The 12 Days of Christmas- Imzadi Style
Parts Four and Five
Thanks to Eartha Kitt and her wonderful voice. Her song is perfcet for Day Five of this series. It's a wav, so it loads slowly. It's called "Santa Baby". Five is also dedicated to some of the Jazz muscians of the past. Those that have past on, may they rest in peace.
Part Four
On the fourth day of Christmas my Imzadi gave to me:
Cog Au Vin
Deanna was in Will's quarters waiting for dinner. It had been a long day and Deanna was glad Will was cooking tonight. She never liked to cook, but tonight she really did not want to cook, because she was tired and they were also having guest over tonight.
Thus, Will was cooking a French meal or at least the main entree' was French. She had no idea what all he was going to cook for tonight's dinner, but she thought whatever he was cooking smelled very good.
It was 1730 hours. The specified time Will told their guests to arrive for dinner. What he did not tell their guests was dinner would be ready at 1800 hours, but like clockwork the chime to their quarters rang at exactly 1730 hours.
Deanna had been lying on the couch when she heard the chime ring. She arosed for the couch and walked over to the door to allow their guests into Will's quarters. Will was right behind her and also ready to great their guests.
"Beverly, Captain. Come on in!" Deanna greated with a smile.
"Yes, I almost have dinner ready." Will stated. "Why don't you two fix you something to drink and make yourselves comfortable while I finish up."
"Oh yes. That will be fine." Picard replied as he headed for the small drink bar set up for them in the corner and poured himself a drink.
"What are we having?" Beverly asked eagerly.
"Coq Au Vin." Will informed everyone.
"Cock what?" Beverly asked.
"Um, it's Coq Au Vin." Picard repeated slowly and then explained. "It's a cock in wine. Usually a red wine. One of my favourites."
"Well, actually." Will began. "The ship's stores didn't have any roosters, so I'm using Cornish game hens. So I guess you could say it's really Hen Au Vin." Will chuckled.
No one seemed to catch his little joke, so he cleared his throat and continued. "When will the ship's stores be restocked?"
"When we reach a docking area." Picard informed him. "That is, if they are stocked. This time of year is very busy and stores are very hard to keep supplied."
"True, but no cock?" Will asked. "How many people order a cock? Then again, that maybe why it wasn't stocked in the ship's stores."
Picard nodded. "Could be."
"Well, I'll go finish dinner." Will stated. Then with a nod, he excused himself by addressing the two women, "Ladies."
Will walked out of the room and Beverly, Picard and Deanna talked among themselves. As they chatted, they walked over to the chairs in the living area. Picard took the high back chair fit for royalty that Deanna brought over from her quarters. Beverly took the regular chair at the end of the couch facing sideways and Deanna flopped into the overstuffed chair on the other side of the couch.
Deanna looked at Picard and smiled. She was finding him a bit humourous.
"What is so amusing, Deanna?" Picard asked.
"Oh, nothing." Deanna tried to refrain from giggling.
Beverly finally noticed what Deanna was finding so amusing and was also trying to keep from laughing.
"Obviously you are finding something amusing about me." Picard stated getting a little self-conscious. "Is there something on my face?"
"No!" Beverly informed him, but not without releasing her laughter.
"Then would you mind telling me what is so amusing to you two?"
"Yes." Deanna laughed. "I mean, no."
Will walked back into the room. "Dinner's re." He paused and looked at the two women who were giggling harder. He was puzzled by what was so funny. "Did I miss a good joke?" He smiled.
"Oh, don't worry Number One, I missed the joke too." Picard told Will.
Deanna was trying to control her laughter that was now out of control. She wiped away the tears that formed from laughing so hard. "It's." She started to laugh again. "It's your chair." She snickered. "And you."
Beverly and Deanna were again laughing. Will and Picard still were not getting the joke.
"I guess it's another one of those women's things." Will said with a shrug.
"Well, I for one would like to know what they are making such sport of." Picard stated firmly.
Beverly tried hard to catch her breath and stop laughing long enough to tell the two men. "It's really not all that funny." She gasped with a smile as she tried hard not to start laughing again. "But Jean-Luc, you, the captain of this ship, sat in the most appropriate place."
Will was starting to catch on to the little joke that now had the two women in such an uproar. He started to grin widely. "Yup. It's another one of those women things."
"I still don't get what the devil is so funny about me." Picard stated with irritation.
"It's not you, Captain." Will informed Picard. He over emphasised Picard's title. "It's the fact that you sat in the chair that is made for a king. Most appropriate don't you think?"
Picard was finally catching onto the little joke. He began to smile. "I'm begining to see what is so humourous to you two now. Well, I guess it's only fitting that a captain have the chair that is meant for a king."
Once Beverly and Deanna were over their giggles Will reminded them of dinner. "I have dinner ready if everyone would like to come to the table."
"Yes, I'm starved." Deanna informed Will.
"So am I." Beverly added.
"I guess it's from all that laughing." Will said with a smile. Then he headed to the kitchen as the other three took their places at the table.
Will came back out with a large tray that had four plates on them. On each of the four plates was a serving of Coq Au Vin. With the entree' was potatoes, and colourful vegetables.
After serving everyone their plates Will took his seat. "Well, everyone dig in!"
"Wait." Picard ordered. "I think that since this is going to be our Christmas meal together before we go our separate ways to see family and friends, I think it is only fitting to take a moment of silence before we start eating."
Beverly and Deanna nodded. Will shrugged. "Why not?" He said. "Sounds good to me."
They had a moment of silence. Each prayed silently in their own way for a moment and then Picard clapped his hands together and rubbed them eagerly. "Let's eat!"
Everyone was begining to enjoy their meal when Picard swalled his first bite and asked, "Hens you say, Will?".
"Yes. Hens."
"And there are four of them?" Picard asked again.
"Yes."
"And they are now French, no?"
"Well, I made a French dish out of Cornish game hens." Will replied not sure what his Captain was meaning.
"In the song, isn't it suppose to be three French hens?"
"Huh?" Will was confused. He had no idea what his captain was talking about.
"Three French hens from the twelve days of Christmas?" Picard tried to unconfused Will.
"Oh, well." Will replied trying to quickly come up with something. "There are four of us, so I slightly changed things a bit."
"Four French hens?" Beverly asked not quite understanding what the two men were talking about.
Deanna understood all to well. "Why not?" Deanna chuckled. "Will gave me three pounds of Belgium chocolate yesterday, so I guess today he is making up for it by having four French hens today."
There was a round of laughter, then Will asked, "I wonder what your next surprise will be, Deanna?"
"Oh, I don't know." Deanna replied with a smile. "Besides, if I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?"
"No, it wouldn't." Will smiled back.
"But I promise you." She smiled mischieviously. "You are going to just love it."
Part Five
One the fifth day of Christmas my Imzadi gave to me:
Five Jazz Players
"Deanna?" Will began to ask. "Where are you taking me?"
"Just keep your eyes close and follow my lead." She retorted.
"OK, but if I bump into something it's your fault."
"Oh, stop complaining." She told him. "You're going to love this gift."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"That must mean you're going to take me somewhere where you can do a striptease for me." He said with a grin and his eyes still closed.
"Nope. Better."
"Better?" Will asked still grinning. "How can anything be better than that?"
"You'll see."
Will heard some doors swished open and then swished shut behind them. He then heard some jazz music. Really good jazz. Like a jam session.
"OK, open your eyes." Deanna ordered.
Will openned his eyes. He was in awe at what he saw. He could not believe his eyes. Not only was he in a jazz nightclub, but also there before his eyes were the greats. Or at least in his opinion.
"Deanna, how?" He started to ask. "Never mind. This is the holodeck."
"You don't like it?"
"Like it?" Will exclaimed. "Deanna, I don't like it. I love it!" He approached the group of jazz players on stage. "This is unbelievable!"
The group ended their song and turned towards Will and Deanna.
"Is this the guy you wanted to surprise?" The one at the piano asked.
"He's the one." Deanna replied.
"Let me introduce us all." The piano player said.
"Oh, no." Will said as he jumped upon the stage. "Let me guess."
"Hey, that's cool, man." The trumpet player replied.
"Let's see." Will began. "You stroking the ivories. You're the Duke. Duke Ellington." Will walked over and offerred to shake his hand. "Amazing!"
"That's right." Duke replied with a smile and took Will's hand to shake it.
"You on the trumpet. You're Dizzy! Dizzy Gillespie." Will stated and shook his hand too.
Dizzy just nodded to Will while shaking his hand and smiled.
"I used to call you bullfrog when I was a little boy." Will informed Dizzy. "You know, because of how you puff up your cheeks when you play the trumpet."
"Oh, yes." Dizzy replied with a smile. "I've had many a chil' call me bullfrog."
Will moved on to the Sax player. "And you're Charlie Parker. Otherwise known as Bird."
"Now how did ya know that young man?" Bird asked him.
"I've read a lot about you." Will replied as they too shook hands. Then Will approached the piano player. "You're Benny Goodman."
"The one and only." Benny replied with a smile and shook Will's hand also.
"And you." Will walked back to where the drummer was. As he approached the drummer he held out his hand to him. "You're Max Roach or just Roach."
"You got it, man!" The drummer replied and also shook Will's hand.
"Oh, man!" Will exclaimed. "This is awesome! All the greats or almost all the greats in one room!"
The jazz players just smiled as Will ranted on about how much he was excited to meet them. "I'd love to jam with you guys, but I don't have my bone with me."
"Looks like the little lady's got you cover." Bird pointed out to Will.
Will smiled at Deanna. "Thanks, Imzadi!" Then he kissed her.
Deanna could not help but blush. "I'm glad you like this gift."
"OK, I'm ready." Will said as he stepped onto the stage again. "How about we start out with Silent Night since it's Christmas?"
"Hey, man." Said Roach. "Lead us off and were with ya."
"Alright." Will said. "Five, Six, Seven, Eight." He said as he snapped his fingers to the beat.
The group played the jazz version of Silent Night as though they had played together forever. When they finished that song they went right into another one.
Deanna took a seat at one of the tables. She danced in her seat to the jazz beat of the Christmas song the band played. She was so happy that Will loved this gift she gaved him.
Will played his trombone like crazy. He was so happy to be playing with the greats. He could not believe how Deanna came up with this idea for a gift, but he loved it for all it was worth.
While they were playing their sixth jazzy Christmas song, a female lieutenant enter the holodeck. She walked in without a care and when they finished that song she spoke to them.
"Hey, I heard you guys playing and thought I'd come in and see if I could sing a tune with you all."
"Sure, pretty lady." Dizzy replied. "Whacha wanna sing?"
She looked over towards Will and smiled. "How about Santa Baby?"
"We can do that." Benny replied.
The lieutenant hopped up on the stage. Deanna watched the woman's every move and noticed how she smiled at Will. She was not at all happy about this party crasher.
"Ok guys." She said. "A one, and a two, and a three."
The band began playing. This was one of Will's favourite jazz Christmas songs and he was playing his heart out while the lieutenant sang.
"Santa Baby just slip a sable under the tree. For me." She sang. As she sang she walked seductively up to Will. "I've been an awful good girl, Santa Baby. So hurry down the chimney tonight."
Now she was behind Will. She brought her arm over Will's shoulder and then ran her hand across his chest. Will almost missed his note due to her action.
If Deanna had not noticed the lieutenant's actions towards Will, she would have noticed the woman could have competed with the likes of Billy Holiday or Ella Fitzgerald if she wanted to do so. However, Deanna was too intent on watching the lieutenant and how she was behaving around Will.
The woman still continued to sing. Deanna was not red from blushing anymore, but rather she was begining to see red. She continued to watch for a little while longer.
"Santa baby a fifty-four convertable too. Light blue. I'll wait up for you, dear. Santa Baby. So, hurry down the chimney tonight."
She continued to carass Will. Every move she made was nothing but seduction.
"Santa baby, a want a yacht really bad. That's not a lot. I've been an angel all year, Santa baby. And hurry down the chimney tonight."
She finally finished the song, but not without pawwing Will to death. It was obvious to Deanna that Will was enjoying the attention. The seduction this woman attempted during the song was not enough for this woman though. When the song was finished and Will had removed the trombone from his mouth she had to kiss him full on the lips.
Deanna suddenly rose from her chair. She then intentionally passed the lieutenant. "Tramp!" Was all Deanna said as she rushed out of the holodeck in a rage.
"Jealous type, isn't she?" The lieutenant stated smartly.
"Lieutenant." Will said with all authority.
"Yes."
"Shut up." Then Will walked out after Deanna.
"Well, guys." Said the lieutenant to the band. "We have the rest of the day together. Let's not waste it."
Continue to Days Six and Eight