PART 2

"The time is oh six thirty hours," the computer's voice intoned. It was enough to wake Chakotay from the few hours' sleep he'd been able to get. He blinked briefly then sighed and stretched. A cursory glance towards the bedroom suggested to him that Kathryn had not yet stirred. Slowly he swung his legs onto the floor and stood up.

He padded across the room and knocked softly at the bedroom door. Getting no response he retreated back to the replicator, punched in a few commands and removed the replicated item from the unit. He then walked back to the bedroom and slowly opened the door.

The first word he got from Kathryn was "coffee." This was merely a reflex action, as he knew from past experience. She grabbed the hot mug of coffee from his hands and drank it down. A minute later she looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you, Chakotay."

"Any time. Sorry I had to wake you."

"Not a problem." She patted the bed covers for him to sit down on. "What's the matter?"

He shook his head, declining her offer. "Nothing. But I did agree that we'd meet up with him and Matreya for breakfast in an hour."

She grimaced. "Oh."

"I'm sorry. But this is their last full day on board. This time tomorrow we'll be saying goodbye to them."

"I know," she sighed. "But I don't know how much longer I can put up with this charade."

"Kathryn, about the dinner last night…" Chakotay began but the door chime interrupted him. They looked at each other, startled. "Who the hell can that be?" he growled.

"Why don't you go and find out?" she suggested sweetly. "You're the most decently dressed out of the both of us."

Chakotay took a look down at his T-shirt and pants and across at Kathryn, who was in a pale blue nightgown and holding the bed covers up against her. "Okay," he said, leaving the bedroom. "But if it's Paris I'm going to kill him."

He heard her chuckle as he crossed the floor and commanded the door to open. There, to his surprise, stood the Ambassador, his wife, and a very awkward looking Ayala.

"Captain," the Ambassador greeted him heartily as he stepped into the quarters. "I hope you don't mind but I decided that your mess hall just wouldn't do for our breakfast meeting. So I asked your Security Chief to bring us here."

Lieutenant Ayala coloured slightly. "I'm sorry, Sir," he said quietly.

Chakotay clapped the young man on the shoulder. "Its okay, Mike," he reassured him.

"Please don't blame the young man," the Ambassador told Chakotay as he looked around the room "Is Mistress Kathryn available?"

"I'll have to go check," Chakotay replied. He smiled at Ayala. "Dismissed Lieutenant. And thank you."

"Yes, Sir."

The acting captain looked back at his unexpected guests. "Ambassador, Mistress Matreya. Please make yourselves comfortable. I will be right back."

Kathryn was already out of bed when Chakotay slipped back into the bedroom. "What the hell are they doing here?" she hissed as she struggled with the fastenings on her dress. "Here, zip me up, will you?" She turned her back to him and he immediately stepped forward to help.

The dress was almost fastened when Chakotay's fingers lightly brushed Kathryn's skin. It shocked both of them momentarily and they stared wide-eyed at their reflections in the mirror in front of which they were standing. Slowly, Chakotay placed his arms around her waist and lowered his head until it rested on top of hers. "Just relax, Kathryn," he whispered. "Everything's going to be just fine."

"I'm sorry," she replied. "I'm not used to being in this situation."

He smiled. "I certainly can't imagine your playing your playing this role on a permanent basis, Captain 'Always in Control' Janeway."

Kathryn laughed. "I do come across that way, don't I? I don't know how you put up with me."

"I told you, Kathryn," he said softly. "You don't ever have to worry about that."

A noise from the living room shattered the moment. Kathryn immediately freed herself from his embrace. "Damn it, Chakotay," she muttered. "We don't have time for this. Our guests are waiting and you need to get into uniform.

He shook his head in bewilderment. "I don't believe this. Even when you're not the captain, you're still acting like you are." He picked a uniform jacket out of the closet and shrugged it on.

"What's your problem, Chakotay?"

"I don't know. I was about to ask you the same thing." He strode back to the bedroom door. "Come and join us, Kathryn. When you're quite ready."

Throughout breakfast, Kathryn watched as Chakotay put on what she called another masterful performance. He managed again to lie effortlessly although this time the subjects were more personal. She listened as he told story after story of how they met, how he'd 'acquired' Voyager, the places they'd been, and how determined he was to get them all home again. In that respect, she realised, the words could have been her own, but she was left wondering where Chakotay's imagination came from in regard to everything else the Ambassador was told. After their guests left Kathryn decided to call him on it.

"It wasn't all lies, Kathryn," he told her.

"No," she replied. "I will admit that some of it sounded like some of the speeches I've made. But the other stuff. Chakotay. You were able to lie so easily."

He sighed. "Unfortunately, its one of the side effects of being in the Maquis. You learn to lie in order to stay alive. It becomes second nature."

"Second nature?" she questioned, one eyebrow raised.

"Well, spirits, Kathryn. I never said I was a saint."

"Damn straight you're not."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"I've heard stories of your distinctly un-Saintlike behaviour."

He had been walking away from her but at that statement he slowly turned around and faced her. "I had no idea that my personal life was any of the Captain's business," he said carefully.

"It's not," she retorted.

"So whose is it?" he asked, the anger showing in his eyes. "It can't be yours, Kathryn. After all, you reject me every time I so much as look in your direction."

"I do not."

"Then what the hell do you call this morning then?"

"We had people waiting for us."

"Yeah, we did, didn't we? We had people who probably expected us to take our time since you're supposed to be my wife."

She threw up her hands in despair. "Okay, fine. Have it your way. You want to think like that, fine, go ahead. Why, you might as well do what the Ambassador suggested last night. Trade me in for a younger model."

"I don't want a younger model."

Kathryn either didn't hear him or chose to ignore him. "I'm sure there are plenty of women on this ship, younger models, who'd kill to be play at being the captain's girl. Perhaps Seven would suit you perhaps? She's younger, blonder, etcetera." She turned to look out of the window.

Chakotay had finally had enough. "Will you just shut up for one moment?" he shouted. "I don't want Seven. I don't want a younger woman. I just want you."

Silence.

There was a sniff from Kathryn's direction. Chakotay instinctively took a step toward her, but she put him off with a wave of her hand. "Get out, Chakotay," she said in a low tone. "Just get out." She did not turn around.

"Kathryn…"

"No, Chakotay. I don't want to hear it, not now. Just get out and leave me alone."

Only when she heard the outer door close did she turn back to face the room. Her face streaked with tears, her hair a mess; she managed to make her way to the couch. Once there she curled into a ball and sobbed.

Some hours later the door chime to Kathryn's quarters sounded. During that time she had not moved, and had in fact fallen asleep in the spot on the couch where she had fallen. Hearing the chime she sat up, rubbed furiously at her eyes, and prayed that it was nobody important at the door. "Come," she answered at last.

The door slid open to reveal Matreya standing there. "I'm sorry," she apologised, taking in Kathryn's disheveled appearance. "I've caught you at a bad time, haven't I?"

Kathryn stood up hastily. "No. Not at all. Please, come in." She ushered Matreya in and offered her a corner of the couch. "Would you like something to drink."

The other woman thought for a moment. "I'd love another of whatever it was we had this morning."

Kathryn smiled. "Its called coffee," she told her. "And its one of the few things I can't do without." She turned to the replicator and made the request. A few moments later she returned to the couch with two steaming mugs. "Anyway," she said, handing over one of the mugs. "What can I do for you?"

Matreya took a sip of her drink. "This really is lovely, you know," she commented. "Actually, I came to see if there's anything I can do for you. You didn't seem happy at all at breakfast and I was quite concerned."

Kathryn smiled weakly at the statement. "Chakotay and I had words," she admitted.

"Was that why he slept out here last night?" Kathryn's eyes widened. "My husband noticed the linens on the couch. Chakotay said he'd been working late and hadn't wanted to disturb you. Oh, Kathryn, I hope its nothing too serious."

"I don't know."

Matreya put her drink down on the low table in front of them. "Answer me something. Do you care for him?"

Kathryn was flustered. "Of course I do," she replied.

"And you love him?"

"Well, yes, I…"

"Then you can work it out, I'm sure. Its so obvious he adores you. I caught my husband's comments last night. It made me smile to hear your captain's response."

Kathryn smiled also as Chakotay's words came back to her. "It took me by surprise also."

"He does not often say such words to you?"

Kathryn was hesitant. "Chakotay keeps a lot of his feelings hidden."

"You think?" Matreya asked. "Kathryn, he might not have been saying the words but it was all over his face. In his eyes. Its in yours too." She sighed. "I would love to have that back in my relationship with the Ambassador. But we've been together for so long now." Matreya looked back at Kathryn. "How long have you and the captain been together?"

"Nearly seven years now." Kathryn was amazed at how easily it came out. Although not a complete lie, her answer was a definite deviation from the truth.

Matreya's eyes lit up. "That long? Its beautiful that after all this time the romance is still there." She leaned forward to grasp the human woman's hands. "Kathryn, promise me you'll hang on to the love you have."

Kathryn smiled as she disengaged her hands. "Its not that simple, Matreya…" she began.

Her guest threw up her hands as she leaned back against the couch. "Don't I know it," she exclaimed. "It all depends on the man and whether or not they want to keep us. But there's no denying Chakotay wants to keep you."

"What about the Ambassador? Do you worry that he will," she hesitated over the phrase. "Trade you in for a younger woman?"

"Thankfully no. I've borne him his heirs and now we've grown comfortable together. But that's just it. We're comfortable. This diplomatic trip is the most exciting thing we've done in years. At least you have all this." Matreya waved a hand around in the air, as if to indicate Voyager.

The door slid open and Chakotay walked in. Seeing Kathryn and Matreya he made a slight bow and said, "My apologies, ladies. I didn't mean to interrupt."

Matreya stood up. "No apology needed, Captain. I must be leaving." She turned towards the door and then stopped to look back at Kathryn. "Remember what I told you," she said softly to her.

"Making friends?" Chakotay smiled. "I'm glad." He came closer to the couch. "Anyway, I came by to drop these off." He placed a handful of PADDs down on the table.

She leaned forward and picked the top one up, idly glancing at it before placing it back down. "Thank you. Why didn't you send Harry again?"

Chakotay tried to smile. "I figured if anyone should be killed it should be me."

Kathryn realised she was in danger of bursting into tears. "Chakotay," she gulped. "Do you have a moment?"

"I think so."

"Good. Because I'm going to need it." She paused and took a deep breath. "Chakotay, I need to apologise for this morning. I know how hard you're trying to make this work and it wasn't fair of me."

He sat down next to her. "Perhaps I should apologise too. I guess I did try to take advantage of the situation. I'm sorry. I've no right to add to your burdens like that."

"We should have known that this would be more difficult than we actually thought." She sighed. "Actually, Chakotay, I think I was more upset over how easily you were able to make up stories to tell the Ambassador."

"You've heard me make up stories before."

"Yes, but those were always those ancient legends." She smiled. "This was different."

"Because I didn't disguise the main characters?"

"Something like that. It made me wonder about everything you'd ever told me. Especially when you said that it was something you were used to doing."

Chakotay sighed. "Just for the record, Kathryn, I have never lied to you. I could never lie to you."

"What about last night?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your response to the Ambassador, when he suggested you trade me in."

He looked at her and took her hand. "That really got to you, didn't it?"

"Its not very nice to have it implied that you're not good enough," she admitted. "But were you lying when you answered him?"

"You sure you want to know."

"Chakotay, I need to know," she persisted.

"Okay, then, no, I wasn't lying. It was the absolute truth. You are my heart, my soul. Kathryn, you are my life, you're the reason I'm here."

"I'm the reason we're all here," she sniffed.

"Did you hear the rest of what I said or just that final bit?" he grinned.

She smiled back at him. "I think I heard it all. I just can't believe you would still feel that way, after so long."

He pulled her close to him. "I tried, and I love what we have now in terms of our friendship. But I think these past few days have changed things somewhat. You're more Kathryn than the captain right now, and its Kathryn I fell in love with."

She snuggled in closer to his chest and looked up at him. "I don't deserve you."

"No, you don't," he agreed, smiling down at her. "But I'm here anyway. And I'm not going anywhere either."

"Thank you," she whispered, as his lips descended gently on hers.

"Bridge to Captain Chakotay." The comm crackled to life, causing both of them to pull back in shock.

"Yes, Tuvok?" Chakotay replied, shaking his head in amusement.

"Your presence is requested on the bridge."

"On my way, Chakotay out." He looked down at the woman in his arms. "Should have known that would happen."

"It is Tuvok. And you are the captain," she replied, eyes twinkling. "What did you expect?" She pulled away from his embrace. "I guess that's your cue to leave."

"Throwing me out, are you?" he laughed, as he stood up. "You know, being captain isn't all its cracked up to be."

Kathryn joined in with his laughter. "So I don't need to be expecting a mutiny from you any time soon then?"

"Nope." He lowered his head and gently kissed her. "I'll be back to take you to the dinner," he promised. "Are you going to be all right?"

She smiled, lifting one hand to place it against his cheek. "I'll be just fine."