A/N: This has been up on my AO3 for a while so once again figured I'd put it up. Trying to continually fix the formatting sucks, and I'm sorry if there's any screwed up formatting =_= my computer doesn't agree with me. Also unbeta'd
Like I mentioned in the summary, this has Rey Skywalker, so Rey is Luke's daughter :)
Anakin was used to looking after two children, and having dealt with Luke and Leia had not been easy.
But back then Padme and Obi-Wan had been alive, Ahsoka was around to help, the twins got to grow up together. Now it was just Anakin. And it wasn't like Anakin was young either. He had greyed and constantly complained how he was shrivelling up. The only new thing about him was his arm which he recently replaced. Stupid wiring.
It's not like Anakin ever turned down babysitting his grandkids anyway. Although he wondered why Leia and Han had brought sixteen year old Ben to him, who was more than capable of looking after himself.
Watching from the doorway, Anakin pondered how he could handle these two. Little Rey ran around with a small tiara on her head, waving a plastic sword. Ben sat on the couch, trying to read and write something on the datapad. Rey jumped onto the back of the couch, letting herself fall onto it, feet sticking up in the air. "Play with me Ben!"
Ben grumbled in reply, not looking up from the datapad.
"Play with me!" Rey repeated, hitting her cousin with the sword.
"Stop it, Rey!" Ben complained, grabbing hold of the sword blade, "I can't play with you right now."
The five year old looked upset, so Anakin interjected before they had a crying child on their hands.
"Hey, Rey," Anakin went up to his granddaughter, "Why don't we play something, huh? Ben's a little busy with school work... I think."
Or Anakin hoped. It better be important if he didn't have time for her. Then again, maybe Ben was being a normal teenager... or clearly turning to the dark side. Leia had voiced her concerns over this issue, for whatever reason. Anakin found nothing strange about Ben's behaviour, except for all the black he wore. The thought amused Anakin, wondering how Padme would react to him judging his grandson's clothing choice.
Ben let out a frustrated sigh, letting go of Rey's sword, "I'm talking about a project. We're trying to figure out what to do for our lab experiment."
"Oh, a lab experiment?" Anakin sat on the couch, Rey crawling into his lap, but his eyes didn't leave Ben. A wild array of thoughts entered Anakin's mind as he wondered about the identity of the experiment partner. Maybe his partner is a pretty girl. Curled hair and intense dark eyes, with a feisty personality and similar interests to him.
Anakin asked, "Who's your partner?"
Scratching the back of his head, Ben replied, "It's three of us, actually. Hux and Phasma."
Anakin frowned at those names, trying to remember if he had heard them before. Hux. The name sounded familiar. Not Phasma though.
"Hux is weird!" Rey interjected, so matter-of-fact. The way a child does when they don't realise what they said could be insulting.
Anakin ignored her, as he frowned and said, "Hux... isn't that the name of an Imperial-supporting family?"
A shrug from Ben, who didn't look up from the screen, typing something frantically. Maybe Anakin was wrong. Perhaps it was something like Hunt or Hulls, not Hux. Besides, if it was Hux, it's not like they were friends or anything, just lab partners.
Except Rey knew this boy. Maybe he and Phasma visited for the project. Maybe... Huh. Now Anakin started to understand Leia's concern.
"But Phasma's all right," Rey continued from what she had said earlier, "I thought she was kinda mean at first, but she got me this sword and told me to fuck. Shit. Up!" She banged the sword on the couch.
Ben threw his head back in laughter as Anakin stared at his granddaughter, who had a wide grin on her face.
"Re- Rey. No, don't... say those words. D- Don't use those words," Anakin grabbed hold of his granddaughter's wrist, gentle as possible to stop her from beating up the couch, dent forming on it. Damn the child's strong.
"Sorry gramps," Rey said, falling off his lap. She still had the smile on her face and Anakin first, had to wonder if the apology was genuine. And second, didn't care either way because his heart melted looking at her.
Even though she was just five, Anakin could see her growing up to look like Padme. Perhaps even be like Padme. They needed more Padme's in the Jedi Order. Well, they needed more Padme's in the galaxy.
"Just don't do it again," Anakin scolded her, but his tone light.
Rey nodded, then waved her sword in her grandfather's face, "Play with me?"
Now Anakin grinned brightly, "Okay, I'll be the evil dragon again, right?"
Rey nodded excitedly, standing up on the couch. Taking a step back, her tiny hand grabbed hold of Ben's shoulder, "And Ben will be my trusty sidekick!"
"I'm not playing," Ben said flatly, trying to concentrate on his messaging.
Rey looked disappointed again, but Anakin got an idea. He went over to Ben, taking hold of his grandson around the torso.
"What are you doing!?" Ben yelled out in alarm.
"It seems like I've kidnapped your trusty sidekick!" Anakin yelled out, pulling Ben from the couch. Damn, the boy heavier than Anakin remembered. He heaved him across the floor.
"What the hell!? Let go of me! I swear grandad, I'm telling mum!" Ben yelled the whole time, but didn't put up much of a struggle. Rey's laughter was loud and lively. Anakin dragged him to the corner. Turning to face Rey, he fell onto all fours, "Roar!"
"Don't worry, Ben! I'll save you!" Rey yelled out, running towards her grandfather.
"I breathe fire at you!" Anakin yelled, blowing hard, trying to put up a good show, get into character.
"I roll out of the way!" Rey said, managing a forward roll. Anakin was impressed, had she already started her Jedi training? She ran up, hitting Anakin with her sword. Okay, she was strong for a five year old, but Anakin could handle the hits.
"Oh no, I'm dying!" Anakin yelled out, collapsing to the floor slow and dramatic with each hit. She kept hitting, and he crumpled onto the floor saying, "I'm dead! You've killed me!"
Throwing her hands up in the air, Rey yelled out, "I saved you Ben! I saved you!"
The whole time Ben struggled not to smile, to make it look like this whole thing remained beneath him.
Humouring his cousin though, he said, "Oh wow. You're a great hero Rey, thanks." Despite his tone, which sounded somewhat sarcastic, Rey cheered again. Happy to have defeated the dragon and saving her cousin from certain death.
Anakin laughed, sitting up, watching his granddaughter run off, waving her sword around yelling "I am the dragon slayer!" before disappearing out of the room. Hearing Rey yelling triumphant in another room, Anakin watched Ben as he typed away again.
"So," Anakin sat up against the wall, a little worn out. But he figured it'd be a good time to talk with his grandson, "Hux and Phasma, huh? Friends?"
"Yeah," Ben didn't look up from the screen.
Leaning his head onto his hand Anakin asked, "Any other friends?"
"Nah," Ben answered again.
The elder man was surprised by the teen's honesty. But, then again, he recalled Leia saying something about Ben more likely to speak to him. The boy wouldn't say much to his parents – if anything at all.
"Well that's not an issue," Anakin shifted himself around again so he looked at Ben straight on, "I mean I only ever had Obi-Wan and Padme. Ahsoka too." The Togruta had still yet to reply to his message from last week. Anakin frowned, maybe he should send her another message. She always forgot to check. Smiling to himself, Anakin realised she must be having too much fun travelling.
Dropping his datapad to the side, Ben brought his legs up and hugging them, head falling on his knees. Ben dropped a truth bomb, "nobody likes me."
Anakin was silent for a moment, shocked. Then, "nobody likes you? But Hux and Phasma are your friends! And, you're a Skywalker. You know, we've got charm and good looks..." Anakin stopped talking, seeing the glare Ben shot at him.
"I'm ugly," Ben said, voice brittle and wobbly, "I'm annoying, arrogant. I'm a freak, not worthy of any name I hold. An accident I exist- I shouldn't exist." He said it like he was repeating someone, Anakin noticed.
He felt anger boiling and tears threatening to escape, empathy extending to his grandson. It reminded him of his time growing up at the Jedi temple. Maybe Ben sensed his grandfather's emotions, because a look of curiosity swept the youth's face.
When Anakin gained composure, he shuffled to sit next to him, putting an arm around Ben. "Whatever they think of you and perceive of you, it's not your problem."
"What?"
"It's not your problem because it's theirs," Anakin said to him, "When I grew up at the temple the other kids didn't like me. I was... a slave to my feelings. I was a nobody who popped up from a backwater planet, allowed to become a Jedi Knight despite knowing nothing. Promised to be the padawan of the great Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi. So no, some kids didn't like me. I tried my best to not let it get to me. But hey, at least you're not tormenting people back, right?"
Ben was silent, head hanging, looking at the floor.
Anakin stared and said, "The right thing is always the hardest to do, Ben. They could be jealous of who you are. Or perhaps their perception of you is warped. They don't know you. Hell, nobody really knows anyone. We might say someone's a nice person and then they do something rude. Or we might say somebody's shy and turns out, in the right setting, they blab non-stop."
Ben now had a small smile on his face, his grandfather's words sinking in.
"Do you talk to any of the other kids?" Anakin asked. When Ben shook his head, Anakin thought for a moment and said, "You could try... a little? If Phasma and Hux have other friends, get to know people through them. Because guess what, Mister Gloomy? Not everyone will say the same thing about you."
"Hmm," Ben replied, "Well Hux hates people, but Phasma knows a few others."
"Ask her if you can all hang out," Anakin said, "Also, Hux hates people? But he hangs out with you? That's a pretty great accomplishment."
"How is that an accomplishment?" Ben no longer hugged his legs, letting them stretch out, leaving his hands in his lap.
"Well if somebody who hates people can stand you, maybe you're not as bad to be around as you thought," Anakin pointed out, "So, turns out you'll always have Hux and Phasma, right? And what's important is they know you," And Anakin gave Ben a gentle, playful punch on the shoulder, "And I know you. Also screw anyone who says you're ugly. You're not just a Solo, you're a Skywalker and we're as gorgeous and handsome and luscious-haired and dazzling and-"
"Grandad," Ben stopped him, "Please stop before I vomit."
Now Ben smiled broader, but Anakin could sense something else on the teens mind, disturbing him almost (and it wasn't from Anakin's descriptions of the good looks of Skywalkers). They heard Rey yell with victory from the other room, perhaps still playing the slay-the-dragon game.
"What if I don't want to be a Jedi?" Ben asked, staring straight ahead to the other side of the room rather than the floor now.
Anakin shrugged, "I left."
"To raise kids," Ben said, "But I have no reason. I don't want to be a Jedi."
The elder nodded in understanding, "I say to hell with it. Be whatever you want. A pilot, mechanic, engineer, journalist, travel agent, an accountant, an actor, a singer-,"
"I get it grandad," Ben stopped him again from going on-and-on-and-on.
After letting out a small laugh, Anakin said, "But know no matter what you decide, I support you. I'm with you the whole way."
"Even a politician?" Ben asked. His grandfather had always been vocal on his dislike of politicians and politics.
"Your grandmother was a great politician, and so is your mother," Anakin said, something inside pained him to think about another family member joining the corruptness of the senate, "and you would be too."
Ben frowned, daring to push, "Even if I think democracy sucks?"
Once upon a time, Anakin would have fully agreed with that statement. But after many years, he realised even the people needed their say. Sometimes. Despite not knowing what was best for them.
Anakin sighed, "Every government has its flaws, Ben. And don't worry, I won't tell anyone you said that." Although, Ben's statement made him remember this Hux kid again. If his family was Imperial supporting, and Phasma too for that matter, then they seemed to be influencing Ben.
Anakin figured he might be partly at fault too, with his brash, loud negative statements on his opinions of the senate when Ben was younger. Leia – and Padme – were never pleased.
A small patter of feet, and Rey ran into the living room. Scrambling over the couch, dropping her sword on the floor. She left it there, her grandfather and cousin more important in this moment than a plastic toy.
"I'm bored," Rey said.
Oh no. Anakin was awful at coming up with what to do. What would Padme do? His mind raced.
Luckily for him, Ben came to his rescue.
Ben got into a crouching position, ready to stand, "Wanna make Grandma Padme Cookies?" he asked Rey.
The five year old clenched her fists into balls, bringing her hands up to her chest. She squealed with delight, jumping up and down, "Yes! Yes! Grandma Padme Cookies! Please!"
Ben jumped up, heading out of the room, "Come on, maybe gramps will let us eat some of the cookie dough raw!" Rey squealed with excitement again, running ahead of Ben to the kitchen.
Stopping at the doorway, the teen looked back at his grandfather.
"I'm coming," Anakin said, slowly rising from the floor, his old bones stiff.
"Alright," Ben said, leaving the room.
When Anakin stood up he stretched, letting the Force into him. He inhaled, half hoping to smell his wife's scent. Padme's smell was long gone, but the presence of his two grandchildren enticed a familiar soothing feeling.