by Dakota

Kathryn awoke from a deep sleep.  As she slowly stretched, she remembered her dream from the night before. It seemed so real that she looked around the room to determine whether anyone else was present. Relief mingled with disappointment when she saw no one else in the room. Her dream still lingered in her mind. She remembered not only how Chakotay looked, but how good he smelled and felt. She remembered how he held her, touched her with gentle possession and fiery passion. Kathryn recalled more details of her dream -- they had made love four times during the dream, moving from the initial rush of passion held back far too long, to the slow, tender expressions of long time lovers.

Kathryn thought about some of her other recent dreams. They were similar to this dream but not so intense and the lingering impressions not so vivid. She had been having these dreams with increasing frequency for several months now. A few days ago she had finally admitted to herself what the dreams were telling her -- she loved Chakotay. Once she had admitted her feelings to herself, Kathryn knew it was just a matter of time before she shared those feelings - and her dreams - with Chakotay. “Soon,” she had promised herself, “very soon.”

Knowing she had the morning off, Kathryn snuggled back into her pillow hoping to return to the dream and Chakotay’s arms. The thought brought a smile to her face. Kathryn had just drifted off when she sensed a presence in her room. She opened her eyes to see Chakotay as he exited her bathroom. He returned to her bed and pulled her close.

“Last night . . . you’re . . . not a dream?”

“Not this time, Kathryn. You told me about your dreams last night. Remember? Now, let me show you again just how much better reality can be than a dream.”