Chapter Text
Two months later
Chakotay caught his wife standing naked before the mirror in the bedroom of their quarters, one hand marvelling over the slight swell of her abdomen. They hadn't yet told anyone outside the family about the pregnancy, but it wouldn't be long until it was obvious. For now, it was their happy little secret onboard Gage.
“You're so beautiful,” he breathed, when her eyes flickered to meet his through the reflection.
“Tell me that in another five months,” she quipped.
He grinned, “Everyday,” he promised, closing the gap between them and looping his arms around her middle. Both palms came to rest on the rise of her belly as he took a moment to cherish the life she was growing inside.
Turning down a promotion had been an easy decision, especially knowing that they had this to look forward to. But it was a guilty sigh of relief which left his chest. Although he was grateful that it had happened when it did, he felt terrible not disclosing the reason it had taken so long.
Kathryn's frustration had been making way for doubt, which brought him to the verge of telling her about the implant more than once. But that would also mean telling her about Sloan, section 31, and possibly breaking part of the temporal prime directive… assuming that it even applied when the future was an alternate reality. His head hurt to think about it.
All's well that ends well . He reminded himself of an ancient Shakespearean quote. Forced himself to believe it.
“What are you thinking about?”
Kathryn's question threw him, he'd been so lost in thought that his mind had left the room for a moment. He forced a smile. “I'm wondering how long we have until we need to be on duty.”
She twisted in his hold and took her arms around his neck. “Probably not long enough…”
He took his lips to her bare shoulder, and she let out a sigh at the delightful contact. “It's a shame we don't know anyone who could fix the shift schedules…” he teased, manoeuvring them so that her back was up against the wardrobe door. Knowing how best to distract her, he reached down between her legs and brushed a finger across her labia, ghosting over her clit.
A whimper escaped Kathryn’s mouth, as she hooked a leg up around his thigh and encouraged him to continue.
“I thought we didn't have enough time,” he teased her, even as his middle finger slipped inside her folds, and made another pass over her most sensitive bud.
“Computer,” she called out quickly, stifling a gasp as he dipped the same finger into her opening to collect some moisture. “Schedule a meeting between the first officer and chief of security for the next half hour.”
The ship's computer bleeped with compliance.
“Only half an hour?” he muttered against her neck.
“Ahhh,” she cried out as he spread her juices back over her folds. “How long do you need?”
He grinned, but didn't answer with words, merely adjusted the angle of his finger to temporarily apply a little more pressure. She rolled her head back, and undulated her hips in response to his touch, gripping both his shoulders for support.
It was easy to work her up. Her body was so sensitive, and he knew it well. He loved to watch her face as each wave of pleasure passed through her, as her body hummed in response to his touch.
“Oh God, Chakotay. I want you to fill me,” she said, reaching for the clasp of his uniform pants, making her intentions clear.
“Later,” he promised, gently pushing her hands away. “Tonight, when we have more time.”
A sharp breath escaped her lips as an electric jolt shot up through her core. “No. I want you now.”
He grinned, smothering a chuckle into her neck. “Always so impatient, my love.”
He didn't need to see her face to know she had shot him a glare. But whatever argument she might have been preparing to make, died on her lips as the urgency of an orgasm began to take hold. He chased it down with her, allowing her to ride his fingers, but holding back just enough to draw out the sensation for her.
When he knew she could take no more, he overwhelmed her with faster movements from his wrist, culminating with a tight push into her folds.
She cried out his name, along with a couple of profanities, as she climaxed against his finger tips.
“Good?” he asked, knowingly.
Kathryn swallowed hard as she struggled to regain her breath. “You're too good at that,” she finally commented.
Chakotay laughed, but didn't move away, knowing that his hold was the only thing stopping her gelatinous body from collapsing to the floor. “I'll do it again this evening, if you like?”
She smiled. “I'll definitely want more of you later.”
He allowed himself a small smug grin. “Whatever you want,” he promised, offering her a sweet gentle kiss. “We need to get as much time together as possible before the baby arrives.”
Kathryn made an agreeable sound, allowing him another indulgent kiss.
“I'm not looking forward to the sleepless nights though,” she quipped.
“Me neither,” he said, carefully pulling away, to ensure she could stand without support, “But I'm looking forward to everything else.”
He shot her a meaningful look, and her face lit up with shared elation. Excitement for the adventure which lay ahead.
Little did they know the minutes of joy were fast ticking away.
****
A few days later.
Chakotay had been sleeping alone in his quarters following a Beta shift when they encountered the anomaly. Completely unaware that Kathryn had left the ship on a shuttle to scout the unusual gas cloud.
Any other day he would have probably woken to his wife climbing into the bed with him, and gently easing him into sex as their shifts crossed over. That particular night, it was the feel of the ship shaking and the sirens of red alert which woke him. He was out of bed and pulling on his uniform before his summon to the bridge.
On entering the bridge he immediately realised the problem. A Cardassian fighter had opened fire on the Gage, and with an away team out on a survey mission they were unable to simply jump to warp and leave them behind.
He relieved the tactical officer on duty, and took up his station, responding quickly to the captain's orders to return fire. Whilst releasing a volley of phaser shots, he scanned the Cardassian vessel for any break in their shields. It didn't take too long to find one.
"Captain, if we can come about to their aft section, I think I can get in a shot to disable their weapons."
Captain Freeman glanced up from his bridge seat. "We'll see what we can do," he nodded towards the helm, who worked quickly to get them into position.
From the corner of his eye Chakotay spotted the empty first officer's seat beside his captain. "Where's Commander Janeway?" He asked, trying to keep the worry from his voice, his focus on the enemy ship readings.
"With the away team," Freeman replied, listening to an instruction from the helm to brace and holding onto his seat as the ship performed a tight manoeuvre and momentarily lost gravity. "Their shuttle is taking cover in the gas cloud."
Chakotay saw the opening he was searching for in the enemy vessel and opened fire. He succeeded in taking out their main weapons, but the ship had spun out of their reach before his final spread of fire power could take out auxiliary weapons.
The Cardassian ship came about, but instead of launching a further attack they began to retreat.
"They're backing off," Chakotay announced with heavy relief.
"Ship's status?"
Ops replied with a systems update and a minor damage report. Chakotay was only half listening as he noticed the Cardassian vessel taking an unnecessary swoop towards the gas cloud.
"Sir," he interrupted his colleague at Ops, "Enemy ship is headed for the gas cloud."
"Follow them," the captain instructed, without hesitation. Then, tapping his combadge, "Freeman to Janeway, you're about to have company."
"Understood," came Kathryn's reply over the static.
To everyone's surprise however, the Cardassian ship performed a flyby of the gas cloud before engaging warp and making a speedy exit. The bridge watched on in confusion, until Chakotay realised what was happening. A panic like no other spread through his core. "They've released a charge into the gaseous anomaly," he announced.
This time Chakotay opened a channel directly to the shuttle. "The cloud is about to ignite," he said quickly. "Kathryn, you need to get out of there, now!"
"One step ahead of you," came her controlled and measured voice. "We can't outrun the explosion; I'm redirecting power to the deflector; we'll ride it out like a wave."
"Get close enough to secure a transporter lock," Freeman instructed the helm.
The inevitable sequence happened quickly, but with everything at stake, time seemed to slow down for Chakotay. The charge went off, igniting the gas cloud. The resulting explosion engulfed the shuttle, forcing it out the way as if it were mere debris. Shields and deflector held for just about long enough for the shuttle to be spat out and flung through space. However damage to the shuttle was significant, with their sensors soon detecting a warp core breach.
Chakotay held his breath as they watched the shuttle explode on the viewscreen. His entire life held in the balance until Ops gave an update. "We have them. All five crew; transported directly to sickbay."
Another tense moment on the bridge as they waited for the chief medical officer's report . "All lives are critical but stable."
He turned to his captain to ask permission to be relieved of his station, to go join his wife, when the medical officer added one last request. "Would Commander Chakotay be able to attend sickbay?"
Freeman looked over his shoulder, giving him the nod of permission. Chakotay was at the turbo lift doors as he heard the captain's reply to confirm he was on his way.
-
Hours later
Kathryn woke to the dim lights of a sickbay in recovery mode. Her last memory was that of being swallowed in a ball of flames as the shuttle exploded.
She felt sore all over. Every inch of her skin tingled and ached against the feel of her medical robes and blanket. Moving to sit up, she felt a presence come up beside her.
"Steady there," her husband's voice wrapped around her, providing instant comfort and relief.
"The away team?" she tensed.
"All well and accounted for, thanks to your sharp thinking," he nodded towards the other medical beds where they all lay sleeping.
Kathryn strained her neck to see them for herself before relaxing back, and gazing up at the most wonderful face in the universe. "The baby?" She asked, her hand already drifting down to the place on her abdomen.
Chakotay paused, and it was all she needed to know that it was bad. With a slight shake of his head, he broke the news to her as gently as possible. "We lost the baby, Kathryn."
She blinked, unsure if she'd heard him correctly. "That's not… No. That can't be right."
He settled down on the edge of the bed beside her. "Your injuries were too severe. There was nothing the doctor could do. I'm sorry."
"No," she stifled the sob which escaped with a hand to her mouth. "I got the shuttle out. The transporter beam-"
She stopped as Chakotay's face lost its composure and crumbled, revealing the true extent of his pain and anguish. He was devastated. Instinctively she reached for him. The large bear of a man, folded forward into her embrace, burying his face in her neck.
A dampness pooled around her ear and neck, but whether they were her tears or his didn't matter. This was a completely shared grief.