Trying to rewind from revision, only got one exam left, and a piano exam. Losing the will to live, I think Kathryn is too.

Disclaimer- Characters belong to Paramount, although if they did belong to me I'd get Kathryn and Chakotay together.

I can hear her crying. She's been crying a lot recently, it's driving me mad. I'm supposed to be her first officer but she isn't telling me anything. She comes on the bridge, she does her captain's duties, but her eyes are always red and puffy. Whenever I question her about it, she tells me it's hay fever. Hay fever, in SPACE! I'm going to question her now; I can't bare it any longer.

I knock on the door to her quarters, she opens the door, bleary eyed but with her captain's mask in place. Without waiting to be invited in I walk in, take her hands, sit her down on her couch and wipe her eyes with the tips of my fingers.

'What's wrong?' I ask her.

She looks down at her hands, clasped in her lap.

I lift up her chin with my hand.

'Kathryn,' I say softly. 'Talk to me, tell me what's wrong.'

She looks at me; her eyes are dull and no longer shine.

'It was my sister's birthday a few days ago; I didn't get to see her, or write to her, or talk to her.' Her hands clench.

'No-one on this crew gets to see their families any more Chakotay,' she sobs. 'I hear people talking to each other about where they grew up, whether or not they had brothers, sisters, uncles, aunties, any kind of family members! I've stranded this crew here, this good crew, who work hard and try and make the best of their situation and I've stranded them here!'

'Kathryn…' I say gently, trying to take one of her hands, trying to get her to look at me, to acknowledge I'm here, but I can't. She's clearly hysterical and I'm loathing using the traditional method of dealing with hysteria on her.

'Everyone! Everyone! This entire crew! They all miss their families and it's my entire fault! Their own captain abandoned them here!'

I can stand it no longer. I wrap my arm around her waist, drawing her to me and kiss her. She stops shaking and responds, grabbing my arm, trying to get closer. I wrap both my arms around her, kissing her deeply and more passionately. I can feel her tears on my cheeks, her heart beating against my chest. I break the kiss, she leans forward against my chest. I can feel her taking in deep breaths of air. I hold her steady in my arms as she breathes in and out.

She looks up at me; her eyes are no longer dull. They are bright and shining. I lean down and kiss her again.

Under the stars.

Strange ending I know, but I ran out of ideas! Please review!