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﹒﹒﹒you've grown up!﹒﹒﹒
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STRESS. It was the only thing Andrea felt the most at that moment.
The thought of meeting her uncle again after several years of absence from her life, and the childhood friend with whom she willingly visited the family palace in Alderaan, made her sick.
Her heart pounded against her ribs, and she silently prayed it wouldn't burst out of her chest. Her thoughts returned to training, which was the only way to prevent gloomy thoughts confirming assumptions from entering her mind.
Anakin has changed.
He has grown up. He hated her.
Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes as she thought about it. Andrea looked up at the ceiling, looking for something to occupy her time for the moment.
"Everything's all right?" Padmé's pleasant voice made the young student flinch. Senator Amidala giggled at the younger's reaction, covering her mouth, with a hand, she came closer.
"Yes, everything's alright. Just... Yeah, it's okay." Sullivan explained in a whisper, exchanged a glance with Padmé, she turned her gaze towards the window to escape the conversation.
Or rather, the explanation Senator Amidala had been waiting for the most at that moment.
Padmé, despite the great role she played in the lives of the people of Naboo, or the Senate itself, still wanted the best for her faithful friends, which turned out to be the Sullivan siblings.
The three of them, Asher, Andrea, and Mae, were indeed more than future Jedi to her. They were like family, despite not being related by blood.
"Hey, you know you can tell me, right?" She asked, coming closer, the brunette put her hands on the shoulders of a slightly taller brunette.
"Nothing to talk about, Padmé."
This answer didn't satisfy her, it only made her roll her eyes involuntarily. Apart from them, there was no one else in the room, after all, both of them were waiting to greet the arrivals from the mission.
"Lies, Andrea, I figured you out years ago," a small thing, but it added a lot to the friendship between the two girls. "Tell me."
"Answer for an answer."
"You didn't ask a question," Senator notes. A proud smirk crept onto Andrea's lips. "Oh."
"I'm stressed, that's all." Not true, but it should be enough. Or so Andrea thought. Padmé was not satisfied with a short answer. "Now, you answer me. What brings you to Coruscant? Be honest with me, friend."
They both looked at each other, Padmé squinted her eyes scanning the entire posture of the younger one's body, while Andrea only raised and lowered the corners of her mouth.
"Well..." She didn't have time to answer when she had to stop. They both turned their eyes towards the door through which Anakin and Obi-Wan entered the room.
Has changed. Even very much.
Andrea scanned Anakin with her eyes, trying to spot the slightest changes from a distance. His features changed, his hair darkened slightly, and his eyes were still as intensely colored as before.
Despite the noticeable changes, he was still the same Anakin who made her laugh so much that her stomach was beginning to ache, and her lungs were starving for oxygen.
Yet, fear and apprehension of change plagued her mind.
Wandering in the clouds of her thoughts, Andrea didn't notice how their companion was joined by several additional people, including Padmé's companions with whom she arrived at the planet.
"Ani? Oh my god, you've grown up!" Senator Amidala's delighted voice snapped Sullivan out of their thoughts, bringing her back to their senses.
A gentle smile was all Andrea could muster. Stepping away from the window, temporarily forgetting the view beyond, she took a few hesitant steps toward the others.
The first to notice her was none other than her uncle, who spread his arms, inviting her for a hug.
The next uncertain steps were taken by the teenager. She had forgotten what it was like to feel a presence, or strong arms around her own body, or the very warmth that her uncle emanated from her.
Biting the inside of the air, she skirted Senator Amidala and snuggled into Obi-Wan's body. The blonde man laughed at her reaction because, in the end, it wasn't such a hesitation he expected.
"I did not expect such a reaction." He admitted aloud, catching his niece's arms.
Ten years.
Ten years is a long time.
Too long.
She didn't know what to declare, she just stared into his eyes, searching them for some hint.
"Andrea. You look- You look beautiful." A pleasant voice made warmth spread over her chest, and as soon as her gaze met those blue eyes belonging to Anakin, something in her snapped.
She didn't understand what this feeling was, it pierced her heart right through. But it made her feel so much better, knowing that he didn't despise her after all.
Walking away from her uncle, she merely nodded to her childhood friend.
The difference in their height was obvious, and Andrea had to lift the fakes every time she wanted to look into his eyes.
"Thank you," she smiled softly, feeling butterflies in her stomach, "You look great too, you've changed a lot."
"Don't worry, Rea," he replied suddenly, laughing softly. The sound of his laughter made the brunette's eyes twinkle with happiness. "I'm still the same boy I used to be, nothing has changed at all."
"Even better"
Senator Amidala talked for a while longer with Master Obi-Wan and his Padawan Anakin Skywalker, occasionally exchanging special glances with Andrea.
Padmé explained to them the reason for her visit and asked for special help and protection.
They agreed without hesitation, after all, it wasn't only for the good of the planet Naboo itself but also for the queen.
"Andrea. Where are they?"
Sullivan didn't understand, so she frowned and asked, "Who's where?"
"Your siblings, where are they?" Master Kenobi repeated, Andrea just looked away, remembering why they weren't there.
Playing with her fingers, she only confirmed to her uncle that what his charges were doing at the time didn't approach a safe situation one bit.
"Oh..."
"Oh?" he asked with eyes open.
"Well, that's the whole point, uncle. You see, it's really-" she wasn't allowed to finish it when the Master quickly scolded her with a look.
"Get to the point."
"Fighting. They are fighting, that's it." The teenager just shrugs, making Kenobi think.
What the hell, their parents did wrong?
Almost everything.
Almost.
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Walking along the long corridors, Andrea did not take her eyes off the road for a moment, just so as not to get lost.
She knew perfectly well the location of the entire building, but somewhere in the back of her mind, she still had fears that she might forget about them.
Sometimes she would lift her head to glance surreptitiously at Anakin, who, busy conversing with Senator Amidala and Master Kenobi, never once looked in her direction.
She felt a little offended by the lack of interest from her old friend. Her heart rate was slowing, for which Sullivan was eternally grateful.
As soon as they were on the big platform, Andrea smiled, seeing the "training" siblings. She knew them well, too well to think it was a peaceful training.
Wasting no time, she ran down the stairs, drawing her lightsaber early. Doing a somersault, she activated her lightsaber, causing silver light to emanate from a long stream.
She showed up in the middle of their fight, quickly dodging their attacks, turning their battle into a peaceful, laughing workout.
As soon as Asher fell on his back, and right in front of his neck there was not one, but two different colors of emanating lights, he quickly gave up and turned off his weapon.
He sighed tiredly, putting his hands under his head, looking down at the younger sisters who quickly defeated him.
"You were two, it's not fair." he was indignant, the twins sheathed their lightsabers, then extended their helping hands to their older brother. Asher accepted them immediately.
"The power of twins, you wouldn't make it anyway." Mae notices. She quickly sticks her tongue out at her brother, he just narrows his eyes.
Obi-Wan leaned his hands on the railing, watching from above with his Padawan and Senator Amidala, his nieces and nephew.
"Look up." The command flew out of Andrea's mouth like air that quickly left her moaning lungs.
Asher and Mae looked at each other, followed the order and looked in the given direction, seeing three well-known faces that sent the most sincere smiles in their direction.
Mae fixed her gaze on Padmé, who, in her opinion, looked even more beautiful than before.
The eldest of the siblings, Sullivan, nudged his younger sister in a challenge. "Who's first at uncle's!"
A burst of laughter escaped the lips of all three above. As they watched as the rival two made failed attempts.
"Calm down, don't kill each other," another burst of laughter burst from Master Kenobi's throat as he welcomed them in his arms.
Beautiful view. A genuine smile was on Andrea's face as she stood there and looked at her family.
She watched as Asher greeted Anakin after a long absence, and watched as he turned Padmé in his arms, who only laughed softly. Mae followed him, cuddling up to an old childhood friend, joking aloud about how bad she was with her aggressive brother and her more aggressive twin sister.
Andrea just rolled her eyes, then irritably took another step up the stairs.
"It couldn't be that bad." Anakin laughed, placing his hand on Mae's shoulders.
"You're not the one who lived with them for ten years, without any help." she groaned, gaining the attention of the others.
Obi-Wan knew perfectly well that the youngest niece was talking about him, so he ignored the words. Concentrating all his attention on the teenagers, he began asking them one by one about the least important things.
He wanted to make up for lost time.
"The more hands to help, the better. Right Master Obi-Wan?" Padmé asked honorably, watching the Sullivan siblings. Her gaze lingered on Andrea, showing her that they would return to the earlier conversation at their leisure.
"To help?" Asher frowned at his uncle and Senator Amidala. Mae joined him, also asking, "Yeah, what's all this help about?"
Padmé exchanged a knowing glance with their uncle, then explained with a calm expression the reason for her visit.
Anakin listened to every word, reassuring himself that he understood the next mission. Looking to the side, he lingered a momentary glance at Andrea, who didn't seem the calmest of the group.
He decided to intervene. Placing a hand on her back, he caught her attention. He took a few steps to be away from the others, still not removing his hand from her back, he asked safely.
"Are you okay? You look stressed..." The girl bit the inside of her cheek, looking anywhere but at him.
His touch sent shivers down her spine. It burned her skin, but she didn't move.
Gathering her courage, she looked into his blue eyes, which emanated peace and concern.
"Strange to see your uncle after ten years away." She explained, not wanting to go into details. "And you too," she added.
"Still the same kid, no major changes" He shrugged, a smile straying across his face.
Andrea looked at him like he was an idiot. Taking the braid that was falling down the young student's neck in her hands, she laughed softly.
"Padawan braid. Obi had one too," she laughed, flashing back to her uncle's appearance from years gone by. "You changed."
"You're repeating yourself." He was about to add more as the other two students ran towards them.
"Sis, we need to pack!" Mae giggled, taking her sister's arm. Andrea looked at her, not understanding her excitement.
"We're going with them. Senator Amidala's orders." Asher explained. The middle sibling exchanged a last glance with Anakin, who was soon thrown on his shoulders by Asher. "I missed you, Ani. How much can one live with these savages." he asked, pretending to be emotional.
The twins rolled their eyes in unison, then marched to their rooms to pack their belongings.
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