White Christmas

Chapter 1

White Christmas
A Trip and T'Pol Tale
By Ginamr

Rating: PG-13
Genres: AU (Alternate Universe), Humor, Romance
Summary: The entertaining tale of how Trip and T'Pol spent their first Christmas together.

Disclaimer: I don't own Trip and T'Pol. I only like playing with them.

Part I
Christmas Shopping

Syracuse, New York-Evening
December 6th, 2155

The spirit and sounds of Christmas were heavy in the air as Trip and T'Pol made their way down the sidewalk, passing several small shop windows where decorations hung proclaiming the ever-approaching holiday. Men dressed in what Humans referred to as Santa suits stood outside some of the stores with sacring bells in hand as they collected donations for various charities.

Trip paused at one of them and pulled several credit chits from his pocket before dropping them into the collection bucket, the chits chinking softly as they landed atop the many others already inside.

The man smiled warmly, his eyes twinkling. "Thank you and have a Merry Christmas."

Trip returned the smile and nodded, and then continued past as the man began ringing his bell again, exclaiming "Merry Christmas".

The people that Trip and T'Pol walked past seemed surprised at the open warmth with which the two regarded one another. Ignoring the confused and, at times, disapproving stares that passersby gave them, T'Pol leaned closer to Trip, shivering slightly despite the wool-lined jacket that she wore. Trip then slid an arm about her waist and pulled her tighter against him.

"Are you all right?" he asked softly.

She nodded. "I'm fine. It is simply unusually cold. I have not been to New York in the later months."

He chuckled, sliding his hand up to her shoulder. "Then you haven't experienced an old-fashioned Earth Christmas," he teased.

She looked up at him, her head tilted slightly to the right. "I have not experienced any of your holiday customs personally," she corrected.

He gaped at her. "Do you mean to tell me that you've lived on Earth for God knows how long and you've never seen our traditions first hand?"

She arched an eyebrow elegantly and nodded in confirmation. "The database provided sufficient information in regards to your customs. I did not feel it necessary to leave the compound at the time to pursue further data."

A slow grin spread over Trip's features and she noted the mischievous sparkle in his blue eyes that was usually accompanied by his insistence that she sample a new foodstuff or view another of his favorite films.

"Well then I suppose I'll have to show you myself," he drawled.

She felt a small smile tug at the corner of her lips as her brow arched higher. "Perhaps," she replied.

Trip stopped and T'Pol followed his gaze across the roadway to a small shop whose sign read 'Avery Bros Ltd.' "What do you say we start with holiday shopping?" he suggested.

"For the Captain's Christmas party?" she inquired.

Trip smiled and shrugged. "Might as well. If we don't get it done soon, there won't be anything left on the shelves. Christmas is a really crazy time to go shopping."

She inclined her head in agreement and after checking to be sure that it was safe to cross, the two stepped onto the asphalt and then headed for the opposite side at a slight jog with Trip gripping her hand in his, their fingers laced together.

*  *  *

Trip smiled, seeing T'Pol's eyes light up as she took in the variety of gifts that lined the shelves. "This place sells just about everything you can imagine," he said. "And you get a good price, too."

At the sound of footsteps approaching, Trip turned in time to see an elderly gray-haired man making his way slowly into the room. "Back again, I see," the man said.

Trip chuckled. "Must be a record, huh?"

Mac smiled, replacing his spectacles. "Since you were assigned to Enterprise, yes-a record." It was then that Mac caught sight of T'Pol and his smile widened.

"Oh, Mac, this is T'Pol. T'Pol, this is my friend Macintosh Avery," Trip added.

Mac chuckled. "I'm glad he found you, T'Pol. Pardon my presumption, but Trip needs someone calm and sturdy like you to balance him out."

T'Pol arched her eyebrows and nodded her agreement. "I have arrived at the same conclusion, Mr. Avery," she confirmed.

Trip smiled sheepishly and his cheeks flushed at the comment.

"Call me Mac," the older man insisted. "Everyone does."

T'Pol nodded. "It was agreeable to meet you, Macintosh." She then walked toward the shelves to look at the items there.

Mac grinned wryly at her use of his full given name and Trip chuckled softly. "Give her time, Mac," Trip soothed. "Using your first name at all was a major concession for her. It took me over three years to get her to call me Trip."

Shaking his head, Mac sighed and moved slowly back toward the counter with Trip following behind him. The two leaned on the edge of the wooden surface, Trip's gaze fixed on T'Pol as she examined the glass unicorn that she'd delicately removed from the shelf.

"You seem to like this T'Pol a lot, kid," Mac offered.

Trip's eyes never left T'Pol. "Huh?"

Mac chuckled. "That's what I mean. You've got it bad, Trip."

Trip sighed and nodded. "Yeah," he admitted. "I can't get her off my mind-even when I'm with her, I can't think of anyone or anything else."

The older man's blue eyes twinkled. "That's love-as pure and as strong as it comes."

"I want to tell her," Trip began. "But I suppose I'm afraid that if I do-Things now are the best they've been and I don't want to screw that up, Mac. I don't know if I could take her running away from me again."

T'Pol blew out a gentle puff of breath to remove the dust from another item she was analyzing and coughed delicately. A wistful smile spread over Trip's lips as she wrinkled her nose to keep from sneezing. Her attempts, however, were unsuccessful and she sneezed daintily into her sleeve.

Mac paused before moving behind the counter to search for something. A moment later, the older man surfaced with a large bound book. Trip's brow furrowed as he fingered the lettering gently, his eyes widening as he realized what it was. "I've been looking everywhere for this," he said in a harsh whisper.

Mac looked toward T'Pol who was still browsing the shelves before wrapping the book in tissue paper and sliding it into a paper bag. "I'll let you deal with the fancy bows and paper. That's half the fun, after all."

Trip reached into his pocket to pay for the book, but Mac waved him off. Trip opened his mouth to protest, but Mac cut him off with a stern glance. "Consider it thanks for all the times you saved my ass at Kat's Place," he insisted.

Trip grinned. "I imagine your ass is always going to need saving."

"Then I'll know just who to call on," Mac teased.

"Thanks, Mac," Trip said in a low voice so that T'Pol wouldn't overhear. "You have no idea how much I appreciate this."

A moment later, T'Pol approached the counter with several items in hand and set them down to be rung up. "That'll be 123 credit chits," Mac said.

T'Pol paid for her items and the two exited the store, waving a cheerful goodbye to Mac.

*  *  *

The two strode down the snow-covered sidewalks, discussing who would become intoxicated the soonest and what they would do in said state.

Trip shook his head. "No, no. I'm telling you it's going to be Malcolm. All bets on that he and Hoshi will end up under the mistletoe at least once."

T'Pol arched an eyebrow. "I'm unfortunately very aware of Lieutenant Reed's tendency to overindulge, given the discussions Ensign Sato and I have had in relation to said matter; however, given Ensign Sato's lack of tolerance for alcoholic beverages, I'm confident that it will be she who becomes inebriated most quickly."

Trip chuckled, his gaze locking with hers. Blood pounded in his ears and his heart skipped a beat when he noted a small smile forming on T'Pol's lips. He frowned in disappointment when the smile disappeared just as quickly.

He turned away and cleared his throat. "So...next we're going to need a tree."

"Do we not need items with which to decorate it as well?" she asked.

He grinned sheepishly. "I visited with my mama for awhile when I first got back and she gave me a whole box of stuff that she and Pop had been saving up to give me after I got my own place. But then I took the posting aboard Enterprise, so..."

"I believe there is a vendor in San Francisco at 19th Avenue & Sloat Boulevard that is reputable," T'Pol offered.

"Yeah. Larry's," Trip added. "Good prices, too. He might be just the man to see."