Oct 2002
Disclaimer: I don't own any this, all the characters (Except my original) are property of Lucasfilm etc etc.
Hide Your Love Away
Chapter 6
Anakin looked from Owen to Beru and back, "Are you sure?"
Owen smiled slightly, "Do you want our help or not?"
Padmé pulled Beru into a tight hug as Anakin held his hands up in surrender. "Sorry. I just..." he glanced at Beru and his wife, "I know what this will cost you."
Beru pulled away from Padmé and looked at Anakin. "The only thing it will cost, Anakin, is love. I promise you that your children will be loved as long as they are here."
His throat closing, he pulled the small woman into his arms and gently hugged her, "Thank you."
She lifted her head, "No, Anakin. Thank you for this gift."
He released her, turning to where the twins lay in a make-shift cradle of hide. Padmé knelt next to it and ran a hand over the soft down on the heads of the babies. "Mommy loves you," she told them softly before bending down and placing a gentle kiss on each of their foreheads.
Anakin watched her, knowing she was having a hard time letting them go. He stepped up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and lending her his strength. He sent powerful waves of Force to both of the infants, waves of love and reassurance. He encompassed Padmé in his Force wave, letting her feel when Leia and Luke unconsciously returned the feelings through the Force.
They turned, meeting the gaze of Owen and Beru before walking away. Behind them, Beru lifted both of the infants in her arms and watched their parents leave. She nuzzled Luke, inhaling his clean, pure scent before raising her head to look at Owen. He smiled at her when her smile, her look assured him this was the right thing. They stood, examining the twins and taking turns holding each of them as the sound of repulsorlifts activating reached their ears. Shading their eyes, they watched as the spaceship vaulted from the planet towards space.
Padmé curled up in the co-pilot's chair in the cockpit as they jumped to hyper space. She felt empty, barren, as if a piece of her had been removed and lost.
Anakin's arms slid around her and lifted her from the chair, holding her close as he cradled her on his lap. "Cry if you like, Angel," he said softly, stroking her hair, "I won't hold it against you."
"I miss them."
"So do I."
She closed her eyes, resting it against his chest. The reassuring sound of his heartbeat comforted her. "Anakin?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you believe Beru?"
"Don't you?" He tilted her head up to look at her, "She wants children more than any woman I've ever met and she deserves them. By taking care of Luke and Leia she's being given a chance she'd never have. I believe she'll do as she says."
She smiled, "Me too. And Owen?"
Anakin sighed. "He's a tough one. He loves Beru, that's plain. It's only because of her that he agreed to take care of them. He might be stern, but I think he'll care for them as if they were his own."
Padmé smiled, blinking back her tears, "Then I have nothing to be sad about, right?"
"I wouldn't say that."
"Oh?"
He gently caressed her cheek, "They're very young. They're not even a month old yet and it might be a year or more before we can come back. We're going to miss that part of their lives. I'm saddened by it, but when I think about what we're going to do... about what we have to do for them to be able to live with us, as a family, I can accept that sadness and keep going. I love them, as much as I love you, Angel, and because of that I have to leave them behind. It's not too late, you can still go back to them."
She shook her head, kissing him fiercely, briefly, "I'm not letting you do this alone, Skywalker, like it or not I'm with you until this scene plays out."
He chuckled, his lips quirking into his trademark half smile, "I couldn't ask for a better partner." His smile died as he leaned his head back against the headrest, "We're going to have to put all thoughts of them beyond us, Angel."
"How?"
He sighed, "I can build a mental shield, but you'll have to learn how to use it." He cocked his head at her, his gaze assessing, "Think you can learn to master it in a standard week and a half?"
She nodded. "We have nothing else we can do, you might as well begin preparing me for our confrontation with Palpatine."
He hugged her before putting her back on her feet. "Come then, we'd better get started."
Disclaimer: I don't own any this, all the characters (Except my original) are property of Lucasfilm etc etc.
Hide Your Love Away
Chapter 6
Anakin looked from Owen to Beru and back, "Are you sure?"
Owen smiled slightly, "Do you want our help or not?"
Padmé pulled Beru into a tight hug as Anakin held his hands up in surrender. "Sorry. I just..." he glanced at Beru and his wife, "I know what this will cost you."
Beru pulled away from Padmé and looked at Anakin. "The only thing it will cost, Anakin, is love. I promise you that your children will be loved as long as they are here."
His throat closing, he pulled the small woman into his arms and gently hugged her, "Thank you."
She lifted her head, "No, Anakin. Thank you for this gift."
He released her, turning to where the twins lay in a make-shift cradle of hide. Padmé knelt next to it and ran a hand over the soft down on the heads of the babies. "Mommy loves you," she told them softly before bending down and placing a gentle kiss on each of their foreheads.
Anakin watched her, knowing she was having a hard time letting them go. He stepped up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and lending her his strength. He sent powerful waves of Force to both of the infants, waves of love and reassurance. He encompassed Padmé in his Force wave, letting her feel when Leia and Luke unconsciously returned the feelings through the Force.
They turned, meeting the gaze of Owen and Beru before walking away. Behind them, Beru lifted both of the infants in her arms and watched their parents leave. She nuzzled Luke, inhaling his clean, pure scent before raising her head to look at Owen. He smiled at her when her smile, her look assured him this was the right thing. They stood, examining the twins and taking turns holding each of them as the sound of repulsorlifts activating reached their ears. Shading their eyes, they watched as the spaceship vaulted from the planet towards space.
Padmé curled up in the co-pilot's chair in the cockpit as they jumped to hyper space. She felt empty, barren, as if a piece of her had been removed and lost.
Anakin's arms slid around her and lifted her from the chair, holding her close as he cradled her on his lap. "Cry if you like, Angel," he said softly, stroking her hair, "I won't hold it against you."
"I miss them."
"So do I."
She closed her eyes, resting it against his chest. The reassuring sound of his heartbeat comforted her. "Anakin?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you believe Beru?"
"Don't you?" He tilted her head up to look at her, "She wants children more than any woman I've ever met and she deserves them. By taking care of Luke and Leia she's being given a chance she'd never have. I believe she'll do as she says."
She smiled, "Me too. And Owen?"
Anakin sighed. "He's a tough one. He loves Beru, that's plain. It's only because of her that he agreed to take care of them. He might be stern, but I think he'll care for them as if they were his own."
Padmé smiled, blinking back her tears, "Then I have nothing to be sad about, right?"
"I wouldn't say that."
"Oh?"
He gently caressed her cheek, "They're very young. They're not even a month old yet and it might be a year or more before we can come back. We're going to miss that part of their lives. I'm saddened by it, but when I think about what we're going to do... about what we have to do for them to be able to live with us, as a family, I can accept that sadness and keep going. I love them, as much as I love you, Angel, and because of that I have to leave them behind. It's not too late, you can still go back to them."
She shook her head, kissing him fiercely, briefly, "I'm not letting you do this alone, Skywalker, like it or not I'm with you until this scene plays out."
He chuckled, his lips quirking into his trademark half smile, "I couldn't ask for a better partner." His smile died as he leaned his head back against the headrest, "We're going to have to put all thoughts of them beyond us, Angel."
"How?"
He sighed, "I can build a mental shield, but you'll have to learn how to use it." He cocked his head at her, his gaze assessing, "Think you can learn to master it in a standard week and a half?"
She nodded. "We have nothing else we can do, you might as well begin preparing me for our confrontation with Palpatine."
He hugged her before putting her back on her feet. "Come then, we'd better get started."