Disclaimer: Paramount owns everything, except my thoughts. At least until their check clears. They own the characters, I own the story.
Summary: Janeway gets a strange visitor, who points out the error of her ways in regards to her views on Protocol concerning her feelings about Chakotay.
Timely Advice
By Guinan
Kathryn sat on the couch in her ready room, staring blindly at an invisible spot on the adjacent wall. She was dead tired, having spent almost every minute this past week with Kashyk, looking for that damn wormhole, and then his ultimate betrayal, the whole thing had just exacted its toll on her. Kathryn had just finished logging her entire report on the incident and was taking a few minutes to gather the energy to go to bed, when her combadge chirped.
"Neelix to Janeway"
"Janeway here what can I do for you Neelix"
"Captain, I just reminding those interested that this year's Christmas Party will be underway at 21:00 hr.."
"Thank you Neelix," Kathryn said, a little sadness creeping into her voice "You will be attending won't you Captain?"
" Well I'm rather behind...." Neelix interrupted "Captain, everyone will be so disappointed you must attend!"
Kathryn gave a small laugh, she knew that meant that Neelix would be disappointed. In the last month she had managed to anger, upset or just plain alienates 90 % of her senior staff, and probably half the crew. B'Elanna was still angry about her authorizing the use of Crell Moset's work to save her life; Harry was upset with her for actually shooting at Tom's shuttle and Tom, well the entire ship knew why she wasn't on Tom's gift list this year. And Chakotay... he hadn't said two words to her all day, she knew that he had read her report, probably with in minutes of her logging it in. She kept telling her self that not omitting Kashyk kissing her was part of filing a complete log entry. But if it was, then why did she leave out any mention of the second kiss?
In any case, she was sure Chakotay would be more comfortable with her absent, so what would be the point of going. No... Aside from Neelix and maybe Tuvok she would not be missed. Still Neelix would probably pester her for another 20 minutes on this subject and she really was too tired to argue.
"Neelix I promise to make an appearance, I can't say when or how long I'll stay, but I will be there."
"Wonderful! We'll be expecting you, Neelix out"
Suddenly the door to her ready room chimed. *be boop* Lord, now who could that be? With an inward groan Kathryn sat up "Come." Leaning forward to pick up her cup, she was surprised to see Chakotay stride into the room.
"Commander? What can I do for you?"
"Captain" His face was carefully neutral, his voice pleasant, nothing revealed here. But then there wouldn't be, would there? He learned from the master. Didn't she do just the same each time he found other diversions? The two of them, they certainly made a pair, didn't they? Moving toward her, he handed her a PADD. " Here are the timetables for construction to replace the lost shuttles. Since we lost the last two working standard fleet ones. B'Elanna thinks we can build two from the remaining parts in cargo bay 2. However if we concentrate our efforts on just one standard issue shuttle and one more Delta Flyer, it may be more to our advantage. It would of course mean assigning Paris to that during duty hours. Which could leave us understaffed in sickbay."
Kathryn nodded, "Well the doctor will just have to make due. Rotate him as needed to sickbay, but assign him to shuttle duty. Anything else?" She placed the PADD next to her cup.
"No..." Chakotay seemed to hesitate.
"Dismissed then."
Chakotay then looked at her with concern," You're not in here beating yourself up over this are you? I know it cost us two shuttles, and maybe some time trying to get around Devore space, but it was worth it. You saved those people." Kathryn looked at her first officer and smiled, "Well thank you for the vote of confidence, Chakotay... but somehow I don't think Starfleet would have approved."
"Well maybe not, but you'd be in good company. I think most of history's great Captain's were always doing things that Starfleet wouldn't have approved, in the end its what makes them great. All in all, I think someone like James Kirk would be proud of Kathryn Janeway today."
"Captain James T. Kirk huh,? Well, if I see him in the here-after, I' ll be sure to ask him." Kathryn laughed, "Good night Commander."
Chakotay smiled, "Goodnight Captain." Chakotay left the ready room. Kathryn sat sipping her coffee. James Kirk indeed. Setting down her cup, she thought 'if I can just rest my eyes for a minute, maybe I can get through a short appearance at the party and into my bed with in the hour. Just.. a.. few... minutes...'
********
Kathryn awoke feeling somewhat refreshed. "Computer, time."
"The time is 22:30 hr."
Stretching, she said to her self aloud. "I guess I still have time..."
Suddenly a voice spoke, " Not as much time as you would think, Captain" Kathryn startled as her chair turned to reveal a man dressed in an old fashion Starfleet uniform. "Who are you?" She demanded. With a bemused smile, he replied " Well, last time I looked, I was Jim Kirk, and you are?"
"Kathryn Janeway, Captain of the USS Voyager, and I know who you look like, but you can't be Captain Kirk, he's dead."
"Well.. I could be the ghost of Christmas past, but that's already been done, or I could be your conscience, but I'm way to big too be a cricket, so James Kirk I must be. But, call me Jim."
Kathryn called out to the computer, " Intruder alert!" No programmed reply came. She tried again. "Computer, alert security there is a unidentified intruder in my ready room." No reply. Kathryn hit her combadge, "Janeway to Tuvok." "Janeway to Chakotay." Nothing. Kathryn started out towards the bridge, but the doors remained closed. Hitting the access panel did nothing to allow her out of her ready room. Moving into the middle of the room, Kathryn stood hands on hips. " Q!" She called to the empty air.
Kirk stood up and said, "R!"
"What?"
"You said Q, doesn't R come next?"
"This is not a game."
"Well, you started it." Kirk moved around the ready room looking rather impressed. "You know... None of my ships ever had a ready room. I think I'm jealous."
With hands on hips, Kathryn was not going to be distracted. "I want to know who you are and why are you here."
"Kate, I already told you I'm Jim Kirk, and as for why I am here..." His attention turned to the wall, "What is this?"
"That is a food replicator. You just tell it what you would like and it gives it to you. And my name is *Kathryn*"
"Yes, yes of course, Kathryn. May I?"
"By all means, " Kathryn replied with a hint of sarcasm.
"Romulan Ale, vintage 2264." And a small glass containing a clear blue liquid appeared. Taking a sip, Kirk closed his eyes for a second to savor it. " Yep, now I know I'm jealous." Moving to sit on the couch, Kirk motioned for her to join him. Curious, and realizing there really wasn't much else she could do, she sat. Taking another small sip of his drink, Kirk gazed at Kathryn carefully before beginning. "First of all, I am Jim Kirk. You say I'm dead... maybe. I have been dead before, I recommend avoiding it as long as possible. Why am I here? I'm assuming that who ever or whatever has brought me here thinks you'll listen to me."
Kathryn looked at Kirk. Well stranger things have happened. She did meet Amelia Earhart for pete's sake, why not James Kirk? Leaning forward to add more coffee to her cup, she asked," Listen to you about what? What could you possibly have to tell me out here in the Delta Quadrant that I need to listen to?"
Kirk drained his glass and set it on the table. " Time"
Kathryn was confused. "Time?"
"Yes time. You said you had plenty of time." Kathryn smiled " I was referring to having plenty of time to get to Neelix's Christmas Party. Neelix is..."
Kirk held up his hand to interrupt her, " For the sake of expediency, let's assume I know everything you know... Neelix: race a Talaxian. Ship's cook and morale officer, a short,orange and fuzzy fellow, right?"
Fascinated, Kathryn just nodded. "Right then. Aside from the party, there is something else you think you have plenty of time for. A personal life, right?"
Kathryn started. " Captain Kirk, I really don't see where that is any of your...."
"Jim... call me Jim," Kirk smiled, and then drained his glass "ahhh that's good... and you're right normally it wouldn't be any of my business. But someone, some how made this my business." He said as he stood up, and made his way back to the replicator. He paused to order another Romulan Ale before he continued. "Let me tell you some of the things I missed because I thought I had plenty of time. My son, I missed his entire life. And when I found him, all grown up I thought we had plenty of time. Time to make up for all we lost, and then he was gone. As was his mother and every woman I ever loved. And by the time I had realized it, time had gone and left me by the way side. Old and alone with nothing but my career. And when that was gone... well."
Lost of a minute in his painful memories finally Kirk shrugged, "Anyway I was given a second chance. Not everyone is, and this is yours. Don't waste time, one day you're 35 with your first assignment, and in a blink of a eye you're 70 and Starfleet is handing you your gold watch and shaking your hand in thanks as they move you out the door."
Kirk drained his drink again setting the empty glass on the table. "Now don't get me wrong. I wasn't a monk. There were women, quite a few actually. I guess I had quite the reputation back then," Kirk gave a joyless laugh " but that too fades. A reputation doesn't keep you warm at night." Looking pointedly at Janeway, he added, "Of course, you wouldn't even have that, would you? You're just passing through, you won't be around to know who kisses and tells. "
Kathryn stood up moving towards the window watching the stars streamed by; she ran her hand through her hair with a sigh. "Capta... I mean Jim, what about Starfleet protocol? And I have to get this crew home. That is my first priority, this is my fault. When we get back, there will be plenty of time for myself, but right now I can't..."
Kirk moved next to her "Kate..." Kathryn started to correct him, but just sighed instead. Giving up, she waited for him to continue. " You've cut some time off your trip," Kirk continued "but after 5 years, you still have more than 50,000 light years to go. Even if your luck holds out you could still be out here for 10, maybe 15 years. It was never Starfleet's intention for anyone to make that kind of sacrifice."
Kathryn shook her head, "That reason more than any other, makes any personal relationship for me unwise. I mean if things didn't go well, we're stuck here for the duration."
Kirk laughed out loud. "That is the dumbest argument I ever heard. What makes you any different from B'Elanna Torres, or Harry Kim, or any of the 195 other crew members aboard Voyager? Life is a gamble, playing it safe is the cowards way out, Kate, and Starfleet Captains are rarely cowards." Putting a conspiratorial arm around her shoulders, Kirk said " Besides, look around you, lady. You have accomplished by accident what Starfleet could have never done by design. You have successfully integrated the entire Maquis crew, you have a reformed Borg on board as a regular crewmember, and you have collected data that will keep Starfleet scientists busy for decades to come. So what if you return and they find that Captain Janeway is in love with her first officer? Trust me that will be the last thing they notice or complain about!"
Giving her a light slap on the back, he laughed at some inside joke that seemed to escape her. Kathryn, for once at a loss for words, allowed Kirk to lead her back across her ready room. Stopping in front of the door, Kathryn turned to him to ask," So what do I do now?"
"Stop hurting each other with meaningless affairs. Go down to that party, ask him for a dance, have a little something to eat, have a good time. You'll feel better, he'll feel better and your crew will feel better. Or better yet, head for his quarters and on the way, make a stop at the mess hall and liberate a bottle of that Talaxian brandy Neelix stashes behind the Katerian potatoes and give the fellow what he would REALLY like for Christmas. But what ever you do... stop wasting time." With that he gave her a pat on the rear and sent her through her previously locked door.
****** Kathryn awoke with a start. "Computer, time." The computer answered dutifully, " The time is 21:30 hr." With a sigh of relief, she sat back on the couch and relaxed a bit. "It must have been just a dream." she said laughing to herself "what a crazy dream to have, I need to get to bed before I end up having lunch with Kahless himself." Smiling as she stood up she reached to pick up her coffee cup, when she noticed it. A small glass with a tiny amount of blue liquid pooling at the bottom. One dip of her finger confirmed it: Romulan Ale.
"Computer, location of Commander Chakotay" "Commander Chakotay is his quarters" With a smile, Kathryn headed towards the turbo-lift, with a quick pit stop at the Mess Hall to filch Neelix's bottle of brandy.
***** In the Alpha Quadrant, on the beautiful planet of Chal... "Jim... JIM." Teilani nudged her husband. Jim Kirk awoke to see the beautiful half Klingon giving him a familiar look. The look that told him he'd been talking in his sleep again and woke her. Giving her a kiss, he pulled her close. "You won 't believe the crazy dream I just had." Teilani snuggled in close, pulling the cover over them both, "Why don't you tell me about it. You can start by telling me who Kate is?
~Finis~
Guinan
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