Where are they? Why won't anyone tell me? Where can I find them? Padme traveled at a jog through the long and winding halls of the Jedi Temple. Her Jedi escort had long ago been left in the dust. Never had she felt such worry about her family.

Word had come mere hours before about the situation that Anakin and Leia had gotten themselves into. Hearing about the children's visions only reconfirmed to her that Anakin was badly hurt. Upon landing she'd heard that Leia had been hurt, too. Now Padme's only concern was to get to her family.

Calm down, she told herself. He said they'd be all right.

Maternal instinct said otherwise. Padme did not slow until she had reached the Infirmary and nearly lost patience with the kind-but-clueless Jedi at the entrance who wouldn't let her in for a good five minutes. It wasn't until Obi-Wan showed up that Padme was able to gain access.

"Is he all right?" Padme asked breathlessly. "Where's Leia? Is she-"

"They'll be fine," assured Obi-Wan as he escorted his friend to the lab. "Anakin was in rather poor shape when we found him, but it's nothing that can't be fixed. Leia should recover rather quickly."

"Oh, good," sighed Padme in relief. It pained her to know her child was hurt, but knew that the Healers here were the best in the galaxy. Her thoughts returned to Anakin. "How badly was Anakin hurt?"

Obi-Wan grimaced. "Three broken ribs, a concussion, and several burns. Fortunately, no internal injuries. His knee replacement did need to repaired, and I'm afraid his prosthetic arm is going to have to be replaced. But he'll be fine."

Poor Anni. I hope he slows down this time. Padme winced in sympathy, but managed a smile for the man. "Thank you for finding them, Master Kenobi. I don't know what the galaxy would do without Jedi like you."

Obi-Wan shrugged, somewhat embarrassed. "You're quite welcome, though it is your children you should be most proud of. Luke's bond with Leia enabled us to find them all the sooner. As for Leia, she fought as well as any Jedi I've seen." He motioned to the next open door. "There they are."

Padme smiled, thanked him again, and peered into the room.

Anakin lay half-reclined on a treatment bed in the typical patient's garb of trousers and short-sleeved tunic. His right pant leg was rolled up past the knee, which was propped up on a pillow and bore a thin bandage. His mechanical right arm sat on a treatment table while a medical droid busily made connections between wires. Leia sat on her father's left side with her arm in a sling, clinging to him and biting her lip. Luke stood next to her and held her hand but stood on tiptoe to watch the procedure with curiosity.

Padme's relief was profound in seeing them. Apart from a few bandages, they all looked just fine. Anakin was already smiling at her.

Luke and Leia suddenly flinched, as if realizing something, and turned around at the same moment. "Mom!" cried Luke in delight.

That was all it took for Padme to cross the room and gather both children in her arms. Kisses were exchanged before she stepped back to look them over. "Well, you look all right. What happened to your arm, Leia?"

"She got shot," blurted Luke with a frown. He flinched when Leia elbowed him, and again when he saw his mother go pale.

"Oh, Leia..." Padme was gentle as she inspected the sling. "That hurts. Are you all right?"

Leia nodded sheepishly. "It doesn't hurt much now. Mother...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone alone."

Padme agreed. "You're right. You scared the life out of me when I heard." After a moment she softened and smoothed her daughters' hair. "But I'm not going to scold you now. You're alive, and that's what counts." After a kiss to her daughter's forehead she moved on to her husband. "Anni?"

Anakin had a look of tired contentment on his face as he met his wife's eyes. He said nothing before reaching out his arm to pull her into a kiss. His breath tasted like bacta, but neither of them cared. They didn't pull back to say anything for a while.

Padme was the first. "Are you all right?"

Anakin nodded, forehead still pressed to hers. "I'm fine. It's nothing that can't be fixed."

"I know. You had better slow down this time," warned Padme, "or I'll have Artoo lock you in the bedroom."

"Hmm...that wouldn't be so bad...as long as I had company."

"Anni!"

"All right. I'll take it easy." Anakin released his wife long enough so she could turn around and sit down.

Padme scooted next to him on the cot and half-watched the medical droid finish with her husband's arm. "What happened? You said it was only going to be a few days."

Anakin grimaced. "Apparently the leader lost a brother on Balmorra and blamed me for it. Capturing me was his way of getting revenge."

The former diplomat shook her head sadly. "Grief can do terrible things to people."

Anakin nodded in grim agreement. "Don't I know it," he murmured. The medical droid finished with his arm, and he lifted it to experimentally flex his new fingers.

"Looks good, Dad," said Luke.

"It'll do." Anakin inspected the arm for a moment before thanking the droid and hugging his wife from behind. "I hope you didn't worry too much."

"No more than you would have," remarked Padme with a lift of her eyebrows. "I'm just glad everyone is all right. And as soon as you're all ready, I still have something to tell you all."

"Oh! Father did say something about a surprise," remembered Leia.

"What surprise?" asked Luke with interest.

Anakin pursed his lips at his son. After all that had happened over the last few days, the last thing they needed was more excitement. "Never mind, Luke. It can wait until we get home."

"It's all right, Anni," smiled Padme, resting her head on his shoulder as he held her from behind. "I don't think I could keep the secret much longer, anyway. Remember a couple of months ago when I wasn't feeling well?"

Anakin nodded, brows knitting. "Yes...why? Is something wrong?"

Easily Padme shook her head. "No. But I kept my promise and saw a medic, and...well, she wasn't happy that I'd waited so long."

That was news to Anakin. "What; just now? Padme, why-" His spurt of worry came to a halt, as if it had hit a duracrete wall. Wait a minute. His wife wasn't upset, nor in any pain, and she had said that nothing was wrong. Anakin also noticed that Padme had since moved his hand from her waist to her stomach and kept it there. Hardly daring to hope, he reached out with the Force...and a tiny life answered. Joy rose as a slowly dawning smile as Anakin turned to face her. The look in Padme's eyes was only further confirmation, and he broke into a happy chuckle.

Luke and Leia were puzzled. "What's so funny?" asked Luke. "Mom, are you all right?"

Now Padme laughed. "I'm fine, Luke. We're only laughing because we're happy."

Anakin's mouth quirked to one side as he saw a teaching opportunity. "You might be able to sense it. Here, Luke? Leia? Put your hand where mine is. Concentrate. Reach out with the Force...and then you'll know the surprise."

Hesitantly the children each put a hand on their mother's middle and closed their eyes to concentrate. For a moment their confusion only deepened. Then Leia flinched. "Wait...I do sense something...is that a baby?"

Luke's eyes flew open and he stared at his mother with wide eyes. "You're having a baby?"

Padme had to laugh at the look of shock on her son's face. "That's right, Luke. You and Leia are going to have a little brother or sister."

Luke and Leia turned to each other, then let out an exclamation at the same moment. "Woo-hoo!" cried Luke. "Aww," said Leia. Both of them were smiling.

Suddenly Leia frowned at turned to her father, somewhat hurt. "Why were you so worried, Father? Couldn't you sense it?"

Anakin shrugged helplessly. "I had a feeling...but your mother was so sure that it was something else, and I didn't want to argue. Besides, Jedi have limits on how much they can sense. Even Master Yoda can't sense everything."

Leia's smile returned, and she nodded, welcoming her mother's hug. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"We won't know for a few weeks," answered Padme.

"Oh, it's a girl. I know it is," said Luke with confidence.

"How would you know?" Leia demanded. "Even Father doesn't know yet."

"Well, I do. And it's a girl," insisted Luke.

Padme just smiled at how happy her family was over the news. "Well, never mind. We'll know soon enough."

The four nodded in agreement and came together in a group hug. If they sensed the two that had come to the window and heard the news, they didn't care.

Obi-Wan's eyebrows shot up. "My. This does complicate things."

Ahsoka turned to the older Jedi, confused. "Why? It's not as if you have to worry about the attachment rule anymore. Besides, they're some of the best parents I've seen."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "I know, but that's not the point. The question is going to come as to who's going to train the little one if Anakin is still training Leia."

Ahsoka took a moment to process the news before she smiled. As it should have been all along. "It's about time! Looks like the Council finally opened their eyes. He's the only choice that makes sense." She sighed happily in thinking about Anakin and Leia's reaction. "What changed their minds?"

Obi-Wan shrugged. "A number of things, really. But the biggest factor was the connection between them on Vanqor...you felt it yourself. And, as you said, Anakin is indeed the best to train Leia in how to fight the Dark Side."

"Do they know yet?" Ahsoka wanted to know.

"I was going to tell them now," admitted Obi-Wan.

Ahsoka shook her head and turned back to the happy scene in behind the window. "I'd give it a few minutes. Let them enjoy the moment."

After a time Obi-Wan nodded and let his smile return. There was no need to interrupt such joy. His only remaining question was how the galaxy could handle another Skywalker.

A/N: And, DONE! Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing! Those who celebrate, Merry Christmas, and may the Force be with you!