(Star Wars) ~ Finally Home

Part Two

Upon hearing her voice, Vader turned his head to the side. For the first time in two years, his eyes landed on his wife. He drank in the sight of her, relieved to see Padme alive and well.

Her long curls now hung just above her waist instead of mid back. The pregnant figure he'd last seen her sporting had been replaced by a slimmer, semi-toned form. Of course, she still had curves but her stomach was flat once more. How could he tell? She was wearing a two piece dress, one that's skirt hung low one her hips and shirt ended at the tip of her ribcage.

"How are you here right now?" Padme cautiously approached him, eyeing the twins that were cuddled in his arms. Vader didn't move, not wanting to disrupt the children just yet. He had craved this moment for so long and now it was real...

"I was looking through some records and saw that a children's hospital had sent you a bill." His eyes locked on hers as she now stood at the other end of the sofa. "I had to see you."

"I knew I should've used a different name!" She hissed, upset with her crucial mistake. "...What is it you want, Anakin? We've been separated two years; you can't just pop by for now reason." Padme crossed her arms.

"It was a medical bill." He dodged her question, pressing the twins further into his sides. "I saw that our child had been admitted for treatment. I didn't think much of it when 'Skywalker' was printed twice; now I know why." Vader switched his gaze from her to his children, carefully looking over them. "What happened?"

"You're avoiding the question."

"I wanted to meet my child or in this case, children." He shut his eyes, trying to keep calm for the twins' sake. "Why were they admitted?" Padme kept her eyes locked on him as she sat down a foot away from him. "Give me one good reason as to why I should tell you that."

He looked at her again, his eyes still generally calm. "I've been looking for you since Mustafar. I have missed you so much, all of you... I want my family back and I will have all three of you by whatever means necessary." Padme scoffed at him, a sadistic smirk on her face.

"How sweet, you wanna play family man after you clock out for the day..." She chuckled dryly before snapping back into serious mode. "You hurt me, not to mention caused both of them after affects from..." Padme stopped once her eyes landed on the twins once again. "The accident. There's no way we can go back to the way things were before..."

Vader's eyebrows furrowed, both from frustration and confusion. "I understand, things have to be different. We have children now." Padme narrowed her eyes at him. "You know that is not what I was referring to, Anakin."

"If it's a divorce you're asking for, you won't be getting one ever." It was his turn to smirk at her. "Until death do we part, my love..." The twins sat up in his arms, both looking at him with oblivious smiles on their faces. "What are their names?" He used on hand to caresse his daughter's cheek, causing her to giggle.

Padme was taken back by his actions. How could someone so horrible be so gentle? Her gaze softened, shifting to her son. "Luke and Leia... They were the names you liked the most, am I correct?"

He only nodded, a genuine smile tugging at his lips. "Luke and Leia... They're so beautiful, Padme..." Luke reached up and tugged at his hood, causing it to slump backwards. Leia giggled at this, clapping her hands together.

Vader only hugged the close again, his focus once again on his wife. "I'm asking for a chance, Padme. That's all I want. What I did before... I want to believe you can forgive me but I've yet to forgive myself." His blue eyes looked borderline-pleading, his pride holding him back from dropping to his knees and begging her for forgiveness.

"I am so deeply sorry for hurting you, Padme. My actions were unacceptable, uncalled for and beyond unjustified. I had no reason to do what I did to you, I don't know what I was thinking. In fact, I wasn't thinking at all..."

"I think that's pretty obvious, Ani." She scooted a little closer, her left reaching out towards Luke. "I didn't exactly make the best choices. I should've made sure no one else was on board. Hell, I should've just stayed home like you had asked me to. For that, I'm sorry."

Vader looked at her, his eyes soft now. "What's say we start off with a clean slate? I know I'll never be able to forget what happened and I know you'll never be able it either. All I want is a second chance and if I screw this up, I swear you'll never hear from me again. I'm gone."

Luke looked up from his father's chest, worry in his eyes. "Dada bye-bye?" Leia sat up too, her little hands grabbing onto his face. "Dada no bye-bye. Dada!" Vader brought his mechanical hand up and ran a hand over her curls. "Leia, I'm not leaving right now." He turned to look at his wife again. "I'll leave when Mommy wants me to leave, not a moment sooner."

Padme looked at her children, seeing her beautiful babies look at their father with tears in their eyes. They hadn't know him for more than fifteen minutes and yet, they didn't want him to leave. Never had she thought that her children would want to be with him. Sure, they were babies still; they didn't understand. If they were older, she would've expected a much different reaction. They wanted him there though.

Truth be told, she did too.

"Your Dada is home. He can come and go as he pleases." Padme tucked one of Luke's wavy locks behind his ear. Vader raised his flesh arm from around his son and held it out towards Padme. His heart skipped a beat when she moved in to lay her head on his shoulder.

All traces of the dark side left him; he was himself again for them. Only for them.

Anakin wrapped his arms around all three of them, hugging them close. He pressed a kiss to his wife's temple as well as both of his children's' foreheads.

"I'm finally home."