The Rocker Chair
Chapter 7
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Hours later, they lay together, just enjoying each other's warmth. Anakin stroked her hair tenderly, a look of consternation on his face.
"What on earth possessed you love?" he asked, concern evident in his voice. "Even in the best of times that wasn't exactly the safest, or smartest thing you've ever done..." He immediately regretted his last statement, and would have given anything to take it back.
"You don't think I can take care of myself Skywalker?" she sat up suddenly, poking his chest lightly but firmly. "Do you really think after all of these years in politics and multiple attempts on my life that I would be as foolish as to NOT be prepared? Dorme was following behind inn a speeder just to make sure..."
Anakin took her hand and began kissing her fingers as she had done earlier. "I'm sorry beloved," he began quietly, a small smile on his lips. His expression quickly became one of concern when he saw her wince as she started to get up.
"Padmé?" he pleaded softly, unsure.
"It's alright," she gave him a smile that quickly faded to a grimace.
"The... the baby?" Anakin's voice trembled a little. Force this was so difficult!
"Your son," she chastised him gently. "He gets, well, 'fidgety' for want of a better word. I have to move about to calm him down." She reached down to the floor, picked up Anakin's shirt and slipped it over her head. "Cold..." she sighed.
"Excuse me, milady!" Anakin chuckled, pulling on his trousers. "We've had this conversation before, a Jedi's cloths are not..."
She leaned over and kissed his nose. "Would you rather I wear one of those regular 'outside' dresses? All bulky and ceremonial... Besides, this is just as handy." Anakin just shook his head, still chuckling. He suddenly stopped, all seriousness again.
"Wait," he said softly. "Close your eyes..."
"Ani, I can't sit still..." she protested a little anxiously.
"Trust me, just for a moment." Anakin walked over to the rocker chair that had been shoved into the corner and covered with his discarded clothing. He uncovered it and carefully pulled it into a better light.
"Eyes still closed?" he asked, and Padmé sighed but nodded in agreement. He walked over to her and covered her eyes, then led her over to the middle of the room. Slowly, he lowered his hands and wrapped his arms around her chest from behind.
"Ok," he whispered. "You can look now..."
Padmé opened her eyes and gasped, speechless. He had always been either tinkering with small electrical parts, or shaping small pieces of wood. Always busy with something. She knew that Anakin had many skills, even for a Jedi, but this...
"Oh... Ani..." she breathed at last. "It's beautiful..." She turned to him, eyes wide. "This is what... where..." she couldn't finish her train of thought. She looked deeply into his sleepy blue eyes, and he smiled.
"Do you like it?" he asked her quietly.
Padmé kissed him tenderly. "Oh beloved, it's beautiful. How did you get the..." She trailed off, embarrassed.
Anakin only chuckled softly. "No need to worry dear heart. Nothing illegal... a few late night requisitions, traded for some other... Ok, perhaps not completely above board but nothing to be too concerned over. Unless you don't want it..." he arched his eyebrows playfully and she made as if to poke him in the chest in anger.
Padmé turned to look at the rocker chair again, taking in all of the intricacies. The woods themselves were of different hues, reflecting both their different ages and origins. Everything was placed together in such a way that the over all effect was that of a homey piece, made more for utility as apposed to aesthic purposes but there was one minor exception. On the back of the chair, a small pair of wings were intricately engraved and inlaid with a pearlesent material, and in Aurebesh, the word "Angel" underneath.
"Sit," he entreated her, leading her over to the rocker.
"Would it hold both of us" she whispered, a teasing lilt to her voice, and as if to demonstrate, Anakin sat down and pulled her into his lap.
"Satisfied?" he nuzzled her ear and chuckled again. Slowly but surely, with Padmé securely in his lap, he began to rock. She put her arms around his neck and sighed contentedly. Anakin supported her back with one arm, keeping the other on the side of the chair, and after a moment, he began to sing, very softly.
"Sleep and rest, sleep and rest,
Father will come to thee soon;
Sleep my little one,
Sleep my pretty one,
Sleep."
While he was singing he felt Padmé relaxing into his embrace, the tension leaving her body. She used her free hand to lightly stroke his chest and Anakin, in the meantime, perhaps not even being aware that he was doing it, slowly moved his hand from the arm of the chair. At long last, he gently started stroking Padmé's slightly swollen belly.
"Hello little one, I'm your father..."
Finis
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For those who like to know such things, the song that Anakin is singing is one I remembered from my own childhood of long ago. It's called "Sweet and Low" and was written by Alfred Lord Tennyson with the lovely music by Joseph Barnby. It's still available... ;)