*Official Re-Write of Twist-of-Fate*
"Death cannot stop love. All it can do is delay it for a while."
-The Princess Bride.
He looked up at her and even though she was in a frail state she managed to have that motherly glow. Her skin was still plainly smooth and perfect like that of a porcelain doll, she still looked graceful and beautiful.
She crutched his hand and with closed eyes she spoke, "Anakin, I lov … I love .. y .. "
"Padme!" Anakin said with frustrated impatience and fear.
In between breaths she kept talking, " I love … you … so much Ani. Promise me … promise me that … that you'll … always be there for … for the … the children … even if … it … it's not … physically. Promise … promise me…"
"I promise you, love. I promise, but please fight for your life! I need you! We need you." He yelled anxiously. "Padme!" He yelled once more as he received no reply from her…
"Padme!" He yelled once more, this time she replied back, "I'm fighting Ani, I'm fighting."
Just as she finished her sentence one of the medical droids came into the room, "Great news Master Skywalker, it seems as though your wife's condition is stabilizing. As soon as she regains her strength she will be released. Until then she must remain here to so that we can monitor her along with the children."
A wave of relief washed over Anakin's whole body, maybe things wouldn't turn out as bad as he thought. "Thank you." A simple response that carried so much sincerity embedded in each word. However that relief was short lived. How did that droid know that Padme was my wife? Anakin thought to himself. The consequences of all the choices they had made were going to come back to them sooner or later. He looked over to the men behind the glass window, Obi-Wan he recognized. Everything must have been so obvious, they all knew he was the father and now they knew that they had been married. It was only a matter of time before everything came out into the open. How would they react? As mind puzzling as the outcome of the whole situation would be, it was more precarious to Anakin to be with his Padme. She was to be transferred to one of the patient rooms, Anakin signed on as the only one who could remain with her during visiting and non-visiting hours.
Meanwhile, in the waiting room, Yoda, Obi-Wan, Senator Organa and a few others waited. "Great relief I have, that the senator, alive she is." Yoda said as closed his eyes. "Yes master, but what will happen to Anakin and Padme now?" Obi-Wan asked as he touched his mustache lost in his thoughts. All Yoda could reply was an obscure answer that left room for worry, "Discuss this with the senate we must. Judgment we shall pass. Talk to the Senator, I will."
Obi-Wan sighed as he pleaded for them, "Please have sympathy for them."
"While with Padme I speak, resolve things with Anakin you must." In the background Senator Organa wrapped up a conversation he was having through his communication device.
"I apologize for interrupting but I have important news. I have just been informed of the current location of Darth Sidious and his ship. He will remain put until he can find a new apprentice. We must be prepared for any type of stunt he tries to make."
"Hmm, a lot of meditating to do I have. Obi-Wan prepare to face Sidious you must. Request the help of Captain Typho you will."
Back in Padme's room Anakin sat thoughtful lost in a daze as he looked at his wife. He pondered on how the Jedi have reacted now that they knew the real circumstances. Darth Sidious also came to his mind, what would he do? As he dug deeper into his conclusions he was interrupted by a nurse, "Would you like to see your children Master Skywalker?"
He got up and replied, "Yes please."
They walked down a long hallway, the walls were all made of some sort of clear glass and behind them there were many visible cribs. Each held a tiny life form, humans and creatures alike. Before they entered Anakin had to be clothed in special garments to be allowed inside. Once he made it through he followed the nurse to his children. First he picked up Luke who because he was closest to his reach, "Luke, my son." He said as he touched his small smooth cheek he felt his paternal feelings take over his body. The tears began to form in his eyes but as a valiant man he fought them.
"I hope you'll learn to be a man of good and not bad, Luke." He held his tiny hand, still amazed at the fact that he along with his Angel had created him.
Then, carefully setting him down he moved on to take Leah. "Leia, my daughter." He fixed a tiny stray hair from her face, unlike Luke she was awake. In the most heart-warming scene she took Anakin's index finger and grasped on to it. "You have your mother's eyes and I trust you will inherit her kind heart and strength."
Hesitant to interrupt the nurse made an effort to sound as polite as possible, "Master, your wife has awakened." In a bittersweet motion he carefully set Leia back in her crib kissing her and her brothers forehead before heading out the hall and rushing over to see Padme. He was stopped by the arm, it was Obi-Wan. "Master Yoda is speaking with Padme; I don't think there will ever be a good time for us to talk so we should do it now."
Taking a moment to think about it Anakin agreed. They returned to the waiting room and took their seats, the awkwardness consuming them was broke by Obi-Wan who decided to be very direct and open.
"Anakin, Padme did not know that I stowed away aboard her ship. Don't blame her she had no knowledge of the situation."
"I know." Was his simple reply, he had known all along the way things were in reality. He knew he was blinded by rage and his thoughts were clouded by the dark side. His thirst for consequence and power were overwhelming but his love for Padme and the then unborn children was greater. He wasn't ready to admit anything beyond that. "I need to see Padme awake." He said as he got up, the conversation had not nearly gone as planned but at least Obi-Wan knew that there was some sense in that boy.
Anakin entered Padme's room with Obi-Wan at his heels. They found Master Yoda on the guest chair next to her bed and Padme was sitting up, visibly much better. Obi-Wan situated himself next to Yoda while Anakin headed to sit next to Padme. He reached for hand but she slightly tugged back before accepting his hand. "What's wrong?" Anakin asked concerned, worried at the hostile gesture she made.
"It's nothing." She said unable to look into his eyes for more than a second.
"How long is it going to take for us to be honest with each other?" He said mimicking her as he pulled her chin upwards with his finger.
"Read my mind." She opened her thoughts so that he could easily see what she was thinking. Soon enough Anakin understood what was going on. There was still a hint of fear in her. The way he choked her, the way he looked at her with thirsty eyes, and they way he ceased to be her Ani for that moment. He let go of her hand as he saw the tears begin to well up in her eyes. She turned to face away from him and looked out the window. It was then that Anakin saw the red bruises left behind from that instant when he was not himself. He immediately condemned himself for inflicting such a pain on Padme. How could he have been capable to hurt her when everything had all begun because he wanted to protect her? All he could find to say was, "I'm deeply sorry Padme."
"The choking isn't what hurt me the most Anakin. What hurts is that you actually brought yourself to doing it, to doubting me, to saying such awful things." The hot tears now ran down her cheeks and Anakin apologized once more for lack of better expressions of his repenting. "Please forgive me, I beg of you."
With a sob Padme turned to face him directly and continued, "It's not up to me anymore. You have to forgive yourself first, besides, I KNOW that the man who did all of those macabre things was NOT Anakin Skywalker, he was Darth Vader. It was Vader who killed those people, who caused that destruction, who wasn't able to think because of the shroud of darkness that clouded his judgment."
It was this time that it was Anakin who had trouble meeting her eyes, but when their looks met they locked, "So who is it that sits beside me now? Is it Anakin Skywalker? Or Darth Vader?"
Very quickly and promptly he answered her, "Darth Vader is dead. Forever and it is Anakin who sits here and loves you more than his life." She knew him full well and noted the sincerity in his words, she was glad to have Anakin back. Forgetting about her little audience she lunged forward and hugged him, he returned the hug with the same emotion. "I feel so safe in your arms once more. It feels like the world is ours."
He replied to her, "As do I. I love keeping you safe and feeling like for a moment nothing else matters."
Yoda then interrupted them, "Because of all that has happened, attachment for a Jedi, good it is not."
Obi-Wan interceded with a comment of his own, "Anakin the only reason we were all so hard on you is because you ARE the chosen one, the one from the prophesy set to bring balance to the force."
"What?" Anakin asked trying to assimilate what he had just heard.
"Yes, Qui-Gon always knew it; he knew you were the chosen one. We had to prepare you for anything and everything. I never wanted to kill you but you were so susceptible to the dark side of the force I was left with absolutely no choice. Anakin, I am weak. Weak because I share a bond with you, that of a father and a son. But a Jedi must overlook that and do what is expected of him." Obi-Wan said with clear disappointment in his voice.
"I know what attachment is like too, yet wish talk about it I do not, too many painful memories that would bring." They were all quiet as the mused on what could have possibly happened to Master Yoda.
"What will become of Anakin the Jedi?" Padme asked breaking the silence.
"Punishment for him the council will decide at a better time." Yoda answered firmly.
"Darth Sidious is not far from here." Obi-Wan started, "Anakin, are you willing to help me defeat Darth Sidious?"
Anakin looked at Obi-wan as he attempted to quickly sort out the cause and effect of everything decided and not decided upon. It was time for him to decide who his true master was and where his loyalties really lied.
Hope you guys are enjoying this more descriptive and "engaging" re-write of the chapters. I've basically spent my whole vacation so far writing. I really do hope you guys like it because I'm starting to think I'm crazy for writing all the time haha.
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