"Days Of Wine And Roses"
by GillyH

see part 1 for summary & disclaimers

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They met at the garden door, both of them a little out of breath thanks to the rush to get ready and the excitement of trying to slip away unseen. With no time to lose, Chakotay shouldered the 'Fleet satchel he'd packed, eased open the glass door and motioned Kathryn through, signalling for her to be as quiet as possible. Thankfully the door hinges were well lubricated and made no sound, but it was pretty nerve-wracking all the same.

Holding hands, they paused for a moment, straining to hear voices from the side or front of the house, but there was nothing to hear except the calls of the local animal and bird life. Still holding hands, they made a run for it through the small garden, hardly daring to breathe until they were well into the untamed jungle that backed on to the property. Kathryn looked around as much as she dared to as they ran, a little worried by some of the background animal sounds, but Chakotay had explored quite a bit on his first day and he knew where he was going and what to expect.

When he was sure they were well away from the house, Chakotay slowed, then stopped next to a fallen tree.

"I think it's safe to walk now. You okay?" he asked, glancing at Kathryn. She looked fine - in fact she looked stunning in her jade-green, flowered sarong and white deck shoes, with her hair already beginning to fluff up and dry around her face - but he felt the need to ask.

"I've never been better," she grinned back. "I love the adrenaline rush I get from sneaking out, always have. You?"

"Same here. We should do it more often."

"We should. And we will, that's a promise." Letting go of his hand, Kathryn shaded her eyes and stared up into the dappled light of the tree canopy overhead. "The whooping calls... they're made by monkeys, right?"

"Right. Very similar to gibbons, at least the ones I've seen are. They're harmless."

"Good to know. So, where are we going to hide-out for the day, Commander?"

"All in good time, Captain - all in good time. It's not too much further, but there's a bit of a hill to climb." Taking her hand again he guided her along one of the paths that meandered here and there around them. "Come-on, I think it's this way."

Kathryn pulled up short. "You 'think' it's this way? Just how many times have you been there?"

"Just once, but I'm a far better tracker than I am a fire-starter."

"Is that supposed to reassure me?" she asked with a knowing laugh.

He rolled his eyes at what she was implying, but he couldn't let the little dig go by unanswered. His fingers homed in on her ribs, tickling her unmercifully until she snickered with laughter.

"Okay, okay! I take it back, Chakotay, I take it back! You're a first class tracker, stop, stop!"

He stopped tickling, but as their eyes met and lingered he leaned in and kissed her on the mouth, not letting up until she began to moan and move her hips against him. Both a little breathless from the tickling, their reactions to the kiss and the sheer joy of being able to kiss like this, they pulled back a little and stared at one another

"Still want to talk first, Kathryn?"

After a steadying breath she linked her arms around his neck and laid her forehead against his chin. "No, but you know why we have to."

"Yes, I do, but you've got to admit kissing is a lot more fun." Taking her hand again with a teasing grin, he guided them back along the path.






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