The Perfect Gift
Christmas Eve, already!
Seven of Nine wanted her and Chakotay's first Christmas together to be perfect, and she went through great lengths to make sure it would be. She made sure their apartment was decorated- complete with the best evergreen she could find- according to her research. However, between work and all the holiday hustle and bustle- including a few too many get-togethers Seven had accepted invitations to on her and Chakotay's behalf which was, ordinarily, not like her, she had not yet bought Chakotay a gift. How she could have lost track and not realize how close it was to Christmas was beyond her. But, there was no time to berate herself now. She had only a few hours till midnight. Mercifully enough, the mall just within two blocks from home stayed open till midnight on Christmas Eve to accommodate last-minute shoppers- such as herself, of course! And since Chakotay was out visiting an old Maquis friend of his, Seven decided to seize the opportunity, since she hadn't yet told him she had procrastinated.
Since the mall was so close to home, she decided to just walk there rather than taking transport. It didn't snow in San Francisco, but it was still quite cold and damp from rain. Clouds made it difficult to see the stars, and the moon barely showed through. But the gloomy weather didn't detract from the festive environment created by various decorative components, from colored lights to motifs resembling angels, stars, candy-canes, and Santa Clause, just to name a few. In an empty lot next to the mall was a life-size creche, illustrating the birth of Earth's Christian Messiah. Across the street was a hospital where various charitable organizations stopped by to bring the sick and injured some "holiday cheer"- whatever that was.
As she crossed the mall parking lot and headed for the glass double doors, she could already see the myriad shoppers there, all dressed in their winter apparel: Families with children in tow. Young couples walking arm-in-arm. Groups of friends laughing and joking about current events. Elderly folks looking forward to spoiling their grandchildren.
Seven walked through the automatic doors, pulled off her gloves and unbuttoned her coat. In the midst of the echoing footsteps and conversations of the people around her, she could hear the faint tinkling of a small bell. The store windows were all adorned with lights and various decorations of red, green and gold. As she neared the heart of the mall, she could see a large red cushioned chair decorated in gold garland and fake holly where the mall Santa Clause would sit children in his lap and listen to them recite their Christmas wish lists. As she neared the department store, she saw that the source of the ringing she was hearing was that of a Salvation Army bell ringer collecting funds for the less fortunate.
The fragrance of perfumes and cosmetics welcomed Seven as she entered the store and headed straight for the men's department. She wanted to buy a bomber jacket for Chakotay. But, when she checked the price, she realized that she didn't have enough credits to purchase it. So, she browsed for a while until she spied a plush terry cloth bathrobe in a warm, rustic brown. Seven caressed the soft fabric, envisioning it draped around his broad frame; his hair tousled, his soft lips curled into a silly smile; the cloth around her as he holds her against his warm body. It was just his size and within her price-range. She was sold!
Seven quickly snagged the garment off its hanger and searched for a check-out counter. When she found one, she took her place in a very long line of customers. Each one seemed to take several minutes to process. As she waited her turn, Seven passed the time by pondering over all the things she had observed, thinking how disjointed all these holiday traditions seemed to be. Santa Clause. Charities. Pagan traditions. Religious beliefs. How such varied traditions could all be part of the same holiday observance was simply beyond logic. Chakotay had told her many times to not try and analyze every aspect of life because some things just aren't going to make sense no matter how hard we try. Perhaps Christmas fell into that category.
Soon, Seven had only two customers between herself and check-out. The one right in front of her was a very young girl holding a soft lilac sweater with ruffled cuffs and collar and yarn daisies sewn into it. The child was rather fidgety, as if she were in a hurry.
As the girl took her turn at checkout, Seven stood impatiently, arms folded, foot tapping, paying very little attention to the transaction in front of her, tired and wanting to hurry home.
"But, I need it for my mom!" the girl cried, bringing Seven out of her thoughts.
"Can your dad help pay for it?" the cashier asked.
"No!" said the girl as she dissolved into tears.
"Well, maybe if you save up for it, you can get it for her later. I'm sure she'll..."
"You don't understand!" the girl sobbed. "The doctor said she might not make it through the night!"
All eyes were now riveted on the young girl. Seven didn't need any more information to understand what was going on here. The child's mother was terminally ill and quite possibly in the hospital across the street. The child wanted to buy her one last gift before she passed, but didn't have enough credits to purchase it.
As the cashier tried to console the girl while delicately trying to explain to her why she couldn't let her take the sweater with the few credits she had, Seven found herself looking between the child in front of her and the bathrobe she had clutched in her arms. She wanted so much to buy it for Chakotay, but, if she helped the girl with her purchase, she wouldn't have enough to pay for the robe. Still, Seven was sure she wouldn't be able to forgive herself if she did nothing. With that thought, her decision was made.
"I'll purchase the garment for her," Seven announced as she put the robe on the counter, pulled out her ISO-linear chip, and handed it to the cashier, who nodded and began the transaction.
"Ma'am," the cashier addressed Seven, "if you pay for this sweater, you won't have enough for your own purchase."
"I'm aware of that," Seven told her. "Now, please, continue."
The cashier nodded in understanding as she finished tendering the purchase and handed the chip back to Seven. She then pulled out a bag and began to fold the sweater to pack it before Seven abruptly snatched it from her. "There isn't time!" she exclaimed before noticing that her outburst had just startled the people around her, including the girl. Realizing that she was overreacting, Seven took a deep breath to calm herself and kindly handed the sweater to the girl, who tentatively took it and stared at it, wide-eyed, before looking back up at Seven. "Go," Seven told her gently. "Hurry." Overwhelmed and speechless, the child backed away and dashed out of the store.
By the time Chakotay arrived home, Seven was already in her alcove. He wanted to speak with her about his visit with his friend, but, he decided not to disturb her regeneration cycle and settle in for the night himself. It would keep.
The following morning he woke up to a sweet fragrance wafting from the kitchen and the sound of his wife preparing breakfast. Chakotay always loved when Seven prepared a meal from scratch, especially after having spent so many years in the delta quadrant eating rations and replicated food... and Neelix's home cooking, which was an adventure in itself.
Chakotay rose out of bed and headed for the kitchen and- sure enough- Seven was busy making what appeared to be a choice of strawberry and blueberry pancakes. "Good morning," he greeted. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart," he said as he approached her and kissed her gently on the cheek.
"Morning," she said noncommittally, only glancing at him, reluctant to face him.
Chakotay began to affectionately stroke her back, but felt her tense under his touch. "Is there something wrong, honey?" he asked. She only shook her head in answer, but he wasn't convinced. So, he reached in front of her, turned off the burner, and took her by the hand as she gave him a sharp look. "Let's talk," he told her as he led her to the couch and sat her down with him. "It's Christmas, Seven," he began. "If there's something bothering you, let's talk about it now and get it out of the way so we can enjoy our day."
Seven took a few deep breaths in an attempt to keep her composure, but, when she finally spoke, her voice was shaky and the tears she was holding back began to trickle down her cheeks. "I do not have a gift for you," she said. He looked at her, wide eyed but not angry as she continued. "I went to the shopping mall last night to buy a gift for you, but, there was a young girl who's mother was dying. She didn't have enough credits to buy a gift for her, so, I gave her my credits to purchase it for her and didn't have enough left for your gift. I'm sorry if I disappointed you."
Chakotay kept staring at her for a moment as Seven studied his face, unsure what to expect in response. But, to her surprise, he burst into laughter so abruptly it actually startled her. "What do you find so amusing?" she demanded as she wiped her face.
"I'm sorry, Seven," he answered as he managed to compose himself. "It's just... you know that friend I visited last night?" She nodded. "Well, he had recently lost his job and didn't have enough for the rent this month. So, I gave him the credits I was going to use for your gift to help him out or he would've had to move out of his apartment next week. I wanted to let you know about it last night, but, by the time I got home, you were already regenerating. But, I figured you'd understand."
After staring at her husband in incredulous disbelief, Seven, too, found herself laughing, if only for a moment, at the shear irony of it all. "Of course I understand, it's just that... it was just so illogical."
"Why?" Chakotay asked.
"Because the child's mother won't live long enough to enjoy her gift."
"Probably not," he said as he pulled her closer to him. "But, because of what you did, she'll leave this life knowing that someone cared enough to help." She looked up at him thoughtfully as he continued. "That's what I've always loved about you, Seven. You've always put others first, even if it meant sacrificing something. Just knowing you were willing to make a sacrifice to help a stranger in need is the best gift I could ever hope for." He caressed her tear stained cheek lovingly. "Thank you," he said as he kissed her tenderly.
"Now," he said, leaning back with a slap of his knees. "How 'bout you go finish making breakfast while I get dressed, and then we can take a walk in the park after we eat. Sound good?"
They stood together. She pulled him close, smiling sweetly. "Sounds perfect."
But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.
(The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry)