Chapter 8: Loving Arms
Note: the Lullaby Padme and Anakin sing is from the movie Anastasia needed a lullaby so I chose to use that one because it's one of my favorite movies and it's a sweet song.
A few weeks later…
Anakin parked his speeder on the side of the veranda. He was exhausted; all he wanted to do was crawl into bed. But he knew he couldn't do that; he had a family now and they need him, no napping on the job. He just got out and walked inside. Anakin heard Padme's voice coming from the main room, she was singing. He walked into the room. Anakin saw Padme rocking while feeding one baby. The other baby was in a small whicker basket at her feet. Anakin walks over to her.
"Soon you'll be home with me. Once upon a December." Padme sings softly.
"That was beautiful, honey." Anakin whispers.
"Shh, they're sleeping." Padme whispers back.
"Sorry." Anakin says
"It was a lullaby. My mother used taught it to me. She used to sing it to me when I was young." Padme says. The baby in her arms was now asleep. She placed him in the second whicker basket at her feet, with blue blankets. Leia, who was asleep when Anakin came in, was now awake and crying.
"She's probably hungry. Anakin, would you hand her to me."
Anakin picks up his daughter. Leia was now wearing pink feety pajamas. Her brown hair felt so soft now.
Padme took Leia; she was still getting used to breast feeding. Anakin sat down on the couch. He was watching as Padme adjusted Leia to feed her properly. Anakin still didn't understand caring for babies. He was still uncomfortable with Padme exposing her breasts, even in the privacy of their own home.
"Anakin, if you don't like like watching me do this, you can go away." Padme says. Anakin was still amazed how she knew everything he was thinking.
"The doctor came by again today. He said the twins are in excellent health. But he says I should exercise more to maintain my normal weight again."
Anakin just nods his head.
"Ooops, Mommy leaked a little." Padme says. She just chuckles as a small amount of white liquid trickled down her robe.
"I think she's done. Anakin, would you take her?"
"Sure." Anakin then takes back Leia.
Padme goes into the kitchen to clean herself up.
"Why can't you be good, like your brother, hmmm…Daddy needs his rest, just like you do." Anakin teases the baby.
Leia just coos and her big blue eyes just stare at Anakin. He holds her up, and she grabs a piece of his hair. He chuckles.
"Sweetie, you can let go of Daddy's hair now." Anakin says but she doesn't let go.
"Oww!" he says as Padme walks back in.
"Uhh honey. Little help, please." Anakin says.
Padme giggles. "How cute."
Leia then let's go of Anakin's hair.
"Here, I'll take her." Padme then takes Leia from Anakin. Leia coos.
"Yeah, you tell him. Tell Daddy he's a big baby," she says.
"Hey." Anakin says.
Padme smirks at Anakin.
Leia babbles again and grabs a piece of Padme's hair.
"Sweetie, no. Let go of Mommy's hair now. It's okay to do to Daddy, but Mommy's different now." Padme says, removing her daughter's grip from her strand of hair.
"Who's the baby now!" Anakin teases.
Padme rolls her eyes," Oh you…just," she didn't know what to say to that.
Anakin shifts his eyebrows at Padme, she smiles.
Leia yawns.
"You read my mind. Sleep sounds good to me." Anakin says.
"The baby book I'm reading says rocking helps babies go to sleep. The chair's right there, go rock Leia to sleep." Padme suggests
"Alright." Anakin says then kisses her cheek.
He started rocking his daughter slowly in the rocking chair, but all it did was make him more tired.
"It also says singing a baby to sleep also helps," she adds.
Anakin chuckles. "I think I'll leave that to you."
Padme walks over behind the chair where Anakin was sitting. She starts to rub his neck and whispers in his ear, "C'mon Ani, she wants you to."
Anakin clears his throat, "But I don't know-'' he starts to say.
"I'll teach you the one I sang to Luke."
Padme clears her throat.
"Dancing bears. Painted wings. Things I long to remember. Soon you'll be home with me. Once apon a December…Someone holds me safe and warm Horses prance through a silver storm. Figures dancing gracefully, across my memory…Once upon a December." sings Padme but Leia was already sound asleep.
"You're great at this parenting thing," says Anakin softly.
Padme smiles. "I'm still learning….Hand her to me."
Anakin then hands Leia to Padme.
"I think we should put them down. It's late." Anakin says as he stands up behind his wife.
Padme put Leia back in the basket next to a sleeping Luke.
The two stare at the sleeping babies.
"They're so beautiful. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to them." Anakin says, placing his gloved hand on Padme's shoulder.
"It's alright, Ani. We're safe."
"I just hate the thought of you home alone with them all day. It worries me." He kisses her soft cheek.
"Well, I have the pleasure of a big, strong, and handsome Jedi knight to come home to us every night," she whispers to him and runs her hand across his muscular shoulders.
Anakin then takes Padme in his arms and starts to kiss her neck.
"Oh Ani…I love you." Padme whispers in his ear.
"It's been awhile since we…" he whispers but his voice trails off.
"I'm not ready to go to bed yet, but we should put the twins down," she says.
"Alright, but what do you want to do?" asks Anakin, curiously.
"Talk, we hardly get to do that anymore." Padme says
After the twins were settled in their cribs, Padme and Anakin changed into some comfortable clothes to sleep in and went back into the main room.
They were cuddling together on the couch.
Padme sighs.
"I miss you," she said as she hugged Anakin's arm. His bare chest soft against her back. He had changed into his sleeping clothes, a pair of pants and Padme's nightgown had an exposed back. She like the feel of Anakin's slightly sweaty muscular chest against her soft skin.
"I haven't gone anywhere. I'll never leave." Anakin whispers.
He lays his chin against Padme's soft, brown hair.
"No, us. I miss this; our love." Padme says
Anakin takes Padme's hand and places it on her stomach. He takes his hand and puts it over top her's
"Our love has created two beautiful babies" Anakin tells her.
She interlocks her hand with Anakin's and kisses it. She turns her head up to see Anakin; he leans down to kiss her lips.
This is what the lovers longed for. To be held in each other's arms, their lips meeting while feeling the other breathing down their neck. Yet it was quiet and peaceful. All was well in the Skywalker house…for now.
Padme loved Anakin's lips brushing against her neck as much as Anakin loved Padme running her fingers through his hair, but one word changed this moment…
"Stop," Padme whispers so softly Anakin hardly heard her. He stops.
"Baby, why'd you want me to stop?" he asks, confused. He thought Padme loved this.
"I just want to talk." Padme says
"The doctor said I should take Luke and Leia to a "Mommy and Me" class. It's held one week at the Health Center. He said it's a great way for me to learn parenting techniques. It would help a lot. He said they even have one for dads too." Padme tells Anakin
Anakin didn't say anything.
"Anakin, are you alright? You've been...quiet lately. Is something bothering you?"
"No, I'm alright. I've just missed this as much as you…Obi-Wan said the same thing when he told me…" his voice trails off.
"Told you what?"
"Nothing…it's nothing."
"It's funny," she says then gets up and walks to the window.
"What is it?" he asks.
"We've been married, hmm 3 years now. We have a family, and you still manage to keep secrets from me. Why? What is it, Anakin? What did Obi-Wan tell you?" Padme was a little angry with him now.
Anakin took a deep breath.
"He told me…He knew. He said he knew all along, Padme." Anakin confesses. Padme goes over to comfort him.
"I had a feeling he knew, knowing how close you are with him. But Ani, he's your best friend. He helps us, he cares about you. He kept pur secret all these years. Please, don't be angry with him."
Padme leans her head on Anakin's shoulder and moans.
"What's wrong?" he asks.
"I'm tired."
"Then let's go to bed. I'm beat too. Let's go." Anakin says.
"I'm too tired to walk into the bedroom. Let's crash here on the couch." Says Padme.
"Alright," Anakin agrees.
The two of them then lay down on the couch. Padme lays atop Anakin on her back and she wraps his arms around her. He uses the Force to turn out the light.
"Anakin, will you sing me to sleep?" Padme asks softly.
Anakin didn't know what to say to Padme's request.
He sighs. "Alright, but only if you help me out. That lullaby you sang earlier."
Padme giggles. "Okay."
She adjusts herself comfortably in Anakin's arms.
She looks up at the ceiling. The room may be dark, but they could see each other perfectly.
"Dancing bears. Painted wings. Things I long to remember. Soon you'll be home with me…now you." Padme sings.
Anakin tries to remember the words to the song. He clears his throat and tries to sing the best he could. Jedi have no business for singing, he thought.
"Once upon a December…" Anakin sang, embarrassed.
Padme smiles and hugged his arms.
"Someone holds me safe and warm. Horses prance through a silver storm. Figures dancing gracefully, across my memory…" she paused after that.
"Once upon a December." Anakin sang softer and slower this time.
Padme sighs. "I love you Anakin."
"I love you too, Padme." Anakin said then he kissed her soft hair.
"Goodnight my love..." she whispers.
"Goodnight." Anakin whispers back.
They then fall asleep in each other's loving arms…