Love's Gift-a sequel to Love's Alliance and Love's Celebration

Padmé straightened her back and stretched, at least as much as she could. It had been six months since Lover's Day and her announcement to Obi-Wan that she was expecting their first child. Now she felt like she'd swallowed a large Shuura fruit as she rubbed her protruding belly. And I probably look like it too, she thought grumpily as she padded to the kitchen for an early morning snack. Damn cravings!

As she waddled down the hallway, she passed one of the two spare bedchambers, smiling wryly as she saw some droid parts and tools cluttering the worktable inside. Ani's room, she thought. She could hear him mumbling as he was reading something on his datapad. Probably one of his assignments he's checking on, she thought. He'd been living with her and her husband since Obi-Wan had taken him on as a Padawan learner. He'd been a Force-send at times, helping Dormé and Cordé with her especially when she had a brief complication with the pregnancy confining her to bed for the last month. Finally, the Jedi Healer had released her from that mandate a few days ago. She was past the worst part and could deliver naturally anytime now with no danger of low birth weight. The sooner, the better, I think!

She was taking down a sweetened breakfast ration stick and staving off a mild contraction when Anakin came into the kitchen, yawning and stretching. He was already dressed in his tunics, leggings and robe. He also carried his knapsack, ready to go to classes, yet his young face was troubled.

"What's wrong, Ani?" she asked softly.

He shrugged. "Is Master Obi-Wan around?" he asked. "I won't feel comfortable going to my classes if he's not here to help you."

Padmé was touched by the boy's concern. "He had to meet with the Council so he left early. He asked me to make sure you get off to classes okay…" Her voice trailed off as she felt a twinge of pain.

Immediately, Anakin was up and at her side. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"It was just a twinge, Ani," she insisted, however it happened again three minutes later, and was accompanied by a sudden gush of water down her legs. The teen's eyes widened and he hurried to the other spare room to wake Dormé.

"Dormé, wake up!" he called. "I need your help! Padmé's having the baby!"

Immediately, the door opened and a slightly disheveled Dormé came out, her eyes wide. "Are you sure?" she demanded. "She's been having twinges for the past week now, Skywalker."

"Uh, she soaked the kitchen floor," the Padawan retorted dryly. "That's her water breaking to me."

Dormé shook her head. "Okay, try to get a hold of your master. I'll get her to the bedroom."

"Wait a second! Why aren't you taking her to the Healer's Wing?"

"She wants a home birth, don't you remember, Skywalker?" The young handmaiden rolled her eyes and hurried to the kitchen to help her mistress. Anakin took out his comlink, hoping that whatever Council meeting his mentor had to attend this morning was over by now.

"Master?" he asked softly.

"Yes, Padawan," Obi-Wan said. "You're lucky. The meeting just ended. Why aren't you on your way to class?"

"Padmé just went into labor, Master," the boy told him. "Mistress Dormé is walking her to your bedroom here."

"I'm on my way, and I'll bring Healer Eerin." With that, the connection was broken and Anakin settled back to wait. As Obi-Wan's Padawan learner, he felt he was responsible for looking after Padmé and the rest of the small household in his mentor's absence. As such, he wasn't going anywhere until Obi-Wan came back.

Obi-Wan felt like he had superhuman speed as he hurried to the Healing Wing. "Is Bant here?" he asked.

"Yes, Master Kenobi. Is it time?" the young Padawan healer asked, knowing damned good and well that the senator wanted to have a natural home birth. The only way the Council agreed was with the stipulation that Healer Bant Eerin, who just happened to be a childhood friend of Obi-Wan's, be present to be a midwife and assist in the delivery. The girl nodded at the Jedi Knight and hurried back to fetch the healer. A moment later, the Mon Calamari healer walked up to her longtime friend.

"It's time then," she said. It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes, my apprentice just commed me a few moments ago," he replied as they made their way to his quarters. Once inside, they heard Padmé's soft moan of discomfort, and then a thud. Making their way into the bedroom, they were greeted by the sight of Anakin lying on the floor, having fainted when he saw Padmé writhing in pain on the bed. He pressed his hand to the boy's cheek. "Wake up, young one," he said.

Anakin opened his eyes. "Master?" he said blushing. "I'm sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for, my young Padawan." He grinned. "You can go to your classes now. Dormé and I will be fine with Healer Eerin. There might very well be a new arrival by the time you're done for the day."

He grinned, relieved to be released from his duties to look after his mentor's wife. Bowing respectfully, he all but ran from the apartment, much to Obi-Wan's amusement. "Boys," Dormé said in disgust.

Padmé smiled through the next few contractions. "Dormé, don't be too hard on the boy. He's been trained in Jedi combat and meditation, but I seriously doubt he was equipped to handle such a thing as childbirth."

"That is, unless he was going to join the MedCorps and train as a Padawan healer," Bant added.

Obi-Wan went to his wife's bedside, taking her hand in his and ending the discussion. Bant set to work, examining her patient. To her surprise, this youngling was in a terrible hurry to be brought to the light. "Senator, your body's almost ready. When I say, bear down with everything you have." She looked at the both of them. "It seems your body decided to skip the transition and go straight to the birth. The baby is fine thus far. Just keep breathing and don't bear down just yet."

Padmé nodded and followed the healer's instructions, turning her head to the side so she could kiss Obi-Wan. As their lips met, she felt him sending her soothing waves through the Force. As she leaned back against him, he smiled, remembering the night this baby was conceived…

He'd just come back from a minor mission to Ansion. There were border disputes all the time and it seemed like a never ending struggle to keep the peace there. Now the peace was restored and all he wanted was to hold his young wife and make love to her all night. After he'd reported to Council, of course.

Once that was done, he went to his quarters where Padmé, who'd just come home from a session of Congress, was getting out of her fancy dress with Dormé's help. "I can do that, Dormé. You may take to your room for the night," he told her with a kind smile. Once she saw her lady nod in agreement, she bowed, and went to her room. As soon as she was gone, Obi-Wan began to slowly work the dress off his wife, leaving her in nothing but her chemise, teasing her like he loved to do. She, in turn, gave him a long sensual kiss before backing away to hang up her gown.

She turned back to him. "Now, I'm all yours, my Jedi," she purred, beckoning him on to their bedroom.

"Senator Minx," he growled as he pulled her into his arms once the door was closed, kissing her hungrily.

"But you love it," she retorted in between their kisses as she removed his robe, tunics and leggings, leaving him just as undressed as she. Finally, she untied the strings to her chemise and let it fall to the floor, leaving her completely nude and vulnerable before him.

He smiled as he gently laid her down on their bed. He began to trail kisses down her neck to her breasts, teasing her nipples with his tongue. He knew he could get her hot from that simple act alone, but he enjoyed torturing her further as he trailed kisses down her belly to her center, which was already wet and throbbing for him. He grinned wickedly and lowered his head, hearing Padmé's cries as he tasted her womanly essence, and teased her into a further frenzy. He pulled away before she could climax and pulled off his undershorts before covering her body with his.

A moment later, he entered her slowly, giving her a moment to get used to him inside her after a few weeks of being gone. When she nodded for him to go on, he began to move inside her with slow tender thrusts, wanting to savor this time being one with her. Gradually, he lost track of where he ended and Padmé began.

"Please…" she begged softly, her legs wrapping around his hips to hold him even closer. "Please…"

His lust took over and he picked up the pace, practically pounding in her with the intensity of a pod racer on Tatooine. Reaching between their bodies, he gave her swollen nub a gentle pinch and that was all she needed. She climaxed hard around him with a scream. Her inner muscles squeezed him and it set off his own climax. He could feel something being created from them in that moment, but he couldn't decipher what it would be. He knew that whatever it was, it would be the will of the Force, the creation of their love…

He was startled back into the present when he heard Padmé crying softly and felt her squeezing his hand. He rubbed her knuckles with his thumb. "I love you more than you know," he said, kissing her again.

"I do know," she retorted lovingly. "And it gives me strength."

"Okay, Padmé it's time to push," Bant said, feeling bad that she'd interrupted a tender moment between husband and wife. "At the next contraction, bear down with all your might."

The young senator nodded and pushed with everything she had at the next contraction. She screamed in agony in her efforts, yet with her husband encouraging her, and Bant reassuring her that everything was going well, she tried desperately to bear it.

"One more, Padmé, and this gorgeous Kenobi will be brought to the light," the healer said with a smirk. "It has to be a boy. Only a son would give his mother this much grief."

Padmé laughed through her pain and then pushed one last time. A moment later, she heard a loud wail; the wail of her baby.

"Forgive me, Padmé; I was wrong," the Mon Calamari healer said with a laugh. "You have a daughter." She motioned for Dormé to join her and then she cut the cord nodded for the young handmaiden to take the baby to clean her up and wrap her in the swaddling that had been gathered for the birth while Bant delivered the placenta and Padmé's body was cleaned up from the ordeal. A few moments later, the young girl gently placed the whimpering infant in Padmé's arms and the little girl calmed down once she saw her parents.

"Our baby…" Padmé whispered, kissing the tiny forehead with Obi-Wan leaning down and following suit. "What should we name her?"

He stroked his beard in thought. "I want to name her Sabé," he replied. "If it wasn't for your queen, I wouldn't have you or this little one."

She smiled. He was right. If it hadn't been for the queen, she wouldn't be as happy as she was now. "Yes," she said, looking down at her daughter. "Your name shall be Sabé Kenobi, little one." She kissed her daughter's forehead again and then turned her head to kiss her husband. "Now I am complete," she whispered.

"As am I," he whispered back, holding his new family close to him. He was truly the luckiest man in the galaxy.

THE END