Chapter 2: Peekaboo, I See You
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Seven kept her back to the other three, refusing to be a part of the child's excitement. The little girl danced and whirled about the room, "Kat's got Kit's picture, Kat's got Kit's picture, Kitty-Kat, Kitty-Kat, Kitty-Kat." Kathryn sat on the edge of the sofa, staring at Chakotay, willing him to give her a rational explanation. Chakotay looked equally mystified as he gently corralled his dancing daughter.

"Come here, Kitten. Quiet down a minute. Listen to Papa. I want you to go to Ahma's house. Tell her I'd like her to feed you supper. Tell her I'll come and visit in about an hour or so. Will you do that for me?"

"Can I bring Auntie Kattie?"

"No, sweetheart. Papa and Auntie Kathy..Kathryn.. are going to have a long talk with Mommy. Aren't we, Mommy?"

Seven waved her hand in acquiescence but didn't turn. Kathryn just kept staring at Chakotay as he helped Kit into her sweater and watched her walk to the neighboring house. Slowly he shut the door and turned back to the two women.

Kathryn spoke. "Would either of you like to explain to me how you managed to have a child that looks more like me than she looks like either of you?"

He walked back and sat down next to her on the sofa. "Kathryn, I don't know what to say. It's uncanny." Chakotay reached for the padd and held it up next to Kathryn's face. "You've changed," he said. Kathryn continued to stare. He went on, "I just don't know. I just never thought.... I mean, she's always reminded me of you, but I thought that was a matter of spirit. Well that and her funny little smile. But that is hardly a unique trait."

"My Grandmother Meade had eyes that same color, Chakotay. It's an unusual color."

"It's not in my family. My mother and two of my sisters had golden eyes."

"Oh." Kathryn slumped back on the couch.

Chakotay turned toward Seven. "Would you mind contributing a bit here?"

Seven slowly stood, sauntered over and took the padd from Chakotay, "There is nothing to contribute. You are both over-reacting to a mere coincidence. If you will study your physiognomy, you both possess similar features. While you do not resemble each other, both have strong chins, high cheekbones and straight foreheads that curve at the top, similar eyebrows and, as you have already stated, the smile is hardly unique." She handed the padd back to Chakotay. "I don't know what you hoped to gain by this little farce, but don't think you can manipulate the court in re-allotting custody time with something as flimsy as this. She is my daughter, or don't you remember my part in her birth? You delivered her after all." She looked at Kathryn. "I am surprised Captain... oh excuse me... Admiral. Despite your," she smirked, "lingering loyalty to the old command team , I am surprised he was able to talk you into such nonsense." Turning back to Chakotay, she said, "Kit deserves more than this backwater ball of dirt. Don't think for one minute I'm going to give up trying to get it for her." With that, Seven turned and left the house.

They were both left stunned by her accusation. Kathryn was mortified at being pulled into a situation as uncomfortable as this one and angered at the accusation. "Chakotay, I want some explanations now. You can start with why I am being treated as 'the other woman' and 'Daddy's old girlfriend'. You know damn well that nothing ever happened between us to justify such an assumption. Then we can go onto the events leading up to this child's birth. What Seven says may be true, but the likeness is uncanny. I'd like to see her birth records. You did have the standard genetic scan done?"

"Of course we did. Kathryn, I am so sorry you've come into the middle of this. I thought someone would have told you by now."

"You could have."

He closed his eyes for a moment, "Yes, I guess I could have." He turned to her, "I thought of it. Many times. But I just couldn't bring myself to contact you after all these years. What was I going to say. Oh hi, Kathryn. Remember when I told you that it was best for my marriage that we stop all contact. Well, the marriage failed, so I want to pick up where we left off? I couldn't do it. It was insulting to you. I made the choice not to wait for a family any longer. You had gone on to build a fine life for yourself without me once we got back. Who was I to insist on plowing back into the middle of it, just because I'd screwed up my own life? I figured, once you knew, you would contact me if you were still interested."

"So when you got my message....that's what you thought?"

"Yes, at first. I couldn't imagine why else you would want to come to this 'backwater dirt ball'. But when you mentioned your staff, I knew it was a business visit."

She reached over and placed her hand over his. "Well, mostly business. I've been angling for Dorvan to be chosen for this project for years. I had just hoped that you were secure enough in your marriage by now that there was a possibility to resurrect that 'old command team'. I've missed it and I've missed you. If it's any comfort, I still consider you my closest friend."

"What does Starfleet want with Dorvan? How would we be working together? I can't just up and quit what I'm doing here, Kathryn, even to work with you."

"I know. No one expects you to. Your work in resurrecting this planet and your culture are well known and admired throughout the Federation. We all understand that it is your first commitment. There will be time enough to talk about Starfleet later. Right now, I need to understand what is going on." She leaned back into the sofa, intertwining her hand with his and pulling him back as well. "Now, old friend, I've missed ten years of your life. If you are willing, I would dearly like to know what has brought you to this sorry spot."

"It's a long story." He slid down until his head was resting against the sofa and put his feet up on the table.

She snuggled a bit closer to him and did the same, "I'm listening."

Chakotay took a deep breath and began. It had started when he and Seven had been stranded on that planet together. He told Kathryn that he tended to get a nesting impulse when he was stranded on planets with beautiful women. She gave him a little jab and a smile, held his hand tighter and continued listening. Even then, he probably wouldn't have done anything but Seven had been so innocent and vulnerable in her need to become more human, that he found himself becoming protective and then affectionate. She was, and still is, under all that makeup, a remarkably beautiful woman. And it had been so long since he had been treated as a desirable man that he found himself going along with it.

They had thought they would be there forever and he longed for a life connected. And she wanted him. She wanted his touch, his kisses, everything. It was all so new to her. It was beautiful to see someone grow into themselves like that, especially her. Despite her looks, he'd always thought she had all the warmth of a used plasma relay. But inside, she wasn't like that. She was warm, loving and remarkable gentle. She longed for someone to take care of her, to guide her and he longed to matter to someone like that. They answered deep needs within each other.

Still, he'd never lied to Seven. She had known right from the beginning that his relationship with his Captain was deep, intense, complicated, passionate and celibate. Whatever grew between Chakotay and Seven would always be edged by his bond with Kathryn. Seven knew that he and Kathryn had never been physically intimate. But she also understood that some intimacies go far beyond the physical. On the planet, that didn't seem to matter. Kathryn and that life were becoming a memory. He had always preferred living in the moment and savoring the 'now'. Seven was that 'now'and he was lost in the joy of teaching someone how to love.

Once they were rescued, he just couldn't walk away from Seven. He was her first love and her emotions were fragile. He treasured what she was trying to become. He felt honored that she trusted him enough to explore it with him. Selfishly, it gave some measure of peace in working with Kathryn. It gave them both, he and Kathryn, concrete parameters to work within and their relationship grew even deeper and richer because of it. He and Seven also grew in their feelings toward one another, but still, the 'command relationship' always took first priority. Aboard ship, it seemed a necessity, and Seven went along with it. But the intimacy of the command team continued even on Earth, even after all the depositions, de-briefing, hearings, re-assignments and all were finally history. Seven became increasingly despondent, with good reason. Chakotay still put Kathryn first.

During that time, Chakotay had been meeting with the United Tribal Cultural Council on Earth, and with what few elders had survived the devastation on Dorvan. There was one thing in his heart that was even more important to him than being with Kathryn. He had been thinking about trying to resurrect all that his father and his people had built the entire time he was on Voyager.

Kathryn stopped his reverie at this point, "You never told me."

"I didn't tell anyone, Kathryn. It was an introspection that took me years to figure out. The closer we came to the Alpha Quadrant, the more I felt that everything I'd experienced in my life was leading me toward this. This was what I was meant to do. But it sounded so ....Messianic...even to me, that I needed all those years to truly analyze what motivated me. It was an interior journey, Kathryn. I couldn't 'discuss' it with anyone. It wasn't a thing to be 'discussed'. I needed to understand at some other level. Do you understand?"

"I think I do, at least a little. I knew we would get home. It didn't make any sense, but I knew I had to just keep pushing, because we...would...get...home. Something like that?"

"Yes, like that. It's why, as time went on, I could support you even though each thing you pulled seemed crazier than the last." He laughed at the look she threw him. "Much of our petition you already know. We presented our case to the United Federation and they agreed to fund our plan. It was probably guilt, but it got us what we needed nonetheless. On a personal level, it gave me a means to make a break from you. Seven had the right to demand that I try to build as rich a relationship with her as I had with you, although she never said a word to me against you. If it had been anyone but you, I think she would have fought harder for the marriage. Neither one of us has ever been very good at not caring for you. I needed to do this, we needed to just have each other, so I took the directorship position when it was offered and we left. You had Mark again. I didn't think you would really care."

"Oh, I cared all right. My best friend banished me from his sight without much explanation and then took and the nearest thing I had to a child and took off for the other side of the Federation. And I didn't exactly have Mark. It was more like Mark and Rina. At any rate, they have provided 'shelter from the storm', so to speak."

"Sounds like you have a story of your own to tell."

"Don't even try to sidetrack me Chakotay. I really need to know where your head is, if I'm going to stay... and there still is the matter of my little....I'd say clone, if it weren't for the dimples."

"Stay? You might stay here, with me?"

"Not so fast. I may stay here, on Dorvan, in an official capacity. "No," she stopped him, "don't even ask. You need to tell me a whole lot more before we even get near 'talking business'"

Seven walked into the guest house, slamming the door behind her. Drabban looked up, "Back from your soiree with Chuckles already?"

"Must you? His name is Chakotay. Forgetfulness on his part does not excuse malice on yours."

The man arose, walking to stand behind her. He was of medium height, with medium coloring, unremarkable in every way but for a sharp, penetrating gaze that hinted at an equally sharp intelligence. He slid his hands around her slender waist, fingertips barely grazing her as he slowly drew them up to gently cradle her breasts. "Don't be so sure the O.F. has such a faulty memory." He started placing small kisses on the back of her neck.

She was stiff and resistant, "Not now."

"Oh, I know. I'm just welcoming you home. Let it go, Nikki. Whatever happened over there, whatever argument you are having now, let it go." She melted marginally, allowing him to comfort her. He continued his feather light caresses, "Where's the Snippet? I thought she was coming over tonight."

She turned in his arms, nestling into him just a bit, "No, my turn at custody starts tomorrow. He won't let me have her one minute before."

He rocked her gently in his arms, "And you are still determined to spend these next few weeks corroding in this bustling metropolis of dust?"

"You know how upset she gets if we don't have a transition period." With a regretful sigh, she pulled herself away from his caress, "Drab, I've got to take care of a little something. Start dinner, will you?"

"Oh, woe. My lady has dismissed me." He gave a courtly bow, "I live to serve." She had to laugh at his silliness, which was what he wanted, just for a little while, to lighten the sadness she always carried in this place.

Once into the bedroom she engaged the console. As the man's face appeared before her, she spat, "Did you use hers?"

He responded, "And I am delighted to see you too." She ignored his sarcasm, so he continued, "What and who are we talking about?"

"The Admiral is here, a full two months earlier than you thought she would arrive and we are still here, something you told us not to be. At the time you told me it would be best if I avoid the Admiral, it made no sense. But now... She is raising an interesting question. A question I fear an answer to myself."

"Ah."

"Ah, indeed. I have questions of my own as well."

"I thought you might. I am on the research team she is bringing to Dorvan. We are due to land on Dorvan within the week. If we had come when we were scheduled, I would have had plenty of time to adjust a certain record before you returned with the child. Now....I suggest you take your daughter and depart as soon as possible.

"I can't do that. Kit becomes extremely despondent if I remove her from her father too abruptly. Did you use.."

He cut in abruptly, "I am being called to a meeting. I must go."

"Tell me!"

"It would take more time than I have. I will discuss this with you when I arrive." He cut the transmission. She was left with her questions and a dark screen.

Continue to Chapter 4: Talk the Talk

     
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