Unwrapping Presents
by Anne Rose
Unwrapping Presentsby Anne Rose |
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Rating: PG13
Tom and Neelix had conspired to throw Chakotay a 50th birthday party. He had objected, but Captain Janeway had overruled him with a chuckle and the flippant comment, "It's good for morale."
With those words, his fate was sealed, and Chakotay resolved to face his fate with dignity, as befitted a Starfleet officer.
He wondered idly if Leola root would make it onto the menu? Perhaps in the frosting for his cake, or maybe as a garnish, carefully hidden until it was too late. And then there were the decorations to speculate about, and Tom's fascination with the 20th century. Chakotay wondered what parties were like back then. After a little research, he decided he'd rather not have known. It seemed the general theme for 50th birthdays was humiliation for the guest of honor.
He'd faced worse. He could handle a little good-natured ribbing from his fellow crewmembers. After all, he'd faced Cardassians and the Borg. This couldn't be any worse than that. And yet, he remained uneasy.
At the appointed hour, Chakotay and Kathryn walked arm in arm along the corridor, heading towards the holodeck and his party. They paused outside the door, and he looked at Kathryn, imploring her to reconsider.
She chuckled at his expression. "No reprieve for you, Mister. Tom, Neelix, and the others have worked to long on this. You can't disappoint them."
"No uniforms, no orders, Kathryn. You know the regulations as well as I do. If I bolted now, you couldn't stop me."
"Oh, I think I could," she said, reaching up and pulling his head down. She was still kissing him just as the doors to the holodeck started to open.
Chakotay's first inkling that the door had opened came when Kathryn pulled back, moments before the assembled crew shouted, "Happy Birthday!" at the top of their lungs. He jumped slightly and broke contact with Kathryn, smiling nervously at the crowd.
Tom stepped forward and took their hands, pulling them onto the holodeck. "Happy Birthday, Chakotay. I see the Captain's already started the party without us." He winked at Janeway.
She arched her eyebrow at him, daring him to continue. She was certain that even though Tom hadn't seen the kiss, he suspected, given Chakotay's flustered appearance.
Tom choked back whatever he was going to say next and instead said, "You both need a drink. Neelix..." he called.
Chakotay looked around the holodeck at the tropical scene, and then back at the bright flowers on his shirt, which matched the ones on her dress. At least that explained the garish outfits Kathryn had insisted they wear.
Before he could contemplate it further, Neelix scurried up and pressed a pineapple, with a straw and a tiny colorful umbrella, into each of their hands. "Welcome, Captain, Commander! And Happy Birthday!"
"Thank you, Neelix," Chakotay replied, sniffing cautiously at the drink.
He watched Kathryn take a large sip and wince slightly. "It's very sweet. What is it, Neelix?"
"They're called a Mai Tai, a tropical drink to go with the setting. The glasses are pineapples I replicated just for the occasion. And, in case you were wondering, I used synthehol to avoid some of the unfortunate side effects of genuine rum," Neelix beamed.
"Drink up, Chakotay," Kathryn prodded, smiling at him in that, 'don't make me make it an order' way that she had.
Chakotay took a tentative sip. It was sweet, but also sour, and the combination was not unpleasant. He smiled at Neelix in surprise and relief. "My compliments, Neelix. These are quite, refreshing."
Neelix beamed. "I'm delighted that you enjoyed it, Commander, just delighted."
Chakotay nodded to Neelix and began to steer Kathryn away from him and over to a small table. He wanted to observe the festivities from a distance, if possible.
"We can't hide over here forever," Kathryn said, as if she had read his mind.
"I'm not hiding. I just thought you might like to sit for a while."
"Ah... how considerate," she gave him a fake smile.
Further conversation was prevented when Tom stepped up to the holographic microphone and began to make an announcement. "As you all know, we are gathered here to celebrate a milestone, Chakotay's 50th birthday. In honor of the occasion, I did some research into old earth customs and found something I think you'll all enjoy."
Chakotay groaned and rolled his eyes. Kathryn smacked his arm, lightly. "They worked very hard on this. Behave yourself." Then she prodded him to get up. "You need to get up there."
He had missed Tom calling for him. There was a chair up on the stage area, and Tom was beckoning to him. "It looks like the birthday boy needs some encouragement," Tom said, starting to clap. The rest of the crowd followed his example, clapping and whistling.
Chakotay squared his shoulders and walked up to the stage. Being careful to smile and not to grimace, he sat in the chair Tom offered. Looking out across the crowd at Kathryn, he shrugged slightly and watched her laugh and wave.
Tom was talking again. "In honor of our guest of honor, his friends have put together a little presentation for him." At that point B'Elanna and Harry came forward, carrying an enormous book. They handed it to him and stepped to the side, both of them grinning from ear to ear.
Chakotay looked at the book. It had Chakotay written across the cover diagonally in huge letters that seemed to be cut out and pasted on. He looked up at Tom in confusion.
B'Elanna leaned down, still grinning madly, and whispered into Chakotay's ear, "Surprise, Old Man! This one wasn't in the ship's database by the time you started your research."
"Commander Chakotay," Tom said dramatically, "This is your life!" The crew cheered and Chakotay looked dazed as Tom opened the book to the first page. As he did, two holo-characters appeared, carrying an infant. Chakotay was stunned when he recognized them as his parents.
Kolopak began telling a story of Chakotay's birth and his childhood. Chakotay looked over at B'Elanna, and saw her wink at him. It was a story he had told her one evening when they were hiding out from Cardassians.
After his parents finished, several members of his former crew appeared. They regaled the audience with Chakotay's amazing feats during his days in the Maquis. Chakotay groaned when they went on to share a couple of mildly embarrassing moments as well.
Finally, it was Kathryn's turn. She walked onto the stage and told them about the first time she had seen Chakotay on the view screen. She shocked him when she told the audience, her crew, how she'd barely contained herself when he transported onto her bridge. Stepping behind him, and running her hands over his shoulders, she continued, "Making a truce with this renegade Maquis, and adding him to my crew is one of the smartest things I've ever done. My only regret, in the entire time I've known him, is waiting so long to tell him I loved him."
Kathryn leaned down and kissed him gently. "I do love you, Chakotay."
The crew whistled and clapped again as Chakotay grinned and pulled her onto his lap. "I love you too, Kathryn."
Tom looked on for a moment, and then went back to the microphone. "I think that ends our presentation. We'll leave the rest to the captain." The crowd replied with laughter. "Dinner is served. Ordinarily, the guest of honor would lead the way, but he seems occupied."
At that, Kathryn's head popped up. "Not on your life, Mr. Paris. I'm starving." She and Chakotay hopped up, out of the chair, and he led the way to the buffet table.
Several hours later, Kathryn and Chakotay left the party, walking arm in arm back to her cabin. When they arrived, she pulled him in quickly, and hustled him over to the couch.
"More birthday surprises, Kathryn?" He asked, grinning at her.
"Yes, you have a couple more presents to open."
She disappeared into the bedroom and he waited for a few minutes, listening to her rustling around. "Do you need any help," he called out.
"No, I'm just fine," she said, emerging from the bedroom, carrying a small present in one hand and clutching at her robe with the other.
He watched with amusement as she struggled to keep the robe shut as she sat on the couch next to him. "Kathryn, now I don't want to make you angry, or upset you, especially after the wonderful evening we've had, but..." He grinned at her.
"Yes," she said, arching an eyebrow, and tugging again on the robe as it tried to fall open.
"But, that robe just doesn't fit," he chuckled.
"I know that," she purred into his ear. "But it's the only one with a belt long enough to tie like this."
She pulled back and stood again. When she moved her arms away, he noticed the belt was tied into a large bow. She looked beautiful standing there, even with the robe falling open as it failed to cover her swollen belly. "And, you're always in such a hurry to unwrap your presents..."
"Ah, I see your point," he reached forward and pulled slowly on the ends of the bow. As the robe fell away he pulled her against his chest.
"You still have another present to unwrap," she murmured as he lifted her into his arms and started carrying her into their bedroom.
THE END
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