Disclaimer: Star Trek: Voyager and all characters therein are the property of Americans who are not me. No infringement of copyright is intended.
NB: This story is set approximately around Season 5-7, but not particular spoilers other than this happens after Thirty Days (but after Tom re-makes it to Lieutenant again) and before Drive. Rating T/PG14
OF RYALS & RELATIONSHIPS
Chapter 8 – Agony Uncle
"All systems are up to full power and we're ready to depart." Chakotay smiled as he gave Captain Janeway the status report.
This rest-stop had done her – done them all – the world of good. Her cheeks glowed like she was 16 again and she sat on the couch in her ready room with purpose and sparkles in her eyes. Perhaps most beneficially, she had a cup of hot Zerin on the table instead of her perpetual coffee pot; Chakotay decided not to pre-emptively mention the doctor's increasing muttered threats to make her go cold turkey on her coffee intake, though he agreed wholeheartedly with the medical man in this case – drinking two or three large cups of coffee a day wasn't that bad….Kathryn Janeway, Mistress of Compulsive Overachievement, drank two or three large pots of coffee. How she had escaped everything from permanent jitters, perpetual bouncing off the ceiling and the acid reflux from hell was a miracle.
"There are just a couple of things I want to tie up on the surface and then we can continue," she decided. "But not until tomorrow, let everyone enjoy one last afternoon of leisure before returning to the routine of life in the GTC."
"GTC?" Chakotay repeated questioningly.
She smirked, "It seems the crew have appropriated and 'acronymed' your 'Giant Tin Can' remark."
"Is 'acronymed' even a word?"
"I think the O.E.D. will forgive me this once," Janeway smiled. "Speaking of leisure though, I'm giving you the rest of this afternoon off – no arguments. You've worked wonders and you deserve a last fling with Ryzak's recreational facilities before we're resealed in the GTC."
"Yes, ma'am," he grinned.
Taking his leave, Chakotay eschewed the turbo-lifts for the scenic route through Voyager as he was in no rush; there was nothing he was particularly desperate to try but he wasn't about to turn down the chance for a final bit of R&R before continuing their journey.
Hearing a faint, familiar hum, Chakotay paused on Deck 6 and went towards the holodecks. He frowned as he saw the red 'occupied' indicator light on the panel; any Voyager crew not on duty shifts were spending every spare minute down on Ryzak. "Computer, is holodeck 2 active?"
"Affirmative."
"What program?"
"'Chakotay Training Program 15 Beta.'"
Chakotay stiffened in surprise, since of course he was Chakotay. "Who's running the program?"
"Lt Tom Paris."
Chakotay looked at the door; leaving aside for the moment questions of how Paris had managed to access one of Chakotay's personal programs, it was unlike the irrepressible blond to be hiding away when there was fun to be had on the planet. Since it was his program, Chakotay entered the holodeck and watched the scene for several moments before ordering, "Deactivate program."
Having just broken Jeren's jaw with another right cross, Tom lost his balance and stumbled as the alien suddenly vanished, along with Tom's boxing gloves and the ancient setting of the gym and boxing ring in which he had been pulverising Jeren. Clarity came as he turned around to find Chakotay standing not five feet away, arms folded and eyebrow raised in classic Tuvok style; uh-oh, busted…damn, Chakotay was supposed be on duty shift for another hour I thought.
"I think you got him," Chakotay commented dryly and without apparent anger.
"I wish," muttered Tom before he could stop himself.
"What happened to get you this homicidal?" Chakotay inquired.
"Yesterday Jeren sent B'Elanna a box of circuit relays for the plasma conduits," Tom growled, "when she opened the box he'd put in a freshly plucked bloom and a note saying how much he appreciated what she'd done working on that cylinder."
"He was probably just being nice," Chakotay began.
"Come on, Chakotay! That was more than nice. Nice would be a thank-you and a handshake!" Tom ran his hand through his hair distractedly. "Anyway we…had an argument about it and she put the damn thing on her dresser. Right there; I swear it's gloating."
Chakotay managed by a major effort of will not to laugh aloud. "Well, okay, I see your point, but to be honest, my advice to you is: get used to it. B'Elanna is an attractive woman, and she's noticed. But she loves you and she would never willingly hurt you, Tom, you have to know that."
"I do…I just…" Tom shook his head slowly, "The boot is definitely on the other foot, and it's not a nice feeling…"
Chakotay prudently said nothing, though he understood where Tom was coming from; though not conceited, he knew himself to be a handsome man, as was Tom Paris, though in a different way. Both were more used to being the object of feminine jealousies than having other males trying to cut in on their woman.
"…I never understood you using this program," Tom was saying, "but I had to let off steam or else I'd have done something I probably wouldn't have regretted…it felt so good to pound him!"
Chakotay did chuckle, "That's why I use this program, Paris, to ease my overwhelming desire to beat some sense into certain people," he said pointedly.
"I'm going to have to do some pretty serious grovelling, aren't I?" Tom acknowledged.
"Oh yes, I foresee a lot of Klingon epithets in your near future," Chakotay found that the thought cheered him considerably, "and possibly heavy objects."
"Ack."
"Go and soothe the savage beast that is your girlfriend, Tom," Chakotay ordered, "but before you do - one thing: right now I'm going to ignore this violation of my privacy, in fact, it won't even make it into any log that you obviously know how to bypass personal privacy encryptions such as the one you did to access this program. But if you ever invade the privacy of any crewmember aboard this ship again I will put you in the same state as you did holo-Jeren. I expect better of you, Paris."
Tom had the grace to look sheepish, knowing he'd widely overstepped the mark. Accessing another person's private holo-program without consent was only one step away from breaking into their quarters and rifling through their underwear drawer. Chakotay would have been well within his rights to beat the hell of Tom, and when she found out why, the Captain would probably have given permission for him to do it again. If Chakotay had decided to make what Tom had done official, Captain Janeway would've bust him down to cadet and let him rot in the brig for the rest of the journey back home.
"Yes, sir," he said softly with genuine gratitude.
To be concluded…
© 2005, C D Stewart
OED The Oxford English Dictionary, generally considered to be (no pun intended) the last word on correct usage and context of the English Language.