Kathryn stood, Her heart was pounding, her lips tight together and her eyes narrowed as she looked at him. Raising his hands in surrender chakotay insisted "Kathryn I come in peace"
Shaking her head Kathryn waisted no time in yelling "Get out!" She just shook her head at him.
Chakotay stepped towards her trying to be calming "Kathryn..." He began but the death glare told him to back down and fast if he wanted to cling onto any chance of a future.
She moved towards him, fury in her deep blue eyes "Get out!" She screamed. Still he did not move standing his ground he stared at her daring to meet her eyes. Taking a long inhale of breath she pinched the bridge of her nose, let her eyes shut and snapped "Out Chakotay or do I have to have you removed?" With that the Native American knew for now at least he was beat. Spinning on his heal he turned and walked swiftly out of her den, his shoulders high keeping dignity as he went.
As soon as he was gone Kathryn turned her death glare on her friend "Kath-" B'Elanna began but stopped as she saw the fury coming from Kathryn.
Raising her hard as though daring her friend to carry on talking Kathryn pointed to the door muttering "Out B'Elanna" through gritted teeth. Cautiously the half Klingon retreated with out another word, never taking her eyes from the fury of Kathryn's deep blue eyes.
"Well that went well" snorted Tom later that evening at the Paris house as he helped his son eat his dinner after his wife had relayed back to him how Kathryn had took their visit.
"Shut up!" Growled Chakotay as he paced the floor. "I don't understand B'Elanna, I really don't" he said stiffly pulling on his ear as he did so.
"I told you not to go up there without warning her" Tom offered as he helped Mirral wipe her brothers mouth.
"All right Tom" snapped B'Elanna. They all knew he had and they all knew he was right but somehow B'Elanna didn't want to admit it, especially in front of Chakotay who was now slumped on a chair with his head in his hands looking worried.
"How was the surprise attack from Chakotay going to help?" Tom snapped back at B'Elanna just as frustrated with the situation as the others and feeling more and more helpless as the whole thing unraveled.
"I didn't attack her!" Snapped Chakotay, his fists clenched as he leapt to his feet the chair tipped back to the floor as he did making little Mirral jump.
"All right" said Tom, his hands in surrender as he smiled at the angry man before him. Chakotay's chest was pounding and Tom knew when to back down "it's just a figure of speech, chill out old man" Tom said with a smile trying to defuse the situation.
"Stop calling me old man" growled Chakotay still breathing hard in the younger mans face with his fists clenched.
"B'Elanna does" Tom remarked with a cheeky grin as he was in no way threatened by his friends angry behaviour.
"Tom..." His wife warned was she got between the two men keeping eye contact with her old friend.
Tom backed down and smiled shaking his head. "Ok sorry" he offered the Older man "I'll go talk to her" he said calmly as he pulled his jumper over his head and moved towards the door of his small family home.
Chakotay still with clench fists growled "How is that going to help" as he watched to younger man closely.
Tom turned to Chakotay with a mischievous grin on his face and told him "Hummmm I have the admirals ear, I've always had her ear and you know it"
"Tom!" Yelled B'Elanna frustrated that her husband was winding up the angry Native American.
"He's right" Chakotay backed down meeting the younger ones eyes "she's always treated and cared for him better than others would" he growled keeping Toms gaze.
"Exactly" Tom nodded opening the front door and stepping out. Turning around he spread his arms out and muttered "the admiral is extremely dear to me, if she falls out with me over this I'll kill you" he smiled but in the state Chakotay was in he missed the joke.
"Don't be so dramatic Tom" B'Elanna snapped looking between her husband and her dear friend who was hurting so much.
"The 20th century is lost on you both!" Tom grinned before he turned and walked away.
Tom couldn't believe what he was doing standing outside her Dan about to ask Kathryn to talk to Chakotay. Then he realised if he knocked she was hardly going to answer. Sighing he keyed in his code and let him self into her private den. Now it was him doing a surprise attack. She was sat at her window looking out over the ranch, coffee cup in hand. She looked up at him as she doors chute being him "Thomas Paris" she sighed turning back to the window and not even moving from her sitting position "let me guess, give him a chance" she sighed sadly.
Tom looked at her with a pang of guilt in his heart, he had been too busy with his family to see how worn and alone she was looking "I wouldn't be so foolish as to tell the great Kathryn Janeway what to do" he smiled softly as he watched her.
Kathryn snorted "No" she sighed and gestured for him to sit next to her "perhaps not" she smiled slightly "but you would do as your wife says"
Tom sat beside her and looked kindly at his old friend with a smile as he reminded her "Well admiral if you were married to a Klingon what would you do?"
Kathryn turned her head towards him, a crooked smile in her lips "Half Klingon and fair point" she took as sip of her coffee her blue eyes still transfixed on him.
Tom knew there was no point making any more small talk and he knew she wasn't expecting him to, she was looking at him waiting for him to say it "He cares enough to come" Tom said softly
Kathryn didn't look angry as Tom had expected she looked sad "I know" she whispered staring now into the contents of her almost empty coffee mug "poor fool" she muttered her eyes almost filling with tears.
Tom felt sad with her, he just didn't understand, she clearly loved him. "What's wrong Kathryn" the younger man asked the woman he admired as a strong leader and friend.
Placing her mug on the table she stood and walked away from him her back to him "He's happy why upset that for an old cripple like me?"
"Your not a cripple" Tom insisted firmly "your beautiful" he smiled at her and took her hands till she looked at him "hay if I wasn't married and madly in love with another woman I would have you"
"Wow thanks Tom" snorted Kathryn with a smile.
"You know what I mean" he laughed happy to see her smile.
It felt for Kathryn like she hadn't smiled in years. Slowly she let the tears fall and fell into Toms caring embrace "What is he doing here Tom?"
"He cares" sighed Tom as he stroked her hair "about you" then with a smile he told her "hell he loves you" then almost in a whisper he added "and something tells me you love him"
Kathryn cling tighter to her friend as she told him "Love doesn't mean anything anymore"
Tom let the salience linger for a while until he asked her softly "Have you told him?"
"Tom" growled Kathryn as she pulled away from him and whiled her eyes.
"No really Kathryn" insisted Tom gently "you need to tell him"
Kathryn spun round, her eyes wide and furious as she snapped "Don't you dare"
Tom was quick to reassure as he instead "I wouldn't but B'Elanna is even wondering"
"Just tell them I'm fine" Kathryn waved him off and tried to change the subject asking "where is he sleeping tonight?"
Tom looked at her almost apologetically as he said slowly "Well..."
Closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose Kathryn snapped "She's not thought this through has she"
"Who?" Tom asked slightly confused.
"That wife of yours" growled Kathryn.
Realising Tom knew she now understood what he was asking he pleaded "Please?" His family house wasn't big for the four of them and he didn't imagine Chakotay's broad frame would do well cramped on his sofa when she had all this space and spare rooms just up the path.
"Tom if she keeps having guests she needs to accommodate them" Kathryn snapped.
Tom tried to defend his wife "I think she thought you and him might have-"
"Have what Tom?" Kathryn snapped across him "What exactly might we have?"
"Kathryn" sighed Tom hoping this didn't get out of hand.
"Ok" she sighed, she knew the Paris home wasn't going to work and she wouldn't see him of the street "just make sure he stays out my way" she warned. When Tom looked at her slightly surprised she added "Of course I love him Tom" sadly she told him "but I just can't tell him what I've done, what will he think?"
"That he's glad your alive" Tom honestly meant it, he was sure Chakotay would he glad of that no matter where the treatment had come from.
"I can't tell him what I am" Kathryn shook her head firmly.
"He will understand" Tom tried to reassure her "they all will" he added knowing B'Elanna needed to be told.
"I spent years telling seven she has to be more human, now look at me" y lied Kathryn angry with herself.
"You are human" Tom snapped back determined to make her see the truth.
"Chakotay won't understand" she was urge of that "nor will B'Elanna, and she'll hate you for knowing and saying nothing" Kathryn added sadly.
"Kathryn you are alive" Tom reminded her "it doesn't matter how."
"It does to them" Kathryn sighed "it does to Chakotay" Tom understood where she was coming from but he didn't think after all this time it would matter. "he will never accept me or my son" Kathryn told her helmsman with tears. Tom just embraced her in a hug, that he wasn't sure how Chakotay would feel about.
