Rey Trooper knocked on her best friends door. She was there to take her goddaughter Abby to see Santa at the Imperial Mall. She was a teacher at a elementary school here in downtown New York. She loved going to work to see those smiling faces every morning. She had been drawn into becoming a teacher from her adopted parents. Both had been teachers and Rey had loved Patricia and Reginald Trooper and bonus was that she had had an older brother growing up. Finn was the closest friend/brother a person could ever hope for.
They had grown up together and had even shared an apartment while they had been in college. Finn had been two years ahead of her and had even kept the apartment with her after he had graduated and gone into the military where he had met his soulmate and husband Poe Dameron. They had gotten married two years ago and had adopted a little girl who loved her Auntie Rey more than anything. Abby was five years old and adored by anyone who met her.
Now here she was about to take her to see Santa. Finn and Poe had taken her last weekend, but she had told her parents she wanted Auntie Rey to take her as well. Rey adored her niece and was excited to take her. Rey had her own apartment a few blocks from Poe and Finn, she lived there with her college friend Rose Tico. The two girls had been close since they had met at college orientation and along with Poe and Finn were a tight foursome and even called themselves the Four Musketeers.
"Rey!" Finn said as he opened the door to her.
"Finn," Rey said as the two eagerly embraced so tightly.
"We've missed you, it's been too long," Finn said as they pulled back to look at one another.
"I know, it's been so busy here lately," Rey said.
"No more of this, we make plans every week from now on if nothing but to get a burger and fries, and don't steal my fries," Finn said.
"She can't help it," Poe said from behind them.
Rey smiled as she left Finn's arms to go to Poe's. "It's good to see you."
"You as well, there's a little lady who is getting ready to go out with her Auntie Rey," Poe said.
"I can't wait," Rey said.
"Auntie Rey!" A very excited little girl with dark hair and brown eyes came running at her. Rey bent down and threw her arms open for her niece.
"Hey little Gummy Bear!" Rey said as she hugged Abby.
"Are you taking me to Santa?" Abby asked so excited.
"Hmmm let me think..." Rey teased the little girl.
"Auntie Rey, pleaseeeeee," Abby said.
"Oh I think I can take you," Rey said.
"Yay! I'm going with Auntie Rey!" Abby yelled out as she hugged Rey again before turning to her parents. "Auntie Rey is going to take me with her."
"That's very sweet of her, now we want you to be good for your Auntie Rey," Poe said as he kneeled down to his little girl.
"I will, I promise," Abby made the motion of making a cross over her chest.
"And you listen to your Auntie Rey," Finn said as she went to Finn as he put her coat on for her.
"I will Daddy," Abby said as she finished getting ready.
"We might stop for some lunch and maybe a hot cocoa before coming back," Rey said.
Abby's mouth popped open in delight at the thought of being with Rey for lunch and a hot cocoa. Rey smiled at the little girl's excitement. She had been alone for a long time, never having a true relationship with someone other than her friends. Rey had always felt like a third wheel in her mind, her friends had never gave her the impression that she was a bother. She appreciated them so much that they had her in their lives, with their little girl. Rey couldn't help but feel this pang as she looked at little Abby. Rey hadn't realized she had ever wanted a family, a child of her own but seeing Abby again...to have this whole that was in her heart. Her adopted family, her brother Finn and all their friends had helped tend to that pain there left by her blood parents who had left her in the hotel they had weasled there way into. The manager had called the police after finding the crying child in the room. He had given the police the name that had used. Jon and Jane Kenobi.
Poe got Finn's attention as he watched the expression come across Rey's face. Finn could see the longing on her face. Finn loved Rey like a sister and it hurt him to know how she had started out in this life, to two people who put their own selfishness ahead of their child that should have been their priority and always put first. Finn knew their was a void there in her, one that his parents and himself had tried to fill and they had helped fill it but never cured it.
Rey was lonely. She was lonely for someone to be the one who turn her head. Finn and Poe had tried to set her up with some good people and Rey had gone out with them but nothing had ever come of it. The guys had told them how great she was but fully reserved.
"You ready to go?" Rey asked her niece.
"Yes, let's go Auntie Rey," Abby said as Rey put out her hand and they headed to the door.
"Ya'll have fun," Finn said as the two girls turned back.
Abby let go of Rey's hand and gave both her parents a huge hug before coming back to Rey.
"I'll guard her with my life," Rey said playfully as they took off to the mall to see Santa.
*****PAGEBREAK*****
"Do I really have to do this?" Ben Solo asked his personal assistant and oldest friend, Armitage Hux. They were in a dressing room in the mall getting ready.
"If you wish to clean up your image you do," Hux said. Ben was known to be a bit of a playboy and even was rumored to have been involved with more than one married woman before. Ben was a CEO of a banking and financial industry. His mother had been getting onto Ben for his ways, even coming to the office herself to wring out her only child.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Leia Organa-Solo had yelled at her son in his office. The staff knew better than to try to tamper down either one of them. They were very much alike.
"It's really none of your business, Mother," Ben said sarcastically.
"You actually screwed around with a slut like Bazine? I can't believe you came in that," Leia said.
"Again, what I do in my personal life is my personal life. And just a word of caution, I always use a condom," Ben said.
Leia shook her head before continuing, "I thought after we lost your father last year it would wake you up, but it's done the opposite."
Han Solo had died suddenly of a heart attack last Christmas and Ben had never been one who celebrated the holiday season since he was younger and had been sent off to boarding school. There he had been under the constant scrutiny of his peers and teachers. He was the son of Senator Organa-Solo and Astronaut Han Solo. Han Solo had been on a daring rescue mission and had just returned when he had met his mother one night at a party as she was being bothered by some man. When Han had interfered Leia had gotten onto him, telling Han that she had things under control. It had always been a passionate adventure between the two and a year later they were married. And a few years later Ben had been born to two very passionate people who didn't mind standing up to the other one. Ben had often been the bystander to Han and Leia's many arguments, often feeling like he was not wanted as his mother was a Senator when he came along and his father still heavily involved in the NASA program.
It had all came to a head when Ben turned eighteen and had wanted to go to Europe with his friends, his mother had been against it and his father had been indifferent to a degree. A huge argument had broken out with his mother telling him that he needed to go to college and make something of himself. Ben had screamed that it was his life and not theirs, he had walked out to his mother yelling for him to stop, when Han had then stepped in Ben had shoved him away and walked out. It had been many years since they had seen their son and even then it had been because of the death of his grandfather Anakin.
Over the years he had worked very hard for his success, and had given up a lot of things. One being becoming attached to anyone, he had no example of what to strive for besides his old friend from college, Armitage Hux and his wife Phasma or as her close friends were allowed to call her Gwen. She was an actress/model who had met Hux one day and simply, claimed him as her own.
They did love one another and were the most healthy of a relationship he had been around. His own were often women who he kept for a few weeks, sent a trinket and went on. Some were mad and went to the tabloids with gossip about him, not that he really cared. He just didn't want the attachment as it was a sign of weakness. But while he didn't care, his board of directors didn't like the publicity.
So here here he was in a red and white suit, with a white beard on with a horrible red hat with a little bell on the end at the Imperial Mall to let those little screaming things sit on his lap and tell him what they wanted for Christmas. He also had sent Hux out with his credit card to buy at least one toy for every child, and from the looks of what Hux had bought he was going to be here all day.
"Tell me again how this helps my image?" Ben asked Hux.
Hux let out a deep breath and helped fluff Ben's fake white beard, earning a slap of his hand from Ben. "Ben, at the end of this there will be a reveal of who you are and that you're the one responsible for all these toys, plus the ones you're matching at the local shelter."
Ben turned to look at the long line that awaited him, it literally whipped around the mall! "I will never do this again, ever!"
"Ben, remember it's your image we're trying to repair," Hux said.
"I didn't sleep with Chelsea," Ben said as she was one of the married women that he allegedly messed around with.
"It doesn't matter now, it's in the news and this should help some," Hux said.
"How?" Ben asked.
Hux closed his eyes and looked up above them, as if asking for guidance. "It makes you look like you actually care about something besides sleeping around. And another issue you might want to think about is maybe finding a nice woman that can be on your arm for the foreseeable future. It would turn around your image of someone who is thinking of settling down."
"I'm not!" Ben said.
"I know that, but they don't." Hux said.
Ben looked out again and groaned. He so didn't want to do this.
"In the words of my wife, Get your ass out there and go to work," Hux said as he shoved Ben out. The children upon seeing Santa Claus started yelling and clapping. Ben just stood there as the kids were so loud and just so anxious.
"Ben!" Hux whispered rather loudly. Ben turned back to look at him. "Be Santa!"
Ben rolled his eyes and then mumbled to himself. "Be Santa? What the hell do I know about being Santa?"
Ben thought back to when his father dressed up as Santa one Christmas Eve and was in the living room of his house, little Ben had been amazed at having the real Santa Claus there in his home. He knew everything Ben had done during the year, the good and the not so good.
"You should really try more in your schooling, don't want you to turn out like a nasty nerfherder," Han had joked to his son.
"I will, I promise Santa," Ben had said as he had made his way upstairs to his room. But upon realizing he didn't have his favorite little brown bear, Chewie, he made his way back down and was stunned to his mother kissing Santa.
"Mama?" Ben had said.
His mother had pulled back from Santa/Han, and told him that it was alright it was just a good night kiss and proceeded to kiss his forehead. Not long after that, the whole Christmas and Santa thing had lost it appeal to him.
Now here he was dressed as Santa to a bunch of kids that would probably pee on him. Great!
"Okay kids, let's get this thing going," Ben said.
"Ben! I mean Santa!" Hux said as he came out and told Ben, "You have to be jolly, not acting like you're in a rush."
"Who's acting?" Ben asked.
"Alright, just be joyful for a little while and then you can leave," Hux said.
Just then another friend of his decided to enjoy his humiliation, "Seriously, darling, you have to get your ducks in a row."
"Gwen I don't have ducks, and right now I'm all out of-"
"Ben! There are children nearby," Gwen said.
"Ones, I don't want to be around," Ben said.
"Ben," Gwen said as she neared him. "Grow a set and make these kids day. Some this will be their Christmas in just seeing you or Santa. Now I want you to turn around and wish them all a Merry Christmas and make their day, if not I'll beat your ass."
"How can I say no to that?" Ben asked as he turned back around and looked around and took a deep breath and started waving. "MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! I can't wait to see each and every one of you, now who is first?"
Ben went over to the big Santa chair and along with some help from his elves starting greeting every child and for his part, he was on his best behavior.
*****PAGEBREAK******
"I see him Auntie Rey!" Abby said as they neared the line to see Santa.
"I do to, isn't it exciting?" Rey asked as they got in line. Rey watched as Santa held every child on his lap and took pictures and gave each child a candy cane of their own along with a wrapped gift.
"Will you go up with me, Auntie Rey?" Abby asked as they were only a few from the front of the line.
"Of course I will," Rey said.
"What are you going to ask Santa for?" Abby asked.
"I have everything I need, I have you and your parents," Rey said.
"And Bee Bee," Abby said.
"Yes, and Bee Bee," Rey said, thinking about her precious little white maltese back at her home. He could be a handful some days.
Now it was Abby's turn, a helper Elf came up and offered her hand to Abby, who turned and put her hand out for Rey. Rey placed her hand in hers and they walked up to Santa.
Ben had turned to look over at Gwen and Hux, they owned their own clothing line called 'Who gives a Phux?' an adult line for adults who were still young but not that mature yet. Gwen gave him a thumbs up and then could see another child coming up to see him. He turned to look at the child and was awestruck by who was holding her hand. Not the elf. It was the goddess who had dark hair and hazel eyes and the face of an angel.
He mentally told himself to stop it. This woman was bringing her child up to see Santa, that same child that had a father back at home probably putting up Christmas lights for his little girl and wife. Ben looked down at the child trying to see some of the mother in her, but couldn't.
"Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas little one," Ben said as the little girl came up to him and he picked her up and sat her in his lap.
"Are you the real Santa?" Abby asked.
"What do you think?" Ben asked as he looked up at the woman standing there watching.
"I believe so," Abby said.
"And what's your name?" Ben asked.
"I'm Abby, or sugarplum as my father Finn calls me," Abby said.
Ben thought how lucky this Finn was, to have this little girl and the mother in his life. Just then an ache he didn't know he had started in him. An ache to have someone to come home to, someone to come running to the door upon his arrival. To pick up and carry back towards the main part of the house as he found someone else happy he was home.
"Abby, that's a very beautiful name," Ben said.
"Thank you," Abby said.
"And who is this?" Ben asked, talking about the woman standing there with those hazel eyes.
"That's Rey, she's so pretty," Abby said.
"Yes, she is," Ben said.
"Well, thank you both," Rey said.
"What do you want for Christmas?" Ben asked. Ben knew what he wanted but there was nothing he could do about it.
Abby looked over at Rey who nodded to her, then back at Santa. "Can I whisper it to you?"
"Of course," Ben said as he leaned down and turned his head and his mouth opened up in surprise as he heard the tiny whisper.
"Can you get it for me, Santa?" Abby asked.
Ben just sat there in shock as he looked from Abby back to his dream standing there. "Are you this is what you want? Not a doll or something else?" Ben asked.
"No, this would make me so happy. I've been very good and this is all I want," Abby said.
"Well, I will see what I can do," Ben said. As the elf took the photo, his attention was back on Rey standing there. Ben decided to take a chance and leaned over and whispered something to Abby who giggled and nodded her head. He could see out of the corner of his eye the elves had put up a sign signaling that he was going to 'feed his reindeer', meaning he was going to take a break.
"Auntie Rey, come sit on Santa's lap!" Abby said.
"Oh, no I couldn't," Rey said.
"Oh please, Auntie Rey," Abby tried again. Rey looked over at Ben who just nodded. Ben could see Hux and Gwen smiling at this entire exchange. Finally Rey walked up to him, and awkwardly sat down on his lap. His right arm came around her waist as he couldn't help feeling how right this felt. He couldn't also start to feel something else that Rey was causing.
He was getting hard! Just from her sitting on his lap.
"Abby, there is a gift there for you and here is a candy cane," Ben said as he handed her the sweet treat.
"Thank you, Santa," Abby said as she went over to the tree to pick out a gift.
Rey watched her niece, then turned to Ben, "What did she ask for?"
Ben smiled as he answered, "A husband for her Auntie Rey."