Disclaimer: Paramount. Yup. Paramount owns it all. Except for the plot. That's mine. I thought it up. HA!

A fanfic by me, Kessie!

                                                                  Walking

    Chakotay entered the commands to one of his favorite holodeck programs. Stepping through the doors, he entered a lush green forest, carpeted with soft moss and fallen leaves. Above his head, the occasional woodpecker tapped at the bark of a tree, searching for insects. Gentle streams of light, that had managed to penetrate the thick canopy of leaves, created complicated patterns of light and shadow on the forest floor.
    
     Taking a seat on a large rock, he looked back on when he'd created the program, almost two years ago.It had taken longer to create than most of his programs, as he'd spent extra time working on the intricate details which made this specific program so incredibly lifelike, so that one would very quickly forget that none of it was real.

     Though he had created it for vision quests when his quarters just weren't peaceful enough, it was originally going to be where he had planned to propose to Kathryn. Back when she was still in good spirits, when she'd still had hope in her heart. But after a long time, the hope had begun to fade. She'd kept the determination, but Chakotay knew that the fire inside of her that he loved so much had died. Then, she'd begun blaming everything that happened to the crew on herself, and closed herself off from other people. She still interacted with them, though not on a social basis. Kathryn had abandoned her position as 'mother' to so many, and taken a few steps backward to become, once again, a stubborn Starfleet captain. As well as that, her relationship with the commander had been left to collect cobwebs, forgotten memories echoing through its empty halls.

     Chakotay's thoughts were interrupted by a rustle behind him. Shifting his weight to turn around, he saw the figure of his captain standing by a tall birch tree. As Chakotay had long-ago programmed, she was dressed in a long beige dress witha modestly cut v-neck and 3/4 length sleeves. Her hair was gently framing her face, cupping her jawline. He nodded to her, wondering if she'd want him to set the program so that she'd be in uniform again.

     "Commander," she acknowledged, seeming unbothered by her attire. Chakotay hated how she'd become so formal with everyone. Standing up, he walked over to her, and looked her in the eyes.

     "Captain, we need to talk. Would you like to come with me?" he asked, gesturing toward the path that stretched through the forest. He watched her eyes carefully study his face. She paused for a moment, and answered.

     "Allright,"

     Beginning to stroll through the woods, she didn't check to see if the commander was following. Chakotay hadn't moved an inch from when he'd stood up to talk to her. Waiting until she'd wandered a little farther away from where he was, he called out to her.

     "Kathryn."

     She stopped, and turned her head back to look at him.

     "You shouldn't walk alone. That's not going to help us get anywhere," he commented.

     Janeway's eyes softened, and she took a deep breath, realizing he wasn't talking entirely about their afternoon walk. Hesitantly, she held out her hand. Chakotay, relieved that she'd complied, caught up with her.

     They held hands for five minutes, walking in silence. Chakotay stopped walking once they'd reached a rocky clearing. They sat down, and talked softly for an hour about everything; The Delta Quadrant, the crew, the future, and Janeway's isolation. Once Chakotay believed that Kathryn had started to warm up to the idea that she could talk openly with him. Then, they continued walking.

     Chakotay was disappointed that, even though she'd been honest and willing to talk, she still hadn't let down her *captain's shield*.

     They weren't holding hands any more, but they kept talking while they strolled along the path. Suddenly, Janeway tripped over a root that was protruding form the dirt, and tumbled to the ground. Chakotay helped her up by her elbow, and noticed she had cut her arm on a rock on the floor. She noticed it at the same time, and looked into his eyes. Chakotay saw, even for a brief second, all the pain and frustration she's been keeping pent up inside herself for all of Voyager's journey. He reached his arm around Kathrn's shoulder, comforting her.

     Tears welled up in Kathryn's eyes, and she began sobbing. Chakotay scooped her up into his arms, and carried her to a tree by a small brook. He sat her in his lap, and hugged her tightly. Kathryn hesitated for a moment, tears leaving salty trails down her face, before wrapping her arms around his neck. Chakotay removed his arms from around her back after a minute, and retrieved an emergency medkit from behind a hidden panel in the tree. Unwrapping her right arm from behind his head, he examined her wound, and used a dermal regenerator to clean and heal it.

     "Thank you," she murmered, running her fingers through the short hair on the back of his head, "Thank you so much.".

     "See? All wounds can heal with a little help," Chakotay explained, gently rubbing her arm where the cut had been.

     "No, I'm not talking about my arm," she clarified. Chakotay smiled, kissing her on the forehead.

     "Nor am I."

                                                               The End


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