Tom found himself bouncing along the corridor more like a toddler than the ten-year-old he was. "Tell me Kotay!"

"No."

"You ALWAYS do this."

"And YOU always jump up and down until you find out. Why do you think bouncing will help?"

"I'm excited! I want to know!"

"Would it still be a surprise if you knew?"

"No, but-" Tom stopped, thinking of an argument.

Chakotay laughed, "Two more corridors and you'll know."

"So it's in our quarters?"

"Well figured out genius." Chakotay said sarcastically.

"You do know it's too early for Christmas presents don't you? We've a whole four days to go. I haven't even GOT yours yet."

"Oh, I'm getting one am I?" Chakotay teased.

"Course. Why wouldn't you be?"

"Didn't think I was fully appreciated as your personal slave."

Tom giggled, "You're not my slave."

"Could've fooled me." Chakotay stopped outside their quarters and turned to Tom, "Wanna go in? Or shall we go to the holodeck instead?"

"KOTAY!"

Chakotay laughed, it was too easy to wind Tom up. He opened the door and watched Tom's eyes widen as he ran in. The twinkle in Tom's eyes brightened and his smile grew as he spun back around to face Chakotay, "Kotay, it's fantastic!" Tom threw his arms around Chakotay's waist, "There's something missing though."

"Oh?"

Tom looked up and nodded, "Yeah, decorations. All Christmas trees have decorations."

Chakotay pulled out two cardboard boxes, "Well, then I guess these I just happened to replicate will do just fine."

"Kotay, you're the best!" Tom said renewing his strong, loving hug. He loved Chakotay, he really did, Chakotay was the best friend anyone could ever have in Tom's eyes. Chakotay would comfort him, protect him, cuddle up with him, and think of the best ideas ever.

Chakotay grinned and set the boxes down next to the tree, "You want to rip them open, or shall we painstakingly undo them so we can put them all back in properly after?"

"Rip."

*** "Blue."

"White."

"Blue!"

"White!"

"BLUE!"

"WHITE!" Chakotay laughed.

"BLUE!"

"Fine, let's compromise, how about blue AND white?"

"Okay."

Chakotay lifted Tom up so he could string his blue lights around the top of the tree, carefully bypassing the star they had put on the very top. They'd had a problem in that they had forgotten the lights, so now they had to carefully avoid knocking off any of the multi-coloured, multi-shaped baubles as they added the lights. Tom then crawled under the tree, arranging Chakotay's white fairy lights around the bottom and up the middle of the tree. They stood back to admire their hard work, "Computer, activate outlet 9b." Chakotay ordered.

They were rewarded with a glistening, multi-coloured Christmas tree sparkling in the corner of their quarters. Chakotay smiled and pulled Tom, who giggled loudly, into his lap on the couch facing the tree, "Looks good doesn't it?"

Tom leant back against Chakotay, "Looks great." He paused, finding Chakotay's hand- still bigger than his, "Missing my T though."

"Your what?" Chakotay asked.

"My T. Back with my family we all had decorations made in the shape of our initials that we hung up." Tom snuggled into Chakotay's chest, "Mine was a glittery blue T shape. I kinda miss it, I mean Christmas wasn't that much fun at my house, but mom would always come around at Christmas. It was the only time she would ever visit me."

Chakotay hugged Tom, stroking his cheek gently and comfortingly. He glanced down into Tom's eyes- looking a bit teary "Hey, you okay honey?"

Tom nodded, "Mmm-hmm."

Chakotay grinned and squeezed Tom's shoulder, "Then go get ready for bed."

Tom slid off Chakotay's lap and headed for the bedroom.

*** I wandered over to my desk console and punched in a few buttons, wondering whether Tom was still as sentimental as his older self as he was now. Entering a detailed search of Tom's quarters I was rewarded with a find, and transported the object over to mine. The decoration appeared and I palmed it, heading back over to the couch.

Tom walked back in clad in shorts and T-shirt and climbed back onto the couch. I looped the golden thread around my finger and dangled the decoration in front of Tom. He beamed and grabbed at the T-shaped bauble, turning it in his hands, running his thumb around the shape, checking it was real. Tom looked up at me, "Where'd you get this?"

"Found it in your stuff." I said returning Tom's happy smile.

"I didn't know I'd brought this!" Tom dropped off the couch and headed over to the tree. He hung up the decoration and I watched him stand back to look at it. I wondered what was going through his head then, and doubted whether this had been a good idea or not. Sure, it was tradition, but it would no doubt invoke some loneliness in the small child and maybe it would just make him totally homesick and add to the confusion.

Tom turned around to me, walked over and I helped him up to hide in my lap. I held him in silence for a while letting him think, letting him sort his head out, letting him decide whether to change the subject or not. He sighed, "Thank you Kotay."

"Anytime buddy." I paused, "Are you okay? Want to talk about anything?"

Tom fiddled with the tassel on his sweater and looked up, "I'll be fine. I'm just a little confused."

"About what, honey?"

He emerged from his hiding place so he could look into my eyes, "I don't know really. I just. Kotay I remember all this stuff about my family, but I don't actually remember doing it. It's kinda weird."

"I know it is Tom. But I promise you it'll be better soon, you'll understand everything."

Tom let his head loll on my shoulder, "I hope so." He said quietly.

We sat in silence for a while, I stroking Tom's hair softly and Tom just thinking quietly. After the silence Tom looked up at me and gave me a small smile, "Merry Christmas Kotay."

"Merry Christmas honey." I paused, trying desperately to think of something festive to cheer Tom up, "Hey Tom. How about we hit Sandrine's?"

Tom sat up quickly and a huge smile spread across his face, "Yeah!"

*** Most of the crew were, surprisingly, really getting into the Christmas spirit over the next couple of days. Neelix, unsurprisingly, was competing with Tom over who could possibly get the most excited- the Mess Hall becoming various shades of silver, gold, red and green. Tom had swapped Sandrine's for a winter wonderland bar, ice rink and sled run. A Christmas tree had sprung up in the briefing room. I even spotted tinsel twirled around a few of the Jeffries' tubes pipelines. Being pretty new to the whole Christmas thing, I often found myself quizzing Kathryn on the festivities. Apparently it used to be a very celebrated tradition in old Earth days, most of the world getting together for the festivities. Kathryn says they used to celebrate it in her family and she can remember all the children going hyperactive, but apparently none of them as much as Tom. But I've come to expect exaggerated emotions from Tom Paris. All in all it sounds like it should be a pretty fun few days.

Tom really started bouncing on the day before Christmas, Christmas Eve I think it's called. He spent the morning with Neelix and Naomi explaining the basis of how Santa heads across the galaxy in his space sleigh, which was pulled by some sort of deer with transwarp capabilities and red noses. Then I got the whole motor-mouth sequence, which has been steadily increasing in intensity over the past few days, when I joined Tom after my shift.

We headed into the holodeck, which was still running Tom's winter- wonderland program. It was half covered bar, half ice rink and sledging hill.

Tom immediately did a full circle, gliding across the ice rink without skates. He slid over to a few people; querying whether they had received the cards he's spent all the day before writing and delivering. I grabbed a brightly coloured warm drink and sat down next to Kathryn who was nursing a hot chocolate.

"Hi Kathryn."

"Hello. Getting into the festive spirit?" She said, warming her hands on the drink.

"I'm beginning to resent Santa and all his associates."

Kathryn frowned, "His associates?"

"We've had elves, talking snow people, flying deer."

"Reindeer."

I frowned, "What?"

"The flying deer, they're called Reindeer." Kathryn smiled, sipping at her drink. "And the snow people? They're called snowmen."

I gave her a 'look', "Not you too. Is it only me who's never heard of this? I mean, no one in Starfleet Academy ever mentioned it. Except maybe a few got presents around this time, but no flying de.sorry REINDEER and no jolly Santa."

"They grow out of it after a while. Tom will too, I suppose. How is he?"

"Just about as hyperactive as it's possible to get, although he's still competing with elder Tom Paris when he was flying." I looked towards Tom who was throwing a snowball or two at Harry "He's definitely a lot happier than a few weeks ago."

"I've noticed the Tom Paris smirk has reappeared. Oh, thanks for the card by the way." Kathryn grinned.

"For the . I didn't send any cards."

Kathryn slid a card out of the white envelope on the table and opened it up. Clearing her throat theatrically she read, "Dear Kathy, have a great Christmas, lots of love and hugs Tom and Kotay."

My eyes grew wide, that was certainly not the way a first officer should sign his correspondence. I glanced towards Tom who was chatting with Harry, "Gods, do you think he put that on all of them?"

Kathryn smiled "Judging from the looks various people have shot you, I'd say yes."

I half-grinned half- blushed and turned to Tom who was now sledging down the hill, competing against, and beating, Harry. The little.

"Hey Tom, come over here a second."

Tom skidded to a halt, jumped off his sledge and headed over to me. He threw his gloves off and grabbed my drink, "Yeah?"

"You signed all the cards like this?" I gave Kathryn's card to Tom.

"Yeah. Why?" Tom asked looking at me with confused blue eyes.

"From me?"

"Well, you were working and I thought it would be easier if I did it for you." Tom looked up into my eyes, "You're not mad are you?"

Damn blue eyes.

"No, I'm not mad." I squeeze his shoulder, reassuring him. "Just how many people did you send them to?" I said trying hard not to grit my teeth.

Tom shrugged and stood up, "Most people on the ship. See you later." Tom took a final sip of my warm purple drink, pulled his gloves on and bounced back to his sledge.

Most people on the. Oh for Pete's.

I sighed, "At least he didn't put them from Tom, Kotay and Bugs."

Kathryn looked at me with laughing eyes, "So. do I change your personnel file to Commander Kotay?"

*** "Do you reckon he'll come Kotay?"

I tucked Tom in, perched on the end of the bed and answered his question for the millionth time, "Yes Tom, I think he'll come."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"But, are you sure you're sure?"

"Yes."

"Sure you're."

I laughed and put a finger to Tom's lips, "I'm certain that I'm sure that I'm positive he'll come. Okay? Now get some sleep Tom."

Tom smiled up at me and whispered, "I'm really excited Kotay. I can't WAIT."

I ruffled Tom's hair and stood up, "The quicker you sleep, the quicker it'll come. Night honey."

"Night Kotay." I managed to get to the door in the pause he gave me, "Are you sure he'll come Kotay?"

I laughed at him, "Yes Tom, I'm sure he'll come." He was leant up on his elbows, hugging Bugs in one hand and looking at me with the same excitement in his eyes as was present when the older him got assigned a shuttle mission, "Sleep." I ordered softly, "Computer; lights out."