Back in the Game (COMPLETE)

9.12.3

Anakin opened up the compartment on the floor where the engine could be accessed, dropped down into it, and promptly screamed. The roar of the engine covered it up for anyone else on the ship, but Ahsoka, who was standing above him on the floor, could still hear it pretty well. A little too well, and she tried not to flinch as the sound split through her skull.

"This was not supposed to happen today," Anakin told her when he finally gathered his thoughts enough to speak. He turned to look up at her as if she had the answers he was looking for. "Why? Why today? The due date isn't for another few weeks! It's too soon!"

Ahsoka kneeled down on the ground, trying to think of something that might explain the situation. "I've heard of babies born prematurely, maybe that's what's happening."

He leaned up against the panels and groaned. "I was not ready to hear that. I was not ready."

"Were you ever going to be ready?" Ahsoka asked, sitting down and dangling her legs into the compartment. "I don't feel like birth is something you can prepare for, Skyguy, no matter if it's early or late."

"Not the point, Snips," he muttered, closing his eyes. All of the confidence he had been working to build over the past few months had disappeared, and he felt as certain as Jinx had been less than an hour ago.

To be quite honest, Ahsoka wasn't nearly as worried. After seeing the medical team take care of Padmé before, she had no doubt that they were handling the early labor wonderfully. Then again, she wasn't about to become a parent. This wasn't her children being born.

Anakin ran a hand through his hair. He sort of just realized she was there. "You weren't at work, were you?"

"I was, actually," Ahsoka admitted, and the Jedi groaned again. "Don't worry, though, I had a feeling this would happen sooner or later. I have some extra hours in, enough to cover for a full week. It's not a problem."

"I'm so sorry, this is horrible timing," he apologized, but Ahsoka kicked him lightly in the shoulder. 

"What are you talking about?" she asked, cocking her head. "You can't plan this kind of thing, Anakin, there is no schedule to follow. There was never going to be 'good timing'. Padmé's body decides when it's time, not us."

He nodded, knowing that she was right, but no less unsettled. "I haven't even seen her since before you did. We've been so busy with Dooku that I haven't been to Naboo in months."

Ahsoka's eyes widened. "You haven't?"

When he shook his head, Ahsoka's mind started racing too. Padmé hasn't told him, he doesn't know there's two! She had to decide. Either she could wait and let Padmé tell him, or she could just do it. He would probably panic about the same either way, but if she told him now they could get it over with before they landed.

"When I went and visited her, they had an ultrasound to make sure the baby was healthy," she told him quietly. Anakin looked up at her, and stood up straight so he wasn't leaning on the wall. "Everything was fine, but they...found something."

"Ahsoka, just tell me," he begged her. "Might as well do it now, since we're already dealing with one surprise."

"She's having twins."

Anakin straight up collapsed. Reacting on instinct, Ahsoka jumped down with him, doing everything she could to keep him from passing out. "Hey! Hey, easy, it's okay!" She held his shoulders, keeping him upright. He was so out of it, though, he could barely even do that. Eventually, Ahsoka just resorted to slipping herself underneath his arm. Hard to do in the cramped compartment, but it worked. "It's okay, just take it easy."