Chakotay had picked her 15 minutes later, in the Delta Flyer; still he did not reveal their destination. They had spent the first half an hour talking about what they've been up to since getting home, but Kathryn didn't tell him about her affair with Mark, now didn't seem like the right time – if there is a right time to tell someone that you're sleeping with a married man. They were now sat in silence, both lost in private thoughts. Wondering where they were going, Kathryn looked at the coordinates, it seemed familiar. Then she realized where they were heading – Chakotay was taking her with him to face some demons from his past.
Finally they came in orbit around a small moon; Chakotay brought the shuttle down in to a gentle landing in a small clearing. They got out and walked towards a tall standing stone on it was a bronze plaque. This was the moon of Tevlik; the Maquis base during the Dominion War, the plaque was to commemorate the dead.
Kathryn read the list of names, some she recognized, then something hit her, if Chakotay hadn't been in the Badlands his name would be…she shook her head slightly to rid of the thought. "I didn't know Starfleet did this already."
Chakotay replied softly, "They didn't. Sveta and some of the other Maquis did this all on their own."
Kathryn nodded, and then slipped a comforting arm around his waist, his arm came up and draped across her shoulder, they stood like that, wordlessly thinking. Slowly they turned and walked back to the shuttle. As they lifted off, Kathryn turned to Chakotay. "I'm glad out destinies coincided. It was a privilege to have you at my side these past seven years."
He smiled, "And it was a privilege to serve with you Captain."
Kathryn laughed and held up a hand in protest. "Kathryn. I'm not your captain anymore."
"You'll always be captain to me." He joked.
Suddenly serious she looked in to his dark eyes. "I hope not."
****
It was the next morning, Kathryn sat on her sofa in the living area, eating a slice of toast and drinking some coffee when her laptop beeped.
She hit the button to answer it to find Mark staring back at her. "Mark." She smiled.
"Hey, Kath." He smiled back. "I can't talk for long, but I was wondering if you wanted to come round tonight for dinner."
Kathryn smiled again, almost looking twisted and evil. "Will the dog be out?"
"Kath!" Mark raised his voice.
"I was talking about Molly, dear." She continued to smile at him.
"I know exactly who you were talking about. And Carla will be in; I want you to meet her."
Kathryn's mouth dropped opened, before she gave him her twisted smile. "So I can tell her that I'm shagging her husband."
"1900 hours." Mark said before ending the transmission.
Kathryn laughed to herself, maybe she would go and met Carla, see what she was like, get to know her – see why Mark loved her…
****
Half an hour later, Kathryn left the house, she was planning to meet Samantha Wildman and Naomi, Sam's daughter, and spend the day shopping. Who knows maybe I'll find a nice dress for tonight.
****
"This is the shop!" Naomi shouted as she ran in to the clothes shop. Kathryn looked at the name, Chic, Naomi had been going on about this shop all day, saying how 'nice' the clothes were, Sam followed Naomi in, Kathryn close behind.
"I'll be over there." Naomi then ran off to the Teenager section, even though she was only five, she did look more like a teenager thanks to her being half Ktarian, which also made her quick leaner and smarter than a Human five year old.
Sam and Kathryn smiled as they walked over to the Adult Female section, Kathryn instantly went to the dresses and started looking through them as Sam browsed through them.
"So what are you looking for?" Sam asked pulling out a red dress then putting it back.
"Something…nice." Something lovely that shows off everything so Mark won't be able to keep his eyes off me. "Like I said he invited me around for dinner at his place and I want something nice." Something sexy so when we're alone his hands wont stop touching me. Kathryn pulled out a black mini dress with a very low cut front, like this.
Sam saw it, grabbed it off her and hanged it back up, then looked at Kathryn's shocked face. "Sorry, but that had slut written all over it."
Kathryn continued at stare at Sam, maybe that's what I wanted, then Sam handed her a dress, it was like the one she had just put back expect it came to the knees and the front wasn't as low.
"This is nice." Sam said holding it up to Kathryn to see if it looked right.
Kathryn took it of her and stood in front of the mirror, it did look nice. This will do, she smiled to herself. "Now, I need some shoes."
****
Kathryn glanced at the clock; she had just over half an hour to get ready. She had just come out of the shower and was walking in to her bedroom. She went over to the wardrobe and pulled out her new black dress, laid it on the bed then unwrapped the towel from her hair and dropped it on the floor, followed by her dressing robe. She picked up the dress and slipped in to it, then looked in the full length mirror, Sam was right the dress was lovely. She then went to her dressing table, picked up a brush and ran it through her hair, when the knots were out she tied it up in a clip, leaving a few strains hanging out at the front. Then she picked up some pink eye shadow and brushed it over her eyelids, when that was done she put the small pot and brush down then picked up some lipstick, it was a natural colour which she wanted. After that she picked up a pair of earrings, a pair of blue studs, and put them on. She looked in to her mirror, something's missing, she looked through her jewellery box to pull out a necklace, it was a thin gold chin with a heart at the end, Mark had given it to her as a birthday present when they fist started going out. She put it on then picked up her shoes by the bedroom door and went to the sofa to put them on. She had chosen black high heel slip on that went with her dress. Kathryn stood, feeling funny in high heels, and went to the front door, took her coat of the hook on the wall, put it on the walked out, sealing the door behind her.
****
Kathryn knocked at the door and was surprised at how quickly it opened. She looked up to find a woman standing in the doorway. She looked younger than Kathryn and Mark, with straight brown shoulder length hair and brown eyes; she was in a long red dress.
"Kathryn Janeway?" she asked.
Kathryn smiled, "The one and only."
"Come in."
Kathryn walked in to the house and in to the living room, when she turned around the woman was standing in front of her, Kathryn jumped back.
"I'm Carla, Mark's in the kitchen, dinners almost ready." She told her, and then asked, "Can I hang your coat up?"
Kathryn took her coat off and handed it to Carla who went in the hall to hang it up, already Kathryn didn't like her…
****
20 minutes later, they were sat at the dinning table eating desert: ice cream cake with cream. Mark put the three bowls on the table, one in front of Carla, one for Kathryn and one for him.
"So, Kathryn what's it like being back on Earth?" Carla asked.
Kathryn shrugged, "It's hard getting use to the changes around here," She looked at Mark who stared back at her she smiled as she ate some of her desert. "Mark you'll have to tell me what cream this is, I've never tasted it before, and I might need some that tastes nice." She gave him a wicked grin, Mark looked away from her.
"You make deserts?" Carla looked at Kathryn.
No you stupid cow, its to go all over me so your husband can lick it off, Kathryn smiled, "Sometimes, but I mainly strawberries and cream, just never tasted this cream before." She looked at Mark again and gave him a saucy smile before eating again.
"Mark likes strawberries and cream." Carla informed her, "I don't like strawberries."
"I know Mark does." You bitch I went out with him remember, you stole him from me; he used to eat them off me! She screamed at Carla in her head.
Carla smiled, uncomfortably and said nothing.
Kathryn eyes at Mark, then a wicked idea flashed at her. She slipped her foot out of her shoe; glad they slipped on, and then ran it up Mark's leg.
Mark's head snapped to her, Kathryn just smiled as Mark continued to stare at her, almost looking like he was going to tell her to stop. Carla watched them; not knowing what was going on.
Mark looked away from Kathryn who looked down at her bowl to eat, her foot rested on his knee, and then she slid it down to his thigh then to her target.
Mark coughed, half choking on his food, at her touch.
Carla looked up at him, "Are you alright?"
Mark nodded. "Wrong hole." He said then coughed a bit more. He looked at Kathryn, she smiled at him, and then looked away, Mark continued to stare at her before looking at Carla. "I'm fine." He reassured her before eating again.
Carla stared at Kathryn, who smiled at her, but Carla could tell it was fake, she could see Kathryn's hatred towards her in her eyes. Carla didn't trust her; she would have to sort her out, sooner than later…
****
Kathryn walked in to her apartment, pushing the door shut, leaned against it and sighed. The evening went well, she saw that Carla was a bitch, didn't know anything about – and didn't want to – and had no idea why Mark loved her, and the only time she got to kiss Mark was when the dog put their son, Kevin, to bed.
Kathryn took her coat off and hanged it up then walked in to her bedroom, kicking off her shoes on the way. She took the clip out of her hair and slung it on the dressing table, she felt angry, angry that she didn't have Mark and now he was sleeping with that dog. She could feel the tears stinging her eyes, as she went to the bed and pulled off her dress. Then in a surge of anger, she tore the back of the dress, the fabric ripped easily, then she threw it across the room, the tears now streaming down her cheeks.
Kathryn climbed in to bed, pulled the covers up to her chin and buried her head in to the pillow, trying to calm herself with no success. Seven years of not crying were now coming out, seven years of pain, loss, and she had kept it all in. she was now crying so hard that she felt sick, she rolled on to her side and tucked her legs up, aware that she was in nothing, she didn't care, she didn't want to get dress.
After a few minutes Kathryn had stopped crying, she was now sat in the living area dress in an ankle length pink satin nightie. She picked up a bottle of vodka from the glass coffee table and took a long sip from it, before returning it back to the table. She wasn't normally a drinker, only a few glasses of wine on special occasions or if she was having dinner with someone, but never like this. You're feeling sorry for yourself, that's why, she picked up the bottle again, but it was empty, so she put it down and said. "Another bottle of vodka." She went over to the repacator and picked up the new bottle then sat down. She picked up the bottle opener off the table and took off the cap and slung the opener back down. Then she drank, and carried on drinking for the next two hours before going to bed.
