Title: Our Daughter

Author: Miana

Characters: Bail, Breha, and Leia Organa

Notes: This was written for the Simpsons Quote Challenge on . My quote was:

"Now for that happy period between the lie and the time it's found out." -Homer Simpson

Disclaimer: Lucas owns it all.

Breha Organa bit her lower lip with anticipation. Bail would be returning home soon. The news that usually brought joy to her heart was suddenly frightful and dreaded. Bail's call from the day before had calmed her worried heart, displacing her fears that he had been injured on Coruscant. However, it was the second part of his message that had her in such a nervous state.

After Palpatine declared himself Emperor, she had received a frantic message from her husband. She herself had been watching the session from a televised holo-feed with her Council. Her councilors had been rattled with anger, each demanding that Alderaan take a stand against such a move. Yet Breha remained silent; she would wait to hear from her husband before she took a stand.

When she finally had heard from her husband, disappointment filled her when he told her nothing. She had pressed it, but Bail's look had silenced her. "We shall discuss it in detail when I return," he said lowly. He said no more, yet Breha knew from the look in his eyes that much more was to be said. She knew that during his time on Coruscant, he had met with other Senators in talks of a Rebellion against the Republic. Now with Palpatine's declaration, she was sure that much more talk had occurred. Bail was to return to Alderaan in a weeks' time; she could wait until then.

Her council was not as patient. They demanded immediate action and succession from the newly formed Empire. The Queen of Alderaan was noted for her patience, but Breha's grew thin that day. After not accepting her decision to wait for the Prince Consort to return home, she dismissed her council in the middle of their meeting for the rest of the afternoon, fed up with their bickering. She retired to her quarters to unwind, praying the entire time that Bail would hurry home sooner.

It was several days later that she finally heard from Bail. Her mind raced with worry upon seeing her husband's face on the view screen. He looked frazzled and exhausted, dark rings circling his eyes. Even with his ship's private communication system, Bail risked no chance of being overheard or bugged. He spoke in their broken code, not telling everything but giving Breha a general idea of what had transpired.

"I'm afraid the diner your mother's brother was working at has gone under new management. Most of the employees have left; they said that the atmosphere was killing them. Work was usual, though we shall discuss it more at home. I stopped off to have a drink with my friend the General and his commander. They were accompanied by one of my fellow Senators; you know dear, the one who's such a doll, though I'm afraid she had to leave rather quickly. Oh, and I'm bringing home a Senator's daughter for a visit. Do have the servants make up a room for our guest; she might be staying for a while. I send my love and I shall see you soon."

The message had startled Breha, and she was not even sure if she understood it all correctly. The diner was a nickname she had given for the Jedi Temple. To hear it had gone under new management? The atmosphere was killing the employees? While Palpatine had made it clear in his speech that the Jedi were now enemies of the Empire, he had made no mention of what would happen to the Temple, or what actions he was going to take to secure the Jedi. Breha had let out a gasp as she finally understood the meaning. Palpatine had destroyed the Jedi Temple, along with all of the Jedi in it. Her heart went out to the Jedi; all they had done was good for the galaxy. Bail's next words calmed her slightly; Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Yoda were still alive. Though she had only met the former briefly, she knew how fond Bail was of him and how much Bail trusted and respected the man.

The next part of his message troubled Breha. "Such a doll" was a pun on Senator Amidala's name; Bail had been with her? The already rising rumors that her husband was having an affair with the former Queen of Naboo did little to help her feelings toward the woman. In office, she had admired the young queen for what she did for her planet. However, Bail was her husband, and rumor or truth, Breha had grown to dislike her. She could not decipher what Bail had meant when he said she had to leave quickly. Was she on the run? Was Palpatine after her for her kindness she had always given the Jedi? Breha had mused that perhaps Bail meant she had dropped down dead, though she knew it was an overly-cruel wish on her part and regretted even thinking of it.

The last part was the most complex at all. Bail was bringing a young woman back to Alderaan? She was unsure if Senator Amidala's father had ever served in the Senate or not; Bail was bringing her here? The thought made Breha's cheeks flush with anger. Her suspicion of him was rising even more.

Her heart quickly batted down the feelings of anger and jealousy. No; Bail was a good loyal man. He would not cheat on her.

The suspicion and worry kept Breha in an uneasy state for the rest of the day and the beginning of the next. Bail would return close to sunset with a young woman. She had pushed down her jealousy and ordered a room to be prepared for their guest. She also ensured that it was located as far away from her and Bail's room as possible.

She waited on their private balcony for Bail to arrive. She tried not to appear too eager by staring at the door but instead eyed the mountains as if in pensive thought. She attempted to put a light smile on her face, but her thoughts were anything but. What if Bail arrived with a young, gorgeous woman at his arm? How should she react? What would she say? She knew her years as Queen would help with faking politeness, but what if Bail admitted his disloyalty? What would she do?

She barely heard as a pair of footsteps grew louder; she snapped her head around as a shadow crossed over her. She grinned in surprise as Bail stood before her, extending a bundle in his arms down to her. Breha took it into her arms, shock filling her as she found it to be a newly born girl.

"Oh Bail," she breathed, feeling her husband take a seat next to her. "She's adorable." She eyed her husband in wonder. "Whose is she?"

"Ours," he said softly.

Of all answers, that was the one she did not expect. He smile faded as she looked down at the brown-eyed child then back at her husband. The girls' eyes reminded her remarkably of Bail's. Her throat tightened slightly and her voice grew darker. "Bail, who is her mother."

Bail was not meeting her gaze but instead staring sadly at the child. "Senator Amidala."

A bitter jealousy rose in Breha. So Bail had cheated on her after all. What was worse was that they had a child together. She could hardly believe that he had the cheek to bring her his child by another woman.

Bail saw the change in her mood, reading her expression and shaking his head. "She's not mine, Breha. I would never…" He paused to collect his thoughts, seeing the still hard look on his wife's face. He reached up and stroked her cheek gently. "I have not broken my vows," he murmured low. "I promise you that."

"Then who is the father? And why," she asked with a look down at the girl, "do you have her?" Breha tried to calm herself, yet her voice still came out harsh.

Bail looked back down at the child, reaching down to pull the blanket tighter around the child. "Anakin Skywalker is the father, as far as I can tell. He hurt Padmé. Obi-Wan brought her to me on Polis Massa. We were able to rescue the children, but we could not save her. She's dead, Breha," Bail said with a slight crack in his voice, meeting the gaze of his wife. "Anakin has become the new Dark Lord of the Sith under Palpatine. If he learns he has children…" Bail could not continue, giving his wife a pleading look. "We have to protect her, Breha."

Breha's heart caught in her throat. While she did not like the Senator from Naboo, to hear she was dead stabbed at Breha's heart. Knowing that the young woman had died giving birth to the small girl in her arms made Breha's heart reach out to her. She looked down at the child with pity and heartache. The girl was still eyeing her intently, looking around at the surroundings for short periods of time before fixing her gaze back on the Queen of Alderaan.

"Does she not have relatives? They would be better to raise her," Breha asked.

"She has a twin brother that was sent to Tatooine to live with Anakin's step-brother." Bail paused, inhaling slightly before he continued. "We returned Padmé's body to Naboo. We… the medical droids made it appear she was still pregnant when she died. Her family thinks that the children died with her."

Breha turned a shocked eye to her husband. "What?"

"It was Master Yoda's wishes. The children of Anakin Skywalker cannot exist. He cannot find out about them. They were separated for their protection. Their aunt and uncle will raise the boy under Obi-Wan's watchful eye, and I promised we would raise Leia as our own."

While part of Breha filled with anger once more, her heart beat it back down as she turned her gaze back to the child. The girl's eyes were drooping and she was fighting sleep, yet finally gave in and let it claim her. Breha had thus far not had luck having children; this might be the chance to finally have a daughter. A daughter created by two others, though.

"She's not mine, though," Breha whispered.

"She's mine now," Bail said firmly, causing Breha to look up at her husband in surprise. "I will raise her as my own daughter and love her as my own. I owe that much to Padmé and Obi-Wan." He eyed his wife evenly. "I won't abandon her, Breha." The intent look in his eyes made her objecting mind sit still. Though she was the Queen of Alderaan, Bail was still her husband.

"What will we tell the people? If she is to be raised as our own, we cannot suddenly have a child."

"Tell them you hid your pregnancy as a surprise. She is only two days old, Breha. It would be believable."

"And my council? And the household?"

"Swear them to secrecy."

Breha's mind was racing with the thoughts. She would have to lie to her own people. As a Queen, that was something she promised she would not do. "I must lie to the entire galaxy?"

Bail slid an arm around her waist and kissed her brow lightly. "We will have to lie for the rest of our lives, my love. If not for Leia, then it is our loyalty to the Empire that we must lie about. Nothing will be as it was anymore, Breha."

Breha pondered his words, then looked down at the girl once more. She was adorable. Just the act of holding her made the maternal side of Breha come out. She had always wanted a daughter. She could not give Bail one, so instead, he gave her one. Though Leia was not her flesh and blood, Breha believed she could grow to love the little girl.

"So. I guess you're stuck with me," she said quietly, smiling down at Leia.

She felt Bail pull her tighter to her and wrap his other arm around her, hugging her tightly. "Thank you, Breha," he whispered. He released her and they both looked down at their new daughter.

"Our Leia," Breha whispered with a sad smile, shifting the child so that she was pressed against her chest for warmth. She leaned against her husband and let him take her in his arms. She let out a sigh. "Now for that happy period between the lie and the time it's found out."