The BLTS Archive-Leaving Quarren by monkee (wiecek@earthlink.net) --- Disclaimers: Paramount owns Star Trek: Voyager and all its characters. Summary: A short episode addition for 'Workforce.' Could easily have fit into canon. No declarations of undying love, no sex - just a heartfelt moment between two people who care about each other. --- He found her standing near a set of shelves in her living area, rubbing her chin and staring critically at what appeared to be a spent plasma relay which had been carefully positioned next to a vase. "What's that?" he asked. "It's a burned-out plasma relay," she confirmed. "What do you think? Does it look right there?" He glanced quickly at her face, but she seemed to be quite serious. "Uh...not really," he was forced to admit. She nodded. "Of course it doesn't," she agreed, reasonably. "It's a damned plasma relay, not a knick-knack." She was still staring at it. He folded his arms across his chest and did the same. "Why do you have it?" he asked carefully, opting for the obvious question. She sighed. "On the planet, I seemed to consider it a decorative object. I'm still not sure why." He nodded sagely for a few moments. She glanced at him, then shrugged and began to chuckle. He smiled, and they both stepped away from the shelves. "I came to see how you were doing," he said. "Are you all right?" She returned the smile, gratefully. "I'm fine," she said, automatically. Well, if she didn't want to talk about it, he'd accept that. But he wanted to give her the opportunity. "Do you miss him?" he asked. "Jaffen?" Her countenance fell. The smile faded and a slightly haunted look came into her eyes. "Yes," she said, quietly, and he could tell she meant it, deeply. He stood by in sympathetic silence for a few moments. She appeared to be lost in thought. Finally, she looked up at him. "He was so much like Mark, Chakotay. In so many ways. For a while, being with him truly felt like home." "You were happy," he said. "I was...content," she said. "I felt settled. Safe." He looked down and took a breath. "I can't tell you how sorry I am for taking that away from you," he said. "Don't be," she said, forcing a smile. She leaned against the wall, and put her head back, closing her eyes. "I'm starting to think that I just wasn't meant to feel content, or settled. It seems like every single time I have that kind of relationship - that kind of life - in my grasp, something happens and I lose it. Justin, Mark..." Her voice trailed off, but she knew he meant him, too, even though she didn't...couldn't...say it. They'd almost had that life, for a short time, on New Earth. "And now, Jaffen," he said. "I'm sorry, Kathryn. You know, for just a second, at the bar, I considered leaving you there." She raised her eyebrows at that. "Oh, not too seriously," he added, quickly. "But Neelix commented on how happy and relaxed you seemed. And, of course, I'd already noticed it for myself. I...enjoyed seeing you like that." "Well," she said, wryly, "I'm glad you decided not to leave me behind. Except for Jaffen, it wasn't a very nice place. And I can't imagine that I'd have been happy monitoring plasma flow rates indefinitely." He laughed, silently agreeing with her. He hadn't seen a single tree in the crowded metropolis the factory had been in. And the air quality had been terrible. "Still," he said, sobering, "I hope to see you that happy again someday." He tried to keep his voice light, but he knew that the feelings they had for each other were always hovering in the air between them. She looked up at him and he saw them there, in her eyes, as well. "I hope so, too," she said, and there was just a brief moment of familiar tension before she broke eye contact. "But you shouldn't worry about me, Chakotay," she said, pushing herself away from the wall. "It's not like I'm miserable here. My life is a lot more difficult than I ever imagined it would be, and sometimes I'm a little lonely, but being out here - leading this crew - it gives me enormous satisfaction. Most of the time, anyway." He smiled at her, and she smiled back, and this time, it was sincere. "Besides," she said, affectionately, "I have you." "That you do," he said, and although it wasn't something they normally did, he reached out and pulled her into an embrace, which, after a moment of surprise, she returned gratefully. And it was nice, just...nice - to hold her like that. To express even the smallest bit of his complex feelings for her. They pulled apart, simultaneously, after the right amount of time had gone by. Her eyes were a little moist. "Thank you, Chakotay," she said, softly. "Goodnight, Kathryn," he said, smiling. "And welcome home." She smiled and nodded silently, and he turned and left the room. --- The End