Dormé was just adding the finishing touches to Padmé's hair before their guests arrived. Padmé decided that she was going to invite some of her closest friends over to her apartment at the 500 Republica for a relaxing afternoon tea and lunch. Padmé realized that the election for a new Supreme Chancellor was beginning to take its toll on everyone. It had become near impossible to go one Senate meeting without someone yelling at someone else. Some meetings became so long and irritating that she felt like ripping her hair out, and she was not one with a dramatic flair, and to add to the stress, she was now dangerous pregnant.

Standing up, Padmé looked at herself in the mirror. She straightened out her dress and tilted her head slightly to get a better look a the beautiful bun Dormé just placed above her head. Her dress was a brilliant shade of lavender and she had to admit she looked really good. The dress had long sleeves that ran tight all the way down her arms and ends hooked around her middle fingers holding them in place. It was tight around her shoulders, breasts and bulging torso and began to gently flair out just below her hip line. She supposed it wasn't exactly normal for pregnant women to wear such a revealing display but she was proud of her now extremely large bump. The neck line gave a generous view of her chest and collarbone, and Padmé loved the way the whole dress made her feel. Utterly feminine. "Thank you, Dormé. You never fail to make my hair look spectacular." She offered with a smile.

"M'lady, you look spectacular no matter what I do." Dormé grinned and quirked her head sideways to look at the Senator. Their friendship was something Dormé held close to her heart and she had no doubts that Padmé felt the same way.

Padme told Dormé everything. Right from the very beginning she trusted Dormé with information about her secret marriage to Anakin, and she hasn't held anything back since, whether it was about what some sleemo politicians had to say at the senate that day or how earth-shattering Anakin had been in bed that night, she trusted Dormé with it all. Force, Dormé even knew that Anakin was the reason why Padmé's form had changed so drastically

Padmé threw herself into her friends arms. "What did I do to deserve you?" Padmé leaned back and looked her friend in the eyes. "I want you to take the day off. Go out, relax, take some time for yourself. Go have some fun."

Dormé's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Padmé. I will." Dormé curtsied and began walking out of the room.

"Oh, Dormé?"

"Yes, mi'lady?"

"If you happen to spot any of our guests on their way up, just tell them to come right in. The door will be unlocked."

"Sure thing."

Padmé heard the front door to her apartment close gently and she sighed to herself. Truly, what did I do to deserve her? She turned back to the mirror and began to examine Dormé's handy work again when she heard engines roar outside her bedroom window. Startled, she ran to the veranda only to find a certain Jedi fighter touching down and disengaging the engines. She couldn't help but smile when Anakin jumped down never taking his eyes off her.

He rushed over to her and gently scooped her up in his arms as if she weighed less than a feather. Spinning her around he kissed her plump lips deeper than ever before. His happiness was contagious as she smiled through his kiss.

She noticed a change in him. Ever since he killed Palpatine she noticed how he stood just little taller, like a large weight has just been lifted off his shoulders. "It's nice to see you too, Master Jedi."

He beamed that perfect smile at her. He loved the way his new title sounded coming off her lips. He couldn't control his happiness. He just saved the galaxy from the Sith, his wife was pregnant with his child, and the Council just granted him Mastery. Honestly things couldn't be better.

"Now, if you wouldn't mind setting me down? This is kind of uncomfortable."

Anakin's mind snapped from his thoughts and he gently put her down on her feet. "Sorry, my love." He took her hand and walked her into the apartment.

"Now as happy as I am to see you Anakin," she released his hand and began walking towards the kitchen. "I'm afraid I'm gonna have to ask you to leave."

His smile faded slightly but only for a second. He watched her disappear into the next room before reappearing with a tray filled with many different fruits he recognized from Naboo. "But I just got here." He threw a mock whine at her.

She set the tray down on the table in the living area and began to move back towards her husband. "Well, if you would like to continue keeping this marriage a secret than I suggest you make a quick departure. I have invited a few friends over for lunch and I'm sure they would be quite surprised to accidentally stumble upon...us." She paused about 8 standard feet in front of him. "They will be here very shortly."

Anakin began to stride towards her slowly, ignoring her request to leave. He placed both hands on either sides of her hips and pulled her as close as her belly would allow. He leaned down until his face was an inch from hers. "Oh really? And who would be attending this little get together?"

His words were slow and dangerous. Padmé wanted to protest. He was procrastinating. Like he always did when he had to leave. He always did whatever he could to lengthen his time with her. Instead, unable to resist his utterly sexy allure, Padmé wrapped her arms around his neck. He began feasting gently from her lips making it difficult to respond. "A few senators, you know..." he continued to interrupt her with his kisses. "Mon Mothma, Bail...Bail Organa...Riyo Chuchi...mmmh... your padawan." How the hell did he do this to her?

"Sounds like fun... I'm sure you'll... have a great time..."

,,,,,

How tall is this building?

Ahsoka forgot how long the turbo lift ride had been up the side of the 500 Republica. It had been a long time since she had seen her friend, and truly, she missed Padmé. The war had been so time consuming and difficult for everyone, so time for friendly visits was rare, and even more so for a Jedi.

It felt like she had been on that lift for ages before it finally stopped. When the doors opened Ahsoka stopped to look at the decor in the long hallway. It was magnificent. Of course she expected nothing less. It was the 500 Republica after all. It was built to be luxurious and elegant because some of the most luxurious and elegant people lived here.

Taking her time walking down the hall, Ahsoka absorbed the beauty that building radiated. The Jedi Temple was beautiful in its own way but this, this made Ahsoka feel like royalty just walking down the hall. After stopping to admire one of the paintings hung on the wall, she was tapped on the shoulder.

"Ahsoka? Ahsoka Tano? Oh dear, it's been far too long."

After turning around Ashoka instantly recognized the face. Although it had aged a bit since she had last seen it she was still happy to see it nonetheless. "Dormé? Oh my am I glad to see you."

Dormé pulled her in for a quick hug before standing back to admire her friend. "Dear, you grown so much! You've become so beautiful."

Ahsoka's already orange skin managed to turn slightly red. She had never been very good at receiving compliments. "Thank you, Dormé. It's so good to see you again."

Dormé smiled and nodded. "Likewise, Ahsoka. Padmé's apartment is just down the hall to the left. She is awaiting your arrival. The door is unlocked and you are welcome to enter."

Ahsoka looked down the hall, then back to her old friend. "Thanks, Dormé. We'll have to catch up soon."

"That we will." Dormé smiled and with that she was gone into the turbo lift.

Ahsoka finally made her way down the hall. Upon reaching Padmé's door, she took Dormé's advice and just opened it.

Just like she had expected, the decor in here was just as nice if not nicer than it was in the hallway. Padmé had truly outdone herself in decorating her apartment. Filled with many blues, purples, whites, and streaks of gold. She removed her Jedi robe and hung it in the open closet right beside the door. She could hear people talking and assumed that one of the other guests had arrived. Ahsoka was about to call out Padmé's name but she heard something. She crept slowly through the foyer and down one of the hall ways toward the sound. As she came closer to the source of the noise, she stopped to listen. What was that? Was that... no... was that the sound of kissing? Ahsoka was sure. Kissing? Who would be kissing in Senator Amidala's apartment? Most likely the senator herself and who else? Was she in a relationship?Ahsoka knew she was pregnant but she thought that Padmé hadn't pursed a relationship with the father. Curiosity boiling over, she peaked her head around the corner of what looked to be the main living area, and standing by the large windows, was Padmé and... oh no.

,,,,,

Anakin lost himself in the feel of her embrace and the softness of her lips. He instinctively moved his hands to her belly and smiled at the thought of what he created. He blushed as he remembered how he created it. He broke their kiss to look into her chestnut eyes and she returned the stare into his icy blue ones. They held each other like that until he saw something move in the corner of his eye. His head snapped up so fast Padmé probably thought that he hurt his neck.

After watching all the colour in his face pale to a ghostly white, Padmé turned to see what had frightened her husband, the Hero Without Fear. Her reaction to what she saw was almost identical to his.

"A-Ahsoka." Anakin mumbled out, feeling like an utter moron.

Ahsoka stood in the hallway, mouth agape. She stood completely motionless for a long time.

Anakin realized that he and his wife were still embracing each other rather affectionately. "A-Ahsoka, I-I know how this must look, b-but y-you have to give me a second to explain." Anakin's voice was soft, quiet even. Padmé had never seen her husband like this, but she was surprised he was even able to speak because she still hadn't found the strength to form words.

They all stared at each other for a few moments longer before Padmé snapped herself out of it and tried to think of something to say. They had been caught. Simply caught. And there was nothing they could do about it now. They had done such a good job keeping it a secret for so long and to think it would be ruined when all Padmé wanted to do was have a couple of friends over for lunch. She broke herself from her husband and made her way to Ahsoka.

Ahsoka shook her head when Padmé began walking towards her. She hoped what she just saw wasn't real but after pinching her forearm, she realized it was real. By the Force, what in the Sith's hell was going on here?

"Ahsoka, can I get you something to drink? Water maybe?" Padmé asked quietly while taking Ahsoka hand.

All she could do was nod.

"Angel, I think I need some water too." Anakin spoke softly from across the room.

"I think we all need water." Padmé mumbled as she waddled her way towards the kitchen.

Anakin's eyes snapped back to Ahsoka as Padmé left. She didn't even try to shield her emotions and he didn't need the force to know what she was feeling, her eyes said it all. He had never seen the Togruta's eyes that large before. He felt horrible. He can only imagine what it would be like to find your master lip-locked with a famous senator. He certainly did not want to imagine finding Obi-Wan in that situation. After a moment, Anakin sighed heavily, "Hey Snips, why don't we go, uh, take a seat. We need to talk."

All she could do was nod as she followed Anakin over to the designer couches. When she sat across from him, she barely registered how soft the cushions were because of the thoughts spinning through her head. What exactly was that? What is happening between them? How long? Is Anakin the...father?... Why didn't they tell me?

"Ahso-" Anakin tried to start.

"No." Ahsoka responded firmly, slightly startling her Master. "You are gonna start right from the beginning and you're not gonna leave anything out. I'm pretty sure I deserve to know."

Padmé came back into the room with two glasses of water, C-3PO close behind her carrying the third glass and large pitcher full of ice cold water. She handed Ahsoka one and sat down with the other. 3PO handed Anakin his glass and set the pitcher down on the table. They were all expecting him to say something but it was almost as if he sensed the tension in the air and didn't speak at all.

Anakin sighed and put his glass on the table. He found Padmé's hand and entwined their fingers. He looked at Padmé for a brief moment and after she nodded he found the strength to go on. "It all started when I was nine. My mother and I were slaves on Tatooine to a Toydarian named Watto. One day, I was working in the back of the shop when Watto called for me. When I got to him I saw three people and a droid. The one was a Gungan who was already making himself look like a fool but the other two were human. One was tall man with long brown hair and a beard and the second was the most beautiful person I had ever laid my eyes on." He looked at Padmé and smiled, "in fact, the first thing I ever said to her was 'Are you an angel?'" Padmé smiled and shook her head as if this is something they've been over more than once. When Anakin glanced back to Ahsoka his smile faded. What was she feeling? Anger? Curiosity? Sadness? He couldn't quite make it out. He inhaled and continued to talk. "They had become stranded when the hyper drive on her cruiser broke. I entered a pod race to win the parts that they needed but little did I know that I was also racing for my freedom. The tall man, Master Qui-Gon Jinn, made a deal with Watto stating that if I won the race, they would keep me and take me back to Coruscant. After I won, they took me before the Jedi Council because Qui-Gon discovered that my midi-chlorian count was over 20,000, he was the one who thought I was the Chosen One. The Council denied me training because of my age but Qui-Gon stood up for me. He's the reason why I'm a Jedi today."

Anakin sighed and removed his hand from Padmé's to rub his face. She began gently stroking his back, comforting him. "What happened to him?" Ahsoka asked quietly.

Anakin took another deep breath, "He was killed by a Sith. We thought they were extinct but they were thriving behind our backs and we didn't even notice. After I destroyed the Trade Federation's blockade on Naboo, we held his funeral. His dying wish was for me to be trained, so the Council granted his apprentice, Obi-Wan, permission to train me."

Ahsoka knew about the Trade Federation blockade on Naboo. She learned about it as a youngling. She remembers hearing about how the Chosen One, Anakin Skywalker, saved a planet at the age of only nine. She remembers wanting to be just like him. Wanting to save the galaxy bit by bit. To be a hero. When Master Yoda told her that she was to be Anakin's padawan, she nearly jumped out of her skin in excitement.

Anakin continued. "I began my training and Padmé continued her reign as Queen of Naboo. It was ten years before I saw her again. By that time I was 19 and she was 24. After becoming a senator, she was faced with assassination attempts and threats. The Jedi Council assigned Obi-Wan and I to be her Jedi protectors and we did just that. We hadn't even been on Coruscant with her for 10 hours before another attempt was made on her life. After catching the bounty hunter who tried to do it, Obi-Wan started an investigation to find out who was really behind the attempts. Meanwhile, I was given my first assignment on my own, to protect Padmé on Naboo."

Padmé stepped in. "We went into hiding at an old lake house that has belonged to my family for generations. It was isolated and away from the world, perfect for a hiding senator."

Anakin's gazed lowered to floor and he plastered on that beautiful, devilish grin of his. "And that's where it all happened." He looked at Padmé, taking her hand, then looked back at Ahsoka. She seemed a bit more calm now and for that he was thankful. "I had always had strong feelings for Padmé, but after spending more time with her, I realized I loved her. And I guess I was just too attractive and she fell for me too." He beamed a smug smile and Padmé gave him a mock punch in the arm. "I thought that she loved me as much as I loved her but I guess I was wrong. She rejected me and it broke my heart." Padmé rolled her eyes. "After that, I began having nightmares about my mother. I knew something was wrong so we left Naboo and went to Tatooine. By the time I found her..."

He choke on his words a little and Ahsoka knew this was probably his deepest wound. He never talked about his mother and this may be why. Padmé leaned on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"It was too late. She had been kidnaped and beaten by the Tuskin Raiders. She died in my arms." He breathed a shaky breath and quickly returned to the story. "I murdered every single one of them, the entire village. It was my first connection with the dark side and my only saving grace was Padmé. She kept me sane, she helped me through it, she was there for me and it only made me love her more. We received a distress call from Obi-Wan on Geonosis and quickly went there to rescue him. We, well, ended up getting caught too and before we were to be executed that's when she admitted that she loved me. After we escaped our chains, we quickly found ourselves surrounded by countless Jedi and battle droids. A full scale battle erupted and we quickly found ourselves outnumbered. We thought that was the end, but then Master Yoda showed up with the clones." Anakin let out a laugh. "That was a big kriffing day. Padmé said she loved me, I lost half of my arm, and the Clone Wars began." Shaking his head, he returned his gaze to Ahsoka and looked into her eyes. On the ride back to Naboo, after I was fitted with my mechanical hand, I proposed to Padmé. We were married the next night at the lake house. The only ones who knew were 3PO and R2 and Padmé told Dormé only because it would be impossible to keep a secret like that from her. We couldn't tell people because we feared the repercussions. What it would do to our careers. I would be expelled from the Order and Padmé would most likely be asked to step down from her position in the Senate. So we did what we could to protect our secret."

There was a pause before Padmé stepped in again, "Married life throughout the war was a lot harder than we thought it'd be. We'd go months without seeing each other, and when we finally had a chance to be together it would be for a day at a time, sometimes we only had minutes to say hello then goodbye before we had to leave each other for duty again."

"Buuuut I guess that didn't stop us." Anakin motioned to Padmé's belly. Padmé punched his arm again and Ahsoka couldn't help but stifle a laugh. Her master could be so childish sometimes. "Anyways, after I learned of Padmé's pregnancy I began having nightmares of her dying in childbirth. But I realized something, I never had any visions or dreams about it when I was conscious. After talking with Master Yoda, I came to the conclusion that someone was planting those images there when my mind was unshielded."

Ahsoka nodded, "That's smart."

"Padmé thought so too. It wasn't long after that when Palpatine revealed himself to me. He told me about being a Sith and the power of the Dark side. But when he told me that I could save Padmé by learning the ways of the dark force, I put two and two together. I never told him about my dreams so how would he have known about them if he wasn't the one putting them there in the first place. I killed him right then and there. He was the Sith we had been looking for. He was the cause of a pointless war that took millions of lives and for what? To rule the galaxy? To have ultimate power? There was no use for mercy when it came to a man like him so didn't bother to show him any. I ended it all before anything else could happen." He clenched his gloved hand in a fist so tight that Ahsoka could hear the gears whizzing. Padmé was quick to cover it with a hand of her own and she quickly entwined their fingers. It looked like an attempt to soothe and calm him, and it definitely worked. He sighed deeply and looked at Ahsoka. "Now we're here." He gave Ahsoka an apologetic look.

"W-what do you think?"

Ahsoka sat there for a while, processing all the information she had just received. She felt so many things. Happiness, anger, confusion, but most of all sadness. They kept something so monumental away from her, so naturally her feelings were hurt. "Honestly, Master? I'm a little upset. I thought you would trust me enough to tell me, but I see where you're coming from. Overall though…" she looked up and smiled at the pair anxiously awaiting her response, "I'm happy for you, Skyguy. You've found happiness and really, I couldn't be more proud."

Anakin's smile was so bright and genuine "Thank you so much, Sni-"

"Gods, Ani! Look!" Padmé interrupted while staring at her belly.

Anakin quickly jumped off the couch and kneeled in front of her. Ahsoka could've sworn he used the Force to move faster. She stood up and walked closer to where Padmé was sitting. Padmé beamed the brightest smile as Anakin's hands moved over the swell of her stomach just before a little foot clearly imprinted itself through Padmé's skin tight dress. It was small but it was clear as day. Anakin gave a small, excited laugh as a hand pushed through as well. He moved his large hand over the area where the smaller one hand just been and looked up at Padmé. "You've created something so amazingly breathtaking."

"Hey! You helped!" Padmé retorted and they laughed.

Anakin rested his head on her belly and merely whispered, "I don't know what I would do without you."

"Man, you can be really dramatic." Padmé said as her and Ahsoka laughed. He lifted his head and quirked an amused brow.

"You're gonna be a great dad, Skyguy." Ahsoka said crossing her arms.

Anakin suddenly stood up and hugged Ahsoka. Being surprised by her Masters sudden affection she paused but quickly returned the embrace. Her Master was definitely a very handsome man, but she never felt attracted to him in that way. She always thought of him as an older brother so this hug wasn't awkward at all, it was welcomed. "Don't worry, Master. I'm not telling anyone. Not even Obi-Wan." She added the last part sarcastically.

"Especially not Obi-Wan. I'll tell him myself... maybe. But thank you, Ahsoka. It means a lot to me."

He released her and found his place back on his knees before Padmé when suddenly the sound of the front door rang through the apartment.

"Padmé?" The first voice, a male, said. "Padmé, dear, sorry we're late. The traffic is just horrendous out there." The second voice, a woman, called out.

Ahsoka looked down to see Anakin and Padmé looking deeply into each others eyes, frowns on both of their faces. Padmé reached down and cupped Anakin's jaw in her hand and tried to push a fake smile over her features. With a sigh, Anakin stood up and made his way over to the couch across from Padmé and for a moment Ahsoka's heart broke. All it took was this small, wordless gesture for her to realize how deeply they felt for each other and that every time they had to act as if they didn't care for each other, it broke something inside them. Like a bird locked in a cage. Ahsoka thought back to all those times throughout the war when it was just her and Anakin and something seemed off. Several times she recalled asking him if he was alright and he always said "It's just the war". She now realized it was because he missed her, because he longed for his mate. Ahsoka could only begin to imagine what Padmé felt. Spending countless hours, days, months worrying about your husband that may never return from the front lines of war? The thought made Ahsoka's gut wrench. No one should have to live through that.

"Ah Padmé, dear. How have you been?" Mon Mothma said as she came striding elegantly into the room, Bail Organa was only a few steps behind her.

Although Ahsoka loved spending time with old friends, she felt like this may be a long afternoon. As if reading her thoughts, Anakin smiled at her from across the room.

"Hello Mon, Bail. It's so go-" Padmé tried to stand as she greet them but Mon put a hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her back onto the couch.

"Padmé, honey, I think it would be best if you stayed seated. You look like your about ready to pop."

Padmé laughed and let out an exasperated sigh. She almost instantly relaxed. "Thanks Mon, but I'm still two weeks away from my due date."

"Well you never know, dear. Ah, Master Skywalker, I almost didn't see you there. It's nice to see you again. Please do tell us about some of your recent endeavours..."

A long afternoon indeed.

,,,,,

After Mon and Bail had left, Ahsoka stood with Anakin and Padmé in the foyer. Anakin slinked his arm around Padmé's waist and drew her tight against him. Ahsoka could feel the happiness radiating off both of them. She had always knew she was good a reading people. Analyzing Force signatures was one of her favourite things to do. You can learn so much about a person by reading their emotions. She was always able to do it with Anakin. She always felt what he felt. When he was happy, she was happy. When he was sad, she was sad. Then, Ahsoka realized something right then and there. She loved them. As a Jedi she wasn't supposed to feel these things but these two people were the closest thing she'd every had to a real family. With tears welling in her eyes, Ahsoka ran into the couple and hugged them tight. She just wanted to be like that forever, to hold the people she loved.

"Ahsoka, you are so special to us." Anakin started, "We consider you a part of this family."

That's all she needed to hear. Anakin suddenly felt a wet spot developing on his shirt. After realizing that she was crying, Anakin and Padmé held her tight.

Ahsoka sniffled and pulled away. After wiping her eyes, she looked at the couple and pointed at Anakin. "You're not completely out of the woods yet, Master. You own me one."

"Well, I guess I do. What is your bidding?" Anakin joked.

"Hmm, you are gonna take me for a night out on the town. We are going to go shopping and go out for dinner. And it's on you." Ahsoka crossed her arms and leaned back.

"I do suppose that's fair, Anakin." Padmé said with a smile as she titled her head up to look at her significantly taller husband.

"Alright, whatever you say. It'll be fun Master and Padawan bonding time."

"Good, it's settled then. You'll pick me up from the temple tomorrow." Ahsoka turned around and reached for the doorknob but paused and turned back around to face the couple. They were smiling happy, genuine, smiles. "I think you guys should go public. Tell the galaxy. You both deserve so much more than hiding your love in the shadows of Coruscant, it's just not fair. Anakin, I don't think you'll get expelled. If anything, you've become a new generation of Jedi. You saved the galaxy while engaging in a romantic attachment. Being in love with Padmé hasn't prevented you from doing any of your Jedi duties, in fact, it may have even pushed you to become the best Jedi you could be. It wouldn't be right for the council to expel you, they wouldn't be able to get rid of the Chosen One, the Hero Without Fear, the one who saved the galaxy from the Sith. And Padmé, the political ramifications can go to hell. Forget what they'd say about you. If they don't realize that you are the most intelligent, kind-hearted person in the Senate, then they are wrong. You are one of the most influential senators in that entire building and they can't see it, they don't deserve your dedication. I think you guys should just do it. It would be easier for you guys to just tell them."

Anakin and Padmé stared at each other astonished. She was right. They both knew she was, but the fear that they would be asked to step down from their careers still looms within each of them. "Thank you, Ahsoka. You've given us a lot to think about." Said Padmé turning her attention back to the padawan.

Ahsoka nodded. Something didn't feel right. It was Padmé's pregnancy. The force was so strong within Padmé's belly that Ahsoka couldn't help but smile. After focusing on the source a bit more, Ahsoka suddenly released a quite gasp. There was two signatures in there. Two! Padmé was having twins! Something told Ahsoka that Anakin and Padme had no idea and she couldn't help but smirk to herself. "Oh, and you guys should be very proud." Ahsoka said smiling while pointing briefly at Padmé's bump. "They're both strong with the force."

And with that, she left the completely flabbergasted couple, both of their jaws on the floor. She closed the door behind her and laughed to herself while walking back down the hallway towards the turbo lift.