AN: I hope you enjoy the chapter! Let me know what you think!
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"Well doctor?" Kathryn asked. "How does it feel to be out of sick bay?"
"It feels like everything is an adventure," the doctor said, beaming over his newfound freedom. "I knew the schematics of the ship, but being aware of locations and actually being able to go there are two entirely different experiences."
"Now we can put you to work more often," Chakotay said. "It wasn't all selfless on our part. We can call you all over the ship now."
"And I look forward to serving you," the doctor assured them.
Kathryn felt Chakotay's hand find its way around her and wrap around her rib cage. She leaned into him and let him gently guide her away from the doctor to make room for others to speak to him. Neelix and Kes intercepted them almost immediately.
"Captain—have you tried the hors d'oeuvres? I combined several of the Oquelian fruits for the skewers with you in mind," Neelix said. "According to the Oqu, they're all the perfect fruits for the best development of our tiniest crew member."
Kathryn felt Chakotay's had snake up her back and around her shoulder. He squeezed at the spot where her neck and shoulder curved together, the simple gesture sending a sensation of pleasure that jolted through her body.
She smiled and immediately pretended that she meant it for Neelix.
"I'm sure they're delicious," Kathryn said. "I'll be sure to try one."
"I'll get you one," Neelix volunteered quickly. "Just wait right here."
Kathryn might have protested his darting after the stick full of varied fruits, but he was gone before she had the opportunity. Instead, they remained where they were, just as Neelix had suggested, to talk to Kes in his short absence.
"Captain, how are you feeling?" Kes asked.
"Me?" Kathryn asked. "I feel wonderful."
Kes smiled.
"You were tired earlier," Kes said. "I heard you mention it. That's why I asked."
"Tired, yes," Kathryn said. "But that's become my new normal. I'm fine, though. I really can't complain."
"It's perfectly normal for you to be tired," Kes said. "You should try to rest a little more often."
"The doctor's already prescribed naps," Chakotay interjected. "But unless it comes in a hypospray, it can be difficult to get Kathryn to take any prescriptions." His eyes widened. He cleared his throat. "It can be difficult to get the captain to take any prescriptions," he corrected.
Kathryn rubbed her hand over his back for reassurance.
"Don't worry about it, Chakotay," Kathryn said. "Kes knows about our relationship and—we're at a party. It's off hours." She glanced at Kes, but Kes didn't appear the least bit bothered by the slip. She was accustomed to seeing them in sick bay together and sick bay was one place where Kathryn didn't attempt to hold up any sort of professional relationship. "And Kes knows that my name is Kathryn," Kathryn added. "She's not offended to hear it."
Kes smiled warmly and nodded at Chakotay.
"I think the least offensive thing in the world is affection," Kes said with a soft laugh. "We'd all be much better off if there was more of it."
"Some of the crew has expressed that we were being a bit rigid with each other," Chakotay said, "and that they'd like to see more affection expressed between us."
"I have to admit," Kes said, "that I might have been one of those crew members."
"It's a lot to adjust to," Kathryn admitted.
"Maybe because you're trying to control it, Captain," Kes offered. "And love isn't something, by nature, that can be controlled. You have to just let it happen."
Chakotay squeezed Kathryn's neck in the spot where his hand was resting and the same warm jolt ran through her body that she'd felt before—like he'd found some secret spot that sent a wave of affection crashing through her every time he increased pressure there.
Kathryn looked at him and mirrored the smile he gave her, leaning into him and wrapping her arm tighter around him.
It made very little sense to resist acting on her affections because of what the crew might think when it was clear that the vast majority of them didn't think anything negative about small shows of affection.
Neelix returned with two sticks covered in fruit—one in each hand—and he offered one to Chakotay and one to Kathryn. They broke apart for the first time in a while, and accepted the sticks. Neelix quickly ran down the line and explained to them the name of each fruit, which Kathryn promptly forgot, and what each fruit was supposed to offer their growing child.
Kathryn smelled the fruit first. She'd learned enough about the growing child in question to know that "picky eater" didn't even begin to describe it. Her sense of smell seemed to assault her at every level—even leaving her to occasionally have to figure out how to delicately give someone the order that they should take a shower since they seemed to have foregone that recently—and the baby had some uncanny ability to reverse the way her stomach functioned so that, at a moment's notice, anything she tried to swallow would go up instead of down, taking with it everything she'd eaten in the past few hours.
Immediately she smelled something that made her stomach roll. She glanced at Chakotay. He had less reason to put his food to a thorough smell test before he put it in his mouth and he was already chewing his way through the fruits. Maybe he just couldn't smell it. Maybe nobody could except for her.
Kathryn was trying to decide how to handle the situation. She hated refusing Neelix's food because his heart was always in the right place. Everything he prepared, he absolutely prepared with love and care. On the other hand, she hated to ruin the doctor's party by losing the contents of her stomach in some kind of violent act of rebellion on the part of her unborn child.
Maybe she could eat some of the fruit and avoid whichever piece it was that reminded her a little too much of the smell of sewage.
Before she could decide to tough it out, however, she was interrupted by Tuvok approaching and asking for a moment of her time.
Kathryn breathed out a sigh of relief. Sometimes she wasn't sure if the Vulcan was tapping into her thoughts to have the impeccable timing that he often proved to have, but at the moment she wasn't the slightest bit bothered by that possibility. She put on her best smile and offered the stick back to Neelix.
"Maybe some other time," Kathryn said. "It was so kind of you to prepare the food for the party, Neelix. Everyone appreciates it. But—I need a word with Mr. Tuvok."
Tuvok walked ahead, leaving the mess hall, and Kathryn slowly followed behind him. She heard Neelix utter some protest and Chakotay responded to him to soothe things over so that the Talaxian's feelings weren't hurt by the interaction. By the time Kathryn stepped out of the mess hall doors and into the corridor to head to the conference room, Chakotay had caught up with her and he touched his hand to the small of her back in the corridor to remind her that he was there.
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"At the moment, we have nothing to be alarmed about," Tuvok said. "We're picking up readings of a few populated planets in our surroundings. I have seen no signs of vessels, however, so at this time we would be deciding whether or not we're approaching these planets."
"Let's see if we can't get more information on them," Chakotay said. "On the aliens that inhabit them."
"We reached out to the Oqu," Kathryn said, "and it worked in our favor. However, if they're unfriendly aliens we don't want to accidentally invite conflict. Speak with Neelix about the planets and see what he knows."
"I will do that, Captain," Tuvok said. "Some time back, Mr. Neelix also mentioned a vast expanse that we would eventually reach. Sensors indicate that we are approaching a nebular region, though it is still some distance away. It is possible that this nebular region is the expanse of which I've been told. If it is, we will need to make some preparations before we enter the region."
"What kinds of preparations?" Kathryn asked.
"In particular, it would be best if we looked for an opportunity to procure fuel and other provisions. Neelix's descriptions of the region lead me to believe that it is sparsely populated and, therefore, it would be better to be prepared with whatever we might need before we enter the region."
Kathryn nodded her understanding.
"Fine," she said. "Look into it. Find out whatever it is that we'll need. We'll do our best to get everything before we get there."
"Maybe some of the planets we're approaching will have some things to offer," Chakotay said. "If they're this close to the expanse, maybe they'll be trading planets."
"It is highly possible," Tuvok agreed. "It could be in our best interest to explore the possibility before we get beyond this belt of populated planets."
"Do it," Kathryn said. "Talk to Neelix first thing in the morning and start gathering information about all of it. I want to know about the planets, their inhabitants, and as much information as you can gather about the expanse."
"There is one more thing, Captain," Tuvok said. "While examining the sensor readings, I've detected a strong neutrino flux in a nearby star that is suggestive of a future core collapse. It is possible that this could provide us with the opportunity to experience a supernova in the very near future. If we continue on our current course at our current speeds, we will be moving away from the star and the supernova. It could be a unique experience for some of the crew to witness the explosion at such a close distance. I'm bringing it to your attention so that you can decide whether or not you would like to proceed as we are, or if you would like to delay our course to experience the phenomenon."
"How many days would it delay us?" Kathryn asked. "If we were to try to get front row seats for the supernova?"
"Two days," Tuvok said. "Perhaps three at the most."
Kathryn looked to Chakotay for his input. He smiled at her and reclined back as much as his chair would allow.
"I say we should do it," Chakotay said. "We're on a mission to explore and to experience. A three day delay is nothing to this crew. Besides—it would allow us a little more time to think about our next steps before we reach this expanse."
Kathryn smiled at him.
"It's settled then," she said. "Let's try to get the best view of the supernova that we can without sacrificing safety. Was there anything else?"
"No, Captain," Tuvok said.
"Good," Kathryn said. "Then go back to the party, Tuvok, and try to enjoy yourself. Relax a little. Assign someone else to keep a check on the sensors for a while. You deserve to take a little R and R."
"The same could be said for you, Captain," Tuvok offered. "You will not be returning to the party?"
Kathryn glanced at Chakotay again. He was watching her and waiting for her response.
"I'm exhausted," Kathryn admitted. "I believe I'd do better to take my R and R in my quarters. If anyone asks, you'll tell them?"
Tuvok nodded as he stood up from the table.
"I will," he confirmed. "And Captain, Commander? I have overheard members of the crew talking tonight about your willingness to demonstrate a little more openly your relationship."
"Has anyone said anything negative?" Chakotay asked.
"On the contrary," Tuvok said. "I would appear that it does a great deal to set them at ease and, perhaps, even boosts morale."
"Thank you for letting us know," Kathryn said, smiling to herself. "Goodnight, Mr. Tuvok."
"Goodnight, Captain. Commander," Tuvok responded.
He left them in the meeting room and Kathryn stayed in her chair a moment after his departure.
"It looks like we've got a lot coming our way," Chakotay said. "It should do something to alleviate a little of the boredom the crew seems to have been suffering from as of late."
Kathryn hummed.
"A little boredom is good sometimes," she said. "However, so is a little excitement. I have to admit, even I am a little excited about the possibility of what's to come."
"I'll take a little excitement," Chakotay said. "As long as it's not too much. Are you ready to go back to our quarters? Get some rest."
Kathryn stood up and when Chakotay offered her his arm, she looped hers through it and hugged his arm.
"Chakotay?" Kathryn ventured. He hummed at her in question. "Is it terrible to admit that I'm glad that the crew hasn't complained about the affection?"
"I'm glad of it too," Chakotay admitted. "It's a lot of work having to constantly be aware of everything I say or do—of how I look at you."
"We can't get too carried away, though," Kathryn warned. "We have to make sure that we're still maintaining some decorum."
Chakotay laughed to himself. He freed his arm from her and put it around her so that he could hold her comfortably against him as they walked.
"Don't worry," he promised, "we'll be sure to keep making out on the bridge to a minimum."