by Dakota

Kathryn sat in the reception area waiting for the civilian shuttle to land that would bring Chakotay back to Earth. Even though she had chosen to wear civilian clothing tonight, she felt uncomfortable without the uniform that had defined her very being for more than seven years.

Almost immediately after the initial flurry of activity that had accompanied Voyager’s return to Earth, she had become bogged down in all the paperwork that had accumulated over seven years. Although Chakotay had been offered an extended leave, he had turned it down for reasons unknown to Kathryn.  Starfleet had then asked him to assist with a project on Vulcan. The 30-day assignment had ended up lasting nearly six months. Kathryn had finally cleared herself of the paperwork for Voyager ten days ago and had immediately taken up Starfleet on its offer of leave for at least sixty days.  Before she went on leave, she had sent Chakotay a message that she would meet his shuttle. Not sure whether he would be pleased that she was meeting him, she had hesitated about inviting him to visit her family home. She had finally added it and sent the message before she lost her nerve. They had never really had a chance to talk on a personal level once they reached Earth and Starfleet had resolved all the open issues regarding the Maquis before Chakotay left for Vulcan.

Chakotay sat on the shuttle trying to decide how to interpret Kathryn’s invitation. He wasn’t sure what to expect. He had turned down Starfleet’s offer for extended leave so he could work with Kathryn on answering all Starfleet’s questions about Voyager’s logs, but before he could volunteer to help, he had received orders taking him to Vulcan. Starfleet had given him no warning and he had been on his way before he had a chance to let Kathryn know he was going. He had hoped they would finally be able to talk about themselves once the Maquis issues had been resolved, but the opportunity had never presented itself. Then out of nowhere, Kathryn had sent a message she would be meeting his shuttle and included, almost as an afterthought, an open invitation to visit her at her family’s home while she was on leave. He tossed the possible interpretations around in his mind. He liked most of the alternatives.

Kathryn had several choices to make in the next few minutes. Chakotay’s shuttle was docked and locks were being opened. How to greet him? Should she act like a fellow officer? No, not after all the years together. Friends, definitely that after all these years.  More?  Well, that was what she had to decide. They had promised to talk when they got back to Earth. They hadn’t had a chance. It was time for action, but what type? Kathryn tossed around the options she had while in a public, civilian reception room. A hug was acceptable even between ‘just friends’ and could be used to test his reaction.

So how to ensure a hug? The only ways she could think of were opening her arms when he approached or running toward him so he had to catch her. Running to him seemed too eager. Opening her arms for a hug seemed too presumptuous. Maybe she could manage to approach from the side and pretend to be jostled by the crowd so she would have to grab him to catch her balance. Yes, that seemed like the most convincing approach.

Chakotay knew he had to decide how to greet Kathryn. The doors were already opening and people were moving toward the exit. He finally realized that part of his uncertainty centered on the knowledge that he would greet Kathryn differently than he would greet Captain Janeway. Who was meeting him? He read her message again. No doubt about the invitation, Kathryn was meeting him. Well, she was no longer his superior officer except on duty and he was in civilian dress, so he wasn't going to worry about Starfleet’s opinions today. He had waited more than seven years to be something more than her first officer and now he had the chance to find out whether she returned his feelings.

But how to greet her was still the question. Running to meet her seemed too confident but simply walking up was definitely too casual. Then he had an idea! She would most likely reach out to shake his hand and he could just pull her into a friendly hug. He would gauge her response to the hug and go from there. Yes, that would do nicely. Better get going -- he was nearly the last one to leave.

Kathryn watched anxiously as the shuttle emptied and she had seen no sign of Chakotay. She was nervous. What if he didn’t want more than friendship from her now? She was almost ready to turn and run when she saw him at the door. She called his name and waved her hand to attract his attention.

Chakotay was wondering whether she would be waiting. When he saw her waving her arm in the air, he knew Kathryn was as glad to see him as he was to see her, so his smile was for her alone. She knew as soon as he saw her because he smiled right at her. She kept her eyes on his smile as she tried to get through the crowd to his side.

Chakotay tried to keep his eyes on Kathryn, but her height meant the crowd often hid her from his view. “Remember,” he repeated to himself, “when she reaches for your hand, pull her gently into a hug. Don’t scare her off.”

As she slowly made her way past the crush of people, Kathryn kept her plan firmly in mind. In this crowd it would be easy to be knocked against him. Suddenly, there were no people between them and they stood about two feet apart.

“Kathryn. It’s so good to see you!”

“I’ve missed you.”

They stumbled over their words like teenagers, their plans forgotten as they stood and just stared at each other, both afraid to make a move. Then the crowd intruded for a moment as the crush of people from behind him nearly knocked Chakotay down. Kathryn reached to steady him at the same time he reached out to her to maintain his balance.

Standing face to face, his hands on her shoulder and waist, her hands on his shoulder and chest, they each stared into the other’s eyes. He was searching for what she had never said; she was searching for what he had stopped saying. Both found what they were seeking. Chakotay pulled her close, nearly crushing her in his embrace. Kathryn reveled in his hold for long minutes before wriggling to free her arms so she could reach around his neck to pull his face towards her own. 

Their first kiss was tentative and a bit uncertain, but soon grew more confident. Chakotay shifted his hold around Kathryn’s waist so he could straighten and lift her off her feet. Only when his grasp loosened slightly and she started to slip did they separate as he allowed her to stand and lean against his chest.  She stared into his eyes finding the long unspoken words still shining brightly.

Chakotay finally broke the silence. "I'll have to go away more often if that's the reception I get when I come back."

"Don't you dare." Kathryn smiled. "Besides, I think you might find the benefits of staying are even better."

"You going to tell me what those benefits are?"

"No." Kathryn grinned up at him. "But if you come home with me, I'll show you."

Chakotay tightened his arms around her as he whispered in her ear. "Be very sure, Kathryn."

"I am sure." She whispered as she reached up to trace his tattoo with her fingers. "I met my friend more than seven years ago when you beamed onto my bridge. I found my love on the long journey home. Now I have both right here in my arms and I'm not going to let you go ever again."

Chakotay's lips met hers again briefly before he turned to lead her toward the exit. "I'll hold you to that promise."