DISCLAIMER: Everything of any worth belongs to Paramount.

Part 12 – Before the Dawn

Kathryn Janeway had slept for almost a full five hours, before she awoke in her bed, blinking at the brightness of the light in her room. She didn't remember getting to bed. The last thing she remembered was B'Elanna telling her the thing she had feared the most had actually happened to Chakotay. As she looked around the room, she hoped with desperation that it was all one of those awful bad dreams that she had been having of late. But as her eyes rested on the figure sat in the armchair across the room, embroiled in the battered copy of Ishigawa she had come across in her office after she had taken over from Admiral Reyner, she knew that it was true.

"Jean-Luc?" she croaked.

"Good morning," he replied as cheerily as he could muster, but the quietness of his voice told her that he didn't believe his own words. It was not a good morning.

"Is there a reason that you are sat in my bedroom," Janeway asked trying to push herself up to sit against the headboard. Exhaustion still pervaded in all of her muscles, and after a minute of letting the woman try herself, Picard placed the book on the dressing table and rose to help her. Part of Kathryn wanted to yell that she was perfectly capable of sitting herself up, but she knew in truth that she wasn't. She accepted the gentle help of her friend, and with relief, slumped back against the head board.

Picard sat on the edge of the bed and reached for the glass of water that he had placed on the night stand during his vigil and helped her take a few salving sips. Janeway held the glass between shaking hands, but didn't take it from Picard. He steadied the glass for her as she raised it again for another sip.

"It's true isn't it," she finally whispered as he placed the glass back down again.

He nodded quietly before he answered

"I didn't want you to wake up here alone," he offered.

If Kathryn heard his words, she didn't acknowledge them. The darkness she had felt last night crept through her again. She felt cold and empty. And very much alone.

Part of her didn't understand why she felt so lonely. It was she who had separated them, and she had not felt anything like the loneliness that she felt now.

"It's because you knew he was still around," Picard volunteered, and Kathryn suddenly realised that she must have mumbled her thoughts aloud.

Kathryn's gaze shot to Picard. He smiled and gently squeezed her hand.

"What am I supposed to do now without him," she whispered, a fresh round of tears welling in her eyes.

"Carry on. Make his sacrifice mean something," Jean –Luc offered, but he doubted very much that he could have believed his own words if he were in her place.

"I don't think I can," Kathryn cried, the tears now falling.

"You can," Picard smiled," if you can beat the Borg queen, you can beat this."

"That's just it," Kathryn argued, half dabbing at the tears that fell," I beat them because he was there. I would never have managed without him. Any of it."

Picard nodded understandingly. He knew that the battles he had fought in the past, both public and private had been survived purely because he had had the support of those closest to him, Will, Geordi, Worf, Deanna, Data and, of course, Beverly. He had no doubts that without each of them, he would not have won any of them. But he doubted that she would want to hear placations like that at the moment, so he settled for offering her some time alone.

"How about you take a bath, I'll fix some breakfast. Then we can talk if… you want ".

Kathryn tried to find support in his words; she did understand the intentions of them. But solace in a bath was the last thing she felt she wanted now. She was about to say no, and pull rank to enforce it if needs be, but she saw a look in Jean-Luc that reminded her so much of Chakotay's fussing over her, that she could not help but nod in agreement.

Tuvok sat watching the last of the security tapes for the dozenth time. The material on them was limited to the few surveillance cameras that watched over the talks, and limited to what little the cameras had uploaded to the main server in the capital city before the detonation. It showed Chakotay entering the building, leading a security detail that was assigned to the Federation envoy. He knew that Captain Riker had assigned Captain Chakotay specifically for his impartiality in the talks being undertaken, as well as his extensive set of diplomacy skills. Chakotay looked serious, but Tuvok had many years of personal experience to know that Chakotay always took his duties seriously. Although there had not been much friendship between them, and to an extent there had been open hostility when Chakotay has first learned of Tuvok's deception to the Maquis, they had fostered an effective working relationship, enough for the Vulcan to observe normal activity from Voyager's captain. The security team with Chakotay had arrived with the envoy, and Tuvok judged them to be competent if not especially noteworthy in their duties. He had been relieved though, when Chakotay had been assigned to the team. His skills, learned in Starfleet security training as well as maquis warfare, were unparalleled in Tuvok's opinion.

As before, Chakotay detailed a couple of the guards to the perimeter, as he and the rest followed the envoy in. The guards began their patrol and then the recording ended.

And now as before with every other viewing, Tuvok was convinced that something wasn't right. In a few days, the closest friend that he had ever known would be here, and her grief would demand a better answer. And he would move heaven and earth to get it for her. But it wasn't here, Tuvok noted to himself as he pushed away from the station he had been working at. Tuvok left the security office that had once been his sanctum, and was now swathed in Harry Kim's artefacts of cultural significance. He noted the Buster Kincaid pistol from Tom Paris' Captain Proton programmes and not for the first time, wondered what cultural significance that it could possibly have. It was however a matter for another time, he rationalised as he stepped into a turbolift that deposited him on the bridge.

He descended the familiar steps to the command well, to find Paris seated in the command chair. He looked tired, but he seemed every inch the captain he had become. He did not experience pride, but he knew that Kathryn Janeway did, and she had, in her own words, been prouder than hell when Tom had made first officer. Who was Tuvok to argue with that?

"Captain, if I may?" he asked, approaching Tom.

There was a time, Tom felt, that he would have loved superseding Tuvok in rank and inflicting all the reprimands and punishments that Tuvok had once visited on him. But those times had long gone. 65,000 light years of the Delta Quadrant had changed him, not to mention the support and love he had found in the crew that had travelled that quadrant.

"Of course," Tom said, indicating the empty seat at the first officer's position, that he realised he would soon have to look for a replacement for. Tuvok sat as stiffly as usual before continuing.

"I do not believe that we have received the entirety of the security tapes from the Romulans," he ventured.

"What makes you think that?" Tom asked, intrigued.

"They claim to only have three cameras monitoring the area from the outside."

"And….." Tom pushed, sensing the 'but'.

"Romulans are by nature a suspicious and paranoid. They would be looking for an upper hand in everything. And for that they would need information. Information they would not get from three external observation cameras."

"You think there are some they didn't give us the recordings for?" Tom summarised.

"A great many. I am sure that at least they would look at observing every delegation."

Tom nodded agreement, looked briefly away at the Romulan homeworld circling on the viewer, a thousand thoughts racing. He then stood decisively turning to Ayala.

"Find me Toral, Mike," he ordered and turned back to stand before the view screen. Toral's image appeared on it. The attaché looked flustered, as equally dishevelled and anxious as he had previously been the epitome of calm and good personal grooming.

"Commander Paris, may I help?" He asked, breath a little ragged as if he had rushed to answer the unexpected call.

" Yes you can Toral," Paris replied, his voice level and cool, yet laced with the unmistakable anger that vented his grief " you can get me those missing security tapes before I bring the wrath of god down on you."

"There are missing tapes?" Toral echoed. His eyes unmistakeably darted left once or twice. Neither Tuvok nor Paris missed it.

" Several, " Tuvok added, noting the glare Toral was receiving from Paris in repose to the Romulan's poor act of obfuscation " and I do believe there would be significant political damage done to the peace and reconstruction talks, if it were to come to light that full access was not given to resolve the murders of Captain Chakotay and the delegation."

Toral looked to one side again as Marek, Toral's senior officer entered view. Tuvok noted the anxiety wash from the attaché as his superior took over.

"That is a substantial allegation," Marek argued, seemingly nonplussed by the glare that Tom gave him, the anger that ebbed from the Captain's clenched fists.

"I'm prepared to debate it if you are," Tom argued back, swallowing his anger in a perfect mask of calm that impressed Tuvok. Tuvok watched as Tom turned to Ayala "hail the federation diplomatic corps, and ask them to include President Bacco in the call."

"You have no ear to the president," Marek chortled.

"Oh yeah," Tom feigned forgetfulness, "and add my father to that call list."

That seemed to get Marek's attention. He had no doubt reviewed the entire biographies of the command staff before he had allowed Toral to inform them of Chakotay's death.

"Very well."

Marek nodded curtly to Toral. Tuvok moved to the operations station, and confirmed the incoming data packet to Paris.

" Thanks," Tom informed Marek, not breaking eye contact as he spoke over his shoulder," Belay my previous order, Mike."

The screen went blank and the orbit of Romulus appeared below once more.

"See if you can make something out of those recordings," he smiled tiredly at Tuvok.

Tuvok nodded, turned to leave, but stopped and looked up at Paris again.

"An effective piece of negotiation," Tuvok noted, in as much as Vulcan's could note praise.

Tom smiled weakly before he turned and sat again in the command chair. He heard the turbolift door shut, and watched as the helmsman turned back to his station. And Tom noted to himself for the hundredth time that day, he would have given anything right now to be back at Conn, stranded in the delta quadrant.

Kathryn had stood limply in the shower, allowing her fresh tears to mix with the warm water. She had not been able to face a bath; her thoughts kept drifting to the one he had made for her. She had just pulled of her slept in clothes and entered the cubicle. The system was used to her settings. It was a good thing. She was too tired to give it instructions, so it had merely started on her usual settings. She let the water slide over her; she was too tired to lift the cloth to help it. The programme followed its cycle of water and soap solution unaided by her. She had been too tired to bother to wash her hair.

Hair…

She had remembered the last time Chakotay had held her hair. It seemed so long ago now. He had smoothed it between his hands before he had gently laid it over her shoulder. Kathryn's hand had come up to guide the hair, briefly touching his fingers. The charge from them had prickled the hairs on her neck, and she became minutely sensitive to the touch of his fingers when he began to knead her shoulders. The excitement the feel of his hands had elicited was only, barely, outweighed by the wonderful feeling of comfort and contentment that washed over her with each knot he worked out of her shoulders. She could have endured that for hours and was in no hurry for him to stop. But he did, his hands resting, trembling ever so faintly on her shoulders. It had taken her several seconds to notice that he had stopped, as lost as she had been in the moment. But as she did, she turned to look at him and saw such a look of love and desire in his eyes that it had momentarily frightened her in the depth of its desire. She had never been that wanted and her fight or flight reaction had caused her to flee, thanking him for his ministrations before making for the controllable sanctity of her bedroom. It was a moment in their tumultuous relationship that she had always regretted. Would it have been so bad if she had indulged?

She had asked herself the same question as she had lay in her bed. And the need for an answer had driven her out, several hours later, to the living area where he still worked, unable to sleep himself. He had told her that wonderful legend, fraudulent though it was, expressing his desire to make her burdens lighter. She had smiled, weaved her hand into his, and delighted at the bond that is had forged between them. When she had risen to go to bed again, he had too, encircling her in hug. This time her fight or flight had glued her feet soundly to the deck. She returned the embrace, kissed him gently on the cheek and had slept the soundest she had since they had arrived in the delta quadrant.

When Tuvok had returned for her and Chakotay, she had snapped so seriously back into the role of captain it had frightened her. She realised that those three months with Chakotay had allowed her to be Kathryn for a short while. But as soon as she had stepped aboard the ship, she had realised that although she accepted his support in her burdens, she could never be as free in her own life again if she were to get them home.

And so they had returned to their usual routine. She saw the sadness in his eyes at her decision, but also his understanding. He had, she realised, been quiet content to just be near her.

And that was when she had opened her eyes, wide and sudden. She climbed out of the shower, and thrown on a robe, not particularly cognizant of her state of undress as she thundered down the stairs in search of Picard.

Picard had made a pot of coffee, but he doubted Kathryn would have wanted breakfast, and he certainly wasn't hungry. He poured a mug as he heard her descend the stairs. She quietly walked into the kitchen, a smaller and frailer figure than Picard had ever known her. Her long hair, wet and barely towel dried, flowed down the back of the dressing gown she had thrown on when she had had exited the shower.

"I want to go to Romulus," she stated as soon as she entered the kitchen.

Picard said nothing, just smiled. The lack or argument, bluster or counter proposal stunned her into silence, dashing her hastily rehearsed speech.

"Why are you smiling?" she asked.

She didn't smile, but her eyes narrowed suspiciously. Her lips began to purse as she waited for a reply that was not forthcoming. Picard just smiled. He waited for the truth to dawn.

"That's why you're here, isn't it," she finally added.

"Commander Paris though you would want to go," Picard offered.

Janeway fashioned a faint smile for what seemed like the first time in weeks.

"Thank you, Tom," she muttered to herself as she sank back against the worktop. "When can we leave?"

"As soon as you are ready," Picard smiled, handing her a coffee.

She sipped some of the dark liquid, but it didn't seem to offer the sense of comfort and energy that it normally offered her. It has always been a prop to her daily routine. Now it seemed to have abandoned her too.

"Now then," she replied standing straight and putting down the coffee cup. She told herself that she owed it to Chakotay to attend the memorial service that would undoubtedly be held for him. She told herself that it was her responsibility to lead the commemoration of his years of strong and solid service to get them home. The truth was, she just needed to be near him. Correction, she told herself, she desperately needed to be near him, in any way possible.

Picard lifted the travel bag he had packed.

"You packed my things?" Janeway asked, a surprised eyebrow doing a fair impression of Tuvok.

"It seems Mr Paris thought you wouldn't want to hang around," Picard smiled.

Janeway smiled, and reached out to place a thankful palm on her friend's chest. Her breath caught as she did it. How many times had she done that to Chakotay?

"Two years ago I didn't think we would ever work together. Now I can't imagine a day without you," she remembered telling Chakotay as she had placed a palm on his chest. It had been the thing that had struck her most when they had separated after that night on the pontoon. She thought command had been a lonely venture when she was in the Delta Quadrant. Without her crew, and more importantly, Chakotay, she had found herself father from home in Headquarters than she had ever felt 65,000 light years away in the Delta Quadrant.

"Kathryn?" Picard nudged her gently.

Janeway returned to the present. She wiped a stray tear from the corner of her eye as she nodded. She couldn't help but smile at the look on Jean-Luc's face. It reminded her of Chakotay and those moments when he had looked at her and his eyes had said 'you can fall apart in grief soon, just hold on for five minutes to we get back to the ship.' Janeway took a deep breath.

"Picard to Enterprise," Jean-Luc called out as he tapped his combadge.

"Worf here,"

"Has Doctor Crusher conveyed my instructions?" Picard asked.

"She has. Everything is ready," Worf replied.

Picard smiled to himself.

"In that case, two to beam…," he took a quick look at Janeway and her state of dress, before adding " ….. to Admiral Janeway' quarters."

Tuvok studied the new transmission from the Romulans. This time the coverage seemed adequate for such paranoid people. They observed the entrances of all the delegates and their entourages. They observed all the confidential conversations between the teams seated around conference table. They had paid particular attention to the federation delegation, to Tuvok's relief. Chakotay had listened intently to the conversations between the envoys, but had always kept his eyes scanning the room. But despite the hours of footage, there was nothing to indicate anything that was already known. He noted the Reman delegation, the determined looks on their reptilian faces. The nervous glances the youngest Reman, a novice warrior perhaps no more than eighteen years of age. Tuvok had watched Chakotay's observations of the Remans, but Chakotay did not seem too concerned at the young Reman's behaviour. There was a time in the past, Tuvok would have criticised the Captain for his overriding faith in a world that seldom warranted it. But years together had changed his opinion of the Captain, as well as taught Tuvok the perfect nature of 20/20 hind sight.

Still, despite all the footage he had viewed, the seeming indisputable evidence of Reman sabotage, Tuvok felt a nagging sense of unease that there was still something that he was just missing.

Closing his eyes for a brief moment of meditation on the issue, Tuvok began the play of the tapes again.

The three day trip to Romulus had passed in a blur. Kathryn had watched the stars streak by. She didn't realise how much she had missed them being planet side for the last year or so. They had been such a part of her life for so many years, the measure of time and distance for all of them, that she had found it difficult at first to sleep in that spartan apartment of hers without the dance of fleeting light they had painted against the inner bulkheads of her quarters.

Janeway had eaten only when Picard or Dr Crusher had arrived at her quarters to badger, goad or order her into eating. Crusher had administered a regular dose of the cocktail of vitamins and electrolyte balancers that her patient needed to recover from the poor state of health she had descended herself into.

She had thought of Chakotay every minute, and willed the ship to go faster every time.

Tom Paris had been the one who, more than any other aboard, had believed in and hoped for a resolution of feelings for his former captain and commander. He had hoped, more than any other, that they would find as much happiness out there as he had with B'Elanna. He had never understood Janeway's preoccupation with parameters in her relationship with Chakotay. He didn't understand how it was possible to maintain parameters in a relationship that was as obviously perfect as it was. He doubted Chakotay would have followed orders, or failed to anticipate her every need any less if they had committed fully to a relationship. But that was the way Janeway had needed it in order to function, and given her success at getting them home, he couldn't argue with that.

He smiled warmly as her small and somehow frailer frame appeared before him on the transporter pad. She had stepped forward, and surprisingly drawn Paris into a hug.

"Permission to come aboard, Captain?" she asked as she hugged him.

"Granted, always," Tom smiled, returning the hug, albeit somewhat stiffly.

"Thank you, for everything" she whispered into his uniform jacket as he wrapped his arms around her.

They had separated after a brief moment, before Janeway had slipped her arm through Tom's and, linked, they had left the transporter room.

"We have your old quarters prepared for you. Chakotay kept his old room. Do you want to join me for lunch or freshen up first?"

Janeway looked up at him in an uncharacteristically shy and uncertain manner.

"Would it be possible for me to stay in Chakotay's quarters?" she asked Tom.

Funny as it sounded, it didn't seem a strange request to him.

"Are you sure that is what you want?" Tom asked.

"I don't know," she smiled," but it's what I need. I thought I might pack his things."

"OK, " Tom nodded.

And as the doors closed on the turbolift and a raincheck for dinner later issued, Tom called out for Deck Two.

No one was more surprised to wake up and find themselves alive, than Chakotay. He awoke back in his cell, bathed again in absolute darkness. He sat up against the wall, and was surprised to feel no pain. From what he remembered of the last time he had been conscious, he had fully expected to be aching from every inch of his body. But his ribs seemed re-knit already, and his jaw moved with no pain. Smiling at the rather thorough work of who ever had fixed him up, Chakotay slumped against the damp wall.

"What the hell is going on?" he whispered into the darkness.

He tried to conjure up the image of Kathryn in his head, but she wouldn't come. For the first time since had first seen her standing before him, he felt alone. And scared.

A glowing orb suddenly sprang to glaring life, and revealed to Chakotay a shadowed form sat in the corner. The form slowly stood, and stepped in to the light. It was a youngish woman, un-characteristically blond, with ice blue eyes. And she was Romulan. Suddenly things seemed to be making a lot more sense.

"I am Sub Commander Sela of the Tal-Shiar," she said icily.

Chakotay had a feeling by the insignia on her uniform that she was nothing of the sort. But he didn't feel that now was the time to bring it up.

"I thought I was in the captivity of the Remans," Chakotay replied, his voice hoarser than he thought. His mouth and throat dry. It had been a while he surmised, since he had had liquid then.

"Ah. Meet Jenzar…..and Herat, " she motioned, and two hulking Reman soldiers stepped from the other shadows. " My guards. The time seems to have passed where one could rely on the unfaltering loyalty of a fellow Romulan."

"I'm heartbroken," Chakotay sighed," What do you want with me?"

"You are unique here, Captain," Sela smiled, her grin somewhere between menacing and pure evil.

"How do you figure that?" Chakotay replied, looking from her to her guards. He sized them up and realised that he didn't have a chance in hell of getting out of here this way,

"You have been absent from events of this quadrant for some years. Your opinion is valued because of your neutrality,"

"I think you over rate the situation," Chakotay chuckled.

"Perhaps," Sela noted,"but I'm sure your death will greatly encourage Admiral Janeway to withdraw all federation voices from here and the border worlds.

"Kathryn?" he chuckled, "You did this to get at Kathryn. "

"Not exactly get at," Sela argued," influence perhaps."

"Then your information is very out of date," Chakotay sighed. "I haven't see Kathryn in months. We didn't exactly part on the best of terms. She probably won't have bothered to see if I am dead or alive after that explosion."

"Now I think it is you who over rate the situation," Sela noted. "I hope to influence the political situation in the long term to ensure breathing room for my people. But if I'm not successful at that, I will at least have gained the strategic plans of the federation and the access codes to your communications network. It will aid us in our invasion plans."

"From what I heard, the last invasion you tried to stage didn't go too well," Chakotay chuckled.

He saw Sela flinch with rage, and he smiled even more broadly. There was no doubt that he was not going to survive this. But he would be damned if he'd give them what they wanted before he died. It probably wasn't wise to aggravate this Sela, but he had reasoned that if he was going to die he would rather get it over with sooner rather than later, on his terms. He smiled again. He was sounding more like Kathryn by the day.

"I have read your file, Captain," Sela noted, coolly. "You are not an idiot. Some of your campaigns as a Maquis were the product of genius, Chakotay. Your strategic skills and your battle skills are worthy of the best Romulan generals."

"Oh insult me," he chuckled," That'll work."

He had been here before, seven or so years ago in the Delta Quadrant, with Seska trying to flatter him into providing him with the command codes for Voyager. It hadn't worked then and he would be damned if it would work now.

This was about the last thought he had before Sela rammed her foot between his legs into his lower torso, crunching the soft tissue there. Chakotay's gut knotted , turned inside out in sudden pain and the stars shot upwards, swimming in his head and vision and he slumped sideways, hands belatedly covering the area of damage. Chakotay's breath came in ragged gasps as he fought for control over the pain. When the white veil had dropped from his eyes again, he pushed himself up to sitting again.

"Thanks for that," he half chuckled, half winced," that got rid of that itch."

Sela considered kicking him again, but his blatant bravado, she realised, was just to antagonise her into giving him a quick death. She had no plans of fulfilling that wish. Yet.

"We'll talk again later, Captain," Sela almost hissed.

"Look forward to it," Chakotay smiled, but as soon as the door screeched shut again, he slid back over sideways and let the pain wash over him again. His eyes welled up with tears, and he felt he was beginning to cry when he felt a warm hand on his chest.

"Hey," his mirage of Kathryn smiled at him.

"Hey," he winced back.

"You've looked better," his mirage smiled at him.

"You look better than ever," he smiled.

"Charmer," she chuckled," get some sleep. I think tomorrow is going to be a long day."

"Kiss me," he smiled up at his mirage. His mirage's smile faded slightly.

"You know I can't do that," the mirage replied," there are parameters."

He half chuckled, half snorted at the response, but did as he was told. He turned over and his head span. Whether from the pain of Sela's kick, the remains of his beating earlier or his thirst and hunger, he wasn't sure. And as he drifted off to sleep, he decided he really didn't care.

Tom had stayed with her a while, as uneasy being uninvited in Chakotay quarters as she was. But the unease had faded as they had looked through Chakotay's sand pictures together. Much as the EMH had been snap happy with his holo-camera during those moments of note in their journey, it seemed Chakotay had painted. There were detail perfect paintings of Tom and B'Elanna, Neelix, Naomi and Sam, as well as Harry. He had used his photographic memory to capture some of the events, good and bad, that Voyager had endured over the years, some in perfect detail, others for impressionistic. Neither Tom nor Kathryn had any trouble deciphering the black impressions as the Borg, the red ones as the Hirogen. Part of Kathryn claimed victory in that there were no paintings of Seven, as much as she stilled cared deeply for her second reclamation project. She gripped the hand of her first reclamation project, as Tom had opened a box that contained Chakotay's paintings and memorise of Kathryn.

Squeezing the hand that had been thrust into his gently, Tom had promised to check back on her later. Kathryn looked into the box, and as she pulled one item out after the other, she unravelled the entire history of their relationship. She saw keepsakes from New Earth, small sand paintings he had made of their home there, the life they had just begun to carve out for themselves. Kathryn's breath was caught by one he had painted of her checking her traps for the insect that had infected them. Her face was the mask of concentration and determination. She had been so consumed in her work, that she hadn't even seen him there.

"That just about sums up our relationship," she muttered aloud," he was always there and I never saw him."

She felt tears well up again, and she dabbed the back of her hand to her eyes again. She continued to look through the box, humbled by the sheer depths of his love the emanated from the articles. He had kept every birthday present she had ever given him, except one. The last year of their journey, she had asked him what he had wanted for his birthday. He had told her nothing, he already had everything that he would ever want. He had, she thought back, meant her, but his birthday had fallen not long after the incident on Quarra, and she had missed his subtext in her dealings with her own loss. Nevertheless, she had gotten him a present. She had made the ultimate sacrifice, traded her coffee rations to replicate him a paper bag with a very specific recipe in side.

"Jelly Bears?" he asked, a broad smile on his face.

"My father asked me one year what I wanted for my birthday. I told him I had everything I needed," Kathryn smiled fondly.

"Even though there was something you wanted?" Chakotay guessed.

"Yes, and my father knew it. So he bought me jelly bears instead, to teach me we should always make our intentions clear, good and bad, and not just assume every one knows exactly what we want," she smiled.

"Did you heed the lesson?"

Kathryn's smile broadened.

"Absolutely!" she laughed, "I never made that mistake again. But….."

Her voice drifted away.

"But what?" Chakotay pushed.

"That was the birthday I enjoyed the most," she smiled wistfully," the best damn present I ever had."

Chakotay had smiled, opened the paper bag again and extracted two jelly bears. He popped one in his mouth and the other he gestured for Kathryn to open her mouth for. She did and he gently placed the bear between her teeth.

"Then this will be the best birthday I have ever had," he smiled, grinning widely and reaching for another jelly bear.

Admiral Janeway smiled, and replaced the bag and his other things into the box. Exhausted, the streaks of tears once again lining her face, she stood and moved to Chakotay's bedroom. Ever the neatness lover compared to the clutter happy quarters she had formerly occupied next door, she was not surprised that he had made his bed and tidied his dirty uniforms to the refresher. Smiling, she lay down on top of the cover, mashing the pillows around her face. They smelt of Chakotay. She inhaled deeply, and this time made no efforts to stymie the tears that flowed. She let them fall, as if experiencing the depths of her grief for the first time. She willed herself to try and sleep. Tomorrow was the commemoration ceremony, the most closure they would all have until Starfleet officially declared Chakotay dead. And she still had much of his quarters to pack.

"Good night, Chakotay," she said into the darkness as the lights dimmed and then blinked out.

Chakotay had been sleeping when the doors screeched and Sela's guards barged in and kicked him awake. His ribs crunched yet again, and he felt a sharp pain on his left side when he breathed in. he was pretty sure his lung had been nicked by that rib, and as each intake of breath got harder and harder, he became doubly sure of it.

"I told you not to hurt him," Sela barked as she entered to see Chakotay clutching his left side and breathing raspingly.

"It was not our fault," Jenzar retorted, and he felt the full force of the back of Sela's hand across his chiselled jaw. He felt no physical pain at what was, to a Reman, an ineffectual blow. But his pride was well and truly beaten.

"His species is fragile," Herat offered. Sela didn't lash out at Herat.

"You shouldn't play favourites," Chakotay taunted Sela, his knowing tone trying to convey a deeper understanding of the situation than he actually had.

She was obviously fonder of Herat. He seemed to take no warning from Jenzar's beating, and he received no chastising blow from Sela at his defence of his friend. She merely glared at him, to which he didn't flinch. Chakotay didn't doubt that Sela was in command here, but he had a funny feeling that in private alone together, they were equals. Sela landed Chakotay with an icy glare, before she turned to Herat again.

"Go to Tarasyn, find another doctor," she ordered Herat," this had better be the last time we need one. Anymore and the disappearances will begin to alarm the local authorities. The provincial patrols are inept, but even they will not fail to notice the disappearance of four doctors now."

Herat nodded curtly, and followed Jenzar and Sela from the cell. Chakotay leaned awkwardly back against the cell wall again. He tried to take slower breaths, so as not tax his remaining lung. His injured one had collapsed as he had listened to Sela and Herat, but he had been intent on listening to the conversation, and loathe to give anything away.

So, he said as he took another breath, he was still on Romulus. Tarasyn was a small provincial town, a few hundred kilometres south of the Romulan capital. It was beyond the patrol regiments of the praetorians guards of the city, and far enough away from the major military facilities that it classified as the middle of nowhere by Romulan standards. He was miles from where Voyager expected him to be, so he had little chance of rescue, not that he had expected it anymore. And if, by pure miracle alone, he managed to escape from his cell, he would not find suitable help within a hundred kilometres.

The other fact he had depressingly learned was that his continued health had cost three Romulan doctor's their lives, as he had quickly surmised that after each tending to him, they executed the doctor so that he could not give information. Soon, he would be the cause of a fourth if Herat was successful in Tarasyn. Whatever Sela was up to, she obviously didn't have access to the normal resources for this kind of venture. That warmed Chakotay and chilled him at the same time. He was gratified that the Romulan government had nothing to do with this and that it would not undermine the talks that were sure begin again soon, despite what Sela thought Kathryn would do. It chilled him because the lack of government involvement meant that there would be no trail for anyone to follow if they still believed him alive.

"Positive thoughts, Chakotay," he chided himself as he sat and waited, hoping Herat would not find another doctor who would die because of him.

Kathryn had asked Tom to arrange the gathering in the mess hall. She had also asked that they come as his friends, not as his colleagues, eschewing uniforms, rank and in Kathryn's case, parameters. She has awoken that morning exhausted, but after looking through and packing a few more things, all of which celebrated Kathryn out of her uniform, she had decided that she owed it to say goodbye to him as Kathryn, not hidden behind the masks of the Captain and Admiral as he had been used to and hated.

She had gone through the bag Jean-Luc had packed for her, but he had kept it formal, just her uniforms, and, she discovered, the entire contents of her drawer.

"A bit overkill, "she had muttered, but smiled when she had realised that Jean-Luc had probably dumped the contents in a flurry of tactical, non contact manoeuvres.

She had sat, wondering what to wear now that she had given the order to abandon formality, when her eyes caught a painting Chakotay had painted of her in the garden. He seemed to have paid loving attention to the details of the pastel yellow dress that she had brought with her to New Earth. That was the inspiration she was looking for. Smiling, she programmed the details of the dress into Chakotay's replicator. Pleased with the result, she laid it carefully on the bed and returned to replicator, thirsty.

"Coffee, black, h-…," she began but stopped herself, "belay that. Tea, please."

"Please state blend," the replicator soullessly replied.

Kathryn rolled her eyes, wondering why it was only she who suffered so many problems with the replicator. She was considering calling this one another glorified toaster when the answer came to her.

"Darjeeling, with milk." Chakotay had always drunk it, especially when he lambasted her coffee intake. She took a sip, and found the taste pleasanter than the Earl Grey Jean-Luc drank.

"You drink too much coffee."

Her thoughts drifted. She remembered Chakotay hopping up the steps to the couch in her ready room, grinning broadly.

"Do want some or not," Kathryn had chuckled

Chakotay had relented, nodding.

"Please," he replied," milk, two sugars."

"Two sugars!" Kathryn had half-cried half laughed aghast.

Disgusted, she dropped the cubes into the black liquid, passing him the cup and the small milk jug.

"Vile," she shuddered with chuckled as he took it.

"Mine's vile?" he chuckled," yours looks….and tastes, I might add, like liquid deuterium."

Kathryn smiled.

"Wonderful isn't it," she teased him mischievously.

"I give up," he sighed, grinning.

"Well you know what the Borg say, Commander. Resistance is futile."

Laughing she had returned to her liquid deuterium and they had quietly passed the morning with coffee and crew evaluations.

Kathryn pulled her thoughts back to the present.

"You win, Chakotay," she smiled, sadly, toasting the empty room with her cup of tea.

It had been nearly a week since Tuvok had slept. Although Tom knew that Vulcans could go an inordinate amount of time with no rest, he doubted it was very healthy to keep it up for very long. He had keyed the door chime several times to no avail before he used his override, entering the security office with his brow furrowed in concern.

"Tuvok?" he called as he entered.

Somehow he had expected to see Tuvok frantic, on the edge of sanity, the security office a hive of chaos and disorder. Instead it was as neat and tidy as he had seen it when Harry had moved in.

"I did knock," he noted as he approached the desk at which the Vulcan sat.

"My apologies, I was meditating."

Tom nodded.

"As long as you're ok," he added, hoping the leading question would encourage an update from Tuvok.

"I am perfectly, well. Thank you for your concern, sir," Tuvok replied. At the sign of Captain Paris rolling his eyes, Tuvok understood the prevarication of the question he had been asked and added "I was meditating on the information I have obtained from the security recordings. I am certain that there is something that I am missing."

"Like what?" Tom replied, a smile on his face, his interest piqued.

"I am unsure," Tuvok replied.

Tom sighed heavily. Back to square one. He had hoped that they would have a fuller answer for Janeway, but it seemed that sometimes things happened that were beyond their controls. Tom remembered his father calling them quirks of fate. Tom couldn't help feeling that this was one quirk they could have done without. He looked up at Tuvok again; saw his logic contemplating the situation.

"Sometimes you can see the wood for the trees, other times you can't," Tom said sagely," Sometimes neither appears and all you can hear is the wind. There may be no answer to find, Tuvok."

If Tuvok heard him, he didn't acknowledge Tom. Sighing heavily, tiredly, Tom turned to leave. Remembering why he had actually gone to security office, beyond his concern for Tuvok's health, he turned back to face the Vulcan.

"Admiral Janeway has asked for an informal gathering for Chakotay in the mess hall at 1300 hours," he advised the other man.

"I will be there," Tuvok noted.

With his job done here, Tom gave his friend one last look.

"Try and get some sleep before then, Tuvok," he advised before he left the room, trying to decide whether there was time for him to take his own advice.

Tuvok watched Paris leave, his mind still considering the situation at hand. Although he may have seemed distant to Tom, Tuvok had heard every word he had said. He had been pleasantly surprised by the younger man's wise words, even if Tuvok's vow to Janeway meant that he had no intention of following the advice.

Sometimes all you can hear is the wind.

Tuvok's eyes, closed for meditation, flew open in wide eyed alarm.

Hear the wind.

Hear the wind.

His mind raced as his fingers danced across the terminal, calling up those recordings he needed and depositing them in a new file. He knew he had been missing something, but he had had no idea what, and no amount of meditation had given him that answer. But Paris had.

"Computer, begin audio analysis of the recordings in file Tuvok nine Alpha. Limit scan to time index 31006 to 31009."

"Please state scan parameters for this time index," the computer replied.

"All known scanning parameters," his reply ordered.

"Requested analysis will take four standard hours," the computer informed.

Tuvok ignored the warning.

"Begin scan."

Much to Chakotay's chagrin, Herat had found another doctor. He tended Chakotay's wounds in silence, uttering nothing to his patient. Chakotay had wanted to say something, anything, to apologise for his part in the doctor's fate, but anything he said risked drawing more attention and he had no inclination to make things worse. Eventually with a curt nod, Talavek stood and faced Sela.

" I have fought wars since before the days you were born, child," he sighed at Sela," I know your Reman servant said I would be returned to Tarasyn, but I have no expectation to."

"I could keep you around," Sela taunted.

"But you won't," Talavek replied.

They were his last words. Sela pulled her disruptor and shot the doctor. She kicked the body harshly, to check he was dead.

"He'd done nothing to you!" Chakotay finally snapped, springing to his feet and standing over the man's body defensively to prevent further defilement. Rage surged in him, and he longed to vent it.

"He was a weak old man," Sela hissed," his time was nearly done anyway."

"You have no right to play god over his life," Chakotay argued back, bellowing loudly with his newly repaired and functioning lung. He knelt down to look at the body of the man who had saved his life.

"I have every right," Sela spat back at him, bringing her disruptor to bear down on Chakotay's temple." I suggest you consider that next time we meet."

And with that she was gone. Angrily, Chakotay kicked his foot against the cell wall, which he regretted immediately, before he lashed out to punch the wall, regretting that even more. Nursing his bleeding knuckles, he dragged the body of the doctor to the dark shadowed corners of his cell. He couldn't offer the man burial commensurate with his beliefs, but he could at least remove him from the sight and defilement of Sela and her Reman guards. His task finished, he sat, slumping against the cell wall. He could again feel the tears welling on his face, a mixture of anger, frustration, pain and longing. He longed mostly to be back aboard Voyager, setting course for home and Kathryn. But failing that option, right now, he longed to be fully dead.

Kathryn had felt like Kathryn for the first time ever aboard Voyager as she entered the mess hall in the pale pastel yellow dress Chakotay had loved.

She nodded to Harry as she entered, saw Tom break away from Picard and Beverly Crusher, Riker and his wife, Deanna to greet her. She was enormously humbled by the number of people who had squeezed in the not so tiny room. All those could attend who had called Chakotay a friend, Tom had announced for the department heads to relay at the morning briefing. She realised just how many lives he had touched enough among Voyager, Titan and Enterprise crews in the number who had gathered as his friends.

"You ok?" Tom asked as Janeway as he finally weaved his way through to her. He had abided by her wishes, and left rank at the door. But calling her by her given name was something that would take a little time.

Kathryn smiled, looked nervously down at the hands that fidgeted between one another.

"No," she smiled, her eyes watering again," but I have to do this. I owe it to him."

"You owe no one anything," Tom tried to council her.

"I do owe him. A lot. You're not blind Tom, none of the crew were blind to what he tried to do for me," she argued, "and what did I give him? Nothing,"

"You gave him all you could," Tom countered.

Kathryn didn't seem to hear his words.

"I loved him," she said, her breath coming out of her suddenly as if she had just purged a heavy burden. She seemed to shake again at the revelation to herself as well as to Tom, Picard and all those there.

"I know you did. I know you still do," Tom replied," And I know he loved you, more than life itself, Kathryn".

He wrapped his arms around her as she leaned into her former helmsman turned captain for comfort. Everyone noticed her grief being played out in Tom's supportive embrace. No one objected. Picard walked over to place a comforting hand on her back, to which she offered him a small smile. She relinquished her hug on Tom, sliding into the open one Picard gave her.

"Thank you, Jean-Luc," she whispered.

Harry was about to call the commemoration to order. He wanted to get the ceremony over and done with so that the healing could begin. He had received transmissions this morning from Doc and Seven, words they wanted him to say, and he knew Tom had some from B'Elanna. He wasn't looking forward to saying them. He didn't think he could do them justice. But before he could say anything the doors to the mess hall opened and Tuvok, with uncharacteristic speed and emotion bounded into the room.

"I said no uniforms," Tom raised his voice slightly.

Kathryn was making the tour, much as she had in the old days. She greeted Will Riker and Deanna Troi. She hadn't known them personally, but she knew that their tour here on Romulus had made Chakotay close to them. She smiled at Harry, Mike Ayala and Sam Wildman. Everyone still aboard Voyager who had travelled the Delta Quadrant with Chakotay nodded greeting to her. She was to them, she realised, every part his widow in their eyes. Her eyes dampened again at the sight of them all, many for the first time since the very welcome home ball she had parted ways with Chakotay at. But before she could break into a full flood of tears, she heard Tom calling out rather irritably and turned to see her old friend. Tom had told her he was aboard, but she hadn't quite gotten around to seeing him yet. Kathryn shushed Tom's protestations by laying her hand on his arm as she watched Tuvok approach. He was as close to frenzied as a Vulcan possibly could be. Picard stiffened in mild alarm, but Janeway placed a reassuring hand on his chest as she gently passed by him.

"What is it old friend?" she asked, brushing the well of tears from her eyes as she approached him.

Tuvok must have ran the entire way from the bowels of the ship, he gasped ever so gently for breath. Not that he was about to show it.

"I think Captain Chakotay is alive," he announced.

"What?" Janeway asked, not quite sure he had said what he had said.

"I think Captain Chakotay is alive," Tuvok repeated.

Janeway didn't say anything this time, her eyes widening in a combination of joy, disbelief and the shock horror that came with the realisation that she was about the eulogise him. She been told he was dead. How had she given up so quickly without a fight for him?

"How do you know that?" Tom asked urgently, taking over in Janeway's sudden dumbness. He never even considered the possibility that Tuvok was wrong or distraught. If Tuvok avowed something, time had taught all of those who had traversed the Delta Quadrant with him on Voyager that he was usually, nine tenths of the time, right.

" Captain," Tuvok turned to Paris," When you visited me earlier, I told you that there was something that I couldn't place, something that I was sure I missed," Tom nodded and Tuvok continued," I considered the words you imparted, about sometimes hearing only the wind."

"They were just words, Tuvok," Tom argued

"Indeed, but they bridged the gap between my logic and my beliefs," the vulcan continued," I realised that what my subconscious had heard, but I had not, was a sound. In particular this sound," he said as he thumbed his tricorder.

They all listened, but Harry was the first to hear it among the static and garble. A shrill, high pitched whine.

"A transporter beam?" he offered.

Tuvok nodded and the words struck home, finally dissolving the muteness that had besieged her voice.

"You're saying he was beamed away before the explosion," Janeway asked, her voice stronger.

"I believe the explosion was staged to hide his abduction," Tuvok added. He turned to face Janeway directly, to answer her unspoken question," you control and influence the military deployments in this sector, Admiral. No deaths, perceived or real, could alter your commitment, save one."

"Chakotay," Kathryn grinned. "If he's not dead, thank god, then where is he?"

"It's been a week since the bombing. He could be half way to the Delta Quadrant by now," Tom interjected.

" I think he is still here, on Romulus," Tuvok added," All traffic within the Empire has been strictly monitored, as the authorities think the bombers may have had accomplices that will try to flee the Empire. Logically, the safest place to hide Captain Chakotay would be Romulus. "

"Where?" Kathryn asked urgently.

"I believe that is something Mr Toral might know. He collated all the reports that followed after the incident".

Kathryn Janeway felt a strong knot twisting in her stomach. He was alive. The life she had thought left her, seemed to well up in her suddenly as she listened to Tuvok's theory and explanation. As he mentioned Toral, she looked expectantly to Paris.

"I doubt he will talk much after I threatened him last time," Tom sighed, and at Janeway's look, he added. "Long story. Tell you later."

Smiling, Kathryn Janeway stood up straight and headed for the exit and the bridge. Silently, the senior officers in the gathering followed her out.

"Then I think it's about time I made a house call to Mr Toral," Janeway demanded as she entered the turbolift.

Kathryn chuckled as she observed the motley bunch of rescuers who had assembled to help her., Tuvok, Picard and Crusher had materialised with her in a dark and dank back street of the Romulan capital city. In truth there had been more volunteers, but she had decided on a small team to avoid alerting the Romulan authorities. Janeway turned to face Jean-Luc.

"Are you sure you two want to do this?" she asked him.

"I know the Romulan capital streets. I came here a few years ago to find someone, "he replied in hush tones.

"And we have no idea the condition the Captain will be in," Beverly added with a smile. She had denied Kaz's request to join the team. She had told him they had work aboard the ship. When he had left sickbay, Beverly had broken her own order and added herself to the away team.

Janeway nodded her silent thanks, and Picard took point, guiding them through to the house they had determined Toral occupied. Tuvok scanned the house before they all slipped inside.

They found Toral sleeping. He lived alone, it seemed, because they found neither a wife nor children they would need to sedate. Grateful for that, Janeway motioned Tuvok and Picard to either side of the bed, before she sat on the bed itself and prodded the slumbering Romulan.

He woke slowly, at first not realising who was before him. As he jerked to full wakefulness, Tuvok clamped a hand over his mouth to muffle the screams the man prepared to elicit.

"I will remove my hand when you agree not to call for aid," Tuvok advised him calmly. Toral struggled a little more, before he finally relented, and gave a single nod of assignation.

Silently Toral looked around the room and the four gathered there. He had met the Vulcan before, and the others he knew by reputation alone, but none the less, they were an odd bunch to be attacking him in the middle of the night.

"What are you doing here "he whispered frantically, looking around all of the faces," How did you find me?"

"Not that many Toral's in the phone book," Kathryn quipped, causing Picard to grin wildly. Having spent time with Voyager's default captain, Picard now realised with a wide grin, at the quips generated by seven years in the Delta Quadrant with Tom Paris.

"Why are you here?" Toral hissed again.

"My name is Kathryn Janeway. I -," the Admiral began before Toral cut her off.

"Admiral Janeway?" he asked.

"Yes. Why?" she asked.

" It is not safe for you here," the young man told her," There are many Shinzon supporters nearby who will see you ," he indicated towards Janeway, before turning to Picard," and you as the cause of all of Romulus' problems at the moment."

"And you," Picard asked," do you think that?"

Toral slumped back into his bed.

"Of course not," the Romulan sighed," but there are some who think Marek and Tal'aura think that way though."

"Explains a lot," Beverly whispered.

Toral indicated to be let up from his restraints, and Janeway stood to allow the Romulan up from his bed. Toral padded out of his bedroom and down into his study, where he poured a large glass of Romulan ale.

"We have reason to believe Chakotay is alive," Janeway said as the entourage followed the Romulan into the room.

"How," Toral asked.

"We just do," Kathryn replied." We were wondering if you knew where we could find him."

Toral shook his head.

"I didn't even know he was alive, I'm sorry," he said.

He downed a large volume of the ale in a single gulp.

"When I spoke to you several days ago, you seemed extremely agitated," Tuvok noted, waiting patiently for the Romulan to stop drinking.

"There was a considerable amount of talk being conducted in the adjutants' office," Toral finally answered." Marek and some of the others had received intelligence as to who organised the bombing."

"Who?" Janeway asked.

Toral looked to Picard.

"Sela," he answered.

Beverly didn't gasp, but she breathed in sharply enough to draw attention. Janeway turned to look at Picard. Her look implored him for an answer to justify Crusher's response.

"We've run into her before. She is the daughter of a former crew member of mine," Jean-Luc confirmed, his voice tinged with wariness.

"Why would she take Chakotay?" Kathryn asked.

"Sela likes to manipulate from the sidelines," Picard offered," manipulate being the operative word."

Janeway turned back to Toral

"Where is she?"

"No one knows," the Romulan replied. "She has many supporters. She could be anywhere,"

Janeway slumped. She was so close to finding Chakotay, and yet at each step she seemed further away than ever.

"Do you know the names of any of her supporters," Tuvok enquired.

"I might be able to log into the main frame from here. Marek may have a file," Toral offered.

Tuvok followed the Romulan to his terminal. As he crossed, Toral keyed a terminal that sprang to life with news reports.

"I work better with noise, "he volunteered, "must come from working in that office."

He sat at the terminal with Tuvok and commenced his search.

Picard and Crusher sat tentatively on the room's only couch, Picard gently squeezing her hand.

"You ok?"she asked him.

"I'll be better when we get off Romulus," he admitted," I've had enough of Sela for one life time."

"Do you think she has Chakotay," Beverly asked.

Picard nodded.

"With anyone else I might have doubted it, but Sela?" he sighed heavily," no…she has him."

He smiled gently at Beverly and made a mental note to ask her, when they got back, to marry him. He never wanted to be like Kathryn, lamenting missed opportunities. He had enough of them already. Looking up at the Admiral he squeezed Beverly's hand again and stood to pace the room with Janeway. Beverly moved closer to the news reports Toral had put on. Kathryn smiled as Jean-Luc, watching Beverly move away, approached.

"You didn't tell me you had finally settled down," she smiled, a little mischievously.

"It's only been a couple of months," he corrected her.

"You didn't have problems with someone who served under your command?" Janeway asked.

Picard knew how much of a loaded question it was.

"At first I pushed her away," he admitted," then I reconsidered the whole issue of parameters and decided I was too old to start wondering what people thought."

Janeway smiled but before she could congratulate her friend on doing what she should have done as soon as she'd first realised she was in love with her first officer, Toral turned from his terminal.

"It's a very long list, but the most recent reports have come from the areas around Brenek, Vajhor, Isderene, Tarasyn, Havtok and the Capital," he offered.

"Tarasyn?" Beverly cut in, looking up from them news reports.

"Yes," Toral replied.

"What's so special about Tarasyn?" Kathryn asked.

"The news report just had a story about the murders of four doctors in Tarasyn in the last three weeks," Beverly replied.

Janeway's ears pricked up.

"What date was the first doctor found?"

"13th day of Jaeven. April 10th," Beverly translated for her. Picard looked at Beverly, his eyebrow raised quizzically at her fluent Romulan," What?" she smiled," You think I sit doing my nails on night shifts in sick bay?"

"Thought never crossed my mind," Picard grinned as he returned to the conversation Janeway was having with Toral.

"April 10th was the day of the bombing. If Chakotay was injured when he was beamed out," she was saying to the Romulan," then he would have needed medical attention. If Sela is operating as outside of her authority as Jean-Luc expects, then it's highly unlikely that she would have official access to doctors or medical facilities."

"It's possible," Toral conceded.

"And it would be like Sela to eliminate any connection to this operation," Jean-Luc added in.

"But that doesn't explain the deaths of the three other doctors?" Beverly noted.

Kathryn smiled.

" You don't know Chakotay," she smiled, and grinned wider as Tuvok nodded agreement," I'd bet you seven years back pay he's fought back and been hurt, and needed a doctor."

"I agree with the Admiral," Tuvok added. "It is not like Captain Chakotay to, as Mr Paris would say 'take it lying down'."

Janeway turned to Toral.

"Can you get me a list of the names of the sympathisers in Tarasyn?" she asked.

Toral nodded and returned to his terminal.

"Tuvok, get me the co-ordinates of the town square, or the nearest thing to a town square in Tarasyn," Janeway ordered, and the Vulcan moved over to Toral for the information.

" I hate to be the one to point out," Jean-Luc noted," but the whole point of doing this the hard way, was to avoid the authorities being alerted, and by extension, Sela. If we just beam into the middle of town, she'll know."

"I'm counting on it," Kathryn smiled.

Sela shrugged away from Herat as he tried to put his arms around her.

"What's wrong?" the Reman asked.

"Nothing," Sela spat.

Herat would have raised an eyebrow had he had one. Instead he settled for crossing his arms across his broad chest and waiting patiently in silence. The last year as Sela's consort had taught him that when she was in such a mood it was wiser, and safer, to just sit and wait. She inevitably ended up telling him anyway.

"We should have heard something now about whether Janeway is going to withdraw the federation ships," Sela muttered.

"The humans are probably still morning their dead," Herat noted. "If this Janeway was bond mate to the prisoner as you say, then she will still be caught in her own grief. It may take her time."

"Time is something that we don't have," Sela argued," I don't know where you dumped Talavek, but it has made the news cast. It won't be long before the provincial guards arrive. I do not want to be here when they do."

"Then don't be," Herat replied," let us kill the human now and be gone."

"He may have information," Sela countered.

"But if he was going to give it to us, he would have done so the first time we interrogated him. With that serum, he would never have been able to lie to us."

Sela seemed to be considering his words. She hated to admit that Herat had a point. Chakotay was an unusually unforthcoming prisoner. She had never had one like him. They usually succumbed quite quickly under Herat and Jenzar's tender ministrations. His unusual tolerance to pain and coercion, as well as his keen tactical mind, had intrigued Sela. She was tempted to keep him as a pet, but the repercussions if he was discovered would be too extreme to ride the wake of this time.

"Very well," she half sighed, half spat, "Kill hi-."

Before she could continue, the top door to the bunker burst open and the portly mild aged Romulan who owned the farm on the edge of town they hid beneath burst in and barrelled down the stairs.

"Starfleet!" he yelled as he bounded off the bottom stair towards Sela," they've beamed into the square and checking the houses of the rest of our faction. It won't be long before they discover this place."

"Damn," Sela muttered to herself as she span to face Herat," you have two minutes."

Herat didn't waste time on words. Beckoning Jenzar, they took off at speed into the network of tunnels that extended out from the farmhouse cellar and beneath the fields that sprawled beyond. They bounced of the chiselled rock as they hurtled round the many bends and junctions, but reached Chakotay's cell in moments.

Herat opened the door and stepped into the gloom. He was on Chakotay in seconds, but it didn't take long for the captain to realise what was going on and fight back. Chakotay pounded his already bloody fists into every available unguarded pieced of Herat's body. Jenzar looked as if he wanted to join in, but thought better of it, and returned to guard the door.

Herat successfully landed a blow to Chakotay's abdomen, and winded, the captain stumbled backwards, gasping for air and groping for a vantage point to support himself on. Herat pulled a long, sharply serrated knife from the sheath on his leg and lunged at the gasping human. Chakotay had survived many a fight in the past by being able to keep an eye on his perimeter even as he dealt with his own pain. The tactic didn't fail him now, and he managed to dodge sideways as Herat's lunged. Herat stumbled past Chakotay as he weaved away, tripping on the captain's leg and crashing into the wall. Chakotay took the opportunity of Herat's imbalance, and cupping one hand over his other fist, he brought both hands down hard on the Reman's neck, sending him with a thump down into the dirt floor. It didn't render the Reman unconscious, and he span on the ground, pulling Chakotay down. They rolled in the dirt, both fighting for room to be able to land a punch or blow. The tussle halted as Chakotay ended on his back, Herat astride him pushing with all his strength down on Chakotay's up stretched arms, the human desperately trying to hold back the Reman weapon in Herat's hands. Days of hunger and thirst had stripped the multitude of Chakotay's strength, and he felt his arms begin to shake violently as they tried to keep his attacker at bay. The edge of numbness in them was threatening, from which Chakotay would so lose all sense of the pressure applied to them. That would be the end of it then, he thought, as his arms would give away and the blade in Herat's hands would sink deeply into his chest. With one final push of all his remaining strength, Chakotay thrust Herat onto his side. Leaning on the knife with all his upper body had thrown Herat off balance, and he slumped hard as Chakotay twisted out from underneath the Reman and kicked his leg over to pin the man down. Overbalancing himself in the same manner as Herat had done was not something Chakotay would have liked to have done, but he was tiring quickly and he doubted that if they switched places again, he would survive another battle of wills and strength. So he leaned forward, putting pressure against the weaker joints in the Reman's hands, forcing his hands to turn in such a manner that the dagger now faced himself. Closing his eyes, momentarily seeing Kathryn as he did so, he pushed down with his last strength. He felt Herat's resistance stop sharply. Chakotay opened his eyes to see the Reman's eyes staring coldly back at him, and when Chakotay looked down further, he saw the knife had pierced the Reman's neck and he lay stabbed in the throat. He had bled out in quick, sure pulses, and now lay lifeless below the human. Exhausted, Chakotay limply kicked off with his leg until he slumped by the side of the dead man, his breath ragged, all his muscles burning. He opened his eyes to see Jenzar above him, his disruptor slowly rising to level with Chakotay's chest. Chakotay felt time slow as he watched the arc of green disruptor fire lance from the weapon. He seemed to be able to see it inch towards him, until his chest erupted in burning fire and pain. He felt himself bounce back against the dirt floor, and had the curious occasion to see drops of his blood spurt from his chest has he landed. Then time and reality seemed to blur and his vision swam as he looked around his cell. Funny, he thought, I was sure I was going to die here. His vision momentarily cleared and he saw Jenzar raise his weapon. But as he flexed his finger around the trigger, he suddenly flinched at a pain in his back, preceded by a high pitch electronic scream. Then, eyes widening in shock, he had slumped lifeless to the ground.

And Chakotay was certain his mirage of Kathryn was hovering over him, stepping over the fallen Jenzar. His vision swam again and he began to feel light headed.

"Kathryn?" he croaked, his hands unconsciously coming up to cover the bloody macerated wound on his chest. His fingers barely staunched the wound, and blood poured between the gaps in his fingers. He coughed, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, trickles and rivulets sliding down his cheek and chin. It didn't hurt now as much as it had, and with the mirage of Kathryn in front of him, he found he wasn't so scared of dying anymore.

It hadn't taken long to search the few houses on Toral's list. The first two had been tiny town houses incapable of hiding someone for the time they had hidden Chakotay without someone hearing of seeing anything. The last on the list had been on the very perimeter of town. It had caught their attention as Tuvok had spotted someone exiting a tavern on the list and making for the edge of town. The address he had fled to was on their list.

The farm was darker than the other places they had visited, bereft of community lighting. Its prospects as the place they were looking for grew with each step. Picard noted ventilation ducts, small tiny funnels, with a rain deflecting cone cap on, peaking from the dirt as they traversed the fields to the main house. Kathryn was sure that tunnels ran beneath them, and the possibilities that threw up picked up her pace and she pushed forward.

It was Beverly who spotted two dark forms exiting the rear of the building that still lay a good five or six hundred feet before them. Kathryn, as sure now that Chakotay was here as she had been of anything in her life to date, had told her small team to let them go. They weren't in any position to put up a concerted fight anyway. They had sprinted to the house, found the rather innocuous door that led to a cellar. Descending the staircase had revealed a well equipped facility, communications observation equipment lining the walls. Several corridors had branched away, and splitting up in pairs, they had darted down two of them. The walks here were of very old stone, perhaps the relic of a much older facility that had once occupied the land. They weren't weather proof, and the wash off of yesterday's rain trickled across the stone and further nourishment to the slime that had grown their through years of such weather. Splashing through the odd puddle, they had run the length of the corridors, stopping only to check the rooms they came across. Most were deserted. As they rounded one corner, Kathryn and Beverly noted the obvious sounds of a fight. Kathryn seemed to know already that it was Chakotay. They heard a gurgled cry follow the unmistakeable sound of a disruptor fire as they approached the only open door in the corridor, and Kathryn felt herself go as cold as the rock around here. She stepped into the cell to see Chakotay bounce back against the dirt floor of his cell, blood staining the uniform through the wound ripped in his chest. Before she could think, she had drawn her phaser and shot the Reman standing over Chakotay. Stepping over him to reach Chakotay, she bent down to see the surprised look in his face.

"Kathryn?" he croaked.

But he didn't seem to wait around for her answer as he deliriously began looking round the room, his hands coming up to feel the wound in his chest.

"Chakotay !" Kathryn cried out as she dropped to his side, pushing Chakotay's bloodied hands aside and thrusting her own over the wound. "Beverly!"

Kathryn's shout told Beverly all she needed to know, and she darted from the other cell doors she had opened. Kathryn was pushing down hard on Chakotay's wounds. Flipping her tricorder open and reaching for a coagulant in her medical pouch, she applied the hypospray as the beeping tricorder readings confirmed what she had already surmised. She pulled another hypogun looking device from the satchel, and depressing the trigger, squirted controlled bursts of liquid medical wound sealant on the bleeding tissue. Chakotay's blood pressure stabled ever so slightly as Picard entered the cell.

"He's stable enough to move. I need to get him out of here, Jean-Luc," Beverly noted evenly, her gaze never leaving her ministrations of her patient.

Jean-Luc nodded.

"Picard to Enterprise," he called out, tapping the combadge on the dark civilian jumpsuit that he had worn.

"Worf here."

" Worf, beam Doctor Crusher and her patient to sick bay immediately," his captain answered.

"I'm not leaving him," Kathryn added, frantically rising to stand off against Picard.

Picard would have smiled at her diminutive frame squaring off to him, but he knew she could follow her implied threat through.

"Admiral Janeway as well, Worf," he added without question.

The three officers before home disappeared and Picard turned to see Tuvok behind him.

"The rest of the compound has been deserted," Tuvok informed his senior officer," there are three other occupied cells here."

Picard nodded.

"Let's get them and get the hell out of here," he ordered.

Chakotay awoke and felt the strange familiar feeling of something soft beneath him. Frowning ever so slightly, he looked around him. But instead of seeing the familiar darkness of his cell and feeling the damp hard floor beneath him, he saw the muted grey lines of bulkheads and what felt suspiciously like a biobed beneath him. Squinting and blinking as his eyes opened fully and pained him sharply at the brightness, he saw a familiar but blurred outline hove into view. Palming the fogginess from his eyes, he opened them again to see the most beautiful sight he had ever imagined.

"You're real?" his dry lips scraped out through his parched tongue.

"Last time I looked," she smiled back at him.

He had been so sure that the image he had seen before the world grew fuzzy around him had been his mirage. Kathryn placed a straw topped beaker to her friends lips, and awkwardly at first, he took a few salving sips of water. He watched as she carefully placed the beaker on the adjacent locker and turned back to him with a small wistful smile. And then she had leaned forward and placed her lips on his.

"You kissed me," Chakotay whispered, his mind racing between fiction and reality as she sat back.

"I know that," Kathryn smiled back. The disbelief she saw in him at her presence was at the same time laughable and deeply heart rendering. How much had he gone through, she thought, to feel this detached from himself. Chakotay reached up and traced his fingers down her face, felt the gentle smoothness of her cheeks. His smile broadened widely has he saw the fire and verve in her blue eyes he had thought painfully lost last time he had seen her in San Francisco. He pulled himself up, dangled his legs over the side. After so long living and sleeping on the ground, he found odd pleasure in dangling his legs over the side of the bed. His momentary diversion done with, he looked up into the amused eyes of Kathryn Janeway.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Some fool told me that you had gone and left me," she replied, her smile wide as she sidled between his wide spread legs, but her eyes momentarily flecked by the grief she had gone through. She placed her hands on his legs, revelling in the live warmth she thought she had lost. She watched the certainty that she had always relied on in Chakotay surge back into his eyes at her touch, his previous confusion gone.

"Never," Chakotay replied as he took her face between his hands," I'll never leave you."

The kiss he gave her this time carried the full weight of his love, his need for her and his relief that she was actually, really here. They were still locked together when Picard and Crusher bounded wandered from Beverly's office and into sickbay.

"I'd say he's doing well," Beverly teased as they approached.

Parting almost guiltily, Janeway unconsciously rubbing her hand over her lips as if she had been caught kissing her boyfriend by her parents, Chakotay turned to face the new comers.

" Do I have you to thank for being alive?," he asked, as Crusher, nodding with a broad smile,ran a tricorder over him. Taking a deep breath, he added " thank you."

" I'll send you the bill later," Crusher smiled in reply as the tricorder finished its scan," Well, you heal pretty quickly Captain. Nearly all you cellular damage has been repaired."

"At a cost," Chakotay noted, his thoughts drifting briefly to Talavek.

His head dropped momentarily and Kathryn reached her hand out to thread it into his. Chakotay squeezed it gently, grateful for the comfort it gave and the love it held.

"Any sign of Sela," Chakotay asked looking from Janeway to Picard

"No," Picard sighed, "we think she was one of the people we saw escaping. She could be anywhere by now but I have had many dealings with Sela in the past twenty years. She'll surface again."

"What was she hoping to achieve with all of us?" Chakotay asked, his mind trying to understand why he had spent a month here in the dark and alone. Kathryn slid her hand into his.

"Who knows," Picard answered resignedly," Sela has her father's suspicious nature, her mother's keen tactical mind and an unusual take on the universe. Perhaps she had plans similar to the ones Shinzon had for me, perhaps something else. I'm afraid it is one thing we will never know.

The gathering sank momentarily into silence as they considered Picard's rather chilling words.

"You might like to know that we found several other prisoners in the cells near you," Picard noted ending the silence.

Chakotay nodded.

"I heard them, but I never met any of them."

"Heard them?" Picard asked, surprised.

" Screaming, crying, calling out for people who weren't there," Chakotay explained," There were a few times when I thought that I was falling into their madness."

"I can imagine," Picard replied. He had had the dubious privilege of being a similar guest as Chakotay, but of the Cardassians. "Some of them have been there for several years."

"Years?" Chakotay shuddered at the concept.

"Captain De Cairno was reported missing in action at the outset of the Dominion War," Picard added.

Chakotay's eyes widened. It had been a goof few years since the Dominion War had finished, let alone started.

"Is he ok…..y'know," Chakotay asked Crusher, having a funny feeling it was De Cairno he had heard the most crying out. It was he who had frightened Chakotay's sanity the most.

"Better than to be expected. He's spending a little time with Deanna on the Titan at the moment, but eventually he will be fine. And so will you."

"I don't think I could have held on that long," Chakotay sighed.

Kathryn chuckled.

"Not the way you were going," she smiled," ever my angry warrior. You'd fight half the universe given half the chance."

Chakotay smiled at her, considering her words and the fact that it was only through her that he had ever known peace. He raised his hand to trace the line of her face. Picard smiled knowingly as he watched Kathryn lean into Chakotay's touch. He put a hand on the small of Beverly's back, and she reached up to hold his hand. They had shared moments like this in the past few months of their infant relationship. Like Kathryn and Chakotay theirs drew on a love forged through years of friendship. Picard knew that Chakotay was feeling disoriented not only by his return, but by the turn his relationship with Kathryn had taken. He had been there.

"Will you join Beverly and I for dinner tonight?" Picard asked, "you must be longing for a good meal."

Chakotay smiled, but didn't take his eyes from Kathryn. Neither did he answer.

"We'll take that as a yes," Beverly grinned as she shooed Chakotay of her biobed," Scoot…go on, out of my sickbay. You're discharged to light duties for 48 hours. Try and rest."

"He's ok?" Kathryn questioned again.

"He's fine. If he keeps himself out of this kind of trouble he will live a long and beautiful life," Crusher replied with her usual soothing voice and wide grin." But you," she said turning to Chakotay as he waited by the door for Kathryn," stay out of Romulan prison cells."

"Yes ma'am," he replied," I plan to."

"Captain, Admiral," Tuvok greeted the two officers as they entered the transporter room," I was just returning to the Titan."

"Something tells me I have you to thank for this," Chakotay posited as Tuvok approached them. Smiling gratefully at the man with whom his professional relationship with had been tumultuous at best, Chakotay extended a hand to shake Tuvok's. As the vulcan returned the gesture Chakotay added," thank you, my friend."

"I think it can safely be said that Mr Paris will never have be so pleased to be demoted," Tuvok noted as Chakotay stepped back to stand beside Kathryn.

"A joke, Tuvok?" Chakotay teased the Vulcan in time honoured fashion.

"If you choose to interpret it as such," Tuvok replied.

Chakotay smiled at Tuvok. Although he was emotionless on the outside, Chakotay like to believe that Tuvok was laughing on the inside

"I had return to the Titan, and make my report to Captain Riker," Tuvok noted as the conversation lapsed into silence.

"Ask Will to tell Paris not to get too comfy in my chair."

"Aye sir," Tuvok replied.

Tuvok stiffly accepted a hug from Kathryn as she reached out to hold him.

"Thank you for everything, old friend," she whispered into his chest.

Tuvok momentarily brought his arms up to return his friend's embrace, the only person to whom he had shown any, albeit fleeting, emotional connection to. As they parted, he extended his splayed fingers in traditional greeting.

" Live Long and Prosper, Admiral, Captain."

"You too," Chakotay replied, as he stood behind Kathryn, wrapping his arms around her as she watched Tuvok with teared eyes ascend the platform. And as the transporter activated, he could have sworn, that he saw the briefest smile of approval on the Vulcan's face before his disappeared in the beam

Chakotay turned to Kathryn, wiped the tears from her face as the transporter technician tried hard to look busy. He studied her face, the line of her hair, the angle, tint and brightness of her eyes. The faint freckles behind her ear. He couldn't believe how beautiful she was; the gentle sent of roses and the warmth of her in his arms the only connection to the fantastic turn their relationship had taken. His face grew suddenly serious.

" I thought you were a mirage," he sighed eventually," when I saw you appear above me and try to stop the bleeding, I thought I had finally gone mad, that the crazy gene had got me. I've seen you so many times in the last few weeks. You would sit there and talk me out of my depression. Or yell at me for getting into trouble…..."

His voice drifted off as his blurted words ran out. His head sank against her forehead as he hugged her tighter, revelling in the feel of her there.

"I hope you weren't falling in love with my doppelganger," Kathryn teased gently.

"Never," Chakotay smiled, and the heavy moment lifted, he added," All she kept on about was parameters."

" No more parameters, Chakotay," Kathryn replied hastily, making Chakotay regret teasing her as he saw the anxiousness in her eyes as she took his hands from her back and clasped them in her own against her chest, " I know I was obsessed with them in the Delta Quadrant, but I've seen too many examples lately of how wrong I was. Jean-Luc and Beverly, Will and Deanna. They are stronger because they're together. I was wrong; I should never have pushed you away. We would have been stronger together…."

Her voice drifted away.

" We've always been together, Kathryn," Chakotay smiled, and watched a smile burst to life on her lips in one of the most beautiful ways he had ever seen " but like everything else, you just do it a little differently than the rest of the human race."

She playfully slapped him on the arm.

"I still out rank you mister," she teased him, "remember that"

"Oh I will," he grinned as he leaned forward to kiss her, his thoughts wandering to how beautiful and yet how tired and worn she looked. And how even tired and worn, she was ten times more beautiful than her mirage. He was sorry for all the pain and grief he had caused her in his absence, and then during her vigil in sickbay, but also, oddly grateful for the relationship it had given birth to.

As they ascended the transporter platform and Kathryn signalled to the technician, Chakotay thanked the spirits of his ancestors, his father and his grandfather for looking over him, and for bringing Kathryn too him. He was so lost in his thoughts, that he didn't see the transporter room of the Enterprise dissolve in the matter stream, or the very familiar surroundings of his home on Voyager reappear. He didn't see the smile that beamed on Harry's face at the return of his friend. Instead, Chakotay had turned to face Kathryn, taking her hands in his.

"I love you Kathryn. I always have," he blurted, "I want to get married."

He was completely heedless of Harry's jaw dropping or the double take the technician with him did. The routine of the transporter room descended into hushed waiting silence.

"Married?" Kathryn echoed.

"Yes," Chakotay sighed with a grin," you know, the thing with the vows, an exchange of rings. Tom and B'Elanna did it once, remember."

Any other day, she would have rebuked him for his sarcasm, but Kathryn's mind was racing.

"Now?" she asked.

"Yes, now," Chakotay chuckled lovingly, "before anything else can go wrong!"

Harry waited with almost baited breath. His gut knotted to such a degree, it was as if it was he who was proffered the proposal and was considering the answer. But Kathryn didn't need time to consider his proposal.

"Yes,"

"Yes?" Chakotay echoed, almost taken aback by the answer.

"But…,"

"But?" he grinned apprehensively," Why is there always a 'but'?"

"A month "she continued, ignoring him," we get married in a month, when we get back to earth. My life - our life - won't be worth living if my mother finds out I got married without her, not to mention the crew. And then there is Starfleet to deal with"

He considered her words, nodded understanding and agreement. There was the small matter of Kathryn taking off without a 'by your leave to' Starfleet to deal with. And he didn't want to think about what B'Elanna would do to him if she found out he had gotten married with out her.

"I've waited nine years; I guess I can wait a month. Done," he agreed.

The exhale of held breaths in the transporter room was palpable, and Harry went a dark shade of crimson when Chakotay and Janeway, who had been drawn to his very loud sigh of relief, looked at his excited smile. Grinning widely at Harry as she turned back to Chakotay, Kathryn gently placed her hands on the sides of his face and pulled him in for a long and lingering kiss.

"I don't deserve you," she muttered as the broke apart.

"Other way round, "Chakotay corrected, "Actually a month gives me a little time to find it"

"Find what?" she asked arching her eyebrow in child like curiosity.

"You're wheedling again" he chuckled, as he stepped down from the transporter pad, helping her in turn. He exchanged a hand shake with Harry, clasping his hand gratefully on the Kim's shoulder as he turned back to Kathryn. He pulled her to him, feeling suddenly very tall; she tucked into his shoulder as he draped his arm over her shoulder gently

'Am not," she countered wrapping her arm round his waist as they left.

"Are"

"Am not,"

"Are..."

Chuckling to himself as the pair left the room, Harry Kim tapped a comm open to the bridge.

"Kim to Paris. The captain and admiral are aboard, sir."

"Good work Harry," the relieved voice of Paris replied.

" And Tom," Harry added," you are never going to believe this."

One month later….

"Ah….Finally! " Q exclaimed "This was getting to be like a bad soap opera."

"You mean like those ones that never end," Junior added.

"Exactly!"

Junior turned and looked at his father. With the ambient light of the supernova playing off his face, his father actually looked relieved that Aunt Kathy had finally jumped into the arms of Chuckles. He chuckled at his father.

"I think you've been watching too much humanity, Dad," Junior sighed.

They hovered there, waiting for the shock wave of the nova to reach the little, grey dust ball moon they stood on.

"I enjoy seeing the end of all the really good journeys," Q mused, "you should have seen Jean-Luc when he first set foot on the Enterprise. Now there was a man who was a walking talking definition of anal retentive."

Junior suddenly found his fingernails incredibly interesting as he silently muttered 'here we go again'.

"….and look at him now. He's practically horizontal he's so laid back now. Even Riker's managed to cut the apron strings and move out on his own….maybe we'll drop in on him next….he can't possibly want to spend all his time with doom and gloom Romulans…"

Junior sighed.

"Dad?" he yawned.

Q wasn't listening.

" Or maybe we should go and find that annoying whelp Wesley," Q mused, "he could give you a run for your money on the ethereal plain…..no better, Benjamin Sisko, where ever those prophets have him. Celestial Prophets my omnipotent backside! I'd lay money they were related to us!"

"Dad?"

Q still wasn't listening. The shockwave from the supernova entered the system, crashing through one spatial body after another. The wave blew right through the little innocuous moon they stood on. Junior delighting in surfing the eddies, but Q, lost in thought, barely noticed.

"Still," he mused, "It's nice to see one project finally pan out and get a happy ending. Even if she did choose Chuckles."

" Please don't tell me your sappiness is genetic ?" Junior called out as he surfed the last of the shockwaves.

"You should be so lucky!" Q called after him." And where were we when Picard finally managed to see the woman he loved right before him? I missed that. Crusher must be a saint."

Junior abandoned his shock wave surfing, and with a click of his fingers, reappeared next to his father.

"Please, please tell me I'm adopted?" Junior lamented.

"You should be so lucky "" Q repeated mischievously, and with a click of his fingers they both disappeared.

Chakotay stopped mid-kiss and looked around the bedroom.

"What?" the sultry voice came from below him.

Chakotay didn't hear her, instead he continued to look around the bedroom, scrutinising all the unfamiliar shadows of the cabin he had finally found hiding isolated in the Rockies. It was a mere hop to San Francisco, and it had resembled the one he had built in his head during his captivity perfectly. It had been perfect the moment Kathryn had fallen in love with it too, and had given her apartment up in the city and moved in with him before the day was out.

"Hello," the slightly annoyed clipped voice uttered again from beneath him." Down here remember?"

Vaguely hearing her this time, he looked down at the woman who lay beneath him.

"I know I'm new at this and all," Kathryn said with an amused frown." But I'm pretty sure this is not how the wedding night is supposed to go."

Chakotay looked at her as if he didn't really take her words in, and for a minute Kathryn wondered whether her words had even been in English.

"What?" she asked, this time pinching him in the ribs to get his attention.

"Did you hear something?" he asked.

"Only you whimpering in a minute if you don't keep your mind on the job mister," she teased.

She had expected an "Aye Admiral "and a return to what they had been enjoying, but he continued to look around distracted.

"I'm going to start taking this personally Chakotay," Kathryn growled.

"I could have sworn I heard a voice," Chakotay whispered.

"Why are you whispering," Kathryn chuckled in her own whisper," we're the only people for 10 miles around."

"I'm serious Kathryn," Chakotay retorted," I'd swear I heard a voice saying you should be so lucky and a laugh."

"You imagined it," she laughed at him, wriggling beneath him a little to try to regain his attention. It didn't seem to work.

"You don't think Paris bugged the room do you?" Chakotay asked.

Kathryn couldn't help chuckling. She called out loudly to the empty room.

" IF HE DID, HE HAD BETTER SAY GOODBYE TO HIS WIFE AND DAUGHTER NOW BEFORE I POST HIM TO BACK OF BEYOND," she yelled, finally drawing an amused smile from her husband," besides, B'Elanna and I refused to tell him where we were going."

Chakotay sighed heavily, before he turned his attention back to the woman below him.

"I wouldn't put it past Paris," he muttered as he gently lowered himself down, his dimpled smile returning as he kissed Kathryn.

"Neither would I," his wife grinned mischievously," now where were we?"

End

.