EPILOGUE
Chakotay stood in front of the cheval Kathryn had installed in the bedroom. He pulled at the bowtie, trying his best to make it at least look symmetrical with his head and shoulders. Ten minutes ago, the bow was sitting lop-sided; Winonah had given a long-suffering sigh and told him to go back and fix it.
"I only do the first part, Daddy, and that is to tie the bow. The rest you must do. Otherwise, what will Mommy think?"
"Fine, you're setting pretty high standards there, Winonah."
"Hannah agrees with me, Daddy."
"How can Hannah agree? She is only three years old, too young to form an opinion on white tie and tails."
"You're not wearing tails, Daddy."
"Thank you for stating the obvious. I was making an example."
"Fred Astaire wore top hat, white tie and tails."
"Courtesy Uncle Tom, right?"
"He let me watch the movie, Daddy."
"Thanks a lot. Now where's Hannah? If she has an opinion, she'd better voice it now."
"Hannah!"
Chakotay sighed. That was ten minutes ago and Hannah, all of three years old, her hair hanging past her little bottom, tossed her head and declared that Mommy would be mad because his bowtie sat skew.
Now he was ready and the girls were waiting in the lounge, with their Grandmother who was taking care of them for a few days. Taking a deep breath, he walked to the lounge, and stood in front of the three of them.
"Okay, ladies. How do I look?" he asked.
"You smell of cologne, Daddy!"
"Of course."
"Very debonair, Chakotay," said Gretchen Janeway-Ponsonby.
"Thank you. Hannah?"
"You look sexy, Daddy!"
"Sexy? Only Mommy is allowed to call me sexy..." he drawled.
"Okay, Daddy. Uncle Tom said I must say you look groovy."
"Uncle Tom, huh."
"I love you, Daddy!"
"Love you too, muffin."
"You can't eat me, Daddy!" Hannah crowed happily.
"It's a term of endearment, Hannah," Winonah said with all her eight year old wisdom.
"Go and enjoy yourself, Chakotay. The children will be fine. Adam and I are taking them with us to Risa for a few days. Don't come back before then. You deserve your own little second honeymoon."
"In a tuxedo?"
"That's the start of it. Now, get out of here."
"Yes, Daddy. Get out! Go away!"
Chakotay laughed, bent down to kiss Hannah, then Winonah who rose on tiptoe to kiss him.
"Take good care of my girls, Gretchen."
"And you must take good care of my girl," replied Gretchen.
Five minutes later Chakotay was in his shuttle, still smiling at the way his daughters and mother-in-law teased him. His heart thudded in his chest when he thought of Kathryn. The journey, only about half an hour, was too long. He was in a hurry to get there, but had to engage impulse power.
It was with relief that Chakotay finally approached the front door of the apartment in Paris. It wasn't the same apartment, but the vacant one next door that Kathryn had rented for a month. He took a deep breath, smoothed down his jacket and trousers, tugged once again at his bowtie and thought Hannah would tell him again how Kathryn would be mad. Then he pressed the chime and waited.
After waiting about a minute, with no response, he pressed again. Sighing, he touched the door jamb and leaned against it.
The door opened.
Kathryn stood there, wearing the same miraculous burgundy dress she wore the first time he stood just like this and stared in mute stupefaction at her. The light behind her gave her an ethereal appearance, shooting little glints off her hair. Her hair... No longer in the chignon she wore the first time, but still as heavenly elegant, smoothed into her neck, tucked on one side behind her ear so her earring was visible... He imagined he could smell the brandy, or the fresh apples, or some oil from foreign lands...
He fell in love with her.
"Sergei told me you had ten moles and a wart."
"I was expecting to see an old man from the outer reaches of Federation space, an old fogey out of touch with humanity and who snored. At least now I know you snore..."
"And you have a mole right there on your - "
"Come in, Chakotay and don't disgrace yourself before we even leave," she cut him off.
"I want to kiss you."
"After the performance. You think I'd want to smudge everything now?"
Chakotay felt his inside burst into flames. He was besotted all over again and all Kathryn had to do was just smile...smile! He reined in his passion, and drilled himself into a semblance of order. He gave a little cough, leaned forward and kissed her forehead in a chaste brush of his lips.
"Come, are you ready?" he asked, holding his arm for her.
"As I'll ever be."
"Is Junior behaving?" he asked as he skimmed one hand over her belly.
"He'd better be asleep through the performance of the Mahler Symphony," she said, smiling as they left the apartment to walk the short way to the flitter that waited for them.
"It's a Command Performance for the President of the Federation. Junior will be in exalted company. He'll behave. We'll tell the children the good news later. Happy?"
"Supremely."
"So am I."
"Have I have told you how much I love you, Chakotay?"
"Only about a thousand times."
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