CHAPTER SEVEN
He
was lying on something soft and covered by warmth. Keeping his eyes closed, he
tried to think where he was without attempting to lift too heavy lids or face
the light that might blind him again. His body felt depleted of all energy, yet
he sensed wakefulness, a coming to the surface from somewhere dark and deep and
fearsome. He had dwelt there, lived a thousand years, lived a thousand lives.
He had encompassed the universe, but it was time to let go of the darkness.
Did
something touch him? Like a soft feather that gently drifted on his hand and
reposed there briefly before lifting again? It journeyed through his body, his
tired body, touching the tiredness and willing it to life again.
He
opened his eyes slowly, feeling pleasantly lethargic. A vision came into view,
a vision in uniform, in the red of command with four familiar pips along her
collar.
"Kathryn..."
"Welcome
home, Chakotay," she breathed softly. Kathryn was real and smiling at him.
He stood up, testing the ground, finding his equilibrium.
Kathryn
stood up too and floated into his waiting arms. Close, he held her, so close to
him. Her face was buried in his chest and he smelled her hair, caressing the
silken strands. She was real, his heart sang. Real, for how could hair smell so
like golden apples and skin feel like soft clouds? The warmth of her breath soaked into his
skin as she raised her face to him. Her lips were parted, apprehension and joy
in her eyes and the familiar Kathryn Janeway fearlessness that supplanted the
apprehension. A blinding flash. He was back in
"You
are crying..." she whispered as her fingers traced the tears on his cheeks.
He hadn't known that his tears flowed, unable to
cleanse him from the suffering he'd seen the poverty, the destitution, the
degradation. Hands in Kathryn's hair, remembering, reclaiming the present,
wonderful, painful present. Once an illusion, now every smell, every strand of
silk so real...so real...
Touch me now, my
beloved,
for I am here, I am now, I am...
Small, precious,
full of strength...
amazing is your courage,
Forge then our
destiny forever...
Burn your lips on
hers
and feel the salt of your tears,
Remember her tears
of long ago
which only yesterday
you touched
and in your heart you heard her cries
through the ages...
Chakotay, my
love... why do you weep so...?
This is precious to
you,
her voice from distant past
echoed into his future..
For
all time...
"I
thought I would lose you forever, now that I'd found you," he murmured
into her hair.
"And
I was afraid, like I have never been."
"The
last thing I remember was a pain in my back and Rollins shouting."
"They
saved your life.You were kept in stasis until they could beam you to
Voyager..."
He
held her away so that he could feast his eyes on her face, her smile that
hovered like raindrops about to lose their and plunge, plunge to earth. His
thumb grazed her lips. He closed his eyes again, and saw another face, another
mouth ravaged by a madman...
"I
would have left no stone unturned for you, Kathryn."
He
sat down on the couch and pulled her on his lap, where he held her close to him.
She touched his face, tracing the marking on his brow.
"Tell
me about Kathleen Eileen O'Clair..."
He
realised something. He had seen the woman who would perpetuate Kathryn's line.
Kathryn had never seen her... It was a gracious moment, one in which he felt
humbled by another whose inner strength waited to be tapped.
"She
was like you," he said. "She even looked like you. It was a shock,
the first time I saw her. You cannot know how like you she is..."
"Maybe
I do know. Her blood flows through me. The tie that binds us is also a golden
thread of knowledge past, present and future..."
"Why
do I tell you then?" he asked, smiling.
"Because,
Chakotay, you have seen her."
"She
was incredibly brave, Kathryn," he started, feeling a lump forming in his
throat again. "So brave. She was to have been
married yesterday..."
"Like
us," Kathryn breathed.
"God
forbid that she marry the wrong man. When I - I found her..." He paused,
and closed his eyes a long time. There was again a prick of tears and he
clenched his jaw, hardly realising that his fingers dug into Kathryn's arm.
"A man - her fiancé - was about to - to violate her, and by the looks -
" He broke off again.
It
was quiet in the holodeck. Was it his breathing he heard? Or did Kathleen's cry
for help echo to the present again? Kathryn pressed closer to him.
"The
wounds must cleanse, my love..."
"I
know..."
"Bleed,
Chakotay, it will be your reprieve..."
"By
the look of her he must have hurt her the previous day, this Justin Riley. Her
father too, Kathryn. They didn't spare her. In the room at the inn where she
and Thomas Kiernan stayed, I found an undergarment belonging to Kathleen. The
blood streaks suggested she had been whipped, and that
there were open wounds on her back..."
Kathryn
shuddered violently and buried her face against him.
"I
found them in an alley. There were onlookers... Riley was battering her and she
looked so afraid... She cried for help, you know. No one helped..."
"What
did you do to Justin Riley?"
"I
beat him to a pulp and left him in the alley where the onlookers probably
robbed him of his clothes and money... I wanted to kill him, very badly."
"But
you couldn't."
"No."
"Kathleen?"
"She
wondered about me, I think. Glad too, that I could save her from that despicable
Justin. We couldn't reveal ourselves; Magnus and Marla had to call me Charles,
or Charlie."
He
felt how Kathryn sucked in her breath.
"Charles..."
"It
fell like golden drops from her, just like when you say my name..."
"I
told you the Janeway women were remarkable."
"Kathleen
was definitely ahead of her time, Kathryn. A contrary, just like you once told
me. She didn't fit in with her family, or their perception about the place of
women in society. It was a hard life. A very hard life.
She had to leave, Kathryn, to find herself. Know what Thomas Kiernan said of
her? He said Kathleen O'Clair was an eagle that deserved to spread its wings,
to climb the skies and look down on the world to see its rights, its wrongs,
its justice and injustice, and tell the world about it. And then...the journey
across the
"We
take so much for granted here. We're shipwrecked in this quadrant; we face
many dangers, we've often been so low on supplies when we prayed we'd come to a
planet that would be willing to trade. Still, life here on this ship... we have
luxury unimagined by the Kathleens who had seen so much social inequality.
Poverty is something terrible...something terrible... You see children, their
eyes sunken and empty, their cheeks hollow and pale from hunger and you
see...you see how lost they are. You see some of them with no hope, then you see others who hope for a better life, who have
vision.
"And
Kathryn...we knew some of them would never make it to the
Kathryn's
hand touched his cheek. He felt how wet it was, from tears that burned and
cleansed.
"It
was 1899, and
we know from history that poverty, sickness, depravation of the soul, physical
abuse of women, war time atrocities, torture, maiming, the wilful crushing of
the human spirit didn't end there... It continued for centuries; in one century
alone it produced tyrannical rulers, and dictators too evil to contemplate. Kathleen O'Clair made it to the
"No,
Chakotay. She never did. She was a journalist and writer and fought many social
issues."
"And
Kathryn, we knew that the moment she touched the hand of Captain Edward Janeway
right there on the deck where he welcomed all the new passengers
personally...that moment, you became alive again. Then, I was in a hurry to get
home to you and tell you..."
He
fell quiet at last...lost in thought about being back in Kathryn's arms,
feeling how real she was, that her smile, her concern, her tears, her smooth
cheeks were not illusions. Kathryn stirred in his arms. He pressed his lips
against her hair. She slid off his lap and stood facing him, holding her hand
to him.
"Come,
let's go. We will celebrate not only our union, but the courage of Kathleen
O'Clair-Janeway. There is something I need to tell you about Kathleen O'Clair.
Something that would have been missing because I ceased to exist for a few
hours...."
"What
is it?"
"A book."
"I
need to change into uniform first..." he said, smiling a little sheepishly
as he looked at his hospital gown and slippers.
*********************************
Kathryn
paced her lounge, waiting for Chakotay.
A smile played around her mouth. It was still afternoon, and there was
time to read the reports from the doctor, as well as speak with Magnus Rollins
and Marla Gilmore. On their way here, Chakotay had mentioned how Kathleen had
been the first to notice the looks Marla gave Magnus. It wasn't that she
herself was unaware of the little undercurrents of romance on her ship. With
his history of personal tragedy, Magnus didn't look like he wanted to engage in
the energy of being in a romantic relationship again, or make himself vulnerable to another being again. Who knew? This
mission might just have turned the tide a little in Marla's favour.
Chakotay
took longer than she had anticipated. But he wanted to shave and wash the salt
from his body. It had been great to be on Earth again and feel the real rays of
Earth's sun, her rain, her clouds, see her people, he
told her, but all the time he had been fraught with the worry that they might
not make it back in time. He had only felt the two hard knocks against his
back, turned and heard Marla call a certain name. After that the darkness
swallowed him. She thought how he looked at her when he woke from his surgery,
as if she were something unearthly. If she thought about it, for a time she was something unearthly.
From
Magnus she would get a full report on Michael Sullivan, the man who had tried
to abduct Kathleen and stabbed Chakotay, critically wounding him. Strange, she
had chosen that name for her holographic companion in the
Tonight
they would marry. They could not delay it a single minute longer. She wanted to
lie in his arms for the first time, join her body with his, become one...
She
stopped pacing the second her door chimed. When he came in, he looked so
familiar, so beloved, that her eyes stung with tears. She gripped the book
tighter as he stepped up to her, pulled her in his arms and kissed her
lingeringly. Waves of pleasure coursed through her body, making her press
closer to him. She was breathless when the kiss ended.
"You
wanted to show me something, Kathryn..."
His voice was so dear. The panic of yesterday overwhelmed her briefly.
She stood on tiptoe and kissed him again just to feel how real he was.
She
led him to her couch and they sat down. Then she placed the book in his hand.
"I'll take you
home again, Kathleen by Kathleen
O'Clair-Janeway..." he read, then looked at her
in surprise.
"When
I ceased to exist, this book and all other works by Kathleen O'Clair did too. I
replicated this copy just after we returned from New Earth -
"
"New
Earth..."
She
saw the flash of pain cross his features. He remembered, like she was
remembering. Even there, she turned him away...
"I'm
sorry," she murmured, "that I hurt you..."
"Hey,
it is always worth waiting for a Janeway woman. When Edward Janeway held
Kathleen's hand in his, it seemed that he had been waiting for her all his
life. Besides, I've always known this day would come."
"That
makes me feel better."
"Tell
me about the book, then."
"When
we walked from the holodeck you told me when you said goodbye to Kathleen, that
she looked so sad to leave
"Yes.
I thought about that haunting melody then. I thought about how we wanted to go
home..."
"This
book is her memoir, of how she met three incredible friends, of the brave woman
who was her mother, of the man who became her husband, of her children,
and..."
"And?"
"How
much she missed the country of her birth. She never stopped yearning to see the
shores of
"Did
she go back?"
"Edward
Janeway himself took her to visit
"Her mother?"
Kathryn
smiled. "I think you'll have to read it yourself, Chakotay, if you wish to
learn more of Kathleen O'Clair."
"She
was a truly remarkable Janeway woman, like someone I know."
"It's how I know...I feel it here..." she said with
conviction as she placed her hand against her bosom, "that we'll be home
soon..."
"For
that, you deserve a kiss."
"And
tonight, we're to dress in the same clothes as this wedding picture. It's a
little faded, but here you can see how they were made for each other," she
said as she quickly paged to the middle where there were photographs.
"I
have to wear a tail suit and white cravat?"
"Oh,
yes. We're celebrating our history, the present and the future."
*********************************
Chakotay
turned, distressed and surprised. Blood oozed from his mouth and Magnus knew
that he was bleeding internally. The ship's horn blew for the third time and;
slowly it moved away from the dock as the tug boat started heaving it towards
the open ocean.
To
his astonishment Michael had disappeared quickly. Come to think of it, how had
he appeared in
"Come,
Marla, let's get Commander Chakotay away from here." People milled about
them, but they took little notice of the onlookers as they dragged the bleeding
Chakotay to a secluded spot where Magnus instantly hit his commbadge.
"Rollins to Braxton. We have an emergency. Beam Commander Chakotay to the ship first."
By
the time he and Marla were back on the ship - Marla was still in shock -
Michael Sullivan was already unconscious on the floor. He couldn't understand
why Braxton had beamed Michael to his ship.
"Help
me get Commander Chakotay in the stasis chamber."
Marla
had been outraged, but Braxton explained how it would save Chakotay's life if
the injury was arrested. That had calmed her down somewhat. Then Braxton asked
him to help get Michael into a stasis chamber.
"Why him?"
"I
have to take him with us. Don't worry, I'll see that
he gets back."
He
had been mistrustful of Braxton's motives and could only conclude that there
was more to Michael Sullivan than met the eye.
Was
Michael's appearance in
"He
must have been on another vessel, else how could he have gotten to
It
was an issue that plagued him; it unsettled them that Michael Sullivan had
tried to the very last to cause temporal damage. That could be the reason why
Braxton took him with him to the 29th century.
"And
that, Captain, is my report. I have it here for you," Magnus said soberly
as he handed the captain the PADD. Commander Chakotay stood next to her.
"Has
it occurred to you that Sullivan could be from the 29th century?"
"I
have thought about it, Captain. Captain Braxton did allude to that. He told me
to put two and two together myself."
"Except,"
Chakotay added, "that we still don't know Sullivan's motives. He may have
had some bone to pick with someone in his time. Anything."
"I
thought that too. We will probably continue to speculate and eventually,
Michael Sullivan will become part of the legend."
"Well,
you've done a very good job. Thank you, Lieutenant Rollins."
"You're
welcome, Captain."
"You
have your tail suit?"
"Commander? Me? Why should I have one?"
"You're
to bring the bride to me. It's the Captain's request."
Magnus
looked at the captain, his heart bursting with pride. "It would be an
honour, Captain. A real honour..."
*************************************
There
were tears in Marla's expressive eyes. Kathryn could only imagine the pain
Kathleen had endured. She didn't write much about the days before she left
"She
was so brave, Captain. Her back was criss-crossed with weals from the
way her father beat her. And that - that Riley man. He - he..." Marla
paused. Kathryn knew what she wanted to say and touched her hand reassuringly.
"You
know, Marla, there will always be men who will abuse their partners..."
"That's
what my grandmother used to say… We didn't see Justin Riley, but Commander
Chakotay almost killed him, according to Kathleen."
"You
were wonderful friends for her. I'm sure she never forgot you."
"We
couldn't reveal ourselves, Captain, but she was very
glad of our help. She..." Marla bit her lip, looking a little uncertain.
"What
is it?"
"She
reminded me of you. Not only in her looks. I'm sure Commander Chakotay has
already told you about that. But she ordered poor Thomas Kiernan to walk while
I had to sit next to her in the carriage. Then she invited us to travel along
with her. Kathleen said we made an excellent party travelling together. I think
she was afraid that she'd be accosted again and didn't want to say so. She had
been very scared of Justin Riley. The men were good. The two of us stayed in
the cabin Thomas had booked, and they remained on deck. We had to tell her we
were visiting from
"He'll
be conspicuous wherever he goes. Doesn't matter if he tries
to hide the tattoo."
"I'm
glad he was the one who dealt with Justin. I don't think Justin stood a chance.
Kathleen...she was deeply affected by Commander Chakotay, I think, Captain. I
mean...not in that way. The man of her dreams was already standing on the deck
waiting for her. But it was as if she knew that the Commander would one day
shape her future, something like that. It was in her eyes..."
"I
can tell you Commander Chakotay wanted to kill Justin, Marla. He was very angry
at the way Kathleen had been treated..."
"Thomas
Kiernan...know what he said, Captain? He told me that
the way her father and fiancé
manhandled a defenceless girl, he didn't feel very proud of being
a man himself..."
"They
were excellent friends, Marla. They remained friends throughout their
lives."
"Captain?"
Kathryn
was glad to see the relief in Marla's eyes, her joy that everything had ended
well for Kathleen after all.
"I
can tell you that Thomas Kiernan became one of the great American pilots of his
day, and that he was godfather to Kathleen and Edward's firstborn child, a boy
they named - "
"Charles..."
Marla whispered, smiling through her tears. "She called Commander Chakotay
Charles."
Kathryn
smiled, feeling the warmth spread through her.
"You
have done well, Marla. I'm very proud of the away team. Now, I know it's rather
late, and Commander Chakotay and I never really planned on anything fancy for
our wedding. I have a proposal...
*******************************
He
marvelled at Kathryn. It was almost the end of Alpha shift. Tuvok and Tom and
Harry were on the bridge so the two of them could rest after their ordeal. But she
wanted him to accompany him to the ship's nursery before the evening's events.
They greeted the passing crew who stopped, gasped, then went on their way
again. Tuvok had made a ship-wide announcement that Kathryn Janeway had been
restored and general applause had gone up from the entire crew. Neelix had
recovered from his fainting spell and through a comm link told Kathryn that, as
ship's morale officer and chef extraordinaire, he was preparing a little
reception for their wedding.
In
the briefing room half an hour ago, she had formally thanked the away team for
the work they had done and had given both Magnus and Marla a commendation to be
entered into their records. Tom Paris had wanted to know as much as possible
about Tommy Kiernan and had grilled Marla and Magnus good-naturedly for
information.
"See?
I told you we're a family of flyers. Of course, there was the odd black sheep
or two..."
In
the nursery, Susan Nicoletti and Mariah Hamilton, who had married Voyager's
other pilot, James Hamilton were busy tending to the three small occupants. Of
the three, Miral Paris was the oldest. A year old and already running around on
two short legs, she was also the most active. She ran to Kathryn, who picked
her up and dutifully kissed her on the cheek. Miral looked at Chakotay and
scowled a little, until he made a few cooing noises. Then she graced him with a
smile. Last time he had been in the nursery picking her up, she had bitten him
on the hand.
He
watched Kathryn with Miral. The child touched Kathryn's hair, tried to pick off
the pips, then gave Kathryn a kiss and demanded to be put down again as Susan
and Mariah looked on indulgently.
Kathryn
moved to the other two lying in their cribs, still fast asleep. She bent down
and touched each baby in turn. One was little Jamie, Mariah's son, who was only
five months old. Long Kathryn stood, caressing the child's rosy cheek. Then she
proceeded to the other crib - Lainey Lessing, daughter of Noah and Susan.
Chakotay smiled when he remembered the day Noah had come to him to ask his
permission to marry Susan.
"You
should be asking the captain that, Lessing," he told the former Equinox
officer.
"She'll
murder me, Commander."
"Nonsense. You both dealt with that a long time ago. She'll not
bite."
"I
keep seeing her face that day... Sorry, I can't help it. I remember all the
time."
"Then,
Noah Lessing, the best thing for you to do is face the captain. At least you'll
know that you've made an effort."
Noah
had gone to see Kathryn and, after the interview, had looked like he was
walking on air.
"I
can't thank you enough, Commander," he said in the mess hall during one of
the more quiet sessions.
Kathryn
had been superlative and generous in her praise of Noah's work in hydroponics; the
poor man had glowed when Kathryn praised him. Now, their little Lainey was the
darling of the crew because she was so tiny and only three months old. Kathryn
looked at Susan, who nodded almost shyly. Lifting the baby gently out of the
crib, she let the child lie against her bosom and walked to him, her eyes
shining as she held the baby against her.
"You're
thinking of having children?" he asked, his throat thick with emotion.
Kathryn looked beautiful; she looked like the captain who cared about every member
on her ship. But it was something different too; her eyes were telling him a
different message, something almost mystical.
"For
myself, yes. I always thought of having children... But I realised too, with
these experiences we've all had...you, me, Magnus Rollins, Marla, Tom
Paris..." She held the baby to him
and very carefully he cradled little Lainey Lessing in his arms, while keeping
his eyes on her all the time.
"We
never think about it, you know. At least not as part of our
conscious thoughts. But children...they are our future... Did Kathleen
know that her children would be a new generation that would ensure the next
generation and the next...?"
"And
our children," he said, his voice hoarse with emotion, "will be our future, taking us to a time we will not know."
There
was a sheen in Kathryn's eyes. She looked so happy.
"I'm
so happy... I want to have children...yours, Chakotay. They will be proud
bearers of our unique union."
"And
so very precious, Kathryn," he added. He handed the baby to Susan, and
picked up Miral, who promptly wanted to bite him again. "Oh no, you don't,
missy. This hand has to put a ring on a very, very important finger, little
one..."
" – por- por…" Miral echoed in her baby talk.
*****************************
The
holodeck had been transformed into a forest glade, a replica of the glade on
New Earth, near the bend in the river where he had
found the large flat rock they dubbed Breakfast Rock. They all seemed out of
time here. In reality it was.
Marla
Gilmore and Magnus Rollins had dressed in period costume, and Kathryn had been
a dream walking in white lace on the arm of Magnus Rollins with Marla just
behind them. To their great surprise everyone who had been off duty and present
at the ceremony was also in period costume; Chell looked every inch the
Dickensian gentleman in his greatcoat, fob watch and chain. Neelix's tailsuit
wiped the floor; Kathryn instantly dubbed him the Sunshine Chef. He had
complained a little that Tuvok was calling him Rumpelstiltskin, whoever that
was, but that was okay, as long as he didn't remain "Mr Neelix". He
would call Tuvok "Mr Vulcan" for as long as he lived.
But Kathryn...
She
sparkled as Magnus handed her to him.
"We
went a very long way to get her, Commander, so take good care of her..."
Precisely
as if he had been Kathryn's father commanding him to look well after his
daughter or else.
"Don't
worry, I will," he promised.
He
looked around him, seeing the eager and expectant faces of the crew. Marla and
James, in cahoots with Tom and B'Elanna, had arranged that those present be in
costume. Since Kathryn had ordered him to wear a late 19th century tail suit
with high cravat, he hadn't demurred. For her he'd do anything. Besides, they
were doing it also in memory of Kathleen O'Clair, who had made this moment
possible, whose love for her Edward spanned two generations. Kathryn looked
like Kathleen on the faded wedding photo Kathryn had showed him.
Tuvok
was the only officer in dress uniform, as even the doctor had dressed up for
the occasion. It formed a contrast, a spanning of worlds old and new.
His
vows came from an old poem...
I cry your mercy --
pity -- love! -- aye, love!
merciful love that tantalizes not,
One-thoughted,
never-wandering, guileless love,
Unmask'd, and being
seen --without a blot!
O! let me have thee whole, - all - all - be mine!
That shape, that
fairness, that sweet minor zest
of love, your kiss, - those hands, those eyes
divine,
that warm, white, lucent, million-pleasured breast,
-
Yourself - your soul - in pity give me all,
Withhold no atom's
atom or I die...
Kathryn
had read to him Elizabeth Barret Browning's immortal poem, and her hand
trembled now like a leaf in a light breeze. He knew how much they meant to her,
those words. He knew how, in her own quiet moments, he had been her centre. He
knew, like no other being on this ship, how much Kathryn needed him.
They
both smiled as Naomi Wildman walked up to them with their rings. The young girl
was clothed in a frilly Victorian dress. The moment was hallowed as he slipped
her ring on Kathryn's finger. For a few seconds he closed his eyes as he felt
how Kathryn slipped a ring on his finger. He was facing Kathryn, and mouthed
the words "I love you" like a benediction. Then he turned to look at
Tuvok.
Tuvok
raised an eyebrow. Chakotay frowned, wondering what the Vulcan wanted them to
do now.
"I
believe you may kiss the bride."
He
gave a relieved laugh as he bent down to kiss Kathryn.
After
that, they mixed with the crew who were present, each one wishing them well.
Rumpelstiltskin waddled around serving Leola Surprise.
"Once
it's on your tongue, it melts away like Ghost Breath," he promised.
Kathryn
had given him carte blanche on the rations, so there were confectioneries that
were actually edible. Tuvok raised an eyebrow at Neelix's yellow creation, then appeared to shake his head.
Out
of the corner of his eye, Chakotay saw Seven of Nine, who had been languishing
in the background, approach them, although they had
seen her during the proceedings. She too had decided to dress in costume and
looked resplendent and virginal in her ice-blue creation. Chakotay thought
absently that Seven of Nine would make someone very happy one day. He had once
thought that he could be that man until he quickly came to his senses,
realising that he would wait for Kathryn, even if he had to wait seven years
more. Even at that time, a year ago, Kathryn had been reticent, although he
discovered that she had been devastated by the possibility of his liaison with
the former Borg. One evening in her quarters she had revealed herself
inadvertently when he saw the pained expression on her face after he mentioned
that Seven of Nine was in love with him. He hadn't realised himself how his own
tone of voice, his facial expression, the fact that the Borg had stroked his
battered ego, had been a revelation to Kathryn until he saw her eyes. That had
given him so much hope that he had rebuked himself for his momentary lapse. He
knew then that even waiting for another year would be enough, that Kathryn
would tell him when she was ready.
He
had been glad that he hadn't pressed the issue with her, so that when she
revealed her true feelings for him, it was unconditional, untarnished by any
masks, any obstacles that might have blighted her decision to marry him. So,
with Kathryn's arm hooked conformably and possessively through his, they waited
for Seven of Nine. He knew that she and Icheb had done so much for their
combined effort to get Kathryn back.
"Captain
Janeway...Commander... May I wish you well on your marriage.
Your happiness means a lot to me..."
"Thank
you, Seven," Kathryn said. "It means a lot to me too, that we have
the blessing of the
whole crew on our union..."
Chakotay's
heart filled with joy at Seven's words. She hid her feelings well, and he hoped
that in time, Seven of Nine would find the love and affection and respect that
he knew would come her way. Seven produced a smile, one that seemed to light up
her face, one that freed the moment from its impediments. He felt Kathryn's
sigh of relief and realised that she had been tense in these moments.
"I
see now how it is... I see that love which is reciprocated... It
is...grounding. Perhaps one day, I will know such love too," she said
softly.
"You
will, Seven of Nine," he said with heartfelt conviction. "you will..." he repeated as he saw Harry Kim walk in
their direction to woo Seven away to Breakfast Rock... Seven nodded as she
turned to look at Harry, who took her hand and led her away with the words
"Breakfast Rock is a dream..." ringing in their ears.
Kathryn
looked up at him, her eyes welling with tears. She mouthed the words "I
love you", enfolding them in their cocoon of complete devotion.
Then
they saw the doctor make his way towards them. His face looked serious.
"What
is it, Doctor?" Kathryn asked him.
"Captain
Braxton thought you would have some questions. He expressed his regret that he couldn't
be here with us today, that duty called and that the Temporal Prime Directive
prohibits him from divulging anything with regard to Michael Sullivan, save to
say that Sullivan was the one who...sullied your timeline."
"I
understand, Doctor," Kathryn replied. But the way she squeezed Chakotay's
arm told him she was curious. She would respect it, he knew.
"Surely
he couldn't have gone without saying anything else?" Chakotay asked,
feeling Kathryn's disappointment.
"Well,"
the EMH started, "he did say to tell you that your union will resonate
into the 29th century..."
"Excuse
me, Doctor," Tom Paris cut in, waiting for the doctor to leave before he
turned to Chakotay.
"I
do believe you've wished us on our marriage already,
"Yeah,
well. Here is the key."
Chakotay
frowned heavily as Tom produced a key hanging on a ring that had a miniature
Delta Flyer on it.
"What
is this for,
"Chakotay,
it's - " Kathryn started, but Tom didn't even
seem to hear her.
"I
figured, since we're a day away from Ankares IV, that I'd better take my place
on the bridge. Tuvok has already taken command there. I give you my Delta Flyer
for twenty four hours until we reach Ankares - "
"But
a key..." he mused, his brow knitting in perplexity.
"Just
so you get a feel of the toggle switches and all, I've installed an ignition
sequence. You must turn this key in the ignition to start up the engines."
"The
Delta Flyer isn't -
" Kathryn tried to get in a word.
"Take
good care of my Flyer, Commander."
"Take
good care of my ship, Tom," Kathryn finally managed.
******************************
"Chakotay,
did you see the look on Marla's face when she caught my bouquet? She looked
straight at Magnus Rollins. Rollins looked pleased as punch!"
"Yes,
he was deeply affected by the knowledge of Kathleen and Edward's love
story," he replied as they made their way to her quarters where they would
change into more comfortable clothes. "Marla has been in love with him
since she came on board."
"He
shouldn't let her wait too long," she murmured as they reached her cabin
and she entered her codes.
"Not
after the away mission and today. I think the fever has bitten quite a few more
crewmembers."
She
turned into his arms, and hugged him close to her.
"I
haven't given you any gift, Chakotay, but I have something here for
you..."
"What
is it, sweet Kathryn?" he asked, in a hurry to change and get away in the
Flyer with her. He wanted her in his arms forever.
She
led him to her bedroom - their bedroom now, he suddenly realised with a pang of
joy that shot through him. Releasing his hand she walked to her dresser,
opening the bottom drawer and taking something out. She returned with a little rectangular
metal box.
"Open
it," Kathryn commanded softly. Her voice sounded breathy, excited.
"Please..."
He
opened the box slowly and then gasped sharply as he touched the stone
reverently. It looked even more worn from centuries of use. Only yesterday he
had given it to Kathleen O'Clair... He felt the sting of tears, blinked several
times.
"Kathryn..."
"Kathleen
O'Clair-Janeway mentioned the kindness of her friend Charles, an American
Indian who gave her the riverstone with its unique pattern. She always felt a spiritual
connection to the man who gave it to her. Every first born son was given this
stone, to be given to his wife on his wedding day. My father had no sons, so I
inherited the stone, Chakotay. I couldn't tell you about it, and had to wait
for this day. It's the way of the Janeway tradition..."
"Kathryn,
I - " he started, not knowing what to say to her.
"I
know now that you gave this stone to Katie O'Clair the day she boarded the Britannic. It has been in our family since then, for four hundred
and eighty years..."
His
mind was a blur of memories of the young woman who had stood on the quay that
day, so alone and yet so unbelievably brave. Why had he taken the stone with
him? Did he know that one day, it might come back to
him? He didn't know, except that his faith had been pure. His hands became
limp, his fingers lazy as the riverstone dropped to the floor. He pulled
Kathryn into his embrace and kissed her deeply. On her cheeks he felt the dampness, on her eyelids he tasted her tears.
"I
love you so much, Kathryn Janeway. So much..."
"And
I love you... Not a day passes that I don't think how much I love you, and how
much I need you. Every day...every day... In every quiet
moment. It's been in my heart so long... I breathe...I breathe, for you
are the breath in me..."
He
held her away from him, his hands on her slender shoulders, his eyes feverish
as they feasted on her.
"Come,
my sweet Kathryn. Let us go and make history..."
**********************************
THE END
This, my land - by Kathleen
O'Claire
I wandered off to distant lands
my destiny lay there
on foreign shores I trod the sands
left footprints everywhere.
New country's blood flowed through my veins
Respected all her laws
Did visit once her grassy plains
and even fought her wars
How proud I was of golden chance
to shine in my new sun
I praised her well in song and dance
I had indeed great fun
But times that I was lost in thought
'twas not these
pastures green
or canyons grand for which I sought
or 'scrapers I have seen
My heart walks back a thousand miles
where shamrocks fill the field
and jewels of the emerald isles
is all my heart can yield
O
I must return to you
to walk on your beloved strand
and call you 'home', anew.
*******************************
Author's Notes
The vessel Britannic - built in 1874 - was a
steamship in the White Star Line and it did, indeed, sail commercially for the last
time in June 1899, after which it was used to transport British soldiers
fighting in
The gramophone was patented to one Berliner in 1887. In 1902 the tenor
Enrico Caruso recorded the first operatic arias on gramophone.
By 1912 Southampton became the major port of departure for ships
sailing to
The New York Times was established in 1858 [?] and by 1899 the paper had
established female journalists and reporters.
I have never been to
the 19th century and the arranged marriages were
part of signing deals. It is reasonable to assume then that all Kathleen's
sisters were "farmed" out to husbands selected for them, to ensure
potential
wealth and expedience in joining of land.
Poverty was rife; girls didn't have much opportunity for
education/schooling, therefore a high level of
illiteracy existed.
The song, "I'll take you home, Kathleen"
was written around 1867 and was one of the most popular tunes in
James Galway playing the haunting melody on the flute.
THE POEMS
1.
When will it end, dear mother of mine? - by vanhunks
2.
Touch me now, my beloved - by vanhunks
3.
This, my land - by vanhunks
4.
I cry your mercy -
by John Keats, Sonnet 19
5.
I'll take you home again, Kathleen - by Thomas P. Westendorf