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On Thanksgiving Day, Commander Chakotay had many things to be grateful for. He enjoyed good health. He had nice big quarters to live in. He had a nice red uniform and a brand new phaser rifle. And he had collected more than enough replicator rations from Tom Paris to last through until the next planetfall.
But as Chakotay looked at all his piles of replicator rations, he felt a little sad. His Captain, Kathryn, lived in darkened quarters, and she never seemed to leave in order to talk to people, or to eat. Poor Kathryn was probably sitting in her uncomfortable quarters right now, wondering what she was going to eat for Thanksgiving dinner.
Chakotay jumped up suddenly and started to sing as he replicated a pecan pie. When it materialised, he set it on the table and went to Kathryn's quarters.
'Yoohoo, Captain Janeway!' called Chakotay. 'YOOHOO!'
'Goodness, Chakotay,' said Kathryn. 'What are you doing here? You'll catch my depression if you're not careful.'
'You can't catch depression, Captain,' Chakotay explained. 'Anyway, I had to come over to invite you to dinner. I replicated a nice pecan pie for Thanksgiving, and I don't want to eat it by myself. Thanksgiving is a day you should share with your close friends.'
'Heavens, Chakotay, you know I don't leave my quarters,' said Kathryn. 'You just go back to your quarters and enjoy your nice pecan pie by yourself and think of me sitting here in the dark, lonely and hungry.' And she went into her bedroom and shut the door.
Chakotay started sadly toward his quarters, but when he was halfway there, he heard a voice from behind him.
'Hi there, Commander,' called the Doctor. 'You shouldn't be working today. Don't you know it's a holiday? Don't you know it's Thanksgiving?'
'I'm not working, Doctor. I'm just —'
'You don't need to tell me what you're doing, Chakotay. Don't I know everything that goes on in this ship through the computer?'
'I suppose, but —'
'Well then, you go home right now and replicate a nice Thanksgiving dinner with some of rations you've gathered.'
Chakotay didn't bother to answer. He just wandered back to his quarters and stared at his pecan pie. After a while he heard Naomi Wildman playing ball in the corridor outside. That gave Chakotay an idea, and he jumped up suddenly and started to sing as he replicated another pie — pumpkin, this time. When the pie was made, he set it next to the other one on the table and went over to Samantha Wildman's quarters.
'Yoohoo, Ensign Wildman!' called Chakotay. 'YOOHOO!'
'Is that you, Commander Chakotay?' she called back. 'I can't come to the door right now. I'm in the middle of making rice croquettes and jello salad for Thanksgiving dinner.'
'That's alright, Samantha,' answered Chakotay. 'I just came over to invite you and Naomi to share the two nice pies I made for Thanksgiving dinner. Why don't you bring your rice croquettes and jello salad along, and we can all eat together.'
'That's very nice of you, Chakotay,' said Samantha, 'but Neelix will be here any minute. He's the closest thing Naomi has to a relative on this ship, and we always eat dinner with our relatives on Thanksgiving.'
'Well, maybe another time,' said Chakotay sadly. Then suddenly Chakotay had an idea, and he darted back to his quarters to get one of his uniform jackets.
'Yoohoo, Kathryn!' Chakotay called outside Kathryn's quarters. 'YOOHOO!'
'Goodness, Chakotay,' said Kathryn. 'What are you doing here again?'
'Look, Kathryn. I brought you one of my uniform jackets so you can come to my quarters for Thanksgiving dinner. I thought you might be too cold to come out into the corridors without a jacket. I've made two pies — one pecan, one pumpkin — and I don't want to eat them by myself. Thanksgiving is a day you should spend with your relatives — and you're the closest thing I've got.'
'Heavens, Chakotay, you know I can't walk all the way to your quarters — especially not wearing your jacket,' said Kathryn. 'What would people say? You just go back to your quarters and enjoy your two nice pies by yourself and think of me sitting here in the dark, alone and hungry.' And she shut the door in Chakotay's face.
Chakotay headed towards his quarters, but when he was halfway there, he heard the Doctor calling out to him again.
'Are you still working?' asked the Doctor.
'I'm not working, Doctor. I'm just —'
'Can't I see with my own eyes? Don't I know who works on this ship and who doesn't?' asked the Doctor.
'I suppose, but —'
'Well then, it's time you stopped working and invited someone to Thanksgiving dinner. Don't you know that some people don't have enough replicator rations to make their own pies?'
Chakotay didn't bother to answer. He just went back to his quarters and stared at his two pies, which he didn't feel at all like eating. After a while he heard Tom and B'Elanna talking outside his quarters.
That gave Chakotay an idea, and he jumped up suddenly and started to sing as he replicated a rutabega pudding and a turkey (with stuffing). When they materialised, he placed them on the table next to the pies and went out into the corridor to find B'Elanna and Tom.
'Yoohoo, B'Elanna! Tom!' called Chakotay. 'YOOHOO!'
'Come into my quarters, Chakotay, and help Tom mash the potatoes,' answered B'Elanna. 'I'm trying to cook Thanksgiving dinner, and my Klingon side is getting the better of me.' Tom nodded in agreement.
'Why don't you relax and you and Tom come over to my quarters for dinner?' asked Chakotay. 'I've baked two pies, a rutabega pudding, and a turkey with stuffing — despite the fact that I'm vegetarian — and I don't have anyone to share them with.'
'That's very nice of you, Chakotay, but I've invited Seven to come here for dinner.'
'No, B'Elanna,' said Tom. 'You invited Harry.'
'Dear me!' exclaimed B'Elanna. 'You mean Seven is going to go hungry on Thanksgiving? You rush right down to the cargo bay and invite her to dinner, Tom, while I make some more cranberry sauce.' She turned to Chakotay. 'Thank you for your invitation, but we always eat Thanksgiving dinner with Harry — and I thought I ought to try to be nice to Seven.'
'Well, maybe another time,' said Chakotay sadly. Then suddenly Chakotay had an idea, and he sprinted back to his quarters to get his brand new phaser rifle.
'Yoohoo, Kathryn!' Chakotay called outside Kathryn's quarters. 'YOOHOO!'
'Goodness, Chakotay,' said Kathryn. 'You woke my up from my nap.'
'I'm sorry, Kathryn,' said Chakotay, 'but I'm hoping you've changed your mind about coming to my quarters for dinner. I brought my phaser rifle for you to take so that you won't feel nervous in the corridors. I've made two pies, a rutabega pudding and a turkey and stuffing for Thanksgiving dinner, and I don't want to eat them by myself. Thanksgiving is a day you should share with your closest friends.'
'Heavens, Chakotay, you know I have to take a nap every afternoon because I don't sleep at night,' said Kathryn. 'You just go home and enjoy your nice dinner by yourself and think of me lying here alone and hungry.' And she went into the bedroom and shut the door.
Chakotay started wearily toward his quarters. Then he had another idea. 'Yoohoo, Doctor!' he called. 'YOOHOO!'
'You don't have to shout at me, Chakotay,' said the Doctor. 'Don't you know I'm not deaf?'
'Doctor, I took your advice and made a big Thanksgiving dinner — two pies, a rutabega pudding and a turkey and stuffing. Will you please come to my quarters and share them with me?'
'Well, I thought you'd never ask!' said the Doctor. 'I don't mind if I do.'
The doctor and Chakotay were just cutting the first piece of pecan pie when they heard voices outside Chakotay's quarters.
'Yoohoo, Chakotay!' called Samantha Wildman. 'YOOHOO! I told Neelix and Naomi about your two pies, and they suggested we bring our jello salad and rice croquettes and eat Thanksgiving dinner together.'
'Yoohoo, Chakotay,' called B'Elanna. 'YOOHOO! I told Harry and Seven and Tuvok (yes, we invited him, too) about your turkey and rutabega pudding and your pumpkin pie and your pecan pie, and they all suggested that we bring over the potatoes and cranberry sauce and eat Thanksgiving dinner together.'
'Yoohoo, Chakotay,' called Kathryn. 'YOOHOO! What is everyone doing here? Don't they know Thanksgiving is a day you should spend with your closest friends?'
'Don't you know that a friend is someone you lets you have the pleasure of giving?' asked the Doctor.
'Don't you know that we are all practically family anyway?' asked B'Elanna.
'Don't you know all this food is waiting to be eaten?' asked Commander Chakotay.
So they all sat down to a scrumptious Thanksgiving dinner. Kathryn put down the phaser rifle and took off the jacket, which was a little bit too big, and sat at the head of the table. Chakotay sat down next to her. And all the way around the table sat B'Elanna, Tom, Harry, Seven, Tuvok, Naomi, Samantha, and Neelix. They ate turkey and stuffing and cranberry sauce, and rice croquettes, and rutabega pudding and jello salad, and mashed potatoes, and finished up with the pumpkin pie and the pecan pie.
And they all felt very full.