Beyond Dinner... and a show?? -Humor- H/L, Kyp, Mara, Luke, young Solo children-- Fic-gift for Ceillean

Title: Dinner... and a show?
Author: mavjade
Genre: Humor... maybe
Timeline: ~17 ABY
Characters:Kyp, Leia, Han, Mara, Luke and Solo kids
Summary: Dinner at the Solo's is a lot more fun than one would think.
Notes: Written for Ceillean for the 2012 Fic-gift exchange, what she requested is at the bottom. I apologize that this is late... I rewrote the entire thing three times and honestly, I'm still not happy with it. My muse doesn't like to write humor at the best of times and these are not the best of times for her.

Anyway... hopefully it's at least enjoyable.

~*~*~*~

He pushed the door bell to the Solo's place and wondered if there was still time to turn around and leave. As he was pondering such a thought, the door slid open.

"Kyp!" Jaina cried as she launched herself at him to wrap her arms around his legs. Kyp had gotten to know the Solo children pretty well over the last few years and while he usually was not too fond of children, he did quite enjoy Jaina, Jacen and little Anakin. They were well behaved when it counted and a lot of fun to watch grow and learn.

"What is this, a misfit feast?" Came a voice from the other room. Kyp was pretty sure he knew to whom that voice belonged but was not about to say anything until he was sure.

He walked into the sitting room to see Han and Luke sitting on the formcouch discussing recent repairs to the Millenium Falcon and Mara Jade standing by the window.

"Well, if you are here Jade, it must be," he snarked back. He liked Jade, she did not let anyone push her around, even Luke Skywalker who had been after her to come to the Jedi Praxium just about every time they saw each other. Mara had a way about her, that even those she liked did not exactly know if that was the case. The way she usually spoke to Master Skywalker would make one wonder, but here she was at his sister's place for a meal and she would often personally deliver goods to Yavin VI. They always had interesting arguments, but she still always came back. Kyp did wonder if there was more going on under the surface than anyone was lead to believe. He often recalled that old saying -when watching them spar, verbally or otherwise- of 'opposites attract' and wondered how much truth there was to it.

"Have a seat," Leia said from behind him. "Dinner will be ready shortly and then the kids have prepared something for us."

"Hopefully it goes over better than last year," Han snorted. "You have any idea how long it takes to get Roseberry jam out of your hair?"

"Don't worry dear," Leia said as she wondered through to get a dish. "I made sure there was no food involved this year."

"My children decided to try and serve dessert using the Force. Unfortunately, they hadn't quite mastered that particular skill yet," Han explained. "What was left tasted pretty good, though."

It had been explained to Kyp when he was invited, that this celebration was a tradition among the people on Alderaan on the day of the Winter Solstice and that those who had survived the destruction did their best to keep the tradition alive. It involved traditional meals and something prepared by the children of the house, be it a desert, entertainment or something else entirely.

Kyp had wondered why he was invited and now he was very confused since Mara Jade was also here. This seemed like a celebration that was to be with family and while he was close with the Solo's he did not feel that he was that close.

Luke did explain that they had invited Kyp and Mara because they had no family, and all of the adult Solo/Skywalkers knew what it was like to have your family ripped away from you and left with no one around the holidays. They did not ask to have Kyp and Mara share the holiday out of pity, but understanding and love.

Finally after what was slightly awkward conversation, they all sat down to dinner, Jaina diving into the chair beside Kyp and Anakin into the chair beside Mara. Jacen slowly took the chair between his uncle Luke and Kyp.

"This," Leia said as she set down the main dish of slices of a large piece of meat covered in a red sauce, "is as close to the was grazers were prepared as I can get." She then set down a colorful array of grilled vegtables and a brown sauce to the side of them." The vegetables as well. Some of them are easy to come by here, others have never been seen again so we make due with what we can find. "

"My favorite meal of the year," Jaina said as she bounced up and down in her seat. "I could eat it every day."

"When you start cooking, you can make it any time." Leia smiled. "I love it as well, but I won't pretend it isn't a lot of work."

They all began to eat, conversation flowing a little more easily, when Kyp felt something hit his shins. He leaned back in his chair just enough to see under the table when something jumped on to his knee and then on to the table, running for the grazer meat."

Jacen jumped up and reached for the mouse-like creature but it was too fast, skittering across the table, trying to escape with its stolen goods.

"Jacen..." Han warned.

"I'm sorry, he doesn't like to be alone," Jacen whined. "I guess he was hungry."

Everyone got up from the table and began to chase the little creature around the apartment, trying to lure it out with more food, calling it's name, but every time someone had it cornered, it managed to slip away. Soon they were all doing more laughing than they were chasing.

"Well this is certainly more interesting than I expected," Mara said. "That's not to say..." she hesitated realizing her words may sound insulting. "I just didn't expect to be chasing a rodent at a dinner party."

"You should hang out with us more, Mara." Luke said, smiling. "We're a lot more fun than we let on."

Kyp had to agree with Mara. He had expected a dinner, some cute entertainment from the kids, but it had been a lot more than he expected. He was used to seeing Han being frazzled, but to see Princess Leia and Master Skywalker chasing a little rodent was one of the greatest things he could imagine. It made him look at them all in a slightly different light. He suddenly saw them as just like everyone else.

"Just wait until we dress dad up as the Queen of Alderaan," Jacen said enthusiastically, sitting down on the ground in front of the formcouch.

"Oh, we can't wait to... What?" Han cried out. "When did I agree to this?"

"Yesterday," Jaina said taking her fathers hand and leaning against his side. "When you were working on the Falcon."

"We've got a wig and a dress and everything," Anakin said excitedly.

"This I've got to see," Kyp said. "And maybe take a holo or two."

"Hero of the Rebellion caught dressed as a woman," Mara smiled. "I can see the headline now."

"Who invited you two again?" Han asked with a smile, clear he was joking.

Leia leaned into the back of her husband, "It was your idea, remember dear."

"Well, remind me not to have ideas again for a long while."

~Fin




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Ceillean's Request:

A story in Beyond with: 1. a holiday dinner 2. happy family moment(s) 3. lots and lots of humor
I do not want: relationship mush

Characters: Kyp Durron, Solo family (kids no older than 10), Skywalker family

That was sweet. Love the image of everyone chasing a little animal. Fun viggie!

Tarsier - Thank you! I figured Han might have these ideas and then regret them.

Jade_eyes - Thanks so much! It had been awhile since I've posted something so it was a little nerve-racking! I don't really know how to write Kyp, so that didn't help either! Thanks for reading/reviewing!

Hazel - Thanks! I would like to see Han dressed that way as well... the image is certainly amusing!

Alexis - Thank you! That part kinda wrote itself... poor Han gets himself into these situations.

earlybird- Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!

Ceillean - I hope it was close to what you wanted! I struggled with Kyp, I like him as a character but I'm not entirely comfortable writing him. I too would like to see Han dressed as the Queen, I think he would make a good one.

Luna- Thank you! I'm not great at comedy and chasing one of Jacen's little creatures I thought could make them all look ridiculous.

Jedi_Lover - Thanks so much! I did actually put that in as a wink to the future... I too could never get behind them as a couple for the exact same reasons you mentioned.