Star Trek Voyager characters are the property of Paramount Pictures

Switched

Chapter 20

In a glitzy hall that was teeming with people, Kathryn and Chakotay made their way through the throng to a little table in a quiet corner. Jazz music was playing but the band was not yet on stage.

"I'm so glad we came early," Kathryn said, sitting down. "Another half an hour and there'd be no tables left."

Chakotay sat opposite her and gazed at her as she pulled a mirror out of her handbag and checked her face. He thought she looked stunning in her gold flapper dress and he was surprised at how well a black, heavy fringed, bob suited her. He looked handsome himself in his pinstripe suit with matching fedora hat and had caught the eye of many a lady as they came in. Not being recognized immediately as Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay they had found to be one of the unexpected perks of fancy dress.

"Definitely you," he teased.

Kathryn looked up at him. "What?"

"The fairest of them all."

Kathryn smiled and then rather self-consciously put the mirror away. "I can't help it. I'm not used to wearing this much make-up. Never in a million years would I normally wear lipstick this red."

Chakotay laughed softly. "Well it suits you. You look amazing."

Kathryn gazed into his eyes. "So do you."

A passing young waitress put two menus onto the table and they looked through them with hungry eyes. Even though they'd eaten a basket of delights during the Victorian picnic, a walk through the castle's extensive grounds had burned up the calories and now they were starving.

"I had no idea they had pasta and pizza in the 1920's," Kathryn said. "But I'm sure glad as a deluxe pizza will do me very nicely."

"Me too," Chakotay smiled.

The crowd suddenly cheered and Kathryn saw that the band was making its way onto the stage. They began to play right away and lots of couples hurried onto the dancefloor.

"Are you ready to order Ma'am, Sir?" the waitress asked.

"Yes," Kathryn answered. "We'll have two small deluxe pizzas and a large bottle of mineral water." As she spoke, Kathryn noticed that a man on the table in front was staring at her. He had graying hair, a thick moustache, and was of stout body frame.

"Any desserts, Ma'am?"

Kathryn looked away from the man to the menu and quickly scanned the dessert list. "I'll have a slice of fudge cake. Chakotay?"

"Vanilla ice-cream for me," he answered.

As the waitress went on her way, Kathryn looked at the man again and found that he was still scrutinizing her. But then he looked away and talked to a woman beside him. Kathryn put his interest down to recognizing her and gave the incident no more thought.

With their arms around each other, Kathryn and Chakotay danced slowly around the dancefloor. Some couples were dancing quite elaborate routines but Voyager's former captain and commander wanted to keep things simple.

"How am I doing?" Chakotay asked. "Better than last night?"

"No," she answered. "As you did great last night. All these years you've lead me to believe you're a clutz at dancing when you're really a whizz at the waltz. You totally swept me off my feet."

Chakotay smiled and was about to speak when a handsome man with curly black hair and sapphire blue eyes tapped Kathryn on the shoulder.

"May I have this dance?"

"Sorry," Kathryn said, holding up her wedding ring. "I'm taken."

The man backed away without a word and Kathryn returned her arms to Chakotay's neck. "I know tonight is our last night here, but we've still got all day tomorrow. How about we make a Victorian Ball our swan song?"

"I'm up for it if you are," he replied.

"Then it's a date," she smiled. "When we get back to our room I'll look through the catalogue and..." she wobbled and glanced at her feet "damn."

"What is it?" Chakotay asked. "Did I stamp on your toes?"

"No," she said, holding up a severed high heel of shimmering gold. "My heel came off."

"I see," Chakotay said, amused.

"I'll have to go our room and replicate another pair. It'll be quicker than queuing for the public replicators."

"Want me to come with you?"

"No," she replied. "You wait at our table. I won't be long."

With that she slipped off her other shoe and left the hall.

As quickly as she could, Kathryn made her way through long sconce lit corridors to the west wing of the castle where room 509 was located. The corridors were fairly busy but got quieter the closer she got to her destination. At long last she reached her room, keyed in the access code, and hurried inside. As she didn't plan on being there long she didn't bother to lock the door, she just flung her broken shoes onto the floor and went over to the replicator.

"Gold high heel shoes," she said, "20's style. Europe Size 39."

"Request not understood," the replicator replied. "Please give item number."

"Damn," Kathryn said. The replicators in this hotel were pretty useless. They needed an item number for almost everything. In frustration, she looked for the catalogue and was just about to pick it up when strong gloved hands grabbed her by the mouth and waist and hurled her face forward against a wall. The same hands pinned her against it and a heavy male body pushed against hers.

"Thought you could get away with it, eh Vonra?" the man said, putting a blade to Kathryn's throat. "Well no one messes with Taron and gets away with it!"

"I'm not Vonra," Kathryn cried. "I'm..."

"Don't shit with me," he yelled, digging the blade in deeper. "I know who you are."

He violently turned her around and Kathryn saw that the man had emerald green eyes beneath a black turban. "Say your prayers," he said, "because you're about to meet your maker."

With that he thrust the knife into Kathryn's stomach. Her body heaved with the shock and she couldn't breathe. He then stabbed her again and again before casting her to the floor.

"I would slice your throat," he said. "But Taron likes his enemies to die suffering."

He then plunged the dagger into Kathryn's dying body one last time and fled.

END OF CHAPTER 20