Summary: Part 5 of "Home". Pre-arraignment, arraignment,
and an hour afterwards...
Chakotay's faith in friendship is renewed.
Copyright January 2001 Cassatt
Mother where the hell are you?
Kathryn's steps took one more route on the carpeting when, upon reaching her chair, she heard the door swoosh open. She whirled to see her mother walking toward her with a very big smile on her face. Kathryn felt her heart cease beating for a moment, then pound as she rushed to her mother's side.
"Well? What happened? How is he? What did you say? What did he say? Is he alright?"
"Honey, slow down! Give your poor mother a chance to take a breath," she said with a twinkle in her eye, "come over here and sit down. It went real well..." Gretchen led Kathryn to the chairs.
"It went well...?" Kathryn was surprised at herself. She actually felt a little lightheaded, as though she had never been through anything stressful before. She tried to breathe.
"Kathy, are you ok?"
"I'm fine. Just tell me!"
"Okay, okay. He is a good man, a truly good man. He finally let me see that, at the end. I can see why you love him, honey..." Gretchen proceeded to relay everything she could remember about the conversation. At times, Kathryn cried softly, feeling for the man on the other side of the wall, seeing through her mother's eyes just how hurt he was and how much he had struggled. She was so grateful that he was willing to know the truth, so very grateful to her mother for making things right.
"...and he had three messages for you. The first is that your angry warrior hasn't left, he loves you with all of his heart and soul," Kathryn put her hand to her mouth and felt the tears begin again, "that he expects a strong cup of herbal tea and not coffee when he gets out of here," the tears stopped, replaced by the strong urge to laugh out loud, "and 'thank you'."
Kathryn reached out and embraced her mother tightly, her heart bursting. Chakotay had forgiven her, he still loved her, they had a chance to make it work. She grabbed that bit of possibility and clutched it to her for dear life. More tears began to fill her eyes as her emotions overwhelmed her.
"There, there, Kathy, it's okay. Everything's going to be okay. You'll see."
"Thank you Mom. Thank you so much."
Gretchen pulled back and looked at Kathryn directly in the eye. "He also asked me to have you thank the crew. He says he doesn't deserve their support but he accepts it, gratefully. I think he's going to be fine. And I took the opportunity to welcome him into the family, to which he said he was honored. You were right on the money, he is a decent and brave man. He took himself into the fire for me, for you, in order to understand the truth. I will say every prayer I know tonight that this all works out for the best."
"He does deserve their support. And a lot more, particularly from me." Kathryn sat there, wishing she could go through those doors. Well, why the hell couldn't she? The ensigns here didn't know she was an officer, she was Chakotay's sister. She stood up and moved toward the door.
"Kathryn, where are you going? No, you sit down here, you're going to get in serious trouble if they discover you..."
But she wasn't listening. Kathryn walked through the door and spoke to the ensign at the desk, giving her best imitation of a lost sister, looking for her brother.
"I know his attorney is with him and our auntie just left. Can't I just say hello, just for a minute? I promise I won't be longer than that..."
She almost laughed out loud when he waved her through, calling directions to her as she raced past. Kathryn was nearly running, listening for voices, homing in on Chakotay's. She rounded the corner of the cell, startling the two men sitting with their heads together.
Chakotay looked up to see Kathryn, breathing hard, face flushed, looking absolutely beautiful. He stood up and she came flying into his arms. They embraced tightly, so tightly she almost couldn't get her breath back but wouldn't have let go for anything. They kissed each other's necks, cheeks, tears, trying to find words.
Mueller stepped back and stood guard, casually looking down the corridor to another ensign sitting at a junction, luckily reading a PADD.
Chakotay pulled away enough to sit Kathryn down with him, then wrapped her in his arms again, unwilling to be apart. "Spirits, Kathryn, I've missed you so much. What are you doing here? You're not supposed to see me..."
"I don't care, Chakotay," she said into his neck, "I had to." She drew back to look at him directly. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, for everything. I love you, I wouldn't have hurt you like that deliberately..."
He cupped her face. "Sh-h-h, it's all right, I know." He brought his mouth to hers and in that moment everything shifted again. Nothing mattered but how they felt as their kisses continued, and deepened. A slight coughing sound broke their bubble. They turned to face Mueller.
He was pretending to look sternly at Kathryn. "Captain, I'm afraid you've broken a little rule here. I thought we discussed this..."
"Well, Commander, I'm afraid being in the Delta Quadrant cooped up with some ex-Maquis had a bad effect on me," she said with a straight face.
Chakotay chortled. "Blame it on me, will you, Kath?" He looked at his attorney. "Don't you believe a word of it. She's as stubborn as they come, and once she gets an idea in her head, well, stand back."
She swatted him on the arm. "Stubborn, me?!" She laughed. "Who've I been arguing with for the past seven years?" Chakotay tried to give her his innocent look which only made her take him in her arms, laughing softly together.
"Captain, I'm sorry to break this up but you'd really better go."
"Just a few minutes more? I have some things to tell him, really."
"Hurry."
She turned back to the man she loved. "Chakotay, listen. I have a message from B'Elanna, and Tom. They want us to be the baby's godparents. I told them we'd have to talk about it. I know there's no time to do that, but I'd like to."
"No question - I'll do it. I'll do anything for B'El, she knows that."
"This is important - you know the responsibility. You have to get out of here."
"Kathryn, I'm planning on getting out of here. Maquis or Starfleet, I'm not going down without a fight. We have a life to live, one that we've waited too long for already."
Kathryn felt her eyes fill. "Thank you, that's all I wanted to hear." She took a breath to keep her tears in check. "Everyone that can stay here is until your trial is over. Plans are being made as we speak. Mom and Phoebe are staying, too. She's taken quite a shine to you, you know. We're in a hotel nearby. B'Elanna and Tom are with his parents, Harry's with his, Seven's at HQ undergoing tests, Tuvok hasn't returned to Vulcan just yet and T'Pel may come here for the duration, I don't know yet. Neelix is with Naomi and Sam. Just remember that everyone is pulling for you."
"Thank them for me, Kathryn. Tell Tom I'm spending time plotting pool moves and I fully expect to beat him soon, okay? And please tell B'El to take care of herself? And remember that I love you?"
"I do. I love you, too." They kissed one last time, then Kathryn reluctantly stood up to leave.
"I'll be outside soon, Captain, I'll take you back to the hotel." Mueller motioned to the outside.
"Thank you." With one more squeeze of hands, she backed out of the cell, Chakotay's gaze never leaving hers until she turned to walk down the corridor.
Mueller waited a moment for his client to gather himself back together, watching emotions pass across Chakotay's face. He vowed anew to do whatever he could to help this supposed renegade. Any man who had earned the respect and love of a woman like Kathryn Janeway deserved his best.
When Gretchen saw her daughter return from seeing Chakotay she was startled at the change in her. The lines around her eyes were gone, the sparkle was back in and her cheeks were flushed.
"You know what, Kathy? I don't think I've ever seen you really in love before this."
"You know what, Mom? I think you're right. I think that man is the love of my life. Thank you for helping us out."
"Well as I told him, I fully expect grandchildren to be coming down the pike at some time from you two..."
"You didn't! At my age, are you crazy? My God, what did he say?"
" 'One step at a time'."
Kathryn laughed. "Thank you, Chakotay."
Lt. Commander Mueller came through the doors just then and he filled them in on a bit of his strategy. He felt confident he could get a full pardon and reinstatement, also knowing that with Starfleet and the Federation one could never be sure.
The three of them left for the hotel where Gretchen and Kathryn had a date with Phoebe for lunch. Mueller was going to start calling crew members for their statements then return later in the afternoon for the arraignment. Kathryn informed him she would be there. One look at her face and Mueller agreed. He was learning when to quit.
Chakotay sat in his cell, trying to clear his mind. His day had begun in a haze of pain and depression that he was still trying to forget. In some ways he felt as though he'd just come through a battle with the Kazon to land on a beautiful M-class planet. He was exhausted and enervated at the same time. And it was only early afternoon. His morning sifted through his brain.
Lt. Com. Mueller seemed like a good lawyer, smart, clever, a man he felt a kinship with. It seemed to him they really hit it off, not that that was necessary for attorney-client relations, but Chakotay felt better knowing that Mueller was truly in his corner. His ideas about the case were comforting and Chakotay needed that comfort.
Then there was Gretchen! What an amazing woman. What other kind of mother could someone like Kathryn have, though? The love he had felt coming from Gretchen astounded him. She didn't even know him, and here she sat, talking with him, comforting him as though they were old friends. If his father were still alive, he would have loved her. He could just see the two of them, sitting off in some corner talking the night away while their grandchildren ran circles around them. Grandchildren. He couldn't believe when she tossed that question at him just before she left. He could see where Kathryn got her negotiating skills. The topic overwhelmed him. To have children with Kathryn? What pure heaven....
Kathryn. Gods above, he loved that woman. He lay down on his bed, rolled over to face the wall, held onto a pillow and closed his eyes. He sent a prayer to his ancestors that everything would be all right, he would be freed, reinstated, and he and Kathryn could figure out what they wanted to do with the rest of their lives. In peace. He laughed to himself. Peace? Setting up a life with Kathryn Janeway? Well then, bliss. Blissful, chaotic, loving, challenging, peaceful, dancing around and with each other for the rest of their lives. A few tears escaped his eyes, some of the last vestiges of pain floating away from him. He finally drifted off to sleep.
Later that afternoon he walked into the hearing room for the arraignment with guards on either side of him. He first saw Mueller waiting for him by the table. His eyes then focused on the people behind and his throat thickened with emotion. He actually felt himself stand a bit taller as his heart swelled with pride.
The room was filled with crewmembers from Voyager. In full uniform. They were standing at attention for him with Kathryn in the lead and his closest friends right behind. As he reached the table, Kathryn gave the 'at ease' command and everyone relaxed. He looked at her intensely, telling her in his mind he loved her, hearing it returned. He then met B'Elanna's eyes and nodded to her with a smile. She grinned and nodded in return. He sat down to the accompanyment of numerous pats on the back and whispers of encouragement. He heard the phrase 'Go get 'em big guy' too many times to count. He knew he had Tom and B'El to thank for that, chuckling to himself.
He felt two small arms encircle his neck and a soft kiss on his cheek. He turned his head to see Naomi Wildman.
"Good luck Commander."
He whispered, "Thank you Crewman Wildman." She smiled and ran back to sit with her mother, Neelix, Seven and Icheb. They all waved to him, Icheb giving him a small bow.
He was completely overwhelmed. He turned fully around to the crowd and softly said, "Thank you, everyone." He thought his smile would break his face. They smiled at him in return and he felt another shift inside, another layer of pain disappear.
Mueller put his arm around him and conferred directly into his ear. "Commander, this will go just exactly as we discussed earlier. The Judge Advocate General will ask you what your plea is. You tell him 'not guilty' with conviction and passion. There are a couple of vidreporters here and I want them to capture your spirit. Be yourself, but be forceful."
"I don't think I'll be acting at all."
And sure enough, a few minutes into the proceedings, Chakotay was asked his plea. He stood up, as he had been instructed. Behind him, he heard the loud scraping of chairs. He turned around to see the entire crew standing as well with serious looks on their faces. His heart skipped a few beats. He had to take a long breath to regain his composure before he could speak. He turned back to the Judge.
"Not Guilty." En masse, they all sat down with him. He felt as though he were watching all of this from somewhere outside his body. They hadn't really done that, he reasoned. He'd wake up from his nap and have to go to the arraignment. He heard Mueller speaking.
"Judge, I hereby request the prisoner be released on his own recognizance. He was taken into custody immediately upon his return from the Delta Quadrant, and has not had the opportunity to contact anyone, nor step outside. He was second in command of a Starfleet crew of more than 140 people for seven years. He has every intention of attending his trial, so as to clear his name once and for all. There is no risk of flight, sir."
The Judge looked at Chakotay, who returned his gaze steadily. He then looked at the crew filling his hearing room, in full uniform. They returned his gaze steadily as well. He saw the conviction on their faces, felt the electricity in the room.
"Request is granted on one condition. There is to be absolutely no contact between the Commander and the crew of the Federation Starship Voyager prior to the commencement of the trial. If this condition is not met, the Commander will once more be placed in custody."
"With all due respect, sir. The crew of the Starship Voyager and the Commander spent seven years living together. There is nothing they haven't already discussed. I hereby request that this condition be terminated once full statements have been given to the authorities by the crew members of Voyager."
The Judge sighed. He had run up against Lt. Com. Mueller before, and knew that once he felt passionately for his client he was like a dog with a bone. So to speak. "Very well, request is granted. Starfleet authorities will be instructed to begin taking statements tomorrow. Commander Chakotay, you are released on your own recognizance with the agreed upon condition."
"Next case..."
Chakotay turned to Mueller and vigorously shook his hand. "Thank you, Commander. I really appreciate what you just did there. Looks like I struck gold with you."
"My pleasure Chakotay. Now lets get you out of that cell and find somewhere for you to stay..." And he led Chakotay out of the hearing room, amidst clapping and talking from the Voyager crewmembers. Walking out, Chakotay met Kathryn's eyes, words unnecessary to express their love in the moment they had. He then noticed her mother sitting in the back, next to a woman who was probably Kathryn's sister. He smiled at Gretchen and she blew him a kiss.
Out in the hallway, he was suddenly faced with vidcameras and reporters throwing questions at him, lights in his face, the noise level increasing uncomfortably. Mueller pushed them away, whispering to him to keep quiet as he led Chakotay down the steps. Mueller turned around at one point and made a motion with his hand, Chakotay turned to see what he was doing. He saw Kathryn, standing just inside the open doorway, nod, raise herself to full Captain's bearing and step forward to answer the reporters' questions. The last he saw of his friends was them being surrounded by reporters with Kathryn in front, speaking directly into the cameras.
Once he had gone through the bureaucracy of his release and retrieval of his personal effects, he checked to make sure his medicine bundle was intact which gratefully it was. Mueller then took him out a side door of the building where they were met by Gretchen.
"Hello again, Chakotay. Give your auntie a kiss on the cheek." She was grinning at him, that same little lopsided grin Kathryn had driven him nuts with. He obliged her, gratefully.
"Commander, I have taken the liberty of enlisting the help of your, well, mother-in-law in finding a private place for you to live until next week. Apparently there are a number of cousins, aunts and uncles of the Captain's in the area. Would staying with one of them be something you could live with?" Mueller asked him.
Chakotay thought for a minute. The idea appealed to him much more than staying in a hotel as he found he was missing communal living after seven years on Voyager. "Yes, I would like that very much, as long as it's not too much trouble."
Gretchen spoke up. "Trouble? Are you kidding? There isn't a relative within a 50 kilometer radius that hasn't volunteered. Everyone's welcoming you with open arms. It's not often that our Kathy brings home a Maquis renegade turned Starfleet Commander love of her life, you know."
His heart lurched to hear her say 'love of her life'. He liked the way it rolled off Gretchen's tongue. Chakotay laughed out loud and relished the experience. He had a distinct feeling he was going to like Kathryn's family if her mother was any indication.
"So, Gretchen, which abode would you recommend I pick?"
"Well, let's see. I think I would go for someone who is quiet and who lives somewhere a little further outside of the city, so you can feel more at home. So that seems to rule out a lot of them, at least with the 'quiet' qualification ... I think cousin Erin and her husband Bill are a good pick. They live a bit north of here, near the ocean. How does that sound?"
"Wonderful. Are they near a transporter hub?"
"Within a few blocks. Many people there commute into San Francisco, though the area is somewhat rural. I'll give them a call, I'll be right back."
Chakotay took a moment to look up at the sky, checking the stars. They weren't easy to spot here in the city, but he could make out some of them. He smelled the fresh air and stomped his feet on the ground a few times. Terra firma. He felt Mueller looking at him.
"Miss it? I mean being on Voyager?"
"Actually, it seems a bit crazy, but I do. Not that I'd want to relive most of what we went through out there... but so many phenomenal things happened to me, too. I miss seeing the stars outside my viewport. I miss my friends, the routine... hell, I even miss Chez Sandrine's talent night! Not to mention Neelix's cooking." He was laughing to himself.
"Chez Sandrine? There was a french planet?"
"No, just one of Tom's holodeck inventions. One of many. At one time it became sort of a hang out for all of us. It was a bar Tom frequented while he was at Starfleet in Marseilles. Then there was the 'tropical resort' program, the 'Lake George' program, oh and the 3D movie palace from the 1950's, among many others. Ask Kathryn about the 'Captain Proton' program if you want a laugh or two. We probably would have killed each other very early on if it hadn't been for the holodecks on Voyager. She is a fine Starship."
"I think I've heard of Sandrine's now that you mention it. A roommate of mine at the Academy years ago. But what's 3D?"
Gretchen came back to them. "Everything's all set. Lt. Commander, here is the vidphone code for the house, Chakotay here are directions and the vidphone code for my hotel room. You are expected at Erin and Bill's house at any time but I'm sure you want to get there soon so you can relax, maybe get some more sleep? Kathy tells me you could probably use it."
"Thank you Gretchen. And tell Kathryn she's right, I could use some sleep. Lt. Commander, I'll speak to you tomorrow I assume? You'll have to ask Tom about 3D movies, I'm afraid. And thank you again."
"Yes, I'll contact you then. You take some time to rest and relax. The transporter hub is just in the next block due east from here. Good night." Mueller extended his hand which Chakotay shook firmly.
Chakotay then bent down and gave Gretchen another kiss on the cheek.
"Tell Kathryn good night for me, would you?"
"Don't worry, that's all been taken care of."
Walking toward the hub he wondered what she meant by that, but quickly
forgot it in his effort to get himself to Kathryn's cousin's house. He
felt a wonderful sense of freedom navigating himself to get from point
A to point B, smelling the night air, his legs able to take full strides,
his heart completely quiet for the first time in weeks.
End Part 5
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