Star Trek Voyager characters are the property of Paramount Pictures.
CHAPTER FOUR
ALTERATION
B'Elanna sat alone in the Mess Hall, glad of the five minutes solitude. She tucked into her plate of banana pancakes, deliciously topped with chocolate ice cream. From the corner of her eye, she saw the Captain enter the room, followed by Chakotay. She turned to look at them. They had evidently been arguing and, from their harsh whispers, were arguing still. B'Elanna turned away and tried not to listen to what they were saying, but it was impossible not to overhear their conversation as she was the only other person in the room, except Neelix who was busy in the kitchen.
"At least have dinner with me tonight," Chakotay said, following the Captain over to the spread of food Neelix had prepared.
"I'm busy tonight," she replied curtly.
"Tomorrow, then."
"I have things to do."
"Then Thursday or Friday."
"I'm busy."
A silence followed and B'Elanna tucked harder into the pancakes, wishing she could make herself invisible.
"But we have to talk, Kathryn. If I've done something to upset you, at least tell me what it is."
"Chakotay, just accept that I have..."
"I won't accept anything until you tell me what's going on. One moment everything is wonderful between us and the next you can't even bear to be around me. At least tell me why..."
A plate slammed onto the table. "Alright, Chakotay, I'll tell you why. I'm your Captain, you're my First Officer. That's the way it should be and that's the way it should stay."
"But that's no longer an issue..."
"It is to me!"
B'Elanna heard Chakotay's desperation in his voice. "Kathryn..."
"It's over between us, Chakotay."
"I don't accept that."
"Then start accepting it."
Another silence. B'Elanna wondered whether she should try and slip out of the room, but found herself rooted to her chair, hardly even daring to breathe.
"I don't understand this, Kathryn," Chakotay replied. "Not after everything that's happened ... not after everything we've shared ..."
The Captain's voice was a slight tremor now too. "People change, Chakotay."
"So much, so soon?"
"I was wrong. I thought I loved you, I thought we could make it work, but I was wrong. I don't love you, Chakotay. It was a mistake. Everything between us was a mistake. You'll never be the man I need and I'll never be the woman for you. I'm sorry."
B'Elanna heard footsteps and from the corner of her eye saw the Captain leave the room. She turned slowly to Chakotay and saw that he was leaning, palms down, on the table, his body taut as he struggled not to cry. BElanna thought of going over to him, of trying to comfort him somehow, but he was blind to her presence, and disappeared through the opposite door.
B'Elanna sat stunned, not sure what to think, what to do. It didn't make sense. Chakotay and the Captain had seemed so happy together...
Neelix approached her. "Did you hear that?"
B'Elanna nodded.
"Poor Commander Chakotay. He idolizes the Captain. How could she say those things?"
"Because she's Starfleet," B'Elanna said, anger beginning to set in now. "She thinks he's not good enough for her."
"That doesn't sound like Captain Janeway."
"Think about it, Neelix. Chakotay's a Maquis. She's worried about her precious reputation. She goes on about how we Maquis are part of her crew, how she accepts us as equals, but it's all just talk. She's a hypocrite and I've got a good mind to tell her what I think..."
She wiped her mouth with a napkin and stood up. Neelix stepped closer and put his hand on her arm.
"Now, Lieutenant, you don't want to do anything hasty..."
B'Elanna stepped away from him. "I know what I'm doing."
Kathryn sat behind her desk in her ready room and dabbed her wet eyes with her handkerchief. The door chimed and it was a moment before she was able to compose herself.
"Come in."
The door opened and B'Elanna came in. Kathryn tried to look as natural as possible. "What can I do for you, Lieutenant?"
B'Elanna ignored her words and stormed over to the desk. "How could you?"
Kathryn swallowed nervously, feeling more vulnerable than usual. "What do you mean?"
"Chakotay. How could you do that to him?"
"Do what?"
"I heard you...in the Mess Hall. I heard everything you said to him... How could you tell him he was a mistake?"
Kathryn stood up, anger surfacing in her too. "You had no right to listen to a private conversation."
"Well, it was pretty hard not too! But I'm glad I heard it, because now I see you for the true self that you are! You pretend you're whiter than white, that you're so kind and compassionate, that we Maquis are as valued as any Starfleet member of this crew, but it's all lies."
"You're out of line, Lieutenant..."
"You think Chakotay's not good enough for you because of his past. Well you're wrong, Captain. He's a damn sight too good for you!"
Tears welled in Kathryn's eyes and B'Elanna's eyes also moistened now that she had released her anger. Without a word, she left the room.
It was past midnight and the ship was quiet. Chakotay lay in bed and tried in vain to make sense of what had happened. He and Kathryn had been so happy, at least until this last week, and everything had been going so well. He knew it was possible that she had stopped loving him, or had realized she had never loved him in the first place, but every instinct told him that was not the case. There had to be something more, something she wasn't telling him.
Suddenly, his bedroom doors opened and a silhouette form entered in the starlight. It was Kathryn. She was dressed in a robe of white satin and it shimmered as it caught the silver light.
Chakotay sat up. "Kathryn?"
Without a word, she sat on the edge of his bed. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry I've hurt you."
Chakotay tentatively put a hand on her shoulder. "Something's going on that you haven't told me. What is it? What's this really about?" He paused. "Is it something to do with Kashyk?"
"No," Kathryn said, looking up at him. "No, it's nothing to do with him. It's..." She paused, struggled with the words. "The away mission B'Elanna and I went on last week..."
"When you crash landed on a planet and the Flyer caught fire?"
Kathryn nodded. "The burns I got when I rescued B'Elanna, they..." She stopped, her frail body rigid with tension.
Chakotay caressed her arm softly. "What about them?"
"They were..." She paused, looked away, and then got to her feet. "It doesn't matter. Just forget I was here. Just forget everything..."
With that, she turned and left. Chakotay called after her, but she was gone.
The Doctor was busy working at a console when Chakotay arrived at sickbay.
"I didn't expect to find you working so hard this time of night," Chakotay said.
"You know what they say," the Doctor replied, "no rest for the good..." He put down the instrument in his hand. "What can I do for you?"
"I'm worried about the Captain," Chakotay answered. "She hasn't been herself for the past week and from what I understand, it's something to do with the injuries she received on the away mission last week."
The Doctor looked at him sadly. "You know I can't discuss a patient's details with anyone."
"But as her friend, aswell as her physician, you must be able to tell me something. Is she scarred?"
"I really can't divulge any information to you, Commander. If the Captain wishes to tell you about her condition, then it's up to her."
"Then she does have a condition?"
The Doctor bit his holographic lip at that slip up. "I can't answer that, Commander. If you want answers regarding the Captain's behavior, then she is the one to ask. I'm sorry."
"I understand," Chakotay said quietly. "I'm sorry to have troubled you."
With that, he turned around and left sickbay.
Early next morning, Chakotay found Kathryn alone in her ready room. She was sitting on a couch, drinking a coffee, and she looked very pale, tired, and there were dark circles under her eyes. He went over to her and sat beside her. She tensed at his proximity and didn't meet his eyes.
"'Love is not love that alters when it alteration finds," he began softly, "or bends with the remover to remove. No, it is an ever fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken." He paused. "I read those lines in a sonnet once and thought no truer words were ever spoken." He put his hand on her shoulder. "I love you, Kathryn. Do you really think scars could change how I feel about you?"
Kathryn broke away from him and got to her feet. When she spoke, her voice was quiet. "This isn't about scars, Chakotay. If only it were."
Chakotay looked up at her. "Then what is it about?"
Kathryn didn't answer.
"Kathryn?"
At the concerned kindness in his voice, Kathryn turned to look at him. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I should have told you straight away, I know that. But I thought it was better this way..."
"We have so much against us already," Chakotay said softly. "If our relationship is to have any chance, we have to be honest with each other, tell each other everything, no matter what it is..."
"I didn't want to hurt you," Kathryn said sincerely. "I thought it was better to end things between us than tell you the truth."
"You think ending things between us wouldn't hurt me?"
She lowered her eyes. "Not as much as the truth..."
Chakotay got to his feet. "I love you, Kathryn. Whatever happened to you, what ever is going on, I want to be here for you. All the time you try to handle things alone, and you don't have to any more." He put his hand on her arm. "Tell me what's wrong, Kathryn. Please."
Kathryn hesitated, but then spoke. "The Doctor didn't know how to treat me," she began. "My burns could be easily healed, but a sworm of parasites had invaded them and the Doctor didn't know how to get rid of them. They had attached themselves to almost all my vital organs, my spinal cord and my brain. To try and kill them or remove them could kill me, but to do nothing would certainly kill me as they were multiplying and feeding off my body like a cancer. While searching for a way to remove or kill the parasites, the Doctor found the Crell Moset program, the Cardassian doctor from hell, in our database. I'd blocked his deletion of the program, you see...just incase... I didn't think it was wrong to use his knowledge. Otherwise, all those people suffered for nothing..." She paused. "As I'd given my consent to Moset treating B'Elanna, the Doctor felt I would wish him to treat me. He told no one as he didn't want a repeat of the problems last time." She paused again. "Moset was able to save me, but only by changing my physiology. He found that Cardassian physiology was resistant to the parasites, so he and the Doctor worked together to alter my genetical make-up to make my body physically Cardassian. They were able to do that by extracting DNA from a stored sample of Seska's hair. The first thing I knew of it all was when I woke and found myself in a Cardassian body."
Kathryn wandered over to the window and looked out at the stars.
"I was furious with the Doctor for what he had done to me...terrified too...But he managed to calm me and told me it would only be a temporary measure until the parasites had died from lack of nourishment. In the meantime, he would inject me with a solution that would restore my human face so I would look my normal self." She paused. "But the parasites haven't died. They've gone into some kind of hibernation. Perhaps they'll die eventually, but perhaps they'll stay that way for years, which means I'll have to remain in a Cardassian body. I can't continue the cosmetic treatments as they've been making me ill... terrible headaches and neurolgia. The Doctor says I can only have several more or I risk permament brain damage. But discontinuing them will mean I'll look Cardassian again." She forced herself to turn to Chakotay. "Now you see why we can't be together anymore."
Chakotay bridged the gap between them and placed both his hands on her shoulders.
"Human or Cardassian, you are still you, Kathryn, and I love you."
"It's easy to say that now," Kathryn replied, "when you're looking at the human me. It won't be so easy when I look Cardassian."
"Nothing could change how I feel about you, Kathryn. No matter how your appearance changes, I will love you the same."
"No, Chakotay," she continued, "you couldn't possible feel the same. Every time you looked at me, you would be reminded of what happened to your family, to your people. I don't want that, don't want to serve as a reminder of all your deepest sufferings." She turned away from him again. "And I'm not going to captain this ship as a Cardassian. It would destroy the harmony that you and I have worked so hard to build up between our crews." She paused. "I'm going to tell the Doctor to restore my human physiology and let me die a natural death...a natural human death."
Chakotay turned her sharply towards him. "No, Kathryn...no way..."
"There's no other way, Chakotay...I can't captain this ship as a Cardassian..."
"You can and you will," Chakotay said firmly. "Even if you look Cardassian, you will never be a Cardassian. They are cruel, merciless, immoral. You are everything they are not. The Doctor was right to save your life anyway he could, and everyone on this ship will agree with me."
"Even B'Elanna?"
"After it happened, I talked to her," Chakotay said. "I made her see how having Moset save her life, made the deaths of his victims serve at least some good... What matters is keeping you alive..."
Anger began to surface in Kathryn now. "At any expense? You and the Maquis are not the only ones to have suffered at the hands of the Cardassians. You think I want to look in the mirror and see every day the face of those who tortured me?"
"So," he argued, "if you had been tortured by humans, you would have changed yourself into a Klingon?"
Kathryn could make no reply to that. "It would just be wrong, Chakotay. I can't captain this ship as a Cardassian."
"If you give up on life, if you don't fight this, who is going to get the crew home?"
"You will."
"And you're certain of that? I might be a good First Officer, but I'll never be the captain you are. You take risks that I wouldn't dare, and while I want this crew to get home, I just don't have the determination you do. You can't give up on this crew, on us, and even on life, just because of this..." He reached for her and gripped her arms firnly, but not tightly. "We'll get through this, Kathryn. We'll get through this together".
Kathryn looked desperately into his eyes. "Do you really think we can?"
Chakotay nodded. "Just believe it and trust me."
Chakotay helped Kathryn to sit on one of the biobeds while the Doctor emerged from his office to attend to her. He glanced nervously at Chakotay.
"It's alright, Doctor," Chakotay said, "I know everything."
The Doctor eased somewhat at that, but was still tense. "I had an opportunity to save the Captain's life, Commander. I had to take it."
"And I thank you for it," he smiled.
The Doctor turned to Kathryn. "How is the headache?"
"Better." She paused. "How many more treatments can I have?"
"I would recommend only three, Captain, four at most. Any more than that and there''s a strong likelihood of brain damage."
"I don't want you to have any," Chakotay said. "It's not worth the risk."
"I agree with the Commander," the Doctor continued. "Every treatment carries a potential fatal risk, and it increases every time."
Kathryn looked at them both in turn and could see in their eyes that this was a battle she wouldn't win.
"Alright," she said, half smiling. "You win."
The Doctor smiled. He then fell serious. "Without another treatment, your face will begin changing within the next half hour. It will be better if I put you to sleep. Otherwise the transformation will be quite painful."
"Understood," Kathryn said.
The Doctor picked up a hypospray that was next to the bed and fiddled with it for a moment. He then turned back to his patient.
"Lie down, Captain."
Kathryn resisted. "Give the Commander and I a moment, Doctor."
The Doctor gave a nod. "Very well."
As he disappeared into his office, Kathryn looked up at Chakotay.
"We don't have to do this. The Doctor can just as easily change me back to a human as he can preserve me as Cardassian."
"We're doing it," Chakotay said. "And I'll be right here when you wake up."
Kathryn lowered her eyes, obviously doubting...
Chakotay put his hand on her shoulder. "Nothing is going to change, Kathryn. Not between us, not between the crew. You will still be you."
Kathryn looked up at him. "Don't make any promises, Chakotay. You don't know..."
"I know how I feel, Kathryn," he said gently. "And I know how much I love you."
He put his hand to her cheek and then kissed her lips softly.
As they drew apart, the Doctor returned. "We really should proceed."
Kathryn lay down and the Doctor put the hypospray to her neck. In seconds, she was fast asleep.
Chakotay gazed at her sadly, trying to stifle the crushing pain at the thought of never seeing her beloved face again...
"It would be better if you left," the Doctor said kindly. "The transformation is a slow and unsightly process. I'll summon you when it's complete."
Chakotay nodded, and then reluctantly left Kathryn in the Doctor's care.
It had been two hours and still Chakotay waited in his quarters for a word from the Doctor. At last it came and he went immediately to sickbay. The Doctor was waiting for him.
"The transformation is complete."
Chakotay nodded.
The Doctor looked at him in concern. "Are you sure you're ready for this, Commander?"
"Yes," Chakotay replied.
He saw Kathryn's form lying on the biobed and hesitantly he walked over to her. His heart was thumping wildly in his chest. He wanted to fly a million light years from what was happening, but Kathryn needed him now more than she had ever needed him. He slowly worked his eyes up her body to her face, preparing to see a Cardassian countenance and preparing himself for whatever emotion that evoked...
But all he saw was Kathryn.
Even though she now had Cardassian features, she still looked like Kathryn... his Kathryn.
The Doctor put his hypospray to her neck and Kathryn's eyes fluttered open. For a moment she appeared disorientated, but then pain filled her eyes as her memory of events returned. "Am I...?"
The Doctor nodded. "You are completely Cardassian." He paused. "You may feel a little dizzy for a while, but it will soon pass."
Kathryn turned her head to the side, looking for Chakotay. "Chakotay?"
She felt a hand on hers and then saw him standing over her. "I'm here, Kathryn."
His eyes were moist, heavy, but as she looked into them, she saw only the love that had always been there.
An hour later, Kathryn was ready to leave sickbay.
"We're going to have to inform the crew," Chakotay said as she put on her Starfleet jacket.
"No," Kathryn said. "I've been thinking. There may be a way of hiding this from them."
Chakotay frowned. "How?"
"By saying I have the Vidian phage or something else contagious that has ravaged my appearance. All consultation can then be done over the comm and no one need know I'm Cardassian."
Chakotay put his hand on her shoulder. "You're not Cardassian, Kathryn. The Cardassians are..." he paused, suppressing the anger he felt at thinking what the Cardassians were... "culture is more than just appearance. It's about who you are, your ideals, beliefs. You will never be Cardassian."
"But the Maquis, Chakotay...how can they respect me as their Captain the way I look now?"
"Because you are the same Captain they have loved and respected for over six years. You have done nothing wrong. Dammit, Kathryn, the only reason you were injured was because you were trying to save B'Elanna's life. If you hadn't waded through those flames and dragged her to safety, she would be dead now." He paused. "The crew will accept you and give you the respect they always have. You have nothing to worry about, Kathryn, I promise you."
He smiled reassuringly, but Kathryn wished she could believe it as readily as he did.
The crew stood in stunned silence when Chakotay told them what had happened to the Captain. For a moment he was afraid the silence would erupt into a protestation from some of his more militant old crew members, but the silence only broke into quiet talk. Chakotay breathed in relief. He glanced at Tuvok, Tom, Seven, and then B'Elanna. She was staring at him, tears in her eyes. Chakotay cursed himself. He had been so caught up in Kathryn's well being that he had completely forgotten about B'Elanna's. He should have told her privately what had happened, not made her listen to it in the mess hall along with every other crew member. B'Elanna held his gaze for another moment, and then left the room.
The computer located B'Elanna in her quarters and Chakotay followed her there. She would not let him in so he used the override command. This time it worked. He found B'Elanna lying on her bed, weeping. He went over to her.
"I'm sorry, B'Ei. You shouldn't have found out that way."
B'Elanna sat up and wiped away her tears. "It's alright, Chakotay. You've had a lot on your mind."
He put his hand on her shoulder. "I know what you're thinking, but it wasn't your fault."
"She never would have been burned if it wasn't for me," she said. "And I was so horrible to her, Chakotay. She saved my life... suffered terribly because of it, and I..." She paused. "I will never forgive myself."
Chakotay edged closer. "When were you horrible to her?"
"Yesterday...I heard you in the Mess Hall, heard what she said to you. I was so angry. I thought she was casting you aside because you're a Maquis, because she thought herself too good for you. I stormed into her ready room and told her exactly what I thought of her." She clenched her fists angrily. "How could I have done that? How?"
Chakotay took her hand in his. "We all do and say things we don't mean. Don't be too hard on yourself."
"It's the Klingon in me. It makes me impetuous."
Chakotay squeezed her hand. "But whatever you said to her, it had an effect. I don't think she would have told me the truth otherwise. So, if anything, I should be thanking you."
B'Elanna smiled softly. "Nice try, but that doesn't make me feel any better."
"Then go and speak with the Captain. Your support right now will be invaluable."
B'Elanna hesitated, but then nodded. "I'll go right away."
Kathryn stood by her window and gazed out at the stars surrounding the ship. She knew Chakotay must have finished his speech by now, and was dreading the next few hours. To be despised would be unbearable enough, but to be pitied, that would be even worse.
Suddenly the door chime sounded. Kathryn took a deep breathe and turned around. "Come in."
B'Elanna came in. The two women looked at each other for a moment, but then B'Elanna hurried over to the Captain and took her in her arms. "I'm sorry," she whispered tearfully, "I'm so sorry, Captain."
Kathryn returned her embrace and held her tight. "It's alright, B'Elanna."
"You should have left me to die in that shuttle. My life wasn't worth the risking of yours. And now you..."
Kathryn held her tighter. "That's enough of that. You would have done the same thing for me."
B'Elanna drew away from her and studied the Captain's appearance. Tenderly, she touched the Captain's forehead, traced the Cardassian patterns.
"At least you're not Kobali," she said at last.
Kathryn had to smile at that. "Yes. Purple has never been my color."
B'Elanna drew the captain close again. "I'm sorry for what I said ... about you and Chakotay..."
"You were just protecting a friend."
"But you're my friend too, and I shouldn't have thought the worst of you. I should have known you had your reasons."
"It doesn't matter. It's forgotten already."
They held each other close until Neelix's voice sounded over the comm.
"Neelix to the Captain."
Kathryn drew away from B'Elanna. "Go ahead."
"Please come to the mess hall at once."
Kathryn bit her lip. She wasn't ready to face people. "Neelix, I..."
"No excuses allowed, Captain. Neelix out."
Kathryn inhaled sharply and B'Elanna could see her struggle. She slipped her arm through Kathryn's. "Come on, Captain. Let's go there together."
When they arrived at the mess hall, the entire crew broke into applause and one by one they greeted their captain. Kathryn was overwhelmed, especially as not one of the former Maquis crew members showed any hostility. Once again the crew had exceeded her expectations in every possible way.
FIVE DAYS LATER
The Doctor was whistling while he worked when Kathryn arrived at sickbay.
"You wanted to see me, Doctor?"
At the sound of the Captain's voice, the Doctor turned to her. "Yes, Captain." He smiled. "I've finally created a vaccine that will kill the parasites."
A light shone in Kathryn's eyes. "You have?"
He nodded. "I've been working on for a couple of days, but I didn't say anything incase I couldn't get it right."
"Then let's not waste any time!" Kathryn said happily. "If you can kill them, I can have my human body back."
"You certainly can, Captain." He paused. "But to kill them, I will first need to change you back into a human. What is currently protecting you from the parasites will also protect them from the vaccine. Changing you back while the parasites are still in your body will carry some degree of risk, however. They make awake from their hibernation more aggressive than ever."
"I'm willing to take that chance, Doctor." She smiled. "You get everything prepared and I'll summon Commander Chakotay and let him know."
Chakotay wasn't as enthusiastic as Kathryn would have hoped when she told him, and that could only mean he wasn't happy about it.
"You don't think I should have it," she said.
"I just don't think it's worth the risk," he replied. "You're alive, well, happy... there's no need to do it."
The Doctor spoke. "If the Captain doesn't undergo this treatment, then the parasites will remain in her body. They are currently inactive, but their future behaviour is impossible to predict. They might be adapting to the Captain's new physiology. If they do that, then it will only be a matter of time before their presence proves fatal. But if the Captain undergoes this treatment, which will most likely be successful, then the parasites will die and I'll adminster another vaccine that will expel them from her body. Having the treatment is the lesser risk in the long term."
"And even if it wasn't," Kathryn said. "It's a risk I want to take. I want to be human again..."
Chakotay reached out and put his hand on her arm. "I'll inform Tuvok he has the bridge."
Three hours later, Kathryn stirred awake. All was blurred for a moment, but then she saw the Doctor smiling down at her.
"I'm pleased to say you're as good as new, Captain."
Kathryn smiled. "Human new?"
"One hundred percent, except the extraneous Borg implants still inside you, of course."
"Of course," she replied.
"But you'll be feeling tired for the next few days, and I want to keep you in sickbay where I can keep my eye on you."
"As you wish, Doctor." She turned her head to the side. "Where's Chakotay?"
She felt a hand on hers. "I'm here."
She turned in the direction of the voice and saw him standing over her. He was smiling, as much love in his eyes as always. She squeezed his hand and smiled in return.
The Doctor stepped away. "I'll leave you two love-birds alone. Just don't keep her talking too long, Commander."
He left the room.
Kathryn was too tired to sit up, so she simply lay still.
"Do I look like me again?"
"Take a look for yourself." Chakotay held a mirror before her. Kathryn gazed at her human face and touched her forehead. "I know I was never a beauty, human or Cardassian, but it's good to be myself again. I'll never complain about my freckles in the future."
Chakotay put down the mirror and sat beside her. He gazed deep into her eyes. "There's no one more beautiful to me than you."
Kathryn smiled softly and then kissed his lips tenderly.
"It's good to see you back to your old self," B'Elanna said as she joined Kathryn at a table in the mess hall.
Kathryn looked up at her and smiled. "It's good to be myself again."
Neelix approached B'Elanna. "What can I get you, Lieutenant?"
"Just a vanilla cappuccino," she replied.
"No pancakes?"
"Not today," she smiled.
"Very well. One vanilla cappuccino coming up."
He left the table and B'Elanna turned once more to Kathryn. She watched her captain take a sip of her coffee a moment and then spoke.
"Captain?"
Kathryn looked up at her. There was worry in her voice and concern in her eyes.
"Yes?"
"Tom and I...We...We've been together a long time now and we...would like to get married."
Kathryn smiled and laughed softly. "For a moment there I thought you were going to tell me the warp core was failing."
A brightness filled B'Elanna's eyes and she laughed too.
"This is great news, B'Elanna."
"So you'll marry us?"
Kathryn reached for B'Elanna's hand. "It would be my delight."
B'Elanna smiled happily.
Neelix returned with B'Elanna's order. "One Vanilla cappuccino for B'Elanna Torres."
Kathryn looked up at him. "We'll soon have to get used to..."
B'Elanna interrupted. "Neelix, I think Lieutenant Rowlands wants you."
"On my way," he replied. "Excuse me, Captain."
Kathryn looked at B'Elanna questioningly.
"I don't want him knowing," B'Elanna said quietly. "Not yet. Tom and I just want a quiet wedding. If Neelix knows then before you've finished that coffee, the whole ship will know. We don't want people to know until after we're married. We just want a simple service. You, of course, and Tuvok and Chakotay as witnesses."
"I understand," Kathryn smiled. "Whatever you want."
Chakotay and Tuvok stood side by side in the ready room as Kathryn married Tom and B'Elanna. When they were finally pronounced husband and wife, Tom scooped his bride in his arms and kissed her. After all due congratulations, Tom and B'Elanna left, leaving Kathryn, Chakotay and Tuvok alone.
"Now that they are married," Tuvok contemplated. "and have chosen to live in Mr Paris's quarters, we will need to decide who occupies Lieutenant Torres's. My recommendation is Seven of Nine."
"I would love for Seven to have her quarters," Kathryn replied, "but if we gave it to her now, I don't think she would appreciate it. She needs to become aware of the need for her own quarters herself. My preference would be Gini Daron. She's recently been promoted to Lieutenant and like so many of our younger crew is getting too old now to share dorms." She sighed. "If I could I would have all vacant dorm converted into at least single rooms, but we'll never know when we need them and there just wouldn't be enough for everyone."
"What we need," Tuvok replied, "is more weddings."
Kathryn laughed. "There is some truth to that. If everyone coupled up, we'd halve living space."
"In fact," he surmised. "I'm surprised there have not been more unions."
"Well," Kathryn replied, a twinkle in her eye. "There may be at least one more in the future, courtesy of Starfleet Regulation 33504."
Chakotay questioned. "Regulation 33504"
Kathryn smiled. "Tuvok, explain. I must report to the bridge."
With that she left the room.
"So," Chakotay asked. "Regulation 33504?"
Tuvok turned to his First Officer. "In the event of a starship being lost in space, a Starfleet Captain is permitted to authorize his or her own marriage providing the ceremony is performed by someone else in the presence of at least one witness."
Chakotay's eyes shone brightly as understanding dawned on him. "Then, was I just proposed too?"
"I would say proposed to propose."
Chakotay laughed and put his hand on the Vulcan's shoulder. "Then you'd better start imagining life in my quarters."
"Your quarters?"
"Well," Chakotay smiled. "We can hardly lodge a cadet next to the Captain's quarters."
Chakotay tapped Tuvok's shoulder and then followed Kathryn out of the room.
Tuvok sighed as the doors shut behind him. Perhaps more weddings was not such a good idea after all.
END OF CHAPTER FOUR
