Writing History Part 6
By Kate O'Riley
=/\=
It was another week before the Doctor deemed her sufficiently recovered to return home. They were in front of their door when.
"Wait," Kathryn hissed.
Chakotay froze. "What?" he whispered.
"I heard something. From inside the house. Someone talking."
Chakotay frowned. "Stay here. I'll see what it is."
He opened the door and.
"Welcome home!" came the shouts of a roomful of people.
"Oh no! It's Chakotay!" Someone said in horror.
"Thanks for the compliment. Why are you in my house? Tom, you look guilty."
Tom stepped forward. "It's a surprise welcome home party?" he said sheepishly.
"That much I can see. Why are you in my house? Or, more accurately, how?"
"Um, my fault," An equally sheepish B'Elanna stepped forward. "I picked the lock."
"But it was my idea." Tom added. "We were hoping for the captain to come in."
"Well, I appreciate the gesture, but you might have let Chakotay know." Janeway lightly scolded them. Then she smiled. "It was certainly a surprise, at any rate."
The crew had planned everything. There was enough food to last for weeks, an incredibly large cake, and more ice cream then they'd had the entire time they were in the Delta Quadrant. They'd even been thoughtful enough to replicate coffee flavored ice cream. The house was absolutely covered in banners and streamers, and presents were stacked nearly to the ceiling of the living room.
Most of the presents, they found out, involved something to do with a. coffee, or b. the baby. This was obvious when she unwrapped one baby blanket, and instantly, a dozen various crewmembers got worried looks. When she unwrapped a pack of gourmet coffees, another dozen did the same. But she made sure to thank the giver of each one, and act like she didn't already have five of them in the pile over there.
Finally, she had gone through all the presents, the cake was eaten, and the remaining ice cream was a huge puddle on the floor. The senior officers worked on getting everyone out of the house. Unfortunately, they didn't count in the fact that everyone wanted to talk to the captain. Finally, B'Elanna stood on a chair and yelled.
"QUIET!" Everyone stopped and stared at her. "Thank you. That's much better. Now, I know you want to talk to the captain, but she needs some rest. So, each and every one of you will go home. The ones who aren't from Earth, go back to my house. You can all contact her and talk to her *after* she's gotten some rest. Tomorrow. Understood?" Instantly, a dozen of them saluted her and a chorus of voices gave a loud "Aye, sir!". She rolled her eyes and stepped down from the chair. She sighed. "Well, at least being half Klingon gave me strong lungs."
It still took another fifteen minutes to herd all but the officers out. They stayed behind to clean up. B'Elanna brought Miral over to be held by Kathryn. As tired as she was, she still loved holding the baby. Miral was several months old, and considerably bigger. She was learning to sit up on her own, and loved to laugh and smile. Obviously, she had her father's sense of humor.
Finally, everyone had gone except B'Elanna and Seven. Tom had had to get back to his own house in a hurry, "or they'll wreck it!". Kathryn admired Tom and B'Elanna for offering to keep the non-Earth crew, since there were at least 50. B'Elanna helped Chakotay haul all the gifts to their proper places. Seven had helped where she could, but she was obviously uncomfortable about something.
Kathryn noticed this. While Chakotay and B'Elanna were busy discussing how they could fit the coffee into the kitchen, she beckoned Seven over and patted the seat next to her. "Sit down, Seven. I'd like to talk to you."
Seven sat down stiffly. "Yes, Captain?"
"I'm not your commanding officer anymore, Seven. Call me Kathryn. You seemed unhappy about something. What's wrong?"
Seven looked down. She was quite obviously uncomfortable. Finally, she looked back up. "I have a confession to make. While we were inside your mind.Mr. Paris was not the only one to see your memories."
"Oh?"
"I saw.I saw that you hated me. You thought I took Commander Chakotay away from you. I.don't want you to hate me." The last was a whisper.
"Oh, Seven," Kathryn picked up her hand. "Yes, there was a period when I did hate you. But I stopped that, long ago. You're still so new to being human. I think you were confused. And it wasn't just your fault. Chakotay had a lot to do with it."
She shifted the now-sleeping Miral slightly and leaned over more. "Seven, the reason I hated you was because I considered you one of my dearest friends, and I hated the fact that it seemed two of the people I couldn't imagine my life without had betrayed me. But I forgave you long ago. Do you forgive me?"
Seven could only nod. Then, to Kathryn's surprise, she burst out crying. Kathryn gently shifted Miral some more and stood up. She walked over to Seven and gave her a gentle hug. "It's all right, Seven. Everything's all right," she repeated over and over. Chakotay walked in, followed by B'Elanna, and gave a befuddled glance. She gave a shrug. I'll explain later, she mouthed. He nodded and herded B'Elanna back to the kitchen.
Finally, Seven finished crying. "I'm sorry," she choked out.
"That's all right, Seven. It's just a sign that you're human. It's good, believe it or not."
Seven looked at her, relief in her eyes. "Thank you.Kathryn."
Kathryn gave her a smile, before she turned and left.
Chakotay and B'Elanna re-entered the room. "What was that about?" B'Elanna asked.
Kathryn handed Miral back to her. "I don't have the liberty to tell you, B'Elanna, I'm sorry. Thank you for helping clean up. We'll see you later."
B'Elanna looked slightly miffed, but she took her daughter and left.
"Well?" Chakotay asked as the door closed behind her.
"Chakotay, I'm really not at liberty to say."
He nodded. "All right. I'll accept that. Now, time to get some rest."
=/\=
Part 7 coming soon.
=/\=
It was another week before the Doctor deemed her sufficiently recovered to return home. They were in front of their door when.
"Wait," Kathryn hissed.
Chakotay froze. "What?" he whispered.
"I heard something. From inside the house. Someone talking."
Chakotay frowned. "Stay here. I'll see what it is."
He opened the door and.
"Welcome home!" came the shouts of a roomful of people.
"Oh no! It's Chakotay!" Someone said in horror.
"Thanks for the compliment. Why are you in my house? Tom, you look guilty."
Tom stepped forward. "It's a surprise welcome home party?" he said sheepishly.
"That much I can see. Why are you in my house? Or, more accurately, how?"
"Um, my fault," An equally sheepish B'Elanna stepped forward. "I picked the lock."
"But it was my idea." Tom added. "We were hoping for the captain to come in."
"Well, I appreciate the gesture, but you might have let Chakotay know." Janeway lightly scolded them. Then she smiled. "It was certainly a surprise, at any rate."
The crew had planned everything. There was enough food to last for weeks, an incredibly large cake, and more ice cream then they'd had the entire time they were in the Delta Quadrant. They'd even been thoughtful enough to replicate coffee flavored ice cream. The house was absolutely covered in banners and streamers, and presents were stacked nearly to the ceiling of the living room.
Most of the presents, they found out, involved something to do with a. coffee, or b. the baby. This was obvious when she unwrapped one baby blanket, and instantly, a dozen various crewmembers got worried looks. When she unwrapped a pack of gourmet coffees, another dozen did the same. But she made sure to thank the giver of each one, and act like she didn't already have five of them in the pile over there.
Finally, she had gone through all the presents, the cake was eaten, and the remaining ice cream was a huge puddle on the floor. The senior officers worked on getting everyone out of the house. Unfortunately, they didn't count in the fact that everyone wanted to talk to the captain. Finally, B'Elanna stood on a chair and yelled.
"QUIET!" Everyone stopped and stared at her. "Thank you. That's much better. Now, I know you want to talk to the captain, but she needs some rest. So, each and every one of you will go home. The ones who aren't from Earth, go back to my house. You can all contact her and talk to her *after* she's gotten some rest. Tomorrow. Understood?" Instantly, a dozen of them saluted her and a chorus of voices gave a loud "Aye, sir!". She rolled her eyes and stepped down from the chair. She sighed. "Well, at least being half Klingon gave me strong lungs."
It still took another fifteen minutes to herd all but the officers out. They stayed behind to clean up. B'Elanna brought Miral over to be held by Kathryn. As tired as she was, she still loved holding the baby. Miral was several months old, and considerably bigger. She was learning to sit up on her own, and loved to laugh and smile. Obviously, she had her father's sense of humor.
Finally, everyone had gone except B'Elanna and Seven. Tom had had to get back to his own house in a hurry, "or they'll wreck it!". Kathryn admired Tom and B'Elanna for offering to keep the non-Earth crew, since there were at least 50. B'Elanna helped Chakotay haul all the gifts to their proper places. Seven had helped where she could, but she was obviously uncomfortable about something.
Kathryn noticed this. While Chakotay and B'Elanna were busy discussing how they could fit the coffee into the kitchen, she beckoned Seven over and patted the seat next to her. "Sit down, Seven. I'd like to talk to you."
Seven sat down stiffly. "Yes, Captain?"
"I'm not your commanding officer anymore, Seven. Call me Kathryn. You seemed unhappy about something. What's wrong?"
Seven looked down. She was quite obviously uncomfortable. Finally, she looked back up. "I have a confession to make. While we were inside your mind.Mr. Paris was not the only one to see your memories."
"Oh?"
"I saw.I saw that you hated me. You thought I took Commander Chakotay away from you. I.don't want you to hate me." The last was a whisper.
"Oh, Seven," Kathryn picked up her hand. "Yes, there was a period when I did hate you. But I stopped that, long ago. You're still so new to being human. I think you were confused. And it wasn't just your fault. Chakotay had a lot to do with it."
She shifted the now-sleeping Miral slightly and leaned over more. "Seven, the reason I hated you was because I considered you one of my dearest friends, and I hated the fact that it seemed two of the people I couldn't imagine my life without had betrayed me. But I forgave you long ago. Do you forgive me?"
Seven could only nod. Then, to Kathryn's surprise, she burst out crying. Kathryn gently shifted Miral some more and stood up. She walked over to Seven and gave her a gentle hug. "It's all right, Seven. Everything's all right," she repeated over and over. Chakotay walked in, followed by B'Elanna, and gave a befuddled glance. She gave a shrug. I'll explain later, she mouthed. He nodded and herded B'Elanna back to the kitchen.
Finally, Seven finished crying. "I'm sorry," she choked out.
"That's all right, Seven. It's just a sign that you're human. It's good, believe it or not."
Seven looked at her, relief in her eyes. "Thank you.Kathryn."
Kathryn gave her a smile, before she turned and left.
Chakotay and B'Elanna re-entered the room. "What was that about?" B'Elanna asked.
Kathryn handed Miral back to her. "I don't have the liberty to tell you, B'Elanna, I'm sorry. Thank you for helping clean up. We'll see you later."
B'Elanna looked slightly miffed, but she took her daughter and left.
"Well?" Chakotay asked as the door closed behind her.
"Chakotay, I'm really not at liberty to say."
He nodded. "All right. I'll accept that. Now, time to get some rest."
=/\=
Part 7 coming soon.