Kathryn looked around Tom and B'Elanna's beautiful apartment quarters on Jupiter Station. There was a large sized sitting area with Tom's 20th century television in prime viewing place. A dining area just off that with, Kathryn noticed with a smile, both a replicator and a 20th century kitchen complete with appliances. There were three other doors off the sitting area though closed Kathryn guessed a bathroom and two bedrooms. Though the quarters had a distinct Starfleet feel to them they also showed both Tom and B'Elanna's taste's rather well Kathryn felt.
"Can I mum?" Mirral asked for what felt like the hundredth time even though B'Elanna had said no to whatever the child was asking. The whole situation Kathryn found rather annoying but suddenly realised that she would actually have all this to come.
Finally B'Elanna gave in and called from the kitchen area "all right but don't get in the way"
Kathryn sat down on the sofa and smiled as Mirral wasted no time in leaving the quarters and charging down the corridor of Jupiter Station. Kathryn chuckled to herself as B'Elanna sat beside her and handed her a steaming mug with a heavenly sent protruding from it "what's that?" Kathryn asked B'Elanna.
"Oh she wants to go and see seven" B'Elanna told her rolling her eyes to show her annoyance with the child.
"No I meant what's that?" Kathryn asked staring disgusted at the dark liquid in the steaming mug in her hand.
"Coffee" told her as though this was obvious thinking Kathryn really should have known that.
"Can I just have hot water?" Kathryn asked trying her best to sound causal. She had eluded B'Elanna's questions on the walk to the quarters. Kathryn was well aware that sooner or later she was going to have to tell B'Elanna and tom all that had happened these last months but she hoped it would not have to be now, she wanted the time to be right.
"Kathryn?" B'Elanna asked clearly thinking her friend to be ill or something, she had never in eight years of knowing her known Kathryn Janeway to drink anything but coffee and certainly not water.
"I gave up coffee for a while" Kathryn shrugged with a half-hearted shrug of her shoulders.
"You gave up coffee?" B'Elanna said slowly staring at her with a slow unbelieving nod of her head as she spoke "Kathryn you expect me to believe that"
"It's true" hissed Kathryn
"Yea ok" B'Elanna tried a different, more direct tact "why"
"No reason" shrugged Kathryn as she began to shift uncomfortably in her chair, a tell tail sign she meant more than she was letting on.
"Ok who are you and what have you done with Kathryn Janeway?" demanded B'Elanna sharply.
"It's me B'Elanna ok?" Kathryn smiled as he stood to recycle the coffee even though this was difficult for her to do, she loved coffee so much, and she knew she had to think of her baby. Kathryn would never have wasted replicator rations like that on Voyager but here was different. "And just don't ask me to drink that disgusting stuff Chakotay has in the house!" she threw out as a joke.
Kathryn's smile faded from her face as she turned to see the confusion on her friends face as she asked "Kathryn?"
"Tea" laughed Kathryn as tough B'Elanna was stupid to not understand "don't ask me to drink tea"
"Ok" B'Elanna said slowly eyeing Kathryn with a confused stare.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Kathryn asked as the smile completely faded from her face.
"You said Chakotay" pointed out B'Elanna, it didn't take Kathryn long to realise her slip up and what the problem was.
"I said what?" she tried to brush off but B'Elanna saw a hint of realisation dawn on her face.
"Chakotay, that disgusting stuff Chakotay has in the house" B'Elanna told her "done you mean Jack?"
"Hu?" Kathryn waved off and then quickly changed the subject by asking "can I?" and gesturing towards the replicator.
"Sure" B'Elanna said as there was a long pause while Kathryn replicated hot water and made her way to sit beside B'Elanna on the sofa once more. "So how is he?" B'Elanna asked still not convinced about the Chakotay slip up.
"Who?" Snapped Kathryn her mug half to her mouth ready to take a gulp.
"Jack of course" B'Elanna told her realising that Kathryn was not quite being at all honest with her. "Have you and him got engaged yet?"
Kathryn slowly lowered her mug and placed it on the coffee table before her "why don't you fill me in on life here first" she said letting her blue eyes fix B'Elanna with a stare.
"Kathryn Janeway what is going on?" snapped the Half Klingon folding her arms to let her ex-commanding officer know she would not budge until she got the full story.
Kathryn let out a sigh, the time had come, a little earlier than she had wanted to but she may as well tell B'Elanna what had happened otherwise she could see the half-Klingon would not rest. "Did you know Chakotay and seven split?"
"yes" nodded B'Elanna sadly for her old friend "sad affair if you ask me" she said shaking her head "Chakotay holding out hope for you-" then quickly stopped herself and added "well for what might have been" then added "I see it's brought you and seven closer together again"
"Yes it's nice to see her so free again." admitted Kathryn; for even she could see Seven has happier away from her relationship with Chakotay. "I am not sure it was working for some time."
"did it ever?" snorted B'Elanna making Kathryn smile.
"I think they both wanted it to"
B'Elanna looked at the older woman and asked seriously "really? Did they?"
Kathryn let her eyes meet with B'Elanna as she said "well, yes, I think so"
"Kathryn he was head over heels for you, pig sick jealous I would say" B'Elanna informed her.
"Jealous? Of me?" Kathryn asked.
"Still is last I heard from him, doesn't know what to do with himself."
Kathryn looked at B'Elanna carefully her brows drawn closer together as she asked "B'E when exactly was the last time you heard from him?"
"Three weeks or more now" admitted B'Elanna almost sadly "he has been unavailable. What about you? How did you hear of the break up?"
"Seven" admitted Kathryn just as sadly, only two weeks ago, she came to my office late one evening to invite me to come here with her and I asked how Chakotay felt about her moving to Jupiter Station, I fell such a fool I can tell you!" laughed Kathryn bitterly.
"You didn't know?!" B'Elanna sounded horrified at this news.
"No" Kathryn told her "thanks for the heads up!" laughed Kathryn referring to the fact B'Elanna hadn't told her.
"We thought you knew" B'Elanna insisted in her defence "and Tom told me not to mention it, he said you and he had talked at Chakotay's promotion and it was best to let things be."
"your Tom is a great man." Smiled Kathryn.
"if you say so" B'Elanna joked "anyway enough of Chakotay and Seven and their mess, How's that delicious man of yours?"
"Jack?" Kathryn spat disgusted "not so delicious, nor is he my man"
"he's not?" asked B'Elanna, now she was really interested and really shocked.
"no" Kathryn told her, and then taking her friends hand she whispered "B'E don't freak ok?"
"Freak? What happened Kathryn?"
"well that night Seven came to my office late and told me about her and Chakotay's break up" started Kathryn slowly.
"yea?" B'Elanna urged her on.
"Jack didn't like me coming home late" Kathryn said slowly feeling quite fed up and having to relive it to everyone she talked to.
"what do you mean 'didn't like?'" B'Elanna asked feeling a knot in her throat, she didn't like the way this was going.
"seems he had always been jealous, or at least suspicious of my friendship with Chakotay" Kathryn told her "Seems Chakotay had sometime earlier tried to contact me to tell me of his break with Seven, but Jack told him I wasn't in. It seems Jack went to great lengths to stop me seeing or hearing from Chakotay. A fake aid working for me and all sorts, Chakotay and I haven't got to the bottom of it yet."
"wait" interrupted B'Elanna "Chakotay and you?" then realisation began to dawn on her "when was the last time you saw Chakotay?"
"all in good time" Kathryn snapped hating her story being interrupted. "so Jack and I argued over me coming home late that night and whether or not I had been with Chakotay."
"Men" B'Elanna smirked rolling her eyes with a smile.
"so he beat me" Kathryn added quickly taking a gulp of the water as she watched B'Elanna's face change into an expression of pure shock.