Thank you to all that read and reviewed Headboards! This is a follow up that takes place about a month after JC returns to Voyager. I am going to attempt to make this one a bit longer than it's predecessor, I'm thinking at least three chapters. I have an idea of where I want to take this, but we shall see how it comes out.
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek Voyager or it's characters (same for Star Wars)- I am just borrowing them to satisfy my curious mind, I cannot promise they will be returned in their original condition.
Kathryn sat in the darkness of her quarters staring at the bulkhead that separated her from him. Memories of the last year playing through her mind, the first taste of his lips against hers, the smell of earth and musk, the feel of him wrapped around her every night protecting her, grounding her. A spontaneous rendezvous during a rain shower. The house he had built using the wreckage and the earth around them. The life they had lived.- No, it hadn't been nearly a year, she reminded herself, not according to ships logs, it had only been three days. Temporal anomalies. Instinctively her fingers pinched the bridge of her nose rubbing away the headache that always threatened with the mention of such phenomenon.
She had regained a majority of her memory while on the planet that they had come to name New Hope. Named in part as tribute to Tom Paris and his affinity for historical pop culture and the acknowledgment that on the planet they had hope for a life together devoid of the hindrances being a command team so far from home caused. The Doctor seemed confident that with continued therapy and with being back on Voyager, that she wouldn't have any permanent or residual issues from her injury. Although, there were nights, nights like this one where she would stare at the bulkhead and she wished that weren't true. Nights where she would give anything to be back on New Hope in their makeshift cabin, in their bed.
Stretching from her seat and coming to terms with the fact that she wasn't going to sleep any time soon, Kathryn changed from her nightgown into a tee shirt and a pair Starfleet issue sweat pants.
"Computer, coffee bla-" she started. "Belay that. Herbal tea Chakotay blend Beta 17." Taking hold of the tea, she exited her quarters in hopes that a walk around the ship would quiet her aching heart.
Their return to Voyager had been similar to their return from New Earth, except this time she hadn't requested boundaries and he wasn't going to allow them. That is until they had heard that despite three hundred and forty-three days passing for the command team, for Voyager they had only been gone seventy-two hours. Not enough time to build a home. Not enough time to fall in love.
"Are we in love?"
He should have known from the moment she uttered the question that fate had something twisted up her sleeve. The crew needed the command team, not the command couple. So that's what they gave them, once again setting aside their joy for the good of the crew.
She hadn't told him that the "parameters" were back in place, there was no need. He knew by the set of her jaw and the way she blinked away the threat of tears. He knew by the subtle, hesitant shift as she created more distance between them physically and mentally. He had also heard. Hours after the Doctor had cleared them to return to their separate quarters, there was the shattering of glass hitting the bulkhead three times.
Chakotay sighed as he walked through the deserted corridor, it had been nearly a month since New Hope and outside of shift change (he had assigned himself to beta shift to allow her time to adjust) and twice in her ready room both times accompanied by Commander Tuvok. He hadn't seen Kath- the Captain.
He had taken to walking the corridors late at night because staring at the bulkhead between their quarters was slowly driving him mad. He had entertained the idea of going to the holodeck and sparing a few rounds in the ring, but decided tonight tea and meditation would better suit him.
As he rounded the corner leading to his quarters he felt hot liquid splash against the front of his favorite Academy boxing sweatshirt.
"Oh! I am terribly sorry." Janeway began, as she bent to retrieve her fallen cup. "I wasn't paying attention and- Chakotay." She breathed, as her gaze connected with his.
He drank in the sight of her. Hair loose cascading in waves and soft curls around her. The casual clothes so similar to the ones she would lounge around in on New Hope, after she was able to repair and modify one of the replicators from the shuttle. Her skin still bronze from numerous hours spent side by side building and exploring. He had not encountered the Captain, this was his Kathryn. Perhaps if he had encountered the Captain he would have been able to quell the urge to react.
AN: Please don't hate me, it was so tempting, I just had to leave it there! I promise there will be more