After reading A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (as I always try to do at this time of year) I ended up writing this. It is an abridged version of the story as I didn't really have the time to fully do it justice. There are fewer ghosts (one character is The Ghost of Christmas Past, Present, and Future - He's that extra! ;-)) and probably a lot more cheese than in the original, but I hope you still find it enjoyable.

Thank you, Mr Dickens, for everything.

Nemo means Nobody in Latin (thank you again, Mr Dickens, for Bleak House and Mr Tulkinghorn providing the Latin translation).

To all who take the time to read this story, I thank you and wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

A (Sort Of) Star Wars Christmas Carol

Anakin Skywalker had been dead for over three decades but he still loomed large in the life of his grandson. Kylo Ren stepped away from his antique mahogany desk and walked towards the portrait of his grandfather, which took pride of place on his office wall. He raised his Champagne flute in a toast to the multi-billion dollar deal he'd just finalised, and on Christmas Eve of all days. Each success brought him closer to realising his dream. Ebenezer Snoke couldn't live forever, and once the old man kicked the bucket, the First Order Corporation would be his. The business had been built on the foundations of his grandfather's legacy and the time drew near for Kylo to reclaim it.

"I will finish what you started," he proclaimed taking a sip of Champagne. "I'll take back what we lost, grandfather, and I will let nothing stand in our way."

His uncle, Luke Skywalker, took Vader Tech, the company Anakin Skywalker created, and changed it beyond all recognition. It had led the field in fossil fuel extraction and distribution before his uncle made the switch to developing and supplying green energy. Luke swore to the family that his father had undergone a change of heart about his life's work on his deathbed. Apparently, he wanted his legacy to be a force for the good of mankind and not the continued exploitation of the planet's natural resources for profit. Since his uncle had been the only witness to Anakin Skywalker's final words, and knowing Luke to be an idealistic fool, Kylo felt justified in his scepticism. His grandfather hadn't worked so hard and sacrificed so much to end up being known in business circles as the man who'd found his conscience and lost his empire.

The Vader oil and gas pipelines had been snapped up by for a fraction of their worth by the First Order Corporation. Under Snoke's leadership, FO Corp had risen to the top and Kylo Ren had been an instrumental part of its success. Snoke had already made him CEO of FO Corp but kept him in fierce competition with his COO, Armitage Hux. One day soon, Kylo would crush his rival as well as destroying Luke Skywalker and acquiring the remainder of his grandfather's company. Everything that had once belonged to Anakin Skywalker would be under his grandson's control and he intended to return Vader Tech to its former glory.

"Christmas is such bullshit," Kylo muttered annoyed by how it sent his usual schedule into disarray.

He began to pace around, feeling restless, and went to glance out on the world below from his top floor office. It was the kind of day in late December where night never really relinquishes its hold and a dreary morning becomes a dismal afternoon. Heavy clouds hung low in the crepuscular sky threatening sleet or snow. The dark and dankness didn't bother Kylo the way it troubled some. He wasn't a seeker of sunshine, which was just as well as he rarely saw any with the long hours he worked. He returned to his desk, and if the eyes on his grandfather's portrait seemed to follow him as he did so, he reasoned it was nothing more than a trick of the light.

Kylo, as usual, had made no decorative concessions to the so-called festive season in his work or personal space. The tinsel and glitter that infested every other place like cold germs did not infect him. Holidays were nothing but a nuisance to him when employee productivity took an unacceptable nosedive in the pursuit of pleasure. Fearing the madness spreading to his own joyless corner of the building, he left the door to his office slightly ajar to keep an eye on his jittery personal assistant. Dopheld Mitaka appeared to be diligently toiling away at the desk in his little annexe but Kylo wanted to make sure he wasn't tempted to sneak away to the staff party on the floor below.

In the spirit of goodwill to all, he supposed he should let his assistant join in the festivities. But Hux only insisted on allowing an office party to vex him and boost his own popularity within the company so Kylo wasn't inclined to be in anyway magnanimous about it. Besides, he might have concluded his main business of the day but the clock had not yet struck three in the afternoon. There could be others like him in the business world that hadn't lost their heads to seasonal frivolity. Mitaka should stay as usual until he left the office, no matter how late it got.

Christmas was bullshit and it filled Kylo with disdain for the candy-coated crap of it all. He wanted no part of the forced jollity and artifice of the season. There had been no invitation for him to go home for the holidays this year, he noted. Not that he cared. If anything, it was a relief to be spared the trouble of coming up with an excuse for his absence. Playing happy families for one day out of the year, when they couldn't stand to be in the same room as each other for the rest of it, made him more nauseous than his father's eggnog. The memory of Han Solo brought a lump to his throat, which he angrily swallowed down. Sentiment would get him nowhere.

His gaze drifted back to his grandfather's portrait — Anakin Skywalker would have understood. He died a year before his grandson's birth but Kylo had always felt an affinity with him. If he happened to spend Christmas and every other day outside of work, alone, he did so by choice. It wasn't as if he had no other options besides spending Christmas Eve with a picture of his dead grandfather. And it wasn't weird or unusual for him to unburden himself to it from time to time. Lots of people talked to photographs of deceased loved ones. In any case, there were plenty of living people outside his door who would sell their souls for the opportunity to exchange a word or two with him. Women were always slipping him their numbers — all Kylo had to do was call. If no one came to beg his presence at the office party, it was only because they didn't want to disturb him. He had sent his assistant to fetch him a flute of Champagne to toast his success and he desired nothing more.

Kylo personally cared little for the trappings of wealth. He had worked hard to get to where he was, discounting his privileged start in life, and he didn't believe in being frivolous with other people's money or his own. His status required a degree of exclusivity when it came to the way he dressed and how he lived. What he couldn't get for free — and people love to give rich folks gifts — he wrote off as a business expense. Kylo glanced around at the minimalist decor of his office; the place as black and empty as he fancied his heart to be, when a knock at his door jolted him from his idle thoughts.

"Yes, Mitaka, what is it?" He snapped causing his assistant to flinch.

The man appeared reluctant to continue, lest he got his head bitten off again, but he gulped and rallied himself. "A person has arrived at reception and is requesting to speak to you, sir — A girl."

"What girl?" Kylo hissed causing his assistant to gulp and take a deep breath before he could continue.

"She says her name is Rey something-or-other, and she wishes to discuss a — a personal matter with you," Mitaka faltered at the implication as he'd never known his boss to indulge in anything outside his professional obligations.

Kylo frowned, he didn't know any girls, especially one with a vivacious name like Rey. "Is she in reception now?" he questioned tapping at his keyboard to access the building's security cameras.

His assistant nodded as he brought up her image on his computer screen. The moment Kylo set eyes on her he became transfixed, his icy exterior cracking. Her pretty hazel eyes shone with warmth. She had shiny brown hair pulled back in an odd three-bun style and her cheeks were ruddy from the cold. He didn't know the young woman but found himself oddly eager to make her acquaintance.

Mitaka hovered nervously next to his boss's desk. "Shall I have security remove her, sir?" he inquired.

"No," Kylo said sharply. "Have her brought up here, I can spare her a minute or two."

His assistant nodded aghast to witness his boss agreeing to see anyone without an appointment. It had never happened before. He wondered if he should ask if he could be of any help with the girl, but Ren's sour expression made him think better of it. Personal matters were none of his business and he was happy to keep it that way.

A few moments later the elevator dinged signalling the arrival of the mysterious girl. The doors opened and she met Mitaka with a beaming smile which took him by surprise. He couldn't imagine how such a radiant being came to have anything personal to discuss with the brooding menace that awaited her. As he knocked on his boss's door, he felt as if he was leading a lamb to the slaughter.

"Miss Rey Nemo to see you, sir," Mitaka announced before scurrying back to his desk.

She entered the office with cheer and confidence that faded slightly as she took in her dark surroundings, but she swiftly turned up her megawatt smile to compensate for the gloom. The man inside stood to greet her with a grim expression. She had seen plenty of photographs of him and considered him to be attractive, despite his dour and pronounced features. Tall and broad-shouldered, he certainly made for an imposing presence in the flesh. His almost black collar-length hair stood out against his pale complexion which was dotted with moles. She blushed at catching herself staring at him and a flicker of amusement danced in his captivating eyes, which were brown around the pupils and green rimmed.

"I don't believe I've had the pleasure," Kylo said as he gestured for her to take a seat before sinking back into his own.

Inhaling deeply, he found she smelled like a fresh summer's day. He hadn't been so long in the shadows he'd forgotten the sweet floral scent of a sun-dappled meadow.

"I, um, I'm sorry if I interrupted your celebrations," Rey apologised as she spotted the Champagne flute on his desk. "Merry Christmas, by the way."

Kylo winced at her felicitation, his solitary toast long since forgotten. He waved away her concerns, growing impatient to hear her purpose for being there.

She sensed his irritation and took a deep breath before continuing. "I know we've never met before but I've heard so much about you. I'm here today as a friend of your family. Your mother's charitable foundation for orphans awarded me a full scholarship and extra financial support through college and now I have a job in engineering working for your uncle. I know you haven't spoken to them in a while, but your family really miss you and it is Christmas. Your mom wrote you an invitation but she didn't send it because she couldn't bear to have it rejected again. It would make her so happy if you showed up, she always sets a place for you. Since your father, well — won't you please consider joining us for dinner tomorrow?"

It had all begun so favourably with a pretty girl and a sunny smile, which made him all the more furious for falling for her feminine wiles. How dare this stranger stride into his office speaking of things she had no right to mention? His parents could no longer fool him with promises made at Christmas that were forgotten for the rest of the year. One day of showering him with attention didn't make up for all the times he came last on their list. His father's death had given him no closure, Kylo still couldn't set his bitterness over Han's shortcomings as a parent aside. His anger swelled as he fought the urge to verbally lash out at his uninvited guest.

Rey began to fidget about in her seat, his continued silence making her increasingly uncomfortable. His penetrating gaze added to her anxiety and she started to witter on about how she couldn't stay long because she had volunteered her services at a Christmas party for a children's charity.

"Your mother's been organising it for months," she explained. "We've even got your Uncle Luke playing Santa Claus. Oh, and there will be a special carol service before midnight mass at St. Peter's tonight. It's at ten — if you can make it."

Kylo had heard more than enough. "You're an orphan?" he asked, his voice cold and cruel.

She nodded and he saw tears shining in her hazel eyes. Underneath her sunny exterior, she was nothing but a lost and lonely little girl.

"You're just the kind of bleeding heart Leia Organa and Luke Skywalker would welcome into the fold," Kylo sneered. "Go deck the halls or mull some wine or whatever. You're wasting time here and mine happens to be valuable."

Rey drew back in her chair stung by the venom in his words. She'd heard about his infamous temper but hoped she would never find herself on the receiving end of it. His mother and uncle had been so generous to her, she'd only wanted to repay their kindness in the best way she could. It had been naive of her, she supposed. But after years spent wishing she had a family as wonderful as his, she couldn't understand why he would cut them out of his life. Rey didn't know exactly what had happened. She only knew his mother missed him dreadfully, despite her stoicism.

Resolved to try and get him to change his mind, Rey leant in closer to his desk. "I know you've probably made other arrangements by now, but Christmas is a time families should spend together, don't you agree?"

"What would you know about it, orphan?" Kylo snarled his callous remark bringing tears to her eyes. "Christmas is bullshit and I'll be spending it the way I always do — alone and with my work. Now, will you get the hell out of my office or do I have to call security?"

Rey refused to be intimidated by him, she leapt to her feet sending the chair flying. "You're a monster. The Grinch has got nothing on you!" She stormed towards the door stopping to add one last rebuke. "Ordinarily, I'd be sad to think of anyone spending Christmas Day alone, but you would only spoil everyone else's fun. Enjoy your solitude, Mr. Humbug!" She swept out of his office full of righteous indignation slamming the door behind her.

Mitaka jumped up from his desk alarmed by the blazing fury in her eyes. She glared harshly in his direction, her demeanour softening once she noted his anxious expression.

"What kind of stupid name is Kylo Ren, anyway? Ben Solo suits him better, especially as he likes being on his own so much," Rey observed. "Anyway, I'm not going to let him ruin my day," she said recovering her warm smile. "Merry Christmas to you."

The startled assistant managed to recover enough to return the compliments of the season to her.

Mitaka watched as the elevator doors closed taking away his one glimpse of festive cheer. He gave a weary sigh and returned to his work. Every so often, he cast a nervous glance at his boss's door. He heard the smash of glass and intermittent roars of anger, but he knew better than to do anything except inform building maintenance that their services would soon be required.

Kylo kicked the chair, recently vacated by Rey, so hard, it flipped over and hit the wall. He stomped towards it and repeatedly slammed his foot into the leather seat until it split. Shaking with rage, he drew a deep breath and stood with his hands tightly clenched. The shards of glass from the Champagne flute he'd flung at the door after Rey left, crunched under his feet as he returned to his desk. Kylo sank back into his chair and pounded the antique mahogany with his fist. The vibrations from the blow scattered his work papers sending them fluttering to the floor. In frustration, and feeling emotionally exhausted, Kylo swept his desk clear and slumped face down against the polished wood. He might have allowed his head to be momentarily turned by a pretty girl, but he wouldn't change course. He would keep his heart shuttered and his ambition burning.

After an hour or so spent brooding with no more work to be done, Kylo decided he might as well call it a day. He grabbed his long black overcoat and stalked out of his office. "Have that mess taken care of before you leave," he barked at Mitaka before heading for the elevator.

"Yes, sir," the man exclaimed as he scrambled to his feet.

No season's greetings were exchanged. Kylo merely paused before boarding the elevator to warn his assistant he'd better arrive on time (or, preferably, before it) the day after Christmas or he'd be looking for a new job.

Mitaka let out a sigh of relief as his boss left the building. The sound of Bing Crosby, singing about his snowy dreams, drifted up from the festivities on the floor below. He called maintenance and then went to join in the fun.

Kylo wound his way through the frozen New York streets. Hux had taken the executive limousine and there were no empty cabs for hire. He passed last minute shoppers and party revellers whose happy faces he met with a scowl of disdain. The twinkling lights around storefront windows and the colourful holly wreaths hung on doors held no charm for him. Where others happily stopped to listen to a group of cherubic carol singers, he had barged past them, irritated by their twee little voices. A homeless man dared to ask if Kylo had any spare change and, for his trouble, received a brusque lecture on how the taxes he couldn't avoid paying were already being wasted on the feckless.

By the time he reached his apartment building, Kylo couldn't wait to shut the rest of the world out. He gave a perfunctory nod to the doorman and stomped up the stairs to his sanctuary. Nothing about the place was particularly homely, from the sparse furnishings to the monochrome colour scheme, it wasn't exactly inviting. But as Kylo never had any guests, he didn't care. He sank down on his black leather couch and gazed up at the original version of his grandfather's portrait — the one in his office being a replica he'd gotten a gifted art student to reproduce for a pittance. It appeared, for a moment as if Anakin Skywalker was regarding him with a disapproving gaze. He blinked, unnerved by the illusion, but when he looked again, all was as it should be.

At some point, Kylo must have closed his eyes. He had lost all sense of time sitting alone by the dim light of his table lamp. When he heard seven chimes ring out, it soon occurred to him that he didn't own a chiming clock. As he glanced around in an attempt to determine the source of the clanging bells, he saw something that catapulted him out of his seat. Kylo blinked in disbelief rubbing at his eyes to make sure he was awake and not dreaming. It couldn't be real. He stood staring at the wall, his hand reaching shakily for the light switch as he tried to make sense of the scene before him. There, hanging in its frame, his grandfather's portrait was now minus its image of Anakin Skywalker.

Kylo glanced up to the ceiling, down to the floor, and all around the room. He even lifted the picture frame from the wall to check behind it, all the while aware of the ridiculous nature of his actions — A painted image couldn't simply step out of its confines and decide to play hide and seek. The rest of the portrait appeared untouched, but where his grandfather had once peered out on the world with grim determination, there was now nothing but an empty space.

As Kylo pondered his possible insanity, the lights began to flicker and the unseen clanging bells started to chime once more. After what could have been seconds or hours, silence and darkness fell. The sound of heavy footsteps approaching from the doorway sent Kylo clamouring for something to use as a weapon. He grabbed an onyx paperweight from the coffee table; an unwanted gift from a Christmas past. The lights came back on and he screwed his eyes shut in protest. When he opened them again, his grandfather stood before him as large as life. He dropped the paperweight in shock and disbelief. Turning his head away in defiance, he refused to accept what he saw. Perhaps skipping lunch had caused him to be lightheaded, Kylo reasoned. It had to be a hallucination, nothing else made sense.

The apparition of Anakin Skywalker addressed his open-mouthed grandson. "Don't you know me?"

"I—I don't understand," Kylo faltered reluctant to lend any credence to his hallucination by speaking to it. "What are you?"

"Well, I'm not Santa Claus," the apparition smirked before glaring at him in a disapproving manner. "If I was, I'd be dropping a sack of coal on you right about now, young man. You won't be getting off the naughty list anytime soon, unless you mend your ways."

Kylo let out a growl of frustration, he had dreamt of having a conversation with his grandfather, but not like this. "This is crazy," he muttered to himself. "It's stress or years of insomnia catching up with me." He paused, tapping his lips with his index finger in contemplation. "Mind you, I did have that invisible friend when I was a kid." His mother had been concerned about the hairy seven-foot tall creature he called Chewie but his father had been happy to humour him. Kylo shook himself annoyed his thoughts had drifted back to his parents.

"There's your trouble," the black-suited phantasm of his grandfather loomed large next to him, "Your memories of your mother and father don't always chime with the version of reality you've constructed for yourself, do they?"

Kylo snarled with anger wondering if the vision would simply shatter if he attempted to hit it. "Leia Organa and Han Solo were never there for me when it counted," he raged. "She had her political ambitions and charities to attend to. He disappeared for months at a time, drinking, gambling, and doing Christ knows what else, when he should have been home with us. I got shunted around from one babysitter to the next until I finally grew old enough to be shipped off to boarding school. Sure, we always spent Christmas Day together. Is one lousy day a year supposed to make up for being abandoned the other three hundred and sixty-four?" Kylo tore through the apparition, leaving it unchanged in his wake. "Snoke noticed me. He sought me out at college and offered me a job. I listened as he told me about the company you built and how you'd been a legend in the oil, gas, and coal industries. I'd never heard about the real you from my family, only Luke Skywalker's lies."

The vision of his grandfather regarded him with sadness. "Oh, my poor boy, you and I are so alike. I too saw only the injustices life served me and not its rewards. When I lost your grandmother, I blamed the innocent children she brought into this world for her death. I rejected love and family in pursuit of building an empire no one would ever be able to take away from me. It was only at the end, as I looked into the eyes of my estranged son, that I realised — I'd turned my back on everything that should have been most precious to me. My children were my legacy; they would live on beyond the empty monument I'd built to greed. It pains me, Ben, to see you wasting your life as I wasted mine."

"No, that's not my name," Kylo roared. "It's lies, all lies. You're not real and none of this is happening."

Anakin Skywalker's apparition took on a thoughtful expression. "Let's take a journey into the past, present, and future," he said reaching out his hand to his grandson.

Ignoring the invitation, Kylo turned on his heel and headed towards his bedroom. "I'm gonna lie down until this — whatever it is, passes."

Before he could take another step, a heavy hand fell upon his shoulder. His grandfather's voice rang in his ears as the scene changed around him.

"I kind of wish I had a sleigh and some magic reindeer, but this way is quicker."

One minute, Kylo had been standing in the middle of his cold apartment, and the next, he found himself in a green meadow bathed in warm sunshine. The sound of a lilting feminine laugh caught his attention. He turned his head to see a beautiful young brunette being chased through a blanket of wildflowers by a youthful Anakin Skywalker. When he caught up to her, they both tumbled giggling into the long grass, wrapped in each other's arms.

"I knew the moment I set eyes on your grandmother, she was the only one for me," the spectral version of Anakin sighed wistfully beside him.

Unbidden, an image of Rey popped into Kylo's mind. She had smelled like a summer meadow and her smile had been warmer than the sun on his face. He wondered what her lips would taste like.

His grandfather turned to him with a knowing look. "Like I said before, the apple didn't fall too far from the tree when it comes to the two of us."

Anakin reached out again, his hand clasping his grandson's shoulder. "Now then, how does that old song go? I'll be home for Christmas, If only in my dreams..."

The scene changed once more and this time they were stood in a spacious living room. A log fire blazed beneath a green garlanded mantle and a stack of presents waited to be unwrapped under a tall, tastefully decorated, Christmas tree.

"I know this place," Kylo gasped. "This is our old house in New England. I loved it here. It was before mom got elected to the senate and we had to go live in DC. Things were never the same after that."

A feeling of nostalgia overtook him as he wandered around the living room picking out places he used to sit and read or play with his toys. It all came rushing back to him like he'd never been away. As he passed the Christmas tree, he spotted a goofy looking reindeer decoration he'd made in school. His mother had hung it on the bough beneath the angel topper, giving it pride of place.

Kylo looked on in amazement as the door flew open and a young boy of around six with a mop of dark brown hair ran into the room. As he watched his younger self, melancholy drowned out his wonderment. This had been the last Christmas the Organa-Solo family spent in New England, he recalled. He watched through misty eyes as his mother, father and uncle joined the child he once was under the tree. Presents were unwrapped and laughter filled the air; they were happy then. When the time came for dinner to be served, Han Solo winked at his son and showed him a place had been reserved at the table for his friend Chewie. Kylo got a lump in his throat; the old scoundrel might not have been the best father but he wasn't the worst, he conceded.

"Let's visit a few more Christmases past," his grandfather said again laying a hand on Kylo's shoulder.

There were no more truly happy ones. His parents were either arguing about their respective careers or about him. Between trying to keep their jobs and marriage on track, their son had become an afterthought. That's how Kylo had viewed it at the time, and he saw nothing to challenge that perception. He looked on in resignation — these were the kind of miserable family Christmases he remembered. The one before he left for boarding school had been particularly atrocious. His parents were worried about his explosive temper tantrums and hoped a regimented routine would help him settle down. It was their time and attention he wanted, not to be packed off to a place where his mother and father could forget he existed.

When Kylo and his grandfather's ghost got to the last Christmas he'd spent with his parents, it was as if they were three strangers with barely a civil word for each other. His mother and father were living separate lives for the most part, and Kylo was in college. He told them he planned to take the job Snoke had offered him once he got his degree. The argument that followed led to the airing of years of grievances on all sides. His mother had cried and begged him not to go but his father hadn't even attempted to stop him. In the end, Ben Solo had stormed out of the family home with no intention of ever returning.

You can't go home again, Kylo told himself with bitterness. His father had died soon after and he'd refused to go to the funeral. Luke Skywalker came to see him before he took up his position at FO Corp. Things had been said between them, terrible things, and he'd chosen to leave his old life behind him and embrace a new one. Ben Solo became Kylo Ren and he hadn't looked back — until now.

"It's not too late," Anakin said as he took hold of his grandson's arm. "Let's see where things stand in the present."

"I've seen enough," Kylo growled yanking free of his grasp.

He didn't need to be dragged through another domestic drama. But before he could protest any further, he found they were now standing in some sort of community hall. Little children were running about all over the place with balloons and streamers trailing in their wake. A long table of party food was being set up by adult helpers under the direction of a short older woman wearing a Santa hat. Kylo couldn't stop his lips forming into a wry smile at the sight of his mother bossing everyone around. Some things never changed. She was visibly older, the grey in her hair no longer dyed out and the lines on her face deeper, he noted, but she was still a force of nature.

One of the children drew Kylo's attention — a glum-looking girl with mousy hair sat on her own away from the others. Nobody seemed to have noticed her. He saw something of himself in that lonely girl and his heart ached. But then, a woman wearing light-up reindeer antlers over a familiar odd hairstyle approached the girl and sat down on the floor beside her. He watched in awe as Rey coaxed a genuine smile from the child and got her to join in with the party preparations.

"She has a lot of love to give," Anakin said noting his grandson's clear admiration for the young woman. "Becoming an orphan at a young age gave her a tough start in life but it hasn't hardened her heart." He playfully nudged Kylo in the ribs. "And the best part about it is — your family have already welcomed her into the fold. All you have to do is stop being such a pain in the ass, turn on some of that old Skywalker-Solo charm, and bingo!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Kylo scoffed but he couldn't tear his gaze away from pretty Rey and her sunny smile.

A wave of jealousy washed over him as he noticed a couple of handsome young men hovering around her. Finn and Poe, he heard her call them. He hated them both instantaneously. To his relief, Rey didn't seem to have any romantic interest in either of them, despite Poe being an outrageous flirt. Kylo was envious of the familiar ease they had as they laughed and joked with each other.

"If you carry on the way you are, my boy, you will end up alone, as I did," Anakin warned. "I don't want you to die in regret wondering what might have been and longing for the life you could have had."

Kylo turned away from his grandfather, conflict raging within him — Could he swallow his pride, forgive and forget past hurt, and reunite with his family? Surely, he couldn't give up on his ambitions now, not after everything. He had gone as far as changing his name and reaching the top of a business empire that sought to crush everything his uncle had built underfoot. Rey could be swayed to his side by the many riches he could offer her. She would want for nothing once he made her his wife.

"She'll never marry you for financial gain and social status," Anakin said as if reading his mind. "Only true love and kindness will win her heart."

"Then she's a fool and I'm better off without her," Kylo spat as he stomped to the door refusing to look in her direction again.

Rey had been twirling the girl with the mousy hair around until they both fell into a giggling heap. For all his protesting, he knew he would carry the memory of how she looked at that moment to his grave and replay it many times along the way. Before he could storm out of the hall, Kylo felt a firm hand grab him by the scruff of the neck.

"Let's see which version of the future you prefer, shall we?" Anakin roared as he hauled him towards the window.

Kylo flinched, expecting to be surrounded by shattering glass, but he passed through the pane unhindered leaving it intact in his wake. No one other than his ghostly grandfather could see or hear him, so he supposed he too was no more than a spirit here — wherever he was. Kylo seemed to float for a moment before plummeting into darkness. When he came to a stop, he found he had landed in an old-fashioned movie theatre. It reminded him of the place his uncle used to take him as a child to watch Laurel and Hardy movies and other classics. He had once seen Harvey there with his dad. The tall white pooka reminded him of Chewie, even though he'd grown out of his invisible friend phase by that point.

"Take a seat," Anakin commanded as the screen flickered to life.

Kylo watched in silent horror as his life as he knew it played out. Old man Snoke clung on as long as he could. He grew more decrepit and twisted with each passing year, finding new ways to pit Kylo and Hux against each other. When he finally shuffled off the mortal coil, he bequeathed his empire to Kylo as promised but only on the condition Armitage Hux remained as his second-in-command. After years of backstabbing, literally, in some cases, Kylo managed to hang on as the President of FO Corp. But his was a miserable existence, lost to paranoia and unable to share his burden with anyone for fear they would take away his only prize. The years took their toll, leaving him grey and worn with nobody to care for his well-being. His family were all gone and he had no wife or children to brighten his heart or his home. The end when it came was sudden. A stroke took him at work; a blessing to extinguish a lonely life and no one to mourn his passing.

"Please, I'm begging you, don't show me anything more." Kylo squeezed his eyes shut as the projector started to play another reel.

"You'll like this one," Anakin promised demanding that he watch it.

His grandson had no choice but to reluctantly comply. It all began with him going to a particular carol service to which he'd recently been invited. A sunny smile greeted him at the church and his life had got a lot warmer thereafter.

"Well?" His grandfather turned to him with a satisfied grin when the movie had ended.

Kylo blushed. "Is there an option where Rey and I don't wind up with quite so many kids? It kinda felt like we were living in the Sound of Music for a while there."

Anakin roared with laughter. "A wise man once told me the future is always in motion, but Rey wants a large family and you will give her what she wants. Those twins are going to boost the numbers and I guess you can blame my genes for that if it makes you feel any better."

There was no question which version of the future Kylo preferred, even with several children into the bargain. Snoke wouldn't like it, but he found he didn't care. If he had to make peace with his family and become Ben Solo again to get his happy ending, then so be it.

"I have enjoyed our little adventure but we really should be getting back," his grandfather said clasping him by the shoulder for one last time. Anakin smiled as the scene faded to black leaving only his voice echoing in the darkness, "Merry Christmas, Ben."

The young man awoke with a jolt — Had it all been just a dream? The portrait on the wall was the same as it had ever been. Everything appeared to be in its proper order, and yet, he felt a change deep within him. The chains he'd forged that kept him shackled to a life of dark ambition had been broken. Somewhere, Ben heard a clock chime nine times. The carol concert Rey had invited him to attend was due to begin in an hour. He could make it if he hurried. After taking a few minutes to devour a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, brush his teeth, and make sure he was otherwise presentable, he grabbed his coat and scarf before dashing out of the door.

It took him forever to hail down a cab. When the driver wished him Happy Holidays, it took Ben a second to remember he was no longer averse to the idea. He returned the greeting with a smile, picturing the one he hoped Rey would soon be gifting him. If all went to plan, he would get to kiss her for the first time in a few short hours. His mother's penchant for hanging mistletoe around the house was certainly one holiday tradition he could learn to appreciate.

The taxi ride gave him the chance to see Christmas through new eyes — the reds, greens, silver and gold, and the sparkling lights were brighter. He waved back to the people passing by with happy faces full of good cheer. After years of setting himself apart from Christmas and all that went with it, he was choosing to embrace it and he liked the feeling. The cab soon pulled up outside St. Peter's and Ben handed the driver a handsome tip along with the fare. He found the season's greetings rolled off his tongue as easy as his disdain for them once had and he could only laugh at his change of heart. It was then he spotted her, bundled up against the cold and still wearing the silly reindeer antlers over her bobble hat.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Mr. Humbug," Rey teased her lips slowly spreading into a wide smile.

Ben felt his cheeks glowing from more than the icy breeze. "I'm so sorry about the way I acted earlier and the terrible things I said. Can you ever find it in your heart to forgive me?"

She attempted to give him a severe look but she soon melted, unable to resist his puppy dog eyes — not that she had any serious intention of rebuffing his apology. It was Christmas, after all, and she'd had a crush on him from the moment his mother first showed her his picture.

"If you agree to wear a Santa hat as penance, I guess I can let bygones be bygones," Rey playfully challenged pulling a spare hat from her pocket.

Ben stepped closer to her and bowed down so she could put it on him. She took off her gloves and placed the hat carefully on his head, making sure to tuck his ears in. His mother had told her he'd been self-conscious about them in his youth, but she found them oddly adorable. Her fingers gently combed through his hair as she adjusted the angle. Both of them shivered at the contact but it wasn't due to the cold. Rey made him warm and tingly inside, and Ben knew by the way she gazed up at him, that she felt it too.

"Come on then," Rey coaxed as she gestured towards the church entrance. "I can't wait to see Leia's face when she sets her eyes on you."

Ben felt as if he could handle anything with her by his side, even facing the family he hadn't seen for years. Things were going to be different from now on, and not just at Christmas. He would be the good man Rey deserved, the one he'd always wanted to be at heart. Smiling up at the sky, he mouthed a silent thank you to his grandfather. It didn't matter in the end if his visit had been nothing but a dream, it had awoken him to a world of new possibilities. When Rey slipped her hand into his, he knew his fate was sealed and he couldn't have been happier.

The End.