Paramount owns the characters and stories and everything else belonging to ST: Voyager, I'm just proving a point.
A collection of six short scenes written for the challenge: Write a J/C story that implies intimacy--without showing it.
"So Captain, did you enjoy your shore leave?" Tom asked, wondering why she was standing against the wall not reading the PADD she was holding.
"It was fine, Lieutenant." Her voice was clipped. Tom glanced at the Commander, they hadn't spent their shore leave together. Chakotay just sat at the desk, resting his head on his hands. "As soon as everyone is back-on-board, I want to leave...this place." She glared at Tom, then Chakotay.
"Aye, Captain." Tom said, (no point tempting faint by calling her ma'am), "The last of the shore-leave parties will be on board within the next 20 minutes."
"Good," she sounded miserable, Tom decided. "Dismissed, Lieutenant."
Chakotay waited until Tom had left before he looked at her. "Now, are you going to tell me what happened?"
"Nothing happened..." She was leaning against the wall trying to hide the fact she was scratching her back on the wall.
"Yeah, right. And the wall is a giant scratching post. Just go to the doctor..."
"And have everybody know..."
He shook his head, "If you don't they'll know anyway...What happened, you returned angrier than a hornet and now you...You have a rash?"
She nodded. "I tripped and landed in this bush. It's ghastly." She was trying not to scratch it now.
"Kathryn, go to the Doctor...Or I'll be forced to relieve you of duty for medical reasons." He smiled, "It might a Star Fleet first. First Officer relieves Captain because of a..."
She tried not to laugh. "Stop it. I'll go. You have no mercy."
He winked at her, "Ulterior motives maybe?"
She rolled her eyes upward. "You, Commander are incorrigible." He stepped toward her. "All right, I'm going." She stopped at the door. "Let me know when the last of the shore-parties have returned."
"Yes Kathryn."
"And Chakotay, remind me not to go swimming on alien planets. I'll stick to the holodeck."
He laughed. She threw the PADD she was carrying at him. He deftly caught it and read the message. "Yes ma'am..." Was his response as she left the ready-room.
B'Elanna sat at her table looking at her ersatz coffee. Well, at least this time Neelix's substitute was the right color and consistency. Just that the taste was somewhere between a rotting borthan lily and apricot tea. Neelix said the stuff was loaded with caffeine. At least she hoped so, especially after last night. She smiled slightly at the memory.
"Good-morning B'Elanna. You look deep in thought."
"Good-morning Captain. Please join me."
Janeway sat down with a smile. "I see you tried the coffee, I didn't have the guts to try it this time."
B'Elanna laughed. "It's not that bad. At least it has caffeine. Captain..."
Janeway looked at the younger woman quizzically. "Is there something you want to discuss..."
"It's Tom and I...We've become quite close since...well since. We've been heading you know in..."
The Captain smiled. "I understand. And?"
"Well last night...He's in sick-bay. He broke a rib..."
Janeway closed her eyes. "I somehow suspect I don't want to know how. But I do need my chief conn-officer alive..."
"Yes Captain." B'Elanna was blushing. The story would soon be over the ship, if it wasn't all ready. She stood and left.
"Captain, I don't think I've ever seen B'Elanna blush. What did you say to her?"
"Sit down Commander." Janeway smiled at him as he did. "It seems Tom has a broken rib."
He laughed. "Didn't someone warn him to wear body armor when with a Klingon woman--even a half-one."
She glared at him, "B'Elanna's embarrassed. The story must be over the ship by now."
He leaned over, his head just inches from hers. "We could offer a counter measure. Really give the crew something to gossip about." He grinned at her.
"They will start talking if you keep sitting there with that silly grin on your face."
He leaned closer. "That's the plan isn't it?"
"Commander, wipe that grin off your face. That's an order."
"Or what, Captain."
It took all her will power to not start laughing. "Mutiny is it? Hmm. The brig's too good for the like's of you..." She smiled wickedly. "Confined to quarters."
"Whose quarters?"
She just raised her eyebrows. "Yours of course. I need my sleep. See you on the bridge. Good-morning Commander."
"Good-morning Captain." He watched her leave the room before he went back to the coffee. *Well at least it was loaded with caffeine.*
"Ensign Bell, I've had six complaints from your neighbors this week. If you cannot..." Chakotay struggled to keep from laughing. He instinctively knew the woman behind him was struggling too. "If you cannot be more considerate of your neighbors, we will have to order you not to see Lieutenant Russell after twenty hundred hours."
He looked at the two guilty officers and controlled the urge to smile. "All we're asking is that you conduct...yourselves a bit more quietly."
Ensign Bell blushed deep red. This was more than embarrassing. To have to face her commanding officers about their...She looked at Ted Russell and suddenly started laughing. "I'm sorry..." She tried to gasp something, but was now laughing so hard she couldn't speak.
"Lieutenant, I think you should escort Ensign Bell back to her quarters, *quietly.*"
"Yes, sir," he managed to say with only a slight smile. As the doors closed behind the pair, Chakotay started laughing.
The Captain calmly said, "Interesting punishment. I like your style, Commander." He could hear her voice starting to crack.
"Voyager was not designed for such..." He smiled as he heard her start to laugh. He turned to look at her. "The walls are paper thin, you can hear everything..."
She looked at him her eyes open wide, "I hope not." They both stopped laughing. "I think we should see if we can get engineering to design some sound proofing..."
"Might be a good idea, otherwise I would have to file a complaint about my neighbor."
She threw him a mock glare. "How would you know what happens in your neighbor's quarters. I hear she is as quiet as a mouse..."
He just raised his eyebrows and grinned. "Well, then I'll have to make sure she stays quiet..." He reached and took her hand. "Right, neighbor?"
She removed her hand and shook her head. "You are impossible--and I think I might have to file a complaint against my nosy neighbor..." She leaned down and whispered quickly, "So, what discipline action would you suggest for this pair." She darted away, leaving Chakotay staring at the wall, struggling not to start laughing again.
Kathryn stood by her replicator holding a cup of coffee. She turned toward her companion sitting on the sofa. "And what do you want this morning?"
Chakotay grunted as he finished tying his shoe. "Oatmeal will be fine." He glanced at her and smiled. "You know, Kathryn. You really should have more for breakfast than two cups of coffee and a couple pieces of toast."
"You're getting to be as bad as my mother." She was trying to sound angry but was failing miserably. "I'll have a couple bites of your oatmeal."
He laughed. "Better order me two servings--yesterday you ate most of my breakfast."
She grinned at him as she walked toward the couch he was sitting on. "But, it's so convenient. I use your replicator rations and I have more to spare for coffee."
"Ahh, so that's your plan. Then I think this morning's breakfast should be your treat."
"Not after that dinner you tricked me into replicating," she said as she ran her hand through his hair.
He looked innocent as he pointed to himself and opened his eyes wide.
She swatted at him playfully and rolled her free hand indicating that he needed to hurry.
He stood and went over to the replicator, while Kathryn put down her cup and finished putting her hair up. She listened to his baritone voice order his or rather their breakfast, smiled, and laughed quietly to herself.
"Breakfast is served." He announced as he sat down by the small table. "Hmm, its good too."
"Of course it is..."
"No, leola root..." They said together. She picked up the extra spoon and ate several spoonfuls from his bowl.
She looked a little regretful as she placed her spoon in the recycling bin. "I'm meeting with B'Elanna in seventeen minutes. I'll see you on the bridge." She leaned over, kissed the top of his head, and fled before he could grab her.
Chakotay finished his oatmeal and gathered up the few dishes from their breakfast and placed them in the recycling bin. A couple of minutes to finish tidying from dinner the previous evening and he too exited her quarters...
B'Elanna looked across the edge of her Bat'leth and frowned. "I don't know why I let you convince me to do this again."
"Ah, Be. It was this or you would tear Ensign Jones apart," Tom retorted.
B'Elanna growled slightly at the young woman's name.
"I'm sure it was an honest mistake."
B'Elanna hacked at a bush, having dispatched the attackers in rapid order. "Sixteen hours to repair an honest mistake." She closed her eyes and suddenly smiled. "When I contacted the Captain, she did seem a bit put out. Then she showed up with the Commander close on her heels..."
Tom shrugged his shoulders as he carefully made his way closer to her. "Nothing unusual in that."
"Tom, I didn't contact him."
His eyes grew big. "Well, well. You don't think they finally..." He finally was close enough to her to take the bat'leth away safely. "It's about time. You want to do another round, or do you think Ensign Jones is safe."
"For the moment."
#
#
Harry stood at his station staring at the console. He looked up when he heard a laugh. He cocked his head--the Captain was laughing at something Chakotay said. He couldn't hear the Commander's response, but he watched as she reached out and slapped his arm playfully. Then they were all seriousness again. Harry smiled to himself as he looked back down at his console.
Tuvok was about to announce that the diagnostic on the filtration systems was complete, when he heard laugh. He watched the brief interplay between Voyager's 2 senior officers and quirked an eyebrow. *Fascinating.* He'd been aware of the emotional undercurrents since the Captain had first asked the Commander to be her second in command. It was one of the reasons he had never used the Insurrection-alpha program. Though recently he'd noticed a slight change in their interactions.
"Captain, the diagnositc on the filtration systems is complete..."
#
#
Chakotay looked at her quickly as they stepped onto the lift. "Well Captain, thus ends another day on Voyager."
She nodded. "I'm glad. I don't think I could take too much more of Neelix's extract of whatever it was."
"Op balian Cherry juice."
She grimaced. "Whatever. We have water again. I'm going to have a long hot bath."
He smiled, "Like someone to scrub your back?"
She raised her eyebrows in mock surprise. "Oh I suppose. We can go over the crew schedule for next week. I think we should re-assign Ensign Jones. Keep her away from B'Elanna for a couple of weeks."
"Good idea." They both exited the lift on deck three.
She stood in the center of her living quarters zipping her uniform. She stuck her feet in her boots and quickly tied them. "Computer," she called out. "Silence the klaxon in my quarters."
It was one of Tuvok's monthly drills. Required by Star Fleet regulation 432 section a...It wasn't that she was against them, just not at zero two hundred.
She looked at the door to her sleeping quarters. "Hurry-up."
He looked out and laughed. "Didn't Tuvok tell you. Your quarters are damaged. We're deceased."
"No..." Just then the computer's voice interrupted, telling them that their section of deck three had been damaged. Anybody still there was to remain where they were till the drill was over. Then the lights went out.
Sh looked toward him, "He told you?"
"Uh huh. He didn't want you to try to beat the drill like last time."
"It's a Captain's duty to be tricky," she laughed. "I hadn't realized that Vulcan's could be so sneaky. Next time..."
Chakotay smiled. "Next time, you'll probably spend the night camped out in your ready room."
She smiled. "Well I for one, am going to enjoy being *dead* for a change." She stepped toward her first officer. "How long is this drill scheduled..." There was a yelp as she tripped over something.
"Kathryn?"
"I'm fine." She was sitting on the floor laughing. "Except how am I going to explain to the Doctor I sprained my ankle when I tripped over your boots."
He laughed. "So, that's where they are." He tapped his comm-badge. "Chakotay to sick bay."
"Commander, I believe you are a casualty."
"Yes, but the Captain sprained her ankle--at least send me a tissue regenerator and medical-tricorder." A couple of seconds later they heard the hum of the transporter. Chakotay felt his way to the equipment then back to the Captain. He sat down beside her. "How you doing?" He asked, his voice full of concern.
She shrugged. "It hurts. It's all your fault." She was still laughing as he carefully took of her left boot and scanned it.
"My fault. I wasn't the one who put them there." He brought the tricorder close to his face so he could read it. "Minor sprain. You'll live."
"I'll live..."
He held the tissue regenerator over the injured joint. Then rescanned it. He grinned. "Now, I'm sure the Doctor would order you to rest."
"Which I would probably ignore."
"So, I think I'll have to assign a guard to make sure you rest..."
She ran her hand along his face, "Dead *and* injured. And a good looking guard too..." She used his shoulders to help her stand up. "Now, when is the debriefing..."
The lights came on. They both closed their eyes against the sudden onslaught of brightness. "Decrease illumination to 25 percent." The lights dimmed. "Well that answers my question." Kathryn held out her hand. "Commander." He kissed her fingers and let it go. Then put his boots on. Together they headed toward the bridge.