[1. Come Away in the Night]
February 2375
USS Voyager
"What about you, Chakotay? What do you think about my decision?"
Kathryn licks her lips and leans forward as she asks the question, bracing her elbows on the table and fidgeting with her hands. She studies him carefully, reading every level of his response.
She knows he disagrees. He didn't exactly hide his displeasure from her, but he knows better by now than to argue. And he'll be damned if their last night on Voyager becomes another brick in the wall she has built between them.
But something is different this time. He can sense a strange energy rolling off of her like radiation from a star. She has made her decision; that much is certain. Yet she genuinely wants to gauge his reaction. Why?
Chakotay picks up the PADD that Kathryn had been reviewing when he walked in. "I've analyzed Harry's flight plan. The theory is sound, but there are just too many variables. If something goes wrong in that slipstream—"
"It could be our only chance to use the quantum drive."
Ah, so she's using me to reassure herself that the argument she's been having within her own mind is the right one.
Chakotay favors her with a nod. "True. But if you showed this data to any Starfleet engineer, they'd think we were out of our minds." He puts down the PADD and levels with her. "We can find another way home. We've waited this long—"
"Long enough," she murmurs insistently. "We've waited long enough."
She stares at him, and there's a subtle shift in her eyes. When she speaks again, the change in her voice is less-than-subtle. She's no longer speaking as his captain, but on a level that is much more personal. "I know it's a risk, probably our biggest one yet, but I'm willing to take it. Are you with me?"
Chakotay doesn't hesitate in his answer. "Always."
She drops her head to hide the smile this promise brings to her face. He wishes that she wouldn't; he loves that smile. When she looks up again, he could swear her cheeks are ever so slightly flushed, but she stands and quickly turns away to make for the replicator.
"Speaking of risks," she says as she rounds the table and steps towards him instead. The color in her face has returned to normal. She sets her hand on his shoulder and leans in. "Are you ready to try some home cooking?"
He nearly stops breathing at her touch. "I'll alert sickbay."
She smiles fully now, and her hand moves from his shoulder to cup his cheek. She must know. Surely, she must know what she is doing to him.
His heart pounds in his ears as she lets her hand slip away, the scent of vanilla and spiced tea lingering in her wake.
January 2376
Deep Space Nine
Chakotay has barely stepped foot on Deep Space Nine when he is summoned to the office of the station commander herself.
Colonel Kira Nerys is a petite woman, but Chakotay knows better than to let that fool him. Her composure is commanding and confident, and he can tell immediately that she isn't the type to brook any arguments with her decisions. She is a blunt force object, keeping her eyes on the goal and demolishing anything that gets in her way. Chakotay stifles a smile at the thought of her and Kathryn going head-to-head.
Passion bleeds through everything that Kira says and does. Clearly she is not one for small talk, yet she has learned to be diplomatic. She is pleasant, but Chakotay cannot help noticing that she uses their early conversation both to break the ice and to size him up.
He has barely begun to suspect her intentions when she decides to give him quarters on the station.
"I appreciate the offer, Colonel," Chakotay tells her, "but I haven't decided yet if I want to stay in the area. I wouldn't want you to go through the trouble only for me to leave in a week."
"Well, in that case, you should definitely take quarters here. Temporary housing is very difficult to find this close to the front. Everyone is still trying to rebuild from the war."
"Even on Bajor?"
"We're housing a lot of refugees on the planet right now," she explains. "Your best bet is to stay here, even if it's just for the week. We have everything you need, and you won't have to worry about income. If you do get bored, there are plenty of shops on the Promenade. Quark is always looking for good bartenders to cheat out of wages, but I have no doubt you can hold your own against him. Or, if you're willing and your counselor approves of it, I could definitely use someone with your credentials and experience here in Ops. I lost a lot of good people after the war ended, and I still need a first officer."
"I'm sorry, Colonel, but I really don't know if—"
She waves a hand dismissively at him. "I don't expect anything right now, Commander. I'm just saying you have options here. But first things first; you need a place to sleep. Will you accept quarters on the station?"
Chakotay sighs with resignation. Kira does not strike him as the type to take 'no' for an answer. He wants to be frustrated with her insistence, but it reminds him so much of Kathryn that he simply can't turn her down. "That would be perfect, Colonel. Thank you."
"Good," she says. Then she offers him her hand, and finally cracks her command-hardened visage with a shockingly radiant smile. "Welcome to Deep Space Nine."
February 2375
USS Voyager
For a while, the command team talks and eats as if this dinner is no different than any of the other dinners they share so often. Chakotay is usually very good at keeping his feelings for Kathryn buried, remaining her first officer and friend. It is what she needs from him, and he did promise her that he would do anything to lighten the weight of her command.
Tonight, he tries; he truly, honestly tries to keep it friendly.
She asks him what he wants to do when they return to Earth, and he admits that he hasn't thought about it.
"Not at all?" she asks with a tone of surprise.
He smiles. "Well, there is one idea that I've put a lot of thought into…"
She leans in, her eyes sparkling with intrigue. "Tell me."
And he tells her about a place called Taos. He tells her about going there as a child, about the incredible landscapes, about the nearby Pueblo village, and about the history of the area. He also tells her about the cabin he wants to build for himself in the middle of a large and secluded lot where he can hear nothing but the sounds of nature all around him.
She hangs on his every word.
He does not tell her that he has always imagined her sharing that little cabin in Taos with him.
Still, he cannot help but wonder why he bothers with the charade. He ruminates quietly on this throughout the evening, especially as he helps Kathryn clear the table. They are on the precipice of achieving their most distant goal—or, they are all about to die. Either way…
Chakotay turns from the replicator to find Kathryn staring at him longingly. Her face warms with that smile—the half-sultry, half-mischievous one she seems to reserve just for him. She holds out her hand. "Dance with me," she asks.
Of course, he complies.
At first, the moment is light and playful, just the way they usually are together. Romantic and sexual attractions aside, she truly is his best friend. Time spent in her company does not wear on him like most social engagements do; Kathryn is like a piece of his soul. Their friendship comes so easily.
But tonight, the playfulness is undercut by something far more deep and terrifying—and far more desperate.
Chakotay wants to kiss her. He wants it so badly that he can feel his body trembling with anticipation, and he wonders if it's as obvious to her as it feels to him. She keeps trying to press in closer, but he worries how she might react if she were to notice the growing evidence of his physical attraction to her.
Then she's lifting up on her toes and angling her face towards his. The kiss is tender at first, but quickly turns passionate as the crumbling levee around his heart finally breaks.
A/N: Written for J/C Cutthroat Fanfiction Contest, gamma team. Our prompt was to pick one song from a list of several, and I chose 'Come Away With Me' by Norah Jones. My thanks to MiaCooper for her extremely helpful beta work!
Chapter 1 of 9
