Eight Months

Summary- Anakin & Obi-wan's mission to capture Count Dooku and rescue Palpatine took longer than expected, how does that change things?

Anakin was trying to remain calm and collected, but after a long eight months of being separated from his beloved wife, Padme, he could hardly keep his emotions in check. It felt like an eternity had passed since he had seen her since he had the chance to hold her in his arms, and now after so long, he was finally on his way back to her!

The day had been eventful, to say the least, and something still wasn't sitting right with Anakin about Palpatine and the way he seemed to push for Anakin to embrace his hatred for Count Dooku. Anakin had always trusted Chancellor Palpatine, he considered him a friend and confidant, especially in times when it felt like the Jedi Council would never fully have faith in him, but he can't shake the feeling in his gut that something isn't right. When Chancellor Palpatine urged him to kill Dooku, he saw a look of shock cross his face. Of course, you would assume he was just shocked that he may soon meet his end, but it was something else, something different, Anakin was sure of it. He was also quite sure he saw the briefest flash of anger when he refused to kill Count Dooku, instead choosing to take him back to the Jedi Council to be properly dealt with. He wanted to discuss his feelings with his Master, Obi-wan, to see if he had noticed anything strange as well, but he didn't want to risk Chancellor Palpatine or Count Dooku overhearing so he had decided it could wait until they returned home.

All thoughts of something being off with the Chancellor were temporarily abandoned though, for their ship had safely landed and he was moments away from finally reuniting with Padme. As he bid Obi-wan farewell, his Master giving him a knowing look, he had to remind himself to act casual. It was all he could do to stop himself from running directly to Padme! It took him just under two minutes to arrive at their door, giving a quick tap on the door so as not to startle her with his entrance. "Come in" she called out quietly, just barely loud enough for him to hear her.

"Padme..." he started to say her name as he walked through the door but everything he had been planning to say flew out the window as he took in the sight of his wife, cradling a tiny baby, wrapped in a beautiful royal purple cloth. "Padme... who... what is going on?!" To say that Anakin was confused would be an understatement! "Anakin," Padme smiled lovingly at him as she quietly slipped out of their bed and walked over to him, "this is your daughter, Leia Skywalker." As Padme placed his sleeping daughter in his arms, he was overwhelmed with the amount of love and adoration he felt instantly. How could he feel like this when he had only just discovered he had a daughter? "Padme..." before he could ask her any of the hundred questions bouncing around his head, she stepped into the other room leaving him to stare at this tiny princess in his arms, already knowing that he would die to protect her. He was too enraptured with taking in every detail he possibly could of Leia, that when he heard Padme come back in the room he didn't take the time to look up until she whispered his name. "Ani, this is your son, Luke Skywalker." At that, Anakin's head snapped up and he sees his wife cradling another tiny, cloth-wrapped baby. He looks down at his son, who takes that moment to open his eyes, almost as if he knows his father is finally there. He stares into his eyes in disbelief, he has a son AND a daughter? He has always hoped to start a family with Padme, but because of the secrecy their relationship had required, he wasn't sure how that would ever come to pass. Yet here he stood, after being gone for eight months, and he has two beautiful children.

"Are you upset?" Padme questions nervously.

"Upset? Padme, this is the greatest thing I could ever imagine! We have a son and a daughter, I'm happier than you could ever know." He kisses her forehead and gently takes Luke's hand, smiling in awe as his son grips his finger.

"How old are they? Who else knows about them? Does anyone know I'm their father? Did you know you were pregnant before I left? Why didn't you tell me?!" He rushes out multiple questions in one breath, causing Padme to laugh quietly.

"They just turned one month old yesterday. Most people know about them, It became impossible to hide the fact that I was pregnant after a certain point! I haven't told anyone that you're their father, but some Council members have given me knowing looks ever since I could no longer hide the pregnancy. I'm almost certain Master Yoda knows... And no, of course I didn't know before you left! I would never keep this from you, Ani."

He frowns slightly at the mention of Yoda knowing, he's long suspected that Master Yoda was all-knowing. "Well, that should be an interesting conversation with the council I'm sure." He remarked with a slight chuckle.

"What if they say you can no longer be a Jedi?" Padme asked worryingly. "I don't want to be the reason you lose everything!"

"Padme," he replied soothingly, "you're my everything! You and our children are the most important things in this whole galaxy and nothing will ever be more important than our family! If the Jedi Council wish to end my training, so be it. I would give up everything for this right here," he told her as he gestured between the four of them.

"I'm so glad you're home, Ani, we've missed you so very much." Padme told him, relaxing against him. And for the first time in months, Anakin felt truly content and peaceful. He was finally home and it was so much more than he had ever dreamed of, he could barely believe his good fortune. As he stood there pondering how a former slave boy from Tatooine had managed to get so lucky, Leia opened her eyes and stared up at him. They locked eyes for just a moment before he let out a gasp.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing is wrong, Padme. Our children... the force is incredibly strong with them, I can feel it already. They're going to be incredibly gifted."

"Well that's not a surprise," she said with a smirk, "look at their amazing father after all!"

"You're quite wonderful yourself, my love." He responded, kissing her softly.

Before they could get lost in their kiss, Leia gurgled bringing their attention back to the twins. Luke was content to lay in his mother's arms, making quiet little noises and occasionally gripping Anakin's finger, as if to make sure he was still there. Leia though, if Anakin didn't know any better, he'd say she wore a look of stubborn determination, letting her father know she didn't appreciate being ignored! He laughed to himself, already imagining how much she was going to take after her mother when she got older.

"Daddy is sorry little princess, I didn't mean to offend you, darling!" He tells her, placing kisses on both her cheeks. She seems happy with this, cooing softly. "How about you, me, mommy and Luke go lay down together?" He says to her as he gently nudges Padme towards their bed. "Come, love, I have a feeling things are going to get quite interesting around here very soon, but for now let's just rest with our children."

The end... for now?!