A/N: This section is going to be at least two chapters, maybe more.

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The first year on Tatooine was the worst.

Padmé had researched how to take care of babies during her pregnancy, so she knew in theory how to take care of Luke and Leia, but theory was a little easier than practice. Obi-Wan had experience with small children from volunteering in the creché, but the Jedi had never taken in many newborns. Neither of them knew very much about how to survive in a desert.

Owen and Beru were a Force-sent blessing.

Even so, they spent most of the first years exhausted and emotionally raw. The shadow of Anakin hung over them, of everything he had done, of how much they had both loved him.

There wasn't much room in the Lars' household, so the Amidala-Kenobi family all slept in one room. There were many sleepless night, both because of the babies and because of their worries and fears of the Empire- of Anakin finding them.

Three months into their exile was the first time either of them heard about Anakin, about how he had defected from the Imperial Army the day he had been appointed Supreme Commander, and how he was now Public Enemy No. 1 in Imperial space.

In the secret depths of her heart, Padmé hoped that her husband had changed, had come back to the light, but she never voiced these hopes to Obi-Wan. She knew how the Jedi felt about the Sith.

Luke and Leia learned to walk during their second year on Tatooine. Obi-Wan also began to watch them even more closely, which made Padmé feel vaguely worried. She didn't know exactly when Jedi used to begin their training, but she knew she didn't want her kids to start until they were old enough to choose for themselves. She also knew that they might be forced to learn just to stay safe from the Empire, but she chose not to think about that.

When she confronted him about it though, Obi-Wan just smiled sheepishly behind his beard.

"I'm not sure when Shifters start, well, shifting, so I wanted to be on the lookout," he explained.

Padmé snorted, unable to hold back all of her laugh. "Don't worry. They won't start Changing until after they learn how to talk. Although," she paused and glanced around, checking to make sure they were alone. "I'm a little worried about what their second forms will be."

Obi-Wan furrowed his brow in confusion. "Why's that?"

"Well, the odds are about even that they'll take after me, but they could also Change into one of Tatooine's native species. I really don't want to deal with two baby Krayt dragons," Padmé admitted.

"Oh. Oh dear, that would be rather difficult, wouldn't it?" Obi-Wan said.

After their conversation, Obi-Wan disappeared into the desert for two weeks. While he was gone, Padmé realized that she should also tell Owen and Beru about when Luke and Leia would start Changing. They took the news with a stoic, practical calm that all seasoned farmers seemed to possess.

When Obi-Wan returned from his sabbatical, he was able to imitate the animal call of every native animal species on Tatooine, much to the twins' delight.

"The Krayt dragon call was the hardest one to learn," Obi-Wan admitted to her one night after the twins had fallen asleep. "The Living Force has never been my strong suit. That was always my Master's area of expertise."

"Thank you," Padmé whispered, wrapping him up in a hug. Obi-Wan stiffened for a moment, still not entirely used to such things, before relaxing. She released him a moment later, but even the small hug seemed to have made him less on edge.

"Why haven't you ever asked about what happened on Mustafar?" Obi-Wan asked suddenly.

Padmé shrugged. "I figured you would tell me when you were ready."

Obi-Wan slowly drew in a deep breathe and then released all at once. "Thank you. I'm not ready yet, but soon."

Five months later, something happened that made any further stay on Tatooine impossible.

Luke and Leia were kidnapped.

It was on one of their rare visits to Mos Eisley to pick up supplies they desperately needed but couldn't get elsewhere. Padmé had set them down for a second, and when she looked back, they were gone. At first, she thought they might have just wandered off, so she Changed her nose enough to get a scent.

The scents of her children were permanently imprinted into her brain, so Padmé picked them out easily despite the strong odors of unwashed bodies and dung that pervaded the streets. What made her immediately dismiss any idea that Luke and Leia had wandered off by themselves was the strong stench of fear that pervaded their scents.

A snarl rumbled up from Padmé's chest, and she did nothing to suppress it. The beings around her began to smell nervous, and they edged away from her. For a moment, she considered Changing completely and hunting down the scum who had kidnapped her children and ripping them to shreds, but she dismissed the idea. Shifters weren't looked upon kindly on Tatooine, and she might get shot before she found them. There wasn't even any time to call Obi-Wan for backup.

Padmé tracked her children through the marketplace, close enough behind their kidnapper that she was able to see the speeder that held them drive away even as she sprinted towards them. Her fury grew to staggering heights when she noticed that the speeder was headed to Jabba's Palace.

She commed Obi-Wan as she dashed back to her speeder, knowing that she was going to need backup if she wanted to storm Jabba's Palace.

"Did something go wrong at the market?" he asked as soon as he picked up her comm.

"Someone kidnapped Luke and Leia, and they're headed to Jabba's Palace," Padmé explained curtly.

"I'll meet you there," was all Obi-Wan said before he hung up.

Padmé's face settled into a cold expression. They would pay for taking her children, each and every person who touched a single hair on their heads. There would be no escape for any of them.