Beyond - Legends Coming Home (A Janson family Christmas story) COMPLETED 12/28

Rating: PG

Setting: AOne year after Wraith Squadron

Characters: Wes Janson, his faimly

Summary: Wes's first winter holiday back home, after joining the Rebellion a decade before.

The Challenge: Write a fic incorporating the themes of Candles, holiday, reunion, gifts, light no less than three posts long, that must begin with a certain phrase.


Coming Home


The candle in the window could be seen in the distance, a beacon of warmth and welcome to the weary traveller. Wes shifted his bulky packages and strode towards the house. It had been a long time.

Wes gazed around the farm, trying to take it all in. He had been trying for years to get a leave coinciding with Tanaab?s winter holidays, but something had always come up. Finally, with the New Republic becoming increasingly stable, they were allowing him time to go back home. It was the same place he?d left, but it had definitely changed. When he left, everything had been in utter disrepair. It seemed recent years had been good to his family.

The door was definitely new. When he last walked through that portal, it had been guarded with an ill fitting slab. Now, the door was solid, carved with sheaths of grain in hopes of a good harvest. Wes gingerly lifted the knocker formed in the image of a local herd beast.

The sharp rapping echoed into the night. The door swung open, giving Wes a glimpse into the light and warmth within. The woman standing in the door only reinforced that feeling. Though Nadia Janson had clearly aged in the decade or so since he had last seen her, his mother?s face seemed much less worn than when he had last seen her. Her blue eyes lit up.

?Wes, I wasn?t expecting you until tomorrow morning!? She rushed forward to enfold him in a hug.

?Mom, I?ve been away for almost eleven years. I didn?t want to wait a second longer than I had to.?

Nadia flinched at that. Wes instantly felt guilty for mentioning the length of his absence. He hadn?t meant for this to happen. Unfortunately, for a long time going home would only have put his family in danger. The less associated they were with the Rebellion, the better. Now that there was some sort of stability in the galaxy, he intended to make it up to them.

?Come in out of the cold. Everyone has been looking forward to seeing you for weeks now.?

Wes stepped into his childhood home. He smiled at the site of the dozen candles in the entryway. That had always been his favorite part of Winter Feast. Even in the dark years near the end, when there had only been one little glimmer of light.

?Even after all this time??

A familiar laugh sounded behind him. Wes turned to see his father every bit as he remembered him.

?Son, you have no idea how excited your letters made them the entire time you were gone. Cub learned to read just so he could see them himself after you left.?

?It?s true.?

Wes set his bags down on the floor before turning to face the young woman who had just entered the room. He examined her light brown hair and pale green eyes. ?Linzie!?

His sister rushed up to him as if they were still little children. ?Big brother!?

?What?s all the racket?? a voice called from upstairs.

?Wes is here!? Linzie replied.

Three teenagers clamoured down the stairs. Wes examined his three youngest siblings, noting how they had all changed. It shouldn?t have surprised him, yet on some level it still did He pushed that thought aside as Sacha and Jeicub rushed forward to hug him.

?Wessy!? Sacha squealed, before seeming to remember that she was supposed to be a mature seventeen years old.

?Sacha, Cub, so good to see you!?

Jeicub rolled his dark brown eyes. ?Cub? Aren?t I a little old for that nickname??

Wes shook his head. ?Nope, you?re still my little brother.?

The young blonde girl was still hanging back on the bottom step. ?Don?t be shy, Beth. I really don?t bite.?

His youngest sister still seemed uncertain.

?I don?t suppose you remember me much, do you??

Beth shook her head silently.

?It?s okay,

 

awww! looks great so far! i love the look into janson's family.

-jj00

 

?You haven?t changed a bit. You?re as full of yourself as the day you left.?


I gont nothing to say but this
[image=http://www.ceruleanstudios.com/images/icons/woot.gif]

yes, I Liked it.

 

Awwwww, I love your story so far, Yubs!! Wes is so cute with his family! Now . . . story!

Jae Angel

 

It shall be a story about ewoks.

 

I did feel myself become a little choked up there at the beginning, Yubs.

Wes has a lot of family, doesn't he?

I'll come back later and write a better review. I just woke up from a nap and I'm not thinking clearly. I promise. Be back in like 30 min.

~Inyri

EDIT, so it's more than 30, but still....

?Wessy!? Sacha squealed, before seeming to remember that she was supposed to be a mature seventeen years old.
Yeah, and Wes forgets he's supposed to be about 28 at this point in time.

The young blonde girl was still hanging back on the bottom step. ?Don?t be shy, Beth. I really don?t bite.?

His youngest sister still seemed uncertain.

?I don?t suppose you remember me much, do you??

Beth shook her head silently.

?It?s okay, you were pretty little when I left.


Besides, it?s not every day a little boy gets to meet the famous Wes Janson after all.?
So Wes!

~Inyri

 

JainaJag00 Thanks. I really enjoyed coming up with the family.

3MD Thanks.

Jae: Thanks. Yes, storytime soon.

MasterJacen: Well, that's not entirely impossible.

Inyri: I'm glad you think I did a good job.

And Wes always forgets that.


YubYub and TG- Protecting fangirls from hormonally gifted fanboys since 2002

 

Yay!! Can't wait for more, great story so far...now just keep in the habit of updating, eh, Yubs?

 

Ooooh: Yubs! This not-so-action-packed cliffie is leaving me pounding on your door for more!

MORE!

Wes's siblings are all adorable! Even the older ones! Now I'm just going to have to get all these names straight. Ket? Kettch! That was obvious Um, let's see. From memory: Mitch, Ket, Sacha, Linzie, Jeicub, Beth and...oh: Tev! Okay, I think I got them all

Sorry. I'm all hyper and enjoying this too much for my health. More soon

 

I love the way you have set up Wes's family, it really seems a place I can imangine producing a Wes. I love seeing him with little kids, especially. Keep it up.
~Rosy

 

Neila: This is for a challenge... I have to finish by the end of the month.

Icey: Thanks. I'm rather fond of the family. And I know it's a bit much to keep track of... but it's just what I see leading to Wes.

Rosy: Thanks. Basically, what I did was sit down and think "Now, what kind of family could have made him this way." Glad you think I got it right.


Now, something that will surprise you all... A post! It's a little short, but it felt like a good stopping place.


Ketlyn showed Wes to the small room where she was currently staying with her husband and children. Wes recognized it as the room she had shared with Linzie when they were children. If anything, it was even more cramped now. In addition to a double bed in the middle of the room, there was a small cot against one wall, and a crib against the other.

?Just don?t wake the baby,? Ket ordered.

Wes nodded. ?His name is Edko, right??

?Yes, and he never sleeps, so you tell your story quietly.?

Wes sighed and set Tev down on the cot. ?Yes Ketty.?

Wes?s nephew snuggled down under the blankets and whispered, ?Now I wanna hear a story.?

With a quiet laugh, Wes settled onto the floor as comfortably as possible. ?Once upon a time, it was a snowy day on Endor. The Ewoks were all getting ready for their winter festival.?

?Uncle Wes?? Tev interrupted. ?What?s an Ewok??

Wes was briefly taken aback.. ?You?ve never heard of an Ewok? Looks like I?ll have to tell you the story of how we beat the Empire tomorrow. The Ewoks were the ones who helped us do it. They live in forests. They?re a little bit bigger than you, and they?re really fuzzy. They look almost like stuffed animals, but you shouldn?t underestimate them. They?re really clever.

?Anyway, it was almost time for the winter festival, and Jobil was trying to find the perfect gift to give to his mother. He was wandering the forest, not even sure what he was looking for. All he knew was that he would know it when he found it. He was wandering farther and farther from the village, but that was okay, since he was old enough to look after himself. He was digging in the snow around the bases of the trees when he found the last thing he expected.?

Tev sat up, blue eyes sparkling with excitement. ?What??

?Well, sitting under one of the trees was a little Wokling?that?s what Ewok children are called? all by itself. Now, the forests of Endor can be very dangerous if you?re not careful, and Jobil knew that no little one should be out there all on its own. Even though he didn?t have much time left to find a gift for his mother, but the little Wokling wasn?t going to make it on its own. There was no question that he had to find the child?s missing family.

??Now where did you come from?? Jobil asked. The Wokling didn?t answer him though. So Jobil just kept walking, carrying his precious passenger the entire time. Eventually, he came to a small hut, far from any village. A light in the window offered the promise of hope to the tired travellers. Jobil knocked on the door and was greeted by a tired female Ewok.

??Do you know the home of this little one?? Jobil asked.

?The Ewok lady smiled at him and said, ?Bless you for going out of your way to bring him back to me.? She walked over to the window and retrieved the most beautiful candle that Jobil had ever seen. No flame could burn that bright. ?This candle represents the light in your heart. I have never seen anything make it burn so bright before. I give it to you to bring you good fortune as you have done for me.

?Jobil accepted her gift graciously. ?May your tree and that of the child grow strong,? he said as he left to return home. He had done it. He had found the perfect gift.?

Tev gave a contented sigh. ?That was a good story, Uncle Wes,? he said as his eyes drifted shut.

 

Exelent as usual Yubs.

 

Awwww, wonderful story, Yubs. Reminds me of the nice fairy tales I heard as a kid . . . as opposed to the Grims Fairy Tales, which always had sinister endings. Nope, I'd say that was a sweet story ending.

Jae Angel

 

[ysanne] AAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!11!!!1! [/ysanne]


Yubs, that was so great, Wes finally seeing his family again, then the story

I cant wait for more

 

awwwww! great story!!!

-jj00

 

I Like this Yubs, we need 2 get the WJFC to all vote for it in the winter awards.
/resumes laughing at the story upon a re-read.
[image=http://www.nma-fallout.com/forum/images/avatars/9544057723fb3dca54590f.gif]

 

That was Sweet.
~Rosy

 

*joins Corran in 'Awww'ing à la Ysanne*

Adorable, though short, Yubs Wes can be such a sweetie around his family

More please

 

3MD: Thanks

Jae: Thanks. I've always been partial to happy endings myself.

Corkky: Thanks. Glad I'm worthy of a Ysanne impression.

JainaJag: Thank you.

Rosy: Thanks

Icey: Thanks. Don't worry, I'm on a deadline so this fic, so there will be more soon.

YubYub and TG- Protecting fangirls from hormonally gifted fanboys since 2002

 

Nice idea to give Wes some family background. Good point about him wanting to protect them, too. Such is the soldier's lot!

I liked the humorous way you make him show he's aware of his own ego: it?s not every day a little boy gets to meet the famous Wes Janson after all.

?You?ve never heard of an Ewok? Looks like I?ll have to tell you the story of how we beat the Empire tomorrow. Uh-oh! You're in for it now kid!

Very enjoyable, Yubyub.

 

Ah a hppy story of homecomings and reunions. Very sweet.

Great job, Yub. As a fellow HM, I award you...a shiney prize! *hands over prize*

 

Does anyone else get the impression Wes would be a great father? Yubsie, I love how you write him. He reminds me of a big teddy bear in that post - no Ewok compairson intended.

~Inyri

 

Tahi: Thanks. I have a lot of fun writing Wes.

Lank: Ooh! Shiney! Thankies!

Inyri: I've always thought that.

A teddy bear? Yay!

Whoops, almost hit post without pasting in the next part of the story. That was silly of me.


Wes awoke the next morning to something that sounded vaguely like, ?Wakupuncawesitslighteast!? He tried to roll over in the narrow bed, but discovered that there was some sort of weight on his chest.

?No missions Wedge!? he complained. ?I?m on leave!?

He was brought back to reality by his sister?s voice. ?Tev! You leave your uncle be.?

?But Mama, it?s the Light Feast!? the boy whined.

?He got in very late last night,? Ket admonished. ?Let him get a little more sleep.?

Wes laughed. ?I seem to remember a little girl helping me do the same thing to our parents.?

Ket covered her son?s ears. ?You remember no such thing.?

Wes shooed them out of the room. ?Just let me get changed.?

He waited for his sister to close the door before pulling out the clothes he had packed for the occasion. They weren?t the sort of thing he normally wore, but they were appropriate for the Feast of Light. Besides, anything was better than his dress uniform. At least the brown pants, while a bit drab, were still comfortable. The sweater he pulled over his head was made of the softest material available. It had taken him a long time to find an appropriate design. He wound up selecting white snow scattered across a green field.

Once he was dressed, Wes went downstairs to join the rest of his family at the breakfast table. It had been a long time since he had eaten food like this. Field rations, Corellian food, none of it could ever compare to a proper Tanaabian meal. He began to eat a bit faster than would generally be considered polite.

?Hurry up and eat,? Tev insisted.

Beth rolled her eyes at the boy and continued eating at her steady pace.

Nadia glanced at her youngest and oldest child. ?Which one of you is still growing??

?Hurry up,? Tev repeated. ?I wanna open my presents!?

?Tev!? Ket scolded.

?Not until after the candle ceremony,? Nadia said gently.

?Okay, Grandma. Can we go do the ceremony now??

Beth nodded that she was finished her breakfast. The entire family made their way into the living area, where a series of candles had already been set out.

Terrence lit the first candle, a lovely green spiral. ?This is for the land and the life it gives us. It has been kind to us.?

Nadia lit the next candle. ?The red candle is love to light the way back home.?

Wes smiled. He had spent so long thinking of red as meaning ?threat? that he had almost forgotten what that candle meant in the Ceremony of Lights.

Ket took the lighter and touched it to the wick of a violet candle. ?This is so that the light will continue to shine on our family.?

?Yellow sunlight is the symbol of joy,? Mitch intoned.

?Orange for the warmth of a home,? Linzie continued.

?Blue, water and sky, stands for life,? Jeicub added.

Sacha let the gold taper light up. ?Prosperity for all.?

?This one is for the future,? Beth said, indicating the silver coloured one.

That left only one candle unlit on the table. The white one that had been the only one they had to light by the end.

?Go ahead, Wes,? his mother insisted. ?It always was your favorite.?

Wes slowly moved the lighter to the top of the final wick. ?This one is hope, the last light that no one can take away.?

Terrence motioned for everyone to join hands. ?These are the lights that we have been given and the lights we ask for others. May they burn brightly.?

?May this light never fade,? the rest of the family replied in unison.

?Now can we open presents?? Tev insisted.

Ketlyn sighed. ?Yes, Tev, now it?s time for the presents.?

The boy had to be carefully steered away from the candle table as he leapt with excitement. Wes hurried up stairs to find the gifts he had brought with him from Coruscant. He was surprised to see that Beth followed him. He mussed her dark cu

 

Great with the candles. And I don't know why, but I thought that Wes in a sweater was hilarious

[child impersination]Pwesents![/child impersination]

Can't wait

 

Awwwwwww, cute.

And not an imp in sight, good thing for the imps.

Wes>[image=http://www.3rd-marines.com/chat/chat/images/smilies/smile9.gif]<Imp.