A Very Vulcan Christmas - Part 2

A Very Vulcan Christmas

By: TLR

Rated G: General fun for all
Disclaimer: Enterprise is the property of UPN and (Scrooge) Paramount Pictures……
Summary: This story picks up just at the end of part 1. The Enterprise crew is a flurry with gift making, anticipating the upcoming week when all the presents are to be given out. No one is immune to this chaos, not even the usually well reserved Vulcan. She, more than most, was having a difficult time getting into this ritual, the captain deemed so necessary to build cohesiveness between the ship's complement. Through the process though, T'Pol was beginning to see the results her senior officer had hoped for. Productivity was up by 13%, squabbles between crew members were all but non existent, and the overall humor of the ship and its crew was less restless, more jovial, the Vulcan might dare say, even cheerful. Perhaps this program, like the concept of shore leave, was what Humans needed to survive the rigors of military life aboard a starship……Let's see how it will turn out……..T

Dec 10th, 2005

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Part 2

Later that evening, the science officer and the chief engineer stood toe to toe at the far corner of Engineering. The Vulcan worked steadily assembling transistors and filament cording with ball joints and metal scraps. Trip watched her in astonishment, unaware that T'Pol had such an extensive background in mechanics. Sure she helped with the occasional repair, but to build something so complex from scratch, hardly looking at the specs, made him wonder what else the alien was hiding from him.

"You seem to know your way around transistors--where'd you learn how to do this…?" Trip watched her creating with warp speed capability. "Did you do this as a hobby in school?"

"Vulcans don't have hobbies. I learned mechanical engineering during my first year of military service, although my father did teach me some basic computer technology before I entered my primary schooling." T'Pol never took her eyes off the piece. She held her hand out absently for the Human to give her the tools she needed. "Welding pen." She murmured and her assistant searched the table for the item. He slapped it into her hand with the skill of an operating room nurse.

"You started in Engineering?" Trip was impressed. On Starfleet vessels you had to have a minimum of 3 years training and 1 year of actual work experience to get into an engine room like this one.

"Of course…. All Vulcans start their military service in Engineering." She returned dryly making the Human feel like he was at the lowest rung of the ladder compared to her.

"Gee thanks…." Trip absently murmured, partly meaning for her to hear, but also realizing just how much educational difference there was between their two species. T'Pol picked up on his change in emotion.

"It is logical for crewmen to start in Engineering, because it is the most complex area of the ship. Also if there is an excess loss in Engineering personnel, when an emergency arises…Anyone on board could make the repairs." T'Pol this time looked up into the blond male's eyes. Her glance showed him there was no disrespect intended.

Ironically, the logic of her words was very clear. Trip often wondered if there was a massive explosion in the Engine room, would there be more than a handful of crewmen able to come down and keep Enterprise going. Every time the ship went into battle with a less than friendly species, that thought would creep into his mind. Now he knew, that Vulcans were thinking the same thing, even planned for it by changing the way they trained their crew. Trip, for once, was impressed by this species, who always deemed themselves superior. Perhaps in this way, they were.

T'Pol quickly attached the legs to the main part of the body, which housed the computer cell. The sensor squares the Vulcan was about to use, gave it an odd appearance, Trip was quick to change. "No wait……." The young engineer went over to a cabinet and pulled out two marble shaped discs. "Use these instead." He handed them over to the first officer.

She looked at them, then to Trip. He was right. These sensor chips did make a more realistic animal appeal. With a brief nod of thanks, T'Pol set about attaching them to the filament and assembling the head array. She completed this in a scant few minutes, again to the engineer's amazement.

Then came the furry piece she pulled from her pocket. T'Pol held out the material, part felt, part furry locks. She slipped it over the head array and positioned it so that the holes aligned with the circular sensor disks. The addition of this touch really brought the piece-mealed project to life, giving it a welcoming personality all its own.

"That's cute….Hoshi is gonna love this." Trip reached out to pet the fur atop its head. T'Pol then pulled out another piece of felt and lined the body of the automaton. She held the piece in place with some metal glue and wrapped the fringes of the cloth about its legs and long protruding tail. Trip just laughed further. The more the Vulcan did to this thing, the more he forgot it was scrap-metal.

"How ya gonna make it go?" Trip thought they were about to get to the really interesting part of the project.

"Pauts' Arrony" T'Pol stated sharply in Vulcan. The little toy sat down and immediately looked in the direction of the voice. Trip was beyond fascinated to spell bound.

"How'd ya do that?" He asked his eyes wild and voice sounding like a kid.

"I preprogrammed the brain cell to respond to voice commands. It is capable of over 150 functions and can understand at least 45 languages." T'Pol leaned back from the table, her arms folded in satisfaction at the success of her mission.

"So you told it to sit?" Trip leaned down and looked directly into the circular sensors, the eyes of the beast.

"No…I greeted it. The machine's programming requests it to sit and become ready for its next command."

"Can I try?.....I mean it understands English, doesn't it?" Trip was a bit too eager to play with Hoshi's toy. T'Pol nodded.

"Wag your tail…" Trip spoke forcefully as he'd seen T'Pol do earlier. The long felt wrapped tail wagged steadily to and fro in a rhythmic motion.

"Hey….that's neat. What else can it do?" Now Trip was ready to test drive this item.

T'Pol placed the pointer from her palm padd on the table beside the animal. She gave it an order in Klingon and watched as the little creature rose, took several coordinated steps and bent down. It picked up the item in its mouth and brought it back to the Vulcan without missing a beat, placing the long object into the woman's outstretched fingers.

"That's amazing……And you say it talks too?" Trip was now beside himself. Again T'Pol nodded… uttering something in Vulcan, she asked it to address the Engineer with a formal greeting.

"Good morning Commander…….. How may I assist you?" The mechanical voice was cute and crisp, sounding a lot like the read back function on his desk top computer. It had a more personable quality to it that the young man couldn't quite put his finger on. He chuckled hardily and found the tail of the automaton wagging in response to the noise.

"It's interactive?……T'Pol this is a fantastic gift for Hoshi….she will just love it…..I'm sure." The young man's eyes glimmered as he spoke. T'Pol wondered if this would be a gift idea for the Captain, who was still in quandary over what to give his best friend for his third and final present.

***

Finally the week began. All the flurry was about to pay off. Per the captain's rules, the first gift was to be given out today, followed by the second two days later and the third and final gift on Friday just before or at the evening Christmas celebration. As stated, the purpose of the secret Santa was to not let your person know who their Santa was until the third and final gift. This again perplexed the Vulcan, who wondered just how she was about to get her gifts to the communications officer without her knowing. The ship had visual recordings that could be easily accessed by both the communications and security stations. Getting Hoshi the gifts would prove more complicated than she thought. However our resident Vulcan had given it some deep consideration. She got up early that morning, wrapping the first gift in a small amount of fabric she acquired from Guss. On the ribbon she printed "To Hoshi…..From Secret Santa" in as even and unfeminine handwriting as possible.

Making her way to the bridge, T'Pol sat at her station, watching the skeleton crew of night shift mill about their duties. She turned to Crewman Ketler who was currently manning communications.

"Crewman, could you please get me the updated readings on Echo 1, I believe we have some sensor distortions" She asked and watched the red haired male rise and go to the sensor station at the back of the bridge.

T'Pol removed the package from the pile of items she carried in with her. She placed it on the edge of her console, out of the eye of the broad spectrum camera and bent down as if to get something she dropped. With her hand, T'Pol slipped the item further toward the communications console, as far as her arm would reach. Then bending the other way, again looking as if she dropped something, T'Pol used her foot to move the item to the outer edge of Hoshi's station.

Working quickly, T'Pol entered the main computer camera array and looked for recordings of the past few minutes. She deleted only the port view, the one in which it showed her moving the package along the console. After achieving that, T'Pol went to the back of the bridge and checked the crewmen's progress on Echo 1. She thanked him for his assistance, and took the data he recorded back to her quarters for further analysis, or so she told the young male. Exiting the bridge, she hoped her package would be safely delivered to its intended party.

Meanwhile, also up early was a very excited Commander Tucker. All this flurry of present making got him really into the Christmas spirit. The day before he delivered to Guss the two specialty pans he'd created for him in Engineering. The white haired male was thrilled with the results and happily exchanged them for Trip's two gifts for T'Pol. But first was the matter of her eating, and for this reason, the young Human found himself huddled over Chef, as he prepared the recipe that was marked as the first officer's favorite. Trip watched as the stoutly male in his white uniform and hat, stirred at the bright yellow orange mash in the pan.

"Doesn't look too appealing, you sure you're making it right?" Trip leaned over and whiffed at the goop.

"I made it just as they wrote it. The note attached said to use exact measurements and that is what I did Commander." Chef brought up the spoon from the pot and watched the yellow orange substance plop back onto the pile.

"I think I'll stick with my eggs and bacon…." Trip retorted, moving to a clean surface in the corner. He drew out a pen and began to write on a disposable napkin. "To Sub Commander T'Pol From your Secret Santa" The young engineer printed his letters with exact shapes and sizes, much unlike the chicken scratch he usually used on his reports. He smiled at the final appearance and handed it to the steward who was about to do the Commander's dirty work for him.

The young man pour from a pitcher, a thick blue green juice into a tall glass and set it on the tray.

"What is that?" Trip questioned him.

"It’s the fruit juice they sent over sir…..If you want I can prepare her some orange juice instead." The younger man came to attention.

"No…if that's what they drink, then…….It looks great…Just remember to serve her after I get to my seat." Trip took one last look over his handy work then left the galley. He positioned himself among the crewmen that were filing in for early breakfast, knowing that the Vulcan would be one of them. He grabbed a plate from the line and filled it quickly, then found some of his staff over in the corner and seated himself with them, having a good view of the remainder of the room.

T'Pol walked in and went slowly to the serving line. She picked up a bowl and waited her turn to get her usual plomeek broth… But when she got up to the serving area, there was no broth in sight. Nor was there anything vegetarian available for her to choose. She stood there in a quandary, wondering whether to speak with Chef or simply skip this meal altogether. Within seconds, the steward came out to address her as planned.

"SubCommander….The Chef wishes to express his apologies for his lateness. If you will have a seat, I will bring you your breakfast momentarily." The tall brown haired kid shook a bit when speaking to the alien. He waved his hand in the direction of an empty table and saw the first officer comply without hesitation.

Trip watched her seat herself, opening up the palm padd screen and reviewing its contents to pass the time efficiently. He smiled as he saw the steward return with the covered plate, and blue green juice on a tray. The young male quickly set the items before her, placing her silverware with the note side up beside the covered plate. The last thing to do was to uncover the plate, but he waited as ordered, for the alien to read the words on her napkin and give him an inquisitive stare. That was the cue the young male was waiting for. He reached down and took the lid off her bowl, then left without giving the Vulcan a chance to quiz him on the nature of this deviation.

T'Pol looked at the orange yellow mush and then at the tall glass of blue green juice. She picked up the glass and sniffed hesitantly at the aroma. Her eyebrow rose up under her bangs, eyes shifting in that way they did when she was intrigued about something. Slowly she sipped the liquid, finding it perfect in flavor and texture. She then went about examining her meal, picking through it with a spoon.

Trip watched, hiding his smile behind his coffee mug as the Vulcan tasted the thick lumpy substance. She sat back, the Human thought in disapproval at first, but then found it was in amazement, as the alien began to shovel in the substance at a pace that was twice that of normal.

(Food is for nourishment…..It should have no other function……my ass….) Trip thought to himself as he watched her continue eating heartily. He began to realize just how much the young woman had given up to serve aboard Enterprise and wondered if she ever regretted her decision. A strange satisfaction came over him knowing his first gift was received with overwhelming appreciation, at least by Vulcan standards.

***

Later that morning, the day shift filed onto the bridge. T'Pol took her spot at the science station with the communications officer following her to the comm. She watched as Hoshi took shift from the red haired crewman and wondered if the crewman would tell of the mysterious package that appeared just after the alien had left the bridge. To her relief, the young man said nothing and exited the bridge with a brief glance over to the Vulcan as he retreated. She nodded slightly, realizing this man's silence was by choice.

Hoshi sat down and began clearing her board for the start of shift. As she got to the last few relays, she came upon the package tucked neatly into the path of her hands. It wasn't where the Vulcan had left it, again telling T'Pol that crewman Ketler was being of assistance. She kept her eyes tight on her board, only allowing her peripheral vision to catch the reaction of the young Asian woman.

Hoshi pulled the package out from its hiding place. She smiled as she read the ribbon then looked about the bridge to see if she could tell who it was from. Everyone had eyes down, disinterested in her query. Quickly she loosened the ribbon and opened the material. Inside she found jagged pieces of candy bark, white in color with mysterious red and pink flecks throughout. She lifted a small piece to her nose and whiffed. It was exactly as she remembered, the strong smell of peppermint crossing her senses. Hoshi nibbled a small bit and felt the warm creaminess melt over her tongue, bringing back wonderful memories of her childhood.

T'Pol felt the waves of happiness cross her senses as the young woman continued to explore her gift. Usually such emanations were disruptive to her finely tuned senses, but this time the Vulcan found it strangely satisfying. It seemed illogical she would find pleasure in this borage of emotions on her mind. Perhaps it had to do with what the Captain hoped this program would accomplish. She already began to understand more about her fellow officer than she'd known before. Also about the crewmen she'd encountered along the way, which knew of her deception, yet kept her secret without question. T'Pol continued to ponder the illogic of this reaction throughout the remainder of her shift.

Meanwhile in engineering, Trip was having a dickens of a time with the port nacelle. It was not sequencing right, causing fluctuations in the antimatter stream that made the engineer very nervous. He had been working steadily since leaving the mess hall and hadn't been in his office yet. The Enterprise was on impulse during the repairs, and young Mr. Tucker had the warp drive off line for most of the morning. If his attempts at fixing it continued to fail in engineering, they would be forced to go into the catwalk for some more complex repairs and that would mean taking the heat level down quite a bit. Trip hated these problems, knowing how vulnerable it left the ship to any enemy passing by. He worked steadily, hoping each combination he'd try would be the one that worked. After three hours, the antimatter stream in the test cylinder seemed steady. He left his crew running a few more computer simulations and went into his office to finish his now cold coffee in peace.

On his desk stood a package, marked…..From Secret Santa. It was tall and rectangular, standing on its width. Trip tapped at it and found it just to be a lid. He lifted it to find a Frankenstein figurine standing before him. This meter high silicone replication was very lifelike. It had great detail, right down to the bolts on each side of its neck. Trip realized instantly it was a promotional piece from the late 20th century. But when the young engineer reached down to pick it up, the replica's arms went from its side, out in front, its eyes lighting up red and glowing. Trip fell back into his chair hard, startled by this move. The figurine then took a few stiff legged steps in the Human's direction before stopping at the edge of his desk.

"Son-of-a-bitch" Trip slurred his words now totally amazed at the little mechanical doll. He grinned ear to ear and leaned down to examine what was making this thing work. He saw the faint welding marks along the back of its painted clothing…….."T'Pol" he murmured and sat back again to see what else this toy would do. He heard it make a muffled groaning sound, and began to laugh at the realism she gave to the character. He wondered how she'd known, given the fact that T'Pol had yet to come to any movie nights since she came aboard. Trip remained there playing with his interactive monster for another 30 minutes then was called out to get the results of the last few computer simulations.

***
Lunchtime came. T'Pol and Tucker were asked to join the Captain in his private dining room for the meal. The captain sat at the head of the table, a soft bound book laying to the right of his napkin. Trip entered last carrying his new Frankenfriend along with him. He'd been to the galley again, checking to see what Chef had intended for the Vulcan's next meal. He was pleased to see the older male getting into the experience, and even more pleased to see him using one of the two new pans he'd fashioned for him, with great glee. He sat down at the table and placed the animated character beside his plate.

"What is that?" T'Pol asked with her usual dry wit.

"Oh this is a little friend I found on my desk…..I wonder who put him there."
Trip retorted putting his napkin into his lap. He looked at the Vulcan, while the captain watched with a muted smile.

"I would not know Commander… It is however the first day of secret Santa…Perhaps that was meant as one of your gifts." T'Pol sat straight and stiff, not yielding any clues to her subterfuge.

"Dah….. But I thought you had Hoshi." Trip watched as the automaton turned to look at him thinking it was a command.

"I did not deceive you Commander…." T'Pol returned almost offended by his accusation.

"Well…how do you explain this?" The engineer pointed to the active little creature.

"Maybe the Frankenstein fairy came to visit when you weren't looking." Archer interrupted to get the heat off his co-conspirator. Trip took the underlying order and turned his attention to the book lying at the Captain's right arm.

"What's that Captain?" he asked grabbing at a roll from the basket in front of him.

"It's my first secret Santa gift. A book on early sea battles of the 18th century. Enterprise is one of the ship's they wrote about. It's fascinating. I haven't been able to put it down all morning." The Captain patted the soft cover of the item.

"Well someone really knows how to push your buttons." Trip remarked as the stewards began bringing in the meal. They sat before the Captain and the Commander plates of pasta and meat sauce, but before the Vulcan they sat another bowl of thick liquid. This time it was brownish red and had a huge dollop of white soured cream.

"That doesn't look like your usual raw veggies SubCommander…..You think they got your order wrong?" Trip was quick to quip. "What is that?" He continued disgusted by its thick texture.

The Vulcan pulled up a small amount and whiffed at it. She wasn't quite sure at first, but after the aroma hit her senses, she knew exactly what it was.
"It is Fori'kol…. It is usually reserved for the sick and decrepit."

"What, you mean its medicine?" Trip worried the Chef prepared the wrong item.

"No… it is a Vulcan Vegetable Stew….." T'Pol brought a small portion to her lips and began to sip.

"Oh... it's comfort food." Trip returned starting to cut into the noodles with the side of his fork.

"Vulcans do not use food for comfort. Fori'kol is high in protein, calories and nutrients. It is meant to help replenish those lost by illness or diminished nutrition." T'Pol pulled up another small portion, this time with a smear of the cream a top it.

"Well that should do you some good." Trip retorted then quickly filled his mouth with a bite of pasta.

"Well do either of you know who your secret Santas are yet?" Archer decided to take this conversation to a whole different level.

"I thought the purpose was not to tell your secret Santa before the last gift." T'Pol was truly confused.

"Yeah , but you can take a guess…That's part of the fun." Trip thought a moment then decided to razz the Vulcan a bit more. "I think my secret Santa hasn't been truthful with me and they know I know who they are."
Trip looked over to T'Pol.

"How about you T'Pol…You have a clue?" Archer chuckled at the thought of Trip suspecting T'Pol instead of him.

"It is obvious that my secret Santa must be Chef. He has made it quite clear with his change in my menu…." T'Pol continued devouring her non comfort food at a more rapid rate.

Trip watched her eating so heartily at the vegetable stew. ( It's safe to say my person hasn't a clue…) he thought then went back to his plate of sausage lasagna.

***
Two days later, and the crew was all set for another round of gift giving. Hoshi completed her shift, walking a bit more depleted to her cabin than usual. She was anticipating finding another gift at her station, but when it wasn't there, her mood went from excited to depressed. She wondered if Malcolm had completed another gift. Deep inside the young woman felt Lt Reed had to be her secret Santa, after sharing with him that intimate conversation about her grandmother's candy. The Ensign even made her way over to his station several times throughout the shift, encouraging him to possibly make his move and leave her another gift. By the time the shift ended, she felt more upset than she had ever known.

Entering her cabin, the young woman didn't see the Vulcan and the Commander tailing her every move. Trip and T'Pol followed her from the bridge to make sure she was in her cabin for the second gift. They lay against the bulkhead, around the corner from her door. T'Pol held a scanner and was using it to search the area for any approaching crewmen that might give up the surprise. Meanwhile, Trip held the cute little doll that now had a bow around its neck that read 'To Hoshi, From Secret Santa'.

T'Pol reading the coast was clear, looked in the direction of her cohort. She nodded to him to put the item onto the deck plate. Trip did so, watching the sub-commander program a final order into the scanner she held. She aimed it at the creature, its eyes glowing as it inputted the data. The furry little machine then began taking quick steps around the corner and in the direction of the communications officer's door. When it reached the portal, it stopped and sat down as instructed. Trip leaned around the corner and watched the action with great glee.

T'Pol had noticed many of the crew using deception to hide their identity. For this purpose she brought the Commander. If Ensign Sato decided to review the tapes, she would only see the friendly face of the chief engineer, and not the science officer. Trip let the alien know when the automaton had reached its destination. "Okay" He whispered excitedly.

T'Pol pressed a few more buttons on the scanner she held. She found the frequency to the door bell and used a tone to activate it a single time. The Asian woman opened the portal, finding no one there. Trip watched then quickly jerked back when he saw her eyes panning in his direction.

Hoshi was about to close the door when a faint growling sound hit her highly sensitive ears. She looked down before her and found the cute bundle of fur covered spare parts. "How can I help?" The little machine asked in Klingon, its best interpretation of the language's many different sub contexts.

The Ensign was floored. She got down on her hands and knees and stared directly into the glowing red eyes of the creature. She asked it something in Klingon and it answered her directly. A smile broadened across her face. Her eyes were starting to tear and her breath caught in her chest. She picked up the soft fur covered item, and searched the halls for a face. There was a quick blur of movement coming from the far corner of the hallway, but no distinct face to put to it. However with her fine tuned ears the young woman heard the definite twang of a southern drawl that made her all the more curious.

"Hot Damnnnn" Trip exclaimed quietly to the alien, then both hustled out of the hallway before the younger woman could get there to investigate.

Hoshi moved back into her cabin with the marvelous little invention. She wondered how she could have been so wrong about her first guess. It was clear to her now that Trip had her name, and Malcolm obviously was helping him. The communications officer played with her new friend late into the evening, finding out all its wonderful abilities with every passing moment.

Trip left his co-conspirator at the turbo lift and headed back to his cabin. T'Pol on the other hand went directly to central stores to get some fresh uniforms. She had a habit of picking them up twice a week and dropping off the used items when she came. She carried the bundled clothing in a sac to her side and waited patiently at the window opening for Guss to attend to her. The white haired male approached her carrying a new pair of laser shears. The Vulcan knew this because the items still had a tag on them that read from his Secret Santa.

"It would appear, someone knows of your fondness for good quality equipment." T'Pol looked down at the item, knowing that part of the program was to encourage each crewman to express their feelings about the gifts given them.

"Yeah…. They are a beauty too. Cut through fabric like butter…." He handed the shears over to the alien for her appraisal.

"They look quite efficient…." T'Pol looked them over quickly then handed them back. She placed her bag of dirty uniforms onto the ledge and Guss removed it almost immediately. He went to the racks and grabbed 4 cleaned uniforms, a pair of boots and a medium wrapped parcel from the shelf. He moved back toward the young woman, handing her the items as if there was no difference in her order. T'Pol, however, looked at the parcel with great interest.

"I did not request this." She stated evenly.

"It's got your name on it Sub-Commander." Guss shrugged his shoulders then turned leaving the Vulcan at the window alone. He went deep into the racks making her further questioning impossible.

T'Pol looked at the package, turning it over and over until she saw the words, 'From Secret Santa' on the bottom. Not wishing to have Guss privy to what ever Chef had intended for her to have, T'Pol took the package and her clean clothes back to her quarters. She hung the uniforms up and placed the boots in their proper place. As was her usual, she wrapped a towel about her feet and slipped into her lounge wear. A top that, she dawned her heavy leather bound cloak.

At this point, T'Pol decided to open her gift. Unwrapping the package, expecting to find more food items, the alien was surprised by what she saw. Inside were a pair of soft shoes. Blue velvet in nature, with satin lining. Atop each was an accenting blue bow. She turned the items over and over again in her hands before attempting to wear them.

T'Pol removed the foot coverings she had and placed her feet into the fluffy soft foot ware. The satin lining soothed the soles of her feet, and made slipping the items on easier. They enveloped her lower appendages to the ankle and almost immediately the Vulcan could feel the waves of warmth hitting her skin. She sat back and marveled at this alien concept. These shoes were not meant for work, and yet made movement more convenient than the wrappings she wore before.

The science officer was not lost on the logic of the gift but wondered how Chef could have known of her dilemma. Given all the co-conspiracies that were forming due to this program, perhaps Chef hadn't been her secret Santa at all. It was most assuredly Guss. T'Pol went about her usual evening meditation. She then relaxed with a hard bound book from home, the elegant Vulcan symbols a welcome change to the short choppy style of the Human's writing.

The door chime sounded and she got up to answer it. Trip stood in the doorway, holding a palm padd with the daily roster loaded onto it. He greeted the science officer, noticing once more that she wore her heavy leather cloak about her shoulders.

"Evening Sub Commander…..I thought I'd better bring the roster by and get your approval." T'Pol waved him in and followed the young man to the desk area.

Trip waited patently for the alien to finish reviewing the data. He looked down absently and caught sight of the slippers she wore. They were a perfect fit, seeming as if they were part of her. He didn't comment, just tried to hold back the grin from his face long enough to get out of the room. He bid her good evening and waited until he got way down the passageway before he let out a whispered "Yessss!!!!"

In the Armory, Malcolm was just checking through his daily rosters as well. He reached into his desk to get a measuring tool and instead came across a small wrapped package, square and flat, no more than 4 cms in diameter. He saw the tiny print 'To Malcolm From your Secret Santa.' And a huge smile crossed his lips. The first present he got, a copy of his favorite childhood comic was a delightful change from the every day rigors of a starship. He spent many happy hours re reading the adventures of his childhood hero.

Now he held another piece of the puzzle. He was totally lost as to who could know so much about him. Reed's fingers slowly undid the wrappings to find a computer chip. The note attached called it a security one practice program, which intrigued the young Brit all the more. He loaded it into the practice station and found it was the newer version of the 'Expert Marksman', a program he'd been trying to get a hold of since they left space dock. He reset the phase pistol for practice mode and hit the button. Within seconds the young Englishman was lost in the battle against this expert nemesis. He would play for many hours until his arm could no longer hold up the weapon.

***

Trip stopped by sickbay, to let Phlox know how big a help he'd been with getting T'Pol's gifts right. It was Friday and by later today, everyone would know the truth about who had whom. He found the good doctor feeding his menagerie as always, but to a much brighter tune.

"Good morning Commander…..Lovely day isn't?" The rotund male was gleefully smiling.

"You must have had some great secret Santa presents." Trip retorted, knowing the doctor was always jovial, but never effervescent.

"I did Commander… I did indeed…" The Denobulan continued to drop long worm like creatures into the cages.

"Well….Whatcha get?" Trip was almost as excited as the alien.

"First off I got the most amazing material on ancient diseases of 16th century Earth…. Frankly I don't know how your species survived commander, when I think of all the known cures that your people didn't know about…." Trip raised his hand knowing how caught up in his work this strange man could get.

"That's great Doc, what else?" Trip wasn't much into hearing medical stories.

"Well…. I got these 'Lenosian Slugs.' They are great for most of my animals. I am treating them a little every other day to make them last." The good doctor held up another wormy creature and Trip watched as he dropped it into the cage. The steel box shook violently a moment, a screeching sound coming during the movement then all fell quiet again.

"Nice……" Trip was being sarcastic or queasy, he wasn't quite sure….

"Listen…I want to thank you for your help with T'Pol's gifts. I think I really got her things she could use and would appreciate." The Human went back to his original reason for coming.

"Glad to be of service Commander. I told you that with a little thought, you could find a way to meet this challenge head on. I take it T'Pol still doesn't know it's you, giving her these gifts?" Phlox continued to feed his brood.

"Nope…Hasn't got a clue…Last I heard, she thinks Chef is the culprit." Trip's smile grew. He heard the door open and saw the Captain enter sickbay.

"Feeling okay Commander?" Archer asked wondering why his Chief Engineer was in sickbay instead of the engine room.

"Just fine Cap'n….." Trip could sense his friend wanted to have some private time with the doctor. "Well Phlox… thanks again…." Trip raised a hand of greeting to Jon then exited the room. After the doors closed, Archer approached the wily older male.

"He got a clue?" The Captain asked as though he'd been in cahoots with the alien all along.

"None what so ever….. Using T'Pol was a brilliant idea to throw him off the track." The smile of the Denobulan was very satisfying.

"Well, it was good of you to come up with the idea… Also, about that figurine….. , tell your colleague thanks for his hard work. He must have gone to every antique shop in San Francisco to find that old piece." Archer laid a supportive hand upon the doctor's shoulder.

"My pleasure Captain….It is a good thing the Vulcan's decided to send that supply ship when they did….or else I don't know how we would have smuggled it aboard." Phlox went back to feeding his pets.

"Amen to that…..I wonder if Soval knew just how much help he was in our little Christmas project?" That came from Archer's lips with a definite chuckle which was returned by the doctor in kind.

Later that day before the evening celebration, Trip was getting ready to take his third and final present to the Sub commander. He primped and prodded at the bow, trying to get it as straight as possible. He thought it best, because of the intimacy of the gift, he deliver it in person to the alien's quarters. The young Human ran a last comb through his hair and straightened the line of his street ware outfit. After checking that all was appropriate, he left his quarters with the large box tucked neatly under his arm.

Making his way through the hallways, the Commander came across many others doing the same as he. There were crew men and women shuffling back and forth carrying packages and small bundles. Seeing this, why the young engineer felt out of place, he couldn't fathom. He came to the Vulcan's door and straightened himself one further time.

Trip reached out for the door bell, and was surprised when the alien simply bid him enter rather than open the door by hand. Somehow, he knew she could sense his uneasiness and didn't wish to have this meeting in the presence of others. Trip walked in as the door slid shut behind him. He came around the corner and found the commander in her uniform, but with one slight change. On her feet were the soft slippers he'd given her two days ago. They looked perfect, as if she could where them always and never want to take them off.

T'Pol's eyes fell to him, and then to the box he carried. She looked back at him questioningly.

"Surprise…." Trip responded holding out the box in her direction.

"You were my secret Santa, all along?" T'Pol seemed somewhat stunned.

"Yep… I thought since Vulcan's don't like big displays, I should give you your last gift before the dinner." He edged the box further in her direction. T'Pol took the item, her eyes never leaving the Human's face.

"I see you got the slippers…" Trip started feeling a bit uncomfortable by the close scrutiny.

"Yes….. they are an exceptionally good fit. Thank you." The Vulcan moved over to the desk top and laid the box upon it.

"And you liked your mother's recipes?" He asked wanting her to know just to what links he went to make her presents special.

"They were quite tasty Commander….Although I still don't know how you managed to procure them." T'Pol turned to him, forgetting the box for the moment.

"Well Soval had a hand in it." Trip grinned remembering that little piece of subterfuge.

"Ambassador Soval was in on your deception?" The young woman asked almost too astonished for words. Her eyebrows rose up beneath her bangs making the young Human begin to chuckle.

"Not exactly….I sorta told him you were ill….. He was really cooperative when he found out how much we were worried for your health though." Trip countered wondering what the Vulcan must be thinking he told her mentor about her condition.

Trip motioned to the box, lying forgotten on the desk. T'Pol turned to open it, lifting the lid from its brightly colored base. The box was full of tissue paper, and it took the young woman a few seconds to wade through it. She looked occasionally to the Human who was on pins and needles as to whether or not she would find it appealing.

Finally the blue velvet finish came into view. Much like the covering of the slippers, this garment was lush and warm to the touch. She pulled it from the box and let it unfold to its true length. Holding it out, T'Pol turned it round and round, appreciating the handy work this must have taken on the Human's part. Trip waited anxiously for her response then blurted.

"It's a robe….. I know the ship is colder than a Vulcan ship would be. I have seen you wearing your heavy over cloak on several occasions, so I thought this would be more comfortable for you. I had Guss make it…. He knew your size and the fact that it needed to be lined with Triaxian silk." Trip pointed at the opening of the garment.

T'Pol looked at the lining, which had up to now escaped her. It was true, what the Human said. The garment was elegantly designed and its interior was of the finest Triaxian silk. The sleeves were long and flared much like normal Vulcan fashion, and its line flaring out at the bottom for easier movement.

"It is beautiful Commander…..thank you." T'Pol searched for a response that would be more emotionally satisfying to this Human who had evidently put great thought into his gifts for her.

"Try it on…let's see if it fits." Trip was eager to see her wear the item.

T'Pol complied, slipping the garment over her uniform. It slid on as comfortably as the slippers had, drenching her body in warmth and silky smoothness. For any Vulcan, an almost emotional experience. The robe reached down to the floor, as was the tradition of any outer wear of their species. It lay loosely over the ribbons on her slippers, making Trip think Guss mismeasured on the length.

"If it's too long, I can have Guss take it up a smidge." Trip was now anxious to please.

"It is perfect Commander. All our outer wear must reach the floor to keep in the heat." T'Pol pulled the edges of the robe lusciously around her neck feeling its softness against her skin. "Again Commander….thank you for such considerate gifts."

Trip smiled, feeling an overwhelming sense of relief. He watched the alien enjoying her gift a moment longer than he meant to, but found it hard to take his eyes off of her. The robe softened her usually crisp appearance, and showed the less strict side of the woman, who by all standards was one of the most beautiful he'd ever seen.

He caught himself staring and went to change the subject. "You know… I could rig something up to heat the deck plates in your cabin if you'd like." Trip was stumbling over his words, which the Vulcan was quite aware of.

"That will be unnecessary Commander. Now that I have these items, I think I shall be quite comfortable with my quarters as they are, but thank you for your concern." T'Pol returned his look, not with as much intensity, but with an underlying sense of wonder all her own.

"Well then, I'll see you at the party?" Trip headed for the door. T'Pol nodded and watched the Human leave the room.

***

Later at the party, the truth about everyone was coming out. T'Pol presented Hoshi with a rare hardback copy of a text in an ancient Vulcan language, all but lost to the newer generations of her people. The gold tipped layers and tissue like pages made the young woman realize just how old and valuable it was.

Trip, after playing with his frankenfriend and spending hours over the specs of Vulcan design, found out that Archer had been the one pulling his strings. Sure it was T'Pol, Jon had made use of the young man's gullibility by enlisting the help of the science officer just to throw him off the tracks. His final gift was something they would both enjoy together. A bottle of fine Kentucky Bourbon, the vintage, a mere 10 years of age.

Malcolm, who had had a time playing with his comic and tactical simulations was surprised to find Hoshi was the one providing him with such neat toys. She too had gone the route of alcohol, finding the recipe and making a well liked English lager, one Trip told her Malcolm often ordered when in the 502 club.

Phlox enjoyed a scrumptious dinner of Denobulan delights, Chef having been kept busy by the crews various food requests. Travis was able to get the recipes from his second wife Feezel, who was still serving with the Interspecies Medical Exchange based on Tekendry III. It was luckily within the communication range of Echo 2, and Hoshi's assistance made it possible for his wife to even send some romantic images along with the information. That was a realization, the Boomer would not forget easily.

Travis on the other hand, having enjoyed his peanut brittle and subsequently his Thai noodles in a peanut sauce, now had a more lasting gift presented to him. An album made up of images sent to Phlox from his family aboard the Horizon. There were pictures of his parents, his brother, various friends the young Ensign grew up with and all were neatly package in a book form with a bit of binding assistance from our resident armory officer. His hobby of leather working as a child really came in handy for this project.

Archer, having already received the book of great battles, and footage of the finals between West Bridge and University of California Water Polo match, that happened just days earlier, (which was a real feet since the tapes were never released less than 3 months after the evident), was now being presented with his third and final gift. It was a replica of the NX-O1, in its earlier version. The one the Captain and A.G had used to prove to the Vulcan's that his father's warp design was able to work. The tears welled up in Archer's eyes, remembering the lengths he, A.G. and Trip had to go to, to give his father's dream a chance at becoming reality. The look on his face made Lt. Reed know he'd selected right for the man he often admired and was proud to serve under.

The evening wore on, crewmen coming and going as each took their turn relieving those who where on shift. Everyone aboard the Enterprise had a chance to relax and enjoy the holiday. T'Pol watched with great interest as the Captain's plan came to life. She admitted to herself, she didn't understand why, but this event really did seem to bring out the best in the Humans aboard. Perhaps the Vulcan High Command could study the phenomenon in greater detail for use in dealing with less agreeable species like the Andorians. She sipped at some punch brought to her by the Commander, enjoying the fruity tang it had as it went down her throat.

***

This brought the Subcommander back to the here and now. T'Pol sat at her desk, having left the party as it was wrapping up. She changed into her sleep ware and dawned the robe the Commander had given too her. The alien deemed it odd that the Human would go to such great lengths to fulfill her needs. His actions were more like a bondmate, than a ship mate. She sat there staring into his eyes on the screen, trying to get a true sense of what the Commander was feeling, to have done so much for her welfare. This would bewilder the Subcommander greatly over the next several weeks. But this time she handled the bewilderment in a more comfortable way, wrapped in her velvet robe and slippers.

The End.

*******************************************************************

Hope you enjoyed this little Christmas feast. Happy Holidays to everyone and I hope your celebrations are joyous ones. "A New Life will be out next week........T

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A whole mess of folks have made comments

Awww. Sweet. Makes me wanna go cuddle up in a comfy robe and slippers.

Oh, I really enjoyed that. Thanks so much for writing!!

After reading this story, I just have a big old smile on my face. Great job!

I enjoyed it very much. I'm sitting in front of the fire enjoying this story. Yeah I killed a tree so I could sit in the living room.

Oh this was sooo great! Perfect timing for the holidays and I liked how everyone really tried to get gifts unique to each giftee. Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!!! And live long and prosper.

Just wonderful, thankyou. What a great gift-giver you are!

Enjoyed it a lot.

I loved the idea of using Christmas on the Andorians by the Vulcans. That was just laugh out loud funny. Great story, it is really great.

Happy Holidays,
kendog52361

Thankyou so much! I checked for it last night but i went to bed early! :) merry christmas!

This was a "feel good" story. I enjoyed reading it very much. It was well written and not overly sweet in tone. Thank you and a merry christmas to you also.

Pretty! Well done! And now, I have to go to bed. :)

Aww So sweet. an such a lvely imiage at the end of T'pol all warm an snug in her warm slippers an robe.,,,,, That Ol Tucker boy sure dos get her gears turnin dont he. ;),,,, Perfect Lil Cristmas story.

oh for me so sweet! Merry X-mas to all!

This was sweet! A great story to bring someone in Christmas mood. I like your ideas for the gifts the crew members gave each other and the whole secret santa idea. - I pity my sis since she still has to find a secret santa gift for a class mate she hardly knows...

very cute, I wish i had a pet that could talk to me in Klingon. :)

Robe smobe. Warm the deck plates!!! :)

Robe smobe. Warm the deck plates!!! :)

Robe smobe. Warm the deck plates!!! :)