SECRETS

"How long do you think it'll be this time?"

Chakotay sighed and slid down the wall of the turbolift to sit on the floor. "I don't know. Probably about two hours. That's what the last few times have been averaging."

Kathryn took his example and dropped to the floor to lean against the opposite wall. "I don't have time for this nonsense. I've got a stack of PADDs a foot high waiting for me in my ready room."

He shrugged. "If nothing else, these little escapades get you to take a break for a while. You're still working way too many hours, Kathryn."

She ignored his comment, just like always. "The last one was the Jeffrey's tube, right?" She knew it wasn't, but wanted to change topic. If she let him continue, he'd soon be attacking her coffee consumption. He was getting as bad as the doctor.

"No, that was the time before. The last one was the holodeck, remember? We were checking out Tuvok's new training program."

Her expression was serious. "We've got to get them to stop this. What if we were attacked while they're playing these stupid games?"

"If that happened, I'm quite sure the problem would suddenly resolve itself and we'd be beamed to the bridge pronto," Chakotay reassured her. "Then, assuming we survived that alien attack, we'd kill all the bridge crew."

Kathryn glanced at him. "All of them? That seems a little harsh, Chakotay. I'm sure Tuvok and Seven aren't involved in these childish attempts to get us together."

Chakotay snorted. "Don't count on it. Who's training program was it we were checking out on the holodeck? And how do you think they got the clearance codes to pull some of the crazy stunts they have? Paris is good at cracking codes, but he's not that good."

"I don't believe it, and besides, Seven is far too serious to help..." She trailed off at the negative shake of his head.

"Remember the suddenly malfunctioning doors on Cargo Bay Two just after Seven left us to attend a supposed meeting with Tuvok?"

She looked at him stunned. "Are you saying...?"

"Yep. Our entire senior staff is in cahoots." He looked at her askance. "You didn't figure this out, Kathryn? You know, for a brilliant officer, you can be a little slow on the uptake sometimes. Time to wake up and smell the coffee, Captain."

She folded her arms in an obstinate gesture and stuck her tongue out at him. The sight of that darting tongue sent a corresponding shaft of desire arrowing through him and he took note of the interesting effect her crossed arms had on her cleavage, even through her uniform. He shifted position against the wall.

Kathryn shook her head. "I knew the Three Musketeers were involved. I just never thought it was this widespread."

Chakotay forced his eyes up from her bosom. "Look at the positive side."

"And that would be...?"

He shrugged. "At least we now know that the whole senior staff can work together on a project, even Seven and B'Elanna, and also that they can keep secrets."

Her eyes slid away. "Speaking of secrets, there is a fairly simple way of stopping all this concerted activity by our staff."

"You mean by letting them know that their efforts to bring us together are no longer needed? Fine by me. I never wanted to keep it hidden. I love you too much for that."

Kathryn sputtered indignantly. "But you were the one who said let's keep it quiet for a while!"

Chakotay stared at her. "I just said that because I thought that was what you wanted. I figured you needed time to adjust to us."

She had to concede, "Well, yes. You have to admit things did happen very fast."

"Fast!" he exploded. "Fast! Kathryn, you kept me waiting for six years. If that was fast, I'd hate to see you take your time."

"I meant what happened on Denarys Prime. I mean, proposing to me right after..." She blushed.

He couldn't help his smirk. "Right after I took you for the second time and you screamed so loud you woke the Premier next door."

"It was the third time, and I took you."

"Details."

They smiled fondly across the turbolift at each other, remembering. The light of passion and affection was in their eyes.

"It was handy having the Premier so close by, wasn't it?" she murmured.

He nodded. "Although I bet he'd never performed a marriage ceremony where the participants wore only bathrobes. Good thing nobody had a holocam."

"Oh my, yes."

He flashed her a full smile. "That's what you said later, too." He laughed at her flush. "So, Kathryn, are you ready to let the cat out of the bag? Obviously it's what the crew wants, and I've been feeling like a teenager trying to sneak around behind the backs of over a hundred and forty parents for the last five weeks."

Brushing at invisible fluff on her uniform, Kathryn kept her eyes lowered. "Actually one of the crew already knows."

It was his turn to be shocked. "What? Who? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Simmer down, Commander. It was only this morning, and you and I have both been in meetings until now. As for who, it's the doctor."

"The doctor! Kathryn, he's the biggest gossip onboard ship. You may as well have made an announcement."

"No he's not. Neelix is. And besides, this comes under doctor/patient confidentiality."

"Neelix is not a gossip."

"Is so."

"Is not. He just can't keep a secret to save his life. Anyway, why were you seeing the doctor? Is something wrong?" He looked at her anxiously. He didn't like the way she was avoiding his eyes.

Kathryn started pulling at a loose thread on the edge of her jacket. She'd have to recycle it soon. "Well, no. Nothing's wrong."

"Then why were you seeing the doctor as a patient? Are your headaches bad again?" He was starting to get concerned.

"It's just a temporary condition."

"What's just a temporary condition?" He was across the turbolift, kneeling before her. He tipped her chin up. "Kathryn, what's going on?"

She studied his anxious face for a moment. "Chakotay, I'm going to have to give you a new title."

Mercurial. Marvelous. Maddening. That's what she was to him. All right, he'd play along. "And what title would that be? I'm already second in rank only to you."

"This has nothing to do with the ship. Well, actually, I guess it does, but..."

"Kathryn," he growled. His legendary patience was about to become a puff of smoke.

"How does 'Daddy' sound to you?" She looked at him anxiously.

Chakotay sat back on his heels, totally dumbfounded as the word slowly penetrated his consciousness. Daddy. "You're...?" His mouth wasn't working too well just yet.

She reached her hand out to his chest, smiling her crooked grin at him. "You didn't waste any time, big guy. I'm about four weeks. Are you okay with this?" His brilliant smile was all the answer she needed.

He took a slow, deep breath. "I guess this means that no matter what we say or don't say, the whole crew will know in a little while." He couldn't resist running his hand over her still-flat stomach. His child, secretly growing in there. Boy? Girl? He didn't care. He brought his other hand up to her face. "Have I told you I love you?"

She smiled. "Not since this morning." She placed a hand over his on her stomach. "Can you believe it? We're going to be parents."

He shook his head. "Incredible."

"Mind blowing."

"Wonderfully terrifying."

"Terrifyingly wonderful. I love you."

"I know." His hand on her face slid to the back of her neck and he pulled her forward to kiss her thoroughly. After a long while, he lifted his head. "Woman, you have fulfilled my every desire. My life is complete because of you."

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Your every desire?"

He grinned evilly at her and eased her to the floor. "Well, actually, there is one little thing I've always wanted to do with you." He opened her jacket and slid his hands up her sides to cup her breasts.

"Is that so?" She gasped as his talented lips found that particular spot under her jaw by her ear.

"Are you up for it, Captain?"

"Obviously you are, Commander. I haven't done this in a long time." Her hands were doing their own tugging at his uniform.

"We did this last night. Pregnancy causing you to lose your short term memory?" He lifted her turtleneck and unfastened her bra.

"I meant in a turbolift, smart mouth. Ooh." That smart mouth of his was already doing delectable things to her very sensitive nipples.

"I hear it's just like riding a bicycle; you never really forget." He mumbled from between her breasts.

"What?" Her brain wasn't functioning anywhere close to optimum levels.

It was his turn to gasp as her hand slid inside the waistband of his trousers. "Never mind," was all he could manage.

*****

On the bridge, Harry kept one eye on the infrared heat sensors Seven and B'Elanna had installed in the turbolift, while also continuing to work at his console. The merging of the two forms brought a slow smile to his face.

"Mr. Kim?"

Harry looked across at Commander Tuvok and nodded. If it was possible for a Vulcan to look happy, this one did.

Tom had swiveled around from the conn and caught the exchange. He hit his comm badge. "Paris to Torres."

"Operation Undercover is a success." Tom closed the connection, cutting off the resounding cheers from Engineering. He looked up at his friend and fellow covert operator. "There, you see Harry? I knew that if we just kept trying long enough they'd finally get it right."

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© Brianna Thomas, October 2001 Please email me to post/distribute elsewhere.