More children on board

Mr. Spock had a shock when he entered the Enterprise Library that evening. With boxes piled up high to the ceiling, it looked more like a warehouse than a place for learning. The fact that the boxes contained food rations only added to his discomfort -especially since they weren't Federation-approved rations. These came from Terra 6, the oldest human colony established in this part of the galaxy. The Enterprise was carrying thirty families from Terra 6 to their new home in the Antaris Sector, and the Terrans had insisted on bringing their own food. This was really only a small part of the cargo, meant to be used for their Christmas celebration.

The crew of the Enterprise hadn't originally made any plans to celebrate Christmas, but for the Terrans' comfort, they had offered to help. Even Spock got involved, volunteering the Library for storage purposes -and idea that he was starting to regret.

He walked about glancing at the boxes, shaking his head in slight disapproval every time he came upon labels like 'turkey & stuffing' and 'roasted goose', and shaking it with vigorous indignation when he saw that all vegetables listed had been cooked in butter, rending them practically inedible to him.

He would most definitely not accept the Terrans' invitation to dinner!

Suddenly, a label caught Spock's eye. 'Cranberry sauce,' it said. 'With real pieces of fruit'. Spock tried to look away, but his eyes kept coming back.

Cranberry sauce! The mere thought of those words made him salivate.

He had a particular fondness for cranberry sauce.

He raised an eyebrow. Maybe he would attend the party after all...

Those thoughts got interrupted by the sudden swoosh of the door.

Dr. McCoy came in holding a large burlap sac over his shoulder, and his eyes shone gleefully when he spotted Spock.

"Spock! Just the man I was looking for!"

"I said I would be here, Doctor."

"And I'm glad you didn't forget," McCoy replied. He put the sac on a table and opened it. Immediately, he started looking for something inside. "Now, let me see -"

"Are we taking these boxes to the banquet room?" Spock asked. He didn't want to stand by idly while McCoy did.... whatever it was that he was doing, but the doctor didn't even reply. Curious by now, Spock approached McCoy, who seemed to have misplaced something in the sac. All Spock could see were brightly colored pieces of clothing. "Did you lose something, Doctor?"

"Here it is!" McCoy said, at last. He took a bundle and unceremoniously thrust it at Spock. "Here," he said. "Put these on."

Spock eyed the bundle but didn't take it. "What is this?"

"This is a set of clothing, Spock," he said in a slightly patronizing tone.

"These are green clothes," Spock said, still refusing the take them. "Green is unregulated color, Doctor. As a member of Starfleet, I cannot -"

"But this isn't a uniform, Spock," the doctor said, barely concealing his amusement. "It's a costume."

"A costume?"

"Exactly. See that thing on top? It's a hat. You put it on your head -" and he actually tried to put the hat on Spock's head, but the Vulcan stepped out of his reach. "Oh, well; you know the drill." He paused for a couple of seconds but Spock still wouldn't take the clothes. "Come on, Spock! You promised to help!"

"You did not mention I would be required to wear new clothes, Doctor."

"All right, so I didn't. But you see, you're the only one these clothes could possibly fit. Not to mention how uniquely equiped you are for this event."

"Uniquely equiped...?"

"You're going to be Santa's Elf, Spock."

Spock raised an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?"

"Oh, you know -the guy dressed in green who helps Santa Claus? You'll be perfect. Why, you won't even need the plastic ears!" And he pointedly picked a couple of pink appendages from the bundle and threw them over his shoulder. "Here," he said, and this time he forced Spock to take the clothes. "Put them on," he said sternly. "You are to hand gifts to the children of Terra 6 -and that's it."

"Can't I hand the gifts while wearing my own uniform?" Spock asked reasonably.

"You cannot. Those kids are half-scared of you and you know it. But if you put these green clothes on, then it'll be ok."

Spock wasn't convinced.

"Come on, Spock! Don't be a Scrooge -be a Santa's elf!" He paused, then, angrily, "Do a sweet thing for once in your life, you green-blooded goblin -"

"I cannot do it," Spock said just as adamantly. "And that's it."

"Fine," McCoy said, crossing his arms. "Don't do it. You'll have to tell Jim, though. He's the one who volunteered you for this."

Spock was stunned. "The Captain?"

"What?" Jim said, coming in just then. "Oh, Spock; I see you're ready to get dressed."

"He's not," McCoy said.

"What do you mean, he's not?"

"Captain," Spock said gravely, "Vulcan men do not wear tights."

"Oh?" Jim frowned. "Is there some sort of taboo attached to them?"

"Not a taboo," Spock said truthfully. He was about to add something but stopped when he saw McCoy eyeing him closely. "I would rather not go into explanations, Captain."

"Oh, I know what this is all about," McCoy said. He tilted his head in Spock's direction. "He's too vain to wear tights, Jim."

"Too vain?" Jim asked, and he smiled at Spock. "Are you, Spock?"

"I am not, Captain. I simply -"

"Not that I blame him," McCoy added. "With spindly legs like his..."

"Yours are even more spindly, Bones."

"Which is why I'm not going to be onstage," McCoy said gleefully. He glanced at his watch. "Well, I've got to go. Jim, see if you can convince him, all right? And remember, Spock; if you don't help, then you don't get to eat dinner." And he started walking to the door.

"Wait," Jim said, "Where are you going?"

"I've got to see if Chapel's finished wrapping the gifts." McCoy stopped by the door and turned. "You know, this is the first time I get to feel what being the boss it's like, Jim," he said. "It's freaking fantastic!" He took a deep breath, as if the air in the room smelt like roses. "See ya later, gentlemen!"

Once alone with Jim, Spock pointedly dropped the clothes on the nearest bench.

"I can't believe it, Spock. You're not doing it?"

"I am truly sorry, Jim."

Jim gave him his best smoldering smile and said, "Not even for me?" in his husky, 'seduce-the-Vulcan' tone, but for once it didn't work.

Spock merely looked at him.

"Interesting," he said.

"What?"

"You are using our personal relationship to extort a reaction from me."

Jim winced. "Extort? Spock, that's a harsh word."

"I have noticed this behavior before," Spock continued, "Humans use it freely, yet I never expected it from you."

Jim opened his mouth, closed it. He tried again. "Spock..." And again, "Spock," he said, more assuredly, "I'm not trying to extort you into doing anything. If you don't want to be Santa's elf, then you don't have to."

"Thank you, Jim. I appreciate that."

"I was just hoping you'd help us, that's all. The children of Terra Six deserve a break. They've left their friends behind... They're being taken to a new land... "

"Jim, I am willing to help," Spock said. "I let them use my -I mean, the Enterprise library. And I will gladly carry those boxes -" And to show his sincerity, Spock started picking boxes. Not the ones with the turkey and goose or the butter-smothered vegetables, but the ones holding the cranberry sauce.

His mouth watered just at the thought of that thick, syrupy concoction… Which he would not get to taste because of his aversion to tights.

Ah, well. He sighed in resignation.

Meanwhile, Jim let him work. He watched Spock for a couple of minutes, then casually said, "I was also hoping I wouldn't be the only one wearing a costume out there."

Spock looked up. "You are wearing a costume too?"

"Yeah," Jim said wearily. "I let McCoy convince me." He opened McCoy's sac and took a red velvet cap from it. "See this? It's a Santa Claus hat."

"Jim! You don't mean -"

"I'm going to be Santa Claus."

Spock was stunned. "You? Jim, surely there is somebody else who can take over this task -"

Jim raised a hand. "It's all right, Spock. I want to do this. The doctor is right; it's the least we can do." He took out the rest of the clothes and immediately started putting them on. The clothes were roomy, so he simply put them over his uniform. "Bones said I wouldn't need any padding," Jim said conversationally, "Can you believe that?"

"I can," Spock said distractedly.

Jim looked up quickly, "What?"

But Spock seemed lost in thought, looking at the clothes Jim was putting on.

"I look silly, don't I?" Jim said sheepishly.

"Not at all," Spock said. "I believe you are going to make those children very happy. Here," he added, picking the jacket and helping Jim into it. Once the jacket was buttoned up, Spock took a moment to study Jim. The Captain looked handsome even in a Santa Claus costume.

In an uncharacteristic show of feeling, Spock put his hand on Jim's shoulder.

"I am sorry I cannot be out there with you."

Jim patted Spock's hand. "It's all right," he said.

Spock reluctantly dropped his hand. "You are a very tolerant lover, Jim," he said.

"It's ok," Jim said, waving his hand in dismissal. "I'll manage. I'll greet the kids and hand them the gifts myself. Go on," he added, gesturing to the boxes, "You can finish those."

Again, Jim watched Spock work for a moment, then added off-handedly. "I was hoping you'd help me ambush McCoy before the celebrations began, but -ah, well." And he mentally counted 3… 2…

"Ambush him?" Spock asked right on cue, and trying not to sound too interested. "How?"

Secretly gratified, Jim merely shrugged. "Oh, it was nothing." Glancing at Spock, he casually added, "There's another costume in here, that's all."

"Another costume?"

Jim nodded. "Mrs. Claus' costume."

"Mrs. Claus?"

"Yeah. Uhura offered to do the part but then we decided it should be McCoy. That sneaky son of a bitch got us all into this and he shouldn't go unpunished."

Spock hesitated a couple of seconds, then decidedly picked up the green clothes.

"Spock!" Jim said, pretending surprise, "You're not going to wear those clothes, are you?"

"Count me in, Jim."

Jim smiled indulgently. "You'd do anything to needle him, wouldn't you."

Spock shook his head. "I will do it for you, Jim." And he started the long process of taking off his pants and putting those awful, itching, clinging, tights. Meanwhile, he was thinking that Jim was right; he was doing it for a chance to needle McCoy. But that was only a third of the truth.

He was also doing it for Jim...

And he was doing it for that cranberry sauce too.

The End