"I can't believe you wrecked it!"

"I did not wreck it."

Kathryn gestured to the shuttle behind them. "Look at it. Contrary to what you evidently think, the shuttle didn't come with a back door."

"It's hardly noticeable."

"Ha! Tell that to Picard."

"It was just as much your fault as it was mine."

Her voice rose. "Me? You were the one with your hands on the controls."

"And you were the one with your hands on my--"

"I know where my hands were."

"Then you admit you're just as much at fault as I am."

"No way! You promised a quick trip to the third moon of Tellaus. 'The waters on the southern continent are bluer than the Aegean,' you said. 'We'll be back in plenty of time for the wedding.' Look at the time. Ha! Deanna and Will are probably having the first dance at the reception by now."

Chakotay ran his hand through his hair. "I couldn't have predicted the meteor storm, you know that! Arguing is useless. Let's just get changed and get to the reception. Maybe no one will notice us missing."

"Right, no one will notice we're missing. I don't know why I went with you in the first place."

He took her in his arms. "Because you love me?"

"Chakotay," she whispered against his lips, "one of these days those bedroom eyes and please-kiss-me lips aren't going to be able to seduce me."

"Liar," he whispered back.

"Ahem."

Startled, they broke apart and turned to look at the dark skinned woman who'd snuck up on them.

"Umm... Who are you?"

"Oh, sorry, the name's Guinan. If you hurry you can just make it before Deanna walks down the aisle."

"The wedding hasn't even started yet?"

"No, they were waiting on you."

Kathryn shot Chakotay an accusing look. "Great, we held up the wedding. Can this day get any worse?"

"Actually, there was a slight disagreement with Ambassador Lwaxana Troi over her insistence that the wedding be done in the traditional Betazoid manner."

"Oh please don't tell me we have to go naked."

"No, Deanna finally talked her into a compromise: only the wedding party will be nude."

"Yes! Thank you spirits!"

"While you're thanking them for that, you'd better send up an extra prayer Picard doesn't formally reprimand you . . . or worse."

"Lighten up, Kath." He smiled at her, grasping her hand in his. "Accidents will happen."

Guinan snapped her fingers. "Speaking of accidents," she said, "Dr. Crusher broke her ankle this morning and it hasn't healed well enough for her to put her full weight on it. Deanna asked if you would stand in for her as maid of honor."

At the look on Kathryn's face, Chakotay started laughing. Guinan tried to bite back a smile of her own.

"But . . . that means . . ."

"You remember earlier when you told me you couldn't decide what to wear?" Chakotay reminded her. "At least now your problem's solved."

THE END