Title: Wintertide
Author: Megara79
Series: Star Trek: Voyager
Rating: K
Summary: Winter at Lake George.
Thanks to: Missyhissy. She's just the best. Always
A/N: This drabble was written for VAMBs Winter Picture Prose 2017.
It's strange being back at Lake George. Strange to really witness the lake and its surroundings, when what she's been used to seeing is a combination of replicated matter, tractor beams, and force fields onto which the lake has been holographically projected.
There are no smells on the holodeck. The air is artificial, and, although the settings can be modified to her exact liking, the humid heat of summer is just as difficult to replicate as the sharp crispness of winter.
Kathryn inhales deeply. The cold air tickles the back of her nose, clean and fresh, wafting together with the faint scent of coffee that always surrounds her. This, to her, is what home smells like.
She closes the door behind her, clasping a steaming travel mug in her free hand, making her way down the path towards the gate. The snow crunches under her boots, and the morning is as close to perfect as it can get. She allows herself a moment of nostalgia, and glances back at the house.
It looks the same as it always has. It feels the same too. Like comfort and safety. Her own harbour in a world that moves as fast as the starships she's served on. Everything is like she remembered it, yet everything's changed. Kathryn has always preferred her fast-paced life in the city, in space, but since Voyager's return she's found herself more and more drawn to the stillness of the lake. She supposes that is what's changed.
Her need to be still.
To be grounded.
As a result, she's resigned her commission. It's a move she never saw coming. Not once in her seven year trek through the Delta Quadrant did the thought cross her mind. Leave Starfleet? Preposterous!
And yet, that's what she's done. And it's the easiest decision she's ever made.
The stars still fascinate her. Space is her home in much the same way as the house on Lake George, but she has no desire to travel through its expanse any longer. She's seen things others may only dream about. She's had more first contacts than any other captain in the history of Starfleet. She built a family and she fought tooth and nail to get that family home, safe and sound. There isn't anything left for her to discover. Not up there.
But on Earth?
Earth has turned into a treasure chest of forgotten delights. The things she took for granted before Voyager are now exciting prospects just waiting to be rediscovered, and mundane everyday tasks, like rooting around in a vegetable patch, have become projects she can't wait to sink her hands into.
She relishes the tranquil quiet the countryside is giving her. She enjoys going on hikes, reading her books, and having a glass of wine in the bath without fear of being interrupted by klaxons or Vulcans. She delights in spending time with her family, Janeway and Voyager alike, and she's found purpose in organising her logs from the Delta Quadrant. She thinks they might make a semi-interesting book someday, and, on the rare occasions when her mind unwittingly stumbles into darkness, they offer her solace and understanding and help chase the demons away.
The sun hangs low in the sky, but its gentle warmth lessens the sting of the cold. Kathryn continues her walk through the woods, sipping her coffee, and loves the fact that her day is free of obligations and completely her own.
When she reaches the clearing, a good twenty-minute walk from the house, the landscape opens up before her, and the bridge that stretches across the narrowest point of the lake glints in the sunlight.
The bridge is the centrepiece of the scenery, and Kathryn loves it. There are so many memories connected to it, good and bad, and she smiles as a faded image of her and Phoebe chasing each other across the overpass enters her mind.
She stops in the middle of the bridge, resting her elbows on the railing. She's forgotten her gloves, and is glad the mug is still somewhat warm. The view is as spectacular as it always has been. Kathryn drinks her beverage and loses herself in the luxury of good coffee and her own thoughts.
She doesn't notice the lone figure that walks toward her. She doesn't see how he stops at the sight of her, or the smile that breaks across his face as he watches her.
When he steps onto the bridge, the woodwork creaks, announcing his presence, and Kathryn's reverie is cut short. She turns at the sound, and when she sees him her own smile blooms.
"You forgot these," Chakotay says, waving her gloves in the air.
"Pffft," she answers. "You're just here for the coffee."
Chakotay laughs and comes to stand beside her. He gives her the gloves and she hands him her mug in return. Chakotay accepts it, drinks her coffee, and turns to face the lake.
Kathryn leans into him, and his arm wraps around her shoulder. Together they remain on the bridge, and another memory etches itself into Kathryn's mind. A memory of the two of them, enjoying each other's company the way they have so many times before on Voyager. There's only one crucial difference. This time he knows that she loves him, and thankfully, as it turns out, he loves her right back.
The sun stretches higher in the sky and Lake George is as beautiful as ever.
The End