Disclaimer - Paramount own the names, that's about it. *
It was a while before either of them spoke. Neither of them moved despite the groaning of their bodies, remaining on the floor of his quarters next to the bed.
"We have to settle this," she told him.
He stared at the ceiling.
"I know."
"This isn't the type of relationsh-"
"I know," he interrupted, just as softly. "But it's my child, Kathryn."
"It's not even a child yet, Chakotay. It's barely microscopic."
He chuckled, then frowned as a bruised part of his anatomy rubbed against the carpet. "Always the scientist." Turning to one side he finally looked at her. She was staring at the ceiling as he had been but as she noticed his movements she angled her head towards him and smiled.
"Of course," she grinned. "It's the only faith I have."
Disturbed - although he really shouldn't have been - he lowered his gaze. And saw it. Blinking, uncomprehending, he reached out a hand and touched it. It wasn't particularly large - a few centimetres - but it was big enough that he noticed. Rubbing a finger over the bite mark he tried to ignore her hiss of pain and instead focused on the blood that came away as he looked down at the red smear on his finger.
She winced, slightly. "I'll have to go and see the Doct-"
"Did I do that?" He asked, still staring at his finger.
Kathryn shrugged, frowning in confusion. "Well I couldn't very well bite my own shoulder. Well...not very easily."
"I did that. I did that," he muttered inanely, unable to move his eyes away, unable to figure out just how it had been possible. This was Kathryn, Gods, the woman he had promised everything to. The woman he had promised never to hurt. He had done that to her. Fucked her like some animal.
But she had enjoyed it. And so had he.
Groaning a little, she rose to her feet and walked unsteadily by the remnants of her uniform. Reaching the replicator she ordered a new one. Carefully, methodically, she got dressed, locating her pips and boots at various locations around his quarters. How that fourth pip had ever ended up in the bathroom was beyond her.
Chakotay remained on the floor, nude.
Pulling the last boot on as she sat on the edge of the bed, she spoke. "I'm going to sickbay to get fixed up."
"Why don't you replicate a dermal regenerator yourself?"
"The computer would inform him. I thought that after that incident with B'Elanna it was best to let him know..."
He nodded.
She continued. "Best to just be blunt about it. Besides, he's a doctor. Confidentiality."
"Maybe you were right," he admitted, not really believing it but curious to see what she was thinking. "We shouldn't be having a child. I'm not sure we even like each other at the moment."
Kathryn laughed as she stood up. Shaking her head she walked towards the exit, pausing as the doors opened. "It's not me you don't like."
And she left.
She probably wouldn't even bother beaming back to her ready room.
His gaze refocused on the blood smeared across his finger.
He had done that.
Him.
It started imperceptibly. A raising of the cheeks, lips pushing tightly together before separating completely, lines embedding deeply into his features, the flash of white next to darkness. Resting the finger against his thumb he rubbed them together.
He had done that.
And he smiled.
~FINIS