Disclaimer: Wasn't mine, isn't mine, never will be mine (unless I win the lottery, in which case I will buy the rights to the characters and hire a bunch of fanfic writers to write stories for me... but we all know that'll never happen.)

Author's Notes: This is both another "Endgame" post ep. for the challenge on the Official J/C Story Index and a response to an idea posted on the forum of aforementioned index.

The challenge: Basically, after VOY comes home, its captain goes into hiding. She marries a powerful man who abuses her. I can't tell the rest of the challenge without giving it away.

Only a Happy Ending, part 1

By Erin_Cale

"You may kiss the bride." Kathryn's voice rang in her own ears. Before her, Chakotay's mouth neared Seven's in their first kiss as a married couple. And beyond them, the Voyager crew gathered for what would be the last time before they were split up by Starfleet.

"No! Chakotay, don't!" Kathryn screamed. Her own voice brought her out of her nightmare. She sat up in her bed and looked around. She was in her home, her husband's place by her side unsurprisingly empty.

It was nights like these when she regretted leaving Starfleet, leaving Chakotay... but Seven would have thought her competition had she stayed. She knew that as surely as she knew that letting Chakotay marry Seven without telling him how she felt had been a really bad idea.

She felt around for her slippers and got up carefully. "Lights. 50% illumination." The lights came on and Kathryn was finally able to find her robe. Pulling it tightly around her, she headed into the bathroom to wash up.

Getting the water to the perfect temperature, Kathryn cupped her hands under the faucet, letting her hands fill up with the life-sustaining liquid. Bringing her hands up quickly, she rinsed her face, feeling the water dripping from her face with the detached feeling of habit.

She grabbed a towel from the rack beside her and patted her face dry, carefully avoiding her right eye. Her husband had given her another shiner the night before when she had confronted him about the woman she had seen him with. She really had to stop doing that. Almost immediately after wiping her face dry, it was wet again, this time not with faucet water but with her own tears. She sank to the floor, her legs no longer willing to support her. She curled up into a fetal position, still crying softly.

So it was that the great Kathryn Janeway was found by her extremely intoxicated husband when he came home an hour later.

***

Chakotay stared at the computer in shocked amazement. On its screen was displayed a message from Seven. In her efficient way, she told him that she was no longer satisfied with their relationship. The divorce papers needed only his electronic signature. Absentmindedly, he applied his signature and sent them off to their destination.

"Should've known I couldn't keep her for long... I wonder what Kathryn is up to?" He stopped and thought about what he had just said. That was probably the reason Seven had been unsatisfied with their marriage. Whenever he thought of Seven, saw Seven, loved Seven, it wasn't Seven in his mind that he thought of, saw and loved, it was Kathryn.

"Speaking of Kathryn, when was the last time I heard from her?" He thought back; it had been a long time, not since the end of the debriefings. Getting an idea, he opened a comm link to Tom and B'Elanna's new home.

"Hello." Tom appeared on the screen holding a squealing bundle in his arms.

"Hi Tom. How is she?" He gestured to the child.

"Oh, Miral" She's fine." Chakotay took a second look at the former helmsman. He noticed that there were dark circles under Tom's eyes.

"Been keeping you up?"

"Been keeping us both up. B'Elanna was starting to get cranky so I promised to take care of Miral for the day."

"Need any help?"

"No. My sisters are coming over in about thirty minutes." Tom paused. "Chakotay, you just called to offer your help in taking care of my child?"

Chakotay grinned sheepishly. "No, not really. I actually called to ask if you had heard from the Capt- Kathryn lately."

"No. And I know B'Elanna hasn't either. Not even my father has heard from her. However, I do remember hearing a rumor that she married some ambassador or admiral or something like that."

"And I take it, if it was true, none of us were invited to the wedding." Chakotay grinned again, immediately discounting the rumor.

"Of course." Tom answered Chakotay's smile with one of his own and shifted Miral to his left shoulder. There was a pause as both tried to figure out something to talk about. Tom got an idea first. "So are you going to the first reunion on Tuesday?"

"Of course. Wouldn't have it any other way. I don't think Seven will be going though, at least not with me." Tom gave him an unreadable look.

"You two were all wrong for each other anyway." Tom knew that he had approached it the wrong way when he saw Chakotay's face harden up into the Command mask he had used back on Voyager whenever he had a disagreement with the Captain.

"What do you mean?" Chakotay's voice was as hard as his face with even less emotion in it.

"Nothing." Tom avoided the older man's glare not because he was afraid but rather so that Chakotay wouldn't see the anger starting to boil up inside. Miral, in the way of young children, sensed the discord within her father and started fussing again. Tom took that as an excuse. "Listen, I've got to go. I'll see you on Tuesday."

"Right." Tom cut the link and got up. He walked Miral around the room for a while until his sisters finally showed up.

On the other end, Chakotay sighed and turned his computer off. Today just seemed to be getting better and better.

***

"My name is Chakotay."

The door man checked his list. When he found Chakotay's name, he smiled back at the slightly taller man. "Just place your hand on the first scanner and your eye up to the second one." He indicated a machine beside Chakotay. "Just a precautionary measure, okay? I just want to make sure you are who you say you are."

Chakotay did as he was asked and patiently waited while the machine processed the new information. When its lights lit green, the doorman gestured to the cavernous structure behind him.

"Go on in sir."

When Chakotay entered, the only sound was that of the band warming up. Only a dozen other people were there besides him, but more were entering as he stood there and looked around. He searched the faces, hoping to see one of the senior staff. Seeing only Tuvok, he decided he'd go over and say hello to the stoic old Vulcan.

"Hello Tuvok."

"Chakotay." Even after a year of being back home, Chakotay still thought his name sounded strange coming from Tuvok.

"How's life?"

"It is sufficient."

"Anything happen to you that was interesting recently?"

Tuvok paused, obviously searching his memory for something his human companion would define as interesting. "My second grandchild was born a week ago."

"Congratulations." Chakotay took a quick look around. The room was now almost full with the people who had been lost in the Delta Quadrant for seven long years. He smiled and turned back to Tuvok.

"Thank you. I also received the post of first officer aboard the ship Excalibur."

"Not bad. So-" Chakotay's voice trailed off when he realized Tuvok wasn?t looking at him. The Vulcan was instead looking over his shoulder. Chakotay turned, wanting to see what had Tuvok so distracted.

On the other side of the room, people started clapping. Chakotay moved forward in an effort to see the person who was receiving such a warm welcome. He saw a flash of red hair. Of course; only the former Captain of the U.S.S. Voyager could arouse such applause from these people. He moved forward towards the commotion, not really caring that he technically hadn't finished the conversation with Tuvok. He only cared that she was here.

Off to one side, the band started playing. The clapping quieted as people gathered on the dance floor. As the crowd started to thin, Chakotay finally found himself within arm's reach of Kathryn Janeway. He was about to ask if she wanted to dance when B'Elanna tapped him on the shoulder.

"You want to dance old man?"

"All right." He smiled. B'Elanna was one of his best friends, but dancing with her could be... interesting, to say the least. They moved out onto the dance floor and chatted while they danced about old times and what they had been doing with their lives. When the band started another tune, Tom cut in and another female crew member asked Chakotay for a dance. This time, the dance was more awkward than before. The woman didn't know him well, nor did he know her well. He imagined that it was probably some sort of bet. The instant the song ended, the young woman turned and practically ran back to a group of her friends.

Chakotay smiled and went off in search of Kathryn again. He finally found her standing by herself in an isolated corner of the room.

"May I have this dance?" he asked, bending low in an elegant bow.

Kathryn nodded but didn't say anything, a polite mask slipping over her features. He led her onto the dance floor, savoring each moment. After a second, he started to dance. Kathryn moved stiffly, as if this was not something she wanted to be doing. Chakotay decided that he needed to say something in order to break the ice.

"So is the rumor true?" His smile was warm, that of a friend.

"What rumor?" she asked, her voice almost emotionless.

"The one that you're married."

She cringed slightly but Chakotay didn't catch it. "Yes, I'm married." Chakotay stiffened in surprise, having not expected that answer. "His name is Keith. He's an admiral, one of the youngest in the fleet."

Chakotay wanted to ask why he hadn't been invited to the wedding, but knew that a question like that would only cause her to retreat further into herself. Suddenly, something clicked. The stiff movements, the cold voice, the fact that she hadn't invited him to her wedding, that she was even married- all those facts led to one conclusion, she didn't love him, didn't even want to be his friend anymore if she had ever been his friend to begin with.

The music ended and Kathryn squirmed out of his grasp. He stood still for a moment, watching her leave. Finally, his brain told his feet that he had to go after her, had to talk with her. He followed the path she had taken through the crowd, and then outside into the garden. There he found her but she wasn't alone.

Another man had a firm, and no doubt bruising, grip on Kathryn's arms and was shaking her violently. "I told you that you weren't allowed to come here!"

"I'm sorry, Keith I-" Kathryn's eyes darted around, looking for somebody to help her. She saw Chakotay, but didn't let her eyes linger or her only chance of help would be gone.

"You nothing. I told you if you disobeyed that something bad would happen." Keith leaned in close to Kathryn and whispered so that Chakotay, only a few feet away, could barely hear it, "Now your mother is going to pay for your disobediance." He brought a gray box out of his jacket and pressed a switch. "In five minutes, you can say bye bye to dear old mummy."

"NO!" Kathryn struggled to get the small box out of his hands. Keith laughed and held the box out over Kathryn's head. Instead of reaching for it, she surprised her husband by landing a solid blow to his ribs. He doubled over, groaning with pain. Kathryn nodded to Chakotay and mouthed a single word, Go! Chakotay ran back into the building and out the front door. There he found a transporter pad and a waiting attendant.

"I need to be transported to Gretchen Janeway's home in Indiana. I don't know exactly where it is." The attendant took a moment to search for the address, then entered it. As Chakotay felt the disorienting hum of the transporter, he counted himself lucky that there was only one Gretchen Janeway in Indiana.

He was transported to the end of the driveway that led up to the family home. He ran up to the door and pounded on it. When nobody immediately opened the door, he kicked it down, knowing he would set off the intruder alarm in the process.

"Mrs. Janeway?" he yelled. "You need to get out of this house!"

An older woman he assumed to be Gretchen Janeway descended the stairs, phaser in hand. She pointed it at him with an attitude that said she had been trained in its use. "Get out of my house."

"Please. You've got to believe me. Your life is in danger."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Chakotay. I served with your daughter on Voyager, she's one of my best friends."

Gretchen looked at him and smiled. "You're exactly like she said you were."

"Come on, we've got to go."

Gretchen hurried down the stairs and immediately went to the mantle above the nearby fireplace. Of the countless amount of family pictures, she grabbed only two before quickly following Chakotay out the door.

They had almost reached the spot Chakotay had transported to when flames started pouring out of the windows.

Beside him Gretchen whispered, "Oh my God." She put one hand over her mouth, trying not to cry. "My house, all the memories... gone."

"You're lucky it's not you who's gone." Chakotay said softly.

Suddenly Gretchen threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you. Do you know who did this?"

"Kathryn's husband." There was a brief silence then Chakotay said, "We have to get out of here. If he finds out that you're still alive, Kathryn herself might be in danger."

"Where can we go?"

"We can go to the home of a couple of friends of mine, Tom Paris and his wife B'Elanna Torres."

Gretchen nodded. "All right but the nearest transporter is in town, a one and a half mile walk."

"Then we better get started." He let the older woman lead the way. A minute later, he looked behind him to see that the Janeway house was completely engulfed in flames.

***

So, what do you think?

I'm still interested, take me to part 2!

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