AN: I know! I'm sorry! It's been a while but life and assignments and writing The Master's Destruction and general stress got the better of me so its a bit late. At least I've left the cliffhanger life behind.
I'm also sorry for this next episode. I just know lots of you are probably going to hate me after this but oh well? I'm still going ahead with my plan so sorry?
This oneshot is set three years after The Hero's Descent so you all know what that means...
Ah, well. Hate me, but enjoy this one anyway!
Episode 7: A Mother's Love
Where was Anakin?
A red lightsaber ignited and the twin screams of the two people that were the most precious to Padme in the entire universe echoed through Padme's ears.
Anakin wasn't there. No one was coming to save them.
Through the haze of red light, Luke's precious face was obscured by a black cloak.
The Sith were going to take her babies away.
'Mummy! Help us!'
Leia, darling Leia's cry was stifled by a black-clad hand.
Padme couldn't see anything except a red blade swinging towards her. Then, there was nothing at all.
Padme jerked awake with a gasp, tears streaming down her face.
'Shhhh... shhh...' Two arms, one warm and one cold, wrapped themselves tightly around her, helping her to sit up and catch her breath. Anakin rubbed her back gently.
'Anakin,' Padme whispered and felt some of the tension in her shoulders relax slightly.
'It's okay, my love. It was just a bad dream,' Anakin murmured quietly into her hair.
Flashes of the nightmare played themselves out before her eyes. 'Luke! Leia, they-'
'Padme, they are both fine,' Anakin assured her. 'I promise. Nothing will hurt them while I'm here.'
Padme shifted so she was looking up into Anakin's face, his eyes gleaming in the low light. 'But you weren't there and there was nothing I could do and the Sith came and-'
'Mummy?'
With his arms still around her, Anakin went very, very still.
Padme looked towards the small voice and saw her daughter standing in the doorway. Relief flooded her and she smiled. 'Yes, my love?'
'Are you sad?' Leia asked, toddling into the room. At the doorway, Luke hovered, half hidden, as if he didn't think he was allowed to be there.
'Sad?' Padme asked, taken aback. 'No, darling. It was just a nightmare. I'm sorry I woke you up.'
Leia raised her little arms in a silent request to be picked up. Padme smiled softly and complied, lifting the just-turned-three-year-old onto her lap. Her arms were suddenly cold; Anakin had removed his embrace and retreated into the shadows, sitting up hard against the headboard. The twins didn't even spare him a second glance. It was like they didn't even know he was there.
'Don't be sad mummy,' Leia said and wrapped her arms around Padme's neck. Padme thought to the day ahead of her tomorrow and sighed. What if she couldn't help it?
'Come on, baby,' Padme said and squeezed her daughter back before lowering her back to the floor. 'Let's get you two back to bed. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow.' Leia took her hand and wobbled towards Luke and the door. Padme stopped to gather Luke into her arms and the three of them made their way back down the hallway to the twins' room.
When she returned, Anakin was still sitting up where she had left him, his expression haunted.
'I hate doing that,' he said bitterly.
'After tonight,' she reminded him. 'You won't have to.'
They had decided weeks ago to do this properly.
Anakin and Obi-Wan arrived from the Jedi Temple at Padme's apartments in time for dinner. Luke and Leia were playing with blocks in the living room when the Jedi arrived, stacking them into towers before pushing them over and giggling madly.
'Master Ani! Master Ani!' Luke cried when he saw Anakin and climbed to his feet, toddling up to the Jedi and tugging on Anakin's brown robe with a wide grin.
'Yes, Luke?'
'Hi!' Luke beamed.
'Hello, Luke,' Anakin laughed.
'Look!' Luke pointed to the block tower Leia was building. Just as it toppled and fell.
'Very clever,' Anakin grinned. Padme had often wondered if the twins were using the Force to topple the blocks. There hadn't been any objects flying around the house - thank Shiraya - but things did sometimes fall over for no apparent reason.
'Hiya, Master Obi!' Luke grinned.
'Hello, young Luke,' Obi-Wan smiled down at the youngling. Bored of her little game, Leia joined her brother in greeting their guests.
'Master Obi-Wan,' Leia greeted him solemnly. 'Master Ani.'
'Princess Leia,' Obi-Wan replied just as solemnly but she beamed.
'Master Ani do the thing!' Luke demanded, walking back to Anakin with a block in his hand.
'Luke!' Anakin complained, shooting Obi-Wan an exaggerated look of fear. 'That was supposed to be our secret.'
'Oops.'
Leia shrugged in as coordinated a way as a three year old can. 'He knows now so please do the thing?'
'What thing?' Obi-Wan asked with a raised eyebrow.
'He makes things go vrooom!' Leia informed the Jedi enthusiastically. Anakin buried his face in his hands.
'Anakin!'
Padme never wanted dinner to end. Obi-Wan was his usual professional, yet witty self and Anakin was quiet but content throughout the meal - which was delicious.
Unfortunately, even perfect evenings have to end and this one was not just an ordinary dinner.
Come on, Amidala. You agreed to this.
Tonight was the night Luke and Leia were going to be taken to the Jedi Temple.
Padme watched the group talk and couldn't help but feel a little apart from the rest. She wasn't Force-sensitive. She couldn't do the thing. She couldn't protect her children the way the Jedi could. Not if the Sith ever returned. The red blade from her dream had haunted her all day and it was that which solidified her decision in her mind the most. This was the right call. It was better for them in the long run and that was all that mattered to her. They would be able to protect themselves. Anakin would be able to protect them easier if they were with him and Obi-Wan in the Temple. They would be safer where they could learn to control this power that Padme could never have, could never truly understand. It was better for everyone this way. She had trusted the Jedi with her own life once. She trusted them even more now, after everything. Even with this.
After a few moments, Leia turned away from the group, leaving the boys to talk alone.
'Mummy, why are you sad?' she asked. Padme forced a smile.
'Because I am going to miss you, darling.'
Leia frowned. 'Is this because Luke and I are going to go with Master Ani and Obi? You said it was going to be okay.'
Padme gathered her daughter into her arms and hugged her so tightly Leia began to squirm. 'It will be okay,' Padme sighed, but she meant it. 'I promise.' She almost didn't want to ask, but she had to be sure. She pulled away enough to look into Leia's big brown eyes. 'Do you want to go with them, Leia? I know I told you this would happen but if you don't want to go, I can say no.'
For a split second, Padme wondered what she would do if Leia asked her to say no and instantly regretted asking. Was it better to send her children somewhere they didn't want to go if it meant keeping them safe?
To her relief however, Leia nodded vigorously, a grin spreading across her round childish face. 'Luke said that Master Ani said that we would still see you lots after we leave so we're not leaving forever. I want to be a Jedi. I want to learn how to use a glow sword and do the thing with the blocks and to save people like Master Obi and Ani.'
Padme laughed and let Leia go. 'Okay, then love. I won't be sad anymore.'
'Yay!' Leia whooped and rejoined the others. Across the room, Anakin's eyes met hers and she nodded. This was Padme's sacrifice and it was time she made it.
'Well then,' Obi-Wan announced and looked down at the two small children. 'It's time you two came with us, isn't it?'
Luke's big blue eyes got even bigger. 'You mean..?'
Anakin looked down at Luke and smiled. 'Yes, Luke. It is time you became a Jedi.'
Luke turned to Leia, unable to contain their excitement. 'Leia! Did you hear that? We're gon' be Jedi!'
Leia clapped her hands.
Obi-Wan laughed. 'I don't think we've ever come across such excited recruits,' he observed, looking to Anakin but was unable to meet his best friend's gaze. 'Come on, you two.' Leia took Obi-Wan's hand and they started moving to the front door.
This was really happening.
Luke tried to follow with such haste that he tripped over his feet and nearly fell, but Anakin caught him and swung the little boy into his arms before he could blink. Padme walked the foursome all the way to the turbolift.
'Goodbye, my babies,' she smiled even though it wasn't very genuine. 'We'll see each other soon.' Luke yawned and waved at her, reaching his arms out. Padme laughed and got close enough that he could wrap them around her neck from his vantage point by Anakin's shoulder. 'I love you mummy,' he said in her ear and Padme had to hold back tears.
'I love you too baby.'
'Byeeee,' Luke said, releasing her and tugging on one of her curls. Padme sniffed and stepped back to a safe distance.
Behind the Jedi, the turbolift opened and Anakin stepped into it. Obi-Wan moved to follow but Leia tugged her hand out of his and ran back to Padme, wrapping her arms around Padme's leg.
Suddenly worried that her little girl had changed her mind, Padme knelt down and gave her a hug. 'Baby? Are you okay?'
Leia nodded and kissed her cheek clumsily. 'I love you mummy,' she said and then turned around and trotted back to Obi-Wan as the turbolift door hissed shut.
Kneeling alone on the hallway floor, Padme finally allowed the tears to fall unchecked.
