Disclaimer: Paramount/CBS own everything. I just take them out to play with them.

Author's note: This is a little different from my usual fare and was written a few months ago. It's the response to a specific Spring Fling request that I'm not going to put on here at the beginning because it'll give away some of the plot. Thanks to my beta QS for all the little fixes and for letting me keep my capitalizations. I have another beta to thank as well but, that too will be at the end.

The Things We Do

The Darling of the Delta Quadrant. Starfleet's Shining Star. Indiana's very own homegrown hero. The bitch that defeated the Borg. These were all titles that Kathryn Janeway had been called in the month since Voyager exploded into the Alpha Quadrant. She sniffed derisively at all the headlines and wondered what the headlines would be if the public knew the truth.

Kathryn Janeway wished she was still in the Delta Quadrant.

At least out there she'd still had something to look forward to. At least while she was on Voyager, she could believe the dream was still possible. She could pretend that protocol was the reason she slept alone at night, but those fantasies had been stripped away with the arrival of her future self. Admiral Janeway had made it possible for Voyager to return home, but Kathryn had never imagined what it would be like to do so without the possibility of Chakotay in her future. Now that future was a reality.

All the briefings had concluded and all charges had been dismissed. Long overdue promotions for the lower ranks had been handed out with deliberation still pending on the senior staff. With most of the paperwork straightened out, Starfleet intended to parade their newest heroes for the entire galaxy to see. The "official" welcome home party was in full swing by the time Kathryn Janeway arrived at the reception hall.

She viewed the celebration as a bittersweet conclusion. Her crew deserved nothing less than to be given all the accolades the world had to offer, but there were also going to be things here she didn't want to see. Things she had done her best to avoid seeing. Things like Chakotay and Seven. Together.

But as she was Starfleet's newest darling, she couldn't very well not show up. She made her way around the celebration, greeting all of her crew and their family members. She'd already seen most of the families in passing at their arrival on Earth, but tonight she was able to converse with them and give specific thanks and compliments to each. She held her wine glass in front of her as though it was a shield, and the armor of her captain's mask was securely in place. She was of course not wearing the mask that made her enemies cringe, but she had adorned the one she reserved for dealing with first contacts and politicians. She even employed her best avoidance dance and managed not to come face to face with Chakotay or Seven all evening.

After several hours had passed and most of the admiralty and higher echelon types had left, the dancing began in earnest. More Voyager couples than she could ever have imagined were gyrating with each other out on the floor. She smiled truly happy to see them all having a good time.

She was returning from the bar when the music slowed and the couples on the floor begin moving closer together, wrapping their arms around each other. Kathryn looked out across the floor and her breath caught in her throat. Chakotay and Seven were swaying together with their bodies meshed against each other. Chakotay reached up and tucked an errant strand of hair behind Seven's ear and she smiled at him. He gave her a soft smile in return before dipping his head slightly to kiss her.

Kathryn put her hand out to the nearest chair to steady herself, and contemplated downing the entire glass of wine she was holding and going back for the bottle. She glanced up again to see Seven's head resting on Chakotay's shoulder. Kathryn closed her eyes against the tears she felt welling up, and put the glass down before she broke it. She reached for her purse, and made her way out of the reception hall as quickly and discreetly as she could.

As soon as she was outside, she sucked in a gulp of crisp night air. She released a shuddering breath, feeling the pressure in her chest building. She couldn't stay here. She began walking aimlessly down the boardwalk that was adjacent to the hall, her only goal to put some distance between herself and the happy couple.

It really was too cool to just be out walking, but the cold wind off the ocean helped dry her tears before they could fall. Kathryn shook her head at her reaction and pulled her wrap closer around her. She turned off the boardwalk heading towards the nearest transport station so she could return to her temporary quarters.

Alone.

She hadn't intended it, but she found herself walking past Pip's. She paused. Pip's was a reputable bar whose usual clientele held at least a fourth pip or more. She had been there before and had enjoyed the laid back atmosphere that allowed her to enjoy a drink without feeling her presence was impeding someone else's good time. Coming to a decision, Kathryn pulled open the door and walked inside. An Irish whiskey might be just the thing to ward off the chill she was feeling.

The lady behind the bar served her drink and commented, "Nothing like a good sip to chase away what ails you."

Kathryn glanced at the girl, "It's a cold night. I think I got a bit of a chill out there."

"Uh huh," the girl agreed in a way that let Kathryn know she didn't really believe her.

Kathryn took a sip and savored the warmth as it hit her belly. She knew damned good and well it wasn't the night air that made her shiver, but that was exactly what she was going to continue to tell herself.

Kathryn was half way through her glass when the news on the view screen above the bar began streaming reports about Voyager's homecoming reception. Her eyes were riveted to the screen as it flashed through images of most of the senior staff, herself included. She felt her hand tighten around her glass when they showed video of Chakotay and Seven arriving at the hall arm in arm.

The view screen blinked off suddenly and she automatically looked around to see why. The man two seats down from her that had ordered a scotch smiled at her and gestured to the view screen. "I thought maybe you were tired of seeing yourself on the news."

She stared at him. He had dark hair and a deeply tanned face. She'd noticed him when he ordered his drink because his voice had been such a smooth baritone. He smiled nervously when she didn't answer. "I can turn it back on if you want."

"What?" Kathryn asked. The man even had dimples.

"The news. Would you like to watch it?"
Kathryn shook herself and gave a small embarrassed laugh, "Sorry. No. No thank you. I see quite enough of myself when I look in the mirror."

He stood and walked over to her offering his hand. "My name is Charles Tate."

She took his hand. "Kath….well apparently you already know my name."

"I've seen a couple of your interviews." He smiled and released her hand. "May I sit down?"

Kathryn was suddenly wary. "Are you a reporter?"

"No."

"A writer? Publisher? Literary agent of some sort?"

He glanced at the chair he had indicated earlier. "Uh, no. None of those."

"Starfleet?" she asked, not relenting.

"No," he said again. "If you'd like to continue the interrogation I'd prefer to sit down."

Kathryn picked her purse up off the stool he had indicated. He sat down, but she stood up. "I was just leaving anyway."

He stood up again and lightly touched her arm. "Look, don't leave okay? I'll go back over there to my seat and you can finish your drink in peace. I apologize for bothering you."

Kathryn stared dumbfounded as he walked away. She sighed. "I'm the one who should be apologizing. It would appear that I've left my manners in the Delta quadrant."

He turned back to her. "It's okay. Please, enjoy your drink. You've earned it."

"Earned it?" she asked.

"I'm sure wherever it was that you've been," he said taking a step back towards her. "They didn't serve K51."

Kathryn laughed at that comment. "No, they didn't, but I'm hardly drinking anything quite that extravagant."

"Jameson, then?"

Kathryn nodded. "Would you care to join me for a round?"

"Well," he said, settling himself on the stool. "I'd hate for you to drink alone."

Alone. Kathryn's smile faltered and she hoped he hadn't noticed. "Yeah."

He appeared not to have noticed as he signaled the bartender to bring them a second round. When he turned back to her, she had hitched her mask back in place and gave him a wry grin turning the conversation back to safer ground. "So, you know Irish whiskey?"

The talk flowed smoothly, and after two hours they both realized their glasses were empty and had been for some time. Kathryn glanced around at the now empty bar. The girl behind the bar sat in a booth near the door reading a PADD.

"It's been awhile since I closed down a bar."

"I guess it is kind of late," he commented looking around.

Kathryn stood up gathering her few things. "I'm really glad you turned off the news for me."

He stood. "At the risk of sounding presumptuous, would you like to get a cup of coffee with me, Kathryn?"

Her eyes lit up at the mention of it. "I wouldn't really think that was presumptuous."

He stood and opened the door of the bar for her. "In that case, I know the best place."

They walked as close together as they could without touching as they made their way down the sidewalk. He guided them for a few blocks before turning onto the main avenue. Kathryn glanced at him wondering where they were going. She thought she knew all of the places that served coffee. She almost ran into him when he stopped abruptly in front of her.

"Here we are." He gestured to the building they were standing in front of.

Kathryn looked up and arched her eyebrow. "This is a hotel."

"Yes, it's where I'm staying, but I promise it does have a wonderful cup of coffee." He held the door open for her.

She didn't go in. "Where exactly is this cup of coffee?"

He let the door close. "There's a twenty-four hour café that serves an excellent cup of coffee and a slice of pie to go with it in the lobby."

Kathryn was surprised to feel a flutter of disappointment.

Charles stepped closer to her and grasped her hand. "Or, the replicator in my room has been known to serve up a decent brew."

She looked up into his face and felt an entirely different flutter. In a moment of indecision she licked her lips.

Charles' smile widened and he bent his head towards hers, moving slowly enough that she could move away if she wanted. She didn't, and his lips gently brushed against hers as he tilted her chin up with his fingertips. Kathryn closed her eyes and felt the slight pressure he applied and his moist breath against her lips. He drew back after only a moment, and she opened her eyes to find him eyeing her with a hunger she hadn't seen directed at her in too long a time.

She cleared her throat. "Hopefully, your replicator works better than mine."

Kathryn lay face down on the bed. She realized she was grinning like a Cheshire cat, and she knew she definitely had the afterglow right now. Or as Phoebe would call it, the "just been fucked" look. She wondered briefly what her sister would think about her recent behavior. What would anyone that knew her think? She wasn't the type to just jump into bed with a guy she just met, but essentially that was exactly what she had done. Kathryn smiled to herself as she realized Phoebe would probably congratulate her.

Charles had proven himself to be a very generous lover, and Kathryn had been long overdue. Seven years overdue. She stretched out on the bed and felt her muscles twinge. The first round had been rather frantic, and had not involved them making it past the couch in the front room. She was going to be sore tomorrow, but damn it had sure felt good at the time.

The side of the bed dipped as Charles sat down on the edge, and she turned her head so she could see him. He leaned down and kissed her bare shoulder, moving up to nuzzle her neck. Kathryn sighed happily into the pillows. She could feel his weight shift as he kneeled over her on the bed, and his hands began roaming over her shoulders.

She groaned into the pillows as he began to knead her muscles. "The foreplay really isn't necessary anymore."

He laughed lightly and worked his hands down her back, "Are you always this tense?"

"Unh." She couldn't keep her eyes open as his hands were causing blissful sensations to sweep over her. "The past couple of years have been stressful."

He leaned down reaching for the drawer of the nightstand. "I've got just the thing to get rid of those knots."

Kathryn smirked as she expected to feel massage oil on her back, but instead she felt the cold metal of a hypospray on her neck an instant before she heard the telltale hiss of an injection. She immediately tried to turn over. "What the hell?"

Charles anticipated her reaction and shifted his weight forward, pinning her torso down. She had no leverage, and she was quickly losing the fight against the drug coursing through her system. Her movements began to weaken, and she turned her head to the side eyeing him as best she could. Her voice was barely a whisper. "You son of a bitch. Why?"

He kissed her cheek and spoke quietly, "I'm sorry, Kathryn."

She lost the battle, and Charles watched as her eyes closed. He continued to hold her down until he was sure she was unconscious. He felt a moment of remorse when he released her arms and stood up from the bed. He'd have to use a dermal regenerator on her wrists where he'd held her or they'd bruise. Her feet and legs were tangled in the sheet because of her struggles and he quickly freed them from the twisted linen. He couldn't help but gaze down at her. She was a truly beautiful and intriguing woman, but he had a job to do.

Cont to Part 2