Chapter Thirteen: Luke and Leia
Padme entered the apartment quietly, looking around for Anakin. She knew he was there- and sure enough, she found him sprawled out on the bed, still clothed in his Jedi garb. Slowly she laid down next to him, staring into his face. He looked so peaceful when he slept- that is, when his sleep was free from nightmares.
He opened his eyes and looked at her. "I failed."
Those two little words were said with so much anguish, tears filled her eyes. "I know."
"Who told you? If it was Obi-Wan, I'll kill him," Anakin spat out the words, then recoiled once he'd said them. She put a hand on the side of his face.
"Obi-Wan is still on Dantooine, Ani."
"Oh." He blinked. "I can't believe I failed. How can I face him?"
"Anakin, Obi-Wan knows what a good Jedi you are, and will be someday. You will move on."
"No. That's not what I meant. He was right about me. I wasn't ready." He looked away, red faced suddenly. "But I *was*, Padme!"
She knew she should tell him of the review. But she couldn't bring herself to tell the angry and disappointed man before her that the Jedi were being questioned. It would only make him angrier.
He spoke before she could. "I don't want to talk about this. You may argue that there's no use pretending, but for tonight, can we just be Padme and Anakin?" He placed a tentative hand on her stomach. "We haven't even talked about names."
"What do you think, Ani?" she replied, content to play his game.
"Luke for a boy," he answered immediately.
She smiled. "Why Luke? It's an unusual name."
Anakin's eyes got that faraway look to them and she knew he was remembering. "He was a deep-space pilot. He came into Watto's shop about a year before you did. He was the one who told me about angels," he said, and they shared a secret smile. "He was also the one who told me about Jedi Knights, and the Republic. He gave me all my hopes and dreams." He looked lost in thought for a moment, then asked, "And what about you?"
"I like Leia for a girl." Anakin arched his eyebrows, an unspoken question in his eyes. "She was a former senator. She was older than I was, about twenty two when I met her. She taught me so much, about politics… and life. After I was elected queen, she moved back to Coruscant to work with the Senate." A grin lightened Padme's features. "She met Bail Organa here, and they fell in love. It was like a fairy tale."
Anakin frowned. "I didn't know Bail was married."
The grin disappeared from Padme's face. "He isn't. She died about three years ago. I promised myself then if we were ever blessed with a daughter, she would be called Leia."
"Leia or Luke then. I like them." Anakin smiled, his hand still on Padme's stomach. There was a gentle swelling there and he could feel the child's life force, strong, pulsating, a golden glow in the Force. He closed his eyes, blocking out sadness and pain, and was perfectly content.
Padme entered the apartment quietly, looking around for Anakin. She knew he was there- and sure enough, she found him sprawled out on the bed, still clothed in his Jedi garb. Slowly she laid down next to him, staring into his face. He looked so peaceful when he slept- that is, when his sleep was free from nightmares.
He opened his eyes and looked at her. "I failed."
Those two little words were said with so much anguish, tears filled her eyes. "I know."
"Who told you? If it was Obi-Wan, I'll kill him," Anakin spat out the words, then recoiled once he'd said them. She put a hand on the side of his face.
"Obi-Wan is still on Dantooine, Ani."
"Oh." He blinked. "I can't believe I failed. How can I face him?"
"Anakin, Obi-Wan knows what a good Jedi you are, and will be someday. You will move on."
"No. That's not what I meant. He was right about me. I wasn't ready." He looked away, red faced suddenly. "But I *was*, Padme!"
She knew she should tell him of the review. But she couldn't bring herself to tell the angry and disappointed man before her that the Jedi were being questioned. It would only make him angrier.
He spoke before she could. "I don't want to talk about this. You may argue that there's no use pretending, but for tonight, can we just be Padme and Anakin?" He placed a tentative hand on her stomach. "We haven't even talked about names."
"What do you think, Ani?" she replied, content to play his game.
"Luke for a boy," he answered immediately.
She smiled. "Why Luke? It's an unusual name."
Anakin's eyes got that faraway look to them and she knew he was remembering. "He was a deep-space pilot. He came into Watto's shop about a year before you did. He was the one who told me about angels," he said, and they shared a secret smile. "He was also the one who told me about Jedi Knights, and the Republic. He gave me all my hopes and dreams." He looked lost in thought for a moment, then asked, "And what about you?"
"I like Leia for a girl." Anakin arched his eyebrows, an unspoken question in his eyes. "She was a former senator. She was older than I was, about twenty two when I met her. She taught me so much, about politics… and life. After I was elected queen, she moved back to Coruscant to work with the Senate." A grin lightened Padme's features. "She met Bail Organa here, and they fell in love. It was like a fairy tale."
Anakin frowned. "I didn't know Bail was married."
The grin disappeared from Padme's face. "He isn't. She died about three years ago. I promised myself then if we were ever blessed with a daughter, she would be called Leia."
"Leia or Luke then. I like them." Anakin smiled, his hand still on Padme's stomach. There was a gentle swelling there and he could feel the child's life force, strong, pulsating, a golden glow in the Force. He closed his eyes, blocking out sadness and pain, and was perfectly content.