Not sure when I first wrote this but apparently I hadn't published it here before. Christmas on Naboo and pre-established Obidala - at least to some extent :)

"Senator Amidala."

The guard bowed deeply, though she barely noticed it. She just nodded briefly at him before hurrying inside, almost running up the stairs of the house and opening the door to the bedroom. Not her bedroom, but his. The Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. He was still so pale, she thought. Briefly she feared he would die, or that he was already dead, but she then her heartbeat slowed down wen she saw that he was breathing.

It had been two days ago now. Obi-Wan had showed up unexpected on her doorstep and she'd asked him to stay over the Holidays. After a while he'd obeyed, saying that in the Temple he'd never celebrated a real Christmas before.

Senator Padmé Amidala had then made a full schedule for what they would do during the few days left before Christmas. Except for playing in the snow, she'd also planned on taking Obi-Wan on a tour and buy Christmas-presents, and bake lots of cookies and make food for the big Christmas Party that would be held with the rest of Padmé's family on Christmas Eve.

The day after his arrival (that'd be yesterday) Padmé had planned that they'd take a tour to the Naboo Lakes and go ice-skating, something Obi-Wan had never done before.

"I've been gliding on the ice, but not on these things", he'd said as she'd helped him with the skates. He'd been fairly skeptical to the thin metal that he'd have to balance on, though she'd assured him that it wasn't that hard, especially for someone as capable as him with the Force.

But obviously she'd been wrong; after just a few minutes Obi-Wan had fallen and hit his head. And since then he'd been stationed in the bed, unconscious.

"I'm so sorry, Obi-Wan", she now whispered as she sat down on the bedside. She carefully placed a hand over his, wishing that her mere touch would wake him up.

"Miss?"

It was one of the servants. She turned towards him.

"Your family is here, Senator, to help you with the preparations", he said and bowed. She nodded and unwillingly rose from Obi-Wan's bed, following the servant.

"My dear", Jobal said and embraced her daughter, "I'm so sorry to hear that."

Padmé nodded and sobbed quietly. Her sister, Sola, hugged her from behind and the three women stood still for quite some time until Padmé's father, Ruwee, emerged from Obi-Wan's room on the second floor.

"Nothing I can do, I'm afraid", he said and walked down the stairs. "But he doesn't seem to be dying, so we just have to keep hoping."

"Is uncle Obi-Wan up there, grandpa?" Ryoo asked and her younger sister Pooja looked at Ruwee with glittering eyes.

"Yes, but he's had a long journey and he needs to rest", Ruwee answered. "You may not go up there until he's awake again."

Ryoo looked disappointed, but soon was running around with her sister once again. As Ruwee stayed with his granddaughters in the living room, the three women walked into the kitchen.

"Father's right, Padmé", Sola said. "We can just keep on going and hope that Obi-Wan will wake up before tomorrow night."

Padmé nodded, before the three of them started to deal with the massive amount of food that should be prepared.

The next evening, Christmas Eve, Obi-Wan still hadn't come back to the life and was still unconscious. Padmé had had fairly little time to see him over the day as she was the one to keep things going in the house; she had to make sure everything was perfect for the party. With Ryoo and Pooja in the house that was quite hard. When one area was clean, the one you'd cleaned up before was a total mess once again. Not until Ruwee returned with a huge Christmas-tree along with the girls' father Darred did things calm down.

Now it was dark outside. Snow was falling and giving that perfect Christmas-look to the town. They'd already been eating and now they were all stationed by the Christmas-tree. Ryoo and Pooja took turns looking up the chimney, just to see if Santa would show up before they went to bed.

"He will only come if you're asleep", Darred told them several times, but the girls continued. Sola and Jobal then took turns reading stories for the girls, but they were disturbed by a knock on the door.

"Who might that be?" Ruwee said, but something in his eyes told the adults that he knew perfectly well who it was. Ryoo and Pooja got to their feet and rushed after their grandfather out in the hallway. Happy screams were then heard.

"It's Santa!"

"What is he up to?" Jobal muttered and shook her head at her husband. The next moment a man dressed in red with white details on his clothing and a big, white beard showed up in the door, carrying Pooja on one arm while holding a bag of presents with his spare hand. Ryoo was dancing round his legs all the time.

"Merry Christmas!" the Santa said and Padmé immediately thought she recognized the voice, but she was unable to tell who it was behind that beard.

"Merry Christmas, Santa!" they all said and allowed him to sit down in a chair next to the tree.

"I hope you've been really good this year, Ryoo and Pooja", he said and looked at the girls.

"We have, we have!" the girls shouted. Santa then opened his bag.

"Then I guess you deserve these", he said and picked up several gifts wrapped in colorful paper. The girls screamed of joy and started to unwrap them.

"Now Mr Santa might want something to eat?" Ruwee suggested. The Santa nodded and followed the man out of the room, while the women and Darred continued to distribute the presents. At the bottom of the bag was an envelope addressed to Padmé.

"Who's it from?" Jobal asked.

"It doesn't say", Padmé answered and opened the letter.

My dear Padmé,

You are the kindest woman I've ever met and I will therefore give you a very special gift for Christmas. But then you have to come up to my room.

Obi-Wan

Padmé stared at the letter, then rushed up the stairs and opened the door to Obi-Wan's room. His bed was empty. She slowly walked into the room, trying to understand what had happened.

"I'm here."

She turned around and saw Santa standing in the door.

"Obi-Wan?" she whispered. He walked closer to her and removed his fake beard.

"The very same", he answered and kissed her. She wrapped her arms tight around him and responded, opening her mouth with a small, content sigh. Then he released her.

"The full present I will give you this night", he whispered in her ear, "but before that I want you to know, Padmé… I love you."

She kissed him, not letting him see the tears that now emerged from her eyes. Then she held him tight for a few moments before walking back down the stairs. Obi-Wan put on his beard and came down a few moments later.

"Now I have to go", he said. Ryoo and Pooja protested, saying that they wanted Santa to stay.

"No, no", he said. "There are many more children who want their presents as well. I will see you next year again, even if you might not see me."

And with another 'Merry Christmas', he walked out the door. Only minutes later, Obi-Wan came down the stairs, dressed in his Jedi-clothing with a big smile on his face.

"Merry Christmas, everyone!" he said and embraced them all. When the turn came to Padmé, he brushed his lips against her throat for a moment, making her shiver.

"Then it turned into a very good Christmas Eve", Jobal said and placed the yawning Ryoo in her lap. Obi-Wan sat down next to Padmé on the couch and smiled back.

"It isn't over yet."

Reviews are love!