Night had fallen in Coruscant and while majority of the population had no intention of sleeping yet, it was just not the case for Senator Amidala. As she had become accustomed to feeling at the end of the day these past months, she was exhausted, aching and hungry.

Dealing with two three-and-a-half-year old twins she could always just about overcome, but dealing with a missing husband too and she was dead tired. Her mind was still reeling from the news she had gotten this afternoon, but she pushed it out of her mind. Anakin would have to get home first.

It was, she had decided, his fault anyways.

"Threepio? Could you come here please?" she called from the bedroom. "I'm having some trouble with Luke-"

A loud wail pierced the relative silence in the apartment as Luke bumped his head against the bedside. Padmé sighed inwardly. She should have known it was too good to be true.

So far since the birth of the twins, the longest period of silence had lasted three hours. And that had been when they were three months old and sleeping.Tonight it had been thirty or so minutes, but it was the longest she'd had in long time and she wasn't about to complain.

It was remarkable how much she had learnt to accomplish in a span of thirty minutes these days.

Already she had: carried Leia on her hip as she sang a lullaby, as she scanned through the Holonews, marked, filed, organized her senatorial papers, as she scuffed down some food and made sure Luke continued to play with his toys happily and most importantly, quietly.

She would take a two-hour long debate over the reformation of a constitution anytime.

Leia, whom she had managed to lull to sleep after forty minutes, was now sleeping on the bed, but being the light sleeper she was, she was starting to fidget. She looked perilously close to waking up.

There was no way the Senator was going to take that chance.

"Miss Padmé?" inquired Threepio as he entered.

"Make sure she doesn't wake up."

Her dark brown eyes gleamed at the droid as she walked out with Luke. That would keep Threepio on a vigilant watch.

If there was one thing the droid was terrified of other than flying, it was Leia's glass-shattering shriek when she woke up cranky and found mummy missing.

……………………………………………….

Padmé shifted in bed. Her back and her feet were aching. She rearranged the pillows, careful not to wake Luke. He was curled up next to her middle, thumb sliding out of his mouth.

There was some sort of faint whirr coming from outside her bedroom, keeping her half-awake.

Stupid Coruscant traffic.

Coruscant was her second home, but the traffic in Coruscant was unparalleled. She groaned softly into the pillow.

She needed this sleep! She had a full senatorial day tomorrow, plus she had to find some time to shop for a new hover toy she'd promised Luke she'd buy and the shurra snacks for Leia. Not to mention the daily night routine with the twins. She loved them to pieces, but they took nearly every ounce of energy out of her.

Padmé sighed. How she'd ever managed this past seven weeks without Anakin she would never know.

Of course there was Threepio, but, her lips twitched, that was about all that could be said about the droid. The noises the twins made were "dreadful", and the protocol droid so much as froze whenever he was ordered to handle the twins.

She settled down under the sheets, a new wave of exhaustion causing her eyes to close.

Mmmm.

At that moment, the door creaked open and a streak of dim light shone into the room, unwanted and uncalled for.

That does it.

Her hands fumbled on the bedside table and picked up the first thing they felt. Throwing it at the offending streak of light, burying herself deeper into the pillow, she groaned loudly. "Threepio, now is not the time! Just get-"

"Get out? Of course. My apologies Milady,"

Padmé froze. She knew that voice!

"Anakin?" she propped her head up immediately, squinting at the still offending light.

"I was just leaving Milady, I'm not wanted here. Although you might want to rethink those throwing skills of yours…" The illuminator she had flung at her intruder came flying back onto the bed with a plop.

There was no mistaking that smarmy grin in his voice.

"Ani! It is you-" She was cut short as he leaned in to give her a kiss.

"That was-some long kiss-Anakin…" Padmé gasped after he broke off.

"Well I've missed you Padmé…" he grinned at her. He leaned in over her again from the foot of the bed.

"Anakin!" Padmé hissed, resisting the urge to laugh. "Not here! Besides you'll crush Luke…" she swatted him off, leaning back to reveal the little boy snuggled tight against her.

Anakin's blue eyes gleamed mischievously in the dim light.

"He is sleeping you know…and I've shut down Threepio as well. He's getting much too talkative these days…I should have a tinkle with his vocabulator one day."

"But stil-" Her protests came to a stop as Anakin's lips silenced her again.

Luke however, began to murmur. She pulled back, gasping for air and quickly rubbed his back soothingly.

"You see Ani? I don't think at three and a half I would want our children to be asking about the birds and the bees just yet..." she glared at him.

He crinkled his nose, a frown on his forehead.

"I agree." He said, nodding. "Not until they're…eighteen. And then," he bent down to give Luke a kiss, "mummy will have to prove how good she is at speeches."

He smirked, just as Padmé grabbed the illuminator once more and threw it at him.

"Ow!"

"You wish Anakin!" she retorted.

"Alright Milady! You win! But fifteen years is a long time angel…who knows? I'm pretty sure you'll have more experience by then." the gleam in his eyes returned.

"Don't be so sure!" she threw a stray toy of Luke's at him, but it never hit him.

Instead it flew to Anakin's outstretched hand and he tossed at back to her. Luke started to move slightly.

"Your son is waking up again! Keep it down!" Padmé let out an exasperated sigh.

"My son? You had a part in it too, just in case you forgot!"

"Then I'm not sure I'd like to take part in anything again anytime soon!"

"What-hey you-"

"Yes?" she raised an eyebrow.

"You can't be serious! I know you've missed me too…" he flashed a grin.

"Well I will be if you don't get into bed soon! I'm tired, and so is Luke. Come to bed or you can sleep in the nursery with Leia tonight Anakin." She settled back down in bed.

He sighed. "You win as always Senator…"

He kissed her forehead, carried Luke carefully in his arms and made his way towards the door.

"Ani?" Padmé called from where she lay.

He paused and looked back.

"I missed you too."

……………………………………………………………………………….

Beep. Beep.

It was that annoying com-link of Anakin's. Padmé stretched out her hand from underneath Anakin's arm to the bedside table. She groaned. It was six in the morning! She didn't need such an early wake-up call.

Only Obi-Wan would call at such atrocious hours of the day.

"Anakin…" she nudged him sleepily. He mumbled something indecipherable and his arm tightened its hold around her. Padmé rubbed her sleepy eyes.

She patted his arm, seeing how nudging didn't quite work. "Anakin…"

He buried his face deeper in the sheets.

She tried again, this time a little harder.

"Ani…Wake up…"

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Obi-Wan's gift of patience was also his curse. Right now, Padmé felt like throttling him.

Anakin groaned, stirring. He fumbled for the com-link in his robe.

"Master. What is it this time?"

"Anakin. I mean to ask about the files on the Outer Rim systems. It seems Master Windu requires my report on them urgently." The Jedi Master seemed completely oblivious to the expression on Anakin's face.

Anakin woke up a bit at this. "Hasn't it been settled? I just got back and," he frowned, glancing down at Padmé, "I've no intention of leaving just yet."

The hologram of Obi-Wan leaned forward and seemed to follow Anakin's line of vision. A knowing light appeared in his eyes.

"Ah yes. Hello Padmé."

The cheery tone indicated the man had utterly no remorse for calling at such an hour. Either that or he had no sense of time at all. Padmé forced a tiny smile.

"No worries there Anakin. Not yet at least. It appears the council wants to close this assignment as soon as possible. Nothing much for you and Padmé to worry about."

"Good." Anakin said. His voice was thick with sleep. "Anything else?"

"Oh, I forgot to mention. The council has given you a day off tomorrow. There will be no need to report at the Temple. But Master Yoda will be expecting you in the meditation room when you return. Something about the Dantooine system…"

The disgruntled look on Anakin's face cleared a little at the news. "I'll be there."

There was a moment of silence from the hologram. A tinge of annoyance appeared on Anakin's face, but Obi-Wan didn't appear to be taking the hint.

Somewhere under the blankets Padmé was at the end of her tether.

"I would like to return to sleep, my husband included. It is six in the morning Obi-Wan!" she mumbled edgily.

"Really?" At least the expression of mild surprise seemed genuinely believable. "Well I am so sorry Padmé."

"What about me? I was having a nice dream." Anakin interjected.

"My apologies to you too Anakin. I've been in the library all day with-" Obi-Wan paused. "Well, I'll spare you the details Anakin."

"You owe me one Master. This is the third time now."

"We shall see about that…" His lips curled slightly and there was a twinkle in his eyes. He bowed and the hologram flickered off instantly.

Anakin tossed the com-link to the floor. He rolled back in bed, slinging one arm about Padmé's waist.

"Remind me to put it in the trash compactor next time…" he mumbled. His eyes started to close.

"Ani?"

A mumble. Padmé decided to carry on. It was a safe bet he was still listening. Well possibly.

"Could you take care of the twins tomorrow? I've a full day ahead. It's going to be hard trying to shop for them too…"

He cracked his eyes open.

"Sure…I haven't spent much time with them in awhile…" He cracked a small grin.

"Thanks Anakin…"

"Mm…now come back to sleep…" his trailed off, rubbing the small of her back.

She pulled the blankets around them, eyes drooping when she remembered something of extreme importance. "Anakin, remember not to give the twins any sugar after five!"

Relative silence. Padmé peered over at him. He was fast asleep.

A tiny smile tugged at the corner of her lip. Tomorrow then. She closed her eyes. Tomorrow she would tell him the other news too.

………………………………………………………………….

Hope you like this. I would greatly appreciate any reviews. This is just supposed to be a light-hearted P/A fic. Next chapter: Anakin's reaction to Padmé's new-found secret. Thanks for reading!