DisclaimeR: StaR TRek VoyageR and the chaRacteRs theRein belong to PaRamount, Rick BeRman, Michael PilleR, JeRi TayloR, and I suppose BRannon BRaga has some contRol too. Too bad.
SummaRy: Get inside MaRk's head.... scaRy!!! ;-)
This stoRy won thiRd place in the "HeRe an R, theRe an R, eveRywheRe an R R" contest at VoyageR CentRal. <g>
Kath
At last, Kath is home. Almost a decade of continuous space flight, weaving a path to a home once thought lost, and now that magnificent ship she commands has conveyed these loved ones back to us.
Immediately on sight I know Kath is happy. Walking down the gangway that connects them once again to this planet, she has a smile on that beautiful face that hides nothing. She is in love.
I can't help but question which of these men I see is the lucky one. Kath was always such a cautious woman when it came to letting people get close. Well, maybe not always, but since Justin's accident at least. I know she wouldn't have gotten involved with an ensign, a lieutenant... hell, I would have said anyone she commanded, but now I get the feeling that's not the case. Kath's not the type to get involved with some alien she picked up on the way.
Scanning the people in my view I see no sign of him. Not yet. I'll know him when I see him; he'll have something about him, that special little detail that says he's the one. Maybe it's because I know Kath so well, maybe it has to do with that sixth sense ex's have - the ability to distinguish the next man in a woman's life; I wouldn't like to say. Let's just leave it at this - I'll know.
Minutes pass, then a man just leaving the ship catches my attention and instantly I know this is him. He's tall, tattooed, smiling like he's the luckiest guy on the planet; and he's holding a child.
Tattoo... tattoo... that should mean something... and the command band on his clothes...
The XO. Kath's second in command. Chakotay, yes, that's him. The man she was sent to take into custody.
They have a child.
They have a *child*.
Kath is a mum.
She's seen me; I can see what she's thinking. She's going to have us meet. Beckoning him to follow, she heads to my position and gets to me just ahead of him.
"I've missed you so much," she says. I cannot contain my shock as Kath hugs me tightly and I clumsily attempt to act in kind. I don't want it to end, but as they say, all good things...
As she pulls away Chakotay catches up to us. Kath takes the baby, and I can't help but feel a twinge of pain as I see how easily she has taken to being a mum. She always told me she didn't want kids, not unless she left the fleet. Funny how things change.
"I'd like you to meet someone," Kath continues, "This is Chakotay. Chakotay, this is..."
"I know," he cuts in, then to me he says "I've been told a lot about you."
Not knowing what else to do, I take his hand and shake it steadily.
"Pleased to meet you, Chakotay." I have no idea how I found my voice, but I'm not going to question it now. I'm just thankful I have it. "So who's this little one?"
They both look fondly at the small child then smile back at me in unison. It's almost sickening.
"Amanda," Kath softly speaks the baby's name then glances down as she continues, "and we have a second on the way, a little boy."
I'm left speechless. Kath must have sensed how I was feeling, as she hands Amanda back to Chakotay and indicates that she'd like to be left alone with me. With a quick "Nice to meet you" Chakotay is gone.
"I'm..." Kath begins.
"It's okay," I cut in, "you don't need to apologise. It's good to have you back." I mean that. I'll put up with anything, even this, just to know she's safe.
"It's good to *be* back. Even I can't handle being away that long. If I hadn't had Chakotay I don't think I'd have coped in those last stages."
"You'd have found a way." If I know anything, I know that Kath will always find a way.
"Thank you." She smiles at me and I can see that my confidence means something. "Now, I hate to do this, but I have to go. I'll talk to you soon though, call me."
"I will." At least I think I will, I add to myself.
As she walks away I can do nothing but look back and ask myself what just happened. I wasn't expecting any of that. It isn't that I was expecting Kath to come back to me. Deep down, I knew I'd always be 'vulky Hobbes' to this amazing woman. Despite my wishes, she could not, would not be Kath Johnson.
I just hadn't imagined that she would have found someone else yet, not on that ship, and I most definitely hadn't expected a child. But I know now, it's obvious to all who see them. With Chakotay and a family, Kath Janeway is happy.
And in the end, that's all I could ask.
THE END
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