Betrayal and Turkey.
Chapter Two.
By Hopping Hamster.
Paramount own Star Trek and its characters, I give them the fun they need to be real.
"Your blood pressure is a little high" Voyagers own EMH scowled at the older woman as he raised his head from his medical tricorder which he had just used to scan her.
"is it any wonder?" she snapped back in a frustrated retort as he blue eyes glared at him over the rim of her steaming coffee mug she was gulping Luke warm bitter liquid from.
"not when you drink this much coffee" her doctor snapped at her in return gesturing to the offending mug she was now slowly lowering from her lips.
"Or when my doctor gets some idea to use me as an experiment" she hissed back in reply. The EMH knew not to be too offended, it had been a difficult month for her and she needed somebody to take it out on, her therapist/doctor/physio/friend became the target. He also knew his latest idea would take some getting used to for her.
The Doctor did open his mouth to offer a retort back but was interrupted by the doors of 'the den' bursting open and Sam Wildman calling her name "Kathryn..." before breaking off and slowing down upon seeing the doctor sat there "oh sorry" she sighed unsure what to do now.
"no need to be" Kathryn smiled weakly before shooting the doctor her famous death glare and announcing "were done" to which he knew when he was beat and so chose to pack up his medical equipment with dignity.
"Toms here" Sam announced the redheaded woman sat before her.
Kathryn Janeway's left eye brow shot upwards as she asked "Tom?"
"He wants a word" Sam nodded at her friend and boss.
Kathryn was exhausted and tired and as much as she loved Tom Paris she really didn't feel she could face him this evening and was about to say this when the doctor cut across her sharply "make it quick"
"doctor? Are you regulating my guests now, as well as everything else in my life" she hissed furious at the situation she had found herself in just over four years ago.
The Doctor seemed unfazed by her anger as he informed her curt "I am before tomorrow night"
"thank you doctor" she found herself growling as she rubbed her forehead, this man was supposed to cure her forehead not bring them on.
As the doctor stalked out of her private sanctity known as 'the den' a kind of ready room on Earth Tom Paris entered and asked "problems?" as he watched the doctors receding form stalk off down the stairs.
"That man is worse than my first officer ever was about my coffee consumption" Kathryn hissed as she raised the empty mug with her right hand and smiled awkwardly at Tom who stood before her watching her closely.
"you can say his name you know" Tom told her, he had come here unsure how he was going to break the news to her when she often refused to even talk about him yet her she was surprisingly out of the blue giving him a way in.
Kathryn studied the dead pan features of the younger man as their eyes met and she found only sincerity there. With a heavy breath she lowered her head and whispered in a deep husky voice "Chakotay" at the sound of his name long forgotten distant memories of happier times began to play around in her head. Somehow it gave her an inner strength she had long forgotten.
"Talking of Chakotay" Tom said awkwardly hoping he wouldn't have to be the one to tell her of her ex-fiancé's imminent, unannounced and as far as Kathryn was concerned uninvited arrival.
"what?" her head snapped up, her eyes wide and ablaze, she hadn't really been talking about Chakotay but she knew Tom, she knew he had come here to tell her something, something about Chakotay. Fear gripped her, after all that had passed between them, after the fact she hadn't seen or heard from him in five years she still feared for him.
"You haven't heard?" Tom shifted awkwardly unsure whether he really wanted to be the one to tell her. This was all B'Elanna's doing why didn't she tell her?
"No" she said with horror lacing her deep voice as she gazed "Tom?" before demanding "is he ok?"
"yes" he hurriedly reassured her "nothing like that" suddenly realising she still held supressed and long hidden concern and feelings for the man who had walked out on her five years ago "but your still not going to like it"
"what?" she snapped infuriated that he hadn't told her what was going on already.
"B'Elanna mentioned the reunion to him" he hurried out quickly.
Kathryn actually felt her heart thud in her chest as she realised the implications of his words. With a heavy sigh she finned in the gaps "by mentioned you mean invited"
"it's five years Kathryn" he told her by way of explanation "she wanted everyone together"
The older woman was silent as she let the implications of this news wash over her, "and did she get her wish?" she somehow managed to get out the question she suddenly realised she was desperate to have answered.
Tom knew he had to be honest and how unfair it would be to not give this woman the truth she so desperately needed to know. "she's collecting him from the transport station now" he told her seriously and softly, almost sadly for he knew how troubled this news would make her, especially all she had been through these past five years, how somehow he knew the sheer pain it would bring her to have to let Chakotay see.
"I see" was all she said as she shifted her body slightly in her chair the way she had taken to doing these days.
"You don't mind?" he asked slightly surprised at her reaction.
"why should I?" she raised her head, set her jaw with pride and almost demanded
"well everything that past between you" Tom felt almost stupid, he still didn't really know the truth of what had split up their engagement and had sent Chakotay packing to Trebus all those years ago.
"Chakotay made his choice" she told him softly "he had always talked of returning to Trebus to help rebuild the colony"
"you let him go" Tom watched her seeing the anger and hurt flash across her eyes before she quickly recovered.
"You know why" she said sadly as tear wheeled in her eyes "he wasn't able to leave that dream, even for me" then she admitted softly "and I wasn't able to leave Starfleet…."
"Even for him" Tom finished for her.
It was clear he was right by the sad sob she let out before she recovered quickly and told him "we were both hurt by it"
"well he's here" Tom sighed, unsure what else to say.
"I'm glad" she smiled softly at the younger man.
Tom was visibly surprised as he blurted out "you are?"
With a nod she said in a deep voice "I'm glad his Voyager family still means something to him"
