BEFORE THE DAWN
(PG:13)
Chapter Sixteen
2384
Wearing black boots over baggy red pants, a brown tunic over a loose white shirt, and a black satin scarf around bobbed hair, Kathryn stood on the deck of The Vengeance and looked out at a twilight sea. Strapped around her waist was a mock-sword in a silver case, and instead of a patch over her left eye, she had a painted image of a diamond which glittered the colors of the rainbow as it caught the light.
"A goblet of wine, my captain."
At the sound of Chakotay's voice, Kathryn looked away from the sea in the direction of her husband. He was wearing an outfit similar to her own, except he had black pants, a black tunic, and a bronze sword hanging from his waist. In his hand he held out a gold goblet and Kathryn took it gratefully.
"Thank you, my hearty."
Chakotay smiled and Kathryn took a drink of the sparkling synthesol red wine inside.
"I'm so glad we thought of this," Chakotay said. "It's the perfect holo-weekend."
"Yes," Kathryn agreed. "I can't believe we didn't think of it sooner."
Suddenly, a little girl's distressed voice filled the air.
"No," she cried, "I won't let you do it! I won't!"
Kathryn and Chakotay turned around and saw their five year old daughter, Teya Tanya Janeway, kneeling on the floor, desperately hugging their beloved black Labrador. The child's hair was as black as the animal's fur, and was braided in two thick plates that fell over her shoulders. She was wearing a white shirt over purple pants, had a small plastic sword hanging from her waist, and had black ankle boots on her feet. Standing opposite her, a gleam in his dark eyes, was their ever mischievous son, Billy. He was standing with his arms folded, and was also dressed in a pirate outfit consisting of navy blue pants, a white shirt, and a red scarf around his head. He was nine years old now, and as much the image of Chakotay as he had ever been.
Kathryn glanced at Chakotay and handed her goblet back to him. "Maybe not quite so perfect after all," she teased.
She then made her way over to the children and Chakotay followed.
"Babino, Tiny-Tot," she said as she approached them,"what's going on?"
Teya looked up at her mother, her large brown eyes wet with tears.
"Billy wants to feed Ebony to the sharks."
"I'm not Billy," her brother retorted, "I'm Babino. And I was only teasing. I didn't mean it."
"Yes you did," Teya cried. "You said were going to roll her ball onto the plank so she'd go after it and get eaten by sharks."
"There's no sharks here, dummy. None of this is real. It's not my fault if you're dumb enough to think it is."
"Alright," Kathryn said, "that's enough, Billy...I mean Babino. You mustn't talk to your sister like that. And it was wrong of you to tease her. I want you to apologize."
Billy protested. "But it was a joke..."
Kathryn fixed on him a determined stare. "Apologize."
Billy sighed and reluctantly conceded. "Ok. I'm sorry."
"No, you're not," Teya replied. "You're only sorry coz Mommy says you have to be. You're not sorry at all. But you should be, coz Ebony's real upset and you're mean. I think Mommy should make you walk the plank."
"No one's going to be walking the plank," Kathryn said calmly. "The only place any of us is going is to bed."
Billy's face fell at that. "Oh no! You said we could stay up until nine!"
"And it's well passed that."
"But it's still light. Let us stay up till it's dark. Please..."
"This is not up for negotiation. It's time you were both getting ready for bed."
Billy sighed again. "Yes, Mom."
Chakotay spoke now. "How about I make you both a chocolate milkshake and peanut butter toasties for supper?"
Billy's disappointed eyes lit up at that. "Thanks, Dad. I'm real starving."
Chakotay smiled and then left the deck, Billy in hot pursuit. Teya, however, stayed where she was and continued to hug Ebony, tears in her eyes. Kathryn knelt before her precious little girl and put her hand on the child's thin shoulder.
"Don't be upset, darling," she said kindly. "Billy would never hurt Ebony. He loves her too much."
Teya drew away from the dog and looked at her mother. "Can she sleep with me tonight? I don't trust Billy. He might make her walk the plank when we're in bed and she'll get eaten."
"There are no sharks here, darling. Nothing here is real. It's just a projection. A pretend ship."
"Like a toy?"
Kathryn nodded. "A big toy ship." She put her hand to Teya's cheek. "So there's no need for Ebony to sleep with you. Besides, you know how much she loves her bed. We brought it with us especially so she could sleep in it. We wouldn't want to disappoint her, would we?"
Teya shook her little head and then wrapped her arms around Kathryn's neck. "I love you, Mommy."
Kathryn held her close and kissed her hair. "I love you too, darling."
For the rest of her years she would be grateful for the Admiral appearing at such a pivotal moment in her life. The Admiral had come only to save Billy, but if it wasn't for her, this darling little girl would never have existed at all.
Teya drew away from her mother, a peace in her eyes now. "I don't want a chocolate milkshake. I'd like a strawberry."
Kathryn smiled and got to her feet. "Then we'd better go and tell Daddy."
She held out her hand to her daughter, and Teya took it with a smile.
With only the light of candles filling the bedroom, Chakotay lay in a large double bed, a white sheet draped over him, and took a drink of water as he studied a map which located the box of treasure it was their weekend mission to find. At last, the door opened and Kathryn came in. Chakotay looked up at her and smiled. "About time. I was beginning to think you'd fallen overboard."
Kathryn laughed softly and began to remove the belt around her waist. "Teya wanted me to read her a story...a very long story."
"Let me guess. "Fairy Faye and the magic tree."
"Yes," Kathryn smiled, casting aside her belt and sword. "How did you know?"
"Because she made me read it to her last night...and the night before, and the night before that..."
Kathryn laughed again and began to take off her boots. "I also had a little chat with Billy about how he mustn't be mean to his sister."
"I had a little chat with him about that too," Chakotay said, putting the glass and map in his hands down on a bedside table
"Poor thing. Two lectures in one night. Let's hope he's got the message."
"I'm sure he has." Chakotay then looked at his wife and couldn't help tease. "Unless, of course, he's as stubborn as his mother."
Kathryn looked up at him at that. "Stubborn, am I?"
"Undeniably."
Kathryn began to unlace her tunic, her eyes sparkling. "I'll have to make you pay for that remark."
Chakotay chuckled. "Just what do you have in mind?"
Kathryn whipped off her tunic, climbed onto the bed, and crawled over Chakotay.
"I make you my love-slave...forever and ever and ever..."
Chakotay seized her and rolled on top of her. "Then I'd better get started."
Kathryn smiled. "You'd better indeed."
Chakotay smiled in return, and then lowered his lips to hers.
THE END