+1 MONTH LATER+

"But really though, who files a complaint, a formal complaint, about their uniform needing to be a different color?"

Chakotay was sitting in her ready room, reading through the many stacks of reports and complaints sprawled across her coffee table. Kathryn at the moment was standing by her replicator picking up a fresh cup of coffee, black of course.

In the complaint, the doctor stated that his uniform should be changed to a different color. (The blue just wasn't working for him.)

"That's a damn good question Chakotay." Kathryn said spinning around to face him while chuckling. A wide smile was spread across her face, making her appear younger.

Slowly, a look of shock crept onto her face.

"Kath what is it?"

"Oh um nothing. It's nothing."

But it was something and it meant a lot of Kathryn.

Here she was with her first officer, laughing and smiling.

Now of course, she had done that exact same thing several times before in the last month. But every time she had smiled, it had been forced. Every time she had laughed, it had been fake. But this time was different. This time her smile wasn't forced. It was genuine. This time her laugh wasn't fake. It was real.

Finally one month later, their attitudes toward each other were beginning, to change. Things were starting to go back to the way they were before their big fight a month and a half ago.

After their fight, the relationship between the two had been strained. They would get together only to do the regular Captain, First Officer responsibilities. But they stopped spending any of their free time together. There were no more weekly dinners. That was something Kathryn especially missed. They still had yet to have a real dinner together again. But she knew it would come, eventually it would.

A small smile slowly appeared on her face as she walked over to him.

He knew she had been deep in thought. And he also knew that she had something important to say.

He stood from the couch and straightened his uniform. "Kathryn . . ."

She held up her hand to silence him.

Okay, now he really knew it was important.

The smile was gone. Seriousness had overtaken her entire appearance at the moment.

She looked into his eyes, "I'm sorry."

That was it. That was all that needed to be said. He knew exactly what she was talking about and he also knew how hard it must have been for her to say that to him.

He took her coffee cup from her hands and placed it gently on the coffee table.

He then pulled her close to him and hugged her petite frame. She buried her head in his shoulder and let herself be taken by him. He stroked her hair and rubbed her back. But he didn't do anything more, nor did he intend to. That would be taking it too far and he knew this was as far as the two of them could go.

Normally, she would never have allowed him to hold her like this, but at the moment she didn't care. All she wanted was to know he was there for her. And now she knew.

Slowly she lifted her head up to look into his eyes. "I really am sorry Chakotay. I just want you to know that."

He knew she didn't mean about them fighting. She was sorry that she couldn't allow them to have a relationship together.

He could see in her eyes that she truly was sorry.

"Kathryn, I've always known."

She nodded her head in understanding as she slowly, regretfully, forced her body to move away from his.

She took his hand and led him to the sofa. The two sat down as she said, "We have work to do."

He chose to say nothing. Instead he just looked into her eyes and quickly nodded. They were silent for the next few minutes, both immersed in their own thoughts. But they never let go of the other's hand.

Another thing they never let go of, was the other's heart.

The End

Please let me know what you thought in a review.

Sorry to anyone who wanted Kathryn and Chakotay to get together. I thought about it, but for once I wanted to write a story where they remain friends and I thought this was a good story to do that.