Anniversary
Well this is my first Voyager fic, so please be nice! Authors note is at the bottom of the story, for fear it will give something away. Please read it after you read the story!
"Tuvok, the bridge is yours." Chakotay stood up from his seat, heading to the turbolift.
"Deck four." The computer beeped in response and came to life. The ride was only moments long, but for Chakotay it felt like hours. The turbolift came to a halt, and Chakotay stepped off. He walked slowly down the hallway heading to their quarters.
'Today is the day…' Chakotay stopped in front of the door. He took a moment to collect his thoughts before heading in.
'Janeway/Chakotay.' The door read.
'Janeway and Chakotay. Kathryn and Chakotay. That's us.' Chakotay's mind flashed back to the day he moved out of his quarters and into hers.
"Are you sure, you're ready to do this? We don't have to do this now; we can do this some other time if you're not ready." Chakotay had his hands on Kathryn's shoulders. He and Kathryn had decided to live together. Today Chakotay was moving out of his quarters and into hers. But Kathryn had been acting very nervous all day; Chakotay didn't want to push her into something she didn't want to do. Kathryn rolled her eyes and pulled Chakotay into a hug.
"I'm completely ready. Ensign Jenkins has already put your name on my quarter's door. All that left is to move your things." Chakotay kissed the top of Kathryn's head and smiled brightly.
Later that night, they lay in bed together, Chakotay fully moved in. Chakotay rolled over and pulled Kathryn to his chest.
"I love you." He whispered into her hair. Kathryn rolled to face him with a smirk on her face.
"I know."
Chakotay smiled softly at the memory and stepped forward. The doors slid open and Chakotay moved inside. He paused when he heard voices coming from their daughter's bedroom.
"I love you sweetheart." Kathryn's voice flowed from the room.
"I love you too Mommy." Chakotay walked to his and Kathryn's bedroom, putting down his commbadge and headed into the bathroom. Chakotay knew he needed to freshen up, but didn't realize how tired he looked until he was facing himself in the mirror.
'God, I look tired…' He thought, scrubbing a hand over his face.
After splashing some water over his face and rubbing the wrinkles out of his uniform, Chakotay walked quietly over to his daughter's room. Her room was fairly large; it was Kathryn's old room. When Kathryn and Chakotay found out they were going to have a baby, they realized their quarters would soon become too small.
"Are you sure Ensign Rollins is alright with this?" Kathryn asked. Chakotay chuckled and wrapped his arms around his wife's waist, his hands resting on her growing belly.
"I'm positive. When I asked if he would mind moving quarters, he was a little hesitant, but when I told him he could have my old quarters, he packed as quickly as he could."
"Well, I hope your right; once we knock this wall down, there's no going back." Chakotay smiled and picked up two hammers.
"I thought we could do the honours. The engineering team will be here in the morning to take it down, but we can still have the first crack at it." Handing Kathryn a hammer, they came to stand in front of the wall. Chakotay raise his above his head and turned to his wife. She had done the same thing and was smiling brightly back at him.
"Three…" He said slowly.
"Two…" She responded.
"One!" They cried together, slamming their hammers down and into the wall. They pulled they hammers back, and crashed them against the wall once again. When they removed them this time, there were large dents in the wall. Kathryn and Chakotay dropped the hammers to the ground as they laughed. Suddenly, Kathryn gasped, her hands flying to her stomach.
"Oh!" Chakotay was by her side in an instance.
"What wrong?!" Kathryn took Chakotay's hand and placed them where hers used to be.
"The baby kicked for the first time! Can you feel it?" Chakotay waited for a moment, trying to keep his hands as still as possible.
"Kath, are you sure…?"
"Yes! Just wait…there!" Just as the words left Kathryn's mouth, Chakotay felt a stir underneath his hands. His breath caught in his throat and he gasped softly as it happened again.
"Can you feel it?" Kathryn questioned. Chakotay nodded, tears in his eyes at the movement of his child; of their child.
"Yes and it's wonderful."
"Hi Daddy." Chakotay smiled at his four year old daughter, Ellie, who was curled up in bed clinging to her teddy bear. Ellie, when she was born, looked just like Chakotay with a lighter skin tone. Now, she was a dead ringer for Kathryn. She had long auburn hair and sparkling blue eyes.
"Hey pumpkin, are you ready for a story?" Chakotay said sitting on the edge of the bed. Ellie nodded and pulled her covers closer.
"What story will it be tonight?"
"Angry warrior." Chakotay smiled softly.
"Is there really an ancient legend?"
"No; but that made it easier to say."
Chakotay kissed the top of his daughters head and smoothed out her hair.
"How about a different story tonight, okay sweetheart? I'll tell you the angry warrior one tomorrow." Ellie nodded slowly before deciding on what story she would hear that night.
"What about Flotter? Would you like to hear one of his stories?" Ellie shook her head and crinkled her nose.
"No; Nomi reads Flotter all da time." Chakotay chuckled and nodded.
"Alright then; no Flotter."
"Daddy…"
"Yes, pumpkin?"
"Tell me when you met Mommy." Chakotay took a deep breath.
"I met Mommy six years ago. Once upon a time, I was a bad guy…"
"Really?" Chakotay smiled.
"Really. When I was a bad guy, I was being chased."
"By Mommy."
"Yes, by Mommy. Well, she found me, because your mother is brilliant that way. After the Caretaker swept us here, Mommy contacted me for the first time. And that, pumpkin was the first time I your mother. She came on the view screen, and I was…I was blown away. You mother stood on the bridge hands on hips, hair woven into a tight bun and face set in determination. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Though her eyes look hard and angry, I could see she had a brightness to her. The moment I saw her, I knew I had to know her. And while I didn't know it then, I later found out that I loved your mother more than anything or anyone." Chakotay looked down at his daughter, who had fallen asleep. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head and gave her a hug.
"I love you Ellie, more than all the suns and the stars in the sky." He whispered softly. Chakotay got up and walked across the quarters back to their room. Chakotay got ready for bed and got settled in. He turned to the bedside table and looked at all the pictures that laid there. The pictures told the story of Kathryn and Chakotay and their lives together.
The first one showed Kathryn and Chakotay at a party on the holodeck. It was one of their first dates; Kathryn hadn't cut her hair yet and it was still in a ponytail. Chakotay had his arms wrapped around Kathryn's waist. She had her hands on Chakotay's shoulders. They were both looking at the camera, smiling and laughing.
The second one wasn't as posed. Neither Kathryn nor Chakotay knew they were being photographed. The Doctor had taken the picture; he had gone to ask Neelix if he could take a picture of the galley, he was creating a holocollage of Voyager at the time. He walked into the Mess Hall late one night and found them going over reports together. He later gave them the picture. In the picture, Kathryn had cut her hair; it was now a bob. She and Chakotay lay together on the couch in the Mess Hall. Chakotay was reclined on the couch with Kathryn lying with her back to his chest. In the picture, Kathryn was pointing to something on the PADD in her hand, while looking up at Chakotay.
The next couple of pictures showed Kathryn and Chakotay on their wedding day. Kathryn had opted for a traditional wedding dress rather than her formal uniform. Her ivory dress was strapless with a jewel encrusted corset bodice with metallic accents, asymmetrical horsehair grand tiered ball gown skirt and a chapel train. Chakotay was dressed in a strapping black suit and bow tie. The picture showed Chakotay and Kathryn kissing right after Tuvok had married them.
The second picture showed Kathryn and Chakotay taking the first dance. Chakotay had spun Kathryn out and wound her back in. Her back was to his chest, her arm wrapped around herself as she held Chakotay's hands. They were both smiling contently.
There were a couple of pictures depicting Kathryn through her pregnancy, but Chakotay's favourite picture sat on the edge of the bedside table. Chakotay and Kathryn sat together in Sickbay. Chakotay was perched on the edge of the biobed, one arm wrapped around Kathryn's shoulders, the other hand softly stroking his new daughter's face. Exhaustion showed on both Kathryn and Chakotay's faces, but at that moment, all that mattered was Ellie.
Chakotay reached for the picture and held it close.
"Computer display holo-message 'Chakotay Alpha Warrior' and freeze message." Kathryn's image can to life at the edge of the bed.
Two years ago, Kathryn had gone on an away mission. She came back to Voyager with what appeared to be an alien form of the flu. The Doctor gave her some antibiotics, but soon they were no help. What appeared to be the flu was becoming more like a cancer the likes of which no had ever seen. The Doctor tried from several months to come up with a cure, but everything he tried failed. The cancer took over her body quickly, leaving no one ready for what was to come. Kathryn died another several months later; two years ago today.
But, before she died, Kathryn made two holo-messages. One for Ellie, which Chakotay had played for her every night since Kathryn's death. The other was for Chakotay.
Chakotay stared for a long moment at his wife's face. He clutched the picture close to his heart and spoke.
"Computer, play message." Kathryn moved slightly in front of him and took a deep breath, before smiling sadly.
"Hello, darling. I have made you and Ellie these messages for separate reasons. Ellie may be too little to remember me once I'm gone and I'd like her to have a piece of me to remember. Please, Chakotay, make sure she watches her video." Kathryn took another deep breath, trying to keep her tears at bay. "Chakotay, I have made this message because I fear if I do not do this, you may lose yourself. I love you, Chakotay, more than anyone I have ever met. You've always loved me, sometimes more than I loved you, and I thank you for waiting for me. I know it wasn't easy, but I am glad you waited. These past years with you have been the best of my life. You gave me Ellie." Chakotay had watched this video many times over the past two years and knew every word by heart, but he still reacted the same way every time; crying, talking to her and answering her questions.
"After I married you, I didn't think I could be any happier. But then we had Ellie and she brought me unimaginable joy. And I know that Ellie will grow up to do wonderful thing and one day she will be a strong, beautiful, woman. But until that day comes, you need to be strong for her." Kathryn's tears pour down her face.
"I know that when I'm gone, you will be incredibly sad; I would be if I lost you. But Ellie is still a baby and she needs her dad. I know it will be harder when she gets older are there are some things that she needs a mother for, but she can't lose us both. You have to be there for her. Promise me you'll care of her and protect her."
"I promise." Chakotay choked out. Kathryn continued.
"I love you Chakotay; more than I ever thought possible. And while I won't be there physically, please, try and remember I will always be in your heart."
"I know you will Kath." He sobbed.
"Chakotay, the next part of this message is very important. I love you so much, my angry warrior, and I want you to be happy and at peace. If that means…" Kathryn paused, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, trying to compose herself.
"God, this is harder than I thought…" She muttered wiping at her tears. "Chakotay, if being happy and at peace means… if it means being with someone else, you should do it."
"Kath, I can't…"
"I know you're saying that you can't and that you feel that it's cheating or that you're not respecting what we had. You're not. Love, I want you to be happy. I know you would want the same for me if our positions were reversed. You deserve to be happy. Before I finish this message I want to say thank you. Thank you for the life you've given me. Thank you for sharing all your love and your dreams. Thank you for every tear of happiness I've cried. I love you my angry warrior you are my soul mate and best friend; never forget that."
"I love you too Kathryn. I won't forget." Kathryn's image disappeared and the computer beeped.
'End of message.'
"I love you so much Kath, I miss you…"
When did you figure out Kathryn was dead?
Also, the 'thank you' section at the end of Kathryn's message comes from Johnny Reid's "Thank you" song. I don't own it!
Also! Ellie was not left alone all day. Neelix had been watching her and left minutes before Chakotay got back. I tried to fit it into the story but it just didn't flow and have any importance to the plot, so I took it out. Plus Ellie wasn't REALLY alone; she was with Kathryn's holo-message, remember?