Disclaimer: see chapter 1
"The science departments have planned a chess tournament," Neelix said to the assembled senior staff. "And engineering will be hosting a bridge tournament." He looked at B'Elanna strangely. "I thought poker would go over better with the crew, but Vorik disagreed." He placed his PADD on the table. "The Voyager Dramatic Society will be holding auditions for *Witness for the Prosecution* starting tomorrow night." Tom coughed slightly. "And of course the year's big event is tonight." The Talaxian sat down and beamed at Tom and B'Elanna.
"Sounds like you are planning to keep us busy," the captain said.
"Yes, Captain. While we are in the slipstream, there isn't much to do otherwise. You will note in my report that I am still trying to coordinate several other events; like maybe security sponsoring a bake-off." There were a couple of quickly suppressed chuckles.
Janeway smiled at Neelix, then stood. "The Doctor has requested that everybody be scheduled for a physical, again. Have your department heads adjust schedules accordingly. I agreed to minimum staffing for tonight, but please reconfirm that critical areas are covered and that everybody will have a chance to attend the festivities. If there is nothing else?" She looked around the table. "Dismissed." She started to pick up her pile of PADDs...More reports.
#
The Doctor had been silent during her entire examination. Each time she'd started to say something, he'd grunted and ran his tricorder over her. It was a losing battle--he would tell her when he was ready.
"Captain, I am going to adjust your preventative treatment." He picked up a hypospray. "I know article two of the Captain's Rules on Behavior plainly states that under no circumstance shall the Captain seek medical help...How long have you had the headache?"
"Not that long...It wasn't that bad." She started to sit up. Just over a week, but she wasn't going to tell him that. "Why?"
"No reason...Except with the slight adjustment I have made, it should go-away. If it *does not,*" he emphasized the words. "Please contact me immediately. And if you do not, I shall assign Commander Chakotay or Commander Tuvok to drag you here." She felt the cold hiss of air on her neck.
"Thank-you Doctor. Anything else?"
"Just the usual. Cut back on the caffeine, get more sleep, eat better. Why I bother telling you this when you just ignore me." He shrugged as he picked up a PADD and entered some data. "Oh, Captain, do you think I should participate in the bridge tournament?" He started to hum.
"I didn't realize you played."
"I have found it to be an interesting game. And an effective way to study the crew under stressful, but non-hazardous, conditions."
"Oh. I don't see why not." She slid off the table. Her head felt better already.
He ignored her, so she left quietly. She didn't want another lecture.
#
"I don't think I've seen ever seen B'Elanna so nervous," Chakotay said as he escorted Kathryn to the front of the room. "Fortunately she doesn't have a Bat'leth; she might have used it on me."
Kathryn smiled. "That would have been a shame. On her wedding night too." She glanced at the assembled crowd. After Tom and B'Elanna had announced their wedding date, six couples had come forward with similar requests. She'd known, of course, that the crew had started pairing up...She was still surprised at the number though. She squeezed his hand. "Wish me luck."
"This can't be that difficult." He smiled. "They opted for a traditional Starfleet ceremony--it isn't as if you have to draw blood, or undergo some strange purification ritual."
She laughed. "True. It's just that this is only the second wedding on Voyager."
"But not the last..." She wasn't sure she heard his *I hope,* or not. But she blushed anyway. She self-consciously straightened the dark blue jacket she was wearing. It might be a Starfleet wedding, but uniforms were not allowed. Several of the crew were in traditional garb, even Tuvok was wearing his royal blue robes.
"Ready?" Neelix said as he handed her a glass of water.
She took a quick sip and nodded. Neelix put a finger between his lips and let out a shrill whistle. "Tom taught me," he confessed quietly as he waited for everybody to sit down.
Harry and Tom entered from a door on the right. They both looked more nervous than she felt, Kathryn noticed. Then Tom winked at her and it was all she could do not to laugh.
The crowd quieted and from the shadows came a slow, very romantic tune Janeway didn't recognize.
B'Elanna was stunning in her bright red dress--their only concession to Klingon wedding customs. Just none of the cleavage. Kathryn smiled at her, then at Tom as he took the bride's hand.
Kathryn said the words that would forever bind the pair of lovers in front of her, then finally she pronounced them man and wife. They were still kissing when she shrugged and stepped down from the small platform.
"Lovely, Captain. Just lovely." Neelix said as wiped a stray tear from his eye.
She smiled her thanks and wondered why she'd never noticed just how much of a romantic he was.
"Now, that wasn't so bad," Chakotay said as he placed his hand on her shoulder.
"No. I guess not. If we can separate them long enough, we may finally get to eat." She had skipped lunch like usual.
Chakotay shook his head and chuckled. "Let's eat without them."
"An excellent decision." She glanced at the still embracing couple and spread her hands in frustration. Those who saw her laughed.
B'Elanna stepped back and closed her eyes, probably in embarrassment. Janeway just winked at her, and walked over to look at the buffet line.
"Cinnamon," a voice said. "Where did you find cinnamon, Neelix?"
Neelix' smile grew as he trotted over to his admirer. "It's Turian Crill. I found it several months ago at that trading station..."
She tuned out the conversation as the Talaxian started describing the spice's supposed benefits. Now, if he could only find a decent lemon substitute.
"Captain's personal log, stardate 52156.3. We have completed twenty days in the slipstream, and on Seven's recommendation have made a minor course correction.
"I have spent the past two weeks talking to individuals, discussing their plans and hopes. As the probability of getting home within the year increases, I can sense a new sense of hope...but there is a growing feeling of thoughtfulness, contemplation as people think about life at home." She paused for several seconds as she stared at the recording device. "I have felt it too. Voyager has become so much a part of our lives that it has become home." She looked up at the sound of the door chime. "End log. Come in."
Harry handed her a PADD, before he moved to stand in front of her desk. His hands rested in the small of his back. "The analysis of the power fluctuations from the other day."
She glanced through it quickly and nodded her head. "Is there anyway to control this power drain?" Voyager's power supplies were close to maxed out--it didn't take much to cause a problem. Harry and his team had programmed the computer to compensate for their increase power usage--but problems still occurred.
"The biggest problems are occurring at shift changes...We've already limited replicator usage during certain time periods." Janeway skimmed that section. "At tomorrow's briefing, I'll bring this up with Engineering. See if there is some way to cut back on the amount of energy required to maintain the slipstream engines." Harry nodded and shifted his weight. "Ensign...Harry, have you made plans?"
He smiled and shook his head. "It's still almost a year away." He laughed at himself. "I know I was always the most enthusiastic about our previous chances, and that this is our first really realistic chance...but--"
She smiled. "I know how you feel, and so does most of the crew." She picked up the PADD and took a deep breath. "We need to find a way to cut power..."
"Or increase output." He reached for the PADD.
She nodded in dismissal, and smiled slightly as he left. She picked up another PADD and grinned.
Janeway grinned slightly at Chakotay who returned her smile, then she looked at her assembled staff. "Thank you Lieutenant Kim, I'm sure you will have a working solution to the power problem..." It was all she could do not to laugh outright at the stunned looks on everybody's faces. Except Tuvok. Outside a slightly raised eyebrow, he didn't react at all. Perhaps he had guessed. She wouldn't be surprised. She stood and walked to Harry's side. "Pick that jaw of the ground, Lieutenant."
"Yes, Ma'am," Harry stammered. He stared at her hand as she pinned the new pip on his collar. "Congratulations Lieutenant, j.g. Harry Kim." She shook his hand, then nodded at Chakotay, who stood.
"Lieutenants j.g. Paris and Torres-Paris." He motioned for them to stand. "On recommendation of the Voyager promotion review board, you are hearby promoted to lieutenant." He smiled as he replaced B'Elanna's half pip. He shook her hand, then moved toward Tom.
Janeway smiled as she picked up her PADD. "The rest of the promotions will be announced at thirteen-hundred hours. Congratulations, and well done."
Kathryn Janeway shifted her position and moaned as sharp pain radiated from her injured ankle. She leaned back against the mine wall and, with a frustrated sigh, watched as B'Elanna and Seven continued to examine the cave-in that had effectively blocked them from the rest of the team.
The uninhabited planet had been a welcome relief after more than a month in the slipstream. They'd come out of the slipstream a week earlier to make a position check and discovered this planet on their sensors. They'd been in orbit three days before she had decided to go with B'Elanna's away team into some abandoned mines they'd found. Engineering had spent the previous two days shoring them up, then had started mining the many ores they had found.
She had come down to see how the teams were progressing and out of curiosity. The planet was uninhabited--yet the mines indicated that at one-point someone had been here. She wanted more information on the builders of the mine, and she enjoyed exploring caves. So when Seven reported that there was a particularly rich vein of gallium down a previously unexplored tunnel, they'd taken off to explore.
Then there had been an earthquake, the ceiling behind them had collapsed, and she had tripped.
B'Elanna cursed softly, then a bit louder as she stepped away from the pile of rocks. She was just beginning to show her pregnancy, Kathryn noticed again. She knew Tom hadn't liked the idea of his wife coming down to the planet--but wisely had held his tongue. Voyager's chief engineer was adamant that she was not to be coddled or treated differently than anybody else.
"I do not understand your need to swear," Seven said as she stepped away from the rubble. "It is ineffective."
Janeway bit her lip to keep from laughing at B'Elanna's angry look. They were using only one of their torches to conserve power. B'Elanna's wrist light whipped around and flashed on the young ex-Borg.
"And this from Miss Congeniality," B'Elanna moved to the back.
"I have noticed that certain inflections imply the speaker is saying more than they are speaking." Seven looked at the captain. "Captain, was that an example of sarcasm?"
Janeway grimaced. She really didn't want to be dragged into another of the B'Elanna and Seven debates, but she answered anyway. "Yes, Seven, it was." B'Elanna just grunted.
Seven nodded and efficiently switched to the problem at hand. "The cave-in is extensive. Possibly as much as twenty meters." She nodded toward the small opening at the back of the chamber. "Indications are that the tunnel dead ends one kilometer further in, but I shall explore it. Perhaps I can find away to get a signal to Voyager." She didn't wait for acknowledgment as she slid into the tunnel.
"Captain," B'Elanna started to say, but was cut-off by Seven.
"I shall go alone." The heels of Seven's boots vanished into the low tunnel.
B'Elanna started to go after her, but stopped when Janeway called her.
"Captain," there was an element of frustration in the engineer's voice..
"Lieutenant. While she is looking, we need you to determine if we can safely start moving the debris."
The half-Klingon snorted and silently returned to the rock pile. "I suppose I'd better, Chakotay will have my hide anyway..." She tossed a couple of small rocks toward the far wall.
Janeway laughed, "While I know he is concerned about you, I really don't think that killing you is an effective way to keep you from hurting yourself."
It was B'Elanna's turn to laugh. "Not me, you..."
Janeway stopped laughing. She'd known about the rumors about her and Chakotay, but..."B'Elanna, there is nothing between the commander and myself." Was it her imagination--or was there a wisp of a secretive smile on her chief engineer's face.
"Why ever not?" B'Elanna didn't look at the captain, instead she concentrated on examining the rocks. "No one would complain. They know better...And just what do you mean by nothing?"
Janeway shook her head. "We're friends." What a lame excuse, she sounded like that Federation diplomat ten years ago. She and Mark had laughed over it for months. Then, she started to laugh.
"Captain?" B'Elanna stepped back from the pile.
"It's nothing, it's just that this is extremely inconvenient..." Janeway was still laughing.
"It is inefficient," B'Elanna managed to blurt out before joining in the laughter.
"We should be concentrating on the problem..." Janeway inclined her head slightly. They both took several breaths to calm down. B'Elanna leaned against the pile of rock.
"Seven is correct in her assessment. The rubble extends about twenty meters. The tricorders are erratic and the comm-badges aren't working. Though I'm sure Carey already has teams on their way."
Janeway moaned slightly as she again shifted position. B'Elanna glared at her. "Captain, you really should stay still."
"I can't just sit here..."
"Oh, but you can and will..." There was a distant rumble and a few pebbles fell from the ceiling.
"That was the sixth aftershock," Janeway said coughing. The dust was more than just annoying.
B'Elanna sneezed several times. "I never liked earthquakes. It's nice to be reminded why."
"I'd always found volcanoes more interesting. From a distance."
B'Elanna ran her tricorder over the rocks again, possibly hoping that now they would work.
Janeway watched as B'Elanna moved rocks for about half-an-hour, the silence broken by the half-Klingon's grunts, and the sound of rock hitting rock. The captain felt guilty and had made one more attempt to help, but the pain from her ankle had quickly ended that idea. She wasn't sure when a noise startled her, if she had fallen asleep.
"Captain," Seven said as she crawled out of the tunnel. "The passage ends after one point two kilometers. It is blocked by an older collapse." She stood and stretched slightly.
"Very good Seven." Janeway said with a yawn. Seven glanced around the chamber as she spoke. "Is there a problem?"
"I believe that the structural integrity of this tunnel system is inferior."
"Inferior? Bloody hell it's inferior. But we don't have the time or resources to make it not inferior." B'Elanna tossed a small rock hard against the wall.
"Captain, I did not mean to suggest..."
"Suggest away. Shall we assimilate the rocks?"
Janeway rolled her eyes and cursed the world mentally.
"Captain, I understand that a woman with Lieutenant Torres's condition suffer from emotional deviations..."
"Condition?" B'Elanna's eyes flashed at her nemesis. "I'm pregnant. I am not emotional." She started pacing.
"Ladies," Janeway cut in. "Please calm down. We need to work..."
"Why do we," B'Elanna cut in, her Klingon temper (and hormones, Janeway reasoned). "Need to work with this overstuffed..." She couldn't think of a word and turned her back on everybody.
"Overstuffed?" Seven cocked her head slightly. "I do not understand the reference."
*You don't really want to know,* Janeway thought to herself. "I believe she is referring to your shape...We know that your suit has medical properties to help you heal..."
Seven wasn't even embarrassed. "The Doctor designed it for its medical properties and support." Then she looked puzzled and Janeway wondered if perhaps she was embarrassed. "By overstuffed, is she referring to my mammary glands?"
Janeway bit back a laugh and noticed that B'Elanna was also not trying to look amused. "I believe so. The padding around them is a bit extreme."
Seven looked down. "And this is not good?"
"Ummm." Now she realized why her mother had hemmed and hawed that day long ago when it had been time for *that* talk. "I know the padding is to protect the new skin growth...But they are very...very...ummm...prominent." There was a snort from B'Elanna.
"Oh." Seven glanced down at her front again. "Is this why the male crewmembers stare at me?"
B'Elanna finally turned to face them. "Yes. That and the fact that outfit leaves nothing to the imagination." She smiled slightly--a silent apology for her earlier outburst.
"It is very efficient." Seven raised an arm slightly. "And I am not concerned with loose clothing becoming caught in the machinery."
"True..." Kathryn looked at B'Elanna, feeling more than slightly out of her element. She'd always planned on the Doctor having this conversation with Seven.
"Seven, your clothing is..." B'Elanna bit her lip and shrugged. Janeway smiled at her.
"When the Doctor says you are ready to wear other clothes...Don't let him design them for you." Janeway said.
"He said he would take care of my wardrobe..."
"No," both Kathryn and B'Elanna said.
That thought was terrifying. The doctor was not a fashion expert. "Tell him you've made other arrangements." Kathryn chuckled, what was she doing. Stars and starships had been her interests...not clothes.
"Shh..." B'Elanna said.
"Lieutenant," Seven said in her normal, loud voice. "I do not know what..."
"Be quiet and listen--do you hear it?"
Even Janeway thought she heard something. She instinctively tapped her comm-badge, there was still no response. After a minute, it was very evident that there was someone on the other side of the collapsed tunnel. She pushed herself into a better position, ignoring the pain in her ankle--she wondered if it was broken. B'Elanna's stern glare stopped her.
Seven and B'Elanna stepped away from the rock pile and moved to sit by their captain. B'Elanna called out a few times, but the only response was the sound of equipment. It was another hour before they finally heard voices.
"Captain? B'Elanna? Seven?" A faint voice called from the far side.
B'Elanna smiled at the Captain, "Commander, we're here!" She then said in a quieter voice. "Promise you won't let him hurt me?"
Janeway wasn't given a chance to reply, as several rocks rolled off the pile, landing near the trio.
"Get in the tunnel," she ordered, suspecting they would argue.
B'Elanna shook her head, then motioned for Seven to stand. They clasped their hands together and knelt, sliding their joined hands behind the Captain's back. "Push yourself up a little," B'Elanna said. As she did, Seven and B'Elanna slid their hands under her. "Relax, Captain." They slowly lifted her, using their linked hands as a chair. The tunnel entrance was low, and Janeway ended up having to slide into it, following Seven in. B'Elanna was last.
It was dark, miserable and cramped, but they were protected from the falling stones. Janeway grimaced as she straightened her legs. "Good idea lieutenant, thank-you." She smiled at both the younger women.
B'Elanna grinned, then slid toward the opening. "Can you hear me?"
There was a pause in the noise. "B'Elanna? Is everybody all right?" It was Chakotay's voice.
"As well as can be expected. The rocks are falling on our side now." There was a long silence, then the sound of equipment could be heard again. This time it was slower.
Time dragged on for Janeway. They'd tried to play some trivia, had even tried gossiping. But Seven's comment on this being irrelevant had put a damper on it. Janeway had dozed off several times--and suspected that B'Elanna had as well. Seven sat beside her looking uncomfortable but vigilant.
The roar of the equipment grew louder then suddenly stopped. They listened as Chakotay shouted instructions to his teams. Then came the sound of rocks being moved one at a time.
"B'Elanna?" It was Tom's voice.
"I'm fine, but we'll need a stretcher..." B'Elanna didn't look at Janeway as she spoke. Janeway didn't argue, her ankle was throbbing now. At the moment, she swore she could see it pulsing in the faint light.
Several large rocks fell, raising a cloud of dust, that caused everybody to start sneezing again. Janeway was surprised that Seven was sneezing too.
Then a light appeared. "We're through," Tom shouted behind him as he crawled through opening. "B'Elanna?"
"Over here." She crawled out of the tunnel. "It's about time." She didn't give Tom a chance to examine her, pushing him slightly toward the tunnel. "Check the captain."
With a loud groan, Janeway crawled out with assistance. Tom ran a tricorder over her ankle and shook it several times. "It looks like you broke it, Captain." He glanced at B'Elanna. There was a worried look in his eyes.
"I'm fine, Tom. We're both fine." She knelt beside the Captain. "Just bored...and hungry." She looked expectantly at Tom.
"Sorry, but Chakotay has some ration bars." He opened his first aide kit. "We'll have to splint the ankle." He pulled out the necessary supplies, then set out to wrap Janeway's ankle.
A second person slid through the opening. Chakotay smiled, then frowned as he watched Tom working on the Captain's ankle. "Captain," he said as looked around the cavern.
"I'm fine, just a bad ankle..."
"Broken, actually." Tom pulled a hypospray out of his pack. "Pain reliever--you'll need it." He placed it on her neck. He stood and finally ran the tricorder along his wife. Janeway watched as B'Elanna let him fuss--for two seconds before she pushed him away.
"Captain, there is about a ten meter crawl," Chakotay glanced at her feet.
"I'll be fine, Commander." Despite the painkiller, she could still feel her ankle. "But let's go."
She felt like a sack of potatoes. Chakotay and Tom waited until B'Elanna and Seven were almost through, before Chakotay crawled into the tunnel feet first and inched backwards. Tom lifted her and Chakotay pulled her into the passageway over the top of the cave-in.
"Damn," she muttered as he let go of her arms. "I am perfectly capable of this..."
"Good." He grinned. "I'm not sure you'll like being dragged over this." He started backing away and she started to pull herself along--using only her good foot for leverage. She bit her lip hard to distract herself.
She could hear Tom scramble up behind them, muttering something in Klingon.
"Captain," Chakotay said as he started to round a corner.
"I'm fine," she lied, trying to smile as she spoke. She knew full well he knew she wasn't.
"Good. It gets a little rough, but we're almost through." He disappeared around the corner. She took a deep breath and started moving again, pulling herself with her hands.
Finally, she could see the small passageway widen and could distinguish the voices of the rest of the rescue party. She smiled in relief, and then wondered how she would walk the two kilometers to the mine entrance. She stopped crawling and watched as Chakotay slid out, then motioned for her to come forward.
He grabbed her arms and helped her out, swinging her into his arms, before letting her sit on a rock. She tried to stand, but Chakotay placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. "Sit, Kathryn..." He turned away to see if Tom needed help, but B'Elanna was there. The two lieutenants smiled at each other, then Tom turned his attention to the Captain.
"I only gave her a partial dosage," he admitted when she bit her lip. He pulled the hypospray from his pack. "How shall we do this?" He asked Chakotay.
"I'll carry her." The First Officer shrugged slightly. "It's not that far." She started to retort, but was interrupted by the sound of the hypospray on her neck.
Tom smiled, then winked. "We won't get to far ahead." He took B'Elanna's hand, and they started to walk away.
"Chakotay, don't be ridiculous..."
"The transporters won't penetrate the rock, and I have no intention of leaving you here..." He bent down and picked her up. "Anyway, it's an excuse..."
She decided not to respond to that but leaned her head against his shoulder. She closed her eyes as she realized the pain killer was starting to work. Chakotay shifted her slightly and laughed. "What's so funny?" She said.
"Nothing..."
"Yea right. You really should have planned this rescue better." She snuggled against him, enjoying the illicit pleasure of being this close.
"What makes you think we didn't?"
"No stretcher."
"We had one."
She opened her eyes and glared at him. He looked at her sheepishly, then smiled. She tried to think of something to say, but her mind was clouded. For some reason, she reached up and touched his cheek, then ran a finger along his tattoo. They stared at each other for a second, or longer before both looked away, suddenly aware they were standing still.
He started walking again. She noticed that he seemed to be avoiding looking at her, which made her giggle. "Kathryn?"
She giggled some more--somehow she realized that the painkiller was working--she could barely feel her ankle. "Yes?" She raised her head and kissed him on the cheek.
Again he stopped to stare at her. "Kathryn..." He gulped several times and she heard him mutter something about it being the drugs. She saw him smile at her, and she started to respond. #
When she woke up, she barely recognized the features of Voyager's EMH. She blinked several times and the vision cleared. "Doctor?"
"Ahhh, Captain. You are awake." He reached for a tricorder and quickly ran it over her.
"What happened?"
"Well, according to Commander Chakotay, you fell asleep about half-way out of the tunnel." He smiled. "The Commander did seem disappointed by that." She felt her face flush, but didn't respond. "You have been asleep for about two hours. I have completed the regeneration process, but I want you to take the next twenty-four hours off. And stay off that ankle as much as possible."
She nodded. They both knew she would probably ignore his orders, like always. This was confirmed by the Doctor's next statement.
"I shall be monitoring you. You are not to go to the bridge for any reason. But, you may work on reports in your quarters."
She'd lost. But she did acknowledge the Doctor's concession with a quiet thank-you. He helped her off the bio-bed.
#
She left the light in her quarters at thirty-percent illumination and sat down at her desk. The first report she pulled up was B'Elanna's about their mining operations. She read it quickly. B'Elanna calculated that they would be finished in two days. Neelix's report about foraging operations was even more optimistic. They'd found an abundance of food supplies on the planet. He and Tuvok were transplanting a number of them to the hydro-ponics gardens. She chuckled when the Talaxian complained that he hadn't found a leola root substitute.
Then, with a slight hesitation, she read her First Officer's report. She didn't get very far. They needed to talk...Actually they'd needed to talk since...since their first few days together. She smiled. She just had no clue what she wanted.
No, she realized. She knew exactly what she wanted.