Howdy-doo! Okay, so my laptop crashed and I just got a new one! Sorry I didn't update a lot sooner! I'm still gonna add a few chapters after Christmas, and maybe even some next Christmas, so yay!

BTW, in my story, a sort of winter cold has been going around. This next Chapter takes place literally right after the first one.


Ahsoka closed her eyes after Anakin left and barely slept because she was so excited. She woke up at five thirty and simply couldn't sleep anymore. So, she got up, checked a day off the calender hanging on her wall, and then went to go wake Anakin. When Ahsoka got to the door, she knocked. No answer.

Of course that lazy bum wouldn't be up yet. She thought to herself.

She went to go grab breakfast, hoping he would be up by the time she was done. Not many clones were in the messhall, and some looked surprised to see her up. A few of them even asked.

As she finished, she ran back to Anakin's room and knocked. When he didn't answer, she knocked again, louder this time. He still didn't answer.

Ahsoka finally decided to crack the code. She came in and walked over to her master's bed. She tapped on his shoulder.

"Master, are you awake?"

Anakin groaned. "Go away."

"Come on, it's time to get up."

"It is?" He asked looking at the clock. "No it isn't. Go back to bed.

"You got up early yesterday." She argued.

"That's because it was the first day… please leave." He said, covering his head with the pillow. Ahsoka trudged off and went to Luminara's room. She knocked on the door and waited. When she received no answer, she knocked again. Then, Ahsoka left, giving up.

The young Togruta walked down the halls and eventually bumped into Rex who was doing his regular early morning duties.

"Hello, Commander." He greeted, his helmet muffling his voice. "What are you doin' up so early?"

"Bored. What are you doing?"

"Just getting ready to start my duties."

"Can I watch?"

Rex paused. Ahsoka waited with a smile.

"Alright, Commander. As you wish." He said reluctantly. She trotted beside him and watched his every move, finding surprising interest in the whole thing, and also feeling rather happy. She felt a lot better today. If Sina gave her the all clear, she could get off that stupid flue medication.

"How are you feeling?" She asked.

"Me? Good. How about you?"

"Good."

Rex took off his helmet and continued with his work. He never looked at her. There were some moments where Ahsoka wasn't even sure if he knew she was there.

"We were going to set up Christmas decorations later." She said, trying to converse. "Do you want to help?"

"I'm not sure I'd be able to get the time off, but if the general permitts it-"

"Then you'll help?"

"Yes. Then I would be rather delighted to help."

"Alright. I'll go ask him right now. He should be up by now anyway." She said before running off. Ahsoka ran into Anakin's room and shook his arm. Anakin turned over.

"What now?"

"It's time to get up, it's past seven."

Anakin sighed. "Alright…"

She skipped out with Anakin close behind.

"I told Rex he could help us today with the decorations." She told him. Anakin opened his mouth but closed it quickly. Ahsoka felt herself tense as she considered that she hadn't asked him.

"If, you know, it was okay with you of course." She added hopefully.

Anakin hesitated. "Fine."

Fine? Was he mad? What was wrong with taking a break to decorate? Surely he wasn't upset about it… right?

Ahsoka walked into the messhall to make an announcement. She didn't remember to ask Anakin first, which of course was an accident, but she was excited, so she got carried away… again.

"Attention please! Attention!" She called out.

All the clones looked at her as they all hushed. Anakin looked at her, baffled.

"Today we are attempting to lift the spirits of everyone who is still sick." She announced, making sure she made her voice loud enough to hear. "And what better way to cheer someone up than with the joyous traditions of Christmas? So, we are going to decorate. If anyone would like to join in, feel free. And if you don't come help right away, come when you feel like it. Everybody is welcome, so take a break later and show your Christmas spirit by setting up."

All the clones murmured to each other.

"When?" One of them asked, raising his voice above the rest. They all paused for her answer.

"Well, we don't have the stuff yet. So, we won't be doing it until later. But when we get the stuff, we'll start setting up, the messhall first. So, just check in this room right here every once in a while and see if we're decorating. If we are, join in. If we've already finished this room, come looking.

"Who is 'we'?" Another one asked.

"Oh, I meant like the royal 'we'. 'We' is everyone decorating." She explained, smiling sheepishly. Everyone began talking and whispering to each other. Ahsoka waited for approval.

"Alright."

"Yeah."

"Sure."

Everyone said a quick word of agreement, most of them smiling. Ahsoka smiled back and glanced at Anakin. He gave her a scowl of disappointment. It took the young girl a minute to fully understand what she'd done wrong. She stared at the ground as she thought.

"Oh… I'm sorry, Master. I guess I wasn't thinking, I should've asked your permission first."

Anakin said nothing. He just went to serve himself breakfast. Ahsoka looked down guiltily.

He couldn't be that upset or he would have stopped me as I made the announcement. He probably is just a little ticked. She thought, trying to convince herself.

Ahsoka saw Master Luminara come in. She bounded over to the older woman who grabbed a tray.

"Hello." She sang.

"Greetings, padawan." She smiled gently. "You seem excited."

"Of course! It's Christmas time! Are you going to help decorate later?"

"Sure. I didn't know you even had decorations."

"We don't." Ahsoka admitted. "Barriss is importing some."

"Oh… she didn't tell me." Luminara said, looking slightly upset. Ahsoka looked at her for a moment before waving goodbye and wandering off somewhere. She waited for a long time in the hanger bay for Barriss to show up.

Finally, the transport ship came in and Ahsoka went over to greet her friend.

"Hello, Barriss! Merry not-so-close Christmas!"

Barriss laughed. "You as well."

"You got the stuff?"

"In the ship." She pointed.

"Great. Here, I'll take you to your master." Ahsoka said with a gesture. After getting together, some clones helped haul the stuff to the masshall.

Ahsoka grabbed a really long garland as a bunch of clones already started to join in. Barriss grabbed the other end of the garland and they both pulled it until it spanned one of the walls. They hung it up with a stapler and went to grab another.

"Hey, I've got a fun idea." Barriss said as they lifted a red, sparkly garland out of the box.

"What?"

"I'll show you."

Barriss picked up one end and then took the other over to Slip.

"Could you hold this?" She asked.

"Sure. What do I do with it?"

"Swing it, like a jump rope. Ahsoka, get in the middle."

Ahsoka got it now. She walked to the middle as Barriss and Slip counted to three. Slip began to chant a jump rope song that neither she nor Barriss knew. Ahsoka tripped up at thirty six jumps.

"Your turn, Barriss." Ahsoka said as she took the end. The young Mirialian got in the middle and Ahsoka began a chant that both girls knew. Slip didn't seem to know how it went, though. Barriss was doing well when she tripped up on the garland.

"Nice try, Barriss. You almost beat me." She teased.

"Do you want to try together? Make it more advanced?"

"Do you want to do the hand clap version?"

"…maybe not that advanced." Barriss mumbled.

"It's not that hard." Ahsoka insisted. Barriss finally shrugged.

"Hey, Bencher?" She addressed.

"Yes, Commander?"

"Can you help us with our game?"

"Sure, why not?" He shrugged. He looked over and quickly caught on, taking Ahsoka's end of the shimmering garland. Ahsoka got in the middle and both girls began to jump as they did the hand clap, which was way harder than it looked.

They both tripped almost immediately.

"Are you guys going to decorate, or play a game?" Anakin asked sarcastically as he walked over.

"Neither, we are doing both." Ahsoka said.

Anakin rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Ahsoka, I'd expect this from you, but I thought you would know better, Barriss."

Ahsoka and Barriss glanced at each other and picked up the garland.

"Thanks, guys." Barriss smiled. "That was fun."

Both of the clones smiled and helped them hang the garland. Ahsoka looked at a string of Christmas lights that Anakin was trying to untangle. She couldn't help but smile as his hands started to get all tied up.

"Need some help, Skyguy?"

"No thanks, I'm good." He said as he tugged at the lights.

"Master, you're making it tighter."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are; you're gonna hurt yourself. Let me help." She said, reaching out to the lights. Anakin jerked away with a 'knock it off' and continued to struggle.

"Come on, Master. You can't even move your wrists." She persuaded, wincing as the cord seemed to dig even deeper into his flesh.

"But-"

"No."

"Master-"

"Be quiet."

"If you just-"

"Ahsoka! I'm the master, I'll decide what I do. And if you're going to keep back talking, you can sit in the corner."

"Excuse me? I'm back talking?"

"Yes, you are. Now shut up before I say something we'll both regret." He ordered.

"If you know you're gonna regrett it, why would you say it?" She retorted, letting her juvinile side take over.

"It's a figure of speech, Ahsoka." He mumbled.

"You think I don't know that!"

"That is what I was thinking, actually." He raised his voice a little, now looking her directly in the eye.

"So you think I'm stupid!"

"Well…"

"That's it! You've done it!" Ahsoka yelled. She grabbed the string of lights- which were still wrapped around his hands and wrists- and jerked it as hard as hard as she could. Anakin let out a small yell, partly out of surprise and partly out of pain.

Ahsoka had him closer to her face than she could ever get him and felt herself staring him down.

"…well, it's someone's time of month." Anakin muttered.

"Ugh!"

Ahsoka shoved him and stormed off. "You never listen to me!"

The young Jedi stopped as she was leaving as she saw Barriss staring at her in shock and horror.

Ahsoka met Barriss's gaze for a moment before realizing Luminara and Rex were staring, too… and Bencher… and Shockwave and Slicer and Bullet and Whipper! Everyone!

She looked around the room and then at Anakin who looked just as embarrassed.

"What's everyone staring at?" Anakin asked. "Don't you know we're kidding? Tell 'em, Snips. Tell 'em we're kidding."

"Uh, right. We're-um- kidding." She walked over to Anakin and smilled innocently. She quickly untied his hands and he stood up, putting an arm around her shoulder.

"We're just playin' with each other." He assured, smiling. "Totally kidding."

"Right." Ahsoka said sarcastically through clenched teeth, more to Anakin than anyone else. "Anakin was totally kidding when he wouldn't let me help untie his hands, when I knew exactly how to do it."

"And Ahsoka was totally kidding when she jerked me halfway across the room by an electrical cord." He said, anger and vengeance pulsing from his body.

"And Anakin was totally kidding when he said he thought I was the stupid one."

"And Ahsoka was totally kidding when she came into my room yesterday to wake me up at five A.M.!" Anakin yelled, the two now facing each other.

"And Anakin was kidding when he cheated during our training session this morning!"

"And Ahsoka was kidding when she said I was hairier than a wookie!"

"You said I looked like like a cherry dipped in whipped cream!"

"You kicked my sore shoulder!"

"You spend too much time on Coruscant!"

"You eat too much junk food!"

"You can never listen to anyone but yourself!"

"You still sleep with a stuffed animal!"

Ahsoka froze and looked around, her face hotter than Mustafar. "N-no I don't."

"Do to. I've seen it."

"You're Spying!" She yelled, aiming a spin kick at his head. Anakin dodged it with a 'whoah' and smirked as she stared at him with pure fury and hatered.

"I think you two need some fresh air." Luminara said quietly after a long pause.

Ahsoka stuck out her tounge at Anakin and turned to Luminara. Everyone else nodded slowly in agreement.


Tell me if you like it! Feel free to make suggestions! Merry Christmas!