Authors note: I was not happy with New Earth so I'm replacing it. This
takes place late in season four.
1 Chapter 4: Family
By: Katy Jane
"Chakotay, I'll trade you Seven's astrometrics report for B'Elanna's engineering report."
"Ha! Not a chance."
Once Chakotay looked back down at his report Kathryn stuck her tongue out at him, mostly for the amusement of her daughter. Shannon giggled and then crossed the room and climbed up into Chakotay's lap.
"Kotay, are you my dad?"
Kathryn and Chakotay both looked up in surprise. "Shannon, where did you get that idea?"
"Uncle Tom said that a dad is someone who helps take care of you and who loves your mom."
"I might have known 'Uncle Tom' would have something to do with this." Chakotay said with a chuckle.
"There is a little more to it than that," Kathryn said, "Mark is your father, remember?"
"Yeah, I know, but I've never even met Mark!"
"Well, honey, Mark is a long ways away."
"Does Mark love you?" Shannon wiggled across the couch so that she was sitting next to her mother. Kathryn wrapped one of her arms around her daughter. Chakotay was a little surprised to see tears welling up in Kathryn's eyes even though he knew that she had received a letter form her former fiancé telling her that he had married another woman.
"Your father will always love you mother." Chakotay offered when Kathryn didn't say anything.
"Kotay, do you love mommy?"
Kathryn looked up and her eyes met Chakotay's. For the longest time no one said anything, no one moved.
"Kotay?"
"Yes, yes I do."
Again the room was silent until Kathryn spoke up, "Shannon, I think its time for you to go to bed."
For a moment Shannon was going to protest but after seeing the look on her mothers face decided not to. "Kotay will you tuck me in?" she asked.
Chakotay looked up at Kathryn, her face was blank she looked like she was in shock. He decided that it would be best to give her a few minuets alone, "Of course." He stood up and led Shannon to her bedroom.
When he returned a few minuets later Kathryn hadn't moved, she still sat perfectly still with the same stoic expression on her face. Chakotay leaned against the doorframe and waited for her to acknowledge his presence.
With out even looking up at him she asked, "did you mean what you said?"
He crossed the room and sat down on the couch, a respectful distance away before answering, "Yes, I did."
"I don't suppose you meant it in the plutonic way one loves his best friend or his sister?" she asked, barely above a whisper.
"No." he moved closer to her. She looked up suddenly and met his gaze, but didn't say anything. He leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips. For a moment she lost her self in the kiss and ignored the little voice in the back of her head that insisted that this was wrong, but then the voice won out and she pulled away.
"Chakotay, I…" she couldn't finish
"What?"
"I don't think…" she stopped again, but he knew exactly what she was going to say. He closed his eyes and leaned back with a sigh. "We can't" her voice caught in her throat.
Chakotay stood up and began pacing the room, "why not?" he demanded. When she didn't answer he knelt down next to her and grabbed her arms, "why not? I deserve an answer!"
At that moment, when he looked into his eyes, she forgot every reason that she had thought of. Desperately she tried to remember.
"I love you, Kathryn, and you don't deserve to be alone, you deserve so much more than that." She was still silent, "and if you won't do it for yourself then do it for Shannon, she deserves a family."
Kathryn snapped out of it, "what are you saying?"
"I…I'm not sure," he leaned back again, "I guess that depends."
Kathryn tried to remember the reasons that this was wrong one last time but failing once again she leaned forward and kissed him. When they finally broke apart Chakotay asked, "Kathryn, will you marry me?"
She smiled at him, "What do you think?"
Chakotay was still apprehensive, "is that a yes?"
"Of course." She threw his arms around him and kissed him once more.
The end? (I haven't decided yet what do you think. Should I have a wedding episode, should Kathryn remember the reasons in the morning and string him out a little longer or should I just leave it as it is? Tell me in a review or E-mail me at Katy_j2001@yahoo.com )
1 Chapter 4: Family
By: Katy Jane
"Chakotay, I'll trade you Seven's astrometrics report for B'Elanna's engineering report."
"Ha! Not a chance."
Once Chakotay looked back down at his report Kathryn stuck her tongue out at him, mostly for the amusement of her daughter. Shannon giggled and then crossed the room and climbed up into Chakotay's lap.
"Kotay, are you my dad?"
Kathryn and Chakotay both looked up in surprise. "Shannon, where did you get that idea?"
"Uncle Tom said that a dad is someone who helps take care of you and who loves your mom."
"I might have known 'Uncle Tom' would have something to do with this." Chakotay said with a chuckle.
"There is a little more to it than that," Kathryn said, "Mark is your father, remember?"
"Yeah, I know, but I've never even met Mark!"
"Well, honey, Mark is a long ways away."
"Does Mark love you?" Shannon wiggled across the couch so that she was sitting next to her mother. Kathryn wrapped one of her arms around her daughter. Chakotay was a little surprised to see tears welling up in Kathryn's eyes even though he knew that she had received a letter form her former fiancé telling her that he had married another woman.
"Your father will always love you mother." Chakotay offered when Kathryn didn't say anything.
"Kotay, do you love mommy?"
Kathryn looked up and her eyes met Chakotay's. For the longest time no one said anything, no one moved.
"Kotay?"
"Yes, yes I do."
Again the room was silent until Kathryn spoke up, "Shannon, I think its time for you to go to bed."
For a moment Shannon was going to protest but after seeing the look on her mothers face decided not to. "Kotay will you tuck me in?" she asked.
Chakotay looked up at Kathryn, her face was blank she looked like she was in shock. He decided that it would be best to give her a few minuets alone, "Of course." He stood up and led Shannon to her bedroom.
When he returned a few minuets later Kathryn hadn't moved, she still sat perfectly still with the same stoic expression on her face. Chakotay leaned against the doorframe and waited for her to acknowledge his presence.
With out even looking up at him she asked, "did you mean what you said?"
He crossed the room and sat down on the couch, a respectful distance away before answering, "Yes, I did."
"I don't suppose you meant it in the plutonic way one loves his best friend or his sister?" she asked, barely above a whisper.
"No." he moved closer to her. She looked up suddenly and met his gaze, but didn't say anything. He leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips. For a moment she lost her self in the kiss and ignored the little voice in the back of her head that insisted that this was wrong, but then the voice won out and she pulled away.
"Chakotay, I…" she couldn't finish
"What?"
"I don't think…" she stopped again, but he knew exactly what she was going to say. He closed his eyes and leaned back with a sigh. "We can't" her voice caught in her throat.
Chakotay stood up and began pacing the room, "why not?" he demanded. When she didn't answer he knelt down next to her and grabbed her arms, "why not? I deserve an answer!"
At that moment, when he looked into his eyes, she forgot every reason that she had thought of. Desperately she tried to remember.
"I love you, Kathryn, and you don't deserve to be alone, you deserve so much more than that." She was still silent, "and if you won't do it for yourself then do it for Shannon, she deserves a family."
Kathryn snapped out of it, "what are you saying?"
"I…I'm not sure," he leaned back again, "I guess that depends."
Kathryn tried to remember the reasons that this was wrong one last time but failing once again she leaned forward and kissed him. When they finally broke apart Chakotay asked, "Kathryn, will you marry me?"
She smiled at him, "What do you think?"
Chakotay was still apprehensive, "is that a yes?"
"Of course." She threw his arms around him and kissed him once more.
The end? (I haven't decided yet what do you think. Should I have a wedding episode, should Kathryn remember the reasons in the morning and string him out a little longer or should I just leave it as it is? Tell me in a review or E-mail me at Katy_j2001@yahoo.com )