"I Think I'll Keep You"
VoyagerFanatic:
The former crewmembers of voyager crowded into Ten-Forward for the memorial service. A handful had tear streaks on their faces. Some were there just for the sole purpose of comforting their friends or just to pay their respects to Seven. But most, like the senior officers, were too numb from the shock of her death even to cry.
Admiral Janeway stood with her back to the crowd. She wasn't really thinking about the ship... the Enterprise crew was fully capable of running it. She stared down at the neatly folded brown cloth in her hands. She fingered the coloured knots on it and looked out the window at the stars streaking by.
She had always found comfort in the view, the familiar backdrop of her life. It helped clear her thoughts, helped her organise them. Unfortunately, at the moment it wasn't doing her any good at all. Her thoughts and emotions were swirling around in her head in a tornado of frightening power. After trying unsuccessfully to blot out everything in her mind, she gave up and pinched the bridge of her nose, massaging it up and down, attempting to fight back the mammoth headache that she could feel coming on. She squeezed her eyes shut and let out an involuntary sigh.
Chakotay stepped into Ten-Forward. A few people stopped talking and turned towards their first officer for a couple of seconds before returning to their conversations. The instant B'Elanna caught sight of him entering, she leaped off the sofa that she and several other senior officers were sitting on and rushed towards him. Chakotay never knew the engineer to be the hugging sort so he was a little surprised when she threw her arms around him and gave him a tight squeeze.
"I'm so sorry Chakotay. I know you had your problems but still... it must be tough."
He opened his mouth to say that she had no idea how hard it was, but decided against it. Instead he nodded in acknowledgement, then said "Listen B'Elanna, have you seen Captain...I mean Admiral Janeway? I need to have a word with her."
B'Elanna looked a little taken back by his casual tone of voice but decided not to comment on it. "Well, I thought I saw her over in that corner," she replied, pointing with her index finger to the far corner of Ten-Forward.
Chakotay did a quick scan of the sector of Ten-Forward that B'Elanna had indicated and spotted a auburn coloured head at the far corner. He excused himself from B'Elanna and walked hurriedly towards the admiral, leaving B'Elanna with her mouth hanging open.
He saw that Kathryn was clutching something in her hand. She looked like she wanted to be left alone for a while. Cautiously, he went forward and tapped her shoulder. Her eyes shot opened and she jumped, dropping the thing in her hand. Chakotay bent down to retrieve when he realised that it was the blanket that Seven had offered to give him while they were on Voyager, after they were stranded on a planet. He picked it up and examined it. "I didn't know she kept it," he said quietly.
"She adored it. She said so in her will. She wanted you to have it if anything happened to her."
He stared at it in silence.
"Its time for me to start the service." Janeway said quietly. She moved towards the centre of the room, called for everyone's attention and started speaking.
"I've already made my remarks so I'll keep this brief, them open the podium to you. Seven was a friend to all, and many of us had the privilege of guiding her through her journey towards humanity. She will be remembered by..."
Chakotay wasn't really listening. He bundled the brown material up and held it in his hand. He turned to look out on the vast expanse of space and turned back to stare at the course brown blanket. A single teardrop ran down his face and he whispered, barely audible, "I think I'll keep you."
VoyagerFanatic:
The former crewmembers of voyager crowded into Ten-Forward for the memorial service. A handful had tear streaks on their faces. Some were there just for the sole purpose of comforting their friends or just to pay their respects to Seven. But most, like the senior officers, were too numb from the shock of her death even to cry.
Admiral Janeway stood with her back to the crowd. She wasn't really thinking about the ship... the Enterprise crew was fully capable of running it. She stared down at the neatly folded brown cloth in her hands. She fingered the coloured knots on it and looked out the window at the stars streaking by.
She had always found comfort in the view, the familiar backdrop of her life. It helped clear her thoughts, helped her organise them. Unfortunately, at the moment it wasn't doing her any good at all. Her thoughts and emotions were swirling around in her head in a tornado of frightening power. After trying unsuccessfully to blot out everything in her mind, she gave up and pinched the bridge of her nose, massaging it up and down, attempting to fight back the mammoth headache that she could feel coming on. She squeezed her eyes shut and let out an involuntary sigh.
Chakotay stepped into Ten-Forward. A few people stopped talking and turned towards their first officer for a couple of seconds before returning to their conversations. The instant B'Elanna caught sight of him entering, she leaped off the sofa that she and several other senior officers were sitting on and rushed towards him. Chakotay never knew the engineer to be the hugging sort so he was a little surprised when she threw her arms around him and gave him a tight squeeze.
"I'm so sorry Chakotay. I know you had your problems but still... it must be tough."
He opened his mouth to say that she had no idea how hard it was, but decided against it. Instead he nodded in acknowledgement, then said "Listen B'Elanna, have you seen Captain...I mean Admiral Janeway? I need to have a word with her."
B'Elanna looked a little taken back by his casual tone of voice but decided not to comment on it. "Well, I thought I saw her over in that corner," she replied, pointing with her index finger to the far corner of Ten-Forward.
Chakotay did a quick scan of the sector of Ten-Forward that B'Elanna had indicated and spotted a auburn coloured head at the far corner. He excused himself from B'Elanna and walked hurriedly towards the admiral, leaving B'Elanna with her mouth hanging open.
He saw that Kathryn was clutching something in her hand. She looked like she wanted to be left alone for a while. Cautiously, he went forward and tapped her shoulder. Her eyes shot opened and she jumped, dropping the thing in her hand. Chakotay bent down to retrieve when he realised that it was the blanket that Seven had offered to give him while they were on Voyager, after they were stranded on a planet. He picked it up and examined it. "I didn't know she kept it," he said quietly.
"She adored it. She said so in her will. She wanted you to have it if anything happened to her."
He stared at it in silence.
"Its time for me to start the service." Janeway said quietly. She moved towards the centre of the room, called for everyone's attention and started speaking.
"I've already made my remarks so I'll keep this brief, them open the podium to you. Seven was a friend to all, and many of us had the privilege of guiding her through her journey towards humanity. She will be remembered by..."
Chakotay wasn't really listening. He bundled the brown material up and held it in his hand. He turned to look out on the vast expanse of space and turned back to stare at the course brown blanket. A single teardrop ran down his face and he whispered, barely audible, "I think I'll keep you."