Who hates writer's block? Cause I do!

I am sooooo sorry guys, this chapter did not want to come together AT ALL. I wrote this slowly over these past few weeks. luckily everything after this is clear in my mind! Gosh, this was...wow...it took way too long to get over this block. Writer's Block on connection chapters can be a pain in the rear. If this chapter is choppy, I'm sorry, i kept having to leave it and come back. I hope you can still enjoy it though!

Please forgive me for taking so long, Review, and Enjoy!

Luke had been stuck in the same place for far too long.

He didn't want to give the wrong impression; he was overjoyed to be with his mother and father again. However, this being put on strict bed rest business was starting to get to him. He had to get up and do something or he would go insane. They wouldn't even let him hold a regular length conversation, so he still had yet to really talk to his father about the other him. They kept making him rest instead, which only frustrated him further.

"Luke, lie down! We don't mind getting it ourselves and you need to rest!"

Luke sat back with a groan as his mother fussed over him. "I need to do something, please, spare me!"

"When I know that you'll be all right, then I'll let you get up and move around. End of story," Padme chided Luke firmly.

Luke groaned again but relented. "Fine…where's Father?"

"In the Jedi Archives again with Obi-Wan and his former Padawan Ahsoka. Your sister and Han said they were going to go visit some people to see if they have their memories too, so they won't be here for a while. Galen, Mara, and Juno were planning on visiting you today by the way."

Luke pinched the bridge of his nose. "Right. Three people I've never met before in my lifetime, but have apparently known all my life in this lifetime. This will be fun."

Padme gave him a sympathetic look. "It'll be fine."

Luke sighed and closed his eyes. "Yes, I'm sure it will be. Eventually."

Anakin sat on the floor beside one of the shelves in the Holocron Vault, shifting through his piles of holocrons for anything that would give him a hint on how he could help his son while he absentmindedly scratched behind Nydri's ear. His head throbbed, and he was tired, his eyes threatening to droop shut. However, he couldn't give up; he needed to find something for his son. He couldn't give up on Luke; it wasn't in his nature.

Ahsoka approached him tentatively from off to the side, taking a seat next to him. "I'm going to have to get used to the dog."

Anakin shot her a brief look. "Her name's Nydri," Anakin informed her.

"Right…Master?"

"Yes Ahsoka?"

"I…I haven't said anything because I thought I might just be going crazy but…the other night I had one messed up vision and…I feel like it really happened, I know it did, but at the same time it couldn't have possibly happened and…"

Ahsoka trailed off, apparently noticing how Anakin had stiffened. Nydri whined, nudging his unresponsive hand. He hadn't even thought to ask Ahsoka if she'd been experiencing any effects from the merge. If he was hearing her right, she had the memories of her other life. The problem was that no one had explained anything to her. He suddenly felt even older as he ran a hand down his face.

"Snips, I think you and I need to have a long talk," Anakin said wearily.

"I'm listening," Ahsoka said with a smirk.

Anakin shook his head. "No…not here. Somewhere else…back at the apartment in 500 Republica…there's someone there you need to meet first. Though you have to keep an open mind and…wait for me to explain, alright?"

Ahsoka frowned at him but nodded slowly. "Alright then Master. I can wait…"

Somewhat reluctantly, Anakin gathered up the holocrons he'd been searching for with a sigh. Ahsoka put a hand on his shoulder.

"Master, we don't have to go now," Ahsoka said, still frowning. Anakin shook his head, getting up.

"No, this will take a while to explain, and the sooner I explain the better. Can you help me put these back?"

"Sure," Ahsoka said with a sigh. She gathered up half of the holocrons as Anakin knelt down, scratching behind both of Nydri's ears.

"Go get Obi-Wan, Nydri. We're leaving," he told her in the Sith language. Nydri licked his face, getting him to laugh before she turned and trotted away to find where Obi-Wan was.

"You still need to tell me where you learned that," Ahsoka scolded Anakin as he put his share of the holocrons up.

"Well Snips, you're about to find out."

Anakin felt sick with nerves as they approached the apartment. Nydri seemed to sense as much, having stuck to his side since they had left the Archives. She'd even curled up around his legs during the trip to the apartment.

Obi-Wan put a hand on his shoulder. "Relax Anakin."

"Relax? What does relax mean? I don't think I know what you're talking about Obi-Wan," Anakin said sarcastically.

Obi-Wan chuckled. "At least try not to be as tense. How does that sound?"

Anakin shook his head. "I'll try, how about that?"

"Oh come on Master, whatever this big secret is can't be that bad, can it?" Ahsoka asked him.

"Let's save the judgment for when we get to the apartment, alright Snips?"

"We are there Master."

Anakin groaned. Already?

"Are you going to give me any kind of heads up on what I'm walking into?" Ahsoka asked him.

"I don't think there's any kind of heads up in the Galaxy that could prepare you for this," Anakin said in somewhat grim amusement.

"Maybe telling me what's going on instead of leading me into the middle of it might help," Ahsoka suggested.

"You're going to meet someone," Anakin said vaguely.

Ahsoka sighed. "Thanks for the heads up Skyguy."

"No problem Snips."

With a sigh, Anakin lead them into the house, Nydri trotting ahead of him to where he knew Luke was still resting. Sure enough, he could hear the boy's laughter as he tried to fend off Nydri's eager licks.

"Wait right here," he warned Ahsoka. When he was sure that she would stay there, he entered the room.

Luke had successfully subdued Nydri, who was now lying beside him contently as he scratched under her chin. Luke looked up at the sound of Anakin's footsteps, a smile breaking across his features.

"You're back," Luke said. "Did you find anything?"

Anakin shook his head, his grim mood returning for a moment. "Not yet. We all came back because…something…has come to my attention."

Luke frowned, sitting up. "And what would that be?"

Anakin came to sit beside Luke, softly petting Nydri as he spoke. "My old Padawan, Ahsoka Tano: she gained her memories of her other life as well. She hadn't told anyone until a few hours ago. She needs to be told what's going on, and I figured she should meet you as well."

Luke processed this new information for a moment before nodding. "All right then. So long as you can convince Mother to let me off this Force forsaken couch."

Anakin laughed. "I might be a Jedi Master, but not even I have the power to dissuade Padme when she's put her mind to something. I gave up trying to argue with her a long time ago."

Luke sighed in resignation. "Alright, fine. So am I just going to sit here on display or..?"

Anakin rolled his eyes before he stood up, going back to where he left Obi-Wan and Ahsoka standing. He leaned around the corner, locking gazes with Ahsoka. "You can come in now. I just had to give him a heads up."

"Him?" Ahsoka asked, following Anakin in the room. Her gaze fell on the lone figure resting on the couch, and she froze.

"Ahsoka…meet Jedi Luke. The very same from twenty-three years ago."

Luke gave Ahsoka a wan smile, holding out his hand. "Pleased to meet you."

Ahsoka seemed at a loss for words, still frozen to her spot in the room. Luke dropped his hand back to his side, glancing at Anakin, obviously unsure of what to do next. So, Anakin stepped up.

"Ahsoka, we need to talk," Anakin said gravely.

That seemed to snap her out of it. She turned to him sharply, staring him down. "I'd say so! I thought Luke was who knows where and infected with Sith Poison, not resting on your couch! If he's fine what are we doing searching through the Archives every day?"

"Ahsoka, you need to calm down so I can explain. Luke is under the influence of Sith Poison, he really is. This is also Luke though…it's a long story that goes all the way back to twenty-three years ago Snips, and you have to believe me. Like I said, you have to keep an open mind."

Ahsoka was still confused, but Anakin managed to lead her away to a different room. "I'll explain everything, let's go to the other room…"

Obi-Wan had stayed in the doorway, watching Luke wearily from a distance as everything had transpired. Now, though, he went to his side, sitting beside the young man.

"How are you?" Obi-Wan asked softly. It was the first time Obi-Wan had seen Luke face to face since the merge, having been caught up in the search for a cure with Anakin. It seemed that was all he'd been doing recently was searching for cures.

The young man sighed. "Tired of bed-rest…Ben…Sidious…when I first came here I had a vision of him and…and Eius. Every time I try to start talking about it, Mother and Father both tell me to rest and I can tell them when I'm in better shape, but it can't wait."

Obi-Wan frowned. "What is it?"

"Sidious is lying to him, telling him that Father never really cared for him, that it was always about me, and Father always wished it was me, not him. He said that Eius only caused Father pain because he was a constant reminder of what he lost. He's turning Eius against Father and me already so that we can't get through to him, so he won't believe us. It was the last thread of light he was holding to, Father; he still cared, and now Sidious is trying to snuff out that last bit of light in him…"

Obi-Wan put a hand on the boy's shoulder with a frown. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," Luke said. The boy looked relieved to finally have told someone about what he knew.

Obi-Wan gently laid the boy back against the couch. "Your parents are right Luke; you need to rest. I'll tell your father about what you saw, you go ahead and rest."

Luke sighed, a hint of frustration leaking into his voice. "Fine…"

Obi-Wan chuckled a little, patting Luke's knee before he got up. "If you would rest more, you'd be out of the bed-rest sooner. Just saying."

Luke smiled a little. "Thanks for the advice."

"Get some sleep. You need it whether you like it or not."

Ahsoka had asked for some time to herself.

So, Anakin now found himself alone with his wife in their bedroom, trying to relax a little at her request. He rubbed his eyes tiredly as she massaged his shoulders.

"We haven't found anything Padme…I don't know what to do…" Anakin said helplessly. He hadn't felt so lost, afraid, and trapped since…since he had the dream of Padme dying in childbirth. That fact alone of just how desperate he was alarmed him, and part of him hoped he would be able to actually retain some rationality throughout this.

"You'll find a way Anakin. I know you will," Padme said softly, planting a gentle kiss on his neck. "I have faith that you will."

Anakin sighed, feeling the weight of his exhaustion from not sleeping the past few days. "I can't find a way if I can't even find somewhere to start."

Padme sighed a little herself. "Well, once Luke gets better he can help you figure out a way. I think it's a good thing that the others are coming to visit him today, even if he doesn't remember them."

"Who's visiting him?" Anakin asked, his voice muffled since his face was buried in his hands.

"Galen, Juno Eclipse, and Mara."

Anakin froze, suddenly tensing up. He hadn't seen any of them since the merge, and now that he was fully aware of what he'd done to them in their other lives, and now that they knew…

Then his mind focused on the last name she had listed. Mara…

Anakin jerked, startling Padme as he rose from the bed. "Ani, what—"

"Everything's fine Angel, I've got it under control, I just remembered something," he said hurriedly before he bustled out the door. On his way down the hall he bumped into Obi-Wan, who immediately noticed the deep concern and partial panic on Anakin's features.

"Anakin, what—" Obi-Wan started to ask.

"Mara was one of the Emperor's Hands," Anakin said bluntly.

Obi-Wan paled considerably as he turned to follow Anakin back to the room Luke was in. "And you didn't mention this before because..?"

"Because I had other things on my mind and hadn't realized it myself yet," Anakin said shortly. Luke looked up as Anakin entered the room, an expression of confusion gracing his features as he registered the look on Anakin's face.

"What's going on?" Luke asked.

"Are the others here yet?" Anakin asked.

"I think they might have just landed…"

"Thank you Luke. Obi-Wan, can you stay in here for a minute? This should only take a moment."

Anakin didn't even glance back as Obi-Wan sat beside Luke to explain what was going on. Instead he kept his gave riveted forward, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions.

Why didn't I pick up on this sooner? She was the Emperor's favorite! If he communicated with anyone in his last moments, it would be her, and it would be a command for revenge.

With that train of thought, Anakin firmly believed that she shouldn't be allowed anywhere near Luke until Anakin was sure of her intentions. Furthermore, he had to make sure her allegiance was not with Sidious, but with the Jedi Order. It was bad enough that his…his son had joined Sidious, they didn't need an Emperor's Hand finding their way to Sidious as well. Especially not Mara Jade.

When Anakin spotted the trio getting off the shuttle, his expression turned steely. Galen noticed the look immediately, alarm flickering across his features.

Anakin didn't miss the relief that flooded off of the boy when Anakin passed by him. Apparently he was glad Anakin's anger was not directed towards him.

Anakin grasped Mara's arm tightly, pulling her off to the side. "You and I are going to have a talk," he said forcefully, doing his best to keep the Vader part of him under control.

This was going to be one interesting 'talk.'