Christmas

[Cmdr Ridire 0]

By: Dr Matthews & Cmdr Ridire

 

Aidan finishes clearing some of the dishes from the Christmas dinner that Deb and he had shared. He had made Leg of Lamb, rosemary potatoes and brussels sprouts along with a brandied pumpkin pie for dessert. Leaving Deb to finish her pie he walks over to the decorated Christmas tree set near the couch and reaches to turn the lights on. Retrieving two small presents from under the tree he moves to stretch out on the couch after setting the presents on the small table in front of the couch.

 

Watching Deb he thinks over the last couple weeks and frowns slightly. Under normal circumstances they would have gone somewhere off-ship for Christmas but with everything that has been going on, particularly with Kat, he had reasoned that Deb wouldn't want to travel for this Christmas. So he had resigned himself to not bringing the possibility up though it annoyed him a little. They spent so much of their time dealing with the ship and it’s crew that their time alone was precious. And now because of Kat and pushing for an investigation of her doctors on Earth, which Aidan had expended considerable time and more then a few favors on, that time alone had been even more restricted as of late. He tips his head back and gets lost in the dancing white lights on the Christmas tree behind him.

 

The dinner had been magnificent, more so than most holiday meals she'd enjoyed. Deb was now certain she had married a saint. He'd been more than patient with her regarding Kat Schawnsee. Her concern for her friend had nearly consumed her but Aidan had been there to keep her grounded. She'd known he would have preferred to leave the ship to celebrate the holidays. It was Deb who had pretty much quashed that idea, again because of Kat. Aidan had obliged her without complaint. Then he managed to put together a wonderful Christmas complete with a lovely decorated tree and a delicious meal.

 

She smiled lovingly at him as she watched him stretch out on the couch. She had been so wrong about him for such a long time. Almost from the day he'd joined the ship, she though of him as cold and distant. After a while, she suspected otherwise and since they'd been married, she knew for a fact he was anything but cold or distant.

 

Finishing her dessert, Deb placed the dish in the recycle bin and moved to join her husband on the couch. She settled down beside him resting her head on his shoulder. "Thank you for a wonderful dinner," she whispered. "And thank you for a wonderful Christmas."

 

He spends a second or two still lost in the lights of the tree before he wraps his arms around Deb and kisses her forehead. Softly he murmurs "You're welcome." He closes his eyes for a few seconds and relaxes against her. Privately he decides that once things have settled down he is going to be insistent on a day or two together alone. In the meantime while she dealt with Kat he would see to starting a certain long term project regarding their property in Hawaii.

Opening his eyes he nods in the direction of the low table behind her. "You still need to tend to your presents there, dear heart."

 

For some inexplicable reason, Debbie hadn't noticed the elegantly wrapped packages on the coffee table. That was highly unlike her. She was usually able to sniff out a present a kilometer away. Of course, taking possession of the gifts meant leaving the comfort and security of his arms for a moment. She hesitated wondering if it was worth giving up the warmth of his presence, even if it was for just a few minutes. Deb quickly decided her husband would be insulted if she ignored his gifts so she reluctantly pulled away from him. She picked up both of them and placed them on the couch beside her. "Which one shall I open first," she asked quietly, smiling into his deep green eyes.

 

He smiles and shrugs before murmuring softly "It’s up to you." He shifts slightly and points to the low rectangular box then to the small square shaped box. "That one is the Christmas gift and the other is the anniversary. Which one gets opened first is the lady’s choice." Privately he knows she'll like the Villars Swiss chocolates given Deb’s love of all things chocolate. He’s not quite so sure about the ladies gold watch. He had a little more difficulty picking out the anniversary present as he didn't want to get too repetitive with the dresses, perfume and jewelry.

 

Deb opted to open the Christmas gift first. Carefully removing the decorative wrapping, her smile broadens as the contents are revealed. "Chocolate!" She spoke the word almost reverently. The remaining paper was quickly disposed of and she placed the pretty box on her lap. "And it looks like the good stuff!"

He grins at the tone she says the word "Chocolate" in. Privately he decides to never set up a situation where she had the choice of spending the day alone with him or eating chocolate someplace. He knows he’d lose that choice.

 

She resisted the urge to open the box and taste a sample of the candy. Instead, she picked up the second gift, the one Aidan said was for their anniversary. Again, she carefully pulled the wrapping off the small box eventually tossing it onto the couch beside her. Glancing at Aidan, she slowly opened the box to find a beautiful and delicate wrist watch. Done in a traditional style, it was fashioned in gold and accented with diamonds. "Oh, it's beautiful!" she whispered as she removed it from the box. She slipped it over her wrist and fastened it then simply admired if for several seconds. Finally, she threw her arms around her husband's neck and brushed his lips with hers. "It's gorgeous," she murmured. "Thank you so much."

 

He returns the kiss before murmuring "You’re quite welcome. Though admittedly was nervous about that gift." He shrugs then adds "Sometimes you’re not the easiest person to buy for as I’ve already given you several dresses, perfume and jewelry. Though..knowing you..I suppose I could always buy you double chocolates..."

 

"You know me too well," she giggled. "Anything chocolate will do." She pulled away from him and stood up. "And don't tell me I'm hard to buy for," she continued as she walked into the bedroom. "I never know what to get you." She turned to face him while standing in the doorway. "But I managed to come up with something," she quipped, a bright smile on her face. "Wait right there!"

 

It took her a couple of minutes to retrieve the box she had so carefully hidden in the back of the closet. It was somewhat heavy and considered fragile. After all the trouble she'd gone through to get it, she didn't want to damage it at the last minute. Deb finally made it back to the living room. "This is a combination gift," she said while placing the box on the coffee table. It was wrapped in bright red foil paper with a huge gold bow. Inside was a Lillipuziani (Lilliputians) Gold and Silver Themed Chess Board and Chessman. It was hand made in 24kt gold and silver plated solid bronze using the classic lost wax method.

"I hope you like it," she added quickly."You are really hard to shop for."

 

Surprised at how heavy the box is, Aidan takes his time opening it. When he finally has it open he has to keep his jaw from hitting the floor. He blinks as he tries to think of some adequate way to say thank you. After a few seconds he resorts to kissing her warmly for a long minute. Finally breaking it off, he purrs "Sorry, that was the only way I could think to let you know how much I like your gift..."

 

She smiled warmly and stroked his cheek with her fingers. "That was a wonderful thank you," she whispered. She leaned forward and kissed him lightly. "Would you like to set it up and play a game." She paused and smiled coyly. "Or maybe we could find something else to do right now and play chess a bit later."

 

He smiles and kisses her earlobe before purring "I think chess can wait until later...much later." He draws his head back and adds coyly "Unless you had your heart set on playing chess right now?"