What better time to write a post then on Christmas day, when you are infused with the holiday spirit, traditional carols are playing, its snow white outside, and your choices are help in the kitchen, or sit and listen to the old farts talk about the state of the world and how, back in their day, things would never have gotten this bad. glares So! Holiday cheer! Right! :D Where were we?

Chapter Seven:

The Failed Prophecy

Three years after Rebirth of the Light. . .

It was the little things that killed him.

It was the moments he had thought lost to him forever. The touch of grass under his bare feet. The smell of a new planet, where he had lived for the past three years but never really been a part of. How others could now see the humor twinkling in his eyes. The rebirth of child-like wonder at the world around him.

The entire galaxy, it seemed, had only just come alive. Or maybe it was him. Maybe he was finally seeing the life around him, in the day to day chores and movements, in the small looks exchanged between beings that said so much.

Every time he was one of those sharing those looks, his heart sang.

After their joyous reunion in the village, Anakin lay in the grass and played with his children for hours. He loved just looking at them, just watching them run about and tackle each other and sometimes even him. Luke and Leia were at first hesitant as to whether or not they could play with their father as they had with their mother and Obi-wan. Before, they had told to be careful. Now, Anakin encouraged them to climb all over him, and he grabbed hold and tickled one of them.

His children's laughter nearly brought tears to his eyes. He had so much he could share with them now, could be so much more a part of their lives.

Padme sat beside her husband, and simply ran her fingers through his hair as they watched the twins. Despite the years apart, despite everything that had come between then and brought them closer in ways Anakin had had to endure while in the suit, Padme seemed utterly content at that moment with just that light touch.

Occasionally, she leaned down and kissed him, gently, just because she could. And he read in her eyes the thousand things they would have to talk about later. The change she knew this would bring to their lives, and to hers and Ani's relationship. But it would have to come later. For now, he simply wanted to be here, in the moment.

That moment, and a hundred others he longed to have last.

"Hey, Dad!" Anakin rolled over and smiled at his son. Luke curled up next to his father, grinning like his face might split. "Are you coming home with us?"

"Yes, Luke." He sighed, pulling his younger child close, loving the feel of just holding the boy. Three years of wanting to hold his boy, hold his tiny body close against his chest and protect him, love him. "Yes, son. I'm coming home with you. But things are going to be a little different now."

"Because you don't have to wear the mask any more."

"That's right."

Luke didn't frown, but Anakin could feel him concentrating, thinking things through for himself. He was so proud of his boy, being so bright and intelligent at such a young age. But it also worried him. He didn't want his son to grow up too fast. "What is it, son?"

"That's going to change a lot of things, isn't it."

"Yes."

But that wasn't it either. The boy continued to think quietly to himself for a few minutes. Anakin laid back and watched the clouds passing overhead through the branches of the trees. It was so very beautiful. He could feel the wind brush against his cheeks, could hear the villagers not to far away, as they continued to live their simple lives.

He wanted that. He wanted that simple life without complications, for himself and for his children. But, of course, there was the war, and the Empire. And Palpatine.

"You won't stay."

"What?"

Pulled back from his drifting thoughts, Anakin turned to find Luke raised up on his elbow, considering his father with those expressionless blue eyes of his. Like ice, cold and empty. "You won't stay with us."

"Luke. . . son, why would you think that? I'm not going to leave you, or your sister. Your mother and I will always be there for you. We love you, son. I love you. I'm not going to leave you alone, ever."

But he didn't need the Force to know his son knew differently. Somehow, Luke knew Anakin would leave, one day, to fight the Emperor. To fulfill his destiny. How, he didn't know, and he didn't have the words he needed to tell his father that he knew. The son of Skywalker was still too young for that. But he could reach out to his father in the Force and brush their presences together gently.

It was an understanding, forgiving touch, and Anakin wondered what his son knew that he did not.

Eventually, Padme, who had been braiding Leia's hair as she listened to her husband and son talk, rose and beckoned her other child to her. Luke climbed to his feet and walked to his mother, the solemn expression on his little face replaced with youth's innocence and exuberance. But she had seen that look on her boy's face, just as Anakin had.

The two of them exchanged the look of concerned parents, but let the moment pass.

Leaving the twins for the moment to spy on a ladybug, Padme stepped toward Anakin and smiled hesitantly. She desperately wanted to wrap her arms around him, but couldn't quite bring herself to 

do it yet. After the wonder of seeing him again, whole and human, there was the reminder of everything that had come between them, from the life before this one and the past few years.

It would take time, before their relationship was what it had been. But she could wait. So for the moment, she clutched her hands together and stared at his Jedi boots. She could feel his eyes on her, understanding, patiently waiting. Anakin would let her make the first of every move; always sure she was comfortable with the situation. At last, she brought her eyes up to his, seeing the shining love there. Her own emotions echoed his.

"I don't want this day to end."

"It doesn't have to," he reassured her, reaching out slowly to brush a curl behind her ear. "There's tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that. And forever, now that we have the chance." She nodded, but then looked back down again and Anakin frowned. "Padme. . ."

"Ani."

"I know. I know things have changed. Things are going to be different. But. . . please, look at me." When she did, he swallowed and continued. "That first night, after the twin's birth, things were so awkward and I was scared. I was so terrified, because suddenly, everything was so different then it had been. I didn't know what to do. But you told me not to be afraid, that even though I was the same on the outside, I had changed. On the inside. For the better. And you were right."

Her chocolate brown eyes stared up at him, full of tears, full of love. His beautiful angel, so brave that night, wanting to sleep beside a monster. And now, in the light of day, so sad. So scared. He wanted to pull her close as he had his son. Next to his heart, where he could protect her from all the galaxy. Anakin felt his face braking into a smile, felt the warmth rising up from within.

How he loved this woman.

"You were right, Angel. I did change. But not this time. Not now. I'm still the man you've know for the past three years." He took her hand then, placed it over his heart. If the soul of a person could reside anywhere within a body, despite everyone in the galaxy being luminous beings, it was there that Anakin thought his might be. She didn't hesitant, laid her palm flat against his chest. "I'm Anakin. I haven't changed, Padme. I'm still the hopelessly lost, stumbling Jedi Knight who fell in love with you all those years ago. Only," he shrugged helplessly, a self-critiquing smile teasing the corner of his lips, "a little battered and beaten. Hopefully into humility," he joked.

"Humility?" Padme smiled now too, then leaned in and kissed him gently. "I'm not quite sure that suits you, Anakin Skywalker."

"You'll just have to stick around and find out if it does."

"I'm not the one planning on going anywhere." She reminded him, none too gently, before turning and taking the hands of the twins. They needed their afternoon nap, but he would see them again in the latter part of the evening.

As his family made their way back to Home One base, Anakin was left standing outside of the village, alone.

Curse the Force, all he wanted was this moment, to have this all to himself, and they were already reminding him it wouldn't last. Already both his son and his wife knew eventually, he would have to leave them and be the Jedi he should have been years ago. Back to war, to the struggle between Light and Dark. Back to death and betrayal. And in doing so, maybe never see them again.

He didn't want to think about this! Was it too much to ask that he have time with his children, his wife, before he had to think of the rest of the galaxy?

Just the little moments. Just the passing instances that others took so easily for granted that shot like laser to his heart and killed him in their bitter sweetness. That was all he wanted. All he had ever wanted, Force damn it.

But then, he had always wanted too much.

Had wanted to be a Jedi Knight and a husband. Had wanted to be there for his mother and do his duty by protecting Padme and following orders. And when the war had started, Anakin had wanted to both protect the galaxy and those he loved, and destroy an Order he had seen as responsible for the destruction of his dreams.

And while time had proven it was his arrogance and his naivety that had made Anakin believe his power was so great he could have both, have it his way, he was surprised to find he was still fool enough to want it to be that way still.

He wanted to be the father his children deserved and be here for them. But being a good father meant protecting them, and protecting them meant doing what was right and destroying the Emperor.

"I don't know what to do." He sighed at last, letting the wind carry away his aggravation and confusion.

"With so many changes so soon, I'm not surprised."

Returning from the village where he had retreated with Jan to give the family a little privacy for the afternoon, Obi-wan smiled reassuringly when he saw the worry on his young friend's face. The Jedi Master's presence, and his warmth, was a balm to the sudden storm that had risen in Anakin and he shrugged it off, letting the moment pass.

"Don't worry so much," Kenobi chided him, placing a hand on the younger Jedi's shoulder. "Everything will sort itself out in the end."

"Since when did you become such an optimist?"

Obi-wan chuckled. It was good to see Anakin's humor returning. That last week in the ward had made him cranky and rather demanding. And on top of that was the pressure, rather than the relief, of his being healed. Change had never really sat well with Kenobi, but this one was bothering Skywalker more.

It would be hard for the young man to change his life, to readjust to living in a way he had thought lost to him. Had it been like this, Obi-wan wondered, waking up in that suit and thinking he would never be able to be a normal man again?

"Come on, let's get inside. Doctor Brie would probably chide me for letting you sit outside in the sun for so long just after recovery."

"We in a hurry for something?" Anakin asked as the two picked up speed as they neared the outer hanger to Home One and Obi-wan increased pace.

"Yes, indeed. Dinner."

Dinner.

Food. Real food. Not vitamin injections. Not pastes. Not ward mush they claimed to be edible. Real, solid, wholesome, delicious food. Anakin was practically drooling before they made it to the mess hall.

"Nothing to tough, obviously," Obi-wan was instructing him as the young Jedi barreled down the hallway. "Brie wasn't sure how much your digestive system could take-"

"I've been eating mashed up peas and carrots and bowls of bantha stew for nearly a month in the ward. I think I can handle a big, juicy tenderloin steak, some fried veggies, some chocolate pudding and a cold beer to wash it down."

"Anakin-"

"Obi-wan, please." The younger Jedi gave his friend a loving but irritated look as he palmed the door to the mess hall. "It's me. I'm not going to do anything crazy."

Kenobi smirked. "That's a contradiction in terms."

The smells of the mess hall were enough to bowl any man over, mostly out of revulsion: the mess hall on Home One wasn't necessarily known for being a five star restaurant. But Anakin didn't hesitate in the door after drinking it in and deciding any food was better than none.

He stepped into line, grabbed a tray and started to pile it on. Obi-wan followed close behind, one eye on the wiggling mess the cooks were serving and another on the food his counterpart was shoveling onto his plate. He was relieved to see Anakin took only a reasonable portion, and of each of the food groups. The last thing he wanted was Brie chiding him for Skywalker's poor diet.

The alien in head of them in line glanced back, saw Anakin's plate, and waved his tentacles in a fashion that expressed surprise.

"Been on base long, kid?"

Kid? Anakin looked up, then grinned. The Quarren thought him just some young spacer working for the rebels. He thought he was just a regular human starving after being in space so long with nothing but Imperial rations.

"I hear the food here isn't that bad."

"It's not, but enough of it will make you regret your choice of diners. Take it easy."

"Sorry." Anakin just smiled, feeling young and alive and impetuous. He passed up the deserts, deciding he would save that for another time. Not too much at one time; he wanted to savor each taste one at a time and drown in them.

Plate only slightly wavering from all the food on it, Anakin took a seat at one of the empty tables where Obi-wan joined him a moment later. Not waiting for his friend, Anakin dug in.

It was delicious. Better than he could ever have remembered eating. Bantha stew wasn't bad, especially when his mom had made it with what little they had had. But none of the delicate cuisine he had eaten while in service to the Jedi on missions or with Padme at Nabooian affairs came anywhere close to this feast. All refried or mashed up or watered down to have enough for all the crews that stopped through Home One; nothing was as fine as eating for the first time in some four years.

When there wasn't a scrap left, when he had mopped the last of it up with his slice of bread and scrapped the sides, Anakin sat back and beamed.

"Feeling better?" Obi-wan grinned across the table, having enjoyed the sight of his friend devour the meal.

"There is very, very little that could make me happier than I am at this very moment." Anakin eyed the bite of food Obi-wan had left on his plate. "Sooo. . . how long before I'm released for the ward and we go home?"

"Well, Doctor Brie already released you, so you're free to go. I think we should take tomorrow and make sure everything is in order. After that, you and Padme can head back as soon as you're ready. I'm sure the twins will be ready to go home."

Sputtering as he put down a cup of coffee he hadn't realized tasted as awful as it did before, Anakin bit back an oath. "I noticed you said Padme and I, not we. Where are you going?"

"No where."

When Anakin waited, not saying anything, the Jedi Master sighed and sat down his own cup of drivel. "No, Anakin, I'm not coming home with you. And before you say anything, I do have my reasons."

"I'm listening."

"First off, there's a lot here that the council could use my help with. Not to mention eventually Master Yoda is going to return, bringing with him whatever Jedi he may have found that survived the Purges, and is going to need someone in an official position to set things up for them here. Decisions need to be made, actions take. The war between rebels and the Empire is going to come to a head soon. We need to be ready. Secondly, we need to have a plan of attack for when we face Palpatine. I'm hoping to find Sabé," Kenobi's face fell for a moment, but it was gone so fast Anakin didn't have a chance to remark upon it, "hopefully, from her and the other agents, I can put something together that will give us a chance against the Emperor."

"You realize you're talking about an offensive attack against the most powerful Force user the Order has ever encountered."

"Yes."

"Offensive. Not defensive. That's not the Jedi way."

"Desperate times call for desperate measures."

"I see. And none of this has anything to do with this being the first time in four years Padme and I will be alone. Together."

Obi-wan smiled innocently, then took another sip of the rancid coffee. Anakin shook his head and sighed.

"So you're encouraging renewed relations between myself and my wife, and preparing a strike on the Emperor? Obi-wan, I don't know whether to be pleased or disappointed."

"What?"

"You realize you're approving of behaving that only a few years ago you would have condoned as improper for a Jedi and would have lectured me fervently against.

"Which one?"

"Both."

Kenobi chuckled and shrugged. "Like you said, times have changed. You've changed. When it comes to the Emperor, I don't think the old methods of dealing with enemies are going to be of any use."

In silent agreement, Anakin remembered how easily Palpatine had outmaneuvered and subtly manipulated the Jedi before. And that had been when there were some ten thousand of them. The majority of the Jedi had died during the attack on the Jedi Temple, and then there were the hundreds he had tracked down in the first year following the end of the Clone Wars. Surely if Palpatine could handle the Jedi at their full power, despite how complacent they had become, then the two thousand desperate Jedi left, little padawans and masterless apprentices included, would pose no threat to him.

That left the few full knights and masters that had survived.

And the Chosen One.

Damn that cursed prophecy for putting him up to this. For ruining his life and those he loved, and all the beings in the galaxy who had no place in this. Those not even important enough to be chess pieces on the Force's board between Light and Dark.

Billions of mothers and fathers, just wanting what was best for their children. How well he knew how they felt.

"No," Anakin agreed, gathering up his utensils on his tray. Now he wished he hadn't eaten at all. Thoughts of the Emperor and the war turned it all to lead in his gut. "No, we've got to remember the Empire has the backing of the majority of the old Republic's provinces and systems. I don't like the thought of having to tiptoe around on egg shells, but we've got to pull this off without initiating a galactic war before the Alliance is ready. One wrong step, the entire galaxy will turn against the rebels. Palpatine's tyranny is only obvious to so few; the rest are still rejoicing from the collapse of the Republic's corruption and the end of the Clone Wars."

"I'm proud of you, Ani. You're sounding like a real Jedi Knight, considering all angles and the political opposition against us."

"It comes from having lived with a general and a senator for the past few years."

They took their plates to the dispenser and left the mess hall. Kenobi suggested they meditate, but Anakin didn't want to sit still. He had always done his best thinking while on the move or keeping his hands busy.

He took to cleaning the droids while his old friend went through a few relaxation techniques. Threepio was most grateful and chatted about this and that as Anakin worked on his back paneling, but Skywalker could have been in a totally different system for all he heard of what the droid said.

His mind was on the touch of wires between his fingers, the quiet inhalation of breath. The lingering taste of his meal. And the Emperor.

By the time evening rolled around, the end of his first day out of the ward, Anakin was both energized and utterly drained. He wanted nothing more than a long hot shower and to crawl into bed in the room he and Obi-wan were to share. It reminded him very much of his days as an apprentice, after an exceedingly long training exercise.

He was worn to the bone, his skin threadbare from all the sensations he had experienced; his senses felt abused. At the same time he desperately wanted to feel more, do more. Had the Jedi Master agreed, he and Obi-wan would have practiced dueling just so he could use all his excess energy.

"It will pass," Kenobi had explained, grinning behind his hand. It was only because he had been in bed so long, combined with his new thirst for life.

But Anakin didn't want it to pass. He wanted to keep feeling like this, to never take for granted a single breath or touch or taste. Wanted to run till he thought be might burst from the pure joy of it. How could he have lived those twenty two years and never realized how alive he was? How much there was to do, or feel!

Suddenly, for a man who as a boy could never focus on one thing for very long unless it was machinery or flying, found even the tiniest thing, like the petals on the flowers Leia had stuck in her hair, absolutely incredible. The detail, the life! So soft to the touch and so alive.

One by one, his systems started to shut down, however. Worn thin by his exuberance, killed, as it was, by the small things, Anakin was ready for sleep long before the normal rest cycle.

But there was one thing he needed to do first.

Dragging himself to Padme's quarters and ringing the bell, a feat all its own, Anakin went to tell his children goodnight.

They were already abed by the time he got there, but not yet asleep.

"Daddy," Leia grinned when her father entered the room, curled up in the covers. Her hair had been washed and braided, and she smelled of little girl and tooth paste and daisies.

"Hey there, princess. I came to tell you goodnight. Sorry I haven't been here lately to tell you."

"S'aright." His little girl grinned, understanding. It had been his and twins' ritual back home that Anakin would tiptoe into the room after Padme had tuck the children in and turned out the light. They would giggle, thinking their mother didn't know he was keeping them awake. Then Anakin would sit on the bed and hug both his children close against his chest, whispering he would be there if they needed him in the darkness. He was their guardian against nightmares, the shadow that kept all other terrors at bay. "I knew you would come when you were better," His little sweetheart reached out for him and Anakin pulled her close.

Tears stinging his eyes, Anakin leaned down and kissed his daughter on her forehead, breathing in her sweet scent.

"Goodnight, Leia. Sleep well, sweetheart."

Reaching up, Leia grabbed her father's ears and pulled his head down to her level. Anakin complied, then felt a shock run through him as little lips gave him a cool, puckered kiss on his own head. A grinning Leia looked up at him when he pulled back.

"I will, Daddy. You too."

How could he possibly ask for anything more than that? It was all worth it, then. Everything. He would go through it all again, knowing he would get to tuck his little girl in and be blessed by her sweet kiss.

Luke lay in his own bed just across the room, already dozing. But he awoke when his father came to sit by his side of the bed. Instead of their usual goodnight, he simply placed his hand in Anakin's and hung on. For the longest time, the two watched each other, Luke somehow understanding this was a very special moment they were being granted. Not for the first time, Anakin was unsettled by his son's clairvoyance.

The boy held his hand in his father's till at last he drifted off and Anakin snuck quietly out of the room.

:D Yeah! A post! :D And all in one day!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Caslia