A/N: This is a little bit of fluff - un-beta-ed, so all mistakes are mine. This is my Valentines Day gift to my fellow VAMBies. Please read, review and enjoy!

SO WHO NEEDS ROSES

By KJaneway115

So who needs roses

And stuff like that

So who wants chocolates

They'd make me fat

And I can get along just fine

Without a gushing Valentine

I'll get by, kid

With just the guy, kid

-Jerry Herman

It's too much, Kathryn thought as she looked at the large display adorning her desk - two dozen roses in a crystal vase, a large, heart-shaped box of chocolates and a plush teddy bear with a big red heart pinned to its lapel. Janeway wrinkled her nose in disgust as she moved the excessive display aside so she could focus on her work. The over the top Valentines Day gifts had come from her current beau, Mr. Harold Arden. Arden was a brilliant scientist and author, and Kathryn had met him shortly after Voyager's return to the Alpha Quadrant, when he had immediately begun to woo her in earnest. It had been so long since any man had given her that kind of attention that she had welcomed it.

Harold had made her feel beautiful and appreciated. He took her to Paris and Barcelona for romantic weekends in posh hotels. They spent a week in an all-inclusive resort on Risa that catered to their every whim. He bought her expensive jewelry and frequently sent her flowers. He was a perfect gentleman, and best of all, he didn't demand too much of her time because he was as occupied with his career as she was with hers. At least, that was how it had been.

Recently, Harold's attitude had begun to shift. He began to slip the words "forever" and "always" into their conversations. He started to suggest that she might accompany him to conferences. This very weekend, he had insisted that she come meet his parents, who lived in one of the Mars colonies. She had begged off at the last minute, claiming to be too busy with work. But the truth was, she didn't want to go down the path of "forever" and "always" and "meet-the-parents" with Harold Arden.

He had gone to visit his parents for the weekend without her; in fact, she had insisted that he go. The excessive display on her desk was probably a sign of his guilt at leaving her behind and not being with her for Valentines Day. She looked again at the pink and red card: "To Kathryn, the love of my life, now and always. Your Valentine, H." She thought again about whether she should have gone with him to meet his parents and a familiar churning began in the pit of her stomach. She stood from her desk and ordered a cup of coffee from the replicator, pausing to analyze the feeling for the first time. As she stood looking out the window of her temporary office at Starfleet Command, she realized that she felt the same way every time she contemplated meeting Harold's parents, every time he said "always and forever," and each time she realized how much he must have spent on a lavish gift for her. She felt distinctly uncomfortable.

The hair on her arms raised as she realized that as much as she had enjoyed Harold's attention at first, he was not and would never be the type of man she wanted to be with. She had never been comfortable with pure adulation, and although he was incredibly book-smart, most of their conversations were bland and uninteresting to her. Even their lovemaking was perfunctory. He lavished attention on her, grunting his adoration as he slid in and out of her. As with everything else in their relationship, she was flattered by the attention but derived little real satisfaction from it. He always made sure she had an orgasm, but it wasn't the kind of passionate lovemaking she craved when she lay alone in her bed at night, imagining strong hands moving over her body, making her cry out in wild abandon.

Sipping her coffee, Kathryn knew that she had come to a decision, and she needed to take immediate action. Her timing was lousy; she recognized that, but it had to be done. Poor Harold, she thought ruefully. He'll always remember this as the Valentines Day I broke his heart. A newfound sense of purpose in her steps, she strode back to her desk and placed a call. A few seconds later, Harold's watery eyes and balding scalp appeared on the screen. "Darling," he gushed, "Happy Valentines Day."

She gave him a wan smile. "Thank you for the gifts. That was very thoughtful."

Instantly, his eyes clouded with concern. "Is something wrong, Kay?"

She forced her expression to remain neutral. She hated it when he called her that. "Harold, we need to talk."

His face fell. "I see."

She took a deep breath. "I've been doing a lot of thinking, about you and me. There's talk of me commanding a deep space mission, and I could be gone for months. Even as it is, we barely see each other, and with me being gone for long periods of time, I don't think it's practical for us to continue a relationship." She paused. "I can't be available to you the way you want me to be, and that's not fair to either of us."

Harold nodded, his eyes drooping. "I understand, Kay. I really do, and if you think that's what's best, who am I to argue?"

Kathryn stared at the screen in shock, and it took her a moment to find her voice. "Yes. Yes, I do think that's best. Thank you for being so understanding."

"Of course." He suddenly looked very tired and much older, and for a moment, Janeway felt an emotion that was rare for her - pity.

"I hope you have a nice weekend with your parents."

"Thank you. I'm sure I will. Take care of yourself, Kathryn. I guess that's what you're best at." He paused and swallowed hard, as if suppressing tears. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye." The call ended, and the screen went blank before the Federation symbol once again appeared. Kathryn stared at the emblem for several moments. She had expected Harold to argue with her, to at least make a feeble attempt to fight for her, perhaps even to jump on the next transport to San Francisco and try to win her back. Instead, he had accepted her decision without so much as a peep.

Kathryn's gaze rested on the screen for a moment longer, and then she threw her head back in laughter. She suddenly felt a hundred pounds lighter, and it was not until that moment that she realized how much her relationship with Harold Arden had been holding her back. She felt more completely herself than she had in years, and she was going to celebrate.

The weather in San Francisco on that particular day was unseasonably warm, and she pulled on a light jacket and closed her office. She knew exactly what she wanted - a trip to her favorite coffee shop, a glass of wine at a sidewalk cafe and a visit to Ghirardelli's chocolate shop. She chuckled to herself, thinking of all the couples that would be celebrating being together tonight while she would be celebrating the exact opposite. As she walked across the grounds of Starfleet headquarters, she happily greeted her fellow officers as they passed by.

"You've got a spring in your step today, Captain," a familiar voice said from behind a rose bush. "Do you have a special Valentine this year?"

"Boothby!" she exclaimed. "How good to see you. As a matter of fact, I don't. I don't have any Valentine at all. I'm just celebrating being alive."

"Well in that case," the older man said, holding out a white rose, "will you be my Valentine?"

Janeway laughed. "Of course! Thank you!" She took the rose from his wrinkled fingers and inhaled deeply. "This is lovely."

"Why thank you, Captain. I do my best." Boothby paused and looked over his shoulder, then leaned towards her to whisper conspiratorially, "By the way, I just saw an old friend of yours. He looked a little down and out, if I do say so. Maybe he could use some of that pep in his step that you've got in yours. He's sitting in the rose garden." Boothby gestured behind him with his thumb.

"An old friend of mine?" Janeway asked, confused. "Who?"

Boothby winked. "An old friend of yours and an old boxing student of mine. Go on over. You'll see."

Her curiosity piqued, Janeway followed the path into the rose garden. An old boxing student? But the only boxing student of Boothby's she knew was... "Chakotay!" she exclaimed. She would recognize his broad shoulders, the dark hair and the relaxed but powerful stature anywhere, even though he was leaning over with his elbows on his knees, and she couldn't see his face.

His head snapped up at the sound of her voice, and he looked as surprised as she felt. "Kathryn!"

She hurried over to him and enfolded him in a warm hug. "I thought you were on Vulcan with Seven." Upon their return to the Alpha Quadrant, Seven had gone to Vulcan to learn how to manage her emotions and had asked Chakotay to accompany her. He had found a position on an archaeological dig there, and Kathryn hadn't seen him in several months although they had communicated a few times via subspace.

"I was, until recently. I actually just arrived on Earth this morning."

"You're not spending the day with your Valentine?" Kathryn teased. Although she had been shocked and upset when she had first learned of her best friend's relationship with her protege, she'd had many months to come to terms with the idea, and she and Chakotay had repaired and strengthened their friendship during the months of Voyager's debriefings.

He shifted uncomfortably on the bench. "Actually, I don't have a Valentine this year."

She placed her hand on his shoulder. "Chakotay, what happened?"

He met her eyes and shrugged her hand away. "Seven ended it. About five weeks ago. It had been a long time coming, though. I probably should have ended it before that. In fact, I don't think I should have agreed to go with her to Vulcan in the first place."

"You didn't like the job there?"

"The job was fine. But how could I think that I would want to be with someone who consciously tries to reign in her emotions? I'm a passionate person. I want to be with a passionate woman."

Kathryn's cheeks warmed as his words reminded her of her own thoughts earlier that afternoon. "If you feel at peace with the situation, then why the long face?" She ran her hand along his arm.

"I'm just trying to figure out what to do next. For seven years, I was a gypsy in the Delta Quadrant. Then I came back and became a gypsy in the Alpha Quadrant. I want a home that feels like mine, that feels permanent." He paused. "I need a job, for one thing."

"Would you consider going back to the Academy?"

"I'd love to."

"I'll set up a meeting for you with Admiral Blackwell. She's in charge of faculty appointments these days."

"Would you? Thank you, I'd appreciate that." He paused and studied her for a moment. "What about you? Why aren't you with Harold?" Chaktoay tried to hide his distaste as he spoke the other man's name. He had met Harold Arden a couple times. Arden had been perfectly cordial to Janeway's former first officer and seemed to admire Kathryn a great deal, but he didn't seem like the type that would challenge her, and frankly, Chakotay thought she deserved better.

She blushed. "I was supposed to meet his parents this weekend."

"But?"

"I broke up with him instead."

Chakotay burst out laughing. "You didn't."

She nodded. "About an hour ago."

His eyes widened. "Kathryn! On Valentines Day?"

"You know me; once I make up my mind..."

"There's no stopping you," he finished.

"Exactly. And you know what? He didn't even argue with me. He let me end it without a fuss. I suppose I should be grateful for that."

Chakotay looked off into the distance. "I always thought you deserved better than him."

"You did?" She raised her eyebrows in surprise. Most of her friends and family had seemed to think Harold was the perfect match for her.

Chakotay nodded. "You need someone who will challenge you - someone who's willing to fight for you, and with you if necessary."

They both chuckled at that, and she lowered her eyes, not wanting him to see the question in them: Like you, Chakotay? What she said was, "Well, I had a whole celebration planned for myself when I walked out of my office a newly single lady. Would you care to join me?"

"Are you sure I won't be intruding on your private party?"

"Not at all."

He stood and offered her his arm. "Where to, Captain?" They walked to the Night Owl, her favorite coffee shop, and took their coffee to go, preferring to enjoy the sunshine while it lasted. Then they walked to Fisherman's Wharf and caught up on the last few months of their lives as well as the most recent news of their former crew.

Several hours later, they stopped at a restaurant with an outdoor bar. The restaurant's interior was packed with couples enjoying a romantic evening, but the outdoor bar was deserted in the cool February night. The breeze was chilly, but overhead heating lamps kept Janeway and Chakotay warm as they perched on a pair of bar stools and ordered a bottle of wine and a plate of hummus and vegetables. They munched and sipped as the sun dipped below the horizon, and stars began to appear overhead. They had no problem keeping up an engaging conversation for hours.

They were on their second glass of wine when Chakotay caught Kathryn staring at him. "What?"

"Nothing."

"No." He reached out and raised her chin with his finger, forcing her to meet his eyes. "I know you better than that. You only get that expression on your face when you've got an idea."

She chuckled and took his hand in hers, removing it from her chin. "Not exactly. I was thinking, though."

"About?" he prompted, enjoying the feeling of her delicate fingers in his.

"We've never been in this position before."

"Drinking wine on Fisherman's Wharf? No, I don't suppose we have."

She dropped his hand and let out an exasperated sigh. "That's not what I mean."

"Then what do you mean?" he asked, a glimmer in his eye.

"I mean..." She took a deep breath. "I mean we're not in the Delta Quadrant. You're not under my command. And both of us are single."

He captured her hand in both of his and began to rub the back of her hand with his thumb. "That's true. And?"

She slipped off her bar stool and stepped closer to him, so that he could feel the warmth radiating from her skin, and she could smell the wine on his breath. "It's an opportunity that's never presented itself before."

He released her hand and ran his fingertips over the soft skin of her cheeks as the puzzle pieces in his mind clicked into place. "It was you, Kathryn," he whispered, more to himself than to her. "It was always you." Then he cupped her face in his hands and lowered his lips to hers. The first touch of their lips sent an electric shock through both of them. One of her arms circled his waist, and her other hand reached for the back of his neck. He moaned into her mouth as she ticked his skin just below his hair line. His tongue snaked out to taste her lips, and then her lips parted, allowing his tongue to tangle with hers in an elaborate dance. Slowly, sensually, they explored each other's mouths, taking in every flavor, every sensation, every texture. Chakotay's hands left her face and encircled her waist, pulling her body against his.

When they finally came up for air, Kathryn rested her head against his chest, and he realized she was shaking. "Kathryn? Kathryn, are you all right?"

When she raised her head, he could see that she was shaking with laughter. "All those months with Harold, Chakotay, all those gifts, all those romantic weekends... and not one decent kiss. Not one."

He stroked her cheek and brushed a stray lock of hair back from her face. "Well, then I'd say we have a lot of time to make up for, wouldn't you?" He pressed his lips to hers, and it was a long time before she could speak again.

The bottle of wine was long gone, and it was many kisses later when Kathryn shivered, and this time, not from arousal. "Cold?" Chakotay asked. She nodded, and he pulled her into his embrace, holding her close as he settled their bill. "Let's go." He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. "I could take you for dinner," he offered. "We might be able to find a table somewhere at this hour. I'll give you a proper Valentines Day, although you might have to wait for the flowers and the card."

She shook her head. "I've had my proper Valentines Day, Chakotay. Harold sent me two dozen roses and a heart shaped box of chocolates, a teddy bear, and the sappiest card you've ever seen." She wrinkled her nose in distaste, and he laughed.

"You hated it."

"I don't care about those things."

"I know you don't. But I want you to know that I'm happy to do those things for you."

"I don't need roses and chocolates on Valentines Day."

Chakotay stopped and turned her to face him, his hands resting on her arms. "What about me? Is that something you need on Valentines Day?"

She looked up at him. "Oh no," she replied with a wicked grin. "I don't need you on Valentines Day." He pretended to be hurt and began to turn away, but she stopped him, pressing her body against his. "I need you every day."

He smiled, and picked her up and whirled her around with a whoop and a holler. The moment her feet touched the ground, he pulled her towards him for another deep kiss. "Kathryn Janeway," he whispered in her ear, "I don't need flowers or chocolates to give you a proper Valentines Day. I love you, and I'm going to show you exactly how much."

And that is precisely what he did.

fin