"Kanan! Kanan, look!" Leia called out as she hurried out of the jedi temple, waving her hand frantically. "Look what I got!"

"Is...Is that a-"

"A lightsaber crystal!" She said, beaming. "I got a lightsaber crystal! So did Ezra!" She chirped, motioning to the boy. Ezra flushed lightly.

"Really?"

"Mhm!" Leila said with a grin. "I'm not the only Padawan anymore too!"

"Well that's...good." Kanan said, looking at Ezra. "So I guess your dad will-"

"Actually...I was thinking you, Kanan."

"...huh?"

Leia glanced at her father, Ezra, and then at Kanan beaming.

"Totally!"

"What's going on?"

"Ezra, Kanan's gonna be your Jedi Master!"

"Now wait a second, I never said I would-"

"Come on, Kanan! You'd be a great Master."

"But I'm not even...I can't be..." He stuttered, looking at Hera and Zeb, the two shrugged, smartly staying out of this discussion.

"Why not?" Anakin asked with a grin. Kanan's jaw closed with a click as he glanced at Ezra who was staring at him with childlike eyes.

"You...want to train me?"

And dammit, the kid had a similar expression that Leia had when she was young and needed him.

"I...guess...but I've never really...it's been a long time…and…" Kanan said weakly. Leia was beaming brightly.

"Ezra, this is Kanan. Kanan this is Ezra!" Leia chirped in explanation and Anakin watched as Kanan looked at the two children worriedly while Leia began to jabber on and on to Ezra.

He cocked his head to the side in curiosity.

But before he could even think about it further, he heard the sound of boosters and an engine in the distance and looking up spotted a familiar ship riding towards them, and couldn't help but grin.

Looked like Ahsoka had finally gotten to Lothal.

She was in darkness, neverending darkness.

"Padmé…"

...Who...who was…

"Angel."

"Anakin?!" She called out, sitting up, looking around in the darkness. His voice was like the wind, washing over her, whispering for her over and over again. Usually it was a comfort.

Now?

Now it felt like a death sentence.

"Anakin? Anakin where are you!?" She rushed into the shadows, heedless of the dangers that lay ahead. Her footsteps echoed loudly as though she was going down a long empty hall. She slid to a stop as she saw a light at the end.

"Pad...me…"

"Ani!" She called out, racing towards the light. It began to grow brighter and brighter, and warmer.

The light became blinding and she covered her face as she stumbled forward. Then the heat became blistering and she blinked several times to orient herself.

The world was on fire.

She looked around, hot air blasting against her face. Burning, so hot, it felt like she was melting. She looked around at the fiery world, lava exploding into the air and deafening roar of air and fire. She stumbled backwards as a rush of lava shot into the air, several large chunks landing just inches from her feet.

She was hyperventilating, she knew that, but she couldn't stop the panic.

"Anakin?! Anakin, where are you?!" She cried out, running down a growing hall, glowing red. She heard a scream, and raced towards the sound. It seemed like it took eons.

"Anakin!? Ana-"

She froze staring at the body that lay on the ground, lifeless. A body she knew well.

"No...Anakin...Ani...Ani, please…" She whispered, falling to her knees, crawling towards him, begging him to wake up, to move. Anything to prove he was alive. But nothing, he just stared listlessly in her direction, blood dripping out of his mouth. As she looked up, she saw her daughter slumped past him, eyes just as vacant as her husband's.

She heard the familiar sound of a lightsaber, and then another glow appeared behind her. She turned slowly, her eyes widening, a choked scream tearing out of her throat as she stared at her son, standing there. He was wearing all black, eyes narrowed, golden now, with no remorse...they glittered with the promise of murder as he took the life of his father and sister.. Behind him was a cackling Palpatine.

"No…" She whispered as Luke walked forward, lightsaber burning bright. "No, Luke. Please...don't fall under his control. Fight it! Fight-"

He didn't answer her and her heart twisted. She was losing him, she was...she was-

"Mom?"

Padmé jerked slightly as she awoke, blinking several times as she sat up. She glanced over at the edge of the bed.

"Luke?"

"We're almost out of hyperspace."

"Oh...thank you sweetie…" She said, standing, pushing a shaky hand through her hair. She looked at her son who was standing at the doorway entrance, a slight frown on his face, large innocent eyes staring at her.

Eyes narrowed, golden now, with no remorse...they glittered with the promise of murder as he took the life of his father and sister.

No!

That wasn't Luke. It wasn't him. She would make sure that it wasn't going to become him.

"Mom?"

"I'm fine Luke…just had a bad dream. That's all."

Luke's frown deepened, but he nodded as she worked to reining in her emotions, and she entered the cockpit, glancing at Typho as he monitored the controls.

"Our ETA is 15 minutes, Milady."

"Thank you Captain." Padmé replied with a smile, pushing her hair back as her heartbeat began to finally slow.

"Do we have to go and visit Senator Gallasin?" Luke asked after a few minutes. Padmé looked at him with a chuckle.

"Yes, sweetheart. You won't have to sit with me though. Garen will be there." She said and Luke groaned.

"But I hate playing with him."

"He's just...he's an only child. Maybe his mother-"

"I am too, but you don't see me being a brat! He broke my spinning top!" Luke refuted, crossing his arms. "And then blamed me for having bad toys."

Padmé frowned, looking at Luke.

"Senator Gallasin won't let her son break your toys again, I promise Luke." She said gently, and though Luke huffed again, nodded. She kissed his brow gently, looking up when the door opened.

"Master Luke, there you are. You must get ready." C3PO chastised.

"Aaaww…" Luke complained, before being practically led away by the droid. "Do I have to wear the outfit? My clothes are fine."

"It is most inappropriate to dress in common clothes when meeting dignitaries, Master Luke!"

Padmé smiled before returning her attention to the windows as they exited hyperspace.

"Milady, are you alright?" Typho asked and the Senator looked over at him, giving a tired smile.

"Just a little nightmare. Probably just from stress. I'll be fine." Padmé replied with a smile. Typho looked at her in concern, but she merely waved his concerns off. She was fine. She was absolutely fine.

She just needed to believe it herself.

"Padmé, my darling!"

"Mya…" Padmé greeted, bowing slightly to the Senator, who returned it before dragging Padmé into a hug. Luke stood behind her politely next to C3PO, forcing himself to not groan as he spotted the toad Senator Gallasin called a son, striding over to him.

"Hey, Shrimp!"

"Garen…" Luke muttered, glancing at his mother who was currently being updated on Senate gossip from Gallasin. The boy in front of him, shoved hi lightly.

"So how's Naboo been?"

"It's been good, quiet. What about you?"

"Quiet? Didn't your Ma have to leave the Assembly because you got snatched!?"

Luke felt his cheeks heat up.

"It wasn't-"

"Come on. I'll show you my toys. They don't break like yours does!" Garen said, apparently done listening to Luke. The younger boy glanced back at his mother, before slumping forward and dragging his feet across the ground, following the boy.

He had hoped that it wouldn't be bad.

Clearly, he was mistaken.

It had only been a few hours, but it felt like an eternity as he followed Garen around his mother's property, the Naboo boy was growing more and more frustrated. They would only play with a game for a little bit, and if Luke had seemed to be winning, Garen would change the rules to benefit him, or decide he didn't want to play anymore and drag Luke away.

Now they were playing catch.

"So, is your Ma going to let you go to the Imperial Academy? My mother is planning on letting me go."

"I don't know."

"You should."

"Why?"

"So you can be useful to the Empire."

"I was planning on joining the Senate like my Mother. Or something like that." Luke responded, tossing the ball back at Garen, who snorted.

"Really? That's dumb."

"Why is that dumb? Your Mother is in the Senate too."

"Following my parents footsteps to sit and listen to old farts prattle on and on about dumb things is not something I plan on doing. I actually want to make a difference." Garen replied, throwing the ball hard and Luke scrambled to catch it. He glared at Garen

"Yeah, becoming a soldier...sure, you'll make a difference." Luke muttered and Garen's eyes narrowed as he caught the ball. He stared at Luke, before glancing past him.

"Hey droid, catch!"

Luke spun around as Garen lobbed the ball at C3PO, the orb smashing into the droid, who yelped as he fell backwards.

"C3PO?!" Luke called out, hurrying over to the droid and helping him sit up.

"What was that for?!" Luke snapped, glaring at Garen who shrugged.

"Droids should know when to listen to their masters." Garen responded.

"C3PO isn't your droid, and he isn't a slave." Luke said, helping the droid up.

"My mother sees droids as things that need to do what they're told."

"Well, at least my mother treats droids like equals." Luke replied coolly, patting C3PO on the arm

"Well, at least my mother isn't a whore."

"...what did you say?" Luke said after a moment, slowly turning around. Garen snorted.

"You stupid too? Your. Mother. Is. A. Whore. Everyone in Senate knows it."

"Take that back."

"Why should I?" Garen said, getting within inches to Luke's face. "Your mother IS a wh-"

And Luke saw red.

"My darling, how are you?" Mya asked as her servant poured tea for her and Padmé. "When we heard what had happened to young Luke, we were all filled with worry." Padmé offered a smile.

"I'm fine. Luke is too."

"Oh that's stupendous." Mya replied with a smile, taking a sip of tea. "The assembly was most surprised when you announced you had to leave. So surprising."

Padmé frowned.

"I had to find my son."

"Well yes, but the proper authorities could have dealt with it. The vote was neck and neck..."

"I wasn't going to leave my son just for the authorities, Mya. He was scared and alone, why would I worry about laws when the very child I swore to protect with these laws is taken from me?"

The senator seemed annoyed by the comment, her mouth opening, inhaling-

"Mistress Padmé! Mistress Padmé!"

Padmé and Gallasin looked up from their tea as C3PO ran as fast as he could to the pair.

"C3PO? What's wrong? Is Luke alright?"

"It's horrible Mistress Padmé! Master Luke and Master Garen-"

Padmé had stood and hurried in the direction C3PO had come from, her heart racing. However as she turned the corner, she slid to a stop in surprise. Luke and Garen were rolling on the ground, grunting angrily. Luke managed to straddle the older boy, punching him.

"Luke!" Padmé called out stunned. Luke didn't seem to hear her, trying to keep Garen down.

"Take it back!"

"Shut up, you freak!"

"Take it back!" Luke's voice rose, gasping as Garen smashed a foot into the younger boy's stomach, and the older one pounced.

"Garen! Luke! Stop it!" Padmé called out, rushing to them, trying to pry them apart. Senator Gallasin rushed over and pulled her own son away.

"What has gotten into the two of you!?"

"He attacked me, Mother!" Garen wailed, clinging to his mother. Luke looked at him angrily, lurching forward, only to be stopped by Padmé.

"Well, I never! Senator Amidala, how dare your son-"

"He called my mother a whore, and refused to take it back!" Luke snapped, his breath ragged as though he was trying to fight his tears.

"That's a lie!"

"No it isn't!"

"It is!"

Luke snarled, trying to free himself from his mother's grasp.

"Senator Amidala, your son needs to learn respect."

"Senator Gallasin, your son needs to learn the same then." Padmé snapped in return and Mya's face turned a bright shade of red. "Typho!" She called out before the other Senator could say anything, and she spotted the captain rush over.

"Milady, what-"

"Can you prepare the ship to return to Naboo? I think our meeting here is to be cut short." Padmé said coolly, looking at the other Senator with a blank expression. Luke looked up at her, sniffling and trying his hardest to not cry, because men didn't cry.

They didn't.

So when he was sitting on the medical bay bed, he wasn't crying as his mother pressed some antiseptic on the growing bruise around his eye, he was sweating. That was it. No crying.

Padmé was quiet and he swallowed roughly.

"Do you hate me?" He finally asked as she turned to get some cooling gel. She spun back around, eyes wide.

"What?"

"Hate me. Do you?" He asked and Padmé almost laughed at how much he sounded like Yoda at that moment. Instead she pushed that laughter aside and knelt in front of him.

"Sweetheart, why do you think that?"

"Because I got into a fight with Garen. And I ruined your relationship with Senator Gall-"

"No...no sweetheart, you haven't."

"But-"

If Senator Gallasin is going to take out what she believes is an insult to her family on me, she'll just attempt to make it difficult in the Senate for a few meetings. She won't go too far and do anything unseemingly to her reputation."

"I'm sorry, really I-"

"Luke...I'm not angry at you."

"...why?"

"While I can't condone the fact that you got into a fight with him...I can't exactly be angry due to the fact you were defending me." She said, ruffling his hair. "It's something your father would have done…"

Luke blinked and looked up at his mother.

"You won't get out of a punishment, as violence is not the answer…" Padmé said, but Luke seemed much too relieved to care. She frowned. "Did you really think I would be that angry with you?"

"Well...you hate violence so much, and I got into a fight, and you looked so scared of me when you woke up, and you never talk about Dad unless I do something brazen and...and…" he sniffled, wiping roughly at his eye, hissing at the sting, "and I thought...I...I...I'm sorry…"

"Oh Luke…" She said, pulling him into a hug and he burrowed his face into her neck. "Not even the Lady of Death could make me hate you."

He sniffled, curling up to his mother as she ran her hand through his hair, and simply broke. Moisture dripped onto her neck, and Padmé forced her own tears down as she pulled Luke close to her.

"I love you Luke. Don't you ever think that I don't." She said gently and he nodded, sobbing quietly into her neck.

And there they sat even when Luke fell asleep curled up to Padmé, relaxed in her grip, soothed as she ran her hand over the top of his head. She watched her son sleep, before looking out through the window.

Palpatine wouldn't take her son away.

She would not allow it.

She would protect him.

And she didn't need to convince herself of that.

Some Padmé and Luke fluff...bittersweet fluff, but fluff nonetheless. Don't worry, I'll get to Kanan and Ezra's issues soon enough XD