A/N: I think, at least for this story, that it is safe for me to refer to Darth Vader as "Anakin," being that they are the Vader family. Anakin Vader, Padme Vader, etc.

The group of Vader-Naberries decided it was best, for all their sakes, just to retire and begin again tomorrow. The Dark Lord himself thought this was quite a good plan, seeing as he couldn't stand his in-law's bickering any more than Luke's talking. Meaning that it was the ultimate strain to spend more than a half hour with either.

Vader breathed in relief as his black boot crossed the line between the bedroom and the hall. Padme was following several paces behind, a tired, yet similarly relieved, manner in her walk. With satisfaction, the Sith heard his wife slam the door shut.

"They didn't seem this insane six years ago."

Padme glared at him, and he recoiled slightly. Even as the second most powerful man in the galaxy, Vader could still be intimidated by his wife. It was a weakness he was attempting to work on, but thus far, he hadn't perfected any defenses against her supernaturally influential gestures.

"This is what teen parenting has done to my family. I think Pooja and Ryoo are worse than Sola and I ever were. If I could, I would enjoy muting more than at least half of it out. But," she cautioned, sensing her husband's relief, "don't get your hopes up, Anakin. We are staying for the full ten days! Tomorrow, I've scheduled a picnic, and you will be civil."

The couple looked at each other for several moments, until Padme conceded to saying, "Well, unless the fights get physical. Or deafening to the point that Luke is bothered."

Anakin smirked under the helmet. His son could tolerate anything below ninety decibels. Leia, on the other hand, couldn't handle not throwing a tantrum if the volume exceeded sixty-five. She had quite a noisy brother to deal with.

He soon heard the noises of his wife getting ready for bed, brushing her teeth and fussing with her elaborate wardrobe in the closet. On the contrary, he simply removed his boots and propped several pillows to the spot where his head -helmet, that is- would rest.

As Padme slipped into the sheets, she acknowledged his strange outfit as she did every night he had worn it to bed.

"One year, seven months, and fourteen days until you get to take it off permanently. I can't wait to see your face again."

The oxygen-controlled suit and helmet were only temporary, according to Palpatine and the past six or so doctors he had had. Because of his extensive injuries on that cursed volcano that the HoloNet called a planet, and the lightsaber duel with Kenobi, Anakin had been prescribed the strange black ensemble in order to let the second and third degree burns heal, along with the multiple lightsaber scars he obtained from his former Master's spinning blade.

Though the armor did have some positive sides to it, Anakin was very glad that his time in it would soon end. Of course, he had often thought he might still wear it to work, but it was a subject he still needed to think about without the assistance of his wife. Furthermore, Anakin would be ten times even happier to resume marital relations with his ravishing wife once the suit was off. He only hoped that he would be in tip-top looking shape after it was removed.

Combing over these thoughts once again, Anakin felt pressure on his head as Padme kissed the side of the helmet goodnight. She had thus far gotten used to it, he suspected.

Sleep began to cloud his own senses, and he felt the worries of his crazed family fade into a peaceful darkness.


An unbearable light was shining through his optical receptors. It was blinding, mostly because it came through in a reddish hue. He was beginning to hate that color.

"ARGH! What is it?"

Padme was pulling open the drapes. She was dressed in lightweight, casual attire. "Morning. Mid-morning, to be exact. Even as a Sith, even in your suit, you sleep like a bantha. Late and snoring."

"I resent that! Don't make-"

"Yes, yes, I know. Why don't you -er- freshen up? Better yet, gather the twins and then we can proceed with the nice day I planned."

Grumbling mutinous things under his breath such as "don't make me kill, kids, Dark Side, cursed Jedi, insane, and in-laws," the Dark Lord did indeed enter the adjacent room of his children. Unusual as they were, Luke and Leia were already awake and playing. Consequently, they were also making a mess.

Muttering his favorite phrase to himself once more, Vader then barked, "Luke! Leia! Clean this mess now!"

Whiny protests suddenly filled the air. With a masterful air, he countered it by bellowing, "DON'T make me KILL you! Toys do not concern me, twins! I want this cleaned!"

He left, apparently triumphant as the children set about tidying up. Little did he know that they were quietly communicating with each other, planning sweet revenge.