Disclaimer: It's another wonderful J/C story! Paramount owns the characters, but the story belongs to me! Finally, I get the satisfaction of knowing that something is mine and not theirs! Mwahahahaha! :-) Sorry! Now, on to the story!
Summary: Janeway's POV of the most perfect day in the Delta Quadrant.
Rating: PG
"And My Heart Belonged to Him", by K. L. Torrie
Stardate 53504.1, I remember it like it was yesterday. Ship's functions were running at peak efficiency, everyone had reported in for duty on time, and I didn't have stacks of PADDs on my desk to go through. It's been an almost perfect day in the Delta Quadrant, I thought to myself. For the first time in weeks, I didn't have to worry about a thing-I even had the next three days off, thanks to Chakotay's exemplary work handling the duty roster might I add. Chakotay. He and I haven't spent a lot of time together for a while, and since everything seems to be going so smoothly, maybe we could get together after the shift ends for something to eat, I thought. Or maybe the holodeck. I smiled to myself, something I don't often do. Come to think of it, I don't really smile that much at all. I need to make an effort to do that more.
I was sitting in my ready room when the door chimed, it was Chakotay. "Come in" I said, already knowing who it was. Why was he here? He walked in and smiled, something he does so much more than I do. He's always so happy. Maybe I sulk too much. "I thought I'd pay you a visit, you've been in here all day long. Something bothering you?" he said, snapping me out of my thoughts and back into reality. "Just the opposite actually. I was just taking a little time to myself. It's such a wonderful day today. Don't you think?" He smiled, "Yes, and I was wondering if you'd like to join me for dinner this evening." How'd he know? God, sometimes I'd swear the man could read my mind. "I'd love to. I was actually thinking myself that we hadn't spent time together in a while and that we needed to." I missed him.
He just stood there looking at me. "Now?", I asked. "Yes, from my count you haven't eaten today and I don't think taking off work a few hours early is going to hurt you much." He winked. It was then that I noticed his eyes. I always look into them when I talked to him, but today they seem to be...different in some way. Sparkling more? Maybe..."All right then, but would you mind if we had dinner on the holodeck, that way it can be a different setting?" "Not at all" he said. "Give me 15 minutes to change and meet me at holodeck 2." He smiled, "Deal."
=/\=
I decided to take him to my favorite little sidewalk cafe, in Buenos Aires. It was in fact little, but quaint, and very charming. The breeze was subtle, but just enough to relax the senses. And just as the sun shone down on my face warming it, the breeze kept it from getting too hot. Ah, how perfect. We ordered our food, and talked until it came. I had salad and a sandwich, and he had the same, without meat. I decided to wear a cream coloured sleeveless shirt, blue slacks, and sandals with a slight heel. Chakotay had on brown slacks and a shirt just a shade lighter, but it looked amazing. I remember thinking to myself, "Why am I looking at him this way?"
As we ate, we discussed the day, which for him had also been going excellently and in turn had made our dinner all the more enjoyable. "I woke up this morning and I felt so rested. It's odd. Maybe this isn't real and we're actually flying into the stomach of a living nebula again." he said, laughing. "I think Seven would have tried to worn us numerous times by now." I smiled. "If I had a ration for every time I didn't listen to her when she was right, I'd have an unlimited drinking supply of coffee for the rest of the trip home. Needless to say, I'm glad she's along for the ride." "Me too. How's your dinner?" I smiled at the change of subject, clever man. "It's wonderful, and yours?" "Equally wonderful." He winked at me after he had made that statement and I smiled back in return.
"After this, would you like to go for a walk down the beach?" He said, very seriously. "That sounds lovely Chakotay, but their aren't any beaches around this area." "We can...switch the scean a little." he said. I smiled at him again, something that I've been doing a lot of here recently. See what he does to me! "Where did you have in mind?" "Hmm...there's this beautiful private beach in Naples, Florida. Away from tourists, unless you'd like to me program them in..." he laughed. "My sister and I found it one day when we were there visiting friends." "It sounds wonderful, would you like to go now?" I asked. "All right.", he said.
We then got up and Chakotay began to tell the computer what setting to design. "Affirmative, program set.", came the computers cool voice. "Begin new program" Chakotay said, and with that the setting changed to a truly beautiful white sand beach, with a moon lit sky, and water so blue that it looked as though it came from a fairy tale. Not the mention the fact that it was very secluded. We were hidden away behind trees where no one could see us. It was perfect. "Oh Chakotay, it's gorgeous!", and that was no exaggeration. "Isn't it? I thought you'd enjoy it." "I'm taking my shoes off, it's almost too perfect here" and I began to remove my shoes. Then he followed me and removed his as well. "Let's walk down a ways." I said. "Sounds fine to me", he smiled and we began to walk down the beautiful shore. The more we walked, the more wonderful the beach became. It was as if it couldn't get any lovelier. I reached over and took Chakotay by the hand, something I've done before, and he returned the favor, interlacing fingers his with mine. We walked for about twenty minutes until I started to realize the temperature decrease. "It's getting a little cold." I stated. "Did you want to leave?", he asked. "No! Not at all. Maybe we could make a fire to sit by for a little while, until we warm up." I said. "All right. Computer, create a small camp fire about three meters from our current location and add it to the program." The computer beeped in response and then before us was a very attractive fire, ready to please.
"Computer, replicate two blankets and put them twenty centimeters away from the fire." Just then two blankets materialized and we walked over toward them. "Nice touch." I said. He spread one blanket out on the ground and sat down on it, and I followed, sitting down next to him. Then he put the other one over us and we sat cuddled up, staring into the warm fire. "This is wonderful." I said, and I laid my head on his shoulder, enjoying the scene. He looked down at me and said, "Yes it is", then put his arm around me. I looked up at him, looked into his eyes, and when he looked back at me I saw how much he truly loved me. I suppose I had never realized, or wouldn't allow myself to realize. I reached up and put my hand on his face and caressed it gently, and suddenly nothing else mattered. Not protocols, not rules and regulations, nothing. I looked deep into his dark eyes, "Chakotay" I started, but he put his hand to my mouth to silence me, and then slowly replaced it with his lips. And when he kissed me, I felt every barrier that I had ever built up, fall down. Every doubt went away, and my heart belonged to him.
I reached up and wrapped my arms around him as he laid me onto my back, and kissed me so passionately, and yet so gently. Then he broke the kiss and smiled at me. "I love you, Chakotay." I said, with no regret. He leaned in and whispered into my ear "I love you too, Kathryn". He had never said my name before with such abandon, such passion. He leaned in and kissed me one more time, then the rest of the evening was spent in each others arms, talking, laughing, and kissing occasionally. I had never felt so loved before, so cherished. I suppose all I had been concerned about before was getting this crew home to their families, but now I realize that we are home and we are each others family. I'm glad that I finally realized. I'll never forget that day for as long as I live.
Summary: Janeway's POV of the most perfect day in the Delta Quadrant.
Rating: PG
"And My Heart Belonged to Him", by K. L. Torrie
Stardate 53504.1, I remember it like it was yesterday. Ship's functions were running at peak efficiency, everyone had reported in for duty on time, and I didn't have stacks of PADDs on my desk to go through. It's been an almost perfect day in the Delta Quadrant, I thought to myself. For the first time in weeks, I didn't have to worry about a thing-I even had the next three days off, thanks to Chakotay's exemplary work handling the duty roster might I add. Chakotay. He and I haven't spent a lot of time together for a while, and since everything seems to be going so smoothly, maybe we could get together after the shift ends for something to eat, I thought. Or maybe the holodeck. I smiled to myself, something I don't often do. Come to think of it, I don't really smile that much at all. I need to make an effort to do that more.
I was sitting in my ready room when the door chimed, it was Chakotay. "Come in" I said, already knowing who it was. Why was he here? He walked in and smiled, something he does so much more than I do. He's always so happy. Maybe I sulk too much. "I thought I'd pay you a visit, you've been in here all day long. Something bothering you?" he said, snapping me out of my thoughts and back into reality. "Just the opposite actually. I was just taking a little time to myself. It's such a wonderful day today. Don't you think?" He smiled, "Yes, and I was wondering if you'd like to join me for dinner this evening." How'd he know? God, sometimes I'd swear the man could read my mind. "I'd love to. I was actually thinking myself that we hadn't spent time together in a while and that we needed to." I missed him.
He just stood there looking at me. "Now?", I asked. "Yes, from my count you haven't eaten today and I don't think taking off work a few hours early is going to hurt you much." He winked. It was then that I noticed his eyes. I always look into them when I talked to him, but today they seem to be...different in some way. Sparkling more? Maybe..."All right then, but would you mind if we had dinner on the holodeck, that way it can be a different setting?" "Not at all" he said. "Give me 15 minutes to change and meet me at holodeck 2." He smiled, "Deal."
=/\=
I decided to take him to my favorite little sidewalk cafe, in Buenos Aires. It was in fact little, but quaint, and very charming. The breeze was subtle, but just enough to relax the senses. And just as the sun shone down on my face warming it, the breeze kept it from getting too hot. Ah, how perfect. We ordered our food, and talked until it came. I had salad and a sandwich, and he had the same, without meat. I decided to wear a cream coloured sleeveless shirt, blue slacks, and sandals with a slight heel. Chakotay had on brown slacks and a shirt just a shade lighter, but it looked amazing. I remember thinking to myself, "Why am I looking at him this way?"
As we ate, we discussed the day, which for him had also been going excellently and in turn had made our dinner all the more enjoyable. "I woke up this morning and I felt so rested. It's odd. Maybe this isn't real and we're actually flying into the stomach of a living nebula again." he said, laughing. "I think Seven would have tried to worn us numerous times by now." I smiled. "If I had a ration for every time I didn't listen to her when she was right, I'd have an unlimited drinking supply of coffee for the rest of the trip home. Needless to say, I'm glad she's along for the ride." "Me too. How's your dinner?" I smiled at the change of subject, clever man. "It's wonderful, and yours?" "Equally wonderful." He winked at me after he had made that statement and I smiled back in return.
"After this, would you like to go for a walk down the beach?" He said, very seriously. "That sounds lovely Chakotay, but their aren't any beaches around this area." "We can...switch the scean a little." he said. I smiled at him again, something that I've been doing a lot of here recently. See what he does to me! "Where did you have in mind?" "Hmm...there's this beautiful private beach in Naples, Florida. Away from tourists, unless you'd like to me program them in..." he laughed. "My sister and I found it one day when we were there visiting friends." "It sounds wonderful, would you like to go now?" I asked. "All right.", he said.
We then got up and Chakotay began to tell the computer what setting to design. "Affirmative, program set.", came the computers cool voice. "Begin new program" Chakotay said, and with that the setting changed to a truly beautiful white sand beach, with a moon lit sky, and water so blue that it looked as though it came from a fairy tale. Not the mention the fact that it was very secluded. We were hidden away behind trees where no one could see us. It was perfect. "Oh Chakotay, it's gorgeous!", and that was no exaggeration. "Isn't it? I thought you'd enjoy it." "I'm taking my shoes off, it's almost too perfect here" and I began to remove my shoes. Then he followed me and removed his as well. "Let's walk down a ways." I said. "Sounds fine to me", he smiled and we began to walk down the beautiful shore. The more we walked, the more wonderful the beach became. It was as if it couldn't get any lovelier. I reached over and took Chakotay by the hand, something I've done before, and he returned the favor, interlacing fingers his with mine. We walked for about twenty minutes until I started to realize the temperature decrease. "It's getting a little cold." I stated. "Did you want to leave?", he asked. "No! Not at all. Maybe we could make a fire to sit by for a little while, until we warm up." I said. "All right. Computer, create a small camp fire about three meters from our current location and add it to the program." The computer beeped in response and then before us was a very attractive fire, ready to please.
"Computer, replicate two blankets and put them twenty centimeters away from the fire." Just then two blankets materialized and we walked over toward them. "Nice touch." I said. He spread one blanket out on the ground and sat down on it, and I followed, sitting down next to him. Then he put the other one over us and we sat cuddled up, staring into the warm fire. "This is wonderful." I said, and I laid my head on his shoulder, enjoying the scene. He looked down at me and said, "Yes it is", then put his arm around me. I looked up at him, looked into his eyes, and when he looked back at me I saw how much he truly loved me. I suppose I had never realized, or wouldn't allow myself to realize. I reached up and put my hand on his face and caressed it gently, and suddenly nothing else mattered. Not protocols, not rules and regulations, nothing. I looked deep into his dark eyes, "Chakotay" I started, but he put his hand to my mouth to silence me, and then slowly replaced it with his lips. And when he kissed me, I felt every barrier that I had ever built up, fall down. Every doubt went away, and my heart belonged to him.
I reached up and wrapped my arms around him as he laid me onto my back, and kissed me so passionately, and yet so gently. Then he broke the kiss and smiled at me. "I love you, Chakotay." I said, with no regret. He leaned in and whispered into my ear "I love you too, Kathryn". He had never said my name before with such abandon, such passion. He leaned in and kissed me one more time, then the rest of the evening was spent in each others arms, talking, laughing, and kissing occasionally. I had never felt so loved before, so cherished. I suppose all I had been concerned about before was getting this crew home to their families, but now I realize that we are home and we are each others family. I'm glad that I finally realized. I'll never forget that day for as long as I live.