"Engineering to the Bridge."

Janeway glanced over at Chakotay; her curiosity peaked at the unfamiliar voice. She stood up and said, "This is Captain Janeway. Who am I speaking to?"

"This is Ensign Cole. You're needed in Engineering, right away, Captain. We have a…situation."

"Clarify. Where is Lieutenant Torres?" Janeway turned to Tuvok who nodded and swiftly ordered a security team to head to Engineering.

"She's here, Captain. She's part of the… situation. Nothing to endanger the ship but, well, I think you should see for yourself."

Janeway exhaled and turned back to Chakotay who rose up beside her. "No danger but do you hear that noise in the background, Commander? Sort of like…"

"A school yard fight? This I have to see. Tuvok, cancel the security team. The Captain and I will handle this personally."

Tuvok shifted. "Captain?"

She gave him a stern look and said, "You heard the Commander, Tuvok. Cancel it. Ensign Cole, we're on our way." As the comm closed, she waved her hand towards the turbo lift. "Well, after you."

Chakotay chuckled once they were inside and Janeway shot him an annoyed glance. "You think this is funny, Commander? We may have an all out brawl on this ship and in the engineering department of all places."

He nodded. "I was wondering when tensions would break."

Janeway drew close. "This isn't funny. We need each other if we are going to get back home. We can't have dysfunction on this ship."

He bowed his head and composed himself a bit before replying, "Captain, we've had a full scale mutiny, body organ snatchers, and an alien possession among other things all in a few short months. If you're rattled by a simple fist fight among stressed out cadets, maybe it's time we find a planet for some necessary shore leave. You need to be on the first shuttle down."

"We don't have cadets, Commander. We have professional officers who should know how to conduct themselves on a starship. Of course we already know a former Maquis is involved with B'Elanna. I'd lay good odds that her combatant is also…"

"Carey?" Chakotay said. "They've gone at it before. And since we are lapsing into our old divisions, you would be responsible for him. Having seen B'Elanna in action, I'd lay those odds on Carey losing, badly."

"This isn't funny!" Janeway snapped.

Chakotay sobered. "No, Captain. It's not. But it is understandable given our unique circumstances. With all due respect, you better learn to relax and loosen up a bit or it's going to be a long trip for you."

Janeway's curt response was stopped as the lift doors opened. They both walked out into Engineering and saw B'Elanna trying to wrestle Lieutenant Vorik off of her.

"Get away from me or I swear I'll hurt you!" B'Elanna screamed in anger and propelled the Vulcan across the room.

Ensign Cole ran up to the Captain as Chakotay rushed to get between the two lieutenants. "I'm sorry, Captain. We tried to intervene but they're both too strong for us."

Janeway watched Chakotay as he was almost overpowered by Vorik in his attempt to get back to B'Elanna. "I will have my mate!" he yelled.

Janeway's mouth dropped as she slapped her combadge. "Tuvok to Engineering, now!" She rushed to Chakotay's side as Vorik lunged over him. She managed to get in Vorik's face and ordered him to stand down. The Vulcan tried desperately to free himself of Chakotay's firm hold and, in frustration, grabbed the Captain's head. He brought her close to him and sunk his teeth into her cheek as she yelped in pain.

Chakotay saw the injury and brought his hand up to pull Vorik off of her. Vorik released the Captain and bit into Chakotay's hand causing him to also hiss in pain. Chakotay stomped on the Vulcan's foot and backed him off just as Tuvok arrived. With a pinch to his crewmate's shoulder, Vorik collapsed unconscious onto the floor.

Chakotay straightened up and held his bleeding hand. Breathing heavily, he gasped, "Thanks, Tuvok."

Tuvok eyed the blood on the Commander's hand and the Captain's cheek. "You're welcome, Commander. Might I suggest you and the Captain as well as Mr. Vorik see the Doctor right away?"

Chakotay nodded and looked at the Captain as she held her bloody cheek. "Are you okay?"

Janeway nodded and shook off her stunned expression as she eyed Tuvok. "Do you have an idea of what caused this?"

"Yes, I do, Captain."

Janeway looked over at B'Elanna who was busy brushing herself off. "Lieutenant! What started all of this?"

B'Elanna stared at the three of them. "I was working at my post. Lieutenant Vorik walked up, I assumed to give me a report, and then got very inappropriate with me very fast."

"What was all that business about you being his mate?" Chakotay asked.

B'Elanna threw up her hands. "You tell me! I've never even smiled at the man much less encouraged that!"

Chakotay smirked and looked back at the Captain as she addressed Tuvok again. "Is your idea the same as mine?"

"Yes, Captain. Pon farr."

"Pon what?" Chakotay said.

Janeway shook her head and placed her one hand on her hip. "Tuvok, with all due respect, I don't have time for anyone's pon farr right now."

"Understandable, Captain. But Vulcans cannot control when they enter their mating period."

"Mating?" Chakotay said. "Are you telling me Lieutenant Vorik has gone into heat?"

"A crude but accurate assessment," Tuvok said.

Chakotay exchanged looks with the Captain. "Well, when your friend wakes up, tell him B'Elanna is not interested since he didn't seem to want to take her personal word for it."

Tuvok clasped his hands. "I'm afraid that's not possible, Commander."

Chakotay took off his jacket and wrapped his injured hand in it. "Make it possible. B'Elanna doesn't want to mate with him. He'll have to take a cold shower just like the rest of us."

"I'm afraid there is no 'cold shower' for pon farr, Commander. It must be handled in the appropriate way."

"Well," the Captain said. "I'm afraid were a long way away from being able to do that. If Lieutenant Vorik has no willing mate on this ship, then there must be another way from him to release his pent up energy."

"I can try meditation with him, Captain. I found that to be personally successful myself. And, perhaps the Doctor may be able to help ease his physical symptoms with medication."

Janeway nodded. "Yes. Let's get him to sick bay. We'll pick this up there. B'Elanna, do you need to…"

B'Elanna shook her head. "No Captain. I'm fine. I'd like to return to my post."

Janeway nodded. "As you were then. All of you get back to work."

A series of nods and 'Aye Captains' chorused as the four of them beamed to sick bay.

As they appeared in the familiar medical setting, the Doctor greeted them. "Ah, I see I finally have some patients."

"Tuvok will fill you in on Mr. Vorik's unique condition, Doctor," Janeway said.

The Doctor flipped his medical tricorder and scanned Vorik's still form. "Looks like a regular case of pon farr to me."

"You're familiar with it?" Chakotay asked.

The Doctor gave him an offended look. "No, Commander. I was only programmed in human diseases and ailments but luckily I catch on quick to the millions of other species who share this universe with you."

Janeway put up her hand to stop Chakotay's retort. "Doctor, can you treat him? We can't have any more of these violent incidents and the usual remedy is not available."

"I'll try. I can definitely ease some of his physical symptoms but they won't go away completely. I'll place the two of you on the same protocol."

Janeway and Chakotay looked at one another. "I'm sorry, Doctor," she said. "The two of us?"

Tuvok stepped forward. "I didn't want to say anything in front of the crew, Captain, but you and the Commander have made fluid contact with Lieutenant Vorik."

"You mean…" she said.

"But we're not Vulcans," Chakotay said.

"No, but you're body chemistry is similar enough to us that you will experience some of the effects of pon farr. And because you are human and not Vulcan, your symptoms may be more difficult to resist than those of us who have practiced our self restraint for millions of years."

Janeway walked up and raised her chin. "Are you telling me that I am going to want to start mating with any member of my crew that looks good to me?" she asked quietly.

"More likely someone that you already have an attraction to, Captain," Tuvok answered. "But yes."

Janeway stepped back. "Fantastic."

Chakotay smiled with a devilish glint in his eyes. "So you're telling me I have a legitimate reason to…"

Janeway spun around and ordered, "No, Commander, you most certainly do not! You will control yourself like I and Mr. Vorik will and, if you cannot do that, you will be confined to quarters."

"But that didn't stop this kind of behavior for him in the past," the Doctor said.

Janeway glared. "Well, unless Mr. Chakotay is expecting Seska to make a return appearance to his doorstep, I think the cold showers he spoke about earlier are about to become his daily routine."

Chakotay's smile grew wider. "Yours too, Captain."

Janeway's expression darkened. "How long, Doctor? How long until our systems return to normal?"

"Well, Mr. Tuvok is the expert here but, if you do not plan on ending the blood fever with the normal mating ritual, then you will probably experience the urge for quite some time."

Tuvok nodded. "And I must warn you Captain. As you saw with Mr. Vorik, those urges can become very powerful. Powerful to the point that all rational thought can become lost."

"This just gets better," she muttered. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Tuvok, the Doctor has the authority to remove me or Commander Chakotay from duty if he feels it is medically necessary. That means that, if it becomes too much for either of us, you will take command of Voyager."

Tuvok nodded. "Understood, Captain."

Janeway gave Chakotay a sideways glance and said, "Well, I guess we'll be experiencing our adolescence together all over again."

The Doctor filled a hypo spray and pressed it to Vorik's neck. "Human puberty on steroids is more accurate." He dialed in another dose and hit the Commander and then the Captain with another one. "There. Let's see how that does to start and then we can up the dosage if necessary from there. I'll keep Mr. Vorik here for observation before I release him since his pon farr has obviously progressed further."

Janeway rubbed at her neck where the shot had been given and then held still patiently while the Doctor healed her cheek. "Thank you, Doctor."

The Doctor also healed Chakotay's hand and then said, "Don't take this lightly. The uncontrollable animal instinct to mate has only been tempered in humans with the natural evolution of your species and helped by your learned societal mores. But, it has not been bred out. It still exists and you need to guard against it which actually reminds me about a related topic. Do I need to review or update contraceptive protocols with either of you?"

Janeway's mouth dropped. "I'm fine, thank you, Doctor. If you'll excuse me, I need to get back to my bridge."

Chakotay chuckled as he watched his Captain walk as dignified as she could through the door. He wondered how much fun he could professionally have watching her finally relax and loosen up around him. He was willing to bet that the real Captain was about to make an appearance whether Captain Janeway was willing to release her or not.