"Master Jedi, are you looking for something specific?"
Anakin glances at the hospital's gift shop clerk, holding a stuffed Porg toy. "No...I'm looking for a gift."
"What kind?"
Anakin analyzes the toy. "...A toy that a baby would like."
The gift shop clerk smiled. "Of course. Fair warning, that stuffed Porg might be a bit bigger than what a newborn be able to grasp."
Anakin nods, searching the few racks of stuffed animals.
Finally, he finds what he's looking for. Two small, stuffed ash-rabbit toys, one yellow, one green.
Anakin feels the green one with his real hand and finds it surprisingly soft and velvety - cute, is the word he's looking for. Something he would have liked, had he been allowed any toys as a child.
A small smile playing on his lips, he asks, "Can I have these two?"
The clerk smiles. "These are quite popular as first stuffed animals. Keep them, they're yours. The Jedi saved this planet dozens of times in my life. You deserve it." She says, waving her hand dismissively.
Anakin smiles back. "I-...Thank you, that's very kind of you."
"It's no problem at all, we have plenty of other stuffed animals." The clerk says, gesturing at the rows of stuffed animals.
Satisfied, Anakin puts the two small items in his pocket and leaves the gift shop.
Next, he made his way over to the vending machines, to hopefully get something Padmé would like since she had told him several times she hated hospital food.
He scans the rows until he finds Padmé's favorites - Corellian Tuber Chips and a container of Shuura Juice.
He's looking for something for himself considering he hasn't eaten in roughly 16 hours and it's quite frankly been a hell of an emotional rollercoaster when he hears:
"Jeez, Anakin. Save something to snack on for me."
"Snips!" Anakin grins, pulling Ahsoka into a hug that could rival a Wookie's.
"Hey, Anakin!" Ahsoka wheezes, feeling mildly smothered. "...Okay, you can put me down now."
Anakin puts her down. "Sorry...we didn't really get to have a proper 'hello' last time."
Ahsoka brushes some unseen dust off of her outfit.
"...Yeah. I'm sorry about that." Ahsoka admits. "I assumed we could catch up later, and then, well...everything with Palpatine happened. But enough about that, why are you buying an entire vending machine's inventory, and why is Padmé here? Obi-Wan didn't really tell me what's going on."
Anakin smiles genuinely. "Ahsoka...I'm a father. Padmé and I had twins, a boy, and a girl."
Anakin pauses, letting her digest this information.
This time, it's Ahsoka's turn to give him a long, bone-crushing hug.
"...You know, the twins need an aunt."
Ahsoka finally pulls away from Anakin, and wipes her eyes quickly.
"Really? I'm not even a Jedi anymore. You'll probably be raising them at the Temple."
"...I don't think I'm a Jedi either...The Council knows about Padmé. I turned myself in."
A sniffle.
"I'm guessing Windu got you kicked off."
Anakin gives wry smile. "Maybe. But enough about him, he's a sleemo," Ahsoka snickers at that. "After I make sure everything's okay with Padmé, do you want to meet my kids?"
"Like you even have to ask. Oh! And, I may or may not have Rex and a handful of clones on their way here."
"...How many is a few?"
"Miss Amidala, can you hear me?"
Padmé stirs. What happened?
Oh. She...dreamed that...Anakin was evil?
"I'm okay. I guess I was just...nervous...or, excited." She lies.
The midwife might not have believed her, but she doesn't press the issue, either.
Padmé focuses her attention back on the newborns in her arms.
They're not doing much - (as newborns tend to do) Leia briefly licks her lips whilst Luke naps soundly.
And despite the fact that Padmé is attempting to enjoy this moment, her mind keeps flickering back to her dream. Why did she dream that, at that particular moment? More importantly, where is Anakin?
"Miss Amidala?" The midwife says. Padmé is interrupted in her train of thought.
"I'm sorry, I was lost in my train of thought."
"I said that if you think if you're ready, it might be time for their first feeding." The midwife smiles gently.
"Oh! Sure, I'm ready. I was just wondering if-"
The door swings open, revealing Anakin with his arms full of toys, trinkets, and balloons with strings wrapped around his wrist.
"Ani...where have you been? Um, where did you get...?" Padmé asks, confused.
"...Ahsoka brought Rex and the others. They all got gifts in the hospital gift shop...there were a lot," As if to prove his point, two stuffed animals fell out of his grasp. Turning to the midwife, he asks, "is there somewhere I can put these?"
After much trial and error, Padmé had managed to feed Luke, however, Leia was being stubborn and fussy.
"Maybe she isn't hungry." Anakin finally suggests whilst holding Luke.
"I think she wants to eat, she just can't figure out how to latch. Or maybe she doesn't want to." Padmé replies, brow furrowed, pausing to coo at Leia. "Maybe she inherited your stubbornness," Padmé half-jokes.
"Hey! I think you're forgetting, my dear, who's the stubborn one really is. You're the most stubborn person I've ever met, Angel."
Anakin's tone is playful and he clearly doesn't mean any harm, but all that Padmé can think when he said the word stubborn was evil Dream-Anakin yelling at her.
Padmé grows quiet, watching Leia for a moment, who currently had fallen asleep against Padmé's chest, clearly not interested in eating.
"Are you alright?" Anakin asks.
"I'm fine. Hey, you should comm Obi-Wan and tell him what happened." She says, changing the subject.
"Sure, I will later. Is it okay if Ahsoka and Rex come in? They're...really excited. I understand if you're tired or if you don't want anyone holding them, though."
"Just make sure they wash their hands first and I guess it'll be okay," Padmé answers, fixing her hospital gown. "But I kind of want to take a nap before the doula comes. Ahsoka and Rex can go see them in the other room."
Anakin nods, gingerly taking Leia. "I'll be back before you know it," Anakin says with his trademark lopsided grin.
"Oh! Before I go..." Anakin pauses, putting the twins down in their respective bassinets briefly. "I have a gift for you since it's close to dinner and all."
He searches through the large pile of toys and trinkets, finding his robe beneath it all. In his robe pockets are a bottle of Padmé's favorite juice and a package of her favorite chips.
Anakin gingerly floats them across the room into Padmé's lap.
"Thanks, Ani. You know how I-"
"Yes Angel, I know you how much you hate hospital food." Anakin winks, picking up the twins again.
And with that, he's gone, leaving Padmé truly alone for the first time since her nightmare.
If it weren't for the drugs from the c-section in her system still, Padmé didn't think she could be able to sleep.
Because every time she closed her eyes, she could feel that invisible grip on her throat.
Ahsoka and Rex were on their way to the room where Anakin and the twins waited.
"C'mon, Rex. You've fought hordes of droids. Don't tell me you're afraid of Anakin's kids." Ahsoka teases Rex.
"I'm not afraid, comman- Ahsoka. I've never held a baby before."
"Think of it like a grenade. If youre not careful-"
"Pardon me, but are you referring to General Skywalker's children as grenades?" Rex interrupts as the door opens.
Inside the small, quiet room was just about the calmest either Rex or Ahsoka had ever seen Anakin. He held both twins in his arms, content and relaxed.
"Hey, c'mon in guys." Anakin says in a hushed tone.
Ahsoka nearly trips over her feet getting over to Anakin whilst Rex hangs back shyly.
Ahsoka gently touches Luke's forehead in awe.
"This is Luke," Anakin explains quietly. "Do you want to hold him?"
Ahsoka nods, gently taking him.
"Hi." She whispers to him. "I'm your Aunt Ahsoka."
Luke grasps her finger, now awake (briefly).
Within seconds, he's asleep again.
"Rex," Anakin calls his first in command over.
Rex steps closer. "Sir?"
"This is Leia." Anakin says quietly. "Want to hold her?"
"I- oh, you don't have to do that for me. I ah-" Rex gets cut off as Anakin places Leia in his arms anyway.
Rex goes stiff. He didn't expect her to be so...light.
"She's...very small, Sir. Good job." he compliments awkwardly.
Anakin, feeling rather pleased with himself, pats Rex on the back. "I have to call Obi-Wan. Stay out of trouble, you two, I won't be long."
"W-wait...General, I-..." Rex weakly protests.
Anakin is already long gone.
With a sigh, he glances at Ahsoka, who is clearly engrossed with Luke, cooing at him.
Down the hall, Anakin finds an empty closet, opening his commlink to find 7 missed calls from Obi-Wan.
"Kriff," he cursed under his breath.
He redials Obi-Wan, who answers on the third dial tone.
"Obi-Wan. Hi. I've been kind of preoccupied lately, sorry. What's wro-"
"So I've felt," Obi-Wan says. "You've been very loud in the Force."
"I haven't heard much from you," Anakin says. "is everything okay?"
"No...not quite. But we'll talk in person. I'm about 7 hours away from Naboo."
Anakin frowns. "Are you sure? You seem upset."
"I am," Obi-Wan says simply. "not about something you did...we'll talk later. Tell Padmé and Ahsoka I said hello."
"...Okay." Anakin says. "Will do."
"Oh, and Anakin? Be careful." Obi-Wan says before switching off his commlink.
And there Anakin is left, in the quiet, dusty closet, alone.