A Moment of Your Time
[Part 4]

by ALM_Voyager

Chakotay looked down at the biobed and took Kathryn's hand in his own. Her eyes were starting to slowly open and he saw her swallow. He smiled at her in sympathy and relief.

"You gave us quite a scare, Captain," the EMH ran a medical tricorder over her abdomen and then over her head.

"Seems as though I'm not the only one who 'comes and goes,'" Chakotay stated softly. He held up his hand to quiet her, "I have an explanation."

"How did you know to--" she started but broke off as she noticed Tom and B'Elanna were in the room with Chakotay.

"Captain," B'Elanna acknowledged softly. "After the events that transpired, Chakotay came to me telling of a stopping and starting of time on Voyager."

"After reviewing the logs of the ship," Chakotay picked up, "and the Delta Flyer we were able to trace the activities to this region of space."

"What do you mean," Kathryn asked, still slightly in pain.

"That Nebula that Chakotay visited wasn't the birthplace of stars, but rather," B'Elanna's eyes held excitement, "the birthplace of anomalies that depended on and created a time space continuum . . . a sort of flux of stop and go."

"Commander," she turned to him and Chakotay knew he would have to have time to sort things through, "why didn't you--?"

"The Commander will have a full report on your desk by 0800 hours tomorrow, Captain," the EMH cut in dryly. "For now, focus on getting well."

"I thought you had cured her, Doc?" Tom smiled.

"I can only do so much, Nurse," the Doctor said sarcastically in the pilot's direction -- knowing that the other man hated to be reminded of his part-time position in sickbay. "Besides, according to my calculations we still have one more time-stop to go through before life can return to normal. Normal? What am I sayi--"

Chakotay looked up and knew that the final moment had hit. He looked around at the people who were gathered there -- the people he had been with for almost three years now and smiled. It was a moment in time -- his moment in time and no one could take it away from him. Looking at Kathryn, who was propped up on one elbow, on the biobed, her lips slightly parted, her eyes full of understanding he took the opportunity. Among the crew, some of who were his closest friends, he bent over and kissed Kathryn, softly and fully on the lips. What he couldn't have as an active part of his life he would have in a moment - just a moment. Pulling away, he whispered gently, "Get well soon."

Activities suddenly continued and Kathryn looked up to see Chakotay smiling at her as if he had been let in on a secret she didn't know about. She watched as he nodded to her and turned to go. The conversations around her continued, but she let the sounds drift around her, never fully penetrating, as she lifted her fingers gently to her lips that were warm and freshly kissed knowing that something had transpired over the course of time.

THE END!

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