This special one-shot takes place during the Christmas just before the five-year mission (December 2259) I hope you all enjoy it and I'll be going back to The Luna Paradox storyline very soon! Happy holidays everyone! 💝
Winter had always been Samsa's favourite time of year. The shorter days, the cosier nights, hot cocoa around the fire...but most of all, she adored the holiday season. Specifically, Christmas. For her, it was a time to be thankful for all the amazing people she had in her life.
That was part of the reason Samsa wanted to host a get-together on Christmas day. It was her last opportunity for a while since they were all setting off on the five-year mission in January. A fair few people were visiting family for the holidays, but she managed to finalise the guest list by the first week of December.
Jim, Spock, Nyota, Leonard, and Keenser would be coming. Mason had also decided to stay at the apartment for Christmas and Luna would be there too. As soon as the numbers were confirmed, Samsa couldn't resist organising a Secret Santa. A staff party gave her the chance to dish most of the names out. The last one remained in the box until she and Mason got home later in the evening.
Luna was still up when they arrived, sipping a large glass of red wine as she danced around the living area to a film on the T.V. She had a blanket draped around her shoulders like a shawl that billowed out when she spun to face them.
Samsa chuckled at the sight, glad to see her sister having fun and not drinking as heavily as she usually did. Only one empty wine bottle sat atop the coffee table. It was times like this when she could gradually see Luna's light returning.
Mason chuckled and hung his coat by the door. "You're watching Mamma Mia again?"
"I needed another dance with Tanya and Rosie." Luna paused the film just as Money, Money, Money came to an end and glided over. "How was the party?"
"It was great." Samsa rooted in her bag for the Secret Santa box and thrust it in Luna's direction.
She furrowed her eyebrows in response. "What?"
"You've got the last pick for Secret Santa."
"Oh. I...I didn't think that I-"
"I wasn't going to leave you out, Lu." She smiled as Luna plucked the final name from the box. "Are you still okay with having people over for Christmas?"
"Of course!" She didn't look at the paper, shoving it straight into her pocket instead. "Even if I wasn't, I can't really escape."
Samsa couldn't stop her gaze from falling on the security band secured around the brunette's ankle. House arrest had been far from easy, but every day brought her closer to release - closer to her behavioural modification on the Enterprise.
The blonde yawned and started making her way toward the bedrooms. Mason, however, flopped down on the sofa, burying himself amongst the mountain of cushions.
"Mind if I join you, Luna?" He asked.
"Only if you get up and dance with me when the songs come on, True."
Mason grinned. "I'll try my best."
"What about you, Sams?"
Samsa turned at her sister's offer and smiled. "I would but I can hear my bed calling my name. You two have fun."
When she was all settled in bed with her fluffy pyjamas on, Samsa shut her eyes and started to think about more ideas for Christmas day. She wanted, no needed all the food and arrangements to be perfect.
☆♡☆
After lots more wine and even more dancing, Luna bid Mason goodnight and headed to the spare room down the corridor. She had gradually made it her own over the past few months, with her unfinished tapestry hung up on the wall above the bed.
Luna went to take her jacket off but froze upon realising she still had the Secret Santa name in her pocket. Part of her didn't want to look. Another part of her was praying to the Founders that she either had Samsa or Mason. Anyone else would be a nightmare.
𝑆𝑝𝑜𝑐𝑘
Luna stared at the name scribbled on the small piece of paper and went through all five stages of grief at once. Why, of all the people Samsa was friends with, did she have to get Spock? She barely knew the Vulcan, let alone what he wanted for Christmas. What did Vulcans even think of Christmas?
The Sanguine groaned and dragged herself to the window ledge for a smoke. She needed a cigarette now more than ever. At least she had the best part of three weeks to think of a gift idea. Even worse: the rules of Secret Santa banned her from asking the others for advice. She was on her own.
In truth, Luna was partially dreading Christmas day. It had been a long, long time since she spent it with a big group of people. But it meant a lot to Samsa. That's what mattered. The family she had found for herself was something to be treasured and celebrated.
Luna took a long drag of her cigarette and sighed heavily, releasing a stream of smoke out the window. Maybe Spock liked chocolate? Most humans did, so maybe he carried that trait too? If in doubt, chocolate was her backup plan. Knitting something for him was always an option but she was having a hard time picturing him in a Christmas jumper. It was safe to say more brainstorming was needed.
☆♡☆
A whole week passed...and Luna still hadn't found anything for Spock. There were ten days left. Settling for chocolate was starting to become more and more tempting.
They had chosen the fifteenth to decorate the apartment. Cardboard boxes full of decorations crowded the living area floor, spilling a mixture of tinsel and baubles all over the carpet. Mason was busy untangling a knotted bunch of Christmas lights while Samsa constructed the tree with her boyfriend's help.
Luna had considered asking the young Captain what present Spock might want. After all, he was one of the Vulcan's closest friends. However, she doubted she could be subtle enough.
"Christ," Mason said with a scoff. "Who put these away last time they were used?"
Luna hopped up from her spot on the floor where she had been making paper chains and plonked herself next to him. To say the lights were 'tangled' was an understatement. "I think these are past saving. Do you have any other ones, Sams?"
Samsa's head appeared through the branches of the Christmas tree. "There should be some in there." Since her other limbs were occupied, she used her foot to point in the direction of a box on the sofa.
It was packed with multi-coloured lights and various hanging ornaments, including an old nutcracker. He was in good condition, the only fault being his mouth hung open slightly, as if he were in a permanent state of shock. Luna recognised him straight away. "You still have Norman!"
"Norman?" Kirk echoed with a curious grin.
"Norman the nutcracker," Samsa said. "We bought him at the Union Square Holiday Market around this time in twenty-one-fifty-five."
Mason appeared at Luna's side, staring at the decoration in awe. "You mean, he's over a hundred years old?"
"Yeah, he looks much better than Samsa does for his age," Luna quipped. She glanced at her sister, smiling mischievously.
Samsa responded to the insult by sticking her tongue out. "He can go on top of the tree," she said.
Luna went to agree when there was an alert at the door. Samsa immediately dashed over, an excited skip accompanying each of her steps. It was a delivery on the other side: a rather large box. She thanked the courier and carried it into the kitchen, placing it on the breakfast bar while she fetched a pair of scissors.
"Is that your secret Santa stuff?" Mason asked. He had gone back to sorting the lights out.
"Should be," Samsa replied. "I'm going to check it's all there." She took the box back into her arms and headed towards the bedrooms.
"Wish I could be that organised," Kirk said.
Luna propped Norman up on the sofa and laughed. "Took the words right out of my mouth. It's safe to say I'm struggling with mine." Another understatement, she thought.
"You guys haven't got anything yet either?" Mason asked, looking between them both.
"Nope," Luna said, popping the 'p'.
"Oh, thank goodness. I thought I was the only one." He sighed in relief and got to his feet, taking the lights over to dress the tree. "If only we could just ask the person what they want."
"If only," Kirk echoed with a chuckle.
That was when the biggest light bulb known to mankind illuminated above Luna's head. How had she not thought of it before? She could easily ask Spock what he wanted for Christmas without breaking any Secret Santa rules.
The idea put Luna on cloud nine for the rest of the day. After a few hours of hard work, they eventually finished decorating the apartment. Only one job remained - putting Norman on the tree.
"You do the honours, Sams," Luna said, passing the nutcracker to her sister.
Samsa took him and frowned up at the tree. "I'm not sure I can reach to-" Her words were cut off by a yelp as Kirk ducked down and picked her up on his shoulders.
A lot of wobbling and giggling later, and Norman was in his rightful place. To celebrate, they ordered pizza and settled down to watch a Christmas film. Love Actually went on, making Luna feel more single than she had in a while.
Of course, it wasn't long before Samsa fell asleep on her boyfriend. It gave Luna the perfect opportunity to do what she needed to do. She discretely excused herself and slipped into Samsa's room to find her Datapad. As Luna expected, her sister had the communication frequency for New Vulcan. When she managed to find the right one, she took a breath and pressed the call button.
Sure enough, a picture began to form across the screen. When the pixels settled, Ambassador Spock became visible. The older Vulcan furrowed his raised eyebrows. "I was expecting to see Doctor Gillian."
"Sorry to disappoint," Luna said with a chuckle.
His frown vanished, replaced by a smile. "On the contrary, this is an unexpected pleasure."
"Well, that's a relief because I have a favour to ask."
"I see."
"So, Samsa wanted us to do Secret Santa for Christmas day and I picked your name out. Now, I know last time we spoke you said that we're meant to be best buds but I'm not quite there with you just yet, so would you mind giving..." Luna trailed off when laughter sounded over the line.
"You're asking me what you should get my younger self for Christmas," the Ambassador surmised, the smile never leaving his face.
It was contagious. Luna found herself chuckling. "When you put it like that, it just sounds like I'm cheating."
"Bending the rules in such a way is not always a bad thing."
"Does that mean you'll give me some ideas?" She chirped, hopefully.
"Of course, old friend."
Old friend. There it was again. Luna would never forget the first time he called her those words during the decision-making period of her trial. He had gone from a stranger to someone she felt she could trust implicitly in the space of seconds.
"I can think of several things you gifted me over the years, the first one being-"
"Shit, hold that thought. I need to write these down." Luna lunged at Samsa's desk and scrambled for any kind of writing utensil. She grabbed a pen and a block of post-it notes, finally ready. "Okay, hit me."
☆♡☆
Those ten days went very quickly. And before Luna knew it, she was being shaken awake by Mason on Christmas morning. He was like an excited puppy, continuously insisting she got out of bed. When she did eventually surface, it was clear why he had made such a fuss.
Her sister had been up since the crack of dawn doing all sorts of food preparation and baking. The kitchen smelt divine. Luna got there in time to see the final part of the roof go on the gingerbread house. Samsa had even made lots of gingerbread people to go with it. Classical Christmas music drifted through the speaker on the countertop, playing Last Christmas by 'Wham!'.
When Samsa noticed her, she hurried around the edge of the kitchen island and pulled her into a gentle hug. "Merry Christmas, Lu," she whispered, softly.
Luna tightened the hug. "Merry Christmas, Kiddo." Only when they pulled apart did she notice that Samsa and Mason were both wearing Christmas onesies. A reindeer and a snowman.
As if he read her mind, Mason grinned and pointed at the tree. "You've got one over there."
"I thought they'd be nice to wear today," Samsa said as she made her way back to her cooking station.
Luna retrieved the parcel from under the tree and opened it to find a fluffy penguin onesie. It easily fit over her pyjamas, and it wasn't long before she too was in the kitchen, helping Mason make a Christmas cocktail.
Samsa had placed a large box outside the front door for all the Secret Santa gifts to be placed in. Luna made sure to put hers in early on so she wouldn't forget. In truth, she was terrified. Ambassador Spock had insisted it was a good gift, and she had thanked him profusely for it, but there was still a slither of doubt in her head. This slither only grew as the guests started to arrive and the time for exchanging presents drew nearer.
Once they were all settled with drinks, it was time for Secret Santa. Luna added a generous amount of Vodka to her cocktail before joining the others in the living area. Her sister collected the box from outside and passed the presents out. Luna took a rather large gulp of her drink when Spock frowned at the oddly shaped parcel he was given.
Keenser opened his first: a Captain America costume from Samsa. It set the bar high for the other gifts since the little guy was so thrilled with his. He even posed for a photo to send to Scotty, who was spending Christmas with his Gran in Scotland.
Samsa received more film for her Polaroid camera and a beautiful photo frame set from Mason.
Mason was given a 'Best Teacher In The Galaxy' cup from his Captain to use when he started his new job aboard the Enterprise.
Kirk was delighted to open his very own first aid kit from Doctor McCoy. Apparently, the young Captain never attended his medical exams, so Luna thought it was a fitting gift.
Another fitting gift was given to McCoy - a huge bottle of Romulan Ale from Uhura - which he generously allowed everyone to have a glass of.
The present Uhura opened was from her boyfriend: a beautiful pair of dangling, teal-coloured earrings that matched the necklace she was wearing.
"Oh, Spock," she began, marvelling at the jewellery. "These are gorgeous!"
"I believe they should complement your amulet," the Vulcan replied.
Uhura smiled and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I love them. Thank you."
"Who knew the hobgoblin had it in him," McCoy said with a smirk.
Luna laughed but soon realised who was next in line to open their Secret Santa. She downed the rest of her Romulan Ale as Spock started to undo the wrapping. The process was rather slow since he wanted to avoid ripping the paper. It just made the whole thing more -
Spock flinched, his entire body going rigid when the contents became visible. Luna cringed and chewed the inside of her cheek. Ambassador Spock had said the Vulcan Lute was tuned on a diatonic scale and ready to play. It was a strange instrument: guitar-like but flatter, with twelve strings instead of six.
"Is it...is it okay?" Luna just about managed to ask the question even though she dreaded the answer.
Spock met her gaze. His lips parted but closed again. It was impossible to read the emotions behind his eyes.
"You've rendered him speechless," Kirk said, chuckling through the words.
McCoy laughed as well. "It's a Christmas miracle."
"I am simply trying to understand how Miss Gillian procured such an item." Spock lifted the lute into his arms, using the utmost amount of care. "These days, Vulcanian instruments are extremely hard to come across."
Luna took another long sip of her cocktail. At least he didn't sound disappointed. But there was something else peppering his tone. Something she couldn't quite place. "I just hope I got the right one."
Spock met her eyes again, and this time, a smile brightened his features. "It is perfect. Thank you, Miss Gillian."
Thank the damn Founders. Luna bowed her head and turned to her cocktail again, feeling buckets of relief. She caught Samsa grinning at her from the other sofa and her sister gave her a discreet thumbs up.
Luna had been so preoccupied with ensuring Spock liked his present that she had forgotten about her own. There was only one person it could be from. She looked up at Keenser and smiled when he clapped his hands excitedly. It was a beautiful leather bracelet with a concoction of emerald-coloured shells and silver beads woven into the fabric. Luna adored it and thanked Keenser profusely. Turns out, he had made the bracelet himself using materials from his home planet.
Shortly after Secret Santa, it was time for the big event: Samsa's Christmas Dinner. There was so much food. Too much in Luna's opinion. Her sister had spent a lot of time making sure everything was perfect. Turkey. Ham. Roasted vegetables. Mashed potato. Stuffing. Creamed spinach. Carrots. Sprouts. Cranberry relish. The list went on.
Luna could relax as they sat around the table to eat. She was surprised when they managed to demolish most of the feast between them. Then all the deserts came out. The gingerbread house and its occupants. Fruitcake. Cookies. Bourbon balls. All of this was topped off with Eggnog and mulled wine.
When everyone was finished, most returned to the sofas to recover from the huge meal. Samsa started clearing the table with help from Kirk, Mason and Uhura. After doing her bit, Luna slipped out onto the balcony for a smoke. She was glad the day had been a success. Not only for herself with Spock's present, but for Samsa too.
Luna lit her cigarette and took a long drag, blowing a plume of smoke into the cold, December air. The sun had just set, allowing the stars to come out. She leaned against the balcony railing, being careful to avoid the tinsel that Samsa had wrapped around it, and shut her eyes.
It wasn't long before the door opened behind her. Luna turned, expecting it to be her sister, but was surprised to see a familiar Vulcan. "Come to join me?" She asked.
"May I?"
"Of course."
Spock came to stand next to her with his hands tucked behind his back. "I wanted to apologise for my reaction earlier."
The brunette frowned. "Apologise?"
"I believe I seemed ungrateful for your gift. I assure you, that was not the case."
"You didn't seem ungrateful," Luna said with a shrug. "It probably wasn't what you were expecting to open."
"No." A momentary silence passed. "My mother used to play the lute to me when I was a child."
Now it was Luna's turn to flinch. She knew Spock lost his mother last year when Vulcan was destroyed. The last thing she had wanted to do was open old wounds. "I'm so sorry if I upset you or-"
"Please do not apologise. It..." Spock trailed off and recollected himself with a soft sigh. "I know you and I are not well acquainted, however, what you gifted me today is one of the most delightful presents I have ever had the pleasure of receiving."
A lump of tears clogged Luna's throat. She could feel her eyes glistening and dropped her gaze, taking a drag of her cigarette. "I can't take all the credit," she admitted.
"You cannot?"
Luna shook her head and laughed. "I may have had a teensy, weensy bit of help from...well, from you."
Spock looked extremely confused for the slightest of moments, but the penny soon dropped. "Ambassador Spock," he realised. Then, he laughed.
Such a lovely sound for Luna. Until today, he had barely cracked a smile in her presence. Now things felt...somewhat different. She joined in the laughter. "I thought you were going to scold me for cheating."
Spock's eyes flickered to the window looking inside, where Kirk was standing with Samsa in the kitchen. "Cheating is not always a bad thing," he said with a smile.
Luna grinned to herself. That was almost exactly what Ambassador Spock had said. She stubbed the end of her cigarette out and lit another one. "Are you going to give us a few tunes later then?"
"I am afraid I am quite out of practice."
"Ah, so a new year's resolution instead?"
Spock smiled again. "Indeed. Do you intend to abstain from anything in the new year?" He asked, gesturing to the fresh cigarette in her hand.
"Not a chance," she said.
The Vulcan raised a single eyebrow at her response, making Luna laugh again. Her mind wandered back to Ambassador Spock. Old friend. She could see today being the first step to a friendship that would last a lifetime.
☆♡☆
Samsa finished stacking the last plate and blew several strands of hair out of her face. Any more cleaning could be done tomorrow. She turned to the counter and started picking at the remnants of the gingerbread house.
Jim came to her side after clearing the last dish from the table and Samsa leant against him, savouring the warmth. "Are you gonna help me demolish the rest of this?" She said through a mouthful of gingerbread.
Jim laughed but shook his head. "I would, Sam, but I'm too full," he said. "That dinner was amazing."
His compliment prompted Leonard to pipe up from his space on the sofa. "Yeah, Jim, I'd keep an eye on that waistline of yours if Samsa's gonna be cooking for you all the time."
While Jim sent a glare in his friend's direction, Samsa coughed to cover a laugh. She smiled and wrapped her arms around his midsection. "Ignore him, honey."
"Always do." He nodded in the direction of something above them. "I actually came over to point that out."
Samsa frowned and looked up to see a bunch of mistletoe hanging from the kitchen light. "How did that get there?" She beamed with a wide smile.
"That's a Christmas secret."
"Oh, of course."
"We can't be giving away any Christmas secrets."
Samsa scoffed and started wiping all the crumbs from around her mouth. "Well, we can't kiss either."
Jim gave her his best puppy dog eyes. "Why not?"
"Because I've just been stuffing my face with gingerbread."
He laughed and cupped her face in his hands, using his thumbs to brush away any leftover crumbs. "I think I could put up with that for you, Dollface."
Samsa chuckled and went on her tiptoes so their lips could meet. They continued to hold each other under the mistletoe, and she snuggled into the crook of his neck, adoring the closeness.
The others were all scattered throughout the apartment. Uhura and Mason were teaching Keenser how to play Jenga in the living area. Leonard wasn't far away, dozing on one of the sofas. Luna was outside having a smoke and Spock had joined her, which made Samsa smile. She was rather proud of her sister for getting the Vulcan such an amazing gift.
She had spent the whole day focussing so hard on the preparations that she had forgotten to take a step back and admire what truly made everything so special. Samsa felt incredibly lucky to have found the little family she had in Starfleet. So much so, happy tears flooded her eyes. She took a shaky breath and huddled into Jim's chest, listening to his heartbeat.
"Everything okay, hon?" He asked.
Samsa nodded against him and cleared her throat. "Yeah," she whispered. "Everything's perfect."