I started this a while ago, and never thought I'd publish it because it was too... out there. Whacky, if you will. But after that lame excuse for an update on one of my other stories, I thought I'd brighten everyone's day by bringing this out of the closet. I like this story because it's... real. And after rereading it, I realize just the kind of writer I am. I write something, hate it because it doesn't sound real, then go back and read it, and realize that it's more real than not. I hope everyone sort of understands that.

Anyway, it's been so long, I can't honestly remember what this story is about, or the point of it. I think I started it before "For Every Moment". The Author's Note makes it seem that way. If anyone has a suggestion for a continuation on it, please feel free. It might end up being my "go-to story" for those days when I don't want to write about the hard part of life.

Anyway, enjoy! And please review. :)

t6d


Author's Notes (PLEASE READ TO UNDERSTAND STORY)

This is a major A.U., and not common in the Star Wars fan-fiction world. Well, either that or I've completely missed it. Which may be for the better, since this is fresh of my mind, and not littered by the writings of others. And I make no offense to the others. I've found writers of fan-fictions to be brilliant, and quite skilled in the art.

Since this story won't do it for you, I feel I must clarify some things before you begin. You might notice, and not like, the fact that Luke is not in this story. That's because, in this alternate universe, Luke does not exist. And none of the characters will mention him because, quite simply, he never was and never will be. This, of course, is subject to change, since I am writing this note as the first thing I do, and I may become inspired and throw Luke in anyway. Or a form of Luke, at least.

At this moment, I have no intention of having Palpatine as the main villain. Palpatine has and always will creep me out. So I will be using Palpatine's predecessor, Vader, as the main villain, since he was the only bad guy Leia ever had contact with in the movies, and I have no wish to change that. In my opinion, she didn't need to meet Palpatine. I may change Vader's name to avoid confusion, since Vader is simply Vader, evil through and through, and not Anakin.

Anyway, this fanfic was inspired by… in all honestly, I don't know what. I was listening to the song "Not Alone", and got hit with a video idea, to show what might have happened if Anakin hadn't fallen, and if he'd been left to raise Leia himself. I wanted to show that bond, that every father and daughter share, to a degree. The "I hate you, but I'll always love you" kind of bond. The one people can relate to.

So now it's your turn. Can you relate?

{trinity6diversia}


Chapter One

Anakin took a heavy breath as he sat down on his side of the bed and started pulling off his boots, careful not to wake Padmé. He glanced over at her, sleeping soundly, and couldn't help but notice the lines on her face, and how her cheeks were slightly pale, and not the healthy pink he'd grown to love. He smiled grimly to himself, not sure if he should be worried or mesmerized. He could almost hear Padmé's voice in his head, saying the same thing she always did when he made mention of her health.

"I'm fine, Ani, believe me. I'm not supposed to look like a porcelain doll. No mother ever did, until their kids were old enough to leave home. And even then. But listen to me, Ani. If you fret a moment longer, I'll keep you home from work tomorrow. Of the two of us, you look the worst, and I don't think you can blame it on lack of sleep."

"Oh, I think I can," he always answered, with that devilish grin of his, then he'd swoop her into his arms, only to be sobered an instant later by the cry of a baby, just wanting some of the attention to be on her.

Anakin smiled at the memory, almost wishing Padmé was awake now to say what she always said. But looking at her sleeping face, he took that wish back. She was tired, and sleep would do her good. He sighed again, shrugging out of his tunic as he did so, glad he'd been in the office all day, and not in the shop.

It had been a long day. Anakin had been on his toes since dawn, waking early to the sound of an unhappy baby, which allowed Padmé a couple more hours of sleep. He had fixed breakfast, which was the daily routine. When Padmé woke up before him, she made breakfast, and vice versa. But today he cooked, and so the food was just being laid out when Padmé came down yawning. Then while she ate, Anakin had fed baby Leia, for what seemed the millionth time that day, and when the little princess had finished, he'd made for the door, only to be stopped by Padmé, who forced me to eat his breakfast, which he'd clearly forgotten about.

Leaving Padmé to clean up, Anakin had bolted for the shop, where he'd worked as fast as he could to get her speeder up and running before she had to go out and do their weekly grocery shopping. It was a simple mistake of a mother with a baby contending for her attention. And Padmé had made it full and well. Instead of registered fuel in that tank, she'd filled it with fuel that only ran the city's errand droids. There was a difference. And she'd been thoroughly shaken by the experience so much so that Anakin had chosen not to give her too hard of a time. But that morning, he gritted his teeth anyway as he tried to flush the tank.

Then Padmé had come out with baby Leia strapped comfortably in the carry-seat, and for a moment Anakin forgot everything. She was wearing one of her nicer every-day dresses, with her hair pulled up simply and some plain walking shoes on her feet, but Anakin thought he was coming face to face with an angel. Again. What was it about Padmé that always hit him like this?

And Padmé, seeing him staring, only smiled, then started to swing her hips in a sassy manner, and not the manner of a new mother, and Anakin laughed, pulling quickly from his reverie. He'd helped her secure Leia's carry-seat in the speeder, then had taken her hand and helped into the driver's seat. Then he'd leaned down and kissed her, and off she went, scarf flying behind her in the breeze, and sunglasses covering her eyes fully, and she waved back at him, eyes never leaving the road. And he shook his head, amazed for the trillionth time that day that she was his wife.

Anakin hadn't dawdled, for he was already half an hour late to work. He broke more than a few laws in his haste, and when his beat-up speeder pulled up in front of Jedi Command Post outside town, Obi-Wan was there, staring at his watch and tapping his fingers impatiently. He only looked up when Anakin's speeder blew a gasket in protest of the harsh maneuvers it had been forced to pull, but Anakin wasn't about to let Obi-Wan match the explosion with one of his own, so he left his poor speeder and hurried to his Master, arranging his robes as he did so.

"Where have you been?" demanded Obi-Wan, his voice failing to hide his rage.

"Forgive me, Master," answered Anakin regretfully. "I came as fast as I could."

"It wasn't fast enough," snapped Obi-Wan, as they turned to enter the building. He took a deep breath as they reached the doors and paused. "We need to talk, Anakin." Then he opened the doors and disappeared inside.

Anakin paused, not liking the sound of that. He had known from the beginning that he'd eventually have to face his Master and the Council. Returning had never been something he was eager to do, but he knew it was the right thing. He didn't have to run it by Padmé because he knew what she would say, one way or another.

It had been a year, almost exactly, since Anakin and Padmé had disappeared. The decision had been made shortly after his return from the Outer Rim Sieges. He'd been assailed that first night home by a nagging feeling on his mind, which he had brushed aside in his frenetic haste to be with his wife again. The feeling had returned every night for a month, giving him no rest, until he was sure he would go crazy. By then, Padmé was six months pregnant with their child, and hiding the pregnancy was becoming increasingly difficult.

Call it fate, if you will. One day, Padmé was scheduled to take her personal skiff to the other side of Coruscant for an important meeting that would decide the end of the war. It was the wish of every person in the galaxy, but the Separatists loathed the idea, and there was a Sith located on the planet who had ideas of his own. He had ordered the planting of a bomb, that was scheduled to go off within the Senator's skiff when it was well on it's way. She would be killed, of that he was certain.

But a certain Jedi Knight had other ideas.

It just so happened that Anakin had been kept away from Padmé for longer than he liked. The Council had given him no rest, and he'd been forced to be available as Obi-Wan was preparing for his trip to Utupa and the hunt for Grevious. Now that Obi-Wan was gone, Anakin had finally been given some slack, and the Council was demanding he take some time off to get himself back in order. So, naturally, the first place he went was 500 Republica, and as such, Padmé had been forced into delaying her departure so that she might see to the needs of her husband.

The bomb went off, and with it went Captain Typho and the entire crew of the skiff, but Padmé's life had been spared. At least, that's what Anakin thought, as he had watched the burning wreckage from their bedroom window, thanking every god he knew that Padmé hadn't been on board, and glancing often at her prone form on the bed, as if he couldn't believe she was still with him.

Padmé had fainted as soon as she'd heard the news.

But though she was very much alive, the rest of Coruscant was given a different story, and by that evening, memorial services were being held across the galaxy for the brave Senator from Naboo who had dared to oppose the war.

Anakin had lost no time, for he had no time, nor patience. He had no idea what he was doing, but he knew he was doing something. He had packed Padmé's things, as best he knew how, and when she had regained consciousness, her bags were packed and Anakin was lifting her up to put a heavy cloak over her shoulders, as a shield against the bitter Coruscant wind. Then they had hurried through their dark, silent penthouse, and taken the servant's elevator to the main floor, just in time to see investigators and security rushing for the lifts to the Senator's apartment.

Padmé had not asked questions. Anakin didn't even have to ask her. When they were at the Shuttle Charting Headquarters, she'd handed over the money without hesitation, and in moments they'd purchased a beat-up piece of junk that made Anakin grimace before he'd even laid eyes on it. It's name was the Millennium Falcon, and though it was no beauty outside, Anakin soon learned that it was perfectly fine where it mattered. And that was not the inside, which was dirty and dank. Padmé cringed as she eyed it, and Anakin had given her a look that said, Don't you dare complain. So she hadn't.

Then they were shooting through the atmosphere, in no way challenged, for who would expect the world's most brilliant pilot and the newly deceased Senator to be flying a piece of junk away from Coruscant? And yet they were.

The journey was long and hard, for Anakin had insisted on covering their tracks, which added a few more days to their trip. And when they had finally reached a simple, down-low type of planet situated within the Mid-Rim, commonly called Tynardo, Padmé was more than happy to set foot on solid ground, and swore never to fly again. They stayed in a hotel for a few days before finding a steal on a piece of land outside town. Then, since they didn't want to let on about their wealth, they'd sold the Falcon to a gambler by the name of Lando Calrission, and bought the land.

Two months later, though earlier than they had expected, Leia Naberrie Skywalker was born, and she was a strong, healthy baby. Anakin's heart was stolen the moment he looked into her big, brown eyes, and Padmé feared she'd lost her husband completely, until he'd gazed at her with a look that spelled trouble.

At the same time as Leia's birth, Obi-Wan had exhausted his supply of knowledge on Coruscant. He'd successfully tracked down and destroyed General Grevious, only to learn quite a bit of disturbing news from the Jedi Council. Apparently, an assassination attempt had been made on Senator Amidala's life… again, and to everyone's knowledge, she was dead. No one thought to consider otherwise.

They had tracked the attempt to a Sith apprentice by the name of Vader, dressed in black from head to toe, with a heavy mask, no doubt hiding what remained of his twisted and broken body. And from him, for his mind was easy to read, the Jedi had tracked down Chancellor Palpatine as the Sith Lord they had been looking for, and Vader's Master.

The Jedi suffered greatly when they confronted Palpatine, but Master Windu and Master Yoda had quickly overpowered him, learning from his own lips the attempts made to turn Anakin Skywalker to the Dark Side. Dreams he'd sent, and none got through. The strength of Skywalker's will-power had astounded the old man.

Then, as these memories circulated, Obi-Wan, not knowing of Leia's birth, had passed a weary hand over his eyes.

Anakin, oh yes, his one-time Padawan, had disappeared. And he guessed the reason. With Senator Amidala dead, the young man was no doubt confused and conflicted, not to mention angry. And so Obi-Wan had ordered a hasty retrieval party, though not too hasty, so that the man would be given enough time to get himself properly sorted.

For ten months the Clone troops under Obi-Wan's command searched high and low for Anakin Skywalker. But the Jedi Knight was too witty, and he had covered his tracks well. They had seen nor heard anything from him, or of him, and in all honesty, they hadn't even come close. Obi-Wan had sent them to search the Outer Rim, certain that Anakin would try to blend in with the common people of those planets, and he might have, had the young Knight not also known his Master well. Anakin had predicted such a move, and as such, had avoided the Outer Rim altogether. Clone forces never even came to the Tynardo.

So that year passed, with Obi-Wan searched, and Anakin watching his every move, for he was able to manipulate the Force so that he might tap into the minds of Force-users and yet they would not detect it. One of the perks of being the Chosen One, he thought rather smugly from time to time, and it was true. And so he watched, and while he watched he took side jobs, repairing things and building things, a genius as the people said. And though he worked hard, he was considered a fair man, never demanding money from those who couldn't pay, for money was not an issue. The money that remained of Padmé's former income was far more than any decent couple would need, and they used it as necessary. Smalltalk in the community often pressed into this, but the common assumption was that Padmé had come from a wealthy family, and seeking normality, had eloped with her love and now was living a simple life away from the grandeur of the rich. It's a good story, Anakin often thought, grimly.

Eventually, one thing lead to another, and Anakin was tired of watching Obi-Wan explain to the Council why his apprentice had simply disappeared, and how he couldn't find him. So, while Obi-Wan was on a mission with his troops, and thus away from Coruscant, Anakin contacted him and asked him if they might meet at the Jedi Command Post on Tynardo. It was a leap, for Anakin had avoided the Command Post, cursing it's existence on that planet, and had successfully skirted detection. But now, he knew there was no sense in hiding, and he had a lot to answer to.

Those within the Command Post were not surprised when they saw Anakin and Obi-Wan enter. Every Jedi in the galaxy knew of young Skywalker's disappearance, but were confident that he would either give himself up or Obi-Wan would find him. And so it had happened, and they saw no reason to be surprised by it.

Through many hallways and up many staircases Obi-Wan and Anakin walked, in silence, and from time to time, Obi-Wan would glance at his former apprentice and wonder why he couldn't sense him. And Anakin knew what he was thinking, and as such, his resolve tightened. If he let himself back into the two-way Force, the Council would know where he was, and he couldn't promise to ignore thoughts of Padmé and Leia. They would find out in moments. And so he kept his mind shut tightly, and Obi-Wan, though infuriated by this, said nothing.

At last they reached a meditation room, Obi-Wan's, for his stay on Tynardo, and when Anakin had taken a seat, his Master waved a hand vaguely about the place.

"I can pull some strings…" he started slowly, but Anakin quickly cut him off.

"I have accommodations," he answered, receiving a life of the eyebrow from Obi-Wan. But the Master said nothing and took a seat across from him.

"Now," he said, again slowly, but with purpose. "We talk."

"Fine," was Anakin's singular reply, leaning back in his chair as he spoke, and hooking Obi-Wan with his piercing gaze.

Silence reigned for a moment longer, but just when Obi-Wan opened his mouth to speak, Anakin's comm started beeping. Obi-Wan shut his mouth hard, his eyebrows narrowing, as Anakin slid the comm over one ear for privacy.

"Yup?" answered the young Knight in a very casual manner, and Obi-Wan regarded him curiously, wondering who it was he was speaking to. There was a pause. "Well, did you press her or just let her go easy, like I told you to?" Another pause. "And when did that happen?" A longer pause. "Where are you?" He sighed and leaned further into his chair. "Alright, well, don't freak out, if you use that emergency battery I put in there, you should get back in one piece. Then just wait for me. Alright?" A very short pause. "Don't worry, we'll get there, today, I promise. Get some rest. I'll be there… you know… sometime." Another pause. "Yeah, I meant sometime." A small chuckle. "Duty calls, what can I say?" Then he suddenly grew serious and used the code they'd perfected during the Clone Wars, when they were always being watched. "I'm in the clouds. Over and out."

Then he hung up, and put away the comm, once more meeting Obi-Wan's gaze with one of his own, unfaltering.

"Who was that?" asked Obi-Wan, still thinking himself the brains of the two.

"No one," answered Anakin, and his tone of voice told his old Master that when he said no one, he meant no one. Even when he didn't. So Obi-Wan didn't press, and silence reigned again for a split second.

"It will be a while," said the Jedi Master then, with a hint of suspicion in his voice, and Anakin grew weary just by thinking of the talk ahead of them. "I suggest you cancel anything you have planned for the rest of the day."

"No can do," was Anakin's immediate reply, hooking a leg up over one of the arms on the chair. "I'm jam-packed for the rest of the day, and it's this little thing called life that has me booked, so I'm afraid I'll have to shorten our meeting to…" He glanced at his wrist-chrono. "…two hours, tops."

"Life, you said. And what, pray, does this life of yours currently require of you?"

"A good deal," answered Anakin, and if he had come into the meeting intent on holding back the truth, he had no intention of doing so now. He figured he'd have to tell Obi-Wan anyway, and there was no use in stalling. Besides, he hated denying things, and he'd been doing it all his married life. That, there, married was the evidence of that statement.

"Now, let's see." He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "To explain life, I'll start at the beginning, if you're alright with that. It all started when she put droid fuel in that damn gas tank instead of registered, but I guess I could be blamed partly for that. I was working on a Baldwin Two-Eight for a rich bastard, and should have let him keep his two grand and said to hell with it. We've got enough money to around for a while, and anyway, she only has two hands.

"As it were, the rich bastard did keep his two grand, cause when she called me to say the Colbert wouldn't run, I had to drop everything and go out to tow her back in. No sense in calling someone out when she's only a few blocks down and I've got a piece of crap that works perfectly fine.

"But the Colbert was still dead, and we were so busy getting stuff done, that I didn't get around to fixing it until this morning. And I almost missed my breakfast to do it. I might have forgotten to wire something. Probably not. But I didn't get any sleep last night, which I'm alright with," he added rather defensively, "But I was still exhausted and she needed the Colbert to run errands. So, what can I say? The damn piece of crap is dead again, thankfully not all the way, so she can get home without me having to save her again, but that's just one more thing on my agenda. So you see, Obi-Wan, that's what I say when I mean life."

"I still don't get it."

Anakin sighed, exasperated, then forced his voice down.

"I have three things on my mind right now," he answered. "You, her, and the damn Colbert. Yes, the Colbert is a piece of junk that I should care less about, and it could burn for all I care. It needs to go. I've fixed it too many times to count and I'm tired of it, so yes, I don't care what happens to it, she'll need a new one anyway.

"Then there's you, who I thoroughly enjoy talking to, but I've heard it all before, and quite frankly, Obi-Wan, I don't need to hear it again. Because the most important thing in my life right now isn't a damn speeder, or my old Master, but my wife, and my daughter, who, at this moment, are doing what they do every week, and yet, for some strange reason, at least it might seem strange to you, I would give anything to be drug around town with them, right now. And, as it were, I still can, because now that the Colbert is dead, my wife is going to need me to go with her while she finishes her errands, and I'm more than happy to comply. So, that said, Obi-Wan, if you'd rather pick up on this at a later time, you're more than happy to come over for dinner tonight. Padmé is always eager to have guests, and a second opinion on the Colbert wouldn't hurt either. Oh, and everyone says Leia looks like me, but I still think she looks like Padmé, so maybe your fresh mind could clear that up for us."

Anakin slapped his hands down on the arm chairs and stood up, stretching. He stifled a yawn, then arranged his robes and held a hand out to Obi-Wan.

"Well, it was nice to talk to you again, Master. And, like I said, you're welcome to dinner tonight. It's good, home-cooked food, by me of course. Padmé can't cook worth anything. And you look like you could use some decent food for once." Anakin turned then. "I'll see myself out." Then he was gone, and silence permeated the room once more.

Obi-Wan couldn't think. His mind was a jumble of unanswered questions. He'd sat there, as Anakin had talked, stunned beyond words. His mouth was on the floor, he knew, but he couldn't help it. And he knew that Anakin had found it quite amusing, and had done it quite on purpose. Anakin never talked without pause. He just wasn't like that. And he never dwelled on anything, much less a Colbert. Maybe an X-Class, but never a Colbert. Yes, it was clear that Anakin had enjoyed his Master's shock, and had quite exploited it. But now, the truth of the words were digesting in Obi-Wan's mind, and he felt himself shaking, either from rage or shock, he couldn't tell. Both, probably.

"Padmé," he whispered into the air. "She's… alive. And she's… WIFE!" He suddenly came alive, gripping the arms of his chair until his knuckles turned white. "Damn you, Anakin! I knew I shouldn't have listened to the Council. And now you have a daughter, too, and it's all my fault because I didn't breech that one issue. Holy crap!" Then his head fell in his hands and he was suddenly too weak to do anything but… breathe.