Chapter 21

The force enveloped him. Embraced him like he remembered his mother did when she comforted him as a boy. Shone down upon him as he always imagined a proud father would – as he had always hoped Obi-Wan would.

"You have fulfilled your destiny, Anakin" the force communicated.

The force was urging him to rest. The light was calling to him to expand outwards and join all the other sentient beings, past, present , and future.

And yet…

"You can see them."

He was almost afraid to look – except fear had no place here in this life beyond. There was Luke and Leia, with an arm about their mother, watching as his body was placed on the pyre in jedi fashion. Obi-Wan was talking insistently, smiling through his tears, able to express his relief that Anakin had not died a Sith.

"Your legend will grow, Anakin. Few will choose to remember the atrocities you have committed in light of your last, stunning example of heroism."

He knew that. It was a comfort. And yet watching Padmé …

"If you go back, you will have to fight again. Your will face scrutiny. Your loved ones will disagree with you. You have never truly reconciled your beliefs with theirs."

If he went back? Could he? There was no if. He wanted this new chance. He longed to be with his family.

"Then you shall go, Anakin. You shall walk not just the skies but through the veils of life and death. Go find your happiness my son of the suns."

…BREAK…BREAK…BREAK…

Luke, about to set the torch to the pyre noticed it first. Darth Vader's lifeless suit had disappeared and in its place was a gasping, completely live, and healthy Anakin Skywalker.

...BREAK…BREAK…BREAK

The reunion was about as chaotic as could be expected. A giddy Anakin was embraced by a beaming Padmé, a wondrous Luke, a shocked but happy Leia, an amazed Obi-Wan, and even by Han Solo – who would later deny that he had ever done such a thing.

Anakin's very real death as Darth Vader, though temporary, had one huge benefit: no one in the newly formed Republic was willing to try the hero turned villain turned hero. If a segment grumbled over the former dark lord's new immunity, they didn't wish to challenge him. And Anakin, although easily able to imagine assassins targeting his family, let his fears dwindle to a wisely simmering vigilance rather than the paranoia and terror which had once characterized his every action.

Not that things were perfect. The force had promised him that he would have to fight and fight he did. Although he left with Padmé for Naboo to enjoy the comforts of a body complete with four limbs, working lungs, and an eager wife could provide, he departed only after a serious altercation with his children. Luke, Leia, and Han had left for Bakura to answer a distress call and only Luke and Leia's insistence – and the need to watch Obi-Wan – had prevented him from joining his family on a mission which had nearly separated them yet again.

But they had survived. They had saved the day. His children were capable of heroism and goodness. And as his children fought to make a difference in the world, he fought with them again. Some arguments were about ideologies. Some dealt with his years of pragmatic cruelty. Some simply occurred because he had missed out on being a father for so long.

And Padmé was pregnant again. She was nearly as full of joy and worry as Anakin. Luke was embarrassed but pleased for them. Somehow, he never minded disposing of soiled clothes in the fresher or rocking his little sister to sleep. Leia was happy too, if a little disconcerted by her growing family. Still she enjoyed visiting. Obi-Wan was there for this birth as well, taking the baby in his arms and cooing about "Uncle Ben being there for her."

"You know old man, I always thought of you as a father, not as a brother. Guess that makes you Azlyn's grandfather."

Obi-Wan's shock was one of Anakin's favorite moments of his new life. It certainly made up for the lecture his mentor gave him when he left his newest lightsaber.

He had left the old red one aboard the Death Star. He hadn't felt like using the one from the Clone Wars. So much had changed. He had watched his daughter's tempestuous romance with Han Solo, torn between laughter and fury as the space rat saved his daughter from her own sense of duty, kidnapping her as a prelude to marriage. He had maintained his own composure when Leia had finally announced her own foray into parenthood. Obi-wan had delighted in calling Anakin a grandfather, until Anakin had teasingly reminded him that for all intents and purposes Obi-Wan was a great-grandfather. Still, Anakin was shocked when Azlyn ran to him to say his son had given former Emperor's hand turned smuggler, Mara Jade, his old lightsaber.

Perhaps the galaxy would never truly be at peace, but Anakin had long become resigned to his family's hapless position in the fight for justice. In the meantime, he could only thank the force for this new chance. For bringing Padmé, his good angel, back into his life, and showing him how to be the man he had once vowed to be. There were days when he longed to force choke his neighbors, but finally living with his family in the open, free of everything but the bonds of love and the dictates of his conscience, were making Anakin Skywalker's life a pleasure.

He turned to Padmé, still beautiful, always beautiful to him, even though grey threaded both their curls. She looked at him, waiting, always waiting for him and smiled. "Let's go celebrate with our family."

The END.

A.N. Thank you for reading.