Laying on of Hands

by Kath Tate

Disclaimer: Star Trek Voyager and its characters are the property of Paramount. This story is not meant to infringe upon the trademarks or copyrights of Paramount.

**Captain's log: We are in orbit around Vilok, an M-Class planet rich in dilithium, a resource we desperately need. Lieutenant Torres cannot estimate how much longer our warp engines will be viable without some reserves. Preliminary scouting of the planet indicates that there is a pre-warp society of humanoid, highly telepathic people. They appear to be in the middle of some kind of armed conflict. I am reluctant to proceed with an away team, however, our need is great.**

Janeway strode purposely down the corridor towards the transporter room. She was very nervous about sending people to the surface but if it had to be done there was no pair in which she placed greater trust. Still, she felt the need to brief them one more time.

Paris and Chakotay were just about to step up onto the transporter platform when the captain entered. Using information from their preliminary scout, the two had dressed in a similar manner to the inhabitants of the planet. It was so odd to see them out of uniform that Janeway paused a moment to stare. They had chosen the garb of the people's whose village rested near the dilithium deposits. It was a rural community. The colours were earth tones, and the shirts were tied together at the front by a series of laces instead of buttons.

"Captain?" Chakotay questioned, wondering if she had any last minute instructions. He'd already been grilled by Torres who was put out by not being allowed to beam down. It didn't matter how many times Chakotay explained that she could not possibly hope to blend in, should their presence be discovered. B'Elanna had snapped that Chakotay's lack of telepathic powers would certainly go a long way to him *blending* in.

"Gentlemen," Janeway cleared her throat. They looked at her expectantly. "I know I don't need to emphasize the need for non-interference here. These people's war is not our concern. We cannot involve ourselves in *any* way."

"Understood captain," piped up Paris. Chakotay gave her a look she couldn't read.

"Having second thoughts, captain?" he asked.

"Not at all commander," she replied crisply, surprised at how easily the lie fell from her lips.

*****

Paris was pleased with how well the away mission had gone. He and Chakotay had located the deposits and opened a small mine shaft in far less time than B'Elanna had estimated for them. It was really a shame they couldn't use the extra time to mingle a little in the village below them. But even if there wasn't the danger of getting involved in the conflict, it was unlikely they would be able to mix in the crowd without being detected. Wearing the clothes of the people was one thing, but pretending to be telepathic was quite another.

"OK Paris, we're ready to begin," came Torres's signal from Voyager. He nodded to Chakotay and the two of them made their way out of the small tunnel into the open air again.

Rounding the corner near where they had opened the shaft Chakotay collided without warning with a Viloka woman, carrying a child. She looked panicked and immediately began to babble. The universal translator was not able to keep up.

"Whoa, whoa," Chakotay said soothingly, holding out his arms to steady her. "What's the matter?"

Behind him Paris cleared his throat. A warning. A reminder of Janeway's last words. But there was something about the woman's anxiety, it seemed tangible. Chakotay could almost feel it washing over him.

"Please, please help me!" she said. "Please! The Bahniera! Please!"

Chakotay half-turned to Paris to see if his universal translator had caught that word.

"Militia," supplied Tom cautiously, "or some kind of armed guard."

Chakotay felt a sinking feeling. This was precisely the kind of involvement that Janeway had been afraid they might encounter if they got too close to the population.

"I'm sorry," he began, taking a step backwards, but the woman's fear rushed into him again stopping his refusal.

"Please, help my child. They are coming to take my girl!"

"Why?" asked Chakotay. He could hear Tom shuffling his feet at his back.

"She is a leosan. Her father never returned to form the Hlencan. He must have been killed. I don't know what to do! They will take her. Please hurry! Please help me!"

Chakotay's universal translator had missed a few of her words again and he turned a second time to Paris who looked as perplexed as he felt.

"An orphaned one," Tom said, "whose father hasn't formed the paternal bond. At least that's what I think she said."

The woman stepped closer to Chakotay, her emotions sweeping through him. It was an extraordinary feeling and not one he was keen to continue. He tried to move away again, but she held up her child's hand to his face, brushing the little girl's knuckles across his cheeks in a caress. It held Chakotay rooted to the spot.

"Uh, Chakotay, I don't think we should be getting involved here. Remember what the captain said about intervention?" Paris glanced nervously around, wondering how close the Bahniera was.

Reluctantly, Chakotay found his arms taking the child from her mother.

"I want to help you," he said earnestly, "but there's nothing I can do. We're not from around here."

She then brushed her own knuckles across his face with a gentle motion that belied her anxiety. For a brief second he felt as though they were connected with their thoughts. It was more that just her emotions that he felt; it was like she had stepped inside his mind. At that point she abruptly left him to step towards Paris. Tom had the good sense to back away from her; however, like Chakotay he found himself compelled to accept her caress.

She looked from one man back to the other, who was still holding her child.

"You are not from 'around' here," she repeated, with something like awe.

"Oh boy," muttered Paris.

The woman moved back towards Chakotay and he held out the child, hoping she would take the girl. But the mother made no move to retrieve her daughter.

"Please take her far away. As far away as you can. Her life here is over."

"We can't take her," Chakotay insisted. "I'm sorry. I'd like to help you but ..."

Before he could explain -- and how could he explain? -- the air exploded with the sound of a weapon being fired very close to Chakotay's head. Instinctively he ducked, holding the girl close to his body in an effort to shield the child from the direction of the shot. With his other arm he brought up his phaser and fired back.

"So much for non-intervention," Paris contributed, raising out his own phaser and pulling the woman behind him.

It was hard to tell which direction to shoot as the shots seemed to be coming from all directions. Paris's attempt to protect the mother failed on the second volley of enemy fire and she fell against him, hindering his own defensive firing. In the same round Chakotay cried out as one of the weapons hit his arm just above the elbow. His phaser fell to the ground.

He crouched low to retrieve it, his fingers just grasping the weapon as Paris called to Voyager for an emergency beamout.

*****

The Doctor's programming did not seem to have the capacity to express shock the way a human being would. When Chakotay and Paris materialized in front of him, one holding a wounded Viloka, the other a child, the Doctor's first reaction was to tend to the injuries. Part of him expressed what would normally be called curiousity when he questioned bringing aboard the new species without informing him first.

"We didn't really get a lot of advance warning ourselves, Doc," Paris snapped, showing a distinct lack of respect in the opinion of the Doctor. He sniffed a little, as if to say he didn't believe the pilot. The EMH was always the last to know what was going on around this ship.

"Commander Chakotay!" Kes spoke, alarmed when she noticed his arm bleeding. His other arm was tightly wrapped around the Viloka child, who had buried her face in his shoulder.

"It's nothing much," he said, wincing slightly as she examined him. "How is the woman?"

"She's dead," the Doctor responded without emotion, as he scanned her body with a medical tricorder. "Whatever weaponry the Viloka use it is highly effective at destroying the internal tissue. There is nothing I can do."

Paris hung his head, his fists clenched in frustration.

"What did she do that was so terrible she deserved that death?" he asked the room angrily.

Chakotay looked down at the little girl's head. He was silent, wondering the same thing himself.

The doors to sickbay opened abruptly and the captain marched in. Chakotay winced again, this time without Kes prodding his wounded arm.

Janeway looked around the room, taking in the dead woman on the biobed with Paris and the Doctor hovering over her, and also the Viloka child still on the arm of Chakotay, who was being treated by Kes. No one spoke.

Kes finally broke the uncomfortable stillness in the room by informing both Chakotay and the captain that his wound was not serious. Janeway nodded.

"Gentlemen," she said, "I am very curious to know how my orders for non-intervention resulted in a dead woman and her child being brought back to my ship."

"Captain," spoke Paris, "we can explain."

"That's right, Mr. Paris, you can." She fixed him with a glare that made him cast his eyes downward. "As soon as Commander Chakotay is finished with Kes, I would see you both in my ready room. So get your *explanation* prepared!"

*****

Chakotay was heading out of the room before Kes had completely finished healing his wound. He passed the girl off to the Ocampan's arms without a word.

"Commander?" called Kes after him. "What is her name? Do you know?"

"It's Kirie," he informed her, already in the corridor.

"How do you know that?" asked Paris, as they entered the turbolift. Chakotay seemed distant, as though lost in thought.

"I don't know," he replied, truthfully. "I just do."

Once in the captain's ready room, Chakotay's eagerness to report seemed to completely disappear. He was starting to feel distinctly unwell, and wondered if the injury to his arm could be causing the feeling. Still, he remained standing stiffly at attention leaving Paris to explain to the captain what had happened on the planet.

"I'm asking Ensign Kim and Kes to join us," Janeway said, before they got started. "They have been monitoring the planet and no doubt have some insight into the society."

*****

Down in sickbay the Doctor looked appalled when Kes handed him the child. For the first time, the little girl began to cry.

"You can't leave me here with this!" cried the Doctor as Kes made to answer Janeway's summons.

"I can't take her with me," Kes protested softly.

"Well why not?" snapped the Doctor. "You saw her with Commander Chakotay. She was quiet as a mouse."

"You know, you're right," Kes said, abruptly.

"I am?" The Doctor was surprised that he'd won the argument so easily.

"Yes," Kes added, with a smile. She held out her hand to the little girl. "Come on Kirie. Would you like to see Commander Chakotay?"

Whether it was Kes's calming voice, or the release from the Doctor's arms, Kirie stopped crying and followed Kes from sickbay. It was amazing to Kes that she could so easily feel the emotions of the little girl, and more amazing yet that the mere mention of the commander's name seemed to soothe the child's fear.

*****

"She came out of nowhere, captain," Paris was saying. "We just rounded the corner and there she was. She ran straight into Chakotay, he nearly knocked her over."

The captain's attention flickered over to Chakotay with these words, but he did not add anything. Paris took up the tale again.

"Not that he meant to knock her down, but the surprise of the impact ..." Realizing that he was babbling a bit Tom continued with the narrative. "She begged us for help. She claimed that the military, or some kind of armed guard, or something ..."

"The Bahniera," supplied Chakotay softly.

"... was going to take her child. She wanted us to take the girl instead. She claimed the girl was some kind of orphan or something ..."

"A leosan," put in Chakotay.

"... who was missing a ... a bond or a link or something with her father ..."

"The Hlencan," Chakotay said.

Janeway's eyes were flicking back and forth between the lieutenant and the commander even though her body remained absolutely still.

"... of course, Commander Chakotay immediately told her that this was impossible and we tried to extricate ourselves from the situation but then they started firing at us and ..." Paris's arms went up with a helpless gesture.

At this point Harry and Kes entered the room, with little Kirie following close behind. Janeway's eyes narrowed at the sight of the child but she remained silent as she watched the girl cross the room and latch herself onto Chakotay's leg. Chakotay's attention remained focused forward, but he placed his left hand on the girl's head, stroking her hair in a comforting gesture. Janeway wasn't the only one amazed at the sight of the two of them. Harry's eyebrows shot up as he gave Tom a questioning look.

For himself, Paris was no longer surprised by anything related to this child. He, too, had felt the power of the mother's attempt at a telepathic link. Kes as well was not totally surprised with what she was seeing.

"What can you tell us about the militia?" Janeway asked the newcomers abruptly, moving everyone's attention off of the child.

"The Bahniera," Chakotay clarified.

"They are the police force of the current government in power, and they seem to be totally ruthless," Harry supplied, his face betraying the disgust he felt for the situation of the people on the planet below.

"What would they want with a child?" asked Janeway, frowning.

"I think I can explain that captain," Kes said softly. "You see, the Viloka have a very particular way of raising their children. The mother cares for the child until he or she is about two years of age. Then the child forms a telepathic bond with the father ..."

"The Hlencan," Chakotay supplied again.

"Right, the Hlencan," repeated Kes. "It is a link with the father, who then raises the child into adulthood. This bond, this Hlencan, is a very strong telepathic link that can only be made once, and not necessarily to the child's biological father. So children without fathers, the orphaned ones ..."

"The leosan?" asked Janeway to Chakotay, who merely nodded slightly.

"... the leosan can bond with other males who will then raise them."

"The Bahniera," added Harry where Kes left off, "are keen to round up as many ... leosan as they can in order to form the ... Hlencan and raise the children to be the military."

"And ensure they remain in power," finished Janeway softly.

"No wonder she was so afraid of them!" Paris said, remembering the mother's anxiety and her insistence that two total strangers, men she knew not to be Viloka at all, take away her baby.

"This child," Janeway gestured towards the girl at Chakotay's leg, "appears to be older than two years. How is it ..."

"She's almost three," interrupted Chakotay.

Janeway shot a glance back at Paris, who shrugged slightly as he looked at Chakotay with a puzzled frown.

"How is it that she hasn't already formed the Hlencan with a father?" Janeway finished her question.

"The mother said that the girl's father never returned for the Hlencan and was presumed dead," Tom said when Chakotay didn't supply any information. Janeway raised an eyebrow, stepping closer to her lieutenant.

"Was this information imparted *before* or *after* Chakotay immediately withdrew?"

"Uh ..." Paris didn't seem to have a coherent response. Janeway turned away from him to face Kes and Harry.

"Do we know how this Hlencan is formed?"

"Yes captain," Harry responded. "The Viloka initiate telepathic bonding by a caress across the cheek, usually with the back of the hand or the knuckles. Normally the Hlencan is performed with an elaborate ritual, not unlike the Christian Christening or even the ..."

"But it doesn't have to be," interrupted Kes. "The important part of the Hlencan is the link, not the ceremony."

"The woman did touch our cheeks with her hands," confirmed Tom unhappily. "She knew we were not from Viloka. It was an incredible feeling," he added, remembering.

"And was this attempt at a telepathic link *before* or *after* Chakotay immediately withdrew?" The question was directed at Paris, but now Janeway walked over to Chakotay and circled him.

"Er," Tom looked helplessly at Chakotay, who showed no sign of coming to his aid.

"Captain," interjected Kes, "there is something else we learned about this relationship."

Janeway walked away from Chakotay to face Kes.

"Viloka children without fathers have a very difficult time. Because the bond can only be initiated once, then a child whose father dies, or a child who never bonds at all, does not develop properly and is never fully integrated into society. Mothers have been known to raise children alone, but it is *extremely* rare. And children without either parent do not survive long."

Janeway nodded, thinking that there was no situation so bad that it couldn't be made worse. Unconsciously her hands had come to her hips. She looked at her boots wishing he would speak. But aside from providing a few words of vocabulary he had remained distant for the entire debriefing.

"Torres to Captain Janeway."

"Janeway here, go ahead Lieutenant.

Down in engineering Torres wondered what exactly had happened on the away mission. She'd heard rumours, floating down to her from transporter room two, but she never knew how much to believe until she heard it from the source. She'd have to pin down Tom Paris and get all the details later. Certainly the captain's voice didn't sound happy.

"We've finished extracting the dilithium. There were no complications."

"Thank you Lieutenant. Good work," was the captain's response. 'It's good to know *something* good came out of this mess!' she thought.

"Commander," Janeway faced him now, staring into his dark eyes. She could not believe those eyes would lie to her. "Did this child somehow form the Hlencan with you?"

"Yes Captain," he answered without any hesitation. Janeway nodded again. She swung around to face Paris, with a look that told him she hadn't forgotten his attempt to cover up what had really happened.

"Mr. Paris," she said crisply, "please go to sickbay and make arrangements for the mother's body to be returned to the planet."

"Yes Captain," he acknowledged, unhappily.

"Kes, would you please take ..."

"Kirie," Chakotay said softly, "her name is Kirie."

"Would you please take Kirie back to sickbay and have the Doctor look at her."

"Yes Captain," Kes said, holding out her hand to the child. Chakotay disengaged the little girl from his leg and gave her a little push of encouragement in Kes's direction.

"Commander I would speak to you alone. Mr. Kim, dismissed." Janeway wasn't looking at anyone, preferring the view of the stars from her portal.

*****

Chakotay's mind was in turmoil as he watched Kathryn stand so far from him, not making eye contact with him, waiting for the others to leave the room. How could he explain to her what had happened on the planet's surface when he didn't understand it himself? What words could possibly convey the sensation of having the girl's mother probe his mind for a connection?

"Commander Chakotay," Janeway's voice was cold, "I would like your explanation of how *non-interference* could be interpreted by you as becoming telepathically bonded to a three year old child!"

"It was not my intention to disobey your orders, Captain," he began. He hesitated, at a loss for an explanation. She stared at him in disbelief.

"Chakotay, I know that reaching out to help people is your first instinct but ..."

"I didn't reach out to her, Captain, she reached out to me!" His voice was a lot harsher than he meant for it to be. He took a deep breath and paced a few steps to get his bearings. "Her fear, her anxiety for her child it was something I could *feel*. It was almost as though she threw it at my mind! It ... affected my judgement."

"That is an understatement, Commander!" Janeway snapped.

"I didn't know what she was doing!" he protested. "I didn't know that her child's hand on my cheek was going to bind us together. How could I possibly have known that?!"

"You knew well enough to stay away from the population, Commander!" She moved away from the portal to stand in front of him. He was looking down on her, and yet he suddenly felt very small.

"Captain, she was running away from the Bahniera and stumbled across us by accident. It was an *accident*. If we hadn't been there, she'd would have been killed and her child under the control of the military." 'But she was killed anyway Chakotay,' he added unhappily to himself, 'despite your interference.'

"And what, exactly, do you think we should do now?" Janeway asked, searching his face for something she wasn't seeing. He blinked several times, then stepped back in shock as it became clear to him what she was thinking.

"We can't send her back there captain! You heard Kes. Without the Hlencan she will die!"

"Instead you propose that we take her away from all of her own kind, on a 65 year journey to a part of the galaxy her people have never even dreamed of knowing?"

"When the alternative is death then yes! Absolutely! Without hesitation!"

Janeway was trying to remember the last time she'd seen Chakotay so agitated over something. Frankly, she was trying to remember the last time she'd felt so agitated over something.

"Who is going to care for this girl? You?" There was something about the idea of Chakotay caring for this child that upset Janeway and it bothered her that she would react this way.

"And why *not* me?!"

Janeway was silent for a moment hoping his temper would cool. Truth be told she hoped her temper would cool. Unconsciously she brought a hand up to her mouth, rubbing her chin with her fingers.

"Chakotay," she tried again, with a softer tone, "we know next to nothing about this species. We know very little about their telepathic bonds and the *consequences* of the bonds. You are not a telepath. How do you know that you can fulfill the needs of that child? Have you considered the risks to yourself, or to others on Voyager by bringing her aboard?"

"I don't remember this reluctance to have Kes join our crew and she is a telepath," Chakotay interjected, also in a calmer tone.

"Kes is an adult who doesn't require any parental guidance, particularly *linked* parental guidance," Janeway pointed out.

"Kathryn," Chakotay's voice was quite low now, he reached out and clasped one of her hands, "for better or worse that little girl is now attached to me somehow. To send her back to the planet would mean certain death for her; it would be more humane to shoot her with a phaser before returning her. I cannot believe that you would do that. And I cannot allow it to happen."

Janeway paused to collect her thoughts, somberly considering his words. She didn't doubt that they were attached. One only had to see the two of them together to see that. It was hard to believe that this morning before she'd sent him down to the planet Chakotay had never seen the child.

The chime on her door went, stirring Janeway out of her reverie. As she commanded the door to open, Chakotay stepped away from her. Tuvok entered the room. He stoically noted the closeness of the captain to Commander Chakotay but made no comment.

"Yes Tuvok?" asked Janeway, feeling very tired.

"Captain, I have been hearing some disturbing ... rumours about the away mission from the this morning."

Chakotay smothered a smile. Oh, how it galled Tuvok to be finding out news of this importance via the ship's gossip mill! Even as unemotional as he was it showed that he was not pleased with the turn of events. Beside Chakotay the captain sighed unhappily.

"Yes, Tuvok, well, pick the worst one you heard and that's the truth."

"Then it is true that Commander Chakotay has become a guardian for a Viloka child?"

"Yes," responded Chakotay, before Janeway could say anything.

"Do you have any idea of the consequences of your actions commander?"

It was not Tuvok's intention to repeat the captain's lecture and it was unfortunate that he chose almost the same words as she had to bring to Chakotay's attention the seriousness of their situation.

"It's not really any of your business, Lieutenant!" Chakotay snapped.

"The addition of a member of the crew, particularly one so alien to us, is certainly my business, Commander," Tuvok calmly replied. "And may I point out ..."

"No, you may not!" Chakotay's patience was really wearing thin. He'd never felt so upset so quickly over so little. Usually Tuvok didn't get under his skin like this.

"... that your duties as first officer do not permit a great deal of leisure time which would be required in order to focus on the raising of ..."

"Then I resign. Effective immediately!"

"Chakotay!" protested the captain, grabbing him by the arm when he moved to leave the room. He stopped, but continued to glare at the security chief.

"Thank you for your concern, Tuvok," Janeway said evenly, "but *Commander* Chakotay and I were just discussing the finer points of how to integrate our newest member. If there are any security issues we will bring them up at the next senior staff briefing." Her look was so dismissive that Tuvok did not bother to reply, merely returned to the bridge.

"What was that all about Commander?" she asked, noting that Chakotay had the grace to look a little ashamed at his outburst.

"I just resigned, remember?" he pointed out, looking at the ground.

"I didn't accept your resignation, remember?" She tried a grin and it worked. He returned the grin slightly then brought up his hands to rub his eyes.

"I'm not feeling totally myself," he admitted, after a pause.

"Well, as your little girl is now in sickbay, why don't you go down there and collect her and mention it to the Doctor," suggested Janeway, moving around to sit at her desk. "Perhaps it is residual from your injury? Or maybe the Hlencan?"

"Maybe," he agreed and moved towards the door. Just before reaching it he paused and swung around. "Thank you Kathryn."

She met his eyes with what she hoped was a supportive look, merely nodding acknowledgement. As he left the room she sighed, wondering what her first officer had just taken on and whether or not it was more than he could handle.

*****

As he made his way to sickbay Chakotay suddenly thought about what the girl must be feeling. To have her mother so distressed, to be thrust into the arms of a stranger, to be whisked away by a mysterious beam of light, to watch her mother die ...

The child must be in shock, he decided, angry with himself for not thinking of her sooner.

In the mean time, in sickbay, the Doctor was just getting over his displeasure at having to do a physical on an unknown species for which his only point of reference was the body of the girl's mother. But his grumbling brought no sympathy from Kes, who took a moment to point out his lack of compassion towards the child.

Kirie had taken a distinct dislike towards the Doctor from the moment she saw him. While Kes, and later Chakotay, naturally attributed this to the fact that it was the Doctor who announced her mother's death, in reality it was because Kirie could not probe his mind at all. She didn't understand that he was merely a hologram and so her efforts to enter a connection with him were going to meet with failure. She distrusted him.

In fact, so far she hadn't met too many people she *did* trust in this strange place. There was Chakotay, of course, who held the Hlencan with her even if he didn't seem to be able to communicate with her. And there was Kes, who seemed to be able to speak inside her mind, and who could absorb Kirie's feelings as easily as had her mother. And there was that other fellow, the blond one, who had tried to help mumma.

Kirie knew that mumma was gone. But that strange blond man had tried to help her and Kirie wouldn't forget that.

The strangeness of this new place overwhelmed the little girl all of a sudden; she opened her mouth and began to wail. The Doctor, with a look of disgust towards Kes, vanished into thin air. This distracted Kirie momentarily, but it was not enough to stop her distress. Kes moved to put her arms around the girl, feeling her grief very strongly, but Kirie continued to cry.

The door to sickbay opened and in walked Chakotay with an anxious expression.

"Commander. Thank goodness you're here," Kes said, above the sound of Kirie's sobbing.

Chakotay propped himself up on the biobed and took the girl onto his lap, rocking her slightly. She seemed calmer, but still upset. It tore at his heart to see her unhappiness.

"Where's the Doctor?" he asked Kes. She looked apologetic.

"He shut himself down because of the noise." She stroked the back of Kirie's head.

"Computer, activate the emergency medical holographic program!" commanded Chakotay, annoyed.

"Please state the . . . oh Commander, you've returned," was the Doctor's comment after flashing into view.

"Is she alright?" asked Chakotay.

"It's difficult to say, given that I have no basis for comparison," the Doctor replied. Fortunately, Chakotay seemed to accept this. He switched topics abruptly.

"I'm not feeling all that well," he started. The Doctor immediately snapped into action, grabbing his tricorder and scanning the commander as he sat rocking the child.

"Define 'all that well' for me please," the Doctor asked. "Hmmm, this is interesting," he added without waiting for Chakotay's response. "Very interesting."

"What?" asked Chakotay, feeling exasperated.

"You seem to have an extraordinarily high level of ..."

Before the Doctor could finish with his explanation, Kirie, calmer now, reached up to stroke Chakotay's cheek as she had on the planet. Chakotay was transfixed, staring down into the wide eyes of the child, feeling her enter into his mind as easily as if she'd opened her mouth to speak.

"Fascinating!" burst out the Doctor, startling Chakotay. He reached up to gently pull Kirie's hand from his face, giving her tiny fingers a light squeeze of reassurance.

"What is it Doctor?" asked Kes, always one to share his excitement.

"His brain wave activity just shot right off of the scale. I believe we just got a glimpse of the Hlencan, recorded for the benefit of the commander's medical record."

*****

**First Officer's Personal Log: I am not the only one aboard the ship to be surprised at how easily Kirie has fit into our lives. Moreso, I am not the only one to be surprised at how easily I have assumed the role of her father, given that I have no prior experience with children. I would have thought the most surprised would have been Tuvok, judging by his reaction to the news. However, that falls upon Kathryn, who has remained distant since we left Vilok.

Kirie is a joy to me the likes of which I had not anticipated. She does not speak very much, although she is quickly learning English. I'm not certain if her quietness is due to a feeling of being out of place amongst all these non-telepaths, or if Viloka generally do not use vocal communication. Or perhaps Viloka children develop speech later than humans. Just because she doesn't choose to use her voice does not mean she is uncommunicative, far from it. And I recently discovered an effect of the Hlencan that I had not anticipated, nor am I entirely certain of its long term consequences.**

Chakotay had been sound asleep when suddenly he sat bolt upright, his eyes wide open and his heart pounding so loudly he felt that his ears could hear the sound bouncing off the walls. Adrenaline was pumping through him and an unknown instinct was telling him to flee, to GET AWAY! And yet, get away from what? He was alone in his quarters, with only Kirie, also asleep, in the middle of the night, on Voyager. The ship had not encountered anything dangerous for weeks, maybe longer.

He took some long slow breaths trying to centre himself and calm down but he could not rid the intense feeling of fear and with it an ache of loneliness he'd never before experienced. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and lowered his head into his heads. He was sweating. Just as he was becoming convinced he must be ill he heard a noise that made his head snap back up. There it was again.

A whimper. A soft cry.

Chakotay swiftly crossed the room to where Kirie was sleeping and discovered her in a disheveled heap of blanket, crying in her sleep. She was having a nightmare. He lowered himself onto her small cot, and took her in his arms, giving her a little shake. When her large eyes opened and gazed up at him, filling with tears, he began to feel the adrenaline flow out of him.

"Just a dream, Kirie," he whispered. "You don't have anything to be afraid of here."

Her small arms wrapped tightly around his neck and she continued to cry softly, while he rocked her gently. To calm her he tried singing quietly, hoping that merely the sound of his voice would soothe her.

After she fell back asleep Chakotay remained propped up awkwardly on her cot, with the girl in his arms. He was wide awake and thoughtful. Somehow Kirie had sent her dream, and all the distress it was causing, into him.

It hadn't occurred to Chakotay that Kirie could enter his mind without touching his face with her knuckles. He'd assumed that the Hlencan link had to be initiated in the same way as it had first been introduced to him. And yet, the more he considered it now, the more it became apparent that Kirie could communicate with him without having to touch him, indeed without even being in the same room as him.

The realization both frightened him and comforted him at the same time.

*****

Kirie let go of Chakotay's hand and burst forth with a sprint of energy as soon as the holodeck doors opened. The scene was a beach on a warm, but slightly overcast day. A light breeze blew across the water and gentle waves lapped on the sandy shore. Kirie ran ahead, laughing with delight, turning in circles with her arms outstretched, her face up to the sky. Succumbing to dizziness she fell into the soft sand and giggled some more.

Chakotay's steady walk wavered somewhat as the sand gave way under his feet. He paused to regain his balance and looked over at the captain whose face was displaying an enormous grin.

"Why Chakotay this is charming!" she exclaimed. "Where is it? Or did you just make it up?"

His eyes strayed back over to Kirie, who was now running up and down by the water, just barely allowing it to touch her toes before she'd retreat further up the beach. He wished he could take her to a real beach.

"No, it's from Vilok, not too far from Kirie's village. I don't know whether or not she would ever have seen it, but I feel I should at least try to give her as much of her home as I can."

Janeway nodded in agreement, also watching the little girl's play. She cast her eyes back to Chakotay, watching his obvious delight in Kirie. Slowly he turned his head to meet her gaze. Casually, naturally, he reached over to take her hand.

They walked in silence at a leisurely pace, watching Kirie and listening to the water.

"You know," Chakotay began softly, almost shyly, "I miss you Kathryn."

His words, so close an echo to what she had been thinking, caught Janeway off-guard. She tried to pull away from him, but he gently held her close, entwining their fingers.

"Your responsibilities have increased recently," she finally said. "That doesn't leave a lot of time for trivialities."

"I never thought of our friendship as trivial," he told her seriously. "There must be a way to balance all things."

Janeway was saved from replying by Kirie, who came running over, bowling right into Chakotay. He dropped Kathryn's hand to pick up the little girl and swing her up onto his shoulders. She bounced a little there, taking pleasure in the different view from this height. Chakotay would have retaken Janeway's hand but she had withdrawn it by linking her fingers together behind her back.

Satisfied that all looked as it should Kirie slid herself down Chakotay's back and swung herself around to sit in his arms facing him. Janeway watched the girl use the commander like a jungle gym with some amusement and some sadness.

Chakotay showed no discomfort at having Kirie climb all over him. She was a small girl after all, and it was a game they had played before. Swinging in his arms now she reached up to stroke his cheek.

Janeway caught her breath. She'd seen Kirie do this to Chakotay before. She doubted there was anyone on Voyager who had not seen Kirie and Chakotay in this pose. But she had never witnessed the reaction so closely.

Man and child had their eyes locked together in unspoken communication. Chakotay stopped walking and held Kirie very still. Then he did something that shocked Janeway even more. Holding Kirie firmly with his left arm, he brought up his right hand to brush his knuckles across the girl's cheeks tenderly. His strong hand, so large against the delicate face of the Viloka child, was a direct contrast to her little fingers trailing across his own cheek.

Janeway gasped. How long had Chakotay been doing that? Did he have the ability somehow to return the telepathic link to the girl? Or was it merely a gesture, to mirror Kirie's touch?

"Swim?" asked Kirie. Chakotay smiled and placed her back down on the sand.

"Not today. I want to talk to the captain."

"Swim!" Kirie was more insistent. Chakotay crouched down to meet her eye to eye.

"Not today." His voice was soft, but firm. "We'll go swimming another time."

She seemed to accept this, or at least realize that she would not win the battle, because she turned and wandered away from them, meandering aimlessly down the beach. Chakotay stood, with his eyes closed, and took a deep breath. He always felt so drained after Kirie touched his mind.

"That was remarkable," Janeway said softly. He gave her a half grin, looking weary.

"What, that she obeyed me?"

She knew he was only teasing, as a way of avoiding the topic, but he was the one who said he wanted to talk.

"No, I meant seeing that link in action." She looked over at Kirie, who'd sat and was now drawing in the sand. "You and she have an incredible connection. How could I ever compete with that?"

Chakotay turned to face her, pulling both her hands into his now.

"This isn't a competition, Kathryn," he said.

"Maybe not for your affection, Chakotay, but for your time it is." She looked down, trying to avoid his eyes.

"Then we have to try harder," he insisted. "Because it *is* important."

"Does she ..." Janeway looked up now, "does she ... speak to you in your head?"

"You mean the way the Ocampans did?" he asked. Janeway nodded. They turned to continue walking, arm in arm. "No. Not with words. It's more like ... emotions. I can sense what she's thinking but only by how she's feeling."

"And does she sense you?"

"I don't know," he admitted. He abruptly dropped her arm and stepped away looking confused. While a moment before he'd been feeling relaxed in the captain's presence, he was now starting to feel uncomfortable.

Janeway, who had begun to think that maybe she and Chakotay could continue their close friendship even with his new relationship, felt hurt by his actions. What was he playing at anyway? Was he bothered by her questions? She frowned, watching uncertainty and confusion flash across his face.

The wind picked up slightly at that moment, blowing her hair into her face. She brought up a hand to pull it aside but so had he and their fingers collided in the air. He snatched back his hand as though burned and stepped further away from her.

Tucking the wayward strand firmly behind one ear Janeway's gaze fell on Kirie, who was sitting very still, watching them. All the joy and wonderment of the beach had left the girl's face, she was very serious.

Janeway turned quickly to observe Chakotay. Then she, too, stepped further away. They were still linked together somehow, Janeway was sure of it. Was it possible that Kirie's bond with Chakotay was not only sending him her emotions, but was affecting his behaviour as well?

"Thank you, Chakotay, for inviting me today. I have to get back to my duties," she told him. He looked unhappy, but she could do nothing to help him. "And so do you," she pointed out, gesturing towards the little girl.

*****

Janeway sat in her ready room with a pile of work spread before her and her eyes not reading a word of it. She was replaying in her mind the scene on the beach with Chakotay and Kirie. And she was remembering other times recently when Chakotay had been acting out of character. And she had formed a theory about the reason for this that was causing a crease of concern to appear on her forehead.

She had been trying to decide if her personal feelings for Chakotay were clouding her objective viewpoint. As a result she had passed the morning in thought, without accomplishing anything.

Checking her chronometer to see that it was almost lunchtime, she decided she needed to enlist the aid of more objective eyes. She swiftly passed through the bridge, barely acknowledging Tuvok or Chakotay, and headed for the mess hall.

As she suspected, Torres was eating her mid-day meal with Tom Paris. No matter. The more pairs of eyes she got into this project the better.

"Mind if I join you two?" she asked, sitting down before they had a chance to reply. An advantage to being captain, the crew rarely refused her.

"Please do," Tom said, with a hint of amusement. Torres gave him a light kick under the table.

"I was wondering," Janeway hesitated, then decided to be blunt, "if either of you had noticed anything ... peculiar about Chakotay recently."

"What do you mean by peculiar, captain?" asked Tom, taking a bite of his meal. He noticed Janeway hadn't bothered with a tray before sitting down. She wasn't here to eat her lunch.

"Has he done anything that seemed, I don't know, out of character for him?" Janeway clarified.

"You mean aside from taking on the fatherly role for a telepathic rug rat?" Paris asked, receiving another kick for his troubles. He was going to have some bruises later. The look he got from the captain wasn't exactly friendly either.

"Well," Torres began and then stopped. It was silly really. But Janeway leaned forward with anticipation, urging her to continue. "Just after we left Vilok, I bumped into him in a turbolift and I could have sworn that ... no it was probably just my imagination."

"What?" asked Janeway and Paris at the same time. Torres looked embarrassed.

"I'm sure I was misreading him, it doesn't make any sense." B'Elanna toyed with her food.

"What?!" repeated Tom with more insistence.

"It seemed almost as though he was afraid of me," B'Elanna finished, reluctantly. "Which is silly because there's no way that Chakotay is afraid of me, so like I said I was probably..."

"Was Kirie with him?" interrupted the captain.

"Yes, it was the first time we'd met and she was *definitely* afraid," Torres smiled with the memory. "I think I won her over though by ..." Torres stopped abruptly as the idea that Janeway had been toying with struck her as well.

"If either of you notice anything odd about Chakotay, *any*thing at all, I want to know about it," Janeway said, preparing to leave.

"But captain," Torres said, looking up at her, "you don't think that maybe Kirie can ..."

"I don't know what Kirie can do, B'Elanna," Janeway admitted. "And I suspect, neither does Chakotay."

*****

Janeway's next stop was sickbay where she was greet with enthusiasm by Kes. The Doctor, deciding to take advantage of the quiet time between crises, had been overhauling the crew's medical records, harassing people to come in for physicals, and entertaining Kes with music he accessed from the cultural database. He had just broken off song to teach her a dance from Earth's 20th century when the captain arrived. Kes loved the Doctor dearly, and she took great pleasure in watching him grow from his cold, impersonal programming. But today she'd been wishing for some tiny little crisis, non-life threatening of course, that might occupy his circuitry enough to leave off the Charleston lessons.

"Doctor," Janeway greeted him shortly, not really noting the smile of pleasure he had, "what do we know about the Viloka's telepathic bonding."

The Doctor immediately switched gears from dance teacher to physician. His smile gone, his forehead creased with a frown.

"Very little, captain. I only have a basic knowledge of the Viloka physiology, and that I gained from the corpse of the woman and observation of Kirie."

"I'm more interested in their telepathy, than their physiology," the captain said, pacing in front of the biobeds.

"What would you like to know?" asked Kes.

"We assumed from our brief observation of their society that the telepathic links were initiated by the touching of hands to the face," Janeway started.

"Much like the Vulcan mind meld," interjected the Doctor. "Or indeed many other such telepathic bonds including ..."

"But is it possible," continued Janeway, cutting him off, "that the Viloka stay linked even when they are not touching? That maybe the touching is just a gesture for them? Or perhaps a method of establishing a telepathic link that remains for a period of time?"

"Certainly it is possible," the Doctor agreed immediately. Janeway's look soured. She'd been hoping he would tell her otherwise.

"Captain," put in Kes, "I can feel Kirie even though she and I have never initiated a bond by touching. But I assumed it was because of my own empathic tendencies and not because of her telepathic power."

"May I ask what this sudden interest is, Captain?" queried the Doctor when Janeway didn't speak. She looked down, she looked up, she tapped his console with nervous energy.

"I have a theory that Kirie is projecting her feelings onto Commander Chakotay," she finally said.

"Of course she is," the Doctor said, surprising the captain with his immediate agreement. "That's what the Viloka Hlencan is all about."

"No, I'm worried that it is more than we thought," Janeway said, shaking her head. "I think maybe the Hlencan is affecting the commander's actions, even changing his personality in subtle ways."

"Captain," Kes said slowly, "it is only natural that Commander Chakotay behaves differently now. His sense of responsibility for a child is bound to affect him profoundly, and this may make it seem like he has changed. But ..."

"This is more than just him accepting responsibility," insisted Janeway. "I'm talking about him ..." she broke off. "What the hell am I talking about?" she muttered. Both the Doctor and Kes were staring at her, puzzled.

"Have you tried speaking to Chakotay about this?" suggested Kes, softly.

"I don't think he is even aware of it," Janeway said. "And I wasn't aware of it either until I witnessed it yesterday. But when I saw it I wondered how I could have missed it before this."

"What, exactly, did you witness, captain?" asked the Doctor, raising an eyebrow.

"I ... he ... ah," Janeway stuttered a bit. "We were walking on the holodeck and Chakotay was trying to convince me that, well, he was ... he was being very affectionate. But then suddenly he became very cold, very distant. And I think it is because Kirie didn't want to see us ... together."

Kes smothered a smile with difficulty. The Doctor was not as successful at hiding his reaction. Both of his eyebrows were now raised.

"I see," he said, although he wasn't sure he did.

"Maybe you are the one who is projecting your feelings, captain," Kes said, surprising both Janeway and the Doctor.

"I know it sounds odd," Janeway told her, slowly, "I would probably have the same reaction as you if our positions were reversed. But I know what I saw and I know what I felt and I know that Chakotay was not himself. The only explanation I can find is that the girl was somehow manipulating him through their bond."

Janeway paced some more while the Doctor and Kes digested this.

"I've been thinking about it all morning and there are several other occasions when Chakotay has behaved oddly recently. Starting right from when Kirie came aboard! Like for example, remember when he first showed her the holodeck? You were there Kes. She was enthralled by it and he was practically giggling. When have you ever seen Chakotay giggle?"

"I assumed then that he was merely taking pleasure in Kirie's wonderment," Kes responded, her tone indicating that her opinion remained unchanged.

"And what about the time the inertial dampeners failed on decks two through six. Chakotay was on the *bridge* and he felt queasy."

"The close proximity of the bridge to deck two could account for an overflow of the ..." the Doctor began. "Or maybe not," he finished quickly when Janeway glared at him.

"B'Elanna told me just now that when she met Kirie for the first time the girl was afraid of her. And so - was - Chakotay!"

Janeway paused her pacing to try to gauge whether she was winning over her audience. The more she thought on it, the more she was sure she was right.

"He has generally seemed very happy, almost excited, which I, like you, attributed to his reaction to watching Kirie discover Voyager and all the wonders of space travel. But what if it is more than that? What if it is Kirie putting her own feelings into him?"

"I guess it is possible," the Doctor grudgingly admitted.

"It could be that because Chakotay lacks the telepathic power of a Viloka father, he is not able to properly complete the connection," Kes hypothesized. "Maybe he is receiving all these emotions, but as he's not able to return any back to her it is affecting him somehow?"

"That could be it!" Janeway seized upon the idea.

"There are any number of possibilities, Captain," said the Doctor, quenching her enthusiasm. "However, what we can do to alter the situation is limited. Even knowing that Kirie is affecting Commander Chakotay in such a manner will not help us break the bond."

"There must be something we can do," Janeway said. "Because this can't be good for him."

"I agree with you there," the Doctor said. "But our options are few. The Hlencan bond is meant to last until the child has reached adulthood. Commander Chakotay has another 17 years of responsibility towards Kirie, give or take a few months."

"Is there any way of removing this link?" asked Kes. The Doctor blinked, considering.

"I can think of a few methods to attempt to cut off the connection; however, I am not confident they would have much affect and they would almost certainly be detrimental to Kirie's health." He consulted with his computer console for a moment, shaking his head. "I would not recommend trying. I cannot predict the results."

Janeway looked at his screen over his shoulder. She suddenly had a thought that left her blood cold.

"Doctor," she asked with a low voice, "if we were to attempt something that was detrimental to Kirie's health, and she and Chakotay are connected, what kind of effect would that have on him?"

"Without conducting some experiments I cannot say for certain but I suspect the effect would be a negative one."

"Look into it," Janeway ordered, with a decisive nod. "And let me know the minute you've found anything interesting."

*****

**Helmsman's Personal Log: Boy, the captain sure dropped a bomb of an idea on us today. It's funny, I never figured her to be the paranoid type. But B'Elanna jumped on it immediately, claiming that she's thought Chakotay has been acting strange for weeks. Yeah, right, and she just needed someone else to point it out to her. We've enlisted Harry's aid in keeping a watch on Chakotay for any odd behaviour but I'm not optimistic we're going to uncover anything startling. And god help us all if Chakotay finds out about this.**

When Chakotay and Kirie entered the Mess Hall for breakfast conversations died and heads swiveled around. Kirie was oblivious, marching up to Neelix and tugging on his apron with a grin. But Chakotay noticed, and as he glanced around the crowded room, with nearly all eyes upon him, he frowned with perplexity.

"Well, that was subtle," breathed Paris, sitting with Harry and B'Elanna in one corner. Their heads had quickly snapped back around so as to avoid a questioning look from the first officer. "How many people are in on this witch hunt anyway?"

"This isn't a witch hunt," protested B'Elanna, "but it doesn't hurt to have as many people as possible watching for anything unusual."

"Oh man, how did I get involved in this?" Paris asked the ceiling.

"And how are you feeling this morning Commander?" Neelix asked cheerfully, peering up at Chakotay with a long look. Chakotay was used to Neelix's enthusiastic mood, but he felt that the cook was pushing just a little harder this morning to be friendly.

"I'm fine Neelix, and hungry. How's the breakfast crowd going?" Chakotay glanced around, noting that most people had gone back to eating.

"And how's the Little One?" continued Neelix as if he hadn't even heard Chakotay's response.

"She's hungry too," Chakotay responded. Neelix's next question came as a surprise.

"And how exactly do you know that?"

"Because," Chakotay smothered a grin, "it is breakfast time."

"Ahhhhh," Neelix nodded knowingly, like Chakotay had imparted some vitally important and previously unheardof information.

Chakotay made it through breakfast feeling increasingly more uncomfortable under the scrutiny of the crew. He hadn't felt this watched since he'd first boarded Voyager.

*****

"What happened there was wrong," Tom said. "And I can't believe that you support it. You are supposed to be his friend!"

"I *am* his friend!" snapped B'Elanna. "And I'm worried about him, and so is the captain, and that is why we're watching him."

Tom shook his head with disbelief. They were in the corridor awaiting Chakotay.

"Would you listen to yourself? What has the guy done except acted a little out of character? I don't think the Viloka were a malevolent people. You don't know what that telepathic link was like. You don't know that it has anything to do with..."

"Then don't you think we should find out?" Torres asked, her brows darkening with anger. "Maybe there's too much here we don't know."

Chakotay had left Kirie with Ensign LeBlanc, who was looking after the children of Voyager. He was running a little behind schedule as so he marched through the corridor to the turbolift swiftly and distracted. He caught B'Elanna's last words as he nearly stumbled on top of Torres and Paris. The pair were debating something pretty heavily, by the looks of the colour in Tom's cheeks, and B'Elanna's clenched fists. But they immediately broke off their conversation at the sight of Chakotay and followed him silently to the turbolift.

"Bridge!" commanded Chakotay once the three of them were aboard the lift.

He stepped to the back of the lift, keeping his eyes forward but acutely aware of the conversation still being played out by the eyes of his companions, one on either side of him.

"Everything ok, Chakotay?" Torres asked, suddenly ending the silence.

"Yes," he answered shortly, wondering if he was getting a little paranoid.

"How's Kirie?" asked Tom, with a forced cheerfulness.

"Suicidally depressed," snapped Chakotay, exiting the lift.

He stopped abruptly on the bridge when the crew turned to face him with curious eyes. Realizing that Paris and Torres could not leave the lift unless he moved further into the room, he stepped down to the command centre and relieved Lieutenant Rollins. The lieutenant seemed reluctant to leave his station until Chakotay glared at him so openly that he quickly retreated.

As Paris took the helm a tense silence fell upon the bridge. Tom was glad his eyes were forward. Even so, he could feel Chakotay's scowl burning into the back of his head.

The captain entered the bridge in the early afternoon of the alpha shift to find the atmosphere thick with stress, which surprised her, as they were travelling through a relatively unremarkable part of the Delta Quadrant.

Asking Chakotay for a status report, she noted hostile feelings flowing from him and towards him from the bridge crew.

"May I speak with you, Captain?" he asked, in a clipped voice.

"Of course, Commander," she replied easily. They retreated to her ready room, but not before she heard Paris breathe a sigh of relief. She left Tom to Tuvok's discipline, preparing herself for Chakotay's stress.

"Everything alright, Chakotay?" she asked, getting herself some coffee.

He didn't answer for a moment.

"Would you be surprised to know that you're the 30th person to ask me that question today?" he finally asked.

Janeway opened her mouth, but didn't speak. She was surprised.

"Let me guess your next question," he continued. "How is Kirie? Am I right?"

Janeway smiled in an attempt to disarm him. It didn't appear to work.

"Well, the two of you are a pair now, it's only natural that ..."

"Is there any particular reason you have the crew keeping me under surveillance, Captain?" he interrupted with a cold voice.

"I don't know what you mean," Janeway was perplexed.

"EMH to Captain Janeway!" sang out the Doctor's voice.

"Doctor, I'm a little busy at the moment," Janeway began, but the Doctor continued talking without appearing to have registered what she said.

"I've been very busy looking into the possible effects of an attempt to break the Hlencan from Kirie and Comman...."

Chakotay's jaw dropped with amazement.

"Doctor!" interrupted Janeway sharply, "When I am finished with my meeting with Commander Chakotay, I will contact you for your report."

"Er, of course Captain. My apologies," the Doctor signed off quickly.

Kes looked up at him as they stood by the main computer in sickbay.

"Oops," he said to her.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on now?" Chakotay asked Janeway in a voice she'd never heard. She knew he was angry and trying to control himself but she wasn't sure how to make him comprehend.

"Chakotay, why don't you sit down and we can talk about this?" She sat in her own chair to encourage him. He remained standing, his dark eyes fairly snapping with his wrath.

"I walk into the Mess Hall to have all eyes upon me, I pass by whispered conversations in the corridors, I have people continuously asking me 'how I am', I spend hours on the bridge feeling like I'm about to be arrested at any moment..." he blasted.

"No, Chakotay you don't understand." Janeway stood up again when it became obvious that he was not going to sit. She came to stand close in front of him but before she could try for an explanation he pulled away and continued his rant.

"And then I discover that you have the Doctor working on a method to break the Hlencan? Who said I wanted to break the Hlencan? What right do you have to even *presume* that I wanted such a thing?!" He was nearly shouting now.

Janeway had only rarely heard Chakotay raise his voice, and it had never been towards her. She found herself stiffening with a defensive posture.

"We were only looking into it as a precaution, as something to ..."

"WHO ASKED YOU?!" he thundered, the dam of anger finally breaking through.

"Commander!" she said sharply, raising her voice a little.

He stopped, his mouth shutting abruptly, but his eyes remained dark with undisguised rage and hurt.

The two of them stood glaring at each other for a moment while Janeway tried to regroup her thoughts into something he might understand and Chakotay tried to curb the horrible feeling that had just swept through him. He hadn't felt this angry in a long time and it scared him. Not only that he would be so carried away by his wrath, but also that it would be directed at this woman before him. But then he'd never felt more betrayed by her.

"Chakotay," Janeway tried again, "I am concerned about the effects that this telepathic link is having on you. I'm not suggesting that we do anything that might hurt Kirie, of *course* I would never suggest that. I am worried about *you* though."

Chakotay was shaking his head. He took a step back.

"Can you honestly tell me that she hasn't been influencing you via this link?"

"You don't understand," he said bitterly, "you have no idea what you're talking about."

"Then help me to make sense of this, Commander!" she snapped at him.

"Permission to leave Captain?" His voice was cold, so unlike his usual tone that Janeway felt a catch in her throat. She merely nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

Chakotay strode onto the bridge and up to the lift without sparing the curious eyes a glance. Tuvok had risen from the centre seat, prepared to stand down command to the first officer but Chakotay was not staying.

"The bridge is yours, Lieutenant. If anyone is curious as to *how* *I* *am*, I will be in my office."

"Yes sir," acknowledged Tuvok evenly.

Just as Chakotay left the bridge the crew's eyes swung around to see the captain leaving her ready room. She noted the absence of her first officer without surprise then walked casually over the helm.

"Mr. Paris," she murmured, bending over Tom's console, "could you tell me who assigns the duty roster on this ship?"

"Er," Was this a trick question? Tom wondered. "That would be Commander Chakotay."

The captain nodded, calmly, unruffled.

"Good," she said, softly, "I was afraid maybe you had forgotten. In the interests of keeping you on the bridge, and flying the ship, perhaps you had better call off the dogs?"

It was phrased as a question but the tone was all order. Tom opened his mouth intending to explain that the "dogs" were not *his* to call off but somehow,

"Yes, Captain," is what came out.

*****

Later in the afternoon Chakotay entered sickbay on a summons from the Doctor. He suspected that he would find Kathryn there and he tried to calm himself before confronting her again. He found the Doctor, Kes and Kathryn in the Doctor's office looking somberly at a computer model.

"Ah, Commander Chakotay, good you're here," the Doctor said, shortly, glancing over at the captain. She was regarding Chakotay thoughtfully. The commander did not make eye contact with her, directing his attention to the Doctor.

"You called?" he asked.

"Commander," Janeway said gently, "I know that we ... disagreed earlier, but I hope that you will listen to what the Doctor has to say."

When he did not respond the Doctor took this to be a cue to begin.

"Yes, well, here's what I've learned. Kes and I went over the information gathered from our preliminary scout of the planet as well as my autopsy findings on Kirie's mother. As we knew already, we determined that Viloka initiate telepathic links by touching their hands to the faces of others; they have very specific nerves that run across the backs of their hands and fingers. Corresponding nerves run along their cheekbones from the temple to the chin. However, it is not necessary for Viloka to have physical contact for the link to be maintained. If we examine the brain of an adult Viloka as here," the Doctor indicated to his computer model, "then we can see this portion here is the core of their telepathic nervous centre. A comparison with Kirie's brain shows this has not yet been developed."

Chakotay remained silent. Janeway watched him cautiously. She knew he was a smart man, she hoped he wasn't going to allow his hostility to cloud his better judgement.

"We have a theory," Kes's soft voice took up the lecture, "that the development of this part of the brain is related to the Hlencan link, which is the strongest of all telepathic bonds for the Viloka. Because Commander Chakotay is not a telepath, and because she is living amongst non-telepaths, it is unlikely that Kirie will develop her telepathic centre fully."

"What this will mean for Kirie's future I cannot say," the Doctor admitted. "It could be that she will live a normal life, without even realizing what she is missing. Or it could be that the Viloka require this development in order to balance other brain processes."

Still Chakotay didn't comment. They hadn't really said anything he didn't already know, or at least suspect. He presumed there had to be something else. There was.

"But what really caught my attention was another examination of Commander Chakotay's brain. If you recall Commander, shortly after Kirie came on board Voyager, she initiated a link with you while I was scanning you. I recorded the Hlencan in action, as it were." The Doctor called up another computer model on his screen. Chakotay's eyes flickered across the data impassively. "Here is a scan of Chakotay taken three weeks prior to our encounter with the Viloka; here is the one during the Hlencan; and here is one taken four days ago."

"Please get to the point Doctor," Chakotay said quietly.

"Commander!" The Doctor was amazed he had to point it out. "This data shows that *you* are developing the Viloka telepathic centre in your brain! Albeit, a slightly modified version," he added.

There was silence in the sickbay for a moment.

"What are you suggesting that we do about this Doctor?" Chakotay finally asked.

"I confess, I am at a loss for a recommendation, Commander," the Doctor responded. "An attempt to break the Hlencan could have devastating consequences for Kirie. But if we allow things to continue as they are now, I cannot predict what the effects on your health will be! The human brain just wasn't meant to act in this fashion!"

"Chakotay," Janeway spoke, "can you deny that this bond isn't affecting your behaviour?"

He turned to face her for the first time.

"If you had a problem with my behaviour, Captain, I really wish you would have spoken to me before this."

Chakotay turned and walked out of the Doctor's office. They followed him, more slowly as he headed for the door. Just before reaching the exit to the room Chakotay swung back around.

"I will not have you turn her into a lab rat because of a theory, Doctor, is that clear?"

"Perfectly," the Doctor responded.

Janeway stepped away from the EMH and walked closer to Chakotay. She peered up into his eyes; eyes that weren't filled with anger anymore. They were sad.

"Chakotay, don't you want to get your mind back? Isn't it getting crowded in there with the two of you?"

"Why hasn't it occurred to any of you that maybe I care about Kirie?" he asked with genuine surprise. "I care a lot for her. I will not let her come to harm."

"Even if that means sacrificing your own health, Commander?" asked the Doctor.

"Yes," was Chakotay's response before he left the sickbay.

"Thank you for your efforts, Doctor," Janeway said slowly, her eyes on the door. "It never hurts to be prepared for any eventuality."

Then she, too, left the room without looking back. The Doctor creased his brow in frustration.

"Kes? Would you interpret the captain's last remark to mean that I should continue with the research, despite Commander Chakotay's resistance?"

"Well, if you did," answered Kes slowly, "then we'd be prepared, wouldn't we?"

*****

"It is *totally* unfair that I took the fall for this one, Torres!" Paris said, stabbing the dinner entree angrily. B'Elanna said nothing. "I mean, *I* was the one saying that there was nothing wrong with him all along!"

"Did the captain say there was nothing wrong?" asked B'Elanna finally. "I think she just wanted us to back off a little. I can't remember when I've seen Chakotay so angry."

"Yeah, well can you blame him?" Tom was disgusted.

"Both he and the captain spent some time in sickbay this afternoon," Harry informed them.

"This is ending, right here," Tom said. Harry looked amused.

"Why Tom Paris, I've never known you to try to *stop* the rumour mill from grinding."

"This isn't just a rumour mill Harry," Tom said, wearily, "it's a lynch mob. And it's wrong."

"What did you tell the *dogs*?" asked Torres, a bit surprised by Tom's attitude.

"That it was a joke to try to rile Chakotay, that it worked and that it is over before we all end up on KP duty!"

*****

**Chief Medical Officer's Log: Today has been extraordinarily unremarkable. The health of the crew is apparently good, and there were no incidents resulting in injury. Aside from some routine health check-ups, see notes under medical files 100453.4 and 100489.5, there was only one other visitor to sickbay. Lieutenant Carey came in with a broken wrist. He told me he did not appreciate my sense of humour when I asked if he had been arm wrestling with Lieutenant Torres again. **pause in the log** I was not attempting to be humourous, however, by his reaction I took the answer to be no. I have made a note to bring up engineering accidents at the next senior staff meeting. Lieutenant Torres's department accounts for by far the largest number of patients in sickbay.

The quiet time has afforded me the opportunity to study further the Viloka telepathic centre of the brain. Unfortunately, Commander Chakotay's attitude makes it impossible for me to conduct any tests on Kirie or himself and I am left to work with only the existing data in their medical files. While I have run several probability scenarios I remain unable to determine the long term effects of the Hlencan as an inter-species relationship. Several of the experiments had an outcome that was positive, or at the very least neutral. However, more than 78% of the results were negative, some fatal to both parties. **pause in the log** I am uncertain how to proceed.

"Got a minute Doc?" Tom Paris poked his head inside the Doctor's office where the hologram sat as if staring into space. At the sound of the pilot's voice, the Doctor stood.

"I have several minutes, Lieutenant," he replied. "What is it that you need?"

"It's just an expression. You know, a way of saying 'Are you busy?'" Paris explained as they walked back into the main area of sickbay.

"Of course I am busy," the Doctor snapped, "otherwise I wouldn't be turned on. What can I do for you Mr. Paris?"

"Headache," Tom said with a frown. "It started off light, but it's getting worse. Now I've got this pounding behind my eyes."

The Doctor picked up his medical tricorder and scanned the other man's head. As the EMH was uncharacteristically silent Tom felt the need to continue talking.

"I was thinking that maybe it was something I ate. Like an allergic reaction or something. Sometimes Neelix puts some pretty weird stuff in the food!"

"Being a pilot isn't challenging enough for you, Lieutenant? Now you feel you want to take on diagnostic medicine as well?" There was that bedside manner that Tom had been missing.

"Well, maybe we could do some cross-training," Paris easily replied to the Doctor's sarcasm. "Ever feel like taking the helm?"

"No," the Doctor said shortly. "Although I have no doubt that were we to attempt such an exercise, I could gain the skills necessary to pilot the ship far faster than you could become an adequate physician."

He turned to his equipment tray to get a hypospray for the headache. Paris decided not to continue with their conversation. He didn't need the Doctor's ego putting him down.

"What makes you think that Mr. Neelix's cooking is responsible for your pain?" the Doctor asked as he administered the medicine. "Aside from the deluded hope that I might be willing to assign you some extra replicator rations."

"Just a feeling." Tom shrugged. "Something in the gut."

The Doctor began scanning Tom's stomach region with a perplexed frown.

"I'm not showing anything unusual in your stomach or digestive track. What did you think was in your gut besides the food?

Tom smiled. He resisted the urge to laugh. He should have come in sooner; the Doctor's inadvertent humour was even better than Tuvok's sometimes.

"It's another expression, Doc. A gut feeling is an instinct. Nothing is actually *in* the stomach, it just means that you feel something to be a certain way, even without any hard evidence to prove it."

"Are humans often acting on these gut instincts?" asked the Doctor, suddenly showing a great deal more interest in Paris.

"Probably more often than we'd like to admit," Tom replied. "You can't help but follow your instincts sometimes, even when there's data that shows you're wrong."

"Hmmm," pondered the Doctor, "I wonder if I have such a thing."

"Do you have a feeling that you can't prove with scientific study?" asked Paris, amused.

"Yes," the Doctor answered with enthusiasm. "I've been working on a problem but I don't have enough data to form any conclusive evidence one way or another. And yet ... and yet, I can't help but feel that a particular outcome will take place."

"Sounds like a gut instinct to me," Paris said, pushing himself lightly off the biobed.

"I can't go to the captain without any evidence," protested the Doctor. "I don't think she's going to accept my instinct as an argument." The Doctor knew that Commander Chakotay certainly wouldn't.

"Then I guess you'll have to go back to the drawing board," Paris told him. The Doctor now looked totally perplexed.

"Mr. Paris, I fail to see how my taking up art could have any bearing on this situation!"

"Another expression," Tom said, placing a hand on the shoulder of the EMH. Sometimes educating the Doc was a tricky business. "It means you'll have to go back to gathering hard evidence to support your gut feeling. Thanks for fixing the head." Paris rapped his knuckles lightly on his temple and left the Doctor.

The EMH wandered slowly back into his office considering all that Paris had said. He was worried that by the time he was able to gather enough evidence it would be too late for him to help either Kirie or Commander Chakotay.

*****

Janeway stood in the holodeck looking at the cold grid of the empty room. She considered calling up the program she'd been in with Chakotay and Kirie last week. That beach scene had been very relaxing. And yet, she couldn't help but feel that the setting would rub salt in her wounds where Chakotay was concerned.

She could always go next door, where Neelix and Tom were running a pool tournament. She had purposely avoided that activity, feeling that the captain's presence would only detract from the relaxed atmosphere of the off-duty time.

So she'd ended up here, standing with her hands on her hips in the vacant room, wavering with indecision over which program to load to take her mind off things. She definitely needed a distraction. Even here, on her recreational time, she was going over the fight she'd had with Chakotay. Over and over again.

Each time she replayed it, she felt more guilty. Each time she thought about the Doctor's report she felt more worried. And each time she decided on a program she discarded it because of its connection to Chakotay somehow.

*****

Chakotay shifted slowly from his position on his couch. His arm had fallen asleep. He'd been sitting reading reports earlier when Kirie had wandered into the room, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" he had asked her. She had not responded, merely climbed up into his lap to snuggle against his chest.

Chakotay had considered carrying her back to bed but then decided that there was no harm in letting her sleep in his arms for awhile. She was soon gone, relaxed and comfortable with one arm wrapped partially around him to his back and the other flat across his chest, with a little hand curled in a fist by his comm badge.

He had continued reading the reports.

There was no reason for him to be working; nothing in this pile was critical. But Chakotay felt like he should be doing something and it was easier to pick up the reports than to dwell on other methods he might find for his spare time.

Now the reports were finished, his arm was asleep and it was definitely time to move off the couch. Gently supporting Kirie, he stood and walked across the room to his desk, sitting on the edge of his chair. He activated the computer console and was about to do his logs for the day when he realized it probably wouldn't be a good idea to have a sleeping child on his lap for the official log. He could do his personal log, he supposed. But instead of activating the recording he softly asked the computer to display the medical files of the research on the Viloka telepathic bonds.

In the semi-darkness of the room, Chakotay's eyes flickered over all the data once again, including the model showing the changes to his own brain. Abruptly he tapped the computer console, shutting it down. He stood. The logs could wait.

He was halfway across the room when his door chime went. He was surprised as it was quite late. If it was an emergency he would have been hailed. Therefore, it could only be a personal call. He stepped over to the door and opened it to reveal the captain, looking uncertain.

Chakotay stepped back to allow her space to enter the room.

"Excuse me, a moment Captain," he said softly, "and I'll just put this sleepy one to bed."

"Of course," she murmured.

She had been surprised at the sight of the two of them. She had assumed, by the lateness of the hour that Kirie would have been in bed already. Yet when the door slid open there he was with the girl wrapped around him. It was almost as though she was a part of him.

Through the doorway Janeway could see Chakotay gently depositing the girl onto her cot. Not so gently that the child didn't wake. Janeway could hear that Chakotay was speaking softly to Kirie, but she couldn't make out the words. A blanket was brought up under the girl's chin and the commander brushed his hand, palm down, along her face, closing her eyes.

Then he stood and turned, to find the captain watching with such open curiousity and wonder that it surprised him. He stepped back into the room wondering what had brought her here so late.

"Chakotay," she began in a low voice, "I'm sorry to bother you but I had to talk to you."

"What's on your mind, Captain?" he asked, trying to keep his voice neutral. She looked away at the use of her title.

"I wanted to apologize for what happened the other day. I was completely out of line going to the Doctor without talking to you first. I was acting out of concern for your wellbeing, and for Kirie's too. But I handled it poorly. I'm sorry."

He had not been expecting this.

"Apology accepted," he managed, finally.

"Friends again?" she asked, with the corners of her mouth turning into a shy smile. He reached out to her slowly, pulling her into a gentle hug.

"Always."

*****

As Janeway exited her ready room she noticed Chakotay pacing on the bridge. The captain allowed herself a small smile. He so rarely showed any impatience.

"Eager to begin your shore leave, commander?" she asked, with a grin. He grinned in response, so obviously pleased with something.

"Ensign LeBlanc has taken down the children already," he began. Janeway nodded with understanding.

"You want to join Kirie. Well, I can't blame you a bit for being a little impatient." Janeway gave him a broader smile as she came up with an idea. "Why don't you take the last few moments of your shift to check the transporter logs? With so many crew on the surface I would hate to have any unexpected problems."

Chakotay knew what she was doing. He opened his mouth to thank her verbally but she stopped him with a light hand on his arm.

"Just promise me you two will squeeze a few moments for me when I finally get my rotation down there, ok?"

"That's a promise," he said warmly.

As Chakotay stepped away from her to head up to the turbolift he was struck by a sudden wave of fear that caused him to physically stumble. Janeway noticing the alarm in his face went swiftly to his side.

"Commander?"

Chakotay was still reeling from the shock of the sensation. He couldn't seem to find his bearings and his knees felt weak. He brought a trembling hand up to his head, looking perplexed. Then as suddenly as the fear had hit him he felt pain. It was a searing, burning sensation that began in his arm but soon spread throughout his body. He fell onto his knees.

"Chakotay?!" Now well and truly alarmed Janeway knelt beside her first officer and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Janeway to sickbay! Medical emergency on the bridge!"

Trying to get his breath back Chakotay began shaking his head. No, he wasn't the one who needed the medical attention. But how to let Janeway know when he could hardly seem to breathe?

"Kirie," he said in a choked whisper, before blacking out.

*****

When Chakotay came to he was feeling both disoriented and numb. Disoriented because the last place he remembered being was on the bridge and now he was in sickbay. Numb because he suspected that the Doctor had administered something for the pain, which had subsided. Looking down on him with sorrowful eyes was the captain.

Chakotay abruptly started to sit up, only to be pushed unceremoniously back down by the strong arm of the Doctor. The physician held a tricorder in his other hand.

"Kirie?" Chakotay asked. "Is she alright?"

Before the Doctor could respond Janeway's soft voice cut in.

"What did you think happened to her commander?"

"She was afraid," he told her, still remembering the intensity of the emotion. "She was afraid and then she was hurt by something. Something on her arm."

Above the biobed the Doctor and the captain exchanged a glance.

"Is she alright?" asked Chakotay again, with more insistence, batting away the medical tricorder. Couldn't that stupid hologram see that he wasn't the one with the medical problem?

"She's fine," the Doctor said, shutting his tricorder with a snap to show his displeasure at Chakotay's lack of cooperation. "She was attacked by some kind of small animal. Ensign LeBlanc described it as 'squirrel-like'." The Doctor sniffed with disgust. "It bit Kirie on the arm but she has already made a full recovery and I released her back to Ensign LeBlanc."

Chakotay closed his eyes with relief, finally feeling free to breathe again.

"I'm more concerned about you, commander," said Janeway, causing him to open his eyes again and look at her. She did look worried. He was sorry for that.

"What happened?" he asked, propping himself up on his elbows.

"I was going to ask you that," was her response. "You collapsed on the bridge. The Doctor can find nothing wrong with you."

Chakotay was at a loss to explain what happened. He lay back down on the bed again. He looked from the captain to the Doctor as they waited for his explanation.

"As I stated before, Captain ..." the Doctor started when Chakotay said nothing. Janeway held up a hand to stop him, her eyes still firmly on Chakotay's face.

"I would like to hear it from the commander's point of view, thank you Doctor." When Chakotay remained silent, she drew herself up stiffly. "Commander, as soon as you are feeling better I would like to see your report."

Without waiting for his response she marched out of the room.

*****

Chakotay felt well enough to leave sickbay later that day. As the shore leave rotation was over by that time he went back to his quarters, collecting Kirie from Ensign LeBlanc along the way. She was in a subdued mood, for having spent most of the day on the planet. Her infectious excitement of the morning was spent; she lay her head on his shoulder as he carried her through the corridor.

Chakotay could still feel that pain that had ripped through his body and wondered how it was possible for this little being to project such a sensation onto him. Obviously the wound she'd suffered from the teeth of the small animal had not been as serious as it had felt to him. So not only was she able to send him her feelings, but now she could magnify them as well.

He hadn't forgotten that the captain was waiting for a report. He just wasn't sure what he was going to tell her. He tried talking with Kirie as he put her to bed, asking her if she'd been scared on the planet. But the child remained elusive about her feelings, preferring no doubt to send them to him telepathically rather than talking about them.

He sat watching her sleep for a long time.

The chime of the door stirred Chakotay from his position. He'd been dozing, sitting on the floor by Kirie's bed. Rising stiffly, trying not to groan as his muscles protested, he went to the outer room to greet his visitor. He was not surprised to see her.

"Kathryn," he acknowledged, hoping to start things off in a casual way. She stared daggers at him.

"Commander," she responded, stepping into the room. "I trust you're feeling better, since the Doctor permitted you to leave sickbay?"

"I feel fine," he said, thinking that it was mostly the truth.

"I don't," she said, in a clipped voice. "I don't feel fine watching you keel over in pain for no reason on my bridge."

"I can't explain exactly what happened," Chakotay began, wishing that they could sit down and discuss this in a friendly way. But the captain stood almost at attention, still near the door as though she wasn't planning on staying very long.

"Maybe I can then," she interrupted, stepping a little closer to him. "Shall I take a guess? I think that Kirie sent her fear of that animal to your mind. She sent her *pain* to your mind. Except for some reason, it was worse for you than it was for her. Am I close commander?"

"I don't pretend to know all the answers to this situation Kathryn," he said softly.

"I'll leave you to your sleep," she said after a moment's silence. She turned to the door causing it to open. "But think on this Chakotay. If her being bitten by a squirrel could have this effect on you, what do you think might happen if she was ever seriously hurt?"

*****

**Chief Engineer's Personal Log: I beat Tom Paris in an arm wrestling competition today. That should wipe the grin off his smug little face for a bit. I have to admit, I very nearly let him win. Harry told me Tom had been lifting weights recently, trying to increase his strength endurance. It occurred to me that it might be good for his ego to win the competition. Then I came to my senses and smashed his arm down. **pause in the log** I didn't mean to sprain his elbow.

That was definitely a mistake because now I feel bad for having won. Not to mention the fact that bringing him to sickbay reminded the Doctor of his complaint against my department's safety records. I sprained Tom's elbow in the mess hall for crying out loud! We were nowhere near engineering! But Holodoc has insisted on a complete review of the safety protocols. The only good part about it is that the captain decided to send Chakotay down to take care of it.**

Torres crawled out of the tube at a cross-section and leaned back against the wall waiting for her companion. Chakotay awkwardly shifted so that his legs swung out over the edge and he sat there consulting his PADD.

"There should be a medkit here."

"Right over there!" Torres pointed, triumphantly. So far every one of the safety protocols was in place. Her department was going to pass with flying colours. So much for the whim of the EMH!

"Is it complete?" asked Chakotay wearily. Torres scowled and swiftly leaned across the tube to snatch the medkit off the wall. She opened it and held it up for Chakotay to view.

He nodded and added the comment to the PADD.

"You know, did it occur to anyone, the Doctor included, that maybe engineering has the most accidents because it's the most dangerous part of the ship?" Torres asked for the fifth or sixth time. Chakotay had lost count.

"We're just trying to minimize that danger, B'Elanna," he responded. He stood stiffly, stretching. "Shall we go up another level?"

Torres took the ladder first climbing with more energy than her enthusiasm for the project had shown.

"So Chakotay, I bet you're happy to pull this kind of detail, huh," she tossed down at him as he gripped the ladder.

"Oh yeah, Torres, I love climbing through the jeffries tubes," he shot back sarcastically.

"I just meant that it's something different from just sitting on the bridge all day."

Reaching the next level she demonstrated the plasma fire extinguisher and the emergency door mechanisms that would seal off parts of the tubes in the event of a plasma fire. He made some more notes on his PADD.

"You'd be amazed at what I do all day, Torres," he commented lightly. "Some days I don't even make it to the bridge at all."

"Oh yeah?" She replaced the emergency equipment and prepared to continue up the ladder. "What is it that you do all day Chakotay?"

"Usually I have a steady stream of people flowing through my office," he grunted, grabbing hold of the bars again.

"Well, you are the crew's advocate with the captain," she told him, with a grin that he hear, even if he couldn't see her face.

"I'm a lot of different things to a lot of different people," he acknowledged. "You wouldn't believe some of the reasons people come to see me."

"Oh, I think I would," she said. "I've come to see you a few times myself."

She'd reached the next level and stepped off the ladder moving towards the medkit, knowing that he'd want to inspect the contents. Suddenly Torres was thrown across the tube with a violent force as the ship shuddered. She could feel its motion, something she knew she shouldn't be feeling. Picking herself up off the floor she smacked her comm badge.

"Carey! What the hell just happened? Why did the inertial dampeners fail?!"

Carey was glad she was up in the jeffries tubes and not down in engineering when she used a voice like that. As it was, he was just barely holding the dampeners together and didn't need her to snap at him to get his job done.

"I don't know! You'll have to ask your hotshot pilot boyfriend, Lieutenant!"

Torres's lips curled into a snarl.

"He's not my...." That was a lost cause. "You're out of line Lieutenant! Better get to work on those dampeners!" Then, after a pause she hit her badge again. "Torres to bridge! What's going on up there? People are being thrown about!"

"My apologies for your inconvenience, Lieutenant," came Tuvok's cool voice. Torres snarled a bit more. "However, that maneuver was necessary in order to avoid some unexpected difficulties with the Wupanzi."

Torres didn't bother asking who the Wupanzi were. Probably some typically friendly Delta Quadrant people looking to destroy the Federation ship. She suddenly realized she hadn't heard anything from Chakotay. Normally, he'd be the one asking questions. She pulled herself over to the ladder and poked her head down.

"Chakotay? Are you alright?"

*****

When the ship lurched and the dampeners failed it was all Chakotay could do to keep from being tossed down the tube. He lost his PADD as he brought up another hand to grip the ladder. His left arm was hooked over the rung, bent at the elbow. But his boots lost their footing with the force, swinging his legs out into the air. He scrambled to regain balance as he dangled more than three quarters of the way to the next level.

Before he was able to fully recover he was struck by a flash of confusion.

Kirie.

Chakotay let out a low moan. Not now. His feet brushed the ladder and he tried to find something solid on which to stand.

Suddenly he felt like he was kneeling on the floor. He was no longer in the jeffries tubes, but in the hydroponics bay staring at shattered glass spread out all around him. He looked up to see Kes's concerned face.

"Let me see," she was saying, holding out her hand.

He lifted a hand to show her and was shocked by the sight of blood. It was all over his hands. Gasping in shock Chakotay let go of the ladder and fell down to hit the lower cross-section of the tube with a painful thump. Looking back up to where he'd just been he saw B'Elanna's face peering down at him.

"Chakotay? Are you alright? Oh god, you're bleeding!" She withdrew her head to shift around and begin climbing back down the ladder.

Chakotay brought a hand to his face and discovered that his nose was bleeding. Pulling away his fingers he gasped at the sight of them. There was blood all over his hands.

Torres had brought the medkit from the upper level and made some kind of comment about how it was good that all the engineering safety protocols were in place so that the kit was stocked. He wasn't really following her. Why was he in the jeffries tubes when he felt like he should be in the garden?

"You've got a nasty knock on your head, my friend," Torres said, scanning him. She'd stopped his nose from bleeding, but felt he should go to sickbay to have the Doctor look him over. Then he did something to convince her.

"Kes?" he asked her, looking perplexed. She blinked at him.

"No, I'm B'Elanna," she said slowly. He was dazed. The sooner the Doc saw him the better, Torres decided.

*****

"I didn't see what happened to him," Torres explained to the Doctor, again. "I was dealing with being thrown across the room at the time!"

"Are you in need of medical aid as well, Lieutenant?" asked the Doctor, pausing a moment from his examination of Chakotay.

"No, I'm fine," she said, struggling to maintain some control. "But I *think* he must have hit his head or something. He called me Kes."

"I can't think of anyone on board who is least like you," the Doctor commented under his breath. He wasn't actually paying Lieutenant Torres a lot of attention as he was fascinated by the scan of the commander's brain. Things were progressing just as he'd thought they would.

Torres merely glared at him, her hands on her hips.

"Is he going to be alright, Doctor?" asked Kes coming up to them now. "Oh my! What happened to his hands?"

The Doctor picked up one of Chakotay's hands and turned it over. He raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing."

"He got some blood on his hands from his nosebleed," Torres explained to Kes.

"How is Kirie?" Chakotay spoke up, looking at Kes. She smiled reassuringly at him.

"There's nothing to worry about, Commander. She cut her hands on some broken glass when we fell, that's all. But she's fine."

He accepted this calmly, but Torres's eyes narrowed. Kirie had been with Kes; Chakotay had called *her* Kes.... No, it was too crazy.

"Obviously, this isn't the best way to demonstrate how safe it is to work in your department, Lieutenant," the Doctor put in dryly.

"I wouldn't put it past Paris to purposely make a move to ruin my safety inspection," Torres blasted.

"Don't be ridiculous B'Elanna," Chakotay murmured.

"Since you've injured your safety inspector, I'm going to assume that the protocols are not adequate..." the Doctor began.

"I'm glad you're ok Chakotay," Torres interrupted, touching her friend's arm lightly, and pointedly ignoring the Doctor, "but I'm sorry I can't stick around." She left.

"Doctor?" Kes's voice brought the hologram's attention back from the engineer's abrupt departure. "His nose is bleeding again."

Chakotay was quiet as he and the Doctor regarded each other. Surprisingly, the Doctor had nothing to say either.

*****

**Chief Cook and Ambassador's Personal Log: I'm really looking forward to the away mission this afternoon. It's been far too long since these feet felt solid ground beneath them. And I'm optimistic that we'll be able to replenish our food supplies with some new and interesting items! I am a bit concerned about one thing though ... **pause in the log** Commander Chakotay is leading the team and he has not been well for several weeks. Oh he hides it! But I know. And he's been suffering from severe headaches; ones so bad that even my special Pulgatikin herbal tea doesn't seem to bring any relief. Still, the captain knows what she is doing and if she feels that he is able to lead the away team then that's good enough for me!**

Chakotay was having a hard time keeping up with Neelix who seemed to be going in all directions at once. The Talaxian wanted to take in as much of the planet's area as he could, searching for an elusive plant that would add that certain something to the food. Chakotay, whose appetite had been seriously lacking in recent weeks, couldn't care less about the elusive plants. He wanted to focus on the plants they *had* been able to find. He had the rest of the team harvesting and transporting foodstuffs up to Voyager now. Then Neelix had spotted something with a tricorder and taken off.

"Neelix!" called Chakotay, "Enough of this! We need to get back ..."

He nearly tripped over the cook, coming on him so suddenly, as Neelix was crouched low to the ground inspecting a stalk of a pale white plant.

"Commander!" he cried with enthusiasm. "Take a look at this! I couldn't believe it when I saw it! Isn't it the most amazing sight!"

Chakotay took in the sight without the same delight as Neelix, squatting down to examine the cane-like vegetation. It felt as hard as a rock and it looked very sharp. He couldn't imagine eating it.

"What is it?" he asked dubiously.

"I have no idea!" responded Neelix. "But it looks very similar to a vegetable from Talax that is almost as popular as leola root in that ..."

Chakotay had heard enough. Anything that was similar to leola root could definitely be left behind. He stood back up.

"I don't think we need it Neelix, we have enough with what the others have gathered and there is a storm coming. We need to get back to the ship."

"I know it doesn't look like much, Commander," Neelix stood also, but was still enthralled by his discovery, "but it's not the stalk that is the edible part of the plant, although you can boil it in soups to add a certain flavour, it's very hard to describe these things. The root, however, is the most remarkable part! Why you can use it in any number of recipes and even turn it into boot polish with the right mixture of..."

"Neelix!" Chakotay barked. Then he took a deep breath, noting the hurt in the Talaxian's eyes. "We don't need it right now, and the weather is cause for concern. I repeat again, we need to get back to the ship!"

Neelix looked up to the sky, with its swirling clouds as though he hadn't noticed the wind prior to this. It whipped around them, blowing Neelix's hair in all directions. Reluctantly, he began to follow Chakotay back in the direction they'd come.

"Of course, if that's what you think Commander," he agreed amiably. "I just wish I could get a better scan of the area because I'm sure these stalks are just the tip of the iceberg!"

"Voyager to Commander Chakotay!" chirped Chakotay's badge. He tapped it.

"Chakotay here."

"Commander, we're showing a very serious storm heading your way. The captain wants to know your status," Harry's voice stated. The channel wasn't totally clear. Obviously, the weather pattern was affecting the communications.

"Yes, we can see the storm as well," Chakotay told him. "We're just finishing now and will be beaming up shortly. Chakotay out."

He turned back to Neelix to encourage him to leave off with the stalks, but the Talaxian had disappeared. Sighing, he tapped his badge again.

"Chakotay to away team. Assemble and prepare to return to Voyager. We want to avoid this storm."

Coming into the clearing where they had first beamed down, Chakotay could see the other members of the team arriving from various directions. There was no sign of Neelix.

"Tom!" he called, raising his voice to be heard above the sound of the wind. "Have you seen Neelix anywhere?"

"No," Tom admitted. "I thought he was with you."

That's what Chakotay had thought too. He did a mental calculation of the assembly before him and saw with relief that everyone else was accounted for.

"Chakotay to Neelix! Please respond!"

"Communications are really going haywire with this weather," Paris noted, having to shout now. "There must be some kind of electric charge in those clouds."

"Tom, get everyone back to the ship," Chakotay ordered. "I think I know where Neelix has gone. Give me a few minutes to go get him."

Tom nodded and turned to group the others together for their beamout. He contacted the ship.

When Tom rematerialized on the pad in transporter room two the first thing he noticed was that Neelix was standing there, harassing Ashmore about something. The transporter chief was deftly ignoring the insistence of the Talaxian that he do some kind of scan of the planet.

"Neelix!" Tom was alarmed. "What are you doing here?!"

"Why Lieutenant," Neelix responded, looking surprised, "Commander Chakotay ordered everyone back to the ship. I was hoping that maybe Voyager could do a more thorough scan of the region so that we could ..."

But Tom was no longer listening to him. He slapped his badge.

"Paris to Commander Chakotay!"

"Communications are really iffy right now," Ashmore told him.

"Beam him out of there!" Tom ordered. "That storm was set to crack open at any moment!"

"What is he doing still there?" asked Neelix confused. "He was so insistent that we leave."

"He's looking for you!" Tom snapped, more harshly than he'd intended. It wasn't Neelix's fault that he didn't follow away team protocols. It wasn't as if the Delta Quadrant native had ever gone to Starfleet academy.

"I can't find him, Lieutenant," Ashmore reported after a moment. Tom was halfway out the door.

"We'll try from the bridge," he told the transporter chief, while hitting his badge to contact Harry.

*****

The wind was throwing dust and debris around making it hard for Chakotay to keep his eyes open. He was finding it harder to walk upright as well.

"NEELIX!" he called, his voice being carried away by the sound of the storm.

Even though he'd spent a lot of his life in space, Chakotay knew well to respect the power of weather. You could not reason with a storm, to get it to stand down its weaponry. You could only hope your shields would hold. Better yet, stay out of its way. Chakotay had no shields, as he made his way back to where Neelix had found the stalky plant. He had no shelter. And he had no Neelix.

"Chakotay to Voyager!" He couldn't tell if his communication was getting through because the roar of the wind overpowered his hearing.

A clump of what was formerly a bush made contact with his head, knocking him off balance for a second. While he tried to regain his footing a large branch, torn from a nearby tree, landed solidly on his chest, throwing him to the ground. He let out a sound that might have been a gasp crossed with a groan. Not only had his breath been knocked out of him, but he'd landed heavily on top of one of the stalks and immediately had an appreciation for how sharp they were.

*****

"Anything?" asked the captain again.

Harry bit his lip in frustration. He was frustrated that he wasn't able to force the sensors to pierce through the weather of the planet and collect Commander Chakotay. He was frustrated that the captain kept asking him for a status report when he had nothing to say.

Tom's disheveled appearance when he'd arrived on the bridge said much about the state of the weather on the surface. It had only worsened since the transporter had collected Paris and the others to safety.

"Tom," the captain turned from Harry's station towards the helm, where Paris sat, "what about taking a shuttle down? What do you think about the chances of making it in one piece?"

Tom considered her question carefully. He looked down at his console, judging the power of the storm by the data he saw displayed there.

"It could be done," he finally said, "but there is always a risk. If the storm changes or ..."

"Understood," she said briskly, swiveling back to the Ops station. "Harry, can you get any kind of indication how long this storm will last?"

"It came up pretty quickly, Captain," he said, "and there's no reason to think it couldn't disperse just as quickly. But it seems to be circling in on itself, so it's very hard to say."

"Keep trying to get a fix on the commander, or at least establishing communications with him. If you have *any* opportunity, beam him out without confirming it." Janeway sat down in her seat, tapping her console lightly with excess energy.

"Yes Captain," Harry agreed.

"Chakotay knows the situation," she told the bridge, although it seemed to Tom like maybe she was trying to convince herself. "He'll find some cover and wait out the storm. That's what we'll do too."

*****

Heavy cold rain was pelting down into Chakotay's eyes, blocking his vision. He was aware of a warm wetness, underneath his back, and knew without having to see it that it was blood from his wound. His hands lightly explored his side where the plant had impaled him, and they travelled up to his head, where the bush had knocked him. They went instinctively to his chest, looking for the communications pin. It was gone.

"Ahhhh," came out of his mouth, as he tried to clear his eyes to look around for it. The storm had darkened the sky, cutting off the light of day with an angry blackness. The rain had turned the ground into small rivers of mud, which flowed up to and around the commander's frame.

Using his fingers to see, he felt the ground around him, hoping the comm badge had just been knocked off and was close by. Twisting his neck painfully up and over to the side he caught sight of the golden pin. Reaching up his right arm he found it to be just beyond his reach.

Clenching his teeth in pain and frustration he stretched his arm, wiggling his fingers lightly as they brushed the pin. Just - a - little - bit - further. With a tremendous force of will, Chakotay pulled himself up to inch that much closer to the badge. It disappeared before his very eyes, its form lingering a second as the transporter beam took hold. His hand snatched at it and came up with only air.

Pain and disbelief consumed him for a moment. He closed his eyes. It would be so much easier to just let go and have the cold, wet fingers of the storm take over. He found himself thinking of Kirie, wondering what would happen to her without him. And he found himself thinking of Kathryn, trying to take some comfort in the mere thought of her in what he felt to be the last moments of his life. He could almost see the bridge, her standing from her seat and looking at him questioningly.

She was speaking, but not to him, her mouth turned into a stiff smile to hide the concern that remained in her eyes.

"... I bet you hadn't considered!"

When Chakotay opened his eyes he was not on the bridge, but still lying on his back on the planet, cold, wet, and suddenly feeling very weak.

*****

Harry's head shot up at the sharpness of the captain's tone. She's just worried about Chakotay, he tried to tell himself, it's nothing personal.

"We only recovered his badge," he told her.

Janeway rubbed her temple, battling an internal debate. At what point does one take the risk of a shuttle to recover him? He may be in trouble, but then again, he may not.

The turbolift opened and Janeway turned to see who had arrived. It appeared that no one walked out, which surprised her enough to move closer to the lift, near Tuvok's station. His left eyebrow had nearly shot into his scalp with surprise.

Kirie walked down the few steps and then hesitated.

"And where did you come from, hmm?" asked Janeway, trying keep her voice light.

"Captain," answered Tuvok, "it appears she used Commander Chakotay's command codes to access the bridge."

Now Janeway's eyebrow raised in a mirror of Tuvok's astonishment. She gave the security chief a tight smile.

"There's a security risk I bet you hadn't considered!" she said to him.

"Chakotay," Kirie spoke for the first time. Janeway looked down at the child's somber face wondering what to tell her.

"He's not here," she said finally. "Chakotay is on the planet. But he'll be back soon." Janeway hoped she sounded reassuring to the little girl.

Kirie was torn between going to Tom, whom she trusted and loved, and going to Janeway, whom she knew Chakotay to trust and love. In the end his instincts overpowered hers and she stepped closer to the captain. Janeway knelt down to look into the girl's large scared eyes. Kirie raised a hand to press her knuckles into Janeway's cheeks.

Kathryn had never felt the Viloka telepathic link, not like Tom had when they'd first encountered Kirie's mother. Kirie had never before attempted to link to anyone but Chakotay since coming on board. Now she felt the girl touch her mind, like the fluttering of butterflies in her stomach, except it went across her brain.

"Chakotay is dying," Kirie told her, her serious voice commanding despite the child's small stature.

All eyes were on the captain, to see how she would react to the girl's announcement. Even if she hadn't just felt the brush of Kirie's mind with her own Janeway would have believed the girl. Hadn't Chakotay proven in the past that he could feel Kirie when she was in pain? It stood to reason that Kirie could sense him just as clearly.

"Mr. Paris," Janeway spoke in a voice that wasn't as steady as she would have liked. She would have been surprised to know that the crew could not hear her trembling. "Prepare a shuttle. We need to find the commander as soon as possible."

"Yes Captain." Paris was out of his seat and heading for the lift before Janeway had finished with the order.

"Captain," Harry spoke up, a worried frown on his face, "without his comm badge he is going to be difficult to locate."

Janeway had stood, unconsciously gathering Kirie into her arms and now she faced Harry. Before she could speak Kirie opened her mouth again.

"I know where he is," she told them.

"We're with you, Mr. Paris," Janeway said, immediately, following Paris to the turbolift.

Tuvok stepped from behind his station.

"Captain, I must object to this arrangement! You are putting yourself and the child at great risk and I doubt Commander Chakotay would approve of this action."

Janeway nodded at him and then entered the lift, with Kirie's arms wrapped tightly around her neck.

"Understood. Noted. You and Commander Chakotay can take me to task when we get him back on board. In the mean time, you have the bridge, Lieutenant."

*****

Janeway was gathering their equipment as Tom opened the shuttle door. It had been a nerve-racking descent, but Paris was more than an able pilot. He had landed them close to where the away team had beamed in earlier in the day.

Nothing about the data on the computer had fully prepared Janeway for the power of the storm. Strong gusts of wind, sheets of rain, occasional lightening, total blackness ... she was tossing a couple of wrist light to Paris when Kirie ran out the now opened door.

"Catch her Tom! We can't lose her!" Janeway cried alarmed.

Paris ran after the girl, strapping the light on his wrist as he went. Janeway followed, after picking up a tricorder and slinging the medkit over her shoulder. She was immediately soaked by the strong rain which was cold enough to make her gasp with shock.

Tom had longer legs than Kirie, but he was also more hampered by the gale force winds. Still, she hadn't managed to get too far away before he scooped her up into his strong arms.

"Listen you!" he shouted. "I don't want to explain to Chakotay how I lost you! So stick with me. Don't worry, we'll find him," he added more gently, attaching a light to her arm.

They made their way cautiously along the trail that Neelix had created that afternoon in his quest for plants. Janeway tried scanning with the tricorder, but found the signals to be confusing and contradictory.

"Tom!" she called suddenly. "Wait! I've found something!"

He turned back to find the captain kneeling down on the path. He bent over to see what she'd discovered. Chakotay's tricorder. Janeway shone her light in a circle around where the device had dropped. She couldn't see any sign of her missing first officer.

Kirie wiggled out of Tom's arms, aided by the wetness of their skin and clothing.

"Kirie!" cried Tom, alarmed. The two officers followed the girl's light as a signal.

Janeway was finding it harder and harder to keep her balance in the mud, which had turned the path into a slippery mess. She felt as though the rain were washing straight through her body; there wasn't any part of her that wasn't completely drenched. Her hair flapped annoyingly in her face with the wind.

"There!" shouted Tom. "Look!"

Janeway pulled her hair back and shone her light to meet Tom's on Chakotay's body. Kirie sat by his head with arms crossed so that her hands rested on his cheeks. The girl bent her body down so that her forehead was touching Chakotay's.

"What is she doing?" asked Tom, as he and the captain slipped and slid their way over to the pair. Janeway didn't answer. She didn't know. Maybe Kirie was trying offer Chakotay comfort with some telepathic reassurance. Had the girl been able to tell him they were coming, perhaps even from Voyager?

It was quite a shock to both Janeway and Paris to find that Kirie had lost consciousness, her tiny form slumped over Chakotay's head. Tom gently disengaged her from the commander while Janeway scanned his body.

"We have to hurry," the captain said. "He's in a bad way."

"Oh my god!" Tom held the little girl on his knees, brushing her wet hair off her pale face. "Captain, she'd dead!"

*****

Chakotay awoke in stages, feeling himself come out of darkness slowly. As his awareness became sharper he could hear voices coming from a distance, and yet very close too.

"I blame myself for not seeing this sooner." That was the voice of the EMH.

"I doubt there was anything you could have done, even if we had known." That was the captain.

"It certainly adds to the reasons the Bahniera were so keen to gain control of the leosan." The Doctor again.

Chakotay opened his eyes, to find himself lying on his side in sickbay. The far wall, starting fuzzy, came into focus suddenly as Kes stepped into his view.

"Commander?" she asked gently. "Can you hear me?"

Something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong but he couldn't put his finger on it. Chakotay pushed himself up, ignoring the dull pain from his side. He sat on the biobed with his head in his hands, the realization suddenly hitting him like a physical blow.

He felt Kes's soft touch on his arm and lifted his head to see the anxious faces of the captain and the Doctor peering down at him.

"She's gone, isn't she?" he asked, knowing it to be true. Janeway nodded, her eyes full of compassion. "Where is she?"

He stepped up off the bed, aided by Kes as his balance wavered and made his way over to where Kirie's body lay. So many things were churning in Chakotay's mind, he felt overloaded by emotion. Grief, anger, confusion. A trembling hand touched the child's face. It was cold. Slowly, he collected her into his arms, remembering the innumerable times he'd carried her, the times she'd slept on his lap while he worked, the times she'd swung in his arms. He could remember the feeling of her hands on his cheeks, the feeling of her in his mind. He rocked her dead body slightly, not knowing what else to do.

"What happened?" he asked hoarsely, thinking that the last he remembered he'd thought he was dying in the cold storm of the planet.

"Kirie led us to you," Janeway said gently, "because she told us you were in danger." Then the captain paused. She was wondering how to explain what had occurred next. The sensation of carrying the girl's lifeless body back to the shuttle was still haunting Kathryn.

"Kirie then performed a telepathic healing ritual," the Doctor added.

Chakotay's hurt eyes looked over to the Doctor without understanding.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"I am sorry that I did not predict this sooner Commander," the Doctor said. He tried to explain. "It appears that part of the Hlencan is a method of absorbing and transferring some kind of telepathic healing. In this manner the Viloka maintain their health and treat injuries."

Chakotay suddenly realized with startling clarity that the times when he had been most aware of Kirie's communication had been when she was hurt, or scared. She'd been seeking aid, and he had not been able to give it to her. He buried his face in her hair.

"Kirie laid her hands on your face and touched your heads together drawing your injury into herself. Without her assistance you would have surely died," Janeway told him in a soft voice.

"But the extent of your injuries was too much for her," Kes added. "By the time the shuttle got back to Voyager it was too late."

"It is not so surprising that she would have this ability," the Doctor began, in a lecture tone. Kes shook her head slightly at him but appeared not to notice. "After all, many other telepathic species have been known to use their mindlinks for healing purposes. The Vulcan mind meld has been used in such a fashion. And even an artificially telepathic race like the Borg use this kind of link to...."

"Don't you EVER compare her to the Borg again!" Chakotay's head had snapped up his expression one of such open hate and pain that Kes gasped. The Ocampan swiftly crossed over to the Doctor to pull him away.

"But I was merely trying to explain...." The Doctor resented the tug on his arm that Kes gave.

"Let's leave the commander alone now, Doctor," she insisted.

Chakotay turned away from all of them, trying to block out all sensations. Maybe then he wouldn't feel so totally lost as he did. Janeway placed a light hand on his back and he stiffened.

"Please go away, Captain," he said, his voice muffled.

"Ok, Chakotay, ok," she whispered, turning reluctantly and leaving him to his grief.

*****

She saw him as soon as she entered. He was standing by the water examining his toes as the waves floated gently over them. The grey sky looked like it was threatening rain, which suspected was simply a mirror to his feelings. He was not in uniform, but then he hadn't been on duty for several days. The Doctor had only just told her that he was convinced that there would be no long term effects on Chakotay's brain after the Hlencan was severed by Kirie's death. Well, no physical effects anyway. Janeway suspected the emotional effects would be long lasting indeed. As for his injuries from the storm, they'd healed very quickly, due in part to the energy from the little girl.

She knew that he was aware of her presence but he did not turn to acknowledge her, merely continued to allow the water to wash over his bare feet again and again.

"Chakotay," she finally said.

"Captain," he responded, not looking at her.

"Will you be upset with me if I ask you how you are?" she asked.

"Would you be surprised to know you're not the first to ask me that today?" was his low reply. Then he looked up to the sky, squinting slightly, and faced her. "I ache," he confessed simply. He looked back at his feet. "I miss her."

"I know," Janeway said softly.

"I loved her," Chakotay continued, sadly. "I guess I had no choice, considering the circumstances."

"Oh Chakotay," Janeway smiled, "maybe you had no choice about the Hlencan, but you chose to look after for her, you chose to teach her. You *chose* to love that girl."

"I keep thinking," he said after a moment's pause, "about what she did for me and I can't understand why she would sacrifice herself to give me something that I was never able to give her. Instinct maybe...."

"Hey," Janeway interrupted, "listen to yourself. You made sacrifices for her every day. You sacrificed your own health simply to maintain that link with her. She was a wise child. She knew that. And it's not too much of a stretch to believe that she loved you just as much as you loved her."

He did not respond. She could only hope that some of what she said made it through to him to comfort him. She held up her hand to pass him something she hoped would also help.

"I brought you this."

He took the medicine bundle carefully, thinking that it had been a long time since he'd meditated.

"Thank you," he said, honestly. Then he raised free hand lightly draw a line along her cheek with the back of his fingers. His hand lingered along her chin for a moment before he dropped his arm to his side. Then he smiled at her.

Even if the smile did not touch his eyes, it was a start.

*****

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