Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

The face of an unknown Starfleet employee filled the screen. "Voyager will be ready ahead of schedule. It is imperative that you contact Owen Paris for the details of your mission." The screen filled with the emblem of Starfleet as the transmission ended. She turned and looked at Chakotay.

She turned around and looked at him grabbing the hand he had laid on her shoulder. "I guess I should call Owen now." She didn't want to. She wasn't ready to return. She had things; they had things, to resolve before returning.

His thoughts echoed hers. For seven years she had put off their happiness for Starfleet. They had both hurt each other deeply more than once. They had lost their way and because of his stupidity they almost lost everything. He didn't want her to call but they both knew she had no choice. "You call him. I'll listen from over here." He had walked from behind her chair to the other side of the room. "He won't be able to see me if I stay here."

She jumped up and put both her hands on her hips in typical Janeway fashion. "I have no reason to hide the fact that you are here!" Kathryn was indignant at his suggestion.

He smiled a warm smile. "I wasn't suggesting that you should hide the fact that I am here, just delay it. If he is speaking to both of us he may not speak as freely as he would to you alone."

Immediately she calmed. He was right. She sat back down. "Fine but listen closely."

Admiral Owen Paris' face filled the screen. "Kathryn it is good to see you! You look well."

"Thank you. Now what is this all about?"

"Relax Kathryn. It is a humanitarian mission. There is a planet in the outer sector of the Alpha Quadrant that was devastated by an intruder's attack. We, The Federation, have been asked to help provide medical supplies and food."

"When will the ship be ready?"

"The re-fitting will be completed by Saturday. I would say once final diagnostics are complete it should be ready to depart Monday. You are to inform your crew to be aboard and ready to leave by 0800 and you are required to be here by Friday."

"I cannot do that Owen." Both the admiral and Chakotay flinched at her response.

His expression hardened just slightly. Chakotay couldn't see him but he felt his expression in his tone. "Why not Captain Janeway?"

If he thought that he could intimidate her with the use of her title he was wrong! "First of all you are not telling me everything. The last time I went on a mission I was woefully uninformed of the true facts concerning the criminals that I was sent to capture. I will not be put in that position again. So tell me Owen, why Voyager?" She gave him her best Janeway glare. Though he was loathed to admit it, it did have the desired effect.

"The planet is located very close to an area of space that was once part of the neutral zone. Although the Romulans helped us in our fight against the Dominion the alliance is tenuous at best. There have been rumors of civil unrest on the Romulan homeworld. A group of young disidants is calling for a return to the glorious ways of their ancestors. We don't think the Romulans actually attacked the planet themselves but we fear they were behind those that did. Voyagers presence in the area will provide the strong statement that we want to make." Owen looked directly at Kathryn and knew she was not yet committed. He softens his features and spoke in a quiet solemn tone. "We made a mistake once with the Cardassians we do not wish to repeat it with the Romulans."

Kathryn heard Chakotay's intact of breath. She knew he was trying to manipulate her. She tried not to look at Chakotay. That last sentence would certainly pull at his heart. "I will be there Sunday."

Admiral Paris began to protest but Kathryn cut him off. "I am going to Commander Riker's wedding on Saturday. I will report to Starfleet headquarters in San Francisco on Sunday."

"Kathryn there will be a wealth of information that you will have to learn. Your ship is filled with new technology. Even you cannot possible learn it in one day. We need you here now!" He was getting angry but Kathryn didn't care.

Kathryn got a look in her eye that only Chakotay would recognize. Admiral Paris would not win this argument. He felt some relief in knowing that the time they had planned to spend together would not be cut short. For a moment it felt like déjà vu. Just as they were beginning to break through some of their self imposed barriers Starfleet requirements put up another roadblock, but his time Kathryn would not allow it.

She could feel the color rising on her face. She was mad. " I spent seven years living for everyone but myself. Right now I have some very important personal things to take care of before I leave again. Someone at Starfleet will have to contact the members of my crew except for Commander Chakotay. I will inform him and ask him to join me Sunday when I arrive." She deliberately stared directly at the admiral. "Owen, this is non-negotiable." Her features remained firm. There was no way in hell that she would give up these days with Chakotay to sit with some muckity mucks telling her about her ship.

He was not happy. The frown lines appeared around his mouth. "There are a lot of people who did not want to send Voyager. They didn't have faith that you could handle this delicate mission so soon after returning. There was even fear that the situation might stir up old feelings in your first officer bringing his commitment into question." He was attempting to push the ultimate button.

Admiral Paris' ploy backfired. He was trying to challenge her, knowing that she would do anything to prove herself. Offering a chance to have her first officer prove his allegiance to Starfleet was an added bonus. He had no way of knowing how much her time in the Delta Quadrant had changed her. She made countless life and death decisions and lived with the burden of each and every consequence. She had nothing to prove to anyone! After so many years of mistakes she decided that her first duty was to herself. "Then send someone else. Good-night Owen." Kathryn reached to end the transmission.

"Fine! I'll inform the Admiralty that you will be there Sunday. They will not be pleased and you can expect to hear about it. Good-night Captain Janeway."

"Good-night Admiral Paris." She leaned a little closer to the screen. "And Owen, tell them not to waste my time with more bureaucracy. If I learned anything on my last mission it is that time is too valuable to waste." With that last statement she ended the transmission and looked to the other side of the room where Chakotay was standing. He was grinning ear to ear.

She stood up and walked toward him. "What is so funny?"

He walked to meet her in the middle of the room. "Nothing is funny I am just happy about the decision you made. He was right. My heart aches for the people on the planet. I understand their situation all too well. But I do not want to give up this week of having you all to myself." His heart was soaring! She had chosen him over duty.

She reached up and ran her fingertips across his tattoo. "Chakotay there was no decision." He reached up and glided her hand to his lips where he kissed her palm." Their eyes were smoldering. Hunger radiated in their pupils. He had a powerful urge to engulf her in his arms and carry her to his room but she wasn't ready yet. She was close but not yet.

Finally she spoke in a voice as raspy as aged whiskey. I think we should get some sleep. We are going to need the rest if we are going to go sailing on Lake George tomorrow."

He chuckled as he led her out of the room. They got to the top of the stairs and parted each going to their own room. Just as she was about to enter her bedroom he called her name. He walked over to her, took her face into his hands and leaned in and kissed her. This was not a swift brushing of the lips like before. He kept his lips firmly pressed to hers. She reached her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. He let the tip of his tongue slid out and caress her lips. Just as she was about to respond in kind he broke away. Slowly he slid his right hand off the side of her cheek. "Good-night Kathryn." He walked to his room knowing she was watching him. He paused for a moment and looked over his shoulder. "Don't let your imagination run too wild!" He slipped into Phoebe's room grinning like a Cheshire cat.

She plopped down on her bed and thought 'round two to him!'

The next morning they stood in the kitchen ready to go.

"Katie you look tired. Didn't you sleep well last night?" Gretchen asked with motherly concern.

"No, I didn't." She answered her mother as she continued to pack the food her mother had made for them.

Gretchen took her daughter's hands and asked with a sense of urgency in her voice. "Was it the message from Starfleet?"

Kathryn abruptly stopped what she was doing. She reached out and hugged her mother recognizing the fear her mother was feeling. As she stepped away Chakotay entered the kitchen with the fishing gear from the cellar. "No, mom it wasn't the message that kept me awake." She turned to look pointedly at Chakotay. "It was something else entirely."