Intentions

Title: Intentions
Author: Ky (venom69)
Fandom: Star Trek: Voyager
Rating: Age Friendly
Summary: Does he look that shell-shocked?
Character/Pairing: Janeway/Chakotay
Spoilers: None… the shows ended!
Warnings: None.
Prompt Number for fic101: 17 - Clock
Author’s Notes: Song belongs to Phil Collins.
Disclaimer: Usual guff. Not mine, promise to put them back where I found them.
Date: 06/01/07

***

Well I’ve been waiting
Waiting here so long
But thinking nothing
Nothing could go wrong
Well, now I know…

***

The old Grandfather clock chimes loudly as it falls on the hour.

Eleven clear chimes are heard and Chakotay sits on the couch, nervously watching the woman across from him as she studies his features.

Screw the Cardassians, he thinks, watching as she turns her head to one side to study him from this new angle. Phoebe Janeway is much scarier.

"So, are your intentions honourable?"

He coughs politely. "Excuse me?"

"Your intentions. Towards my sister."

"I..."

She shrugs. "It seems like the thing to ask."

Oh he can't wait for Kathryn's mother to come out.

Chakotay figures he has two options; Present her with the truth and watch as she either blushes or tries to remember where she keeps a phaser - he's had seven years to consider his 'intentions', the chances of that being a short conversation are slim to none - or he can edit the truth and offer up the polite answer.

"Yes?" He finally offers.

"You don't sound very convincing about that."

"I'm sorry, I've never been asked about my intentions before." Which, he has to admit, is a bit of a miracle in itself.

"You might want to have a better answer for mom when she's finished hugging Kathy." Phoebe suggests.

"Is she going to interrogate me too?" He shoots back immediately.

Phoebe chuckles and her look is clearly something akin to 'well duh!' "You're funny."

He's not sure whether he should thank her or be offended, so Chakotay tugs at his earlobe self-consciously and watches as the minutes on the clock tick by slowly.

Painfully slowly.

They'd transported back to Kathryn's mother's house when Starfleet Medical had given them a quick - three hour - once over and declared them able to leave for forty-eight hours before they were to beam back and begin debriefings which would, they all hoped, be followed by a large amount of leave.

With no where else to go and not enough time to return home, Kathryn had demanded that he come with her and before Chakotay had even had a chance to consider her offer, he'd been standing on her mother's porch, holding their overnight bags and ringing the chime. When the older woman had answered, she'd taken one look at him, nodded once and then pulled her daughter into her arms, ushering them both inside.

Kathryn had been whisked into the kitchen for a 'talk' and Chakotay had been sitting on the sofa, glancing around the living room, when Phoebe arrived.

The younger of the Janeway sisters had immediately decided that she needed to get to know the strange man that was in their house and she'd rushed into the kitchen, spent a few moments hugging her sister before she rushed out and plonked herself down on the sofa opposite him and started asking questions.

"So..." He tried to smile at her but it was always destined to come out a grimace.

"You love my sister?"

Phoebe Janeway was blunt and unfaltering - just like her sister - and Chakotay saw no reason to lie to her. "Yes."

"Good. Interrogation over. Welcome to the family."

"That's it?" He may never have been interrogated by a concerned sibling - or parent - before, but Chakotay knew for a fact that they were meant to be more... well, more something than this.

"Were you expecting me to bring out a phaser?"

"It seemed likely for a moment there."

"Kath doesn't need me to shoot you." Her features soften as she smiles. "She's more than capable of that herself."

He is about to retort – he’s never doubted her ability to seriously hurt him, of course - when the woman in question returns to the living room with her mother in tow.

Kathryn studies his face as she moves to sit beside him. "Has Phoebe been interrogating you?"

Does he look that shell-shocked? "Not at all."

"Liar." Kathryn turns to face her sister. "What did you say to him?"

"Nothing." Phoebe projects an aura of innocence just as well as Kathryn - i.e. not very. "There may have been some stories brought up from the past..."

"Phoebe!"

"Don't tease your sister after she's just got home," Gretchen interjects, smiling. "It's considered polite to wait at least a few hours."

"Gee, thanks mom."

Chakotay doesn't think he's ever seen Kathryn really roll her eyes like that before.

"Anytime, dear."

While he hasn't actually had a chance to talk to Gretchen beyond a simple greeting and obtaining directions to the bathroom, he thinks that she might be quite an amusing woman to have a conversation with.

The old Grandfather clock chimes loudly as it falls on the hour.

Twelve clear chimes are heard and Chakotay sits on the couch, his hand moving to hold Kathryn's.

She smiles at him and he returns the gesture, squeezing her hand once before turning back to her mother and sister as the topic of conversation moves towards their future plans.

It's good to be home.

***

End