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Chapter Text

In the month since the Zillo Beast had attached Coruscant, Anakin Skywalker had learned a surprising number of things about his wife.

She could sing Luke a lullaby that was an old Nubian song handed down generations, but she couldn't hold much of a tune otherwise. Most of the other senators were terrified of her, not because his tiny wife was intimidating or ferocious (though she could be those things too) but because she was tenacious and stubborn beyond belief. She hid it well, and was far less petulant about getting her way than Anakin was, but behind the smiles and the reasonable tone of voice, she dug her heels in more than he ever did.

Chancellor Palpatine often called her the angel on his shoulder. Too optimistic and caring, he said at times with a sigh, but a necessary voice in the Senate.

Every three days she muttered something about cutting off her hair. Anakin had been terrified the first time it had slipped out and had spent the day convincing Luke to hide anything sharp before he'd realised he'd basically given Luke access to all kinds of potential weapons that were hidden in various places that Luke deemed 'safe'.

She could yell.

He'd known that. They'd fought before, but Padme became vicious when arguing about Luke. And it made him realise how much she held back with him when he watched Padme verbally eviscerate a Senate member who had made a comment about Luke being mentally slow.

Perhaps they should never have another child. Between the two of them, they couldn't get lucky with another child like Luke again.

Not to say Luke didn't have his problems. A weekly appointment with Yoda and a tri-weekly appointment with the youngling psychologist that the Chancellor had recommended weren't in place for nothing, but Luke's temper was like a summer storm. It flashed and then left without lingering grudges or resentment. And for Luke, most of it seemed to come from frustration more than anything else and the difficulty he had in adjusting his mind to the reality he now lived in.

"Anakin," Padme said as she came in from the balcony. She said she'd picked up the habit of going out there to look up at the sky and pretend they could talk when he'd been away. Apparently, she'd found it a good way of clearing her thoughts since having Luke. "Where have you…"

She trailed off with a smile.

Luke was carrying the dish that Anakin had been handed by a grateful Captain they'd bumped into on their way home. Except, it was Luke and carrying was for too mundane for his child.

Instead, Luke was balancing it on his head, his arms out to help him keep his balance and his eyes almost crossed as he tried to keep his gaze on the dish.

"We got dinner," Anakin announced proudly.

"I carried it," Luke pointed out with a grin. "Look, Padme. I think I can-" The youngling jumped and then wobbled, just about keeping the dish balanced.

"Oh my," Threepio gasped, waving his hands. "Oh, mistress Padme, I do not think that-"

Anakin reached for the droid and then held up his hand when Padme glared at him. "Your choice," Anakin said, throwing up his hands and then scooping the packaged dish from Luke's head. Luke reached for it with a wide grin and then hurled himself onto Anakin's back when Anakin merely held it over the youngling's head.

"Got ya," Luke crowed and climbed up properly so that he was then sitting on Anakin's shoulders. Trying not to laugh, Anakin simply lowered the dish so that it was still out of Luke's reach.

His son groaned and flopped backwards.

The first time he had done it, Anakin had nearly had a heart attack. But Luke's legs were strong enough and he had enough natural agility that he remained attached to Anakin by his legs, he simply hung down along Anakin's back which was a strange sensation indeed. The kid could usually pull himself back up too without help.

Luke might still not refer to him as 'Dad' but at least he was Luke's official climbing frame.

"Hungry?" Anakin asked. "I can hand it to the droids-"

That was another change. He and Padme had agreed to let the household staff go and use droids as well to ensure that Luke had peace when he needed it. Halle was still on call though and the Captain both of whom Luke seemed to like but refused to ask about when they weren't there.

"I…yes," Padme said as he placed the package down on the table and then reached behind him to grab Luke's arm. With the help of the force, he brought Luke around to his front and the boy leapt away, dashing out to the balcony.

"Don't fall," Anakin called.

"Not stupid," was the only reply he got.

"I will check on the young master," Threepio decided and hurried himself out there. Artoo beeped and then followed.

Anakin watched them go and then collapsed onto the sofa with a groan. "We feed him too much," Anakin decided as he stared at the ceiling. "Yoda had him doing some treasure hunt thing around the temple. Seven hours and he's still jumping around." Anakin looked up at his wife pleadingly. "How bad would it be if we slipped a tranq into his food tonight?"

"Please," she said, apparently amused. "He falls asleep like a light going off."

"In our bed," Anakin said rolling his head up to look at her pointedly. And yes, he loved his son more than anything in the universe, but in the six weeks Luke had lived with them, he and Padme had not had one night in their bed, alone and…well…

Together.

"Doctor Firra said that we would need to-"

He waved it away and caught a glimpse of her annoyed glare. He spread his arms defensively in protest and she shook her head and apparently, that was all the conversation they were gonna have about the matter, Anakin thought grumpily as she picked up the dinner and handed it over to the KaH34.

"I have five blossom bread," Padme said thoughtfully. "The Naboo Ambassador gave me some a while ago. I was saving it for a special occasion."

Special occasion?

A little panicked, Anakin raised his head. They'd been married for fourteen months, so it wasn't that. He'd prided himself of being attentive and knowing those things and yet it was
a special occasion?

"It's my speciality," Padme added. "I-"

"You…cook?" Anakin asked.

She blinked. "I used to," she said with a smile. "When I was younger, I cooked every day. But getting the ingredients here is hard and it's not the same with work…" she shook her
head. "Did you think I couldn't cook?"

"No," he said automatically and then floundered. "I mean…I…have you ever cooked around me?"

It seemed to take her by surprise. "No," she admitted.

Huh.

They stared at each other awkwardly for a moment or two and then Padme shook herself. "Well, one more reason to try and get away to Naboo soon," she said, her eyes darting to the balcony before she glanced skywards as if asking for strength. "Your son is balancing again," she said wearily.

"Why is it?" Anakin started to ask even as he reached to retrieve Luke with the force, "when he does this, he is my son."

"Say with a straight face you have never balanced above the Coruscant skyline or indeed deliberately jumped down into the traffic," Padme asked smoothly as Luke was pulled in, looking completely unrepentant and gloriously satisfied.

Stars, he hated these arguments, Anakin thought slumping further into the sofa as he dumped Luke on the floor. His son peered up at him and then rested his head in his hands and kicked his feet as he lay on his belly. "How many times do you think Master Yoda could jump in a click?" Luke asked.

Padme ruffled his hair as she went by in sympathy.

xxx

Sleeping with a seven year old had long since lost its novelty. Luke was cute and lovely and sweet but force alive was that boy all elbows and knees and he slept like a bomb, all tightly coiled until he sprung out suddenly and usually woke him and Padme up.

Not to mention that having a seven-year-old in the bed meant that Anakin did not have his wife to himself.

How, he didn't know, but Luke had apparently decided in the night that Anakin's back was the perfect place to sleep. When Anakin woke to Padme getting ready, a heavy, hot weight was on his back snoring.

"We need to get him in his own bed," Anakin mumbled to the pillow.

"I…" Padme sat by him. "I've agreed to do something for the council. When I get back, we'll do it," she agreed.

"Get back?"

"I'm accompanying Senator Clovis on his trip to meet with the trade federation-"

Anakin sat up and there was a sleepy yelp as Luke was tossed back on the bed. Anakin glanced back at his son who scowled at him and then rolled over taking most of the bed sheets with him.

Typical.

"The Trade Federation?" Anakin demanded, twisting around to her. "When was this decided?"

"This morning," Padme said. "It's necessary, Anakin. I won't be long-"

He stared at her, his frayed temper not lasting well. "Who decided?"

"Myself and Master Yoda. Anakin, you're making a bigger fuss of this than is-"

"Did you consider asking me if it was all right?"

Padme stopped and blinked down at him in stunned amazement. "What did you just say?"

"I was under the impression we were meant to be a partnership-"

"Sorry, did you ever check with me about going on missions?"

"That was…Before Luke," Anakin said, standing and that was his life now. Mark the passage of time before Luke and after Luke. "I will not allow-"

"Allow?"

He had a pressing feeling that he'd missed stepped in some way, but he refused to back down. "I realise I'm the one who generally now has to give some thought to him while you're playing around in the senate-"

"Playing around?"

"Name the last appointment you took him to."

"Name the last time you had something to do," Padme yelled back squaring up to him. "You chose to stay at home with him-"

"Not so you could go to talk to the Trade Federation. Why are you even talking to them? It's…"he paused and then tilted his head. "Who is Clovis?" He thought for a moment as she rolled her eyes. "Wait, I know that name."

"The Jedi asked me to spy on him."

"Is everyone on this force-forsaken planet involved?" Anakin shouted. "Why you?"

"We were," she faltered. "friends."

"Friends?"

"Anakin, I can go where I like, when I like and with whom I like." She picked up her bag.

"Not when we have a child with like a billion attachment disorders," he said and then glanced back down at Luke who was now peering up and watching them with what genuinely looked like Obi-Wan's disappointed face.

"Well, as you so succinctly pointed out, I hardly do anything to help him with that. Not when Daddy Skywalker's around."

"What?" he hissed and then flapped a hand when Luke made a noise.

"Anakin, I am going for the evening. I will be back tomorrow. Stop making this into more than it is. This is necessary to the Order that you used to care about."

She leaned over him and pressed a kiss to Luke's hair. Their son was blinking at her and then made an annoyed sound before he scooted away and off the bed, taking all the damned bedding with him. Then his wife stalked out of the room and Anakin was left alone in the room, trying to work out what the Kriffin hell had gone wrong!

Xxx

He adored Luke, but having the youngling there when he was in a temper was awful. Luke would flinch away and hide in the corners which annoyed Anakin even more and created an unending cycle of misery for them both.

In the end, Anakin drove them to the Temple and practically shoved Luke at Master Gallia.

"Anakin," she breathed. "What-"

He ignored her and strode through the Temple, the looks he received doing no favours for his mood. Three Jedi Knights tried to approach him and he just kept walking until he got to the roof, slammed the door shut behind him and then collapsed against the wall, relieved for the no-fly zone over the Temple.

He was left alone.

What was Padme playing at? Why was she leaving?

Only for a day, part of him whispered.

Still. He didn't even know where he'd gone wrong, or if he'd been in the wrong or where the moment was where it had gone wrong.

He hated feeling like this. He'd thought he was done with it after the Temple and the Jedi Order. It wasn't fair.

He wasn't all that surprised when Obi-Wan calmly walked through the door. His former Master said nothing but walked close and then let out a frustrated noise, as if Anakin had purposefully sat down to annoy him. In the end, Obi Wan sat on the ground next to him.

"You and Padme-"

"Shut up."

Obi Wan nodded. Then: "I'm surprised you came here."

"Where else would I go?"

There was a flicker of relief from Obi-Wan and Anakin turned to look at the man, curious despite his foul mood.

"I was starting to wonder if I'd completely misread everything with you," Obi Wan confessed. "It's good to know that some things are the same."

"Nothing's the same," Anakin muttered. "I…I…I was starting to think that maybe…maybe the reason I'd struggled here was just because it wasn't for me. And yet, now-"

"Anakin…I realise this may not be what you want to hear, but you are…" Obi Wan faltered and Anakin turned to look at him properly, waiting. "Sometimes overly dramatic."

What?

"And sensitive," Obi-Wan added as if getting lost in his musings. "Full of pride-"

Sithing hell. "Is this going to be a long list?" Anakin demanded.

"You are not perfect," Obi-Wan added. "And you seem mortally offended with the universe that you are not." He inclined his head. "Perhaps you should stop expecting yourself to be. Which might mean sometimes you do not do everything perfect or correct the first time. Sometimes you might not even do it right the second time." He nodded to himself. "The third, I will even accept once or twice."

"It isn't funny," Anakin mumbled, tilting his head back to rest against the wall. "I just…dumped Luke-"

Obi Wan waved a hand. "He's fine. Someone showed him your old rooms with some of your old engines. He's as close to Utopia as one could ever hope to be. Possibly the first person to ever react with delight at seeing the state of your chambers."

Despite it all, Anakin laughed and then felt oddly like crying.

"You are barely twenty years old," Obi-Wan said firmly. "No-one will judge you if you ask for help."

"That's not how I remember it being," Anakin snapped.

"I remember a boy who thought he knew best. Who would take any chance to prove himself and then be hurt when we handed out criticism of his methods, despite him being warned not to do the things he did. May I ask what you expected from acting in that way?"

"To-" Anakin clamped his lips together. He glanced at Obi-Wan who was watching him with an oddly gentle expression. "What does it matter now? You aren't my Master. We are no longer brothers."

"Oh Anakin, you are desperately stupid sometimes." Obi Wan pinched the bridge of his nose. "Do you honestly believe we are keeping you in contact with us to help transition?"

"More like to avoid another sith running around," Anakin sullenly muttered.

That actually got him a gentle clout around the head. "Ow," he mumbled, rubbing where Obi-Wan had hit. "Seriously?"

"You remain my friend, whether or not you are in the order," Obi-Wan sighed, sitting back. "Stupid though you are. You should know that," he added, looking determinedly ahead. "Seems I fail any generation of Skywalkers that I'm put in charge of."

"Not all of us," Anakin allowed after a few moments. Then: "It's too important to get wrong. Luke, Padme." He hesitated with the next part, but looked at Obi-Wan instead, hoping he got the message.

"Then let us figure it out. Mercifully, Luke is desensitised to people coming and going so he's unlikely to react. Let's…put him to one side for the moment."

He was the worst father in the Galaxy that he felt relief at that.

"So Padme?"

Anakin stared down at his boots.

"You've never lived together like this for this amount of time," Obi-Wan said. "Unless of course travelling through time is a Skywalker thing-"

Anakin snorted. "You think we made a mistake?"

"Ah, and there are the histrionics," Obi Wan sighed. "No, I am not saying you are ill suited or that your marriage is doomed or whatever thought is going through your head. Merely…I'm hardly able to give advice in this matter," Obi-Wan said wryly, "but surely adjustment is to be expected? You can't expect it to be perfect first time. Don't be afraid of admitting you need help, even from Padme. Or me."

Anakin let the idea roll around in his head and then he winced. "On a scale of one to ten, how terrible would it be if I left Luke here and went after Padme?"

"I imagine it will take until tomorrow morning to find Luke in your chambers. Probably wise you make the most of your time while you wait."

"You really do think you're funny, Master," Anakin sighed, clambering to his feet.

"I'm a delight and joy. And the Clones' favourite Jedi." Obi Wan smiled sunnily at him. "Go check on your son, Anakin then go find your wife. Though do try hard not to disrupt her mission too much." He suddenly seemed to be giving it a lot of consideration. "Or fall. Or blow things up."

"Not even a little bit funny," Anakin muttered.

Xxx

Luke, as Obi-Wan had promised, was radiant with joy in Anakin's room. He was sat on the bed in the middle of engine parts and guidance computers and droid parts with various tools and barely seemed interested in Anakin.

Anakin reached for piece that was half a constructed lightsabre and tossed it into the hallway. Then glanced around, suddenly worried as to what other weapons he might have had. He really should move all of this out of the way. Perhaps he could ask Padme for a workroom-

Ah.

It was a bit of a bolt of light and it led to a few uncomfortable realisations as to why Padme might have been feeling annoyed.

He really needed to talk to her.

Xxx

It was stunning how much he'd missed flying without paying attention to the feeling. Alone with just Artoo, there was a relief in lifting into the atmosphere and not having to worry about Luke or even think of him. To have fun and he did a few lazy loops before setting in the co-ordinates.

xxx

When he arrived on Cato Neimoida, he waved away the droids that tried to come over, ensuring that they didn't report anything. A glance over showed the Royal Cruiser was sat patiently in the hanger and he wasn't so sure that he liked how quiet it was.

Something seemed…off.

He'd broken into more complex buildings as a Jedi. As it was, this was almost fun! And ostentatious, stars, he'd forgotten how bad the Neimoidians were. If they could show off their wealth, then they would. The droids wandering the palace were state of the art, the decorations were as lavish as one could imagine.

Anakin could almost imagine bringing Luke one day, just to see his son scrunch up his face in confusion at having jewel encrusted doorframes. Maybe when he was older. Though Luke being older. That was…both a wonderful and terrifying thought.

The guest quarters were on the second floor, north wing. He walked with ease, not concerned unduly and more…well…working out what he was going to say.

He didn't want to apologise. He hated apologising. And he didn't think he'd been wrong, exactly. Wasn't that you were meant to do as a married couple; make decisions together. But the crack about Daddy Skywalker…

Was he pushing her out or not being a good father? Had it been an angry comment or sarcastic or…

He almost missed the room, so caught up was he. Or rather, he almost missed the familiar feel of Threepio having some minor hissy fit.

"Oh, master Anakin," Threepio said loudly because the droid had never met the word subtlety. "It's been dreadful. I've been up here most of the night and I was dismissed. Like I was surplus to requirements. Or…or…unnecessary," the droid finished, as if that was the worst possible thing he could be called.

"And Padme?" Anakin asked, looking around as the droid shut the door.

"Well, she's still downstairs with Senator Clovis. Dreadfully rude man if you ask me. No sense of personal space."

It was embarrassing that it took that mention for Anakin to pause and reply every conversation he'd had about Clovis. "Old friends," he murmured and then rolled his eyes, more frustrated than he'd been in a long time. "Did the Jedi council actually ask my wife to get in contact with an old boyfriend to spy on him?"

"I…" Threepio tilted his head. "Now that you mention it, that would make sense."

No it didn't! How was that a good plan?!

He wanted to storm out there. He wanted to remind the entire building that Padme was his wife and all that came with it. And she was the mother of his child. And- She had a mission. And she would kill him if he interrupted because he was being…well…

Maybe a little jealous.

Miserable, he sat on the edge of the bed. Moments like this were always awful. There was no clear way forward, no Jedi training could help him with figuring out his marriage.

Over dramatic, wasn't that what Obi-Wan had said?

"What do you know about Clovis?" Anakin asked slowly.

"Rush Clovis is a Senator from Scipio who represents the banking sector. He and Senator Amidala started at the senate in the same year. He has many years of accomplished-"

Anakin held up a hand to make Threepio stop.

What would Obi-Wan do?

He abandoned that line of thought after a minute. Picturing Obi-Wan in this situation was too ridiculous for words. And maybe a little…awkward? The idea of his former master being romantic made Anakin want to snigger.

Still, he wasn't gonna just sit in the room like an idiot. Standing, he made for the door.

"Sir, may I-"

He closed the door behind him, effectively ending Threepio's question. There was a special hell out there for him for making that droid, he was sure of it.

He let the force guide his feet, relaxing into it and trying to remember the last time he had done this. Just walked and known that he would find something eventually. The palace remained quiet; a shame really given all the wealth it was trying to show off.

He stepped through a door when he heard voices and followed the sound and-

What?

He stopped dead at what he was seeing. Padme, hugging some tall, dark haired man and she was wearing her hair the way he liked it and-

She caught sight of him immediately. Something flickered in her eyes and, so help him, over dramatic or not, he was about to-

She waggled her hand and then opened her fingers, letting the data chip she was holding fall as she glared at him pointedly. He caught it with the force on automatic and drew it to him, still staring at her.

She raised one perfectly unamused eyebrow at him.

"You…your heart is racing," the man who Anakin assumed was Clovis, said to Padme as he pulled back to see her.

"Because of you," Padme replied.

Anakin rolled around the pillar, aiming to keep himself hidden even as he rolled his eyes at her. This was what she'd gotten so self-righteous about doing?

She was the one who owed him an apology. Not him. She was hugging someone and…flirting! Badly flirting, but still.

"I…I had lost hope when I heard of your marriage to the Jedi Knight. You must feel so trapped," Clovis said.

Anakin let out a long breath. And then did it again.

The biggest apology in the Galaxy was surely coming his way.

"I…," he heard a noise like she was moving away from Clovis. "I feel lonely," she admitted and there was too much truth in that for him to ignore. "This was…it was pleasing to have someone's attention." She seemed to sigh. "I apologise, Clovis. My mind…I am not sure why I'm here. That's not fair-"

"Hush," Clovis soothed. "I…I do understand. From what you said…you must have a lot to think about."

What had she said? What was there to think about? Lonely?

Why the fracking hells were they having this conversation through Rush Clovis?

His wife's breathing stumbled a little. "I…" she seemed to be struggling suddenly. "What…this isn't right," she said suddenly. "I feel…did you put something in my drink?"

"What? No. I…" Anakin stepped around the pillar, furious but Clovis had his back to him and was trying to hold Padme up. "Wait you're thirsty and tired…"

Anakin pressed his de-activated lightsabre to Clovis' back. "Gonna guess you know what the poison is then."

Clovis froze. Padme, barely standing, still managed to glare at Anakin. "I want to be so angry with you for following me," she almost hissed.

"You really wanna get into that right now?" Anakin asked, keeping the lightsabre where it was, hovering his thumb over the ignition switch. "Antidote," he ordered Clovis. "Now."

"I don't have it," Clovis said with very precise tones. "I know who did it though. Lok…he'll have the antidote. Padme, I swear, I didn't-"

"If you've brought Luke-" Padme muttered.

"Nope." Anakin rolled his eyes and then scooped her up. "He's with Master Yoda."

She relaxed a little and then gasped a little, as if breathing wasn't coming easily. "Lok?" Anakin demanded of Clovis who was watching them with envy. He could almost see the thoughts going through Clovis' head.

"You cannot take on a Jedi knight," Padme panted. "And he'll leave here and tell everyone that you and Lok poisoned me. How far will that get you?"

"You'll tell them anyway," Clovis hissed.

"Not a Jedi," Anakin said. "I have no problem with killing everyone in this building to get the antidote."

"Ani," Padme breathed.

"She's my wife."

Clovis must have seen something in his expression because he backed down. "This way," he said, shoulders hunched. "I told him not to mess with her," he added as they quickly made their way down the hall.

Xxx

If there was one thing that the Neimoidians could be trusted to do, it was be cowards. One look at Anakin and at the blaster that Clovis held at them (and the man almost went up in Anakin's estimations for the fact he clearly cared about Padme) and they crumpled like a bad hand at Sabacc.

Clovis didn't even protest them leaving either.

Anakin would bet that it wouldn't take him ten minutes to realise that they'd stolen data chip, whatever it was. Couldn't bring himself to care either as the antidote began to work and Padme started to come around.

They sat in the privacy chamber, Padme examining the contents of the chip on the ship's database to double check while Anakin checked in with Obi-Wan.

"Is he still-"

"Yes, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, sounding bored of the conversation. "It isn't as if we cope with hundreds of younglings in the Temple every day. I assume you vaguely remember that we got you to adulthood. More or less."

"Has he talked to you?"

That got his old Master's attention. "No," he said eventually. "I think he finds me too confusing. I remind him that…well. I remind him."

"I wish it was different."

Obi-Wan inclined his head. "He has however taken a great liking to Master Yoda. It's like watching an Aldaradian duckling."

That…was an image. "Padme has the…data chip thing." He turned to check what it was, but she had finished and was looking at him…almost warily underneath the jacket he'd given her to keep her warm because that dress wasn't exactly covering her up.

"The data chip thing," Obi-Wan repeated flatly. "Oh, the droid factory hologram? That will be helpful."

"Yeah," he said, looking down at Padme. "I'll catch you up in a bit," he added vaguely and ended the call.

They stared at each other awkwardly. "Not that I'm not grateful," she said slowly, "but why did you go to Cato Neimoida?"

Anakin stared down at his boots. "I…was going to apologise."

"Was?" she replied flatly.

"Am." He corrected and looked up to see her face instantly soften. "I'm not…I'm not doing this very well. This," he said indicating the two of them. "It's harder than I thought. Not… I'm not complaining. It's just. We see each other every day and it's not the same."

What he wasn't prepared for was Padme looking relieved. "Ani," she murmured. "Do you think I feel differently? We were…I love you, but we were still in the honeymoon stage and it was exciting and free and we were getting to know each other still. And now…" she sighed. "I love Luke. Please don't misunderstand me. I wouldn't swap him, but he needs a lot from us. From you."

"From us," Anakin reiterated. "I'm…I'm shutting you out, aren't I?"

"I'm not a force sensitive," Padme said and she shifted on the bed to give him room to sit. "I know that and I knew that if we had children, there'd be a part of them that you would have and I could never share, but knowing that and experiencing it…it's hard not to be jealous of that."

He'd never considered that.

"And you?" she asked. "How do you feel?"

The idea of admitting it made him feel…weak. So deeply, unendingly weak and pathetic. But… "I think I get it right with him," Anakin admitted. "And…I like that he looks at me like I can do anything. It's…it's a bit easy to throw myself into it when there's nothing else…you're arguing and protecting the rights of the people all over the Galaxy, saving lives and being my wife and Luke's mom. And I," he floundered. "I want more than just being there for him, but I like the way it feels to be the one he turns to."

It sounded deeply selfish as he said it and he didn't dare look at her. "Ani," Padme said eventually. "I think anyone would find that addictive. But…sometimes I feel I could just leave and neither if you would notice."

That…stars, had he really made her feel that way? Horrified, he reached for her, shaking his head as he did. "Never," he whispered to her and was ashamed when he realised she was trying not to cry. "I'm sorry-" he started to whisper.

"I didn't mean what I said to Clovis," she sobbed. "Or to make you doubt me or to say all those things this morning or-"

"Call it even?" he asked, resting his chin on her hair.

He felt her sob out a small chuckle and nod.

"I…are we still being honest?" he asked and she nodded, pulling back to look at him as if to brace herself. "We need to get that boy into his own bed," Anakin pleaded. "And maybe that's been the only time you've been able to spend with him at the moment, but please for the love of everything in this Galaxy-"

"Yes," she laughed. "Stars, we should have put our foot down about that ages ago. He's...just… annoyingly cute."

"Okay," Anakin said, amazed at how relieved he felt. "Um and last one?"

She nodded, but she seemed more eager this time.

"Can we move?" Anakin asked. "I…I really miss having a proper workshop. And maybe we can find somewhere with space for a meditation chamber or just…"

"I started looking," she breathed. "Ani, that apartment…it is not child friendly. That balcony…I can't cope watching him balance on that kriffin' thing."

He…honestly couldn't remember the last time she'd sworn. "This is…okay, this is good. This…we should do this-"

"Talk?" she asked with a laugh.

"Yeah," Anakin allowed and grinned.

"I'd…" Padme seemed to steel herself. "I'd like Luke and I to do something. Build in a routine, just for me and him. And…while we're looking for a new place…" she seemed suddenly very nervous, "I want to take him to Naboo."

Oh.

Anakin pulled back, thinking about it. It would mean being away from the Jedi and less chance for him to be doing things. The pile of ideas from the Chancellor was filled with things, but for him to do on Coruscant.

And their appointments. Luke needed to see a councillor and Master Yoda.

But Padme needed this, he could tell. She needed to retreat, maybe to step away from the Senate for a while, but still be working. Be in an environment where she knew what childhood to give their son.

"I…um…" Anakin frowned. "We can probably find someone on Naboo to talk with Luke. And…I dunno. Maybe we can ask the Jedi their opinion."

"Anakin," she said firmly. "What about you? Do you think you could be happy on Naboo for a few months?"

Months?

He could see her trying to hide her disappointment. "What's the difference," he said suddenly. "Maybe Naboo is what I need. To realise…" he swallowed. "I'm not a Jedi knight anymore and," he waved her hand away. "What does it matter what I keep saying? I have no idea where the balance is. I'm gonna use the force, but I'm not a Jedi. Maybe some time away from them will let me work that out."

Padme smiled at him and then reached to kiss him. But this kiss slowly turned deeper and deeper and there was enough time before-

"You were poisoned," Anakin mumbled against her lips, even as his hands roamed under the jacket to the silken cloth of the purple dress she was wearing. There wasn't a back to it and the feel of her naked skin was tantalising. And her hair was as he liked it, unadorned and starting to wisp free of her single braid.

"Cured now, remember," she murmured back, her hands running through his hair as he tugged him back onto the bed so that he was on top of her. "You've not seen this dress before."

He grinned against her lips. "Not gonna lie, doubt I'm gonna see you in it for that long."

She laughed.

Xxx

Luke peered between the two of them. It was a fortuitous stop, actually as they could drop off the hologram of the factory and pick up their child at the same time.

"This was your room?" Padme asked, looking around. Strange, to realise she'd never seen it. "Force alive, Ani, how have you been surviving at the apartment?" She picked up the old engine that he'd been restoring and examined it.

Luke was still watching them, hydrospanner handle in his mouth as he glanced back and forth a few times.

Then he garbled something around the tool and looked back down.

"What was that?" Padme asked. "I don't speak hydrospanner language."

Luke spat the thing out. "That's an antique," he said and for a stupid moment, Anakin had thought it was gonna be 'hello' or something equally sociable. "He's destroyed it."

Anakin folded his arms and glared down at his son. "Destroyed it?"

"Ah," Padme said. "There's a lightsabre burn."

Oh, that. "I was…frustrated," he said. "We'd been called straight back. I'd had to cancel our plans."

"Antique," Luke muttered on the bed. Then he squinted up. "Can we go to Dex's?"

"Actually," Anakin said slowly as Padme put the engine down. "Your…Padme is going to take you somewhere. Her favourite place. And I'm gonna sort through this. Box it up so it can come home with us."

There was a debate in Luke's face between the idea of food and the idea of sorting through the junk. Then something sunk in. "Just me and Padme?" he asked. "No Senators?"

"Just us. No-where near the-" Padme trailed off as Luke jumped off the bed and raced over to her. "-senate," she finished weakly. "Does that sound all right with you?"

Luke nodded, leaning into her and then staring up at Anakin. "Can I check it before you trash stuff?"

"If you're good," Anakin said, smoothing his son's hair before he kissed Padme's cheek.

Xxx

"This is what you had in your room?" Ahsoka asked from the doorway.

"What did you think I had, Snips?"

She shrugged a little and stepped in cautiously, making him pause to watch her. Sometimes he forgot how young she was and there was a nervous ball of worry and sorrow that he wouldn't get to watch over her anymore.

"Have you spoken with Obi-Wan?" Anakin asked.

"He told me. I'm to be his padawan for the rest of my training," she said, leaning against the wall. "You're really leaving. Part of me kinda hoped..."

Yeah. "I can't be a Jedi and married," Anakin said. "Or…be a father and be out there with you. Not at the moment, at least." He looked around the chambers. "Guess part of me sort of still hoped too," he sighed. "Can't do it all, Ahsoka."

He was very slowly starting to accept that.

"Here," he said, detaching the lightsabre from his belt and holding it out to her. "Take it. For now, at least," he added when she opened her mouth to protest. "Think uh…think I need to not have it for a while. Can't think of anyone I'd rather was holding onto it."

Ahsoka stared at the weapon and then took it with a shaking hand. "Thank you, Master," she said quietly.

"Not your master anymore," Anakin said, half tempted to snatch the weapon back. Being without it was…force did that make everything feel suddenly real.

"Means I don't have to do as you tell me," she said with a sudden cheeky grin.

"Like you ever did," he said before he lay a hand on her shoulder, serious suddenly. "Obi-Wan…he doesn't praise often. He mocks. But…I'm pretty sure he mocks when he likes you and when he thinks you can take it. It's his really weird version of a compliment. Also…he kinda gets caught up in observing things sometimes. Give him a jolt occasionally."

She stared up at him and he could feel her sorrow. "Wish it were you, Skyguy," she said after a moment.

"Yeah," he said squeezing her shoulder. "Well, I'm about to face getting a seven-year-old Skywalker to sleep in his own bed for the first time ever. Kinda wish I was with you too."

Ahsoka looked doubtful. "I've seen you in battle, master. I don't think he's gonna give you that much trouble."

"Ahsoka," Anakin said, dropping his hand from her. "How stubborn would you say I am?"

She nodded. "Very."

"And I would say his mother is more stubborn."

She grinned slowly. "I can think of so many people who would pay to watch this."

Xxx

It was embarrassing.

Humiliating in a way.

They'd geared themselves up. Approached the task with trepidation. Consulted Dr Firra. Been warned of the likely response and given some coping methods.

But Luke, on being told he wasn't sleeping with them had just shrugged and gone to his own bed. No fuss, no complaints. And, evidently, six weeks of sleeping in a normal bed had meant he hadn't crawled under it like he had before. He had asked for them to come in with him and he had ducked under briefly, but then he did that most nights before bed as if to check that the possibility of sleeping under the bed was still there.

And that was it. As usual, he'd gone out like a light. But he'd slept there the whole night.

The next day he had checked at breakfast if he could come in to their room if there was an attack. And if they would wake him up too if they were attacked.

That was it. The big battle they had feared was Luke asking a few questions and behaving like an angel.

Anakin had no idea where the boy got that from.

Chapter Text

The ship was massive!

Well, sort of. Luke had been on bigger ships before, but they’d all had so many people on them. This was just for the three of them and was so shiny and sleek that Luke literally saw himself in the metal as they loaded up the ship.

They were moving. Which was different somehow from being on the move, but Padme said it firmly like it was an event so Luke nodded and left them to it. It did mean that he’d had to say goodbye to the tally chart he’d kept on the floor under his bed that told him how long he’d been with Padme and Anakin. It was at sixty-three when he left.

He was sleeping on the ship tonight. They were doing a night flight so that they’d be in Naboo by the time that Luke woke up. And Naboo was where Padme was from so it was going to be a good place.

In fact, the ship was Padme’s which explained a lot, Luke thought. There was a fancy conference part of the ship with the softest chairs and a table that you could pull up a holo on. Padme said that sometimes she talked to people about the galaxy around that table.

He jumped up on to it and swirled the Delta 7 around, quietly making the noises to himself. Then he leapt on to the sofas opposite, twirling the ship into a complicated arch and imagining doing it at the controls. He continued swirling it around, jumping from seat to seat and sometimes back to the table.

When he looked up, Padme was standing at the door, hands on her hips and watching him with an expression that didn’t quite stay steady.

Unsure, he paused.

They stared at each other for a few seconds. “What is furniture meant to be for?” Padme asked and there was a wobble in her voice that didn’t feel threatening.

Luke looked around the cabin. “Telling people what to do?” he tried, scrunching up his face as he thought.

Her lips pressed together and she lifted a hand to almost cover them. When she moved a little, he could see that she was trying to hide a smile and it made him feel warm. Grinning, he leapt down and ran over to her to rest his head on her stomach and stick his tongue out up at her.

It made her laugh, like he’d hoped it would. She dropped her hand down to his face and stroked his cheek with her thumb. “It’s not for jumping on,” she said softly.

He turned back to look at the cabin, leaning into her as he peered, then turned to look up at her again. “Where can I jump?” he asked earnestly.

“When we get to Naboo, we’ll jump,” Padme said. “I’ll teach you to jump across the rivers and on trees.”

He liked that idea. “Just us?” he asked.

“Maybe Anakin too,” Padme said and there was a flicker of something on her face. “Come on. Do you want to see if you can help fly?”

Help fly?

Luke nodded, eyes wide as she took his hand and led him up some steps and into the pilot’s cabin. It was a spacious area, enough for a co-pilot and some benches close. The viewer was narrow and pointed and Anakin was at the controls. He turned to look at Luke and gestured him forward with his metal hand.

Luke wasn’t allowed to study it because it was attached to Anakin’s nerves which was a bit annoying. He found it oddly fascinating, but Anakin had stopped wearing gloves when they were out and about so he saw it more and more. Anakin said he’s lost his arm once because he’d been impatient, but Luke wasn’t sure how that worked.

The stars were in the viewer and Luke sucked in a breath, oddly fascinated. He’d never really had a chance to see space – no-one wanted him up in the pilot’s cabin and he’d seen it, just never had the chance to stare.

 A playful tug brought him closer to Anakin and he grinned as the man sat back a little, offering up his lap. Luke scrambled up and Anakin winced slightly then wrapped his flesh arm around Luke. “Want to help us jump to hyperspace?”

Yes! Luke twisted a little to look up at him and grinned. Padme had taken the seat next to them and was pressing some of the buttons and adding in some co-ordinates.

Anakin shifted them forward and guided Luke’s hands to the lever. Their fingers linked as they held the bar and Luke stared down at the sight.

Together they pushed and then the stars in the viewer started to streak as if they were pulling them from their place. He could feel the ship getting ready and Luke sucked in his breath, in awe as they entered.

“Have you ever seen it before?” Anakin asked quietly.

Luke shook his head as the ship suddenly lurched forward. It was a smooth motion; he’d been on ships that jerked and creaked on the entry. This jump was amazing and he leaned forwards, wanting to watch forever.

“How is the siege going?” Padme asked quietly.

Luke felt Anakin shrug. “They’re going,” he said. “Destroying the factory on Geonosis will make a huge difference.” He sounded unhappy.

“Ahsoka and Obi-Wan have worked together many times before,” Padme said gently, but Anakin didn’t respond. “Who else will go with them?” she asked in a different voice.

“Master Mundi,” Anakin said. “And Vos.” He said the second name like he wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“I imagine Obi-Wan was delighted with that,” Padme said with a small smile.

It seemed to make Anakin lighten a little. “I told Ahsoka to record his reaction,” he said with a grin. “It was glorious.”

Padme laughed and batted at his shoulder, then ruffled Luke’s hair. “I think that was an impressive first jump,” she offered.

Luke blinked and then tipped his head back so that his chin was up to the ceiling. “You’ve jumped to hyperspace before?” he checked.

“It was our first jump,” Anakin said smoothly. “As a family.”

Hmm.

Luke pulled his thoughts away from that and looked away. They kept making those sorts of comments at the moment and it made him feel…bubbly. Like something might pop and everything was a bit jittery and unsteady. He felt Anakin sigh as if disappointed and continued to stare out the viewer.

“Ani,” Padme said gently. “Just leave it.”

“Yeah,” he said, sounding a bit annoyed still. He ruffled Luke’s hair and then shifted forward to the controls. He was fiddling though, Luke could feel that and it felt like Luke had done something wrong, but he wasn’t sure what.

“Come on,” Padme said and, when Luke turned, he could see that she was standing. “Shall we get you ready for bed?”

Anakin kissed his head as Luke shifted off his lap, but didn’t say anything. His face looked tight, as if he was annoyed by something and Luke didn’t want to ask. Instead, he reached out for Padme’s hand again.

It was like they weren’t on a ship. There was a fancy cabin off of the room that Luke had been in earlier and it had a huge bed that bounced softly under Luke when leapt at it.

“Come on,” Padme encouraged. He lifted his arms and let her pull off his shirt and put his pyjamas on.

“Is Anakin mad at me?” Luke asked as she reached to pull back the covers.

She paused and then shook her head. “No, sweetheart. He isn’t mad at you.”

Luke hummed at that and snuggled down. “Are you sure?”

She tucked him in and sat down on the edge of the bed. “I promise you,” she said, looking it his eyes firmly, “Anakin isn’t mad at you. He’s just…he loves you. We both do. Sometimes he is just a bit impatient. He wants you to be happy and safe.” She stroked his hair.

“I am.”

He liked it when she smiled in that gentle, secret way that made him almost sure she didn’t smile at anyone else like that. “Good.” She gave his cheek a kiss and then put the Delta 7 on the covers for him. “I still think we should give you something softer to sleep with.”

Luke shook his head firmly and gathered the ship up close.

Xxx

He didn’t need to be in the pilot’s seat. Auto-pilot would work fine, but there was something about knowing that his son was on-board that made him just want to be sure.

When Padme’s hand slid down his chest from behind, he turned his head into her, pressing a kiss to her lips, still a little distracted.

“Ani,” she said in a way that made him want to snap at her. He restrained the urge and glared ahead. She must have picked up on it because she made her own annoyed sound and pulled away, turning the co-pilot’s chair so that she was sat facing him. “He’ll do it in his own time.”

“Yeah,” Anakin said, not looking at her.

“He thinks you’re angry with him.”

“What?” Anakin whirled around to her. She was watching him carefully, her brown eyes assessing in the way that she did in a diplomatic conference. He hated the fact that she was dealing with him like that and it was only the knowledge that Luke was downstairs that kept him from snapping at her.

“You bring it up and then get frustrated when he doesn’t reply. He’s seven-”

He shoved the auto pilot on and stood, determined not to have that argument.

“Anakin, would you talk to me?”

“We don’t even know that,” he hissed. “We don’t know our own son’s birthday. We do know he was shoved in the corner of some kriffin’ ship like cargo. Force knows whether he should be eight by now or-”

She grabbed at his arm and he stopped, staring over the top of her head. When her hands cupped his face, he resisted for a moment and then gave in to her.

“I know,” she said firmly. “I know.”

Yeah.

“I…I need him to know,” he said as he leaned down to touch his forehead to hers. “It won’t…I…” he pulled back. “I just want him to say it.”

She stroked his face. “I know,” she said, her own face sad. “But he needs to be ready, Ani. Dr Firra said-”

Yeah, he knew that the good doctor said. Luke could keep attachments relatively casual on purpose. It could be years before he’d name them as Mom and Dad. He might never. He understood he was in the past, would talk about his parents and he’d talk about Padme and Anakin, but he’d never link any of those things together.

It made him ache. The idea that his son had been so lost in the universe, so alone made him want to choke something and rip a ship apart and he didn’t know how to deal with it.

“Is your mom finally accepting that?” he asked, turning away and sitting down on one of the benches, keeping one eye on the controls.

Padme hummed at that. “We’ll see how that one goes,” she said.

Xxx

They arrived early in Thebes. Luke was still completely out so Anakin gathered him up, wrapping a blanket around him and settling the boy against his shoulder. His son shifted and snuggled in to Anakin’s neck.

He picked up the Delta 7 and rolled his eyes and the thing. Not that he didn’t approve, but he really did wish that Luke had found something softer to attach himself to. The amount of bruises that they’d all gotten from rolling on that force forsaken toy was idiotic.

Dawn was just coming up on the city and he’d forgotten how quiet the place could be, how peaceful. Strangely, Anakin wasn’t entirely sure that it wasn’t worse to be so quiet and he shifted Luke a little closer in his arms.

The streets were familiar, vaguely, from the last time they’d been here. He could remember Sola’s thoughtful gaze as she glanced between him and Padme. The worry from her mother and the frown on her father’s face as they’d all skirted around the issue of the fact that she’d needed a Jedi Knight to protect her.

It was different, he thought as she pressed a kiss to Luke’s head. He hadn’t really appreciated a parent’s fear before. He’d accepted it and known to expect it, but if in fifteen years’ time, Luke came home with an assassin on his tail-

Anakin scowled at the thought. They’d be dead, that he knew.

This time, when they entered Padme’s parents’ house, they were greeted at the door by her mother. It was early, Jobal must have been up at the crack of dawn to get ready and she hugged Padme to her with a fierce grip that made Anakin look away.

His mother would have adored Luke.

The sadness was like a blaster to the guts. The shock and pain of it almost robbed him of breath and he stood, almost adrift for a moment.

“Ani?” Padme said softly.

He stepped into the house, following the women down a wide, spacious hall that quickly opened to the dining room he remembered from last time. Through into a few steps and then up into the lounge area that opened up into the beautiful garden where he had once played with Padme’s nieces.

His nieces too now, he supposed.

“Oh Padme,” Jobal said, turning and looking at Anakin. “He’s beautiful,” she whispered, her eyes on Luke. “Is he completely asleep?” she asked, almost sounding amused.

“He might wake,” Anakin said gently. “He’ll go right back to sleep though do don’t worry too much.”

Jobal’s eyes met his and she smiled. “And my son-in-law,” she said. “I told you,” she added with a sly grin at Padme who actually flushed a little and for a moment looked awkward which Anakin was almost sure he’d never seen.

Amused, he looked at his wife. “She told you?” he questioned, smiling.

“Handsome,” Jobal said, busying about with some tea. “I said that you would make a lovely pair. I was right.”

That was…huh. She might actually be the first person who had reacted to the news of their marriage with pleasure. Not sure what to do with it, Anakin glanced down at the seats.

“Oh, please. Do sit. I imagine the little one isn’t as light as he looks.”

He was. Heavier than he had been because Luke had been almost scarily thin when he’d first arrived. But he was still light and slight. At his age, Anakin hadn’t had that same waif like look to him; he doubted Luke would ever fully grow out of it. Padme fussed as he sat down, still a little red cheeked as she tucked the blanket carefully around Luke.

“Handsome,” he teased.

“She said it. I didn’t,” Padme muttered, her cheeks going redder.

“She didn’t argue,” Jobal said to Anakin, as if spilling some secret. “My daughter always argues unless she agrees.”

It made him laugh, even as Padme looked skywards as if for help.

They talked a little. Sola’s twins were Luke’s age which would be good for him. They’d debated going up to the lake again, but Anakin wasn’t sure he or Luke would cope with being quite that remote. And Luke did need to socialise and keep up his appointments talking to someone.

Ruwee came in a little later. He’d been a mild-mannered man when Anakin had met him and he hadn’t really known what to make of him. He remained quiet and Anakin found himself almost hyper aware of Ruwee and he wasn’t really sure why.

By the time Luke stirred, they’d been in Thebes almost an hour. He could feel his son’s presence flicker a little as Luke naturally reached out and then contracted away again, hiding.

“Morning,” Anakin whispered to him and Luke lifted his head to blink blearily up at him. Luke made a noise which Anakin easily interpreted, being used to it. He reached with the force and pulled the Delta 7 over and Luke tucked it under his arm and snuggled in again, awake but apparently not ready to wake up properly.

“What ship is that?” Ruwee asked.

“Delta 7,” Luke mumbled. He yawned and then turned a bit in Anakin’s arms to face the man. “The Jedi…” he trailed off a little and Anakin could feel his son waking properly now to try and assess what he was allowed to say. “Who are you?” he asked curiously, one hand reaching up to bunch in Anakin’s shirt.

Ruwee opened his mouth.

“This is my father,” Padme said, cutting in smoothly. “Ruwee.”

He felt Luke whisper the name to himself, apparently committing it to memory.

“And Jobal, my mother.”

Luke twisted, almost impossibly twisted, to blink owlishly at Jobal. Then he turned back to Anakin and looked a little unsure.

“Do you want to try some tea?” Anakin asked and Luke nodded as Anakin brought the cup close with his metal hand. He let Luke take a sip and then almost laughed at Luke’s disgusted face. “No?”

Luke shook his head, eyeing the cup warily, like it might leap out at him. He sighed and buried his head back into Anakin’s neck. Then craned a little to whisper in Anakin’s ear.

“They’re watching,” Luke said, so quietly it was like he was hardly speaking.

“Shall we hide for a bit?” Anakin asked, whispering back in his son’s ear. Luke nodded quickly and Anakin caught Padme’s eye and shook his head. Her face fella little, but she nodded and glanced towards the garden. “Luke, why don’t you show Anakin how to climb a tree.”

Luke show him?

Anakin rolled his eyes, even as Luke’s cheeky face appeared, apparently delighted. “You can climb trees,” Luke laughed, suddenly like a different child. “You have to,” he added, swinging around to look at Padme. “Ahsoka said it was in the Jedi data guide.”

Jedi data guide?!

“There’s a data guide?” Jobal asked, in an amazed voice.

“My former Padawan thinks she’s funny,” Anakin said, standing and lifting Luke over his shoulder so that his son dangled down and cackled with laughter. “You know she’s fibbing,” he added to Luke.

“Ahsoka said you have to crash at least three times too,” Luke added and Anakin imagined his cheeks were turning red. “She said you’re the expert.”

He and his former padawan were going to have words. “That is not true,” he said as he strode to the beautiful glass doors that opened onto the gardens. “I am not the expert in crash landings.” He glared at Padme when she didn’t look convinced. “I’m not.”

“Gosh,” Ruwee said suddenly as Anakin's hand rested on the door handle. “Do you remember Padme’s flying test?”

His wife suddenly looked mortified. “There’re many trees outside,” she tried weakly, but Luke had already gotten himself back up and was sitting on Anakin’s left shoulder, head tilted curiously and there wasn’t a sith alive that could turn Anakin away from that nugget of information.

“Her flying test?” Anakin asked, looking back at the man as Luke clambered back down to his arms and then jumped to the floor, though he stayed very close to Anakin’s legs. “You’ve never mentioned that,” he realised, looking at his wife.

“Ruwee,” Jobal said in a mock scolding tone. “Really, if Padme wishes to keep her crash landings quiet, then she should be allowed to.”

What?

“Really?” Anakin asked, oddly delighted. “You crash land, do you?”

Padme glared at him. “Do not even go there,” she instructed. “There is no way my stories are as bad as yours.”

“Didn’t crash in my flying test,” Anakin said with a shrug. “In fact, I got a perfect score.”

“And a speeding ticket five minutes after leaving the centre.”

“There was Jedi business,” Anakin said dismissively.

“That’s convenient.”

Luke was glancing between them, like it was a beep-ball tournament. At some point, his eyes fixed on Jobal and he was smiling shyly at her when Anakin looked down.

“Padme said her mom had cookies,” Luke suggested sweetly. “I like cookies.”

It made Jobal laugh. “Cookies and then climbing trees?”

Luke nodded seriously and then turned to Anakin. “Cookies first,” he said in a grave tone, as if Anakin was a misbehaving child. And then, with that, he scampered to follow Jobal into the kitchen.

“He’s a little champ,” Ruwee said suddenly and Anakin suddenly realised the man had been watching Luke all along. He gave Padme a gentle kiss and Padme leaned into her father with a strange noise and Anakin realised, startled that she was trying not to cry.

He left them alone, oddly aware that she might need some time to be with her parents. So he went outside, feeling that uncomfortable stillness within him, as if he were trapped in a vast empty room and deeply aware of nothing happening.

He had no idea why he suddenly wanted to call Obi-Wan.

Xxx

Having Luke in Naboo was unbelievably soothing. Her son was such an easy going child that before long he was running around the house and the garden as if he’d always been there. Pooja and Ryoo had come over to play too and the three of them spent most of the afternoons after school running around the gardens. The first time, Luke had been adorned by a crown of flowers and seemed unfazed by it, giggling like a mad thing every time someone pointed to it. If he tired of their games, he'd just wander off and play with his ship, though Ryoo seemed to be equally fascinated, especially when Anakin made it fly.

It was Luke’s nature. He was so much like her father, she’d realised. They both found a simple joy in life and had easy going natures. There was perhaps a stubborn core and a flicker of a temper to Luke that her father lacked, but it crashed over him and was gone quickly. The day that Pooja had called his Delta 7 poodoo, Luke had turned away and refused to speak to her for the rest of the afternoon. But he’d accepted the apology and seemed to have forgotten about it the next day, even as Anakin glowered at Pooja.

It was Anakin that she worried about.

They’d settled into a routine of sorts. They’d get up early and have a walk together as a family. Anakin would spend the mornings out by the lake doing exercises while Padme and Luke found a quiet place to meditate then they would swim. Sometimes Anakin joined them. Then he and Luke would spend the afternoon together while she was at the palace. There had been scattered conversations about places that she should buy, areas that they could look into, but it had never gone further than that because it wouldn’t.

Anakin was calmer, but she could feel that he was going to get restless. He dabbled with repair work and upgrading some of the palace ships. He’d taken some of the pilots out to teach them manoeuvres. He meditated and had even made some half-hearted noise about helping to train up the clones, especially in their piloting, but she knew. And she thought he did too.

This wasn’t for Anakin. In fact, she was starting to think there was only one thing for Anakin, but she had no idea how that would work, or even if it could.

There were beautiful moments though.

Anakin was in the garden with the children and he and Luke were play-fighting with sticks. Anakin was playing the role of villain as he held Pooja with one arm and the little girl shrieked with joy. Luke and Ryoo were trying to ‘save’ Pooja with big smiles of their faces and a lot of squealing. Especially from Ryoo as her braids dangled in the wind.

He was a wonderful man, she thought as she watched and sipped her tea. She loved it when he smiled the way he was now, all easy confidence and eager fun. Watching him surrounded by children seemed right somehow and it still stole her breath when she found him and Luke curled up together or whispering with each other.

“He’s a rare one,” her mother said, standing with her. “Like a child himself sometimes.”

Yes. But she wondered about that little boy that she’d met so long ago and how much of a chance he’d actually ever had to be a child. Maybe, somewhere, it was balancing out for him, giving him a glimpse at a life he had never had.

“He’s a wonderful father,” Padme said quietly.

“Do you think you’ll have more?” her mother asked. “The more conventional way,” she added with a smile.

More? The idea of Anakin with a baby took her breath away a little. It came with a slight ache that they’d never got to have that with Luke but…another youngling?

“He needs to find something first.” Anakin let out a dramatic cry as Ryoo ‘wounded’ him and he fell to the floor. The girls looked a little worried but Luke, evidently sensing that Anakin was perfectly fine, threw himself down to the floor and clambered on top of Anakin like he was conquering a mountain. “He misses being a Jedi.”

“Will they have him back?”

“No.” That was irrevocable. “But you do not need to be Jedi knight to fight at their side and use the force.”

“And you?”

“I can take less diplomatic missions. Attend meetings more remotely. I think…I think I’m starting to realise how I want to balance this. And he,” she said, watching her son as he howled with laughter at something Anakin said, “is what I want to prioritise. And Anakin…he needs to find his own way to balance all of this.”

Xxx

That night, as they lay in bed, Padme turned to him.

“Geonosis isn’t far from here,” she pointed out softly. “How is the siege going?”

Anakin turned to her, blinking in confusion. “Not well,” he said, not even pretending that he hadn’t been keeping on contact with either Ahsoka or Obi-Wan. Probably both, knowing him. He sat up slowly. “The factory is well guarded, no matter how much of the planet we take. As long as those droids are being pumped out..." He trailed off, head tilting in the way that Luke had picked up from him. "What does it matter how far away it is?”

She watched him.

He was tempted, she could tell. Reaching out, she smoothed a hand down his chest. “We need to find something that works for us,” she suggested. “Would you go, if it wasn’t for Luke?”

He looked torn. “But Luke…”

“I went away for a few days,” she pointed out. “You won’t be far. If he needs you to come back-”

“It’s a war zone,” Anakin pointed out, but he looked already more focused.

“The factory is the last problem. The planet’s mostly under the republic’s control. Of course, I suppose that might not be interesting enough for you-”

He kissed her with more heat than he’d shown in weeks. She sucked in a breath, as he rolled them back down the bed. “I don’t want to leave you,” he whispered.

“I know who you are,” she murmured into his lips. “You’re a hero, Anakin. You can’t sit on the side lines for long. The fact that you have…I love you for that.”

His hand stroked down her side, fingers touching in a barely there caress as he looked down at her, eyes darkening. “You and Luke,” he vowed to her. “You are everything.”

She took hold of his face so that he looked at her properly. “Go,” she said, smiling.

But a mischievous smile was twisting his lips. “Now?” he asked, as his hand slipped under her night dress.

“Tomorrow,” she amended and gasped as his clever fingers got to work.

Chapter Text

Geonosis was too much like Tattooine for comfort. Not to mention that the last time Anakin had been there he’d nearly been eaten along with Padme and Obi-Wan. The sand still got everywhere, it was unbearably hot and there were constant flickers at the edge of his awareness as clones fell across the planet.

Ahsoka had handed back his lightsabre as soon as she’d spotted him. Hurled it at him to be honest as he’d landed and entered into the fray. Having it back in his hands, ignited and being used finally in the way that it was meant to be… well, it was like finally being free again.

The factory was still impossible. It was on the other side of a thin rock bridge, almost on an island beyond, but without the water. The force field around it wasn’t faltering; they had some powerful technology in that factory.

The carriers gave them some shelter. It was hardly helpful with all the sand, but at least it did minimise it all a little.

And rations. Force, he’d forgotten how bad those could be. He moved the sludge around in the metal tin and dialled the holonet.

Padme answered quickly and he caught his breath at the sight of her. She was in a simple dress, her hair loose and a smile on her face as she greeted him. “Hello,” she said gently. “Any closer?”

“No,” he sighed, shifting and watching the flickering image of her closely, hating that the colours were slightly distorted from the holo. “We’re waiting for Luminara Unduli and her padawan to arrive. They’ve been studying the factory blueprints that we stole.”

“I acquired,” Padme corrected absently. “They can’t just be transmitted?”

“They’ve studied them.” He rolled his eyes because the pair were such…traditionalists in the order. He couldn’t imagine what would have happened had he been given someone like Unduli as his master. “A lot.”

He could almost feel her amusement, even if they were on different planets. Then she dragged in a breath. “I…um…we took Luke to a school today.”

What?

He froze and stared at her, not sure what to do with that, a million and one thoughts flying around his head.

“Not for…just to see how he reacted. Almost a trial for when we return to Coruscant.”

Oh. He’d had sudden images that Padme had suddenly decided to keep them in Naboo, despite their earlier agreement. Stupid. He needed to have more faith. Still, he’d missed it, missed Luke’s first time at a school, whatever that looked like. Not feeling much better about it, Anakin shifted. “How did it go?” he asked, putting the food to one side, even as he struggled to picture it.

“He did well…at first.” Padme shifted. “And…I think Luke needs to understand how to sit down for long periods of time. That went…less well.”

Less well? What did that mean? Kids could be mean and Luke was so innocent and sunny and vulnerable. If anyone had-

“Luke climbed up the side of the school building,” Padme confessed suddenly.

“Why?” Had someone being cruel or mean? Had he tried to escape? How long would it take him to get back-

“Why?” Padme asked. “Because he thought he might be able to manage it and there was an interesting bird at the top.”

Anakin felt his lips twitch. He could almost picture it; Luke’s rather baffled expression as to why that wouldn’t be acceptable and his frank explanation that would have made perfect sense to him. That angelic expression as Luke probably shrugged off their explanations as if they were the ones being weird before he switched his attention to his next interest.

Force he missed the little boy. He loved being back in the action and doing something so worthwhile, but Luke was important too. And Padme. But Luke wouldn’t have many firsts and he’d already missed so much of his son’s life.

Speaking of, Luke suddenly wandered into the projection, eyes fixed on Anakin before he looked back at Padme. Unbelievably, the youngling was covered in mud and his hair was sticking up all over the place in wet thorns.

“What have you been doing?” Padme asked, sounding a little horrified.

“Went swimming with Jar-Jar,” Luke replied, still looking at Anakin. “Jobal told him off.” He turned his back to Anakin suddenly, focusing on Padme. “It was really fun. Can we go again?”

Padme was still blinking down at their son in disbelief. She looked up, almost as if asking Anakin for help. “Jar-Jar?” she asked weakly.

“Mm,” Luke said, suddenly studying his elbow. “Jar-Jar can lick his elbow,” he muttered and then tried to do it himself.

“Ani, I have to go and put him in the bath. A few times,” Padme said, standing.

“Luke,” Anakin tried, but Luke ignored it. That was maybe the hardest thing – Luke seemed to have an aversion to the holograms. Seeing him and being ignored was more painful than Anakin would like to admit.

Padme was close to the boy now, but she hesitated for a moment and Anakin couldn’t figure out why until he saw her glance down at herself with an almost sad look before hauling Luke towards her.

Well, he thought as the image flickered and collapsed, they all had to make sacrifices. He was away from them, Padme was risking her wardrobe to look after Luke.

He’d bet a million credits she would hunt Jar-Jar down for that.

xxx

Watching Ashoka give a briefing was…well…weird.

“Let her do it,” Obi-Wan muttered to him when Anakin automatically went to stand up at the front with her.

“I am,” Anakin said, folding his arms. “But if she misses something-”

“Like the time you forgot to mention that there was a nest of Anoobas because-”

“Master,” Anakin hissed at him. “Yes, fine.” He looked around at the assembled troops, a few of whom were now shooting him amused glances. “But that’s my point,” he said, trying to keep his voice low. “She’s still young.”

The sidelong look that Obi-Wan gave him made Anakin roll his eyes in annoyance.

“Just because you are a father now does not make you old enough to know better than me,” Obi-Wan said and then shook his head when Ahsoka started to speak. “Hush, Anakin. Listen to the briefing,” he said, as if Anakin were being a petulant child.

Why had he missed the man again?

Above them, a squadron was flying in. The metal caught on the bright sun of Geonosis and made Anakin wince just a little. “Master Unduli is on her way then.”

“Yes,” Obi-Wan said, still watching Ahsoka. ”Do you think you can avoid an argument?”

“Not a Jedi,” Anakin said, and for the very first time that felt like freedom. “I don’t see why I can’t have a healthy, harmless-”

Obi-Wan folded his arms in a pointed gesture. “I do not want to listen to you attempt to wind her up like a backwater droid,” he sniffed. “Mainly because you never do it well-”

“Master,” Anakin said as the carriers descended and started to spray sand everywhere in showers that glinted in the sun like glass, “are you trying to tell me to stop or to do it better?”

Genuine hesitation showed on Obi-Wan’s face. “Depends what attitude she has when she gets here,” he said after a moment. The he seemed to relent a little. “She may have criticised one or two of our plans during a council briefing.”

“Pride is not the way of the Jedi-” Anakin parroted, trying not to grin.

Obi-Wan smiled at him as the briefing finished. “Faith in my padawans is though,” he said and then turned that smile on Ahsoka. “Well done. You even mentioned their packs.”

“Thanks,” Ahsoka said, bouncing a little from foot to foot. Her gaze though was on Anakin, searching for something in his face. “I think I covered everything. I’m sure I did.”

“You did fine, Snips,” Anakin said absently and almost frowned when he saw Obi-Wan’s odd smile. But then Master Unduli was stepping out into the sunlight and her padawan was following.

“She really criticised?” Anakin asked as the three of them turned to greet her.

“Commented,” Obi Wan amended. “At length. With detailed observations of the code and regulations. It was deeply appreciated.”

“And my uh…marriage?”

Obi-Wan made an odd noise, almost as if he were thinking. “Let’s leave that one alone,” he said after a moment. “Suffice to say she was surprised I was surprised.”

What did that mean?

But it was too late to ask, and wasn’t Obi-Wan the master of that skill?! Anakin hung back a little as the Jedi reintroduced themselves and skulked off, not really wanting to see what Master Unduli’s attitude to him would be.

That was probably against regulations too.

Xxx

Checking the weapons was something that he had rarely done as a Jedi Knight. But it seemed right and, once he’d started, he couldn’t believe he hadn’t done it more often. The blasters often could get jammed if the sand wasn’t cleaned out and Anakin found himself hounding the clones more often than not about their weapon maintenance.

It was kind of like telling Luke to tidy his room, only Luke would get lost in some mechanical issue five minutes later and come padding out to show it to Anakin and then that would be half the day with the pair of them adjusting and adapting and then Padme would be telling them both to tidy up.

Stars, he did miss them.

“Skywalker,” Master Unduli’s voice rang out. “I was surprised you weren’t at our meeting.”

“Jedi business,” Anakin said, continuing to check the blaster casing on the next weapons stock. “Seemed like me attending would be against regulation.”

She said nothing, but he could feel the weight of her gaze. He was probably being petty, he knew that, but found he didn’t actually care.

“It was strategy,” she said slowly. “You and I have very different approaches, but listening to every point has its merits, even if we don’t agree.”

“Yeah,” Anakin said as he closed the lid on the still functioning blasters and hauled that off to the side for the clones to pick up. He reached for the next case. “And what was decided?”

“That we need a distraction. You, Master Kenobi and I will provide that distraction with our squads. The padawans will enter via the catacombs to set a bomb inside the factory.”

That, he didn’t like. It was on the tip of his tongue to demand that he went with Ahsoka, but…

Strange. He’d never feared his own death before. He’d always been willing to sacrifice if the need called for it, or someone he cared about was in danger. Yet Luke’s future…

He kept quiet. “Fine,” he said, a little terse. “Anything else?”

“You’re angry.”

He slammed the lid down and glared at her. “What did you say to Obi-Wan about my marriage?”

Her brow wrinkled. “You are a passionate man, Anakin. I doubted that the order would sustain you for long, that was all. I made no comment on your choice of wife, nor on the child.” She scanned over him and then stepped close. “He is well?”

Luke? The thought of his son soothed him a little. “Last I saw he was covered head to toe in mud and ruining his mother’s second favourite dress and was delighted with the swimming trip.” He couldn’t help the smile. “He’s…starting to settle, I think.”

“Indeed.” She stepped a little closer again, until they were closer than he’d thought she’d be comfortable with. “I believe we each have a skill in life,” she said gently. “A calling. Flying, being a Jedi. Cooking, negotiating. This,” she said waving a hand at him, “is the first time I have ever seen you at ease, when you talk of your family. I do not believe you were suited as a Jedi, Anakin. That does not mean I think you are a bad person or unworthy of being heard. And it does not mean I do not appreciate you fighting at my side. I would be glad of your help.”

It still annoyed him, a little. Something about it seemed preaching and sanctimonious, but he swallowed back the knee jerk reaction and nodded tightly.

It wasn’t what she was looking for, he could tell. But she nodded and turned away all the same, leaving him to the blasters.

Xxx

The grand plan to distract the droids was simple. Painfully so. And unnerving, Anakin thought as they walked in a slow march towards the factory bridge and the entrance.

“This?” Anakin asked Obi-Wan with some disbelief. “This was the better plan?”

“Why complicate things?” Obi-Wan asked with that tone that Anakin really hated because he could never tell if the man was being wry or laughing at him or just being insanely serious. “It’s a glorious invitation.”

It was probably a lack of sanity. Obi-Wan had hit his head so many times by now, it was a miracle he even talked correctly.

“The droids are coming,” Unduli said as they continued to walk.

“Steady,” Obi-Wan called to the clones. “We continue marching.” Then he sighed loudly. “They are taking their time in coming to meet us, aren’t they?” he said quietly to Anakin.

“Well they need to make them first,” Anakin pointed out as he reached for his lightsabre. “Maybe we can kill them faster than they can make ‘em.”

Obi-Wan snorted and ignited his own weapon, Master Unduli doing the same. “That didn’t work the last time we tried it.”

“Practise makes perfect!”

Xxx

Losing himself in the force was surprisingly easy. Blaster bolts were being fired from every angle and he swung his lightsabre to meet them all, as if they were travelling through swamp water. The droids were falling easily enough, the problem was that there were just so many of them. It hardly helped that the Geonosians were attacking from behind, the bugs flittering around the sky and shooting down at them, picking off the clones as they battled the seemingly unending amount of droid that were coming out of that kriffin’ factory.

“How much longer before they’re inside?” Anakin asked.

“They should be exiting the catacombs,” Master Unduli replied as she dragged a droid forward to block the blaster shots. Anakin followed behind her turning and deflecting the blaster bolts back up at the bugs above them, pushing three droids back so that they crashed against the heavy rocks littering the entrance to the bridge to the factory. Slightly away from them, Obi-Wan almost appeared slightly bored as he cut through the droids, the ease of his movements shining through as he occasionally, casually, deflected a bolt meant for the clones around him.

“Having fun?” Anakin called.

“Oh, yes,” Obi-Wan said emotionlessly. “Wading through droid parts is always the highlight of my day here. In fact-”

Whatever else he’d been about to say was lost when a sudden wave crashed over Anakin, blinding and deafening him to what was happening.  A distant, panicked part registered that he was falling down, undefended in battle, but the rest was too overwhelmed as terror and confusion flooded him and it was agony. Like being caught in a tidal wave or the engine of a ship as it blasted off. The echo wouldn’t let him go, like something was desperate to reach for him.

He faded in and out. The sound of blasters over his head echoed and he had to move, had a unit depending on him, but he couldn’t focus. Another wave of horror surged around him and he wanted to scream and push everything away. For a second he was in Theed, pushing and pushing because he wanted it all to go away and the image to go away-

Luke, Anakin realised when he was released from that second wave. It was Luke.

He gasped, inhaling sand as he did. When he looked up, Obi-Wan was in front of him, crouched down. At some point, Obi-Wan must have dragged them to shelter because they were both behind a rock which Obi-Wan was hanging onto like his life depended on it.

“What…” Anakin looked around. Master Unduli was still fighting but she looked like she was struggling a little. “Luke,” he managed to get out. “Something’s wrong.”

Obi-Wan gaped down at him and then clenched his jaw. “How-”

There was another frantic wave. The sand and Obi-Wan were swallowed up by the image of a cracked paving stone and distant cries and all he could feel was Luke desperation.

He reached back. Luke.

But his son recoiled, still confused and terrified. A hand on Anakin’s shoulder almost broke his concentration and then he felt Obi-Wan almost using him as a signal boost. Luke, Obi Wan said gently.

Luke’s presence almost crashed into them in relief. And then there was a wobble of confusion and Luke almost contracted as if gearing up for the next wave.

Sleep Anakin forced into him. He hated it, despised himself for it, but he was in the middle of a battle on a different planet and he couldn’t deal with both things at the same time, not at this intensity.

Unlike last time on Coruscant, he put his full power into it and Luke just went out like a light, instantly asleep and freeing them all from the tumbling confusion.

The world snapped back properly into focus and Anakin gasped at the sudden brightness of sensation again. He stared up at Obi-Wan, baffled and shocked. “He…he’s on another planet,” he murmured, stunned.

“Not now,” Obi-Wan said, heaving Anakin up by his collar.

“I have to-”

“Get on a ship,” Obi-Wan agreed. “Which we can’t call for until this is over.” He turned his attention to the battle and sucked in a breath when the giant doors that had been pumping out droids seemed to pause in production and the force quivered a warning out at them that something else was coming, something new and harder to fight.  “And I doubt this is over, yet.”

Ignoring Obi-Wan, Anakin reached out for Luke. The blinding force presence that had overwhelmed him was dim, but he could still find it through the command he was holding over his child. Luke was completely out, unconscious and he spared a moment’s thought for how that probably looked before he shook it off.

As much as he hated it, he needed to get through this. Reigniting the lightsabre, he stood shoulder to shoulder with Obi-Wan and Master Unduli and faced the tanks that started to roll through the great jaw like doors.

xxxx

It took seven standard hours to arrive on Naboo.

Seven.

“I don’t know what happened,” Jobal was sobbing as Anakin walked in the room. “I didn’t…he was fine. We were just getting some chocolate and-” she broke off spotting Anakin and Sola, who had been standing and listening, turned to stare at him.

“Where is he?” Anakin asked, striding in and ignoring Padme’s parents as they sat looking shell-shocked in the corner. Behind him, he could feel Obi-Wan’s disapproval, but found he honestly didn’t care.

He wanted his son.

“He won’t wake up,” Jobal whispered. “Anakin, he won’t-”

“We put him to sleep,” Obi-Wan explained gently as Anakin headed for the stairs. “He is extraordinarily powerful and-”

Anakin didn’t wait to hear that explanation. Didn’t care. He took the stairs two at a time and almost ran into Luke’s room where Padme was sat on the bed with him. It seemed so strangely quiet and cosy to be the scene of something so awful.

“He won’t wake,” Padme said instantly, standing. Dimly, he was aware that he had never seen her looked so flustered and messy; her hair was falling out haphazardly and she looked red eyed and pale. “Anakin-”

“I put him to sleep,” Anakin explained, taking her seat. Luke was motionless on the bed, his little face slack and expressionless which made Anakin feel deeply uncomfortable. “What happened?”

“Mom took him into Theed centre. They were going to get something as a treat,” Padme came close. “He started to scream.”

“He was terrified,” Anakin corrected and she sucked in a pained breath. “He…Padme we felt him. Couldn’t help but feel him.” Hadn’t been able to think about anything else the moment a free ship had been sent down. Stars, what had Luke seen or, worse, remembered?

He was half sure that, in the mood he was in, he could reach into that kriffin’ future and murder whatever had caused his son such pain.

“I’ve cleared the house,” Obi-Wan said as he entered the room quietly and he was radiating calmness as if to soothe them both. “In case he wakes up and cannot regain control”

 “Anakin said he was shielded,” Padme said, crouching down by the bed to watch Luke’s face. “That you can’t really get through.” She stroked his hair and looked between them nervously.

“No,” Obi-Wan agreed. “You may need to be prepared to leave,” he said gently. “We have no way of knowing how he’ll respond when he wakes up. He might be fine or he might wake up in the middle of it all again.”

Padme nodded, but Anakin was pretty sure that she was nodding in that absent way that meant she wasn’t really going to do anything with it. Her deep brown eyes remained fixed upon their son as Anakin took a breath and reached for Luke.

He pulled away his command, simultaneously trying to project his love for his son, his concern and his desperation to protect.

“Gently,” Obi-Wan urged, his voice very soft.

Luke’s eyes opened as Anakin dialled it back a little. His big blue eyes stared at Anakin and his breathing started to speed up as he looked around and-

Luke moved. So quickly that Anakin didn’t even have a chance to grab at him. Then Luke was in Padme’s arms, crying and mumbling and incomprehensible things as the force rumbled unsteadily around him.

Padme had been knocked down to the floor a little as Luke had thrown himself at her. His skinny arms were wrapped around her neck and she was rocking him a little, sushing him as Luke continued to sob at her, speaking at the speed of light but his words muffled by his sobs.

“Slow down, sweetheart,” she said to the boy. “You need to calm down.”

Luke just sobbed and Anakin felt his heart break. He slid down off the bed and sat next to them, oddly unsure of his place. He’d been gone for ten days and suddenly his place in this seemed strangely fragile.

“-canthappennotgoingtodontnotallowedcant-“ Luke was garbling at Padme.

“What did you see?” Obi-Wan asked, but Luke just cried even harder and Padme closed her eyes, pulling him close. Anakin shifted a bit closer and placed a hesitant hand on Luke’s back. His son didn’t react but he could feel the tremors cascading down the little body.

He started to calm, or rather cry himself to exhaustion. All through it, Obi-Wan radiated calm and soothing feelings and waited patiently in the corner while Anakin and Padme held their son. Then, like a light flicking on, Luke snapped his head to Anakin.

“You stop it,” he sobbed suddenly. “Don’t let it happen. Stop it from happening. Please,” his son begged him.

“Don’t let what happen?” Anakin asked, cupping Luke’s face, trying to get Luke to face him. His eyes were red and his face was blotchy.

Luke hesitated and then leaned in, their foreheads touching.

Theed was packed. Solemn crowds stood on every side, heads bowed as the funeral procession came through. Lights were everywhere as the sun set over the city.

The casket was open and Padme lay within. Her hair was loose and her hands were folded over a bump-

Anakin pulled out of it and turned, his emotions swirling in such a way that meant he couldn’t cope.

His wife’s funeral. He’d just seen his wife’s funeral.

No. force, please, no.

A terrible chill radiated from within, a numbness that convinced him that he’d never be warm and that image of her, dead-

Please no.

Obi-Wan had leaned close, apparently looking at the same thing. His hand reached out to Anakin and no, no way, he wasn’t going to see that again. Couldn’t-

That horrific funeral faded into a medical bay with droids craning around. The vision was blurred, half faded and dim. Padme on a bench, her face exhausted and twisted with pain and sorrow, even as she reached out to the baby in Obi-Wan’s arms and whispered the word ‘Luke’.

And Obi-Wan was looking down sadly before he turned his attention to the baby in his arms. The tiny, fragile creature that was blinking up at the lights and whimpering just a little. And Padme gasped in pain and her face contracted in pain as the medical droids continued to fuss around her and Anakin stared in horror as he started to realise what was happening-

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan whispered.

Padme was staring between them. “What?” she asked as Luke collapsed back into her, crying still, though with considerably less force.

He wanted to gather her up. Wanted to reassure himself that she was still alive. That she was there and would always be there. But the other thing, the other-

He stood and stumbled from the room, trying to keep it in. If he let loose, then Luke would feel and his son didn’t need that. His child-

His child.

Obi-Wan caught up with him as he stumbled into the garden and caught him before he hit the ground, holding him tight as if to hold him together. “I know,” he hissed in Anakin’s ear. “I saw. I know.”

Anakin let out a muffled sob. “Twins,” he breathed. “There were twins.”

Xxx

Padme stared at where Anakin had just stumbled through and Obi-Wan had followed. What on earth had they seen?

Thankfully, Luke was winding down. His sobs becoming softer and more like whimpers. She continued to rock him as he sighed and tightened his hand on her dress. Soon he completely stopped and she’d have thought he was asleep if not for the fact that he kept tightening his grip on her dress and then letting go.

“It’s gonna happen, isn’t it?” he asked in a tiny voice.

“What will?” she asked softly.

“It’s the past, I’m in the past. That just means the bad things haven’t happened yet,” Luke whispered to her, his head ducked down so that he was almost whispering to her chest. “It’s gonna get bad and it’ll be worse.”

For a split second, she hated Anakin for leaving. No matter what it was, he should be here, listing to their son finally start to let them in a bit, explain some of his fears. Help her soothe them.

“No,” she said firmly, and lifted his chin with a finger. “You’ve changed so much,” she said earnestly. “So, so much.”

His eyes were red rimmed and threatening to spill over with huge tears. He searched her face, almost desperate for something.

“I…if you…please don’t die,” he begged almost shaking. She had a flitter of thought to move, to wrap him up so that he was warm, but she doubted that it would do any favours to suggest even for a second that she was going to let him go. “It’ll be worse this time.”

The last was said so quietly that she barely heard him. But she did. This time.

“I will not leave you,” she said to him, her grip tightening maybe a bit too much. “I won’t,” she said when he tried to pull away looking doubtful.

Luke snuck a look at her. It broke her that her son had the same reluctant look on his face that she’d seen on the war orphans across the galaxy. The reluctance to have hope, to risk their little hearts once more.

But that was what her son was, she realised. He was one of those little war orphans and that would always be with him.

“You’ve already saved us,” she said to him, shifting a bit so they could keep eye contact easily. “You have,” she said when Luke made a doubtful noise. “That future, your future, it’s gone, sweetheart.”

He was thinking. Upset and thinking and she wished she had the force to see into his head. To catch a glimpse of the complicated thoughts that were likely swirling around and causing her son to fear being happy.

“Trust me,” she urged.

It seemed to strike something within him. Luke stared at her and she was struck just how much he looked like Anakin when he was about to go into battle. At a glance, people always commented how much he looked like Anakin but it was their colouring. Most here agreed he was a Naberrie with his slight frame and delicate features. And he didn’t have Anakin’s temperament at all, even if they did share so many interests.

But this, she realised, this was the same. And there was a threatening terror that one day she would probably be watching her son go off and find a way to help people and have that same look on his face as his father did when he prepared himself to do something he was actually a little bit frightened of.

Luke’s eyes slid closed and he swallowed. “Are you…” his jaw clenched and that too was Anakin, “my mom?”

“Yes,” she said, so quickly that she wasn’t sure he’d heard. “You know I am, Luke.”

His eyes opened and he stared up at her. “But…” he looked away and then shook his head. “She’s dead. She dies.”

“No,” she said, gathering him close once more and laying her cheek on his head. “I won’t. I won’t leave you alone, Luke. Neither of us will leave you alone again.”

He remained tense in her arms, and she understood that it would take more than their conversation for him to relax and trust her when she said that. But he would. She’d give up the senate and drag Anakin to the quietest, dullest corner of the galaxy if that was what it would take for Luke to believe them.

Xxx

The Naberrie family kitchen seemed strange without Jobal in it. Anakin had a moment to wonder where his in-laws had gone but it wasn’t pressing enough to really worry about it. He was sure they had friends all over the city; they were those kinds of people.

Watching Obi-Wan in the kitchen was surreal as he put some of Jobal’s herbal tea on to boil. Anakin watched him silently, not sure what was bothering him until he saw Obi-Wan’s face catch the light oddly.

“You haven’t been back here, have you?” Anakin asked. “Not since Qui-Gon.”

Obi-Wan shook his head as he poured them both some tea. “Is that really what you want to talk about?” he asked mildly.

“I’d rather that,” Anakin muttered, accepting the mug and then staring down at the liquid as if he’d forgotten what to do next. “There was that celebration through the streets of Theed. You looked like you’d rather be anywhere else.”

“You were unimpressed with the padawan haircut if I recall,” Obi-Wan said as he sat opposite Anakin. “It was my highlight, I have to say.”

Anakin smiled slightly at the memory. “She was in ceremonial robes. Padme,” he explained when Obi-Wan looked at him curiously. “I realised I’d have to work hard to be able to impress her.”

“Even then,” Obi-Wan said with a defeated sigh before he took a sip. “You are single minded, Anakin. And stubborn. I’ll give you that.”

Yeah. He didn’t feel it now. The liquid in the cup was dark, almost bottomless and he stared into its depths, almost wanting to get lost in it. “How do I tell her?” he asked. “How can I tell her?”

“It was her child too,” Obi-Wan said slowly. “Your wife has a right to know.”

Was.

“Luke would have been the only one of us to live,” Anakin said, not really listening. “The only one to survive. Alone. Hunted.” He felt numb. Almost desensitised to the information at the moment. “You were with her when he was born.”

Obi-Wan said nothing.

“It was…” Anakin trailed off unsure, suddenly realising how little he knew of childbirth. “Clinical. Is it always so clinical?” he asked, and then grunted to himself when Obi-Wan gave a helpless shrug. His mind scanned the scene again, trying desperately to avoid the sight of Padme, struggling as she gave birth to their second child, and instead focusing on the baby in Obi-Wan’s arms. “He was so tiny,” Anakin whispered. “How did he survive when the rest of us didn’t?”

The answer, he knew, lay in the man opposite him.

“I owe you,” Anakin whispered. “You kept him alive. Even when we failed him, you were there.”

“He’s your son. What else would I do?” Obi-Wan asked gently. “I…have to confess being at the birth…I hadn’t realised I’d had charge of him from the day he was born. I must have taken him to your step-brother.”

It still annoyed him. “I hate Tattooine.”

“I know.” Obi-Wan shook his head. “I don’t believe I would have made that choice lightly, Anakin.”

Probably not. “He’s never mentioned a twin,” Anakin said looking down at the tea again. “Or any other child really. It-” he broke off, hating that he didn’t know which pronoun to use, “do you think the other twin survived birth?”

“I don’t know,” Obi-Wan said honestly. “I…I’d like to think it would explain why I had to leave Luke. Keeping two untrained twins away from each other would have been the only way to keep them safe. They’d have reached out to each other otherwise, made it easy to track them. But… she was struggling to give birth.”

Alone. Or rather without him. Because by that point he’d been dead and had left his pregnant wife, his children to fend for themselves.

And he was doing it now. Padme and Luke were upstairs and he’d run out but…he couldn’t bear to tell her. Couldn’t risk that Luke would feel his turmoil and react.

He’d never felt so useless or so much like a coward.

xxx

As dawn crept through into the room, so too did Anakin.

Padme watched him from her position against the wall, Luke naturally asleep in her lap. She watched her husband silently as he slowly walked over until he was crouching down by her side. He didn’t meet her eyes, instead keeping his gaze on Luke.

There was so much that she wanted to say to him. To yell at him for leaving, for not telling her that he had been the one to send Luke to sleep earlier. She wanted to sob in his arms at the trauma their son had experienced, share her joy that he was starting to understand who they were and had actually asked her if she was his mother.

She said nothing though, just watched Anakin stroke Luke’s hair and then bend to give him a kiss, his head bent over Luke’s for a long moment, as if he were trying to find strength.

“He’s worried that at some point his future will happen,” she said and force, she barely recognised her own voice. “He’s waiting for the bad things to happen.”

Anakin’s hand clenched where he was resting on it, tearing up part of the carpet with the metal. He looked up at her and she was startled to realise that he’d been crying too.

“He did…” she hesitated because part of her knew that it might hurt him not to have had the same experience, “he asked if I was his mom.”

She knew her husband well enough to spot the instant reaction of jealousy. But hope bloomed soon after, as if he realised that it wouldn’t be long before Luke might ask a similar question.

“He’s afraid we’ll die.”

Anakin’s expression shifted to the one she had seen in Luke’s face and she let out a breath, trying to brace herself for whatever he was about to say.

“He…your funeral,” Anakin said and his throat sounded almost blocked. “It was here, in Theed.” He looked away and shook his head. “And you died in a medical ship.”

Oh.

It was…how strange to be told that. Had Luke not have come along, that would have been her fate.  It seemed…so distant now. Surreal and yet, it had been painfully real for her son. It had been his past. “After I gave birth?” she asked, not really connecting to the information.

Anakin looked back down at Luke and she could feel him hesitate. Then he reached for Luke and carefully lifted him up into his arms. It was almost cold without his little body on her and Padme shifted, surprised by the ache that she felt from being in the same position with him for so long.

She watched them. Luke looked so small in Anakin’s arms and she could see the way that he cradled Luke, the care that he took as he lay their son into the bed and tucked him in.

A strange thrill of fear shot through her as she watched Anakin. He hesitated and then came back over, sitting with his back against the wall next to her, one leg drawn up so that his arm could rest upon it.

“You…you gave birth to Luke in a medical ship,” Anakin said softly. “Surrounded by droids and with Obi-Wan there. He held Luke and you named him. You… you smiled at him, and reached out a hand for him.”

She could almost picture it, but couldn’t. She couldn’t see the baby that Luke had been, wished she could. Wished she had known how he had looked, how he had been, how big or small or what his weight had been…

“But…” Anakin turned to her, an arm sliding around her back as he pulled her close. “You…you were still in labour.”

It didn’t sink in at first.

Still in labour…

“Twins,” Anakin said dully. “We had twins.”

No. She gasped and was almost shocked when it came out as a full-bodied sob of sorrow as the enormity of that fully hit her.

She’d had another baby. Another child. And she adored Luke with everything and now there was a child that she didn’t know.

Could never know.

“Why didn’t Obi-Wan send them both through?” she demanded, suddenly pulling away. Anakin glanced at the bed and his eyes narrowed for a moment before he turned his attention back to her as she stood. “Why send one?”

Anakin remained silent, but he watched her. Almost as if he was waiting for something.

“No,” she whispered as she suddenly realised. “No, Ani,” she begged, the sorrow wracking through her like electricity and she almost lost the ability to stand. But he was there, holding her and rocking her as she cried in agony against him.

“What was it?” she asked desperately. “Ani, please, what was it?”

“I don’t know,” he said, sounding wrecked himself. “I didn’t…we didn’t see.”

No. She needed to know. A gender, a name. A face. She was a mother and she’d never meet her baby. The joy she took in Luke would never be replicated for his twin. A lost child that she would never be able to claim or hold or really mourn. An echo of what would have been and a child that she never would have been able to truly meet.

She wrapped her arms around her husband as she felt his shudder and all they could do was hold on to each other.

Xxx

Dr Firra was on Naboo. Luke thought Padme might have told her to come.

They sat outside by the lake because Luke liked it there. There was a house there and it was just them most of the time. Sometimes other people came to visit and he liked it better like that. They could decide who came in and that was new and great. Plus, the whole place was beautiful which made sense because it was Padme’s favourite place.

He’d never seen anything like the lake side and Anakin took chairs out there so that Luke could curl up with a holoshow or a datapad because sometimes reading was good now that he was starting to remember the sounds and the shapes. Anakin would sit with him, but often he wouldn’t have anything with him. Most of the time he seemed to be thinking hard.

He’d been like that since he’d come back from saving people with his lightsabre attached to his belt again. Luke had gotten lost in his head and then Anakin and Old Ben had come back and brought him back and Padme had started to make it better.

“Do you feel like want to say it today?”

He nodded slowly and scrunched up his toes as he swung his legs a little. Then drew them up to make himself small because it helped, somehow.

“My Mom was from Naboo. Padme is from Naboo. My Mom is from Naboo,” Luke plucked at the thread on his sleeve, keeping his knees to his chest like it might stop his heart from thumping out of his chest when he said that out loud.

“Now your father,” Dr Firra encouraged. “Tell me something you know.”

“My Dad…” Luke frowned. “Was a Jedi. Anakin was a Jedi. My Dad was a Jedi.”

“What about his flying?” Dr Firra asked with a small smile.

“My Dad was a pilot. Anakin is a pilot. My Dad is a pilot.”

“Well done,” she praised.

Down the beach, Padme and Anakin were stood gazing out over the lake. They looked good together, he thought. Anakin’s hair already looked lighter here because of the sun and Padme fit just into the crook of his chin.

They were like story characters, Luke thought.

They’d been sad lately, he thought. They’d asked him strange questions days after he’d had that horrible vision. They’d asked him about friends and other children his age. He’d tried to remember his friends on Tattooine or onboard some of the ships that had kids too, but he didn’t think it had been what they were looking for.

They were sad and he wished they weren’t. Sometimes the things in his head upset them and he wondered if maybe they didn’t always have to know what was in there.

They were the story tale characters, but sometimes they needed to be looked after too.

He pushed his foot down into the ground as he sat up properly and took a deep breath. “My Mom and Dad are on the beach,” he tried and a juddering terror swept through him. What if they weren’t there? What if he went back to the future? What if he got used to it and then they all vanished and he was alone again?

Mom and Dad were heroes. Are heroes.

“Tell me about a day,” Dr Firra suggested quietly.

“P…Mom wakes me up,” Luke said, and the juddering terror began again. “And we meditate together while…while Dad does exercises. M…Mom and I swim and then Dad finds us-” His voice failed because that was…that was a story that he was describing. A silly fantasy that he’d had as a baby.

She waited.

“And…” his voice was barely there. “And we go exploring while Mom works. And then we eat together. Sometimes Dad takes me flying or we explore. Then, at night, we watch something on the holonet or Mom reads a story and I get a bath. I go to bed and if I have bad dreams, I can wake up Mom and Dad and they hug me.

“And Dad is strong,” Luke added, his voice gaining bit of strength. “And brave. And good. And he says no-one will ever hurt me. And he makes my Delta 7 fly. And he gave up being a Jedi to be my Dad. And Mum is clever and wise and people listen to her because everyone knows she has good ideas. And she’s beautiful and swims really well, better than Dad.”

“What’s your father’s name?”

“Anakin,” Luke replied, a little braver now because they’d done this a few times. “And Mom is Padme and I’ve already changed their lives so they might not die.” His jaw clenched and then he looked up, meeting her gaze firmly. He could see the moment of surprise in her eyes.

“But it doesn’t matter ‘cause I’m gonna save them,” he told her, clenching his jaw and tilting his head like his Mom did when she was gonna tell people what to do. “’cause they saved me.”

Chapter Text

Coruscant was very loud.

Luke peered out of the window in his bedroom, leaning heavily on the ledge as he stared down at the speeders racing around below. The traffic hadn’t woken him up, couldn’t with the sound muffled, but nonetheless, so far, something always seemed to make him stir at this time of the morning.

He glanced at the datapad. that he’d propped up on the window ledge while he’d rested his folded arms on the ledge and his head on those while he knelt up on the bed. His eyes flickered to it again and he hummed at the result.

Dates were confusing. When the Empire had been in charge everything had a different date, but Tattooine had never taken that on. And while years were a bit baffling to him, days and months were less so. Or rather a specific day and month.

He knew how to feed in information to the datapad. That was easy. And there were the results. Fifth month, fourth day by the Coruscant calendar.

Which was today.

Luke glanced back, across the room with scattered toys that Mom had sighed at last night and at the door that they’d left ajar. They’d only been in the new place for ten days and there was a workshop downstairs that made it a billion times better than Naboo, but there wasn’t the lake and the ability to just run outside and squidge the mud between his toes. Still, he knew the route to their room and he padded off. Through the door and down the hall, and they weren’t far away, just a door away.

They were sleeping when Luke pushed the door open. He held onto the edges for a moment, unsure as he watched.

Dad was lying on his front, arms under the pillow and head on top. The join of the metal arm to his shoulder could be seen clearly and his hair was a messy dark golden cloud around his head. Next to him, but less obvious was Mom under the sheets, curled up tighter and her head turned towards Dad, an arm on his back. She was a bit tanned from their time in Naboo, but still not as dark as Dad.

He liked it when they were like this. Warm and safe and Dad radiated being content. Slowly, he padded over and then crawled over so that he was by the bed, peering at Dad’s face.

Dad sighed. Then he reached out without opening his eyes and Luke felt a gentle tug upwards as his arm reached down and curled around Luke, pulling him up and into the bed without effort. Dad turned as Luke was tucked up next to him and Luke snuggled close, enjoying how warm and cosy it was. He tucked his head into the nook created by Dad’s chin and neck and sighed.

He drifted for a while. The relaxed air made him want to stay there forever. He thought that he probably fell asleep too for a while before he blinked and wriggled, turning away. Dad made a noise that might have been disapproval and dropped a lazy kiss on his hair before Luke sat up.

Mom, at some point had rolled away from them and lay on her back, one arm flung out. Luke made to reach for her, but Dad caught him and sat up before standing, Luke still in his arms on his hip.

Luke rested his head on Dad’s shoulder as they went to the kitchens. Dad put on some water to boil, the tea a ritual they’d all taken up while on Naboo. He stood, stroking Luke’s back for a moment.

“It’s the seventieth orange sun day,” Luke said, watching the water.

“I suppose it is,” Dad said with some quiet surprise. “What made you think of that.”

“My birthing day.”

Dad stopped. Not that he’d been doing much of anything anyway, but he stopped and Luke hummed, tracing a scar just under Dad’s left collarbone. The tip of a lightsabre, Dad had told him once merrily before pretending to act out the battle with Luke.

“I’m eight now,” Luke added, in case that helped.

Dad leaned to lift Luke off his hip and to sit on the counter. He was still taller, but he bent a little so that they were eye to eye. “Eight, huh?” he asked.

Luke nodded.

A stool was pulled close and Dad sat on it almost absently, keeping his eyes on Luke. “Do you feel older?” he asked.

Luke had never thought about that. He tilted his head to one side and hummed. “Can I pour the tea?”

Dad smiled a little.

Xxx

Mom was happy and sad. She often seemed to be a mix of the two at the moment and there were patterns that brought it on. Talking about his birthday seemed to be one of them. But she laughed as they flew through the rings of one of the moons and seemed to sprinkle dust around them as they went. Dad even let Luke steer for a while and showed him the controls while Mom interjected and pointed out things that Dad didn’t know like the braking and landing gear.

But as the day went on, Dad started to feel darker and gloomier even as Mom lightened and seemed to put aside being sad. That was until she started to notice Dad’s terse replies and her gazes to him became sharper.

Old Ben was waiting for them when they got back. He stood on the landing pad, his cloak billowing in the draft created by the traffic. As they landed, Dad sighed heavily and stared down through the viewer.

“Delaying this won’t help,” Mom warned as she took Luke’s hand. He huffed a little keeping his gaze on the controls because how often did he get a chance at piloting.

“Mom,” he whined at her. “Can’t we go up again?”

She always smiled at the name. “Soon, baby,” she assured him. It made him groan and pull against her hand, tipping his head back. He caught a glimpse of her rolling her eyes but she didn’t move despite him pulling on her.

He tugged harder.

“Don’t,” Dad said, pushing his at his back so that Luke rebalanced. “Don’t hurt your mother.”

Mom wasn’t that fragile. Huffing, he leaned forward and rested heavily on her. “Wanna stay here,” he pleaded and she stepped back a little, but smiled down at him even as Luke felt Dad’s mood dip suddenly lower.

“Luke,” Dad snapped and picked him up solidly. “Don’t be difficult.”

Luke sulked as they left the ship and went down the ramp. Old Ben stood waiting and he was staring at Dad. “Anakin,” he started to say.

“We’re off the ship,” Dad said to Luke firmly, catching his chin to make Luke look him in the eyes. “We’re going home. Stop pulling at your mother.”

Luke let his eyes slide to Mom who looked almost annoyed. “Ani,” she chided. “You hardly need to-”

“Promise me,” Dad said and he turned Luke’s head again so that Luke had to look back at Dad. Slowly, Luke nodded. Dad let him slide down and a gentle force push sent him over to Mom who reached out with her hand again.

“That was hardly necessary,” she snapped at Dad as she took Luke’s hand. “Master Kenobi, he’s in a foul mood. I wouldn’t bother.” And with that warning, she lead Luke along the landing platform to where Captain Typho waited with a speeder.

“Are we waiting for Dad?” Luke asked quietly.

“No.” Mom followed Luke down into the speeder.

Xxx

“He’s a child, Ani. He was tired and he wanted to fly with you. That’s hardly a need to treat him as if he was hurting me.”

“He pulled at you.”

“He’s eight! And he’s my son too. It’s the first birthday that we’ve ever had with him and you couldn’t keep your temper in check-”

“No, you had one with him and it kriffin’ killed you.”

There was a long silence. “Don’t you dare put that on him,”

“Of course I don’t. But…I saw…I can’t lose you like that.”

“You won’t.”

There was a long silence and then Dad sighed. “You want more,” he said after a moment. “More kids.”

“Yes.” Then: “Don’t you?”

As far as Luke knew, Dad didn’t reply.

Chapter Text

The new building was better because Dad had a workshop. It was below their apartment and stuck out a little from the building. Lots of different people brought all kinds of things over and Dad improved them. It was ace when people brought over speedbikes and speeders. Luke wasn't allowed to test drive them yes, but one day it was gonna happen. He was eight and a quarter now, which meant it wasn't too far away.

The rest of the place was better too. The floor was softer, though still more grey than anything and there were rooms for just them and rooms for the people that Mom had to talk to in order for them to listen to what she had to say.

He was allowed in them, but usually there wasn't anything interesting. Unlike today which looked like a black-market discount sale.

Droids were everywhere. Loaned out for the senate because adults were having dinner. It didn't seem that fair; Luke was never allowed to be that picky when deciding what he wanted for dinner!

He perched sort of out of the way with the datapad, scanning through the text that he was meant to be reading about the history of the Galactic Republic. He was gonna start school soon, and they'd given him stuff to get him started.

Luke had a sinking feeling about school; he had a feeling it was going to be a lot of sitting down and reading.

Mom was in the middle of everything, checking what the droids brought her as she picked out an evening from a hologram and muttered about different senators and envoys. Dad was leaning against the wall watching her, looking both amused and slightly concerned.

Luke liked them being together. It was…cosy, he thought as he glanced up to see Dad take Mom by the shoulders and gaze down into her eyes, as if he was saying something important. It made everything warm and soft and right.

Which was ruined when Threepio started to interfere.

Stars, the droid was bossy. Sometimes, if Mom was busy and Dad was out, Threepio would be in charge and it was awful. Luke had to do his work and couldn't eat sweet things and he wasn't meant to play balancing or jumping. Not that Threepio could really stop him but having the droid following him around and talking about percentages and just worrying and nagging really killed the joy.

Artoo was much better. He could fly and he made Luke grin sometimes with his well-placed noises. And Artoo seemed to be scolded almost as much as Luke was, which was good. Like they had something in common.

"Can I go?" Luke asked when Dad sent the two droids off for a mission.

"Go where?" Dad asked absently as he lifted his arm for Luke to duck under.

Pressing himself up against Dad's side and poking the lightsabre that was now back in its correct position, Luke squinted up. "On the mission," he huffed. "The one Threepio and Artoo are going on, to get the fruit."

Dad was so tall. He was one of the tallest humans that Luke had ever seen and Luke had to crane his head back to look up at him. "You have a more important mission," Dad said. "You need to finish that." He tapped at Luke's datapad.

Luke groaned, tipping his head all the way back and leaning heavily on Dad's arm. It was okay though; Dad was strong and his arm stayed where it was, even with Luke leaning back heavily on it.

"And Obi-Wan calls me dramatic," Dad muttered.

Xxx

Within a few hours, the place was flooded with senators and other people that Mom worked with. She said that they were important and then explained why, but Luke didn't bother to listen that hard. He stayed close to Dad who seemed happy enough to use him as a shield.

"You've grown," Senator Organa said, smiling down at Luke. "I think you were up to here last time I saw you," he added, pointing at his hip.

"I'm gonna be as tall as Dad one day," Luke promised, eyeing the man up. Luke liked him. Senator Organa often had some sweets for Luke and today wasn't an exception. With a wink, Senator Organa handed him some candy that Mom didn't approve of and Luke beamed at him before he shoved it in his pocket.

Senator Organa ruffled Luke's hair. "Has the Jougan fruit arrived yet for the cake?"

Cake? Luke peered across the party, but Dad kept a firm hold of him. "No," he said shortly. "I sent Artoo and Threepio out ages ago. Gonna be hearing about this one for a while."

"It was my wedding anniversary yesterday," Senator Organa confided. "May I suggest that you never forget that date."

Dad smiled, his hand stroking through Luke's hair. "Haven't yet."

Senator Organa shot him a bit of an odd look, but didn't say anything.

"Come on," Dad said suddenly reaching down to heft Luke up with one arm. "Before you get bored and start some sort of riot."

Scowling down at him, Luke wriggled. "I don't start riots," he muttered, pressing a hand into Dad's shoulder. Then considered it. "What's a riot?"

Xxx

The senate building was the most boring place in the the galaxy. Ever to exist.

Luke could say that because he was a time traveller. He knew. All people did there was talk and read and talk and read and they didn't always listen to Mom so they were stupid. Mom said people read to be clever, but sometimes it didn't seem to help the people who argued with Mom.

Dad was lounging in one of the chairs while Mom finished up. Luke wasn't sure what she meant when she said that. Finishing usually meant ending, but sometimes it took ages for her to stop what she was doing.

He'd been playing with the Delta 7 as they talked, but he wasn't in the good chair and there was only so many times he could use the view outside. Wandering over, he climbed on top of Dad. The man's knees were up over the arm of the chair as he sat at a right angle to the back and Luke tried to balance on the man's knees. Not pausing in his conversation, Dad straightened out his legs a little so that Luke could balance on his shins and then lifted his hands so that Luke could hold onto them to help balance.

"-away together," Dad was saying to Mom, but he switched his attention to Luke when he grinned down. "You balancing?" Dad asked with a smile.

Luke nodded and then pushed forward a little, trying to measure his strength against Dad's. But Dad's hands didn't even move.

"You know I can't right now," Mom said as she tapped away. "I need to push through this bill. I've taken too much time as it is."

Luke pushed harder, determined to make Dad move, just a little. But still nothing happened. Grinning at his game, he started to lean all of his weight onto his hands.

"No-one will know we've gone."

Mom was probably glaring now. "This is important," she said in her voice that meant she was trying not to get annoyed. Luke knew that voice. "We both made a choice, to protect those who can't protect themselves. This is how I do it."

Luke pressed forward on his hands so hard that his legs started to come off where they were resting on Dad's legs until he was almost doing a crouch on his hands as Dad held them up. It was a bit tricky and he had to concentrate to get the balance right as he wobbled a few times.

"Anakin," Mom said sharply. "He'll fall."

"Bet he won't," Dad muttered, but there was a nudge that brought Luke back down. Dad shifted a little and Luke rested against his chest, curled up there. "Isn't our love more important?" he asked, tucking Luke's head under his chin.

"Anakin," Mom said again with more of a sigh in her voice. "Stop it."

He could feel them staring at each other in that way they sometimes did. Grumbling, he wriggled free and down off the sofa. "You're gonna kiss," he huffed petulantly.

They always kissed. It was good when they were together but the kissing was a bit gross. Dad grinned and gestured towards Luke as if he'd won a point. Mom rolled her eyes.

"I'll give you anything," Dad said as Luke reached for his ship again. "Here."

Luke didn't turn around until he heard Mom gasp in surprise. "Ani," she said, softer now which definitely meant a kiss was coming. "But-"

"Obi-Wan used to say it was my life. Seems right you should hold onto it."

Mom had Dad's lightsabre.

Luke paused in what he was doing and watched with curiosity. It looked larger than usual in his Mom's small hands and she was looking down at it with surprise.

"We should go away," Dad said again, softer now and he was standing by Mom and she was looking down at the lightsabre. "You and Luke are my life now."

Uck, they were definitely gonna kiss. Scowling, Luke clapped his hands over his head so that he didn't have to look or listen. Thankfully, the doors wooshed open and someone walked in.

"Apologies, I seem to have interrupted," Senator Organa said and Luke lowered his arms when it sounded like the man was trying not to laugh. When he did, it seemed like Senator Organa was looking between Luke and his parents and then the man ducked his head, as if to hide his amusement. "Senator Amidala, I really must borrow you. We need to discuss the vote."

"Of course," Mom said hurrying around the table with an apologetic look at Dad. "I…We'll continue this later," she said and Luke really, really hoped that she meant the conversation and not the kissing.

The doors swooshed shut behind them and then Dad slowly turned to Luke and then looked up at the ceiling and back again.

"Wanna see if you can stand on my shoulders?" he asked after a moment.

Yes!

Xxx

Sitting on top of Dad's shoulders was always ace. Luke could survey the halls and the rooms and he could see what everyone was up to and it meant that he was always included in everything.

He'd managed to stand on Dad's shoulders and jump down into his arms and almost do a handstand on Dad's shoulders (which they were never ever meant to tell Mom about because she would freak out and yell at them even thought it was so safe because Luke never fell and Dad never dropped him).

"Duck," Dad said as they went through the doors. Dad had suddenly had the thought that maybe Mom recorded the room and they might need to delete the footage, but he hadn't been able to find anything. "Shall we just meet your Mom at-"

All the lights went down. There was a sound like something whirring to halt and then the hallways all went dim and silent.

"Luke," Dad said in a quiet voice. "Jump down."

It was annoying that Dad always used the force around him when he did it. Luke could feel it there, a presence ready to help him if he needed it and Luke always prided himself on the fact that he never needed it.

Dad went to walk down the hall and then froze, his hand straying up briefly to his empty belt. A look of horror passed his face and then Luke could feel that flash of temper that always made him want to duck and find a corner to hide in.

"I need you to be silent," Dad snapped down at him and Luke nodded even though it was unfair because he hadn't even been talking and he was usually quiet. Dad gestured at him to come closer and Luke did even though he didn't want to. "Stay with me," he said. "And do as you're told."

He would. He always did! He knew what that tone of voice meant.

The hallways were silent which was strange. Usually there were the guards wandering around and senators and droids, but it was all very still. Things being still wasn't good.

He stuck to Dad. They wound down some of the corridors, down places that Luke hadn't seen before until he could hear voices.

They were in a walkway above the atrium, Luke realised and there were railings that cut them off from below. Dad pointed to the side and Luke obeyed, ducking into the corner and hiding in the shadows.

A memory was lurking threateningly as Dad bent down and the light flickered weirdly over his face. It was so quiet that he could hear his breathing and Luke wasn't sure what was happening inside. Something bad was thrumming in his head, but also being pushed away at the same time because he couldn't react now. He had to be silent and ready to run.

He could hear people below. The voices rising and falling and it sounded like people were being threatened below. He edged forward a little, suddenly worried because where was Mom? Maybe-

Dad turned and looked at him and Luke pressed back into the corner at the lingering fury on his face. Luke closed his eyes when Dad strode close and dark cape, hand outstretched and fingers curling, shove it away-

"Skywalker," an annoyed voice rung out and the sound of a blaster firing yanked Luke away from the memory. The blast rocketed through the banister and hit the wall creating a smoking scar on the smooth grey surface.

He was up and running before Dad had a chance to do or say anything. There were rules to the galaxy – if someone shot at you, you needed to run!

Dad's legs were so long that he caught Luke up in no time. Luke wasn’t really sure where they were going, but Dad scooped him up. Over his shoulder, there didn’t seem to be anyone following, but that meant nothing. The inquisitors always used to find ways to trap them even when there didn’t seem to be any hint of anyone.

Then Dad ducked them into one of the offices. The door shut behind them and Dad stayed still, pressing his lips to Luke's head and gathering him close. It was nice, but Luke couldn't stop staring at the doors.

"They're gonna be coming," he muttered, wriggling to try and get Dad to move.

"What happened?" Dad asked, pulling back to look at him.

"Dad-"

But Dad wasn't budging and shifted Luke so that they were face to face. His blue eyes were frowning and Luke wanted to hide in his neck so that he wouldn't have to see the worried expression.

"We're gonna get shot," Luke mumbled. He could feel it. Whoever had shot at Dad from down below was starting to head towards them.

Dad pulled him down behind the console desk in the room. Just as Luke opened his mouth to complain he felt something…envelop him. That was the only way to describe it. Behind him, Dad was crouched down, his chin almost resting on Luke’s hair and a hand covering his mouth. It felt safe though rather than suffocating and Luke stared at the desk.

The doors wooshed open and he drew in a breath. Dad didn’t move, but the sensations around Luke tightened somehow. It was hard to explain. There was an unbearable silence, like a tight wire that was quivering with gathering power and they just had to wait and see if anything would happen from it.

Then the doors wooshed again and whoever had been following them went out into the hall. A muttered, half heard conversation drifted to Luke’s ears and he felt the presence around him relax, just a little.

“Kriff,” Dad suddenly snarled as he stood up, the warmth leaving Luke’s back. When he turned, Dad was staring at the door hard enough to shoot laser beams through it! Luke shifted a little and tried to make himself a little smaller.

Then Dad switched his attention to Luke and his expression shifted. He didn’t say anything, but Luke was sure that he was thinking really hard. Then Dad’s blue gaze snapped back to the door and he almost crumpled a bit.

Dad started to look around the room, exploring the walls and the furniture, sparse at it was. Unsure what he was doing, Luke debated asking, but he had a feeling that it wouldn’t go down well. Instead, he hovered, leaning into the desk and darting his gaze at the door every so often.

“Listen to me,” Dad said suddenly as he walked over and gently lifted Luke’s chin so that he had to look up at Dad. “I need you to be very brave.”

Old Ben had always told him to be clever. And sensible.

He was gonna be left behind.

Luke darted his gaze away, staring at the dark corner of the room.

“Luke?” Dad asked and his voice was quiet, gentle murmur. “I don’t have a lightsabre.”

Luke nodded against the warm hand that was still cupping his chin, but didn’t look up. Dad let out a long, frustrated sigh and pulled Luke in close.

“Do not leave this room,” he said sounding a little wrecked. “If anyone comes in and…tell them to announce it. I will come back for you. But I can’t leave your mother down there and I can’t just wait for them to come to us. I can’t protect you.”

An old lurking memory of Old Ben facing a dark hooded figure threatened. Old Ben hadn’t had a lightsabre that day either. Luke had no idea how that had ended; the ship he’d been in had pulled away and the landing ramp closed up. But Old Ben had come back-

Dad wasn’t Old Ben. And Luke didn’t know what he meant by that, only that it was true and it was both wonderful and awful.

“Luke.”

The sharp tone made Luke finally dart a glance up at Dad’s face. Dad’s blue eyes were oddly bright and he was looking intently at Luke, almost as if Luke could give him some sort of answer. Dad’s gaze faltered and he looked around, before he slumped his shoulders and drew Luke close.

Don’t leave.

It was all that Luke wanted to say. But he had to be brave, sensible and clever and it was none of those things to beg that he wasn’t left alone again.

Then Dad pressed a rough kiss to his hair and pulled away, striding out of the room without a backwards glance. The door closed behind him and then Like was alone in the room which suddenly seemed much larger and much colder than it had before.

It was like time had changed again.

Miserable, he ducked back down behind the console and tried to make himself as small as possible. It was stupid, but he closed his eyes and tried to imagine that Mom was there, just silently working.

He lost track of time. It felt like forever until the door suddenly wooshed open again.

“Here, baby Skywalker,” a male’s voice crooned. "Not point hiding now. Come out, come out wherever you are."

Luke didn’t move. He opened his eyes and stared at the wall opposite as the shadows shifted from the open door and the intruder within the doorway.

“Keep an eye on the hallway,” the male ordered someone else. “If the brat appears, stun him.”

Then the male stepped into the room and Luke almost stopped breathing.

Where was Dad?

He didn’t mean to do it. Old Ben would have been furious with him, but all the same, Luke pushed out. Just a little.

It was like opening up another eye or suddenly being able to read. He could feel the thrumming vibrancy of everything on Coruscant. The moving glimmers that he had never experienced before and couldn’t contact, but which he felt there all the same.

And there was Dad. Faded and not there really and Luke was almost sure that meant he was sleeping.

He wasn’t coming.

But even as he reached out, there was something else. The thing that he wasn’t meant to go near or think of. That he was meant to lock away with the force and never touch, not even remember.

It unfurled in his mind like a monster. And Luke didn’t know what to do and the panic of that seemed to make the monster angrier. He closed his eyes and almost suddenly didn’t feel his own body. The monster in his mind swept him back and he could hear distant noise of something smashing and a blaster going off.

When Luke opened his eyes, he was staring down at the male alien in the bounty hunter dress. The male was dead, eyes staring ahead in shock. Through the open doorway, the droid that had been with him was in pieces from where it had smashed against the wall.

Alarms were going off everywhere and for a moment Luke was convinced it was because of him. He bolted out of the room and the monster stirred again.

It was a nudge this time. The way downstairs, towards where he thought Mom and Dad might be, but then they might be angry and ask what had happened to the bounty hunters and Luke wasn’t meant to even think about it.

The monster almost became a not monster and gentled but Luke flinched and stopped dead, a sick feeling suddenly overwhelming him. His head hurt and he wanted to puke. The corridor swayed and seemed too bright. Shaking, he leaned his head against the wall and felt tears streak down his face which was babyish and stupid and Dad had told him to be brave.

The monster disappeared, but Luke suddenly felt exhausted. Shaking, he leaned into the wall and followed it away from Mom and Dad, not really sure where he was going, only that he had to get away. There was a damp, sticky feeling on his lip and it was only when he sucked in a breath to stop from throwing up that he realised it tastes very metallic.

Blood.

He wiped the back of his hand over his nose and wasn’t surprised to see red streak. But it was terrifying and he sucked in a ragged breath, trying to make himself as small as possible in his mind.

Slam it in a metal box. Wrap it up in energy beams. Lock it in a ship. Send it out to space where you can’t see. Always keep it hidden.

Chapter Text

The first thing that Anakin was aware of as he came back to flickering consciousness was panic. A cloying rising panic from the senators around him which snapped him awake quicker than anything else could.

He stared up at his wife who frowned down at him. Her hair was still done in the ornate bun that she’d worn earlier on, but some stray strands were starting to come lose and her expression was fearful.

The bounty hunters.

With an annoyed snarl, Anakin rolled out of her lap and then blinked down when his hands didn’t move. A pair of heavy binders was keeping him useless. Beyond that and behind the gathered senators, there were laser beams from devices attached to the columns surrounding them, The beams criss-crossed, penning them in like bars in a cage.

“Ani,” Padme said as she drew his lightsabre out from her sleeve. “They’ve gone,” she said firmly. “They went to free Ziro.”

Ziro. Jabba the Hutt’s nephew who was currently in prison. “They used you as leverage?” he asked, as she manoeuvred the lightsabre before switching it on. “It was Bane, wasn’t it?”

 Padme nodded and ignited the blade, cutting him free. “Luke?” she asked, her voice wobbling.

Force, his son. The memory of him drawing in on himself, looking so lost and small made Anakin want to smash something to pieces. “Hidden,” he said tightly.

“Ani, they saw him on the footage. With you. They went upstairs.”

He dug the lightsabre into the floor, determined to cut them free into the ground below. He wasn’t even sure he could cope thinking about it until he could so something. “Thought all the cameras were down and protected.”

When he glanced up, she was chewing her lip a little. “I don’t know,” she mumbled as he continued to cut into the ground around them all. “I should have handed it back to you,” she added, her voice a million lightyears away.

Probably. He should have asked for it. Or never given it in the first place just to get her to agree to go away again. But he’d started to suspect-

Leave it alone, he told himself furiously. Not now.

“Luke’s still here?” Bail Organa asked, his voice dropping in horror. Behind him, there were other senators that Anakin recognised and none of them interested him. He needed to get Padme to safety and he needed to find Luke.

The floor started to groan beneath them as he finished the shape he was cutting into it, bring the lightsabre to the original point that he’d started cutting from. The stone beneath them lurched and then they were falling. Yelps and startled cries rung out and Anakin braced himself for impact.

Apparently, he’d moved quickly enough. Just above their heads there was a sudden beep that rang out in an eerie threat. A second later, there was a juddering bang and fire roared out above them, racing over the hole that Anakin had cut and flooring the floor underneath with a blast of uncomfortable heat. It took three second for the alarms to suddenly blare out with painful intensity.

Padme stared up and drew in a shaken breath. He reached out to touch her hand and she turned to him, big brown eyes staring at him.

“Go.”

He didn’t hesitate. He ran, already feeling the ache from the electricity that the bounty hunters had used on him earlier. His metal hand wasn’t quite right and he could feel a burning sensation where the join between his arm and the elbow was.

The second levels were as dark as they had been when he’d left. But his heart stopped beating when he saw the droid pieces in the hallway.

“Luke,” he shouted, aiming for the door where he’d left his son. “Luke?” His voice was almost unrecognisable, even to his own ears. “Luke?”

As he got closer and the angle of his line of sight changed, he saw the dead bounty hunter. It wasn’t one that he recognised. Perhaps a new addition to Bane’s merry band and perhaps he’d seen an opportunity. Bane would do what he was paid to do and was probably being paid enough that going after Luke wouldn’t have been worth the risk.

The bounty hunter was dead.

He turned his head back to the droid on the floor and then at the dent in the walls. It had to have smashed into the surface with some force. A quick glance at the body of the bounty hunter showed blaster marks and his eyes were wide with horror.

What the force was up here?

Anakin turned his attention back to the hallway and stepped further along, deeper into the shadows.

He ignited his blade. A blue glow was cast over all the walls, turning everything into an almost ghostly scene. There was a stain on the walls, small fingers prints had smeared them along and Anakin refused to think about the fact that his son was bleeding.

Whatever was up here, he would kill it before he would let his son be harmed.

He tracked the marks to a narrow stairwell, more used by droids than by the senators. It was too narrow to comfortably carry the lightsabre and he was on high alert, waiting and looking for anything that might hint towards movement.

He nearly stepped on Luke. The boy wasn’t even registering on his force sense. Stunned, he blinked down at Luke before his brain caught up and he ducked down.

Luke was in the corner of the stairwell, knees drawn up to his chest and he’d made himself into such a tight ball that Anakin wasn’t even sure it was possible for a human to curl up like that. With a look up and down, Anakin, knelt down and reached for Luke.

His son didn’t respond, but he did allow himself to be moved. Anakin lifted him into his arms, but Luke didn’t snuggle in the way that he usually did. Instead, he remained rigid and he was quivering like a desert mouse that had overheated and was struggling to survive. A quick check showed that Luke’s heart rate was fluttering frantically and his face was smeared with blood.

Stars above.

“It’s okay,” Anakin tried to soothe. “I’m back. You’re safe.”

But his son didn’t respond.

Xxx

There were (thankfully) medical droids down with the senators as Anakin returned with his son. The chancellor was there, talking to Senator Organa but Padme was sitting to the side, looking slightly baffled.

The look disappeared when she spotted them. He saw her snap something at the closest droid, her eyes locked on Luke.

“Is that blood?” she asked as he came close.

“Yeah.” He lifted Luke up and swung the boy onto a chair. They were in what was a meeting room which had probably seen better days. Above them, the charred edges of the hole was a threatening halo.

Luke didn’t react to it at all. He stared at nothing, pale and dazed. Anakin would bet that Luke was barely aware of what was happening as the light was shone in his eyes. His pupils contracted properly, but his expression never once changed.

Padme sat next to him, wrapping her arm around Luke’s shoulder. He didn’t react, but didn’t flinch away either. Anakin crouched down in front of him and started to undo Luke’s shoes. Above, Padme was gently rubbing his arms and whispering soothing words at him.

“He is physically healthy,” the droid announced before turning away.

Anakin could have thrown him into the wall. But there were more important things to worry about. Once Luke’s shoes were off, Anakin rubbed the boy’s cold feet and kept his eyes on Luke’s face.

There was still no expression.

“Come on, baby,” Padme whispered. She looked down at Anakin, tears spilling over and dripping down her face. “What was up there?”

“Dead bounty hunter. Destroyed droid.” Anakin tried reaching out for Luke again, but there was nothing, almost as if Luke wasn’t even in front of him and he’d never ever felt that before. “Whatever did it was long gone. He was hiding in the stairwell.”

Padme nodded and then blinked. She stared down at Anakin and then looked pointedly at Luke.

He didn’t get it at first.

“Don’t be stupid,” he muttered as Luke’s little feet started to warm up under his hands. “How would that even work?”

“What else could have happened?” she asked, lifting Luke up into her lap. Luke was almost too big for it now, small as Padme was. But she was strong. Force, was his wife strong.

“It doesn’t work like that,” Anakin said and looked across the room as one hand held his son’s feet. He smoothed a thumb over the soft skin there and watched the holo of Yoda. He and the Chancellor seemed to be discussing something. “There’d be traces of that sort of darkness. He’s completely closed off.”

“He was scared.”

“You’d have to be angry,” Anakin said, turning his attention back to her. “Furious. When I…” he trailed off and stared at the floor, trying to get control of his emotions. “On Tattooine. It was… that kind of anger doesn’t just disappear. And I’ve never seen anything in Luke that would imply he could do that.”

Padme said nothing to that. “Is he responding at all?”

“The Jedi are coming,” Anakin said, glancing as the holo of Yoda flickered and disappeared. “They might know how to reach him.” He stared up at Luke and then touched the boy’s chin where dried blood was starting to crack over his skin.

A nosebleed. Luke’s nose had bled.

Fear welled up within him. Maybe…he couldn’t make it fit in his head though. Luke had to have done something, but there wasn’t a cruel bone in the boy’s body.

The Jedi though. What would they think? What would they do?

Padme was rocking Luke now. And still there was that vacant stare.

xxxx

It must have been half an hour later amid all the chaos and the scuttling bodies that Obi-Wan walked in. There was a droid trying to inject Anakin with something to help him recover from the electrocution. It would have been comical if Luke hadn’t been in the state that he was in.

Yoda was with him, but Anakin didn’t care. He felt the start of relief as he spotted his former master because surely, surely if anyone could help it would be Obi-Wan.

And he knew. Somehow. He took one look at Anakin’s face and then was coming over. “What happened to you?” he asked as he bent down in front of Luke next to Anakin and started to study the boy’s face.

“He was electrocuted,” Padme said, her tone scolding.

“I’ll live,” Anakin said. “Luke was upstairs alone. I had to leave him. Padme had my lightsabre.”

Obi-Wan drew in a breath, but thankfully seemed to realise that the lecture wouldn’t be helpful.

“There’s a dead bounty hunter and a shattered droid,” Padme said before Anakin could work out if they should say anything. “Luke was like that when Anakin found him.”

“Luke?” Obi-Wan asked in that gentle murmur of his.

It was on the tip of Anakin’s tongue to snap at him. But then Luke blinked down at Obi-Wan and flung himself forward into the man’s arms, sobbing suddenly and his words going a million miles a minute.

Padme sucked in a relieved breath and then reached for Anakin’s hand, even as a wave of jealousy reared up. Anakin stood, useless, as Luke sobbed away into Obi-Wan.

For his part, Obi-Wan shifted so that Luke was in a better position and sighed. “I’ve seen a few instances of trauma where children simply detach themselves.” He stroked a hand up and down Luke’s back, his eyes narrowing a little and Anakin could feel his former master reaching out with the force. “He’s locked it away tight again.”

Yeah. Anakin could feel that now. He could almost see the shields that Luke had surrounded himself with. He bent down, reaching out for Luke-

His son flinched away.

It hurt. It was a pain that he couldn’t really describe except that it made him freeze and feel a terror that he’d never really experienced before. His hand stopped where it was and he looked up at Padme as if she could give him an answer.

When he looked back down, Obi-Wan frowned and cupped Luke’s face making the child look at him. Anakin watched as Luke squirmed and then blinked and drew in a shuddering breath. Obi-Wan’s face become more pensive, if such a thing was possible.

Anakin ignored it. Instead, Luke’s face shifted a little more as the boy blinked, almost like a ship coming to life after going through the ignition sequence. He sniffled a little and then pulled away from Obi-Wan before turning his attention back up.

This time Luke leaned into him when Anakin bent down to him. His son wrapped thin arms around Anakin’s neck and Anakin could feel Luke lean his cheek against Padme’s as she wrapped an arm around his back.

“Do you remember what happened,” Anakin heard Padme ask. Cheek resting against Luke’s hair, Anakin tracked Obi-Wan’s movements as the man stood, looking older than usual. There was a pointed glance at Padme which Anakin didn’t appreciate, but there was no-one he was willing to leave Luke with so he sighed. Pressing a kiss to Luke’s head, he sat the boy on the edge of a table and bent down in front of him.

Mercifully, colour was already starting to come back into Luke’s cheeks and he was starting to look around curiously. Anakin couldn’t stop running his hands over his son, trying to check for any indication that he might be hurt. Luke blinked down at him, his face curious and the expression was so cute that Anakin wasn’t entirely sure that he could leave.

“You all right?” Anakin asked as Padme took a seat next to Luke.

Luke nodded, leaning into his mother. “You saved her,” he said, sounding pleased. Then he squinted up at the hole in the ceiling and looked absolutely fascinated.

He seemed fine. Force knew how, but his son was absolutely fine, as if he’d forgotten what has happened. The only sign that something had happened was the blood on his chin and the fading red rimmed eyes. Padme wrapped an arm around him and looked down at Anakin, her brown eyes too bright for the light.

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan said behind him. “We need to have a conversation.”

Xxx

“Hm,” was all that Yoda said as he bent over the body of the bounty hunter.

Anakin stood in the open doorway, arms folded as he watched. Behind him, Obi-Wan was studying the droid pieces as if there were hidden clues that had been left behind. As if Anakin was still a child who couldn’t look for his things properly.

“What was in his mind?” Anakin asked, staring at the blaster that was now splayed across the bounty’s hunter’s hands.

“If I had to put a name to it?” Obi-Wan asked as he stood up. “You.”

What?

Spinning around, Anakin glared at him. “You saw what happened when I reached for him”

“No, I felt what happened when you reached for him. Something that felt like you flared up and the boy’s mind couldn’t process it. But he locked it away.” Obi-Wan stroked his beard thoughtfully, a motion that Anakin hated. “Quite impressively too.”

“I didn’t-”

“Know that we do not,” Yoda said quietly.

They both turned to him.

“Heard if it once I have. A Jedi there was who loved. And when her love was dying, poured all of herself into him she did. Kept him together. Protected him. Dead I do not believe you were in Luke's future.”

He almost stopped thinking. But…how? Baffled, Anakin looked over at Obi-Wan. “Have you-”

“Ah,” Obi-Wan’s voice almost cut over him. “It might go some way to explaining those shields he has around his mind.” He turned to Anakin. “There are theories that when we are one with the force we can be like echoes. A presence still in the universe. This simply…it meant being a presence within one person.” He turned back to Yoda. “The meeting with the sith lord. It would have taken at least two of us to get Luke out and then…the damage…”

“I was dead,” Anakin snapped. “I wasn’t… I would never have left Padme on her own. Left Luke or…” he broke off, almost unable to bear the pain that was the memory of that lost child he would never know.

“Injured you might have been. Lost to us. Imprisoned. Know we cannot,” Yoda’s hand raised and the body raised with it. “Rebounded, the blast did. Do that, a youngling cannot, no matter how strong. Knowledge and practise is needed.”

“I can’t…” Anakin broke off annoyed. Part of him was convinced he was simply wasting time when Luke actually did need him. “I can’t even do that. It wasn’t-”

“Seven years from now, you might,” Obi-Wan said thoughtfully and Anakin could have hit him in that moment. “Anakin, are you telling me that if you saw your son, his mind ripped apart or harmed by the force in such a way that he was unravelling, are you honestly telling me that you wouldn’t do anything to hold him together?”

“I wouldn’t know how.”

“Yet.”

Anakin stared down at Yoda and then almost collapsed against the doorway, feeling the day’s events starting to catch up with him. “He didn’t know me,” he whispered. “If…If I was alive-”

“They’d have hunted you,” Obi-Wan said.

“And you.”

“Hence Luke was alone,” Obi-Wan said. “Perhaps we were concerned about the connection the two of you might have had. Perhaps you were hunted more than I was. Perhaps the sith knew you might have a child and therefore watched you more closely. I don’t know. But that was you I felt in there. Not as you are now, it was…muffled and twisted. Whatever happened…but it was you.”

He didn’t know why that made it all the more agonising. There had been…perhaps an escape from responsibility. He’d died before Luke had been born. He’d let them down, but not knowingly. Now? Now, he might have stayed away from his son. Left him to that hideous life on the run where no-one seemed to remember that he was just a little boy.

That kind of anger…that was what he had said to Padme. And he knew that he had it in him. Knew that if he had been there when the bounty hunter had tried to shoot at his son, he would have done exactly what had been done.

It was part of what scared him when he woke in the middle of the night. Part of the terror that reared up whenever Luke flinched away from him because what if? What if he couldn’t control it? What if he hurt someone unintentionally or did something that he couldn’t take back?

And Luke?

If Luke had that part of Anakin inside of him then he would be protected. That was…a relief. But he would also always know what Anakin’s temper was like. And whatever had happened in Luke’s mind had hurt the little boy.

“I need…” Anakin turned away. “I should be with them.”

Padme, Luke and…and the suspicion that he had from his wife’s behaviour recently.

Neither Obi-Wan nor Yoda called him back. Truthfully, he had no idea what he would have said had they tried.

Xxx

That night, he lay with his son in his arms, curled up and snoring gently into his chest. Padme was on his other side, a hand on Luke’s back and completely silent. The window was open and the curtains streamed into their room in the wind. Anakin watched the movement, his mind racing.

What would that have been like? If he’d been kept from Padme’s side when she’d given birth and had found out about her death. About the twins. If he hadn’t been allowed to have contact with Luke or had been forced to watch him from a distance.

He cupped the back of Luke’s head, his left still under and around Padme. His entire world was in this room.

How had he let them down?

“It could have been so much worse,” Padme whispered suddenly and Anakin stirred, trying to refocus and follow where her thoughts had gone. “You shouldn’t have come after me.”

“It wasn’t just you that I was coming after though, was it?” Anakin said to the ceiling.

Padme was silent. “The medi-droids confirmed,” she said after a few seconds. “How long have you-”

“Last week. About the same time you started to wonder,” Anakin said before he shifted a little. Luke stirred a bit but their gentle touches lulled him back to sleep.

“You’re not happy?”

Happy?

The last time she’d been in childbirth, she’d died. And they’d lost a child they’d never met and the other one that they had was traumatised and how would that work with a new baby? And the war?

But…a baby? To see everything that they’d missed out on with Luke. To have a proper chance to keep a child safe and loved and… well.

“I am,” he said, turning to press a kiss to her head as he tightened his arm around her. “Scared,” he admitted. “But…happy. Never doubt that.”

She snuggled closer to him and he felt her heavy sigh of relief. Then: “I think…maybe I should step down.”

That surprised him. Anakin turned to look down at her. He’d been half sure that she’d work until she gave birth in the senate chambers.

“It’s been a long day,” was all he said, tightening his arm. “We have time to decide.”

She nodded. “For a moment I thought that…” she trailed off and he could hear the threatening tears. “When I realised I had your lightsabre and you two were in the building-”

He rolled and carefully put Luke in the space between them, his son facing him but snuggling close. Padme’s face was streaked with tears and he cupped her face, pressing his lips to hers. “I nearly broke something,” Anakin confessed. “Luke was staring at me and I…I thought I’d hurl from the horror. Two of you…three of you to protect and I couldn’t…” he shook his head. “Whatever you decide with the job, I’m staying here. With you.”

She smiled at him through her tears. “It’s been a long day,” she parroted back at him.

Yeah. He didn’t think he was gonna change his mind, but they’d see.

Chapter Text

The senate chamber was still a place that baffled Anakin. Even as a Jedi, he had stood watch and felt utterly useless as debates raged back and forth. And clearly, in his opinion, there were some who shouldn’t have a say. Many that showed their ignorance or selfish goals by their stance on the war and on people’s lives.

Padme had scowled at him when he’d said that. Everyone deserves a voice that is listened to, she’d argued. Even if it’s callous or selfish it should still be listened to, then weighed up against the other voices.

He still didn’t agree.

But it wasn’t often that Anakin got to watch his wife at work like this. He stood, arms folded and leaning against one of the entrance ways into the senate floor. The debate that raged on made him want to throw something at the smug, sheltered people that called for more, more, more.

He couldn’t imagine that any of them had any true experience of fighting. Of what it was like to be on the front lines, to know the clones weren’t just there to fight and fall but had names and personalities and-

He almost turned away. Almost got straight in his old Delta 7 to fly out and help as he once had.

But there was Padme and Luke and the new baby. The one that Padme carried even now as she floated her pod closer to the Chancellor, determined to be heard. Ten days had passed since they’d last been in the senate chambers and the bounty hunters had come. Ten days and she was back, jaw set and eyes narrowed as she battled those who weighed lives by credits.

“I’d forgotten how good she can be,” Ahsoka whispered to him.

He hadn’t heard her sneak up. He wasn’t sure if that meant she was getting very good, or he was getting sloppy.

Probably a mix of the two.

“I saw Luke at the temple,” she offered. “He seems to be getting bigger.”

“He’ll start school soon,” Anakin murmured. “Yoda wanted to see him again before he left for the outer rim.”

“We’re no closer then?”

To working out what had destroyed the Jedi? “No,” Anakin said as Senator Organa added his argument to Padme’s. He almost debated it, as if he hadn’t driven himself half mad with it for weeks when Luke had first arrived. “What about you, Snips? Home for a while?”

She beamed at him. “I’m to bolster my training. Master Yoda was impressed by what I had learned while being away. Master Windu…” she hesitated. “He complimented my battle strategy,” she finished with an almost forced cheerful note.

He’d probably had her for too long for Master Windu to find anything too complimentary to say. He was half surprised she’d gotten anything out of Yoda.

Although, Yoda did seem to genuinely have a soft spot for Luke. Probably because the kid looked angelic enough and didn’t have an angry bone in his body.

Would the baby be like that? Looking like butter wouldn’t melt but actually just another boy that would view the entire world as a place to practise daredevil stunts? Anakin wasn’t entirely sure he could handle two of them. Or a girl who loved daredevil stunts. Force, if she looked like Padme, he wouldn’t know what to do half the time.

What if the baby was stubborn? Luke had an odd variant of it, easily talked down and ideas explained, but there were a few moments when he dug his heels in and absolutely refused to be moved.

Stars, what if the baby was just as stubborn as Padme?

“I don’t understand this,” Ahsoka murmured, breaking his thought process. “Nothing they are talking about makes any sense. Why are we even at war? I know the Separatists are evil and they’re lead by the Sith but-”

“They don’t see it,” he said softly. “Clones dying. Worlds ravaged by war. It’s too distant.”

Not that it excused them. At all. If Anakin had his way, a lot of the Banking Clan would be dropped in a red zone with nothing but a blaster and a comms device and left to it for a month. See how concerned about credits they were then! But wars needed to be funded, troops needed to be moved and fed…

“It could just go on though, right?” Ahsoka asked curiously, staring up at him with her big eyes. “I mean, we produce clones, they produce droids.”

“What are we meant to do?” Anakin asked. “Just give in? Let the Seppy’s win?” He winced at his toned and rubbed his eyes. “It feels never ending,” he admitted. “Worse here in some ways. I have no idea how to win that fight,” he said, waving a hand at the senate chamber. “Sometimes…sometimes I think that all this debating just means we stand and do nothing.”

Ahsoka hummed in agreement, then flashed him a smile. “She might win it for us,” she said hopefully as Padme’s pod returned, the discussion now at an unresolved end.

From the look on Padme’s face, he doubted it.

Xxx

She was quiet that evening. Even Luke attempting to eat Aldaraanian spaghetti didn’t seem to cheer her up (though Anakin guessed that might have been because she at least had the foresight to see what a monumental clean-up operation he was creating!)

Padme was still quiet when they went to bed and he cupped a handover her still flat stomach, half wishing that the baby was bigger so that he could see it, feel it. That he could reassure himself all was there and everything was all right the way he could with Luke.

The next morning, she was gone. Urgent business from the woman who had wondered days ago if she should step back in her role.

It made him grin.

Luke however had suddenly decided to trigger some dramatic gene hidden somewhere within. Nine more days until he joined at the new school and his son was sulking. He sprawled on the sofa and glared at Anakin. And when he wasn’t doing that, he was trying to persuade Anakin that school would be useless anyway because Luke wanted to be a pilot and Anakin could teach him that. Then the sulking would happen again and then Luke would decide that he should go to school in Naboo because there he could already specialise in piloting and follow that career path.

Then they returned to sulking.

Stars, Anakin was starting to wish that Luke had never even heard of what a pilot was. By 1400 hours he had given up and was escorting his son to visit Padme because words were her thing and Anakin was running out of ways to say no.

Well…pretty much say no. Saying no to Luke was hard. Especially when Anakin could almost see Luke’s logic.

Still, all of that went out the hatch door when he talked to the reception droid.

“What do you mean not in?” he asked, baffled.

“Senator Amidala left Coruscant this morning for a diplomatic mission in Mandalore,” the droid repeated helpfully.

Mandalore?!

She’d gone to Mandalore. With their baby?

He was pretty sure she should have run that past him. Mentioned it at least.

“I could take us to Mandalore if I was a pilot,” Luke pointed out in the lengthening silence, shooting the droid a helpful smile.

Anakin held out a warning hand to his son who (thankfully) seemed to interpret that correctly and remained very quiet.

Xxx

By the time she came back the following day, he was furious.

“Where have you been?” he asked as she walked down the landing ramp. Behind her, a slightly sheepish looking Ahsoka was staring at the sky as if that would make him ignore her.

“I was visiting a friend-”

“Who?”

Padme whirled around to face him. “I was meeting Mina Bonteri.”

Who?

It must have shown on his face that he still had no idea who she was talking about. Padme rolled her eyes muttered something under her breath as she continued to stride towards the senate entrance.

“Master-”

“Obi-Wan is looking for you,” Anakin said, without sparing Ahsoka a glance. “When he said you were to learn from Senator Amidala, this is not what he meant.”

His voice was harsher than he intended and, for a second, she shrunk back a little, all wide blue eyes. But then he expression firmed and she simply stalked off in a way he would have been proud of had it not been directed at him.

“Is Luke at home?” Padme asked as he caught her up in a few long strides.

“Ah, now you care about where our son is-”

“Don’t you dare do that,” she snapped, whirling around to face him. Her brown eyes were alight with anger and her face was pale. “I went to see if I could make peace with the Separatists. And I might have found a way. A lasting resolution to ensure our son doesn’t have to grow up in war. Again. So don’t start that, Anakin.”

And with that, she stormed off, leaving him gaping at her back.

Xxx

He didn’t follow her in. Didn’t think that would be wise. He lingered long enough to see that she was with the Chancellor and then left, jumping in the speeder to collect Luke.

Meeting with separatists? An old friend? Stopping the war? He didn’t know if his wife was just insane or that effective that she thought she might be able to do all she set out to.

Inside the temple, Luke was watching the younglings as they concentrated on the blocks they were hovering. Each child, younger than Luke was frowning in concentration, dressed in the Jedi training garb. Luke looked fascinated as he sat quietly.

“Ahsoka said that Padme visited the Separatists,” Obi-Wan said quietly coming to stand by Anakin. He folded his arms as he watched the younglings. “She’s quite the force to be reckoned with.”

“She’s pregnant,” Anakin said dully.

He could feel the amazement in the force. “With…” Obi-Wan nodded towards Luke pointedly.

“I…She’s not far along. We’ll find out later if there’s… more. But…The timing doesn’t seem right,” Anakin said with a shrug. “She didn’t even tell me she was going.” He studied Luke, all smiles and sunshine as the boy peered at the class. “We’re insane,” he decided. “Bringing a child into this. Another child. Didn’t exactly do well with Luke the first time around. Or this time,” he added thoughtfully.

Obi-Wan sighed. “I…I’m afraid that, in this, I have little advice to offer.”

“You don’t have any advice to offer,” Anakin muttered. “She takes too many risks,” he snapped seconds later. “I don’t…there’ll be three of them. How do you protect three people all the time?”

“Perhaps you should trust Padme. Then you’ll only have to protect one each.”

“My wife just went to Separatist space without a guard-”

“But with Ahsoka.”

“A padawan,” Anakin dismissed. “Yes, a talented one and she will be a great knight one day, but still. One guard.”

Obi-wan eyed him up in a way that usually meant that Anakin was lacking in some way and stars, had he forgotten how much he hated that. It made him clench his jaw and need to block himself in to avoid disrupting the younglings practise.

“Luke,” he called tightly. “Come on.”

His son scrambled up and meandered over, his gaze still mostly on the younglings and their practise routines.

“Padme is very capable-”

“Not married, no opinion,” Anakin said sharply. “Come on, Luke.”

xxx

Walking through the district wasn’t something that Anakin often did, but delaying getting home seemed wise. Besides, the weather for Courscant was actually pleasant as they walked through the evening crowds. There was a Cerean couple and a Rodian child running ahead of its mother. Above, the holos silently broadcasted the news updates and advertised various products at the local mall.

Anakin would bet that a few levels below they didn’t bother to use any form of advertising. It always seemed so strange to him that if you found a gap in the sidewalk or jumped down from the bridges that you would end up in a completely different world, far more impoverished and desperate.

He wondered if Luke had worked that out yet.

“Look,” Luke said pointing at a RGC Airspeeder, and yes, apparently oblivious. “That Devaronian looks younger than me and he’s piloting.”

“She,” Anakin corrected as he glanced over at the traffic. A human woman walked by and hid a smile, apparently hearing Luke’s whine. Anakin winced and then looked down at his son who was almost tripping over his own feet as he kept his eyes on the traffic lines.

Somewhere in that blond head and beyond those innocent blue eyes, his future self lurked.

He was learning to ignore it. That was all they could do, Yoda had warned. They were taking precautions and Luke was being regularly seen by members of the council now to check that his mind wasn’t overwhelmed, but Yoda himself admitted that he’d never seen anything like it in his life time.

He wondered what he would have done in that future. Probably have let the boy fly so that he could run if needed.

Anakin hated that. Luke should be protected and safe and never have to worry about planning an escape. Absently, he brushed a hand through the still baby soft hair and then held Luke by the shoulders, kneeling so that they were of a height.

“Thirteen,” he said firmly. “That’s when legally we can look at you learning how to fly. And that’s with me using every loophole in the book. Thirteen. I promise.”

Luke glanced up again and then huffed. “But that’s ages away,” he whined. “Bet you weren’t thirteen.”

No. “Outer rim worlds are a bit more lax,” he said with a grin. “Maybe we can sneak in a ride or two there once the war is over.”

Luke tilted his head, but Anakin wasn’t sure what it was that had stirred the boy’s curiosity. Then: “Did you grow up on Tattooine?” Luke asked slowly.

Force, he did not want to have this conversation. “You know I lived there for a while,” he said, trying to dodge the question a little. He stood and gave Luke’s shoulder a gentle push to indicate that they should keep on moving.

“No piloting laws there,” Luke hinted.

It would have made him smile if they’d been talking about any other planet. “We’re not going back there,” he said firmly.

“But-”

“Luke-” Anakin started, turning to look down at his precocious offspring when suddenly the entire quarter shook. He pulled Luke in close automatically and had his lightsabre in his hand when all of the lights died.

Around them, people gasped and he could feel the rising panic. The lights continued to disappear across the district like a tidal wave that never seemed to end. Even in the distance, the lights were vanishing. The traffic, usually controlled by the signals was suddenly without co-ordination and the lights from the vehicles provided some of the only sources of light.

Slowly, Anakin ignited his weapon, more to use as a light source than for any combat. Against his chest, Luke was peering around, but he didn’t sense worry from his son.

He got that from his mother, Anakin decided.

“Jedi!” someone shouted hopefully.

“What is it?” another asked.

Anakin could only shake his head, eyes on the traffic. Pilots in Coruscant had short enough patience that if one of them broke the traffic lanes there was the instant risk of chaos. Below would be worse, he realised looking down at the bridge he and Luke were standing on.

There was a distant scream and an explosion, not far away. It lit up the district making Anakin’s eyes water at the sudden change.

“Get inside,” he advised as he gripped Luke’s shoulder and steered the boy forward. “The traffic’s the danger at the moment.”

“What is it?” someone else called.

“An attack,” one volunteered. “The war. The Separatists. They’ve come for us.”

So much for Padme’s plans for peace.

Xxx

His wife was furious.

She stood in the chancellor’s office arguing when Anakin walked in. The chancellor looked a little taken aback and genuinely relieved to see Anakin walk in.

“Senator Amidala,” the chancellor said in a tone that suggested this was not the first time he’d tried to halt her tirade. “I understand that you are disappointed, but this attack surely shows that the Separatists were not as honest as you were lead to believe. Their offer of peace-”

“Was genuine. I was there with Mina. They feel as trapped by the war as we do,” she said and Anakin was astounded by how loud she was getting. “This is a ploy. Someone wants the peace talks to fail.”

The chancellor glanced at Luke. “I do hope that neither of you were hurt,” he said in a gentle tone. Padme blinked at him as if baffled and then turned. Her expression instantly crumpled and she held out an arm to Luke. Their son instantly went over and leaned into her, his little face suddenly sombre, as if he hadn’t still been pointing out that he could probably navigate in the dark without signals.

If Anakin had been half as bad as Luke then he owed Obi-Wan a bottle of Corellian brandy. A big one.

“You okay?” Padme asked, stroking Luke’s face. Their son nodded earnestly.

“The lights went out,” he said slowly, glancing between the adults. “Dad got us back here,” he added with a proud little smile and stars, it was embarrassing that such praise could make Anakin almost puff with glee that his son was boasting about him.

“The power’s down everywhere that we could see. We were walking back from the Jedi Temple,” Anakin offered.

“Our main power station was bombed,” the chancellor said in a sad tone. “We are re-routing to back up generators, but seven of the districts relied on that power. We have reports coming in of injuries and further explosions.”

“More bombs?” Anakin asked.

“Accidents,” Padme said, holding Luke to her. “Air speeders going off course, looting in the lower levels. They know the security feeds are down too. Some minor riots have broken out.”

Riots?

It shocked him, even though he had no idea why. Coruscant’s poverty divide was extreme to say the least.

“It is being dealt with as much as it can be,” the chancellor said, sitting down heavily in the chair behind his desk. He stared out across the dark city and Anakin could see the occasional flash that denoted a weapon being fired. “I did have hope, Padme, I truly did. If anyone could bring the Separatists to us for peaceful negotiations, it would be you. But I fear this has gone too far.”

Padme didn’t look at him, but stared out of the window and Anakin would almost have given up Artoo at that moment to know what she was thinking. Oddly, everything felt strangely fragile and uncertain between them and he was still angry but she was angry and he could feel neither of them would back down from their point of view.

When he looked over, the chancellor was watching him thoughtfully. He seemed to stir when he realised that Anakin was looking at him and sighed. “It is late,” the chancellor said. “We reconvene tomorrow. You should get some sleep. All of you.” He nodded at Anakin. “I assume that you will be able to handle an airspeeder even in the chaos to get the senator home.”

Luke immediately perked up and Anakin couldn’t manage to suppress the groan.

Xxx

“Are we going to talk?” Anakin asked as Padme came out of Luke’s room. The ride home had been awkwardly silent as Anakin had finally snapped at Luke to stop his incessant pleading for a chance at the controls and Padme had glared at him the whole ride back while Luke had watched everything outside the airspeeder and refused to look at Anakin. They were lucky that their apartment wasn’t far away and it had taken some concentration to get them all home without incident. Thankfully, a few of the back-up generators had already switched back on so the traffic wasn’t as bad as it had been when he and Luke were walking.

Padme folded her arms. “About your temper?”

“About you going off and-”

“Oh, as if you wouldn’t have done exactly the same thing,” she snapped, dropping her arms and stalking past him. Anakin followed, pressing the controls to shut all the doors he could to try and ensure that Luke didn’t hear what was clearly going to be an argument.

“I am not pregnant,” he pointed out. “That’s my child too,” he added, pointing at her stomach. I get some say-“

“I am not your baby machine,” she snarled (actually snarled!) at him. He gaped at her, baffled as she seemed to nod to herself and then continued to the rooms they used to host when they had company.

“Don’t make it about that,” he said, once he’d recovered. “You should have at least told me-”

“So you could stop me?” she asked, and he stopped as he saw her get out some bedding from a cupboard he hadn’t even known existed. “That’s what you would have done, isn’t it?”

“I’d have gone with you,” he muttered and watched as she dumped the bedding on the wide sofas. He was starting to get an inkling as to what was about to happen.

“And Luke?”

“If it wasn’t safe for Luke, then it probably wasn’t safe for the baby,” he pointed out in what he thought was a reasonable tone.

“So now I’m a bad mother?”

“I…” he stared out at the windows, sure that there was a way to win this. And almost as sure that she was being unreasonable. He hated arguing with her sometimes. It was her damned job to win arguments.

“There,” she said, once she’d finished making up a bed on the sofa. “You’re sleeping here tonight.”

“Why?” he shot back in a nasty tone. “Do you need to be able to sneak away in the morning again?”

“Hardly difficult,” she said, in an equally cruel tone. “You have nothing to get up for at the moment.”

And with that parting shot, she slammed the door.

He stared at the bedding for about ten seconds, swore and then stormed out of the apartments.

Xxx

By the time sunrise came, he was in the lower levels supervising what had to be the twenty second arrest of the night. He’d already been in the destroyed power grid and seen the carnage there. Five bounty hunters had tried to make a profit that night and the residents had quickly ratted them out in sheer disgust. The lower levels had been harder to deal with; desperate people always were because Anakin knew what it was like to feel so hopeless that you would seize any opportunity and damn the consequences. There were a few that he purposefully ignored, but some needed to be arrested and taken to cool down before they incited others.

It was a long and foul night. Not made any better by the fact that when he returned home, Padme had already left and Luke was sitting with Captain Typho, playing some racing holo game.

“It was the only way to get him to leave it alone,” the captain muttered when he saw Anakin in the doorway. “The senator went in early.”

Of course she had.

“You all right?” Anakin checked with Luke. His son nodded, eyes glued to the holo as he threw his whole body to the left to make the turn on the projection.

“I need to sleep,” Anakin muttered.

Captain Typho said nothing but nodded, as if he’d been expecting it.

“Gregar?” Anakin said as he opened the door that would lead him down to the bedroom. He waited as the man glanced over questioningly. “Thank you,” he said, with a pointed look at Luke.

An amused smile crossed the man’s usually serious features. “Don’t thank me yet,” he warned. “I may have swapped one obsession with another.”

Anakin almost smiled.

Xxx

He slept for most of the day, surprised by how tired he was. He’d been awake for longer on missions, but somehow fighting with Padme and worrying about her exhausted him more than anything else. He ordered food, ignoring the slight balk inside at the expense of it.

The game that Typho had introduced Luke too proved interesting enough that he gave his son a few games. Luke won the first and was obnoxious about it, but he took losing the next three pretty graciously. He even crawled over and demanded that Anakin show him how he’d done the barrel roll at one point.

He found himself enjoying the evening, despite everything. Luke was in his lap as they flew together on the holo, both holding the controls and Anakin would occasionally pull food over using the force in a way that he was sure every Jedi Master in the universe would have an issue with.

One day, he thought as he tilted him and Luke almost to the floor as they tried a tight bend, one day he and Luke could be doing this for real. Him and his grown-up son, flying together.

He was surprised to discover that part of him couldn’t wait for it.

It was fortuitous timing that he shut off the holo just before Padme’s speech was broadcasted. The force was working in his favour and Luke let out a surprised yelp of delight at seeing his mother on the holo news.

“…Tekla lives in a district that rarely has electricity and running water as a result of the war. Her children can now only bathe every two weeks and they have no light in which to read or study at night.”

Anakin paused and then sat back down, drawing Luke onto his lap again. He knew Tekla, she was one of Padme’s aides who was often a smiling, calm presence and who occasionally commed him when Padme was working too late or was upset.

He hadn’t known. Hadn’t even sensed that something was wrong. And he didn’t know if that was because he was so wrapped up in his own issues, or if it was because, for her, that was simply life.

“The republic has always funded these basic services,” Padme continued on the screen, “but now, there are those that would divert the money to the war with no thought for what the people need to survive. If not for people like Tekla and her children, who are we fighting for?”

Anakin rested his head on Luke’s, staring at his wife. Strange in way, that he’d always been so aware of what the front lines were like that he’d never given a thought to issues like she spoke of. People being deprived in order to fund the war, people being left helpless and unprotected just so that more clones could be produced.

“My people, your people. All of our people. This war is meant to save them from suffering, not increase it. I support our brave soldiers, whether they come from the clone factories or from any of the thousand systems loyal to the republic. But if we continue to impoverish our people, it is not on the battlefield that Dooku will defeat us, but in our own homes. Therefore, it is our duty and our responsibility to preserve the lives of those around us by defeating this bill.”

Stars, he’d never felt so proud of her. Standing there, her face so determined, it occurred to him that usually Senator Organa made these rousing speeches. Stars knew what had meant it was Padme doing it, but…by the force was she so good at what she did.

“Does mom need help defeating bill?” Luke asked, sounding a little unsure of the wording.

“I think she’s doing fine on her own,” Anakin said softly. “She…the senate want to spend money on more clone soldiers for the war. They have to pass a bill which means they have to agree on that idea.”

He was pretty sure that was how it worked. Obi-Wan’s distaste for politics hadn’t exactly made it easy to pick these things up.

“And that takes money away from people?” Luke asked slowly.

“Mm.”

“That’s stupid,” Luke decided. “Everyone should be able to have a bath whenever they want. Water’s…water’s everything.”

Spoken like a true desert raised boy.

Xxx

When Padme finally got back, she was clearly exhausted, but it didn’t seem to stop her from gearing up for round two. (Round three? Stars, it was bad when he lost count of where they were up to in their fights!)

“We saw you,” Luke announced, dressed in his pyjamas and looking deceptively sweet. “On the holo.”

It seemed to knock any fight out of her. Padme blinked down at Luke and then smiled at his proud look and wow, was Anakin glad he wasn’t the only one that reacted like that when Luke was pleased with them.

“You did?” she asked, and he was startled to see how bright her eyes were. How long had it been since she’d had a proper sleep, he wondered?

“You were right,” he added and she looked at him, stunned. “Not about not telling me where you were going, but…it’s the hidden cost, isn’t it? The suffering that no-one thinks of in war. No-one except you, apparently.”

She stayed still, staring at him as if he were a walking dream and it made his heart ache. Slowly and carefully, as if she were fragile, he gathered her close and felt her almost collapse into his hold.

“You need to sleep, “he murmured to her. “A proper sleep.”

She nodded without argument.

Xxx

“Mina was killed,” she said quietly as they lay there in the darkness. It took a moment for the meaning of the words to sink in and Anakin winced before he reached out for her.

“You don’t even know who she was to me,” Padme said, resisting.

“Your mentor,” Anakin said quietly. “I…the name didn’t mean anything the other day, but I remembered…it was one of our early arguments about the Separatists. You said that they had some valid points and talked about her.”

It was clearly the right thing to say. She softened a little and let him draw her close. Unbidden, his hand found her stomach where their tiny child lay, growing. He smoothed his thumb over her skin, lost in thought for a moment. “Did…was it good? Seeing her again? Even if after…”

“It complicated things,” she admitted slowly. “To see her and talk to her… sometimes it’s easier to think we’re fighting a war that’s good versus evil. Jedi versus sith. Yet…they think we’re corrupt. And the more I witness of the banking clans and the cloning factories…I feat we’re being held to ransom. I fear…what if the senate is being corrupted? What if there is no good side to this war?”

He didn’t know how to respond to that. The war as a Jedi had been simple. Jedi versus Sith. There were no shades in between. Stepping away from the order and seeing it with new eyes…”Do you think it would be as bad if force users weren’t involved?”

She was silent. Thinking. “Maybe not,” she admitted eventually. “But I know the ethos of the Sith. I cannot believe that anything that they do is good. Maybe that’s the only thing that gives me hope at times that we are truly on the right side. And Luke’s future…” she trailed off and Anakin frowned into her hair.

“An empire,” he whispered.

“We have a senate and so do the separatists,” she whispered back. “How do we go from democracy to dictatorship, either side?”

Either side? It hadn’t occurred to him that the galactic senate could dissolve into the Empire that Luke had once spoken of with such fear.

“I want…there’s nothing I want more than to keep our children safe,” she said and her voice wobbled. “But…what if we run from this and hide away and we end up in Luke’s future? In a galaxy where we cannot protect our children?”

It was on the tip of his tongue to say that nothing would stop him from protecting them. Except, in Luke’s future, something had stopped him. Something had made him fail terribly.

“I think…maybe…we have to fight now,” she said and he could feel her tears. “Take our risks now. Otherwise all we’ll end up doing is running with our children and… I don’t want that for them.”

He stared at the window over her head. The security screens were on so he could see nothing outside but darkness. It felt oddly fitting. “You think I should go back out,” he said.

“I think that’s your choice.”

He stroked her stomach. The due date was roughly gonna be two months after Luke’s birthday. Probably not the twin that they had missed. She was only six weeks along. Plenty of time before the birth.

But Luke…

“I want to go,” he admitted. “I…it’s different now. I see things differently and I think that might be useful to the campaign. But…Luke…he’s been abandoned enough times.”

And you, he wanted to add. So vulnerable and such a target.

“I’ll be here,” she promised. “And you can pick and choose when you go. And there’s the holo. He was fine when you went to Geonosis.”

“Except for refusing to acknowledge me on the holo and the screaming fit he had,” Anakin snapped.

“He’d have had the ‘fit’ whether you’d been there or not,” Padme replied sharply. “He’s stronger than we give him credit.”

That wasn’t the problem. The problem was that Anakin didn’t want his eight-year-old son to feel like he had to be strong.

“I’ll think about it,” he mumbled. “You need to sleep. You’re sleeping for two.”

“Not how it works,” she sighed.

“Humour me.”

Chapter Text

In the two months since Anakin had been back on active duty he (and he’d never admit this within his family's hearing) had remembered how much he loved being a Jedi.

Parts of it. The part where he got to help people, got to run and dodge and duck and do something. Where he could look back at a day’s work and think, yeah, I’ve changed something.

That he’d missed. More than having two flesh hands!

But it was different now. Now, he missed Luke and Padme and more Luke, bad as that sounded. His son changed could change so much in a matter of days, especially now that he was at school. He’d be full of ideas and stories one minute and the next he’d be onto something else.

In the year that Luke had been with them, his son had accepted a lot. He at least now seemed to trust that Anakin would eventually return and could actually talk to him over the holo. And he boasted about Anakin, according to Padme and Captain Typho. That was ace.

It had been less fun when he’d had to pretend to lecture Luke when his son had argued fiercely with someone who had claimed all Jedi were boring. And Luke argued the way children on Tatooine were trained to argue – all curses and shoves. Luke had seemed genuinely surprised that the other child had crumpled to the floor and had spent the next week looking quite baffled by the new reasonable and calm way to deal with things.

That, Anakin could relate to. When Padme had commented in shock that she’d thought Beru would have raised Luke better, Anakin had pointed out that Tatooine was too harsh a world to teach a child to use nice words in a fight, even if Luke had been small when he’d left. And Anakin doubted that anyone had bothered to train Luke in the niceties of a disagreement afterwards.

Well… he glanced at Obi-Wan in the co-pilot’s seat. One person could have. The only problem was that Obi-Wan genuinely seemed to think that sarcasm was a universal language.

“Of course I have full trust in your ability to get us to the correct rendezvous at the correct time. It must be the clones who can understand and follow orders to the letter that must be at fault,” the man was saying, smiling sweetly.

“You raised me,” Anakin muttered as he punched in to make contact with the cruiser and Captain Rex. “Your fault if you don’t like the product.”

“If you had ever listened to a word I said, then I would agree with you,” Obi-Wan replied evenly.

Anakin was spared having to think of a retort as Rex appeared in front of him, the image jumping and fragile. This far out, communication could be sketchy.

“We’re at the rendezvous point, awaiting your arrival,” Anakin said calmly. Then, because part of him couldn’t let it go, he added, “Where are you?”

“Sir,” Captain Rex replied, the clone’s face looking almost amused, “We’re at the rendezvous point and there’s no sign of you on our scanners.”

“Imagine that,” Obi-Wan murmured.

“Oh, come on.” Anakin glared at his former master and didn’t spare a glance at Ahsoka who was probably quietly sniggering in the corner. If she made one more joke about him getting rusty, he’d eject her. “Something’s gotta be wrong,” he said quietly. “We’re at the exact co-ordinates where the distress signal originated and there’s nothing here. Rex is at the exact same co-ordinates and he’s not here.”

Obi-Wan pointedly leaned to check the co-ordinates and Anakin put up with that as best he could. Still, he could see the moment when amusement slipped off of Obi-Wan’s face.

“This is getting interesting,” Obi-Wan said.

Interesting? Really? Anakin bit his tongue as Rex’s signal broke up into crackled snippets that could barely be understood.

Great. And he’d promised he’d talk to Luke tonight to encourage him with this mediation kick that Master Windu was determined to shove down Luke’s throat.

As if Luke would sit still for that long.

“Something’s blocking the-” Ahsoka began, as if that was news. She stopped as the lights suddenly faded with an electronic wooshing sound as if a dial was being turned down really quickly. And then every light on the control panel went out.

“Not good,” Obi-Wan decided, and Anakin could just about make out the man tapping at the controls, as if that would somehow bring the ship back to life.

“Everything’s dead,” Ahsoka declared and she stood up so that he could see her from the light coming from the viewer. “Even the life support.”

No sooner had she said it then a fizzling noise broke out and the lights and engines came back on.

“What is-” Anakin glanced out and then blinked at the thing that had appeared in front of them. It looked like a giant diamond but one made out of coal or steel. It hovered in space without light or explanation.

“Master,” Ahsoka said slowly. “What is that?”

“I don’t know, but it’s pulling is towards it,” Anakin replied, thumbing at the propulsion. He glanced over at Obi-Wan who raised an eyebrow. “Would you have answered that any differently?” he asked, slightly annoyed at the reminder that Ahsoka possibly hadn’t meant for him to be the one to answer that question. “And do you think that’s important right now?”

“I hardly see how that,” Obi-Wan said, nodding to Anakin’s hands, “will make a difference. Oh, it’s opening,” he added in some surprise as the diamond thing started to open. The light that came from it was terrifyingly bright after the darkness they’d just experienced and as it took up the whole of the viewer, Anakin winced, almost unable to cope…

The next thing he knew, he was waking up. The transaition from one event to the other was so abrupt that he tensed instantly, baffled by what had happened. When had he ever just passed out because it was too bright?!

Next to him, Obi-Wan was starting to stir. He seemed to be having the same baffled feeling as he looked around, his eyes landing on what was outside before he turned questioningly to Anakin.

“I must have passed out,” Anakin murmured, rubbing his neck.

“Then who landed the shuttle?”

That…was a good question. And thankfully not followed by Ahsoka and Obi-Wan’s usual claims that Anakin could only ever manage a crash landing.

Liars.

Xxx

Outside looked almost like a planet which was baffling considering they’d flown into something that looked nothing like a planet. It was lush and green but there were great rocks almost suspended in the air, like jagged clouds against the cool blue sky.

“Are you the one?”

Anakin jumped, turning.

A woman, all green and gold stood staring at him. She looked almost…unreal and her voice echoed as if he was hearing it in his mind as well as with his ears.

“Well hello,” Obi-Wan said and Anakin nearly rolled his eyes because this was not Ventress and Obi-Wan really had to stop trying to flirt with everything just to annoy them into making mistakes.

“Who are you?” Anakin asked, trying to cut Obi-Wan off.

“I am daughter,” the woman said. “Are you the one?”

“The one what?” Anakin demanded, stepping forward. “Did you bring us here?”

“Only he can do that,” she replied mysteriously. “I will take you to him.” With that, the woman turned away, her green hair reaching almost to her knees and it had a volume his wife might actually kill for.

Force, he was never ever going to ask about the bottles in the ‘fresher again.

Anakin turned to look disbelievingly at Ahsoka and Obi-Wan who was stroking his beard in the way that Anakin was sue meant he had no idea what to do, but wanted to seem as if he was planning something.

“I guess we follow,” Ahsoka suggested, sounding not at all sure about it. But, brave as she was, she flashed a hopeful smile and started to stride after the woman.

“If she mentions the phrase ‘chosen one’,” Anakin began.

“Ah yes. I can see the catastrophic consequences you might threaten her with, given that she might have made us all pass out and land on this planet which none of our maps have ever hinted exist and where no-one can seem to spot us.” Obi-Wan smiled as if he lived for moments like this.

He probably did.

“I can threaten her with leaving you and your wit here, with her,” Anakin muttered as he started to hike after Ahsoka and this ‘daughter’.

Xxx

The walk to ‘him’ wasn’t short. As the light faded from the sky, the plant life seemed to shrink back on itself, as if going through the seasons with the fading day. They were getting higher and higher, following a narrow, curving path up the cliff edge which gave them a clear view of the changes going on far below. And, despite the rapid change, not one creature stirred from within the plants. It was as if the planet’s ever changing atmosphere couldn’t sustain anything living.

Yet…yet the force felt strong. Pure and calm. The planet nearly sung with it and Anakin couldn’t remember the last time it had felt so…so much. Luke, when he occasionally opened up to Anakin could feel like this, but their emotions always made the connection jump and jangle, like a string being plucked. This had no such limits.

“Who are you taking us too?” Anakin asked. Obi-Wan and Ahsoka had fallen behind a little and he could hear Obi-Wan’s calming tones as he talked to the Padawan, either offering advice or words of comfort.

“To the father,” the daughter replied, as if it was obvious.

“And what exactly are you?” Obi-Wan asked, apparently over-hearing the conversation.

“We are the ones who guard the power,” the daughter replied. “We are the middle, the beginning and the end.”

Right. He turned back to exchange a look with Obi-Wan when a rumbling overhead caused him to look up. The cliff edge was shaking and rocks were starting to fall with a loud shudder, like debris from a falling space craft.

Almost right onto the daughter.

He didn’t think. Using the force, he pushed himself forward quicker than the eye could follow and shoved at her too. Behind him, he could feel the waft of air and dirt as the stones crashed into the path they had been on and blocked the way for Ahsoka and Obi-Wan.

Great. Made even better by the daughter huffing about him touching her to move her out of the way and then rambling on about her brother’s plans.

She topped it off by walking away after telling him to stay put.

“Anakin, are you there?” the comm at his arm cackled.

“Yeah,” he said with a sigh. “But our friend here has run off,” he yelled, directing it at the daughter’s retreating back. “Go back to the ship and try sending another distress call,” he said, annoyed. “I’ll follow her and see if we can find a way off this rock.”

“And it it’s a trap?”

What did the man want? “Then I don’t wanna wait around to find out.”

Xxx

By nightfall, the daughter’s warning about how hostile the planet could be was fully deserved. The storm that started was vicious, cascading down lightning and rolling thunder through the skies. The plants faded away to dust, as if accelerated through their life cycle and the trees became skeletal, aglow whenever they were hit by lightning and casting eerie shadows across the landscape.

A monastery stood out amongst it all. The only building that could be seen that wasn’t ruins or at the mercy of the storm. Something about it reminded him of the Jedi temple, but he couldn’t exactly say what given how different the shapes of the building were. Perhaps it was the scale of them both, far larger than they needed to be, as if built for an army even though that was clearly not the purpose.

Inside, a walkway lead up to a man meditating. On either side was water and the same almost lightning glow illuminated the carvings that ran along the edges of the walkway. Out from the storm, Anakin stared across the grand room and then walked forward, steeling himself for what was to come.

When he got to the other side, he did the only thing that seemed correct.

He sat down, crossed legged at the bottom of the three steps up to the mysterious man, and waited.

It took some time. Yet Anakin felt no annoyance or frustration, simply curiosity. And when the man opened his eyes, they were as dark as space but the iris’ were that same lightning blue that illuminated the monastery.

“Welcome, my friend,” the man said, his voice echoing like daughters.

“What do you want from me?” Anakin asked slowly.

“To learn the truth about who you really are.” The man stood up, watching him carefully. “One that you may have known all along. One that you must believe in order to fulfil your destiny.

He’d heard so many versions of that speech since leaving Tattooine. So many versions of the destiny of the chosen one. The prophecy. The balance. His destiny.

“Think you’re gonna be disappointed,” Anakin muttered. “I am no longer a Jedi.”

The old man smiled. “And why does that matter?” he asked, sounding genuinely curious. “We are both so much more than the petty labels given to such beings these days.” He gestured with an imperious wave and, to Anakin’s surprise, his lightsabre left its position at his belt and floated over.

Surprised, Anakin stood and then watched, unsure as the blade was ignited.

“Jedi and Sith,” the man said, his hand hovering around the blade. Then with a smile, he reached out for the blade. Anakin opened his mouth to cry out, to stop him and then the cry died in his throat.

The man was touching the blade. Touching and examining it and doing it all unharmed.

How?

“I…how are you…”

“I imagine that most have forgotten about us now,” the old man said thoughtfully. “My children and I can manipulate the force like no other. Therefore, it was necessary for us to withdraw from the temporal world and live here as anchorites.”

It struck somewhere within him. How many had looked surprised or wary of what he would do? And Anakin knew that he wasn’t yet at the stage where his knowledge matched his power.

Look at what he had done to Luke a few years into the future.

“As a sanctuary?” he asked.

“And a prison,” the old man said sadly. “You cannot imagine what pain it is to have such love for your children and realise they could tear the very fabric of our universe.”

“More than you think,” Anakin said slowly.

“Ah,” the old man looked at him and smiled weakly. “Yes. Your boy. The time traveller. The one who has changed it all.”

A cold thrill ran through Anakin. As far away as Luke was, Anakin stiffened in defence, suddenly painfully alert.

“The son of the chosen one-”

“The chosen one is a myth,” Anakin snapped.

“Is it? I should very much like to know the answer to that.”

Xxx

As morning broke, Anakin found himself outside in the middle of what looked like an arena, dug into the side of the mountain and looking out across the valley below. Above, the stars were still in the cold blue sky, as if the two states of being had merged together, just for this moment.

The man hadn’t mentioned Luke again and Anakin wasn’t about to bring it up. Instead, the old man seemed determined to discover exactly whether Anakin was the chosen one.

A test.

“It is changing,” the old man said. “Rapidly, everything changes. The dark side plots and plans and the light…” the old man turned to look. “The light had chosen its last hope already.”

Anakin stared out at the landscape, spotting two specks in the distance. “What do you know of it?” he asked. “The time travel?”

“That balance is needed,” the old man said with a strange smile. “I believe things will be much clearer to you after you sleep.”

Sleep? Anakin blinked confused. He had slept, briefly.

And then his attention snapped back to the two winged creatures that flew towards them and the familiar people that they carried in their claws.

Ahsoka was carried by a dark beast that let out a hoarse roar that sounded like nails on the chalkboards they’d used to calculate payments back on Tattooine. Obi-Wan, landing on the platform on the opposite side of Anakin was carried by a four-legged creature that was white and green and Anakin glanced at the old man.

What was this? The colours were suspiciously the same colour as the daughter that had been absent for the night.

Both creatures held their captives by their arms, like chains, keeping Ahsoka and Obi-Wan captured.

“Why…why are you doing this?” Anakin demanded, looking between them.

“I told you. A test.”

A test. Anakin glanced between his friends again, a sinking feeling threatening. “I will not-”

“You will,” the old man promised. “I have ordered my children to kill you friends. The question is, which will you save. Your former master or your former padawan?”

Kill?

Anakin stared in disbelief and then twisted to stare first at Obi-Wan and then at Ahsoka. “No.”

How could he choose?

He wouldn’t choose.

“Your guilt,” the old man said in a calm voice. “It holds you back. Release it. Only the chosen one can control my children.”

Release his guilt?

The guilt that he’d once been a slave and had done nothing but watch, even if he had been a child? The guilt that he’d been freed and had left his mother behind knowing that she’d be less valuable without him? The guilt that he’d not done something to help Qui-Gon Jinn? The guilt that he’d not been perfect? The guilt that he’d been too old, too set in his ways for the council to accept him?

Padme?

Luke?

His future?

Something within him trembled. Even as Obi-Wan and Ahsoka called out, each pleading for the life of the other, for Anakin to protect himself, he felt something start to shift within him.

He was no longer a Jedi. He no longer had to feel ashamed of his love for his wife, for his difficulties with the code. And Luke…Luke had changed his perspective on so much of his past. He’d been a child. The same age as Luke and if someone had taken Luke away from such a life he’d have been on his knees every day in thanks. And his son…he was doing right by him. Showing him the kind of man he wanted Luke to become.

Avoiding that future as best he could.

It wasn’t complete. He didn’t lose every ounce of doubt or self-hate, but for the first time he thought he might see it all from a different point of view.

And that was powerful.

He was only half aware of his arms spreading out. The power felt almost visible, almost tangible as he let it loose. The creatures squawked and screamed as he raised his hands and they too rose.

He felt connection.

As he opened his eyes, the day had turned to night and the stars lit everything up. Without effort, he opened his eyes and gently released the creatures’ grips on his friends, lowering the pair down safely.

Then he pulled.

He felt no anger. No love. No hatred. No sorrow or guilt or glee. Nothing human. Only mild curiosity as to what he could do. He pushed suddenly, sending the creatures crashing against the stone walls of the arena, sending blocks tumbling to the ground from the force of it.

And when the creatures went once more for Ahsoka and Obi-Wan he forced the creatures to their knees in front of him. The beings writhed and fought until, in the end, the daughter in her original form knelt with a man who was as dark as she was light beside her. Both panting as if exhausted while the sky lightened.

He stared down at the beings in disbelief, his mind returning as the light did.

How had he done that?

Yet…it hadn’t felt like mastering some old wisdom. It had felt like…opening up and trusting himself. Of just knowing, the way he did with repairing an engine or wielding a lightsabre.

“And now,” the old man said. “We know who you are. Chosen one.”

Xxx

“How are you?” Obi-Wan asked as Anakin sat on the boarding ramp to their ship.

“I’m not sure,” he answered honestly. “That was…that wasn’t me doing that,” he said looking up at his old master. “Or I didn’t feel like me while I did it.”

Obi-Wan hummed as he sat down next to Anakin, and stared out at the landscape. “You are powerful,” he said eventually. “It’s all in the mind.”

Yeah. “Easier said than done.”

They sat comfortably, watching the warming sun and the way that the plants blossomed and sprouted. Within a few hours all would be killed off again and the stormy night would reign once more.

It seemed…like a prison. A doomed cycle that no-one could escape.

“He mentioned Luke.”

Anakin could feel Obi-Wan’s wary gaze. “Did he?” the man asked evenly.

There was a thought forming in his mind. Dangerous, yes, but one he wasn’t sure he could ignore. “You should get ready,” Anakin said, standing. “I’ll be back.”

“Is this wise?” Obi-Wan asked, not moving. When Anakin looked back, Obi-Wan was studying the ramp carefully.

“That’s all you’re gonna say?”

That half smile that Anakin so hated finally made an appearance. “I am no longer your master and you are no longer a Jedi. Our codes are not yours.”

Ouch.

“But I cannot see that this will end well. Some answers…some answers do not need to be found.”

Anakin stared down at him then nodded. “Get the ship ready,” he repeated. “I’ll return shortly.”

Xxx

The monastery was silent when he stepped back in. But all the same, the father was waiting for him. This time, he stood. His eyes tracking Anakin every step of the way.

“I know you can do it,” Anakin said.

The father watched him and Anakin braced himself for more of what he had heard from Obi-Wan. But the old man sighed and nodded down at the water that surrounded them.

“Father to father,” the old man said softly.

The pool rippled as shadows started to form within. Then the water bubbled with effort and it was overwhelming and the sensation was like when they’d first flown into the planet and-

He was on Tattooine. A young boy, his hair bleached white from the sun was running through the sand, letting out a shrieking giggle. In the distance, a robed figure watched, his head dipped but somehow Anakin knew it was Obi-Wan that watched over his son, radiating sorrow.

The world tilted. The sand became green and lush. Trees and sculptured buildings that spoke of thought and beauty. And, on the balcony, another little child ran too. Her brown braids catching in the wind and a fierce grin on her face as she ran towards a woman that Anakin wasn’t sure he recognised. Bail Organa stood to the side, happier than Obi-Wan, but troubled. In the same position, but different.

The scene jumped again. The palace in darkness now and screams could be heard. A hooded figure stalked through, rebounding blasts and killing. The woman earlier shielded the small girl with her body as Bail opened fire and screamed for them all to run.

Nothing survived.

His son screamed into the sand, great heaving sobs as Obi-Wan faltered and crashed down too, shock clear on his face. Owen and Beru scrambled to get both of them off the ground.

A ship. Faceless crew stomping around, ignoring the tiny boy who sat in one of the crevices of the ship, curled up tight and face streaked with tears.

Bounty. Discussions of wealth and rewards. Different ships, same discussions. A few precious smiles and Obi-Wan always there at the start and at the end, but never in the middle. Quiet and haggard. Exhausted.

Then a terrible figure. A mask. Heavy breathing and Luke screaming.

Running. Running and for a split second there was an echo of the planet he was on. Diminished somehow, a ghost, but real enough. Another planet. A temple. An army behind them.

Obi-Wan, desperate and kneeling and afraid as he looked into Luke’s eyes. Beyond his eyes.

He crashed out of the vision, on his knees and gasping for breath and for hope and to avoid the crushing sorrow in his chest.

A girl. A daughter. She’d been killed, shot and he hadn’t stopped it. Hadn’t stopped any of it.

He shook as she stared down at the now still water, his mind unwilling to accept what he has just seen and yet the force screamed the truth at him.

Luke’s future.

“Where was I?” he demanded.

“It is not-”

But he was powerful. The father had shown him that. Clawing with his hand, he reached at the water and forced it, demanded to see not Luke’s future but his own.

Water exploded into fire. Padme screaming in childbirth. Chancellor Palpatine whispering, his words inaudible but the seductive tone clear.

He marched up the steps to the temple, lightsabre in hand.

He brought his weapons down upon younglings.

He raised his hand to his pregnant wife, clenching into a fist as she grabbed at her throat in shocked horror.

He screamed at Obi-Wan before attacking, going in for the kill.

He burned at the side of the lava lake as Obi-Wan stared down in anguish, tears streaming.

He ached and hated and hunted.

He stood over the body of his dead daughter, hours gone and screamed.

He tore the galaxy apart looking for the traitor.

He dragged Luke towards him, a screaming boy of six and ripped through his mind.

Then horror. And hate. And love. And anguishandguilt and regret andanythinganythingandstopand protect. Toolatenottoolate. Heal and kill and destroy the threat and help and hate and guard and end-

This time was too much. Shaking, he couldn’t contain his reaction at what he’d seen and the force in the planet was so strong. As he shook, so did the planet. So did the son and daughter and father and in the distance Obi-Wan and Ahsoka cried out and hit the floor like when Anakin’s daughter had been killed and why did others live when she had died?

He could do it. Destroy them all. Destroy the son and daughter and father and the idea twisted in his head and he had to protect the son and daughter and where was the mother and he couldn’t separate what was happening and what he was thinking and they’d died, should die, should be dead, would-

It was like hitting a wall, full speed and being knocked back. The air wooshed from his lungs and so did the knowledge.

Anakin collapsed to the ground panting and confused. The water was still and he felt like he’d ran for a thousand years even though nothing had happened.

Baffled, he looked at the father who stood with his children.

“Not gonna show me, huh?”

The father sighed. “Some things are simply too much. It is a delicate matter, the future. One that I do not think you are ready for yet. Certainly not all at once.”

He’d have fought it a minute ago. But somehow, part of him agreed. Yet something had happened, he could feel the dying flickers of an event that had rocked the universe and yet he couldn’t get a hold of it. Couldn’t mould it into something that he understood.

“One day though.”

The father nodded. And, on either side, the son and daughter stared at him as he if he had just revealed the secrets of the universe. “Further away than you think,” he said sadly.

Slowly, Anakin stood, unsure. The water seemed like a threat now and he backed away from it, a wariness building inside of him.

“The future always changes,” the father said suddenly. “The past cannot. You are aware of what is inside your son’s mind.”

It wasn’t a question. And it made Anakin reach for his lightsabre, suddenly on edge.

“You will return here,” the father said slowly. “When your son’s past becomes your past. And then, when you are truly chosen, then we will see.” He shook his head. “Go home to your family, chosen one. You will need moments like that for what is to come.”

“What does-”

But he was by the ship and the light was losing strength in the sky. Anakin blinked and then swore up a storm, furious once more.

What was this sithing place doing to him? What had he actually seen because (clearly) he’d seen something. And by the force if they ever came for Luke-

“Changed your mind?” Obi-Wan asked conversationally, looking down at him from the top of the landing ramp.

“Not getting a choice in the matter,” Anakin snapped as he stomped up the landing ramp and threw himself into the pilot’s seat making Ahsoka squeak in surprise.

He wasn’t too proud to admit that he sulked as they made it off planet and ignored Obi-Wan’s amazement that the planet disappeared much the same was as it had appeared. He stonily ignored the clones and Captain Rex and Ahsoka and the conversation with the council.

His son he did not ignore. Especially as Luke proudly showed off some lumpy creation through the holonet.

“What is it?” Anakin managed to ask, failing to guess what it should be.

Luke shrugged. “Dunno,” he said honestly, looking around as if they were sharing a secret. “The art teacher liked it. She said it was representative.” He looked frankly baffled by the word and stared down with some disgust at the misshapen thing. “I asked if I could build something useful.”

“How did that go?”

“Not well,” his son sighed. “Mom’s sick. She didn’t really look at it.”

Morning sickness. Except for Padme it seemed to be evening sickness. “She will,” Anakin promised his son. “Growing a baby is hard work.”

Luke nodded as if he’d heard more of that than he would like. “I have to paint this,” he whined suddenly. “And I have to paint it like it’s what it’s meant to be,” he added, clearly quoting someone in a mocking way.

“Luke,” Padme’s voice echoed. “Do not mock your teacher.”

Luke grinned and turned to call back to her and, for a second, Anakin swore he saw a flash of brown braids and a smile that made his heart swell.

Chapter Text

Returning home was a far more pleasant experience than Anakin remembered it being. How often had they come back to Coruscant without anyone waiting for them?

This time there was Padme. She was still in her senate robes, hair in the ornate cage that Anakin hated because he knew how long it took to get the damned thing off of her.

He sped up and over to her, lifting her off the ground as he spun her, making the heavy fabric of her gown fan out. She pressed her hand into the back of his neck as he stopped and brought his mouth down for a kiss.

Stars, how he’d missed her.

His hand slipped between them, pressing carefully against her dress and there, yes, finally, there was a bump.

Their youngest. Their baby.

“Where’s Luke?” he asked, pulling back, thumb now stroking her belly in a private greeting to their child.

“School,” Padme replied. “I’ll have to go and pick him up in an hour-”

“I’ll come,” Anakin said firmly. He’d not had the chance really to pick Luke up since Luke’s first week which had been a nightmare of bribery and extortion.

“You don’t need to report?”

“Anakin is safe from that,” Obi-Wan said, striding close. Behind him, Ahsoka flashed a grin at Anakin.

“You just don’t want me to explain in detail exactly how you distracted Ventress-”

“It worked,” Obi-Wan said, sounding only a little defensive (but mostly smug because they both knew that Anakin wasn’t going to fight to go to the debrief).

Ahsoka rolled her eyes and smiled at Padme. “Senator,” she greeted happily.

“Hello Ahsoka,” Padme said and Anakin was pleased by the genuine warmth in her voice. “Thank you for keeping them both out of trouble.”

Obi-Wan blinked at that, as if stunned that anyone would compare him in that way to Anakin. “Senator, I can assure you that Anakin-”

“Got it from somewhere,” Padme said simply with a triumphant sound in her voice. “Well, if you don’t need to debrief then I suppose we could walk down to Luke’s school.”

That…sounded pleasant actually. With a nod and a kiss to her hair, Anakin smiled at his former master and former Padawan. “Good luck. Enjoy the council,” he added.

He got two foul looks for that.

Xxx

Walking through Coruscant at the upper levels was always a little odd, only because it wasn’t something that he often did. He’d found since Luke had come into their lives he ended up doing more and more things like this; not for a purpose but rather for the simply joy of doing it.

It reminded him of being young with Obi-Wan when their mission was complete and war wasn’t on. Sometimes, Obi-Wan would spend an extra week or so there teaching Anakin about the native culture or just exploring.

One day, he vowed. One day, he’d do the same with Padme and Luke and…it. The baby. The war would be over and they would explore places together.

It was a simple dream, he knew. But a lovely one.

The school that they had decided to send Luke to wasn’t far away from the senate building. It was an exclusive school (something Anakin hadn’t exactly been keen on) but the location made it the best fit.

That and there was a strict policy about media droids.

They were allowed through the gates and Anakin nodded at the clones standing there, not entirely sure if he approved of them being used in this way. The outside front area was covered which provided some shade for the warm day and Anakin glanced around, surprised by the number of officials that stood waiting.

“I’ve booked a medi-scan for the day after tomorrow,” Padme said slowly. “We can find out what it is.”

What it is? Oh. “You mean the baby?”

Padme nodded.

“Be nice to stop calling it ‘it’,” Anakin said slowly, his arms around her.

Padme nodded again and then winced. “Luke thinks he knows what the baby is,” she said eventually.

“And?”

“He thinks it’s a girl,” Padme said with a smile.

Anakin stared across the opening and at the door that opened. Tiny children were filtering out of all different species and he could swear there was a little brown haired girl running among them.

He’d seen the little girl so many times. In a crowd of playing younglings, as he hovered between being asleep and awake. Always running with a smile, her long braids looking like gleaming lengths of rope that had been polished by the sun.

The image had been recurring since the force planet. It was the only thing he could really remember after he had gone off on his own the second time.

Part of him wondered if he’d seen anything else…the way he’d been panting when he’d fallen to the floor…

Padme touched his shoulder gently and he blinked himself back to her. Yeah. Anakin was pretty sure he knew why Luke thought this might be a girl. And part of him hoped it was too. Maybe, just maybe…

He smiled down at her. “Guess we’ll find out during the scan. And-”

He broke off as he spotted his son.

As much as Luke has protested and plotted against them to go to school, it had clearly been the best thing they had done for him. Even speaking to him on the holo had let Anakin see that over the past few months.

And now…

His son was chatting animatedly to a little Patrolian boy whose gills caught the wind and whose eyes were fixed on Luke with glee. They appeared to be in a very serious discussion and Luke was beaming as he talked, hands moving quickly like Padme’s did when she was talking about something that excited her.

A Falleen brushed past and Luke turned to acknowledge him, probably saying goodbye and the two shared a brief grin before Luke continued the discussion with the Patrolian.

He had friends.

It was a weird relief. Not that he’d thought the other kids wouldn’t like Luke, but given the boy’s background they might have found him odd or unusual. And Anakin had been to enough places as a child that he knew how cruel children could be when faced with something different.

Then Luke spotted him and he stopped, the conversation apparently forgotten. A delighted smile crossed his face and he turned to say something quickly to his friend before he practically flew across the open area to Anakin and flung himself up and into him.

Stars, the boy was getting heavy. Still, Anakin kept him close, breathing in the clean, fresh smell of Luke that was mixed a little with engine grease and he’d bet the boy had a project or two under his bed.

“You’re home,” Luke crowed, pulling back to stare up at Anakin. He wriggled a little, adjusting himself so that he was on Anakin’s hip. “Mom, Dad’s home!”

“I can see,” Padme said, brushing Luke’s hair out of his face.

“Mom,” Luke complained, leaning away. “Don’t be mushy.”

“Ah.” Padme seemed more amused than anything as she nodded. Then she leaned over to kiss his cheek and Luke let out a mortified whine looking torn between being pleased by the attention and embarrassment that he still let his mom give him a kiss at the age of eight.

The boy was growing up far too quickly.

Xxx

They went home for dinner and Padme opened up the balcony in the formal rooms for them to eat outside. Luke was made to go and do his homework which he did with only a minimal battle that revolved around him pointing out Threepio could do it and then instantly backing down when Padme got a little sharp at the suggestion and reminded him that Threepio was not his personal slave and had more important things to be doing. Luke backed off looking like he wished he’d never mentioned it.

“Some of the children are so spoiled,” Padme complained to Anakin as they sat out on the balcony together, looking at across the cityscape. “I tried to encourage him to have a few over to play and one of the children was surprised that we didn’t have servants and the droids wouldn’t obey his every whim.”

Other people’s children were not something that Anakin had really bothered to consider. “And the rest?” he asked, shifting a little and enjoying the peace. He took a sip of the flowered water she’d given him. It was ice cold and delicious enough that he was planning on getting it endlessly supplied to them.

“A mix. Most are very likeable children. But… we had a Rhodian girl over. Wondi. Luke’s a little bit in love with her-”

“What?” Anakin asked, suddenly panicked, his drink sloshing over him.

“He thinks she has the most beautiful eyes and she knows everything. For two weeks, he seemed determined to try and tell me everything that he thought she knew.” Padme still seemed amused by it. “I don’t think her parents have been on planet for about four months. She has a nanny that she’s not fond of and an aunt that visits maybe twice a month. Poor thing. Luke’s determined to have her move in at the moment. He always looks very thoughtful whenever she’d mentioned.”

Part of him winced because wasn’t that an insight into Luke’s teenage years, yet he felt a fierce burst of pride that was stronger than anything he felt.

His son was trying to help someone.

And later, when Luke announced with glee that homework was finished, Anakin drew him close and whispered how proud he was in his son’s ear. Luke ducked his head a little and offered up a shy grin as if Anakin had just awarded him with a medal.

Xxx

The next morning, he felt the novelty of taking Luke to school. His son chatted away happily in the speeder, asking about seventy questions as Anakin piloted.

“Dad?”

“Mm.”

“Why do you think that the star map doesn’t label Tatooine?”

It surprised Anakin that he couldn’t decide whether to commend or condemn that decision. “I don’t suppose they think it’s important.”

Luke’s face scrunched up at that. “But there are people on it,” he said with a frown. “They’re all important to someone.”

“There’s a lot of illegal activity there,” Anakin said, scowling as someone pulled in front of him. Any other day, without Luke in the passenger seat, he’d have engaged thrusters and caught the sleemo up. “The republic find it frustrating. Same with most of Hutt space. There’s just a broad overview without any particulars about the planets.”

“Do I have a farm boy accent?”

Uck. That. “Nope. You have the same accent as me and your mom.”

“Yours is stronger.”

Yes it was. Anakin shifted a little, not sure why that suddenly unnerved him. Perhaps a few comments made when he was entering adolescence had stuck with him after all. “Who said you had a farm boy accent?”

“Sameal,” Luke said honestly. “He’s always strutting around like he owns the place. His father’s an admiral.”

Really? “You like him?”

Luke gave him a look. One that was so much like Padme, Anakin nearly steered them into oncoming traffic. Then the boy shrugged. “He’s okay. He just hates everything. Talking to him is boring.”

And, apparently, just like that, his son had decided his priorities in life. To be interested and happy.

“You know,” Anakin said as he spotted the school in the distance. Part of him was tempted to keep Luke with him, but that wasn’t exactly gonna win him Dad of the year. “I think sometimes I wish I was a bit like you.”

“Me?” Luke asked, as if maybe he hadn’t heard that right. “But you can fly.”

Anakin looked down at his son. “You’ll fly one day.”

“Thirteen,” Luke said firmly.

Ah. “They um…raised the legal speed limit,” Anakin said with a wince and he in no way suspected that his wife had played a vital part in that legislation.

His son looked like someone had died. Horror filled his face and then he groaned, flopping back into the seat in the most dramatic fashion Anakin had ever seen.

“Fifteen,” he said, locating a parking spot. There were a few other small children wandering around and Anakin wondered if the tall human boy waving his hand in an imperious manner might be Sameal. “Who’s that?”

Luke grumbled as he sat up and peeked a look. “That’s Drayton,” he said, spotting the boy quickly. “He’s Sameal’s friend. They’re two grades above me.”

Huh.

Luke fixed him with a stern look. “Don’t do anything embarrassing,” he ordered suddenly.

Four months at school and Luke was throwing the word embarrassing around.

Great.

He saw his offspring to the gates and then was promptly warned to not follow by Luke who stepped into the school cautiously. The idiotic child walked backwards, keeping his gaze on Anakin like he was a pet that might come chasing after Luke.

Apparently, his son felt this was his domain and no interference would be allowed.

“Mr Skywalker?”

Anakin blinked at the woman who had asked. He didn’t think he’d been referred to in such a way in his whole life. Yet…yeah, so his titles were a bit of a muddle. She could have at least gone for General.

“I’m sorry,” she said with an apologetic smile. “I just…I’m Luke’s teacher.”

“Is he…is he all right? Everything all right?” Anakin asked quickly, looking back at where his son had disappeared.

She smiled. “He’s a lovely child. Very friendly now that he’d gotten over his shyness. We do a helper's award each month and he might be getting something during our assembly. I thought you’d like to know.”

Anakin couldn’t stop the smile that crossed his face.

No-way was he missing picking Luke up.

Xxx

The chancellor had requested his presence last night. A kind message, asking Anakin to pop in and visit while Padme worked. It seemed strange though, in some ways. They’d barely talked in the past year what with Luke and Padme and the baby.

And Anakin’s own muddled career path, whatever that was shaping up to be.

“My boy,” the chancellor greeted, standing when Anakin walked into his office. An aide was handing over a datapad and hovered. “How are you?”  the chancellor continued.

“Very well,” Anakin replied, feeling a little…awkward. He watched as the chancellor shook his head and the aide smiled tightly before leaving with the datapad.

“And your son?” the chancellor continued.

“He’s…amazing,” Anakin said, trying to keep a little bit of stoicism and feeling that he was failing miserably. “I can’t really remember what it was like not to have him now.”

Chancellor Palpatine smiled at that. “I can imagine. From what I remember, he was very much like you as a boy.”

Anakin shook his head and then let himself be guided to a seat when the chancellor indicated. “He’s Padme’s through and through.”

The chancellor hummed a little at that. “He doesn’t come by as much as he used to.”

“No. School,” Anakin said apologetically. “This is hardly a place for a child anyway. He’d be bored now.” He winced slightly. “I mean-”

The chancellor waved his scrambling attempt to explain away. “And the outer rim territories?” he asked, his face smoothing into an expression of concern.

“Surely you’ve had the report-”

The chancellor winced. “I do, I just…here,” he said, handing over the datapad and Anakin blinked at handling a document that he probably didn’t have clearance to read. He glanced at Chancellor Palpatine, a little unsure, but scanned down the document.

“Is it as it should be?”

No. Baffled, Anakin scrolled through it quickly, a sinking feeling flooding his limbs. “I…no. Who sent this to you?”

Chancellor Palpatine pinched the bridge of his nose and stood, shaking his head. “This war,” he said, walking to his large windows. “For everything I do to bring it to a close, something always seems to get in the way.  To keep it going. I have to rely on the reports and yet when I read them, sometimes I fear…” he shook his head and waved a hand at Anakin. “You have other concerns, my boy. It is enough to know that my suspicions are well founded, at least.”

Anakin stared at him and then looked back down at the datapad. “But if you’re not been given the correct information then how can you-”

“Make the right decisions?” the chancellor asked with a sad smile. “I fear that answer, Anakin. I truly do.”

“We have a traitor,” Anakin decided firmly as he stood up. “Who gave you this report?” he asked, waving it slightly.

The Chancellor studied him and then shook his head suddenly. “It puts you in a terribly awkward position. I won’t do it. And this is not…it is not your battle.” He drew in a breath looking suddenly exhausted. “I promise you, Anakin. You have done more than enough to help.”

Placing the datapad down, Anakin watched him. How hard must it be to know that every decision you made affected millions of lives across the galaxy? That kind of constant pressure must be unbearable.

“I can check more if-”

But the chancellor held up his hand. “By this time, decisions would have already been made and we’ll be about twenty steps beyond whatever old reports say. It is a kind offer, but one that would be ultimately fruitless. I would not waste your time on such an endeavour.” The Chancellor seemed to shake himself. “Time, I hear that is well spent on other activities. The Jedi have accepted you back?”

“No…well, not exactly. I…” how did he explain it? “I help with missions.”

The chancellor raised an eyebrow at that. “I see,” he said in a tone of voice which seemed to indicate he didn’t. “You are sent on missions by the Jedi council and are not recognised for it?”

“I don’t do it for the recognition,” Anakin said, shaking himself, slightly annoyed at the implication. It sounded, ironically enough, a little too much like some of the accusations he’d heard from the council at the start of the war. “It’s…” he thought of Luke and shrugged. “Annoying,” he said. “But I made my choice.”

The chancellor studied him, the gaze intent. “You truly have changed, my boy. You seem…settled. Fatherhood seems to have given you a purpose.”

“I hope so,” Anakin said honestly. “We’re soon to have another one so-”

The chancellor looked surprised. “Ah,” he said. “Senator Amidala has not announced the news.”

Oh.

Well.

He was about to be yelled at then.

Xxx

Thankfully, Luke’s utter delight at receiving his award kept Padme from saying a word. And Ahsoka and Obi-Wan dined with them that night, both of them looking amused by Luke who had his award on the table and kept trying to polish it.

Luke was far better around Obi-Wan now. In fact, since the time in the senate building when Padme had been held hostage and the shadow in Luke had taken over his mind, Luke seemed a thousand times better. Almost as if what had been in his mind had been used up or exhausted. Luke’s shields remained in place and he never wanted to use the force, but he also didn’t flinch as much when Anakin was annoyed or look at Obi-Wan like he was a bomb Luke had to defuse.

Either that or seven weeks without Anakin around had let the boy’s mind settle down.

That was a miserable thought. That his son did better without him around.

Ahsoka played with Luke. As much as Luke never wanted to actually use the force, he was quite happy to pretend that a training staff was a lightsabre and do the sound affects while Ahsoka played sith to his jedi.

“One padawan married, the other fallen to the darkside,” Anakin said, waving his hand at Ahsoka. “I think you should probably accept that training another is just not something you’re good at master.”

Obi-Wan snorted. “As ever, Anakin, your wit astounds me.” He smiled at Padme as she reached for her comm that was going off and left the room to take a call. “I cannot believe the change in that boy.”

“I can’t believe how proud I am of him,” Anakin said, watching Luke jump onto the couch and parry one of Ahsoka’s hits, his grin wide. “But…I think about where he started and how well he’s turning out and…it’s all him. He’s a good kid.”

“It’s a wonderful feeling,” Obi-Wan said quietly, not looking at Anakin, but keeping his eyes fixed on Ahsoka and Luke. “To know you’ve raised a good man.”

“He’s hardly a man,” Anakin said, backtracking a little.

“Even if he is a bit obtuse.”

“I…what…oh,” Anakin blinked, not sure what to do with that at all. Instead they both sat there, Obi-Wan apparently amused and Anakin bumbling through how to cope with the unusual praise.

“Say ‘thank you’, Anakin.”

Anakin smiled. “You had something to do with it,” he said and felt a flicker of warmth from his former master. Then: “I um…the chancellor,” he said slowly. “He showed me a datapad of our mission today. It was…it wasn’t what happened.”

Obi-Wan frowned and turned his attention back to Anakin. “How do you mean?” Then, when Anakin floundered, he reached inside his robes and brought out one. “Here,” he said. “This is what I created.”

It was different. Much more to the point and Anakin suddenly realised how little that previous report had even sounded like it had come from Obi-Wan. His master was too prone to adding sly remarks and making references that no-one but those on the mission would get. All reports were meant to be as unbiased as possible and, if you’d never been on a mission with Obi-Wan you would think his reports were perfect.

If you’d been with him once, you learned to read between the lines.

“This isn’t what the chancellor had. Who did you give it to?”

Obi-Wan sat back. “Anakin…I am a Jedi Master. I have a seat on the council.”

“And?”

“I gave it directly to the chancellor.”

What? “One of his aides then,” Anakin said blinking and feeling a wash of relief because for half a day he’d wondered if Obi-Wan had handed something to the council and it had been they who had doctored it.

Obi-Wan nodded. “Ahsoka,” he called. “I fear we have missions and reports and paperwork and all the wonderful things that Anakin can push our way.”

Yeah. He did not miss those things. Luke came trotting over, studied him as Obi-Wan took the training staffs and then started to climb up Anakin like he was a climbing frame. By the time Obi-Wan was ready, Luke was settled on Anakin’s shoulders, his arms resting on Anakin’s head.

“If you need help with the aide-”

Obi-Wan waved him off. “In this it is better to have the strength of the council and the status of Jedi. Acting alone might open you up to some awkward questions and I’d rather not have you in that position.”

“Anakin,” Padme exploded from the other room. “Did you announce my pregnancy to the entire senate?”

“At the moment,” Anakin said, looking at his former master, “I think I’d happily take my chances.”

xxx

The medi centre was weird. Anakin couldn’t remember the last one that hadn’t been manned by clones and droids yet here was an actual human doctor, smiling at them all as Padme lay back on the chair.

Anakin sat close, Luke on his lap.

“What does that do?” Luke asked, pointing at something on the tray that had been wheeled to the side. Anakin couldn’t tell which one he was pointing at but Dr Vega smiled gently.

“That’s the equipment we use when your Mom gives birth,” she said.

Really? They looked more like torture devices. Shifting uncomfortably, Anakin tried to hide his own distaste when Luke swung his head up to stare at Anakin with shock. Unsure, Anakin looked over at Padme.

“Did you read the files I give you?” she asked, studiously avoiding the tray.

“I…was selective,” Anakin said. Luke was almost glaring at Padme’s belly now and Anakin tapped his son on the nose. “Come on. You wanted to see your brother or sister.”

Luke rolled his eyes, but nodded.

In the air in front of them, just above where Padme lay, a hologram lit up. Empty but they could see the screen. Dr Vega hovered a scanner over Padme’s stomach and then-

He could see the baby.

It was tiny and looked like an entirely different species at the moment. All curled up tight and sucking its thumb. The heartbeat filled the room and it was perfect. Absolutely perfect.

“Everything looks perfectly healthy,” Dr Vega said. “The foetus is progressing correctly, almost exactly on track for growth.”

“And…” Padme’s voice trembled a little making Anakin finally tear his gaze away. She was bright eyed and smiling, staring at the hologram. “Is it a girl?”

Dr Vega looked a little taken aback, but nodded. “It is, she said. “Congratulations. You have a daughter.”

A daughter.

He tugged Luke closer into him, feeling his heart swell just a little bit. He had a son and a daughter and he knew in that instant, without a flicker of doubt, that she would have her mother’s eyes and the most infectious laugh.

And that this time nothing, nothing would ever happen to her.

Chapter Text

As he heard the doors open, Anakin refocused on the attack, needing to ensure that it ended quickly before Padme came in. One of his assailant was quick. Devious. And perfectly willing to jump onto the sofa to match him in height.

“I have you now,” Anakin crowed and ducked under Luke’s swing to grab at him. The boy ended up with his back to Anakin’s chest, held there by an arm under his arm pits as Anakin tossed Luke’s stick away, then parried a blow from Sephanino, the little Patrolian boy that was fast becoming Luke’s best friend.

Luke shrieked at him and wriggled. “Sephy,” he called in a serious tone and the boy tossed Luke his stick. Luke arched backwards to press the length of it to Anakin’s throat.

“A mortal blow,” Anakin cried dramatically. “You have slain me,” he said and then collapsed backwards, Luke still in his arms. He could hear Sephanino laughing and Luke let out a frustrated sound as he failed to get free.

“Dad,” he sighed as they lay on the floor together. “You need to let me go.”

“I’m dead,” Anakin reminded him.

“You’re talking.”

Anakin peeped at Sephanino who smiled at him. Luke patted at the metal hand holding him and then sighed, apparently grieved beyond everything.

“Mom,” Luke yelled suddenly. “Dad’s not playing fair.”

“He killed me,” Anakin yelled out. “Boy needs to learn to mind his surroundings.”

Someone cleared their throat.

Anakin twisted his head to look at the person standing north of him. Sephanino’s father stood looking half amused and half baffled.

“Good evening,” Anakin said without missing a beat. “Your son was a worthy opponent.”

Luke wriggled and started to giggle against him. Anakin sighed and sat up with him, resting his chin on Luke’s blond hair. He gave Stephanino a salute which the boy returned before running over to his father.

“I did tell you,” Padme said, sounding amused. “My husband is always looking for people to indulge him in his games.” She entered the room, her hands fiddling with an earring to take the jewellery out. She was visibly pregnant now and every time she walked into the room, Anakin was overcome with an insane urge to point that it was his baby she was carrying.

“Did you behave?” the Patrolian asked his son. Anakin wracked his brains for the name of Sephanino’s father but was pretty sure the man had the same name as his son and that was just weird.

Sephanino nodded earnestly, looking a little more formal now. “I appreciate you having me as company,” he said, bowing to Anakin and Luke.

“Pleasure,” Anakin said and Luke nodded.

As the pair left, Padme sighed and looked around their main living quarters. Then, she shook her head and sat heavily down on the sofa, rubbing her stomach. “Your daughter,” she said, “was wriggling around at the senate dinner. I think she was enjoying herself.”

Anakin reached out a hand to point at the bump. “No more politicians,” he said firmly. When Padme raised an eyebrow at that, he stared at her. “I’ve seen your hours,” he muttered.

Luke finally managed to wriggle free and then clambered up onto the sofa. “I killed Dad,” he declared with a grin. “It was awesome, Mom. Sepphy threw me the pole and I leaned back and chopped his head off.”

Padme reached out to stroke some hair out of his eyes. “Very impressed,” she said. “And now we won’t have to feed him. Think of the money we can spend on games.”

Luke cackled with joy and snuggled in close. Anakin had just about managed to get the boys into the pyjamas so that Sephanino could be put straight to bed when he and his father returned home. The sight of his little boy now, in pyjamas and snuggled against Padme with a contented look plastered on is little face was a joy.

His family, Anakin thought twisting to face them all properly. Padme stroked Luke’s hair as she scrolled through her datapad, and Luke yawned, staring down at Anakin with sleepy eyes. Anakin knelt up and lifted Luke from his place on the sofa. “I’ll put him to bed,” he said softly.

Padme gestured and Anakin dipped Luke down low so Padme could press a kiss to Luke’s head.

“Not sleepy,” Luke protested as Anakin straightened and headed for Luke’s room. He used the force to pull back the covers to easily slip Luke in.

“When do you go on your mission?” Luke asked as he settled into the bed.

“Two days,” Anakin replied, sitting on the edge.

“Are you rescuing someone?”

“We are,” Anakin said with a small smile, stroking the boy’s hair. “There’s a Jedi Master who’s been captured,” he said, trying to keep the details a little hazy.

“Why aren’t you helping him?” Luke asked, big eyes wide and solemn.

“We need to plan.” Anakin dropped his hand down. “The master is a great jedi. If he’s been captured then we need to make sure the plan is very good, otherwise we’ll just be captured along with him.”

“I can help,” Luke offered earnestly. “I beat you today.”

Anakin swallowed back the automatic laugh and hesitated, not sure what to say to that. But Luke huffed and curled around him a bit, eyes still fixed on Anakin’s face. “You let me win,” he said sounding a little annoyed.

It hadn’t occurred to him that Luke would honestly thought he’d won. “You need proper training,” Anakin said. “Want to come and watch me and Obi-Wan spar tomorrow?”

Luke nodded instantly. “And then I’ll learn and can help you.”

“You already help me,” Anakin promised, kissing Luke’s forehead. “Get some sleep.”

When Anakin returned to Padme he sat heavily down next to her. “Luke genuinely though he’d won against me.”

Padme hummed. When he looked, she was scanning the Hyper lane information.

“If they get hold of this,” she said softly, looking up at him with worry. “The Nexus route will take them straight here.” She turned off the datapad and rubbed her forehead.

“I know,” he said, becoming serious. “I wouldn’t go on this mission if it wasn’t…if they got those co-ordinates it won’t matter how many Jedi we have on planet.”

Padme said nothing, but rubbed her belly soothingly. “You will be back though. For Luke’s birthday-”

“That’s six weeks away,” Anakin said, gaping at her. “Padme, this isn’t a long assault. This is…in and out. Preferably coming out with more than we went in with. That’s it.”

She shot him a doubtful look, one that Luke had definitely inherited.

“You,” he said, stroking their baby, “need to be more like me. I’m the odd one out here.”

Xxx

The briefing room was quiet as they studied the plans for the citadel. The prison was a fortress, heavily guarded and almost impenetrable. It was said that no-one had ever escaped.

Well. First time for everything.

He hadn’t been their first choice, Anakin knew that and it bristled somewhat. But with the war getting worse, there were too few people and it had once been his and Obi-Wan’s speciality. Mostly because Obi-Wan seemed to find it hilarious to have Anakin captured in order to sneak into whatever it was they were going to break out of.

If Obi-Wan suggested that plan one more time-

“Is this recent?” Obi-Wan asked, leaning forward to study the hologram of the plans.

“Their security has prevented us from obtaining up to date versions. So we’ve been forced to construct a crude map from the data in the archives.” Master Plo stood straight, his distaste at the idea obvious.

Across the table and through the blue flickering hologram, Anakin could see the way that Obi-Wan winced and then study Ahsoka thoughtfully. “The map will be old, the data difficult to rely on,” he mused.

Anakin’s former Padawan didn’t seem to realise that Obi-Wan was studying her. “We’ll be going in blind,” she muttered, a trifle annoyed at the idea and Anakin almost smiled because wow, was she one hundred percent his Padawan.

“We’ll have an advantage though,” Obi-Wan said slowly. “The separatists won’t kill Master Piell while they need the co-ordinates. It might make them hesitate if we are discovered.”

“Or,” Anakin said, folding his arms, “They’ll be so desperate to see that we don’t have access to the hyper land that they’ll kill him as soon as they think we’re on the way.”

Obi-Wan hummed and then shrugged. “Impossible to tell. But we cannot risk that he will break.”

“No,” Anakin agreed.

“There is more,” Master Plo said. “Getting through their defences is almost impossible. Without a high priority military code, we will struggle to get you through their scanners.”

“Supply ships?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Supply ships are manned by droids. They’d sweep for life forms. Perhaps though there is a way that we could trick their scanners.” Master Plo gestured and they left the briefing room.

“That will be difficult.” Obi-Wan stroked his beard thoughtfully. “I wonder…perhaps we can find some way to disguise ourselves in the cargo.”

“The more we do that, the better the separatists get at finding ways to spot life forms,” Ahsoka pointed out as they started down the wide halls of the temple.

“I might have an idea,” Anakin said, turning it around in his head. It was risky and would leave them vulnerable, but it also might just be worth it.

Ahead, he spotted Luke who he’d left with the padawans that were getting ready to be knighted. Three of them had returned to the temple and it was a shame that all they would get from their ceremony were two masters and a day to meditate over their new rank before being sent off into the galaxy again.

“Care to share?” Obi-Wan asked.

Dragging his eyes away from his son, Anakin nodded. “Later,” he said. “But uh…I did promise Luke that he might get to watch us spar.”

Ahsoka looked like she might burst out laughing at Obi-Wan’s expression. “The fate of the war is resting in our hands and you wish to spar?” his former master asked with some disbelief.

“It helps me think,” Anakin said with a shrug. “Or we can just sit around and talk about stories. Hey, remember on Mandalore when you decided to grow that beard when the Duchess-”

Obi-Wan held up a hand.  “You are running out of stories,” he grumbled. “I suppose it might help the padawans relax before their knighting tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” Anakin said. “Best if they see me wipe the floor with you so they aren’t unnecessarily intimidated.”

“Pride, Anakin.”

“Not a Jedi, master.”

Xxx

The room was quiet. It was very light and all carpeted to ease a landing. Sitting cross legged, Luke rested his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands as he watched Dad warm up.

Ahsoka sat next to him and she seemed to be thinking about something else. Part of Luke wanted to ask what, but he senses that maybe she wanted to be thinking about something else at the moment. Scattered around the circle were other padawans, Eekar Oki, who Luke had started talking to about swimming was watching with big serious eyes.

Dad was studying his lightsabre and did something with it so that the intensity dimmed, just a little.

“That’s generous of you,” Obi-Wan said, making no move to do the same with his own.

Dad raised an eyebrow and waited. After five seconds, Obi-Wan sighed and mimicked him while Dad turned the lightsabre over his hand a few times, as if getting used to the slight difference.

They both took different poses to start. Then they were moving and it was like watching a dance. They were fast, so very very fast and Luke felt a little silly that he had honestly thought for a moment that he might be as good as Dad.

They eased off a little and almost seemed to be playing with each other. A tumble here, a force push there. Dad’s shoulders started to relax and Obi-Wan’s breathing had slowed as they both seemed to relax into what they were doing.

One of the padawans shifted as if to get up and Ahsoka shook her head. “Wait,” she promised.

And then it happened.

Luke couldn’t see the moment that they both agreed to switch the style, but both moved with different purpose at the exact same time. And suddenly, it was no longer playing or dancing, but a true duel. It didn’t feel like they were trying to hurt each other, but it certainly felt like they were both suddenly looking to win.

Opposite, the padawans started to look impressed.

“That,” Ahsoka said quietly to Luke, “Is why they are considered some of our most effective Jedi warriors. If Master Windu was here it would be a true show.”

Xxx

“My boy,” the chancellor greeted Anakin the following day. “I hear that you have taken the mission to return the hyper lanes to us.”

“I have, your excellency,” Anakin said shifting a little. “And I will ensure that I bring you my report, personally.”

The chancellor nodded sadly. “It is a horrible feeling,” he said slowly, “to treat everyone that works with me with suspicion. I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have you.”

Anakin nodded. “I imagine it is hard,” he said, remembering how he had once felt when his marriage had ben a secret. “It is nothing something I would wish on anyone.”

The chancellor inclined his head. “And your plans? The life detector scanners are going to be hard to deal with-”

“We are using carbon freezing,” Anakin said, trying not to let out his amusement as Obi-Wan’s rant came back to haunt him. The man had muttered and paced for about twenty minutes before talking himself into the plan, yet still managed to be annoyed with Anakin for suggesting it.

The chancellor paused and his expression became suddenly blank. “Carbon freezing?”

“Those on the mission will be frozen. Artoo and some droids will take us through and then defrost us on the other side.”

“How…ingenious,” the chancellor said, taking his seat. “Is your wife aware of the plan?”

That had been a less amusing conversation. But she too had seen no other way other than to beg him to send someone else.

He couldn’t. Couldn’t let someone else work with Ahsoka and Obi-Wan. Not when there was this much at risk and they were walking into such danger.

“She was…she understands,” he said looking away.

When he looked back, the chancellor had sat back in his chair and was looking distant. As if sensing Anakin was looking at him, he blinked and smiled. “I was simply…you give so much for the republic and the order. I assume the order will be keeping an eye on things while you are away. Your son’s well-being.”

Why did everyone seem to assume this would take such a long time. “Chancellor, I doubt it will take a week. It’s an in and out mission.”

“Quite,” the chancellor said, as if shaking himself. “And I am certain that with you at the helm, it will proceed perfectly.”

It would.

He’d make certain of it.

Chapter Text

It’s an old story. One as old as war.

The husband kisses his wife goodbye and his son. Strokes a hand over the swell of his unborn daughter and kisses her too. Walks away before he can convince himself to stay because he knows that to stay would mean a threat might get to his family.

He goes on a mission. Steps into the chambers and lets himself with his master, Padawan and the men in his unit be lowered down into the carbon freeze until he becomes nothing more than art work.

And as he flies off in a ship crewed by droids, trusting in his men and his droids to get him to the citadel.

Foolish boy

Anakin Skywalker is no longer ripe for plucking. Settled and happy. Still occasionally frustrated but he is learning to master it. Finds his strength in his family and in his love for them.

Love. Pathetic. All that hard work wasted.

But not the potential. Anakin Skywalker still will be his apprentice; he just needs a different type of nudge. He needs his family stripped away, his settled life shattered, he needs to be desperate and the way to do that is no longer by threatening his wife.

It’s by taking away everything.

But for that, the chancellor will need time. Time to manipulate events free from Skywalker’s interference.

It’s easy really. Painfully simple yet hideously complicated to ensure that such a move doesn’t backfire later.

Count Dooku is easily manipulated, much like Skywalker.

An EMP is all it takes and the ship is wiped out. Anakin Skywalker along with all those with him, is removed from the equation.

The senator waits. Her belly growing larger and the boy that ruined it all stares up at the stars more often than not. Then the Jedi finally notice and they send off another mission.

This one gets through. The hyper lane is not recovered, but they find Master Piell’s body and rescue Tarkin who has enough of the co-ordinates to narrow down their search.

Of the original rescue mission, there is no sign.

The senator plays into his plans better than expected. Her anger and sorrow need a place to fall and it lands squarely on the shoulders of the Jedi. And when she departs for Naboo, resigning without listening to anyone and taking her son with her, whispers start to follow. Questions about the Jedi.

It won’t be hard, he thinks. To start to edge events to make it seem like it was the Jedi keeping the war going. Dooku could return when the Jedi are cornered and start to realise what is truly going on. He can play the hero role that Sideous was saving for Skywalker.

In time, Skywalker will bend to him. After all, he thinks as he plasters a sorrowful expression on his face and waves goodbye to the senator and her son and looks into the boy’s eyes, Skywalker’s greatest weakness is always going to be within that boy.