"He seems nice." B'Elanna spoke as they entered the party once again. Kathryn looked at her confused then she realised what or who she was talking about. She smiled and blushed.
"You should see him when he's not angry." She smirked and B'Elanna let out a bubble of laughter.
"Who's angry?" Both their heads swung to their right to see Chakotay smiling widely at them. B'Elanna felt the tension already and her eyes set firmly on Chakotay wondering what he was up to. Kathryn fought to keep her gaze passive and her smile not as strained as it felt.
"Nobody now." B'Elanna answered knowing Kathryn didn't want to. Chakotay threw his eyebrows up in a shrug. They all walked over to the nearest table and B'Elanna searched the room for Tom frantically as they sat down.
"Where did Sarah go to?" B'Elanna asked, making conversation and getting vital information at the same time.
"I think she's off on her own with all her girlfriends. You know. A private little party in one of the hotel rooms with scandal, gossip, alcohol and other things I don't care to even care to hypothesize about." B'Elanna didn't intend for the sigh of relief to be heard but no one seemed to mind it as if they all felt the same.
B'Elanna spotted Tom wiggling through the crowd in her direction and she made sure she concealed the sigh of relief this time.
"Hey guys." He chirped as he threw himself into a chair. No one really acknowledged him much and he stared with wide eyes at the three of them.
"Lively bunch aren't you?" He asked sarcastically. Chakotay chuckled at him, while Kathryn managed nothing more than a small smile and B'Elanna sent her best glare his way. He turned to B'Elanna.
"Care to dance, Madame?" He asked, extending a hand to B'Elanna. She smiled mischievously at him and took it. Chakotay and Kathryn watched them go.
"You know, at one stage I would've bet that they wouldn't last a week together." Kathryn turned to Chakotay and smiled at his confession. She turned back to look at Tom and B'Elanna dancing closely. She sighed contentedly.
"And look at them now. Married and as deeply in love as they ever were." She said distantly. Chakotay nodded silently.
"It's easy to envy them." His whispered words were so soft when Kathryn turned she still wasn't sure she had heard them. Then as he noticed her eyes on him, he blushed.
"Don't worry, Chakotay, I'm sure you'll still love her as much in a few years." She smiled gently referring to Sarah. Chakotay blushed even redder and bowed his head nodding.
They went silent again as they watched the couples slowly dancing before them. Kathryn's eyes fell to the floor as she thought back on the incident at the bar. She cleared her throat and lifted her head.
"She doesn't like me very much does she?" When she had asked her question she finally turned to him. He looked blankly at her, not knowing how to answer.
"Don't be silly, Kathryn." He said. She grinned in disbelief at him.
"It doesn't take a telepath to decipher the thoughts she was having when she found out who I was." She was still grinning as she tipped her head. He winced slightly.
"Okay, so she's weary of you." She chuckled at him and he frowned angrily at her.
"She's heard the rumours Kathryn and anyone from the crew that she's met didn't do anything to help those rumours nor the notion they supported." He told her and her face sobered, a little. She still, however, had the playful look in her eyes.
"So she thinks I'm the 'other woman' " She grinned as she paused. "The ex." She added. He rolled his eyes annoyed at her flippant manner, then stared at her firmly.
"Yes, Kathryn, that's one way of putting it." The soft anger in his voice wasn't undetected.
"I've told her a thousand times there was nothing but friendship between us..." He trailed off not wanting to admit that she never really believed him.
"She doesn't believe you does she?" He grimaced, Kathryn Janeway knew him far too well. Regardless of the lost year or so between them, she knew him as well as she always had.
"No, Kathryn, she doesn't." He sighed. Kathryn felt for him. That wasn't something one wanted straining a marriage.
"Would it help if I talked to her?" His eyes darted to hers.
"Spirits Kathryn, I wouldn't do that!" He exclaimed and she frowned, then arched her left eyebrow.
"Does she love me that much?" She smirked softly and he smiled realising how he just sounded.
"I don't know. I really don't know how she'd react to you if left to her own devices. I do surmise she wouldn't be very friendly and I don't want you to go through that." Kathryn's face softened at his concern.
"I can hold my own you know. It's really her you should be worried about." They both smiled warmly.
"Kathryn?" A familiar voice spoke her name softly behind her. She turned in her chair to see Shane standing there and she frowned at him. He noted her frown and smiled.
"They're having some problems at the transporter bay. I'm going nowhere for a while." He told her and she nodded, motioning for him to sit. Chakotay regarded him curiously. He remembered him from earlier at the bar, but aside from that he had no idea who he was.
Kathryn turned into the table uneasily as he took a seat beside her. She flashed a nervous smile to Chakotay.
"Chakotay, this is Shane Aitken. Shane. Chakotay." She introduced them and they shook each other's hands as Chakotay searched his memory wondering where he had heard that name before. His eyes flew wide open.
"Shane Aitken. Dr. Shane Aitken?" He asked with a smile of awe. Shane nodded. Chakotay inclined his head impressed.
"One of Starfleet's top Science researchers, probably the best scientist Starfleet has ever seen." Shane blushed a little at the praise.
"You sure know how to pick your friends, Kathryn." He chuckled and Kathryn felt the tension seeping between herself and Shane. He was waiting for her to elaborate. She didn't want to, but she knew it was now or never.
Her eye caught Tom coming over, B'Elanna and Sarah in tail. She bit back the frown that wanted to appear.
"Mind if we join you?" Tom asked while Sarah gave Kathryn an icy stare before draping her arms around Chakotay's neck. He accepted it awkwardly as she pulled a seat beside him. B'Elanna and Tom sat down also.
"Kathryn was just introducing me to her friend here. Did you know he's Shane Aitken? Dr. Shane Aitken." He told them and they all looked surprised glancing at the man, knowing who Shane Aitken was. B'Elanna however wasn't much interested in the naming part of Chakotay's statement; she looked over to Kathryn who was visibly squirming.
Kathryn sighed mentally, she could feel Shane's disprove heavily. She had to tell them, she simply had to.
"Ah, actually Shane is a little more than a friend." That got their attention, undivided. She smiled nervously as she clasped her hands on the table.
"He's my fiance." Silence enveloped the small group and no one even dared move. Shane smiled, finally relieved that Kathryn had told her friends. He took her hand in his and all eyes followed to Kathryn's hand, where they found plain as day, an engagement ring.
"You-you're getting married?" Tom muttered rather obviously. Kathryn looked to him and forced a tense smile.
"Tomorrow." She couldn't help but notice Tom's mouth hang open. She tried her best not to wince.
"Tomorrow?" It was Chakotay's feeble voice and she almost closed her eyes at this tone. She didn't have the strength to answer.
"Yes. We've had it planned for some time and now that Kathryn has some time off, it's the perfect time." Shane told them with a hint of pride for his wife to be.
Perfect was not how any at the table - save perhaps Shane - considered the timing regarding their wedding date.
There was a silence again and Sarah was the first to make a move.
"Congratulations, to both of you." She smiled widely and Kathryn nodded while Shane thanked her. Following her example the others shook themselves and congratulated them also.