For the Man Who Has Everything

jcshipperj:

danakatherinejaneway:

Long post

Sequel to this post with part 1 of the story. Also to be found here.

Janeway/Chakotay, 725 words, romantic fluff.

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Bright strings of colourful lights sparkled throughout the
house, glinting off the silvery bauble in Chakotay’s hands as he carefully hung
it onto the tree. The cheerful strains of Christmas music accompanied his work,
ringing out from the kitchen along with Gretchen’s husky voice. It was the same
off-key singing that often emanated from the bathroom when Kathryn was in the
shower. Like mother, like daughter.

They had only been home a few weeks by now, but Chakotay had
immediately felt welcomed and accepted by Kathryn’s family. Arriving in the
Alpha Quadrant in early December, Kathryn was thrilled to be able to have “a
real Janeway family Christmas” once more at her mother’s Indiana home.

Chakotay took another ornament out of the large packing box
and unwrapped it from its tissue-paper covering. “Where does this one go?” he
asked.

Kathryn peeked out from the other side of the large
evergreen tree. “Ah! There it is! That goes right up the top there. You’ll have
to get that because I can’t reach.”

So the golden star found its place on the highest branch of
the tree.

“I don’t think there’s room for any more ornaments,”
Chakotay said, standing back to observe their handiwork.

“Oh, but there is,” Kathryn replied. “There’s just enough
room for the best ones.”

Digging deep into the box, she pulled out several bubble-wrapped
packages and handed them to him. “Mom made these,” she explained, “and they’re
my favorite ones.”

Slowly undoing the layers of plastic – and popping some of
the bubbles along the way – he unveiled a glass bauble with beautifully painted
patterns of pink swirls and flowers framing the name ‘Phoebe’. Kathryn held up
another, with gold swirls and hearts around the name ‘Edward’.

“There’s one for each of us,” she said. “Mom painted the
first ones for Dad as an anniversary gift, and then one each for me and Phoebe
when we were born. And then for Phoebe’s husband. And then for Phoebe’s son.
She’ll probably make one for you before long, if she hasn’t already.”

The next one Chakotay found had purple patterns around
Kathryn’s name, and he found a place for the ornament at the front of the tree.

When they finished hanging the last one, they stood back and
admired their work. Chakotay put an arm around Kathryn’s shoulders and kissed
the top of her head.

“Beautiful decorations, wonderful food, fantastic company….
I think I could learn to like Christmas.”

“It’s my favorite time of the year. I always got so excited
about it as a child.”

“Now there’s an interesting mental image – young Kathryn
Janeway. Let me guess, red pigtails, freckles, and a quantum mechanics padd
practically glued to your hand?”

“Not far off, actually.” Kathryn disentangled herself from
his embrace, and began to scout around the couch cushions. “Now, we normally
save presents for Christmas morning, but – where the hell did I put it? Ah. –
but I wanted to give this to you now.” She presented him with a small package
wrapped loosely in silver paper and tied with gold curling ribbon.

He grinned. “I was actually going to give you an early gift
too,” he said. Her eyes lit up with curiosity. He patted his pocket where he
could feel the tiny, velvet box nestled safely inside. “Later.”

He untied the ribbon from the bundle in his hands, then the
paper fell away and he found himself holding a pair of woollen socks.

Socks which matched exactly a certain scarf he had once
received.

He looked at her suspiciously. “Socks?”

“For the man who has everything, remember?”

“I already have you, Love. What more could I want?”

Kathryn shrugged, her eyes still glinting with mischief.
Chakotay picked up one of the socks to examine it more closely, and he felt
something inside it. Aware of Kathryn’s eyes on him, he wriggled his hand
inside the sock to retrieve the object inside. It was an old-fashioned
photograph. A very dark and blurry photograph.

“What is it?” he asked.

“A photo.”

“I know that. What’s it a picture of?”

“It’s a picture the Doctor gave me a few days ago.”

“Of?”

“Our baby.”

Seated at the kitchen table, painting Chakotay’s name onto a
bauble and singing happily along to “Deck the Halls”, Gretchen was suddenly startled
by the loudest whoop of joy she had ever heard.

This made my day today. Thank you so much @danakatherinejaneway! :))