Kathryn Janeway stared up at the ceiling and sighed. She got out of bed,
went to the bathroom, and splashed some cold water on her face.
It was 2:00 in the morning and she couldn't sleep.
It was all his fault. Why did he have to open old wounds like that? He knew that when he did it, that's why he did it.
She thought back to the night of the Christmas party. All the crew was in the holodecks celebrating the arrival of Christmas. Kathryn had been talking with Neelix, the doctor, and Chakotay about odds and ends around the ship. Neelix left to tend to the food needs of the crew and the Doctor had gone back to Sickbay to tend to a crewman's hand that got burnt by some hot chocolate, leaving Chakotay and Kathryn alone to talk. They had been talking for awhile when the band started playing a slow song. Chakotay held out his hand and asked, "May I have his dance?" he had asked with a small smile on his face. At the time she had thought No harm no fowl and had let herself be taken into his arms and onto the dance floor. They danced for quite awhile until the band stopped playing and the crew started disappearing. Ever the gentleman he had asked "May I walk you home?"
"Certainly" is how she had replied. They walked to her quarters and stood in front of them talking for awhile. As he was about to leave he leaned in and ever so gently brushed his lips upon hers. He then left her to ponder her own thoughts. That was two days ago. And yet the thought of his lips on hers still haunted her. She had tried convincing herself that it couldn't work because of their command relationship but another feeling was rising against the feeling of duty: love.
She loved him. But she couldn't love him because of protocol or at least that's the reason she used against herself. But she did love him. No matter how hard she tried not to she loved him. She got dressed and went to Chakotay's door. She didn't even have to ring the chime because as she reached his door he came rushing out into the corridor. He almost ran into her in his hurry to get to wherever he was going. "Kathryn I'm sorry. What are you doing up at this hour?" He said after making sure she was all right.
"It's okay. I was on my way to see you actually. And you?"
"I was on my way to see you. I think we need to talk."
"So do I." She said. He led her to his quarters since they were the closest ones to where they were standing.
They sat on the couch and Chakotay started talking. "Listen Kathryn I'm sorry about the party I shouldn't have done that."
"No you probably shouldn't have but we also can't go on acting like nothing's going on between us. I love you and the party just showed me that I can't ignore that love, especially not if we're going to be stuck in the Delta Quadrant for 60 more years." Chakotay looked shocked, she wasn't giving him a lecture on protocols and the things that usually came up in arguments like this one. He reached over and took her in his arms. "I love you too Kathryn. I've just been waiting for you to realize your true feelings for me. Now that you have maybe we can pursue a relationship." She just settled down into the warm grasp of his arms and let that speak for itself. If it was a relationship he wanted it would be a relationship he got.
It was 2:00 in the morning and she couldn't sleep.
It was all his fault. Why did he have to open old wounds like that? He knew that when he did it, that's why he did it.
She thought back to the night of the Christmas party. All the crew was in the holodecks celebrating the arrival of Christmas. Kathryn had been talking with Neelix, the doctor, and Chakotay about odds and ends around the ship. Neelix left to tend to the food needs of the crew and the Doctor had gone back to Sickbay to tend to a crewman's hand that got burnt by some hot chocolate, leaving Chakotay and Kathryn alone to talk. They had been talking for awhile when the band started playing a slow song. Chakotay held out his hand and asked, "May I have his dance?" he had asked with a small smile on his face. At the time she had thought No harm no fowl and had let herself be taken into his arms and onto the dance floor. They danced for quite awhile until the band stopped playing and the crew started disappearing. Ever the gentleman he had asked "May I walk you home?"
"Certainly" is how she had replied. They walked to her quarters and stood in front of them talking for awhile. As he was about to leave he leaned in and ever so gently brushed his lips upon hers. He then left her to ponder her own thoughts. That was two days ago. And yet the thought of his lips on hers still haunted her. She had tried convincing herself that it couldn't work because of their command relationship but another feeling was rising against the feeling of duty: love.
She loved him. But she couldn't love him because of protocol or at least that's the reason she used against herself. But she did love him. No matter how hard she tried not to she loved him. She got dressed and went to Chakotay's door. She didn't even have to ring the chime because as she reached his door he came rushing out into the corridor. He almost ran into her in his hurry to get to wherever he was going. "Kathryn I'm sorry. What are you doing up at this hour?" He said after making sure she was all right.
"It's okay. I was on my way to see you actually. And you?"
"I was on my way to see you. I think we need to talk."
"So do I." She said. He led her to his quarters since they were the closest ones to where they were standing.
They sat on the couch and Chakotay started talking. "Listen Kathryn I'm sorry about the party I shouldn't have done that."
"No you probably shouldn't have but we also can't go on acting like nothing's going on between us. I love you and the party just showed me that I can't ignore that love, especially not if we're going to be stuck in the Delta Quadrant for 60 more years." Chakotay looked shocked, she wasn't giving him a lecture on protocols and the things that usually came up in arguments like this one. He reached over and took her in his arms. "I love you too Kathryn. I've just been waiting for you to realize your true feelings for me. Now that you have maybe we can pursue a relationship." She just settled down into the warm grasp of his arms and let that speak for itself. If it was a relationship he wanted it would be a relationship he got.