Chapter Twenty-One
Kathryn cradled her beloved cup of coffee in her hands and took a small sip of the liquid, allowing it to warm her up and chase away the cool air that swirled around her. What she really wanted was for the caffeine to kick in and help her wake up a little, that was the purpose of coffee after all. She'd spent the majority of yesterday preparing for their arrival, including setting up both guest bedrooms and trying to think of activities to keep Mezoti entertained during her visit. It had been exhausting and a job that kept her up far later than she originally thought. In terms of activities to keep Mezoti distracted from what had been going on at home, there was plenty for her to do outside, such as playing with the animals, swimming, and she even considered a campfire outside tonight. This was going to be the vacation all three of them desperately needed to relax.
The familiar click of Sadie's nails against the hardwood floors caught Kathryn's attention. She looked up from her coffee and smiled as the Irish Setter puppy bound into the kitchen and leapt onto her lap in a graceful bound. She wagged her tail and shoved her face in Kathryn's, nearly causing her to spill her precious coffee in the process.
"Okay, okay, I see you," Kathryn chuckled as she ruffled the dog's ears and tried to kiss the top of her head, if only she'd sit still long enough for her to do so. Sadie was too excited to be on her mother's lap and instead focused all of her attention on licking her face. "Yes, I know, I love you too. I love you too." Kathryn immediately regretted opening her mouth; in her excitement, Sadie inadvertently shoved her tongue in her mouth, causing her to cough and sputter while doing her best to push the puppy's face away and get her a break from the attention This wasn't the first time this had happened, and it definitely wouldn't be the last; she really should have known better.
The sound of a shuttle landing outside caught both Kathryn and Sadie's attention. She glanced at the computer console built into the wall; they were right on time. She grabbed her cup of coffee and twisted her torso so she could get one last sip without Sadie getting in the way. Undeterred, the puppy pressed her nose against her mother's cheek and wagged her tail excitedly. Kathryn rolled her eyes and put her coffee down.
"Okay, you win, I'll drink my coffee later." She nudged the dog to the floor. All gangly legs and less than graceful, Sadie stumbled to the ground. For a moment, Kathryn thought that she was hurt, but she immediately bolted for the front door, telling her that she was perfectly fine. Kathryn put her cup down once again and followed after her.
Sadie could see the shuttle sitting next to Kathryn's shuttle on the large expanse of the front yard through the screen door. The dog whined and jumped excitedly, wanting nothing more than to go outside and greet the mysterious guests. As soon as Kathryn opened the screen door, Sadie went flying at warp speed across the yard with her tongue hanging out of the side of her mouth and her ears flying behind her like her own personal nacelles. Chuckling and shaking her head, Kathryn walked down the three steps from the patio to the front yard, trailing after the over-excited puppy who was always thrilled to see guests. She'd make a terrible watchdog, as she always greeted whoever showed up with excitement and a never-ending barrage of kisses, which didn't exactly make her ideal for guarding the house.
With Mezoti by her side, Seven exited the shuttle and appraised the farmhouse. She knew Chakotay had been out here a handful of times since they returned to Earth, but this was the first time she'd visited the Admiral's farmhouse. It was quaint, comforting, exactly the type of house she expected of the woman. The white building hand two stories, emphasized by a gabled roof on the second story and a covered porch that started in front of the house and wrapped around the left side, disappearing from sight. A handful of rocking chairs and potted plants decorated the porch, giving the impression that that was a space Kathryn frequented in the evenings. Several hundred meters behind the farmhouse, Seven caught sight of another structure, a small brown barn surrounded by a fenced in area. She wondered how Kathryn had the time to tend to whatever animals lived there while simultaneously adhering to her duties as admiral at Starfleet. If there was any woman who could find a balance, however, Seven knew that it was Kathryn.
Barking excitedly, Sadie bounced across the yard, giving no indication that she planned on slowing down anytime soon. Gasping in surprise, Mezoti ducked behind her mother, although she immediately felt foolish for being fearful of such a small, harmless creature, not that that stopped her from hiding. She hadn't been expecting a dog, especially one so hyper-active. It looked harmless enough, but she still had her hesitations.
"Zoti, it's just a puppy," Chakotay assured with a chuckle as he exited the shuttle with his and Seven's bag slung over one shoulder and Mezoti's smaller bag in his other hand. Mezoti didn't look entirely convinced as Sadie skidded to a stop in front of the trio, jumping up and down excitedly while she barked and her tongue still hung out of the side of her mouth.
"Sadie, get down," Kathryn scolded. Too excited to comply, Sadie continued to jump up and down, causing Mezoti to continue to hide behind her mother. Seven couldn't understand why something as harmless as a puppy put her on edge. "I'm sorry, we're still working on training." Kathryn wrapped her arms around Chakotay's neck and kissed him on the cheek. "It's so good to see you." She patted him on the chest before turning her attention to Seven, hugging her as well. Having lost interest in Mezoti, Sadie turned her attention to Chakotay, who was all smiles as he put down one of the bags and scratched her under the chin. The dog stood up on her back legs with her front legs propped against his thigh, giving him better access to her. "It's so good to see all of you." Kathryn looked at Mezoti. "Look how tall you've gotten!" she gushed. "You must have grown five centimeters."
"Actually, seven centimeters," Mezoti said. Chuckling, Kathryn gave her shoulder a squeeze.
"Well, I stand corrected." Seven looked unamused by her daughter's blatant disregard for protocol; she shouldn't correct the Admiral like that, especially over something as trivial as a few centimeters. Kathryn motioned towards the farmhouse. "Please come in, I'll show you around." Chakotay picked up Mezoti's bag once again. As the foursome began to walk towards the house, Sadie ran ahead. When she realized that everyone else was significantly farther behind her, she made a u-turn and ran back to them, only to run ahead once again, repeating the process all the way up the front porch until she held her head high and lead them inside as if she owned the place herself.
Seven had to admit that the house was incredibly nice and inviting, not that she expected anything less from Kathryn. The entire house was covered with hardwood floors, and the walls were painted a light tan with white trim. Various photos and artifacts hung on the walls, some of which Seven recognized from the Admiral's quarters aboard Voyager. Kathryn lead her guests up the staircase immediately to the left of the doorway to show them to their room so they could put down their bags and get settled.
Upstairs, there was a short hallway that bisected the house, ending at a large window that overlooked the back of the house. On either side of the hallway was two doors. Kathryn opened the first door on the left, revealing a small bedroom with little more than a twin bed and a dresser in it. As soon as the door opened, Sadie wiggled her way inside and leapt on the bed. Her stubby tail wagged excitedly as she waited for Mezoti to enter the room so she could play with her. Mezoti was about to enter the room but immediately stopped when she saw the dog. Sensing the girl's apprehensions, Kathryn immediately scooped Sadie up in her arms and tossed her into the hallway. Undeterred, the puppy turned right back around to try again, but Kathryn was one step ahead of her and put her foot out to block her, causing her to whimper in abject protest.
"I know it's probably not as nice as your bedroom back home, but this is your room, Mezoti," Kathryn announced as she stood to the side, allowing Mezoti to get a better look. She was right, it was a very simple bedroom, but it would be fine for a few days.
"It is very nice. Thank you, Admiral," Mezoti said as she sidled past Kathryn and entered the room. Chakotay handed over her bag. She took her bag and looked around. It was extremely small and simple, but there was nothing the Admiral could do about the size of the room, so she kept her thoughts to herself. Besides, it was extremely gracious of her to welcome them into her home, especially after such short notice.
Satisfied, Kathryn led Chakotay and Seven to the next room. Eager for some attention for herself, Sadie trotted alongside them with a smile plastered across her rust colored face. Unfortunately for her, all three of them ignored her as Kathryn opened the next door, revealing the room inside. It was bigger than Mezoti's room, but only just a little. Inside was a double bed that jutted out into the room and was wedged between two nightstands on the left wall that separated their room from Mezoti's and a long, squat dresser underneath a window that had an almost identical view as the window at the end of the hallway. On the far wall was another window. Chakotay was quite familiar with the room, it was where he stayed whenever he visited Kathryn. In fact, he was pretty sure he'd accidentally left a shirt behind last time he was here. Hopefully it was in the same drawer, and he could take it home, as it was one of his favorite shirts.
"Admiral, this is extremely gracious of you," Seven commented as Chakotay slid past her and put their shared duffel bag on the bed to unpack. Having been here several times, he was right at home and felt comfortable unpacking right away.
"Don't mention it," Kathryn assured as she put a hand on Seven's shoulder. "Make yourselves at home. Chakotay knows his way around here." She glanced over at Chakotay who had already unzipped the duffel bag and was digging through it. Packing last night and this morning had been a whirlwind, and he hoped they hadn't left anything important behind. "I'll let you guys get settled. I'll be downstairs if you need anything."
Chakotay stopped digging through the duffel bag and said, "Thank you so much, Kathryn. I don't know how to thank you enough."
"You need to stop thanking me, both of you." She looked at each of them firmly. "All of you are always welcome here, and I'm glad to have you here." In reality, it got pretty lonely out here, and she missed seeing Chakotay and Seven on a regular basis; a few days with them out here was just as beneficial to her as it was to them. She gave Seven's shoulder one last comforting squeeze before disappearing downstairs to let the couple get settled.
Once Kathryn was gone, Seven had a chance to examine the room more closely. With her arms folded behind her back, she looked around carefully; it was half the size of their bedroom back home, and she had no doubt that they would be tripping over each other over the next few days as they adjusted to the cramped quarters. She stopped to look out the window next to the bed. It had a wonderful view of a pond with a shoreline dotted with trees and a dock on the side closest to the house, although there wasn't a boat tied to it, causing her to wonder what purpose the dock served. Even so, the pond looked lovely and added to the serene atmosphere that seemed to envelope the entire property.
Chakotay looked up from unpacking the bag and saw Seven gazing out the window. Temporarily abandoning his task, he walked around the bed and wrapped his arms around her chest from behind. Seven put her hands over his strong arms and leaned back against him with a sigh. She couldn't help but relax as soon as she felt his arms around her; he had that effect on her. No matter what was going on, she always felt at ease around him.
"What are you thinking?" he murmured. His lips were right next to her ear, and his warm breath tickled her skin. He brushed his lips along the sensitive spot beneath her ear.
"I was simply admiring the view," she replied. He kissed her shoulder softly. "I hope this works, Chakotay, because if it doesn't, I am unsure how to proceed." He turned her around so he could look at her properly. He took her face in his hands and ran his thumb across her cheek affectionately.
"Then we'll figure it out together," he promised, his dark eyes full of compassion and understanding. As much as he hated to admit it, he too had no idea what to do if this little vacation didn't work out. Just like Seven, he was still getting used to this whole parenting thing, and the last thing he expected was for Mezoti to pull a stunt like this. This seemed like the best course of action, but that didn't guarantee that it would work. "This isn't your burden to carry on your own, my love, I'm here, every step of the way." Closing her eyes, she leaned her forehead against his. There was absolutely no doubt in her mind that he would support her no matter what. She bent one arm along the side of his shoulder, allowing her to run her fingers along his jaw lightly.
"Chakotay, I feel that this is unfair to you. When you agreed to our living arrangement, you did not expect such difficulties."
"You're right, I didn't, but it doesn't bother me. It comes with the territory, and I love Mezoti." It was the first time he'd admitted that aloud to anyone, but it was undeniably true. Over the past few weeks, he'd come to regard the child as someone close to his heart, just like Seven, and, in a way, he thought of her as his own child. At first, he'd honestly been extremely reluctant about the living arrangement, but now he couldn't imagine it any other way; the house wouldn't be the same without her.
"I know she adores you as well." Chakotay couldn't help but smile, showing off those dimples that Seven loved so much. She rested her head against his shoulder, and he ran his fingers along her back lightly, each slipping away to their own private thoughts.
In the privacy of her temporary bedroom, Mezoti unpacked the clothes she packed under the meticulous eye of her mother the night before. She tried her best to keep the clothes neatly folded as she carried them across the room in a few short strides and shoved them in the dresser drawer, instantly messing them up, although it wasn't intentional. She glanced out the window. It was incredibly nice here, lots of space to play and activities to keep her busy. Even so, this felt like a prison to her, a place she was brought to as a punishment for her behavior. Had she not acted so erratically, they would be home, and everything would be alright. Mezoti couldn't help but feel guilty, she'd forced her mother and Chakotay to take precious time off of work, and they were an imposition on the Admiral. She should have known better, she should have behaved like she was expected so none of this happened.
After giving Mezoti enough time to get settled, Kathryn headed back up to the little girl's room with Sadie faithfully by her side and knocked on the door. She didn't want to make it look like she was hovering and didn't trust the child, but she also knew that, like her parents, she should keep an eye on her, just in case.
"Come in." She opened the door, revealing Mezoti sitting cross-legged in the middle of her bed on top of the patchwork quilt that was decorated with square bullseyes with brightly colored tulips adorning each layer, reading something on her PADD. Sadie darted forward before her owner could catch her and jumped on the bed, landing squarely on Mezoti's lap, causing her to cry out and push the animal away.
"Sadie!" Kathryn scolded as she rushed in and scooped the dog up. As soon as she realized that it was the Admiral visiting her, Mezoti scrambled to her feet, just like her mother taught her to do with authority figures within Starfleet. It took her a few moments longer than usual because of Sadie's intrusion. Sadie wiggled and fought, desperate to get to her new friend, oblivious to the fact that her so-called friend wanted absolutely nothing to do with her. In an attempt to calm the puppy down, she scratched the top of her head, which worked, but only a little; Sadie still wanted to play with Mezoti., and she squirmed slightly as she attempted to break free. "At ease, Mezoti. You're on vacation here, there's no need for any formalities."
"Sorry, Admiral." Mezoti sat perched on the edge of the bed and kicked her feet back and forth as she tried to figure out what in the world she wanted with her.
"Don't apologize, Mezoti." Kathryn paused. In all honesty, she'd very seldom interacted with Mezoti, usually only when she tagged along with Naomi when she performed her duties as Captain's Assistant. She hoped to use this opportunity to get to know her a little bit better as well, seeing as she was the adopted daughter of two people she cared very deeply about. "I'm going to head down to the barn to check on the animals, would you like to join me?" Mezoti raised an eye skeptically, causing Kathryn to bite back a smile; she looked so much like her mother, she could have sworn that they were biologically related.
"The animals?" she repeated, obviously hesitant as she eyed Sadie suspiciously. She wasn't exactly a fan of Sadie, so she couldn't imagine voluntarily going out to a building full of animals.
"They're a lot calmer than Sadie, I promise. It's just a horse, some goats, a cranky old pig and about a dozen chickens."
"That doesn't sound like much of a farm." When she first arrived and saw the barn, she imagined the structure to be full to the brim with all sorts of animals, not a handful of random farm animals. The words just slipped out. As soon as they did, Mezoti realized that her words could be misconstrued as disrespectful. Her eyes grew wide. "Oh, I apologize. I did not mean to be disrespectful."
"It's fine," Kathryn assured. "You're right, it's not a very big farm, but it's enough to keep me busy. It would be nice to have a little bit of help today though." Mezoti wasn't entirely convinced. She eyed Sadie, who had calmed down significantly and seemed more than content to be cuddled in her mother's arms right now. "All the animals are a lot calmer than Sadie, I promise. She's just excited to have friends over." Mezoti still had her hesitations. "Come on, Mezoti, it'll be fun." Kathryn tilted her head towards the door. She looked so eager to have Mezoti come help her, and Mezoti didn't want to be disrespectful to her, not after she opened up her home to them so unexpectedly.
"Very well," she finally relented as she slid off the bed and trailed after the Admiral. She didn't go because she wanted to but instead because she didn't want to be rude to the Admiral, who seemed so eager to spend time with her. It would be rude to turn her down.
Once they got outside, Kathryn put Sadie down. The puppy bounced up and down several times before running out to the barn to explore. Mezoti fell into step next to Kathryn as they walked at a slower pace over the bright green grass. The landscape here was gorgeous; green rolling hills surrounded the property, rising up out of the ground to meet the clear blue sky dotted with puffy white clouds. A gentle breeze rippled through the trees scattered across the property, rustling the leaves and cooling off the pair as the bright sun beat down overhead. Kathryn could tell that it was going to be another warm, beautiful day.
As they walked out to the barn, Mezoti couldn't help but notice how secluded the property was. She always assumed that all of America was like San Francisco, full of apartment buildings and houses built practically on top of each other. This was entirely different, there was so much space. She couldn't even see the houses that belonged to any of the Admiral's neighbors, which meant that had to be some distance away.
"Do you ever get lonely out here?" she blurted out as they neared the barn.
"Sometimes," Kathryn replied. "I usually go to Starfleet Headquarters a few days a week, and I have a young man who works on the farm, helping me with the animals a few days a week, so I'm not completely alone."
"It still sounds lonely." They stopped in front of the barn door.
"I also have the animals to keep me company." She slid open the heavy barn door, revealing the expansive interior and all the animals who called the barn home. Without missing a beat, she lead Mezoti inside, escaping the bright sunlight that washed over them.
At first glance, the barn had an old fashioned quality about it, with exposed beams crisscrossing the high ceiling and hewn wood partitions separating the animals so each had its own private area to enjoy. Upon closer inspection, however, Mezoti noted several twenty-fourth century upgrades to the structure, including a computer console built into the wall immediately to the right of the expansive doorway. She looked at it up close and saw that it was environmental control that managed the interior temperature of the barn and circulating the air to ensure the stench didn't get too overwhelming. There was a musty smell mixed with a slight underlying hint of animal excrement, although it wasn't as bad as it could be, which told her that the environmental controls were working properly.
Mezoti had no idea what she really expected in the barn, but it wasn't this. It was quite pleasant, if you liked animals that is. Kathryn led along the wide aisle littered with loose hay strewn across the floor that bisected the barn. On either side were gates that opened up to the pens for the animals. Most of them were empty. As they walked along the barn, a large head came down over the gate, hovering right over Mezoti and causing her to jump and cry out as she stumbled backwards. Wide-eyed, Kathryn spun around to see what was wrong. As soon as she saw what was happening, she couldn't help but laugh.
"It's just my horse, Lacy," she assured as she walked over to the animal. It was a beautiful animal, solid brown with a white line running along its long face between its eyes until it flared out at its nose. "She's perfectly harmless." To make her point, Kathryn stroked the animal's muzzle affectionately. At first, she'd been hesitant about taking on all the responsibility that came with a horse, but she quickly found that she loved the animal. Yes, she required a significant amount of work, but the mare was a big softy who only wanted love. Unconvinced, Mezoti hung back, ready to bolt at any moment. She didn't trust such a large, imposing animal. "Here." Kathryn reached into a canvas bag hanging from a nail in a beam and produced a sugar cube. As soon as she saw the sugar cube, Lacy's ears perked up, and she leaned forward in an attempt to get the delicious treat. "Hold out your hand flat. She won't hurt you."
"Are you sure?" To make her point, Kathryn held out her hand perfectly flat with the sugar cube in the middle of her palm towards Lacy, who happily closed her lips around the small white treat. When Kathryn pulled her hand away, the sugar cube was gone. She held out her hand for Mezoti to examine, proving that the horse hadn't harmed her.
"You want to give her a treat too?" Normally Kathryn refrained from giving Lacy two treats one right after the other, but she could make an exception for Mezoti.
"Okay," she relented. Kathryn retrieved another sugar cube and handed it over. She stood behind the child and flattened her hand. Mezoti seemed reluctant as she held out her hand towards Lacy. The horse's velvet soft lips tickled her skin as she delicately closed her teeth around the sugar cube, instantly consuming it. A giggle slipped past Mezoti's lips as she instinctively stroked Lacy's nose. "Do you ever ride her?" she asked, clearly warming up to the gentle giant.
"Not as often as I'd like to. Maybe I'll take you riding while you're here." Just a few moments ago, Mezoti had been utterly terrified of the creature, but now her brown eyes lit up with excitement at the prospect of being allowed to ride Lacy.
"Really?"
"If your mom says it's okay." Mezoti's face fell. She had serious doubts that her mother would let her ride a horse; she was incredibly protective of her. If anyone could talk her mother into it, though, she was sure it could be the Admiral, which gave Mezoti a little bit of hope that she would be able to ride Lacy while she was here. It certainly seemed exciting.
After fawning over Lacy, Kathryn grabbed a basket from the corner of the barn and took Mezoti out behind the barn to the chicken coop. She'd been so wrapped up in preparing for her guests that she forgot to retrieve this morning's eggs. The fat chickens wandered aimlessly around their fenced in yard surrounding a wooden structure built up on stilts with a ramp leading inside. The structure was far bigger than Mezoti expected: approximately five meters across and two meters deep.
"I thought you only had twelve chickens," Mezoti commented.
"I do, but they need a lot of space." Kathryn entered the fenced in yard. Mezoti hesitated for a moment but followed after her, making sure to close the gate behind her so none of the birds escaped. Accustomed to human intruders, the chickens paid the visitors no mind as they wandered around, clucking loudly and minding their own business. Mezoti skirted the birds and followed after Kathryn, who opened a hatch on the side of the chicken coop and reached inside to retrieve the eggs. She pulled out about half a dozen eggs and carefully deposited them in the basket. Mezoti stood next to her, carefully scrutinizing everything she did with eager curiosity.
"Wouldn't it be more efficient to simply replicate your eggs?" she asked as she tilted her head to the side. Kathryn closed the hatch and picked up the basket.
"It would be, but they don't taste the same. I can tell the difference between a replicated egg and a natural one." They headed out of the fenced in yard to where Sadie was waiting for them impatiently. Kathryn tried to keep the dog away from the chickens so she didn't scare them.
"No you can't!" Mezoti scoffed in disbelief. There was no way she could tell the difference, all food tasted the same, it didn't matter where it came from.
"Of course I can," Kathryn stated with a confident nod of her head as she nudged Sadie back with her foot so they could exit the yard and close the gate behind them.. "And I'll prove it to you." She nodded towards the house. "Come on, let's go." Mezoti still had her reservations, not that she was calling the Admiral a liar, but it just seemed too ridiculous to believe.
Playful voices and laughter caught Chakotay's attention as he sat in the living room, making himself right at home, just like he usually did whenever he visited Kathryn. He glanced up from his book as he sat on one of the couches on opposite sides of a squat yet sturdy coffee table littered with a handful of books scattered around a dark blue vase full of wildflowers. Above his head in the center of the living room dangled a metal circular chandelier with a dozen fake candles equally spaced from the exposed beams running parallel along the ceiling. Mezoti and Kathryn entered the living room and walked into the kitchen, which flowed into the living room courtesy of the open floor plan.
"What are you two up to?" he asked
"The Admiral says that she can tell the difference between a replicated egg and a natural one," Mezoti announced. "So she's going to prove it to me." This was something Chakotay had to see with his own eyes. He deposited his book on the end table next to him and followed the pair into the kitchen.
The kitchen was decorated to match the rest of the house, with white cabinets lining the walls, some with glass fronts to allow a peek into the contents but mostly with solid wood panels. A large countertop that contained the sink and stove, along with more cabinets underneath for storage. Above the island in the middle of the kitchen hung a wide collection of pots and pans, at hand at a moment's notice. The kitchen certainly was impressive, something most chefs would gladly welcome and love, which Chakotay found ironic given Kathryn's inability to prepare even the simplest of meals.
Kathryn replicated an egg in the replicator along the wall and then grabbed two identical glasses from the cabinet. She assembled the supplies, along with one of the eggs from the basket. Amused, Chakotay leaned against the counter with his arms folded across his chest and a smirk on his face.
"Okay, Mezoti, here's what you do: crack an egg in each glass, but don't tell me which one is in each glass. I'll eat each one and tell you which one is the replicated egg," Kathryn explained.
"Wait, you're going to eat them raw?" Mezoti blurted out in disbelief. "Isn't that dangerous?"
"I'll be fine, I promise." Kathryn slid the eggs towards Mezoti and turned her back, giving the child the chance to follow through with her directions. Careful not to make a mess, she cracked each egg and poured them into separate glasses. She glanced over at Chakotay, who was keeping track of which egg was in which glass as well.
"Okay, Admiral, I'm ready." Mezoti puffed out her chest with pride as she pushed both glasses across the counter. Kathryn picked up one of the glasses and drank its entire contents in one gulp, allowing the slimey yolk to slide down her throat unbroken. She put the glass down and paused for a few seconds to think before picking up the other glass and repeating the process. When she put down the glass and carefully thought it over. At first blush, both eggs tasted similar, which spoke volumes about the replicator's ability to produce high quality food, but she could tell the difference. One of the eggs tasted fresher, more real than the other. Eager to see if the Admiral really could tell the difference between the two eggs, Mezoti leaned across the counter and bounced up and down excitedly.
Before Kathryn could come clean and point out which egg was the replicated one, Seven appeared in the kitchen and asked, "What's going on?" With a smile plastered across her face, Mezoti spun around. She'd been so caught up in trying to trick the Admiral that she didn't hear her mother join them.
"The Admiral is trying to tell the difference between a replicated egg and a non-replicated egg," she announced. She spun back around to face Kathryn. "Do you know which egg was replicated?" Kathryn nodded slowly.
"The first one," she replied. She sounded unsure about herself, it had been a while since she'd done this little trick, so she hoped she was right, although she knew Mezoti would find it just as entertaining to prove her wrong. Mezoti had been so confident that she could trick the Admiral, and her face fell when she realized that the Admiral was correct.
"How can you tell the difference? They look exactly the same." Mezoti couldn't believe it. It could have been a lucky guess, she had a fifty-fifty shot of getting it correct.
"One has a slightly synthetic taste to it."
"Can I try?" Wide-eyed with excitement, Mezoti turned to her mother, who looked less than amused at the notion.
"Absolutely not," Seven snapped firmly. "Consuming raw eggs can be dangerous to your health. If the Admiral wants to take such a risk, that is her prerogative, but I will not let you." Mezoti pouted. She thought that her request was perfectly reasonable, and there was no reason for her mother to say no. A little raw egg never hurt anyone.
That evening, Kathryn hustled around the kitchen, assembling the ingredients necessary to make dinner for her guests. With an amused, boyish smirk on his face, Chakotay slid onto one of the bar stools across the island from her. He always thought it was hilarious when Kathryn cooked; she tried to make it look like she knew what she was doing, but he knew that it was all a facade.
"You're going to cook dinner for us?" he asked as he raised his eyebrow. Kathryn pursed her lips and scowled at him as she slammed a pot down on the counter.
"You haven't even been here for twelve hours, and you're already making fun of my cooking?" she teased.
"I'm just worried, I don't want Mezoti eating anything that could be dangerous."
"But your cooking is fine?"
"Chakotay and I make dinner every night," Mezoti proudly chirped as she skipped into the kitchen and skidded to a stop next to Kathryn.
"Do you want to help me?" Kathryn asked as she ran the tomatoes and peas she brought in from her small garden under the running water in the sink to clean off any remaining dirt.
"Trust me, Zoti, Kathryn needs all the help she can get." Unamused, Kathryn flicked water in Chakotay's direction, causing him to laugh and duck out of the way, stumbling to the living room where Seven was ignoring the playfulness and reading a report on her PADD. Kathryn rolled her eyes and went back to rinsing off the vegetables before putting them back on the countertop
"What do you say, Mezoti? Are you going to help me out?"
"Okay." Mezoti loved cooking dinner every night with Chakotay, and she was more than happy to show off the skills she'd learned to the Admiral. She couldn't be as terrible a cook as Chakotay insisted, but if she was, then Mezoti was more than happy to take over and prepare a delicious meal for all four of them.
With dinner in the capable hands of Mezoti, and the less than capable hands of Kathryn, Chakotay flung himself down on the couch next to Seven and draped his arm along the piece of furniture behind her. She instinctively leaned against him without bothering to look up from her PADD. Curious to see what she was so enthralled with, he leaned over and kissed her shoulder softly, which gave him the perfect view of her screen. She was reading over formulas for Pathfinder, still desperately looking for a way to stabilize the dilithium at high speeds, hence making transwarp travel possible.
"Sweetheart, you're on vacation, you should be relaxing, not working." Sighing, she put down the PADD.
"I am aware I am on vacation, but I am also attempting to maximize my down time. This is important, Chakotay, and we have not found a suitable solution"
"I thought you didn't want to return to the Delta Quadrant."
"I still have many reservations, but I am close to figuring this out." He could hear the frustration in her voice. Usually things came easy to her, but this was the ultimate challenge, something that she had been working on for a while now and was still no closer to a solution than the day she started. Some of the greatest minds at Starfleet were working on it as well, all without any success.
"Let me help you." Although she seriously doubted that Chakotay would be able to figure it out, Seven picked up her PADD and tilted it towards him, giving him a better view of the information on the screen. Maybe he would be able to provide some sort of insight into this puzzle that she'd previously overlooked.
It didn't take long for Mezoti to completely take charge in the kitchen and start calling all the shots. At this point, cooking dinner had become second nature to her, so she had no problem at all with preparing the meal. She worked on instinct as she directed Kathryn to chop the vegetables and look over the food cooking on the stove.
"Make sure you don't let the vegetables burn, Admiral" she instructed as she poured the chopped up tomatoes into the pan on the stove with the rest of the food, which was a combination of naturally grown vegetables and replicated ones.
"Yes, Ma'am." It didn't even dawn on Mezoti that she was giving orders to an adult, and an Admiral at that; she was more focused on preparing her food adequately. Kathryn kept a close eye on the food. She knew if she messed this up, Chakotay would never let her hear the end of it. "You know, Mezoti, you don't have to call me 'Admiral'." With a curious and confused look on her face, Mezoti turned around to face Kathryn.
"Mama says that I have to call you Admiral because that is what you are."
"That's true, but I'm also a friend. You can just call me 'Kathryn.'" Mezoti scrunched up her face and shook her head. There was no way she was comfortable with that, even her mother didn't call her Kathryn.
"But your title is Admiral." Kathryn stopped to think. She didn't want to ask Mezoti to do anything she wasn't comfortable with, but she didn't want Mezoti to stick to such formalities, they weren't necessary here. "That's true...how about you call me Admiral Kathryn?" With any luck, she'd eventually get comfortable enough to refer to her as just Kathryn, which was her ultimate goal. Mezoti stopped cutting up the last of the vegetables to think over the suggestion. Eventually, she nodded slowly.
"Okay, Admiral Kathryn." It was a reasonable enough compromise that should also make her mother happy; she was still referring to her as Admiral, so technically she was still following her directions. It was the perfect solution. Besides, it had been the Admiral's idea, so her mother couldn't get mad at her for doing it.
Chakotay and Seven were so wrapped up in pouring over the information on her PADD that they didn't realize how much time had passed. Despite the amount of time they spent meticulously looking over every detail of the equations and simulations, they were no closer to finding a solution. It was there, both of them knew that, the only problem was figuring it and, most importantly, making sure it was correct. It was certainly a frustrating situation, but he felt confident that if there was any person who could solve this problem and get the Federation transwarp technology, it would be Seven.
When Chakotay first offered to help, Seven was sceptical for some reason. Once she started working with him, however, she found that she quite enjoyed it, even if it was in such an informal setting. She was analytical, she always saw things at face value. Chakotay, on the other hand, had a different way at looking at things. Just like B'Elanna, he thought outside the box and found solutions in the most unlikely of ways. Seven couldn't help but wonder if it came from their time in the Maquis, when they were forced to improvise and find solutions in the most unlikely of places. When it came to finding a way to stabilize dilithium, however, he was just as stuck as she was.
The couple was so wrapped up in their work that they didn't hear the clatter of dishes as Mezoti set the table and Kathryn put the finishing touches on the meal they'd prepared together. Once she put the last glass in its spot at the table between the kitchen and living room, Mezoti sauntered over to her parents and leaned over the back of the couch, wedging her head between Seven and Chakotay.
"Dinner's ready," she announced proudly. She looked at the PADD but couldn't make sense of any of the equations on the screen. In all honesty, it looked like a foreign language to her.
"It smells delicious," Chakotay said with a smile as Seven turned off the PADD, putting an end to her work for the time being, not that she was making much progress anyway.
"What have you prepared for tonight?" Seven asked as she got to her feet.
"Penne seasoned with peas, tomatoes and herbs," Mezoti replied. She'd found the recipe in the computer database and modified it slightly, so she had no idea how it would turn it out; she hoped it tasted good.
Chakotay felt a certain sense of pride swell up inside of him as he tried the food prepared by Mezoti and Kathryn. He'd had Kathryn's cooking more times than he could count, and this was nothing like her cooking. It tasted just as delicious as it smelled. The vegetables and pasta were perfectly complimented by the coating of herbs brought in from the small garden out back and the olive oil coating them. Chakotay felt proud of Mezoti, she'd obviously put significant effort into the meal, and it showed. It was hard to believe that just a few weeks ago he'd started teaching her to cook, and now she was coming up with her own meals. With any luck, she'd soon be capable of preparing meals without his supervision, which would give him a chance to relax in the evening after work. He'd feel bad about it, but Mezoti seemed to enjoy cooking, so he didn't feel that bad.
Kathryn had to admit that this food was amazing, far better than anything she could have prepared; she couldn't even handle using the replicator most nights, and this nine year old girl came in and taught her how to prepare a wonderful meal. She'd made a mental note of how the meal was prepared, but she doubted she would be able to recreate the meal on her own without ruining it somehow.
"Mezoti, you are a wonderful chef," she gushed. "This is the probably the best meal ever served at this table."
"I can second that," Chakotay teased, causing Kathryn to give him one of her signature unamused looks, which he promptly ignored. He wouldn't give Kathryn such a hard time if it wasn't so easy. Her cooking was awful, something he could personally attest to, but, with the help of Mezoti, the food she'd prepared actually tasted edible.
Author's Note: Once again, I'm so sorry about the delay in updating! My life has basically become a chaotic balancing act with work, grad school and my boyfriend, but he's on a business trip for a week, so that means I have time to revise and update. Please leave a review, and I'll do better to update sooner in the future!