“The ion storm is getting worse.”

“I can see that, Mr. Daniels.”

“Sorry Captain, I have to adjust the transporter to compensate.  Just a few more minutes.”

Captain Janeway let out a deep breath.  Her impatience ran high from being tired.  The eight-hour day she just finished felt like eight days.  The away team’s success seemed to be a small consolation at this point.  Exhaustion crawled over her dusty form, causing her to wonder how much longer she could stand waiting for a beam out.  The welcome tingling of the transporter covered her body and she smiled.

Seconds later, she found herself on the transporter pad.  As she stepped down, she noticed the two crewmen before her.  Both were violating dress code regulations, and she wondered what excuse they would give her for being out of uniform.  Too drained to want to discipline anyone she settled for acknowledging the infraction and leaving it at that.

“Casual day at the office, boys?”

“Ma’am?”  He seemed puzzled by the expression.

“Just deliver this to the bridge and I’ll forget the rest.”  She handed a PADD to one of the men and walked away before she could get a reply.

Looking forward to a long hot bath, her pace increase slightly.  She felt as if five pounds of dirt and grim covered her.  Her mind wandered, daydreaming of her bath, as she walked down the corridor towards her quarters.  Home at last, she told herself as she stood in front of her door, punching in her access code.  The annoying sound bleeped at her.  The sound indicated that access was denied.  I must be more tired than I thought.  She entered it again.  The computer repeated its chirp.  All I want is a bath!  

“Computer, why can’t I open the door?”

“Access is denied to all personnel with the exception of the Captain.”  I am not in the mood for this!

“Authorization Janeway Alpha Zero Saturn One”

“Access denied.”

“What!?”

“Access denied.”

“Yes, I heard you.  Why is my access denied?”

“You are unauthorized.  Only the Captain has access.”

“Chakotay!” she grumbled under her breath.  She would make him pay for this little joke of his.  She slammed her comm bagde.

“Commander, I’m not happy with your joke.  You have only minutes to correct it.”

“Vulcans do not joke.  Nevertheless, I am available to make the corrections you require if you could be more specific.”  She hadn’t expected Tuvok to answer.

“Where’s Chakotay?”

“In the ready room.  Should I inquire to him regarding the corrections?”  Her anger began to rise, but her weak body didn’t have any fight left. 

“I’ll handle it later. Janeway out.”  She moved on to the next doorway.  She would just use his quarters and his rations until she felt refreshed enough to throw him in the brig.  She tried her access code once more and thankfully it worked.  She was stunned when she entered.  All of her personal belongings were in Chakotay’s quarters.  He definitely went too far now.  The brig is too good for him.  But she would deal with him later.  Right now she needed to get clean.  Unfortunately, she’d have to settle for a shower.  She quickly made her way to the bathroom, undressed and stepped in the sonic shower.  A few minutes later, she began to feel human again.  Her muscles relaxed and as the dust and sweat washed away, so did her anger.  That was until the annoying chirp sounded once more.  Followed by a smug voice.

“Chakotay to Janeway.”

She turned the sonic pulses to low as she reached for her comm badge.  She refused to even acknowledge his joke.  That would only encourage him for future pranks.

“I’m in the shower.  This better be good,” was her curt reply.  His pause made her wonder if he was still in the ready room.  The thought of the entire bridge picturing her in the shower brought a slight blush to her face.

“It is procedure for the leader of the away team to bring their findings to the bridge.”  He actually sounded condescending.  She had taken about all she was going to take.  She turned the shower off completely and wrapped a warm towel around her body as she stepped out.  

“Mr. Daniels should be delivering it any moment to you.”  The anger in her voice should have sent steam through the comm badge to Chakotay, but he seemed unaffected.

“You know I prefer that you to deliver the reports to me personally.”

He preferred?!  That arrogant son of a… She was so mad she couldn’t even form a sentence.  As she opened her mouth to give him an earful, a hum sounded in the room.  He appeared before her, a broad smile across his face.

“If you don’t deliver them in person, how else am I going to be able to do this?”  He pulled her into his arms, kissing her deeply.  Janeway was so thrown off guard she actually fell into the kiss.  When his tongue invaded her mouth she became dizzy and loss all rational thought.  His right hand slowly moved over her shoulder and down toward her chest.  Red Alert finally flashed in her brain as his fingers began to pull the towel from her body.  She pushed away just in time to stop the neat tuck in the towel from coming loose.  He simply smiled at her shocked face. 

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