Disclaimer: The characters belong to Paramount and TPTB (unfortunately). This little adventure is short and sweet, and they were returned to their homes, safe and sound.

Summary: Kathryn and Chakotay discuss the purpose of Admiral Janeway's visit.

"Well?" Chakotay asked, finally tired of the silent treatment he'd been receiving for the last several minutes.

"Well what?" Kathryn responded, glancing briefly at him sitting across the desk from her.

He squinted his eyes, growing more frustrated by the second. "You know what!"

Kathryn shook her head, feigning innocence. "No...I don't have a clue."

"Fine. Then just be stubborn about it."

"Fine."

More silence. Chakotay began to fidget in his seat. She hadn't seen him that antsy since...well, ever. Kathryn tried not to snicker as he squirmed around, lips pouted out slightly. A quite pitiful, but nevertheless, entertaining sight. She continued to gaze at her console, doing her best to give the appearance that he was disrupting her work. Peering at a completely blank monitor...not that she would ever tell *him* that.

Finally, Chakotay sat up, having had all he could stand. He rested his arms on her desk, folding his hands together as he resorted to begging.

"Kathryn...please...just tell me."

She cut her eyes towards him. "I'm not sure that I *can* tell you. It might violate the Temporal Prime Directive."

He winced. So he *did* remember. Kathryn laughed at finally being able to use his own words to thwart his efforts. Chakotay, however, was not as amused.

"Is that a fact? Well, since *you* came back from the future and changed things around, then isn't the timeline already disrupted...therefore, meaning that what you know could possibly never even happen?"

Kathryn raised her eyebrows. The man had a point. She sighed heavily.

"Alright...I'll tell you, you big baby! But this is completely off the record. I will have the Doctor personally remove your tongue if you tell another soul. No one...and I mean *no one* is to know about this!"

Chakotay ran his fingers over his chest. "Cross my heart."

She returned his enormous grin. "Very cute, Commander."

Chuckling, he settled back into his chair, arms crossed in front of him.

"I'm waiting."

Kathryn followed suit.

"Well...the reason Admiral Janeway came back from the future..." she hesitated for a moment, clearing her throat before going on. "...was to save you."

"Me?!?" he asked, his tattooed brow raised in shock.

She nodded. "It seems that your heart was so distraught after some...*unpleasantness*...and you simply couldn't survive without her."

His eyes crinkled. "Her? You mean..."

"Seven of Nine."

Chakotay suddenly forgot to breathe, trying to absorb this bit of information. His voice quavered a bit as he tried to repeat the name...a name he certainly wasn't expecting.

"Seven..."

Kathryn never flinched. "Yes. She was your wife. Briefly."

She began to feel two large holes burning into her uniform as Chakotay stared at her in total disbelief. Slowly, the disbelief began to melt away as she noticed his shoulders beginning to shake violently, the laughter buried deep inside him erupting. He grabbed quickly at the sides of his chair, nearly falling out in the process. Kathryn rested her chin in her hand, waiting patiently for his little outburst to subside.

"I'm glad you think this is so humorous."

"I'm sorry, Kathryn..." he answered, wiping the tears from his eyes. "You really had me going there for a minute."

"I'm completely serious, Chakotay. Admiral Janeway said that you and Seven were married, right here, on board Voyager. A few weeks later, Seven was critically injured on an away mission, and she died in your arms in Sickbay."

"No, she didn't."

"Yes, she did. Apparently, your health began to decline afterwards, and sometime later, after we returned to Earth, you...died."

"Of a broken heart?"

"I'm guessing. Maybe *you* should be telling *me*."

Chakotay locked his eyes with hers, hoping to see some sign of deceit. He felt a chill race up his spine, realizing that she really believed what she was saying. A smirk began tugging at his lips.

"Do you have any idea how crazy that sounds?"

Kathryn stood up from her chair, resting her hands on the desk. "It might sound crazy...but it's what she told me." She turned her back to him, walking over to the viewport. She could still feel his eyes on her as he began to snicker again.

"Well...if you can't believe yourself..."

"Don't...go there, okay?"

"Whatever. So let's assume she was right. Then, how was her mission supposed to save *me*?"

Kathryn rolled her eyes. "She came *back* to get *us* home earlier. That way, Seven would not be killed, the Borg would no longer be a threat, everyone would be reunited with their families...and you and Seven could live happily ever after. The End."

"And that's what she said?"

She groaned loudly, stomping her foot down. "Would you stop asking me questions?!? Of COURSE that's what she said! Why would *I* lie?"

Chakotay pondered this for a moment, then shrugging his shoulders, responded. "Well, if you can't trust yourself..."

Kathryn shuddered, remembering her future counterpart speaking the exact same words. Not noticing, he continued.

"But...it just doesn't make any sense. I mean, first of all...I'm old enough to be Seven's father. That alone is just...just *insane*!!"

She spun around towards him. "Can you honestly sit there and tell me that you don't think she's very attractive?"

Chakotay's eyes immediately discovered the carpet. "Honestly...I'd be lying if I said that."

Kathryn turned back around. "So you *do* like her."

He jumped up from his seat, throwing his arms in the air. "Oh yeah, that's right, Kathryn. I'm *madly* in love with Seven of Nine! We're gonna get married and have little...*nanoprobes* running all over the ship!"

"I hope you know that you're not being very funny!"

"You don't think this is funny? Sounds pretty crazy to me, too. But let me tell you one thing, Kathryn," he said, walking up behind her. "There is only *one* woman on this ship for me..." He grabbed her by the waist, spinning her around to face him. She gasped, his face coming in close contact with hers as he whispered. "...and she doesn't have any Borg implants."

This was completely unexpected, Kathryn began to think, as her heart pounded heavily in her chest. She seductively licked her lips, deciding to play along. "Oh really? And what exactly *does* she have?"

He smiled back, reaching up to delicately trace her features. "Cool blue eyes... silky red hair...incredibly soft skin..." His fingers floated down her neck, feeling her tremble beneath his touch. He moved them over the top edge of her turtleneck.

"She also has four pips on her collar. All the things that could get me into some serious trouble for this!"

Before Kathryn could respond, his lips descended on her, muffling any reply she was concocting. He could feel her arms slipping around him, hands sliding smoothly up his back. With that gratification, he deepened the kiss, holding her tightly against him. She was responding with a passion he never knew existed within her, and it sent his senses reeling. Not wanting to lose this moment, he pulled away slightly, their lips only a breath apart.

"So...what's going to happen next?" Kathryn asked, barely able to make it above a whisper as she attempted to regain her composure.

Chakotay cocked up an eyebrow. "Can't say. It might be in violation of the Temporal Prime Directive!"

"Very funny," she grinned, reaching up to trace his tattoo. They gazed into each other's eyes, allowing themselves to see the longing and desire which had been held deep inside for far too long. Finally, Chakotay broke the long silence.

"Kathryn, in case I forget to tell you later...thank you."

"For what?"

"For coming back to rescue me. Because a life without you simply isn't worth living." He gave her a dimpled grin. "Obviously!"

"Obviously," she giggled in reply, pulling him into another tender kiss.