A/N: So over the last couple of weeks I've been story-boarding about twenty different ideas for my next writing project. Understandably, it is difficult to choose what to start first, but I've decided to join a number of my ideas and make a bigger series tied together. My next few publications will be part of an extended saga following the souls of Chakotay and Kathryn Janeway (et. al.) in various incarnations who keep finding each other in every lifetime. I will not be publishing these chronologically, simply because I don't feel like writing them that way, but the time periods will be clear and as I develop the stories I will indicate their chronological order. I intend this to veer towards the world of creative historical fiction. If you catch any discrepancies that I've missed, please let me know!

To give you an idea of what is to come the summaries some of my story-boards are as follows (they may be subject to change, listed here chronologically):

1863ish: What does a single Irish school teacher do when a soldier from the North takes her hostage as he runs from confederates chasing his group of dissidents?

193X: As New Zealand adjusts to its increased integration into the world's affairs, a British marine biologist and a Maori anthropologist at the Auckland Museum fall in love as a looming World War threatens their happiness.

199X: What happens when she begrudgingly falls for the new guy teaching history at the school? A story in the Midwest (this story).

204Xish: During turbulent political times (WWIII. Don't worry, I won't get into RL politics.) Kathryn and Chakotay meet under less-than-ideal circumstances. Her stubborn insistence on saving lives and doing what is right puts Chakotay's favorite nurse in danger.

I'm working on other story ideas to fill in the gaps. If you have any requests of a time or place for me to cover, let me know! I'd love the inspiration. Also, I don't have a dedicated beta, so I apologize for grievous errors.

Sorry for such a long note. Welcome to my series!

-CheyF

oOoOo

His sweat glued his fingers together, heavy on the bare mattress. Eyes squeezed shut against the mid-morning glare of the sun, Chakotay groaned as he slowly stretched his aching body.

Finally, he rolled to his back, smacked his dry lips, and took a deep breath. The air, hot and humid already, coated his lungs, thick in his chest. He opened his eyes and looked at his watch, nearly hitting himself in the face with his hand.

"Shit!"

It was 11:30 and he had to be at the school by noon. Just then, he caught a whiff of himself and cringed. Gathering his wits, the tall, tanned man rolled and caught himself on his knees on the creaky wooden floor.

He dug into one of the open boxes in the corner to find some soap and maybe toothpaste.

Yes! Soap and a toothbrush and mouthwash. He could work with that.

Turning on the fan in the barren bedroom, he dropped his briefs and padded to the tiny bathroom, turning on the shower.

He hissed as the cold water stung his chest and cooled his face. He ran his soapy hands quickly over his skin, careful of the bruises and blisters of the previous day. Kansas summers were the most brutal in August, especially if one was moving into a house with a broken air conditioner.

He was finally chilled and clean of the sweat and grime. Far from settled, he was already optimistic that he could make a good home here. The small town had only a few thousand people and they had all been very warm and helpful so far. He'd already met the owner of the pie shop down the street, Gretchen, who eyed him with a wicked grin and plied him with samples as she prodded him for information. He was the new blood in town. She was a kind but feisty widow with heavenly pies. He smiled to himself, thinking of her bold hug, welcoming him to town and inviting him back to the shop.

His young neighbor helped him get his furniture in the house in record time, and he offered Chakotay iced-tea during the hottest afternoon hours. From across the street, Joe and his wife had welcomed him to the neighborhood with cookies last night. This was a huge change from his time in the city, but it was exactly what he needed. He was 35 and ready to put down roots of his own. His mother wasn't happy he still lived so far, but she knew he was doing what was right for his soul.

He'd planned to walk to the school, but he had spent too much time searching for clothes that would be at least half presentable. His deft fingers buttoned up his shirt as he slipped on black loafers and hurried out the door to a dusty, white Chevy.

oOoOo

The worn brick building stood much bigger than he'd expected. The athletics fields looked like they needed too much work, though.

Chakotay pulled to the back of the building and parked next to the motorcycle on the far end of the teachers' lot. Wind buffeted the door and swung it hard against its hinges, pulling him clumsily from the cab.

He walked to the nearest doors, gravel crunching and shifting beneath his feet. He tugged at the door, finding it locked. By the time he got to the main doors he was sweating again, the loose shirt and billowing wind did little to keep him cool in the torrid sun.

Finding the doors unlocked this time, he went into the dim hallway looking for Principal Tuvok. Chakotay checked his watch. He was two minutes late. Hopefully his new boss wouldn't notice.

A lanky, fair-haired man nearly ran into him as he came around the corner. The younger man looked up from his notebook, blue eyes and a beaming smile shocked Chakotay. He shot out his hand to the tottering man.

"Hi…um, I'm Chakotay Walker, the new…"

"History teacher! Yes! I'm Tom Paris, Biology." He seemed charmingly excitable, though a bit boyish.

Chakotay thought the man might only be in his early to mid-twenties.

"I'm supposed to meet Mr. Tuvok, but I'm afraid I don't know where I need to go." The school was situated in a strange chevron-esque shape, the halls converging in the wide entry hall he'd entered from the front.

"Oh, no worries. Ray is still in a meeting with the superintendent. He should be done soon. I'll show you to his office. Normally, he is a stickler about timeliness and such, but you lucked out today."

Tom led him around the corner and behind a bank of faded blue lockers.

"Ray's office is back here, but you passed the main office on your way in. If you'd like, I can give you the nickel tour once you're done with the boss."

"That'd be great." Chakotay shifted his weight, standing awkwardly outside the plain office door. He could hear arguing through the frosted glass.

"I'm in the classroom at the far end of the east wing. Just drop by when you're ready."

Tom headed down the hall, leaving the dark man to himself.

Chakotay tried not to eaves drop, but the heated conversation was hard to avoid in the cavernous, quiet quad.

A muffled woman's voice, flustered, insisted: "But we need more materials in the lab. I don't expect anything huge, but at least a few more hot plates! If the football team…"

"Miss Janeway, the football team brings in their own money for those uniforms. They fund raise. They sell tickets to games. Science does not. The current materials and facilities meet the DOE requirements."

"I don't care!" A huff followed, then an exaggerated sigh.

"These kids need a STEM education if they ever hope to be successful. Sports are useful, as are the arts, but how many of those boys will be able to make a career of it?"

"They have more scholarship opportunities." The deep baritone continued. "I'm done with this discussion. You can come to the next school board meeting or talk to the PTA about funding."

She was silent, but Chakotay had a feeling she was only defeated for the moment.

He heard three chairs scrape as the people in the office murmured their good-byes. He stepped back as the door swung open and a tall greying man exited.

The man nodded to Chakotay and left, the door closing behind him. Quieter voices came from the office now as another male voice softly admonished Miss Janeway. She persisted for a moment, but the argument was moot. The principal agreed with her, but reminded her that it was not in their control. The PTA would be her best option. They could also check storage again, in case they missed the supplies there. She sighed in resignation then mumbled her goodbye.

A dark man with a serious expression opened the door and nodded to Chakotay.

"Mr. Walker, I apologize for the delay. Thank you for your patience."

A woman, maybe a couple years younger than Chakotay, excused herself and hurried down the west hall, her eyes down and fists clinched.

"Shall we?" Mr. Tuvok gestured to the small conference table in his Spartan office.

oOoOo

After all the hiring paperwork was finished, the severe man showed Chakotay to what was to be his classroom. He wasn't surprised to find a bare classroom with a beaten-up desk in the back next to the storage closet. The student chairs, at least four kinds, were upturned on dusty desks. Sunlight streamed in, washing all color from the wooden sills and shelves.

There was a lot of work to do, but first, he'd have to take a look around the school.

He headed down the hallway towards the biology lab. The door stood half open, classical music drifting softly from a crackling speaker on an ancient tape player that doubled as a door-stop.

Chakotay didn't figure Tom for a Mahler guy, but hey, people could be shocking in strange ways.

He knocked on the door jam and pushed the door open.

"Tom? If you aren't busy…"

He heard glass shatter in the back of the room and around the corner and a very unmanly yelp.

"Damn!"

His head shot up and he looked towards the sound to see not-Tom.

The woman that had been in the office earlier was precariously perched atop a wobbling desk, clipboard and pencil in hand, mourning the broken beaker on the floor.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

"You didn't." She grunted. Then she climbed down from her high spot, careful of the glass, and shuffled to him where he'd been glued to the threshold.

"Well, maybe a bit. I'm sorry for my mood. I'm just a bit frustrated today."

She offered her hand to him and her features softened, her smooth lips curling up a bit into a shy smile.

"I'm Kathryn Janeway." Her name slithered on her breath, ending in a sigh.

He smiled in return, taking her hand in his and shaking for only a short moment before she pulled away and turned towards the closet.

"I'm Chakotay…"

"Yes, the new coach. I know." She weaved between lab tables. "If you give me just a second, I'll show you to Tom's room."

Her tone was short again. Apparently, he hadn't made the best of impressions.

She pulled a broom and dust pan from the closet and started cleaning up the shattered mess.

"Oh, I can get that…" He made to go help her. "It's the least I can do after startling you. And, uh, depriving you of hot plates."

He hoped he might lighten the growing tension.

She was silent for a moment and he thought he may have misjudged the room.

She puffed out air heavily and turned back to him, her shoulders slumped.

"It's not your fault Mr. Walker. The decisions were made before you were even hired. I'm sorry I've taken it out on you."

She smiled at him then, her eyes sparkling in genuine apology.

She sighed softly again and turned to gather the glass, bending over with her back to him.

Her loose blouse rode up a bit at her back and Chakotay saw dimples and faint scars on either side of her spine, interrupting the ivory expanse of her narrow hips and back. He turned away, embarrassed to have lingered on her figure as she worked, unaware. Perhaps it had been a bit too long if he was eyeing up the first single woman his age he'd met in town.

His gaze wandered to her messy desk by his hip, where three coffee cups in various states held down stacks of syllabi and lab inventory sheets like those on her clipboard.

The glass crashed as she dumped it into the trash bin and leaned the broom against a shelf. She set the papers she'd been filling out on her chair and picked up the fullest coffee mug. She took a quick gulp and grimaced, clunking the mug of cold caffeine back out onto the desk with disgust.

"Shall we go? Have you seen your room yet?"

"Yes, on both accounts."

She brushed past him, moving towards the door and the hall. She turned for only a moment to make sure he was following.

He didn't pay much attention to his surroundings as she led him across the school. Apparently, he'd gotten completely turned around. He took the time in transit to let his mind wander back to her. He took a moment to actually look at this confusing and intense woman.

She wore flat strappy sandals and loose faded jeans that rode low on her slim form. Her airy lavender blouse was half tucked into her pants, pulled free from the back. Chalk marks and dust smeared across one of her shoulders and down one arm. Her hair messily brushed her collar, wet at the nape from the unbridled heat in the stifling school. Most of her copper hair was caught in a French braid and piled atop the crown of her head.

He noted that she was at least half a foot shorter than he and half his weight, if that, dripping wet. She more than made up for her stature with her personality though. He smirked to himself.

"Hey, Chakotay! Already bothering the wild life I see." Tom greeted them from his position by the door where he had been working on his own classroom inventory of the lab supplies.

"Tom!" She blushed a bit at his reference.

"Katie, You can't blame me when it's true. Though he seems relatively unscathed."

Tom stepped down from the chair and put his arm around Kathryn's shoulders.

"She must like you, big guy. That or you're incredibly resilient."

She frowned for a moment then moved back to the door.

"Well, I'll leave you gentlemen to it." And she was gone.

Tom chuckled and patted the new man on the back.

"Don't take her too seriously. She gets like this at the beginning of the year. She's really not that tense all the time, but my father infuriates her sometimes."

Chakotay was puzzled. Were they an item? He had called her Katie. Tom cut his thoughts off, explaining away his worry. Tom's father was the superintendent for the rural district. The superintendent which was especially infuriating because he was Kathryn's uncle, making this spunky fellow in front of Chakotay her cousin.

"Are you ready for the grand tour then Chakotay?"

"Lead on."

End Chapter One