Chapter Text
*
Epilogue
Chakotay sipped the last of the riboletta and set the spoon down. "That was excellent," he said. "A shower, clean clothes, normal vision and hearing, no more itching and a good meal. I'm a new man."
"A tired man," Kathryn said, looking at him thoughtfully. "That was more than I expected it to be."
"Me, too." He leaned back in the chair. "But in some ways, it was good for me."
Her eyebrows arched upward in silent surprise, and he went on, "Well, for one thing, it was exhilarating to have my senses enhanced. I'm going to miss that, I think. And that planet grabbed my curiosity. Obviously, there's a link between it and Earth and the planet we visited a few years ago. If the Norratii will permit it, I'd like to go back and study it until we're ready to go."
"We can ask." She shook her head. "Although I'm not sure you should be talking to snakes on a regular basis."
"I doubt I'll find Kukulcan again. Somehow, that had the feel of a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
"The Norratii Ambassador was impressed with you, Chakotay. He told me that only a handful of others have completed the worthiness test. You and your team did well."
"They did, didn't they?" He paused for a moment, remembering a few of the rigors they had endured. "It's ironic, isn't it," he said. "The three of us were trying to avoid the Voyager Olympics, and we ended up playing in our very own games."
"I'm not sure I'd call that playing." Janeway responded.
He smiled ruefully. "I have to admit, it's been a long time since I was tested physically to that extent. Good to know I've still got it in me. And believe it or not, it gave me the chance to think about a few things."
"Me, too." She smiled. "You go first."
"All right. For the first time, I really thought about what it will mean to be home again. If I don't go to prison, that is."
"Chakotay --"
He reached across the table and covered her hand with his. "It's a possibility, and we have to acknowledge it. But if I don't have to serve time, I've figured out one thing. I want to visit Dorvan again, see my sister and the other survivors.”
The sentence sounded unfinished, even to him, so he was not surprised when, after a moment, she prodded gently. "And...?"
"And," he said slowly, "I need to see if I can live there again. I'm not certain. So much has changed." He thought about the last time he was there, after the Cardassian attack. The planet had been reduced to little more than barren rock. It would take years, decades perhaps, for man and nature to restore the lush jungles. Much of the native plant and animal life was probably lost forever. It would never again be the home he remembered.
She turned her hand over in his and squeezed it. "If not, what do you want to do? Stay in Starfleet?"
"That depends."
"On what?"
"On what you decide to do." He smiled, expecting one of hers in return. Instead, she looked troubled. "What's wrong?"
"The last twenty-four hours have been among the hardest in my career," she admitted. "I saw you crossing that gorge, and when you nearly fell, it took every ounce of control I have not to just beam you up then and there."
"But you didn't," he said softly, "and it turned out all right."
"This time." She looked at him steadily. "I don't know if I can get used to feeling that way."
"You don't have to get used to it. You just have to learn how to live with it." He intended to say more, but a yawn overtook him. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. You're tired, and we don't have to decide this tonight." Letting go of his hand, she stood. "Go on to bed. I'll clean up here."
He yawned again, then stood. "Join me later? I missed you the last couple of nights."
Her face softened, and she touched his arm. "I missed you, too. I'll be along."
After kissing her softly, he went into the bedroom and lay down. The sheet was cool, the mattress firm and the pillow soft -- all of which were a stark contrast to the last two nights of sleeping on the ground with a snake. It felt almost decadent, and he decided he liked it. As he drifted into sleep, his last coherent thought was of Kukulcan and what he had said of his mate.
Sometime later, he struggled to wake as Kathryn slid into bed beside him, but she shushed him and simply spooned in beside him. Without opening his eyes, he put an arm around her and held her close. The problems ahead will wait, he thought groggily. For now, we are as one.
Tomorrow, he would have to ask her how the Olympics turned out.
Fin