Author's note: Warning of child abuse in this chapter for anyone reading.

Vader's hand adoringly and repeatedly petted softly at the top of Leia's head as she slept. His dear child had hugged him for so long that she had ended up falling asleep while hugging him as he held her.

The dark Lord slowly got up from sitting at the shuttle's small table, gently holding his sleeping daughter in his arms, her head resting on one of his shoulders. He made his way slowly and cautiously to the minuscule room in the back of the shuttle that contained a single small bed.

He could hear her breathing: inhale and exhale. The melodic repetitious sound of her breathing played in his ears.

Streams of tears were running down his face. The Sith was crying profusely and had been ever since his child had told him she had loved him, but now he was holding himself back from sobbing aloud as not to disturb her slumber.

Once he had placed her in the bed he then slowly pulled the bed's blanket over her shoulders and laid it to rest on her neck. He then walked over quietly as he could to where her stuffed animal was and grabbed it gently as if it was a precious jewel and walked almost soundlessly back to Leia.

Tenderly he placed Mr. Bantee right beside his sleeping child.

Vader's yellow eyes lovingly studied and memorized Leia's face as if she was a work of exquisite art or a masterpiece, which to him she was. He sought to keep the memory of her face locked away in his heart for safekeeping.

Impulsively his coal-black gloved hand reached out to just oh-so softly touch the apple of her cheek, to reassure himself that she was real, despite very well knowing that she was. He merely wanted comforting reassurance, for he found her too good to be true, but he thought against it, not wanting to risk stirring her awake.

As Vader made his way out of the room, leaving the door opened he began to release his tears more freely. He went over to where the bathroom of the shuttle was and grabbed a towel from inside it.

He then walked over and sat down in the pilot's seat and stared out at the stars and planets before him and those that they were passing. He brought the towel to his lips and pressed it firmly to his mouth as he released a stream of muffled sobs.

The hot tears blurred Vader's vision and it was becoming more and more difficult to breathe. Time had past and he knew he hadn't much longer until he out of necessity would need to put back on his mask.

So, while he could he let the tears fall as they needed. Better now, he considered than weeping in his mask or holding them in until he entered his meditation chamber. When his sobbing had finally turned into sniffles, Vader got up from the seat and walked over back to the bathroom.

His scarred face stared back at him in his reflection of the mirror. He marveled how Leia had not been afraid of his appearance. His yellow eyes were amazingly reddened from his salty tears that he had shed and those still in his eyes. He turned on the sink's faucet letting a gentle stream flow and then splashed cool water over his face. Once finished he grabbed one of the towels hanging up and patted his face dry.

"Daddy?"

The small adorable voice broke the silence of the shuttle and of his thoughts of how direly he wanted to destroy the Lars, but wouldn't. Not because he had mercy on them nor because he held compassion for them or forgiveness, no!

Quite the contrary.

But for Leia's sake: for the sake of his child he would not destory them simply because she had asked.

Vader threw the towel away down to the ground carelessly.

"Leia? I'm here, Princess. I'm not far." Vader said as he quickly made his way over to the girl.

He found Leia sitting up from where she had slept, looking fearful, that is until her eyes met his. Sadness touched her brown depths, noticing his reddened eyes revealing to her that he had been crying.

"Daddy,You okay?" Leia saddened voice quivered.

"Yes. I'm doing more than okay, Leia. I was just letting out happy tears. But, what about you? Did you get enough sleep? Why are you awake and why were you afraid? I know by your face it wasn't just because I wasn't there. What's the matter?"

"I had a nightmare." Leia answered with a frown. "I'm still tired, but I'm afraid that I'll have more nightmares if I go back to sleep, Daddy."

"I see." Vader replied thoughtfully. "I-"

"And I gotta potty." She muttered groggily, rubbing one of her eyes with a closed fist.

Vader let out a warm chuckle.

"Alright. Let's attend to the potty business first, shall we?" The Sith asked, offering a hand for her to take.

Leia took his hand, getting off of the bed, holding on to her father's hand securely as he lead the way.

"I'll show you where the potty is, Little one."

The magnitude of the loud roar of the toilet flushing startled Leia a bit, but she soon recovered and made her way over to the bathroom sink to wash her hands. But there was a problem that would inable her from doing so, which Leia soon discovered was that the faucet's handle was too far away for her hands to reach, as was the soap dispenser.

"Is something the matter?"

Vader standing just outside the door could sense the abrupt feeling of panic fill the girl.

"Um..I can't reach the soap and the thing to turn it on." Leia answered in distress.

There was a pause.

"May I come in and help?"

"Yes! Pretty please help!" Leia's voice pleaded from the other side of the door.

Using the Force Vader slid open the door, revealing Leia hunched over desperately trying to reach the bathroom's faucet.

Obviously the Empire hadn't considered small young little girls using the shuttle's bathroom when designing the layout of this type of shuttle. I should make note and order the problem to be fixed.

Vader thought to himself humorously.

"Here we go." Vader said, carefully lifting up Leia by picking her up from underneath her underarms so as not to touch the wounds on her back.

Once able Leia swiftly turned on the faucet and began wetting her hands and washing them.

"Ready for the soap?" Vader asked once her hands ceased from being underneath the faucet's stream.

Leia gave a vigorous nod.

With ease Vader lifted her up higher and moved her closer to the soap dispenser.

Her small hands waited patiently for the soap to fall unto her tiny hands which it did after a few seconds and once it did she began to lather them quickly.

Vader carefully pulled her back and watched as she covered her small hands in a thick layer of soap foam.

Then Leia gave her hands a good rinse.

"I'm all done! Thanks, Daddy! Thanks!" Leia cheerfully said with a wide grin.

Smiling, happy that he could be of help to her, Vader slowly placed her back on her own two feet.

"You're very welcome, Little one." He replied sweetly.

"Now, don't forget to dry your hands. Over there is where the towels are." He said as he pointed a finger.

Leia looked at where he was pointing and gave a polite nod.

"Kay."

"What kind of nightmare did you have, Pretty little Leia?"

Vader asked her as he held her in his arms, walking them both back to the small bed in the small room.

Leia's face turned red nearly as a cherry in shyness and embarrassment at the term of endearment he had used and she hid her face in the shoulder of his suit.

Vader laughed lovingly in response.

He gave her a quick little tickle under one of her armpits to help her unease, causing her to go in a fit of giggles.

"So, what was it? What was your nightmare? That is, if you want to share.."

"Umm." Leia pulled away from Vader's shoulder, revealing a troubled and frightened expression on her face.

Her eyes were dulled a bit, showing that she was recalling what she had witnessed in her dream.

Whatever it was it was plain to see it bothered her very much.

"Would you like me to take a look at it for myself with the Force? To see what it is you dreamed of, little one?"

Leia's eyes brightened at his offer and she nodded.

"Alright, then." He responded. He ceased from walking over to the bed and stood still.

"Darling, just close your eyes. You're gonna feel a poke in your mind, but it won't hurt. Okay?"

"..Okay."

It was dark. Wherever he was at it was so dark that he wouldn't be able to see his own hand in front of his face if he so desired.

After listening to the Force briefly he could sense he was in Leia's small bedroom, back at the Lars home.

Outside of his respirator he could hear the sound of another person breathing. Heavy breathing.

And the sound of a child whimpering.

Leia.

What sounded like the crack of a whip was heard.

And then a shriek that Vader recognized as Leia's soon followed.

"Thought your Daddy loved you? Saved you? Ha! He doesn't want you anymore! that's why you're back with us! He gave you back to us! No one likes you, Leia! Your father doesn't like you! Me and your aunt don't like you. You're a burden to everyone! Just worthless trash!"

Another loud crack was heard and then after came the loud noise of Leia's sobbing...