Twins are five years old.
Set a few months before chapter 4 of the main storyline.
The sun had risen above the horizon, lifting the grey of dawn and turning it a pale powdery blue. Outside, birds were singing in the spring morning, and the tops of the trees were painted in golden light as the first rays graced their new leaves.
Rolling over, Padmé went back to sleep, her mind faintly appreciating the peaceful beauty of such a morning. That lasted until she remembered what day it was. Burying herself deeply in the warm covers, she closed her eyes, trying to sleep despite what she knew was coming.
As if on cue, she heard sounds of activity from the room next door and the quick pitter-patter of bare feet on the floorboards. Cracking an eye open, she saw the bedroom door swing open its hinges.
With a joint shriek, two pyjama-clad twins exploded into the room, heading full speed towards the bed. A meter before it, Luke sprang up into the air, aiming to land flat on Obi-Wan's sleeping form.
The mattress buckled as the boy landed and the three of them on the bed bounced upwards with the force of the impact.
"Luke!" Obi-Wan winced as the air had been knocked from his stomach.
Before he could recover Leia was clambering up onto the bed, crawling over Luke and Obi-Wan to sit in the middle of them all. Wearily, Padmé rose up on her elbows and then sat upright, yawning deeply and brushing her hair behind her ears.
"You can't stay in bed all morning mommy!" Leia said to her.
"It's half past six!" Padmé said in her defence, glancing at the chrono.
"Let's go already!" Luke said, straddling Obi-Wan's chest.
The man grabbed the boy and held him down whilst he shrieked and wriggled for freedom, and Leia joined in, trying to set her brother free from the strong arms that held him. Instead, she ended up being captured by Obi-Wan as well, and then the two of them were wrestling to escape, rolling and shoving until half the bedding had been kicked on the floor.
"Let me go!"
Luke and Leia's hyperactivity in the mornings was something her and Obi-Wan needed plenty of caf to get through. Stretching her arms upwards, she climbed over everybody with some difficulty until she was firmly on the floor. Drawing her sleeping gown across her chest, Padmé headed for the kitchen, still half asleep.
"Caf?" she mumbled.
"Yes please," he replied, still trying to hold down the two struggling children whilst their laughter and yelling was growing louder by the minute.
"Daddy we don't have time for caf! We gotta go now!"
"You're not going anywhere."
"C'mon!"
Leaving the sounds of the wrestling match behind her, Padmé padded softly towards the kitchen. It was so early that the sun hadn't yet reached the windows and the room was dimly lit. Putting the kettle onto boil, Padmé looked over the sink and out to the rolling meadows outside. The weather looked like it was going to very warm for their day out.
Earlier in the week it had been the twin's birthday, the same day as Empire Day, though no one this far from the Core worlds ever celebrated something so awful. Perhaps the social elite in the planet's capital, Salis D'aar, would have had cocktail parties and tuned in to the Emperor's speech from Coruscant, but as for the rest of the planet's citizens, it was just another day. She was glad there was nothing to distract the twins from enjoying their birthday like normal children, and on their fifth birthday this year, they had enjoyed having friends from school over for cake and games.
As part of their birthday, they'd been promised a trip to the lake at the weekend, and today was the day. It was a fairly long journey on the speeder bike and fuel was expensive for their low-income household. The trip was a special event, and though she was still getting used to being awake this early, she was looking forward to lounging on the sand and going for a swim. It was something she definitely took for granted in the lake country of Naboo.
It took some time for everyone to get washed, dressed, packed and a picnic lunch prepared, but eventually, the four of them were ready to go.
All the excitement had the twins practically bouncing up and down on the spot, and Padmé couldn't keep the grin off her face as she walked behind the three of them. Leia was asking to be carried whilst Luke was urging Obi-Wan forward by pulling on his sleeve.
For the last year or so, she'd stopped seeing Obi-Wan as man masquerading as Luke and Leia's father. In every regard except blood, he was, and she was glad she finally had accepted this in her heart. In a strange way, they had become a very real family, though her friend had no blood or marital tie to any of them.
Though she would always miss Anakin, the pain had subsided enough now for her to feel back to herself most days. The quiet and simple rhythms of a rural life had helped soothe the wounds, but Obi-Wan was the true source of her healing, she was sure. Just being near him was enough to make her smile and feel warm from head to toe.
Sometimes she wondered where she would be now if he hadn't helped her after Mustafar. Padmé imagined that she would either be dead, or wishing she was.
The man who was occupying her thoughts glanced over his shoulder as they approached the speeder. She noticed how blue his eyes were in this light.
"Shall I drive there and you drive back?" he asked.
"Fine with me," she agreed, moving to help him pack their supplies onto the back of the speeder.
Obi-Wan secured their belongings in place with buckled straps. The veins on his hands and forearms stood out as he tightened them, and she looked away, feeling those strange feelings of attraction again that she had been trying to suppress for months now. Stars, it was only his arms!
"No! Mommy should drive there! Mom drives the fastest!" Luke said, interrupting her thoughts.
Her boy climbed up onto the back of the vehicle with difficulty as it was still too tall for him.
Leia yanked his leg, trying to pull him off. "I'm sitting closest to the front this time!"
"No! Please dad can I sit at the front?" Luke begged as his father finished securing their picnic basket.
"Luke sits in the front on the way there. Leia on the way back."
Leia yanked on Luke's leg again, almost pulling him off the seat. "That's not fair-"
"If you two are going to be arguing all day, we are not going to go to the lake at all," he said firmly, standing up and fixing them with a familiar impervious look.
Padmé remained silent throughout the dispute, knowing Obi-Wan's skills in negotiation came in incredibly handy for the sibling spats that occurred daily. Some moments they were inseparable best friends, and the next, they were sworn enemies. Grumbling, the twins agreed and climbed up onto the back of the speeder bike. But soon they forgot all about their fallout as the excitement of the journey replaced all thoughts. The speeder hurtled across a landscape of patchwork golden fields and trees at an incredible pace.
By the time they reached the lake, it was well into the morning and the sun had risen in the cloudless sky. Almost injuring themselves in their eagerness to get off the speeder, the twins hopped from one foot to another, impatient to get in the water.
Gathering their supplies, the family made the short walk from the edge of the forest to the shore front. The beach had golden sand with shells, small pebbles and washed-up seaweed that formed a weaving high tide mark for as far as she could see. The forest behind them offered some shade, as the canopy stretched over the beach a little, creating moving swathes of dappled light that danced across the sandy floor.
The freshwater lake was huge and glittering beneath the sun, rippling with deep tones of green and blue. In the distance beneath the turquoise sky, the landscape curved around the body of water, encircling the lake with trees and fields. There wasn't a soul around, and the sound of the water lapping gently on the shingle was deeply soothing.
"Can we go in now?" the high-pitched voice of an impatient child interrupted her reverie.
"Patience Leia," Obi-Wan chided, striding past her with towels in hand.
Soon they had set up their spot for the day on the golden shore in the shade beneath the trees. As soon as the twins got changed into some light clothes for swimming and took off their shoes, they were off towards the water. The children shrieked as the cool temperature of the water clashed against their warm feet, and they paddled in the shallows slowly until they were up to their waists.
"It's so cold!" Luke shouted as he looked back at them, bracing himself with a toothy grin.
Despite the temperature he began to splash Leia and the two of them screamed and jumped about in the water like baby Mon Calamari. The sun shone down on them, reflecting off the surface of the lake and highlighting every droplet that erupted around the twins.
Obi-Wan made himself comfortable next to her as he watched the children play. Though their minds were constantly alert for any sign of danger or one of them slipping under the water, despite the fact they could both swim, the two parents relaxed on their towels, enjoying the warmth in the air, the light breeze that moved their hair, and the fresh clean smell of the lake.
It reminded her so much of Varykino and the lake country on Naboo that she had to take a moment to reign her emotions in. Childhood memories of summer days there with her family came to her. She remembered running up the beach, sopping wet, to be wrapped up in a warm towel by her mother. Who knew if her family were even alive now?
"Are you alright?" Obi-Wan asked, picking up on her mood, as he always did.
Her best friend was looking at her with soft sea blue eyes from where he lay a few paces away, reclining on his side with his hand propped up against his head. The mottled shade moved when the wind pushed against the gently creaking tree boughs above them, and golden patches of light moved across his face and hair, highlighting them in beautiful, clear detail.
"Yes, I was just remembering the lake country on Naboo," she replied, smoothing out the edges of her summer dress and flicking away grains of sand that had spilled down into the grooves of the towel.
"Was it this beautiful?" he asked, meeting her eyes.
She nodded, looking at him then out at the crystal-clear blue, green and gold panorama.
"We definitely got lucky with this planet you know," he said.
"We did," she mused, looking up at the golden green canopy of leaves that shimmered in the breeze above them.
Padmé breathed in the fresh air and looked back at Obi-Wan, only to find him still looking at her.
Glancing away quickly and twiddling a strand of her loose flowing hair, she felt her stomach come alive with butterflies and her pulse quickened. There it was, that feeling of attraction again, and it only seemed to be growing stronger. Had she imagined that look in his eyes just then?
"There are snails on the floor!" Leia informed everybody loudly.
Looking back at the twins, Padmé saw her daughter on all fours in the shallows, picking up the creatures from the lake's pebbly sediment. Already her children were covered in sand and mud and completely sodden.
Luke was standing beside her, his wet hair standing up in all directions. He was holding a snail up to his face, looking closely at it. "Mommy would you like one?"
"No thank you!"
Leia stood up, her knees coated with wet sand and looked at the creature Luke was holding. "How are snails born mommy?"
Padmé wondered how many questions she'd been asked over the last few years that she just did not know the answer to. Obi-Wan was chuckling and she grinned at him.
"I have no idea sweetheart," she admitted. "Seems like a question for your father, seeing as he's the teacher."
"Daddy won't know!"
"Why wouldn't I know?" he asked, amused.
"Because…because you're busy," Leia answered.
"Busy doing what Leia?"
"Busy…" she collected another snail. "Busy looking after mommy."
Padmé felt her cheeks heat up a little and she berated herself. Of course he looked after her, and she looked after him. They'd been doing that for years.
"I suppose that does keep me rather busy."
Leia began to plead with her father to join them in the water, and soon Obi-Wan had stripped off his shirt and was standing before the water with his trousers rolled up to the knee. Padmé tried not to notice the way his muscles moved, or the strong shape of his back as he held Leia's hand and walked with her into the water. Despite living together and sharing a fresher, she rarely saw his bare chest.
"That is cold!" he agreed.
"Daddy this is fun!" she exclaimed, gripping his hand and looking up at him with pure happiness on her face. Padmé's heart warmed at the sight.
"Do you want a snail dad?" Luke asked, already rooting around in the silt for one.
"I'm quite alright Luke, see if you can find any nice rocks for the garden."
"Okay!"
"It gets warmer after a while," he called back to her. "Are you sure you don't want to see for yourself?"
"I'll swim in a little while," she said with a smile, reclining back on the towel.
Now that Obi-Wan was with them she could fully relax, and she made the most of the rare opportunity to lounge with no chores to do. Watching her family play and swim in the water, Padmé felt warm and content. But despite this, the politician inside of her could never be silenced, nor would she want it to be. There was a feeling of guilt at the back of her mind, which whispered that whilst she was lounging on the beach, countless lives out there in the galaxy were being destroyed by the empire.
It was difficult to care so much for the welfare of the galaxy's citizens, but know in her heart there was nothing she could do to help them for now. The only action she could take was to raise her children and keep them hidden. That was her purpose now, her duty. That was how she would one day help in the fight against the darkness. Obi-Wan had reminded her of this on many occasions when her guilt would become too much to bear.
Setting this conviction firmly in her mind, the sun moved across the sky and the day wore on.
After eating lunch and watching the children digging in the sand, Padmé decided it was time to take a dip. Her own swimming outfit was just a short, lightweight dress she owned. As nice as a swimming costume would be, they simply couldn't afford to import clothes from the capital.
Stepping into the water, she hissed at the temperature, but with the sun shining down, it wasn't long before she adjusted and waded a little further out. Swimming had been one of her favourite pastimes as a girl, and the movement of the water against her skin made her feel reconnected to that part of herself. Grazing her fingertips over the surface of the lake, she turned back and saw Obi-Wan also in the water. His eyes had been on her, and he quickly looked away.
"Mommy, careful you don't…don't slip on the seaweed," Leia said, coming over to stand beside her.
"I'll be careful, thank you sweetheart," she walked a little further out. "I'm going to swim, don't follow me, it's deep."
"I won't."
Padmé got so lost in the wonderful feeling of the water beneath her and the sun above her, she was startled to hear the sounds of a screaming argument happening back on the beach.
Lifting her head up, she saw the twins wrestling each other over some heated disagreement. Obi-Wan was heading towards them about to break up the fight, when Leia Force pushed her brother with a strength that shocked Padmé. He went flying backwards, landing hard in the sand. She could just about make out his surprised face, but instead of waiting for Leia to get punished, Luke Force pushed her right back. Leia braced herself but skidded backwards and fell onto her rump. Obi-Wan had overcome his shock and was there beside her, gripping her forearm and hauling her to her feet.
The sound of all her splashing as she quickly swam back did nothing to diminish the strength of Obi-Wan's reprimand.
"What have I told you all your lives? Do not use the Force under any circumstances!" he commanded, his intensity making the twins begin to cry.
Padmé arrived back on the beach and squeezed the water from her dress and hair, not intervening in the lesson the children had to learn. Although she hated seeing them cry, nothing was more important than their safety and their anonymity, even if it was their birthday trip.
"It's dangerous, and puts us all at risk!" he continued, still holding Leia's forearm. "I have told you this before. You need to listen and understand, you cannot do this again!"
It was extremely rare for them to see Obi-Wan angry. He was a gentle father to them and barely had to raise his voice. Ever since they'd been babies, they could do anything to him: pull his beard, poke curious fingers in his eyes, spit up all over him, and he didn't bat an eyelid. Even as they'd grown older and more rambunctious, he'd been just as patient, just as pliable. The change in their father was enough to turn shocked tears into remorseful sobbing.
"I'm sorry," Luke cried as he wiped at his eyes, his mouth a grimace.
Obi-Wan's expression softened slightly at seeing their distress and he got on his knees in the sand. "Come here."
Luke ran to him, wrapping his arms around his neck and apologising. Leia was slower to hug him, hanging back warily. He took his hand in hers.
"You must promise me you won't do this again."
They nodded, wiping their noses and their eyes.
"You will begin your training soon," he said, his voice back to its usual tone. "Then, you will learn to control your abilities."
They nodded again, the tears beginning to quieten. After the incident, as with all young children, the twins quickly recovered and went back to playing and running around as if nothing had happened. But her and Obi-Wan couldn't help but turn inward. Their behaviour reminded her how close they could be at any time to being discovered.
When they were home, Padmé got the twins washed and dressed for bed. Dimming the lights in their room, she tucked them both in.
"Did you enjoy your birthday trip?" she asked softly, tracing Leia's cheek.
She nodded, smiling a little. "Yes."
"Me too," Luke yawned.
"You know… your father only got angry today because he was scared."
"Scared?" Leia frowned. "Dad doesn't get scared of anything, not even spiders."
"Well, he did today. He was scared of someone seeing you using the Force. I know you promised him you wouldn't do it again. Will you promise me too?"
Despite being only five years old, the twins both promised her with earnest expressions that they wouldn't use the Force again. Kissing them each on the forehead and turning out the light, she left the room, knowing they'd be asleep within seconds after such a long day.
Obi-Wan was in the kitchen, clearing out the picnic with his back to her. "Do you think I was too harsh on them?"
"No. They need to remember this lesson," she assured him, coming to stand by his side to help.
"Just one slip, that's all it would take," he said.
She felt his worry and reached up, placing a comforting hand on his back. He tensed for the tiniest moment then seemed to melt as she began to rub slow circles. "They'll learn."
"And if they don't? They're so young. They could make a mistake without even knowing it."
Padmé continued to rub circles on his back, trying to find some way she could comfort him. The event at the beach had shaken them both.
"You'll begin training them soon. The chances of anything happening will get smaller and smaller once they learn to control their abilities. And…even if something does happen, we can relocate. We can hide. They aren't new-borns anymore. We're all older, wiser…everything will be alright."
He nodded, looking down at the food they were packing away. Padmé had the sudden urge to embrace him, to drive all his worries away. They often hugged platonically, both of them needing the relief it brought. Without thinking too much and acting on her need to comfort him, she stilled his hands from their work and stepped in front of him, wrapping her arms around his waist and placing her head on his chest. Instantly, he returned the embrace, enveloping her in his warmth and scent.
Whenever they shared a weary hug, somehow, everything just felt like it would work out.