Chapter 3: Learning to Talk and to Walk

Luke and Leia were looking more and more like their parents each day. Padmè smiled as her twins played together, until Luke pulled on his sister's hair. She hurried over and picked Leia up from the floor. Obi-Wan came into the room with his daughter in his arms. "Padmè, may I speak to you?" He asked. Padmè placed Leia back onto the floor while Obi-Wan placed Mara Jade into her playpen before they left the room.

"What is it, Obi-Wan?" She asked.

"I would like to train Luke when the time comes for me to train Mara," he suggested.

"You want to train my son to be a Jedi?" She asked.

"Only if you let me."

Padmè stood in the doorframe looking at Luke. "He is very powerful and so is Leia," he mentioned.

"I know they're powerful, and if training Luke to control his powers is the only way, you can go ahead and train him, but you can't train Leia," she acknowledged.

"All right," he agreed.

They walked back into the room just as the twins began to fight with the little wookie doll that belonged to Leia. Padme had bought two dolls for each twin, but they always fought over one of them. "Luke, Leia, stop it now," Padmè demanded. She grabbed the doll and handed it to Leia before handing Luke's doll over to him. "Now everyone is happy," she sighed. She sat down and watched her children play.

That afternoon, Luke and Leia were sleeping on their blanket that was laying on the floor with their dolls in their arms. Mara Jade was sleeping in her playpen with her thumb in her mouth. Padmè was sleeping with the image of Anakin in her hands. Obi-Wan and Sabè came into the room to see their friends and family fast asleep. He picked Padmè up and placed her on the bed while taking the image from her hands. "Ani," she whispered in her sleep. Sabè hated to see her friend suffering, but it was Vader's fault, because of him, her best friend was suffering. Obi-Wan looked at his wife to see the pain in her eyes. He held onto her hand and led her out of the room.

The next morning, Padmè woke up to see that Luke and Leia were playing with Owen and Beru. "I see that my children are attached to their aunt and uncle," she commented. Owen smiled before placing Luke into he arms. "How is mama's little angel?" She asked. Luke giggled and grabbed at Padm's hair.

"Mm, mm," Leia started.

Padmè looked at Leia. "Is she trying to speak?" She asked.

"Mm, mm," Leia repeated.

"I think she is," Beru agreed.

Padmè kneeled on the floor and placed Luke on the floor. "Come on, Leia, say, say 'Mama'," Padmè encouraged.

"Mm, mm, mm, ma," she started.

"You're getting it."

Padmè smiled as her baby tried to talk. "Ma," Leia giggled. Padmè looked at Beru with a smile.

"I can't believe she's trying to talk," she sighed.

"Mama," Leia finally got out.

She placed her hands on Leia's tiny face with a smile. "That's right, sweet heart, mama," Padmè agreed. Leia reached out and grabbed her mother's necklace that Anakin made her thirteen almost fourteen years ago. "It's pretty isn't it sweetie?" She asked.

"Mama," Leia giggled.

Just then, Owen turned Padmè around. "Look," he urged. Padmè gasped to see Luke trying to get to her.

"One just learned how to speak, the other one is learning how to walk," Padmè laughed.

Luke was trying to stand and started to whimper when he couldn't reach her. "Come here, Luke, come to mama," she assured. Luke tried to stand again until he fell on his rump.

"Owen, help him stand," Beru insisted.

Owen walked over and helped the poor child to stand. Padmè held her arms out to Luke and made a gesture for the baby walk to her. Luke tried one step and then he fell again. Owen picked him back up and had him try again. Leia crawled over to Padmè and placed her head in her lap. "Beru, could you hold Leia for me?" She asked. Beru nodded and took Leia into her arms. "Come on, Luke, you can do it," she encouraged. Luke tried to walk again, but he fell once again. Padmè then stood up and walked over to Luke. She picked him up and kissed his forehead. "It's all right, Luke; we can try again tomorrow," she assured. Luke placed his tiny hands on her face and placed his head on her shoulder. Padmè and Beru placed the twins into their crib. She placed a kiss on the top of her children's heads before leaving the room.

(Somewhere in Space)

Vader was walking around his ship when one of his soldiers came to him. "Lord Vader, you sent for me?" He asked.

"Yes, I ordering you to search every planet in the systems," he ordered.

"May I ask why?" The soldier asked.

"That is none of your concern general. The reason is my affair. Just do as I say."

"Yes, milord."

Vader looked out at the space before looking down at his robotic hand that was covered with a black glove. He wanted his wife and child at all costs. It would take months maybe even years before his soldiers could find them. He didn't care as long as he was able to see his beloved wife again.

(On Tatooine)

Padmè was outside with Luke once again. The soft sand made it difficult for Luke to stand, but Padmè wasn't going to teach her son how to walk at that moment. She had Luke sitting on her hip and watched as Obi-Wan returned on a speeder. He got off the speeder and nodded to Padmè as he got the things they needed off the back of the speeder. Sabè came outside with Mara Jade in her arms. He walked over and kissed his wife on the cheek and took Mara Jade into his arms. Padmè felt sadness plague through her when she saw a family together. If only Anakin wasn't evil, they could be a family that she wanted. Luke grabbed at the pendant. She smiled at Luke as she took her precious son inside.

Obi-Wan decided to teach Padmè and Sabè how to fight with lightsabers just in case Vader or any of his troopers would come. A blaster could do some good, but to him it wouldn't hurt for them to learn how to fight with sabers. Luke and Leia were playing with R2-D2, who was keeping watch over the twins while Padmè was training. "Very good, very good," Obi-Wan praised. She practiced her skills with her mentor. Luke hiccupped and tried to stand up. Sabè stopped and put her saber away.

"Obi-Wan, Mara Jade is awake," she informed.

He nodded and then he saw Luke trying to walk. "Padmè, look," he insisted. She saw her son trying to walk in the sand. She went to pick him up when Obi-Wan grabbed her shoulder. "Let him try it on his own," he whispered. Luke held his arms out to her and then he began to take a step forward.

"Obi-Wan, the sand is too soft for him to walk," she insisted.

"No, the Force can guide your child from the sand and lead him to his mother," he assured.

Luke walked the best he could until he finally reached Padmè. "You did it, Luke, you walked," she whispered. The child grabbed the pendant and giggled. Leia whimpered and stretched her arms out to her. Padmè walked over and picked her up from the ground. "That's enough training for today," she informed. Obi-Wan followed her inside.

That night, Padmè was sleeping near her children, having another dream about her beloved Anakin when they first met.

(Dream)

Padmè was looking around the shop while Qui-Gon Jinn was taking care of the parts. A little boy was watching her while cleaning something. "Are you an angel?" He asked. Padmè looked at him confused.

"What?" She asked.

"An angel. I hear the deep space pilots talk about them. They are the most beautiful creatures in the universe. The live on the moons of Iego I think," he explained.

"You're a funny little boy. How do you know so much?" She asked.

"I listen to all the traders and stock pilots that come around here. I'm a pilot you know and someday I'm going to fly away from this place."

"You're a pilot?"

"Mm-hmm all my life."

"How long have you been here?"

"Since I was very little three...I think. My mom and I were sold to Gardula the Hutt, but she lost the betting on the podraces."

"You're a slave?"

"I'm a person and my name is Anakin."

(End Dream)

She woke up and shook her head. She then felt a chill go down her spine. She shook the dream from her head and stood up. She pulled on her robe and walked outside.

The night was chilly on Tatooine, but Padmè was ignoring the cold. She was thinking about her beloved husband that was evil. Owen came outside to see his stepbrother's wife standing there looking at the moons. "Padmè," he said. Padmè looked at him and nodded to him. "You really should be inside," he insisted.

"I know that, but I can't sleep without dreaming of him. He lives in my heart, the memories of him live in my heart," she explained.

Owen walked over and placed his hands on her shoulders. "He was your husband, of course his memories would be in your heart. You loved him," he agreed.

"I just never expected that I would lose him," she added.

"Everyone that lost a loved one never expects it. My father lost my mother and then he lost Shmi."

"I loved him."

"I know you did."

"What about our children?"

"They'll learn about Anakin through your stories and the images that you have of him."

She turned in his arms and cried against him. Owen sighed as he ran circles on her back to calm her. "It's all right, Padmè, it's all right," he whispered.