Chakotay's Blessing by JoAnna Walsvik part 1/1 Commander Chakotay of the Federation starship Voyager paced nervously outside of B'Elanna Torres' quarters. He wasn't quite sure exactly *why* he was nervous. After all, this wasn't his wedding. He had no reason to be nervous -- but he was. Perhaps it was because of his role in the Paris/Torres wedding. About a month ago, B'Elanna had approached him and asked, quite timidly for her, if he would consent to acting as the "father of the bride", and escort her down the aisle. "Because," B'Elanna had quietly explained, "you're the closest thing I've ever had to a father." Chakotay had been shocked speechless at first. He had no idea B'Elanna held him in such high regard. When he was finally able to find his voice, he had told her that he would be honored. And now it was the day of the wedding. Captain Janeway would be performing the ceremony, Harry Kim would be best man, and Kes would be maid of honor. The wedding was scheduled for 1600 hours in Holodeck 2. The program running, surprisingly enough, would be Neelix's Talaxian resort. B'Elanna and Tom had explained how their first "real" date had been at the resort, so it seemed only fitting that they should be married there as well. No bikini-clad volleyball players or muscle-laden bodybuilders would be attending, however; only the available crew would be present. The crew members that were on duty during the wedding would be able to go to the wedding dance later that night, and vice versa. And now it was approximately 1545 hours, and Chakotay was waiting for Kes, Kathryn, and B'Elanna to finish getting ready so they go proceed to the ceremony, where the groom was waiting -- slightly nervous, but very excited and deliriously happy. Chakotay tugged impatiently at his dress uniform, smoothing out nonexistent folds in the fabric as he waited. He had forgotten just how uncomfortable the damn dress uniform could be. It had been a while since he had worn one, but this was not an occasion for civilian clothing. The women, he reflected, had it easy. Under Starfleet regulations, they were permitted to wear formal civilian clothing instead of the uniform to social functions, if they so desired. He knew that Kes and Kathryn would be wearing formal gowns, and B'Elanna was wearing a traditional white wedding dress and veil, mostly because of the captain's urging. Both B'Elanna and Tom had been hesitant about the idea of a traditional wedding at first, but seeing that Captain Janeway had her heart set on it, they had agreed. Truth be told, the couple didn't care about the style or form of their wedding, just as long as there was one. They had left the majority of the preparation up to the captain, who thoroughly enjoyed making Voyager's first wedding the best ever. Right in the middle of his thoughts, the doors to B'Elanna's quarters slid open. Kes was the first to appear, looking fresh and beautiful in a light, airy dress of pale pink that just matched the color of her cheeks, and holding a small bouquet of dainty white blossoms from the hydroponics bay. Next came Kathryn Janeway, gorgeously arrayed in a gown of grayish-blue that matched her eyes and brought out the burnished shine of her auburn hair. Finally, B'Elanna Torres emerged, looking a little bit scared, a little bit nervous, but very, very happy. Her dress was white satin, simple but elegant. The strapless fitted bodice that revealed B'Elanna's graceful white neck and shoulders was covered with a delicate pattern of iridescent sequins that glimmered as she moved. The rest of the dress was of luminous satin that flowed to the tips of her white heels in a shimmering wave. A misty veil of white tulle floated to the middle of her back, attached to her head with a slender, sparkling headband that matched the bodice of her gown. A bouquet of fragile white flowers completed the ensemble. Excitement had brought a rosy flush to B'Elanna's cheeks and her eyes were shining like the very stars on Voyager's viewscreen. Chakotay had never before seen B'Elanna Torres look so radiantly beautiful in all the years he had known her. All of Chakotay's nervousness dissipated the moment he laid eyes on B'Elanna. *Tom's one lucky man,* he thought sentimentally, a broad smile crossing his face. "B'Elanna, you look lovely." "Doesn't she?" Janeway said proudly as B'Elanna's blush deepened. "She's the most beautiful bride I've ever seen. Oh -- Kes, we'd better leave or we'll be late. See you two at the ceremony!" And they were off. There was no reason, really, why the four couldn't proceed to the holodeck together, but Janeway guessed, and rightfully so, that Chakotay wanted to have a private talk with B'Elanna before her marriage, and tactfully took herself and Kes out of earshot as quickly as possible. Chakotay offered B'Elanna his arm, which she gratefully accepted. The two walked towards the holodeck in silence until Chakotay finally spoke. "B'Elanna, I -- I want you to know that -- that I'm proud of you." "For marrying Tom?" Her voice, although tinged with nervousness, held a note of amusement. "For becoming the person that you are now. You've changed a lot since we first came on board Voyager, you know that?" "I haven't broken anyone's nose lately." The first officer chuckled. "No, you haven't. But you've changed in other ways, too. You don't lose your temper as often, you smile and laugh a lot more then you used to, and you're more prone to think before you speak. When we were in the Maquis, I always thought that you seemed -- well, angry at the whole universe, as though you were holding a grudge against everyone and everything. Now, you're -- you're more at peace with yourself. And it shows. I just wanted you to know." There was a long pause before she finally replied. "Thank you," she said softly, glancing up at him. "I appreciate knowing that. You're right, I have changed. But it hasn't been because of anything I've done. Being here on Voyager, where people accept me for who I am and not for what species I happen to be, has been such a relief. And Tom -- Chakotay, I never knew that I was capable of loving so much until I began seeing him." "You know, B'Elanna, I have to admit that if someone would have told me five years ago that you and Tom would end up together, I would have laughed in their face." A small smile was playing on the corners of his mouth. "I would have too," B'Elanna agreed lightly. "Tom Paris was the last person on this ship I would have expected to even date. I thought that he was a cocky, obnoxious, chauvinistic *pig*. And then we were trapped together in that Vidiian prison, and I saw a different Tom. He was kind, and caring, and compassionate, and he helped me so much. I wouldn't have been able to get through that experience without him by my side." "That's almost exactly what Tom said," Chakotay muttered reflectively, speaking more to himself then B'Elanna. "What Tom said? What do you mean?" she asked curiously. "Oh -- I talked to him shortly after you two announced your engagement," he confessed sheepishly. "I -- uh -- asked what made him fall in love with you. He talked about your time together in the Vidiian prison. I wasn't trying to be nosy, B'Elanna. I -- " "You were just trying to protect me," she finished with a smile. "I guessed as much. And I understand your motives. But there's really no need. Tom loves me. And I love him. He'd never, ever do anything to hurt me." "I know," he said softly. "I know." The two stopped in front of the holodeck doors. "Well, here we are." "How do I look?" B'Elanna asked anxiously. "Is my hair all right? My veil isn't crooked, is it?" "You look gorgeous, absolutely perfect," Chakotay calmly assured her. He smiled, a slightly sad, wistful grin. "Just think, after today, B'Elanna Torres will never talk to me again." "B'Elanna Paris will, though. Well, shall we go?" B'Elanna glanced at the doors, standing up straighter and clutching her bouquet tightly. "Relax, B'Elanna. You're going to your wedding, not your execution," Chakotay joked, grinning warmly at his longtime friend. Some of the tension eased from her shoulders and she smiled up at him. "I'm ready," she said with calm assurance. "Then let's go." Slowly, to the strains of Johann Pachelbel's "Canon in D", a song B'Elanna had loved from the first time the captain had played it for her, Commander Chakotay and Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres walked down the flower-decorated aisle amid the smiles of their longtime friends. At the end of the aisle, Tom Paris, flanked by Harry Kim, stood in his dress uniform, his eyes never leaving his fiancee's face. His joy was so palpable that Chakotay couldn't help broadly smiling as he escorted B'Elanna to Tom's waiting arms. Just before he released her to her new husband-to-be, Chakotay leaned down and gave B'Elanna a fatherly kiss on the cheek. "Good luck," he whispered, just loud enough for her to hear. She smiled up at him gratefully and turned to grasp Tom's arm. Chakotay dropped back as the pair turned face Kathryn Janeway, who was beaming at the both of them. "When Voyager started out on her three-week mission, I never dreamed that I'd someday be performing a marriage, but now it seems that our trip to the Delta Quadrant was a blessing in disguise. If we had not ended up here, stranded, I might not have ever gotten the chance to work with and know the wonderful Maquis officers we gained, especially my chief engineer." Janeway paused to look upon the bride with an almost maternal gaze. The bride blushed, and Janeway turned her attentions to the groom. "Nor would I have gained one of the best pilots I've ever had the pleasure of working with." Tom grinned self-consciously, lovingly squeezing B'Elanna's hand. "Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres are two of the finest officers I could ever ask for -- moreover, they're two of my closest friends. To be the one to unite them in marriage is a great honor and privilege." The captain nodded at B'Elanna, who handed her bouquet to Kes while turning to face and join hands with Tom. "B'Elanna Torres," Janeway asked, "do you take Thomas Eugene Paris to be your husband, to have and to hold, to love, cherish, respect, and honor, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?" "I do," B'Elanna softly replied, gazing up at Tom with shining eyes. "Thomas Eugene Paris, do you take B'Elanna Torres to be your wife, to have and to hold, to love, cherish, respect, and honor, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?" "I do," he answered clearly. When discussing the ceremony with the captain, both Tom and B'Elanna had wanted to change the traditional vows. Neither wanted to promise to obey the other -- for, as B'Elanna had firmly stated, "I could never obey anyone against my better judgment." Tom had concurred. And both wanted to omit the phrase "till death do us part." "Not even death," Tom had said, slipping his arm around B'Elanna's waist, "could end my love for her." "Or mine for him," B'Elanna had agreed. So, together, the two of them had written vows that Janeway thought were traditional yet beautiful in their simplicity. And she had felt honored to speak them. "Do you have the rings?" she asked Harry Kim. The ensign nodded and dug into the pocket of his uniform, producing two slender gold bands, one with a small oval diamond. He gave the diamond ring to Tom, who slipped it on B'Elanna's left ring finger. "With this ring," he said tenderly, caressing her hand after the ring was in place, "I thee wed." B'Elanna accepted the gold band from Harry and placed it on Tom's left ring finger. "With this ring," she repeated, "I thee wed." Janeway beamed. "Then," she said grandly, "by the authority vested in me as captain of the U.S.S. Voyager, it is my great privilege to pronounce you husband and wife. Mr. Paris, you may now -- " Tom gathered B'Elanna in his arms and pressed his lips upon hers in a long, passionate kiss. " -- continue kissing the bride!" Janeway finished with a wide smile. Loud cheers, whistles, and clapping sounded from the audience, where the entire assemblage had leaped to their feet in a resounding round of applause. "Officers and crew of the U.S.S. Voyager, I am pleased to present to you, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Eugene Paris!" Janeway announced above the clamor. The cheers grew louder as Tom and B'Elanna Paris strolled back up the aisle on their way to the Mess Hall, where the reception and wedding dinner were to be held. "Wasn't that a beautiful wedding?" a rapt Janeway sighed to her first officer, once the crew had begun to file out of the holodeck. Chakotay remembered the way B'Elanna had looked as she said her vows: eyes glowing, cheeks pink with happiness, her tone one of complete joy. And suddenly, he felt a curious sense of loss. Was this how a father felt after his only daughter was married? "Yes," he agreed softly. "It certainly was." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "I've known both Tom and B'Elanna for a long time," Harry Kim said, smiling down at the two newlyweds that were seated next to him, "and I never thought I'd ever be giving a toast at their wedding -- hell, I never thought there'd ever *be* a wedding!" Gentle laughter spread throughout the Mess Hall where, at the wedding reception and dinner, Harry was making the traditional best man's toast . "Luckily for me, and for them," Harry continued, "I was wrong. Tom, now that you're a married man, I have three pieces of advice for you. Number one: Don't cross B'Elanna. Number two: If you do, duck." More laughter echoed throughout the room as Tom grinned and B'Elanna blushed at this reference to her subdued but still untamed temper. Harry winked at them both and continued with his toast. "And number three: You have a treasure, Paris. Keep her safe or I have a feeling the commander will come after you with a phaser rifle." Chakotay, taking a bite of salad, nearly choked on his food while, beside him, Kathryn Janeway laughed until she almost cried. "Thanks for the advice, Harry," Tom called out good-naturedly amid the chuckles of the crew. "B'Elanna, I have three pieces of advice for you, too," Harry said, his eyes twinkling. "Number one: Tom's a damn good pilot, and we need him on the bridge. Don't wear him out too much, okay?" "Hey...!" Tom jokingly objected. "What's the big idea, Harry? I *want* her to wear me out!" "What? I think *he's* going to wear *me* out!" B'Elanna contradicted, to the enjoyment of the assembled crew. Grinning, Harry ignored the both of them. "Number two: Tom gets jealous easily, so don't spend too much time with your precious engines." "I do *not* get jealous!" Tom said indignantly. B'Elanna rolled her eyes. "Oh, *right*. Of course not." "And, number three," Harry said, "don't be afraid to show that Klingon side of yours once in a while, because you know he loves it." "Do I ever," she murmured, winking at her new husband, who merely grinned knowingly. "So, Tom and B'Elanna, I wish you a long life, lots of happiness, and a prosperous future," Harry concluded, raising his glass. "To Tom and B'Elanna." "To Tom and B'Elanna," the assembled audience echoed, clinking their glasses together. "Does anyone else have something they'd like to say?" Kim asked before sitting down. "I do, Ensign." To everyone's surprise, Lieutenant Commander Tuvok stood. "I would like to offer you a traditional Vulcan blessing," he intoned formally. Holding his hand out, he separated the ring finger and middle finger so they formed a V. "Live long and prosper." "Thanks, Tuvok," Tom said good-naturedly as the crew applauded. "We appreciate it," B'Elanna added. Then, Janeway stood. "I said most of what I wanted to say at the ceremony, but I'd like to offer one last piece of advice." The Mess Hall was silent as they all waited for the captain to continue. "Tom, B'Elanna, always remember that qaStaHvIS wa' ram loS SaD Hugh SljlaH qetbogh loD." Confused silence reigned until B'Elanna suddenly burst into laughter. "That's -- that's supposed to be *advice*?!" the bride giggled. "What'd she say?" Tom asked, speaking for the entire crew, all of whom were obviously very puzzled. "She said -- " B'Elanna could barely talk between fits of laughter. "She said, 'Four thousand throats may be cut in one night by a running man.'" Ripples of laughter spread throughout the room. "Is that a hint?" Tom inquired, winking at the captain. Janeway was grinning smugly. "I'm just kidding. What I really meant to say," she amended, "was: Duj tlvoqtaH." "Always trust your instincts," B'Elanna translated. "Sounds good to me," Tom laughingly shrugged. "Anyone else?" Harry asked as the captain sat down. "I have something I'd like to say," Chakotay said quietly, rising from his seat. "This is a traditional Native American wedding prayer from my tribe." He paused slightly, his gaze roaming around the room until it finally came to rest upon B'Elanna. He smiled at her, and began to pray. "Tom and B'Elanna, may the Spirits keep you safe and guide you in your quest for happiness as husband and wife. May your union be sanctified with the tranquillity of a peaceful home and family, and may your Spirit guides bless you with a love that spans the generations and endures forever." The ageless prayer echoed in Chakotay's thoughts as he recited it over the couple. In his heart, he truly believed that the newly formed Paris/Torres union would be a successful one. Despite his past thoughts and questions, he knew that their love would continue through the rest of their lives, and beyond. And as long as they had that love, they wouldn't need anything else. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ~finis~