Chapter 3: Grinning Idiots
"Kotay!"
Chakotay stopped in his tracks and turned just in time to catch the running toddler. "Good morning, Shannon. Where is your mom?"
"Mama!" she reached out in the direction that she had come, just as the Captain came into view.
"Oh, thank goodness you caught her, I'm having trouble keeping up with her without breaking out in a full run, and I just don't think that's very dignified. Good morning Commander." She smiled up at him.
"Good morning, Captain. On your way to breakfast?"
"Yes we are, care to join us?"
"Of course."
As they eat, the talked about ship business, among other things, while Shannon babbled mostly in incoherent baby talk. Soon it was time for the Captain and the Commander to report to the bridge. They left Shannon with Kes and headed for the trubolift.
"Bridge," She said as the doors slid shut, then she glanced up at Chakotay, "Commander, is there a problem?"
"No, why do you ask?" he didn't look away from her and he didn't stop smiling.
"Because you are grinning like an idiot."
"Oh, I am? I'll stop," he didn't.
"Chakotay, are you going to tell me what's going on or not."
"Not."
"Really? Well don't I at least get a hint." She was smiling just as broad as he was now.
"Ok, I realized something."
"Oh, really and just what did you realize?"
"Can't tell you."
"Hmmm…" the doors opened to the bridge, "we'll finish this later." She whispered as stepped off the lift.
"Of course."
*
A few hours later the Captain, Commander and several other crewmembers materialized on the surface of an M-class planet. The groups had been pre- assigned and with out speaking they separated out in pairs and began the search for edible vegetation.
The captain and the commander walked side by side for a while, the only sounded was their tricorders beeping and the birds of the planet singing, and then the Captain voiced the opinion that she was sure everyone was thinking, "It looks so much like earth." Chakotay nodded but didn't say anything.
"Now," she said glancing up from her readings, "I think its time we continued that conversation."
"What conversation?" he didn't take his eyes off his tricorders; he knew if he looked at her he wouldn't be able to keep a straight face.
"You know full well what conversation I'm talking about, don't try to play mister innocent with me." Her tone was still joking but she was becoming frustrated.
"Fine, lets continue." He closed his tricorder and turned to face her.
"So are you going to tell me?"
"Like I told you before, I can't. Now, shall we get back to work?"
"Why can't you tell me?" Now she really was beginning to get frustrated, "I want you to tell me now, don't make me make it an order."
"You don't want to do that." He said as he began scanning again.
"And just why not?"
Once again he stopped and looked up at her, "Because you're not ready to hear it, when you are, I'll tell you. Now can we just drop this subject, I'm sorry I ever brought it up."
Reluctantly she nodded and continued scanning, and soon the subject was forgotten.
To be continued…
"Kotay!"
Chakotay stopped in his tracks and turned just in time to catch the running toddler. "Good morning, Shannon. Where is your mom?"
"Mama!" she reached out in the direction that she had come, just as the Captain came into view.
"Oh, thank goodness you caught her, I'm having trouble keeping up with her without breaking out in a full run, and I just don't think that's very dignified. Good morning Commander." She smiled up at him.
"Good morning, Captain. On your way to breakfast?"
"Yes we are, care to join us?"
"Of course."
As they eat, the talked about ship business, among other things, while Shannon babbled mostly in incoherent baby talk. Soon it was time for the Captain and the Commander to report to the bridge. They left Shannon with Kes and headed for the trubolift.
"Bridge," She said as the doors slid shut, then she glanced up at Chakotay, "Commander, is there a problem?"
"No, why do you ask?" he didn't look away from her and he didn't stop smiling.
"Because you are grinning like an idiot."
"Oh, I am? I'll stop," he didn't.
"Chakotay, are you going to tell me what's going on or not."
"Not."
"Really? Well don't I at least get a hint." She was smiling just as broad as he was now.
"Ok, I realized something."
"Oh, really and just what did you realize?"
"Can't tell you."
"Hmmm…" the doors opened to the bridge, "we'll finish this later." She whispered as stepped off the lift.
"Of course."
*
A few hours later the Captain, Commander and several other crewmembers materialized on the surface of an M-class planet. The groups had been pre- assigned and with out speaking they separated out in pairs and began the search for edible vegetation.
The captain and the commander walked side by side for a while, the only sounded was their tricorders beeping and the birds of the planet singing, and then the Captain voiced the opinion that she was sure everyone was thinking, "It looks so much like earth." Chakotay nodded but didn't say anything.
"Now," she said glancing up from her readings, "I think its time we continued that conversation."
"What conversation?" he didn't take his eyes off his tricorders; he knew if he looked at her he wouldn't be able to keep a straight face.
"You know full well what conversation I'm talking about, don't try to play mister innocent with me." Her tone was still joking but she was becoming frustrated.
"Fine, lets continue." He closed his tricorder and turned to face her.
"So are you going to tell me?"
"Like I told you before, I can't. Now, shall we get back to work?"
"Why can't you tell me?" Now she really was beginning to get frustrated, "I want you to tell me now, don't make me make it an order."
"You don't want to do that." He said as he began scanning again.
"And just why not?"
Once again he stopped and looked up at her, "Because you're not ready to hear it, when you are, I'll tell you. Now can we just drop this subject, I'm sorry I ever brought it up."
Reluctantly she nodded and continued scanning, and soon the subject was forgotten.
To be continued…