A/n: Hi! This story is back by popular demand! Thanks so much for the support everyone, please review again! :D This is set about three years after chapter one.
The balmy Californian summer sun, slowly sinking behind the spectacularly steep and lush hills which characterised this part of Earth, made the lines of delicate lights strung between the pristine white tent and the flower covered altar under which a couple had been married just a few hours before glitter mesmerizingly down on the array of guests relaxed out on the lawn. A gentle evening breeze made some of the men who'd shrugged off their tuxedo or uniform jackets in the earlier heat slip them loosely back over their shoulders before laying back down on the grass to chat about old times or flirt with the women, but the appearance of a young girl running excitedly from the tent, her strawberry blonde hair running freely down her back. "Come back in! She's going to throw the bouquet!"
Despite knowing the girl was sincere, they'd all known her since birth after all, there were several raised eyebrows and murmured comments as the group moved under the cover of the tent as one, "Wouldn't Seven think that's irrelevant?"
"I called them all back in." Naomi reported breathlessly as she returned to the front of the tent.
The groom, Chakotay, smiled at her gratefully, "Thanks Naomi." He turned back to his new wife at the sound of her sigh. "What's wrong honey?"
Seven smiled at the concern in his voice, how could anything really be wrong today? "Nothing." She assured him quickly but glanced down at the large bouquet of roses in her hands, "I just still don't understand how my throwing these at someone could possibly predict their marital fortunes."
"That's exactly what I said!" B'Elanna laughed in agreement from nearby, looking resplendent in her flowing strapless bridesmaid dress of chiffon.
"Hey, it worked for us back then…eventually." Chakotay pointed out to Seven, smiling fondly at the memory.
"Oh yeah! I forgot Seven caught your bouquet B'Elanna!" Harry laughed.
"How could you?" Tom asked incredulously, "Don't you remember her face when she caught it?" He beamed suddenly at the newlywed couple in realisation, "Hey, it worked! You two are the first couple to be married since B'Elanna and me!" He wrapped an arm around his own wife's waist as Chakotay and Seven both nodded, "We must be lucky B'Elanna…" He whispered seductively in her ear as she giggled.
"We must be…" She replied, leaning in for a kiss.
"Yucky!" Miral's disgusted exclamation broke them sheepishly apart as the other adults laughed.
"Wait and see until you've got kids, then you won't laugh so much!" Tom retorted teasingly.
"We probably still will!" Harry said before turning back to Seven and Chakotay, "You'll have to do a garter toss too, since Chakotay caught that at Tom and B'Elanna's wedding, wow you two were doubly predicted!"
"Yeah…" Chakotay began to agree before spotting Seven's arched eyebrow.
"You never informed me of that part of the tradition, or your involvement in it, at the time." She reminded him mildly.
"I know, I didn't want to freak you out too much." He told her with an awkward blush.
"I didn't believe in such things, but then I didn't think anyone would ever want to marry me either." Seven said softly, a sad note in her voice as she ran a hand gently up his face. "Thank you…"
He took her hand in his own and kissed it, "No, thank you. You're even more beautiful now than you were that night." He whispered against her skin.
"I should be, I'm happier than I ever have been." She replied, her face becoming thoughtful as she saw their two matching new rings gleaming in the dying sunlight. "I suppose the tradition isn't quite as irrational as I first thought." She admitted, tightening her grip around the slim stems as she heard the crowd now gathering behind her hold their breaths in anticipation.
The sudden restraining grasp of two small arms around her skirt stopped her just as she was about to throw. "What is it Miral?" She asked kindly as she looked down at the owner of the arms.
"I wanna thwow, I wanna thwow!" The toddler demanded, tugging at her skirt.
"Miral honey…" Tom began to chastise but couldn't stop a chortle of laughter from leaving his throat when he saw his daughter's put out face, "You'll get to do it when you get married…"
"No, now!" Miral said determinedly, stamping her foot encased in its white patent sandal. "Pwease Auntie Seven? Pwease!" she pleaded with wide eyes.
"If you wish Miral." Seven agreed readily, smiling at her guests' shocked face as she picked the fourteen mouth old up, "It's irrelevant to me, not so to Miral it seems!" Laughter bubbled through the room as she positioned Miral so that their hands were together over the bouquet, though it was her hand that provided most of the strength that propelled it into the air and straight onto Admiral Janeway's lap, whose eyes shot straight to her date even as she blushed, a distinguished, ruggedly handsome and jovial Admiral Glenn, who beamed at her even though the embarrassment.
"Good choice my love." Chakotay murmured in her ear as he wrapped her arms around her waist from behind.
"Seven, someone didn't explain to you where a garter is supposed to go?" Chakotay asked Seven incredulously as he lifted her skirt slightly in front of the whistling crowd and saw it just above her shoe, barely on her ankle.
"Yes." Seven answered, "But since it's not actually holding anything up and I'd prefer you undress me later in private…" She returned his immediate grin, his disappointment gone.
"You'd better keep that promise, or else I might feel cheated…" Chakotay said huskily as he distractedly pulled the garter over her shoe and threw it haplessly behind him before taking her fully in his arms and kissing her to make up for the very short garter game.
"You have good aim." Seven complimented him when he pulled back. "Admiral Glenn has a lot to thank us for, they've moved from flirting to dancing." She pointed out to him where Glenn, holding her garter, led Janeway eagerly out onto the dance floor.
Chakotay raised an eyebrow at her, "Since when did you start to notice flirting?"
"Since you starting flirting with me." She admitted.
"Well, I think we've also moved on to the dancing stage, don't you?" he asked with a smile as he kissed her again.
"Another tradition for married couples I think." Seven said as she stood up, earning a beaming smile from him.
A/n: PLEASE REVIEW! :D