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Tom Paris waited patiently while his friend, Harry Kim, finished off the last of the scan. They were due to go off duty and he had a nice game of racquet ball planned for the two of them. As he stood waiting, he studied the bridge.
Lt. Cmdr. Tuvok, the Vulcan security chief was busy as his post. He was ALWAYS busy at his post, come to think of it.
B'Elanna Torres was absent from the bridge. Obviously down in engineering breaking a nose or two. Paris was glad she wasn't his superior officer.
The Captain and First Officer were on the other side of the bride, studying a console. Janeway was pointing to something on the screen and Chakotay was nodding in agreement. The captain's other hand was lightly balanced on Chakotay's shoulder. Paris watched them for a few minutes, thinking.
"All right." Harry Kim interrupted his thoughts, "I'm ready."
The two headed for the turbolift.
After stating their required destination, Paris turned to Kim. "Do you think," he asked slowly, "that there's something happening between the Captain and Chakotay?"
This elicited a surprise look from Harry Kim. "What do you mean?"
"Well, do you think there could be ..." He paused, trying to find the right words to use and not ones that would shock his friend into the middle of next week. "Do you think they have romantic feeling for each other?"
"The Captain and Commander Chakotay?"
Paris nodded.
"No, but then I'd never really thought about it." The turbolift stopped at their destination and the two men exited into the corridor. "What made you say that?"
"Well," said Paris, falling into step next to Kim, "I've been watching them and I think they have."
"And on what proof do you base this profound observation?"
"She touches him all the time."
"She doesn't."
"She does. Keep your eyes open and you'll see for yourself. She finds any excuse to touch him."
Harry Kim stopped and turned a very sceptical look on his friend. "And him?"
"He smiles at her."
"He smiles at her?" Kim's tone indicated that Paris' statement was probably the most pathetic one he'd ever heard.
"Chakotay never smiles at anyone. Not even B'Elanna who he's worked with for ages. He always wears that stern, unyielding expression. But when he talks to our captain, he smiles."
"Tom," Kim started walking again. "This has got to be the craziest thing you've come up with yet!"
"Mark my words," Paris shook an accusing finger at Kim. "Those two are going to be lovers."
*** *** ***
Two weeks later, the Voyager was in orbit around a moon of the second planet in a binary star system. This planet hosted a pre-warp civilisation but the moon had large deposits of raw Dilithium. Tuvok had calculated that the crew of Voyager could safely mine some of the Dilithium without it affecting the moon or the planet below. As was Starfleet policy, Voyager would not take more than it needed for its immediate needs.
Meanwhile, the planet below held a certain amount of fascination for the Xenobiologists and Exobiologists in the crew.
Captain Janeway allowed them to send small scouting parties to the surface of the planet in order to catalogue it and find out as much as they could about the civilisation that was developing there.
Naturally, Tom Paris had managed to arrange to be part of a scouting party; one that visited a village of about a thousand people. The day they were there was obviously the local market day as all sorts of items were on sale in the village square.
Paris wandered around from stall to stall, looking at the items and asking questions. The hidden tricorder recorded all they needed to know about the items.
One particular stall caught his attention. An early chemist shop, he would assume, as it displayed all sorts of leaves, powders and potions. An unusual shaped marble-like container seemed to beckon to him. He lifted the lid and was stunned by the fruity aroma that assailed his senses. It made him think of grapes warming in the summer heat.
"I have never seen one of these," he said cautiously to the man behind the counter.
"I don't suppose you have," replied the greying man. "It was very popular in my day but the youth of today have no use for such things ..."
Paris was intrigued. "Tell me about it. I'm looking for a gift for someone and I'm sure they'd like this."
"It is Vedri." He said the name as though it should mean something to the young man, but when he saw that it obviously didn't, the old man explained. "Dream Syrup."
"Dream Syrup?"
The man nodded vigorously. "Just a little taste and you lose discipline."
"You lose discipline? Is it some sort of alcohol?" Paris asked.
"Alcohol?" responded the man, looking confused.
"Never mind. It's just something we have where I come from. How can you lose discipline?"
The old man sighed. "When I was younger, we had so many rules. This you could do, that you couldn't. Then, when you grew older, you found that you could not, no matter how much you wanted to, do what you shouldn't. Always following the rules had become part of your being. Vedri helps you to put aside that discipline and allows you to try and do some of the things you dream of doing. Even the aroma of the syrup helps to chase away the discipline."
Paris nodded vigorously. This was all very interesting and he could think of quite a few ways he could use this syrup. But he would have to forget about that because his aim at the moment was to find a gift for the captain. Ever since she'd met him, she'd never treated him with anything other than respect and Paris wanted to get her a small gift to show that he appreciated the faith she had in him. He liked this Vedri. The container was unusual and the aroma, pleasant.
"How much do you want for it," Paris asked, digging around for the few coins that had been issued to him.
"I will trade you," the man replied. "This dirlap of Vedri for the scarf you are wearing. It is a most unusual colour and I'm sure my grandson would love it."
"Done," said Paris with a smile.
Captain Kathryn Janeway lay back on her sofa, feet propped up by the armrest. The bottle that Tom Paris had given her stood on the table beside her, its cork removed. The aroma from the small bottle filled the whole room, and the captain was just enjoying the feeling of relaxation that had invaded her body.
She didn't even bother to sit up when her door chime sounded but just called out, "Come!"
The doors to her quarters opened to reveal her First Officer. Chakotay stopped just inside the door and looked down at his captain. "Have I come at a bad time?" he asked.
Janeway opened one eye and looked up at him. From this angle he was even more imposing that when she stood before him on the bridge. She dreamily shook her head. "No, not at all, Commander. What can I do for you?" She opened her other eye.
Chakotay hesitantly sat in the seat opposite her. He placed a computer PADD on the table. "Just thought I'd let you know that we've completed our mining and survey and are preparing to leave orbit."
He leaned back in his seat. A tremendous sense of well-being seemed to envelop him. Then he noticed the bottle on the table.
"Is this what I can smell?" he asked.
Janeway sat up and lifted the bottle. "Yes. It was a gift from Tom Paris. Something he picked up while on the planet." Janeway stood up and crossed to where Chakotay sat. She handed him the bottle, then sank into the seat next to him. "It reminds me of cooking apricots."
"Apricots?" Chakotay asked, taking a sniff. "I thought it was rather like the smell of ripe corn."
"That's interesting. Tom said he thought it smelt like grapes. To me it smells like apricots, and now you say it smells like corn."
Chakotay shrugged. "I guess it smells differently to each person. What does Paris say it is?"
"It's actually a drink of sorts. He called it Vedri and said he got it from a trader in the village market. I ran a scan on the contents and the computer identifies it as a concentrated fruit or flower nectar."
"A drink? I would have thought it was a potpourri of some sorts. Have you tasted it yet?"
Janeway shook her head and leaned back on the sofa. "No, not yet." Then she sat up as a thought suddenly struck her. "Would you like to try it with me?"
Chakotay looked at the captain. Her hair was pulling loose from the severe chignon she usually wore. He felt his hand itching to reach out and tuck the strands back in ... or pull the whole thing loose, which ever his hand desired to do. Instead he replied, "Yes, why not."
Janeway smiled in response. Taking the spoon attached to the container, she poured out a small amount of the syrup. It was a clear viscous fluid which belied its sweet and unusual taste. She proffered the first taste to her First Officer.
Chakotay was thoughtful for a moment, then licked his lips. "It is unusual but very nice. Now that I’ve been your guinea pig, you try it."
Janeway smiled at Chakotay’s gentle teasing and tasted the syrup herself. Placing the bottle back on the table, she lay back on the sofa, savouring the taste. "I could easily get addicted to this," she said softly, then sighed.
Chakotay watched her. He seldom saw the captain this relaxed and found it quite alluring. His gaze travelled to her hair. A few more strands had fought their way loose. This time, however, he reached forward and combed them back.
Janeway felt the touch of his hand on her hair, but kept her eyes closed. When she felt his hand linger, however, she slowly opened her eyes and stared up into his dark, fathomless ones. Their gazes trapped each other. Finally, Chakotay spoke. "Your hair is coming loose," he said, quietly, but made no effort to remove his hand.
For her part, Janeway lifted her hand and Chakotay thought she was going to brush his hand aside. Instead, her hand reached up to his forehead and touched his tattoo. Then she traced the pattern with her finger. "What does it mean?"
"It explains my heritage and who I am." Chakotay’s voice was barely louder than a whisper.
"And who are you?" Janeway asked, her eyes travelling from markings she had been studying to hold his gaze.
"Who’s asking. Captain Janeway or Kathryn?"
"Kathryn," she murmured, and let her fingers trail down the side of his face. He reached up and trapped her hand beneath his. His eyes never left her face as he drew her hand up to his lips and softly kissed her palm.
Janeway closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of his lips on the hand, wishing she could feel his lips ...
Her eyes flew open in alarm but she made no move to retract her arm. Instead, she watched as Chakotay kissed first the inside of her wrist and then her arm. She drew in a sharp breath as his lips touched the inside of her elbow and his tongue flicked out to taste the tender skin. He lifted his head to look at her, possibly giving her one final chance to put a stop to this thing they’d started and then slowly lowered his head to meet her lips. Their eyes remained locked until their lips touched and then closed of their own accord. Janeway slid her arms around Chakotay’s back, pulling him close, straining her body against his. He finally allowed his fingers the freedom they had craved and they tangled themselves in her soft fragrant hair while their breaths mingled, warming first her body, then his.
A soft groan escaped Chakotay’s chest and they drew apart. Janeway allowed her head to fall back against the sofa, and Chakotay’s lips trailed kisses down her neck to the hollow at the base of her throat. He could feel her pulse there, racing as his own must be. He inhaled deeply, his breath sounding as shaky as his control, enjoying the soft scent of the bath soap she used. He could feel her tugging at his uniform top and found that his hands had left their exploration of her hair and were eagerly pulling at the fastener of her uniform.
"Tuvok to Chakotay."
The harsh sound interrupted the trance the Captain and First Officer had settled into.
He shook his head, trying to clear away the thoughts and images that had only a few seconds previously occupied his entire body and mind.
The captain’s eyes were wide with alarm as she stared at him across the sofa.
He started back equally as shaken.
"Tuvok to Chakotay," the voice sounded again.
Chakotay touched his communicator. "Chakotay, here. What is it Lieutenant?"
"We are about to leave orbit. You are needed on the bridge."
"Understood. I’m on my way."
After he’d de-activated his communicator, Chakotay slowly stood up, his eyes never leaving Janeway’s face, the image of her as she’d appeared a short while before firmly imprinted on his mind. Her face was still flushed but she was rapidly regaining her composure.
"I think," she finally said as she stood to her feet and tugged her uniform straight, "that I should find out from Mr. Paris just exactly what it was that he gave me."
Chakotay nodded and bent over to replace the cork in the bottle. "I think," he countered, straightening up, "that you should put it away in a safe place ... At least until you’re ... " He paused for a long moment. "Until we’re ready to deal with the consequences ..."
He gave her a half smile before turning and leaving her quarters.
end