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Anakin watched as Padmé's chest went up and down with the rhythm of her sleeping. She was so tired lately and it worried him, it worried him to feel so powerless. Anytime she looked at him he smiled, but inside he wasn't sure some hidden darkness remained in his heart it kept hissing doubt into his ear.

Did I make the right choice? Did I doom her to death?

He moved to her bedside, combing her hair softly and kissed her cheek, and then turned to his droid, "Artoo, keep an eye on her okay?" The droid chirped in acknowledgment, his head swiveling.

Anakin arrived only a few days after Padmé, they had decided to stay at the lake house in Naboo, like she always wanted. Anakin was prepared for an awkward conversation with Ruwee and about the pregnancy, or the marriage, but there never was, they simply acknowledged it and welcomed him into their home and their family. Like he was always meant to be there, acceptance never came easy to Anakin, but for the first time since he was a boy he wasn't the chosen one, or The Hero with No Fear, or a Jedi, he was simply a man who was going to be a father. He loved it here, on Coruscant the Force was strong, but constantly buzzed around like an insect, everything about the planet was a distraction, or an illusion. Here, he decided, here everything was better. The air was perfumed from the blooms of hundreds of flowers, the colour a wide palette, more various than Padmé's wardrobe.

He told Padmé that he decided to leave the order, that he could never leave her. Anakin remarked on how sad she looked at the news, but she understood that there was no perfect choice, but at least they didn't have to hide anymore. Anakin had taken to wearing his wedding band in public, and he looked down at his hand, turning the band on his hand, which had now been on his hand for over a month now. He was more happy than he had ever been, and it would be any day now until he would be welcoming his own family into the world, and any time that hissing voice would enter his ears he would crush it until it silenced itself. They still hadn't discussed names, and Padmé didn't want to know the sex of the child yet. "I want it to be a surprise Ani!" She would often say, Anakin suspected she was carrying a son, and he mused on calling him after his former master Qui-Gon.

He made himself a cup of caf not wishing to bother Padmé's many handmaidens that he never really wanted to admit that he couldn't really tell them all apart. Sitting at a table near a large open balcony he laughed to himself how quickly he had settled into domesticity, it wasn't much different to being a Jedi he figured. He was already used to waking up very early, which left him time to drink caf, and think on his life. After months of being at war, he never wanted to take these silent moments for granted. The air was warm, but not unbearably so, a few children's toys were in the corner of the kitchen, given to the Naberrie family as gifts as soon as people found their favourite senator was expecting. Everyone loved Padmé, and she loved her people. Anakin walked over to pick up a stuffed Shaak, it was fuzzy and plump. Anakin smiled and moved the plushed animal to his face and rubbed it slightly over his cheek, remembering when Padmé and he first came to Naboo together. He put the toy back down, "I remember when Padmé was born, Ruwee couldn't sleep all he did was drink caf and pace around." Anakin turned to greet Padmé's personal nurse, an older woman named Winama Typho. "I didn't see you there, I was just..."

"Pacing and drinking caf?"

Anakin let loose some laughter, "yeah I suppose I am."

She put her hand on Anakin's shoulder, "Padmé will be fine, trust me. She's stronger than you think."

"I think she's stronger than me, I don't know how she does it." Anakin stated

"Training, practice...I suppose she gets that from her mother."