Joe Carey sat in the co-pilot’s seat on the shuttlecraft as it left Voyager wondering how to arrange work assignments when they reached their designated search area.  His team was concentrating on minerals that could be used to make repairs, like iron, platinum, gold, copper, and titanium.  They would also be on the lookout for other rare metals and crystals but weren’t expecting to find any in this area.  He had five other people assigned to his team, including Sam Wildman.  He knew he shouldn’t treat her any differently than the others on his team, but he wasn’t sure he could do that on an away mission.  Well, he wouldn’t try; there were three engineers and three geologists in the group so he would just pair the others with each other and keep Sam as his partner.

The shuttle settled to the ground on a wide ledge halfway up a canyon wall.  The canyon was nearly 1000 meters across at that point and about 500 meters deep.  The ledge was over 100 meters wide and both edges turned into likely looking trails leading along the canyon wall.  Joe sent one of the teams along one path and another team along the second path.  He and Sam would investigate the canyon wall behind the shuttle.  Their assignment was to determine whether further effort at this location was warranted and to get samples if possible.

Joe and Sam worked for about a half an hour examining the wall and taking samples.  For the most part Sam was satisfied with simply picking up some of the rocks near the wall.  Occasionally she asked Joe to help her chip off a sample and once she had him dig into the canyon wall about half a meter to take a sample of the dirt.  To an observer, they worked with quiet efficiency.  To those who knew they were a couple, they were barely speaking.

“Are you still mad at me, Joe?”  Samantha finally broke the strained silence.  She had known he would be upset, she just didn’t think he would react this strongly.

“I’m not angry, just upset.  You said we’d go to the captain together.  I wanted to be there to support you if she was upset or blamed you.  We’re both responsible so we both should have been there.”

“I know, Joe.  If we had been going to talk with Chakotay I would have wanted you along, but it was the captain.  I really wanted to talk to her one on one, woman to woman.  We could both say things we couldn’t say if anyone else were present.  It really was better this way, Joe.  She’s really truly happy for us.  I don’t like fighting.  Please, just accept what I did and let’s go forward.  OK?”

Joe was watching Sam’s face while she spoke.  She looked so sad as she finished speaking, that Joe couldn’t find it in himself to deny her what she wanted.  He tried to hang onto his anger for a second long before letting it go.  He walked over to Sam and took her in his arms.

“I couldn’t stay mad at you for long, love.  Come on back to the shuttle.  It’s time for dinner.  I’ll check with the other teams to see how they’re doing.”  He picked up Sam’s sample bag in spite of her protests and they started for the shuttle.

Joe checked in with the other two teams as they walked back to the shuttle.  They had also found some promising samples and were getting ready to return to the shuttle.  Joe suggested they eat before they returned but he warned them to get back well before sunset and to call if that appeared to be a problem.

“Why did you have them eat before they come back?”

“So you and I can have some more time together.  I’d like to make up a little bit more than just talking.  Come on.  Let’s eat.  We probably have an hour or so before they get back.”  They quickly ate the meal they had brought with them.  It wasn’t great after sitting around all day, but it was a lot better than the ration packs they sometimes had to take on away missions.  Once they had finished eating Sam cleaned up while Joe set the shuttle’s sensors to sound a warning whenever anyone approached within a 100 meters then stowed their samples.  Once they had finished, Joe settled in the most comfortable seat in the shuttle, not that there was much to say for the comfort of any of the seats, and pulled Sam onto his lap.  She immediately relaxed against him and put her head on his shoulder.

“I’m scared, Joe.”

“Why?  What’s there to be afraid of?”

“What kind of life are we giving our baby?  We’re stuck on a ship about as far from home as you can get and still be in the same galaxy with barely a possibility of getting back in our lifetime.”

“We’re going to give our baby a good life -- a life with two parents who love each other and who love their child.”

“Do you really think so?”

“I really think so, Sam.  You know what else I think?”

“No, what?”

“I think we should get married.  I don’t like having separate quarters and I’m not planning on letting you out of my life ever.  I worry about you and the baby when we’re apart.  I want us together all the time.”

“Are you sure, Joe?  I wouldn’t want you to ever feel like I trapped you into marriage with the baby.”

“Anyone who knows me would think I had gotten you pregnant on purpose.  No one could ever think you trapped me into marriage.  So?  I love you, Samantha Wildman.  Will you marry me?”

“Yes, Joseph Carey, I’ll marry you.  I love you, too.”  Joe sealed her promise with a gentle kiss full of promises for tomorrow.  They just sat for a long time until Joe broke the silence.

“So, which of us should approach the captain?”

“Why don’t you talk to Chakotay about this.  I’m sure my conversation with the captain made her think about all sorts of related issues and I’m equally certain that she discussed them with the Commander by now.  He’ll know what she’s decided if she’s made any decisions yet.  If not, he’ll know how you can best approach her.  If they haven’t discussed marriages on Voyager, he might even prefer to bring it up with her generally rather than having two people’s futures depending on her answer.”

“You’re probably right.  I’m sure he would support us, but I don’t think he’d confront the captain once she’s made a decision.  Marriage implies families and more children on Voyager.  Knowing how close the two of them are, I’m sure the issue has come up for them on a personal level.  I wouldn’t want to press the issue at the wrong time.  I’ll talk to him at the first opportunity.”

“This may sound funny, but I don’t think the captain will have any problems with us getting married.  While we were talking, emotions kept flitting across her face.  There was happiness when she heard I was pregnant then others all mixed up.  I don’t know what they were or what they meant, but I think she will make sure it all works out for us.”

“I hope you’re right.  We’ll find out soon enough.  Now, weren’t we supposed to be making up from a mild disagreement?”  The two focused on each other until the alarm indicated that at least one of the other teams was approaching the shuttle.  Joe broke away from Sam and pushed her to her feet as he rose from the chair to begin preparation for their returnto Voyager.