Star Trek Voyager characters are the property of Paramount Pictures
Switched
Chapter 19
When Kathryn and Chakotay returned to their bedchamber, gold glitter rained down upon them as soon as they walked in.
"Congratulations!"
The voice was Q's.
"Q!" Kathryn cried, turning in the direction of the voice and finding Q lying all too comfortably on their bed. "What are you doing here?"
"Is that any way to greet a friend? I've just come to offer my congratulations. That's all, nothing more. What! Did you think you could hide an event as gimungus as this from old Q-ee boy?"
"I had hoped so," Kathryn answered.
Q's face fell in a feigning frown. "You hurt my feelings." He clicked his fingers. "But they're all better now." He then got to his feet. "So, confess it. What do you see in this ogre? Is it the tattoo? You've kept me guessing for millennia."
"Definitely the tattoo," Kathryn indulged him. "Does that satisfy you?"
"No. But it does Chuckles." He punched the air in glee at his own joke. "Ha! Brilliant!" He then pointed at Kathryn. "Gotcha!"
Kathryn stepped closer. "And get your butt and gutter mind out of here. You're gatecrashing my honeymoon."
Q clicked his fingers and instantly his middle disappeared and his face glazed.
"Butt and mind gone," his disembodied voice said.
"We are not amused," Kathryn answered.
Q then disappeared and reappeared in a chair before the fire. "Old Liz, Queen of Britannia, once said that to me. I'd turned her corgis into stone." He got to his feet. "And speaking of fur-balls, here's your wedding present. Don't say I don't ever give you anything." He clicked his fingers and a golden Labrador puppy appeared in Kathryn's arms.
"Oh Q..."Kathryn said. "He's adorable but..."
"No buts, Kathy." He made his middle disappear again and this time so did hers and Chakotay's. "No butts..." Q laughed. "Gotcha again!"
Kathryn tickled the dog's ear, her heart longing to keep him but her mind protesting at the impracticalities. Not only was their apartment 'no pets' but she and Chakotay had a long trip ahead of them. "We really aren't in a...."
Q interrupted. "What! You'll let this doggie woggie go to a watery grave! Shame on you, Kathy! I saved him from a tin can just for you. As for the brutes who tied him to a brick and put him in there, I tied them up and left them floating in a barrel." He slapped his leg. "Woo hoo! Good deed done for the day." He clicked his fingers and the glitter disappeared. "Now I must dash. Toodle di doodle!"
Kathryn opened her mouth, wanting to insist that he find another home for the dog, but before she could get out a single word he vanished.
"Q!" Kathryn cried. "Get back here..."
But he did not come. He was well and truly gone.
"Looks like he's left us holding the pup," Chakotay said.
"Not if I've got anything to do with it," Kathryn answered. "Q! I said get back here..."
Nothing.
Kathryn sighed. "I'll make him pay for this." She held the pup up before her and gazed at him adoringly. "Not that you aren't cute, young fella, but we're in no position to keep you right now."
"Would you like to keep him?" Chakotay asked.
"Absolutely," Kathryn said. "Dogs to me are like coffee. Irresistible."
"Then why don't we? We've talked about getting a house. Why not make this little fella our motivation? I know we can't keep him in this hotel, or take him with us to Florida, but he can come with us to Trebus. I'm sure someone will take care of him for a while. Your mother, Phoebe, B'Elanna..."
Kathryn smiled. "I'm sold. We'll keep him." She tickled the dog under the chin. "Did you hear that, Goldy? You've got yourself a home...well, owners at least. The home is to come."
"Good name," Chakotay said. "Goldy."
"More doggy than Molly, certainly," Kathryn replied. "How about it, fur-ball? Do you like Goldy?"
The dog licked her finger and Kathryn laughed. "I'll take that as a yes."
While Kathryn went to transport Goldy to Phoebe, who had kindly agreed to look after the pup, Chakotay ran a warm bubble bath in the huge antique tub. It was so big that it could easily fit in four people so two wasn't going to be a problem. When the bath was full, he put a gold rack across it and carefully filled it with fruits, chocolate, nuts, and two glasses of champagne. Then he filled the room with candles and turned out the lights.
"There's a party or something going on outside," Kathryn said when she returned to the room. "People are dressed in all kinds of costumes from jesters to witches." She went over to the window and looked out. "There's a fire too and a stall of food. It looks like some people are dancing but I can't hear any music."
Chakotay joined her at the window, stood behind her, and wrapped his arms around her. "That's because all rooms are sound-proof. They have events going on all day and night. This is a midnight masque. It'll last until dawn."
"What time is it exactly?"
"A little after 2am...6pm yesterday to us Californians."
Kathryn leant back against her bridegroom. "Now I know why you had me up late last night and up early this morning...so we can adjust to the time difference all the easier."
"That's right," he smiled. "It's quite a leap. The less sleep we got last night the more likely we are to get some sleep before morning. But the concert isn't until 3pm so we can stay in bed until mid-day if we want."
"Oh I don't know about that," Kathryn replied. "This place is so amazing that I don't want to sleep away a second. And while I can't wait for the ball and the Jazz night, I don't want them to come either because I don't want all this to be over. I'm loving every moment."
"I knew you would. And so am I. I just hope I won't be a clutz on the dancefloor."
"I don't care if you are," Kathryn smiled. "So long as you're my clutz."
"I'll remind you of that when I've bruised your toes."
Kathryn laughed softly. "Well, if you do, they won't be the only part of me black. I know you like my hair just the way it is, but the costumes call for temporary restyles. So, what do you think? Black for the ball and blonde for the jazz or blonde for the ball and black for the jazz?"
"Black for the jazz, definitely."
"Then it's blonde for the ball," she smiled.
Fireworks suddenly lit a black sky full of stars and they watched them soar and swirl.
"I'm so happy," Kathryn said. "I can't remember when I was this happy."
Chakotay kissed her hair. "So am I. Blissfully happy."
"When I was a child," Kathryn told him, "I used to dream about my wedding. I'd have a big meringue dress, a glorious bouquet of roses, a dozen bridesmaids in pink satin, the grandest venue in the Federation, a banquet fit for royalty and a glorious horse-drawn carriage. To me that was the perfect wedding." She turned to Chakotay and slipped her arms around his neck. "But none of that comes close to this. All this we're sharing is better than anything I could ever have dreamed of."
Chakotay gently brushed his fingers against her cheek and then kissed her lips tenderly. "I love you, Mrs Chakotay," he said when they drew away.
Kathryn smiled. "I love you too, Mr Janeway."
They laughed softly and then kissed again.
"If you like," Chakotay said, "we can join the masquers. Or we can toast our marriage in a bubbly bath. The choice is yours."
"The bath," Kathryn smiled. "Definitely."
Chakotay smiled in return. "I'm glad...because I've run us one."
"Then let's get in it," she said, breaking away from him and heading into the bathroom. "There's nothing I hate more than..." She stopped in mid-sentence when she saw a food laden bubbly bath steeped in the golden light of a dozen candles. "Oh Chakotay."
Her delight warmed his heart and he kissed her cheek. "Happy honeymoon."
Kathryn turned to him and embraced him. "To you too."
They then took off their clothes and climbed into the bath.
"Heavenly," Kathryn smiled as she slid under the warm soapy water.
Chakotay popped a grape into his mouth and then picked up a glass of golden champagne.
"To us," he said, "the future, the Voyager years...and our marriage."
Kathryn took up the second glass with a soapy hand and knocked it against his. "To us, the future, the Voyager years...and our marriage."
END OF CHAPTER 19