momslilassassin | Skywalker Home, Naboo

Ben burst out laughing. "I love you, brat."

Ender leaned in and kissed him. "Love you too," he said. "Don't send our daughter into the reeds with a lightsaber, please."

"I'll do my best," Ben promised.

Ender pulled away, then smiled down at Val. "It's time for presents, I think," he said. "Do you want your presents, Val?"

Val looked temporarily confused--there was more to it than cake?--but she nodded eagerly. "Yes peez."

Ender smiled, patting Ben on the shoulder as he walked into the bedroom to pick up the eclectic bunch of presents they'd collected.

He started with the giant elephant Ben had won at a fair once; it was huge and had taken way too much wrapping paper. He brought it into the room. "This is number one."

Val's eyes went huge. "Biiiiiiiiig," she said.

Ben laughed. "It's okay. Open the paper."

Ender took her hand and guided it to the edge of some of the paper. "Pull."

Val pulled gently at the paper, which didn't move at all.

"Harder, sweetheart," Ben said.

"You have to tug until you hear it tear," Ender said, "And then keep tugging."

He looked ready to jump in and do it for her.

"Broken?" Val said. "Paper broken?"

She had learned not to break things!

Ben laughed. "It's okay to break this one. I promise."

"It's okay to break this paper," Ender said gently. "It's wrapping paper. That's what it's there for. It hides the gift, and then you break it and see it."

"Ohhh," Val said softly, then gave it a good hard yank and giggled at the ripping noise it made.

"That's good," Ender enthused, beaming. "You've got it now."

He may have tugged a little of it open for her anyway, though.

Well, they'd be there for a week, otherwise.

"ELEPHANT!" Val shrieked when she finally saw what was under the paper.

"Happy birthday, Valentine," Ender said, beaming bright. "It's all yours."

Ben slid his arm around Ender's waist and leaned into his shoulder as Val tackled the elephant, babbling excitedly to herself.

"We've done good, kreetle."

"I don't think we'll be able to convince her to let go of that one for at least the next six months," Ender said wryly, dropping his head against Ben's.

"Probably not," Ben agreed, chuckling. "At least it took her mind off the tiaras?"

"We're going to have to start buying her those in a few years, aren't we?" Ender said. "Unless we're lucky and she grows out of it."

"Probably a bit of both," Ben admitted. "Buy them and then she'll grow out of it."

"Hopefully," Ender said, smiling faintly. "You want to get her her next present?"

If they could get Val's attention away from the elephant she was currently choke-cuddling.

"I'm not sure it's going to be quite as big a hit," Ben admitted, pulling out another brightly wrapped gift.

He'd been working on it for weeks, so he hoped she liked it a little. "Val? Want another?"

Val was going through the incredibly important process of gnawing on the elephant's leg, so when she looked up, it was with the fabric still between her teeth. She looked surprised.

"Yes, you get more presents," Ender said.

She stretched her arms out.

Ben put it down right next to her. "It's not heavy," he promised. "It's a game."

A Force-assisted game intended to teach her engineering. Shh.

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