Disclaimer: See part 1.1

Community Property

By mizvoy

Part 5.6 Recovery

Feb. 22, 2380—The Next Day

Trebus

"You're on Trebus?" Admiral Hayes was dumbfounded by the news and shocked to see the face that appeared on his view screen. "Everyone thought you were killed in the Badlands."

"The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated." Kathryn Janeway gave him a wide grin. "I've always wanted to say that."

"But . . . how? Who?" Hayes shook his head as if to clear out the cobwebs before he rubbed his forehead with his fingers. "I mean, how did you survive? Who found you?"

"It's all in the report I'm transmitting to you in a few minutes, sir. I'm just calling to let you know to expect it and to ask for a few weeks of leave so that I can recover my strength here before traveling back to Earth."

The man blinked, his face ruddy with embarrassment. "Take all the time you need, Kathryn."

"Thank you. Commander Tuvok is being taken to Deep Space 9 and will either rejoin the Hankeel or head back to Earth as soon as he can make arrangements to do so."

"He's being taken there? What happened to the shuttle?"

"I'm afraid the shuttle was a complete loss, sir. Tuvok is a passenger on a transport ship that's owned by the people who found us."

"Amazing." Hayes sat back and shook his head. "I wish I could say that your survival is unprecedented, Kathryn, but you have a way of staying alive when others would perish."

"It isn't all good news, sir." She took a calming breath. "Our pilot, Lieutenant Ryan Grey, died in the line of duty. I've included a letter for his family with my report, and I'd appreciate it if you'd forward it to them."

"Of course." He narrowed her eyes and studied her face. "You look pale and tired, Kathryn. It must have been a close call."

"The escape and crash were harrowing experiences, sir. I'm going to take a few weeks to regain my strength."

"Frankly, Kathryn, seeing you like this . . . I'm mortified that Starfleet gave up on finding you when you were still alive. Obviously, we ended the search too quickly. We shouldn't have underestimated you, especially after what you accomplished with Voyager."

She smiled and gave him a sympathetic look. "I think that Starfleet's search was adequate under the circumstances, sir. The important thing is that Starfleet neutralized the smugglers and the threat to the region and that the complaints from Cardassia have been resolved."

"Yes, thanks to your emergency beacon, we had the details we needed. When you get back, we'll take some time to talk about how we can put your special talents to better use. Clearly, keeping you at headquarters is a waste of your abilities."

"That sounds good to me, sir."

"I'll be interested in reading your report. And, Admiral, this news has just made my day. I'm relieved and proud that you managed to survive your run-in with the smugglers."

"Thank you, sir."

"Do I need to let your family know that you're all right?"

"No, I'm afraid I placed a call to my mother before I called you, Admiral." She gave him a sheepish grin. "As far as she's concerned, she outranks you."

He laughed. "I can't say that I disagree with her. The fact that mothers outrank admirals is something we all have to remember."

"I'll send the report in the next day or two and will plan to return to Earth in a few weeks, sir."

"That's fine, Kathryn." He smiled and shook his head again. "If you were a cat, I'd say you have about seven lives left."

"I don't think I have that many lives left, sir, to tell the truth. I'm going to be a little more careful in the future."

"Let me know if you need anything. When you're ready to return to Sector 001, call me. I'll send a vessel to fetch you. In the meantime, get some rest." He smiled and shook his head. "And, again, seeing you alive and well has made my day."

When the connection ended, Kathryn closed her eyes and leaned back in the desk chair, suddenly exhausted by the conversation.

"Are you okay?" Chakotay asked, kneeling beside her. "I know that it's been a long morning."

"Talking to Admiral Hayes was easier than talking to Mom and Phoebe. I probably should have called the admiral first."

"Let's get you into a better position." He offered her his arm and led her to a sofa in the next room. "Is the hip feeling better?"

"It feels better already," she assured him, giving his arm a squeeze. "I'm so glad we came here instead of returning to DS9. Your sister is wonderful, and I'm thrilled to have time to visit with you and the crew members who settled out here."

He sat down beside her on the sofa. "They came out here because they were looking for a job, but I was running away."

"You were in a no-win situation."

"That I handled poorly."

"None of us handled it well, Chakotay. The important thing is that we've all survived. Seven is independent and happily working with the doctor on Jupiter Station, which means that we're free to be together."

"At last." He slipped an arm around her shoulders. "Nothing would make me happier."

"I just wish I could have told you how I feel in person the first time you heard it."

"I needed to hear it when I did," he replied with a chuckle, remembering how shocked he'd been to listen to her confession of love on the tricorder. "It gave me the confidence to take care of you properly without worrying about how you'd react."

"You saved my life, Chakotay. Again." She laid her head on his shoulder.

"It was my pleasure."

"You're willing to come back to Earth with me?"

"Absolutely."

"You realize that Seven will be in the picture."

"I can handle that. She'll only come between us if we let her."

Kathryn nodded and then yawned. "And we won't let her."

"You need some rest. Why not stretch out here and take a nap. I'll check on you later."

"Good idea." She fell over onto the throw pillows and closed her eyes. "Don't be gone long."

"I'll be close enough to hear you if you need me."

He stood at the doorway and watched her as she relaxed into sleep.

The discussion he'd overheard between Kathryn and her mother was something that still had him reeling. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but he lived in a small house, and he figured that she if she knew he was in the next room with the door wide open, able to hear every word, that she would be careful about what he would hear.

After the initial excitement of their greeting, Gretchen sat staring at her daughter's face in disbelief. "When we got word of your ship's disappearance," Gretchen said, still wiping tears of relief from her eyes as a celebration started among the others who had been waiting with her at the Janeway farm, "everyone said that Chakotay was the person to contact, that he would find you. It just seemed like such a long shot."

"It was a long shot," Kathryn daubed at her eyes and nodded. "He's the best, a miracle worker. He knows the Badlands, and he knows me."

"They said there was no sign of your ship, nothing to go on, and yet he must have found something. How did he do it?"

"He, Mike, and Marla found the barest trace of a sign, Mom, and they thought outside the box, just as we always had to do on Voyager. When your back is against the wall, when the only chance to survive is to simply jump without looking and hope for the best, you'll do whatever it takes. Chakotay knew that. He knew I'd take a big gamble. I had to."

"But you're not well." Her mother reached toward the screen. "You're so thin, so pale."

"I'm getting better every day. No permanent damage, the doctors say."

"I want to thank him, in person, Katie. You bring him home with you, and the others, too, because we want to have a big party and thank them in person."

"I'll insist that he come along."

"And in the meantime, Kathryn, you must remember what I told you about him. He deserves to know the truth, to know how you feel. Don't let this chance to tell him slip away."

"He knows, Mom, I've told him. I owe him my life, and not just for this amazing rescue. He was my anchor and my right arm on Voyager, but, really, so much more. We are a matched pair, I think. He's wise and brilliant, yet unassuming and gentle. He had the courage to face me when I was at my bossiest, Mom, and you know how hard that can be. He brought our two crews together so quickly that Tuvok wondered if he had ulterior motives." She laughed. "He knows how much I love him, Mom, but I need to start telling him every day, several times a day, until he's sure I mean it."

Chakotay had heard every word and was blushing with embarrassment. He decided to check on things in his garden rather than listen any longer. It was just too overwhelming to hear her speak openly about her love for him when it was all so new and precious.

After she ended the link, Kathryn came looking for him before she called Starfleet. She found him in his shop, building a table for a friend's kitchen.

"You left," she perched on a stool and watched him turn a table leg on the lathe. "I hope I didn't say anything to embarrass you."

"Not at all." He stopped the lathe and looked at her. "I just thought you needed some privacy, that's all."

"You left when you heard me tell my mother that I love you, right? I don't think I've actually come out and said 'I love you, Chakotay.'"

"Unless you count that deathbed confession."

"It would stand up in court," she quipped. But when she saw the pained expression on his face, she went to his side and slipped an arm around his waist, looking up into his eyes with a serious expression. "I love you, Chakotay. I have loved you for a long time."

He pressed his cheek into her hair. "I always hoped so."

"I'm going to tell you that I love you every day for the rest of my life, just to make it up to you." She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "While we were on our way here from the Badlands, I was always afraid that Mike and Marla were nearby or I was half asleep from pain medication. I wanted to tell you when we were alone and when you knew I had my wits about me."

"You don't have to explain, Kathryn. I love you, too, and I think we should look to the future, and forget about the past. My people have a saying: 'Don't let yesterday use up too much of today.'" He put his arms around her and gave her a kiss, amazed at the way his heart rate sky-rocketed at her touch.

When the kiss ended, she sighed and snuggled into his chest, letting him provide her with the balance she needed. "Looking into the immediate future, I think I need to call Starfleet before I collapse."

"Sure," he smiled down at her. "We have plenty of time."

Together, they walked to the house and called Admiral Hayes.

Hours after she had curled up on the sofa, Kathryn joined Chakotay in the kitchen, gratefully taking the coffee he offered her and sitting down with him at the table.

"Feel better?" he asked as she took a long drink. "You slept most of the afternoon away."

"I'm not sure I'll ever get enough sleep," she chuckled. "I was thinking about how surprised Admiral Hayes was when my face appeared on the screen."

"It was like seeing someone come back from the dead. I thought he took it well."

"Well, he didn't have a heart attack or tell me that I look like death warmed over."

"You look beautiful, Kathryn."

"I think you might be a little biased." She gave him a wink. "I can't believe he apologized to me about the search. Admirals never apologize."

"Not even an admiral can defend the fact that Starfleet gave up the search so soon."

"They don't realize how reckless I can be when faced with hopeless odds, do they?" She gave him a wink.

He leaned his chair back against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. "What if Hayes had ordered you to return to headquarters right away?"

"He would have been disappointed," she answered quickly. "I need some time before I return to duty, time to work through some issues, and this is where I need to be to do that." He took her hand and started to speak when their romantic moment was interrupted by Kathryn's rumbling stomach. Chakotay laughed.

"What's for dinner?" she wondered, peering around the kitchen. "I hope I'm not expected to cook."

"Heaven forbid. Liana's having everyone come to the community center for a party, remember? All of the Voyager crew and many of our friends are anxious to see you." He studied her face. "Do you have the stamina for a party?"

"Thanks to the nap, I should be able to last a couple of hours. I like your sister, you know. She has spunk."

"And a big mouth," he grinned. "She likes you, too. We'd better head over to the center or she'll come looking for us."

They were walking through the village, enjoying the late summer breezes, when Kathryn stopped and faced him. "You saved my life. If I remember correctly, that means that my life belongs to you, right?"

"If you're referring to what Tom Paris said after he rescued me on Ocampa, I'll tell you the same thing I told him—wrong tribe." He took her hand and brought it to his lips. "The fact is, Kathryn, my life has belonged to you for a long, long time."

"Maybe it would be more accurate to say that we belong to each other." Her eyes brimmed with tears. "I think it's about time we admit it, don't you?"

"We almost left it too late."

"Better late than never."

Tbc