Second Re-Quest by D.A. Kent

The room suddenly became brighter. Kathryn Janeway turned from the viewport in her quarters and looked around. She'd dimmed the lights earlier, wanting to rid herself of a mounting headache before it became uncontrollable.

Carrying her ever-present cup of coffee, she slowly stepped down to the main level of her living quarters, all senses on alert. Seven years in the Delta Quadrant had taught her to be on constant guard when dealing with a potential alien threat, or anything unfamiliar. She held her breath and continued to scan the space around her.

Out of nowhere, and in the blink of an eye, Q appeared in the middle of the room. Kathryn let her breath out slowly and sighed. She vaguely wondered if the headache would now resurface.

"Kathy! How wonderful to see you!" He moved to her, grabbed her free hand and kissed it.

Taking her hand back as quickly as possible, Kathryn looked up into his eyes. She'd learned a long time ago never to back down from a Q, particularly this one. "What do you want, Q?"

"I simply can't believe it, Kathy! After all these years, you still think I only show up when I want something," he pouted.

"Because it's true," she said.

"Why don't you sit down over there," said Q, ignoring her remark, and motioning toward the couch, " And I'll pour us both a nice fresh cup of organic coffee."

"Q . . ." she began, then noticed a tea service on the coffee table where there hadn't been one a moment ago. What the hell. The cup of coffee she held in her hand was cold now anyway. She bit back her remark and moved up to sit on the couch. Besides, Q wouldn't go away without telling her why he was here anyway, no matter how much she wanted to be left alone.

Q followed her to the couch, and poured a cup of fresh wonderful-smelling coffee for both of them. He replaced the cup she was holding with a fresh one, then took a whiff from the old cup. "Ugh! I still don't understand how you can drink this stuff, Kathy. Go ahead, taste that," he said nodding toward the fresh coffee he'd given her. He tossed the old one into the air and it literally disappeared before their eyes.

Kathryn was used to this sort of behavior from Q, of course. Whenever he popped in at all he wanted something. But when he brought coffee, he wanted something really big.

Kathryn took a tentative sip. "Ummm," she agreed. "This is terrific."

Q beamed. "I knew you would like it. I invented this roast just for you."

"Thank you," she said simply. "Now, what do you want?"

"Kathy! I'm wounded! I missed you and thought we could visit with each other a bit before you finally do get this ship home. Now you've gone and ruined my good humor." He pouted again, but it wasn't getting him anywhere with Kathryn. She continued to look at him, waiting.

"Okay, okay." He took a huge sigh for emphasis. "But you're going to be mad."

"Q . . ."

"All right. Here goes. I want you to make love with me." Kathryn was quiet for a moment, and Q knew this was either a very good sign or a very bad sign. Past experience told him it was the latter.

No matter how prepared she tried to be for Q's whims, he still managed to surprise her, not to mention agitate her. She cleared her throat and kept her Captain's voice in place when she answered him. "I believe we've already covered this territory at great length, Q, and I refuse to give it further thought." She stood. "Now if there's nothing else . . ."

"I think you should just hear me out," he said. He crossed his arms over his chest, thrust his chin into the air and turned away from her. Sometimes this worked best with Kathryn Janeway, at least for a few moments.

She put her coffee down, moved to the center of the room, took a deep breath and turned to him. "Well?"

"There's a difference," he said.

She sighed. "A difference between what, Q?"

"Before, I wanted you to procreate with me. You know, make a baby."

"I know what the word means, Q." She put her hands on her hips and waited.

"And you refused." He wasn't ready to let her forget it.

"Yes."

He dropped his pretenses and moved down to her level. "But this is different. I don't want you to procreate with me this time - I already have a son. I just want you to make love with me . . ." he searched for the word, "recreationally."

"No."

"I don't understand why you're being so stubborn, Kathy," he said.

"I'm being stubborn?" she asked, exasperated.

"There has to be a reason," he said. "Maybe you're not attracted to me."

She took a deep breath. "That's it - I am finished with this discussion, Q." She started to move around him, but he caught her by the shoulders and turned her to him.

"I'll bet I know what it is!" he said excitedly. She sighed and waited. "It's this body, isn't it?" he asked.

"What?" Sometimes Q's mind ran off in ten thousand directions at once. Keeping up with him was hard enough when she actually cared to do it, but it was nearly impossible to do when she just wanted to be rid of him and his current whim.

"This body," he said excitedly. "Perhaps if I were to make my likeness into someone more appealing to you . . ."

"What!" she exclaimed.

"Kathy, you're beginning to sound redundant."

"A stranger?" she asked.

"No?" Q immediately sensed her alarm. "I just thought that if I looked more like one of those 20th century movie stars that your helmsman seems to enjoy watching on his telly, you might be more inclined to go to bed with me."

"Q, it's not that." She sighed. How did she get into these situations? "You're . . . your own body . . . is fine, Q. Look . . . ," she needed to gain the upper hand in this conversation.

"Why, thank you Kathy!" Q grinned and seemed quite pleased with himself.

"For what?" she asked, confused.

"Well, if I'm not mistaken, when someone using the English language tells someone else that he has a 'fine' body, that's a compliment!" Kathryn groaned. "Does this mean you're secretly attracted to me?" he asked hopefully.

"No!" she said quickly. "Look, Q, I appreciate the fact that you want to . . . that you want it to be me, but I can't do it."

"But I don't understand, Kathy! It's a simple thing I'm asking for! Just a little one-night-stand! I'm not asking that we make a habit of this. I only want us to make love once."

"You are the one not understanding, Q," she said more gently now. After all, maybe this whole thing simply boiled down to a failure to communicate. "I'm not in love with you."

"Yes, yes, I know that. We've been over that ground already, Kathy, way back when. You didn't want to procreate with me because you aren't in love with me. Fine. I can accept that. But in my research on human behavior, I've found that human couples often engage in sexual activity for reasons other than love, such as pure lust. So, you can't pull that one on me again, Kathy." He nearly pouted again, but caught himself. This was not the time for that ploy. It wouldn't work. He sighed. Sometimes she could be so difficult.

She sighed, too. "That's true for some, Q. Not for me. I don't make love with someone easily."

"I didn't say you did, Kathy. I know that you have to feel something special for whomever you make love with. But I thought that after all we've been through together, and after all our years of friendship . . ."

"Friendship, Q?" Sometimes Q's arrogance was astounding.

This was becoming far too complicated. "I believe we've established some ground between us that one could say is based on friendship . . . of a sort. And you are my son's godmother, after all." Ah! That was a good one, he noted. He saw a flicker in her eyes. " What more do I have to do to prove myself to you?"

"Q, this isn't about proving oneself." Right now, she'd rather be fighting the Kazon than having this conversation with Q.

"Then what?"

"I told you - I'm not in love with you."

"Ah, and you think that takes care of the whole explanation? I'm supposed to know what that means?"

"Whether you know or not, Q, that is my reason for not making love with you. Now, if you don't mind . . ."

"What about that . . . that holo-man? What about him? Are you telling me you were in love with that idiot hologram? I think not!" The very thought of that irritated him to no end. He crossed his arms and turned away.

Kathryn paused. And took a deep, calming breath. "Q, what I felt for Michael . . ."

"Felt? Felt? Are you going to tell me you felt more for that computer program than you do for me?"

"I didn't say that, Q," she said evenly. This conversation was getting way out of hand. "I needed a diversion and Michael was precisely that. A diversion."

"And when you were finished with him, that was that! You merely cast him aside!"

"Something like that." She was not getting into a conversation with Q about Michael!

"I see." Now he did pout. "I'm less to you than a bad computer program."

Kathryn swallowed her temper. "That is not your business, Q. And don't put words in my mouth."

He turned to her. "Then consider me a mere diversion. Or, is it that you're afraid to make love with me because you can't just shut me down afterwards? If you won't make love with Tattoo-Boy because of those touted Starfleet principles, and you can't delete me as though I were a poor computer program, then where do I fit in? Is that the trouble, Kathy? You wouldn't be able to make me go away afterward?" He hoped he was getting through to her.

Now she was angry. And all hopes of holding her tongue were fading quickly. "I think you should leave now, Q," she said in measured tones.

Q decided it was time to be downright forthright. After all, that was the way Captain Janeway dealt with nearly everything. Maybe Kathryn Janeway would understand the situation more clearly if he were straightforward and honest with her.

"Kathy, as you know, I've experienced everything a Q can possibly experience in the entire Continuum. I've done it all, had it all, been it all. But, well . . ." He looked to her for help, but found none. "I've never made love with a bipedal before." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. There. He'd admitted it. But Kathryn still didn't say a word. "Did you hear me?" he asked. He'd just poured his heart out to her, divulging his innermost secret, and she wasn't even responding?

"You've never made love with a human female, is that what you're saying?" she asked. Surely she'd misunderstood.

"I've never made love with a bipedal at all, Kathy! For awhile, I half considered Jean-Luc but . . . well, it just wasn't right. And I want it to be with a female, anyway. And not just any female. I'm like you, Kathy, I don't want to go to bed with just anyone."

Kathryn didn't flinch, but stared directly at Q. "Q, you can have any human female of your choosing . . ."

"Do you really think so?" he asked excitedly.

"Within reason," she added quickly. "So why come to me when you already know what my answer will be?" She couldn't believe she was continuing this conversation, but the very fact that Q had put aside his ego - to a degree - and admitted to her that he had what he considered a shortcoming, was too much to digest just now.

"Because you're the only one I want to make love with." He turned away and began to pace. "I can't fathom undressing and kissing and . . . and pressing this naked body against any body but yours." He turned to her. "Oh Kathy, you just have to do this with me!"

"No. But thanks for asking." She moved past him and sat at her desk. She had work to do and this entire discussion had gone too far already. She'd intended to read the latest report Chakotay had given her long before now. She searched for his padd among the others on her desk.

"I can't believe it," said Q, watching her. "You call yourself an adventurer, an explorer . . ."

Kathryn looked up from the padd she'd finally found. "If you're insinuating that because I won't make love with you, I am not looking for adventure, then fine. I am not looking for adventure." She turned back to the padd.

"But Kathy, just think of all the things you can teach me."

"No."

"The things we can discover together," he continued.

"No."

He sighed. "Well, I don't know why not. After all, you've deleted the little holo-man, and you're not making love with Chuckles, not yet anyway. And there's no one else in your life."

She stood quickly. "Q, my love life is none of your concern!"

"Hummmph, fine! Be that way. I just wanted you and I to share a little pleasure together. We've been through so much strife and yet become so close that I thought it might be nice."

"Q, we are not close," she said.

"Oh, thank you very much!" he said, huffily. "Just because I'm a Q, it doesn't mean I can't have my feelings hurt." He saw that the current discussion was getting nowhere, so he moved closer to Kathryn's desk. "But, Kathy, what's wrong with you and I sharing our bodies with each other?"

Kathryn had had enough. She leaned over her desk toward him. "Q, get this straight. You and I are not going to make love with each other."

But he wasn't used to taking 'no' for an answer, not even from Kathryn Janeway. Well, not unless he'd pulled out all the stops and absolutely had to. "You're afraid," he said, trying a different tact.

She moved away from him, and across the room, not knowing what to do to make this reprehensible being understand that she was finished with this conversation. "Q . . . what do I have to say . . ."

"Kiss me." It was a statement, yet there was just the hint of a dare behind it.

"What?!"

"Let me kiss you then. Either way, I just think it would be nice if we both knew for sure. Here we are, discussing making love and we haven't even shared an intimate kiss. After all, I might be the one who doesn't like kissing you, you know. Or, you might discover that you enjoy kissing me immensely."

She was so angry and frustrated at his absolute gall that she was momentarily stunned. "I won't continue this, Q. Please leave."

"Kathy," he said softly, moving slowly toward her. "I do believe I've hit the nail on the proverbial head. You are afraid. After all, if we make love, just once, what harm could come of it? I can satisfy you, take away the loneliness, for now - and you can give me a gift that no one else can, something I dearly want."

"I'm not the woman to do it for you, Q . . ." she said in a low voice, but the resolve in it was weakening, and Q noticed it immediately.

"Of course you are, Kathy, you're the only one who can," he said, continuing to move toward her as though afraid that if he moved quickly, she'd run away. "You're the only one I trust."

She forced herself to hold her ground. "Then keep looking."

"I've found the one I want. Somehow I've known it all along," he said.

"Don't try to woo me, it won't work," she said, knowing damned well that it was beginning to happen. She even felt a tiny flutter in her stomach that was vaguely familiar.

He was only centimeters from her now. "Kiss me," he said softly.

"No," she managed to say. What the hell was the matter with her! This was Q! Yet, somehow, she felt her body begin to respond to his nearness, to the look in his eyes, the sound of his voice. She knew Q, knew him well. Knew him better than he thought she did. She also knew him well enough to know that what he was telling her was the truth. He was a lot of things, but he never lied, and he never broke his promises.

He seemed to read her mind. "I do care for you a great deal, Kathy. I'm not sure why, but I do. And I promise you it will only be this once. Our little secret. A one night stand. But one that we both will always treasure, I'm sure."

"No." She couldn't tell him 'yes,' not Q. But her voice was weak, and they both knew it. "How do you know, Q, that you would experience the same feelings as a human male if you and I made love?"

Q saw the new awareness in her eyes, and knew she was considering his proposal. ""I've taken care of that, Kathy. I've given this human body free reign to act and react, and to perform as a human male body would during sexual intercourse. So, you see, I'm ready to do this." She didn't reply. "I'm going to kiss you, Kathy," he said, moving his hands to her face gently. "You can either push me away, or kiss me back." He brought his lips to hers slowly and when she didn't protest, placed them against hers.

At first, Kathryn didn't move. She didn't understand herself just now. Why wasn't she pushing him away, moving away from Q, from this entire conversation? But her legs wouldn't move, and she was holding her breath. She felt his breath on her cheek, and it felt wonderfully male, and it made her feel alive in ways she tried to deny herself. It touched off feelings she wanted to suppress, the sexual, sensual feelings of physical pleasure that a Starfleet captain didn't need to be concerned with. Especially when she and her crew were lost in the Delta Quadrant.

Q felt her body stiffen, and then suddenly she began to relax. He gently caressed her lips with his, feeling things he'd never fantasized about in his wildest dreams. This human body he resided in was responding in ways he'd never known it could! And Kathy was so wonderful, so warm, her face felt so smooth beneath his hands, her lips were luscious delicacies such as he'd never known before.

And Kathryn tried to weigh the odds. What was she doing, allowing Q to kiss her? On the other hand, what could it hurt to make love with him, just once as he'd promised? She'd been so wound up lately that she'd yelled at poor Harry for no reason yesterday. And she knew herself well enough to know that one night of lovemaking, hell, one hour of lovemaking, would take away the edge she was feeling now.

He continued to tease her mouth, to caress her lips gently, reverently.

Suddenly, Kathryn tilted her face and crushed her lips against his. Q gasped into her mouth as his heart seemed to explode in his chest. What was she doing? More, what was the matter with him? As much as he enjoyed this, a small modicum of fear began to creep into his mind. This felt very much like losing control over oneself, and a Q never lost control of his senses!

"Q," whispered Kathryn, moving her mouth only a centimeter from his. "If you truly do trust me, you'll have to let yourself go and just feel. Don't think, feel."

"Kathy," he whispered. "I've never done this before."

"So you've said, Q, and if you want your first time to be with me, then I want all of you. Don't hold anything back."

"But, well, Kathy - I am a Q, and I might . . . overwhelm you," he said in a tantalizing voice.

"Try," she whispered in the most enticing, sexiest voice he'd ever heard. Oh yes, he'd always known she could be like this!

Q closed his lips over hers and engulfed himself in Kathryn Janeway. He tasted her lips, inhaled her scent and fell forever into her mercy.

Kathryn felt Q's body against hers and experienced the fluttery sensations of arousal. Somewhere in the recesses of her mind she knew she should pull away, collect herself and tell Q to go away, to leave her alone. She was a captain on a Mission. She couldn't afford to let this happen to her.

But the kiss continued.

And suddenly Kathryn couldn't stop herself if she'd wanted to. This was what she needed; to be loved and to love back, to give herself in abandon. She knew this wasn't forever, it was for one night. And that was exactly what she needed right now - not a relationship, but a release. Her body desperately wanted to be made love to, and Q fit her needs more than anyone right now. In a way, they were using each other, but it was completely acceptable to them both. And he wasn't a stranger. He was familiar, and yes, in some ways a friend, although she refused to give that thought full consideration.

The kiss continued.

Q couldn't believe the sensations he was experiencing through the simple act of kissing. Well, it wasn't exactly simple. Kathryn Janeway didn't do anything simply, of course. She was grazing his tongue with hers and sending electric currents throughout his body. He actually felt physically weak, as though his energies and physical strength were being drained from his body - well, most of his body. It all seemed to be collecting solely in one organ.

And then he knew! So this was what it felt like to have the sexual organ stimulated! It certainly was a new experience, and one he couldn't believe he'd waited so many millennia to try!

Oh yes, he'd known that he and Captain Janeway could please each other just once and yet keep their public relationship professional. It was time to take her to the private place he'd given a lot of time and thought preparing for just this, their little affair.

Suddenly, Kathryn felt a tremor that had nothing to do with lust. It felt somewhat similar to a transport. She pulled away from Q and looked around. They were no longer in her quarters, but in a rather large bedroom. The room itself was surrounded by large windows that looked out over mountains and valleys as far as the eye could see. Kathryn walked to the closest window and gazed outside.

"We're alone. No one can see us here," said Q. He watched her assess the room carefully, hoping he'd chosen the location well.

Kathryn turned to him. "Where are we, Q? That mountain range in the distance looks like a similar one found in the western United States."

"Ah, yes" said Q, moving beside her and looking out the window. "Southern California, mid-19th century. I thought you might enjoy the view."

Kathryn pulled herself away from the window and looked more closely at the furnishings inside the room. It was tastefully done, and the bed was large, but simple - unlike the horrid heart-shaped one Q had created in her quarters back when he'd asked her to mate with him. In fact, this bed reminded her a great deal of the one she'd left behind in the Alpha Quadrant several years ago. It was similar in design to a sleigh bed, although it had posts running through the headboard. She smiled inwardly. It seemed Q had done some homework.

There was a small table across the room laden with fruit and cheeses, nectar and wine.

Another table held some old-fashioned spray cans. Kathryn picked one up and read the label. "Whipped cream?" she asked.

Q shrugged. "I'm afraid I don't know your preferences, Kathy. Maybe I overdid it."

Kathryn put the can back on the table and continued to move about the room. "How about pouring us a glass of wine, Q," she asked in a low voice.

"What?" He'd heard the inflection in her voice and he could actually feel the change in her. "Oh! Yes, wine." He opened the bottle expertly and poured two glasses. As he picked them up and started toward her, he saw that Kathryn had removed her Starfleet jacket and was watching him. She dropped the jacket casually on the floor and took her glass from him, never moving her eyes from his.

"Tell me, Q," she said, "Do you still want to go through with this?" Q was convinced that her voice had dropped a full octave.

"Oh yes," he said, and swallowed hard. He was beginning to feel a bit odd. His human body was behaving in extraordinary ways. He actually felt a tingle run through his spine. And when he looked into her eyes, he envisioned a volcano smoldering in the distance. "Kathy . . . ?"

"Shhh . . . ," she said, and her voice sounded huskier. "Don't talk, just feel." She took a drink of her wine and Q did the same.

"Ummm, this is really good, isn't it?" he asked. Why did he suddenly feel so nervous? He was a Q, for goodness sake!

Kathryn moved closer to him, then took his glass and put it on the end table with hers. She turned back to him and he felt his heartbeat quicken. But before Q could analyze his reaction, Kathryn covered his mouth with hers, and all sense of logic and reason left him entirely. Not that he minded; he was far too caught up in the incredible sensations he was experiencing to take notice.

Kathryn teased his tongue with hers. She was becoming more and more aroused. It had been a long time since she'd made love with anyone, even Michael. And if the truth be known, her fantasy lover hadn't quite managed to fill the void in her life and she'd tired of him quickly. No, she was still waiting for the day she and Chakotay could be together. Q knew that, too. In the meantime, Q was proving to be a worthwhile diversion. A one-time love affair with him would help her through this awful loneliness she'd been feeling lately without compromising their relationship, whatever that relationship was. Right now, she didn't much care. Kathryn pulled away gently and began to unzip Q's Starfleet jacket.

"Kathy, maybe we should take this a bit slower," said Q, trying not to feel inept.

She suddenly realized that he was feeling overwhelmed by all the new sensations. She smiled and whispered, "Trust me, Q" into his ear as she dropped his jacket onto the floor beside hers. He immediately relaxed a bit, and she pulled his tee shirt from his pants.

Q gulped. She was undressing him! Isn't that what he was supposed to do to her? He couldn't remember. He didn't know. The throbbing inside his pants was making it difficult to think straight. She pulled his tee shirt over his head and reached for his belt. "Kathy! He placed his hands over hers. "Can we . . . can we stop for a minute?"

"No," she whispered and kissed his lips. "You said you wanted me to make love with you, Q, and I fully intend to do just that." She kissed him again. "I want you," she whispered, and in spite of himself, Q slipped his arms around her and pulled her hard against him. Nothing in all his experiences had been like this. And he was already learning to make her moan deep in her throat by rubbing his tongue against hers. Of course, their tongues coming together and touching, rubbing and caressing, certainly had its affects on him, as well.

After another long kiss, Kathryn stepped back and slipped off her boots and her pants, as Q watched, mesmerized. She looked into his eyes and removed her tee shirt.

He gulped. He could see her nipples straining through the sheer fabric of what he knew was not a standard Starfleet issue bra. Who knew that Captain Kathryn Janeway would wear non-standard underwear beneath her uniform? Not many people, that was for sure. Maybe the Doctor, maybe no one. He swallowed. He had no idea why he was thinking about this at all. It didn't matter. But his mind was trying to find some rational thought to hold onto. Imagine a Q not being in control of his emotions!

"Q," she whispered, coming closer. "Let's get comfortable, shall we?" She reached for his belt again, but he pulled himself out of his trance and beat her to it. He let his trousers drop to the floor and somehow managed to step out of them. These human bits and pieces of clothing could be frustrating to deal with, but never so much as now. Of course, he'd normally just snap his fingers and be done with it, but this wasn't the way of things at the moment. The removal of the clothing was a part of the human mating ritual, he knew.

When Q finally stood face-to-face with her in only his shorts, his feelings of embarrassment disappeared completely when he looked into her eyes. He felt a shiver run over his entire body. No one had ever looked at him the way Kathryn Janeway was looking at him right now. And suddenly, he felt incredible. She wanted him!

She came closer still, then reached behind her back. Q heard a quiet snap, and then she let her bra fall from her chest. The straps trailed down her arms as it fell to the floor. Q thought his heart was going to explode right through his chest, and his breathing was suddenly labored. Of course he'd seen human female breasts before, but he'd never seen her breasts. And somehow, though it was completely beyond his understanding, there was a distinct difference.

He felt another sudden increase in his blood pressure, and then it all seemed to dissipate into his one organ once more. He felt huge down there, and if Kathryn hadn't been looking at his bulge with fire in her eyes, he would have felt terribly uncomfortable. But as it was, he felt just fine! She wanted him! He saw that she was enjoying looking at his erect penis through the fabric that still held him away from her, and it astounded him that he was enjoying seeing her looking at him just as much!

And he wanted her with a passion he'd never known in his existence. He wanted to be with her, inside her, at one with her. With her, and only her. Oh, the way the physical human body could take over all the other senses was indeed amazing!

Kathryn pulled her gaze from his bulging shorts and took his hands. She slowly moved them up to her breasts, and looked into his eyes. "Touch me," she whispered, and her voice sounded as though it were now two octaves deeper than normal.

Q gently touched her breasts with both hands. They were warm and soft, yet firm. When his fingers grazed her nipples, Kathryn dropped her head back and gasped. Q bent over and slowly, tantalizingly, licked first her right nipple, then her left. She moaned and gasped for breath while his tongue continued to move back and forth, from nipple to nipple. He circled each nipple with his tongue, then took each one into his mouth and nibbled it gently.

Kathryn could hardly remain standing, and she held onto his arms to steady herself. For someone who had never done this before, Q was certainly a quick study!

Q was amazed at how quickly she responded beneath his tongue. Her nipples seemed to become more erect each time he nibbled them or licked them. This was an incredible moment for him, but he knew there was so much more ahead. He was going to make love with this woman he had chosen to be his, even if she would only belong to him for a mere thread of time. "Kathy," he whispered, "Put your arms around my neck."

Somehow she managed to do as he'd asked, and he picked her up easily and carried her to the waiting bed. He put her on it gently and lay beside her. "Q," she said, beginning to peel his shorts off, "I want to see you."

He helped her remove his last bit of clothing, and enjoyed the look in her eyes as she looked at him without restraint. He had made quite certain that he'd given himself a much more than adequate representation of the human male anatomy. In fact, he'd made sure that he had an incredible-looking penis. He'd wanted nothing but the best for Kathy, and her reaction told him that he'd been correct in his assessment of size.

"Omigod," she managed to say, "Q . . ." and she reached to take him in her hand.

But before she could touch him, Q grabbed her hand. "Kathy," he leaned forward and whispered into her hair, "Something tells me we should wait a bit for that. I want you to touch me, but I don't want to explode into your hand, and I can assure you that if you put your hand where you were planning to, that will most definitely happen."

She smiled and lay back on the bed. She touched Q's face and kissed him fully on the lips. And she felt his incredibly large penis push into her thigh. She'd had her share of affairs, and been with men who were well endowed, but Q topped them all. Of course, it helped that he'd been able to have some control over the size of it. She was certainly looking forward to having some control over it herself.

Q began to kiss her breasts again. He was fascinated with them, and the fact that he was doing his share to make her feel like a woman and not a captain. Kathryn moaned and watched him enjoy her breasts, as waves of pleasure washed over her.

Q hooked his fingers into her panties and pulled them down slowly, revealing a velvety soft brown bush between her legs. He tossed her panties onto the floor and began to move his hands gently up her creamy thighs.

Kathryn took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Q was making her so wet and so needy, and yet she didn't want him to stop. She sighed.

He moved his hands gently over her entire body, admiring her completely and stopping occasionally to kiss a part of her body that he found especially sexy. She moaned and writhed and sighed her pleasure at what he was doing.

Finally, Q ran his fingers down the inside of her thighs and she sucked in a deep breath. He noticed immediately, because he was listening intently to every sound she made, but he didn't stop his ministrations. He gently moved her legs further apart and kissed the very inside of her right thigh.

Kathryn gasped at the touch, at the feel of Q's lips on the inside of her thigh. But she didn't have time to think - he immediately moved higher until he was looking at her completely, and gently moving aside her pubic hair in order to get a better look. She let him. She spread her legs wider and watched him look at her. The look in his eyes only made her want him more, and she had never been wetter in her life. She knew she could take his entire width and length inside her now, and she wanted to. She was ready. "Q . . ." she said, and started to reach for him.

"Not yet, Kathy," he said in a gentle voice. "I have things to do here first." And he bent down and buried his face in her mass. He licked her clitoris until it was red and swollen and her breathing was more uneven than ever. Then he trailed his tongue down along her folds and dipped it into her well, tasting her juices. As she gasped and called his name, he moved again to her clitoris and sucked it gently as he slowly slid first one, then two, and then three fingers inside her.

As she cried his name aloud, he felt her thrust against him. He rubbed her swollen nub with his tongue until she exploded, and then he quickly removed his fingers and replaced them with his tongue so that he could share her spasms with her until they subsided.

Q had never experienced such a thing before! As Kathryn's breathing began to return to normal, he moved up to lie beside her. "Kathy, that was so wonderful!"

Kathryn smiled at him, spent for the moment, then rolled on her side to face him. She felt his erection press against her pubic hair and reached down to touch him. He felt so big, so wonderful.

"Oh! Kathy!" Q could never have imagined what it would be like to feel her warm, soft hands wrapped around his penis! "Kathy . . ." he moaned, and rolled onto his back as she gently manipulated him.

Kathryn bent over him and licked the bit of pre-ejaculation fluid from his erection. She continued to lick him as he watched her, a look of incredulousness on his face. She finally took the tip of his penis into her mouth as her hand continued to stroke the base.

Q was feeling many things, and the word "euphoria" suddenly had real meaning to him.

Suddenly, he gasped and sat up. Kathryn looked at him. "What is it?" she asked.

Q gently pushed her onto her back and rose above her. "I want to be with you, Kathy. I need to be with you now."

Kathryn understood exactly what he was saying. She spread her legs for him, and he moved between them. He leaned over and sucked her nipple as he eased his erection inside her slowly, knowing that she would need to accommodate his size gradually. Also, he didn't trust himself to hold back much longer. And when he let himself go, he wanted it to be right, to be special for them both. He wanted to take her with him when he jumped off that cliff.

Kathryn took Q inside her slowly, gladly. He was indeed large, and she wanted to feel him inside her, moving and thrusting against her. In fact, she could hardly believe she was already feeling that familiar tingle inside.

He filled her up quickly and began to move slowly at first, and then faster. He saw in her eyes that she was becoming stimulated again, and he moved closer to her so that he could watch her face this time. He wanted to watch her as she reached her climax, as she joined him in this wonderful journey that was theirs to take today, but would never be theirs to share again.

Q pushed inside her, then pulled out again. Kathryn began to thrust against him, driving him deeper and deeper, and taking them both higher and higher. Suddenly, she raised her legs and latched them across his back to pull him even deeper inside her.

He watched her face become flushed and her breathing was becoming more and more labored. His own face was flushed too, he knew, and he wasn't sure he was breathing at all anymore. All that was important was this moment, this joining, this incredible woman lying in front of him.

Q enjoyed seeing her writhe beneath him, and it only made him want her more. He thrust harder and faster, faster and harder. And suddenly, as Kathryn grabbed the railing behind her, the eruption exploded inside both of them. Q strained forward one last time as Kathryn thrust against him.

She felt an incredible release. It was as though her entire body shattered into a billion tiny shards, every cell bursting wide open.

And Q rode the wave with her, spurting forth inside her, as he watched the pleasure spread across her face beneath him.

When it was over, and they both had regained some of their senses, when their breathing had mostly returned to normal, Q moved gingerly to the side of her. He leaned over and kissed her, still enjoying the fact that he was allowed to do so.

"Kathy?" he called her name quietly.

"Hmmmm?"

"Is it always like this?" he asked.

She studied him for a moment. "No, not always. And not often." She paused. "I think it was just the right time and place for us to be together, Q."

He sensed a sadness within her. "Kathy, I've loved every moment of this. And I envy him."

She looked into Q's eyes, knowing to whom he was referring.

He kissed her again. "One day he will be able to do this endlessly. And I've only had today."

She smiled at him and touched his face. "Yes, but if he and I do wind up together, who knows if he can live up to what you've given me now." But Q was a diversion, and Chakotay the love of her life, and neither were kidding themselves.

"True," he said. "And I must admit, Kathy, there's a part of me that wants him to make you happy, and to be the best lover you've ever known, but there's a part of me that wants you to yearn for me."

She laughed softly. "I believe you, Q," she said. "But no matter what happens, I won't forget today." She kissed him gently. "Thank you," she whispered.

He kissed her again and moved his hands gently over her incredible body once more. Who knew she could do these things to him? His hands roamed over her breasts and down to her thighs. He pulled her closer to him with one arm and moved his free hand inside her thigh. He felt the warmth of their combined juices running out of her. It made him feel even closer to her. "Kathy . . ." he whispered her name aloud.

And suddenly he knew that he had to leave her now. They had to leave each other. He was beginning to feel something dangerously close to the human definition of "love," and that wasn't something he needed to feel. He had promised her they would only be together this once, and he had to keep his promise. He had to let her go.

Kathryn was enjoying the feeling of his hand between her legs, when suddenly she felt a momentary dizziness. She closed her eyes and then opened them to find herself in front of the viewport in her quarters on Voyager, exactly where she had been earlier when Q had first appeared.

She took a deep breath and a moment to adjust to the sudden change of situation and scenery.

She turned to find him sitting behind her desk with his feet propped up on the edge of it. They were both refreshed, and wearing clean, starched Starfleet uniforms.

"I hope you don't mind my taking care of the little details, Kathy," he said. "I can't imagine the cleaning up part being much fun."

"Oh, but it can be, Q," she answered softly, adjusting to the sudden change of surroundings quickly, as every Starfleet officer was trained to do. "You should have given me the chance to show you." She smiled a small smile. She was always a little melancholy after lovemaking for some reason she'd never fully understood. But she shook off the feeling and moved down to her desk.

"I'm sorry, Kathy, but there just wasn't time." He stood and found himself searching for words. "Kathy," he said gently, taking her hand. "Thank you. You have given me a special gift. I owe you one."

"You don't owe me anything, Q. We were simply there for each other today," she said softly.

"You see what I mean?" he said, trying to sound hurt. "You even deny me the pleasure of doing something nice for you. You're stubborn."

"So I've been told." She paused a moment. "Was making love what you thought it would be, Q?" she asked gently. For some reason, it was important that she know.

He looked into her eyes with a new awareness. After he left her today, they would never speak of their lovemaking again. "No, Kathy, it was very different from what I expected."

"How so?"

"I've discovered that true lovemaking isn't just the physical act of two human bodies clinging together. I mean, watching two people involved in the physical act isn't the same as being there oneself . . ."

"You've watched people . . . ?" she asked, horrified.

"Well how else would I have even known what to do? How to behave? Of course, I forgot all that when I was with you. I suppose it truly does just come naturally to the human body, doesn't it?" He looked at her, seeing that she was still stupefied by the fact that he'd watched people perform the lovemaking act. "Really, Kathy, being with you was very different than anything I'd seen or imagined before. With you it was . . . it was . . ."

"Yes?" She shook her head to clear the image of Q watching people make love with each other.

"Rather . . . wonderful." Kathryn waited for the other shoe to drop, but Q seemed finished with his explanation. He saw that she was still waiting. "Oh, all right!" She always wanted so much from him. "I felt incredibly close to you, Kathy. I still do, in fact. The strange part of this human lovemaking experience, and one that I had no idea about, is the attachment that is formed during the act itself."

"Not always, Q," she said softly. "Some people are never able to let themselves go, to give themselves fully to the other person. And if that doesn't happen, it can be just sex, a release of physical energy, physical need, instead of a more spiritual experience."

"Like what we had."

"Yes, like what we had, Q." And it was true, she realized. She and Q had truly made love with each other. It didn't matter that it was only once - they'd experienced enough together to really care for one another, to be able to satisfy each other's every need, just once. And she knew that for herself, the fact that it would be only once had freed her mind and soul and allowed her to give herself to him fully.

Q grinned. "I will admit to you, Kathy, that for one instant I felt envious of the human male, to know that he has the constant ability to actually feel what I was feeling with you, to be able to take and give and be important to someone. And to be so physically and emotionally connected to the point of . . . vulnerability. Of course, because of this, I also know that I will never again allow myself to be in that position with a bipedal. I could never be so vulnerable with anyone but you."

"Thank you, Q. I think," she added.

"It's true. I know that you would never take advantage of me, it's not in your nature. But others might."

"That's not being very trusting, Q," she said.

"Of course it's not. You're the only human I trust."

She turned and moved away from him. This was the worst part, the loneliness that came with being the captain of a starship, and especially of one that was lost in space.

"Kathy," said Q softly. She forced herself to turn back to him. He moved to her and took her hands in his. "Never allow yourself to feel lonely when men leave your bed so soon after making love with you." She seemed surprised that he knew, but he had seen the look on her face earlier. "Perhaps it's because they fear losing themselves in you, Kathy, because it could happen so easily."

"That would be a sad thing, Q," she whispered, knowing that she had a daunting personality at times and had undoubtedly put many men off with her stubbornness and spirit. Unfortunately, her position as captain came with larger-than-life responsibilities, as well.

"Not at all, Kathy. A man could happily lose his soul to you and never regret it. But there comes into play the human male ego, which leans toward self-preservation, I'm afraid."

Kathryn smiled. The human ego seemed a far cry from the ego of a Q. "I see."

"But I want you to know, Kathy, that losing myself to you today has been the single most important moment of my entire existence." He paused. "And that's an awfully long time, you know."

She smiled. "I know. Thank you for telling me, Q."

"I shall never forget it, Kathy." He decided to give it one more try. "Oh, why don't you reconsider my offer of going away with me? I know that when I offered it before, it was so that you could raise our child in the Continuum, but this is different. If you go away with me, Kathy, we could be together for millennia. You and me, together every single day through eternity."

"I don't think so, Q." That thought did not bear thinking through.

"Well, why not? Why waste your time here on this puny ship, Kathy, with all these . . . people. And with Chuckles. He'll never be able to give you what I can give you."

"No thanks," she smiled. "But I appreciate the offer."

"I thought not." He sighed. "But it was worth one last try. And though you might not agree, I do feel I owe you one, Kathy." He thought for a moment. "One day when you need something desperately, when you need help of startling proportions and only a divine intervention can accommodate you, I shall be there."

She smiled again. "Fine. I'll see you then, Q."

He sighed heavily and moved away from her. "I really hate it that I'm now going to feel jealous of Chuckles."

"Q . . ."

"Well, he might be the lucky one someday, but I was the fortunate one today. And now I must go. Take care of yourself, Captain Janeway. And get this little ship home."

"I will."

"No doubt."

She reached up and kissed his cheek. "Thanks for a lovely afternoon."

He looked into her eyes. "Farewell, Ma Capitaine. I shall never forget today."

"Nor shall I," she said with a touch of sadness in her voice.

He took her face in his hands and touched his lips gently to hers.

When she opened her eyes he was gone.

Kathryn sighed. Well, that was that. It was exactly what it was meant to be, and nothing more. But she did have to admit that spending the afternoon in bed with Q had been far better than she would ever have imagined possible.

She grinned at the thought, feeling wonderful and momentarily carefree after releasing many months of harnessed frustrations.

As she shook her head to clear her mind, her doorbell rang. "Come," she called automatically.

Commander Chakotay walked into her quarters, but stopped abruptly before reaching her desk.

"What is it?" she asked. He continued to stare beyond her, at the coffee table in front of her couch. She turned.

There on the table was a crystal vase with two-dozen blood-red roses larger than either of them had seen before. Kathryn smiled and shook her head. She moved up to them and Chakotay followed her, uninvited.

"Who are those from, Kathryn?" he asked, trying his best not to sound jealous.

"Q," she said, taking the card from the ribbon and slipping it into her pocket. "He stopped by earlier."

Chakotay felt the sudden surge of jealousness he always felt when Q's name was mentioned. "You and he must be getting closer, Kathryn." He picked up a bottle of champagne that was standing next to the vase of roses. "Dom Perignon, 2261. This is quite a gift." He looked at Kathryn.

She took the champagne from him. "Hmmm . . . I'll bet this is wonderful."

"Yes, I'll bet it is. Kathryn, what . . ."

"Let's you and I drink it later tonight," she said, with a sly grin. "Harry's on beta shift, and we can put Tuvok on call if Harry needs anything."

Chakotay was momentarily stunned. Kathryn didn't often suggest getting away from ship's duties for awhile. He wondered what could have happened to put her into such a good mood. And, more, what did Q have to do with it? "Fine. That sounds great, in fact," he said, warming up to the idea. "We haven't been sailing on Lake George in a long time . . ."

"No, but I have something better, a program I've been working on for awhile. It's a nice sunny little spot, high up on a hill in southern Indiana." She grinned. "There's a little lake nearby that's perfect for swimming. No one knows it's there but me. And now you, if you'd like to go with me. It's also a great place for sharing a bottle of champagne," she said, with a purr in her voice that wasn't lost on Chakotay.

He smiled that smile she loved so much. "I'd love to know all your special places, Kathryn."

"Maybe someday you will, Chakotay," she said in a voice that warmed his heart, and several other places he didn't want to think about right now. "If you can be patient with me just a little longer." The look she gave him sent a shiver up his spine.

"I'll be here," he said softly, barely able to speak. The look in her eyes spoke volumes.

"Good. Well," she said, changing the mood. "I know you came to see me about something, and it wasn't a bottle of champagne." She walked back down to her desk, and Chakotay followed.

"I just wanted to give you the weekly status reports for approval," he said, handing her a padd he'd brought with him.

"Fine," she said, taking it from him. "Is that all?"

"That's all," he said, glancing again at the roses and wondering just what in the universe Q had wanted from Kathryn this time.

"Good," she said. "Then I'll see you later tonight? Nineteen hundred hours?" Her smile would have weakened armies.

His attention was solely on Kathryn. "Fine, I'll pick you up then," he said softly. And he left. Whatever Q wanted, Kathryn had still looked at him with that gleam in her eyes that he needed to see from time to time. He still dared to hope that someday she would come to him and they would spend the rest of their lives together, making up for lost time.

Kathryn watched the door close behind Chakotay. She sighed and put her head back against the headrest. Why did she feel that making love with Q today had been somehow unfair to Chakotay, even though she and Chakotay had never made a commitment to each other, had never been together?

She knew what she felt in her heart for Chakotay and someday, somehow, they would be together. She knew it, and she felt that Chakotay knew it, too.

Even Q seemed to know it.

She suddenly remembered Q's card, and pulled it out of her pocket.

She pulled the note from the envelope and read the simple message:

"The flowers and wine are small tokens of my affection, Kathy, but are especially intended to make Chuckles jealous. All my love, Q."

She smiled.

THE END

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