Chapter 10

October 2379

It had been a couple of somewhat eventful months for Kathryn and Chakotay. Since their return from Chakotay's presentation at Cambridge, they managed to get away almost every opportunity they had. Every weekend they had free, they would escape to a different city and take in the sights.

During the week, when Chakotay was still on break from the Academy, he found projects to keep himself entertained around the house. He built a swing set for their back yard which Kathryn immediately fell in love with because it gave her a comfortable place to read outside. He had also taken the time to learn how to make various meals from scratch, which he surprised her with when she got home from work.

And there was the one week where Kathryn's nephew stayed with them while Phoebe and Michael took a romantic getaway, their first since the kids had been born. Chakotay was delighted to watch the boys while their parents were away. However, by the end of the week, he was physically and mentally exhausted. He really loved the boys but couldn't wait for them to return home with their parents. Chakotay had also found it odd that during the entire week Kathryn had managed to get tangled up in late meetings or events she could not excuse herself out of. It was all very convenient.

In September, Chakotay returned to teaching at the Academy. Due to the popularity of his previous class, an additional course was added to his schedule, which meant he had twice the workload. He honestly didn't mind the additional work but the long hours occasionally interfered with his time with Kathryn, and that did bother him. As time went on lot of their weekend outings were cut short, or didn't happen at all, and most of their meals were products of the replicator.

Even though she missed spending all their extra time together, Kathryn didn't mind having some extra time to herself, mainly since she had become obsessed with learning all her favorite compositions on the piano. There were some pieces she could play perfectly and others she still struggled with. She spent hours during her free time trying to perfect the pieces she could just not get right. She was enjoying playing the piano so much she was even considering trying to learn another instrument. She considered the violin, the Vulcan lute, and even the clarinet, which always reminded her of Harry.

By the time October rolled around, things were getting tense within Starfleet. Two planets were considering renouncing their alliance with the Federation and this was causing serious problems at Headquarters. Kathryn began to work long hours and occasional weekends. Chakotay's schedule hadn't changed much either. They briefly saw each other in the morning before work and there were times when Chakotay would go to bed and Kathryn was still not home. Their relationship was still a product of perfection, but they both missed having time to themselves and enjoy one another.

They decided this problem needed to be fixed.

It was Friday night and Chakotay was desperately rushing home. He was over an hour late to meet with Kathryn. They had agreed to make every effort to be home by 18:00, that way they could enjoy dinner together and spend the rest of the night relaxing. However, his office hours had run over and unexpected visitors had delayed him. He had tried to contact Kathryn various times to let her know he was going to be late, but she was nowhere to be found. He was feeling pangs of guilt in his stomach.

Once he arrived at their home and walked up the front steps, he noticed there were no lights on in the house. Maybe she's not home yet? When he opened the front door he was met with darkness. The soft shadows cast from the moon were the only visible lights in the room.

He took a couple steps into the dark room before he said, "Computer, first floor lights."

The lights went on immediately. Chakotay glanced around the room. Everything seemed in place and normal, until he noticed an empty wine glass on the dining room table. That had not been there when he left for work after Kathryn. He picked up the glass and noticed smudges of lipstick on the rim. He couldn't help but smile. That crimson lipstick always made Kathryn's lips so enticing.

He set the wine glass back on the table and called out, "Kathryn!?"

No response.

He removed his jacket and left it on the back of one of the dining room chairs. He cautiously walked up the stairs listening for any sounds. He once again called out, "Kathryn?"

Still no response.

He made his way down the hallway into their bedroom. It was also dark. When he called for lights, he noticed Kathryn's Admiral Uniform strewn on the bed.

Maybe she came home and left?

He was about to call out for her one more time when he noticed a dim light under the closed bathroom door. He slowly walked to the door and gently knocked.

"Kathryn?" he said softly, pressing his ear against the surface

When he didn't hear a response, he carefully opened the door and peeked inside. The lighting was set to half the normal brightness and several candles lit up the rest of the bathroom. Inside the bathtub lay a sleeping Kathryn. Her head rested against a towel, her hair wrapped into a messy bun. On the floor lay a PADD that had most likely fallen out of her outstretched hand. Most of the bath bubbles had disappeared and Chakotay could see her naked body through the water.

Chakotay picked up the PADD from the floor and placed it on a nearby shelf as he gingerly made his way to the bathtub. He knelt down, stretched out his hand, and carefully caressed Kathryn's cheek. He wondered how long she had been asleep in there.

Her eyes fluttered at his touch. She opened her eyes and looked over at him.

"You're late," she mumbled, as she blinked her eyes a couple of times.

"You look radiant."

"Don't try to charm yourself out of this. You're still late."

Chakotay couldn't help but smile. "I'm sorry. I was held up. I tried to contact you a couple of times but wasn't successful."

"I was able to leave work earlier than expected. That's probably why you couldn't reach me. I got home, had a glass of wine and figured I had enough time to take a relaxing bath before you got home."

"Well you look very relaxed to me," he said, leaning in and kissing her on the lips, accidentally wetting his shirt sleeve in the process. He groaned loudly. "Give me a second so I can change my shirt and I'll be back."

"I have a better idea, why don't you take your shirt and the rest of your clothing off and join me," Kathryn replied, with a smirk.

For a moment Chakotay was going to argue with her about how they needed to eat dinner and then realized how foolish he sounded. He stood up from beside the bathtub, slowly removed his shoes, shirt, pants, and underwear, while never losing eye contact with Kathryn, who watched his every move intently.

She slightly leaned forward in the tub as he stepped in and slid in behind her. The water was warm but not as warm as Kathryn's damp back when she rested it against his chest, he noticed. His legs surrounded her body and he could feel the smoothness of her legs when they touched his. He moved his hands from the edge of the tub and slowly slid them down her partially submerged chest until he reached her stomach and rested them there. They hadn't enjoyed each other in this manner in a long time.

He lowered his head and nuzzled her neck. Her subtle scent was invigorating. He couldn't help himself and he gently ran the tip of his tongue up her neck, until he reached her earlobe and nibbled on it. Kathryn loved the sensation from his tongue on her skin and his warm breath caressing her ear; they sent shivers down her body. She stretched one arm above her head and wrapped it around Chakotay's neck, pressing him closer to her. She slowly turned her head toward him. When he felt Kathryn's head move, he stopped, lifted his own and was met with her welcoming lips. They kissed passionately as the water rippled against their bodies. Chakotay moved his hand from her stomach and placed it on one of her breasts. He gave it a gentle squeeze and continued to caress it as they kissed.

When both stopped kissing, they relaxed against one another. Chakotay placed his hands back on her stomach, as Kathryn moved hers to his thighs. She touched them lightly with her fingertips, noticing every muscle.

"I picked up a PADD from the floor. What were you reading?" he asked, softly.

"Oh, some work related stuff. I think that's why I fell asleep so quickly," she replied, chuckling.

"I thought we agreed we would leave work behind this weekend?"

"I know. And I promise I will. No more talk about work until Monday."

After a moment of silence, Chakotay said, "Kathryn…I've missed you."

"What do you mean? You see me every day," she said, rather confused.

"I've missed this. This intimacy. I miss spending time with you like this. We've been so busy we haven't really enjoyed each other in some time. Everything has been quick and without…passion."

Kathryn sighed. "I know what you mean. We really need to make an effort and not let work become our lives. We can't let it run us."

"It's easier said than done."

"That's true." She paused. "Well, let's start now."

She carefully stood up and stepped out of the tub. Water droplets cascaded down her body and onto the floor. She reached her hand out and Chakotay instinctively took hold of it. He stood up and got out of the tub as well. There was a puddle forming where they stood, naked, gazing at each other in silence.

Kathryn once again grabbed Chakotay's hand and led him to their bedroom. They both stopped at the edge of the bed.

"I think the sheets can dry us off," she said, arching her eyebrow and smiling at him.

"Oh, I love your way of thinking," Chakotay replied, kissing her on the lips and slowly lowering her body onto the bed.

=/\=

Kathryn awoke to the sound of rain hitting the windows. She could see some light but she couldn't quite tell if it was early or late in the morning because it was rather gloomy outside. She was about to ask the computer for the time when she noticed Chakotay was still asleep and didn't want to wake him. She figured she didn't need to know the time anyway. It's not like she had any plans for the day. Her only goal was to relax and spend time with Chakotay.

She moved onto her side to face him. He's gorgeous, she thought, as she took the time to observe him as he slept. She let her eyes roam from his tattoo onto his luscious, full lips, down his bronzed, muscular chest, and then to the sheet that was barely covering him from the waist down.

How we resisted each other for seven years I will never know.

She was tempted to wake him, but knew she shouldn't. He was probably exhausted from their late night activities. She was surprised she was wide awake herself. They had gone to sleep several hours after they had gotten out of the bathtub. They both decided to eat a light snack when they realized neither of them had eaten dinner. By the time they headed back to bed, it was close to 03:00.

Kathryn moved onto her back again. She couldn't help but think how wonderful their night had been. They hadn't spent a night like that in some time. The spark between them was always there, the problem was the time and energy. She was just glad they had made an effort to plan a weekend to themselves.

As she lay there, snuggled under the sheets, she couldn't help but let her mind wander to the previous hours. As she closed her eyes, she was sure she could still feel the weight of Chakotay on top of her body. She felt his hands making their way across her breasts and his warm tongue caressing her nipples. She felt his hand grasp her thigh as he moved his way into her, deeper with every thrust. She felt his ragged breathing against her neck after they had both climaxed, their bodies covered in a thin layer of perspiration.

She was so lost in her pleasant thoughts that she jumped when she felt a hand touch her arm. She immediately opened her eyes and noticed Chakotay staring at her with a smirk on his face. She couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed.

"Good morning," he said, "you must have been having some interesting thoughts."

"I was," she replied, sheepishly. She stared at the ceiling trying not to look at him.

"Care to share the details?"

"Not particularly."

"For a moment there I thought you were still asleep until I saw some of your facial expressions. I'm pretty sure some of them I recognize from last night."

"Chakotay!"

He couldn't help but laugh. "Come here," he said, as he reached his arms out and pulled her close to him, kissing her on the lips.

They snuggled against one another for a while. Chakotay's hands moving up and down Kathryn's smooth back, gently kissing her every so often on the cheek. They listened to the rain as it hit the roof and windows with strength. It had such a calming effect.

"So are you going to tell me what you were thinking about," whispered Chakotay.

Kathryn couldn't help but smile again. "I was thinking about last night."

"Ohhhh," he replied, raising one eyebrow.

"I had a wonderful time."

"Me too," he said, kissing her again on the lips.

"I'm just glad we were able to spend our time together without interruptions or late meetings or early lectures or whatever getting in the way."

"Well we do have all of today and tomorrow to make up for lost time," he replied, winking at her.

Kathryn laughed loudly. He could feel her body shake against his.

"You know, we aren't teenagers anymore. I'm not sure how much my body can take."

"Are you calling me old!?" Chakotay said, pretending to be offended.

"I'm calling us old!"

"Speak for yourself! I still have the prowess of The Tattooed Terror!"

Kathryn burst into laughter again, burrowing her face into a pillow. When she finally lifted her head, Chakotay noticed tears running down her red face.

"I haven't heard you call yourself that in years!" She paused to catch her breath. "The Tattooed Terror!" She continued to laugh.

"Don't mock me, Admiral!"

He was pretending to be angry, but it wasn't working. Kathryn's laughter was just so infectious; he couldn't help but laugh along with her. He loved seeing her like this. He couldn't remember the last time he had heard her laugh with such enthusiasm.

"I'm sorry Chakotay," she said, wiping a couple tears from her cheek, "I just forgot about that nickname."

"Don't apologize, Kathryn. It was definitely worth seeing you laugh that hard…even if it is at my expense," he said, side eyeing her.

She giggled again. "Will this make you feel better?" She leaned into him and kissed him passionately on the lips.

"Hmm…not quite. I think you need to try harder," he said, once their lips parted.

"Ok. How about this?" She asked as she slowly maneuvered her body on top of his. Her thighs straddling his sides. She leaned down and kissed him. Her kiss had more force and desire than before.

Chakotay was caught off guard by the impact her lips had on his. He ran his hands down her body and stopped once they reached her backside. Before she knew it, he had rolled her onto her back and lay on top of her. They continued to kiss with ardor, as Kathryn ran her foot down the back of Chakotay's legs.

They were definitely not leaving the bed anytime soon.

=/\=

"What do you feel like eating?" Chakotay asked, as he walked around the kitchen, in just his pajama bottoms.

"Pasta sounds good. Or a sandwich. Or soup. I don't know. You pick," she replied from the couch, nestled in her bathrobe.

When they had finally managed to make their way out of the bed, they had decided to eat some breakfast, until they realized it was past noon. The figured lunch would be a tad more appropriate.

"How about a salad with some spinach gnocchi?"

"That sounds really delicious."

After a couple minutes, Chakotay placed a couple dishes on the coffee table in front of Kathryn. He took a seat on the couch right beside her.

"I like your idea of having lunch on the couch. It is a lot more comfortable. And intimate," he said, kissing her lightly on the cheek.

"Plus, we can see the rain from the windows. I just love to watch it rain," Kathryn said, taking several bites of her salad.

"Me too. So many years on Voyager without seeing it rain. Unless you went to the holodeck."

"Well we did experience that severe storm on New Earth."

There was a small pause before Chakotay spoke. "Yes we did." He put down his fork and looked at her. "I think that was the first time we actually got really close to one another without getting too close."

Now it was Kathryn's turn to put down her fork and look at him. "You know," she paused, "I've always wondered what would have happened if Voyager wouldn't have returned to save us."

"I've wondered that too, days and weeks after we were rescued. To be honest, I have a feeling we would be doing exactly what we are doing now, except it wouldn't have taken us all these years to get here."

"You really think so?"

"Well yes. We were the only two people there. No ranks. Just us."

"And the monkey. Don't forget about the monkey."

Chakotay couldn't help but laugh. "I'm sure he made himself right at home in our make-shift house."

"I'm sure of it."

They continued to eat in silence until Chakotay spoke.

"Kathryn, do you ever wonder how things would have been different if we had given into temptation on Voyager. You know, if we actually had become a couple years ago."

Kathryn stopped eating. She frowned and appeared to be thinking deeply. "In all honesty, I think Tuvok would have become Captain because you and I would not have left our quarters."

"That would not have happened!"

Kathryn chuckled. "No. I would never have given up the Captaincy. But that's the problem; I always had to be the Captain. I felt I could not let my priorities down in order to pursue my own pleasures. I had a crew that depended on me and my leadership. My goal was to get them home. Which I did." She paused and furrowed her brows. "Also, I don't think I could have lived with myself if something would have happened to you. Even if it wasn't my fault, I would have felt guilty."

"But something could have happened to me anyway, even if we were together or not."

"There's a difference, though. There's a barrier between friends and lovers. Once you cross that line, there are all these other emotions involved. I can be strong but everyone has an eventual breaking point and I think you would have been it."

"Well, I guess we really don't have to worry about that now, do we?" Chakotay replied, with a small smile.

"We really don't. I'm just glad we got to where we are now. And Chakotay," she paused, "I always loved you. All those years on Voyager, I loved you. I just could never tell you how I felt."

"You didn't have to tell me. I knew," he paused, "actually, I think the whole crew knew."

"You really think so?"

"I'm positive. Ask B'Elanna, Tom, or Harry. I think there were bets too."

"How did I never find out about that?"

"Because you were the Captain."

Kathryn couldn't help but chuckle. "I wonder what other things happened under my nose."

"You wouldn't want to know."

The continued to eat and reminisce about some of the more enjoyable times on Voyager, like talent night or the luau. In between all the hostilities and attacks, they did manage to have entertaining moments. By this time they had finished their lunch and were snuggled against one another under a blanket.

"Well Admiral, are you ready for Round Two? The Tattooed Terror has regained his energy and would like to battle a worthy opponent."

Kathryn chuckled. "I'm sorry, but I think The Tattooed Terror and Round Two will have to wait."

They both laughed as Chakotay leaned in closer to her and kissed her on the lips. "I'm really glad we made time for this."

"So am I," she replied, gently squeezing his thigh under the blanket.

They both sat huddled together watching the rain through the window until they both drifted off to sleep.