A Small Thing, part 2
Aug. 14th, 2008 07:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
matrilToday was even more stressful than yesterday, so it was good to write something fluffy, channeling my inner six-year-old. Hope you like it. :)
Anakin was impatient-excited, the same way he felt when he was about to pilot something. Not exactly nervous, but definitely not calm. Mom had finally sent him out of the kitchen because he kept asking when Padmé was coming and wouldn't let her have a moment's peace to finish cooking dinner, and she was really sort of nervous herself because she was still figuring out Naboo cooking and wasn't sure if Padmé would like it.
He wandered restlessly around his room, picked up one of the gadgets he was working on, then put it down again. He wasn't worried whether Padmé would like Mom's cooking or not. Everybody liked Mom's cooking. Absently he flicked a switch back and forth, making the mechanism hum. He wasn't really sure what he was worried about. It was very important that Padmé have a good time at their house. Because she had been the one to free them, and they needed to show how thankful they were. Mom said that a few fun visits to their home wouldn't make up for everything Padmé had done for them, but maybe it would be a start.
He wished she could have come sooner. Mom said she was very busy, but Anakin wasn't sure why she couldn't have come here whenever she wanted. She didn't have a master telling her what to do all the time. Who made her keep so busy? Was it just that she didn't really want to come visit them as much as she had said? Those were the sort of questions that Mom called rude, but he didn't mean to be rude. He was just curious.
The chime sounded, startling him, making his heart beat funny. It was like he was sitting in the pilot's seat, his hands resting but ready to fly into action at any moment. Yet he couldn't seem to move now.
“Ani!” Mom called. He could tell she was nervous even though she tried to keep her voice calm. “Padmé's here!”
Stop thinking too hard, he told himself. He didn't think too hard when he piloted things, and somehow everything went fine, probably better than if he did think about it.
They were both standing there at the front door, Mom and Padmé. Mom said, “There you are. Why don't you keep Padmé company while I finish cooking?”
“I'm sorry I'm a little early,” Padmé said. Her voice was just like he remembered it, like music.
Mom laughed. “Don't apologize! We're glad to have you here.” She gave Anakin that look that meant You behave now, which she usually only gave him when they had grownups over. Padmé wasn't a grownup, but she was special. Mom went back to the kitchen, leaving them.
“Hello, Anakin,” Padmé said, smiling. Her smile was just like he remembered it too. He felt calmer.
“Hello.” He was happy, but he couldn't think of anything to say. “Would you like to see my room?” he tried.
“All right.” She was still smiling, so he probably hadn't said something rude.
He took her hand, which was warm and nice, and led her down the hallway. Their house wasn't much bigger than the one they had lived in on Tatooine, but it was much nicer. No sand on the ground and in the air, getting into everything and making him sneeze. Lots of different colors, instead of the same boring sandy stone walls. The only thing he missed was two suns. Somehow he thought the one sun looked lonely, hanging all by itself in the sky.
Padmé was looking around his room. “Do you like it?” he said, as she looked curiously at a few of his gadgets. “I make lots of things. I started making a droid for Mom before we left.”
“A droid.” She was staring at him, and Anakin felt his face get hot. Was it stupid to make a droid? But then she smiled and shook her head. “You're serious. That's amazing.”
“It's not too hard. There were lots of old droids in my master's junkyard, and I took them apart all the time and figured out how they worked.”
“I see.” What was she smiling about now? She wasn't laughing at him, was she? “I've never known a six-year-old who could make droids before. I'm really impressed, Anakin.”
He shrugged, feeling very happy. “I haven't finished one yet. It's harder to find parts here. I don't know where the junkyards are.”
“You won't find too many junkyards in this part of Theed,” Padmé laughed. No, she wasn't laughing at him. She was just happy. Anakin grinned.
“Then where will I find them?”
Padmé was thoughtful. “If you really want to, I could find out for you.”
“That would be great!” Then he frowned. “But you've already done an awful lot for us.”
“I like doing things for people,” she said. “That's why I want to serve in the capital.”
“What does that mean?”
“I want to go into politics,” she explained.
Politics was that word Mom used when she tried to explain why they had been slaves, or why part of their money had to go to someone they'd never met. “Why?” he said, frowning.
Now he was afraid he had been rude. Padmé didn't answer right away, and she seemed a little unhappy. “People can do good things in politics,” she said very carefully. “Even great things, like getting rid of slavery.”
“Really?”
“Dinner is ready,” came Mom's quiet voice. Anakin turned. She was standing at the doorway, watching and smiling. He suddenly realized how hungry he was. The food was so much better here than on Tatooine. It never had sand in it, and there were so many different kinds of it.
“Come on,” he said cheerfully. “Mom's food is delicious.” He took Padmé's hand again and led her to the kitchen.
They sat down, Mom at one end of the table and Padmé at the other, with Anakin in between. He looked from one to the other and just felt like smiling for no reason. Maybe it was the smell of warm bread and soup in front of him. He loved anything with lots of water.
“It's so good to have you here, Padmé,” Mom said after they had been eating and talking for a little while.
“Oh, yes,” she said. “I'm sorry it's taken me so long. I've been very busy this year, studying and training.” She seemed the same kind of impatient-excited that Anakin had been while waiting for her to come for dinner. “I just took the qualifying exams yesterday.”
Anakin looked at her curiously. “What's that?”
“The tests to enter the youth legislature program,” Padmé said, which didn't explain anything to Anakin. She laughed at his confused face and said, “So I can go into politics, Ani.” She was teasing him, but he didn't care. She had such a nice laugh.
“Oh.” So she was really going to do this politics thing. He shrugged. “I took a test too.”
Padmé nodded. “For school?”
“For pilot's school.”
“Pilot's school.” She was surprised again. Why did she always seem surprised?
“Well, how else can I get to be a better pilot?”
“I guess that's true.”
Did she think he needed a lot of help? “I'm pretty good already.”
Mom laughed. “Pretty good! His test scores were the highest in five years,” she told Padmé. She liked to brag about Anakin, even when it embarrassed him. “Not to mention he's the youngest student ever accepted into pilot's school.”
Padmé's eyes widened. “You never stop amazing me, Anakin. Congratulations.” He grinned and took a big, happy spoonful of soup.
When he'd swallowed he remembered to say, “Thanks. I hope you get into the leglis...legils...politics thing,” he said. Why did his stupid tongue have to get all tied up? But Padmé beamed.
“Thank you. I hope so too. I should be able to see my scores later tonight...” She looked out the window, where the sun was setting, and gasped. “Is it that late already? My scores might already be posted.”
Anakin looked at her curiously. She seemed to want to leave, when she had been so happy here just a moment ago. But Mom just laughed. “I wouldn't want to keep you waiting. Go ahead.”
Anakin felt like frowning, but that would be rude. He had been excited to find out whether he'd gotten into pilot's school, so he knew how she felt. “Good luck,” he said.
“Thank you, Ani,” she said, getting up. “I think I'd like a little of your luck, seeing all the good it's done for you.”
He wasn't sure exactly what she meant by that, but it seemed nice, so he smiled as they said good-bye.
Anakin was impatient-excited, the same way he felt when he was about to pilot something. Not exactly nervous, but definitely not calm. Mom had finally sent him out of the kitchen because he kept asking when Padmé was coming and wouldn't let her have a moment's peace to finish cooking dinner, and she was really sort of nervous herself because she was still figuring out Naboo cooking and wasn't sure if Padmé would like it.
He wandered restlessly around his room, picked up one of the gadgets he was working on, then put it down again. He wasn't worried whether Padmé would like Mom's cooking or not. Everybody liked Mom's cooking. Absently he flicked a switch back and forth, making the mechanism hum. He wasn't really sure what he was worried about. It was very important that Padmé have a good time at their house. Because she had been the one to free them, and they needed to show how thankful they were. Mom said that a few fun visits to their home wouldn't make up for everything Padmé had done for them, but maybe it would be a start.
He wished she could have come sooner. Mom said she was very busy, but Anakin wasn't sure why she couldn't have come here whenever she wanted. She didn't have a master telling her what to do all the time. Who made her keep so busy? Was it just that she didn't really want to come visit them as much as she had said? Those were the sort of questions that Mom called rude, but he didn't mean to be rude. He was just curious.
The chime sounded, startling him, making his heart beat funny. It was like he was sitting in the pilot's seat, his hands resting but ready to fly into action at any moment. Yet he couldn't seem to move now.
“Ani!” Mom called. He could tell she was nervous even though she tried to keep her voice calm. “Padmé's here!”
Stop thinking too hard, he told himself. He didn't think too hard when he piloted things, and somehow everything went fine, probably better than if he did think about it.
They were both standing there at the front door, Mom and Padmé. Mom said, “There you are. Why don't you keep Padmé company while I finish cooking?”
“I'm sorry I'm a little early,” Padmé said. Her voice was just like he remembered it, like music.
Mom laughed. “Don't apologize! We're glad to have you here.” She gave Anakin that look that meant You behave now, which she usually only gave him when they had grownups over. Padmé wasn't a grownup, but she was special. Mom went back to the kitchen, leaving them.
“Hello, Anakin,” Padmé said, smiling. Her smile was just like he remembered it too. He felt calmer.
“Hello.” He was happy, but he couldn't think of anything to say. “Would you like to see my room?” he tried.
“All right.” She was still smiling, so he probably hadn't said something rude.
He took her hand, which was warm and nice, and led her down the hallway. Their house wasn't much bigger than the one they had lived in on Tatooine, but it was much nicer. No sand on the ground and in the air, getting into everything and making him sneeze. Lots of different colors, instead of the same boring sandy stone walls. The only thing he missed was two suns. Somehow he thought the one sun looked lonely, hanging all by itself in the sky.
Padmé was looking around his room. “Do you like it?” he said, as she looked curiously at a few of his gadgets. “I make lots of things. I started making a droid for Mom before we left.”
“A droid.” She was staring at him, and Anakin felt his face get hot. Was it stupid to make a droid? But then she smiled and shook her head. “You're serious. That's amazing.”
“It's not too hard. There were lots of old droids in my master's junkyard, and I took them apart all the time and figured out how they worked.”
“I see.” What was she smiling about now? She wasn't laughing at him, was she? “I've never known a six-year-old who could make droids before. I'm really impressed, Anakin.”
He shrugged, feeling very happy. “I haven't finished one yet. It's harder to find parts here. I don't know where the junkyards are.”
“You won't find too many junkyards in this part of Theed,” Padmé laughed. No, she wasn't laughing at him. She was just happy. Anakin grinned.
“Then where will I find them?”
Padmé was thoughtful. “If you really want to, I could find out for you.”
“That would be great!” Then he frowned. “But you've already done an awful lot for us.”
“I like doing things for people,” she said. “That's why I want to serve in the capital.”
“What does that mean?”
“I want to go into politics,” she explained.
Politics was that word Mom used when she tried to explain why they had been slaves, or why part of their money had to go to someone they'd never met. “Why?” he said, frowning.
Now he was afraid he had been rude. Padmé didn't answer right away, and she seemed a little unhappy. “People can do good things in politics,” she said very carefully. “Even great things, like getting rid of slavery.”
“Really?”
“Dinner is ready,” came Mom's quiet voice. Anakin turned. She was standing at the doorway, watching and smiling. He suddenly realized how hungry he was. The food was so much better here than on Tatooine. It never had sand in it, and there were so many different kinds of it.
“Come on,” he said cheerfully. “Mom's food is delicious.” He took Padmé's hand again and led her to the kitchen.
They sat down, Mom at one end of the table and Padmé at the other, with Anakin in between. He looked from one to the other and just felt like smiling for no reason. Maybe it was the smell of warm bread and soup in front of him. He loved anything with lots of water.
“It's so good to have you here, Padmé,” Mom said after they had been eating and talking for a little while.
“Oh, yes,” she said. “I'm sorry it's taken me so long. I've been very busy this year, studying and training.” She seemed the same kind of impatient-excited that Anakin had been while waiting for her to come for dinner. “I just took the qualifying exams yesterday.”
Anakin looked at her curiously. “What's that?”
“The tests to enter the youth legislature program,” Padmé said, which didn't explain anything to Anakin. She laughed at his confused face and said, “So I can go into politics, Ani.” She was teasing him, but he didn't care. She had such a nice laugh.
“Oh.” So she was really going to do this politics thing. He shrugged. “I took a test too.”
Padmé nodded. “For school?”
“For pilot's school.”
“Pilot's school.” She was surprised again. Why did she always seem surprised?
“Well, how else can I get to be a better pilot?”
“I guess that's true.”
Did she think he needed a lot of help? “I'm pretty good already.”
Mom laughed. “Pretty good! His test scores were the highest in five years,” she told Padmé. She liked to brag about Anakin, even when it embarrassed him. “Not to mention he's the youngest student ever accepted into pilot's school.”
Padmé's eyes widened. “You never stop amazing me, Anakin. Congratulations.” He grinned and took a big, happy spoonful of soup.
When he'd swallowed he remembered to say, “Thanks. I hope you get into the leglis...legils...politics thing,” he said. Why did his stupid tongue have to get all tied up? But Padmé beamed.
“Thank you. I hope so too. I should be able to see my scores later tonight...” She looked out the window, where the sun was setting, and gasped. “Is it that late already? My scores might already be posted.”
Anakin looked at her curiously. She seemed to want to leave, when she had been so happy here just a moment ago. But Mom just laughed. “I wouldn't want to keep you waiting. Go ahead.”
Anakin felt like frowning, but that would be rude. He had been excited to find out whether he'd gotten into pilot's school, so he knew how she felt. “Good luck,” he said.
“Thank you, Ani,” she said, getting up. “I think I'd like a little of your luck, seeing all the good it's done for you.”
He wasn't sure exactly what she meant by that, but it seemed nice, so he smiled as they said good-bye.
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