She stepped off the transport, bidding goodbye to the crew behind her, and started walking down the path that led through the trees to the small house where Anakin was staying. How is Ani, she wondered. It was getting close to the five month mark, and it had to be getting uncomfortable as the twins grew. For goodness sake, he wasn't even made for this! She walked up to the automated door and reached for the control panel when the door slid open and an arm reached out, pulled her through the door, and into a tight hug as it slid shut behind her.
"I'm so happy to see you, Padme," Anakin whispered as he smiled into her hair. "I missed you."
Padme felt the curve of their children press against her and she tilted her head up to ask how they were, but her husband kissed her before she could get the words out. She kissed him back, gripping his shoulders to return his hug. Finally, he stopped his attentions to her mouth and she asked, "How are you? And how are the babies?"
His smile broadened and something inside Padme loosened at that smile. "We're fine, all of us. In fact," he added, "We should be able to feel them moving on the outside soon." She tilted her head to one side, asking a silent question. "I've felt them for a while already," he admitted.
She released his shoulders and pressed a hand on the curve. "What did it feel like, that first time?"
"Like a bantha was tap dancing on my ribs." She frowned at his and he laughed, answering truthfully, "Like butterfly wings brushing my insides. Honestly, I thought it was just me at first, but it was them." He let go of her waist and led her deeper into the house. "Do you want something to drink?"
Padme watched as Anakin bustled around in the kitchen, getting breakfast ready. He pulled several different small bags of freeze-dried foods from the series of cupboards under the long counters, doused them in water, and slipped them in the rehydrator. When he got up from the floor with a pouch of something yellow, one of his hands brushed his stomach. He paused for a moment, and smiled, just a small one. Once the yellow powder was finished cooking and now resembled scrambled eggs, he reached for a small container of seasoning leaning against the wall. The curve of his abdomen nudged the countertop, and Padme watched as that small smile flitted over his face again. She looked away, suddenly feeling like an intruder. "So," she asked once they'd both sat down to eat. "Do we know what sex they are?"
Anakin shook his head. "I was waiting for you," he admitted. Actually, he could have found our weeks ago, but he wanted to share as much of as he could of this experience with her. "There's a small medical unit in the back for emergencies, and it had an ultrasound unit." Padme gave him a look and he wilted. "Okay, I took some of the other equipment and made it. I'll put it back like it was, I promise."
She smiled at his sheepishness and finished her mouthful of eggs. "I'd like to find out soon. I already have some ideas for names," she explained. "Have you thought of any yet?"
"Well, I don't want to name them after someone else, at least not for their first names," he answered, getting up to take his plate back to the kitchen. "They're their own people, they should get their own names."
Nodding, she added, "I think so, though that might be a good idea for middle names." She drank down the last of her hot tea and asked, "so when can I see them?"
Anakin drained his own cup and got up, grabbing her hand. "Let's go now." And they headed to the back of the small house. As he booted up his makeshift scanner, he asked, "So what ideas did you have for names?"
"I really like some of the names I found that start with L, so Luke and Leo for two boys, and maybe Leia and Lucy in case they're both girls." She looked at him expectantly. "What do you think?"
He ran a hand across his belly and stared unfocused at the ceiling for a moment. Then he nodded. "I like the idea of them sharing the first letter, but I'm not sure about Lucy. I like the other names, though. What do they mean?"
He started wiping some sort of goop onto his exposed bump as Padme answered. "Luke means giver of light and Leo means lion. Leia means child of heaven and Lucy just means light."
He paused, then grimaced. "I don't think we should name one Luke and the other Lucy, if we have a boy and a girl. They're too similar. We might get them mixed up. But come here." He grabbed her wrist and pulled her over to his side. Smiling, he handed her the scanner screen and started moving the wand along his belly. At first, al she could see was black, but then she saw a gray spot emerge, then a second.
Her breath caught and tears welled up in her eyes. "Is that them?" She almost whispered.
He kissed her cheek gently and said," yes. And look right here." He pointed to a spot on the first baby they'd seen. "I think she's a girl." He reached over and pulled Padme into a hug. "We're going to have a daughter!"
Padme smiled into the hug. "We're going to have a daughter," she repeated. Then her sense penetrated her euphoria. "Ani, the scanner!"
"Oh, right." They let go of each other and he picked up the wand again. A little sheepishly, he put it back on his bump and started moving it again. "There she is, yes, that's definitely her." He couldn't help smiling. "Now where's the other one? Here!" He paused and gestured for her to look again. "This is the other twin, right here." He outlined the shape with a finger. "And look at that!" He pointed to a spot low on the baby's body. "We're having a boy too! Padme, we're having a son!"
She couldn't stop smiling. "Luke and Leia. Our children."
"I like those names." This time, Anakin remembered to put the scanner to the side before he kissed her.
Can I get an Awwwwwwwww! please? Luke and Leia finally have names and everything! I can finally call them he and she! Really, it's a lot harder to write about a person without knowing the proper pronouns. What did you guys think? Personally, I thought it was adorable, but I'm a biased writer. Please review!