Here is another J/C fanfic for you all!

A/N: this story was the result of word challenge I was given to me by friends. I had to use some of the words they came up with and turn it into a fic….

TRUTHS REVEALED:

The Mess hall was dark with the stars streaming by lighting the only two figures sitting together. Chakotay and Kathryn were studying data that could lead to a worm hole. "This could be our ticket home. But... Talk about a nightmare. If the crew found out, got their hopes up and then they were dashed. How could they... deal with yet another disappointment?" Kathryn started to say.

"I know how you feel. Only, we can't function like this." Chakotay sighed giving into his pale hope if only for a moment. There was the smallest hope that they could get home, Chakotay wanted to believe in it.

"Seven brought this to my attention yesterday. So far it's just out of actual sensor range." Kathryn gave Chakotay the PADD that she had been holding onto all day.

"Really? I was in Astrometrics yesterday and she didn't mention it to me." Chakotay turned towards the computer to study the data again. He wasn't paying attention to the faint image of the worm hole.

"Can't imagine why," Kathryn muttered getting up to pour herself another cup of coffee. Any mention of Chakotay being with Seven made her teeth set on edge. Taking the first sip of her new cup Kathryn let the caffeine sink in taking away the annoyance. It didn't do much; she was still irritated that Chakotay was seeing Seven.

Chakotay heard what she had muttered, and he was going to respond when Kathryn walked away from the pot of coffee. "Would it be out of line to ask where you're going?" he turned to watch her.

"I'm going to see if Neelix has something to eat, or should I say something that I want to eat. I missed lunch... and dinner." She snapped, "So, now, I'm hungry." Kathryn answered not bothering to look at him. It hurt to look at him. Gazing at him made her stomach do flips with despair. Kathryn couldn't talk to him like she had used to. Lately she couldn't stop from getting attitude with him with sarcastic comments. Kathryn was lucky he had pulled her aside and yelled at her. Maybe that was waiting for some sign he still cared about her as much as she still cared for him? Suddenly the lights went out and Chakotay was pulling her into a crouch behind the counter. She was about to ask what had gotten into him when she heard the doors opened and voices filtered in.

"You ignore my call for help and then you expect me to do what you say - you go to hell!"

"I did not think you truly needed my help."

"Need your help? I wouldn't have contacted you had I not needed your help. B'Elanna was buy and needed all her people. You couldn't have pulled yourself out of your damn lab for an hour?" Harry shouted.

"I was working on another project." Seven replied calmly.

Kathryn looked at Chakotay out of the corner of her eye and guessed what the project had been. A wave of white hot anger washed through her and she had this uncontrollable urge to pummel him. Though, Kathryn resisted.

"Next time I ask for your help, have the decency to HELP ME!"

And then there was silence so think it could be cut with a knife. "Can I ask why we're hiding?" Kathryn asked arching her eyebrows.

"No reason. Just... It seemed like a good idea at the time." Chakotay answered feeling stupid from hiding. He had the feeling that people were coming and one of them was Seven. For a few days he had been having second thoughts about being with seven. He had been dreaming of Kathryn for weeks; always the same dream. They were together on the Bridge and they were home.

"Hiding from your girlfriend is not a good idea." Kathryn snapped and stood up heading back out to the tables. Being that close to Chakotay always confused her. She wanted to fall back in love with him.

Chakotay hung his head feeling immense shame. How could he be foolish enough to think he could hide something like this? Standing up Chakotay followed her. "I won't waste my time asking how you knew. Just, I thought I had accepted our relationship as it was; friends."

Kathryn turned on him, "How could you think that? You should have known better!" She covered her mouth as soon as the words flew out of her mouth. Those words had been dying to escape her mouth ever since she heard Chakotay was with Seven. She wanted Chakotay to feel as much pain as she was feeling.

"You're right, Kathryn, I should have." Reaching out, Chakotay took Kathryn's hand and gently pulled it away from her mouth. He knew she was still angry at him and it would take time to make that anger go away.

"I shouldn't..." She shook her head. Kathryn tried to take her hand back, but Chakotay just tightened his hold on her.

"No, you had every right to say it." Chakotay said letting his guilt eat at him. The pain he caused Kathryn was his fault, only he could make it better.

"You gave up on... us. You gave up on there ever being an us. That broke my heart." She just kept on; kept talking to keep the tears she had been keeping pent up. If she stopped talking she might just cry. Starfleet captains didn't cry. As it was the tears were starting to well up. Chakotay was the only one who could make her cry.

"How can I make it up to you?" Chakotay cupped her face, tilted her head back so her eyes would meet his. There he saw sadness and the brimming of tears. "Seven and I are no longer together. You're too rooted in my heart, in my soul."

"Oh..." Kathryn closed her eyes. "Don't say things like that to me. I want to cry. You make me want to cry." No man had ever had such power over her. Chakotay scared her at times when he churned so many of her emotions up at once.

"Being with Seven was a foolish move on my part. My heart grew weary with waiting for you. The last few weeks my dreams have been plagued with you and only you. I figured dreams are answers to questions we haven't figured out how to ask yet. I want to be with you, any way that I can. Should I ask for forgiveness?" he thumbed away Kathryn's tears as they started to fall.

"I hate what you do to me, how you turn me around emotionally, but I would never let you go." Kathryn wrapped her arms around him burying her face in his shoulder letting the rest of her tears fall. After everything they had done to each other, Kathryn still loved him more than anyone else she had ever been with. She thought, 'You always hurt the one you love.' And she had done so much to hurt him in the past few years.

All Chakotay could do was rub small circles on her back holding her close. He had never wanted to hurt her, and yet he had ended up doing that anyway. Why did he do this? Were they in some sort of pattern where they would hurt each other, make up, and then end up hurting each other again? Did they need this pain in their life? Did they need each other? He knew he needed her more than life itself. She was his reason for living.