A Traditional Family Christmas. Part Two.

Posted on Mon Dec 30th, 2024 @ 5:54pm by Lieutenant Commander Shoniara T’ghann-Travis MD & Lieutenant Seth Travis

Mission: Family
Location: Travis family quarters.
Timeline: Family

Shon had nodded off with Sage in her arms. It had seemed that the moment had offered itself whilst Seth, Shasta and Rollo were tucking into the finger food she had prepared. Baking was not her strong point and Shon would have rather been treating the Levodian flu with all its yucky associations than making sausage rolls and mince pies. However she had persevered and, to her delight they had come out rather exeptional. But, after that and the panic of the tree her exhaustion had broken through and she dozed.

"Oohh, these are so good" Rollo said as crumbs of a particularly juice mince pie found their way into his jumper. Shasta was examining a sausage roll with all the makings of the scientist she would become.

Seth put a few of the sausage rolls on his plate and enjoyed them. "Shasta your mother really went all out on these sausage rolls and from the look on Rollo's face the mince pies as well." he looked at the napping Shon and Sage. "When she wakes up, we'll exchange gifts."

Shon was dreaming with a smile on her face, she was treating everyone in sickbay to her cooking. "you look nice" Sam said, "the apron suits you, as does the dress and...are those stockings?" Shon looked down in surprise and dropped the tray all over the new surgical biobed crumbs disappearing into the workings.

She woke suddenly Sage still in her arms. Swiftly checking what she was wearing she sat up. "Has anything happened yet?" she asked.

"Not yet Doctor Travis," Rollo said as Shasta ran over.

"Let me put Sage down Mom." she said, "Then we can open our gifts."

"Easy Shon, everything is alright we were just enjoying all these wonderful treats you had made." Seth told her softly.

Shasta put her sister in her cradle and rocked her gently.

"Right everyone gather round the tree. Now Rollo I spoke to your parents and they very kindly gave me their gifts to you to unwrap so..." she handed him a long box. "Now you can tell a lot about a person by how they unwrap their gifts."

Rollo began to unfold his paper without ripping it and folded it. "wow." he said as the package revealed a long range telescope." Just what I wanted."

Shon handed a small box to Seth. "From me" she said smiling knowing how long she had tried to find the diamond nib pen.

Seth opened his gift carefully to reveal the rosewood box, opening his eyes widen in shock at seeing the diamond rib pen. "Ohhhhhhhhh!: He gasped softly. Before turning to kiss Shon fully on the lips. "Thank you darling. It is gorgeous." He handed a package to Shasta. (This is what Shasta will see when she unwraps the gift. Walnut box with a diamond necklace inside and the following inscription on the glass. "To My Daughter - Shasta. Never forget that I love you forever. I hope you believe in yourself as much as I believe in you. Whenever you feel overwhelmed, remember whose daughter you are and straighten your crown. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think, and loved more than you know. I can't promise to be here for the rest of your life, but I can promise to love you for the rest of mine. Love, Dad." )

Shasta unwrapped her parcel quickly with none of the finesse Rollo had. She opened the box and stopped breathing for the seconds it took her to see what was inside her fingers touching each diamond. "It's beautiful," she breathed and, then as she read the inscription she began to cry. "Oh Dad, I love you so much." Shasta handed the gift to Shon and threw her arms around Seth's neck as she wept.

Seth hugged Shasta, "I love you too, Shasta sweetie. I love you very much." he said quietly as he gently patted her back. His eyes glistening with tears. He glanced to Rollo, "Rollo can you hand Shon that package please? The package is the same size as Shasta's. When Shon opens it she will see a mahogany box and opening it a diamond necklace with the following inscription in the glass."To My Beautiful Wife - Shon, "Meeting you was fate. Becoming your husband was a choice, but falling in love with you was beyond my control. In you, I found the love of my life. You were and always will be the best thing that ever happened to me. If I could give you one thing in life, it would be the ability to see yourself through my eyes. Only then would you realize how special you are to me. Love, Seth."

Shon took the necklace out of the box and put it on. It felt light despite the weight of the diamonds. “So beautiful,” she said as the light caught it and it flowed outward to throw fractured light onto the wall. Her fingers traced the words and she was without voice. All she could do was kiss him.

Rollo handed Shasta a small box which she ripped the wrapping off. Opening it was a ring. “It’s a friendship ring, look inside the ring.” Shasta turned it towards the light to see the words etched there. He took it and put it on her finger kissing her on the cheek. Shasta was unsure of what to say. She loved it but it seemed to state a permanence she was not sure she wanted. “Thank you, it’s beautiful,” she said kissing him.

Shon raised an eyebrow and looked at Seth.

Seth met Shon's look and nodded. He wasn't sure if he liked the idea of Shasta having the ring, friendship or not. However now was not the time or place to say anything.

"This is for both of you?" Shasta said handing a larger lighter package to Shon. Shon looked at Seth and began to unwrap it. "Ooh, okay" Shon pulled it fully to find it was a large, old style photo frame with a holograph of Shon holding Sage, Seth holding Shon and Shasta taking one of Sage's tiny fingers in her own. It was a stunningly beautiful composition of the love of a family. "I'm sorry my brother couldn't be in it." Shasta said sadly.

"Oh, my goodness Shasta! This is gorgeous! What a great family portrait." Seth exclaimed seeing the holograph. "Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness." He paused before he said his next. "We all do Shasta honey." His sadness evident in his voice. Not wanting to say anymore and ruin the mood of the good time they were having.

Shon handed the next package to Shasta. “This just something small for you from me.”

Shasta ripped the paper open and threw it down next to Rollo’s neatly folded one. “Wow Mom is this mine?” She asked.

“Your very own scientific and medical tricorder, coded to you alone. It is time you had your own sweetie.”

“Shasta then began scanning Rollo happily checking he was alive.”

Shon laughed. “Is that all the gifts Seth?” She asked her husband.

Seth arched an eyebrow at her, "Is that all?" He repeated in a teasing manner, "I seem to see two other gifts hanging on the tree. I wonder how they got there? One for each of you." He grinned.

Shasta picked them both off the tree and handed Shon the one with her name on it. Opening it slowly Shon slowly removed a small box with a Vulcan sigil on the top. Opening it she saw a beautifully worked IDIC medallion. “This is so beautiful Seth.” she breathed. She reached round and unclasped the diamond necklace. She turned and raised her hair. “Please put it on for me.”

Seth smiled, "Of course darling." As he brought the medallion up and around Shon's slender neck before fastening it in place. He leaned back and smiled. "Gorgeous." He said simply.

She caressed his face, "Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations. Just like us my love." that moment the whole world went away and there was just the two of them.

Shasta and Rollo looked on. "Maybe one day I will find love like that?" Rollo said.

"Maybe" Shasta said but life is cruel as well as beautiful and I think love is a fight and everything eventually ends in death." She looked away and opened her gift. Surprised she looked at the Federation search device and the headset." Looking at her parents still in the moment she walked over and began to load a plate with food ready to thank her father for his gift.

Seth nodded, "Absolutely correct Shon. 100 percent correct." he answered as he kissed her softly yet passionately knowing Shasta and Rollo were there. Shon, Shasta and Sage were his world, and he loved them all fiercely, but Shon was the centerpiece. He only had eyes for her. He noticed Shasta loading her plate with food. "Did you like your gifts Shasta?"

“Yes, thank you very much Dad, I think I am definitely going to go down the science road whether it be the Academy or outside.” She kissed him on the cheek. “I love you dad, do you think you and Mom will ever not be in love?”

"I think whichever route you take whether it be through the Academy or as a civilian scientist, you will be a success, Shasta." Seth paused as Shasta asked her question about Shon and himself never not being in love. He glanced at Shon as he gave his answer. "I can safely say your mother and I will always be in love Shasta. it is a wonderful feeling to have someone you love so completely love you back in the same way. Your mother and I have disagreements, but they never tear down the respect and love we have for each other."

“I don’t think I will ever be in love, I don’t really look on boys as possible love but sometimes I look at girls and I have this, lump in my throat,” she paused, “and I think Rollo wants to get engaged. I’m scared dad.”

Shon walked over to Rollo engaging him in conversation as she saw Shasta talking to Seth and, somehow she knew it was a private conversation.

Seth was grateful for Shon's intervention with Rollo as it allowed him to speak with Shasta. He listened as she told him about her feelings. "Shasta, don't be scared. nervous understandable but not scared. If you don't want to be engaged don't get engaged. Don't let anyone try to force you to do something you are not comfortable with. That includes Rollo. No one knows when love will find them or who they will be attracted to. Your heart will know Shasta. You feel good inside just being in their company. Your heart flutters and you get butterflies in your stomach. It is all good. Most of all you just want to be with that person and spend every second you can with them." He stopped and looked deep into his daughter's eyes. "Shasta, there are only two things you need to do and that is be happy. The other is be yourself. Do not let anyone mould or try to mould you into something you are not. Love will find you. I guarantee it."

Shasta nodded. "Thanks Dad, I'll tell Rollo it's friendship for us and I think I may try for Starfleet but, for the moment I'm going to concentrate on science. I love you Dad." she said and kissed him, then grabbed him in a bear hug.

Shon came over, "Hey I want some of that, Shas Rollo is going to go home now."

"I'll walk him back to his quarters I want to talk to him." Shasta said giving her dad a meaningful look.

"What was that all about?" Shon asked as she sat in Seth's lap watching Shasta and Rollo leave.

Seth smiled at Shon as Shasta left with Rollo. "Our Shasta is growing up and coming into her own." He said mysteriously and then continued. "Rollo wants them to get engaged and Shasta doesn't feel that way towards him. She likes him to be sure but love? Not like Rollo wants. I just told her not to let anyone try to mold or force her to be something she's not."

"Ah, I think Rollo has an idea, he's a nice boy from a good family but she is far too young." Shon turned to him. "Seth what would you say if Shas brought a girl home, and I mean in the romantic sense?

"Shasta is our daughter and I support her in every way I can. So in answer to your question, I would have no objection if Shasta brought a girl home. It doesn't affect my love for her one bit."

She settled down in his arms, "I don't really know why I asked you, I was sure there was no problem. All we need is a roaring fire to complete the scene. Just like it was at your parents. I don't suppose Shasta will be long enough for us to disembark to the bedroom?" She laughed, "and Sage is being so quiet." She caressed her pendant. Thank you for the beautiful gifts and the sentiments with them." She was quiet listening to the soft sounds of carols filling the space.

Seth held Shon comfortably in his arms. "No, I imagine she will be back in just a few minutes and it will be nice to have her here with us. It won't be long before she starts going out and leaves us behind."

"I know Seth, but not today, this day has been all about family. When she returns we will have some dinner and play games. Just for now though let me hold you.

Seth nodded, "Sure thing Shon and that sounds wonderful just spending time together as a family. We can play some card games like gin rummy or anything you or Shasta want."

“Just like an old fashioned family Christmas,” Shon said as the lights on the tree shimmered in the dark.