Disclaimer: If I owned Star Trek Voyager a few things never would have happened and some things would have happened, so obviously I don't own Voyager.

A/N: I was apparently in a bit of a fluff mood when I wrote this so be warned. Also, this is J/C, but here's also hints of Celes/Gerron. Random, I know, but I always thought Gerron was kinda adorable.


Tal Celes sighed from her spot on the log and leaned back against the boulder behind her. "How long have we been here?" She asked while using the toe of her boot to kick a small rock back and forth.

"Ten minutes longer then the last time you asked." Gerron grumbled from the other end of the log they were using as a bench.

"Approximately two hours and thirteen minutes." Vorik answered from where he stood scanning a big blue flower and apparently choosing to ignore Gerron's agitated grumblings.

Kathryn Janeway watched the exchange with a slightly amused twist of her lips. This wasn't exactly how she planned for the away mission to go, but it could have been worse. At least they were all safe and no one was injured. Not yet anyways. Judging by the way crewman Gerron was subtly staring at Celes' foot as it kicked that rock around, the young woman might be about to lose said foot…either that or he was contemplating giving her a foot rub.

"Bored?" Chakotay's voice broke through her observations of the three crewmen on the other side of the camp fire.

She looked over at him as he sat down on the forest ground next to her, getting a bit closer than was technically necessary considering they were far enough away from the others that they couldn't be overheard that easily. She decided not to mention that though. It was starting to get colder as the evening began approaching so the added body heat would probably come in handy.

"Bored?" She echoed with a small smile and a raised eyebrow. "How could I be bored when they're providing all this entertainment." She answered, tilting her head towards the three silent crewmembers.

Chakotay chuckled, glancing over at the other members of the away team before turning his attention back to her. "It could be worse."

Janeway nodded in agreement and looked back towards the others. "It could. Just our luck though…." She began, picking up a small brown pebble to inspect while leaning against the log behind her. "We come down to investigate some ruins and wind up getting stuck on this planet because of a magnetic space storm interfering with transporters."

"Never a normal day in the Delta Quadrant." Chakotay stated with a glint of humor in his eyes as he scooted back against the log as well. "According to Harry the storm should die down enough for us to beam through in about ten more hours though."

"I'm not sure Tal's foot will last that long." She muttered, tossing the pebble she now had memorized off to the side and choosing to study the surrounding trees that circled the small camp site instead.

Glancing back at Chakotay she noticed the amused expression on his face as he watched the two bajoran's across the encampment. Tal Celes was still slumped back against the big boulder, her foot still knocking that little rock around while she stared down at it with the smallest hint of a pout. Gerron on the other hand had his arms crossed over his chest as he sat crossways on the log, so his back was against a tree, while staring blankly at the ground surrounding Tal's foot and rock.

"You know, Celes seems to be one of the few who can get a rise out of him." Chakotay suddenly stated, looking towards the former maquis. "He's usually pretty laid back, doesn't really seem to care about much, so it's rare to see him outwardly agitated."

Kathryn nodded, following his gaze just in time to see Vorik casually move to sit down between the two bajorans while simultaneously studying his tricorder. She couldn't help but to smirk when Gerron glanced up briefly before shifting closer to the tree and letting his gaze drift back to Tal's foot.

Janeway was so entranced in her observations that it took a moment longer than usual for her to feel Chakotay's eyes on her. However, once she did she immediately looked over at him. There was something unrecognizable in his dark eyes for a brief second, but it was swept away before she could figure out what it was. Now he was just watching her with the usual gaze he'd give her when they were alone together, only this time he didn't bother looking away when he realized she caught him.

For the first time she began putting names to the emotions she saw there. Adoration, hope, reluctance….and a longing so deep it seemed to make the air around him sizzle and the hair on back of her neck stand on end. Together it mixed into one over all emotion that she couldn't admit to herself. After all, she could be wrong. It might not be the way she thinks he means it or how she wants him to mean it. And if she was wrong….

"This place kind of reminds me of New Earth." He stated softly, with only a tinge of humor in his otherwise serious tone. He smiled sadly as if remembering a bittersweet memory while bringing a hand up to move a wayward strand of hair out of her face.

It was a gentle gesture which, done by anyone else, wouldn't have felt quite so intimate. But when he did it, his fingers ghosting against her cheek, it sent a shiver down her spine. She met his eyes, trying to convey her own reluctance and silently ask what he thought he was doing.

His lips parted as if he were about to speak, but before the words could actually be formed a frustrated exclamation quickly broke their eye contact.

"Will you stop messing with that rock already!" Gerron gritted out, a flash of something entering his eyes for a second as he glared over at Tal Celes.

"Okay." Celes squeaked softly, eyes nervously darting to Gerron and back as she huddled against the boulder some more and brought her feet closer to the log. She then began fidgeting with the hands in his lap and periodically glancing over at the dark haired bajoran.

Janeway and Chakotay shared a knowing, though slightly awkward look, before she began pushing herself up off the ground. Chakotay followed suit, offering her a hand as she stood.

"The sun will be going down in about an hour and a half." She began, waiting for everyone's attention before continuing. "We have blankets and a few rations with us so I suggest we eat and then get some rest."

She watched as Celes eagerly stood, smiling in the usual admiring way, and waited for orders. Vorik followed with his hands behind his back while Gerron then reluctantly began to stand as well. "Vorik, you and Celes do one more scan of the area just to make sure we're alone. Gerron, start unpacking the blankets. There should be enough for each of us to have two, but check to make sure." She ordered and watched as they drifted away to do as they were commanded before turning to Chakotay.

"Care to help me with dinner, Commander?" She asked teasingly, with a quirked eyebrow.

"My pleasure, Captain." Came Chakotay's answer with a grin that showed off his dimples and twinkling eyes.

A few minutes later the ration packs were laid out besides the fire and the folded blankets piled on a near by rock. Chakotay made himself and her a plate which he then handed to her while she took out a water container for him. Tal Celes got hers next, followed by Vorik.

As the vulcan straightened he casually eyed the spot on the ground next to Celes which was close to where he'd been sitting before, but with a glance towards Gerron, who was now getting his rations, he instead walked around the camp fire and took the empty spot next to Chakotay.

Kathryn nearly chuckled at the vulcan's antics when Gerron then stood and nonchalantly sat next to Celes. However she resisted the urge and simply smiled instead, especially when Celes scooted closer to the fire and therefore inching just that much closer to Gerron as well.

After that dinner was mostly silent. The only real conversation was from herself and Chakotay as they discussed ship business and general maintenance. Vorik and Celes did occasionally pitch in a comment or two and at one point even began a conversation between themselves involving a vulcan delicacy that Vorik's mother had apparently perfected. Gerron remained quite, only giving one or two word answers when Celes would try engaging him in the conversation. Or at least that's how it had been up until now.

Janeway listened as Gerron and Tal talked back and forth, though some might describe it more as bickering, while she poured herself some coffee from the thermos that Neelix had apparently snuck into her bag just before the mission.

"My father made the best ratamba stew you could find anywhere." Celes insisted, gesturing excitedly. "I used to help him so I know for a fact there was kava in it."

Gerron rolled his eyes and shook his head in her direction. "Ratamba doesn't have kava in it. Not if it's real ratamba."

Celes narrowed her eyes, one eyebrow raising minutely. "How do you know anyways?"

"I've made it once or twice." The dark haired bajoran mumbled, looking away and avoiding eye contact which just made Celes grin, her eyes getting brighter with amusement.

"You can cook!" Tal exclaimed with a tinge of surprise in her voice.

"I don't cook." Gerron rebutted firmly, still not looking at Celes or anyone else.

"But you can." Celes pointed out happily as if it were the biggest news she'd heard in a long time.

A suspiciously mischievous look entered the young woman's eyes and Kathryn had the feeling Gerron would find himself in the kitchen once they got back to the ship. When Gerron rolled his eyes again with a small, slightly amused smirk, Janeway mentally patted Celes on the back for getting him to open up. Even if it was just a small crack, it was still an achievement to be proud of.

"I believe ratamba actually has katterpod in it." Vorik spoke up. Gerron didn't respond, but Tal titled her head to the side, brows furrowing in contemplation.

"I think that's only if you put it over pasta." She said thoughtfully.

Janeway caught Chakotay's eyes with a small, knowing smile before finishing off her coffee. "I thinks that's enough talk about stew for now." She began, standing and once again being followed by Chakotay. "We might as well get some rest since we still have several hours before the storm clears."

"There aren't suppose to be any dangerous life forms around here…." Chakotay began, looking down at the three crewmembers. "But someone should keep watch, just in case."

"We'll take shifts." Janeway stated, giving a brief nod in agreement. "I'll take the first. The rest of you…" She continued, gesturing towards the blankets still stacked neatly on the rock. "Get some sleep."

As she watched them move over to the rock to retrieve their blankets with a chorus of 'aye, Captain' and 'yes, ma'ams' she suddenly felt as if she were tucking them into bed. A feeling she quickly and firmly kicked aside.

She stood back away from the camp fire to give them room to lay their mats down just as Chakotay approached with two extra blankets. "I'll go ahead and get yours ready for when it's your turn to sleep." He stated casually, which was obviously his way of telling her not to even attempt staying up all night so the rest of them could sleep the whole time.

She raised an eyebrow at him, a small smirk twisting the corner of her lips upwards, and nodded briefly. As Chakotay began laying out his mat near the fire she turned her attention to the other three.

Vorik was already beginning to lay down, on the right side of the fire, his second blanket thrown loosely, but neatly over his lower half. Gerron and Celes were a different matter though.

Tal unfolded one of her blankets and was just about to throw it down on the ground when Gerron reached out and grabbed her upper arm to stop her. She looked up at him questioningly, eyes darting from the hand on her arm to his face. "You'll freeze to death there. It's getting colder." He stated quickly and stepped to the side a bit, gently edging her closer to the last accessible spot near the camp fire. "Here, get closer to the fire." He muttered so quietly it was barely audible.

He then quickly let go of her arm with his patented nonchalant look as she smiled appreciatively at him. "No point in getting frost bite." He stated, this time a bit louder, before turning to lay his own blanket on the ground not far from where Celes was still standing and staring at him.

With a quiet 'thank you' which Gerron simply nodded at, Celes laid her mat on the ground and quickly followed, wrapping her second blanket around her shoulders and up to her chin while periodically glancing over at Gerron.

Once Janeway saw that all three of them were down for the night, she turned her attention back to Chakotay. He was turned on his side and apparently watching her. Of course he was also laying on what she had originally assumed would be her sleeping mat, but apparently he'd reserved the blanket closer to the fire for her. With that arrangement she'd be sleeping between him and the camp fire.

She didn't comment though, instead she simply gave him a pointed look which he returned with a rather cheeky grin. Rolling her eyes she then turned and walked over to one of the larger rocks so she could sit and keep watch.


A/N: What do you think so far?