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Chakotay yawned and rubbed the back of his neck as he finished the last padd in the stack. He approved it with a flourish, handing it to his captain.
"Well, Captain, that's it for the day. We made it to our goal in record time. A third of the crew evaluations are now complete."
"Mmm," she murmured as she took the padd and began scanning it. "Good. We can get started on the others and finish early this year."
He rolled his eyes. "Or we could get out of the ready room and have something to eat. Come on, let's celebrate our record."
Kathryn finally looked up at him, arching an eyebrow. "Isn't a little early to be celebrating, Chakotay? We've only finished a third of them."
He grinned at her, dimples flashing. "It's never too early to celebrate. Dinner?" When she nodded, his smile grew. "Good. Quarters or the mess hall?"
She looked contemplative for a second, and then she smiled. "How about the holodeck?"
Chakotay stared at her for a second, trying to interpret her meaning. When he finally figured it out, he felt his smile falter, and he did his best to hide it. "I apologize, Captain. If you already had plans for the evening, please don't cancel them on my account. We'll have dinner another night." Gods know when...
She looked startled. "Oh no! I didn't have any plans... I just thought... well, I thought it would be nice to be out among the crew this evening."
We could have done that in the mess hall, he thought bitterly. Aloud, he said easily, "All right. Should we change first? Wouldn't want to look out of place in Fair Haven." When she smiled happily, he swallowed his melancholy. At least he'd get to spend the evening in Kathryn's company, even if it meant dealing with Michael Sullivan.
=/\= =/\= =/\=
Chakotay was slightly amused by the startled glances his presence in Sullivan's generated; this was not his favorite place to spend an evening, and the crew knew it well. He felt himself tense as the proprietor made his way over to them, and he ordered himself to relax.
"Katie!" Michael swept Kathryn into a hug and brushed a quick kiss over her smiling lips. "You look lovely."
"Hello, Michael. Thank you," Kathryn replied, and Chakotay tried not to notice her flushed cheeks and the husky tone of her voice. Michael turned to him with a smile.
"Cha... kotay, is it?"
He bowed his head in acknowledgement, giving the hologram a smile that he knew didn't reach his eyes, judging from the curiosity he saw on Kathryn's face. "It is. Good evening, Michael."
They sat at a corner table, and Chakotay was able to forget their surroundings for a while as they ate and chatted. It had been some time since he'd relaxed with Kathryn like this, and it felt good. He watched her as she glanced around occasionally at her crew, smiling at their revelry, and he found he couldn't hate the place completely. The crew did enjoy it here. Some of them a bit too much, his inner voice spoke up, and he stifled a sigh as Michael came up to their table.
"Katie, lass, care to dance?"
Kathryn smiled up at him and then turned back to Chakotay, who was watching them with an extremely neutral expression on his face. Her smile faded slightly. "Thank you, Michael, but not tonight. Next time?"
The hologram paused for a moment, glancing at Chakotay before nodding. He smiled at both of them and then moved back behind the bar.
"Chakotay?" She laid her hand on his arm, surprised to find the muscles taut beneath her fingers. "Chakotay, what is it?"
"If you want to dance, Kathryn, go ahead. We've finished dinner, and I'm sure I can find my way out of Fair Haven on my own." Though he smiled, it was a closed, tense smile, and she heard the acid in his voice that he tried to hide. She blinked several times and then laughed a little bit.
"Why, Chakotay, if I didn't know you better, I'd say you were jealous," she said with a grin, expecting him to join her in her laughter. When he said nothing, staring down into his glass, she laughed again, her surprise clear this time. "He's a hologram! What's there to be jealous of?"
Chakotay finally looked up at her, and she drew in her breath at the anger in his dark eyes. He wrenched his arm out from under her hand. "What isn't there to be jealous of? Dammit, Kathryn, you just don't see it, do you? When you walked in, he hugged you, kissed you, told you you looked beautiful. Do you know how much I've longed for simple liberties such as those? He can ask you to dance without it being a state affair, he can smile at you without having to mask anything behind it."
His voice was intense, and though he hadn't meant to say any of this to her, now that he was speaking, he found he couldn't stop. She was staring at him, eyes wide and bright, and he held her gaze.
"And it's not only all of that... You come to him and tell him about your day, a day he can never truly have a hope of understanding, you let him comfort you after the bad ones and celebrate the good ones with you. Do you know how many dinners you've canceled on me since you've started visiting Fair Haven, Kathryn? Yes, Michael has won you over, and that's killing me, but he's also taken my best friend from me, and she was all I had. So, yes, Kathryn, I'm jealous of Michael, and you can laugh at my feelings if you like. Just remember -- unlike Michael's, my feelings are real."
With that, he shoved his chair back and stalked out of the pub. He'd kept his voice low, aware of the crew around them, but his angry departure did not go unnoticed. The crew glanced between their captain and the door of the pub, but no one said a word.
Kathryn didn't move, staring at his empty chair as she tried to absorb everything he'd just said. She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up blankly into Michael's eyes.
"Katie? Are you all right? Did he say something to hurt you? Because if he did -- "
She shook her head quickly. "No... No, it's the other way around. I've hurt him. Again. Dammit."
She jumped up, shrugging Michael's hand off her shoulder.
"Katie -- "
"Not now, Michael. I'm sorry."
"Katie!"
She turned quickly on her way out of the holodeck, catching a glimpse of pain in his eyes. But it was nothing compared to the fire and anguish she'd seen in Chakotay's. Those dark, soulful eyes made Michael's look empty.
=/\= =/\= =/\=
"Computer," she ordered, striding down the hall. "Locate Commander Chakotay."
"Commander Chakotay is on Deck Nine, Section Eight."
"B'Elanna," she muttered, altering course to follow him.
She caught up with him just as he slammed the palm of his hand on the door of the apparently empty quarters.
"Chakotay."
Without acknowledging her, he headed for the turbolift.
"Chakotay!"
He whirled. "Yes, Captain?"
"I think we need to talk."
He crossed his arms and leaned against the bulkhead, apparently waiting for her to begin.
"Not in the corridor."
He didn't budge.
"Fine. The corridor then." She glared at two crewmen who were doing their best impressions of wall hangings. They scurried off. As soon as she was sure they were out of earshot, she sighed and began haltingly. "I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make light of your feelings, Chakotay, believe me, that's the last thing I meant to do. I didn't realize how much my..." She was loath to say relationship. "My spending time with Michael affected you... I don't understand... Why..."
He was staring at the deck. "Why what?" he asked softly.
"If you feel this way... why did you encourage me?"
Chakotay laughed harshly and ran a hand through his hair. "I knew you were unhappy, Kathryn, and that you were lonely, and it's not like you were ever going to let me help you. You made that much clear a long time ago. So... I guess I decided that it was better for you to let it all out with a hologram than with some passing alien, or worse yet, keeping it all inside." He laughed again, his anger and bitterness boiling over. "You were supposed to screw the damn thing, not fall in love with it."
She stared at him in shock, unable to reply.
"Did you even screw him, Kathryn?" His face contorted into a bitter grimace. "Or would that have ruined your perfect, storybook romance?"
Kathryn's face reddened, and his heart twisted anew as tears filled her eyes and spilled over her lashes. Without warning, she hauled her hand back, and there was a crack that echoed through the corridor as her palm connected with his cheek. Stunned, he rocked back on his heels, only reacting when he saw that she was preparing to hit him again. He caught her hand in his before she could make contact, and there was fire in her eyes as she tried to wrench her arm away so that she could strike him again.
"No," he said firmly. "I deserved that one. I shouldn't have said what I did. But no more."
The fire banked, but it was still there. "You know," she said evenly. "You may have my hand but I can still kick you."
"You could," he agreed, just as evenly. "But I wouldn't recommend it."
The ridiculousness of the situation caught up with her, and she chuckled. "Look at us. We'd fit perfectly into the melodrama of Fair Haven."
"No doubt," he said with a strained smile. "Come on, you're right. This is not the place to have this conversation."
He led her swiftly down the corridor. She glanced up at his face, which bore the livid outline of her hand, and she knew that her own face was a mess from crying.
"Chakotay, we need to find someplace now. If the crew sees us like this, there'll be no end to the rumors. And we did just pass B'Elanna's quarters, which means -- "
"It's likely Tom's around somewhere. Damn."
He glanced around and quickly found a door that didn't lead to crew quarters. It asked for a security code and he gave it one, and it was only when they stepped inside that he realized what room it was. He turned to her, a nervous smile on his face.
"Um, I'm not sure the armory is the place for this conversation either."
She laughed. "At least in here we'll only kill each other and not innocent, passing crewmen." Her smile faded. "But I don't need a weapon to hurt you, Chakotay, that much is pretty clear."
Chakotay sighed. "I'm sorry, Kathryn. I shouldn't have said what I did. I had no right."
"No, you shouldn't have. But you were only lashing out at me for hurting you. We're good at hurting each other, Chakotay, because... because we care about each other. I guess... I guess if you care about an angry warrior, you have to deal with the anger sometimes."
She grinned at him crookedly, and he stared at her, surprised. It was her turn to look down, embarrassed.
"I don't love Michael," she said, closing her eyes when Chakotay's breath escaped him in a rush. "Hell, I don't even like him sometimes. But... I had no idea you still... felt the way you obviously do about me, and it's been so long, Chakotay. It's been so long since I had a man dote on me, and in Fair Haven I got to be Katie, a woman, not The Captain, some sexless being."
She looked up, and Chakotay was watching her, several expressions warring over his handsome features.
"Would it... would it have made a difference if you'd known my feelings? Long ago, before Fair Haven even existed?"
"Yes... no... I don't know. I really don't. I can say that it would have or it wouldn't have, but the truth is, I have no idea how I would have reacted."
"You say that we... care for each other. I think it's been made pretty clear how I feel about you, but in case I'm wrong, in case it hasn't... I love you, Kathryn. I've loved you for a very long time. Can you... just tell me, please. Do you love me?"
Her face flushed again, and she looked down. Everything that had gone on between them in the last hour didn't matter... the confessions, the fight, his open declaration... none of it helped. It was still going to take all of her courage to say this single word.
"Yes," she whispered. When she looked up, his eyes were closed, and he was very still, as if a single movement would shatter him. "I do." Her voice got stronger. "You asked me... you asked me if I slept with Michael. I didn't, Chakotay, because he wasn't the one I wanted. He wasn't the one I wanted to have dinner with, or dance with. He wasn't the one I wanted to hold me and comfort me. He wasn't the one I wanted to make love to, the one in whose arms I wanted to wake. Michael Sullivan was a very poor substitute for what I wanted, but I didn't think what I wanted was available to me any longer. So I tried to make the best of what I had."
"And now that you know that what you wanted -- what you want -- is still available? Is it still all or nothing?" Chakotay asked, and when she just looked at him, unsure of what he meant, he clarified. "Is it still loneliness on one hand or a relationship with a hologram on the other? Are you willing to let me in now? Will you let me be the man to dote upon you? Spirits, Kathryn, that's all I've ever wanted. To be able to show you how much I love you."
He reached a hand up to tentatively cup her cheek, and as he did, his gaze fell on her pinned-up hair and then raked down her primly clad form. His eyes blazed and indignation crept into his words. "And you don't need to go to Fair Haven to be a woman! Dammit, Kathryn, you're the sexiest woman I know! Any woman can look desirable in the right dress, but you... you make me want you every morning when you step out of that turbolift in your Starfleet armor. Please, Kathryn, I love you. Don't shut me out again."
Kathryn gazed into his eyes, dark pools that held such love -- love she'd only seen mere glimpses of before -- but they also held something more now. Supplication. His calm words were a request, but his gaze was a plea, heartfelt and vulnerable. Her mind was skipping and stuttering over his question, over the possible outcomes and the consequences and the ramifications, but in the end, it wasn't a decision at all. She was going to do as she'd wanted to do for years; she was going to do what she'd given up hope of ever being able to do.
She stepped closer to him and rested her hand on his chest as she had so many times before. His heart was thundering under her palm, and she closed her eyes with the knowledge that she held it in her grasp once more; it was hers to do with as she wished, and she could either destroy him, or complete him. She slid her hand up over his broad shoulder and the smooth skin of his jaw, and he leaned into her touch, his eyes fluttering closed.
"I won't," she whispered. "I won't shut you out anymore, Chakotay."
He exhaled in a rush, lowering his forehead to rest against hers as his big hands found her waist, cradling her to him.
"Thank you," he murmured against her lips, his warm breath caressing her skin, and then he was kissing her. His lips were soft and warm as they gently nibbled at hers, and Kathryn moaned as he tasted and nipped at her lower lip. Her hands moved up and around to anchor in his soft, raven hair as he coaxed her lips open and his tongue slid in to entwine with hers. His fingers slipped up into her hair, one hand pulling out the pins and tossing them to the deck as he raked the fingers of his other hand through the auburn waves.
The kiss stretched on as they learned the feel and texture of each other, so long imagined by both of them. They grew bolder, hands wandering, tracing a curve here, a firmly muscled plane there, and they clutched each other, bodies molding together as though each were trying to climb inside the other.
Finally, knees weakening and heart pounding, Kathryn pulled away from him, nipping at his full lower lip one last time. She shivered at the sound of his groan, tucking her head into his shoulder to revel in the scent of him as she fought to get her breath back. Something he'd said came back to her, and it brought a grin.
"Starfleet armor?" she murmured, and he chuckled.
"Oh yes. On some, it's just a uniform, but on you, it's impenetrable. The Captain is in command, and nothing gets in, and nothing gets out. But sometimes... just sometimes... I catch a glimpse of my Kathryn, and those are the moments when I want you so badly, I can barely breathe."
There were so many conflicting emotions in his words. She heard sadness, and regret, and a little bit of anger, but also affection, and love, and desire. And raw lust. She pressed her lips to the underside of his jaw. "Oh, Chakotay..."
Her husky whisper made him tremble, and Chakotay buried his face in her hair, whispering words she couldn't hear. His hands stroked over her, burning her skin everywhere they made contact. She could feel the heat of him throbbing against her, and she threw back her head, baring the slim column of her neck to him. His kisses trailed down over her face, feather light touches that were there and gone, and then his lips found the delicate spot behind her ear and she was lost. His palm was suddenly cupping her breast, his thumb skating in rough circles over her taut nipple, the friction of her bra and the dress unbearable against her sensitive flesh.
"Kathryn..." he groaned into her neck, rocking against her as her hands slid down to cup his ass and pull him closer to her. "Please..."
The need in his voice intensified her own longing, and she arched into him, grinding against him.
"Oh God, yes..." she hissed, flinching slightly as he nipped more forcefully at her neck, suckling her pale skin and marking her as his. It was all the encouragement he needed. He growled her name into her neck, backing her up until she was pressed against the bulkhead. His hands found the buttons of her dress, impatient fingers fumbling over the tiny fasteners. He cursed, and she laughed, a low, throaty sound that made him buck against her. Giving up, he simply tore the front of the dress open, scattering buttons everywhere.
"Chakotay!"
"You're not wearing it again anyway," he countered, his voice gruff as he buried his face in the valley between her breasts. "It's Michael's dress."
The possessiveness in his voice made her tremble, and then the full image of his words popped into her head and a giggle escaped her.
"I don't think so. Michael couldn't get into my dress, Chakotay."
"Good!"
Before she could reply, his lips closed over her nipple and she gasped as he suckled at her through the satin of her bra. Tangling her fingers into his hair, she held his head to her, giving in to the sensations he was creating. He knelt before her and his lips slid lower as he nipped and kissed his way down the soft skin of her stomach, igniting a trail of fire within her. His progress was impeded by the remains of her dress and he grunted in frustration.
Kathryn pushed him back a step and pulled the tattered garment off, tossing it to the deck. She felt a brief moment of self-consciousness at standing before him in only her bra and panties, but it faded as she glanced up to find him pulling his sweater over his head. Struck silent, she simply stared. Broad, powerful shoulders and a heavily muscled chest over a flat golden stomach broken only by the faintest arrow of black fuzz trailing into the waistband of his trousers. He caught her eye and smiled wolfishly at the hunger on her face.
"You're gorgeous," she murmured, and he laughed.
"Thank you," he replied, pulling her into his arms. They both sighed as skin touched skin, and then they laughed at the tandem sighs. He pushed her out to arm's length, letting his gaze wander very thoroughly over her body. "But you... there are no words, Kathryn. And... I didn't think it was possible, but you're even more beautiful when you blush," he laughed, as the color crept over her pale skin.
What was meant to be a gentle kiss quickly grew fevered, and Kathryn gasped for air as Chakotay ground himself against her, pinning her to the wall. His tongue plunged roughly into her mouth, claiming her and stealing her breath. One hand cupped and kneaded her breast, pinching the nipple until she ached with need, and the other slid down her stomach, slipping under the waistband of her panties and tangling in her curls.
Kathryn broke the kiss with a cry, nails raking across his shoulders as he searched through her slick folds, the heel of his hand grinding into her sensitive nub as he slid two thick fingers deep within her. Frustrated by the wisp of fabric, he took his hand from her breast and tore her panties from her, dropping them on her dress. His hand was kneading her breast again before she even had time to whimper in protest at its absence.
She wrapped one leg around his waist, opening herself to him as much as she could. Chakotay was panting in her ear, hot, passionate words, some she didn't understand, and she choked out his name as they only added to the fire inside her. She was overwhelmed by the intensity of the climax rushing toward her; it had been a long time, but she didn't think it had ever been this powerful.
Her stomach knotted and suddenly she couldn't breathe. Her eyes flew open and she had a vague glimpse of her surroundings. My first officer is finger fucking me in the armory, she thought, just as Chakotay slid a third finger inside her and growled, "You feel so fucking good..."
She dug her fingernails into his skin, her toes arching as she cried out his name and the waves crashed over her. She shuddered against him, her muscles clenching around his fingers, and he groaned, his warm breath skating across her glistening skin. She was gasping for air as he soothed her down from her high, his movements gentle now. Her hands trembled as she reached for the waistband of his trousers.
"God, Chakotay, now!"
He pushed himself away from her, and she had to hang onto the nearest shelf to keep from slipping bonelessly to the floor. He unbuckled his belt and pushed his trousers down just far enough, freeing his throbbing shaft. She had no more than a quick glimpse of glistening flesh before he picked her up by the hips and drove into her tight sheath in one fierce thrust. Kathryn yelped and he froze, having heard more than pleasure in the sound.
"Fuck," he panted harshly. "You okay? Did I hurt you?"
"Oh God," she moaned. "No, that feels so good... just... give me a second."
He obediently held still, but she could see the strain on his face, and when she raised a hand to trace the lines of his tattoo, he bucked involuntarily, hissing at the contact. The head of his cock nudged the neck of her womb, and she gasped. Her hands found his shoulders again and she wrapped her legs around his waist as she raised herself, riding him, slowly at first. He cried out sharply.
"Kathryn... I don't... I can't -- " His voice was desperate.
"Come on then, Chakotay," she purred, moving faster.
"Oh fuck," he grunted, grabbing her hips and gripping her tightly. He ground her into the wall, pounding into her in hard, short strokes. He filled her completely, his shaft sliding snugly against her walls, and she moaned with each stroke. He let go of one hip to slide his hand between them, pinching at her swollen bundle of nerves, and she screamed, her hand reaching blindly at the shelves near her for support.
"Ohhh, God, Chakotay! That... oh God! Oh fuck, you feel so goddamned good," she panted out, and he grunted and captured her mouth in a fierce kiss, his tongue mimicking the movement of his body into hers, his strokes even shorter and faster now. Shards of pleasure sparked through her, spreading from where they were joined, and she came with a cry, her muscles tightening on his shaft, increasing the friction with each stroke.
Chakotay felt her clenching around him, milking his cock as it plunged within her, and he stiffened, back arching. The fire ate through him, and his thrusts became jerky and uneven. She thrust back at him, matching him move for move.
"Oh fuck, I'm gonna -- "
"Come on, baby..."
With a strangled shout of her name, Chakotay plunged hard within her one last time, and she cried out as the sensation of him spilling himself within her triggered an aftershock. He pounded fiercely into her, all control gone, lost in his release, and she clung to him, his name ripping from her lips with each powerful thrust. Weakened, he collapsed onto her, sliding to his knees and pinning her to the wall, still buried to the hilt inside her. His face rested in the curve of her neck, his breath hot on her skin as he recovered.
He pushed himself off of her, resting against the bulkhead and pulling her into his lap, cradling her in his arms while they regained their composure. After a moment, he opened his eyes to study her face.
"You okay?"
"Okay? I can hardly move!" she laughed.
His face creased in concern. "I'm sorry, Kathryn... I didn't mean to be so rough -- "
"It was wonderful."
He grinned smugly. "Next time will be slower, I promise." When she raised an eyebrow at him, he chuckled. "Well, maybe the time after that," he amended, setting her on the deck and getting to his feet, and she shivered at the images his words produced in her mind. He took a moment to straighten his trousers, buckling his belt, and then he offered her a hand.
She stood, and then bent, groaning slightly at the movement, to pick up her clothing. Or rather, what was left of it. She stared at it, horrified, and then at him, holding her destroyed dress in one hand and her torn panties in the other. He tried to look penitent, but he couldn't help the chuckle that burst from him.
"Sorry."
"Sorry?" She threw the dress at him. He handed her his sweater, and she pulled it over her head. "That's all well and good, but how are we supposed to get out of here, Chakotay? I love your sweater, but I'm not walking down the corridor wearing it and nothing else! Chakotay!" she repeated, as he was too absorbed in the sight of her standing before him, hands on hips, in nothing but his sweater. He shook his head, clearing it.
"We'll beam out."
"We can't beam out! It will show up in the logs! Oh God, we have to get out of here -- "
"Kathryn."
"We have to leave! Oh, how could we have... Somebody might come in at any moment -- "
"Kathryn!"
She looked at him, fear in her eyes, and he knew this was about more than getting out of the armory undetected. The consequences of her actions were starting to make themselves known, and she was panicking. She'd told him she wouldn't push him away again, and he knew she'd meant it, but some things were deeply ingrained, and he had to stop this now. He pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly and ignoring her brief struggle.
"Kathryn, relax, please. It will all be okay. Trust me. Everything will be fine. Just relax."
He felt her stiff posture relax as she slumped into him, holding him tightly, and they simply stood for a moment. He tilted her chin up with his finger, staring into her wide blue eyes. They were much calmer.
"Okay now?"
She nodded, looking down and biting her lip. "I'm sorry..."
"Don't be sorry, my beloved. Habits are hard to break, but I promise I'll do everything I can to help you break this one."
She smiled, raising a hand to stroke his cheek. "Thank you, Chakotay. For everything. For loving me."
He laughed, kissing her. "You're welcome. Now come on, we really should get going."
"How are we going to get out of here?"
"Leave it to me. Get your stuff."
She picked up her dress, frowning at the tear down the front. "We have to find the buttons. I'm missing..." She counted briefly. "Nine."
"The buttons?"
"I'm not leaving them here for Tuvok to find during his next inspection!"
He sighed. "Fine." He knelt down, searching around and under the crates and racks of weapons that surrounded them. "This could take forever, you know. And while we're at it, look for your hairpins. Just don't find them with your knees."
She laughed, and at the wonderful sound, he glanced at her over his shoulder. She was on her hands and knees, looking under the crate opposite him, and her bare ass peeked out from under the hem of his sweater. He groaned softly, feeling his body respond to the sight. Not now! Get her out of here, and then you can show her exactly what that sight does to you! Resolutely, he turned away from the temptation and snatched a button off the deck. They searched in silence for a while.
"Kathryn," he called eventually, his voice muffled.
"Hmm?"
"Can I delete Michael?"
She chuckled. "And what if I say no?"
"Then I will drag you into his pub and proceed to demonstrate that you are mine now."
"Oh? And how to you plan to do that, mister?"
"By doing what we just did. On his bar."
She laughed, staring at him. "Macho pig. That's not necessary, Chakotay. How bout... how bout we return him to the way he was originally, and... and give him his wife back."
He frowned, vaguely disappointed, and then he nodded. She looked away suddenly.
"But you'll have to do it. I locked myself out of his programming," she said, and before he could say anything, she added quickly, "I have five buttons. How many do you have?"
He smiled a bit at her discomfiture. "Four."
"Good, let's get out of here."
"Wait a minute -- "
"Chakotay!"
"This'll just take a minute. Computer, access holodeck program Fair Haven. Restore holocharacter Michael Sullivan to all original parameters, including familial settings and interactions with other holocharacters. And delete all memory subroutines of an individual named Katie O'Clare."
"Acknowledged... working... restoration complete."
He smiled somewhat sadly at her. "I guess that's enough of a punishment for him. He won't remember you. I know that would be more than enough to kill me."
She looked away from him as tears suddenly flooded her eyes at his murmured statement. He wrapped an arm around her waist, hugging her to his side.
"Ready?"
"Yes, please. Get us out of here."
"Computer, on my mark, site-to-site transport of Captain Janeway and me to the captain's quarters and initiate transporter subroutine... uh... oh! Chakotay Liberty Alpha." He grinned at her. "Had to think about it. It's been a while."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "And what exactly does this subroutine do?"
"It erases the most recent entry in the transporter logs and replaces it with a previous blank entry."
Her glare grew in intensity, and he grinned again. "I've never used it, Kathryn. It's from my first few days on Voyager."
She eyed him inscrutably, and then said evenly, "We'll have to discuss this, Chakotay. In detail... later."
His smile faltered. She hadn't called him Commander, so -- he yelped as her hand came down swiftly on his ass, and when he glanced at her again, she was grinning. Wickedly.
"Spirits help me. Energize."
Just as they started to dematerialize, a scrap of color on the deck caught her eye.
"Shit, Chakotay! I dropped my underw -- "