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THE REAL YOU

CHAPTER 1

In the spacious living room of a high San Francisco apartment, Kathryn opened a smoking oven and pulled out a burning cake. Above her a smoke alarm screamed and behind her a little black dog barked.

"Damn," Kathryn cried, carrying the cake over to a table. "Damn it!"

Fanning away the smoke, she looked at the remains of her evening's labour, and had to conclude it was a total disaster. Instead of a gold sponge, her cake was a black rock, and it was smoking more than a chimney. Suddenly, the door chime played and Kathryn called out with a cough.

"Come in!"

The doors to her apartment opened and B'Elanna Paris came in, baby Miral with her in a buggy.

"My," B'Elanna said, looking around. "What happened here?"

Kathryn held up her cake. "See this? It's supposed to be a cake."

B'Elanna laughed and pushed sleeping Miral into the room. "Want me to open a window?"

"Please," Kathryn said.

While B'Elanna opened a window, Kathryn recycled the cake. Then she took off her apron and untied her ponytail. Her hair fell onto her shoulders and looked redder than usual in the crimson setting sun.

"What were you making?" B'Elanna asked. "Nothing special, I hope."

"Oh no. I wouldn't trust myself. I was just trying out a recipe for coffee cake I got in a magazine the other day. It said it was so easy to make that anyone could do it, but obviously not me!"

B'Elanna laughed and finally petted the excited little dog at her feet.

"What brings you here at this hour?" Kathryn asked. "Not another spat with Tom, I hope."

"No," she answered. "He's out with Harry. I was just passing on my way home and thought I'd stop by."

"And I'm glad you have. I'm all on my own, except for dear Rolo here, and could use the company. Want a coffee? I need one."

"Sure, black as you like it."

"Then take a seat and I'll bring it over."

B'Elanna pushed Miral into the lounge, which had several navy sofa chairs and classy glassy furniture, and sat by a window that looked out over a park.

"I don't know how Miral can sleep through this racket," Kathryn said, referring to the screeching smoke alarm as she brought over the coffees. "I couldn't, for sure."

"Oh, she's like her father," B'Elanna smiled, "and can sleep through anything."

At last the smoke alarm stopped and Kathryn breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally!"

Carefully, she placed the coffees down on a round table and then sat opposite her half-Klingon friend. Rolo jumped up beside her and snuggled against her lap.

"So," B'Elanna said as she took up a coffee, "how are you getting on with Tom's masterpiece? Finish it yet?"

"As a matter of fact I have," Kathryn replied, also picking up her steaming drink. "I finished it yesterday."

"Quite something, isn't it? Definitely his best work yet. There are some problems with it, I know, like major inconsistencies and stupid subplots, but the idea's phenomenal. I don't know how he thought of it."

"Neither do I," Kathryn agreed. "It'll be a chart topper, for sure."

"I hope so. He really needs some success. Of course, it's not quite finished yet. He's got some fine tuning to do and, if I get my way, some major rewrites. There's no way I'm having that Vorik guy putting my character on heat, and there's no way I'm having Tom's character seduced by that Alice ship."

Kathryn laughed. "I thought those plots were good."

"So does Tom. But were you so hot about the Captain having an affair with that hologram drip Michael?"

"That I had trouble relating too," Kathryn admitted, "but once I got into things it wasn't so bad. I can see where Tom was going with it."

"Then your eyesight's better than mine. I thought the whole thing was a joke. No self-respecting woman would fall in love with a hologram! Tom definitely needs some help with the romance side of things. Our relationship is ok, because it's based on us, but as for everyone else's, well, they're a wreck. The worst, though, is Chakotay and Seven. It just wouldn't happen, no way. And when he tries out the program, I'm sure Chakotay will have something to say about it."

Kathryn flinched at those words. "You mean Chakotay's a real person?"

"Yes. He was with me in the Maquis. He wasn't my leader, like in the story, but he was a leader. And a much respected one too. Haven't you heard of him?"

"No," Kathryn answered. "I thought the only characters based on real people are you, Tom, Harry and myself."

"There's a few more. Samantha Wildman is real, the Delaney sisters, Joseph Carey and of course Chakotay. Tom wanted to base his First Officer on Chakotay, like he wanted to base the Captain on you and the Chief Engineer on me, so he used Chakotay's hologram as a starting point like he did with us. What can I say? Tom's imagination has limits. Trying to do setting and characterization is too much for him. But, like with us, when the novel's actually published, they'll all have different names and looks. Seska is real too, but she definitely won't be getting a pre-try of the novel as I'm sure she'd have a lot to say about being the villain. Harry's had a try and loves it, except for his character being such a wimp, and Samantha loves it too, especially as her daughter's in it. I've told Tom to let Chakotay try it next as I really don't think Joe's going to be too happy about being killed off."

"Is Seven of Nine real?"

"No. She's one of the few main characters Tom has made up. Trust him to think up buxom blondes! He's really going to have to change the ending, though, because she's so not Chakotay's type. I know the published character isn't going to be Chakotay, but still, there's no point in using a person's hologram for characterization if you're going to change their characters to fit a plot! I've told Tom a million times that he's got to keep people in character."

"It did seem a little out of character," Kathryn agreed. "I got the impression he cared for the Captain."

"That's just it," B'Elanna replied. "He does. But then, just as they're getting home and he can finally declare his love for her, he's making declarations of love to Seven. I so don't get it. It's mad! Tom says its romantic, that it shows him moving on from unrequited love and falling for the girl he's ignored for years, but that's just the point, he's ignored her. People are going to root for him and the captain, especially in passive mode, and this whole Seven thing is going to be like a slap in the face. I've told him to either drop it or do it properly. I hope he drops it...and into a black hole so it's never seen again."

"Chakotay," Kathryn said, "what does he do now? Has he rejoined Starfleet like you?"

"No. He's a lecturer in Planetary Archaeology at Ryler College. That's a small college in Oregon. He still goes to space, though, as he captains field trips he takes his students on."

"Is he married?"

"No. I don't know why, because he's such a great guy, but he isn't. I suppose he's never met the right woman. He was involved with Seska a few years back, but she really broke his heart by having an affair. I really hate Seska. Not only did she have an affair, but she tried to pass off the guy's baby as Chakotay's. He believed her and was really excited about the baby, but then he found out about the affair and that the baby wasn't his. He was totally gutted. I told Tom that the whole Seska and baby plot was maybe cutting things too close to the wound for Chakotay, but he says he's talked to Chakotay about it and he's fine with it, so long as Seska and the whole plot isn't in the version he tries. That's fair, I suppose. After all, every bad thing that a writer writes about has happened to someone. If every writer worried about hurting someone's feelings by writing about a bad thing, then they'd either never write or go crazy!"

"If Chakotay is real," Kathryn said, "and really was a Maquis, I guess he's really from a planet in the demilitarized zone?"

"Yes, but not Trebus. Tom made that up. He's from Zarbin."

"Was his family killed in a Cardassian attack?"

"Yes. It's so tragic. He had a big family, lots of brothers and sisters, but only his youngest brother survived. In the story, Tom changed it to a sister to disguise things a bit. His brother lives in Florida and has a wife and two kids."

"Does he box? I mean Chakotay, not his brother."

"No. Tom made that up because he'd come up with the whole 'fight an alien in the ring' thing and he thought it suited Chakotay's character best. I have my doubts, because Chakotay really isn't into boxing, but I let it go because I don't want to criticize everything."

"Is Chakotay a vegetarian?"

"Oh yes. That's one character trait Tom was true to, except when he wrote that whole 'Seven has a dinner with Chakotay's hologram' scene. Did you notice that she gave him a meat dish? Well, if you didn't then she did. Tom says it's because replicated meat isn't actual meat so it makes no difference, but as I said to him, a vegetarian might not see it that way. I know for a fact that Chakotay never eats replicated meat. Personally, I think Tom was just trying to make up excuses for him forgetting that Chakotay's a vegetarian. There's lots of inconsistencies like that that need ironing out. But that's what I'm here for!"

"Does Chakotay live in Oregon?"

"Yes. He has a lodge in the mountains. It's real pretty. I've been there lots of times."

"Does he live alone?"

"Yes. He had a dog, a big softie called Seya, but she died of old age a few weeks ago."

"Is he dating?"

"I don't think so," B'Elanna replied. "He hasn't mentioned anyone and..." A smile suddenly broke out on B'Elanna's face and she laughed softly.

"What is it?" Kathryn asked.

"You fancy him, don't you? I mean, you fancied his hologram."

Kathryn's face went red and she hastily took a sip of coffee. "I don't know what you mean."

"Oh, don't play the innocent with me. You fancy him. That's why you're asking me all these questions about him."

"No, I..."

"Yes, you do. I can see it in your face."

"I'm just curious about him, that's all."

"And the rest! But there's no need to be embarrassed. I had the hots for him once, just like in the novel. He's a great guy and dead sexy."

Kathryn had to smile at that. "He is, isn't he?"

B'Elanna laughed. "I knew it! You fancy him! Oh this is fantastic! It's about time a man pushed your buttons and you couldn't get a greater guy than Chakotay. I don't know why I didn't think about him for you before! How about it? If I arrange everything, will you go on a date with him?"

Kathryn tensed and put down her coffee. "I don't know about that, B'Elanna."

"What's there not to know? Give him a chance. You're perfect for each other."

"I just...I'm not comfortable with the whole date thing. He doesn't know me from Eve and might not find me attractive."

"Of course he will. You're beautiful."

"Hardly."

"Trust me, you are. But if you're not comfortable with a date, how about something less formal? He and Tom play tennis together all the time and I sometimes tag along. You could come with us as my partner and I can suggest a game of doubles. It would be a great way of meeting him."

"I don't know," Kathryn hesitated. "I haven't played tennis in years and ..."

"Then now is as good a time as any to take it up again," B'Elanna argued. "Come on, Kathryn. Don't throw away a chance of happiness. God knows you deserve it!"

Kathryn considered for a moment, then she smiled. "Ok. You've twisted my arm."

"Great," B'Elanna smiled in return. "I'll fix up a game as soon as I can!"

END OF CHAPTER 1