A/N: My gift for the Spring Fling Exchange 2009, for Tanya, who requested a Tom/Kes fic. I didn't post it then because I wasn't quite happy with the story and wanted to rewrite it before posting it - which I of course never got around to. However, with some prompting and as I'm doing anniversary cleaning anyway, I went over the story again, found it not quite as bad as I'd remembered, and decided to post it. Have fun!
Disclaimer: not my characters, universe, etc.

Big Brother is Watching

As a pasta-decked Tom and Neelix left her ready room, Kathryn tried to quell her grin by taking a sip from her coffee. Almost before the doors had closed, her chime rang again.

'Come in!' she said. An amused looking Chakotay came in and as he shot a questioning glance first at the closing doors after the two officers and then at her, she lost her fight with her mirth and chuckled. Chakotay responded with a grin as he came to stand before her desk.

'Any idea what's going on with them?' he asked.

Kathryn shrugged. 'The only thing they wanted to divulge was that it was a 'personal problem',' she said, 'but I think I can safely say that Neelix is serving pasta for lunch.' Chakotay chuckled freely. Kathryn's eyes suddenly narrowed suspiciously and she scooted forward in her seat and bowed closer towards him. 'You know something,' she started accusingly, 'what did you hear?'

Chakotay tried an innocent look but her glare stayed. Giving up his teasing, he took one of the seats in front of her desk. 'I did some investigating while you talked to them and apparently their argument was about Kes.'

'Kes?' Kathryn asked surprised, 'how so?'

'My sources seem to think this fight started because Neelix suspects there's something going on between Kes and Tom.'

'Between Kes and Tom? Well, I guess stranger things have happened, but still…' her voice was full of disbelief. 'Any idea when this started?'

'Your guess is as good as mine.'

'Well, I guess we'll have to wait and see how they make it through this mission. Perhaps they'll be able to work out their differences.'

'Indeed.'

'Anything else, Commander?'

'Not really, Captain.'

'In that case, dismissed.'

Chakotay left, leaving Kathryn to her thoughts.

-xxx-

'I heard they beamed up fighting and Tuvok had to come down to the transport room to pry them apart.' Kathryn said as she brought over their pasta from the replicator.

'Who told you that?' Chakotay asked with surprise before he took a whiff of the pasta. 'Hmm, this smells good.'

'Thank you. Tuvok told me,' Janeway deadpanned, taking her seat.

Chakotay frowned as the picked up his fork. 'And you're asking me what happened because you think he's lying?' He asked disbelieving, taking a first bite of the pasta and nodding in satisfaction.

'No, I'm asking you because there has to be more to the story and you're bound to know it.' Janeway shot before trying the pasta too. Chakotay chuckled. 'So, are you going to tell me or what?' she pressed when he hadn't answered her by the time she'd swallowed her mouthful.

Chakotay's amusement disappeared as he told the rest of the story. 'Apparently, Neelix broke up with Kes immediately after he returned and he's refused to talk to her since,' he answered, stabbing into his dinner a bit morosely.

Janeway's fork hovered in midair as she focussed on the story. 'Poor Kes,' she said, not caring about the bits of pasta falling off her still-hovering fork.

'Indeed. I'm hoping once Neelix calms down they'll be able to work it out.'

'I hope you're right,' Kathryn answered with a worried frown.

-xxx-

Their hopes proved in vain as the next couple of days saw no improvement in Neelix' mood. His normally bright disposition had evaporated and he snapped at anyone who came within six feet, shooting dark glares at everyone else in the room. His change in temper would have scared anyone normally brave enough to eat there from coming to the mess hall, if it weren't for the fact that, strangely enough, while his mood worsened, his food improved remarkably. It came to be so that groups of crewmembers could be found just outside the mess hall around dinner hours, gambling, bribing, or simply forcing one of their fellow crewmates to bear the brunt of Neelix' temper so the others could grab dinner.

Kes meanwhile, spent most of her time with her plants in the aeroponics bay, nursing a deep sadness. She was still as sweet and kind as ever, but she avoided all mention of Neelix and was the only one of the crew seemingly not appreciative of his new cooking skills.

Tom's mood shifted between sad and guilty and cautiously hopeful. He avoided Neelix at all times – resorting to getting his dinner through Harry – and Kes when in the first frame of mind. On the bridge he was erratic and jumpy, with only rarely something resembling his old humour.

When this had gone on for about a week, the Command Team decided it was time to intervene.

After long deliberation, the two leaders of Voyager decided to take a leaf out of Tom Paris' book – known to them through Kathryn's connection with Owen Paris – and use stalled turbolifts to spark conversation between their chosen subjects. Their first victims were Neelix and Kes. Because of their continuing avoidance of each other, Janeway and Chakotay feared it would be difficult to get the two former lovers in one 'lift together and they were already planning elaborate deceptions when luck struck: an unsuspecting Kes walked into a 'lift that was empty – except for Neelix. The two conspirators – carrying padds of proposed schemes – were just walking past when they saw Kes make a desperate dash for the 'lift door. It closed. Quickly, Kathryn sabotaged the controls and exchanged an expectant look with her partner in crime. Cheerful, the two carried on with their duties.

Two hours later, the two senior officers were laying in ambush on the next deck when the turbolift opened. Immediately, Neelix stormed out, a whirl of yellow and angry red. Inside the 'lift, they heard sounds of sobbing. Alarmed, the two exchanged a worried look before deciding as one to go check on Kes. The 'lift door closed before they had taken one step in its direction. Through silent communication, the two chose Kathryn to check up on Kes and she summoned up the next 'lift. Arriving at Kes' quarters, the Ocampa refused to let her in and Kathryn decided to leave her alone for the moment. Catching up to Chakotay a little later, they called this attempt a failure.

-xxx-

After their disastrous first attempt – a week later, Neelix was still fuming – Kathryn and Chakotay were somewhat hesitant to try again, but much discussion finally made them decide that Tom's theory deserved one more chance: on Tom himself. Where getting Neelix and Kes in a 'lift together had turned out to be a lucky coincidence, this second attempt took more effort. They tried summoning both of them to the ready room, but they just happened to take the same 'lift up as Tuvok. Then, on the way out, Tom's assistance was needed at the helm, which held him up for about fifteen minutes, by which time Kes – and the 'lift – were long gone. Next Kathryn tried calling Kes down to the aeroponics bay just as Tom was heading for the holodecks, but Kes accidentally bumped into one of the Delaney sisters and stopped to help her up, missing the turbolift. An attempt by Chakotay to send Tom down to help with a problem with one of the shuttle's navigation systems just as Kes headed down for her sickbay shift also failed because B'Elanna got the problem under control just as Tom got in the 'lift. Several more unsuccessful tries later, Chakotay was thinking up excuses to punch Tom in the face to get him to sickbay just as Kes' shift there started. Fortunately, he didn't have to resort to that, because just at that moment, Tom received a hail from the Captain.

'Mr Paris, report to the holodeck immediately.' Her tone sounded ominous. Tom snapped to attention.

'Yes ma'am!' he responded before hurrying towards the 'lift. Chakotay barely waited for the lift doors to close behind him before handing the bridge over to Tuvok and dashing to his office, anxious to hear if this was part of their plan or if Tom's latest holoprogram had merely completely sabotaged the controls. With held breath, he followed the turbolift as it descended through the ship, whooping out loud when the 'lift stopped to pick up a single passenger – Kes. Half a deck later, the 'lift gave out and the people within were trapped.

Having learned from the last time, Chakotay eavesdropped on their conversation for the first few minutes, but when that seemed amiable enough, he shut off the link and went in search of his co-conspirator.

Two hours later, Kathryn and Chakotay were once again waiting for a turbolift to show up. It didn't stop. By the time they had retraced its steps and reached the appropriate floor, their quarries had fled the scene, leaving no witnesses to tell them if they'd been successful. However, over the next few days, they heard rumours of Kes and Tom being friendly with each other again.

'And when he went back in, they were kissing,' Chakotay relayed the newest rumour about Kes and Tom to the Captain as the doors closed behind them.

'It seems Tom's idea wasn't that stupid after all.'

Chakotay was just about to agree with her when they felt the ground shake and the 'lift suddenly froze.

Fine