Hello Readers! Right now I feel like this brain baby is pretty close to the best thing I've started in a while... hopefully I can keep that up! (I'm trying really hard!)

I swear this story looks like it could easily be 30+ chapters long! Let me know what you all think!

Happy Reading!

Chapter 2

The suffocatingly tight hug his mother gave him the moment the front door opened was exactly what he had expected for arriving unannounced. Anakin returned her hug gladly. It had been far too long since he had seen her and the simple hug reminded him that he really did have to visit more despite how much he hates Arizona. Shmi Skywalker pulled back from the hug, her hands cupping his face with gentle affection as she looked at him like it was her first time seeing him.

"I swear you're still getting taller, Ani," She laughed, her eyes squinting as she looked up at him. Her fingers pulled at the ends of his hair at the nape of his neck. "You're growing out your hair again… Is there some special girl in your life I don't know about."

"Mom," He groaned.

"I'm just teasing, Ani," She said. "You know I've been waiting for grandkids ever since that last girlfriend of yours."

He shook his head as he followed her into the house. Shrugging off his jacket, he hung it and his cap on the coat rack next to the door while his mother wheeled his suitcase to the steps. The house was a significant improvement on the home he grew up in. Her husband Cliegg Lars owned a decently sized ranch. It had been in his family for generations and it was clear how much the home meant to them. The base of the doorframe of the front door had the faded initials of former owners carved into the left side of the frame, the latest being C.L. carved at about the height of his knee. The main hallway was decorated with family portraits some of them so old they were printed on tin.

Anakin followed his mother down the hallway towards the large kitchen. At the island counters, his step-brother sat with his wife. They were scrolling through what looked like a baby registry. Shmi smiled as she patted his step-brother on the shoulder. "Owen, look who stopped by for a visit," She said, brushing past him towards the cabinets.

Owen stood and the two of them shook hands politely. They didn't talk much. Neither of them really seeing the other as a "brother" truly. "It's nice to see you again, Anakin," He said.

"You too," Anakin replied. "How's farm-life treating you?"

He gave a half shrug, "Same as it's always been. But I'm hoping we can hire a few more hands soon. Once the baby's here I really just want to be there more, you know?"

Anakin nodded as he took a seat at the kitchen table. "Yeah, I saw the post. Congratulations!"

The proud parents-to-be beamed brightly as his mother placed glasses of lemonade in front of all four of them. "Cliegg won't be back for a little bit. That old harvester keeps breaking and he can't seem to fix it."

"I could take a look at it, Mom," Anakin offered. There hasn't been much of an opportunity for him to talk with the man, and he knew just how much him spending time with the man would mean to her.

Shmi waved her hand dismissively, "Don't bother, sweetie," She said. "That thing is at least fifty-years-old. The cost to keep it working is more than it's worth." She leaned in closer to him, "Besides, I've been trying to get him to buy a new one for months now. Maybe this time he'll listen."

"Still," He said, "If Cliegg wants me to take a look, it's no trouble."

Owen laughed from his seat at the counter, "How similar is a simple harvester to an airplane?" He asked.

"Not very," Anakin said with a shrug, "But once I take a look and see what's going on, I tend to be able to figure it out."

"Do I need to remind you about the microwave?" His mother asked with a raised brow, "What about the TV, the lawnmower, the car, and the vending machine at the gas station?"

Anakin felt his cheeks burn red with embarrassment. As a kid, he thought of himself as a mechanical genius and often tried to test his limits by experimenting on whatever he could find. Unfortunately, these tests occasionally turned out badly for him. "I did eventually get the car fixed," He said. It was a weak defense, but it was true despite it taking five years to fix.

The loud ringing of the landline filled the kitchen as his mother got up to answer it. He couldn't make out exactly what was being said, but it sounded like Cliegg was on the other end. He'd noticed that his mother perked up whenever she spoke to him and hearing it now brought a smile to his face. His mother was happy. And for him, that meant everything.

The Arizona heat beat down on the back of his neck. He hasn't even been out in the sun too long but he could already feel his sweat starting to soak through the loose white t-shirt he wore. His hands were covered in grease as he leaned down into the harvester. Anakin had never seen such a machine before but it all seemed pretty straightforward. He knew how the engine worked, he had a pretty good idea of how all the parts are supposed to work. But he couldn't figure out how to get the pieces to fit without costing his step-father a fortune. Pulling his hands out of the harvester, he took the red grease cloth he had left hanging on the edge of it and started to wipe his hands.

Cliegg stood beside him, his hip leaning against the machine. The rim of his baseball cap was dark with sweat but the way he carried himself it didn't look like the heat had any effect on him. Farm life suited him. The man had grown up on this very farm and had been raised to work the land just as he was teaching his own son. When Cliegg married his mother, the man had offered to show him what he knew, but Anakin had politely declined. Standing under the scorching sun, he knew he wouldn't last a day doing what they did.

"I think my mom is right," Anakin said, wiping his forehead with the back of his arm. "I could probably get some things to fit in it but in the long run I don't think anything will hold up for long."

His face contorted as he let out a sad groan, "Well, can't say we didn't try," He mumbled. "Thanks for looking, son. I know this really isn't your thing."

Anakin gave a shrug, "Really, it's no problem. Now, why don't we go inside?"

His step-father laughed, "Too hot?" He asked. "Eh, we've probably been out here a bit too long anyway. Shmi should be just finishing up making dinner." He smiled as they started walking back around the barn and towards the house. "She's making a feast for you!" He laughed.

Entering through the back door they were hit with the alluring smell of his favorite home-cooked foods. His stomach rumbled loudly as he avoided the kitchen to get to the stairs to the second level. He could feel the grease still on his skin and as much as he enjoys working with it, he'd much rather not eat in it. Anakin quickly jumped into the shower washing away the sweat and grime quickly before dressing in a clean shirt and basketball shorts and bounding down the stairs. Beru and Owen were bringing over the last of the dishes to the table when he arrived and they all took a seat. The food had smelled absolutely wonderful when he came into the house but actually seeing it made him feel like he hasn't eaten properly in years.

Lasagna and rip tips soaked in barbecue sauce, country fried potatoes, and honey grilled squash… waves of nostalgia hit him as the family started to pass the dishes around the table. Conversation flowed gently between them, moving from one topic to another. The connection between his mother and Cliegg's family was obvious. The four of them got on extremely well and almost routine. Anakin felt almost like an outsider, intruding on their family time but his mother did her best to try and include him even though he understood little about farm life and the locals in the area they had stories about.

The night slowly came to an end as the family cleaned up dinner and Owen and Cliegg retired to bed to get a good nights sleep for the early farm work they needed to do in the morning. Beru was not far behind them, the pregnancy draining her energy even this early into it. Anakin stayed up with his mother helping her clean the dishes that couldn't fit in the dishwasher.

He could feel her eyes on him as he dried one of the large platters and lifted his gaze to her. "I was thinking," She started, "How about tomorrow we do something? Just the two of us," She smiled with all the affection only a mother could give. "The fair is the day after tomorrow and I think we should all go to that. It's really a lot of fun. But tomorrow, maybe it could just be us."

Anakin smiled, "I'd like that," He said. It was as if his mother was inside his head. She always seemed to know exactly what he wanted or needed without him even saying a word. His stay was already short because he had a tight schedule to keep and so spending a full day just with his mom was the ideal way he wanted to spend his time.

The roar of engines, the blasts of warm air kicking up dust on the runway has Luke smiling a wide toothy grin as he practically drags her closer to the runway to get a better view of the take-off. She squeezes his hand tightly, not wanting to get separated from him in the crowds and telling him to relax. He practically whines as he is forced to slow down but the moment the aircraft comes into view, any frustration or anger vanishes. Eagerly he points at the old propeller plane and starts spewing facts at her about its history, loadout, and all manner of engineering feats. She smiles at him and asks him questions though she doesn't fully understand the answers. Luke doesn't seem to mind, simply lost in the magic of the airshow.

High above them, the stunt planes show off their tricks. Barrel rolls, loops, near misses… each pass of the aircrafts insights awe from the crowds below and have Luke happier than she has seen him in a long time. This trip was worth it. Originally it was a trip he was supposed to take with both of his parents. But Palo being Palo, he prioritized his work over his son and the worst part was that Luke wasn't even bothered by it. Palo missing out on his life had become so normal that failure was all but expected from the beginning. It broke her heart to see how he had such little expectations of his father. But there wasn't anything she could do to fix it. Palo had long since stopped listening to her.

Luke cheered loudly as the plane he had been raving about for weeks started to make its way down the runway. The engine sputtered as smoke billowed out of the exhaust before it started to roll down the strip, picking up speed as the nose started to lift off the ground. The spectators applauded as the plane pulled up into a sharp arc before corkscrewing down several hundred feet before pulling it level again. Two other planes joined the routine in a demonstration of the aircraft's versatility in a mock combat scenario. Padme crouched low next to her son, listening to his story about how the plane had served in one of the World Wars and its contribution to the air battles.

After being in the air for about a half an hour, the plane landed, giving Padme an opportunity to pry her son away so they could start to wind down the day. The show was going to officially end soon and she would rather they get out before traffic gets bad.

"But Mom!" Luke cried, pulling at her hand, "There's still so much left!"

She sighed as she pulled the schedule out of her bag. "The only thing left is the closing ceremony."

"Yup," He nodded, "It's when they give the crowd one final drive past before closing the hanger doors."

Padme raised a brow, "So the opposite of what they did in the opening ceremony?"

"Uh-huh…"

She shook her head as she watched people slowly start to make their way back to the makeshift parking lots haphazardly laid out on the grass fields. "I think we've seen enough for this trip, don't you think?" She asked.

"Yeah but…" His voice trailed off as he tried to think of another excuse.

Padme smiled and pinched his chin lightly. The sad look in his eye easily replaced by a giggle, "Come on, you," She said, her arm wrapping around her boy as they started to walk towards the fields.

By the time they reached their hotel, Luke was already sound asleep, exhausted from the trip and the excitement of the airshow, he looked so peaceful. Padme was loathed to wake her sleeping boy when she parked the rental car and so gently she hoisted him into her arms. Groaning at how heavy he was getting. It was fortunate their room was on the first floor as she wasn't certain she could carry him to the elevator and then to a room on a higher floor. Carefully she laid her son on his bed, pulling off his socks, shoes, and jeans before lovingly tucking him into bed. She smiled as she traced the smooth skin of his cheek. Even after nearly ten years, she was still in awe that he was hers. When she became pregnant with him it had been such a surprise and it felt like it would be such a setback on her life. Such thoughts are her greatest shame because from the moment he was born he was her greatest joy. How she could think such terrible things about him she can't possibly understand anymore. What had she done to deserve such a perfect son?

Gently she pushed a lock of his unruly hair back and off of his face. Even now she has no idea where he got that sandy blond hair. Both she and his father have dark hair and dark eyes. But Luke… Luke has light blond hair and deep blue eyes. The mysteries of genetics she supposes. At one time she probably learned about the topic in high school biology or something, but that information had long since been forgotten.

As if on autopilot, Padme slowly started to repack their suitcases. Her clean uniform hung in the closet and after checking it over to make sure it was neatly pressed, she rehung it right above the three-inch heels she had to wear. For the most part, her suitcase was already neat and organized, needing her to only put her toiletries in the front pocket in the morning. Luke's suitcase, on the other hand, was an absolute mess just like she expected it would be. The zipper was bulging out, clearly from being forced to zip when it was packed too high. Padme shook her head. If she hasn't told him once, she told him close to a thousand times that he needed to pack more neatly. But he listened to her about it just as often as he listens to her when she asks him to clean his room— never. She starts the slow process of unpacking the mess in his suitcase and refolding every article of clothing he had just thrown in without a care. Unsurprisingly clean clothes were also mixed with dirty clothes but that was something she could figure out when they got home. After finishing repacking Luke and pulling out what she hoped was clean clothes for the trip home, Padme changed into the loose sweatpants and tank top she wore to bed and climbed into her bed. Sparing her sleeping son one last glance to check that he was sleeping peacefully, she turned out the light and closed her eyes, finally letting sleep take her away.