JP - Lieutenant Madison Marsh & Ensign Alix Harford - "Christmas in Vegas" - Part III
Madison Marsh
[JP] Lt. Madison Marsh & Ensign Alix Harford - Christmas in Vegas Part III
((Marsh Home, Las Vegas, Nevada, Earth))
((Stardate: 240112.24 Time: 2030))
Sitting at the kitchen bar on smooth red oak barstools, the girls eagerly waited for the homemade sugar cookies to cool. Decorating cookies and drinking hot cocoa had been a Christmas Eve tradition in the Marsh home since Alix’s first Christmas with them when they’d asked her all about holiday traditions. The kitchen, much like the rest of the house, was tastefully designed around rich textures and neutral tones. Marble countertops, rich woods and subtle gold accents made the space feel luxurious, but the rich chocolate scent mingling with the aroma of fresh baked cookies made the space feel homey.
Iris Marsh: I love having you girls home for Christmas.
Madison’s mom beamed at the girls across the bar. She’d expressed the same sentiment at least half a dozen times, but Alix didn’t mind hearing it and feeling so welcome. The Marsh home truly felt like her home, especially in the last five years since her own family had disowned her for joining Starfleet.
Harford: It’s so good to be home, honestly. It’s just the break I needed.
Madison swiped her index finger in the chocolate icing and tasted it. The chocolate was rich and delicious, one of her favorite Earth foods without a doubt. She then looked over at her mother, nodded her head a few times, and smiled, speaking in an enthusiastic tone.
M. Marsh: Yeah! Happy to be home, Mom. I love this chocolate! Yum!
Harford: You have to let them cool, Mads or the icing will melt off.
Alix repeated the same warning she’d said every year to her impatient best friend.
I. Marsh: What sort of cocoa do you girls want while you wait?
One of Madison’s favorite hot chocolate recipes was Hungarian forró csokoládé. This was hot chocolate with marshmallows, cream, cinnamon, with a dash of white pepper, turbinado sugar, paprika, and ground cloves. Of course that would be her go to recommendation and pick for the evening.
M. Marsh: Mom, you know my favorite, Hungarian forró csokoládé.
Harford: ::smiling:: Cinnamon chocolate with marshmallow cream for me.
As Irish Marsh turned to make three unique mugs of the rich warm beverage, Alix smacked her friend’s hand away from the rack of cooling cookies.
M. Marsh: Ow! Hey, why are you slapping me? Be nice because they are so delicious! Tis the season to forget about dieting and eat sugary foods through the new year.
Harford: Of course they’re delicious, I made them. ::sticks her tongue out at Madison:: If you don’t let them cool, you’ll burn your mouth and then you’ll pout.
She offered Alix a pretend expression of a pout. Madison did not really care if they dried, she was used to eating the batter raw in the past. In fact, she stole a few swipes of the current batch when her mother and Alix were not looking.
M. Marsh: Okay, okay, fair enough. ::pinched Alix’s arm:: I still love you even though you don’t let me enjoy my warm cookies that are not ready to be eaten yet!
Harford: Warm and hot are very different, Madison. Give them five more minutes.
I. Marsh: Girls, quit bickering and drink your cocoa.
Though she knew the girls were playing with each other, Ms. Marsh still admonished them like they were teens as she placed their warm mugs in front of them.
Madison crossed her arms and arched a brow. Were they really bickering? Not in her mind. However, her mother was just being her usual self with the two of them.
M. Marsh: Um, we’re not bickering mother, but I’ll drink my cocoa!
Harford: Yes ma’am.
Alix sheepishly lowered her eyes and then smiled in Madison’s direction. She missed the simple nurturing presence of having a mother figure in her life. Coming home to visit with Madison helped her miss her own family a little bit less. Though Stephanie Harford had never been as sweet to Alix, her eldest daughter, as Iris Marsh was.
I. Marsh: Hmm… ::shakes her head:: Which Christmas holo do the two of you want to watch after we decorate cookies?
As she spoke, Iris reached over to lightly touch the cookies, testing to see if they’d cooled enough for decorating. Smiling, she nodded at the girls and picked a cookie for her own decorating. Every year they melted chocolate of various colors and used food safe paint brushes to decorate. It was a delicious and artsy way to enjoy the tradition, and each other’s company.
M. Marsh: Hmmm ::watching her mother test the cookies:: Why do you get to touch the cookies? Hands off mom! ::Smiles:: Just kidding, um, I don’t know. How about Charlie Brown?
Harford: Charlie Brown is so old! ::pauses:: How about… Darmok and Jalad Under the Mistletoe? Or Love is Illogical, but not on Christmas?
I. Marsh: Oh, I like Love is Illogical, you know how I like Vulcans.
A nearly imperceptible blush caressed Ms. Marsh’s cheeks causing Alix to chuckle a little bit. Meanwhile, Madison sighed about the fact that she would not get to see Charlie Brown. She would just watch it by herself later on while the other two were asleep.
Harford: Looks like your silly cartoon is outvoted, Mads.
Madison rolled her eyes casually in response to her mother and Alix. However, she would be nice considering Alix was their guest.
M. Marsh: Mom’s just being nice to you since you’re the guest here. We can watch it though, it will be alright. I’m not complaining or anything.
Harford: Don’t pretend you don’t love cheesy romance movies.
The three women fell into comfortable chatter as they decorated cookies and drank cocoa together. They cleaned up the kitchen together and then settled into the comfortable living room to watch the movie and eat cookies with a second mug of rich chocolate. Madison snuggled with Alix with her head on her shoulder making herself comfortable. It was a late night for Alix, and she nearly fell asleep curled up on the couch with her best friend in their pajamas, but she stayed awake, not wanting to miss a moment of the evening in one of her favourite places in the universe.
The following few days provided a much needed rest for Madison and Alix. They hadn’t been able to spend time together in such a long time and life in the fleet could be busy. When it was finally time to return to their duty stations, the girls hugged for way too long and promised not to wait so long to see each other again. Madison and Alix had been friends for so long, they were more like sisters and no amount of time or lightyears of distance would ever change that.
Mission Specialist
Starbase 118 Ops
O240006MM1
and
Medical Officer
USS Astraeus, NCC-70652
D240104AH2
Mission Specialist
Starbase 118 Ops
ID: O240006MM1
