As the Skywalker family neared Naboo, Anakin asked the last question.
"Where did you get those rings?" Subconciously, Leia grabbed the silver ring on the wire around her neck and Luke looked down at his own.
"Tell him." Padme encouraged. Leia took a deep breath and answered,
"Our mother left them for us after she left us." It was the truth, after all. Padme, the twins' mother, left them the rings after she left them to return to her own time, though Anakin didn't need to know that. Anakin nodded as the ship landed and the Force powerful family exited to meet with the current queen of Naboo, Jamillia.
Later, the Skywalker family were walking towards a house. Padme had once again changed, now wearing a light blue dress with her hair up and curled with a blue headband holding her hair back.
"Padme, where are we?" Leia asked.
"My home." Padme smiled as two little girls ran outside. Both had dark brown hair and brown eyes. The older one had a yellow dress on and the younger wore a brown and white dress. "Ryoo!" Padme cried as the older of the two hugged her, the younger following. Leia's eyes widened. The girls were Ryoo and Pooja, her cousins. She knew Pooja as a senator and a friend but neither could have ever thought they were cousins! Luke met Leia's eyes as Anakin smiled.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"I...I know Pooja." Leia explained as the two girls ran to Artoo, who had come with the family.
"How?" Padme and Luke asked in unison.
"I'll explain later." Leia replied as the four walked inside, Padme and Anakin removing their cloaks in the process.
"Padme." The woman in the dining room they entered smiled. She had dark brown hair like Padme up in a bun, matching brown eyes and wore a dark purple dress. She looked like a somewhat older Padme. Padme hugged the woman tightly as she said, "We were worried." The women smiled at each other as they pulled apart they looked at Padme's companions, Anakin looking around curiously with Luke and Leia behind him as they walked towards the Naberries.
"Anakin, Luke, Leia, this is my sister, Sola." Padme smiled. Anakin stepped forward first, shaking Sola's hand.
"Hello Anakin." Sola smiled.
"Hello." He greeted. Sola smiled at the twins as well, who smiled in return as Padme continued,
"And this is my mother." She gestured to the dark brown haired, brown eyed woman wearing a dark purple dress next to her. Jobal smiled,
"Hello, you're just in time for dinner. I hope you're hungry, Anakin, Luke, Leia."
"A little." Anakin said as the family, although unknown to most of the members at the moment, sat down to eat. Ruwee was already seated as Anakin sat near him, Padme next to him, Jobal on the end across from her husband, Leia near her, across from Padme, Sola next to her and Luke finishing up the family next to his aunt, across from his father.
"He's lying." Leia smirked.
"We're starving, Mom." Padme added.
"Well, you've come to the right place at the right time." Ruwee smiled.
"Honey, it's so good to see you safe." Jobal smiled, "We were so worried."
"Dear." Ruwee said.
"I know, I know, but I had to say it, balance it out." Jobal replied.
"I can assure you, your daughter is safe with us." Luke smiled. Ruwee looked at Anakin, who smiled at the older man, before he turned to Luke, who smiled back at his grandfather, though nobody but his mother and sister knew that.
"You know, Anakin, you're the first boyfriend my sister's brought home." Sola remarked.
"He's not my boyfriend." Padme protested.
"No, he's your husband." Luke smirked.
"That sounds so much better." Leia remarked sarcastically.
"Well, now I know what part of you two I can credit to my family." Padme stated, before saying, "Anakin's a friend, we've known each other for years." Anakin looked at Padme before looking back down. "He's a Jedi assigned by the Senate to protect me." Padme added, "Along with Luke."
"And Leia?" Sola asked.
"She's a former protector of mine I rehired." Padme explained.
"Body guards?" Jobal asked, worried, "Oh Padme, you didn't tell us it was that serious."
"It's not, I promise." Padme said, "I'm not in any danger, Mom."
"Is she?" Ruwee asked the three other Skywalkers.
"Yes." Anakin answered truthfully, "I'm afraid she is."
"But we'll keep her safe." Leia promised as she saw her mother's family exchange worried looks.
"Do you promise?" Jobal asked.
"Absolutley." Luke smiled as his sister and father nodded.
"Why haven't you told us about him?" Sola asked as the Naberrie and Skywalker women cleared the table and washed the dishes as Ruwee showed Anakin and Luke around outside.
"What's there to talk about?" Padme asked, "He's just a boy." Leia rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, a boy who just so happens to marry you some time in the near future!" She said. Padme subtly rolled her eyes as Sola continued,
"Just a boy? Have you seen the way he looks at you?"
"Sola, stop it." Padme protested.
"It's obvious he has feelings for you. Even Leia can see it, right?" The older women turned to Leia who was putting a dish away and surprised to be included by her aunt. After hesitating for a moment, Leia nodded,
"Yes, I hate to say it, but it is obvious." Sola was confused as to why Leia hated to say it, though it was technically a lie, but Padme continued,
"Anakin and I are friends. Our relationship is strictly professional." Padme looked at her mother, who smiled at her before continuing to dry, while Leia smiled lightly at her mother as she continued to put the dishes away.
That night, the Skywalkers retired to Varykino to stay. Each was given a seperate room, though they were all right next to each other, at Padme's request along with her being next to Leia. The technically oldest Skywalker was sleeping peacfully in her room when her daughter's scream woke her up. Jumping out of bed, Padme ran across her room, grabbing her robe along the way, and ran into Leia's room. Said Skywalker was still asleep, thrashing and screaming violently. Padme kneeled on her daughter's bed and shook her, hard. As she started, Luke ran in, followed closely by Anakin.
"What's going on?!" Anakin cried.
"Leia's having another nightmare." Luke explained as he knelt beside his mother, not bothering to touch his sister, knowing she needed her mother after seven months without her, visiting her grave often to speak to her spirit.
"Another?" Anakin cried, "She's had them before?!" Luke nodded sadly as Padme yelled,
"Leia! Leia! It's me, wake up! I'm here Leia!" Leia's brown eyes suddenly snapped open and she hugged her mother tightly, barley containing her sobs. Padme stroaked her daughter's hair, whispering soothing words in her ear. Leia was visibly shaking. "Shh, it's okay Leia, it's okay. I'm here. You're alive, he's not here anymore." Luke's arms surrounded his mother and sister. Anakin didn't understand why a want to suddenly protect this woman he had just met only a couple days ago but he had a sudden desire to hold her in his arms and keep her safe from anything that could possibly hurt her. He wasn't sure what happened next but the next thing he knew, he was hugging his unknown family. As soon as her father's arms surrounded her along with her mother and brother's, Leia's shaking subsided and her sobs quieted considerably. Anakin, having expierience with nightmares, after all he just had one and was trying to calm down in his room when Leia screamed, asked,
"What was it about?" Leia was silent for a moment before she answered quietly,
"I...I was in pain. I was being tortured so badly that I couldn't see anything. Everything was black but the pain was so bad, I couldn't move or do anything but scream in pain and terror."
"It's okay, Lei." Luke whispered, "We're here. Your nightmares can't hurt you as long as we're near." Leia smiled at her brother's words and the four Skywalkers eventually fell asleep in their hug, enjoying the company of the ones they loved, their family. It was then that Anakin vowed to never allow anyone to hurt them and when Padme, Leia and Luke strengthened their vow to save Anakin.
Well there it is! I hoped you guys liked this chapter, especially the Skywalker family moment at the end! That was one of my favorite moments to write out of this whole series so far, though it will most likely be outmatched by the big reveal for the 3rd time in this series. Also, if you have yet to read The Angel's Choice by Maleficent-darkgoodwitch2406, I suggest going to read it right now as she's reached the part where the prequel to this story ends and her own version starts. Anyways, thanks to Maleficent-darkgoodwitch2406, ASHtheMUSICALgirl13, Lea1985, jlove, Guest and Dragonfan47 for reviewing/following/favoring! I hope you guys are enjoying the ride so far, after all there are 2,813 readers, seriously I love you guys so much! I'm glad I was able to find that deleted scene from AotC and was able to incorporate the whole family. Again, hope you guys loved this chapter as much as I do. Leave a review and I'll see you later!