Twins are six standard months old.
Set between chapters 2 and 3 of the main storyline.

"Is that good? Mmmm yummy."

"Aah…"

"Delicious isn't it?"

Padmé smiled as she worked at the kitchen table, listening to Obi-Wan feeding Luke and Leia beside her with a taste of their first solid food. Sitting in their high chairs at the table, they had been suspicious at first, but now it seemed like they were enjoying tasting mashed up jogan fruit.

"Ma ma maaaa," Leia smacked her hands down on the table and Padmé looked up at her beautiful baby who may or may not be trying to get her attention. She knew it was too early for Leia to know those sounds meant mother, but inside she secretly pretended she knew.

"Is that nice sweetheart?" she asked, putting down the sewing needle and thread she had been practising with and giving her attention to her daughter.

Leia waved her chubby arms up and down and beamed at her and of course Padmé couldn't help but smile back. Her daughter was a bundle of bubbly personality these days.

The fog of being new-borns was rapidly clearing away and suddenly their characters seemed to be emerging. Luke and Leia were becoming playful and laughing, something that had lifted her spirits to new heights. Since she and Obi-Wan had first heard Leia laugh, they'd acted like total fools trying to get another bout of giggles out of her. Now both her and Luke laughed and grinned all the time, and it was infectious. The mood in their little cottage had changed so much from the springtime when they first arrived, purely because of the twin's laughter.

Yesterday she had spent much of the afternoon whilst Obi-Wan was at work playing peek-a-boo with them both using a blanket, and for the first time in a long time, she had felt genuine joy as they wriggled, gasped and laughed at her efforts. But of course, when play time was over and they were asleep, the sadness fell heavily over her. She wished Anakin could partake in their laughter. But of course, he would never see any of it. He was dead, she firmly reminded herself.

"I think it's a smash hit," Obi-Wan said, interrupting her thoughts. Luke gave the spoon he was holding out another experimental lick and his round face lit up with excitement.

"Baahh," Luke cooed and moved his arms about, his big blue eyes scrunching up as he grinned.

"Yes, you're enjoying that aren't you?" Obi-Wan put his face close to Luke's and smiled when his chubby little hand moved to pat his nose and his cheek, exploring the features of his face with intense curiosity.

Padmé felt guilty for wishing that Anakin was feeding the babies, but simultaneously, she was so glad Obi-Wan was here. The twins loved him and despite his earlier aloofness with them, it seemed their charms had him wrapped around their fingers more and more every day. They would grow up knowing the love of a father-figure, even if it wasn't the man who it should've been. Stabbing the needle through the fabric she was working on, she pushed Anakin from her mind. He occupied too much of her thoughts, and she was so sick and tired of it.

"Well, that was easier than what parenting hour said," she said, remembering advice from a HoloNet's new baby show they'd been watching.

"I think the hardest part is behind us now," he said, moving back and preparing another spoonful for Leia to taste. She glossed over his double meaning, not wanting to think about how much healing they both still had to do.

"Are you sure about that? Imagine when they start walking."

He widened his eyes at the thought and nodded, conceding her point. They were going to be more than a handful, but she welcomed the distraction. Whilst she was busy with her children, her heartache seemed far away.

Returning her attention to fixing a tear in one of her locally made dresses, she fiddled with the needle and thread, trying to get the knack. Practical skills were essential to living in such a rural place, and unsurprisingly she and Obi-Wan were lacking in a lot of them. So far they'd both worked on their sewing, speeder bike maintenance, cleaning and cooking. She'd had handmaidens and droids to care for her needs before, and Obi-Wan had the Temple. A tear in her dress would have been fixed by Sabé taking the gown to her favourite seamstress on Coruscant. Now that seemed like another life, one that hadn't been real.

Holding up the material against the overhead light above the kitchen, she noticed how different her clothing was now. To blend in with the local populace, her and Obi-Wan wore farmer style outfits, not dissimilar from the style Anakin's mother and step family on Tatooine had worn, weaved from local yarn spun from herds of nerf and bantha. They were natural colours, such as beige, brown and white, with the exception of blue, which came from a local mineral dye. It was like going back in time in some ways, and utterly, utterly opposite from the glamorous fashions of the Senate.

Even her hairstyles and makeup had changed drastically from her old life. Having no handmaidens to rely on, Padmé had reverted back to a more natural state. Instead of elaborate up-dos and the latest cosmetics, she now had her face virtually bare, and her long curly hair was left unstyled aside from plaits or a ponytail.

At first, she'd felt terrible and self-conscious about it after so many years of glamour, and her grief made everything worse, but Obi-Wan had told her that she actually looked more like her genuine self without all that distraction. He'd told her she looked just like how she did when they first met during the Naboo crisis all that time ago. In a strange way, his words had comforted her. Being in her natural state, she felt connected to her true inner self; the young girl she had been before she fell for Anakin.

"I'll be grey haired before you know it," he sighed dramatically to himself, wiping the twin's mouths clean with a damp cloth now that their first food taster session was over.

"They'll be calling you grandfather," she replied, not missing a beat as she pushed the needle into the fabric.

"I certainly feel it," he smiled sadly.

"Have I got any grey hairs yet?" she asked.

Obi-Wan glanced up from his cleaning to observe her, his sea-blue eyes sweeping over her curls and lingering on her face. He cleared his throat. "Not yet. Give it a few months."

"That's something to look forward to," she joked half-heartedly, not even wanting to imagine it.

She was twenty-eight, but felt a lot older. Obi-Wan probably felt like Yoda's age inside. Absently she wondered how he was doing. At least she had company, but the poor Grand Master was all alone on Dagobah.

Obi-Wan stood up and moved to the sink, rinsing out the cloth whilst looking out the window at the scenery. It was autumn and the sun was moving low in the sky. His hair shone in the light.

"Time to get them ready for bed," she said, standing and pushing her seat under the table.

"Shall I make dinner?" he offered, turning to look at her. She grimaced.

Cooking from scratch was definitely the most urgent practical skill they needed to improve. Kitchen droids had cooked for her for most of her life. As for Obi-Wan, he'd been taught a little bit by Qui-Gon, but in their outdated kitchen, it was hard to cook anything familiar. The miserable concoctions they'd burnt and boiled to death in the first few months of their stay had been depressing to eat. Now, they were getting a little better, and had mastered stew and polystarch bread, but there was only so much of it she could eat before the thought made her queasy.

"What will you cook?" she asked, picking up Leia who had been holding her arms up, wanting to be carried. She placed a kiss on her dough-ball like cheek and smoothed down some of her dark waves. Leia babbled happily, placing a hand on Padmé's mouth.

"Well, I can see stew and polystarch bread being on the menu. Or I can experiment?"

She weighed up her options. "Surprise me."

Picking up Luke with her other hand and with the babies on either hip, she walked to her bedroom where their crib was. Laying them on her bed, she started to get them ready for sleep. Turning off the lights and creaking over the floorboards, she laid them down in their crib. By the time they'd drifted off, a strange and deeply unpleasant smell had permeated the air and it wasn't a diaper.

Padmé went back into the kitchen and placed a hand on the stone wall, using the other to cover her nose. "Stars, what is that smell?"

"Oh, you mean this?" the Jedi Master held up what looked like a big cooked sock.

"What is that?"

"I tried mixing up some of our leftovers and frying them with some spices."

"Smells like…a gammorrean's armpit," she laughed as she came closer, looking at the mess in the pan.

He grinned, the mood lifting. "You did say to surprise you."

"Surprise me, not kill me!"

"I may have gone overboard with the spice combination."

Opening the front door to let out the smell, the two of them ended up eating stew and polystarch bread. Talking over the meal, Padmé realised how close they'd become over the last six months. She enjoyed his company immensely, and relied on it like a lifeline.

But the cheery mood couldn't last forever. As he bid her goodnight Padmé could see the shadows beneath his eyes darkening as he retreated into himself for another weary attempt at sleep. Her heart ached for him. The gaping chasm that opened up whenever she was alone and it was dark was beckoning her too, and she didn't want to go there. She couldn't face it tonight.

Without thinking too much and acting on her bodily instinct for touch and comfort, she took a few steps forward and wrapped her arms around his middle, pressing the side of her head firmly against his chest. It only took a second for him to return the embrace, equally relieved by the warmth a hug from a friend could bestow. It seemed he needed it as much as her. Instantly she felt a hundred times better.

"Thank you for being here with me," she breathed into his tunic, staring into the kitchen as he placed his chin atop her head, his arms warm around her back. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Obi-Wan."

The Jedi Master's embrace was deeply comforting and soothing. In a strange way it reminded her of when she was a child and she would be held when she was upset. Listening to his heartbeat, she felt safe and cared for. She hoped he felt the same way right now.

"You're thanking me even after that smell?" he joked.

"The twins make awful smells, you're no different."

He laughed at that, and her cheeks felt warm against his rumbling chest.

"Well, thank you for that compliment," he said, before his tone became more serious. "I don't know what I'd do without you either. Sometimes, I think of Master Yoda, all alone with nothing to help him through his mourning. I'm so very glad that I'm with you."

She tightened her arms around him and he did the same to her. For a few moments neither of them spoke and were both unwilling to end the hug.

"Can you stay with me tonight? I just…don't want to be alone," she said softly, hating how desperate she sounded, but that was the thing with Obi-Wan, he never made her feel bad about anything.

"Of course," he said above her, and she sighed internally with relief. Just for tonight, that black chasm would be chased away. Both of them would sleep well, she knew it.

"Okay, I'm going to get ready for bed. See you in a bit then," she removed herself from his embrace and felt instantly cold. Her friend nodded and went to busy himself in the kitchen whilst she occupied the fresher.

Sometime later, Padmé was sitting up in bed, plaiting her hair ready for sleep. The bedside lamp was on the lowest setting to keep the twins asleep, and a faint warm light highlighted the side of her face as she deftly worked her fingers through her long hair. Padmé heard Obi-Wan enter the room and smiled as the light revealed his face in the dark. Sliding into bed beside her, she noticed he was wearing a light sleep shirt and trousers. It felt very strange, having him beside her, and her stomach felt nervous, though she wasn't sure why.

It wasn't that long ago when Anakin would've been snuggled up next to her at 500 Republica, his messy hair sticking up in funny angles and his usually frowning features smoothed out with sleep. Her heart wrenched painfully at the thought of her beloved Ani. She loved him so much. She had adored him. But Anakin was never coming back. He would never lay beside her as Obi-Wan was doing now.

With a feeling of intense sadness, Padmé realised the dark chasm she had tried to keep at bay with Obi-Wan's presence had only been enflamed by having him so close. It served to remind her of the one who should be beside her, and a hundred memories of Anakin snuggled up in bed assaulted Padmé until tears pricked her eyes.

Instantly picking up on her emotions, as he always seemed to do, he sat up on one elbow and whispered to her. "Are you alright?"

Padmé nodded, wiping at her eyes and managing a watery smile. "I'm sorry…it just…makes me remember."

"I can go if you'd like."

He got up to leave but she placed her hand on his forearm, stilling him.

"No…please stay," she whispered, knowing she'd rather have him close than to be alone.

Their eyes met in the low light and she could see him searching her face with a raised eyebrow. "If you're sure?"

She nodded and he turned off the light. As they both settled down, Padmé tried to reign in her emotions and wiped at her eyes in the darkness. Yes, there was a man sleeping beside her, but it was her friend. Obi-Wan was here to protect and look after her, and she had to help him banish the darkness from his own heart too. She had to look after him. Thankfully, her tears didn't develop further after those thoughts.

"Are you sure you're alright?" he whispered from somewhere close in the darkness.

"Yes. It's better to not be alone. For both of us."

"You're right," he whispered back. "Besides, this bed is extremely comfortable."

She snuggled down deeper into the duvet, sniffing a little. "I'm sorry you have to sleep in the spare room."

"I've slept in some terrible places before, any bed is a good bed," the shape of his face was gradually becoming visible in the darkness and she looked to it, drawing comfort from his presence.

"Like when you had to sleep on that pile of rocks during the Battle of Muunilinst?"

Obi-Wan chuckled quietly, remembering that event from the Clone Wars that he'd told her about recently. "Yes, not the best night's sleep I've ever had."

A smile tugged at her lips, before Padmé realised bringing up that battle might've reminded him of Anakin, so she tried to change the subject.

"And how are you sleeping now?"

"Not very well…" she could hear the shallowness in his voice and longed to comfort him, but she was afraid of being too intimate. In the darkness she found his hand and held it tightly, knowing it was safely platonic. He gripped it back.

"I wonder how long it will take, until we can sleep peacefully again," she asked herself quietly.

"I don't know if that time will come, but at least we are not in this alone."

Padmé nodded against her pillow and squeezed his hand. He calmed her and made her remember what she was surviving for. Luke and Leia had to grow up, and one day, they all had to help in the fight against the darkness. There was hope, and there was purpose. This was just part of that journey, and she wouldn't be walking it alone.

"Do you want me to help you sleep?" he asked, referring to the trick he did using the Force that allowed her to sleep without nightmares.

"I think I'll be alright tonight, thank you," she whispered, feeling like they wouldn't plague her as long as he was nearby.

They stayed with their hands entwined. Padmé closed her eyes and drew comfort from her friend's presence. The steady rise and fall of his chest and the heat from his hand was enough to make her mind start to drift. Soon she was sleeping peacefully, curled up against Obi-Wan's side.