Hey all! Thanks so much for your reviews, favoriting, and subscribing! Means the world! :D

Chapter 2

As Anakin helped his wife pack the next day, a familiar surge of excitement rushed through him. That tingling feeling of "Oh yeah!" whenever he prepared to do something potentially dangerous.

The last two months had been very calm – and he'd enjoyed them; time spent with his family was never time wasted or regretted.

Still, some tiny part of him still missed the action, the thrilling peril he once thirsted after. And that part leapt with joy at the idea of returning to Coruscant.

"You're happy about going back, aren't you?" Padme asked, as she scanned the back of the closet for non-maternity dresses.

Anakin shrugged, leaning back against the wall. "A little," he said, even though he knew he couldn't hide his feelings from his wife.

Sure enough, when she turned back to look at him, Padme smiled and shook her head. "You're practically suicidal."

Anakin rolled his eyes. "Padme, just because I like a little action now and then–"

"It's not a 'little action' we're talking about, Ani," she replied, pulling out a crimson-red dress and examining it in the mirror. "We're heading right back to the Emperor and Vader."

The smile fell off his face, and a burning hatred took over all his excitement. Quickly though, the Jedi suppressed the Dark feelings, better than he ever could before. "I know," he answered. "That's why I want to be there." He stepped forward and brushed his fingers down his wife's bare arm. "To protect you."

Padme looked up, eyeing him with a twitch of a smile. "I know," she echoed. "But I also know that's not your only reason. You're eager to go back, at least partially for the danger."

Anakin grinned, and Padme rolled her eyes, resuming her quest for suitable Senate wear. "Well... yes," he admitted. "Partially. It's been quiet around here the last few months."

"Quiet isn't a bad thing, Ani," she replied, pulling out another dark blue outfit. "What do you think of this dress?"

"Looks great," he said, without laying eyes on it. "And trust me, I know quiet isn't bad. I want nothing more than for you, the twins, and Acacia to be safe. But as long as you are safe," He shrugged. "I might as well have a little fun."

Padme laughed. "Only you, Anakin." She cocked her head. "And Acacia. I think she feels the same way."

"Yeah. She's been pretty restless since Obi-Wan visited." Anakin frowned slightly, recalling the day before, when his sister had abruptly shut him out of her thoughts. "Maybe this will snap her out of it."

Padme raised her eyebrows. "'Snap her out of it?' You used to be the same way. Worse even."

Anakin nodded. "I know. What I meant was... you know, give her enough of a taste that she'll be all right for a while. That we'll both be all right for a while." He paused. "Do you think I should talk to her?"

"You know her better than I do."

"But you're a girl." She raised her eyebrows again. "A woman." Anakin waved a hand and rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean."

"Well..." Padme said, folding up the dress. "She might not want your help with this, whatever it is. But you should be there to listen if you think she needs someone."

"Hard if she won't talk to me."

Padme nodded. "Yes. But, Anakin, Acacia's growing up."

He groaned. "Don't remind me."

Padme smiled slightly before growing serious again. "Honestly, though, it may be time she found her own way."

"Well," Anakin sighed, "hopefully that day will wait a while before coming."

Padme studied her husband, sympathy in her eyes, then returned to packing her clothes. "Hopefully."

"Imagine," Anakin went on, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Imagine when the twins are that age."

"I'd rather not."

He chuckled softly. "Yeah, me neither."

A nostalgic mood fell over the room, as the husband and wife silently remembered times gone by, unwilling to even peek into their uncertain futures. After a moment, Padme shook it off and broke the silence. "You know, Ani, you said you wanted to help me pack."

He turned to her, the playful light slinking back into his blue eyes. "I did help. You asked me what I thought of the red dress, and I said it looked fine."

"I asked you what you thought of the blue one." Padme laughed. "And you barely glanced at it."

"Well..." Anakin scrambled for an excuse, "that's because you look great in anything."

Padme rolled her eyes. "You think flattery will keep you out of trouble?"

He stood up and stepped forward, eyes still twinkling with mischief. "Will it?"

She tilted her head, laying a kiss on his lips. "It just might."

"Oh dear, Master Anakin, Mistress Padme. I- I- I did not mean to interrupt. I'll just... I'll come back later."

Anakin sighed, but he smiled down at Padme before turning to the protocol droid. "What is it, 3PO?"

The golden droid paused and turned back. "Your parents, Mistress Padme, are here to see you. Miss Acacia sent me to get you both; she's out training in the courtyard."

"Thanks, 3PO. We'll be down in a moment."

The droid nodded and shuffled off, muttering about the embarrassing inconveniences of living with a young couple.

"Lucky for him we weren't doing anything worse." Anakin smirked. "His circuits would be forever fried."

Padme laughed. "Probably. Well, come on. We shouldn't keep my parents waiting."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure," Anakin muttered under his breath, and Padme pretended not to hear him. Instead, she simply took her husband's hand and led him down to the living room, where Ruwee and Jobal waited.

The minute they strode in, the Naberries looked at Anakin like it was their living room and he was the intruder. They weren't outright hostile, but they sure weren't about to run up and hug him either.

"I'll get straight to the point," Jobal said, scooting closer as Anakin and Padme sat opposite them. "Of course we can take care of the twins, and of course we'd love to help you–"

"So there's no problem then?"

Jobal and Padme glared at Anakin, and Ruwee frowned, so the Jedi decided to keep his mouth shut – for now.

"No, there's definitely a problem," Jobal went on, face still scrunched like she'd just sniffed the wrong end of a bantha. "You're parents now." Thanks for the heads up, Anakin thought, but his lips stayed together. "You have to think of your responsibilities first."

"And we have, Mama," Padme replied patiently. "It's why we asked you to watch them."

"What your mother means, Padme," Ruwee started, leaning forward like his wife, "is that it should be you and Anakin with the twins whenever possible. They need time to bond with you."

Anakin bristled. For saber's sake, he and Padme had been on Naboo for two months! If they hadn't bonded with the twins by now, he wasn't sure a fusion reaction would do it.

The Jedi opened his mouth to say as much, but his wife interrupted. "We've been here for a while, Mama," she said, not looking at her husband, but squeezing his hand as if to say, Let me do the talking, please. "I think the twins will be fine without us for a few days."

Jobal sighed. "It's not about that. It's about your responsibility to your family. You know I supported you as a senator, dear, but only until you had a family of your own. After that your job – both of your jobs," she added with a pointed look in Anakin's direction, "–is to settle down and care for them.

"Take Acacia for instance," she added, and Anakin bristled again, knowing that, whatever Jobal was about to say, he was not going to like it. Seeing a cup of water on the table, he reached for it, taking a sip, hoping that would keep him cool.

"We just saw her out there," Jobal went on, "practicing her– her Force stuff in the garden. But how old is she? Thirteen? Fourteen?"

"Twelve," Anakin admitted, after unclenching his teeth.

"Precisely my point." Jobal pointed her finger and leaned back, like she'd just laid down an undefeatable argument. "Acacia should be in a stable home, spending time with people her own age. Allowed to enroll in school, maybe even get a boyfriend."

On the last word, Anakin choked on his water, then spent about twenty seconds hacking, so in shock he couldn't even use the Force to help himself. The very idea! His baby sister have a boyfriend? What in the Galaxy was wrong with this woman?

After ensuring that Anakin was not going to die within the next few moments, his mother-in-law continued. "All children need stable environments and constant presences, Luke, Leia, and Acacia included. None of this can be healthy for them."

Anakin kept his lips clamped shut as Padme reassured her mother that yes, everything was going to be all right. And yes, they knew what they were doing. And no, it wouldn't scar any of the children for life if they went to this meeting. Much as he wanted to speak up, Anakin just listened, knowing that if he did open his mouth, words would come out that were not advantageous to their cause.

But seriously! Anakin could understand Jobal being worried about the twins – they were her grandchildren, after all. Even though it would be nice if, once in a while, she remembered that they were his children, and he was perfectly capable of deciding what was best for them.

But to throw in Acacia! For star's sake, she was his sister. His! Jobal had no right to sit there on her high hovercraft and tell him he wasn't raising his sister properly.

Well, geez, Anakin, calm down. The very girl in question whispered in his head. Maybe she's saying that because she cares. Who knows? I might've grown on her in the past two months.

Anakin inwardly scoffed. Well good for you, cause I sure as heck haven't.

And you don't care.

Not a bit.

She giggled. Well, for the record, I'm glad we're going. I've missed the action, you know. Her mental tone was jokey, but Anakin could sense the longing that curled up and hid beneath her playfulness.

Yeah, I know. So have I.

He felt her smile. Skywalker sibs back in business?

Technically, you're a Lars.

I can be both. I'm talented like that.

Anakin shook his head, hiding a smile so the Naberries wouldn't think he was insane. I'm sure you are.

It took a while, but finally, Padme convinced her parents to babysit the twins while they were at the meeting. But "under protest," the Naberries claimed, and Anakin knew he'd hear a similar argument the next time he and Padme needed to go somewhere.

And, they all knew, there would be a next time.

Acacia came back in as they were leaving, and Jobal shot Anakin a look as the girl walked through the door. But, before his blood could boiled too much, Acacia winked at him, and his anger abated. His sister was happy, whatever Jobal and Ruwee thought. What else really mattered?

A piercing cry from the nursery reminded him that two small babies with his last name really mattered, and they weren't going to rest until he realized it.

As Padme took Luke, Anakin cradled Leia to his chest, whispering softly in her ear to calm her down. Slowly, she relaxed against him, her tiny baby fists resting just over his heart – over the burn – and her cries softened to adorable cooing noises as if she were trying to speak to him.

He smiled at her, kissed the soft dark down on her head, and in his heart, he knew the one thing Ruwee and Jobal would never understand: he wasn't just "traipsing about the Galaxy." Though he did enjoy the action, it wasn't about fun anymore. It was about fixing the Galaxy, making it right, returning it to good, so he wouldn't have to worry about his children. So he could spend all day holding them and rocking them and cooing to them like this. So he could watch his sister train for the fun of it, without knowing that every right move might mean her life and any wrong one might mean her death. So he could spend hours talking to Padme of nothing, just sitting there and being with the one he loved most.

A Galaxy in which everyone he loved would be perfectly safe and would never be hurt again. That was what he hoped to achieve.

That was why he had to go to Coruscant.

Thanks for reading! Please review!