Luke sighs, looking out the window. Leia and their father are outside working on combat. Though the twins don't have their own lightsabers yet, they are being taught how to handle one. Their father lets them use his lightsaber occasionally, but they typically just use a staff crafted into the shape of a lightsaber to practice and not injure themselves too badly.

"Luke, focus on your work," Padmé says, gently tapping on the book in front of him. He looks up at her, making her smile. It's usually a hassle to get him to stay inside and work on his studies, but today is a very off day for him. It's clear that he doesn't even want to attempt pretending to work.

"How much longer?" He asks, slightly dropping his shoulders.

"Only for about another hour. Then you and Leia can switch places." Padmé says, running her fingers through his sandy blond hair. He smiles as she kisses the top of his head. She walks over to the window, closing the curtains. She wants to take away all of his distractions.

She goes to sit in her chair at the end of the table. He's sitting at the chair just to her right, his books sprawled out on the table. He has always been a tad bit messy, but Padmé doesn't like to upset his work cycle. If this helps him to stay focused and do well, why bother making him change?

"Why do I have to learn all of this stuff?" Luke asks, resting his head on his hand. Padmé sits up, ready for a fight with him. Though it never gets out of hand with Luke, they will sometimes bicker about all of his studies.

"You need to know how to read and how to write. Even Jedi learn this at the Temple." She replies. They had recently brought up the idea of sending the twins off to the Temple to get a reaction about how they felt with the idea. Leia seemed indifferent, but Luke loved it. Now, it's all he talks about.

"I know that. I mean about my politics. Jedi don't need to know politics, do they?" He asks, clearly curious. He isn't meaning to sound snarky or whiny like Padmé originally thought. He actually wants to know.

"Jedi need to have an understanding of what is happening on other planets. Though they don't learn to the extent you are, I think this is very important. I was a senator before you and Leia were born, so I want you to be knowledgeable about it." She says. She loves teaching about politics and laws and histories about other planets. She knows her children don't appreciate it as much as her, but she hopes to show them that it can be interesting. And maybe, just maybe, have a little politician to join her in her trips to the senate. 

Luke nods his head and goes back to his work. He doesn't want to be a politician. He wants to be a Jedi, like his father before him. He wants to go back to the Temple with his Uncle Obi and learn more about the Force and make his own lightsaber. But, if learning this makes his mother happy, he was willing to survive through.

"Do you think that I have worked long enough now?" He asks, hoping to strike a chord in his mother's heart. He slightly bats his eyelashes, making sure to give a small pout.

Padmé takes a deep breath. He looks so adorable and sweet, his blue eyes sparkling up at her. But she knows better. Luke is a huge suck-up. It's almost scary how easy he can get someone to do something for him just by looking innocent and sweet. "Not yet. I want you to finish the next three pages in your book."

He lets out a sigh, dropping his head to look at his book. Three more pages? That could take him years to finish. He has to write about the events that he just read about and give good details. He hardly remembers what the event was. He will have to flip back and forth until his mother says his work is satisfactory. That could be at least five tries.

"May I be excused to go to the bathroom?" He asks, hoping to at least get a small break from working. They started lessons just after lunch. That already feels like hours ago.

"No. You need to focus on your work. Once you finish, you'll be excused to go to the bathroom and then go train with your father." Padmé says, her voice getting a bit harder. Luke is good at trying to get out of work. This time, she won't fold to his games.

"It'll be really quick, I promise." He fires back. He begins to wiggle on his chair, hoping to aid his cause.

"No. I know you just want to get out of your work." She responds. She reaches across the table, tapping his book to bring his attention to it. "Either start on it yourself, or I will read it to you."

Luke groans, going back to reading it. Padmé sits back, watching him start again. He has always been independent, so the idea of someone else doing it for him makes him upset. She knows this and uses it to her advantage sometimes. Today is one of those times.

"Do I have to give good details?" Luke asks, hoping to plead her with a smile.

"Yes, Luke. You always have to give good details, you know this."

"Are you going to check my work?"

"Yes, Luke."

"Are you checking it before or after I'm done?"

"I was going to wait until after, but now I will check before you're excused," Padmé says, irritation growing on her face. Luke realizes he's beginning to upset her, so he stops. Though he doesn't want to work at all anymore, he forces himself to try.

But something feels off. He rubs the side of his head, hoping that it'll go away so he can finish his work. He taps his foot on the ground, unable to think of anything but the way the Force feels around him right now.

He just wants to complete his work so that he can switch with Leia. He wants to work on combat and learn how to wield a lightsaber. Why did he have to go first with his studies? He shifts in his chair, the feeling only growing stronger around him. Why is it so familiar?

He stares down at his page, thinking. Where does he know this feeling from? He knows it isn't because he's sick. His stomach doesn't hurt. He also knows that he isn't scared. The feeling reminds him of warmth. It feels safe and comforting, almost like a blanket.

Suddenly, he recognizes it. He knows what the feeling is.

"Uncle Obi is here," Luke says, looking up from his book to his mother. Padmé lets out a sigh, resting her elbows on the table.

"Is he now?" She asks. She is growing tired of him trying to skip out on his lessons. She is trying to stay calm, but it is starting to get on her nerves. He keeps coming up with excuses instead of just doing his work. He would be done by now if he just got to it.

"Yes. He is here." Luke nods quickly.

Padmé rises from her spot, walking to the window. Obi-Wan had not mentioned that he would be visiting them anytime soon. The odds of him being here without telling them first is very unlikely. He needs to inform the Council and receive the time off. Besides telling the Council, he also likes to make sure it's okay that he can come.

She pulls the curtains aside, straining to look farther out the window. His ship is not where it is usually is parked. There is no sign of him anywhere. Naboo looks like it usually does. Birds chirping in the trees, the lake shimmering in the distance, and the flowers swaying in the garden from the wind.

"I don't see his ship, Luke," Padmé says, walking back to her seat at the table. "Obi-Wan is not here."

"Yes, he is." Luke insists, narrowing his eyes at her. Why doesn't his mother believe him? He knows Obi-Wan is here. He doesn't completely know how he knows, but he does. It feels like it always does when he is around. The Force feels warm and light when he is near, which is how it feels now.

"You know how I feel about lying, Luke. It is dishonest and it hurts people. You need to stop and go back to working on your studies." She replies, sitting up taller in her chair. The twins are usually very well behaved. It's pretty rare to have them act out, especially against Padmé or Anakin.

"I'm not lying," Luke argues, throwing down his pencil in anger. "You just don't believe me."

"Okay, how do you know he is here, Luke?" Padmé asks, folding her hands on the table. She is surprised at his actions. Usually, Leia is the one to speak her mind and sass back. This is unlike Luke.

"I can feel him," Luke answers, his eyes falling onto the table. "I know he is here."

"Feel him?" Padmé asks, arching one of her eyebrows.

"It's hard to explain." He fumbles, picking up his pencil again. He taps it on the table. "It's like when Dad or Leia is near. I can just feel them."

"I don't understand, Luke," Padmé says, slightly shaking her head.

"I don't want to talk about it anymore. I'd rather just work." He mumbles under his breath. He goes back to writing in his book, keeping his head down. He doesn't quite understand what he's talking about, so he'd rather just drop the subject. But he knows he is right. He knows Uncle Obi is here.

Padmé can't help but grow curious. Though Luke is the shy one of the twins, he's never just backed down like that. He usually tries to talk through what he's feeling until Padmé or Anakin understands what he's saying. Not only that, but he never wants to do his work.

Before she can ask him any questions, Anakin enters the house. "Padmé, do you know where I put those wrenches? I forgot where I placed them after we rearranged the shop."

"I don't know." She says, shaking her head. "Luke, do you know where the wrenches are?" She asks, gently touching his arm in hopes of showing him she means no harm.

"You put them in the top drawer by the sink," Luke says, looking up from his work. He looks over at his mother, giving her a soft smile. He knows she's not upset with him, but he can't help but feel misunderstood by her. She doesn't know how the Force works. He doesn't even know how the Force works.

"Thanks, Luke," Anakin calls out.

"Wait," Padmé says, stopping Anakin from shutting the front door. "What do you need your wrenches for? I thought you were working with Leia on combat."

"Obi-Wan stopped by. His ship needs a few repairs before he heads back to the Temple." Anakin responds. "When Luke is finished, you should send him out. I would like to show him a few things."

"Uh, he's fine to leave now." Padmé slightly stutters, looking over at Luke. Obi-Wan really was here. Luke wasn't lying to get out of his work. "You've done enough work for the day. Go and help your father and Uncle Obi."

"Thanks, Mom." He grins, pushing his seat away from the table. But before he leaves, she grabs his arm.

"Luke," She says, her eyes meeting his blue ones. "How did you know that Uncle Obi was here?"

"I told you. I can just feel him." He shrugs before rushing out the front door.

xxx

Padmé gently brushes her brown locks in the mirror. She is still curious about what happened earlier in the day with Luke. She is sure it has something to do with the Force, but she didn't want to bring it up when the children were around. The children are now safely tucked away in their room near the garden. Now she can ask Anakin about it.

"What's on your mind?" Anakin asks, resting his chin on her shoulder. He can sense that she is tense. She wasn't her usual self at dinner. He doesn't think it has to do with Obi-Wan making an unexpected appearance. It has to be something with the children. His lips brush against her neck as she sets down her brush. He places his head on her shoulder.

"Something Luke said to me today." She replies as his hands wrap around behind her, pulling her into his chest.

"During his lessons?" Anakin asks, looking up to meet her brown eyes in the mirror. She nods, resting her head on his.

"Yes. He had been trying to get out of his studies, which is typical of him. It can be a chore to get him to pay attention to his work. He prefers learning combat with you." Padmé begins as she leans into Anakin, letting him sway her. She feels safe in his arms.

"Is there something wrong with that?"

"No," Padmé says, shaking her head. "But he told me Obi-Wan was here. I went to look for his ship and I couldn't see it. I thought he was lying, so I asked him how he knew Obi-Wan was here if he couldn't see his ship. He told me that he could feel him."

"Feel him?" Anakin asks, lifting his head.

"Yes. He said it was similar to how he can feel you or Leia nearby. He can feel when Obi-Wan is here." Padmé explains. "I was assuming it had something to do with the Force, but you act like this is strange."

Anakin shakes his. "No. I understand what he means. I can sense it, too. I know when Obi-Wan is near. I've just recently been able to feel when he or Leia is close. I'm surprised that he can sense it already. I don't think I was his age yet when I first had that experience." He explains. He begins to walk away, heading to sit on the edge of their bed.

"I don't understand," Padmé says, sitting beside him. "You can feel people's presence?"

"It's kind of hard to explain." He says, shifting to face her. "When Leia is nearby, the Force feels like electricity. It's bold and quick. It's like a zap in the air. You can just feel it. But Luke's is different. The Force feels like a low hum. As he gets closer and closer, it gets stronger and louder, like a swarm of bees. You almost feel overwhelmed by it when he's next to you."

"You can feel all of this? Without even seeing the person?" Padmé asks, tilting her head. This whole thing is shocking to her. She didn't know that they could feel each other's presence. Sure, she had heard them maybe mention stuff along those lines, but she thought it was more like a gut feeling. This makes it sound like you can truly feel someone else.

"I want to talk to Luke," Anakin says, rising to his feet.

"He's asleep. Can't it wait till morning?" Padmé asks, grabbing his arm.

"I won't be able to sleep until I get some clue about his sense of Obi-Wan. It will give me an idea about how strong the Force is with him right now." He answers before leaving. Quietly, he enters the twin's room. He makes sure to softly pass by Leia's bed so he does not wake her.

He kneels beside Luke's bed. "Luke." He whispers, gently shaking him.

"Dad?" Luke mumbles, his eyes straining to open.

"Yes, it's me." Anakin nods, watching Luke try to push himself to sit up.

"What's going on?" He asks, rubbing his eyes.

"Everything is okay, I just wanted to ask you something," Anakin says, his hands resting on Luke.

"Okay."

"Mommy said that you mentioned that you could feel Uncle Obi. Is this true?" Anakin asks, his eyes studying to see how Luke would react. It could be a coincidence that Luke knew he was here.

"Yeah."

"How did you know? You didn't see his ship."

"Like I said, I could feel him."

"What does it feel like? Cold? Hot?"

"Like when I'm in my bed," Luke says, slightly yawning. "Really cozy and warm. It's soft."

Anakin nods his head, a smile growing on his face. "I feel it, too. His presence is comforting and wraps around us, just like a blanket."

"Yeah. I like it." Luke says as Anakin lays him back down.

"Thank you. Now, it's time to go back to sleep." Anakin says, tucking the blanket around Luke. Luke closes his eyes, cuddling deep into his blanket, a smile on his face. "Wait, Luke, can you feel me?"

"Yeah," Luke mumbles, already almost asleep again. "You feel like the big rock at the lake. Strong and heavy."

"Does it scare you?"

"No. I like it. It's you."

Anakin smiles. He had always wonder how his presence felt. "Goodnight, Luke." He says, gently brushing his blond locks away from his forehead to kiss him.

"Goodnight, Dad."

Anakin rises to his feet, Luke's breathing already steady. He walks over to Leia, softly kissing her head and whispering her a goodnight. Carefully, he closes the door behind him and heads back to his bedroom. Padmé is already in bed. She looks at him, slightly worried. "Well? What did he say?"

"He can feel Obi-Wan's presence. It's exactly how I feel it as well." Anakin responds, getting into bed with Padmé.

"But there's something else." She says, studying Anakin.

Anakin grins, the realization beginning to hit him. "He can feel me. He says it's strong and heavy, like the big rock the twins like to play on at the lake."

"And that's good?" Padmé asks, confused.

"I have always wondered how I felt to other people. Luke says he's not scared of it, but I can see how others might be. That could make sense why Master Windu never really liked me. My presence was heavy and strong."

"But Obi-Wan trusted it because he saw it as safe rather than dangerous," Padmé says, nodding her head. "I think I am starting to understand how this works now."

"You have a lot more to uncover." Anakin chuckles. "But I think it's clear that Luke should be trained more intensely."

"Like, sent away with Obi-Wan?"

Anakin slowly nods his head. "I think it's best for him. He deserves to at least start his training at the Temple."

Padmé lets out a sigh. "I think so, too. I just don't want him to leave us so soon. He is our little boy."

"Who is a lot stronger in the Force than I thought. He needs to have it tended to."

~~~~~~~~~
Again, awesome drawing by butternut_gouache on Instagram and TikTok!!