Author's Note: I debated long and hard about putting this on here. It was actually written for the Obidala Fan Forum. But I've decided to risk the flames and just pop it in here. This is a companion piece to my stories 'Alone', 'Enlightened', and 'Complete'. This one definitely won't make any sense unless you've read those.
Hope you enjoy! And, as usual, I own nothing.
The morning started like any other. Padme woke to the wonderful scent of breakfast cooking….and the sound of the twins arguing over something as her husband tried to hush them.
"Your mother needs her sleep," she heard Obi-Wan's voice cut through the increasing sound of chaos that seemed to follow Luke and Leia everywhere these days.
It worked….for a moment.
"Leia took my saber-hilt, Obi-Wan!"
Padme grimaced at the whiny tone her son's voice was taking. It was a habit they were trying to break him of. The results had been mixed so far.
"Aw, who would want your nasty old saber hilt anyway, you whiny little baby?"
"Leia, I have told you repeatedly about name-calling, have I not?"
This last obviously came from Obi-Wan. Padme smiled slightly as she rose to get dressed. When he worked with them in their Jedi training, Luke was Obi-Wan's biggest challenge. In everyday life, however, Leia most certainly claimed that particular prize.
'It's as though she thinks she's a princess sometimes,' Obi-Wan had lamented after one particularly volatile encounter with his stepdaughter.
'Well, her mother was a queen,' Padme had replied, attempting to make her husband smile. Her plan had worked, although she hadn't really counted on what followed afterwards. Not that she was complaining, of course.
As she attempted to brush the tangles out of her hair, Padme listened to the conversation taking place just down the hall. Somehow, the sound of the three voices filled her with contentment. Whatever the issue had been with the twins, it all seemed to be sorted for the moment.
"When is Uncle Mace coming?" she heard Leia ask. She bit back a grin, knowing that his seeming inability to intimidate Leia had always been a source of amusement to Master Mace Windu. Although Luke always referred to the Jedi as Master Windu these days, Leia just couldn't seem to separate the Jedi Master from the adopted uncle she adored.
"This afternoon," Obi-Wan replied and Padme could see his face in her mind, one corner of his mouth quirked up in amusement at the words 'Uncle Mace'.
"And Master Yoda?" Leia pressed. Strict formality always when it came to Yoda, Padme noted. Her eyes darkened slightly at the mention of the name. Although she respected Yoda greatly as a Jedi and counselor, she didn't particularly care for the way he sometimes treated Obi-Wan. In the first few months of their marriage, her feelings on the matter had been a source of contention between herself and Obi-Wan. Padme had finally decided that it was an issue they would never see eye to eye on and she let it drop. Of course, that didn't keep her from thinking…..
"He'll be here with Master Windu," Obi-Wan replied patiently. After a beat, he added, "And yes, I am sure they will have Tiali with them."
Padme snickered, picturing her daughter's face as her question was foreseen and pre-empted. Leia had a small case of hero-worship when it came to Tiali, Mace's Padawan. Not that Padme minded. Tiali was a well-grounded young woman and didn't have the annoying tendency that some did to talk down to children. Which was probably a large part of why both the twins were so fond of her.
Humming softly to herself, Padme fastened her hair back and started towards the hallway, eager to join her family for a nice breakfast. Obi-Wan's cooking was not to be sneezed at. Her son's voice stopped her dead in her tracks.
"When is Daddy coming?"
Silence thundered through the house. Padme closed her eyes and leaned slightly against her bedroom doorway. Anakin. She knew the twins had been missing him, although she hadn't realized just how much. The fact that it was Luke asking was particularly noteworthy. Of the two Skywalker children, Leia had the stronger bond with their father.
Her friendship with Anakin had been somewhat….strained….since Padme had told him of her decision to marry Obi-Wan. It hadn't been a decision she entered into lightly. There were a myriad of reasons to not even pursue her relationship with Obi-Wan. But the simple fact that she loved him far more than she had ever thought she could love someone other than her children had overridden all the practical reasons she could think of.
Anakin had really been amazing about it, though. Once he got past his initial reaction of anger and hurt. He had even stood beside Obi-Wan at the wedding. And the friendship between the three of them began to find its new footing and equilibrium. But seven months ago….
Padme's hands moved to her belly as she felt the baby inside her kick. Her former husband had definitely not taken the news of her pregnancy well. And conversations with Anakin had become nearly impossible ever since then. He still contacted the twins at least once a week, but he had only visited Naboo once since Padme had told him the news. She knew Obi-Wan had contacted him and asked him to come visit, but didn't know how successful that conversation had been.
"Perhaps tomorrow," she heard Obi-Wan say, and she picked up easily on the note of sadness in his voice. Ah. Apparently not that successful. "But you have to remember that he's very busy on Coruscant, especially now that his padawan is starting preparation for her first set of Trials."
Yes, she could almost hear Anakin telling Obi-Wan exactly that. A pitiful excuse, really. Even Padme knew that Ahsoka was more than ready for the first Trials.
"It's because of the baby," she heard Leia say matter-of-factly. Padme's jaw dropped, completely unprepared for the bluntness of her daughter's comment. Not to mention the perceptiveness.
"That's silly," Luke retorted. "The baby isn't even borned, yet."
"Born," she heard Obi-Wan absentmindedly correct the young boy. "Leia, what makes you say that?"
"It's true, isn't it?" again that matter-of-fact tone. No bitterness, no irritation, no jealousy. Just….stating what she saw as fact. "Daddy is angry at the new baby. Because he knows that you and Mommy will love the new baby better than anyone else. Even better than us."
The breath caught in Padme's throat as she realized what Leia was saying. But who…
"Who told you that?" Obi-Wan asked, echoing Padme's thoughts. She heard the undercurrent of anger in his tone. His accent always became more clipped when he was annoyed by something.
"One of the kids at Pooja's birthday party last week. She told me that once the baby was born, you and Mommy wouldn't love the two of us as much as you do now. Especially you, 'cause we're not your real kids."
A small Kenobi kicked as if protesting to this statement and Padme started down the hall with a renewed sense of purpose. She reached the kitchen just in time to see her daughter be swooped up into Obi-Wan's arms. The Jedi kissed the little girl on the forehead and cupped her chin in his hand, deliberately making her look directly into his eyes.
"Now, Leia. Suppose you listen to me for a moment. Do not for one second think that this new baby will change the way we feel about you or Luke. Your mother will love the two of you just as much as she always has. I want you to remember that. Yes, the new baby will take up a great deal of our time at first. But the only thing that will really change is the size of our family. You understand?"
Leia nodded and Obi-Wan set her back down next to her brother. Looking at the two of them, he kneeled down and put his arms around them both.
"And there will be no difference between the way I love this baby and the way I love the two of you," he stated in a tone that left no room for argument. "There is no such thing as 'real kids', Leia. Not the way you mean. You are just as much my daughter and Luke is just as much my son as your new brother or sister will be."
Obi-Wan glanced up and caught sight of Padme standing at the entrance to the kitchen. A look passed between them and Padme made her presence known to the twins.
"I thought I smelled breakfast," she said, smiling down at the smaller occupants of the room. "Whose turn is it to set the table today?"
"Ours!" Leia exclaimed, running to get the dishes. Her brother followed, heading for the drawer containing the utensils.
"How much did you hear?" Padme heard her husband ask in a low tone. She looked at him and noted the worry in his eyes. It was just as much for her as it was for the twins.
"All of it," she finally replied. "But I think you handled it brilliantly, Negotiator," she added in a teasing tone, determined to make him forget the conversation. At least for the time being. Just for now, she wanted a worry-free family breakfast.
Obi-Wan smiled slightly and reached up, drawing his thumb slowly along the line of her cheekbone with a feather-light touch.
"If the children weren't awake….I could think of a few other things I'd like to 'negotiate'," he whispered. Padme blushed fiercely and she heard Obi-Wan chuckle. It really was intolerable, the effect he had on her.
"I look like a Shaak," she retorted, trying to brush off the comment. He shook his head.
"No, her skin isn't quite the same tone as yours. And her head is…" he began, but was cut off by a light slap on his upper arm.
"Not Shaak TI. You know very well what I meant, Obi-Wan. Besides, the baby could be born any day now, really. And you're not supposed to….you know…" Padme trailed off, cursing herself as she felt her skin turning fire-red again. Obi-Wan laughed outright and didn't even try to hide it, laughing even more when she threw him a dark look that promised retribution.
"What's so funny?" asked Luke, placing the silverware on the kitchen table. Obi-Wan shook his head and patted Luke on the shoulder as he made his way towards the food on the counter. Watching him, Padme muttered insults under her breath.
"You shouldn't call people 'scruffy-looking nerfherders', Mommy," Leia remarked as she was setting out the dishes. Padme stared at her daughter in shock, but the young girl continued to lay out the plates as she talked. "It isn't polite to call people names. Is it, Obi-Wan?"
"No, it isn't, Leia," Obi-Wan replied, his voice suspiciously shaky as he began to set the food on the table.
"Shouldn't she apologize to you?" the eight year old inquired.
Obi-Wan chanced a look at Padme and decided that he might want to retreat from this particular battle, even if it was fun to see her so flustered.
"I think we'll give your mother a pass on this one," he informed Leia. She frowned darkly as she took her seat.
"You made me apologize to Luke," she reminded him.
"Ah….." Obi-Wan was caught. A rare occurrence. And Padme let herself enjoy the look of panic that crossed his features before finally giving him some relief. But only some.
"I'm sorry, Obi-Wan," she said in an overly sweet tone, looking up at him from under her eyelashes as he pulled the chair out for her. The corners of her mouth quirked up when she saw him barely restrain the urge to roll his eyes. Obi-Wan Kenobi most certainly knew when he was being played.
"I accept your apology," he replied, bowing elegantly before sitting down across the table from her.
During the meal, there were several meaningful looks exchanged and Padme found herself wishing that the baby would come sooner rather than later. She had a few ideas for just exactly how MASTER Obi-Wan Kenobi could be paid back for his relentless teasing this morning.
***************Late That Night
"I swear to the Force, I'm never letting that man near me again!"
Obi-Wan winced as he heard his wife's voice through the door. Padme had gone into labor only a few short hours after the arrival of the three Jedi. Tiali had taken the twins….somewhere. In the back of his mind, Obi-Wan knew he should recall that piece of information. But at the moment, it was a piece of knowledge that was just beyond his grasp.
Mace exchanged an amused look with Yoda, who chuckled and shook his head.
"I…think I'm beginning to understand why they wouldn't let me stay in there," Obi-Wan finally spoke. He had fought tooth-and-nail with his mother-in-law on this subject. The argument ended when Obi-Wan found himself outside his own bedroom, the door firmly closed and locked against him. He still wasn't sure how that had happened, but he had learned in the past two years that his mother-in-law worked in very mysterious ways.
"Part of life, this is. Take her words to heart you should not, Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan nodded, knowing Yoda was right. It was hard, though, to hear some of the things Padme had said about him. Especially in the past couple of hours. As a Galactic Senator and former Queen, he knew Padme's education had to be extensive. But he wasn't at all sure that she should know some of the words he had heard her say today.
He felt a glass being pushed into his hand and looked away from the door to see Mace smiling at him.
"Drink," his friend ordered. And the Jedi in Obi-Wan obeyed.
The drink wasn't in his mouth long.
"Ugh!!" exclaimed Obi-Wan, rushing to clean up the liquid he'd just spit onto the floor. The last thing he needed was Padme coming out of the delivery room to berate him for the mess he'd made here, too. "What WAS that?!"
Mace shrugged.
"Found it in a cabinet in your quarters. No label."
"My….wait a minute. MY quarters?" Mace nodded. "My quarters in the Jedi Temple?!" Another nod. "Force, Mace! There's no telling how old that stuff is! I haven't been to my quarters on Coruscant in a year and a half!"
"Took your mind off things for a minute, didn't it?"
Obi-Wan shook his head, reflecting that Tiali was definitely having some influence on her teacher. A cry from the bedroom grabbed his attention again and Mace sighed. Yoda studied the younger Jedi for a moment, feeling several conflicting emotions surrounding him.
"Something troubles you, Obi-Wan," the diminutive Jedi finally stated. Obi-Wan swung his head to fix Yoda with a piercing glare.
"No. Really?"
The sarcasm was unmistakable and even Mace was a bit taken aback by the tone of Obi-Wan's voice. It wasn't like him. Especially not when conversing with Yoda.
"Something more than the birth of your child," Yoda returned Obi-Wan's glare. For a while, the two were locked in a battle of wills. Obi-Wan finally shook his head and looked away. He remained silent so long that the other two Jedi weren't sure he was going to tell them anything. But then…
"Leia said that when the new baby came….I would love the baby more than the twins. Because they're not my 'real kids'."
"And you told her….?" Mace pressed.
"I told her it was a ridiculous notion, of course," Obi-Wan replied. "I told her that I would never love the baby more than I loved them. That they were just as much my 'real kids' as this child was."
Mace frowned, trying to pinpoint the problem. As usual, it was Yoda who saw it first.
"You doubt yourself, Obi-Wan?"
Obi-Wan ran his fingers through his hair, attempting to gather his thoughts as another cry came from Padme in their room.
"I just….what if I was wrong? What if I'm not capable of loving them as much as I love this child?"
Mace shook his head. It was a ridiculous thing to hear from Obi-Wan. But then….the man had always had the fear of letting those he loved down. Of failing them. However, to suggest failure in this case really was ludicrous. And Mace instinctively knew that no amount of reassurance from himself or Yoda would prove otherwise to Obi-Wan in this case. He would not believe it until his child was born.
Which, judging from the sounds emanating from the room, was probably not long now.
Obi-Wan stood abruptly, nearly knocking back the chair he had been sitting in. His footsteps filled with purpose, he reached the bedroom door and placed his hand on it. As if, by sheer will, he could reach through it and touch his wife.
Slowly, very slowly, the noises faded. All that could be heard was the movements of Padme's mother and sister, along with the doctor in the bedroom. Mace chanced a look at Obi-Wan, saw the set of his shoulders and the way his jaw was clenched. His eyes screwed tightly shut, Obi-Wan curled his free hand into a fist as the other one remained flat, pressed against the door.
"To take another's pain on yourself, Obi-Wan. Forbidden by the Code, it is," Yoda reminded him softly.
"Hang the Code," Obi-Wan ground out through clenched teeth. "I can't stand another minute of listening to her in this pain. I WON'T stand another minute."
"She'll think something is wrong, Obi-Wan," Mace finally said after a pause. "Padme is no stranger to childbirth. If she does not feel this pain, she'll think something has happened to the baby."
Obi-Wan opened his eyes and tried to glare at Mace, but he knew his friend was right. As slowly as he had taken it, he released some of the pain again. His mind was filled with wonder at what he had experienced. Obi-Wan had always held women in the highest regard. But now…..
A cry was heard again from the room. But this one was different from the others. This one….
The door flew open after a few agonizing minutes and Obi-Wan, still half-leaning against it, almost stumbled into the room. He was met with his mother-in-law's face. She smiled at him radiantly.
"You can come in now, Obi-Wan."
He didn't have to be told twice. Entering the room, he saw Padme propped up on some pillows, her arms full of a white bundle. Her hair was damp with sweat, her skin slightly pale and damp, as well. But she had never looked more beautiful to Obi-Wan.
Making his way to her, he kneeled by the bed and kissed her tenderly on the cheek as he gazed down in wonder at the squirming bundle in her arms. It was red and wrinkled with an absurdly messy mop of dark hair sticking in all directions on the top of its head. The eyes were screwed shut, the mouth fixed in what seemed to Obi-Wan to be a confused scowl.
It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
"Obi-Wan……meet your daughter," Padme spoke softly, smiling at her husband through tears of joy.
Awed, Obi-Wan reached out with his hand and stroked the tiny pink hand that was half him and half Padme. In answer, the hand grasped one of his fingers in a surprisingly strong grip. And the tears that Obi-Wan had been unaware of fighting finally slipped down his cheeks.
"She's beautiful," he finally said, looking up at Padme. "Like her mother."
Padme leaned forward and kissed him softly, their lips lingering slightly as they rejoiced in what they had made together.
"Ew. I thought we were here to see the baby."
The two parents looked towards the door and saw the twins, who had been fetched by their grandmother. Obi-Wan gestured them inside and they crowded around the bed, mindful of their grandmother's warnings to not jostle their mother. Luke made a face.
"She's all wrinkly," he said, disgust evident in his voice.
"She'll grow out of it," Padme assured him.
"Can I hold her?" asked Leia.
"Not yet," Obi-Wan replied. "She's very tired and needs her sleep. Maybe tomorrow, princess."
Leia nodded, partially mollified.
"What are you going to call her?" Jobal inquired. The name had been the subject of much debate.
"Aravyn," Padme answered her mother, watching as recognition passed over the older woman's face. She was pleased, Padme could see. Jobal's mother finally had a namesake.
"Aravyn Jinn Kenobi," Obi-Wan intoned, taking pleasure in pronouncing the full name. Padme grasped his hand and smiled up at him as he stood.
Looking down upon his family, Obi-Wan held tight to his wife's hand as he rested his other hand on Luke's head. His family. Of course. How could he have ever thought otherwise?
A/N: Well, that's it. I hope you liked. Someday, I might go a little farther with this little universe I created. We'll see. Feel free to leave a review. I love reviews.