The waiting has to be the worst part for Anakin, he has always had an issue with patience, despite Obi-Wan’s best attempt at teaching him.

It must be effecting his behavior, the wait, but for all that the handmaidens give him questioning looks and R2 beeps at him in binary, Padme seems to notice nothing.

At this point, Anakin isn’t sure why he expected it to be different but it still hurts and he ends up moving from the bedroom, either falling asleep on the couch or in the baby room in the rocking chair as he watches Luke and Leia sleep.

Hell, even captain Typho had quietly inquired to Anakin’s health and he knew he scared that man.

He had a tendency to flinch every time Anakin summoned something from around the apartment with the Force and even he had asked if Anakin was alright.

It was as touching as it was hurtful.

He had vented to Obi-Wan about it one night, curled up in the rocking chair with a blanket around himself as he had given up going over things that the babies would need.

Obi-Wan had listened the entire time, quietly sitting somewhere with that… that look on his face.

The look that reminded Anakin of when he was ten, the first year of being Obi-Wan’s padawan.

The mix of grief and compassion.

This time however Obi-Wan wasn’t grieving a master but grieving that Anakin was broken.

The conversation had however sparked something interesting that Anakin had never considered.

Padme and he had married under fake names, they had not renewed their vows after Anakin had left the Order and that meant, that officially, on both Coruscant and Naboo, their marriage was not binding legally.

It meant that Anakin could leave without any messy divorce or anything of the nature, not that Anakin had much that would make it messy and he didn’t actually want anything from Padme.

Except for the children.

With her behavior, Anakin didn’t feel comfortable leaving behind Luke and Leia.

Obi-Wan had gone quiet at the news before telling him cautiously that even as the father, Anakin could be accused of kidnapping, that Padme could take him to court for them.

But at the same time, Anakin could fight back.

War hero and the popular Naboo Senator would be an ugly custody battle he had warned.

Considering how Padme was behaving, Anakin actually doubted she’d notice they were gone the first day, especially when she didn’t make any questions about Anakin not sleeping in what was their bed.

He had not slept in their bed for a full week when finally, a message came in from Obi-Wan.

Today.

Anakin and the kids were leaving today.

Quietly, he started packing, moving around the apartment. For himself he only packed a few things. His toolkit, some of his clothes, a few precious items he had gathered through the years and a mechanical project he had been working on lately to keep his mind of things. Everything else… he was going to leave behind.

But the kids was a different case.

He packed down several sets of clothes, diapers, formula, bottles, shoulder cloths for the spit up, toys, some of the bedding and all he suspected the kids would need, especially on the first leg of the journey.

From what Obi-Wan had told him, they were still working to set up trading lines, so the formula and diapers were something Anakin packed as much of as he could, though Obi-Wan had assured him that cloth diapers could be made.

And that alternatives for milk and later on mashed food could be produced.

Finally, he imposed his will on…was it Marna?

He wasn’t sure, he had been isolating himself from all of Padme’s staff but regardless, he imposed his will on her and carefully ensured she would be asleep, the woman having already been drowsing as she had been reading.

Quietly he also placed a blanket around her before nodding to R2, the astromech following him quietly as Anakin, with a backpack and a bag hanging on him, made his way out with the twin hovercarriage, meeting up with Commander Fox outside the apartment.

The clone commander saluted quietly, only glancing down at R2 before focusing back on the former Jedi. “General Skywalker, transport is ready to take you to the shuttle and the shuttle will take you to the Hirna. From there you will be heading to the rest of the Jedi, ETA, about a week.” He informed quietly, his tone low.

The hallway was empty, a clone trooper at each end but better safe than sorry and have someone overhear them.

A part of Anakin wanted to tell Fox not to call him General.

To tell him he was no longer a Jedi.

Anakin didn’t deserve those titles, not after what he had done, how ignorant he had been.

But he couldn’t find it in himself to do that, instead nodding as Luke made a warbly noise and sucked on his own hand, blinking up at the stranger.

His throat felt too tight to correct Fox.

To tell him how unworthy Anakin was of the titles and rank he had once had.

But at least he was going home.

In a week, he would see Obi-Wan, he would take any words Commander Cody would throw at him, hell, he’d let the man punch him.

Just as long as he could see Obi-Wan.

Home… was where Obi-Wan was.