Often when she wasn't looking, he let himself discern things he hadn't been able to before. He catalogued the length of her hair, flowing down her back, now freed from the tortuous bun that held it on the ship. And the sunshine, so abundant here, highlighted coppers and golds he'd never known painted the long strands.

Chakotay liked to watch her in the little things she did, like the way she pursed her lips in frustration when the solution to a problem dangled just out of reach; the muffled curses that she sang under her breath, or how sometimes she'd laugh at herself and share her own amusement.

"What?"

Instantly blushing, he smiled palpable dimples at his being caught, "nothing."

"I catch you doing that a lot these days," she smiled, not the least bit bothered. "Something on your mind?"

"No," Chakotay shook his head and settled his bottom back into the chair. "Not really."

Kathryn sat back and looked miserably out the window, "it's raining," she sulked the obvious.

"I know," Chakotay took a deep breath and let it out. "You can't go peeking in your traps."

"Not that there'd be any bugs in them. They've all probably burrowed into trees and underground to wait out the storm." She laughed to herself after a silence, "I can't understand this planet – plasma storms, rain storms, ion storms…! Couldn't we have gotten bitten somewhere a little more temperate?

Chakotay joined in her laughter as he got up to peek out the window, "It would have been nice…"

"I remember the storms in Indiana," her voice took on a wistful note. "The thunder across the plains. I once saw lightening that split a tree in two!"

"In two?" He clarified, disbelieving.

"Uh huh. I was only six years old and…" She took a breath, closing her eyes as she gave a quick shake of her head. "Well I don't think I had ever been that scared. I was all alone in the house when the storm came; my mother and Phoebe had gone into town that day – I think Phoebe wanted to buy art supplies and a canvass, and I remember…"

Chakotay turned his head, smiling at the way her eyes lit, caught up in her memories. He was being indulgent, he thought – he gained too much enjoyment in watching her like this.

"… The way the storm rolled in. One minute the sun was so bright, shining in the windows of my bedroom and nearly blinding me. And the next thing I knew, the sky was black. The lightening started almost immediately, and the thunder followed not moments later. It wasn't the first storm I'd ever seen, but it was the first one where I was alone…"

"Storms are frightening for anyone," He soothed, drawing her away from the memory and back to him.

"Yes," She met his brown eyes and shrugged not a little sheepishly. "Well…"

Chakotay smiled and gave a nod along with a quick cursory tug on the ear, "well, how about dinner?"

Kathryn gave a shrug and made him laugh, "I could always eat."

Eyes still on the painting in front of them, he responded with a chuckle,"The winds of change are blowing through this household then!"

She rolled her eyes and made an incredulous face. "I eat!"

"Oh?" His voice strained as he reached inside of the stasis unit. "Tell that to the half full bowls of food I find strewn here and there."

"You're exaggerating."

"Oh, Okay." He nodded sarcastically, feeling the smile greet his back. "So did the tree really split in two?"

"Well," Kathryn sat back in the small chair and made a face. "Maybe not completely…"

"But?"

"A few branches fell off. I remember cleaning it up the next day with my mother in the garden."

"Like we do here."

"Yes," She nodded and spoke softly. "Like we do here."