Chakotay cursed as he heard a voice calling him over the comm channel, his first thought was to pretend he didn’t hear but that wouldn’t be very professional of him, and there was probably a good reason for whoever it was to contact him.
“Chakotay here”
“Commander you are needed on the bridge, we have detected a phenomenon that may be of importance”, the cool voice of Tuvok answered him.
Now Chakotay´s curiosity was peaked,
“I’m on my way” he said and got out of bed.
A few minutes later Chakotay stepped onto the bridge to se Harry and Tuvok standing by the Ops console.
“What’s this curious thing you’ve found?” he asked them.
The two of the mstepped back and Chakotay looked down at the console his mind trying to grasp what they were seeing.
“The captain?…” he asked
he got his answer when he heard the turbolift doors open.
“Report”
“Captain”, Chakotay said motioning her to join him, “do you recognise this?”
As the captain looked at the console readings Chakotay was momentarily transported seven years in the past as he relived that moment in the badlands where he had come into contact with something very similar to what they were facing now.
He was broken out of his reverie by the captains voice.
“Analysis”
“I’ve compared the readings with those from seven years ago captain, they’re identical. The only difference to this once is that the displacement wave that brought us to the Delta Quadrant was moving towards us, this one is standing still.”
“There’s another difference” Chakotay said as it dawned on him, “we haven’t been scanned.”
“All stop, put it onscreen”, the captain ordered.
She walked up to the railing and looked at the displacement wave that filled the entire viewscreen and for a short moment she was back in the badlands looking at the very same phenomenon.
“Captain?” Chakotay was standing next to her.
“Chakotay, the last time we encountered this thing we were swept 70 000 light-years from home, I don’t care to find out what would happen a second time”. The captain said in a low voice alternating looking at Chakotay and looking at the viewscreen.
“Agreed. Take us around it Mr. Paris then go to….
“Captain!”
She swirled around to see what it was Harry Kim had shrieked about but didn’t have to ask for right in the middle of the bridge stood Kes.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Nobody said a word, everyone on the bridge stood staring with mouths wide open at the sight before them even Tuvok was unusually stunned looking.
It was the captain who first regained the ability to think straight
“Kes?”
“Yes it’s me captain I’ve come to give you a second gift.” Kes looked around her at the stunned faces,
“you’ve all been so brave and strong, now that I can help you I want to.”
She went over to the captain and touched her lightly on her arm, “it’s time for you to explore ideas you can’t have hear captain.” She said and smiled first at the captain and then at Chakotay who was still standing next to her.
“How can you help us Kes?” he asked
She nodded her head at the viewscreen where the displacement wave still hovered, “that’s your way home”.
“Did you bring it here?”
“Yes”
“What are we supposed to do?” the captain asked
“Fly into it, it shouldn’t be as turbulent as it was the last time. Don’t be afraid, I love you all”.
And with that she vanished and again the bridge was silent.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Some day this turned out to be, Chakotay thought as sat down in his chair. After another few seconds of silence the captain had opened a ship wide channel telling the crew to brace themselves, he knew that she couldn’t even try to explain further that they might be in the Alpha Quadrant soon, that would have been too much.
As she gave Tom the order to fly into the wave she looked at Chakotay and held out her hand, with a small smile he took it knowing they were in for a rough ride.
It turned out not to be so bad, they were flung about a bit but compared to the last time it was a joyride. As the ship stopped shaking Chakotay called for a report and everyone waited actiously as Harry checked his readings to see where they were. And for the third time in the course of one hour the bridge fell silent, they were home.
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CHAPTER 2
The silence was deafening but was broken by Tom Paris who turned around with a huge grin on his face and then broke out in laughter. Soon Harry Kim followed and shortly after that the entire bridge was smiling, aside from Tuvok but those who looked closely would swear they saw a hint of a smile on his face.
Through the turbolift doors the rest of the senior staff burst onto the bridge, the Doctor went around congratulating everybody, B´Elanna laughed and ran to hug Tom and Neelix almost fainted with excitement.
In the middle of the bridge, as if in an oasis of calm, the captain and commander sat in their command chairs still holding hands staring at eachother. Chakotay was the first to notice the commotion around them and stood up and grinned at Kathryn. She started to laugh and nearly bounced out of her chair and gave him a big hug. They pulled apart as they heard a beeping coming from Harry’s console.
“Captain we’re being hailed, it’s a from DS9.”
The captain took a deep breath before telling Harry to open a channel.
“This is captain Janeway of the U.S.S Voyager requesting permission to dock.”
The face of a Bajoran women filled the screen,
“Captain, I’m Cournel Kira Nerys of Deep Space 9, you’re clear to dock, and may I be the first to welcome you back.”
“Thank you Cournel, it’s good to be back.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
To say that things after that were chaotic would be the understatement of the century, news of Voyagers return spread through the quadrant like the wind.
The crew were given quarters on DS9 and the business of contacting family and friends began.
“Look who it is!”
Harry, Tom and B´Elanna were walking along the promenade the day after their arrival when Harry stopped short.
“Who?”, B´Elanna asked
“The bartender, the Ferengi. Tom you remember don’t you, he tried to sell me Lobai crystals, that’s when we first met”.
“Oh I remember, you insulted him and I had to rescue you”. Tom said with a smirk.
“Ill be right back”, Harry said heading towards the bar.
“Harry, what are you doing?” B´Elanna asked running up to him
“I’m going to buy something from him.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to!” Harry said and walked on with his friends in tow.
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“Enjoying the view?”
Chakotay felt a hand on his shoulder and heard Kathryn’s voice and turned around.
“Yeah, I’ve been here before but I never stopped to actually look at the wormhole opening and closing, it’s beautiful.”
“It’s the same for me, when I was here seven years ago I was too busy preparing for the mission, and excited about taking Voyager out on her maiden voyage. Some maiden voyage that was huh”
Chakotay leaned against the window and looked at her smiling,
“I’m not complaining”. he said, “I was just thinking of how different life would be if we hadn’t gotten stuck in the Delta Quadrant.”
“I would have fought and possibly died in the war with the Dominion and you would have continued to fight in the Maquis and…” she stopped suddenly realising what she had almost said, Chakotay realised it too,
“And most likely been killed.”
“Chakotay, I didn’t mean…”
“It’s okay Kathryn”
She looked at him sceptically
“Well maybe not okay”, he said ruefully, “but… it’s… it’s something Ill learn to deal with. Someday maybe I won’t feel guilty for not being here and continuing the fight, for not fighting with them…and dying with them” he added quietly.”
They looked serenely at one another, Kathryn stepped alittle closer to him
“Chakotay I…”
“Captain, Commander!” She was interrupted by the Doctor.
Kathryn and Chakotay shared a look before greeting the Doctor
“Hello Doctor, it looks like you’re enjoying yourself”
“Oh I am! I´d like you both to come to one of the holodecks for a celebration this evening. The stations doctor has a program that’s perfect for the occasion.”
“We’ll be there” Chakotay said.
“Wonderful!” the doctor said and hurried on.
As he left Chakotay looked down at Kathryn and said
“you were saying?”
“never mind…Ill see you later this evening.”
And then she left.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kathryn was walking along the corridor trying not to stumble on her feet. She hadn’t been planning on wearing anything special to the event on the holodeck but B´Elanna had come by with a dress for her to wear. Apparently formal wear was what was called for, dresses for the ladies and suits for the men.
The dress B´Elanna had picked out was beautiful, it was black armless velvet dress that went down to her feet with slits on both sides of the dress. She felt sexy but not too sexy. It was perfect.
When she arrived in the holodeck she saw most of her crew already there and the senior staff of DS9 was there aswell.
She walked up the bar where a bartender was giving out drinks.
Taking a sip of it she turned around and noticed Chakotay talking to the commander of DS9, Kathryn remembered her name being Kira Nerys a Bajoran Cournel who had taken over command of the station after Benjamin Sisko, Kathryn had heard some vague mention of the reason of Sisko not being commander anymore but she was sure that Starfleet would have dozens of briefings with her when they got to Earth. No doubt she would hear about everything that had happened over the last seven years. And from what she already knew that was a considerable amount.
She saw Chakotay excuse himself from the Cournel and begin walking towards her. He looked stunning, he was wearing a tuxedo just like all the other men and he was smiling at her with those dimples she loved. Taking a deep breath she smiled back at him.
He walked up to her so that he was standing mere inches from her
“hello Kathryn” he said in a low voice bending down to kiss her cheek
She almost fainted, how did he do that!
Momentarily loosing the ability to speak she just smiled at him again and took another sip of her drink.
“you look beautiful” he said taking a drink of his own, not looking at her but at the band playing on the stage.
“Thank you. You don’t look too bad yourself” she replied looking at the stage.
Kathryn was fighting a battle inside her, Chakotay looked wonderful and standing here with him was killing her, her mind went back to the kiss they had shared three months ago, such a wonderful kiss.
No Kathryn, don’t think about that!
Why not!
Because I say so!
Unbeknownst to her Chakotay was having a similar struggle. And all the while they stood there pretending to be watching their crew and the band.
The Doctor and the holographic singer Vic Fontaine started singing and she actually enjoyed it. Afterwards she mingled for a while but she was constantly aware of where in the room Chakotay was.
She had been able not to look at him for a few minutes and was talking to the Cournel when she felt his presence behind her.
Oh god, when have I been able to feel peoples presence! She thought to herself.
“Captain, may I have this dance?” he asked, his voice was perfectly innocent but there was a definite twinkle in his eye that was impossible to miss.
“Ofcourse, excuse me Cournel” she said in a voice much calmer than she felt.
He led her to the middle of the room and put his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. At that moment she was lost, draping her left arm around his neck she felt his skin on the back of his neck and inhaled his scent. His grasp was firm but soft and she felt like she was floating
Oh to hell with it she thought and leaned her head against him.
They kept dancing for a long time, no one dared cut in. When the third song was ending she looked up at him and brought her hand to caress his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into her hand
“Kathryn” he said in the softest voice she had ever heard.
“Yes Chakotay” she managed
“I…” he didn’t say anything instead he bent his head and she thought for sure he was going to kiss her, he did but not where she wanted him to. He pressed his lips against her cheek.
“Chakotay…do you want to…leave?”
“yes”
And that was that they quietly left the holodeck, nobody said anything, in retrospect Kathryn wouldn’t be so surprised, it had probably been clear from their actions what they were planning to do.
Also in retrospect she was surprised they’d made it to his quarters but they did, somehow.
When they got to his quarters everything changed, Kathryn found herself pressed against the wall, Chakotay´s mouth locked on hers and his chest pressing against her breasts. She moaned into his mouth and wrapped her arms around his neck lifting one leg around his waist to rub herself against him, feeling his hardening erection straining to get out of its confines. Not one to let him suffer she pushed him away just enough to open his pants and push them down his legs, using her feet to nudge them down to the floor.
His hands were every where at once, on her face, her hips, her breasts and stroking her legs. While still having one arm wrapped around him for support her other hand was gently teasing his erection making him moan and he couldn’t help but thrust against her.
Neither of them could go on torturing each other for long, when Chakotay´s hands found her bottom she lifted her other leg and wrapped around him. Gently lifting her off the floor, he pressed himself against her until her back was supported between himself and the wall. Both of them moaned as he thrust into her.
Chakotay let out a growl at her as she began sucking his shoulder and quickened the pace. Kathryn knew she would be able to see marks on her hips from his hold on her but couldn’t care less. Chakotay quickened the rhythm yet again, his thrusting fast and furious. He groaned as his climax built and pushed him toward the edge, his body tight with pent up passion. He roared as he came inside her.
Kathryn’s head snapped back and hit the wall as she screamed as the orgasm rippled through her and in the distance she heard Chakotay come aswell.
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Kathryn and Chakotay lay in the bed both staring at the ceiling. They had finally made it to the bed, after stopping by the sofa for “another round” as Chakotay jokingly had put it. They had collapsed into the bed in a tangle of lims and had both been awake for a while but neither of them wanted to get up from the comfortable bed, and neither wanted to be the first to leave.
“Chakotay”
“yes”
“Why did we do this?”
Chakotay turned to rest on his elbow and looked at her, she looked beautiful the thought, her hair was ruffled and even though he knew she was confused she still had a calm expression on her face.
“I´d like to think we did this because we both wanted it for the right reasons.” He said
“But what if they weren’t the right reasons” she said and turned to copy his pose, her head resting on her hand.
“What if this”, she motioned at the bed, “was just a…reaction, something we did because we thought we wanted it or because we felt we had to or just to release all the tension from these years.”
He was quiet for a long time, seemingly taking everything she said in and turning it over in his head, analysing it.
“Kathryn… I can’t speak for you but I, well I liked what just happened” they both smiled “not just for the obvious reasons” he said smiling then turned serious.
From the first time we met I’ve respected and admired you, first as a captain and then as a person and a friend. And after a time I development this “boyish attraction” to you. It was like I was a schoolboy again developing his first crush. In a way it was humiliating, I was after all a grown man” he said smiling slightly.
“After a while that faded but instead there was this deeper warmth were you were concerned, there still is. It’s more the friendship and I realised about a year ago that it was love. I haven’t been in love, I mean really in love very many times in my life but what I feel for you, that’s love. I know it, and that’s why I couldn’t help but kiss you that night in the messhall three months ago.”
They were both silent.
“Wow” Kathryn said and he smiled. “I don’t know what to say Chakotay, that’s a kind of confession I never expected to hear. I honestly don’t know how I feel about you Chakotay, and that’s the truth. It may be love and then again it may just be that I care deeply for you as a friend. My mind is just so jumbled right now that I don’t know.” She sighed. “It’s this whole coming home thing, it’s not that I’m not thrilled about it but I kind of wanted some kind of warning or atleast alittle more time to prepare, I was taken off guard. When we had that talk three months ago, after we’d kissed, I thought that I loved you but when I said that we might have chance to explore our feelings when we got home I didn’t think we’d be here three months later!
She took a deep breath
“I don’t want to loose you Chakotay that’s one thing I’m sure of”
“But you don’t know the extent of your feeling towards me” he replied
“No. I´d like to make sure it’s romantic love and not friendly love”
“How do you suggest you do that?”
“How about when we get back to Earth and all the dealings with Starfleet are over we go on a vacation, just the two of us. I seem to recall someone telling me about bathing in the gulf of Mexico and camping in the desert. I´d like to do that with you.”
“Or we could just go to Risa” he said
“Or we could do both” she replied and they both laughed.
He looked at her fondly, pretty sure what the outcome of that vacation would be but decided that he would go along with it, she needed time and he would give it to her. Hell, he’d already gotten more that he ever thought he would. And this way he would have something to look forward to when they got back to Earth, a few minutes ago he hadn’t but now the vacation with Kathryn sounded just the thing that would get him through the endless Starfleet debriefings.
THE END
Story Index
Kathryn and Chakotay Universe
