Room With a Q Too - Twenty-Eighth Chapter
When Q returned with her coffee, the Captain was in her dress uniform, minus her jacket, working at her desk.
"Have you chosen the guests who you want to attend our wedding?" asked Q.
"I thought I would just invite the senior officers and Neelix."
"Is Chakotay one of your wedding guests?" Q was still a teeny bit jealous.
"I've invited him, but I'm not sure that he'll come." Captain Janeway blushed thinking about her confession to Chakotay last night.
"You had better warn him about his behaviour, the Q will return him to the ship if he behaves in an uncivilised manner."
Q was buzzing with energy, he couldn't sit still, he was constantly running through the arrangements.
"When will your officers be ready, are you sure you gave them a time and place to assemble?" he asked nervously.
"Q, calm down they will meet us on the Bridge at 10:50 hours, in their dress uniforms ready to be transported to the Continuum."
Q managed to sit still for about five minutes before he jumped up again.
"What about the Twins, who will be looking after them, have you told them to behave themselves?" he was getting more agitated by the second.
The Captain knew she wasn't going to get any peace so she tidied her desk and went to sit with Q on the sofa. She held his hand, hoping that it would calm him.
"Q, as I have explained, Amanda is coming to the wedding as Junior's guest and to look after the Twins during the ceremony. After we are married Junior and Amanda will stay with them to make sure they behave. As they are both Q, they should be able to manage them.
Q looked at her forlornly, "It wasn't supposed to be like this, we were supposed to get to know each other better, then we could have planned our perfect wedding together."
"It's not your fault, I don't know why they want the Twins but this is all about making us fail so they can legitimately step in and take them," explained the Captain
Q agreed with her, "I know, they're not exactly subtle about it but what can we do, they're too powerful to fight?"
Captain Janeway stood up and put her jacket on, "We are going to do exactly what they want and deny them the excuse to take Quinn and Qat away from us, come on, we're going to get married!
When they entered the Bridge, the wedding party was waiting for them. All the Starfleet officers looked resplendent in their dress uniforms. Even Mr Neelix had replicated a traditional Talaxian wedding garment. Everybody was trying to ignore the fact that this was a shotgun wedding and that they were about to be transported to the Continuum, which was an honour, rarely given to many species.
At 11:00 hours precisely, Q clicked his fingers and transported everyone to the Continuum, including Chakotay, who had appeared at the last minute.
The first thing they saw was a tree and a farm, not exactly what they were expecting.
Tom Paris tried to lighten the mood, "Q, I thought you said the Continuum was an extra dimensional plane of existence, it looks like Midwest America to me"
Captain Janeway was walking towards the farm with her hands over her mouth, "I don't believe it, that is an exact replica of my Grandfather's farm."
She could see someone waving to them from the farm, it looked like Lady Q, you couldn't mistake that hair colour. The Captain beckoned the others and started to walk down the drive. When she met Lady Q she couldn't believe how excited she was.
"Oh Kathryn, I'm so glad you came, this is the most exciting event to be held in the Continuum, to be truthful this is the only event we have held here but you know what I mean!"
The whole wedding party was formally invited into the kitchen for a wedding breakfast. The table was groaning with the amount of food on it. Everyone sat down and dived in except for Chakotay who took a cup of coffee and stood by the door, his eyes never left the Captain.
Lady Q asked Captain Janeway to follow her upstairs, she walked along the landing until she reached the bedroom her grandparents set aside for her when she visited. When she went in, she saw the most beautiful wedding dress hanging over the door of the wardrobe. It was a cream silk sheath overlaid with delicate antique gold lace, with shoes to match.
"I know this wasn't what you planned, Kathryn but I couldn't let you get married in your uniform. I did some research into your background and we have replicated the little clapboard church you visited on a Sunday with your family. You will marry Q there in about one hour."
Captain Janeway hugged her, with tears in her eyes, touched by this unexpected kind and generous act. Lady Q wasn't used to physical affection, the Q didn't touch each other. Sometimes she wondered whether they had lost something precious when they evolved. She left the room to allow Captain Janeway some privacy to change, then promised on her return, she would create the finishing touches to the outfit.
Q was waiting outside the door, still hyperactive with nerves.
"Go downstairs and wait. Kathryn is nervous enough, do you want her to be a runaway bride?"
"I can't lose her Q, the Continuum want to keep the Twins; I'm afraid they will ruin everything by rushing her."
"You have the potential to be an excellent husband, you just have to think a lot less about yourself and much more about her feelings and needs," said Lady Q bluntly.
Q started to whine, "It's hard to change behaviour that has established over billions of years."
Lady Q had the last say, "She is a decent honourable woman, who despite your many faults seems to be fond of you - don't mess this up."
Captain Janeway shouted to Lady Q, to tell her she was ready.
"Now, go back down and wait, inform everyone in the kitchen that they will wait have to wait patiently for Kathryn or face my wrath."
Q dragged his feet, going downstairs like a teenager being forced to go to a family party.
After waiting another fifteen minutes, Tuvok looked at the Grandfather clock,
"We will have to go soon or we will be late …"
Everyone stopped talking when the Captain entered the room; they were used to seeing her in uniform, not like this - she looked stunning! The dress was a perfect fit and clung to everything it should. The gold lace complemented her skin tone and highlighted the colours in her hair. Lady Q had been subtle in her choice of accessories, a simple gold necklace and delicate lace cream gloves.
Q's mouth hadn't closed since he laid eyes on her. Lady Q was delighted by their reactions.
She turned to Q, "Well, what do you think?"
"You have outdone yourself my dear. Kathy you are breathtaking."
Chakotay left the room quickly after he saw her in the wedding dress. It hurt him physically to witness this charade because he knew that she loved him. He bumped into Junior, Amanda and the Twins waiting outside. It looked like an ideal Summer's day; he sun was shining so brightly that you had to shade your eyes to look upwards; the sky was that clear crisp, pale blue that you only see in the height of Summer. He looked around and definitely understood why the young Kathryn Janeway loved visiting her Grandparents.
Finally, the wedding party spilled out of the front door to begin their short walk to the church. The Captain was really glad it was a short walk as her feet weren't used to high heels and they were killing her. Their destination was a simple little white clapboard church with a modest bell tower and spire at the front. When they reached the church, Captain Janeway was astounded to see the minister from her childhood visits every Sunday with her grandparents.
He looked a lot older and quite bewildered because his church seemed to have changed overnight, the Spire had apparently regrown itself after being hit by a lightning bolt last Summer.
"Miss Janeway, my name is David Lestor and I will be conducting your Wedding ceremony today. I spoke to a Colonel Q, who explained your circumstances," he said looking pointedly at the Twins.
Q pushed through the crowd, "This is all very sweet but can we get on with our Wedding soon," he added 'Please' when the Captain glared at him.
They entered the church to find the Groom's side packed with Q, in all shapes and sizes, having all taken human form in deference to the Captain. Colonel Q sat in the front pew, smiling like the father of the bride. The Starfleet officers filed into the pews, row by row; they all felt distinctly unsettled as the Q were staring at them intently.
Q and Captain Janeway stood at the front, nervously waiting for the ceremony to begin. The Minister started with the traditional greeting,
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the …"
Chakotay stepped outside with a stony face. It was too painful to watch Kathryn betrothal to another man. He wanted to wish them well but he couldn't because he loved her so much.
Amanda bought the Twins out of the church because they were getting noisy and mischievous. The cat, they were playing with before the ceremony started, kept appearing between them. Amanda had to send it back five times before she decided to give in and allow them a break. She kept peeping through the door, really upset that she had to miss some of the wedding. An aide to Colonel Q came out with a female Q and offered to watch the Twins while she went back inside.
The ceremony was almost over, the happy couple had made their vows when she heard a piercing scream, "Mother, help!" She looked around for a few seconds, wondering why nobody else heard it. When Q raced up the aisle and out of the door, she realised the Twins were in trouble. She kicked off her shoes, hiked up the wedding dress then sprinted after Q, to the door.
Chakotay was lying in a heap, still conscious, with blood pouring from a head wound. The Captain cradled his head gently and asked him what happened.
"They told Amanda they would look after the Twins. As soon as she went back inside, they started to walk away with the Twins. I asked them what they were doing? The male Q hit me then they disappeared with the children."
The Captain ran back into the church to confront Colonel Q, to find it empty, all of the Q had vanished apart from Amanda and Junior. Junior rushed over to her, looking grim faced,
"Aunt Kathy, I'm going after them now, I don't want to leave the trail to go cold. You organise everything and I will leave messages updating you about my progress."
She hugged him gratefully, then he disappeared. Captain Janeway slumped to the floor feeling faint.
Q ran over to help her, "Kathy, I had no idea what they were planning to do,
