Title: Stalking
Author: Ky (venom69)
Fandom: Star Trek: Voyager
Rating: Age Friendly
Summary: She'd known for a good nine minutes that she was being followed.
Character/Pairing: Janeway/Chakotay
Spoilers: None… the show’s ended!
Warnings: None, really.
Prompt Number for fic101: 39 - Nail
Author’s Notes: Song belongs to Billy Joel.
Disclaimer: Usual guff. Not mine, promise to put them back where I found them.
Date: 10/03/07

***

This life isn't fair
Its gonna get dark, it's gonna get cold
You gotta get tough, but that ain't enough
It's all about soul.

***

She hadn't been down on the planet long when the rain started.

Kathryn had walked through the markets for a while, enjoying the chance to be just another anonymous face whose only worth was the credit to her name, before she'd decided that the lush greenery surrounding the bustling market was far too good to pass up in favour of shopping.

Leaving the market, she had taken one last look at the familiar faces glowing with the excitement of being off the Ship, before she had smiled softly and headed west.

It was only ten or fifteen minutes later when the first drop had struck her cheek and Kathryn had blinked in surprise before looking towards the heavens.

The planet's weather was hot and humid. Her blue dress clung to her damp skin and the warm drops darkened the material as they hit, creating a pattern across her body. The clear blue skies had been overrun with ominously dark clouds in just a few heartbeats and soon the rain was coming down steadily.

Big, fat drops brushed against her skin and the rain had a sting to it that Kathryn hadn't anticipated.

She thought that she should call for Voyager to beam her out, but the chance to enjoy something so natural was just too great. The promise of something that didn't require her thumbprint was just to great.

Smiling, she continued her leisurely pace, giggling foolishly whenever a drop hit her face.

If it was possible, the air had heated even further with the unexpected rain and Kathryn's dress clung to her even more so than before. She didn't let it bother her, or even entertain her thoughts, as she continued walking, soft footsteps coming from a few feet behind her.

She'd known for a good nine minutes that she was being followed.

He'd had issues - concerns - about her beaming down alone and she had asked him - ordered - that he remember she was a fully grown woman and quite capable of taking care of herself.

Although, in retrospect, the way his eyes had darkened at her comment should have made her try to amend the statement.

She hadn't.

"You're getting wet!" She called.

It took only a few seconds - surely he hadn't expected her to be oblivious to his presence - before his reply floated towards her. "So are you!"

Stopping, Kathryn turned around and waited for Chakotay to catch up to her, grinning and rolling her eyes at his sheepish shrug. "Can you smell that?" She gushed.

"I can."

"Isn't it wonderful?"

"It's rain."

"I would have thought that you of all people would appreciate the rain."

His eyes flicked downwards and then back up. "Oh, I do."

Kathryn scrunched up her nose in confusion and followed his gaze downwards.

Apparently the rain was heavier than she'd realized; her dress was beginning to cling to her even more so than before. She ignored his wandering eyes as the rain continued to do its damage. "So, are you stalking me?"

"Tuvok would call it protection."

Kathryn huffed her amusement. Protection, Stalking... sometimes she wondered if there was a difference to a Vulcan. "You could have just asked to come shopping with me, you know."

He groaned. "Men hate shopping."

"True," She nodded and grinned. "Apparently they prefer stalking."

Chakotay held up his hands. "We were worried. We've no official ties with the local Government, if something happened to you..."

He trailed off, but Kathryn understood.

The planet was pre-warp, but certainly not far off joining the rest of the Galaxy. Large cities covered the majority of the small world, but there were some more rural settlements and it had be unanimously decided that they would stay out of the 'big smoke.' Tom had likened their developmental stage to twentieth century Earth.

Despite that, normally they would have passed by it without a thought, but their food reserves were becoming dangerously low and crew morale was even lower.

There had been little choice but to beam down and try to blend in.

The previous months had been hard on the entire Voyager crew and her Captain especially. getting stranded on New... well, getting stranded and then her desperate attempts to readjust to being ‘home’ again had certainly taken their toll. On top of that, she and Chakotay had only been back on Voyager for a few short weeks before Seska had shown up and thrown them off kilter and off ship.

Kathryn was refusing to count their survival on Hanon IV as shore leave and, aside from their problem with food reserves, this planet had presented the perfect chance for them to all get a chance to interact with other people.

The rain, She thought with another smile, is just an unexpected bonus.

While Neelix and his team were trading for food stores, she had taken the opportunity to sign up for a few hours of peaceful solitude with nothing on her mind but how much haggling would be required for any item she desired.

Regardless of her quiet time being interrupted, it seemed natural for Chakotay to be there with her anyway. Even if he had been playing stalker.

"I appreciate the concern."

"No you don't, you think I'm being over protective."

Kathryn dipped her head as she blushed. "That too."

Turning, she began to resume her walk and Chakotay fell into step with her easily.

She was glad for this time with him. She was glad for this time without Voyager.

As much as she loved her Ship, returning to it after their extended stay in paradise had felt like the final nail in "Kathryn's" coffin. But every time she felt like she was about to be swallowed whole by a bossy caffeine addict with calluses on her thumb, he seemed to show up with just the right words.

"Did you buy anything in the market?" He asked suddenly.

Holding up the arm closest to him, Kathryn showed him the bracelet that she'd purchased.

Despite the fact that they were able to replicate this world's currency, she hadn't felt particularly comfortable using it. The bracelet was beautiful though and she hadn't been able to resist. Stones - something akin to opals, she thought - were held together with links of gold.

The whole thing glittered in the sun.

Chakotay touched her wrist and moved the bracelet around, examining each stone carefully. "It's lovely."

Kathryn wondered if he knew that his thumb was dancing patterns across the underside of her wrist. Probably not. "It is."

Dropping her hand, Chakotay sniffed the air. "I think the rain's easing up."

"A pity." She sighed. "Rain is good for the soul."

Nudging her, Chakotay grinned. "So is stalking."

***

End