Disclaimer: See Part 1
Rated NC-17
The weather disturbances cleared a couple of hours later, and Tuvok got a lock on the three of them and had them beamed directly to sick bay. They had all moved in their sleep. The Doctor looked at them in the instant before two of them woke, disturbed by the transport. Tom had rolled over and his back was firmly pressed against Kathryn's. Chakotay had rolled onto his back, taking Kathryn with him. His arms were wrapped around her as she lay pillowed on his chest, one leg draped over his. One of her hands rested around him.
Tom was the first to move. "Good morning Doc, for once I'm pleased to see you."
"You can show your pleasure by reporting on the Captain's status," said the Doc.
He saw that Chakotay was awake, but trapped under the Captain. He beamed her to her own biobed and started scanning her whilst Tom reported.
Chakotay stood up and walked over to her.
"Mr. Paris, there is hope for you as a medic. For once your assessment is correct. Keeping her warm, letting her sleep, exactly right. But there is no lasting damage, I think we can wake her now." He pressed a hypospray to her neck. "There, that should help her headache."
He bent closer. "Captain, wake up please."
There was a groan. Chakotay realized she wouldn't want to wake up with the three of them staring at her in her underwear so he grabbed a blanket and covered her.
"Chakotay?" Her eyes opened, but she looked confused.
"I'm here, Kathryn." He touched her hand.
She looked from him to Tom, dressed in their boxer shorts. "I'm not sure I want to hear about this." She tried to sit up, realized she was dressed in very little and lay back abruptly. "My head hurts."
"To be expected, Captain, when you try to head butt a core sample." The Doc administered another hypospray.
"You're fine. Once the headache goes I'll release you to your quarters. Try to relax while I check the Commander and Lieutenant Paris."
He checked them over. "You two are both fine, you can go and make yourselves presentable. Lieutenant, if you are recovered I could use your help here until the Captain is released."
"I'll come straight back, Doc. Now, how about a site to site for Chakotay and me? We don't want to stir the female population of the ship into a frenzy by walking the corridors in our underwear."
"I'm sure you could handle the furor," said the Doc dryly, but still obliged them with a site to site.
An hour later, Tom was back in sickbay. The Captain was the only patient, the Doc was working in his office, humming to himself. Tom had a dilemma.
He walked up to the Captain's biobed.
"How are you?" He said softly.
"Fine," she gave him a lopsided smile. "Headache's nearly gone. Are you going to tell me what the three of us were doing in our underwear or are you enjoying making me suffer?"
He pulled up a chair and grinned. "Survival drill, Captain. When the rock hit you, you collapsed on the wet ground. You were soaked. It was very cold. Transporters were down due to the weather patterns. We had to keep you - and ourselves warm."
"I guessed as much. Thanks, Tom." She hesitated. "Did I, er... say anything when I was out cold? I have these dream-like memories..."
She'd given him the opening he had been waiting for. Sure, Chakotay had threatened him with the brig if he said a word, but he figured it was better that the Captain knew what she had said, rather then endlessly wondering. Besides, if this worked, two people could be a lot happier. And of course his replicator rations account would be a lot fuller.
"You did."
"What did I say?"
"Nothing the three of us didn't already know. You told Chakotay you loved him. You made him kiss you. You begged him to make love to you." He smiled down at her shocked face. "I'm not making it up, Captain. Don't worry, Chakotay was a gentlemen. He kissed you, as it was the only way to stop you thrashing about, he soothed you, he told you he loved you."
She gasped. Her cheeks were red and she wouldn't meet his eyes.
Tom was gentle. "Amazing what comes out of one's subconscious at times isn't it?"
She met his eyes. "Not just the subconscious, Tom. My conscious thoughts have trouble staying away from what you just heard. And intend to forget I hope?"
He laughed. "Chakotay already threatened me with the brig if I mentioned it to anyone. Including you, Captain."
"So shall I save him the trouble and throw you in?"
He grew serious. "What I hope you'll do is go to Chakotay and tell him you love him."
She was equally serious. "You know I can't do that."
"Give me one reason why not. I saw him look at you, Captain. I have never seen anyone with such love to give. And you are turning it down. You sounded pretty convincing yourself."
"Three reasons. The ship. The crew. Protocol."
"Exactly the ones that Chakotay gave."
"You've had quite a bonding session haven't you?"
"Yeah, we did. Don't worry, we talked about B'Elanna too. But back to the point. The crew wants you to be happy. Both of you. I'm sorry we've made you uncomfortable with our ham-fisted attempts to throw you together. That wasn't the intention."
"I don't like being laughed at, Tom. Laugh with me if you will, but not at me."
"Captain, we have never laughed at you. Honestly. We all respect you, and like you too much for that."
"Flattery, Mr. Paris. I can see right through it."
"The second reason - the ship - what sort of reason is that?"
She was ticking points off on her fingers. "People need somewhere to go and complain. If both the senior officers are romantically involved, where will they go? Two, I can't afford to have my judgement skewed by feelings I shouldn't be having. Three..."
He interrupted her. "None of those hold water. You both already love each other; everyone knows that and the ship still runs. What is the difference if you just *admit* you love each other? And don't even get started on protocol, you've broken every other protocol in the book, why not this one?"
She glared at him, then cracked and smiled. "I've thought I might have this conversation one day. But I didn't expect to have it with you."
"Who did you think you would have it with?"
"Tuvok I guess."
"What are you going to do?"
"I don't know Tom. Think."
"Well when you're done thinking, I'm discharging you. To Chakotay's care."
"Trying to force the issue?"
"No. You need someone with you the next twenty-four hours. I can make it someone else if you'd rather."
She leaned back on the bed. "I should ask you to look after me and really cramp your style."
He grinned and his parting words floated back over his shoulder. "But you won't, will you."
Three hours later, she called Tom over. "You can discharge me now."
"What are you going to do?"
"I honestly don't know, Tom. But if I did put Chakotay on the spot like that, he at least deserves an apology."
"Oh boy, I can see the inside of the brig staring me in the face."
"No, don't worry. I'm glad you told me, even if it's making me uncomfortable right now."
"I'll do a site to site for you. Chakotay is off duty for twenty-four hours to rest and make sure you are okay. You are off duty for forty-eight. Try and sort it out, Captain. Please try. Don't just blow him off."
"And Tom, one more thing..."
"I know. Zip it." He made silencing motions across his lips. "On pain of death. But, if you do sort it out, some sort of tip off would really help my rations this month."
She glared at him. "You're incorrigible."
"That's what B'Elanna loves about me. Good luck, Captain. You can do whatever you want, but no, er... strenuous exercise."
The transporter took her away before she could retort.
She materialized in Chakotay's quarters, and immediately realized that Tom had either forgotten, or deliberately hadn't given her any more clothes then the sickbay gown.
Chakotay was sitting on the couch.
"Kathryn! You're OK?"
"Yes, I think so. Did Tom think to tell you he has discharged me to your care for the next twenty-four hours?"
"Yes, he did. Here, I have clothes for you."
"Thanks."
She took the proffered nightgown and robe and shakily made her way to the bathroom to change. She took her time. She knew she had to talk with Chakotay about what she had said when she was unconscious, but she had no idea where to start. She had thought about what Tom had related too, and was wondering, daring to hope just a little, that a relationship with Chakotay could be possible. She loved him of course, knew he loved her, but as long as it had remained buried and unsaid, then they didn't have to acknowledge it. Now it was out in the open and she wasn't sure where to go. Her three defenses had been blasted to the winds. Of course she knew she could ignore it, pretend the words she had spoken were the ramblings of delirium, but Tom had made her see that it wasn't fair to Chakotay, or to herself to take that easy option.
She emerged to find him sitting on the couch. Some soup, bread rolls and fruit were on the table in front of him.
"What, no coffee?"
"Now I know you're back to the Kathryn I know and...." He broke off and quickly recovered. "You can have coffee after you've eaten."
She sat next to him and they ate their soup in companionable silence.
"Chakotay," she turned to face him. "Tom told me what I said and did down there. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."
"I made him promise not to tell you."
"Don't blame him, I had hazy memories of something and I asked him if I had said anything."
He took her hand. "You don't have to explain Kathryn. You weren't exactly rational at the time. I understand. We can forget it."
"I'm not sure if I want to forget it." Her words hung in the air. "Tom said you kissed me and I don't remember it. Seems a little unfair doesn't it? You remember everything, I remember nothing." She looked him straight in the face, trying to judge his reaction.
"Tom's a blabbermouth."
"And a sticky beak."
"A nosy parker."
"A meddling pest."
"He cares about you, Kathryn," he said it quietly. "He wants to see you happy."
"Do you love me?" She said it equally quietly.
He smiled softly, the tired lines in his face melting away for an instant. "You know I do."
"I love you too, Chakotay. Really."
His eyes closed briefly, then opened, shining and eager. His mouth worked for a moment, as if he was fighting not to cry, then he looked about him to either side.
"What are you doing?"
"Looking for Paris. The last time you said you loved me he was in bed with us cheering me on."
She smiled and looked down at their joined hands. "I do. Love you."
"I know."
They were still for a moment, letting the knowledge soak in. Then Chakotay spoke.
"What happens now?"
"You could kiss me."
He shuffled towards her on the couch until their knees touched. He leaned into her, putting an arm around her shoulders and drawing her into his embrace. His face moved towards hers and her eyes drifted shut. She felt his lips pressing hers gently, then nibbling slowly on her lower lip. She sighed his name and his tongue slipped into her mouth, gently tangling with hers for a brief moment before withdrawing. He pressed a kiss onto her forehead before pulling away.
She opened her eyes. "I can't believe I slept through something like that."
"I didn't kiss you like that then. I kissed you like this." He returned, pressing light, chaste kisses on her face, hair and lips. "I was trying to calm you down then, not work you up."
She touched his lips, tracing the outline of his full lower one. "And what are you doing now?"
"I don't know. I don't know what happens next, I don't know what you want."
"I want you."
"And what about the crew, the ship, protocol?" He was wary still.
"To hell with protocol. Tom told me I've broken every other one. What's one more? The crew are waiting with bated breath for us to do this, and the ship... well that's the hardest, but I think we'll cope. If you help me."
"Always." He was fervent.
"So what I want now..." She waited until she could see his face. "I want you to take me into your bed."
He touched her face, love shining out of his eyes. "I can wait. You're not long out of sickbay. "
"I don't want to wait. But I'm tired, really tired. I don't know how good it would be for you."
"Kathryn, don't say that. If you're sure, then let me make love to you. Let this be for you."
She leaned into him. "I love you."
He picked her up and carried her into his bedroom, letting her slide down him to her feet, then tucking her against his side as he pulled back the bedclothes with one hand.
He put both hands on either side of her face and kissed her tenderly. "I love you, Kathryn. Always have. Always will."
He kissed her slowly and deliberately, sucking rhythmically on her tongue before running his lips down her neck. His hands were warm and gentle as he unfastened the tie of the robe, and then pushed it off her shoulders. His lips trailed down the front of her nightgown, questing and hot. She clutched his shoulders to steady herself feeling the slow buildup of desire begin deep in her belly.
Gently he pushed her down onto the bed and swung her legs up so she was lying on her back. He lowered himself next to her and returned to her mouth. Slow fingers walked their way over her ribcage, slowly rising to cup her breast. She gasped and pushed her breast into his hand, her breath coming in jagged sobs as he found and circled her nipple. She could feel him smile against her mouth.
"Imagine if I had done this with Tom there."
His hand moved to the hem of her gown and started to raise it. She lifted her hips to assist him and he pulled it slowly over her head, leaving her clad in only a pair of panties.
He drew back to look at her. "Kathryn, you are so beautiful."
She smiled and drew his head to her breast.
He anointed first one then the other with his tongue, swirling it over her puckered nipples, taking one in his mouth and gently tugging. She felt shafts of excitement coil through her in concert with each tug of his mouth on her nipple.
She wanted to feel his skin, dimly remembering the feel of it in the hazy half-memories of earlier. She tugged at his shirt, trying to pull it out of his pants, so that she could feel the heat and vitality of him.
He realized what she was doing, and moved away and quickly undressed. She raised up on her elbows to watch him. Devouring him with her eyes, tracing each line of muscle and bone as it became exposed to her gaze.
His chest could shield a starship. Her breath caught as memories of laying her cheek on his chest, feeling secure and loved, returned to her. Muscled arms. Smooth belly with just a hint of a curve. Long, thickly muscled legs sprinkled with dark hairs. Indented flanks. Beautifully sculptured buttocks, and of course his erection, smooth and sleek, long and thick.
"You're beautiful," she whispered hoarsely.
He pulled at her panties, she raised her hips to assist him, and he pulled them down and off her in one movement.
He lay back beside her and he kissed her again, sliding his tongue into her mouth, his fingers dropping lower to tangle in her curls. She arched her back slightly as one finger worked its way inside her, sliding in easily. Her hands were stroking down his chest, around his flanks to grasp the rigid length of him.
He was sliding his finger in and out, his thumb brushing her nerve center. Her breath was coming in short pants as she felt her excitement build and wash over her.
"Please..." Was that her voice, so breathless and strained? "Chakotay, please. I want you inside me."
He removed his finger and moved over on top of her.
"Relax," he whispered. "Let me love you."
She felt him slide into her partway, withdraw and then slide slowly in all the way. He stopped moving. He was trembling with the effort of slowing down. He began rocking slowly within her, barely moving, holding her gently as if he was afraid she might break. She clutched his buttocks, trying to draw him even deeper in. She could feel him pulsating within her, and his skin was sticky with a sheen of sweat under her hands.
"Harder," she whispered urgently and he complied, thrusting harder and faster. She felt her orgasm rise and swell until with a cry she dug her nails into his buttocks and arched against him. She felt him grow and swell, and then his carefully controlled thrusting disintegrated into short spurts as he emptied himself within her.
He lay still for a moment, his head in the crook of her neck, and then he carefully withdrew and went to the bathroom, returning with a warm damp cloth, with which he tenderly wiped her. Then he crawled in next to her, pulling her over half on top of him, so that she lay in the position in which they were beamed back to Voyager. She sighed, and pressed her open mouth to his chest then lay hearing his heart pounding under the taut smooth skin.
She felt unbearably tired, but she didn't want to sleep and lose this precious feeling of newness.
"I don't want to sleep," she whispered into his skin. "I might wake up in sickbay and find this isn't real."
"It's as real as you want it to be," he said. His voice vibrated under her cheek.
She pressed a kiss to his chest. He laughed, a rumble deep in his chest.
"You did that when you were unconscious," he said. "You have no idea what you do to me."
"I think I'm going to find out." She moved over to kiss him, just to see what it did to him.
"You have to stay with me tonight," he said. "Doctor's orders. What about tomorrow?"
"I don't think we should be here tomorrow night." She raised up to look at him.
He was unsuccessfully trying to hide his disappointment. She put him out of his misery.
"I think we should be in my quarters. The bed's bigger and I might be... more creative by then."
He pulled her down and kissed her hard and urgently.
A couple of weeks slipped past. Tom watched the command team, but true to his word refrained from teasing them or using the internal sensors to check their whereabouts. He noticed they seemed relaxed, happy, but nothing in either of their demeanors indicated that their relationship had changed in any way. He hoped it had, but he didn't want to tread over a fragile blossoming relationship by asking outright. So he bided his time. The betting pool was still strong - he couldn't dismantle that without raising a lot of suspicions.
His patience was rewarded during a dull morning on the bridge. The Captain and Chakotay had spent most of the shift in her ready room, but he had been in there, quite legitimately, and all they were doing was drinking coffee over reports.
Just as he was about to go off duty, he got a note to his console.
"The mess hall, 19:00 hours this evening. Place your bets Mr. Paris." The note was simply initialed K.J.
He smiled to himself as he deleted the note, and logged into the betting pool to place a judicious couple of bets. He didn't know what they planned to do, but 19:00 hours in the mess hall was the busiest time of day.
At 18:45, he was sitting with Harry, B'Elanna, Jenny and Seven. He had let B'Elanna in on the secret, but no one else. He made sure he was sitting so that he could see the door.
At 19:05 the Captain and Commander entered, arm in arm. Nothing unusual about that. The Captain sat at their usual table in the corner whilst Chakotay went to collect their food. They picked at it, ate sparingly, laughed and talked as they normally did. Tom watched them out of the corner of his eye, trying to be unobtrusive. Nothing unusual. Maybe they sat a little closer together then normal, but nothing to get excited about.
They stood up to go. Walked a pace from the table. Then Chakotay put his arm around her waist and drew her to a stop. She moved closer to him, wound her arms around his neck, reached up on her toes and kissed him full on the lips. Tom watched open-mouthed. Chakotay kissed her back, deeply and familiarly. This was obviously not their first kiss.
The buzz of chatter in the mess hall gradually stilled as more and more people noticed and elbowed their neighbor into silence. When there was total silence in the mess hall, they broke the kiss. Seemingly oblivious to the stares, they linked arms and walked out. As they passed his table, the Captain looked straight at him and dropped one eyelid in the barest hint of a wink.
Feedback? Please. Shayenne
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