AFTER THE SEDUCTION

By The Purple Goddess

Rated: R

Standard disclaimers apply.

This story was written before "In the Flesh" aired. My idea of what happened with species 8472.

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Captain Kathryn Janeway stood in her darkened ready room staring out at the stars streaking past her viewport. She sobbed heavily leaning her head against the glass. She had tried and had succeeded for four days to hold back her tears, but now her body needed release. "CHAKOTAY!" She screamed.

On the bridge the crew jumped when they heard their Captain scream. Most glanced around at each other and it was Tom Paris who chose to speak first. "Shouldn’t someone go in there?" he asked.

"I think, Lieutenant, that it would be most logical for me to go and speak with the Captain." Tuvok left his security station and headed for the ready room. He glanced at Tom on his way past the helm. "You have the bridge, Mr. Paris."

Tom turned around satisfied that someone was seeing to the Captain since the one she really wanted wasn’t able to.

Be-Boop

Be-Boop

Kathryn knew it wasn’t Chakotay and decided that it must be Tuvok coming to check up on her. She quickly ordered the lights to full illumination and wiped the tears from her eyes as they tried to adjust to the sudden brightness in the room.

"Come" she called hoping she didn’t sound weepy.

Tuvok entered her ready room and stood in front of her desk. He waited for her to look up from the padd she appeared to be reading before he nodded his head in greeting.

"Tuvok, is the something I can do for you?"

"Yes Captain, I was wondering if you could tell me where Commander Chakotay is."

"Why didn’t you just ask the computer?"

"Because, Captain, I thought you could tell me. Is he not aboard Voyager?"

Captain Janeway regarded her old friend. She new he had a point coming, and as a Vulcan, he was usually direct, but she decided to play along.

"Yes, Tuvok. He is somewhere on Voyager. Most likely in sickbay or his quarters."

"He is not dead?"

Her patience was running thin. "NO, Tuvok." She sighed heavily, "Computer, location of Commander Chakotay."

"Commander Chakotay is on Holodeck One."

Kathryn looked to Tuvok. "There, happy now?"

Tuvok frowned at the Captain, which made her raise an eyebrow. "Captain, I think it is not productive for us to evade the issue anymore so I will simply ask you – do you love Commander Chakotay?"

Kathryn gasped at his blatant question. She looked down at her desk to avoid his gaze. "Yes."

"Was he not under the influence of species 8472 when he had relations with one of them disguised as a human female?"

"Yes." Her eyes stayed down on her desk.

"I have observed in the past that you have had a very close relationship with the Commander. I do not think I would be incorrect in saying that he is in love with you as well."

Kathryn thought of New Earth and the Ancient Legend. "You’re right." She whispered. She looked up to Tuvok. She suddenly felt the need to make him understand her reasoning. "It doesn’t matter how we feel Tuvok. I am the Captain and he is my Commander. I cannot risk a relationship with him. It would be too great a risk if something were to happen."

"Something HAS happened, Captain. You go into hiding whenever he is around and he doesn’t speak unless he has to. The ship has not be running at peak efficiency since we left species 8472 two months ago." He sighed and took a step closer to her desk. "The crew and this ship have been affected by the fact that you two are denying each other’s love." He paused wondering if he should continue. "Captain, the bridge crew do not enjoy hearing you scream for him."

She looked up at him horrified with the thought that they had all heard. Thank the Gods Chakotay hadn’t been near the bridge.

Tuvok stood up to his full height and regarded the Captain. "Captain Janeway, for the sake of the crew and this ship, you must go to him and tell him your feelings." With that he turned and headed for the bridge. The door shut behind him as her tears slid silently down her face. "Computer decrease illumination to 5%."

Two hours later Captain Janeway woke, still sitting at her desk in her ready room. She had cried herself to sleep again. It had become a habit. She stood and walked back to the viewport. She began to think about the words her friend had said to her. She did love Chakotay but didn’t know if she could face him. She had pushed him away so many times; would he want her now? She decided they were worth a try.

"Computer, location of Commander Chakotay?"

"Commander Chakotay is on Holodeck One."

-^-^-^-

Kathryn stood outside the holodeck and asked the computer which simulation was running. "Chakotay 675 is currently in operation." She entered the holodeck and felt all the blood fade from her face. She was staring at the shelter on New Earth; one of three places in the universe she considered ‘home’. The holodeck was programmed to be night time and the moon sparkled brightly over the water in her bathtub. She went into the shelter expecting to see Chakotay reading or working on something at the table. She looked around and decided he must be outside. She turned to leave and heard his snore; such an unmistakable sound to her ears. She smiled and headed for his cot.

It was empty.

Perhaps she had been mistaken. Maybe she had been hoping to hear it and her mind had tricked her.

Then she heard it again. Kathryn turned around and realized it was coming from her cot.

She stared at the sight of him on the small bed. He was curled up in a ball snoring soundly. She began to cry. She loved him and couldn’t think of anything but the two of them together.

He leaned up onto his elbow and looked to the end of the bed where she stood. "Kathryn?"

"Yes, my love?" she sobbed.

He stood and went to take her into an embrace but held back. He turned around and sat back down on the cot. "How can you love me after what I have done?" He laid his face in his hands and quietly began to cry.

Kathryn walked over to him and knelt on the floor in front of him. "Chakotay, look at me." He lifted his tear-stained cheeks to look into her eyes. She saw hope and love, but most of all she saw fear. "You didn’t have any control over what you were doing. That…thing took advantage of the fact that you were on the holodeck when they entered. You were just a pawn in their game. They hurt you and I hate them for that!"

"But, Kathryn, I kissed her. She seduced me…we…we made love." The last part was barely a whisper as he searched her eyes for her feelings.

"No Chakotay, you didn’t make love to her. You had sex with her and you weren’t in your right mind at the time."

She grabbed him and pulled him into an embrace. She whispered into his ear, "I love you, Chakotay. Make love to ME, right now, here in our house."

He pulled back and looked into her eyes. He saw that she really did want to be with him and loved him as much as he loved her. "I love you, Kathryn." He lifted her up onto the bed and kissed her mouth with the passion of four years of waiting. The two drifted off to sleep many hours later.

Kathryn woke in her lover’s arms the next morning. She leaned over and kissed his chest where she had laid her head all night. She thought about species 8472 and wondered what that ‘woman’ had learned from him. She hoped she was dead. It deserved to die for hurting him. For hurting her. A small part of Kathryn knew that she was not dead and she would come face to face with her someday. She glanced back at Chakotay and thanked the Gods that today wasn’t that day.

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