hapter 17: Chapter 17
Isis closed her eyes some one was asking her questions but her mind was refusing to focus. Luke shook her gently when she didn't answer him. Her eyes blinked open but didn't really focus on him.
"Walked back from beach," she murmured before passing out again.
Luke started to reach out to shake her again. Vader stayed his hand by grabbing his wrist. "Son the beach is almost a hundred clicks away," said Vader.
Luke's eyes widened in a look of disbelief.
"She must be totally exhausted," said Luke.
He had lowered his voice so he wasn't disturbing her.
"We should put her to bed" said Luke
"Yes we should, I'll carry her" said Vader
He gently scooped her up into his arms. Luke gasped suddenly.
"What is it son?" said Vader
"She must have walked back barefoot, look at her feet" said Luke.
Vader balanced her on the back of the couch, using the force to hold her. He bent down and gently turned her ankle. She hissed and tried to move away.
"By the force, love what did you do to yourself?" Anakin whispered
"We should clean them off or they might get infected" said Luke.
"Yes we should but it will hurt her," said Vader.
He gently carried her towards the fresher.
"Son check the med kit, I brought it over from the ship, for some bacta and some synflesh." Said Vader.
Then he walked into the fresher. He used the force to turn the light on. Isis came awake enough to murmur,
"what are you doing?" she asked
"I have to wash the dirt off your feet, you've walked them to ribbons my dear, Lukes' grabbing the bacta" said Vader
He gently set her on the tubs edge and turned on the water. The sonic setting would hurt too much to use. She leaned her head on his chest.
"I'm sorry I was so late" she said softly
He put his arms around her and held her gently.
"Shush sweetheart you have nothing to apologize for" he said gently.
"Then why are you clinging to me so tightly?" she asked,
"Because you worried me, worried us both actually" said Vader.
Luke came into the room and finished the statement for him.
"Why were you so worried?" she said softly.
She was still leaning on his chest but she tilted her head to look up at him. The doctor had provided him with an alternative to the facemask apparatus he usually wore. Isis liked it because she could see his face now.
"Because I thought I lost you," he said softly.
She could see the fear that statement invoked clearly written on his face.
"You worry too much" she said softly
"And you don't worry enough, now lets get you in that water" said Vader.
"Son would you mind stepping out, I've seen everything but I'm sure she doesn't wish you to," said Vader
. Luke nodded. "I'll turn down her bed," said Luke
"thank you son" said Vader
Vader waited until Luke was out of the room before he started to undress her. "Anakin I'm capable of doing it myself" she protested.
" what's the matter shy my love, I've seen it all before remember?" he said softly.
She blushed brightly and turned away. She gasped when she felt a pair of invisible hands lift her off the tubs edge. Her pants slid slowly down her legs as a pair of unseen hands helped strip her. The bra and panties came off last and she started to cover herself. He gently pulled her hands away.
"Let me look please," said Vader.
She turned bright red and slowly lowered her hands.
"Beautiful!" he whispered in awe.
She turned redder still.
"Would you prefer my help climbing in?" he asked.
She looked somewhat uncomfortable with him touching her.
"I won't do anything else but wash you," said Vader.
She nodded but didn't look at his face. He chuckled and lifted her in his arms.
Setting her in the water slowly until it was to her chest. She leaned back in the water and relaxed. She closed her eyes in relief and started falling asleep in the water. He chuckled and picked up a sponge to wash her feet for her.
He gently lifted her leg and started washing her feet gently. She shifted and protested softly. Her feet and legs hurt and she wanted him to just not touch them. She didn't have the strength to do more than murmur protests. She would occasionally gasp and try to pull away.
"Easy my love I'm trying to be gentle" he said softly.
"I know it hurts and I'm sorry," he said.
She opened her eyes and gazed up at him.
"Time to get out your going to sleep in there" he said gently.
He set a towel across his lap and then force lifted her out of the tub. He wrapped her into the towel and held her close. She could feel his emotions were all over the place. She tilted her head back at looked at him.
"Anakin?" she said softly he looked down at her and she touched her lips to his. Then drew back to watch his reaction.
She could see the confusion in his eyes. He inhaled sharply in surprise and looked at her with a confused expression. She had surprised him and for a second she thought he would bolt. Then he licked his lips and smiled at her.
"My lady you're in no condition for that kind of activity but if you want to later?" he said.
She smiled at him and buried her face in his shirt. He finished wrapping her up in the towel and then carried her to the room. He laid her down on the bed. Luke adverted his eyes as Anakin dried her off and covered her top half with the bedding.
Luke waited until he said it was all right to proceed before he sprayed the soles of her feet with the bacta. Gave it a few seconds to dry then sprayed the synflesh over that. When he was done he covered her feet up with the bedding and kissed her forehead. He motioned for Luke to follow him into the living quarters.
"Is she all right?" asked Luke
"Yes thank the force she's nothing more than exhausted and sore" said Anakin
"You're worried about her still" said Luke
"I'll always worry about her its part of our relationship I suppose" said Anakin
"Did you really train her?" said Luke.
"Yes for a while I did, but she had other teachers besides me," said Vader.
Luke looked confused for a second.
"She was forcibly enrolled in a Sith school prior to her Jedi training" said Anakin
Luke's mouth literally dropped open in shock.
"Were you ever you know?" said Luke
Anakin looked at his son in shock.
"If your asking me if we were intimate the answer is yes though I don't think it appropriate for you to ask that" said Anakin
"Ah sorry, I just, were you still" said Luke
"With your mother still, yes" said Anakin
"Did she know?" said Luke
"Isis or your mother?" said Anakin
"Either" said Luke
"Your mother never knew I was unfaithful until the end, Isis never wanted it to happen, Padme was her friend as well she didn't want to hurt her" said Anakin
"May I ask why?" said Luke
"You can but I have no answer" said Anakin
"Yes I still loved Padme at the time, Isis kept that a secret from her, she kept a lot of my secrets" said Anakin
"Sorry I was just curious" said Luke
"It's all right its good to question" said Anakin
"Son when you someday find someone perhaps you'll understand it better than your old man" said Anakin
"I understand it now" said Luke
"Oh really?" said Anakin dryly.
"Yes you were in love with them both," said Luke
Anakin frowned at his son.
"Yes I was but it didn't stop me from hurting them both," said Anakin
"Maybe the force is giving you a chance to amend that, at least with one anyways" said Luke
"Son nothing can amend a betrayal that bad" said Anakin.
"Maybe, maybe not but she's willing to let you try" said Luke
"There is do or do not do "said Anakin
"There is no try, yeah I know Yoda drilled it into me" said Luke.
"And Isis? What did she teach you?" said Anakin
"That compassion may be harder than hatred but it's more rewarding" said Luke
"Maybe but sometimes all it does is break your heart" said Anakin
"We should get some sleep son, I've got surgery tomorrow" said Anakin
"She is right you know, you should keep the height" said Luke
"I am, just because she asked me to" said Anakin
"I have gotten quite used to it after all" said Anakin
"Can I ask you one more thing?" said Luke
"Sure son shoot" said Anakin.
Luke laughed
"What?" said Anakin
"She uses that phrase all the time too" said Luke
"I got it from her" said Anakin
"Why did you chase her for so long when she just kept running away from you?" said Luke
Anakin sighed and looked down for a second.
"I guess it was because I still held on to the hope that she cared enough about me to eventually forgive me," said Anakin
"She wasn't ready to do so back then, in fact she probably would have tried to kill you" said Luke
"She might have succeeded she's quite good with that saber" said Anakin
"I'm willing to wait until she is, I've waited for her so long already what's a little more time?" said Anakin
"Goodnight son" said Anakin
"Goodnight dad" said Luke.
Anakin walked quietly into the room and shut the door. Isis was sleeping soundly. He watched her for a few minutes before he slid out of his own clothes. He slid carefully into the bed, trying not to disturb her slumber. She murmured in her sleep and curled up closer to him. He rested a hand on her side and fell to sleep.
