Christmas dawned cold and bright on New Earth. Kathryn was buried in the blankets to stave off the early morning cold, but a thrill of anticipation shivered through her. Chakotay was still asleep beside her, and she pulled the covers down just enough so she could peek over them to look at the Christmas tree. She felt completely childish, but noticing that there were more presents there than there had been the night before nearly made her shriek with excitement. Some of them she'd put there after Chakotay had fallen asleep, but he must have gotten up in the night and added some of his own.

The small pile of presents under the tree was meager, but for the two of them, it was perfect. Several items were wrapped while some were just placed under the tree. Excitement coursed through her as it used to when she was a small child; she remembered sneaking downstairs with Phoebe to snoop through the presents before her mother and father got up. She was very excited to give Chakotay his gifts and to meet with Oona later that day to give her a gift as well.

The room was cold, and Kathryn didn't want to get out of bed, but she was desperate for a peek under the tree. Just as she was about to slip from Chakotay's arms, she felt them tighten around her.

"Merry Christmas," his sleep roughened voice spoke behind her. She felt him press a kiss into her hair.

"Merry Christmas," she was nearly embarrassed at the giddiness in her voice as she spoke. She had almost gotten to the point of dreading this day over the last weeks, worrying about how much she would miss her family and crew on this holiday that had always meant so much to her. However, this morning, at the moment, all the felt was grateful. Grateful that she was here with Chakotay and that they and the babies were healthy. She was grateful for the Phreezah; the friends they hadn't known existed until a month ago. Grateful that her family was back on Earth, coming together to celebrate the holiday together. Grateful that her crew was nearly six months closer to home than they had been when they left their commanding officers behind. She had so much to be grateful for, that even though she was missing her friends and family, all she could feel in this moment was happy.

"Stay in bed and stay warm. I'll get the fire going." He nuzzled her for a moment before he slid out of bed, not lifting the covers, trying to trap what heat he could, but Kathryn wouldn't have it. She got out of bed too, pulling on her slippers and wrapping her shawl around her shoulders.

"It's Christmas! Get the fire built up and then we can open presents." Chakotay smiled at her as he pulled on his sweatshirt and a thick pair of wool socks. He'd brought in a healthy pile of firewood the day before so they wouldn't have to leave the cabin until they wanted to. He'd also hinted to Oona that they would want to spend the morning and afternoon alone, but that they would definitely come out for a visit later in the day.

"Kathryn Janeway, you're as excited as I've ever seen you. I knew you enjoyed Christmas, but you're absolutely giddy," he chuckled, coming up to give her a hug and a good morning kiss, "I don't remember you being this excited last year on Voyager." He'd hoped that mentioning the ship wouldn't bring her spirits down, but he needn't have worried.

"I love Christmas, it's true. But this year it seems so much more special. I'm spending the day with the man I love, and we've completely created the holiday from scratch. Between you bringing in and decorating the Christmas tree, the ornaments that we both made, and the pine boughs you've decorated the entire room with...it just feels more magical this year."

Chakotay watched her as she flitted to the replicator for two mugs of tea. She seemed so much lighter in spirit than she had been for the last few weeks, and he was so grateful. He'd been worried that this holiday season had really gotten her down and that she wouldn't be able to properly enjoy it. He had a very special gift to give her, and he had hoped against hope that she'd be in a happy enough mood for him to give it to her…

...and it seemed as though she was.

She brought him his normal morning blend of tea with another kiss as she made her way over to examine the tree and the contents beneath it. He chuckled as he tossed more wood on the fire and soon had it roaring in the hearth. Kathryn hummed out a sigh as Chakotay came up behind her to wrap his arms around her. "I believe it's customary to start with the stockings, yes?"

In her zeal to sneak a peek under the tree, she'd completely forgotten that the stockings were still hung on the mantle. She was shocked to see all four of them bulging with the contents inside. She turned to look at him, cocking an eyebrow in her surprise. She'd put something small in his stocking, but was shocked to see something in hers, as well as something for the babies.

Chakotay carefully took down all four stockings, bringing them to Kathryn as she'd sat down in her rocking chair. He pulled another chair beside her and handed her the blue stocking. "Merry Christmas." She couldn't keep the toothy grin from her face as she reached inside. She pulled out a long leather bundle. Eyeing him suspiciously, she unwrapped and unrolled whatever was inside. "Oh,"

She uncovered several pairs of hand-carved knitting needles. There were four different sized pairs, and each made of a different kind of wood. Kathryn ran her fingers over them in awe. Chakotay had sanded them smoother than she would have thought possible and polished them until the wood absolutely gleamed. She let her fingers slide over each pair several times. "Chakotay, these are beautiful. How did you even make them? They are perfect."

He grinned at her, "I measured yours when you were out with Oona. I have an engineering tool gauge from Voyager and used it to figure out the gauge of each pair of needles that you have. I know you said you don't care for aluminum needles, but that's all the replicator is programmed for. Then I picked out different kinds of wood to make them. I'm not sure how to denote the size in a reference that makes sense to you, but if you show me, I can carve it into each needle so you won't have to guess. And if you need other sizes in the future, just let me know, and I can make them."

Kathryn looked from his face back to her gift, and then back to him again, "I love them. Thank you." He nodded, watching as she carefully bundled them back up in the leather wrap he'd made for them, placing them in her knitting basket. 'Open yours."

Chakotay grinned, looking down at his own stocking. Reaching his hand in, he also pulled out something wrapped in leather, though the bundle was much smaller than the gift he'd given Kathryn. His eyes went wide as he unwrapped it, "Kathryn, how did you...where…"

He held a carving knife in his hand. The blade looked old, having seen much use and better days, though it had been recently sharpened. The blade was curved and he recognized it as a whittling knife. He could tell by the shape of the blade that the handle it now had was not the original. The handle was now made from an antler; he recognized it from one of the deer he had killed several months ago. He had cleaned and dried the antlers, not having an immediate use for them. He'd stored them in one of their old storage containers until he could find some need for them. "How did you do this?"

She grinned slyly at him, "I have my ways," she turned the knife over so he could see a marking in the blade. EEJ was etched into the steel just above the handle. "It was my grandfather's knife. He gave it to me years ago. I never had any use for it, but I have always kept it with me. The handle was wooden and starting to fall apart, so I figured out how to attach the blade to the deer antler. Feel free to sand the antler down until it fits your hand. I just know you've been doing a lot of whittling, and the Starfleet issue knife isn't really great for detail work. I thought this might be a little better for you." She handed him the knife back. "Do you like it?"

Emotion burned in Chakotay's eyes as he let his fingers turn the knife in his hand, testing the sharpness of the blade with the brush of his thumb. The balance was perfect and the handle felt comfortable in his hand the way it was. Kathryn had picked the right size antler and attached it in just the right way that the curve of the horn fit perfectly in his hand. "I love it. Thank you. I am honored that you've given it to me." An image popped into his head that made him smile, "And when our son is older, I'll pass it along to him."

Kathryn beamed at him, "My granddad would love that, and so would I." She leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

He handed her the two small stockings. "It's nothing much, but I wanted them to have Christmas presents too."

Kathryn reached into the first one and pulled out a small wooden rattle. It was only about three or four inches long and also sanded smooth so as not to throw any splinters. The handle was narrow; perfect fora toddler to hold. He'd also polished it until it gleamed. She shook it gently. "How in the world did you make this?"

He pulled its twin from the other stocking, "It wasn't that hard. I used some of the dried cucumber seeds that we had leftover. The handle of each rattle can twist off to add or take away seeds."

"They are adorable, Chakotay. Thank you." She kissed him again. "This would have been a wonderful Christmas just with these gifts," she winked at him, "but I have more for you." She stood up and moved back to the tree, sitting cross-legged beside it, patting the space next to her. With a chuckle, he got up from the chair and came to kneel beside her. She reached for the next gift, then stopped, "I forgot," she got back up to her feet, moving to the phonograph and switching it on. Instrumental Christmas music began playing, and with a satisfied smile, she sat back down. "Much better."

She reached again under the tree and pulled out a present that she'd wrapped in the dark green paper that she'd replicated. She felt silly using replicator energy on something so frivolous but wanted at least some of the presents to be wrapped festively.

Chakotay felt his anticipation growing, not only for his last gift for Kathryn but also for the day itself. He wasn't ashamed to admit that he'd never enjoyed Christmas until he'd met Kathryn. As a child, it wasn't a holiday that his people celebrated, and during his early Starfleet career and then in the Maquis, it was a day usually ignored. Kathryn had changed all that. Last Christmas, the entire senior staff had done a secret Santa gift exchange and celebrated Christmas with a huge feast in the mess hall. It had been one of the happiest nights of his life; spending time with friends who had all become family.

And now he was spending the day with the woman he adored above all else, and knowing that she cared enough to make presents for him warmed his heart, just as having someone to make presents for warmed his. Eager to know what she'd made, he pulled the wrapping apart.

Inside was a knitted sweater in a dark green yarn, so dark it was almost black. It was soft but thick and he knew it would be warm. Quickly discarding his sweatshirt, he pulled the sweater on in its place. The sleeves were long enough and the bottom hem came just below his waist. "It's a perfect fit."

"I know the sweatshirt you have is old and doesn't fit really well anymore, so I thought you could use something else. She grinned, leaning back so she could see how it fit across his shoulders and back, "I may or may not have held it up against you while you slept, but I hoped it would fit alright."

She dropped her shawl and quickly pulled on the sweatshirt he'd just taken off. She wore it often when he wasn't. Though it was small on him, it was more than big enough for her, even leaving room for her growing belly. Snuggling into the warmth and smell of him, she grinned, "Now I can wear this more often."

"Ah, your real motivations for making it. I see..." He laughed, leaning over to kiss her again, "Thank you, I love it."

"You're welcome."

They opened the rest of their gifts slowly, savoring each one. Kathryn gave Chakotay a blend of tea that she'd created for him using plants she'd found on New Earth; several types of mints, flowers, and fruits. She dried them all and mixed them in different quantities until she found a blend that she thought he'd like. If he didn't go through it too quickly, it would easily last until she could make more.

Chakotay gave Kathryn a small wooden box with a hinge and a latch. She'd mentioned several months back that she wanted to keep her Captain's pips in her medicine bundle, but had no way to secure them and was afraid they would get lost for being so small. Now she could keep them all together, and in her bundle with her Voyager stone.

Kathryn had knitted hats for the babies to wear after they were born, and Chakotay had also made a wooden changing table for the babies that would sit atop their dresser. It was large enough to easily accommodate a newborn all the way up to a small toddler. They would be able to use it until the babies were out of diapers. Chakotay easily hooked it up to their dresser, having made the dresser with this in mind.

Kathryn stood looking at the fixture, imagining laying a small bundle of a baby there to change a diaper or an outfit. She smiled as she let her fingers slide over the wooden edges. He'd carved it with just the faintest notion of a bowl shape, making it harder for a baby roll or wiggle its way to the edge, and of course, it was sanded just as smooth as everything else he'd made. "Chakotay, this is just," she turned, freezing in place when she saw him.

He was down on one knee before her, holding up an open ring box. The box was another that he'd made, and though there was no velvet inside, he'd lined it with fur. Lying in the center of the box was a ring. It was made of a mahogany-colored wood. Though the band was wider than a traditional woman's ring, it looked delicate but sturdy. As she looked closer she noticed that the inside was wood, but the outside was stone. The same type of stone as her Voyager stone, but the part that he'd used was made nearly entirely of the blue crystal that veined through the stone in her medicine bundle. He'd polished the wood and the stone until they'd completely gleamed. She knew her mouth had dropped open, and her entire analysis of the box in his hand and its contents had only taken several seconds, but the moment stretched on in her mind as she tried to wrap her brain around what was happening before her. Her eyes quickly traveled from the ring to his expectant face.

"Be mine." He said simply as his eyes held hers, "I know that's a sentiment more appropriate for Valentine's day, but Kathryn, I love you. Whether we were here on New Earth or on Voyager, I'd want to spend the rest of my life with you. Only you. I know we can't have a ceremony to officially be declared husband and wife, and our friends and family aren't here, but I love you, and I want you to know that I choose you." He smiled a smile so full of love that the tears Kathryn had felt forming fell easily down her cheeks, "Will you be mine?"

Kathryn dropped to her knees before him, taking his face in her hands, "Chakotay," she didn't know what to say. Every word she could think of was completely lacking what she was feeling at that moment. So she kissed him. She kissed him with trembling lips trying to hold back the emotion that burned in her eyes and her throat. She kissed him as her lips turned up in a smile, and she finally had to break away to let out a sob and a laugh at the same time. "I love you so much. Of course, I will."

Chakotay's smile lit up his face; his dimples never leaving his cheeks as he lifted the ring from the box and held it up. She held out her left hand, laughing again as she saw she was trembling. Chakotay took her hand in his, steadying it as he slipped the ring on her finger. Once it was in place, he let his thumb brush across her knuckles before placing a kiss there.

They both looked at the ring, a perfect fit on her finger, but she'd expected nothing less, knowing he probably measured her finger at night while she slept. She held her hand up to admire his craftmanship, amazed that he could do all of it with only rudimentary tools. She thought briefly of asking him how he'd accomplished it but decided against it. The ring was perfect just as it was, and knowing how he'd crafted it wouldn't change the fact. "I just want it to be official that I choose you. No matter what the rest of our life brings us, I choose you, and I will always choose you."

"Well, then you're going to need to make a ring for yourself, because I certainly can't do it, and I also want it to be official that I choose you." She pressed another kiss to his lips, holding his hands in hers. They were both still on their knees on the floor, but neither seemed to care. "From the first moment I met you, I knew you would be an important part of my life, Chakotay. I was honored when you agreed to be my first officer and blessed when I could count you as a friend. Falling in love with you was so easy and natural, I nearly didn't realize it was happening, but knowing that that love will last a lifetime was even easier. I choose you as well, Chakotay, no matter what happens."

She watched as a tear slid down his own cheek, "Well, it just so happens..." he let go of one of her hands and reached into his pocket, pulling out another ring similar to the one he'd given her, though his was crafted from a darker wood, and the stone held less blue than hers. He held his palm open so she could take the ring from him, and he watched as she held it up and looked at it in the light. It gleamed just as hers did. "I was hoping that you'd say yes and that you'd want me to have one as well." She smiled as she took his left hand, placing the ring on his finger.

"As if I'd have said no." She laughed as she wiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand.

He grinned sheepishly as she laced their fingers together, simply enjoying being together. For several moments, they just looked at one another. Kathryn saw the man she loved; his strength and bravery, but his kind and gentle heart as well. Chakotay saw a woman that could look a Viidian in the eye and not back down; a force to be reckoned with that never ceased to amaze him. But he loved the woman beneath the Captain's uniform just as much; the woman that knit hats and booties, the woman that gardened and enjoyed spending time with her primate friend. The woman who had soothed Kes' fears about motherhood and listened to Harry when he was homesick for his mom and dad. Kathryn was the most remarkable woman he'd ever met, and he felt his smile grow almost to the point of pain as he realized that she was indeed his, now and forever.

"I love you, Kathryn Janeway, and I'm honored that you chose me."

"I love you too. Thank you for never giving up on me, from the moment we met."

"Merry Christmas, my love." He pressed his lips to hers, sealing their 'vows' with a kiss that she gladly returned. When he pulled away he leaned down and pressed a kiss to each side of her stomach. "Merry Christmas, little ones."

Kathryn let her fingers slide through his hair as he spoke to the babies, both of them chuckling as they felt movement from each one.

"I think they've enjoyed their first Christmas."

Chakotay nodded, "Can you believe, next Christmas they will be here? The time is going by so quickly."

"I know. Less than three months to go." She took a deep breath and let it out. "Thinking of it like that makes me nervous." She paused, "But I know that when the time comes, my...husband...will be here to help me." She enjoyed the word as she spoke it

A fresh smile bloomed on his face, pride filling his heart at the sentiment. "Always."