This is for you, jemabean. You're a horrible influence, and I love you! xoxo
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They had been driving for nearly three straight hours with no break, and Kathryn was starting to go stir crazy, not to mention the fact that her bladder was beginning to protest angrily. The highway in which they traversed was long and flat, and since it was after eleven at night, there was nothing to look at except the stars overhead. Kathryn had always loved looking up at the night sky, for as long as she could remember, but when that was all there was to look at, she eventually craved something else. Tentatively, she glanced over at the driver's seat. Chakotay was as focused as ever on the road ahead, always on duty. She couldn't help but admire him for that; he'd saved her life many times over in their relatively short time together. She just wished that for one night, he could relax and unwind...go on shore leave so to speak.
When you're helping someone run for their life, however, you aren't often afforded such opportunities.
Tonight, Kathryn wanted to change that. They were approaching a small town that no doubt had a motel, a restaurant and hopefully something to do. Kathryn glanced again at her driver and finally broke the silence.
"Let's stop here tonight, Chakotay, and get a feel for the town nightlife." Chakotay glanced over at her, watching for a moment as if waiting for the punchline to a bad joke, or for her to tell him she was only kidding, but she turned back to face the approaching lights of whatever thumbnail of a town was up ahead. "I'm just saying we should stop soon for the night anyways. I could really use a toilet, and a drink, in that order." She turned to face him again, watching as the faintest hint of his dimples played in his cheeks, "Come on, Commander, please?" She watched him as he debated her words, and his smile grew. He'd become partial to her nickname for him, and she knew that was the kicker. With a sigh he merged into the right lane, and when the exit approached he took it.
Kathryn felt happy for her small victory, and quickly surveyed the town for a place to stay and get some food.
The small collection of lights that made up Cochekee, Texas was very small. As they turned off the exit ramp onto the 'main' road, Kathryn pictured that this must be downtown; one of those 'sneeze and you'll miss it' kind of places. All the downtown consisted of was a saloon (that's what the neon pink sign overhead boasted), a Lazy Daze Motel, a McDonalds and a gas station.
The pavement ended just off the expressway, and the rest of the roads were rust-brown dirt. Kathryn pointed to the saloon, "Come on, Commander, let's go in there and you can buy me a drink." She heard him chuckle but he drove past the bar, pulling instead into the motel parking lot. In his best John Wayne accent, Chakotay spoke to her as he put the truck in park, "Well you just keep your pants on little lady, let me get us some lodgings and then we can get us both something to wet our whistle." He winked and got out of the SUV, motioning for Kathryn to stay inside. She watched him go into the small office and rent a room for the night.
Since they had flown back to the United States six days ago, they had stayed at just as many seedy, hole in the wall motels. Kathryn was getting used to the procedure and knew this pitstop would be no different. Chakotay would go in to get a room while Kathryn did her best to stay inconspicuous in the truck. Chakotay would then come out with two room keys, giving one to Kathryn. They would take their bags into whichever room they had been issued and Kathryn would wait there while Chakotay took the truck to get gas. He would pay at the pump and come right back to the hotel, parking right in front of their door. Kathryn would draw the shades of blinds, or both and wait for him to return. And so another night would be spent playing cards or watching television, keeping hidden from those that were after them.
It was becoming routine, and Kathryn hoped that tonight might be a little more fun. She had spent this time with FBI Agent Dorvan...she was hoping to spend this evening with Chakotay the man.
Chakotay came out of the office and back to the truck, reaching inside and popping the back hatch. Kathryn got out and grabbed her duffel while Chakotay grabbed his own. "What room, Commander?" he grinned.
"Room twelve. Just a few doors down." He handed over one of the plastic card keys and Kathryn slipped it in the pocket of her blue jeans. They made their way to the room and Chakotay opened it, checking to make sure everything was as it should be before moving out of the way for Kathryn to enter. She tossed her bag on one of the beds and looked around before pulling the curtains shut while Chakotay turned on the lights.
The room was small, as she'd expected, but at least it boasted a television and fairly spacious bathroom. Chakotay dropped his bag on the other bed and made for the door.
"Don't take too long, Commander. I'll be waiting for you." He smiled at that and a flutter of something she'd rather not name tightened her chest as his dimples pressed into his cheeks. She quickly covered the remark with a smirk of her own, "I'll be waiting for you because I'm starving."
Chakotay just shook his head as he exited the room and got back in the truck, driving it across the street to the gas station.
Kathryn peeked out of the curtains and watched as he got out of the truck and moved to the other side to the gas pump. As quickly as she could, she opened the room door and exited, glancing around quickly to make sure she was alone and to make sure Chakotay didn't see her.
She'd noticed that the motel had a gift shop, and she'd seen something she wanted through the window while she'd waited for Chakotay to rent a room. Moving quickly, and hoping it was still open at this late hour, she went into the motel office to inquire.
The gift shop was open, and she used the cash she had on her to purchase two cowboy hats. A red one for herself and a black one for Chakotay. Palming her change quickly, she stuffed it in her pocket, hoping to be back in the room before Chakotay got back.
The fates were against her, however, when she walked down the sidewalk she saw their motel room open, and Chakotay was leaning against the door jam waiting for her, disappointment plain on his face.
Trying to quell his mood, she opted for humor, pulling her hat low over her eyes as she tossed the black hat towards Chakotay.
"This town ain't big enough for the two of us, Commander. What say you and me meet here tomorrow at high noon; have us a little shootout?" She tipped her head back to look him in the eyes, but also to gauge his reaction. He was turning his hat over in his hands. When he spoke his voice was low, and it stopped Kathryn dead in her tracks.
"Kathryn, there are rules for a reason. The reason is to keep you safe. I'm not sure how else to impress that upon you. My job is hard enough without you making it harder by risking your life, no matter how small the flagrancy might be.
"Your world has been turned upside down, I understand that. But until I get the all-clear that this is over, you have to follow the rules...please." The last word came out as almost a whisper and she approached him slowly, very taken aback at the tenderness in his voice. With a sigh of resignation she approached him, letting him pull her gently into the motel room and closing and locking the door behind them.
"Chakotay, I'm sorry. I'm just so stir crazy. I'm not used to this kind of monotony. I know you're just trying to keep me safe, and I can't tell you how much that means to me. Your world has been turned upside down too, and yet here you are, protecting me at every turn," she placed a hand on his bicep, "How about I make you a deal; I'll try to be better at this whole 'witness protection' thing if you promise, just for tonight, to let go just a little and try to have some fun."
He immediately started to protest, but she continued before he could say anything, "Something tells me that the Russian mafia isn't lying in wait in this podunk town." She watched as his lips began to quirk up, "Come on. Have a couple drinks with me, wear your new hat and just have some fun." She raised her eyebrows expectantly, her blue eyes shining in the dim lights of the motel room, "We can go back to being fugitives on the run tomorrow morning, okay?"
Kathryn was leaning against the locked door, her eyes easily staying on his. The gaze of his warm brown eyes always calmed her nerves, and she lost herself in their dark depths before he finally spoke.
"Deal. But I have a few conditions of my own. One - you have to clear all future motel gift shop purchases with me first, and two - you have to wear these to the saloon." He reached behind him and handed her a box. "I found these in the gas station, and yes, I broke the rules too. They made me think of you, and coincidentally, they match your new hat."
Kathryn opened the box and inside was a pair of red cowboy boots, with small rhinestones up the back. She couldn't believe he'd actually bought them for her, and she felt her chest tighten at the simple, yet thoughtful gift. She tried to think of something to say, but all she came up with was a whispered, "Deal."
Chakotay smiled at her shock and was about to laugh at the fact that he'd rendered Kathryn Janeway speechless for once in her life, but the look of gratitude on her face at this simple gift caused him to hold his tongue.
Kathryn spent a moment admiring her new boots. They weren't great quality and wouldn't be comfortable to wear for long periods, but the fact that they were hers in a world where not much was anymore was comforting. And knowing that Chakotay bought them for her put that odd fluttering back in her stomach.
Chakotay moved to his own bag and opened it, sorting out something to wear, and Kathryn set her boots and hat down on the bed that Chakotay had not claimed. "Do you mind if I take a quick shower before we go eat?" He shook his head, so she grabbed her duffel and hat and headed into the bathroom. She heard the tv turn on just before she started the water.
All she really wanted to do was shampoo the desert out of her hair, so after she'd done that she quickly washed her body and got out, the shower water doing nothing to stifle the noise of her growling stomach.
Rummaging through her bag, not that she had many options, she pulled out a clean bra, a pair of panties and a white tank top. Opting for the same jeans she had been wearing, she dressed quickly. She combed her hair and worked it into a simple braid that fell just past her shoulder blades. Pulling her cowboy hat back on, she smiled at her reflection and headed out of the bathroom.
Chakotay had changed too. He was wearing a black t-shirt and dark blue jeans. He didn't have cowboy boots to wear, but he'd put on his own hat, and Kathryn couldn't help but let her eyes sweep over his six-foot frame.
He looked hot. She blushed as the thought played in her mind. His t-shirt showed off the muscles in his arms and pecs, and the jeans fit just right in all the right places. Kathryn got a few seconds to ogle him before he turned away from the weather channel to look over at her. He did a quick once over of her, and she let him. "Well, Commander, for a couple of desert monkeys, we clean up pretty nicely I'd say." She did her best cowboy swagger up to him and pulled the brim of the hat down low over his eyes.
He smiled at her antics, his dimples framing his face and it made her heart soar. She could tell he was trying very hard, for her sake, to relax and enjoy himself tonight. To an outsider, he would appear so, but Kathryn knew better, knowing that he was still on alert, but for her benefit, he was going along with her fun. "Come on, cowboy, let's go get us something to drink."
After he tucked his pistol into his ankle holster, they headed for the door.