Archive of Our Own ^beta

Without hesitation Kathryn eagerly marched into the turbolift behind the members of her selected team. “I’ll be joining,” she informs them with a grin as the doors slide shut. ‘Of course she wants to be part of the away team to 20th century Los Angeles,’ Chakotay thought, clenching his fists to maintain a neutral expression with the others present. The Captain gave a sweeping look to both him and her security chief, a look proclaiming there would be no further discussion on this point. Chakotay knew that Tuvok would respect the chain of command but the Commander was not happy with her decision. It was his job to push back against such actions. He wanted to fight harder to keep her on the ship, citing protocols and procedures to change her mind. Especially after their discussion over dinner last night. But with the four of them crammed into the tiny turbolift, it was next to impossible to lay out all his reasons against her joining the team.

"All we'll need to fit in is nice clothes, a fast car, and lots of money," Tom told them before gearing up for the mission.

They all departed to their quarters to get ready once the turbolift reached deck 3, Tuvok and Tom verd left down the hall and he and the Captain turned right. Chakotay marched along at her flank, their arms brushing against each other as they walked in the tight space. "I'll see you in a few minutes Commander," she said over her shoulder, keying her access code before vanishing out of sight. Chakotay continued on without pause passing the crewmen working on a EPS conduit who was in perfect sight-line and ear shot of her door. He missed his chance again.

Kathryn was waiting in the transporter room when Chakotay arrived. She was decked out in an all white pant suit and blouse. Her auburn hair, pulled back into a low ponytail, had one of Chakotay’s hand-crafted wooden clips from New Earth holding it in place. Chakotay recalled the day he had given it to her. Upon receiving his gift Kathryn pulled her hair free from its customary braid and asked him to place it in her tangled locks. Unable to deny her, Chakotay brushed the strands with his fingers before setting the pale color clip in place. This was the first time he had seen her use it since returning to Voyager. The sight of her and it caught the Commander off guard. She was angelic. Her smile brightened when he entered wearing a grey suit and blue undershirt, his dark hair gelled flat to draw less attention to himself amongst the natives.

He was unclear what amused her, his apparel or the dumbfounding look on his face. Regardless, Kathryn cocked him an eyebrow before turning and ascending the steps to the transport platform. The Captain would not be swayed from this but all Chakotay wanted to do was throw her over his shoulder and plant her in her command chair on the bridge. He would happily spend the time in the brig to keep her where she should be, safely aboard her ship with her crew. Starfleet Command had rules for a reason. They certainly frowned on captains leading away missions with this level of risk involved. It wasn’t just a matter of protocol, it was the conditions in which Kathryn would face this challenge with, that worried him. She would personally ensure the success of this mission at any cost and at any sacrifice. Something he could not stand for and had the right to tell her so. Chakotay took a deep breath preparing to mount one last protest of Kathryn’s choice but Tuvok and Tom arrived before the words could fully form. Without a single word from him being uttered the pull of energy had the four of them standing on Earth once again.

The away team walked down the sandy boardwalk of ancient Santa Monica Pier. A breathtaking sight now, as it was currently below the waterline in their own time. Chakotay kept himself glued to Kathyrn’s side as they strolled. The Captain did not openly object to this. Aboard Voyager, with the tight space, it was not unusual for them to stand near each other on the bridge. It had become a habit, a habit hard broken even in the ample space on Earth’s surface. Kathryn took advantage of this and used his body to shield the tricorder in her hand, a logical tactic as they searched the area.

Neither Tom nor Tuvok commented on the Captain and Commander’s physical proximity to one another. Not only did they need to hide their technology, Chakotay was determined to be Kathryn’s bodyguard in this primitive time whether she was aware of it or not.

Hours passed and the search for Braxton and his time ship had turned into a needle in a haystack. The group divided into two teams to better their efforts, but all they had to go on was the tricorder’s limited scans to pick up a faint subspace signature. They were like bloodhounds on a fox hunt, but in this case, if they did not catch the fox Voyager’s 24th century crew would be stranded on 20th century Earth. Right place, wrong time. Honestly Chakotay would not have minded settling on a small uninhabited island in the tropics and stayed out of histories way, but he knew Kathryn wouldn't be content. Just like their time on New Earth, while Chakotay built bathtubs, headboards and hair clips Kathryn fought and worked to the bitter end to find a solution until mother nature forced her to accept their fate.

A lot had happened during their isolation. A lot more than what they’d put in their logs was about to happen had Voyager not rescued them. It was a bittersweet moment as Tuvok’s voice, foreign sounding against the familiarity of only each other’s voices for weeks, crackled through their abandoned combadges. Chakotay had to shake that thought away. He was happy to be amongst his crew and friends again but saddened to see Kathryn once again shoulder the responsibility for 150 souls. It had always been the Commander’s responsibility to look after the Captain’s well being, but in the months that followed from their return it had become Chakotay’s privilege to look after Kathryn once again.

Chakotay observed the area as Kathryn checked the tricorder again, there were easily hundreds of people out enjoying the warm sunny day. A woman wearing hardly any clothing, by any century’s standards, and a pair of shoes with wheels on them bumped into them. Though the woman meant no harm, Chakotay nearly had a heart attack for Kathryn’s well being.

Kathryn played off the incident as the woman potentially being her great-great-grandmother. Without thought Chakotay replied “Well she certainly has your legs.” Kathryn turned slightly pressing into his chest, and looked up into his dark brown eyes. She raised an eyebrow with amusement. They weren’t on the ship; Tuvok and Tom had gone. People buzzed around them, but they remained in their own quiet world.

Chakotay dipped his head, his breath mixing with hers in the warm salty air. Kathryn brought a hand to his chest and he placed his on the small of her back bringing her closer while he had the chance. But before he could express his feelings in the open for all to see, Kathryn's tricorder beeped, signalling the detection of the subspace signature of the time ship. Looking around, bodies still pressed close to one another, they stood in front of a popular hot dog stand with no ship to be seen. Around the eatery was a crowd of barely clothed humans and one disheveled looking man, picking through a trash bin.

“The signature is coming from him,” Kathryn pointed at the unshaven man, in a dirty trench coat. “Maybe if we follow him he’ll take us to the ship.” Kathryn pulled away and began to cautiously follow the man as he hung signs and muttered to himself. For Kathryn this man was a clue, part of the solution to getting home. Without an act from mother nature Kathryn would follow this clue to the bitter end.

A man made temporal rift was not the act of mother nature, nor was the chilling refusal to send Voyager home and in its own time purely on the grounds of a ‘Temporal Prime Directive.’ Nevertheless both stood in the way of Kathryn fulfilling her promise to get her crew home. Both smashed her hopes that Voyager's 70 year journey was finally over. Just like her bug traps after a powerful plasma storm, Kathryn was forced to once again let go. “Tom set a course for home,” she said falling back in her chair in defeat. Chakotay chanced a glance at her while she rubbed her temple, as the helmsman charted their path.

"I'll be in my ready room. Commander, you have the bridge," she quietly ordered before retreating into her sanctuary. The bridge crew could feel the tension and the disappointment in their Captain as the temporal rift vanished with Braxton and the image of Earth along with it. The crew was grieving in their own right; however, Chakotay did not miss the devastation in the Captain’s voice as she held her emotions together long enough for the short walk to her office.

Chakotay waited to seek out Kathryn for an appropriate amount of time before leaving the bridge in Tuvok's capable hands. His concern for Kathryn greatly outweighed his need to command in her stead. Chiming the door for appearances sake, he entered before she could call him in.

Kathryn was seated on the couch, head in hands, staring at a steaming cup of untouched coffee on the table. "Just when I think we caught a break. Just when I dare to hope. The universe throws us a curveball," Kathryn uttered, not looking up from the drink.

"Well it's a good thing you've decided to take up tennis again," Chakotay said, joining her on the couch.

Kathryn tilted her head, the tears running down her cheek caught his eye. "We were so close, Chako-tay," she whispered, her voice hitching at his name.

"I know," he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a much needed hug, for both of them. He felt relief to finally hold her after the chaos of the last 24 hours. She fell against his chest, crying into his jacket, her hands clutching the front of his uniform. Kathryn was devastated, more so now than when she lost all her equipment after the plasma storm. Chakotay rested his cheek atop her head, while his hand ran circles on her back. He embraced her in silence until she was ready. Willing to hold onto her as long as she needed.

"Chakotay?" He heard her small voice, not daring to move or loosen his hold just yet.

He hummed a reply.

"What should we do?"

"I can't tell you what to do, but I can tell you what I'd like to do." Kathryn shifted in his arms to look up to him beneath wetted lashes. "I want to marry you,” he said in a soothing tone. He turned slightly and snaked one hand between them resting it low on her stomach, feeling for the tiniest of bulges beneath the uniform. “I want to raise our child with you."

Chakotay slid the hand up, wiping at the tears with his thumb. Kathryn curled her arms around the man that took care of her, who protected her, who loved her. Hugging him with all the might her tiny body could muster in her state. "I will take your recommendation into consideration," she smiled nuzzling into his hand.

Chakotay’s smile pulled into a pair of dimples. "Please don't take too long. Voyager's journey could end tomorrow for all we know. But I want to start a life with you right now." He lowered his head to place a kiss on her lips, sending all his love and energy to the woman in his arms and to his unborn child within.

"We can't sacrifice the present for a future that may never come," she answered as they parted remembering his words from long ago.

"Or the past," he smiled.