Meant To Be Together
Part 3- Resolutions In A New Place Kathryn was slumped in her ready room, back in full uniform, three empty coffee mugs littering the desk. The day's events, coupled with the final space battle that had led to the destruction of the Liberty and the Caretaker's array had left her utterly exhausted- And with one hell of a dilemma on her hands. Chakotay had evacuated his crew before sacrificing the Liberty, which meant that there currently was a horde of Maquis freely roaming Voyager and intermingling with the Starfleet crew. News of Kathryn's masquerade had spread quickly among the Maquis, with the result that several fights had already erupted between personnel from the two sides. Seeing that there was no other option for the Maquis than to remain on Voyager, and that more clashes were clearly unavoidable if things persisted on their present course, Kathryn knew she had to think of a viable solution to the looming conflicts- and fast. And she had. Now all she had to do was run it by the one person whose consent she needed. Right on cue, the chime sounded. "Come." Chakotay entered and moved to the desk, looking grim. "Let me guess," she said, when he didn't speak. "Some of the Maquis weren't too happy about the fact that I was a Starfleet spy and they decided to make it known." He sighed. "They damn near started a riot. Seska and a few of the others were all for coming up here to give you a piece of their minds, but I managed to talk them out of it." Kathryn nodded. She had only seen Seska a handful of times, but the Bajoran woman had struck Kathryn as exactly the type to instigate an uprising. She had fully expected Seska to be the source of many issues once the Maquis found out Kathryn's true identity, and now that they were all stuck on the same ship, Kathryn had to nip it in the bud. "I've been thinking, Chakotay," she began, standing up, "that we're in a unique situation out here." "Oh?" They were both strictly professional, for the moment ignoring the personal aspect of affairs. "We're seventy-five thousand light years from home," she continued. "We're the only Alpha Quadrant ship in an uncharted area of space and we have two crews on board: yours and mine. However, a good number of my crew were killed when Voyager was transported here, and we can't function with the number of remaining hands that we have left. On the other side, the Maquis are going to have to stay on Voyager, but we can't have any more squabbling. We're all going to have to work together if we want to make it home in one piece." "I agree," Chakotay answered. "What are you proposing to do?" She stared deep into his eyes. "I'd like to merge the two crews." "Merge them?" "Yes. We'll become one crew, a Starfleet crew. It'll solve Voyager's personnel problems and, hopefully, put an end to the arguments. I'll grant your people field commissions and we can assign them to whatever position they are best fit for. Which brings me to one other detail." She paused again. "I'd like you to be my first officer." He was astonished. "Me?" "My original first officer was killed when the tachyon beam hit Voyager. I could put Tuvok in his place, but I thought it would be nice to set an example for everybody else by showing that you and I can amicably work hand- in-hand." "Hmm, I thought we worked a little better than amicably," he said cheekily. "Well now," Kathryn shot back, "we wouldn't want to let the crew know that, now would we?" "Of course not." "Then you accept?" "On one condition," Chakotay stated seriously. "And that is?" "This won't affect our relationship. Otherwise, I'd rather be an ensign in waste management." "Don't worry," she assured him with a smile. "I had no intention of ending it. I know Starfleet is normally very strict about relationships between commanding officers, but like I said, we're in a unique situation and I'm sure they wouldn't mind us bending the rules a bit. We'll just have to be careful around the crew, but if we could separate our personal and professional lives on the Liberty, we can do it on Voyager." "In that case," he said with a smile of his own, "I consent." "Well then," she beamed, " welcome to Voyager, Commander." Her eyes were sparkling and she offered her hand to seal the arrangement. Chakotay shook it warmly, thankful she had been agreeable to moving forward with their relationship. He knew, had she dissented, that he wouldn't have been able to live in peace until she was his once more. "I'll inform my crew," he told her. "I'm sure there'll be plenty of rough spots along the way, but we'll make it work. Together." "Together," Kathryn affirmed, placing her hand over his which still gripped her other one, her eyes communicating the double meaning in her words. Yes, they would truly make it work. "Now that that's settled," she said easily, "I have a more personal question to ask." "Fire away." "Are you free tomorrow evening?" "Just the evening, or the whole night?" He was grinning from ear to ear. Well, if he wanted to be saucy, she could match him. "Both." "I don't believe I have anything planned," he said. "In that case," she mimicked his words, "I was wondering if you'd like to have dinner with me?" "I'd love to. Any particular time?" "How about... nineteen hundred hours, my quarters?" "Sounds good. Oh, and did you by any chance have something planned for after dinner?" "Well now," she said enticingly, "you'll just have to find that out tomorrow, won't you? Dismissed, Commander." Chakotay exited and Kathryn allowed herself another small smile. Things were working out much better than she had expected. [pic] Kathryn had just finished setting the table with her favorite china the next evening when Chakotay buzzed for entry. She straightened and instructed the computer to grant him admission. He walked in, wearing civvies, and dropped a kiss on her lips, then slid his arms around her waist and drew her into him. "Have I mentioned lately that I love you?" he asked. "No, you haven't," she said. "But that's okay. You've been busy." "Hmm, I have, haven't I?" he mumbled while nibbling on her ear. "So nice to be free..." She concentrated on ignoring the pleasurable sensations that flowed through her with his assault on her skin. At this rate, they soon wouldn't even be thinking about dinner. "Chakotay," she said, gently pushing him away, "it's been a long day. And we've *both* been very busy. Don't you think we should eat?" "Eat... yes, I can think of a few things I'd like to eat." He smirked. So could she. Him, for example. "I meant food," she clarified, noticing the ravenous look he was giving her. The rest could come later. "Why don't we go straight to dessert?" he suggested innocently. She wasn't impervious to his hidden hint. "Dinner first, everything else after. That's an order, *Commander*." "Pulling rank on me already, Captain? I had thought you, of all people, would be above that." "I'm not above using my rank to get what I want. Especially when it comes to a certain first officer." "And what do you want?" he asked softly, taking a step towards her. Kathryn didn't flinch. "Right now, to eat dinner. I'm very hungry." The next thing she knew, he had her crammed against the wall, one arm braced above her head and the other across her chest. "Well, I'll just have to see if I can get to you change your mind, won't I?" he asked seductively. "Do your best," she growled in as cold a voice as she could manage. Chakotay obliged by ravaging her mouth, crushing her lips with his as his hand slipped inside her shirt and began to work its way around. She closed her eyes, feeling an electric current course through her the instant their tongues touched and moaned, heat rising in her belly as he explored her mouth. Slowly he released her. "Are you still hungry, Captain?" he murmured. "Oh, yes. Very much so, Commander." [pic] Kathryn stirred, missing the source of warmth that had been lying next to her all night. She sat up, rubbing her eyes, and observed it leaning against the bedroom doorframe, clad only in a pair of baggy sweatpants and appearing unbelievably desirable through sleep-clouded vision. "Good morning," she said and yawned. "Good morning. Sleep well?" "Yes, thank you." She stretched. "That was quite the workout you gave me, by the way." "I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did," Chakotay said with a snicker. "Definitely. You really know how to make a girl happy." "I aim to please." "Oh, you're certainly very pleasing." She eyed him appreciatively. Chakotay plunged down beside her and sprawled across the bed with his legs hanging over the edge, then put his hands behind his head and grinned at her. She leaned down, picked up his huge shirt from the floor and tugged it on, not caring how ridiculous it looked. Suddenly he spoke. "Kathryn, will you marry me?" She did a double take. "What?!" "I asked if you'll marry me." Kathryn stared at her lover, stunned. She had never fantasized him proposing to her this way. No ring, no getting down on the knee, no sweet speeches about how much he loved her. Just the two of them, hardly awake after a wild night. Then again, he'd always had a tendency for the unusual. It was one of the things she loved about him. "Well?" His voice jolted her back to reality. "Will you marry me?" The unorthodox proposal notwithstanding, there was no doubt in her mind about what the answer would be. "Yes," she whispered. He didn't trust his ears. "What?!" "I said yes, I'll marry you Chakotay." His elated smile lit up the entire room and he leapt off the bed, running into the living area and returning with a velvet box exactly like the one her necklace had been in. He snapped it open and produced a gleaming gold ring, set with a single shining diamond. Beaming, he removed it and slid it on her left ring finger as she gaped. "Where did you..." she began. "I replicated this yesterday, after I got my quarters," he explained. "I was going to ask you during dinner, but I got a little sidetracked." Kathryn snorted, then turned to Chakotay as he sat down next to her. "Now I'll have two things to remind me of you," she said quietly. "My necklace, and the ring." He briefly touched the necklace where it lay against her skin, then brought her face to his for a long kiss. When they separated, she regarded him seriously. "We can't live together, Chakotay, or have any children right now, you have to accept that." She sighed. "I wish we could, but it would cause too many complications... the crew would want a rational explanation, and we can't give them one..." "B'Elanna knows." "She does?" Chakotay nodded. "I told her while we were still on my ship. She won't talk about it to anybody," he added hastily, spying the expression on her face. "And I know we can't live together officially, but we can unofficially." He winked conspiratorially. She smiled and sank into his arms. "You always look on the bright side." "That's my job." "It is?" "A first officer is supposed to protect his captain, right? Well, I'm protecting you from grumpiness and depression." She couldn't help laughing at that. They were like kids again, giddy with excitement at receiving their heart's desire. Kathryn stood up and yanked Chakotay off the bed. "Come on." "Where are we going?" "Tuvok's quarters." "Why?" She rolled her eyes. "Do you want to get married or not?" "You want to do it now?" he asked. She stopped and whirled. "Yes Chakotay, now. Unless you'd rather wait?" she queried with a tinge of disappointment. "No, of course not, it's just that..." "What?" "Well, don't you think we should get dressed first?" "Oh." She looked down at herself, blushing. "Yes, good point." Chakotay laughed. "I wonder what Tuvok would say if he saw you walking around in one of my shirts!" "Ha ha, that's very funny. Now would you please hurry up?" She was already half finished. Once they were both ready, Kathryn slapped her combadge. "Janeway to Tuvok." "Tuvok here. How may I assist you, Captain?" Kathryn smiled, locking her eyes with Chakotay's, and took a deep breath, knowing this would mean a new life for both of them. "I have a big favor to ask of you, old friend..." [pic] Later that night, the couple lay entwined, holding each other tenderly and relaxing after their passionate lovemaking. "Kathryn," Chakotay murmured. She was draped over him. "Yes?" "I guess we got our miracle." Kathryn laughed. "I guess we did."
Part 3- Resolutions In A New Place Kathryn was slumped in her ready room, back in full uniform, three empty coffee mugs littering the desk. The day's events, coupled with the final space battle that had led to the destruction of the Liberty and the Caretaker's array had left her utterly exhausted- And with one hell of a dilemma on her hands. Chakotay had evacuated his crew before sacrificing the Liberty, which meant that there currently was a horde of Maquis freely roaming Voyager and intermingling with the Starfleet crew. News of Kathryn's masquerade had spread quickly among the Maquis, with the result that several fights had already erupted between personnel from the two sides. Seeing that there was no other option for the Maquis than to remain on Voyager, and that more clashes were clearly unavoidable if things persisted on their present course, Kathryn knew she had to think of a viable solution to the looming conflicts- and fast. And she had. Now all she had to do was run it by the one person whose consent she needed. Right on cue, the chime sounded. "Come." Chakotay entered and moved to the desk, looking grim. "Let me guess," she said, when he didn't speak. "Some of the Maquis weren't too happy about the fact that I was a Starfleet spy and they decided to make it known." He sighed. "They damn near started a riot. Seska and a few of the others were all for coming up here to give you a piece of their minds, but I managed to talk them out of it." Kathryn nodded. She had only seen Seska a handful of times, but the Bajoran woman had struck Kathryn as exactly the type to instigate an uprising. She had fully expected Seska to be the source of many issues once the Maquis found out Kathryn's true identity, and now that they were all stuck on the same ship, Kathryn had to nip it in the bud. "I've been thinking, Chakotay," she began, standing up, "that we're in a unique situation out here." "Oh?" They were both strictly professional, for the moment ignoring the personal aspect of affairs. "We're seventy-five thousand light years from home," she continued. "We're the only Alpha Quadrant ship in an uncharted area of space and we have two crews on board: yours and mine. However, a good number of my crew were killed when Voyager was transported here, and we can't function with the number of remaining hands that we have left. On the other side, the Maquis are going to have to stay on Voyager, but we can't have any more squabbling. We're all going to have to work together if we want to make it home in one piece." "I agree," Chakotay answered. "What are you proposing to do?" She stared deep into his eyes. "I'd like to merge the two crews." "Merge them?" "Yes. We'll become one crew, a Starfleet crew. It'll solve Voyager's personnel problems and, hopefully, put an end to the arguments. I'll grant your people field commissions and we can assign them to whatever position they are best fit for. Which brings me to one other detail." She paused again. "I'd like you to be my first officer." He was astonished. "Me?" "My original first officer was killed when the tachyon beam hit Voyager. I could put Tuvok in his place, but I thought it would be nice to set an example for everybody else by showing that you and I can amicably work hand- in-hand." "Hmm, I thought we worked a little better than amicably," he said cheekily. "Well now," Kathryn shot back, "we wouldn't want to let the crew know that, now would we?" "Of course not." "Then you accept?" "On one condition," Chakotay stated seriously. "And that is?" "This won't affect our relationship. Otherwise, I'd rather be an ensign in waste management." "Don't worry," she assured him with a smile. "I had no intention of ending it. I know Starfleet is normally very strict about relationships between commanding officers, but like I said, we're in a unique situation and I'm sure they wouldn't mind us bending the rules a bit. We'll just have to be careful around the crew, but if we could separate our personal and professional lives on the Liberty, we can do it on Voyager." "In that case," he said with a smile of his own, "I consent." "Well then," she beamed, " welcome to Voyager, Commander." Her eyes were sparkling and she offered her hand to seal the arrangement. Chakotay shook it warmly, thankful she had been agreeable to moving forward with their relationship. He knew, had she dissented, that he wouldn't have been able to live in peace until she was his once more. "I'll inform my crew," he told her. "I'm sure there'll be plenty of rough spots along the way, but we'll make it work. Together." "Together," Kathryn affirmed, placing her hand over his which still gripped her other one, her eyes communicating the double meaning in her words. Yes, they would truly make it work. "Now that that's settled," she said easily, "I have a more personal question to ask." "Fire away." "Are you free tomorrow evening?" "Just the evening, or the whole night?" He was grinning from ear to ear. Well, if he wanted to be saucy, she could match him. "Both." "I don't believe I have anything planned," he said. "In that case," she mimicked his words, "I was wondering if you'd like to have dinner with me?" "I'd love to. Any particular time?" "How about... nineteen hundred hours, my quarters?" "Sounds good. Oh, and did you by any chance have something planned for after dinner?" "Well now," she said enticingly, "you'll just have to find that out tomorrow, won't you? Dismissed, Commander." Chakotay exited and Kathryn allowed herself another small smile. Things were working out much better than she had expected. [pic] Kathryn had just finished setting the table with her favorite china the next evening when Chakotay buzzed for entry. She straightened and instructed the computer to grant him admission. He walked in, wearing civvies, and dropped a kiss on her lips, then slid his arms around her waist and drew her into him. "Have I mentioned lately that I love you?" he asked. "No, you haven't," she said. "But that's okay. You've been busy." "Hmm, I have, haven't I?" he mumbled while nibbling on her ear. "So nice to be free..." She concentrated on ignoring the pleasurable sensations that flowed through her with his assault on her skin. At this rate, they soon wouldn't even be thinking about dinner. "Chakotay," she said, gently pushing him away, "it's been a long day. And we've *both* been very busy. Don't you think we should eat?" "Eat... yes, I can think of a few things I'd like to eat." He smirked. So could she. Him, for example. "I meant food," she clarified, noticing the ravenous look he was giving her. The rest could come later. "Why don't we go straight to dessert?" he suggested innocently. She wasn't impervious to his hidden hint. "Dinner first, everything else after. That's an order, *Commander*." "Pulling rank on me already, Captain? I had thought you, of all people, would be above that." "I'm not above using my rank to get what I want. Especially when it comes to a certain first officer." "And what do you want?" he asked softly, taking a step towards her. Kathryn didn't flinch. "Right now, to eat dinner. I'm very hungry." The next thing she knew, he had her crammed against the wall, one arm braced above her head and the other across her chest. "Well, I'll just have to see if I can get to you change your mind, won't I?" he asked seductively. "Do your best," she growled in as cold a voice as she could manage. Chakotay obliged by ravaging her mouth, crushing her lips with his as his hand slipped inside her shirt and began to work its way around. She closed her eyes, feeling an electric current course through her the instant their tongues touched and moaned, heat rising in her belly as he explored her mouth. Slowly he released her. "Are you still hungry, Captain?" he murmured. "Oh, yes. Very much so, Commander." [pic] Kathryn stirred, missing the source of warmth that had been lying next to her all night. She sat up, rubbing her eyes, and observed it leaning against the bedroom doorframe, clad only in a pair of baggy sweatpants and appearing unbelievably desirable through sleep-clouded vision. "Good morning," she said and yawned. "Good morning. Sleep well?" "Yes, thank you." She stretched. "That was quite the workout you gave me, by the way." "I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did," Chakotay said with a snicker. "Definitely. You really know how to make a girl happy." "I aim to please." "Oh, you're certainly very pleasing." She eyed him appreciatively. Chakotay plunged down beside her and sprawled across the bed with his legs hanging over the edge, then put his hands behind his head and grinned at her. She leaned down, picked up his huge shirt from the floor and tugged it on, not caring how ridiculous it looked. Suddenly he spoke. "Kathryn, will you marry me?" She did a double take. "What?!" "I asked if you'll marry me." Kathryn stared at her lover, stunned. She had never fantasized him proposing to her this way. No ring, no getting down on the knee, no sweet speeches about how much he loved her. Just the two of them, hardly awake after a wild night. Then again, he'd always had a tendency for the unusual. It was one of the things she loved about him. "Well?" His voice jolted her back to reality. "Will you marry me?" The unorthodox proposal notwithstanding, there was no doubt in her mind about what the answer would be. "Yes," she whispered. He didn't trust his ears. "What?!" "I said yes, I'll marry you Chakotay." His elated smile lit up the entire room and he leapt off the bed, running into the living area and returning with a velvet box exactly like the one her necklace had been in. He snapped it open and produced a gleaming gold ring, set with a single shining diamond. Beaming, he removed it and slid it on her left ring finger as she gaped. "Where did you..." she began. "I replicated this yesterday, after I got my quarters," he explained. "I was going to ask you during dinner, but I got a little sidetracked." Kathryn snorted, then turned to Chakotay as he sat down next to her. "Now I'll have two things to remind me of you," she said quietly. "My necklace, and the ring." He briefly touched the necklace where it lay against her skin, then brought her face to his for a long kiss. When they separated, she regarded him seriously. "We can't live together, Chakotay, or have any children right now, you have to accept that." She sighed. "I wish we could, but it would cause too many complications... the crew would want a rational explanation, and we can't give them one..." "B'Elanna knows." "She does?" Chakotay nodded. "I told her while we were still on my ship. She won't talk about it to anybody," he added hastily, spying the expression on her face. "And I know we can't live together officially, but we can unofficially." He winked conspiratorially. She smiled and sank into his arms. "You always look on the bright side." "That's my job." "It is?" "A first officer is supposed to protect his captain, right? Well, I'm protecting you from grumpiness and depression." She couldn't help laughing at that. They were like kids again, giddy with excitement at receiving their heart's desire. Kathryn stood up and yanked Chakotay off the bed. "Come on." "Where are we going?" "Tuvok's quarters." "Why?" She rolled her eyes. "Do you want to get married or not?" "You want to do it now?" he asked. She stopped and whirled. "Yes Chakotay, now. Unless you'd rather wait?" she queried with a tinge of disappointment. "No, of course not, it's just that..." "What?" "Well, don't you think we should get dressed first?" "Oh." She looked down at herself, blushing. "Yes, good point." Chakotay laughed. "I wonder what Tuvok would say if he saw you walking around in one of my shirts!" "Ha ha, that's very funny. Now would you please hurry up?" She was already half finished. Once they were both ready, Kathryn slapped her combadge. "Janeway to Tuvok." "Tuvok here. How may I assist you, Captain?" Kathryn smiled, locking her eyes with Chakotay's, and took a deep breath, knowing this would mean a new life for both of them. "I have a big favor to ask of you, old friend..." [pic] Later that night, the couple lay entwined, holding each other tenderly and relaxing after their passionate lovemaking. "Kathryn," Chakotay murmured. She was draped over him. "Yes?" "I guess we got our miracle." Kathryn laughed. "I guess we did."