A/N: Hello. Thanks Heaven's Prayers and JourneyRocks13 for reviewing.
Chapter Fifty-five
Unbreakable Bonds
The homestead looked much the same. One of the only constant things in a world of change.
Beru was walking back from her trip to the moisture vaporaters. She dropped the basket full of mushrooms she was holding. Her face was one of joy as she saw Padmé and Anakin walking towards her.
She ran as fast as humanely possible. Her arms wrapped around Padmé.
"Padmé!"
"Beru." Padmé whispered.
Beru felt the roundness of Padmé's stomach press against her and her eyes widened in realization.
"You're pregnant?"
"Yes." Her smile looked empty, though.
"That's wonderful."
Padmé looked over at Anakin.
Beru noticed their expressions, the lack of energy.
"Did I say something?" Beru asked, her face a bit less overjoyed.
"Can we go indoors?" Padmé asked.
"Yes. Of course."
They sat at the dining room table. Cliegg and Owen had joined them.
"We…I wish we could have visited you under better circumstances." Anakin began.
"What are you talking about?" Beru asked.
"My family was attacked. An assassin who was looking for me tried to kill my entire family. They survived, with the exception of my father." Padmé stopped, covering her face with her hands and breathing deeply to stop the weeping.
Anakin rubbed her back comfortingly.
"You good?"
She looked up and nodded.
He continued. "Padmé was attacked. I managed to get the assassin in time before she was hurt."
"Oh Gods. That's…awful." Beru said with a quiet voice.
"We want to ask for your help. We don't want to burden you. But there's honestly nowhere else we can go. We were wondering if we can stay here until Padmé has the babies."
"Of course you can." Beru answered.
"We also have something else to ask of you."
"Anything."
"We've come to the mutual decision that we cannot provide a stable environment for the children. Always moving around to escape assassination attempts. We could give them to an adoption agency after they're born. But we want them to be with people we trust."
Beru looked at Padmé knowingly, her hand reaching across the table. Padmé echoed her gesture and their hands met.
"You want us to be their adoptive parents?"
Padmé nodded. "I know it's a lot to ask. But they need a normal, quiet life. Away from all the danger and stress. Away from the loss."
"The answer is yes."
"We'll give you the necessary financial assets."
"That is not necessary, Padmé."
"Please. You're helping us. We should help you too."
They all looked at each other in silence.
Beru stood up and walked over to Padmé.
The young women embraced. Beru ran her fingers though Padmé's plentiful curls.
"You can always visit them. And one day when they're grown and they can fully understand, we'll tell them. I'll send you holo-videos. You won't miss a moment, Padmé."
Padmé broke down. It was becoming too real.
The rest of them understood, walking out of the dining room.
Owen and Anakin looked at each other wordlessly in the hallway.
Owen had always felt slightly envious of Anakin. The way Shmi would talk about him. The way he knew he could never replace her real son, even though he wanted to.
He had felt jealous of Anakin's rank as a Jedi. The life of fame and glory.
At that moment he felt none of those. He felt pity.
It was true. Anakin was exceptional. He had been blessed. But the price he had to pay for all those blessings was too high.
Anakin broke the silence.
"How's Threepio?"
Owen laughed suddenly.
"We took out his voice decoder for a while. I couldn't stand the endless talking. You know it's funny at first. How he just goes on. How he talks about EVERYTHING in sight. But I started going a little crazy."
Anakin smiled faintly.
"That droid misses you."
They walked into the Homestead's garage. Threepio was powered off, sitting limply like a metal doll among various power tools.
Owen reached behind the droid and powered him up.
The eyes lit up.
"That was a very satisfying nap, if I do say so myself."
Owen and Anakin laughed.
Threepio looked confused. Then the droid realized Anakin was there.
"Master, Ani. I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever come back."
"I had to check up on you. Make sure these people weren't abusing you or anything."
Owen chuckled.
"Will you stay?"
"For a couple of moons. Yes. Not forever, though."
"It's better than nothing, Master Ani."
He patted the droids shoulder affectionately.
"I need to clean you up, Threepio. You don't look so good."
"Yes. The oxidation on my coverings is most dreadful."
"I'm going to get you new coverings."
Threepio's voice went up almost an entire octave.
"Thank you! You are too kind, Master Ani."
Spring came before everyone knew it. Although one couldn't really tell the difference on Tatooine. There were no flowers blossoming on trees, or roses rising up out of the ground. The yellow grasses of Naboo turning green again weren't there on Anakin's home planet to signify the change in seasons.
Padmé slept a lot. Her walks were comprised of short distances. She missed the ability to run, the freedom her childless body once had.
She had reached full term, her belly almost too big for her small body. She couldn't stand for extended moments of time. It hurt her swollen feet and strained back too much.
The medical facilities on Tatooine were deplorable, save a couple.
She decided she would go back to Coruscant. The galaxy's best obstetricians and doctors were there and she could give birth comfortably. With peace of mind.
She looked at Beru standing outside the homestead.
"We'll be back very soon. Probably two weeks or so, since my due date is next week."
Beru kissed Padmé's cheek.
Beru watched the couple walk hand in hand towards the Naboo Cruiser.
She draped an arm across Owen's back.
Owen looked down at her.
"Do you think we're ready? You know, to be parents?"
"Who's ever ready?" Owen replied.
Her head was on his shoulder.
"We'll raise them well. Anakin and Padmé wouldn't have asked us if they doubted that."
The starship disappeared into the sky. Beru stared off into the cloudless blue. Until Owen went inside. Until the sky turned a velvety black and all the stars came out.
Her wheat hair was illuminated with moonlight, like it was made of silver. Becoming the angel, the beacon of hope she knew she had to be for brother-in-law and in his wife.
She thought she and Owen would pass though their modest lives quietly. But she had a mission now.
It was one of sadness and heartbreak. But she was glad to have been bestowed with it.
That someone thought she was special, good enough to handle such a challenge.
That Padmé asked her over anyone else.
She knew Shmi was watching over them all. That she was happy to have brought them all together.
That her two families were forever bonded.
Even if that bond was shared through loss and hardship.
Owen called her inside finally.
Everything was about to change.
It was just a matter of waiting.
