Ch. 28
Hi! This takes place six months later, at (you guessed it) the birth of the new Skywalker. This will be the last chapter of this story, and then (if you're still interested) I think I will write a third installment taking place when Leia and Luke are about 18 (around (a little younger than) episode 5 age). As to what happened in between- not very much action, which is why it's worth it to skip ahead:
After the explosion in the Senate, security found and disabled several more detonators that would have collapsed the Senate and killed hundreds- Plaegus' last attempt to destroy democracy, knowing that he would probably die in the process and that finding an apprentice was no longer possible. The Senate and Jedi worked together to free all of the children in the Sith camps, and also helped them to see that the ways of the Sith were evil. They helped the children to establish good lives for themselves.
Padme's family celebrated with her the day after her birthday (everyone was too tired and just incredibly grateful to be alive and together on the actual day) and then went peacefully back to Naboo. Padme promised she would inform them the minute the baby arrived and be in better touch with them from then on.
The Jedi were able to move on to other more routine matters in just a few months, with a few sentries still out to constantly be checking for any other Sith or Sith followers.
The Senate tried all of the followers who helped Plaegus to infiltrate the Senate, all are now in prison but Jedi visit them often to try to help them see they were brainwashed and try to find better possibilities for them.
The Chancellor won reelection, and though her critics claim it was out of sympathy for what had happened, she was reelected with a phenomenal majority. The Senate was able to also move on to new issues after a few months.
The only issue still hanging over everyone's heads is the question of how Palpatine escaped. Padme made sure to investigate all guards of the detainment cells and to pass laws to make the cells more secure- though she and everyone else knew the problem wouldn't arise again unless another Sith presented itself.
Han Solo and Chewbacca, after being awarded medals as heroes, disappeared again. They went off on their own with one other boy Plaegus had recruited, one who had helped the Jedi and been a friend to Han when they were both on Kashyyyk- Lando Calrissian. The three accepted only one thing as a reward- one of Anakin's ships, an old, beat up ship called the Millennium Falcon. Padme and Anakin insisted on giving them credits to live on, at least until they could find some kind of work, but they refused. Oh, they did accept one other gift- a drawing Leia made for Han to remember her by. They left soon after the explosion in the Senate and no one saw them again (Until Leia's about 18…).
Obi Wan and Sabe…got married, after seeing Padme almost lose Anakin they both realized that they too were vulnerable and should be together before it was too late. Regarding children, they are considering having one in the future but for now dealing with the Skywalkers is enough for both of them, as they are more quiet, refined types and tend to enjoy watching their best friends attempt to deal with their children.
Leia, Anakin, Luke, and Obi Wan adjusted to life as Padawans and Masters, though Obi Wan did have to face Luke and Leia asking him about where their baby was coming from and how it got there, and why they had to wait six more months to get it. Obi Wan didn't tell them anything, but he did give an earful to Anakin and Padme about responsibility as parents and not trying to subject him to situations that made him uncomfortable. Anakin and Padme were highly amused.
Things are quiet now, and the twins and their parents and friends anxiously await the birth of the new baby. Yoda and Mace have a bet on whether it's a boy or a girl, both claiming they can sense it with the Force though they both know sensing gender through the Force in unborn babies isn't possible.
Obi Wan and Sabe have agreed (somewhat reluctantly) to watch the twins for the night so Anakin and Padme can enjoy their first night alone in exactly nine months:
"This is wonderful, Anakin, I still can't believe you made this," Padme complimented her doting husband, enjoying the meal he had prepared for her. It was truly phenomenal, and, though she really hadn't believed him at first, he was so adamant about the fact that he had actually cooked it that she had no choice but to believe him.
"You really like it?" He asked excitedly, heaping more onto her plate as she laughed.
"Don't, Anakin, I've gained enough weight as it is," she giggled, eating the second helping anyway.
"You've only gained the weight of our child," Anakin argued, walking around the table and setting his hands gently on her shoulders. He began to massage her back tenderly as she looked up at him lovingly. "It only makes me love you more."
"You're amazing, Anakin," Padme said genuinely, enjoying the soothing feeling of his massage. "Especially for convincing Obi Wan and Sabe to take the twins for the night."
"Well, technically Luke should be living with him anyway, so I'm going to play that guilt card every so often," Anakin joked. "I mean, we take care of his Padawan all the time, he can take care of mine once or twice."
Padme smiled up at him. "Yes, Obi Wan's Padawans tend to be very difficult to handle, too," she teased. Anakin nodded, completely missing the comparison to himself as Padme laughed at him lovingly.
"Not as bad as my Padawan, though," he smiled. "She's even more of a troublemaker than her brother." He leaned down and kissed her lips lightly.
"We'll just have to see if they can live up to your example," Padme mumbled into his lips.
"I don't know, I set the standards very high," Anakin said, half serious. He tugged her hands, pulling her to her feet and embracing her fully. He looked at her adoringly, absolutely enamored of her, and of his own happiness. He didn't know how the little slave boy had ended up with such a wonderful, perfect family, but he knew how fortunate he was to have ended up that way. And the fact that Padme would soon bring another member of his family into the world elated him- he couldn't wait to meet his new child. He loved Luke and Leia so much; he couldn't wait to have someone else to love just as much. He leaned in and kissed Padme deeply, reveling in the peacefulness of this moment. "You look beautiful," he told her honestly, staring into her eyes.
"Now I know you're just lying," she teased, squeezing his hand. "Look at me!" She gestured to her pregnant stomach.
"I see it," Anakin laughed. "I love it. I'm so glad to finally be alone with you," he told her sweetly, intertwining his fingers with hers and pulling her towards the couch.
"Me too," she agreed, beginning the now difficult trek over to the other side of the apartment. As they walked suddenly side by side, Anakin felt Padme's hand dig into his own, gripping it so tightly she almost broke the bones. He looked over at her, startled to see a grimace of pain on her face.
"What is it?" He asked worriedly, rushing to let her lean on him fully. "Are you ok? What's wrong? Is it something about the baby? Are you going to be all right?"
Then, to his surprise, Padme laughed. "Anakin, yes it is about the baby, but nothing's wrong," she smiled up at him, amused.
"You mean… you mean, it's coming?" He asked, suddenly panicking, realizing he had no idea what to do. "So we should… we should go to a doctor?"
Padme laughed, as Anakin began to rush around the apartment doing nothing in particular, breathing heavily, a look of utter perplexity plastered on his face. "Yes, we should go to the medical unit. Why are you so nervous, we've had two children already and you're acting as if you've never had a baby before."
"No," Anakin said quickly, stopping short his pacing and looking at her fearfully. "No, no. You've had two children before, I was unconscious, remember? I missed it, and this is the first time I get to see my child be born and I don't want to screw it up, but, I…I don't know what to do!"
Padme's heart melted with love for him in this moment- he was so earnest, he really wanted things to be perfect and he didn't know at all what to do. It was true, he had completely missed the birth of the twins, and his upbringing at the temple had not informed him very much about the birthing process, that was certain. She took his hand, and squeezed it gently and reassuringly, pecking him on the lips.
"Luckily for you," she said calmly. "I'm the one who has to do most of it. Your instincts will kick in, I promise. You're already a wonderful father, you'll be fine, don't worry."
Anakin took a deep breath and tried to calm down, thanking her silently with his eyes for her reassurance. Suddenly, he felt her hand tighten in his again, and that same expression of pain passed over her face. This was followed by her water breaking, which scared the wits out of Anakin.
"What happened?" He yelled suddenly, looking around him fearfully. "Are you all right? Is the baby all right? We need a healer, now!"
He began to rush away, but she pulled him back. "Anakin, don't worry. That's what's supposed to happen. We're fine, but we should go now, ok?"
"That!" Anakin asked incredulously. "That's what's supposed to happen? Obi Wan so did not teach me enough about this…"
Padme smiled at him, shaking her head amusedly. "It's ok, let's just get going now, ok?" She was growing a little impatient, knowing she had plenty of time but wanting to have medical support soon.
"Ok, well… do we need anything? What should I bring? Some clothes for you? Something for the baby?" Anakin asked, walking into their bedroom.
"There's a suitcase on the bed," Padme told him calmly, and he soon returned successfully with it.
"How are you so calm and prepared?" He asked honestly, staring at her.
"Well I have had nine months to plan for this…and some of us actually plan events ahead of time," she laughed at his impetuosity.
"Ok, well, then… let's go!" Anakin began pulling her out the door, as she stood still staring at him. "What?"
"Well I assumed we weren't going to walk there," she laughed, pointing at the speeder docked outside on their balcony and looking confusedly into the hallway through the door he had opened.
"Oh," Anakin nodded, shutting and locking the door and turning around. "Right."
"Maybe I should drive…" Padme mused as Anakin jumped in the drivers seat.
"No, you need to relax," Anakin instructed, pulling her into the passenger seat.
"That was my point," she said quietly, as he pulled away from the apartment.
In half and hour Padme lay on a bed in the healing ward of the temple, Anakin attentively at her side. He held her hand reassuringly, staring confusedly at the ice chips he had brought her.
"Anakin, they explained to you why I can't have water," she interrupted his staring, as he looked shyly up at her.
"I know," he admitted, frowning. "So, anyway, when will this baby be coming? We've been here for almost an hour now, you know."
"Anakin, it can take hours and hours," she informed him, stroking his cheek. "Sometimes a day, you never know. We just have to wait."
"A day!" Anakin grumbled impatiently. "I can't wait that long."
"Well, you're going to have to," she laughed. "Ah!" She yelled, as another contraction pulsed through her. Her grip tightened on his hand; he had conveniently sat ti the side of her where his mechanical hand would be most reachable.
"I'm well equipped for this," he mused, staring at his mechanical hand nonchalantly as Padme gritted her teeth at him through her pain. "Don't you think? I mean, think about the fathers who have two normal hands. I mean, this one can feel but not intense pain, I mean why would I need to feel that? It's made of metal…maybe I should invent some kind of metal hand for fathers during the labor, don't you think that would make the process a lot easier?"
"Oh, yeah," Padme spat sarcastically, grimacing angrily at him as he looked up at her innocently. "Much easier," she added tempestuously as the contraction subsided, and Anakin nodded, completely oblivious to the situation.
"So when do you think this baby will be here?" Anakin asked again, moving the ice chips around the bucket they were in using the Force.
"Hey, shouldn't you maybe give Obi Wan a call and tell him we're here?" Padme suggested enthusiastically.
"I don't want to leave you alone like this," Anakin said worriedly, inspecting her carefully as she lay on the bed in front of him.
"Trust me, Anakin, I think I'll be ok for a few minutes," she said forcefully, and he nodded.
"Ok, I'll let them know," he agreed. "Don't worry, I'll be back soon."
"Right," Padme said shortly, flashing him a quick smile. She sighed as he left the room, half annoyed, half amused at the situation. She loved him with all her heart, and of course he would be like this…plus, didn't all mothers get really annoyed at the husbands during labor? So she wasn't being particularly mean, was she? No, she told herself, it was fine. Plus Anakin was completely oblivious anyway, so it didn't matter. She loved Anakin and she knew he was only trying to be supportive and loving- and she could deal with that.
She did hope that maybe Sabe or Obi Wan would be inspired to come keep them company, though.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
Six hours later…"I think it's time," the healer informed them, and the hours of extreme aggravation with Anakin flew from Padme's memory as she saw the look of excitement and love in his eyes.
"It's time Padme!" Anakin jumped up excitedly, as the furniture he had arranged on the ceiling fell to the floor with a crash. "Oh… right," Anakin said sheepishly. "I almost forgot I was still holding that up there."
"Uh, it's… all right, Master Skywalker," the healer assured him, looking at him quizzically.
"He… gets bored," Padme explained for him, rolling her eyes lovingly as the healer nodded, giving them a very strange look.
They wheeled her into a delivery room, Anakin running along behind. Padme was kept amused during the journey by Anakin's constant attempts to sneak up to her side, constantly foiled by people walking by them in the other direction. Finally, he gave up having to awkwardly back out of the narrow passage between her bed and the wall, and just ran behind enthusiastically, shooting her reassuring smiles that only further revealed how terrified he was of this process.
Before Padme even realized it, she was in the delivery room being told to push, still laughing lovingly at Anakin.
"You're amazing Padme," he said reassuringly, as she squeezed his metal hand tightly. "You can do this, I promise you."
"Push, Padme," the healer instructed, and she did, letting out a painful cry. "I can see the head now," the healer informed them. "Master Skywalker, would you like to come see?"
Even amidst the pain of the moment, Padme couldn't help but be amused as Anakin shifted his feet awkwardly a couple of times, unsure of whether to go look or to stay by her side. Finally, he shot her a sheepish but loving glance and jumped to the healer's side to see his child's head crowning.
"Do you see it?" the healer asked, but Anakin just stared silently. He turned very white, and suddenly Padme and the healer were concerned for him. He backed away slowly and returned to Padme's side, regaining his composure.
"That's…so weird," Anakin said, still shocked from the experience.
"Push Padme," the healer instructed, as Padme shot Anakin a sympathetic glance-turned-grimace as she pushed.
"But kind of amazing," Anakin said in retrospect, dancing back and forth between Padme's head and feet. "It's coming!" He yelled. "Keep pushing, it's coming! Oh, ew…"
He jumped back to her head, trying to restrain himself from fainting. He then jumped back to her feet, just in time to see the final push.
"Woah," he smiled awkwardly, looking proudly on his new child and Padme.
"It's a girl," the healer said, as Anakin nodded vigorously to Padme. "Would you like to cut the cord?" The healer asked him, holding the scalpel towards him.
"What… what cord?" Anakin asked, stepping fearfully backwards. At this, Padme laughed out loud.
"The cord that connects the baby to me, Anakin," she told him tiredly, leaning her head back on the pillow weakly.
"It's… connected?" He asked, suddenly turning bright red at his ignorance.
"Here," the healer said, placing the scalpel in his hands and guiding him towards the umbilical cord. As she helped him cut it, Anakin just stared at Padme, perplexed, as Padme laughed tiredly at the expression on his face. "We just have to clean her up and check on her, and you can have her back right away," he healer said, walking the baby girl away from them as other healers began to work on her.
"Are you feeling fine, Chancellor?" Asked one of two healers who came to help Padme.
"Yes, I'm fine, thank you," Padme nodded. The healers with her soon finished up and stepped back.
"What does she look like?" Padme asked tiredly as Anakin rushed to her side and kissed her cheek.
"Really, really weird," he smiled proudly. "She's covered in goo."
"That's what kept her alive, Anakin, in my stomach," Padme told him lovingly.
"Good, I'm glad we don't have a goo-baby," he nodded seriously, and Padme laughed.
"You'll see, she'll be beautiful when they bring her back," Padme assured him warmly.
Anakin turned to her and looked deeply into her eyes. "She's beautiful already," he said firmly.
"Here she is," a healer told them, bringing them their baby wrapped in a soft blanket.
"I can't believe I missed that part with Luke and Leia," Anakin said fondly as he clasped the baby in his arms and held her in front of Padme. "Look at her, she's amazing."
"As I remember though, you forced yourself out of your own hospital bed to come into our room about a minute after they were born," Padme smiled, stroking her new baby's cheek.
"Like I could have missed this part," Anakin said, staring into the eyes of his new daughter. "They will be so excited when they see her."
Padme nodded, as she and Anakin stared in awe at their new baby. "She needs a name," Padme thought out loud.
Anakin looked seriously into the eyes of his daughter. "Taryn," he said simply, looking eagerly to Padme's eyes for approval.
"I love it," Padme agreed.
…………………………………………………………….
"May we come in?" Asked the kind voice of Obi Wan from outside of the door.
Before he got a response, Luke and Leia were running into the room jumping onto their mother's bed. "Mommy, mommy, mommy!" They yelled, as she smiled at them lovingly but tiredly.
"Luke, Leia," Anakin said sternly. "Speak quietly, your mother needs to rest. No jumping on her."
"Sorry Mommy," Luke said, hopping off and beginning the search for the new baby.
"Sorry Mommy," Leia echoed, contenting herself with running in circles around her father.
"Come on in," Anakin laughed as Sabe an Obi Wan entered.
"Oh, she's beautiful," Sabe said, looking lovingly at the baby in Anakin's arms.
"She's in here?" Leia asked incredulously, looking up at her father in disbelief.
"I've been holding her the whole time, Leia," Anakin laughed confusedly at his children, Luke now running over to check.
"Well you're so far up there, we can't see anything," Luke rolled his eyes, as the adults in the room laughed.
"Here," Anakin said warmly, sitting on the bed and encouraging Luke and Leia to climb carefully up next to him.
"Congratulations," Obi Wan said, putting a hand on Padme's shoulder.
"Thanks," Padme smiled up at him.
"She's so tiny daddy," Leia examined her new sister, placing a finger on the little nose in front of her.
"Careful," Anakin said tenderly, and Leia immediately pulled her finger back. "You can touch her, just very carefully," Anakin instructed.
"Can I give her a kiss?" Luke asked.
"Yes, you can give her a kiss," Anakin smiled. Luke and Leia in turn kissed their new sister's forehead.
"She's so soft," giggled Leia, as Luke nodded.
"You were too, when you were just born," Padme told them, as Leia leaned back into her mother, who kissed the top of her head.
"Were we that little too?" Leia asked, as Luke crawled up to snuggle with his mother too.
"Littler," Padme told them. "Because you were twins, and you were born very early."
"Even littler than that?" Luke asked incredulously.
"Much littler," Obi Wan agreed.
"You saw us when we were just born?" Luke asked, staring up at his Master.
"I witnessed you being born," Obi Wan laughed at the memory of how he had gotten virtually stuck in the room, and mistaken for the father in Anakin's absence. He shared an amused smile with Padme and Anakin.
"Wow," Leia said in amazement.
"When does Taryn get to come home?" Luke asked, again studying his new sister.
"In a few days," Anakin told his children, looking on them lovingly.
"I can't believe you have three children now, Anakin," Obi Wan laughed, watching his old Padawan fondly.
"Neither can I," Anakin agreed, staring suddenly in disbelief at the children surrounding him and looking back lovingly at Padme. The fact that he had created these children with Padme truly was amazing- when he and Padme had gotten married he couldn't even have imagined this, but now, here it was- and it was perfect.
The EndI hope some people are interested in seeing another installment in this series, at the time of Episode 5! Thanks for all the great reviews, please let me know what you thought and I hope you enjoyed it!