Chapter 21

The Wedding, the Honeymoon, and the Party

"Today..."

I looked at Robert, and then at the Doctor. He had programmed himself to do the honors and was droning on in a bored voice. I looked back at Robert and shook him lightly. He looked at me, then silently imitated the Doctor, to the mirth of the audience.

"Silence, silence please!" The Doctor said, glaring at Robert. "Kate, please repeat after me. I, Kate, take Robert as my loving husband."

I repeated it.

"Robert, repeat after me. I, Robert, take Kate as my loving wife."

He repeated it.

"Now, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

He moved closer and kissed me, then let go, running over to the shuttle, in a rice shower.

"Come on, Kate!"

"Wait a sec, okay?" I turned and threw the bouquet at the crowd.

"I've got it!" Miral yelled.

I smiled and went in the shuttle. "Robert, where are we going?"

"To the beach. I want to see you swim." He tickled me.

"Hey!" I slapped his arm. "I didn't bring my swim-"

He held one up. "Just your size." It was blue, and was very skimpy.

"I hope we're going to a French beach." I went to the back of the shuttle and changed into civvies clothes.

He came in and looked at me. "Wow..."

I snarled and closed the door on his hand.

"Ow, what the hell!?" He yelled.

I laughed quietly and opened it again, dressed. "Look, until we-"

He pinned me to the wall and kissed me savagely. I let go of him and went, barefooted, to the pilot's seat, looking at the sensors.

"Lazy brute. Hey, Robert, this is on auto!"

"Yeah, so?"

"Where are we going? Are we going out to space?"

"Of course not! I'm borrowing this shuttle from the Voyager-E." He sat next to me and smiled. "No, we're going to some secluded place where we can get some R&R.

***

We landed an hour later on a beach in the far south. Robert had set out the stuff, and I jumped into the water and swam.

"Kate, I thought Borg couldn't-" He started as he came up to the water.

I splashed water on him. "I'm not Borg anymore." I pulled him in and smiled. "Thanks for...everything."

He moved a lock of wet hair from my face and grinned. "You need a haircut."

"So my parents say." I kissed his wet cheek, and then put my head on his shoulder. "When we get back on the Voyager-E, why don't we go to Fair Haven, hmmm?"

"Fair Haven? Isn't that that Irish program?"

"Yeah, that's it."

He smiled, and put his hands around me, keeping me afloat. "Of course, sugar."

"Sugar? You know I hate that stuff in my coffee."

"Honeybuns then." He nuzzled my neck and smiled. "Honeybuns..."

I laughed. "What's for lunch?"

"It's a surprise...what's today?"

"You know."

"Oh..." He smiled and led me to the sandy beach. "Close your eyes..."

I did, and he walked me over to a table, because I bumped into it.

"You can open them now. Happy 30th birthday, Kathryn."

I looked at the cake, which was brown, and smelled like coffee. "Thank you..." I hugged him, and he smiled, kissing me. "It's coffee, just the way you like it...Kathy."

I took a piece, and placed it on his mouth. He turned his head. "No, no, its for you."

"Commander Solares?"

"Yes, Fleet Captain?" He grinned.

"That's an order." I pushed it in his (now) open mouth.

He got some, and pushed it in my mouth, smearing it. I chewed, then swallowed.

"Mmmm...I wish I was at my mom's birthday party."

"She knows about our...circumstances..." He bent down and licked the frosting off my mouth, and I turned it into a kiss, forgetting about the cake.

"Where are we going next?" I whispered.

"Nowhere..." He kissed me again, and we stayed like that until we had to get some air. "Or to your mom's party..."

***

"Hey, the newlyweds are here!" Harry Kim yelled as I got in, holding a large present.

"Happy birthday, mother." I handed it to her, the large box.

"Kate, you shouldn't have," She said.

Robert handed her another big box. "Open it, Admiral." He squeezed my hand.

She unwrapped them both. "Oh, you shouldn't have..."

"Wow...hey, where did you get these?" Dad said.

They were scale figures of the Voyager series, beginning with Voyager and going up to Voyager-E. In the other box was replicas of the Voyager senior crew members, from Voyager to Voyager-E. Mom hugged both of us.

"I thought you were going to be on the beach!"

I smiled. "I can't...well...turn my back on you because of a honeymoon!" I sat down at her terminal. "Has Starfleet given-"

The lights flickered, then turned off completely.