Disclaimer: As usual, I own none of this except the plot.
Note: I have a feeling that this will not go over very well with some people, and I value all opinions about my writing, but please don't flame me!
1 BROKEN HEART
If you read the tabloids, the kind that no respectable establishment sells, there are articles telling how I am suffering from a broken heart. That's true enough, but they have the circumstances all wrong. "Borg Heartbreaker" headlines don't tell the whole story. Seven did dump me after we returned to Earth. The tabloids say that she found more males than she knew what to do with, and that's why she left me. I'm not exactly sure why Seven left me; all I know is that one day, soon after our return to Earth, she told me that we could "no longer function as a couple." Why I asked her why, she said that returning to Earth had complicated matters. Then she left. I haven't seen her since, and I never found out how returning to Earth complicated our relationship.
The tabloids say that she left me broken-hearted, and I was very hurt. But after about a week, I began to think about Kathryn again. Before Seven, I had always treasured the hope that when we returned to Earth, Kathryn and I could see each other. I respected her decision not to date on the ship, but until Seven I never really gave up. After Seven, I realized that if I was a lucky man, that chance might still be there.
I went to the apartment that she had been given. Since she was a hero, it was a nice apartment, overlooking San Francisco Bay, with lots of windows. She asked me in and told me to sit down while she got coffee.
"Real coffee, as often as I want," she said, smiling. "What can I do for you, Commander?"
Commander. I should've taken that as a hint, but I didn't. Instead I just jumped right into the reason for my visit.
"Seven and I are over."
The coffee stopped halfway between her mouth and the desk. "I'm sorry."
"We weren't meant to be."
She sipped the coffee. "So who realized that first?"
I hadn't expected the visit to be easy, but Kathryn made it harder than I though she would. "She did."
"I see." She sipped the coffee again, and it hid most of her facial expression.
"Kathryn, I thought that maybe we could go out to dinner." There, I said it.
She put down the coffee. "It's too late for that, Chakotay." She sounded genuinely sorry to be saying so. "I'm not going to be part of your rebound relationship," she added.
"You're not a rebound. I loved you when Seven was still a drone, but you didn't want to see me while you were the Captain."
Deep down, I knew that dating Seven was different than Riley, or Kathryn's holographic Michael. She knew it as well. But I wanted so much to go back and wait for Kathryn. I wished that Q would send me back, I was so desperate.
"Seven is like a daughter to me." Kathryn said, trying to find words for what we both knew, even if I didn't want to admit it. I had crossed the line, and there was no going back.
I stood up and took another look into her eyes. "I have to go."
She walked me to the door. "I'm sorry, Chakotay." The way she said my name…how many times had I heard it the unique way she pronounced it? I wanted nothing but to hear her say it forever, right by my side.
"So am I." I saw that she really was sorry. But I had betrayed her, and there was no way to take it back. I closed the door softly.
She sent me a card on Prixin. "Chakotay, remember the celebrations we had? I miss those." I remembered, and my heart ached more than usual at the memories.
Lacking words to say, I just sent her a copy of an article, "Federation Archeologist Chakotay Discovers Evidence of Insect Life on Halkid II." I attached a short note: "I remember." It was all I could say.
Note: I have a feeling that this will not go over very well with some people, and I value all opinions about my writing, but please don't flame me!
1 BROKEN HEART
If you read the tabloids, the kind that no respectable establishment sells, there are articles telling how I am suffering from a broken heart. That's true enough, but they have the circumstances all wrong. "Borg Heartbreaker" headlines don't tell the whole story. Seven did dump me after we returned to Earth. The tabloids say that she found more males than she knew what to do with, and that's why she left me. I'm not exactly sure why Seven left me; all I know is that one day, soon after our return to Earth, she told me that we could "no longer function as a couple." Why I asked her why, she said that returning to Earth had complicated matters. Then she left. I haven't seen her since, and I never found out how returning to Earth complicated our relationship.
The tabloids say that she left me broken-hearted, and I was very hurt. But after about a week, I began to think about Kathryn again. Before Seven, I had always treasured the hope that when we returned to Earth, Kathryn and I could see each other. I respected her decision not to date on the ship, but until Seven I never really gave up. After Seven, I realized that if I was a lucky man, that chance might still be there.
I went to the apartment that she had been given. Since she was a hero, it was a nice apartment, overlooking San Francisco Bay, with lots of windows. She asked me in and told me to sit down while she got coffee.
"Real coffee, as often as I want," she said, smiling. "What can I do for you, Commander?"
Commander. I should've taken that as a hint, but I didn't. Instead I just jumped right into the reason for my visit.
"Seven and I are over."
The coffee stopped halfway between her mouth and the desk. "I'm sorry."
"We weren't meant to be."
She sipped the coffee. "So who realized that first?"
I hadn't expected the visit to be easy, but Kathryn made it harder than I though she would. "She did."
"I see." She sipped the coffee again, and it hid most of her facial expression.
"Kathryn, I thought that maybe we could go out to dinner." There, I said it.
She put down the coffee. "It's too late for that, Chakotay." She sounded genuinely sorry to be saying so. "I'm not going to be part of your rebound relationship," she added.
"You're not a rebound. I loved you when Seven was still a drone, but you didn't want to see me while you were the Captain."
Deep down, I knew that dating Seven was different than Riley, or Kathryn's holographic Michael. She knew it as well. But I wanted so much to go back and wait for Kathryn. I wished that Q would send me back, I was so desperate.
"Seven is like a daughter to me." Kathryn said, trying to find words for what we both knew, even if I didn't want to admit it. I had crossed the line, and there was no going back.
I stood up and took another look into her eyes. "I have to go."
She walked me to the door. "I'm sorry, Chakotay." The way she said my name…how many times had I heard it the unique way she pronounced it? I wanted nothing but to hear her say it forever, right by my side.
"So am I." I saw that she really was sorry. But I had betrayed her, and there was no way to take it back. I closed the door softly.
She sent me a card on Prixin. "Chakotay, remember the celebrations we had? I miss those." I remembered, and my heart ached more than usual at the memories.
Lacking words to say, I just sent her a copy of an article, "Federation Archeologist Chakotay Discovers Evidence of Insect Life on Halkid II." I attached a short note: "I remember." It was all I could say.