Portents and Presents
By Ralkana

Disclaimer – I don’t own them; Paramount does. If I owned them, I think they’d have been much, much happier.

Comments and feedback to Ralkana47@yahoo.com would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Author's Note – I wrote this fic in honor of my site's first birthday. Thank you to everyone who has offered me feedback, friendship, and help over the past year. I appreciate it more than I can ever say.

=/\= =/\= =/\=

“So, it’s almost the big day,” Kathryn murmured drowsily. Her voice was somewhat muffled, since her head was buried in Chakotay’s chest, but she couldn’t be bothered to lift it so that she would be more easily understood. She felt Chakotay’s body still underneath her, and she chuckled as his heart sped up.

“Kathryn…” he warned.

“Don’t worry, I’ve made Neelix promise over and over again and swear on his dwindling stash of leola root that he isn’t going to throw a surprise party for you.”

His lips brushed the crown of her head. “Thank you, beloved.” After a moment, he added warily, “That doesn’t mean he’s not going to announce it an hour beforehand and pretend it wasn’t a surprise.”

She laughed. “You’re so suspicious!”

“It’s my job.”

“No parties, I promise. But fifty’s important, Chakotay, surely you want to do something to acknowledge it?”

He sighed. “I want to spend the day doing my job, which I enjoy, surrounded by the people I care about, and I want to spend the evening in quiet reflection, which is how birthdays are meant to be acknowledged. And I want to spend the night… well, I’m sure you can imagine…” he said suggestively, his voice dropping to a sexy murmur.

Kathryn shivered. “Mmm, yes. I can… and I’m imagining some very nice presents for the birthday boy.” She raised her head slightly, kissing his neck before blowing cool air over his skin. It was his turn to shiver.

“Vixen,” he growled, pulling her up to capture her lips with his. “Come here…”

=/\= =/\= =/\=

One Week Later

“…so, you see, Captain, Commander, the statue’s reflecting pool is symbolic of Xantrien’s wish that his people reflect the goodness in himself.”

Kathryn nodded politely, hoping she looked fascinated. She stole a glance at Chakotay, noting the slight glazed look in his eyes, and she imagined hers looked the same way. The Vyarthan governor’s “quick palace tour and brief history lesson” had turned out to be over three and a half hours long. The Vyarthans had several necessary elements and provisions in abundance, however, so it was in Voyager’s best interests to play along.

Her faux interest was apparently enough, judging by the beaming smile the governor bestowed upon her. “I’m so pleased that you and your people have visited us, Captain. It is rare that we meet anyone new. Our neighboring planets are friendly, but they do not share our thirst for exploration. It is my understanding that your people are on a long journey, one which may last longer than the average Vyarthan lifespan?”

Janeway nodded, her spirits momentarily dampened by the reminder of Voyager’s plight. The corner of her mouth lifted in a grin when she felt Chakotay’s hand on the small of her back, reassuring her.

“We’ll get there,” he whispered, just loud enough for her to hear.

“Yes, Governor,” she responded. “We are trying to return to our home. It is possible that our journey may yet span fifty or sixty of our years. However, we all hope that it won’t take that long.”

“Extraordinary! On a journey such as yours, opportunities for rest must be few and far between. My people and I would consider it a great honor if you and yours would share in the bounty of our home. Surely your people could use some respite? You and your commander are welcome to stay here in the executive palace, and I have no doubt accommodations for the rest of your people can be easily found.”

Surprised, the command team shared a glance. They had been optimistic that trade might be conducted on this planet; an offer of shore leave was far more than they had hoped for. Before contact had even been established, Tuvok and his department had declared the planet’s environment suitable and the people non-hostile, so it was up to Janeway and her first officer to determine if the offer would be accepted. She saw the subtle, nearly imperceptible nod he sent her way, and she grinned.

“That would be wonderful, Governor. Your offer of respite is most highly appreciated.”

His smile grew wider, something that had seemed a moment ago to be impossible. “Excellent! Come, Captain, Commander, let us return to the palace proper so that we may discuss avenues for trade.”

He turned and swept along the path, his aide scurrying beside him, and Kathryn and Chakotay strode quickly behind them.

“This is fantastic, Chakotay!” she murmured. “The crew will be thrilled. It’s been way too long since our last leave.”

“Hmm,” he replied, equally as quietly, his eyes on their host, several steps ahead of them. “True, but are you sure it’s wise for us to stay in the palace? And what of the rest of the crew? Where will they be staying?”

“We’ll have Tuvok meet with the governor’s head of security before we authorize leave for anyone. And these gardens might be the perfect reflection spot you were hoping for, don’t you think? Plus, it will keep Neelix out of your hair until your birthday’s come and gone.”

“True,” he chuckled. “Maybe the Spirits heard my–uh oh.” He broke off suddenly as the governor’s aide – who had been pacing the governor, nearly ten feet ahead of them – stopped abruptly and wheeled around, heading straight for the command team. The governor shot her a concerned glance and moved in their direction.

“Beg your forgiveness, Sir, Ma’am, it is not a servant’s place, I know, but I could not help but overhear. I have excellent hearing, and normally I would do everything in my power not to listen to your conversation, but something caught my ear that I know the governor will be most interested in. Did you say it is Sir’s… birthday? Is it the anniversary of his passage into being?”

She and the governor exchanged a wide-eyed glance, which was perfectly offset by the worried glance between the command team. Janeway nodded at him, and he cleared his throat.

“Yes, it will be my birthday in two days time, but–“

“Why, this is marvelous! And how many turns will your existence have spanned?”

The alarm in Chakotay’s eyes was slowly growing. “Well, I’m not sure how you would calculate it in your planet’s time… it will be fifty of our years.”

The governor and his aide gasped in disbelief, and Chakotay’s eyes widened. He glanced at his captain, who looked just as nonplussed.

“Remarkable! Well, this is… this is a portent, a sign of greatness! It is proof that our people were meant to meet at this time, on such an illustrious occasion! A celebration, we must have a fête, in honor of Commander Chakotay!”

“Really, that’s not necessary, I assure you!” Chakotay broke in quickly. “It’s not that big a deal, truly. Fifty isn’t a sign of much among our people. Our captain is– “ he caught her glare and hastily changed tactics, “–not nearly that old! Many of our crew, however, are much older. Commander Tuvok, for example, is–“

“Nonsense! We shall hold a celebration in your honor as a sign of good faith and friendship among our peoples! You would not dishonor us by refusing such a celebration, would you, Commander? Captain?”

Janeway caught the plea that was clearly in Chakotay’s eyes, and she steeled herself against it. If she stared into those dark, desperate pools, she wouldn’t be able to do this.

“A celebration sounds like a wonderful idea, Governor.”

“Sensational! Let us return at once; we have much planning to do!”

“Kathryn!” Chakotay hissed once the Governor and his aide were once again leading them to the palace.

“I’m sorry, Chakotay. We can’t afford to anger them.”

“I know,” he sighed. “I hate my birthday.”

=/\= =/\= =/\=

The Big Day

“This is all your fault,” Chakotay mumbled to Kathryn as yet another wreath of flowers was placed over his head.

“I’m sorry, Chakotay,” she sighed, having repeated the phrase endlessly over the last couple of days.

He was sitting in an elaborately carved chair at a massive table on a raised dais before an enormous crowd composed of both Vyarthans and Voyager’s crew. He was flanked by Janeway on one side and B'Elanna on the other, with the senior staff spread out on either side of them. Governor Auz and his family were also on the dais; they were off to the side, however, in deference to the guest of honor.

Vyarthan females of all ages came forward throughout the day to bedeck him with blossoms of every color. Some of the girls were so young they could barely toddle, while others were grandmothers who patted his cheek and ruffled his hair. Others swayed up to the dais, wreathing him with flowers while stroking his shoulders and his chest and tossing him seductive glances, which kept the tips of his ears permanently flushed. He got some brief satisfaction from knowing that Kathryn was grinding her teeth next to him. Her attendance as his captain – his lover having been left behind in their huge, comfortable, adjoining suites in the palace once they had donned their dress uniforms – meant that she couldn’t say a word to the women pawing him.

The governor had demanded a daylong celebration, which the crew of Voyager eagerly embraced, as it meant that every crewmember had a chance to join in the fun. Chakotay had seen many holo-imagers held by crewmembers with smirks and stifled grins, and he groaned as he realized he would never live this down.

He had lost count of the number of toasts in his honor, from the simple wishes for his good health to the elaborate – and greatly embellished – tales of his bravery and honor told by the former Maquis in attendance. And more than several of the toasts offered by the latter group had been rather… risqué.

Chakotay’s eyes widened as a servant came forward to refill his goblet with thick, golden mead. He’d been sipping cautiously, but the Vyarthans were determined to make sure he didn’t want for anything this day. He knew he had to be careful; the mead was strong, and if he didn’t control his intake, he’d definitely be under the table by the end of the day.

“I don’t suppose I could ask for water?” he said under his breath, and Kathryn laughed.

There was a short fanfare – much shorter than the intricately composed one that had announced his entrance earlier – and several servants wound their way through the crowd, drawing gasps of delight from the onlookers. They held an enormous platter, beautifully garnished with vegetables in every color, which hid the platter’s main contents from Chakotay until they got much closer. It was only when they made their way up onto the dais that he could see that the platter held a gigantic roast.

“Meat,” he said quietly but flatly, and Janeway closed her eyes briefly beside him.

“I’m sorry, Chakotay,” she murmured again. The hall quieted as the Governor stood.

“To you, Commander Chakotay of the Starship Voyager, born fifty turns ago to the people of Trebus, the Auz family and the people of Vyarth offer the choicest cut from the first successful Pradesian hunt of the season!”

Chakotay smiled widely as the crowd applauded – the Vyarthans much more enthusiastically than the Voyager crew – and only those closest to him could see that his teeth were clenched.

“I thank you immensely for the great honor you have bestowed upon me,” he said quickly, and when the applause ended and servers began to make their way through the throng, he sat abruptly with a sigh.

“A ritual animal sacrifice,” he said, “All for me.”

Kathryn laughed, unable to help herself, and he shot a wry grin at her.

“You have to eat something,” she said. “That mead is going to go to your head if you keep drinking it on an empty stomach.”

“I’ve got news for you, Captain; the mead’s gonna go to my head no matter what I eat. It’s a bit stronger than anything I’m used to.”

“Lightweight,” she teased. He smiled back, and she was relieved to see it; he’d been trying very hard, but she knew this was his worst nightmare.

His smile faded as a serving girl handed him a plate with very few vegetables and a huge chunk of meat. Kathryn was handed a plate that looked exactly the opposite of his. Lots of greenery and not much roast. Chakotay sighed again and busied himself with eating everything but the meat and cutting it into small pieces, hoping it would look like he was enjoying it. He watched in fascination as Kathryn looked around briefly, and then in a lightning quick maneuver, switched their plates. He looked up from the table to find her grinning impishly at him, and he laughed.

“Have I told you today how much I–“ he caught himself before the forbidden words passed his lips, and his heart ached with the need to say them. But they were in public. “How much I appreciate your stealth, Captain?”

She smiled, and Chakotay thought he could detect a hint of sadness in it. A brief burst of anger flared within him. She has no right to be sad! She made the rules! With effort, he tamped it down. “I appreciate yours as well, Commander,” she replied, knowing he would hear ‘I love you too.’

The celebration continued with more food, more wreaths, more mead, and more toasts, and just when Chakotay thought he wouldn’t be able to take one more of any of the above, the servers reappeared to clear away the empty platters and plates. The orchestra, which had been playing quiet background music, began playing in earnest, something that sounded like a waltz.

Many Vyarthan couples made their way to a beautiful dance floor off to the side of the tables, and after watching for a few moments, some of the Voyager crew began heading to the floor as well. The senior staff watched for a while, and then Tom stood and asked B'Elanna to dance. Chakotay smiled as he watched them stumble around for a few steps before gracefully finding a rhythm. He turned, prepared to ask for the official dance he was allowed with his captain, only to see Governor Auz heading in their direction. He held a hand out to Kathryn.

“Captain, would you care to dance?” She nodded graciously at the governor as she rose, and he turned to Chakotay. “Commander, your guests wish to pay their respects.”

He stared at the man. “Haven’t they been doing that all day?”

Governor Auz nodded. “Yes, of course, but they wish now to do it… personally.” He nodded to the line forming by the stairs to the dais. Chakotay’s eyes widened as he realized what it was. A receiving line.

“Wonderful,” he said brightly.

Chakotay nodded and smiled as Vyarthan after Vyarthan came forward to wish him the best. He grudgingly admitted to himself that part of the receiving line idea wasn’t so bad; it was nice to hear the good wishes he received from the Voyager crewmembers who found themselves in the line. Those good wishes meant the world to him. But it was agony to watch Kathryn dance with man after man and be stuck up on the dais, unable to be one of them.

“Happy birthday, big guy!” Came the way-too-happy voice of Tom Paris. He glared at the younger man.

“You’re loving this, aren’t you, Tom?”

“Of course! You know, if you’d just let Neelix throw you a party, there’s a great possibility none of this would have happened!”

“Believe me, I wish now that I would have. I’d let Neelix throw me a birthday party every year for the rest of my life if I could just get away from here,” he muttered. Tom’s eyes grew huge. He knew how much Chakotay loathed Neelix’ parties in his honor. B'Elanna reached over and punched Chakotay in the arm.

“Can’t you at least pretend like you’re having a good time? The crew is enjoying themselves, and the Vyarthans went to a lot of trouble for your sorry butt.”

“I didn’t ask them to! All I wanted was a quiet day, B'Ela! You know how I feel about birthdays. So I’m another year older! What’s to celebrate?”

“Out here? A lot! Surviving a year out here is a big deal, Chakotay! And I can think of 150 people who need you, who are thrilled to know you’re alive today, so don’t be so ungrateful! And I know there’s one person in this room who’s a hell of a lot happier now than she was this time last year!”

Chakotay stared at her, shocked, and she growled in anger. “We know, old man, okay? You’ve done a very good job keeping it a secret, but some of us know the two of you better than the rest of the crew. So don’t tell me you have nothing to be thankful for today!”

The truth of her words dawned on him, and she could see it in his eyes. She laughed and leaned forward to kiss his cheek. “Can I stop growling now? Happy birthday, Chakotay.”

“Thank you, B'Elanna.”

“You’re welcome. Now, come on, Tom, let’s go dance. I think we’ve taken up enough of His Majesty’s time,” she said, grinning as Chakotay glared at her again.

His smile was genuine as he greeted the next guest in line, and his better mood remained as the receiving line dwindled and finally stopped. He glanced up to see where Kathryn was, determined to cut in on whoever she was dancing with, but she was nowhere to be found. He stood, worried, and searched the crowd for her. A commotion at the entrance drew his attention, and he looked that way. He saw the source of the commotion, and his breath caught in his throat.

Kathryn was sauntering through the crowd, a wreath of blood red blossoms in her hands. She’d changed out of her dress uniform into a short black dress that hugged all of her curves. Her hair was shining as it fell loosely around her face, and diamonds sparkled at her neck and twinkled as they dangled from her ears. She reached him, smiling seductively, and he stood still, frozen to the spot as she deftly removed the wreaths that blanketed him, laying them carefully on the table. When every flower had been removed, she lowered hers over his head, caressing his cheek and neck as she settled the blossoms over his chest. She reached for his hand and tugged him to the dance floor, ignoring the whispers of the crowd and the enthusiastic applause of her crew, not to mention the whirring and flashing of countless holo-imagers.

“Kathryn?” he said numbly when they were halfway there.

“Let’s dance, Chakotay.”

He followed her the rest of the way, and when they reached the floor, he placed one hand on her waist and gingerly took her hand with the other, only to have her chuckle at him. She put his other hand on her other hip and wrapped her arms around his neck, snuggling into his chest. He stared down at the top of her head.

“This works better if you move to the music, Chakotay,” she said into his chest. When he still didn’t respond, she lifted her head and captured his mouth with hers. All of his confusion vanished as the tip of her tongue teased his lips, and he groaned, opening to allow her inside. Her tongue played and mated with his, and his hands gripped her tightly, pulling her even closer to him. The kiss went on and on until he felt her hand pushing lightly at his shoulder, and he broke it, nearly gasping.

“Kathryn?” he asked again. She smiled and reached up to rub her lipstick from his face.

“I’m tired of hiding,” she said eventually. “I love you, and I’m tired of hiding it.”

He pulled her back to him and kissed her again, and both of them were laughing. When she pulled away, she shrugged.

“And watching those women fondle you all day was the last straw.”

“You’re jealous,” he said with a grin.

“Damn straight. I’m yours, and you’re mine, and it’s about time everyone knew it.”

Chakotay glanced around, finally noticing that everyone was staring at them. “Well, I think it’s safe to say they know…”

She laughed, and snuggled into his chest again, and he began dancing with her. Once the other guests realized the show was over, they resumed dancing as well. Chakotay noticed that there seemed to be fewer Voyager crewmembers in the hall than there had been several moments ago, and he surmised that most of them had gone rushing out of the hall to contact people still up on the ship. He grinned.

“You know, my birthday’s not so bad,” he whispered into her ear. She pressed her hips subtly into his.

“And I haven’t even given you the rest of your present yet…”

He practically whimpered at her tone of voice. “I’m the damn guest of honor! Can’t I declare the festivities over?”

“Have patience, birthday boy. I promise it will be rewarded…”