I began this during the final writing of Part 18 of MOV. I wanted to make sure there was a strong lead in. So, how many of you were expecting the way MOV ended?

As a result, there will be some items taken from Kathryn's point of view that I may not have covered or glossed over in Chakotay's part. But I don't exactly want these to become carbon copies of one another. Not my intention and if I begin doing too much of this, let me know. I want this story to be a somewhat fresh perspective from the captain.

I think I pretty much describe "Lady of Virtue" in the introduction. Not one to leave you hanging, I proudly present ...

"Lady of Virtue".

"Lady of Virtue" is the second phase of the "Stained Glass Series" arch. It is not necessary to read "Man of Valor" first, but it is highly recommended. "Lady of Virtue" is from Kathryn's point of view and takes place directly after "Man of Valor". This will be a first for me. I've written much from Chakotay's point of view. I hope I do the captain justice. As a result, I'm sure that the tone will be different.

Summary: Kathryn's remembrance of how her relationship with Chakotay has evolved over the past seven years.

Rated: R for good measure.

Disclaimer: Paramount owns all. I'm taking Kathryn and Chakotay out for a spin. Never mind me. I promise to have them in before curfew and duty, wiser for the wear and undamaged by whatever I feel like doing to them.

"When the mirror crashed, I called you. . ." Berlin, "Take My Breath Away"

"I walk without a cut, through a stained glass wall. . . " Heart, "These Dreams"

Stained Glass Series

Lady of Virtue

I think I shocked him.

Yes, I held him at arm's length. Yes, I used Mark for over half of this journey as an excuse. Admitting that you're blind to what is obvious, is hard to come clean on. So I've come clean. I was strong enough to admit to him once that I'd been using Mark as a safety net, to avoid becoming involved with someone else. Namely him. I just needed to learn to be strong when it came to my - to our needs.

Why did it take me so long to see? Maybe it was because I'd been hurt one too many times. There have been times I've been hurt by Chakotay, but when I think about it, I realize that at the times that he's hurt me, he was under some outside influence, or he had been looking out for me. I guess that means we're even. He wouldn't be the best first officer I've worked with if he didn't point out my faults. He's my weakness, I'm his.

Now that I know him, he's intoxicating me. I've been to see him four times today. Hannah certainly wasn't the entire reason. How'd I know that a week ago when I ordered him to take this day off, that I'd be looking for any little time-any little excuse to see what he was doing? I can't forget; the heights he's taken me to, the feel of him, the taste, the emotion. I want him, I need him.

Chakotay sits there on the couch. I recognize the reaction-the body movements. Furrowed brow, mouth hanging open. How long have I been able to read him like this? I know; I've been able to read him since I asked him to work with me, be my first officer.

"Say something?" I implore. He looks up at me, his brown eyes twinkling, like the stars he's given me.

"I don't know what to*say, Kathryn." There is more then the words he's saying. He's just reassuring himself before he commits one way or the other. I don't blame him.

"I don't need an answer now. It's more of a request," I said. Lord, did that come out wrong. Chakotay sits there for a moment more, mulling over this. He has never taken anything lightly. Always pondering, always thinking, that's Chakotay.

"Kathryn, it's great idea, but you were the one against it, the one who fought it when you became pregnant with Hannah."

"I know I fought it. I had every right to fight it. Look, you and I both know we're not going to get any younger. I know what I want. But you have a say in this too. I'm not resorting to tactics used by Seska. I'm not taking this lightly." I kneeled in front of him, putting my hands on his shoulders. "Besides, weren't you the one last night telling me that between Seska and I, that you weren't suppose conceive in the right way. This is our chance. I want another baby. One that you and I create."

Chakotay looked up at me, his eyes that I've known too long. I saw the answer.

"Yes."

**

Starfleet didn't mince words with me when I stepped into Admiral Swift's office that day seven years ago. They had just handed me the fleet's best ship, the first of its kind, an experiment. And I, Kathryn M. Janeway, its captain. I smoothed down my uniform and raised my hands to my hair and made sure that every strand was in place. I'd been toying with the idea of cutting it, but Mark liked it long. After this mission that headquarters was sending me on, the hair was going to become a whole hell of a lot shorter.

Swift showed me to a chair and indicated for me to sit down. He sat down on the other side. "I'm sending you to the badlands. After Lt. Tuvok. He failed to check in." Swift had an uncanny ability to state the obvious. I already knew this piece of information. After all, Tuvok was one of my closest and oldest friends.

"Is that where they disappeared?" I asked. I knew the general direction they were heading.

"Gul Evek said he chased them in there, where he says they were destroyed." Swift handed me a PADD with the important information. Type of ship, crew, the important stuff. The first face that caught my attention was the leader; a former commander in Starfleet.

"That's their captain. Chakotay. He was one of Starfleet's rare stars." Swift got up and went to pour himself some coffee and brought me a cup back with him. He sat behind the desk again and proceeded to give me the facts. "Sponsored by Captain Hikaru Sulu. Entered Starfleet at fifteen. Not one of the top students, but one who could be relied on regardless of the situation. Unique insight, abilities. When he resigned, he was third officer of the USS Highland, up for promotion to first officer of the USS Lewis & Clark."

I scanned through the information that Starfleet had provided. Only two years older then I. Majored in Command, minored in the sciences. A fine pilot and tactical officer. Why would anyone having this much going for him, quit and join a bunch of renegade rebels? Swift saw my question.

"He was from Dorvan V." That was all I needed to know. No wonder he'd quit the fleet. They'd let him down, let down those whom he cared for back home. It dawned on me then, that I had known him. A quiet student in my Stellar Phenomenon class. Never said much, always seemed to like working alone. But he wasn't within my circle.

"What happened?" Swift, I knew expected me to bring forth that question.

"His entire family was wiped out. Can't say I blame the man." Neither did I. I knew what the damn Cardassian's were capable of. My father knew. It's what kept him away from home a majority of the time. "He told Admiral Thompson and Commodore Jellico where to get off. I'd never seen the man angry, but he ripped off his pips and his comm badge and threw them across the table. Told them to go to hell and said 'if Starfleet won't help them, then I will.'"

That took guts. Especially with Jellico. I could never stand that man. Wil Riker had once told me what he'd said to that bloated egotistical bastard. Chakotay apparently had a lot of inner pain. If it had been me, I probably would have done the same thing. Under different circumstances, maybe we could have been friends.

"Kathryn, I'll be blunt. You have a brilliant mind working behind that vessel. He is the only one on the crew manifold with Starfleet command experience. That makes him a double threat. He knows us, he knows the Maquis. There are probably tricks up his sleeves that would reduce our best tactical officers to toddlers."

"You don't think they're dead," I stated.

"No. Not with Chakotay in the center seat." Swift watched me look through the rest of manifest. Chakotay's engineer was half-klingon, half human girl named B'Elanna Torres, an academy drop-out. Her instructors had seen some great potential in her. Part of his crew had some Starfleet experience, the other part were people who'd been wronged by the Cardassians. Or ones who couldn't resist a good fight.

Swift continued as I made myself memorize every fact. That face, dark eyes, black hair that was beginning to show some gray, looked too kind to live that sort of existence. "We believe they have a base within the Badlands. A couple of M-Class planets. Until we got Voyager, none of ships have been able to withstand the eddy's and currents within that area. Shuttle craft and runabouts, forget it."

"So, it looks like we're heading to the Badlands," I said. If there was even a chance Tuvok was alive, I would take it. I relied heavily on his counsel.

"I'm giving you permission to bring along an observer. He's at the Penal Colony in New Zealand. Thomas Paris. You served under his father." I knew who he was talking about. Owen Paris rarely spoke about his son. I always got the feeling that Tom wasn't good enough for Owen.

"He may know where the bases are hidden in the Badlands. If he agrees, he gets out a little early." I rose, took my PADD's and headed for the door. Voyager awaited me, Tuvok, if he hadn't been found out.

"Captain?" Swift said before I reached the door. "Don't go in lightly. Even though he's on the wrong side, I trust Chakotay, but the rest, I'd be very wary of."

"I'll keep that under consideration, sir," I said.

How could anyone who had that much going for him, become a rebel and an outlaw? A kind face, hiding a lot of pain, was my guess.

**

At Deep Space Nine, I awaited the rest of my crew. I hadn't got a chance to say goodbye properly to Mark. This mission was actually providing me with an outlet in regards to him. We'd only been engaged for a short time, but the wander lust of the stars always called to me. He never fully understood that. As soon as the final members had arrived, we set out. Little did I know that would be the last sight of Federation space I'd be seeing.

Armed with the co-ordinates of where the Maquis vessel was lost, we entered the Badlands. I wasn't too impressed with the way my first officer, Cavit, treated Paris. Tom Paris had done some wrong in his life, but he wasn't a bad person. Just somewhat misguided. Harry Kim, my fresh out the Academy, operations officer, had taken an immediate liking to Paris. In the long run, that had been a good thing.

When we arrived, we were hit by a beam, which killed many of my crew, including my chief engineer, my medical staff, Stadi, my pilot and Cavit. While trying to get our bearings, we were taken off Voyager. It looked like Earth, but it was an elaborate ruse. Then we found out what happened to the Maquis crew. That was the first time I saw him. Chakotay and his entire crew, laid out like some horrid science experiment. None were conscious. He looked so calm, peaceful. I got a look at Tuvok, then we joined their crew in this laboratory.

Three days later we awoke on Voyager like some bad dream. Missing, was my green ensign, Harry Kim. The Maquis vessel was beside us and I took a chance. Was Harry over there?

They answered almost immediately, Chakotay in front with Tuvok in the back. "Commander Chakotay? My name is Captain Kathryn Janeway." To my own ears, I sounded confident. Standing tall, every inch the officer I had trained to be. He looked surprised to see a Starfleet vessel.

"How do you know my name?" he asked. His voice was protective.

"We were on a mission to find you when we brought here by the Array." I didn't lie to him. Lying wouldn't accomplish anything.

I explained the problem and asked him to join with me, in hopes of finding Harry and his crewman, B'Elanna. When he beamed over here, everything almost fell apart.

First, finding out that Tuvok was working for me, then seeing Tom Paris. There was no love loss between those two. Chakotay came close to cleaning my bridge with Paris. But I stepped in front of him.

I should have known then. Up close, his picture didn't do him justice. There was strength in his face, determination, intelligence. I could feel the heat from his body, the power. A man that used judgment as a constant companion. From just a few moments with him, getting him to back down, looking into those brown eyes for the first time, I knew I had found something that was lacking within me. He didn't back down from me in respect of my authority, of that I'm sure, yet he made it look as if he had. Chakotay respected me as a woman. Sometimes, I forgot how that felt, even with Mark.

Working together, we found our crew members. And while Tuvok and I tried to get the Caretaker to send us back to the Alpha Quadrant, that man sacrificed his ship so we could survive. Somehow, I think that's where it started for me. Yes, I told him earlier today that it was when we were flushing out Michael Jonas. No, I realized it then, but as for the stirrings, it was from the beginning.

To me, I found a friend when I fired on that Array. B'Elanna, at her most hostile, questioned my judgment. I was thankful that Chakotay sat on my bridge, because he held her back. His quiet voice reached my ears and I knew then what had to be done. He was pledging himself again to a life he'd thrown in the face of Thompson and Jellico.

"She's the captain." Chakotay said.

He's been by my side ever since.

**

I sit on the couch beside him, resting my head on his shoulder. Both of us have propped our feet on the coffee table, our hands holding onto each other. In the back of my mind, I expected him to think about it a little bit more.

The roads we've been across together. Chakotay has stood by my side for the entire time. I haven't always been fair to him. That is my fault.

"I suppose you want to start as soon as possible," Chakotay said.

"Doc said he wasn't sure when the last shot would wear off. He said it differed in each person," I told him.

"I'm surprised then, that you became pregnant with Hannah." Chakotay said quietly. "Unless. . ."

I know what you're driving at. No, I wasn't taking them at the time. I didn't see any reason to," I admitted. "What about you? Have you been taking them all this time?"

He sighed and ran his free hand threw his hair. "The only time I didn't take them was when we were on New Earth. I went right back on them when we returned."

I let the subject drop. At the time, there was more of a chance of him entering into a sexual relationship then me. Truth be told, I usually forgot about taking them. I did start taking them again after Hannah's birth. The reason alluded me at the time. Sex was one consideration I wasn't planning on. I'd lived seven years without it, why not sixty? But in the long run, when I talked to Doc, he said that all beings need to feel the touch of another being.

"Are you sure?" I asked. I didn't want any questions. I'd been rather presumptuous when I told Doc to quit Chakotay's boosters as well. Me and my gambling. It was a hard habit to break.

"Kathryn, it's been in the back of my mind for a long time. I'm sure. Nothing against how Hannah was conceived, but I would love to have a child that I had a part in creating." He smiled at me. Those damn dimples of his. They do it to me every time. Especially lately. I sat up and pressed my lips to his. God I love the feel of him.

Who would have thought, seven years ago, I asked him to be my first officer. Now I was about to undertake creating and having a baby with him.

**

It was Delta shift on Voyager as we walked through my ship. Damage was mostly repaired. We walked quietly through the corridors. We hadn't said much to each other. I didn't know how to begin, nor did I have any idea of how he'd react.

"Well?" I said by way of starting this conversation.

"Impressive. You say it's the first of it's kind?" He looked all around.

"Yes. Starfleet's great experiment. Bio-gel pack circuitry, weaponry superior to even that of Enterprise. However, it looks like they will never get the chance to see how well it holds up." I know there was a sadness in my tone. I tried to not let it show.

"Almost makes me regret leaving. Who knows, maybe I could have been the captain of something like this." I detected the regret in his voice. He looked worse for the wear and smelled of smoke and sweat. Not that unpleasant, at least to me.

"I'm going to be blunt, Chakotay. I lost a great many of my crew when this Array brought us here. I don't think this ship can run on fewer then one hundred people, regardless how small it is."

"I know. And it looks like my crew and I have no visible means to leave Voyager, unless you'd kindly let us borrow some of your shuttle craft." I could hear the humor in his voice. At least he had a sense of humor. I half expected him to feel animosity toward me.

"No way," I said. I stopped him and turned toward him. I crossed my hands over my chest, a purely defensive posture I'd picked up somewhere along the line. "If we're to get back to the Alpha Quadrant in one piece, we're going to have to work together. If you want to have me find you and you're crew a nice planet here somewhere and leave you behind, fine. But I have a feeling that you want to get back as much as we do."

He rubbed his ear and looked around. Chakotay grabbed my eyes and held them with his own. A reassuring look. "Captain, I think I see what you're driving at. I've thought about it myself. Many of my crew do have families back home. We have a better chance of getting back there if we go with you. Besides, as you said, you can't run this ship with that many people. Add my crew and you'll have. . ." Chakotay did the mental arithmetic. "One hundred and fifty-two crewmen."

"Are you saying you'll join us?" I asked.

"I guess your answer is yes," Chakotay said. For the first time in days, I smiled.

"It'll have to be a Starfleet crew. We'll follow Starfleet protocols, rules and regulations. Do you have a problem with that in the slightest?" I needed to be sure we understood each other.

"No. And if any member of my crew has a problem with it, I'll make sure they see the benefits of your generosity."

"I appreciate your reassurance, Commander."

"Commander?" he asked. He stopped me, touching me gently on the elbow. Again, I felt the heat of his touch. I felt something I couldn't describe, but put it aside.

"If we're to unite this crew, the example of a united front must come from the highest authority on the ship."

"Surely Tuvok. . ."

"No. In a normal circumstance, Tuvok would fit the bill. My biggest resistance in this decision will come from him. What I want, is for you to be my first officer."

"Me?" I think he was surprised.

"Yes. You know the Maquis. You know Starfleet. I don't know the Maquis. You have to be my bridge. You were in a command structure, a commander. You know what to expect. Besides, I don't think your crew thinks too highly of Tuvok right now."

He let out a chuckle. "To be honest I didn't think you'd give me anything higher then crewman."

"That wouldn't be right. You were, according to your records, one hell of an officer. Unblemished until you resigned. That stands for something." I was truthful to him.

"I just hope I can do your choice in me justice," Chakotay said. He smiled again and I saw those dimples. It made him look younger, more innocent. "I appreciate your faith and this opportunity. I won't let you down."

"See that you don't, Commander." I gave him what Mark called my all too rare smile. "Wouldn't it be ironic if we turned out to be friends."

"No," he said.

I led him to his new quarters. Cavit's old one. Right next door to my own. Cavit's belongings I'd already had Harry pack up and store in the cargo bay. "Replicate yourself a new uniform. I'll have your rank pin in the morning. No offense, but until we get settled into this situation, you and your crew will have different rank pins. Not the pips."

"No offense taken, Captain. It's your call." He disappeared into his quarters and I headed down to mine. I stepped inside and collapsed onto my couch. Something in the back of my head told me that I'd just made a deal with the devil.

I hadn't made a deal with the devil, I had gained an angel.

**

It's strange not having Hannah here with us. I find it somewhat strange how well we fit together into this existence. In the past few months, I'd finally begun opening my eyes. How much has he sacrificed for me? I may never know.

My head again rests on his shoulder. I let out a content sigh. "Doubter's glass," I whisper.

"What?" Chakotay asks.

"An expression my grandmother used to say. 'Those of us who do not trust completely, live within a doubter glass globe. When we see the truth, no matter what the consequence is, the doubter's glass breaks and sets you free.'"

"Are you caught in doubter's glass, Kathryn?" He asked, his face is in my hair. He's almost as bad as Mark was.

"I was. It broke long ago, Chakotay. You broke it."

"Sorry," he said. I could feel his smile.

"Don't be. If you hadn't, we might not be here." I smile as I say this. Chakotay pulls from me and searches my face. I smile and look right back at him. He places a kiss against my temple.

"Just don't crawl into another glass globe," he says. Chakotay shifts so I'm leaning against him, held within his arms. There is still so much for me to learn about this man that I made my first officer, consider my best friend, became my husband, made the father of my daughter.

And I think, 'when did we become this close?' Two words: New Earth. But there were still a few trials that tested our ability to work together.

Part Two: Gentle Embrace