AN: Thank you all for your patience! Sorry I haven't been updating. Major writer's block. This chapter is pretty sad. FYI. Please review! –Anne
Dedication: For Dad.
Several days later Padme was released from the hospital. Anakin had taken the children back to his shop on Tatooine, that he had inherited from Watto. Leia and Christine where handling the front desk and helping customers, while Luke was doing what he did best. Repairing droids.
Tatooine-Luke, Leia, and Christine- MiddayLeia stretched and got up from her cramped place at the desk. "Honestly Dad! You should make more room back here."
Anakin grinned to himself and called back, "Okay. You know where the tools are."
"Daaadddd!" Leia and Christine yelled together. Then Leia looked out the window. "Duck!" She yelled to Christine forcing her down. The shots exploded above their heads, making part of the wall shatter. Christine, Leia, Luke, and Anakin all lit their lightsabers. Anakin and Christine went to go find the shooters. Luke and Leia stood on their guard while they were gone.
"This isn't the kind of thing that happens to normal people." Leia said collapsing in a chair and eyeing the shop.
"Well you're anything but normal." Luke teased, earning him a swat on the arm.
"Why did I know that was coming?" Leia asked herself.
Luke started to answer to instead leapt to his feet as Anakin and Christine entered the shop. "Did you find them?" The words tumbling out of his mouth.
Christine shook her head. "No. Come on let's head back to the farm." So that's what they did. As Anakin was closing the door, Leia pulled out her lightsaber and lit it. The silver glow shined on everyone.
Anakin turned to her with a questioning glance in his blue eyes. "Leia?"
She fiddled with the handle. "It's just a feeling I guess." Suddenly she spun around and deflected several shots. "Do they never give up?" She asked.
"Sure looks like it." Christine agreed.
"Who has a grudge against us?" Luke asked.
Leia ticked off on her fingers. "Several politicians, we can't exclude the Sith, my step-dad's made some enemies,"
Luke broke in, "Some species here aren't that friendly either." He sighed. "So many choices, so little time."
Christine looked confused. "Until?"
Luke glanced at her, "Until one of us dies, Chris."
Chris stood straight and tall. "We aren't going to die."
Anakin broke in the conversation, his blue eyes dark with worry. "Chris, this is a dangerous galaxy we live in. You can't walk through it with a blindfold."
A female voice called at them. "Thank the Force you're home!"
"Aunt Beru!" Leia cried, running to her. The group hadn't realized they were already at the farm. A very sober group entered the kitchen.
"We picked up some new droids today, Anakin. They need help to say the least." Owen growled, across his dinner.
"Well, I don't know when I'll be able to work on them." Anakin's eyes twinkled, knowing what an impact his words would have on his children. "We're leaving for Naboo in the morning."
For a minute the kids sat stock-still, then Christine cried, "Yes! Thanks Dad!" Her normally dark brown eyes became light with joy.
Luke grinned evilly. "When did you arrange this? Did you talk to Mom?" The entire table laughed. Everyone except Anakin.
Anakin grinned. Two could play this game. "Why? Were you hoping to talk to dear Mommy?"
Luke flushed. "No, I just wondered if she actually didn't murder you on the spot." He quickly retorted.
"No, she didn't think you could fly yourself home, she's insisting that she gets to see you." Anakin said, then switching tactics, he told them the whole story. "Actually she called me, she wants you all back."
Owen and Beru sat watching this quietly. They frequently enjoyed watching this battle of wits. Grinning, Owen leaned over to Beru and said, "I know he was talking to Padme, I heard him."
All the children with their Force enhanced hearing heard every word. "Told ya." Luke smirked.
Suddenly Leia's comlink rang. She excused herself and walked to the back of the kitchen. "Hi Mom!" She said her face lighting up. "Sure. Of course. No. Yes, we got fired at today. Chris and Dad. Okay, I'll pass on the message. Love you too. Bye." As Leia returned to the table she smiled at Anakin. "Mom says be careful and no going fast or tricks."
Anakin picked at his food. "Your mother takes the fun out of everything."
"We know." Leia and Christine chorused.
"I'm sure you do." Beru laughed, as she gathered the dinner dishes. "Who's turn is it to wash the dishes?" She asked as she piled them in the sink.
Leia reluctantly went and washed the dishes.
"Remember Leia, no Force." Anakin reminded her.
"And you talk about Mom taking the fun out of everything." Leia sarcastically noted.
Anakin put the children to bed early that night. "We have a long day tomorrow." He warned them as he turned out the light.
The next day...
As the ship landed, Leia started gathering bags. "Good grief! Christine Amelia! What did you put in here?"
Chris shrugged. "My clothes?"
"It would only be this heavy, if you brought half the Queen's wardrobe with you." Leia quickly retorted.
"Give it up you guys." Anakin interjected. "You each carry your own bag."
Christine immediately protested. "But it's so heavy."
Anakin's blue eyes twinkled. "My point exactly, little one."
Luke lowered the ramp, and Christine, who had been standing on it, slid to the ground. Looking up at all of them, howling with laughter. She glared at them and they stopped instantly. "Could somebody help me up here?" She asked.
"Certainly little princess." Luke teased, grabbing her wrist.
Christine's brown eyes turned very dark. "Thank you, my knight in shining armor."
Luke mock-bowed. "I-" He broke off as red shots came flying out of nowhere. Everyone but Leia flattened themselves on the ramp. She turned as though in a dream, to look at the shots. Anakin pulled her down, but not quickly enough. Everyone felt her change through the Force. She gasped as the shot hit her. Luke was the first one by her side. HE quickly pulled off her outer tunic, exposing the shirt underneath. He slit her sleeve and found the shot had just barely grazed the skin. Finding the shot wedged in the sleeve he picked it up and bit his lip. Wordlessly, he handed it to Anakin, who recognized it as a poison dart. Realizing there was no time to lose, he picked his daughter up, putting a healing trance on her as he ran.
"Call your mother!" He yelled over his shoulder. Holding his daughter close, he entered the medicenter.
Several hours later Padme arrived. "Where's Leia?" She demanded.
"Room 234." Anakin answered, entering the waiting room, looking very tired and running a hand through his very messy hair.
Padme cast him a pitying look and took him by the elbow and led him to a secluded corner. "A year ago Leia was diagnosed with a simple bantha medicine allergy."
Anakin again ran a hand through his hair. "Well, this makes everything a whole lot more complicated."
Luke and Christine sat quietly, reveling in their parents proximity. They hung on every word, hoping for a hidden sign. Anakin turned to leave when Padme caught his arm. "Let me show you something, a vision, you might call it." Anakin laid his hands on hers, and she clasped them.
Flashback:
Padme knelt to a 7-year-old Leia, one arm around Christine. "What's wrong darling?" She asked, wiping away Leia's tears.
"A boy at school said my daddy left when I was 3 because I was stupid." This comment brought on a fresh wave of tears. Padme hugged her daughter close.
"No, no honey." Padme comforted her daughter. "Your daddy left because we didn't love each other."
Leia sniffed and looked up. "But couldn't he have stayed with us? You didn't have to love him."
Padme sighed. "It's more complicated then that, sweetie."
Leia's little face looked up at Padme, her chocolate brown eyes pleading for answers. "How?"
Padme felt like she was going to cry, she wasn't ready for this, her children were only seven and five for Force's sake! "It's complicated, honey. I'll explain when you're older."
Padme looked at Anakin with sad eyes. "I never forgot that conversation, Ani. For years she plagued me with questions. I never could bring myself to tell her." She paused then realizing they hadn't dropped hands she said, "Let me show you another vision."
Flashback:
A 13-year-old Christine paced in front of Leia's bedroom door, blond curls trailing down to the middle of her back. When Leia' s door finally opened, Christine cried, "Finally!"
Leia jumped. "You scared me, Chris."
"Sorry," Christine apologized, she looked thoughtful for a minute. "I asked Mama again about Dad. Our real dad." She corrected herself.
"And?" Leia questioned.
Christine looked dejected. "Nothing." Then she got an idea. "Hey wouldn't it be funny if our father was the 'Chosen One' ?"
"Sure." Leia jeered. "And I'm a Gundark."
"Lei!" Christine cried. "I'm serious. Think about it. I look a lot like him. Mom refuses to talk about him, won't tell us stories or anything. Hey…" She got a far off look. "He killed Sidious, Leia. You've heard the stories. He, Mace Windu, and Sidious were fighting, Windu was knocked out a window. 'Chosen One' touched the dark side then was pulled out and thrust his lightsaber through Sidious's heart. Wasn't that cool?" She asked Leia.
(AN: I haven't seen Episode 3, so PLEASE don't flame me!)
"Sure." Leia said dully.
Christine stopped and looked at her sister. "What's wrong with you?" She asked, worried.
"Nothing." Leia mumbled.
Christine grabbed her sister's shoulder. When Leia cried out, she rolled up her sleeve and found a beautiful example of black and blue. "What happened to you?" She cried, horrified.
"I got into some fights at school." Leia murmured.
Anakin pulled out of the vision, he had seen enough. He dropped Padme's hands. "They didn't know how close to the truth they really were." He mumbled.
"I know. That's what nearly killed me." Padme nodded and fell into step with him as he went to inform the doctor's of Leia's allergy. She gasped as she saw her daughter, lying in a hospital bed, a needle in her arm.
"She's awake, Senator Organa." A medi droid told her.
Padme hugged Leia close, tears falling. "My baby." She murmured. "My strong baby." She suddenly collected herself and stood, all traces of tears gone, as Christine came running.
"Mom! Dad! I- He- Bail- DEAD!" She spluttered.
Padme turned to look at her youngest child. "What on Naboo are you talking about?" She asked.
"Dad's dead." Christine clarified. " I mean, Bail."
Padme rushed into the waiting room, where the holovision was. Christine hadn't been kidding. A white sheet covering a body was being lifted up. She sank down on a chair, her hand covering her mouth. "Well," She said looking up at Anakin with her strong determination. "I have to start planning a funeral."