Merry Kestmas.
At least, that was what the cards said. Well, the ones that were up, anyway. Leia Organa Solo smiled as her husband made yet another attempt to grab one of their three children. Because, despite the fact that the decorations were their responsibility, they were paying no attention to them whatsoever.
Anakin was racing around far too quickly for Han while Jacen and Jaina were running simultaneously in opposite directions laughing at their father's vain attempts to catch them. He spun around, just too late again, and staggered to one side as he avoided another two foot high blur.
But unexpectedly, Anakin ran straight into a cul-de-sac of boxes and ended up in Han's arms as he caught him, giggling uncontrollably as Han sat on the floor and keeled over, tickling him. And, while trying to rescue him, the twins also found themselves suddenly incapacitated.
Leia stood in the doorway and chuckled, Han and the children completely oblivious to her presence. She loved having a family to watch, but she knew what they expected, even if they knew she didn't mean it.
Han sat up, still tickling all three children somehow.
"Try an' get away from me, willya?"
Leia cleared her throat.
Han looked up at her as the children fell silent.
"Hi," said Han, out of breath.
"You," she said, mock harshly.
"Uh-oh," Jaina giggled. "Daddy's gonna get it!"
Han gave her one last tickle and let her go.
"Go on, go get into you jammies," Han rumbled.
Leia almost forgot herself and smiled. It always warmed her heart to hear him talk that way. It was so different to the things he used to say. They had all changed so much.
The children filed past her, echoing each other's giggles.
"Mommy?" said Anakin, stopping by her and tugging on her long dress. "Is daddy in trouble?"
Leia looked down at him.
"Maybe."
Anakin laughed.
"Daddy's in trouble!"
Han laughed quietly and took a couple of steps toward her.
"You are no help. Look at this place! There are boxes everywhere! And what about the tree?"
Han gently closed his arms around her even as her smile broke through, and silenced her with a brush of his lips against her forehead.
"Sweetheart," he murmured low in his throat, raising his eyebrows and shaking his head as he smiled the smile that always broke her defences. "The kids are gonna get into their jammies-" Leia smiled again "- and then they'll decorate the tree. And I thought it'd be easier by far to do the walls and whatever if they're already in bed. Then, when I've done that, I'll start wrapping the kids' presents and then I'll get tomorrow's dinner started."
"The kids' presents?" she asked softly, pretending not to be overwhelmed by his generosity and apparently complete control over the situation. "What about mine?"
"Yours are already wrapped, Princess."
"Mmm," she said, awed again, and looked down at the bronze flesh revealed where the sides of his shirt parted. "I'm looking forward to unwrapping them."
He bent his head and kissed her, closing his eyes to savour her lips.
"Ew!" came the giggled response from the doorway behind them.
Han pulled away and grinned.
"Alright" he said. "Tree."
There were several high pitched cheers and the children disappeared. As he followed them, not quite so quickly, into the lounge, he let his hand linger on hers in silent promise. Then he turned and said loudly,
"Okay! Red or gold?"
Leia shook her head and settled down to sort the cards they had received and to write the cards that had not yet been sent.
Han looked down at the three tiny children in the beds before him, two of them five, one of them not yet four, and wondered, as his mind wandered back to the woman he had created them with, just what he had done to deserve such a life, such a family.
He had never been much of a believer in anything except luck until recently and would never before have considered thanking a deity for the life he led. But he did it now, as he watched them, having played them to sleep with a soft tune on an old Corellian Peni wisl he'd almost forgotten he had, deciding that only some benevolent divinity could be the reason for his profound happiness.
He sighed softly and stood, considering just how he could decorate the rest of their home. He smiled as a continuation of an idea he'd had earlier floated across his consciousness. Then he made his way back into the lounge to begin.
Several hours later, after the decorations were all finished, the presents were all wrapped and tomorrow's Kestmas dinner was complete and with the thought that there must have been one hell of a lot of cards to write with the amount of time she was taking, Han went back to their bedroom to find her. And he did find her; fast asleep on her side on the floor.
He grinned and turned out the living room lights, then returned and carefully lifted her into his arms.
She awoke with a dreamy smile and rubbed her eyes.
"Hey," he whispered. "The kids are asleep."
"What about-"
"Everything's done, Sweetheart. Don't worry. I just wanted to show you something."
She looked puzzled as he took her into the darkened living room. There were two or three candles lit and there was a generous fire going, but they only succeeded in turning everything in the room except Han's eyes into silhouette. He stopped by the wall.
"What did you choose in the end, Han? Red or Gold?"
"Neither."
Leia didn't understand.
"But I thought you said everything was done."
"Flick that switch," he said, nodding towards the wall by her arm.
Slightly apprehensive, she did as he asked, and suddenly the room was filled with soft and radiant white light that sparkled and twinkled off every white bead and silver adornment in the green foliage.
"Oh, Han!" she whispered, recognising it immediately for what it was.
"I knew I'd seen pictures of the Kestmas decorations at the palace at Aldera. I thought maybe you'd like it if we had an Alderaanian Kestmas."
"Oh, Han," she said again and buried her face in his neck.
She sniffed inelegantly.
"I'm sorry."
"Shh," he whispered, stroking her head. "There's no need to be sorry. Do you…Does it…Uh…I mean…"
"It's beautiful, Han. It's exactly how it used to be. Thank you."
He smiled down at her.
"You're welcome, sweetheart."
He walked to the couch and lay her down on it. Then, with utmost tenderness, he leant down toward her and pushed her straps off her shoulders.
"I love you, Leia," he whispered.
The first thing that occurred to Han was that they must be under attack. Then he realised this was not his bunk on the Falcon and thought that perhaps it was an earthquake. Finally, he realised it was all three of his overexcited children jumping up and down on his bed.
"Alright, alright, I'm up, I'm up!" he chuckled pushing back the covers.
Before he ran after his children, he leant over to Leia, who had pulled a pillow over her head, and kissed her neck until she moved the offending object. Then he kissed her quickly.
"Come on," he said with a laugh. "Kestmas!"
And he tore from the room pulling on his dressing gown on over his bare shoulders as he went. Leia watched him go in pyjama bottoms that were just a little to small for him, and a little tight.
She heard Han's "Aaaaaah, gotcha!" from where she lay and the accompanying screams of delight that it elicited.
She slowly sat up and looked around for her own robe.
When she reached the living room, 'White Kestmas' was already playing on the holovid while Cring Bozzbi sang it, and Han was singing along through gritted teeth, pretending to be vicious to the upside-down-and-screaming Anakin in his arms and the giggling twins running around his legs, all of their dressing gowns swinging wildly.
"Look, Daddy!" said Jaina suddenly. "It's snowing!"
Han put Anakin down, the right way up, of course, and the children rushed to the window as Han and Leia followed at a more leisurely pace.
Anakin, Jacen and Jaina oohed and ahhed at the snow for a while until Han said,
"So what did Greista bring you then?"
They rushed over to the tree to find out.
But Han stood with Leia by the window, his arm about her shoulders, and she pushed her arms around his waist beneath his dressing gown. He glanced over at the children and then kissed the top of her head.
"Merry Kestmas, Leia." df