August 2012

Author's Note: My take on the episode "Night". I'm sure a lot of Janeway's problems would have been solved with a good hug! Please review, thanks:)

Captain Janeway stood in her darkened quarters facing the expansive windows. She watched the blank sky zoom past without really seeing it. Her hands were clasped behind her back, her chin up, her posture perfect; she was a statue of liberty, resolute and implacable (or at least pretending to be). Janeway fought to keep her face blank as hot tears spilled over her striking blue eyes and down her cheek.

Wiping away the tears, Janeway turned away from the darkness, walked to the replicator, and ordered a pot of coffee. She was normally quite frugal with her replicator rations, but nothing comforted her like the aroma of fresh, hot coffee-God knows she could use some comfort now. Janeway poured a cup out of the tall metal thermos and clutched it close.

"Computer, what time is it?"

"It is 0100 hours," the computer's cool, pleasant voice answered.

Janeway sighed. It would be a few hours before the ship woke up in earnest, before alarms went off and pieces of uniform found and put on and coffee made and duty shifts begun. It would be a few hours before life began, but until then, it was just her, a captain listening to the hum of her ship, that which she had stranded so far from anything important, watching the blackness zoom by, and wondering how one person could hold so much grief and guilt. Suddenly, the coffee didn't seem so comforting.

Despair was consuming her in earnest when unexpectedly, the door chimed. Janeway stared at it and then hurriedly wiped her face and cleared her throat. "Come in," she called, voice raspy.

The doors parted to reveal Chakotay, wearing his uniform and a gentle expression.

"Sleepless night?"

"Yes." Janeway said with a ghost of a smile. She turned away from him, hoping her makeup wasn't too smeared. "Don't you have the alpha shift in the morning, Commander?"

"Yes, and so do you. I figured as executive officer, I should make sure the captain's fit for duty." Chakotay's words were humorous but he delivered them seriously. He came forward out of the shadows to stand behind her. "Is she?" Chakotay placed a hand lightly on her shoulder.

Janeway whirled around to face her concerned companion, giving a bitter laugh.

"I'm fine. It's the crew I'm worried about- they're going to die out here. We are all going to die thousands of lightyears from anything we ever cared about, and why? Because I made a short-sighted, selfish error in judgement." A single tear rolled down her cheek.

Chakotay brought his palm to Janeway's face and wiped away the tear with his thumb. "No." His voice was gentle but still firm. "We made a decision to save innocent lives. I know this, the crew knows it-and you know it too."

"I alone gave the order," Janeway said defiantely.

"You are not alone!" Chakotay told her fiercely.

Janeway stared, amazed at the intensity of his answer. Dark brown eyes bore into hers, trying to convince her of something she already knew was true, deep down.

Chakotay tentatively stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her. Janeway stiffened, placing her hands on his chest. "Kathryn," he whispered. "You don't have to be alone."

Hesitantly, Janeway wrapped her arms around his waist and placed her head on his shoulder. Somewhere between feeling his warmth against hers and inhaling the velvety scent exuding from his neck, Janeway felt a weight lift.

The two stood like that for a long time, locked in embrace and silhouetted against the darkness. Chakotay closed his eyes, drawing his own peace from Janeway's frame pressed against his.

"Chakotay?" Janeway whispered after a while.

He eyes snapped open. "Yes?"

"I knew there was a reason I kept you onboard."

They laughed without leaving each other's arms.

Don't you wish you had a dashing first officer to hug? I know I do. Any comments would be much appreciated, cheers!:)