Solaris

A/N: Thanks for bearing with me and again, sorry for the delay. I took a vacation and had no computer access, although I did write the old fashioned way! Of course, I hated it, and threw it out, and wrote this. I like version 2 better, so that is what I'm giving to all of you. I didn't realize at first, but this has by far been my most popular and longest lived story! It is also the only one I've written chapter by chapter (all of the others were completed before posting) Honestly, I would have ended it sooner (though I had no idea how to) if not for the large interest everyone seems to have. I can't thank you all enough for that, but here goes! (beware the mush)

Kayla-Louise: Thanks for reading all 13 at once! Here's chapter 14 to add to that!

Silent Cobra: Only a few weeks…not two years, thankfully! Thanks for sympathizing.

Stephanie: Thanks so much!!! There should be several more

Tayababy: Doesn't Q always have something going on? KJ got off easy last chapter…lol.

Poppinswannabe: Thanks for the suggestions! The birthday and the gallery will be two major events for the Solarians. I can't wait to write them!

Aislinn Carter: Thanks again for reading! I think KJ would be bored being planet side and however happy, she would still feel that being marooned somewhere was her fault. I have to show that somewhere amongst the J/C bubbliness. As for Earth…we'll see.

Ayjah: It would be hard…I wish I expressed that better in earlier chapters, but there will be some more developments before I'm done.

Surprises

Janeway said her goodbyes to Seven and the Doctor and returned home full of ideas. She was so excited about planning a party for the Doctor that she almost forgot about Q's visit. Almost.

"I have a bit of a surprise for you," Chakotay told her, kissing her lightly upon her return.

Kathryn raised her eyebrows. She'd had quite enough surprises recently, but it was assumed she'd like this one.

"You know I can't resist surprises….what is it?"

Chakotay wagged a finger at her. "Ah ah ah, you don't get to know it that easily."

"What? You mean I have to work for it?" Kathryn asked him suspiciously.

He smiled at her, dimples coming into full view. "I wouldn't say work, but you have to see it. I'm not just going to tell you what it is."

"Okay…then where do I find it?" She laughed.

"I was hoping you'd ask that…" Chakotay grinned, offering her his arm.

Kathryn happily looped her own through his and he led her out of the house.

"My surprise isn't even in the house?"

"No," he replied quietly, still smirking. She never could stand not knowing things.

Chakotay led her down a path that was quite familiar to him, but not much to others. He had been secretly coming this way for weeks, working on his surprise for Kathryn.

When they finally reached a clearing, Kathryn could see the river stretching out before them.

"Is this it? Dinner in this clearing?" She guessed.

Chakotay laughed. "No…that's not quite it."

"I see why you didn't blindfold me…I still have no idea what you're hiding."

"That's because you can't see it yet," he grinned, pulling her toward the river.

Finally, Kathryn's eyes fell on a wooden structure resting on the shore. She gasped, turning to Chakotay.

"Is this…."

He flashed a large smile. "The boat that I intended to build for us on New Earth." He opened his arms, as Kathryn was already moving to hug him.

"Chakotay…" she breathed.

"It may not be 'our' river as in just us, but it is 'ours' as a planet, and we can still explore it."

Kathryn could not stop smiling. "You're going to take me for a boat ride?"
"It would be my pleasure," Chakotay told her, releasing her from his arms so that he could prepare the boat. He pushed it partially into the river, then helped Kathryn in before allowing it to float on its own.

Getting his shoes wet, Chakotay stepped gingerly into the boat and began paddling them out toward the other side of the river.

As the sun began its descent, the sky turned a beautiful shade of pinkish-purple, with rays of light bursting forth over the landscape. Kathryn was in awe of the sky's beauty.

Chakotay stopped rowing and let them drift, looking up at the sky with his beloved.

"This is the most beautiful sunset I've seen since we've been here," Kathryn murmured. They had watched sunsets and even sunrises on the planet before, but this one was particularly beautiful.

Chakotay wondered how nature could seem to sync so well with his own intentions sometimes. As he contemplated proceeding, he felt his palms turn sweaty and his heart pick up a bit faster. He couldn't believe it, but he was nervous…

Kathryn was still talking about the sunset.

"If I can remember it well enough, I'll have to paint it…" she sparked her own memory. "I almost forgot to tell you…Seven and the Doctor and I want to start an art gallery. Seven has painted so many gorgeous works, and I know there are other artists in the community. She wants me to put some of my watercolors in there…but I don't know. I don't think that any of them are good enough…"

Chakotay sighed. He'd had the perfect opportunity and now it was gone. She was engrossed in a new idea.

Suddenly he noticed the cricket-like insects creating much more noise than usual. Only, it wasn't noise, so much as it was music. It sounded as though the entire riverbank was alive with an orchestra. He turned his attention back to Kathryn and opened his mouth, but she beat him to it.

"I almost forgot too…the Doctor created a birthday for himself."

"Really?" Chakotay asked, still nervous and only half interested in the Doctor at the moment.

"Seven said he doesn't want a big fuss, but I know he does. We'll have to plan a party or something to let him know we all care and support him."

"Definitely," Chakotay stated flatly, praying to the gods to send something to encourage him.

As if on cue, two birds of magnificent color appeared, flying in circular patterns around one another and dancing in the wind.

Kathryn was captivated, and Chakotay was relieved that they had returned to the quiet awe with which they began their trip. He tightened his grip on a small box, pulling it from his pocket. Kathryn didn't even notice.

Chakotay looked up at the birds and again, as if summoned by a power greater than he, they took flight and disappeared as quickly as they had shown themselves.

Kathryn followed their flight and as they melted into the sky, her gaze landed on Chakotay. She smiled at him, her eyes twinkling in the twilight.

Chakotay reached his free hand to her face, brushing a wisp of hair from her cheek and stroking it gently.

"I love you, Kathryn."

"I love you, Chakotay," she said, unable to stop a huge smile from spreading across her face. Chakotay melted at the glow of her cheeks and the look in her eyes. She was so…happy.

"The boat wasn't really the surprise," he stated, wondering why he was having so much trouble getting to the point.

"What is the surprise then?" Kathryn asked softly, looking into his eyes and encouraging him.

"It shouldn't come as a surprise at all," he admitted. "I've known about it, or at least suspected as much for a very long time…but this is the first I've been able to mention it…and I'm not even doing so well with that."

Kathryn chuckled a little, and Chakotay took a deep breath. This was it.

"Kathryn, I've known for years that you were the only woman I would ever want, and I've been so happy since we began living together. Will you marry me?"

Kathryn couldn't believe it. Just that morning she had felt so helpless in the entire situation, and all that time…he was working on the boat and preparing to propose.

"Of course I will," Kathryn laughed, realizing that her eyes were tearing.

She lunged forward and almost capsized them in the process. She lost her balance among the wobble of the small vessel and fell forward into Chakotay. His strong arms steadied her, though she'd fallen to her knees. Looking into her eyes, he was relieved to see she was okay, and bent forward to kiss her.

Kathryn kissed back, laughing.

"What?" Chakotay asked, giving up to her giggles.

"It's just that…you worked so hard to make this a perfectly romantic evening, and I went and fell all over myself…and you, for that matter."

Chakotay grinned. "It's still a perfect evening. The most perfect I've ever had. This beautiful captain, who I never thought could even love me has just agreed to marry me."

Kathryn laughed.

"Do you want to put the ring on?" Chakotay asked, having his turn to laugh. The box sat in his lap, waiting.

"Yes!" She asserted, offering up her left hand. "You'd better do it. I might knock it overboard or something."

Chakotay pulled the tiny ring from the box and slid it onto her ring finger. He pulled Kathryn up to sit beside him, glad he'd balanced the front of the boat for such an occasion, and wrapped her in his arms.

"I love you so much," he murmured, kissing her hair.

"How much is so much?" She teased.

"As much as I possibly can and more."

Chakotay smiled and looked up into the sky. The stars were out in amazing view, and he swore they twinkled brighter than usual. Not for the first time that evening he wondered how everything could have turned out so well…even if his now-fiancée had almost fallen overboard.

Kathryn snuggled into her former first officer's embrace, thinking dreamily about their wedding. Suddenly, she had a not-so-pleasant thought.

"I may have to invite Q…" she muttered with disdain.

"What?" Chakotay asked, confused.

"I forgot to tell you…he was here, today. He saw the bouquet and thought he missed our wedding."

"He knows that we're together?" Chakotay asked, wondering why he hadn't been crushed by a house or blown across the planet by a freak storm already.

"Q took the news well, actually. He just asked to be invited to the wedding, and said that he would be 'around' to check on us."

Chakotay looked up at the stars again…but no. It couldn't have been. He hugged Kathryn tighter and kissed her, sitting in the boat watching the stars and the light on the water for a long time.

Across the shore Q petted one of the colored birds, while the other pecked at his feet. He watched the lovers on the water with a mix of happiness for Kathryn and pang of jealousy that she truly did not want him. He'd known it all along of course…he was omnipotent.

"Honestly, I don't know what they would have done without my help. I mean, even with it old Chuckles took three times to finally get to it, and Kathy…embarrassing for a former Starfleet captain to not even have sea legs…river legs…" Q trailed off, thinking.

True, he'd had a hand in several things that evening, but his minor tricks paled in comparison to the love of Kathryn Janeway and Chakotay.

The bird chirped in his hand, reminding him that he'd done good for a change.

"Oh, don't look at me like that," he snarled at the bird. "Just wait 'til you see me at the wedding…"

To be continued...of course!