See Chapter 1 for info & warnings

It doesn't matter what I want

It doesn't matter what I need

It doesn't matter if I cry

Doesn't matter if I bleed

Feel the sting of tears

Falling on this face you've loved for years.

~Alison Krauss and Union Station "It Doesn't Matter"

On the transport to Alderaan, Obi-Wan was strangely silent, focusing all his attention on piloting the ship. Tanilea, growing ever more worried about her husband, asked quietly, "Hey, you still with me?"

Obi-Wan replied, "Yes," without ever looking up from the control panel. His tone was flat and his face blank.

Unable to remain passive any longer, Tanilea grabbed his arm and forced him to look at her. "Obi, stop it! You don't need to pretend everything is okay. You don't need to keep yourself reined in like this. It's not good for you."

Jaw clenched, Obi-Wan pulled his arm away. "I know it's not. But I can't deal with this yet. If I try, I won't be able to complete this mission, and if we don't, Luke is as good as dead. I can't have another death on my conscience, Tani. For now, just let me fly the ship and try not to fall apart, please."

Tanilea felt stupid for pushing him and nodded. "Sure. Just don't think you have to do this alone, okay? I'll always be here."

He almost smiled. "I know."

Amidala met the transport alone and in civilian clothes. She looked tired, her face pale with large dark circles below her eyes. "Thank you for coming," she said, voice barely a whisper. "Follow me. Luke and Leia are in the nursery."

Tanilea felt the burgeoning tears behind the woman's civility and clasped her hand as they walked down the hall. The Jedi caught sight of Bail Organa in his office speaking to a group of advisors. "Is the adoption final?" she asked.

"Almost," Amidala replied. "By tomorrow, Leia will be his daughter. She'll be safe."

Tanilea looked back to Obi-Wan, who trailed wordlessly behind them. "Luke will be safe too. We'll see to it."

"Yes." Amidala's tone was as far away as Obi-Wan's had been and nearly as detached. "Thank you."

They entered the nursery together and Tanilea felt instantly calmed by the soothing blue colors of the room and the sight of the two babies sleeping quietly on a blanket at its center. An older woman with short gray hair sat in a rocking chair watching the children obediently. She barely acknowledged the newcomers until Amidala gently lifted one of the children, carefuly uncurling his fingers from those of his sister. "Time, then?" the old woman asked sadly.

"Yes," Amidala replied, turning back to the Jedi. Tears brimming her eyes, she kissed the boy's fair hair and smiled down at the angelic face of her sleeping child. "Good-bye, Luke. I'm sorry I couldn't fix it." She held the boy out to Tanilea, who took him solemnly, cradling him carefully in the crook of her arm. Never before had she held a child so young, but it felt perfectly natural, his slight weight comforting in her arms. "Safe trip to you," Amidala said before pushing past them out of the room and all but running back down the hall.

Obi-Wan approached Tanilea slowly, reaching out a hand to touch the baby's cheek with infinite care. "He's tiny."

Beginning the walk back to the ship, Tanilea smiled a bit. "I hear they grow fast." She watched the boy bat an imaginary bug away from his face with one pudgy fist in sleep and grinned. "It almost makes me wish I had one."

"We could."

"No. No, not the way things are. It wouldn't be fair. I don't want to bring a child into the world so it can spend its life hiding the desert." She felt Obi-Wan's arm around her shoulders and tried to relax. "I'll just make sure that this one stays safe."

"It's not a good idea," Owen complained for the thousandth time, glaring at the baby. Beru swatted her husband's shoulder and held the boy tighter. "He's alone in the world, Owen. There's nobody else who can watch over him. We're taking the boy for ours and that's the end of it." She squeezed Tanilea's hand with touching familiarity. "I expect you two won't be strangers? We're family, after all."

Obi-Wan, who was actively avoiding accusatory stares from Owen, spoke for them. "I don't think it would be a good idea. The fact that we're here at all puts you in danger. The sooner we leave, the safer you and the child will be."

"We don't want you to get hurt because of us," Tanilea added. "It just isn't safe with Anakin still searching."

Owen snorted derisively. "You see, Beru? Risking our lives for some kid we don't have any tie to-"

"Stop it." Beru's voice gently silenced any further protestations. "Owen, just because you're sore about things that happened more than thirty years ago doesn't mean we have the right to leave this boy to die." She smiled warmly at Obi-Wan and Tanilea. "You two look out and try to stay safe. Luke will be just fine here with us. Won't he, Owen?"

Her husband grunted the affirmative. "You better get going. Don't want to get caught out here after dark."

Tanilea bowed and smiled at the couple. "Thank you." Taking her Obi-Wan's hand, she headed for the door.

Owen, apparently suffering a brief attack of sentimentality, called after them,"Good luck!"