I said I'd have this up the next day, and I did! Yay! It's really short, but it is just an epilogue after all. Pure fluff and happiness, because I'm a sucker for happy endings and these characters deserve happiness. Especially Obi-Wan because he just suffers... so... fucking... much.
Anyways! That's the end! I've really enjoyed writing this story. It reawakened my love of writing, and now I have all these ideas and it's fantastic and! And! Well, I want to thank everyone for reading! I can't deny another reason my spark is part is due in part to y'all's praise and encouragement! Thank you!
I hope you all enjoyed the story and especially this epilogue of fluffiness.
The Lake Country of Naboo was beautiful this time of year. True, it was always beautiful, but it was always more beautiful in the late springtime. Everything was freshly bloomed and the sun was shining, making the lake that Padmé and Anakin were observing from the balcony of their Lake Retreat sparkle. The pair were leaning on the balcony railing, Anakin's flesh hand pulling Padmé close to him. Between the war and the fact that they had to hide their relationship for most of its duration, these kinds of moments were rare for them. However, despite the fact that they had Force sensitive twins to take care of, these quiet moments happened much more often. This was partially due to the fact that they weren't raising their twins alone.
Their silence was interrupted as the balcony doors opened, a frantic Obi-Wan walking out, holding a screaming infant. It never ceased to tickle Anakin that there was something that actually caused Obi-Wan to visibly panic; he was especially happy that the only things that could do that were his crying, irritable infants.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but-" Obi-Wan held out a red-faced infant Luke Skywalker. "I can't get him to stop crying!" His voice was actually cracking. "I tried everything! I even tried to use the Force to calm him and nothing works!"
Padmé smiled, looking back at Obi-Wan. "You haven't learned their cries yet, Obi-Wan?" she teased; both of the child's parents knew what Luke wanted the instant they heard his cry. "He's just hungry." She left the balcony, grabbing her child and going into the lake house, finding a comfortable place to sit while she nursed Luke.
"What?" Obi-Wan snapped half-playfully, half-seriously at Anakin as he noticed the smug grin spreading across his former apprentice's face
"I just never thought there'd be something that I can handle yet you can't." Anakin laughed. "I never expected the thing to cause you to actually panic would be a being that weighs less than ten pounds and can't even use a weapon of any kind."
"Don't tease me, Anakin. I didn't have to come here on my Meditation Retreat to help you and Padmé with the babies," Obi-Wan said haughtily.
"You know I appreciate this, Obi-Wan." Anakin's cocky grin became a genuine smile. "Besides, we both know you wouldn't want to be anywhere else." Indeed, this were true. He tried to deny how much he loved the babies the second he saw their little faces. His resolve broke quickly. All it took was one comment made by Padmé, referring to Obi-Wan as the babies "Uncle Obi" and he could no longer deny how smitten he was with said babies.
It took everything in Obi-Wan to phrase his demand to go on a Meditation Retreat at a request. Fortunately, the Council had no qualms about Obi-Wan going on retreat, citing Obi-Wan's efforts to the war as reason for this vacation. They didn't vocalize that they all knew there was no way they could deny Obi-Wan access to his friend's children. They didn't vocalize their evolving views on attachment causing them to see how important it was for all involved that Obi-Wan spend this precious time with the Skywalker family. The Council also decided to postpone discussion on what they were going to do with Anakin until the couple came back to Coruscant, not wanting to cast judgement until they knew how the Code was to be changed.
With peace returning to the galaxy, Ahsoka also decided she could shirk her responsibilities as well and join Anakin and Padmé on their trip to Naboo, where the couple intended to stay for at least six months so they could receive help from Padmé's family. Admittedly, with Obi-Wan and Ahsoka around they didn't need much help, but Padmé took comfort in having her parents and sister to go to for advice on what to do when a new issue arose.
Obi-Wan smiled at Anakin, affectionately grabbing his shoulder before returning to the house. This left Anakin alone with his thoughts as he walked back to the balcony ledge and thought back to the last few years. He remembered the time Padmé and he had spent in that same house, falling in love. He remembered his time in the Clone Wars with Obi-Wan and Ahsoka by his side. He smiled, happy that the two he had truly considered to be his siblings were there to help the young Skywalker family.
He then remembered Sheev Palpatine and how for over a decade he had been groomed to become a Sith apprentice without his knowledge. His smiled faded as he remembered the pain caused by that man. He was beginning to understand, logically, that his confusion and anger didn't completely have to do with the Sith Lord's manipulations, but also because of the Jedi Council's lack of faith, as well as his own past as a slave. He felt that because of these things that a small bit of darkness would always be a part of him and he was beginning to realize that maybe that was alright. After all, to be angry, and to hurt, and to be passionate were to be human and they were definitely part of Anakin.
He didn't know if the Jedi Council were going to allow him to stay in the Order. He was starting to contemplate if that were even something he wanted anymore. He knew he would leave the Order if they requested he chose between them and his family, but if he were to stay a lot of things would have to change. They couldn't simply bend the rules for the Chosen one. They'd have to change the rules, because attachments weren't as bad as they made it out to be. Attachments were the very thing that had saved Anakin from the Dark side.
Anakin was drawn out of his thoughts as the balcony doors opened and his wife joined him, both of their babies in her arms. She gently handed Anakin one of the babies, making sure to keep Luke close to her. Anakin held Leia in his metal hand, once again pulling Padmé close with his flesh hand. He looked down at his wife and his children and felt a certain sense of peace. For the first time in a long time, perhaps even for the first time ever, Anakin was truly happy.