When the door opened, Chakotay stood up, dazed. The president entered the room, draped over her arm was Kathryn's uniform. An iron fist seemed to squeeze Chakotay's heart. "Ka... the Captain?", he breathed.

The president looked at him with mournful eyes. "She passed on peacefully. I wish to offer you my condolences."

No, Chakotay shook his head, could Kathryn really be dead? The only person he knew to have cheated death more than once, the strong captain who would go through the fires of hell for her crew. Numbly he stared at her uniform, all that was left of her? "Her..." He swallowed hard and tried to speak again, his mouth dry like old parchment, "Her body, where... ?"

"Her body is gone, none of the accused are allowed to see their friend's body.", her voice was soft and full of sadness.

"No!" Chakotay ran into the other room. It was all white, with a white comfortable bed, and white cushions on the white carpet. On one of them sat the president's aid with a small black cat in her lap. There were no traces of Kathryn, anywhere.

"I am sorry." A comforting hand patted his left arm. "Will you take her clothes? And... I asked her whether she would like to give a special gift to you, something that will remind you of her. She agreed." The president signaled her aid.

He accepted the clothes. They still seemed to be warm. Chakotay closed his eyes for a moment, remembering her smell. When he opened them again, his eyes fell on the cat the aid was offering him. He backed off. What? That was the gift? A cat? Why on earth did it have to be a cat? He had the feeling he would start hating these animals, soon. Wasn't it because of them, that Kathryn was dead, now?

"The love of one of the ancestors is remarkable. Once, you have gained her trust, she'll be able to heal the wounds of your soul."

Chakotay stared at the president in disbelief.

"I won't deny that you will have scars, but yes, I know that in time she'll help you laugh again."

"You honestly think, that a cat can replace the Captain?"

"Replace her? No." The president shook her head. "But through the cat you will remember her. Memories are precious! If you love her, she can give you even more... So, will you accept her?"

"I can't..."

"Please do consider that she is Kathryn's last gift to you, a gift of the heart."

He swallowed hard and nodded, reluctantly.

Carefully the aid placed the cat in his arm and he looked at her closely for the first time. Her fur was soft and shiny and perfectly black. Only the tip of her ears, the tip of her tail and her chest were white. Suddenly she looked up at him, their eyes met. He gasped. Blue, he thought, as blue as hers. For some fleeting seconds, he saw her face again. "Memories", he muttered under his breath.

"-ompany you to our transporter room." Chakotay looked up, startled, but mutely followed the President, the cat's small warm body still pressed to his chest. He felt like he was going through heavy fog. Everything was blurry, there was no sound, only something black that warmed his heart. Odd, black was a color of mourning, cold, dark, then why did he feel comforted?

"Chakotay. Chakotay!", somebody called him. Whoever it was, he sounded lost. Briefly he wondered whether it was his own voice, but that was absurd, why would he call himself? Slowly his eyes focused on his surroundings: he was back on Voyager. Had everything been a horrible dream? After taking a steadying breath he realized he was standing on the platform in the transporter room. He felt the fabric of her uniform in his right hand and found himself awake in his own nightmare.

"Chakotay!"

Finally, his eyes settled on the person in front of him. It was B'Elanna. "Chakotay, are you alright?" She looked worried and slightly agitated. "And where is the Captain? I wanted to show her a few modifications I'd like to make, and according to the computer she is not on board. I've heard rumors, but they are just absurd. So do you know where she is?"

Chakotay couldn't speak, couldn't move. He just kept staring at her, eyes unblinking.

B'Elanna jumped onto the platform and yanked hard on his arm.

"Chakotay, you are scaring me! Tell me that the rumors are not true. Tell me!"

As Chakotay sadly shook his head, B'Elanna's eyes widened. "People say that she got arrested and some, even, that she was executed for our sake, but Chakotay..." He just kept staring morosely at the floor, refusing to meet her eyes. Helplessly, she started to pound her friend's arm: "But. Why. Didn't. You. Stop..." and suddenly came face to face with a very frightened feline, that hung to Chakotay's clothes, knowing nowhere else to go. Taken aback, she asked: "What exactly is that?"

"A, a cat", came the husky reply.

"I can't believe you! You, you watch her die and take this creature back with you!" With one last shove she ran out of the room.

A/N: I know I kept you waiting for a long time and I am really sorry that I did. Most of this chapter had been on my computer for ages, but I had a hard time finishing it. It is fairly short, but don't worry, there will be more chapters. Thanks to all those that encourage me to keep going.