CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

A NEW HOPE

"What do you mean?", Padmé asked. Anakin was too shocked to answer.

"We better go inside", Obi-Wan suggested.

A while later, Obi-Wan was sitting on a couch and Anakin was sitting next to Padmé in the living room. Obi-Wan explained to Anakin how he could get his powers back.

"You must go by yourself to a dessert planet in the outer rimm. Your only company will be the spirit of another Jedi, in your case, Qui Gonn. The main idea is for you to survive and reconnect with the Force. That way, your powers will come back with time".

"How long?", Anakin asked curious. Obi-Wan looked at his boots and then up. He gave a long sigh and looked at Anakin.

"A year, maybe longer". Anakin squeezed Padmé's hand. There was a deep silence. "I shall leave you alone now", Obi-Wan said before he left the living room and closed the doors. Anakin and Padmé avoided each other's looks. Finally, she spoke.

"You must go", she whispered without looking at him. Anakin's reaction was fast. He grabbed both her hands and turned to look at her.

"No, I can't leave you, or Leia", he answered quickly.

"Anakin". she looked at him. "You MUST go. We both know that, it's for the best. You haven't been the same since you lost your powers, and I want you to be happy, it would make ME happy if you do this". Anakin wrapped his arms around her and she cuddled in his chest. Anakin sighed.

"This will be dangerous, and harder if I don't have my powers".

"That's why you are going to get them back. Go, Ani. Continue your dream".

*********

Two days later, Anakin was ready to go. If was going to do this, he was going to leave now. The sooner he left, the sooner he would get back. He went inside the ship and took off. He didn't wanted Padmé and his daughter to see him leave, it was painful just to think about it, so he said his goodbyes to them the previous night. Tears rolled down his cheeks. He wouldn't be able to see his children in more than a year. He wasn't going to see Padmé either. He had been in space for five minutes and he already wanted to return home to his wife, but he couldn't do it. He HAD to do this for all the ones he loved, for the entire galaxy, and mostly, for him.

*********

Five months later. . .

Padmé was in the garden cutting some flowers, when she felt dizzy. She felt her stomach turn over and over, and her head was about to explode. She passed out.

Padmé woke up in her bed, with a concern Sabé and Obi-Wan by her side. Sabé was looking at her with wide eyes, and Obi-Wan had a puzzled look.

"What. . . what happened?", Padmé asked.

"You passed out in the garden a couple of hours ago, Obi-Wan found you. We did medical tests to you and. . ." There was a silence.

"What?"

"Padmé, you are pregnant!", Sabé finished. Padmé was confused.

"That's impossible, Ani left five months ago, I would've noticed before, wouldn't I?", she asked.

"You didn't concieved as a normal woman would with another person", Obi-Wan said.

"Then how?", Padmé asked even more confused.

"Midichlorians. You concieved by yourself. That baby you are having has no father", Obi-Wan explained.

"No way, this baby's father is Anakin", she added a little upset.

"No, he's not. You see, this baby is just like Anakin, he has no father and never had one either. You concieved him, you will carry him and you will give birth to the child, just like Anakin's mother did with him", Obi-Wan said trying to calm her down. But that didn't help much. Padmé passed out again.

The following months were strange, specially for Padmé. She was carrying a baby, HER baby and only hers. She couldn't communicate with Anakin, so she couldn't tell him 'the news'. What would Anakin think when he returned? He wouldn't believe her, he would thought that she was unfaithful to him, and he would DEFINITLEY leave her. This couldn't be happening. . .

***********

That very same time, in the outer rimm. . .

Anakin was working hard. He was surviving in the planet by himself, only with Qui Gonn's spirit to guide him and advice him. A year had passed since he started his new training, and the Force was coming back to him. He felt stronger than ever. Now, he had only five months to finish recovering his powers. He couldn't wait to see Padmé.

(A/N: I don't write much about Anakin's journey, because this is an A/A story, so it would be boring)

***********

Padmé's baby was born, and three months old. She was with Shmi, her new baby girl, in her bedroom, trying to sleep. But she couldn't, she was thinking of Anakin. When was he returning? It had been almost a year and a half now, and he hadn't seen or heard of him. She was worried.

What she didn't knew, was that Anakin was walking into the bedroom.

"Padmé", he said with a smile.

"Anakin!", she said sitting up, Shmi in her arms. He turned on the lights and saw Padmé with a baby in her arms. His smile disappeared. The baby couldn't be his, it was too young. He pointed at the baby.

"Who. . . who's baby is that?", he managed to ask. Padmé got up and stood by the bed.

"She's mine". Anakin looked at his boots.

"And who's the father?", he asked almost crying.

"Even if I tell you, you won't believe me", she said sobbing.

"Please answer the question, Padmé", he asked, eyes tightly shut.

"She has no father. I concieved her by my own. It was the midichlorians, just like the way you were concieved". Anakin looked at her. "I understand if you don't believe me and if you want to leave me, Ani. But if you do leave, let me live with Leia, for this baby has no father, and I would be very alone. Please, let me live with Leia, Ani", she said crying, desperate. Anakin walked towards her, with a serious look in his eyes. Padmé thought he was going to hit her.

"How can you even say that, Padmé? You are asking me to let you live with Leia, because this baby doesn't have a father? Well, you are very wrong if you think I'll let you do that", he said upset.

"Please, Ani. . ." Padmé couldn't control herself.

"How can you say this baby has no father, do you think I'm stupid?", Anakin said with a hard tone. "I'm going to be her father, I don't care if she's only yours, I'll be beside you in this". Padmé couldn't believe what she just heard.

"You mean. . . you believe me?", she asked. Anakin smiled at her and wiped her tears.

"Of course I believe you". Padmé smiled. "Now let me hold her", Anakin said taking the baby in his arms, smiling. "Hello you, hi little. . ." He looked at Padmé asking for the name of the baby.

"Shmi". Anakin gave his wife a kind smile.

"Shmi. You know, that's your grandmother's name". Padmé smiled and thanked the Force for having a husband so understanding like Anakin. Anakin rested the baby on his shoulder and rocked her. suddenly, Padmé placed her hand on his arm, making him stop. Anakin looked at her.

"I missed you, Ani", she said. Anakin wrapped his free arm around her.

"I missed you too, honey". He bent down and kissed her. Padmé pulled him closer putting her hand behind his neck. They broke the kiss and Padmé rested her forehead on Anakin's.

"We better take Shmi to the nursery, we have a lot to catch up with, don't you think?", she said in a seductive tone.

"Yep, we better. . .", Anakin smiled.

An hour and a half later. . .

Anakin was holding his wife on bed. They both had wide smile on their faces, like they were dreaming.

"I missed you so much, Anakin. You would never imagine. . .", Padmé said caressing his back. Anakin kissed her bare shoulders and her neck.

"Me too honey. Me too. Specially those nights when I was alone, freezing to death and I didn't have you by my side. Or the times when I was having 'lunch', and I didn't have your cooking to eat". Anakin laughed in the inside for this comment, but he didn't wanted to ruin the moment, he wanted to complement his wife as much as he could.

"Really? I thought you hate my cooking!", she said surprised.

"Are you kidding me? I love your cooking, honey! You are the best cook in. . . in this room!", he teased.

"Gee, thanks a lot, Ani", she said laughing.

"You KNOW I eat your food anyway, so don't complain. . ."

"I've never complained about that, you are the one that keeps bringing up the subject", she said between giggles. Anakin laughed and then looked at her.

"I missed you laugh". Padmé nearly melt in his eyes. "And you girly laughs and giggles too", he added.

"What about you, mister 'wookie chuckles'?"

"'Wookie chuckles'? I have been told I have a very appealing and sexy laugh, m'lady", he said defending himself.

"Oh really, by whom? The mirror?". Anakin tickled her on the ribs. She twisted and fought to stop him, but she couldn't, he was far too strong for her. Specially now that he was twice as powerful as he used to be when he was a Jedi. She decided to stop him by kissing him. Well, that's what I call girl power, because as soon as her lips touched his, he stopped his tickling and kissed her back. Now they were back in "buissness".