See I am updating there is no longer a need to have me flogged. Please enjoy.
Tom and Kathryn ate in silence, there really wasn't anything more to say. Ida was almost two days away from Geoff and Riley's moon and they had already been traveling for just over twelve hours. Everything about the ships new systems had been discussed. They had talked their mission to death, and now they were left in companionable silence.
Neither of them felt the need to talk either, over the past few weeks they had become accustomed to one another. Their different moods, their habits and knowing when the other just wanted to sit in quiet contemplation. This was one of those moments, they were almost at the point of no return and if there was any time for reflection now was it.
"I am going to record a message for Miral later." Tom said out of the blue and Kathryn just nodded at him slowly in silent agreement. She had wanted to ask him if he had done it, but she didn't want to push him. She knew Tom would only get annoyed with her constant badgering on the subject, and probably not end up doing it just to prove a point. This was something he had to do on his own. And as Kathryn suspected he had come to the correct conclusion without any further persuasion from herself.
"I wanted to have a word with the doctor anyway." Kathryn said getting up and placing her empty bowel in the replicator. Recycling it she moved forward leaving Tom alone at the small table, giving him the space he needed to make his recording. Without making it seem like she was doing it on purpose. They both knew better however and Tom let a small smile slip onto his face as she walked passed him. Kathryn did not see it though as she joined the Doctor at the helm.
Tom went up and climbed onto his bunk. It had its own small communications station in the wall behind his pillow. The modifications Geoff and Riley had done were now paying off as Tom closed the curtain around his small alcove for some privacy.
Switching on the display he set it for record and took a deep breath. It somehow felt cheap talking to his daughter this way, like he was escaping telling her why he was leaving her in person. Tom knew however that this was better than no explanation at all, and even if his five year old daughter did not understand his reasoning now, she would someday.
"Hi honey I hope you are being a good girl for your mommy." Tom began already feeling the well of emotions rising inside of him but he was determined to get through this.
"Daddy has had to go away for a while, probably a long while actually. I have got something very important to do, something that will hopefully change your life for the better. You may not understand why I have to do this, but you will one day. I just want you to know that daddy loves you, and no matter what I will always be there for you. You are one of the few things I ever got right in my life, and going away now to protect your future may just be another one. Be good my angel."
Tom stopped the recording quickly as a lone tear fell down his cheek and landed on his shirt. Whipping the rest of the moisture from his face he took a deep breath. Reaching forward Tom encoded the message and pressed transmit. He knew it would take the message about a day to get back to Miral and by that time they would be long gone. Sitting back in his bunk looking up at the celling he could here soft chatter coming from the forward section of the flyer. Smiling slightly at the irritation in Kathryn's voice, Tom decided that he should probably go and save her from the Doctor before she deactivated him.
Getting up and pulling the curtain away he stopped out onto the floor and moved forward. He could hear them better now , and he couldn't help but smile.
"I don't see why I can't create a holo log of the mission, this could be one of the most important missions in Starfleet history." The Doctor said as Tom came and stood behind their chairs. He looked down at Kathryn who had a withering look on her face.
"That may well be the case Doctor, but it is also a highly illegal mission, candid shots of us smiling at what we have stolen would not do us any favours when they finally get us back for a court martial." The doctor paused at this and let out a small puff of air. Sitting back in his chair he did have to concede her point and looking back at Tom the former Voyager pilot shrugged his shoulders.
"Maybe you can get some upon our triumphant return. I'm sure Starfleet wont punish us too badly if we actually managed to stop the Borg from destroying Earth." Tom said trying to lighten the mood with some success.
"Yes I can see it now. The returning saviours of the Alpha quadrant, in full, a holo story of their adventures." The Doctor said with a slight wistful look in his eye and Kathryn shook her head slightly at the thought.
"I would keep those plans on hold for now Doctor, we still have a long way to go yet." Kathryn said with a large yawn. They had been up for almost twenty hours now, and it was finally starting to catch up to even Kathryn, who was known for not going to sleep for days on Voyager when the ship was in any kind of danger.
"Right that's it you two off to bed, Doctors orders." The Doctor said as he saw Tom catch the yawn and try and supress it. They both looked tired, and he knew they would not sleep unless ordered to do so.
"You're not our doctor any more Doctor, you can't order us." Kathryn said having no intention of going to bed, but it did sound like a good idea.
"Oh no as far as I can tell I am still the ranking medical officer on this flight, and as you know Admiral the chief medical officers orders out rank those of even an Admirals when it concerns matter of health." The Doctor smiled at his reasoning and Kathryn just held her hands up in the air in mock surrender.
"Ok fine I am going." She said getting up as Tom backed away to allow her to do so. He knew she must have been tired to have given in that easily, but Tom was far from wide awake himself.
"Ok thanks' Doc, could you wake us as soon as went enter the Idarian system." Tom said moving back to the aft compartment as the Doctor looked over his shoulder at him.
"I am a Doctor Mr Paris, not an alarm clock, but I assure you as soon as we run into any traffic you will be the first person I call." With that Tom gave the Doctor a small grin as turned away from the holographic man. Pulling his bed sheet back Tom noted that Kathryn had already climbed into her alcove opposite him and closed the curtains. For a brief moment Tom allowed a thought to flicker through his mind. Something which he had not allowed himself to think about all those nights they had spent huddled under the same blanket. He wondered if she was getting changed and what she would be wearing under those thin sheets.
Brushing the thought aside as quickly as it had come in the first place Tom climbed into his own bunk and stripped off down to his underwear. Leaving his curtain open this time, he wasn't sure why Tom settled down staring at Kathryn's dark bunk, and for a moment Tom wished there had only been room for one.
Kathryn was tired, she could feel her muscles heavy with sleep beneath her, yet she couldn't actually fall into unconsciousness. It also had nothing to do with where they were. She trusted the Doctor to fly the ship and alert them at the first sign of danger. No this was something far more personal and far more dangerous. She missed having Tom lying beside her. One hand protectively draped around her waist. His strong body holding her close as she slept. Thinking she wouldn't notice his circling thumb on her belly, and she having no intention of stopping him either.
Kathryn had always enjoyed her solitude, being alone and independent, but loneliness had become somewhat of a burden to her over the past month. Her isolation less pronounced as she and Tom had grown to rely on one another again. Now separated by mere feet the distance seemed far greater as she turned onto her side and pulled back the curtain to look over at his bunk.
To her surprise his curtain was wide open and he was facing her. In the gloom she could not tell if he was awake or not and as she strained her eyes to tell her body was screaming out to her to go to him. Listening intently for any movement from the Doctor Kathryn could hear nothing form the helm. Deciding that if she was going to get any sleep tonight she would have to move across and climb in next to Tom, she threw back the covers silently and placed her feet on the floor.
Getting to her feet she padded across the small expanse separating them and crouched down next to Tom. She could now see that he was in fact asleep, but his face held a troubled look. Kathryn wondered if he was thinking about Miral, or Be'lanna , or even the mission. She felt bad about disturbing him now. Getting up with every intention of going back to her won bunk and leaving him in peace she almost let out a small yelp when a hand clasped her own.
"Get in." he whispered rolling over slightly and lifting the covers for her. Kathryn didn't hesitate and as she got in she also pulled the curtain across, creating a barrier between them and the outside world.
"I thought you were asleep." She said in a quiet voice as Tom pulled her in close in a now very familiar position.
"I was kind of, but I heard you get up. I didn't want to look like I was waiting for you, so I pretending to be asleep." Tom said and Kathryn could hear the grin in his voice, even though she could not see it.
"Waiting for me a, such confidence Mr Paris, maybe I should return to my own sleeping bunk." Kathryn said but made no move to do so. Tom's arm closed on her slightly adding a bit of pressure to her waist as he lent forward slightly to whisper in her ear.
"I don't think you really want to do that Kathryn." Tom said and Kathryn could picture all the times he had said similar things to other women on many different worlds. The thought for a moment made her squirm on the inside. They had never even kissed yet in this moment she felt like one of his conquests. The thought that scared her the most however was that she really didn't mind that thought.
"I see that age has not dampened your sprit Tom, and here it thought that womanizing days were over." Kathryn teased as Tom let out a small huff. Kathryn turned over slightly so she was now lying on her back. Tom's hand slipped onto her stomach as she did so and he turned his head to look at her.
"Never, especially when you have a beautiful woman in your bed." He said and the words almost sounded reverent. Kathryn decided that this conversation was headed in a dangerous direction. Needing a change of pace quickly before things got out of hand she looked at him briefly and raised her eyebrows.
"About our cargo, what in the world would Ferengi want with self-sealing stem bolts?" she asked having inspected what Tom had acquired to trade for the cloak earlier had actually left her puzzled. It was unlike the Ferengi to deal in anything but gold pressed Latium.
"Who knows, but it's what they wanted I guess they have a buyer lined up, who is willing to pay a high price for them." Tom said feeling disappointed that she changed the subject so quickly. He was enjoying where their previous conversation was going, but he knew a get out when he saw one. It was obvious that Kathryn was not ready for that type of conversation yet and he wasn't about to push her.
"How did you get hold of so many?" She said as Tom smiled slightly, knowing that she probably wouldn't believe him even if he told her.
"I sold my body, is that a problem?" he said in mock tone as Kathryn rolled over onto her side once more and they took up their old familiar position.
"Not at all, as long as you don't try and sell my body, I think I can live with it." She joked as her eyes slipped closed and she relaxed her body against his. Enjoying the feeling of his chest rising and falling as he to drifted off into sleep. It came far easier for them both now that they were together once more.
More soon, remember feedback isn't just for Christmas, hope you enjoyed more to come soon. Thank you for reading XxX