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Chapter Text

Kathryn sighed as she scrolled through the information on her padd.

It was quiet in the Briefing Room, even though her entire senior staff was gathered there, including Seven.

The past few weeks had been slow, very slow. They had not encountered any other ships or planets and the drag of just flying towards the Alpha Quadrant was beginning to show.

Neelix had made some suggestions for activities to boost morale, but none of them had made it through the voting rounds. Either Tuvok saw some security issues, or B’Elanna thought they would take up too many resources, or Tom thought they were too boring.

They were all trying to come up with something more interesting for the crew to do than another round of regular maintenance, but so far they had failed.

Kathryn’s finger stopped the scrolling on her padd as she noticed something mildly interesting in a footnote in one of the astrometrics reports. “What’s this? Seven, you found a planet?”

Seven looked up from her own padd on which she had been working. Naturally she had not contributed to the conversations about parties and scavenger hunts. Still, Kathryn would have expected her to have said something more about her own report.

“Yes,” Seven now told her as the rest of the senior staff turned their attention back to the astrometrics data. “However, it is on the edge of our scanning capacity, and I could not collect sufficient data to include it in the main body of my report.”

“Could it be an M-class planet?” Kathryn pressed on, her explorer’s heart yearning for some adventure.

“It could be,” Seven conceded with a slight shrug. “But it is not on our immediate course. As I said, it is at the edge of our long-range sensors.”

Kathryn stood up, her eagerness already translating into motion. “Perhaps we should deviate from our course a little, just to take a closer look.”

Seven arched her ocular implant. A move that Kathryn had found irritating when they first got to know Seven. But now… the elegant movement of the metal and the way it drew extra attention to Seven’s blue eyes got to her every time.

“Captain,” Seven said slowly while looking around the table at the others. “Our initial scans show that a large part of this planet is covered by ice. Furthermore, there are no signs of deuterium or other resources that could be valuable to us.”

Kathryn shook her head stubbornly as she scrolled through the small print of the extensive footnote. “You did find some unusual energy readings though.”

“Unidentified energy readings,” Seven corrected her. “These readings could very well be background radiation or a signal created by the ice interacting with the planet’s natural magnetic field.”

“Or they could be a sign of a civilization!” Kathryn said, now also looking around the room. “Anyone else want to weigh in here?”

The other senior officers had been watching the exchange between Seven and herself like they were watching a Velocity match. It surprised Kathryn that none of them had said anything yet.

“I have to agree with Seven, Captain,” Tuvok spoke up first and his response did not come as a surprise. “There seems to be no reason to deviate from our course to analyze this planet.”

“Come on, Tuvok,” B’Elanna chipped in. “We are all so bored! I say we go for it.”

Tuvok’s eyebrows knitted closer together for only a fraction. “I do not think that the crew’s boredom is a logical reason to go into the unknown, Lieutenant.”

Kathryn put down the padd on the table with a sigh. “What about our explorer’s spirit?”

Tuvok seemed unfazed by her reaction. “We are not currently on a mission of exploration. We are trying to get back to the Alpha Quadrant. Analyzing this planet would delay that mission. Ergo, we should stick to our course.”

“If we are going to use the word ‘ergo’,” Tom chimed in from his slumped position on his chair. “I say we go have a look.”

Chakotay moved closer to the table. “Perhaps we can compromise? We could get close enough to do a thorough scan and then decide whether or not to explore the planet further based on the new findings. That would only cost us… what? Like a day or two?”

Seven quickly typed something on her padd. “Taking into account the time it would take to perform the scans and to analyze the data, factoring in the current efficiency of the crew, I would say about 50 hours.”

“Very well,” Kathryn said, stopping any further discussion with her captain’s voice. “We’ll reconvene here in 50 hours!”

Chapter Text

Exactly 49 hours later.

“You have got to be joking!” Tom called out as he stared at the big viewing screen.

They had had a normal shift on the Bridge until Seven had barged in with her findings, apparently too eager to wait until everyone could be gathered in the Briefing Room.

The magnified image she had pulled up on the viewing screen was beautiful and… strangely familiar.

Kathryn slowly got up from her captain’s chair and walked closer to where Tom was sitting with his mouth hanging open.

The planet in front of them was mostly covered by ice and snow, although there were some large forests and mountain ranges visible too.

But that was not the shocking part.

The pole of the planet – the north pole to be exact from their point of view – was lit up with so many lights that they were visible from the distance. Together with all the ice and snow, the multicolored lights that sprawled across a big area that must comprise a large city looked positively… Christmassy.

The effect was heightened by the beam of light that extended from this North Pole far into space.

It pulsated in waves, moving into the darkness in bands of alternating white and red light. It even curved a little close to the end. It looked like a giant candy cane.

“Of course I am not joking, Mr. Paris,” Seven answered Tom’s exclamation, as serious and oblivious to sarcasm as usual. “These are actual readings, no fabrications.”

Tom turned around in his chair and opened his mouth to say something, but Seven didn’t give him a chance as she now addressed Kathryn.

“Captain, I wanted to show you these results as soon as they came in as it is clear that the planet is in fact inhabited. It is an M-class planet, and the energy readings indicate that space travel might be in use.”

Kathryn turned her eyes back to the viewing screen. It sparkled like a Christmas painting, and she couldn’t help but smile.

She briefly exchanged grins with Tom before turning around again to talk to Seven. “Anything else that strikes you as unusual?”

Seven briefly frowned, clearly not seeing what everyone else saw. “Of course, the strange energy beam that emanates from the pole of the planet is concerning. Icheb and I have been trying to analyze it. However, we–”

A beeping from Harry’s station cut her off.

He looked down at his panel in shock before his wide eyes found Kathryn. “Captain, we are being hailed from the surface of the planet!”

“This should be good.” Chakotay said, with a chuckle.

Kathryn smiled at him and then turned to face the viewing screen. She quickly reminded herself that this was a First Contact with an alien species and she should keep an open mind.

Even though their lights looked familiar and inviting, anything could happen.

“Put it through, Mr. Kim,” she ordered as she squared her shoulders.

Harry worked on his console and a blurry image on the viewing screen replaced the scans of the planet. Broken audio came through but they could not make out any words yet.

“Just a moment, Captain,” Harry said apologetically as he furiously worked on the console.

Then the picture started to clear, and a voice filled the Bridge.

It was a loud and booming voice.

“Is it going through?” It asked. “Can they hear and see us?”

Kathryn opened her mouth to reply that they could in fact hear the mysterious stranger perfectly. But then the picture cleared completely, and her words stuck in her throat even though her mouth remained open.

“Hello?” A familiar face peered closer on the viewing screen with a smile. “Are you receiving me? We are seeing you although I’m not hearing anything yet.”

Kathryn stared at the screen, from the corner of her eye she saw Tom slowly turn around in his seat to stare at her, but she ignored him.

“Yes…” She said haltingly. “We can… We receive you loud and clear.”

“Wonderful!” Santa Claus beamed as he let out a short laugh. “Ho, ho, ho! Are we glad to see you!”

Kathryn’s brain had completely blanked, and she did not know what to say. Part of her thought that she must be dreaming. This could not be real.

The silence on the Bridge was pressing in on her ears. No one spoke as everyone stared at the viewing screen.

There the jolly face of Santa Claus suddenly turned more serious. “We need your help, Captain.”

Chapter Text

One short hour later.

“So, in brief,” Kathryn said as she tried to summarize the report she had just delivered to her gathered senior staff in the Briefing Room. “We have encountered a planet inhabited by… Santa Claus, his Elves and it seems several other… entities. They are an advanced civilization that has warp capabilities but also other means of communication and travel.”

She looked around the room.

B’Elanna, the Doctor and Neelix, who had not been at the Bridge when the strange contact had been made were staring at her with shocked faces. Tom and Harry were practically bouncing on their chairs while Chakotay just smiled and shook his head in disbelief. Tuvok sat as stoically as usual, but Seven was sitting with her arms crossed in front of her chest and a frown on her face.

“Santa Claus,” Kathryn continued, almost choking on the unlikely words. “Has asked for our help. Apparently there is some sort of war going on on the planet. His people are being terrorized and sabotaged by a group of… Yetis that are led by a person called…” She sighed before putting down her padd and finishing her sentence. “The Grinch.”

She looked around, waiting to see who would speak first.

Finally, B’Elanna did. “When you say they have other means of travel… do you mean flying reindeer or something a little more believable like actual starships?”

Kathryn gave her half a smile. “You’re skeptical.”

“Of course I’m skeptical!” B’Elanna threw her hands in the air and looked around the room. “You’re messing with us right?”

“You weren’t there, B’Elanna,” Tom told his wife. “It was all there. He was there. He talked to us.”

“Please, Tom!” B’Elanna laughed. “You can’t expect me to believe that.”

Tom stood up and quickly walked over to one of the screens on the wall and pulled up the recording of the last transmission.

After watching the exchange between Santa Claus and their Captain, B’Elanna still shook her head. “This can’t be real.”

“He seems very nice,” Neelix piped up, not really helping.

The Doctor sighed. “That is not the point here, Mr. Neelix. Santa Claus is a myth. A beloved character from children’s stories, but he is not real.”

“Look at him!” Harry jumped up and joined Tom at the screen. “He is right there!”

“Or at least,” Tuvok said. “Someone who looks like your Santa Claus.”

Tom frowned. “What do you mean?”

“It is very obvious,” Seven answered before Tuvok could. “Someone has scanned us in return, has read our data banks and has come up with this scenario to draw us into a trap.”

A silence fell over the room as everyone absorbed that new point of view. Only Tuvok did not seem surprised as he gave Seven an approving nod. Apparently he had reached the same conclusion.

Kathryn looked at Santa’s face on the screen again, feeling a little embarrassed that she had not even considered this possibility.

“It is possible that some alien race has indeed come up with this image to either draw us into a trap, as Seven states,” Tuvok explained. “Or perhaps they are trying to mirror our mythology to make communication easier. I would say that it is more likely that this is the case than that your mythical Santa Claus is actually living here in the Delta Quadrant.”

Tom and Harry visibly deflated as they looked at the screens in disappointment. Kathryn was sure that they were reliving the moment when their parents had told them that Santa Claus was not real.

“So, what is your advice, Tuvok?” Kathryn asked him.

Tuvok lifted his eyebrows. “Based on what we now know, Captain, all I can advise is caution and to not be swept away in… nostalgia from childhood dreams.”

Seven looked from Kathryn to Tuvok and then back. “My advice, Captain, is to leave this sector immediately and to continue our journey to the Alpha Quadrant.”

“Aren’t you even a little bit curious, Seven?” Harry asked her in a pleading tone.

“No!” Seven said with a force that was unusual for her. “To me this is clearly a trap! Set by the Hirogen or some other hunters alien species. We should not fall for it.”

“But what if it is real! What if Santa…” Tom looked back at the screen with a deep sadness on his face. Then he continued in a small voice. “What if he really needs our help?”

“To do what?” B’Elanna scoffed. “To save Christmas?”

“Maybe…” Tom said but even he sounded unsure.

Everyone was quiet for a while, and Kathryn felt herself torn between several emotions.

As a Captain she had to be reasonable and cautious. Tuvok and Seven were right. This had all the makings of a trap.

However, the explorer inside of her was very intrigued. Even if this wasn’t the real Santa Claus and it was an alien civilization copying their mythology, it was still interesting enough to investigate further.

And then the little girl inside of her - the one who had loved Christmas so much and still did - couldn’t help but think… What if it was real? How often did you get the chance to visit the actual North Pole from the stories and meet the real Santa Claus?

Finally, Chakotay chimed in. “I think we can’t just turn away from this. It is too fascinating, even if it is a fake. We should proceed with caution but so far… we have not been threatened in any way. I vote that we stay here for a while and investigate.” He looked at Seven and Tuvok before adding, “cautiously.”

Tuvok looked back at him for a moment and then gave him a short nod. After all he had also advised caution, not a retreat.

Seven merely shook her head and then looked at Kathryn with her stunning blue eyes.

Kathryn had to quickly look away before she could be influenced by emotions that had no place at this table.

She stared at the tabletop for a few moments and then stood up from her chair. “We will investigate.”

Tom and Harry whooped, their excited energy immediately returned.

“However,” Kathryn held up her hand. “We have to be careful not to be swept away by our emotions and… nostalgia. Let’s first see who this Santa Claus really is.”

Chapter Text

A few hours later

“Captain!” Seven called out, catching up with Kathryn in the corridor in a few quick strides.

“Hello, Seven,” Kathryn said with a crooked smile that told her the Captain already knew what she was going to say.

“Commander Tuvok told me you are going on the away mission to the surface of the planet,” Seven said quickly, hoping that Kathryn would tell her that Tuvok had been mistaken.

Kathryn sighed, looking straight ahead of her as they continued walking. “That’s right.”

“Captain–” Seven started to say but she was immediately cut short by Kathryn raising her hand.

“I know what you are going to say,” Kathryn said. “But I have made my decision.”

Seven ignored this. “Starfleet protocol dictates that the Captain should not lead routine away missions. The First officer’s duty is to–”

Once again, Kathryn cut her off. She stopped walking and put a hand on Seven’s arm. “The First Officer and I talked about this. Chakotay agreed that I can lead the away team in this case.”

“But…” Seven felt a surge of annoyance directed at Chakotay but then sighed. She knew very well how stubborn and convincing her Captain could be. Also, the warmth of Kathryn’s fingers on her arm was distracting her. In the end, all she could manage to say was one word. “Why?”

Kathryn looked surprised at the question and perhaps the lack of further argument. She dropped her arm. “Seven, this planet… excites me! How many chances will I get to meet Santa Claus like this?”

Seven had to muster all of her self-control not to show her exasperation. Inside she was fuming. “This is not your Santa Claus!”

“Possibly,” Kathryn nodded. “Probably even. Still, I want to be there to find out. After all, this is a First Contact mission… in a way.”

“I think you are taking an unnecessary risk,” Seven pressed on. “Like Tuvok and I explained in the meeting, it is far more likely that this is an alien species that wants to lure us into a trap!”

“Which is why we will be cautious! We won’t do anything rashly and we’ll take the necessary precautions so we can be beamed back to Voyager immediately.”

“If they can read our data banks, if this is how they have created this illusion about Santa Claus,” Seven continued, talking fast. “They could very well be aware of our security measures, and they might already know how to block them!”

“Seven, you are spiraling–”

This time it was Seven who interrupted Kathryn. “When has a situation like this actually worked out for you? How many First Contacts turned out to be a trap? How many times was the crew of Voyager in danger because of an alien species you encountered?”

Kathryn pursed her lips, clearly unhappy with being interrupted and possibly interpreting Seven’s words as criticism on her leadership.

So, Seven continued in a softer tone of voice. “Please, Captain. We should just leave this sector behind. The risks are too great, and they definitely outweigh the possible rewards.”

Kathryn shook her head, looking at the floor for a moment before locking her stormy gray eyes with Seven again. “This isn’t just about rewards, Seven. Not every mission will actually reward us with anything. Some of them might cost us a lot of resources without us getting anything back in return. However, every mission is an opportunity to learn. About a new alien civilization and… about ourselves.”

Seven frowned, not following where Kathryn was going with this. She shook her head, trying to clear it and get back to her original position. “That still doesn’t justify you leading the away team. The Captain should not go. Leave it to Chakotay or Tuvok. You are… too valuable to lose.”

She quickly bit her lip, but it was too late. The words had been said, and she could not take them back.

Kathryn raised her eyebrows. “Thank you, Seven… But like I said, I have made up my mind.”

A charged silence hung in the air between them.

Seven quickly looked over Kathryn’s shoulder to the walls of the corridor in the distance, avoiding her piercing gaze.

Her stomach was twisted into knots, a feeling she thoroughly disliked. She could also feel her cheeks heating up and knew she was blushing. Whether it was from her embarrassment over her previous words or because of her frustration at Kathryn’s stubbornness, even she didn’t know.

Her attention was drawn back to Kathryn’s face as the Captain reached out and placed her hand on Seven’s arm again.

“I’ll be fine, Seven,” she said quietly. “I’ll be careful and Tuvok is coming with me. As is Tom.”

Seven couldn’t hold back the scoff before it left her lips. Tom Paris was hardly a reassurance in this case. He was even more excited about this supposed Santa Claus than Kathryn was.

Kathryn smiled at her. “I have an idea. Why don’t you join us?”

Seven blinked at her. “You want me to come with you to… visit Santa Claus?”

Kathryn’s smile widened. “Yes! That way you can see for yourself what is going on. You can come as the science officer, perform the scans and make the analysis. And you could keep your eyes open for any deceit or danger. You could… protect me.”

At these words a flush of warmth moved through Seven’s body that made her nanoprobes sing in her veins. Her gaze quickly moved between Kathryn’s eyes, trying to analyze the emotions there.

Kathryn was blushing a little now too, the increased capillary blood flow in the skin clearly visible to Seven’s enhanced vision.

However, the Captain’s clear gray eyes never left Seven’s as she looked at her with a determination that made Seven’s heart stutter.

“Very well,” Seven said quietly. “I will join the away team.”

The logical part of her mind inwardly sighed. She had promised herself not to get involved in this fake Santa Claus business. But when the Captain made a request… she rarely had the strength to refuse.

“Great!” Kathryn responded with a big smile. “I’ll see you in the transporter room. Make sure to bring a jacket!”

Unable to move away yet, Seven watched the Captain of Voyager walk away and she wondered once again about the kind of hold this woman had on her and her heart.

Chapter Text

One hour later

“Sweet Christmas!” Tom exclaimed as he looked around the snowy town square the away team had just been beamed down to.

“Mr. Paris,” Tuvok said warningly. “Remember, we are here to observe and analyze. Try to keep your… excitement in check.”

Tom merely grinned as he spun around in a circle, taking in all the decorated buildings that surrounded them.

Kathryn couldn’t help but smile as she also looked around in wonder.

The square seemed to be one of the centers of the town and was lined with shops. She spotted several bakeries that were completely filled with gingerbread houses and people. The majority of the shops dealt in toys however, each with their own specialty like wooden toys or building blocks, but all were very colorful.

She didn’t have time to take it all in, as her attention was quickly grabbed by the people staring at them.

They were… Elves. She couldn’t help but use the word in her mind. They were wearing the characteristic green outfits, hats and shoes with long curly tips with little bells attached to the ends. However, while some of the Elves were clearly small, others looked human sized and there were even a few that could only be described as giants.

They were staring at the visitors from space from behind the windows of the shops or little trees that lined the square.

None of them approached them.

Just when Kathryn was preparing to take the initiative herself, a small group of people marched up to the square from an alleyway.

Walking in front of the group… was Santa Claus.

“Welcome!” His voice boomed around the square, drowning out the light music that was drifting in the air. “Welcome, to the North Pole!”

Kathryn managed to tear her eyes away from the approaching figure in red, just long enough to glance at Seven.

She had walked a few steps forward so that she was standing beside Kathryn. She had a tricorder ready in her hands and Kathryn was sure that she was already scanning everything around them.

“Captain Janeway?” Santa Claus asked as he stopped a few paces in front of them and held out a tentative hand.

Kathryn told herself to get a grip and took the few remaining steps forward. She grasped his gloved hand. “Yes, thank you for… receiving us.”

“Thank you for coming!” Santa Claus boomed as he shook her hand vigorously. “Please, remind me who these lovely people are.”

Kathryn pointed at each of her crewmembers in turn. “This is Lieutenant Commander Tuvok, our Security Officer. This is Lieutenant Tom Paris, our Helmsman and field medic. And this is Seven of Nine, my Astrometrics Officer.”

Santa Claus nodded at Tuvok and Seven, his eyes lingering on the implants on her face for a moment. But then his attention was taken up by Tom who had stepped up and reached out his hand.

“It is… a pleasure to meet you, sir.” Tom said, almost breathlessly and with a big smile.

“And you Tom! And you!” Santa Claus laughed as he shook his hand with the same enthusiasm as he had Kathryn’s. “We were so excited to find your ship on our radar!”

Tuvok immediately took a step forward. “How did you find us?”

“Well, you were hard to miss.” Santa Claus smiled. “You were coming straight for us. I have to say, I was surprised to find a ship from the Alpha Quadrant all the way out here.”

Kathryn quickly exchanged a look with Tuvok before asking the next question. “You know the Alpha Quadrant?”

“I know every Quadrant,” Santa Claus said without any bluster. “My magic reaches far. But come now! Let’s get out of the cold. Please, follow me to my Workshop.”

The other members of the away team all looked at Kathryn, even Tom. She gave them a reassuring nod. “Thank you, we would love to see it.”

They followed Santa Claus and his little group of Elves through the alleyway through which they had come.

The group was composed of four… beings, beside Santa Claus.

Two of them were very small. One was running through the snow to keep up with the others, while the other small one had wings that allowed her to fly at the level of Santa’s head. Then there was one that was the same height as Tom who looked curiously at them with kind eyes. The last one was one of the giants, he was tall even though he was stooping forward a little.

He had taken up position behind them. Perhaps so as not to block their view, or perhaps to make sure that there were no stragglers.

Santa Claus turned to talk to Kathryn and noticed her looking at his people. “Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot to use my head properly. I never introduced you to my Elves!”

He gave a short booming laugh and then pointed at the Elf flying close to his head. “This is Wisk. A Fairy, obviously.”

The little Fairy waved at them as her translucent rainbow wings fluttered in the air.

“That young Pixieman right there,” Santa pointed at the small Elf running in the snow. “That’s Kilter. He doesn’t speak much.”

Kilter merely nodded without breaking his stride.

“This here is Nuter,” Santa continued while pointing at the humanoid. “She is the sweetest Ryl you will ever know.”

Nuter gave a short laugh and then shook her head, making her honey-colored hair dance down her back.

“And that!” Santa said as he turned around, pointing at the giant while continuing to walk backwards. “That is Peter, the best-tempered Knook on the whole North Pole!”

Santa laughed again as he turned around and kept walking, not waiting for them to comment on any of the introductions.

Kathryn wouldn’t have known what to say anyway. Fairies and Pixies she could sort of understand, even though they were pretty strange. But she had no idea how to wrap her head around Knooks or Ryls, whatever they were.

She noticed Seven and Tuvok sharing a meaningful look however. They did not look happy, and she wondered if these introductions had told them anything about their host that she had not yet grasped.

There was no time to ask them about it though as they rounded another corner and came face to face with Santa’s Workshop.

It looked more like a palace than anything else. It was a huge building, built out of logs, with great windows filled with stained glass in red and gold. The two huge carved doors stood open, and a warm yellow light shone down on the snow in front of the building.

A woman was walking towards them through the light. She was wearing a long red skirt and a red jacket that resembled Santa’s. Like him, she also had snowy white hair. She wore golden spectacles and had a very kind face which was, even at a distance, vaguely familiar to Kathryn.

“There you are, Nick,” the woman said with a smile as she reached the group. “I wonder what was taking you. Why didn’t you allow them to beam down right here?”

“I’m sure they didn’t mind the short walk,” Santa Claus said, waving his hand in the air. “But they could use some warm drinks right about now.”

“Of course,” the woman smiled at them and stood to the side, beckoning them towards the warm building. The light from inside illuminated her face for the first time. “Please, follow me.”

“Before I forget myself again,” Santa Claus said with a laugh. “Let me introduce you to my wife, Mrs. Claus!”

Mrs. Claus smiled at her husband and then held out her hand to Kathryn. “It is wonderful to meet you, Captain.”

Kathryn, however, stood rooted to the spot. She could only stare at Mrs. Claus.

Her face was so familiar to Kathryn that it hurt. It was a face that she had not expected to see for a very long time.

It was her mother’s face.

Chapter Text

One second later

“Are you all right, dear?” Mrs. Claus asked Kathryn as she slowly lowered her hand.

Her eyes were different.

Now that she was looking more closely at her, Kathryn realized that there was definitely some resemblance to Gretchen Janeway. But she also realized that the kind face that was looking at her now was not her mother’s.

“Yes,” Kathryn said in a scratchy voice before clearing her throat. “Yes, I’m all right.”

“Good,” Mrs. Claus smiled tentatively and then led the way through the doors together with Santa.

Tom immediately followed them, but Seven shot Kathryn a questioning look, before taking up position in front of her, looking from side to side as if scanning for dangers.

Tuvok fell into step next to Kathryn. He lowered his voice, so that only she could hear. “I noticed it too, Captain.”

“What?” Kathryn asked in a whisper, feeling the anxiety she had felt in her chest ever since seeing Mrs. Claus tighten. “What did she look like to you?”

From the corner of her eye, she could see Tuvok frown at her question. “The same as to you, I would think. She… resembles your mother.”

Kathryn felt some of the tension drain away. For a moment she had thought that Mrs. Claus would have appeared differently to all of them, perhaps resembling all of their mothers. But at least she appeared the same to everyone. That was something. Still, it was a bit strange that she looked so much like her mother.

Tuvok had of course met Gretchen Janeway several times and it comforted Kathryn that he saw the resemblance too. At least she was not going crazy.

They would have to talk about it later though, once they got back to Voyager, because right now the Clauses were giving them a short tour through the front rooms of the Workshop.

They had entered a huge Entrance Hall, dominated by an immense sled that looked about the size of an average shuttle pod. It was made of red wood which was polished so much that it shone like metal. There were golden decorations painted on it and the sled itself was big enough to house a sack with presents that would impress any child.

In front of the sled stood eight reindeer. If they could even be called reindeer as they were much bigger than any Earth deer. Their coats were snowy white and glossy, their eyes the deepest black. Their great antlers were covered by a fuzzy dark brown fur, that looked to be incredibly soft. None of them had red noses. But their size was definitely their most impressive feature.

“Do they…” Tom asked in a small voice as he pointed at the reindeer while they passed them at a distance. “Do they fly?”

“Of course they do,” Peter the Knook answered in a blunt deep voice that sounded like a knife scraping over tree bark. Then he muttered to himself. “What a silly question.”

No one else, not even Seven who was scanning the reindeer from a distance, dared to ask any follow-up questions as they moved to a smaller room just next to the Entrance Hall. A round table was set there with big mugs of steaming hot chocolate and plates laden with cookies waiting for them.

They all took seats, careful not to disturb the little fairies flying all around them. They quickly made sure that everyone had a drink and some cookies in front of them. Then they left, leaving Kathryn with her away team alone with the Clauses and the four Elves that had greeted them in the square.

Kathryn waited for Santa Claus to speak but he had taken a big gulp from his mug of hot chocolate and then started on a cookie. So, she decided to finally ask the question that needed to be answered. “You uh… You said you needed our help with… a problem.”

Santa looked at her with his piercing blue eyes from across the rim of his mug that he had raised to his lips again. “With the Grinch… Yes.”

He put down his mug with a sigh and looked at his wife for a moment. She patted his hand twice with encouragement and then he started telling them the story.

“This world has known peace for many long ages. Ever since we defeated the Awgwas, the evil spirits that threatened the immortal realms.”

Kathryn frowned. She had never heard of the Awgwas before. But Tom nodded knowingly and even Tuvok gave a short nod. Seven crossed her arms in front of her and arched her ocular implant minutely as if she also knew what ‘Awgwas’ were. Clearly, her crewmembers knew something that Kathryn didn’t.

“But I see I’m getting ahead of myself,” Santa gave a short laugh that lacked the mirth it had had before. “On this world there lived many species once. Many creatures of wonder, and animals that lived in peace with each other. The immortals were divided into seven classes. First the Pixies, Fairies, Ryls, Knooks and Nymphs of the Great Forest.”

He stopped and gazed at his wife for a moment, his bright eyes shining with a love that was impossible to ignore. She looked back in a loving way and squeezed his hand once more.

Santa turned back to face his visitors. “My wife was a Nymph of the Forest once. She gave up that life to be with me. She gave up her youth to be… like me.”

That raised several more questions than it answered. But the people from Voyager had no time to ask them as Santa Claus immediately continued.

“Apart from the five species from the Forest there were… others. The Awgwas, my ancient enemies. They were invisible spirits who caused mischief and wrongdoing wherever they went. They were defeated by the immortals long ago.”

He heaved a big sigh, as if to wake himself from his memories. “Then lastly there are the big Yetis who live in the mountains further south.”

“Are they… evil?” Seven asked, the skepticism clear in her voice.

“No,” Santa said while shaking his head, making his beard dance. “No, they are… simple folk who are easily… led astray.”

“By the Grinch?” Seven pressed on. “Is he Awgwas?”

“Oh no!” Santa said quickly. “No, he was one of us once… A Knook that took care of the dogs and the wolves. He was… always different though.”

Peter the Knook coughed with the sound of twigs snapping. “Some say he has Awgwas blood running through his veins.”

“But this is an untruth,” Santa told him sternly, his blue eyes no longer twinkling. “The Grinch… He is not an ancient enemy, but he is an enemy now all the same.”

“What does he do?” Kathryn asked, keen to keep Seven from asking more questions for a while. She wanted to feel more in control of the situation, more grounded even though everything around her made her head spin.

“He tries to sabotage our work,” Santa sighed, looking around the table to his helpers. “He does not believe our Magic should be shared beyond the boundaries of this world. He wants to keep the Light contained. He has developed weapons of enormous power and has banded the Yeti Tribes together. They follow him now, help him in his work to undo ours.”

“Only last week,” Wisk, the little fairy, piped up. “He attacked the reindeer while they were out flying together. Rudolph got hit…”

Her voice trailed off, and the other Elves turned to look at Peter again.

The big Knook was sitting with his massive arms folded on the table. He shook his enormous head and grunted, “The Grinch was always a grim fellow, constantly spreading negativity and despair. After his… separation he only got worse. He is alone and bitter! He no longer cares for the Magic and the Joy that Santa spreads through the universe.”

A silence fell over the room as the echoes of Peter’s booming voice slowly died away. The only sound came from Kilter the Pixie who was nibbling on a cookie.

Nuter sighed sadly and then looked at all the Voyager people in turn, “We have to stop him. If the Light on the North Pole dies out… all the universe will be plunged into Darkness.”

Tuvok leaned forward in his chair. “What is it that you expect from us? What is the immediate danger to your Magic and Light?”

“The Grinch has developed a superweapon,” Santa explained. “With it, he can attack the North Pole and destroy all the Magic here. Once the Magic dies, we won’t be able to rekindle it again. The Great Immortals left this world when the Awgwas were defeated. Without them… We stand alone. Unless… you can help us.”

Everyone turned to look at Kathryn, including her own people.

She kept her eyes focused on Santa Claus though, trying to fathom the depth of his blue eyes while trying to come to grips with everything she had heard so far.

She needed more information. A lot more. Then she needed some time and peace on Voyager to talk to her crew and come to a decision.

Chapter Text

The next morning

The senior staff of Voyager were gathered in the Briefing Room once more. They were staring at the screens lining the walls on which the members of the away team had just presented their findings from their mission on the surface of the planet.

Seven looked around the room, waiting impatiently for someone to speak. To her, the conclusion that must be drawn was obvious. However, no one else seemed to have reached it yet. Except maybe Tuvok.

Kathryn stood up and walked over to the screen that had the list of the different classes of sentient beings that lived on the planet. She read them carefully and then turned around to face the room. “What I don’t understand is how you three all seemed to know what these Awgwas were.”

“You never heard of the Awgwas?” Tom said, sounding genuinely surprised.

“Should she have?” Chakotay asked, “I’m at a loss here too.”

Seven quickly looked around the table. B’Elanna and Harry both also looked perplexed. As did Neelix, but of course that was no surprise, seeing as he was not from Earth. The Doctor had a knowing smile on his face that was slightly smug. He apparently knew the story of the Awgwas too, as did Tom and Tuvok.

“Captain,” Seven said, before anyone else could explain. “They are characters from a children’s book. They all are; Santa Claus, the immortals of the Great Forest, the Awgwas… They all come from the book The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. It was written in 1902 by L. Frank Baum.”

“The author of the Wizard of Oz?” Kathryn asked, sounding surprised.

“Yes,” Seven nodded. “Of course, the Grinch comes from the imagination of Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, even though he wasn’t a real doctor.”

“That I knew,” Kathryn said while looking back at the screen. “I guess I just never read the other book by Baum… So, all these creatures play a part in that story?”

“All but the Yetis,” Tom said. “They don’t appear in either of those two legends.”

Seven inwardly bristled at the use of the word ‘legend’. These were children’s stories; they were not based in history. They were not real.

“Okay…” Kathryn sighed and then sat down again. “I’m surprised you and Seven knew these stories, Tuvok.”

Tuvok raised one of his eyebrows. “I have to admit I did not fully read Baum’s book. However, I did read a quick summary before we went down to the planet’s surface.”

“I read the entire book before we went down,” Seven said quickly. “Which means that the book must have been fresh in our data banks for the aliens to access.”

“You still believe that all of this is not real?” Tom asked her, sounding genuinely surprised.

Seven, in turn, felt surprised at his stubbornness. “Of course I do! I think this only proves our point even more! All of these characters appear in these ancient Earth fiction books! How much more evidence do you need?”

“Not all of them appear in the books!” Tom countered. “The Yetis don’t… And neither does Mrs. Claus!”

Seven quickly looked down at her padd, typing furiously and therefore missing the look shared between Tuvok and Kathryn.

When she looked up again, she turned her padd around and pointed it directly at Tom. “Mrs. Claus first appeared in A Christmas Legend from 1849, written by James Rees. She then continued to make appearances–”

“Okay, Seven we get your point.” Kathryn interrupted her while raising her hand.

“Do you?” Seven asked angrily, feeling like the others were not taking her findings seriously. “What about the fact that Mrs. Claus closely resembled your mother, Captain?”

Everyone else turned to look at Kathryn.

But the Captain was staring at Seven with a cold gaze that made her want to retreat further back into the room. Still, she refused to back down and just held her gaze with her own.

“Mrs. Claus resembled your mother?” Chakotay asked tentatively when Kathryn didn’t answer the question.

“She did,” Kathryn said with a sigh, breaking the intense eye contact with Seven. “Eerily so. Tuvok noticed it too. I didn’t know Seven had as well.”

Seven felt like she needed to explain but on the other hand she did not know how.

Of course she had recognized the resemblance to Gretchen Janeway. How could she not have? She had seen Gretchen on the short daily communications with the Alpha Quadrant. She had even looked her up in the data banks when she had been… researching her Captain’s past.

So, when Mrs. Claus had appeared to them on the planet’s surface, the resemblance had been immediately obvious to her. As was the reason why these aliens had modelled her in such a way. Clearly it was meant to draw Kathryn in even further.

Thankfully, Tuvok chose that moment to chime in. “This resemblance and the fact that all of these characters are somehow related to Earth’s Christmas mythology, makes it more likely that they are not who they say they are. However, we have not yet perceived any threats from them either. All they have asked from us is to help them in their conflict.”

Kathryn nodded. She then turned to look at Seven again. Seven noticed with relief that her gaze was not as cold as before. “What about your scans? Did you notice anything odd about them? Something that would point towards them not being real or using som kind of cloaking technology?”

Seven shifted in her seat, feeling disgruntled at having to admit the truth. “No, none of the scans showed any anomalies that we could detect in the beings themselves. However, there were some very strange energy readings surrounding them. Especially the reindeer and the sleigh.”

“That must have been Santa’s Magic!” Tom jumped in eagerly. “It makes them fly!”

Seven looked at him incredulously and then exchanged a look with B’Elanna who was sitting next to her husband and who had looked at him in a worrying way.

Chakotay sighed as he leaned back in his chair. “Let’s take a step back from the question whether or not they are real and look at their possible motives for deceiving us. If that is in fact what they are doing.”

Seven wanted to point out that it was clear that that was what these aliens were doing, but a warning look from Chakotay stopped her.

Tuvok spoke instead. “They do not seem to want anything from us. They have not asked for any of our resources or technology. They have not asked to come aboard our ship. They have only asked for our help.”

“To stop the Grinch,” Kathryn added. “Even though they have no plan whatsoever for doing so.”

Seven could only agree with that. The people of the North Pole did not appear to be great strategic thinkers. This Grinch person was clearly threatening them. He had even built a superweapon. But the Elves and Santa Claus had not talked about countering him with weapons of their own. They had mostly just looked sad at the Grinch’s betrayal.

Their passivity only added to Seven’s annoyance.

“Perhaps,” Tuvok leaned in closer to the table. “We should try to find out more about this Grinch persona. Get both sides of the story.”

It was as if a light had been turned on in Seven’s mind. This is why she loved working with Tuvok. His logic mirrored her own need for rational decision-making. Yet he often viewed problems from a broader perspective, something she was still struggling with. His ideas often sparked new ones of her own.

“We could see if the Grinch corroborates their story!” She said excitedly. “He is their enemy. Perhaps he does not share their mimicry of our mythology. If he turns out not to be Christmas related at all, we will know that this is all a ruse!”

Tuvok nodded at her but the others around the table did not look very excited.

Seven looked at Kathryn. Because in the end it would be her who would make the decisions as their Captain.

Her stormy gray eyes were locked on Seven.

In moments like this, Seven felt like Kathryn was trying to read her thoughts. Get into her head and perhaps untangle the jumble of emotions that Seven herself did not yet fully understand.

After a few moments, Kathryn’s gaze softened and her lips even twitched into a small smile.

“Very well,” she stood up, laying the palms of her hands on the table. “We will continue to investigate. Seven and Tuvok will try to contact the Grinch. But carefully! We don’t want him to start attacking us with this superweapon, whatever it is.”

Tuvok nodded and picked up his padd, already making notes.

Seven felt a fresh wave of excitement wash over her. She would be able to get to the bottom of all of this. Then she would present the Captain with solid proof and this whole charade would end. They could leave this sector behind and continue on their journey.

“In the meantime,” Kathryn resumed. “We will continue to talk to the people of the North Pole as well. Find out more about them and their Magic. Tom and I will continue to take point in this.” She looked around the table, and then smiled. “And Harry will join us.”

Harry’s face lit up, and he gave Tom a low five under the table that Seven couldn’t help but roll her eyes at.

The Captain smiled for a moment but then turned serious again. “We will all proceed with caution. This situation is still very much a mystery to us. But no matter what turns out to be true, we are dealing with a conflict situation that will require diplomacy and tact.”

She turned her eyes again to Seven, and she understood the message.

Diplomacy and tact had never been her strong suit. But she would really try this time, if only to be able to prove to them all that this Christmas was a fraud.

Chapter Text

The next day

As the transporter’s beam faded around them, Seven could see that they were standing on a narrow path half-way up a tall, jagged mountain.

The weather could not be more horrible or different from when they had visited the city on the North Pole. There was a freezing rain lashing against their faces and the wind was almost strong enough to blow them against the dark stone face of the mountain.

Seven was happy that it was just Tuvok and she on this particular away mission. Neither of them was easily troubled by difficult weather situations, nor did they feel the need to make pointless observations about it in the form of ‘small talk’.

Tuvok simply pointed to a slightly drier spot a little bit further ahead that was sheltered by an overhang of rock.

Once there, he took a tricorder from the satchel that he was carrying and swung it slowly around.

“We have arrived close to the coordinates that the North Pole people gave us for the last known location of the Grinch.” Tuvok looked up and scanned the path leading up the mountain. “His cave should be just up ahead.”

Seven nodded and moved as if to head out in that direction, but Tuvok reached out a hand and grabbed her forearm tightly in his grasp.

“Seven, I understand your eagerness to prove our theory about the alien’s deception,” he said but his tone of voice immediately let her know that a ‘but’ was coming. “However, we have to move cautiously here. If everything that Santa Claus told us is true, and it might still be, then there is an army of Yetis living in this mountain. A well supplied army.”

“It could also all turn out to be lies!” Seven countered. “There might not even be a Grinch. They don’t know that we are out here looking for him. We might be able to cut through their ruse right here and now.”

“That is another possibility,” he nodded slowly. “But don’t blind yourself to the other possible outcomes. Like the Captain said, we should be cautious.”

A flash of lightning and a rumble of thunder strong enough to shake the mountainside, punctuated his words.

Seven’s eyes followed some falling rocks that had trembled loose by the thunder and were now rolling down the mountainside.

She sighed because she knew that Tuvok was right and that she was creating a tunnel vision for herself.

“It is just…” She started. “It is just frustrating to me when the others are allowing emotions to influence their judgement. I do not understand their attachment to this ancient Earth tradition of Christmas. Even though I am also human…”

Her voice trailed off. The only sound surrounding them now was the torrent of the rain that was lashing against the rocks.

Tuvok took some time before answering. She wondered if she had made the Vulcan uncomfortable because of this talk that bordered the realm of emotions.

“Your journey has been a difficult one, Seven,” he started in a gentle voice. “It is difficult to be different. I also struggle with this sometimes as there are not many Vulcans aboard Voyager. However, I think our crew is stronger because of its diversity. The others’ attachment to Christmas might just prove vital for our mission here.”

Seven looked at Tuvok in surprise but his eyes only showed her his usual calmness.

“I suppose you are right, Commander,” she said, shrugging her shoulders even though her discomfort was not of a physical nature.

Tuvok hesitated for a moment but then decided to say something else. “The diversity of our crew is only an example of how differences in a relationship can be beneficial. Your logical mind and scientific point of view can be very valuable to someone who is more impulsive and… adventurous. At the same time, this person can teach you about humanity and dealing with emotions. In this way you can bring peace to both of your minds.”

Seven stared at him.

She might not always pick up on every social cue, but even she could tell that Tuvok was no longer talking about the crew in general or some hypothetical relationship.

Tuvok looked back at her with his usual impassive face. But then the corner of his mouth… twitched.

It was not a smile; it was barely a movement at all. Still, Seven noticed it.

But it was gone by the time the next lightning flash lit up the sky. Tuvok had turned around and was looking up the mountain path again.

“Are you ready to continue?” He asked.

“Yes,” Seven answered and they set out.

No more words were spoken as they climbed the narrow mountain path while shielding their eyes from the rain with their hoods.

The path was strewn with loose rocks, making certain parts tricky to navigate. It kept Seven’s focus on her feet instead of the emotions that Tuvok’s little speech had unleased inside of her.

Both Tuvok and Seven managed to navigate the path without slip-ups and they steadily climbed the mountain.

Whenever there was a larger rock to shelter behind, Tuvok would stop and check his tricorder.

At the third instance, he pointed with his finger to the mountainside a little to the left of the path. He did not speak but nodded to Seven in a meaningful way.

His Vulcan eyesight was flawless, despite the darkness that was only broken by lightning flashes and the constant downpour of the rain.

Seven could easily make out the mouth of the cave that he was pointing at. She nodded as well, and they moved out towards it. They went at a slower pace now, making sure not to make any unnecessary noise or to disturb too many loose rocks.

As they neared the entrance of the cave, Tuvok flattened himself against the mountain wall and pulled out his phaser. Without looking at it, Seven knew it was set to stun.

Slowly, Tuvok edged closer to the mouth of the cave, Seven close behind him.

At last, he peered around the edge and then slipped in without saying a word.

Slightly surprised, Seven followed.

It was a relief to be out of the rain, but it was also strangely quiet in the cave.

There was nothing there.

The floor of the cave was bare rock and there was no sign of any form of habitation. There were no fabrics or animal skins on the floor and no signs of fires.

Tuvok pulled out his tricorder again and scanned the limited space. “There are no tunnels leading out of this cave. There is nothing here.”

Seven felt a smug wave of triumph wash over her. “So, there is no Grinch. The people of the North Pole are lying to us.”

“They are liars,” said a gruff voice from behind her. “But I do actually exist.”

Seven spun around.

There was a figure standing in the mouth of the cave, blocking their only exit. He was wearing a long cloak that was flapping around his lean frame in the strong wind.

A flash of lightning illuminated his tall, towering form. Chills ran down Seven’s spine at the sight.

Tuvok quickly took a few steps forwards so that they were standing side by side. He pointed his phaser at the stranger.

But the figure merely laughed at them, the sound mixing with the thunder. The dark hood of his cloak was hiding his face until a bony hand reached up and lifted it back.

Fiery red eyes in a dark green face looked at them for a moment. Then he took in a shuddering breath and said, “I am the Grinch.”

Chapter Text

One second later

“You can lower your weapon,” the Grinch said in a raspy voice as he stepped inside from the rain. He spread his arms wide. “I carry none at the moment.”

Slowly, Tuvok lowered his arm, but his finger never left the trigger.

The Grinch walked closer, looking at them curiously, taking in their clothing and lingering on Seven’s implants just as Santa had done. “Who are you?”

“I am Lieutenant Commander Tuvok of the Federation Starship Voyager,” Tuvok said in a calm voice. “This is Seven of Nine. We mean you no harm.”

The Grinch grinned, shaking his head as he looked at the floor. He was still walking closer to them, circling slightly to the right.

Seven angled her body so that she kept facing him, but at the same time she was aware that he was now giving them an opportunity to use the exit again.

“You mean me no harm and yet you have come to my home unbidden. Apparently, directed here by the people of the North Pole. I assume you are friends of Santa Claus?” He looked up at them, and his grin had completely disappeared. His red vibrant eyes burnt like fire as he scanned their faces.

“We have met Santa Claus,” Tuvok conceded. “He did tell us where to find you.”

“So, you were looking for me!” The Grinch threw his hands in the air while shaking his head again.

Seven glanced at the exit from the corner of her eye and froze.

Standing in the mouth of the cave, barely visible in the darkness, was a giant wolfhound. It was as big as a small Earth pony. Its fur was a deep gray that melted perfectly with the stone of the mountain. White teeth flashed as it growled at her.

The Grinch glanced at the wolf as well. Then he snapped his fingers, and the wolf relaxed its stand before sitting down. Still blocking the exit.

“Why are you here?” The Grinch asked in a voice that was much softer than before.

“We wanted to meet you,” Tuvok explained. “Hear your side of the story.”

“My side of the story?” The Grinch laughed softly. “And which story would that be?”

“You tell us.” Tuvok countered cleverly.

The Grinch stepped even closer and stared deeply into Tuvok’s face. “Where did you come from?”

“We came from far away. On a starship.”

The Grinch shook his head. “No… This Federation. Where is it? What do you want?”

“We want nothing from you. We just want to talk.”

“Where… are you from?” The Grinch growled. The emphasis he put on the first word made his voice rumble as he leaned down to put his face at the same level as Tuvok’s.

Seven wished she had brought a phaser of her own. She was itching to take Tuvok’s out of his hand and use it on the Grinch, and then the wolf, so that they could get out.

But Tuvok did not even flinch as he stared back into the Grinch’s face. He considered his questions for a moment and then finally answered, “we are from very far away. We came from the Alpha Quadrant.”

The Grinch sighed deeply. Then his red eyes focused on Seven’s face and locked onto her ocular implant.

A thin bony finger reached out to touch it.

She flinched, taking a step backward on instinct.

The Grinch suddenly straightened up, keeping his eyes trained on her and a flash of pain moved over his face.

He quickly composed himself though and then he looked back at the massive wolf at the mouth of the cave.

A short high-pitched whistle escaped his lips, and the wolf immediately sprang up and walked away.

“You will come with me,” the Grinch said without looking at them. “If you really want to hear my side of the story that is.”

He walked away and disappeared into the darkness outside.

Seven looked at Tuvok. “What do we do?”

Tuvok was frowning but otherwise he showed no sign that the encounter with the Grinch had rattled him as well. He seemed to be thinking fast. “We carry out our mission. We came here to ascertain that the Grinch was really here. That part we have just concluded. Now it is time to find out what his motives are.”

Seven nodded, even though her every instinct told her to press her combadge and request the Voyager crew to beam her back aboard the safety of the ship.

The Grinch’s appearance had not bothered her that much. He was impressive and definitely daunting, but that did not scare her. His focus on her implants and the fact that he had almost touched her… that sent chills down her spine.

Tuvok was waiting for her, clearly not willing to move on until she had given him her consent.

“We continue,” she said in as calm a voice as she could muster.

He gave her an encouraging nod and then led the way out of the cave.

The Grinch was standing just outside, together with his enormous wolfhound. The rain had let up a bit, and the sky was slowly brightening up. In the dim light, the two figures were more visible, even though the Grinch’s dark cloak and the fur of the wolf still blended in perfectly with the stone of the mountain.

“This is Max,” the Grinch said off-handedly while putting a hand on the massive dog’s head.

The idea of such a ferocious creature being called ‘Max’ somehow made the situation seem almost as absurd as their mission to the North Pole had been.

“And those are Hima and Grit,” the Grinch continued, pointing to a place behind Tuvok and Seven.

Seven looked over her shoulder and felt her heart skip a beat.

Two enormous figures were standing right behind them. How they had moved so silently that she hadn’t noticed their approach, she would never know.

They were clearly Yetis. They were even taller than the Grinch or the other Knooks that they had seen on the North Pole. They were covered in white fur, not wearing any clothing but carrying belts that had weapons and tools hanging from them. Their eyes were big and brown, and their mouths were leathery lines in between all the white fur. They did not appear to have any noses but one of them did sport some impressive horns, curling from the top of its head.

They said nothing as Tuvok and Seven stared at them.

“Follow me,” the Grinch finally said and then he led the way with Max.

Seven exchanged a quick glance with Tuvok and then started to climb the path further up the mountain.

Both the Grinch and Max walked easily over the stony path, and the two Yetis behind them moved like ghosts, even though their feet were almost as big as Seven’s whole body.

The surreality of the situation made it seem like they were walking for a long time. Finally, they reached a smooth rock face that seemed to be hewn out of the mountain.

The Grinch looked back at them with his piercing gaze and then he pressed an invisible lever on the side of the mountain.

The smooth rock face split in the middle and the two sides moved silently to the side, revealing a cavernous space.

It was nothing like the primitive and empty cave they had just left behind. The entire room was covered with metal, the floor, the walls and the ceiling. There were several vehicles standing in the open space. On one side of the room stood several workbenches laden with small and big metal objects.

Seven looked around, trying to take it all in.

The Yetis that were working in the big room all stopped their movements and stared at the visitors.

Then the doors behind them closed with a sharp snap that echoed through the room. The only light came from the blue glow of the lamps that hung from the ceiling.

The Grinch turned around and stood in front of Tuvok and Seven. “Now… Let’s talk.”

Chapter Text

At the same time, at the North Pole

Kathryn smiled as Wisk the Fairy zoomed away to get her some coffee. It was not that she didn’t appreciate the hot chocolate milk, it was the most delicious she had ever had. But she would always prefer a black coffee, and she secretly wondered how good the coffee would be here. Probably better than the replicators on Voyager could give her.

She looked down at the map on the large table again, the one she had been studying for a while now.

She, Tom and Harry had beamed down to the surface to talk to Santa Claus and to find out more about his Magic that he wanted their help with to protect.

Their visit to the North Pole was also a possible smoke screen to prevent anyone on the surface noticing Seven and Tuvok beaming down into the mountains further to the south.

Kathryn had decided not to mention this side-mission to Santa Claus or his people. It gave her crew the opportunity to check some of the information the people of the North Pole had given them without them knowing.

Still, she could not keep her focus on the map for long. She was wondering what Seven and Tuvok would find out and if they would be safe. She hadn’t been entirely happy with Tuvok’s suggestion to go and look for the Grinch. But the logical part of her knew it was the best thing to do and… it would make Seven happy.

She did not like disagreeing with Seven, even though that seemed to be all they were doing. Not just lately but always. Their discussions were at the very heart of their relationship and sometimes Kathryn wondered if they were just too different to…

She quickly shook her head. What was the point of wondering about that? She was the Captain. She should not even be thinking about Seven in that way. Or anyone for that matter.

“Your coffee, Captain,” A voice said beside her. It was not the high-pitched voice of Wisk though.

Kathryn looked up and saw Mrs. Claus standing right next to her. Even though Kathryn could now see the subtle differences between her and her mother, the sight of Mrs. Claus’ face still shook her to the core.

“Thank you,” she stuttered, accepting the giant mug of coffee that smelled divine.

“How are you doing with the map?” Mrs. Claus asked, her eyes roaming over the landscapes of the planet that were plotted out in front of them.

Kathryn took a small sip of the coffee before answering. The rich taste exploded in her mouth and the caffeine and warmth immediately buzzed in her veins. It was a very pleasant feeling. “Your planet is very beautiful.”

Mrs. Claus smiled, but it did not reach her eyes. Instead, she looked rather sad. “I wish you could have seen it in its prime. Not in its winter.”

Kathryn frowned, the scientist inside of her immediately intrigued. “You had a change of climate?”

“Nothing abruptly or catastrophic,” Mrs. Claus quickly said. “But the winter of the planet has started.”

Kathryn looked at the map that was littered with frozen lakes and snowy plains. Seasons on a planet were often different than the regular heartbeat of her beloved Earth. And this planet was definitely in a deep winter.

“My mother used to say that every season has its charm. Even winter,” Kathryn said, remembering Gretchen’s words painfully sharp as her mother’s doppelganger was standing right next to her.

Mrs. Claus looked at her, her piercing green eyes peering over the top of her spectacles. “I suppose they do… Still, there are people who see this winter as the decline of the Magic on the planet.”

Kathryn was happy that the conversation had veered back to the topic she was here to investigate. “Why would the Magic be declining? Where does it come from?”

“Ah, the Magic is like Life itself. Where its source is, only the Wisest know,” Mrs. Claus sighed. “But it is deeply tied to the people of this planet. The recent strife between my husband and the Grinch… It is damaging everything.”

Kathryn took another sip of her coffee because she did not quite know what to ask next and… because the bitter, hot coffee was simply intoxicating.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Mrs. Claus continued. “I love my Nick, and I understand where he is coming from.” She sighed. “But he can be so stubborn sometimes.”

Unbidden, an image of Seven flashed before Kathryn’s mind’s eye. The stubborn fire burning in her stunning blue eyes. Her full lips pressed in a straight line. Her shiny ocular implant slightly arched as if daring Kathryn to challenge her.

And Kathryn so often did… Was she secretly enjoying it? Did she seek out her confrontations with Seven just to have a reason to interact with her or to be close to her?

The feeling that she was being watched shook her out of her revery. She looked up and noticed Mrs. Claus looking at her with a smile on her face. “Perhaps you also have a stubborn partner in your life, Kathryn?”

Kathryn subtly noticed the shift to the use of her first name. But more than anything the question shook her. It had almost been like Mrs. Claus had been reading her thoughts. Or was she simply that transparent?

“No, I don’t have a partner,” Kathryn quickly said. “I’m the Captain.”

Mrs. Claus frowned. “Does the one exclude the other?”

“It does,” Kathryn nodded, quickly moving her eyes back to the map. “At least it does in my case.”

“Why?”

Apparently Mrs. Claus was not that easily put off.

“Voyager has a long journey ahead of her,” Kathryn explained. “I can’t afford to get distracted from my duties as Captain. I can’t afford to… have a weakness.”

Her words came out stunted and awkward. She immediately regretted giving away that much information about herself. She was here to gather information about these people, not to open up her own heart to them.

Perhaps it was because this woman looked so much like her mother…

“Love is not a weakness, Kathryn,” Mrs. Claus said in a quiet voice. “It requires sacrifice and it opens you up to hurt, yes. But in the end it makes you so much stronger than you could ever be on your own.”

Kathryn looked up again, trying to read the other woman’s eyes, trying to find any hint of deceit or a trap. She found none. Mrs. Claus looked at her with nothing but kindness and wisdom.

“Is that how it is for you?” Kathryn asked in a small voice.

Mrs. Claus smiled at her. “It is. I gave up a lot to be with Nick. He was already an immortal when I met him but… He was not one of the people of the Great Forest. I used to be a Nymph. I took care of the great oaks of the Forest. I was forever young. But when I met Nick… Everything changed, even though it happened gradually. My focus in life shifted. He taught me how to… have fun.”

She laughed, staring out into the distant past. “And I taught him restraint and patience. Together we make quite a good team. And through his work I have found my true calling.”

She looked around the room. “To work together with him to spread his Magic through the universe. I help him with his problems, but I also take care of all the Elves that work here. I make sure that they have work to do that fits them. I make sure that they are happy and in return… They make me happy too.”

She looked back at Kathryn who had been staring at her face which had lit up as she talked. For a moment she had almost been able to see the young Nymph that had lived in her beloved Forest so long ago.

“My life has completely changed since I met Nick, and that can be scary,” Mrs. Claus continued. Then she put a warm hand on Kathryn’s arm. “But I wouldn’t have missed any of it for the world. He makes me whole and I know I do the same for him. We are different but together we stand strong.”

Kathryn swallowed, somehow her throat had tightened up. She wouldn’t have been able to say something even if she had found the words.

Mrs. Claus rubbed her hand up and down Kathryn’s arm. “I hope that one day you will experience the same, Kathryn. I hope that one day you will let her in, and you can become the Captain you were meant to be.”

She dropped her hand, gave Kathryn one more smile and then walked away.

Leaving Kathryn to wonder about her words and the ‘her’ that she had mentioned.