33 Apocalypse Avenue [evening]

[sith_happened]

There had been playtime, and naptime, and dinnertime, and bath time.

And now it was bedtime.

...or at least Anakin thought so. Juliet, it seemed, had other plans.

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[wee-skycrawlers.livejournal.com]

"Not tired!" she insisted, yet again. "Can we play hide 'n seek?"

[sith_happened]

Anakin smiled despite himself. "One more time," he said.

If she hadn't learned that hiding from a Jedi was pointless, she'd figure it out sooner rather than later.

[wee-skycrawlers.livejournal.com]

"Close your eyes, Daddy!" she insisted, giggling and picking out a hiding spot for herself and Vladdie, who it hadn't taken long to find at all.

[sith_happened]

Anakin closed his eyes, then counted loudly to twenty before reaching into the Force, finding them both and heading in the opposite direction.

"Where could Juliet be?" he wondered.

[wee-skycrawlers.livejournal.com]

She giggled from the closet, clinging to Vladdie.

[sith_happened]

Anakin looked under the sofa. "Not here," he said, moving closer to the closet.

[wee-skycrawlers.livejournal.com]

She laughed a little more, and kissed Vladdie's little head.

[sith_happened]

Anakin snuck up to the door, then flung it open. "Gotcha!"

[wee-skycrawlers.livejournal.com]

"Eeeeeeee," she shrieked, tearing out of the closent and trying to escape.

[sith_happened]

Anakin reached out to grab her around the waist, laughing like an idiot.

His students wouldn't recognize him.

[wee-skycrawlers.livejournal.com]

She flailed around, looping her arms around his neck. "Storytime, Daddy?"

[sith_happened]

He smiled. "I think that can be arranged. Let's go wash your face first, though."

[wee-skycrawlers.livejournal.com]

"Why?" she asked plaintively.

[sith_happened]

"Because sticky faces and pillows don't go together," he said, kissing the top of her head and heading towards the bathroom.

[wee-skycrawlers.livejournal.com]

"Not tired!" she insisted.

[sith_happened]

"I know," Anakin said. "This is for much, much later tonight, when it's time to go to sleep."

Or a half hour.

[wee-skycrawlers.livejournal.com]

"Okay," she agreed carefully, because that wasn't like giving in. "Can we read one of Mommy's big books?"

[sith_happened]

Anakin didn't have many around, so he thought carefully as he wiped Juliet's face. "Or I can tell you a story about Ewoks," he tried.

[wee-skycrawlers.livejournal.com]

"And ponies?" she tried.

[sith_happened]

He kissed the top of her head. "I think so," he said.

[wee-skycrawlers.livejournal.com]

"Ewoks riding ponies," she suggested helpfully. "Ewok princesses."

[sith_happened]

"Oh, Ewok princesses, huh?" he said, tossing her into the air with a laugh. "With blonde curls?"

[wee-skycrawlers.livejournal.com]

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" was probably not really an answer.

[sith_happened]

Anakin cuddled her close and walked into the bedroom. Vladdie had already beaten them there and was making himself comfortable at the foot of the bed.

"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away," Anakin began, snuggling Juliet into his lap, "there was an Ewok princess."

[wee-skycrawlers.livejournal.com]

"Did she have a 'yara?" she asked, making a crown gesture at her head.

[sith_happened]

"Only when she wasn't riding on her pony," Anakin said, "because she was afraid she might lose it."

[wee-skycrawlers.livejournal.com]

"Wasn't she careful?" she asked, wide-eyed.

[sith_happened]

"She was very careful," Anakin said, running his hand across her curls again, "which was why she left it at home. And only touched her mommy's books when she had permission to."

[wee-skycrawlers.livejournal.com]

"I like reading!" she announced.

[sith_happened]

"Of course you do," Anakin said. "It's one of Mommy's favorite things."

[wee-skycrawlers.livejournal.com]

"Mommy reads to me!" she told him excitedly. "Mommy's teaching me readings too! I can say the alph'bet!"

[sith_happened]

"Let's hear it, then," Anakin said, smiling at her.

[wee-skycrawlers.livejournal.com]

"ABCDEFG, HIJKLMNOP, QRS, TUV, WX, Y and Z!" she sang. "Now I know my ABC's, next time won't you sing with meeeeee?"

[sith_happened]

Anakin applauded. "My brilliant daughter," he praised.

[wee-skycrawlers.livejournal.com]

Juliet yawned. "I can count high too!"

[sith_happened]

"You can do that for me tomorrow," Anakin said, sliding Juliet off of his lap and under the covers of his bed.

[wee-skycrawlers.livejournal.com]

"One, two free, four, fibe, six, seben...." she mumbled sleepily.

[sith_happened]

Anakin tucked a curl behind her ear. "Good night, my Juliet," he murmured.

[wee-skycrawlers.livejournal.com]

She would have said night night, too, but she was already asleep.

Being three was exhausting.