A Happy Life

Anakin sat up. He was still in bed. Padme was right; he needed to stop watching those late night pod races. As he stood up, he could smell food. Padme was already making breakfast. The twins were awake, too; he could hear their laughter through the door. Small moments like this made Anakin very happy-and grateful. After all, he wouldn't be here with his family if Obi Wan hadn't have interfered when Master Windu was trying to kill Chancellor Palpatine. If he hadn't have barged into the room and held Anakin back as Master Windu ended Palpatine's life, Anakin might have turned to the Dark Side under the influence of the Chancellor.

He shook his head to clear the thoughts. Today was a happy day; they were on Naboo, in the lake country, to celebrate Luke and Leia's birthday. They were turning six, and would soon begin their Jedi Training on Coruscant in the infamous Jedi Temple with Master Yoda. Perhaps, Anakin thought, that he would be permitted to visit now and again. He was a Jedi Master himself, after all.

He stepped out into the living room after shrugging on a light jacket. Luke and Leia were sitting on the floor, floating a ball back and forth between, using the Force.

"Shhh, Mommy doesn't know I taught you that trick," he whispered as he passed between them, grabbing the ball as it almost made its way to Luke's outstretched hands. The twins pouted as their father set the ball up high on a shelf, but soon began laughing again as Leia picked up a small toy off the floor, and they continued their game.

Anakin had hardly stepped foot in the kitchen when Padme called, "Breakfast is ready!"

"Why don't you just have C3P0 make break-," he was interrupted when the twins darted pass him, knocking him over, right into C3P0.

"Oh, do forgive me, Master Anakin!" he apologized instantly. "Perhaps my circuits need rewiring."

"No, it's alright," Anakin said, standing up and checking C3P0 for any dents or scratches. They had to keep C3P0 looking clean and polished. Anakin had given the protocol droid to Padme to use for her senatorial duties, so C3P0 had an image to keep for the Senator (and former queen) of Naboo.

"If you insist," replied the droid. "Now where is little R2? He promised to help me tighten my loose bolts…" He murmured quietly as he teetered out of the kitchen.

"Dad, come on! Sit down!" Luke said impatiently.

"Yeah, I'm hungry!" Leia complained, dramatically rubbing her stomach as if she were starving.

Anakin complied and sat down, and helped Padme serve the food. She had made Panna cakes (Luke's favorite), and Vakiir eggs (Leia's favorite).

"Mmm…" the twins said simultaneously, smelling the delicious food. "Thanks, Mom!"

Padme smiled. She had just started cooking meals on her own, after finally being able to convince Dorme, one of her handmaidens, that she didn't need any help to do such a simple task as cooking. It pleased her when her family enjoyed her cooking. "You're welcome. Now, eat up, before it gets cold."

Anakin poured Poptree Syrup on his Panna cakes. "What do you two want to do for your birthday?"

"I want to swim out to the island that Mom always talks about going to when she was little. We can play in the water, and build sand castles-," Luke began, but he was cut off by Leia's voice.

"I don't want to go to the beach," she said with a stubborn slam of her fork against her plate. Padme rolled her eyes. She definitely took after her father…

"Why not?" Padme asked after sipping some of her Kuul milk.

"Because sand is coarse, rough, irritating, and it gets everywhere," Leia finished as Luke politely passed her the syrup.

Padme glanced at Anakin. He was laughing uncontrollably, and tried to hide his face behind his hand as he shoved more food into his mouth to stifle the sound. He wasn't successful, and he almost fell out of his chair as he attempted to turn his head the other way. Padme smiled at her husband's level of maturity.

"You're just like your father," Padme commented. But don't become too much like him, she thought. One Anakin was equivalent to a headache, two would be a migraine, and she didn't think that any method of therapy in the whole galaxy could help her past that point.

Realizing that his sister wouldn't agree with going to the beach, he had an idea. "Why don't we go to a pod race?"

"That's a good idea," Anakin said, wiping his eyes to get rid of the tears of his laughter. Leia nodded her head vigorously in agreement as she gulped down her last bite.

"I don't know… What time will it be at?" Padme asked.

"Late evening, kind of around the time we eat dinner here," Anakin answered.

"How do you know?" Padme questioned. She already knew, she just wanted him to admit it.

"I-uh," he started. Padme raised her eyebrows. "I watched another pod race last night." He hung his head, avoiding her amused, twinkling eyes. He pretended to be very interested in the detail of his fork, murmuring about how pretty the engravings were.

Padme smirked. "Of course you did." Anakin could tell she was pleased with herself-the expression she wore was the same when she won a particularly hard debate. He felt a great surge of affection towards his wife, and rubbed her back with three fingers. "Anyways, we can't. I have a meeting with the new viceroy of the Trade Federation."

"I'd rather you not go," Anakin said. "Not only will it disappoint the children, but it is too risky. You can't trust the Trade Federation. I'm sure you remember all too well how Viceroy Gunray had wanted you dead, and myself, for that matter. Why not have Sabe go as a decoy?"

"Anakin, you know I hate doing that. Especially after what happened to Corde…" she closed her eyes, willing herself not to remember that terrible moment when her ship had been bombed and her faithful handmaiden's life had been taken. All because of my own foolishness, Padme thought. She had been too young, too trusting to believe that anyone would be so cruel as to even consider an assassination attempt. If she hadn't have agreed to the idea of having decoys, Corde would still be alive. "Besides, this meeting is too important to have Sabe go."

Luke and Leia groaned. "Why?" they whined.

Padme sighed, "I suppose I could ask Elle to reschedule it for me… Hopefully the viceroy will understand. But just this time, okay?"

"Okay!" The twins said. The family left the kitchen to get ready for the pod race, leaving C3P0 to clean up.

Luke shrugged into his plain, tan tunic as he watched Leia wince every time Padme pulled the brush through her hair.

"You know, if you brushed it daily it wouldn't end up in snarls like this."

"I know-OUCH!" Leia jumped out of her mother's lap. "That hurt!"

"Come back here, Leia," Padme instructed. "Your father is firing up the ship, so you need to hurry up or we'll leave you with C3P0 and R2-D2."

"I don't want to stay here! Wait… How about I do my own hair today?"

"No, Leia, you don't know how," Padme said, "Now, come on. We don't have time for this."

Luke watched Leia stomp her foot and glare at her mother. She could be so stubborn at times.

Leia's attitude reminded Padme of herself the first time that she was told to leave Naboo. She shook her head, knowing that there was only one way out of this.

"Fine, you can do your hair, but you still have to finish brushing it."

After about half an hour, Padme hurried the twins out the door and onto Padme's silver, J-type star skiff.

"What took so long?" Anakin said as he slid into the pilot's seat.

"Leia," Padme huffed. Anakin needed no explanation. He knew how his daughter could get. He glanced back at her, and laughed out loud.

"Leia, what did you do to your hair? And why is it wrapped around your ears?"

"Oh, do you like it, Dad? I did it myself."

"Yeah, I can tell." He looked over at Padme, who was shaking her head.

Once they were out of Naboo's atmosphere, and far enough into space, Anakin turned on the hyper drive.

"Ani!" Padme yelled, watching the children shake on their small legs with the force of the ship's speed. "The kids aren't buckled in!"

"Padme, it's okay, they'll get used to standing in the ship soon enough."

"Oh, Ani, why do you have to be like that?" Padme sighed. "You know that it's unsafe at their age."

"Padme, it's alright," Anakin was confused with her concern. "They'll get used to it and learn how to keep their balance. They have to learn at some point, right? And I hear that Master Yoda takes the Padawans to Dagobah quite often… Something about the Force sensitivity there puts the children into a calming state… Anyways, don't worry so much. It's a much needed skill, if you could even call it that, and it's their birthday."

Padme chewed her lip anxiously.

"If it bothers you that much, Padme, I'll go make them sit down."

"No, it's fine." Anakin looked into his wife's eyes. They had less of a twinkle to them when something was wrong.

"What's troubling you, my love?" He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her gently.

She sighed and toyed with the hem of her midnight blue dress's sleeve. "I'm not sure. Perhaps I am just nervous. I have heard talk among the politicians that there is dire need to select a new chancellor, and Dorme has told me that she has heard them talk about me as an option. I don't think I am ready for that. First queen, then senator, and now possibly chancellor? Sometimes I just want to take a break from it all."

"Don't worry about that," he replied, twisting one of her dark curls around his finger, "I'm sure that it's all just typical politician talk. You know how they get when they are unsure of what to do. They think drastically and jump to solutions."

"I suppose you're right. I'll try not to think about it too much."

When they arrived on Anakin's home planet of Tatooine, several speeders and ships were landed and scattered around the stadium. As they entered, Luke and Leia began laughing and pointing at a strange blue creature with wings and a large nose. Despite their attempts to stifle their laughter, he heard them and turned around quickly.

"Choy? Are u laughing at? Somebody needs tah tell u choy? Respect sa!" The ugly creature was speaking in Huttese. Anakin recognized him almost instantly.

"Achuta, Watto. This sa myo wife, Padme, um myo children, Luke um Leia. They meant noah harm." Anakin explained.

"Ah, Ani! Little Ani! Mee have heard rumors da u are ateema do Master jedai! Coo could have guessed, huh?" Watto responded, barely glancing at Padme. She wondered if he remembered her, but at the time she had been much younger and he probably hadn't have wanted much to do with her.

Anakin nodded silently. "Um soon these two will become Padawans. They make je ree proud."

Watto glared down at the children. "Teach hoohah some respect while they are at it, eh, Ani?"

"Perhaps mee will. Coo are u betting on tah win?"

"Sebulba." Watto smirked.

"Sa he still racing? Mee thought he was peetch humiliated tuta whao mee beat him tah continue his cheating ways," Anakin practically spat.

"Mee guess he wanted to redeem himself. Kava about u? Are u betting on anyone?" Watto asked.

"Mee am nopa betting, nopa today at least," Anakin grinned, "But mee am hoping da Slide Paramita wins."

"Ah, he has goola temper, just like u, Ani! Mee remember kava u used tah get mad at doe smallest things. Didn't take much tah spoil do day, huh?" Watto chuckled.

"Mee suppose so. Well, jee-jee need tah bolla um get seated che doe chawa. Jee-jee ap-xmasi naga tah miss it. It sache their birthday. Mee jewz ju, Watto."

"Mee stuka. Panwa doe chawa, Ani. Bye, Padme. It was leah tah stuka u again." He turned to face Luke and Leia. "Hopefully next tee-tocky mee stuka u two u will be more polite!" Although the twins only understood half of what he said, they still felt intimidated and ducked behind their parents. Watto laughed at them and waved as he flew sluggishly away.

"Daddy, that thing scared me," Luke said.

"I know, he used to scare me, too," Anakin smiled.

"What did he say to me?" Padme questioned. Out of all the languages she had had to learn while serving as queen, Huttese what not one of them, which was odd considering that most species spoke it.

"He said, 'It was good to see you again,'" Anakin answered as they lined up against the railing of the balcony and leaned over to see the pod racers.

"Oh. I thought he wasn't fond of me," Padme said quietly, "Luke! Don't lean forward too far!"

"Who knows," Anakin shrugged, "Watto is weird like that. He might resent you one time and the next time he won't. Reminds of the time those Geonosian dealers came by the shop and Watto was outraged with the trade they proposed, but the next time he was overjoyed and welcomed them in. It was most likely for the money, though."

Padme nodded and watched as the racers lined up at the starting line. A small handheld device in Anakin's hand allowed them to see what was going on up close.

One of the commentators was speaking Galactic Basic, while the other spoke Huttese. They shared the same body, meaning that they were a two-headed Troig. One was called Fode, the other was called Beed.

Luke considered pointing and laughing at their strange appearance, but thought better of it after what had occurred last time he forgot his politeness.

"And it looks like all the racers are lined up, so let's begin! Ready, set, go!" Fode yelled.

"Um it stuka all doe racers are lined tonka, so let's begin! Ready, set, bolla!" Beed translated rapidly as the racers whizzed past.

"Sebulba immediately takes the lead, with Occo Ninebar, Kraid Nemmeso, Teemto Pagalies, Ben Quadinaros, and Boles Roor following closely behind!" Fode exclaimed. "But oh, no! It looks like Slide Paramita is stalling! Perhaps he'll get lucky and be able to start back up and get going just like the race in which Young Skywalker beat the legendary Sebulba!"

"Dad, did you really win one of the races?" Leia looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Yes, that's how Watto ended up letting me go with Qui Gon Jinn and Obi Wan," he answered, passing the device to Luke so he could watch better.

"Well, not entirely. It was because of Qui Gon's deal with Watto," Padme reminded him.

"Yeah, but it was my amazing skills that won the bet," he retorted, sticking his nose in the air in mock snootiness. It lasted only a few seconds before a thought struck him and his head dropped down. "Yet sometimes I wish I hadn't won, then maybe my mother would still be alive."

Padme was surprised at how quickly his mood had changed. "Ani, you keep trying to find reasons to blame yourself for what happened to Shmi. Watto still would have sold her to Lars, and you would've gone with her, perhaps even been captured by those terrible Tuskan raiders as well."

Anakin clenched his jaw, remembering how he killed all of the Tuskans out of rage, and how he had felt so powerful and guilty at the same time. He remembered how they had screamed, the sound echoing in his ears. He marveled at how he had felt no remorse or mercy, even for the women and children. They had deserved it after breaking his heart and making him lose his mother, the only person who had shown him love and kindness during his childhood. She had left his life too soon-or rather, he had left her life too soon.

Padme grabbed his hand and stroked it tenderly, hoping to calm his anger before it rose, as it surely would.

"It wasn't your fault."

"Yes, it was!" He yanked his hand away. "I just wasn't strong enough!"

Luke and Leia were so wrapped up in the race that they hardly noticed their father's temper and all the beings around them staring.

"Calm down, Ani," Padme said softly, "It's alright."

"That's what you always say, Padme, but sometimes it's not."

He gave her a stern look for a moment before turning his attention back to the race. Padme considered retaliating and saying that she was only trying to help him from embarrassing himself (and his family) in a public place, but she decided not to, figuring that it would only flare his anger even more. She watched him sigh deeply as he became lost in his thoughts.

Anakin watched Slide Paramita's temper rise quickly at his currently immobile pod. He thought that he himself was similar, in a way, just like Watto had said. One small thing could make him mad.

Perhaps if he had become Palpatine's apprentice, he would have learned to channel it to something greater, more powerful, and achieve things that others could only dream of…

He was pulled away from his dark thoughts as Fode's voice rang through the stadium, followed by Beed's. "And Slide gets his pod up and running again! He's going to have to be fast to catch up, but I've seen him catch up in races when he's been two laps behind!"

"Look, Dad, he might win!" Luke said with enthusiasm.

"He probably won't, Luke. He's too far behind."

"But you said that you were able to catch up with Sebibble in the race that you were in," he quipped.

"His name is Sebulba," Anakin corrected, "And the odds were entirely different. I was only a little bit behind. He's one whole lap behind."

The way his father had responded to his simple question made him sad for a moment, for he had been hoping that his father would be, well, happier. Luke's frown curved into a grin when Leia nudged him in the ribs with her elbow and pointed to some of the racers finishing the second lap.

"And now it appears that Occo is in the lead, with Sebulba, Slide, Teemto, Ben, and Boles trailing," Fode paused, "We just received information that Kraid was crashed into by another racer, destroying his ship badly. He cannot continue in the race."

"I bet it was Sebulba!" Leia whispered to Luke.

"Yeah, me too," agreed Luke.

"Sebulba passes Occo, taking him by surprise and ramming against his engines," Fode winced, "You know it's not good when it starts smoking… Oh! And Occo loses control, running into Teemto, and makes them both crash against a large rock! Ouch! Now Sebulba is in the lead-no, wait, Slide is-now Sebulba-Slide-Sebulba-SLIDE! He finally passes Sebulba, and just in time! They're almost to the finish!"

"Bolla, Slide! Beat da cheating, noah good, dirty bantha poodoo!" Anakin shouted in Huttese. Padme resisted the urge to laugh at the language he spoke that sounded so much like a child just learning how to speak Galactic Basic.

Luke and Leia stared at him like he was a deranged bounty hunter as he whooped and hollered, his expression of anger gone.

"Yeah, your father gets excited about these things…" Padme said, watching her husband act as if he had never before been taught how to be proper in public. He even began to stomp his feet, which Leia and Luke gladly joined him in doing.

"And Sebulba is very close behind… but it looks like Slide is going to risk full speed! Which, as you all know, can result in fried engines!" Fode shouted.

There was a loud, deafening noise as Slide passed the finish line, all of his monitors beeping and flashing dangerously, knowing that he had just barely won without his pod exploding.

The loud noise was the crowd, some joyous, others mad that they had lost their bet. Anakin swore he could hear Watto yelling and swearing in Huttese. He probably had spent a LOT of credits on his bet. Anakin couldn't help but smirk at the thought.

"Slide Paramita wins the race! Sebulba comes in second, Ben in third, and Boles in fourth! This is only the second race that Sebulba has lost here on Tatooine! What a bad day for him, after he just redeemed himself from being beaten by a nine year old!"

"Slide Paramita wins doe chawa! Sebulba comes noleeya second, Ben noleeya third, um Boles noleeya fourth! This sa only doe second tee-tocky Sebulba has lost! Choy? Do goola day che him, after he just redeemed himself tuta being beaten by do nine year old!" Beed translated.

The crowd roared in laughter at the last part of the announcement. Sebulba, now humiliated, sped out of the stadium.

"Ha ha! That's how what you get, you cheating, nah good, banha pooda!" Luke yelled, in an attempt to imitate his father. Anakin patted him on the shoulder as Padme laughed.

"Slide Paramita wins with a prize of 5,000 credits! Thank you all for coming out here, and we hope to see you again at the next race being held in Mos Eisley!"

"Slide Paramita wins gee do prize of 5,000 credits! Thank you all che coming nenoleeya unko, um jee-jee hope tah stuka u again at doe next chawa being held noleeya Mos Eisley!"

On their way out of the arena, they passed Watto again, who didn't notice them as he mumbled a string of curse words that Anakin heard all too clearly. Instinctively, he covered the twins' ears, just as his mother used to do to him, even though they wouldn't be able to understand the Huttese language.

"E chu ta! Mee can't believe mee lost do buttmalia tah do stupid, foolish murishani!"

"Hey, Watto! Ya are children dee boonkee! Watch do dirty, foul mouth!" Anakin said angrily to him as they strode past.

"Eh, Ani! Come settah da tah myo face, u jedai piece of poodoo!" Watto snarled.

Anakin whipped around, leaving his children and Padme to stare at the argument that they couldn't understand.

"Jedai poodoo!? Mee'm do jadai Master!" he snapped back.

"Doe jedai are just foolish idiots coo believe noleeya do fake religion of doe Force!"

"Mee'll show u doe ree pawa of Force!" Padme heard the anger in Anakin's voice as he raised his arm in front of him, his hand clenching as Watto gasped.

"Anakin! Stop it!" Padme yanked his arm down, and Watto took a deep, wheezing breath as he massaged his throat.

"This isn't over, 'Little' Ani. Mee will remind u da even though u aren't myo shag anymore, mee'm still superior."

"Mee hope da next tee-tocky jee-jee cross paths, u will be noleeya doe grasps of do murishani, um punished che all do wrong doings!" Anakin stalked away, much to Watto's pleasure and relief.

"What was that all about?!" Padme demanded as the twins struggled to keep up with their father's anger fueled pace.

"Watto insulted the Jedi and underestimated the power of the Force," he said simply as if they had just been talking about the pod race.

"Ani, you know that you need to calm yourself when things like that happen," Padme replied softly, "Perhaps you should talk to Master Yoda and Master Windu, or even Obi Wan. I'm sure that they could"-

"I don't need their help. I have it under control, Padme, I just… Had trouble containing it this time."

"Had trouble?" Padme scolded. "You almost could have killed him!"

"Padme, it's fine, it won't happen again. I just need to"-

He stopped when they passed a young slave scrubbing frantically at a dirty speeder. The slave's master smacked him on the head when he slowed down to rub his sore biceps.

"Work gran shado! Mee need da clean so mee can bolla tah Mos Eisley! Hurry tonka, u pathetic koochoo! Mo mee will take neechu do wamma che do month!" The master said angrily.

The slave worked faster, wiping several drops of sweat off his forehead as he did so.

Anakin watched the slave sadly, knowing that the poor child would probably have to deal with being treated like this for the rest of his life. The slave looked up at the family, and Padme gasped and had to bite her bottom lip to stop its quivering.

He looked to be about Luke and Leia's age. His features were glossed over with dirt and grime, and his face was sunken in from lack of food. His cheekbones were prominent and sharp, which was a shocking difference from the twins' chubby cheeked faces.

Padme had the urge to bend down next to him and comfort him in some way, but Anakin wanted to look away.

"Anakin, we have to help him," Padme whispered, her voice shaking.

"Padme, this is reality. There are thousands of slaves here, why should we help this one? I realize that it is unfortunate, but there's not much we can do."

"Wouldn't you want someone to help you if you were in his shoes? Luke and Leia, come back here this instant," she said as she watched them out of the corner of her eye, "I'm not asking you to free him, I just want to help him."

Anakin sighed. He turned to face the slave's master, who was organizing his table of Tatooine food delicacies.

"Achuta. Mee vopa tah trade u some Galactic credits che some of do Tatooine lamta," Anakin asked politely.

Padme furrowed her eyebrows, wondering how purchasing food could possibly help the situation.

"Da's fine. Kava much do u naga?" The Klatooinian grunted, pleased to finally have someone to purchase the food (that he had stolen from a cantina in Mos Eisley.)

"Just wompa," Anakin responded, handing him the credits and taking the lamta, "Have do leah day."

"U peetch," the Klatooinian said back.

As he turned his back away from them, Anakin discreetly floated the lamta to the boy, who gladly accepted it, along with a few credits. He ate it quickly and smiled. Padme smiled back, hoping it would appease him until his dreadful master decided to give him more.

"Thank you," the boy said, "Why are you being so nice though?"

"Well, believe it or not, I used to be in the same place you are now," Anakin said.

"Really?" he asked with wide eyes.

"Yes, and one day, you won't have to live here anymore."

"How do you know?" the slave questioned.

"Call it a gut feeling, if you will."

The boy nodded and waved to Luke and Leia as they continued going their way.

"What did you mean when you said 'you won't have to live here anymore'?" Padme asked, urging the twins into the ship.

"His midi-chlorian count is extremely high, I can sense it," Anakin answered, firing up the ship, "Perhaps I will tell Obi Wan about him."

All the way back, Luke and Leia kept talking about the race. When they finally got home, it was far past the twins' bedtimes, and Padme was close to yelling at them to be quiet. Anakin sensed her frustration and rushed her inside.

The twins, now exhausted, flopped on the floor, and R2 D2 beeped angrily when he almost tripped over them.

"Now R2, that's not a very nice thing to say. They are just children, after all," C3P0 scolded.

Rolling his eyes at the droids, Anakin spoke to Padme. "Should we give them their present now?"

"Why not…" Padme said, feeling her eyelids begin to droop.

Anakin opened one of the closets with a swift motion of his hand, and lazily floated a box to the twins. They tore into it mercilessly, and were extremely pleased with their gift: two remote control pods, one green, the other blue. Luke claimed the green one, and Leia grabbed the blue one and started to chase Luke's pod with hers. The whirring of the toys was incredibly irritating and made Padme's headache grow stronger.

"No, you two need to go to bed. Ani, put these in our room, please," Padme said. They whined as their father took their new toys away. "You can have them back tomorrow, dears. Now come on, wash up and put on your nightgowns."

As Padme tucked them into their beds, she hummed a song that she had heard Shmi sing all those years ago on Tatooine, when she had first met Anakin. At that time, he was just a young child, and now he was so grown up. It was strange to her that he had become so different in the few years that they had been apart, and her four years of serving as queen were up and she had become senator.

Once she was sure they were asleep, she quietly crept out and into the living room, where Anakin had dozed off on the couch.

She walked towards him and planted a gentle kiss on his head before going to the hologram communicator. She wasn't aware of the pair of blue eyes that were now open and following her movements.

A hologram of one of her handmaidens, Elle, popped up.

"Milady, I contacted the viceroy of the Trade Federation, as you asked," she said solemnly, "I explained the cause of your absence at the meeting, but he did not accept it as well as we had hoped."

"What did he say?"

"He said that because of your arrogance to contact him personally and for discarding your senatorial duties for something as trivial as a birthday, he is refusing to sign the contract that will allow our ships to land on Cato Neimoidia."

"He is so foolish, that viceroy," Padme replied, "He wants us to be able to 'make trades peacefully', but he will not grant us permission to land on the Trade Federation's planet."

"I am sorry, milady," Elle apologized, "Perhaps it was the way that I explained the situation. I think I may have confused him and made it seem as if you had forgotten about the meeting and had already made plans."

"There's no need for you to apologize, Elle," Padme said sincerely, "It's not your fault that he doesn't understand, or value, family. I appreciate you contacting me."

"Of course, milady."

"I am going to need to think this over… You are dismissed," Padme sighed. She clicked off the communicator and turned to wake up Anakin and tell him that he should probably move to the bedroom, but his eyes were wide open and looking at her intently.

"How long have you been awake?" Padme questioned, her heart racing with the startle of seeing him so awake and aware. She wondered if he could her the beating of her heart, and she was sure that he could.

Anakin smirked in the way that she always found irritating; it meant he was either immensely pleased with himself, or he knew something.

"Long enough," he responded, "Were you trying to hide something from me?"

"Of course not," Padme answered quickly. Too quickly.

"You will tell me what you just said to Elle." Anakin waved his hand, using a Jedi mind trick.

"Are you really trying to use that old trick?" Padme smiled gently. "It doesn't work on me."

Now it was Anakin who smiled. "I know, I just wanted to make sure that you were still the same, trusting and intelligent Padme that I love."

"And why would you need evidence of this? Have I failed in being a loving wife?"

"Of course not. It's just that the Padme that I know would not hide something from me, so I have but no choice to make sure that you were not perhaps a changeling who had taken my wife, and that seemed to be the simplest way to find out. Changelings are weak minded; you, my dear, are not. So that is why I am confused as to why you will not confide in me your problems."

Padme swallowed, knowing that her husband was to intelligent for his own good.

"You do know that I heard the entire discussion, correct?" Anakin sat straighter and rested his elbows on his knees. "Padme, we agreed when we married that there would be no more secrets. I need to know if something is wrong."

"Well, you already know, then," she shifted on her feet uncomfortably.

"Yes, I know that the viceroy is being stubborn. But why does it appear that you did not want to tell me this?" Anakin said. "Come sit, my love."

Padme obliged, and cleared her throat before speaking. "You already have much on your mind, and I know that you're not much for politics. You have said so yourself."

"Even if I do not care for politics, I will support you. I want to know if you're stressed or if there's too much pressure," Anakin reached for her hand, "I want you to be honest with me."

"I know, but I didn't want to have to get you wrapped up in this annoying Trade Federation business," Padme said quietly, "Forgive me."

"There's no need to forgive you, for you did nothing wrong," Anakin smiled, "Now let's get some rest because I'm sure we will need as much energy as we can get for tomorrow."

Anakin held Padme close in his arms, and Padme rested her head against his chest, her dark curls mingling with the dirty blond hair splayed over his neck. She had fallen asleep with her hand tracing the scar next to his eye, and it lay there still. The twins used their parents' deep sleep to their advantage, and snuck into their bedroom and grabbed their toys. They flew them around their parents' room, and they were happy when they discovered the noise wouldn't disrupt their parents' slumber. Unfortunately, Luke wasn't paying attention and ran his pod into his father's head.

"Oh, no," Luke whispered as his disoriented father woke. Anakin smiled at Padme's peaceful expression. Her hand, he realized, had been laying gently on his scar. He figured that her hand had twitched, and that was what had awaken him from his rare, pleasant dream. He frowned as he realized it was the twins, and he reached for the pods flying pods, caught them, and locked them in his closet. He sent them back to bed, furious with them for disobeying. Once they were asleep, (or so he thought), he fell asleep within a little amount of time when his head hit the pillow. He reached for Padme's hand and clutched it tightly, his face scrunched with the beginning of another nightmare of his mother's death. He was in fact so tired that he didn't hear his children scheming.

"Luke," Leia whisper-shouted, "Are you awake?"

"Yes, I am," Luke replied, "What is it?"

"Come on, I have an idea!" She leaned over the railing on her top bunk to look down at her brother, who was on the bottom bunk, looking up at her with a confused expression.

"Why can't you just tell me?"

"Just come on, Luke! Hurry up!"

Leia climbed down her ladder as Luke threw off his sheets and went to stand next to her. Leia held her finger to her lips to tell him to stay quiet, and gestured for him to follow. They crept through the hall, and the only sound besides their own squeaking footsteps was a beeping coming from the communicator, which was most likely a message for their mother. They slipped through their parents' open doorway and tiptoed to the shelf on the wall.

"Look, there it is!" Leia pointed to the ball that their father had taken from them earlier that day. "You use the Force to grab it, you're better than I am."

"Okay," Luke said nervously. He floated the ball down, and they stood on either side of their parents' bed. They played with it in the same fashion their father had showed them.

Leia reached out to grab the ball as Luke floated it to her, and she started to float it back when her hands faltered, and the ball fell… right on their mother's face.

"Luke? Leia? Is that you?" Padme sat up and gently rubbed her husband's shoulder to wake him.

"What?" He whined, assuming that it was the twins poking him. He stopped his complaining when he saw that it was his wife, with her hair slightly disheveled. As his eyes adjusted, he sat up groggily. He saw the twins and groaned. "What are you doing now?"

"We're playing catch with the Force!" Leia replied happily. She made sure not to say that it was their father who had taught them how.

"Yeah, just like Dad showed us!" Luke added. He looked over at Leia, who had buried her face in hands. "Oh, no. That was a secret, wasn't it?"

Leia nodded slowly and looked towards her mother.

Padme turned to face Luke with a questioning look. "Catch? You mean you were passing the ball with the Force?"

"Yes, Mom. I'm sorry," he hung his head.

"I'm not mad at you," Padme turned her attention to Anakin, "Don't I remember you telling me that you played that game with Obi Wan when you had first started your training?"

"I, uh…" Anakin started. Padme raised her eyebrows. She already knew, she just wanted to hear him admit it.

Even though her family was imperfect, she was proud of how far they had come together. She had expected Anakin to let the vision of her death overwhelm him, and he would be so concerned with a cure that she would have to raise the children alone. But all was well, and she hoped with all her might it would stay that way.

A happy life.