Chapter 9

Padmé did her best to hide her emotions from Luke and Leia, but she was not entirely successful. They watched her from time to time as she played with them, and over the course of the day. Neither of them were old enough to verbalize their concerns, but they felt them just the same.

"I have a wonderful idea," Padmé said as they sat eating lunch together. "We're going to go visit Grandma and Grandpa!"

Luke and Leia had only met their grandparents recently, and only over a computer screen. So the idea of meeting them in person was exciting to both of them.

"Now, Mommy?" Luke asked.

"As soon as we get a few things packed," Padmé said, standing up and starting to clear the dishes. "Very soon." The idea of getting away appealed to her, for the tension that had been growing between her and Vader was getting to her. Not only that, the workman had left quite a mess on the main floor, and Padmé was getting tired of it, not to mention the noise.

"Daddy go too?" Leia asked.

"No, Daddy won't be going," Padmé said. "He has too much work."

Neither of the twins questioned her on this, for they were quite accustomed to their father coming and going.

Within the hour, Padmé and her children, along with Artoo-Detoo, were on their way to the Naberrie home outside of Theed. Padmé was excited to see her parents and sister again after so long, and felt badly that she'd had to let them believe she was dead for two years. But they knew better now, and there would be no reason to hide any more.

"Daddy!" Padmé cried as her father met her and the twins at the gate. Ruwee hugged his daughter tightly, tears of joy in his eyes.

"Thank God you're alive," he said as he kissed her face. "It's like a dream come true!"

"Dad, this is Luke and this is Leia," Padmé said, introducing her children. "Children, this is your grandpa."

Ruwee squatted down to face his grandchildren, a smile on his face. "It's so nice to meet you both," he said. "Come inside, your grandmother and auntie are dying to see all of you."

Padmé knew that her parents would be looking for an explanation about the past two years, and was dreading telling them. Not only that, she had not told them who the father of her twins was yet. Undoubtedly they would both be shocked when she told them.

Jobal and Sola were overwhelmed as they greeted Padmé and her children, Sola's daughter excited beyond measure to meet new cousins.

"Why don't you girls take the twins outside to play while we talk with Aunt Padmé?" suggested Sola.

"Okay Mommy," the elder of the two girls, Ryoo, replied. She and her sister, Pooja, each took a twin's hand and lead them outside into the garden followed by Artoo as the adults sat down around the kitchen table.

"Padmé it's so wonderful to see you," Jobal began, putting her hand on Padmé's. "When you contacted us, I thought it was a dream! And now you're here, you're really here!"

Padmé smiled. "I'm so sorry I had to let you believe that I was dead, all of you," she said. "But it was absolutely necessary, I promise you. The safety of Luke and Leia depended on it."

"There's a lot about your life for the past several years we know nothing about, Padmé," Ruwee said. "Including who the father of your children is. Are you going to fill us in now?"

Padmé nodded. "Yes, I'm going to tell you everything."

Vader awoke after enjoying a long, much needed nap. He couldn't remember the last time he'd slept as well.

After checking for any messages, he donned his mask and helmet and left the pod. He knew that he would need to make amends for the way he'd left things with Padmé. The death of the workman was weighing heavily on him. After doing some investigation, he found out that the man was single, but that he supported an elderly father. Vader made arrangements to have the payments continue to the old man. He knew that it would not make up for the murder of the man, but felt compelled to do it nonetheless. Padmé would want me to, he told himself. She would do so without a moment's hesitation..

Vader avoided Obi-Wan, not wanting to get into another heavy discussion with him, and headed for the shuttle bay. He was hopeful that Padmé would appreciate that he'd arranged to have the dead man's father compensated financially. The look on her face when she'd seen the man's body on the floor had not left Vader's mind. It bothered him greatly. If I'm going to change, this is a start, he reasoned. And I will change... for her I will do anything.

Upon reaching the cottage, Vader noticed that the men had begun working again. He walked into the room where they were, and all activity stopped at once. Vader could sense the apprehension and fear in the room.

"Lord Vader," one of the men said, walking over to Vader. "Lady Vader had has recommence work," he explained. "we've made the necessary changes to the design, so hopefully things will go on without any more problems."

Vader nodded. "Carry on," he said. He left the men and went to look for his family. He was met in the corridor by See-Threepio.

"Good morning, Lord Vader," the droid said cheerfully.

"Where is my wife?" Vader asked.

"Mistress Padmé and the children left earlier today," Threepio replied. "They went to visit Miss Padmé's parents, I believe."

"I see," Vader said, disappointed. "When did she say she would return?"

"She didn't say, Lord Vader," Threepio replied. "But she packed a bag, so presumably she planned to stay for a few days."

Vader was not surprised to hear this. There had been a lot of tension between them when they'd seen each other earlier; no doubt Padmé needed some time away to sort things out. And she had not seen her parents in two years, he realized. No doubt they would be happy to see her. No doubt they will be horrified to learn who she's married to, he reflected. He was not wrong.

Padmé waited for a reaction after telling her long, convoluted tale. The expression on the faces of her family members told her exactly how they were feeling.

"Are you telling us that you are married to Darth Vader?" Ruwee said. "Darth Vader?"

"I'm telling you that the man I married, Anakin Skywalker, became Darth Vader," Padmé said. "And I've explained how and why that happened."

Jobal and Ruwee exchanged a look of shock.

"You said you were hiding from him for two years," Sola said. "So why are you now living openly?"

"It wasn't him I was hiding from," Padmé said. "It was the emperor. The emperor is dead now, so Luke and Leia are safe."

"You expect us to believe that Darth Vader can be trusted?" Jobal asked. "Because I for one am having a hard time doing that. He's notorious, Padmé. The emperor's right hand! Slayer of the Jedi!"

"I know exactly who and what he is," Padmé said, reminded all too vividly of the ugly incident that morning. "I'm not defending his actions, nor would he for that matter. But I feel strongly that he is capable of change, and now that he has his family in his life, he will change. I'm certain of it."

"And if he doesn't change?" Sola asked. "What then? Will you still stand by him? Will you still let him help you raise Luke and Leia?"

Padmé frowned, her sister's question dredging up all the insecurities she'd been wrestling with for days. "I don't know," she said quietly. "I have to have faith that I won't have to make that decision, Sola. I know you don't understand this, but I love him. And I know that he loves me and the children. That may sound impossible, but it's true."

"It sounds bloody impossible if you ask me," Ruwee said. "He may have been a good man once, Padmé, but he's not that man anymore. Even you must realize that. He's a cyborg, for God's sake! How can you love someone who's more machine than man?"

Padmé began to grow frustrated. "I can't make you understand," she said. "That's pretty clear. Maybe it was a mistake coming here," she said. "I need your support in all this, but all you've done since I arrived is question my choices! If you can't accept this and help me through it, then I'll just go back seclusion and stay away from all of you."

"No one wants that, Padmé, you know that," Jobal said. "We're just ...shocked, that's all. It's a lot to assimilate all at once, surely you can see that."

"I suppose so," Padmé said. "Look, can we just have a pleasant visit? I haven't seen you in two years," she said. "I've missed all of you so much!"

Jobal smiled. "I think we can do that," she said, looking at her husband.

Vader spent the rest of the day in his bacta tank which, thankfully, had been properly installed in the small bungalow on the property. While he was in the bacta, he did his best to meditate. It wasn't easy for him to do so, when he was so vividly reminded of his disabilities. What had Qui-Gon told me to do? he reflected, imagine myself as a young boy? Imagine what it was to be young and innocent? It was so hard to imagine such a thing, even though it had not been so very long since he was. He thought back to when he was a young slave boy, living with his mother. He remembered the day he'd met Padmé, on an afternoon that had started like any other. And then, an angel walked into his life. He knew he'd never be the same again.

Are you an angel?

What?

An angel. I've heard the deep space pilots talk about them. They live on the Moons of Iego I think. They are the most beautiful creatures in the universe. They are good and kind, and so pretty they make even the most hardened spice pirate cry.

I've never heard of angels.

You must be one...maybe you just don't know it.

You're a funny little boy. How do you know so much?

Since I was very little, three, I think. My Mom and I were sold to Gardulla the Hutt, but she lost us, betting on the Podraces, to Watto, who's a lot better master than Gardulla, I think.

You're...a slave?

I am a person! My name is Anakin.

I'm sorry. I don't fully understand. This is a strange world to me...

Vader let his mind drift back to that innocent time, to his childhood: his mother, friends, pod races...

That's it, Anakin, Qui-Gon's voice encouraged him. Imagine what it was like to be whole...imagine your lungs, pink and healthy, breathing on their own...imagine what that was like, remember what that was like...and envision your own lungs now in the same manner...whole, healthy, functional...

Vader did his best to imagine what Qui-Gon had suggested, but it wasn't easy. Given that his lung were wreckage now, that they did not function without the aid of mechanical technology. But he pushed himself, pushed himself hard. And eventually his persistence paid off. He saw them, his lungs, his adult lungs, pink and healthy, functioning normally. He imagined himself breathing normally, living normally, doing all the things that he would have taken for granted not so long ago: sleeping in a bed, lying on a beach with his children, making love to his wife... one day, my beloved, one day, I swear it...

The rest of the day was spent pleasantly, as Luke and Leia got acquainted with their extended family. Padmé loved watching them interact with their cousins, for they had never had a chance to play with other children before. They've missed out on so much, she reflected; but no more.

"I think it's time to go home now, girls," Sola said. "It's nearly bedtime."

The girls protested, but it was a losing cause, for Sola wasn't a pushover. "We can come back tomorrow and visit," she said, which made the job of getting the children to leave easier.

"It's time for bed Luke and Leia," Padmé said after they'd seen off Sola and her girls. "It's been a long day."

Sola had brought over the cribs she had used for her own children when they were younger and Ruwee had set them up in Padmé's old room. Luke and Leia went to bed without much of a fight, as they were both very tired from all the excitement from the day. Padmé stood by their cribs watching them as they slept. It felt strange having them here, like the two parts of her complicated life had met halfway. It had been years since she'd been in her old room, since the time she and Anakin had come to see her parents before going up to the lake house. It wasn't that long ago, but it seemed like ages...

You still live at home.

I move around so much, I've never had a place of my own. Official residences have no warmth. I feel good here. I feel at home.

I never had a real home. Home was always where my Mom was.

Thinking of Anakin brought lump to her throat. Am I fooling myself to think that he's ever coming back to me? Am I deluding myself to think he's still in there somewhere?

Padmé thought no more of it, and left the room to get ready for bed.