Kathryn Janeway took a shuddering breath as she pushed open the door and entered the room. Before it was halfway open, she was already asking herself what the hell had she been thinking when she decided to come here.
You weren't thinking...
"Captain!" Tom yelped as he turned and she seemed to appear out of nowhere. Her eyes, for all the people and all the noise in the room she had just entered, shot to his straight away. She smiled nervously.
Tom cleared his throat as he tried his best to chase away the surprise of seeing her here. He smiled nervously himself as his eyes focused on everyone he could see all at the same time. He needed to know how many had spotted her.
"Nice to see you, Tom." Her voice was uncharacteristically shy, almost absurdly. He blinked at it. He still hadn't shaken away the shock and his reactions were jumbled and slow.
He thought about extending his hand and then thought twice. It was too formal, too cold a gesture between them. But he couldn't hug her either. That was just a little too informal and it would receive all the attention he'd just as soon avoid for her right now.
After a moments hesitation his arm shot through the air and hovered around her shoulder as he ushered her to come with him.
"Come, join the party. I'm sure everyone will be pleased to see you." He held back the drawling voice he would normally use for it could be too easily perceived as callous and spiteful in this situation.
As he led her up to the bar, people began to notice who was with him. Seemingly anticipating their stares, drooping faces and pitying whispers, his Captain hung her head low not wanting to see them.
As they reached the bar and making sure she wasn't paying attention to him, he turned to the whole room and pulled a firmly disapproving glare at them. Some continued to stare through furtive glances but most rebuked themselves and busied themselves in the hushed bustle of before.
Tom wiggled them both in between two bar stools, tactfully elbowing Harry in the process. Harry turned to Tom to protest until his gaze filtered past him. His eyes widened and without looking back to Tom he nodded and hopped off the seat, pulling Megan Delaney with him. She tumbled off her stool gracelessly and was not so tactful in concealing her yelp of protest. Harry glared at her wordlessly and gestured beyond his shoulder. As she steadied herself and fixed her clothing her mouth made a soft 'oh' shape. Within seconds Harry had her bundled off.
Tom sighed mentally with relief, with the knowledge that Captain Janeway hadn't noticed this. The barman had kept her busy as she decided on her drink. Tom watched as she lifted the glass of something and turned. He had a smile waiting for her and she smiled in return as she took a sip of the alcohol. He gestured to the ready-made empty seats and he took one while she took the other.
Tom opened his mouth to speak when a head popped in between him and his Captain.
"Captain!" B'Elanna greeted her happily. Kathryn turned her head slightly to meet the eyes of her Chief Engineer.
"Evening B'Elanna." She replied still smiling.
"Glad you could make it." Tom didn't know if that was such a tactful conversation opening. He noticed Kathryn's eyes go dull for a split second and he knew it wasn't tactful indeed. He watched as she inwardly scowled the slip of control and forced a smile that distracted from the dim eyes.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world, B'Elanna." She didn't sound as convincing as her words. Her eyes dropped from B'Elanna's and trailed back to her drink and she stared quietly into it.
"He is my best friend." She added without moving her gaze.
Or, at least he used to be...
B'Elanna couldn't help the concerned glance she shot to Tom. There was a moment of tense silence before Kathryn sighed deeply, lifted her head and presented the biggest, grandest and most certainly fakest smile they had ever seen from her.
"So where is the man of the hour?" She chirped. They almost grimaced at her unnerving tone too close to that of her smile. The Captain, was putting on a show.
B'Elanna sucked in a breath and prepared to answer the question when someone bounded at her shoulder. The three turned to see a young woman thrust her head in. She was gasping for air and obviously having a good time. She was giggling incessantly.
B'Elanna nearly choked on the breath she had taken while Tom groaned inwardly and rubbed his forehead. Kathryn stared at her curiously, squinting her eyes as if she could place the woman with the action. But she didn't know her, she knew most of the faces in the room but not all of them so it wasn't surprising to her. Chakotay would've met a lot of people in the time over his leave, people that she wouldn't have heard of at all.
Giving up on the squinting she simply examined the young woman as she fought to breathe, silence her giggling and speak all at once. Needless to say it was proving difficult, and it only seemed to make her giggle even more, which in turn made her even more breathless as she bent her body, wanting oxygen.
The first thing she noticed was her beauty. She was uncommonly beautiful at that. Her golden-brown hair flowed endlessly down her back and Kathryn found herself craning her neck to see where it ended. She was slim, but not too slim. She had curves where there was supposed to be curves. Kathryn raised her eyebrow at that. She most definitely had curves.
As her gasping slowed somewhat her head whipped up again, her smile was next under Kathryn's scrutiny. It was charming, and she had the lips to frame it too. Full and subtly shaped. Beneath thick, curly eyelashes shone two amazingly ebony eyes. They were glistening with joy, health, vibrancy and youth.
Kathryn quietly marveled at her beauty, and shook herself out of her daze as she heard the labored attempts the woman made to speak.
"Where.. Did you see see him?" She gasped for air. They all looked on puzzled.
"He was chas- chasing me in in the garden." She giggled again.
"I lost him. Go.. got away. Have you seen him?" B'Elanna's face softened a little as she remembered the antics she had stumbled on not ten minutes ago.
"No he didn't come in here." B'Elanna told her with an uneasy grin. The young woman's body heaved in a sigh as she smiled.
"Good." She took a deep breath as she moved for the now empty stool beside Kathryn. Tom and B'Elanna watched with a degree of horror.
"I'm safe here then." She hopped up on the seat as Kathryn swiveled on her stool to see her giggling again. The young took another breath that was interrupted by a half chuckle as she thought back fondly on the last fifteen minutes.
Finally, when she had calmed herself to a smile she noticed Kathryn sitting beside her. Her smile widened. When the smile was returned she extended her hand.
"A friend of Chakotay's I take it." She said. Kathryn smiled even more as she took the young woman's hand and gripped it firmly and nodded her answer.
"I swear I've seen so many new faces tonight, I'll never remember them all. I have this memory database of all the friends he talks about, especially those from Voyager and so many of them that I've met tonight, put faces to and I've forgotten the half already." She laughed again and Kathryn raised her eyebrows amused.
"So forgive me if I've met you already tonight. Because you do look so familiar..." Her smile was captivating and Kathryn couldn't help but smile warmly at her.
"No I'm afraid I haven't had that pleasure yet." Kathryn told her as she leaned one of her arms on the bar surface.
"I'm Kathryn. Kathryn Janeway." She introduced herself still wearing the smile. It faded slowly as the young woman's whole body froze, tension seeping from her. She stared emotionlessly at Kathryn.
Kathryn heard her name being called somewhere but she was unable to tear her eyes away from the young woman beside her. What had she said? It was only when she felt a hand on her arm did she turn her eyes.
"Shane, what are you doing here?" He smiled knowing that she would be annoyed that he had come, especially after she insisted that she was okay on her own.
"I got home early and decided that I needed a little partying." He winked at her but she seemed disinterested in any aspect of him at all as her eyes drifted back to the woman. He followed her gaze wondering what had her so captivated.
"Kathryn Janeway. You're... Kathryn Janeway?" The young woman spoke softly, her voice thick with disbelief. Kathryn nodded.
"Is there something wrong?" Kathryn asked gently. Her eyes flickered to her right, hoping that she could see behind her back, confirm that she was not only feeling Tom and B'Elanna's eye boring into her.
The man at her side, whom she called Shane, observed the group gathered around Kathryn. He then turned and scanned the whole room. He frowned. Was he the only one who had noticed the complete lull of silence that had just enveloped the room? Even Kathryn appeared oblivious to it as she asked the woman the question.
Suddenly after several charged moments the young woman shook her head as if she was purging something from mind.
"It's nice to put a face to the infamous name." She said and Kathryn frowned at her drab tone. She didn't sound particularly exhilarated about anything, the least of which putting a face to her name.
Soft, purposeful footsteps echoed through the room. Kathryn ignored them, didn't really even hear them. She was too busy trying to figure out the woman beside her.
"Kathryn." Her name rolled softly off sad lips. This time it didn't escape her attention. Her head whirled to confirm who she knew was the owner of the exasperated voice.
"Chakotay." Her voice was passive and betrayed nothing. She was too puzzled by this whole situation to care anyway. He stepped closer and she watched him intently. Her eyebrow arched when she noticed that he veered towards the woman and leaned towards her. Reality knocked on her door and she refused to let her jaw hang open.
"I see you've met Sarah." He spoke softly and smiled down to her. She didn't see his smile though; she was still too preoccupied with Kathryn. Kathryn looked up to him.
"Well we hadn't quite gotten to the 'Sarah' bit yet, but I suppose I have now." She told him. As she looked back down to who she now knew as Sarah, she noticed she was now staring coldly at her.
She noted that Chakotay had spotted this also and when he looked back to her she wondered what the apology in his eyes was for.
"Where are my manners? I haven't even congratulated you yet!" She bellowed with a spring in her seat. She hopped off her stool, purposely ignoring Sarah's eyes following her every move.
"Congratulations, Chakotay." She threw her arms around him and he awkwardly returned the embrace. Pulling away from him she turned and smiled at Sarah. She thrust her hand out again and when she reluctantly took it she hauled Sarah towards her and patted her back.
"Congratulations to you both." She pulled back again and watched as Sarah forced a smile.
"I'm very happy for you both. I'm just sorry I missed the wedding." She tilted her head and watched for their reactions. Sarah seemed to gain strength from the words while Chakotay's head threatened to drop.
She knew he was afraid that she would question him in front of nearly everyone he knew as to why she, his Captain and best friend hadn't been told of the wedding. Hell she hadn't even been privy to the relationship.
Slowly Kathryn became aware that the normal bustle of the room had begun again. She looked to Tom knowing fine well what he had done.
"Chakotay. Sarah. If I could steal you both for a moment." A middle aged man that Kathryn didn't know came to a stop behind the newly weds and they both turned to him before granting his request.