Chakotay is in no mood for a counselling session.

He likes Deanna well enough, but every instinct is driving him towards the rooftop; towards Kathryn. It takes every ounce of his self restraint and then some, not to walk straight past the dark haired Counselor and directly outside. Something in her expression and in the way that her eyes search and hold his, tells him that she thinks that this would be a bad idea and so reluctantly, he follows her into a drab office. Once inside, the two figures on the monitor attract his immediate attention. The evening is drawing in, but the pair are visible enough, their shadows all too familiar, even if the semi-darkness obscures the detail. Deanna's hand rests lightly on the edge of the screen as they stand and watch and he wonders if she can sense their emotions.

At first, Kathryn appears to be simply sitting and contemplating the darkness, Tom is astride the narrow ledge, contemplating her. But something makes the tall figure suddenly swing his leg back over and walk to stand behind her. He closes the distance between them and Kathryn flinches slightly at the unexpected contact. From there, he deliberately wraps his arms around her, enveloping her form and the two inky figures merge into one. It is an act of such simplicity and kindness that Chakotay smiles a little, a lump forming in his throat, he swallows awkwardly resolving to make things right with Paris when all this is over.

Deanna is indicating a chair. "Have a seat Captain."

He shakes his head, taking a step backs towards the door. "Thanks, but I'd like to go and talk to her. And it's Chakotay, please."

Deanna walks slowly towards him, placing her hand on his forearm. Her face twists into a frown and he knows that she can sense the mix of conflicting emotions, swirling inside him like a chaotic, angry cloud.

"I understand, but we need to talk first."

He sighs, an acute weariness washing over him. Realising just how tired he is, how these last few weeks have taken their toll on all of them, he allows Deanna to steer him back to the chair and resumes staring at the image. He's still unable to see their faces, but a part of him wonders if Kathryn is crying, something even he has rarely witnessed, but he senses the turning of a tide, something pivotal having happened, something that has brought them all here tonight.

Deanna has been to the replicator and presses a cup of hot tea into his hands. He stares down into the still liquid, its blackness perfectly reflecting his own mood and realises that he can't imagine his life without her.

"She's safe Chakotay."

He doesn't lift his gaze. "No thanks to me."

He feels Deanna's eyes on him as he sips from the cup, the tea is bitter, but he finds that oddly comforting, the fact that she hasn't given him a hot sweet drink implying they don't need to pretend, to maintain a facade that everything is alright.

"What makes you say that?"

"I've not done a very good job of looking out for her lately."

He can hear the curiosity in Deanna's tone. "And you feel that's still your job, to look out for Kathryn?"

He nods by way of reply. It is an obvious question and so far he feels, Deanna is going easy on him. "I promised her at the beginning of our journey that I would stand beside her and do everything I could to make her burdens lighter."

"And now?"

He hates the admission but decides to make it anyway, if he lies, Deanna will know and this will take even longer. "Now, I worry that I've let what happened get in the way of our... friendship."

Deanna twists a strand of her hair slightly distractedly. "Chakotay there's something I need to tell you and it's not going to be particularly easy for you to hear."

A nagging anxiety starts to build in the pit of his stomach as she angles her body towards his, their knees almost touching. From somewhere in his imagination, he can picture storm clouds rolling over hills, dark and foreboding.

"Early this morning, two men impersonating Starfleet Officers forced their way into Kathryn's home and attacked her. The details are sketchy as she refused to go to Medical, but from what I understand they bore a pretty severe grudge over Ibiriis and wanted to send a message to that effect."

His entire torso reverberates in shock; his heart rate spikes, with it a renewed anger burning painfully in his chest. Roughly replacing the cup on the desk, its contents slop over the edge and pushing himself to stand, he strides outwards only questioning his route when he reaches the window and can go no further. Pressing his fist against the cool glass at the same time as muttering every single Klingon curse word that B'Elanna has ever taught him provides some relief.

Wisely, Deanna gives him a minute as he struggles to uncurl balled fists, his jaw clenched so tightly his teeth start to throb. He closes his eyes and takes a deep, slow breath, the idea of her being hurt, increases his desire to run right out onto that rooftop one hundred fold.

"I just wish that she'd stop."

The phrase is out of his mouth before he realises it. Deanna has an alarming way of getting to the truth and he feels a little ambushed, but it is the truth and what he wants more than anything is for Kathryn to stop doing this, to stop forever finding ways to punish herself. Spirits only knew why she felt the need to continue, but it was slowly driving him crazy and driving them farther apart.

"You have a right to be angry."

Without moving, he raises his eyebrows. "Do I? Because Kathryn doesn't think so."

Keeping her distance, Deanna walks to stand just at the edge of his eye line. "And does it matter to you, what Kathryn thinks?"

Turning, he frowns. "Of course, even when she's wrong."

Deanna smiles knowingly from her perch leaning against the desk. Somehow, in the midst of his shock and anger, he begins to wonder if in fact they are on the same path, or at the very least heading in the same general direction.

"Tell me what scares you."/p

He jerks his head towards the monitor. "This scares me, more than anything."

"Because you thought that she might jump?"

"The question is expected, but that doesn't make it any less painful and yet he doesn't have to think, not even for a second.

"No. Because I should know why she's out there and because she should have come to me."

Deanna is close now and she takes him by the elbow and leads him back to the chair. They sit and she passes him back the lukewarm tea, whether or not she expects him to drink it, obediently he takes the cup.

"Why do you think she's out there Deanna?"

"If you'd asked me an hour ago, I would have said it was about Ibiriis."

"And now?"

Deanna looks down at well manicured nails. "Now I think the Ibiriis Mission is what started all this, but that it's not directly responsible for tonight. This attack changed everything and if I'm correct, it has caused Kathryn to review a decision she was never entirely comfortable with. She thought that she could learn to live with it, but she can't; more importantly she can't ask you to either."

"He feels his hand rubbing along his forehead. "Have I driven her to do this Deanna?"

An emphatic shake of the head. "No."

"But she is avoiding me?"

Her tone is silky smooth. "I think that right now, what she needs most is the unequivocal support of her best friend."

He hears himself sigh. "And by that you mean that she needs her best friend to let go of his anger and forgive her. She has a history of doing things like this, I should have anticipated and dealt with it better."

Deanna leans back in her chair. "Don't be too hard on yourself Chakotay. When someone that you love hurts themselves intentionally or unintentionally, it's extremely difficult to deal with. Turning this around is going to be difficult, the Starfleet brass aren't going to like it."

"Are you sure that she'll fight it?"

Deanna nods. "I sense that this morning was a step too far, that it has changed everything. She might be stubborn, but Kathryn's no fool; she's not going to live the rest of her life under this shadow."

Deanna is correct. Kathryn is brilliant and strong minded, she will fight this and she will win and he realises that will be at her side as she does. He turns to find Deanna standing, facing the now Onyx sky

"I think that now is a good time for you to go and relive Tom. Take as long as you need, I'll square it with security. Tell Kathryn that she can expect my call."

He nods, taking this permission and returns her smile. "There's just something I need to get first."

Deanna nods, dark eyes following as he heads over to the replicator.


Tom doesn't hear the door to the roof, but he does see Chakotay before Kathryn does. This is mainly because he suspects that she is asleep and has been for the last ten minutes, give or take. Her breathing is slow and regular and she is a relaxed weight in his arms. How anyone can sleep at a time and in a place like this, he can't fathom, but reminds himself that Kathryn Janeway is not and has never been, just anyone. Knees locked, his back is starting to stiffen and he is holding onto her just a little tighter than he was.

When a large hand clasps him on the shoulder, one look at Chakotay's harrowed face tells Tom all he needs to know and the unspoken tension between them instantly dissolves. Right now no words are necessary. There are plenty that remain unspoken and plenty more to be spoken at some point in the near future he suspects, but not now. Today is a fresh start for all of them.

"Sleeping beauty here is all yours."

Chakotay's face relaxes into a grateful smile and Tom watches him deposit a mug further along the ledge before he touches Kathryn's shoulder lightly. His eyes scan every millimetre of her face, looking at her with such a fiercely protective gaze that it is as if she wakes under the intense scrutiny. Tom feels her start to stir in his arms and then she sits upright and tilts her head from side to side before allowing Chakotay to gently help her swing her legs over to their side of the wall. Once standing and still not fully awake he would wager, she blinks and looks blearily from him to Chakotay and back again.

"Please tell me that you bought coffee."

Tom recognises his cue to leave. Taking Kathryn's uninjured hand, he pulls her into a gentle, lingering embrace. Murmuring her thanks softly, she holds him tightly for a minute.

"Come over later?"

He can't resist teasing just a little. "Aye Ma'am. You've got a date with my Medkit and I."

She nods in possible agreement and he takes a step back, as Chakotay moves effortlessly to fill the space that he has vacated. Sliding one arm around her waist, he holds Kathryn like someone who has just been handed the most precious of charges.

Walking back across the roof, more than a little dazed, Tom decides that now is not the time to reflect, but can't resist stopping by the office and joining Deanna at the monitor once again. They pause to look at the screen just long enough to see Kathryn turn to face Chakotay, reaching up to cup one side of his face. His mouth moves as and she runs her hand down to the base of his neck, tugging his head so their foreheads touch. He throws both of his arms around her, as if his life depends on it.

Chakotay's shoulders shake and Kathryn strokes his back in slow, comforting motions. It feels too intimate to watch any further and so they turn away and he passes Deanna her wrap, watching as she drapes the silk around her shoulders.

"Walk you out?"

The tension dissipated, side-by-side they saunter back along the corridor towards the elevator.

"Now that we have the time. I've heard rumours that you are the source of a highly sought after joke involving a former member of the Maquis and a breed of domesticated fowl. I'm hoping that you'll live up to your reputation Mr Paris."

"He fanes innocence. "My reputation Counsellor Troi?"

She gives his arm a playful shove. "To tell me the original, unedited version."

He grins as the elevator door opens and like a gentleman, ushers her ahead of him, leaning against the inside of the carriage, he takes a breath.

"So, a Bolian dancer arrives on Deep Space Nine with this chicken….."