Disclaimer: Voyager is the property of Paramount. Valentine's Day is the property of Hallmark. All I own is a beat-up 1990 Toyota Camry with peeling paint, a window that doesn't roll down, and a trunk that won't stay open.

Author's Note: This story is dedicated to Pea Girl, my sister and loyal beta reader. Her dislike for all things Valentine (except for the first officer of theAndromeda Ascendant, but that's neither here nor there) is almost legendary. It takes place in the early second season of Voyager, on their first Valentine's Day in the Delta Quadrant.

Harry Kim had been sitting on a bar stool in Sandrine's for the past hour holding a glass of beer in his left hand. He held it up to the light and turned it as if he could peer across the universe through it. He let out a sigh.

Sandrine approached and said, "What does a handsome man like you have to be sad about?"

Harry regarded his drink once more and said, "Oh, nothing...Everything..."

"What's her name?"

"What?"

"I've been a bartender for years; I've seen that look before. It can only be caused by a woman."

Harry put down his drink and sighed again. Before he was forced to answer, the holodeck doors slid open. He glanced up for a moment and then went back to staring at his full glass of warm, flat beer.

Sandrine approached her new customer and said, "Welcome to Sandrine's. I'm Sandrine. For a handsome man like you, the first drink is on the house."

Chakotay sat down and said, "Iced tea."

Sandrine looked at him and said, "Monsieur, this is France. Iced tea is what they drink over in America. Wouldn't you like some cognac?"

"Whatever."

Chakotay slumped on his barstool as Sandrine ran off to get some cognac. He turned to look around and saw Harry sitting two barstools over. He saw the look on Harry's face and said, "You, too?"

"Yeah. I didn't think it would be this hard."

"I hate Valentine's Day," Chakotay said.

"I proposed to Libby last Valentine's day," Harry said glumly.

Chakotay looked around wistfully. "Last Valentine's Day, Seska gave me a spirit stone. I don't know where she got it, but it must have taken her weeks to find it."

Harry paused, unsure of how to respond. He finally said, "You really did love her, didn't you?"

"Yes. And I was a fool."

"We're all a bit foolish when we're in love," Harry said.

Chakotay chewed on that for a moment as his drink arrived. He took a sip of the holographic alcohol and grimaced. He contemplated what Harry had said, and realized that despite his youth, it was a wise observation.

Harry continued, "So, how did you two meet?"

"I was commanding a mission to liberate a colony in the demilitarized zone. By the time I had gotten there, the Cardassians had already devastated the place, and Seska was the only survivor. Or that's what she said at the time. My guess is that the Obsidian Order left her there for us to find her. We rescued her, and she joined my crew. She began to pursue me, and eventually, I decided that there were worse things in life than having a beautiful Bajoran woman throw herself at me. We were lovers for several months before I broke it off."

Chakotay took another swig of his cognac before saying, "How did you and Libby meet?"

Harry swirled his still un-quaffed beer before responding, "I was going to the Academy, and I decided to take a study break and attend the Ktarian music festival. I sat in the wrong seat, and it turns out that it belonged to Libby. We got talking, and after the festival, we went out for coffee. We clicked perfectly, and we spent the next three years dating. The day I got my assignment to Voyager, I asked her to marry me. She said yes, and we decided to get married as soon as I got back. I was only supposed to be gone three weeks."

Chakotay thought about his situation. Sure, Seska was a Cardassian spy who betrayed him, but at least he had the chance to say goodbye.