Paramount owns all that is Startrek Voyager

Summary: Sometimes the history of two people, bonded by love is legendary, J/C

Legends

The salty water played around her naked feet, tugging at her black trousers.

But she didn't feel the cold. Painful waters seemed to flow somewhere else.

The white sand could as well have been dark-red, but it was not her soles that bled. No daggers knifed her every step. She had not exchanged her voice for legs.

No, she had given her heart.

From the first moment she had been lost and when he had touched her hair and skin so long ago, on a planet called New Earth, he had reached deep into her soul. Taking what she believed she couldn't give.

In a last attempt to protect herself she had asked for parameters, only to get a legend in return.

Words of love, sealed by the joining of hands.

Words that should bring peace to both of them.

Words that turned into a curse in the moment they had to return to their ship.

When his shaking hands had fastened the last pip at her collar, the countdown of the self-destruct sequence of her heart had been engaged.

In silent alarm.

Silence. No words, no declaration of love. Her lips had been sealed with protocol, with guilt and a burden that she carried willingly for the safety of her crew. Even for him.

Didn't he know? Had he not seen the truth in her eyes?

The time raced against her.

Other voices called to him. Riley, Kellin… Still he had been beside her, waiting for the one that had never spoken to him.

The years left not only lines in their faces. Hearts got cracks. In the quiet of an unspoken love, they died a hundreds deaths. And the dead had names like Scorpion, Equinox, Kashyk or Jaffen.

Kathryn served her time, a prison sentence as long as the way through the Delta-Quadrant. While Chakotay kept vigil at the walls of his captain's heart. How long could he wait?

One year or five?

A new voice reached for him, offering openly the words that she couldn't give.

Seven years?

Seven.

The Borg princess would get her angry warrior.

And the last minute of the countdown started to run down.

Every second a heartbeat.

Every heartbeat a knife twisted in her soul.

She felt like dying.

Every wave called her deeper into the water of the sea. Salty as the tears that dropped on the dark surface.

The uniform sank to the oceans ground. Pips drifted slowly to merge with the desert of stones beneath her feet.

The promise she gave was fulfilled and she stood naked, her arms outstretched to the silent starless sky.

At first her voice whispered the sacred words, then it rose above the waters that licked with cold tongues at her waist until she screamed in total abandon.

"I love you, Chakotay."

The time was up.

But only the sea seemed to listen and she could as well have turned to foam. But she didn't. Her lips turned blue, her hair shimmered snow-white in the light of the moon.

Kathryn Janeway would die in frozen waters to become the Queen of Ice. Her name: Admiral.

Was this the end of a legend?

The tower of strength was about to collapse. For years he had waited for the gate to open. He had placed roses at her door, only to cut his hands and to pierce his heart with the thorns.

Thorns that wore one name: Kathryn.

She had never let her hair down, until it fell to the floors of her ship to be recycled. Just like she had been.

Assimilated, consummated by her rank.

The walls grow like a hedge and Kathryn would sleep behind it for 70000 years of light.

In his wait for her, he became lonely. Time wore his legend out.

He didn't know how much longer he could find peace in silent promises, in the touching of hands and eyes. He needed to hear her voice.

But she never spoke.

So he tasted other women's fire, but they never enflamed his heart. He thought he could forget. And then another voice called.

She shed her cool exterior for him and offered what her mentor wouldn't give. Words of love. And he took.

In exchange for peace he got attraction. A quick fire that was fed by anger.

It died in the tears that the captain cried when they said their final goodbye.

And he heard. Unspoken words.

The cool water played around his naked feet, but he burnt. A forgotten flame was lighting the dark shadows in his heart.

Quickly rising to an all-consuming fire with the voice that called for him in the distance.

And he ran, for her life and for his own.

The voice slowly died, while he ran faster.

Every step a heartbeat.

Every heartbeat a word.

The last word. His name.

"Kathryn."

From far away came his answer, but he already held her in his arms.

Warm skin touched cold skin.

Warm breath kissed blue lips.

In the bed of the sea her body joined his.

In legendary Love.

walkinshade (Gine)