Hello everyone.
My apologies for keeping you all in suspense for so long. Juggling a career and an education is not as easy as it looks. I would like to say thanks for the support I've gotten so far and to let you all know that I have no intention of abandoning this story at any time. I may take a little long to update, but I will be here until the very end.
This is just a teaser chapter to keep you all going until I update next. I wrote this minutes before I posted so bear with me if there are any spelling/grammatical errors.
Coming soon. The wedding day! – YK.
Chapter XXV
INDIANA
The sound of silverware gently knocking against champagne glasses filled the dining area of the restaurant, where close to seventy guests celebrated.
Tom Paris stood, a smirk gracing his features as he gazed at the expectant crowd, holding up his hands for silence.
Kathryn, from her position seated at the largest of the dining tables, issued a forewarning. "Don't make me regret this, Mr. Paris." She cautioned; her deep voice rich with humor, as those within earshot laughed.
"As master of ceremonies tonight…" He began as everyone quieted. "…it is my esteemed honor to welcome you all to this joyous event." He paused briefly as a smattering of applause interrupted him. "As part of Voyager's former crew, some of whom are in attendance, tonight is special to us for two other reasons; the one year anniversary of Voyager's return from the Delta Quadrant – which we'll be celebrating later this evening – as well as the birth of the first baby born in transwarp, my beautiful daughter, Miral."
Applause and whistles sounded, and beside him B'Elanna squeezed his free hand while the other raised the champagne flute he held.
He continued when everyone settled. "None of this would have been possible, save for one woman, who happens to be present here tonight…none other than the bride to be, Kathryn Janeway."
Kathryn had to blink quickly to keep her tears at bay. Next to her, husband to be Marshall Stark, with his arm around her shoulders, kissed the side of her head.
They were both caught by surprise when everyone rose to their feet, and held their glasses up as Tom continued his toast.
"Join me everyone, in honor of the stubborn, red-headed, never say never, Captain, who kept her promise and got us home despite the odds. And even though she's part of the brass now, she would always be the Captain in our hearts, and I'm sure I would still follow her to the ends of the universe. Just as long as we have a slipstream drive to get us back."
Laughter followed, and Kathryn glared at him, before she gave him her trademark crooked smile.
He raised his glass higher. "To the bride to be, Kathryn Janeway."
The guests echoed his sentiment in unison. "To Kathryn Janeway."
While everyone returned to their seats, Kathryn stood and moved over to Tom, not surprised when he pulled her into a quick hug. "Congratulations, Admiral." He whispered as they pulled away.
Outside one of the restaurant's large windows stood Chakotay, watching the festivities and taking care to stand out of sight of anyone celebrating inside.
Although, he wouldn't have noticed if he'd been seen.
He only had eyes for Kathryn. She looked stunning in the vintage gown she wore, not unlike the one she had donned for the Admiral's Ball.
She seemed genuinely happy; a thought that was confirmed for him when she accepted a surprise gift from Stark, tilting her head slightly to allow him to place the necklace around her neck, her smile radiant as she examined her new trinket.
Chakotay was forced to look away when Stark leaned in to kiss her softly on her bare shoulder. Just over a month ago, in a hotel room on Proxima, he was the one kissing her there.
His thoughts dissipated as he felt a familiar presence behind him. Deciding to wait a moment before exposing his observer's location, he glanced back at the activities inside, in time to see Kathryn pull away from Stark as The Doctor interrupted them.
"There you are, Doctor." Inside, Kathryn greeted the EMH, as Marshall turned to chat with Admiral Paris. "Where have you been? You missed most of the rehearsal dinner."
"Admiral…" The Doctor guided her to an unoccupied table at the far corner of the restaurant. "…can we speak privately? there's something you need to know."
"And it couldn't wait until afterward?" She smiled her greetings at a passing guest before returning her attention to him.
"I'm afraid not, Admiral." He said quietly, and her brows furrowed in concern. "It's about you and Captain Chakotay."
"What about the Admiral and Chakotay?" B'Elanna pulled up alongside where Tom and Harry stood.
Harry stared at B'Elanna, and couldn't help but notice that Tom appeared unfazed by his wife's appearance. "You do realize that this is the men's room…"
"Of course I do." She leaned forward casually to check her appearance before heading into one of the private stalls. "The women's room was too crowded."
"Harry here was just telling me that the Admiral was with him on Proxima just over a month ago." Tom thumped him on his shoulder. "He was about to give me the juicy details when you interrupted."
"There are no juicy details, Tom." Harry rolled his eyes in true Janeway fashion. "She was there to have dinner with her sister. The Nara was scheduled to pick her up the next morning."
B'Elanna called out from behind the closed door. "So how did you know that Chakotay was there?"
"Chakotay was there? On Proxima? With Kathryn?" Back in the dining area, Gretchen stared at her youngest daughter from the seat beside her.
"They weren't there together." Phoebe clarified, keeping her voice low so as not to be overheard. "I ran into Chakotay outside the restaurant. He asked about Katie, and I invited him to have dinner with us."
"Katie must have been thrilled." Gretchen wasn't a stranger to the tenuous relationship between her daughter and her former first officer.
"Not at first." Phoebe paused to sip her champagne. "But it turned out to be a great evening. In fact…"
Gretchen raised an eyebrow. "In fact what?"
Phoebe shook her head but couldn't readily dismiss the possibilities forming in her mind. "Forget it…it's nothing."
"What are you thinking?" Gretchen pressed.
"I could hear the wheels turning in your head, Tuvok." Chakotay called out to the figure hidden behind him. "You can come out now. I know you're there."
"Curious, I hardly made a sound, and yet you knew of my presence." The Vulcan stepped out from behind a nearby tree, his brow raised.
Chakotay shrugged. "I wouldn't be a good Professor of Advanced Tactics if I didn't. Besides, all those years on Voyager have fined tuned my senses. The question is…how did you know I was here?"
"Well, you were not inside when I arrived, and given Commander Torres' rather colorful explanation for your notable absence, I surmised that you were not going to be in attendance. However, given your history with Admiral Janeway, I concluded that you would not be able to stay away."
Chakotay regarded the newly minted Starfleet Captain closely. "And you knew that I would be here…tonight."
Tuvok nodded once. "Indeed. Although, I have considered you many things Captain, but never a coward."
"Excuse me?"
"Excuse me?" Kathryn fixed a steady gaze on the Doctor's face. "What about Chakotay and I?"
The Doctor glanced briefly around the room. "I was hoping to see him here tonight so that I could tell you both together."
"He's not coming." She stated quickly, waving a dismissive hand. "Something came up, and he couldn't make it."
He looked at her, surprised. "I can't imagine anything that will keep him away tonight. His best friend is getting married; it's Voyager's one year anniv…"
"Well something has, and he did." Janeway cut him off. "Now…are you going to tell me what's going on? And how does it involve me and Chakotay?"
"I think something happened between Katie and Chakotay on Proxima." Phoebe leaned in to whisper in her mother's ear.
"What do you mean, 'something happened'?" Gretchen gave her daughter a confused look.
"I think they slept together that night."
"Phoebe!" Gretchen hissed quietly. "Kathryn would never…"
"Mom…" Phoebe cut her mother off. "…yes…she would. Aren't you the least bit curious about the fact that Chakotay is not here tonight?"
"The thought did cross my mind." Harry watched B'Elanna emerge from the stall and make her way over to the sink. "But I figured that we'd see him later, at the anniversary party."
"Chakotay's not coming Harry…" Tom informed him. "…not even to the wedding."
"I'm sure he has a good reason." Harry defended his former commanding officer. "Besides, what does Proxima have to do with any of this?"
"I think Proxima has everything to do with this." Phoebe announced.
"You're speculating." Gretchen dismissed her words. "Besides, if – as you say – this were some masterfully orchestrated love story which began some seventy-five thousand light years away, where is Chakotay now?"
"I'd bet my last bar of latinum that he's standing outside the restaurant right now, working up the courage to come in and talk some sense into her." Tom speculated.
"Not that Marshall isn't a great guy…" B'Elanna added. "…but I always thought those two would have come to their senses when we got home."
Harry stared at his best friends, like they'd both become possessed by alien entities. "You're both delusional. I'm leaving."
Tuvok pressed on, unfazed by Chakotay's attempt to leave. "You have never denied your feelings for Kathryn Janeway, and while you have never openly admitted them either, standing here in the dark, watching while she goes off and marries another is not the logical thing you would do. And yet, here you are."
Chakotay stopped in his tracks, taking a deep breath before he spun around.
"Tuvok, what's going on?" Chakotay watched him warily. "Did B'Elanna put you up to this?"
"I can assure you, that the Commander or no one else for that matter knows of your presence here." Tuvok assured him. "But I have reason to believe that the relationship between you and the Admiral has…changed. Much like that time when you both returned from the planet you called…New Earth."
Janeway tensed. "What about New Earth, Doctor?"
The Doctor leaned forward slightly. "I've been consulting at Questor for the past few weeks, assisting the medical and science teams there. They've been studying your data from the plant and animal life you were experimenting on."
"Yes but my work never amounted to anything." Kathryn informed him. "Most of my work was damaged in the storm."
"But not as much as you think." The Doctor corrected. "In fact, if you had continued, you would have found a cure."
Kathryn's eyes widened. "Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure, mom." Phoebe refilled their champagne glasses while she spoke. "It's the only explanation for their sudden estrangement."
Gretchen was shaking her head doubtfully. "I don't know, Phoebe. It's not Kathryn's style to just go off and spend the night with a man, even if that man happens to be Chakotay. And what about Marshall?"
"She and Marshall weren't together at the time, remember? They had a fight and they agreed to a break."
"And you're saying that Katie's sudden decision to marry Marshall now was somehow spurred on by something to do with Chakotay?"
"I'm saying that you shouldn't just take my word for it." The Doctor handed Kathryn a PADD. "All of the results are here…with some additional information which is the reason for my late appearance here tonight."
She thumbed on the PADD, studying The Doctor's features before lowering her eyes to the data as it scrolled across the small screen.
Kathryn paled as the results of the latest testing were displayed, and the PADD trembled in her hand as she met The Doctor's steady gaze.
"Are you sure?" Her voice sounded shaky to her ears. "This is real?"
"This is real, Harry." Tom called after him as he left. "The only one delusional here is you."
"That's our Harry." B'Elanna grinned as the door slid shut behind their friend. "You know how he, Tom. He's like a kid who thinks of Chakotay and Janeway like they were his parents. No kid wants to hear that their parents are having sex. Remember how he went into denial after they came back from…what did they call the planet?"
"New Earth." Tom answered.
She held up a finger in remembrance. "That's the one. Most of us thought something happened on New Earth."
"Nothing happened on New Earth, Tuvok." Chakotay's tone warned that the Vulcan was intruding on forbidden territory. "Not that it's anyone's business. As for the present, the Admiral and I are friends. Nothing more."
"So you say."
Chakotay glared at him. "Have a good evening, Tuvok."
"And you as well, Captain." Tuvok called after Chakotay's retreating figure.
Kathryn stared at The Doctor's back as he walked away. As he passed the table where her mother and sister were sitting, she caught Phoebe's eye. The look on her face must have concerned her sister, because she immediately excused herself and headed in her direction.
"Katie…" Phoebe sat down in the seat that The Doctor had just vacated. "…are you alright? You look like you've just seen the ghost of Christmas future."
Kathryn blinked a few times to stay focused on her sister's words. "I think I just have, Phoebe. I think I just have."
Moments after Tom and B'Elanna exited the men's room, Marshall Stark stepped out from inside one of the private stalls.
He exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. A simple trip to the men's room was suddenly transformed into him inadvertently becoming privy to a discussion he was sure he was not meant to overhear.
He quickly freshened up and made his way toward the dining area.
He needed to talk to Kathryn.
"Marshall."
He turned at the sound of his name, frowning when he saw the Federation President's chief aide and his best man hurrying toward him. "Elliot, what is it?"
"Etta is calling an emergency meeting with the Security Council in a few minutes. There's been a…development."
His frown deepened. "And she couldn't reach me over the COMM?"
"Her office went to COMM silence an hour ago. She sent a shuttle to meet us." He handed him a PADD. "The pilot gave me this."
He took the PADD, but didn't turn it on. "Do you know what's happening?"
He nodded. "Approximately eighteen hours ago. Starfleet lost communication with four of its deep space Starbases. Including the Sollente Outpost."
"Sollente?" He glanced over at where Kathryn was sitting, talking with her sister. Sollente was under her command. "Does Kathryn know?"
"No one knows but Shanthi's office, Etta and us." Elliot followed Marshall's gaze briefly before fixing it back on him. "And it has to stay that way, until we have more information."
Marshall nodded. "Any ideas what happened yet?"
Elliott took a deep breath. "All indicators are pointing toward the Borg."