A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews! I'm glad you're enjoying this so far. Overall, this story is largely fluffy and fun because I always just want to assume Anakin and Padmé had some happy extended moments in their marriage. However, a word of warning, before this is all said and done, there are going to be some shall we say more sobering moments for these two as well.

Again, stealing a detail from madame .alexandra with her consent: dayalillies are her original creation. Many thanks to her once again for allowing me to use and expand it.

Festival
Part III

Anakin decided that while he didn't hate snow the way he hated sand – he didn't exactly love it either.

After an hour outside in the falling temperatures, he had a greater appreciation – other than gratitude – for Sola's gift. The hat, mittens, and scarf were a surprisingly warm addition to his Jedi wear. But the warm and soft wool was quickly becoming saturated after the molding of countless snowballs. His cheeks prickled against the cold air.

He squatted, rubbing his mittened hands together and blowing some warm breath into his icy fingers. Well, he thought wryly, his icy left fingers. His cybernetic hand registered the ambient temperature but thankfully did not fall victim to the savages of winter weather on Naboo like his organic one. Yay for the small victories.

The crunching of snow alerted him to someone approaching. The steps were too heavy to be either of his nieces – he wrinkled his nose at the still new and foreign thought – and stretched out carefully with the Force, searching for his wife. Her presence was a bright beacon in the dusky twilight. She had no idea he was huddled behind this bush, waiting for her to fall into his trap.

She rounded the corner of the home, her eyes darting back and forth, wary but continued forward. When she was right in front of his hiding spot, he jumped out, grasping her waist and spinning her about.

"Gotcha!" he yelled, laughing as she shrieked in surprise.

"Ryoo, Pooja!" he called over her mock protests to put her down. "I've got Aunt Mé-Mé!"

He heard the little girls' giggles nearby, and stomped loudly to the snow fort they had constructed earlier as his lair.

Padmé beat her mittened gloves against his shoulder and squirmed hard enough that he lost his balance, toppling them to the ground behind the frosty wall. Using his surprise against him, she quickly crawled away, attempting to make a valiant escape, but he grabbed her boot with the Force to stop her momentum.

She struggled on her hands and knees, twisting to see what had caught hold of her, and realizing his hands were still free, scowled at him.

"That's cheating, Ani!"

Not releasing his invisible hold, he inched closer, pushing her sideways until she collapsed in the snow and gently pulled her by her booted feet to him. Lying on her back, her brown curls fanned out around her, dark against the white snow, her face flushed with the cold and his proximity, Anakin thought she had never looked more beautiful. Bracing a hand on either side of her head, he leaned down to kiss her. Despite her earlier attempts to get away, Padmé reciprocated.

"Hey, you two!"

They broke off, turning simultaneously to the call from the house.

Sola leaned out the window overlooking the backyard and waved a towel at them. "Let's keep it Youngling-friendly out there. A few more minutes, ok?" Grinning, she quickly shut the window against the night chill.

"Youngling-friendly?" Anakin asked. His face twisted into that devious smirk Padmé thought she first fell in love with.

"No, please!" Padmé protested, reading his intent and backing away on her elbows from his waggling fingers. "Ani! No…" She doubled over in laughter as he started his tickling assault. "Pooja! Ryoo!" More laughter and squirming. "Help!"

He only got his way with her for a moment more before his back was pummeled with flying snow. Padmé squealed, covering her face as the snowballs exploded, flinging snow over her upturned face. Anakin relinquished her in time to catch his two little nieces running full out and tackling him.

"I surrender!" Anakin cried, laughing as the girls attempted to attack him with tickles of their own.

"Get him girls!" Padmé cheered. She landed a few well-placed tickles herself before Anakin went completely limp, his tongue lolling out of his mouth in a caustic caricature of death. She shivered a little, but told herself it was purely from the cold, as she helped him to his feet.

Pooja and Ryoo dashed off towards the house – their grandmother waiting expectantly at the back door – while Anakin and Padmé sauntered along slowly behind them.

"Thank the Force, it's getting dark," Anakin said. Wet from the damp and exertion, the blonde ends of his hair poked erratically out from beneath his black knit hat. "Those two could wear out the 501st."

Padmé smiled, bumping her body into him as they walked.

"Are you saying you are thoroughly spent for the evening, Master Jedi?"

Anakin laughed. "I think I could rally for you, Milady."

Padmé pulled a wry face before leaning into him for an almost kiss.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Ani," she whispered against his lips.

"Oh believe me," Anakin chuckled under his breath. "I can keep this one."

Biting her lip, Padmé fought and failed to keep the knowing grin off her face. But the time for teasing him any further had already passed, as they crossed the threshold into the small mudroom, beginning the process of thawing from the frigid Nabooian night.

Padmé closed her eyes, sighing deeply, thankful for the warmth of the fire on her left and the warmth of her husband on her right. She pressed in a little closer against Anakin, who shifted to accommodate her cuddling, his left arm coming to settle around her waist. Movement in the room made her peek out under her heavy eyelids. Her brother-in-law came in with a mug in each hand, one of which he handed to his wife.

"It's snowing even harder out there," Darred said. "Should make for a good Lighting tomorrow." Then to Sola, "I checked in on them. They are both sound asleep already."

"Lighting?" Anakin asked.

"It's the main event of Festival," Jobal explained. "On the winter solstice, everyone gathers in the city's center with paper lanterns, and for one hour, the power is turned off across the grid."

"Then, everyone releases the lanterns to float up in the dark, celebrating the lengthening of daylight hours and the beauty of the overhead stars," Sola finished, sweeping her hand over her head theatrically.

"Oh Padmé!" Jobal said, sitting upright abruptly in her chair. "Where are we going to find a lantern for Anakin this late?"

Padmé smiled easily, stretching languidly and propping herself up. "Mom, I bought him one weeks ago when you had me order them." She patted Anakin's knee. "Just in case."

"Oh," Jobal said. Her brow furrowed as if she were recalling a long lost thought. "I didn't even think to count them when they arrived."

Sola barked a short laugh.

"It's probably best you didn't," she said. "We would have agonized for weeks over who the mystery lantern was for!"

"Surprise," Anakin said drolly.

For a moment, everyone turned to glance at him, then Padmé – more familiar with Anakin's sense of humor – burst out laughing at his joke. Her amusement was infectious among the group and soon they were all caught up in the hilarity of his sarcasm.

As the laughter died down, a comfortable silence settled around the living room. The snap of the fire and the occasional howl of the wind outside played a backdrop to the scene of domestic tranquility.

"I can ask the girls to stop calling you 'Uncle', if it makes you uneasy," Sola said suddenly. "Or you." She looked pointedly at her sister.

Padmé sat up and shrugged a little too precisely.

"It probably would create more questions and confusion at this point," Padmé said. "And it is a term of endearment for male friends of a family on Naboo at times. I don't think anyone will read into it."

Sola nodded, accepting her sister's logic.

"Nothing like the truth to hide the truth," Darred said evenly.

Ruwee frowned, his brow furrowed with heavy thoughts.

"Help us catch up," he said. "Who else knows?"

Anakin exchanged a glance with Padmé.

"Well, Dormé, Ellé, and Versé," she said, ticking off her handmaidens on her fingers. "And Typho."

"Threepio and Artoo," Anakin added. Padmé smiled, remembering their non-traditional wedding witnesses.

"The officiant," Padmé continued. "And now you." She gestured to her family.

"An officiant?" her mother asked, worry seeping into her voice. "So it's public record." She looked to her husband, alarmed.

"Anakin and I were married under the Royal Right to Privy of Matrimony," Padmé explained. "So yes, technically, it is a public record, but no, it's not easily accessible."

"So if the Jedi, or anyone for that matter, find out, Naboo can claim interference of private planetary matters on your behalf. That was clever of you, Mé-Mé," Ruwee said flatly.

Padmé winced, but quickly hid her discomfort with her senatorial mask. She felt Anakin tense next to her and laid a placating hand on his thigh.

"We're hoping we don't have to exercise it, Papa," she said, carefully.

"We intend to dispense with all the subterfuge after the war," Anakin volunteered.

"But surely the Jedi will ask you to leave?" Sola supplied.

"They may," Anakin agreed, nodding slowly.

"Will you?" Ruwee asked bluntly.

Anakin met his gaze head on.

"I would," he said.

Padmé flinched. She still disagreed with Anakin's conviction on this specific point, but knew now was not the time to re-hash this conversation. They needed to be unified in front of her family. Showing a fracture line was not going to be helpful in the least.

Ruwee considered the young Jedi before him. To his credit, Anakin didn't flinch under his father-in-law's scrutiny. The older man must have seen something he liked in Anakin's resolve because he sat back in his armchair with an approving nod, saying no more on the matter.

"Would you mind sharing about the wedding?" Jobal asked, civilly. There was an excited sparkle in her eyes that Padmé didn't miss. "I would love to hear the details."

"Already tried, Mom," Sola teased. "Mé-Mé clammed up like a Gunga oysterfish."

"When you asked about my wedding night!" Padmé retorted. Her tone made it apparent that she was still completely scandalized. "I told you about the wedding."

"Did you tell Dormé?" Sola grinned. "Ooo, I bet she could tell me things."

"Sola!" Padmé whined.

"Girls!" Jobal said sternly, putting an immediate end to the discussion. "That's enough, Sola. Their wedding night is no one's business but Padmé's and Anakin's." She turned to her youngest. "Why do you let her goad you so?"

Both Sola and Padmé had the good graces to look chagrinned. Anakin did not dare look at either Ruwee or Jobal.

Darred, mistaking his reserved silence for apprehension with the bickering between siblings, leaned over and clapped Anakin's shoulder encouragingly.

"Best get used to it," he said warmly. "I would try to stop Sola if I could, but I can't. Strong-willed, that one."

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean," Anakin replied, smiling pointedly at Padmé.

Padmé raised her chin and cleared her throat, primly.

"Well, we went back to Varykino…"

She spent the next few minutes recapping those two days in the immediate aftermath of the battle on Geonosis. Anakin chimed in a few details here and there, but largely let Padmé tell the tale. Sola and Jobal swooned appropriately over the vow exchange and the dress and the one perfect day they had spent together afterwards.

"Since then, Anakin and I have been busy with different efforts on the war front," Padmé said. She paused, feeling a sudden swell of emotion well up in her throat, at the thought of the long separations they had endured. "But we have been able to see each other a few times," she concluded softly.

Sensing her distress, Anakin wound his arm around her and rubbed her upper arm encouragingly. She blinked viciously past tears.

"Well it's clear to me that you two make each other very happy," Jobal said.

Just then, Anakin's comm issued a loud series of beeps.

Padmé instinctively leaned away from him. Ensuring she was out of the view field, Anakin answered the hail.

"Skywalker," he said.

"Sir, it's Rex," said the glowing blue hologram of a clone trooper. "I need to brief you for situational awareness."

Padmé put a warning finger to her lips, silently conveying that the family was possibly about to hear privileged intelligence.

"Chatter says the rendezvous has changed," Rex elaborated. "We've been reassigned to Bothawui for reconnaissance. Personally, I think it's not so much about intel grabbing as it is a waiting game. A large Separatist fleet was last charted in the Kastolar Sector."

Anakin frowned, considering.

"Timeline?"

"You have time, sir," Rex said. "Intel said the Separatist fleet isn't due for another five standard days based on flight path analysis." The hologram of Rex hesitated. "You can get to Bothan space by then, sir?"

"I'll be there," was all the confirmation Anakin offered. "Anything else, Captain?"

"Negative, that's all I have for now." Rex cocked his head, a sly grin on his face. "Have fun, sir."

The comm signal went dead.

A dark silence fell about the room as the reality of the nascent galactic war loomed into view with all its ugliness.

Padmé leaned back towards Anakin. "Do you have to go?" she whispered.

"Not for a few days. Bothawui is only a hop, skip, and a parsec from here," Anakin said, nonchalantly.

Padmé stared at him for a long moment, then thought better of asking whatever questions were still circling in her head.

The room lapsed into a different kind of uncomfortable silence.

"Ah, sorry about that," Anakin said, feeling guilty for ruining the bright mood.

"Not at all," Jobal rushed to assure him, but it was Ruwee, who surprisingly set Anakin most at ease.

"Son, you don't have to apologize for your duties and obligations to this family," Ruwee said. "We are very familiar and understanding of their untimely demands. I think I can speak on everyone's behalf that we admire all that the Jedi have done – and are continuing to do – to serve the Republic. Please be at ease with us; you are my son-in-law." He stood then, nodding towards his wife. "It's getting late, and tomorrow's a big day. Shall we?"

Jobal nodded in agreement, collecting Sola and Darred's finished mugs to return to the kitchen.

"I think we'll head up as well," Sola said, standing and stretching. "Those little heathens crashed pretty hard but they'll be awake with the sunrise."

"Bothawui," she said, arms folded across herself. It wasn't really meant to be a question, but something in her tone made Anakin think she sought verification.

"Yes," he said.

Padmé chewed her lower lip worriedly, her slight nod the only indication she had heard him. Her anxiety flared wildly in the Force.

"It's probably a baby-sitting assignment like Rex said," he said, coming to stand by her. Touching her shoulder, he turned her towards him, tilting her chin up so he might read her face. The swell of tears she blinked back gutted him.

"Or a trap for Grievous," she whispered.

Anakin stared at her in surprise. "How… how do you know that?"

"Bail sent me an intelligence briefing this morning," Padmé said. "It was a notice to all the systems of considerable proximity to Bothan space to be alert for increased and potentially hostile Separatist activity'. I read between the lines."

"Why are they sending you?" she asked.

"Because I'm a Jedi General…" Anakin started, uncertainly.

"Why does it have to be you?"

She threw him a withering look, one that was designed more to cover her terror than it was actually meant to slight him. Anakin knew that her exposure on Grievous was likely constructed from Senate briefings and Holonet reports – words that described this formidable leader of the Separatist army as a menacing half-machine, half-sentient monster whose ruthlessness was heretofore unmatched in the galaxy. To her, his assignment to intercept the dangerous General was a possible death sentence.

"Hey, I'll be fine," Anakin said, pulling her against him and rubbing her back soothingly. He kissed the top of her head, her small frame quivering in his arms as she struggled to hold back her tears. "You know it's Grievous who should be worried. I was actually going to send him a holocard for encouragement. 'Good luck you bucket of bolts, you're going to need it'."

She half-sobbed, half-laughed into his chest, pulling back and rolling her eyes at his lame attempt at humor.

"Padmé?" came her sister's voice outside their door. "Can I speak to you for a minute? Both of you?"

Padmé sighed, scrubbing viciously at her tears, trying to regain some composure. "Come in," she called.

Sola entered the room, clutching a gift-wrapped box in her hands. She took one look at her sister, her face twisting into one of genuine concern.

"Am I interrupting?" she asked.

"No, Sola," Padmé said, blinking rapidly. Her smile was forced and watery. "Just a lot of emotion today."

Sola nodded, accepting the answer graciously, but did not press the matter. Seeing Anakin and Padmé's attention completely on her, she hurried to explain her interruption.

"Darred suggested I give this to you tonight, instead of making you open it in front of Mom and Papa," she said. "He said I've teased you enough already." She handed over the box wrapped in sparkling silver paper to Padmé, who took it somewhat delicately, one brow raised.

Padmé unwrapped the gift carefully, watching her sister's growing excitement with suspicion. Opening the lid, Padmé pulled out a chemise of sheer shimmersilk and gasped. The garment was intricately crafted, with a delicate pattern of dayalillies embroidered strategically over the white translucent material. She held it up, admiring the way it shimmered in the low lighting of the bedroom.

"Sola, it's beautiful," she gushed.

Anakin let out an appreciate whistle which only made Padmé blush furiously and Sola's grin widen.

"Ah, now I understand why it was probably best to have you open this one privately," Sola smirked, seeing the lascivious look on her brother-in-law's face.

Trying to hide her embarrassment, Padmé hugged her sister, whispering a soft thank you in her ear.

"I should be the one thanking you," Anakin said, returning Sola's devilish grin, then, noticing Padmé carefully re-folding her present, "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Don't put that away!"

"And that is my cue to leave." Sola winked as Padmé gaped at her husband's protest; her little sister's cheeks were tinged an almost dark red by now. She bent to gather the torn wrapping paper and empty box, waving her free hand at them. "Enjoy, you two."

Turning to leave, Sola stopped when Padmé called out suddenly.

"Sola, wait!"

Padmé skidded to a halt on the slick tiles and pulled her sister into another embrace.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," she whispered into her sister's hair. "You have to know that I really wanted you to be there."

Sola nodded, fiercely blinking back emotions of her own.

"I know," she said, pulling back to look Padmé in the eye. "I'm sorry I teased you and Anakin so mercilessly today." She stifled a soft laugh. "But you know I am completely obligated by my station as an older sibling."

"Forgiven!" Anakin called, holding up the rescued chemise.

Padmé laughed good-naturedly, and turned back to her sister.

"Have a good night," Sola said. The twinkle in her eyes, while mischievous, was also deeply sincere.

"Good night," Padmé said.

With a final wave, Sola disappeared behind the door, leaving Anakin and Padmé and the chemise completely alone.

"Do you think Sola could tell we put this to good use?" Anakin asked, rolling the delicate fabric of the chemise between his fingers.

Padmé shuddered in his embrace.

"I'd like to think that no one heard us at all, Anakin," she said, raising her eyebrows pointedly before snuggling up against him.

"Well, you do moan awfully loud…"

Completely appalled, Padmé sat up and smacked him on his chest. Laughing at her offended scowl, he caught her wrist, tugging sharply, her body collapsing across him in just the way he intended. Using her momentum against her, he flipped them both, reversing their positions in one movement. She looked up at him darkly, though the corner of her mouth fought valiantly to keep the amusement off of her face.

Grinning, Anakin relaxed down to kiss her once soundly, relinquishing her mouth to pepper her neck with a volley of kisses. When he found the hollow just above her collarbone, his tongue darted out to christen the exquisitely soft skin, earning him a deeply satisfied groan. He pulled back, smiling down at her triumphantly.

"See?"

Padmé frowned, petulantly, before giggling and squirming as he resumed his passionate assault.

"Ani, Ani…" she laughed, pushing at his shoulders in protest half-heartedly. He ignored her, wending his way down her body. "Anakin!" She gasped loudly, when his mouth dipped even lower. He looked up, his blue eyes full of feigned innocence.

"I'm hungry," she said.

"Me too," he agreed. His mouth connected with her skin again.

"Ugh, no," she groaned. "I mean, yes," – he had added his fingers to his attack – "I mean…" She felt herself start to sweat. "I need food." Her stomach growled as if to underscore her point.

Anakin stopped, releasing her from his mouth with an audible pop. She whined softly at the stirring poignancy between her legs.

A commotion was heard on the lower level, along with unintelligible voices.

"People are awake," she added. She wondered if the words were more to convince herself than Anakin at this point.

"I suppose we gave them enough to listen to last night,"

Scowling, she flushed.

"You're incorrigible."

"Hey," he said, pointing at her in a scolding manner. He reached for his sleep pants and tugged them on one-handed. "If you aren't going to say anything nice, then don't say anything at all."

"I was being nice," she retorted.

They dressed quickly and arrived unapologetically at the same time in the kitchen. Their combined presence was not even blinked at, as Sola and Darred were unsuccessfully attempting to wrangle an overly excited Pooja and Ryoo into seats, Ruwee was pretending to read the latest news on a datapad, and Jobal's attention was split over the myriad of cooking vessels in use.

"Mom, let me help you," Padmé said, peeling herself away from Anakin's side when her mother dropped a lid and mumbled something that sounded like it could have been a curse.

"Pooja!" Sola reprimanded sternly.

The little girl giggled and scuttled away from her mother's outstretched hands, intending to continue her game of cat-and-mouse. She turned to make a run for it, and froze, her little lips puckered in confusion and then dropping into total shock as she rose, slightly levitating over the kitchen floor. Sola grasped the floating child, throwing Anakin an exasperated but grateful look.

"Now that would be a useful skill to have with these two monsters – sit still, child!" Sola said, her attention pulled back to the squirming little girl she had just plopped into a chair. "If you don't eat, you will not be opening gifts!"

"But I want to sit by Uncle Ani!" Pooja whined. She pointed to the open chair across the table next to where Anakin had just taken his seat, her lower lip thrust out in an epic pout.

"I can…" Anakin started to move.

Sola thrust out a finger at him. "No," she said, her eyes still on her youngest, her tone and words directed more that way as well. "Pooja, your booster seat is already on that chair…"

"But he's so pretty!"

A stunned silence settled throughout the kitchen, the adults slowly processing Pooja's reason for protest about the seating arrangements. Already in a light-hearted mindset from her own start to the morning, Padmé burst out laughing, Darred snorted into his mug, Sola groaned saying, "Oh for the gods' love," Ruwee smirked, and Anakin flushed a thousand shades of crimson.

Pooja, not understanding the raucous caused by her words, looked bewilderedly towards Padmé as she placed a pitcher of chilled juice and the covered basket of chee-chee berry bread on the table. "Right, Aunt Mé-Mé?!"

This only made everyone laugh harder, except for Anakin, who tried to slump beneath the table to hide, his skin incapable of turning any darker. Padmé's hand, once free, came to rest sympathetically on Anakin's shoulder. "Hmmm, I don't know, Pooja..." she hummed, as if she had to consider her niece's words for a moment, studying him with mock intensity. "I don't think pretty is the right word."

Anakin gaped at her, his eyebrows raised, his expression one of indignation. He sniffed and playfully shrugged her hand off its spot on his shoulder, and said, "That's not what you said last night."

"I'm very certain I didn't say so pretty," Padmé retorted. "I'm very certain that I said…" She trailed off, her own face flushing, as she realized too late the trap she had unwittingly walked right into.

"No, please continue, Padmé," Darred chimed in earnestly. Sola winked her approval of her husband's teasing at him, as she poured her juice for her daughters. "What did you say?"

Padmé muttered something under her breath, but the tide had turned in his favor and Anakin wasn't about to squander the opportunity.

"Come on, hatari," he goaded, using his native tongue so as not to completely embarrass her with his pet name. She flushed violently anyway. "Don't keep them waiting."

Padmé glared sideways at him, her lips remaining firmly shut.

"Okay," Anakin grinned at her. "Just nod when I get to the right one." He spooned some of Jobal's casserole onto his plate. "Dashing. Stunning. Drop-dead gorgeous."

Padmé reddened at the snickers coming across the table. Anakin continued, each adjective or descriptive phrase becoming slowly more scandalous than the last.

"Alluring. Se…"

"Devilishly handsome," Padmé interrupted, not willing to let him finish that last word aloud. She highly suspected that his latest descriptor was not yet in either of her niece's vocabulary, and she wasn't about to be the person who introduced it. "I called you devilishly handsome, you scoundrel."

"Ah," Anakin nodded, chewing thoughtfully. He gestured at her with his empty fork. "Scoundrel's new though."

Padmé groaned, burying her face in her hands.

"Do you usually nettle each other like this?" Jobal asked. Her tone was light but there was still something searching in her words.

"No," Anakin answered, while Padmé said "Yes." They both looked to each other, sincerely surprised at the other's response.

"Why would you say yes?" Anakin asked, continuing to nettle his wife. "Now they're going to think that I'm a…"

"Anakin!" Padmé warned, cutting him off.

"…scoundrel for real," Anakin finished, his brow furrowed in confusion.

Padmé looked at him, the relief evident on her face, holding his gaze intently. She reached a hand for his under the table and out of sight.

What did you think I was going to say?

Knowing you? Something my nieces should not hear.

They're my nieces too. I wouldn't pollute their young…

Just a second ago, you were about to casually throw out the word sexy!

It's just a word!

And in front of my parents!

You're the one that uses it all the time! 'Your hair looks sexy like that, Ani.' 'I feel sexy when I wear your undershirt, Ani.' 'No one should be allowed to be that sexy, Ani.'

Padmé snorted, unable to contain her laughter. She shook her head, dropping his gaze and spearing a bite of breakfast with her fork. "Shut up," she said aloud. Anakin smirked triumphantly.

"What are you doing?" Sola asked, setting down her mug, and gesturing excitedly between the two of them. Anakin and Padmé both blinked at her. "I've seen you two doing that before. What are you doing?"

"They're doing what your mother and I do when we need to discuss something without anyone knowing and we can't excuse ourselves to do so in private," Ruwee said. "You and Darred do it too."

"Yes, Papa, but that takes years to develop," Sola said. "They haven't had years." She paused, tilting her head and considering them. "You're having an actual conversation." She looked to Anakin. "You can actually speak to her silently, can't you?"

"Only if she lets me," Anakin said quickly.

He didn't want his in-laws thinking he had some bizarre controlling power over Padmé. Thankfully, most of Naboo's citizens were not as wary of the Jedi and their mystical connection with the Force as some other beings in the galaxy, but this was an almost uncomfortably intimate detail of their relationship, one that he and Padmé were still learning to navigate, and he didn't want anyone thinking too critically on it.

"And it isn't one-sided," Padmé said, sensing Anakin's wariness and understanding his concerns. "I can speak back to him, if I wish to. I can also keep him out if I want my thoughts to be my own," she added, seeing her mother's growing concern.

"So it's like telepathy," Ruwee said. Anakin shrugged, as if to say, more or less. "Do all Jedi communicate that way?"

"Uhh, I think there's always a way for Force-sensitive beings to communicate in non-verbal ways," Anakin said, thinking of his silent conversations with Obi-Wan. "But I think there has to be a strong connection between the participants."

"But Padmé's not Force-sensitive," Sola said.

Anakin opened his mouth to agree, but Ruwee answered for him.

"Her test was border-line," Ruwee said. "She wasn't sensitive enough to be considered for Jedi training." He turned to regard his youngest. "But I suspect her somewhat equivocal result helps her tremendously in her current position."

"Is it normal then for a Jedi, or Force-sensitive, to speak telepathically to a non-sensitive?" Jobal asked.

"Well, our relationship isn't exactly normal, Mom. And Anakin's very…" Padmé trailed off awkwardly. She had been about to say strong, but that implied power and might, and could leave an unsavory perception. "Gifted."

Sola snorted as if she might have a different interpretation of that sentence. Padmé shot her a withering look, but was saved from any further comments by her eldest niece.

"Say something in my head, Uncle Ani!" Ryoo said excitedly, the nuances of the conversation completely lost on her.

"Uhhh, I'm afraid it doesn't work like that," Anakin said.

"Make me float again!" Pooja said, not to be deterred.

"Maybe, I'll clear the table instead," Anakin suggested, side-stepping Pooja's request completely. "If everyone's finished?"

"A clear table after all these dishes would be marvelous," Jobal said.

"Ready?" Anakin asked. He took a deep centering breath, closed his eyes, and held out his palm.

"Ten says he drops one," Darred said.

"No bet," Padmé said, grinning knowingly.

As Anakin opened his eyes, the dishes and cutlery rose silently to hover about a foot off the table. Pooja and Ryoo squealed and clapped in delight. Ruwee sat back in his seat, crossing his arms in front of him.

"Most impressive," he said.

Jobal's eyes were bright, then she raised her brow as a thought struck her. "Can you sort them too?"

"You just tell me which goes where," Anakin said, accepting the challenge.

Sola whistled softly in appreciation as cutlery and dishes formed an orderly line to exit the dining room. "So Anakin, what are your house-cleaning rates and when are you available next?"

Anakin laughed heartily and Padmé beamed at the resplendent sound.