Star Trek Voyager characters are the property of Paramount Pictures.

SNOW BRIDE

Wearing an elegant dress of white velvet and matching high heel shoes, Kathryn Janeway walked down the long corridor that lead to the holodeck, Chakotay beside her. It was the Christmas season and B'Elanna had invited everyone to a Snow Party on the holodeck. The Chief Engineer had told her captain that while the party would be in a snow setting, the theme would be formal and the temperature would be warm. Everyone had been told to wear clothes of white, and Kathryn couldn't help gaze at Chakotay as they walked. He looked so handsome in the white suit and shirt he was wearing that he took her breath away.

"B'Elanna did say 19:00 hours, didn't she?" Chakotay asked as they reached the holodeck doors.

"Yes," Kathryn replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Because we haven't seen a single soul since we left your quarters. Usually we see half a dozen people."

Kathryn looked around at that. "It does seem unusually quiet." She then turned back to her First Officer and friend. "But maybe that's a sign there'll be a stampede any moment. You'd better get that door open."

Chakotay smiled. "Yes, Ma'am."

He quickly typed in his access code, and as the doors slid open he and Kathryn stepped into the holodeck.

As soon as they did so, many voices greeted them in unison with one word.

"Surprise!"

Startled, Kathryn caught her breath and looked at her beloved crew before her. Their faces were glowing with happiness, and far from being dressed in white as she expected, they were dressed in all kinds of colors. Kathryn's eyes quickly took in the setting, and she saw that they were all standing in a magnificent hall in a very gothic looking building. Outside the high windows snow fell softly, landing gently on bare black trees. To her left was a long table full of food, and in the middle of it was a beautifully decorated five layered cake of silver and white. To the back of the hall was a slightly elevated stage on which Harry and his band were standing, ready to play.

Kathryn's eyes then found B'Elanna, who was standing next to Tom, and she questioned the half-Klingon. "What's going on? Ithought we were here for a Snow Party."

"That was just a ploy to get you here," B'Elanna smiled. "And in the right colors. We're not here for a party, we're here for a wedding."

Kathryn frowned. "A wedding?"

"Yours and Chakotay's."

Kathryn's face paled at that, and for a moment she couldn't work out if she was dreaming or if she had stepped into some kind of alternate reality.

"We all know how you and Chakotay feel about each other," Tom added, "and we all know that you're sacrificing your personal happiness because you think you have to for our sake. But I know I speak for everyone here when I say that we just want you both to be happy. We're a long way from home and none of us know what the future might bring. When two people love each other as much as you both do, and when two people are as made for each other as you both are, it's madness for you not to be together. We all know that you and the Commander being together wouldn't change your dedication to getting us home."

Naomi stepped out of the shadows, her hair flowing over a shimmering gown of silver satin, and in her hands she held a pretty bridal bouquet of white and pastel flowers.

"I'm your bridesmaid," she said proudly, "and these are your flowers."

Kathryn looked at the flowers in bewilderment, and then back up at B'Elanna. This had to be a dream...it couldn't be happening...and yet it didn't feel like a dream, it felt as though she was wide awake.

"I'm sorry we had to surprise you like this," B'Elanna went on, "but we couldn't think of any other way of showing you both just how important your happiness is to us all and how much we want you to be together. And you don't have to worry about Starfleet Command, we've cleared it with them, and they've given Tuvok permission to perform the ceremony."

Kathryn said nothing, she didn't know what to say, where to begin. Instead, Chakotay spoke, his face taut.

"If you will all excuse the Captain and I for a moment."

Before she knew it, Kathryn was being ushered out of the holodeck by Chakotay and was then alone with him in the corridor beyond.

"This has to be a dream," she said as the doors closed behind them.

Chakotay couldn't help smile. "A good dream or a bad?"

"Well," Kathryn said, finally looking up at him, "that would depend on the ending."

Chakotay missed the gleam in her eyes as he lowered his own. "I had no idea the crew were planning this," he said honestly. "Ipromise you, Kathryn. I would never ever put you on the spot like this. I can't believe the crew have."

Kathryn reached out and took his hand in hers. "They clearly think this is what we want, Chakotay."

Chakotay looked up at her. "But it isn't what you want, is it?"

There was so much pain in his kind brown eyes and Kathryn squeezed his hand. "It's something I've never even dared let myself think about."

Chakotay flinched at that and Kathryn smiled softly.

"Of course it's what I want, Chakotay. I love you. And clearly I haven't been very good at hiding that, even though I thought I was being the perfect actress. I thought that while I was captain of this ship, I could never tell you...could never even allow myself the luxury of indulging the sentiment, even for a few moments."

Tears welled in Chakotay's eyes and he put his hand to her face. "I love you too, Kathryn. All these years I've loved you."

Kathryn's eyes moistened too and she gazed deep into his eyes. "I think we should do it, Chakotay. I think we should get married."

Chakotay's eyes sparkled. "You do?"

Kathryn nodded. "I've been wrong, Chakotay, about so many things. I see that now. I'm just sorry that it took the crew to make me see that. I thought I had to sacrifice us for them. I thought it was the right thing to do, what they wanted and needed. But it wasn't what they wanted or needed after all. I'm sorry."

"I thought the same, Kathryn...or at least I wasn't sure. I didn't know if our Maquis members would accept you and I didn't know if our Starfleet members would accept me." He paused. "But they evidently do."

"One crew," Kathryn smiled. "One family."

Chakotay took Kathryn's other hand in his. "But marriage is a huge step. I think we should take things slowly. You have to besure, Kathryn."

"I've never been more sure about anything in my whole life than how I feel about you. And you know me, I'm not one who holds back from jumping off the deep end."

"You certainly aren't."

Kathryn hesitated a moment. "But what about you? How would you feel about it?"

Chakotay smiled in amusement. "Do you have to ask? I would marry you this second."

Kathryn laughed softly. "Then I say let's do it, let's get married."

The doors suddenly opened and Samantha appeared. "I'm sorry to interrupt," she said apologetically, "but I just wanted to see if you're both okay. I didn't think it was right to spring this on you both, but every one else was so for it that I didn't feel I had any choice but to go along with it."

"I understand, Samantha," Kathryn replied. "I can't say it wasn't a shock, because it was, but maybe it's what Chakotay and I needed to bring us to our senses...or me at least."

Samantha looked at them both in turn. "Are you saying what I think you are?"

Kathryn nodded with a smile. "There's a wedding waiting for us, so who are we to argue?"

Samantha smiled happily and embraced her captain. "That's wonderful, Captain, just wonderful!"

Kathryn returned her embrace and then drew away. "So, you can go in and tell the crew we'll be along in a moment."

Samantha was only too glad to oblige. "I'll go right away. And congratulations..."

With that she disappeared into the holodeck again, leaving Kathryn and Chakotay alone once more.

"There's just one thing I'd like before we go in," Kathryn said, looking up at her newly betrothed.

Chakotay smiled, reading her thoughts. "A kiss?"

Kathryn nodded. For so many years she had longed for Chakotay to kiss her, and she didn't want that precious moment be in front of the whole crew as they sealed their wedding vows.

Chakotay gently gathered her against him and then slowly lowered his lips to hers in a tender kiss. As the kiss deepened, Kathryn slipped her arms around his neck and for a long time let herself drown in the sensual kiss of the man she loved.

At last they drew apart and gazed happily into each other's eyes. Then Kathryn spoke.

"Shall we go in?"

Chakotay drew away from her and offered her his arm. "Let's go in."

Kathryn took his arm, keyed opened the doors, and then she and Chakotay stepped into the holodeck to the thunderous applause of the crew.

THE END