Title: The Christmas Elf

Author: Azura Nyx

Characters: Eli Wallace, Chloe Armstrong, Matthew Scott, Tamara Johansen, Everett Young, Dr. Nicholas Rush (only mentioned), Sgt. Greer (only mentioned)

Pairings: Lt. Matthew Scott/Chloe Armstrong, Tamara Johansen/Everett Young

Type: Holiday/Romance/Comfort

Length: ~1900 words (8 pages)

Warnings/Disclaimers: The characters were not created by me, unfortunately. However, the greatness of Stargate: Universe is owned by its writers.

Rating: PG (for some bad language)

Summary: It is Christmas time for those aboard the Destiny, but nobody really wants to celebrate it. A mysterious person begins giving presents to everyone on the ship and nobody knows who this "Christmas Elf" is.

The Christmas Elf

Chapter 1

Many people from various countries on Earth celebrate Christmas. It's a holiday of gifts, food, family, and loads of fun… to some. Who aboard Destiny would celebrate Christmas now? Was there anything to celebrate? The people aboard this ship were hungry, lost, and billions of light years from their home world. Most of those trapped on Destiny never tried to celebrate Christmas at all this year. They viewed it as a potential waste of time when everyone should be trying to get back to Earth. At least… that was the logic of some of them.

It was December 1st, and Chloe and Matt had been eating lunch in the mess hall together as usual. After Chloe took a bite of her so-called "food," she asked her boyfriend, "Did you sleep well last night? You seemed more restless than you have been in a while."

"No," Matt answered. "Then again… I did have a bad dream, but it was nothing. It's never anything to worry about with you around."

A grin emerged on to Chloe's lips. "I was just wondering because you woke up several times during the night."

"I did?"

"Yeah! Gosh, you must've gotten up and came back to bed like… five times throughout the entire night."

Confused, Matt narrowed his eyes. "Chloe, I don't remember waking up at all last night. Are you sure you didn't just hear the ship going into hyperspace?"

"I know it wasn't that. The sound was unmistakable. Do you have a history of sleep walking? Maybe-"

"No, I've never done that…not even during my first few months of being on the Destiny."

Armstrong's mouth gaped open in shock. It just didn't make sense to her. "Then… I can assume you didn't leave this on my nightstand?" She held up a gorgeous white pearl necklace. It was made of genuine pearls too because each one had not been perfectly round unlike those created in a lab.

"Whoa! I wish I had," exclaimed Lt. Scott.

"Matt," Chloe sincerely began. "If you didn't give me these, then… who in the hell did?"

Tamara, who was sitting on another bench ahead of them, couldn't help but to over their conversation. She turned around and inquired Chloe, "You received a gift last night too?"

"Yeah," replied Armstrong. "…a pearl necklace."

"Well, I didn't get anything like that, but I did get a pair of beautiful sapphire earrings. I-I-I hadn't thought much of it at first because I originally assumed Everett gave them to me. The only problem is there is no way he could have got them…. He's strict about when he uses the communication stones and whatnot."

Chloe rested her elbows on the table, and put her hands on her forehead. "Okay… this is too weird."

"The only thing I can suggest is I can notify Colonel Young about it. Perhaps he can… I don't know… put some sort of rule in place where every hallway will be strictly monitored by military personnel."

A few minutes passed:

"So… let me get this straight," Everett began, clarifying the sanity of what he had just heard. "You are proposing I use some of the military personnel to observe the hallways during the late hours of night to keep an eye out for someone who is giving out gifts?"

"Oh c'mon, sir," Scott begged. "You have to admit this doesn't seem quite right. I mean, both Chloe and TJ received gifts last night from a mysterious person aboard this ship. Not just ordinary, casual things either: expensive, top-of-the-line jewelry!"

Smirking, Young sat back down in his chair. "Of course all of this appears crazy, Lieutenant! That's because it is. Even so, nobody's getting hurt, are they? It's just someone leaving Christmas presents."

Silence fell in the office at this thought.

"I-I-I guess I never thought of it that way before, sir," Lt. Scott remarked, his eyes completely aroused in reflection.