Anakin may be the smartest child you knew but in the end he was still a child, a crying child unsure of what he had done wrong.

"Anakin, I need you to listen to me. Please look at me, I am not angry at you." You put the last pieces of glass in the garbage bin and and sighed. "You hear me, I am not angry at you. You didn't do anything wrong! Just please... stop crying."

Seeing him cry made you want to cry too, sensation almost as strong as Shmi's intoxicating anger had been almost five years ago. He was broadcasting his emotions so strongly, so deeply that you felt as if they were your own and you placed a shaking hand on your forehead.

How could you tell this crying boy that his abilities weren't something he should be scared of when you were about to prohibit him from telling or showing them to anybody else in the same breath.

You sat down next to Anakin on the couch, the evening you'd planned long forgotten, as you placed a hesitant hand on his little blond head before stroking softly through his hair.

"I need you to promise me something. Can you do this for me?"

Anakin only sniffed in response. His eyes had become puffy and red and you wondered if he would have to shed more tears in the future because of the decisions you were about to make. Sometimes you wondered if you were even the right person for this job, if you weren't going to ruin his life, his future in some way. How could you ever be enough? You let go of him and buried your face in your hands. He shouldn't have to see you cry.

"You can't do these kind of thing outside of home, if they see, if anyone sees... Bad people will come to take you away, away from home and away from me even if you miss me, even if you don't want to. They will promise you the stars and glory, but in the end they will only- They will make you feel lonely and alone. I don't want this for you and I know that it isn't my choice to make, but you are so young. I don't understand- I don't understand how anyone could look at you and not see this sweet little angel but rather a tool. "

You were mostly talking to yourself than to Anakin, he couldn't yet understand what you were truly talking about, that you were talking about something deemed inevitable. His destiny.

You finally lifted your head out of your hands and looked at him.

You felt bad, even ashamed. Not for talking badly about the Jedi, because you truly thought of them that way. To you Palpatine and the Jedi Order were all the same just in different masks, different facets of heartless puppeteers. You were ashamed because you were scaring Anakin. You were scaring him, planting roots of fear to save him from the Jedi, and you knew, oh you knew how selfish you were being and cruel. But was there any other way? If there was, you couldn't see it.

"Ani, you need to keep this, what you can do between us, our secret. And I, I will teach you how to keep it under wraps until you don't have to be scared anymore so that one day you can save yourself and won't need me. Because you will be so strong, stronger than those monsters-"

"Even stronger than you?"

"Yes," you smiled at him. "Even stronger than me."

You pat down on your thigh with a sense of finality and stood up.

"Are you hungry? I sure am!"

Anakin nodded and followed you into the kitchen where you served two plastic bowls of cereal, one for you and one for your boy. When Anakin had finally finished you had already put the last of the spices in the pot that was still on the stove. You hoped this day hadn't ruined the birthday the following day. What a birthday that would be, probably the worst one Anakin would ever have, you thought in secret.

After putting the dirty dishes in the sink, you'd bend down and took Anakin in your arms t carry him to bed. When had he gotten so heavy?

Anakin's room hadn't changed much in the years since you first furnished it. A few toys added here and there, a new bigger bed and of course Bruno. Bruno was Anakin's beloved teddy bear, white with black dots all over and big dark eyes, that you had gifted hi on his first birthday. Since then one hear had been chewed off by Anakin and some of the stuffing was coming loose out of his left leg, but you could see that Anakin loved him none the less.

You kicked the door shut behind you and prayed to whatever gods had sent you into this universe, that your neighbours wouldn't come home for a few hours. If they woke up Anakin yet again you would turn to violence, you had no patience this time around, not today.

Anakin yawned and you slowly but steadily placed him in his bed, careful not to hit your head on his mobile, before tucking him in. Then you sat down on the edge of the bed, slightly farther away from him than you usually did. You weren't sure if it was by accident and you were glad Anakin hadn't said anything, because you were sure he had noticed. He was always such a perceptive child.

You didn't like to bring this up again. You would rather ignore this and just play pretend for a while just like you had before. You had always known this day would come. How could you not? You were raising Anakin Skywalker. There was a reason why you hadn't given him your last name, why you hadn't gotten rid of the last thing connecting him to who he 'should be'.

Partly out of guilt for having made Shmi's child yours in all but name but also to remind yourself of who it was you were raising, you should never forget it.

"Ani, people will always want something from you," you started. "Always, even when they tell you they don't. It's in our nature to want. It's what makes us human, what connects all of us."

"And what do you want from me, Ma?"

Anakin buried his face in Bruno's chest. He probably knew he wasn't getting a bedtime story today or had he always wondered since you'd told him the truth of his heritage?

"I? I want you to live a happy life, the best life you can get, one where you can make all the choices you want, one where you don't have to be scared. That's all I want from you, Ani," you said extended a hand towards him. He eyed it for a moment, hesitant and uncertain, and then took it into his own.

You would fight till the very end if it meant Anakin got to live a life which he served no one but himself. He deserved that and so much more. This incarnation of Anakin Skywalker would be He would be happy and he would be safe and he would call no one master. He was your son and you loved him.

"We are family and family we will always be, forever. Do you know why?"

"Because we bleed for each other," he answered and gave your hand a squeeze.

"That's right, because we bleed for each other. It's what family is about, even if other people say differently."

You were so tired.

"I want you to remember this. You could never ever disappoint me, I will always be proud of you no matter what you do, no mater who you will become. I will be there by your side, so please..."

"I know, Ma. I'm going to tell you if I-" He yawned again. " If I can do more."

"Alright," you whispered and gave him a hug. "Sleep well, tomorrow will be your big day, so you need to be all awake!"

You could only hope that he wouldn't be plagued by nightmares again, though you expected to be in this room again shortly, holding a sweat soaked Anakin, as you did every night. Just for once he should get to be a normal child.


AN: Well let's hope Reader hasn't put something worse in motion with that talk. Not that she'd know what is to come though someone else might :)

I hope I got across Reader's conflicted feelings correctly, I certainly wouldn't want to be in her situation - normal children can be a lot to deal with but the chosen one? I would have a breakdown already lmao I'm already way too neurotic with my little brother.

Pink ranger13:

Thank you! I'm happy you like it, especially since you liked 'Children of Tatooine' :) Hope you'll also like the upcoming chapters!