Naiomi's Story Problem
Disclaimer: I don't own Voyager or the characters, I think that's probably a bit obvious but it's required none the less.
Naiomi was walking towards sickbay. She had just finished another "book" and she was eager to show the Doctor, her favorite critic. "Naiomi to the Doctor" she said happily.
"Ah, yes, what is it, Naiomi?" he asked absentmindedly.
"I finished another book, can I read it to you?" she begged.
"Another one? so quickly? my, my, Naiomi, of course I would be delighted to! When were you thinking..." he trailed off as she walked in grinning from ear to ear.
"Ah, well, now's as good a time as any, I suppose!"
"Okay ready? Here goes" she started "There once was a beautiful Queen. She had many loyal subjects who looked up to her and who respected and admired her. She was scared that she might do something that would upset them. This Queen lived in a country far far away from any other countries, this meant that the Queen did not have any kings to help her rule her country or even to play Kadaskat with. (I got that from Harry. He said that's what queens wanted kings around for.) There was a prince living in the country who had come from far away, years ago, and never left. The Prince loved the queen with all his heart, but the Queen felt that her people had to come first. The people loved the Prince, and they wanted the Queen to be happy, but yet she was also worried that she could not marry a prince because she was supposed to marry a king. The Prince and Queen were sailing together one day and they got lost. It took all the people of the land a long time to find them. When they were gone, the Prince tried to get the Queen to admit she loved him, and when she would not, he told her he would always love her even if she never returned it. The Queen was still very good friends with the Prince until one day a wicked witch came, disguised as a beautiful princess. The witch wanted to be queen and if she married the Prince she could rule when the beautiful queen died. She made a plot to get the Prince to fall in love with her."
"Thats the end?" the Doctor asked in confusion.
"I can't decide whether or not I should have the prince marry the queen and have it be happy, or have him marry the witch and have it be sad."
"Why don't you want a happy ending"
"Because I don't think thats the way its going to turn out." she stated simply "I am off to the mess hall, I'll see ya later"
"Naiomi, I like this may I show it to other people?" the Doctor asked, the tone of his voice suggesting a plot.
"Oh sure, but I want to finish it, okay" she replied, completely missing the look in the Doctors eyes.
"Absolutely" said the Doctor, already coming up with ideas for her story.
"Doctor to Tom Paris"
"Yes Doctor"
"Could you report to sickbay at your next free moment?"
"On my way" Tom said as the comm clicked off. "I'll be back soon, Be"
"You'd better be.." she said with a smile.
When Tom arrived at sickbay, the Doctor quickly told him Naiomi's story. Toms face lit up with every line.
"I know just how to play this!" he said happily.
"Well, I think some of my holoimages might be of use" said the Doctor, holding them out.
"These will be great" Tom said enthusiastically taking them from the Doctor. "Be'lanna, Harry, and I will go through these if you don't mind"
"Fine but I get a part in any replicator rations you three collect"
"Got it" Tom said, heading for the mess hall.
"Well, what do you think" said Tom after telling them the plan.
"Tom, your going to be in the brig for the rest of the journey if you do this!" said Be'lanna.
"And we'll have adjoining cells, if we help you" Harry said.
"SOOO!! Have you seen Chakotay lately?? He's been looking like the world ended. The Captain has looked like hell for a week! Since she found out about Chakotay and the witch. Don't even try to tell me you haven't noticed!" Tom said angrily. "Be'lanna, he's your best friend! Harry, she's like your second mother!"
"But..." Harry started.
"What if it makes it worse?" said Be'lanna. She was surprised at the genuine concern that was behind her husbands motives
"Worse then whats already happening? Worse then Chakotay and SEVEN? Worse then a chance at happiness for both of them crushed into oblivion by their stupidity?"
"Well?" said Tom when they still hesitated.
"I'm in" said Be'lanna.
"It's worth it" said Harry after a moments hesitation, grabbing a padd of the Doctors holoimages and starting to search.
The Captain was drinking coffee when Chakotay came into the ready room.
"Did you get the letter from the Doctor about the holoproduction Naiomi wrote" he asked.
"I did and I plan to go" she said shortly, guessing his next question.
"Would you like to accompany me?" He said, now ready and expecting an explosion.
She didn't explode, she just smiled and said sweetly "I am thinking of taking this one solo, anyway, I do believe there's someone else you plan to ask. I dislike being asked because of tradition instead of an actual desire to go with me. I believe I can find the holodeck by myself this time" she said shortly. As she swiftly exited she said "See you there."
He stood there, looking like he had been slapped in the face.
The play had just started, Tom had pulled the old holoimages out and found some good ones for illustration. Naiomi didn't know it was going to be changed as much as it was, she was just going to read her story with a little cliff note Tom had added on the end and payed her five replicator rations to read it.
It was about five seconds between the arrival of Chakotay and when the curtain rose. Naiomi had been told not to turn around because her audience wouldn't hear her if she did, so she started reading.
There once was a beautiful Queen." At this a picture of captain janeway dressed in her lacy black Queen Araknia dress was displayed on the screen. "She had many loyal subjects who looked up to her" a picture of Harry Kim in his 'Captain on the bridge stance' and a huge blush "and who respected and admired her. "A picture of the senior officers together. "She was scared that she might do something that would upset them." A picture of the caretakers array being destroyed. "This Queen lived in a country far far away from any other countries." A picture collage of the Hirogen, Vidian, Kazon, and various other DQ species. ", this meant that the Queen did not have any kings to help her rule her country, or even to play Kadaskat with. "A picture of the Captain with a pout on her face. "There was a prince living in the country who had come from far away, years ago, and never left. "Commander Chakotays face appeared grinning widely and showing his dimples. "The Prince loved the queen with all his heart, but the queen felt that her people had to come first." A picture of the Captain walking away from a dissapointed looking Chakotay. "The people loved the prince," A picture of Be'lanna hugging Chakotay. "and they wanted the queen to be happy," A picture of Tuvok signing 'live long and prosper'." but yet the queen was also worried that she could not marry a prince, because she was supposed to marry a king. The Prince and Queen were sailing together one day "The command team in the delta flyer. "and they got lost." A picture of new earth. " It took all the people of the land a long time to find them. "A picture of the vidians, along with the command team on new earth together. "When they were gone the Prince tried to get the Queen to admit she loved him and when she would not, he told her he would always love her even if she never returned it. "Another picture of Chakotay looking dejected as the Captain walked away. "The Queen was very good friends with the Prince "A picture of them smiling at each other. "until one day a wicked witch came, disguised as a beautiful princess. "A pictue of Seven of Nine "The witch wanted to be queen and if she married the prince, she could rule when the beautiful queen died "A picture of seven as a borg shoving aside Captain Janeway". She made a plot to get the prince to fall in love with her." A picture of Seven in her "program". "And thats as far as we have gotten in the story and now that the peoples wishes are known it's up to the Queen and Prince." and with that she left the stage to scattered applause and much staring.
Everyone cleared out quickly as they could, excluding Captain Janeway and Chakotay.
"Oh my god" she sighed.
"Kathryn?"
"I can't believe they did this."
"Why not?"
"Because..."
"Was it really that bad?"
"YES! How can you say that?"
"Its true though."
"Not all of it."
"What do you mean?"
"She said the prince promised to love the queen forever."
"Thats true."
"But from my point of view he went off with the witch because the queen took too long."
"Maybe the prince was tired of waiting for a day that never comes."
"Chakotay."
"Maybe he needed something other then friendship after 7 years."
"Maybe the Queen needed that too but was too scared of what it might bring."
"Maybe the Queen should have given it a shot."
"Maybe the Queen almost gave into him more times then he knows. Maybe the queen called him for dinner to tell him she was ready, but the prince already had a date with the witch."
"You mean that day..."
"Yes, Chakotay, I was ready for this years ago, and I have been ready to tell you since the day before I found out about you and Seven."
"Tell me what?"
"That the Queen has, does, and will, always love the prince, even if its too late for the prince to still love the queen."
"I have something to say to that."
"and whats tha..." unfortunately his kiss stopped the conversation.
The end of the story played out something like this.
But even with her magic the witch couldn't draw away the love the Prince had for the Queen. When the Queen saw this, she found she loved the prince too much to keep pretending. The pince and the queen were married and they all lived happily ever after, except for the witch who was shoved out of a boat one day by the blonde court jester.
THE END