The Star Trek universe is owned by others, not me. I do not profit-I just enjoy and appreciate.

SILENT NIGHT

The festive decorations in red, green, blue, and metallic gold inspired a happy din from crewmembers in holiday fellowship dressed in their finest civilian garb at the crew holiday party. The holiday party committee had done a fine job. Of course they did—they were Starfleet's finest. Trays of unreplicated food, a warm candlelit glow, colored lights, and punch ("punched up" with rum by unknown parties) put everyone into a happier holiday mood.

Jim Kirk was pleased. Combating ship-wide homesickness, when many members of the young crew were light-years away from family for the first time, was a challenge, especially when it involved the end-of-year holidays. Many also missed their friends and colleagues who were lost in the Battle of Vulcan, feeling their absence especially now. Kirk, despite his outward bravado, also felt his own losses deeply. Raising crew spirits became a personal priority.

From the time the party began, Commander Spock had been sitting in his usual place in the quietest corner of the room, as was his custom on these occasions, acknowledging the occasional polite salutations of "Good Evening, Commander" from crewmembers who happened to come within speaking proximity of his table. Otherwise he was content to remain apart. Spock preferred to spend his off-duty time in quiet pursuits, not at parties. But here he was, as Kirk had insisted his senior officers attend. "It helps improve crew morale," Nyota had explained to him later. "Appearances by the bridge crew make us seem more accessible. It's a human thing." She did not need to finish. Spock understood why this was required of him, orders or not.

He had planned on remaining in his preferred chair for the rest of the evening, but he was soon bored. He began wandering around the perimeter of the room until he came to the piano in the corner. It had been a long time.

Kirk first noticed that his first officer had moved from his customary spot and scanned the room looking for him, making sure that he had not simply made a token appearance and slipped out. No, there he was. Kirk's eyes found him, deep in thought, staring at the rec room piano. Kirk briefly considered leaving him to his contemplation, but the scene tempted Kirk's curiosity. He walked up to the commander quietly.

"Hey, there, Spock," said Kirk casually, quietly. "Do you play?"

Spock, distracted by his own musings, had not noticed Kirk's approach. "I am proficient," he stated.

"Really? I did not know that," said Kirk. The Vulcan was never short on surprises.

By this time, McCoy had found them. "Did not know what?" McCoy asked.

Kirk had not intended on attracting McCoy's attention, but the situation could not be helped. "Mr. Spock is an accomplished pianist," he informed the doctor.

"Well, maybe the commander wouldn't mind helping us liven up this party," McCoy said conversationally. "I heard someone earlier suggest Christmas carols. How 'bout it, Spock? Can you sight-read music? There's a music PADD right here," he challenged lightheartedly.

Spock steeled himself, debating the logic of engaging in protest that, knowing humans, he suspected would end up being futile. Illogic won, however, as stubbornness kicked in. Outside of duty situations, he preferred not to be the center of attention. "Captain, Doctor, really, I do not wish to—"

"Come on!" prodded McCoy.

From across the room, Nyota Uhura noticed Spock cornered by the captain and CMO. He did not look comfortable, but he did not seem annoyed, either. Whatever the case, she approached just in case the Vulcan needed rescuing.

"Good Evening, Gentlemen," she said sweetly while surveying the situation.

"Hi, Uhura," Kirk returned, knowing exactly why she was there. He plowed on anyway. "I just learned that our first officer has a hidden talent."

"And he's trying to keep it hidden," gruffed McCoy.

Spock did not care to be spoken about as if he were not there. "Surely there is someone else with the necessary skill."

"Necessary skill for what?" Uhura asked.

"Christmas carols," said Kirk.

"Oh, that sounds like fun!" she exclaimed. She had heard her beloved play the piano before, and he did so beautifully. She also liked the idea of bringing him from the party's perimeter into the center by sharing his talent. The crew should know that their first officer had more depth than his Vulcan demeanor let them see. "Spock, please…"

Spock considered for a couple seconds, then pulled out the bench. He sat, stretched his fingers, then played a few scales to warm up, astounding the captain and doctor.

McCoy knew better than to say anything, but he could not help but raise his eyebrows at Uhura in question. He would have loved to know how she had wrapped the normally aloof commander around her little finger. This is the season of miracles after all, he thought.

She shrugged in response to his unspoken query, smiled, and called her crewmates to gather around the piano. She collected several more music PADDs and placed them in front of her shanghaied musician, knowing that he could play nearly any piece of sheet music set before him, then passed out lyric PADDs to everyone else. "Commander Spock has graciously offered to play for us," she said warmly to everyone else's surprise. "What should we sing first?" she asked before anyone could crack a joke.

"Oh, how about Jingle Bells," said McCoy. "That's a classic." There. Let's see what the hobgoblin does with that one, he thought.

Although Spock retained his usual neutral expression, without looking at the sheet music, he launched into a very light and bright rendition of the old favorite. The crew picked up on the mood immediately, laughing all the way as the imaginary people in the song did. By the end of the song, the crowd of happy carolers had grown.

That went well, Kirk mused. His first officer was a man of many talents apparently. Let's test him. "I haven't heard Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer in years," he said. "Do you know that one, Commander?"

The gathered carolers laughed, but stopped abruptly in surprise when Spock started into the introductory bars without pause. OK, then…. So Spock's knowledge of music was just like his knowledge of nearly everything else: encyclopedic. During the evening, only one obscure carol proved unfamiliar, and that was from the secluded Psi-600 XV colony. But the music PADD was all Spock needed to play it flawlessly while a couple ensigns from engineering performed it as a duet.

After an hour, Spock requested a break, but not before Kirk extracted a promise that he would return within 10 minutes. "Of course, Captain," Spock said before leaving the room.

Kirk helped himself to another cup of punch, meeting his communications officer at the table. "Uhura, he's never mentioned that he can play like that," Kirk said.

"Are you surprised?"

"Ah, no…er, yes." Kirk laughed to himself. Spock was the most private person he knew. "I am surprised that he knows all these songs."

"His mother taught him to play," she said. "She had all kinds of holiday sheet music, and he memorized all of it."

"That had to be weird, playing Let It Snow on a desert planet," he mused, then his tone turned wistful, thinking about the desert planet that no longer existed. "Well, we're glad that he's here to play it on a starship." Kirk realized that Spock's human crewmates would not be the only ones to be missing holidays with loved ones for the first time. He wondered if Lady Amanda had observed these end-of-year Terran holidays, and did she share her traditions with her son? "If I don't get the chance to tell him first, let him know that we appreciate it."

Uhura understood. "I will."

A round of applause from appreciative party-goers (even McCoy) announced the commander's return. Without ceremony, Spock sat down and waited while everyone else, now refreshed and ready to sing again, gathered once more. For the rest of the evening, wordlessly, he continued to honor the request for Greensleeves, O Holy Night, The Dreidel Song, Winter Solstice Sun Returns, Auld Lang Syne (Scotty's request), and even Santa Claus Is Coming To Town. Despite his original protests, he did not seem to mind. He seemed most content accompanying Nyota as she sang Ave Maria in between requests. After I'll Be Home For Christmas, Kirk decided that it was time for one last selection before excusing Spock after a job well done.

"Commander, I'll leave you the honor of making the last selection," Kirk said.

Spock nodded. The introductory bars of another old favorite floated over the crowd, and, with many of them holding hands, others waving lit candles, the crew began to sing:

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin, mother and child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace

Crewmember Heidi Tilsbach stepped forward, and the rest deferred to her as she soloed.

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht
Alles schläft; einsam wacht
Nur das traute hoch heilige Paar.
Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar,
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!

As she finished the verse in German, Lieutenant Marcel Pujos stood up and sang in French.

Nuit bénit, nuit de silence!
Tout est calme en brilliance
Autour de la vièrge et son fil,
Nouveau-né, tendre est il.
Dors en paix de cieux;
Dors en paix de cieux.

Nyota, in Kiswahili, took the next round.

Zanena, Sikukuu
Kengele, za Juu
Waumini furahini
Mukombozi mkumbusheni
Mzawa leo Betlehem
Mzawa leo Betlehem.

Several more people shared the favorite in their native tongues, celebrating their diversity. When it looked like the last person had sung, an unexpected participant surprised them all. His clear baritone sang a Vulcan translation that a mother sang to her son many years ago.

Mu-yor e'tum eh ralash-fam
Kanok-vei i'hayal
Ko-mekh eh sa-fu i'teretuhr
Ek'wak k'ashaya eh punaf-tor
Yuk-tor k'sochya eh mol-kom, sochya eh mol-kom ek'wak

The last notes reverberated into stillness. Everyone stood in stunned silence as Spock nodded to them, stood, then departed.

"He sang that like it was a lullaby," said McCoy softly.

Nyota had tears in her eyes. "I think it was."

Author's Note: Here is the song that Amanda sang to the tune of Silent Night with its translation. I wish you all the most peaceful and joyful of holidays. Blessings!—"Aashlee"

Mu-yor e'tum eh ralash-fam
-(Night beautiful and silent)
Kanok-vei i'hayal
-(Everything now calm)
Ko-mekh eh sa-fu i'teretuhr
-(Mother and son together now)
Ek'wak k'ashaya eh punaf-tor
-(Forever with love and linked)
Yuk-tor k'sochya eh mol-kom, sochya eh mol-kom ek'wak
-(To sleep with peace and serenity, serenity and peace forever)

From the VULCAN LANGUAGE DICTIONARY:

ashaya (love)
e'tum (beautiful)
eh (and)
ek'wak (forever)
hayal (calm)
i' (prefix—now at this moment)
k' (prefix—with)
kanok-vei (everthing)
ko-mekh (mother)
kwon-sum (always)
mol-kom (serenity)
mu-yor (night)
punaf-tor (linked)
ralash-fam (silent)
sa-fu (son)
sochya (peace)
teretuhr (together)
yuk-tor (to sleep)