(c) Easter 2001 KateF

Disclaimer: Paramount owns Star Trek: Voyager

Author's note: Clare and I really shouldn't talk about movies late evening. She wrote a drabble, I wrote this... whatever this will be. Big thanks to Anne, Caffey, Ker, Loz, Bec, Syla and Clare for all their help. (geez I hope I didn't miss someone) :) And yes, it did snow on Easter...

Author's Note (2): Dedicated to Nieke and Coral.

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"The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live."

Flora Whittemore

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She concentrated on the feel of his hand brushing against hers ever so slightly as they walked along the bridge together. It was a cold winter night, the lights of the city providing a breathtaking view before them. She closed her eyes, standing in the middle of the street, listening to the river rushing past beneath her. She just stood and breathed in the chilly air. She knew he had stopped and was watching her, wondering whether he should walk back to see if she was alright.

She opened her eyes and jumped slightly. Chakotay had somehow managed to sneak nearer than she had thought he would be. She was gazing into his brown eyes for there was nowhere else to look. He was standing close. Too close.

She stepped back a little.

"You alright?" His brown eyes kept burning into hers, concern written all over his face.

"Yes, Chakotay, I am alright. I am fine." She assured him, taking a deep breath.

"Then what is it?" He leaned even closer.

"I was breathing."

"Breathing?"

"I missed this. The feel of snow on my nose, the feel of fresh air in my lungs, the sound of water."

"I know what you mean." He sneaked an arm around her waist and hugged her tightly, "It just feels good to feel nature again." He pulled back to glance into her eyes again.

She grinned up at him, shyly.

"Let's continue. I still want to see the park the Za'abi recommended to us."

They walked silently, his arm still holding her tight.

"Kathryn, we haven't got around to talking lately. What have you been up to?" Chakotay asked after a while.

"Let's see, I woke up, drank coffee, did reports, drank more coffee and that's basically it, coffee, reports and sleep."

"I can't help myself, but this sounds very lonely."

"You have no idea, Chakotay, you have no idea."

He stopped, facing her. "Kathryn, if there was one thing you wanted to do, one place you wanted to go right now, what would that be?"

"You don't want to know."

"Believe me, I do."

"My, my. You are very chatty this evening. How come?" Kathryn asked, grinning up at him.

"I have to keep my face from freezing, you know."

"Well, Mr Chatty, what about your life?"

"Kathryn, you are distracting me. You still haven't answered my question."

"Maybe I don't want to answer your question." With that she continued to the garden.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"To the garden."

"Let me walk you there, for protection."

She grinned at him. "I don't need your protection. I am a big girl, I can take care of myself."

"Protection for myself."

"Chakotay," she glared at him. "And now you're trying to be funny."

"Your point being?"

"Oh, forget it. Are you coming or not."

"On my way, ma'am."

She laughed as he walked over to her, his arm once again sneaking around her waist.

She loved the feel of his hand caressing her side, gently tickling her once in a while. When had she gone from hands brushing to savouring the feel of his arm against her back? She wasn't sure anymore. She only knew she didn't want to miss this feeling ever again.

Suddenly, they stood frozen staring at the scene before them. The Za'abi had been right. It was breathtaking.

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"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart."

Hellen Keller

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Before them was a beautiful creature. Made of ice, it stood in the centre of a fountain, multi-coloured water spilling over it. As the water fell, the sculpture glittered, it's colours changing in the light. Little swan-like creatures glided across the small lake surrounding the aquatic play. Once in a while they dipped their heads into the water revealing their long feathery tails. Each of the feathers was coloured in a different shade. This way their search for food became a beautiful dance. Their chatter floated through the chilly air, mingling with the rustle of trees and bushes. Small paths lead into nothingness spreading like sunrays from the pool of water. Snowflakes slowly made their way to cover everything in their way. Once in a while a branch gave way under the weight of snow covering it. The laughter of a couple rang through the garden as a pile of snow covered them.

She stood and stared at what lay before her. She wasn't able to move, she was entranced. She felt Chakotay stepping even closer towards her and knew he was watching her. For once she didn't mind, she didn't feel uncomfortable.

She was a small child again, giddy with anticipation of what might come. She leaned into his half-embrace, her eyes shining.

Finally she managed to speak. "It's so beautiful." She desperately wanted to go and touch the water, maybe even stroke one of those swanlike creatures. But the most tempting option was planting a snowball right into Chakotay's face.

Kathryn resisted the urge. She just stood and leaned into his warmth. She couldn't get herself to move, she really didn't want to.

"It is," Chakotay whispered into her ear, making her shiver with the warmth of his breath. He was closer than she thought he would be.

"How can you tell, Chakotay? You haven't been paying any attention to the garden, if I recall correctly." She grinned.

"I wasn't referring to the garden," he whispered as he kissed her cheek.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Chakotay." She turned a little, her face only inches away from his. Her attempts at a mock glare were destroyed by his dimpled smile.

"You sure, Kathryn?"

"You know what, Chakotay?" She whispered, leaning yet a little closer

"Hmm?" He asked, never stopping his grin.

"I am waiting for Tuvok or someone else to interrupt us." She giggled.

"Why is that?" He kissed her forehead.

"Every time I come close to kissing you, something like that happens." Her voice was muffled as her face buried itself deeply in his chest.

His fingers gently lifted her head to face his, his eyes staring deeply into hers. "Are you telling me you came close to kissing me before? What happened? And who can I kill for interrupting?"

"You wouldn't."

His face crossed the distance between them, their lips almost touching. "Why?"

"There would be no crew left to get the ship home." His breath tickling her lips almost drove her crazy.

"We could stay here forever. Wait, that often?"

She pulled away a little to glance into his eyes yet again. "Chakotay?"

"Hmmm?"

"Now would be a good time."

"A good time for what? His smile lit his eyes, making her knees buckle.

"Just kiss me, C-" She never had time to finish the sentence as his lips finally found hers.

After the briefest touch he pulled away again. "Yes ma'am," he grinned as he lowered his head once again.

Even the brief touch had sent shivers throughout her body.

It was a kiss, she was finally kissing Chakotay. She couldn't remember how long she had been dreaming about this, she didn't really want to. Thinking wasn't really an option right now. She just enjoyed living.

This one kiss told her more about his feelings than any angry warrior legend ever could. She couldn't imagine there was something more intimate than this first kiss.

She felt as if she was floating. She had never experienced something like this before.

She had known that kissing Chakotay might be her end, the end of Captain Janeway, the end of the controlled woman she used to be, but she had never imagined it being that - shattering.

He pulled away again after a few minutes, glancing deeply into her eyes. "Kathryn, do you have any idea what we are doing here?"

"Actually, I do. We were kissing." She gently traced her fingers along his neck, still holding him close with the other.

"And what does that mean, Kathryn, what does that mean for us?" Concern was written all over his face. Concern and hurt. She realised he was afraid she would pull back once again.

"Chakotay, let's walk a little, okay?" She snuggled into his embrace, savouring his warmth, as they made their way through the park, choosing a path at random. They walked in companionable silence, admiring nature. He stole a kiss once in a while, making sure she hadn't recovered from the one before yet.

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"When making a decision of minor importance, I have always found it advantageous to consider all the pros and cons. In vital matters, however, such as the choice of a mate or a profession, the decision should come from the unconscious, from somewhere within ourselves. In the important decisions of personal life, we should be governed, I think, by the deep inner needs of our nature."

Sigmund Freud

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All of a sudden, he disentangled himself from her, regaining a proper command distance. She missed the warmth surrounding her immediately, and glanced at him, hoping for an explanation.

"Crew," he whispered, gesturing ahead of them. She could hear the voices coming closer as well. It was a group of about four persons, she guessed.

Quickly, she pondered her actions. She could behave naturally as if nothing had happened. Chakotay obviously thought she would deny everything once again. And then there was the daring other option.

She wasn't sure which one to choose. Actually, she knew exactly, but she somehow had to find the courage to do so. She could make out Tom's and Harry's voices coming closer and closer.

Finally Kathryn decided to go for it, the captain in her screaming to her to stop. She didn't care. She found his lips yet again as she snuggled close to him, knowing that it was right. She had silenced the captain within her, at last.

"Chakotay?" She pulled away just enough to lose herself in his eyes. She couldn't quite believe she had done this. She had kissed her first officer in front of crewmembers. She had kissed him. She took a deep breath, than another.

"Hmm?" He stroked her cheek with his thumb. She shuddered with his touch. It felt so good, so perfect.

"Did you notice what they did?" She asked, deciding to face it.

He sighed, "I did."

"How dare they walk past us, ignoring us almost completely?" Kathryn growled. It really annoyed her. How dared they?

"I actually heard Tom saying something like us behaving like teenagers and that we should get a room." Chakotay didn't stop grinning. Maybe he had realised what this kiss meant for their relationship. She had really admitted her feelings for him in public. Well kissing in front of crew meant that, didn't it? She had never told him she loved him, had she?

"Heard that too. He is suicidal."

Chakotay chuckled.

Feeling her body tingle, Kathryn's hand snaked up to cover his, entwining their fingers. She gently pulled him further into the garden.

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Kathryn couldn't believe she was actually doing this. She was feeling giddy, she was feeling like a teenager once again. Chakotay's grip had been hard to escape from, but Kathryn had managed to. She had run away, hiding long enough to prepare a nice surprise for him. She knew she wouldn't be safe from him for much longer.

He was approaching from behind, she could hear the snow giving way under him. Soon he was embracing her, holding her tight. "Where were you going, Kathryn?"

"Just doing something." She answered, leaning into his touch.

"Something?" He tilted his head a little to attack her earlobes.

"This," she grinned evilly as she turned around, planting a snowball into his face. He stood frozen for a moment, shocked. Tiny droplets were running down his face, making their way down to his neck. He looked adorable. Kathryn somehow resisted the urge to kiss them away. She knew he would make her pay somehow, she knew she should run.

She started into a sprint.

"Kathryn, come back! I can't believe you did that!" he hollered as he started after her, disappearing into the woods.

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He sneaked up behind her, using the bushes as cover. She was hovering at the ground, hiding behind a tree, hoping the snow hid her. Her red jacket did nothing to help her. Her slim form was easy to recognise in the late afternoon sun, and she knew it. Chakotay had always been a bit clumsy when it came to sneaking up from behind, Kathryn knew that much. It was funny, actually, she thought, as she smiled to herself. Being an Indian one would assume he was good at walking silently. But then, he hadn't been able to start a fire, either.

Bracing herself for his next move, she was anxiously waiting for him to make it. She was sure he would try to get her.

Suddenly Kathryn was pinned to the ground by strong arms. Something wet and cold made it's way from her face down her neck. He had overpowered her, and won, in a way.

Her curses were silenced by a gentle kiss. How could he have overpowered her in this way? What had happened to Kathryn the unbeatable? Not that she minded much being kissed by this man, but the snow was cold, and his weight on her somehow made her back turn to ice, while the rest of her body was on fire. It was a strange sensation.

Pulling back a little, he grinned at her. "Gotcha, love."

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They had been strolling through the park for what seemed an eternity. Every once in a while they would stop to admire the beauty of it all. Chakotay would stop her with a small wink of his hand or by tightening his grip on her. He would gesture towards some animals trying to find food or some beautiful flower. Kathryn was still fascinated that this planet had developed such astonishing flora. It seemed odd to her that whole meadows were not only covered in snow but also had the most beautiful flowers sticking out from under it. In a way, it seemed impossible.

This time Chakotay stopped her by turning her head towards him and lightly brushing a kiss along her jaw.

"What is it?" She asked, stealing yet another kiss from him.

He gestured towards a small bush. Following his arm, she saw what he had wanted her to. The small rabbit-like creature was back. Maybe it had followed them all the time, maybe it was another one. The little fluffy ball of fur hopped around being completely swallowed by the snow at times. After having crawled to the surface again it would clean itself wrinkle its nose and sneeze. Kathryn desperately wanted to pick it up as it was coming closer and closer. Suddenly it halted raising to stand only on his back paws facing the two humans. He seemed to be eyeing them carefully. Kathryn couldn't help but giggle as it used his front paws to rub his nose, only to sneeze again. The animal didn't even wince as it continued to eye them.

Kathryn slowly went to her knees, holding one hand out as she had done on New Earth. Chakotay mimicked her actions, though his hand sneaked out to hold her close. "Do you sense intelligence in this one as well?" He asked, grinning at her.

She used the hand that had kept her balance to smack Chakotay, making her stumble. She smashed into Chakotay, making him lose his balance as well. They landed in a huge tangle on the ground. Kathryn was pinning him down, her feet entangled with his, her mouth so close to his. She felt a bolt of electricity running through her body as she leaned down to kiss him. Another sneeze brought them apart, causing them to face the rabbit. It was still standing frozen, observing them.

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After a few more kisses they had managed to disentangle themselves again. They continued down the path following the rabbit. It seemed to be know exactly what it was doing. Wrinkling its nose, it turned around once in a while to face them. It seemed to be snorting at them, then it sneezed and then it hopped on into the bushes. Kathryn and Chakotay followed.

Finally, it stopped in front of a small lake, turning around, sneezing. It hopped towards Kathryn, circling her legs, sneaking closer and closer until it was close enough to rub its face against it. Kathryn laughed at the tickling sensation, making the rabbit back away into Chakotay's direction. Approaching from behind it took a run at Chakotay to jam into his legs, repeatedly.

Kathryn laughed at the scene that lay before her. "Love, I think it hates you, or it desperately wants you to do something."

He looked at her, self-pity written all over his face. It faded quickly to give way to a dazzling smile. "What might that be? We could ask him, but I guess it can't speak," he mused.

The rabbit bounced back once again, then gave up. Hopping towards the lake it carefully stretched a paw towards it, seemingly gesturing to the ice.

"Ice-skating," Kathryn exclaimed. "Now I know what we will do. We'll skate." She grabbed his hand to pull him with her. "Get rid of your shoes, Commander."

He growled, but obeyed and put them onto a small bench as Kathryn contacted the ship for skates.

As they started to conquer the ice one small rabbit-like creature decided Chakotay's shoes did indeed taste nice.

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A loud thud could be heard throughout the night. Chakotay had somehow managed to hit the ice yet again. He was quite good at slipping. Kathryn silently started to count the seconds to the next time he landed on his butt. The last time he had managed to last 2 minutes. A personal record for this evening.

She watched as he tried to get enough grip to stand up and he was failing miserably. Cursing under his breath, he glanced at her, his dark eyes pleading for help. She sighed. This man was hard to resist.

"That must have hurt." Kathryn laughed as she gave in and skated over to him. She had always been a good skater, a natural talent. She had been good at everything she tried. His eyes had been following her all the time. The times he had been standing safely or sitting on the ice.

"You have no idea," he grunted as yet another of his attempts to get up failed, he slipped yet again, landing flat on his stomach.

"Did I ever tell you that you're really clumsy?" She braced herself as she tried her best to pull him up. Gradually he managed to get up, clinging to her for sheer life. She held him close, trying to balance the both of them.

"Clumsy? I am NOT clumsy," he growled.

"Well, you are. Didn't your father teach you how to walk silently?" Kathryn grinned at him. His feet slid even closer to hers, touching hers. He was close, really close. Little butterflies were doing a dance on their own in her stomach. She was thrilled, his close proximity almost killing her. He was stirring emotions in her she hadn't felt in a long time.

"Yes, your point being?" Chakotay asked.

"Well, I didn't see anything of that this afternoon. You were clumsy, Commander, clumsy and everything but walking silently." She teased him. Seeing him wince at the use of his rank she immediately regretted it.

She wound her arms around him, her lips touching his, briefly.

"Did it ever cross your mind that I was trying not to be silent? That it was all deliberate?" Chakotay grinned at her. She slapped him playfully.

"Bastard," she glided away from Chakotay, releasing her grip on him. As she skated backwards, facing him, he once again followed her every move. He obviously forgot where he was as she was rewarded with him losing his balance yet again.

A loud thud, a curse, and then nothing.

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Kathryn had finally managed to scrape Chakotay off the ice. She had always been sure that most men were definitely not made for ice-skating. Her dad, Mark, Justin and now Chakotay had proved her point numerous times. He had tried, she had to give him that much, though seeing him like this was certainly one of the funniest things she had watched in a long time. He had crawled, on all fours, to solid ground. Setting one knee forward at a time, he still managed to slip again and again, landing flat on his stomach. Kathryn stood and watched smiling broadly.

As he had finally reached safe heaven he collapsed on the snow, panting with exhaustion. "Kathryn, I will never again do something like this, never again, do you hear me?" He managed to get out.

She slowly made her way towards his form. The skates made walking difficult for her, though she managed to arrive somehow, letting herself slump down next to him. "I can't promise anything, Chakotay."

He rolled over, facing her. "Great, just great, can you at least remove those shoes that were trying to kill me?"

She glanced at him. "Chakotay, skates are not alive, so they can't kill you. You are just untalented."

"As if I hadn't noticed that."

Kathryn slowly crawled to his legs, tugging at the laces in order to free him. After struggling with them for a few minutes, Chakotay was sitting there, with only his socks covering his feet.

"My feet are freezing," he stated dryly.

"Where are your shoes, mister?" She asked as she slowly massaged his feet, watching his response to her touch. His eyes were closed, his face relaxed, pure pleasure written all over it.

"Right next to yours." He grinned.

"I see your problem now." She glanced to the other side of the lake. Both of their shoes were lying next to one another on a small bench.

"Can't we just ask for a beamout?" Chakotay whined.

She slowly made her way up to his face, hovering over him, her hands balancing her at the sides of his body. "I will be right back, don't run away." Kissing him lightly, she retreated.

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Kathryn gracefully glided back towards the shore where they had left their shoes. She could feel his gaze burning into her back as she drifted away from him. She had to try hard to stay focused. The last thing she needed now was to slip and land flat on her stomach for him to laugh at her. She knew she had been just as bad herself before, but that still didn't mean she wanted him to do the same to her.

She couldn't believe the way she felt when he was around. It had been bad before but now, now she felt like bursting with happiness and joy. She couldn't believe she hadn't given in to him before. It was definitely fun to tease him.

Reaching the shore without any interruptions she made her way to the bench where they had left their shoes before. She found them, or what was left of them. Hers were alright, she noticed, but Chakotay's were another matter completely. Obviously the rabbit had liked them a lot. Enough to dissect them, that was. He wouldn't be able to wear those anymore, not if he wanted some protection from the cold. She decided to take them with her in spite of their state. If not good for wear they would give them a good laugh.

She wound both pairs of shoes around her neck after she had bond the laces together. Suddenly the rabbit jumped onto the bench startling Kathryn. It just sat and stared at Chakotay's shoes, or what was left of it.

"No, don't you tell me you want those." Kathryn laughed, her eyes sparkling.

The rabbit just raised its paw, tilting its head slightly.

"Okay, okay, you won. But what will I tell my handsome boyfriend at the other end of the lake?" Kathryn quickly covered her mouth. Had she really just referred to Chakotay as her boyfriend? Even if it was only in front of an animal it had to mean something. Kathryn was sure of it.

She disentangled Chakotay's boots from her own and set them back onto the bench. The rabbit just sat and began to munch, watching her.

Kathryn shook her head and decided it was time to return to Chakotay to tell him the bad news.

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As she skated closer to him she noticed he hadn't moved a centimetre since she had left him lying in the snow. She was anxious something had happened to him as she hurried closer. Relief flooded through her as Chakotay propped his head up to watch her approaching.

"What took you so long?" he hollered, following her every move.

"I met your adversary," she laughed back as she finally reached the shore.

"Who is that?" She changed shoes before she answered him.

"A little rabbit-like creature," she slowly approached him, kneeling down beside him.

"Kathryn? Kathryn, where are my shoes?" She just looked at him. "No, tell me this isn't true Kathryn. Don't tell me you left them there, in its hands."

"I did. I left what was left of them." He moved enough to place his head into her lap, waiting for her to continue her story. She buried her hands in his hair, doing just that. "It had already dissected your shoes. Well, I wanted to bring them anyway, you know, just to see you try them on, or just look at them. Then the little rabbit jumped onto the bench and made me leave them behind."

"How so?" he inquired.

"It's something in its eyes and its demeanour. He reminds me of you, actually. I can't help it, but I can't deny him anything."

"I see, if I would tell you to marry me now, would you do that?" Her face grew serious. He studied her intensely for a few moments.

"Don't worry, Kathryn, I was just joking."

Relief washed all over her face. She was indeed feeling better now that he had pulled back. She wasn't ready for a commitment like that and she hoped he would understand. Knowing Chakotay he was sure he would understand.

"Get up," she commanded.

"I can't." He admitted.

"Why not?" She was curious as for what his excuse would be.

"My back is killing me." He lamented.

"Sheesh, men," she shook her head. "Turn around, love." He obeyed, as she began to rub the knots out of his sore back.

As she had finished the massage he turned around lying in her lap once again. She was studying his face intently as she saw him wince. "What is it?" she asked gently smoothing the lines of his face with her fingers.

"The rabbit decided he likes my socks even better." He winced again.

Kathryn glanced down his body towards his socks. There it was. The little creature was slowly ridding Chakotay of his socks.

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"Yes?" She asked, her teeth clattering.

"I am freezing, my clothes are soaking. As much as I love this massage I suggest we ask for new clothes. Tuvok can beam them down."

"Sheesh, Chakotay, you're kidding right? Tell me you're kidding. This will make its way to Tom and Harry. You know what they will think." She sighed.

"So what?" He challenged her.

"I do see your point," she grinned down at him evilly. Never losing eye-contact she hailed Tuvok.

"Tuvok here," came his voice through the combadge.

"Would you please beam two sets of winterclothes to our co-ordinates?" Kathryn could actually see him raising an eyebrow, as she heard Tom and Harry's laughter. Tuvok's expression must have been priceless.

"Aye, Captain, I will see to it. Tuvok out." As soon as the commlink closed, they burst out laughing.

"Kathryn, you are truly evil," Chakotay held his stomach, that was shaking uncontrollably as was the rest of his body.

"Did you ever doubt that?" She asked, turning towards the clothes that had just appeared out of thin air.

"Janeway to Tuvok." She hailed him yet again.

"Tuvok here." Did his voice sound annoyed?

"You forgot Chakotay's boots and socks." She grinned, gesturing Chakotay to stop laughing.

"Captain?" She imagined the eyebrow raising above Tuvok's hairline and had a hard time trying not to burst out laughing yet again.

"They were attacked by a rabbit." She managed to say as Chakotay started to tickle her.

She could hear the bridge crew snorting with laughter, excluding Tuvok, of course.

Soon afterwards Chakotay's new shoes and socks appeared before Kathryn. "Thank you very much, Tuvok. Janeway out."

She couldn't help it any longer. Chakotay dressed himself exposing first his bare chest and then his muscled legs to her. Kathryn was literally drooling by the time he was done, refusing to act on the impulse to rid him of his clothes again. Asking Tuvok for new clothes yet again would have been – unpleasant.

He just stood and stared at her as if waiting for something. Kathryn glared at him. "No way, mister. You are going to turn around. And I mean, now."

Luckily, Chakotay obeyed. Not wanting to take chances she turned around herself, quickly shedding her clothes she put on the new garments, stopping as she felt his eyes boring into her still bare back. "I said, turn around, Chakotay." She finished dressing knowing that he hadn't obeyed. "I might put you into the brig for that, mister," she grinned, turning around.

"Feel free to, Kathryn." He grinned back at her.

"Walk with me?" She asked, approaching him.

"Always." He answered. "Always."

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As they walked through the night, Kathryn noticed something odd. "Chakotay, are you okay?" She asked, worried.

"Yes, I am, why are you asking?" She saw him wince. He was slowing them down, limping heavily on one leg. She knew he wasn't alright, though he once again was too stubborn to admit it. It was a problem both of them had. They were too stubborn for their own good.

"Chakotay, stop. This is ridiculous. You are obviously limping. You must have hurt yourself seriously on the ice."

"Kath, I am alright." Chakotay glanced at her.

"Don't be stupid. We are returning to the ship, now." Kathryn glared at him, killing all attempts at objection immediately.

"I don't want this evening to stop, Kathryn. I want to be here, with you, forever. I don't want to go back to Voyager."

She just continued to stare him down. "Janeway to Voyager, two to beam to sickbay."

As both of them shimmered out of existence Kathryn noticed two things: Chakotay

As they walked through the night, Kathryn noticed something odd. "Chakotay, are you okay?" She asked, worried.

"Yes, I am, why are you asking?" She saw him wince. He was slowing them down, limping heavily on one leg. She knew he wasn't alright, though he once again was too stubborn to admit it. It was a problem both of them had. They were too stubborn for their own good.

"Chakotay, stop. This is ridiculous. You are obviously limping. You must have hurt yourself seriously on the ice."

"Kath, I am alright." Chakotay glanced at her.

"Don't be stupid. We are returning to the ship, now." Kathryn glared at him, killing all attempts at objection immediately.

"I don't want this evening to stop, Kathryn. I want to be here, with you, forever. I don't want to go back to Voyager."

She just continued to stare him down. "Janeway to Voyager, two to beam to sickbay."

As both of them shimmered out of existence Kathryn noticed two things: Chakotay seemed to be extremely worried, glancing at her repeatedly and the rabbit seemed to be chuckling. She was sure the latter was just a side-effect from the cold and transporter dizziness.

As they rematerialised in sickbay, Tom and the Doctor were already waiting anxiously for their return, ready for any emergency. Kathryn's voice must have sounded more urgent than she had thought it would.

Breathing the sterile sickbay air reminded her of what she had had only seconds ago. She already missed fresh air, she missed freezing, she missed him.

Chakotay was lead to one of the biobeds by Tom Paris. He looked back at her, as she smiled encouraging.

"Commander, how did you manage this?" Tom asked, grinning in Kathryn's direction. "You sprained your ankle pretty badly. Strenuous activities?" If Chakotay was glaring at Tom, she was seriously killing him. Tom winced and silently fixed the ankle.

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The Doctor never left Tom's side as he progressed with the simple treatment, observing everything. As Tom had to grab around the Doctor to retrieve an instrument, Tom had enough. "Doc, stop it, will you. It's a sprained ankle. I do know how to treat those, and if you don't think so, do it yourself."

The EMH stepped back, holding his hands out in defeat. Chakotay winced, his eyes remaining fixed on Kathryn, who hovered at the other side of sickbay.

The Captain was well aware of Chakotay's attention, as was Kathryn. She was the one who dearly wanted to run to the man she loved and hold his hand, while the Captain wanted to stay right where she was. She was distant, far away. She was thinking about the night and everything that had happened before, about the consequences the day might have brought.

She snapped out of her reverie as a hand repeatedly disrupted her view of Chakotay.

Wincing she realised she must have watched him almost all the time. Finally, she remembered she should say something. "What is it?"

"Captain, you've been far away, haven't you?" Tom asked, grinning, his head hinting in Chakotay's direction.

"I have been thinking, Ensign," she stated as she saw Tom wince. She always thought it funny just how easy it was to stop Tom from teasing or behaving like he usually did when he was in a funny mood. Call him Ensign and Tom shuts up. Kathryn grinned.

"I just wanted to tell you that Chakotay is free to go now. I was hoping you would accompany him to his quarters to make sure he was alright." Kathryn pondered what Tom had just said. Was he trying to throw the two of them together? If the turbolift got stuck on the way back to his quarters she would have Tom's head for it.

Kathryn nodded in Chakotay's direction. "Ready, Commander?" she asked as she walked towards him in order to help him up.

"Sure, Captain," he answered, his face stoic.

They walked out of the room side by side. Contrary to their closeness before they now walked as if nothing had ever happened. Worse, they walked as if they were feeling awkward. They used to walk close to each other, fingers brushing before, but now nothing of that could be seen.

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They walked back to his quarters silently. Chakotay glanced at her nervously once in a while. Kathryn took a deep breath as they entered the turbolift. She held it as long as the lift was running, or at least it seemed so to her. As it opened without any interruptions Kathryn sighed with relief. Chakotay just looked at her, his eyebrow raised in question. She shook her head, slightly. He nodded in understanding. He wouldn't push the subject now.

They silently walked on through the grey corridors, the hum of Voyager itself, their footsteps and Chakotay's breathing the only sounds that could be heard. Kathryn wasn't breathing at all, anymore. She was too nervous and too scared to do so.

As they reached his quarters they stopped.

"You alright?" Kathryn asked.

"Yes," he answered, watching her. "Would you like to talk about this, Kathryn?"

"About what?"

"You know what. This day. What has happened? Us."

"Chakotay. Actually, I don't want to talk about it now. I think I have a lot to ponder, and so do you."

"I don't have to think about it, Kathryn," he insisted.

"Good for you," Kathryn answered. "But I have to."

She gently pushed him into his quarters, letting the doors close behind him.

Grinning to herself Kathryn walked down, entering her own four walls. "Chakotay to Janeway." She had known he would call her.

"Yes?" She answered his hail.

"That was mean." She could hear he was pouting, the rustle of clothes indicating he was undressing himself.

"I agree," she answered as she closed the link. She wasn't going to make it easy for him. She planned on something bigger, something evil. "Janeway to Tuvok."

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Kathryn grinned as she saw Chakotay's facial expression. He had just rematerialized on the planet. Kathryn looked him up and down, not only the look on his face was priceless, she also appreciated his state of undress. He was clad only in his boxers, looking as if he would freeze to death any second. "Gotcha," she grinned as she stepped closer to hug him tightly.

"Kathryn," he breathed. "Never ever do this to me again. You are trying to kill me, right?"

"Oh, I am sorry, let me call Tuvok and you will be back on Voyager in a second. Janeway to-" she started as he silenced her with a kiss.

"Don't you dare," he growled through chattering teeth.

"Do you want to freeze to death, or do you want to come in?" She asked, gesturing at the hut that stood behind him. He turned around facing it, as if pondering his actions.

Before she could react Chakotay had turned around and lifted her up to carry her in. She squealed in delight, fidgeting as they entered the log cabin. Chakotay stopped for a moment, taking in his surroundings. Kathryn watched his gaze drifting around.

The fireplace lit the room in a cosy yellow light, warmth radiating from it. She could feel the little goosebumps on Chakotay's skin dissipate. He stared at the beautifully laid table, complete with candles and dinner already waiting for them. She saw his eyes widen as he saw the bathtub in the middle of the room, a steaming nebula rising from it.

"Kathryn?" He asked, hesitantly.

"Yes, love?" She answered.

"Is this what I think it is?"

"A bathtub, Chakotay." She answered, grinning.

"This isn’t any bathtub, is it?" His face was ashen.

"No, it isn’t, Chakotay." She tried to get her feet back to the ground. He let her go, absent minded.

"This is the bathtub," he stated. "The one I made for you on New Earth. How?"

"I had Tuvok transport it to Voyager after we left the planet. I couldn’t leave it there. I just couldn’t." Kathryn faced him, her eyes boring into his.

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She leaned against him, savouring the feel of her back against his chest. They were relaxing in the bathtub together. Kathryn had never before done something like that. Not even with Mark or Justin and she had been engaged to be married with both of them. Kathryn closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting her head drop to her chest, savouring the feel of his hands against her neck and shoulders. She hadn’t known how many knots had formed there until he had volunteered to rub them out.

"Chakotay, that feels so good," she murmured.

She could feel his grin as he pressed a kiss just below her earlobe. "You have no idea how long I’ve waited for you to say that."

"Chakotay," she warned him.

"Just teasing, love."

"Chakotay, tell me one thing."

"Yes?" He asked, embracing her.

"Why didn’t we do this years ago?" She sighed.

"Because you were too stubborn."

"Too stubborn to admit that I love you, I know," she sighed yet again. "You know now, don’t you? I love you, Chakotay, don’t you ever again doubt that, okay?" She tilted her head enough to kiss him briefly.

"I love you too, Kathryn," he whispered as he buried his face into her hair. "I love you."

"So, Chakotay, does your offer still stand?"

"Offer?" He asked, confusion evident in his voice.

"You, me, marriage."

He laughed out as he turned her around, pulling the both of them under water.

:: The End ::

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Kathryn sighed into Chakotay’s chest contentedly. Everything was alright now, everything had come into place. Everything was perfect. They had stayed on the planet a while longer, living together, exploring their new relationship. She had even dragged the man she loved to some local priest and married him, not that it took much dragging. She just liked the way it sounded.
She felt him stir in his sleep as she ruffled his hair. He stirred again. "Chakotay?" She gently kissed him awake.

"Hmm?" He asked, wincing suddenly.

"What is it?"

"I think the rabbit is back, and this time I don’t have shoes nor socks to rescue me." He grinned at the irony of the situation.

"Should I scare it away?" Kathryn asked, not really feeling like moving.

"If you want a husband with 10 toes you should," he answered.

"Okay then." She turned around, trying to shove the rabbit off their bed. She had no success.

Suddenly a bright flash transformed the rabbit-like creature into something even more familiar.

"How rude," he stated, "Kathy, you should really be more gracious to your hopping Amor."

"You ate my shoes and my socks, and tried to eat my toes," Chakotay stated dryly. "That isn’t the usual thing for Amor to do."

"So shoot me, I couldn’t resist," Q grinned. Kathryn grinned at him, obviously deep in thought. "Forget it, Kathryn, I am immortal, remember?"

"Great, Q, so leave me alone or I will ask Q-Ball to take you with him."

"Okay, okay, wasn’t planning on staying anyway. Just have a nice life you two and promise me never to have children."

She grinned at Q evilly. "Too late."

Q stared at her, dumbfounded. As his gaze wandered towards the father of the child, he chuckled. "Look what you've done to poor Chuckles. I think he is dead. He surely looks like it.”

Kathryn turned around to see her husband staring into nothingness. She wasn't even sure he was breathing as he sat, frozen, his mouth gaping open.

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