "Organa's, Winter, Leia" she nodded her head to them in greeting.

Leia frowned as she looked the girl up and down something about the girl was strange, she'd removed the blaster from her father's hand without so much as touching him!

She looked straight at Leia "Calm down Princess, I am a Jedi not a Sith" Leia frowned at her words.

She was about to ask what she meant when she got a warning look off her father, instead she sat down and waited for them to come back.

Padmé closed the door behind her and turned to Anakin, he was keeping his distance from her and she could tell he was she wanted to do was believe this was true that it wasn't a dream like she thought it was.

He looked at her with his blue eyes and Padmé had forgotten how much she'd missed and loved them.

"Padmé…" he started then lost his voice, so she broke the stiffness between them.

"I see you still have that scare from Sing"

He nodded "Yes I do, they offered to remove it when I had my surgery but I refused. It's part of my past"

Your past with me Padmé thought silently "Look Padmé I know you must still hate me for nearly killing you -hell I thought you were dead until four days ago!"

Padmé looked at him, she'd assumed he'd just didn't care anymore. Padmé struggled to find her voice.

"I don't hate you Anakin" he blinked looking her straight in the eyes "You don't?" she shook her head.

"Everyone says I should be but I could never hate you Anakin, I love you!" his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open slightly and she stared at him.

"You didn't think I still do?" he dropped his eyes to the floor. "I thought no one would ever love me again, especially you, not after what I did"

Padmé couldn't help herself, she walked over to him and slipped her arms around his chest.

Anakin stared at Padmé a moment, she was actually holding him, then put his arms round her and held her close to him. Even before she started he felt a tear roll down his cheek, she looked up at him fresh ones of her own welling up.

"I never thought I'd lay eyes upon you again" she whispered "That's what I hated" he stared at her brown eyes.

"I never thought I'd hold you again" he whispered back and she smiled.

"Ani, you came back!" she then without warning stretched up and kissed him.

It only a small, short one but it made Anakin whole, bringing back all of him, restoring him to Anakin Skywalker.

When their lips parted he held her close, feeling her need him to. "I love you Padmé" he whispered and she started to cry again.

"I love you too!" Anakin smiled at her and she smiled back "Nineteen years who'd of thought it eh?"

He smiled at her joke "I never thought so. But my love for you has never died, even when I did" she swallowed. And his smile fell "I'm sorry our child didn't survive even if you did" she wiped away his fresh tears then stood on tiptoe and whispered in his ear.

"They are as alive as you or I" he stared at her and she smiled "Your little girl is out there" she nodded to the door.

Anakin looked behind him, he should have seen it, when he first met her at the Senate last year.

"Leia is my daughter?"

Padmé nodded "Obi-Wan, Yoda and Bail decided it was best they were not brought up directly by me, I agreed once I heard of it. Her Majesty insisted I be a part of her life even if not directly -we were going to tell her and send her to Yoda when she turned twenty"

Anakin smiled his child was alive and well, then he frowned his brain catching up with him.

"Hang on you said they are alive!" she smiled again laughing lightly at his puzzled look.

"We also decided it would be best to split them up, Luke your son is with his aunt and uncle on Tatooine"

This pushed Anakin over the edge of happiness and he kissed her again, she smiled when they parted and tears started to rage down his cheeks.

Mara paced up and down the floor feeling a mixture of emotions coming from the room.

Love, fear, relief, happiness, love again, shock, surprise all too much for Mara to swallowed at once.

Then she heard the tears, she shot a look at the others -warning them not to move-then went to the door and opened it. To Mara's relief Anakin and Padmé were hugging -Anakin the one crying, with Padmé shedding some herself.

They look at her and Anakin beckoned her over, Mara paused this was a private moment for them. But Padmé smiled at her, and Mara walked over.

"Padmé I'd like you to meet Mara, she's been my rock for the past eighteen years. At eight she brought me back, with a very good argument."

Mara blushed but Padmé smiled more "Thank you Mara"

Mara shrugged "Ani's been like a father to me. We helped each other."

Anakin looked at Mara then at Padmé "Mara needs to know about Farae -she died in labour"

Padmé's eyes showed the pain "Oh…yes of course I'll tell you, Mara, and I'm sorry you didn't get to know her yourself"

Mara nodded and looked between them "Okay what little joyous secret are you both keeping from me?"

She demanded and Padmé grinned "You've taught her well!" Anakin smiled "She's a good student, show her something once and she'll catch on straight away!"

Padmé laughed "That's good! Go on Ani tell her with the Force" he looked at her "You sure?" and she nodded "Of course if you trust her that much!"

Anakin looked at her I have a son and a daughter! Mara blinked and looked back at the other room.

Leia?

She demanded and he nodded and Mara grinned and hugged him "I'm so pleased for you Ani and you Padmé!"

Mara then froze. She'd be alone now, Anakin had his wife back and pretty soon his children, he'd be busy with them. There was no one left for Mara.

Anakin looked sharply at her "Mara you'll always have a place in my heart! I promise you won't be alone!"

Padmé nodded "He's right Mara, we owe you too much and you're important to him, to me too you'll always have a place in our family"

Mara blinked back tears "Really?" Family -she said family! Anakin nodded "Yeah she did kid" And with that Mara grabbed them both and held them close.

Padmé smiled at Anakin as the girl hugged them both. But it'd been more than mere words to her, she felt that Mara was a part of the family -that she would be connected to the family properly in the future.

Bail appeared at the door and he froze, but when Padmé smiled at him he smiled back and looked back over his shoulder.

She knew he meant Leia and she nodded "Should I get her now?" Padmé looked at Anakin "Should we?"

He frowned "She needs to know, for her sake not ours" Bail nodded "I guess waiting till she was twenty was a silly idea."

"What was a silly idea?" Leia's voice came from the door and they all turned to her.

Hi guys I hope you enjoyed the second chapter. There's only one more chapter to this volume (they are really short volumes, about nineteen –twenty five word doc pages each). I will put up chapter 3 sometime after I get back from Spain –I get back on the 11th of this month. Please review, and continue to enjoy.