Chapter 4

Kathryn was up bright and early waiting for B'Elanna and Kes to come and help her into her dress. She hadn't even looked at it yet: that was not something she thought she should do alone. Her hair had just dried from the shower when the door chimed, announcing two very distressed women. Kes immediately smothered her in a hug; B'Elanna was a little more composed, but she still asked "Wasn't there anything else you could give them?"

"I don't have a death wish B'Elanna," she said with an amused grin, but she quickly sobered and added, "There was nothing else they would take." Then she saw what the girls had brought with them.

Kathryn had originally assumed that B'Elanna, being part Klingon, wouldn't care too much about the final product once Kathryn was in the dress, so she was horrified when she saw she toted a makeup bag practically as big as the ship.

"We borrowed the stuff from some of the girls on my deck," Kes said in explanation to Kathryn's shock.

"Don't even try to protest," warned B'Elanna, "I spent all night learning how to put on mascara and I won't have it go to waste. Besides, your crew needs to remember a pretty captain."

They dragged the still stuttering Kathryn over to the dress and held it up for her. Her first thought was that it wasn't actually that bad. It was deep burgundy, very long, quite beautiful, and overly modest. Every inch of her would covered by this dress except for her face. It even came with silky black gloves and a thick veil that was practically opaque. As Kathryn took in the dress, B'Elanna and Kes lamented that the gloves made it unnecessary to paint her nails ("But I have such a pretty red that would be perfect!") then decided to paint them anyway. The veil could always be put on after they got to the transporter room, so the makeup would not be hindered. They pulled the dress on delicately over her white slip, (fortunately it fit; no one was sure how Kartok would have felt to a hem in his dress, and they certainly weren't going to ask) then dragged her over to a chair by her mirror, spun it around and got to work.

~*~

"He will be here in one hour."

Chakotay had been let in just as the girls finished. They had chattered incessantly about anything and everything at first, but as the clock ticked down, their sentences were shorter, their voices quieter, and their eyes wetter. The finishing touches had been done in silence, and now Kathryn was even more beautiful than before. Her hair had been brushed by B'Elanna until all the knots cowered with fear and wouldn't return for at least a week. B'Elanna then joined Kes in attacking her face, and now her blue eyes were accented by a burgundy eyeshadow and black eyeliner.

They left Kathryn alone for the last hour, promising to be back later. At first, she just started at her face in the mirror. Her friends had done a wonderful job, and she refused to mess it up with tears. She used her hour well, putting in personal recommendations for her officers and writing a goodbye letter to her family and friends on Earth. Someday, hopefully, Chakotay would be able to deliver it.

Too soon, Chakotay, B'Elanna and Kes were back to escort her to the transporter room, where Kartok was waiting. When she stepped out into the corridor, she was touched to no end to see rows of her crewmen lining the walls. As they saw her, they all stood to attention. She smiled and her vision blurred. She wanted to say thank you, to show them how much they had meant to her, but she must be strong and there would be no way to do that without crying. The halls were lined all the way to the transporter room, and Kathryn reflected that if she had a bouquet, it would be like a wedding procession; or with a coffin, a funeral procession.

Finally, she made it to the transporter room, which was no safer than the halls. Her bridge crew stood there, glaring at Kartok, but their gazes softened as Kathryn came in, and she almost lost her death grip on control. The three bridesmaids or pallbearers got in line with the rest. Wordlessly, she looked into their eyes and gave each of them a hug that she wished would say so much more than she could.

By the end, the only dry eyed people in the room were a stolid Tuvok, an impatient Kartok, and Kathryn herself. She walked onto the transporter and Kartok began to smile. He slowly flipped the veil to cover her face as she gave her final command:

"Energize."

A/N: So, I said it was going to be longer... but it's not. On the plus side, the shorter entries mean I can post more often!

Please keep reviewing!! I'll post the next one in two or three days (probably two).