The characters belong to Paramount so I am just borrowing them.
Note: None of the additions are related to each other--it was just easier to put them all in one spot. There are some that have not been posted on my page.
Chakotay looked at her, she started to blush and turn away, but stopped. No point in giving the crew anymore ideas for the rumor mill. She tersely asked him what, and he had responded with a statement about something his father had told him. Followed by a request for some of her hair.
He enviously watched the young crewman chop a lock of hair from the Captain. People had survived tens of thousands of years with stone tools. He wondered how. The Captain returned to watch him as he took the hair from her and several others and placed them carefully on the wood. Even though several of the crew were watching, he reached down and took several strands of her hair and rolled them around his finger. As he again tried to make a fire, he watched her. She had seen what he had done and smiled at him. He returned the smile.
"Well, if there's nothing else. Dismissed." Janeway watched her senior staff stand and start to depart. "Commander, I'd like you to stay. I have a few questions about crew evaluations."
"Yes Captain." They both noticed that Tuvok seemed to have a question.
"Yes Lieutenant?" Janeway asked.
"Captain, may I speak to you. Alone."
"Yes." She nodded to Chakotay, who followed the others out. "Yes Lieutenant."
"Captain, I feel it is my duty to question your decision about entering the alien's space. It was a clear violation of Star Fleet regulations."
She'd been expecting him to ask, ever since she saw the look on his face when she made the decision. "Tuvok, we're a long way from Star Fleet. We have and will continue to make decisions that are questionable. Besides the safety of the crew, I also need to worry about morale. Fifteen months is a long time. To have added that to the trip would have been bad for morale, and our stores and supplies are limited."
"Captain, I am also worried about the undo influence of the Maquis crew on you."
Now this she hadn't expected, she looked at him in surprise, but responded calmly. "What are you talking about?"
"You're relationship with Commander Chakotay."
"My relationship? Lieutenant, who I have a relationship with or don't is not going to affect how I command this ship. But would you explain to me why you think we are..." she didn't need to finish. She hoped she sounded exasperated enough.
He raised an eyebrow. Could he have misinterpreted what he had seen. But there were the rumors, and the four months on the planet. Neither had filed a very complete report. "Captain, by the way you look at each other, and earlier today, you were standing very close."
"Lieutenant, your concerns are noted. Dismissed." She sat on her desk and watched him leave. As the door closed behind him, she started to laugh. He had walked out with that wonderful puzzled Vulcan look. A few minutes later the ready room chimes rang. She stopped laughing, but continued to smile. "Enter."
Chakotay entered and grinned at her. "What's with Tuvok?"
"We were talking about Star Fleet Regulations."
"He's right, we did violate them."
"I know. But we also saved ourselves fifteen, possibly more months." She started to laugh again.
He looked at her. "That doesn't explain the look of puzzlement on his face."
"He thinks you are a bad influence on me."
"Me, I didn't know I had any influence." He was grinning.
"I think he thinks we spend everynight discussing command policy."
"Oh. Should I go out and tell him that's not what we do?"
She flushed. "I'll throw you in the brig if you do. Where the crew evaluations?"
He handed her a data padd. "We can talk about them tonight." He said as started to massage her shoulders.
"And prove him right. I think we'll stick our original plans. I see you have given Ensign Smith high marks in tactical. And by the way, watch where you stand, he noticed that we were standing a little *too* close."
"Yes Captain." He moved away from her.
"In public, Commander." She turned and looked at him. "And here. Maybe it is a good idea you stand over there. Tell about your evaluation of Ensign Smith."
Chakotay waited for her door to open. For several days he'd been debating discussing with her the events of the past few months.
Ever since they had recovered their ship from the Kazon he'd noticed changes in her demeanor, in her attitude. She had taken to avoiding people in their off duty time--she seemed to be withdrawing.
The door slid opened and he entered the Captain's quarters.
"Commander, you mentioned wanted to discuss something."
"Yes, Captain. I've wanted to discuss what has happened since Hanon."
She looked puzzled.
He continued. "Captain, you seem to have become more cavalier in your decisions."
She was still looking puzzled, but there was also a gleam of anger in her eyes as she looked at him.
"You've chosen to ignore Star Fleet and Federation Regulations. And you have been taking unnecessary personal risks." He could see her struggling with her anger. She had been holding in her emotions too much recently. Except for her anger.
"Commander, I do not have to justify my decisions to you."
"No. But how have you justified them to yourself. Captain..."
"You are out of line, Commander." She paused long enough to calm herself. "I'll see you on the bridge tomorrow. Dismissed."
He started to say something, but held his tongue. Somehow he sensed that he didn't need to say anymore. "Good-night Kathryn."
She watched the door close behind him and almost threw a pillow from her sofa after him. She looked at the pillow in her hand and put it down, frowning. She moved to the replicator--then changed her mind.
Her thoughts raced. Damn, if he wasn't right. Before Hanon, she wouldn't have bullied the young woman.
Young woman--Pira was only a child.
She grimaced--she hadn't felt anything but anger when she had been threatening the brother and sister. She hadn't felt guilty until after seeing Tom and Harry take their usual places on the bridge yesterday. Then she had felt more anger for feeling guilty. She shook her head and walked to her window.
Kathryn stood by her window and watched the stars streak by for what might have been hours.
Their experiences on Hanon had shaken her--more than she cared to admit, even to herself. She had lost her ship and only through the actions of others had Voyager been recovered. To avoid a repeat of such a failure, she had made a few decision that were not her typical ones.
Including a few she was not happy with, like recently...
He was right, even though he hadn't said it--she did need to purge her soul of Hanon. To learn from it, but not base all decisions upon those horrific few days.
It had been a long time since she had contacted her spirit guide, not since soon after returning from New Earth. Her chameleon guide had reminded her of the might-have-beens. If Voyager had not returned, she and Chakotay would have become lovers. Even after all these months it still took all her will power to not go to him...
"Stop it. I'm trying to come to terms with Hanon--not..."
Or were the two related.
She went and found her medicine bundle, then sat down on the floor. She carefully placed the few items she had collected in front of her. She picked up a small rock that Chakotay had carved and given her on New Earth. She looked at the concentric circles. Considering everything, perhaps she should remove it from her medicine bundle. 'No,' she thought, as she placed it with the other items. She took the acunah, closed her eyes and placed her right hand upon it. "We are far from the bones of our ancestors..."
#
#
When she opened her eyes, she shook her head and looked around her quarters.
What was it her guide had said, "Kathryn, you must find your center--you must balance yourself."
Cryptic words, yet somehow she suspected what her guide was trying to tell her. She picked up the small carved stone and fingered it gently. Could the might-have-beens of New Earth happen here on Voyager.
Could they still work together? What would the crew think? The usual doubts assailed her mind.
So many questions, and one overwhelming answer.
In the two years since being flung into the Delta Quadrant she had steadily, slowly, unrelentingly been falling in love with her second-in-command. She had spent most of that time resisting.
And to make matters worse, he had fallen in love with her. Neither had said anything directly. He had several times made his interest known--in an oblique way. In that same oblique way he had told her on New Earth that he was willing to spend the rest of his life with her--it had been more than the story--there had been a look in his face, and when she had taken his hand...Even then and there she had resisted her feelings.
She wrapped the items from her bundle in their bag and stood to put them away. She silently sat on her couch instead--the bundle still in her hands. She frowned as she again let her mind wander.
Could they still work together?
Considering how far they had come, keeping the status quo might actually be riskier than becoming involved. In many ways they were already involved.
The crew?
She shook her head, they would probably not react negatively. In fact if the rumors she occasionally heard were true, there was a substantial betting pool on when not if...
She took a deep breath, knowing that her decision had been made long ago. She just had to stop resisting what was happening to them.
She tapped her comm-badge. "Janeway to Chakotay."
"Yes, Captain."
"I just wanted to apologize for snapping at you earlier."
She heard him laugh. "Captain?"
"And to make it up, I'd like to invite you over for dessert--my treat." For the first time in several hours she noted the time. It was almost zero hundred hours. "Or if you'd rather, tomorrow evening would be fine."
"Now is fine. I'll be right over."
#
#
He was dressed casually--which made her very conscious of the fact that she was still wearing her uniform.
"So what's for dessert?" He asked.
"Within reason--anything." She noticed he was looking at her very intently. "I was thinking of a chocolate mouse." He started to laugh and she blushed. "All right, mousse," she added quickly. "What would you like?" She moved to put some distance between them.
He smiled; then his face lit up with his trademark grin. "That depends." He watched her blush. "Chocolate mousse will be fine." He walked to her replicator. "One small chocolate mousse with whipped cream. If we're going to splurge..."
"Especially if on my replicator rations." She laughed self-consciously as she took the rather small bowl he offered.
He watched her take a spoonful. When she smiled at him, he looked away. She was in a much better mood than when he had been there earlier in the evening, in fact she seemed more at ease, at peace than she had been since recovering Voyager. He noticed her medicine bundle laying on the sofa, he smiled--wondering what her guide had said.
He looked at her again when she spoke. "Not bad. You only got one?" She took another spoonful.
"Save your rations. We can share." She took the spoon and held it in front of him. Ever so slowly he slid his lips over the spoon, then slowly removed his mouth--leaving some chocolate on the spoon. Then with his tongue he carefully cleaned the spoon as Kathryn watched. She then took another spoonful and deliberately licked the spoon, removing the mousse, in the process she got some on her nose. Laughing he used his finger to remove it and then cleaned his finger with his tongue.
"Last spoonful," she noted as she scraped the bowl to remove the final traces of the chocolate. She smiled wickedly. "I'll divide it and you get to chose which half." Without waiting for him to answer she took her right first finger and scraped about a quarter of what was left onto that finger. "Your choice." She put the bowl down and offered him the spoon or her finger.
He took her right hand in his and grinning brought her finger to his lips. She swallowed hard as he took her finger in his mouth. She felt his tongue clean her finger, then his teeth gently nibbling at it. Closing her eyes she dropped the spoon in her other hand. He continued to explore her hand with his mouth and tongue.
"Kathryn?"
She opened her eyes and looked at him. His head was only inches from hers: his hand was still holding hers. She took her other hand and touched his cheek. Their lips met briefly, then both pulled away, a questioning look on both their faces.
"I'd best be going," he said after a hushed few seconds. He turned to walk toward the door, stopping when he heard her quietly call his name.
"Chakotay." He looked at her, she was blushing, but wearing a bright smile. "You don't have to leave..." She turned away suddenly unsure of everything.
She was frozen in place when he stood behind her and tentatively placed his hands on her shoulders: her eyes closed as she tried to remember to breath. "Kathryn." He paused as he kissed the top of her head, his hands moved to remove the pins in her hair, letting it fall free around her shoulders. "Are you sure?"
She nodded slightly. "Yes." Turning slightly she wrapped her arms around him and pulled his head down to hers. Just before their lips met, she whispered, "I love you."
#
#
Tom Paris enjoyed the walk from the mess hall to the bridge. After the Akitirian prison, it was a pleasure to simply walk and not worry about where or when the next meal would be (Neelix's food had never tasted so good); or if the person standing next to you would suddenly decide to stab you for the Hell of it. But this morning, the walk had been particularly good. He smiled smugly as he remembered what had happened only an hour earlier when he had left his quarters and run into the Commander leaving the Captain's. It had taken a lot of will power to not smile or giggle, but he had never seen the Commander that flustered. It was pretty clear where Chakotay had spent the night. 'About time,' he thought as exited the lift to the bridge. He noted that the Captain was there.
He took his seat at the conn, and turned to look at her. She was trying to suppress a smile. "Good morning Captain." Tom smiled. "Sleep well?" He added wickedly with a wink.
She stiffened and stared at him for a split second then turned to look at her terminal. "Good morning *Lieutenant*."
Tom quickly turned back to the screen. The almost imperceptible emphasis of his rank was warning enough. The thought of cleaning the sanitation system was not appealing.
Commander Chakotay looked at the chronometer, the shift had passed, no incidents, no anomalies. He looked at the empty chair beside him. The Captain had spent the entire day in her ready room.
She had made a brief appearance that morning, but had disappeared soon afterwards. Both he and Tuvok had agreed that she was probably reflecting upon her experiences. But they were both used to that kind of experience--she, the dogmatic scientist, wasn't. He hadn't wanted to disturb her, but he was also concerned.
Kathryn Janeway was looking at the stars. They had always fascinated her--she had after all gone into Star Fleet to study them. But today they were different...
Her reverie was interrupted by the sound of her chime. She shook her head to bring herself back to reality. "Enter."
"Captain, is everything all right?" Chakotay asked. The room was dark, he had to wait a second or two for his eyes to adjust.
"I've been thinking, looking at the stars," she replied. Snapping back into her Captain mode, she asked, "Is something happening?"
"No, it's just you spent the entire shift in here."
"I did." Then laughed quietly. "I spent the day doing nothing--that's a first." She turned to look at him. "Do you know the painting 'Starry Night' by Vincent Van Gogh."
"I've seen pictures in books."
She turned back to her window, her voice was quiet--almost far away. "My sister dragged me to an art gallery several years ago. And asked me what I thought. I told her. 'It's all wrong, stars are nothing like that, et cetera.' She's the artist--she never really understood my need for the order of science, and I never understood her need to interpret what she saw. It isn't real."
She paused so long, that Chakotay began to wonder if she had forgotten he was there.
She started speaking again. "I came in here this morning to write my report, and for some reason I had the computer display that painting." She glanced at him. "I've been looking at the stars ever since, I guess. I just lost track of time. What do you see when you look out there?" She gestured out the window. He walked over and stood by her.
"Stars, a nebula," he started to respond. "My people..." He smiled and continued, "believe that when a person dies, their spirit becomes a star."
"I used to see a mass of hydrogen, helium, a little iron and other elements. But today I see something else." She smiled and leaned against him. Her voice had a tinge of melancholy. "I see a 'Starry Night,' the way he painted the stars. Something. I can't describe it."
Kes sat in her darkened quarters. *Was it only just a few days ago,* she thought, *that she knew what she wanted out of life.* A chance encounter and her world was shattered. She wondered if irreparably. Her world was in chaos, she no longer knew what she wanted, or even who she was.
She and Neelix had been together for 2 years, she loved him. But when she had kissed the Vulcan (even if under the influence of that monster--or had it been?), she had felt something. Or maybe not.
It was too confusing. How much was real, how much was Tiernan, how much was her imagination. She stood and walked toward her window.
Neelix seemed to understand her turmoil and had stayed away. She'd passed him a couple of times during the past several days. They had said a polite hello, then they would continue on their separate ways.
She checked the chronometer, it wasn't too late, she needed to talk.
#
#
Minutes later, she found herself outside the Captain's door. She hesitated a second then rang the chime. The door opened.
"Captain, I hope I'm not disturbing you?"
"Not at all. I was just reading the warp core analysis. Is everything all right?"
"I don't know, Captain. Actually I'm just confused. I was...I hoped..."
"Would you like to talk about it?" Janeway asked.
Kes smiled, she was finding this whole conversation awkward. "Yes, thank-you Captain."
"Kathryn."
Kes looked startled, no one ever called the Captain by her given name...Well maybe one person. "Kathryn," she said hesitantly. "I don't know where to begin. I remember everything. I did some dreadful things, said some dreadful things."
"Kes, you were under-the-influence of Tiernan. You did not have control..."
"But I should have fought harder, resisted."
"From what I've read and saw, I think you did a remarkable job. Being under an alien influence is not pleasant, and usually very difficult to deal with."
"I felt things I didn't know I felt. I did things I didn't know I was capable of. It scares me. I would like to forget the whole series of events."
Kathryn smiled. "What happened will always be with you. How it affects your life, is up to you."
"I know, but what should I do? I said somethings to Neelix, that I shouldn't have."
"There I can't help you. He knows you weren't in control..."
"That's just it. I think I meant some of what I said."
"You should be talking to him. You need to discover together whether or not you have a future together. It won't be easy."
"And if we don't?" Kes asked quietly.
"Then you move on." Kathryn looked sadly at the young Ocampan.
"Captain...Kathryn, I don't..."
"It's difficult and can be painful, but one recovers. And may even find somebody else." Kathryn smiled quietly at that thought.
"I can't imagine being with anybody but Neelix. I remember our conversation after the transporter accident. We talked about moving on then too."
"We did. Sometimes we move on without realizing that we have. You realize that you haven't thought about him for a long time. That there is somebody else."
"Mark?" Kes almost smiled.
"It was quite a shock to realize that I hadn't thought about him in months." She realized that she was revealing a bit more than she cared to.
"Kathryn, I'm sorry about everything that happened."
"That's OK. Anyway, it's Tiernan who owes me an apology, and I don't think he's in any position to give one."
"No, I think not. Thank-you." Kes smiled somberly at the Captain. "I'll talk to Neelix. I don't know what to say..."
"The truth. You owe it to him and you."
"The truth," Kes echoed quietly. "Thank-you." As the door swished open, she turned back and looked at the Captain. "Good-night." She left, leaving the Captain staring after her.
The young Ocampan's face had clearly shown to Kathryn Janeway what Kes was thinking.
She should tell him the truth.
*Kes was right, it's not easy,* Kathryn thought.
Chakotay was sitting at his desk. He was, at best, pretending to work. All the *paperwork* was something he had not missed during his tenure with the Maquis. Next month's crew schedule was forgotten for a few seconds. He forced himself to look at it again. He wanted to finish it tonight, he was already a day late--events of the past couple of days had taken precedence.
He didn't even look up when the door chime rang. "Enter," he said.
"Have a seat, I'll be right with you."
"If you insist," Kathryn laughed.
Chakotay swung around in his chair. "Captain..."
"Expecting someone else?" She asked dangerously.
"No, the only visitors I get at this hour are complaining about something." He smiled. "And what is your complaint, Captain?"
She was looking at the schedule. "I haven't gotten next month's schedule yet." She tried to sound serious.
"Almost done. You don't normally pay social calls--so what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"
She hesitated a second, "We need to talk."
He looked at her, not quite sure how to take her statement.
"Yes?"
"I...Chakotay I..." She blushed as he took her hand.
"Kathryn," he smiled as he pulled her into his lap. She didn't resist, so he ran his free hand through her hair. He had secretly approved when she had started wearing her hair down. He removed the clip. "And what would you like to talk about?" He fingered her hair, his dark eyes drew her in.
She wrapped her arm around his next. "This." She kissed him. He didn't allow her to pull away.
Q held his son's hand and with it waved bye-bye to Aunty Kathryn. He started to snap his fingers, but stopped. "Captain, why do you humans ignore what is in front of you?"
"Pardon," Janeway responded.
"I was playing for your sympathy when I told you I was lonely. But you really are." Q looked at her. "The loneliness of command and all that."
Janeway looked exasperated. It was nice to see that the continuum had solved their problems, Q had a family, but she really did want him off her ship.
Q smiled. "The solution to your loneliness is right in front of you, and you chose to ignore it. And you say the continuum has problems..." With that, he snapped his fingers; and he and his son vanished in a beam of light.
She sighed with relief, he was gone. Maybe now, things would return to normal. Whatever that was.
She moved to her desk and picked up B'Elanna's report on how she (and the female Q) had modified the shields to pass through the supernova and find the continuum. Interesting she thought. She had several reports to read, including her First Officer's.
Chakotay.
The solution was right in front of her, Q had said. And...And what? She had started down this thought-path before. She could not allow herself to become involved with a member of her crew, especially a senior officer. Any member of the crew. Forget that. There was only one person on this ship she wanted to become involved with. She had never really responded to his references to the subject. He had told her in his oblique way: when she had told him what Q wanted; and several months ago on New Earth.
Life had been so simple there. No rules or protocol to follow--but she hadn't been ready or had she been still clinging to those rules and protocols--she wasn't sure--maybe it was the same thing. Voyager had returned, but not before she had realized that she was in love with him and had been for some time.
Q was right, the solution was in front of her.
Did she really want to spend the next 70 or so years alone?
Her comm-badge chirped. "Janeway here."
"Captain," her First Officer's voice said. "We're ready to go to warp."
"Very good, Commander." She paused. "Commander would you please come to my ready room."
"Yes Captain."
He arrived seconds later. "Captain?"
She hesitated and took a deep breath. "Chakotay, would you like dinner tonight. I mean, like to have dinner with me?"
He smiled. "Captain, I would be honored."
"My quarters, nineteen-hundred hours." She started to smile, tried to stop herself, then gave up. Her smile lit her face.
He watched her, delighted. "You know Kathryn, you are really beautiful when you smile--see you tonight." He didn't wait for a dismissal--he figured he'd better leave before he kissed her.
****
Tom watched the Commander exit the ready room and smiled. The Commander had *that* grin. Tom was dying to know what had happened in there. Something good he was sure.
He looked back at his console. This whole thing with Q had been bizarre to say the least. Courting the Captain, then kidnapping her. The entire crew had figured they would go after her. Even if the two senior officers were ignoring (at least she was) what was happening between them, the crew wasn't. He wasn't the only one running a betting pool on them. There hadn't been time to add a pool if Chakotay would find a way to rescue her. Probably just as well. There would have been no negative bets.
Then there had been that female Q, Q One had finally settled on. (Couldn't they have names like the rest of us.) *Helmboy.* He groaned at the memory. She had seemed particularly rude. Even Q had a seemed like a moderate compared to her. Must be omnipotence. The inherited right to be rude and overbearing.
Tom glanced at the Commander again, before looking at his console. Chakotay was still grinning. Tom noticed that even Tuvok had noticed. Oh well, he thought. He would have to wait and see if the Captain had a matching grin. That could be interesting.
#
Harry was also watching. He noticed everybody was. Tom was the most practiced. Tom could observe and not look like it. Ensign Willoughby at the engineering station was just the opposite. She was very obvious. Tuvok had raised an eyebrow and returned to work. Harry wasn't certain if curiosity was considered an emotion. But Tuvok was not even curious.
The rumors would be flying by tonight.
#
Chakotay realized very quickly that he had probably given the whole show away, but didn't care. He'd been waiting for her to acknowledge that he was more than Voyager's First Officer for over two years. He was aware of the various betting pools, and knew there would probably be increased activity in Voyager's gambling rings tonight. He had told her earlier, *that he didn't have any right...* That wasn't true--he had every right. Again she had backed away from further discussion. Well Q had shown up then too and asked if he was jealous. Actually he hadn't been. Q was an overgrown slime mold with no moral code--despite all this garbage about Moral Superiority. He hadn't liked the situation, because he had no idea if Q had been willing to use his powers to achieve his goal.
There had been a humorous side. Watching Q prowl the ship, asking the crew questions. Especially the responses. Tom had taken great delight in telling him about their encounter in the holodeck.
Well, whatever had happened something good might come of it. He was still grinning. At least Kathryn could stay in her ready-room until she could control her smile.
He stood. "Mr. Tuvok, you have the bridge. I'll be in my office."
#
Janeway spent the day in her ready-room. She did have a lot of work to catch-up on. Including the analysis of all those supernovae. And B'Elanna's report had looked fascinating. She had scheduled a meeting with her Chief of Engineering for tomorrow. She was looking forward to that meeting. The technical aspects alone would take years of analysis. And the possibilities were endless.
She started to smile. Despite the exciting possibilities in the shield modification, thoughts of that evening were taking precedence.
#
#
It was almost 1900 hours, and Kathryn Janeway was nervous. She planned this to be a simple dinner (replicated--no point in ruining it with one of Neelix's creative endeavors). Eat and talk. She wanted some of idea where this would be headed. She felt the familiar prickle in her hands as she finished dressing. Nothing elaborate, just the red dress from their stay on New Earth. She had never completely gotten her smile under control, even after spending the last several hours of the shift reading reports and writing her own. Tom Paris had grinned at her as they rode the lift together, until he had gotten off. She had come close to ordering him to wipe that smirk off his face, but instead had spent the entire 2 minutes wondering how he had known.
Her chime rang and for a micro-second she wondered what had possessed her to make a date with Chakotay. "Enter," she managed to say.
Neither said anything for what might have been several minutes. Kathryn was torn between calling him Commander and turning this into a formal meeting, calling him Chakotay and stick to her original plan, or just kissing him now and skip all the preliminaries.
"So, what's for dinner?" He asked finally to break the tension and silence.
"Whatever--my replicator rations. What would you like to have?" She turned away: ostensibly to check a data padd laying on her table--but really to cover her blush at the double entendre.
He knew how he would like to answer that question--but that would probably be hurrying things too much. "Whatever is fine."
She smiled as she turned back. "I'm fresh out of whatever, would you settle for poached salmon, rice, asparagus, and chocolate mousse for dessert." She had to walk by him to get to her replicator. As she did, he took her hand. She froze.
"Kathryn." He whispered. He pulled her to him.
He held her, just holding her like this was more than he expected.
Kathryn let herself be held for a minute. (She was actually enjoying it.) Then she pulled away. "Dinner." He nodded. She went to the replicator and ordered the dinner she had mentioned, all the time wondering.
They ate in silence. They would look at each other, then turn away.
"Chakotay," she started as she carried the remains of the meal to the waste receptacle. "Will we still be able to work together?"
He smiled slightly. "I think we can. It won't be easy, but what's life without a little challenge."
She laughed. As if there were no other challenges in the Delta-Quadrant. "You seem confidant."
"I've been thinking about it for awhile," he admitted. "When you told Q that there was no one else, did that include," he paused, "Mark?"
She smiled. "That wasn't exactly an accurate statement--I just wasn't about to discuss my personal life with him. But yes, I've said good-bye to Mark. At least as well as one can out here." She stood and walked over to him. "And I have also given long consideration to my question. It won't be easy, but I do enjoy a little challenge." She took his hands and tried to pull him into a standing position, instead he pulled her into her lap.
"I suppose I can't do this on the bridge?" He asked jokingly as he kissed her. She didn't respond except to wrap her arms about his neck and kiss him back.
*So much for taking this slowly,* she thought. Then added, *over two years was probably slow enough.*
Kathryn Janeway sat in her ready room, her mind was wandering from the horrors of B'Elanna's dreams to their passionate nature. She had to smile at the passionate parts.
Her doorchime rang. "Enter."
"Captain," her First Officer smiled at her. "We're prepared to leave orbit."
"Very good, Commander." She returned his smile. "How's B'Elanna doing."
"She found an ally, so she is doing better." "Good. Chakotay..." She didn't finish her sentence. He crossed the few steps between them and wrapped his arms around her.
"Kathryn..."
She looked up and their lips met. She deepened the kiss.
The doorchimes rang again. The couple sprang apart. Chakotay moved toward the porthole. Kathryn took a deep breath to calm herself down. "Enter."
"Captain, we've received a thank-you message from Anorans," Tuvok looked at the Captain, then the Commander, he sensed the tension in the room. He looked at the Captain and raised an eyebrow. "Captain, you've surprised me."
Chakotay watched the Captain as she took the Anoran instrument and started to play. It was a pleasant change to see her out of uniform (when they were alone was a different story) and with her hair down. She grinned slightly as she caught him looking at her, then went back to playing the instrument. Chakotay enjoyed watching her, he did manage to not smile as she turned to talk to the Anoran behind her.
Tom smiled to himself, as he tapped the Commander on the shoulder. "Commander."
Chakotay almost jumped, damn she could be so distracting when she put her mind to it. "Yes Tom."
"Have you seen B'Elanna?"
"No. I think she probably went to bed early. If you will excuse me."
Tom grinned and almost laughed. He turned away, he owed both of them to much to give their secret away, but then they were doing a good job of that by themselves.
Chakotay returned to his quarters and worked quietly on next months crew schedule, after about forty five minutes he quit and left his quarters.
No one about, good. He entered his access codes and slipped into her quarters.
"Hello," Kathryn whispered as she took him in her arms. "Whatever did you say to Tom?"
"Tom?" he asked.
"You must have said something, he was trying so hard not to laugh."
"Oh then. I think he was enjoying the fact that he knows."
"He does seem to have a 6th sense when it comes to catching us looking at each other."
"And reading our thoughts."
She blushed. "I hope not."
"Captain," his voice was teasing. "What were you thinking?"
She laughed quietly, as she pulled his head down and kissed him.
What did the J/C of them do the first afternoon in LA? This takes place soon after Captain Braxton runs from the cops (possibly late morning) and the late night break-in. It also answers a question that has been bothering me about the end. There is another solution to the problem--I want to know why they didn't try another way home.
Janeway made a mental note to thank Tom. He had said they would need money. Something the 24th century didn't deal with. At least not in the alpha-quadrant. The delta-quadrant was another matter, and one that was a constant problem. They were constantly bartering to get supplies or repairs.
At least the 20th currency had been in the computer, and easily replicated. There was a twinge of guilt--it was technically forgery--but right now their only other option was worse (theft).
They had found a taxi and after hair-raising ride had been deposited outside of the Chronowerx building.
She and Chakotay had wandered in and casually looked around: their hidden tricorders gathering data. A security guard had asked if he could help. They had left soon afterwards.
#
The restaurant had been his idea. They had found a little cafe several blocks from Chronowerx and had ordered lunch. Nothing special, but after over two years of Talaxian delicacies, real food was a delight.
She smiled at him as she ate her lunch and looked around. "We need to contact the ship, and find some place a little more," she hesitated a second. "Private, to go over the information and plan. Up to a little breaking and entry?"
"Why Captain." He grinned. "Sounds like an intriguing evening you have planned for us." She resisted the urge to take a playful swipe at him. They were, after all, trying to be inconspicuous. He frowned. "It won't be easy. If he has 29th century technology, he may be using it as part of security--and we can't request a beam-out."
"It's a risk, but a necessary one. By the way, thank-you for the lunch, Commander."
"My pleasure, Kathryn."
The little cafe was not a good choice to be planning a break-in, there were too many people, and the odds were good that some might be Chronowerx employees.
#
"Any ideas, Chakotay?" She asked as they walked down the street.
"A few." This time she did jab him in his ribs with her elbow. "Seriously," he continued as he took her hand in his. "We need a *private* place to plan. We've both been up over 16 hours. And personally, I'd rather not try to further my criminal career without a little sleep."
She laughed. "I suppose you're right. I shouldn't start my criminal career without some sleep."
#
The clerk at the little hotel they found was having a boring day, and didn't pay much attention as Kathryn signed her name to the register. She did smile as she wrote her mother's address in Indiana.
The clerk looked at them briefly, "No luggage?" He asked.
"It was lost," Chakotay replied.
"Oh, too bad. Here's the key--second door to the right at the top of the stairs. Have a nice day." The clerk returned to his book.
#
The room was small, not exactly ideal for planning a covert mission. There was no desk and only one bed.
Janeway pulled out her comm-badge. "Janeway to Voyager."
"Captain?" Harry's voice asked.
"I need all the information on one Henry Starling of Chronowerx in the computer. And I need to access the computer through my tricorder."
"Captain. It will take a few minutes to arrange the link."
"Very good, Ensign. Let us know."
#
Harry reported back two minutes later, there was only some scanty biographical material on Starling. The one thing of note was that he disappeared in the year 1996.
Using her tricorder, the Captain started to enter data into the computer.
#
Chakotay looked up from his tricorder and rubbed his eyes. "What happens if we can't find a way to leave here?" He asked. They were sitting on opposite sides of the single bed.
Kathryn looked up from her tricorder. "I still have a few tricks up my sleeve." She added quietly, "I hope."
"What?"
She laughed, "If this works, I might ask for an adjoining jail cell."
He looked at her puzzled. "What are you working on?"
He moved over to look at her tricorder--she was working on some long complicated math equations. He didn't recognize the equations, but had an idea of what she was doing. "The Federation banned that some 60 years ago. Most of the information is classified. It's also a criminal offense."
"Good guess. I'm trying to reconstruct some of the equations using Vulcan Calculus. The big problem is I don't have a starting reference--we didn't sling-shot around the sun to get here, so I'm having to make some guesses. Tricorders were not meant for this kind of work."
"You should rest--we still have a break-in this evening."
"Just a couple of minutes, I'm almost finished entering the data." She typed a couple of numbers. There was silence as she finished. "Before we leave, the computer should be finished with the number crunching."
"Do you think it will work?"
"I don't know. But our options are rather limited. We shouldn't stay here--and too many of the crew can't anyway. We can continue to travel, find a planet..." She looked away from him. "This could be our last chance to see Earth and we're alien to it. Its not our home."
He put his arms around her and drew her to him. Without saying a word he kissed her.
"Do you think we could share a cell?" He asked when their lips parted.
She smiled. "We can always ask. Chronowerx?" She asked to change the subject.
"The building is pretty heavily secured, but from what I can tell our tricorders should be able to override all the security systems. The guards will be our problem."
"Then we'll have to be careful. I'm going to get some sleep." She answered his unasked question. "And so should you."
First the cuts. Cut the crash, cut the Militia, cut the rescue. Doc, Tom, Tuvok, and Rain go chasing after the truck into the Mojave Desert, since the shuttle doesn't crash, it can help keep the truck under surveillance. Maybe have a little fun--Tom gets lost in Palm Springs or something.
The rewrite starts after Starling's ship is blown-up.
Harry looked up from his data, "Captain, the portal is extremely unstable. The explosion seems to be causing it to shift. It is leaping about." The Captain just nodded. The side of her face hurt, but she would have the Doc finish treating her later. She looked at Chakotay and nodded. "Commander, take the helm--Paris take the Commander's seat."
Paris gave her a *what the hell is going on* look--but obeyed.
Janeway typed a couple of things into her computer, then opened a ship-wide comm-link. "Red alert. This is going to be a very rough trip. Janeway out. Computer activate program Janeway three alpha zeta two. Commander, heading one four six."
"Aye Captain. Heading one four six entered."
"Engage warp eight."
Paris looked at her, astounded. That heading would take them straight for the sun--then he became even more astounded as he recognized what she was doing. He looked at Harry--who also realized what was going on. The Federation may have banned it, but everybody had read about the Enterprise and Captain Kirk using the sun to achieve time travel.
"Captain, the time portal has moved. It is following us," Harry announced, he didn't bother to hide his astonishment at what they were attempting to do.
"Following us?" She asked, surprised.
"Now on a parallel course," Harry added.
The ship started to accelerate as they neared the sun. "Warp 8.5," Chakotay called out. He continued to announce the speeds as the ship continued it's acceleration.
"Captain, the faster we go, the closer the portal comes. It's now only ten kilometers away and closing."
Harry looked at his terminal, the portal came closer as the Commander announced, "Warp 9.3. Captain, the portal is altering our course."
"Adjusting it, new heading one four ten." There was a sharp jolt and Voyager was pulled into the time portal.
"Where are we?" She asked a few minutes later.
"Captain, we're back in the delta quadrant. About 10 kilometers from our last position here," Harry just looked at his terminal. Somehow he was not surprised.
Chakotay looked at the Captain and shrugged his shoulders. She responded, "So much for the jail cell. Tom, take the conn. Tuvok, secure from red-alert. Harry are we in the right *when*?"
"Aye Captain."
"Damage?" She asked.
Tuvok responded, "Minor damage to decks seven and eight, warp is down again. Repairs are already underway."
B'Elanna was efficient, Janeway thought.....
#
Then finish the episode as written--except for Tom's last sentence (Freakasaurus), get rid of it. By his expression we know he is thinking about Rain.
'Woe to any Ferengi that should appear now,' Tom thought as his eyes swept across the dining hall. They would have to ask for volunteers NOT to kill the little dirt balls. He took his tray and moved to sit by a quiet Harry.
"Hello Harry," Tom said as he sat down. "How you doing?"
"I've been better."
Tom just nodded. Opportunities to return to the Alpha Quadrant were few and, so far, disappointing. Perhaps the Ferengi might tell someone about Voyager. He smiled, then giggled.
Harry looked at him slightly askance. "What do you find so funny?" His voice was tired.
"Harry, Harry. The life those two led. They're going to get a chance to try it again. Hopefully far away from us."
"Yea. Was it really as luxurious as the reports?"
"More, Harry, much more. Beautiful women, gold, silks. Ah, Harry. Now, the poetry did leave a little to be desired." Tom's voice had grown a little louder and had attracted the attention of some of the surrounding diners. He looked around, manipulate the story a little...
"These two Ferengi landed on the planet and fulfilled an ancient prophecy. But being Ferengi, they couldn't just gracefully accept their divinity. They greedily accepted it..." Tom's voice carried through the dining hall as he repeated his and Commander Chakotay's adventures--conveniently enhancing his own part in the story. Neelix, back to his normal appearance--but still worried about his ears--joined in and would interrupt Tom at inconvenient places to add his part of the adventure to the story.
#
Kathryn Janeway sat in her darkened quarters and reflected on the past few days. Damn, they had been so close.
She thought back to the first wormhole they had encountered and the devastation the crew had felt when that one hadn't worked-out either. They had been moody and irritable for weeks after that. There were constant bickerings and a number of fights. Mostly between the Star Fleet personnel.
She hadn't sensed that dark mood this time. Even her own reaction to the whole, ridiculous situation had been mild. Part of her wanted to laugh at the stupidity of the two Ferengi. They had just been pulled into the wormhole, when Harry announced that both ends were unstable. She wondered where they had ended up. Not that she wished them any ill will, but there were several places where she secretly hoped they might find themselves.
They had glib tongues, but then most Ferengi did when money was involved. The arguments they had used in the transporter room were good. Fortunately the Ferengi hadn't joined the Federation--they'd probably be running it.
She stood and stretched. It was too late for coffee, maybe a cup of hot chocolate. She walked over to her replicator and requested blend 26.
She was walking back to her couch and the reports she hadn't been reading, quietly sipping her chocolate when the door chimes rang. It was 2200 hours, she was ready for bed. She did not want to answer the door.
The chimes rang again.
She tighted her robe, and called out, "Enter."
She blushed as her First Officer entered. Her first thought was that she was glad her quarters were dark, then wished the lights were brighter.
"Commander?"
He smiled. He should have come earlier, but secretly he enjoyed coming to her quarters late. The few times he had been there when she was dressed in her coral gown, she had been so flusterted.
"Captain, I've been talking to Neelix. He's says there is an uninhabited Class M planet about 2 weeks from here on our present heading. We might want to...to give the crew shore leave." He found it difficult not to look at her.
"Work on a schedule, Commander." She blushed again under his unabashed stare. She'd turn away, but she enjoyed looking at him. Especially when he grinned, like he was doing now.
"Yes Captain," he said softly.
"Is there something else?" She asked, not being sure if she wanted him to say yes or no.
He looked at her, trying to sense whether she was ready for him to say 'yes there was.' One of these days he would, but not tonight. "No. Good night, Kathryn." Try as he might, he couldn't remove the sadness in his voice.
"Night, Chakotay." She stared at the door long after he left wondering why she just didn't take him in her arms and pull him into her bedroom.
Janeway entered the mess hall and looked around. Voyager's crew were draped over the chairs, on the tables, it looked surrealistic. They were alive, barely. "Harry," the young ensign didn't respond. The place was eerily quiet, a faint buzz of that bloody whatever it is. Harry was cold. She continued looking, there he was. "Chakotay?" She touched him, so cold too. She didn't have time to think about why she was reacting to his predicament more than the others--the buzzing was louder. Turning quickly she saw the thing fly toward her. She turned her large phaser-rifle, aimed and fired. The creature shattered. Well at least she knew one way to kill it.
She realized that during the attack she had been injured, and the temperature did seem to be climbing. She looked at the comatose commander, "I'll figure out something," and leaned over to kiss him quickly.
Chakotay was almost to the door, no he hadn't been surprised that she would not be interested in skiing. He'd read the report. Disappointed, yes. Just before the door opened, he turned back. "Captain."
"Hmm." She put down her cup of coffee. "Yes, commander?"
"Instead of skiing, how about a walk."
"Any where in particular?" She asked, trying not to appear too interested. (This was getting harder, trying to ignore her First Officer.)
"I was thinking of a walk in the redwoods of the northern California coast. It would be cool." He remarked.
She laughed. He enjoyed listening to her laugh.
"Cool, with fog?" She asked.
"I'll even put in a light rain."
"Commander, that sounds perfect. I want the fog to be patchy--and somewhere along the Lost Coast. Seals?"
"Captain...Kathryn, whatever you want. Shall we." He beamed one of his smiles at her as he offered his hand. She looked at it and shook her head.
"Protocol Chakotay. At least in front of the crew."
She found his smiles irresistable.