The BLTS Archive - The Sarah Vignettes: Plenty
by Sileya (sileyathesultry@gmail.com)

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Disclaimers: All hail mighty Paramount. They own it all, I just aspire
to. The inspiration for this vignette was the song "Plenty" by Sarah
McLachlan. She owns the lyrics, I just stuck most of them in some sort
of order in here.

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Chakotay turned to her, face red and still with anger, looking at her
sitting so calmly there at her desk.

"Kathryn," he begins. "I looked into your eyes... you can't deny it
anymore. I don't know how you can. They told me plenty." He turns away
from her, trying not to direct the full force of his anger and hurt
feelings at her. She doesn't answer, head bowed, hands folded.

"I already know." he continues, pacing in front of the large viewport.
"You never felt a thing," he spits viciously, missing her slight
cringe since he is ranting and not paying much attention to her. "Am
I... and what we had... so soon forgotten?" He looks to her,
desperation shining in his eyes. Her eyes plead with him as she
struggles to maintain her composure.

"Kathryn, all you do speaks volumes in more than words. I tried to
tell you! The more I tried the more I failed!" he lashes out, venting
his pain at the focus of his past affection. He sits despondently on
the couch, looking up at her, betrayal in his eyes. "When I heard
about you and Tom... I wouldn't let myself believe that you'd stray.
Not from what we had. I told myself it was gossip... that I'd stand by
you no matter what they said. I thought I'd be with you till my dying
day," he states with low finality, the light in his eyes burning away
to dark smoke.

Kathryn cannot speak, knowing the pain she's caused. All she can do is
listen.

Chakotay stands and walks to her, pulling her roughly from her seat by
her arms. "I used to think my life was a lonely, empty space before
you came. You changed that... you filled me with desire, hope,
light... and now you've hurt me more than I ever could have imagined."
Chakotay holds her arms so tightly, telegraphing the pain which is
tearing at him inside.

"For the longest time now, my world revolved around you. Now... you've
made my world stand still." He lets go of her and walks to the middle
of the room, glancing around. "In that stillness... there is a freedom
of sorts... an honesty I never felt before. Because although it's
killing me, I can understand why you've done this," he murmurs, hands
curled into fists.

He walks to the door, pausing once more. "I won't let myself believe
now that you'll stay if you ever come back to me. I loved you,
Kathryn... and I would have stood by you. No matter what they said,"
he vows quietly, the steel in his shoulders and posture. "You've
destroyed that," he murmurs. He looks to her for one last time, hoping
for some hint of emotion or regret. When he sees none, his head bows.
"I thought I'd be with you till my dying day, Kathryn. That has to
count for something."

With that, he steps out the door. It shuts him away from her, and he
never hears her sobs.

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The End