Disclaimer: I do not own DS9 or STVoy. Original characters belong to me and a friend.

Song Lyrics belong to the songwriters of ABBA, no infringement intended.

Friends

Chakotay was on Trillus Prime and not Vulcan with Seven, as she'd been lead to believe. That thought kept roving around inside her head, so much so that it was giving her the customary headache. She rubbed her temples and the bridge of her nose but the dull pain persisted behind her eyes. Then her aide called on the intercom.

"Yes!" she snapped.

"Admiral Owen Paris is here, Si... er, Ma'am," said the male aide. She sighed he still hadn't gotten use to calling her by her rank, rather than Sir or Ma'am.

"Send him in, Lieutenant; and Lieutenant, Coffee," she ordered.

"Yes, er Admiral," he said and cut the link hastily. The door to her office opened and admitted the man himself and before he had a chance to speak she pounced:

"You lied to me, Owen," her tone accusing, pacing up and down near the windows that gave a clear view of Golden Gate Bridge out across the bay.

"I did not," he replied calmly, knowing her as he did, but she obviously didn't hear him as she continued to mutter about being deceived and so forth. He let her blow steam and took the coffee tray from the Lieutenant when he arrived in the room with the requested beverage and whispered that the man take the rest of the day off.

"Thank you, Sir," he replied quietly. "Er, Sir. I shall be putting in for a transfer soon," he added.

"Noted Lieutenant; My desk tomorrow morning," he sighed.

"Yes, Sir," he said, and then quickly scuttled out without a backward glance.

'What was, he to do with this woman,' Owen Paris thought sadly, sitting down on the large sofa and poured two mugs of hot coffee, one black the other to his taste.

"Kathryn," holding out the dark hot brew, she turned at the sound of his voice a dark look on her face. "Coffee!" it was 'the' magic word, she strode over and reverently took the mug and savoured the smell breathing deep of the delicious aroma before taking a sip. "Now sit down, girl," he ordered, which thankfully she obeyed without question. He took up his mug and sipped from it.

"What am I to do with you, Kathryn?"

"I don't know what you mean?"

"I shall have another transfer request on my desk in the morning. How many aides have you been through? Six or is it now, seven?" Janeway just shrugged her shoulders, her expression non-pulsed.

"What do you do to them, Kathryn?"

"Nothing as far as I'm aware," she said, savouring her coffee. "They just don't seem to stay the course!" she ventured. Owen laughed.

"You mean they don't stay your course," he grinned. "However did Chakotay manage?" Silence greeted his carefree words. "Hmm! I see," he acknowledged, eying her over the rim of his coffee mug.

"You lied to me, Owen," she said looking at him steadily, her voice softer this time.

"I did nothing of the sort, Kathryn. At the time I didn't know and you made your question – such as it was – as to his whereabouts a statement. After that you stopped asking. When my daughter-in-law asked me what she should do about her knowledge of Chakotay, I told her to wait for you to ask; but you never did. Did you?" Her silence was an eloquent answer. Each silently appraised the other as they drank their coffee, each lost in their own thoughts, relevant only to them.

"Now," he stated putting his empty mug on the coffee table. "I want you to take the rest of this week as a leave of absence. No arguments, Kathryn," he said, stalling her retort. "I'll have a new aide for you on Monday morning, until then I do not want to see you around the Admiralty complex. Is that understood?" he ordered. "Is that understood!" he repeated his tone more forceful.

"Yes, Sir," she said, almost feeling like saluting him.

"And you are not to contact Chakotay. No contact!" he said again, his finger admonishing her.

"Yes, Sir," and this time she did salute him.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Hoon's Apartment:

A howl and a guttural sound emanated around the open space and Chakotay closed his eyes and sat quite still at the computer terminal.

"CHAKOTAY!" growled a voice he knew well. He decided not to be there. "I know where you are!" Hoon growled. "Come here!" he ordered. Reluctantly Chakotay joined the big male Gorn and saw him sprawled in the tight space near his sleep quarters. "Well don't just stand there help me up," he hissed, facet eyes glaring at his house-guest. Trying not to laugh at the sight of the downed Gorn, he tried to pull him free, but the green lizard was stuck fast.

"Perhaps if you moved some of the clutter?" a voice said over the human males shoulder.

"It would help a lot more if it hadn't been there in the first place," hissed Hoon red eyes looking at the culprit.

"I'm sorry, Suiag," pulling at a box near the Gorn's arm. "I thought I'd stacked it out of the way," he said feebly.

"I told you to put it away. Not block up the hallway!" he growled again, trying to wriggle away from the tangle, but it only brought more boxes down.

"SUIAG! Stay still for heavens sake," she scolded him, whilst helping Chakotay to clear the objects and boxes from around and under the downed Gorn. She gave her human friend a sly grin as they worked, because it was a strange sight. Soon they had cleared enough space to help the Gorn to his feet.

"Now I want these out of here. Tonight," he snapped and stomped off. Chakotay looked crestfallen and Alyxx couldn't blame him. The boxes held some of his sand pictures from Voyager, along with some less valuable artefacts from his dig with Professor Fen and other personal items.

"I'll see what I can do about getting you some lockable storage space. But it won't be until tomorrow."

"I can't get it all into my room, Alyxx," he said looking into the area where he slept. It was only big enough to hold one bed and a small chest of drawers. There was no wardrobe to hang anything either.

"You can have my room. I'm not here that often anyway," she put a finger to his lips to stall his protest. "And leave the Master of the house to me," she smiled. He relaxed and gathered the boxes together.

"I'd better shutdown the computer terminal," he said quietly and went to do the task. Alyxx watched him, noting the sadness in his body language and then went to find Suiag Hoon.

She found him in the kitchen area, growling under his breath as he prepared their midday meal.

"You've sacred him, Suiag," she said gently.

"Good!" concentrating on the vegetables in front of him rather than looking at her. Alyxx quietly stilled his large hands and called him by name again. "That's not the first time, that's happened, Alyxx," he told her, hissing over her name.

"I know. But don't you think it's time he changed to my room," she asked.

"NO!" he snapped, glaring at her.

"In that case," shrugging her shoulders and easing away from him. "I'll have to move out."

"You don't have to do that, surely, Alyxx?" asked Chakotay having arrived just as she said it.

"No she doesn't," Hoon said, his facet eyes not leaving hers.

"This apartment wasn't meant for four."

"Four?" queried Chakotay clearly puzzled by these turn of events, for as far as he knew there were only three bedrooms – two standard rooms and the guest put-me-up room; the one he currently occupied.

"That's right, four. I'll show you," she said turning to her human friend, she took his hand and led him through the apartment to the door at the end of the hallway that led to the bedrooms; it was a doorway he'd not really taken notice of before. Opening the door, she led him down the stairs to the dark well beneath the ground floor. After a short while Hoon joined the pair in the heated basement.

In the soft lighting Chakotay could make out two raised bed-like arrangements that used the heat from the buildings boiler to keep them warm. Near the stairs leading back up to the apartment was a large sand filled tub that was also heated by the boiler system and other necessary items, of which there was two of everything. The place felt hot and dry just right for a pair of lizards and their unique creature comforts.

"Who is the other place for?" he asked, turning to look at Hoon.

"For a friend," he responded quietly, moving forward into the cavern-like area.

"Where is this friend now?" puzzled by the sadness in his big green friend.

"On Gornia, as far as we know," Alyxx said quietly. "Working, undercover for Starfleet."

"Will this person be back?" Alyxx shook her head sadly, but Hoon snapped out a 'Yes'.

"Chakotay; why don't you finish off the vegetables," silently indicating that he leave. Quietly he did so retracing his steps back up to the floor above.

He sat quietly in the kitchen and wondered if it might not be a good idea if it was him who moved out, rather than Alyxx; but the question was, where would he go? He heard the pair return and looked up hopefully, but Alyxx Darkka's expression silenced his words. They ate their midday meal in a strained silence; afterwards Hoon went to the hospital for the rest of the day.

The two humanoid friends stacked his boxes into her room for temporary storage. When they'd finished he sat on her bed feeling dejected.

"Maybe.... may...be," he began. "Alyxx, where would you go or where could I go, if Suiag doesn't want me to stay. I... I mean," he stopped feeling lost. She sat beside him and hugged him.

"For the moment no one is going anywhere, My Friend. Give Suiag some space, getting wedged like that shook him up a bit; more than he's admitting to right now," she told him. "It was certainly an unusual sight," grinning. He smiled with her remembering.

"All green arms and legs," he smiled, feeling laughter bubble up in him.

"Don't forget the tail," she admonished laughter in her tone.

"Tail!? I thought it was a leg," he said, laughter spilling out of his mouth. Soon the pair were laughing helplessly, tears running down their cheeks as their mirth took over and they ended up on the floor. After a while their joyful sounds ceased as they lay side by side on the floor their mirth spent, sides aching.

"It wasn't really funny," he said, looking up at the ceiling, his face grinning.

"No, I suppose it wasn't," she agreed lightly, but she too was grinning. "Looks like the decorators missed a spot last time," having scrutinised the ceiling above her.

"Oh! Where?" he asked, searching the area above him.

"Up there," her finger pointing to the spot.

"I don't see anything," trying to follow the line of her pointing finger. "Oh there!" as if suddenly seeing it. They'd both heard the Gorn enter the apartment, yet they didn't move from their places on the floor. "Perhaps it could be covered up with some of those luminance stars. You know those ones that glow in the dark," he said helpfully.

"That would only really highlight it."

"True. But not if you added other stars," Chakotay said, aware of the Gorn watching them from the doorway.

"I see, like as in the patterns in the night's sky?" she asked softly. "Which patterns would you choose?" her hands clasped onto her stomach as she contemplated the ceiling thoughtfully.

"The First Father – Orion the Hunter to most people on Earth, or The big dipper?" he added quietly and drew out the shape in the air above him with his finger.

"What about Lupus – the Wolf...."

"What about you getting up from the floor," growled a voice they knew well, that had them scrabbling to their feet, or at least – in Chakotay's case – just sitting up and looking all innocent.

"Grrr! You win, Alyxx," he said reluctantly. She yelled with joy and ran and hugged him.

Chakotay they noticed pulled at his left ear, still sitting cross-legged on the floor.

"Don't keep him in suspense, Suiag!" punching his arm good-naturedly.

"You, Chakotay will be having this room, whilst I amend the other bedroom to accommodate Alyxx, when she's here."

"Thank you," he said sincerely, pleased that he wouldn't have to up-root himself from Trillus Prime and the Gorn's company. For it was where he felt safe and secure.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Paris' Home San Francisco:

Tom looked at the calendar, the date was fast approaching and he wasn't sure if he'd get all the invites out to everyone in time. What worried him too was that Teero was still running around with the Janeway touring Art Exhibition. He knew it was due to arrive on Earth for a tour around the globe very soon, ending at Starfleet headquarters on his special date. He still hadn't decided on the venue for his event yet, but it was very dependant on how many could make it.

He verdantly hoped that Chakotay would come, although he hadn't yet received a reply to the invitation, he'd sent via his last letter. Reg. Barclay had already replied and said he would try to ask a friend to be his companion guest as well as getting the EMH off for that day. It hurt Tom to know that the Doctor wasn't treated by everyone that knew him as a person, but as a thing to be used according to their wishes.

"And Starfleet prides itself on toleration, acceptance and diversity. P'tak!"

"Hey! No swearing," admonished his wife entering the room, with their daughter, having just returned from a shopping trip.

"Mama do!" Miral said innocently.

"Out of the mouths of babes," Tom smiled. "Come to Dada," he invited and she ran into her father's open arms.

"Any word from Chakotay?" she asked quietly.

"Not yet. I don't expect to hear from him until his next letter is due," having sat Miral on his lap.

"Uncle Tay!" she said, making her parents smile at her well spoke words and the sentiment behind them. "Tay come," her tone confident.

"Let's hope so, Little one. Now go help your mother unpack the shopping. Dada has some work to do," he quietly told her, putting her down on her feet. Miral immediately joined her mother at a run. Tom shook his head affectionately, for having found and got the co-ordination of her legs together Miral never walked anywhere she always ran.

"I'll get it!" he called in answer to the main door chime sounding. The person standing there had him staring in surprise.

"Am I not welcome?"

"Yes! Please come in, Kathryn," he invited, standing aside to let her enter.

"I have the coffee on!" called a voice from the kitchen.

"Something tells me I was expected," the high-ranking Starfleet woman said with a knowing smile. Paris shook his head affectionately and indicated the way into the main lounge where he was working. They sat down, she on the sofa and him at the computer terminal which he shutdown for the time being. Soon the smell of freshly brewed coffee walked into the area, along with the careful patter of little feet; Miral was concentrating hard on bring in the medium sized plate of biscuits she carried, so as not to have them spill off the plate onto the floor, whilst her mother carried the coffee tray. Once everyone had a cup of coffee and biscuit, Miral had some fruit juice and two biscuits, the adults relaxed in each others company.

"I understand from your father, Tom, that you've both spent some time with Chakotay," she said carefully. Both realised she was fishing for information, but they let her continue digging.

"That's right. We spent about just under two months with him," Tom said watching his daughter eat her biscuit.

"Are you still in contact with him?" Kathryn asked quietly.

"Not directly."

"But you do speak with him?" casually eying her former helmsman over her coffee cup. The pair looked at each other, Tom's mouth quirked into a soft smile, one that silently warned his wife to keep quiet. B'Elanna realised a silent battle of wills was going on and decided to take herself back to the kitchen or she knew she'd snap at her former Captain; she'd also recognised the need for caution in letting Kathryn Janeway have direct or even partial contact with Chakotay.

"Teero!" she muttered under her breath on reaching the safety of the kitchen. B'Elanna picked up the holo-picture that had been taken under a willow tree. Julian Bashir had been behind the holo-imager and taken it of the four of them. She brushed her fingers over the smiling face of the tattooed male standing behind her and Tom, holding Miral, his dark eyes shining with carefree laughter. "If only you could be here," she whispered softly. Sighing with regret, she re-stood the picture in its place and returned to her chores.

Meanwhile in the lounge the silent battle of wills was still in progress, thus Janeway decided to try a different tactic.

"What do you know about that Trill female who said he was her guest?"

"Not a lot, as we never met her. Chakotay spoke of her, but we didn't meet her."

"Since the reporter said she is the daughter of Trill's ambassador to Earth, I would have thought she would be busy on Trill."

"Maybe, Kathryn," he sighed and picked up his rather biscuit crumbed daughter onto his lap and tried to clean her up, but she wriggled. "Go to Mama and have a wash," he said putting her down and she ran off immediately.

"Surely you have some idea who she is," her tone demanding, as if Chakotay was her wayward son that needed to be kept under her close scrutiny. The whole idea had Tom Paris quietly grinning, in that Admiral Kathryn Janeway could ever 'mother' his big friend.

"No I don't, Kathryn," he wanted to add, 'He's a big boy who can take care of himself,' but he decided not to voice the thought, as he didn't think it would go down to well. "All I do know is that she's a Starfleet officer and was doing her tour of duty aboard a Starfleet vessel, when we visited Chakotay; at his invitation."

"A Starfleet officer?" she asked puzzled. "Which ship?" she demanded.

"As my Dad would say, Kathryn; Do your own research," his tone losing its usual jovial tone. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some work to be doing," he said standing, an indication that the woman had outstayed her welcome.

"Tom, I'm sorry. It's just..." she said, standing herself. "I don't hear from him in months and then to find out that he isn't where I thought he was," her voice contrite. But one look at Paris' face she knew no more information about her former First officer would be forthcoming from this man. "Thanks for the coffee," moving towards the main house door, Tom silently following. At the door she looked round as if to ask another question but thought better of it, said her goodbyes and left.

"Has she gone?" asked his wife peering round the kitchen door, her hand holding onto Miral, who stood beside her.

"For now, yes," he said quietly and held out his arms to her. Together they moved into a warm embrace, Miral was puzzled by this sombre attitude. She tugged at her father's pant leg and he bent down and gathered her into the hug with her mother.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Mak'ala Trillus Prime:

Chakotay stood beside his friend and fellow Starfleet officer, dressed in her Science blue uniform, her personal holdall at her feet.

"I hate goodbyes," he muttered darkly.

"Then perhaps this should be, I'll see you later!" she replied her tone light.

"Tom once told me of a saying for these times," he said. Alyxx looked askance at him. "See you later alligator', to which the reply came, 'not for a while crocodile," he said shyly.

"Sounds appropriate," she grinned. "Don't look so sad, Chakotay," she said touching her face gently. "There'll be other times to do things together," she told him quietly.

"But I'd have liked you to be my companion guest," he said, sounding like a sulking little boy who wanted things his way.

"I know, Chakotay," her green eyes smiling gently at him. "Starfleet officers can't choose where and when they do their tour of duty and don't forget I am head of my department and need to set the right example, for my staff, by following orders."

"When did you ever follow orders, Alyxx Darkka," he teased her, smiling quietly. She laughed but didn't respond to his jibe; she softly kissed his cheek and reminded him of what she'd suggested earlier; picking up her holdall and stepping onto the shuttle transport that would take her to her ship currently in orbit. Chakotay watched it disappear from sight and then walked to his home.

Trying to get another essay done on Professor Fen's latest work, for a student talk at the local university was proving slow going and his mind just wasn't concentrating on it. Muttering some curses of his own he closed down the computer and wandered around the empty apartment.

He'd enjoyed the work of decorating and fitting his things into the room that had been Alyxx's with her helping to arrange the furniture. They'd had to purchase a new bed as the put-me-up bed wasn't really suitable for long term use and Alyxx needed hers in her new quarters. It had been quite a revelation for him to discover they had similar tastes, as they worked together in painting the room. On the ceiling were the constellations of Orion the Hunter – known to his people as First Father, plus Lupus – the Wolf and Delphinus – the Dolphin, made up of luminance stars. Lighting had been reduced to some soft-lit floor lamps and a couple of larva lamps, in different sizes. The only strong light was a small desk lamp at his study area situated in one corner and screened off from the rest of the room. Earthy toned colours adorned the walls and Native Amerindian styled blankets and rugs decorated the rest of the large room. On one of the walls he'd designed a mural with her helping to research the subject matter. It was a forest scene in autumn with the sun streaming through the trees; it wasn't quite finished, but no furniture blocked ones view of the floor to ceiling picture. All the bedrooms of the apartment had no outside looking windows in fact they had no windows period, only the main living room and kitchen area had patio sized windows to allow natural light in and a view of the courtyard garden.

The door chime echoed through the open plan area, where he stood silently contemplating that garden. Sighing he went to the door and found a Starfleet Trill officer standing outside, smiling a little unsure of her welcome.

"Hello, Ezri. Please come in," standing aside to let her pass. "Like some tea?" he asked, making for the kitchen area.

"That would be fine," she responded, walking over to the main windows and stood hands clasped behind her, looking out at the plants. Soon she was handed a mug filled with a dark brew on tasting it she smiled. "Talakrian tea! Wonderful," she exclaimed, sipping the beverage gratefully.

"Have a seat," he offered sitting down also. "So what brings you to visit me?" he asked after a moment's silence. "I haven't forgotten an important appointment, have I?"

"No, Chakotay; you haven't. Your next follow-up session isn't until next month."

"That's a relief," he teased with a smile. "Is everything alright with you and Julian?"

"Our working relationship is just fine," smiling at him. "Julian and I have not been an item for sometime," she added quietly.

"Oh, I see," not really knowing what to say.

"Mutual agreement," she breathed deeply knowing they were both avoiding something important. Ezri put down her empty mug and gazed at him sitting opposite her, almost as if he was on tender hooks. Thus she decided to speak first. "Truth is, Chakotay; Alyxx asked me to look you up, so to speak. Saying that you had something important to ask me," her tone open and honest. He sighed and pulled at his ear, making Ezri smile as she knew what it meant.

"I have a special invite to attend a family gathering and it suggests, I take along a companion guest," he said slowly as if weighing his words. "I was going to ask Alyxx Darkka, but she's back on duty. So," he paused wondering if this was right, but knowing that she and Julian Bashir weren't together meant he couldn't, not do so. "Would you, Ezri Dax accompany me to the Voyager Family Reunion on Earth?"

"I'd love to," she said smiling happily. "When and where?"

"I know the when is, December 24th. The rest of the data is going to be done Maquis style; according to Mr. Paris."

"Sounds like fun," grinning. "Will you be staying over on Earth or be going straight from here?"

"Tom and B'Elanna have offered me and my guest accommodation with them."

"Great," she enthused, but noted his expression. "You're not sure, are you?" she said softly, moving to sit next to him on the sofa. Chakotay shook his head sadly. "Is it because of Janeway? Teero? Me?" Ezri asked, listing off the names.

"No, Ezri; it's not you; Janeway and Teero, perhaps. I don't know," he sighed deeply.

"Meeting your former 'Family', after disappearing for so long," she guessed quietly.

"Maybe!? This is all so... confusing," he admitted, a little lamely.

"It generally is, Chakotay. I realise you'd rather have Alyxx going with you; don't deny it," she admonished, stalling his next words. He smiled shyly. "I don't bite, you know. And I'm sure your 'Family' will welcome you with open arms," her smile lighting up her face.

"I'm sure they will too," he agreed with her. "Like to stay for dinner?" he asked casually.

"Are you cooking?"

"That's the idea."

"In that case; I'm game." He laughed and taking her hand led her to the kitchen, where he showed her what vegetables needed preparing.

TBC.........