A/N – Sorry for the delay in posting, but I've been ill. Anyway, there is another chapter between this chapter and the last. But I'm unable to post it on ffnet due to sexual content. If you want it, and you are of age, just email me. Thanks to Kate and Coconut Girl for the reviews. They are greatly appreciated and they encourage the muse.

Chapter Sixteen – Christmas Surprise!

Waking up had become an experience since they had become lovers. Hoshi insisted on sleeping outdoors, complaining the shuttle was too hot for her, especially now that she had her own personal heater. His argument that their camp wasn't secure even though they had recovered the phase pistol had fallen on deaf ears.

It had taken a few weeks and a few overnight trips to recover it. They had located the weapon a little over ten kilometers from their base campsite, finding it wedged in a deep pool similar to Hoshi's whirlpool. Thankfully, it had suffered no damage other than a depleted power cell. But that was easily remedied.

With the warm weather, Hoshi had planted a garden from the seed packs from the shuttle's survival pack. He'd never forget the day her first plant broke the surface of the soil. She'd jumped up and down excitedly and had fallen down weeping as soon as she had realized she had trampled the little seedling in her blissful euphoria of celebration.

During the nights, she was totally uninhibited, her passion for him rivaled by his for hers. Their days were occupied by the daily chores. Otherwise they would have spent their days pursuing each other.

The chickens were becoming skittish around them, finally realizing that, whenever the strangers that shared the river with them were around, their numbers were dwindling.

Hoshi had pleaded with Malcolm to grant the chickens a reprieve to see if the animals would settle down and go about their normal routines…like laying some eggs.

He had humored her begrudgingly, still concerned with her eating habits. He had taken to watching her every move. Old habit or new obsession, Malcolm couldn't tell.

She sighed next to him, stretching and yawning. She nuzzled her face into his shoulder, saying something unintelligible.

Smiling, he nudged her. His lover wasn't a morning person. "Good morning, luv."

"Humpf!" she mumbled, turning over and trying to go back to sleep.

"Don't be like that, Hoshi," he laughed, pinching her hip. "It's Christmas morning. I got you a present."

Her head shot up, her eyes bleary with lingering sleep. "What are you talking about? Has it finally happened? Have you finally lost it?"

Malcolm pinched her again and she yelped.

"So what did you get me? A fish? A chicken? An egg? Did you weave a basket? Do you have a special talent I'm unaware of? Although I do like your penchant for –"

Her words were lost in the passionate kiss Malcolm planted on her lips. Breathlessly, he pulled away, rolled over, and grabbed a small rectangular object wrapped in leaves. "Merry Christmas, Hoshi."

Looking at the gift, Hoshi smiled excitedly and tore open the makeshift wrapping. She clutched the present to her chest, the look in her eyes devious. "I love it. Thank you."

Malcolm grinned, offering his cheek for a kiss. He'd given her the last chocolate-covered granola bar from his last ration packet.

"I wish the entire bar was chocolate," she sighed wistfully.

"Why is that?" he asked softly, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

"If it were, I would melt it, pour it all over you and lick every last bit off. Then I would –"

Pinning her to the ground, he crushed her mouth under his and teased it open lovingly. Coming up for air, he nuzzled her cheek. "I've created a monster."

--

Stretching the kinks out of their mid-morning tryst, Malcolm smiled. His gift to himself was letting himself sleep in. Hoshi was already down at the river and he listened for the telltale sounds of her ritual morning bath.

She would squeak as she stepped into the frigid shallows, then moan as she reached the warm water of her pool. But today he hadn't heard any of those sounds.

"Hoshi?" he called.

There was no answer, only the sounds of disturbed chickens.

Jumping up, Malcolm ran down to the shore. She was nowhere in sight. "Hoshi!"

"I'm up here!" she shouted down at him from a perch high in a tree.

"What the hell are you doing?" he questioned irritably, watching as she scooted out on a branch toward a nest. "Get down. You're too high up."

"I'm trying to see if they have any eggs!" she retorted.

He couldn't look away if he wanted to. The chicken in the nest flapped its wings in warning. "Hoshi, don't! Back away! Get down!"

She scooted closer to the bird.

A loud crack signaled the branch giving way, and it was as if he was watching in slow motion as the branch and its occupants plummet to the ground.

Hoshi was groaning by the time he reached her. "You bloody little fool!" he yelled, his voice tinged with relief as she sat up. "You could've broken your neck. What a stupid, irresponsible stunt!"

"I was going to get you some eggs for Christmas," Hoshi replied with a groan, kneeling forward and rubbing her rump. Trying to smile bravely through her discomfort, she continued, "It's the thought that counts."

"Bugger the thought!" Malcolm ranted as he paced back and forth in front of her. "Do you realize what could have happened?"

As if expecting an answer, he stopped and knelt in front of her. "I should bend you over my knee and give you a good spanking." He grabbed her shoulders and shook her for emphasis.

Grinning, Hoshi licked her lips. "Oh! We haven't tried that yet."

She was incorrigible. That's why he loved her. The realization scared the shit out of him.

As if sensing his momentary weakness, Hoshi jumped up and raced into the river. "Last one in is a rotten egg!

He stared at her retreating backside. Bad puns and all, he loved this woman.

--

Hoshi sat pouting on the ledge in their pool. He hadn't followed her in like she'd hoped. Oh, well. Maybe it was for the best. She was sorer than hell from the fall, but she wasn't about to let on that she was hurting. And there weren't even any damn eggs in that nest!

Stupid chickens!

She watched Malcolm brood. He was angry with her. Thinking she could tease him into a better mood, she had tried goading him into the pool.

He aimed the phase pistol into the shallows and collected some fish. With quiet efficiency, he climbed onto the shore and walked back to the camp.

Sinking into the water, she let the warmth of it ease her growing discomfort. He must really be mad at her. Normally he was fawning over her like a mother hen if she so much as got a scratch. Now he was distant.

She broke the surface, gasping for breath. Maybe he was tired of her already. He'd been brooding ever since they had become lovers. Did he regret everything? Did he regret taking her as a lover?

So many things had happened to her since they'd landed. She'd had done things she never imagined. Her life was so different now, perhaps even better.

Although she was still squeamish about killing and cleaning the chickens, she had managed to get over her aversion to fish. She definitely wouldn't starve to death. She could identify which plants were poisonous and which ones were edible. Hell! She had even started cultivating the garden.

Most importantly, she'd fallen in love. Yes! She loved the stodgy, arrogant man who had made her life a living hell ever since he had stepped into it.

She loved Malcolm Reed!

She had even told him so. He just hadn't heard her because he was asleep.

Now here they were. It was Christmas morning and they were having their first fight since becoming lovers.

"Hoshi!"

An apologetic look on his face, Malcolm stood on the shore. "I'm sorry, luv. Mind if I join you?"

As he stepped toward the river, she moved into the current, smiling in welcome. Who was she to hold a grudge?

Going from the warmth of the pool to the cool middle current, a movement in the bushes on the shore behind Malcolm caught her eye. It was too big to be a chicken and Hoshi fearfully wondered if it was another of those bear-creatures.

Seeing her look of alarm, Malcolm had enough time to step back from the river and go for the phase pistol.

He wasn't quick enough.

Hoshi watched in horror as a beam of light streaked across the clearing, hitting him in his side.

"No!" she shrieked, fighting the current to get to Malcolm.

Water splashed in her face as it absorbed a phase blast intended for her. Someone was shooting at her! The shock of that realization made her freeze.

"What are you doing?" an angry, familiar voice exclaimed.

She saw Jon running toward Trip, who was aiming a pistol at her, and she felt a heavy thud in her chest. Malcolm had been right all along. In her anguish, she stumbled on the riverbed. This time the phase blast went over her shoulder.

Her frightened gaze lingered on Malcolm's prone from. Then she saw Jon running. She didn't know where he was running as she felt the tug of renewed panic.

She let the current carry her away.

--

TBC