June 20, 2378 late afternoon the ballroom of the mountain resort
Chakotay was growing impatient, first he and Kathryn had had to sign a document that, according to Marinkté, was their marriage license. Then whilst the wedding guest were swept away to the reception by Q Jr., the doctor had held the bridal party and the family at the ceremony site, for at least half an hour, while he took every possible combination of pictures. Finally, the Doctor had summoned Q Jr. to take the family and wedding party minus the groom and bride to the reception. The doctor then proceeded to take numerous pictures of Kathryn and Chakotay in various poses, until finally Chakotay's temper had flared a bit, and the doctor decided he could get the rest of the shots he wanted as candid shots at the reception. Now, there was the seemingly endless reception line. At this point, all Chakotay wanted to do was grab something to eat and sit down for a moment with his new bride.
"OK, that's the last of them I think," Kathryn said.
"Finally," Chakotay said just as the DJ announced that it was time for the newlywed couple's first dance. Chakotay ruefully shook his head and led Kathryn out onto the dance floor. He and Kathryn had both added shoes to their wedding outfits before getting into the receiving line, just so the dancing would seem more natural to them. They danced to a 20th century song, 'May I Have This Dance', and as Chakotay held Kathryn close to him, he forgot all the nervousness and the irritations of the day, as he lost himself in her blue grey eyes.
When the song ended Chakotay led Kathryn to the head table. They had no more than sat down, when Tom Paris stood up and tapped his spoon against a glass to get everyone's attention.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my happy duty as best man to lead a toast to the bride and groom, so as everyone finds a glass of champagne, I'm going to take this opportunity to say a few words. When Chakotay asked me to be his best man, he said he was sure that at the beginning of our voyage no one would ever have believed that one day he'd be asking me to stand up for him at his wedding," Tom paused as Voyager's crew laughed and the wedding guests from the Sentinel wondered what had changed over the years.
"But you know something Big Guy, I think even that first day when you beamed onto Voyager's bridge and Kathryn stopped you from coming after me, that you and she both knew, somewhere down deep inside, that you were meant for each other," Tom paused again as he saw the newlywed couple looking at each other with the same question in their eyes, 'Is he right, did you feel it then?'
"You'd be surprised how soon the betting pool on you two got started," Tom added with a laugh.
"And there were certainly times when we were running short on energy that I wondered, why B'Elanna couldn't figure out a way to harness the electricity that seemed to always be present when the two of you were in the same room," he stopped for another moment, and then began again with a wistful smile.
"The years in the Delta Quadrant have been filled with danger and sorrow, but also with joy and a sense of discovery of our own inner strengths. The crew of Voyager has grown a great deal in these last six and half years, and much of that is due to the two of you. Yet in those years, we've watched the two of you sacrifice your own happiness over and over again, for our sakes. I remember how glad we all were to have the two of you back from New Earth, until we began to realize that we had 'rescued' you from Paradise. I beg you now, never again give up your happiness for this crew, for I'm certain I speak for the entire crew when I say, if you are happy so are we," Tom then raised his champagne glass.
"To Kathryn and Chakotay, may they never know an end to their love and happiness," he said then turned to clink glasses with B'Elanna before draining his glass.
Maliya, Phoebe and Gretchen each took a turn toasting the couple and welcoming their new in-laws to their respective families, then Chakotay rose to address the wedding guests.
"Thank you for sharing with us in the great joy that this day brings us," Chakotay paused for a moment then shook his head and looked at Kathryn. "Maybe you should do this, you're better at this sort of thing," he said to her.
"No," she said as she grinned at him, "by tradition this is your job, and you know how this family feels about traditions".
"OK," he said with a sigh. "Well, let's see, as to the things my best man said. One, as to that first day on the bridge, I can't speak for Kathryn, but yes I felt something and to be honest, it scared the hell out of me. There we were 70,000 light years from home in damaged ships, missing the best engineer I've ever known, and suddenly, all I can think of, is this gorgeous redheaded spitfire of a Star Fleet captain," he paused and laughter filled the room for a moment.
"Second, who won that betting pool, by the way?" Chakotay asked Tom with a laugh.
"Third, about being rescued from Paradise," Chakotay paused for a moment and looked around until he spotted Harry Kim, "Have you ever wondered why Harry is still an ensign?" More laughter filled the room.
Chakotay turned to his in-laws and said, "Gretchen, Phoebe I hope, Kathryn feels as welcome to the Jaguar clan, as you have made me feel to the Janeway clan."
He paused again, then said in a serious voice, "It has taken Kathryn and me a long time to get to this day, but don't feel like you, the crew of Voyager, were somehow in the way. Family and friends are never really in the way. Everything happens in its own time and for its own reason. Now, before I ramble on anymore, I'd like to ask you to lift a glass in honor of my lovely bride," he said. As he raised his glass to his lips, he looked to see the eyes of his beloved brimming with tears.
Just then, the wait staff of the lodge began bringing in the dinner, and Chakotay heaved a sigh of relief, knowing he would finally get to have something to eat, and he'd also get to spend some time with Kathryn without some wedding or reception formality to contend with. He was feeling just a little guilty, because a part of him wanted the reception to be over so he could sneak away with Kathryn to their honeymoon cabin; but another part knew that as soon as the reception was over, his sister and niece and Kathryn's mother and sister would have to go home.
After dinner, a large wedding cake was wheeled out, and Kathryn and Chakotay were asked to cut the cake. There was then a bit of good natured speculation as to whether the bride and groom would be well behaved as they fed each other a piece of the cake. For his part Chakotay was a perfect gentleman, but Kathryn couldn't resist smearing frosting on her groom's face, which he then insisted she kiss off his face. To his embarrassment, she cheerfully and very thoroughly complied.
There was little left to do, but dance a few more dances, throw the bouquet and garter, which they did arrange to have Pakrité and Terpe catch, and then say tearful goodbyes to their families. The guests remained at the lodge and danced into the wee hours of the morning, but Kathryn and Chakotay were swept away to their honeymoon cabin by a simple snap of Q Jr.'s fingers at the end of a romantic dance.
June 20, 2378 2100 Kathryn and Chakotay's honeymoon cabin
"I wish he'd stop doing that," Kathryn said, as she and Chakotay suddenly materialized in their mountain cabin.
"Doing what?" Chakotay asked, just before he finally realized where he was.
"Transporting people places with the snap of his fingers, it's disorienting," Kathryn said with a slight laugh.
"Yes, it is, but as long as he leaves us alone from now on, I can't say I mind," Chakotay replied.
Suddenly a padd appeared in Chakotay's hand. It was already activated, and so he held it so that Kathryn could see it too. It said,
Aunt Kathy and Uncle Chak,
Don't worry, you are here to stay for as long as you choose and will have to use a regular transporter to get back to Voyager. Also I've put out the Q equivalent of a DO NOT DISTURB sign, even my Mom and Dad can't disturb you two for the next few days. Best Wishes, Congratulations and all that other stuff.
Love,
q
Suddenly Chakotay was extremely nervous. He and Kathryn were alone, and he knew what was expected of him, but he was apprehensive.
Kathryn could see the anxiety on her new husband's face and decided to give him a little space, hoping he'd calm down some.
"I'm going to go change my clothes," Kathryn said.
"Uh, yeah the bathroom is through there," Chakotay said, in a voice that sounded as uncertain as he looked.
'Spirits man, pull yourself together', Chakotay thought to himself. He decided he'd get out of his wedding clothes and into the black silk pajamas his 'sisters' has presented him with earlier in the day.
He was just debating whether to put the pajama top on when Kathryn emerged from the bathroom. She was a vision in a long off white silk nightgown and matching peignoir. His heart pounded in his ears and he forgot to breathe. He found himself moving towards her without really realizing what he was doing. He was drawn to her and she to him as surely as if they were magnets.
When he reached her he took her in his arms and kissed her, suddenly all the fears, all the trepidations about their first time together fled his consciousness. As his body responded to her nearness, all he could think about was the woman he loved, and how he would show her that love.
He began by kissing Kathryn's face and throat, and caressing her arms with his large, strong hands. His kisses and caresses were interspersed with his telling her, in each of his languages, that he loved her and that she was beautiful and that he wanted her. Eventually he pushed the peignoir away from her shoulders to expose more of her skin to his questing lips. He heard her sigh as he began to kiss his way down towards her breasts and he smiled to himself. This is what he wanted to hear - her sighs, her moans and hopeful her screams of pleasure, and he would do whatever it took to make it happen.
He licked at the lace just above her left breast and wondered if she would enjoy the sensation of his sucking on her nipple through the silk. He placed his lips on the material over her breast and then glanced up at her to see her reaction. Her head was thrown back and she suddenly reached up to tangle her fingers in the hair at the back of his head to keep him at her breast. He moved his hands back up to her shoulders, and this time pulled the thin straps of her nightgown down her arms. Soon she stood in front of him with her trousseau pooled at her feet.
After he drank in the sight of her nude body for a few moments, Chakotay started to lead her towards the bed, but she resisted slightly and smiled impishly at him. She walked her fingers down his chest and over his abs, and then, while looking into his eyes, she loosened the drawstring to his pajama bottoms, and the silk garment fell from his body to lie on the floor next to her nightgown and robe. She looked down, almost shyly, to gaze at him. She caressed his left buttock with her right hand, and then she moved past him towards the bed, and held out her hand to him in invitation.
She sat on the edge of the bed, then scooted into the middle of it and lay down, reaching out towards Chakotay. He knelt on the bed with one knee, and then began to draw himself towards her, laying his larger, darker body next to hers, allowing their bodies to touch all along their torsos, and twining his right leg over her left.
Chakotay again kissed Kathryn, almost drowning in the joy of possessing her mouth. He again began kissing a path down her body as his hands stroked her sides. He stopped to knead and suckle her nipples, and then continued his journey down her body. Kathryn jerked a bit when he stuck his tongue in her navel and swirled it around.
Chakotay found himself nearing her auburn curls and the treasure that resided there. He had never been a man who enjoyed performing oral sex on a woman, and only did it because he felt obliged to 'return the favor'; but at this moment, he was relishing the idea of tasting Kathryn, of making her come with just his mouth and his fingers. He teased open her outer lips with his tongue and his fingertips, being ever so gentle. Then he began laving her clitoris and teasing his fingers past her opening.
Kathryn began squirming and whimpering. At one point, she put her left hand around the back of his neck, as if to force him to stay where he was, but at the same time she wailed his name and said she couldn't take any more. He almost laughed at the contradiction, but instead, he reached back with his right hand and brought her left hand away from his head and down to her side. Chakotay suddenly had an inspiration, and he threaded his fingers through hers, so their hands were clasped as they had been on New Earth, after he had told her the Angry Warrior Legend.
As she sighed, "Oh Chakotay," he decided it was time for him to check and see if she was ready for him, because he wasn't sure how much longer his aching cock could wait. He plunged the middle finger of his left hand inside her, and she bucked against his mouth, so he sucked on her clit.
'Spirits, she's so hot and wet,' he thought, and when he pushed his index finger in to join his middle finger, he added to his thought 'and tight'. Chakotay knew that although he wasn't endowed like a star of a holographic skin flick, he was above average, as far as the size of his cock was concerned. He wanted to be sure she was ready for him, so he wouldn't hurt her, so he continued his ministrations to her clit as he slowly finger fucked her. Suddenly her whole body seemed to stiffen and he felt her walls grip his fingers. She let out a scream and then seemed to become boneless.
He glanced up at her and could see the flush and the goose flesh on her breasts. She was almost whispering his name, and he saw tears falling from her eyes. He couldn't stand to see her cry, even if it were tears of joy and great emotional release, so he gently pulled himself back up her body to begin kissing away her tears. When he kissed her, she could taste herself on him.
He positioned himself with his knees between her legs then leaned forward and took a good deal of his weight onto his left hand, his right hand still being entwined with her left. He didn't want to let go of her hand but he had to, for at least a moment, as he positioned the head of his cock at her opening.
He looked into her eyes, as though he were seeking one last confirmation from her that this was what she wanted. Sensing his unspoken request Kathryn reached for his hand again, and said "Please, Chakotay I want you inside me," and with that he began to push his long, thick cock inside her.
He didn't bury himself to the hilt all at once, as the primal male inside of him wanted to, but instead he took it slowly and gently, pushing in a few inches and then pulling almost all the way out before pushing in again a bit deeper. He was more than willing to give her time to adjust to him. He wanted this first time together to be wonderful and he knew that rushing things and hurting her would ruin it. When he was finally fully inside her, he shuddered and called out her name. He had never in his life felt as he did at this moment. This wasn't just sex, this was completion. He was finally whole; and strangely enough, he had never realized before just how incomplete he had been.
Chakotay had wondered, if he would come in only a few strokes like an overeager teenage boy, or if he'd find it hard to come inside her at all after all these years of 'self-love', but he soon found a pounding rhythm that suited them both. It amazed him that when he would change the angle or speed of his stroke to something he found exquisite, Kathryn would enthusiastically respond with a "yes" or "Oh Chakotay." As he pounded into her furiously, the sweat glistened on his bronze body. Kathryn's last coherent thought, before her second orgasm of the evening tore through her, was that Chakotay looked like an exotic version of a Greek God.
Kathryn's second orgasm rocked Chakotay, as he felt her inner walls clenching around his cock. A few more erratic thrusts and Chakotay came with a roar. As his seed spurted inside Kathryn, he murmured her name and collapsed, halfway on top of her. After kissing her face, throat and shoulder and mumbling, "I love you," he fell asleep.
Although she had been thoroughly satisfied by her groom's lovemaking, she was a bit taken a back by his sudden lapse into unconsciousness. 'Oh well,' she thought, 'maybe its just a reaction to all the stress of the day," and with that thought, she snuggled into his larger frame and began to try to fall a sleep herself. Just as she started to realize that she wasn't sleepy enough to talk herself into falling asleep yet, Chakotay woke up. He couldn't have been asleep more than 15 or 20 minutes.
He yawned and then looked into Kathryn's twinkling eyes. "What?" he asked with a bit of a laugh.
"Nothing," Kathryn fibbed and averted her gaze from his.
He took her chin in one of his hands and turned her head, so she had to look into his eyes. "Uh huh, you can't fool me. You were going to say something and thought better of it. Now come on, tell me. What was it?" Chakotay asked with a dimpled grin.
"Do you always take a catnap afterwards?" she asked with a crooked grin.
Chakotay felt his face heat with a rare blush, then answered, "Not to the best of my recollection."
Kathryn laughed and kissed his face, "Oh, as though it's been so long you can't remember".
He ducked his head a little and then ran his hand up and down her flank as he tried to think of an excuse for his sudden lapse. "Longer than you probably think," he replied a bit defensively, then addressed the real question. "I guess it was just the stress of the last few days coupled with the great relaxing release of finally making love to you."
"I know I thought of that already, that's why I wasn't going to say anything," Kathryn replied.
"You know the most amazing thing?" Chakotay asked her a few moments later.
"What?" she responded eagerly.
"Every time I found something that felt wonderful to me, you responded in a way that made it seem to me that you felt the same way," he stopped stroking her for a moment and looked into her eyes. "Isn't it amazing that the creator made us this way?"
There was a time when Janeway considered herself at the least an agnostic, if not an out and out atheist, but her time in the Delta Quadrant, and especially her time with Chakotay, had changed her, so that she was finally willing to entertain the idea that there was some creative power in the universe. At this moment, she was delighted to think that that creative power had made man and woman to please each other, and even more so that that creator had made her for Chakotay and him for her.
"Yes Chakotay, yes it is," she answered and kissed him passionately, urging him without words to make love to her again and so he did.
They spent much of the night exploring each other. Learning what it was that pleased the other, each memorizing the sounds their lover made that signaled his or her pleasure. In the early hours of the morning Chakotay fell asleep exhausted and completely sated, Kathryn smiled and snuggled into his side to let sleep claim her too.
June 21, 2378 midmorning Kathryn & Chakotay's honeymoon cabin
Kathryn woke and stretched languorously, then looked over at the handsome man who lay sleeping next to her. She almost couldn't believe it was true, that last night wasn't just a dream. She noticed that the sheet above Chakotay's pelvis was tented and realized that even though he seemed to be asleep at least a portion of him was up. She grinned as she peeled the sheet back and began stroking his cock to bring more life to his erection.
Chakotay began to wake to the feel of his wife's gentle ministration, but just as he became totally awake Kathryn straddled him and sunk down on his cock. As Kathryn began to ride up and down on him, it was all he could do not to beg her to stop what she was doing. She couldn't know how much he hated this position. He made the mistake of closing his eyes, and suddenly he could see that blonde bitch Nechayev riding him. His eyes snapped open to drink in the sight of his beautiful wife. He tried to push the negative feelings aside and concentrate on his feeling for his wife and her feelings for him. He told himself that the woman on top of him loved him, and wasn't using him and didn't want to dominate him. It worked; at least sufficiently that he stayed hard long enough for Kathryn to climax. He then reversed their positions and began pounding into her. He didn't mean to be, but he was pretty rough with her, as though he were taking out the anger he felt towards Alynna Nechayev on Kathryn.
As Chakotay lay over her panting, trying to get his control back, Kathryn wondered what was going on. She realized at some point that Chakotay was not enjoying himself with her on top, and that he was angry about something. She wanted to know what it was that hurt him and made him angry, but she was afraid to hurt him more by making him reveal the source of his pain.
"What's wrong, darling?" she asked him gently as she kissed his face.
"I'm sorry," Chakotay said softly.
"Can you talk about it?" Kathryn asked him.
Chakotay thought about that for a moment, Kathryn was his wife now and he shouldn't have secrets from her.
"Yeah, I think maybe I should talk about it with you, maybe it will help me get over the negative feelings I have, so this isn't ever a problem again," Chakotay said.
He pulled Kathryn to his side and kissed her hair. He didn't think he could tell this story if he had to look at her, so he tried to encourage her to cuddle her face into his shoulder. Kathryn understood Chakotay's need immediately and lay quietly at his side with her face buried in his shoulder.
"After I'd been on the Griffin for a couple of years, Star Fleet sent out an officer to investigate the conditions aboard the ships at the front. Some people thought it was a precursor to court-martialing Captain Severson. Anyway the investigating officer wanted to talk to the new Lieutenant Junior Grade who was in charge of the fighter pilots, me. As soon as the commodore laid eyes on me, it became apparent to everyone that she wanted a lot more from me than talk. The other pilots razzed me about it, but they didn't realize how uncomfortable I was about the situation. I did my best to ignore her advances, but she became more and more blatant. Finally, she told me she would get me off the Griffin, if I 'cooperated' with her," Chakotay stopped for a moment obviously remembering the incident.
"I told her flat out, I wouldn't trade sexual favors for a transfer off the Griffin," he continued his story.
"Good for you, it must have been difficult for a young lieutenant to stand up to a Commodore," Kathryn said hoping to bolster Chakotay's obviously flagging spirits.
"It didn't do me any good," he stated dejectedly.
"Why not?" Kathryn asked before she could stop herself.
"She told me she always got what she wanted somehow, and that she'd make me regret making her work so hard for it," Chakotay said by way of answering Kathryn.
"The next day I was transferred to her command. I guess she traded favors with Severson, she didn't tell Star Fleet the whole truth about what he was up to on the Griffin, and in exchange she got me," Chakotay grew silent for a moment. Kathryn realized he was probably steeling himself for the worst of the story.
"When my records were transferred to her, my medical file came along too. She overrode the encryption and found out about my true age. She told me I either had sex with her or she'd make sure the truth was revealed, and I'd be out of the service so fast my head would spin. The next few weeks I was virtually her sex slave. Her favorite thing was to be on top, riding me, in total control," Chakotay said his voice becoming a harsh whisper on the last phrase.
"We went from ship to ship continuing the investigation that Star Fleet wanted, and I had to behave as though I wasn't being regularly forced to have sex with a woman twice my age during my off duty hours. Finally, we came to the Gettysburg and I realized I'd possibly found a way out of Nechayev's clutches. The Gettysburg was short a tactical officer, so I practically begged Captain Gordon to take me aboard as her new tactical officer and she did," Chakotay explained.
"Did you ever tell anyone about Nechayev's conduct?" Kathryn asked, as she propped herself up on an elbow so she could look at her husband.
"No, I couldn't, not without exposing my own secret," he replied, as he turned and propped himself on his elbow, so they were facing each other in bed.
"But what about after the truth came out? You could have come forward then," Kathryn pressed.
"It had been 5 years by then, and Nechayev had been promoted to admiral. I figured it was in my best interest not to be involved in any sort of scandal," Chakotay replied.
They were both quiet for a moment then Chakotay continued, "Truth is, I was ashamed of what happened and I didn't want to talk about it to anyone," he admitted.
Quiet enveloped them for a few moments, both lost in thoughts.
"But I've always wondered how many other young men she assaulted because I didn't report her conduct," his voice was tinged with anguish.
"Oh Chakotay," Kathryn tried to soothe her lover's anguish by reaching out and holding him close to her.
"If Nechayev did assault other young men that was her crime, and you had nothing to do with it," Kathryn said, as she relaxed her hold on him so she could look at his face.
"Oh no? If I had come forward and pressed charges against her, she would have probably been cashiered out of Star Fleet after she spent some time in a penal colony," Chakotay said in an almost challenging voice.
"Chakotay you were a very young man and you'd been victimized, you shouldn't take on any guilt over this," Kathryn countered.
Chakotay suddenly realized something he hadn't thought about before, he now had a life partner and she was almost always going to be in his corner.
"This is a part of what being married is about, isn't it?" he asked almost rhetorically.
"What do you mean?" she asked a bit bewildered.
"I not only have a best friend and the most amazing lover in the galaxy, but I have a life partner who will always be on my side, always ready, willing and able to defend me even when I maybe don't deserve it," Chakotay explained.
"Yes you do and so do I," she said passionately. "And I will defend you, even to yourself, remember that," she said and then kissed him passionately. He responded, kissing her and then drawing her to him by putting a leg over hers and pulling their lower bodies together. Soon they were making love yet again. As they were basking in the afterglow, Chakotay's stomach rumbled and Kathryn couldn't contain her laughter.
"I guess I better feed you," she said.
"Uh, no I think I'd better feed myself and I'll make something for you too," he replied.
"Are you casting aspersions on my cooking abilities?" she asked with a crooked grin.
"What cooking abilities?" Chakotay teasingly responded, a moment before a pillow flew through the air in his general direction.
Chakotay found his pajama bottoms where they'd left them and pulled them on before he made his way to the cabin's kitchen to prepare their breakfast. He started fresh coffee brewing and while he made omelets, Kathryn sliced some fresh fruit for them. They talked and laughed over breakfast and made plans to take a hike in the mountains, but they didn't get around to it until the next day.
In fact, that first week after the wedding they rarely left the cabin or spoke to anyone. They did checked in with B'Elanna to find out how the modifications to Chakotay's old quarters were coming along. When they returned to Voyager he'd move his things into her quarters and then Tom and B'Elanna and Miral would move in next door. They also talked to Ken Dalby and Sue Jenkins a few times about their wedding ceremony, but mostly they just reveled in being alone together.
June 27, 2378 0900 Kathryn/Chakotay's honeymoon cabin
"But I don't want to go back," Kathryn sounded almost like a petulant child.
"Sweetheart we have to, you have to perform Ken and Sue's wedding ceremony, remember?" Chakotay asked her, trying to cajole her into a more accepting mood.
"But…" she started to protest until Chakotay took her in his arms.
"I know, I don't want our honeymoon to be over either, but look at it this way, the honeymoon's not really over, just interrupted for a change in venue," he said and then kissed her to try to cheer her up.
"Promise?" she asked.
"I promise, as soon as Ken and Sue's reception is over, we'll retire to OUR quarters and resume the honeymoon, OK?" he asked.
"OK, but couldn't we resume the honeymoon in the turbolift on the way to our quarters?" she said and aimed a seductive grin at him.
"Ah reason 47," Chakotay said cryptically.
"What?" Kathryn asked confused.
"Reasons I love you. Reason 47 - you can be clever and sexy at the same time," he answered with a laugh and followed it up with a quick kiss.
"Come on let's get back to Voyager," he suggested as he picked up their bags.
"Right, where's Q Jr. when you need him," she said in jest, and then tapped her commbadge to initiate a commlink with the ship.
"Voyager, two to beam up," she said and moments later, they and their luggage disappeared in sparkles to reappear in the transporter room of Voyager. They greeted the crewmember on duty and headed for the turbolift and deck three.
As they entered what had been Kathryn's quarters and were now their quarters, they were both a bit taken aback at the changes they saw. Someone – probably B'Elanna, had moved Chakotay's things into the quarters and had brought their wedding presents too. Whoever had brought Chakotay's things over had done a good job of blending their possessions; somehow it looked as though the decorations belonged together as much as the man and woman did.
They wandered into the bedroom, and on a hunch Kathryn opened the closet to reveal that Chakotay's uniforms and off duty clothes had been put into her closet too. She looked down on the floor of the closet, and on top of Chakotay's shoes was a bundle with a folded note attached that had Chakotay's name on the outside. She handed the bundle and note to Chakotay, and as he read it, he laughed so hard he had to sit down on the bed.
"What's so funny," she asked.
"Here, read it for yourself," he answered as he offered her the note.
C,
I draw the line at going through another woman's underwear drawers, so you'll have to find space for your boxers, T-shirts, sox and whatever that other thing is for yourself.
B
"That other thing?" Kathryn asked after she stopped laughing.
"Uh, let me think," Chakotay said as he rubbed his ear.
"She must be talking about my jock strap," he surmised.
"I'll empty a drawer for you," Kathryn said as she shook her head.
As she turned to start working on that project, he grabbed her from behind and pulled her back toward the bed saying, "There'll be time for that later. I think it's high time we properly broke in this bed of yours," he said as he started to pull her blouse from her skirt.
"No, it's not time for that," she said and gently eased out of his grasp. "We've got a wedding ceremony to be at in a little over an hour, and besides needing to change, I've got to look at the information Ken and Sue sent about what they want in the ceremony. If we get started on breaking in that bed properly, we'll never make it to the wedding on time," she said and smiled seductively at him.
"Oh alright, you go look at what Ken and Sue want, and I'll take care of unpacking our bags and finding space in the drawers for my stuff," he paused for a moment, "that is if I have your permission to go through your drawers?" he asked.
"Sure go ahead," Kathryn said as she headed towards her monitor to call up the message from Ken and Sue.
A few moments later Chakotay called out, "I've rearranged the drawers a little, just took the one on the top right for mine," then he came into the living area carrying a phallus shaped vibrator, "Uh what would you like me to do with this?" he asked.
Kathryn blushed scarlet and said, "Oh my God, I forgot that was in there. Guess it's a good thing B'Elanna didn't go through my draws," she said as she got up and came towards him, reaching out for the vibrator.
"I'll just recycle this," Kathryn said as she took the vibrator from his hand.
"I don't know, it might come in handy when I'm off the ship on a long away mission," Chakotay said with a teasing tone.
"I think I can wait for the real thing," she laughed, and tossed the vibrator into the recycler. She then turned, wrapped her arms around Chakotay's neck and pulled him into a tender kiss.
"You know, I still think we have time to break in some piece of furniture in these quarters before Ken and Sue's wedding. How about the couch?" Chakotay suggested as he ran his hands over Kathryn's back and sides, then cupped her butt with one hand and tangled the fingers of his other hand in her hair.
"No, but since we do have a little time before their wedding, I think maybe we should finally open our wedding gifts," she countered.
"OK, but I do get a rain check on breaking in the couch," he asked with a grin.
"Oh definitely, you can sleep on it the first time I get really mad at you," she teased.
"Actually, I plan for us to eventually christen all the furniture properly," she promised and watched his dimples reappear.
"All right, lets see what the crew got us," Chakotay said as he drew her down to the couch in front of the coffee table which had a variety of packages and envelopes on it.
"Everyone gave up a half hour of holodeck time so we could spend three days this week on the holodeck," Kathryn said as she read the gift certificate inside the first envelope.
Chakotay laughed a bit as he read the certificate he held, and when Kathryn turned a quizzical look at him he read, "Save this certificate as it is good for one evening's babysitting from each member of the crew." Chakotay added, "Our crew's really thinking ahead".
"Put that someplace safe, if we use it correctly we can spread that over several years," Kathryn said.
"Yes, but do you really want Mortimer Harren to baby sit our child?" Chakotay asked.
"Well, I have a few years to mull that one over," she laughed.
"OK, here you open that one while I open this one," Chakotay said as he pulled two boxes that were wrapped in the same white wedding paper and topped with matching bows closer to them.
"A grinder for beans," Kathryn said excitedly. "Hurry and open that one maybe it's coffee beans," she said.
"No, it's a coffee maker," Chakotay said as he pulled a third package. "Maybe this is the coffee beans," he speculated.
"Give me that," she ordered.
Chakotay leaned back and put his hands up, "Yes ma'am, I know better than to get between you and your coffee."
"Yes!" Kathryn exclaimed as she lifted several bags of roasted coffee beans and hugged them to her.
"This crew is brilliant," Chakotay said with a grin as he unwrapped a stasis unit. "Here put the beans in this so they stay fresh."
"Shall we open this last one together," Chakotay said as he pulled the largest box towards them.
"Yes," Kathryn answered as she pulled at the ribbon.
When they got the box unwrapped, Chakotay lifted the lid and Kathryn reached inside and pushed aside the tissue paper that was wrapped around a handmade queen-sized quilt.
"Oh Chakotay, look at it. It's beautiful," she said so softly as to almost be whispering.
"Let's unfold it more so we can see the pattern better," he suggested.
Each of them took a part of the quilt and began unfolding it to reveal a midnight blue background scattered with stars and over that a peach colored peace rose.
"Look, the stars are constellations as seen from earth." Kathryn said.
"No, the ones on that side are, the ones over on this side are constellations seen over Trebus, and look at the back of the quilt. They've all signed it," Chakotay noted.
"Let's go put it on the bed," she said excitedly.
"Uh, OK but lets take the blanket off first or we'll be too hot to sleep," he proposed.
Kathryn smiled to herself, realizing he'd said 'we'll' when he meant 'I'll'. She'd learned over the past week that her husband was a human furnace.
"Would that be such a bad thing?" she said with a wicked grin.
"Kathryn, don't start something we don't have time to finish," Chakotay warned with a wicked smile.
They resisted the temptation to fall into Kathryn's bed, changed into their dress uniforms and headed out the door arm in arm to what was to be one of many weddings to take place in the next few months.