Star Trek Voyager characters are the property of Paramount Pictures.

Way The Wind Blows

Chapter Thirty

In a magnificent hall decorated with flowers and candles, Kathryn and Chakotay exchanged wedding vows before their family, friends, and all the Voyager crew members who could be present. Chakotay was wearing a very formal black Victorian style suit, complete with a black bow tie, and Kathryn was wearing the very beautiful white satin gown she had finally decided upon. Her hair was swept up from her face in a partial bun, and the rest fell in auburn ringlets over her shoulders. Naomi stood at their left, holding a pretty bridal bouquet, and Tom stood to their right, wearing a suit that matched Chakotay's. In his hands he held a small white velvet cushion, and on it were two exquisitely engraved gold wedding rings. The registrar, who was an old man with a gray mustache and beard, was also in costume, and stood before the bride and groom as he led the service.

"Do you, Kathryn May Janeway," he asked in a loud and clear voice, "take this man, Chakotay, son of Kolopak, to be your lawful wedded husband? Do you promise to love him, to cherish him, to respect him, and to comfort him, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Kathryn replied, gazing deep into Chakotay's eyes.

"Do you, Chakotay, son of Kolopak, take this woman, Kathryn May Janeway, to be your lawful wedded wife? Do you promise to love her, to cherish her, to respect her, and to comfort her, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Chakotay answered, squeezing her hands in his.

The registrar then turned to Tom. "The rings."

Tom stepped forward and Kathryn picked up the largest ring from the cushion. She then partially placed it on Chakotay's finger and spoke. "I give you this ring as a token of our marriage, as a symbol of the promises I have made to you today."

She then slipped the ring over his knuckle until it rested firmly on his finger.

Chakotay then picked up the remaining ring and slipped it partly onto her finger. "I give you this ring as a token of our marriage, as a symbol of the promises I have made to you today."

He then pushed the ring into place, and the registrar united their hands. "Before your family and friends gathered here today, I now pronounce you husband and wife."

At that, the large crowd broke into applause and several whistles filled the air.

The registrar smiled. "You may now kiss the bride."

Chakotay gently lowered his lips to Kathryn's and kissed her softly.

After the wedding reception was over, a live band assembled for the evening ball. Everyone watched as the bride and groom had the first dance, and then those who wanted to joined in.

"It's hard to believe that almost two decades have passed since we last danced here," Kathryn said, dancing slowly with her newly made husband. "And yet, to you, it's only a few months ago."

"Yes," he replied.

"It was the most special night of my life...at least, so far."

Chakotay smiled. "Of mine too. But tonight just might top it."

"Depending where my beloved family are sending us, of course," she teased. "We might find ourselves on safari. That's how my Aunt Martha spent her honeymoon and she firmly believes everyone else should too."

Chakotay laughed. "As much as I love animals, two weeks in a jungle isn't exactly what I had in mind."

"Me either. More like a luxury hotel in Venice, Rome or Paris."

"Venice, definitely."

"But shall we put ourselves out of our misery and demand to know?"

Chakotay smiled. "You can't stand the suspense, can you?"

"No."

"Then how about we say we're ready to leave," he teased, "and see where they send us?"

Kathryn poked his stomach. "I'm not that desperate, Mr Chakotay. Close, but no replicator ration."

"Well, we hardly need one now."

"No, but if we end up in some God forsaken outback we just might!"

Chakotay laughed.

"But I do want to know, Chakotay, and it's only fair that we do...Wait here."

With that, she left him on the dancefloor and went over to her mother and Aunt Martha. They were sitting at a table, watching everyone dance, and every now and then Aunt Martha dried a wet eye. Chakotay watched as Kathryn spoke to them and, at her thrilled reaction to their words, the honeymoon was clearly not a safari. After hugging her mother and aunt, Kathryn quickly returned to Chakotay.

"You'll never guess where," she said, eyes sparkling with joy.

"Then you'd better tell me," he smiled.

"Our castle."

"Really? That's...fantastic. But how?"

"There was a cancellation and, let's just say, fame has its perks." She smiled her beautiful smile. "It's perfect, Chakotay. A dream come true!."

Chakotay smiled back and took her hands in his. "It is. This whole day is a dream come true."

They gazed into each other's eyes and then Kathryn wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you, Mr Janeway."

"I love you, Mrs Chakotay."

They laughed softly and then kissed tenderly.

It was almost midnight by the time Kathryn and Chakotay left Victoriana for the castle. In the bridal suite they changed out of their wedding attire into ordinary clothes, and then, to the cheers of happy guests, departed via transport. When they arrived at the castle, they found themselves in the lobby, and they looked around the room in awe. It was so different to the ruins they had stood in so long ago. A rich red carpet covered the floor, chandeliers of candles hung from a white ceiling of elaborate carvings, Victorian portraits adorned the stone walls, and the tall arched windows were embellished with glorious stained glass. Before them was a Victorian style reception of polished oak wood, the receptionists being in costume, and to their right was a magnificent staircase, adorned with the same red carpet that was beneath their feet, and it too was lit by chandeliers.

"Oh Chakotay," Kathryn said. "It's incredible!"

After admiring the splendor for a while, Kathryn and Chakotay reported to reception with their luggage. A friendly young girl in a blue dress served them and, once she'd processed their booking, presented them with an old fashioned silver key for their room, which was number 91. She then took their luggage so they could walk unencumbered to their room, which was on the third floor. Kathryn and Chakotay duly left, and linked arms as they walked up the grand staircase. It led to a long corridor of gray stone and, with only sconces for light, was quite eerie.

"I bet if anywhere is haunted, this place is," Kathryn said as they walked down the hallway.

Chakotay smiled. "I thought you didn't believe in ghosts."

"Oh, I've always been open to the possibility."

"Always?" he teased.

"Ok," she laughed. "Not always. But I am now. I definitely think there is more to our existence than the physical."

Chakotay stopped walking and turned to her. "What changed your mind? To be definite about something you were once indefinite about is quite a leap."

"A lot of things, but mostly that incident with Kes and the shrine. Going into it should have killed us, but it didn't. And it didn't because...because of my belief that the ancestral spirits really existed and they really controlled what happened in the shrine. After that...I really couldn't doubt the existence of something greater than ourselves anymore."

Chakotay gently put his hand on her shoulder. "There are other explanations for what happened. The Doctor, he..."

"Explained it all, I know. But it really was the ancestral spirits, Chakotay. I can't explain it, and I won't even try, but I know it was them."

"Then I believe you. But I wish you'd talked to me about what happened. An experience as profound as that...it should be shared."

"We both kept a lot of things to ourselves, Chakotay. It was...a coping mechanism in our situation. If we let open the flood gate then...we couldn't. But from now on I want us to share everything. No secrets."

"You have my word, Kathryn."

Kathryn smiled. "That's all I need."

They gazed into each other's eyes, losing themselves, then they began to walk again.

"Room 90," Chakotay observed. "Ours should be next."

"And so it is," Kathryn smiled as they reached a mahogany door with a gleaming gold "91" on it. "Mr Chakotay, care to do the honors?"

Chakotay opened the door with the key and then Kathryn stepped inside. The room was dark, but as soon as she stepped into it, a fire lit up in a stone fireplace and filled the room with a soft copper glow. In the dim light, it was possible to make out the shadowy surroundings, and Kathryn looked around. To her right, opposite the fireplace, was a magnificent four poster bed adorned with shimmering red sheets and drapes, and at the foot of the bed was a huge red rug with a frill that led all the way to the fireplace. Upon the rug, side by side, were their suitcases. Directly ahead was a tall arched window and beneath it was a cushioned windowseat. The luxurious room also had a two red velvet armchairs, a mahogany wardrobe and chest of drawers, two small bedside cabinets, and a wooden door that had to lead to the ensuite bathroom.

"Oh Chakotay," Kathryn exclaimed. "It's absolutely delightful!"

"De-lightful is the word," he smiled. "Computer, lights."

Nothing happened.

"Maybe the lights are manual," Kathryn said.

"Could be," Chakotay agreed. "I'll check for a switch."

Quickly, he looked by the door to see if there was a switch, but there wasn't. "No switch," he declared.

"Then maybe there's a malfunction." She hit a silver commbadge on her chest. "Room 91 to reception."

In seconds, a female voice answered. "Reception here, Emma Carter speaking. How may I help?"

"We have a lighting problem," Kathryn told her. "They did not come on automatically, did not come on by request, and we can't find a manual switch."

"There are no manual switches, Ma'am. All our lights are computerized. It sounds like there's a technical problem. I'll get someone onto it right away. You are welcome to stay in your room, especially given the hour, but many of our attractions are still open if you prefer to vacate. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience."

"Apology accepted. Thank you for your assistance."

"You are most welcome, Ma'am. May I help you with anything else?"

"No, thank you."

"Then I will contact maintenance and one of the guys will be with you as soon as possible. Reception out."

As the connection terminated, Kathryn turned to Chakotay. "So much for our hitch without a glitch!"

Chakotay laughed and took her hands in hers. "No doubt it's a minor problem and will easily be fixed."

"Let's hope so. I really don't want to share our wedding night with the maintenance man."

"Me either."

"What shall we do? Stay or go?"

"How about we take a walk? We could look around, get our bearings, and see how things have changed."

"Good idea. They'll probably notify us when the job is done and then we can head back."

Chakotay stepped away from her and offered her his arm. "Care to accompany me, Ma'am?"

Kathryn smiled and linked her arm with his. "Yes, Sir!"

They then left the room and the door locked behind them.

The midnight castle was virtually deserted. As Kathryn and Chakotay walked through the gothic corridors, it was almost as though they had the castle all to themselves, just as they had all those years ago. They made a note as they walked of where everything was and, after spending some time in a large room that was now a museum of Victorian antiques, they ended up in the chamber that housed the well. It was one of the few chambers in the castle that had changed little. The well was still the main feature of the room and, apart from new windows and a fancy board telling the history and legend of the well, everything was the same as they remembered.

"Of all the rooms," Kathryn said as they looked around, "this has to be the most special for us. It's filled with memories."

"Yes," Chakotay agreed.

Kathryn wandered over to the well and gazed into its crystal water. "I've never forgotten how it was your face I saw when I performed the legendary ritual. Superstition, some might say, but to me..." She turned to face Chakotay. "Well, here we are as husband and wife."

Chakotay smiled. "I was standing behind you. That would make my face reflect in the water."

Kathryn poked his stomach. "There's no rule to say legend's can't use science to come true." She turned away from him and looked around. "No, there's something magical about this place. It's like...it's like our fates intertwine here, like it's the nexus of our being, like our destiny has always been waiting for us here. I never felt that before, but now...now I feel it."

"Me too," Chakotay said sincerely.

"I wish I'd known. All those years we were apart, all the loneliness and heartache, I wish I'd known for sure that we'd find each other again. I wish I'd known on Voyager."

Gently, Chakotay put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Kathryn. I'm sorry for those lost and lonely years. I wish I'd known too. I wish somehow I could have reassured you that we'd meet again. I wish I'd known on Voyager all that had been between us and all that was to come. Those years, they were lonely for me too. But the heartache then is part of our happiness now."

"Yes," she said. "While knowing might have made things easier, I wouldn't change anything, not a second."

Chakotay brushed his fingers against her cheek. "Me either."

Their eyes locked, then Kathryn looked again at the well. In her mind she could see Chakotay sitting at the foot of it, his leg broken.

"I will never forget that day Mark and I found you here," she said. "Never in my life have I run as fast as I did back to the cabin. I'm amazed I didn't rupture something."

Chakotay laughed.

"I was afraid you and Mark would tell each other things I didn't want either of you to share. I was so relieved to reach the cabin and beam you both in."

"I bet."

"Strange though," she said, musing, "to think the man I almost married was here with the man I have married. As I said, our destinies converge here."

"I felt the moment. And, during the whole time I was in the past, it was the only moment I felt like an outsider, like I didn't belong. Mark was...everything you deserved. I've never felt that, never felt as though I deserve you."

At this, tears welled in Kathryn's eyes. "I had no idea you thought that. Why, darling?"

"Because you're an incredible person, Kathryn. You're brave, beautiful, compassionate, and the cleverest person I've ever known. You've achieved so much in your life and everything you've done you can be proud of. There is so much in my life that I'm not proud of. I've always felt that you deserve someone better, someone distinguished like Mark or a decorated Starfleet Admiral. No man could love you more than I do, I love you with every fiber of my being, but I know one could love you as much. That's why I never pushed for a relationship on Voyager. I wanted you to make the move as I didn't think I had the right."

A tear ran down Kathryn's cheek. "Oh Chakotay. How can you think for a second that you're not good enough for me? If anything, you're a great deal too good for me. No one compares to you. No one ever has. What Mark and I had was no where near as special as what you and I have. In so many ways, he was second best, and I was second best for him. And, deep inside, we both knew that. He knew that I still carried a torch for you and I knew that the love of his life was a woman he had loved but lost to someone else. You're everything I could ever want, Chakotay. You're kind, brave, loyal, and for years have been my rock and shelter. You have a strength that I need and depend on. You're the wind beneath my wings. I wouldn't have got through the Voyager years without you. And, if you hadn't of come into my life all that time ago, who knows what would have become of me. I was in so much pain, Chakotay, was so lost and despondent. I felt there was nothing to look forward to. But then this wonderful man came into my life, literally out of no where, and this man gave me a reason to live again." She paused. "I had no one, Chakotay, no one to comfort and hold me. And I needed that. I've always needed that. Because Kathryn she...she's not as strong as the captain. She needs to love and be loved. After the accident Mom just withdrew into herself, Phoebe just pushed me to get on with my life, and my friends, well, those that stuck around pretended that nothing had happened. I just wanted someone to hold me, to comfort me, but the only person that did was you...right here in this room."

Tenderly, and with tears in his eyes, Chakotay took her hands in his. "I wanted to help you, Kathryn. I wanted to take away all your pain. I'm glad that, in some small way, I did. And I promise you that I will always be here to comfort and hold you."

Kathryn squeezed his hands. "Ditto."

Then, needing no more words, they held each other tight. As they did, a voice spoke through Kathryn's commbadge.

"Maintenance to Admiral Janeway."

Kathryn drew away from Chakotay and responded. "Janeway here."

"I'm pleased to inform you that your lights are now in working order."

"That's wonderful news," Kathryn replied. "Thank you."

"No trouble, Ma'am. May you enjoy the rest of your stay and congratulations on your marriage."

"Thank you," Kathryn said.

"Goodnight, Ma'am. Maintenance out."

As the connection terminated, Chakotay spoke. "Shall we head back?"

"Not yet," Kathryn said. "There's another wedding present I have to give you and I think this is the perfect place." Gently, she took his hand and laid it on her abdomen. "It's in here, growing."

At these words, infinite joy filled Chakotay's eyes. "You mean...?"

Kathryn nodded. "I'm pregnant."

Chakotay laughed from joy and scooped her in his arms. "Oh Kathryn!"

"I thought it was too late," she said, "didn't think we could. But we are. We really are."

Chakotay kissed her and buried his head in her hair. "I never thought I could be happier than I was today, but right now I am. Oh Kathryn.."

Kathryn drew slightly away, her eyes sparkling. "You like your present then?"

Chakotay smiled. "The best present I could ever have."

Kathryn smiled back and then they held each other tight.

END OF CHAPTER THIRTY