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Kathryn and Chakotay made their way to an empty table in a quiet part of the room to continue their conversation away from prying ears. “What would it take to change your mind?” Chakotay asked, although he already knew and understood all of Kathryn's reasons for refusing to join the Protostar’s crew for the mission, he liked to try and change her mind.
“About going back out there?” she replied, hoping that he would eventually drop the twenty questions routine. It was cute but it was getting old. Fast.
Chakotay looked at her confidently. “Hmm.” Her hologram was a fine addition to the ship, programmed with enough knowledge to get them through anything but he wanted her with him instead just in case something went wrong. She could get them out any situation with diplomacy and when that failed punching their way out was an excellent backup choice.
“Nothing.” Kathryn said, taking a sip of the drink that had been placed on their table by a waiter while they were talking. “I’m not changing my mind.”
Looking around the room Chakotay noticed the body language of the remaining guests, who were all junior officers. They seemed reluctant to let loose in front of the commanding officers and uncomfortable with their continued presence. Giving Kathryn a gentle nudge, he whispered, “Let’s get out of here.”
Walking towards the door, Kathryn grabbed an unopened bottle of wine from the drinks table. “We can have this when we get home.” She chuckled as the Bolian waiter looked stunned by her antics.
~
Chakotay looked in the cupboards but could not find where they chose to store the wine glasses, opting to use two half pint glasses for their wine. It was a decision he knew that they may regret in the morning.
Kathryn took Warrior their Boston Terrier into the garden for his nightly pee. While at the door she accepted a glass from him, taking a sip just as the dog decided to come inside, she locked the door as he ate from his dry food bowl.
“To the journey,” Kathryn toasted, clinking their glasses together before making her way to the stairs. “Are you coming?”
Chakotay followed her up, taking his place on the bed sitting cross legged opposite her. “You know if you get too lonely while I’m away, my hologram is available,” hoping that the offer wouldn’t set them back too much there romance was new. The hologram along with his own ill-timed romantic social lessons with Seven were still a raw subject between them that often led to arguments.
Placing her empty glass on the bedside table, Kathryn shook her head. “I’d rather have you,” she said quietly enough that he heard her confession and the unspoken I love you.
They had eventually reconciled once they were back on Earth and had enough time had passed for them to be able to have a fresh start by buying a house together and adopting Warrior from a rescue centre.
Laying down Kathryn looked on as Chakotay drained his glass before copying her position. He watched her fall asleep in her tank top and trousers.
She awoke to the alarm clock sounding far too loud and a weight pressing against her side that was too light to be Chakotay. Reaching out to stroke the dog’s fur, “You’re too loud, Warrior,” she groaned at his contented yelp at receiving her attention.
Slowly moving she put one of Chakotay’s t-shirt on, curious to how she ended up sleeping in her underwear. She got out of bed and lazily walked downstairs with Warrior following closely behind her.
“Good morning sunshine,” Chakotay said a little too cheerfully for Kathryn's liking in her current hungover state when she entered the kitchen.
“You drank as much as I did,” she said unhappily. “How come you’re not affected?”
Chuckling at her predicament, “I used a hypospray while you let the dog out,” he replied trying to be sympathetic “I didn’t think to ask if you wanted one too.”
Chakotay took a mug of black tea he had requested from the replicator when he heard her coming down the stairs. Handing her the mug, he smiled when she took a sip making the face that she always did with her first sip of her first drink of the day.