The Time Was One That No One Would Forget

TayaJaneway

Disclaimer: Everything STAR TREK belongs to Paramount and A Visit From St. Nicholas belongs to Clement Clarke Moore.

A little girl with brown eyes and red hair, and a little boy with blue eyes and black hair climbed in their Uncle Tom's lap at the Christmas dinner. It was time for a story.

"So what will it be this year, A Visit From St. Nicholas?" Tom asked, as everyone started to calm down.

"No, we were thinking that maybe you could tell us about the time mommy and daddy said what they said last night." She said with a disgusted look on her face.

Kathryn and Chakotay smiled, Taya hated the words, 'I love you' when they weren't directed at her.

"What would those be?"

"I love."

"I love you!" Alex finished for her.

"Oh, well I know this one time but I don't think it was the first time. I think that's a story you'll have to ask them sometime, but if they'll help me with the ending and if it's okay with them I'll tell you about the second time I became an Ensign."

"What does that have to do with 'I love you'?"

"Well your mommy and I got into a fight and she made me an Ensign."

"Mommy did you really make Uncle Tom an Ensign?"

"Yeah. I was really mad because at the time I didn't realize how much I loved your daddy." Then to Tom, "I can't believe you still remember that!"

"It was a time that no one will forget, Kathryn." B'Elanna stated.

"Well, we were in the Delta Quadrant, they, your mommy and daddy, had just got back from a farewell meeting with the ."

"Trakiens." Kathryn said.

"They were really tired so they apparently curled up on the couch and went to sleep, because ."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

They were on the couch in the ready room when the door chimed, but no one answered it.

After four more chimes the visitor ordered, "Unlock the ready room doors, authorization 1438-Paris-pilot-4657."

"Unable to comply. Authorization code needed, level 9." The monotone computer said.

"Tuvok." Tom stated plainly.

"Computer unlock ready room door, authorization code CL-1584-Tuvok- Security."

"Ready room doors unlocked."

"Thank you!" Tom said, exasperated.

"Captain."

He halted in the door at the sight of Captain Janeway on the couch asleep in the Commander's arms, he too asleep. He couldn't resist it, ran onto the bridge and got a holo-imager, went back into the room, very quietly and took the picture of the peaceful, sleeping couple.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Chakotay?" She asked wondering where they were."

"Yes?"

"Oh, great! I thought I was imaging you." She opened her eyes, "Where are we?"

"I thought you were calling my over the comm." They shot up in unison.

Kathryn was looking at Chakotay's face, which right now held wide eyes and a gapping mouth. "Chakotay close your mouth you not a fish!" she said in a motherly tone.

He did as he was told. Kathryn sat there totally unaware that the shiver running through her body was caused by the lack of cover and . clothing.

"Chakotay would you stop staring at me!"

He finally turned away, "Well, then I would suggest you put something on!"

She looked down and went wide eyed, not believing what all the evidence led to . she took far to long to cover herself up so Chakotay covered her, pushing her down on the bed as he did.

They froze. In his hast to cover her, he had inadvertently grazed her stomach, in between her breast and up her neck. Causing a shiver of electricity to run through them both. Their eyes met. She saw sorrow, sadness, happiness, and what scared her the most was the amount of desire there. He to saw the same thing and what surprised him the most was the amount of desire he saw in her eyes.

Instead of pushing him off of her as he had thought she would do, she pulled him down and kissed him.

"Kathryn?"

"Yes."

`````````````

Her eyes were wide as she woke. She was sweating and shivering.

His eyes were wide as he woke. He was sweating and shivering.

"Chakotay ."

"Kathryn ."

'Not again!' she thought.

"Are you okay?" They asked each other.

"Yeah!" he said.

"I guess ." she said then mumbled, "it's normal."

"What's normal?"

"Nothing, just that dream I just had!"

"Yeah, me too." Chakotay smiled at Kathryn, who was still lying in his lap.

The ready room doors opened. "Well, the sleeping beauties have awoken!"

"Tom! Don't you know to knock!?" Janeway said annoyed, hopping up from the couch.

"I thought you were asleep. A minute ago I came in her after ringing the chime, to find you curled up in his lap. Both asleep, rather sweet actually!"

"Paris!!"

"I won't say a word." The glares coming his way told him that they didn't believe him, "I swear." He said with all honesty.

"What was it you needed?"

"I was just going to give you this report."

"Leave it on my desk."

"Yes ma'am."

He laid the PADD on the desk and walked back on to the bridge.

"So what was your dream about?"

"What!?" She exclaimed.

"The dream, that you have so often?"

"Oh . uhm. About getting home. You?"

"Something like that."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After one week of getting too many smiles and giggles when walking down the corridors they had a meeting with Paris in her Ready Room.

"Yes, Captain you wanted to see me?" Paris said, B'Elanna at his side.

"Yes, we wanted to ask if you might now why the crew are acting weird around us?"

They knew he knew why they just wanted him to admit it.

"That's because you two had fallen asleep the other day." B'Elanna shut up, finally realizing that she wasn't supposed to say anything.

"You said you weren't going to say anything." Chakotay replied in a not-so- good tone.

"And I didn't." Tom smiled.

"Then how does everyone know?"

"Well, I said I wouldn't say anything," he smiled dipping into his pocket. "That didn't mean that this wouldn't say anything."

He handed the picture to them and literally ran out of the ready room.

They looked at the picture.

' It's actually kind of cute and not as bad as I thought it would be.' She thought.

"It's really not as bad as I thought it would be, and it is really cute."

Her mouth was gapping open when he turned to her, "What?"

"Are you sure you aren't the Vulcan?" She asked.

"What?"

"I was thinking the same thing, exactly."

"Well, it's the truth!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Valentine's day was coming up and as usual Neelix and Tom wanted to have a party.

Kathryn had said yes to the whole thing.

Chakotay had, of course, agreed to it. A chance to see Kathryn, not the Captain, for a whole night, dressed beautifully, why wouldn't he?

During the week of preparation, Kathryn got these beautiful roses and cards. Knowing, who from, she sent him a card and book back every time.

One day, the night before Valentines, it wasn't a card or rose, it was a replication code. Attached to the code was a note that read, 'If you haven't already picked something out wear this. It's Captain-like, Kathryn- like, and lady-like. I picked it out special and I happen to know the tailor very well. If you already have something then were what you have but don't throw this away.'

She told the replicator the code and five seconds later a beautiful red, velvet, shimmering dress appeared on her bed. The seams weren't regular seams they would have taken forever to do back in the old days. They were roses all up the seams, every one of them.

It was beautiful.

She sent a note back saying thank you and to tell the tailor thank you as well.

She received another note later on, on their shared console on the bridge. It said, "You are very welcome. Oh, and I don't have to tell him thank you for you . you did."

She read that and her mouth dropped opened, "You made that!?" she said aloud.

He turned surprised she had said anything, "Yes."

"Oh . my ." she took a look around and everyone was looking at her. "Sorry."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The party

Chakotay was drinking the sythneol wine waiting for Kathryn to enter those doors when it hadn't happened for thirty minutes, B'Elanna asked him to dance he gave in and danced the second slow song with B'Elanna.

"What's wrong Old Man?"

"Nothing." He smiled a fake smile.

"If that were true I would see those undying dimples." She smiled.

"It's nothing B'Elanna, really." He insisted.

"If it's about Kathryn I wouldn't worry. She'll come." B'Elanna's eyes lit up and everyone but Chakotay looked at the doors.

"But she's probably sitting in her ready room reading through your dang five page report on the warp core-"

Something soft and white on his shoulder, and the words, "May I cut in?" stopped his.

He turned to see anyone but the Captain standing in front of him in the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen. "Of course." He heard B'Elanna answer.

The song suddenly changed at the nod of Kathryn's head toward Tom. Chakotay didn't notice though, he was enchanted at Kathryn's beauty.

When he made the dress he hadn't realized how it would look on her, I mean of course he had to picture it somehow but the picture was nothing like this.

Her beautiful smile, ocean eyes, and flowing red-auburn hair down in a cascading wave made his voice deep, and his chocolate depths darker.

"Thank you for the dress!" She complemented him, "it's lovely!"

He smiled, showing his undying dimples and at that B'Elanna smiled. She was proud of him, he was making it very discreet but he was showing her that he loves her in every way he can without getting reprimanded.

The song was over and somehow there feet wouldn't let them stop dancing. The whole room was gone she felt like she was floating with stars.

Everyone else danced when the song changed for the second time, it changed to a Charleston type of music, they stopped only to start up again doing the Charleston and anything else that they could add that made it even more spectacular.

The crew laughed and smiled at their Captain and Commander, they were out there laughing, dancing, smiling and having a great time . together. That's a side of their Captain they'd never seen before, but it was something about the Chakotay, not the Commander, that made the Captain's fire dye and she became the most incredible women, Kathryn.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

First, it was the dream, then the holo-image of her and Chakotay . Then the party, oh, the party! She had a blast, the singing . the drinking. But Tom had made them; well he hadn't made them she chose it but, dance to the song that, as he said, 'Best fits their relationship.' Which was an old song called, "Desperately." It just kept pilling up.

~*~*~*~*~

One day on bridge Harry was sending notes to Tom saying: She's doing it again; He's doing again; They keep missing each other; ... But they had made one tiny mistake while sending the notes they had accidentally sent them to the command console.

But once Tom turned around to see for himself, Chakotay and Kathryn looked at each other. Then Kathryn looked at Tom and Chakotay at Harry.

"Who's doing what again?" Chakotay asked.

"And who keeps missing each other?" Kathryn finished.

"Nobody!" They said.

"No! You are going to tell us who you are talking about."

"Ok, you want to know, we were talking about your little game of eye tag that no one was winning!"

It was silent, then, "We're sorry, Captain!"

"No we aren't!" Tom corrected. "Everyone has been trying to get you two or . you to come to your sense about you two for five years. Five years! Five years of eye tags!" he pointed to Kathryn.

She gave him a glare. "With all do respect, Captain, that doesn't scare me right now!"

Tuvok's eyebrow shot up. "Tom sit down and get back to work!" Tuvok stated, with a hint of impossible anger in his voice.

"No!" he moved to where he was right in front of them. "I am so sick and tired of setting here everyday and being the one that has to turn-"

"You don't have to! You have a spy!" Kathryn snapped, looking at Harry.

"Well ." Tom stopped, Kathryn gave him a look, "Don't give me that look." He said.

"What?"

"That look! You give me or anyone that look when we mention anything about you and-"

"Lieutenant Paris!"

"Don't Lieutenant Paris me!"

"Alright ." She walked down closer and took one of his pips, "Ensign Paris!"

"Who cares!!"

"Do you know who you're talking to?"

"Yes I know exactly who I'm talking to, Captain!" he said incredulously. "And I also know that the Captain is afraid to admit to anything about Chakotay!"

"There's nothing to admit! He's my XO, counselor, spirit guide guide and" her voice got soft, "my best friend. Nothing else."

There was silence for a minute when B'Elanna spoke up, "Whatever! Have you seen the way he looks at you and not to mention the way you look at him?"

"Okay Chakotay, it's your turn!" Harry said, since everyone else was talking about him and he hadn't said anything.

"The only thing I have to say is that you need to treat you Captain with a little respect. This last week has been rough on us because of everything that you have done. The picture, the song that you played-"

"I didn't pick the song." Tom said matter-of-factly.

Chakotay looked at him and then at Kathryn's head bent down. Then he replayed the party in his head. The song had changed at the nod of her head. "Well."

"Just more proof." Some one said.

"I'm sorry it's not exactly like I knew what the song was." Then she mumbled, "Then to top it off the dreams."

"What dreams?"

"The dreams I've been having that's made all this worse!"

"Really. I've been having dreams for seven long, lonely years and it's always been rough on me. You think it's hard on you!" He stood up looking at her and everyone on the bridge. " I've been having dreams day and night about the women I love and then have to sit beside her every day, have 'working' dinners every night, and not being able to do anything about it! Seven years since the day she stepped in front of me on her bridge, this very bridge. It's not everyday that a man gets to spend every day with his love in the same spot that they first met!" He stopped and sat down, "and you think it's hard on you." He mumbled, and shook his head.

There was silence on the bridge. No one said a word afraid that the Captain would be the next to explode. Then all of a sudden she turned and ran into her ready room. B'Elanna turned to go after her but was stopped with, "Leave her alone." His voice was quiet for a minute but then, "Everyone, get back to work!"

They did what was commanded of them by their Commander.

Part Two Coming Soon