While the three Jedi, Obi-Wan, Anakin and Windu, the twins and Leia went to her apartment, nobody of them spoke a word.
Master Windu hadn't explained a lot; Padmé knew that they had been in the room of thoughts, and the twins were exhausted of the experience.
But what had been so exhausting? Padmé knew nothing about this special room, Anakin had never mentioned it. She looked at her husband, and was surprised to see that he kept looking at the twins. He seemed to be worried about them; his face showed an emotion she had never seen before.
And the fact that worried her most: Anakin cried.
Luke and Leia. Master Windu had told her their names, and surprisingly, Padmé found them wonderful. Wonderful names… she liked them a lot.
She looked also at the twins, just like her husband. They were familiar to her, very familiar. The girl, Leia, was very pretty, but she seemed to be afraid of something, even in her dreams.
She couldn't be much older than seventeen or eighteen. A young woman- no, a young girl.
And the boy, Luke, didn't sleep very well. He mumbled something and had his arm around the shoulders of his sister, as if he had to take care of her.
Didn't they have any parents who were worried about them?, Padmé asked herself worried. Were they orphans? If there was someone who took care of them, than the parents had to get a message where their children were, that the twins were safe.
--
They arrived at her apartment. It was in the middle of the night, and it wasn't easy to take the twins to their apartment.
"You don't have to worry" Master Windu told Padmé when Luke and Leia were already on the sofa and slept. "There will be five Jedi around this apartment, and I told Anakin Skywalker to take care of you and the children. He will stay with you, if you don't mind."
"Of course I don't" Padmé replied. "That's an… honour for me, Master Windu."
The man smiled. "Yes, I hoped you would agree. Tomorrow" he explained to Anakin who just entered the kitchen, "we will take them to the temple, again. Master Yoda wants to talk with them, just like lots of other Jedi."
He bowed to Padmé, nodded to Anakin and left the apartment without anything else.
As soon as he had left, Padmé turned towards her husband.
"What happened, Anakin" she said and hugged him tightly as she saw new tears in his eyes. "Who are these kids? Why are they so important for the Jedi? And…"
She stopped. His body was shaking; Anakin cried again.
"Ani, please, talk to me" she pleaded. "Explain it; I don't want to see you crying."
"The kids... Luke and Leia… they are from the future."
Padmé gasped. That was something she would have never expected.
Future? Never. She had heard about old fairytales in which people where send back in the time to correct things, but they were fairytales... just fairytales…
"From… where in the future?" she asked. "And what have they told you about it?"
Anakin didn't look at her while he spoke. His hands were on her back, as if he was trying to push the fear beside. Or was it his fear?
"They haven't said it yet" he answered. "They just told us about the things which will happen… worst things… and they are telling the truth, Yoda promised this."
Suddenly, Padmé could feel her baby inside her, as if it was upset. She hadn't thought about it yet, and it surprised her that Anakin hadn't noticed it yet.
"Bad things? What will happen, Ani?" She asked and could hear the fear in her voice. The future… how many years would be left before the bad things could happen.
Anakin didn't answer. "Please" Padmé pleaded. "Tell me, I need to know."
"The Jedi… we're all dead. Every one of us" he whispered. "We are dead, killed by the empire, and they are just two survivors."
"You will be dead?" Padmé stared at him. "No, Ani, this can't be true, this won't be true!"
There were tears in her eyes, on her face. Anakin… dead… No, they must be mistaken. The twins had to be mistaken.
"Obi-Wan and Yoda. Nobody else will survive, we will be dead, every one of us. And the younglings… Everywhere… will be murdered. Murdered, Padmé, killed by the Sith! They will be hunted, everywhere in the Galaxy, and none of them can survive. Just…" His eyes were looking to the open door. The twins.
"Just two survivors?" Padmé whispered horrified. "But… they are so many Jedi Knights and younglings…"
"Doesn't matter" Anakin's voice was bitter and fearful. "They don't care about it… Leia has told us that they are killed."
--
Padmé didn't know why she understand how deadly serious this information was just until she stepped into the shower and looked at her tiny, little belly.
The baby. Her baby. Their baby. A child of a queen and a Jedi Knight…
Jedi. A child of a Jedi Knight.
Padmé froze. Would their child be a Jedi? Would it be Force sensitive? Would it be killed by the empire because of his f
She gasped, her hands around her small stomach. She would never allow anyone to hurt her baby, never.
--
In the middle of the night, Leia woke up and looked around. Where was she? This was not Tatooine, this was not Naboo... it was Corruscant.
And she was in the wrong time.
Her face was wet when she touched it. She had dreamed of Han, she knew it. She just cried in her dreams when Han appeared.
I love you, Leia.
Another tear on her face. It was just not fair. Why had he died? Why had she survived? She would favourite the death, not the life. Not the life without Han.
She looked at Luke who was sleeping next to her, without any nightmares. Of course, Luke had always just special nightmares, about the future, about things that would happen… or already had happened.
She got up and went to the big balcony. Corruscant had always been the dream of her, Luke and Han. "When we're grown ups" Han used to tell her and her brother "we will go to Corruscant and see the whole planet!"
And now, I'm here and you're not, Han. Why have you left me? Why? I would have rather died with you than living without you.
She opened the balcony door and froze. Corruscant was full of colours, wonderful colours; she had never seen them on Tatooine nor on Naboo. They were absolutely amazing and breathtaking.
Slowly, Leia walked to the light in front of her. Obi-Wan had used to tell her and Luke, sometimes even Han, stories about Corruscant and the planets he had already visited.
It was late in the evening, and she and Luke were supposed to sleep. But how should they do, when Maya kept baking for their birthday tomorrow?
"Luke" Leia whispered. "Are you asleep?"
"No" her brother whispered back. "I can't. Do you think we will have lots of candles on the cake?"
"Six for me and six for you" Leia answered quietly. "Tomorrow, we will be six! So old."
"Yes, and..." Luke started, but stopped. He suddenly heard someone in front of their door.
"Hey, you two" Obi-Wan said, and the twins could hear in his voice that he smiled. "Not asleep?"
Leia sat up extremely excited. "Tomorrow Luke and me, we will be six! So old, Obi-Wan!"
"No, not old" Obi-Wan said and stroke his beard. "If you're old tomorrow, what am I?"
"Supersupersuper old" Luke said, and smiled at Obi-Wan. "Do you have presents for us?"
"Of course I have. But you will get them tomorrow, not tonight" Obi-Wan laughed when he saw Luke's disappointed expression. "What about… telling you a story?"
Leia clapped her hands in excitement. "Oh yes, please, I'd like to hear a story!" She looked at him and clapped her hands. "A story about Dagobah?"
"Nah" Luke said. "Dagobah is gross. I want to hear something about Corruscant!"
"Corruscant?" Obi-Wan asked surprised. "Why?"
"There are so many people" Luke responded. "Much more than in Mos Eisly."
"Okay…" Obi-Wan said slowly. "Corruscant" he started "is a very big planet, with lots of people, lots of ships, …"
"… lots of colours" Leia said and looked at the big city. For her, Mos Eisly had always been a big city- but this was even bigger, it was a giant city, with so many people…
But this wasn't Corruscant of her time. It had been hard for Leia to accept that she and Luke were thrown back into time- into the time where the Jedi still existed.
But was this so bad? She had seen Obi-Wan, seen him as a young man- and she had seen her mother.
Obi-Wan had always told them stories about their parents, and all the time while Leia had been at the room of thoughts, she just wanted him to tell her another story of them- to know what to do.
But could she trust the Jedi? Love was not allowed, and if they knew that she loved Han… that they had been together… she would lose all their respect for her.
Despite that, she hadn't seen her father yet. Nobody ever mentioned the name "Anakin Skywalker", and Leia wasn't sure if she wanted to see him.
Would he hurt her? Would he kill her? Would he kill Luke, her mother, Obi-Wan, or Maya? She didn't know, and didn't want to know. The next morning, she would have to speak with Luke about it.
"Leia? What are you doing here?"
--
Obi-Wan couldn't sleep. Everything- which was a lot- what had happened today was haunting him.
Leia, begging for him, crying; her fear, Luke's fear, but their trust towards him- he couldn't let go of it. Why would someone ever kill all the Jedi? And why- how- was he together with Yoda the only one who would survive this?
The other Jedi weren't afraid, but Obi-Wan was. Not of his fate; it was not important. But what about Anakin? Would he die in the purges, would he be killed? His best friend, his brother? Killed by someone who hated the Jedi?
It was too hard to even consider this. Anakin could not be dead, he would not be dead.
Suddenly, he heard his comlink and nearly jumped out of the bed. It was Anakin who seemed to be very upset.
"What's wrong?" Obi-Wan asked. Had something happened? Went something wrong? The kids… "Are they alright?"
"They… " Anakin had to take a breath."They just jumped, Obi-Wan. Jumped! From the balcony!"
--
Ten minutes before:
"So, you've never been here on Corruscant?" Anakin asked surprised. "Why?"
"Obi-Wan thinks that it is too dangerous for me and Luke, and for him and Maya, of course" Leia explained to the young man. She knew that it was rude that she didn't know his name, but she didn't want to ask him, either.
"He raised you up, right?" Anakin asked her and looked at her face which was lightened up with a smile.
"Yes, me and Luke, since we were born. Although he is not my biological father… he still is, in some way, my father. Can you understand it?"
"Of course" Anakin bit his lip. When he had been younger, he had seen Obi-Wan like this, too- and now, he was his best friend and brother. "I think he's a great father" he murmured.
Leia nodded. "He is. He used to tell me and Luke storys as often as possible, and most of them were Jedi legends. And he knows a lot about the planets, about other languages- he taught us how to speak Basic- and lots of other stuff. He's also our master."
"Wow, that's great." Anakin had suddenly a picture in his head: Obi-Wan with two children and their excited faces while he told them a story. Yes, he would be a great father.
"In the last years I've thought about how lucky our family is" Leia continued. "I mean, I can say that I have a brother, a father and a mother, and that we all love each other."
Anakin stared at her. "Mother?" he asked. "You sure? Who is it?"
"Not my real Mom" Leia explained. "She and Obi-Wan said that they wanted to take care of me and Luke, and I think after a few months, their friendship became love, so they married."
Married? Obi-Wan? That was something Anakin couldn't think of, even with his fantasy. "You sure?" he asked surprised. "Jedi aren't allowed to marry."
Leia just smiled, but it was a sad smile. "The Jedi don't exist anymore in my time. Obi-Wan married Maya, and he truly loves her. And I… had someone, too."
Suddenly, Anakin could see tears in her eyes. He stretched out his hand and rested it on her shoulder. "You're sad" he simply said.
"I knew him since I was a little girl" Leia responded quietly after some minutes. "He was my best friend, and he was also Luke's best friend. We were together, every day. And… Han saved my life several times. But at the last time…"
She turned her face, and Anakin wasn't able to see it anymore. "I'm sorry" he said again. "That must be hard."
"Yes, it is" Leia whispered. "But you know it's strange… he died a month ago, but here, in this time- he's not even born."
Anakin didn't know what he should tell her. Sorry again for something that didn't even happen? It seemed not useful.
"Leia!" It was Luke who screamed suddenly for his sister. "Leia!"
Leia jumped and turned around. "Luke, I'm here, you don't need to worry," she called.
Just a second later, her twin brother appeared in the doorstep. He seemed to be relieved to see her.
"Thanks the force, I thought…" He stopped when he saw Anakin. "Hello, sir" he said firmly, but Anakin could see that Luke wasn't used to call people 'sir'.
"Hello" Anakin said and had to hide a small smile. The boy reminded him a lot of him at this age, and he couldn't deny that he liked the way Luke acted.
"And please, don't call me sir. I hate people calling this, and I think you do the same" he added.
Luke grinned. "Of course, I never say 'sir' to anyone. Obi-Wan taught me to do it in special situations; he said it would help me."
"Showing respect to special people" Anakin smiled. "Yeah, he taught me that, too… every day when I was his padawan."
Luke froze and stared at him. "You were… his padawan?"
Leia shook her head. "No, not possible" she said and turned to Luke. "He can't be Skywalker…"
"But I am" Anakin said and crossed his arms. "Does it matter?" He walked towards them, and the twins looked at him with scared faces. What the hell had he done?
Anakin couldn't see it, they moved way too quickly for his eye. Within a second, Luke was standing on the railing, Leia by his side.
"Don't" Leia said to her brother, as Anakin watched them. His heart screamed that he had to save them, they had to be saved, they…
"DON'T" he yelled and ran towards them. "DON'T DO IT!"
But Luke didn't listen to him. In a second, he jumped off the building- but Leia still stood there, watching Anakin carefully.
Anakin's heart was torn in the moment Luke jumped. No. Not Luke. A part of him, a very big part, screamed that he should jump, too, to save him- somehow, in some way he didn't even know.
"Don't worry" Leia suddenly said, and Anakin focused on her. He had to save her, at least her. "We use the force, Anakin."
It was strange to hear his name from her; it felt wrong. But it didn't matter anymore. She stepped back, and Anakin had to see helpless how her body fell back.
His heart was just at this moment broken.
No. This could not have happened. No! They had to be alive, they had to be safe, they were merely children…
He activated his comlink. "Obi-Wan" he said, and he wondered why he could even speak with his fear in his voice. "They just jumped."
He looked down, and a part of him still screamed that he had to jump too, to safe them. And in a second, Anakin knew that his heart would never be healed if he didn't know if they were safe.
--
Padmé woke up. Something was happening, not far away; but what? She opened her eyes.
Anakin wasn't anymore in her room; the bed next to her was empty and cold. He had walked away. But where?
Suddenly, she heard a scream, louder than she had thought anyone could ever scream. And while she managed to stand up and ran outside her room, she knew it was Anakin who screamed.
She felt pain and fear at the same time, but it didn't come from her. It wasn't her pain- knowing that the man on the balcony was Anakin Skywalker- and it wasn't her fear that he would harm Leia.
It came from the twins.
--
PadmeS: Do you like it? I hope so!
Thanks a lot to Mary Grayson's Little Robin who is my Betareader- it's still hard for me to write in English!
I spend almost the whole easter holidays about thinking of the plot- I have so many ideas, it's incredible! A lot about the pre- story of Leia and Han and a lot about Leia and Vader… as you have maybe noticed, I like writing about Leia. She has such a interesting story, I just love it.
Okay, I have to stop now! Review, please!
PadmeS
PS: Thanks to every one who reviews my story! I'll respond to them as soon as possible!
