"Just One Night"
by Andra Marie Mueller

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story is intended as the J/C equivalent of Monkee's story, "No Strings" and was written with her blessing. Thanks Monkee.

Disclaimer: Paramount is the legal owner of the characters of 'Star Trek: Voyager'. I just borrow them for my own nefarious purposes and to give them real lives

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Stifling a sigh, Kathryn Janeway pushed aside her computer terminal and ran a hand over her face, weariness etched in her expression. She had spent most of the day sequestered in her Ready Room, reviewing the latest round of medical reports and crew evaluations, while the crew enjoyed Shore Leave on the planet below. Voyager was in orbit around an M-class planet called Mysteria, where they were gathering some much needed food supplies in exchange for providing the Mysterians with engineering assistance in the repair of their fleet. The planet’s leader, Praxtor Xilef Ehttac, had invited the crew to join the Mysterians for their ritual celebration of the change of seasons, and Chakotay had spent most of his own afternoon rearranging duty rosters to ensure everyone would get some time off the ship. Everyone, that is, except the captain.

I’m getting too old to pull off these twelve-hour shifts, Kathryn thought wearily.

The door chime signaled the arrival of an unexpected guest and with the majority of the crew planetside, she realized there was only one person it could be.

"Come in, Chakotay."

The doors swooshed open and Chakotay strode inside, smiling in obvious amusement. "How did you know it was me?"

"Would you believe me if I told you all my years with Tuvok have given me telepathic abilities by osmosis?"

He chuckled. "No, but I’ll give you points for originality."

"Fair enough. Given the skeleton crew that’s still here is all junior officers, and that I gave instructions not to disturb me for anything short of a Borg invasion, the process of elimination led me to realize that my caller was you."

He nodded. "As Tuvok would say, a very logical conclusion."

"Very funny. What can I do for you?"

"I was hoping I could persuade you to call it a day and join me for dinner," Chakotay said. "I ran into Ayala on my way to the Bridge and he says the Mysterians have prepared quite a feast. Not to mention that the planet is a beautiful tropical paradise."

"Thank you for the invitation, Chakotay, but I can’t," Kathryn declined. "I still have a dozen reports to read through, after which I promised Tom and Harry I’d review the schematics they’ve submitted for the new Delta Flyer."

"All work and no play makes Kathryn an exhausted Captain," Chakotay paraphrased. "The reports will still be here in the morning, Kathryn, and Tom and Harry can wait until tomorrow for your verdict on the schematics. Give yourself a chance to unwind a bit, even if it’s for just one night."

"If I play hooky, who’s going to watch the ship?"

Chakotay stole a glance at the chronometer on the far wall. "The gamma shift is due to start in twenty minutes, which means Tuvok will be on Bridge duty. With everything status quo right now, this is the perfect opportunity for you to escape and spend some time off the ship."

She sighed. "I could use a little down time," she mumbled. "Tropical paradise, you said?"

"Complete with palm trees, balmy sea breezes and miles of white sand beaches. Not to mention an ocean that’s as warm as bath water."

She smiled at that. "You do fight dirty, Commander," she replied.

"Old Maquis habits die hard."

"I’m sure." A pause. "I suppose it won’t hurt to spend a few hours enjoying some Mysterian hospitality. I need to stop by my quarters for a shower and change of clothes-"

"No uniforms," Chakotay interjected hastily.

"No uniforms," she acknowledged. "I’ll meet you in the transporter room in twenty minutes."

"Yes, Ma’am."

Just under twenty minutes later, Kathryn was slipping on her shoes when her door chime rang and she bade her visitor enter. Chakotay walked inside, dressed in khaki slacks and a denim shirt that accentuated his dark coloring. He smiled at the sigh of Kathryn dressed in a knee length sea green dress and matching sandals.

"You look lovely, Kathryn," he said softly.

"Thank you, Chakotay. You look rather good yourself."

He acknowledged the compliment with widening of his smile.

"I thought we were supposed to meet in the transporter room," she said.

"We were, but there was something I wanted to address with you before we left and I felt it would be better to do so in private."

"Sounds serious," she teased.

Chakotay ignored the jibe. "I’d like to ask a favor of you," he began. "For the duration of our time on the planet, I’d like to leave the ranks and protocol on Voyager. For just one night, I want us to simply be Kathryn and Chakotay, two friends enjoying Shore Leave."

The captain met his gaze, curious about his proposal. Where did that come from? she wondered. Aloud she replied, "That’s a reasonable enough request. Is that it?"

Relief flooded his face and he merely nodded.

"Good, then let’s go. I’m starving."

Dimples flashing, Chakotay extended his arm and Kathryn linked hers through it, then they exited her quarters.

They materialized at the coordinates provided by the Mysterians, only to find themselves staring at a large table overflowing with food that was situated in the center of what looked to be a beachside patio. The full moon overhead and small torches positioned throughout the patio provided the illumination, and the Voyager folk were cheerfully mingling with the natives.

"I don’t think I’ve seen so much food in my life."

"If it tastes as good as it looks, I'll probably eat enough for both of us."

"Just stay away from those spiked concoctions they’re trying to pass off as fruit drinks," Kathryn said. "I took a sip of one and it was about 80 proof."

"Are you telling me that ‘I’m so Irish I bleed green’ Kathryn Janeway can’t hold her liquor?" Chakotay taunted.

"I didn’t say that," Kathryn countered, "but I can just imagine what kind of rumors will get started if I return to the ship drunk."

"You’d be in good company. Ayala was a few sheets to the wind when I saw him, and he told me that Harry, Tom and B’Elanna had swindled the Mysterians out of a couple bottles of their wine and are at Sandrine’s having a private party."

Kathryn shot him an amused glance. "You garnered all of this information out of Ayala in the course of a conversation that lasted all of sixty seconds?"

He shrugged. "Getting as much information as you can in as little time as possible is a Maquis trait. We didn’t have the luxury of weekly briefings to keep one another abreast of our coming and goings."

"Ouch."

Chakotay smiled. "Sorry. I didn’t intend for it to sound so harsh."

"I’ll accept your apology if you can maneuver past that tall fellow near the end of the buffet and commandeer us some of that fruit salad."

"I think I can manage that. Why don’t you head to the other side and get some of their bread? I’ll meet you over there after I get the fruit."

"See you in a few."

True to his word, Chakotay had indeed eaten more than his fair share of the food, and Kathryn had eaten more than her usual amount as well. The meal had been washed down with a bottle of tart Mysterian ale, but both had passed on dessert. In between helpings they had engaged in casual conversation, ranging from ship’s business to Academy horror stories to Federation politics, with a few good-natured arguments on the same subjects. Most of the crew and the Mysterians had long since departed, leaving Kathryn and Chakotay to their seclusion. Their table was situated at the edge of the patio, less than a hundred yards from the shore, and the waves crashing gently on the beach provided an almost musical undercurrent to their quiet conversation.

"You’re going to have to trust me on this one, Kathryn," Chakotay said. "Everyone at the Academy knew that Brett Philips was Nechayev’s boy toy; it was an open secret."

"Well whether its true or not, it doesn’t change the fact that he was in no way Starfleet material," Kathryn responded. "As Phoebe once said, ‘Philips is depriving a village somewhere of an idiot’."

Chakotay laughed at that. "Obviously your sister is an excellent judge of character," he replied.

She gave him a thoughtful glance. "Actually I think you would like her," she said. "She doesn’t suffer fools gladly, but her loyalty to those she cares about is unparalleled. She’s a bit of an introvert, but not afraid to voice her opinion. And she has the same smart ass sense of humor."

Chakotay smiled. "You must miss her quite a bit," he said gently.

"I do," Kathryn allowed, " but not the same way I did when we were first stranded here. Phoebe was my best friend as well as my sister and I miss that comfort zone of being with someone who knows you so well. But I know she’s happy, and I take comfort in that."

"What about Mark?"

She sighed. "Mark was…an affirmation," she said, "and he taught me more about love than anyone ever has. But in retrospect, I don’t know that our marriage would have gone the distance."

"Why not?"

She shrugged, shifting her gaze to the empty wineglass on the table in front of her. "I’m not quite sure. I loved him, and I know he loved me. But Mark was a civilian, and as such there was a part of my life that he could never understand. And I know that in his heart of hearts, part of him resented having to play second fiddle to my career. Eventually that resentment would have been focused on me and it would have destroyed us."

Not knowing how to respond, Chakotay simply said, "I’m sorry."

Kathryn graced him with a faint smile. "Thank you."

"I’ve missed this," Chakotay said suddenly.

"Missed what?"

"Us. I can’t remember the last time we spent any quality time together without being interrupted by one of the crew or the latest crisis."

"Or winding up in an argument about both of the above," Kathryn added wryly.

"We do tend to have rather heated disagreements."

"Some more so than others," Kathryn responded. "When we butted heads over the Equinox incident, I was certain we’d lost our friendship."

"It was never lost, but it did get misplaced for a while. The important thing is that we got it back."

"Yes, we did."

They exchanged a smile, and Kathryn felt her stomach do an unexpected flip over his familiar dimpled grin.

That ale must have been stronger than I thought, she mused.

"Well, I don’t know about you, but I could use a walk to work off some of this food," Chakotay said, and got to his feet. "Care to tag along?"

Kathryn hesitated for the briefest of moments, her reflexive urge to return to the ship warring with her desire to stay with him. Finally she chose the latter and flashed him a warm smile. "I’d love to," she declared.

Chakotay’s smile widened and he extended a hand to help her to her feet. Kathryn placed her hand in his and stood up, but made no effort to relinquish her grip on his hand. He shot her a curious look, to which she responded only with a faint smile. Hand in hand, they started down the beach.

Upon their return to the ship, Kathryn and Chakotay made a brief check-in with Tuvok to verify everything was under control before heading for their quarters. They came to halt just outside of Kathryn’s door and she turned to give him a warm smile.

"Thank you for convincing me to take the night off, Chakotay; I had a wonderful time."

"Maybe that’s a sign you should follow my advice more often," Chakotay quipped.

"Ha ha. Do you want to come in for a cup of coffee?"

"Better make it herbal tea," Chakotay said. "I don’t have your tolerance level for caffeine."

Kathryn shook her head as they stepped inside and she wandered over to the replicator as Chakotay settled himself on the couch.

"Computer, one Irish coffee and one mint tea."

The mugs materialized a moment later and Kathryn crossed over to settle herself next to Chakotay as she handed him his mug.

"Thanks."

"You’re welcome."

They sat in companionable silence for several minutes, sipping at their drinks as they enjoyed one another’s company. Chakotay was the first to finish and got to his feet, flashing Kathryn a faint smile as he did so.

"Well, as much as I’ve enjoyed our evening, it’s late and I should go. Thanks for the tea."

Kathryn stood as well and walked around the coffee table to stand in front of him. "Thank you again for a delightful evening."

"My pleasure."

On impulse, Kathryn gently grasped his arms for support as she took a step closer to him and lifted herself on tiptoe to press a light kiss on his cheek. It was an innocent gesture - the result was anything but. Their proximity caused the atmosphere to suddenly fill with sexual tension, and Chakotay exhaled heavily as Kathryn lifted her gaze to his. Desire was etched in his handsome face, along with a depth of longing in his eyes that sent a shiver down her spine. He wordlessly lifted one hand to lightly caress her cheek, and she closed her eyes as a wave of desire coursed through her, producing an involuntary shudder.

"We can’t do this," she whispered, her forehead pressed against his chest.

Cupping her face in his palms, he tilted her head back and forced her to meet his gaze.

"Yes, we can," he responded. "We promised ourselves just one night without rank and protocol, remember?"

"Chakotay…it’s not that simple…"

"Yes, it is. You want this as badly as I do, Kathryn; I can feel it when I touch you."

"And what happens tomorrow when rank and protocol are back in place?"

"Tomorrow doesn’t exist yet; there’s only tonight."

Without giving her time to respond, Chakotay lowered his head to kiss her. Kathryn had imagined what their first kiss would be like, her fantasies ranging from romantic to ridiculous, but nothing had prepared her for the real thing. At the first touch of his lips on hers, every nerve in her body suddenly sprang to life, seemingly turning the blood in her veins to liquid fire. Chakotay deepened the kiss while sliding his hands down her back to cup her rear and press her against him. His slacks did nothing to hinder his obvious arousal and the feel of his erection against her center elicited a small groan. His mouth covered hers, tongues tasting and dancing as he divested her of her clothing before shedding his own. Their first full body contact sent flames of desire shooting through them, and Chakotay reluctantly broke off their kiss to gaze upon Kathryn. Her face flushed with a mixture of desire and shyness, she felt her nipples harden in response to his silent scrutiny.

"You are so beautiful..." he murmured.

Pressing a kiss to the nape of her neck, he placed a series of light kisses across her throat and down her chest as they sank to the floor, where his mouth claimed the erect tip of one of her breasts. The sensation elicited an answering moan from Kathryn, who threaded her hands through his hair as he suckled, his tongue lavishing the rosy peak while his hands explored elsewhere. One hand rested on her other breast; the thumb brushing against the nipple as his teeth gently tugged on the one in his mouth. His free hand slowly trailed down one slim hip before making its way to the juncture between her thighs, finding her warm and wet. Careful not to lose his hold on her breast, Chakotay slowly slid two fingers deep into her folds, feeling an answering rush of wetness as her muscles contracted around him.

"Oh, God...Chakotay...please..."

Reluctantly abandoning her breast, he continued to stroke her core as he trailed a series of wet kisses down her belly before replacing his hand with his mouth. At the first flick of his tongue against her pulsing clitoris, she arched against him, clutching at his hair while he brought her closer and closer to the edge. Her moans now barely audible whimpers, Chakotay continued his ministrations, his hands teasing her nipples while his tongue lavished her most sensitive spot. A gentle tug on her clit with his teeth sent her flying into oblivion, her body shuddering with the force of her climax as her world shattered into a thousand pieces. The final contractions had yet to subside when she felt his erection press against her and he claimed her mouth in a searing kiss as he slid into her. Once he was fully encased in her sheath, he froze for the briefest of moments, wanting to savor the sensation for as long as possible. But feeling the residual contractions from her release pulsing against him, Chakotay began to move inside of her. They moved in tandem, their bodies mating in perfect harmony, until Kathryn let out a strangled cry and arched against him, reaching a second soul shattering climax a split second before Chakotay. Afterwards, too exhausted to move and overwhelmed by the intensity of their combined responses, they simply lay in one another's embrace in companionable silence before eventually drifting off to sleep.

Early the following morning, Kathryn roused herself from the depths of sleep to discover she was alone. A single red rose adorned the pillow beside her and only the faint, lingering scent of Chakotay’s cologne remained as evidence of their extraordinary night of lovemaking. She had a vague recollection of being carried into her bedroom, but it was overshadowed by the more vivid memories. They had come together several times over the course of the night, each time as incredibly passionate as the first.

Unwilling to deal with the ramifications of their actions just yet, Kathryn leaned back against the pillow as a contended smile spread across her face.

There’s something to be said for dispensing with protocol, she mused happily.

Stealing a quick glance at the chronometer, she noted she had thirty minutes before the start of her shift and decided to indulge in a bubble bath before reporting to work. Humming softly to herself, Kathryn tossed back her covers and headed for the bathroom, carrying the rose with her as she went.

The day passed uneventfully. Any concerns Kathryn had about how she and Chakotay would interact on the Bridge after their night together were quickly dispelled when he treated her the same as he did every other day, though he was unusually quiet. Near the end of his shift, he had been summoned to Engineering to mediate yet another dispute between B’Elanna and Seven, after which he had retreated to his office. It was there that Kathryn found him when she sought him out after her own shift ended, awaiting his permission before entering the room.

"Hi," she greeted simply.

"Hi yourself," he returned.

"You were rather quiet on the Bridge today," Kathryn remarked.

Chakotay shrugged. "I wasn’t much in the mood for small talk."

"I suppose not," Kathryn allowed. "Chakotay, about last night…"

"Last night was a mis…was something that should not have happened," Chakotay amended, unwilling to label what they had shared a mistake. "I should have stopped it when you asked me to. I was wrong to think that I could be with you…love you…and be able to pretend it never happened. Or be able to sit beside you on the Bridge and remember the feel of your body beneath mine without wanting to experience it all over again."

Kathryn felt her heart twist at the self-recrimination in his tone. "You’re not the only one at fault here," she responded softly. "I was wrong to let you believe that what transpired between us would be nothing more than a one night stand. When I woke up alone this morning, I realized that I don’t want to wake up alone anymore. I’m tired of hiding behind protocol and acting like I’m oblivious to the obvious. We can make this work, Chakotay; with time, and effort."

Brown met blue; reserved yet hopeful. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

She smiled. "It seems sudden, but the truth is that I’ve been thinking about it for a while, debating the pros and cons of allowing myself to act on my feelings for you. Last night was just the catalyst that forced me to make a final decision."

He stepped out from behind his desk but made no move to approach her. "I won’t hide this," he said. "We can handle it anyway that makes you comfortable but I have no intention of keeping it a secret from the crew."

She took a step toward him. "Neither do I."

"What happens when we have a disagreement?"

"I have enough faith in you to know that you won’t let your personal feelings interfere with your professional responsibilities."

He took a step toward her, effectively closing the distance between them. "Be sure about this, Kathryn. I won’t settle for less than forever."

She smiled and slid her arms around his neck. "Forever works just fine for me."

Chakotay flashed her a devastating smile before lowering his head to kiss her. Need flared anew and Kathryn molded her body to his as Chakotay deepened the kiss. They were halfway to his bedroom when the door chime sounded, and his muffled curse earned him an amused smile from Kathryn.

"Temper, temper, Commander," she chided.

"Very funny."

Retreating behind his desk to cover his body’s reaction to his embrace with Kathryn, the XO bid his visitor enter and Harry entered the room. Spotting the captain, and sensing the tension in the air, Harry gave them an apologetic smile.

"I’m sorry, Captain, Commander…did I interrupt something?"

You have no idea, Chakotay thought dryly.

"Not at all, Harry," Kathryn assured him. "I have some things to attend to in my Ready Room. Commander, I trust I’ll see you for dinner once you’re done with Mister Kim?"

"Of course, The Mess Hall?"

"My quarters," Kathryn corrected, "and bring a toothbrush."

Forcing herself not to laugh at the matched expressions of astonishment on Harry and Chakotay’s faces, Kathryn exited the commander’s office.

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The End.