Disclaimer: If I owned Janeway and Chakotay (etc…) I would – a- be rolling in money
–b- be happy with the "relationships" and –c- make Chakotay have more screen time. He's so cute… Yeah well… their Paramount's so sue me; I took some liberties J (Evil laugh)
Rate: PG

He stared at the padd and frowned. "This is impossible" he muttered "utterly impossible". On the screen a face stared back at him and he knew it, he recognized the face. Another voice pulled him from his thoughts.
"Hey, Chakotay, this isn't social hour. The captain will have our butts if the crew reports aren't done on time. She's been exceptionally pissy lately"
"Watch it Tom…" B'Elanna prodded him in the side
Chakotay wasn't paying attention; he was transfixed on the face in front of him.
"Kayla" he muttered
"What?" Tom asked a little annoyed
" This face, I stumbled upon it when I did crew evaluations, just know."
"And…" Tom replied sarcastically
" It's my sister"

*****
"Are you sure Commander? I mean I don't think that you can just go up to someone and say ' hey you don't know me, but I'm your CO and umm, your BROTHER!" Tom was rather astonished at the prospect, and didn't really believe what he had just heard.
"Yes, I'm sure, that is most definitely Kayla. She never met me, I left for Starfleet when she was born."
"Convien-oww" B'Elanna jabbed Tom again and whispered:
"Just shut up will you?" she turned to Chakotay " I think we should tell the Captain, just to be sure."
The doors to the mess hall swished open and just as if on cue, the captain walked in.
"Hello everyone" she walked over to join Tom, B'Elanna and Chakotay. She noticed that the commander looked a little forlorn. As she walked over to sit in her usual spot beside him, she placed a hand on his shoulder. Her cold hands warmed instantly as she touched him. She wished that she could do more than just put her hand on his shoulder. Her hand seared from his subtle response, as he raised his shoulder ever so slightly at her touch, she gripped his muscle a little tighter and caught her breath. She leaned over to him and asked: " Is everything alright Chakotay?"

His pulse quickened at her touch and he responded to her voice.
" No, there seems to be a member of the crew, that well… Captain would you mind if I spoke to you privately?" The mess hall had begun to fill with people, and Chakotay felt the sudden urge to talk to Kathryn, not the Captain.
" That seems alright, will you excuse us? Tom, B'Elanna, have a pleasant evening" she acknowledged the two members of her senior staff and exited with Chakotay.
*******
They arrived at her quarters, her territory, it was safer for them to meet there, rather than in his quarters. Much safer, and she was more comfortable there anyway.
"So, what's the problem?" she inquired as she walked over to the replicator and ordered a cup of coffee and a cup of tea for Chakotay.
"Kathryn"
"Hmm?" she answered a bit preoccupied
"Better make mine coffee, we have a lot to discuss" She felt a knot in her stomach. Discuss? About what? Certainly not about their relationship? They didn't have one. They were just friends… weren't they? She sat down on the couch next to him and tucked her legs underneath her, gingerly sipping her coffee.
They sat in silence for a few moments and then he began talking.
" Well, the reason I wanted to talk to you was because I found some rather disturbing, but rather pleasant news while I was doing crew evaluations."
She glanced up at him and slid a little closer. His arm went around the back of the sofa, and over her shoulders.
"Uh huh…" she replied, urging him to continue.
" I found my sister" Her eyes widened. She knew that Chakotay had always pinned for his younger sister, he loved her and he thought the worst when he found out that the Cardassians had murdered his family.
"Kayla?" she asked, knowing that Kayla was the only one who ever had a remote chance of survival.
"Yes, her name is listed as…" he pulled out the padd " Elizabeth Johnson"
A look of recognition crossed Kathryn's face. "Yes, she's our youngest crew member, she works down in engineering, she just handed me a warp core diagnostic yesterday!" Her voice rose as she realized the importance this little Ensign held in the life of her first officer. She rose and walked over to her desk. " I need to access these medical files. That way I can compare her DNA with yours…" She punched the keys, and Chakotay smiled at her enthusiasm.
" Johansen, Johns, Johnson, here it is." She hit a few more keys and stared at the screen.
"Computer, compare Ensign Johnson's DNA with that of Commander Chakotay"
They waited his hand on her shoulder, gripping tighter as the seconds passed.
" There is no correlation between the specified samples"
His hand loosened and she looked up at him and saw a tear in his eye.
"Thank you Kathryn, I'll be turning in for the night" before she could respond the door hissed shut.
*****
For the next few days he was quiet, doing his duty, but not smiling, not laughing. At the end of every duty shift he retreated to his quarters, and Kathryn knew that he was hurt, deeply. As they sat on the bridge she looked at him, and spoke. "Commander, I'd like to see you in my ready room, now." He slowly got up and followed her in.
"Have a seat, Chakotay" she walked over to the replicator. "Computer, tea, hot" She walked back to the couch and handed him the tea and looked at him. She put her hand on his chest. "Come on Chakotay, you've been acting worse than Tuvok, what's the matter?"
"God Kathryn, if I could only explain. I wanted Elizabeth to be my sister, she looked so much like her, I guess my brain wanted me to think that it really was her. I miss Kayla more than anyone else." She moved toward him and put her arm around him. " I never got to see my baby sister grow up. There was always that tiny hope in me, though, that my parents had gotten her out of Devron V before they were attacked. That little hope that I had, it resurfaced when I saw Elizabeth." A lone tear fell from his eye. " But now, Kathryn," his voice wavered as he said her name "now that hope is gone."
She embraced him as his tears fell, as he cried for his family. When his tears stopped, he lifted Kathryn's face and traced the outline of the side of her face. His fingers tickled her chin and she smiled tears in her eyes too. Upon seeing her crooked grin he smiled, dimples and all and they both laughed.
"What would I do without you Kathryn?" he asked taking her hands in his.
She smiled as she replied: "You'd be busy cleaning the Jeffries tubes."
He laughed and captured her lips as she smirked. They kissed gently at first, but the kiss intensified. They broke apart, starving for air.
"You know something Chakotay"
"Hmm" he replied as he planted small kisses in her hair.
" Were quite a pair…"
"Damn right Captain"
"You know what else Chakotay?
"No…"
" I love you". His eyes danced at her confession.
" You know how I feel."
" I do?"
" Yes"
" Care to tell me?"
" I'm afraid I can't do that captain…"
"Why not?" she smirked again as he teased her.
"Temporal Prime Directive."
" You bastard" He laughed and kissed her as Voyager sailed toward home.