Seven’s eyes fluttered open as her regeneration cycle let her awaken with the normal chorus of, “Regeneration cycle is complete. Stardate 7991.7, 7th of September 2379.” The arrival of this highly anticipated day brought a smile to Seven’s face as she stepped out of her alcove and into her bedroom where she was immediately greeted by Xenia’s cheerful babbling.
Seven approached the cot where her baby, who had just turned seven months old the day before, was sitting upright smiling as she released a torrent of baby talk almost incomprehensible to her mother. “Good morning sunflower.” Seven murmured with a smile as Xenia reached up to be picked up. With her bright face and fuzzy halo of thick gold hair, the baby really did suit the nickname Chakotay had given her and Seven herself had begun to use. Now in her mother’s arms Xenia looked around with a slightly confused frown which Seven picked up on. “Papa’s not here to play with you this morning baby, you’ll see him later.” It really was an outdated tradition that Chakotay couldn’t see her before the wedding; they already had a child together after all. She smiled softly as she made her own and Xenia’s breakfast, remembering his insistence on luck despite the fact that their relationship had survived some of the worse luck possible and had come out stronger at the end of it.
***
After clearing up after an excitable Xenia Seven looked up at the clock on the kitchen wall, 1000 hours, Lyudmila was coming to pick them up in an hour. Deciding to get Xenia ready at home and attend to herself at the hotel, she prepared the baby bath, giving the baby even more affection than normal because she knew that the guests would most likely monopolise her the whole day. Skilfully bundling her up in a towel and drying her on the changing mat, Seven rose off her knees and removed the smaller of the two protective clothes bags from the wardrobe and carefully smoothing out the tiny but beautiful red dress and matching shoes she’d chosen for Xenia to wear. Despite the loveliness of the dress it was a battle to get a by now hyperactive Xenia into it, as it was she kept pulling off the frilly white socks. Finally the last button fastened and Seven stepped back to admire her morning’s work, uttering a sigh of relief that the outfit purchased the month before fitted the rapidly growing baby. Kissing her gently, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice Seven in a moment of abandonment of all her usual decorum, whirled Xenia round and round in her arms to hear her laugh. “You look perfect pretty baby. Everyone’s going to be playing with you instead of watching Mama and Papa get married hmm?”
The baby gurgled in what Seven indulgently took to be cheerful agreement, before her little hands reached out in interest towards the larger clothes bag. “You want to see Mama’s dress?” Seven asked her, needing no excuse to look at it one more time before she put it on. Carefully laying it down on the bed she felt a happy nervous thrill as she unzipped the covering, she hoped Chakotay liked it as much as she did, simple though it was. Although she did not pull it from the bag, wary of Xenia’s curious and almost invariably sticky fingers, she could picture it in her mind with it’s plain slightly A line white silk floor length skirt and corseted, rouched bodice with a sweetheart neckline.
Remembering the final touch she went to her bedside table and brought from the drawer a not so small leather box, opening it to see her only inheritance, in terms of jewellery, from her mother, a round brooch with a blood red ruby in the centre surrounded by diamonds which would be her only adornment, fastening the silk ribbon round the waist of her dress. Just as she clicked the box shut and laid it down beside the dress she heard a loud knock at the door and went to answer it, Lyudmila stepped straight in. “Are you ready to go Seven?” she asked eagerly before catching sight of Xenia. “Oh what a cutie!” She exclaimed as Seven put Xenia in the stroller and returned for the things she needed, for a moment Seven halted apprehensively at the doorway and Lyudmila gave her hand a squeeze. “Don’t worry, he’s waiting. You’ve both been waiting so long for this…”
Seven had to swallow a lump of tears at those words but they formed out of the happiness and gratitude of the present rather than the grief of the past. “I know.” She finally said firmly before smiling at both Xenia and Lyudmila, “Let’s go.”
***
Almost three hours later Seven sat in her dressing room getting the finishing touches to her hair and make up as the Admiral walked in holding her flowers, a bouquet of white and red roses mixed with white lilies. “Your florist entrusted me with these.” She said dryly but with a smile as she handed them to the bride, who stood up to smooth her skirt with Xenia at her feet who the Admiral knelt down to see, holding a much smaller bouquet to give to the child, although it only contained roses as Seven didn’t think bright yellow pollen would go with the red dress. “Here you go Xenia sweetie, you’re to keep a hold on these, Admiral’s orders okay?” The baby began to wave the flowers about so rigorously that Seven knew they’d be extremely bedraggled by the end of the ceremony.
Bending down, she stroked Xenia’s face, gently tilting her eyes up to hers. “Bye baby, be good for Lyudmila, Alexander and the Admiral. I’ll see you soon.” These words seemed to go over Xenia’s head, fascinated as she was by the sparkling brooch pinned on the right side of her mother’s waist. With a giggle she grasped the trailing piece of ribbon with both hands before the Admiral quickly detached her and lifted her up.
“Come on mischief, your Mama has to get married. See you soon Seven.” Said the Admiral merrily before heading out outside into the small courtyard set out for the ceremony. Less than two minutes later as she stationed herself by the door, Seven heard “The Bridal March” begin to play and repositioned her bouquet to hide her shaking hands before taking a deep breath and taking her first step down the aisle.
Chakotay stood under the small flower covered arch which was to be their altar, Tom, Harry and Icheb standing to the side of it wearing black morning suits which matched his own, while their officiator, Commodore Kettering, was also under the arch, shooting his nervous friend a reassuring smile. Just then the sight of Xenia coming down the aisle in the Admiral’s arms, who sat down in the front row with Lyudmila and Alexander, made Chakotay’s nerves leave him and it was replaced with passionate impatience. Thankfully he didn’t need to wait much longer as the familiar tune to usher in the bride began. The sight of her took his breath away and to him the walk of less than a minute stretched out to eternity.
At first it was all Seven could do to put one foot in front of the other but as she looked up her eyes met Chakotay’s and an entirely natural beaming smile spread across her face and her hands spontaneously stopped shaking before being clasped tightly in Chakotay’s, both faces full of love as they looked at each other and Kettering began to speak, “We are gathered here today to celebrate with Chakotay and Seven as they go forward together into marriage.” He turned to Chakotay who took the ring offered by Tom, “Do you Chakotay promise to love, cherish and honour Seven in good times and in bad for as long as you both shall live?”
“I do.” Said Chakotay as he slid the ring onto Seven’s finger in a voice loud enough that everyone could hear but in so meaningful a tone that Seven knew the words were for her alone.
Kettering now turned to Seven, whose eyes where shimmering with emotion. “Do you Seven promise to love, cherish and honour Chakotay in good times and in bad for as long as you both shall live?”
“I do.” Seven murmured as she slid the ring on before kissing him sweetly on the lips.
Kettering smiled at this break with tradition as he continued on. “Then I, with the power vested in me as a Starfleet officer by the United Federation of Planets, declare you husband and wife.” He allowed a small smirk in Chakotay’s direction, “You may now return your wife’s kiss.” A bubble of laughter rose up through the aisles but the passionately kissing couple were blissfully oblivious.
Chakotay pulled back with a wide smile on his lips. “I love you…” he murmured against her cheek.
“I love you too…” she whispered, her voice heavy with emotion as Alexander silently brought over Xenia and her newly married parents drew her into their arms, love surrounding them as they kissed again and left the past behind.
The End
A/n: I hope you liked this fic! Please comment! :D
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Star Trek Voyager: Lost and Found
FanfictionWhen Seven is kidnapped from Earth by unknown alien mercenaries, what will Chakotay do to save her and how will Seven cope with being held captive? If you don't like C/7 don't read this!
