Treasured (Book 2)

Typical Evening

Seven Years Later

Emilie laughed at her older brother Luke's voice. It cracked most times that he talked, and she thought it was the funniest thing.

"Shut up, will you?" Luke fumed, his voice cracking again.

"Why?" Emilie said, laughing.

"Because, it's rude! I can't wait until you have a boyfriend and I can make fun of you for it!"

"That's not happening for a while. Daddy still doesn't want Leia to have a boyfriend and she's fourteen years old." Emilie felt a sharp pain on her scalp and knew it was a hair being plucked out. "Hayden!" she screamed.

"You know Mom and Dad won't be mad at him for that, right? Because he's the 'youngest child' and the 'most precious,'" Luke sneered.

"Jealous much?" Emilie asked.

"No!" Luke claimed. He shook his hair out and jerked his head to the side to swipe it out of his eyes.

Anakin walked down the stairs leading to living room from the kitchen. The bills were fanned out in front of his face and his eyebrows were low over the tops of his eyes.

"Daddy, doesn't Luke do that shaky-hair thing way too much?" Emilie asked.

Anakin shrugged. "I guess."

"Oh, it's on," Luke said to Emilie. "Go ahead, mock me!"

"Daddy, what does mock mean?"

Anakin looked up from the bills. "It means to imitate, you know? To copy someone, or you know..."

"Oh, I get it! Alright, I'll mock you then, Luke!"

"No, let's not get you guys into an argument," Anakin interjected.

"Great, because I have other things to do," Luke said, hopping onto the couch and pulling his headset on. He stared intently at the holoscreen and moved his remote control buttons fast.

Emilie dropped her head back. "Ugh, that stupid video game again! I hate it when he does that!"

"Not any more than your mother does," Anakin said. "Leia, can you come out here, please?"

Leia ripped her bedroom door and leaned against the frame. "Yeah?"

"Come here, please," Anakin said sternly, pointing to the space on the floor next to him.

She rolled her eyes and looked up at him.

"First of all, don't roll your eyes at me, and second of all-" He held out two bills in front of her face. "-what are these?"

She took them and stared. "They're the bills for my magazines. That's all. You and Mom said you'd pay for them all year as a Christmas gift."

"Are you sure about that? I don't remember-"

"Wow, you really are getting old, aren't you Dad? Not remembering anything..."

"You don't have to remind me." He sighed and started to walk, stepping on some you blocks instead. "Ah!" he groaned, cringing. He turned to Emilie. "Where's your little brother?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. He could be anywhere."

Anakin pointed at her. "You're right."

"When's Mommy going to be home?"

"Soon. Hopefully," he mumbled.

"Hey, Em, get me something to eat," Luke directed without looking at his little sister. "Maybe chips or something?"

Anakin walked to the holoscreen and pulled the plug.

"Hey!" Luke yelled.

"You aren't going to direct your little siblings around acting like you're royalty. I didn't raise my eldest son to be lazy. Get up if you want something to eat." He shoved the plug back into the wall, and to Luke's surprise, the game resumed to exactly where he had left it.

"Are you going to make us dinner?" Hayden asked Anakin, coming out of nowhere.

Leia rolled her eyes and went back off to her room.

"Oh, Lei-Lei!" Hayden called in a high-pitched voice. "Hale called today!"

She ran back out of her room, staring at him. "Hale?"

"Yes! He left a message."

She eyes him curiously. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure..."

Leia knew that meant no, and she narrowed her eyes at him and slammed her bedroom door behind her.

Padmé opened the door, and Anakin met her right away.

"Oh, Anakin," she breathed. She pulled the collar of his robes and kissed his lips softly.

She pulled away and looked at her children proudly. Emilie ran to her, smiling, and Hayden was lifted up into her arms.

When Luke realized that Padmé was home, he stood up, pulling his headset off and walking to her. He embraced her, and he was taller than she was.

"Mom," he said, his head behind hers. "I missed you."

"Luke, I missed you, too. I love you."

"I love you too, Mom."

Anakin crossed his arms, standing behind them. "Beware, children. Inner Mom mode is coming. I can feel it."

"Yeah, I sort of had that feeling too," Luke said, pulling away.

Padmé laughed. "Luke, your voice is getting deeper."

Luke groaned. "You were right, Dad."

"Where's Leia?" Padmé asked.

"She's pouting in her room because I told her Hale called," Hayden said.

"Well, that wasn't very nice, was it, Hayden? I'll go check on her."

"No!" Anakin, Luke, Emilie and Hayden said in unison.

"What? Why?"

"Her mood is...it's terrible. Just don't go in there," Luke insisted.

"Okay, well, I'm going to get some tea."

She walked to the kitchen to get tea and Anakin turned to Hayden. "Clean up your toys, please," he said, gesturing to the piles of toys around him.

"No problem," Hayden said, using the Force to tidy things.

"How many times have I told you to stop misusing the Force. It makes you very lazy if you get into that habit."

Leia opened her door and screamed. "Mom! Dad! Everyone!"