Sorry this next part has taken so long - life and work got in the way! Thanks for all the nice reviews :)

The party was creeping into the early hours of the morning and most guests had wandered off to some corner of the hotel, with a small group still remaining in the actual party area.

Chakotay lifted his drink and took a sip as he sat quietly on his own observing the people in the room enjoying themselves. His attention drifted to Tom and Tuvok conversing rather closely and throwing subtle glances his way. He kept his gaze on them, wondering what they were up to or rather, what Tom was up to.

It was Tuvok that finally came his way. This should be fun, he thought.

"Commander." Tuvok greeted him as he stood above Chakotay.

"Lose the title, Tuvok. I'm Chakotay down here." He swung his hand and offered Tuvok a seat.

"Very well." Tuvok replied, uneasy with Chakotay's request.

"What can I help you with, Tuvok?" Chakotay asked as he settled himself facing Tuvok. He watched Tuvok take a steady breath and found himself worried.

"I was talking to Mr. Paris just now." Chakotay nodded as Tuvok paused, still uneasy. "He informed me of he events which occurred earlier." Chakotay frowned. Tuvok raised an eyebrow.

"Concerning the Captain." Tuvok watched as Chakotay realised what he was referring to.

"And?" Chakotay didn't like where the conversation was going.

"And these events and my close inspection of both your behaviourisms tonight raised a delicate issue between Mr. Paris and myself, with some startling information to add on both parts." Chakotay felt like shaking the point out of Tuvok.

"Dare I say again: and?" His sarcasm was futile as Tuvok simply chose to ignore it. Tuvok shifted in his seat. Chakotay didn't like this at all. Tuvok made to reply when someone fell against their table, giggling their apologies of their drunkenness. Tuvok raised his eyebrow at them.

"Perhaps we could find somewhere more private?" He enquired and Chakotay nodded wearily as he got up and led Tuvok away.

They entered a room and Tuvok walked in as Chakotay closed the doors behind them.

"Right, out with it, Tuvok." He said impatiently as he strode over to him.

"Mr. Paris told me of the conversation you had with him last week." Chakotay froze. Tuvok needn't elaborate any further. He had only one conversation with Tom Paris last week that could possibly raise concerns. He had been rather drunk then. Now he wanted to kill Tom Paris.

"He had no right to tell you about that. He had no right to tell anyone! I confided in him!" Chakotay was nearly shouting with anger as he sunk onto the bed with a sigh. Tuvok turned on his heel, unmoved by Chakotay's state.

"I would agree, however, a conversation I had only yesterday changes my opinion." Chakotay's head snapped up.

"A conversation with who?" He asked curious. Tuvok shifted his weight to his right leg.

"Captain Janeway." Chakotay's heart skipped a beat at the sound of her name. His eyes got lost in thought.

"Kathryn." He whispered to himself as if confirming.

"Yes." Tuvok said. Chakotay awoke from his reverie and looked up to Tuvok.

"What was it about?" He asked. Tuvok walked towards him.

"I had been informed at the beginning of the week of your pending wedding." Tuvok looked like he was having difficulty with something. He stood silently for a few moments before sitting beside Chakotay.

"I debated whether it would be logical to tell the Captain that you would be getting married in a few days. Most knew already on Voyager and I had suspected she might find out, only to find she had no idea. Then it became more than obvious that she had been deliberately not told." He paused and Chakotay winced, wishing he had just told her himself.

"I soon became aware of the reason and came to the conclusion that kept the others from telling her." Chakotay looked at him.

"That she would not take it well." Chakotay's eyebrows shot upwards in surprise at the Vulcan. He cared more about his Captain than he liked to let on.

"I was faced with the logic of simply telling her the truth or the logic of protecting her from it." Chakotay wondered how many more surprises were to come from the Vulcan before him tonight.

"In the end, being as shrewd as she is, the Captain noticed something was wrong. She asked me and I told her. I didn't think it would be logical to lie." He paused again.

"If she hadn't asked?" Chakotay interrupted.

"I cannot say for sure but suffice it to say she would have found out eventually." He took a breath.

"Voyager was already in for maintenance and the crew on shore leave. I was by for a visit yesterday morning. She found out mere hours before you were to be wed." Chakotay wondered how she would've taken the news. Would she have pulled up her mask and brushed it off or would she have showed the hurt that he didn't tell her? Dared he imagine she might have been jealous? He flinched after the thought as along with it skipped a sense of... of what? He wasn't sure - accomplishment? Surely that had not been his goal. He had been angry at her, perhaps wanted to hurt her - but he had never thought that...

Tuvok was talking again and he was suddenly rapt for the answer.

"She was unsettled by the information. She was angry. She addressed you with more colourful adjectives and nouns than I have possibly ever heard directed towards one individual." Chakotay wasn't able to suppress the image that invaded his mind, nor the dialect flowing from Kathryn's lips, nor the chuckle that followed.

"After she had exhausted damning your name, she settled somewhat. She did not hide that you hurt her with an emotional depth I could not comprehend." Chakotay rubbed his hands over his face vigorously.

"Perhaps it was this emotional state she was in, or perhaps it was the finality of the situation but she felt the need to reveal some things, things that she strove for years to conceal, and she told me of them at length." Chakotay looked on, interested and curious.

"What she revealed in our talk not unlike that of the one you shared with Mr. Paris that night." Chakotay winced at the reminder again.

"I did not know that you still had feelings for her." Chakotay's grimace twisted.

"I had Tuvok, I'm over her. I'm married to Sarah now." He said firmly. Tuvok raised an eyebrow. Chakotay got up with urgency.

"Your recovery would seem quite remarkable. You 'got over her' in one week?" Tuvok didn't believe him for a second. Chakotay swirled around.

"Look, Tuvok. I've been living with it for years, ever since I met her. I was able to get on with my life then; able to go on, knowing had Protocol or the crew permitted it, it wasn't going to happen. I'm home and I'm married. Why do you come to me with this now? You never cared before: hell, you would've disapproved of a relationship between a command team on any Starship. Why this Tuvok - why now?" His words were quickened with anger and his tone harsh with irritation. Tuvok was as calm and as cool as ever. Chakotay's words had little effect on him. He arched his eyebrow as he faced Chakotay.

"Because she has told me of similar feelings for you." Chakotay's face went deadpan, his anger froze and he forgot to breath. He shook his head unwilling to accept what Tuvok had told him.

"You're wrong." He muttered incredulously.

"In fact I am perfectly right. She told me herself. She has been in love with you for years." Tuvok's indifferent tone caused Chakotay to choke on words that could not find their way out. He stood silently for a moment while he composed himself enough to function simply.

Looking at Tuvok's cold, emotionless eyes his own flared and he punched at the air.

"Damn you, Tuvok. Damn Tom. Damn Kathryn!" He shouted in rage. He paced about the room.

"Now more than ever I want to know WHY? Why the hell now? What could this possibly do but make me miserable, Tuvok? Or is that what you wanted?" He hissed as he whirled swiftly around to face Tuvok squarely in the eye.

"That is not what I intended to do." He answered. Chakotay narrowed his eyes at him.

"I'm married Tuvok. MARRIED! Does that mean anything to you?" Tuvok raised an eyebrow and prepared to speak. Chakotay halted him with a defiant hand in the air.

"The least you could've done was object at my wedding!" He shouted.

"I did not think at that time it would have made any difference and did not wish to cause the Captain any further trouble. Must I remind you also that I was still with her as you were being married?" Chakotay wanted so badly to hit him. "I only intended to help."

And Chakotay knew he was right. For his anger was not truly directed at Tuvok.

What have I done?

He swallowed at the bile rising in his throat and was already erecting mental barriers to thoughts and feelings forming in it's wake. Whatever he had just felt, he was willing it to retreat into deep, dark corners within him already, and he hoped he would never see - or feel it again.

Shame was like that.

It erupted unwelcome and unceremoniously, not giving a shit. It bled through his being and he ached with revulsion at what he had done. What he had done to himself, to Sarah. And what he had done to Kathryn. How could he have done this to her - to the woman he...

Oh, Spirits!

Both their heads flew to the door as they heard a knock. Chakotay glanced back to Tuvok.

"Chakotay? Are you in there?" It was Sarah. Chakotay walked across the room with shaking legs and opened the door.

"Hey handsome, I thought I'd lost you." She purred as she threw her arms around his neck and nuzzled him. He stood unresponsive.

"What's wrong?" She asked as she spied Tuvok and felt the tension in his body.

"Nothing, Sarah." Chakotay replied unsteadily. She stared at him, searching his eyes.

"There's something wrong." She stated. He grew impatient - this was all just too much. Pulling at her arms he freed himself roughly of her.

"I said there was nothing wrong." He said with a touch of anger rising. She narrowed her eyes, wounded by his treatment and his tone.

"Why won't you tell me?" She questioned harshly as she stepped past him into the room. Chakotay knew if he spoke his anger was going to spill and however angry and tense he was it wasn't Sarah's fault. So he remained silent, his eyes burning and only telling of a fire within him.

Sarah regarded him for a short while. Then looked to Tuvok.

"It's about her isn't it?" She spat. Chakotay closed his eyes for control.

"Sarah." He warned. She stalked over to him.

"You can't even deny it this time can you?" She seethed with hatred. Hatred for whom, Chakotay dared not speculate.

"I hate you! And I hate her." He need not speculate. She spun away from him, tears tripping her. He reached out for her.

"Sarah!" He called at her but she was gone. He growled with frustration as he stalked out too.