TITLE: Chakotay's Holidays: Through the Years
AUTHOR: Brenda Shaffer-Shiring
RATING: PG
CODES: C/T
PART:20/20 (!)
DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters, but if I did, they would have a lot more fun.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: All glory, laud, and honor to DianeB, who never realized that, when she agreed to beta this fic, she wouldn't be done for another 14 years. Me either, Diane, me either. And thanks to moonlitbutterfly13, whose sincere request for me to finish this story brought me back to the CH universe after a hiatus of 11 years.
SUMMARY: A brief look at Chakotay and B'Elanna's shared future.

His voiceprint having been added to the lock long ago, the tall, graying man had but to say his name to see the door swish open. He stepped inside, and the door whooshed shut again behind him, separating the warmth within from the cooling outdoor air.

He could have announced himself immediately and been sure of at least some of the inhabitants hearing him – it was only a short hallway, after all – but instead he took the opportunity to have a few moments to himself as he looked at the pictures on the entryway walls. Pictures of a younger B'Elanna and Chakotay, looking serious and official in their Starfleet uniforms. A holo of Chakotay dressed in the long robes and traditional stole of a PhD., holding his doctoral degree aloft in one hand, the other drawing a beaming B'Elanna to his side. Another of B'Elanna in an engineer's smock and hard hat, at the launch of the transport shuttle she'd designed; a proud Chakotay just visible in the crowd behind her.

The two of them at their wedding, Chakotay in garments the man knew to be traditional of his ancestral tribe, B'Elanna in a long, fitted sheath trimmed in Klingon insignia – and a lace mantilla on her head. Small Miral was in her mother's arms, grinning as she brandished an enormous bouquet.

The three of them smiling in front of their new home, B'Elanna with a hand cupped protectively on her belly as Miral sat on Chakotay's shoulders. More pictures: family groupings, Miral's school holos.

Then the man rounded the corner into the living room, crying, "Guess who's here?"

"Grampa!" shrieked four-year-old Tolucay, running across the living room to wrap his arms around John Torres's legs. Smiling, John tousled his youngest grandchild's smooth straight hair before reaching down to take hold of the boy and swing him high into the air. Tolucay let out a shriek of delight. "More, Grampa, more!" John complied, swinging him up one more time before pulling him in for a cuddle. The little boy wrapped his legs around John's waist and snuggled in.

A few feet away, B'Elanna Torres smiled, looking happy and approving. As he was all too aware, John Torres had come late to the game for his daughter, but he was doing his best to make up the time with his grandchildren. By this time six-year-old Teya was also firmly pressed to her grandfather's side, his hand on her back to hold her close. "That's my babies," John said, flushing with pleasure. "Where's Miral?"

"Chakotay's helping her with her history homework," B'Elanna told him. "She'll be out in a minute."

"You look beautiful," John told her, prompting a blush from his daughter.

"Well, it *is* a special occasion." Looking a little self-conscious, B'Elanna smoothed the full skirt of her red, halter-top dancing dress, and pushed her dark wavy hair back over her shoulder.

"It certainly is. Happy anniversary."

Miral picked that moment to enter the room, PADD in hand. At 11, she was coltish and long-limbed, looking likely to inherit her father's height. "Hey, Grandpap."

"Hey, Miral," John returned. Then, to the man who had followed Miral into the living room, "Hi, Chakotay."

"Hi, John." Chakotay was also dressed for dancing, in a collarless black button-down with pants to match. His long, silvering hair was pulled back in a neat tail. "Thanks for watching the kids for us."

"I told you I could do it." Miral's sulky tone, and her stepfather's mildly exasperated look, made it clear that this was only the latest of several arguments on the subject.

"I already told you, we're going to be out past your bedtime, Miral," Chakotay returned evenly.

John decided to help him out. "Besides," he chirped, "I haven't seen my favorite grandkids in two whole *weeks*!"

Miral rolled her eyes. "We're your *only* grandkids, Grandpap." Teya giggled at her older sister's mild sarcasm.

"So what's your point?" John asked, deliberately bland.

"Okay guys, be good for your grandfather," B'Elanna cut in firmly, as she slid her arms into the light jacket Chakotay held up for her. She wrapped an arm around Tolucay, still in John's arms, and kissed the small cheek. "See you soon, little one." Teya turned away from her grandfather long enough to receive her mother's hug, and Miral grudgingly submitted to one as well. Meanwhile Chakotay shrugged into his own jacket and dispensed a second round of hugs and kisses.

"Call us if you need anything," Chakotay told his father-in-law.

His wife followed up with a stern warning to the children, "But he'd better not need to call!"

"We'll be fine," John assured them, and Chakotay and B'Elanna smiled and were gone.

Settling onto the sofa with his three grandchildren, John's thoughts flew some eight years back, to when he had made his first tentative steps back into his daughter's life. So much had happened since then, for him, for her, for all of them. So many changes, and almost all of them for the better.

Life could be sweet. Scratch that. Life was indeed sweet. And sweetest of all, to know that his daughter was happy, with a man who deserved her.

For just a moment he thought of the first Miral, his late ex-wife, for whom his granddaughter was named. He knew that fierce Klingon had believed in some sort of afterlife, and John hoped it was the sort that would allow her to look on their daughter and her family, and be proud. He knew he was proud.

Then he reached for a holostorybook. "Can I read?" Miral-the-younger asked. He nodded, and handed her the book; she really *was* past the age of listening to such simple stories. He listened, content, as his oldest granddaughter began to read to her younger siblings.

-END-

And *that's* all she wrote! Thank you, dear readers, both those who started reading this work way-back-when and those who just took it up with the last couple of updates. I hope you've enjoyed the story.

I had always intended to finish this story somehow, at some point. But I had gotten away from "Voyager," and I was busy with work, raising a very active young son (he's 22 now, so he can be considered raised!), and other involvements. Time slipped away, and I had honestly not realized just how long it had been, until I got a review from moonlitbutterfly 13, urging me to complete the story. Holy cow, how had 11 years gone past since the last update? How had *14* gone past since I wrote chapter one?!

Well, I had always had some idea of what would have to take place in the last two chapters. So once I reread all that had gone before, and applied my posterior firmly to the seat of my desk chair, my ending came together fairly quickly. My beta, the ever-amiable DianeB, made some material suggestions that greatly enriched this final chapter, and now here we *are*!

I'm delighted to give Chakotay and B'Elanna the happy ending they both deserve. Honestly, I really do think they would make a great couple!

Live long and prosper,
Brenda