Ch. 27
For a minute, everything was silent. Before she had even known what was happening, Padme had found herself tackled to the ground by Anakin, along with the twins, thinking only about how much she hoped their fragile selves hadn't been crushed. The next minute, a huge explosion met all of her senses, and then everything was dark and silent as the one hundred or so bodies in the room held their breath, hoping that they were still alive.
Padme opened her eyes and looked around, but could only see smoke around her. She felt Anakin's body still over her, half on top of her and half on her side. Normally this feeling meant love and security as they slept peacefully next to each other, but the fact that he hadn't immediately begun to ask if she and the twins were already stopped her heart. Unable to move because of his weight on top of her, she gently tried to slide out and prop herself up, looking desperately for her children.
"Momma?" Said a small, scared voice, and Padme felt a wave of relief rush over her as she felt wriggling at her side and blue and brown eyes stared up at her.
"What happened?" Leia asked, as Padme noticed that she and Luke were huddled together, clinging to each other.
"Are you all right angels?" She asked, her voice much softer and weaker than she had intended.
"Daddy protected us," Luke said quietly, as he and Leia wriggled out from under their father's torso. "Is he ok?"
For the first time, Padme allowed herself to look at Anakin. She had been avoiding it, not wanting to know, but for her children she knew she had to be strong. Her heart caught in her throat as she saw blood trickling from his face, wounds all over him from the debris caused by the blast.
"Chancellor, Chancellor, are you all right?" Padme heard, before she could even check on Anakin. Security had immediately rushed to her side, checking on her as she sat numbly and unresponsively. As bodyguards surrounded her, she faintly heard them urging her to get out of there, but she didn't move, she simply sat staring at her husband, unable to feel or react to anyone.
"Let me through, let me through!" she heard a hurried voice say loudly and insistently from in front of her. "Is everyone all right, is everyone all-"
Padme looked up slowly when she heard the voice stop short, only to meet the familiar eyes of Obi Wan, normally so happy and reassuring. But now she could see the deep sorrow and empathy in them as he stared at her, her legs still buried by Anakin, her small children looking at her full of fear.
"Chancellor," Obi Wan said quietly, as he shared a nervous glance with her.
"We need to take the Chancellor to safety," Said her bodyguard annoyingly. She wanted to tell them to go away, but she couldn't form the words.
"Leave her alone," Obi Wan commanded. "And get out of my way!" Even though the bodyguard tried to remain around her, Obi Wan, in what seemed a surprising show of strength to the bodyguard even though he was one of the most renowned Jedi of all time, pushed them all out of the way, and was on his knees next to Padme. He immediately put his finger on Anakin's neck to check his pulse, and reached out with the Force as strongly as he could to call his friend to him.
"He's alive," Obi Wan said firmly, but the strain in his voice told Padme that her husband was badly injured. "We need to get him to the medical unit, right away," Obi Wan instructed to no one in particular. "Call the healers, immediately."
"Is daddy ok?" Luke asked again, as, in a show of maturity beyond his years, he put a reassuring arm around his sister.
"I hope so, my young Padawan," Obi Wan said to him, not even trying to hide the gravity of the situation. Obi Wan sent as much Force healing power as he could to Anakin, then stood up to check on the others around him. Anakin was a Jedi, and thus less vulnerable then others, and though Obi Wan wanted more than anything to remain with him he knew it was his duty to check on those with no power of their own. However, as he turned to walk away he felt a hand pull his backwards softly.
"Obi Wan," came Padme's voice, her eyes looking up at him full of sadness and the need for reassurance- or at least for simply the truth.
"Padme, I-" Obi Wan cut himself off, staring at her. He took her hand and pulled her up, supporting her reassuringly as she fought to keep herself upright.
"It's really serious, isn't it," Padme asked gravely, looking down longingly at her husband.
"He's hurt badly, Padme," Obi Wan nodded. "But… you know as well as I do that if anyone can pull through a situation like this, it's Anakin. You won't lose him Padme," Obi Wan tried to sound confident. "I promise you." He hugged her tightly, then turned to check on everyone else.
Padme sunk back down on her knees, staring at the Anakin's unconscious body. Once again, he had risked his own life to save someone else's- and this just made it all the worse that he was like this. Padme realized in that moment how much she'd come to rely on his reassurance- in even the most difficult of times, Anakin could make her feel better, feel hope and confidence. But now, she had to be strong on her own, for her children, and seeing him like this didn't help. She was transported back to the day the twins were born, when Anakin was also laying unconscious in front of her, as she awaited the arrival of a baby. She looked down at her stomach, praying that this child would know the incredible man that was its father.
Suddenly, the small hands of her already born children tugged at her gowns, and she turn and pulled them to her, never wanting to let them go again. As they sobbed, truly frightened for the first time in their lives, Padme let herself, for once, shed her politician's demeanor and cry in public out of her fear.
"Padme," cried a worried yet relieved voice from her side. Looking up, she almost fainted with relief at seeing Sabe alive and well, rushing to her side.
"Thank the Force you're all right," Padme said softly, as Sabe knelt down and put a reassuring hand on her back, unable to hug her due to the small children buried in their mother's arms.
"Oh, Padme," Sabe uttered as she noticed Anakin. "He'll be all right, he has to be…"
"Padme!" Came another voice, and a wave of relief rushed over Padme as she saw her mother and father, as well as Sola, Darred, and their girls, rushing over to them. They sported some bruises and scrapes among them, but no one was seriously injured.
"Oh thank the Force," Padme sighed as she embraced her family.
"Oh my…what happened?" Jobal asked as she noticed her son-in-law. "Padme, I'm so-"
"Just- take them home," Padme begged, interrupting, knowing that people telling her they were sorry only meant they didn't feel a lot of hope, and she refused to hear that. Anakin would pull through, she just knew it.
"Of course," Jobal muttered, sharing a worried glance with Ruwee. Hugging Padme one last time, they pried the twins away from their mother and picked them up, hugging them tightly.
As the rest of the family walked away, Sola turned back to her little sister. "Padme," Sola said, her voice full of empathy. "Let me come with you."
Padme looked into her sister's eyes and nodded gratefully as Sola embraced her. She, Sabe, and Sola sat down next to Anakin as bodyguards surrounded them, Padme rolling her eyes in frustration but enduring it, knowing that her arguing would only make matters worse. Soon, Obi Wan came running back over with two healers who began to load Anakin into a medical speeder.
"Sabe, thank the Force," Obi Wan said, pulling her to him in a quick but reassuring embrace. Both restrained the urge to hold each other for a longer amount of time, painfully aware of Padme's situation. Instead, they turned their attention to her, reassuring her as they all walked to the speeder. Soon they were rushing back to the temple, Padme holding Anakin's hand tightly the whole time.
Their arrival at the temple caused quite an uproar, no one having yet been informed of the explosion. However, as the Jedi they passed in the halls saw Master Skywalker unconscious and badly hurt, news traveled quickly. By the time they reached the healing ward the entire council was waiting for him, and Jedi of all ages huddled outside trying to see what was going on, and confirm if the rumors were true.
"What happened?" Mace asked as the Force signatures in the room all sank into sadness at seeing Anakin in this state. He and Yoda had headed immediately back to the temple after seeing Obi Wan, thinking it wise to inform the council of what was happening an send more Jedi over to help.
"Thermal detonator," Obi Wan said quietly, looking intensely at them.
"Is he all right?"
Obi Wan looked back at Padme, Sabe, and Sola, and then back at Mace, who nodded, understanding that silence was best in this situation. The healers began to wheel Anakin into an examination room, but first Padme pulled them back and leaned down to kiss Anakin, then stepped away.
"What of the Sith?" Mace whispered, pulling Obi Wan to his side.
"He is defeated," Obi Wan assured him, then remembered the information the Sith had given them. "By the way, Anakin and I discovered some very interesting things- but they're to be told at another time."
Mace nodded in agreement, as Yoda hobbled over to them.
"The Chancellor, be here she should not," Yoda said sadly, as many of the council members nodded- they felt the Chancellor's grief and fear deeply.
"Perhaps not, but how can you ask her to leave?" Obi Wan said empathetically.
At that moment, a healer stepped out of the room, and everyone was silence.
"He's unconscious because of a severe blow to the head," the healer informed them. "As you probably all knew due to the bleeding from his forehead. It seems a piece of glass got in there, and there is other debris that hit him as well, but… I think he will be all right," the healer said, fairly confidently, and Padme's heart began to beat with hope again.
"Can I see him?" Padme asked hopefully, tears in her eyes.
"Not now, Chancellor," the Healer denied sadly. "We're still working on him."
Padme nodded, biting her lip, as Sola and Sabe put their arms around her. Padme wanted to much to be able to tell Anakin how much she loved him, right in that moment. She wanted to be able to express to him how amazing he was that he had jumped over her to protect her from the blast. That that glass in his head would have been in hers had he not been there. And most importantly, how much she and their children needed him, and how much the Jedi and the galaxy needed him. But the healer had said he would be all right… so she would be able to tell him, right?
…………………………………………………
An hour later, they still waited to hear news of Anakin's progress. Padme was now sitting on a bench outside his door, Sabe and Sola's arms around her reassuringly. Obi Wan stood with his arms crossed in front of him staring straight ahead- he hadn't said a word the entire time. Though Obi Wan didn't let his emotions show, and none of the women were force sensitive, they all could tell that for maybe the first time, Obi Wan was extremely and seriously worried about Anakin. And it only confirmed that knowledge when, as the door to Anakin's room opened, Obi Wan was the first to rush to the healer's side.
"He'll be all right," The healer said, now full of confidence. "We removed all of the foreign materials and patched up his wounds. He's still sleeping but he'll be awake soon- you can go in now."
And again, Obi Wan was the first to jump at these words, rushing in to the room to see Anakin. Padme was right behind him, as they knelt at either side of him, Sola and Sabe standing behind Padme and Obi Wan, respectively. Padme kissed Anakin's cheek, his temple, his lips, and caressed his cheek softly and lovingly. A few minutes later, though it seemed like hours, Anakin's eyes fluttered open.
The first thing he saw were Padme's eyes, full of love, staring down at him in anticipation. He smiled, laboriously moving his hand to squeeze hers reassuringly.
"Hi Angel," he said, a little confused as to where he was. He then noticed Obi Wan, Sabe, and Sola, standing above him, and his brow furrowed as he grew even more confused.
He pushed himself slightly up on the bed, still looking around him confused. Where were they? Why were they here again, watching him wake up? Suddenly, he remembered- the explosion in the Senate. Oh Force, had he gotten to his family in time? Well, Padme was safe, but where were the twins? That look of fear and sadness in Padme's eyes did not bode well for a favorable answer. Tears sprung to his eyes as he looked around him, trying to locate the missing members of his beloved family. He tried to sit up, moving erratically, and Padme calmly put her hands on his arms to hold him down, softly.
"Shhh, Anakin, it's ok," she said soothingly. "Don't try to move, let yourself rest."
"But there was a thermal detonator, in the Senate, I tried to-"
"Shhh, yes, there was an explosion, but we're ok," she assured him, kissing his cheek. "We're all ok. You're the one we were worried about."
"The twins?"
"At home with my parents and family," Padme said soothingly, gently massaging his hand.
Anakin let himself relax a bit, smiling at her. "What happened?"
"You tried to sacrifice yourself for others, again," Padme teased lovingly. "Will you stop doing that? You really might get yourself killed one of these days."
"Even if I died, knowing you were all alive would be enough," Anakin said lovingly to her, and then turned to Obi Wan so that he knew he meant him as well.
"It wouldn't be enough for me," Padme told him, stroking his cheek.
"Anakin, the last time you sacrificed yourself for me," Obi Wan said slowly.
"And I don't know if I properly thanked you, but almost losing you again made me just want to tell you… how much I- I value your-"
"I know," Anakin said warmly, smiling at Obi Wan. "Don't get all awkward on me, ok?" He teased, and Obi Wan smiled.
"Well, he certainly seems all right to me," Obi Wan joked, as they all laughed.
"Well when can I get out of here?" Anakin asked impatiently, as they all just continued to laugh at his predictable behavior.
"Rest for at least a couple of hours," Obi Wan instructed. They all knew that trying to make Anakin stay any longer was futile.
"Why don't we leave you two alone," Sabe suggested, pulling Obi Wan away. Sola nodded and followed them out.
"Wait," Padme said quickly, just before the door shut. Sola's head popped back in to the room. "Call home," Padme pleaded. "Tell them he's all right, especially the twins, please tell them we'll be home soon." Sola smile and nodded, then closed the door behind her.
Padme sat up on the bed next to Anakin, as he propped himself up further with pillows so that he was sitting up. Alone with him, her emotion suddenly bubbled to the surface, and tears fell from her eyes.
"What are you crying about?" Anakin asked softly, kissing the tears on her cheeks. "I'm all right, I've been through worse than this," he said, wiggling his mechanical fingers and smiling.
"I know but this time you weren't…you weren't there," Padme said, still crying though she felt silly. "Just seeing you like that, so helpless for the first time, I just-"
"Shhhh, it's ok, I know," Anakin said soothingly.
"See this is what I mean," Padme smiled, burying her head into his shoulder. "You always are telling me it's ok, but this time you weren't and I was so scared Anakin. I just cried there in front of the Senate- you know I have to be extremely worried to let that happen. The thought of losing you, I can't-"
"We've always known that that's a reality," Anakin said seriously. "For both of us- but it's the risk we took, for love."
"I know," Padme nodded. "I know we said that, that we'd have to be ready for that, I'm just… I'm just not."
"Well I'm here now," Anakin assured her. "And the Sith are gone- Padme I did it. I fulfilled the prophecy; now, now I can just be me and not the Chosen One anymore. Now we can have a little bit more peace and quiet, I promise you."
Padme nodded, smiling proudly at him, and ran her fingers through his hair. "I know you did. You're amazing Anakin, and I love you."
"I love you too, and our children, and our family, and even Obi Wan too," Anakin laughed, as Padme smiled at him. "And this one," Anakin said, pointing to her stomach. "When's it coming again?"
"Six more months, Anakin," Padme laughed. "You'll just have to be patient."
Anakin pouted, "I love it already, anyway."
"So do I."