Chakotay sat on the bench and remain steady and still as he waited for her to say what she needed to say. He could tell it was serious what ever she needed to say He also knew her, he knew at times like this she needed her space to find the words to say. Rubbing her forehead she closed her eyes and spat out "I am Cardassian." Chakotay gave her a double take. He was sure he had heard her wrong. His face broke out into a smile as he looked at her. "it's not funny!" he hissed at him.
"Kathryn..." he whispered softly "I am sorry, it's just I thought you said you are Cardassian?"
"I did"
Chakotay's smiled faltered to see she wasn't smiling and was refusing to look at him. He looked at her really confused and shook his head "Kathryn, I don't understand."
She bit her bottom lip and repeated again "I am Cardassian." Her voice told Chakotay she was being serious.
Once again he looked at her with his brows drawn together "Kathryn, can you try to explain?" He could see whatever she was trying to say was serious to her, he could also she was worried about what she was saying. He had no idea what she was trying to say, Cardassian? How could she be Cardassian? She wasn't making any sense.
Shaking her head she stood up and took a few steps towards the garden bringing more distance between them, it was now or never, she loved him, she had loved him a long time. She knew he loved her but she also knew how deeply he hated the Cardassians. The was not going to be an easy conversation. "the operation" she said in a deep voice "the operations the doctor performed on me last year after my accident." Chakotay just watched her as she turned back to him. He willed her to continue, she could see that in his eyes. He was right what had torn them apart seven years ago was a lack of communication about their baby, this time she couldn't allow such a lack of communication tare them apart. "Chakotay" she whispered moving closer to him and kneeling before him where he sat. Taking his hands in hers she took a deep breath and said firmly "Chakotay I love you, I always have and I always will but I can't ask anything of you." Chakotay stared into her deep blue eyes, he felt like he couldn't move. He so wished to lean in and kiss her but he also knew she was trying to tell him something. Something serious and he knew if he interrupted her she may never get out what she was trying to say. "The operation I had last year meant the Doctor had to reconstruct parts of my body using Borg technology." Chakotay stared at her wide eyed.
"Borg?" he gasped which caused Kathryn the flinch slightly as she nodded.
Then as though steeling herself to continue she added "As well as a few organ transplants and blood transfusion from another person."
Reaching out and cupping her face in her hands he looked still confused as he asked in a deep voice "A Cardassian?" He didn't need her to say the answer the pained look on her face was enough to give him what he needed.
Chakotay rose stiffly from where he had sat with her knelt before him. Moving around her with large strides he stood tall, his back straight, fists clenched and his face facing away only anger. She rose slowly to stand beside him. As she moved closer she could see the beating of his chest as it rose and fell as he breathed heavily form his nose. "Chakotay" she whispered in the way she reserved for only him and laid her hand softly on his shoulder.
He stood stone still for a second and then shrugged her off as he growled "Help me the understand."
Tears filled her eyes as she spoke, he voice a whisper "I am trying to Chakotay" When he didn't response she shined and told him in a voice slightly higher and louder then normal "When you came her for Christmas I could barely walk, I was no good to you Chakotay!" Tears filled fell down her cheek now as she continued "I loved you and I knew you were angry with me, I didn't know why I just knew you were, I couldn't bare that." Then shaking her head she added "I wanted to be who you wanted me to be, I wanted to be well again, stand tall before you on Trebus remember!"
"So you turned to the Cardassians to help?" he spat at her "used the medical research they had learnt through torture?"
Her eyes were wide now as she yelled "No! Of course not!"
"wouldn't be the first time" he missed at her.
"I am sorry Chakotay." She sighed "the Doctor had mentioned the cure to me years ago, I turned it down."
"why?"
"because I couldn't face it."
Chakotay rounded on her to give her his anger yet when he saw her sad, tear filled eyes he softened slightly and watched her as she trembled with the tears. She looked up at him and whispered softly "can you ever look at me again knowing I am part Borg, part Cardassian."
Chakotay took her shoulders in his hands forcing her to look at him as he reminded her "You kathyrn are human."
"my DNA will now show Cardassian and Borg as well."
Removing his hands he said softly "I assume Seven provided the Borg nano-pobes?" when Kathryn merely nodded she knew what he was going to ask next and she knew the time for deception was long gone. She thought she had feared it more but when it came it wasn't so hard to say he asked his question "So what Cardassian provided a blood transfusion and some organ transplant."
Her answer came sure, deep and determined:
"My son"
