Christmas Messages
To: All Voyager Crew Members
Hello everyone! Well, you've guessed it! It's that holiday time of year again. Tomorrow evening there will be a Christmas party in Holodeck One. Everyone is invited. There will be revolving duty shifts so that everyone can attend. Commander Chakotay will be advising you shortly of the schedule. Unfortunately, I must inform you that we will not be repeating the Secret Santa gift exchange this year. Firstly, most of us are a little short on replicator rations (with the exception of Mr. Paris) after last week's betting pool (the subject of which shall remain nameless for this official communication). Secondly, we wish to avoid any repeats of the incident that caused Lt. Torres a week's work repairing the replicators when a certain Ensign attempted to replicate a book of Vulcan poetry for Commander Tuvok, without realizing that particular book came in 247 volumes!
Instead, Mr. Paris has informed me of another intriguing Terran custom - Christmas cards. We have replicated a supply of Christmas Cards with holiday designs. For the more artistic members of the crew, we have made some blank cards so you can create your own designs. In each card, you can write a personal message for another crew member. Naomi Wildman and Icheb have volunteered to make deliveries tomorrow afternoon. You can leave all your cards in Icheb's regeneration unit in Cargo Bay 2. Thank-you all! From Neelix.
From: Neelix, Chief Morale Officer
Re: Holiday Celebrations
The next day... an hour before the party.
Naomi Wildman stood next to a turbolift door, with a stack of white envelopes, neatly tied into packages with red and green ribbons. She activated her commbadge.
"Naomi Wildman to the Captain," she said.
"Janeway here," came the reply.
"Request permission to enter the Bridge."
"Permission granted."
Naomi was very excited as she stepped into the Turbolift. She hardly ever got to go on the Bridge. It made her feel very grown up to be going there today on official business. She had spent an hour this morning arranging her hair. She hoped Lt. Paris would notice how grown up she looked. She had had a secret crush on him for several weeks, even though she knew he was married to Lt. Torres. But she still allowed herself to imagine him coming to save her in the Delta Flyer while she was being held hostage by evil aliens. He would rescue her and declare his love...
The turbolift doors opened onto the Bridge. Naomi entered cautiously and said,
"Captain, I have come to deliver the Christmas cards."
Janeway stood up and smiled at her.
"Thank-you Crewman Wildman. Please proceed."
Naomi flushed with pride at being addressed like an adult crew member. She glanced furtively at Lt. Paris, who had turned around. He winked at her. Naomi's legs felt about as strong as the bio-neural fluid inside the gel packs, but she managed to pull herself together and walk over to deliver Ensign Kim's cards. Her reaction did not go unnoticed by Commander Tuvok, who gave her a penetrating glare as she handed him his cards.
She made her way about the room, and ended by handing a large stack of cards to the Captain.
"Thank-you Naomi. I'd love for you to stay and talk, but I'm sure you have a lot of other deliveries to make."
"Yes Captain," Naomi smiled and headed for the turbolift.
"Captain, permission to read our Christmas cards?" asked Harry.
Janeway considered his request for a moment before saying "Permission granted, but keep one eye on those sensors, Mr. Kim."
"Aye Captain," smiled Harry.
"The rest of you can read yours too," said the Captain, "that includes you, Mr. Tuvok." Captain Janeway started to unwrap her stack of cards, but she was called to Engineering by B'Elanna to inspect the latest improvements to the warp drive. She deposited her cards in her quarters along the way.
Meanwhile, Harry began to read his cards.
Hey Starfleet,
I wish, for your sake, that we were all back in the Alpha Quadrant eating your Mom's famous pies. But at least this year you've got us and Neelix's leola root ice cream. Merry Christmas,
From B'Elanna.
ps. Beware of the fruit punch tonight at the party. Tom's got plans for it, if you know what I mean.
Harry chuckled and opened his next card.
Harry,
I wanted to get you an extra pip for Christmas, but the Captain wouldn't let me. However, for the reasonable price of two weeks rations, I can get B'Elanna to override the security codes on the replicators, and I'll replicate one for you. For a month's rations, we'll make you a Commander. Just think... you'll outrank Tuvok! Merry Christmas,
From Tom
ps. Try the punch tonight.
ps2. Can you get your Mom to send some pie in the next datastream?
Harry sighed and felt his collar. He was tired of being just an ensign. What more did he have to do to prove that he was worthy of being a lieutenant? He laughed at Tom's suggestion of replicating pips. He could just imagine walking onto the Bridge with three pips on his collar and giving Tuvok an order. Better not to do that, though, or he could lose the only pip that was really his. Harry had a few cards from various other crew members. His last card was from the Captain.
Merry Christmas LIEUTENANT Kim. Voyager appreciates all your hard work.
From Captain Janeway.
ps. I'll make the official announcement tonight at the party.
Harry just about jumped out of his skin! He couldn't wait to tell Tom, but he decided to keep it quiet until the Captain announced it officially.
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While Harry was mentally doing cartwheels around the Bridge, Tuvok was methodically opening his cards.
Dear Tuvok, old friend.
Merry Christmas. Thanks for keeping us all on the straight and narrow this year. Your constant dedication to the safety of the ship and crew, and an often 'illogical' Captain, is much appreciated.
From Captain Janeway
Tuvok found it perplexing that the Captain would thank him for merely doing his duty, but he remembered from his days at Starfleet Academy that humans were unusually sentimental around Christmas time. He picked up the next card.
Dear Mr. Vulcan,
I am eager to extend my best wishes to you for the holiday season. I believe the traditional greeting is 'Merry Christmas'. I hope that you will join us at the party tonight. I have prepared several Vulcan delicacies according to recipes I found in the ship's database, although we didn't have all the ingredients so I had to make some substitutions, which I personally think enhance the flavour. I'd like to get your opinion on all four of the dishes, so I sincerely hope you can make it to the party.
From your friend Neelix
Tuvok raised an eyebrow and then frowned ever so slightly. Sampling FOUR of Neelix's attempts at Vulcan recipes, as well as enduring the noise and crowdedness of the party were not what he had planned for the evening. However, the Captain had ordered him to attend for the celebration of Mr. Kim's promotion. Hopefully Neelix would be preoccupied at that time.
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While Tuvok was preparing statements to divert Neelix's attention should he be asked to sample the foods, Chakotay was reading his cards. Many were from former Maquis, recalling an event that had happened on December 25, a year before Chakotay's ship had been sucked into the Delta Quadrant.
Dear Chakotay,
8 years ago already. It seems like only yesterday that we were dodging a whole fleet of Cardassians in the Nadellian system. Peace on Earth good will to men. If only the Cardassians had lived by that rule instead of trying to take over every M-class planet that showed up on their sensors, we wouldn't have lost 32 crew members and friends on Christmas Day. I just wanted to thank you for getting us through that day, and all the days since. For helping us overcome our predjudices and join together with the Voyager Crew who has become our family. Well, I'm running out of room! I don't know what came over me. Must be one of those 'biochemical fluctuations' the Doctor warned me about. Merry Christmas.
From B'Elanna
Chakotay smiled sadly, recalling the infamous battle 8 years ago. They had achieved the victory, but the price had been too high. He still felt responsible for those 32 lives that were lost. It was the memory of that incident which often prompted him to question some of Captain Janeway's riskier plans. But he smiled to himself - the Captain's risky plans usually succeeded because of her sheer willpower and determination. She never failed to amaze him. His last card was from her.
Dear Chakotay,
Where would I be without my Angry Warrior by my side? Merry Christmas,
From Kathryn Janeway
Chakotay's heart started pounding. So she did remember the story he had told her on New Earth. She had never spoken of it since then. Suddenly he became very nervous about the holoprogram he had planned to show her tonight. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
While Chakotay was wishing he had a Vulcan's ability to control his emotions, Tom Paris was eagerly opening his Christmas Cards.
Captain Proton,
RED ALERT, RED ALERT! We have a crisis! Dr. Chaotica has fired the Death Ray at Santa and his reindeer. We have to rescue them tomorrow night on Holodeck 3! Merry Christmas!
From Buster Kincaid
Tom laughed out loud. He would have to add a new chapter to the holoprogram. Which reminded him of his commitment to help Chakotay with a holoprogram after the shift was over. He wondered what kind of holoprogram Chakotay would be working on, and why it was so urgent that it be done right away. He opened the next card.
Dear Mr. Paris,
The Captain has approved my request for your assistance in Sickbay tomorrow. That way YOU can deal with the consequences of 'altering' the party beverages. Merry Christmas.
From the Doctor
Tom grimaced. Oh well, a shift in Sickbay was worth it. In fact, he secretly enjoyed the Doc's sarcastic commentary.
Dear Mr. Paris,
Thank-you for your exemplary service to Voyager this past year. Although you're still not off the hook for losing that shuttle race. Next time I expect better results! Congratulations on the upcoming addition to your family. Merry Christmas!
From Captain Janeway
ps. I know about your plan to secretly replicate pips for Harry. It won't be necessary. But whenever I decide to promote myself to Admiral, I'll know who to contact.
Tom smiled at the thought of Janeway promoting herself to Admiral, and was genuinely happy for Harry. He turned around. It was obvious from Harry's failed attempts to hide his ear-to-ear grin that he already knew. Tom gave him a thumbs up while Tuvok wasn't looking. He opened his last card.
Tom, I hope our plan for the Captain's Christmas cards works! Thanks for suggesting it. Also, I just wanted you to know how happy I am. I'm really looking forward to our daughter's birth. For one thing, I'm sure you're getting tired of my "biochemical fluctuations" and "behavioural volatility". Oh, sorry, gotta go. One of the power relays just overloaded, and Vorik and these other incompetant p'taqs can't do anything on their own. Merry Christmas.
Love B'Elanna
Tom chuckled to himself, and suddenly felt sorry for the Engineering staff. Oh well, at least the shift was done in a couple minutes.
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While Tom was thinking how lucky he was to have a wife like B'Elanna, Naomi was making her way to the mess hall to deliver some cards to Neelix. He sighed as she walked in. She was growing up so fast. She looked like, and had the maturity of a human teenager, even though she was only about six or seven earth years old.
"Hi Naomi!" he exclaimed.
"Hi Neelix! How are the party preparations coming?"
"I'm almost done. I can't wait till the party starts!"
"Me neither!" said Naomi, "My Mom is finally letting me stay at the party as late as I want. I guess she finally realizes that I'm not a little kid any more."
"Don't be so hard on her, Naomi," said Neelix, "It must be hard for her to accept that you're more mature than your Earth age suggests."
"I'm sorry Neelix, you're right. Well, here's your Christmas cards. That should keep you busy until the party starts."
"Thank-you Naomi," smiled Neelix, "Can you stir the cider while I open them?"
"Sure thing!" said Naomi.
Naomi moved behind the counter and began to stir the steaming pot of apple cider. It smelled delicious. Neelix walked over to a table at the far corner of the mess hall and began to read his cards. There were several from various crew members, mostly teasing him about his latest cooking fiascos, but praising his success as a Morale Officer. Then he opened a letter from Naomi. She had painted a beautiful picture on the front, which must have been her impression of the Great Forest - the Talaxian afterlife.
Dear Neelix,
Merry Christmas! I just wanted to tell you that even though I don't need you to check for monsters or tell me bedtime stories these days, that doesn't mean I don't need you any more. Who else would help me make Ktarian fruitcake when I needed a midnight snack? You'll always be my friend Neelix, even when I'm all finished growing up.
From Naomi
Neelix smiled and looked over at Naomi, busily stirring the cider. Tom Paris had entered the mess hall, with a suspicious-looking bottle in his hand, doubtless intended to enhance the fruit punch. He was talking to Naomi. She was very intent on the cider. Neelix couldn't hear what they were saying, so he opened his last card.
Dear Neelix,
thank-you for your dedicated service to Voyager this past year, both as Chef and Morale Officer. We certainly wouldn't have made it this far in the Delta Quadrant without you. Merry Christmas.
From Captain Janeway
ps. Please try to keep Mr. Paris away from the fruit punch this year.
Neelix looked up. Tom Paris had already left the mess hall, and the bottle was standing empty next to the bowl of fruit punch. He walked back over to Naomi.
"Did Lt. Paris say what was in this bottle?" he asked.
"He told me it was special flavouring, but I don't think he was telling the truth," she replied. "But guess what - he said he was helping Chakotay with a holodeck program right now."
"So?"
"Don't you see what that means? Chakotay must be planning a special Christmas present for the Captain! Isn't that romantic?" she exclaimed.
"How do you know that?"
"Because he didn't give her a Christmas card, so he must be planning something else. When Lt. Paris told me about the holoprogram, it was obvious."
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While Neelix and Naomi were speculating as to what the holoprogram could be, the Doctor was puttering around in Sickbay, singing "O Holy Night". Icheb arrived with a large stack of cards in his hands.
"Well, hello Icheb. I was beginning to think that Santa wouldn't be arriving in Sickbay this year. Are all those cards for me?" the Doctor said eagerly.
"No, just these two," Icheb handed two cards to the Doctor, and then immediately left Sickbay.
"Hmph! You would think every member of the crew would be giving me a card thanking me for my continuous efforts to keep them healthy. Ah well, just another day in the life of an under-appreciated EMH," he muttered. He headed out of Sickbay, bound for the mess hall to test the nutritional content of the food Neelix was preparing, but his curiousity overcame him, and he returned to Sickbay to read his cards.
Doctor, I believe the correct salutation for this occasion is 'Merry Christmas'. From Seven of Nine
"Efficient, as usual," thought the Doctor.
Dear Doctor,
Thank-you for your outstanding contributions to Voyager this past year, not only for keeping the crew healthy, but also for your extensive medical research. When we return to Earth, I would be happy to recommend you for a research position at Starfleet Medical, if you would like. Merry Christmas,
From Captain Janeway
ps. If you ever remove coffee from my replicator's database again, I will assign you to attend to the health and cleanliness of the plasma manifolds for a week.
The Doctor winced at the thought of scrubbing the plasma manifolds, but he was terribly excited about the prospect of doing research at Starfleet Medical. Why, he would probably be the first hologram to do so! And once he had published the papers from all the research he had done on Voyager, he might even get a teaching position at the Academy!
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While the Doctor was composing his first lecture for Starfleet Academy, Icheb was making his way to Astrometrics. There, Seven was just finishing her shift. Icheb approached her cautiously - he knew she didn't like to be interrupted while working. And he, of all people, did not want to be the cause of inefficiency in Astrometrics.
"Seven?"
"Icheb," she said as she turned around.
"Here are your Christmas cards."
"Thank-you." She took the cards and set them down without opening them, and continued with her work.
"Can I be of assistance?" asked Icheb.
"Not at this time. However, I have decided to give you an assignment for this evening," she said.
"This evening?" he asked.
"Yes, you are to attend the Christmas party this evening and observe the social interaction of the crew. You are also to ask questions of the crew members. Tomorrow I expect an essay on the historical and present significance of the Christmas holiday in human culture."
"Yes Seven. Will you also be attending the party?"
"Yes. I will be performing a duet with the Doctor," said Seven.
"You're singing?" asked Icheb, breaking into one of his rare, but definately un-Borg-like smiles.
"I believe you have more deliveries to make, Icheb," she indicated the stack of cards still in his hands. He nodded, and then left the Astrometrics lab, still smiling.
Seven continued scanning a nearby nebula for several minutes. Finally the scans were complete, and she began to read her cards.
Dear Seven,
I suppose you think that 'Christmas is irrelavent', but I'm really glad that you agreed to perform a song with me at the Christmas party. I am very impressed at how much you have developed your individuality this past year. And remember, if you need any more social lessons, you know where to find me. Merry Christmas.
From the Doctor
Seven rolled her ocular implant. The Doctor's lessons had helped her in the beginning, but now she felt like she was doing well enough on her own. She wished the Doctor would treat her more like a friend rather than a student. Speaking of students, her next card was from Icheb.
Dear Seven, thank-you for preparing me for the Academy entrance exams. Merry Christmas.
From Icheb
Seven was pleased with Icheb's academic performance. He was a capable student. And when he had donated his own cortical node to replace Seven's malfunctioning one, she realized that he was her friend as well. Seven opened her last card.
Dear Seven,
I am glad you have decided to finally accept the rank of Ensign. I thank you for your service to Voyager. You have saved the ship more times than I can count. And I am also extremely proud of your achievements in developing your individuality and humanity this past year. Merry Christmas!
From Captain Janeway
Seven felt a slight pang of guilt. She doubted that the Captain would be writing such a friendly note if she had known about the holoprogram that Seven had created to explore certain aspects of her humanity. Seven was ashamed. She had deleted the program, of course, at the Doctor's recommendation. How could she have imagined that Chakotay would be the most suitable partner for her? It was obvious that he had feelings for the Captain, and Seven was beginning to suspect that the Captain had feelings for Chakotay as well. That was why she had participated in B'Elanna's Christmas Card project. Seven wondered about the Doctor. He had admitted his love for her, when he thought his matrix was about to decompile. She wondered if she could ever develop a romantic relationship with the Doctor. Seven left Astrometrics, and entered her newly assigned quarters to change into her new uniform. The Captain had decided that her promotion would be recognized and celebrated along with Harry's at the party.
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While Seven of Nine was pondering the complexities of human relationships, B'Elanna was relaxing in her quarters after a busy day in Engineering. Tom was absent. She vaguely remembered him saying that he had to help Chakotay with something after the shift was over. As her pregnancy progressed, the hectic shifts in Engineering were wearing her out more and more. She looked down at her large belly and chuckled. She couldn't exactly romp through the Jeffries tubes very much lately. Now she had to send Vorik or one of the other engineers to do the 'dirty work'. Oh well, only another month or so, she thought. Her thoughts were interrupted by the door chime.
"Come in... Oh, hello Icheb," she said.
"Good evening Lieutenant. I have your Christmas cards here."
"Thanks. Are you coming to the party tonight?" she asked.
"Yes. Seven has instructed me to write an essay regarding the significance of Christmas in human culture. Would you be available for questioning on this topic?" asked Icheb.
"Ummmm... well, I'm only half human, but okay, sure. How about at the party."
"Yes, lieutenant," said Icheb, and turned to leave. "Oh, lieutenant" he added.
"What is it?" asked B'Elanna.
"Did you know that Seven will be singing a song at tonight's party?" said Icheb with a mischevious smile.
"No, I didn't," said B'Elanna with a smile. "Thanks for the gossip!"
"You're welcome," said Icheb as he left.
B'Elanna walked over to the couch and sat down to read her cards.
Hey Maquis, or should I say 'Mom'!
Congratulations on the upcoming addition to your family, and Voyager's family. Thanks for holding the warp core together all these years. I know the real reason why... you want to get to Earth so you can finally taste my Mom's famous pie. Merry Christmas.
From Harry
B'Elanna laughed out loud. Now she had a reason to want to go back to Earth! Although she and Tom didn't tell others this, to them, Voyager was their home. Neither of them particularly wanted to go back to Earth. Especially not now that they were having a child. B'Elanna went on to her next card.
Dear B'Elanna,
I know you must be thinking about the Maquis battle eight years ago. I know I am. But I know that without those shield modifications you made, we would have lost far more than 32 people. I appreciate all you've done to keep Voyager in one piece. By my count, we would have had 3 complete power failures, 8 losses of life support systems, and 10 warp core breaches by now, and be 3,000 light years farther from our destination if not for all your hard work. Merry Christmas.
From Chakotay
B'Elanna smiled at Chakotay's tally of her engineering successes. She wouldn't tell him about her and Tom's tally of how many shuttles he had managed to crash.
Dear B'Elanna, What can I say? We would be cosmic dust left over from a warp core explosion by now if not for your ingenuity and hard work. And I'm sure you'll be as good a mother as you are an engineer. Merry Christmas.
From Captain Janeway
B'Elanna was pleased at how much her relationship with the Captain had improved since she first arrived on Voyager. She had earned the Captain's respect through her skill as an engineer. The Captain had earned her respect as well. B'Elanna appreciated the fact that the Captain could understand all the engineering jargon, and knew almost as much as B'Elanna about how the ship's systems worked. B'Elanna opened her last card.
Dear B'Elanna,
Merry Christmas! I can't wait until the Captain opens her cards, can you? I love you always and I'm really looking forward to the birth of our daughter.
Love Tom
B'Elanna smiled. Hers and Tom's plan for the Captain's Christmas cards was risky. But the entire crew had gone along with it. In fact, every single person on board had participated, even Tuvok. It had taken a lot of effort to keep the plans away from the Captain and Chakotay. B'Elanna wondered how the Captain would react.
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After her shift was over, Captain Janeway made her way back to her quarters. The party was to start in about half an hour, but the Captain wanted to relax and read some of her Christmas cards before it started. She also had to replicate some pips - one for Harry and one for Seven. There was a huge pile of cards on her table. Naomi must have delivered more while she had been in Engineering. It looked like every single crew member had given her a card! She smiled, grabbed a handful, and reclined on the sofa.
Dear Captain Janeway, I, Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres, do NOT disapprove of a romantic relationship between the commanding officers of the Starship Voyager.
The Captain jumped to her feet in anger and threw the card across the room. What in heaven's name was B'Elanna thinking? Her relationship with Chakotay was none of B'Elanna's business. She almost hailed B'Elanna to talk to her immediately, but she decided to wait until after the party. She began to open the next card.
Dear Captain Janeway, I, Ensign Harry Kim, do NOT disapprove of a romantic relationship between the commanding officers of the Starship Voyager.
Needless to say, Captain Janeway's mood did not improve after reading this. "This better not be some stupid joke by Tom Paris & Company," she thought as she opened the next card.
Dear Captain Janeway, I, Lieutenant Commander Tuvok, do NOT disapprove of a romantic relationship between the commanding officers of the Starship Voyager.
What? Even Tuvok was in on it? She checked his signature three times to be sure it wasn't a forgery. The Captain tore open the rest of her cards. Every single member of the crew (with the exception of Chakotay) had written the exact same message. There was one final card on the table. She opened it.
Dear Kathy,
Are you still pining away for old Chuckles? Really, I don't know what you see in him, but I thought surely you would have dumped all your protocol excuses by now. Well, Q2 is calling. I have to watch him constantly, you know. Much love, from Q
Janeway scowled even more. Q, that cosmic busybody. He probably initiated this letter-writing campaign. As soon as she had that thought, another card instantly appeared in her hands.
Honestly, Kathy, I had nothing to do with this, although it is a brilliant scheme. Ask Lieutenant Torres.
Janeway sighed. Perhaps it was time to move beyond a solely professional relationship with Chakotay. She now knew that the crew did not disapprove. And as far as Starfleet protocol was concerned, who knew how much longer it would take them to get home. In all likelihood, she and Chakotay would be old and shrivelled by the time they reached the Alpha Quadrant - too old to care about official reprimands and demotions. She knew her own feelings were still strong, although Tuvok had helped her suppress them. She could sense that Chakotay was still interested, although there had been rumours running about the ship about a certain holoprogram Seven of Nine had constructed. And she knew that they were both strong enough that they wouldn't let their relationship affect their command of the ship. Janeway sighed. She realized that the only thing that had held her back was the fear that the crew would no longer respect a Captain who was in a romantic relationship with a subordinate. Perhaps she would speak to Chakotay tonight. She suddenly felt like a nervous teenager. What would she say? Did her hair look okay? She asked the computer for the time, and realized there was only five minutes before Harry and Seven's promotions were to begin. She had to get busy replicating those pips.
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While the Captain was searching her personal files for the correct authorization codes to replicate pips, Chakotay and Tom were putting the finishing touches on Chakotay's holoprogram.
"No, that tree is too short... and it should be darker green," said Chakotay.
"Yes sir," replied Tom. "You've got to relax! She's going to love it."
Chakotay continued pacing. "But what if she doesn't? What if she's happy with the way things are?"
"I think the Christmas cards the crew sent her may have helped her to see differently," said Tom.
Chakotay whirled around and glared at Tom, "What do you mean?"
"We may have taken the opportunity to inform the Captain that we didn't have a problem with a romantic relationship between the commanding officers of a Federation starship."
"Who?" scowled Chakotay.
"Everyone."
"Everyone?"
"Even Tuvok."
Chakotay resumed his pacing, obviously surprised, "You were taking a pretty big risk - " began Chakotay, but then the chronometer interrupted and reminded them to proceed to Holodeck One. They shut down the program and left.
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When Chakotay entered Holodeck One, most of the crew was already assembled. There were Christmas decorations everywhere, and the food on Neelix's snack table was plentiful. The Doctor was busy analyzing Neelix's creations for nutritional content while Neelix was trying, unsuccessfully, to persuade Tuvok to taste his attempts at Vulcan cooking. Tom had walked over to join B'Elanna and Naomi, who were being interrogated by Icheb. Seven was standing alone in a corner of the room, looking uncomfortable in her new uniform, but soon, the Doctor joined her, and began encouraging her to try one of Neelix's dishes, which had evidently met his nutritional requirements. Harry was trying to look serious and responsible, but Chakotay could tell he was about to burst at the seams with pride. Suddenly the crowd hushed. The Captain had arrived.
Chakotay turned around to look at her. She was wearing her uniform, for the promotion ceremony, but to him, she looked best in her uniform. And she had done something different with her hair. But beyond her appearance, Chakotay admired the way she could silence the crowd merely by her presence.
Captain Janeway made her way to the small stage which had been set up at one end of the room. Before she began speaking, she made eye contact with Chakotay. His heart jumped into his throat. There was something different in her look. It wasn't her usual professional glance, or even the occasional flirtatious smirk she gave him sometimes. What did it mean? But she began speaking.
"Merry Christmas everyone, and thank-you Neelix for preparing such a wonderful party for us. But before I proceed to the snack table, I have a few items of business to take care of. First, I would like to call Mr. Harry Kim to the stage." Harry was there beside her faster than you could say 'Battle stations'. "Ensign Kim, you have served us faithfully for seven years, and have contributed so much to Voyager that I feel you have finally earned this. Mr. Kim, I am proud to promote you to the rank of Lieutenant, Junior Grade."
She handed a small box to Harry, who opened it, and then the Captain attached the pip to his collar. "Thank-you Captain," he said, "I will strive to fulfill this responsibility to the best of my ability." Harry shook hands with Captain Janeway, and the crowd cheered. Even Tuvok clapped politely. The Captain continued her speech.
"And I now wish to honour another member of our crew. Seven, please come to the stage." Seven complied, although it was obvious she did not like the attention, "Since she has joined us, Seven has made invaluable contributions to the... efficiency... of the ship's systems, and has shown loyalty, bravery, intelligence, and above all, individuality. I am pleased that she has accepted the rank of Ensign." Janeway attached the pip to Seven's collar, and the crowd clapped politely. Ensign Seven of Nine left the stage efficiently.
Everyone wondered whether the Captain would make some comment about the Christmas cards, but she only said, "Merry Christmas everyone, and enjoy the party," before proceeding to the snack table. Once the party was in full swing, she left the room. Chakotay wanted to go after her, but he didn't want to be too obvious. The crew was evidently watching him, so he decided to go talk with the Parisses and Naomi and Icheb. He submitted to Icheb's interrogation regarding the significance of Christmas for several minutes. Meanwhile Tom was giving him winks and signals to get his holoprogram under way.
Chakotay tried to leave as non-chalantly as possible. He walked over and congratulated Harry on his promotion. He stopped to reassure Tuvok, who was reluctantly sampling Neelix's dishes. He ordered Neelix to keep certain crew members away from the fruit punch, although he had a glass himself, as he listened to the Doctor and Seven of Nine singing:
I'll be home for Christmas, you can plan on me,
We'll have snow and mistletoe, and presents on the tree...
Christmas Eve will find me, where the love-light gleams,
I'll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams.
Too bad Kathryn missed that, he thought. It was quite appropriate for the occasion. Finally, Chakotay was able to sneak out unnoticed.
Or so he thought. The instant he was gone, all merry-making ceased, and the crew gathered around Tom and B'Elanna's table, and began speculating. Neelix poured eggnog for everyone as Tom told them about Chakotay's holoprogram.
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While the crew was speculating what would happen when the Captain read her cards, Chakotay was activating the Holodeck program, and then hailing the Captain.
"Captain, please report to Holodeck Three," he said, in the most official voice he could muster.
"What for, Commander?"
"No time to explain."
"I'm on my way."
Chakotay breathed a sigh of relief. He had expected to have to invent some crisis to get her here. Now all he had to do was wait till she got there, and figure out what to say.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Captain Janeway entered the Holodeck. She instantly stopped and stared in amazement. It was New Earth, but not like she had ever seen it before. There was a light skiff of fresh snow on the ground and the trees, and snow was falling lightly from the sky. It was chilly outside, but there was a light on in their shelter, and she hurried over to it.
She entered the shelter. It was warm and light inside. As she opened the door, she noticed that there was a fireplace, with wood burning brightly. Chakotay was sitting in a hand-made wooden chair by the fire. She walked over and sat in the other chair next to him. For a while, they sat looking at the fire, without speaking. Both were feeling nervous, and somewhat silly. After all, they were both decidedly middle-aged, and here they were feeling like teenagers. Then Chakotay decided to break the silence.
"I heard what the crew wrote in your Christmas cards," he said.
"I even got one from Q," she said, shaking her head.
"How did you feel when you read them?" he asked, trying to sound casual.
"At first, I was angry," Janeway admitted, "but then, I realized that the only thing that was holding me back from admitting my feelings was that I was worried about what the crew would think."
"Well Kathryn, now that you know they approve, what happens next?"
She paused for a moment, and then looked into his eyes. "I guess that means there's no more barriers between us."
Chakotay smiled with relief and joy and took her hand in his. They sat there together for several hours, just talking and laughing as the snow continued to fall.
The End.
November 20, 2001
Any comments on this story? Please email me at [email protected]
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