"Spock, c'mere a second." Captain Kirk motioned for Spock to follow him into one of the recreational rooms.
"Yes, Captain." Spock answered, suddenly realizing why the crew members had been acting so strange around him that day. It was his birthday. Spock often barely acknowledged the fact, because they didn't celebrate birthdays on Vulcan. It was the day that they were born- so what? But given his human mother, he would always receive some type of message or gift or even a visit. The last few years on the Enterprise, a small party had been thrown for him, but nothing much. Spock always felt honored every time, but of course, he didn't show any emotion. He also knew that Leonard would be there, and as usual try to get him to show feelings - and as usual fail - although, Spock had to admit that he did enjoy their verbal sparring matches...
Stepping through the door, Spock was greeted by a chorus of "Happy birthday!"s and a shower of confetti. Spock blinked, glitter stuck in his hair and eyebrows, which sent the party-goers into a laughing fit, but he made no attempt to wipe it away.
"Thank you," Spock addressed the guests. "I am honored." Only Jim, Leonard, Hikaru, Montgomery, Pavel, Nyota, and Christine- thank goodness they had kept it small this year.
"Oh, Spock, your parents called too! Here, you can speak to them now!" Uhura exclaimed, rushing over to the computer. As soon as she switched the device on, the face of Spock's mother, Amanda, filled the screen.
"Oh, my baby! Happy birthday! Oh, I love you so much!" Amanda blew Spock kisses with a huge smile on her face, to the amusement of the guests. Sarek appeared next to his wife.
"Amanda, you told me that you wouldn't embarrass him," Spock's father chided, but with a sparkle in his eye. "Happy birthday, my son. We've got to go."
"I loooooooove you!" Amanda squealed.
"Thank you, mother, father. Live long and prosper." Spock answered, and raised his hand in the Vulcan salute. So did Sarek, then the screen flickered out.
"The gift!" Hikaru suddenly exclaimed. Christine quickly retrieved a medium sized box from the table.
"Open it!" Montgomery told Spock, excitedly taking the box from Christine, and handing it to the First Officer.
"I'm sure you'll love it!" Pavel said, with vigorous nodding and giggling of the view. As Spock start untying the blue ribbon on the gold package, Leonard stifled a laugh, and Christine smiled mischievously. Spock quizzically raised an eyebrow at them, and took the lid off of the box. When he withdrew the object, his eyebrow promptly flew into his hairline. The party guests roared with laughter, gasping and slapping their knees.
The object was a stuffed animal. Pink, with giant sparkly eyes, and polka dots of every color, and smack in the center of it's head, a silver and gold horn.
"Captain... what is this?" Spock asked, lifting the object as if to examine it.
"Why, Mr. Spock, it's a Beanie Boo Unicorn! They are popular children's toys on Earth! Just look how cute it is! Why, look! It's name is Miss Sparkles!" Jim answered, and everyone collapsed again, gasping. Spock struggled to keep his face straight, confused. Children's toys?
"But, Captain, what is it good for?"
"It's for cuddling, of course!"
"Cuddling?" Spock's eyebrows were now both invisible, they were raised so far.
"We... thought that... you might... need... something to... cuddle... with!" Leonard managed to gasp between fits, trying to compose himself. Spock's friends finally managed to get themselves in control, snickering but managing not to laugh.
"I... do not understand," Spock arched an eyebrow, and that was all it took to send everyone to their knees once more, leaving Spock standing in the middle of the room with Miss Sparkles the pink unicorn Beanie Boo in his hands.
After the party was finally over, Spock returned to his quarters. He took a shower and watched the glitter from his hair slip down the drain with a strange emotion he didn't recognize. Then he set his present on the table and put on his meditation robe, and sat in the heat for a while, peacefully. Something nagged at him, and he opened his eyes, and saw the Beanie Boo he had set on the table. Spock picked up Miss Sparkles and placed her in his storage with all his clothes and other belongings, and returned to his meditation pad. Yet, he hesitated, stood up, took Miss Sparkles, and set the stuffed unicorn next to his pillow.
Then, with a queer sensation of peace, he fell asleep.
