Disclaimer: I own nothing, unfortunately. Star Trek and its characters belong to someone who doesn't take very good care of them . . . Just sayin'.
Author's Note: This is unbeta'd so, as always, all mistakes are mine.
"Chakotay to Janeway."
Poking her head over the side of her bed, Kathryn grimaces. Her combadge is lying halfway across the room and her arm is currently so far in her closet that she's fairly certain she's touching the back wall, but she's gotten snagged on something and can't get herself free. Grunting slightly, she struggles for a moment before sighing.
"Janeway here. What can I do for you, Commander?"
"It's 1710 and you're late, Kathryn. Having second thoughts?"
She can hear the smile in his voice over the link and her own forms as she replies, "Nope, no second thoughts. I couldn't find my shoe so I went digging around in my closet and-"
"You're stuck, aren't you?" he asks and as much as Kathryn hates that he knows her so well, she laughs.
"Yep. I'm not entirely sure what I'm caught on but I can't get loose and I may need to be rescued," she admits and there's silence from the other end of the link. After a few seconds, Kathryn lets her head drop onto the carpet with a frustrated groan.
"I'm here to rescue a damsel in distress."
His voice coming from just to her right makes Kathryn jump. Looking up, she beams at him. He's dressed casually, and she's pretty sure she recognizes his loose white shirt as one her favorite from New Earth.
"Oh look, it's my knight in shining armor," she quips, laughing at the silly grin he treats her to. It takes him a few minutes of moving things around before he finds the stray hanger her bracelet is caught on but he frees her hand and she sits up, twisting her head this way and that to loosen the tension in her neck
"Thank you, Chakotay. I'll have to put a formal commendation in your file; saving your commanding officer from the grips of a hostile hanger certainly qualifies you for the big awards."
He grunts a laugh, shaking his head as he helps her up off the floor. She notices that he's wearing the leather pants he wore when she met him and her eyebrow lifts as she glances up at him.
"Leather, Commander?"
"Of course, Captain. I was under the impression that I was dining with Kathryn tonight; I know how much she loves my leather pants," he replies and she has to fight the urge to smack his arm at his smug tone.
"Yes, well, I am rather fond of them." She rolls her eyes and slips her arm through his as she smiles up at him. "Ready to escort me to dinner? I'm famished after playing the damsel in distress."
His laugh echoes through her quarters as they leave, that little zap of energy sparking between them again.
=/\=
"Bridge to Captain Janeway."
Kathryn groans and rolls onto her back, her arm falling to the side as she gropes for her combadge.
"Janeway here," she mumbles, rubbing at her eyes and cursing whatever's caused the young lieutenant in charge of the bridge during gamma shift to decide that contacting her at 0300 is a good idea.
"Sorry to wake you, ma'am, but we're receiving a hail from Captain L'kand and he won't talk to anyone but you. I tried to explain that you're off-duty but he wouldn't accept that and I-"
"Thank you, Lieutenant Quinn. I'll be there shortly," Kathryn sighs, cutting the young woman off. Grimacing as she rolls out of bed and dresses, she makes a mental note to call Quinn to her Ready Room later and apologize for being so abrupt.
"Kathryn?"
She looks over her shoulder and smiles at the sleepy voice, sitting on the edge of the bed to pull her boots on. Strong arms wrap around her waist as she goes to stand, keeping her from moving. Twisting a little, she runs her fingers through the dark hair on the head by her hip.
"Lieutenant Quinn says we're being hailed by Captain L'kand and that he won't speak to anyone but me. I'm sorry I have to leave," she says, wriggling a little so she can lean down and press a soft kiss to Chakotay's forehead.
"I'll come with you," he replies, tilting his head up to catch her lips with his own before letting her go. She watches as he climbs out of her bed, her eyes traveling the planes and ridges of the body she became so acquainted with after dinner; she blushes faintly when he catches her staring and shoots a grin her way. Swatting at his shoulder, she laughs and heads to the replicator, a lidded cup of coffee and a lidded cup of tea materializing just as Chakotay leaves the bedroom. She hands him the tea and accepts his quick kiss before they head off to the bridge together.
=/\=
"Report."
The command is issued before the turbolift doors are fully open and Lieutenant Quinn stands from the captain's chair, her hazel eyes wide at the sight of her commanding officers arriving together at 0300, though she says nothing about it.
"Captain L'kand is intent on speaking with you, Captain. I tried to tell him that you're not on duty but he insisted that he speak with only you," she explains, her posture rigid as she speaks. Kathryn hides her smile at the young woman's nervous energy, remembering all too well the uncomfortable task of calling the captain to the bridge in the middle of the night. Waving her hand slightly, Kathryn finally let her smile show.
"At ease, Lieutenant. Thank you for handling this until I could get up here," she says, feeling Chakotay chuckle silently as the lieutenant's shoulders fall in relief.
"I really did try to avoid having to call you up here, Captain."
"No worries, Lieutenant. Patch Captain L'kand into my Ready Room, if you would, and you still have the Bridge" Kathryn says, smiling again before turning to Chakotay and motioning for him to follow her. They leave Lieutenant Quinn looking relieved, the expression on her face making Kathryn and Chakotay laugh once they're safely in the Ready Room.
"You have your crew terrified," he says as she sits behind her desk. She laughs harder and shakes her head, watching as he takes a seat in the chair across the desk from her. Pulling her computer console closer, she taps the button to initiate the link and smiles as Captain L'kand appears on the screen.
"I apologize for the delay, Captain L'kand. I was told you need to speak with me?"
"I'm the one to apologize for waking you, Captain Janeway, but I've been in contact with the Prime T'kal of T'chani and he demanded to know how soon we would be arriving," the alien explains. "My scientists tell me that we are traveling at the equivalent of three of our light factors and we know that Voyager is capable of traveling much faster. Would you be willing to increase your speed?"
Kathryn slowly lets out the breath she's been holding; she's imagined a few reasons for the impromptu meeting but this wasn't one of them. Leaning forward in her chair, she glances at Chakotay for a second before focusing back on L'kand.
"We can safely increase our speed to warp nine, Captain. Is that acceptable?"
L'kand looks off screen and murmurs to someone. Kathryn looks at Chakotay and finds him smiling at her, holding a hand over his heart as he mimes being an overly dramatic admirer. She manages to keep herself from laughing as she shoots him a weak death glare, getting herself under control just as L'kand addresses her again.
"That would be acceptable, Captain Janeway. My officer tells me that we could travel at 6 light factors and that we would reach T'chani in two days instead of four. Prime T'kal L'tan is anxious to meet the great Captain Janeway and her brave crew," L'kand says and Kathryn avoids looking up at the sound of Chakotay's muffled laughter. She gives the alien captain another smile and nods.
"And we look forward to meeting him as well."
They arrange a time to meet face-to-face during the day and Kathryn signs off, holding her hand up to cut Chakotay off before he can even speak.
"Don't even start with me," she says, glancing up to see him laughing silently.
"I'm sorry, I really am. But it's hilarious to see another species so enamored with you. Did you see the way he freaked out when he realized who exactly you are? I think he would've imploded if he'd been anymore excited."
She snorts and runs her fingers through her hair, looking over at him with an expression of extreme annoyance as she retorts, "At least I'm not the only one he's in awe of. You heard him and his excitement over the brave crew."
"Ah, but he's the most tickled to speak to you," Chakotay points out. "You know, there's an old Earth expression Tom used once; Captain L'kand is a fanboy."
"A what?!" she splutters, laughing so hard she can hardly stand. Trust Tom Paris to have ridiculous terminology from ancient times to cover any situation. She's still laughing as Chakotay escorts her from the Ready Room via the Bridge, the gamma shift's eyes following them to the turbolift at the sound of the captain's laughter. Kathryn ignores the staring, choosing to give Chakotay a playful shove once they're in the lift.
