Breathing Ashes

Chapter 11 - Reclaiming

Author's Note: There's only two chapters left. :')

~ Amina Gila

"If neither of you can choose, maybe you can take turns," Padme says flatly, as the twins squabble over what thing on the holonet they get to watch that evening. Frankly, Obi-Wan doesn't get why it matters so much.

"Or you could let Anakin choose," he interjects dryly. It's strange being here with all of them, when he knows Padme doesn't want him here and the twins are only just getting to know him, but he's not going to stay on the ship all the time if Anakin isn't.

All heads promptly turn to Obi-Wan. Well... except for the twins.

"Which do you like better, Daddy?" Leia asks eagerly, looking up at him.

Anakin blinks, totally caught off-guard.

Okay, not quite what Obi-Wan intended. "I meant Anakin can pick his own preference. I doubt he's seen any pod races in some time."

Anakin's head snaps to him, shooting him a nearly incredulous look.

"Pod races?" Luke asks, curiously, "I wanna race in one!"

Padme huffs, though she looks amused. "If you want you can watch one, yes."

"You still remember that?" Anakin asks, almost awkwardly. Being the sudden center of everyone's attention seems to have made him distinctly uncomfortable. Or maybe it's just the topic or... Obi-Wan's not sure.

"How could I forget?" he asks, flatly. He would still like to know when Anakin found the time to do that for ten years, and Obi-Wan never even caught him once, until right after he'd been Knighted.

Anakin sits down on the floor, and Padme settles surprisingly close to him, though the twins promptly race to Anakin, clambering into his lap. Obi-Wan takes a seat near them ready to watch this very boring show. He's paying more attention to the Skywalkers than he is to the strange things they find fascinating. Some of the tension between everyone seems to be gone now, whatever happened. Something's settled between Anakin and Padme, though Obi-Wan couldn't say what from the not-quite-nasty looks Padme occasionally gives Obi-Wan, when she isn't just ignoring him. And the twins are well... They seem happier, he thinks.

As soon as the holo is over, Padme decides it's bedtime for the twins, pulling them off to bed with promises of telling the story of when Anakin raced pods. Except they want to hear it from him, too, so he follows her into their room.

Obi-Wan doesn't miss the odd way Anakin's flexing is left arm, though, and... Right. The sand is going to be irritating it. He never considered that. To be fair, thinking about Anakin's limbs period is just... He doesn't like to. It's easier not to. Bringing it up to Anakin is even harder, but it's his job to take care of him if he won't do it himself. (He wishes he'd done it more long ago.)

It's a while before Anakin comes out again because... apparently, the twins very badly needed to hear Padme tell part of the story in a high-pitched, screechy voice or something, for reasons he can't quite comprehend and doesn't bother to ponder. It is making him wonder again, what raising Anakin from birth would have been like.

Obi-Wan stops him the moment Anakin steps out of the room again, looking... surprisingly happy. He hasn't seen him this content in so long. He never thought it would happen again.

"Yes, Master?" he asks, uncertainly. (Always with that touch of nervousness when he's caught off-guard. That's always been true, though.)

"You haven't taken care of your limbs since Polis Massa, have you?"

Anakin looks down, automatically clenching his right hand. "No. I... have not."

"They're not functioning as well as they should, are they?"