Roses are Red
Part III

 

by: AW

 

[2 weeks later]

 

Chakotay rushed into sickbay. "What the hell happened Doctor?"

 

He sighed, "There was a slight altercation between our former Captain and her former pupil."

 

Chakotay shook his head. "Is Kathryn okay?"

 

Seven raised her head. "I am fine Commander. She was really no match for my strength."

 

Chakotay huffed. "What the hell happened?"

 

Seven stared at Chakotay, "I read on what happened between women who wanted to be bonded to the same man. It was clear that a fight of sorts was inevitable." She sighed, "I made my way to Admiral Janeway's current housing unit and went about telling her that you were mine, that you proposed and she needed to leave you alone and sever any romantic feelings that she felt for you."

 

Chakotay stared at her. "Are you that dense? How can the smartest person that was on Voyager be so useless when it comes to matters of the heart."

 

Seven stepped back shocked. "The ring was there -"

 

"And was not meant for you. Did you ever stop to think that the reason that the ring was too small was because it was not meant for you?"

 

"We are a couple are we not?"

 

The Doctor cleared his throat in the background, "I'm sorry Seven I believe that this is my fault. I believed that you needed help with your romantic feelings for Axum, and the Commander agreed to help me get you used to possible romantic interactions in the future."

 

Seven's head spun around. "You do not love me Chakotay?"

 

Chakotay solemnly shook his head, "I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings Seven, but I never meant - and neither did the doctor - for it to go this far."

 

Seven pulled the engagement ring out of her suit and threw it on the ground. "Then our romantic attachment is severed." She looked at Kathryn lying on the bed to her right, "And please tell the Admiral I hope she feels better soon."

 

Seven turned and left.

 

Chakotay sighed and stared at The Doctor. "This was incredibly messy. This was not supposed to be the way that things happened when we finally got home."

 

The Doctor clucked his tongue. "I can see that." He turned a scanner around and showed him an image of a one month old embryo.

 

Chakotay shook his head, "Who's baby is this?"

 

The Doctor raised his eyebrows, "Yours."

 

Chakotay drew in a deep breath, "She never said -"

 

The Doctor smiled, "It's likely she wasn't aware yet."

 

Chakotay shook his head, "No, I mean she never told me she wasn't on boosters."

 

The Doctor chuckled, "I believe she thought it was unlikely that this would be an issue while we were still in the Delta Quadrant; she probably didn't give it a bit of thought after your romp. From what I know of the Admiral's sex life, it is close to non-existant."

 

Chakotay nodded and approached Kathryn's bedside, enfolding her tiny hand in his own. "We'll get though this Kathryn, I know we will." He kissed her forehead and realized that the two of them had a long way to go.

 

The Doctor watched his former command couple in silence, and wondered how two people so in tune with each other could be so blind to the notion of love. He was sure that the Commander was aware of the sexual tension between the two of them, but the Admiral had been so cut off for so long.

 

He just shook his head, "Computer, deactivate EMH."

 

[3 hours later]

 

Chakotay had fallen asleep with his head leaning on the sickbay bed, next to Kathryn. The last days had been like a dream. He still wasn't sure if it was real.

 

Kathryn groaned and looked down at the man sitting at her bedside.

 

*Why wasn't he with Seven?* She opened her mouth and the croaky voice made him understand she was awake. "How long?"

 

"Six hours or so."

 

Chakotay stared at her again, "Do you remember what happened?"

 

She shook her head and then the memories of the previous day came back to her. "My God."

 

He grabbed her hand, "Nothing is as it appears Kathryn."

 

She pulled her hand away. "How can it not be as it appeared? A beautiful setup; the gorgeous bride-to-be." She sighed a silent tear falling down her face, "I loved you; I thought we could make it work; and then I saw that."

 

He stared at her, "We can make this work." His hand reached for her belly and she stared at the odd gesture.

 

"There is no us, there is just a once romp in the hay so to speak."

 

His hand left her belly and touched her cheek, "There was always an us Kathryn. We were a couple without the sexual component."

 

She shook her head, "I won't let you hurt Seven like that just because I'm free to love who I'd like now."

 

He gave her a soft look, "It was always us. I just agreed to help Seven try to discover her humanity at The Doctor's request, and because he thought that that was what you would want."

 

She shook her head. "And that program was nothing but a training program. It looked like a hell of alot more to me than that."

 

He sighed, "It was, it was so much more than a training -"

 

"Get out Chakotay. I can't hear this right now."

 

Chakotay was speachless. "Kathryn -"

 

She had tears trailing down her face now, "I said get out Chakotay."

 

END PART III

TBC IN PART IV