Beloved Monster (Story previously begun on Tears of An Angel)

Upping so it won't get lost again (I hope).

 

Beautiful, Belle, beautiful. I loved this part: "He was doubly damned now and no one would ever redeem him. No one was left who ever cared about what he could have been instead of what he had become."

Ah, but that is where you are wrong, Vader! Isn't it nice to have the OT and know that there is hope? But meanwhile....

 

Thanks for letting me know about your new post. That was so sad. Not only is Ami dead , but so is Ani. And it sounds like it will get worse. I hope the next post won't be too far away.

 

Thanks for the feedback, Cinde and RebelMom. Wasn't certain there was anyone still interested. Got so carried away with Penitent I let this poor story languish. Now I have to get hopping and keep it alive.

 

Upping. Will try to get another post up later today (at work at the moment).

 

Well, I suppose that's what I get for abandoning my poor story for Penitent. I've lost most of my readership. Clarus and JediMom, if you're still interested in my continuing this, PM me. Otherwise I'll just let it wither again and call it quits. I have plenty of other projects though I'd really like to finish this. Still, it gets buried very quickly. I have a partial done, but it's been awfully quiet. Just a quick note to say "I'm reading" does make authors feel like continuing.

Okay, enough fishing. We'll see what happens.

 

I'm reading! I'm reading! I'm reading!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey, Belle! As Palpy said: Patience, my friend...

Please finish it... though it was sooo sad

Motibi? Cool!

More Vader? Coooooooooooooooooool!!!!!

 

I'm reading!

 

Thanks, folks. Have to run right now, but will get another section up later today. Even though Am's gone, there's plenty more to Beloved Monster. Remember Esme? She's still around in the background with enough unrequited love to go around.

 

I'm still reading, Belle! Just a little lazy about replying (bad habit).

That was lovely, sad, emotional! I hope GL lets Am survive the prequels, but I'm not counting on it!

 

More...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vader did not contact his Master upon his return to his ship. No one dared look his way as he carried Amidala's body to his quarters and in his dark mood he almost wished they had. He placed her on the rarely used bed, then adjusted the room's environment to one conducive to his damaged lungs. Usually he waited until safely ensconced in his meditation chamber, but today... this day, he had a task he refused to entrust to anyone else and for that task he would not have his armor between them.

Deliberately, he removed his helmet and then each article of his outer clothing from his body until he stood naked. He had ordered his quarters modified for his needs, but they still retained a refresher, albiet unused. He turned into it, pressing the buttons for an actual water shower. The Empire allowed only their officers such luxury onboard their ships, but between his physical limitations and his innate feeling of wastefulness that using precious water to wash gave him, he had never utilized his. For the moment though, the pressing need to cleanse his body thoroughly overrode those other concerns.

The warm water stung his sensitive skin, unaccustomed over the last years to any contact save with his suit. He grabbed a soap impregnated cloth provided and scrubbed himself, grimacing as he touched the silvery scars that laced his body. No need to wash his hair as what little he had possessed on his head he had removed to facilitate wearing the helmet. As the water sluiced over him he wished he could wash the black stains from his heart and soul as easily.

He punched the off button and emerged to dry himself and don the simple loincloth he wore beneath his armor. With a sense of futility, he scanned his rooms, aware he most likely had nothing appropriate to perform his task. His gaze lit on a bottle of scented water that Esmé had left behind on her last visit. He'd intended to return it to her, but then Motibi had occurred and such a trivial thing had been forgotten.

Vader retrieved a basin and filled it with warm water. He opened the bottle and tested the scent, deciding she would have liked it. Perhaps as Amidala's handmaiden and friend, Esmé and she had shared similar tastes. His eyes squeezed shut as fresh loss lanced through him again. He shoved it aside and poured a fair amount of the scent into the water, then rose and approached the bed.

Soft cloths lay at her head, awaiting his use. With care, he set the basin on a small table next to the bed and, almost afraid to look, turned his gaze to her.

He brushed tendrils of hair from her face and frowned at the soot and singe marks that marred her skin. The tunic and trousers she wore bore evidence of her struggle, small holes around her shoulders showing where embers had burned through the material and a blackened mark across her chest where the beam had landed on her. Her hands, reddened and scored, told him she had fought to escape the flames.

His vision blurred and he shook his head, determined to continue. He removed her boots, then the tunic and trousers and proceeded to wash her from head to toe. Once finished, he dressed her in one of his older black tunics, wishing he had something more appropriate for her to wear. He sat beside her, taking her hand in his, smoothing the abused, cold skin.

"I will never forget you, Padmé Amidala Naberrie Skywalker. I can't escape the path I've chosen, but I can try to keep Palpatine from more horrendous things than he would like." He bent forward, pressing his lips to her chill ones, then laying his forehead against hers. "Forgive me, for I will never forgive myself."

Her eyes remained closed. Forever beyond his reach now, she rested quietly. He arranged her arms across her stomach and went to don his armor once more with no little distaste for the thing. Despite its internal cleaning devices, it held a rather distinct odor, one combined of his own body odors and the disinfectants it used to prevent infections. Ensconced once more behind his protective suit, Vader r

 

Up, up, up, senorha, upping all day long. Up, up, up, senorha, upping all day long. Gee, sounds like I've been watching Beetlejuice too much. Hehehehe... Needed that after what I just wrote. (BTW, senorha is Portuguese, not Spanish, hence the odd spelling.)

 

She is lying there like Snow White or the Sleeping Beauty in the fairy tales- but she won't wake up, even if her Knight is here...

 

Up?

 

Grrr...Palpy...Grrr.
I like him taking her for burial.Very sad. Poor Ani...er, Vader.

 

So sad...

Both the story and the fact that it has fallen so deep into the board.

 

Once again dredging this up. I'm back at school (again) and still working nights. I hate leaving this unfinished sooo... I will do my very best to see if anyone still remembers this poor forgotten fic. Will check in later.