Christmas Christmas Christmas Christmas Christmas Christmas Christmas Christmas!!! Merry merry Christmas!!! Luv u all lots be happy!

Hey, so, totally a self-plug here but I based this fic off of a drawing I made that can be found on my instagram (@queendom_of_crows) just in case you wanted a better visual.

"Ok, ok- everyone stand around the-"

"Guys come one!"

"We can't all fit in the frame,"

"Scoot over, Matchstick,"

"Some of us will have to sit-"

"Echo what are you doing?"

"Hey, make sure the tree is visible,"

"Beep beep wooop!"

"Yes, Artooie, they know you're not an actual tree,"

"Hey guys I can't see Appo,"

"Oh, here I'll move to the front,"

"Ow! Tup, you're pushing me into the crate!"

"Kix! You're making me push Hardcase!"

"Has anyone seen the hat?"

"Alright guys, pull it together!" A tall young man with light brown hair and a scar that just barely grazed over his right eye called as he strolled into the room, "It's just a picture. Force,"

"Of course, sir,"

He moved around to stand at the back of the group and motioned to a with sun kissed skin and blonde hair. "Everyone here, Rex?"

"Yes sir,"

"Skyguy!" Came the cry of a Togrudian girl as she elbowed her way over to the two men, "We made you a hat!" She said and thrust a small, off red cone into the taller one's hands.

The man made a face of almost wary confusion, "Snips isn't this a-" he trailed off as he glanced up. Several pairs of eyes were now turned toward him in pleading. He would never win this argument. "Forget it. Let's just take this picture already." He said, and balanced the festive piece of junk on his head as best he could.

"Okay everyone, move in a bit more, and...three, two, one mark!"

With a flash and a snap, a moment of time was captured.

"Can we please have our utensils back now?"

Three and a half weeks later, halfway across the galaxy, a brown half squashed box was plopped down in front of a door. The door to one Padmé Amidala's senatorial suite, to be exact. Shortly after, though the senator herself was out and about on business, a gold plated protocol droid opened the door and picked the parcel off the ground, shuffled back into the apartment, and set the box on the informal kitchen table; where it sat for quite some hours before its designated recipient was able to come and open it.

"-and water is fine Threepio. In fact, if you could bring me my dinner in the office that would be fantastic."

"Why of course mistress Padmé, I will bring a tray right over." The droid then took a plate filled with a long orange stringy dish, a glass of green tinted liquid and a set of utensils, and placed them on a simple serving tray before carting it out of the room.

"Padmé, I'm turning in for the night!" Called a woman from the main doorway.

"Alright! See you tomorrow Yané! Happy holidays!" Replied the former queen.

"You too!"

And then the door shut, leaving Padmé Amidala alone. Again.

"And here I was, looking forward to Jubilate Night," muttered the young senator as she rose from her resting place on the sofa. She had spent as much time out of the house as possible, not wanting to have to succumb to the loneliness and worry that permeated the would-be cheerful decorations and should-be festive mood of the grandiose penthouse. She had known she would be alone tonight, as all her close friends had made private plans that she could not possibly intrude upon. And she knew she would be traveling home to spend Jubilate Day with her family on Naboo tomorrow. She had known that her...Jedi friends wouldn't be here either, and she knew it was only one night, but, still. None of it was really much of a comfort.

She sighed and took a stride toward the doorway the golden droid had exited through but stopped to instead take in the view of Coruscant from her floor length windows. Skyscrapers as far as the eye could see, making for an eternally jagged skyline. The drone of passing speeders, emergency vehicles, pedestrians. The sounds of millions of life forms living, working, sleeping, playing, laughing. Padmé sighed once more and activated the privacy shield setting on the reinforced plexiglass, which darkened until it was completely blocked out.

The main communal space, the room in which she stood, was beautiful. Decorated with strings of glowing lights, wreaths of holly, satin bows, and gold gilded ornaments. Christened with the scent of fresh conifer and baked goods. She paid heed to none of it, for the luster of such objects had been thoroughly dulled through disappointment. All but one, squashed brown package, which caught her eye from where it was lying, unassuming, on the kitchen table.

The regale lady paused only for a moment before almost running to the table and pulling the box toward herself, prying open the stained hyperflimsi to reveal a cheap, loosely wrapped datapad. She took it in her hands, it was scratched and cold, and flicked the on button on the side of the tablet. At once, a lock screen came up demanding a seven digit code. Her fingers flew across the keyboard almost automatically. They always used the same code for things like this. The lock screen vanished and in its place was a single yellow file icon.

She tapped it, eagerly awaiting the contents as the image loaded.

Displayed before her, in grainy resolution and faded colors, was a picture. A picture of a group of twenty or so people crowded around the old blue and white R2 unit she had given Anakin months ago. Clones, most of them. They were smiling and laughing, some pulling silly faces, others grinning, and still one looking incredibly proud of the spoon he had balanced on his nose. The guys had also managed to use wire, various utensils, and a...something with a star painted on it to decorate poor R2. Behind the droid stood Anakin. With his cocky little smirk and an arm thrown around the shoulder of his young padawan, Ahsoka Tano. The girl wore a blinding smile and seemed to be practically bursting with excitement. Padme chucked, she couldn't wait to hear the story behind this. Peeking back into the box she spied a small piece of folded greasy flimsi that read "Jubilate Joy! -Love"

Later that evening, when the senator retired for the night, she took another look at the simple photo and smiled. A genuine smile that felt almost out of place, but welcome. Like a single ray of sunlight that breaks through the clouds on a rainy day. Warm, refreshing, nearly forgotten.

But joyful all the same.

Fin.

AN: yes, I'm calling Christmas Jubilate. Jubilate night being like Christmas Eve, and day is, well, the day.

And yes, I was too lazy to research and just called cardboard hyperflimsi.

Oh, and, sending packages and stuff is totally unrealistic btw. Mainly for security reasons and also because wtk is a secret postal service??? And how would that package made it through Padme's security team??? Honestly even if I'd had it delivered through different means there would still be plot holes.

Idk man sue me.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the Christmas fic! Happy holidays!

XOXO- QueendomofCrows