Tell Me a Story

"So there I was! Fighting Count Dooku, the evil Darth Tyranus!"

The children had gotten comfortable on Jaina's bed. They were lying on their stomachs with their heads propped on their hands and listening intently to their grandfather's rather embellished tale.

"Then I kicked him over the rail!" Big Anakin kicked out. "And we fought on the floor below!" Buzzing "Waaaaaa" sounds came from Big Anakin's mouth as he swung an imaginary lightsaber. He went over every part of the battle in detail, with body language for emphasis. The children gasped and laughed at the appropriate moments.

"Then I swung my lightsaber around," Big Anakin moved his hands around in a big arc to demonstrate, "caught him from beneath, and cut his hands off!"

The children gasped and covered their mouths.

"His lightsaber went flying, and I caught it! And sliced his head off!"

The children remained perfectly silently. Big Anakin didn't like the sound of silence. He turned to see what the children were up to. They were all sitting up and staring at the door. Big Anakin turned some more. He met the gaze of a very angry Leia Organa Solo standing at the door.

"It would be a good idea for you to stop right there," Leia threatened. She narrowed her eyes at the apparition and leaned forward as if to get a better look. Then her eyes widened. "Anakin?"

"What?" both Big and Little Anakin asked.

"Not you," Leia said while pointing at Little Anakin. "You," she said to Big Anakin.

"They just wanted to hear a story," Big Anakin insisted.

Leia did not recognize the apparition's appearance, but she knew through the Force that it was indeed Anakin Skywalker. She pointed her thumb towards the living room. "It would be a good idea for you to come out here."

All four people moved towards the door. "Not you!" Leia said to the children. "You three get back into bed. Now."

"But Grampa hasn't gotten to the part where he and Obi-Wan faced General Grievous!" Jacen whined.

"I don't care. Get to bed."

Jacen and Little Anakin crawled into their own beds as Jaina got back into hers. "No more goofing off," Leia advised them. "Though I know it's not totally your fault, this time." She waved a hand at Big Anakin to follow her. They stepped out into the living room. Leia opted to keep the lights down so she could see the apparition better. She dropped herself onto the couch, while Anakin took the nearest chair.

Leia studied him for a moment. "I don't recognize you. You didn't look like this when you popped into my bedroom on Bakura all those years ago."

"I know, but I probably should have. Then maybe you would have warmed up to me faster."

Leia rolled her eyes. "What were you doing in there?"

"What do you mean?"

"That story you were telling my children."

"They wanted me to tell them a story." Anakin sounded somewhat defensive.

"I know. I heard the twins arguing over it. Jacen wanted a Darth Vader story, and Jaina wanted a Clone Wars story. Anakin, as always, was totally quiet."

"You heard that?"

"Of course. I was standing at the door with my ear against it."

"For how long?"

"Since the children first screamed. In other words, the whole time. Don't go anywhere." Leia got up and walked into the kitchen. She returned with a glass bottle full of a sweet dark liquid.

"You shouldn't be drinking that," Anakin said as she sat down. "You'll be running to the refresher all night."

"Well, thanks to you and your grandchildren, I don't think I'll be returning to bed anytime soon. Which is a real shame, since this is the first time the five of us have been together in about a month."

"Sorry about that. I just wanted to see them up close."

"And you ended up telling them that horrible story."

Anakin furrowed his brow. "I didn't think it was horrible. It's a true story."

"I don't doubt that, but it is too mature for their ages."

"What do you mean? They've seen lightsaber fights before. Jacen even used Luke's lightsaber on Yavin Four once when he was only two."

"I don't mean that." Leia took a sip. "I mean the part about cutting off that man's hands and then decapitating him. And you sounded like you enjoyed it."

"The telling? Or the doing?"

"Both."

Anakin waited for her to take another sip before speaking. "It isn't what you think. The circumstances were. . ." Anakin struggled for the right word. ". . .complicated," he finished.

Leia curled her legs under her and leaned to the side. "I kind of figured that by now. I've learned, the hard way, that the line between good and evil is very thin and blurry."

"And changes location without notice."

Leia stretched across the couch as if to fall asleep, but she kept her eyes on Anakin. She gave him a mischievous smile and saluted him with her bottle. "You can, however, finish telling that story to me. I want to hear about this General Grievous."

Anakin smiled and jumped to his feet. "Sure!"

"Just one thing," Leia quickly added before he began. "Please leave out the sound effects."