Paramount owns I just wanted to borrow

Piece of fluff that took me 45 minutes (yup that long)

Fun for all the family

By KittyKat

Well it was over. It had taken the better part of a decade but they were home, finally. There was a feeling of unreality about it all. The crew had become so close during the years they were together that everyone else seemed like outsiders. Their welcome home had been spectacular, to say the least. The former Maquis were all unconditionally pardoned, although some did not feel that they had done anything that would have required pardons. Most had jobs ready to go into. Harry was offered a First Officer position, Tom was offered a ship designing position at HQ, Chakotay was offered a professorship at the Academy, or the command of his own ship and she, well she was offered an Admiralty. She should have been ecstatic; Christ she should have been over the moon, but she just felt empty inside, like something was missing. She was happy to see her friends and family again after so long, of course she was, she’d missed them desperately, but something just wasn’t there. She missed being on Voyager, being with the crew that she knew so well, and if she was truly honest with herself she missed him. She hadn’t seen Chakotay in nearly 2 weeks, it was longest they’d been apart in 8 years and god it was killing her. At least now she was free, free to pursue whatever it was that was between them, but did he want that? If she asked, would she be able to accept his response whatever that response? She had been through a hell of a lot in the past 8 years, but she had never felt as frightened as she did now, sitting in the little café, waiting for him. She glanced at the chronometer on opposite wall and swallowed nervously. She glanced up as she heard the door opening, her breath caught in her throat as she saw him enter, she smiled, he saw he and smiled back walking over to where she was and sitting down.

"Captain…" He grinned

"Sorry Admiral." She grinned back.

"I think Kathryn’s OK Chakotay."

"How have you been?" They asked simultaneously then laughed nervously. A silence fell. She took a deep breath, now was the time.

"I’ve missed you Chakotay." She said it quietly and looked up into his eyes that were staring intently at her.

"I’ve missed you too." He replied quietly, they sat there staring silently at each other. It was funny she thought they had been friends for so long, sometimes they the only people they could turn to when they needed help and they’d made it through so many rough patches together, and now here they were sitting in a small café in San Francisco like strangers. She lost her courage, it was never going to work, she rose and made for the door, she had just made it outside when she felt his hand warm on her shoulder turning her around. Then he kissed her, hard at first but his mouth softened and she clung to him. When he pulled away she was breathless and felt a little embarrassed as she realised where they where and that people had stopped in the middle of the street to watch.

"Kathryn…" He said softly, she looked at him.

"I’ve been wanting to do that for 8 years, what are we going to do about it?" She smiled at him, ignoring the onlookers she pulled his face down to hers,

"What we should have done 8 years ago." She said against his lips as she kissed him.

Finis (as they say)

(02/01/00)