Disclaimer: We own none of this.
A/N: Time to find out what you get a Vulcan for Christmas... Should you ever need to know....
Chapter Three: Christmas Day
Trip pushed back his chair and sighed in contentment. That third portion of Christmas pudding had gone down well. He closed his eyes momentarily, listening to the lazy conversations of the others at the table.
"Not falling asleep I hope?" Lieutenant Reed asked.
"Naw, just savouring the moment." Trip opened a sleepy eye, sat up straight again and forced the other eye open. He saw that everyone else had finished too. Travis was glancing at the wrapped presents beneath the tree periodically, looking like a hopeful child.
"So is it time to open the presents then?" Trip looked over at the Captain expectantly.
"You want to pass them out?" Replied Archer. "You're nearest." The Captain didn't feel up to moving just yet, he really shouldn't have tried to keep pace with Trip in what had turned out to be a 'who can eat the most pudding' competition.
Trip groaned as he stood, hoping his uniform wouldn't split. He doled out the presents, carefully checking the label on each one before handing them out. The eagerness on Travis' face made almost everyone smile. T'Pol looked as cynical as ever.
"You first Captain." Hoshi announced politely. Everyone looked towards Archer in anticipation. Archer looked down on his package, an odd shaped parcel with blue wrapping paper. He grinned and peeled it open. It was a pooper-scooper, and it could only have come from one person.
"If that damn dog gets into my engine room once more.." Trip grinned. Everyone looked slightly bewildered. "Happy Christmas Jon." From somewhere, he produced a bottle of bourbon. Archer laughed heartily, and more or less everyone joined in.
"Go on then Hoshi. It was your idea. You next." Archer smiled at his communications officer.
Her parcel was a small, cuboid shaped one, wrapped in dark purple paper. She opened it to reveal a box. Inside was a silver charm bracelet, with a tiny star attached. She didn't know where to look as she said "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Malcolm replied, and then clapped his hand over his mouth. "Oops. Wasn't supposed to say that."
"Thank you." Hoshi repeated, looking straight at her friend this time and smiling coyly. She fastened the bracelet around her wrist and admired it. It really was pretty.
"I suggest ladies first again then perhaps?" Dr Phlox looked at T'Pol, "Well?"
Dubiously, T'Pol slid a fingernail underneath the wrapping paper on her present and started to pry it open. Reed and Trip both glanced conspicuously at Archer who avoided their gazes deliberately. Once more a small box was revealed. T'Pol opened it carefully, and almost looked surprised. Delicately she picked up the contents, holding the present up so everyone could see it. It was a silver chain, bearing a silver oval locket. As it span in the subdued light of the room, a small diamond glinted from its centre. Hoshi was sure T'Pol looked almost touched.
"What is it?" The eyebrow was raised questioningly.
Hoshi, sitting next to T'Pol, leaned over and released the clasp to open the locket. "It's a locket, you can keep something important or precious inside it. Usually it's a photograph of somebody close to you."
"A delightful gift, don't you think so Subcommander?" Inquired Dr Phlox.
"It is.. thoughtful." Replied T'Pol. "Thank you." She looked straight at Archer.
Trip chuckled to himself; there was no foolin' the Vulcan. "Maybe we better let Travis go next, the guy looks like he's gonna burst!"
Everyone looked at Travis, who had already got stuck in to the unwrapping of his gift. In two seconds flat they were dazzled by a bright flash, as a small round bauble rolled onto the table. The light then dimmed to a point in the glass sphere's centre as it stopped moving.
"Oh." Said Travis, "A paperweight." He sounded quite disappointed, but when he picked it up, the light inside it began to grow again. Intrigued, he shook it carefully. The light got brighter, sending out orange tendrils at random.
"Actually it's a star-glass. It reacts to movement by lighting up. It can get quite bright if you shake it too much, Ensign." Dr Phlox looked around smugly at the captivated looks on his comrades' faces. "But you may use it as a paperweight if you wish."
"Gee thanks Doc." Travis shook the bauble again, blinding everyone.
"Malcolm, do you want to go next?" Asked Archer when the sunspots had faded and he could see again.
"Yes sir."
The package was squishy and not particularly well wrapped. It fell open more than it was unwrapped by Reed, exposing a pair of particularly nasty novelty boxer shorts. They were black, but covered with garish yellow stars. Malcolm went an equally garish shade of red and glared at Trip accusingly.
"I know its not you, but you must have had a hand in it!"
Trip grinned impishly "Keep your shirt on Lieutenant! I didn't know he was gonna take me seriously!"
"I couldn't think of anything else!" Travis owned up, looking almost as embarrassed as Reed.
"Say thank you Malcolm." Hoshi prompted.
"Thank you. I think." It wouldn't have been so bad if T'Pol hadn't been there. The Vulcan was observing the proceedings with no idea how close she had come to receiving an equally embarrassing package.
Archer looked between the Doctor and Trip, the only two still with wrapped presents. "Any volunteers?"
"After you Doc." Replied Trip courteously.
"Thank you Commander." Phlox tucked into opening the gift with unforeseen relish. He was very much enjoying this insight into human culture. The red paper was ripped away to show an ordinary looking data pad. He switched it on, and read out the title. "An encyclopaedia of Earth's faunal species. How thoughtful." He proceeded to press buttons and ignore everybody; he was so fascinated with the gift.
Trip took this as a cue to begin opening his own present. It was a large, square-ish box wrapped in black metallic paper. He removed the paper, took off the lid, reached in and shouted "Ouch!"
"What? Something bite you?" Malcolm was still sore about the underwear.
"Actually, yeah." Trip tried again to extract his gift, this time looking what he was doing. It was a small cactus in a terracotta pot. The humans looked confused.
"It was the Captain's idea." T'Pol spoke up.
"It was?" Archer didn't remember.
"Yes. You suggested a potted plant, and I believe this plant is native to Commander Tucker's home."
"It sure is." Trip grinned, he was quite touched. The Vulcan had obviously thought about this a lot.
"And if it can survive in the desert, chances are it will be okay in your quarters Trip." Hoshi teased him.
Trip grinned again, placing the small pot on the table and sucking on his prickled finger like a five year old.
Archer stood, glass in hand. "May I propose a toast?"
Everyone reached for their glasses and stood to join their captain. Even the Doctor managed to put his pad down for five minutes.
"To a happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year!"
A/N: Thank you for your reviews, we wish you all a merry Christmas and hope to have more stories up in the New Year... : )
A/N: Time to find out what you get a Vulcan for Christmas... Should you ever need to know....
Chapter Three: Christmas Day
Trip pushed back his chair and sighed in contentment. That third portion of Christmas pudding had gone down well. He closed his eyes momentarily, listening to the lazy conversations of the others at the table.
"Not falling asleep I hope?" Lieutenant Reed asked.
"Naw, just savouring the moment." Trip opened a sleepy eye, sat up straight again and forced the other eye open. He saw that everyone else had finished too. Travis was glancing at the wrapped presents beneath the tree periodically, looking like a hopeful child.
"So is it time to open the presents then?" Trip looked over at the Captain expectantly.
"You want to pass them out?" Replied Archer. "You're nearest." The Captain didn't feel up to moving just yet, he really shouldn't have tried to keep pace with Trip in what had turned out to be a 'who can eat the most pudding' competition.
Trip groaned as he stood, hoping his uniform wouldn't split. He doled out the presents, carefully checking the label on each one before handing them out. The eagerness on Travis' face made almost everyone smile. T'Pol looked as cynical as ever.
"You first Captain." Hoshi announced politely. Everyone looked towards Archer in anticipation. Archer looked down on his package, an odd shaped parcel with blue wrapping paper. He grinned and peeled it open. It was a pooper-scooper, and it could only have come from one person.
"If that damn dog gets into my engine room once more.." Trip grinned. Everyone looked slightly bewildered. "Happy Christmas Jon." From somewhere, he produced a bottle of bourbon. Archer laughed heartily, and more or less everyone joined in.
"Go on then Hoshi. It was your idea. You next." Archer smiled at his communications officer.
Her parcel was a small, cuboid shaped one, wrapped in dark purple paper. She opened it to reveal a box. Inside was a silver charm bracelet, with a tiny star attached. She didn't know where to look as she said "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Malcolm replied, and then clapped his hand over his mouth. "Oops. Wasn't supposed to say that."
"Thank you." Hoshi repeated, looking straight at her friend this time and smiling coyly. She fastened the bracelet around her wrist and admired it. It really was pretty.
"I suggest ladies first again then perhaps?" Dr Phlox looked at T'Pol, "Well?"
Dubiously, T'Pol slid a fingernail underneath the wrapping paper on her present and started to pry it open. Reed and Trip both glanced conspicuously at Archer who avoided their gazes deliberately. Once more a small box was revealed. T'Pol opened it carefully, and almost looked surprised. Delicately she picked up the contents, holding the present up so everyone could see it. It was a silver chain, bearing a silver oval locket. As it span in the subdued light of the room, a small diamond glinted from its centre. Hoshi was sure T'Pol looked almost touched.
"What is it?" The eyebrow was raised questioningly.
Hoshi, sitting next to T'Pol, leaned over and released the clasp to open the locket. "It's a locket, you can keep something important or precious inside it. Usually it's a photograph of somebody close to you."
"A delightful gift, don't you think so Subcommander?" Inquired Dr Phlox.
"It is.. thoughtful." Replied T'Pol. "Thank you." She looked straight at Archer.
Trip chuckled to himself; there was no foolin' the Vulcan. "Maybe we better let Travis go next, the guy looks like he's gonna burst!"
Everyone looked at Travis, who had already got stuck in to the unwrapping of his gift. In two seconds flat they were dazzled by a bright flash, as a small round bauble rolled onto the table. The light then dimmed to a point in the glass sphere's centre as it stopped moving.
"Oh." Said Travis, "A paperweight." He sounded quite disappointed, but when he picked it up, the light inside it began to grow again. Intrigued, he shook it carefully. The light got brighter, sending out orange tendrils at random.
"Actually it's a star-glass. It reacts to movement by lighting up. It can get quite bright if you shake it too much, Ensign." Dr Phlox looked around smugly at the captivated looks on his comrades' faces. "But you may use it as a paperweight if you wish."
"Gee thanks Doc." Travis shook the bauble again, blinding everyone.
"Malcolm, do you want to go next?" Asked Archer when the sunspots had faded and he could see again.
"Yes sir."
The package was squishy and not particularly well wrapped. It fell open more than it was unwrapped by Reed, exposing a pair of particularly nasty novelty boxer shorts. They were black, but covered with garish yellow stars. Malcolm went an equally garish shade of red and glared at Trip accusingly.
"I know its not you, but you must have had a hand in it!"
Trip grinned impishly "Keep your shirt on Lieutenant! I didn't know he was gonna take me seriously!"
"I couldn't think of anything else!" Travis owned up, looking almost as embarrassed as Reed.
"Say thank you Malcolm." Hoshi prompted.
"Thank you. I think." It wouldn't have been so bad if T'Pol hadn't been there. The Vulcan was observing the proceedings with no idea how close she had come to receiving an equally embarrassing package.
Archer looked between the Doctor and Trip, the only two still with wrapped presents. "Any volunteers?"
"After you Doc." Replied Trip courteously.
"Thank you Commander." Phlox tucked into opening the gift with unforeseen relish. He was very much enjoying this insight into human culture. The red paper was ripped away to show an ordinary looking data pad. He switched it on, and read out the title. "An encyclopaedia of Earth's faunal species. How thoughtful." He proceeded to press buttons and ignore everybody; he was so fascinated with the gift.
Trip took this as a cue to begin opening his own present. It was a large, square-ish box wrapped in black metallic paper. He removed the paper, took off the lid, reached in and shouted "Ouch!"
"What? Something bite you?" Malcolm was still sore about the underwear.
"Actually, yeah." Trip tried again to extract his gift, this time looking what he was doing. It was a small cactus in a terracotta pot. The humans looked confused.
"It was the Captain's idea." T'Pol spoke up.
"It was?" Archer didn't remember.
"Yes. You suggested a potted plant, and I believe this plant is native to Commander Tucker's home."
"It sure is." Trip grinned, he was quite touched. The Vulcan had obviously thought about this a lot.
"And if it can survive in the desert, chances are it will be okay in your quarters Trip." Hoshi teased him.
Trip grinned again, placing the small pot on the table and sucking on his prickled finger like a five year old.
Archer stood, glass in hand. "May I propose a toast?"
Everyone reached for their glasses and stood to join their captain. Even the Doctor managed to put his pad down for five minutes.
"To a happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year!"
A/N: Thank you for your reviews, we wish you all a merry Christmas and hope to have more stories up in the New Year... : )