Return

•3•

Padmé awoke that morning, entangled in her husband's arms. The suns shined brightly through the half-cracked open blinds, causing her to breathe a sigh of satisfaction. This was what she had been wanting ever since she and Anakin got married. For she and her husband to be in peace again.

She looked at Anakin, fast asleep. No matter how hard she tried, she could not escape his grasp. All she needed to get up for was a glass of water. Yet she knew that fighting Anakin, she would never win.

"Ani..."

Anakin mumbled something Padmé couldn't understand and kissed her forehead softly.

"Anakin, I just need to-"

"Stay," he mumbled, pulling her back in bed with him. "Just ten more minutes..."

Padmé faltered and sunk back into his grasp, only to find light kisses up her arm. "Ani," Padmé laughed. The kisses worked their way up her shoulder, all the way to her cheek.

"I love you."

"I love you too," Padmé said, smiling.

Luke and Leia ran in the bedroom. "Mommy! Daddy! Mommy! Daddyyy!" they cried, jumping into their parents' bed.

"What is it, you crazy twins?" Anakin yawned.

"Guess what?" Luke said.

"What?"

"I woke up really early this morning, and it was like five o'clock!"

Anakin glanced at Padmé, his eyebrows furrowed. "How did you know the time?"

Luke shrugged and buried himself under the sheets between his parents. Leia squealed as Anakin tickled her. She rolled over to face Padmé, curling up into a ball.

Padmé laughed and kissed Leia's head. "Do you love Daddy?"

Leia nodded and turned back over to face Anakin. He ran his fingers through her brown curls which resembled Padmé's greatly. "I love you too, Leia."

***********************************

Six Months Later

"Padmé. Angel, I'm leaving," Anakin said, shaking her shoulder lightly. He had gotten a spot back with the Jedi and had been working with them for about five months so far. He was a Jedi Master now.

Padmé stirred and turned over to face Anakin where he knelt beside the bed. "Ani," she mumbled. "Ani."

"Yes?" He stroked her cheek.

"I feel so terrible."

"What?" Anakin pressed his hand to her forehead. It was burning up. "Are you sick? Do you have a fever?"

"I don't know." Tight cramps clenched throughout her stomach, and she felt as if any minute she would lean over the side of the bed retching.

"Today's the day we're going to Geonosis for that negotiation."

Padmé cracked a small grin. "Any aggressive negotiations?"

Anakin smiled and shook his head. "Would you like me to get you anything?"

"No. I just need to breathe." She sat up slowly. In a minute's time, she was up and getting dressed.

"Padmé, are you sure-"

"Yes, Ani. This mission is important. Since you killed Sidious and the Empire is gone, we need a new Chancellor. That's what we're going out for today."

"I know." He scratched the back of his head. "I killed Sidious." Anakin's comlink lit up, and he answered it. "Skywalker."

"Anakin, it's Obi-Wan. Are you all set to go?"

"Yes, my Master."

"What about Senator Amidala?"

"Yes, my Master."

"Good. I'll meet you in the hangar."

"Got it." Anakin clicked off and looked at Padmé.

"Ani, you could've said that you needed to call me to see if I was ready. You sort of made it obvious that you're with me."

Anakin ignored her and made sure the babysitter droid was there to watch over the twins. "Alright, we're ready to go." He laced his arm around Padmé, but she swatted his arm away. He stared at her, appalled. "What...?"

"Sorry. I'm sorry. I'm just a little jittery this morning."

"It's fine."

They continued on to travel to the Temple, then taking off from there to ride in gunships over Geonosis.

The loud engines of their gunship and the ones around them flooded Anakin and Padmé's ears as they sped over the sand.

"Don't fall this time, Senator!" Anakin yelled over the noise.

Padmé just smiled at him and looked back out at the miles of unoccupied land.

All of the sudden, there was a rattle and then a huge bump, and Padmé did exactly what Anakin told her not to.