Sorry for the late update. My goal was to have this chapter finished by Friday, because I was going camping this weekend. Clearly, that didn't happen, but I will try to keep up with my updates this week.
Padme looked at Anakin through the window on Polis Massa in the medical center. She saw him laying down on the medical table with his shirt off as the medical droid attached a new mechanical prosthetic arm.
She bit her lip and grabbed onto her necklace as she watched her love writher in pain. The more she looked at him the more she hated Palpatine. How could one man cause such a life time of pain for Anakin? It wasn't fair. Anakin is so young and has dealt with more pain and heartache than anyone she knew.
She saw his face turn over to her and he tried smiling at her, but it didn't look like his actually smile or even his cocky smile. She could tell he was trying to get her to not worry about him. He was trying to say that he was going to be okay.
She placed her hand on the glass and smiled slightly back at him.
"Padme, you really should get yourself checked out." Obi-wan walked over to her and she saw the worried expression on his face.
"I don't want to leave him again." Padme softly said not taking her eyes off of Anakin.
"What about the baby?" Obi-wan said as her hands and eyes slowly moved down to her stomach. "He is going to fine. I can stay here and make sure he is okay."
Padme knew he was right and she would never forgive herself if something was wrong with the baby. "You're right. Thank you." She said walking past him.
Anakin watched Padme leave and saw Obi-wan looking at him. He slowly turned his head and looked up as the droid finished attaching his new arm. He could feel the tiny needles going into his arm making sure his nerves and senses were alright. It hurt, but he didn't think anything would be as painful as getting his hand cut off. He shut his eyes, hoping to relax and meditate, while they finished this up.
Anakin woke up and looked around, confused of where he was at. He must have actually fallen asleep. He sighed, until he felt something move. He looked over and saw brown curls sprawled out everywhere. He couldn't even see a face behind all those curls.
He moved her curls back, so he could look at her face. It was so peaceful and beautiful. It almost made you think nothing bad could happen in this galaxy. That was until you looked at the gold, cold, metal hand that touch those curls.
He clenched his fist, having another reason to hate Palpatine. He would make him pay for this. He was sure about that.
All I want is your love, Anakin, and our family.
You're pregnant? We're gonna have a baby?
The baby. That's right. Somehow he forget, before all this bullshit happened, she was telling him wonderful news. The happiness news he has ever heard. He was going to be father. They were going to be a family.
He looked back at her sleeping face. I wonder what he/she will look like. I hope they have Padme's eyes and her curls. Her laugh and her determination. Her ability to see the good in all and that fact she will stop at nothing to help those in need. In truth, he hoped the baby had all of Padme's qualities and none of his. He had nothing good to offer anyone. He was arrogant and moody. His temper always seemed to get the best of him. For most of his life, he caused pain in so many. He had nothing good to offer anyone, let alone traits to pass onto a baby.
Padme slowly opened her eyes and saw Anakin looking at her. She slowly smiled, before seeing how upset he looked.
"What's wrong?" She quietly asked distracting Anakin from his thoughts.
"Nothing. Nothing is wrong, my angel." He told her as he moved his hand to brush the side of her face, only to stop, seeing the gold metal thing again. He turn away in anger.
"Ani." Padme sat up and looked at him. "Stop." She grabbed the prosthetic hand and moved it to her face. Feeling the cold metal on her skin. She kissed even fingertip, until he slowly looked over at her. "Can you feel that?"
He looked at her warm eyes so full of love. How can she always manage to do this to me? He slowly nodded his head as she moved the hand back to her face and he cupped her cheek, brushing his finger softly against her, afraid to hurt her.
"Then I see no issue in this that you can't conquer." Padme smiled.
Anakin shook his head. "How?"
"How what?" She asked confused.
"How did someone like you manage to fall in love with this mess of a person?" Anakin looked into her eyes as she laughed softly.
"You know I asked myself that in the beginning of this. I thought maybe my mother's and my sister's words where finally getting into my head, about me needing to settle down and how I was wasting my life and my prime years away. Then you came along and you were definitely attractive there was no denying that. "She chuckled slightly seeing his signature smirk. "Then I realized I wasn't just attractive to you, I cared about you and I loved you. There was no one else I wanted to be with. You are reckless and stubborn. Your temper and your anger sometimes get the best of you."
"Alright I get the picture." Anakin rolled his eyes, not knowing where she was going with this.
"Behind all that, you are caring and brave. You care and feel so deeply that it makes you not think sometimes. I never would have thought I could love someone this much until I met you. You turned this cold Senator warm. You made me see there was more to life than just working, no matter how passionate I am about it. You showed me I can relax and have fun. Behind that arrogant mask you put on, you are sweet and kind and gentle. You are good, Anakin, even if you don't want to believe it." She paused as he took everything in. "But honestly you're attractiveness was definitely the deal break. That and how good of a lover you are." She joked as Anakin laughed.
"Is that so?" Anakin moved his hands around her waist lifting her into the bed with him, listening to the sound of her laugher as it somehow took away all the pain and sadness in his life. He felt her settle in against him and he knew there was no one else he wanted, but her. "Marry me."
"I'm sorry." She said turning her body around, almost falling off the small medical bed.
"Marry me. Padme, you are literally everything I have ever wanted, that I have ever needed. The happiness you have brought into my life in just a short amount of time, is unreal to me." He watched as her mouth fell open slightly and she just looked at him.
Well shit. There my big mouth goes again, ruining everything.
"You know. I'm sorry. "He ran his fingers through his hair. "I must still be in shock over everything. I don't-"
"Yes." She interrupted him.
"I'm sorry. Did you say yes?" He looked at her as her smile grew wide and she bit her lip.
"Anakin Skywalker, I am saying yes to marrying you." She answered enjoying the smile on his face.
Anakin looked away and then back at her being cupping her face and placing multiple kisses on her lips. "Holy shit. Why would you do that to me?"
"I'm sorry. It was just unexpected." She laughed. "But, Ani, there is no doubt in my mind about my feelings towards you. I want this. I want us." She grabbed both his hands and moved them to her stomach.
"I love you so much, Padme." Anakin said looking at her stomach, imagining a little baby in there.
"I love you, Ani." She rested her head against him, feeling his warmth and listening to his heart beat.
"Master!" Ahsoka said running over to Obi-wan. "Is it true? Padme and Anakin are leaving after we return to Hoth?" She such with disbelief in her voice.
"I'm afraid so. They are going to return and inform everyone of this weapon the Empire is planning and then they are leaving." Obi-wan frown slightly.
"They can't do that. Padme helped formed this whole rebellion and we can't do this without Anakin." Ahsoka eyes grew wide in frustration.
"We can't force them to do anything. It is their choice." Obi-wan told her.
"Well they are wrong!" Ahsoka turned around needing to find them. She needed to convince them and show them just how wrong they were.
She walked into Anakin's room and saw Padme in there packing a few things. She looked up and smiled.
She opened her mouth to speak, but Ahsoka cut her off. "How can you just leave the rebellion?!" She saw Padme's smile fall into a thin line. "After how far we have come? Don't you see how needed you and Anakin are?"
"Ahsoka, it's more complicated than you think." Padme said looking away as her hands moved to her stomach.
"Don't you want your baby to grow up in a better world than this? I feel the conflict in you. You don't want to do this." Ahsoka told her hearing her voice rising.
"Ahsoka, in my current state, it's not like I'm going to be too much help and Anakin was never a part of the rebellion. He told me he never wanted to fight a war." Padme told her.
"You and I both know, if you asked he would fight alongside us. You thought you lost him once and are afraid to lose him again." Ahsoka watched as Padme's mouth fell open. "I thought you were one to never put your feels before your duty, but that is what you are doing right now."
"Is there an issue here?" They both looked over and saw Anakin standing in the doorway with his arms crossed. They both noticed a black glove was covering his prosthetic arm.
"No. No. Nothing is wrong. We are just getting ready to leave." Padme put on a fake smile and walked past Anakin leaving just Ahsoka and him.
Ahsoka words kept replaying in her head and she knew she was right. Padme knew she was being selfish, but she spent her whole life caring for others, it was her turn now.
Anakin looked at her. "Is that true snips?"
"How can you leave us, when we need you most?" Ahsoka blurted out. "You are the chosen one. You are the one that is supposed to defeat Palpatine and bring balance to the force."
Anakin looked at her not sure of what to say. He thought about his night with Padme, about the family they were going to be starting. He was finally going to have the life he wanted and he didn't want to lose that.
He didn't want to tell Ahsoka the real reason, was he was afraid. He didn't even tell Padme that. He didn't want to miss their child growing up. He didn't want his child to grow up without a father, like he did. He almost died at the hands of Palpatine once, he wasn't sure if he was strong enough to survive again.
"Not all prophecies are true and you all will be better off without me anyways." Anakin softly said.
Ahsoka looked at him and shook her head, before pushing past him and walking down the hall.
Anakin looked down at his hand, before sighing. This was going to be a long, awkward trip to Hoth.