Ch. 3
Anakin, Padme, Luke, and Leia, sat on the couch, watching the Holo Net together. Anakin had his arm around Padme, and though he stared intently ahead, he was paying no attention to the program they were watching. He was thinking about how incredible his life had become- he had always felt lucky, being rescued from the life of a slave to become a Jedi Knight- but now, he felt like the luckiest being in the universe. He only hoped that through his work as a Jedi he could someday make himself deserving of it all, this love that surrounded him, his incredible family, loyal friends and the respect and friendship of all of the Jedi. Suddenly, he realized that a small voice was interrupting his thoughts.
"Aren't you going to say goodnight to us, too daddy?" Leia was asking.
"Is it time for bed already?" Anakin asked, smiling at her.
"Mommy says so," she replied, obediently.
"Well, if mommy says," he eyed Padme, "it must be true. Mommy is always right you know, Leia."
"Ok," Leia said.
"Don't think I don't know what you want when you say things like that, Ani," Padme said, amused.
"What, I just respect your every opinion," Anakin answered.
"I see, and how come you always respect it right before we go to bed?"
"Coincidence," Anakin answered.
Padme laughed and rolled her eyes. "Oh, ok."
They each carried a sleepy four-year-old over to the room the twins shared, helping them brush their teeth and get their pajamas on.
"Goodnight, my loves," Padme said, giving each child a kiss on the forehead.
"Goodnight, angels," said Anakin, doing the same.
They watched them from the doorway as the twins drifted off to sleep, then quietly went back to their own room.
"Anakin," Padme began, eyeing him nervously.
"Hm?" Anakin said, struggling out of his Jedi robes and into more comfortable clothes.
"Anakin, you love Luke and Leia right?"
"How could you even ask that question? I love them more than anything."
"Do you think you have enough love left for one more?"
Anakin turned to her, now very interested in what she had to say.
"Are you saying…?" He asked excitedly.
Padme nodded, biting her lip. "Yes, I had a doctor's appointment today."
"That's wonderful!" Anakin exclaimed, picking her up and twirling her around. "I was just today feeling sad that they were no longer babies… and now we'll have another! Padme, why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"Well, we've both been busy lately, I honestly was hardly thinking about it myself. I just began to realize it a few days ago…"
He paused, and looked into her eyes. She blushed, as she always did when he looked this intensely at her. For some reason, she still had that reaction to him, just out of pure love. She was so happy, the second she had begun to realize she was pregnant again she couldn't wait to tell Anakin. Seeing him just as excited as she was brought tears of happiness to her eyes- she couldn't wait to see their new baby, she knew it would be beautiful just like the twins…the twins! What would they tell them?
"Anakin!" She exclaimed suddenly, interrupting both of their peaceful thoughts. "What will we tell the twins?"
"Oh, they will be excited, don't worry," Anakin reassured her.
"Are you sure?" She asked nervously. "I don't want them to feel unloved or anything…"
"Just yesterday, Leia asked me for a pet. Well, this is sort of like that, but even better!"
"Anakin, it's not quite the same, I certainly hope you don't consider our children pets…" She said sternly, still smiling at him.
He laughed, and hugged her again.
"You know what," he said, again smiling at her in the way that she loved, as if he thought he had a brilliant idea.
"What?" She asked.
"We're going to need a bigger apartment!"
"One thing at a time Anakin," she laughed. "Although, I guess you're right..."
"Tomorrow is Saturday, we can tell Luke and Leia then. Then we can begin looking for a bigger place! Padme this is so exciting…"
"When we tell them, we have to be doing something fun for them- so that they associate the news of their baby brother or sister with happiness," Padme said expertly. Anakin eyed her suspiciously, wondering where this had come from. She laughed, and looked away shyly, "I've been reading about it," she admitted.
"You read too much," Anakin teased her.
"Maybe you read too little, did that ever occur to you?"
"Well either way, I guess it means our children will read just the right amount," he said. She laughed, and he kissed her, and then her stomach.
"Goodnight, my newest little angel," he said, and they snuggled in to bed.
The next morning, Anakin and Padme woke the twins up bright and early with their favorite breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes. The giddy and sugar-high twins danced around the apartment afterwards, excited for it to be Saturday.
"Hey guys!" Anakin said, animatedly. He eyed Padme; ready to carry out the plan they had been discussing this morning. "How would you like to go flying today?"
"Yaaaay!" They screamed, now running around with even more energy.
"In one of your ships daddy?" Luke asked.
"One of?" Padme raised her eyebrow at Anakin. "How many ships do you have, Anakin?"
"Um…just a couple," Anakin mumbled, looking away.
"And Luke knows this why?"
Anakin mumbled something about the Jedi Temple hangar and restoring old ships and wandered away. Padme just rolled her eyes and packed a bag for the twins.
They walked to the Jedi Temple, instead of taking a speeder, just enjoying being together as a family. At first, the Senate had worried greatly when Padme had dismissed all of her handmaidens, but everyone soon realized that her time away from the well-guarded Senate was almost all spent with Anakin Skywalker, if not with other Jedi as well, and stopped worrying. Padme enjoyed the freedom she hadn't had since she was fourteen of walking around without an entourage of bodyguards and doubles- though it certainly did comfort her that Anakin was with her most of the time. Along the way, several people greeted or congratulated either Padme or Anakin, or both, on their latest work. The twins always were excited and proud when their parents were recognized (which was basically all the time) but Padme and Anakin, though always gracious and kind, wished they could be anonymous some of the time- especially when reporters were around. However, knowing that they didn't have to hide, that they could now be out in the open about their relationship and their children, was a wonderful feeling for both.
Finally, the family reached the Jedi Temple, and walked through the gardens to the enormous hangar where the Jedi Star fighters were housed, along with extra ships acquired by Jedi Masters, of whom Anakin was of course notorious for having the most. Just as they were about to reach the hangar, they all saw Obi Wan and another person walking through the gardens. Immediately, Anakin and Padme recognized that it was a woman, and eyed each other, laughing.
"I knew it!" Anakin said. "I knew," he lowered his voice so only Padme could hear, "that he had a girlfriend he wasn't telling me about."
"Anakin, he could have had girlfriends even when the code wasn't changed, you managed to keep your marriage secret. Maybe there's a lot he's not telling you," Padme said, also amused.
"No, he wouldn't have," Anakin began, then stared at her, wide-eyed. "You think?"
She laughed. "Frankly, no, I'm just saying you don't know everything about his life."
Suddenly, Obi Wan noticed them, and he looked up, horrified. Padme and Anakin waved, almost giddy at this piece of gossip. Obi Wan, ever more mature, just rolled his eyes, and glared at Anakin.
'Later, you will tell me,' Anakin said through the Force.
'Oh, don't be so sure,' Obi wan told him.
'Blackmail!' Anakin said.
'Who cares, no more strict code, thanks to you,' Obi Wan shot back.
'I will never let this go,' Anakin finished, and he and Obi Wan glared at each other, then laughed.
"Ow!" Said Anakin, as a sharp pain formed in his arm. He realized it was due to his wife, who had slapped him.
"Stop Force talking," she said. "I want to hear too!"
"Daddy just threatened to Blackmail Obi Wan!" Luke said, "What's blackmail?"
Padme looked at Luke, then looked smugly back at Anakin. "Now I have a way to hear everything- ha!"
But Anakin was silent, staring at Luke. Younglings of his age could hardly even harness the Force to call a feather towards them, much less to get into people's minds. This was significantly impressive, he couldn't believe it.
"You heard that Luke?"
"Of course," Luke answered.
"What about you Leia?"
"Um, yes," Leia answered, as if it was obvious.
"Why is that weird, you know they're Force sensitive," Padme asked.
"Ok, you seem to think the Force is easy to use, let me explain something to you," Anakin teased her, "Um… it's not."
"Well said, Master Skywalker," she mocked him back.
"Younglings can't do that, I mean never, I mean it's impossible… it's…I'll have to tell the council about this." Anakin said, still shocked. He turned back to them, "Can you two talk to each other like that, in your minds?"
"Yes," Luke answered.
"Twin thing!" Leia said cutely.
"No… Force thing," Anakin corrected. "That's very, very, very impressive. I want you both to know that. But I also want you to promise me something."
"Yes daddy?"
"Don't do it anymore, until I teach you, Leia, and Obi Wan teaches you, Luke. Because it can be a dangerous tool in the wrong circumstances if used improperly."
"Umm… ok!" They said, and he knew they really didn't understand anything that he had just said.
"So they're really powerful?" Padme asked.
"Well, apparently…" Anakin said, then stopped, lost in his own thoughts.
"I can't believe this is starting already," Padme said. "Pretty soon, no one will even bother to talk to me anymore, you'll just all talk in your heads, and I'll become obsolete!"
Anakin laughed, and hugged her. "You can never be obsolete, you're the Chancellor and you're the mother… and most of all, you're my beautiful wife and I couldn't ever live without talking to you." She smiled, and he kissed her.
"Ew, stop." Leia said, and Luke stuck out his tongue.
"Ok," Padme answered, and they both smiled.
"I'll have to warn Obi Wan about this," Anakin said, but turned to see that Obi Wan was trying to walk away. "Later," he said, and waved really enthusiastically at his former Master. They all turned back to Obi wan and he smirked at them
The family entered the hangar and found Anakin's corner. Every Jedi had their own slip in the hangar, but Anakin truly did have his own corner. Younglings and Padawans would sneak in just to look at Master Skywalker's ships- every time he found an old abandoned ship on a mission, or just one that needed repair and was being junked on Coruscant, he would take it and fix it. He had always been good at fixing things, and it helped him relax. In the past four years, living with Padme and the twins, he wasn't at the Temple as much and hadn't restored very many ships. But still about seven remained, not to mention his gleaming Jedi starfighter into which he had installed every piece of new technology that he could. He smiled sheepishly at Padme, and undraped a larger ship that could fit the whole family.
"Where's your starfighter daddy?" Leia asked. "I don't see it."
"Well that's under a special shield," Anakin answered. "So it doesn't get messed up. We aren't supposed to get them out unless we are in battle, or on most missions, but trust me Leia, you'll be seeing a lot of it in your life as my Padawan."
"Anakin," Padme began, "how long have you had all of these?"
"Oh, I don't even know. Some of them for years," Anakin answered.
"And you've never shown me, why?"
"Well, we use your ships for traveling, and I don't really come here much any more, after the code changed and I could live with you… I wanted to spend more time with you than with my ships!" Anakin answered, hoping that sounded justifiable.
"Hm," Was all Padme said, but she did smile. Ever since she had met Anakin as a little boy, she had admired his ability to fix things. When he was grown up, and became her husband, she had loved to watch him focus so intently on these tasks of restoration, and it actually made her happy that he kept up his passion.
"That ship is a recent model," she commented, still pretending to be insulted. "You couldn't have found that trashed."
"Ok, I bought that one," Anakin admitted. "Look at it though, its hyper drive is faster than any model ever made… I mean how could you not buy it?"
"I didn't buy it," she said.
"Well I did," he answered, and they glared at each other, trying not to burst out laughing before the other one. Padme let go first, smiling, and then Anakin and she both laughed.
"Ok, but we're going in this one today," Anakin said, and he helped the twins aboard. The ship was large and spacious, and Anakin had already installed smaller seats and a little play room for the twins.
"See, I was thinking of all of you," Anakin said. I even put a book in it, for you Padme.
"This book is about ship repair," she noted.
"See, I do read," Anakin said, and Padme laughed. He hugged her, and they all strapped in and were soon in space.
"Daddy, will you teach me to fly a ship?" Luke asked.
"Of course, but not until you're a little older," Anakin answered. "I'll have to, because Master Obi Wan hates flying so he will put off teaching you as long as possible. He was lucky with me, I already knew how to fly," Anakin joked.
"Oh no," Padme said. "You are not teaching them to fly like you, you nearly get us killed every time."
"But I never do," Anakin said. "I would never put any of you in danger, I know what I'm doing, Padme."
"I know you do," Padme said. "But they don't."
"That's why I'll teach them!" He said cheerfully.
"Daddy is the best pilot in the galaxy," Leia said. "Master Yoda said so. So don't worry, mommy."
"Master Yoda said that?" Anakin asked. Never before had Yoda actually directly complemented his flying skills as other people had. And Yoda's opinion mattered a lot to Anakin.
"Yes, in spaceships class the other day," Leia said.
"Spaceships class?" Anakin asked, amused by her description and wondering what the class actually was.
"Yes, where we talk about Jedis duty in space battles," Leia said.
"They're teaching them about battles and fighting already?" Padme exclaimed, worriedly.
"Well, they are being trained to be warriors," Anakin answered. "Don't worry, it's very tame at this age. You heard Leia- 'spaceships class,'" Anakin laughed, and Padme, despite herself, smiled.
"All right," Anakin announced, "the ship's coordinates are set to orbit Coruscant… are you ready?"
"Yes, I think so," Padme said, suddenly very nervous to tell her precious children that there would be a new sibling soon.
"Luke, Leia," Anakin said, "Come here. We have something important to tell you."
"What is it, daddy?" Luke asked, walking in and sitting on Anakin's lap. Leia followed him into the cockpit and sat on Padme's lap.
"Well, what would you two think about having a little brother or sister?" Anakin asked them, Padme looking very nervous.
"That would be fun!" Leia answered, excited.
"Are we really getting one?" Luke asked.
"Well, yes," Padme answered. "We still love you two very, very much, we just are all going to share in loving the new baby too."
"Obviously," Luke said, and Anakin and Padme laughed as he stumbled over the word.
"So, you're happy about it?" Anakin asked.
"Yeah!" Leia answered. "As long as it doesn't steal my toys. I get to be the big sister and it has to do what I tell it to."
"Well, not always, Leia. The baby doesn't have to do whatever you tell it to," Padme said.
"Oh," Leia answered, dejected. "Oh well."
"I will protect it because I'm the big brother and that's what I'm supposed to do," Luke said proudly.
Padme smiled at him, his comment really touching her. "That's wonderful, Luke, thank you," she said, while playing with Leia's hair.
"So when are we getting this baby," Leia asked, all business- much like her mother. "Is that where we're flying to today?"
Anakin and Padme laughed. "No sweetie, the baby will come in about six more months," Padme answered.
"Why can't we get it now?"
"Because…" Padme said cautiously, really not wanting to have to explain this to them.
"Where is it now?"
"Leia," Anakin began, "you know how sometimes you see mommies with big bellies and you asked us why, and we told you because a baby was inside there waiting to be born?"
"Yes," Leia answered, still not piecing it together.
"So the baby's growing inside mommy?" Luke asked.
"Smarty-pants," Leia said, angry she hadn't figured it out first.
"Shut up, bantha," Luke said.
"You shut up, nerf herder," Leia retorted.
"Stop it, you two," Padme scolded them.
"How come your tummy isn't big then, mommy?" Luke asked.
"Well, it will be Luke. The baby is very tiny right now but it will grow bigger, and that's when my stomach will also get bigger, to make room for the baby," she responded, hoping he would leave it at that.
"Oh, and that takes six months?"
"Well, it takes nine, but it has been about three months already," she told him.
"Well, why didn't you tell us then?"
"We only just found out for sure," Padme answered.
"How could you not know if a baby was growing inside of you?" Leia asked, she and Luke both now looking at Padme's stomach.
"Well the doctor has to check and tell you, and I just had a doctor's appointment today," Padme answered, really not sure what else to say to a four year old.
"So you did know," Leia asked again.
"Well I wasn't sure, Leia," she answered.
"Why not? Why would you think but not be sure?" Luke asked.
"It's complicated," was all Padme said, hating herself for dismissing her son but not wanting to explain it.
"Well how did it get there then, wouldn't you know when it got put there?" Luke asked.
"Um…" Padme hesitated, and she and Anakin laughed uncomfortably.
"I mean, you can't very well have a whole person inside of you and not know about it," Leia continued, "I mean I think I would definitely know if-"
Padme cut her off, not wanting to hear her four year old talk about being pregnant. "Leia, it starts out as a tiny cell, there's no way to know until you start having symptoms of being pregnant."
"What are the symptoms?" Leia asked, more about what the word meant then what the symptoms of pregnancy were.
"Well, for example, sometimes I feel really sick in the mornings," Padme explained.
"So do I sometimes, that doesn't mean I have a baby in me," Leia said.
"Well it's kind of different."
"How?" Luke asked.
"Well there are other things too," Padme explained. "There are reasons to know if you have a baby in you…"
"Like what?" Leia asked.
Padme groaned, frustrated, and Anakin just laughed. Padme glared at him, evilly.
"Why don't you ask daddy?" She suggested innocently, and Anakin stared at her.
"I don't even completely understand it myself, I mean," he laughed uncomfortably, "they don't really teach this stuff at the Temple, you know," Anakin said quickly.
"Well you seem to be a pretty eager and knowledgeable participant, Anakin," Padme said over the twins' heads, rolling her eyes at him.
"I mean about the science part, I mean what we learn, it's… it's all about medichlorians, and, and stuff…I mean they didn't until recently really want any Jedi thinking about it or anything, so I'm not really the one to tell them, I mean…" He continued to babble on, trying to get out of it, and Padme just laughed.
"Why daddy?" Leia asked, completely oblivious. "Why does mommy get a baby inside of her?"
Anakin stared at her, looking at the little innocent eyes of his daughter, and was unable to say anything.
Suddenly, he was interrupted by a two laser blasts rocking the whole ship.
"Sith!" Anakin shouted, suddenly springing to action. "Isn't this supposed to be a time of peace?"
"What is going on?" Padme shouted. "How can someone be shooting at us, now?"
"I don't know, I can't even see them… but no ship could be under a cloaking device this closely to Coruscant's atmosphere…" Suddenly, Padme noticed a physical change in Anakin, as he became the Jedi Master that he was, springing into action and taking the ship out of orbit, flying quickly and sporadically to avoid any other blasts and to search for whatever ship had hit them. "Get the children in the back, Padme."
"What's happening Daddy?" Leia asked, she and Luke looking scared. But both of them also had a look of awe for their father on their faces, and Padme rushed to the back of the ship with them.
"Whoever chose to shoot at us, it was a bad idea!" Anakin yelled back to them. "I will find them, I promise."
"Don't be too hasty Anakin, please, it could have been a mistake!"
"No one should be shooting in the first place!" He yelled. "He could have hurt my children, and that is not ok. They shouldn't have to deal with anything remotely like this until much later in their lives."
He maneuvered around, flipping switches and activating their shields, but he saw no ships nearby save the regular transport ship.
"Ok, listen to me Padme. I'm going to land, and get Obi Wan, and we will go back up and try to find this guy… you just take the kids and wait in the hangar, ok? It won't be long, but I will have to alert the council…Leia, you might get to see the star fighter after all," he said hastily, already starting to land the ship.