Loosing You

Chapter 2

It had been a few minutes since she has settled Miral and Kathryn knew there was nothing keeping her upstairs other than wanting to avoid Chakotay. Taking a deep breath she slowly walked down the stairs. She could hear B'Elanna telling Chakotay all about how Miral had thrown up on Tom's new uniform. She smiled, it was funny but he loved to hear Chakoty's heart laugh more than anything. As she entered the room she smiled at B'Elanna who had just looked at her. B'Elanna was still laughing and said "Kathryn, I was just telling Chakotay about the time Miral threw up on Tom's new uniform."

Kathryn smiled softly back at her friend and said in her rich husky voice "I heard" B'Elanna was confused and concerned for her friend who suddenly seemed very distant. She looked back at Chakotay's face on the screen on the other end of the comm, his dimple smile had gone and his expression was giving nothing away to the half Klingon. What B'Elnanna didn't know was that the older man's heart was pounding and his thoughts were going into overdrive at the sound of Kathryn's distinctive voice even though he couldn't see her.

"is Miral ok?" B'Elanna asked confused why Kathryn was looking so unsure.

Kathryn drew her brows together in confusion, she couldn't understand why Miral wouldn't be ok. Then as though her thoughts were flooding her back into reality and away from Chakotay she almost jumped as she exclaimed "yes" B'Elanna stood in concern, Kathryn raised her hand to motion her friend not to get up as she said softly with a faint smile "she's ok B'Elanna, she's settled back to sleep now" B'Elanna sat down and looked at her friend still feeling confused and concerned "Really B'Elanna" Kathryn insisted. "I should finish cooking tea, you finish you comm chat."

B'Elanna glanced back at Chakotay who was sat awkwardly silent pulling on his ear, B'Elanna knew he did that when he felt uncomfortable or embarrassed. Glancing back at Kathryn she noticed she was acting strangely as she moved towards the kitchen trying to avoid the view of the comm signal. Then it dawned on B'Elanna "all right you two, whats going on?" a very angry Klingon exclaimed looking from the woman who was stood looking at her like a rabbit caught in headlights and the man sat on her comm screen with a blank expression on his face.

"B'Elanna?" Chakotay's voice broke the silence first.

As B'Elanna looked at Kathryn she just stared blankly at her friend. "Am I missing something here?" snapped B'Elanna as she stared back at Chakotay.

"Like what?" His voice rung out in the room form the comm terminal with a slight hint of frustration.

B'Elanna looked at him angrily then snapped her head back to look at Kathryn who was slowly trying to retreat into the kitchen "Kathryn?" she demanded.

"What?" Kathryn hissed through gritted teeth trying to sound innocent but it didn't help the situation, B'Elanna had that look about her, she wasn't going to drop this.

"What's going on?" B'Elanna demanded once more but when silence fell she snapped at Kathryn "You expect me to believe that Chakotay comm's for the time since he left earth three weeks ago and you don't so much as say hi, ask how he is?" Kayhryn opened her moth to say something but before she could B'Elanna turned her attention to the man on the screen as she yelled "and you! You comm me and then when I mention Kathryn's here don't so much as ask to speak to her and get all awkward when she comes back in the room" Chakotay Just blankly pulled on his ear and Kathryn looked away. "well?" hissed a very angry B'Elanna.

"I was just going to cook tea, it's late" Kathyrn tried to reason but it didn't help the situation.

Especially when Chakotay snorted and added "You cook? That would be a fine chance!" even though he couldn't see her.

"Excuse me!" hissed Kathryn directing her attention to the back of the comm screen.

B'Elanna just sat looking form one to the other as Chakotay spat out "Oh no you Kathryn always say you will cook but then always find something else more important and I have to cook like a mug and use my replicator rations."

Kathryn was seething now as she walked slowly around the comm terminal to face him her hands firmly on her hips and her death glare firmly in place as she hissed "If you had helped me out a little with the department head reports I might have had more time too cook.

Chakotay looked at her stood there, her hair neatly in a tight bun, her admirals uniform proudly in place, her command stance and her death glare and he just shook his head at her "look at you" he snapped angrily. Kathyrn pulled a very confused face at him as she pulled her head back in confusion and shook her head. "Standing there in your admiral uniform looking at me like I am some helpless ensign too afraid to say no to you."

Kathryn shook her head, rolled her eyes and threw her hands into the air, that is what this is about, because you said no and I said yes? There really is no reason with you Chakoty"

B'Elanna was shocked, she had no idea that her two dearest friends had fallen out and didn't know what they where arguing about. Deciding she would leave them to it she slowly stood and walked towards the kitchen, neither of them noticed her leave as Chakotay leaned forward in his chair and hissed "No admiral, this is about the fact you can't accept that I said no"

Kathryn raised an eyebrow at him and pursed her lips as she reminded him coldly "You didn't much like the fact I said yes either."

Chakotay leaned back in his chair met her eye as she stood coldly looking at the comm terminal as he reminded her "I came to your promotion ceremony because it is what you asked of me."

Slowly Kathryn lowered herself into the vacant chair and closed her eyes pinching the bride of her nose as she hissed "I was busy Chakotay, otherwise I would have come to see you off."

"Keep telling yourself that admiral" he growled back at her.

Kathryn raised her head and looked at him as he met her eyes daring her to speak. "Chakotay" she said stiffly trying to stay calm "There is no point blaming me, you chose to leave"

"and you don't like it" Chakotay pointed out "why is that Kathryn? Why does it bother you that I said no to Starfleet and left?"

Kathyrn shook her head in frustration "it doesn't" she replied angrily, the only problem was they both knew it was a lie. He had her, if she asked him why it bothered him she took the promotion and stayed in Starfleet, they both knew what the answer would be. Chakotay just sat there looking at her with his dimpled smile. He knew he had won the argument.

Kathryn looked at him, tear in her deep blue eyes as she asked him "Why does it bother you that I took the promotion?"

His smile faltered slightly, he hadn't expected her to ask, she knew what the answer would be and so he expected her to avoid the issue, just like she always did, just like she had for years. Unsure what she wanted he snapped "You know why!"

Kathryn nodded as she met his eyes, raw emotion etched into her tear filled eyes as she decided to say what she had for three months promised herself she would never mention to him "it hurt you know Chakotay" he looked at her confused "it hurt knowing you were warming the bed of another woman those last two month an voyager." It was Chakotay's turn to look stunned as he pulled on his ear, he had no idea she had known, he was wondering if she knew who when he saw a tear roll down her cheek and she cried "but did it have to be her? Did you have to choose Seven? She was like a daughter to me?" Chakotay's hand slowly fell of his ear as she looked at this woman before him on the comm, she was crying, there in front of him, dressed as the admiral she was crying. What was worse she had known, she knew he had been sleeping with Seven. He closed his eyes and cursed silently in his head. He was about to open his eyes and respond, what with he didn't know, he had no response but he had to say something but Kathryn stood and coldly said "so you see Chakotay, I had no choice, Starfleet or this unbearable betrayal,." she walked away leaving him sat there.

B'Elanna who had heard it all stood wide eyed as she looked at Kathryn walking away from the comm. Then the comm terminal made a beeping sound, Chakotay had cut it off.