Kathryn watched out the airplane window as the ground grew closer and closer as they descended. She could feel Tom tense beside her. He had his pilot's license and only felt relaxed when he himself was in control of the aircraft. Smiling to herself, she patted his arm gently as their plane descended into Bangor, Maine.
Along with Tom's friend Harry, they were on their way to San Francisco. All having different reasons for needing to be there, none of them were truly in any hurry to arrive. It had been Kathryn's idea to fly into Maine from Paris and rent a car and drive cross-country to their final destination.
The plane touched down with precision and after a few minutes of taxiing, they were pulling up to the jet bridge, actually early. It was just after eleven am, and though Kathryn's watch read Eastern Standard Time, her body was existing somewhere between Auckland, New Zealand and Paris time. She wasn't sure if she would do better with a nap or a large cup of coffee. Deciding on coffee, she figured they could find a Starbucks or other coffee shop in the airport before they left.
It had been nearly three weeks since Owen Paris had called Kathryn, asking her to find his son and bring him home. Kathryn had only met Tom a handful of times, mostly at mutual family or work functions, but they'd always gotten along, knowing each other since they were young. And this was a case of 'when Owen Paris asks you to jump, you ask how high'.
She'd made a few phone calls, called in a few favors, and in just three days' time she was booking a plane to Auckland, New Zealand.
It hadn't been hard to track him down once she'd arrived, and before long they were at a local bar, drinking together and reminiscing about old times. It surprised Kathryn that it hadn't taken more convincing to get Tom to come with her. They were accompanied by his new friend Harry Kim; a younger man who had left California to escape heartbreak and had ended up in New Zealand. He and Tom had become fast friends, and Harry had decided that he wanted to travel with them. Kathryn found the young man charming, if perhaps a bit overzealous, but had quickly agreed.
"Captain," Tom spoke, pulling her from her thoughts. She realized then that the passengers were getting up and beginning to exit the plane. "You ready?"
Kathryn chuckled, watching as Harry had already gotten up and had pulled their bags from the overhead, "I wish you'd stop calling me Captain. You know very well I'm not on active duty, as I've told you over a dozen times." She tried to give him her best Captain glare, but he just smirked, "Please just call me Kathryn."
"Yes, ma'am." He let his southern accent drawl out the words, sliding out of his seat and taking his backpack from Harry. Holding out a hand, he helped Kathryn out of her seat by the window as Harry handed over her leather messenger bag. "We all good to go? Have everything?" Tom looked between Harry and Kathryn, both of them nodding at him. "Alright, if I have to guess, we'll be finding the nearest coffee shop before we get our luggage." Kathryn placed a hand briefly on his cheek.
"Bless you, Tom." She grinned at him and then at Harry, "Alright, let's go."
=/\=
After stopping for coffee, the three companions made their way through customs without too much hassle and picked up their luggage. Now they stood outside the airport, not sure at all of where they would go, where to rent a car or if they even wanted to hit the road so soon after landing.
"Alright, let's get a cab and find a hotel. I need a shower and I think we could all decompress for a day before we take off, agreed?"
"Yes, ma'am," Tom quipped and Harry just nodded, looking relieved.
Kathryn hailed one of the taxis passing through the arrivals terminal and requested a decent hotel in the area. The cab driver nodded, and soon they were driving down Maine avenue. Kathryn watched out the window as they drove underneath the expressway. "How far away is it?" She asked the driver. She was already eager for another cup of coffee and a gym of some kind. Hopefully, the hotel had a nice pool and workout facility. Being cramped on a plane for the last fourteen hours and in half a dozen different time zones had seriously screwed with her equilibrium, and she knew a hard workout would do wonders at easing her back into herself.
"Only about ten minutes. It's near the river." The driver glanced in the rearview mirror at his three passengers.
Kathryn nodded, watching as the drove through several subdivisions before pulling into the parking lot for a Marriott hotel. Kathryn was pleasantly surprised by the location and visage of the hotel. Everything seemed up to date and well kept, and they made their way inside. Kathryn could see trepidation morph Harry's features when Kathryn asked the clerk for a suite or studio...the largest, nicest room they had available. Harry was about to open his mouth to protest, not wanting to admit that he couldn't afford such luxury, but a quick move of Tom's hand to Harry's shoulder stopped him.
Tom knew that Kathryn came from money and also knew that she enjoyed taking care of her friends when the occasion called for it. He'd protested when she'd paid for the hotel in Auckland, and his plane ticket back to the states, but quickly realized he was fighting a losing battle. Kathryn enjoyed being able to put her money to good use, so Tom easily learned to just say thank you and appreciate it.
Their room was up on the fifth floor, and after a quick elevator ride, Kathryn slid the keycard into the lock and opened the door.
The room was nicer than Kathryn thought for a chain hotel suite, but it boasted two queen beds and a pullout sofa bed, the latter of which Harry quickly claimed. The bathroom was nearly three times the size of a regular hotel's and boasted a very large shower stall, though it was without a bathtub, to Kathryn's dismay. She'd have to make do with the hotel pool and spa, which she'd seen a sign for in the lobby. Tossing her suitcase on the bed, she fished around in it for her swimsuit, "I'm gonna head down to the pool and swim some laps. Either of you gentlemen care to join me?"
Harry wasn't as comfortable around Kathryn yet as Tom and looked awkwardly at Kathryn holding her blue swimsuit in hand. "At ease, Harry, before you sprain something." Tom laughed, slapping Harry on the back as he made for his own luggage.
"I don't want to swim laps, but I could use a visit to the hot tub. Come on Harry, don't be a buzzkill." Harry glanced between the two of them and then went to his own luggage for his swim trunks.
Kathryn changed quickly in the bathroom, twisting her long auburn hair into a tight knot at the back of her head. She grabbed three towels from the bathroom and came back out, having to immediately suppress a grin. Both men had changed while she was in the bathroom. Tom wore simple black and green trunks, while Harry had on a swimsuit themed in what she knew was his favorite television show, the United Federation of Planets logo all over them. Harry just shrugged at Kathryn's appraisal. "Alright, gentlemen, let's go."
=/\=
This early in the day the pool was blissfully empty, and while Tom and Harry made their way over to the hot tub, Kathryn climbed into the pool. Though she was used to a regulation size lap pool, this indoor pool was larger than most hotels and since it was empty, she'd be able to get up a bit of a stride before having to turn.
After a few stretches, she set off, her muscles singing as she put them to use. Fourteen hours on the plane had been torture, and now it felt wonderful to stretch and work her muscle as best she could in the hotel pool.
While she eased into her stride, she didn't notice two more people enter the pool area; a man and a woman, both with tanned skin and dark hair. The woman must have cracked a joke because the man was laughing, pulling dimples into his cheeks at her antics. He glanced down at Kathryn for a moment, unbeknownst to her, watching her glide through the water for a moment before catching up to his friend. They made their way to the hot tub, and the man spoke first, "Do you mind if we join you?"
Harry shook his head, moving a bit so there was more room. The man got in and sat down, followed by his companion. She sat nearest Tom, glaring at him when she caught him staring at her. He just gave her a toothy smile, his blue eyes glittering.
They all sat in silence for a moment until Harry, bless his heart, broke the tension, "You guys here on business or pleasure?"
The woman leaned back, resting her arms on the edge of the hot tub, clearly not in the mood to talk. Her companion spoke instead.
"Neither, really. Just a stopover on our way home."
"Wow, same here. Where is home?" Tom couldn't tell if Harry was actually curious, or if his nerves were getting the better of him as they sometimes did, and he wasn't able to stem the flow of words coming from his mouth.
"California...San Francisco."
"No kidding? Us too. We are on our way there." The woman opened her eyes, now interested in the conversation.
"When does your flight leave?" The woman spoke this time.
Tom looked over at her, "Actually, we're driving. Probably going to rent a car tomorrow and hit the road. How about you?"
She eyed him for a moment, tucking her brown hair behind her ear, "...Not..sure...we aren't really in a hurry. Maybe we'll do the same?" She looked at the dark man beside her, who looked as though he was giving it serious thought.
"Maybe we could join you. Rent an SUV and split the cost." The dark man spoke again. Tom turned to look at him.
"Well, that will have to be up to the Captain. She's the one footing the bill for our trip," he spoke without embarrassment, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb. The pair looked over where the water was rippling as Kathryn swam. "Have to ask her."
The man nodded, "I'm Chakotay. This is B'Elanna." Tom and Harry introduced themselves, and handshakes were passed all around. "We have one more person in our party. He should be down soon, and you can meet him too. Then maybe your...Captain can decide for herself."
They made small talk for another five minutes or so before they heard water splash as Kathryn came out of the pool and walked towards them. As she approached, she could feel eyes on her and noticed a mysterious stranger in the hot tub with her friends, eyeing her appreciatively. Never one to back down from an awkward situation, she squared her shoulders and approached, climbing in and sitting down nearly beside the man that had been watching her. "Tom, I leave you alone for ten minutes and you make new friends."
"Uh, yeah," Tom looked slightly uncomfortable under Kathryn' scrutiny, "This is B'Elanna and Chakotay. They are heading to San Fran as well...wondered if we wanted to carpool."
"Tom told us that as...Captain...it was your decision," Chakotay spoke, humor pulling the corners of his lips up. Kathryn threw a glare over at Tom for spreading her title around uninvited, but then turned back to Chakotay.
"My name is Kathryn. Kathryn Janeway," She held out her hand, marveling at the size of Chakotay's as he raised his own out of the water to shake hers. She then shook hands with B'Elanna.
"So where does 'Captain' come from then?" Chakotay had a twinkle in his dark eyes, and Kathryn felt like she could easily get lost there.
Where did that feeling come from?
"I am an Air Force Captain, non-active," she glanced over at her blonde friend, "Tom here enjoys calling me Captain...for some unknown reason. My name is Kathryn."
Chakotay held up his hands in an 'I'm innocent' gesture, "Point taken. Well, it's nice to meet you, Kathryn." There was something about the way he said her name that made her want to hear it again.
What was she thinking? These were complete strangers who just happened to be going to the same city as she and her friends. She knew nothing about these people. There was no way she could trust them to travel together...could she?
"Why don't you just fly to California?" Kathryn asked honestly, knowing her own reasons for delaying her arrival, but her motivations were not the norm.
Chakotay and B'Elanna shared a knowing glance, "We just aren't in any hurry to get there."
"And that's all we're going to say about it," B'Elanna cut through, adding a layer of tension to the conversation. Tom glanced over at her, curiosity and concern painting his features.
"Well, I think it would be prudent to know a bit about each other if you want to travel with us," Kathryn's commanding gaze slid from Chakotay over to his companion, the latter seeming to shrink back away from it just slightly. That surprised Chakotay. He'd known B'Elanna for years and had never seen her back down...especially from another woman. This Kathryn Janeway was really a force to be reckoned with, and he had a sudden urge to know more about her. Chakotay reached under the water and touched B'Elanna's arm; his silent signal for her to back down.
"B'Elanna and I have been traveling with a friend. We recently decided that it was time to go home, but we just aren't in any hurry to get there. We aren't criminals, and we don't have to travel with you. It was just an idea."
"Who is your friend? I have to admit that carpooling with six people plus luggage would be pretty cramped, even in an SUV."
"He's," they all looked up as the door to the pool area opened and a black man in a t-shirt and swim trunks walked in, a towel in his arm and a serious expression on his face, "Ah, here he is now." Chakotay nodded towards the man, "Everyone, this is -"
"Tuvok?!" Kathryn spoke in surprise. She stood up suddenly, climbing out of the pool and walking towards the man. His eyes went wide as he spotted Kathryn, and just as she was about to give him a hug, she stopped, remembering she was still wet. Though he didn't smile, he continued her motion, pulling her into a light embrace.
"Captain, it's very agreeable to see you again." Kathryn cringed at being called Captain again but was thrilled to see her old Air Force friend.
"How do you two know each other?" Tom asked as Kathryn got back in the hot tub. Tuvok didn't join them, but sat down on the edge to let his legs sink down in the water.
"Captain Janeway and I served for three years together in the Air Force before my retirement. I owe her my life." Kathryn looked up at her old friend, remembering exactly the story he was referring to, but not at all comfortable sharing it with anyone here.
"Well, that sounds like an interesting story," Chakotay spoke beside Kathryn, "Maybe we'll hear about it on the road. Tuvok, we were just talking about combining forces and traveling together with Kathryn, Tom, and Harry here. What do you think?"
Kathryn was curious why Tuvok was traveling with these other two, and how and when they met up. Did they have some history together that Kathryn didn't know about? She was now extremely curious to know more and knowing that Tuvok trusted them made her trust them as well. She'd known Tuvok for a long time, and his judgment had never failed her.
"I would have no qualms in us 'combining forces' as you put it. It would be nice to catch up with an old friend." His gaze softened as his dark eyes fell on Kathryn.
Suddenly five pairs of eyes fell on Kathryn and she knew everyone was expecting her to decide. She took a deep breath, letting out a slow sigh as her eyes traveled to each face around her.
"Well, I guess we'd better discuss a few things if we will be traveling together for the foreseeable future." The prospect of a long, cross-country drive suddenly felt very heavy, and exhaustion was quickly replacing the jittery post caffeine feeling she'd had earlier. "But not now. We've been on a plane for fourteen hours. I need some sleep. Let's meet at the hotel bar this evening at, say, six o'clock. We can have dinner and get to know one another. Everyone okay with that?"
Harry, B'Elanna, and Tuvok nodded. Tom drawled out a, "Yes, ma'am." and Chakotay grinned at her, letting his dimples frame his lips.
"Aye, Captain."