Hello my readers! This is just a little story idea I've had for awhile. I honestly have so many right now, my idea folder on my computer is overflowing while the notebook where I write all my notes for the final versions is disappointingly empty. This is one of my many future attempts to change that (slowly).

Happy Reading!

-DFD

Her eyes squinted shut as the light caught her face in just the right place. With a groan she rolled over to face away from the light, her hand searching for the warm body of her husband beside her. A frown marred her face as her hand instead found his side empty and the sheets cold. She was almost afraid to open her eyes, knowing that when she does, she'll probably find a note informing her he had been called away in the middle of the night once more and didn't want to wake her. She hated when he did that but she never questioned it knowing his leaving was always harder on him than it was on her. Slowly, she opened her eyes and sure enough, his side of the bed was empty. Only this time, there wasn't a note. Sitting up, she pulled the covers to her chest. "Ani?" She called, looking around the spacious master bedroom they shared.

"You look better without the sheet, love," He said as he reentered the bedroom, a smirk on his face as he took a bite of the shuura fruit in his hand and wearing only his sleep pants.

Padme returned his smile as he strode over to the bed and leaned over to kiss her. Her eyes closed as their lips met and she could taste the shuura on his tongue. "You look better without those as well," She said, showing him a smirk of her own as she pulled at the waistband of his pants. Anakin laughed as he let her pull his pants down before he climbed back in bed beside her, pulling her close and encouraging her head to rest on his chest.

The steady beat of his heart lulled her as she wrapped her arm around his waist and brought her leg over his. "What has you up early this morning?" She asked.

"Obi-Wan commed," He said, and her heart dropped at the simple sentence.

"You don't have to go back to the front, do you?" She asked, almost afraid of the answer.

He was silent for a moment and she knew just from that what his answer would be. "Yes," He said. "The war in the Outer Rim isn't going well at all and Obi-Wan needs me to-"

"Don't," She said, pressing her hand to his chest as she picked her head up to meet his gaze, "Not now, just… how long until you leave?"

His eyes fell as his fingers played with her hair, twirling a lock around his finger, "Tonight," He said and her heart constricted tightly.

With a deep breath, she moved to straddle him, pushing him back so his head rested against the soft pillows. "Then… lets give you a proper send off," She said, bringing her lips to his passionately as she showed him exactly how much she loved him…

That was almost nine months ago, and one of the last times they had ever truly been happy. When she had found out she was pregnant, so many thoughts had raced through her head. Thoughts about how this child would impact their lives, their careers, and the inevitable scandal such a pregnancy would spark should its paternity be discovered. But above all else, the hope that this child would bring for their future- the dawn of a new beginning for both of them and maybe one where they didn't have to hide their love.

But those dreams were now only that: dreams. As she lay on the medical table as contraction after contraction hit, she labored to give birth to their first born. She wasn't certain how long she had laid there, the pain of it certainly made the entire experience feel longer than it actually was. But soon enough, the cries of her newborn son filled the room as the droid helped to pull him from his mother's body. Padme watched through hooded eyes as her son was cleaned and swaddled loosely before being handed to the man beside her. Reaching her hand out, she touched his soft skin and listened to him coo as he leaned into her touch as if knowing exactly who she was. Padme smiled, "Oh, Luke," She sighed, committing every detail of him to memory from the small tuff of blond hair on the top of his head to his tiny feet that fit in the palm of her hand. She could have stared at him for hours but it seemed his twin was just as eager to meet her as well. She hadn't expected twins. And where most would be elated at the thought, she couldn't. Barely given an hours notice, she'd had no time to process. Another painful contraction ripped through her body as the droid took up its position at the foot of her bed once again. The droid spoke softly to her as it encouraged her to push again. This second labor was almost worse than the first as she screamed through the pain and moments later, her daughter's cries soon joined her brother's. "Leia," She said, remembering the name Anakin had picked while they had argued over if she was having a boy or a girl. Padme strained to try and lift her head to see her daughter but lacked the strength to keep it up. She felt so tired.

Padme turned her head to look back at the man beside her who held her son as her body was finally starting to relax. Obi-Wan rocked gently to lull the baby in his arms but kept his sad eyes on her. This wasn't how her children were supposed to be born. They were supposed to be born when they were ready- not induced because she was dying. They were supposed to be born on Naboo- not some asteroid in the Outer Rim. Her eyes fell to her son as he whimpered softly. Obi-Wan shouldn't be the one standing beside her holding her son- Anakin should be holding him- he should be holding both of them. But Anakin wasn't there- he was gone… or at least that's what Obi-Wan told her.

He was wrong though. Anakin wasn't gone. She couldn't explain how she knew, she just did. She knew the man she loved was still there buried deep inside the monster Palpatine had conjured from his anger and his fears. And she knew there was still a way to reach him- she saw it. She saw it as she pleaded with him to run away with her as she begged him to leave everything and think only of her and their child. And maybe if Obi-Wan hadn't followed, maybe he would have. But there was no point in thinking about what ifs. She was dying. With every breath she could feel her energy dissipate and she had to say what she knew. She had to not for her sake, but for Anakin, for their children. Someone had to know so that maybe he can be saved.

"Obi-Wan…" She whispered, watching through hooded eyes as he leaned closer to hear her. She wasn't sure if he would believe what she had to say. Obi-Wan always spoke with such certainty as if there was no doubt he was right. And maybe he was about some things, but not this. He didn't know Anakin the way she did. And she hoped he would believe her- hoped he would think her words more than the words of a dying woman holding on to a lost love. "There's good in him…" She said, mustering what was left of her strength to speak. "I know, I know there's still…good…" With one final breath, she felt her strength give as darkness swallowed her and the soft cries of her children faded into silence.

Her eyes squinted shut as the light caught her face in just the right place. With a groan she rolled over to face away from the light, her hand searching for the warm body of her husband beside her. A frown marred her face as her hand instead found his side empty and the sheets cold. Her brow furrowed as little by little she started to piece things together. The sound of water gently crashing against stone; the sound of wind as it brushed against silk curtains; the smell of fresh flowers and the songs of birds filled the air. Her hand trailed down her abdomen, surprised to find it flat and just as smooth as it had been before her pregnancy. Slowly, her eyes opened, squinting against the light as her vision slowly cleared.

The sight that met her was not one that made sense to her. No longer was she on a small medical center in the Outer Rim. She was home. Naboo. When had that happened? How long had she been unconscious? Shifting in the bed, she quickly came to the disturbing realization that she was naked. Sitting up slowly, she brought the covers to her chest and looked around the room. Yet again surprised that not only was she on Naboo, but she was at Varykino. She did not recall ever mentioning the place to anyone that had been with her on Polis Masa- not Obi-Wan, Yoda or even Bail. Looking around the room she did not see any sign of her children. There were no bassinets, no changing table, not even a onesie laying around. Did that mean everything had just been a dream?

"You look better without the sheet, love," Her head shot towards the open doorway and her eyes widened at the sight before her. Anakin. Dressed only in a pair of lose fitting sleep pants, he smirked at her as he took a bite of the shurra fruit in his hand.

"Ani?" She asked, trying to piece everything together.

He cocked an eyebrow at her, "Expecting someone else?" He asked.

Padme shook her head, "No…" She said, running a hand through her messed hair. "Just… a weird dream," She said. He gave a shrug as he strode over to her and kissed her gently before climbing into bed beside her and encouraging her head to rest on his chest.

Her mind was trying to make sense of everything. The past few months felt so real… and yet here she was… not pregnant, and sitting in bed with her husband who was clearly still her Ani and not the Sith she saw when they met on Mustafar. It didn't make sense- and yet it did. "What's got you up so early?" She asked, hoping maybe her dream had been just that- a dream.

"Obi-Wan commed," He said, and her heart dropped as she quickly realized what was happening. Her dream hadn't been a dream- or maybe it was… she still wasn't exactly sure, but Anakin had often said the Force works in mysterious ways, and either way, dream or reality, it didn't matter. Whatever it was, it had given her- given them a second chance.

"You're leaving for the Outer Rim tonight, aren't you?" She asked.

Anakin shifted and looked down at her, a curious look on his face, "Yes… how'd you-"

"Don't go," She said, picking her head up to meet his gaze.

He laughed, and shook his head, "You know I can't do that," He said. "Besides, aren't you the one who always says duty comes first, especially in wartime?"

"Normally yes," She said, "But not this time. Please, just stay."

Anakin's face turned serious as he reached his hand up to cup her cheek gently, "What's wrong?" He asked, "Does it have something to do with that dream?" She nodded and he sighed, bringing his forehead to touch hers lightly, "It's just a dream," He said.

Padme shook her head, "No, it wasn't." She said and she knew he believed her.

END

The beginning and the ending is sort of my attempt at a rough framing type style where the beginning and end are reflective of one another, which I thought fit well given the plot. I'm not 100% sure I did it brilliantly, but I think it gets the point across.