A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

On a desert planet in the outer rim, there was a woman and a man who were so happy as they gazed upon their newborn twins. But their happiness did not last very long, as the woman was a slave, and she feared what may become of her babies if they grew up into slaves.

And to make things worse, now that the babies were born, they were going to have transmitters placed inside their bodies.

"What can we do?" the woman asked her lover.

"I know a safe place they can go." said the man. "I will take them there and return for you once I know how to free you."

However, there was soon the sound of the new mother's master arriving. She gasped.

Unfortunately, the father only had time to grab one child and escape. But he promised to return soon to retrieve the other twin just as he escaped.

The baby boy cried as he was taken away from his mother, his father carrying him through the desert and back to the ship that would take them straight home.

Tears welled up in the baby boy's blue eyes. He was barely a day old; far too young to understand why his mother wasn't with him now or why his father was taking him away.

"Shh... it's alright." soothed the new father as he rocked his baby.

But the baby continued crying. So, the man continued to gently rock his son and sang a special lullaby to him.

Where the North wind meets the sea
There's a river full of memory
Sleep, my darling, safe and sound
For in this river, all is found

In her waters, deep and true
Lie the answers and a path for you
Dive down deep into her sound
But not too far or you'll be drowned

Yes, she will sing to those who'll hear
And in her song, all magic flows
But can you brave what you most fear?
Can you face what the river knows?

Where the North wind meets the sea
There's a mother full of memory
Come, my darling, homeward bound
When all is lost, then all is found

The baby boy's eyes slowly started to drift in sleep. He looked so adorable as he was sleeping.

The father looked lovingly at his baby boy and kissed his little head, holding him close. It broke his heart knowing he had to give up his baby to keep him safe. But, he couldn't bear the thought of giving his son to the Jedi; there was a high chance he would never get to be a part of his son's life, whether he got expelled or not. It was already bad enough that his five-year-old daughter was part of the order, and he couldn't even tell her he was her father.

It hurt him so much that he could hold her in his arms, tuck her in at night, kiss her, or any of the fun, sweet things loving fathers did with their children. He didn't think he would be able to handle the same with two children.

Luckily for him, he knew someone on his home planet who could take care of his son.

But before he could make the trip to that residency, he made a quick stop at a baby store to pick up some supplies, which was good because the baby needed a new diaper and a bottle stat! Of course, he didn't neglect to pick up a few toys, a stroller, and some adorable baby clothes.

The man hit the doorbell of an apartment in one of the lower levels of Coruscant.

The door was soon answered by an older woman with graying light brown hair tied back in a ponytail, and who had the same blue eyes as the man and his baby.

"Qui-Gon." the woman gasped.

"Hello, Mother." said the man. "I've come on an urgent matter. May I come in?"

"Of course." said the woman, whose name was Miranda.

The apartment was pretty simple. Not much was in there, but it looked comfortable enough. There was a picture on the wall of Miranda when she was younger, and she was with a man who must have been her late husband. Qui-Gon felt bad that his mother was living all alone. The last time he'd met her, she said she was fine, that she had some of the neighbors to keep her company, especially when she babysat to earn some extra money.

Miranda ran an online custom design business. Sadly, she wasn't as well-known as she would've liked. But at least it helped her pay bills.

Qui-Gon sat down with his mother and explained his situation to her. He took the baby out of the carrier and held him to her, the baby sleeping soundly.

"His name is Carmine." said Qui-Gon. "Please...take care of him. He needs you. He deserves a real family. A real childhood."

"I would be glad to raise him, Dear." Miranda said. "But, why not leave the Jedi Order and get a job? You could move in with me."

Qui-Gon sighed. "I wish it were that simple. I have a daughter as well. The Jedi don't know I am a father at all. If they were to find out, they may try to coerce us into leaving all three of them behind."

Miranda looked at her grandson in her arms as he was waking up. He was so beautiful. Miranda hadn't seen a baby this beautiful since the day Qui-Gon was born. She couldn't bear the thought of her grandchildren being forced to grow up in a society where they weren't allowed to know their families or find love. And so, she agreed.

"I am going to retrieve my other son. I shall return soon." said Qui-Gon. "For now, I must return to the Temple."

But as Qui-Gon stood up, Carmine started crying and reaching out to his father.

Qui-Gon froze and looked at his baby boy. It broke his heart to see him like this, especially not knowing how long it would be before he would see him again. He asked his mother if he could hold Carmine one more time before he left. And of course, she approved.

Qui-Gon shushed his little baby and hugged him. He had tears in his eyes as his son looked up at him with those big blue eyes of his. He never wanted this time with his baby to end.

"Goodbye, my child." Qui-Gon said tearfully, kissing his son one last time before giving the baby back to his grandmother.

Baby Carmine started crying again as his father left again, and this time didn't come back right away as he was crying.

"Shh. There now." Miranda cooed. "It's okay, Sweetie. Grandma Miranda is here."

Miranda used her magic to set up a bassinet for Carmine and gently lay him down as she hummed him a lullaby called All the Pretty Little Horses, which she sometimes sang to the kids she babysat. She got out all the baby supplies Qui-Gon got for her and immediately got to babyproofing her apartment as she also prepared a bottle for him.

And as she fed him his bottle, Miranda said, "I'll take good care of you, my little song of joy. I promise."