Disclaimer: I don't own these lovely characters - just borrowed them for a bit (again!), for my own selfish enjoyment. No copyright infringement intended.
Warning: pure fluff ahead. Decided I'd like to spend some time on New Earth, with our favorite duo most definitely taking their relationship to a new level. Screw those blasted "parameters", anyway. ;)
New Earth
There was definitely a bounce in her step today.
Chakotay couldn't help a satisfied smile, knowing as he did that it was, at least in part, because of him. His mind drifted back to the previous night (well, okay - he hadn't actually stopped thinking about last night since he woke up next to her, their bodies intertwined - but if they were going to accomplish anything today...). He couldn't suppress a mischievous snicker as he thought about dropping his pack, guiding her up against that tree over there, and...
She raised an eyebrow at him, accurately reading the gist of his thoughts as he glanced at her, but she couldn't hide her bliss. She had a feeling there would be a few detours today...
He reached for his tricorder, opened it and studied the readings, more for a distraction than anything. He found himself reviewing the planet's vital statistics - 24.13-degree axial tilt; 135,000-kilometer average distance from its parent star, a G3IV-type stellar object that was quite similar to Earth's class-G2V sun; land masses spread over the hemispheres roughly equally, with slightly more land in the southern hemisphere; average solar output roughly 1,366 watts per meter squared; rotational period of 25.32 hours; a complete orbital revolution in about 380 Earth days, or 360 New Earth days; atmospheric circulation resembling the Hadley cells of Earth...
It was summer in the planet's northern hemisphere, and life was visibly abundant on the landmass they now traversed - their home continent, as it were. Although Voyager had detected no humanoid life forms, a plethora of flora and fauna had evolved and now flourished on the class-M world.
They'd decided a few days ago to take a hiking trip into the mountains, and to start cataloging New Earth's many species. Both explorers, scientists, by nature, they wanted to get to know what was now their planet of residence. Encyclopedia New Earth, they'd jokingly called their project.
They'd started out somewhat later than originally planned (time does curious things when love is new), but there was no schedule to follow - save for the fact that they'd packed enough food for five days away from their home base. And while they could certainly survive off the land for any length of time beyond that, this first trip would be of a pre-defined length. As distracted as they were in the morning, they'd both eagerly anticipated what was just the beginning of their exploring.
They'd set out to the north after a hearty breakfast, heading toward the mountain range approximately 30 kilometers from their home. They'd likened it to Earth's Rocky Mountains, as the peaks rose in a similar fashion - towering sharply, with minimal foothills beneath them and low weathering, indicating a relatively young geologic age. The river that ran near their home had its source in these mountains, though in between its course meandered some distance to the east. They had the data from Voyager's global cartographic survey, and therefore a basic map of the planet, but they intended to fill in some of the finer details with their in-situ exploration. Eventually they'd take the shuttle on some more distant expeditions. Thus far, they hadn't set foot in the craft, preferring for the time being to explore under their own power. Chakotay had joked about not remembering how to fly it.
Kathryn inhaled deeply - fresh air of a non-industrialized planet - and smiled at the feel of the warm mid-day sun on her face. She reached for Chakotay's hand, which he happily slid around her own.
They'd trekked a good 12K since beginning their adventure, and now the mixed forest that covered the land adjacent to their home was gradually thinning, making way for some taller grasses - something of a savannah landscape now surrounded them. Kathryn had stopped several times on their journey to take in a new plant or animal species, cataloging it and often likening it to something she remembered from Earth.
They came upon a stand of bright red flowers, stalks roughly three-quarters of a meter high, bract flower petals splayed in delicate inflorescences - they were quite striking among the more earthy shades of the landscape, drawing their attention easily. Kathryn unhooked her pack and slipped it from her back, stretching her shoulders after relieving the weight. Pulling up her tricorder, she stepped close to the plants and scanned them, adding the details into their database.
"Reminds me of Indian paintbrush on Earth. Only they're found in more arid climates," he said, watching her.
She nodded, though she'd never seen the Earth species to which he referred. She touched one of the flowers gently. "It's beautiful."
Unable to resist, he moved to wrap his arms around her from behind. "How about some lunch," he asked close to her ear. Which by proximity drew him to her neck, where he couldn't help kissing, trailing down its length to her collar-bone. She tilted her head slightly in response, allowing him better access.
"Lunch...mm..." His lips were back at her ear, teasing softly. "...sounds...good." But as she turned in his arms to face him, met his eyes and the intensity there, they both knew that lunch would have to wait a bit. He released her long enough to drop his pack, and she giggled felicitously as he lifted her from the ground and moved them to a patch of soft meadow grass, where he tenderly bore their bodies down. She couldn't help her laughter as he playfully rolled her on top of him, where she found herself straddling him dominantly. Soon she welcomed the warm sun on the bare skin of her back as he sat up, eased her in front of him, and pulled her dress up over her head. He paused to take in the vision of her, and it must have been a longer pause than he'd intended -
"What?" she questioned, folding her arms across her bare chest, regarding him playfully, but with just a hint of vulnerable uncertainty.
He smiled, pulling her arms away and leaning back. "I just...don't think I'll ever get tired of this." It was a lame statement that failed to properly convey the sheer awe he felt, being here with her, like this. But he couldn't really be faulted for being somewhat less eloquent than usual at that very moment. He could feel the heat of her desire through the fabric of his clothing, and his body had other priorities than poignant speech...
She leaned down, pressing into his need dominantly, any trace of vulnerability gone, and whispered close to his ear. "That's good, because you're the only man in my world." She kissed his ear, his neck. "Now lose some of those clothes."
He laughed and rolled them over so that he was now above her, and promptly obeyed.
Lunch would wait...
Kathryn was sure she'd never felt such unadulterated bliss as the previous night, when she saw his desire, his love for her, unbound at last - freed by her simple decision to let herself love and be loved.
It had started with a beautiful story - his way of describing his unwavering devotion to her, and how he would never ask more of her than she could freely give. Unable to sleep after their conversation, they'd gone for a walk to the river, where they'd sat in silent contemplation for a long while. He didn't know it at the time, but as she'd sat listening to the flowing water, the night insects, her breathing slow and rhythmic, her eyes closed, she was making a decision about her life - their lives. When she'd finally broken her reverie and turned to him, he saw all of his hopes reflected in her eyes, and a new world opened to them...
Today brought a heady, joyful warmth at the knowledge that they were here, together, and completely free. Here in the meadow grass, the tall mountains looming in the near distance, on this planet so very far from home, two lost souls were anything but lost.
By the time the day's light was fading, they were near the base of the mountains. The landscape transitioned here - they stood at the beginning of a dense a hardwood forest, with trees thick and tall. They made their camp at the forest's edge, close to the protective canopy, but with open sky nearby so they could watch the stars.
He built a small fire and went about preparing their dinner, humming softly as he worked. She finished settling their supplies, and then went to exploring the immediate vicinity, searching out and cataloging the biota, in full-on scientist mode.
They gathered later near the fire and ate in relaxed quiet (vegetable stew, which he'd prepared in a pot hung from a tripod over the fire, and some bread he'd replicated before they left home), occasionally remarking at a sound or sight around them. Afterwards, they ventured from their campsite and sat together beneath the wide, open sky, arms wrapped around each other contentedly. Literally the only two people in the world.
They made constellations and invented mythologies to go with them. He was perhaps the better storyteller, but she held her own with her invented sky creatures and their tales of heroism and romance, debauchery and misadventure.
Without logging them, they knew they'd forget many of their sky creations tomorrow, but there was plenty of time to reinvent them, and eventually they'd get it all down - another chapter in their encyclopedia.
They took turns scanning the skies with binoculars, spotting colorful nebulae, the Andromeda Galaxy (ever their companion as they'd journeyed through the Milky Way), and several star clusters - young, blue, open clusters, and some older, tightly-bound globular clusters.
Kathryn seemed to disappear into her own thoughts after staring long at a colorful star-forming nebula - one of the galaxy's many stellar nurseries. He was about to prompt her, when she suddenly spoke, her voice low.
"I wonder where they are...how they're doing..."
He pulled her tighter against him, seeking to comfort her troubled thoughts. It was almost impossible to imagine how, just two months ago, they'd been up there, sailing among the stars, leading their crew of 150 through the unknown in their quest to return home. It all seemed so very far away.
He knew her better than to think, once she'd decided to really live here on New Earth, and to live here with him, that her inner turmoil was wholly ended or solved. Truly, their joining was just the beginning of a long road as they moved forward in this new life - but he also knew that he would put everything into building that life, caring for their love, and her, come hell or high water, and that meant there was no trauma, no turmoil that he could not face with her. He was ready for anything, so long as she was by his side.
They'd settled into New Earth time, its slightly longer day, and had lost track of the passage of "day" and "night" on Voyager. Chakotay wasn't sure what time it was there, what shift might be on the bridge, but in his mind he imagined it was day, and that they who had been their closest colleagues were manning their posts, minding the ship as it trekked determinedly toward the Alpha Quadrant.
"I see Tuvok keeping watch on the bridge, his eyes fixed on the forward viewscreen, with the stars streaming by at warp 7. Tom's at the helm, guiding their progress but taking the lull in action to think about his after-work adventure on the holodeck. Harry's at ops, running his scans - and he'll join Tom after their shift. Neelix is cooking up something barely edible, singing happily as he adds yet more leola root to his concoction. B'Elanna is riding some young ensign in engineering for being too slow with a progress report... "
She smiled sadly at his descriptions of those dearest to them, but she felt somewhat buoyed by the thought that they were getting on okay, that they were continuing their journey home.
He kissed her hair and stared with her up at the heavens, the night creatures humming and chirping around them. He saw a silent tear roll down her face, and he brushed it away tenderly.
"I love you," she said, simply.
"I love you, too, Kathryn." He had for some time - the words, simple now, here, he felt completely.
She squeezed his arms against her body, and through her sadness she felt profoundly and overwhelmingly grateful.
They woke with the sun, its light and warmth welcoming them to the new day.
They ate a light breakfast and then packed up their campsite. Today's hiking would be strenuous. The mountains beckoned, and they were eager to get started.
Chakotay could tell that the sadness she had wrestled with last night had lifted for now. She laughed and smiled easily as they began their trek. As the sun rose higher in the sky, they shed their jackets and enjoyed the warmth. Today would be a real adventure, and they shared an invigorating anticipation as they neared the peaks.
The landscape grew rockier, the topsoil thinner. Tricorders in hand, they scoped out the terrain, searching for the most favorable route.
As they started to ascend, Kathryn caught a glimpse of a large, brown animal, scurrying off toward a nearby stream. She grabbed Chakotay's arm and pointed, alarmed -
"I think that was a bear...or something like it."
"Well, let's hope that, as the first human beings he's ever seen, we look adequately intimidating," he joked.
She huffed lightly at his dismissal of this new danger, and tried to imagine the behavioral habits of bears on a world not populated by humanoids. She thought about her experiences on Earth. Bears didn't like being surprised, she knew - but was that an inherent trait, or one brought about by contact with man? Food was no doubt in rich supply here - it's possible these New Earth creatures would take no interest in them; however, it was probably best to refrain from startling them or getting too close.
"Bear bells," she said suddenly, remembering one of the ways a hiker could avoid scaring and enraging a bear.
"Not a bad idea. I suppose I could rig my tricorder to emit a periodic sound of some kind...or you could just sing something," he teased.
She laughed. "Then he really might come eat us."
"Oh, come now, Kathryn. You have a beautiful singing voice." He shifted his pack and studied the forest, realizing that he'd only ever heard her sing once, and briefly. "It's got to be more pleasant than any of the screeching sounds I could program on my tricorder, anyway."
She punched his arm, mocking injury to her ego. "Well, fine, then. I will save us from the screeching tricorder, with my own, slightly more pleasant screeching."
He laughed, and she marched ahead of him determinedly. And then, out of the depths of some past life he was not a part of, she started singing -
"Oh the summertime is coming
And the trees are sweetly blooming
And the wild mountain thyme
Grows around the blooming heather..."
"Hey, wait up, bear bells!" he called after her. "I don't want to get eaten!"
She turned and smiled back at him, waiting for him to fall into step beside her.
"You have to sing with me. Did you catch that first verse?"
"Something about the summertime."
"And sweetly blooming trees."
"And mountains. And your roots are showing."
She laughed and grabbed his hand, then repeated the verse, line by line. "You sing after me. Oh the summertime is coming..."
Feeling slightly foolish, he obliged.
"And the trees are sweetly blooming..."
And again. (He was long gone in love with this woman - what wouldn't he do at her command?)
"And the wild mountain thyme, grows around the blooming heather... Louder this time."
They were the only people on the planet...and he did want to keep the bears (or whatever they were) away. He laughed and complied.
"Will ye go, lassie go..."
"Lassie?"
"It's Irish."
"Really. Never would have guessed."
Ignoring him, she continued. "Okay, now the whole verse."
And on they went, hand in hand, singing gaily, the former Captain and First Officer of the Federation Starship Voyager, once gallant leaders of men, now wayward souls trekking musically across an unexplored planet.
"If only Starfleet could see us now."
She came in close to him, laughing wildly. "What would they make of this - Kathryn Janeway, sent to apprehend you, leader of the Maquis, is instead gallivanting about a planet, tens of thousands of light years from Earth, enjoying torrid...relations...with said Maquis leader..."
"Well, you certainly apprehended me," he said, pulling her closer.
"You had it coming."
In their laughter, arms around each other, they walked crooked, straying from their intended path.
"Do you think the bears would mind if we enjoyed some...torrid relations over there by that rock?"
"My goodness, I sure did apprehend you." She clutched his side, laughing and hugging him.
"I had it coming."
"If we're going to get anywhere today..." she teased, waving a finger up at him. She straightened them back out to their intended course. "Come on. Ready for the next verse? I promise you... relations...very soon." She voiced relations in that low alto of hers that always threatened to undo him. Oh, cruel world...
Their elevation was increasing more sharply now, and she adjusted her pack before singing the next lines -
"And we'll all go together
To pluck wild mountain thyme
All around the blooming heather
Will ye go, Lassie go?"
It was the perfect day.