Chapter Ten
"Mama! We're going to be late! We have to go now!" Mezoti bellowed as she swung back and forth from the bannister at the bottom of the stairs. Her mom and Chakotay and told her not to swing from the bannister dozens of times, but she never listened; she had more important things to worry about, like getting to school as quickly as possible. She couldn't believe it; for the first time in her life, she was ready to leave before her mother. Now she was starting to understand why her mom got annoyed in the morning. Rather than be pleased, however, Seven seemed especially terse as she prepared for the day.
"Mezoti, I told we that we do not need to leave for another twenty minutes, and if you tell me we're going to be late one more time, you will be walking to school," Seven scolded from behind the closed door of the master bedroom, which muffled her voice significantly. Mezoti scowled. She couldn't wait another twenty minutes, it was killing her. She wanted to get to school and spend time with Axuna. It didn't even dawn on her that if she got there too early, her friend wouldn't be there. All she could focus on was getting to school as quickly as possible. She thought her mother would be happy that she made friends and was ready for school on time, but instead, she seemed annoyed. Mezoti threw her head back and groaned loudly in protest before stomping back to the living room where she threw herself down on the plush couch and crossed her arms over her chest while she waited impatiently for her mother to be ready. It was going to be a long morning, she just knew it.
Upstairs, Seven attempted to get ready for the day, but Chakotay was making it increasingly difficult. She tilted her head to the side and back against his shoulder, giving him access to the gentle slope of her neck, which he nuzzled affectionately, leaving a trail of kisses as he went. When he ran out of room, he hooked his fingers beneath her collar of her bodysuit and tugged on the stretchy dark blue fabric, exposing her clavicle, which he treated with just as much affection as her neck. She put her hands on his arms, which encircled her slender waist, holding him in place. As much as she knew that they needed to get going, she was enjoying this time together far too much to stop him. While they'd been living together for a few weeks now, she felt that they barely had any alone time to really be a couple. They woke up, went to work, came home, ate dinner, spent some time together, usually with Mezoti, then went to bed before repeating the process all over again. They hadn't been on a single date since she moved in and had only been intimate a handful of times. It was almost as if they had fallen into a rut. Seven turned around, wrapped her arms around Chakotay's neck and tangled her fingers in his hair.
"Perhaps tonight, you and I could have a date," she suggested out of the blue. Not wanting to ruin the stolen romantic moment, he nibbled playfully on her earlobe.
"What do you have in mind?" His baritone voice rumbled in her ear, simultaneously sending shivers down her spine. One arm stayed locked around her waist while his fingertips ran up and down from her ribs to the swell of her hips and back up again. He knew exactly what to do to drive her crazy. His actions were making it hard for her to think.
"I have not planned out anything, but I am sure I can think of something. Do you have a preference for how to spend our evening?" He kissed her softly. For a moment, Seven felt him run his tongue along her lips, begging for permission to deepen the kiss, but she regretfully denied him access, not that that deterred him until she pried her lips away from his. Their foreheads pressed together.
"As long as I get to spend a few hours with you, I know I'll enjoy myself." She smiled.
"I look forward to our evening together."
"As do I."
"Mama!" Mezoti wailed from downstairs, instantly putting an end to the romantic moment. "Let's go!" Seven sighed.
"Mezoti is being incredibly difficult this morning," she complained. All she wanted was a few minutes alone with Chakotay, but it appeared that her daughter had other plans.
"She's just excited. Maybe it would do her some good to drop her off at school earlier than you originally planned. Besides, it might do her some good to go to school. It's not like she's running off to join a band of Klingon warriors." Scowling with frustration, she pulled away and turned her attention to smoothing down her hair and tucking away several loose strands that had fallen out of place thanks to Chakotay's teasing actions.
"We would be enabling her, encouraging her to continue this obnoxious behavior in order to get what she wants," she pointed out. It made sense to him, but there comes a point where you simply have to give in. Ultimately, when it came to Mezoti, he deferred to Seven's judgement, letting her make all the choices about her, he was just the boyfriend after all. Still, he could still throw in his two cents when applicable, like right now.
"She wants to go to school, Seven. Just a few weeks ago you guys were yelling at each other about her not wanting to go to school, and now she wants to go to school, and you're complaining."
"I'm not complaining, I'm simply pointing out that she is being increasingly difficult and impatient. She is a child, and she must learn that she will need to wait to get what she wants. The galaxy does not revolve around her." While she had an excellent point there, Chakotay still thought that it was completely understandable for Mezoti to be excited. For the first time, she had a reason to want to go to school. If he had been in her place, he would feel the same way. He didn't want to argue with Seven though; Mezoti was technically under her care, he was simply the boyfriend. For that reason, he deferred the major decisions pertaining to Mezoti to Seven's expertise.
Once she was properly dressed and ready to get her day started, Seven went downstairs to eat breakfast and get her day started. The second her feet hit the floor in the foyer, however, Mezoti shoved her work bag in her unexpecting hands. This was getting a bit ridiculous.
"Let's go," she announced. "Come on." She took a hold of her mother's arm and attempted to pull her to the front door. "We have to get going," she groaned and she pulled on the dead weight that was her mother.
"Mezoti, stop it," Seven snapped. "I have not consumed my nutritional supplement for the morning, and there is no need for you to be at school this early. I already agreed to bring you to school early, but this is too early. There will not be anyone at school to supervise you, so it will be unsafe for you to be at school this early." Mezoti rolled her eyes. Now her mom was getting ridiculous, of course there would be teachers there to watch her, and even if there weren't, she'd be fine for a few minutes by herself. "You will cease this behavior immediately." Scowling, she dropped her arm. "Thank you. We will leave in approximately ten minutes. Do not ask me to leave before then or else we'll leave at our normal time, understand?"
"Yes, Mama." She sounded crestfallen after she trailed after her mother as she went to the kitchen to get breakfast. While she had no idea what time Axuna got to school, she wanted to be there as early as possible so they could spend more time talking and playing. She finally had a friend, and she couldn't wait to see her again.
Seven landed the shuttle in her usual spot outside the school. Unlike when she normally dropped off Mezoti, there were only a handful of shuttles and significantly fewer children playing in the school yard. There were some teachers outside supervising the children, which was the only reason she felt comfortable leaving Mezoti here so early. Before the craft even hit the ground, Mezoti leapt out of her seat and flew to the hatch, ready to run out as soon as possible.
"Mezoti," Seven scolded in an annoyed tone. She could appreciate her daughter's excitement, but she needed to stay safe. "It is unsafe to be moving while I'm landing. You could have been hurt." Snatching up her backpack, Mezoti ignored her mother and bolted out the back of the shuttle, completely ignoring the reprimand. This was something they would have to discuss later when she was more inclined to listen to her.
"Bye, Mama!" she called over her shoulder. In the blink of an eye, she was gone. Her hair flew behind her, and her backpack thumped against her back as she ran across the playground to the designated meeting spot. From her seat in the shuttle, Seven took a few minutes to watch Mezoti. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen her so happy; it almost made all the whining and insufferable behavior that morning worthwhile. It had been obnoxious to hear Mezoti constantly begging to leave, but seeing her run off with a smile on her face made it considerably more tolerable.
Around the back of the school, Mezoti skidded to a stop. A flash of red hair under the shade of the designated tree told her that Axuna was there waiting for her. Smiling, she hastily walked up to her; she didn't want to seem too eager. Instead, she tried to look as calm as possible on the outside, while on the inside, she could hardly contain herself. In order to help herself remain calm, she practiced some of the breathing techniques Tuvok taught her a year ago, although they did very little good. She was so excited to be here and more excited to see that her friend had shown up as well, telling her that this was real, she really did have a new friend.
Axuna glanced up from her PADD and smiled when she saw Mezoti approaching her. She too was excited to see her new friend, she enjoyed talking to her and hearing about her adventures in the Delta Quadrant. She'd had more excitement in her brief life than most adults did, and Axuna felt that she was getting that same excitement by proxy just by being near her.
"Hi," she chirped as she shoved her PADD in her backpack and scrambled to her feet.
"Hi," Mezoti echoed excitedly. "How was your evening?" Small talk wasn't her area of expertise, but her knowledge of the subject told her that asking about a person's day was an acceptable topic of conversation, or at least that's what the Doctor had told her.
"It was good. My brother had a trumpet recital last night, so I had to go to that. It was kinda boring, but it wasn't terrible," Axuna said with a shrug as they began to walk around the playground just like they did the day before at recess. "Do you play an instrument?"
"We have a piano at home, I think Chakotay bought it for my mama, but she doesn't really play it." Now that she thought about it, she was pretty sure she'd never seen her mother play the piano. She'd seen her glance over at it longingly, as if thinking about playing it, but it mostly just sat around unused in their living room.
"I didn't know Borg liked music." The comment just came out before she could think about it. As soon as it did, Axuna mentally chastised herself. She'd made a mental promise not to bring up the Borg about Mezoti. Her new friend seemed unbothered by her comment, which was a good sign, but she had to be more careful in the future.
"Mama says that well composed music is similar to perfection, which is the ultimate goal of the Borg. I guess I could learn to play the piano from her, but I've never asked." She was already so busy in the evenings, and she wasn't sure if she would be able to add piano lessons to her schedule. She turned to face Axuna. "Do you play an instrument?" The redhead scrunched up her face, which was enough of an answer for her.
Mezoti was so wrapped up in her conversation with Axuna that she didn't noticed Naya and Priya in their way until it was too late. The two girls seemed to materialize out of nowhere, blocking Mezoti and Axuna's path as they walked the perimeter of the playground just like they did the day before at recess.
"Look like someone's trying to form a Collective ," Naya sneered. Mezoti was so happy about having a friend, and she wasn't going to let these girls get her upset. Their words stung though. Never in her life had she ever assimilated anyone, but bringing that up probably wouldn't do any good. All these girls cared about was the fact that there was a former drone amongst them.
"I'd be careful, or she might try to assimilate us too," Priya whispered loudly to Naya while keeping her hate-filled gaze on Mezoti. Her brown eyes pierced her, causing her to take a wary step backwards, just to play it safe. Axuna, on the other hand, seemed completely unbothered by the two girls. She wasn't going to let them get under her skin.
"Come on, let's go." Her voice was surprisingly firm as she slid her arm through Mezoti's and led her in the opposite direction with her head held high. Of course it was easy for her to act like nothing was wrong, it wasn't exactly like Naya and Priya were saying bad things about her, but Mezoti did take a certain sense of comfort in having a friend by her side now. Suddenly, Naya and Priya's comments didn't seem quite so bad now, not with someone to back her up. "Don't let them bother you," Axuna stated once they were out of earshot. "Naya's really smart, but now you're here, and she's afraid that you're going to be the smartest student in school." To Mezoti, that seemed like the most ridiculous thing ever. She couldn't understand feeling inferior to someone simply based on academics, each person was different, an individual.
"But I don't care about being the smartest kid in school," she blurted out. "Such titles are irrelevant. I'm just here to focus on school, which she should do too."
"I know that, but Naya has this need to always be the best. Just ignore her. I'll help you, I promise." Axuna flashed Mezoti a reassuring smile. The small action did wonders to make her feel better. While she usually found Naya and Priya's words hateful and damaging, they didn't seem to bother her anymore. Now she had a friend, and nothing else seemed to matter.
At Starfleet, Chakotay mindlessly drummed his fingers against his leg while sitting through yet another meeting. Admiral Paris sat at the head of the long table while Chakotay sat amongst the other captains scattered amongst the admirals and other flag officers at the table. This was starting to get old; it was all the same information they already knew. Then, the conversation shifted to command assignments, instantly causing Chakotay to perk up. This could be it, the moment he'd been waiting for. After nearly a year of being stuck here on Earth with the promise of getting a command that never came to fruition, he hoped that this would be the day he'd been waiting for. Admiral Paris rattled off a list of names and new commands. Several captains beamed as they were given their assignments, some more notable than others, but they were commands nonetheless. Once that was taken care of, they were debriefed on menial issues and reminded over and over again to keep up on the paperwork and reports that the admirals were too busy to do themselves. All of this could have easily been handled in one or two messages sent out to everyone, allowing them to continue with the paperwork they were being reminded to do. Like most meetings, this was a massive waste of everyone's time.
It wasn't the fact that the meeting was utterly pointless that bothered Chakotay the most but rather the fact that, once again, he had been overlooked for a command posting. In a moment of boredom, he looked at every captain at the table. As far as he knew, he was the only one here who hadn't been given a commission by Starfleet, which made him stick out like a sore thumb. He didn't want to be captain if it was just out of pity, a way to show the rest of the Maquis on Voyager that all was forgiven. When Kathryn made him First Officer, he swore to her that he'd never be her token Maquis officer, but, here he was, the token Maquis officer of Starfleet. He doubted he'd ever get a posting. It was the worst punishment Starfleet could give him, far worse than prison: a promotion and the promise of returning to his beloved space without actually going back. As far as Starfleet was concerned, he'd never be in charge of a starship again.
The longer the meeting lasted, the more frustration that built up inside of Chakotay. It was nothing short of an insult making him sit through this torture. Not only was it insulting, but the mental list of things he had to do before picking Mezoti up from school kept growing. He had a lot of work to do and no motivation to do any of it. Why should he do something for Starfleet when they wouldn't do something for him? That wouldn't stop him from doing his job though. Despite how Starfleet treated him, he needed to always stay on top of his work so they didn't have any reason not to give him a command. In short, he needed to be the perfect captain no matter what happened.
The meeting couldn't end quick enough. The moment it was over, Chakotay was the first person on his feet and out the door. It wasn't that he was eager to get started on the rest of his work for the day, he simply couldn't stand to be in that meeting room for a second longer.
"Chakotay!" For a second he thought it was one of the admirals calling him, which would only make him more frustrated, as he had a lot to get done before leaving for the day. He briefly considered ignoring whoever was calling him, but he ultimately decided against it. With his jaw firmly set with frustration, he turned around. B'Elanna jogged up to him. The sight of her was a relief to him. "I thought that was you." She fell into step alongside him. "How are you?" Despite the fact that they worked together, the two old friends almost never saw each other; Pathfinder was on the opposite end of Headquarters, tucked away where nobody could accidentally stumble upon it.
"Never better," he snapped. She wasn't buying it for a second. She could hear in his voice and see in his eyes that that was an utter lie.
"You're full of shit," she stated bluntly. "Come on, let's go to lunch." Clearly they had a lot of catching up to do, and a simple conversation in the corridor wouldn't be enough.
"I have work to do," he argued pathetically. Undeterred, she slid her arm through Chakotay's and pulled him away from his office and in the opposite direction towards the mess hall.
"Too bad, you're my lunch date. It's been too long since I've seen you, and I miss you." He opened his mouth to argue that they'd just seen each other the day before yesterday but ultimately decided against it. If anyone could make him feel better right now, it was B'Elanna, she understood what it was like to transition back to life in Starfleet.
Although it was still a bit too early for the lunch rush, the mess hall was still buzzing with life and excitement as officers of all ranks mingled together and ate. Just like aboard any starship or space station, meeting for a meal was a chance for them to let their hair down and enjoy each other's company. Officers of all races, ages, ranks and species all lingered together, spending time together. Now, everyone was equal. It was something Chakotay enjoyed about Starfleet, the openness to anyone, no matter who they were. In the distance, he saw Ayala, eating with a group of his friends. Despite Chakotay's problems getting a command, even the Maquis were welcomed here with open arms, should they stay with Starfleet, which several of them decided to do.
The voices of those gathered in the mess hall bounced off the tall ceiling, causing everything to seem louder than it really was. Only about half of the long tables that stretched the entire length of the mess hall were full. A handful of officers lingered at the collection of counters along the far wall, waiting for freshly cooked food to be served. Others headed straight for the replicators in search of something more specific to their liking. Satisfied that Chakotay wasn't going anywhere, B'Elanna released him from her grip and headed over to the counter to see what was being prepared. He, on the other hand, went straight for a replicator where he ordered a large bowl of mushroom soup. After the morning he had, he needed something to cheer himself up.
After they both got their food, B'Elanna plopped herself down across from Chakotay unceremoniously. He'd scoped out a table in the far corner of the mess hall, away from everyone else. Her metal platter contained what looked like a thick slice of meatloaf, paired with a pile of mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables.
"So, what's bothering you?" she asked bluntly before shoving a forkful of potatoes in her mouth.
"What makes you think something's wrong?" Chakotay asked. B'Elanna gave him a look that spoke volumes.
"Chakotay, we've known each other for over a decade. I probably know you better than Janeway or Seven do, which is saying a lot. Now, are you going to tell me what's wrong or do I have to guess?" He sighed. Having her guess would turn out to be a mistake. It would only cause her to grow frustrated with him, which was tantamount to suicide. He might as well come out with it.
"I just sat through yet another meeting where I was overlooked for a posting on a ship," he griped before taking a bite of his soup. It wasn't as good as what he made from scratch, but it was the best he was going to get right now. He lowered his voice and leaned forward. "I have more leadership experience than most of the captains out there in space, but because of my past, they don't trust me. I deserve a posting, B'Elanna. I know I've made many mistakes in the past, but I've redeemed myself; I've done so much for Starfleet."
"You don't need to tell me, Chakotay, but I wouldn't take it personally. Tom's been having the same problem. Janeway keeps pushing for him to be promoted to Commander, but his own father is standing in the way." Based on what Tom had told him about his father and what he saw himself, that didn't surprise Chakotay at all. It was no secret that the relationship between the Paris men was contentious at best, but he never thought that the Admiral would go so far as to stand in the way of his son's growth in Starfleet, especially since he wanted his son to follow in his footsteps.
"I'm getting tired of being patient though. I've earned the right to command a ship."
"And you will, just not right now." Chakotay found little consolation in B'Elanna's reassurances. There was no way for her to know if he'd ever get a command position. As far as she knew, he'd be stuck here without a posting for the rest of his career as well, the laughing stock of Starfleet, despite everything he'd done over the years. If Admiral Paris had his way, he'd never have his own ship, and neither were Tom. They were essentially stuck here on Earth until further notice, pushing paper and trying not to feel sorry for themselves until they finally wised up and retire, probably without any honors or commendations.
Normally Seven was highly productive during her office hours, using the time to grade assignments and perfect her lessons. Today, however, her mind was elsewhere. She was charged with the daunting task of thinking of the perfect date for her and Chakotay for the evening. Due to the fact that Mezoti was there, it couldn't be anything elaborate or over the top, but she was confident in her ability to think of something. As of right now, however, the ideas simply weren't coming. There had to be something they could do tonight after Mezoti started her regeneration cycle that would be romantic and a chance for the two of them to reconnect. At the moment, however, nothing immediately came to mind. Everything she thought of either required much more time to plan than she had or the ability to leave the house, which they couldn't do with Mezoti downstairs. She had to think of a date night where they could enjoy each other's company in the comfort of their own home. Thoughts of what to do this evening prevented her from completing the necessary tasks at work. She was most inefficient today. She had to think of something that they could do together to get them out the rut they'd both inadvertently fallen into over the past few weeks. Coming up with ideas for dates had always been a bit of a struggle for her, but, with the help of Neelix, she usually thought of something. Seeing as how he was halfway across the galaxy, however, he could no longer be counted on as a resource. She would have to think of something on her own.
Seven was so distracted by her thoughts and the plans for that evening that still alluded her that she didn't realize what time it was. When her eyes flitted across the clock for a second, however, it dawned on her. She was scheduled to start class in two minutes, and it was a seven minute walk from her office to her classroom. Her heart skipped a beat. She always made sure to be at least ten minutes early to class so she could prepare and start right on time. Due to her negligence, however, this class would have to be a few minutes shorter than the rest of her classes today, which would put them at a significant disadvantage to the rest of her classes. As she gathered up her materials and hustled out the door, Seven tried to think of what she could shorten or even eliminate from her lesson that wouldn't put this class behind the rest of her classes for the day. It was a difficult decision to make, as everything felt absolutely essential, or else she wouldn't have included it. Perhaps if she talked fast enough and eliminated many of the unnecessary questions that seemed to slow her down, she would be able to finish in a timely fashion without eliminating anything. It wasn't a surefire plan, however, because there was no way to determine how fast she would talk and if her increased speed would cause her students more confusion. They would have to adapt, as she still needed to cover all the material in order to be proficient in the Borg.
Thanks to the quick pace at which she walked, Seven was only three minutes late to class, not the five she originally assumed. Of course, she still had to set up, but she could lecture and set up simultaneously. She burst into the lecture hall, causing a hushed silence to fall over the usually boisterous group. Every single cadet looked confused; it wasn't like her to be this late. She kept her usual cool, calm composure, however, as she strode with her head held high to the front of the lecture hall and put her bag down on the podium.
"I apologize for my tardiness," she announced, her voice easily carrying to every corner of the room. "I assure you that I will not hold you over the designated end time because of my ill-preparedness." There seemed to be a collective breath of relief released by all the cadets, as they expected her to hold them late to make up for the late start. "Today we are going to continue on our discussion of the Borg Cube and its components." Several cadets began to take notes on their PADDs while others waited for her to continue before starting their notes. Undeterred, Seven continued to lecture as she set up her presentation, effortlessly multi-tasking like the best of them.
With her arm looped through Axuna's, Mezoti exited the school building. She was starting to see the benefits of having friends her own age. Yes, Naomi Wildman could be considered her friend, but given the fact that she was living with her parents elsewhere, she wasn't readily available to play with. Axuna, on the other hand, was right here with her. Yes, it was inconvenient that they weren't in the same class, but that made lunch and recess that much more enjoyable.
"Do you want to come meet Chakotay?" Mezoti asked. She could see Chakotay standing next to his shuttle from where she stood. Wide eyed, Axuna looked at her friend and shook her head. She'd read so much about Captain Chakotay, she wasn't sure how to act around him, what to say to him. There were so many questions she had, but she didn't want to seem like she was too eager. To her, he was a larger than life figure, someone who existed in the news and books, not someone she could meet face to face, even though he was just a few meters away.
"Oh no," she replied. Mezoti looked visibly disappointed, prompting her to try and think of some excuse as to why she couldn't; it would be rude just to say no. "I, uhh, I need to catch my shuttle home. If I miss it, my mom will kill me. Maybe another day. I promise."
"Okay." Just like that, Mezoti didn't feel quite so awful about Axuna's refusal. She understood the importance of getting home promptly. Besides, she knew how interested Axuna was in Voyager, she would probably want to ask Chakotay a bunch of questions, which would cause her to miss her shuttle and get in trouble. Now probably wasn't the best time to introduce them. "I'll see you tomorrow then?" She sounded hopeful, as if she wasn't sure if Axuna would actually want to spend time with her again tomorrow.
"Yep," she chirped. "Same place before school?"
"That's acceptable to me." She flashed Mezoti a smile before giving her a hug and dashing off in the direction of her shuttle to go home. The hug felt strange to her. He mom and Naomi were the only people who hugged her, so she was unaccustomed to someone she'd only known for a little over twenty-four hours showing her such affection. On the other hand, there was something comforting in the hug; it told her that Axuna really was fond of her as a friend.
As Mezoti approached Chakotay, she swung her backpack off and instinctively handed it over to him. Usually his hand was outstretched, waiting for her backpack. Today, however, she awkwardly held out her backpack for a few seconds before he realized what she was doing. He took the backpack and immediately headed for the shuttle without so much as a greeting, which instantly told her that something was wrong. He always seemed to cheerful to see her. With concern written across her face, she trailed after him.
"What's wrong?" she asked in a genuinely concerned tone as she buckled herself up.
"Nothing,"Chakotay replied with a sigh as he did the same. She knew he was lying. Never before had he acted like this when he picked her up, it was strange to see him like this. Without bothering to check if Mezoti was secure like he usually did, he took off, heading in the direction of home. "How was school today?"
"School was great. Axuna and I talked all during lunch and almost forgot to eat. Then, at recess I showed her how to find bugs under the trees on the edge of the playground. She said that she prefers to study the stars to bugs but she still thought they were interesting. We also talked about books we've read. We haven't read a lot of the same books, but she gave me a few to try, and I did the same." Mezoti continued ramble on, regaling Chakotay with every minute detail of her day, completely oblivious to the fact that his mind was clearly elsewhere. She was finally enjoying herself at school, and she wasn't going to let anything get in the way of that.
When they got home, Mezoti practically skipped inside. Chakotay was glad that she was in a good mood. It made him feel better, but only slightly. He still couldn't get over the horrible feeling of being blatantly overlooked for a command...yet again. Even B'Elanna's assurances did nothing to make him feel better, although she wasn't exactly known for her ability to comfort people. It had been nice to talk to someone about how he felt though.
"What are we going to make for dinner tonight?" Mezoti asked eagerly. Cooking dinner with Chakotay was starting to become one of her favorite parts of the evening. It always amazed her that he seemed to know exactly how to prepare a meal so effortlessly without referring to any recipes. Her voice startled him out of his brooding thoughts.
"Huh? Oh, dinner? I don't know. Why don't you get a snack and start your homework first?" Dinner was the last thing on his mind as he headed upstairs to change into his boxing clothes. Perhaps taking his frustration out on his punching bag for a little while would make him feel better; it always had in the past.
Normally when Seven walked in the door she was greeted with the sound of Mezoti talking excitedly to Chakotay while they prepared dinner paired with delicious smells wafting throughout the house. When she entered the house today, however, she was greeted by nothing. Most of the house was eerily dark, there was no chatter and no smells of dinner cooking. Something definitely wasn't right. Cautious of a mysterious threat that might be looming unseen around any corner, she put down her bag and headed down the hall to investigate further.
In the kitchen, Seven found Mezoti sitting alone at the table. The only light came from the lamp hanging above the center of the piece of furniture. The child was completely absorbed by the specimen container in front of her. With her tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth, she dutifully sketched whatever currently resided in the container. Next to her sat a half eaten bowl of something. There was no formal meal prepared, no table settings carefully laid out, nothing at all to indicate that a family meal had been prepared. All of this was a first for Seven. She had already started to grow accustomed to coming home and finding dinner practically on the table waiting for her, and the fact that there wasn't dinner ready today threw her for a loop.
"Where's Chakotay?" she asked Mezoti as she scrutinized the scene in front of her with an unamused expression on her face. Thoughts of a romantic evening together fled her mind as she grew frustrated with his lack of effort to prepare dinner for the evening.
"I dunno," she replied with a careless shrug as she kept her eyes locked on the bug in front of her. "We came home, he changed and went downstairs."
"So he's downstairs?"
"Uh-huh." Seven felt annoyed. Mezoti could have been more efficient by saying that Chakotay was downstairs in the first place.
"Have you eaten?"
"I replicated myself some macaroni and cheese." She picked up the half-eaten bowl from the table and looked it over. It hardly appeared to be the best meal for a growing girl to eat, it lacked many of the basic nutrients for a child. Seven put down the bowl and pursed her full lips into a fine line. Mezoti could tell from her body language that she was unimpressed.
"That hardly meets your dietary requirements. Replicate yourself a nutritional supplement to go along with your meal." Mezoti opened her mouth to protest, but Seven cut her off curtly, "Comply." Grumbling under her breath, she pushed her chair back and headed over to the replicator. She hated those nutritional supplements, they tasted gross. Having macaroni and cheese for dinner once certainly wouldn't kill her. Satisfied, Seven went downstairs to see what had caused Chakotay to act so uncharacteristically.
Sweat poured down Chakotay's face, dripping from his nose and temples to stain his shirt. All sense of form and style that had been drilled into his head over the years went out the window as he slammed his fists into the punching bag over and over again with a dull thwap. He'd lost track of time ages ago and even forgot that Mezoti was upstairs. All he thought about was how insulted he felt. He earned his own command. Thwap. He was sick and tired of seeing captains who were greener than Harry Kim had been when he first arrived on Voyager getting ships while he was forced to ride a desk. Thwap. The least they could do was admit that they were doing this out of spite and be honest about their motives. Thwap. Why bother going through the hassle of promoting someone if you aren't going to give them a ship? Thwap. They might as well kept him a commander and let him work under a captain, at least that he'd be in space. His fists pummeled the punching bag, one after the other in a series of attacks against the immobile target.
Seven knew where to find Chakotay downstairs. It wasn't like the basement was very large, but there was only reason for him to change his clothes before coming downstairs. The alcove cast its usual eerie green glow throughout the room as she walked past it towards the small room that Chakotay used for his boxing. Before she opened the door, she could hear the repeated slam of his fists against the punching bag. While she didn't know a lot about boxing, she knew enough to know that something wasn't right. When boxing, the punches were spaced out, perfectly timed following formation and skill. What she heard sounded like repeated blows as all rules were forgotten. This told her that something was wrong, although she already figured as much given the fact that dinner wasn't ready like it was every other night.
Without bothering to knock, Seven pushed open the door and entered the small, dark room, closing the door behind her. Oblivious, Chakotay continued to take out his pent up frustration on his unflinching victim. She stood with her arms folded behind her, observing him with some curiosity on her face. Sweat caused his shirt to cling to his body, allowing her to clearly see his muscles bunch up and relax with each blow. Only when he stopped to grab his water bottle did he realize that he wasn't alone. The sight of her standing only a few feet behind him caused him to nearly jump out of his skin.
"Geez, Seven, you scared me half to death!" he exclaimed before squirting water into his mouth and putting the water bottle back down in the corner out of the way.
"I assure you, that wasn't my intent. I came to see why dinner isn't ready." His face fell and his shoulders slumped at the reminder. He hadn't even realized how late it was, but based on the shadows that crept across the floor and the lack of light that came from the small windows that lined the ceiling, it had to be pretty late.
"Shit, I'm sorry. I got caught up in…" He trailed off. It sounded pathetic to admit that he lost track of time because he was hitting a punching bag over and over again for several hours while leaving Mezoti unsupervised upstairs.
"This meaningless form of violent entertainment." He sighed. That pretty much summed it up.
"Did Mezoti eat?" He hoped she wasn't sitting upstairs, waiting for him to show up and feed her; too nervous to dare interrupt him and remind him that she was upstairs and needed to eat.
"She replicated herself some macaroni and cheese, and I told her to have a nutritional supplement. She is capable of taking care of herself. I'm more concerned about you. What's bothering you?"
"Nothing," he lied. While Chakotay may be good at many things, lying definitely wasn't one of them. Unamused, she raised her eyebrow, telling him that she didn't buy his story for a second.
"I was under the impression that we are a part of an open relationship." Seven approached him and took his face in her hands, forcing him to look her in the eye. "No secrets, remember?" She was right, and he hated that. They always promised each other that no matter what, they'd always be completely honest with each other. It was far better to be angry for being honest than lie and then be angry for lying and whatever they were trying to cover up.
"I was forced to sit through a meeting all morning where it was decided which captains were getting assignments, and, once again, they've overlooked me. I saw a captain who was promoted less than a month ago get a ship, while I served as First Officer for seven years and have been a captain for nearly a year, and I still don't have a ship." He pulled away from her and began to pace anxiously as his voice began to rise with frustration. She'd inadvertently opened a Pandora's Box, and now that it was open, there was no stopping him. "I'm sick and tired of being overlooked. After everything I've done for Starfleet, despite how they treated the Maquis and my people, I've earned that position. I deserve to be a captain with a command, Seven."
"You will get a command," she assured. She reached out instinctively for his hand to stop the exhausting pacing. "Didn't you tell Mezoti that she would make friends, but the right friend hadn't come along yet?" He rolled his eyes. This was an entirely different situation; this was his career he was talking about here. "Perhaps it is a similar situation. The ship that is best suited to you and your skills hasn't come yet, and once it has, you will be grateful that you had to wait."
"This is different."
"Explain." Seven hardly saw how this could be different. Like Mezoti, Chakotay was anxiously waiting for something to happen, something he desperately wanted but couldn't make happen on his own. In her mind, the situations were very similar.
"This is my career. It's an insult to me and my title as captain. Everyone knows that once you're promoted to captain you get a ship, and if you don't, they explain why. Whenever I ask, I'm simply brushed off and told that I'll have to wait. I'm tired of waiting. I want to go back to space."
"Are you unsatisfied with your life here on Earth?" The words flew out before Seven could stop them. She knew that Chakotay was happy was here, but the way he was talking, it sounded like he wasn't, like there was something far better waiting for him out in the vast expanse of space.
"You know that's not true," he argued. "I'm extremely happy right now, but I also want to go back to space. I'm meant to lead, Seven, and right now I'm pushing papers at Starfleet and acting as the token Maquis."
"Going into space won't change the fact that you're Starfleet's token Maquis." He hated how this conversation was going. He had hoped Seven would support him, back him up and tell him that he had every right to be upset. Instead, she was telling him to calm down and be patient.
"But at least I'll be doing what I love!" Chakotay exclaimed. As soon as he said it, he instantly regretted it. Seven's gaze immediately hardened, tell him that he had gone past the point of no return here. He may have been able to talk his way out of his previous comments, but he couldn't now. The implications were clear, and they stung as they hung heavily in the air.
"I'm sorry you aren't doing what you love here at home," she snapped before turning on her heels and stalking out of the room, leaving him alone with his thoughts. He really should have kept his mouth shut.
Upstairs, Mezoti could hear Chakotay and her mother arguing. She'd never heard them argue before. In fact, as far as she knew, this was their first argument ever. She tried to focus on her sketches, but she couldn't. She kept trying to figure out what they were arguing about, but all she could hear was raised, muffled voices. Whatever it was, it must have been pretty serious. Chakotay was always so cheerful and constantly seemed to be in a good mood. She'd never seen him like this before, and it made her nervous. She hoped she hadn't done something wrong to upset him.
Seven burst upstairs. Mezoti only had to glance at her for a split second to know that she was still upset. Her pale cheeks were flushed with anger, and her eyes had a steely gaze that usually wasn't there. It unnerved her daughter, who sank back in her chair slightly.
"Are you done your homework?" Seven demanded as she stalked into the kitchen and stood over Mezoti, who looked up at her with her large, brown eyes full of confusion and wariness.
"I, uhh, have a little bit left," she replied.
"Put the bug away and complete your homework. Schoolwork takes priority over other endeavors. When you are done, bring it to me to review. Understand?"
"Yes, Mama," Mezoti muttered as she got to her feet and followed directions obediently. Usually she'd beg for a few more minutes to finish her sketch, as she hated leaving sketches half complete, but she could see in her mother's eyes that she shouldn't argue with her, she wasn't in the mood. With her arms crossed over her chest, Seven watched as Mezoti complied with her directions. At least one person here knew how to behave around here.
With his fight with Seven hanging in the air, Chakotay had a whole new series of reasons to take his anger out on his punching bag. Even after he finished boxing, he stayed hidden in the basement, taking refuge in the small storage room that served a dual purpose as his woodworking studio as well. He wasn't exactly productive down there, but he didn't know what to say to Seven when he faced her. They'd had spats in the past, small arguments and disagreements, but nothing like this before. This was an all out fight, things were said that shouldn't have been, and feelings were hurt. He knew it was his fault, there was no way he could blame Seven on any of this. He shouldn't have said what he did, it wasn't fair to her. He was happy here, he was so glad to have her and Mezoti with him under one roof, and he shouldn't have implied anything to the contrary. It was no wonder she was mad at him. Now, he had to find a way to make it up to her somehow.
As he mounted the two sets of stairs to the master bedroom, Chakotay tried to think of what he could say to Seven to smooth things over. He'd been so wrapped up in feeling sorry for himself that he didn't stop to think about the implications for Seven and Mezoti. His heavy footsteps echoed throughout the silent house. It was nearly 2300 hours, and as far as he knew, Seven was asleep, leaving him alone to his thoughts. Mezoti was regenerating. It felt incredibly invasive as he passed her in the alcove, like he was walking in on someone trying to sleep. She looked so peaceful as the large Borg technology dwarfed her petite frame. It looked so strange, seeing her surrounded by what many would consider frightening Borg components surround such an innocent little girl.
As quietly as possible, Chakotay crept upstairs. When he opened the door to the master bedroom, he saw Seven twitch slightly, telling him that she was pretending to sleep. Instead of bothering her, he headed to the bathroom, where he stripped off his disgusting, sweat covered clothes and threw them carelessly in the closet before stepping in the shower. Usually he showered in the morning before heading to work, but there was no way he was going to crawl into bed covered in sweat and grime from boxing all evening. After showering and pulling on a fresh pair of boxers and undershirt, he crawled into bed next to Seven.
Never before had the large king size bed seemed so large to Chakotay. Usually he and Seven occupied the middle of the bed, curled up together, leaving plenty of room on either side if they needed, not that they needed it. Tonight, however, she was curled up on the far end of the bed, literally as far away from him as she could possible get while still occupying the same bed as him. She was pretending to be asleep, he could sense it in the way she tensed up when he crawled into bed next to her. He knew her well enough to know that she was still pretending to sleep.
"Seven," he said as gently as possible. "Please don't ignore me."
"I'm not ignoring you, I'm simply trying to get adequate sleep so I can function tomorrow," she snapped without bothering to roll over and face him. "I would appreciate it if you allow me to do so."
"No, I won't." His voice was surprisingly firm. Caught off guard, Seven rolled over halfway so she could at least look at him. "I don't believe in going to bed angry, and I need to apologize for my behavior. I shouldn't have said those things, and you have every right to be mad at me. While I do want to return to space, I also want to spend time with you and Mezoti. I look forward to picking her up from school. I enjoy making dinner with her every night. I love getting into bed with you and falling asleep with you in my arms." He slid closer to her and ran his fingertips along her arm lightly. "I love you," he murmured tenderly. It was a nice little speech, but she was still angry with him. He'd gone too far this time. He couldn't say that he only wanted to return to space and then a few hours later say that he loved her; it didn't work that way.
"If you feel so strongly about me, why are you so eager to leave?" Seven asked bluntly. Chakotay stopped to think. He knew he had to pick his words carefully, as she was looking for a very specific response. He had to be careful here, because one wrong word could make everything worse.
"I don't know," he admitted. "I guess I need to feel validated, that I can have a strong career that you can be proud of. What good is saying your boyfriend is a Starfleet captain if he doesn't have a starship under his command?" Her gaze softened as she rolled over completely and slid closer so they were only about a foot apart.
"I am proud of you," she assured as she rested her hand on his cheek, stroking it affectionately with her finger. "You are an accomplished Starfleet officer, a wonderful boyfriend and have gone out of your way to ensure Mezoti's comfort here. All of that is more than anyone can ever ask from a partner." She paused for a moment. She too was trying to choose her words carefully. "But I do feel that you are so focused on acquiring a posting that you have forgotten that that would mean leaving Mezoti and myself behind." He shook his head. That was the last thing he wanted her to think. Yes, he wanted a command, but, at the same time, he didn't want to leave them behind; it left him feeling torn. There was one solution, a solution he knew many captains had done over the years.
"If I get a ship, I want you both to come with me." He sounded eager at the prospect of the two of them joining him on this hypothetical posting. It would give him the best of both worlds, a command and the love of his life by his side. "I can't imagine leaving you, even for a second." Seven looked reluctant.
"Starships are no place to raise a child."
"Maybe not starships in the Delta Quadrant, but this is the Alpha Quadrant, it's much safer here."
"But there are still many dangers that could befall a ship, and I don't want to put Mezoti in that kind of danger." Now it was Seven's turn to get upset. "You say you care about her, but you would be willing her put her in harm's way." Chakotay shook his head. He was exhausted, and they were starting to argue about something he wasn't sure would ever happen. It was a waste of time and energy for both of them.
"Let's not fight anymore," he pleaded desperately. "Especially about hypothetical situations that will probably never happen. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. It's inefficient to argue about the unknown. All I know is that my wonderful girlfriend has decided to forgive me after I acted like an ass and ruined our date night." The date night seemed so trivial now. In a strange twist of fate, this fight had probably done more to strengthen their relationship than any date night probably could have. It allowed them to express their emotions freely and talk through the repercussions afterwards. While it may not have been the most efficient or comfortable way to handle things, it got the job done, and their relationship was stronger because of it.
Author's Note: So, what do you think? Be sure to let me know with a review.