Kathryn closed the door behind her and placed the black umbrella against the wall next to the doorpost. Heavy rain pounded against the windows making noise to otherwise so silent apartment. The dark living room was momentarily illuminated by a lightning outside, which was quickly followed by the boom of thunder. Kathryn slipped out off her jacket and walked to the kitchen. She had run all the way from transportation station to her apartment building, so she replicated herself a glass of cold water until continued to her living room. She switched on the lamp on the wooden side table, sat down on the couch and emptied the glass. It was nearly midnight and she felt exhausted.

It was during the moment of taking off her bright red high-heeled shoes, when she suddenly heard something she did not expect to hear. A noise had come from her apartment, inside the walls, which usually provided her the shelter from the outside world. But now she wasn't so certain about the protection of her own home, not anymore.

Kathryn held her breath and listened, but all she was able to hear was raindrops against the window. She carefully opened a drawer and took her phaser. Then she got up to her feet and tiptoed towards her bedroom door. When she got there, she stopped and leaned against the wall. She listened carefully again, but there was nothing to be heard. But she sensed she wasn't alone. She had become quite sure about it.

Kathryn counted to three until she jumped in the doorway pointing her phaser forward. First she didn't see anything suspicious, but once lighting flashed outside again, she saw someone sitting in her armchair in the corner of the room.

"It's me Kathryn", she heard then.

"Chakotay?" she finally managed to ask and lowered her phaser. "You succeeded scaring me."

"Sorry."

"What are you doing here?" she asked and sighed.

Chakotay didn't answer. "How was your date?" he asked instead.

"What?"

"Your date; David Evans, wasn't he? The executive front man of the global mass media?"

Chakotay's question made her slightly uncomfortable. So she ignored the question and walked to her bed instead. She sat down facing her friend who was still sitting almost motionlessly in the shadows. "Why are you here?" she asked again. "I haven't seen you in person in weeks. Where have you been?"

"I needed a shelter from the rain", he told briefly and the shortness of his words made Kathryn even more suspicious.

"Why do I get the feeling that something is wrong?" she asked quietly. "What is it?"

Chakotay didn't answer. He just looked away, to the direction of the bedroom window, which was covered with bamboo-like windows shades.

"Chakotay, you are starting to worry me", Kathryn said. "What is this? Why have you come here?"

"We haven't seen each other for a while", he said then. "How are you? Are you happy, Kathryn?"

"What do you mean?"

"What do you mean by what do I mean? I want to know how things are for you."

"Good", she told. "I'm alright, Chakotay. It has asked some patient to adjust being back here, but I'm doing alright."

"Good", he said and smiled faintly. "I heard they are making you an admiral soon."

"Maybe."

"They are", he told. "You do want to be an admiral, Kathryn, don't you?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Just answer Kathryn", he asked softly.

"I guess", she told. "What is this, Chakotay? Why are you acting like this?"

"I need to know certain things, Kathryn" he explained. "Just tell me that you are happy now."

"I think I am."

"Good. That's all that counts."

"What do you mean?"

"I just needed to know that."

"Why?"

"You need to ask that?"

"I think I do, since you are acting very bizarre now. Are you in some kind of trouble, Chakotay?"

"I'm going to jail Kathryn" he finally told, in a very blunt manner.

"What?", she asked in disbelief. "What are you talking about? The court martial is over. They pardoned all the former Maquis."

"I'm not talking about the court martial now."

"Why would you be imprisoned then?", she asked and the tone of her voice had suddenly gotten more demanding. "Answer me."

"I'm a criminal", he told then.

"What?!"

"And it's only a matter of time when I'm captured. Sooner or later they'll realize that I am here. That this is the only place I want to be right now."

"Who realize?" Kathryn asked, even more demanding. She had heard him, she had heard every word, but he made only a little sense to her. "Talk to me Chakotay!" she pleaded. "Tell me what this is about."

Chakotay got up on his feet and walked to the window. Then he lifted the window shades and stared outside in a dark San Francisco. Kathryn followed him. When she reached him, she placed her hand on his arm and another on his upper back. He reacted to her touch and turned his face towards her. There was sadness in his dark eyes, but there was also determination and a peace.

"Just tell me what's wrong", she asked then quietly. "I want to help."

Chakotay smiled faintly, turned to her, and took her hands into his. "I want you to be happy, Kathryn", he whispered. "You deserve to be happy. And I am sure that good things are coming to your way as we speak. You are promoted soon and who's to know if this David Evans turns out to be the one to make you truly happy."

"I have had two dinners with him", Kathryn said quickly. She felt defensive, and in some level she felt an urging need to explain, even though she knew no explanations were necessary. "He's quite interesting person, but I wouldn't jump to any conclusions."

Chakotay looked her for a moment until nodded. Kathryn looked in his eyes and tried to understand what was hidden behind them. She was worried. She hadn't seen him since court martial and she had assumed that during the past weeks he had been settling down, finding a home for himself somewhere, and getting adjusted to his new life. She had even assumed that he had been with Seven; that they would have taken some time off together. But just a day before yesterday she had learnt that Seven was already gotten a job in Federation's 'think tank' with the Doctor. Of course she had thought about how that would affect Chakotay, but she had assumed that they would have worked things out somehow. And that's all she needed to know; that both he and Seven would be happy. They both deserved to be happy.

And then she realized how similar her thoughts were with Chakotay's. Hadn't he just said how he wanted to know that she was happy with her life…?

"Chakotay…", she started. "I need to know what this is. Talk to me, please."

"Kathryn", he whispered. "Everything is going to be alright, trust me on this."

"I am worried about you. This is not you. This is not how the man I have known for seven years acts. Something is terribly wrong now, and I need to know what it is."

"Don't worry", he whispered. Then he leaned towards her and said softly to her ear: "You are the most important thing for me. You have been that for years now and you continue to be one. Don't forget that."

Kathryn closed her eyes. He was nearer to her than in a very long time, and the sensation of it felt good. She hadn't realized how much she had missed his presence until now. But at the same time she remembered why she had sometimes restrained herself when being alone with him, why she had sometimes even tried to avoid being alone with him. It had been the only way, since he had always had an impact on her. And now his sudden closeness intoxicated her making her weak, and his whispered words made her heart skip a beat. He had always been important to her, but the intensity of how she felt right now astonished her. It made many denied emotions to surface and some banned memories to emerge. She still had feelings for him, she knew that now, and the way he held her now, told about the truth in his heart, too.

"This is never truly over, isn't it?" he asked then.

Kathryn was about to ask what he meant, but she quickly realized it was futile. She knew, they both knew. There were certain things in the world that needed no explanations.

"I guess not", she told more honestly than she had ever been with him. "But I need answers now, Chakotay. I need you to tell me what this is about."

A knock from the door interrupted them.

"They are here", Chakotay said.

"What?" Kathryn asked and there was a hint of dismay in her eyes. "Who are?"

"Captain Janeway" called a man's voice behind the door. "Open the door, please."

"Who are they?" she asked and looked in Chakotay's eyes. "Why are they here?"

"They came for me", he told her. "Don't worry."

Then he stepped away from her and walked out of the bedroom. Kathryn followed and saw him approaching the door. Once he opened it, she saw men behind it.

"Commander Chakotay", one of the men in the middle said. "I have the authority to take you into the custody."

"What is this?!", Kathryn asked and paced towards them. "Why are you taking him?"

"Ma'am", the man in a uniform said. "We are under orders. Step out of the apartment, Mr. Chakotay."

"What are you charging him with?" she asked angrily. "I demand a response. Answer me!"

"Mr. Chakotay has committed a murder", the man said.

Kathryn's eyes widened from the shock. All of her thoughts mixed in to a shapeless blur and she lost her ability to speak. All she could do was to watch how Chakotay was escorted out of the door, out of her apartment.

Away from her.