Disclaimer: Okay for the eight time no I do not own any of the characters
although that would be super cool and I could force them to do a bunch of
dumb stuff like the paramount has.
-Nuff said
"You once told me that love was complicated but I don't believe you. I believe the hardest part is not loving, pretending that you don't love someone, and I can't do that. The easiest part in admitting it, the easy part is love. You can't ignore it forever."
She put her hands on the man's face on the step below her.
"I can, and for seven years I have." The tears streaked her face. She dropped her hands from the man's face, turned around and headed back up the stairs.
"Kathryn don't go." he called after her. She stopped and turned.
"Why, why Chakotay?! Why shouldn't I go? Give me one good reason." He ran up the stairs and grabbed her hands.
"Because…" She pulled her hands away.
"Exactly, you can't! You can't even say it!" The station was quiet and all the crew's eyes were on them. He pulled her over to the rail so other could pass by.
"Now look…"
"Why don't you say it louder so everyone can KNOW?!" Again the crew stopped to watch the two.
"It isn't that easy" he whispered angrily. Kathryn smiled.
"I thought love was easy? The complicated part is not admitting you love someone remember? It looks as if we both have that problem don't we? Now if you would excuse me." Again she attempted to climb the stairs.
"Kathryn Wait, maybe we could talk about this in private." Again she stopped and crossed her arms
"If you have something to say why not say it here? I mean the whole crew has heard us talk about this issue at least once even Crewmen Harren, right Mortimer?" The captain looked down to see if she could spot him. She waved at him and he gave her a two finger salute letting her know that he backed her up.
"Evening ma'am!" Janeway turned back to face Chakotay.
"What was it you wanted to say again?" Chakotay hesitated.
"Uh… nothing." She nodded.
"I thought so. Good day Commander. Good day all." She called the last part out louder.
"Good day Ma'am." They called back in unison. She walked away.
"Kathryn." Chakotay called out but this time she didn't stop to turn around.
"I said good day Commander." Chakotay thought quick, he had to say it if he was going to stop her he had to do it now. He could feel the anxiety of the crew, they all knew what she wanted him to do.
"Kathryn… I love you!" Again the crew was silent. Kathryn stopped at the top of the stairs. She closed her eyes and laughed. Then she gave him one of her genuine smiles. The crew burst into cheers applause was coming from every direction there were even a few whistles.
"About time!" Tom yelled from the crowd. Kathryn held up her hands signaling the crowd to stop. She looked around giving everyone there own look of acknowledgement.
"Why don't we involve the crew?" she whispered. 'no' Chakotay thought she wouldn't, would she?
"Crewmen, ensigns, lieutenants, commanders. What do you think?" The crew went wild. One voice was put them all to shame. Again it was Tom.
"I think you ought to humiliate him like he's done to you all these years!" The crowd nodded in agreement. The Captain chuckled.
"I do believe ladies and gentlemen that I have done that already." She kept one eye on the blushing Commander. The crowd was roaring with laughter. This time it was Mortimer.
"Take him back ma'am, I don't think I can bare seeing poor Chackers this way." The crowed laughed. Janeway sighed; even Mortimer didn't have the heart to refuse him.
"Tom?" She asked. He shrugged.
"I'm sorry Ma'am but I'm going to have to go with Mortimer, every lost dog deserves an owner." Again the crew laughed. The Captain searched the room for faces of disapproval. She didn't find one. Even Seven who had been involved with Chakotay before her and the Doctor got together was smiling? The Captain raised her eyebrows and sucked her teeth.
"Pick you up at six?" Chakotay said taking a chance.
"No." she said openly. Gasps came from all the crew members.
"No," she repeated. She turned and walked away. After about three seconds she turned around.
"Seven, since it seems to be our lucky number." She winked at Chakotay. The crew released held breaths. And Chakotay nearly fainted on the stairs.
"She learned it all from me!" Mortimer called out.
"Good bye Crewmen Harren." She called back. She walked out of sight then ran the rest of the way. When she finally got outside she rested herself against the stone wall. Her heart was racing, that had to be the most fun she'd had in years and with motley crew/family like hers she was convinced that there would be more to come.
-Nuff said
"You once told me that love was complicated but I don't believe you. I believe the hardest part is not loving, pretending that you don't love someone, and I can't do that. The easiest part in admitting it, the easy part is love. You can't ignore it forever."
She put her hands on the man's face on the step below her.
"I can, and for seven years I have." The tears streaked her face. She dropped her hands from the man's face, turned around and headed back up the stairs.
"Kathryn don't go." he called after her. She stopped and turned.
"Why, why Chakotay?! Why shouldn't I go? Give me one good reason." He ran up the stairs and grabbed her hands.
"Because…" She pulled her hands away.
"Exactly, you can't! You can't even say it!" The station was quiet and all the crew's eyes were on them. He pulled her over to the rail so other could pass by.
"Now look…"
"Why don't you say it louder so everyone can KNOW?!" Again the crew stopped to watch the two.
"It isn't that easy" he whispered angrily. Kathryn smiled.
"I thought love was easy? The complicated part is not admitting you love someone remember? It looks as if we both have that problem don't we? Now if you would excuse me." Again she attempted to climb the stairs.
"Kathryn Wait, maybe we could talk about this in private." Again she stopped and crossed her arms
"If you have something to say why not say it here? I mean the whole crew has heard us talk about this issue at least once even Crewmen Harren, right Mortimer?" The captain looked down to see if she could spot him. She waved at him and he gave her a two finger salute letting her know that he backed her up.
"Evening ma'am!" Janeway turned back to face Chakotay.
"What was it you wanted to say again?" Chakotay hesitated.
"Uh… nothing." She nodded.
"I thought so. Good day Commander. Good day all." She called the last part out louder.
"Good day Ma'am." They called back in unison. She walked away.
"Kathryn." Chakotay called out but this time she didn't stop to turn around.
"I said good day Commander." Chakotay thought quick, he had to say it if he was going to stop her he had to do it now. He could feel the anxiety of the crew, they all knew what she wanted him to do.
"Kathryn… I love you!" Again the crew was silent. Kathryn stopped at the top of the stairs. She closed her eyes and laughed. Then she gave him one of her genuine smiles. The crew burst into cheers applause was coming from every direction there were even a few whistles.
"About time!" Tom yelled from the crowd. Kathryn held up her hands signaling the crowd to stop. She looked around giving everyone there own look of acknowledgement.
"Why don't we involve the crew?" she whispered. 'no' Chakotay thought she wouldn't, would she?
"Crewmen, ensigns, lieutenants, commanders. What do you think?" The crew went wild. One voice was put them all to shame. Again it was Tom.
"I think you ought to humiliate him like he's done to you all these years!" The crowd nodded in agreement. The Captain chuckled.
"I do believe ladies and gentlemen that I have done that already." She kept one eye on the blushing Commander. The crowd was roaring with laughter. This time it was Mortimer.
"Take him back ma'am, I don't think I can bare seeing poor Chackers this way." The crowed laughed. Janeway sighed; even Mortimer didn't have the heart to refuse him.
"Tom?" She asked. He shrugged.
"I'm sorry Ma'am but I'm going to have to go with Mortimer, every lost dog deserves an owner." Again the crew laughed. The Captain searched the room for faces of disapproval. She didn't find one. Even Seven who had been involved with Chakotay before her and the Doctor got together was smiling? The Captain raised her eyebrows and sucked her teeth.
"Pick you up at six?" Chakotay said taking a chance.
"No." she said openly. Gasps came from all the crew members.
"No," she repeated. She turned and walked away. After about three seconds she turned around.
"Seven, since it seems to be our lucky number." She winked at Chakotay. The crew released held breaths. And Chakotay nearly fainted on the stairs.
"She learned it all from me!" Mortimer called out.
"Good bye Crewmen Harren." She called back. She walked out of sight then ran the rest of the way. When she finally got outside she rested herself against the stone wall. Her heart was racing, that had to be the most fun she'd had in years and with motley crew/family like hers she was convinced that there would be more to come.