The Way Things Should Be...

Chapter 8: So it begins...

When Obi-wan awoke, the force was disturbed he could feel it long before he opened his eyes he could only find Padme and the babies, his heart fell through his feet as he tried to locate Anakin, Obi-wan stood up, letting the dizziness subside as he began to rush out of the cave fearing the worst. His thoughts blurring through him at the speed of light. None of them were happy or positive. 

The suns were just beginning to peek above the horizon, the orange and pink tinge lighting the sand up as if the whole planet was one massive glowing ember. Upon a sand mound was a shadow, Obi-wan reached out. A breath of pure relief flooded him as he found Anakin. A blocked off Anakin but him all the same. Obi-wan began to approach softly, defensively. Anakin was unpredictable, Obi-wan knew that and after the episode he had yesterday Obi-wan imagined Anakin wasn't exactly open to reason. 

Padme awoke to an empty but clean cave, Luke was crying out, probably desperate for feeding. As Padme began to move she noticed that it was the beginning of a new day, which meant she had slept the whole night. Warmth spread in her chest as she made the connection that Anakin despite his episode had looked after the children. She smiled to herself as she made her way over to the babies. She felt better already, the stitches slowly healing. She sat slowly looking down at the stark contrast between the two babies. 
Luke was so much of a mummy's boy, always whining and wanting attention. Leia sitting there with a grumpy look on her face. Definitely her father's daughter. 

Y/N woke up. Sleep hadn't really ever claimed her last night, she frowned as she rolled over letting the warmth of the rising sun bathe her face. She stretched, her sore muscles making themselves known. She flinched. She hadn't expected it, the shooting pain in her thighs, she groaned as she continued to stretch, there was no way on earth she was going to last another walk out of town. She decided to see if there was any other mode of transport out of here. She smiled softly as she rolled out of bed and began to pack the last of her stuff. 
The makers themselves must have been looking down kindly as Y/N managed to find an old speeder in the local market, it wasn't in the best shape but for what she had paid for it, it was good enough. 

The wind rushing through her hair as she sped out of time the first day of the rest of her life, she could have done cartwheels. The town was fading behind her as she left the place she had grown up in. The excitement out-weighed the feelings of guilt and nerves and even a little nostalgia. But Obi-wan had promised that today they would begin her training. She tried not to think of anything else. 

Obi-wan heard the speeder long before feeling her presence. His hand yet again reached for his lightsaber. Anakin had felt Obi-wan tense, bringing him back into the present, ready to defend his family. They both relaxed as they recognized the figure on the speeder. Obi-wan turned to Anakin placing a firm hand on his shoulder, they hadn't exchanged any words in their time alone they hadn't really even moved. Anakin was feeling calmer, his thoughts were still loud and present and he had cut Obi-wan off, but knowing that Obi-wan was still his brother, still there to love him as such soothed his soul. Anakin went back to the cave, going to help Padme with the children and most importantly to apologize.

Obi-wan sighed as Anakin walked away, he hadn't been able to break through his walls. Which often meant he was hiding something, Obi-wan sighed, he never seemed to be anything other than stressed these days and it was finally starting to leaves cracks in his facade. He wished he wasn't so tired all the time. He sighed trying to rid himself of some of the tension as he made his way over to Y/N, the smile returning to his face. 

Anakin entered the cave, his heart hammering out of his chest. The opening below, revealing his wife and his children and again the anxiety returned, Anakin shook his head not wanting to have yet another panic attack so soon after the last, he didn't have the energy. But it came anyway drowning him, he couldn't breathe the world plunging into a darkness, he never felt the earth collide with his shoulder as he fell and he didn't hear his sobs echo throughout the cave, he never saw Padme begin to approach him. He felt like he was falling drowning in an endless nothing.  She wrapped her arms around him, holding his neck resting his head in her lap, stroking his back, trying to soothe him as best as she could. Eventually, the sobs softened and the tears flowed more freely as his breathing became less labored. It was still shallow and quick, but now that his muscles weren't all tense and contracted the breathes fell from him as he tried to calm himself. Padme's heart hurt for him, she always saw him as this strong-willed spirit, who was always there to protect her, now the tables had turned and he was very much protecting her from himself, she was so scared for him. She didn't know what there was left to do. 

Anakin looked up at Padme, the real world coming back into view the black haze drifting away, his tears streamed down his face and the world seemed to stop spinning as he looked into her eyes, all his answers there in her soul, in her love. His anchor, even after all this she wasn't scared of him and it swelled his heart with so much adoration Anakin didn't think he could ever put it into words. He took her hand in his bringing it to his lips, placing gentle kisses on her knuckles. The gesture carrying the weight of the world, Padme unable to keep his gaze as her face flushed. The romance sparking her heart with the love she was so familiar with. They made their way back down to the babies. The gurgling breaking out into cries for attention as they did so, Anakin chuckled. Parenthood was no joke. 

"The force is powerful, it can unleash a world of knowledge. But not everyone is attuned to it." Obi-wan stood across from Y/N, he knew he was droning on about the responsibility of being a force user, but he didn't want to leave Y/N in the dark about any of it. He didn't want to attract any attention through the force. Jedi were still being hunted and without a transporter, they had no hope of surviving.  Obi-wan also didn't know how to train a padawan when the whole Jedi order had been wiped. Everything was up in the air for Obi-wan, he had never felt so lost and unsure in his entire life. Y/N looked up at him with such hopeful eyes, Obi-wan couldn't help but envy it. To be so naive, to be so unaware of the pain this life, this path brings. To be so innocent of the world, and yet to be so eager to start a new life to begin training for a life that she had so little knowledge and understanding of. 
Obi-wan sighed, to be young again. It was days like this that made Obi-wan wish that Qui-gon was still here. Maybe things wouldn't have turned out the way they had. Maybe Anakin wouldn't have gotten married, maybe Palpatine would have never tempted Anakin. But then again, the Jedi order was a cruel and lonely life, maybe things worked out the way they should have to usher in the balance the force was so desperate for. Consequences be damned. 

A/N:

Hey all!! So I have decided to take this story over to AO3 so if any of you want to check it out, my username over there is Shadow_Ren359. The story will be going under heavy editing to make it more from Y/N's POV so if you want to see that it should be uploaded by the end of the week (hopefully aha!)