Pairing: C/P

Major Character death: In the beginning. 

Rated R for implied m/m sex (yes finally the boys get together)

Feedback is welcome plainedge77@yahoo.com
 
 

Starting Over Part 6
By Maxine
 

Chakotay was beyond angry when he contacted Neelix. On a secure subspace channel he informed Neelix that he needed a copy of the data clip he left with him. Neelix promised to send the information to him during the night when the bandwidths were not checked as regularly.

 After ending that transmission Chakotay contacted the one person in 
Starfleet he trusted other than Kathryn. Filling his friend in on what was happening and what he would be receiving in the morning Chakotay felt his anger subside slightly. Finishing up for the night he went to check on Tom, although Chakotay had put Tom in his bed, Tom had obviously gotten up and moved to his own. 

When Chakotay noticed the tears that were dried on Tom's face he 
again vowed to make sure the admiral paid for the hurt he caused his 
beloved. Tom stirred in his sleep, opening his eyes he looked up and 
saw Chakotay sitting on his bed. Tom began crying all over again.

"Cha why can't he just leave me to my life? He has always told me I was a disappointment and proved he felt that way over and over again. Even after we returned home. Nothing I ever do is good enough. I didn't make any noise or cause any embarrassment yet he 
still feels the need to try to ruin my life."

Rocking Tom in his arms Chakotay whispered words of love and 
encouragement. 

"I think this is one final attempt of a truly desperate man to show anyone who cares to look that he still has some kind of power. Unfortunately for him he has also shown his true colors, he is grasping at straws. The Admiral will find that while some of us prefer to live a peaceful life as we can and do fight as furiously as the mightiest soldier. He also forgot to close his mouth, you know that in the average lifetime a person will eat seventy assorted insects and 10 spiders. It's obvious that the admiral has been sleeping for far too long. "

"Cha please don't do anything to ruin your life because of me. I am not worth it."

"You are more than worth it to me babe. But don't worry nothing will happen to me, I promise. What is going to happen is all of the admiral's sins are going to catch up with him and it won't be pretty."

"Just one more reason for people not to like me. Everyone here is going to think I am like my father Cha. I can't stay here with you. They will lose respect for you."

"No one on this planet or any other will blame you for your father's crimes Tom. You can't leave now anyway. I gave you my heart 
if you leave I will die."
 

"I love you Cha."

"I love you too Tom." Tom leaned in and kissed Chakotay, he meant for it to be just a kiss of thanks and love. Chakotay had other ideas and proceeded to show Tom exactly how precious he was to him. 
As they fell asleep Chakotay heard Tom say "Good Night Beauty" and 
slipped in to a peaceful sleep with a smile on his face.

  The next afternoon all hell had broke loose through out the 
Quadrant. News traveled quickly that one Admiral Owen Paris had 
almost single-handedly caused much of the harm the Federation 
experienced during the Dominion War. It was also reported that he 
helped the Cardassians smuggle weapons across the DMZ in aide against the Maquis. He was also responsible for there being no Federation or Starfleet presence on or near Dorvan when the Cardassians had come through.

   While having been captured by the Cardassians as a Captain, 
Starfleet now had evidence that was use a ruse to provide cover for 
the exchange of information.  He was personally responsible for the 
deaths of not only two non-terran women he had affairs with and the 
children of those liaisons, but also the deaths of at least two members of his crew while he was Captain on the Al-Banti. One member's only "crime" was that she turned him down when he asked for a sexual encounter. The other crewmember was a homosexual. 

  It was also reported that it was Admiral Paris and not his son Tom 
who had filed the false report after the accident at Caldik Prime and 
that Tom had in fact tried to file a revised report and the admiral 
deleted it. Pictures surfaced of Paris as a captain and an admiral 
with women other than his wife in compromising positions.

  There were also rumors that MR Paris had many illegal dealings with 
drug runners. One more item that was just briefly mentioned was that 
the Federation was looking into reports of child abuse involving the 
former admiral against his children. Starfleet had unceremoniously 
kicked the former admiral out and the Federation called for his 
immediate imprisonment. 

###
  Tom and his mother sat in shock and anger as they heard everything. Neither of them was able to grasp the idea that the man they had lived with all their lives was that devious. 

   Tom felt rage when he heard about his father's hand in the 
devastation on Dorvan. Although he was devastated to hear that his 
father had been unfaithful to his mother. It hurt more because of 
what the people of Dorvan had gone through during and after the raid.

  Chakotay received a communiqué from Tom's two sisters asking him to inform their mother and brother that they would be on Dorvan as soon as they could. He also got a cryptic message from Kathryn "It is 
physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky." Which 
Chakotay interrupted as Owen Paris couldn't see what was coming down on him.

   Chakotay's family gathered at his house offering support for the 
Paris family. Tom was fearful that when the people of Dorvan heard 
the news, no one named Paris would be welcome. But he was proven 
wrong time and again through at the day, as people from neighboring 
homesteads and villages came to offer their heartfelt sympathy for 
all that Tom and Miriam had lived through. 

   Miriam and Maria were found in Chakotay's kitchen cooking and 
talking, but not about all the crimes Miriam's ex-husband had 
committed but about their sons' relationship. Chakotay was at Tom's 
side all day holding him as he cried. Sitting on the couch Tom leaned 
against Chakotay as they spoke quietly about whatever came into their heads. Layla had taken Miral back to her house knowing that all the confusion would upset the little girl. 

"I heard someone say once that `rats multiply so quickly that in eighteen months, two rats could have over million descendants.' My 
father seems to have fulfilled his destiny as being one big rat."  
Chakotay couldn't help but laugh at Tom's assessment of his father.

 Through all the noise and commotion Chakotay and Tom never heard the hover car stop in front of the house. To their surprise Kathryn and 
Donald appeared in the living room. Kathryn couldn't help but smile 
at the sight of her former first officer and chief helmsman in each 
other's arm. Although she knew they were together now, seeing it with 
her own eyes made it all very real.

"Well there is always a silver lining to every cloud. Looking at the two of you gives me hope for the future. You look good together as I knew you would."

"You knew?" Tom asked.

"Well I have known for years how Chakotay felt about you but 
I only recently learned that you felt the same." Grinning she turned 
to her husband and said quietly "I told you they belonged together." 
All Donald could do was nod in agreement.

"Please come in and sit down can I get you anything?" 

Chakotay asked as he got off the couch. Kathryn stopped him.
"Sit your mother has already taken care of it. I am sure she and Miriam will be joining us soon." Kathryn stated as she sat opposite the two men.

"So do I get to be a guest at the wedding or may I have the honor of marrying you?"

"Kathryn! I think you are jumping the gun here a bit. I think marriage plans should wait a bit. We have only been together a little over a month."

"Why? Tom is good enough to bed but not marry?" Donald joined 
the other two men in grasping at Kathryn's question.

"Spirits Kathryn you know that is not true." 

"Well then why wait?"

"Yeah Cha why wait? Are you hoping someone better comes 
along?" Tom asked in mock indignation thinking Chakotay was still the best person to tease as he noticed the blush come over his lover. 

"Tom you know there is no one better for me than you. I just thought you would want to wait a bit. B'Elanna hasn't been gone that long."

"I really don't want to wait Cha. B'Elanna wouldn't want us too either."

"Well than, Thomas Eugene Paris will you marry me?"

"Only if you promise to never call me that again." 

"I promise to never call you anything but Tom ever again."

"Babe works too. I love you Cha and yes I will marry you."

They kissed to seal the agreement and Kathryn jumped off the chair 
and hugged them.Maria and Miriam entered the living room to see the three hugging and Donald shaking his head. 

"I really need to talk to her about being discreet." He mumbled to no one in particular.

"What is this all about?" Asked Maria handing each person a 
glass of iced tea.

"Chakotay and Tom are getting married." Kathryn answered.

"OH that is wonderful! I am so happy!" Miriam cried out as she grabbed her son and hugged him.  

"Tay why didn't you tell me you were going to ask Tom to marry you?" Maria hugged her son.

"Because he didn't know he was until my wife interfered." 

Donald spoke up as he took his wife's hand and sat her back in her 
chair. "You know Kathryn if I didn't know any better I would swear 
this is exactly what you planned all those weeks ago."

"It was." She whispered and kissed her husband.

  During the following weeks news traveled to Dorvan that the former 
Admiral Paris had mysteriously disappeared one night, only to turn up 
dead a week later on Mars. The details surrounding his death were not disclosed to the public but Chakotay had it on good authority that 
Owen Paris suffered a slow and very painful death.

   One month later, life on Dorvan continued and this day found the 
planet alive with visitors all coming to the wedding of Chakotay and 
Thomas Eugene. Tom dropped Paris faster than anyone could say warp core. All the houses on Chakotay's homestead were filled with friends and relatives of both grooms. Many of the Voyager's crew was there, including Seven with the Doctor and Tuvok. Donna and Samantha were providing flowers to decorate the ceremonial area. Even Dalby and Horan were there, which surprised more than a few of their old crew. But all was forgotten when they witness Ken hugging Tom and wishing him every happiness.

   Greg was acting as Chakotay's best man and Harry was standing up 
for Tom. Now that he got over the shock of learning his best friend 
was bisexual and living with their former first officer. At first Harry thought that maybe his friend had blown a gasket with all the news about his father. Harry had come to Dorvan the week before. He 
was not scheduled to leave for his next assignment until the following month and wanted to spend time with Tom. At first Harry was a bit apprehensive but as the week he changed his thinking, he had never seen two people more in love with each other.

  Kathryn was presiding over the wedding but there was also a local 
shaman to preside over the tribal ritual of Tom receiving Chakotay's 
family tattoo. Both men were dressed in black linen pants and white 
linen shirts. When they stepped out into the middle of the crowd, 
everyone agreed that neither man ever looked more handsome. Though Tom and Chakotay would have disagree, they each thought the other was the most beautiful person they had even seen. 

     The wedding was short and to the point. No one could ever fault 
Kathryn Janeway for beating around the bush. Then came the time for 
the tattoo to be applied to Tom's forehead. Chakotay, with the 
permission of the shaman choose to use modern equipment and a dermal regenerator. Within twenty minutes he was done, Tom turned to the members of the tribe and showed them his mark. They all greeted him into the tribe in the traditional way, with a song to the spirits asking for them to guide Thomas Eugene through out his life. 

     The reception was a picnic at the homestead, everyone had 
donated food for it. The couple accepted congratulations and gifts 
from everyone. Years later it would be said that was the day that 
Dorvan truly became a home of peace and happiness for all that live 
there.

The End