Summary:   Part 8 of "Home".

Copyright February 2001 Cassatt

There was one basic aspect of being back on a planet whose sun cycled daily that Chakotay was not quite used to. The early morning light, though fog shrouded, came through the sheer curtains and bounced against his eyelids awakening him sooner than he wished. Refusing to open his eyes he rolled away from the window, reaching out for Kathryn, finding her laying on her back. His hand instinctively landed on her belly which he caressed softly. There was a slim chance that her eggs were being made in the absence of drugs to stop them. He was certainly fertile by now, something that before last night he'd only seen as an obstacle to freely expressed pleasure. He pondered on his millions of sperm swimming inside her, looking for their destiny, their purpose in life. The thought made him smile.

Reluctantly realizing he would be getting no more sleep he dragged his lids upward, focusing on Kathryn, peaceful, snoring lightly, looking beautiful as always. He leaned over and kissed her abdomen, then ordered his body to get up. She moved in his direction as he did so, reaching out lazily for him, letting out a soft moan as she missed the target.

Her eyes opened slowly and he smiled at the sight. She looked languid. Sated. In love. He felt truly blessed.

"Coffee?" She asked with a very small, but still crooked, grin.

"In bed?"

She nodded, her lids half closing.

As though he could refuse her anything. "All right, love, anything else?"

"You. Back in here with me. Maybe some bread and jam?"

"Coming right up..." He turned to leave.

Kathryn laughed softly. "Chakotay, making suggestive comments like that... A woman might think you had other things on your mind besides breakfast."

He stole a glance in her direction as he put on his robe and, meeting her eyes, gave her an enigmatic smile before leaving the room. Let her think on that, he chuckled. Keeping Kathryn guessing was a game he occasionally indulged in. She did need to learn that some things were not totally in her control. Chakotay agreed completely with Gretchen on that point.

Breakfast in bed was also time taken to talk over some subjects they ignored the night before. Kathryn told Chakotay about her meeting with the tribunal authorities and with Admiral Paris, the result of which was, honestly, a surprise to him. He had never pictured Tom's father as someone who would buck the forces of the Federation or Starfleet. And hearing the Admiral's high opinion of B'Elanna his concern for her was calmed. He felt, on a deep level, that he had deserted her when she quite likely could have used a friend. Adjusting to life in the Paris household couldn't be easy.

They also discussed the day ahead, deciding to arrange Seven's family meeting for their house as well as the Wildmans' visit with her. Chakotay and Kathryn would take the opportunity while the Hansen's were there to leave, to go to the beach, for a walk, do some shopping, just be out in the fresh air together. The giddiness felt by both was directly proportional to their last seven years. Occasional shore leave had never been enough.

"Good morning, Admiral. I trust you are doing well today." Kathryn was enjoying her second cup of coffee at the vidphone. With the open floor plan of the house, Chakotay could watch her from the dining table near the kitchen. He was doing so, surreptitiously, eating some fruit, drinking his tea, a book open in front of him.

"Good morning Kathryn. What do I owe this to? It's awfully early. Why aren't you resting?" Owen Paris had a twinkle in his eye, to Chakotay's surprise.

"It's only 0800, and I've been up for awhile. Actually I have a few things to discuss with you. Do you have some time?"

"For you, yes. Fire away."

Kathryn chuckled. "Well. My first item is regarding Seven. The Commander in charge of her testing refused to allow her to regenerate, for two nights going on a third. This is absurd. Any first year science student can tell them that her implants will suffer, they don't need empirical proof. She is not a guinea pig, Owen. I ordered her to regenerate last night. I assume you will hear about it." She took a deep breath to calm her growing irritation.

"I agree with you, Kathryn. I will diffuse the situation. Next?"

"Along those same lines, you must insist that the Doctor is brought into the situation with Seven. There is no one who knows as much as he does about her medical condition. He became an expert on nanoprobes. His information is being wasted. I'm certain his program has not been downloaded, correct?"

"As far as I know that's correct," Paris rubbed his chin in thought. "I'll meet with Commander Delroy about Seven of Nine first thing and talk about the Doctor. I just don't want to talk about the mobile emitter yet. But anyway, consider that done as well. Next?"

Kathryn took another breath, but this was in anticipation. She turned to look at Chakotay and he graced her with a smile of encouragement. She faced forward again. "This last item is about Seven, or Annika, as well. Her family has been found, the Hansen side. It's a long story. I met with a Roger and Emmaline Hansen last night. It looks certain, for a number of reasons, that they are cousins of Annika's. And, well, also for a number of reasons, I told them about the Borg. They are completely trustworthy, Owen, we're certain of it. Roger and Emma and Annika wish to meet this morning. I would like to bring her here, to a neutral place, Chakotay and I will leave and give them the time and space to talk. I don't want to have to go through the amount of red tape I did to bring her to the tavern. She is not a prisoner. Can you help?"

Chakotay caught it and to him it appeared as though the Admiral did as well, for Owen Paris was grinning.

"So the Commander is living there, with you, Kathryn?"

She blushed and could have kicked herself. She said resignedly, with some heat, "Yes, he is. Do you have a problem with that? I have clearance to see him."

"I  have no problem with it. I love love, personally, like I said yesterday. So does this mean there will be another Voyager wedding soon?" He was clearly enjoying himself.

"Have you been talking to my mother? I promise, you'll be the .... twentieth person I tell if that ever becomes a reality, okay?"

"I haven't seen Gretchen recently. How is she? Does she like the Commander? I hear she bears a striking resemblance to his aunt."

Chakotay began to laugh, he couldn't help it, and as she turned and tried to glare at him, he only laughed harder. He was starting to seriously like Tom's father.

Kathryn chose to ignore the last comment entirely. "My mother likes him a great deal, thank you for asking. But back to Seven?"

"Well, I think we should discuss this prior to the meeting. Can you be here at 0930 hours?"

"Yes, and one more thing -- I want to bring the Doctor here to give Seven moral support. Do you have the mobile emitter with you?"

"I do. We'll talk about that, too. Anything else? Otherwise I'll see you in a little while."

"No, that's it. Thank you Admiral."

The transmission was ended and Kathryn heard the sound of soft clapping coming from the direction of the man she was slightly annoyed with. She turned slowly, seeing a full dimpled smile. It really wasn't fair how he could do that, she thought as her annoyance vanished.

"Congratulations, Captain. Well done. Very impressive, I must say. I always suspected you had him wrapped around your little finger..."

"I do not," she said as she walked back to him. She picked up a section of orange and plopped herself on his lap, taking a bite and pushing the rest of it past his lips. He grabbed her fingers and licked the juice off slowly, causing deep feelings to begin in the pit of her stomach. The nanosecond he swallowed she fell on his lips, kissing him softly, tickling his tongue with hers as their mouths merged more tightly together, her arms wrapping themselves around his neck and head. Just as she felt herself getting seriously carried away, she reluctantly broke the embrace.

"If I didn't have that appointment...," she said huskily, staring into his eyes.

"I don't think the Admiral would mind if you told him why you were late," he said with a smile.

"I can't believe I let that out. I mean, living here with you just feels so normal, after the ship and all, I wasn't thinking." She found herself still gazing into the dark brown that was him.

"I know what you mean," he said quietly. He had a moment of supreme clarity looking inside her eyes, one of those times he saw what was beyond the physical. He saw her. And him. He took a breath. "Will you marry me, Kathryn?"

Her heart stopped at the surprise of it. The pounding, when it started, was loud in her ears and she could feel the vibration of his own under her hand. They'd skirted the subject a number of times, even though they had decided to have children. Marriage was a different matter altogether, with different ramifications. She closed her eyes as images flashed before her, their entire seven year relationship playing itself out rapidly, in vignettes. She saw him. And her. It really wasn't a difficult decision, after all, she realized.

"Yes," she answered. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes, I will." She watched his face break out in the most incredible smile she had ever had the pleasure to witness. He pulled her head to his slowly and they kissed again, reverently, then joyfully, finally breaking the kiss from laughter bubbling up, hugging tightly with tears falling down both of their faces.

"Thank you, Kathryn," he said as he cupped hers, wiping tears away with his thumbs. "I love you. With everything in me, I love you." The sincerity in his words took her breath away.

"How I came to deserve you I'm not really sure, Chakotay. I would be honored to spend the rest of my life loving you. Thank you for asking me." She caressed his face and his tattoo.

Chakotay felt at that moment as though everything had finally, finally fallen into place. Even with part of his future in doubt, his life with the woman of his dreams was a certainty. He pulled her into his embrace, wanting to hold her to him forever. She stayed there for awhile just rocking gently, not wanting to leave either.

Eventually Kathryn slowly disengaged, knowing she still had to get dressed and gather her things for another trip to HQ. "So, honey, or should I say, fiancé," she grinned, "I have to get going. But I'd like to know if you're going to be traditional on me and want to get me a ring..."

Chakotay smiled deeply. "Well, we need to talk about that. My tribe has it's own traditions around marriage and engagement. Maybe you'd be willing to follow them?"

"Oh, Chakotay, I would love that. Let's talk on the beach." She glanced at the chronometer in the kitchen. "Damn! I've got to hurry." She jumped off his lap but he latched onto her hand as she was spinning away.

"Just a minute..." He scooped Kathryn up in his arms, amidst a squeal of semi-protest from her. "Shush, I get to do this now, don't worry - we're heading for the bedroom."

"Aren't you supposed to wait until the wedding night?" She teased.

"Kathryn! Such lustful thoughts. I just want you in my arms for as long as possible at the moment..." He was rewarded with a loving embrace around his neck and numerous kisses on his cheek by the time he set her down. He helped her get ready, finding a clean turtleneck, tossing her a brush, and assuring her he would take care of the vidphone calls to arrange everything.

"You are a dear man, sir. Will you marry me?" She met his dancing eyes in the mirror as her pips were attached.

"Yes ... but I won't be your valet forever, so don't get any ideas," he winked.

Dashing out the door after a quick but deeply intense kiss, Kathryn walked as rapidly as she could to the transporter hub. Starfleet Captains do not run in public.

Chakotay sat on the deck with another cup of tea, almost in a daze, knowing he had the silliest grin on his face but unable to stop it. How all of this had happened he was quite sure. Fate and destiny were not finished with them, not by a long shot. He prayed freedom was somewhere in the script.

Kathryn ended up being five minutes late, even as she hurried through HQ. She continued to try and put on her Captain's mask throughout the trip but finally gave up. She just kept smiling, she couldn't help it.

"I apologize, Admiral, for being late," she said as she sat in front of his desk.

"Is everything all right?"

"Yes, just something ... unexpected happened. Threw my schedule off a bit," she answered with the smile that was now broadening. She attempted to tone it down.

"Kathryn...you look like that proverbial cat who swallowed the canary," Admiral Paris studied her closely. He then began to smile as well. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

"Well...actually I have, um, nineteen other people to tell before I get to you," she grinned fully.

Owen Paris was up and around his desk in a flash, taking her hand and pumping it enthusiastically. "Kathryn! This is wonderful! I'm very happy for you, and the Commander. I look forward to meeting him. His file must not do him justice at all..."

Kathryn laughed at that. "No, it doesn't. Thank you, Owen. And please, not a word. I haven't had time to tell anyone, not even my family. And we'd like to tell Tom and B'Elanna ourselves as soon as Chakotay can speak with them. If you don't mind."

"My lips are sealed. But let me say it looks as though you've chosen the right man. I don't believe I've ever seen you like this," Paris said seriously.

"I agree with you," Kathryn answered quietly, "I've never felt like this before, so it must be right. Now, to business?"

"Yes," he opened his drawer and placed the mobile emitter in front of her. "I want to thank you, for your little plan, to give B'Elanna and me a chance to talk about this. I've asked her to design some schematics so that these might be produced on a large scale. She is even more brilliant than I originally realized, isn't she?" He smiled, "my grandchild just might grow up to design super trans-warp technology or something."

"Yes, she just might at that..." Kathryn was overjoyed to see her plan had worked, at least from Owen's perspective. She had to find time to call B'Elanna.

"Now, Kathryn, the Hansen's...."

After explaining the entire situation to the Admiral she was relieved to find that he did, indeed, support the decision to tell Roger and Emma about Seven's background. As long as they didn't spread the information around just yet, to give him time to push for Seven's full release from custody. Kathryn assured him they would comply.

Once again, Kathryn went to the EMH lab, got some privacy, downloaded the Doctor to the mobile emitter and took him to see Seven, explaining the situation to him before turning him back off. The Doctor had a slightly strange reaction, to Kathryn's way of thinking. He almost seemed sad that Annika would be reunited with her family. Then she understood. She reassured him he would still be her friend, he would always be her friend and knew in her heart she spoke the truth.

Seven appeared a bit nervous but clearly happy, too. She'd had her interview that morning, at Admiral Paris' insistence, so was cleared to see Chakotay. She'd also put on a simple dress and left her hair down. Kathryn led her out of HQ, and finding a quiet alley off the street brought the Doctor online. She let the two of them talk without interruptions from her while they walked to the hub.

Stepping off at the other end, Seven became quiet. As they walked the Doctor tried to engage her but received only one word answers. He turned to Kathryn instead, asking her how she was doing. She didn't know what to answer - fabulous? Terrific? Wonderful? How would that sound with Chakotay's trial still to endure?

"Captain?"

"Well, Doctor, I feel...wonderful. I'm concerned about the trial, of course, but, well, I'm just...happy."

He studied her intently as only he could. "I see. So I'm certain Commander Chakotay is somewhere in this equation on the happy side, isn't he."

"He is," she said enigmatically.

"Good. I just didn't want to presume I understood your feelings in the matter, that's all." His lips pursed as his eyes faced forward once again.

Kathryn chuckled, and seeing they were within a block of her cousins' home picked up her pace a bit. The door opened and Chakotay appeared, smiling fully. The Doctor leaned over to her.

"So, Captain, I understand how the equation works now. May I presume the Commander is happy as well?"

"You may."

Chakotay greeted Seven and the Doctor warmly, leading them into the lounge area. With a wink to him, Kathryn turned to go down the hallway to change her clothes.

"Commander, thank you for arranging my visit with the Hansen's," Seven said seriously. Chakotay could feel the tension almost radiating off her.

"It was my pleasure. Roger and Emma will come over as soon as you're ready, you just let me know. Would you like anything to drink?" Seven shook her head. "Okay, I'll just leave the two of you to have a few minutes to yourself. Try to relax. And Seven? They are good people."

They both nodded to him as he left. He practically trotted down the hallway, anxious to see Kathryn in private.

Chakotay opened the bedroom door to a sight that still made his heart skip. Kathryn was in front of the mirror, brushing her hair, wearing now some slim brown pants and a loose pale blue shirt that he had never seen before. Even after all of these months, the sheer simple domestic acts of living together sometimes gave him goose bumps. He walked straight to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, giving her a sensuous kiss on the neck. He watched her blush in the mirror.

"Welcome home," he murmured in her ear.

She hugged the arms tightly holding her. "Do you have any idea what the mere sound of your voice does to me?" She asked him softly.

"Tell me..." He turned her around to face him.

She locked her hands together behind his neck and felt herself falling into the brown pools she saw. Her voice was husky to her ears. "Well, it sends shivers down my spine. It makes my legs turn to jelly. For starters..." His mouth on hers ended the nerve connections between brain and vocal chords. Their lips parted as the kiss intensified, as he pulled her body close, as his hands roamed over her, as her hands found their way to his chest and onward to his back, giving stroke for stroke. The sound of their breathy moans was in direct contrast with that of the birds outside.

Chakotay pulled back slightly to look her in the eye. The blue there was swirling, electric, deep with desire. "Marry me, Kathryn..." he said with passion.

Kathryn's heart flip-flopped as the reality sank in again. "I will, Chakotay, I'll marry you."

He placed his forehead to hers with eyes closed. Soft words of love passed both of their lips and they held each other tightly, wishing they were alone in the house, yearning for the bed.

Someone knocked on the door. Their eyes opened and they groaned softly.

"This seems remarkably similar to the last seven months..." Kathryn said ruefully. They disentangled and, after assessing Chakotay's aroused condition, jokingly agreed he should wait in the bathroom.

Kathryn took a look at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a mess again, her little bit of lipstick was smeared, her cheeks had a high flush. Quickly smoothing her shirt down and wiping her lips, she finally opened the door to the smiling face of the Doctor.

"Excuse me, Captain, for interrupting, but Seven is ready now." He had a gleam in his holographic eye.

"I was just getting my clothes changed, Doctor, come in, I'm almost finished," she tossed over her shoulder as she went back to the mirror.

"And the Commander?" He grinned.

She ran a brush quickly through her hair and reapplied her lipstick then dug out some shoes from the closet, slipping them on, not meeting his eye. "He's in the bathroom, he'll be out in a minute." Finished, she took the Doctor by the arm and led him back to the hallway.

He leaned close to her ear. "Captain, I must say, your pulse appears to be racing, your cheeks are flushed, and your eyes, well...let me just tell you that I think being in love agrees with you."

She guffawed. "Is that your diagnosis?"

"No, that is the observation of a friend."

She stopped their momentum down the hall. "Can I ask you a favor, if you promise, and I mean promise under the threat of your program malfunctioning, to keep a secret?"

"Of course, Captain."

"Will you sing at our wedding?" She watched with delight as his smile broadened.

"I would be most honored. Please pass my congratulations to the Commander for me." He patted her hand on his arm.

"I will. So perhaps some Verdi?"

He looked at her askance as they started walking again. "We'll talk..."

Roger and Emmaline came into the lounge area with armloads of image albums, padds, a small console and a bouquet of flowers, which they handed to Annika. Kathryn could see she wasn't quite certain what to do with them so she stepped forward for the rescue.

"Annika, let me put those in some water for you..."

"Thank you Captain. And thank you for the flowers," she said to the Hansen's. "We may sit now."

Chakotay smiled at Kathryn on her way past. Seven had almost gotten the pleasantry correct, close enough. He offered everyone some iced tea and told them where to get refills. He and Kathryn had explained the Doctor so initial conversation revolved around holographic engineering with Roger asking some questions and the Doctor more than happy to respond. Kathryn put the vase of flowers on the table and knew it was time for them to leave.

After reminding Seven and the Doctor of the small get-together with Naomi, Icheb, Sam and Neelix, the two soon-to-be-free lovers grabbed their sweaters and a couple of blankets, said their good-byes to the Hansen's and left the house hand in hand. They grinned at each other like a pair of teenagers, which is just exactly how they felt.

"Kathryn, this is beautiful, isn't it?" They were sitting on a small, private beach, where the sun had just burned off the last of the fog. The waves were low this day, crashing almost softly against the rocks surrounding the cove and lapping against the wet sand of low tide. Birds flew in formation across the water of the ocean, dipping down close then back up again, over and over.

"You know, with everything we've seen, the sights of Earth are still the best. It's been years since I've visited the beaches up here. Way before Voyager even. Not much has changed, has it." Once again, Kathryn was sitting with Chakotay's arms around her, pillowed against his chest, completely content.

"No, it hasn't. I haven't seen this since I was in the Academy. I could live here, definitely." He kissed her head. They sat in silence for a few minutes, taking in everything.

Kathryn picked up his hand. "So, let's talk about the engagement, your traditions..." She could wait no longer, her excitement spilling over the words.

Chakotay chuckled softly. "Okay. Well, my tribe, even though it is somewhat archaic in how it views the sexes, has very different ideas about marriage. Marriage is a union of like souls and so the outward expression of the engagement is equal between the man and the woman. Instead of the woman being the only one to wear jewelry, they both do."

"You mean you wear a ring, too?" Kathryn was trying to imagine Chakotay with a diamond ring on his left hand, not sure she could get used to it.

He laughed. "No, no. The man and the woman exchange gifts as a ceremony of engagement, a commitment to follow through with the wedding. They each get a silver bracelet fashioned for the other - the bracelets have the tattoo symbol etched into the silver. They are made with an opening that never closes, to signify the open yet committed nature of the engagement, and they are never removed. Until the wedding, when the bracelets are replaced with rings, closed circles to signify the completion of the union. So both partners wear a representation of their engagement for everyone to see. In the tribe, of course, family and friends participate in the bracelet ceremony and also give the couple gifts throughout the engagement period." He waited for her reaction.

Kathryn was dumbstruck. It was the loveliest tradition she had ever heard of. She turned around in his arms and hugged him closely to her. "Oh, Chakotay, that's beautiful. I would be so honored, truly honored, to do that with you. Please, let's."

His throat closed and tears formed behind his eyelids. "Thank you, Kathryn," he said in a voice thick with emotion.

She also felt tears beginning and pulled herself back to look at him, wiping the dampness from the corners of his eyes with a smile. "So, are we going to start crying again? I didn't bring a handkerchief." He smiled in return. "Okay, we're agreed. We'll follow your tribal customs with honor and joy. So we need to find a jeweler and fast - I want my bracelet and I dearly want to get you yours..."

"I love you." Chakotay wasn't sure he could be any more in love with her and yet it kept happening, day by day. Those three words that he said to her hardly could convey it all. He wanted to give her everything and had for so long. Here he was, with her, home again, about to take the biggest step a member of his tribe could take. Those three words.

"I love you." Deep blue irises were staring into deeply dark brown ones. He heard it come from way down inside her and knew that the three words, said between lovers for centuries, were enough. Again their lips met, again with intensity, again with all the passion they felt, again.

~~~~~~~~~

"Chakotay?"

"Yes, my love?"

"Can I ask you a question about your mother?"

"Of course, but I think I've told you a lot about her already..."

"This is something specific." Kathryn took a breath to steady her nervousness. "Do you think she would have been happy about me? I mean about me being with her son?"

"You mean do I think she would approve of you."

"I hate that word."

"I know. But I already got the answer to that question, years ago. Yes, most definitely, she approved of you."

"Years ago? How can you be so sure?"

Chakotay smiled to himself. "Well, let's just say that she paid me a visit. She told me that you were worth waiting for and that true love is selfless. That if I believed in my love for you I never should apologize for it."

Kathryn was quiet for a minute or two. "You never have, have you."

~~~~~~~~~

"Kathryn, there is one more thing that we need to do before we get the bracelets and perform the ritual." Chakotay's heart began to thud against his ribs in trepidation. "It could be uncomfortable."

"Okay..." She answered quietly. "Will it take long? We need to leave in about a half an hour, don't we?"

"Yes, and I don't think it will." He rubbed his hands slowly up and down her arms, only putting off the inevitable he knew. He took a deep breath. "We need to be completely honest and tell each other about the other people we have expressed love for, either verbally or physically, since we've met. If there were any. Any that we don't already know everything about."

Kathryn's heart began to thud, too. She suddenly was afraid of what she was going to hear, fairly certain what it would be. And she really didn't want to have to talk about...them. She shivered. "Do we have to?"

"Only if we want to follow the tradition exactly. It's important. The honesty. The letting go process of it."

Damn, she thought. "Who goes first?"

"What would you prefer? To talk first or to listen first?"

"Neither?"

Chakotay laughed softly, the tension broken briefly. Kathryn relaxed against him, chuckling to herself. "Well, how about I talk first? I think it might be better," he said. He took her non-response as assent and began to talk about Riley Frazier, softening as much as he could but still being brutally honest. He felt her begin to cry and try to contain it and his heart ached to think of how he was hurting her. For though at the time they had no commitment to celibacy, he knew she wanted that of him. Almost expected it. He had declared his love for her, he was standing by her side, he was her rock.

When he was finished, he just held her while she gathered her emotions. When she was calmed he assured her, in no uncertain terms, that the experience with Riley, though one of the most intense intimate encounters of his life, could never compare to their intimacy. Love plus intimacy was beyond comparison.

Kathryn was surprised at how much it hurt to think about. At the time, she had refused to do so, almost blocking out the knowledge the nanosecond it had come into her consciousness, in the briefing room, immediately after he left to "talk to Riley." She had done a pretty good job of denying, because now it all came over her in a rush of jealousy and pain. She allowed the words of reassurance he spoke to fall around her, to cloak her, to hold her. Finally she turned in his arms and wrapped herself around him, laying her face against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat, feeling him hold her tightly. And the overwhelming pain became a dull ache, then a pinprick, then faded entirely. She knew it might come back at times, but perhaps she could just observe it and release it again. She would try, that she knew, and he would help.

Kathryn also knew that she had to talk now and still she dreaded it. Much of her encounter with Kashyk, Chakotay was already aware of. He didn't know her feelings at the time, that little spark of attraction that she felt, then used to her advantage. She began to talk, trying not to apologize, trying to explain, and found it easier than she had imagined. In truth, she was more worried he would think badly of her using her charms to outwit an enemy than whether the information would hurt him.

Chakotay heard the last piece of the Kashyk puzzle, at least the puzzle in his own mind, with almost detachment. He had known, at the time, that she was attracted to that bastard, he could see it in her eyes. The attraction hadn't hurt. What had hurt, and what he was now healed from, was that he hadn't seen that spark directed toward him for awhile. Kashyk represented, to him, the beginning of the "letting go but not entirely" period of Chakotay's life. The work he did, over and over, to keep his tiny bit of hope alive, by himself. He didn't like to be reminded of it.

And when he then listened to the description of her little fling with the holographic Michael his heart braced itself. He'd never asked her if she had used the hologram for sexual release. He didn't want to know. He had lied to her at the time. He had never done that, couldn't bring himself to do it, though he knew others on the ship had. Being First Officer and part-time ship's counselor he was privy to more information than he sometimes cared to know. So when she so carefully defined exactly what she had done with Michael his heart actually leapt for joy. She had never had sex with the mass of photons, and the kisses he gave her were empty. The rest of it he already knew and had long ago dealt with.

There were no other encounters that had not already been talked about by either. And so when she was done talking, and telling him over and over again how much she loved him and had truly always loved him, they simply held each other. The breeze off the ocean caressed them, the waves soothed them and the birds made them smile.

"So Chakotay, honey, let's find a jeweler in the city. We can stop there before we pick up mom and Phoebe for dinner."

They were heading for the provisions store, having stopped by the house to drop off the blankets and pick up a padd with the latest list. This one contained special requests from Neelix and Naomi. Sneaking in the patio door off the kitchen area they were pleased to hear laughter coming from the lounge, and hopefully they hadn't disturbed any part of the reunion.

"Honestly, love, I think that would be terrific. Maybe the concierge at the hotel has a suggestion." Chakotay released Kathryn's hand, opting to put his arm around her shoulders, needing to feel more of her. In truth, he would have been perfectly content to spend the rest of the day holding her, feeling her close, making love occasionally, never far apart. He understood organically now the purpose of the exercise they had just gone through. And when their eyes met, he could see that Kathryn felt the same. There were no more secrets, at least about that.

"Let's see, I think Neelix said it was in a blue box..." Chakotay was looking through the flash-frozen foods.

"I can't believe he found something so quickly to get obsessed about," Kathryn said.

"We can only be grateful that leola root is strictly in the Delta Quadrant," he laughed, "here it is. Pizza with pineapple. Sounds gruesome. I'll get two, Icheb said he liked it too. Now, Kath, find some chocolate chocolate chip ice cream, for Naomi.... Tell me again why Erin and Bill don't have a replicator?"

She was studying the ice cream section. "They both like to cook too much. Bill is sort of a, well, the old term was troglodyte, not that crazy about technology. He's taken some intensive cooking classes....I think he wanted to open his own restaurant at one time.....here's some. Ooo, I'm getting this for me," she grinned as she handed him two cartons.

"Cafe latte mocha chip ice cream," he read. He met her sparkling eyes. "Looks good."

She looked at him, stifling the urge to tickle him to get that serious expression off his face. He was such a .... "I'll share it with you anytime. It's probably really sweet, being ice cream and all - you would like it!"

"I'll be sure to try it," he said dryly.

That she couldn't resist, and she approached him with a gleam she knew he caught. She pressed herself against him, staring into his eyes. "You hate coffee, don't you? Admit it, you hate the stuff, you only drank it to appease me.... Admit it!" She began to run her fingers along the inside of his waistband.

"Kath-ryn, keep your hands to yourself..." He tried to glare at her. "You know I'd prefer tea, herbal tea, rather than the stimulant of coffee."

"You are such a liar! You," she grabbed his pants as he tried to back away, "hate," she got her hand under his shirt, "coffee..." She started tickling him at the base of his spine as he squirmed, finally grabbing her hand, finally laughing out loud.

"All right, I admit it! I hate the stuff, can't stand it, it is disgusting! Are you happy? Just keep your hands to yourself! That is below the belt, Kathryn, way below..." He was laughing, but looking in her eyes he saw they were swirling, dark blue, smoky with desire. "Kath-ryn... love...you be careful how you're looking at me or I'll embarrass you, right here in the middle of the store..." He suddenly looked past her and saw they were not alone. "Turn around," he told her and she did.

Two women were at the end of the aisle, blatantly staring at them. As their eyes met, the women barely blinked, continuing to stare.

"Can we help you with something?" Kathryn called to them. No response. She tried a second time and got the same result. Unfortunately they were still staring. Kathryn couldn't stand it so she walked directly toward them, which seemed to break them out of their reverie. Chakotay picked up their bag and followed.

"We're sorry," one of them said, "I suppose we were staring. You're Captain Janeway, aren't you? I mean you look like her..." The woman's eyes drifted to Chakotay as she continued, "We've just never seen a real celebrity before, and well, you just did the most remarkable thing by getting back home and all, we've never done anything like that with our lives, and I can't imagine how I'd survive not to mention taking care of everybody..."

Kathryn interrupted her, "Thank you for the compliment. It was nice to meet you," she turned to Chakotay and motioned to him, and they walked to the next aisle.

"Well, that was weird," he said quietly as he pulled the padd out of his pocket. "It looks like we almost have everything, just need some sliced bread..." Looking down the aisle he headed for the bread, taking Kathryn's hand.

"More than weird. Is this what we have to look forward to?" She put a loaf in the bag.

"Spirits, I hope not. Maybe they were just shocked to see us doing something so normal," he chuckled. Kathryn put her arm around his waist, causing him to flinch. "Kathryn..."

"Oh, don't worry, honey, I'll be good," she smiled at him, "for now."

"Okay then." He pulled her close and turned to leave.

And there were five more people staring and smiling at them. "The other way," she whispered, not willing to 'meet' anyone else. At the end of the aisle they turned toward the itemizer and there were three more people doing the same thing. By the time they hit the sidewalk it felt as though most of the patrons in the store had taken the opportunity to look them over.

"Chakotay, I really don't like what happened back there..."

"I don't either. Though Commander Mueller did try to warn us. It doesn't look like we can do much about it, does it."

"No..."

After covering another block Kathryn stopped their progress. "I have a confession. I don't want to have this party. As much as I miss everyone, I really only want to spend the rest of the day with you, alone, preferably in bed but I'd take the couch if I had to..."

Chakotay once again looked deeply into her eyes, almost falling into them, allowing her desire to rekindle his own. "Freedom from responsibilities is nice, isn't it? I'd like the same thing."

"Do you think anyone would miss us?"

"Yes," he laughed.

"Damn. Well, I know of a park nearby with some woods we could hide in, maybe find a nice old hollow sequoia tree? Think of how soft the ground would be..."

He took her elbow and began walking again. "You are driving me mad, woman." He said softly, deeply, huskily.

"So no park I take it. Well, next time we invite people over then we'll just have to schedule in some time before they arrive. Get it out of our system."

"Kathryn, I don't think we're ever going to get it out of our system..."

Their eyes met as they kept walking. "No, I guess we won't," she answered quietly. He pulled her close to him and kissed her hair.

The party actually was quite fun for both of them as well as their guests. The talk was of things Voyager, old stories both good and bad, talk steered away from Chakotay's upcoming trial. At times he wanted to bring it up himself, just to keep it from being the elephant in the corner of the room, but stopped the words before they left his mouth.

Neelix kept conversation flowing, even succeeded in convincing Seven to tell everything about her meeting with the Hansen's which from her telling went very well. She was left with some databases of family trees and an old image book of family pictures including one of her grandmother as a young woman. She had been away from her home but was expected back the next day. Seven still appeared a bit overwhelmed and everyone gave her as much support as she allowed. Naomi and Icheb were thrilled and didn't hide it.

Naomi talked about her father and about her school. "....and they saw me on the news broadcast," she said proudly. "My teacher, Mr. Stein, asked me if I would mind the class knowing I was from Voyager. I told him no. Voyager was my home, my family, I didn't want to pretend it wasn't. So then everyone started asking me questions," she winked at Chakotay, "and I told what I could. But it was taking a lot of time, so Mr. Stein told me that I could give a report next week. Maybe a little time every day, depending. So, Captain, Commander, can I ask you a question?"

Kathryn was startled by the sudden change of focus. "Of course, Naomi." Chakotay nodded at the girl.

"Well, would you come to my school and talk to them? Tell about some of the things that happened? Maybe those things that weren't so bad, the friendly aliens we met, the holodecks?"

Chakotay met Kathryn's eyes and could almost see her wheels turning at the same rate as his. They nodded to each other, then turned back to Naomi. "We would love to," Kathryn answered, "but with the trial starting next week, we don't know what's going to happen. If Chakotay gets convicted, he'll be taken immediately," She paused to swallow the lump that formed in her throat, "but I'd be happy to come. And if he is acquitted, of course we'll both be there. Of course."

The elephant had made it's presence known. "You'll be acquitted, Commander, I'm sure of it." Naomi said. "And so you'll both come, it will be terrific."

"Thank you Naomi," Chakotay answered her sincerely. He sometimes thought his love for Naomi, everyone's love for Naomi, was one of the driving forces that kept them focused. They were all determined nothing would happen to her, then to Mezoti, then to Icheb.

The Doctor held up his hand, "And as you know, I have an abundance of images of our journey in my database. I would be happy to share them." He smiled his self-satisfied smile.

"Perhaps some of the other crew members would be able to join, everyone has their own story to tell," Neelix added. "And I'm sure the other classes at the school would like to be there, too."

Kathryn met Chakotay's eyes and again their wheels were turning rapidly, in concert. "Yes, we could do that, couldn't we," she said. Chakotay nodded. She went on, "Other schools might like it, too. Look at what's been happening at Anna's school..." He nodded to her again, grinning. "Starfleet would love it..." His grin didn't waver. "Like an outreach program to children...all about science, and exploration..." He took her hand, the grin turning to a full smile. "A way for us to work together, until they're grown up, to teach, time for us... Even if we only did it part-time and taught at the Academy the rest of the time, just until they're old enough..." Kathryn felt her heart beating rapidly and the planets shift a bit as she locked eyes with the man she loved.

Neelix coughed hesitantly to interrupt their reverie. "Excuse me, but until who's grown up enough?" He wanted details.

Kathryn suddenly felt embarrassed to say, then miffed at herself for the embarrassment.

"It's okay with me to tell them, Kathryn," Chakotay told her, "or I can if you'd like."

She took a breath. "Our children. We've decided to have children."

The response around the table was instantaneous. The party turned even more celebratory, eventually winding down quickly as Seven was seen to be needing some time to herself, Samantha agreeing to accompany her to HQ on the way home. Things were packed up, including the flowers, hugs were given and received, plans were made about the school visit, and wishes for the trial exchanged. Finally, the house was their own again.

The first thing Kathryn did while Chakotay was cleaning up was contact the hotel concierge. They did, indeed, have the name of a jeweler who had been in business there in the area for forty odd years, a fact that gave both of them confidence in the choice. Kathryn contacted the man, a Mr. Chilton, and made an appointment for 17:30.

Chakotay came up to her as she ended the transmission, pulling her to her feet, dipping his head to hers and taking her mouth hungrily. The desire for her that he had been fighting since waking up he could fight no longer. And as he felt hers answer his, he again scooped Kathryn up in his arms, navigating to the bedroom between deep kisses while her hands unfastened his buttons and her own. He gently dropped her on the bed and quickly removed his shirt with her working on the fastener to his pants. Both sets of clothing were removed rapidly with both sets of hands and finally their bodies came together, writhing and rolling around the mattress. No slow and soft lovemaking this time, but intense, consuming, needy passion. They made love with hands and mouths until they could stand it no more. Chakotay entered Kathryn and they rocked each other while the world around them disappeared, the two of them and their future the only thing of importance. They came in succession, sweat pooling between them, their mouths locked together, their arms and her legs holding tightly, oblivion taking them far far away.

On the way to the transporter hub, arm in arm, they noticed many people staring and smiling at them, but few willing to actually greet them. They tried to merely meet the stares, smile politely, and return their attention to each other and mostly it worked. It was slightly workable. And very disconcerting. At the hub itself, children did approach them and they both took the time to answer any questions and have their image taken with the kids when asked. But even then, the adults both young and old watched them, occasionally whispered to each other and made them both uncomfortable. They took to ignoring the situation entirely.

In the city, they had more anonymity, the walks filled with people of all types getting off work, bustling to get to their own homes, clubs, bars or restaurants for the evening. Kathryn and Chakotay were just two more. They relished the feeling.

They found Mr. Chilton's shop on Post Street a couple of blocks off Union Square. It had a small storefront and looked closed, though they were right on time. They found the door pad, hit it and the door opened quickly as the lights came on in the shop, to their relief. Mr. Chilton greeted them warmly and as they chatted in those first minutes it was clear that he recognized them but was not in awe of them. Kathryn spoke for them both saying how grateful she was for that fact. Chakotay then told Mr. Chilton what they wanted, and the jeweler said he would be honored to help them out.

He seemed quite intrigued with the project and asked  a number of questions, about the tradition, about the quality of silver needed, about the engraving. Chakotay explained how the bracelets should be fashioned and the two men worked out the design together, with Chakotay fine-tuning aspects of it. The bracelet was being designed before Kathryn's eyes and she watched the process with fascination and pride. Pride and love for this man she was going to marry, for whom she would do anything she could to see that he was happy. As almost the final step Mr. Chilton copied down the  tattoo, shining a light on Chakotay's forehead and drawing meticulously.

When this was done, he asked Kathryn to step forward so he could measure her wrist. Chakotay held her left hand out, specifying that wrist. When Mr. Chilton put an old-fashioned measuring tape around it, Kathryn could suddenly see the bracelet on her arm.

"Chakotay, it's going to be beautiful, isn't it?" She met his eyes and saw something in them she had never seen before. He looked completely grounded, completely at peace. She felt her throat closing and knew tears were forming so she shut her eyes, unwilling to let them fall in front of a stranger.

"Yes, Kathryn..." Chakotay put his hand between her shoulder blades and stroked her gently, resting it finally on the back of her neck. He could not have felt more love for her than at that moment. "They will be beautiful," he kissed her forehead softly. She opened her eyes to his and tried to convey the depth of her feelings at that moment.

Mr. Chilton, looking at them, found himself remembering early years with his wife, his partner in life and business. He made a silent and personal vow. "Well, how soon would you like these finished? I can hazard a guess that you've already waited too long for this and I'd be happy to put a rush on them. I think I can get them finished by tomorrow."

"I want them to be the very best work you can do, and if that takes longer than a day, I think we can wait," Chakotay answered.

"You will absolutely get my best, I promise. Tomorrow evening they will be done. And would you mind if I took an image of them on your wrists for my collection? I wouldn't barter it or anything, just have it to show my children and grandchildren. It would mean alot."

They nodded in assent. Kathryn suddenly found that she wanted to watch them being made, to see them going from a vision to reality. "Too many years in the Delta Quadrant," she said quietly to herself.

"What did you say, love?"

"I want to see him make them, to see them turning into concrete form. Too many years in the Delta Quadrant, I think, too many unreal experiences, too much fear, too much trauma, too long being apart from you. Extraordinary acts of courage aside, reality often seemed so elusive..." She looked at Chakotay for understanding.

"I know exactly what you mean Kathryn..." He pulled her into an embrace, again simply needing to feel her close, their hearts beating against each other, not caring about an audience, happy when she gave in to it. When they pulled apart he cupped her face gently and their eyes locked again. "This is reality. No matter what happens, remember that."

"I will, I promise, Chakotay."

They finished their transaction. As they were getting ready to leave Mr. Chilton stopped them.

"I want to thank you for choosing my establishment. You know, I've seen a lot of couples come through here, picking out rings, talking about the future. You get so that you can tell who's going to be bartering them in five years, who's going to only make it one. If you'll excuse the impertinence, you two remind me of my wife and I. She was my soul mate, my partner in everything and the best damned goldsmith you'd ever seen. She could set a stone so clean... Anyway, perhaps it was fate that brought you, whatever it was, it will be my extreme privilege to create these bracelets for you. Thank you."

Chakotay smiled to himself, knowing Kathryn was formulating an argument that he would hear as soon as they were outside. "How long were you married," he asked.

"Together for forty-seven, married for forty-three. Three children, five grandchildren and one great-grandchild on the way. Rivka died two years ago. We're still married," Mr. Chilton answered, smiling. "May you be as blessed. I'll call you tomorrow when they're done."

"Thank you, sir." Chakotay shook his hand, as did Kathryn.

"Kathryn, you're just going to have to give in at some point..."

"I don't see why, you can believe in fate all you want, I don't have to."

Walking hand in hand to the hotel they had been gently arguing the merits of Mr. Chilton's beliefs for five minutes.

"Because the evidence is mounting exponentially right in front of you," Chakotay chuckled.

She pulled him to a stop. "And what do you call your trial coming up? Fate? Do you believe fate is that cruel?!" She felt tears forming and wanted to kick herself for bringing it up as she saw her lover's face darken. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that..."

"It's okay, Kathryn, we can bring it up in conversation, hell we should be talking about it regularly. We need to. I know you're scared," he said quietly, "I am, too."

Kathryn turned away from his gaze and studied the people walking purposefully across the street, trying to calm down. She finally looked at him again. "I'm not scared, I'm not."

Chakotay touched her cheek. "Yes, you are. And it's okay. You should be."

"But it's you who needs the support, it's your freedom at stake, your life."

"What did we just do not fifteen minutes ago? It's our life that's at stake. And the life of our child who is hopefully being conceived as we speak, who deserves a father. It's your life."

The tears she was trying to fight were winning. "Damn it," she said quietly as she brusquely wiped her cheeks. She took a step toward him and wrapped her arms around his chest, needing to feel him hold her, oblivious to the people giving them a wide berth on the sidewalk. After a minute, they turned and started walking again, her arm firmly around his waist, his around her shoulder as she dug out a handkerchief from her pouch and wiped her face.

"Mom's gonna know I was crying."

"We'll tell her they were tears of happiness, besides she'll be so thrilled with the news she might not notice."

"You seem pretty sure of yourself there, mister," she said with a smile.

"I am. Gretchen and I, we're pals. She told me I'm good for you." Chakotay met her eyes and winked.

"You are good, I'll grant you that," she said almost wickedly, chuckling.

"And you love me," he stated softly, with conviction.

"With all my heart," she answered equally softly, with conviction.

"See? Everything's gonna be okay. Fate is not cruel to people who love each other as much as we do."

Kathryn sighed and put her head to his shoulder as they walked.

Gretchen took one look at their faces when they arrived and knew something was different. Something around their eyes had changed. Watching them tell her the news of the engagement she saw what it was. A certain peace had settled on both her daughter and her new son. It was subtle, but she was certain of it. A weight lifted from her heart that she hadn't been aware of, knowing that her daughter, the bold, brave, supposedly fearless captain had found something that Gretchen suspected Kathryn hadn't known she was missing. And as for Chakotay, well, he couldn't look happier. She waited for Phoebe to finish her squealing and hugging then gave Kathryn and Chakotay her blessing and love. She silently thanked God, yet again, for delivering her baby safely back home.

The restaurant was fairly crowded when they arrived. Chakotay noticed the people in the lobby staring at them, hoping neither Gretchen nor Phoebe had. He knew from the squeeze Kathryn gave his hand that she saw. Since they didn't have reservations he led his new mother and sister to some vacant seats while Kathryn went to put their names on the waiting list.

The host had his head bent to the seating chart when Kathryn arrived, even so he asked her how many in her party and whether they could wait at the bar. After answering the first she was pondering the second question when he lifted his eyes to hers. She watched the change come over his features and her heart sank.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but aren't you the captain of Voyager?"

Damn. His voice carried to those few people around them, she was sure of that. She had been looking forward to a quiet meal, anonymously quiet. She debated telling him No, that he must be mistaken. She considered leaving, giving him a false name, and simply screaming. She sighed deeply, and felt Chakotay's presence coming up behind her.

He put his hand on her, "Kathryn, is there a problem?"

The host slapped his hand softly down on the console. "I knewit." He grabbed four menus, "Captain, Commander, get the rest of your party and follow me please, I'll have a table for you immediately."

Kathryn hesitated, unsure what to say, feeling uncomfortable. Chakotay raised his eyebrows at her. The host, seeing they weren't behind him, came back. He spoke quietly, "We have a table that we keep for situations like yours, for people who want some extra privacy." He looked at them both intensely.

Chakotay nodded to him, took Kathryn's elbow and waved to Gretchen and Phoebe to join them. He was fairly certain what was bothering her and took it upon himself to make the decision, knowing he might pay for it later, but also knowing they deserved a good meal. A quiet meal with their family. As they were navigating through the restaurant, he felt the stares of other patrons. He turned to meet Kathryn's eyes and winked at her with a smile. He was very grateful to see her eyes light up for him as she winked back.

He had another one of those experiences where the room faded and all he could see was her, like so many many times before, feeling his love for her like a hot poker right in the center of his chest. A part of his mind braced itself, for it knew what would follow, an instant body memory of making love with her, of being so in tune with her soul that absolutely nothing could touch them. And suddenly they were at the table and the host was speaking as the room returned to his awareness. He took a deep breath and thanked the spirits he hadn't tripped on his way there.

The table was very secluded, on a subtly higher level in the corner of one of the two main rooms, with some privacy screens around it and a railing separating it and a few other tables from the rest of the diners. Gretchen and Phoebe were exclaiming how lovely it was, sitting themselves down while Kathryn was looking at Chakotay with a question in her eyes. He knew that she could tell he had left them for a minute or two, he could see the slight concern in her face. He smiled to show her he was all right and pulled out a chair for her. She looked at him in disbelief.

"Chakotay, chivalry is very outdated and particularly in our relationship," she muttered under breath.

He leaned into her ear and whispered, "Humor me, love, I promise you will be amply rewarded when I get you back home.."

Kathryn felt her knees go a little weak at the tone of his voice and knew a blush was close. She sat and let him push her chair in. Then she felt his fingertip on the back of her neck, on a particularly sensitive spot on the back of her neck that she knew he was very aware of. He made a few circles as he innocently sat himself next to her, smiling that certain smile of his and the blush crept across her face as her body reacted. The electricity she felt went all the way from his finger directly to between her legs. Below the belt, Chakotay, way below, she thought as she took a deep breath and stared at him. He met her eyes and winked again, completely guileless. She knew better. She vowed revenge, smiling sweetly at him in return.

The waiter arrived and after they all discussed the menu items with his help, placing their orders, Phoebe asked for a bottle of champagne to celebrate. It was brought quickly, too quickly to Kathryn's way of thinking, opened and poured for them with a flourish. After he left, she commented on it.

"But Kathryn, what's so wrong with that?" Phoebe asked. "It's not like you don't deserve it or anything."

"I don't think we do deserve special treatment. Look at how we got this table. Everyone who had been waiting, and we show up and get seated just because we managed to make it home. It's not fair."

"You think the people waiting minded? Are you kidding?" Phoebe couldn't believe her sister had missed the scene.

"What do you mean?" Chakotay asked her.

"You two made their entire night, hell, probably their entire week! Didn't you see the looks on their faces? They're gonna go home and tell all their friends Oooo, Fred, you'll never guess who we saw last night at the restaurant! The Captain of Voyager and that incredibly handsome Commander from the ship! They were there together... Goodness you don't think they enjoyed themselves?"

Kathryn spewed, "So I'm supposed to feel okay about special treatment because we're the latest subject of interest to the public? Somehow I can't figure out which is worse... Being the topic of the day or being treated like royalty..."

"Kathryn, I think you're making too much of this," Chakotay argued, "just because we get some favors given to us when, frankly, we could use them, doesn't mean that the world is suffering because of that. It's not an either/or situation. Consider them a gift, a reward. You did do something extraordinary, you helped us, no, forced us sometimes to survive that damned quadrant. Enjoy the benefits."

"I didn't do it alone. I couldn't have done it without you, for one."

"Exactly. I plan to reap the rewards of that. I deserve it. I accept it. I consider it a gift from my ancestors. I wanted a lovely dinner out with my new family and the love of my life on one of the happiest days of my life and here I am."

Gretchen watched her daughter, waiting for the counter-argument that usually came out of Kathryn's mouth. She saw the wheels turn but nothing was coming forth. She smiled to herself. Chakotay was definitely good for this family.

"How do you do that?" Kathryn asked him.

He smiled, "Do what? Get you to listen to me, at least down here?"

"I listened to you, I just didn't happen to always do what you wanted me to..."

He stared at her, dumbstruck, then laughed. "And when did you?! You always had the last word."

Somehow Gretchen doubted the veracity of this last statement, but then again, knowing Kathryn she chuckled to herself. She was liking Chakotay more and more. Not many men could tell the tale of how they had disagreed with Kathryn, much less remind her of that fact.

Kathryn took a slow swallow of her champagne, her eyes directly locking with his. "I can think of one time in particular...I seem to recall a raft, on a lake..." She watched with pleasure as his features changed, actually looking a bit embarrassed. He gave her a warning look, she shrugged slightly with a grin in response. He shook his head at her then turned to the other two.

"So, how was your day?" He asked them.

"I want to hear about the raft," Phoebe had a glint in her eye.

"No, you don't," Chakotay answered.

"I'll tell you later, Phebes," Kathryn winked at her sister, who smiled and nodded.

"Kath-ryn..." He stared at her.

She reached over and patted his knee, leaving her hand there. "Don't worry, hon, you've got nothing to be concerned about, she'll get the abridged version." She trailed her hand up his thigh softly but he grabbed it before it reached its mark. She winked at Phoebe again.

"So why don't we talk about the wedding?" Gretchen interrupted, wanting to rescue her future son-in-law before he went screaming out the door and away from the Janeway girls. "Did you decide on rings, a date, what type of wedding?"

"Chakotay, you tell them, okay? You describe it better than I ever could," Kathryn, relenting from her revenge teasing, wanted to hear him talk about the tradition again.

So he told all about the bracelets and the tribal customs, ending with their visit to Mr. Chilton's shop. Both Phoebe and Gretchen were a little stunned by the beauty of it all.

"What I love about it the most is the sheer equality of it, the fact that he's going to be wearing something that I can see, too. Aside from the overwhelming nature of following one of his traditions that is. I feel so,  honored,  is the only word I can ever think of." Kathryn added.

"Well, I think it sounds just lovely, you two. Lovely. When will they be ready?"

Chakotay's answer was interrupted by a loud commotion coming from the lobby, clearly heard throughout the restaurant. They heard raised voices arguing, then someone threatening to call authorities, then voices speaking normally and very soon after,  the sound of the front door slamming. All of this was heard clearly due to the instant drop in ambient conversation that ceased throughout the establishment. After a beat, this began again. And as Chakotay answered their question about the jeweler, the waiter arrived, looking a bit harried, with the start of their meal.

He apologized profusely for the delay but skirted their gentle questions about the fracas heard. So with food in front of them, they continued with the conversation they had started actually on the deck the night before, enjoying the meal and the company. Gretchen wanted to know about Seven's reunion.  Phoebe told them about shopping they'd done that day and how much they were enjoying San Francisco. She wanted to spend some time with her sister. Chakotay needed to do some work at the library. Gretchen wanted to see some of the cousins. They discussed how all of this could be planned. They talked some of the trial, to Chakotay's relief.

It was during this that the waiter returned to the table with a tall woman in a suit. She introduced herself as Susan Martens, the owner of the establishment.

"I'm terribly sorry to intrude, Captain, Commander, but I'm afraid we have a situation on our hands that you should be aware of. It's one that we are not unused to, but may be distressing to you. It seems that someone notified the news agencies that you're here tonight, and now a number of reporters have camped themselves outside the front door. They appear to have no intention of leaving. We do have some options..." She stopped because Kathryn's head was now in her hands.

With everything they, and she, had been through, Kathryn thought to herself, why this was so difficult was beyond her comprehension. She just wanted to be left alone. To have dinner in peace and quiet. Speaking of deserving... she felt Chakotay rubbing her back and absently imagined them back on the raft, drifting in the current, loving each other for the first time... His voice in her ear brought her back to reality. What was wrong with her, she thought? She'd faced the Borg, for God's sake...

"What do you see as the options? I'm afraid this is new to us and we could really use some privacy tonight," Chakotay was saying to Ms. Martens.

"May I sit down?" She asked.

"Of course," Kathryn said as she rejoined the group, grateful for Chakotay's arm and hand still on her, wanting the warmth of him. She wiped the corner of her eye, noticing the tears for the first time. Meeting the gaze of the owner, she saw only sympathy and respect.

"I understand how you both feel. We have many celebrities come here and every one of them deals with this differently, though they all want the same thing you want. If I may speak bluntly..." Chakotay nodded to her, seeing his love was still gathering her composure, "well, your story is just too hard to ignore. Everyone I know saw the broadcast of the arraignment and felt quite emotional about it. They've shown your pictures each day since in one format or another as you know."

Chakotay and Kathryn looked at each other. Actually they hadn't known that.

"You didn't know, did you? I'm sorry." She hesitated. "Seeing the two of you, it's obvious that you're in love with each other, and that's just the catalyst, the focal point of it all. The ship returning was romantic enough but your story and the stories of the two crews, the reporters almost can't help themselves. But about options. We have a back door you can use, so far the reporters haven't gotten to it. We have some security personnel we can call to escort you. Or you can speak to them directly and maybe they'll be satisfied."

"Do you have a vidphone I can use? I should contact my attorney before I decide," Chakotay stood, seeing her nod, and turned to Kathryn. "Be right back. Mueller'll likely say back door but I need to be sure."

She watched him follow Ms. Martens through the restaurant, saw any number of patrons staring at him as he passed their table and she assessed the looks, for range of hostility. None appeared hostile, but it was difficult to tell. She shook herself. What the hell was she thinking?

"Kathy, honey, talk to us," her mother had moved to Chakotay's seat.

"Are we ever going to have a normal life, Mom? I hate this," she sighed. "You know me, I'm used to being able to take a situation and do something about it. What do you do with people that just want to hound you, follow you, take images of you when all you're doing is going to and from dinner? This is almost as bad as some of the things we went through, species bugging us for virtually no reason."

"Well, what can you do? What did you do there? I mean besides using your photon torpedoes," Gretchen stifled the urge to smile at the thought of Kathryn torpedoing the masses of reporters.

"Tried diplomacy usually. Sometimes it worked, sometimes not...." She suddenly had an idea and stood up. "I'll be right back, got to find Chakotay..." She left the table hurriedly. She intended to ask the host where Ms. Martens' office was and arriving in the lobby was relieved he was there. However as they made eye contact she was blinded by lights coming through the windows of the front door. Stunned, finally understanding they were vidcameras, she looked at the host again who immediately came to her side and led her in another direction.

"I apologize Captain, for being slow on the response," he said in her ear.

"Don't worry about it - you were quick enough, thank you. The commotion earlier was them, wasn't it?"

"Yes, just part of the job, trust me. I've gone through this more times than I care to count." He opened the door to the office and Chakotay looked up from the vidphone. "Good luck," he said sincerely as he closed the door behind them again.

"Commander?" Came Mueller's voice. Kathryn sat down in front of the screen. "Captain, good evening. Your dinner has been pleasant up to now I trust?"

"Yes, thank you. I'm sorry for interrupting but I had an idea. First, what's the consensus?"

Chakotay spoke directly to her, "He's recommended that we face the reporters but not to answer any questions. No comment them. I understand the point but..."

"Now, Commander, don't think I don't understand yours as well. I believe that a retreat is not good. The image of you as a brave warrior is one I want the public to get, really get. A forceful "no comment" will do wonders in the long run. The public loves that. They have a love/hate relationship with reporters. They want the gossip but feel uncomfortable about it."

"Chakotay, we've handled worse than these people. Let's think of them like, I don't know, name a species who were particularly bullying and annoying."

He looked at her with amusement. "Just one? Okay, how about the B'omar? They were obnoxious, rude, and enjoyed making us suffer."

"I like that choice. We pushed our way through didn't we? We won, in the end. These folks have nothing on the B'omar. They'd probably run, screaming, in the other direction at first contact."

Chakotay laughed loudly. After a second, Kathryn joined him.

"That's right, you two, now Captain was that your idea?"

Kathryn, still chuckling, answered. "No, actually. Chakotay and I need to talk about this, obviously, but I thought perhaps granting an interview, a one-on-one type of thing, with prepared questions and answers might give us a chance to end some of the speculation. You know, plead our case for privacy. Try diplomacy."

"I don't know, Kath, talk about ourselves to millions? 'Cause you know that's what the audience would be."

Mueller responded, "I think it's an idea worth discussing further. Let me work on it, I think I know of a reporter who would be willing to do it with concrete conditions imposed by us... We can talk about it tomorrow."

"Well, I just want it clearly understood that I don't like it," Chakotay said firmly.

Kathryn took his hand in hers and stroked it gently. "Chakotay, I know how you feel. Let's talk about it, honey, with Mom and Phoebe too. Maybe B'Elanna and Tom if they've gotten clearance?" He nodded, though not with conviction. It was enough for her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So is everything settled?" Gretchen watched them sitting back down. They looked better.

"Oh the walk back was great fun," Kathryn said sarcastically. "Let's see, the lobby was filled with lights from the vidcameras that snapped on at the sight of us and fought each other for the best spot at the window. Which made those people waiting take a closer look at us, then stare outright and even point to each other. Then coming through the restaurant, we actually heard someone whispering our names loudly to a companion, who was probably hard of hearing. But that's okay, we've decided how to handle them all."

Phoebe smiled at them. "Somehow I'm starting to feel sorry for the reporters."

Chakotay chuckled. "Though I heard that Gretchen suggested photon torpedoes, we're just going to look at them as an annoying Delta Quadrant species. And, we're all going to be leaving by the front door. Walk the gauntlet, as they used to say. You two up for that?"

Phoebe rubbed her hands together. "You bet. Mom, how about you?"

"Oh, I think I can handle that. I've been around Starfleet enough to know how to hold my head up high. But I want dessert first. Chocolate preferably."

Just then Ms. Martens arrived at their table with the waiter in tow. In her hands was a small cake with two candles burning on top. Placing it in front of Kathryn and Chakotay, they saw the inscription. "Welcome Home". For some reason she couldn't fathom, Kathryn thought it was one of the nicest things anyone had done for them. A small gesture. A reminder. They thanked the owner profusely, whispered a joint wish to each other and blew out the candles together, birthday or not. Why take the chance, Kathryn said. Or tempt fate, was Chakotay's answer.

After cake, coffee and tea were consumed, the four of them finally prepared to leave. The concept of the B'omar had been explained to Gretchen and Phoebe, who agreed the name was an apt description of reporters. Chakotay put his arm out for Kathryn to take.

"Gretchen, Phoebe, you just walk right behind us, stay close and call out if you run into trouble. Now, remember, our weapon of choice is 'no comment'. Captain, are you ready?"

Kathryn took his arm with a flourish. "Commander, let's do it."

Navigating through the restaurant was the easy part. The lights hit even before the front door was opened by the host. They were blinded as they crossed the threshold. The shouting was almost deafening. Their breath caught in their throats.
 
 

End part 8