TWENTY THREE

                                    

                                          
"Is there anything I can do for you, Miss Liana?" asks Threepio from where he pauses in the bedroom doorway.
"Just—be here, Threepio, please," Liana pleads, panting through the contractions. They've grown stronger and much more frequent.
"Yes, alright," the golden droid agrees. "I can do that," 
"Liana!" comes Padmè's worried voice. Her sister rushes into the bedroom, looking just as out of breath as her.
Padmè's brown eyes widen at the sight of her sister. "I brought the doctor,"
He appears beside her, his briefcase in hand. Liana lets out a strangled yelp, the pressure and pain was getting to be too much, she needed to start pushing, and soon. 
"Do you feel the urge to push?" the doctor asks, slipping gloves onto his hands and striding forward. Padmè sits beside her sister, holding Liana's hand as he quickly examines her. 
"Miss Amidala, one of the twins is right here, ready to be born. You've got to push," 
Time seems to slow down as Padmè and Threepio take orders from the doctor to set up and prepare. As Liana begins to push, her sister is there, holding her hand. "You're strong, Liana!"
Liana grits her teeth and lets out a shout as she pushes with all her might, her dress pushed up over her knees.  "Good, again!" 
Padmè supportively wipes the sweat from Liana's brow, pushing her sweaty golden locks off of her forehead. The pain and pressure is unbearable now, so she continues.
 Liana perseveres until she hears a loud cry, and the doctor lets out a relieved laugh. "It's a boy," He takes a towel and wraps the baby that now wriggles in his arms before placing it on her chest. 
Liana is sobbing now, overwhelmed with the thousands of emotions running through her as she looks down at the baby before her. Her boy.
"Luke," she breathes in a choked smile, looking up at Padmè, whose eyes are watery as she takes in her nephew.  She holds the crying infant to her chest, kissing his forehead. His eyes are wide and blue. Like Anakin's. Her heart breaks at the fact that Anakin is so far away, on a molten planet, missing this.
"Okay, Miss Amidala, it's time for the other twin now," the doctor instructs her. Liana hands Luke to her sister and prepares for the grueling motions of labor once more. The pain has dulled now—nothing could possibly be as euphoric as holding her child.
"You're nearly there," He tells her as fatigue begins to dawn on Liana. The pressure is suddenly relieved once more, and Liana's hearing tunes in long enough to catch the crying of Leia. Suddenly, she's in her arms, and more tears stream from Liana's face. 
"Leia," she murmurs. She smiles down at her two miracles, her whole body feeling oddly light and shaky. 
She had done it. Her breaths came in pants as Liana finally allows her exhaustion to overcome her, and her vision goes dark.
✭・.・✫
Liana wakes to the sound of crying. Not her own cries, but an infant. She blinks her eyes open, realization dawning on her as she looks around. She is in the guest bedroom, and the sun is shining in peacefully, as if everything is okay. 
She sits up slowly to see Obi-Wan and Padmè each holding a swaddled bundle as the speak quietly by the window. Her movement draws the Jedi's attention as he turns to face her. 
"There's your mother," he tells the small baby in his arms, a soft smile on his face as he strides over to Liana. "Congratulations, Liana. They're beautiful,"