~June 3, 2012-June 7, 2013~
A/N:
Many happy greetings! *waves like a maniac* ;D
Thank you reader for reading these posted words!
And thank you reviewers: LadyMarissaGarmadom, ILDV, Jaspreet, froovygirl, Jedi Master Misty Smam-Esay, JourneyRocks13, WolverinvelK1973, VAN-H, Alexa Skywalker, Mireilles3, Guest, and littleweb! You guys are so nice!
And last but not least, thank you subscribers and favoriters!
And now! The new chapter! Here is Chapter 14: Flowers; happy reading! 8D
Chapter 14: Flowers
Birds chirped Padme awake. With a happy sigh and stretch, she opened her eyes.
Her room was warm with Nubian sunrays.
She turned onto her back and checked her husband's side of the bed. A frown soon formed on her face.
Empty.
He had warned her last night that perhaps he wouldn't be there when she awoke, since he had to sneak back into his separate bedchamber.
Anakin was almost always right it seemed…
They've woken up to each other for months now—waking up without him was a thing out-of-place.
A stretch while standing. Force, did her back feel a thousand times better!
Her husband's masseur-magic; she'll have to get another backrub tonight.
To Padme's surprise, her babies weren't in their cribs. She wasn't worried, with her family so glued to them. The twins were probably wherever they were.
Once she made it to the kitchen, she realized how late she'd slept in. It was closer to midday than dawn.
She hadn't had that much consecutive sleep in… Padme didn't really want to know, once she thought about it.
But what about the twins? They needed to be nursed every two hours, roughly. How were they—?
On the counter was her answer; newborn-baby formula. The servants had shopped yesterday, they probably picked it up then.
"Good morning, Senator," Knight Skywalker greeted with a grin and cup of juice for her. The first to notice her presence, of course. And there were her little angels; Leia in a bassinette and Luke in Darren's arms.
"General Skywalker," she greeted back. Bless his soul a thousand times; he managed to find and save some of her, and apparently everyone else's, favorite shurra-juice!
Everyone turned to see her. Smiles and good mornings were given as she settled into a breakfast-table seat.
The air smelled of a well-made meal. Her mother's quite the cook…
"The food smells wonderful mom," she sipped the splendid beverage.
Her mother turned to her, "I'm not behind this meal. It was made by none other than 'The Hero with No Fear'; I didn't have anything to do with it." Jobal gestured to the young man, who was preparing a plate for his wife. "I thank you again, Skywalker."
"Anakin, please," he asked handing the plate to Padme.
"Anakin," she corrected.
While Amidala chewed a delicious bite, she noticed a project on the table. In front of her seated family were flowers and ribbons.
These items were being craftily tied, woven, and stringed together into a wreath.
She knew what these traditional flowers and ribbons of pastel-pink, baby-blue, and yielded-yellow were for; a traditional item for announcing a newborn.
The sweet smelling circle was hung on the front door of a household, pink for a girl and blue for a boy, the yellow meant celebration and youth.
"Baby Haloes?" she asked.
All of her family smiled, "Yep, we want to have our fun." Her sister teased with an elbow nudge, hands filled with a flower-chain.
"The meal is wonderful, Anakin," she thanked, adding a strain on his name to appear unfamiliar with it.
Sola, who was going to get the father's name if it took a thousand years, decided to 'redirect' the subject. "If only the father was here to help, it's part of the tradition, you know," she eyed her sister, teasing and yet being serious.
Padme shortly glanced at Anakin, who was helping braid chains together. Mirth swam in his sea-deep eyes; the comment amused them both. Now to be serious, "Sola stop it. I've told you, I can't." Padme knew exactly what game her sister was playing.
With a long sigh, her sister returned to the project at hand.
With another bite, she remembered the young stray, "Has Han eaten yet?" she asked Anakin.
"Yes, Senator, he ate a few hours ago. It's impossible to keep him indoors… Ryoo and Pooja are out with him."
"You've know me a long time, friend. Please, call me Padme." Fake formality hung with every word.
"Of course, milady," he hid a grin.
"That boy is quite the character," her father commented, looking up from a morning holo.
"Indeed he is," Sola echoed reaching for more flowers, "How'd you come across him?"
"He snuck aboard our ship while we were on Corellia."
"Quite a dare-devil, what of his parents? They're bound to be concerned." Darren stated, twitching his baby-captured index finger.
She saddened, "He's an orphan. He left because of a pirate wanting to sell him into the slave trade."
"The poor dear," her mother said, sympathy evident.
"Yes," she looked at her husband, knowing this topic is tender for him. "And now we're stuck with him; at least he doesn't seem to mind."
"No he doesn't," her sister added with a smile, "and he seems to like shurra fruit just about as much as you."
"That's impossible, if you don't mind me saying so, Padme." The Jedi formal-teased.
Her family chuckled, quite familiar with her constant requests for them to send her boxes of the fruit.
"The shurra groves are blooming right now, but soon enough they'll be ripe. There might just be enough for you and Han," her father kidded.
More laughs.
"Well, my sister, you haven't told us 'The Story'," Sola changed the subject, again.
"Story?" Padme questioned.
"Of the twin's birth and pregnancy, of course; it's always told while making the Haloes. I want to know all about it," her sister prodded.
"Oh, 'The Story'. Well…"
"Come on! We're all, except you Anakin, parents here," she said innocently. The irony…
"He actually has something to do with this story," she said, "He, and Master Kenobi took me to the hospital."
'And Anakin had much more to do with the twins…' Padme mused, trying not to blush.
"Did you now?" Sola spotlighted him.
"Yes," he answered plainly, trying not to remember how agonized that trip was.
"You and Master Kenobi were there for a social visit?"
He winced, fearful memories plagued him, "We happened arrive at the right place at the right time."
"You did indeed," she turned to her sister, "Where was the father at this time?" Sola questioned.
"He was there," Padme cautiously answered. She wanted to leave this hole filled area, "You see, the twins were born a month early because I had an accident falling down the stairs, and it triggered the labor."
"Thank your lucky stars—you could have lost them!" her mother commented, quite alarmed by the thought.
"I could have, but they all took me to the hospital quickly and the doctors and droids did a wonderful job."
"So they were C-sectioned?" Sola asked, tying some more flowers together.
"Nope, it was a last resort that I thankfully didn't need. They were born naturally."
"No pain meds?"
She nodded, "Too risky."
"Wow, I've only had one at a time, two—I don't even want to think about it… How long were you in labor?"
"No more than seven hours."
"I'm jealous," her sister partially teased. Both of her children took days to be born. "How did he take it?"
She stopped for a second, deciding whether to answer that one or not. It couldn't hurt, "Perfectly. If it wasn't for him…I don't even think I could have done it without him."
If they had wondered about her feelings for this mysterious man, they didn't now. Her love for him was plainly seen be all now.
She snapped out of her memories. "Their pregnancy wasn't too bad, either," Padme changed subject.
"Oh come on!"
"Really—I think the worse part were the midnight cravings."
"You and him must be made for each other."
"What?" Amidala laughed, wondering where that came from.
Her sister looked at her, "It's an Old Wives' Tale, that the easier pregnancy and shorter the labor, the more the couple is made for each other... Whoever this soul-mate of yours is, I'm pretty sure I approve," Sola said while the others in the room agreed with her.
"I think we must be denying fate, than darling," Darren bantered.
"Perhaps, but then fate be cursed; I love you too much to care," Sola returned. Her husband smiled.
Sola held up a finished blue wreath, "What do you think, mama?"
"It's beautiful!" her sister complimented working with Skywalker on the last pink section.
"She approves, so I guess the love of her life does too!" her sister bantered. Sola is always the one to keep things light.
Padme looked down with a smile every woman in love would know. She gave a short glance at her husband, who met the glance.
The glimpse said to him: 'You are the love of my life.'
"This one's done as well," Anakin said, handing it to the mother of his children. He made sure their hands touched for a brief second.
"We should go hang them up, than," Ruwee said, dusting peddles off his lap. His skills were in the cutting department of the job—he'd never been talented with the tying and what not.
"Come on, sis, you get the honors."
Padme stepped up a small stepping ladder, "Alright, hand them here please," an old hook and a new one held the lavish circlets.
"You broke the girl's streak though; your the first one in a hundred years to have a boy in my family," her mother said, hugging her daughter's shoulders.
"I guess I'm just the black-shaak of the family," she teased, they all laughed a bit.
"And now it's official! We have two new grand-babies and a new mother in the family! I'm so proud of you, baby," her mother said.
No hope now and the tears came at last, the prudently built dam crumbled.
"Yep, new mother," her sister gently teased, hoping to make her sister laugh.
It worked. A smile and laugh trickled through the tears.
Anakin stood at bay, the urge to comfort and make Padme laugh ate away at him—but at least her family was there.
After they all settled back indoors, Darren put his sleeping nephew next to his sleeping niece, "You know, Luke's eyes are quite the amazing blue." He complimented the mother.
Anakin just happened to walk into the room at this time.
Darren looked at the Jedi's eyes, which were blue as well, "Almost like yours, Anakin," he took a longer look, "A lot like yours, actually," he said softer.
Anakin tried to remain passive… what to say? "I'm sure Luke gets them from his father."
'Real smooth—idiot!' he cursed himself. He might as well give bread crumbs now… 'Curses…'
"I'm sure…" Darren said, looking from the little baby to the Jedi.
'I've done it now…'
A little idea hit Darren: Skywalker could be the father…
He tried to find things to deny this little idea.
It was harder than it should be. Way harder…
'Oh force—it can't be!'
A/N:
I think someone is putting the pieces together...! :D
Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter!
A review with your wonderful thoughts are very welcomed!
See you soon!
God Bless :)