"Padmé," Anakin said, jogging up to Padmé. She walked ahead of him on their way to his ship. It was dark and rainy outside, and they both had their cloaks and hoods on. He grabbed her shoulder and turned her around to face him.
"Anakin, not now," Padmé said, turning back around.
"No," he said, turning her around again. "What's wrong? And why did you put Ventress into jail that quickly? I mean, that's a good thing, but-"
"I put her in prison because she needs to pay the price for her wrong and foolish acts." Tears filled her eyes as she walked ahead once again.
He ran to the front of her and held her face in his hands once he stopped her.
"Anakin, we're still in public," she warned. She pushed his hands down and looked down. "Can we get out of the rain and go inside the sh-"
"Padmé, what's wrong?"
"My stomach... it's... upset," she whispered.
"We'll go... oh, okay. Get a trash can."
They walked to the ship. Padmé got the trash can and Anakin went to the front of the ship to prepare for take off. He heard Padmé throw up in the trash can in the back. He winced. Oh no, he thought. Is she going to do that every day now? was his second thought. "You okay?" he called back to her.
When he looked back, Padmé gave him a weak thumbs up and a small smile, holding the trash can in her other arm.
He got up and walked to the back to help her. He kissed her temple. "It's okay," he told her. "I'm right here. Here, lie down." She lie down and felt her forehead, it being flaming hot. He covered her with his cloak. "Let's go home. Sound good?" Padmé nodded.
Anakin walked to the front and sat down, looking up and pressing buttons above him. "R2, give the engine a boost, will you?"
R2-D2 whistled happily and obeyed his master.
"Thanks, buddy." Anakin took off, and in five minutes, they were home. "Padmé, we're home," he called back to her.
He carried her limp body back inside and set her down gingerly on the couch, with R2 following closely behind. A noise from their bedroom startled him.
"Mistress Padmé, Master Ani! You're home! Oh! Mistress, Padmé, what hap-"
"3PO, go make her some tea. She's sick."
"Are you sure that's really what it is, or-"
"Just go! And you too, R2. Go make sure he doesn't make a mess in there," Anakin said.
R2 whistled lowly in disappointment, but still followed directions. Once they were gone, and he kissed Padmé on the forehead. "Feeling okay?" he asked.
She opened her eyes slowly and looked at him. "No," she croaked.
"I'm going to go get some herbs and medicine for you. I love you," he whispered.
"I love you too, Ani," she said.
"You're strong, Padmé," he said, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. Just then, the droids came back out with the tea. Anakin shot up quickly. "Thank you," he said, taking the tea before they spilled it all over the floor.
Anakin cleared his throat. "Alright, you two, I'm going out to get some things for Padmé. If she needs anything, get it for her right away, no delay. Got it?"
They nodded.
"Good." Anakin pulled his cloak on and his hood over his head, which cast a shadow over his face. "Take good care of her while I'm gone."
"Of course, Master Ani! have fun on your shopping trip!"
Anakin rolled his eyes and smirked. "Yeah. I will." He went out of the door and left.
"R2-D2, we're in charge of Mistress Padmé!" C3PO said excitedly.
R2 whistled and shifted from leg to leg.
After 15 minutes of their antics, Anakin came back in the door, soaked with rainwater.
"Oh, Master Ani, what happened to you?"
"I got drenched with rainwater, obviously," he said, irritated. "I had to wait in a line outside for the herbs. And for the medicine, well, I still have some of it here in a cabinet. So, I got one out of two things I needed while I was out."
Most of the day was spent quiet and sitting out in the living room. Padmé only threw up two more times, but it was more than expected. Anakin sat on the couch now, after he had gotten a shower. It was now about 11:15 pm, and Padmé was still in the same spot as she was early this morning. She hasn't eaten anything since breakfast.
"Ani," Padmé said.
"Yeah, what's up?" He asked, his legs propped on the table and his hands behind his head.
"We should get in bed now," she said.
"Yeah. We can. I can help you get ready."
"That sounds great."
"Hey, I'm thinking we should try to keep 3PO and R2 in around the kitchen tonight. I haven't been home with you for a long time the same time they've been here."
"How are we going to make them think that you left?"
"We won't. I'll tell them that I'm staying here just in case you need more help."
"Then you're going to be in the bedroom with me. Isn't that suspicious? Not just a friend is going to be-"
"Padmé, remember droids don't think that widely. Well, maybe R2, but 3PO only cares about what's happening at the moment. He won't care if I stay here tonight."
She nodded.
"Okay, let's go." C3PO and R2D2 were fooling around in the kitchen.
Anakin walked in the kitchen. "What are you doing?"
"Oh! Master, look! We are-"
"Don't call me that. Just call me Anakin," Anakin said. He still missed Ahsoka like crazy.
"But, you've never cared and...okay. But look, we are concocting a mix of these ho-" C3PO tried to explain, but Anakin interrupted him again.
"Okay, you don't need to explain it to me. Just... can you please clean it up now?" He walked out. "Do you need me to carry you?" he asked me.
"What? You already are married to me," Padmé said.
"What? No, I said carry you. Not marry you," Anakin said.
"Oh!" Padmé gave a weak laugh. "No, I'm good." She got up slowly and walked towards their bedroom.
He crossed his arms and looked around at C3PO and R2 in the kitchen. "You two going stay there for the night?" he asked them.
"Oh, yes! Goodnight!" C3PO called from the kitchen. R2 whistled in agreement.
"Good. I'm going to stay here tonight to watch over the Senator just in case she needs me."
Anakin walked to the bedroom, Padmé already in her nightclothes. He went in the bathroom to brush his teeth. Once he was out, he laid down on the bed on top of the covers, placing his hands behind his head and his legs crossed.
"Are you going to get comfortable?" Padmé asked, looking at him in his full Jedi robes, boots and all.
"No. This is fine," he said, looking at her.
"Okay. Well, at least get under the sheets?"
"Sure," he said, getting under them and putting his body in the same position as it was when he was on top of the sheets.
She cleared her throat. "Boots?"
"What?"
"Take off your boots."
"Oh, yeah. Wait, I just cleaned them off."
"It doesn't matter. Take them off and put them on the floor beside you. Did you clean the bottoms of them?"
"No." and with that, he got out of his comfortable position and pulled off his boots. He put them on the floor, and got back in the same position. Padmé always thought of it as his signature position when he was comfortable and relaxed, which didn't happen often.
They were laying there talking for a while about work, what they would do tomorrow, and most importantly, the baby. They talked not about the joys of the baby, but how they would keep it a secret.
Padmé groaned. "I don't know, Ani, but I think we can do it. Have you thought of names?"
"I wish, but no. All I think about is you and work."
"Well, what do think is good?"
"Um.... I don't know ...Philip?
"Um... no."
"Marcus?"
"No."
"Logan?"
"No!"
"Lucas?"
"Eh."
"Luke!" They said in unison.
"Yes, I love that. Well, since you did boy names, what about girl names?" Padmé asked.
"Elia?"
"That's a boy name. And no," Padmé said flatly.
Anakin frowned. "Lila?"
"No."
"Lily."
"No. Why are you picking names that are all super similar?"
Anakin shrugged. "I don't know."
After going through a huge amount more of names, Anakin said he had one more in mind.
"I think you'll like this one," he said, smiling.
"What is it?" Padmé asked. She was really tired.
"Leia."
Padmé looked at him and smiled. "I love that."
Just then, there was a noise outside the door.
"What was that?" Padmé asked nervously.
"Nothing," Anakin replied.
"Master Ani, Master Ani, where are you?" The bedroom door opened.
Padmé pulled the covers up to her chin, shocked.
As for Anakin, he grew angry and shot up out of bed.
"Oh! Um..." C3PO couldn't find the words, he was so shocked.
"3PO, it's not what you think," Anakin said. He pushed 3PO out of the door and closed it, walking outside of the room with him.
"What was-"
"I was helping Padmé with her medicine."
"But you weren't even facing her. Or..."
Anakin waved his hand over C3PO's face. "You didn't see anything."
"I didn't see anything," C3PO repeated.
"You will stay in the kitchen tonight and you won't make a mess."
"I will stay in the kitchen tonight and I won't make a mess." C3PO walked to the kitchen.
Anakin ran back inside the room. "I got it, its all good," he said to Padmé.
"What would you do without the Force?" Padmé said.
Anakin laid back down in bed and closed his eyes.
"Sweet dreams, my Jedi hero," Padmé kissed his cheek and snuggled up next to him.