Just so you guys know, it's killing me as well not having as much time to write. I'm itching to continue, but I don't have time, gah, its maddening! I will be writing and posting as much as possible because I'm just as addicted to this story as you are haha. It's a thorn in my side when I can't write! Here, FINALLY, is the next chapter! Thank you for all of the reviews and your miraculous patience, please don't forget to review, and Enjoy!

(Alternate Timeline)

"What?"

Anakin's words had been followed by several beats of stunned silence before what he had told them registered in the twin's minds. Leia was staring intently at her father, as if trying to see if he was pulling her leg. Luke, however, was just sitting there, too shocked to move. His brain simply didn't want to accept what he'd been told. It couldn't accept it.

And yet . . . it felt like the truth. He knew it was the truth. But he was still struggling to comprehend what that meant.

Leia looked between her brother and her father, working to form her shattered thoughts into words.

Anakin stood and went to kneel in front of his son, catching his eyes and holding them in a firm gaze. "Jedi Luke was you from a different time, a much darker time. He did everything in his power to save this family, and was ready to give everything. Now, it seems, you're starting to gain the memories of your other self, from the alternate time that he helped us avoid."

Luke shook himself out of his stupor a little, blinking rapidly. Words still evaded him, and he glanced around the room at all of the eyes on him, feeling suddenly as if he couldn't breathe. Slowly he stood up.

"I-I need some air," he said hastily. Anakin stepped back and let Luke leave the room, watching until he had disappeared around the corner.

Anakin sighed, feeling Luke's deep confusion through the Force, and he hardly registered Padme's soothing hand on his shoulder. Anakin glanced at her but turned his attention to his daughter. "I should have told you both sooner…"

Leia, who had her arms crossed over her chest, seemed to be struggling with annoyance at her and her brother being kept in the dark about something so big. "It would have helped, yes," Leia said, her tone betraying some of her raging emotions. Obi-Wan narrowed his gaze on her a little and Leia hung her head in shame, catching the disapproving glint in her Master's eyes. "I think I need some time alone too; to think about this," Leia murmured.

Anakin nodded. "I understand."

Leia sighed. "I'll…be in my room meditating…"

Anakin watched her go, worry on his face. He sighed, trying to get himself to relax a little. "Maybe I should have waited longer…" he mumbled.

Obi-Wan shook his head as he stood up from his chair. "No Anakin, you did the right thing. They're just going to need time to figure things out for themselves."

Anakin ran his hand through his hair. "Yes…yes of course…but still…"

Obi-Wan clasped Anakin on the back. "They'll be fine Anakin, just let them have some space for the time being. They'll come to you when they're ready."

Anakin smiled a little. "Of course Master," he said softly.

Obi-Wan looked down the hall that Leia had disappeared down. "Leia has your temper Anakin. She's much like you."

Anakin frowned, an arm around Padme's waist as he followed Obi-Wan's gaze. "That's what I'm afraid of," Anakin mumbled to himself.

Luke stood out on the balcony, gripping the ledge in a tight grasp for support. His head spun wildly as he looked out over Coruscant.

Me, Jedi Luke?

Luke looked at this morning's dream in a new light, studying it this time with this new knowledge. So it had really been him, just from a different time. It had been his other life he was seeing. The thought was baffling, and Luke shook his head as if it would dispel his confusion over the whole matter.

I need to take a moment to clear my head, Luke thought to himself. With a sigh, he slipped down to the ground, taking a meditational position as he closed his eyes. Some meditation would serve him well to bring some order to his jumbled thoughts.

After a few deep breathes and some Jedi exercises, Luke found himself drifting away into the Force.

Voices floated toward him...

"It's you…you're the Sith Lord."

Luke couldn't help but frown a little. That was his father's voice…

"You tried to kill Luke!"

"Are you going to kill me Anakin?" Luke shivered at the voice that dripped darkness.

"I would certainly like to," came his father's growl.

"…You will turn: it is your destiny."

"No, I choose my own destiny."

"The Jedi will fall Anakin, and you will kneel."

Slowly the picture came into view. There, in the Chancellor's office in the Senate Building, stood his father, facing down an older man he recognized as Darth Sidious from his studies. His eyes flickered over to the second man standing beside Anakin, the blonde hair and blue eyes…

"Me," Luke said quietly in surprise.

Luke watched the fight in a daze, hardly hearing what they were saying as he saw himself fighting the infamous Sith Lord beside his father.

His dazed state was broken by his father's cry of agony, followed by uncharacteristic pleas to stop. Luke watched in growing horror as the pair was overwhelmed by Sidious, and he could sense the other Luke's pain from the lightning, sinking to his knees at the sensation as he kept watching the scene. Keeping his jaw clenched to keep from crying out from his other self's pain, Luke watched as Sidious goaded his father to turn to the dark side in return for Luke's life.

"Your answer Anakin!"

"Father, don't!"

"Father? Impossible, the two of you are the same age!"

"Luke! Stop, stop, Luke!"

"Tell me the truth!"

Luke had never seen his father cry, and seeing his father in tears now shook his entire foundation it seemed. It unnerved him more than anything he had ever seen.

"H-he's my son, he is…he's from the future, The Force sent him back."

"Now: kneel. If you join me, I might be persuaded to let him live."

"Father, don't do it, please! It's not worth it: n-no life is worth it. You'll only lose what you try to save!"

"It's your choice Anakin. Will you really let your son die? I will make sure you lose everything if you don't!"

"Anakin, Father, you'll lose everything if you do: please, listen to me!"

"I grow tired of your meddling boy!"

"Alright! Alright, please, just stop!"

Luke froze as he watched his father slowly move into a kneeling position. He had never heard anyone speak of this part.

"I'm sorry Luke…but I can't let you die."

"Don't make me lose my father again."

The words seemed to have a profound impact on his father, and Luke figured he was still missing a good chunk of the story.

"You know the words Anakin: it's time to pledge yourself to me. Don't fight it any longer."

"I will never put my son through this. I will never join you Sidious. You will have to kill me. I am a Jedi, as is my son. It's who we are: not your pawns."

Luke swelled with pride in his father at those words, though the bravado faded as Anakin was thrown into the wall by Sidious.

"Father!" Luke cried out.

His voice also came from the other side of the room. "Fa—"

Luke turned around just in time to see himself impaled by the Sith, his father's cry of fury and agony barely came through to him as the pain exploded through his chest. He stumbled back, and the vision swam, fading slowly into a different scene.

Anakin knelt by the other Luke, his hand clasped tightly in Anakin's.

"Luke…I can't lose you…not like this."

"Anakin…you're not going to lose me…Padme's pregnant, remember? I'm…not from this time. I don't…belong."

"How can you say everything's going to be alright…you're dying Luke."

"Yes…I-I am…but now…the past can be outrun. You…didn't turn. Anakin…Father…you have a chance. It…i-its w…worth it."

"Luke please…don't do this to me, I can't lose you, I can't, just hold on…Everything…"

"Father…please…p-promise me…you won't fall. Not…not now. Not in…the future…not ever. Don't…don't take advantage o-of…of the chance you have. You cherish…y-your kids. Give…give them the best f-f-father…they could hope for. A-and do…what y-you know is…is right."

"I will Luke, I promise you."

"Good…t-that's…good. Father?"

"Yes Luke?"

"I-I'm…I'm p-proud…proud to call you…call you my…father."

"And I'm proud to call you my son."

"Luke…Luke…"

Luke sucked in a sharp breath as he watched his own demise, tears spilling over as he watched his hand fall to the floor.

But Father said he didn't die, just that he'd thought that he had, Luke had to remind himself.

Luke watched as some of the Council Members had to forcibly drag his father away from his body, with Anakin fighting and yelling Luke's name the whole way down the hall.

Overwhelmed, Luke sat on the ground, staring as the vision slowly faded away.

Master Windu's voice floated to him through the darkness, the last bit of the vision that he received.

"Force…" Windu whispered. "He's…he's still alive!"

Luke came out of the Force vision emotionally exhausted, and rightfully so. He had just seen himself and his father tortured, and then watched his own 'death' as well. Numbly, he got up and slowly made his way to his own bedroom, taking care to avoid his parents. He didn't have it in him to face them right now: he just wanted to rest. Too much had been dumped on him for the time being.

He dragged himself to his bed, and promptly fell into a deep slumber.

(Original Timeline)

Luke jerked awake with a gasp, his hand automatically flying to his chest, more specifically the healing wound there. He felt a steady hand on his shoulder, and would have flown into attack mode had his brain not registered Han standing next to him.

Luke groaned a little, slowly relaxing back into the bed. "Han…it's just you."

Han smirked. "Should I be taking that as an insult?"

Luke closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose and offering no words in response.

"That was some nightmare you were having kid," Han observed.

"Not a nightmare. A memory," Luke murmured.

'Luke! Stop, stop, Luke!'

Luke couldn't help but give a small shiver as he struggled to suppress the dark memory of the fight his father and he had against Sidious. Why had it chosen now to haunt him? All this time, and it was the first time Luke had a nightmare about it.

"Luke."

Luke jumped a little. "Sorry Han."

Han rolled his eyes. "I get the hint kid, but could you at least pretend like you listen to me?"

Luke chuckled a little. "I'm sorry Han, I was just distracted."

Han sighed, taking his seat by Luke's bed once again. "I was asking what it was about. I'm assuming it had to do with that hole in your chest," Han said with a wave in the general area of the wound.

It was Luke's turn to sigh. "Yeah, it was."

There was a few moments of silence while Han gave Luke some time to gather himself. "Look, kid, I meant to ask you when I came in, though you were asleep…"

"Leia again?"

Han leaned the chair back nonchalantly, staring at the wall. "Do you know what's up with her? She's locked herself in her room…"

Luke sat up with a frown. "She has?"

"Yeah, she won't even let me in, and I haven't done anything wrong! At least I don't think I have…"

Luke shook his head. "No, no, it's not you, it's me."

Han seemed a little startled. "What did you do kid?"

Luke grimaced. "I pushed her a little too hard…"

Han gave a disapproving look as he stood up straighter. "You didn't try to bring up your old man again, did you?" When Luke didn't argue Han made a sound of exasperation. "Luke, you know how she feels about this whole thing, you're expecting too much of her! Now you know my opinion about the whole thing: I understand what you said, Anakin Skywalker is the opposite of Darth Vader; I get it. I can accept that you have a better version of your father somewhere, though I'm still not going to forgive Vader for what he's done to all of us. You know Leia sees them as one in the same. Give her time. The entire split reality thing is hard to accept by itself; wanting her to toss aside everything she knows about the guy on top of that and forgive him is a stretch."

"Yes, but Han, he's not Vader! Vader isn't who Anakin was!" Luke said in exasperation.

Han held up a hand. "Yes, Luke, I've got that. I've learned to think of them as two separate people from what you've told me about your old man while you were gone. However, she doesn't see a difference between the two. That's the point Luke. She's only ever known Vader and his cruelty, and suffered from it firsthand herself. There is no difference to her. She needs time."

Luke sighed. "I know Han…I'll give her the space she needs…"

Leia was lying on her bed, staring at the wall as she struggled with her thoughts.

A small part of her couldn't help but feel a strong longing for the life she had glimpsed with her family. With no war, no Rebellion, no Empire, no Emperor Palpatine…

Leia stopped the thought there, the memory of what happened on the Death Star rushing through her. That thing, that monster, was not her father, and she did not want to spend her childhood stuck with him. She was happy with the life she had had as an Organa, and they were the parents she would claim. She could not come to terms that Darth Vader could ever be a good father, or ever be anything more than the monster who had tortured her for hours so mercilessly.

Against her will, the memories came back to her, and being alone in her room with no one to witness it, Leia let some of her tears slip past her careful guard.

(Original Timeline)

Darkness. Thick and suffocating, closing in from all corners…pain and suffering heavy in the air…

Anakin caught the glow of a red saber in his peripherals and spun to the source, on the defensive. The face started to come into view and terror grip him as he called out his child's name, desperate to call them back from the darkness that had such a heavy hold over them.

Anakin sat up in bed with a gasp, his breathing labored as he glanced around the room wildly as his brain tried but failed to recall which twin he had seen wielding the red saber. Hastily he stretched out his senses, testing to see if there was any darkness lingering in his household. Slowly he started to relax, feeling nothing amiss…

His senses brushed over Leia's room and he paused. Worry rushed over him and he slipped out of the bed carefully to avoid waking Padme, hastily making his way to his daughter's room. Her fear and pain was so strong he was surprised he hadn't caught it sooner. As her door slid open he took in her trembling form on the bed in the dim light, her back to him as she tried to stifle her sobs.

"Leia?" Anakin asked softly, shutting the door behind him before he went to sit on the bed beside her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

At the contact given to her by Anakin, Leia suddenly spun around, uncharacteristically sobbing into Anakin's shoulder. Anakin was startled, but recovered quickly, wrapping his daughter up in a strong hug. His chin resting in her forehead, gently rubbing her back and cradling her head to his chest, Anakin made quiet soothing noises, just like he'd done whenever she was little and had a bad dream. "It's alright Leia, I'm here…" he said softly.

Leia's sobbing formed into words. "It-it-it was h-h-horrible!"

Anakin frowned a little, his concern for his daughter growing. "What was?" When she didn't answer him Anakin very gently tipped her head up. "Leia, what did you see?" Anakin pressed gently.

Leia was able to control herself enough to stutter out an answer. "T-t-there was a man in a-a black life support suit. He was t-torturing me, he wouldn't stop, he just k-kept going." Her voice cracked and it took her a moment to continue. "I couldn't tell him what he wanted to know, I just knew I couldn't, but the pain was s-so terrible."

Anakin's felt the blood drain from his face as he matched the man's description to his once future self. For a moment, he sat there in shock, pain ripping through him in an unspeakable degree.

I tortured my own daughter, he thought to himself.

No, he thought fiercely. You didn't, Vader did.

Finally finding himself able to move again, Anakin pulled Leia in for another hug, one much tighter and protective than the first one. "Oh Leia…" he whispered softly, letting her continue to sob into his shoulder.

After her tremors had slowed, Anakin pulled away, tipping her head to look up at him. "You're going to be fine Leia, alright? It won't happen to you, I promise. I won't let it. You'll be alright," he told her firmly yet lovingly, wiping away some stray tears. He gave her a small smile, kissing the top of her head gently. "Go back to sleep; you'll be okay, I promise."

Leia gave a small sigh, getting situated back into bed as Anakin stood to leave. "I love you Leia," he told her gently as he paused by the door.

"I love you too Father," came her quiet reply.

Anakin smiled a little again as he opened the door. "Good night."

"Good night Father," he heard her call back to him before the doors slid shut behind him.

(Original Timeline)

Leia blinked a few times as she came back to herself in her own room, her confusion deepened as she sat up. Her emotions were raging, at war with themselves after what she'd just seen.

Her hatred of the monster, that Vader, struggled against what she had just seen of Anakin Skywalker, comforting a frightened Leia as she woke up from a nightmare of what she had endured on the Death Star. The entire thing had felt like it was really happening, like she was really there. Strange…

Leia shook her head a little, her confusion getting worse. That man she had seen—handsome, shockingly similar to Luke in looks, gentle, loving, fatherly—he was nothing like Vader. Yet she had been through Vader, she knew exactly what he was like, knew Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader were one in the same…it made no sense!

Perhaps Luke is right, and Vader isn't who your father was. Perhaps you are judging him too harshly, perhaps you do need to give him another chance, to forgive him…

Leia stubbornly pushed the thought away, clinging to her hate of Vader as if it was the voice of reason. Vader was responsible for the death of so many across the Galaxy in her mind, and for the destruction of Alderaan. He'd held her back and forced her to watch as it was blown into oblivion. She could never forgive such cruelty!

But can you hold such hate for a man who was obviously the opposite of everything Vader was?

Yet again, Leia shoved aside that tiny thought of reasoning. She was not ready to forgive her father, and she never would be…

Maybe.