"A Little Walk"

By Coral

Disclaimer: Star Trek Voyager and all characters therein belong to Paramount. No infringement is intended by their use in this story.

Story Index J/C Stories Gateway Email Coral

"It's beautiful," Kathryn Janeway - once Captain of the Intrepid Starship Voyager - breathed as she turned slowly, drinking in the calm and peace of the evening. A gentle fragrance was swept along by the same breezes that set the leaves of the trees rustling, creating whispers that seemed to pass on secret messages that one could understand, if one could only discover the key.

"Isn't it," Chakotay agreed, watching her instead of the scenery. If she was aware of his attention or the secondary meaning of his words, there was no obvious sign of it. Her attention was now focused on the stars above them, her eyes searching intently.

"I keep - expecting to see her," Kathryn murmured, face still turned to the star studded night sky.

"Her?" Chakotay queried, his own eyes never leaving Kathryn, carefully noting the way the moonlight glinted off her hair. He was glad he'd been able to drag her away from her seemingly endless experiments for once - he loved being with her like this; watching her become totally absorbed in something.

"Voyager." With obvious effort, she pulled her attention back to the worldly from the heavenly; one slender hand reached up to lightly finger a blossoming branch, setting cascaded of fragile yellow petals drifting to the ground. "No matter how perfect life is here..."

"...Voyager was home?" Chakotay finished. 

Kathryn nodded sadly. "I look at the sky, expecting to see her, and then it hits me... I'm stuck here."

"With stuck here with me, you mean."

"No offense," she said with a wry smile.

"None taken."

Silence. Somewhere, a nocturnal bird called. The only other sounds disturbing the silence were the whisperings of the trees and the babbling of a far off brook. Everything else was still, drawn into the peace of the night. Janeway turned her back to Chakotay, willing herself to ignore his gaze on her. Alone together, she understood at an intellectual level the bond that was sure to form between them. On an emotional level, she wasn't certain she was ready for this change in their relationship.

How big a change would it be anyway? A niggling suspision told her that there would be only an acknowledgement of mutual feeling, rather than a major change. It was a thought that scared her, and thrilled her.

"Do you know what day it is?" Chakotay asked.

The odd question drew her out of her reverie. "Excuse me?"

"By Earth's calendar?"

"No - but I have a feeling you're about to enlighten me," she said, turning around to be greeted by Chakotay's playful smile.

"You're right. It's February fourteenth."

"What's so special about-" Janeway began. "Oh." Then, as the thought sunk in... "Oh."

Chakotay sat down on a large boulder, watching in amusement as she blushed slightly. she looked anywhere but at him, he noted with an inward sigh. Didn't she realise after all this time how much she meant to him? He'd known ever since their first encounter that there was something special between them, but first Mark, and then her damned protocol, had been conspiring to keep them apart. After the reality of their situation here had finally sunk in, he had begun to appreciate the chance to develop what they had without any other concerns coming between them.

But that hadn't happened. Chakotay was starting to realise that maybe her protestations - actually, hardly protestations, but carefully dropped phrases - had been excuses for a committment she was unprepared - unwilling? - to make. But oh, how he wished...

Deep in his own thoughts, he hadn't noticed her sit down next to him. Her head now rested on his shoulder and her breathing was deep and even.

"Kathryn?" Chakotay whispered, wondering if he was dreaming.

"Hm?" she replied sleepily.

"Are you falling asleep there? You look very... comfortable," Chakotay said.

"Not asleep.. just relaxed. Safe." Pause. "Happy."

"Right.. right. Right."

Maybe there was hope yet, Chakotay reflected. And there was time. All the time in the world...