"Chakotay, I don't know how else to tell you this. So I'll just say it straight up." Kathryn paused and then continued on. "I love you."

"Kathryn, you don't know how long I have waited for you to say those words."

He closed the distance between them and gently pressed his lips against hers. Slowly she moved her hand so that it was wrapped behind his neck and moved the other hand to his shoulder. He wove his hands around her small frame and placed them at the small of her back. She gratefully deepened the kiss and brought both arms around his neck. It wasn't until both were out of breath that they ended the kiss.

With his voice filled with truth, Chakotay murmured into her ear, "I love you too."

A small smile curled around the edges of her lips. She had expected that to be hard, telling him the truth about her hidden feelings. But it actually had been very easy. It felt so right when the words came flowing from her mouth.

"Kathryn, how long?" He said, taking her hands in his.

"How long what?"

"How long have you known, you were in love with me?"

She dropped her head as she began, "I think from the moment on that I made you my first officer, there were hidden feelings. But I just put them in the back of mind, thinking that I would never have to face them. And at that time, I still held a small hope of being able to reunite with Mark. But as time slowly went on my feelings deepened for you Chakotay. And then when New Earth came along, I . . ."

He cupped her chin with his hand and gently pulled it up so that she was looking into his eyes. He caressed her cheek and said patiently, "Go on."

She nodded and continued, "I couldn't fight back my feelings. To be honest, part of me secretly wished Voyager had never came back to rescue us. Part of me wishes that we could have stayed there together on that planet for the rest of our lives. But I knew my duties to Voyager came before anything else. So I forced myself to move on. But my feelings never disappeared. I don't think they ever would have. And that is why today, I told you the truth. I'm tired of being unhappy Chakotay. I need love and you're the person that can honestly give me that. You don't look at my flaws. Instead, you look at all the good things in me. That is one of the many things that make me love you. Your personality, your smarts, your sense of adventure, your heroicness, your strong will, your faith in people, your kindness, your opinions, your touches, your looks, you're everything Chakotay. I can't hide it anymore. I don't want to hide it anymore. I just want to be happy and I know the only way I can be truly happy is with you."

Chakotay smiled down at her, revealing his dimples. "I didn't know you thought that highly of me."

"There are a lot of things you don't know Chakotay. But I'm willing to teach you, if your willing to listen."

To answer her question, he bent down to kiss her tenderly.

"You know I'd love to stay here with you, but were due on the bridge." Kathryn said regretfully.

"That's all right. We have the rest of our lives to spend together. I'm sure we can spend a few of those hours on the bridge."

She gave him a joyous smile and got one in return.

She tugged on his hand and led him to the doors of her quarters. The doors slide open with a slight hiss and the two walked out, quickly dropping the other's hand.

Both were giving the other flirtatious smiles as they made their way to the bridge. As they entered and sat in their command chairs, Kathryn laid her head back on her chair and to herself, thanked no one in particular for making this day one of the best . . ."

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She awoke with a start. What kind of dream was that? As captain, she shouldn't be having dreams such as that one.

Although she refused to admit it to herself, she wished she had been, wide awake in that dream.

Please R&R