Six months after the fateful day that Shmi Skywalker died Anakin and Obi-wan look up from their game as they heard the doorbell ring.
"Lumi, there is someone at the door" Anakin calls tot the kitchen where Luminara is making diner before focusing on the game again. Luminara looks up from the cutting of carrots to the door wondering who it could be. She walks to the door before opening it and then sees miss Secura standing there.
"Miss Secura, come in. How can I help you?" Luminara says as she moves away from the doorway so that miss Secura can enter her house. When miss Secura has entered Luminara closes the door. Anakin looks up when he hears Lumi talk and wonders if miss Secura has any news about his father as she has been trying to talk to him for the last half year. He wonders why it is so difficult to get in contact with his father or if his father doesn't want to have anything to down the him.
"Anakin, what is wrong?" Obi-wan asks him as he sees the troubled look on his face.
"Nothing" Anakin says but does explain himself when he sees the doubtful look on Obi-wan's face. "It is just I don't get it why it is so difficult for miss Secura to talk to my father. What if he doesn't want to have anything to do with me? I only have you, Barris and Lumi and don't know if I can stay here if my father doesn't want me or if I have to go live with complete strangers even if my father is also a complete stranger. I know that I would only live with you guys on a temporary basis and ... and" Anakin can feel himself getting worked up about the situation but before things get out of control Obi-wan stokes his hand while saying
"Anakin calm down, I'm sure Luminara would do what she can to let you stay with us if you can't go to your father. Calm down."
When they hear some clear their throat the both look up and can see that Lumi and miss Secura are watching them. Anakin hurriedly wipes away his tears with the back of his hand.
"Shall we go to the kitchen table boys? Miss Secura has news about your father Anakin" Luminara says while mentioning to the kitchen. Both boys stand up to do as ask while Anakin shuffles his feet nervously and after an encouraging smile from Luminara he follows after Obi-wan who is already sitting down at the table.
"Anakin, this morning I was able to talk to your father and inform him of your situation" miss Secua says when every has sat down at the table.
"What did my father say?" Anakin asks while fiddling with the hem of his shirt.
"He said he was sorry to hear that your mother died and that he could send someone to pick you up as he doesn't have time to come over this week" miss Secura says while Anakin nod in understanding but frowns at the thought that his father didn't have time to pick him up. "However, I told him that I wouldn't give you to anyone but your father. So he has to come pick you up personally. We agreed that I will bring you next Monday at four o'clock to the Naboo embassy as he assured me he could be there then" miss Secura explains and Anakin nods. "Do you have any questions?" Miss Secura asks the family.
"Why took it so long for you to get in contact with my father?" Anakin asks shyly while silently being nervous about the answer he would get.
"Because Anakin we had to get his contact details from the court. The courts of Tatooine couldn't help us as your father is a citizen of Naboo. Tatooine can't get access to contact details of foreigners. That meant that we had to go to the courts of Naboo to get the contact details. They were unwilling to give it to us until we showed them proof that he was your father. They gave us contact details then, but as it turned out they were of his personal assistant. He wouldn't get us in contact with him initially until I managed to convince him that I was telling him the truth. He told me he would call me back after having discussed what I told him with your father. Three hours later I got a call back. It turned out that your father got my number form his assistant and insisted he talked to me personally." Miss Secura explains before asking "Do you understand what I told you Anakin"
"I think" Anakin says before clarifying "People are very protective of my father"
"That is right, they are protective of your father. I know you want to know the reason for their protectiveness and I can't tell you because of a promise I gave your father. You see, your father insisted that he would tell you after I bring you to him Monday. All I can tell you is that he is a very important person, okay?" Miss Secura says and Anakin nods unhappily before she continues towards Luminara "Anakin's bags will have to be ready before I bring him to his father Monday afternoon"
"I will have everything packed before you pick Anakin" Luminara says.
"Then we will see each other Monday at three thirty" Miss Secura says before standing up to leave as Luminara walks with her to the door before saying goodbye.
"How do you feel, Anakin" Obi-wan asks Anakin concerned as he sat next to Anakin during the visit of Miss Secura and could see that something was bothering him.
"I don't know. On one side I'm happy that she got in contact with my father but on the other side I don't know what to expect when I meet my father. Will he be kind, will he have time for me? From what Miss Secura said he is really busy with his work, but what kind of work. She said he was a very important person and I could tell she knew more but why couldn't she tell me. Why the secrecy?"
"Anakin that are things that you will have to ask your father when you meet him. Besides if he is so busy he will have to arrange for people to look after you. After Monday he will be responsible for you like how Shmi was responsible for you before her dead" Luminara says when she came upon them in the kitchen as she had overheard their conversation.
"I miss her, Lumi" Anakin says with tears running down his face while falling Luminara in the arms.
"I know, Anakin. I know" Luminara says while running her hands through his hair.
Earlier this morning in the royal palace in Theed, Naboo
In an office in the palace sits a man thirty year old man in a green suit with long brown hair, blue eyes, a chin strap and a mustache working on his correspondence. He sits in a cushioned chair at an oaken desk. On the desk stand two photo frames. One frame holds a picture of Anakin and Shmi and the other holds picture of a woman with dark honey skin, dark hair and green eyes. The woman is sitting in chair holding a four week old baby with dark honey skin, brown hair and blue eyes. When there is a knock at his door he says
"Come in"
When the door opens he sees that his personal assistant, Mace Windu, a dark skinned bald man wearing a purple suit walking into the room. Mace walks to one of the two chairs standing on the other side of his desk and sits down.
"Good morning Qui-gon, I got an interesting call thirty minutes ago from a Tatooine child service employee about an Anakin Skywalker" Mace tells his friend and sees that his friend first is confuses why a child service employee from Tatooine would call for him but when he hears the name he seems shocked.
"You know who I'm talking about" Mace states.
"Yes, I know. What did the employee want to talk about?" Qui-gon asks with dread in his stomach.
"She wanted to talk to you about him as his mother passed away some six months ago and from what she told me you are apparently his father. Considering that she got your number it has to be true or else the courts wouldn't have given it to her" Mace says
"It is unfortunate to hear that Shmi passed away" Qui-gon says with sadness in his voice at the thought that Shmi passes away and that Anakin now is alone without a family member.
"Does Tahl know about him?" Mace asks with a raised eyebrow.
"Tahl knows about him. I told her before we got in an relationship that I already had a son who was living with his mother. She knows that he is my heir" Qui-gon explains with a stressed voice as he is upset that his friend would think he would keep such a thing from Tahl.
"And what was your relationship with his deceased mother. I can't see you having a one night stand. So were you an item or not?" Mace asks intrigued.
"Shmi and I married in secret when we were juniors in college around ten years ago. When my father found out about my marriage he forced me to divorce from her. She was at the time my father found out pregnant and he didn't want to have anything to do with her or Anakin so we decided that he would live with her and I would pay alimony for him the first five years and then pay Anakin's school tuition. Shmi always send me pictures and copies of his school reports. I always shared them with Tahl so she would at least have an impression of Anakin" Qui-gon explains and Mace nods to show he understands. Through this he also knows who the unknown woman and boy are to him as it has always intrigued him and he never dared to approach this subject as his friend would close down when he didn't want to talk about something. Something he experienced often enough
"What do you intent to do now? Will you bring Anakin here? Because if you do then we need to prepare a room for him in the palace and he has to be placed on a school here in Theed. Also I will have to call the child service employee to tell her what you decided and to make an appointment for someone to pick your son up. You know it will take the boy time to adapt to a royal life, don't you?" Mace says
"I do intent to bring Anakin here. Will you make arrangements for a room for him in my wing. I will, together with Tahl, see to it that he will be placed on a school as I will inform her if the situation before I will call the child service employee to make arrangements for Anakin to be picked up" Qui-gon says as he wants to make sure that his son is being taken good care of before standing up and going to Tahl and their baby daughter, Ashoka.
Hope you enjoy it!