by Dakota
Part 3

Chakotay usually woke and dressed before Kathryn then waited in what the crew had started calling the ready room. Even though it was extremely cold, they preferred to make the walk to the mess hall along the open path rather than the Canyon Trail. Having only one cavern along the tunnel made the grotto they shared extremely private and even more inconvenient when moving around. Every few days, one of them would make a comment about the inconvenience and the other would point out that the caves were even less convenient. They would sigh and eventually laugh at themselves.

Several weeks after they started sleeping in the grotto, a grinning Chakotay awakened Kathryn. "Get up. I have something to show you. I'll wait for you in the ready room."

Curiosity made Kathryn dress quickly. She walked into the ready room to see Chakotay holding her coat. "Come on."

As soon as she had her coat on, he grabbed her hand and pulled her along the tunnel. At the end, he stepped to the side and pushed her to the opening. She stared out at a winter wonderland. A carpet of snow covered the entire valley. It was layered on the evergreens and piled over the rocks. It was beautiful… and cold. Kathryn felt Chakotay reach his arms around her from behind and pull her coat closed. As he started to pull away, she clasped his wrists to hold him there. When he relaxed, she buttoned her coat and leaned against him. He shifted slightly and moved a bit closer.

"I guess this is what Q meant when he said we wouldn't have weather as we knew it." Chakotay chuckled.

"It's winter as I remember it, but I don't remember having it just appear over night." Kathryn twisted and tilted her head, trying to look at Chakotay. "Do we go this way or the long way to breakfast?"

"It's knee deep in places. No point getting wet and cold if we don't have to."

"I'm not cold right now." Kathryn spoke without thinking.

"Neither am I, but you're going to want a cup of coffee soon."

Fully expecting Chakotay to step back, Kathryn turned around and found herself facing him, wrapped in his arms.

Chakotay stared at her mouth and when she didn't speak, he raised his eyes to hers for a moment before he slowly lowered his lips to hers. She returned the kiss and leaned closer.

When the kiss finally ended, her hands were on his waist. She pushed gently against him and he took a half step backwards. She met his eyes again. "You're right. We'd better get going."

Somehow, her hand was in his as they made their way back along the tunnel and headed the long way to the mess hall. When they arrived, everyone was talking about the snow and how cold the caverns were. Chakotay went to the long table to get their food while Kathryn headed directly to the coffee. She could usually manage to drink her first cup, refill it before she picked up his, and still beat Chakotay to the table. Today they were the first of the senior officers to sit down to eat. She could hear Tom talking excitedly to someone outside.

"I wonder what scheme Tom will have dreamed up by the time he gets in here." Chakotay laughed as he sat down.

"Whatever it is, it will probably be cold."

"Then you can warm up in the grotto when it's over."

Kathryn eyed Chakotay speculatively. His expression didn't change as he met her eyes.

"Hey! What do you think of all that snow?" Tom had clearly arrived.

"Good morning. Don't mind him," B'Elanna apologized. "I'm not having much luck improving his manners."

"Good morning, B'Elanna," Kathryn commented. "Actually, I've seen a slight improvement."

"Morning, B," Chakotay responded. "The captain is right. There is a very slight improvement. You deserve all the credit."

"Don't I get any credit?"

"No. Eat your breakfast." B'Elanna cut off Tom.

Tom ignored B'Elanna completely. "Captain, could the entire crew have the day off? One great big shore leave?"

"So you can play in the snow?"

"Not just me. All of us. I'm sure a lot would love a day to relax in the grotto or take a walk in the snow. It looks like the old picture post cards out there."

"What would you do?" Chakotay asked.

"Well, I was thinking of trying to make a sled."

"I don't suppose you'd consider shoveling out a path from the equipment room to the ready room, would you?" Kathryn asked.

"On my day off?" Tom sounded offended.

"That's what I thought." Kathryn sounded like that had been the deciding factor.

"Ma'am, if it's that important, I'll do it. Could you give the rest of them the day off anyway?"

"It's a deal. You clear the trail and they can have the day off," Kathryn agreed. "You can make the announcement."

Tom stood. "Hey, everyone. The captain just told me you all have the day off. You can do whatever you want."

Silence fell as Tom's message ended then a single voice spoke. "All right!" When the rest realized it was no joke, applause and cheers echoed through the cavern. Half an hour later, the mess hall was nearly empty. Kathryn glanced around and saw half a dozen people working near the oven. She called over to them. "You don't have to make lunch for them today."

"We're not, Captain. We wanted to experiment with some different types of bread and thought today was the perfect time. Besides, if we don't use the oven, it's going to be too cold in here to eat tonight."

"We were thinking maybe cinnamon apple since we have so many apples."

"I wanted to try to make an apple pie, but we don't have any recipes for pie crust so it's completely experimental."

"That's enough." The captain cut off the responses. "I believe you and I wish you the best of luck. If you need someone to sample your results, let the commander and me know. We'll be happy to give you our opinion."

Kathryn stopped to get another cup of coffee as they headed back down the tunnel. "What are you going to do today, Chakotay?"

"It's cave inspection day but I think I'll wait until tomorrow. Want to take a walk along the Canyon River?"

Kathryn turned to the left and headed for the equipment cavern.

"Where are we going?"

"I'm going to find Tom. Where are you going?"

"To find Tom apparently. Mind telling me why?"

"To give him the day off, too."

"What was that all about at breakfast then?"

"I wanted to see if he was really thinking about the rest of the crew or just wanted a day off for himself."

"B'Elanna has prompted more changes in Tom than just his manners," Chakotay said.

"I know. You were right about the two of them."

They entered the equipment room. "Is Tom out working already?" the captain asked B'Elanna.

"Yes. He found a snow shovel and left about five minutes ago."

The captain nodded and walked toward the exit. They found a hard working Tom Paris about five meters up the trail.

"Lieutenant, I need a word with you." The captain sounded official and slightly irritated.

"Yes, ma'am." Paris stood and faced her.

Before the captain could say anything, Chakotay spoke. "May I, Captain?"

She looked at her first officer wondering what he had in mind. "Of course, Commander."

"Lieutenant, you're not handling that shovel properly."

"I'm not, sir?" Paris sounded very surprised.

"No." Chakotay was quite definite. "Put the shovel on the ground with the handle pointing downhill."

Chakotay waited for Paris to put the shovel on the ground. "Now facing the handle, put your feet just over the blade. Sit on the blade."

Paris sat down looking at Chakotay with considerable concern.

"Grasp the handle in both hands and lift it off the ground."

Chakotay stepped behind Paris. "Good. Now lift your feet off the ground."

When Paris's feet were off the ground, the captain finally realized what Chakotay had in mind. As Chakotay's hands pushed Tom away from him and down the hill, she shouted. "Have a wonderful day off, Tom!"

Tom's exhilarated whoop of joy told them he'd received the message loud and clear. Smiling they turned back to the equipment room.

"I think I'd like a walk along the Canyon River." Kathryn smiled her delayed acceptance.

Kathryn and Chakotay had strolled hand in hand for nearly two hours along the small cascades. The long walk had been pleasant and relaxing. So relaxing that after lunch Kathryn allowed Tom to talk her into trying out his makeshift sled. After half a dozen attempts, Kathryn managed to make it down the hill. A dozen rides later, Chakotay led her shivering through the equipment cavern and into the tunnels to the mess hall. She made a beeline for the coffee; he gathered up some fruit, cheese, day old bread and half a loaf of the apple cinnamon bread.

He walked over to Kathryn. "Come on. You're still cold. You can warm up in your grotto."

"What's all that?"

"Our dinner." Kathryn stared at Chakotay. "It's our day off. I thought maybe a nice quiet dinner would be nice."

She turned to refill her cup and smiled at him. "I'd like that."

When they reached the grotto, Chakotay took Kathryn's coat. "I'll put these in the ready room. You get in the pool and get warm."

"All right." Kathryn shivered after he left and hurried to get into the pool. She was in her favorite spot when he returned.

"Feeling warmer now?" Chakotay's question roused Kathryn from her thoughts.

"Much." She looked toward the food he had carried back from the mess hall. "What exactly is dinner?"

"Apples, bread, some cheese… and I picked up half a loaf of that apple cinnamon bread."

"You didn’t."

"I did." Chakotay grinned at Kathryn.

Kathryn just shook her head and smiled as she moved across the pool. "Your turn."

"You just got in."

"You take a turn before we eat. I might decide to spend the entire evening in there."

Chakotay turned away to cut up the apples and cheese while Kathryn got out and quickly dressed. She pulled on her boots and straightened before walking toward the tunnel. "I have some ideas I want to discuss with you. I'll get my notes and be right back."

Chakotay quickly stripped and slipped into the pool. He heard Kathryn walk down the tunnel as he moved to his favorite ledge, which was only a few feet from Kathryn's. He leaned back and closed his eyes, allowing the warmth to seep into his body.

A few minutes later, Chakotay heard Kathryn enter the grotto but he didn't open his eyes. "Find what you were looking for?"

"Yes."

Kathryn walked across the grotto and realized Chakotay wasn't watching her. She sat down and pulled off her boots. The floor in the grotto was warm enough to walk on without chilling her feet halfway to her knees. She looked around the grotto. She had turned off all the torches except one down the tunnel. She knew Chakotay was close enough to the falling water to keep him from hearing all her movements. Silently she pulled off her clothes and slipped into the water. She saw his head jerk and knew he had opened his eyes and was watching her as she crossed the pool.

"I thought you said one person at a time." Kathryn could hear the caution in his voice.

"I did but I'm changing the rules." Kathryn slipped onto her ledge and leaned back. "I'm ready to discuss that legend with you."

"Oh?"

"It wasn't really a legend, was it?"

"No, but I think you already know that."

"I hoped it wasn't, but I wanted to be sure." She closed her eyes. "Why did you tell me a legend?"

"You weren't ready to hear the words."

"Am I now?"

"Stop playing games, Kathryn. What is it you're trying to say?"

"I love you. I'm trying to find out if that is what you were telling me."

"Get over here, Kathryn."

"You giving me orders again?"

"Yes."

Kathryn slid off her ledge and moved over to Chakotay. He pulled her onto his lap. "I love you, Kathryn." He kissed her gently, then more passionately.

Suddenly, Kathryn pushed away from Chakotay and stood in the chest high water. "No." Chakotay dropped his hands and looked away. Kathryn was surprised by his reaction to her words then realized what he thought. "Not in here." She took his hand and led him across the pool. He tried to get out at his end of the grotto. She shook her head and pulled him toward her bed. "No, our dinner is there and we'll need to keep some place dry to sleep tonight."

Early the next morning, Kathryn woke and was slightly disoriented. Then she felt the arms around her and realized that she was in Chakotay's corner of the grotto. She felt his breathing change and knew he was also awake. She turned on her side to face him and reached out one hand to stroke his cheek. "Good morning."

Chakotay smiled as he pulled her closer for a quick kiss. "Definitely." He kissed her again as Kathryn's hand moved around his neck.

Kathryn felt his hands moving along her body from her hip to her rip cage and stop. He looked into her eyes. "Are you all right?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"You don't seem in a hurry to get your first cup of coffee this morning."

Kathryn nodded her head slowly then rolled onto her back, pulling him with her. "I think I've found a better way to wake up."

The winter was long and cold and completely uneventful. The days slowly grew longer and warmed slightly. Despite the openness of the Canyon, tension slowly mounted. Cabin fever. At first, the captain discounted it. Why would a group that was accustomed to spending month after month in the confines of a ship get cabin fever?

Then Neelix raised his voice to Kes and called her 'silly' one morning at breakfast. She could no longer ignore the problem. She and her first officer discussed it at breakfast the next day.

"What do we do about it, Chakotay?"

"There's not that much we can do. Keep people busy. Try to have them work with different people during the day. We could ask Tom to organize some recreational activities. Maybe a baseball game or something."

"See to it. It's worth a try." She sighed. "Hopefully spring isn't far off."

Chakotay clasped her hand on the table. "I've enjoyed the winter."

Kathryn smiled. "I'm sure you'll enjoy spring and summer just as much."

Their conversation was cut off by a raised voice from across the room. "It's not fair, I tell you. The officers get all the best caves!"

The command team turned to see Yosa standing and shouting at Logan. Kathryn stood and the room fell silent. "What seems to be the problem, gentlemen?"

Yosa looked embarrassed but didn't back down. "With all due respect, Captain, the best housing assignments went to the people from Starfleet."

"I'll admit I haven't inspected every cave individually, but I was given to understand there was no significant difference among them."

"It's not the caves themselves, Captain. It's their distance from the bridge. Those of us up the canyon have to walk a lot farther down to the bridge and then back up the canyon to the mess hall. The people from Starfleet are closer to the bridge. It's not fair."

"Those caves were assigned in the order requested except for the first group. They drew lots and picked which they wanted. As I recall, you were in that group and chose your cave just to be farther from the others." Chakotay was not going to let anyone distort or overlook the facts.

"That was before the bridge was built. It was obviously located to be more convenient for those in Starfleet."

"That bridge was built at the point where the river was the narrowest." Torres entered the discussion. "I picked the spot myself."

"Yes, but you're living with a 'fleeter," Yosa muttered, "and you're near the bridge."

"Is that what this is all about? How far you have to walk?" Paris entered the fray. "If that's all it is, we'll trade caves with you."

"Tom!" B'Elanna jerked her head around, "I like our cave."

"Stop it, all of you." The captain cut off the debate before it turned into a full-blown brawl. "B'Elanna, is there any reason another bridge can't be built farther up river?"

"No, Captain." Torres thought a moment. "If I remember correctly, there's a good spot at the top of one of the smaller cascades."

"By the big pool?" Yosa asked.

"Yes." Torres confirmed.

"Great, that means everyone will be going by our cave constantly."

"You can't have it both ways, Yosa." Chakotay was adamant. "If you don't like the one you have, find someone to switch caves or choose one of the empty ones."

"Yes, Sir." Yosa finally seemed to be calming down.

Torres and Paris moved to sit next to Kathryn and Chakotay.

"Sorry I got upset with Yosa, Captain, but he was insulting B'Elanna…"

The captain broke off the apology, "I understand, Tom. We're all a little tense these days."

She turned to Torres. "Do you have plans for a bridge available so they can start work today?"

"I know there's a good plan but it's pretty labor intensive. We'd be moving a lot of smaller rocks quite a distance. I think I can find something that won't be as much work if you give me a day or two."

"Labor intensive is not a bad thing right now, Lieutenant." The captain exchanged looks with her first officer. "You pull those plans and the commander will get you a work detail."

"I'll help, Captain." Paris volunteered.

"No can do, Paris. I have other plans for you." Chakotay spoke before the captain could answer. "You're going to be expanding the salt collection project. I'll give you a list of those who will be helping you within the hour."

"Who's going to be working on the bridge?" Torres asked. "Should I assign Carey to supervise or should I?"

"Trade off. You work with the crew in the mornings and he can have them in the afternoons. I want this to be clearly a combined project. Chakotay, assign people from all along the Canyon wall and make sure you have an proportional mix of Maquis and original 'fleet." The captain thought a moment. "Is Ayala still sleeping in the grotto?"

"As far as I know he is."

"Assign him to the team. He can supervise the group moving rocks and help coordinate the actual construction. Get one or two others from the grotto as well if they aren't needed elsewhere."

"I get the idea, Captain. I'll have a list ready in an hour."

"You go ahead and get in the pool. You look exhausted." Kathryn motioned Chakotay to give her his coat and stay at the grotto. "I have some notes I want to go over with you later. I'll get them and be right back." She knew she was right when he didn't protest.

Ten minutes later she returned to find him sound asleep. She knew he had been in the pool because his hair was damp. She stroked his hair and kissed his forehead before moving back to the pool. She stripped and slid into the warmth. 

Kathryn resolved that tomorrow, Chakotay would not go anywhere near the bridge project. He had completed the list and taken it down to the canyon. Once there he had stayed to make sure everything was moving along smoothly when they hit a problem spot with the plans. Chakotay had taken over supervising the relocation of the rocks and ended up working all day with that group not even breaking for lunch. She had thought he seemed tired while he ate dinner mostly because he was quieter than normal. No, tomorrow, those working with the relocation portion would work half the day. There were plenty of people to help.

She turned her attention to her notes about the proposed locations of various crops and a summary of the care of each crop. Ten minutes later, she knew she had been correct. They had not taken into account which crops required constant attention and which could go days or weeks at a time left alone. A few of those requiring the most attention had been placed at the far end of the valley.

Kathryn considered possible solutions. The obvious one was to move those crops closer to the caverns. But a second one, although requiring a lot more work initially, might be the better long-term solution. She had debated whether they should try to build individual housing and spread the group out more. That's what she had wanted to discuss with Chakotay tonight. Kathryn made a few more notes on the sheet before setting the sheet aside and stretching.

Slowly settling back against the side of the pool, she savored the warmth of the water. From habit, she turned her head to the right to look at Chakotay before she remembered he was sleeping. She turned to look at his sleeping form. She missed him and he was only a few meters away. Shaking her head at how much had changed in only a few months, she considered her choices: she could stay in the pool where it was warm or join Chakotay. She stood up; the pool was not even in contention.

Kathryn grabbed a towel from a ledge above their bed and quickly dried off before she crawled under the blankets. Chakotay shifted in his sleep as she curled up against him. She smiled. Maybe he would wake her up early in the morning.

"So, do you think it's worth bringing up with some of the others?"

"It's worth discussing. Other than the obvious extra work, I'm not sure people would want to be moving back and forth every spring and fall."

"Ok. I hate to push the discussion so early in the year, but if we decide not to try it, I think we need to make some changes in our crop locations."

Chakotay looked around the mess hall to the slowly assembling crowd.

"Ayala, Wildman, come join us. We need your input on something."

Chakotay looked at Kathryn's empty cup. "I'll get more coffee and a few others. Be right back." He returned just as Sam and Ayala were sitting down. "Nozawa and Anderson are joining us in a few minutes."

Kathryn took a sip of her coffee as she studied the others gathering for breakfast. She could still feel a lot of tension but the edge seemed to be gone today. Well, maybe a new project and some physical activity were all they needed to get through to spring.

Anderson arrived first and sat next to Sam Wildman. When Nozawa arrived, Chakotay quickly filled them in. "You all know we've made plans for where to plant our crops this spring. The captain was reviewing the plans and noticed that some of the crops we have planned for the far end of the valley require attention on an almost daily basis. This means we would have people spending a good portion of the day just walking back and forth. The obvious solution is to relocate those crops.

"Yesterday's little discussion got us thinking about our living conditions. We have plenty of room yet we never really get away from everyone else. We wondered whether it might be a good idea to build some individual housing across the valley and have some of us move down there for the warmer months."

"Only the warmer months?" Ayala was quick to pick up on the phrase.

"We don't know that anything we could build would be warm enough for a winter."

The four nodded and Sam Wildman spoke. "I know I'm still in the grotto but to me living across the valley sounds more appealing than the caves. Would it be for individuals or just couples or groups?"

"That's a good question." The captain joined the discussion but noted the way Ayala was looking at Wildman. "We were thinking couples but there's no reason it couldn't be for individuals or larger groups."

"Who gets to build this housing?" Ayala was a step ahead of the others.

"Who do you think should build it?" The captain wanted their opinions.

"Well, I guess it depends on what you consider the housing for." Ayala was thoughtful. "If it's to give someone a summer home, then they should do most of the work. But if it's to make it more convenient for the people working in the fields across the valley, then it should be just like any other community project."

"How many people know enough about construction to build their own shelter?" Anderson asked.

"Construction, maybe a third of us. But could they all cut the trees and mill the wood on their own? I doubt more than a handful," Chakotay offered.

"Then it has to be a community project. Working alone in just their free time would take someone all summer."

"A very practical approach," the captain commented. "How do you think the majority of the crew would feel about this?"

"It all depends on how you present it, Captain," Nozawa responded. "Initially, it should probably be a community project to make it easier for those working across the valley. As we get more established, we can continue building shelters for others. Eventually, we should be able to provide anyone who wants a shelter one."

"The problem becomes who gets the first ones." Anderson pointed out. "We all know that getting in early doesn’t mean a person is satisfied with something."

"Well, the first requirement will have to be anything built by the group will be used by those people who spend most of their time working in the fields." Chakotay inserted. "That has to be a priority. We don't have the resources to do more, at least not yet."

"Commander, would we have to build cabins?" Ayala had been thinking. "I'm an ok builder but I've never had to mill wood. There are a lot of hills around the valley. I think I could dig into the side of a hill to make a soddy like the settlers in North America on Earth did."

"Another cave?" Wildman didn't sound too pleased.

"Not exactly." Ayala responded. "The roof and at least one wall, maybe part of one or two more, would be wooden with windows and a real door. It wouldn't take so much wood and one person could do most of the work."

"Sounds like you have a spot in mind," Chakotay commented

"I do, but it's not one you're going to approve this year."

"Oh?" The captain sounded surprised. "How can you be so sure of that?"

"It's only about one hundred meters from the bottom of the trail."

Chakotay laughed. "You're right. That's going to have to be a solo project for a while." He looked at Ayala. "Are you thinking that using a hill might make it warm enough to use all year round?"

"Guilty as charged, boss."

"All right, enough of Ayala's personal plans." The captain wouldn't allow the two men to sidetrack the discussion.

"Ayala's idea is a good one and it reminded me that we don't necessarily have to mill the wood. If we use logs for the walls, they'll be warmer in winter and cooler in summer. The trees we'd have to cut would also be considerably smaller and easier to move." Chakotay offered another option.

"So we have a few details to work out. What do the rest of you think of the idea overall? Anderson?" 

"I think it's a good idea. You could even make the cabins available on a rotating basis until there are several completed."

"Wildman?"

"Since the plans for the crops put them where they will do the best, it's better not to rearrange those plans."

"Nozawa?"

"It's definitely a good idea. I think most of the crew will go for it."

"So the consensus is it's worth the work. We all chip in on building the shelters used by the field workers. Those who want their own can build it in the free time and get away from the caverns. Those who don’t build their own stay in the caves or grotto or use the group ones on a rotating basis." Chakotay summarized as heads nodded.

"Do you think a few large shelters would be useful?" The captain had another question.

"For equipment storage only, ma'am." Ayala grinned his answer. "Maybe as the first structure to let a group stay across the valley overnight but after that, no."

"I think the captain gets your drift, Ayala." Chakotay shook his head at Ayala.

"Thank you, all, for your input." The captain stood so the others could finish their breakfast. "Come on, Commander, we'll go look through all those books for some building plans."

"So what's going on with Wildman and Ayala?" Kathryn asked as they started rummaging through the stored supplies for the books.

"Going on?" Chakotay was paying more attention to a book with construction plans than to the conversation.

"I think I'll send Yosa back to the grottos and move into his cave."

Yosa's name finally got Chakotay's attention. "I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"I asked you what's going on with Wildman and Ayala."

"I'm not sure, actually. They are both part of the group sleeping in Clementine's."

"How many are there without their own caves now?"

"Thirty-four."

"That many?"

"There are three couples who haven't requested a cave."

"Really?" Kathryn grinned.

"We here to gossip or to find plans?"

"Both. Tell me what you know about Ayala and Wildman."

"Not a lot. He and Sam spend a lot of time together when they aren't working but that's about all." Chakotay smiled at Kathryn. "I do know he was originally using Hernando's Hideaway but started spending all his time in Clementine's about two months ago."

"Sam prefers Clementine's?"

"What do you think?" Chakotay's grin broadened. "This book has a lot of basic plans. How elaborate do you want these shelters?"

"I liked Ayala's idea to use the hillsides. Are there places like that at the far end of the valley?" Kathryn idly flipped pages in the book.

"I think so. Most of the times I was down that far I was focused on the open areas and which crops were best suited for various places. I was also thinking about irrigation lines."

"Well, when the snow melts, you and I can take a day and survey the far end of the valley."

"If we do that, we should probably give everyone a day off."

"Should we consider scheduling regular days off? We've been maintaining the structure of a ship but maybe we should work more like a base."

"I've been wondering when you'd be ready to let go of the ship's schedule." Chakotay pulled Kathryn down beside him on a storage container. "It hasn't been easy, has it?"

"No." Kathryn sighed as she leaned against him. "Why haven't you said something sooner?"

"It didn't matter. We had a lot of things to do initially and couldn’t afford to lose the time, but these last few months have been filled with low priority tasks and more than enough things designed to keep people busy more than anything else.

"How long were you going to let things go before you mentioned this?"

"I knew that if you hadn't made the suggestion by the time we started plowing the fields, I'd have to bring it up." Chakotay kissed her temple. "I wanted you to have the time you needed. It's better for everyone this way."

"How long are you going to give me before you want me to let go of the rank structure?"

"I'm not sure we ever should do that. It provides order to our community. Maybe in a few years, that will change but for now, I think we all need it."

"Have I ever told you I'm glad you're my first officer?"

"I don't think so."

"Well, I am. You're good for the captain and you're better for Kathryn." She kissed his cheek then turned his head to kiss his lips. "Let's look through this book back in our grotto. You fell asleep on me last night."

"It's been a lot warmer lately. Have you wondered what spring thaw will be like here?" Kathryn was pulling on her boots as they prepared to head for breakfast.

"Well, the snow might just disappear the way it came but I think it's more likely Q has another surprise for us." Chakotay stood near the tunnel entrance waiting for Kathryn.

"I keep waiting for some unpleasant development but so far, Q has surprised me." She laughed as she walked over to join him. "I almost wish he would do something unpleasant so I could stop worrying about his plans."

"I know what you mean." Chakotay took Kathryn's hand as they headed for the ready room and the path to the mess hall.

As they exited the cavern, they saw three forms ahead of them. "We're running a bit late this morning."

"You haven't been paying attention, Kathryn. They're quite logical about their schedule. They get up based on when it gets light. Didn't you notice that our Vulcan contingent was always the last for breakfast this winter? Now that spring is approaching, they are up before the rest of us."

"That's going to be a problem for the few of us still in the grottos this summer."

"If we stay in the grottos once it warms up."

"What do you mean?"

"The caverns have openings that admit the light. Those still sleeping in Clementine's could move back to the smaller cavern we used our first night here and we can start sleeping in the ready room again."

"I like the privacy of the grotto."

"So do I, but unless you want to make someone come get us up every morning, we'll have to move back to the cavern as soon as it's warm enough."

Kathryn eyed Chakotay as they neared the mess hall. "Or you could build us one of those shelters that Ayala has in mind away from the hustle and bustle of the caverns."

"Me?"

"I don't know anything about construction. You're the expert on that."

"You can use a shovel as well as anyone. If you want a private little cabin, you're going to help."

Kathryn smiled. It wouldn't be hard to keep herself busy leaving most of the work to Chakotay. "All right, I'll help." She looked up to see him watching her.

"We'll dig out a hillside together. I'll finish the front walls on my own."

"Together?"

"You said you'd help and hard work is a lot easier if you have someone working with you. We'll find a place after we select a site for the first shelter across the valley. Maybe in the vicinity of Ayala and Sam's place would be good."

Kathryn stared in disbelief at Chakotay. He really expected her to work and he knew she had planned to make him do most of the work. He lowered his voice as they entered the tunnel to the mess hall. "Seeing you work on our shelter is going to make it very clear that everyone does the work on their own places themselves or with their friends."

"You really think it's that important?" Kathryn turned serious.

"I do. These are going to be personal spaces." Chakotay stepped to the side as they entered the cavern so they could have a little more privacy. "It's important that it's clear to everyone that if you want a private shelter, you have to build it yourself. Building our own will be more effective than anything we can say."

"But if someone volunteers, we can accept their help?"

"Everyone else can have help but for us, I think it would be better if we tried to do it ourselves." Chakotay considered possible scenarios. "Or, we could help someone get theirs started. If they offered to help us later, I'd say it was pretty clear that they were simply returning the favor."

"All right," Kathryn agreed. "Will you rub my sore muscles when I'm so stiff I can hardly move?"

"I promise. I think we'll see an increase in the number of people soaking in the grotto once we start work this spring." Chakotay turned toward the food line as Kathryn moved toward the end of the table with the coffee.

They found seats open for them at the table that was still used for planning sessions by the senior officers.

"Morning, Captain. Hi, Commander." Tom Paris was in a good mood. "Isn't it a great morning?"

"You're in a good mood, Tom," Kathryn commented.

"It's spring." Tom grinned.

"Speaking of spring, it's time to start planning who's going to be doing what in the next few months." The captain spoke to the entire group. "Chakotay is coordinating all the teams. If you need specific people or simply more people, let him know. We've tried to prioritize various projects. If there is a conflict in priorities or if they seem to be reversed, let us know immediately. We'll sort it out." She turned to Chakotay. "Please explain the general assignments."

"Tuvok, you've become our expert on mapping and plant locations. Your first priority will be to locate and harvest anything growing wild this spring. There could be wild strawberries or asparagus out there. Our initial recommendation is that you assign groups of two to various parts of the valley, one to identify plants and one to map locations. We'll assign all the botanists to your teams until you have completed your plans. Once your teams are assigned, Tuvok, you'll report to the captain directly.

"The majority of our work in the next few months is going to be plowing fields and planting. We have already determined where each crop will be planted and the order in which they need to be planted. I'm going to coordinate the overall effort. Tom, you're in charge of our vegetable garden."

"Vegetable garden?" Tom didn’t know what Chakotay was talking about.

"Tomatoes, peas, beans, lettuce, carrots, celery, peppers, onions, squash, pumpkins and whatever else we have. The crops that take relatively little area." Chakotay explained. "Ayala will be in charge of things like corn, oats, wheat, potatoes and cotton."

"Cotton?" Tom sounded surprised.

"We need lightweight clothing not just winter sweaters," B'Elanna reminded Tom.

"We have clothing," Tom protested.

"It won't last forever. The only way to replace what clothes we have is to make new ones. That means raising cotton and weaving our own cloth." The captain made it clear that they weren't taking anything for granted. Tom nodded his head but didn't look convinced.

"Preparing the fields for planting is going to be our first priority. Normally, we'd plow them but there were no larger tools included, only hand tools. We'll have to make due with hoes and shovels."

"That's a lot of work with just hand tools," Ayala spoke up. "What type of schedule will we have?"

"You're right, it is a lot of work," Chakotay agreed. "The captain and I have decided that we'll go to a regular schedule – three days working, one day off. Unfortunately those days are going to be about twelve hours long for the next few months."

"When will you let us know who's on which shift?" B'Elanna asked.

"We'll all be on the same schedule." Chakotay stated, "This spring will be physically challenging to all of us because none of us is accustomed to long hours of physical labor day after day. If any individuals or groups want to take off half a day every other day and it doesn't interfere with the projects, then that's all right with the captain and me." Chakotay watched as heads nodded in understanding. "Similarly, if anyone wants to work straight through, I see no reason they can't accumulate days off and use them later in the summer. Again, that's if it doesn't interfere with their assigned projects."

"Any questions?" The captain started winding up the meeting.

"No, Captain."

"No."

"I do."

"What is it, Mr. Paris?"

"When do we start on the three on, one off schedule?"

The captain looked at Chakotay. There was no reason to delay. 

"Today. Anything else?" The captain looked around the table. "Good." The captain turned to Tuvok. "Please see to it that Tom and Ayala have maps indicating the location of the various fields. Get a list of the people you want on your teams to Chakotay as soon as possible. B'Elanna, make sure all the equipment is in working order and inspect the bridges. Once we start plowing, you won't have anyone available for at least a month to work with you or make any repairs. You'll also be taking over the salt collection project for the next few months. Mr. Carey, start moving the seeds down to the briefing room. Chakotay will give you a list that indicates the order they'll be needed so you can store them accordingly. I'd like that finished before plowing starts if at all possible."

The group had finished their breakfasts and started moving out of the cavern. Paris, Carey and Ayala headed out of the cavern to check out the seed supply.

Paris stuck his head back in the mess hall only a minute later. "Hey, folks. Come outside. You've got to see this."

Curious about his apparent excitement, the captain and first officer followed Paris. Even before they stepped out of the tunnel, they could feel the change in temperature from only an hour earlier. As quickly as it had come, the snow was gone. The trail was definitely muddy and slippery. As more people exited the cavern and tried to spread along the trial, several slid when they tried to move too abruptly.

The captain looked out over the valley. The open areas were brown and appeared muddy. The Valley River was running fast and much higher than usual. In the distance, they could see water trickling in small rivulets down the hills toward the river. Even the air smelled fresh and clean. 

"Look at their faces, Kathryn." Chakotay's whisper barely carried to her ears.

She looked around at the others. They were all smiling except the Vulcans who looked calm and serene, not merely controlled. She met the smiling eyes of her first officer. "It's spring." She tugged his hand to return to the cavern then spoke a bit louder. "We'd better get to work. We have a lot to do."

Tuvok stepped forward. "If I might make a suggestion, Captain. We should limit our use of the canyon trial until it has dried to avoid making ruts and depressions that would make walking difficult."

"A wise suggestion, old friend. Advise the others as they leave then assign someone to smooth this area. A day or two going around the long way won't hurt any of us."

Despite the distraction of the arrival of spring, everyone managed to get a lot done that morning. Joe Carey spent the rest of the morning comparing the seed inventory with the planting schedule. He had brought Vorik into the process to help coordinate moving the seeds. Torres had inspected the bridges and assigned two crews to make minor repairs. Paris and Ayala had compared assignments and agreed that for the first week, they would work together preparing the first two fields. That way they could avoid duplicating the trial and error part of the process. Tuvok had a list of the teams he proposed to search for food growing wild.

"Good work, people. If we can keep moving at this rate, we should have a fine harvest next fall." The captain was pleased with the reports that had been informally given while the group ate lunch.

"What about those shelters we were discussing over the winter?" Ayala spoke up. "How soon can we start working on those in our free time?"

"You sound like a man with a motive," Chakotay commented. Ayala only nodded as he waited for an answer.

"I see no reason you can't spend your free time however you want," The captain responded. "That said, we still have to come up with a method of assigning areas to individuals. Until we decide where we want to locate the shelters to be used for those working in the fields and for equipment storage, we won't be able to approve private areas farther down the valley. Chakotay and I will come up with guidelines and let you know."

"It won't be for a while, Ayala. The captain and I won't be able to cross the valley until it dries out. Approving individual sites will be a low priority."

"I understand, Sir."

Most of the group cleared the table and went back to their assignments. The captain looked at her first officer. He has just committed the two of them to coming up with a system for assigning sites in the next few weeks.

"Why did you say we'd do that?"

"Better we take on the task then let some others come up with a system."

"I hope this is one of those things you have all worked out and just need my approval."

Chakotay grinned. "Actually, now that you mention it, I do have an idea."

"What is it?" Kathryn tried to sound irritated but only succeeded in making Chakotay smile which did manage to make her glare a bit more convincing.

"There's plenty of room around the valley so space isn't really a problem. There is more likely to be problems with having neighbors a little too close. All we do is require requests for a location be at least one hundred meters from any neighboring shelters or they have to get their new neighbors to agree."

Kathryn considered the idea looking for ways it could cause problems. "So if someone chose a spot just under two hundred meters from their nearest neighbor, no one could move between them without the consent of both of them. How likely is that to cause trouble?"

"It shouldn't as long as we make the guidelines clear and don't try to coerce someone to consent."

"And if someone tries a little coercion on their own behalf?"

"Then they have to wait until the next year to make another request."

"That seems a bit severe."

"There's lots of room so there's no need to stay that close together."

"Will we let individuals build their own shelters?"

"There's no reason not to."

Kathryn nodded her head. "All right. Those guidelines will do but you're enforcing them, not me."

"I'll find out where Ayala wants to build. We can pick our spot when we go across the valley in a few days."

"You seem as anxious as Ayala to get out of the caverns."

"I like the grotto and the cavern, but I seem to remember that someone thinks that cavern is not nearly private enough."

"Wonder who that could be." Kathryn put up her hand and smiled. "You get back to work. I'm going down to see how B'Elanna is doing with the equipment."

How's it going, B'Elanna?" The captain crossed the cavern to where a puzzled engineer was trying to make sense of something.

"Captain, I don't know what's going on. I was just checking exactly what type of tools we have for Tom and Ayala and I found this." B'Elanna waved her hand toward the wall. "That has been a snow shovel all winter. Now look at it. I'm not even sure what it is."

The captain stared at the implement. It looked like some sort of crooked hoe with a two handles and a double blade." The captain reached out and took the implement off its hook. It was heavy and she nearly dropped it. She set the end on the ground to study it in more detail.

"It looks almost like a plow only smaller. The way the handle is angled suggests you pull it. It doesn't seem very efficient for one person."

"Those handles are a lot longer than you would need for one person. Maybe two people are supposed to pull it."

"That could work," the captain agreed. "Give it to Tom and Ayala and have them figure it out. They're the ones who will be working with it."

"I'm sure they'll be thrilled." B'Elanna sounded like she thought they would hate the task.

"They should be. If that thing works, it will make it a lot easier to prepare the fields for planting and save them both a lot of time and effort." The captain turned her attention to other matters. "Anything else new show up?"

"No, but we opened one of those extra boxes of gloves and mittens and found work gloves. Anderson is sorting them by size. We're bringing some shelves down from the mess hall to put supplies on, like the gloves and bags to carry seeds and hand tools."

"Good. Sounds like you have things here under control. I think I'll go check out the group at the bridges. Anything I should check in particular?"

"Make sure they're getting rocks the proper size and not filling in too much space with mud. That's why we had problems in the first place."

"I'll do that. Chakotay is in the mess hall working if you need him for anything."

Two days later, the captain was trudging along the edge of a field following Chakotay and Tuvok. "We need more than one shelter out here. How long have we been walking?"

"Approximately two and one-half hours, Captain." Tuvok was as precise as he could be with no instruments.

"It won't take this long once we have a trail established."

"Even an hour is too far to walk. They'd lose two hours just for lunch. It's also unnecessary for them to carry tools back and forth that far. I think we need a shelter about an hour from the caverns to store tools overnight and give them a central place to eat lunch. It can be smaller than the one farther out since they won't be spending the night here."

"You want it near the tree line or along the river?" Chakotay asked.

"The river was flooded a few days ago," Tuvok offered. "It would be wise to place the shelters above the flood zone."

"Good point," the captain commented. "Near the tree line it is."

"I don't see any hardwood trees from Earth in the area. Do you remember if there are any in the vicinity, Tuvok?"

"There are not. However, there is a variety of hardwood that is native to Vulcan near here. I recommend you use it."

"Why is that?"

"Unlike Terran hardwoods, this tree grows relatively quickly and propagates by cloning just as the aspen tree of Earth does. We can easily replace trees we cut with younger ones."

"How large are they?" Chakotay inquired.

"The average is between twenty and thirty centimeters."

"Perfect for logs but not large enough to make boards." Chakotay considered the situation. "That's not necessarily a bad thing. There is far less work if we use logs."

"Then that's what we'll do." The captain turned to Tuvok. "I've seen enough. You know what we need. Take the rest of the group and find a second site for a larger shelter about an hour from here. Chakotay and I will return to the caverns."

"Aye, Captain." Tuvok turned and led the others toward the far side of the valley.

The captain turned and started walking back toward the caverns. Chakotay followed her a bit puzzled. "Why did you decide not to go all the way out, Kathryn?"

"You heard what I told Tuvok – I'd seen enough. He can handle it."

"He might believe you but I don't. Now, what are you up to?"

Kathryn just looked up at him and continued walking. They had almost reached the split in the trail that lead to the canyon when she stopped. "Was Ayala's spot around here?"

"A little farther up the trail, just before the split."

"Good." Kathryn continued walking and took the trail to the left leading to the canyon.

"What are you doing?"

"Looking for a nice hill where we can dig a cave. If we get close enough to the canyon, we might be able to spend part of the winter here."

"I thought you liked the grotto?"

"I do." Kathryn had an impish smile on her face. "But a nice private cave could be quite cozy this winter. I thought you could build me a fireplace. Then we'd have some heat."

"Who do you think is going to cut the wood for a fireplace?"

"You're the woodworker." Kathryn smiled beguilingly.

"Why do all your ideas mean more work for me?"

"They don't." Chakotay just stared at her. "I thought maybe I'd send a scouting team out later in the summer to explore the rocks at the far end of the valley. You never know, Q might have put some coal out there for us."

"Dreamer."

"He gave me my own private hot tub. You never know." Kathryn turned her attention to the hillside off to the right. "This looks like a possibility."

"It's too near the trail." Chakotay stated flatly. "Not enough privacy."

"Fine. You find a better spot along here," Kathryn challenged. When Chakotay turned to explore the hillside to the left, Kathryn smiled. He'd find the perfect spot and all she had to do was watch. For a moment, she felt guilty at manipulating him, but only for a moment.

"Come on, Kathryn. You only think you tricked me into doing the work. Get over here and at least pretend to help."

Kathryn looked up to see Chakotay with a good-natured grin on his face. She laughed and shook her head as she walked over to join him. They knew each other too well.

Kathryn and Chakotay strolled hand in hand along the Valley Trail. Chakotay had convinced her that his preferred site, although a bit more remote than she had wanted, was the best one.

"Hey, Captain!" Tom Paris called from a field near the river. "Come look. We finally figured out how that plow works."

The command team made their way down the hill to the small group.

"What was the secret?" The captain asked.

"Well, we figured out pretty quickly that it takes two people to pull the thing." Paris started his explanation.

"The captain and I figured that out two days ago," Torres inserted.

"Yes, well, we've been working with the thing trying to get it to stay in the ground for more than a meter. It would start out fine, then the plow blade would jump to the surface and just drag through the grass.

"Anyway, B'Elanna came down to watch us," Tom gave B'Elanna a dirty look, "and she was trying to get the blade deeper in the dirt and was standing on the blade. We thought she was off and started walking but she wasn't. The blade stayed in the ground and the dirt turned over almost like magic."

"Doesn't having a person on the blade make it more difficult to pull?"

"It doesn't seem to be any harder." Ayala contributed to the discussion. "It was almost easier because the plow just stayed down. We did all this in about an hour." Ayala gestured to an area about fifty meters square.

"So this means you're ready to start work in the morning?"

Paris and Ayala exchanged looks. "We are if Chakotay will assign us some more people to stand on the plows."

"You already have over two-thirds of the crew." Chakotay sighed. "Could I have a word with you, Captain?"

The captain nodded and she and Chakotay walked away discussing their options.

"You want to what?" The captain's raised voice carried back to the others. It might not have been an argument but it was a heated discussion. Finally, Chakotay nodded and the pair walked back to join the others.

"Paris, you'll have to get by with those assigned tomorrow morning." Chakotay conveyed their decision. "Tomorrow afternoon, you'll have everyone except those preparing meals. You two have two weeks, then you're back to the original group."

"Uh, Chakotay," Torres spoke up. "Tomorrow is the first day we're all supposed to have off."

"Sir," Paris was hesitant but asked anyway, "how many days in a week under this new system?"

"Eight." The captain ended that discussion before it started. "And your two weeks start tomorrow." She turned and stalked back toward the caverns.

"Make good use of your time, Gentlemen," Chakotay advised before he followed the captain."

Chakotay caught up with the captain but remained a step behind her until she entered the ready room.

"What's wrong, Kathryn?"

"Nothing!" She pulled off her coat and tossed it on a chair as she stalked through the room to the tunnel. He tossed his coat on top of hers and followed her to the grotto.

Kathryn pulled the last of her clothes off and slid into the pool as he entered the grotto. Chakotay quickly stripped and joined her. She was sitting on her favorite ledge with her head back and eyes closed. Chakotay moved to the ledge they usually shared and leaned back but kept his eyes on her.

"Are you all right, Kathryn?"

He saw her let out a breath and lift her head. Slowly she moved toward him and slipped under his arm. "I'm fine."

"Then what's wrong?"

"I'm just so frustrated."

"Why?"

"Because I know that sometime tonight or tomorrow you're going to ask me to ride around for two weeks on one of those damned plows and I don't want to." She let out another sigh. "You're going to tell me all the reasons I should and you'll be right. I'll agree but I'll hate you for asking."

"So you just jumped straight to the end to save time?"

"Yes." Kathryn turned to look at him. "Maybe we should skip straight to the making up part."

Chakotay kissed her forehead before pulling her onto his lap. "You know you have those three pretty scared right now."

"Good." Kathryn kissed his neck. "They made us have our first fight."

"We've had fights before."

"Not since we came here."

"Ah, I understand." He tightened his arms around her. "It's going to take more than you having to ride a plow for two weeks to keep us apart."

"You think so?" Kathryn dared him to contradict her.

"I do. I can be very persuasive when I want." He smiled at her. "Besides, after a day on that plow you're going to want a nice soothing massage."

"You're right." She leaned her head of his shoulder and relaxed.

Ten minutes later, Chakotay knew Kathryn had fallen asleep. Slowly he stood and moved to the edge of the pool. Gently he placed Kathryn on the edge hoping she wouldn't completely awaken.

"What?" She wasn't quite awake so Chakotay climbed out and grabbed a towel. He pulled Kathryn to her feet and dried her off before picking her up and carrying her to the bed.

"Go back to sleep, Kathryn. I'll wake you in a few hours to eat dinner."

She nodded sleepily and closed her eyes. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Chakotay kissed her cheek before he dressed. He made his way to the mess hall and picked up two of the last apples, some bread and cheese and a couple ration bars. He stuffed the selection in his pockets before picking up two glasses water. Next winter's project would be getting drinking water to the three grottos and at least partway to the caves.

As he was getting ready to leave, he felt someone watching him. He turned to see worried looks on three faces so he walked over.

"Is the captain mad at you, Boss?" Ayala asked.

"She's sleeping." Chakotay answered. "And, not that it's any of your business, but no, she isn't mad at me… or at any of you."

"Then what was she mad about?" Paris asked.

"Shut up, Tom," Torres ordered. "Ignore that question, Chakotay. Like you said, it's none of his business."

"Remind the others that tomorrow is everyone's day off. You'd all better make the most of it."

The three nodded and Chakotay made his way slowly back to the grotto. It had been a good day. Tomorrow would be better because he was going to make sure Kathryn took the day off just like the others.