Title: Reduced to Basics
Author: Megara79
Series: Star Trek: Voyager
Rating: K
Summary: On a barren planet somewhere in the Delta Quadrant, Captain Janeway is having an out-of-character moment.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Thanks to: Evil Shall Giggle. Another stellar job, and a massive thanks for coming up with the title. You remain the very best!:)
AN: This little story was written as an episode add-on for the season three opener Basics: part II, in which the crew is struggling to survive after being abandoned on the planet Hanon IV by Maje Culluh and Seska, who are in control of Voyager. This scene is set somewhere between Chakotay's attempt to start a fire and the disappearance of Neelix and Kes.
It hadn't taken him long to notice she'd disappeared from the growing warmth of their midst, and as per usual he'd started to worry. It'd become this innate thing in him, much like getting up in the morning or brushing his teeth, and though he knew she was more than capable of taking care of herself, the insistent need to make sure she stayed safe had long ago become a permanent fixture in his life. He wasn't really sure when it had happened, but the fact that he'd sacrificed his own ship to save hers about twenty hours after he'd met her, should probably have given him a clue that this woman would quickly come to mean more to him than he'd first been inclined to believe.
And there was no doubt she had.
He made his way out of the cave, leaving his stranded crew members behind, where they huddled together around the dozen or so fires they'd manage to create. An icy wind met him and he shivered inadvertently, hoping she hadn't wandered too far. Swearing silently to himself, he felt his heckles rise. This planet was not even close to being compatible with midnight strolls; they didn't know the terrain and they still didn't know who or what had killed Hogan. Sauntering around alone was just plain irresponsible. He knew she was tired, hungry, and cold. Adding to that, she was worried and most definitely pissed off, but that didn't justify her taking stupid risks like this. When he found her, he was going to make sure he told her just that, and—
His thought process was interrupted by the sight of her form between two boulders, the faint light from the cave illuminating her back.
He shook his head and did an internal eye-roll.
Okay, so he'd been wrong. She wasn't stupid, and she hadn't wandered away – she was right there, less than 10 metres away from the camp site, and he was an overprotective mother hen. She was facing away, her long hair still spilling down her back from when she'd donated part of it for kindling earlier that evening. He made his way over to her, but stopped in surprise when he heard the soft sound of sniffling. For a moment he was unsure of what to do. He felt like he was trespassing, invading her privacy by sneaking up on her like this. He'd never seen her cry before, not properly, and he was pretty sure she preferred to be alone whenever she did. Yet the urge to go over to her was beginning to overpower him. There are those mother hen tendencies again, he thought, annoyed that he couldn't make up his mind.
He nearly jumped out of his skin when Kathryn, still facing away, said with irritation, "Oh for heaven's sake, Chakotay. Stop skulking and come over here."
Chakotay snapped into action, impressed by her acuity. "Yes, ma'am."
"I'm sorry," she said as he sat down next to her. Twisting her head away so he wouldn't see her wipe her nose, she continued. "This isn't very professional."
"I won't tell anyone if you don't." He earned a shaky smile for his efforts. "Besides," he continued. "I'd say the occasion calls for it."
She nodded, dabbing her eyes.
"We'll get her back." Chakotay said, with more conviction than he actually felt. "Culluh isn't smart enough to pull this off, and for all his annoying traits – if there's one thing Paris knows how to do, it's pulling a rabbit out of a hat. Not to mention the fact that he has a secret weapon."
"What? Secret weapon?" Kathryn looked at him in confusion.
"The Doctor," Chakotay clarified.
"The Doctor?"
"Yes, the Doctor." Chakotay was getting somewhat exasperated. Why was she being so slow on the uptake? "The Doctor and Paris will find a way to get Voyager back. We won't be here forever."
Kathryn's eyes welled up again, and Chakotay wondered what the hell was going on. He'd meant to console her, not make matters worse.
"I'm a horrible captain," Kathryn managed.
What was up with her? Was he on candid holo-camera? Chakotay did a quick scan of the area – nope, apparently not. "You're not a horrible captain, Kathryn," he said, placing his bewildered attention back on her. "If anyone's to blame, it's me. We knew Seska was leading us into a trap but I—" Chakotay was cut off.
"You don't understand."
"I don't?"
She shook her head. "Don't get me wrong, Chakotay – I'm angry. I'm more than angry, I'm furious." Her voice went from trembling to iron hard in a nano-second. "We've lost people over this and Culluh… Not to mention Seska…" she took a breath, calming herself. "I want off this planet. I want. My ship. Back. But…" she broke.
"But what?" Chakotay prodded.
"If I should be crying about something, it should be about Voyager."
"And you're not?"
"No." Her explanation came completely out of left field. "It's… " she whimpered. "It's my hair." She snatched a hold of her cropped tresses. "Harry completely butchered it."
"Your hair?"
"I know, I'm being ridiculous."
Chakotay couldn't help it. He laughed. "Your hair?"
The watery eyes that met his made him chuckle even more, and the following glare didn't help the matter. "I'm sorry, Kathryn," he chortled. "It just – the infamous Captain Janeway, taken down by a lock of hair. Who knew you could be so girly."
"I'm sorry, Commander," came the icy reply. "I didn't know that the prospect of me being girly would come as such a surprise to you. I'll make sure to tone down my masculinity in the future so that you won't have to suffer through such a shock again."
Chakotay back-pedalled without finesse, still trying to reign in his amusement. "No, no… I know you're girly." At Kathryn's look, he kept at it. "Not girly, womanly. A woman. A feminine woman." As if wanting to prove the matter, his eyes made a noticeable bee line towards her breasts. He flinched. Could he be more juvenile?
"Enjoying the view?"
Meeting her eyes again, he couldn't help but shake his head at himself. Thankfully, her annoyingly attractive lopsided grin was gracing him with its presence and there was no point trying to deny his indiscretion. "You are, most definitely, a woman, Kathryn. A beautiful one," he said, before leaning forward, extending his hand to allow the shortened strands of her hair to slide through his fingers. "Newly-butchered hair and all."
They stared at each other and the lopsided smile turned into one of her rare grins, not unlike the one she'd given him after he'd told her a made-up legend on an entirely different planet.
"Such a charmer," she said.
"You learn some things growing up with sisters," Chakotay smiled, still playing with her hair. "It'll grow back," he promised her, and Kathryn nodded, looking away.
After a beat, she made a promise of her own, no longer on the verge of crying. "We will make it through this." She met his eyes, and he wondered if this little display of emotion hadn't just been about Voyager after all.
Chakotay stroked her hair one last time. "I believe you."
Capturing his retreating hand in hers, Kathryn gave it a little squeeze. "Thank you, Commander."
He helped her to her feet, smiling. "Anytime, Captain. Anytime."
The End