TITLE: For Always
RATING: PG
SUMMARY: There's a wedding. An entry to the Picnic Prose Prize
DISCLAIMER: Could tptb even come up with this?

“Slainte!” the Irish contingent of the bride’s family called out.

“Slo… what?” the groom asked, creasing his face up as he tried to pronounce it.

The bride laughed. “Slainte!” she replied. “It’s like cheers, good luck, congratulations.” She sighed. “It’s Gaelic.”

The groom shook his head. “We’re going to need the luck. How did we manage to get ourselves into this mess again?”

The bride, also known as Kathryn Janeway, shrugged. “Blame my mother. How was I to know the last section of my transmission got distorted? I was asking about Phoebe’s marriage, not my own.”

Chakotay sighed. “Have you heard Tom? He’s been going on about how we had the crew fooled for all these years.” He paused. “Why the hell didn’t we say no to her?”

Kathryn looked out on the scene set out before them. “I think we tried,” she said slowly. Her mother was dancing with Admiral Paris and it looked like Owen was losing. “Whether we actually had a chance was a different matter.” She placed a hand over the hand of her new husband. “I am sorry,” she said gently. “Feel free to file for divorce whenever.”

Chakotay laughed. “Might have a problem there. My people believe that marriage is sacred, and for life.”

Kathryn turned to him, wide-eyed. “Then why the hell didn’t you say so before? We could have protested a little harder.”

He turned to face her, hoping desperately that no one was watching them too carefully as they sat there at the top table at the reception. “Maybe I didn’t want to,” he said slowly.

“What?”

He swallowed before continuing. “It just sounded too perfect to be true. Look at it my way. Your mother arranges all this just from one garbled transmission before we got home. She books the church, arranges a fully catered reception, does all the invites and gets you a dress in which you look absolutely beautiful by the way. And I didn’t even have to propose to you.” His wife was silent and he ran a finger gently down her cheek. “I know things haven’t exactly been great between us recently but I still love you.”

A tear began to slide down Kathryn’s face. “Really?” she asked, unable to look at him.

“Really. It’s probably not what you want to hear, but…”

She shook her head fiercely. “No, no. I do. For so long I kept you at arm’s distance and then I thought I’d lost you.” She threw a quick look at a particular guest who was sat across the room with her date. “When I saw you and Seven together…” Her eyes widened in alarm. “Seven? How’s she taking this?”

He chuckled. “Absolutely fine. Apparently the doctor is more to her liking anyway. I am sorry about that though. I really didn’t know how you felt about me.” He grinned. “Actually, I still don’t.”

“What?” Kathryn gasped, as she swatted his arm. “Did that kiss at the end of the ceremony not give it away?” Her sister had told her that it had been the most romantic thing she had ever seen. “I love you, Chakotay. There, happy now?”

He shrugged. “Kiss me again like that and I might be.”

The tinkling sounds of silverware against glasses indicated that this was what the guests wanted to see. Leaning into him Kathryn placed her lips gently against his, losing herself willingly in his embrace. The whistles coming from a certain pilot drew them apart some moments later and they smiled sheepishly at the crowd before them.

“So when do we tell them the truth?” Chakotay asked quietly, between gritted teeth.

Kathryn smiled. “I’ll leave that up to you.”

“Why me?”

“Why not?”

There was a pause. “Do we need to tell them the truth?” he asked. When Kathryn looked at him quizzically he continued. “Look, sanctity of marriage aside, I don’t want to get a divorce from you. I love you, you love me. Why can’t this be real?”

“But its such a big step,” she gasped. “I mean, we’ve not even been together five minutes. What if it doesn’t work out?”

Chakotay cupped his bride’s chin in his hand. “What if it does? Kathryn, we’ve had seven years of getting to know each other. We even spent three months living together once. Is it such a big step really?” He kissed her lightly again. “I love you,” he repeated.

She took a deep breath. “So we don’t tell them anything? We just let them believe that we were together all this time.”

“If you want,” he replied.

“I can live with it,” she nodded. She grinned broadly. “And I think I can live with you too!”

He shook his head in disbelief. “I don’t believe this. I should be saying that about you. I’ve got to live with your coffee addiction.”

She stared at him until she realised that he was teasing her. Then they put their arms around each other and laughed at the way things had turned out.

An hour later an excited Gretchen Janeway bounced up to the happy couple. “Bet you’ve not thought about a honeymoon destination yet, have you?”

Kathryn and Chakotay had to admit they hadn’t.

“Well, that’s absolutely no problem. I’m letting you have the cabin at Lake George for a few days. Owen says you can’t have any more because there’s some Starfleet thing going on.”

Kathryn nodded. “He’s right. There is.”

Gretchen sighed. “Such a shame. Your father and I had two fabulous weeks in Ireland. Oh well.” She went as if to leave but then turned back. “By the way, Kathryn,” she said. “I still haven’t seen your engagement ring. I can understand why you wouldn’t wear it with your uniform but I thought you might have today.”

Kathryn looked down at her ring finger where a gold ring shone brightly. Her mother had also taken care of that detail as well. How she’d got Chakotay’s size right was beyond Kathryn. “I, er…” she began lamely.

Her mother reached over and patted her on the arm. “Never mind dear, I’m sure it was just force of habit.” She disappeared into the crowd again.

Chakotay leaned in. “If you want one I’ll get you one,” he murmured. “Meanwhile, what do you say we get out of here?”

“I thought you’d never suggest it,” came the instant reply.

Half an hour later the newlyweds finally managed to leave their reception and make their escape to Lake George. What they did there is for another story!

FINIS

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