Hi. . I hope you enjoy this, let me know with a review – it's only fair. Oh, and before I forget to mention it, GL owns all of this – I just take joyrides in his spaceships and return them safely. Enjoy reading…
- Anakin shares an interesting secret with the twins, Luke and Leia, at dinner one night. -
Daddy's Little Secret
The sun was starting to disappear beyond the horizon on the busy planet of Coruscant, temporarily bathing the city in its golden glow. Night was coming, but the day was not over for the majority of the population of the city. Husbands and wives were returning home from work, children were coming back from school, dinners were being made, stories were being told.
The family at 500 Republica were no exception to this quaint rule.
No, just because the family at 500 Republica consisted of a famous Jedi Knight, aptly named 'The Hero With No Fear', a world-renowned senator, beloved by a galaxy, and their two small, boisterous children, did not mean that they did not enjoy a quiet family dinner like the rest of the planet.
Although everything at 500 Republica was not exactly perfectly quiet for the moment.
Padme Amidala Skywalker sighed and slumped her shoulders slightly as her two hyperactive, four-year-old twins, Luke and Leia, chased each other, squealing loudly, around the living room, leaving a path of destruction in their wake. The twins were oblivious to their mother's attempts at stopping them or calming them down. They just grinned mischieviously at her whenever she made an attempt to grab them, and seemed one-hundred-percent oblivious to her shouts of "Luke, Leia stop that now!".
Oh, where was Anakin when she needed him!
Why couldn't he hurry up and get home from the Jedi Temple – there was a situation going on here that was far more urgent than anything the Council could give him! Padme thought to herself, as the twins continued to chase each other, laughing all the while.
Padme gasped as Luke, who had, for some unknown reason, decided to climb up on one of the grey sofas in the living room, toppled off the sofa with a light thud. Padme rushed over to the little boy and picked him up carefully from the ground.
"Luke, are you okay?" Padme quickly asked, a worried expression on her face. She checked him over quickly, then turned his face to hers so she could check for possible bruises or any other injury.
"I'm okay, Mummy" Luke said, a look of impatience on his face as he saw Leia hovering near to them, waiting for the game to start again. "I'm okay!"
Satisfied that her son was injury free, a slight frown appeared on Padme's face. Luke bit his lower lip, knowing he was going to get a telling-off.
"Luke Skywalker, what have your father and I told you and Leia about climbing on the furniture?" Padme asked her son in a serious voice, raising her eyebrows questioningly at her little boy.
Luke hung his head sadly. "It's bad" he replied.
Padme nodded. "We don't want you to get hurt" she told him softly. He nodded, and she pulled him close for a hug, kissing the top of his head. "You're a good boy, Luke. Now, dinner's almost ready, so you and Leia will have to stop… playing… now, alright?"
Luke and Leia nodded, and Padme smiled at them.
Just then, the front door to the apartment opened and Anakin Skywalker walked into the living room. Padme smiled. Her husband was home, and the timing really could not have been any better.
"Daddy!" Leia squealed, and launched herself at her father, and Luke didn't waste any time in following his twin sister.
Anakin laughed as he picked up both of the twins in his arms and kissed each of their foreheads. "Hello, you two" he said, smiling. "And what were you both up to? I could hear you from the Jedi Temple" Anakin laughed, his blue eyes sparkling. He had missed them today, like always.
"We were playing Space Fighting" Luke explained to Anakin excitedly.
"Luke was the badie, I was the goodie" Leia chirped in. "I had to chase him to catch him"
"But she couldn't catch me. I was too too fast" Luke added boastingly.
Anakin smiled. "Sounds like a fun game" he said, and the twins nodded their heads vigourasly.
Padme walked over to her husband where he still stood in the entrance to the room, holding the twins, who were chatting away happily about all that they had done today. Anakin smiled as he saw his wife. He had missed her too.
"Dinner's ready" Padme said with a warm smile, as she looked fondly at her husband and their two children. Anakin set the twins down on the floor, and they ran to the dining room, their feet clattering on the floor as they raced.
Anakin walked quickly to Padme, a smile on his face as he embraced her, wrapping his arms tightly around her, and kissing her on the lips. "Hello, Angel" he whispered in her ear.
Padme looked up at him with a tired smile. "Hello, Ani" she breathed, leaning her head against his chest. She hadn't realized how tired she was until now – the twins took up a lot of energy!
"You look exhausted, Padme" Anakin noted, as he examined her sleepy face. He brushed back some of the stray curls that had fallen from the loose bun on the back of her head.
"When you see the living room, you'll know why" Padme replied languidly. "The twins have been having a lot of… fun this afternoon"
Anakin couldn't help but laugh then, as he knew all too well what happened when the twins decided it was time to play games. Havoc ensued.
"They do have a lot of energy, don't they…" Anakin mused, as he took his wife's hand and they started towards the dining room, where they could hear the twins chattering away already.
Padme stopped to look at her husband, one eyebrow raised, a sly smile on her face. "And where do you think they get that from, Anakin? You are their father!"
Anakin grinned mischievously at her, as they walked into the dining room. Threepio was busy laying out the plates, cutlery and dishes of food.
"Master Anakin, Mistress Padme, dinner is ready. I have served it all out on the table, plates and cutlery included, I do hope that –" Threepio began to waffle on, but Anakin held up a hand to silence him.
"Thankyou Threepio" he said, and Threepio left the room without another word.
"You really should do something about Threepio's vocablulator, Ani. He'll talk us to death, otherwise" Padme giggled, as they watched the tall golden droid leave.
"I know, he's got something to say about everything. And a lot to say at that" Anakin agreed.
Then Luke and Leia came running over to them, excited looks on their faces.
"I'm hungry, Mummy" Leia moaned, pulling at the bottom of Padme's long blue dress.
"Me too" Luke piped up.
"Good, because it's time to eat" Padme said, pointing to the table all ready for dinner. It looked – and smelled – delicious. Threepio had done a good job.
The twins scampered over to their high-chairs and waited, eager for their dinner. Padme had to smile when she saw their bright eyes and wide smiles.
Padme sighed contendedly when the twins were in their high-chairs and their food was in front of them, ready to be eaten. She took a seat next to her husband and prepared to enjoy her long-awaited for dinner.
But her relief was shattered when suddenly both the twins started whining "Yucky, yucky, yuck yuck yucky!" very loudly.
Padme looked up from her dinner, one eyebrow raised. How foolish of her to think that tonight would be any different from every other night at dinner, that she would get some peace and quiet.
How foolish of her to think that the twins would eat their vegetables.
Anakin looked at Padme, who was rubbing her temple with her fingers. "Are you alright, Padme?" he asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.
Padme glared at Anakin. "Do I look alright?" she snapped. "Just once I would like those two children to actually eat their vegetables!!"
Anakin took his hand back quickly. It was never a good idea to mess with Padme when she was in a mood such as this.
But Padme looked at Anakin apologetically, putting her hand on his arm. "I'm sorry Ani" she said quietly, giving him a repentant smile. "I'm sorry I snapped at you"
Anakin smiled at her. "Its fine Angel, really" he said, squeezing her hand.
Padme sighed deeply. She adored their twins, but they took up every ounce of her patience."I just wish that the twins wouldn't have a problem with vegetables. I want a quiet dinner for once"
Anakin looked at the twins, who were now mashing their vegetables to green and orange pulp with their spoons, stubborn looks plastered all over their faces. Then he looked at Padme, who really did just need some peace and quiet at dinner time – heck he did too.
And suddenly an idea came into his head. An idea for how to get the twins to eat their vegetables, so that he and Padme could eat dinner in peace.
* * *
It was later on that night, and Anakin had just finished putting the twins to sleep. He came into the bedroom he shared with his wife and lay down on the big bed and closed his eyes, exhaustion taking over his entire body. It was hard work being a Jedi and a father at the same time!
Padme came out of the bathroom, her hair wet and in her white nightgown. She spied her husband lying exhausted on the bed and she smiled lovingly at him. After dinner he had insisted that she have some time to relax, seeing as she had looked after the twins singlehandedly for nearly the whole week. She had, of course, refused, but after Anakin kept insisting, she had finally relented and treated herself to a long, relaxing soak in a bubble bath.
She lay down on the bed next to her husband and kissed him warmly. Anakin opened his eyes and yawned. Padme smiled and touched his lips with her finger.
"Feel better?" Anakin asked her, touching her still wet hair.
Padme sighed in contentment. "Much better. I needed that bath" she said drowsily.
"I could tell" Anakin grinned. "You were about to bite my head off"
"I'm sorry Ani. I didn't mean to get angry at you" Padme apologized again. "Its just… why can't there be a way to make them eat the damn vegetables?"
"I think I've found one" Anakin told her proudly.
Padme frowned thoughtfully. "Really?"
"Yep" Anakin nodded, grinning. He then explained his Master Plan to Padme, and she listened eagerly and, most of all, happily, because it seemed like the plan really could work, and that Luke and Leia would eat their vegetables.
That night, as Padme fell asleep in her husband's arms, she smiled in the darkness. She was looking forward to putting their plan into action the next day.
* * *
It was that time of the day again – dinnertime. Padme smiled at Anakin as she took her place at the dinnertable, and he smiled back at her knowingly – it was nearly time to test out their little Master Plan.
As usual, Luke and Leia both looked at the vegetables that sat in front of them with disdain. The corner of Padme's lip pulled up in a little smile. Her and Anakin both waited patiently for it to all begin.
And begin it did. Identical frowns appeared on the twins faces as they glared at their vegetables. "Muuuuummmmyyyy!" they both whined. "Vegetables are yuuucckkyy!"
And so the Master Plan began.
"Oh really?" Padme asked brightly.
"Yes!" the twins both shouted.
"Well…" Padme began. "You know you really should eat your vegetables"
"No!" they both said firmly.
"Well, maybe you should ask Daddy why you should eat your vegetables then" Padme suggested, giving Anakin a little wink that the twins definitely would have not seen.
Anakin grinned at the twins. "You should listen to Mummy and eat your vegetables, you two"
"Whyyyyyyyyy Daddy?" the twins asked, simultaneously tilting their heads to the side in curiosity.
"Ahhh…." Anakin started. "So you want to know my special secret then?"
"Yes yes yes!" said the twins excitedly, bouncing up and down in their high chairs.
"Okay, I guess I can tell you two, because I know you are extra good at keeping secrets, and you won't give this very special one away… will you?" Anakin asked them.
"Oh no Daddy! Leia and I are extra good at secrets!" Luke assured Anakin.
Anakin smiled at Padme, who put her hand over her mouth to stop her giggles. "Tell them Ani" Padme said.
"Okay. Well, you two. You know that Daddy is a Jedi, right?" Anakin began the story.
"Yes, a big big powerful powerful one" Leia said, and Anakin laughed.
"Well, okay then. Daddy is a big big powerful powerful one" he laughed. "Well, do you want to know how Daddy got to be such a big powerful Jedi?"
"Ooooooh!" the twins squealed. "Tell us!"
"Daddy ate his vegetables" Anakin told them plainly.
"Really?" the twins gasped.
"Yes, really" Anakin assured them. "Watch this"
Anakin took his fork and speared some of the vegetables on his plate. He held the fork up to show the twins what was on it, then ate the vegetables. Then, to the twins sheer amazement, Anakin stretched out his hand and lifted up all the forks on the table.
Padme and Anakin looked over at the twins, who stared back at them, eyes wide open and mouths round like O's. The twins had, of course, seen Anakin do things with the Force, but now they were amazed to know the secret of how to do these things.
"That's what happens? When you eat these?" Luke asked, pointing at the veggies on his plate.
"Yes, Luke, when you grow up" Anakin nodded.
And, without another word, the Luke and Leia proceded to eat every single vegetable on their plates in the space of a few short minutes.
Padme and Anakin shared a secret smile. Victory – their plan had worked perfectly. The twins now seemed to adore vegetables!
* * *
It was later on that night and the twins were sound asleep in the nursery. After many, many excited hours of the twins chattering non stop about how they were going to eat so many vegetables and grow up big and be "big big powerful powerful", they had finally worn themselves out and fallen asleep, and now the apartment was peacefully silent.
Padme sat down on the sofa next to Anakin and he put his arm around her and a kiss on her cheek.
"Mmmm" Padme sighed. "That was by far one of the best dinners I have had in a while" she mused.
"I agree" Anakin said. "Thanks to my brilliant Plan"
"Hey!" Padme laughed. "I had some input in that plan too!"
"I guess…" Anakin teased, stroking her hair. "But, you know, you just don't have as brilliant a plotting mind as me" he laughed.
Padme turned to him and raised her eyebrows. "You forget, my dear husband, that I am a Senator. Some of us are well known for our plotting ways…"
"Touché" Anakin laughed, defeated. "But still, your not really the plotting type of person, sweet"
"Yeah…" said Padme. "I'm no Palpatine…"
She and Anakin both laughed at that. Well, it was true…
Padme lay her head back against Anakin's chest. Everything was quiet. Everything was perfect.
She couldn't wait till dinner tomorrow.
THE END
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