General Skywalker

Padmé calls when he’s finishing up digging a waist-high hole in the yard at Ahsoka’s insistence. A fire pit, she’d suggested, had basically ordered. They have to go out and get some supplies, but that will wait until tomorrow. Right now he’s just eager to talk to Padmé again, especially now that he’s feeling better and isn’t in the middle of a post-seizure brain fog.

Anakin pulls himself out of the pit and sits on one of the lounge chairs. “I’ll go make dinner,” Ahsoka offers, leaving Anakin to his privacy.

“Can we change this? It’s upsetting Leia.”

“No, this is what kids like! Not those boring house shows you were watching earlier. They want fun!” Kamali exclaims. Obi-Wan’s sigh tells Padmé he’s tried to explain this already.

“My children are infants. They enjoy calm environments. When they’re older, they’ll probably enjoy things like this. But their attention spans don’t currently allow for them to focus on something like this for long. So let’s just turn the holo off for a while.”

Kamali’s face lights up and suddenly Padmé is afraid.

“Let’s go change their clothes and give them bottles and send them for naps so we can go shopping!” The unwanted houseguest decides. Padmé is firmly against it.

“We can go shopping if you want. But… where I go, so too go Luke and Leia. And Anakin. And therefore Ahsoka and Obi-Wan too. And it isn’t their nap time, so I couldn’t leave them if I wanted to. Bottles are also a rarity in this house, so that won’t be happening. But…” Padmé feels a bit guilty for handedly vetoing nearly everything Kamali has thrown out there.

“… If you would like to help me plan an afternoon outfit to dress them in, I think we can do that.”

“Can I carry one? I wanna carry Luke!”

Padmé freezes and pales as she imagines all the ways Kamali could unintentionally hurt or kill her son. Leia senses the change and fusses more loudly.

“I-I think…” she sees Anakin and Ahsoka entering the room. “Anakin can carry him. We only allow family to carry the twins right now.”

“I’m sure they are,” she murmurs. “But they’re too young for oils. Their skin is too delicate and if any of it gets in their mouths, it would be too dangerous.”

“No! No, the ones my aunt uses are all natural! They can’t hurt anything! I even have a sample you can use, let me-“

“That’s all right, really,” Padmé insists rather forcefully. Kamali doesn’t seem to notice. “Help me pick out a dress for Leia? Her fussiness comes from her connection to the Force. No amount of oils will help her.

“Well, lets put her in something pink,” Kamali decides. “But if you decide you want oil to keep your baby from keeping you up all night, you know who to come from! Anakin, do you need oil? I mean, it’s great for babies but it’s also great for headaches!”

Kamali’s insistance on dressing Leia in pink makes him cringe just a little bit. He doesnt even know if they have anything pink to dress her in. He points this out, and Kamali gasps in what seems like genuine horror.

“We didn’t know what we were expecting,” she explains coolly, thankful Kamali has abandoned the oils. “A lot of our baby clothes aren’t explicitly pink. You’ll find a few thinks with pink accents, of course, but…” she lowers her voice as if she’s afraid of upsetting the twins. “… I thought we were expecting only a boy.” Her voice returns to normal as she continues.

“And at this stage, dresses… aren’t a good idea. That’s something I’m thrilled to work on with Leia when she’s a few months old, but for now she and Luke share their onesies.”

Kamali looks horrified. “You have all this money and they have to SHARE?! That’s awful!”

Padmé is growing increasingly frustrated.

“They won’t be able to wear these outfits for more than a few weeks. MAYBE a month or two. It doesn’t make sense not to use them as much as possible. Once they’re old enough to understand the concept of ownership, we can start worrying about separate wardrobes.”

In the end, it is the senator picking the outfits; the twins are wearing matching sky blue-and-white onesies. She’s put blue socks on Luke and white ones on Leia, and is pleased with Kamali’s dissatisfaction.

“But she’s. A. GIRL! You can’t put her in blue!”

“I love blue. It’s a calming color, and the babies don’t mind. They just care that they have people to love and care for them. Don’t you?” She asks the twins as she reaches for Luke before remembering Ahsoka’s warning. She picks up Leia instead, determined to be that perfect mother.

He does go into the bedroom to change his own clothes, though, and as an afterthought takes a small swig from the vodka under the bed. Just a tiny bit, just to remind himself what he can do when they get home for the evening. What THEY can do. Not just him, because it’s an important part of their… well. It’s important, now. He also pops a mint in his mouth to mask the scent; he isnt sure anyone would be super happy with him otherwise.

“Well, she’s a girl. And she should be wearing a pink frilly dress,” Kamali says, crossing her arms. “She looks like a boy now.”

“Infants are pretty ambiguous. There aren’t a lot of physical features to distinguish any difference. I’m not concerned, it’s just clothing.” She sighs as Anakin rejoins them.

“You’re sure you’re up for this?” Though if he needs a break, there are plenty of benches in the shade on the main avenue where he can rest. She adjusts Leia in her sling. Though Padmé knows Anakin prefers the carrier or even the harness, she refuses to give up the sling. Leia seems to enjoy it, as she drifts off quickly. Kamali doesn’t like that either, wanting to wake the baby.

“She’ll wake soon enough, but let her rest.” Padmé cradles the baby against her, not liking the invasion of Kamali in her personal space.

“Let’s just grab Ahsoka and head out?” She asks Anakin. “I don’t think we’ll be too long, but if you need to rest while we’re out, you don’t need my permission.”

“You know me,” he says with a shrug as they head down the stairs, “I’m up for anything.” Its a dirty lie and he knows it, but he truly is feeling good now. He’d had his emotional outburst, had time to calm down, and things are better-feeling now. For now.

“Hey Snips,” he greets upon entering the living room and getting Luke situated in his harness, “we need another set of hands to come shopping.” He uses the Force to send her a small plea of agreement, jutting his chin over to Kamali, who is distracted by oooo-ing over one of his paintings. He decides not to tell her who the artist is.

Ahsoka gives him a Look, but nods. He almost points out that this whole thing was HER idea, so she had better not be planning on bowing out now, but then she nods. “Obi-Wan’s in the office. He’s been on the comm with the Council for, like. An hour. I think they’re trying to send him back to the front lines.”

“I’m still not okay with anyone but Anakin and myself holding them,” she insists. “Ahsoka And Obi-Wan are family, and if neither of us are able to do it, then we ask them. Maybe when they’re older.”

Kamali pouts but seems to realize that Padmé will not be handing over a cute little bundle to her to play with and cuddle.

“Is everything okay?” Padmé calls over to Anakin and Ahsoka. She swears, if Luke has spittled in his clothes again and she has to change him AGAIN before they leave, she’s going to be irritated.

“Everything’s fine,” Ahsoka insists in that tone that warns Padmé that something is less than ideal. Clearly, there’s no intent to address it right now, whatever it is.

Its mostly that he worries. Obi-Wan is still fighting the war, and with Anakin’s absence from the front lines, probably in more danger than he would normally be. Feeling his thoughts starting to go down a familiarly dark path, Anakin forces himself back to the present, and what Kamali is saying.

“And I just think, well, I think it’s great they make colors for non-humans too!” This statement is directed at Ahsoka, who to her credit is barely managing not to scowl.

“Yeah, but you can be even prettier than you already are!” Kamali insists stubbornly. Padmé shakes her head again.

“I… really don’t need it,” Ahsoka repeats. “I like my markings the way they are.” She moves back from her position between Ahsoka and Padmé to join Anakin.

“I can’t believe how pushy she is,” the teen grumbles as she watches Padmé absently entertain Kamali’s sales pitches as she absently plays with Leia’s foot. The senator has a knack for this.

“You’re stuck on Obi-Wan,” she murmurs so Padmé and especially Kamali can’t hear. “I don’t need the Force to tell, you have that expression.” Though she will admit, it’s arguably better than being part of the current conversation.

“Do you want me to take Skyguy junior for a while?” She offers, giving her pinky to Luke. The toddler absently holds onto it as he looks around, fascinated by everything he’s seen.

“Hey, Padmé?” Ahsoka says at her normal volume. “I think we need to get the skybabies out more often. Luke is looking around like he’s never been outside before.”

“I’m not suggesting we walk into town on a regular basis,” Padmé insists before Kamali can drum up another sales pitch. “Maybe we can take some strolls around the block and by the playground. They’re too young to play, but they might enjoy the sights and sounds.” And Anakin and Padmé may be able to learn how to enjoy being out and about without any clear objective.

They arrive in the downtown area fast enough, and weave in and out of several forgettable shops Kamali insists on visiting. But then they come across a tea shop that Padmé has never seen before, and she makes an executive decision that this shop may be worthy.

He follows the group into the tea shop, the mingling aroma of so many different types of tea creating a relaxing atmosphere, despite Anakin's general disinterest in tea. It does smell awfully good in here, and he notices the twins calm considerably as well. Must be something they have in common with their mother.

Kamali is picking up and putting down containers seemingly at random. "You know, I have this cleansing tea you could try. You can only get it from certain people, but it tastes really good and it makes your whole body renew itself!"

Padmé calls when he’s finishing up digging a waist-high hole in the yard at Ahsoka’s insistence. A fire pit, she’d suggested, had basically ordered. They have to go out and get some supplies, but that will wait until tomorrow. Right now he’s just eager to talk to Padmé again, especially now that he’s feeling better and isn’t in the middle of a post-seizure brain fog.

Anakin pulls himself out of the pit and sits on one of the lounge chairs. “I’ll go make dinner,” Ahsoka offers, leaving Anakin to his privacy.

“Can we change this? It’s upsetting Leia.”

“No, this is what kids like! Not those boring house shows you were watching earlier. They want fun!” Kamali exclaims. Obi-Wan’s sigh tells Padmé he’s tried to explain this already.

“My children are infants. They enjoy calm environments. When they’re older, they’ll probably enjoy things like this. But their attention spans don’t currently allow for them to focus on something like this for long. So let’s just turn the holo off for a while.”

Kamali’s face lights up and suddenly Padmé is afraid.

“Let’s go change their clothes and give them bottles and send them for naps so we can go shopping!” The unwanted houseguest decides. Padmé is firmly against it.

“We can go shopping if you want. But… where I go, so too go Luke and Leia. And Anakin. And therefore Ahsoka and Obi-Wan too. And it isn’t their nap time, so I couldn’t leave them if I wanted to. Bottles are also a rarity in this house, so that won’t be happening. But…” Padmé feels a bit guilty for handedly vetoing nearly everything Kamali has thrown out there.

“… If you would like to help me plan an afternoon outfit to dress them in, I think we can do that.”

“Can I carry one? I wanna carry Luke!”

Padmé freezes and pales as she imagines all the ways Kamali could unintentionally hurt or kill her son. Leia senses the change and fusses more loudly.

“I-I think…” she sees Anakin and Ahsoka entering the room. “Anakin can carry him. We only allow family to carry the twins right now.”

“I’m sure they are,” she murmurs. “But they’re too young for oils. Their skin is too delicate and if any of it gets in their mouths, it would be too dangerous.”

“No! No, the ones my aunt uses are all natural! They can’t hurt anything! I even have a sample you can use, let me-“

“That’s all right, really,” Padmé insists rather forcefully. Kamali doesn’t seem to notice. “Help me pick out a dress for Leia? Her fussiness comes from her connection to the Force. No amount of oils will help her.

“Well, lets put her in something pink,” Kamali decides. “But if you decide you want oil to keep your baby from keeping you up all night, you know who to come from! Anakin, do you need oil? I mean, it’s great for babies but it’s also great for headaches!”

Kamali’s insistance on dressing Leia in pink makes him cringe just a little bit. He doesnt even know if they have anything pink to dress her in. He points this out, and Kamali gasps in what seems like genuine horror.

“We didn’t know what we were expecting,” she explains coolly, thankful Kamali has abandoned the oils. “A lot of our baby clothes aren’t explicitly pink. You’ll find a few thinks with pink accents, of course, but…” she lowers her voice as if she’s afraid of upsetting the twins. “… I thought we were expecting only a boy.” Her voice returns to normal as she continues.

“And at this stage, dresses… aren’t a good idea. That’s something I’m thrilled to work on with Leia when she’s a few months old, but for now she and Luke share their onesies.”

Kamali looks horrified. “You have all this money and they have to SHARE?! That’s awful!”

Padmé is growing increasingly frustrated.

“They won’t be able to wear these outfits for more than a few weeks. MAYBE a month or two. It doesn’t make sense not to use them as much as possible. Once they’re old enough to understand the concept of ownership, we can start worrying about separate wardrobes.”

In the end, it is the senator picking the outfits; the twins are wearing matching sky blue-and-white onesies. She’s put blue socks on Luke and white ones on Leia, and is pleased with Kamali’s dissatisfaction.

“But she’s. A. GIRL! You can’t put her in blue!”

“I love blue. It’s a calming color, and the babies don’t mind. They just care that they have people to love and care for them. Don’t you?” She asks the twins as she reaches for Luke before remembering Ahsoka’s warning. She picks up Leia instead, determined to be that perfect mother.

He does go into the bedroom to change his own clothes, though, and as an afterthought takes a small swig from the vodka under the bed. Just a tiny bit, just to remind himself what he can do when they get home for the evening. What THEY can do. Not just him, because it’s an important part of their… well. It’s important, now. He also pops a mint in his mouth to mask the scent; he isnt sure anyone would be super happy with him otherwise.

“Well, she’s a girl. And she should be wearing a pink frilly dress,” Kamali says, crossing her arms. “She looks like a boy now.”

“Infants are pretty ambiguous. There aren’t a lot of physical features to distinguish any difference. I’m not concerned, it’s just clothing.” She sighs as Anakin rejoins them.

“You’re sure you’re up for this?” Though if he needs a break, there are plenty of benches in the shade on the main avenue where he can rest. She adjusts Leia in her sling. Though Padmé knows Anakin prefers the carrier or even the harness, she refuses to give up the sling. Leia seems to enjoy it, as she drifts off quickly. Kamali doesn’t like that either, wanting to wake the baby.

“She’ll wake soon enough, but let her rest.” Padmé cradles the baby against her, not liking the invasion of Kamali in her personal space.

“Let’s just grab Ahsoka and head out?” She asks Anakin. “I don’t think we’ll be too long, but if you need to rest while we’re out, you don’t need my permission.”

“You know me,” he says with a shrug as they head down the stairs, “I’m up for anything.” Its a dirty lie and he knows it, but he truly is feeling good now. He’d had his emotional outburst, had time to calm down, and things are better-feeling now. For now.

“Hey Snips,” he greets upon entering the living room and getting Luke situated in his harness, “we need another set of hands to come shopping.” He uses the Force to send her a small plea of agreement, jutting his chin over to Kamali, who is distracted by oooo-ing over one of his paintings. He decides not to tell her who the artist is.

Ahsoka gives him a Look, but nods. He almost points out that this whole thing was HER idea, so she had better not be planning on bowing out now, but then she nods. “Obi-Wan’s in the office. He’s been on the comm with the Council for, like. An hour. I think they’re trying to send him back to the front lines.”

“I’m still not okay with anyone but Anakin and myself holding them,” she insists. “Ahsoka And Obi-Wan are family, and if neither of us are able to do it, then we ask them. Maybe when they’re older.”

Kamali pouts but seems to realize that Padmé will not be handing over a cute little bundle to her to play with and cuddle.

“Is everything okay?” Padmé calls over to Anakin and Ahsoka. She swears, if Luke has spittled in his clothes again and she has to change him AGAIN before they leave, she’s going to be irritated.

“Everything’s fine,” Ahsoka insists in that tone that warns Padmé that something is less than ideal. Clearly, there’s no intent to address it right now, whatever it is.

Its mostly that he worries. Obi-Wan is still fighting the war, and with Anakin’s absence from the front lines, probably in more danger than he would normally be. Feeling his thoughts starting to go down a familiarly dark path, Anakin forces himself back to the present, and what Kamali is saying.

“And I just think, well, I think it’s great they make colors for non-humans too!” This statement is directed at Ahsoka, who to her credit is barely managing not to scowl.

“Yeah, but you can be even prettier than you already are!” Kamali insists stubbornly. Padmé shakes her head again.

“I… really don’t need it,” Ahsoka repeats. “I like my markings the way they are.” She moves back from her position between Ahsoka and Padmé to join Anakin.

“I can’t believe how pushy she is,” the teen grumbles as she watches Padmé absently entertain Kamali’s sales pitches as she absently plays with Leia’s foot. The senator has a knack for this.

“You’re stuck on Obi-Wan,” she murmurs so Padmé and especially Kamali can’t hear. “I don’t need the Force to tell, you have that expression.” Though she will admit, it’s arguably better than being part of the current conversation.

“Do you want me to take Skyguy junior for a while?” She offers, giving her pinky to Luke. The toddler absently holds onto it as he looks around, fascinated by everything he’s seen.

“Hey, Padmé?” Ahsoka says at her normal volume. “I think we need to get the skybabies out more often. Luke is looking around like he’s never been outside before.”

Padmé calls when he’s finishing up digging a waist-high hole in the yard at Ahsoka’s insistence. A fire pit, she’d suggested, had basically ordered. They have to go out and get some supplies, but that will wait until tomorrow. Right now he’s just eager to talk to Padmé again, especially now that he’s feeling better and isn’t in the middle of a post-seizure brain fog.

Anakin pulls himself out of the pit and sits on one of the lounge chairs. “I’ll go make dinner,” Ahsoka offers, leaving Anakin to his privacy.

“Can we change this? It’s upsetting Leia.”

“No, this is what kids like! Not those boring house shows you were watching earlier. They want fun!” Kamali exclaims. Obi-Wan’s sigh tells Padmé he’s tried to explain this already.

“My children are infants. They enjoy calm environments. When they’re older, they’ll probably enjoy things like this. But their attention spans don’t currently allow for them to focus on something like this for long. So let’s just turn the holo off for a while.”

Kamali’s face lights up and suddenly Padmé is afraid.

“Let’s go change their clothes and give them bottles and send them for naps so we can go shopping!” The unwanted houseguest decides. Padmé is firmly against it.

“We can go shopping if you want. But… where I go, so too go Luke and Leia. And Anakin. And therefore Ahsoka and Obi-Wan too. And it isn’t their nap time, so I couldn’t leave them if I wanted to. Bottles are also a rarity in this house, so that won’t be happening. But…” Padmé feels a bit guilty for handedly vetoing nearly everything Kamali has thrown out there.

“… If you would like to help me plan an afternoon outfit to dress them in, I think we can do that.”

“Can I carry one? I wanna carry Luke!”

Padmé freezes and pales as she imagines all the ways Kamali could unintentionally hurt or kill her son. Leia senses the change and fusses more loudly.

“I-I think…” she sees Anakin and Ahsoka entering the room. “Anakin can carry him. We only allow family to carry the twins right now.”

“I’m sure they are,” she murmurs. “But they’re too young for oils. Their skin is too delicate and if any of it gets in their mouths, it would be too dangerous.”

“No! No, the ones my aunt uses are all natural! They can’t hurt anything! I even have a sample you can use, let me-“

“That’s all right, really,” Padmé insists rather forcefully. Kamali doesn’t seem to notice. “Help me pick out a dress for Leia? Her fussiness comes from her connection to the Force. No amount of oils will help her.

“Well, lets put her in something pink,” Kamali decides. “But if you decide you want oil to keep your baby from keeping you up all night, you know who to come from! Anakin, do you need oil? I mean, it’s great for babies but it’s also great for headaches!”

Kamali’s insistance on dressing Leia in pink makes him cringe just a little bit. He doesnt even know if they have anything pink to dress her in. He points this out, and Kamali gasps in what seems like genuine horror.

“We didn’t know what we were expecting,” she explains coolly, thankful Kamali has abandoned the oils. “A lot of our baby clothes aren’t explicitly pink. You’ll find a few thinks with pink accents, of course, but…” she lowers her voice as if she’s afraid of upsetting the twins. “… I thought we were expecting only a boy.” Her voice returns to normal as she continues.

“And at this stage, dresses… aren’t a good idea. That’s something I’m thrilled to work on with Leia when she’s a few months old, but for now she and Luke share their onesies.”

Kamali looks horrified. “You have all this money and they have to SHARE?! That’s awful!”

Padmé is growing increasingly frustrated.

“They won’t be able to wear these outfits for more than a few weeks. MAYBE a month or two. It doesn’t make sense not to use them as much as possible. Once they’re old enough to understand the concept of ownership, we can start worrying about separate wardrobes.”

In the end, it is the senator picking the outfits; the twins are wearing matching sky blue-and-white onesies. She’s put blue socks on Luke and white ones on Leia, and is pleased with Kamali’s dissatisfaction.

“But she’s. A. GIRL! You can’t put her in blue!”

“I love blue. It’s a calming color, and the babies don’t mind. They just care that they have people to love and care for them. Don’t you?” She asks the twins as she reaches for Luke before remembering Ahsoka’s warning. She picks up Leia instead, determined to be that perfect mother.

He does go into the bedroom to change his own clothes, though, and as an afterthought takes a small swig from the vodka under the bed. Just a tiny bit, just to remind himself what he can do when they get home for the evening. What THEY can do. Not just him, because it’s an important part of their… well. It’s important, now. He also pops a mint in his mouth to mask the scent; he isnt sure anyone would be super happy with him otherwise.

“Well, she’s a girl. And she should be wearing a pink frilly dress,” Kamali says, crossing her arms. “She looks like a boy now.”

“Infants are pretty ambiguous. There aren’t a lot of physical features to distinguish any difference. I’m not concerned, it’s just clothing.” She sighs as Anakin rejoins them.

“You’re sure you’re up for this?” Though if he needs a break, there are plenty of benches in the shade on the main avenue where he can rest. She adjusts Leia in her sling. Though Padmé knows Anakin prefers the carrier or even the harness, she refuses to give up the sling. Leia seems to enjoy it, as she drifts off quickly. Kamali doesn’t like that either, wanting to wake the baby.

“She’ll wake soon enough, but let her rest.” Padmé cradles the baby against her, not liking the invasion of Kamali in her personal space.

“Let’s just grab Ahsoka and head out?” She asks Anakin. “I don’t think we’ll be too long, but if you need to rest while we’re out, you don’t need my permission.”

“You know me,” he says with a shrug as they head down the stairs, “I’m up for anything.” Its a dirty lie and he knows it, but he truly is feeling good now. He’d had his emotional outburst, had time to calm down, and things are better-feeling now. For now.

“Hey Snips,” he greets upon entering the living room and getting Luke situated in his harness, “we need another set of hands to come shopping.” He uses the Force to send her a small plea of agreement, jutting his chin over to Kamali, who is distracted by oooo-ing over one of his paintings. He decides not to tell her who the artist is.

Ahsoka gives him a Look, but nods. He almost points out that this whole thing was HER idea, so she had better not be planning on bowing out now, but then she nods. “Obi-Wan’s in the office. He’s been on the comm with the Council for, like. An hour. I think they’re trying to send him back to the front lines.”

“I’m still not okay with anyone but Anakin and myself holding them,” she insists. “Ahsoka And Obi-Wan are family, and if neither of us are able to do it, then we ask them. Maybe when they’re older.”

Kamali pouts but seems to realize that Padmé will not be handing over a cute little bundle to her to play with and cuddle.

“Is everything okay?” Padmé calls over to Anakin and Ahsoka. She swears, if Luke has spittled in his clothes again and she has to change him AGAIN before they leave, she’s going to be irritated.

“Everything’s fine,” Ahsoka insists in that tone that warns Padmé that something is less than ideal. Clearly, there’s no intent to address it right now, whatever it is.

Its mostly that he worries. Obi-Wan is still fighting the war, and with Anakin's absence from the front lines, probably in more danger than he would normally be. Feeling his thoughts starting to go down a familiarly dark path, Anakin forces himself back to the present, and what Kamali is saying.

"And I just think, well, I think it's great they make colors for non-humans too!" This statement is directed at Ahsoka, who to her credit is barely managing not to scowl.

Padmé calls when he’s finishing up digging a waist-high hole in the yard at Ahsoka’s insistence. A fire pit, she’d suggested, had basically ordered. They have to go out and get some supplies, but that will wait until tomorrow. Right now he’s just eager to talk to Padmé again, especially now that he’s feeling better and isn’t in the middle of a post-seizure brain fog.

Anakin pulls himself out of the pit and sits on one of the lounge chairs. “I’ll go make dinner,” Ahsoka offers, leaving Anakin to his privacy.

“Can we change this? It’s upsetting Leia.”

“No, this is what kids like! Not those boring house shows you were watching earlier. They want fun!” Kamali exclaims. Obi-Wan’s sigh tells Padmé he’s tried to explain this already.

“My children are infants. They enjoy calm environments. When they’re older, they’ll probably enjoy things like this. But their attention spans don’t currently allow for them to focus on something like this for long. So let’s just turn the holo off for a while.”

Kamali’s face lights up and suddenly Padmé is afraid.

“Let’s go change their clothes and give them bottles and send them for naps so we can go shopping!” The unwanted houseguest decides. Padmé is firmly against it.

“We can go shopping if you want. But… where I go, so too go Luke and Leia. And Anakin. And therefore Ahsoka and Obi-Wan too. And it isn’t their nap time, so I couldn’t leave them if I wanted to. Bottles are also a rarity in this house, so that won’t be happening. But…” Padmé feels a bit guilty for handedly vetoing nearly everything Kamali has thrown out there.

“… If you would like to help me plan an afternoon outfit to dress them in, I think we can do that.”

“Can I carry one? I wanna carry Luke!”

Padmé freezes and pales as she imagines all the ways Kamali could unintentionally hurt or kill her son. Leia senses the change and fusses more loudly.

“I-I think…” she sees Anakin and Ahsoka entering the room. “Anakin can carry him. We only allow family to carry the twins right now.”

“I’m sure they are,” she murmurs. “But they’re too young for oils. Their skin is too delicate and if any of it gets in their mouths, it would be too dangerous.”

“No! No, the ones my aunt uses are all natural! They can’t hurt anything! I even have a sample you can use, let me-“

“That’s all right, really,” Padmé insists rather forcefully. Kamali doesn’t seem to notice. “Help me pick out a dress for Leia? Her fussiness comes from her connection to the Force. No amount of oils will help her.

“Well, lets put her in something pink,” Kamali decides. “But if you decide you want oil to keep your baby from keeping you up all night, you know who to come from! Anakin, do you need oil? I mean, it’s great for babies but it’s also great for headaches!”

Kamali’s insistance on dressing Leia in pink makes him cringe just a little bit. He doesnt even know if they have anything pink to dress her in. He points this out, and Kamali gasps in what seems like genuine horror.

“We didn’t know what we were expecting,” she explains coolly, thankful Kamali has abandoned the oils. “A lot of our baby clothes aren’t explicitly pink. You’ll find a few thinks with pink accents, of course, but…” she lowers her voice as if she’s afraid of upsetting the twins. “… I thought we were expecting only a boy.” Her voice returns to normal as she continues.

“And at this stage, dresses… aren’t a good idea. That’s something I’m thrilled to work on with Leia when she’s a few months old, but for now she and Luke share their onesies.”

Kamali looks horrified. “You have all this money and they have to SHARE?! That’s awful!”

Padmé is growing increasingly frustrated.

“They won’t be able to wear these outfits for more than a few weeks. MAYBE a month or two. It doesn’t make sense not to use them as much as possible. Once they’re old enough to understand the concept of ownership, we can start worrying about separate wardrobes.”

In the end, it is the senator picking the outfits; the twins are wearing matching sky blue-and-white onesies. She’s put blue socks on Luke and white ones on Leia, and is pleased with Kamali’s dissatisfaction.

“But she’s. A. GIRL! You can’t put her in blue!”

“I love blue. It’s a calming color, and the babies don’t mind. They just care that they have people to love and care for them. Don’t you?” She asks the twins as she reaches for Luke before remembering Ahsoka’s warning. She picks up Leia instead, determined to be that perfect mother.

He does go into the bedroom to change his own clothes, though, and as an afterthought takes a small swig from the vodka under the bed. Just a tiny bit, just to remind himself what he can do when they get home for the evening. What THEY can do. Not just him, because it’s an important part of their… well. It’s important, now. He also pops a mint in his mouth to mask the scent; he isnt sure anyone would be super happy with him otherwise.

“Well, she’s a girl. And she should be wearing a pink frilly dress,” Kamali says, crossing her arms. “She looks like a boy now.”

“Infants are pretty ambiguous. There aren’t a lot of physical features to distinguish any difference. I’m not concerned, it’s just clothing.” She sighs as Anakin rejoins them.

“You’re sure you’re up for this?” Though if he needs a break, there are plenty of benches in the shade on the main avenue where he can rest. She adjusts Leia in her sling. Though Padmé knows Anakin prefers the carrier or even the harness, she refuses to give up the sling. Leia seems to enjoy it, as she drifts off quickly. Kamali doesn’t like that either, wanting to wake the baby.

“She’ll wake soon enough, but let her rest.” Padmé cradles the baby against her, not liking the invasion of Kamali in her personal space.

“Let’s just grab Ahsoka and head out?” She asks Anakin. “I don’t think we’ll be too long, but if you need to rest while we’re out, you don’t need my permission.”

"You know me," he says with a shrug as they head down the stairs, "I'm up for anything." Its a dirty lie and he knows it, but he truly is feeling good now. He'd had his emotional outburst, had time to calm down, and things are better-feeling now. For now.

"Hey Snips," he greets upon entering the living room and getting Luke situated in his harness, "we need another set of hands to come shopping." He uses the Force to send her a small plea of agreement, jutting his chin over to Kamali, who is distracted by oooo-ing over one of his paintings. He decides not to tell her who the artist is.

Ahsoka gives him a Look, but nods. He almost points out that this whole thing was HER idea, so she had better not be planning on bowing out now, but then she nods. "Obi-Wan's in the office. He's been on the comm with the Council for, like. An hour. I think they're trying to send him back to the front lines."

Padmé calls when he’s finishing up digging a waist-high hole in the yard at Ahsoka’s insistence. A fire pit, she’d suggested, had basically ordered. They have to go out and get some supplies, but that will wait until tomorrow. Right now he’s just eager to talk to Padmé again, especially now that he’s feeling better and isn’t in the middle of a post-seizure brain fog.

Anakin pulls himself out of the pit and sits on one of the lounge chairs. “I’ll go make dinner,” Ahsoka offers, leaving Anakin to his privacy.

“Can we change this? It’s upsetting Leia.”

“No, this is what kids like! Not those boring house shows you were watching earlier. They want fun!” Kamali exclaims. Obi-Wan’s sigh tells Padmé he’s tried to explain this already.

“My children are infants. They enjoy calm environments. When they’re older, they’ll probably enjoy things like this. But their attention spans don’t currently allow for them to focus on something like this for long. So let’s just turn the holo off for a while.”

Kamali’s face lights up and suddenly Padmé is afraid.

“Let’s go change their clothes and give them bottles and send them for naps so we can go shopping!” The unwanted houseguest decides. Padmé is firmly against it.

“We can go shopping if you want. But… where I go, so too go Luke and Leia. And Anakin. And therefore Ahsoka and Obi-Wan too. And it isn’t their nap time, so I couldn’t leave them if I wanted to. Bottles are also a rarity in this house, so that won’t be happening. But…” Padmé feels a bit guilty for handedly vetoing nearly everything Kamali has thrown out there.

“… If you would like to help me plan an afternoon outfit to dress them in, I think we can do that.”

“Can I carry one? I wanna carry Luke!”

Padmé freezes and pales as she imagines all the ways Kamali could unintentionally hurt or kill her son. Leia senses the change and fusses more loudly.

“I-I think…” she sees Anakin and Ahsoka entering the room. “Anakin can carry him. We only allow family to carry the twins right now.”

“I’m sure they are,” she murmurs. “But they’re too young for oils. Their skin is too delicate and if any of it gets in their mouths, it would be too dangerous.”

“No! No, the ones my aunt uses are all natural! They can’t hurt anything! I even have a sample you can use, let me-“

“That’s all right, really,” Padmé insists rather forcefully. Kamali doesn’t seem to notice. “Help me pick out a dress for Leia? Her fussiness comes from her connection to the Force. No amount of oils will help her.

“Well, lets put her in something pink,” Kamali decides. “But if you decide you want oil to keep your baby from keeping you up all night, you know who to come from! Anakin, do you need oil? I mean, it’s great for babies but it’s also great for headaches!”

Kamali’s insistance on dressing Leia in pink makes him cringe just a little bit. He doesnt even know if they have anything pink to dress her in. He points this out, and Kamali gasps in what seems like genuine horror.

“We didn’t know what we were expecting,” she explains coolly, thankful Kamali has abandoned the oils. “A lot of our baby clothes aren’t explicitly pink. You’ll find a few thinks with pink accents, of course, but…” she lowers her voice as if she’s afraid of upsetting the twins. “… I thought we were expecting only a boy.” Her voice returns to normal as she continues.

“And at this stage, dresses… aren’t a good idea. That’s something I’m thrilled to work on with Leia when she’s a few months old, but for now she and Luke share their onesies.”

Kamali looks horrified. “You have all this money and they have to SHARE?! That’s awful!”

Padmé is growing increasingly frustrated.

“They won’t be able to wear these outfits for more than a few weeks. MAYBE a month or two. It doesn’t make sense not to use them as much as possible. Once they’re old enough to understand the concept of ownership, we can start worrying about separate wardrobes.”

In the end, it is the senator picking the outfits; the twins are wearing matching sky blue-and-white onesies. She’s put blue socks on Luke and white ones on Leia, and is pleased with Kamali’s dissatisfaction.

“But she’s. A. GIRL! You can’t put her in blue!”

“I love blue. It’s a calming color, and the babies don’t mind. They just care that they have people to love and care for them. Don’t you?” She asks the twins as she reaches for Luke before remembering Ahsoka’s warning. She picks up Leia instead, determined to be that perfect mother.

He does go into the bedroom to change his own clothes, though, and as an afterthought takes a small swig from the vodka under the bed. Just a tiny bit, just to remind himself what he can do when they get home for the evening. What THEY can do. Not just him, because it's an important part of their... well. It's important, now. He also pops a mint in his mouth to mask the scent; he isnt sure anyone would be super happy with him otherwise.

Padmé calls when he’s finishing up digging a waist-high hole in the yard at Ahsoka’s insistence. A fire pit, she’d suggested, had basically ordered. They have to go out and get some supplies, but that will wait until tomorrow. Right now he’s just eager to talk to Padmé again, especially now that he’s feeling better and isn’t in the middle of a post-seizure brain fog.

Anakin pulls himself out of the pit and sits on one of the lounge chairs. “I’ll go make dinner,” Ahsoka offers, leaving Anakin to his privacy.

“Can we change this? It’s upsetting Leia.”

“No, this is what kids like! Not those boring house shows you were watching earlier. They want fun!” Kamali exclaims. Obi-Wan’s sigh tells Padmé he’s tried to explain this already.

“My children are infants. They enjoy calm environments. When they’re older, they’ll probably enjoy things like this. But their attention spans don’t currently allow for them to focus on something like this for long. So let’s just turn the holo off for a while.”

Kamali’s face lights up and suddenly Padmé is afraid.

“Let’s go change their clothes and give them bottles and send them for naps so we can go shopping!” The unwanted houseguest decides. Padmé is firmly against it.

“We can go shopping if you want. But… where I go, so too go Luke and Leia. And Anakin. And therefore Ahsoka and Obi-Wan too. And it isn’t their nap time, so I couldn’t leave them if I wanted to. Bottles are also a rarity in this house, so that won’t be happening. But…” Padmé feels a bit guilty for handedly vetoing nearly everything Kamali has thrown out there.

“… If you would like to help me plan an afternoon outfit to dress them in, I think we can do that.”

“Can I carry one? I wanna carry Luke!”

Padmé freezes and pales as she imagines all the ways Kamali could unintentionally hurt or kill her son. Leia senses the change and fusses more loudly.

“I-I think…” she sees Anakin and Ahsoka entering the room. “Anakin can carry him. We only allow family to carry the twins right now.”

“I’m sure they are,” she murmurs. “But they’re too young for oils. Their skin is too delicate and if any of it gets in their mouths, it would be too dangerous.”

“No! No, the ones my aunt uses are all natural! They can’t hurt anything! I even have a sample you can use, let me-“

“That’s all right, really,” Padmé insists rather forcefully. Kamali doesn’t seem to notice. “Help me pick out a dress for Leia? Her fussiness comes from her connection to the Force. No amount of oils will help her.

“Well, lets put her in something pink,” Kamali decides. “But if you decide you want oil to keep your baby from keeping you up all night, you know who to come from! Anakin, do you need oil? I mean, it’s great for babies but it’s also great for headaches!”

Kamali's insistance on dressing Leia in pink makes him cringe just a little bit. He doesnt even know if they have anything pink to dress her in. He points this out, and Kamali gasps in what seems like genuine horror.

Padmé calls when he’s finishing up digging a waist-high hole in the yard at Ahsoka’s insistence. A fire pit, she’d suggested, had basically ordered. They have to go out and get some supplies, but that will wait until tomorrow. Right now he’s just eager to talk to Padmé again, especially now that he’s feeling better and isn’t in the middle of a post-seizure brain fog.

Anakin pulls himself out of the pit and sits on one of the lounge chairs. “I’ll go make dinner,” Ahsoka offers, leaving Anakin to his privacy.

“Can we change this? It’s upsetting Leia.”

“No, this is what kids like! Not those boring house shows you were watching earlier. They want fun!” Kamali exclaims. Obi-Wan’s sigh tells Padmé he’s tried to explain this already.

“My children are infants. They enjoy calm environments. When they’re older, they’ll probably enjoy things like this. But their attention spans don’t currently allow for them to focus on something like this for long. So let’s just turn the holo off for a while.”

Kamali’s face lights up and suddenly Padmé is afraid.

“Let’s go change their clothes and give them bottles and send them for naps so we can go shopping!” The unwanted houseguest decides. Padmé is firmly against it.

“We can go shopping if you want. But… where I go, so too go Luke and Leia. And Anakin. And therefore Ahsoka and Obi-Wan too. And it isn’t their nap time, so I couldn’t leave them if I wanted to. Bottles are also a rarity in this house, so that won’t be happening. But…” Padmé feels a bit guilty for handedly vetoing nearly everything Kamali has thrown out there.

“… If you would like to help me plan an afternoon outfit to dress them in, I think we can do that.”

“Can I carry one? I wanna carry Luke!”

Padmé freezes and pales as she imagines all the ways Kamali could unintentionally hurt or kill her son. Leia senses the change and fusses more loudly.

“I-I think…” she sees Anakin and Ahsoka entering the room. “Anakin can carry him. We only allow family to carry the twins right now.”

Padmé calls when he’s finishing up digging a waist-high hole in the yard at Ahsoka’s insistence. A fire pit, she’d suggested, had basically ordered. They have to go out and get some supplies, but that will wait until tomorrow. Right now he’s just eager to talk to Padmé again, especially now that he’s feeling better and isn’t in the middle of a post-seizure brain fog.

Anakin pulls himself out of the pit and sits on one of the lounge chairs. “I’ll go make dinner,” Ahsoka offers, leaving Anakin to his privacy.

“You’re letting him win. And the more that happens, the closer you come to pushing everyone away. And you think that’s what you want, because you think everyone would be safe. But Anakin, none of us would be together. And I certainly wouldn’t raise my children to respect someone who selfishly abandoned them.” Padmé knows how much it upsets him when she refers to them as hers rather than theirs; her usage of it this time is purely intentional.

“You can take a few minutes,” Padmé tells him. “I know you think you aren’t ready for it. But you are, and this could help. I don’t want to push you, or to separate you from any of us. But we have an obligation to this Republic; to keep it as safe as we can. And I really do think that barring you from using the Force plays right into his hands. We have two perfect little angels upstairs, Ani,” she concludes gently, “if nothing else, do it for them. So we can give them a better future.”

She stands up and heads toward the meditation setup in the corner, lighting some incense and setting the lights low. This will not be a bare-bones meditation session; Padmé is pulling out all the stops to make it an enjoyable session and less pure obligation.

“It’s been a while since we did this… and since I could sit on these cushions. Let me try to guide you, until you’re ready. Maybe that will help?” It’s also a good test of how much she’s learned and remembers - a challenge for her as much as him.

She begins the session without issue; they’ve done this so many times. Focus on breathing, take his hands, reach out to him in the Force. This is where their answer will come from, though Padmé is well aware that they may not know the outcome until they’re finished meditating.

Then he reaches out further, feels the muffled sense of Kamali, feels Ahsoka and Obi-Wan’s familiar presences, and then the bright blinding light of his children. He’s struck with a sense of pride and cant help but smile, mood beginning to lift. Then… he focuses on the soft, calming sense of Padmé, her hands in his, her Force signature guiding his own.

“Thank you. Did it work? Do you… feel any different? I don’t know how this works, just…” her face suddenly lights up as she recalls her own experience.

“I saw them; Luke and Leia. They’re so bright,” she hums. She’s feeling a bit more centered herself, though she won’t admit it. It’s likely something she’s gleaning off her husband, which admittedly would be a positive sign.

“And I know this won’t fix everything. It was just a test, a step… to see if it would even have an effect. I think, though, that for what it’s worth, it was a success. You wouldn’t have reached out into the Force on your own, and asking you to do so in an area any less secure than this may have worked against you. I’m glad you took that step,” she murmurs.

Anakin stretches out on the cushions, closing his eyes for a moment. For some reason, the anger he had been feeling earlier seems so completely out of the blue. There had been no reason for it. None whatsoever. “I’m sorry for how I acted,” he ventures carefully. “It… makes it worse knowing it was me, and not… you know…”

She’s aware there could be issues with Anakin’s temper, but then there’s no chance the chancellor was doing anything that would keep him calm. It reassures her that Anakin is still Anakin; and with that, most of her usual tactics should still work fine.

Going back upstairs means facing Ahsoka and, to a lesser extent, Obi-Wan, but he can handle that. He is less thrilled with the idea of playing host to Kamali, but maybe they’ve scared her off. One can only hope, anyway, he thinks as they head back up the stairs only to find Ahsoka waiting there with the side of her face pressed against the basement door. “Snips…” Anakin knows exactly what the girl had been doing, but wants to see how she tries to explain around it.

Ahsoka is taken aback by the senator’s nonchalance. Then she remembers who she’s dealing with; Padmé’s unwavering faith in Anakin is going to get her in trouble one day. But they both seem to be in better spirits.

“Obi-Wan is watching your younglings. Kamali is in there too, I think she was trying to make them watch stupid things on the holo.” She turns to Padmé.

“You left a red-faced wailing baby when you went downstairs. It took FOREVER to calm her down. You can’t keep doing that, or you risk never forming a bond at all. Skyguy, you’ve got Skyboy if you want baby time; Padmé needs to work on not being so harsh to Leia.”

Padmé, fresh and calm from her meditation with Anakin, doesn’t bite back, simply agreeing to work with the baby.

“Great! Let’s go save Obi-Wan and the twins from Kamali. I heard her asking to hold them earlier.”

Padmé gasps, scowls, And heads off to the living room.

She gives him a look that says she isnt entirely convinced but instead of protesting, she shrugs. "Dont do something like that again," she warns. "Padmé handled it this time, but the more outbursts you have, the harder it's going go be for her to justify staying." Ahsoka's tone is kind, but the words knife him. They're true, and he cant deny it.

Padmé calls when he’s finishing up digging a waist-high hole in the yard at Ahsoka’s insistence. A fire pit, she’d suggested, had basically ordered. They have to go out and get some supplies, but that will wait until tomorrow. Right now he’s just eager to talk to Padmé again, especially now that he’s feeling better and isn’t in the middle of a post-seizure brain fog.

Anakin pulls himself out of the pit and sits on one of the lounge chairs. “I’ll go make dinner,” Ahsoka offers, leaving Anakin to his privacy.

“You’re letting him win. And the more that happens, the closer you come to pushing everyone away. And you think that’s what you want, because you think everyone would be safe. But Anakin, none of us would be together. And I certainly wouldn’t raise my children to respect someone who selfishly abandoned them.” Padmé knows how much it upsets him when she refers to them as hers rather than theirs; her usage of it this time is purely intentional.

“You can take a few minutes,” Padmé tells him. “I know you think you aren’t ready for it. But you are, and this could help. I don’t want to push you, or to separate you from any of us. But we have an obligation to this Republic; to keep it as safe as we can. And I really do think that barring you from using the Force plays right into his hands. We have two perfect little angels upstairs, Ani,” she concludes gently, “if nothing else, do it for them. So we can give them a better future.”

She stands up and heads toward the meditation setup in the corner, lighting some incense and setting the lights low. This will not be a bare-bones meditation session; Padmé is pulling out all the stops to make it an enjoyable session and less pure obligation.

“It’s been a while since we did this… and since I could sit on these cushions. Let me try to guide you, until you’re ready. Maybe that will help?” It’s also a good test of how much she’s learned and remembers - a challenge for her as much as him.

She begins the session without issue; they’ve done this so many times. Focus on breathing, take his hands, reach out to him in the Force. This is where their answer will come from, though Padmé is well aware that they may not know the outcome until they’re finished meditating.

Then he reaches out further, feels the muffled sense of Kamali, feels Ahsoka and Obi-Wan’s familiar presences, and then the bright blinding light of his children. He’s struck with a sense of pride and cant help but smile, mood beginning to lift. Then… he focuses on the soft, calming sense of Padmé, her hands in his, her Force signature guiding his own.

“Thank you. Did it work? Do you… feel any different? I don’t know how this works, just…” her face suddenly lights up as she recalls her own experience.

“I saw them; Luke and Leia. They’re so bright,” she hums. She’s feeling a bit more centered herself, though she won’t admit it. It’s likely something she’s gleaning off her husband, which admittedly would be a positive sign.

“And I know this won’t fix everything. It was just a test, a step… to see if it would even have an effect. I think, though, that for what it’s worth, it was a success. You wouldn’t have reached out into the Force on your own, and asking you to do so in an area any less secure than this may have worked against you. I’m glad you took that step,” she murmurs.

Anakin stretches out on the cushions, closing his eyes for a moment. For some reason, the anger he had been feeling earlier seems so completely out of the blue. There had been no reason for it. None whatsoever. “I’m sorry for how I acted,” he ventures carefully. “It… makes it worse knowing it was me, and not… you know…”

She’s aware there could be issues with Anakin’s temper, but then there’s no chance the chancellor was doing anything that would keep him calm. It reassures her that Anakin is still Anakin; and with that, most of her usual tactics should still work fine.

Going back upstairs means facing Ahsoka and, to a lesser extent, Obi-Wan, but he can handle that. He is less thrilled with the idea of playing host to Kamali, but maybe they've scared her off. One can only hope, anyway, he thinks as they head back up the stairs only to find Ahsoka waiting there with the side of her face pressed against the basement door. "Snips..." Anakin knows exactly what the girl had been doing, but wants to see how she tries to explain around it.

Padmé calls when he’s finishing up digging a waist-high hole in the yard at Ahsoka’s insistence. A fire pit, she’d suggested, had basically ordered. They have to go out and get some supplies, but that will wait until tomorrow. Right now he’s just eager to talk to Padmé again, especially now that he’s feeling better and isn’t in the middle of a post-seizure brain fog.

Anakin pulls himself out of the pit and sits on one of the lounge chairs. “I’ll go make dinner,” Ahsoka offers, leaving Anakin to his privacy.

“You’re letting him win. And the more that happens, the closer you come to pushing everyone away. And you think that’s what you want, because you think everyone would be safe. But Anakin, none of us would be together. And I certainly wouldn’t raise my children to respect someone who selfishly abandoned them.” Padmé knows how much it upsets him when she refers to them as hers rather than theirs; her usage of it this time is purely intentional.

“You can take a few minutes,” Padmé tells him. “I know you think you aren’t ready for it. But you are, and this could help. I don’t want to push you, or to separate you from any of us. But we have an obligation to this Republic; to keep it as safe as we can. And I really do think that barring you from using the Force plays right into his hands. We have two perfect little angels upstairs, Ani,” she concludes gently, “if nothing else, do it for them. So we can give them a better future.”

She stands up and heads toward the meditation setup in the corner, lighting some incense and setting the lights low. This will not be a bare-bones meditation session; Padmé is pulling out all the stops to make it an enjoyable session and less pure obligation.

“It’s been a while since we did this… and since I could sit on these cushions. Let me try to guide you, until you’re ready. Maybe that will help?” It’s also a good test of how much she’s learned and remembers - a challenge for her as much as him.

She begins the session without issue; they’ve done this so many times. Focus on breathing, take his hands, reach out to him in the Force. This is where their answer will come from, though Padmé is well aware that they may not know the outcome until they’re finished meditating.

Then he reaches out further, feels the muffled sense of Kamali, feels Ahsoka and Obi-Wan’s familiar presences, and then the bright blinding light of his children. He’s struck with a sense of pride and cant help but smile, mood beginning to lift. Then… he focuses on the soft, calming sense of Padmé, her hands in his, her Force signature guiding his own.

“Thank you. Did it work? Do you… feel any different? I don’t know how this works, just…” her face suddenly lights up as she recalls her own experience.

“I saw them; Luke and Leia. They’re so bright,” she hums. She’s feeling a bit more centered herself, though she won’t admit it. It’s likely something she’s gleaning off her husband, which admittedly would be a positive sign.

“And I know this won’t fix everything. It was just a test, a step… to see if it would even have an effect. I think, though, that for what it’s worth, it was a success. You wouldn’t have reached out into the Force on your own, and asking you to do so in an area any less secure than this may have worked against you. I’m glad you took that step,” she murmurs.

Anakin stretches out on the cushions, closing his eyes for a moment. For some reason, the anger he had been feeling earlier seems so completely out of the blue. There had been no reason for it. None whatsoever. "I'm sorry for how I acted," he ventures carefully. "It... makes it worse knowing it was me, and not... you know..."

Padmé calls when he’s finishing up digging a waist-high hole in the yard at Ahsoka’s insistence. A fire pit, she’d suggested, had basically ordered. They have to go out and get some supplies, but that will wait until tomorrow. Right now he’s just eager to talk to Padmé again, especially now that he’s feeling better and isn’t in the middle of a post-seizure brain fog.

Anakin pulls himself out of the pit and sits on one of the lounge chairs. “I’ll go make dinner,” Ahsoka offers, leaving Anakin to his privacy.

“You’re letting him win. And the more that happens, the closer you come to pushing everyone away. And you think that’s what you want, because you think everyone would be safe. But Anakin, none of us would be together. And I certainly wouldn’t raise my children to respect someone who selfishly abandoned them.” Padmé knows how much it upsets him when she refers to them as hers rather than theirs; her usage of it this time is purely intentional.

“You can take a few minutes,” Padmé tells him. “I know you think you aren’t ready for it. But you are, and this could help. I don’t want to push you, or to separate you from any of us. But we have an obligation to this Republic; to keep it as safe as we can. And I really do think that barring you from using the Force plays right into his hands. We have two perfect little angels upstairs, Ani,” she concludes gently, “if nothing else, do it for them. So we can give them a better future.”

She stands up and heads toward the meditation setup in the corner, lighting some incense and setting the lights low. This will not be a bare-bones meditation session; Padmé is pulling out all the stops to make it an enjoyable session and less pure obligation.

“It’s been a while since we did this… and since I could sit on these cushions. Let me try to guide you, until you’re ready. Maybe that will help?” It’s also a good test of how much she’s learned and remembers - a challenge for her as much as him.

She begins the session without issue; they’ve done this so many times. Focus on breathing, take his hands, reach out to him in the Force. This is where their answer will come from, though Padmé is well aware that they may not know the outcome until they’re finished meditating.

Then he reaches out further, feels the muffled sense of Kamali, feels Ahsoka and Obi-Wan’s familiar presences, and then the bright blinding light of his children. He’s struck with a sense of pride and cant help but smile, mood beginning to lift. Then… he focuses on the soft, calming sense of Padmé, her hands in his, her Force signature guiding his own.

“Thank you. Did it work? Do you… feel any different? I don’t know how this works, just…” her face suddenly lights up as she recalls her own experience.

“I saw them; Luke and Leia. They’re so bright,” she hums. She’s feeling a bit more centered herself, though she won’t admit it. It’s likely something she’s gleaning off her husband, which admittedly would be a positive sign.

Padmé calls when he’s finishing up digging a waist-high hole in the yard at Ahsoka’s insistence. A fire pit, she’d suggested, had basically ordered. They have to go out and get some supplies, but that will wait until tomorrow. Right now he’s just eager to talk to Padmé again, especially now that he’s feeling better and isn’t in the middle of a post-seizure brain fog.

Anakin pulls himself out of the pit and sits on one of the lounge chairs. “I’ll go make dinner,” Ahsoka offers, leaving Anakin to his privacy.

“You’re letting him win. And the more that happens, the closer you come to pushing everyone away. And you think that’s what you want, because you think everyone would be safe. But Anakin, none of us would be together. And I certainly wouldn’t raise my children to respect someone who selfishly abandoned them.” Padmé knows how much it upsets him when she refers to them as hers rather than theirs; her usage of it this time is purely intentional.

“You can take a few minutes,” Padmé tells him. “I know you think you aren’t ready for it. But you are, and this could help. I don’t want to push you, or to separate you from any of us. But we have an obligation to this Republic; to keep it as safe as we can. And I really do think that barring you from using the Force plays right into his hands. We have two perfect little angels upstairs, Ani,” she concludes gently, “if nothing else, do it for them. So we can give them a better future.”

She stands up and heads toward the meditation setup in the corner, lighting some incense and setting the lights low. This will not be a bare-bones meditation session; Padmé is pulling out all the stops to make it an enjoyable session and less pure obligation.

“It’s been a while since we did this… and since I could sit on these cushions. Let me try to guide you, until you’re ready. Maybe that will help?” It’s also a good test of how much she’s learned and remembers - a challenge for her as much as him.

She begins the session without issue; they’ve done this so many times. Focus on breathing, take his hands, reach out to him in the Force. This is where their answer will come from, though Padmé is well aware that they may not know the outcome until they’re finished meditating.

Then he reaches out further, feels the muffled sense of Kamali, feels Ahsoka and Obi-Wan's familiar presences, and then the bright blinding light of his children. He's struck with a sense of pride and cant help but smile, mood beginning to lift. Then... he focuses on the soft, calming sense of Padmé, her hands in his, her Force signature guiding his own.

Padmé calls when he’s finishing up digging a waist-high hole in the yard at Ahsoka’s insistence. A fire pit, she’d suggested, had basically ordered. They have to go out and get some supplies, but that will wait until tomorrow. Right now he’s just eager to talk to Padmé again, especially now that he’s feeling better and isn’t in the middle of a post-seizure brain fog.

Anakin pulls himself out of the pit and sits on one of the lounge chairs. “I’ll go make dinner,” Ahsoka offers, leaving Anakin to his privacy.

“You’re letting him win. And the more that happens, the closer you come to pushing everyone away. And you think that’s what you want, because you think everyone would be safe. But Anakin, none of us would be together. And I certainly wouldn’t raise my children to respect someone who selfishly abandoned them.” Padmé knows how much it upsets him when she refers to them as hers rather than theirs; her usage of it this time is purely intentional.

“You can take a few minutes,” Padmé tells him. “I know you think you aren’t ready for it. But you are, and this could help. I don’t want to push you, or to separate you from any of us. But we have an obligation to this Republic; to keep it as safe as we can. And I really do think that barring you from using the Force plays right into his hands. We have two perfect little angels upstairs, Ani,” she concludes gently, “if nothing else, do it for them. So we can give them a better future.”

She stands up and heads toward the meditation setup in the corner, lighting some incense and setting the lights low. This will not be a bare-bones meditation session; Padmé is pulling out all the stops to make it an enjoyable session and less pure obligation.

Padmé calls when he’s finishing up digging a waist-high hole in the yard at Ahsoka’s insistence. A fire pit, she’d suggested, had basically ordered. They have to go out and get some supplies, but that will wait until tomorrow. Right now he’s just eager to talk to Padmé again, especially now that he’s feeling better and isn’t in the middle of a post-seizure brain fog.

Anakin pulls himself out of the pit and sits on one of the lounge chairs. “I’ll go make dinner,” Ahsoka offers, leaving Anakin to his privacy.

“You’re letting him win. And the more that happens, the closer you come to pushing everyone away. And you think that’s what you want, because you think everyone would be safe. But Anakin, none of us would be together. And I certainly wouldn’t raise my children to respect someone who selfishly abandoned them.” Padmé knows how much it upsets him when she refers to them as hers rather than theirs; her usage of it this time is purely intentional.

Padmé calls when he’s finishing up digging a waist-high hole in the yard at Ahsoka’s insistence. A fire pit, she’d suggested, had basically ordered. They have to go out and get some supplies, but that will wait until tomorrow. Right now he’s just eager to talk to Padmé again, especially now that he’s feeling better and isn’t in the middle of a post-seizure brain fog.

Anakin pulls himself out of the pit and sits on one of the lounge chairs. “I’ll go make dinner,” Ahsoka offers, leaving Anakin to his privacy.

“I don’t think he has. But I didn’t think he’d be trying to, with the healing and everything…” she feels bad, like she should have realized… but wait, Padmé May even be getting ahead of herself. She doesn’t know what Ahsoka’s thoughts are, or how her answer even correlates with what Ahsoka is thinking.

She doesnt voice any of that just yet, not wanting to put Padmé back on the defensive. “So. I dont know, it’s a theory, I’m not an expert or anything, but… when a Jedi uses the Force, that’s basically us subconciously telling our midichlorians to use the Force energy they have stored up. I think. There are… a few schools of thought on how this all works. Skyguy was never big into any of it. Anyway, the point is… if it does have to do with that… the fact he isnt burning off that energy might be hurting instead of helping the process.”

“Do you think, if I asked… if Anakin is willing to do another meditation with me…” she further explains to Ahsoka the meditations she and Anakin had started long before the twins came, the progress they made, and basically everything she knows of concerning those meditations.

“… do you think that would be enough? It’s safe, I mean… it’s utilizing our tiny bond. Ani has said in the past that no outsider would be able to detect our energies, so they wouldn’t be able to infiltrate it?”

She shifts Leia from her shoulder to her lap, turning her so the baby can see Ahsoka.

“Do you think that you and Obi-Wan would be up for watching some precious baby Skywalkers for… however long out basement meditation session runs?” She asks the teen, making it clear that this is not the same as date night. Though she wishes it was. They have that bottle stashed in their room, after all.

When Anakin opens his eyes, he knows it’s a lot to ask for that he had slept through Kamali’s visit. Considering that he’s in the same spot he was when he had closed his eyes, he probably hasn’t been sleeping for more than a couple hours. He’s groggy, achy, and like he could sleep for another few days.

Leia makes some sort of sound, and Padmé can’t tell if the child is pleased or upset. But there’s no crying, so she assumes it’s positive.

“I think Leia’s happy you’re awake… would you like to hold her?” She’s suddenly itching to hand the baby off, but doesn’t want to appear too obvious.

She delves into her lengthy explanation, playing with Leia’s feet periodically as she does so; the senator is mildly nervous that Anakin might react poorly to her suggestion. She keeps her own interests as the focus, but points out the benefits it could supply to Anakin.

But she and Ahsoka are looking at him expectantly, so he has to say SOMETHING. “I… dont know if that’s such a good idea,” he murmurs, rubbing the back of his head. “If something happens…”

“The most that’s gonna happen is you’ll end up feeling better,” Ahsoka informs him. “You cant just… give it up. First of all, that’s taking away a huge part of who you are. Second of all, the Anakin Skywalker I know would never let some creep keep him from doing what he wants.”

“Have you thought that maybe the rest of us liked you before you became afraid of yourself?” Padmé continues as she bounces Leia, not paying any active attention to her. Her focus is on Anakin.

“You can’t just decide you’re not like that anymore! As far as I’m concerned, you’re giving in and giving Palpatine EXACTLY what he wants. Anakin Skywalker is now a threat to no one.”

Ahsoka looks between the Skywalkers, trying to figure how to stop this before they get heated.

“Hey Padmé? You’re really not calming her down any, maybe I-“

Ahsoka stands up too, putting her hands up placatingly. She can see the beginnings of what could be a violent outburst just as easily as it could be a panic attack. “Hey, okay, okay,” she says, shooting a glare at Padmé for escalating something that could have very easily been avoided.

“Its NOT okay!” Anakin shouts at her, and if she hadn’t been on the receiving end of that tone on numerous occasions, it might have cowed her. But she stands her ground, briefly touching her bond with Obi-Wan in warning. “I’m not - I cant - it never STOPS. If it’s not this, its something else. If it’s not this, it’s my stupid brain playing tricks on me. It’s my body falling apart. And then - then I learn it was alll… all on purpose? To break me!”

He rakes a hand through his hair. “Well, I hope everybody’s happy, because that’s exactly what happened. You know how hard I’ve been trying to hold it together?” This question is directed at Padmé, though his body language is less threatening towards his wife than it was towards Ahsoka. “How hard I’ve tried to be a good husband and a good dad? And then - you obviously dont think I’m either! So what am I even doing here? Cant use the Force without freaking out. Not allowed to hold my own damn kids. Not any use to anybody…” He scowls, deeply. “If I go throw myself into the fire pit, at least maybe that kriffing Kamali will leave!”

“If you had just listened to me, Anakin, this wouldn’t be an issue! We KNOW you’re adverse to reaching out to the Force! We understand that! But at the same time, you NEED to do that to get past this! I figured if you’d just meditate with me, it would be SAFER. That’s all!”

She glares, dropping her voice. “You will not do a kriffing thing like that,” she warns him. “Or Luke and Leia will grow up understanding that their father would rather be dead than in their lives.”

Ahsoka winces; for all the things she’s certain neither of them will be doing, that’s the one thing she fully believes Padmé would follow through on.

“So we’re going to push you through this. Because I want my husband back. What good of a teacher could you ever be to these two if you won’t use the Force? Won’t touch it because you’re convinced he’ll get in again? You need to move forward! Or would you like to go have another conversation with the Jedi council?”

Ahsoka lifts Leia from Padmé while the senator isn’t paying attentuon. Padmé just rolls her eyes.

“Get out of here, Obi-Wan,” Anakin growls, not turning to face his former mentor. His eyes are cast to the floor and his jaw is working, hands clenching and unclenching his fists, chest heaving.

Obi-Wan, like Ahsoka, is certainly not intimidated by Anakin’s attempt at a massive tantrum. “Anakin, I know this is difficult for you, but some effort needs to be made on your part. You can go slowly, but you need to get back to living your life. This will only get worse if you do not attend to it.” He pauses as if considering his next words. “You’ve stopped therapy, and I haven’t seen you taking any medication. Perhaps revisiting…”

“You need to leave him alone,” she tells Padmé. “Take the twins and go relax-“

“Don’t tell me what to do. You can watch the twins, or give them to Kamali, I don’t really care. I’m going to talk to Anakin.”

Ahsoka just lets her go. If they’re going to argue, and she noted that neither of them were armed, then its best they work it out themselves.

“This is becoming a pattern,” she tells Obi-Wan. “And I hate it. One of them gets mad and sets off the other, they upset the twins, who Padmé leaves behind…” she looks at Leia.

“At least she didn’t leave you alone on the sofa this time, Skykid,” she murmurs. “Hey Obi-Wan? Where’s Luke?”

Padmé calls when he’s finishing up digging a waist-high hole in the yard at Ahsoka’s insistence. A fire pit, she’d suggested, had basically ordered. They have to go out and get some supplies, but that will wait until tomorrow. Right now he’s just eager to talk to Padmé again, especially now that he’s feeling better and isn’t in the middle of a post-seizure brain fog.

Anakin pulls himself out of the pit and sits on one of the lounge chairs. “I’ll go make dinner,” Ahsoka offers, leaving Anakin to his privacy.

“I don’t think he has. But I didn’t think he’d be trying to, with the healing and everything…” she feels bad, like she should have realized… but wait, Padmé May even be getting ahead of herself. She doesn’t know what Ahsoka’s thoughts are, or how her answer even correlates with what Ahsoka is thinking.

She doesnt voice any of that just yet, not wanting to put Padmé back on the defensive. “So. I dont know, it’s a theory, I’m not an expert or anything, but… when a Jedi uses the Force, that’s basically us subconciously telling our midichlorians to use the Force energy they have stored up. I think. There are… a few schools of thought on how this all works. Skyguy was never big into any of it. Anyway, the point is… if it does have to do with that… the fact he isnt burning off that energy might be hurting instead of helping the process.”

“Do you think, if I asked… if Anakin is willing to do another meditation with me…” she further explains to Ahsoka the meditations she and Anakin had started long before the twins came, the progress they made, and basically everything she knows of concerning those meditations.

“… do you think that would be enough? It’s safe, I mean… it’s utilizing our tiny bond. Ani has said in the past that no outsider would be able to detect our energies, so they wouldn’t be able to infiltrate it?”

She shifts Leia from her shoulder to her lap, turning her so the baby can see Ahsoka.

“Do you think that you and Obi-Wan would be up for watching some precious baby Skywalkers for… however long out basement meditation session runs?” She asks the teen, making it clear that this is not the same as date night. Though she wishes it was. They have that bottle stashed in their room, after all.

When Anakin opens his eyes, he knows it’s a lot to ask for that he had slept through Kamali’s visit. Considering that he’s in the same spot he was when he had closed his eyes, he probably hasn’t been sleeping for more than a couple hours. He’s groggy, achy, and like he could sleep for another few days.

Leia makes some sort of sound, and Padmé can’t tell if the child is pleased or upset. But there’s no crying, so she assumes it’s positive.

“I think Leia’s happy you’re awake… would you like to hold her?” She’s suddenly itching to hand the baby off, but doesn’t want to appear too obvious.

She delves into her lengthy explanation, playing with Leia’s feet periodically as she does so; the senator is mildly nervous that Anakin might react poorly to her suggestion. She keeps her own interests as the focus, but points out the benefits it could supply to Anakin.

But she and Ahsoka are looking at him expectantly, so he has to say SOMETHING. “I… dont know if that’s such a good idea,” he murmurs, rubbing the back of his head. “If something happens…”

“The most that’s gonna happen is you’ll end up feeling better,” Ahsoka informs him. “You cant just… give it up. First of all, that’s taking away a huge part of who you are. Second of all, the Anakin Skywalker I know would never let some creep keep him from doing what he wants.”

“Have you thought that maybe the rest of us liked you before you became afraid of yourself?” Padmé continues as she bounces Leia, not paying any active attention to her. Her focus is on Anakin.

“You can’t just decide you’re not like that anymore! As far as I’m concerned, you’re giving in and giving Palpatine EXACTLY what he wants. Anakin Skywalker is now a threat to no one.”

Ahsoka looks between the Skywalkers, trying to figure how to stop this before they get heated.

“Hey Padmé? You’re really not calming her down any, maybe I-“

Ahsoka stands up too, putting her hands up placatingly. She can see the beginnings of what could be a violent outburst just as easily as it could be a panic attack. “Hey, okay, okay,” she says, shooting a glare at Padmé for escalating something that could have very easily been avoided.

“Its NOT okay!” Anakin shouts at her, and if she hadn’t been on the receiving end of that tone on numerous occasions, it might have cowed her. But she stands her ground, briefly touching her bond with Obi-Wan in warning. “I’m not - I cant - it never STOPS. If it’s not this, its something else. If it’s not this, it’s my stupid brain playing tricks on me. It’s my body falling apart. And then - then I learn it was alll… all on purpose? To break me!”

He rakes a hand through his hair. “Well, I hope everybody’s happy, because that’s exactly what happened. You know how hard I’ve been trying to hold it together?” This question is directed at Padmé, though his body language is less threatening towards his wife than it was towards Ahsoka. “How hard I’ve tried to be a good husband and a good dad? And then - you obviously dont think I’m either! So what am I even doing here? Cant use the Force without freaking out. Not allowed to hold my own damn kids. Not any use to anybody…” He scowls, deeply. “If I go throw myself into the fire pit, at least maybe that kriffing Kamali will leave!”

“If you had just listened to me, Anakin, this wouldn’t be an issue! We KNOW you’re adverse to reaching out to the Force! We understand that! But at the same time, you NEED to do that to get past this! I figured if you’d just meditate with me, it would be SAFER. That’s all!”

She glares, dropping her voice. “You will not do a kriffing thing like that,” she warns him. “Or Luke and Leia will grow up understanding that their father would rather be dead than in their lives.”

Ahsoka winces; for all the things she’s certain neither of them will be doing, that’s the one thing she fully believes Padmé would follow through on.

“So we’re going to push you through this. Because I want my husband back. What good of a teacher could you ever be to these two if you won’t use the Force? Won’t touch it because you’re convinced he’ll get in again? You need to move forward! Or would you like to go have another conversation with the Jedi council?”

Ahsoka lifts Leia from Padmé while the senator isn’t paying attentuon. Padmé just rolls her eyes.

"Get out of here, Obi-Wan," Anakin growls, not turning to face his former mentor. His eyes are cast to the floor and his jaw is working, hands clenching and unclenching his fists, chest heaving.

Obi-Wan, like Ahsoka, is certainly not intimidated by Anakin's attempt at a massive tantrum. "Anakin, I know this is difficult for you, but some effort needs to be made on your part. You can go slowly, but you need to get back to living your life. This will only get worse if you do not attend to it." He pauses as if considering his next words. "You've stopped therapy, and I haven't seen you taking any medication. Perhaps revisiting..."

Padmé calls when he’s finishing up digging a waist-high hole in the yard at Ahsoka’s insistence. A fire pit, she’d suggested, had basically ordered. They have to go out and get some supplies, but that will wait until tomorrow. Right now he’s just eager to talk to Padmé again, especially now that he’s feeling better and isn’t in the middle of a post-seizure brain fog.

Anakin pulls himself out of the pit and sits on one of the lounge chairs. “I’ll go make dinner,” Ahsoka offers, leaving Anakin to his privacy.

“I don’t think he has. But I didn’t think he’d be trying to, with the healing and everything…” she feels bad, like she should have realized… but wait, Padmé May even be getting ahead of herself. She doesn’t know what Ahsoka’s thoughts are, or how her answer even correlates with what Ahsoka is thinking.

She doesnt voice any of that just yet, not wanting to put Padmé back on the defensive. “So. I dont know, it’s a theory, I’m not an expert or anything, but… when a Jedi uses the Force, that’s basically us subconciously telling our midichlorians to use the Force energy they have stored up. I think. There are… a few schools of thought on how this all works. Skyguy was never big into any of it. Anyway, the point is… if it does have to do with that… the fact he isnt burning off that energy might be hurting instead of helping the process.”

“Do you think, if I asked… if Anakin is willing to do another meditation with me…” she further explains to Ahsoka the meditations she and Anakin had started long before the twins came, the progress they made, and basically everything she knows of concerning those meditations.

“… do you think that would be enough? It’s safe, I mean… it’s utilizing our tiny bond. Ani has said in the past that no outsider would be able to detect our energies, so they wouldn’t be able to infiltrate it?”

She shifts Leia from her shoulder to her lap, turning her so the baby can see Ahsoka.

“Do you think that you and Obi-Wan would be up for watching some precious baby Skywalkers for… however long out basement meditation session runs?” She asks the teen, making it clear that this is not the same as date night. Though she wishes it was. They have that bottle stashed in their room, after all.

When Anakin opens his eyes, he knows it’s a lot to ask for that he had slept through Kamali’s visit. Considering that he’s in the same spot he was when he had closed his eyes, he probably hasn’t been sleeping for more than a couple hours. He’s groggy, achy, and like he could sleep for another few days.

Leia makes some sort of sound, and Padmé can’t tell if the child is pleased or upset. But there’s no crying, so she assumes it’s positive.

“I think Leia’s happy you’re awake… would you like to hold her?” She’s suddenly itching to hand the baby off, but doesn’t want to appear too obvious.

She delves into her lengthy explanation, playing with Leia’s feet periodically as she does so; the senator is mildly nervous that Anakin might react poorly to her suggestion. She keeps her own interests as the focus, but points out the benefits it could supply to Anakin.

But she and Ahsoka are looking at him expectantly, so he has to say SOMETHING. “I… dont know if that’s such a good idea,” he murmurs, rubbing the back of his head. “If something happens…”

“The most that’s gonna happen is you’ll end up feeling better,” Ahsoka informs him. “You cant just… give it up. First of all, that’s taking away a huge part of who you are. Second of all, the Anakin Skywalker I know would never let some creep keep him from doing what he wants.”

“Have you thought that maybe the rest of us liked you before you became afraid of yourself?” Padmé continues as she bounces Leia, not paying any active attention to her. Her focus is on Anakin.

“You can’t just decide you’re not like that anymore! As far as I’m concerned, you’re giving in and giving Palpatine EXACTLY what he wants. Anakin Skywalker is now a threat to no one.”

Ahsoka looks between the Skywalkers, trying to figure how to stop this before they get heated.

“Hey Padmé? You’re really not calming her down any, maybe I-“

Ahsoka stands up too, putting her hands up placatingly. She can see the beginnings of what could be a violent outburst just as easily as it could be a panic attack. "Hey, okay, okay," she says, shooting a glare at Padmé for escalating something that could have very easily been avoided.

"Its NOT okay!" Anakin shouts at her, and if she hadn't been on the receiving end of that tone on numerous occasions, it might have cowed her. But she stands her ground, briefly touching her bond with Obi-Wan in warning. "I'm not - I cant - it never STOPS. If it's not this, its something else. If it's not this, it's my stupid brain playing tricks on me. It's my body falling apart. And then - then I learn it was alll... all on purpose? To break me!"

He rakes a hand through his hair. "Well, I hope everybody's happy, because that's exactly what happened. You know how hard I've been trying to hold it together?" This question is directed at Padmé, though his body language is less threatening towards his wife than it was towards Ahsoka. "How hard I've tried to be a good husband and a good dad? And then - you obviously dont think I'm either! So what am I even doing here? Cant use the Force without freaking out. Not allowed to hold my own damn kids. Not any use to anybody..." He scowls, deeply. "If I go throw myself into the fire pit, at least maybe that kriffing Kamali will leave!"