If
asked about it later, Anakin can barely remember anything from the
labor.

Outside
of Obi-Wan’s screams, the faint fire flickering their skin as
Obi-Wan clings to his hand and the healers guiding words, Anakin
doesn’t remember a thing about the ordeal of the labor.

He
almost feels like he might have been in a trance the whole time,
wiping Obi-Wan’s face of sweat and tears, Qui-Gon and Mace as
silent beings in the room as he whispers something to his mate and
tries to help.

And
then its over.

There’s
twin cries in the air, Obi-Wan is laying in an exhausted, sweaty and
pained mess on the bed as the healers continue talking to him about
the afterbirth and placenta and
fluids
that needed to come out, the
redhead no longer crushing Anakin’s hand as he was in less pain.

And
then Bant approaches Anakin with one yellow blanket and a smile on
her face, large eyes watching him.

It
takes him a moment but finally it sinks in, that’s one of his
little birds in Bant’s arms, all cleaned up while Anakin was
distracted with Obi-Wan, the other over with a nautolan healer who
was gently washing them.

Shakily,
Anakin accepted the bundle into his shaking arms that suddenly seemed
too big and clumsy to hold such a delicate little thing because his
little bird was so small,
being so early they were both so small as
Anakin stared down at the scrunched up, wrinkled face and oh Force,
it was both the ugliest and the most beautiful thing Anakin had ever
seen with little dark tufts showing up on their forehead where the
blanket wasn’t covering.

The
little mouth opened, seemingly yawning, showing off pink gums as it
would be months until teeth grew and Anakin tucked his child into the
crook of one arm to lift his finger to the mouth, breathing out in
awed shock when the little one instantly latched onto the finger and
sucked with surprising strength.

Were
they already hungry?

Or
was it just instinct, to latch on when something was presented to
their mouth?

“This
is your daughter,” He looked up at Bant’s soft whisper, blinking
at the mon calamari before looking down again, smiling. “She came
first, Nura is cleaning your son and weighing him before we hand him
over too,” She continued. “Despite
being early born… they’re actually mostly fine but they’ll need
some time in the bacta mist incubators and under the UV light lamps,
You can hold them for a little bit until we get the incubators ready
though.” Bant explained softly and gestured for Anakin to show of
their
daughter.

Nodding,
Anakin tucked the baby to his chest and turned to Obi-Wan, showing
the exhausted man their little girl with a wide smile. He got a tired
one in return, Obi-Wan lifting a shaking hand to gently stroke his
fingertips along a soft, pink cheek. “…Hello there little one.”
Obi-Wan whispered lovingly despite being so tired.

And
then Nura came over with their son, carefully handing the second
yellow bundle into Anakin’s arm, each baby settled in the crooks of
Anakin’s arms as the healers fussed around with the incubators.

Both
were wrinkly, both were pink, one had tufts of darker hair and both
had their eyes closed as they were snuggled in their wraps, feeling
safe and warm.

Force
they were so bright and warm in the Force and they didn’t look hurt
at all as he showed Obi-Wan their son before being forced to step
away so the healers could help Obi-Wan clean up.

Turning,
Anakin beamed at Qui-Gon and Mace with wide, shiny eyes as he held
his kids to his chest. “Look…” He said, his throat closing up
on him as his emotions got the best of him, joyful tears slipping
slowly down his face.

Qui-Gon
smiled softly at that, stepping closer to gently stroke a finger
along one chubby cheek as Mace peered over his shoulder at the small
bundles with a soft smile on his face. And then Dooku was there too,
staring at the little ones with wide icy eyes.

A
man sworn in as a guardian of Starbirds and he got to see the birth
of new ones.

Anakin
wasn’t sure what the other was feeling, too consumed in his own
feelings of pride and joy but he could see the awe on Dooku’s face.

“They’re
beautiful Anakin, you two did well.” Qui-Gon praised softly, moving
a bit aside so a softly smiling Mace could stroke the chubby cheeks
as well.

The
blond had never seen such a soft, soppy look on the Master of the
order’s face before but maybe in the face of children, Mace became
a totally different person.

Regardless,
Anakin reluctantly handed the early born babies over to the healers
again when they came over with the incubators.

They
weren’t fully developed, not yet, they would need time in the
incubators but…

But
they looked healthy.

They
weren’t… going
to die, not from being early born.

He
wasn’t going to loose them, any of them and Anakin crumbled to the
floor at that thought, a shaken, relief filled sob escaping from him
as he covered his face and just wept, feeling a worried Obi-Wan reach
for him in their bond and Qui-Gon kneel down to hug him.

He
wasn’t about to lose them.

All
that worry, all that darkness and fear and they were going to live.

If
asked about it later, Anakin can barely remember anything from the
labor.

Outside
of Obi-Wan’s screams, the faint fire flickering their skin as
Obi-Wan clings to his hand and the healers guiding words, Anakin
doesn’t remember a thing about the ordeal of the labor.

He
almost feels like he might have been in a trance the whole time,
wiping Obi-Wan’s face of sweat and tears, Qui-Gon and Mace as
silent beings in the room as he whispers something to his mate and
tries to help.

And
then its over.

There’s
twin cries in the air, Obi-Wan is laying in an exhausted, sweaty and
pained mess on the bed as the healers continue talking to him about
the afterbirth and placenta and
fluids
that needed to come out, the
redhead no longer crushing Anakin’s hand as he was in less pain.

And
then Bant approaches Anakin with one yellow blanket and a smile on
her face, large eyes watching him.

It
takes him a moment but finally it sinks in, that’s one of his
little birds in Bant’s arms, all cleaned up while Anakin was
distracted with Obi-Wan, the other over with a nautolan healer who
was gently washing them.

Shakily,
Anakin accepted the bundle into his shaking arms that suddenly seemed
too big and clumsy to hold such a delicate little thing because his
little bird was so small,
being so early they were both so small as
Anakin stared down at the scrunched up, wrinkled face and oh Force,
it was both the ugliest and the most beautiful thing Anakin had ever
seen with little dark tufts showing up on their forehead where the
blanket wasn’t covering.

The
little mouth opened, seemingly yawning, showing off pink gums as it
would be months until teeth grew and Anakin tucked his child into the
crook of one arm to lift his finger to the mouth, breathing out in
awed shock when the little one instantly latched onto the finger and
sucked with surprising strength.

Were
they already hungry?

Or
was it just instinct, to latch on when something was presented to
their mouth?

“This
is your daughter,” He looked up at Bant’s soft whisper, blinking
at the mon calamari before looking down again, smiling. “She came
first, Nura is cleaning your son and weighing him before we hand him
over too,” She continued. “Despite
being early born… they’re actually mostly fine but they’ll need
some time in the bacta mist incubators and under the UV light lamps,
You can hold them for a little bit until we get the incubators ready
though.” Bant explained softly and gestured for Anakin to show of
their
daughter.

Nodding,
Anakin tucked the baby to his chest and turned to Obi-Wan, showing
the exhausted man their little girl with a wide smile. He got a tired
one in return, Obi-Wan lifting a shaking hand to gently stroke his
fingertips along a soft, pink cheek. “…Hello there little one.”
Obi-Wan whispered lovingly despite being so tired.

And
then Nura came over with their son, carefully handing the second
yellow bundle into Anakin’s arm, each baby settled in the crooks of
Anakin’s arms as the healers fussed around with the incubators.

Both
were wrinkly, both were pink, one had tufts of darker hair and both
had their eyes closed as they were snuggled in their wraps, feeling
safe and warm.

Force
they were so bright and warm in the Force and they didn’t look hurt
at all as he showed Obi-Wan their son before being forced to step
away so the healers could help Obi-Wan clean up.

Turning,
Anakin beamed at Qui-Gon and Mace with wide, shiny eyes as he held
his kids to his chest. “Look…” He said, his throat closing up
on him as his emotions got the best of him, joyful tears slipping
slowly down his face.

Qui-Gon
smiled softly at that, stepping closer to gently stroke a finger
along one chubby cheek as Mace peered over his shoulder at the small
bundles with a soft smile on his face. And then Dooku was there too,
staring at the little ones with wide icy eyes.

A
man sworn in as a guardian of Starbirds and he got to see the birth
of new ones.

Anakin
wasn’t sure what the other was feeling, too consumed in his own
feelings of pride and joy but he could see the awe on Dooku’s face.

“They’re
beautiful Anakin, you two did well.” Qui-Gon praised softly, moving
a bit aside so a softly smiling Mace could stroke the chubby cheeks
as well.

The
blond had never seen such a soft, soppy look on the Master of the
order’s face before but maybe in the face of children, Mace became
a totally different person.

Regardless,
Anakin reluctantly handed the early born babies over to the healers
again when they came over with the incubators.

They
weren’t fully developed, not yet, they would need time in the
incubators but…

But
they looked healthy.

They
weren’t… going
to die, not from being early born.

He
wasn’t going to loose them, any of them and Anakin crumbled to the
floor at that thought, a shaken, relief filled sob escaping from him
as he covered his face and just wept, feeling a worried Obi-Wan reach
for him in their bond and Qui-Gon kneel down to hug him.

He
wasn’t about to lose them.

All
that worry, all that darkness and fear and they were going to live.