Written for a secret gift exchange. The request was a story that started with the line "You should've said no." My mind immediately went to Kathryn yelling at Chakotay after she found out a certain piece of information but I decided to twist it a little. I hope you enjoy it.

Secret Drabble – The Unexpected

"You should have said no." Kathryn sank down into the couch and dropped her head into her hands. "It's just that simple. The very first time she asked, you should have said no!"

Chakotay stood rooted at her desk. He was stunned. He thought she would be happy. "Kathryn, I don't understand. What's the big deal?"

Kathryn jumped up and stalked across the room directly at him. "Are you kidding me?"
As she walked past him she slapped her hand hard against his chest. "If you don't get why this is such a big deal then you're a bigger idiot than even Q thinks you are!" She stomped up the steps, muttering as she went, and took her position in front of the view-port.

Ever since she was a little girl she had a special place that she went to when she needed to think. In Indiana it was her tree. In the Delta Quadrant it was the couch in the corner of the mess hall. Since they returned to the Alpha Quadrant two days ago, this spot in her ready room had evolved into her new thinking place. And god knows she needed to think! Somehow she needed to find a way to extricate herself from this mortifying situation.

Chakotay still hadn't moved. He thought maybe he was the victim of those hideous pranks that Tom liked to play on everyone. He kept waiting for her to turn around and laugh and tell him it was all a joke, but by the slump in her shoulders he knew she wasn't even close to laughing.

If he wasn't in the situation himself, it would've been funny to see how incredibly wrong a person could be. Once he finalized the plans with her, he practically ran into the ready room to tell Kathryn. For seven years he'd been beside his Captain, his Kathryn, watching her, listening to her, analyzing her every move. He was so confident in his understanding of her that he would've bet anything that he could've predicted her reaction to every situation. He would've lost that bet.

He expected Kathryn to be happy, ecstatic even. He had no idea what she was thinking. As far as he could see this decision made things so much easier for them. Together they could become accustom to life in the Alpha Quadrant. They could help each other adjust to the newly ever present watchful eye of Starfleet. They would be able to support each other through the transition and then later, who knows what might happen. So why was she so angry?

He had played the scene out in his mind when he rushed to the bridge and it was perfect. He saw her smiling at him and moving into his arms for a hug. Boy was he wrong! He was much closer to a phaser burn than he was to getting a hug. He took a deep breath and tried again. They needed to straighten this out before they left the ship. He couldn't move on to the next phase of his life with her angry at him. "Kathryn, will you please tell me what you're thinking."

He watched her shoulders rise as she inhaled and he watched them fall as she slowly exhaled. He watched her walk around the rail and settle herself into the corner of couch. He watched her mouth as she spoke but the words still made no sense to him. What did she mean she couldn't pretend? Then he watched as her head once again fell into her hands and he watched as her shoulders started to shake. That was the action that finally forced him move toward her.

Chakotay crossed the room and knelt in front of her. With one hand he moved her hands to reveal her face. When he saw the tears silently rolling down her cheeks he used his other hand to tuck her head against his chest. "What do you mean you can't pretend?"

Without lifting her head Kathryn repeated herself once again. "The very first time she asked, you should have said no!"

Chakotay continued to stroke her back as he listened to her plea. "There was no way she was going to take no for an answer and besides I didn't want to." Chakotay leaned back on his heels, kneeling in front of her. He took her hands in his. Before he spoke he lifted her knuckles to his lips and tenderly kissed them.

When Chakotay released her from his embrace she tried to move deeper into the couch but he held fast to her hands. She knew he wanted her to look at him but she refused. It was bad enough that he saw her initial tears he didn't need to see that she didn't have the power to stop them. Suddenly she felt him lift her hand to his mouth. What was he doing? He wasn't acting like a man who was dating someone else.

"Kathryn you know what happens when you put your hands on your hips and glare at me." He saw her smile despite of herself. "Well you can only imagine the effect it had on me when your mother did it. There she was glaring at me through the computer screen asking me to come and stay in Indiana after the debriefings." He used his hand to force her chin up so that she was finally looking at him. "I couldn't say no and like I said before I didn't want to."

Kathryn squeezed her eyes shut trying to ward off the tears that were once again threatening. "Don't you see? Since she invited you to stay with us she thinks we're together." Kathryn shook her head as the tears began to flow again. "Chakotay, I just can't pretend. It hurts too much."

"Why would you have to pretend? Isn't this what we wanted? Isn't this the promise we made to each before we left New Earth? I know we've hit some obstacles along the way but I always thought that once we got home it would be our time." Chakotay let go of her hand and stood up. "Kathryn, have you changed you mind?"

He wasn't going to put his on her! "You talk of obstacles, Chakotay, is that was I should consider Seven - an obstacle?

Chakotay had turned his back to her to protect himself from her answer. He didn't want her to see the pain in his eyes if she told him she didn't love him anymore. When he heard what she said he whirled around to face her again. This time he was more confused than when this all started. "What does Seven have to do with us?"

"I heard what you said in astrometics."

Chakotay tried desperately to replay the conversation. All he could remember was Seven telling him she was scared and that she thought it would be better to go away and distance herself from everyone. He said what he could to reassure her and calm her down. "I don't know what you think you heard but nothing I said has anything to do with us."

"You don't think telling another woman that where ever you settle it will be within communication distance to her has nothing to do with you and me?"

"No, I don't."

"You can't possible be that dense."

Chakotay was now following her as she moved across the room. He reached out, grabbed her arm and turned her around until they were face to face. "Maybe I am. Spell it out for me."

"How can you agree to come and stay with me in Indiana, making my mother believe that there is something between us when you are dating Seven?"

"Dating Seven? What are you talking about?"

Kathryn tried to pull away but Chakotay increased the pressure on her arm freezing her, standing toe to toe with the very source of her anger. "Come on Chakotay! All those private meetings you've been having with her. All those times you asked me for a rain check, I know you were with her. And then you tell her you'll stay close by after we disembark. Not to mention what the Admiral told me."

Chakotay grabbed her other arm and pulled her against him. "I don't know what the Admiral told and I don't care but I can emphatically tell you that I am not dating Seven! Why would I date a child when I have a woman like you?"

"If you weren't dating, then what were you doing?"

"She came to me and asked for some counseling. I had four or five sessions with her after the Doctor's latest procedure. She was having difficulty dealing with the new complications that the emotions brought. Kathryn, they were counseling sessions – that's all. I have acted as counselor to people countless other times why was this different?"

Kathryn was crying again. For seven years she barely shed a tear and now she couldn't stop. "It was different because she's young and beautiful and I felt like I was losing you."

Chakotay wrapped his arms around her. "You will never lose me," he whispered and bent down and gently kissed her.

"Chakotay, I was afraid that I had so thoroughly separated our professional life from our personal life that you may not have known how I feel."

Chakotay was smiling now. "And how exactly do you feel, Captain Janeway?"

Kathryn slapped at his chest in a movement that went back to the first day he transported onto her bridge and into her heart. "I love you, you big jerk!"

"Jerk?"

"Yes, jerk! Since you walked through the door you've done nothing but make me cry! Now my eyes are probably red and puffy. I'm sure I look atrocious!"

"To me, you look as beautiful as ever." He punctuated his declaration with a brief kiss. "Now, why don't you call your mother and let her know we'll be arriving tonight." Before she could answer, Chakotay swooped in and stole another quick kiss.

"Okay. Meanwhile you can go finish up your reports so we actually can leave tonight."

Chakotay turned and walked toward the door. "Aye-aye captain!" Before he left he turned around one last time. "And Kathryn, while we're there, they'll be no pretending, we are together, now, and forever. Is that clear?"

"Aye-Aye Commander!" He flashed a smile just before he left. As she watched him leave, her hand went to her lips which still tingled with the feel of him.

When the door shut she moved around to sit and her desk. As she entered the codes to call her mother she heard his voice whisper the words she'd dreamt of hearing of for years, now and forever.

"Hi, mom. Of course we'll come. Make sure you…"