Disclaimer: The author of this pseudo-literature does not have possession of the motion picture Astronomic Conflict, or any portion thereof.
Sorry it has been such a long time since I updated this; homework and my primary story have usurped the time I would otherwise have used for it. But, I have finally gotten around to adding this last chapter.
Reviews keep me writing! I want more!
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Padmé stood with her hands on her hips, regarding her children. Leia's dress was wet from the waist down, and Luke's pants had one of the knees torn out of them. Both children looked bedraggled, and both were chewing on soggy lollipop sticks, sticky rings around their mouths and on their hands. Padmé sighed loudly.
"What have you two put poor Master Kenobi through?" she said in exasperation.
Obi-wan quickly recounted their adventures at the Temple.
Padmé slapped her hand across her eyes. "What am I going to do with you two? Obi-wan, I'm sorry they were so much trouble."
"Oh, I assure you, it wasn't a problem. Children are like that; Anakin certainly was. I am only sorry that I am returning your treasures to you in such poor condition."
"Oh, believe me, they nearly always are like this. Until now, they have been on exceptionally good behavior today. Come, Luke, Leia, let's get you two cleaned up!"
Obi-wan followed Padmé as she took the children into the refresher and washed their sticky hands and faces, then continued into their bedroom to change them into fresh clothes.
"Even now, I can hardly believe some of the stories Anakin has told me," commented Obi-wan as he watched Padmé dress her children.
"Oh, did he tell you about our little trip to the emergency room the other night?" asked Padmé, arching one eyebrow.
Obi-wan chuckled. "Yes, in great detail. But today it was nothing like that; Luke and Leia were simply a little accident-prone, again rather like their father."
Padmé laughed, too. "Yes, accident-prone is a very good way to describe all three of them!"
With the children now dressed, they made their way back toward the living room.
"Speaking of Anakin, how is he now? Is he doing any better?"
Padmé sighed. "Not a lot. I think he's over the worst part, and his fever's a little less, but he's still pretty tired and very, very cranky. His age changes when he's sick; subtract about twenty years from his real age and you'll have it!" she finished with a rueful laugh.
"I heard that!" came an indignant shout from the couch.
"Oh, dear, he's awake again," she mumbled, then ran over to his side. "Is it true, Anakin, or is it true?" she said with a bright smile.
Anakin blushed and turned his face toward the back of the couch. "Iv vernt ownet arnen," he said into the cushions.
"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that," said Padmé cheerfully. "Maybe you should try talking to me instead of to the sofa cushions!"
Anakin rolled back over. "I want HoloNet on again!" he shouted, pouting. "Why'd you turn it off in the first place?"
"Because you were asleep, fussy one," said Padmé, planting a kiss on his feverish cheek. Anakin blushed again.
"I want HoloNet on!" he repeated.
Padmé, still smiling brilliantly, handed him a remote. He looked surprised. She smiled still wider, laughing at him again. "Ani, you're twenty-five. I think you're probably capable of turning the HoloNet on by yourself, even if you are sick!" She waltzed away, humming.
Anakin stared at the remote in his hand. Then he powered the HoloNet on and changed the channel to a shockball tournament. Obi-wan sat and watched the whole drama with amusement.
Padmé came back in. "No wonder you fever isn't going down!" she exclaimed. "You slept through the time when you should have gotten your next dose of medicine. Here, take it now – and drink some of this electrolyte, too.
Anakin's face wrinkled with displeasure. "I hate swallowing pills!" he challenged. "And I hate that electrolyte stuff when it's warm!"
"So do the rest of us. Take your medicine, it will make you feel better; and guess what? I have some chilled electrolyte just for you! Here you are!"
Anakin frowned, but drank the beverage and took the pills.
Padmé turned her attention on Luke and Leia. "Oh, dear," she said. "That reminds me. You two haven't had your vitamins today. I was so worried about Daddy being sick that I forgot all about them. Here, come get them now."
Luke obediently ran toward his mother to receive his vitamin. Leia, however, dragged her feet, grumbling, "I don't like vitamins! I don't wanna take 'em!"
Anakin gave her a fatherly warning look from his spot on the sofa. "Leia, you do what your Mommy tells you. Besides, vitamins are good for you."
"Well, you should talk, Anakin!" exclaimed Obi-wan, chuckling. "What were you complaining about not five minutes ago? Where do you suppose she gets these ideas?"
Anakin scowled childishly. "That's different."
"Oh, of course," teased Obi-wan.
After her errand into the kitchen to retrieve the vitamins, Padmé suddenly put her hands to her cheeks. "Oh, goodness, Obi-wan, what a terrible hostess I am! You've been here all day, and I haven't offered you anything to eat! I am so sorry!" she said, chagrined.
"Oh, that's all right," said Obi-wan amiably. "I can't imagine how difficult it must be to take care of three young children as you do; I could barely handle Anakin alone."
"Hey, wait a minute," said Anakin. "You said three young children."
"Yes?"
"We only have two kids."
The older Jedi favored him with a perfectly serious, perfectly affected expression. "You do. But the way I see it, Padmé here has three young Skywalkers to take care of."
Anakin looked confused.
Obi-wan grinned broadly. "You must be sick, Anakin, or you'd have caught that by now. You should lie down and rest some more!"
"What makes you think I didn't get it?"
"If you had, you'd be attacking me by now!"
Suddenly, the meaning of Obi-wan's remark made it into Anakin's feverish brain. He flashed Obi-wan a glare that could have warped durasteel and sent his pillow flying toward his former Master once again. This time, however, Obi-wan caught it.
"Nice try, Anakin. Remember what I told you before? No more pillow throwing! I guess if you don't want it, I'll just hang on to it."
"Give it back, Obi-wan," Anakin said peevishly.
"Why? So you can throw it at me again?"
"I want it!"
Obi-wan rolled his eyes. "Do we have to go all the way back to this lesson? What do you say?"
"Please, Obi-wan!"
"Ah! You remember! Very good, Anakin!" Obi-wan joked as he returned the pillow to its owner. "Now, what do you say?"
"Thnk You!" growled Anakin through clenched teeth.
Obi-wan just laughed at him.
They watched Luke and Leia play for a little while longer. Leia had initially been playing with a doll, but she quickly abandoned it for Luke's toy clone soldiers. Now she was lining them up in straight rows, while Luke dubiously contemplated the doll from a distance. Finally, he picked it up and carried it over to Leia.
"Can I have my troopers back now?" he asked
"No, I'm playing with them," declared Leia.
"But they're mine!"
"You gotta share, Luke."
"Fine! Then I'm playing with your dolly!" He held the toy up and said, "Poor dolly. Leia won't play with you. But it's okay, I will!" He proceeded to toss the doll into the air; on occasion, he even caught it. Most of the time, however, it landed the floor, although twice it ended up in Obi-wan's lap, and once over Anakin's face.
"Kids," he muttered as he pushed the offending object to the floor. "They cause trouble and make messes and give you the flu."
"Anakin, if I had a credit for every time you caused trouble or gave me an illness, I could add another whole spire to the Temple!" said Obi-wan, even though he knew that Anakin loved his children dearly and simply wanted something to complain about.
Padmé chimed in. "And everything that makes taking care of them when they're sick difficult, you've done today!"
Anakin half sat up, looking indignant. "At least I told you I didn't feel good," he said to Padmé.
Obi-wan snorted. "Yes, but you tried to hide it from me and come to the Temple anyway! The fact of the matter is, Anakin, the Force has given you exactly what you deserve – two children exactly like you! It's punishment for what you put the rest of us through all these years!"
Anakin was prepared to throw his pillow again, but instead, he wisely looked around for something else to hurl at Obi-wan. All he found was a tissue, but it floated to the ground before ever making it to Obi-wan, who was laughing uproariously, as was Padmé. The Anakin spied the HoloNet remote and launched it toward Obi-wan's midsection. It hit him square in the chest, depressing the button and turning the HoloNet off.
"Blast," said Anakin, as Obi-wan and Padmé laughed even harder. The twins came running over and, upon seeing their mother and Obi-wan doubled over with laughter, burst out laughing, too. Anakin sat on the couch, scowling, for as long as he could manage it, before he, too, finally broke into laughter.
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Later that night, Obi-wan smiled broadly as he drove his speeder back to the Temple. He knew that revenge had no place in a Jedi's life, but he secretly drew much satisfaction from the idea of Anakin having to raise children just like himself.
Justice does come, Anakin, he thought with a blissful smile.. Justice does come.