(Star Wars) To Love A Slave

Chapter Thirty-Eight - We Kiss, We Make Up

"SHE DID WHAT?!"

"Boss, calm down!" Rex and Cody struggled to restrain Vader in his throne. Luke and Leia sat in their smaller chairs with worried expressions on their faces.

"Your Highness, please have mercy!" Atzin dropped to his knees in both fear and submission. "I begged her not to but I have to listen to her as well! She is the Empress!"

"I don't give a flying shaak's ass what her title is! You listen to me before her, my word is higher than hers!" Vader roared from his seat but remained in the chair, clutching the arm rests until his knuckles turned white.

"Go back to the medical wing Doctor. I'm done with you for now..." As the old man practically ran out of the throne room, the Emperor slouched back in his seat. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Leave us." With his soft command, Rex and Cody cleared out along with any other guards which meant only the royal family inhabited the massive hall.

After a moment of silence, Luke decided to be the brave twin and approach their father first. "Daddy?" He gently crept around his mother's empty throne and stopped in front of Anakin. "Are you okay?"

Anakin sighed, dropping his hood and taking the young boy into his arms. "No, I'm not okay. Your Mother is being very difficult right now and all I want to do is help her but she won't let me. Now, she's going against the doctor's orders and not taking her medicine anymore."

Leia silently stood up and skipped over to her father raising her arms so she could join her twin in his lap. "Mommy's a big girl though, Daddy. She told me that big girls and big boys get to make their own decisions, especially grown ups."

Anakin pressed his lips to her temple. "That's true, Princess but Momma isn't making the right choice here." Now it was Luke's turn to quote his Mother.

"Mommy told us that no matter what choices we make, as a family, we still have to support them. Even if we don't agree with Mommy's choice, we still have to be there for her."

"Just like she's always there for us." Leia couldn't help but finish her twin's thought.

"I feel like I'm talking to Padme right now..." Anakin let out a sigh that came out like a chuckle. "Since when did you to grow up and become so smart? You're making Daddy feel extremely stupid right now..."

Leia reached up and pulled on a dirty blonde, curly lock. "Ouch, Leia!" Anakin hissed at the sudden thing of pain in his scalp. "Why? Why did you do that?" The expression on his face made it hard for Leia to keep hers straight, especially with Luke laughing hard beside her.

"Stupid is a mean word and Mommy says to not say it because it can hurt people's feelings."

Anakin stood up and threw both twins over his shoulders. "Let's go find you're Mother before you two give me any more gray hairs...or in Leia's case, rip any more of my hair out..."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Padme was laying down on her side, her back to the door. Her brown eyes danced around the night skies though her window wall, watching the twinkling specks sparkle against the black abyss. A few ships flew across in the distance but it didn't faze her.

"Shh... I think she might be asleep..."

She rolled over at the sound of her husband's voice. "I'm awake, you can come in." As Padme sat up, the sound of pitter patter against the marble floors brought a smile to her face.

"Mommy!" Luke was the first child on the bed, latching himself to her torso. Leia soon found herself holding onto her other side, both twins snuggled up next to their mother.

"How are my angels today?"

Leia gave Padme a squeeze before slipping off the bed. Anakin had hung back by the doorway, sensing his wife's slight resentment towards him still stirring within her mind. As his daughter slid across the floor towards him, he knelt down and wrapped Leia up in his embrace.

"Ani..." Padme greeted him, scooting over so he and Leia could lie down. He just shook his head, holding Leia on his hip. "N-No, you need your space and I don't wanna intrude."

"If I didn't want you intruding in my life Anakin, I would've never opened my front door the first time we ever met. Now, if you'll stop being stubborn, come lay down with me and our children."

As he sat down on the edge of her bed to take his boots off, Anakin couldn't help but chuckle at her statement. "That's probably one of the sweetest things you've ever said to me, Angel." Setting the leather shoes aside, he slipped into the sheets beside Padme and carefully pulled her into his chest.

"I'm sorry about yesterday, Ani."

"I'm sorry too, Angel. You won't believe how hard it was to fall asleep last night without you crushing my lungs..." A soft hand snapped against his chest, leaving behind a subtle sting. "Okay, is it just Hurt Anakin Day or something because I swear, you people have it out for me!"

Padme cocked her head at his statement. "What do you mean?" Leia started giggling beside Luke, both of them seated at the end of the bed. "Mommy, Daddy said a bad word so I pulled his hair!"

Luke struggled to continue what Leia was going to say before she too began to struggle with the giggles. "He said 'Ouch Leia!' just like I do when she thinks she wins our play fights!" That statement got Leia's attention right then and there.

She reached over and pulled his ear.

"Ouch Leia!" He tossed her a glare. "Why did you do that?!"

"You said I won those fair and square. You lied to me so I pulled your ear." A lightbulb went off in her head. "Did I win that playfight, Lukey?"

"Okay children, come here and cuddle with your mother while you can!" Anakin quickly intervened, trying to keep his own laughs down. A knock at the door drew his attention away from his family; he stood up and tucked the three of them in.

"I'll be right back."