A Voight Christmas

Author's Note: A series of Christmas snippets featuring Hank and Jess and their traditions for Christmas. Enjoy! In these snippets, they have been married 15 ½ months.

Hank's Birthday

Ten days before Christmas, a party was being held in Jess' condo. The party had two attendees—Jess, and Hank, who had just turned another year older.

Jess set a plate of lasagna in front of him and took her seat across the table from him. He poured them both a glass of wine.

"Happy Birthday," Jess said as she lifted her glass.

He raised his glass and touched hers. "Thank you. And thank you for dinner."

"You're welcome. I know we've been going out the past few years, but this year, I wanted to cook."

"I'm glad you did. I've missed being at home with you for my birthday."

"Me too. We had some nice birthday dinners."

"Especially the year I turned 50."

Jess blushed and lowered her head. She looked down at her lasagna. Voight chuckled. She looked up at him. He took a sip of wine.

"Nothing for you to be embarrassed about."

"I'm not embarrassed."

"You're embarrassed. Don't be. It was a wonderful night."

"Hank," she said as she lowered her head again.

She picked up her knife and started cutting her lasagna. He watched her in amusement. Jess was embarrassed, no doubt about that. She took a small bite of her lasagna, as if it was still too hot to eat. She followed it with a bit of salad. She looked up and saw Voight watching her.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing. Just watching you."

She took another nibble of lasagna. She was embarrassed. The night of his 50th birthday, they had returned to her condo and had another private celebration that had involved a new negligee from Victoria's Secret, a bottle of champagne, and birthday cake. It had been one hell of a celebration. She noticed he had finished his salad. "Would you like more?" she asked.

"No, thanks. I'm really not a fan of rabbit food."

Jess smiled. Of course he wasn't. Hank Voight was all about meat and potatoes. He only ate the salad because it was expected of him, and you had to have some sort of appetizer before the main course.

"We need a tree," he observed.

"We do. I just don't like getting one before your birthday."

"Why is that?"

"I have to have my holidays in order. Thanksgiving first, then your birthday, then Christmas."

"But you shop for Christmas before my birthday," he pointed out.

"Yes, and while I'm shopping for Christmas, I'm also shopping for your birthday."

Voight took a sip of wine. Sometimes Jess' logic didn't make sense to him. He chalked it up to it being a woman thing. "So we can pick one up this weekend?"

She nodded. "And we can decorate it before It's A Wonderful Life comes on?"

"Fair enough," he agreed.

She finished her lasagna and looked over at him. "Birthday cake?"

"Sure," he agreed.

She cleared the table, set the dishes on the counter, and opened the fridge. She brought out a round cake and set it on the counter. She reached up in the cupboard and brought down candles. She added some and lit them, then brought it over to him, placing it in front of him. "Happy Birthday, Hank," she said as she kissed his cheek.

"Thank you, Jess."

"Make a wish and blow them out."

He blew out the candles. She handed him the cake knife and waited for him to cut his piece. "So, do I get a new nightgown this year?" he asked, eyes twinkling.

"Maybe," she said noncommittally.

Her negligee was sitting in a gift bag on their bed. She had started a new tradition the year he had turned 50. She bought new lingerie every year for his birthday, and wore it to bed every birthday night. He claimed she was his present.

He cut a piece of cake and slid it across the table to her seat. "Eat your cake, Jess. I can unwrap my present later."

Tree Trimming

Hank set the tree into the stand while Jess brought out the boxes of ornaments, opened a bag of potato chips and a carton of dip, filled a plate with cookies, and stuck a bottle of wine in the ice bucket.

"Jess, you helping or are you going to stay in the kitchen all night?" Voight called.

"I'm on my way," she said as she carried the goodies into the living room.

She set the chips and cookies on the coffee table, and returned to the kitchen for the wine. Voight eyed the snacks. He had no idea that Jess was planning munchies for the tree trimming.

"Wine too?" he asked.

"Of course."

"You're getting kinda fancy for a tree trimming, aren't you?"

"Hush," she said. "This is the bottle of wine that Trudy and Randy gave us."