"B’Elanna, you have been spending altogether too much time with Tom. Now, please describe these 20th Century pre-nuptial rites you two have plotted for Ensigns Sligo and Fantiqiz. I’m surprised they agreed to it." Captain Kathryn Janeway motioned Lt. Torres to be seated.

B’Elanna perched on the edge of the couch. "It’s not too much of a surprise, Captain. They both work in Engineering. My staff has found it is to their… advantage, not to mention comfort, to just go along with my little ideas."

"I’ll bet they have."

"Now, according to Tom, the men and the women celebrate separately."

"According to Tom, huh. Figures."

"The men have something called a Stag party. Tom wouldn’t tell me much about it, other than to say that it should relieve a lot….tension….that the bridegroom feels, and allow him to leave single life with good memories." B’Elanna gave a rather feral grin. "I thought it best not to inquire too deeply into that one, especially when he said that Commander Chakotay insisted their party should be held at Sandrine’s"

The Captain raised an eyebrow at that and chuckled, "Wise choice, B’Elanna. So what are the women supposed to do while the men are out…..playing?"

"The women hold something called a Shower. Tom really had no clue on that one, so I accessed the historical data base for activities that 20th century women chose to ease their… tension. They used to go to a spa."

"What is a spa?"

B’Elanna leaned toward the Captain and purred, "A spa is exactly what the women aboard this ship need. A spa is a place to go when you are tired, stressed out, feeling frumpy and in need of some heavy duty pampering."

Kathryn put down her coffee cup, leaned toward B’Elanna and said, "Pampering, huh? This could be good, very good. Tell me more."

B’Elanna curled up on the couch and described a spa and how they could combine elements of existing holoprograms, specifically Lt. Julie Lorrie’s waiter, into the spa program. Captain Janeway’s eyes began to sparkle as she added her ideas to B’Elanna’s. Sandrine’s indeed!

In scheduling, this was a typical Voyager party. No one was ever excluded from a celebration on a ship this size, but celebrating was done in shifts. One third partied, one third was off duty primping or resting from partying, one third on duty. Gatherings started promptly at the beginning of a shift and the guests stayed no more than one shift, before the next revelers came to take their place. Rather atypical however, was to have two parties progressing simultaneously, segregated by sex.

B’Elanna walked around Neelix’s resort program and found it far more enjoyable without Neelix or the beach bunnies. The colors were so non-Starfleet: peach, lime, fuchsia, buttercream, robin’s egg blue. The holostaff was so courteous, and muscular and solicitous, and such white teeth, and so charming, and such red lips, and muscular and oiled and very, very…..muscular. Well, well, the Lieutenant had outdone herself on this one. This was like being given the keys to the candy store. There was just about any flavor one could want here, from the finest, darkest chocolate to bluest ice. The Andorian was a nice touch. What was missing in this shift of relaxed, happy women, and their holoattendants, was the Captain. "Computer, locate Captain Janeway?"

"Captain Janeway is in her ready room."

B’Elanna got a determined look on her face and strode out of the holodeck. She entered the ready room simmering. "Why are you here?" she demanded of Janeway, sputtering to a halt as she noticed Chakotay and Paris.

"I was just asking him the same thing." Tom joined in, staring pointedly at Chakotay.

"I can hardly go partying when my Captain refuses to leave, can I?" asked Chakotay, flashing a dimpled smile.

"Doesn’t anybody knock anymore?" the Captain grumbled, "Don’t bother trying the guilt trip thing, Chakotay. It doesn’t work. And you can turn off those eyes and that damn smile, too. Now get along to your party." The Captain gave him a little push toward Tom and turned toward B’Elanna. Dropping her voice to a soft whisper she said, "It just wouldn’t be appropriate for me to go. I looked up a little bit more on spas. The usual mode of dress in one of those things is a robe or less!"

Chakotay had moved to stand right behind her. He leaned over and breathed in her ear, "Can I go to your party?"

Kathryn jumped and whirled around, blushing furiously, "Will you please behave! Tom get him out of here! That’s an order!" Both men exited chuckling, Chakotay throwing a wink at B’Elanna as he left.

Trying vainly to hide her own smile, B’Elanna apologized for being the cause of the Captain’s embarrassment but absolutely refused to take no for an answer. The Captain could wear whatever she pleased but she couldn’t fail to honor the bride-to-be with her presence. That argument finally convinced Kathryn that she could at least put in an appearance.

As they departed for holodeck A, B’Elanna teased just a little.

"Chakotay seemed pretty friendly, didn’t he Captain? I haven’t seen him like that since, well, I don’t remember when."

"Humph! You don’t remember very far Lieutenant. He gets this way before every wedding…..with everyone. Deep down, that man is a profound romantic." Kathryn replied acidly.

"Come on, Captain. Doesn’t everyone get just a little romantic over a wedding? Don’t you?" B’Elanna countered.

Kathryn shrugged and turned her face from B’Elanna. "Not really. Romance and the Delta Quadrant have always seemed contradictory to me."

She hadn’t turned fast enough. B’Elanna saw the hurt and longing there before Kathryn could hide it. Her Captain definitely needed a day at the spa more than any other woman aboard Voyager.

Kathryn sank further down into the hot tub, sighing with contentment, her short cotton shift slowly sinking to lie against her body. As her holoattendant started massaging her other foot, she sleepily murmured to B’Elanna, "You should have mentioned the tub. Definitely save this program. Is there any more of that Long Island Iced Tea? How kind of the men to bring it over, although I dare say they didn’t expect a sex specific lockout on the door." She collapsed further into the tub amidst a fit of giggles. Her attendant quickly came to her side. An arm slid behind her, propping her up until she regained her balance.

"Thanks dearie." She drew back a little, drew her brows together and looked intently into his face. "You know, you’d look even better with brown eyes…….and a tattoo." With that she dissolved into another fit of giggles. Her laughter was infectious. Soon the other four women in the tub succumbed, laughing and sliding and breaking into fresh hysterics as their serenely smiling, beautiful holograms kept them from drowning. Finally the laughter died down to chuckles. "God, that felt good. I haven’t laughed like that in years, five years actually, but I think our men spiked the punch with a little more than synthohol, don’t you? Are you sure you want to tie yourself to one of these creatures, Doril?"

"I’m sure Captain. These holograms are fine, but excusing the Captain’s pardon, they are not quite ….interactive…enough for me." Doril smiled and sighed, a far away look in her eyes. "It’s just not romantic. I remember the first time……" She became aware of the rest of them suddenly. "Oh, well, I mean…"

"We all know what you mean, Doril. What we want are the details!" chimed in Lieutenant Lorrie, as all but the Captain clamored that she continue her story.

Kathryn leaned over and patted her on the arm. "Don’t let them pressure you, Doril, but given the occasion, maybe a romantic little story would be nice."

"Okay, but everyone has to offer a story. Agreed?"

"Agreed," said three other women. The fourth, lost in thought, didn’t hear them and they never noticed she hadn’t answered. Doril continued her musings. She was eloquent and graphic. The women listened with complete concentration, oblivious of the holomen sharing the bath with them. Suniya Kshendra volunteered the next story. Her most romantic moment bordered on the athletic. Stamina was obviously greatly prized by her people. She was followed by Julie Lorrie. Julie was a round, little dumpling of woman, half Earth Irish, half Betazed. What had started out as Lorrie’s most romantic moment had ended up being one of the funniest ‘beddings’ she had ever participated in. By the time she related her naked Grandmother hopping onto the bed to bless the union, the women had dissolved into hysterics again. B’Elanna offered the next story but said that this was her second most romantic story. Her first most romantic story was obviously with Tom, but it’s a small ship and discretion seemed the better part of valor. She stated that valor ranks highly in Klingon love making, as does a strong and resilient constitution and, perhaps, shatterproof furniture.

Kathryn climbed to the side of the hot tub and reached for her towel, "Until now, I never realized how big a part gymnastics plays in romance. Wonderful stories, ladies. I’m really sorry to see this day end."

Her companions stared protesting. It was the Captain’s turn and fair is fair. Even though she protested she hadn’t given any promises they said, since she listened to their stories, she owed them one as well.

Finally, when it became clear they wouldn’t let her escape without one, she agreed to tell them.

"All right, all right, but I warn you right now, my story will be dull beside yours. My most romantic moment was never even consummated, let alone athletic. This happened some time ago. My colleague and I were on an away mission that necessitated our being away from our shipmates for some time. One day a terrible storm went through our campsite and we spent the rest of the day hauling away branches and cleaning up. By that night, my shoulders and neck were so tight my knots had knots. He offered to give me a back rub." She stopped talking at that point and lapsed into a sad, small smile.

B’Elanna waited a minute, touched the Captain’s arm and said, "Crew to Captain! Crew to Captain!" Kathryn came out of her reverie. "And then Captain?"

"What? Oh…well up until that time, we had never exchanged more than the occasional embarrassed look. Oh, there was an electricity there, an awareness, but that had been on the ship as well. At least, I had felt it before. I just never let myself pay much attention to it. I was in a relationship and wasn’t really interested in any other man, even one as gorgeous, sexy, exotic and….well, let’s just say he could give the boys here a run for their money," she said, flicking water at the holomen.

Four voices as one, "And?…"

"And?…….And then he touched me. It was if I’d lost a part of myself so long ago I’d forgotten I’d ever had it and suddenly it was there again and I was whole. I found myself arching back toward him. I could feel each breathe he took and matched it with my own. It happened so fast. I am usually so guarded against anything like this. Pulling away from his touch was an agony. As I turned to thank him for the back rub, he still had his face open to me. It was terrifying. His face mirrored what I was feeling. I couldn’t encourage this, in either one of us, so I said goodnight and went into my sleeping chamber. He sat at the table and picked up a carving he had been working on. I could hear the rasp of the file. I could see his silhouette. Worst of all, I swear I could feel the rhythm of his breath hour after hour after hour. It was ridiculous to lay there pretending nothing had happened. I got up, left my chamber and walked over to him fully intending to set some parameters, some behavioral guidelines for the rest of our stay together. He said he wasn’t sure he could ‘set parameters’ and asked to speak first. Then he talked to me, told me how he felt. Oh, not directly. He phrased it in allegory. I could read as much or as little as I chose to, accept as much as I was comfortable with and yet maintain the friendship we had forged. But his eyes, his eyes! I raised up my palm and he laced his fingers through mine and we sat there and gazed at each other. I tried to tell him with my eyes what I would never acknowledge aloud and he drank me in and poured himself into me. That man’s eyes loved me more thoroughly and completely that night than I have *ever* been made love to, in any way, in my entire life." Kathryn lapsed once more into silence. She became aware of the others again and gave an embarrassed little laugh.

"Captain. You mean you and he never…. I mean not even..? What happened?"

"Not even a kiss. We rejoined our crew and went back to work, that’s what happened. We each had a duty, you see, and I had promised myself to another. But I’ll let you in on a little secret. There are times when the only thing that keeps me going is the look in that man’s eyes……. Enough reminiscing! It’s time I got back to work." She grabbed her towel, smiled at each of them and departed.

Her duty done, yet another couple married, Kathryn sat alone nursing a lukewarm drink and a mild case of melancholia. From the back of the room Chakotay started to move toward her. B’Elanna restrained him.

"Wait Chakotay, let me go to her first, I think I know what’s bothering her. But before I go, I’d like to ask you a very personal question."

B’Elanna asked her question. Chakotay drew in a startled breath and nodded. She smiled, gave his arm a squeeze and walked toward Kathryn.

B’Elanna sat down beside her. "Why the long face Captain, this is a happy occasion."

"Yes, of course it is B’Elanna. These period weddings are always fun. What is that called again?" she replied, motioning toward the dancers.

"It’s called slow dancing. Romantic, isn’t it? It’s easy to learn. You should pick a partner and dance."

"No, I don’t think so. I’m not much of a romantic," the Captain said, staring down at her drink.

B’Elanna snorted in disbelief, her eyes flickering quickly to a spot above the Captain’s head. "This is from the woman whose most intense and complete moment of lovemaking consisted of a back rub, hand holding and gazing into each other’s eyes? That was the most romantic story I ever heard!" More seriously, she asked, "You’re thinking of him, aren’t you?"

Kathryn blinked back her threatening tears, "Most of the time I can stop myself, but at times like these, yes, I guess I am."

Hands softly settled on her shoulders and gently began kneading her neck. Kathryn moaned, closed her eyes and covered her mouth with her hands. Letting her hands drop to the table, she looked at B’Elanna.

"Chakotay."

B’Elanna gave her a grin, "Chakotay."

"You might as well enjoy that smug grin now because you know you are going to pay for it later."

B’Elanna smiled even wider, "Yes, Ma’am."

"Ma’am !?"

"Yup. It’s crunch time," with that B’Elanna patted her hand, smiled at Chakotay and left.

Softly he whispered in her ear, "It’s time to dance Kathryn."

"Chakotay, I don’t think….."

"Now!" and he pulled her to her feet and onto the dance floor.

As he slipped a hand against her back and pulled her to him, she gave him a rueful look, "I swear I’m going to hang a bell around your neck so I can keep track of you!"

"Too late little Goldenbird. I’ve caught you, and tonight I’m going to ruffle more than your feathers."

She pulled back and looked up in astonishment. Slowly the astonishment faded and she smiled and nestled back into his embrace, murmuring, "I guess you are."

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