TITLE: The Dinner Party
AUTHOR: Matteabrit, August 2002
SUMMARY: The commanding officers host a dinner party for friends and family
RATING: PG
DISCLAIMER: No, no, no…
NOTE: Written for the mixed doubles contest. Pairings include J/C, P/T, Harry/Libby, Ayala/Nicoletti, and mentions of others.
“So, I told him…”
“You should have seen her…”
“We were unstoppable!”
Kathryn laughed at the comment made by her former helmsman. “Well, Captain Proton might have been, Tom. I’m not sure we could put Voyager quite in the same category.”
“Unless it’s in the Doctor’s daydreams,” Harry chuckled. “I couldn’t believe some of the stuff he came up with.”
“Photonic cannon indeed,” B’Elanna sniffed. “Though if he’d had the specs for it, it could have made for an impressive weapon.”
“You weren’t with him on the bridge,” Chakotay sighed. “I have to admit I was nervous.”
“You were nervous?” Kathryn rounded on him. “At least you were there with him. I had to pretend I didn’t exist.”
Across the table Owen Paris laughed. “Katie, dear. I am so very glad I didn’t know about all this until after you got back.”
“Can’t discipline me now, Owen,” she grinned. “This is all strictly off the record.”
“I have a feeling most of what you did was ‘off the record,’” he replied calmly. “You certainly ran an unorthodox ship.”
“But we got home,” Tom defended.
“You most certainly did,” Owen said gently. “And I am so glad about that as well. Gave me a chance to get to know my daughter-in-law and my granddaughter.”
“Miral!” B’Elanna exclaimed. “I better check on her. Excuse me.” She left the table and quickly ascended the stairs to check on Miral who was sleeping in the bedroom.
Tom shook his head. “She’s paranoid,” he said. “Miral’s fine.”
Sam laughed. “You’re not a mother, Tom. I think it’s instinctive in all of us. I was crazy over Naomi.” She smiled at the man sat beside her. “And I didn’t even have Ges here to help.”
Ges smiled sadly at Tom. “Make the most of it, young man,” he advised. “I missed so much of Naomi’s growing up.”
“Speaking of,” Harry cut in. “Where is Naomi tonight?”
“At home,” Ges replied casually.
“Alone?” Kathryn asked, a little worried.
“Oh no,” he reassured her. “Icheb’s with her.”
The expression on Sam’s face showed everyone exactly what she thought of that. Everyone else let out a laugh.
“They sure do grow up quickly,” Chakotay grinned. “Better watch it, Sam.”
“I don’t care if she’s half-Ktarian,” Sam returned. “She’s a little too young for that, thank you very much.”
Kathryn reached out a hand and swatted Chakotay gently on the arm. “Watch it, Mister. You wait until it’s your daughter.” The table was stunned into silence and Chakotay looked ready to faint. “Oh really,” she chided the table. “As if I’d make an announcement like that. I was talking hypothetically.” She looked over at the pilot. “Sorry, Tom, no wins in the betting pool tonight.”
Owen shook his head again. “You were running betting pools?”
“Like father, like son, Owen,” Kathryn reminded him. “I remember the covert events on the Al-Batani. The things that Starfleet never knew about.”
B’Elanna arrived back. “She’s fine,” she said, reassured. As she sat down again she looked around. “What did I miss?”
Phoebe giggled. “Kathryn nearly gave Chakotay a heart attack.”
“Really? Damn, I wish I’d seen that.”
“I’m sure Tom will fill you in later,” Kathryn told her. “And for the record, I was definitely speaking hypothetically.”
“Not that I would have minded at all, dear,” Gretchen’s voice floated down the table, from where she was sat next to Owen.
“Take it up with Phoebe and David, Mother.”
“Speaking hypothetically though, Kathryn.” The table braced themselves, wondering what Owen might be about to say. “With only three children on board what were you going to do if Voyager had not got home quite as quick?” He took a look around the table, his gaze coming to rest on the two other former crew members. “My apologies,” he told Susan and Ayala. “Four children.”
Kathryn shrugged. “I suppose I could have made it an order for people to have children.” That brought forth a laugh from all gathered. “Captain’s orders,” she embellished. “You are hereby ordered to procreate for the good of the ship.”
“And would the captain have obeyed her own order?” Phoebe inquired, eyes twinkling.
“Of course not,” Kathryn winked at her younger sister. “Captain’s prerogative. Besides, someone would have had to have played Godmother to all these children.”
“What about your first officer?” That came from Tom, could it have come from anyone else?
Kathryn laughed. “Oh, I know he’d have had more than his fair share of offers.” She patted Chakotay lightly on the arm. “Very popular man was our First Officer.”
A light laugh came from Leya. “My brother always was the popular one. How many of my friends were after you, Chakotay?”
“It was most of the girls in the village,” Ayala responded. “The rest of us guys could hardly get a look in.”
Chakotay shrugged. “Could I help it if I was friendly to everyone while you kept your head in a book? Anyway, after I left for the Academy you had your chance.”
“Yeah, right,” Ayala snorted. “You were still all they could talk about. You’re why I joined Starfleet. The ‘if you can’t beat ‘em’ thing. And look where it got me. Stuck on the same ship as you for seven years.”
“It had to have been longer than that,” B’Elanna commented. “There was all that time on the Liberty before that.”
“Well, it’s over now,” Susan said quietly. “And I’m not letting Ayala go anywhere out of my sight.”
There was a chorus from the rest of the men sat around the rest of the table. “Man, has she got you,” Tom whistled.
“I agree with Susan on that one,” Libby chimed in. “Harry can just stay right where he is.”
“Not at this table, he doesn’t,” Kathryn laughed. “I might need it later.”
Owen stared down at Kathryn. “And just what, my dear Katie, might you be needing this table for later anyway?”
Gretchen covered her eyes. “I’ve no wish to hear about my daughter’s sex life, thank you very much, Owen.”
“What sex life?” Kathryn retorted.
A dozen pairs of eyes instantly turned to Chakotay. He blinked slowly and then pushed back his chair. “Anyone for coffee?”
FINIS
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