Chapter Text
Every year, the twins’s birthday was... difficult to celebrate to say the least. The lingering uncertainty of whether to celebrate the two lives, or to mourn the death of their mother was an obstacle that the whole family struggled with.
It always ended up being a compromise of sorts- celebrate while the kids were awake for it, and mourn once they went down for their naps and off to bed.
Ahsoka had found Anakin hunched over at the counter early that morning, a faraway look in his eyes as he stared at his empty plate. She knew him well enough to make herself busy before he was ready to let out whatever was on his mind (though, knowing what today was, she didn’t have to do much guessing).
She waited for him to make the first move as she prepared a breakfast of cut up fruit and chocolate cupcakes that the twins’s grubby little four-year-old hands would surely mash into pieces before reaching their mouths.
”Morning,” he finally said, meeting her gaze. Ahsoka frowned, making her way over to him.
”Bite-sized jogan?” she asked, smirking as she held out Luke’s clear, blue plastic plate.
”More like tooth-sized,” he muttered, grabbing a small handful of the fruit and tossing them into his mouth. “Catch, Snips!” he called as she crossed over to the fridge to get the blue milk.
She turned at the last second, shooting him a toothy grin as she caught a piece of jogan in her mouth. Her smile softened and she set the carton down on the counter between them.
”You okay?” she asked, tilting her head down. He looked up to meet her gaze, his head bouncing in a tiny nod.
”I will be,” he answered, squeezing her hand as she offered it to him. She hopped up to sit on the counter, Anakin’s flesh hand still clutched in her own.
He lifted Leia’s sippy cup with his mechno hand for her to pour the blue milk into before holding it still so she could screw on the lid. They repeated the same motions with Luke’s.
On and off the battlefield, they always did everything better as a team, and apparently that included parenting as well. Of course, Obi-Wan and Rex had been a huge help along the way through his first four years as a single father, but it had been Ahsoka who had dropped absolutely everything to help raise her niece and nephew.
She might as well just move in at this point with the amount of nights that she slept on the couch of the Skywalker’s little apartment on the upper levels of Coruscant.
”I’d like to take them to the memorial service this year,” Anakin said quietly, focusing his gaze intently on the top of the counter. “I, uh... I think they’ll be able to understand what her life was like a little bit more.”
Ahsoka nodded slowly.
”Do you think that...” she trailed off, looking away so she wouldn’t have to see his reaction, “do you think that you’re ready for that?”
His eyebrows furrowed in thought, but before he could answer her question, the sound of a door opening took his attention away. He released Ahsoka’s hand so he could pick up his daughter as she sprinted from her bedroom, and into his waiting arms.
”Happy Birthday, Princess!” he sang, settling her on his lap. He leaned down to kiss her nose as Ahsoka ruffled her hair.
”Happy four years,” she said sweetly, tucking the tresses behind her ears. “You look bigger already.”
”Thank you,” Leia giggled.
”Your brother awake yet?” Anakin asked as Ahsoka hopped off of the counter to retrieve the gift she had bought for her niece from its spot under the couch.
She planted the bag of gummy wookiees in the girl’s hands.
”Those are too chewy for her. She might choke,” Anakin stated, making a move to swipe the package out of his daughter’s hands. Ahsoka blocked him, tilting her head at him.
”She’s fine,” she intercepted.
”If she dies, it’s on you.”
”Fantastic.”
”Thanks, Ahsoka,” Leia said kissing her on the cheek as she stooped down to reach her.
Luke came running out of the same bedroom just a few moments later, receiving a gift of more candy from his Aunt as well. As Anakin and Ahsoka began feeding them breakfast, a familiar knocking pattern sounded at the door. Ahsoka scrambled up to get it, greeting Rex with a hug that knocked him a few steps backwards as he laughed. It had been ages since he’d visited.
Obi-Wan arrived a few minutes later, receiving the same welcome from his grandpadawan. He pulled Anakin aside as Ahsoka and Rex busied themselves with getting the kids dressed.
He looked at the man he called a brother, sighing before holding him in a careful hug, and telling him the same thing that he said each year that this day came around.
”She would want you to be happy with your family today.”
The day passed quickly, most of it being spent in the apartment, save for the trip to the memorial service for Padme. The twins didn’t understand much of what was happening- just that the pretty lady on the big screen was their mother. Anakin had struggled through the service more than anyone, which was to be expected.
Nevertheless, it hurt to watch him crumble as he listened to her mother and father speak about her life. Ahsoka kept one arm around his shoulders, allowing him to turn away and bury his face in her neck whenever it got to be too much. Obi-Wan and Rex took the twins from their father’s lap to keep them focused on their mother’s story, and not on their crying father.
Before long though, it was time for the two little ones to go to sleep. Luke was struggling to keep his eyes open as Obi-Wan combed his fingers through his hair, and Leia was already dozing on Ahsoka’s shoulder.
Ahsoka carried her niece to bed, Obi-Wan following closely behind with their nephew while Anakin and Rex chatted about one of the many times Rex had to cover for him while he spoke to Padme.
”’Soka?” Leia asked groggily, tugging on one of her head tails as she laid her down.
”Shhh,” Ahsoka said, pulling the covers up to her chin. “Go back to sleep, it’s late.”
”’Soka, why isn’t mommy here anymore?”
Ahsoka froze, looking down for a moment as she contemplated how to explain to a four year old that her mother had died while bringing her into the world.
She took a deep breath, sighing as she sat on the edge of Leia’s bed.
”Your mom,” she began, tucking her dark hair behind her ear, “got very hurt after you two were born. The doctors tried to help her, but she was too sick to be helped, and she had to go away to a place where she wouldn’t be in pain anymore.”
”Where?”
”Some place... far away. But even though she won’t be able to see you again, she would want you to know that she loves you very much,” Ahsoka explained, rubbing a thumb over the little girl’s forehead the same way Anakin used to do to her when she had nightmares.
”You should just be our mom,” Leia said, smiling at the idea. Ahsoka laughed.
”I love your Dad very much, but not like that. He’s like my brother.”
Leia squinted her eyes, tilting her head to the side.
She was not convinced.
“Your mother is, and always will be, Padme Amidala,” she continued, standing up. “Now that’s enough talking for tonight, Little One. It’s time to go to sleep.”
Leia smiled, closing her eyes as Ahsoka bent over to kiss her forehead.
”Goodnight,” Ahsoka whispered as she left the room.
Leia sprung out of bed in an instant, rushing to the other bed in the room where Obi-Wan had laid her brother down to sleep just a few minutes ago.
She shook his shoulders.
”Luke!” she hissed. “I have an idea!”