Chapter 20
A few days later Anakin and Farra approached Obi Wan and asked him to marry them. He agreed to this and that very afternoon all the Jedi assembled in one of the courtyards of the temple. Anakin and Farra walked arm and arm up to the front of the assembled Jedi. There, Obi Wan was waiting and he smiled at them and then smiled at Ryal who was just behind them. Ryal came to stand at Anakin's side. He was holding the rings Anakin and Farra were to give each other. Both Jedi were in their formal robes as was Obi Wan.
"Do you Anakin take Farra to be your wife?" Obi Wan asked.
"I do" Anakin smiled.
"And do you Farra take Anakin to be your husband?" Obi Wan asked Farra.
"I do" Farra replied.
"And now your vows" Obi Wan intoned.
Anakin and Farra turned to face each other and took hands.
"I Anakin take you Farra as my wife. I promise to love you and cherish you until we become one with the Force. I will protect you and help you to be the best Jedi you can be" Anakin said.
"I Farra take you Anakin as my husband. I promise to love you and cherish you until we become one with the Force. I will protect you and help you to be the best Jedi you can be" Farra said.
"Now I believe you have a ring for Farra" Obi Wan said to Anakin.
Anakin took the ring from Ryal and slipped it on to Farra's ring finger.
"I give you this ring as a symbol of my love for you and as a symbol of my promise that I will remain your faithful husband until we become one with the Force" Anakin said.
Farra took the other ring from Ryal and slipped it onto Anakin's ring finger.
"I give you this ring as a symbol of my love for you and as a symbol of my promise that I will remain your faithful wife until we become one with the Force" Farra said.
"We have witnessed the exchanging of vows and of rings. Anakin and Farra have promised to be faithful to one another and to love one another until they become one with the Force. As a senior Jedi Council member it is my pleasure to now pronounce you to be husband and wife. Anakin you may kiss your bride.
Anakin smiled and drawing Farra close, kissed her hungrily. When they came up for air the Jedi cheered and applauded.
"I would now like to introduce you to Jedi Masters Anakin and Farra Skywalker" Obi Wan said.
Farra beamed, hearing her new surname for the first time.
"I'm a Skywalker now Ani" Farra said.
"I know love and it feels wonderful," Anakin said.
Ryal and Obi Wan congratulated the two Jedi Masters as the Jedi dispersed.
"That was a wonderful ceremony. Thank you very much Obi Wan" Anakin and Farra said.
"It was my pleasure to marry you. You are fine young Jedi Masters"
Anakin and Farra spent some time talking with the other Jedi. Most had gifts or words of congratulations to give them. Finally they were able to return inside and make arrangements to move into shared quarters. It didn't take long for them to move their things into their shared quarters. Ryal who had been living with Anakin had a room in their shared quarters as well. The two Jedi Masters told him he was now like a son to them. After the two Jedi Masters had moved their things into their shared quarters they decided they would have a swim together so they went down to the lake. The lake was deserted and the two Jedi knew that no one would be coming around for two hours as they had asked that they be able to use the lake alone for two hours. The two Jedi Masters smiled at each other and kissed. Slipping out of their clothes they entered the cool water and spent a few minutes adjusting to the temperature of the water. Then Anakin swam over to Farra and began kissing her intently after wrapping his arms around her.
Four weeks later Farra and Anakin were training as they usually did each day when Farra began to feel strange. The room was spinning around and around. Farra decided to sit down but no sooner had she sat down she fainted. Anakin was alarmed and summoned a healer who whisked Farra off to the healer's rooms. When Farra wakes up the healer tells her she passed out because she is pregnant and her hormones are in a state of flux as a result. Anakin has been pacing up and down the floor of the waiting room and is almost ready to explode when he is told he can see Farra. Entering the room she is in, he is relieved to see her sitting up and awake.
"How are you feeling love?" he asks.
"A lot better" Farra said.
"Do you know why you passed out?" Anakin asked.
"Yes and its wonderful news Ani. I'm going to have a baby," Farra said.
Anakin smiled. This was a happy moment.
"This is the happiest moment of my life my love" Anakin said.
He leant forward and kissed her.
As Farra was pregnant she was forbidden to go on missions as it was decided it was too risky for her to be fighting in her condition. Anakin refused point blank to go on missions without Farra as he felt it was better they work together than alone. The council agreed on this and let him remain at the temple with Farra. The two Jedi were invited to take youngling classes for the duration of the time that they would be staying at the temple and they accepted. As Farra's pregnancy progressed her stomach began to swell and she had to have larger robes and tunics made. One night Anakin and Farra were lying on their bed meditating as the usually did before they went to sleep when Anakin placed his hand on Farra's stomach.
"I can sense two presences in your womb. Love, I think we are going to have twins," he said.
"Twins??" Farra asked.
"Yes twins"
"We can train one each then" Farra said to Anakin.
It was confirmed the next day that Farra was indeed carrying twins. By then she was 6 months pregnant and it was discovered that the twins were a boy and a girl. Back in their quarters the two Jedi Masters discussed names for the twins. In the end they decided they would name the twins Luke Anakin Skywalker and Leia Farra Skywalker. The two Jedi Masters moved into new quarters again and this time the quarters contained two extra rooms. Each of the twins would have one of the rooms. Luke would be sharing a room with Ryal until Ryal became a full Jedi Knight. One night Ryal arrived back at their quarters late and letting himself in he found Anakin and Farra asleep in bed, in each other's arms. Ryal tiptoed past their room hoping they wouldn't wake up. The last time he'd accidentally woken them up Anakin had not been amused.
"Thank you very much for waking us up" Anakin had said sarcastically.
"I'm sorry Master" Ryal had said.
"Well next time be quieter" Anakin had snapped.
He had gone back to bed and Ryal had quietly gone to bed.
Ryal had just entered his room when he tripped over his trash bin, which was just inside the door. It fell over with a loud crash. Ryal cringed and righted it then began picking up the bits of rubbish and putting them back in the bin. He was still doing this when a shadow fell over him. Standing he turned to find Anakin leaning against his door. Anakin had a scowl on his face.
"Why did you have to go and trip over your trash bin, you idiot?" Anakin said without preamble.
"I didn't know it was there, Master" Ryal said.
"Did it occur to you to use the Force to check your room?" Anakin asked.
"No Master. Sorry Master" Ryal said.
"Master Farra and I are both wide awake thanks to you"
"I said I was sorry Master" Ryal said, starting to get slightly irritated at Anakin's attitude."
"Ani, come back to bed love. You know he didn't mean to wake us" Farra called out from their room.
"Alright I'll be there in a minute" Anakin called back to her.
He turned back to Ryal and surveyed the room.
"Get the rest of the mess cleaned up and move the bin so it's not by your door. I'll check in the morning to see that you've done as I've asked. Goodnight" Anakin said.
He ambled back into his room and got back into bed.
"I was having a good dream," Anakin said to Farra.
"About me?" Farra asked.
"Yes" Anakin said.
He grinned at her and cuddled back into her, wrapping his arms around her.
"That's no reason to blow your stack at Ryal. It was an accident. I want you to apologize to him in the morning, Anakin Skywalker"
Anakin knew she was mad at him, as she never used his full name unless she was mad at him.
"Can we go back to sleep now?" Anakin asked.
The two Jedi Masters spent the rest of the night undisturbed.
3 months later Anakin and Farra had gone to bed when Farra began to feel pains in her stomach.
"Ani I think the babies are coming" she said to Anakin. He immediately summoned the healer via comlink who said she'd come immediately. By the time she got there Farra's waters had broken. Anakin had sat by her side holding her hand while they waited for the healer to arrive. Anakin and Farra were asked to come down to the healing rooms for Farra to give birth. Anakin went to Ryal's room and poked his head in the door. Ryal was asleep so Anakin crossed to his bed and shook his shoulder to wake him.
"Sorry to wake you but Master Farra's having the babies so she and I are going down to the healers rooms. I'm not sure how long we will be there but I do have a favor to ask of you. Can you change the sheets on our bed? Master Farra's waters broke and the sheets are wet"
"Yes Master I can do that. I hope Master Farra is ok and that everything will go ok for the birth"
"When Luke is able to sleep through the night he will share this room with you. Leia will have the other room here"
"I can't wait to meet the babies Master" Ryal said.
Anakin nodded then turned on his heel and left the room his robes flowing behind him. He had gotten dressed while waiting for the healer to arrive before sitting by Farra's side. She had remained in her nightgown, as it would be easier to prepare for the birth in that than in her robes. Anakin saw Farra standing by the door and crossed the room to her. The two Jedi Masters made their way down to the healer's rooms, Anakin supporting Farra. She had to stop walking every time a contraction hit but finally they made it down. Farra was shown through to a birthing room. As her contractions were still some way apart she would be monitored for the next few hours. Anakin was told he didn't need to stay and would be called by comlink when the time for the birth came. He decided to stay and used his comlink to tell Ryal what was happening. As Ryal was only 12, Anakin then called Obi Wan and asked him if he could watch Ryal until he and Farra were able to return to their quarters which Obi Wan agreed to.
"I look forward to meeting your babies Anakin. Do say hello to Farra for me" Obi Wan said.
"Oh that reminds me. We were wondering if you'd like to be godfather to the babies"
"I'd be delighted," Obi Wan said.
Ten hours later Farra's contractions were closer together and she was deemed ready to begin giving birth. In preparation she slipped off her undergarments and her legs were placed in stirrups. One of the healers checked her to see if she was ready to begin pushing and declared that she was. Farra pushed down when she felt the next contraction. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Anakin concentrating.
'He's using the Force to allow the baby's passage out of my body to be painless' Farra realized, when she didn't feel any pain as she pushed.
Farra continued to push and finally the head of the first baby appeared. A healer supported the head as the rest of the baby followed it out.
"It's a boy," the healer declared.
"Luke Anakin is his name" Farra said as she relaxed in the few moments of peace she would have before the second baby began to be born.
Then the contractions began again. Farra pushed with each contraction, again finding the pushing painless due to Anakin using the Force to prevent her feeling pain. A few minutes later the second baby was born. It was a girl.
"Her name is Leia Farra" Farra said.
By now Luke was crying for a feed so Anakin who was holding him passed him to Farra who unlaced the front of her night gown and pushed it aside then placed Luke at her breast. He began to nurse happily and Farra looked around to see where Leia was. She had been being cleaned up and wrapped in blankets as Luke was. Leia was passed to Farra who carefully placed her at her other breast. Both babies then nursed. Farra smiled at Anakin.
"Aren't they lovely" she said.
"They are. And I think that Leia looks like you and Luke's going to look just like me" Anakin said.
Both children had blue eyes as both their parents had blue eyes.
A short while later after the afterbirth had been expelled Farra and the babies were left to rest for a few hours. Then they were able to return to their quarters. At the door of their quarters, Anakin and Farra were met by Ryal who was very excited.
"May I see them?" Ryal asked.
Obi Wan was just behind them.
"They are adorable" Obi Wan said.
Both he and Ryal each had a hold of each baby and then Farra put the babies in the crib that had been specially prepared for them in the room she and Anakin shared, as they were asleep. It didn't take long for the whole temple to know that Farra had had the babies and she and Anakin had a steady stream of visitors as everyone from Jedi Masters down to younglings wanted to see the babies.
Epilogue