The loud traffic of Coruscant was blocked by the large sound-proof, laser-proof windows installed in Senator Amidala's apartment. The quiet whirrs and clicks from R2 and the gentle humm from the air ducts were the only noises present in Padme's room as she slept. Her light breathing was barely audible.
Anakin was at the Temple tonight, overseeing his former Padawan as she took the final Trials to become a Jedi Knight. He, as always, had been anxious to leave Padme alone as the days grew closer to her delivery.
"I don't want to be at the Temple, you know I don't," he said, although Padme had not protested. She never did. But he always felt like he had to explain it to her, to make up for it somehow.
As always she had smiled that kind, beautiful smile and kissed his lips gently. "Go. But come back as soon as you can. I'll be all right." Her soft brown eyes were a little sad, but she put on a brave face so that Anakin could perform his Jedi duties.
Now, quietness pervaded the apartment.
A painful twinge in her swollen abdomen caused Padme to awake suddenly from her light sleep, and she gasped, struggling to sit up. R2 wheeled over to the bed with a curious whistle.
"I think it's time R2!" said Padme, cringing as another contraction came. The little astrodroid's dome spun around as he rolled quickly across the room, whistling and beeping in alarm.
The door slid open with smooth hiss and Threepio came waddling in. "What is it now, R2? What are you going on about?"
A few angry beeps and Threepio suddenly became alarmed as well. "Oh my goodness! Why didn't you say so in the first place? We have to contact the Medic Center immediately!"
. . .
Anakin ran from the ending ceremony as Masters from the Council all converged on Ahsoka to congratulate her on becoming a Knight. She looked around as she thanked them for their kind words, and when she couldn't find her former Master, she spied Obi-Wan and grabbed his arm.
"Where is Master Skywalker? Is he angry? Did I not do as he expected?" she asked anxiously.
Obi-Wan shook his head, patting the hand she had placed on his arm. "No, no, Ahsoka. Something very urgent has happened. He had to go right away."
"What could be that urgent?" she asked, one rust-colored brow raising.
"Oh, you'll know soon enough," said Obi-Wan, feeling a little hot under the collar.
. . .
Padme screamed, "Anakin! It hurts!" She gripped his arm as she bore down.
Anakin's face was white as he helped Padme stay sitting up. His arms held her steady as she pushed. He barked at the Med Droid who was at Padme's feet. "Isn't there anything you can give her to lessen the pain?" he demanded.
The white-plated droid shook its head. "I'm sorry," it said in a tone-less voice. "The babies are about to come, it would do no good."
"Babies?" repeated Anakin, dumbstruck. He looked confused.
"She is carrying fraternal twins, Sir," said the droid. "Here comes the first."
With a cry of pain from Padme and a great exertion, suddenly there was the cry of a newborn infant. The droid held up a naked, wet baby.
"A boy." Then it placed the newborn in the care of two other droids, who placed the baby in a plastic container and began to give him shots and clean him off. He cried in protest at the cold and the poking and prodding.
"One more, Padme! You can do it!" said Anakin, shaking as he encouraged the woman he loved.
She pushed again, her face in a painful grimace. "Aaaahh, it's too hard!" she cried out, failing to produce an infant with the first attempt.
"No! Don't give up!" said Anakin, holding her steady. "One more time! Bring this baby into the world!"
She gripped his arm tighter and bore down again, a scream escaping her clenched teeth. "Anakiiiiiiiiiiin!" she cried, and in a moment, there was another newborn cry adding noise to the first.
"A girl," said the droid emotionlessly, giving the second baby to the aiding droids so they could clean her off and give her shots.
Anakin held Padme close to his chest, kissing the top of her head, tears escaping down his cheeks. "You did it," he breathed into her brown hair. "You're so wonderful!"
"My babies," she said weakly. "Please, my babies . . ."
Anakin sprang away from the bed and picked up his twins carefully, one in each arm. They had each been swaddled in a white blanket, the little girl receiving a small pink bow on her head. He kissed each of them on the head as he carried them back to their mother. He handed them to her carefully, helping them settle in her arms.
Padme smiled down at them. "They're so tiny and beautiful!" She began to cry through her smile with happiness. "My babies. Luke and Leia."
Anakin sat by her, putting his arm around her and kissing the side of her head. "You did so great, Padme. Our children are perfect. You are perfect. This is the happiest day of my entire life!"
She smiled up at him. "I love you, Ani."
He closed his eyes, pulling his little family close. "I love you, too."
. . .
Anakin's eyes were drooping as the Council sat together. Obi-Wan prodded him with the Force, giving him a small nudge in the side. Anakin sat up, looking around with a dazed look.
"You. Meet me after," whispered Obi-Wan.
When the meeting adjourned, Obi-Wan took Anakin by the arm and steered him away from everyone else, down the marbled hallway among the giant pillars.
"It's been three days you've shown up like this, Anakin!" warned Obi-Wan. "I can't keep making excuses for you! Sooner or later, your little charade will be found out!"
Anakin nodded his head, stretching a little. "I know, Master. I'm sorry. The twins keep us busy. They cry a lot and need to be fed a lot and I stay awake while Padme sleeps with one of them and take care of the other one, and then I stay awake some more while Padme sleeps with the other one while I take care of the first and it's just a nightmare . . ." He rubbed his face with a gloved hand.
"Look," said Obi-Wan kindly, half a smile underneath his graying moustache. "I came up with a plan. It may not be very good, but it's better than nothing."
. . .
"We're going to Naboo?" asked Padme, looking from Obi-Wan to Anakin as they stood in her living area.
"It was Obi-Wan's idea, not mine," said Anakin when he saw her worried look. She smiled.
"Don't blame Master Kenobi, Ani!" she chided. "I think it's a good idea. At least, we can have some time to ourselves and no one will know where we are for a little while. By then, we can make another plan and leave Naboo for somewhere else."
Obi-Wan nodded, "And the plus side to this is that if I convince the Council to send Anakin away on a mission at the exact time you go home to Naboo, Senator, well, they won't suspect for a very long time what is happening."
Padme looked hopefully at Anakin with her chocolate brown eyes. "It's the perfect plan, Ani. We can raise our children, away from the eyes of the Senate and the Jedi Council. You could train them, if they are Force-sensitive. We could go away for the rest of our lives, and no one would be the wiser."
"It does seem perfect," mused Anakin, rubbing his chin. He stepped down into the lowered area of the living room and walked over to the couch, sitting down next to his wife. "If I can have the rest of my life with you, then I willingly walk away from being a Jedi. I will be disgraced if they find me out."
Her eyes looked troubled. "Are you sure you're willing to do that?"
Anakin smiled. "For you, I would do anything, milady."
. . .