DISCLAIMER: see chapter one

CHAPTER SEVEN:
Our Rain

"Oh my…Obi-Wan…" I manage though I am crying. There standing brilliantly in the middle of the nursery is the most beautiful white bassinet I have ever seen.

"I…I…" I stutter trying to cover my gasp. White lace covers it, a small canopy of nearly shear lace with trim of pearl like satin cascades from a small anchor of rosettes on the ceiling over the bed where it is pulled back with a small rope of braided white and blue satin, then pools on the floor. It's entirely elegant and almost decadent but yet I can see our baby lying sleeping there.

"It isn't so frilly; I thought that it would work for either a girl or boy. I've been looking everywhere, but I never found just the right one till this one," he smiles so proudly and as well, he should. This is such a thoughtful wonderful gift.

I've painted the nursery soft blue and added hints of soft yellow…a bit of water and a bit of sky, or at least the sun. The changing table, the small dresser already filled with things Sabé, Saché and I made, a rocking chair made by Paddy with Kenobi, carved on it, the colored glass sun catcher made by dear Jannsen…even the mobile made of polished, bent, silverware from Dex, the room is complete now with the bassinet.

"I…am speechless," I laugh my steady stream of tears dwindling to a trickle, "Parents…a baby, can you believe it?"

As much as I truly love this new gift from Obi-Wan, I think the piece I treasure the most is the little slightly battered and scared wood chest with chipped and faded paint that bears the name Kenobi. The chest had been Obi-Wan's, it was the only thing he could remember having since… he could remember. Obi-Wan gave it to me to bring here the week I left, I placed in it the baby quit that had been made by my grandmother for my mother who had used it for me and now I will use it for my child. I retrieve the blanket and lay in the new bed; I am thrilled to see that the old blends seamlessly with the new.

He wraps me in his arms and I lay my head against his heart feeling safe and content, "Sometimes it feels like a dream," I whisper afraid that if I doubt aloud I will wake from it all if it is indeed a dream.

"Obi-Wan…" I start intending on thanking him again, to tell him how grateful I am to be married to such a wonderful man…to be living this life with him, but instead I start to sob again. I know he knows all of those things already without me saying a word because he just smiles and lets me cry.

"Anakin my dear boy, how are you?" Chancellor Palpatine greets the young padawan.

"Chancellor," Anakin replies remembering his Maser warning him of politicians, though he always wondered why, "I am well, just returning from Dantooine."

"Yes, that's right…Where is your Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi?" Palpatine questions icily twisting his chair to and fro behind the massive black desk.

"He is on assignment."

"Really, most interesting," Palpatine folds his hands leaning back in the chair, "Why aren't you with him?"

Anakin raises an eyebrow, he hadn't really wondered, accepting the council's causal answer of 'a simple mission that arose after you left'.

"I had already left for the enclave when he was assigned," he shrugged.

"How convenient… I mean it seems my young friend, your mentor is leaving you out a lot," the Chancellor muses tossing a paperweight made to resemble a Fire Eye round gem, a rare find that can only be found in the deep mines on the volcanic planet of Mustafar, from hand to hand.

"I don't know what you mean," Anakin turns from Chancellor, favoring the view the vast windows offered.

"Well there was the extended Naboo mission, this one, and before that weren't you in demonstrations with Mace Windu?"

Anakin turned his head just enough so he could catch the movement of the Chancellors hands, "I was interviewing with Master Windu for several days as part of the application to take the Trials."

Restless and emotionally distraught Anakin paces a bit, gaze still lingering on the scenes playing outside the window.

"Oh I see," Palatine sighs sadly moving to stand a few steps away from the young man.

Both men now watch the outside with distracted interest.

"Was your application accepted?"

Anakin's face slowly hardens, mouth pulled to a thin angry line, "No. Master Windu said I was too eager to show off…among other things, and my Master agreed…" his words fade.

"I see," Palpatine nods with sympathy, "I am afraid, that they are trying to hold you back. You are the greatest Jedi that was ever been or ever will be."

Conflict battles inside of Anakin as he remembers his Master's avid plea, "You need to learn patience and humility both of which I can not teach you". He watches the tired reflection of the Chancellor in the clear window offering no wisdom, commanding nothing, just being, "My Master and Master Windu are wise Jedi, I trust them," he forces though his mind wrestles with the doubt.

"Oh, of course, and as well you should. I was just merely observing that your fellow Jedi seem a little threatened by your power. I see that you will be great, it is so obvious. Anakin your power is a gift you should not hide it! I just hope that your Masters see you as I do… I just want you to reach your full potential," Palaptine lets his voice spirit on, "That's all I want, just the best for you," his sentence ends with a dramatic sigh.

"Sometimes I wonder…" Anakin fights his emotions, Palaptine knows me, understands me…he wants what's best for me…not what's best for the Jedi he thinks breathing becoming labored, Is Obi-Wan trying to hold me back…? he thinks the question ruefully, hands clenching at his sides.

"He says I need to be more accepting—accepting of my training! He wants me not to feel…not feel anything! He wants me to be stoic, void, callous…I can't be like him! I've seen people slaughtered and have felt blind rage, I want to strike with vengeance, he doesn't want me to kill in anger," words and pent up resentment tumble free, like the volcano the Chancellor's paperweight came from. Erupting lava of hurt, rocks of incommunicable anger spew from the once subdue mountain that had been silently simmering all along.

"Obi-Wan is a weak man," Palaptine beings, but gets a glare from Anakin, alerting him that the had pushed too far, "I just mean to say, that while your Master is a very adequate Jedi I believe that he and most the Jedi Order lack the strength you have. The strength to embrace the powerful emotions that would in the end control them instead of the other way around. But you, you Anakin, you have the strength and the internal fortitude to make the emotions bend to your will, you could harness the power! It would make you even stronger!" Palpatine speaks with passion and exuberance, "But your Master seems unwilling to let you try," he shrugs with weary.

Anakin ponders the though, could it be? Could it be that the council, his own Master has been trying to strip him of emotion because they know he could control it while they couldn't? Could it truly be they were jealous?

Palpatine watches the visual reaction of the padawan and inwardly celebrates his victory. He delights in the fact that he has started the wheels turning in the pliable mind of the 'Chosen One'. Soon, oh very soon, darkness will consume.

"Obi-Wan, I swear if you…if you ever touch me again…" she gasps gripping my hand like a vice.

"Its okay honey…it's alright," I try and bathe her brow with a cool washcloth; she'll have nothing of it.

"Don't tell me it's alright you aren't squeezing life from between your legs now are you!" she glares voice ravaged with pain as she gasps, another contraction beginning.

"I know…I'm sorry…but it will be over soon," I plead beginning to lose feeling in my hand.

"Sure…okay…aww it hurts!" she chokes back a scream.

"Sex is evil! …Pure, evil…I should have listened…to my mother," she moans head turning to her pillow contraction fading.

I have to laugh, "Oh honey,' I kiss her hand wishing I could do something.

"It's almost time," Rosa the midwife announces after checking Padmé.

"Good, I want this baby out…now!" Padmé grunts, forehead beaded heavily with perspiration, nightgown sticking to her body.

"Almost baby, almost," I assure kissing her knuckles.

Staring out a high window in the Jedi Temple a young man contemplates his future. Closing his eyes, he reaches out, reaches deep…deep inside of himself.

Flashes of his mother's face make him weak; vulnerable…he still feels the loss. His mother's face fades a bit, in its place comes the combination of Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his padawan…the padawan that would become his Master. Was it so long ago that they had found him a slave in the desert? How much had he changed…had his world changed? Too much, too little?

Too often, he felt like the helpless boy dreaming of his freedom, his mother's freedom. Too often, the ache of need crawled over his skin, the ache for a loving touch, the ache to make life fair.

He had been so sure of what he wanted; he was so sure he wanted to be a Jedi. It was his greatest hope, deepest desire…what had changed?

The light from the sun had faded, now replaced with the artificial glow of man made luminance. At this height the sky cleared, the glinting reality barely faint below his view.

Violent, painful images of his mother…of Padmé? What is happening? What is the cause, the origin? The young man can't help but weep, the feeling of loss, of emptiness, his complete loss of control making him sag, knees weak. Maybe if he had been raised from birth like his Master to be a Jedi, he could overcome this, perhaps if he didn't know he was the Chosen One…that he didn't know how great his power really was he wouldn't be tempted to try and challenge the hands of fate.

Like a rolling wave, a movement in the Force makes him stagger back. What could make the Force move so? Had this movement, this new energy changed the future, damned the past or perhaps just shaken the present? This young learner isn't sure, but the Force is reeling.

"A beautiful baby girl!" Rosa announces it barely registers through my fog of exhaustion even as a small voice cries out.

She is here…my daughter. I weep, I have been crying the whole time I know, but this time I cry from joy.

"Oh honey she is just perfect," Obi-Wan leans over me brushing my sticky hair away from my forehead and kissing it.

"I want to see her," I manage my mouth dry and body limp against the pillows, I want to see her! I have waited nine months for her!

"Just a minute, Rosa is cleaning her up…" he laughs though tears slide from the corners of his eyes; he grips my hand like he did the whole way through. There is awe in his voice, and pure love, my heart soars.

"Here we are…meet your daughter," Rosa presents us with a bundle of pink.

I am trembling all over…this is our child! Our daughter, all this time of waiting and her she is… A wave of love rushes over me so hard I can't breathe; I laugh and cry in awe as Rosa puts her in my arms. I loved this tiny one as she grew inside of me but now as I hold her somehow that love has just magnified by infinity.

Ten tiny toes, ten tiny fingers…her daddy's nose and…my chin.

"Obi-Wan…" I choke,

"I know…I know…" he replies hoarsely brushing my cheek and looking down at our daughter with tears falling.

"It's your turn to hold her," I shift towards him lifting her up to him.

My daughter, I could collapse in awe. My daughter, I am now a full fledged father.

I never fathomed I could be this fortunate. I never believe…or wanted love, a family…till I met Padmé. She turned my life upside down and sideways, she woke my cold heart up and for the first time I knew the earth shattering love and desire to have family, to have someone to love and love you in return unconditionally. And now with this precious, precious child we have a family. A family!

"It's your turn to hold her."

What? No, I mean I might break her…or something. I haven't had a chance to read the manual…Where is Rosa I need the instructions. I just look from my wife to my daughter in shock.

"She won't break…come on she's your daughter," Padmé seems to read my thoughts as she smiles.

"Okay…" I whisper still a bit unsure, receiving the small beautiful bundle of joy.

"Oh…" my voice hitches, "Hi there, little one…I'm your daddy," I touch her tiny fist. The miracle of life is indeed truly a miracle.

Her eyes open slightly, I watch with amazement as she takes in her world, "I'm your daddy," I say it again, still savoring the newness and amazement of the term.

"She needs a name," Padmé grins at me.

"I know," I answer meeting her eyes over the top of our babies head.

We never settled on a name; we thought we would know for sure, when we saw him/her and I know...I know for sure.

"Leia," we say it together.

"It's perfect, just perfect," Padmé smiles and I kiss my daughters tiny hand then my wife, "Thank you for her."

I wonder if there is a more beloved picture then the one painted when a father holds his child. I personally doubt it.

Two weeks old, how fast the time goes. I love watching Obi-Wan with Leia. I never really thought about the fact he never was around babies and therefore a little apprehensive about caring for her. I didn't realize how fortunate I really was to have the devotion of my parents, I didn't realize that that love and guidance would help create in me the warm parental connection to my child.

Obi-Wan first seemed completely aloof, watching from the side but once I realized it was just because he was baffled by it all, not knowing exactly how a 'father' should act, we started working together and now he spends every moment with her and seems taken with the role of father as naturally as possible.

I watch him now; he snuck from our bed a few minutes ago when Leia barely fussed. I heard her too, but pretended sleep because I know he savors these late night moments with her. And I like sneaking in and watching.

He rocks her softly cradled in his gentle arms, the moonlight streaming across them. Unbidden tears trickle down my cheeks; this is what I have desired since I can remember, a husband, a child, a family. The very few years I remember growing up with my parents are cherished memories, and even though I had a good life growing up with dear guardians who looked after me when I went through school and into politics, it was never the same, I wanted a family. Now, here we are a little unconventional perhaps, but I think you'd be hard pressed to find a family with more love.

"You look like your mother…just beautiful…" I catch his whispered words.

"I've never been a dad before…so you are going to have to be easy on me okay? I figure since you've never been a kid before either we can learn together okay?" he softly laughs.

I put a hand over my mother to hide my giggle. He was truly concerned that there wasn't some sort of 'book' or the like on child rearing; he was most distraught when I told him we would be effectively winging it.

I watch for a time more, and then the rocking chair slows, and then stops. I venture a step closer thinking he might have fallen asleep.

I creep as quietly as I can to them, he is in deed asleep!

"Oh Obi-Wan," I sigh contently reaching to brush away the forever non compliant strands of hair that fall across his brow.

"Yes?"

I nearly have a heart attack when his eyes open and he grins at me.

"I thought you were asleep!" I hiss through my teeth snatching my hand away.

He just smirks proudly.

"You did that on purpose didn't you?" I accuse lowly, because Leia seemes to be truly asleep unless her father has taught her already to pull pranks, which I seriously doubt.

"I did, that'll teach you to spy on us."

"Hmph!" I put my hands of my hips, "I was not spying, merely observing my husband and my daughter! Is that so terrible?"

"No…no honey not in the least," he reaches out a hand to take hold of my hip and tugs me near, "I like that you watch us, I love watching you with her," he dips his chin a smile spreading.

I smile to myself, satisfied with that, "She is something else isn't she?" I lift a hip to rest on the arm of the chair, leaning on his shoulder.

"Yes she is," he looks from her to me, "Thank you," he kisses me.

"She is just as much yours as she is mine…no matter how much I may claim…seeing as how I did carry her for nine months…" I tease lightheartedly.

He doesn't smile, just stares at me his eyes intent and loving.

"What?" I ask.

"I mean thank you for everything, for teaching me love, showing me love…for saving me."

I tremble, this man who is so strong, so wise, so in control of everything is saved by me?

"As you've saved me time and time again," I kiss his temple, "We are two halves reuniting…two incomplete pieces brought together forged by the fire of love to be as one."

"Indeed love, the union of water and sky to complete the circle of life."

How fitting, water and sky…he and I, and what could be more perfect then our daughter, Leia whose names means rain…

A/N: oh a quick note, those who haven't read part one Human the water/sky references are from that story and though I can't think of the chapter off the top of my head there is place in the story where they talk about their love being the rain, so if ya all are a bit confused its explained in part one. Thanks for reading! RA

Sassy-satine: he,he,he…yeah I just thought the name fit Anakin, though I am sure if we all thought about a bit we could think of a whole lot more names that are more fitting…and more derogatory lol Thanks always for reviewing!

Zan189: Thank you so much! Yes, I would have to imagine that carrying around anything that kept kicking, and giving bathroom urgencies and was about the size of a small planet for nine months it wouldn't be fun…as my mother assures me of every time I give her grief. If I had a dime for every time I heard "Just wait till you have a child of your own…" LoL

Again thank you for such wonderful praise :-)

Sarahhillary39: thank you!

Sparkle85: Thank you! I am so glad you like it.

Sir-writes-alot: Oh, I appreciate the reviews when ever they are possible, no matter how few or far between, I am just grateful when someone takes the time to review, it truly does make me so happy!

Esteban T. Rodriguez: I did check out your story and left the answer in how to get the é over Padmé's name in my review. I am glad you enjoyed my last chapter and I hope you enjoyed this one too. In fact, I have sent Aayla Secura over to you in good faith that you will enjoy and review ;-) Thanks again

TheAmazingTecnocolorRingWraith: I just saw the trailer for The Island on TV (I even went to see Batman Begins…and while I won't get started on the yumminess of Christian Bale, the only previews I saw were not that wonderful…though I can hardly wait to see Fantastic 4, Brothers Grimm looks like it could be interesting…and since I just adore Johnny Depp and loved the book, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory caught my attention LOL) and it looks like it could be very good, I must say Ewan looked might good lol.

Glad you liked the last chapter, and alas, I agree even our perfect couple can't hold up to the name all the time… hehehe.

xInuyashaxangelx: So glad you enjoyed :-)

SuP3R G1R: oh I am sorry there hasn't been much action as of late…I am trying to work it in…I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I am working Anakin's fate into the mix a bit… I hope it adds a bit of interests to it:-) Thanks for reviewing!

starnat: Every time I hear it I jump for joy, every time I love it, so if you continue to love my fic, I will continue to love to hear you do so please please continue :-)

Vee017: Oh, I am so sorry about your basement! I've had a hot water tank go out on me and fill the house and that I can assure is not a pleasant thing either, so I so sympathize! I am glad my story helped; even if it just was a wee bit :-)

I know I cracked myself up writing about Obi carrying the baby…staunch, formal, dry humored Obi carrying a baby…and going through labor! Do you think he would have a comment like on Episode III after Anakin lands the half of ship "Another happy landing"? LoL So glad my story could brighten your bad day, hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Mrs. skywalker: Okay, who told? LoL you are too good, I suppose it was kind of bad concealed secret, lol. Hope you enjoyed anyway even if you did ruin the surprise lol :-)

the rain in spring: Oh agree I do, Obi's girl, what a great piece of Jedi candy to have on your arm…awww, I am grinning like a fool! Thank you for reviewing!