Christmas, 2388
Chakotay approached the mirror with caution, remembering every detail of its ornate structure. Had it really been eleven years since he'd last laid eyes on it? Eleven years to the day since he'd made the decision to turn his back on his dreams and seek out a future that didn't include Kathryn Janeway.
A reluctant smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he marvelled at the arrogance of youth. How could he ever have imagined he could live without her?
Not that he hadn't given it a damned good try.
The other day he'd been passing through Starfleet Headquarters when he'd caught a glimpse of Seven striding down a corridor with a gaggle of love struck assistants trailing in her wake.
The years had been kind to her, softening her features and stripping away that layer of aloofness that had held her apart from her peers for so long. Along the way she'd learned to smile, and used it to cut a swathe through the male population of San Francisco. The alpha male she'd craved so long ago still eluded her, yet she seemed content with her life, much to the distress of both B'Elanna and Kathryn who had made it their personal crusade to find her a partner. Rumour had it that single officers had taken to fleeing in terror when either woman entered a room. God help them when it was time for Miral and Leah to spread their wings...
His smile blossomed as thoughts of his family filled his mind as completely as they filled his life.
The last time he'd looked into the Mirror of Erised it was to see an image that had seemed unattainable. Kathryn, her eyes alight with laughter as she balanced a baby on her hips. At her feet a toddler sat playing, his little face screwed up in concentration as he added a splash of colour to the paper spread out in front of him.
The last time he'd walked away. It was a mistake he never intended to repeat.
Reaching out he cleared away the dust from the inscription that danced around the rim of the mirror.
'I show not your face but your hearts desire.'
Dumbledore had claimed that the happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised as he would a normal mirror, that is, he would see himself exactly as he was.
Curiosity had him shifting his position, his breath hitching in anticipation.
"Chakotay?"
Another voice reached out to him, drawing his gaze from the man captured in the glass to the shadows that draped themselves against the walls.
"Darling...are you all right? Our guests will be arriving soon and Leah refuses to go to sleep unless you tuck her in..."
The scent of roses tickled his nose, intensifying as she moved to stand beside him. Her attention, however, was focused on the ancient mirror.
He was about to speak when she pulled away from him; her gaze fixed on the mirror with an intensity that terrified him.
"Kathryn, what is it...what do you see?"
"Relax Chakotay, its just another gray hair!"
Sighing softly to herself Kathryn located the errant strand and tucked it carefully out of sight before turning and planting a teasing kiss on her husband's cheek. If she noticed a slight tremor in the hand she captured she made no mention of it, the sparkle in her husband's eyes reassuring her more than a million words ever could.
"Come on Commander... we have friends to greet and presents to open."
Without a backward glance she lead him out of the shadows to face a reality he had once believed beyond his grasp.
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