AN: Just a bit of fluff in an updated, J/P take of a story I wrote years ago. (And with any luck, it's not out there ...) As usual, someone else owns most things Voyager. Anything else is mine, and I do this for entertainment only.
ooo
Another exhausting day in a string of exhausting days, and all Kathryn wanted was a hot soak, a glass of wine, and an early bedtime.
She called for the lights as she shucked off her jacket and had just dropped it on a chair when she heard ... What was that ... a bark?
"No, can't be," she muttered as she shook her head. God, she must be tired.
She was about to order that wine from the replicator when ... there it was again: A tiny bark.
She called for full lights and looked around the room. Nothing. But something was rustling in the bedroom. She grabbed a phaser and went in to investigate.
Nothing seemed out of place until she looked on the floor. There sat a dog bed in the corner, occupied by a Golden Retriever puppy with a red bow around its neck. The dog bounded out of the bed and jumped up on her leg, delighted to have company.
"Down now," she murmured as she held the phaser out of reach. "Watch the uniform." The pup sat and looked up at her expectantly as it furiously wagged its tail.
"So who are you, eh?" Kathryn asked as she shelved the phaser and bent over to scratch the dog's head. Then it came to her: This furball might be a younger version of Jessie, one of the Goldens that Tom had programmed as part of last week's date. He'd recreated the state park near her hometown, and they'd taken their holodogs for a walk.
"Jessie?" she said, and the dog barked and jumped on her leg again. "Down, girl," she ordered as she looked around the bedroom. Yep, there it was: a holoprojector near the door.
"Come on, Jessie," she commanded as she walked out of the bedroom.
The dog was following her, so there was more than one projector. A quick survey found three more around the kitchen and living room.
On a hunch, she walked into her bathroom. Jessie disappeared. "Well, guess I can use the bathroom in peace," she muttered.
Jessie reappeared when she walked out and followed her to the replicator. On a whim, she replicated a puppy-size ball and tossed it across the room. Jessie bounded after it and batted it around but made no move to pick it up, despite Kathryn's urging.
"Tom, you left something out of the programming," she chuckled. "Computer, where is Lieutenant Paris?" she called.
"Lieutenant Paris is in his quarters."
"Is anyone with Lieutenant Paris?" No sense in stoking the gossip mill; not that the crew didn't already suspect ...
"Negative."
"What do you say? Shall we get to the bottom of this?" she asked Jessie before she pulled the communicator off her jacket.
"Paris here, Captain." She could hear the amusement in his voice.
"Thomas, want to tell me why there's a puppy in my quarters?"
"I'll be right up to explain," he said. "Paris out."
A few minutes later, the door chimed, which set Jessie to barking. When Tom entered, the pup bolted straight to him, whining and wagging her tail. Tom scooped up the wigging ball of fur and scratched her ears.
"Have you been good for your mom?" he asked, which got him a lick across the chin.
"So, do you like your birthday present?" he asked proudly. Kathryn raised an eyebrow. He looked down at the floor. "Oh, good! You got her a ball! I was going to replicate a chew toy, too."
"Love, my birthday isn't until next week."
"I know, but it's been such a crappy week. I thought you should have her now," Tom said as he
dodged another lick from the dog. "I know you miss Molly, so I thought you'd like a dog to keep you company, at least on the nights I'm not here."
"So how did you ..." she began, then stopped. "Never mind, I know how you got in." She'd set up an alternate door code that wouldn't register in the ship's logs.
Tom must have sensed her hesitancy. "I programmed her to have normal growth patterns," so she'll be a bit older every time you access the program. She's also programmed to accept training," he said eagerly.
"I think we'll have to work on that," she joked.
"I also programmed in the puppy version of Jake for when I'm here, or if you think Jessie needs a playmate."
She was about to say something about the dogs being an unnecessary power drain on the system, then stopped. That would be mean, not to mention ungrateful. Tom obviously had put a lot of love and thought into this; had she become so hardened that she'd throw it back in his face?
No, she decided.
Tom knew her too well, though. "She doesn't take that much power, and I programmed in some energy- saving parameters. It's not like you're going to run her constantly, unless you'd like me to put a projector in the Ready Room ..."
She looked at him holding Jessie and realized that both of them were giving her puppy-dog eyes. "Oh, you're a goner," she thought, "in more ways than one."
She stepped close enough to scratch the dog's head. "She's adorable, and I'm going to enjoy having her around," she said as she pulled Tom's head down for a kiss. "Now,' she whispered, "I have an idea on how to thank you, but you have to put down the dog."
"Sorry, girl," he told the pup as he quickly put her on the floor. "This is Mom and Dad time..."
ooo
Much later, she awoke ... 0230. Unusual: She usually slept soundly when Tom stayed over. But something was missing, and she smiled as she realized what it was.
"Computer," she said softly as she sat up,"activate Jessie."
The pup appeared and then eagerly approached her outstretched hand. Kathryn managed to pick her up and gently place her on the foot of her bed. "Go to sleep now," she commanded, and after circling the spot a couple of times, Jessie snuggled down.
The activity roused Tom from his sleep. "Everything OK?" he asked groggily.
"Go back to sleep; everything is fine," Kathryn whispered as she settled back against him.."In fact, it's perfect."