Betrayal and Turkey.
Chapter Twenty Two.
By Hopping Hamster.
Paramount own Star Trek and its characters, I give them the fun they need to be real.
After holding her for what felt like an eternity Chakotay slowly began to pull away. She wouldn't let him at first, she relished in his closeness and she feared if she let go of him it may turn out to be just a dream, she may open her eyes to find he still hated her, still blamed her and despised her, barely able to look at her and refusing to say her name. Chakotay sensed her reluctance to let go and so didn't push her he just held her, he had let her go and hurt he because he refused to listen five years ago, he had shown up here all high and mighty and still refusing to listen to her nearly a week ago, not this time, this time he would wait and he would listen. After some more time past he whispered her name softly and waited patiently for her response. It seemed to give her the strength she needed and slowly she pulled away. Her eyes were read and puffy and her face was full of emotion but Chakotay couldn't quite work out what that emotion was. "Chakotay" she said slowly trying to turn from him but he took her shoulder and held her looking at him, he body stiffened but he would let go as she closed her eyes and told him "I can't stop thinking this is all a dream."
Chakotay was confused as he looked at her and asked softly and calmly "What's all a dream?" her response was to keep her eyes shut and shake her head at him "Kathryn" he demanded in a slightly more forceful tone than he had meant but it had the desired effect, her eyes shot open as they searched his. Letting out a soft sigh he said softly "Kathryn I don't understand? What do think is a dream?"
She reached out with her hand to trace the lines of his tattoo, her sign of affection she had always given him during their short lived engagement five years ago. He kept his eyes trained on her, she let her sparkling blue eyes meet with his before her hand stopped it's caress of her face and she whispered "this" Chakotay still sat silently looking at her waiting for her to elaborate so she added softly "you and me together like this, not fighting, not angry, not bitter."
Chakotay suddenly felt like he had been hit in the chest with her fist. He had spent the last five years ignoring her on some far distant planet she had no way of getting to. Before that he had watched her walk out on him because she was scared and e didn't bother to ask her to stay in fact he pushed her away, sent her away not ashamed to hide his selfish and spiteful anger. He couldn't look at her long enough to hear her explanation or listen to her side of the story and now because of that the rift had grown and the anger and bitterness accelerated. Then when B'Elanna had all but begged him to show up here for the five year reunion he had stewed in so much bitterness and hatred over the last five years he had let his assumptions and accusations run wild in his head. He had come here because B'Elanna asked it, but he vowed not to talk to her, not to let her suck him in. That though was before, before he had seen how injured she was, before he learnt the truth of that awful week five years ago, before he remembered how much he loved her. No maybe remembered was the wrong word, he always knew how much he loved her, he had just tried so hard to forget it he had almost convinced himself he had. As all this flashed through his mind he looked at her and saw her staring at him with fear and worry in her eyes waiting for his reply. What could he say? What could he tell her that would make it all right?
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B'Elanna Torres looked up from her replicator to see her husband walk towards her "so where are they?" Tom asked with that cheeky knowing grin on his face as he watched his wife lift to casserole dish from the replicator.
Placing it on the middle of the table and tossing the oven mitts aside the half Klingon woman rested her hand on her heavily pregnant belly and asked in a voice just a little too casual "Where's who?"
Tom sank into his seat and began to serve up a large plate of food for himself without even waiting for his wife before he shook his head and laughed saying "rumour has it Sam has the day off" then he looked up and met B'Elanna's eyes saying with his stupid grin "The doc's furious because she missed her check-up earlier and Harry say's when he went round the entire house was empty"
B'Elanna looked horrified as she sat down and snatched the serving spoon from her husband "Missed her check-up? That was today?" B'Elanna gasped as she slowly began to serve casserole onto her own plate "Mirral!" she yelled over her shoulder and she served a smaller plate at the empty place at the table beside her "Mirral! Get her now! Lunch time!"
"Yes" Tom confirmed "and her house is empty, she and her over-night guest are both missing, as is our transport vehicle" he told his wife please to see he had gotten her attention.
B'Elanna lowered her spoon from half towards her mouth and placed it softly on her plate before admitting softly "I may have helped Chakotay get Kathryn out for the day"
"May have?" Tom asked as he smiled looking at his wife just as their five year old daughter arrived at the table to eat her lunch. B'Elanna just smiled at her husband before turning to her daughter to see to her food.
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"Kathryn…" Chakotay began but once again found he couldn't find the words to say what needed to be said, what he wanted to say. "Kathryn" he tried again and once again failed. Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes he composed himself again before saying "You and I have been through so much together, I am so very sorry I didn't hear you out five years ago" she held his gaze wiling him to continue as he added "I am so sorry I came here full of anger and bitterness towards you"
She gave that sad smile, the corners of her mouth twitching quickly upwards and then back down to the sad dead pan look she held all too often these day's before she added softly "I probably would have done the same if I were you." It was a sad but honest admittance. Then her blue eyes where bright and wide as she stared at him and Chakotay knew a question was coming letting her ask it when she was ready he waited "I am curious, it wasn't until you saw my injury were you ready to talk" she held his eyes straight on and asked "why is that?"
