The landspeeder whined as the three arrived at the Lars homestead.

The sun was well up by now and the scorching heat made Luke squint as he jumped out of the speeder. Anakin pulled around on the swoop bike and took his mother's limp body in his arms making his way towards the entrance of the homestead.

Owen was the first to come running out of the underground entrance, followed by Beru, Cliegg and to Luke's surprise, Senator Amidala. Owen gasped at the sight of Shmi's limp body, but Swan held her hand up.

"She's alive," she reassured him, "but barely. I'm holding on to her as much as I can, but she needs to see a medic right away!"

"The nearest hospital is in Mos Eisley," Beru said.

Swan shook her head. "She might not survive another trip. We need to administer some form of bacta now, or she might not make it."

Owen started moving, helping Anakin with Shmi.

"Beru, take mom to her room and then go fetch the bacta droid in the barn. I'm going to go get a doctor. Luke, I'm going to need the landspeeder. You and Anakin stay here and look after the farm."

"Right," Luke said, following the rest down the stairs and into the homestead.

They worked around each other to make Shmi's small bedroom as comfortable as possible for her. There was a veterinarian droid in the barn equipped with bacta spray that the Lars' used to heal the dewbacks and other farm animals, so Beru set him up in Shmi's room.

It was crude, but enough to keep her alive until finally, a few hours later, Owen burst in through the doors with a doctor. They ran into the bedroom with Shmi and the door sealed shut, leaving Luke outside with Anakin.

Luke pulled up a chair outside the bedroom. Anakin paced around him, staring outside the large windows, his hands held behind his back. It felt like hours had passed and still the door remained closed.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking lately," Anakin suddenly said with his back still turned toward him. Luke looked up at him, but didn't interrupt. "At first, I couldn't really figure out what kind of con you were trying to pull," Anakin continued, finally turning. "But after tonight, I believe you are a man I can trust, Luke.

Anakin placed a hand on Luke's shoulder and grasped it firmly.
"Thank you for saving my mother."

"You're welcome," Luke said. "I..." He looked away.

Anakin smiled warmly.

"Go on," he encouraged.

Luke shook his head and smiled, meeting Anakin's gaze.

"I am so glad I had the opportunity to meet you. Meeting my father… it's something I had only dreamed of, let alone fight by his side."

"What do you mean?" Anakin asked, sitting next to him. "Did something happen to me?"

Luke looked into Anakin's eyes and nodded.

"You… you were betrayed and murdered, but I believe I was sent back here with the mission to save you from your fate, so that you could save the galaxy and fulfill the prophecy.

Anakin stared in confusion as he took that information in.

"That can't be right. I am the Chosen One," he said, his voice rising. Luke sighed and shook his head. "I am the one who will defeat the Sith. And you're saying I what? Failed?"

"Only from a certain point of view," Luke said. "Maybe at first, things didn't go the way we expected, but in the end you did fulfill the prophecy and brought balance to the force."

"How could I do that if I was dead?" Anakin shook his head in confusion.

Luke sighed again.

"Look, there is so much I have to tell you, but first I have to find out the identity of my moth-"

The swoosh of the bedroom door interrupted the conversation.

Swan walked out, looking exhausted. Luke got up to meet her.

"Hey," he said, placing a hand on her arm. "You okay?"

Swan nodded.

"She's in stable condition and fully awake. You can go talk to her now, Anakin."

Anakin sprang from his chair and entered the room.

"I'm going to go lay down for a while Luke," Swan said heading down the hall and leaving him alone.

Luke stepped inside the bedroom.

Shmi was surrounded by her family, the Lars' and Anakin as well as the doctor from Mos Eisley and the medical droid. When Shmi saw him, her eyes brightened.

"And there is my hero." She smiled up at him. "If it wasn't for you, I'd never have seen my family again."

"It was no trouble at all." Luke said, smiling. "We are Jedi. It's our duty and honor to help those in need."

"In my life I've only met one other Jedi Knight, and he was as kind and noble as you, as well as my Ani." She took Anakin's hand in hers.

"Have you done it, Ani? Have you made all your dreams come true?"

"I have, mom," Anakin pressed his forehead against hers. Shmi smiled with tears in her eyes and turned back to Luke.

"I am indebted to you for the rest of my life, young Luke. How could I ever repay your kindness?"

Luke smiled at her.

"Live a long, happy life," he responded.

Shmi took Owen's hand in hers as well.

She glanced around at the happy faces of her family and sighed.

"Now I am complete."

(...)

For the rest of the day, Luke had looked for an opportunity to talk to Anakin in private. He needed to find out the identity of his mother.

Unfortunately, Owen had asked Anakin to go with him to Tosche Station to pick up supplies. Padme, to Luke's surprise, was very capable of the labors that came with operating a moisture farm, and had left with Beru for some time. With Cliegg still tending to Shmi, Luke found himself alone again.

He made his way back to his room on the other side of the homestead and shut the door behind him. To his surprise, Swan was sitting up in his bed, staring out the window at the twin suns which were beginning to set.

"Great view, isn't it?" Luke sat next to her.

"It is," she nodded.

"I used to look up at those suns from time to time and wonder how something so beautiful could exist in a place so barren."

"But that's exactly what's so beautiful about it," Swan said. "You find beauty in the most unexpected place."

For the next moments they were both silent.

Luke knew he had to address what happened between them in the Tusken Raider camp sooner or later, so he took a deep breath and turned to her.

"Look, Swan, about what happened between us-"

Before he could finish, she leaned up and kissed him.

A warmth flooded through Luke, an emotion that he was still unfamiliar with. Swan leaned against him and he placed a hand on her cheek.

Finally, the two separated.

"Swan," he said, "Are you sure about this? It goes against the Code."

Swan nodded, "I'm sure," she said pressing her forehead against his.

"Even if it's just one perfect night, before I never see you again…"

Luke stared breathlessly into her eyes and saw the same clouded gaze that his had.

As their lips met again, the warmth he felt blossomed into a fire in his stomach.

The two met again, passionately, fulfilling a need neither of them had ever known they had.

"Luke," she said breathlessly. "How long does it take to get back from Tosche Station on a landspeeder?"

"Long enough."