By Mandy B
Disclaimer: Paramount owns them blah blah blah, but Mandy B. owns this story!
Rating: PG
Summary: Boredom, April Fools, a malfunctioning replicator.
Relationship: JC of course!
Note: This is Mandy's first fanfic. I hope you like it!
It was a quiet day in the Delta Quadrant.
The last remotely interesting thing that had happened was Harry Kim accidentally putting on yellow and red striped socks after he had slept in late one morning the week before.
On the bridge Tom Paris and Harry were engaged in an endless game of Battleships through their consols. Tuvok stood rigid and seemingly not affected by the boredom and Captain Kathryn Janeway and her first officer, Commander Chakotay sat lazily in their chairs staring at nothing in particular.
Every-so-often they would look at each other and Tom would always notice and grin at them annoyingly. Chakotay raised his eyebrow at Tom after being caught for the eighth time that morning. He started entering something into the consol between the command chairs.
He nudged the Captain’s arm to get her attention and she leaned in to read what he had written.
"DOES PARIS SEEM COCKIER THAN USUAL OR AM I GOING INSANE?"
Janeway entered a response.
"HE DEFINITELY SEEMS VERY COCKY TODAY. I WONDER WHY? BY THE WAY, HAVE YOU LOOKED AT THE TERRAN CALENDAR LATELY?"
"NO, WHY?"
"IT’S APRIL FOOLS DAY TOMORROW. ANY IDEAS AT BEATING PARIS AT HIS KIND OF GAME?"
"I’M SURE WE’LL THINK OF SOMETHING!"
"MEET YOU IN MY READY-ROOM IN FIVE MINUTES"
"Commander you have the bridge", Janeway said as she stood and walked to her ready-room.
"Aye Captain", Chakotay answered, barely hiding an evil grin at the thought of playing a prank on Tom Paris. He thought back to his Maquis days when they frequently played tricks on each other for entertainment. The bleep of his comm-badge brought him out of his thoughts.
"Janeway to Chakotay. Please report to my ready-room.""On my way. Tuvok, you have the bridge."
Tom winked at Chakotay and grinned as his senior officer made his way into the Captain’s ready-room.
"Operation: Payback," Janeway stated as her first-officer came through the doors, shaking his head and smiling slightly. His head snapped up at the unusual statement."Excuse me?"
"Well, I thought we needed a code name!" Janeway said smiling sweetly. She stood up and waved her hand in the direction of the viewport sofa. "Drink?" she asked.
"Yes please," Chakotay answered taking a seat."One coffee, black. One tea, herbal." She picked up the drinks and set them on the coffee table.
"So, Kathryn. Any ideas?" Chakotay asked as he took a sip of his hot drink."Well………….."
"Harry, over here," Tom called from his seat with B’Elanna in a corner table of the mess hall. Harry came over and thumped his tray of….colourful objects on the table. I can not wait sixty years for my mothers home cooking again.
He thought. And I certainly can’t eat Neelix’s cooking for sixty years. I’m gonna starve!
"Did you see the way the Captain and Commander kept looking at each other on the bridge.
I counted nine times for Chakotay and seven for the Captain. Hey and did you see how they typed a couple of messages to each other and disappeared into her ready-room? Coincidence? I think not!" Tom was extremely excited about the possibility of a romantic relationship between his senior officers.
"It doesn’t look like we’ll need much help with our plan from their end!" added B’Elanna in an equally excited tone. She couldn’t wait to see her oldest friend and her newest one together and happy.
"Yeah", Harry mumbled while pushing his ‘food’ around his plate.
"Hey, what’s up Starfleet? You’re usually joking about Neelix’s idea of ‘edible food’!"
"Oh, nothing B’Elanna. I’m just a little homesick I guess. So, will we be ready by tomorrow?"
"You tell me, you’re rigging the environmental controls and convincing Seven to help!"
Harry suddenly turned the same colour as Neelix’s red stew.
"Uh, yeah. Well I may need some help with that. I think I’m in her bad books after the copulation incident."
A snort escaped from Tom’s mouth.
"Yeah, well that’s your own fault! You shouldn’t be so obvious! Speak of the devil...Seven take a seat, we were just talking about you!"
Harry groaned and buried his face in his arms as the blonde woman sat down next to him, a confused look on her face.
"Lieutenant Paris. Did you just refer to me as a religious symbol for evil’?"
"It’s a figure of speech Seven. It means………oh never mind" Tom sighed, "over to you B’Elanna"
B’Elanna glared at her soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend-if-he-keeps-doing-things-like-that and sighed.
"Okaaaaaay….Well, we have this little....moral boosting plan we’d like you to help us with……….."
*Bee-boop*
"Come in," called Kathryn from the living area of her quarters.
Chakotay stepped through the doors and walked over to join her on the sofa. It was an hour and a half before they were due on the bridge and they were both in their uniform although Kathryn still had her hair down.
As she went to the replicator to get their drinks, Chakotay couldn’t help but stare at the shiny, copper-coloured waves cascading down his Captains back.
She turned around with a cup of tea in one hand and coffee in the other and saw the dopey look on her first-officer and best-friends face. She smiled as he blinked and turned a deep shade of red.
"I like to leave it down as long as I can before work"
"Ahh….yes. Um…sor….sorry Kathryn. It’s just…um…"
"Relax Chakotay, It’s alright. I don’t mind as long as you don’t stare like that on the bridge!"
"I promise. Um……..well, I programmed the computer to emit the warning message and simulate the tremors four minutes after he walks into the holodeck….…"
"…..and I asked the computer to notify me as soon as he opens the program Paris-alpha-4-3-2."
"We’re all set then!"
Tom waltzed onto the holodeck, whistling. He walked two steps and stopped. Looking around he noticed that instead of the peaceful forest surroundings of the jogging program he used every morning, there was dark caves and boulders everywhere.
"Computer, what program is currently running on holodeck two?""Paris-Alpha-4-3-2 is currently running on holodeck two" droned the disembodied, monotonous voice. Suddenly a Klingon male appeared in front of him wielding a bat’leth.
"Prove your worthy of honour, Starfleet P’tak" spat the Klingon. The holodeck shook and an access panel blew out. Tom ran for the exit only to find that it was sealed. The Klingon stalked him around the boulders as Tom tried desperately to avoid ending up looking like one of Neelix’s meals.
"WARNING. HOLODECK SAFETY PROTOCOLS HAVE BEEN COMPROMISED WITHOUT AUTHORISATION. PLEASE EVACUATE THE HOLODECK. WARNING HOLOD…."
"Paris to Janeway…."
"Blowing the access panel was a nice touch!"
"Thanks! How long do you estimate until he calls?"
"Paris to Janeway"
"Oh, about point 5 seconds!" Chakotay grinned and Kathryn playfully slapped at his arm. She tried to control her laughing so she could answer the call.
"Janeway here, can this wait Lieutenant? We’re kind of busy up here. The Malon are paying us another visit."
"Sorry Captain, but I’m stuck in a Klingon martial arts program, the doors are sealed and the safety guards are off…."
"Well put ‘em back on then. Janeway out!"
Kathryn and Chakotay rolled back onto the floor laughing. They clutched at their ribs and had tears rolling down their faces.
"Well….Commander. I think….we better….get to the….bridge. We have reports to ….collect." gasped Kathryn between bursts of laughter.
"Sure, Kathryn…..is that before or after we rescue the helm-boy?"
"Oh….we’ll definitely go to the bridge….first!"
"WE ARE SO LUCKY THAT TUVOK WILL BE OFF DUTY SOON!"
Tuvoks’ eyebrow rose as Harrys’ consol bleeped. Harry pretended he was working as he read B’Elannas’ message and sent a reply.
"YEAH, BUT WHERE’S PARIS? HE’S LATE"
Tuvok, B’Elanna, Harry and Lieutenant Barclay at the helm all looked up as the Captain and Commander entered the bridge with matching grins on their faces.
Seven-of-Nine entered from the turbo-lift just after and sauntered to her station. Tuvok raised his eyebrow at the command team as they sat in their seats, still grinning.
"You’re dismissed Tuvok."
5 minutes later the Captain stood up with a stack of reports and signalled Commander Chakotay to follow her as she walked towards her ready room.
"Harry….you have the bridge. The Commander and I will be in my Ready-room."
Harry nodded and took his place in the ‘big chair’ with an enormously proud smile on his face. The Ready-room doors closed behind the command team and B’Elanna spoke up.
"So….sir. Aren’t you going to find out where our late helmboy is?" She asked mockingly.
"Kim to Paris". Static."Kim to Paris. Can you hear me?" Static.
"Computer, location of Lieutenant Paris.""Lieutenant Paris is on holodeck two."
"What program is currently running on holodeck two?"
"Paris-Alpha-4-3-2 is currently running on holodeck two. Privacy lock is engaged."
"Looks like he’s just lost track of time on his jog. We’ll have to start without him then!"
"He must be so scared! Did you…..hear his voice?"
The Captain and her first officer were again rolling around on the floor laughing.
They had set up Janeways’ monitor to display holodeck two and were watching Paris being stalked by a Klingon around the caves and boulders.
"Is it getting hot in here or am I imagining things?" Kathryn asked when the laughter had subsided.
"You know, it is hotter in here. It could be because of the beautiful woman in the room or maybe we’ve been laughing to hard."
"I think it’s the latter. I’ll just go see how things are going on the bridge."
Kathryn walked to the door and stopped short. It didn’t open. She took a step back and walked forward again. It still didn’t open.
"Computer. Open Ready-room door."
"UNABLE TO COMPLY." Kathryn sighed.
"Janeway to Kim. What’s happened to the Ready-room door?"
"Sorry Captain. One of the gel packs just burst. B’Elanna’s coming up here now."
"Alright Harry. Janeway out." She turned back to where Chakotay was sitting on the sofa.
"Well, at least we’ve got some entertainment while we wait!" Said Chakotay gesturing towards the monitor. Kathryn slumped on the sofa and sighed.
"What a time to choose to do maintenance on the transporters!"
"Torres to Janeway." B’Elannas’ voice shook the Captain and Commander out of their staring contest. Kathryn looked away, blushing, realising that she had been staring at her first officer. Chakotay felt embarrassed, realising she had caught him staring back.
"um….Janeway here."
"I’m really sorry Captain but the situation looks worse than we first thought. The pack’s also leaked into the replicator and environmental control panels. We won’t be able to get the doors open for a couple of hours.
Kathryn sighed.
"Alright Lieutenant. Try and get it done quickly! Janeway out."
"Great, so how much more entertainment have we got?"
"I instructed the computer to open the door at 09:30 hours."
"Ten minutes left then."
Tom nearly yelled with joy as the holodeck doors hissed open. He ran out and promptly deleted his jogging program before going to his quarters for a shower and a change of clothes.
He arrived on the bridge ten minutes later, still shocked from his ordeal. The sight that greeted him made him smile. B’Elanna had the environmental control panel for the Ready-room open and was directing a tricorder at it.
Harry was typing something into the replicator control panel and Seven-of-Nine was scanning an access panel for the Ready-room door all the while muttering about it being an "irrelevant exercise" and a "useless waste of time."
Lieutenant Barclay sat at the helm watching in interest. When he noticed Tom, he excused himself and exited the bridge.
"About time Paris." B’Elanna said, standing up and closing her tricorder, "Where the hell were you?"
"Um. I got locked into a ….um, Klingon martial arts program." Tom blushed. " Anyway, how’s it going?"
"Well the temperature is going up 3 degrees Celsius every hour. It’s at 31? C now and we’ll stop it at 37? C."
"I’ve programmed the replicator," piped in Harry, "and Seven’s encrypted the door with Borg algorithms."
"Great. Shall we start the replicators’ ‘malfunctions then?"
Chakotay looked up as something materialised on the replicator. He got up to investigate.
"What’s that?" Kathryn asked him. He turned around and she gasped covering her mouth.
Chakotay held up an engraved picture frame with a holophoto of Kathryn, Chakotay and Kes at the last party Kes attended.
On the wooden frame it said ‘We’ll always remember her for her compassion and intelligence and I’ll always admire you for yours. Happy Birthday Chakotay. Love always, Kathryn.’
Chakotay read the inscription and looked at her questioningly."Um….that was going to be your birthday present this year. How did it replicate just like that?"
"Well, they said the replicator had been infected as well. It must be malfunctioning."
"Oh, yes. Of course." Kathryn looked down at her hands and started fiddling with her fingers.
"Kathryn?" She looked up, "It’s beautiful, I love it. Your gifts are always so thoughtful. This is the most thoughtful one yet. Thankyou."
Kathryn looked surprised and relieved at the same time."You’re welcome."
They sat in silence for a few minutes until Chakotay grumbled."It is REALLY hot in here. I hope you don’t mind if I strip down to my vest?"
"No, Of course not. It’s a good idea actually!"They both took off their jackets and skivvies and Chakotay couldn’t help but stare at Kathryns' beautiful figure in a tank top.
At the same time Kathryn couldn’t help but stare at Chakotays’ taught, muscular arms.
"You know, I would really love a cup of coffee right now!"Chakotay smiled dimples and all. Kathryn stared, amazed.
"I was wondering when you were going to say that!"Just then, something else materialised on the replicator.
"Is that what I think it is!" Kathryn exclaimed when she saw the mug.
She got up and grabbed the cup, checked its contents, gulped down the dark liquid and spat it back out again.
"It’s cold!" She threw the cup into the recycler and stomped back to her seat, ignoring the grin on Chakotays’ face.
Just as she sat down, another object materialised. Kathryn growled.
"I’ll get it." Chakotay said, still grinning at the cute, little scowl on Kathryn’s beautiful face.
He paled as he saw what the object was. A leather bound book with Kathryn written in beautiful, gold cursive writing. It was the book he had been writing poetry in about the woman he loved. He had saved it in the replicator, so if he lost it, he could replicate another copy.
"What is it?" the ever-curious Kathryn asked.
"Ummm……..ahhh……nothing. It’s….nothing…don’t……wo…."
"What’s wrong Chakotay? Let me have a look." Kathryn stood up and moved towards him.
In his shocked state, Chakotay didn’t feel the book being taken from his hands until it was too late.
Kathryn looked at the name imprinted on the book and looked up at Chakotay with a raised eyebrow.
"Can I?""Ummmmm…..well, it’s kinda…..um….."
"Don’t be embarrassed Chakotay. You saw what I wrote on that frame."
"Alright, but it’s your fault if you regret it."
Kathryn smiled and opened the leather cover to the first page. Written in Chakotays’ neat handwriting it said….
‘For my dear Kathryn. My love for you grows every day.’
After a moment she looked up at him with tears in her eyes and gently touched his cheek.
"Where you planning on giving this to me?"
"Um….well, I wanted to, but I don’t think I would have. I didn’t want to hear you reject me again. You might as well keep reading."
Kathryn turned the page of the book and continued to read the loving words.
‘I watch you on the bridge,
You pretend not to notice,
But I know you do.
You’ll never know,
My beautiful Kathryn,
How much I love you.’
"Please, read me some Chakotay. It would mean so much."
"Ok, let’s sit though."
Chakotay sat down on the sofa and Kathryn sat next to him.
She lay her head on his shoulder and her hand across his chest.
He put his right arm around her and held the book in his left.
"Q, says you’re beautiful when you’re angry,
I say you’re beautiful all the time,
Beautiful inside and out Kathryn,
I wish you were mine."
Kathryn tears were soaking his vest, but he didn’t care. Kathryn was in his arms, even if it was just for a while.
"Kathryn? Are you okay?"
Kathryn looked up into Chakotays’ eyes. She saw concern and love displayed in them and her heart beat even louder.
"Oh, Chakotay. I’ve always been yours!" She buried her head back in the crook of his neck and Chakotay hugged her tighter and kissed her hair.
"Do you want me to keep reading?"
"Please""Alright.
I’m sure every male on board has a crush on you,
When you touch Harry’s arm he blushes,
Neelix beams and even Tom flushes,
When you touch me I’m afraid I’ll faint,
I never hear the words you’ve found,
The beat of my heart blocks out all sound."
Chakotay looked down at Kathryn when he didn’t get a response over the poem.
Her eyes were closed and he thought that he’d never seen her look so peaceful and beautiful than she did now.
"Kathryn?" he whispered. She was asleep.
Chakotay smiled and gently pulled his arm from underneath Kathryn and carefully lay her down on the sofa, lifting her legs so she was stretched out across it.
Chakotay stood looking at her for a minute then went to sit in the chair at her desk. The heat in the room soon had its effect on Chakotay as well and he also fell into a peaceful slumber.
"They’ve been in there for two hours now. Won’t they be wondering why it’s taking so long to get the door unlocked?"
"Harry. I have all my engineering staff occupied with servicing the transporters, remember?" B’Elanna said from the Chakotays’ chair,
"It can’t be done much faster with just me and you! Isn’t that right Tom?""Sure and the Captain did want the transporters fixed first!" Tom spoke from the Captains’ chair,
"Besides, we haven’t heard from them in a while. They can’t be in too much of a hurry to get out!"
"I suppose, but what if they find out? I mean shouldn’t we at least fix the environmental controls, so it looks like we’re actually doing something?"
B’Elanna looked at Tom, who shrugged an okay, "Alright Harry, keep your pip on, We’ll fix the environmental control."
"Torres to Janeway, We have the environmental controls back online."
Kathryn slowly opened her eyes and yawned. It took her a minute to realise where she was and what was going on, then she answered B’Elanna.
"Okay B’Elanna. Thankyou. How long until the doors fixed?"
"I’m not sure Captain. With most of my engineering crew working on the tranporters, there’s just Harry and me. It may take a while."
"Alright. Janeway out."
Kathryn looked around for Chakotay and saw him in her desk chair. How can he still be asleep? She wondered.
She looked again at his strong, muscular, bronze chest and arms and imagined what it would feel like to be held by them.
Her eyes drifted up to his soft lips and wondered what they would feel like on hers. She looked at the tattoo on the left side of his forehead and imagined tracing it with her fingers.
Her eyes wandered up into his soft, short, black hair and she imagined stroking her fingers through it. She wondered why she wasn’t doing all these things.
There was no situation like theirs in the Starfleet databases. No other Starfleet crew had ever been this far away from home for this long before and she didn’t want to spend the next sixty years alone.
Mark had moved on, so even if they got home tomorrow, she still wouldn’t have anyone. She didn’t think it would effect their command relationship either. She loved him and she knew he loved her and they still got the job done.
Would it make any difference if they openly loved each other? She didn’t think so.
Kathryn Janeway had come to a decision and now nobody and nothing could change it.
She walked over to Chakotay and bent her head down to his. Let’s see how he likes being kissed awake! She thought. Her lips met his for a brief and tender kiss. They were as soft as they looked.
"Ka…Kathryn?"
She pulled away slightly.
"Yes Chakotay." She purred."Wha….what are you doing?"
"Kissing you.""Why?" Chakotay was thoroughly confused. He’d been dreaming of Kathryn and then he’d been woken up by her kissing him. Never in a million years had he imagined Kathryn throwing away her beloved protocols and letting him in.
Her response to his question stumped him even more.
"Because I love you."
Chakotay stared at Kathryn with his mouth wide open.
"Kathryn. Are you saying you’re going to let me love you, have a relationship?"
"I realised that there is no real reason why we can’t be together. So, yes, if you still want to have a relationship…."
Her words were cut off by Chakotay soft mouth pushing against hers. She parted her lips and his tongue slipped in to dance with hers in the sweetest, most passionate kiss she’d ever experienced.
Her hands slid up his muscular shoulders and into his hair. His hands wrapped tightly around her waist and pulled her onto his lap. They eventually had to breathe and held each other in a tight embrace.
"This is for keeps Kathryn. I want you with me forever. I love you so much." Chakotay whispered into her hair.
"There’s no going back Chakotay. I love you."
"Torres to Janeway. We’ve fixed the doors."
11 months later
The setting was perfect. Tom and B’Elanna had done an excellent job programming it. Tables covered with white and gold trimmed cloths and laid with silver utensils were arranged on the grassy, forest floor.
Food tables were on either side, displaying the finest leeola root free cuisine from the Delta Quadrant. Surrounding the area were hundreds of trees and a monkey could be seen playing in between them. In the distance a small hut could be seen and to the right of that, a wooden bathtub.
The chairs surrounding the tables were filled with every member of Voyagers’ crew except for three. The three remaining people were standing at the front of the area under a beautiful arch covered in roses. Tuvok read to the couple in front of him.
"Do you, Kathryn Marie Janeway take Chakotay, son of Kolopak to be your lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold from this day forth, ‘til death do you part?"
"I do."
"And do you, Chakotay, son of Kolopak take Kathryn Marie Janeway to be your lawfully wedded wife. To have and to hold from this day forth, ‘til death do you part?"
"I do."
"Then by the power vested in me by the United Federation of Planets, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
The crew cheered and clapped and cried as Chakotay leaned forward and kissed his beautiful wife. One hand around her waist and the other on her stomach, feeling his son or daughter wriggle inside.
Kathryn covered his hand with hers and felt tears slipping from her eyes. Never in her life had she felt this peaceful and happy and loved and she knew nothing could change it.
She held her husbands’ hand in hers and they turned to greet their family as husband and wife.
The End
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