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© April 2001, monkee
She stood at the back of the room, watching the reception with a rather numb look on her face. Chakotay noticed, of course. He always had at least one eye on her.
"What's wrong, Kathryn?" he asked, quietly, moving to stand beside her. "Do you have misgivings about marrying them? It's a little unusual, but I think they'll be good for each other."
"No, I'm sure they will," she said. "It's just...I shouldn't tell you this. Temporal prime directive, and all that..."
"Tell me what?" he asked.
"I'm not even sure about it," she said. "It's almost like a dream. But I think I just changed time so that YOU could live happily ever after with Seven."
"Me?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "That doesn't make any sense."
"I know, I know..." she said, throwing up her hands. "It seemed so real, though."
They were silent for a moment, watching as the Doctor and Seven cut the wedding cake. Some of the crew tried to goad the Doctor into smashing it onto Seven's face, but he gallantly refused. Seven just looked perplexed. Kathryn smiled her approval at the pair.
"So," Chakotay said, "do you think you'd actually change time so that I could be happy?"
"Yes," she said, without hesitation. "I'm sure I would."
Chakotay shook his head, smiling. "That seems a little extreme, Kathryn, when all you have to do to make me happy is marry me."
Kathryn furrowed her brow and looked at him speculatively.
"Okay," she said, after a moment.
He blinked in surprise. "Okay?" he asked.
"Sure," she said, leaning up against him.
"Just like that?" he asked, looking down at her in disbelief.
"Why not?" she said.
"Okay," he said. They stood side-by-side in silence for several minutes. Then she nudged him with her elbow and looked up at him, smiling.
"Do you really mean it?" he asked.
"I always mean what I say, Chakotay," she said. "You really ought to know that by now."
Well, of course he did. But it wasn't until she stood on tiptoe, framed his face with her hands, and kissed him in front of the entire crew that he truly believed it.
The End. So there.
:)