Anakin quickly made his way to the gymnasium to join his family. There he saw Luke and Leia warming up with Padmé by running in a circle. They had all clearly trained into clothes more suitable for training, and Anakin could not help but admire how good his wife managed to look in exercise gear.

"Daddy, we are all ready to do some training", Luke said as he and Leia did a couple of stretches alongside their mother.

"Great. I am very excited to see what you two can do", Anakin commented.

"Are we going to be fighting each other?", Leia asked curiously.

"No. As you have real lightsaber's I cannot risk one of you striking the other by mistake. And believe me, being struck by a saber is very painful. If you want to use your saber's, you can practice on a droid or posts I have here in the gym", Anakin stated.

Padmé smiled at her husband's instruction, noting how his first priority was the twin's safety.

"But first I thought what would be good to do is practice some defence moves. So deflecting blaster shots", Anakin commented.

"Obi-Wan always says to us, defence is the best attack", Luke said, reciting the words he knew all too well.

"Ahh yes indeed, Obi-Wan would say that. I never really took that approach. I was much more attack is the best attack", Anakin stated with a smile.

"That's a shock", Padmé replied quickly. The twins laughed at her response as Anakin turned to his wife, admiring her chosen attire for the session. Padmé saw him gaze at her but did not say anything.

"So, I am going to show you how to deflect some shots, and then you are going to practice. So Padmé, if you don't mind will you do the honours", he stated, as he called a blaster to his hand and gestured for his wife to take it. Padmé looked at her husband shocked and confused as he added, "Your mother was always an excellent shot. This will be good practice for both of us".

"Are you sure Anakin?", Padmé asked.

"Absolutely.", he replied. He then looked to Luke and Leia and said "Obi-Wan is right that you need to always be able to defend yourselves. What I want you to start practising is learning how to predict when a shot is going to come and from where, by feeling it in the force", Anakin instructed.

"I will not shoot at the twins", Padmé said strongly, "What if I hit them?".

Anakin smiled and said, "You didn't express that kind of concern when I asked you to shoot at me. And don't worry, I have a training droid the twins can use, they are soft pellets that will bounce off them if it was to hit them".

"Okay", Padmé said reassured.

"But yes, I want you to aim to hit me Padmé", he replied confidently as he reached for his saber on the hilt of his belt. He took it out and ignited it, the blue kyber crystal shining brightly through the length of the saber. Padmé was surprised to see Anakin ignite a blue saber, and smiled fondly, seeing the man stood in front of her was Anakin Skywalker.

"Go on mum, get him", Leia said, as Padmé moved to stand far enough away from Anakin to not be point-blank, but close enough that she had a good aim.

"I want you two to go and stand behind the glass guard there. If a blaster shot is to deflect, I do not want it to hit either of you. But I want you to watch what I do, and also concentrate on your mother and see if you can feel through the force and predict what she is going to do", Anakin instructed.

The twins moved over to behind the shielding as Anakin nodded at his wife. Padmé raised the blaster in her arm and closed one eye, aiming for her husband shoulder. She was anxious about hitting him, but she also knew that Anakin had deflected a lot worse than a single blaster shot. Padmé aimed and pulled the trigger. Almost instantly Anakin moved to deflect the shot, bringing his sabre in front of his body to block it.

"Again Padmé. But try and hit me this time", Anakin said as he remained in his fight stance and winked at his wife.

Padmé stood ready to fire again, and aimed several times, moving position and area she targeted on her husbands' body. Once again Anakin effortlessly deflected the shots, ensuring he aimed them away from Padmé. He then stood down and turned to the twins.

"Wow dad, that was amazing", Luke said.

"Yes, and mum you are a good shooter. I think normally you would have hit him lots", Leia said, wanting to make her mum feel better.

Anakin smiled as he placed his saber back on his belt and said, "Right, now I want you two to try something with a practice droid". He walked over to the storage section of the gym and brought out a small training droid.

The twins walked over to join their father. He crouched down to their level and said, "This droid is going to shoot out small rubber pellets that will simulate blaster shots. They will not fire out as quickly so you will have more time. I want you to try it one at a time, so you don't interfere with one another's concentration. Luke you first", Anakin said. He leaned down to the droid and programmed in a timed session.

"I want you to concentrate on the droid and feel through the force as you felt me do. It will take practice, but I am confident you can both do it", Anakin added. He then stepped back from the droid and moved to let Luke be near the droid. Leia stood next to him as they watched Luke prepare for the session to start.

The droid started making beeping noises and fired its first pellet. Despite it not being anywhere near as fast as a blaster shot, Luke was not prepared but managed to dodge it by moving. Anakin watched his son and said, "Stay calm Luke and focus, feel it through the force".

Luke refocused himself and gripped his saber tighter as he focused on his force connection. When the next pellet was fired, Luke moved his saber in front of his chest to block it.

"Well done son", Anakin replied cheerfully. "Now do that again", he stated.

Padmé stood back and watched as her son deflected the next few pellets, as well as bravely taking one to the leg, but persevering. She couldn't believe how much he resembled his father and smiled at the fact. He will be an incredible Jedi one day, Padmé thought to herself. The session ended moments later and Luke was applauded by his family.

"Wow Luke you looked so cool", Leia said to her brother admiringly.

"Thanks, sis", Luke said with a proud smile on his face as he detracted his saber.

"Leia your turn", Anakin stated. "So, concentrate on the droid and your connection to the force will guide your movements to deflect the shots", he instructed again to his daughter.

"Got it daddy", Leia said, as she swallowed her worries and ignited her saber. Anakin stood back a few feet after instructing the droid to repeat the session. The first shot hit Leia, but she brushed it off to refocus.

"That's good Leia, focus on your feeling through the force", her father instructed again. The next two pellets were released in quick succession and Leia managed to deflect the first with her saber and dodge the second. "Well done Leia", her father complimented. She smiled at her father's and continued to work to deflect the next few pellets, before being hit on the arm. Like her brother, she persevered until the end of the session, before turning her saber off too.

"That was excellent Leia well done", Anakin stated, as he moved to turn the droid off.

He then gestured for both twins to come to him as he said, "You both did incredibly well. I cannot remember ever doing that well on my first try. You are both very intuitive. You must continue to practice, but as you master your skills you will find it comes naturally to you", he said with a smile.

Padmé watched her husband and children from several metres away, admiring the way Anakin so effortlessly taught his children, balancing the level of serious instruction and praise. She had also been blown away by her children's abilities; they truly were their fathers' children.

"The one day we will be able to do what you showed us dad", Luke said excitedly.

Anakin smiled and said, "Yes indeed".

"I bet you can do much more than that father", Leia stated.

Anakin looked up to his wife and said, "Whilst your mother is an excellent shot, I have to admit I have fought against greater challenges. But that was a demonstration to help you understand, so it couldn't be too complex", he added.

As Padmé walked over to join her children she said, "You both did so well, I am so proud of you both. And not because you managed to deflect some of them, but because you carried on even when you got hit. You didn't give up, and that is such a wonderful trait, don't ever lose that", she said as she touched each of her children's cheeks softly.

"Your mother is right. Being a Jedi is so much more than being able to fight, it is about never giving up in the fight for peace and justice. We are the people's soldiers", he stated proudly.

"So cool", Luke said, still trying to process what he and Leia had learnt.

"Right you two, I think you both need a bath, and then maybe you can relax and watch something on the Holonet before dinner", Padmé instructed to her children.

"Yes mum", the twins replied in unison.

"Go up and I will meet you in the bathroom. I'm just going to help your dad tidy up", Padmé stated.

"Okay mum", they replied, as they turned and left the gymnasium.

Anakin ran his human hand through his hair and said, "They did incredibly, didn't they. I wish I had been that in tune with the force at that age".

"Indeed, they are such talented and wonderful children Anakin", Padmé replied with a soft smile as she reached to pick up the twins' jackets, they had discarded during their warm-up. As she was bent over, she felt an arm wrap around her waist and turn her around.

Anakin smiled at his wife as he turned her to face him and said, "And you, my dear wife, are an excellent shot".

"Do you think so?", she asked. "I don't think I'm as good as I used to be, I'm a little out of practice", she stated.

"I think had you been facing anyone but a Jedi, you would have taken them out after the first shot. Do you know how sexy it is that on top of everything else you are a terrific shot", Anakin asked lustfully.

"Well, I am still happy I didn't hit you Anakin. And despite what you say about my shot, we know that that set up was not even enough to even challenge you", she stated with a raised eyebrow.

"Perhaps. But I was incredibly distracted", Anakin replied bringing his face closer to his wives.

"Distracted how?", Padmé asked curiously.

"By you. This training outfit certainly flatters all the right places. I could not keep my eyes off you. I was at a significant disadvantage, it is a disadvantage that no one else can give me", Anakin replied.

"Ahh, I see. So, had I shot you it would have been my fault?", she asked seductively, knowing what game he was playing.

"Absolutely", Anakin replied, leaning in to kiss his wife.

He was stopped by Padmé placing a finger on his lips before they touched hers and whispered, "I will just have to try and distract you a little more next time then". She then turned around and exited the gym, leaving Anakin in awe of her intoxicating presence.

Padmé couldn't help but smile to herself as she walked towards the main bathroom. Luke and Leia were stood in their towels waiting for their mother as she instructed. Padmé started to run the bath, checking it for temperature, before the children got in and started to wash off.

"Daddy was so awesome wasn't he mum", Luke said excitedly.

"Yes, Luke. Your father is very gifted with the force, as are both of you", she said, as she helped Leia wash her long hair.

"I want to be like him when I grow up. Strong and brave", Luke replied.

"Don't be in a rush to grow up Luke. Make the most of being a child. That is something me and your father did not get to enjoy properly. I was the Queen when I was 14, and your father spent his younger life as a slave and then as a Jedi Padawan", Padmé told her children.

"Yes mum, we will. We are so lucky to have you and daddy and Obi-Wan. And now we can be a family all together like I always dreamed", Leia said with a beaming smile on her face.

Her children's words made her smile, mesmerised by their purity. As Padmé was distracted by her children's words, Luke and Leia saw their father in the doorway. He placed his finger on his lip to signal them to not say anything as he crept up behind Padmé. Before she could react, Anakin came up behind Padmé and lifted her off the floor and shouted, "Bath time for mummy". Despite Padmé's protests, he placed Padmé in the large bath with Luke and Leia who were bursting with laughter.

"You will pay for that Anakin Skywalker", Padmé said, looking at her husband who was also in fits of laughter. "Get him", Padmé said, as she started to splash the water out of the bath towards her husband.

"Hey, not fair, three against one", Anakin replied as streams of water were thrown on him by his family.

When nearly half the contents of the bath were on the floor, Padmé stepped out of the bath to face her husband. She could tell her was trying to hold in a large smile and was failing miserably. "Happy now", he asked as he too stood drenched in front of her. Padmé bit her lip and replied, "No", also trying to fight her urge to burst out laughing, as they both stood in front of one another dripping wet.

Wanting to make up for his mischievous actions Anakin said, "You go and dry off my love and I will take care of the twins".

"Yay, daddy", the twins replied to his statement.

"So be it", Padmé replied bluntly as she walked in her soaked clothes towards her bedroom. Once she was out of sight Padmé couldn't help but laugh. In the years she had believed Anakin to be dead she could never have imagined such a pure moment with her family where they were all laughing uncontrollably. It was such a beautiful moment and she knew it was just the start of the memories they could make as a family. But Padmé knew there was a lot that needed to happen before they could do so, the Emperor needed to be killed, and that was not a simple feat.

"That was so funny dad. The look on mums face when you threw her in the bath", Leia said to her dad as he dried them both off.

"Yes, it was very funny", Anakin replied with a smile.

"You need to get dry too daddy", Luke stated.

"Yes, I do. I will get you two dry first and then you can go and ask Geeta if she needs any help in the kitchen", he replied.

Anakin finished drying the twins off and helped them get dressed into their pyjamas. He helped Leia brush her long hair, which reminded him a lot of Padmé, before sending them down to the kitchen. He then stayed to clean up the mess in the bathroom, using lots of towels to clear up all the water on the floor. Once he had finished, he headed towards his bed chambers, unable to contain a smile. In the years he had believed Padmé was dead he could never have imagined such a pure moment with his family. He hoped that was the start of many more memories they would make together as a family. But he could not continue to live in this tainted reality, he knew he had to destroy the Emperor. His family could not live in peace until the Emperor was dead.

As Anakin entered his bed chambers, he saw his wife sat on the edge of their bed, towel drying her hair. "Am I allowed to come in?", Anakin asked, testing the water jokingly with his wife, following her half-hearted attempt to appear to be angry at him.

Padmé turned to her husband and replied, "That depends, are you going to throw me in the bath again?".

"No, I promise. I have no further intentions to surprise you … today", Anakin added for good measure.

Padmé smiled at her husband as she finished drying her hair and let it fall in its natural curls down her body. The evening light shone through the window softly, the light-catching perfectly on his wife's soft skin. He couldn't resist walking up to his wife and caressing her face with his hand. "I'm sorry for my tricks", he stated with a smile. "But it was beautiful to have that moment with the children, to see them laughing and you laughing. You always had a wonderful laugh", he replied softly.

Padmé smiled at him and said, "Yes, I agree it was lovely to see the children laugh.". She slowly reached out to help Anakin remove his wet t-shirt, revealing his well-done abdominals. She ran her hand down his chest softly. Knowing she had him right where she wanted him, she whispered in his ear and said, "And as I said, you will pay Anakin Skywalker". She then departed the room swiftly, leaving her husband burning with desire. He smiled at the courage of her action, as he quickly stepped in the shower and got changed ready for dinner.

As Padmé walked down to the kitchen, she felt proud. She had shown her husband she had the upper hand, and it was nice to feel like the powerful one in the relationship. Anakin had always been able to make her feel weak at the knees, but she also knew the power she could have over him, and now that they were back in each other's lives the feelings they had for one another and the chemistry they shared, was stronger than ever.

"Good evening Padmé", Obi-Wan said warmly as Padmé arrived in the kitchen. The twins were sat at the table helping Geeta finish preparations for dinner.

"Where's daddy?", Leia asked her mother.

"He needed to shower and get changed. We definitely won the water fight", Padmé told her children with a smile.

"Yeah, that was so fun mum", Luke said with a smile.

"Thanks for the help you two, I think we are nearly done. Shall I set the table?", Geeta asked, unsure when Master Anakin would be arriving.

"Yes, please thank you, Geeta. Anakin won't be long", she replied with a smile.

"I am very quick where food is concerned", Anakin stated as he walked into the kitchen in trousers and a black top.

"Yay, now we can eat", Luke exclaimed as they all walked over to sit at the dining table. Once all the food had been put out, Geeta left the family in privacy to eat.

"The twins have informed me about their excellent training session. You taught them some deflections with a droid", Obi-Wan said to Anakin.

"Yes, I did. They did excellently. Truly a testament to your excellent teaching Master. Yet another Skywalker you have successfully instructed", he stated with a smile.

"It is a great challenge, trust me", he replied.

"Daddy showed us what to do first. And he got mum to shoot at him with a real blaster. And he just hit them back like boom boom", Luke said, mimicking the actions of his father as he spoke.

"That is indeed very impressive Luke. He must be brave to do that, because from what I have been told your mother is a great shot", Obi-Wan commented.

"See it isn't just me who believes this", Anakin stated, looking at his wife.

"It was part of basic training as Queen. I really enjoyed it so continued to train during my time as Senator. It was always reassuring to know I could defend myself, even though I usually had so much security", Padmé stated.

"That's how you and daddy fell in love, isn't it mummy?", Leia asked her mother, remembering the story.

"Yes, Leia. Your father was assigned to protect me by the Jedi. We spent a lot of time together, and we were unable to deny the feelings we had for one another", she recalled. Anakin took her hand in his and smiled at the story. It filled him with happiness to hear how Padmé had told the children stories about them, despite believing he was dead.

The dinner continued as the family exchanged small talk, with the twins occupying most of the conversations as usual. The conversation turned to the topic of Padmé and Anakin's imminent departure.

"Might I ask when you are leaving tomorrow?", Obi-Wan asked.

"We will need to leave early in the morning if we are to arrive back on Coruscant by nightfall. We must return to the Senate and resume our duties. I do not think our disappearance will have been noticed for two days. It is very common for senators to be off-world for weeks and months at a time when the Senate is not in session. As for Vader, I can go days without seeing the Emperor. He only usually wants to see me when he needs something from me or when I have disappointed him and he wishes to punish me", Anakin stated bluntly.

Obi-Wan paused for a moment and replied, "Well we can head back to Naboo tomorrow as well".

"Feel free to stay here as long as you like. Geeta maintains the premises here and you are always welcome. You are family", Anakin stated with a smile.

"That is very kind of you Anakin. I think it is wise we return to Naboo, as the majority of our belongings are there. However, I think this place is very valuable as a meeting point for all of us, and also good to know we have a safe secret location should either of us need to retreat here for whatever reason", the Jedi Master replied.

"That is true", Anakin responded.

As the family finished eating their meal, Padmé and Obi-Wan started to clear up the plates. The twins had stolen Anakin and taken him into the living room to watch something on the Holonet with them. They knew they did not have long let with their father, so wanted to make the most of it.

As Padmé and Obi-Wan finished clearing the table, Obi-Wan says to Padmé, "I have something to give to you. I was unsure when the right time would be, but I cannot see any reason why that time is not now".

Padmé looked at her friend confused and asked, "What is it Obi-Wan?".

The Jedi Master reached not his pocket and took out a small box. Padmé raised an eyebrow still confused. Obi-Wan then handed her the box and said, "I have kept it safe for the last 8 years. I know when Anakin died you gave it to me because it hurt you too much to wear it. But I think now it is time I return it to you".

Padmé took the box and opened it to reveal the japor snippet that Anakin had made her all those years ago. She felt her eyes fill with tears at the sight of her old necklace. Once her and Anakin were married, she had never taken it off. It was a token gesture to their marriage and was the closest thing they could get to wedding bands at the time without anyone realising. She took the necklace out of the box and smiled.

"Thank you, Obi-Wan. Thank you for keeping this safe. It means so much to me", Padmé expressed.

"It is my pleasure Padmé", Obi-Wan replied. "Would you like some help putting it on?", he asked chivalrously.

"Please, thank you Obi-Wan", Padmé said. She turned around as Obi-Wan fastened the necklace at the back. She turned around and kissed Obi-Wan on the cheek as a sign of gratitude. He blushed at her gesture and smiled back.

The pair then walked into the living room and found Anakin, Luke and Leia sound asleep on the large sofa. Anakin had one twin cradled under each arm. Padmé stood in the archway admiring the sweet scene in front of her. Obi-Wan too saw them and whispered to Padmé, "If it is okay with you, I will retire for the night. I will see you in the morning before you depart".

"Of course. Goodnight Obi-Wan", Padmé replied in an equally hushed tone.