The Mercy Seat: Part Two
Oct. 24th, 2006 07:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lazypadawanThis installment...pure unadulterated Anakin/Padmé mush:
On nights like this one--warm, with a gentle breeze--Padmé liked standing on her bedroom balcony or her veranda. Even though Coruscant could never compete with the natural wonders of Naboo and the architectural artistry of Theed, Coruscant's nightline was nevertheless a wonder to behold. Dressed now in her nightgown, she brushed her hair as she waited for Anakin to come out of the fresher. Although her back was turned to the bedroom archway, she could sense Anakin--who could be as quiet as a cat--walk out to the archway and watch her. Ever since they'd become lovers, there were times when she could sense Anakin's presence for the briefest of moments or hear him whisper her name from afar. She certainly was not gifted in the Force like he was, but there were things she'd become sensitive to, even more so now with the pregnancy. She'd often wondered if the baby will also share Anakin's gifts. And burdens. She knew there would have to be a conversation on what they should do with a Force-sensitive child. Just not now.
"Ani, I want to have the baby back home on Naboo," she said, letting herself share the things she'd dreamed of and planned alone these many months. "It'll be in the Lake Country where no one will know. I can go early and fix up the baby's room. I know the perfect spot, right by the gardens." She turned to him, beaming. Speaking with him about the reality of motherhood once again filled her heart with joy. And he looked so handsome, leaning against the archway. He stared at her, the lovesick look in his eyes making her blush.
"You are so...beautiful," he said, his voice taking on an odd husky tone she found alluring.
Oh Ani, even though I'm bloated like a shaak you still think I'm beautiful. She grinned. "It's only because I'm so in love," she said humbly.
Anakin laughed self-consciously. "No, it's because I'm so in love with you."
Ah, now I've embarrassed him. Padmé could not resist teasing her adoring admirer further. "Then love has blinded you?"
"No, that's not what I meant," he stammered. Padmé grinned. He may be the Hero Without Fear, the Warrior of the Infinite, a powerful Jedi Knight, a legendary pilot, and a man in every sense, but he could still be the nine-year-old boy fumbling for the right words to say.
"But it's probably true," she said coyly. Anakin stepped out onto the balcony. "They can see us out here," she warned only half seriously.
"Then we'll have to go inside," Anakin said, picking her up in his arms. She held on to his shoulders as he carried her into the bedroom, kicking the plexiglass door release with his foot as they passed, closing the door behind them.
*********
Padmé lay in Anakin's arms on their bed, feeling safe, protected, and loved. Anakin marveled at the change in his wife's body, gently running his fingers over her swollen belly. "How has the pregnancy been?" he asked.
"Sometimes the baby makes me as ravenous as a Wookiee. The thing is, when I had my morning sickness, I couldn't even stand the scent of soya noodles. Now it feels like I can't live without them."
"Morning sickness?" Anakin's eyebrows arched.
"When a woman first gets pregnant, she can get terribly nauseous. I was sick nearly every morning for almost a month," Padmé explained. "And that's not the end of it. You get odd cravings, you get emotional. I even fainted a couple of times. My ankles have swelled a little, and I can feel the extra weight in my back and knees. Now I have to use the fresher all of time. It feels like the baby is jumping up and down on my bladder."
Anakin grinned. "I've already noticed that. It sounds like the battlefield was nothing compared to carrying a little Skywalker." The smile turned wistful, almost apologetic.
"Don't be sorry, Ani. You had your duty to fulfill. The fate of the Republic is more important."
Anakin shook his head. "I have a duty to you, too. The Republic is meaningless without you." He frowned a moment, then he asked, "How far are you along?"
"Eight months, I think."
"You think?"
Padmé looked at the lights coming in through the window slats. "I have had to keep this quiet to protect all of us, Ani. No one else knows about this child except for my handmaidens, Captain Typho, and Threepio. Not any of my staff, or Senators, or the Queen know. Definitely not Jar Jar," she added with a tight smile. "Not even my own family. The war has kept me from home for the most part, and no one has been able to visit me here. I saw an Em Dee droid at first, but after a while I thought even that was too risky. I told the med droid I was going under the care of a personal physician from Naboo."
"How have you been taking care of the baby then?" His brows were knitted together with concern.
"Lots of vitamins, root leaf teas, exercises. We've sworn by these things on Naboo for centuries anyway," she said. She smiled reassuringly. "It'll be all right."
"So we don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet, do we?"
Padmé shook her head. "When I was still seeing the Em Dee, I asked him to keep it a surprise."
"Since when did you like having surprises?" Anakin asked with a teasing grin.
"Maybe some of you has rubbed off on me," Padmé leaned over and kissed him.
On nights like this one--warm, with a gentle breeze--Padmé liked standing on her bedroom balcony or her veranda. Even though Coruscant could never compete with the natural wonders of Naboo and the architectural artistry of Theed, Coruscant's nightline was nevertheless a wonder to behold. Dressed now in her nightgown, she brushed her hair as she waited for Anakin to come out of the fresher. Although her back was turned to the bedroom archway, she could sense Anakin--who could be as quiet as a cat--walk out to the archway and watch her. Ever since they'd become lovers, there were times when she could sense Anakin's presence for the briefest of moments or hear him whisper her name from afar. She certainly was not gifted in the Force like he was, but there were things she'd become sensitive to, even more so now with the pregnancy. She'd often wondered if the baby will also share Anakin's gifts. And burdens. She knew there would have to be a conversation on what they should do with a Force-sensitive child. Just not now.
"Ani, I want to have the baby back home on Naboo," she said, letting herself share the things she'd dreamed of and planned alone these many months. "It'll be in the Lake Country where no one will know. I can go early and fix up the baby's room. I know the perfect spot, right by the gardens." She turned to him, beaming. Speaking with him about the reality of motherhood once again filled her heart with joy. And he looked so handsome, leaning against the archway. He stared at her, the lovesick look in his eyes making her blush.
"You are so...beautiful," he said, his voice taking on an odd husky tone she found alluring.
Oh Ani, even though I'm bloated like a shaak you still think I'm beautiful. She grinned. "It's only because I'm so in love," she said humbly.
Anakin laughed self-consciously. "No, it's because I'm so in love with you."
Ah, now I've embarrassed him. Padmé could not resist teasing her adoring admirer further. "Then love has blinded you?"
"No, that's not what I meant," he stammered. Padmé grinned. He may be the Hero Without Fear, the Warrior of the Infinite, a powerful Jedi Knight, a legendary pilot, and a man in every sense, but he could still be the nine-year-old boy fumbling for the right words to say.
"But it's probably true," she said coyly. Anakin stepped out onto the balcony. "They can see us out here," she warned only half seriously.
"Then we'll have to go inside," Anakin said, picking her up in his arms. She held on to his shoulders as he carried her into the bedroom, kicking the plexiglass door release with his foot as they passed, closing the door behind them.
*********
Padmé lay in Anakin's arms on their bed, feeling safe, protected, and loved. Anakin marveled at the change in his wife's body, gently running his fingers over her swollen belly. "How has the pregnancy been?" he asked.
"Sometimes the baby makes me as ravenous as a Wookiee. The thing is, when I had my morning sickness, I couldn't even stand the scent of soya noodles. Now it feels like I can't live without them."
"Morning sickness?" Anakin's eyebrows arched.
"When a woman first gets pregnant, she can get terribly nauseous. I was sick nearly every morning for almost a month," Padmé explained. "And that's not the end of it. You get odd cravings, you get emotional. I even fainted a couple of times. My ankles have swelled a little, and I can feel the extra weight in my back and knees. Now I have to use the fresher all of time. It feels like the baby is jumping up and down on my bladder."
Anakin grinned. "I've already noticed that. It sounds like the battlefield was nothing compared to carrying a little Skywalker." The smile turned wistful, almost apologetic.
"Don't be sorry, Ani. You had your duty to fulfill. The fate of the Republic is more important."
Anakin shook his head. "I have a duty to you, too. The Republic is meaningless without you." He frowned a moment, then he asked, "How far are you along?"
"Eight months, I think."
"You think?"
Padmé looked at the lights coming in through the window slats. "I have had to keep this quiet to protect all of us, Ani. No one else knows about this child except for my handmaidens, Captain Typho, and Threepio. Not any of my staff, or Senators, or the Queen know. Definitely not Jar Jar," she added with a tight smile. "Not even my own family. The war has kept me from home for the most part, and no one has been able to visit me here. I saw an Em Dee droid at first, but after a while I thought even that was too risky. I told the med droid I was going under the care of a personal physician from Naboo."
"How have you been taking care of the baby then?" His brows were knitted together with concern.
"Lots of vitamins, root leaf teas, exercises. We've sworn by these things on Naboo for centuries anyway," she said. She smiled reassuringly. "It'll be all right."
"So we don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet, do we?"
Padmé shook her head. "When I was still seeing the Em Dee, I asked him to keep it a surprise."
"Since when did you like having surprises?" Anakin asked with a teasing grin.
"Maybe some of you has rubbed off on me," Padmé leaned over and kissed him.
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no subject
Date: 2006-10-28 11:06 pm (UTC)How did I miss this?? :o
Great story so far!! More well-written A/P is always a pleasure. :D What I loved most in this chapter is the way the characters seemed so real. I could almost think this was canon...
no subject
Date: 2006-10-29 01:28 am (UTC)WOW!!!!!!!!!!
Date: 2008-03-04 01:12 am (UTC)-5558
I LOVE YOUR FICS!
Date: 2011-12-22 04:23 pm (UTC)(they'll be read in the next 15 minutes XD!)