"Why are we doing this?" Burk asked, he looked Cruz's biscuits that were beautifully decorated. He looked back at his own and frowned as they were a hot mess. The team sat at a long table in Maria Cruz's Bakery, Cruz's sister had been kind in helping bake the biscuits for them. But she had left decorating to them as she had to attend to the shop's Christmas orders.
"For Charity." Danny said, as it was his idea to do this. Well, his idea had been to help set up decorations and scenery for the Winter festival. Kara reminded him with his busted shoulder, he had to do light duties. So, icing cookies was it.
It was not as easy as he thought it would be. It was actually hard as the cookies were so delicate, piping icing was an art. While he was trying to ice his cookies, he had to keep an eye on Frankie who had more of a tendency to eat his cookies and icing than allowing the two parties to come together and remain unconsumed.
Danny just hoped Frankie didn't tell on him to Kara. She was already stressed with being promoted to Captain. He didn't want to make her burden worse by being an inept Dad. He said he'd look after Frankie and give Debbie time off as they took her for granted. Danny made a mental note to try and make more of an effort to know his mother in law. As he had no idea what she did outside of caring for Frankie.
"Charity must be one good looking bird." Wolf said, he looked quite intense as he painstakingly piped perfect lines on a candy cane shaped cookie.
"Woman." Azima corrected him, she doused her cookies with sprinkles. Her idea of decorating was to smoother the cookie in icing and cover it completely with sprinkles and edible glitter.
"No, it's not for a woman- It's charity as in giving to the less fortunate." Danny explained but he wasn't even sure why he had to explain this to the team.
"Ok but shouldn't the girls be doing this?" Burk asked, everyone looked at him like he'd just stepped on a landmine.
"What are we? Chopped Liver?" Sasha asked as she and Azima looked at the men waiting for a response.
"You two are women, obviously. We were talking about you know, the non military women who have…" Burk paused as he needed a moment to think given he knew he was digging himself into an early grave. "More experience and creativity than us males... in cookie decorating." he finished. Sasha and Azima narrowed their eyes at him and said nothing which was worse than anything they could say.
"Nice save." Miller said with a grin. Burk looked to the women who wore expressions that said they were not impressed. But they let it go.
"So, how many of these do we have to decorate?" Sasha asked as she placed a beautifully iced cookie on the finished tray. Danny was envious as she seemed to be perfect at everything. She was just churning decorated cookies out as fast as Cruz. Their stations were clean while everyone else was covered in degrees of icing, edible glitter and sprinkles.
"Oh, you know about a hundred or so. Maria and I lost count after that number. Danny didn't give us a number." Cruz said as he kept icing his cookies like a champion decorator.
"We need more volunteers." Danny sighed, he didn't want to give up but he did feel like he was out of his depth. He wished he was with Tex building stalls.
"Why don't we enlist kids to do this? Like having a station for it, it's what we did at my town's winter festivals." Miller said, he had been regaling them on and off for the past hour with his past Christmases that Danny was wondering if Miller grew up in a Hallmark movie. His decorating was so-so but his youthful enthusiasm was enjoyable.
"Cause Danny wants to impress the missus with the prowess of his Christmas Spirit." Wolf told Miller who nodded as he took in the information.
"Missus?" Frankie asked for clarification.
"Your Mum." Wolf told him.
"Why don't you speak English?" Frankie asked him, everyone at the table snorted a laugh or chuckled.
"Cause I'm Australian. It's also rude to ask that question." Wolf told Frankie, the kid frowned at him as he ate some large sprinkles, Wolf looked to Danny, "How is Kara going?" Wolf asked.
"Great, when I see her." Danny replied with a smile.
"Promotions come with more hours and paperwork." Sasha remarked.
"Yeah, but also more pay." Miller said with a sigh.
"I told you not to spend all your paycheck on toys." Wolf said, they all knew Miller had sunk a lot of his paycheck into buying toys for the orphanage toy drive.
"Don't be a Grinch, it was for the kids. I have so many party invites I will be well-fed this season." Miller said defensively before he smiled and held up his cookie. "Look, I made a reindeer." he said, he showed them his artistry.
"Only 100 more to go." Burk told him, the table all sighed at the reminder except Miller, Cruz and Sasha who were annoyingly in their element.