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Anakin was convinced his son hated him, but Padmé didn't think - "knew" in her words - that that wasn't the case.
Everytime Anakin held his son, Luke would start getting fussy to the point where he was almost in tears no matter how hard Anakin tried calming down. Luke was his normal, calm, happy baby self with anyone else, but with Anakin, he suddenly started acting like Leia - she was fussy no matter who was holding her.
Eventually, it got to the point where Anakin couldn't even be in the same room as Luke because he would immediately start fussing.
He didn't know what to do. Luke was fine with him until they got to Naboo.
Anakin found himself moping on the back porch of their Naboo villa, looking out at the lake when he sensed Obi-Wan's presence.
"Did Padmé call you?" He asked, not even looking up at his former Master.
"She said you've been feeling down lately," Obi-Wan replied as he moved to sit next to Anakin.
"My son hates me."
"I don't think that little baby is capable of hate, Anakin. There's more to the story."
"That's what Padmé said."
"Perhaps you should listen to her - she's a smart woman."
Anakin leaned his head back to look at the ceiling of the porch. "I just don't know what's wrong. He was fine with me until we arrived on Naboo."
"You know, I read somewhere that infants can sense the emotions around them." Anakin turned his head to look at Obi-Wan, who was leaning back in his seat with crossed arms and looking at the lake. "This, of course, is heightened for Force-sensitive infants, and I'm sure it's even more heightened for Luke." Obi-Wan looked over at him. "Is there anything you're keeping inside, perhaps something you really need to get off your chest?"
Anakin looked away. "Nothing I can think of."
"Not even anything with Palpatine?"
Anakin's breath hitched and he sat straight as he looked as his former Master. "Why would you ask about him?"
"Because you've hardly talked about him since he was arrested. I know you're keeping some things bottled up - you were close with him."
"Don't remind me," Anakin said as he stood. "I let that creep manipulate me." He took a few steps forward and took a deep breath before turning to Obi-Wan. "I almost fell to the Dark Side because of him." Obi-Wan looked surprised at this, but stayed quiet to let Anakin continue. "I was having these visions of Padmé dying and he convinced me that only he knew how to save her; I almost made the choice to save him over Master Windu when that bright presence - Luke - intervened." He shook his head. "What kind of father would I have turned into? I know Padmé would not let her children be raised by a Sith, but I don't even want to think about the things I would've done, especially considering the things I have done in the past."
Obi-Wan was silent, but from the look on his face, Anakin knew he was thinking. About what, he wasn't sure, all he knew was that his old Master was coming up with a solution.
"Anakin, have you had anyone check for anything Palpatine may have placed in your mind?"
Anakin blinked. "No, I haven't..." It hadn't even occurred to him. "You think Luke is picking up on some kind of dark bond?"
"It is possible - infants are more sensitive to certain things than adults."
Anakin bit his lip in thought. The idea wasn't far-fetched at all. Palpatine had spent years manipulating him and Luke seemed to be sensitive to anything slightly negative.
He sat back down. "Get it out," he pleaded. "Whatever Palpatine placed in my mind, get it out. I don't want this coming between me and my son."
Obi-Wan nodded and turned to face him as he reached his hand up to Anakin's head. "Hold still."
That was the last thing Anakin remembered before blacking out.
Anakin slowly opened his eyes to see sunlight pouring into the bedroom. He blinked. When did he go to bed?
He sat up and stretched, feeling lighter, brighter, and more rested than he had ever been in his entire life. Whatever Obi-Wan did seemed to do the trick.
He smiled and jumped out of bed to go greet his beautiful wife, using the Force to guide him through the villa. He was led to the kitchen, where he could smell something in oven, and there his wife stood in a simple dress fit for baking with her brown hair tied up and no make up on her face.
Padmé had a strange gift where she could make even simplicity look extravagant. She could show up to the Senate wearing what she currently had on and no one would bat an eye.
Anakin grinned and rushed up to his wife, wrapping his arms around her. She made a small sound of surprise as he lifted and spun her around before setting her back down to place a kiss on her soft lips.
"Well, you're certainly in a good mood," she said. She smiled. "Sleep well?"
"You bet! Best sleep I've had in years! How long was I out?"
"Only a few days," Padmé replied with a shrug as she returned to what she was baking - it looked to be five-blossom bread.
Anakin blanched. "A few days!?"
Padmé was left to take care of the twins by herself for a few days!?
"What exactly happened?"
Padmé poured flour in the mixing bowl before turning to him and grabbing his arm. She pulled him out of the kitchen into the dining room right next to it and had him sit down next to her. "Obi-Wan found several Sith compulsions and a bond Palpatine had planted in your mind."
Anakin drew in a sharp breath.
"When he touched them to remove them, you went into some kind of defensive trance where you lashed out; I'm not exactly sure how you lashed out, but Obi-Wan looked a little roughed up when he came to inform me. I couldn't go see what was happening because Luke started wailing and I was trying to calm him down."
Anakin swallowed. "Obi-Wan thinks Luke was sensing something Palpatine had placed in my head."
"That... makes sense. Luke had sensed something was off about Palpatine even from my womb, and his wailing had been sudden, not gradual."
"Luke managed to see Palpatine for who he is even in the womb, and yet he managed to blind side a bunch of adults."
"Children are more perceptive than adults." Padmé paused and reached out to take his flesh hand. "Anakin, Obi-Wan told me what you told him, about you almost falling to the Dark Side." Anakin looked down and the floor. "I should have done this a long time ago, but you need to go to therapy, and you need to visit your family on Tatooine. You have a step-father, a step-brother, and probably a sister-in-law. Your mother loved them and they were a part of her life for a long time."
Anakin sighed and looked up at her with a small smile. "I suppose you're right."
There were a few times he had thought about his new family on Tatooine, but everytime he did, anger would rise up in him. It no longer did. Must've been one of those Sith compulsions.
Padmé smiled. "I'm always right; you'll learn that one of these days. Now, why don't you go spend some much needed time with your son."
She stood and kissed his head before returning to the kitchen.
Anakin took a deep breath before standing himself and slowly making his way to the nursery. He suddenly felt anxious. What if it didn't work? What if his son truly hates him?
He shook away his irrational thoughts. Of course Luke doesn't hate him. It was like Obi-Wan had said, that little baby is incapable of hate.
He entered the nursery.
Luke hadn't reacted, so far so good.
He approached the crib.
Still no reaction.
He looked down at the sleeping twins; Leia was cuddled up against her brother and they were holding hands - they always slept like that, I was adorable. He was going to have to figure out how to pick up Luke without angering them.
He reached down and carefully pried Luke's hand out of Leia's before lifting his small son into his arms.
No reaction.
Luke just kept on sleeping.
Anakin grinned. It had worked.