Padmé, Leia, and Master Gallia arrived at the hanger bay in time to see the Falcon land. Luke ran off the landing ramp hugging first his mother and then his sister. Anakin did his typical wife spinning routine in his arms, while kissing her passionately.
"Oh, jeez get a room will ya?" Han whispered to Mara.
Mara laughed, "Yea I know they are embarrassing aren't they?"
"We have to go after Prince Xizor, Obi-Wan we can't let them get away with this." Anakin stated letting his anger show.
"Easy, Anakin; let's not get into aggressive negotiations yet, we need to start with spying and being cautious. You are always too eager for action my old padawan." Obi-Wan stated the last part to Anakin's mind. Anakin laughed.
As soon as they were home, wonderful gourmet aromas hit Anakin in the face.
"Jobal must be cooking again." Anakin went into the kitchen and sure enough there she was preparing a fruit pie for dessert.
"Jo, you always cook way too much food. I'm going to get fat." Anakin complained.
"You? Get fat? Oh, please! You are too damn skinny as it is, does my daughter not feed you enough?"
"Yes!"
"You Jedi are all the same all you guys do is risk your lives for the people, eat on the run, and rarely getting any rest or relaxation. Of course I'm not including all that training with your lightsabers."
"Actually even before I became a Jedi, I always ate lightly and would become so consumed by fixing things that my mother would be after me to eat as well."
"I bet your mother was an angel to put up with you!" Jobal laughed.
"That she was." Anakin agreed. Jobal found herself being lifted up and looked deeply into her son in-law's bright blue eyes.
"You are like my mother, Jobal. So kind, compassionate and considerate and though I don't say it enough, I'm proud to be a part of your family." Anakin hugged her and lowered the petite woman to the floor.
"Get out before I start crying." Jobal threw a pear at him and he caught it and spun it around in mid-air and decided to eat it.
"Mm, delicious."
Anakin left the kitchen and found Luke sitting underneath the dining room table.
"Luke?"
"Shh, I'm hiding." Luke whispered.
"From whom?"
"Luke, come on time to take a bath before dinner." Padmé called.
"Go get a bath young man." Anakin scolded.
"I hate baths; especially since I have to get my hair washed."
"Go and get it over with, then I'll show you a neat stunt to pull on Obi-Wan okay?"
"You would do that?" Luke asked suddenly curious.
"Yes, if you go do as your mom asks."
Luke jumped out hugged Anakin's legs and ran to join Padmé in the bathroom. "Where were you Luke Skywalker?"
"I was hiding; I hate baths."
Padmé started helping Luke to remove his ivory tunic.
"Mom, I can do this myself." Luke cried out.
"Well, maybe if you had come when I called you the first time, I'd let you do it yourself."
Luke sighed and suddenly got an idea, he lifted his right finger and the water started pushing itself up into a large wave and when it reached is top height, Padmé felt the large splash of water crash over her head and Luke used the distraction to run out of the bathroom.
"Anakin Skywalker I'm going to kill your son!" Padmé yelled. Luke heard his father's heavy footsteps on the stairs. Luke ran in the opposite direction, entered Mara's bedroom, opened the window and managed to crawl down the rose trellis and ran as fast as he could to the small grove of oak trees and climbed up to the top. Padmé was soaked and her hair was ruined. Anakin saw her fuming and knew that he shouldn't laugh, but let out a slight giggle as he asked what happened.
"Your son happened! He apparently used the Force to create the tsunami wave and let it drench me to the skin to avoid taking a bath. From now on you will bathe your children, Anakin Skywalker!"
"But, mommy, I can't take a bath in front of daddy, he's a guy!"
"Yes and this is the same man who used to change your diapers, Leia." Padmé replied.
Leia looked at her father and was absolutely horrified that a guy saw her privates and everything!
"Well I've grown up since then, mom."
"Padmé, Leia's right. But I will bathe Luke as soon as I can get him into the house."
Anakin went to the wooded glade and found Luke sitting in the tree. "Son."
"Dad." Luke replied.
Anakin leapt into the tree and sat next to Luke. "Is there something bothering you?"
"Why did you take Mara as your padawan?"
Anakin wondered where this line of questioning was coming from. "Why not? She's a hard working padawan, is there something wrong Luke?"
"I don't want to talk about it." Luke replied.
Anakin sighed, "Obi-Wan told me of your fears. You also don't get the rest you need and lately you haven't been eating right."
"Obi-Wan is a worry wart." Luke sullenly replied.
"You know you can tell me anything, Luke. I want to know what's troubling you."
"I've been having these weird dreams, and don't tell me that dreams pass in time."
"Not all dreams are premonitions, Luke."
Luke sighed deeply, "In my dreams I'm living somewhere else; a desert planet Tatooine actually, you are dead and so is mom. Leia is a princess and a senator; we don't know that we are related. There are no Jedi left; they are all dead except Obi-Wan and Yoda. There is an Emperor and a big mean guy named Darth Vader."
Anakin knew of course that if he had chosen to side with Palpatine that this could have been a reality.
"Luke, you must really put your mind at ease; there is no Emperor as Chancellor Palpatine was a Sith Lord that died on General Grievous ship."
"So you will never turn?" Luke asked with tears coming out of his eyes.
"No; the losses would be too unbearable. Why don't we try to meditate after you get your bath?"
"I hate baths." Luke replied crossing his arms.
Anakin jumped to the ground and pulled Luke out of the tree.
"Stop it!" Luke laughed.
"If you want me to get a bath, you will have to catch me first." Luke challenged.
"Are you sure it's wise to dare me like that son?"
Luke ran away towards the lake; Anakin allowed him to get a head start and then started running after him. Luke screamed and was backed up to the cool waters of the lake.
Anakin lifted him up and Luke struggled within his father's invisible grip; "No, this water is freezing!"
Anakin released Luke and he fell into the water with a large splash and swam to shore, glaring at his father when he came out.
"Come, the rest of the family should be coming soon. Let's get you into some dry clothes." Luke lifted his finger and a large wave came crashing over Anakin's head. Luke laughed and laughed until he saw the infamous glare coming from his father's dark blue eyes. "Poodoo!" Luke exclaimed and ran to the house; eventually Anakin caught up with him and tossed Luke over his shoulder carrying him.
"Come on, please don't be mad."
Padmé saw Anakin and Luke soaked to the skin, she started laughing.
"Your son is a trouble maker, Padmé."
"My son? No, you've got it wrong, Anakin. When he misbehaves he's your son."
"Actually, you both got it wrong, I'm your son whether I'm good or bad and there's not a thing you can do about it!" Luke emphatically stated.
"He's right you know." Padmé admitted.
After changing, both Luke and Anakin went downstairs, they were discussing the padawan tournament.
"Will you be there?"
"Yes, however since you and Leia are family I'm not allowed to grade your performance, it would be a serious conflict of interest."
"Can Mara Jade come?" Luke wanted to know he didn't know why it was important for her to be there, other than his sister she was the only girl that he liked.
"Yes, she'll be there."
After dinner, Mara went to the gazebo to meditate. She felt Luke approach.
"Mara?"
"Yes?"
"You are coming to the tournament aren't you?"
"Yes, I wouldn't miss it."
"Can you help me to learn how to go into stealth mode?"
"You need to speak with Master Skywalker about that, Luke. He's the expert, besides if he caught me training you, whew I don't even want to think about what he would do."
"It couldn't be all that bad."
"Luke, don't push it please. I can find ways to get into trouble on my own without your influence."
Luke was crushed; he really wanted to learn this skill so he could scare the hell out of people as a prank of course.
"How do you do it then?" Luke asked.
"Drop it Luke." Mara warned.
"It's not fair; why won't anyone tell me?" Luke whined.
"You are too young, Luke to learn how to do it."
"Why does everyone get to pull really good pranks except me?"
"Who was it that you wanted to prank?" Mara sighed.
"Father of course, I thought it was obvious."
"NO! Listen, Luke, don't prank on him; I'm deadly serious."
"Why not? You do it all the time."
"Not in long while, Luke. That last time had a lasting impression if you understand what I'm saying." Luke nodded his head and left Mara to finishing up her meditation.
Padmé was saying goodbye to her parents when she felt someone tap on her shoulder. She turned around and no one was there. Luke and Leia were standing in the shadows with one of their father's black cloaks covering them up completely. After Padmé said goodbye to her family and shut the door she felt another sharp tap on her shoulder again. She turned around and began to wonder who was doing this. Anakin must be at it again.
"Anakin, stop it, you have my attention what is that you want?"
"Padmé, talking to yourself again?" Anakin smiled.
"Quit tapping me on my shoulder."
"I wasn't."
Padmé glared at him and put her hands on her hips.
"Padmé, I swear to you I'm not doing this." Just then Anakin felt a sharp tap on his shoulder.
"We have a prankster in our midst." Anakin whispered.
Padmé let out a shout when she felt a cold ice cube go down her back. Leia pulled the hairclip out of her mother's hair and it fell about her face and shoulders.
"Maybe we have two pranksters, Anakin."
"Well if these pranksters know what's good for them they will immediately go to bed or I will be forced to go into aggressive negotiations." Anakin announced loudly and authoritatively. Luke and Leia stumbled out shadows but unfortunately for them their father's cloak managed to wrap around their legs and trip them as they attempted escape. He lifted the pair up and laughed as his cloak was too long. He removed it and lowered Luke and Leia to their feet and sent them off to bed. Padmé kissed and hugged them goodnight, "Your children are so mischievous, Ani."
"Oh, boy here we go again; your children are just as devious as you, my dear sweet wife."
Padmé whispered, "Maybe our next child won't be as high-spirited as us."
"Unlikely, the child will probably be worse, especially as those two as their siblings and don't forget Han Solo and Mara Jade's affect. Even our nieces can be a corrupting influence."
"Let's find out." Padmé whispered.
Anakin sighed, "Aren't two enough?"
"No, besides I have to beat out my sister."
"Say what?"
"She has two and I have two."
"So?"
"Are you scared? I can't believe it that Jedi Master, Anakin Skywalker is scared!"
"Padmé, I'm not scared. Our children are a blessing and you know I love them dearly."
"Yes, I know you do."
Mara Jade found Padmé and Anakin kissing in the hallway.
"Oh, jeez don't you guys ever let up? You act like freaking newlyweds or something."
"One day you will feel differently, Mara Jade."
"Oh, please Master Skywalker, give me a break. I don't want to be tied down and have to answer to anyone as soon as I finish up my training, I'll be going underground to work for the Jedi Council as an operative."
"There are many years before that happens, Mara Jade and until then you are tied down with me." Anakin replied.
"Yes, I know. Has Luke talked to you?"
"About?"
"He asked me to train him in going into stealth mode; and before you get excited I told him that I couldn't teach him this; he would need to learn it from you, since you are an expert."
"Why does he want to learn how to do it?"
"You will have to ask him. I'm going to bed, good night milady and Master." She hugged Anakin and Padmé goodnight.
Author's note:I know that this chapter might be a bit boring, but you guys also wanted some pranks to be pulled; anyway thanks for reading and reviewing.—DarthGladiator45