Chapter 2
Anakin
I thank the droid as I take the box from its arms and close the door. After having locked the door I place the box next to the others in the living room and proceed to check on Luke & Leia. They're still sleeping in their crib so I sit down on the sofa to rest. To think I didn't even know this place existed a week ago yet here I am now unpacking our belongings in our new home. Home? Yes this is our home now I reassure myself. To me home has always been with the people you love. It will always be I think to myself as my eyes drift to my sleeping twins.
I think back to the places I have called home through out my life. The first one being in Tatooine living with my mother, Shmi. It had been a poverty filled life living as a slave, but I had been with my mother and her unconditional love. She had done everything possible to make sure I had the happiest life possible under our circumstances. That's why she had let me go with Master Qui-Gon Jinn, so I could be free and not have to suffer living as a slave anymore. She had accepted even knowing she wouldn't be able to leave with us, not knowing if she would ever see me again. She had let me go hoping I would have the opportunity to make a name and life for myself. My mother had sacrificed so much for me, had shown me her love until her last breath but I wasn't able to save her. The pain of her loss had been so unbearable, I had lost my sense of self. It made me do something I still can't forgive myself for doing. I tried not to think about what I had done to the ones responsible for her death, tried suppressing the memory of truly losing myself and letting the darkness consume me. I had managed to come back but I had still done the unthinkable. Over time the pain of losing my mother still remains, I have just managed to live with it.
My other home had been with Padmé. I think of our life together. Of those days we spent together at the lake house in Varykino, forgetting of all of our problems just by feeling her arms around me. Afterwards when reality came crashing back we would talk about our problems and shared our hope of one day seeing the war end. Of having the chance to live our lives together in a universe once again at peace. While she's not here anymore, I will fight to keep that peace so that our children will never have to face a universe at war. Her death is still a fresh wound to the heart but just like my mother's, I am beginning to learn how to live with that pain.
My thoughts drift to another time in my life, to my life in the Jedi Temple with my friend and old master Obi-Wan Kenobi. My third home. I smile fondly thinking back to our adventures together. Remembering his horrified face whenever I would have to improvise a move when I would pilot for us. I'm not sure if he hated flying before me or if that fear had come thanks to me. I admired how he is a man of honor but when it came to me he would always keep my mistakes from the Jedi Council but always making sure he lectured me first. He always made sure the "chosen one" reputation didn't get in my head. He always knocked my ego down in training where I couldn't beat him. To this day I still don't think I can. I guess him being 9 years older than me does make a difference experience wise but even if we were the same age I think he would still best me out. I had been happy in all three homes and my only hope right now is making sure I can give my little Luke & Leia the home they deserve. To make sure they have nothing but fond memories of growing up with me.
Having taken a long enough break reminiscing about my life I stand up and move toward the boxes. Even though there's not a lot of things to unpack, I still grumble to myself as I pick up the first box. I tried to only pack the basics as well as Padmé's stuff. I want to have her belongings to remember her and to one day show my children when they ask about their mother. The house was already furnished so I didn't have to worry about buying any furniture or hauling the one from Coruscant. I did however had to dismantle the cribs and have them transported here. That had been the most difficult thing to pack and bring so it had been the first thing I put together when I got here. I had even considered taking Obi-Wan on his offer and almost called him for help but had stopped myself not wanting to bother him. I'm almost done putting the dishes in the cabinet when I hear Luke cry, Leia begins crying as well. Right on scheduled I think to myself.
After changing and feeding them I pull my dual baby sling from my room and settle them both in. Making sure they're comfortable and are safely secured to my chest I walk out into my room's balcony. It's on the second floor of the house facing the front of the house and it's big enough to fit a small table and four chairs. The house is on the riverfront of one of the Solleu River's tributaries so I spot a couple of canoes floating in the water. Their candle lights becoming brighter as dusk time fades into the night. In the distance I can still make out the outline of the Triumphal Arc with the remaining light. I sit down and enjoy the view of the city as the nocturnal buzzing sounds of the city come to life. It's still warm outside when I start hearing the laughter and conversations of groups of people making their way to the various restaurants and bars along the river front. The university is only a few blocks away so the students come here to the various business whenever they can. I sit outside enjoying the sounds of the city life with my twins for some time. When it gets colder I make my way inside, my twins warm to my chest. I close the door and the sounds of the city fade away, I'm back in my quiet world again.
I'm washing bottles around noon the next day when the doorbell rings. Wondering if it's my neighbors wanting to introduce themselves, I dry my hands and make my way to the front door. I stop and check on the twins before I finally get to the door and open it. I'm shocked to find myself face to face with Queen Apailana and her security team. I quickly try to mask my surprise and bow to her in greeting "It's an honor seeing you again, your highness."
"It's a pleasure seeing you as well, Anakin" the Queen smiles in reply.
"Please come in" I say smiling back. I move to the side of the door.
The Queen turns to one of her handmaidens and says to her "Come with me, Antoinette" then to the rest of her security team she says "The rest of you wait here, I don't want you disturbing Mr. Skywalker's children in the house. I'll be right out." She doesn't wait for her team to object and quickly comes inside the house with her handmaiden. I shut the door and walk after them into the living room wondering what her visit means.
"You have a lovely house" Queen Apailana says looking around. She moves to the crib and to Luke & Leia she says "It's a pleasure seeing you two as well." She appears more tense than the last time I saw her at Padmé's funeral. It must be the stress of politics. "You might be wondering what I'm doing here?" she finally asks.
"I must admit your visit is a surprise" I say.
"A good one I hope" she replies smiling "I was informed you and the twins would be moving to live here so I wanted to welcome you to Theed. I also wanted to see if you were settling in fine and offer my help if you need anything."
"That's very kind of you, your highness. We are settling in as best as we can, but thank you for the offer. It's very much appreciated" I answer.
"No need to thank me, Anakin. Padmé was a great mentor to me and an even better friend. Did you know she's the one who encouraged me to run for Queen? I didn't believe I could actually do it but she always had faith in me. I still can't believe she's gone" she replies.
"She loved you very much and saw that you would become a great Queen. She always valued your friendship immensely. I still can't believe how lucky we were to have her in our lives. Even though the ache of her loss still remains I can't help but feel warmth knowing that she was loved by many and will be remembered fondly" I say.
We stay in somber silence for a while remembering Padmé. She's still standing by my children watching them and I'm standing awkwardly by the sofa when Antoinette clears her throat. "Right, I'm afraid I'm going to have to get going. I have a couple important meetings to attend to" the Queen says "Before I leave though, I wanted to give you this invitation. The concert hall is finally reopening next week and I wanted to bring you a welcoming gift. I'll be there as well as Master Obi-Wan Kenobi so it would be great to have you join us as well" she says as Antoinette hands me an envelope.
"Thank you, that's very generous. I will try to go. It seems my old master is coming to visit so it would be great to see him again" I add.
"Coming to visit? Obi-Wan has been here in Theed for two day already. Didn't you know he accepted a job at the university. He'll be starting soon" the Queen informs me.
Obi-Wan has been living here and he didn't tell me? I can't help but feel hurt at that. Obviously he doesn't have to tell me everything he does in his life but it does sting knowing he's been living here without me knowing. Maybe he's just been busy I keep trying to reassure myself before responding. "I wasn't aware of that " I finally say trying to keep the hurt from my voice. "I'm glad he accepted the position. He mentioned he had two offers to teach but I didn't know one of them was in Theed. He will make a great teacher"
"That he will, we are extremely lucky he accepted our invitation from the university. I must say though, I'm surprised you didn't know he was here. He's the one who told me you were coming to live here when I visited him after all so I figured he would have told you. I know he's a friend of yours so if you want to pay him a visit he's staying at the Grand Hotel by the Palace Plaza. I'm sure he would love to see you" she smiles at me.
"Thank you for the information. I was just thinking how beautiful of a day it is to stay inside. Maybe I'll go for a walk and drop by to visit him along the way" I reply.
"It indeed is a beautiful day for walking. I must go now, I'm running late already. It was great seeing you and the twins, Anakin. Hopefully I will see you next week at the concert. I hope you have a great rest of your day" she says. Then she and Antoniette make their way to the door and I quickly follow. I reach the door before they do and open it for them.
"Thank you once again for visiting and everything else, your highness. I will hopefully see you soon as well, goodbye." I wait until she and her security have walked out of sight before I finally close the door.
When I go back I find Leia awake already. Luke is still sleeping but I can tell he's about to wake up as well. I pick up Leia and cradle her in my arms. "How's my little princess doing?" I ask her "Let's get you and your brother fed and changed so we can go on a little family trip. Let's go visit an old friend" I tell her.
Obi-Wan
I'm just about to take a shower when I receive a message from the front desk. "There's a Mr. Skywalker here to see you, should we let him up?" the clerk asks me. I must have been stunned into silence because the clerk repeats the question until I manage to get a reply out.
"Yes, he can come up" I stammer out. I quickly scan the room making sure everything is clean and organized. I had been training earlier so I had moved the furniture to the edges of the room so I could have a big space in the center. I did not want to be charged for damaged property when I checked out. I'm just finishing straightening out the pillows and sheets on the bed when there is a soft knock on the door. I practically fly there but I wait a few seconds catching my breath and fixing my hair to look as casual as possible. After a few more seconds I open the door and find Anakin and a baby stroller waiting for me in the hallway. Anakin's eyes drift to my slightly open shirt and then up to my messy hair before drifting back to my face. I blush knowing I failed at looking casual; I must look like a flushed, sweaty mess. "Anakin! It's great to see you old friend. Also I would like to apologize for receiving you like this, I was training earlier and haven't had the chance to shower yet" I say trying to break the ice.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you" Anakin quickly says. "I'll ju..."
"There's no need to apologize Anakin, you aren't disturbing me." I interrupt him before he decides to leave. "Ignore the mess but please come in" I say. He nods and I help him bring the baby stroller inside. In the stroller I see a safely secured Luke & Leia looking around the room. I smile at them and look up at their dad " Please take a seat and make yourself comfortable" I say waving to the small couch next to the bed. "Do you want something to drink?" I ask.
"No thank you, I'm fine" he replies before I head to the mini-fridge in the room. I take out two waters and hand him one before sitting down. He rolls his eyes but he does open it and gulps some down. I catch myself staring at his bobbing throat and quickly advert my eyes.
"Since you're I imagine you found out I accepted a position at the university" I say trying to get this awkward mess out of the way. I hadn't told him yet because I wasn't sure I could do what the council is asking of me. I knew that if I told him was here, it meant I was accepting my orders from the council. I can't help but feel the guilt consuming me as I'm facing him right now.
"Yes, Queen Apailana visited me today and let it slip" he answers. "I know it's your right and choice not to tell me Obi-Wan, but I can't deny that it didn't sting having to find this out from someone instead of you" Anakin says. Hearing the hurt in his voice just makes me feel even guiltier.
"Anakin, you were already busy with your own move, I didn't want to disturb you. Then when I got here I wanted to find my own place to live in first so I would have somewhere decent to invite you to. It didn't help that I've been busy getting all my paperwork in order plus all the meetings at the university" I'm basically just making excuses by this point and while they're technically true they're not the main reason as to why I was avoiding him. "Sorry, I didn't tell you friend. I can see now how much that hurt you" I apologize looking at him in the eyes.
"I forgive you, but only because I know how much of a pain moving really is" he finally responds grinning. "In fact I almost called in your offer to help but I managed to stick it out" he adds.
"Well maybe you should have. We could have moved here together. Would have made the moving easier with two people." I answer grinning back.
"Not my fault you didn't tell me" he responds raising an eyebrow.
"I know, I know" I respond putting my hands up. We chuckle and then sit in comfortable silence for a while.
"So have you found a place to live in?" he asks breaking the silence. "I figured you would live in one of the professor apartments next to the university"
"If I had accepted the job earlier I would have but by the time I accepted all the rooms had been leased. Tomorrow I have three places to check out but they're a bit far from the university. Turns out real estate is hard to come by in Theed as well. Speaking of real estate, how's your new home treating you?" I ask.
"I'm sure you'll find something worthwhile soon. As for me the new home is treating me well. A little big for now with three rooms but it'll be perfect when Luke & Leia get older. They'll each have their own room. I can see us having a a good life there" he answers. Before he can continue talking Luke begins to cry, quickly followed by a startled Leia. Anakin gets up and bends down next to the stroller trying calm them. "They just want to be carried" he says.
"Want me to carry one of them?" I ask wanting to help Anakin and also wanting to carry one of them.
"Please" Anakin responds as he unbuckles them from the stroller. I walk to them and he hands me Leia this time. She quiets down when I begin to rock her and I notice Luke has stopped crying in Anakin's arms as well. "I just changed and fed them before coming here so I'm pretty sure they just wanted some attention" Anakin says smiling down at his son. My heart melts at seeing the love in his eyes when he looks at his children. Witnessing this much love just confirms what I know deep in my heart, this man has not fallen to the dark side. What my fellow masters saw must be something else, something much darker and dangerous. I must be prepared for when whatever it is lashes out so I can protect Anakin and his children.
"I've noticed you seem to be great with children. Knowing how to take care of them and knowing what they need. When you offer to carry my children I've noticed you aren't afraid to hold them like most people who have never or only rarely held a baby. You hold them as if it's the most natural thing in the world for you. If you don't mind me asking may where all this experience comes from?" His question catches me off guard but I should have known he would ask considering how attentive he is. I struggle to decide whether I should tell him the truth or not. It's a door to my past I'm not sure I want to revisit but I decide I have lied to him enough already so he at least deserves to hear this truth.
"I had a baby sister when I was younger" I finally say "My dad and mom would always be working so I was left to take care of her. When I turned 7 I had to start school so my parents were forced to find someone else to take care of her while I was gone. When I would get home from school, the nanny would leave and it would just be me and my sister until my parents would get home around dinner time. One day I came back from school to find what remained of our house a pile of ashes. I could see the firefighters and my mom wailing in my father's arms but not my sister. It turns out the nanny they hired fell asleep after warming my sister's milk and forgot to turn the stove off. My sister didn't make it. I was devastated after that, filled with guilt at knowing that if I had only stayed and taken care of her instead of going to school she would still be with me. I know now that it wasn't my fault, I shouldn't have to be responsible for a baby when I was still a child myself, but the guilt consumed me for years. That week after her death my parents mostly stayed to themselves, they basically ignored me. I thought it was because they blamed me for what happened to her but now I wonder if they avoided me out of guilt. I left to the Jedi temple a week later to begin my training. My parents didn't object or try to talk me out of it. I haven't seen them or talked to them since then and they haven't tried to contact me either" When I stop talking I feel relieved to have finally shared a part of me that only a few people know. I hadn't talked about this since it happened. I avoided the topic even with my master fearing that if I talked about it the pain would come back harder. However talking about her to Anakin brings me a sense of relief, it feels like I'm keeping her memory alive and by sharing her story with him I'm immortalizing her to someone else.
"I'm so sorry for your loss Obi-Wan. I never knew, to think you have carried all this pain inside of you all this time. Please remember I'll always be there when you need a friend to talk to" Anakin finally replies and I can see the sorrow in his eyes.
"Thank you Anakin. I'm glad I get to share her memory with you. Also please now I'm here for you as well, you can always come to me for help" I reply. We sit in somber silence for a moment, each still holding a baby in our arms, before going back to talking about other topics. We talk about what I'm going to be teaching and when I start. I mention how I'm only teaching on Tuesdays & Thursdays so it's a pretty flexible job. We talk about Theed and it's beauty and of his plans to explore the city and discover its secrets. He mentions how his house is by the university and how lively that side of the city seems to be. We continue talking about the city but once again I can tell he wants to ask me something. I give him some time to see if he is going to ask on his own before I finally cave and say "Anakin, do you forget I can tell when you have something you want to say. Please tell or ask me, you know I'll listen. Ask away friend"
"What? No I don't" he says feigning indifference. I just stare at him. "Fine, I"ll say it. Just know you don't have to feel obligated to accept and you can take your time thinking it through. All right, so I know you haven't found a place to live in yet but I think I know the perfect place, my house. It is only a couple blocks from the University, a perfect walking distance. It's also spacious so there's more than enough room for you, you can take the empty room. It's in a good area and you wouldn't have to stress out about finding a place in such short notice. You could stay with us for as long as you want. Instead of paying rent you could help me with the kids in your free time since you're great at it, and we could split the utilities in half. Like I said you don't have to feel obligated to accept. I will completely understand if you don't want to live with me but I just figured it would be good to put the idea out there."
When he's done rambling I'm too stunned to reply. Move in with him? The thought of seeing him daily brings me both joy and dread. Living with him would mean I would be right where the council wants me to be. Would I be able to strong enough to stop myself from confessing the real reasons I accepted the job at the university. However, living with him would allow me to be close enough to where I could protect him and the twins if the worst ever came to be. I would also be able to help him with Luke & Leia. Raising and taking care of two children is must be overwhelming, especially for a single person. I know how much effort it takes him to ask for help so he must be berating himself for having asked. How could I possibly decline when he needs all the support he can get. "I must admit it didn't occur to me to live with you when I was looking for a place but it's actually a great idea. I don't agree with the whole me not paying rent thing though but we can discuss that later. When it comes to helping you with Luke & Leia just know I'm all in. I'm honored you would trust me with helping take care of them and I would be extremely happy to be a part of their life. I don't need to think about it, I accept your offer Anakin" I say grinning.
Anakin seems to visibly relax when I accept his proposal and grins back at me. "Awesome. It's going to be amazing living with you again my friend. I can't thank you enough for helping me with my two little ones. Like I said, the university is close to my house so the distance won't be a problem. Wan't to come check the house out? I should have probably given you a tour of the house before you accepted"
"From what you described earlier, the place seems great. Still let's go see what I got myself into" I chuckle and the radiant smile he gifts me with is enough for me to forget all my problems.
Notes: Thank you to everyone reading my first attempt at fan fiction. I'll try my best to upload a new chapter weekly. Some weeks I might be early and others I might be a little late. Thank you!