Disclaimer: I own nothing Star Trek related. I just borrow the toys for a while and give them back relatively unharmed or maimed...
B'Elanna froze, her hand halfway to the control panel. Chakotay gently shook her but it was no good. She was gone to wherever the rest of the crew was currently floundering.
With a growl, he turned on his heel and marched out of engineering. There was nothing much he could do with B'Elanna out of commission. Walking to the turbolift, he counted nineteen crewmen in the same state of hypnosis. It was futile – they were being picked off quicker than any of those remaining could think of a plan to combat it. In the lift, Chakotay slapped his commbadge.
"Chakotay to Captain Janeway."
"Go ahead Commander."
"We've lost B'Elanna, I'm afraid. There's no one left in engineering. I'm heading back up."
She sighed as she processed his news, "OK Commander. Come to my ready room when you get here. I can't think with all these people stood around."
"Aye captain."
In the half light, the bridge was indeed slightly creepy. Harry looked like they he was enjoying whatever he was seeing but the look of horror on Tom's face was slightly disturbing. He almost looked as though he was trying to recoil from whatever was in his head. Casting his eyes down, Chakotay hurried to the captain's ready room. She was stood gazing out of the port window and, not for the first time, Chakotay felt the familiar quickening of his pulse that plagued him whenever he was alone with her. She turned, and he realised that she wasn't wearing her uniform. She had changed into a light summery dress that did not leave very much to his already overenthusiastic imagination.
"I've been waiting for you, Chakotay," she murmured, wafting over to him and smiling suggestively as she took his hand and lead him to the sofa. Chakotay was vaguely aware that somewhere, at the back of his mind, a tiny voice was yelling that this shouldn't be happening. He considered giving it some attention but then the captain was kissing him and he just didn't care. With one hand pressed firmly on the back of his neck and the other resting against his racing heart, she was in total control. He was helpless.
"It's taken us too long to get here," she suddenly breathed in his ear, "Too long."
"I know," he answered, gently stroking her hair, "I think I love you, Kathryn."
She replied by kissing him again, slower this time, and deeper.
"My sentiments exactly."
***
"Commander, can you join me in my ready room?"
Chakotay started, almost falling from his chair. Apart from a smirk from Harry, no one else seemed to notice. Straightening his uniform, Chakotay walked slowly to the ready room. Although they were back from their various visions, most of the crew was still being quite vague. Chakotay understood; if they had seen anything like he had, then he understood. When Kes had been on the bridge earlier, the way she had looked at him made him uncomfortable. It was almost as though she knew.
The captain was sat behind her desk, a coffee cup nestling between her hands and a sad smile playing over her lips. She looked as far away as everyone else.
"Are the crew recovered, Chakotay? I think we've all had a bit of a rough ride."
"You're telling me," he slumped in the chair opposite her. As they talked, he tried to avoid her eye. He couldn't help but remember the last time they had been in this room together. It had felt so real. Perhaps too real. But it was something he could hold onto. However embarrassed he may be, he wasn't going to forget it in a hurry.
"Don't you agree, Chakotay?"
"Certainly."
"Have you been listening to me?"
"Not really. I'm just a little distracted. Sorry."
"It's understandable Commander. If you don't mind me asking, what was your vision about?"
By somehow managing to swallow his panic, Chakotay spluttered, "I'd rather not say, captain, if you don't mind."
"Of course not," she leant back in her chair and watched the colour rise from his neck to the tops of his ears with lazy interest, "I think we all have something to hide, for want of a better word."
"You couldn't be more right."