A/N: This story is based on the television series, Star Trek: Voyager, which as far as I know, is the property of Paramount Pictures. No infringement is intended. This story is the fourth story in my J/D series, after Command Decisions, Doctor's Orders, and Surrender. If you haven't read those three stories first, I strongly suggest that you do so. I also want to point out that a scene from the episode "The Reckoning" of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine served as the template for part of this story and I want to give credit where credit is due. "The Reckoning" was written by Harry Werksman and Gabrielle G. Stanton. Thank you all very much for stopping by. Happy reading.
Chapter 1: The Workaholic Captain
Five days ago, Captain Kathryn Janeway and her crew met an alien race called the Jijons. They looked almost completely identical to human beings with the exception of a single horizontal cranial ridge that appeared in the center of their foreheads. They were a people who were absolutely obsessed with athleticism and physical prowess, and in order for the Voyager crew to be deemed worthy of associating with them, they all had to prove themselves, the Captain included. The Jijons were a technologically advanced race. They had long since developed effective defenses against the Borg, and on top of that, their planet was quite rich in a number of minerals that Voyager really needed. Gaining the Jijons as an ally was essential. Therefore, it was also essential that Captain Janeway and her crew succeed in all the different Jijon sporting events they had to be a part of in the weeks ahead in order to prove their worth to these aliens. So when Captain Janeway walked into the Mess Hall at eight-thirty at night and found almost all of her senior officers sitting around gorging themselves on a wide variety of food Mr. Neelix had prepared, Dr. Luke included, she wasn't exactly happy. They all needed to be in their best shape possible in the weeks ahead and this definitely wasn't helping.
As soon as she saw what was going on, she walked over to where they all had their tables lined up, put her hands on her hips, and asked them, "What in the world do you guys think you're doing?"
"We're having one last night of fun, Captain, before we begin Commander Tuvok's rigorous physical training program tomorrow," Tom explained. Starting first thing the next morning, everyone on the crew would begin taking part in a series of intensive workouts and various programs on the holodeck created by Tuvok to help them prepare for the Jijon sporting events that they would begin participating in two weeks later. It would be very similar to the exhaustive physical training Starfleet cadets had to through during their years in the academy.
"You should know, Captain, that I made every effort to discourage this behavior," Tuvok informed her. "Since my efforts were unsuccessful, I decided to come to the Mess Hall with everyone to try and prevent them from indulging too much."
The Captain then looked and saw that Tuvok was eating a bowl of plomeek soup, and she also saw that there was a huge salad beside it, and she quietly smirked. For a Vulcan, eating plomeek soup and a big salad all at the same time was indulgence and Kathryn knew it. Tuvok wasn't there keeping an eye on the senior staff; he was there indulging just as much as the rest of them were.
"You know, this may be the first time in my life that I'm actually grateful for my Klingon half," B'Elanna admitted. "It'll sure come in handy when we begin training tomorrow, and it'll probably be even more helpful when I begin competing in a couple of weeks."
"No doubt," Tom agreed.
"Right now, B'Elanna, I'm sure we all wish we had your Klingon half," said Dr. Luke.
"Actually, Captain, I have a perfectly legitimate reason to indulge tonight," Dexa chimed in.
"Oh? What's that?" the Captain asked.
Dexa and Neelix looked over at each other and smiled, and then Dexa turned her attention back to Captain Janeway and told her, "Neelix and I just learned today that Voyager is going to be getting a new crewmember. I can indulge tonight because I'm eating for two." Dexa began patting her stomach in that moment, and then everyone began clapping and cheering.
"That's terrific!" Harry cried out.
"It sure is," Tom agreed, and then he got up and shook hands with Neelix. "Neelix, Dexa, congratulations."
"I'm so happy for you," the Captain beamed as she took Dexa's and Neelix's hands and gave them an affectionate squeeze. "That's wonderful! Congratulations."
"Do you guys know what you're having or do you want it to be a surprise?" asked B'Elanna.
"We asked Dr. Luke not to tell us the baby's gender," Neelix answered.
"No, we want to be surprised," said Dexa. "We do know that our baby is perfectly healthy, and that's the important thing."
"I extend my best wishes to both of you," said Tuvok. He then looked directly at Neelix and told him, "Congratulations, Mr. Neelix."
"Thank you very much, Mr. Tuvok," Neelix responded, and then he leaned in and gave his wife a big kiss.
"I'll bet Brax is excited to be getting a little brother or sister," said Harry.
"He sure is," said Dexa. "We told him earlier today and he can't stop talking about it. He's really got his heart set on having a little brother, but I know he'll be crazy about his sibling no matter what the baby's gender is."
"How long will it be before we know?" asked Tom.
"Yeah, how long does a Talaxian pregnancy last?" B'Elanna inquired.
"Talaxian pregnancies can last anywhere between twenty-four and twenty-eight weeks," Dexa answered.
"How far along are you now?" asked Captain Janeway.
"I'm eight weeks along, Captain."
"You know, earlier this evening, I was looking over all their rules for the different events we'll be competing in and one thing they're very strict about is the issue of pregnancy," Harry pointed out. "Pregnant women are completely prohibited from competing in any of their events. Looks like you really lucked out, Dexa."
"I can't pretend that I envy all the intense physical training all you guys are going to have to go through to get prepared for this, but at least I can still be here to give you and Neelix moral support. Since I'm married to Neelix, I guess you guys can start thinking of me as his Co-Morale Officer."
"And we couldn't hope for anyone better for the job than you, my sweet," said Neelix, and again, he gave his wife a big kiss.
Dexa then got a terrible case of the hiccups. She quickly drank the glass of water she had by her plate, but the hiccups persisted.
"It's common in Talaxian pregnancies," Neelix explained while Dexa kept hiccupping. "Human women get morning sickness when they're pregnant. Pregnant Bajoran women frequently sneeze. When a Talaxian woman is expecting, she often gets the hiccups."
"Oh, dear," Captain Janeway said with a bit of a laugh. Dexa then took a deep breath and held it for a good long while, and that finally stopped her hiccups.
As soon as Dexa's hiccups stopped, the Captain pulled up a chair and sat down with everyone. They all spent the next hour talking and laughing and enjoying each other's company, and with the exception of the Captain, everyone continued shamelessly gorging themselves.
"Back when I was just a hologram, I would've been horrified at all of these fatty foods," said Dr. Luke as he put two pieces of pepperoni pizza on his plate. "But now that I'm a human being with fully functioning taste buds, I understand why this kind of unhealthy eating is such an incredible temptation."
"A temptation you're trying very hard to fight, I see," Kathryn teased as she briefly locked her eyes with his. The expression on her face was stern, but Luke knew better. He could see the laughter sparkling in Kathryn's blue eyes, and he instantly cranked it up a notch.
"Oh, I didn't get all this food just for me, Captain," said Luke with an evil grin that Kathryn recognized all too well. In the next instant, Luke grabbed a napkin, put a slice on top of it, handed it to Harry, who was sitting in between the two of them, and told him, "Pass this to the Captain, would you please, Mr. Kim?"
"Certainly," said Harry, who was now wearing the same evil grin Luke was, and then he handed the pizza slice to his captain. "Here you go, ma'am," he said very smugly, and she responded by giving them both the evil eye.
"Thanks a lot, gentlemen," Kathryn said sarcastically while suppressing her laughter.
"Oh, it's my pleasure, Captain," Luke insisted, still wearing the same smug grin. "It's my very great pleasure," he said with even more emphasis, and Kathryn responded by rolling her eyes at him, and he just barely managed to keep himself from laughing.
Everyone continued talking and laughing for another ten minutes or so, and then they all said goodbye and went to bed for the night, with the exception of Kathryn and Luke. As soon as they were alone, Kathryn got up from her seat, and Luke chuckled at her.
"What?" Kathryn asked with a laugh while leaning back against the table and folding her arms.
"You always have to be The Workaholic Captain. All business, all the time. Always serious. Never lets her hair down in front of her crew for an instant, not even long enough to enjoy a perfectly good slice of pizza."
Kathryn then turned and looked at her uneaten pizza slice, and in the next moment, she turned back to Luke and knowingly laughed. "That's me, alright. The Workaholic Captain and proud of it."
"Oh, really? Because I seem to recall a certain someone sitting by my side, laughing her head off as I was giving her piano lessons in the holodeck and joking around with her the other day. I also recall a certain someone having a wonderful time with me as I serenaded her in my quarters yesterday evening."
Again, Kathryn laughed, and she told Luke, "Well, as our ship's captain, I do have a certain reputation I have to maintain. People expect me to be The Workaholic Captain who never lets herself have any fun; I don't want to disappoint them."
Luke looked up at the woman he loved and gave her a big smile, and then he said, "If only they knew the real you."
"That is the real me," Kathryn insisted, and then she leaned forward and rested her forehead on Luke's. A moment later, she whispered, "As far as everyone else is concerned."