The BLTs Archive - A Matter of Definition
eighth in the Twist of Fate series
by Whoa Nellie (whoa_nellie40@hotmail.com)

---

Author's Notes: This story follows the events in Unforeseen
Circumstances although it's not necessary to have read it or any of
the previous stories except for more detailed background information
on Ceshlyta and how she got there.

Timeline:  Twist of Fate picks up and takes off of the canon universe
early in season five just after the episode Timeless.

Acknowledgements:  As always Paramount owns all the marbles, we just
have a lot more fun playing with them.

---

"What?"  Ceshlyta's hands froze in the process of braiding her hair,
not sure if she'd heard her husband correctly.  They had finished
breakfast and were getting ready for their respective days.  She was
still a little sore and shaken from her experience on Techora, but she
wanted to get back to work.

Chakotay repeated his request.  "I want us to be married."

Rapidly finishing her braid, she fastened it and turned to face him;
he was almost completely dressed in his uniform minus the jacket
draped over a chair.  Her reply was short and terse as he crossed
their bedroom to where she stood.  "We already are."

He picked up the long, dark braid hanging down the front of her
jumpsuit, its weight in his hand belying the soft texture.  His voice
was soft and measured, "Not officially."

A hundred responses died on her lips.  Turning away to hide the
sparkle of tears in her eyes, she mumbled, "We can talk about it
later, right now I need to get to the garden.  I've got a week's worth
of work to catch up on."

Before Chakotay could tell her about the crewmembers who had been
tending to the garden in her absence, she was gone.  They hadn't
talked much last night, by the time she'd been released from Sickbay
they were both feeling the effects of the sleeplessness and strain of
the past week.  He'd drifted off to a deep, restful sleep with Sassy
snuggled up against him.  He wanted to get an official entry of their
marriage into the ship's log before anything else happened.  Deciding
that he would surprise her with a picnic lunch and try to broach the
subject with her then, he slipped on his uniform jacket and headed for
the bridge.

---

Thankfully Sassy didn't run into anyone on her way to the garden.  The
only thought on her mind was Chakotay's perception that they weren't
really married.  Her memories of the ceremony and their oaths were the
most precious of all her memories.  The certainty of her spirit that
her aalm would come for her had kept her going for the past week.
After everything, now she discovered that he didn't even think of them
as husband and wife.

Lost in her emotional turmoil, she entered the garden and was startled
at the change and the two crewmembers working at a computer panel.

"Professor," Mariah Henley looked up at the sound of the door.  "We
wanted to have this finished for you, but there were a couple of
snags."

"What is it?"  Sassy joined them.

Mariah gestured toward her cohort.  "You remember Tabor?"

"Of course," Sassy smiled a greeting, not inclined to hold grudges
against them for their part in her ordeal.

"Professor Ceshlyta," Tabor returned the greeting.

"Tabor helped me program some holoemitters to project a sky onto the
ceiling," Mariah explained.  "It's on the same schedule as the lights
with a sunrise, sunset, clouds and everything.  The night sky has a
moon that goes from new to full on a monthly schedule and the
constellations from the Terran solar system."

"You can program in any star system you want," Tabor jumped in.  "Just
download the data from Astrometrics and any systems on file can be
projected."

Sassy surveyed the rising sun against a perfect blue sky complete with
a few white, fluffy clouds.  "It's beautiful.  It truly feels like a
piece of nature."

"We added solar panels to each of the emitters, including the ones I'd
already put in," Mariah offered.  "The high frequency lights used in
here can recharge their energy supply daily, which will eliminate any
reliance on ship's resources for the holoprojections.  We're working
on a solar power system that would collect energy from the lights to
use for other minor power needs around the ship.  That would increase
the garden's contribution to the ship in even more ways."

Even though it was just the heat lamps and lights from the garden's
environmental systems, Sassy swore she could feel the warm rays of the
sun caressing her face.  "This is wonderful, thank you both so much.
This must have been a lot of work."

"You're welcome, Professor Ceshlyta," Tabor grinned as he replied.
"But we need to be going or we'll be late for duty."

"Please, call me Sassy," she called out after the two crewmembers.

---

Carrying a picnic basket, Chakotay stopped and gaped at the vista from
the doorway to the garden.  For a moment, he thought he was stepping
on the holodeck.  A bright sun, nearly at its zenith, shone out of a
blue sky.  Looking around, he found Sassy trimming shrubs.  "Wow, it
looks incredible in here."

"If you're referring to the sky, it was a very thoughtful,
conciliatory gesture from Mariah and Tabor."  She didn't even look at
him, continuing her work.  "They installed holoemitters and programmed
in a sky that coincides with the lighting schedule; there's sunlight
and moonlight, even stars and constellations.  They put solar
collectors on the emitters to recharge the power supply with the
lights in here so they wouldn't tap into the ship's resources."

Chakotay set the basket on a bench and walked over to his wife.  From
the tension in her body and her clipped tone, he guessed that she was
upset about something.  His hands massaged her shoulders.  "What's
wrong?"

Spinning around, Sassy slipped the shears into her utility belt.
"What's wrong?  How can you stand there and blithely ask that?"
Without giving him a chance to answer, she launched into the tirade
that had been building all morning.  "Who am I, Chakotay?  What am I
doing here?  I've been pretty understanding of your dual nature.  I
gave you all the time and space you needed to reconcile your Indian
spirit with your modern mind.  I didn't put any expectations on you
and I understand that it's always going to be difficult for you to
hear and trust in your spirit alone.  I'm not like that, Chakotay; as
far as I was concerned, you have been my husband since I appeared in
your quarters."

"Sweetheart--" he began.

"Don't," Sassy snapped.  "Don't you dare use endearments with me."
She looked down at the symbol on her palm.  "When I look at these, I
see my wedding rings and remember the most beautiful, special wedding
ceremony I could ever have imagined."  She grabbed his left hand and
tuned the palm up.  "What do you see in yours?  What are these?  Are
they an anomaly, some unexplained aberration?  Is that what I am?
What do these markings mean to you?"

"Everything," Chakotay whispered.  Wrapping his arms around her waist,
he pulled her to him.  "They mean everything to me."  His lips brushed
lightly across hers.  "You mean everything to me."  His hoarsely
whispered admission was followed by his mouth seeking out the lush
fullness of her lips.  His tongue flicked against them, begging
entrance.  The instant her mouth opened, whether in protest or
surrender, he deepened the kiss and pressed the soft curves of her
lithe body tighter against him.

"That's not fair," she gasped when he finally let her up for air.
"You can't kiss me like that when I'm angry with you."

"Why not?"

Her fingers traced her kiss-swollen lips.  "Because I can't stay mad
at you when you kiss me like that."

"Seems like a good reason for me to kiss you like that as often as
possible," he murmured, dimples peeking out from his tanned cheeks.

Anger dissipated, she rested against the broad, muscular wall of his
chest.  Closing her eyes, she listened to the beat of his heart under
her ear.

"What was that all about?"

"You don't feel married," she mumbled into his uniform jacket.

Chakotay tilted her face up to look at him.  "That's not true.  It's
just that I realized while you were missing that, officially, if we
couldn't find you or you were killed our marriage would never have
existed.  I just want an official ceremony with witnesses and an entry
in the ship's log of our union."

"It means that much to you?" she asked quietly.  When he wordlessly
nodded yes, she sighed.  "All right, but I don't want any ring other
than the ones from our first ceremony."

"Agreed."

Sassy pointed a finger at him, the grin pulling at the corners of her
mouth softening her words.  "One more thing, you're already a married
man so don't even think about a bachelor party."

"And here I was hoping for a wanton Inihasa maiden to dance naked for
me and have wild, passionate sex with me all night," he said, lowering
his face to hers for another long kiss.

"That can be arranged."

---

Harry put the last of the dinner dishes into the recycler with an
almost audible sigh.  His first date with Seven was going perfectly.
If only no one called a red alert for the next two hours, everything
would be great.  After a great deal of consideration, he had decided
on a quiet, candlelit dinner in his quarters as the setting for their
first romantic date.  Turning back toward the table where Seven sat,
he extended his hand to her.  "Would you care to join me on the
couch?"

Seven nodded her acknowledgement.  Unsure of appropriate attire, she
had opted for her usual appearance.  Wearing her biometric suit with
her hair in its typical bun, she had experienced a mild relief when
Harry answered his door wearing his duty uniform.  She accepted his
proffered hand and allowed him to lead her the short distance to the
couch.  Sitting comfortably beside him, their thighs a scant
centimeter apart, she utilized some of the computer's suggested small
talk for social situations.  "I have told you about my day, but you
have not yet shared your day's activities.  Did you have a pleasant
day?"

"Very," he smiled, "but it was also a very long day.  I kept thinking
about tonight and you, the day couldn't go fast enough for me."

"I, too, found myself anticipating this evening," she confessed.

Harry slid his arm behind her.  He was getting more adept at releasing
her hair from its confinement, in just a few seconds her blond tresses
were flowing loosely around her shoulders.  "Even Tuvok noticed that I
was 'performing my duties more quickly and efficiently than usual',"
the last part of the sentence was said with the raised eyebrow and
clipped tone of the stoic Vulcan.

"Your manner of speaking altered . . . " Seven began quizzically.
"Oh, you were performing an impersonation of Lieutenant Commander
Tuvok.  That was quite good."

"I'll have to show you my Neelix sometime," Harry whispered into her
ear.  His lips nuzzled the whorls of her ear, his tongue flicking at
the small, creamy lobe.  Shifting slightly, he bent his head to taste
the swan-like column of her neck.  Both of his hands wound through her
hair and gently tilted her head to the side for easier access.  Her
skin was warm and soft to his tongue as it traced down the side of her
throat from her ear to the top of her biometric suit.

Her heart rate significantly increased, she squirmed against the
pleasant pressure building in her lower abdomen.  The sensations were
not as intense as they had been in Sickbay on that previous occasion,
instead they were more reminiscent of her dream.  A soft sigh escaped
her lips as his tongue stroked the exact location of the carotid
artery in her throat creating a most exquisite sensation throughout
her body.  Her hands reached for him.

"No," he quickly caught her hands, easily gripping them in one of his
larger hands.  "We're not going any further than this tonight; it
wouldn't be appropriate for a first date."

Seven started to reply but found herself pulled toward Harry's muscled
chest.  He cradled her against the firm expanse still holding her
wrists.  It was a very satisfying position, his body was firm and warm
with a pleasant musky aroma.  His other hand cupped her head, his
fingers combing through the silky hair.  She made a mental note that
Harry obviously preferred her hair down, it would undoubtedly please
him for her to wear it that way on future dates.  She stopped thinking
entirely when he lowered his head, his lips crushing hers, his tongue
coaxing her mouth to open for him.

His body was screaming for release by the time he broke the kiss and
sat Seven back up.  He could have her, he knew that.  He could carry
her to his bed, strip her clothes off and take her all night and in
every way he wanted.  She wouldn't resist and he knew she'd enjoy it,
but the difference between her physical maturity and her emotional
immaturity was part of the problem.

"Why--" she began, confused and frustrated.

"Seven," Harry ran a shaking hand through his hair.  "If we want this
to be a real relationship, then we have to take things slowly, a
little bit at a time.  A real relationship needs emotional stuff like
trust and respect and if we do anything . . . physical too soon, then
it'll just complicate everything.  It's not that I don't want to, I
just don't want to mess this up either."

Silent for a moment, she finally spoke up.  "I understand and I
appreciate your concerns."  Reaching down between her legs, Seven
attempted to alleviate the aching there through her clothing.

"Seven!"  he grabbed her hands.  "What are you doing?"

"My body is in need of further stimulation," she said simply.

"Oh my God," Harry whimpered.  He took a deep breath.  "If you're
anywhere near as frustrated as I am right now, I understand, believe
me, I understand.  This anticipation will all be worth it when the
time is right, though."  He brought her hands up and gently kissed
each palm.  "I promise I'll make it worth the wait for you."

"All right, Harry."

"Why don't I play with you--for you, my clarinet."  Trying again, he
enunciated each word clearly.  "I could play my clarinet for you, if
you would like."

Seven nodded her approval.

While he retrieved his instrument, he remembered something.  "By the
way, I know it's presumptuous to ask about a second date before the
first one is over, but Commander Chakotay and Sassy are going to be
having an official wedding ceremony in a couple of days.  I know you
don't enjoy socializing with the crew, but I was wondering if you'd
care to attend with me as my date?"

Pleased that he would still desire a second date after her awkward
behavior a moment ago, she smiled broadly.  "I believe I would enjoy
that, Harry."

---

"What do you think?"

Chakotay looked up from the PADD he'd been working on when Sassy
called to him from the doorway of their bedroom.  He was working on
the duty roster so that he could take a couple of days off following
the wedding for a brief honeymoon; Harry had agreed to see to the
garden for Sassy for a couple of days as well.

Swirling the tea-length folds of the ivory silk dress she was wearing,
she waited for his reaction.  Since she'd agreed to this wedding
ceremony for Chakotay, she needed to decide on what to wear.  This was
a more mainstream-traditional dress with soft, flowing lines.  A panel
cut out of the bodice gave a tantalizing glimpse of cleavage offset by
the high neckline and elbow-length sleeves.  It wasn't a traditional
Indian wedding dress, but the thought of wearing her traditional
attire seemed too much like trying to recreate the magic of their
first wedding ceremony.  This was a ceremony to satisfy the part of
her husband that dwelt in the modern world, so more mainstream attire
seemed appropriate for the occasion.

"Beautiful," he murmured, his eyes savoring the vision in front of
him.  The off-white color of the dress she wore highlighted her honey
skin; her long, black hair flowing loose down her back.  Putting the
PADD down, he went to her.  He cupped her face in his hands and gently
tilted her mouth up to meet his lips in a brief, tender kiss.  "The
dress is nice, too."

"The dress," Sassy emphasized in bemusement, "is what I'm asking your
opinion of."

Chakotay took her hand in his and gently twirled her before him.
"It's beautiful, is it for any occasion in particular?"

"I've been trying to decide what to wear for the wedding ceremony.
This is the one I like."

"Isn't there some old tradition that says you shouldn't see the bride
in her wedding dress before the ceremony?" he asked, half-teasing.

Sassy turned away and walked back into the bedroom to remove the
dress.  "And, as I recall, you didn't see me in my wedding outfit
before our wedding ceremony."

Confused, Chakotay followed her into the bedroom.

"Chakotay, I am trying to respect the fact that this is important to
you, but I am your wife, not your bride-to-be.  It's not that I mind
doing this, I'm actually looking forward to the reception and
honeymoon," she smiled suggestively at him as she emphasized the last
word.  Carefully laying the dress out on the bed, she turned to face
him clad only in a lacy white bra and matching panties.  "But you need
to meet me halfway on this; it's hard for me to not take this ceremony
as an insult to our original union."

"That's not--"

"I know it's not intended to be," she said, covering his lips with her
fingertips to hush his protest.   "But I'm certainly not going to feel
as strongly about this upcoming ceremony or modern-world traditions as
you do.

Chakotay kissed her fingers before removing them to speak.  "If you
feel that way, we can call this off."

"That's not what I'm asking," Sassy sighed in frustration.

"I just want a permanent, official record of the fact that you are my
wife.  Without witnesses to our first union, it's not a legally
binding ceremony," he just wanted her to understand why it was
important.  "The traditions are just old customs that are associated
with wedding ceremonies."

"I just want you to accept that my only concern for this ceremony is
that it makes you happy.  If tradition is important to you, then
follow those traditions; but I can't pretend to be as excited about
this as you are."

Gathering her hair in his hands, he dropped a light kiss on the tip of
her nose.  "I wouldn't ask you to, sweetheart.  The only wedding
tradition I'm asking you to follow is the part where you say 'I do.'
That's the only one with any real importance."

"I don't want to ruin this wedding for you--"

"You aren't," he interrupted.  "This is my ceremony, you've made that
clear from the moment you agreed to it."

"I love you and I want to do this for you because it's important to
you, but it's not fair of you to expect any more than that from me."

"You've been wonderful about it, the dress is perfect."  Her skin was
warm under his hands as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing
her against him.  "I love you."

She loved the way his firm, luscious lips felt when they claimed her
mouth, crushing her own lips beneath them.  His large hands were
gentle against her skin, pressing her against the rough fabric of his
uniform.  It had been more than a week since they'd made love, the
night before she'd been left stranded in the mountains of Techora.  As
much as she wanted to pull him down onto the bed with her, until his
reservations about their marital status were satisfied it wouldn't
feel right.  Breaking the kiss, she traced his tattoo.  "I thought you
wanted to follow mainstream wedding customs."

"So?"  Somehow that teasing lilt in her voice was ominous.

"Aren't you forgetting a very important wedding custom?"

This wasn't going to be good.  "What's that?"

"It would be enormously improper for us to have sex before our wedding
night," Sassy pointed out smugly.  She pulled an oversized shirt and
stretch pants from the dresser.

Bemused, he shot back, "We've already had sex, more than once I might
add.  It's not like either of us are blushing virgins protecting our
chastity."

Dressed, she shrugged.  "A tradition is a tradition.  You can't pick
and choose which ones you want to observe just because some are
inconvenient."

"If this is a joke because of my earlier comment about seeing you in
your dress, it's not funny."

Slipping her communicator on, she gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek.
"This wedding is important to you, so we must observe the important
traditions."

"What about your promise to dance naked for me?"

Leaving the bedroom, she replied, "That's what the honeymoon is for."

"Sassy, this isn't funny."  Chakotay watched, stunned, as his wife
sauntered out of their quarters.

"Maybe Kathryn will let me stay with her until the wedding," she mused
aloud.  Pausing, she had some parting bit of advice.  "I do hope that
no pesky red alerts keep you from getting to the ceremony on time."

Watching the door slide shut behind her, his body throbbing, so did
he.

---

In her cargo bay, Seven made one final adjustment to her snug-fitting
outfit just as the door slid open.  "Harry?"

"Yeah," he replied.  "I hope I'm punctual."

"Yes, you are.  I am ready," she said, stepping out from behind her
makeshift dressing area.

Harry choked at the sight of her.  Seven's blond hair was loose across
her bare shoulders.  She was wearing a shimmery silver dress that
looked as though it were made of the same biometric material as her
usual outfit.  This dress, however, was strapless and skin-tight down
to her waist where it flowed out into soft folds of fabric that fell
to her calf.  Delicate gray shoes completed her ensemble.  His eyes
were trapped by the enticing view of full breasts threatening to spill
out of her dress with each breath she took.

"I designed this myself in biometric material," she said after a full
moment of dead silence.  "Is it not appropriate attire for a wedding?"

"N-. . . ye- . . . it . . . uh . . . yo- . . . perfect," he sighed.
"Wow."

Seven walked over to where Harry stood.  "You are pleased, then?"

Gently drawing her closer, he combed his fingers through her silky
blond tresses before capturing her lips in a tender kiss.  "You are
incredibly beautiful; I am very pleased to be your escort."

Still pressed against the solid warmth of Harry's body, she smiled.
"And you look equally handsome in your uniform; I am pleased to be
your date for this function."

Moving aside to allow her to precede him from the room, Harry
whimpered quietly.  "You sure know how to test a guy's resolve."

---

As promised there were no rings exchanged during the brief ceremony.
Initially Chakotay had wanted to hold the wedding in the garden, but
Sassy had vetoed that idea citing concern for the plants with that
many people traipsing around 'her' garden at one time.  So, he had
programmed the holodeck with the botanical garden from Ball State
University on Earth where Sassy had worked as a student while she
pursued her bachelor's degree; a beautiful place, important to her but
not to their traditions.  They repeated their vows to one another in
front of Captain Janeway and the assembled crew, minus those on duty.
Sassy was in the flowing, ivory dress and, for some reason, it had
felt right for him to wear a dress uniform for the occasion.

"So, by the power vested in me as captain of this vessel," Janeway
pronounced.  "I now officially proclaim you husband and wife.
Commander, you may kiss your wife."

"Finally," he breathed softly.  Sassy had kept him at arm's length for
the past two days--much to Kathryn's amusement.  He'd been permitted
to have dinner with the two of them in the captain's quarters both
nights, but their 'chaperone' had not even permitted him a good night
kiss.

Smiling broadly, Sassy turned to face her handsome husband.  These
last two days had been excruciatingly frustrating, but worth it.  From
the glint in his desire-darkened eyes, their honeymoon here on Voyager
would be almost as hot as their bonding after the wedding at the
temple of the Sky Spirits.  She handed her flowers to Kathryn as
Chakotay's hands spanned her waist.  Her palms rested lightly on his
broad shoulders and she moved easily into the circle of his strong
arms, her face tilting up toward his.

Relief flooded through him, she was officially, completely and
permanently his.  Their gazes locked for an instant before he lowered
his head to hers, gently claiming the lush, full lips of his wife.
Her mouth was soft and sweet under his, her body lithe and inviting in
his arms.  For a long, breathtaking moment everyone else on the
holodeck was forgotten, everything fading away except for the woman he
held.

"Ahem, Commander," after the bride and groom had kissed for more than
a minute Janeway decided to get the reception underway.  "Commander
Chakotay, Professor Ceshlyta?"

Gradually becoming aware of the titters of amusement floating through
the assembled guests, Chakotay pulled back, dropping a quick kiss on
the end of her nose before relinquishing his hold on his wife.

"Before the party begins," B'Elanna announced over the scattered
applause.  "I'd like to present the happy couple with their wedding
present.  The entire crew pitched in for this--five uninterrupted days
of holodeck time and replicator rations so that you don't have to see
or talk to anybody but each other for the next five days.  Your duty
shifts and the garden chores are all covered and, barring alien
invasion, you have the next five days to yourselves."

Tom threw in a comment of his own.  "Of course, it wouldn't be very
polite for the couple to take off for some romantic trysting too soon.
At least stay and have some cake."

"All right, some cake," Chakotay laughed.  He shot a wink at Sassy
before adding, "Where's a fork?"

Harry chuckled along with the other crewmembers at the joking.  As
everyone began mingling, he looked at Seven.  "Would you care for some
refreshment?"

"Yes, something to drink would be satisfactory," Seven acknowledged.

"I'll be right back."

Seven surveyed the holodeck, the garden setting was quite scenic,
flowers of vivid hue were brightly contrasting to the perfect green
color of the grass.  Many of the male crewmembers present were
spending a disconcerting amount of time staring at her.  Female
crewmembers were also looking somewhat askance at her although the
reason was not immediately obvious.  She felt along the top of her
strapless bodice to ascertain if her dress had shifted.  Finding all
was where it should be, she dismissed the stares as irrelevant.
Perhaps it was gossip and conjecture among the crew about her presence
at the function as Harry's date.

"Seven, you look exquisite," the Doctor gushed, sweeping up to capture
her attention.  "To what do we owe the pleasure of this appearance?"

"Thank you," she first made the appropriate acknowledgement of his
praise.  "The reason for the alteration of my appearance is a social
outing with Ensign Kim."

"A date with Harry Kim?" the EMH exclaimed.  "I wasn't aware of any
interest in Mr. Kim on your part."

Seven was momentarily startled that she had neglected to inform her
mentor of her decision to accept Ensign Kim's courtship.  "Upon an
analysis of our individual profiles, I calculated an 87.49 percent
compatibility.  That seemed sufficient to engage in the interpersonal
social interaction which Harry requested."

"He asked you to be his date," the Doctor paraphrased.

"To be precise, this is our second date," she clarified.

"And?" he prompted.

Carefully formulating her response, she acknowledged, "I find Harry's
companionship to be surprisingly enjoyable."

"How so?"

"Our interests provide a wide range of mutually enjoyable topics of
conversation," she said.  "For example, during our first date, he
played a composition on his clarinet.  The music was beautiful and it
prompted an extensive discussion of mathematical properties of musical
composition.  In turn, that discussion led to an analysis of
mathematical properties within non-scientific fields of endeavor.
Harry has quite intriguing perspectives on mathematics in general.  It
was a fascinating conversation that lasted 3.18 hours."

"Some enchanted evening, indeed," the Doctor muttered.

Just then Harry returned with two glasses of punch.  "Here you are,
Seven, a little refreshment.  Hi, Doc."

"Mr. Kim," the EMH returned the greeting.

Turning to Seven, Harry said, "They'll be throwing the bouquet soon.
All single women try to catch it."

"I read of this tradition," Seven replied.  "Catching it is supposed
to connote some sort of good fortune."

Tom and B'Elanna wandered over to where Harry, Seven and the Doctor
were standing.  The entire room was buzzing with how Seven looked and
whom she was with.  Tom, at least, had an easy in to get more details.

"Actually," Tom corrected Seven's last remark.  "It foretells the next
woman to be married."

B'Elanna snorted.  "That's just silly superstition."

Tom winked at her and teased, "Scared you'll catch it?"

"Hardly," she shot back.  "Besides, I have to be going.  I'm relieving
Tuvok on the bridge so he can join the party for a while."

Harry looked around the group.  "Any guesses on where the happy couple
spends their honeymoon?"

"Earth," Tom volunteered.  "I helped Chakotay with the program.  It's
an ancient Indian site on Earth; some earthen mounds in geometric
shapes left behind by some of their ancestors millennia ago.  They
were ironically known as the Moundbuilders.  I put an authentic Indian
camp near one of these earthworks, complete with teepees and native
tools, bearskins and deer hide clothes with moccasins.  I now know as
much about ancient Indian culture as I do twentieth century Earth."

"For the Commander and Sassy's sake, hopefully more," Harry teased.

Across the room, Janeway quietly toasted the happy couple.  "Well, the
first official wedding aboard Voyager is on the record books."

Sassy was surprised.  "Really?  After all of the time you've been here
in the Delta Quadrant, I would have thought that others would have
formed permanent relationships.  There's certainly no shortage of
intimate relationships going on."

"They have formed relationships," Chakotay said.  "They just haven't
formalized them."

Janeway looked around the room.  "Perhaps this will serve as a
motivation for others to follow suit."

"We should start looking at plans to remodel some crew quarters for
families," Chakotay suggested.

Janeway arched an eyebrow, cocking her head inquisitively.  "Is there
something I should know?"

"No," Sassy rushed to assure her.  "At least I hope that I'd know
before Chakotay on that front."

Chakotay laughed briefly.  "I just thought that if they knew we were
prepared to make accommodations for couples and families, maybe more
people would take that step."

"That's a good thought," Janeway agreed.  "We'll discuss it more when
you get back from your honeymoon."

Neelix bustled over.  "All right, you two lovebirds.  It's time to
throw the bouquet and garter before you cut the cake."

In short order, all the single women at the reception were assembled
and waiting.  Samantha Wildman and a couple other crewmembers whose
spouses were in the Alpha Quadrant declined to participate.  Sassy
turned her back to the group and gave her bouquet a toss.  As everyone
cheered and joked, Olandra Jor shot a coy smile across the room at
Tabor, the bridal bouquet in her arms.

Then it was the men's turn.  Chakotay made a production of going to
one knee and fumbling under the skirt of Sassy's dress even poking his
head under the fabric at one point.  Finally he waved the garter in
the air triumphantly.  Flinging it over one shoulder, he quickly
peeked to see where it landed.  Showing impressive reflexes, Harry
snatched the garter out of the air just before Tom's fingers closed on
it.

"Congratulations, Harry," Seven said when he made his way back to her.

"Thanks, would you do me a favor?" he asked.  "Hold this for me for a
while."

"Of course," she held out her hand.

Harry smiled and shook his head.  "That's not quite what I had in
mind."  He dropped to one knee and carefully slipped the garter over
her foot.  His hands caressed the silken length of leg as he drew the
garter up to her thigh.  Lingering a moment longer than necessary, he
savored the warmth and noted with satisfaction the responding quiver
of her leg muscles.

---

At long last alone with his wife in holodeck one, Chakotay stripped
off his uniform jacket.  The party continued in holodeck two and would
probably be going on for a while.  The privacy lock was engaged and,
barring red alerts, they were alone for the next five days.
Everything about the program was perfect; while Sassy was changing, he
started a fire in the stone circle at the center of their holographic
village.  Softly at first but growing louder, drums began a rhythmic
beating.  Chakotay looked around for the source but saw no one.

"My husband," Sassy called out, standing at the entryway to their
teepee.

When his eyes fell on her, he momentarily stopped breathing.  She was
naked--mostly.  Long strands of leather were tied around her upper
arms and thighs streaming down nearly five centimeters.  Her black
hair was loose, an ebony curtain down her back, and she had painted
intricate, traditional designs on her face and body.

"You asked for a wanton, Inihasa maiden to dance naked for you?"

Her soft voice floated across the evening air to him.  He nodded,
speechless and painfully hard as she began an undulating dance as old
as their people.  Her full breasts bobbed and bounced in time to the
drumbeat, the body paint giving her a wild, uninhibited appearance.
The drumbeat increased its tempo, in response she began crooning,
speeding up her movements and circling the fire ring.  Long, black
tresses whipped around her head, the leather streamers mimicking the
movements of her hair in response to the flailing of her arms and
legs.  Sweat beaded on her honey-toned skin, glistening in the
firelight.  She seemed completely lost in the impassioned, primitive
dance.  His entire body pulsated with the beating of the drums, desire
bringing beads of sweat to his own copper skin.  She passed in front
of him facing the fire, her taut buttocks clenching and bouncing in
response to the frantic motions of her legs.  His hand reached out,
itching to touch the perfectly rounded globes but she danced away
singing louder.  His own breathing was more ragged than hers, he noted
idly.  Pulling off his boots, he quickly divested himself of his
clothes standing before the fire his body as bare to her as his heart
and soul.

Sassy's dance had reached a fever pitch, spinning and crooning an
ancient song by the flickering light of the fire.  On the final,
resounding drumbeat, she flung herself into the waiting arms of her
husband.  His strong hands grasped her waist, her own, small hands
pulling his face to hers.  With her breasts crushed against the
massive wall of his chest, her tongue demanded entrance into his
mouth.  She stroked, explored and claimed every dark recess of his
mouth.  She could feel their hearts pounding in unison, their bodies
straining to be closer than their skin would allow.  Days of
self-imposed abstinence combined with the primal energy of the ancient
dance had left her throbbing with passion and raw need.  Her fingers
clutched at handfuls of his dark hair, tugging him down to the ground.
On their knees, face to face, she urged him onto his back.  Without
breaking the kiss, she followed him to the ground, covering his body
with hers.  After a long moment she sat up, straddling his powerful
hips.  Trying to control her labored breathing, she drew a fingers
through the painted design on her belly and smeared the color on
Chakotay's abdomen.  Then she did the same with a design on her face,
trailing her finger down his nose.

The musky smell of mingled sweat and arousal filled the air, a heady
aroma driving his need to even more intense levels.  She was wet, he
could feel the moisture searing his skin and his body ached to bury
itself in that wet heat.  His hands grasped her slim hips to switch
their positions, but gasped when she swiftly impaled herself on him
instead.  Then she began to move against him, a hard, demanding pace.
Her hands were braced against the broad wall of his chest while her
knees gripped his sides, riding him faster and faster.  He arched his
hips up to meet her as he pulled her hips down against him, reveling
in the feel of her body slamming into his over and over.  Her eyes
were locked on his, he could see every flicker of emotion in their
desire-darkened depths.  It was fast and furious, their bodies
demanding completion of their union and neither of them could stop the
driving ache.  While he watched, his hips twisting up of their own
accord, her body convulsed around him, her face contorting with
pleasure.  Her body gripped him tightly, milking him to his own
powerful release.

Sassy threw her head back and groaned as she felt his body buck
beneath her in an explosive orgasm on the heels of her own climax.
She collapsed against his chest, listening to the sound of their
ragged breathing.  Smiling into the smooth bronzed skin of his chest,
she tenderly kissed and nuzzled the smooth expanse.  "You know," she
mumbled.  "A couple millennia ago that was the mating dance performed
by the women of our people when they chose their husbands.  Marking a
choice warrior with paint from their body markings was their way of
claiming him in front of the entire village."

"Throwing your naked body into his arms and ravishing him in front of
the fire was probably not enough of a hint," Chakotay remarked.

In response she closed her teeth around one small brown nub on his
chest and pulled until he squawked.

"Okay, seriously," he winced and adjusted her so that her mouth was
further away from his nipples.  "How exactly did you come to learn an
ancient mating ritual?"

Sassy stretched luxuriously against him, he was still inside her and
it felt wonderful.  "My grandmother."

"This would be the one who thought I was yummy?"

"Yes," she laughed.  "Of course, by her time it wasn't used as a
tribal ritual anymore.  She learned it from her mother as more of a
honeymoon ritual.  Grandmother said that it was a useful
attention-getter when a husband seemed to be more interested in his
hobbies than his wife."

"It certainly got my attention."

"Of course," Sassy raised herself up to look into his eyes.
"Grandmother also said that it made for an interesting fertility
ritual.  We should definitely try this again when we're ready to start
a family."

Chakotay rolled her off of him and rose to his knees.  "I second that
. . . and speaking of seconds . . . " He swept her into his arms and
stood, striding toward their teepee.

A sigh escaped her lips as she felt him lift her effortlessly.  She
wrapped her arms around his neck, her head nuzzled into the crook of
his strong shoulder.  Their immediate physical needs sated, this time
would be for their hearts.  She felt herself being gently lowered onto
the soft furs covering the ground in their teepee.  There was a sense
of timelessness in the air as he knelt over her, a beautiful and proud
warrior of her very own.

In no hurry to move things along, he trailed his fingers up the
sweat-dampened skin of her stomach, drawing swirls in the streaked
designs that she had painted across her body.  He marveled at the
intensity of the emotions that this gentle, delicate woman could evoke
in him.  She was his perfect half, completing him in ways he could
never imagine.  He leaned over, capturing her lips with his, a tender
kiss that silently expressed the depth of feelings that no words could
convey.  His tongue caressed her lips before sliding through them to
cherish her tongue.  Settling himself between her thighs, he gently
eased himself into her body, feeling her legs come up to hold him
close.  Their bodies fit together perfectly, it felt so right to lie,
buried in her, their bodies as close as two people could be.  His
movements were slow, drawing out the exquisite sensation of being so
intimately joined.  He stroked her, massaging her with his body in
long, deliberate thrusts to give them both the ultimate contact and
pleasure.  The desire built slowly, painstakingly blossoming into a
sea of erotic bliss.  Reluctant to lose any contact, his mouth
tightened on hers, his arms burrowing under her to pull her body
closer against him.  Slowly, they rode the waves of arousal, not
wanting to let go of the pleasure.  He knew it couldn't last forever,
his body was already tightening in anticipation of what was coming.
Finally, he felt her gasp her release into his mouth, a gentle
convulsion rocking her body.  He held his control for a while longer,
continuing to bury himself into her body as it spasmed around him.
Finally, he let go, his climax sending pleasure rippling through his
entire body.  He rolled to his side, drawing her against his chest.
With thoughts of the next five days alone with his wife, he looked
down into her beautiful face.

"I love you, Chakotay, my husband," she said softly.

"I love you, Ceshlyta, my wife."

---

continued in the ninth story in the Twist of Fate series 'Love and Copulation'