Heyo guys! Here's chapter three of this dumpster fire! This time with the Ghost crew! I hope you enjoy! :)

The Ghost was alive with Life Day spirit! Everyone was busy decorating for the upcoming holiday, which they always celebrated, no matter how hectic things were with the empire.

Zeb was hanging up the ornaments on the high branches of the Life Day tree that no one else could reach. He was usually a very destructive person, but he took great care with both the glass ornaments, and the homemade ones, handling them very gently in his huge hands.

While he did that, Hera was hanging up stockings on the wall. They didn't have much money, but she'd had each of the crew members' names embroidered on them, and she smiled as she read each name.

In the corner of the small room sat Kanan, trying his best to untangle a long strand of tree lights while Copper laughed at his frustration. "They get tangled every year." He complained. At one point, he even tried to use the force to untangle them… to no avail.

Sabine was standing on a step ladder so she was tall enough to paint a small mural on the wall of Chopper holding a neatly wrapped gift.

They were all busy, even Chopper who was playing Life Day music. All contributing.

And then there was Ezra.

He just stood awkwardly in the center of the room, not really sure where his place was since it was his first Life Day with them. He felt like he was on the outside looking in. Like a stranger looking at one big, happy family. He was taking up space just like he always was.

"I should just go. They'll be happier without me." Ezra thought to himself sadly. He left the main room, and headed back to his cabin.

"Aw, hey!" Zeb shouted to the crew, holding up one of the homemade ornaments he found in the box. "Remember this one?" It was a star made out of popsicle sticks, white glitter, and rhinestones. They had all made it together two Life Days ago.

"I remember getting glitter in my eye." Kanan said sarcastically, before shuddering at the unpleasant memory of having to flush the glitter out of his eye with water from the refresher sink.

The rest of the crew laughed, before they all noticed. Standing there, looking at each other instead of their tasks, they realized that a certain blue haired teenager was missing from the group.

"Hey, where's the kid?" Zeb asked, looking around.

Their laughter stopped. Ezra should have been there, laughing with them. He should have been given something to do, included in the tradition. But instead, they'd gotten so caught up in themselves, that they forgot about him, and he left.

Hera was the first to speak. "Guys, we messed up."

"Big time." Kanan agreed. "I'll go talk to him, you guys just wait out here, okay?" He stepped away from the tangled lights- they would still be there when he got back- and headed to Ezra's room.

Ezra sat all alone in his cabin. He didn't bother to turn the lights on, or climb up to his own bunk. He was too tired. Instead he just sat on Zeb's bunk in the dark, feeling embarrassed. He thought that over the past few months he'd become part of the crew, but now he just felt ostracized and alone. Just like he had every Life Day.

The door opened, and he quickly wiped the tears that had been pooling in his eyes away. "Hey, Bud." His master said quietly. "Mind if I come in?"

"No. I don't mind." He sort of did, but he couldn't tell him that.

Kanan took a seat next to him. "I am so, so sorry, Ezra. We all are." He started. Why did he sound genuinely sad? Ezra looked up at him to see his eyebrows furrowed in sorrow.

"Life Day is about coming together with friends, and we lost sight of that. We were huge jerks to have ignored you like we did."

"You don't have to feel bad." He said. "Really, it's not your fault. I wasn't speaking up for myself, and if you don't see me as part of the team it's really not-"

A gentle hand laid down on his shoulder. "You are part of the team, Ezra. You're family."

They were then silent for a few moments. Family was a touchy subject for the kid, and Kanan hoped he didn't overstep his boundaries. When his small shoulders started to shake, and his breaths became heavier, Kanan sent waves of love and support to him through their bond.

"I-I haven't had a Life Day since I was seven when my parents- when my p-parents-" His voice cracked, making him unable to finish opening up.

"I know, I know." The older man said. A small part of him was screaming, screaming that Jedi weren't supposed to be emotional. He should scold Ezra, the voice told him. Kanan just pushed it away. That voice was from his padawan days, and it was wrong. Ezra had been homeless since he was a little boy, he was allowed to be in pain. To be a kid.

Kanan let the boy curl up against his side while he started to cry. He didn't stop him, or lecture his tears. Instead he wiped them away with his thumb like a father would.

"Do you still want to celebrate with us, Bud? If the holiday brings back too many memories we can-"

Ezra shook his head against Kanan's chest. "I really w-want to celebrate." He whispered.

A smile came to his bearded face, and he nodded, holding Ezra a little tighter. "When we go back out there- once you're ready- do you want to be the one to put the star on the tree?"

His cries stopped for a second, and Ezra looked up at him. "Really? You'd let me?"

"Well, it's only the most important job, Ezra. Best go to you."

The smile on his apprentice's face made Kanan beam with pride.

Sabine, Hera, Chopper, and Zeb sat in the main room of the Ghost waiting for about half a standard hour before they finally heard the door to Ezra's cabin open. "Here they are." Hera said. "I was getting worried."

Kanan and Ezra walked into the room, and to everyone's surprise, Ezra didn't look sad. He was skipping, actually. "Hey guys!" He exclaimed when he saw them.

"Hey Ez!" Sabine replied. "Listen, we are so sorry."

"Really." Hera agreed.

"We feel terrible." Zeb said.

"It's okay, guys." Ezra said. "Cause guess what?! Kanan said I get to be the one to put on the star!" He announced, to which the crew was very happy. They all cheered for him, and Kanan went to go get the star out of the box.

"Eh, one thing." Zeb interrupted. "Aren't you a little short to reach all the way up there?"

Chopper snickered, making short motions with his little hands. Ezra just looked up at him with an evil smile. "That's why you're giving me a boost!"

The Lasat frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. "Hey! No fair! I didn't sign up to-" He shut up as soon as Hera shot him a very murderous glare. "I mean, of course kid!"

Once Kanan retrieved the star from one of the boxes, they all gathered around the Life Day tree. "You ready, Ez?"

"Sure thing, Sabine." He laughed, before turning to his master who had the star in his hands.

It was so pretty. It was a gold star, made out of shiny metal. When Kanan handed it to him, Ezra was extremely careful with it, like it was something truly precious that he couldn't afford to drop. To him it was.

"Thanks for earlier, Kanan." He whispered.

"Anytime."

And with that, Ezra looked up to Zeb and nodded. The man cupped his hands together on the floor, making a place for Ezra to step. "Up you go, Kid." He laughed. When Ezra stepped on his hands, he lifted them up, up, up so that he could reach the top of the beautiful Life Day tree.

Ezra carefully put the star on top, smiling to himself.

Back before his parents were killed, he used to be the one to put the star on the tree every year. His dad would lift him up from under the armpits, so he'd be tall enough, and his mom would always clap her hands and cheer when the star went on. That was what family on Life Day meant to him for so long, and now after all these years, he had a taste of it again.

Well that was cheesy lol! I hope you guys liked it, and I love you lots!