The tree above I took myself when I went to Universal Studios
I wish you a merry Christmas
I wish you a merry Christmas
I wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year
Good tidings I bring to you and your kin
I wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year’
See you back here for a flash on December 26th
It was funny to be stuck on a planet doing diplomatic negotiations on Christmas. Not to mention the three-year anniversary of when he had asked his now husband to marry him during a crew performance of the Twelve Days of Christmas. He smiled faintly remembering Spock dressed as a piper while he presented the Vulcan with a golden ring.
They had bonded and married a month later, but still Jim would rather be spending the holiday with his husband, family, and friends rather than fighting off the advances of a planetary inhabitant who couldn’t or wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Jim had just resigned himself to go back into a conference when a male from the planet approached him.
“Captain Kirk?”
“Yeah?”
“Lieutenant Uhura from your ship has contacted us and advised that you are required to return for an urgent situation.”
Jim nodded, all business, as he retrieved his communicator. “I’ll be in touch. Enterprise, energize.”
He stepped off the transported immediately.
“What’s the emerg—”
Standing there in the transporter room was Spock dressed in his dress uniform, holding a rose. Around his neck was a wreath with a big red bow.
“Merry Christmas and Happy Anniversary, Jim.”
Jim laughed. “Well, hell. There’s no emergency?”
“Only for you to spend the evening with me, having dinner, and then later celebrating with our friends.”
Jim rushed at him then, thoroughly kissing him. “Thank you. You always know just what I need.”
“It is the bond,” Spock murmured, kissing Jim back.
“No, it’s just you.” Jim hugged him. “I sure hope you’re my present because I have intentions of unwrapping you.”
You’d be surprised how hard it is to find a free picture of an Ugly Christmas sweater without people in it. Impossible. I settled for a hand but I am not satisfied
Leonard was a typical bad patient. He knew he was. But he wasn’t supposed to be in the hospital being treated. He was supposed to treating them.
Then to be in the hospital on what was both Christmas Eve and the sixth day of Hanukkah, well, he was even more annoyed than usual.
He was in the middle of eating a tasteless meal of boiled chicken and baked broccoli. Okay, he guessed it was supposed to be the other way around. Whatever. It was nasty.
And in strolled Kirk. Jim.
Jim was dressed casually in jeans and an ugly Christmas sweater. He carried a poinsettia in a pot, which Leonard guessed was supposed to be for him. His mood soured more.
“What the hell are you bringing me that for?”
Jim, smiling warmly, put the plant on a table on the other side of Leonard’s hospital bed. He seemed, as usual, unfazed by his friend’s ill humor. They’d been pretty much like that their entire lives. Well since meeting like two hundred years or so ago.
“Merry Christmas.” Jim reached into the pocket of his pants and produced a paper bag which he placed on the table by Leonard’s unappetizing meal. “Happy Hanukkah.”
“What’s that?”
“A jelly donut.”
“Thank God.” Leonard grabbed the bag and tore into it, retrieving the oozing fried monstrosity. He took a large bite. “It’s good.”
“Chew, don’t talk with your mouth full.” Jim pulled up a chair and straddled it with the back of the chair toward Leonard. He dangled his arms over it. “Don’t think I’ve ever seen gray chicken, even on the Enterprise.”
“Thanks for this. But not the plant.”
“You don’t like poinsettias?”
“I do. But it implies I’m stuck here when I want to get out.”
Jim sighed. “Hate to break it to you, Bones, but you are. Your doctor’s talking about letting you out maybe a couple days after Christmas.”
“That’s outrageous.”
“You had a myocardial infarction. They want to be careful.”
“Just a tiny one.”
Jim snorted. “There’s no such thing as a tiny heart attack. Not to me anyway. You scared the crap out of me.”
Leonard sighed and nodded. “Sorry about that, kid.”
“Not a kid anymore, Bones. None of us are. I had to clear that sufganiyah.”
“I know. It just stinks being here. And why are you here anyway? Shouldn’t you be with your husband?”
Jim smiled and Leonard knew why. He smiled every time someone called Spock his husband. They’d been bonded close to five years now, but Jim seemed to never get over that they were.
“We’re having dinner with our parents when I leave here.”
“I’ll never get over Sarek and Winona being a thing.”
Jim laughed. “It works for them. For now anyway. I think Spock’s vaguely disapproving but whatever. They seem happy and Sarek’s mentioned bonding.”
“So that’ll make Sarek your father-in-law and your stepfather.”
“Something like that.” Jim rose and moved closer to Bones and took his hand. “Hey, don’t scare me like that.”
“I know, I know,” Leonard grumbled. “I’ll take better care of myself.”
“You do that. And I have a big surprise for you, so don’t freak out.”
“Another poinsettia?”
“Better than that.” Jim bent down and kissed Bones’ forehead. “He’s ready,” he called out.
The door to Leonard’s room opened and a young teenaged girl rushed in.
“Daddy!”
“Joanna,” Leonard whispered.
Jim smiled down at him. “Merry Christmas, Bones.”
And as his daughter threw her arms around him, Leonard saw Jim depart with a wave.
I am aging Vanik here to be around 10 or 11 (it may not work with them being in the Academy still but who cares, right?)
“Dashing through the snow, on a one horse open sleigh.”
Vanik froze as he heard the hearty singing, his heart leaping happily in his side for a moment.
Jim!
But as Vanik rounded the corner of the hallway of the apartment building floor where his Uncle Spock’s apartment was situated, Jim’s name on his lips, his hope dashed along with the sleigh in the snow.
It was not Jim singing Jingle Bells but rather a delivery man knocking on old Mrs. Miniver’s door. As Vanik watched, she opened the door and received a big box of chocolates with a gold bow from the man.
“Oh my,” she exclaimed, happily. “This will be from my grandson.”
Shortly after this exchange, she closed her apartment door and the delivery man got on the elevator to depart.
Vanik could barely tamp down his disappointment.
Jim and Spock were fighting again and Jim had taken off. Again.
Last time Jim had done this, he had gone all the way to Riverside and Vanik had followed him in order to make sure Spock hadn’t lost the best thing that ever happened to them…him. Best thing that had ever happened to Spock. But…Vanik didn’t dare go to Riverside this time, if that’s where Jim had gone. Though initially he had believed he had escaped the ire of his parents, once he returned to San Francisco, Vanik had been put on restriction for weeks.
So his new plan was to go to his uncle and ask him to be the bigger Vulcan and apologize to Jim. Vanik knew that Jim could be, as Uncle Spock and his own Father, Sybok, said, “a hot head”, however, now was not the time to fight over who was in the wrong. The important thing was getting Vanik’s favorite Uncle by marriage where he belonged.
Vanik marched over to the door of Spock’s apartment and knocked on the door.
It took ages but finally Spock answered the door, peering out through a thin slit.
“Uncle Spock—”
“Not now, Vanik.”
Through the small opening, he could see that Spock’s hair looked messy and he wore only a bathrobe with no shirt.
“But—”
“It is not a good time.”
And then it occurred to Vanik. His uncle, his beloved relative, had cheated on Jim. Even now was cheating on him.
“This is unacceptable!” Vanik heard himself yell before he could stop himself. No wonder Jim had left Spock.
The door opened wider and Spock stared out at him.
“What?”
Vanik blinked uncertainly. This was well above his age range. This was adult problems he did not want to become involved in.
“I—:
“Bells on bob tail ring, making spirits bright…”
Eyes wide, Vanik’s heart leapt once more.
“Jim?”
And like a holiday miracle, Jim came out of the bedroom in Spock’s apartment, also wearing a bathrobe, his hair wet as though from a shower.
“Hey kiddo.”
“You are here!”
Jim glanced at Spock, smiling quizzically. Spock shrugged.
“I thought…I had been led to believe…that is, were you not fighting?”
“We made up,” Jim replied, his smile widening.
“I-I see. I am well pleased.” Vanik stepped back, feeling himself blush. He had been wrong about everything, clearly, and stepped into something a kid like him had no business stepping into. “I will be on my way now.”
“See you tomorrow for Christmas movies?”
“Yes,” Vanik replied. “That would be most welcome.” And for once, Vanik definitely did not wish to stick around.
I know this isn’t exactly Spock and Kirk but I couldn’t resist using it here.
“I’m going to have to speak to my father.”
Jim eyed his husband over his morning coffee. The truth was he was pretty sure Spock had been speaking for a while. It wasn’t that he was in the habit of ignoring his husband, but that morning he had something of a truly rotten hangover from the Hanukkah Party they’d attended the night before. Jim had quite enjoyed himself, eating and drinking everything in sight. But he was paying for both today. His head hurt like a bitch and he had some major indigestion.
When he’d complained about his stomach the night before he’d gotten a mini lecture about how he wasn’t as young as he once was and it was likely more and more foods would begin to upset his stomach.
He hated thinking about being old, but each time he looked in the mirror, his gray, thinning hair and poochy stomach left him no doubt what his future included.
“About?” Jim was proud of himself for getting that much out.
Truth was they’d just seen Sarek and Amanda, Spock’s parents, at that party they’d been to last night. It had been a very festive event with no extravagance spared by the Grayson family.
“He and my mother had a fight last night.”
Spock’s tone told him that he should know this. It was both disapproving and accusatory in that way Spock had of speaking that generally told Jim he had failed some major Vulcan test.
Jim wracked his brain trying to remember if he’d noticed tension at the party from Spock’s parents.
When he came up without a specific thing, he asked, “What did he do this time?”
He couldn’t imagine anyone really fighting with Amanda. Okay, sure, way back when on the Enterprise she did get a bit…difficult…and slap Spock but…Spock had logically convinced Jim to forgive her given the situation.
Normally she was a very kind woman and mother-in-law.
Fortunately, Spock was well aware of his father’s deficiencies with regard to sensitivity.
“He expressed his derision for the excessive festivity of the event.”
“It was a party,” Jim pointed out.
“As my mother also replied.” Spock finished his tea and got up to put his cup in the kitchen.
Jim shook his head. “Want me to come with you?”
“No. I think you would just…cause further aggravation.”
Jim leaned back in his chair. “I’ll try not to take offense at that.”
“None is meant. It is simply the situation. I suggest that you spend the day resting from you hangover and stomach upset. We are supposed to have my parents over for dinner tonight.”
“Think that’s still on?”
“That is the purpose of my visit to my father. I will return later to begin frying the latkes. Be warned Mother did indicate she might come early this afternoon to assist in preparing the Hanukkah food.”
Jim nodded. “Okay, I’ll take one of Bones’ hangover cures before then.”
Spock replied, “That would be wise.”
And then he was gone. Jim rose, got out a Hanukkah cookbook Bones had given them as a gift and began to peruse recipes.
Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate.
Would have been cuter had they had the same poses but cute nonetheless!
Tried to imply a bit that they are looking for McCoy ala City on the Edge of Forever here.
“That is one giant tree,” Jim remarked as he stopped in Rockefeller Center to look up toward the giant Christmas tree. “I can’t even imagine how tall it is.”
Spock, who walked beside him, replied, “82 feet.”
Jim looked at him. “You know that from looking at it?”
“Negative. The brochure I was handed upon entering the area.”
Jim laughed. “Oh. Well if you’re going to read.”
Spock shrugged slightly. “It is an interesting tradition.”
“I figured we had to take a look while we were here anyway.” Jim glanced around at the crowd, and then moved closer to the ice skaters.
“Do you skate?”
“Nah. I mean I think I sorta remember my Gram taking me once when I was young. Just a kid. Little. Had to be as she died when I was eight or so. It wasn’t something I fell in love with.” He smiled at Spock. “I’m guessing they didn’t have much ice skating on Vulcan.”
“Certainly not.”
He put his hand on Spock’s arm. “I guess we should continue. This isn’t helping us locate Bones.”
“No,” Spock agreed. Then he covered Jim’s hand with his. “But we can linger here for a moment longer.”
“Yeah?” Jim moved his other hand to grasp Spock’s. They both wore gloves but somehow he could feel the warmth, the promise there.
Spock’s dark eyes warmed. “Yes, it is…nice here.”
Jim agreed and moved closer to Spock. They still had a lot to deal with, sure, but for the moment, he felt happy and at peace.
“It is crooked.”
Jim glared at the star on top the Christmas tree and then stood back to inspect it, hands on hips.
“No, it isn’t.”
Vanik sighed. “Yes. It is.”
Now he glared at the boy, but he moved to stand next to him so he could see what Vanik saw.
He screwed up his mouth as he looked at the tree topper from this way and that. “Nope, not crooked.”
“I believe we should get a third opinion.”
“Fine. Spock!”
Spock who had been sitting on the couch working silently on his PADD and doing his best to ignore Jim and Vanik as they decorated the freshly cut tree they’d carried into the apartment a short time ago.
“Hmm?”
“Come see if the star is crooked on the top of the tree.”
Spock gave a resigned and put upon sigh, put down his PADD and rose from the couch.
“I advised that I did not desire to be part of this unnecessary merriment.”
Jim looked at him and then lowered his voice, “And I advise you if you ever want to get lucky again, you’ll give your opinion.”
Spock cleared his throat. “Let me observe the tree.”
Vanik, arms folded across his chest, stared Spock down. “I am quite certain it is crooked.”
“Go and get a snowball cookie,” Jim told him.
Vanik shrugged, always willing to have a sweet, and left to fetch one in the kitchen.
Spock angled his head as he studied the tree, then he glanced sideways at Jim.
Jim frowned, already knowing what Spock was going to say. “It’s crooked, isn’t it?”
“A very small amount.”
“Aha!” Vanik crowed from the kitchen.
Spock stepped toward the tree, adjusted the star and stood back with Jim. “There, that is better.”
“Vanik, is it?”
The Vulcan boy came back to the tree. “Yes, that is better.”
Jim sighed inwardly. Two Vulcans to one Human. “Okay, thanks, Spock. You can go back to your oh so important task.”
Spock looked as though he was considering things. Then with a shrug, he said, “I suppose I could help decorate the tree for a time.”
Jim smiled. “Yeah?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Can we get a pizza?” Vanik asked, picking up a box of decorations.
“No!”
“Aweee. Fine.” Jim smiled and touched Spock’s fingers with his own, then winked.
https://www.landolakes.com/recipe/20055/snowball-cookies/https://www.landolakes.com/recipe/20055/snowball-cookies/
I couldn’t really find a satisfactory picture, so you get snow
Sort of a continuation of the one in November when Jim went outside when Sam arrived and Spock brought him his a coat
“Dinner is almost ready.”
Jim bit back an irritated, snarky ‘I’m not hungry’ and instead managed to grumble, “Okay.”
He thought his mom would go away then and leave him alone. But though she might not have been born a Kirk she somehow managed to get the Kirk stubbornness, nonetheless.
He was sitting on a raised log by the barn. As long as Jim could remember this same stupid log had been in the same place. It had been used as a sort of bench for decades. His mom sat beside him instead of going back into the house where it was warm and she belonged.
A short time ago he’d sent his frozen husband inside to get warm.
“You know it wouldn’t hurt you to try to get along with your brother. You’re both adults now.”
“I didn’t know turning eighteen made all the pain go away.”
“Jim.”
He sighed. “I’m trying.”
“Not very hard.”
He shot her a look. “What do you want from me?”
“What do you want from me? He’s my son too. What was I supposed to do? Tell him not to come? He’s hurting and he needs a place to stay right now. He’s going through some serious stuff. And what was I supposed to tell you? No, Jim, don’t come for the holidays, your brother will be here.”
“No. I don’t know. It’s just…every time I look at his stupid face I just want to punch him.”
“So punch him.”
Jim rolled his eyes. “I can’t punch him.”
“Sure you can. Maybe it’ll help.” She shrugged. “He might punch you back.”
“That’ll go over real well with Spock.”
“The Great Christmas Fight of Stardate 2266,” she cracked.
Jim laughed, he couldn’t help himself. And yeah she’d intended that. Moms were manipulative that way.
“Come on inside. I made all your favorites.”
“All of them?”
“Yep. And I have eggnog and…brandy.”
Jim smiled.
“And I’m pretty sure I saw Spock taking a bite of a chocolate bar.”
He rose from the log, grabbed her hand to pull her up, and put his arm around her. “Okay, Mother mine. Let’s go inside.”
“Thanks, honey.”
“I know. Merry Christmas.”
Spirk (with a small dose of Pinto) 