Janeway couldn't believe her eyes. He was here. Right here in front of her. "My god… Max!" she gave him a hug, but then remembering that there are other people in the room, she quickly withdrew. This man she called Max was now sporting a grin, which expanded from ear to ear.
"It's good to see you too old friend."
=/\=
Janeway called a staff meeting that same day in the holodeck to introduce the newest Voyager crewmember to the senior staff. Tom suggested using his "good ol' Sandrines program" and Janeway agreed. The meeting was set and the staff waited in anticipation to see the man who rescued them from the space pirates.
The group sat in the middle of the room, having a few laughs and drinks with the exception of Tuvok and Seven of Nine, the former borg drone, who was engrossed in the PADD they had in their hands. They also speculated on whom the man was- rumours were going around the ship that he was the Captain's long lost lover to that he was Janeway's nemesis when Janeway and the man walked in.
"Alright. I'd like you to meet our newest crewmember, Commander Maximillius Dawson." She looked at him wryly as she said the word Commander.
He gave her the evil eye and turned the group. "Call me Max. Everyone does. Kath--- The Captain here has stripped me of rank and made me a Commander even though I out right suggested that I take up Captaincy of this ship and help her out a little but nooooo, she had to get competitive and take away a pip."
The staff liked him already.
They briefed him on the crew and the quirks of the ship, told him stories of themselves and what jams they have been in and reminisced on the past years on Voyager. Max was almost sorry that he didn't catch up with them earlier. He also noticed that this was a very tight group. Just when things were starting to get embarrassing for the Captain, she dismissed the crew. Everyone laughed and went on their merry way, everyone except the Captain and Max.
"So… what did you think of the rumour of us being looovers?" he questioned jokingly
"That's the most absurd thing I've ever heard. You? And Me?" She replied, "No way."
"Remember that time when we pretended we were to make Cheb mad?"
"How could I forget? He got so mad!" she laughed and then getting serious again, "I'm glad you're here Max."
"Ditto." He added.
"Now if you would excuse me, I've got PADDS piling up." Janeway smiled, "and you Commander, has an early shift tomorrow. I suggest you get some rest."
"Aye, aye Captain."
=/\=
It was dark. He couldn't see. There was nothing, nothing at all. All he could sense is the smell of burnt flesh, feel the insane impulse to run, to hide. A blinding flash envelops him. There was a green hue surrounding him. Where am I? He thought. A Klingon, with an eyepiece over his head, stares at him blankly. A borg. Another bright flash surrounds him. A scalpel was coming towards him. He could feel the steel touching his face—
"NO!" Max screamed, bolting awake. It's happened again. Someone make the nightmares stop. Please. He thought.
He tried to calm himself down so he layed back on his bed, deep in thought.
BEEP!
The door chime bolts Max out of his reverie. Taking a deep breath, he said groggily. "Come in."
"Aren't you just cheery this morning." She said with a chuckle. "I don't know how you did things over on your ship but on Voyager, my crewmen get to their stations on time."
"What time is it?"
"0805"
"WHAT?" Max immediately sat up and rushed to the bathroom, pops his head out the doorway. "Why the hell didn't you tell me?"
"I called you several times. When I got no response, I came here. I figured you woke up late."
Mumbling and grumbling curses he hastily put on his uniform coat and raced out the door with Janeway.
"Thanks…" Max said glancing at his commanding officer. They both were walking quickly through the corridors.
"Any time." Janeway replied when they reached the turbolift. "Just don't make a habit out of it. You're answering to me now…"
"How could I forget?" Max smiled wryly. "Bridge."
=/\=
"B'Elanna says that the warp core can be at maximum efficiency by 0800 tomorrow. No earlier. The weapons systems and shields are online and at 100% efficiency." Chakotay reported to his commanding officer.
He took a look around. The ready room. After so many bumps and scrapes along the road, the ready room was still just like the first day he saw it. As usual, the stars are streaking by in the viewport, Captain Janeway is seated behind her desk looking at her personal console, reading up on the latest sensor readings and reports. And after so many years, his Captain is still drinking that damned black coffee he tried so hard to get her to quit.
"Very good." Janeway said indulging herself in her coffee. "Anything else?"
"Neelix is holding a party for our newest member of the crew." Chakotay handed a PADD to Janeway.
"You going?" she asked scanning the PADD her first officer just gave her.
"Depends. Are you?"
"Well I've got a lot of---"
BEEP
"Come in." she called
"Hey! I—" Max saw Chakotay standing there. "Oh I'm not interrupting anything am I? I can come back later."
"Nope, you're not interrupting anything. Just talking about the party Neelix is planning." Janeway smiled. Seeing her old friend again has brought back a lot of old memories.
"Yah Max, it's in your honour, so are you going?" Chakotay inquired
Dawson grinned. He walked up to the replicator and called for a beverage.
"Coffee. Black." He barked. Max took a sniff at his coffee he was holding, letting the aroma fill his senses.
Chakotay's eyes widened. "I can't believe this. You taught him to drink coffee?"
"Actually it was the other way around." Janeway chuckled "He taught me."
"So I've got Max to thank for your dependence on coffee."
"That's right" they both replied at the same time.
"And there's nothing else in the world quite like coffee." Dawson added.
"Then perhaps you can teach Kathryn here to go to the party and relax for one day."
"Gladly." Commander Dawson walked towards the Captain and whispered something in her ear. Chakotay wouldn't believe his eyes. He had never seen Kathryn like this before. She looked like a little girl with a deer-caught-in-the-headlights expression.
"You wouldn't." she stared at him with mock horror.
"You bet I would. And you know it too." Max nodded with a twinkle in his eye.
"Very well then." Janeway then looked to her First Officer, "I'm going to Neelix's party." Then turned to Max again. "Satisfied?"
Maximillius grinned from ear to ear like a little boy on Christmas day.
=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\=
Did you like it? Did you not like it? Do you have ANY suggestions? Any at all? What? Give me a review. R&R because this is my first fanfic. It's been stuck in my head for a while and I wanted to get it out.
