Chapter 25

After another night with the breath mask in the Healer's wing, Anne was cleared to go. Despite that she almost coughed in Master Windu's face as he was standing outside the door when they left. "Master Windu!" She tried to bow and back away at the same time and ended up running into Anakin. "What are you doing down here?"

"Waiting for you." Mace nodded to Anne and Anakin in greeting. "Obi-Wan said that you were getting out today." Anne laughed nervously.

"Yeah. You want to have that talk, don't you?" Anakin coughed and Anne stepped fully out into the hallway. "Anakin told me what he told you. It's all true." Minus the part about there not being anything else to tell them. Telling the entire Council that they were having a kid, or kids, was not something neither Anakin nor Anne wanted to do right away.

Master Windu began walking down the hall and motioned for them to follow him. "That is good to know, but really I wanted to apologize."

"For cutting my arm off?" Anne guessed. Master Windu nodded. "It's alright. I remember the fight, it was the best option." That didn't mean that it hadn't hurt, but it was better than dying. "Master, what happened to Ventress? Obi-Wan said she came here." Master Windu sighed.

"Ventress took a ship and left the day we brought you back. She left a message saying that she was going to leave the Galaxy."

"She's going to what?" Anakin asked incredulously. "That's not possible." Master Windu shook his head.

"She appears to have succeeded. None of our people have been able to find her."

She's not such a bad person, Anne pointed out. Anakin raised an eyebrow.

If you say so. "Really, Master Windu? Then maybe she has. I pity whatever new galaxy that's going to have to deal with her."

"So do I." The corner of Mace's mouth twitched into a smile. "Dooku is still in his cell."

"You don't know what to do with him?"

"We're having a meeting this afternoon. You're invited, both of you." Anne bowed her head.

"Thank you, Master. We'll be there."

"Definitely," Anakin agreed.

'Just leave him in jail for a few more years', that's your suggestion?

Anne rolled over so that she could see Anakin while they communicated. Anakin opened his eyes and stopped pretending to be asleep. It works on Earth. Why are you asking about this now?

You were talking to Master Plo.

That was five minutes.

Half an hour, at least. Anne rolled her eyes.

I hit him with lightning. That takes time to apologize for. Anakin chuckled and wrapped one arm around her.

Yet you can shake off Master Windu's apology for cutting off your arm in five seconds.

That was necessary, electrocuting Master Plo wasn't. The nighttime semi-silence was interrupted by Anne's sigh. I can feel it, Anakin. The Dark Side. It's…calling. Anakin squeezed his eyes shut. Ever since he'd come back from being Darth Zalmon the Dark Side had been hanging over him predatorily. He knew it was just waiting for him to slip up, to be so angry that he would give in.

He had had enough near misses to figure it out.

I know, I feel it to. Eha had gone closer to the Dark Side than Zalmon had. She had embraced it, and now it wanted her back. You haven't given in? Absolute horror reached Anakin through their bond.

No! I'm not strong enough to come back again.

Anne shivered despite the blanket covering them and Anakin pulled her closer to him to give her a hug, resting his chin on her head. You're stronger than you think.

Anne hummed noncommittally. After a few moments she asked, What should we name them? Anakin blinked.

Name who? Anne looked up at him with widened eyes.

Our child. Anakin felt himself blushing.

What about Luke for a boy? , he suggested. And Padmé for a girl? He knew he'd said something wrong when he was flooded with fear and anger though their Force-bond. The Dark Side rose up excitedly until Anne shoved her emotions away.

We are not naming our child after my brother who tried to kill me. What about Qui-Gon if they're a boy? Qui-Gon had been a good man, despite the fact that he tended to walk the line between liberally interpreting the Council's orders and doing whatever the hell he wanted. Their son could do worse than being named after him.

Qui-Gon Skywalker. That doesn't sound right, Anakin mused. Neither does Padmé Skywalker, now that I think about it in that context. His daughter Padmé Skywalker, not his wife. That was how that name was used whenever it was said, and Anne was the only one to ever call Padmé that. It was always used absentmindedly when she was telling him something about Star Wars because, according to Anne, her name was never officially changed.

We have eight months to come up with names. And about three to figure out how we're going to tell the Council. Anakin had been thinking about that.

Anne, would you marry me?

Tomorrow. Anakin smiled.

I think it'll take a bit longer than that to organize a full Jedi wedding. Maybe the day after tomorrow. Anne smiled into Anakin's chest. A Jedi wedding? There had been three of those, including Obi-Wan and Siri's, and the only thing connecting them was that it had been Jedi getting married. The ceremonies had had absolutely nothing in common.

You want to have a shotgun wedding? she guessed.

I'm going to say no, just because I don't know what that means. If we get married soon then we can just pretend—

—that we didn't create a child while we were Sith. Could using the Dark Side corrupt a growing baby? Anne didn't know. Anakin didn't know. Ashoka didn't know. Bant didn't know. The Council would know, and if their baby was going to be born Dark then they didn't know what the Masters would do. Their baby was pure in the Force, but they couldn't risk it. Even Obi-Wan didn't know that Anne was pregnant. The Council can count, but it could work. They had to try something.

I'll ask Master Windu tomorrow.

Today. I'm pretty sure it's past midnight. Maybe we should try to get some sleep.

Do or do not, there is no try. Anakin drew back and kissed Anne's forehead. Goodnight, Anne.

Goodnight, Anakin. Sweet dreams.