One Moment in Time

By The Purple Goddess

Rated G

"Captain?"

His soft voice called out to me.

"Yes, Chakotay?"

"Would you like to dance?"

Such an innocent offer.

Could he see that my protective protocol walls had been crumbling for some time now? He chipped away at them so patiently, so diligently. I fear they could fall at any moment.

I recently had been starting to acknowledge my feelings and ached for his touch; any small caress. I touched him more frequently during duty shifts and I know he felt the change. I was beginning to not trust myself standing next to him on the bridge, what would I do wrapped in his arms?

I couldn't take the chance.

"Um…"

Gods Kathryn, think!

"Actually, Commander, I was just leaving. I have the Alpha shift, so I…."

He was moving close. He was definitely in my personal space. I gasped at the heat I could feel between our bodies. Could he hear my heart beating?

"Kathryn, please. Just dance with me."

He offered his hand to me. If only that was all. His eyes betrayed him. If only I would say 'yes' he would offer his entire life to me.

I willingly put my hand into his and let him lead me across the sparsely populated dance floor.

The slow steady music began as Chakotay stopped in the middle of the floor and pulled me into his arms. He held me at a respectable distance for a Captain and a Commander, but if anyone would have just looked at us they would have seen what wasn't being said.

His eyes bore into me and I let them. They conveyed such admiration and love. I could handle the admiration that I pretended was a result of our working relationship, but it was the love I didn't know how to deal with. It was always so close to the surface. He only let it show when he deemed it appropriate. Apparently this was one of those times. I was quickly melting into him like some schoolgirl. I took my eyes off of Chakotay's to look around the ballroom and get my bearings.

I saw many groups of my crew gathered together, talking and laughing. My eyes fell upon Tom and B'Ellana dancing a short distance from where Chakotay and I now swayed. B'Elanna smiled at me and then let her eyes fall back to Tom's. He smiled at her and I could see him whisper "I love you" just before he pulled her close to him for a kiss.

Jealousy found it's way into my heart. I let out the sigh that had been building for years.

My attention quickly came back to Chakotay when I felt him pull me closer. We weren't dancing like a command team anymore. Before I could control my actions, my head fell against his chest. That's when I heard his sigh.

I looked back to Tom and B'Elanna. They were still kissing, oblivious to the eyes watching them.

"They look happy don't they?"

I turned my face into his chest.

"Who?" I whispered.

I knew exactly who he meant. The two people I had been staring at. The two people who were most obviously in love.

"Tom and B'Elanna."

He lifted his hand to my face and tucked a few loose strands of hair behind my ear.

I raised my head to look into his eyes. I found him looking down at me with a knowing smile on his face.

He spoke quietly to me.

"He loves her."

I lifted my hand to caress his cheek.

"and she loves him."

Chakotay brushed my forehead with the whisper of a kiss and I lay my head back down onto his shoulder.

Everything was perfect, everything was right.

I didn't want to think about the confessions we had just made, the long night I would spend alone, or tomorrow morning on the bridge. He was here, holding me in his arms and everything was right. I was going relish it, if only for one moment in time.

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