-Disclaimer- Paramount owns everything but the missing scene I wrote.
-Synopsis- A missing scene from Caretaker.
-Rated- G
"Give me one reason to stay."
Kathryn had decided to remain seated behind the desk in her ready room. There was no sense in standing up. He towered over her. In a crowd that was fine but when it was just the two of them she wasn't sure she could stop herself from feeling intimidated.
"Captain Chakotay, you are in a strange quadrant that has already proven to be the home of hostile beings."
Chakotay stood a few feet from her desk. He kept his sharp eyes on her as she spoke. Despite the recent revelation of Tuvok's deception, Chakotay still felt that he was a good judge of character. Her body language would give her away. He was sure of it. "As are you, Captain."
His constant stare unnerved her. She used every bit of her Starfleet training to remain calm. "The only difference is that I have a ship."
"Yes, you do. Thanks to me."
Kathryn pinched her nose. This was not going as she expected. She never thought he would accept her offer without question but she did think that he would see that joining her crew was his only option. She straightened her shoulders and met his stare. "I know and I thank you."
He held her gaze for a long time. The tension between them was palpable. He inclined his head to let her know that he accepted her thanks. "At the time, it seemed like the logical thing to do. Now, I'm not so sure."
He turned from her and walked around the room. Despite his best efforts she was affecting him in ways he'd rather not acknowledge. He forced his eyes to sweep around the room. His mind taking in every little detail. He found himself walking toward the picture that was set on a small table in the corner.
Kathryn had had enough of this game of cat and mouse. She was tired. In the past three days she hadn't slept for more than two hours at a time. Her first command had turned into an unmitigated disaster and now this. She wanted to cry but she couldn't. Instead, she cleared her mind and focused on the situation at hand. The Maquis couldn't survive without her and her ship. She also knew that her ship couldn't survive without them. He had to agree to join her crew.
She watched him as he moved around her ready room. He was like a cat on the prowl. He would be a formidable enemy. She blanched when he lifted up the picture. "My fiancé," she said.
Chakotay put the frame back down. "Ahh."
"Captain Chakotay, the only way we are going to find our way back home is if we work together."
Before she knew what had happened he had crossed the room to where she was standing. His dark eyes were ablaze with anger. "What makes you think I want to go back? For that matter, what makes you think any of my people want to return to a place where they are considered criminals? Getting stuck here may be the best thing that could have happened to them."
Kathryn held her ground and remained rooted right before him. "I am sure some of them have families."
Captain Chakotay scoffed at her remark. "Many of them do and I'm confident they'll be a great source of comfort when we're all sitting in a Federation penal colony."
They had reached an impasse. "What do you want me to say? Do you want me to apologize for doing my job?"
Her voice grew stronger as she continued. "Do you want me to say I'm sorry for coming after you and getting us stuck in this god forsaken place?"
"Is that what you want? She yelled. "Well I am!" Kathryn stalked past him and climbed the few steps that led to her view port.
"What I want is one good reason to accept your offer." Chakotay watched as her shoulders slumped. She was weary to the bone. They both were. He hated to push her but he needed to hear it. He needed to be sure.
After a tense silence, she finally answered him. "When we were hit with the displacement wave I lost one third of my crew. I have no pilot, no chief engineer and no first officer. On top of that, it seems that my doctor for the unforeseeable future will be a hologram with a very bad bed side manner. My ship is falling apart and I have already made an enemy who would like nothing better than to kill me. So Captain Chakotay, I need you. I need you to be my first officer and I need your crew to take on the responsibilities of those lost if we are ever going to get back home." She turned to face him. "And make no mistake, the Alpha Quadrant will be our heading once repairs are finished. The decision is yours, Captain."
She watched him digest all that she had said. He shifted his weight and continued to stare at her. "I said give me a good reason."
Apprehension crept into her soul as she watched his eyes darken. She turned once again and gave him her back.
She heard him step toward her. "A good reason, Kathryn."
She could feel the heat of his body as he stood on the first step directly behind her. His nearness crumbled the wall that she had erected the minute she had seen him. She was almost shaking by the time she spoke. "I need you to stay because I need you. Because despite the fact that it has been twenty years and a life time ago, not a day goes by that I don't miss you. That's why I need you to stay."
He moved even closer until she was leaning against him. His breath felt hot on her neck as he spoke. "I accept."
The End