I finally was able to get a few more chapters done. Hope you enjoy...more to come!
The weeks turned into months and before long Kathryn was almost four months along in her pregnancy. With some of the problems she experienced early on, the Doctor requested she make regular visits to sickbay to make sure everything was fine. The only problem she was having was keeping any food down. Some days she couldn't stomach eating anything and Chakotay had to practically force her to eat. Other days when it seemed like she could eat something, she proceeded to throw it back up not too long afterwards. Chakotay was concerned that she hadn't gained that much weight, but the Doctor assured them both that although her weight hadn't increased tremendously, everything was still progressing fine.
For Kathryn, Chakotay was there every step of the way. Since that first night she stayed with him in his quarters, they were inseparable. Most evenings they had dinner together and would talk or relax in each other's company. On some occasions Kathryn's fears would begin to resurface and Chakotay would listen to her and try to offer as much support as he could. No matter whose quarters they were in, they both slept together...Chakotay with his arms protectively wrapped around her. She mentioned to him once that she felt like she was relying on him way too much, but he quickly shut her up with a passionate kiss that was happily returned. The crew noticed the change between the two and were happy. It seemed to boost the morale on the ship, even though they still didn't know as to the reason why.
One evening as they were having dinner in Kathryn's quarters, Chakotay brought up telling the crew about her pregnancy. "You know, I think we should start telling the crew about your pregnancy before they begin to wonder why their Captain is getting fat." Kathryn looked at him with her death glare and proceeded to throw a roll, nailing him square in the chest. "Hey, I was only teasing!" He looked up, giving her that dimpled smile he knew she couldn't resist.
"I was actually thinking of telling the senior staff during our meeting in the morning. They have a right to know before the rest of the crew. Besides, I'm sure that by the end of the meeting, Tom will have found some way of communicating it to everyone else." They both laughed at the thought.
Once dinner was finished, Chakotay took the candles from the table and placed them sporadically in the main room of Kathryn's quarters. He then replicated several more and placed them in various spots. Kathryn eyed him suspiciously, "Chakotay, what are you doing?"
"You'll see...just trust me." When he finished placing all the candles around, he walked over to her and held out his hand. She took it and he walked her over to the center of the room. "Computer, decrease lights to 10%." The lights dimmed, but candlelight now took over. The lights bounced off the ceiling and walls. "Chakotay this is beautiful, but what are you up to?"
"Computer, play Chakotay number 0715." The familiar chirp of the computer was heard and then soft music began to play. "I love you Kathryn. You complete me like know one else I thought ever could. Dance with me?" All Kathryn could do was nod her head. Chakotay pulled her closer to him and they began to dance.
There you are in the early light of day
There you are in the quiet words I pray
I've been blessed by the simple happiness
Of the perfect love we've made
Chorus:
Every time I turn around
When I'm lost and when I'm found
Like an angel standing guard
There you are
Every time I take a breath
And when I forget to breathe
You're watching over me
There you are
When I'm looking for the light
In the middle of the night
Searching for the brightest star
There you are
There you are standing in a crowded room
There you are, the earth and I'm the moon
My desire is to stand by the fire
That burns inside of you.
Repeat Chorus
When I'm looking for the light in the middle of the night
Searching for the brightest star
There you are
There you are
There you are
When the music ended, Kathryn had her head against Chakotay's chest. He stepped back, putting his finger under her chin, and brought her face up to meet his. He could see the slight remnant of tears in the flickering candlelight. He moved his fingers up and began to wipe away the tears. "After Justin and Mark, I never thought I would find anyone or for that matter love anyone again. It's strange what life can throw at us sometimes." With that she took his hand and walked him into the bedroom. Once there she slowly began to undo her shirt and pull it off.
"Kathryn, what are you doing?"
"I want you to make love to me tonight. Just as we did on New Earth. Don't worry, I checked with the Doctor and he said everything would be perfectly fine." She moved forward and started to undo his shirt as well. She missed running her hands along his bare chest.
"I don't want to hurt you..." Kathryn brought her fingers up to his lips to silence him. "Like I said, don't worry. The Doctor said everything would be just fine."
Needing no more reassurance, Chakotay picked up Kathryn and laid her gently on the bed. They spent most of the night making love, finally falling asleep in the early hours of the morning.
The song is titled "There You Are" by Martina McBride. The song inspired me to title my story with the same name. I thought it was rather fitting.